We saw “Driving Miss Daisy” again tonight. Most of the girls had never seen it, and I rented it to show tonight. They seemed to enjoy the movie, and followed the story line well.
During the part where Hoke and Miss Daisy are traveling to Mobile and stop for lunch, the police stop and gently harass them. As they are driving away, one officer makes a racial comment about both of them. The girls soundly lashed into the officers for their comments.
At the end, when Hoke is feeding Miss Daisy at the nursing home, some of the girls didn’t “get it”, but some did. The genuine affection for Hoke shows through Miss Daisy, and that affection is returned by Hoke in a gentle and loving way.
I always am affected by that movie. There’s so much in that story that one can take from it. The brevity of life, the suddenness of death, the temporal nature of business and wealth, the relationships between people and peoples, and many other things come front and center in that story line.
Stories like that don’t come along every day. But when one does, it makes a lasting impression on all who see it and appreciate it for what it brings to life and living.
The world could use some kindness and gentleness right now.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Come See It
We went to the river yesterday. The girls were out of school yesterday, so we went to the confluence of the Arkansas (pronounced ar-kań-sas) and Little Arkansas rivers in downtown Wichita. They’ve built two pedestrian bridges across the rivers at the confluence, and have a Native American exhibit and art at the point. It’s quite a display.
We spent considerable time there, and the girls enjoyed the waterfalls, the rocks, and the relative quiet. They climbed on the rocks, sit and talked, and just spent time alone. They want to go back soon.
Sometimes governments do extraordinarily stupid and wasteful things. We all hear about those times when government doesn’t work as it should. Then there are other times when someone had an idea and government took it to it’s conclusion, with great results.
This is one of those times. I don’t know who had the idea or how it all came to pass, but this exhibit is one of the better things I’ve seen. It’s close to Exploration Place and the Veterans Memorial Park. It’s wheelchair accessible throughout the exhibit, is tastefully done, and respectful of a culture that was decimated in a matter of a few years by the white man and his greed.
I know that critics have bemoaned the cost, the location, and other things. And there may be some merit to some of that criticism. But most of it is sour grapes, and only results in a poisoning of the atmosphere of public service so that qualified people refuse to serve.
Thanks to whoever it was that had the foresight and fortitude to carry that project through to fruition. If you have a chance, come see it some day.
We spent considerable time there, and the girls enjoyed the waterfalls, the rocks, and the relative quiet. They climbed on the rocks, sit and talked, and just spent time alone. They want to go back soon.
Sometimes governments do extraordinarily stupid and wasteful things. We all hear about those times when government doesn’t work as it should. Then there are other times when someone had an idea and government took it to it’s conclusion, with great results.
This is one of those times. I don’t know who had the idea or how it all came to pass, but this exhibit is one of the better things I’ve seen. It’s close to Exploration Place and the Veterans Memorial Park. It’s wheelchair accessible throughout the exhibit, is tastefully done, and respectful of a culture that was decimated in a matter of a few years by the white man and his greed.
I know that critics have bemoaned the cost, the location, and other things. And there may be some merit to some of that criticism. But most of it is sour grapes, and only results in a poisoning of the atmosphere of public service so that qualified people refuse to serve.
Thanks to whoever it was that had the foresight and fortitude to carry that project through to fruition. If you have a chance, come see it some day.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A Higher Plane
A few days ago I was driving the girls to school about 7:30 in the morning. As I turned east on 13th street, the sun was a medium-bright orange orb hanging just above the street and the horizon. It was close to the equinox and the sun rose just about due east that day.
All of us were looking at the phenomenon, and one of the girls simply said “wow”. I think she was truly impressed by the sight, and so were the others that took the time from their chattering to look for just a few seconds at what God unfolded before them.
In today’s world, we are not easily impressed. We can send instant messages to Australia and the space shuttle. We have at our fingertips billions of pages of information. Our automobiles think for us and guide us to our destinations. We can receive hundreds of television and radio channels on private services such as cable tv and satellite radio. We talk long distance with the ease of punching in some numbers on a keypad.
The girls that are staying with us don’t remember George Bush senior in the White House. They don’t recall the Gulf War, except through history. Greenbar and DOS is foreign to them. And it’s been a very long time since anyone has actually dialed a telephone.
The sight only lasted a few seconds until it was obscured by trees and other objects. But it was enough that some of us, anyway, stopped for just a second or two and enjoyed the view. I have to wonder how may other commuters on their way to work or school that day saw and marveled. I would hope that many that day took their lives a step higher, if only for a few seconds, and got out of the rut of daily existence to enjoy a higher plane.
All of us were looking at the phenomenon, and one of the girls simply said “wow”. I think she was truly impressed by the sight, and so were the others that took the time from their chattering to look for just a few seconds at what God unfolded before them.
In today’s world, we are not easily impressed. We can send instant messages to Australia and the space shuttle. We have at our fingertips billions of pages of information. Our automobiles think for us and guide us to our destinations. We can receive hundreds of television and radio channels on private services such as cable tv and satellite radio. We talk long distance with the ease of punching in some numbers on a keypad.
The girls that are staying with us don’t remember George Bush senior in the White House. They don’t recall the Gulf War, except through history. Greenbar and DOS is foreign to them. And it’s been a very long time since anyone has actually dialed a telephone.
The sight only lasted a few seconds until it was obscured by trees and other objects. But it was enough that some of us, anyway, stopped for just a second or two and enjoyed the view. I have to wonder how may other commuters on their way to work or school that day saw and marveled. I would hope that many that day took their lives a step higher, if only for a few seconds, and got out of the rut of daily existence to enjoy a higher plane.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
All Worthwhile
“We got our daughter back.” So were the words of the Dad of one of the girls we have kept here at the home, then reunited with her family a few months ago. The home had a fundraising night tonight and this Dad wanted to speak to the audience. He didn’t speak long, but he said those words tonight, among others, in front of God and everyone. Those words stuck in my mind, and probably will for a long time.
It’s hard to know whether or not anything positive comes from our day-to-day interaction with these girls. We don’t see changes happen much over the course of a day or even a week. We continue to see many of the same behaviors and attitudes daily to the point that it seems pointless to continue this seeming exercise in futility.
We see girls leave here against our better judgment and go back to families or situations that we know aren’t good for them. We see families continue to be in crisis due to the choices that they continue to make long after they should know better. We see the effects of a society that still, for all the rhetoric, considers children to be throw-away objects.
But then, something like this happens. Once in a while, it all comes together. Sometimes, things just gel. And we are able to have our poor efforts validated and can see the glory of God working through not only us as house parents, but also other staff, the board, friends of the home, volunteers, our prayer warriors, and others who have an interest in seeing God work in His people.
Thanks so much, Pete, for your kind words. Soli Deo Gloria
It’s hard to know whether or not anything positive comes from our day-to-day interaction with these girls. We don’t see changes happen much over the course of a day or even a week. We continue to see many of the same behaviors and attitudes daily to the point that it seems pointless to continue this seeming exercise in futility.
We see girls leave here against our better judgment and go back to families or situations that we know aren’t good for them. We see families continue to be in crisis due to the choices that they continue to make long after they should know better. We see the effects of a society that still, for all the rhetoric, considers children to be throw-away objects.
But then, something like this happens. Once in a while, it all comes together. Sometimes, things just gel. And we are able to have our poor efforts validated and can see the glory of God working through not only us as house parents, but also other staff, the board, friends of the home, volunteers, our prayer warriors, and others who have an interest in seeing God work in His people.
Thanks so much, Pete, for your kind words. Soli Deo Gloria
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Pain of Withdrawal
One of our girls is going through a withdrawal. No, not a withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. She’s going through boyfriend withdrawal.
This is actually quite good because she has a male dependency and thinks she needs to constantly be in a boyfriend relationship, many of whom weren’t what they should have been. She craves the attention of boys and believes she’s not a whole person without it. She realizes her problem intellectually, and has “taken the pledge” to not have a boyfriend at least for the remainder of this year. It’s been tough, to say the least.
I knew that some women (and men too) had this kind of a problem, but wasn’t aware that this could have just as strong of an addictive track as nicotine, alcohol, or narcotics. The road she’s on is really a tough pull for her, and I feel rather helpless at times to help her much other than to encourage her as best I can.
We often say about others whom we see are in difficult circumstances to just get out of those circumstances and do something different. It’s as if they could just wave the magic wand over themselves and all would be well. We do it with people who are homeless, in abusive relationships, who are hooked on gambling, shopping, or eating, and with people who have compulsive disorders such as stealing.
Only those who have not gone through the torture of having and trying to release oneself from such a demon would ever be so naïve as to think that all that is needed is to just change behavior, as if it can be done in the next 10 minutes and one is cured.
We’re cheering for our girl and working with her as best we can. She’s also in therapy and is working with her therapist on this and other issues that affect her. She has a lot of will power and she has given her life to Jesus Christ. Her family is behind her. Her friends are cheering her on. She’s on the right track. But that track has a lot of trestles and tunnels to navigate yet. The jury’s still out.
This is actually quite good because she has a male dependency and thinks she needs to constantly be in a boyfriend relationship, many of whom weren’t what they should have been. She craves the attention of boys and believes she’s not a whole person without it. She realizes her problem intellectually, and has “taken the pledge” to not have a boyfriend at least for the remainder of this year. It’s been tough, to say the least.
I knew that some women (and men too) had this kind of a problem, but wasn’t aware that this could have just as strong of an addictive track as nicotine, alcohol, or narcotics. The road she’s on is really a tough pull for her, and I feel rather helpless at times to help her much other than to encourage her as best I can.
We often say about others whom we see are in difficult circumstances to just get out of those circumstances and do something different. It’s as if they could just wave the magic wand over themselves and all would be well. We do it with people who are homeless, in abusive relationships, who are hooked on gambling, shopping, or eating, and with people who have compulsive disorders such as stealing.
Only those who have not gone through the torture of having and trying to release oneself from such a demon would ever be so naïve as to think that all that is needed is to just change behavior, as if it can be done in the next 10 minutes and one is cured.
We’re cheering for our girl and working with her as best we can. She’s also in therapy and is working with her therapist on this and other issues that affect her. She has a lot of will power and she has given her life to Jesus Christ. Her family is behind her. Her friends are cheering her on. She’s on the right track. But that track has a lot of trestles and tunnels to navigate yet. The jury’s still out.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Looking Up
I normally don’t pay a lot of attention to the morning hours much before about 9am. However, as I drove the girls to school today (we travel East to the school), I noticed as I turned on 13rh street that the sun was barely peeking above a ridge of dark clouds over in the eastern sky. There was just a slit between that ridge and another ridge above it and the sun was just beginning to traverse that area.
I knew that I had to visit with a school counselor at 9am today about one of our girls who is failing most of her classes. I wasn’t looking forward to that. Neither was I sure what the rest of the day held. So I wasn’t particularly ready or willing to have a religious lesson right then and there.
However, I also felt that there was indeed a message for me, and I needed to look at it (the message) as well as the moment. Somehow, it seemed, God was creating that moment for me and any others who happened to look ahead or over and see the phenomenon. Do you think for a minute that God’s hand COULD have been involved in that? That He did that just for me and whoever would look?
I then wondered how many times I fail to look, or worse, fail to appreciate what I do see. I sometimes have my head so far into the abyss that it seems I can’t even jump up to see out, let alone have any time to truly appreciate what is there for me.
I don’t know if God intended to create that moment for me, for someone else, or for no one in particular. I do know that it got me to thinking about how I tend to (insert cliché here). That cliché could be “not see the forest for the trees” or one of many others.
Maybe I need to look up more.
I knew that I had to visit with a school counselor at 9am today about one of our girls who is failing most of her classes. I wasn’t looking forward to that. Neither was I sure what the rest of the day held. So I wasn’t particularly ready or willing to have a religious lesson right then and there.
However, I also felt that there was indeed a message for me, and I needed to look at it (the message) as well as the moment. Somehow, it seemed, God was creating that moment for me and any others who happened to look ahead or over and see the phenomenon. Do you think for a minute that God’s hand COULD have been involved in that? That He did that just for me and whoever would look?
I then wondered how many times I fail to look, or worse, fail to appreciate what I do see. I sometimes have my head so far into the abyss that it seems I can’t even jump up to see out, let alone have any time to truly appreciate what is there for me.
I don’t know if God intended to create that moment for me, for someone else, or for no one in particular. I do know that it got me to thinking about how I tend to (insert cliché here). That cliché could be “not see the forest for the trees” or one of many others.
Maybe I need to look up more.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Does Anyone Know What's Going On Here?
I heard a report on NPR the other day where a U.S. Senator was questioning an Executive Branch official about the war in Iraq. Senator Bob Corker (Tennessee) was asking former Deputy Secretary of Defense John J. Hamre to explain why we have not done more to keep Iraqi oil from falling into the black market. This was after a question by Sen. Corker elicited the information that from 200,000 to 400,000 (no one knows for sure) barrels of Iraqi oil per day is lost to the black market.
I now quote the exchange between these two men.
Sen. Corker: "Is there a reason we have not employed methods to keep 400,000 barrels of oil from going into the wrong hands?".
Sec. Hamre: Iraq has had a "very elaborate . heavy duty black market" in oil since the first Gulf War.
Sen. Corker: "Are you saying the reason we're not intervening is that would create other issues . we'd have to deal with?"
Sec. Hamre: "My sense is that we have had our hands full with a full range of things and this probably was a problem that wasn't as imminent as people shooting at us."
Does this raise any eyebrows with you? Do you think that perhaps if this much oil is falling into the wrong hands, that perhaps the cash received from selling this oil is also falling into the wrong hands and is financing at least some of the “other side” of the war in Iraq?
If the lower number of 200,000 is used, at an oil price of $50 a barrel, that’s 10 million dollars a day (3.65 billion dollars a year) that is going to people that may well be using it to shoot at us.
If the Secretary’s last statement is any indication, perhaps if we would work harder to cut off the flow of money to the “other side”, maybe they wouldn’t be shooting at us quite as much. Or maybe I’m the only one who doesn’t get it.
Don’t try to Google this story. There just isn’t anything on the Internet about this. No news people have picked this up. No reports have been published. There is virtually no information on this except for this brief exchange that was reported by a couple of private news organizations. Even Senator Corker’s office couldn’t comment on it.
What’s going on here?
I now quote the exchange between these two men.
Sen. Corker: "Is there a reason we have not employed methods to keep 400,000 barrels of oil from going into the wrong hands?".
Sec. Hamre: Iraq has had a "very elaborate . heavy duty black market" in oil since the first Gulf War.
Sen. Corker: "Are you saying the reason we're not intervening is that would create other issues . we'd have to deal with?"
Sec. Hamre: "My sense is that we have had our hands full with a full range of things and this probably was a problem that wasn't as imminent as people shooting at us."
Does this raise any eyebrows with you? Do you think that perhaps if this much oil is falling into the wrong hands, that perhaps the cash received from selling this oil is also falling into the wrong hands and is financing at least some of the “other side” of the war in Iraq?
If the lower number of 200,000 is used, at an oil price of $50 a barrel, that’s 10 million dollars a day (3.65 billion dollars a year) that is going to people that may well be using it to shoot at us.
If the Secretary’s last statement is any indication, perhaps if we would work harder to cut off the flow of money to the “other side”, maybe they wouldn’t be shooting at us quite as much. Or maybe I’m the only one who doesn’t get it.
Don’t try to Google this story. There just isn’t anything on the Internet about this. No news people have picked this up. No reports have been published. There is virtually no information on this except for this brief exchange that was reported by a couple of private news organizations. Even Senator Corker’s office couldn’t comment on it.
What’s going on here?
Let It Be So
We attended, as usual, church services yesterday. We went to the place we normally go to meet with others and share our faith. I enjoy doing that, and especially so since we’ve moved to Wichita. The church we’re a part of is a dynamic and growing place. It just seems to fit us very well right now at this time in our lives. One of the reasons I like it so well is the singing that takes place each Sunday. Those of you who don’t attend church or don’t sing or enjoy singing and worship probably won’t relate much to this blog entry. That’s OK. Stay with me.
We sing without the benefit of an organ or piano in our church. There is just something about a 300 voice choir singing acappella that causes a stirring of emotion that cannot be experienced by any other means. Yesterday was no exception.
For some reason, though, yesterday’s services were especially emotional for me. There was nothing special about the sermon, the people, etc. Now, don’t get me wrong. Rick’s sermons are always good and yesterday was no exception. But the topic wasn’t an especially hard-hitting one, at least for me. The people were the same, the auditorium was the same, the bulletin was the same. I don’t know what made the services so emotionally intense in me.
We sing 8 or more songs during the worship hour. Some are choruses. Some are old favorites. Some are more contemporary. We sing four-part harmony with the words and music projected on a screen. Our song leader is especially trained in music and works as a choral director would, with dynamic changes, tempo adjustments, and signals and cues to the audience.
At the end of the service, one of the elders usually gives a “blessing”—a short talk, prayer, or observation. Yesterday, however, they said at the close of services that the blessing would be a song, but didn’t say which song it would be. When the time came and the song was put on the screen, I just went silently, “Oh, man!” I knew that as hard of a time as I had had during the services keeping my composure during the songs, I’d never get through this one. And this one was one that I really wanted to be able to sing.
“The Lord Bless You and Keep You” was the song. I knew it well, and also knew the 7-fold “Amen” would be part of it. Sure enough, I had to just listen for a good part of the song. I did, however, manage to croak out the bass line for two or three of the “Amen” lines at the end as well as the first couple of bars at the beginning.
They say there will be singing in heaven. I can’t imagine anything more “heavenly”: than blending in with voices from the world over while singing songs praising and glorifying the God of Heaven and Earth. Let it be so.
We sing without the benefit of an organ or piano in our church. There is just something about a 300 voice choir singing acappella that causes a stirring of emotion that cannot be experienced by any other means. Yesterday was no exception.
For some reason, though, yesterday’s services were especially emotional for me. There was nothing special about the sermon, the people, etc. Now, don’t get me wrong. Rick’s sermons are always good and yesterday was no exception. But the topic wasn’t an especially hard-hitting one, at least for me. The people were the same, the auditorium was the same, the bulletin was the same. I don’t know what made the services so emotionally intense in me.
We sing 8 or more songs during the worship hour. Some are choruses. Some are old favorites. Some are more contemporary. We sing four-part harmony with the words and music projected on a screen. Our song leader is especially trained in music and works as a choral director would, with dynamic changes, tempo adjustments, and signals and cues to the audience.
At the end of the service, one of the elders usually gives a “blessing”—a short talk, prayer, or observation. Yesterday, however, they said at the close of services that the blessing would be a song, but didn’t say which song it would be. When the time came and the song was put on the screen, I just went silently, “Oh, man!” I knew that as hard of a time as I had had during the services keeping my composure during the songs, I’d never get through this one. And this one was one that I really wanted to be able to sing.
“The Lord Bless You and Keep You” was the song. I knew it well, and also knew the 7-fold “Amen” would be part of it. Sure enough, I had to just listen for a good part of the song. I did, however, manage to croak out the bass line for two or three of the “Amen” lines at the end as well as the first couple of bars at the beginning.
They say there will be singing in heaven. I can’t imagine anything more “heavenly”: than blending in with voices from the world over while singing songs praising and glorifying the God of Heaven and Earth. Let it be so.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Commit to Memory
Several days ago, we went to the state fair along with my wife’s sisters and our son and his wife and daughter (our granddaughter). I’ve already blogged about that a bit, but want to expand a little on a thought I had a couple of days ago.
We had a great time with our granddaughter. She is one year old (actually, 14 months old) and was a joy to have at the fair. She didn’t cry, wasn’t a problem, and seemed to really enjoy the day.
I was a little ashamed of the money we spent at the fair this year, as we are on a tight budget and being houseparents at a nonprofit children’s home isn’t a job one takes if one wants lots of cash. I then thought about the fact that we will only go to the state fair with our one-year old granddaughter one time. That’s it…one time.
You see, next year, when the fair comes again, she’ll be two. The year following that, she’ll be three, and so on. We only go around once with our first grandchild at the state fair when she is one year old.
When I thought about that, I immediately tried to commit more of the memories of that day to long-term storage and cherish that day when Granddad took her into the water fountain and let her enjoy getting wet with the pulsating water jets…when she tried the cotton candy, but didn’t like it…when she lost her hat while riding on the train…when we saw the rabbits, chickens, and ducks…when we went to the petting zoo…when we….
We had a great time with our granddaughter. She is one year old (actually, 14 months old) and was a joy to have at the fair. She didn’t cry, wasn’t a problem, and seemed to really enjoy the day.
I was a little ashamed of the money we spent at the fair this year, as we are on a tight budget and being houseparents at a nonprofit children’s home isn’t a job one takes if one wants lots of cash. I then thought about the fact that we will only go to the state fair with our one-year old granddaughter one time. That’s it…one time.
You see, next year, when the fair comes again, she’ll be two. The year following that, she’ll be three, and so on. We only go around once with our first grandchild at the state fair when she is one year old.
When I thought about that, I immediately tried to commit more of the memories of that day to long-term storage and cherish that day when Granddad took her into the water fountain and let her enjoy getting wet with the pulsating water jets…when she tried the cotton candy, but didn’t like it…when she lost her hat while riding on the train…when we saw the rabbits, chickens, and ducks…when we went to the petting zoo…when we….
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Have A Good Time
I said yesterday that we went to the state fair and that I would be writing about that in a later post. It’s later.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable day at the fair on Tuesday. Arriving about 9am, I waited at the entrance until our son and his family (with granddaughter) arrived about 9:30. We joined the wife and her two sisters on the fairgrounds.
The weather was pleasant, the grounds were not crowded at all, and our one-year-old granddaughter was a joy to be with. We enjoyed the train ride, the slide, and the water plume. We ate all manner of food from fried pickles to chili pies to ice cream. We saw exhibits of rabbits, chickens, photography, and quilting, along with giant pumpkins, wheat, and eggplant. We observed live snakes, fish, and other animals. The petting zoo was one of our last stops where we saw goats, camels, emus, and other exotic animals.
But it was the people that made the fair. Vendors seemed to be extra friendly that day, not having a lot to do other than visit at times. Others on the fairgrounds were pleasant and seemed to be soaking in the experience just as we were.
There were the usual sellers of knives and other kitchen gadgets (“It slices…it dices…and it cleans in a snap!”). Political booths were in abundance (but the politicians themselves were busy somewhere else). Commercial vendors tried hard to get folks to stop for a minute or two and there were more than a few non-profit and religious booths.
Leaving about 5pm, I gave what ride tickets I didn’t use that day to a young couple with a small boy (about 3 years old) who were just entering the fair. They at first thought I wanted to sell the tickets, and seemed genuinely surprised and pleased that I had no intention of selling them. I hope the youngster had a great time that evening.
We had a thoroughly enjoyable day at the fair on Tuesday. Arriving about 9am, I waited at the entrance until our son and his family (with granddaughter) arrived about 9:30. We joined the wife and her two sisters on the fairgrounds.
The weather was pleasant, the grounds were not crowded at all, and our one-year-old granddaughter was a joy to be with. We enjoyed the train ride, the slide, and the water plume. We ate all manner of food from fried pickles to chili pies to ice cream. We saw exhibits of rabbits, chickens, photography, and quilting, along with giant pumpkins, wheat, and eggplant. We observed live snakes, fish, and other animals. The petting zoo was one of our last stops where we saw goats, camels, emus, and other exotic animals.
But it was the people that made the fair. Vendors seemed to be extra friendly that day, not having a lot to do other than visit at times. Others on the fairgrounds were pleasant and seemed to be soaking in the experience just as we were.
There were the usual sellers of knives and other kitchen gadgets (“It slices…it dices…and it cleans in a snap!”). Political booths were in abundance (but the politicians themselves were busy somewhere else). Commercial vendors tried hard to get folks to stop for a minute or two and there were more than a few non-profit and religious booths.
Leaving about 5pm, I gave what ride tickets I didn’t use that day to a young couple with a small boy (about 3 years old) who were just entering the fair. They at first thought I wanted to sell the tickets, and seemed genuinely surprised and pleased that I had no intention of selling them. I hope the youngster had a great time that evening.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Of PC's and the Fair
It’s certainly been an interesting couple of days. Monday, I got a new PC that didn’t work right out of the box, yesterday we went to the state fair with relatives, and today I got a replacement PC that does work right out of the box. What a deal.
First, the PC. The old PC needed to have a clean hard drive. I, however, no longer have the numbers needed to install Windows XP (although my software is legit). So I could buy a new copy of XP, or I could get a new PC. With rebate, the new PC was about $75 more than the software, so I got the PC.
Right out of the box, it didn’t seem to be working quite right. I fiddled with it until today when I called the people who did the warranty. No, I didn’t hold on the phone for hours on end. I bought an extra warranty from the sellers of the PC (Office Depot) and they answered the phone in just a few minutes.
Nigel (from Georgia) heard a minute or so of my complaint and told me to box it up and take it back, taking advantage of the 14 day “no questions asked” guarantee. I did so and exchanged it for a like model. This one appears to be running as advertised. Thanks, Nigel.
It’s always a hassle to change PC’s. I have to install programs, move data files, make sure I don’t forget anything, and in general hold my mouth just right or I tend to get in trouble. I get impatient and sometimes click something I shouldn’t. That messes up everything. I’d never make a computer technician.
However, Vista (yeah, yeah, I know) seems to be doing fine, and we’re back on the web. I’ll talk some of the fair in another post.
BTW, the girls are coming back tomorrow. I think we’re ready, but we never know for sure until they get here.
First, the PC. The old PC needed to have a clean hard drive. I, however, no longer have the numbers needed to install Windows XP (although my software is legit). So I could buy a new copy of XP, or I could get a new PC. With rebate, the new PC was about $75 more than the software, so I got the PC.
Right out of the box, it didn’t seem to be working quite right. I fiddled with it until today when I called the people who did the warranty. No, I didn’t hold on the phone for hours on end. I bought an extra warranty from the sellers of the PC (Office Depot) and they answered the phone in just a few minutes.
Nigel (from Georgia) heard a minute or so of my complaint and told me to box it up and take it back, taking advantage of the 14 day “no questions asked” guarantee. I did so and exchanged it for a like model. This one appears to be running as advertised. Thanks, Nigel.
It’s always a hassle to change PC’s. I have to install programs, move data files, make sure I don’t forget anything, and in general hold my mouth just right or I tend to get in trouble. I get impatient and sometimes click something I shouldn’t. That messes up everything. I’d never make a computer technician.
However, Vista (yeah, yeah, I know) seems to be doing fine, and we’re back on the web. I’ll talk some of the fair in another post.
BTW, the girls are coming back tomorrow. I think we’re ready, but we never know for sure until they get here.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Pinto Beans
We drove to Newton this evening. We went up old Highway 81 and came back by way of Meridian Avenue. While in Newton, we drove around a bit and stopped at a bakery/restaurant that we knew was downtown.
We went in and found that they were serving a German buffet. About 30 people were there enjoying the fare. I looked around and asked my wife where all the people were that were younger than we are. There were none. We are in our mid 50’s and it seemed everyone was as old or older than we.
During the meal, I continued to observe the crowd. Only when we got up to leave did I see a younger family with a couple of girls in the back of the dining room. Everyone else was older.
The food was great. Hot German potato salad, two kinds of soups (a cabbage-chicken soup and a green bean-ham soup), sausage, and all kinds of breads were on the buffet. There was a kind of rolled up roll on the dessert table that looked a little like a croissant, but not curved. It was drenched in a creamy vanilla sauce and was piping hot.
Inside the roll was a filling consisting of pinto beans. Yes, you read correctly. Pinto beans. Some were mashed and some were whole. The outside was a sweet, white bread dough and the whole thing was baked.
It was a lot better than I thought it would be. The beans were actually an addition to the dessert, although the bread and sauce would have been fine, too. We wondered if that recipe was formulated by a frustrated mother long ago who didn’t have much to eat except beans and bread, and wanted a way to fix them that was a little different.
The meal was ten dollars, dessert and drinks included. We’ll be going back.
We went in and found that they were serving a German buffet. About 30 people were there enjoying the fare. I looked around and asked my wife where all the people were that were younger than we are. There were none. We are in our mid 50’s and it seemed everyone was as old or older than we.
During the meal, I continued to observe the crowd. Only when we got up to leave did I see a younger family with a couple of girls in the back of the dining room. Everyone else was older.
The food was great. Hot German potato salad, two kinds of soups (a cabbage-chicken soup and a green bean-ham soup), sausage, and all kinds of breads were on the buffet. There was a kind of rolled up roll on the dessert table that looked a little like a croissant, but not curved. It was drenched in a creamy vanilla sauce and was piping hot.
Inside the roll was a filling consisting of pinto beans. Yes, you read correctly. Pinto beans. Some were mashed and some were whole. The outside was a sweet, white bread dough and the whole thing was baked.
It was a lot better than I thought it would be. The beans were actually an addition to the dessert, although the bread and sauce would have been fine, too. We wondered if that recipe was formulated by a frustrated mother long ago who didn’t have much to eat except beans and bread, and wanted a way to fix them that was a little different.
The meal was ten dollars, dessert and drinks included. We’ll be going back.
You Tell Me
We are having a big garage sale on campus right now. The home isn’t putting it on, but rather is renting out space to a private individual to hold the sale. This person collects stuff, then sells it and donates the money to charity and gives the home a cut as well.
We have a rather narrow circular drive on campus. Signs direct traffic one way around the drive. However, to go that direction requires that one navigate almost the entire campus to arrive at the location of the garage sale, which is visible at the fork in the drive. Obviously, some people don’t look at the sign and rather look at the sale, then drive the wrong way up the drive to the sale.
I was watching from the porch today as one woman did just that. She drove up to the sale the wrong way on the one-way drive, parked on the wrong side of the drive right next to the sale, and got out. After she got out, she looked around a little at all the other cars pointed the other direction. I might add that she appeared from all aspects to be healthy and mobile. She also looked at the sign which was right beside her car telling her to not park there. She looked a minute, took a couple steps toward her car, stopped, looked for a legitimate parking place, didn’t see any within 50 feet of the sale, then went back toward the sale.
You tell me. Was this woman A. An idiot (in the legitimate, psychological sense of the word); B. Illiterate; C. Hoping someone would smash her car that was parked in the lane of traffic; D. So eager to buy stuff at the sale that she willingly disobeyed clear signeage; E. Thinking she somehow had a right to park in a lane of traffic; F. So full of herself that she hadn’t a clue; G: Thinking the rules applied to everyone but her?
Let me know what you think. Thanks.
We have a rather narrow circular drive on campus. Signs direct traffic one way around the drive. However, to go that direction requires that one navigate almost the entire campus to arrive at the location of the garage sale, which is visible at the fork in the drive. Obviously, some people don’t look at the sign and rather look at the sale, then drive the wrong way up the drive to the sale.
I was watching from the porch today as one woman did just that. She drove up to the sale the wrong way on the one-way drive, parked on the wrong side of the drive right next to the sale, and got out. After she got out, she looked around a little at all the other cars pointed the other direction. I might add that she appeared from all aspects to be healthy and mobile. She also looked at the sign which was right beside her car telling her to not park there. She looked a minute, took a couple steps toward her car, stopped, looked for a legitimate parking place, didn’t see any within 50 feet of the sale, then went back toward the sale.
You tell me. Was this woman A. An idiot (in the legitimate, psychological sense of the word); B. Illiterate; C. Hoping someone would smash her car that was parked in the lane of traffic; D. So eager to buy stuff at the sale that she willingly disobeyed clear signeage; E. Thinking she somehow had a right to park in a lane of traffic; F. So full of herself that she hadn’t a clue; G: Thinking the rules applied to everyone but her?
Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Resilience
It’s after 10pm and only one of our six girls is here tonight. All the others are on weekend pass for the Labor Day holiday. Some girls, however, will be coming back tomorrow evening, and the others will straggle in Monday and Tuesday (no school Tuesday). So it’s quiet in the house.
The girl that is here is downstairs asleep on some pillows, with the TV blaring next to her. I didn’t wake her, preferring instead to let her be. It has to be tough to be a teen girl and live in a group home because you know that Mom and Dad don’t want you in their home.
Shana (not her real name) is a good girl with a few issues, but none that would normally warrant her being here. But her family situation is not good, and she now is staying with us. That’s also why Shana is the only one left to spend the holiday with us. I really don’t know how she manages to keep her sense of humor and good-natured attitude. I think someone once said that the word resilient described people like this.
Young people especially seem to have an extra amount of resilience in their systems. God seemed to know that not everyone would take kindly to children or treat them with respect. Jesus particularly was incensed one day when his disciples shooed away parents wanting to come to Jesus so he could bless their children.
“The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.” Mark 10:13-16 The Message
How can we possibly read that account and not shudder in our shoes when we think of all of the children that have been abused, neglected, and abandoned? Many adults will have a day of reckoning coming if not in this life, in the life to come.
Yes, resilience is certainly necessary and a great gift of God. It has helped untold millions of children grow into relatively functional, mature adults. But it would be infinitely better if resilience could be used in situations less horrid than child abuse, neglect, or abandonment..
The girl that is here is downstairs asleep on some pillows, with the TV blaring next to her. I didn’t wake her, preferring instead to let her be. It has to be tough to be a teen girl and live in a group home because you know that Mom and Dad don’t want you in their home.
Shana (not her real name) is a good girl with a few issues, but none that would normally warrant her being here. But her family situation is not good, and she now is staying with us. That’s also why Shana is the only one left to spend the holiday with us. I really don’t know how she manages to keep her sense of humor and good-natured attitude. I think someone once said that the word resilient described people like this.
Young people especially seem to have an extra amount of resilience in their systems. God seemed to know that not everyone would take kindly to children or treat them with respect. Jesus particularly was incensed one day when his disciples shooed away parents wanting to come to Jesus so he could bless their children.
“The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.” Mark 10:13-16 The Message
How can we possibly read that account and not shudder in our shoes when we think of all of the children that have been abused, neglected, and abandoned? Many adults will have a day of reckoning coming if not in this life, in the life to come.
Yes, resilience is certainly necessary and a great gift of God. It has helped untold millions of children grow into relatively functional, mature adults. But it would be infinitely better if resilience could be used in situations less horrid than child abuse, neglect, or abandonment..
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