Lotta play and little work

Long lunches

2009-06-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

I had some time on my hands so I made a little movie/collage of the slip and slide pictures and videos.

Father's Day

2009-06-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was father's day, but my father does not live close to me. So since unlike most people I couldn't go see my father, I chose a different activity..........SLIP AND SLIDE!!!!!!!!---------------

It's done

2009-05-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well all my travels are finally over for a little while, I can get back to doing what I do best......work. Louisiana was good fun just like it always is, we pitched washers, ate crawfish, pitched washers, ate crawfish(I repeated those on purpose because we did lots of both) and played 42.

Now we just pulled in from San Diego, yes it stayed classy, that was a good trip also. I had never been or if I had it wasn't long enough to really hang out, but now I want to go back...there's much more to do than we did. We pulled out Friday afternoon and pulled back in early Monday morning. We are pretty worn out but it was worth it and will probably happen again.

The races really are amazing, TV does not do them justice. We met some cool people and everyone seemed to like our accents. Everyone knew right away we weren't from there. We knew we weren't from there either, prices are not the same there that they are here.....glad we didn't drive.

I have posted some new pictures from both on the shutterfly page and have some more to post, I will try to do that tonight or tomorrow. The videos I will probably post on youtube, when I do that I'll tell you what to look for.

www.alittebitofitall.shutterfly.com

"Man Shower"

2009-04-24T07:19:00.001-07:00

I am not too sure what to think about how that sounds.

It was not a bunch of men showering together.

It was a little odd, until it happened.

It turned out to be just a bunch of friends getting together to help out other friends with the cost of having children. We brought diapers to our expecting fathers, played 42, washers, and ofcourse acted like guys act when they get together.

Click here to view these pictures larger

pics from Texas World Speedway Endurance

2009-04-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hey I posted a bunch of pictures from the race. They are all on shutterfly. My shutterfly page that is open to the public is www.alittlebitofitall.shutterfly.com

Feel free to look at them....they are pretty cool. Amy Casas Photography took them and let us have them.

Try to catch up........

2009-04-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Since the last post:

I have gone back to work

I have moved to a new town

I have gone to a PGA Tour tournament

I rode in a track day

I rode in a 6 hour endurance.

I am not talking about all that stuff........sorry.

Okay I might talk about it but briefly.

I went to work for Texas A&M in College Station, as a network technician. So of course I moved to College Station.

We went to Houston one weekend to watch Phil Mickelson miss the cut and not even make the final round of the Shell Houston Open. That was actually really cool to get to be around guys that you only see on TV.

This past weekend I actually got to ride in a race again, the last time I rode was in 2006. It has been a long time. Jessie Casas borrowed one of his wife's really good cameras, came and took mucho pictures. It was just as much fun as I remember......LOTS!!!!!

I will be running in a 5K race this coming weekend....not too excited about that.

I will also be going to San Diego in May to the Red Bull Air Races.

Oh man

2009-01-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Well we decided this morning to leave and head back......Now 16 hours(at least) to Rockdale then another 4 to Corpus. I have a long day ahead of me and it's all on the road. YEAH!!!!!!!

Driving, Desert, and Football

2009-01-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

Early Saturday morning me along with the two friends I went to the OU/TX game with got up bright and early to get on the road, headed for Phoenix, Arizona. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.... That is a long drive. A LONG DRIVE!!!!!

We started getting close right as the sun went down, so it made for some great pictures over the mountains.

Once we got here we looked around a little bit and then started planning out what were going to do in the next couple days. Which turned out to be not much. Once game day came around then we started having fun. We first went and played golf at a nice course in the area, went home for a quick clean up then headed to the stadium.

It was a great game and we had a good time, we sat near some Ohio State fans that were really good sports so we had a good time with them. Once again Texas pulled it out right at the last minute.

finished

2008-12-21T17:12:00.001-08:00

Another cure

2008-12-20T19:08:00.000-08:00

Now that I have all these instruments here I have to have some place to put them.

I had some time on my hands again so...... all hand made. Nothing bought but the wood.

Boredom

2008-12-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

I still haven't gone back to work and you can really only enjoy fishing when the weather is decent.

I went hunting with some buddies from around here so I headed to Clegg to pick up my rifle and decided to bring something else back also.

What's up

2008-12-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

I got in trouble this Thanksgiving weekend because I hadn't done anything on here since I went to the game.

Now granted I haven't done much since then but I have done something.

I have not been working and it has been nice. I like to do nothing but it has just about run its course.

I have been going fishing when the weather is nice and that has been pretty regular.

I did make a call so I will prolly be going back to work soon.

I know this is not exciting.....but neither is my life right now. I am okay with that!!!!

A good weekend

2008-10-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

I just had an interesting weekend. I got to go to the Texas vs. Oklahoma game, ridiculous rivalry, but it was a great game. It was actually pretty cool because the ticket to the game got you into the state fair also. So of course we rode the Farris wheel.... three 28 year old guys rode the Farris wheel together.....odd. That's the Cotton Bowl in the background....where the game was played.

Travis and Ernie both wore orange because they are Longhorn fans and I wore white so I could say I cheered for the winning team. We went to the game and yelled like fans do and it was a great game.

After the game we wandered around the fair like all the people do......80000 people do. It was packed. Then we got the bright idea to strap ourselves into a giant ball that shoots you straight up into the air at 100 mph and 5 Gs. That was fun too.

If you listen closely, under the song saying I won't live to see tomorrow, you can hear me telling Ernie get his hands off the handles.....he never did. The screams you hear are us also.

Good times!

Interesting

2008-10-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

I got to go watch Anson play soccer today and let me tell you....it was much different than when I played. Organized, uniforms, positions everything.

I also found out that for Rockdale's homecoming they are playing Madisonville, my two high schools playing each other. I wish I would have had that opportunity when I was playing, but it would have been interesting.

Might go to that game.

Spare time

2008-10-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's been nice to have some time off. I am trying to waste time till mom and pop get here so we can get some work done that I'm sure needs doing.

I have been going to play golf, going to the shooting range, and going fishing.

Last night we were fishing and Rudy had his pole tied up, because they didn't any holders, and I was next to it changing lures. Right then I saw the pole bend then jump into the water. It stopped just off the pier, so I cast my line out there trying to catch it with my hook.

I couldn't get it. I turned around to one of the other guys to see if he had a good lure that might have bigger hooks, but when I turned around it was gone. Rudy was heart broken....I thought it was kinda funny.

So someone will quite possibly catch a fish that might already be caught. It was a nice pole.

The Morning

2008-09-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the opening day of dove season so I decided to give it a whirl.

Turns out I'm not as bad as I thought. I actually got 8 birds the limit is 12.

I don't think it's too bad.

The interesting thing is as I walked back from getting one of my birds I noticed......

Before I continue let me say, every time I come here there are times I am glad I am alone. At least two or three times I will scream like a girl then dance around like I'm having some kind of spasm. A spider will crawl across my hand or I will walk up on a snake and these things usually happen.

After I walk up on this monster I do my usual thing...... dance and scream, then be completely happy that I am alone.

I know you're going to say it's not poisonous, I don't care it's huge and a snake....I

hate snakes.

Day one complete

2008-09-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

The day started wonderfully, the weather was awesome. It was cool I had good nights rest and was ready to go. I wanted to get this yard finished and back looking like someone might live here.

It went down hill quickly....the sun came out and the temp climbed(not a lot but it still did), and the lawn mower clanked then slowed to a stop. I wasn't sure was wrong until I turned it over and there was no compression........not good

Now I have a lawn mower that no longer works and a tiny weed eater. So I will not be held down I started to weed eat this entire yard. This is a BIG yard especially with a weed eater. I still got a lot of it done......not too bad.

Clegg the beginning

2008-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

I got to Clegg today and this is what I saw.......

Now Ike

2008-09-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

The waves at the beach in Corpus Christi. They still aren't beautiful and blue but they are at least bigger. Might have been fun to try to surf them.....prolly would have drowned.

Gustav.....yeah

2008-09-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

This stupid hurricane hit, it didn't give New Orleans another bath, it didn't wreck shop at all like it was supposed to.

All it did was bring so much rain that I am now off until Monday.......that's a long time to just sit around a hotel room. I can't even go play golf, too much rain.

I have been really bored!!!!!!

Man on Fire, Work and Olympics

2008-08-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Why do I love this movie?

Why could I watch it everyday and never get tired of it?

Why does it break my heart?

It's not fair he dies. He kills so many people going after what he gets.

He goes through more than anyone should have to.

I realized today that the reason it is so good....He does what has been done for me already. He dies to save Pita's life. He goes through Hell to give life to another. I love Creasy for the same reason I love Aslan. I love both of these guys for the same reason I love my savior.

I am hooked on the olympics....that makes for a long day to stay up that late then go to work all day.

At work today I was laid down resting my eyes on second break(3:00), enjoying it really. Then all of a sudden there is a sound of blowing fire, like fire being blown. Not just fire, but fire being forced out of a line.

A side note is that they introduced gas into our site about two weeks ago and have preached how dangerous it is now. We are talking about 1200 lbs of pressure. Don't smoke in certain areas, make sure you get the area sniffed, make sure you have your hot work permits and how easy it is to get blown up.

So here I am about half asleep with the welding machine running, because it powers the fan, knowing it creates a spark every time the coil makes a revolution. Do you get where I'm going with this?

Asleep, loud sound, gas.........explosion. NOT GOOD!!!!!

Quickly up, completely disoriented, running(knowing I can't outrun this explosion) out of the tent.....only to find out it was the customer pushing the wrong button causing a blow down(rapid release of pressure).

So now all I have is about 10 years scared off of my life, a complete knowledge of how little the customer really knows and a leg that hurts because as I ran out I was lucky enough to slip under the only thing in front of me......lucky!!!!!

I realize this post is sorta ADDish, but there was a lot to say and I am way too lazy to post 3 times.

The Bucket List

2008-06-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

I watched it again and I forgot how good it is. It makes me tear up..... I hate it. If you haven't watched it, get on it.

Just to update

2008-06-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am just letting everyone know that I am still alive. Nothing has really been going on except work.

I did get some time off to spend some time with my friends at the river. That was some much needed time away from here.

The job just seems to keep dragging on, like it will never finish. They are saying Tulsa may have been pushed back so I may actually get some time off between and I am ready.

For my parents. I started a Roth IRA. Just so you know it's only non-taxable after I turn 59 1/2....doesn't help my plan for retiring at 40.

That's really about all

just to know

2008-05-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

I am not working lots of hours any more. Just like a lot of the rest of this job.....plans change. I am still covering Darwin and coming to the realization that people think whatever they want.

Work

2008-04-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

We have been getting a lot of rain which means lots of mud. Lots of mud means lots of mess and damage caused by rubber wheeled equipment. Lots of damage means not lots of work. Not lots of work means lots of time to make up.

This all means we are now on 5 12s and 1 8. Still 6 days and more time.......I like it.

Darwin....so far

2008-04-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

It really doesn't sound that bad. It really sounds to me like everyone has taken this to mean what ever they want it to.

So Far it would seem that what Darwin is saying is not evolution but adaption of a species. I have never doubted that beings will adapt as needed. We as humans do it all the time. If your job requires you to do something you learn it. If strength is needed you work out. I don't have a problem thinking that animals are capable of making little adaptations.

He keeps talking about how one breed is becoming extinct and being replaced with another, I think he may have mistook some of his findings.

Of course we all know about him going to the Galapagos Islands, finding the different types of finches and the ones specific to each island...he seemed to think this was a strange thing. I seem to think it the same as finding Cajuns in Louisiana or Mexicans in Texas. Different places will have different species....not a big surprise.

Extinction of a specific species and being replaced by another that is slightly different is just death and adaption. Time alone can change things, and with time the things that are changed are no longer.

There was once a creek that ran across level ground, the creek got larger and soon turned into a river. The river ran on that same ground for an extended amount of time until it started to cut the ground. Soon there was small walls around the river and the more the river ran the larger the walls got. Soon enough the small creek is the Grand Canyon.

Would you say the small creek is extinct and replaced by a new species or had simply changed over time?????

Expelled

2008-04-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I went and watched Expelled today. It's a movie put out by Ben Stine, who is really smart, that brings to questions why Darwinism is so acceptable but the Intelligent Design is not.

I have decided to do research on all this, I only know what I have been taught and I want to know more. More about what Darwin thought and why, what support he had for his hypothesis. Don't worry I'm not going to become a supporter, I just want to know what I am really up against.

Feel free to tell me what you think.

There is a first time for everything

2008-04-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

I went to the eye doctor today, and for the first time ever they said it looks good. I usually get there and they say, "you need to stay out of contacts for at least a week then come back and see me."

Today was so different, I went in they looked and looked, nothing was wrong. I got new contacts and everything was fine....

This is weird!!!

Did you know.....

2008-04-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

That all the characters from Lady and the Tramp make a cameo appearance in 101 Dalmatians???

Not again

2008-04-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy what I do. I really do. It's not often that you get to do the work that you want to do. Some people just do the work that they should do or capable of doing. I am lucky I get to do the work that I want to and enjoy it.

Lately though it seems that I have been getting aggravated pretty easily. I know that is just because of stupidity, not on my part, but stupidity none the less. I don't like doing work twice, I don't doing unnecessary work, and I(or the crew I work on) don't like being blamed for the mistakes of others.

Here is the deal... we have to dig the ditches that we put the conduit in. We then have to put in the conduit, and then cover the conduit with sand, then dirt half way up, tamp it solid, lay down some marker, then fill it to the top and tamp it again. ( I made it sound like it doesn't take a long time, but this is a three day process)

We have cost codes for the work that we do. All time is written off onto a certain code depending on the work, but we have no codes for digging ditches and covering ditches. These are 70% of the project. So by code time we are behind and they are getting on us....I don't like it.

I operate the backhoe, just because I know how. I am not an operator, I'm an electrician. they can't expect the same things out of us on the equipment as a person who that is all they do. You can't expect 70% of the job to get done without the time going somewhere. You can't get onto me for your mistake of telling me to dig in the wrong spot. If I mess up that fine, but you messed up then I don't want to take the blame.

Am I wrong with this too?????

Stupidity

2008-04-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Is it okay to tell my supervisor that he's moron???

It ought to be!!

It rains here... a lot.

They want to open up 200ft of ditch for our pipe (everything we're running is underground). We can only lay about 20 to 30ft in a straight line a day. Which is actually about 450ft of pipe because of the number of pipes across and double stacked.

Now we will have a ditch full of water and once the water is out...mud, because the bottom fell out of the sky today and a tornado rushed in some weather.

Stupid!

Revisiting childhood memories

2008-03-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got off for Good Friday all the way through Easter. It's great for me...I love time off.

With my time off I like to travel, go places I've never been or haven't been in a long time. I also enjoy history believe it or not. So with my time off I went to Vicksburg, MS. We have been there before, my family and Tom Reynolds. I can honestly say I don't remember much of it... but a few things I do.

I took some pictures and this is first time I have really wanted to have my work boots... so I could duplicate some pictures that I remember.

pictures

2008-03-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

This is work I have more pictures but they take a long time to load...and they all look just like these. Mud in every direction.

Ice, Safety and Death

2008-03-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday they shut down the job because someone a little further down the pipeline got killed. Yes a fatality on the job site, it is really not good. They shut us down to talk to us about electrical safety (the guy that died...got shocked). They really talked to us for 2 hours before they let us go back to work.

Then today the weather got bad. It started to rain, then sleet, then snow...really snow. I have never really had to work in the snow but I did today (we never really worked in the snow on the turbines). Of course with the snow the temperatures began to drop, but it's been raining remember, so that translates to freezing water on the bridges...lots of bridges in Louisiana.

They want us to stay and continue to do work. That makes for a really tough day. It's muddy and in the low 30s...that's not a good combination.

The thing that really puzzles me is, they preach to us safety and how important it is. Yet when it comes down to them doing the right thing for us in the name of safety, it all goes out the window. The roads more than likely will be icy tomorrow morning, the roads today were bad enough that the state police were talking about shutting down IH20. They want us to stay and for sure want us to come in tomorrow. That can't be safe.

When do we decide what safety we should be concerned with and what we shouldn't, who decides what is actually important? You and me! Don't let anyone else put your life in danger to make theirs better or easier. Make your own decisions and remember there is always someone else who would be effected by your safety decisions.

I promise to be careful and always come home just about how I left.

Gas, Pipes, Mud and Work

2008-03-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well I have started back to work and had to pause many times through out the day because I have gotten stuck in the mud. I mean really stuck, mud over my ankle...not water... MUD!!!!!! The work really isn't that bad but that may be because we are not doing much, there is so much mud we can only do so much.

They are saying that we will be here until July and then they would like to take me to Tulsa, OK. Another plant from ground up, they say a 2 year job. I may never get home if I continue to make these people think I am good.

I will try to take some pictures...it is supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow...so work will slow down just as it started to dry out and pick up. You really couldn't believe that they are paying us to do the little that we are doing. This is why I like construction...especially time and material jobs.

We do have Sundays off, unless we rain out...that will be our make up day, so I think I will be able to find a church. I drove around this town that is about the size of Midway (a little bit bigger), and there are a million. So as long as we aren't working I believe I can find something I like.

It just seems like every time I find somewhere I like...I have to leave. I hope I can find one sooner than a month before I leave.

The verdict is in.......Del Hi

2008-02-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

Got the final word today, I am headed to Del Hi, Louisiana. Not Mississippi, not Alabama, and not Texas. Pretty much all the people that are left here and getting transferred are headed up there.

Del Hi is close to Monroe, north. I am not sure how far that puts me from the house but I am sure that is not any closer than here.

Work and real work for a new time

2008-02-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

Well it is pretty much set that I will continue to travel with Turner Industries. They asked yesterday who was willing and I volunteered. I will either be headed to north Louisiana or somewhere in Mississippi. They are not sure yet...which is actually really annoying.

I will have a week off between leaving and being there for work, but a week really is not a long time when you look at all that has to be done.

Now I have to go through the whole process again...houseing, working, finding stuff to do and once again finding a church I enjoy.

The the low down right now. Pack up, go home, sign my lease, do my taxes, sleep late, drop off the books that I have read, pack up, get back on the road and, once again, work as far away from home as humanly possible............ oh well

Alabama, Mississippi, or home sweet home

2008-01-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

I have been offered by this company to continue making pretty outrageous money, and go to some other state further away from my house.

I would like to go home, I know they will be starting up soon but what if they don't...construction is not always on schedule (it's actually never).

I am not sure what to do, I have told Turner I am not sure, I don't want to say yes and not go and I don't want to say no and actually want to go.

Just letting you know what's up

What has my mother done to me????

2008-01-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

I caught my self watching ice skating. What has my mother done to me?

I am still in Baton Rouge, looks like for a while, at least until the middle of February. The weather has been nasty for the past couple of weeks...it's a wonder I am not sick and have not been sick.

I have talked with the guys at W-Industries so I am really hoping I get to get back home.

The good news is I have found a church I enjoy and enjoy going to. So even if I do have to stay around here I can still the filling that I need.

I have moved into a trailer house that has a washer, drier and a full kitchen...it's awesome! No more hotel refrigerator and microwave meals. I love it. It is also about 20 minutes closer to the job so I get a little more sleep.

That's everything in a nutshell...I'm sure some of you wanted to know.

Light and Dark

2008-01-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

How often do we really think about the difference...I was just wondering. We get caught up in being so busy that light or darkness doesn't really affect us... just time.

Light and dark affects me in different ways than it does some, because it is tough to do my job in the dark. I need light to be able to see what exactly is going on, and I need to be able to see what is going on!!!

Today a couple of things were brought to my attention, light matters and the Light would really make a difference if we shared it like no one else was going to.

Marianne Williamson wrote in the famous Nelson Mandela speech, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Bob Marley a few days after being shot did a show, when asked why he said, "The people who are trying to make the world bad aren't taking a day off why should I? Light the darkness." Marley believed he could change the world with his music.

We have something that really can change the world. That really can light the darkness.

Isaiah 60:1-3 says, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

This all came together tonight as I watched I Am Legend, the new Will Smith movie. He has it set in his mind that he is the world's last hope and he will save it...whatever the cost. The bad guys are called Darkness Seekers. A part in the movie Will Smith says there is no God and there is no plan, later on he stops to listen and see if there is a god and what His plan is.

We are surrounded by darkness seekers, people that feel there is no God and if he is there he has to be bad or just have some crap plan for our lives. We as Christians should be proof otherwise and we really should get the Light out.

When we let our light shine people will be drawn to us, I have wondered why people enjoy hanging out with me. Isaiah answers that, when we shine out God's light...even kings will want this wonderful thing we have. We also have to realize that the ones trying to stop the light will not take a day off...neither can we. We are in a fight, we have to continue fighting!

Currently

2007-11-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

Well there has a been a few changes...while we were in Kansas they offered a few of us a chance to go to another job. They said we were good hands and wanted us to keep working for them. They sent us to Hereford, TX. We went and were rearing to go...

Turns out the cost of living was more than we would have been making to live there.

NOT GOOD!!!!!

We called them to talk to them and they said just go to work...we asked them to fix the money situation. They responded with..."We can't just go to work".

We quickly responed with... a call to Turner Industries in Baton Rouge.

They quickly responded with...come down here now and we'll put you to work for good money.

So that is what we did. I am now in Baton Rouge, LA. Working and liking what I'm doing still.

The good thing is John Vrana lives here with his wife so I do have someone I know to hang out with.

Even worse

2007-09-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

We are now on 7 days....yeah.

Junk!!!

I would rather work 6 days a week, 14 hours a day.

Oh well.

Hopefully it's not long.

You could be proud

2007-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today the guy I have been working with and myself, got to go home at noon with the rest of the day paid. They said we have been getting the work done so quickly and correctly that they're rewarding us this way.

We had to run this pipe from the box that you can see to the top to where it is now all from a crane basket. It finishes about 200ft off the ground, they were happy to have that done, I was just happy to be up that high to see the scenery.

There is a person in that little window on the left side of the crane, honestly that window is not that small.

This past weekend I went up to Garden City to look around, it was bigger than here but still not big enough to have a good mall or anything like that but I did pass a really cool looking sunflower field.

I realized what makes this place stink so bad.

1. The wind blow constantly and usually it around 20mph or higher.

2. There is nothing to stop any smells, no hills, no trees, nothing...no wonder a tornado blows this place away.

Holding lots...lots of them, very large and very bad smelling.

I'm still enjoying the job, but I am ready to go home, looks like it will still be a month or two. This company here is planning on having work here until January, but I'm hoping to be home before that.

They did it

2007-08-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

They told us today that are going to twelve hours starting tomorrow, so there will be less pictures and things because this guy will be going to bed. I have some things now that I will get on the post soon. Now I have to get ready for these long days of work after so long of taking my sabbath.

comments

2007-08-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

I have now fixed this where I can take comments from anyone, so feel free, just sign your name so I know who you are.

WWHHHHYYYYYYYYYYY

2007-08-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Year before last they lots and lots of hurricanes. I wanted to surf but didn't have a board and was in Tennessee. Last year we bought boards, surfed nothing because there was no hurricanes and not really any waves. I've been home, doing nothing, since January and no real waves to surf again.

Now I have been gone two weeks and we have a tropical storm coming in and the waves are picking up. The Weather Channel was on the beach and there was people surfing in the back ground, I was jealous.

This really makes me angry!!!!!!!!!

Some interesting weather

2007-08-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

When the week ended we had had some 100 degree weather during the days and some high 60s in the nights, then all of a sudden the weather changed. So we put down the Guitar Hero controller, looked outside, saw.....

Soon our hotel was up in the air and we didn't know what to do, so we held on to our clothes and the Playstation 3 and tried to wait to land. We flew for what seemed almost forever, then finally it all stopped and we landed. It was strange though...like our hotel was unlevel. We checked ourselves out, we were okay so we decided to check out the damage outside and why our hotel was so strange feeling. It really didn't take that long to figure out. We had landed on something or should I say...someone.

We realized we weren't in Kanas anymore...Ha ha.

We had come to some other land that didn't smell like cow manure-------->

There was funny looking people---------->

There was also famous people....and we did hang out with all of them.

Really we went to the Dorthy museum, then after that we went to the Liberal Aircraft Museum. We had a good time, we did things that two guys normally wouldn't do, but it's better than going to the bar with the guys from work.

Work has been good because the humidity is down. It has been 102 but it felt like high 80s- low 90s. The wind blows all the time, which means the dirt does too. Every day the white wash cloths of the hotel turn brown with our showers.

The main thing I like about this place is the sunrises...they happen every morning(can you believe that), and we are up to see them. I have been taking pictures of them and will continue, I will post all of them sometime for you to enjoy also.

For now just enjoy these.

You can't see the plane that Rudy is controlling, there is a plane up above you that you control the wings and rudders and stuff, to see what the controls really do.

This is not a real person...that is why we are so cool.

One down

2007-08-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

One week down. The job is easy. I guess they got the word on what we knew...we are inside doing the good work.

It's something I've never done, so it's okay. We're staying in a hotel so we don't have to clean the room. Only thing is we can't really cook so we have to eat out. We have had some time off so we have done a little playing, today we went fishing, caught a big, fat nothing.

The strange thing is we left Corpus, on the beach, where we were having junk weather came here and the weather has been awesome.

This was two days before I left.

This is two days after I left. This really isn't that bad, it is just a long way from home.

I decided to start blogging because it is easier than calling everyone who wonders and filling them all in on the same thing.

So if you're wondering just keep watching here, if you don't care I will stop(I'm not as good as Heather...this takes me a long time).

Texas is too big

2007-08-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well it happened again...I had to go back work.

I had to go back to work in Kansas.

Although I like going new places, getting there in one day is the worst idea ever. It took forever!!!!!!

I love Texas, but leaving it takes too long.

Interesting side note we drove through Anson, Texas.

The Natural

2007-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

I was watching The Natural... as I watched it I wondered what made it such a good movie.

It's about a guy that has all the talent in the world, with potential to be the greatest, but he makes bad choices, throws away opportunities and has to decide what to do. In the end after he has sold out, he changes his mind and redeems himself.

That's when it hit me...what makes him, Robert the Bruce(Braveheart), Major Duncan Heyward(Last of the Mohicans), and many others in the movies that we love, all great characters...is redemption. They all change the track that they were headed down and become exactly who we all knew they could and should be. The fact that they seek redemption allows us to give it, and we always do.

These movies are our lives... or at least mine. We head down tracks and routes that we know we shouldn't. We make decisions that are wrong. We cause pain to ourselves and others. We disappoint our loved ones, friends, and our Lord, but as long as we seek the redemption and change...we will find it.

Not sure why this was on my mind and definitely not sure why I felt the need to write it.

Who says I need to go to work??????

2007-07-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

It hit me today... I'm not being lazy because I haven't worked in a long time, I'm taking my sabbath. Some people sabbaths come once a week, at times I don't get it once a week. This "vacation" that I am taking is an accumulated sabbaths that I didn't take and don't get to take when I am working. How 'bout that... does that sound better than I just don't feel like going back to work?????

Living Hope and Real Life

2007-03-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

I can never be the Christian I promised to be, but I know that He will be the God and Savior he promised me.

This statement started of my day today and I believe that it helped tie everything that I have been thinking and hoping together. Is it a coincidence that the past two churches that I actually claim to attend are named Hope and Life?

Hope
Webster's defines hope as the trust that what is wanted will happen. The picture of hope is the ones around me who never lost faith, who always knew somewhere deep inside that I would not...could not stay away too long. Constant prayers of my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, Shonnie and many others who care more for me than I could ever know, are just a sign of hope, hope that one day I would be who I am supposed to be. It has been a long and weary road for all of us I'm sure, but the fact that God is still who he promises he is and the fact that I am now stepping out into uncomfortable territory for me, is sign that maybe I'm on the right track.

Life
Now that I am on my way back, it's time I start living life. For the past couple of months now I have actually been singing with my praise team and I think I am starting to find this life that I am supposed be living. I am uncomfortable every time I get up in front of all those people (about 70) and there times when nothing goes right in practice, but after everything that you think could go wrong, does and our worship service turns out to be nothing short of awesome, I know that there is always some kind of divine intervention. Sundays have become the most busy day of the week and always the most rewarding.

Threats
Tuesday night, late, I got a message that said, " be on your guard because the enemy is fighting for you". I was blown away. Why would he be fighting for me? "He has had you in his hold for a long time now, he won't give you up without a fight", I was told. I really was not sure if I was ready for this. Could I handle an attack on my life? How would he attack me? I am vulnerable in so many different areas. I really had no clue what to do, luckily I have been listening and taking notes during the messages. A couple of weeks ago we talked about worry, the general message was when you're worried pray. So that is what I did, actual face down (another study I'm doing) prayer. After that I started to go back through The Screwtape Letters and see how C.S. Lewis thought that we as Christians come under attack. I kept myself out of tempting situations and away from things that could possibly be a foot hold. The closer I got to Sunday, the more I worried about a simple attack on the praise team, on our mind set, voice, attitude, technical issues, anything that could possibly go wrong. Would this be the unexpected blow, a week without real, authentic worship? NOPE!!!

Answers
Everything came together in the message for me. The God that I put all my hopes in and trust my life with, is real. For him to be who he says he is, he has to have power over everything. Some have had power over some things, sickness, some even cast out demons, but none have been able to conquer death but the One who watches over me. God has power over everything, he doesn't need anything from us but delights in all the things we give him. God wants our best and will help us any way he can. He'll give us strength when we need it, He'll give us rest when we need that, He'll even help us through the attacks of the enemy.

Truth
So after all my thinking, studying, listening and learning I have discovered something that I am sure you already knew. All I have to do is give him all my hope, all my life, and trust in his real power and I will be taken care of.

Thank you for never losing hope and always being there to help with my continued return and growth.

Imperfections or service

2007-01-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking...How much should our imperfections keep us from serving how we are supposed to? The fact that I have to answer for my actions and could be found guilty by my peers stops me from doing what I am capable of doing and probably should be doing. Is that wrong? Should I just use the age old excuse "I'm not perfect", and keep trying to lead people who think I am a hypocrite? Should I wait and continue to not do some things that I ought to be doing? How many of my imperfections should keep me from doing the things that I should?

I guess what I am really wondering is, how do you be in position of leadership with imperfections? How do you try to lead, while you feel inadequate? What makes me think that I should even lead? The mere fact that you have the abilities does not always mean that you use them. If I am supposed to lead, how do I do so? I understand physically how, but the mental side and the spiritual side I struggle with.

I know what I can do and am pretty sure what I ought to do, but what do I do? Do I try it and just see what happens; see who I can steer in the wrong directions just with my actions, or hope that they don't really notice all my wrong actions and try to teach them right. I am blessed to have a family full of leaders, so I have seen the leadership roles fulfilled. I have also been blessed with the capabilities to lead in many areas, so I am asking the leaders that I know and respect...What should I do? I know my strengths and weaknesses and you do too. I don't want to lead if I can't do it properly, what do I do?

I'm tagged and not too sure about this

2006-12-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged. I'm not sure how this game got started but I don't think I like it. I live a pretty private life and that is the way I like it. I will answer any question asked but I don't normally volunteer any information. I have been tagged and I will play along:

1. I am a chick about shoes. I have many pairs of shoes and always want more. The worst thing about me is I'll buy them to wear them with one thing and nothing else. Pretty faggish.

2. I hate dating, always have. I'd rather just have a woman and only deal with her when I feel like it. I also hate the having to look around for the woman, it's just a lot of trouble.

3. I love to cook, I'm just lazy. I don't want to take the time to cook and definately don't like cleaning it up.

4. I love being alone. I love to just sit at my house with no one else here, then I can do whatever I want. I can do something or nothing.

5. I love things to be clean, having a clean house, clean car, clean everything. I just don't always have the time to do everything that I want to do.

Now you know everything there is to know about me.

To LA or Not to LA, that is the question

2006-10-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well they finally came with the much dreaded question, "Who is going to Louisiana?". I knew it was coming, but I didn't realize it would be this much trouble for me.

I can go and it wouldn't be bad for a couple of reasons. One, I now know a bunch of people over there so I would have some people to hang out with away from work friends. Two, I know that the money would be good, and third, I know of a good church there, that I went to the last time I was in Houma.

But I really don't want to go for a couple of reasons also. One, I don't like LA, it stinks and it's a long way from here. I would get 3 days off every 3 weeks, but that is not much. Two, I like to stay at my new house I just moved into. Most importantly I just joined a church here and with it came responsibilities or just expectations. I don't want to not do my part by leaving the state and not supporting the group I just told I would be there.

I'm pretty sure that LA would have life groups and I definitely would like the church as much as this one. I could get my tithes to the church by mail so I'm not that worried about that side of it, but I am just worried about liking it enough to want to go instead of going out of obligation. That is what has been so much fun to me, other than the movie theater seats, is going to church because I want to, not because I feel like I have to.

So normally I don't have a lot on my plate, and I worry about even less, but right now I really don't know what to do. I know I am surrounded by many people that are awesome about praying and doing it all the time, for that I thank you, but right now I need as much guidance in this as I have ever needed. Whether it be go and try out my strength, or stay here and grow, I want to do the right thing.

All work no longer

2006-10-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well apparently we work too fast, after the first week of the vicious seven twelves, we are five days ahead of schedule. So as of today we are back to our usual schedule. Which there are some bonuses to this, like more time to do what I need to get done, but the money will not be as good(that would have been nice to make for about a month). This does open up more time for me to do the Life Group, which makes me happy. This is short but it's pretty sweet.

Screwtape

2006-09-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

First off let me say why does he have to use big words(or just words that I don't use or normally hear used), because I spend a lot of the time wondering what that meant or looking it up to figure it out. Second off was he saying that we should not marry for love or that we should not marry only for love. He talks about a couple united as one flesh, then points out that it doesn't say a couple in love or anything else for that matter. So does that mean that anytime I date I am all of a sudden one flesh just because now there is some sort of significant other in my life?

Now I do also think that maybe he could have been just pointing out the fact that so many couple don't try to work through things just because they say that they are no longer "in love". Then later on he goes into a relationship being for reproduction and family, but there has to be some pleasure and simple companionship involved in there also. Doesn't there???

Being "in love" is one of the things that I have had trouble with for a couple of reasons; 1. I am not sure I want to trust someone else with something that I have broken in other people(the heart), 2. I know they will expect things out of me that I am not sure I have to give or even, at times, want to give. Is that wrong??

Now, I realize some of you my family in particular are wondering why I haven't found a woman and settled down, here are the real life reasons. I am more scared of being in that 51% of all marriages that end up in divorce, that I figure it might just be easier to not deal with it. Also, what makes me worthy of having someone who will enjoy my company, most of the time, and want to be with me. I'm not sure I deserve that. I have had the opportunity of having a girl or two that really wanted to be with me and liked it, but with them I basically threw them out on the door step and told them to leave me alone.

So is Screwtape telling is nephew to watch out for people like me or encourage people like me, the unsure and unwilling. I understand that he saying to encourage me to get into an intimate relationship, make mistakes, and say it was because of love and now it's not here so the relationship must be over. What if there really is love should I hide it, let it out, or just let it ride and see how we both come out. I understand that the intimate side of the relationship shouldn't be "enjoyed" until the appropriate time, but what about just the pure companionship side, the wanting to be with each other, the dates, the enjoyment of each others company, basically just the riding on the motorcycle down to the beach just to enjoy a nice sunset or a cool night.

So there you have a little bit of my strange mind and my normally insane thoughts.

All work and no play makes for an interesting week

2006-09-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

The deck is now set on top of the hull, which for me means time to go to work and get this job going. The boss called and told me when we would be returning to work, and said that we would be going to seven days a week and a minimum of twelve hours a day. Then without me saying another word he told me, "I know about you wanting to go to church so we will work something out with that." I told him I will do what is necessary because we will only be working this way for a short period. He said he was not that worried about it, he said "you will get the chance to go to church we'll work something out." If that is not God taking care of things before I have to ask then I don't know what is. I just thought that this was something worth writing about. So just so everyone knows I will be working mucho hours for around the next six weeks. So I will be tied down, sorry. I know I will miss important things like nephew's birthdays and other things I'm sure, but don't worry when it is all over I will come visit. Just so you know my door is always to open to visitors, we now have an extra bedroom and a large living room, room for families.

Life

2006-08-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well my second blog is now underway. I really don't have much to say, but there are a few things that I feel I need to say. I have been working pretty consistently now for a long time and working out of town for over two years. I enjoy the job and the work that I do, I also like the money I will not lie. But they have now switched me over to a different rig, which in some ways are good and in some bad. I now can show a new person what I actually know and have the opportunity to shine. But this will be back to 7 days a week all the time.

I went to Tennessee and had the chance to get back into church and living the way that I should and I enjoyed it. I came back here and wanted to continue but I will not lie it has not continued as I hoped. We work a little more and I have friends here that don't go to church or even think about it. So there are the occational days that I was way tired so I over sleep on my one day off, there also days that they want to go the beach so I do that instead of church, but there are still days that I won't do anything because I want to go to church. I normally go to the little First Baptist here in town just because I know where it is and it is easy. But today I went to church in the movie theater, I was hoping that they would have gotten out of the rut of having to act one certain way and being stiff(if you know what I mean). They did it I actually want to continue going, and now comes the dilemma. I will be working so much that I know I won't be able to, I could call in sick every Sunday but then my job would not last so much longer. I could quit but then I would not have any money or anything to support myself with, or I could just not worry about and work the whole time and just go when ever it is convenient. What do I do?

Now the other problem I have right now is that I feel I am missing a lot of the lives of my family. My parents are at the ranch with lots of things that need doing, and probably could use some help with, not to mention I just never get to see them and haven't for the last 5 years. I have a brother, sister-in-law and 4 nephews that I'm sure have plenty of attention but they are getting it from their Hendricks uncle. My relationship with my brother got a lot better once we got to get away from each other, we used to hang out off and on, now we are both so busy that unless, I am in town at some weird time then I'm working or he is. The relationship with Heather went from (not sure what she thought) probably the worst relationship I had with anyone in the world, to completely social, and I would actually consider her a friend. I would stick up for her in any situation now, when not too long ago I would have found a way to make it her fault. Sorry, by the way. I have never told you that and I think you deserve it. I have nephews that can walk and talk and the last time I saw them I was asking Heather what they were saying to me. They are all smart and do some wild things and are well taken care of by their immediate family and their church family, which I am happy for. I feel like when I get there I am just a visitor to them more than family. I would have liked to have been there to help when my sister is tripping out. I would like to be able to know what all has to be done before that wild bunch of boys can go to bed, but all I know is that they go to bed.(and get up early no matter how long you were up the day before) I wish I could change that. On that note if anyone was to ever harm anyone of my family members, I would not get to see my family much for a while. In my old age the things that hold closer to my heart more than ever is my family.

I know some of you are worried about me waiting too long to find my wife, don't worry I won't marry a divorcee with kids, I going to become an international playboy. HA HA My hair is still here and not falling out yet so I think I have some more time. I'm not looking but if she comes along don't worry I will probably settle down, stop working so much and give my parents their first female grand kid. (that will be my curse)

So there is my life up to the moment. I miss my family, I want to live right, but I'm not sure how to accomplish this task. I am a "let me fix it" kind of guy, and I always feel like my problems are petty, so why bother God with them. I should be different, and I try sometimes, I would rather me have it rough so everyone could have it easy.

Basically I know I am not forgotten but I would like to be remembered, not just not forgotten. Pray for me, I need it.

Uncle Will

all things will

2006-07-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

I don't blog and I don't want anyone to know what I am thinking half of the time, and the other half I am sure no one wants to know. But if there is anything that I need to say and just can't hold it in it will be on here.