Monthly Archives: December 2010

Uncategorized

Evil doesn’t stand a chance……..

Leave a comment

The biggest challenge of writing my blog after doing what they eye doctor wants me to do with my eyes is seeing through all the gunk (my technical description of the medicine he prescribed) well enough to type, let alone to see.

And that’s too bad too, seeing as all the action tonight was blurry there in the boys’ room where they were hiding first from the “evil dog” (the Golden Retriever), the “evil wind” (the fan), and the “evil pajamas,” which was just a way of avoiding bedtime. The “evil mommy” (a piece of the night’s drama that can be debated as not fantasy) came in and made sure those pajamas, evil or not, were “installed,” and the adventure came to an abrupt end. At least that’s what I could hear….but they say when you are blind your other senses get better…..too bad I already qualify for hearing aids.
But the good part is that I am home, reasonably sure I will not be going out tomorrow, and have three full days to see better, get my voice back, and prepare for Christmas services. At this point I am just so very thankful I can count on the boys to be battling all the evil here in the house.
It is really going to free up some time.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless.
Tommy+
Uncategorized

I’m just sayin…….

Leave a comment

I do not know who coined the phrase “under the weather,” but it certainly does not make any sense, because we are constantly “under the weather,” and the only thing that changes is they type of weather we are under.

But the point is, I still do not feel all that well. I have had a cough for a couple of days and not the kind that feels like I am sick, but the kind that feels as if I have something caught in my throat. Of course “frog in my throat” comes to mind, but I find that even more bizarre than “under the weather.” I mean what do you have to be drinking to compare what you are feeling to a “frog in your throat,” and if you are not drinking, then what type of counselor treats such disorders?
But I expect to be feeling better in “three shakes of a lamb’s tail,” which for those of you who live outside of Indiana that means “soon.” Indiana now unfortunately uses “Daylight Savings Lambs” which means they get up earlier to accommodate farmers and kids getting on the bus, but the concept is still the same. I do not feel good, but expect to feel better soon.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Uncategorized

Closed today….will return tomorrow morning….

Leave a comment

Today was a shut down day. I really have been stressed and not feeling well, and I spent the lion’s share of the day laying low. I really need to do that more often than I do, but sadly I am still not 100% nor am I feeling that great.

Tomorrow morning I will head to Nashville for the 9am service, and to be honest, I am not really sure how long it takes to get there from here. I suppose I will find out, but I really like to know the answers to such questions before starting to drive. Such is the need for order I have post-stroke.
Of course there is Mapquest, but I find that often to be inaccurate. Could it be that I drive too fast, or worse yet too straight? I am not sure, but the lesson in all of it is that I suppose sometimes we just need not worry about the details of the journey as we do just getting on with it. Of course tomorrow I will be on it whether I get my answers pre-trip or not. So I guess it really doesn’t matter. What I find however on days such as these that my mind really has to grasp (sometimes at straws) just to focus. That’s why this blog is such a discipline. It forces me to focus even during the times when I struggle.
Anyway, my attempts tonight at deep and meaningful thoughts are about as likely as the Cubs winning the World Series……and I am a diehard fan. So for now I will just call it a day. Tomorrow will come and I do expect it to be better.
And of course I say that with the delusional optimism of a life-long Cubs fan.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+

Uncategorized

No picture, but you really wouldn’t want one……

Leave a comment

On days like today I wish I had a do-over button. From the very start it has not gone well.

First of all, I am still having problems with my eyes. It required another tip to the eye doctor, some more medicine, a really crappy “daily” routine, and the discussion that this condition tends to be chronic, rather than acute. It was not a real good way to start my day….but from there it all went downhill anyway.
Without sharing all the gory details, what I can say is that I am just hoping for a better day tomorrow. It is the week before Christmas, and always a busy one. I cannot say that I am all too pleased about how it is starting out, but God-willing, I will make it to the end of it. Just please say a prayer for me if you get a chance today!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Uncategorized

Crusin……..

Leave a comment

Sure I roll the window down and let the dog hang his head out the window in temperatures under 20 when it is just he and I in the car….after all, I am a NORTHERNER. We took Ben to the sitter and then it just made sense. So I hope you enjoy the picture as much as he enjoyed the ride.

But things are different here where it snows, and to be very honest, as a native of a “lake effect” area where it REALLY DOES SNOW, this 2-3 inches of white stuff is really not snow. I consider it both a blessing and a privilege to come from the NORTH, and the really cool part is that when it snows just a few inches I can easily get around because it was like that in JUNE where I grew up.
In all honesty however, I love snow. Sure it is great when it is warm, but much of my childhood revolved around things like ice hockey, skating, and shoveling driveways for money. In truth, those were good times that I do indeed miss, and although I am too old to do most any of them but skate, I I thank God for the memories. They are are real blessing to me.
But for now it appears I am just going to have to live through my dog, but he appears willing to let me do so.
We are kindred spirits, he and I. And although I am sure the people who saw us thought he was nuts, I at least have the better excuse………I was just his driver.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Uncategorized

Running behind…..

Leave a comment

Catching up is not for sissies. I would like to think that I would not be behind at all if it were not for the move (the biggest part of my problem of being behind), but generally things get pretty busy around this time of year anyway. Amanda reminded me that we still have Christmas shopping to do, which as a guy is still difficult to understand with 10 days still to go.

But I am working hard to catch up though. I hope to be able to make progress in the office tomorrow and then spend all of Friday making pastoral calls. I know however that the best intentions sometimes are sometimes thwarted, but that’s the current plan.
In these times however, all we can do is keep running the race. And that is just what I intend to do. It doesn’t help that it is dark all the time, but the cat has offered to tutor me about the nocturnal lifestyle. I am not too hopeful about that, but I do seem to need more time.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Uncategorized

Stopping at the North Pole……

Leave a comment

Amanda and I met tonight after work, with Ben who I had just picked up, to get a few Christmas gifts at the mall. It was a pretty hectic trip getting there with the traffic and all, but well worth it, in that Ben was able to see Santa for real for the first time. (In prior years he was just not interested)

And, we just happened to be the first in line. Yep, about a 10 minute wait for Ben to go sit on his lap, take a $25,000 picture (not the one you see here that I took for free) and to tell Santa that he wanted a BIG Octopus Prime (because he had just seen one earlier when I was looking for a phone at Frys).
But what was cooler than all of it was to see him just walk up to Santa all by himself. Although he knew him from watching The Polar Express a million times, the PE is still just a cartoon. This was the old man in real life, but he seemed very matter of fact and walked right up to him! He did great, and we have some pictures to prove it.
Unfortunately, Steph and Scott were not there. We were shopping for them, and it just turned out that way. But they already have the pictures……so I suppose it was a pretty great day!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Uncategorized

Riding on the Polar Excess…..

Leave a comment


With Stephanie home, Ben has been all about hanging with her. They have not just watch “The Polar Express” 500 times together, but today he managed to talk her into sledding in the front yard. Ben had never been sledding, and Stephanie had been out of practice in dealing with her brother, so this was going to be an adventure.

They both laughed their brains out going up and down the hill in our front yard and were both covered with snow. Steph rode with him on the sled quite a few times until he was comfortable, then she pushed him down own his own a few times too.
When I looked for the comfort (really safety) of our “parlor” (no ice cream) I saw them both taking a break at the bottom of the hill. Steph was sitting in the snow, and Ben was bending down to pick something up.
When I said that Steph was out of practice, what happened next proved it. He had picked up a bunch of snow and ran over and threw it on her head. Sure, her mistake was to to trust him, but his was to try and torment an in-shape college athlete when he was dressed in bulky Weeble-like clothing. She caught him quickly and returned the favor. They they laughed out there rolling around in the snow like a couple of polar bears…..one looking like a Weeble.
But as a dad, there is no greater pleasure than watching your kids knock the snot out of each other for fun and not for real. (The latter requires intervention, the prior makes for great blog fodder.)
So the sled is up, the college athlete is worn out and in bed just before 8:30, and the Weeble is looking for someone to watch……”The Polar Express.” It had been a cold day, but a good one. I am very thankful to have been a part…..especially from the inside.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Uncategorized

Ominous Prime……

Leave a comment

One of the constant comedy shticks that come from living with a three year old is that they mispronounce just about everything complex. And Ben was doing fine with his cheap Walgreens’ Transformer “Bumble Bee,” because he could say that. But when he left it at St. Patrick’s today Amanda stopped at another Walgreens looking for a replacement (spending the $5 is a lot easier than driving back in the snow, and TONS easier than listening to the whining). Sadly, when she arrived they were fresh out of Bumble Bees, so she bought the same priced, but more complex, “Optimus Prime.”

Of course Ben says it wrong every time, though he is convinced he is right. It has been Ominous Prime, Octopus Prime, and Opadapdamus Prime among others. I will not push him about it either. I am just thankful there are no evil Decepticons!
Oddly enough, Ben has a few superhero action figures, but he is not allowed to see their shows…..he just knows they are good guys. In fact, I do not think there is a bad guy of any kind in his toy box. I cannot say the same for his attire though, because I do think he has a couple of Nittany Lion t-shirts.
But it is fun to be a part. I mean if you are 49 and gotta play with toys, the superheros are my favorite….even if my Transformer is really “Othropedic Not So Prime.”
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Uncategorized

In need of the Bishop…..

Leave a comment

My Bishop is not just a good friend, but somewhat of a kindred spirit in terms of that twisted personality/sense of humor. Last week for instance, we were in Akron, Ohio together where in between meetings he took pictures of me holding up some of the odd offerings (I felt guilty about using the word “tacky”) we found in the local Christian bookstore.

But today I came upon something I could hardly believe, and I would have called him right then and there, had I not been fascinated by the site. AND, I would have taken a picture of it had I not left my phone in the car with the dog. (He likes to think he may get a call.)
But there, right in front of me, a young Hispanic woman went up to the counter, gave her name, and the female postal worker went back in the back and then after a few minutes returned with a LIVE CHICKEN! It’s the truth, and I was amazed.
You may wonder about my stability, in that the first thing that came to mind was that I wished Doc (the Bishop) were there with me, because he would enjoy this. But that’s exactly what I thought. In fact, I figured no one I know would enjoy this as much as he would, with the exception perhaps of me.
Oh, but it gets worse…..the postal worker apologized because this chicken was actually a day late (apparently flying Delta). I am not totally sure of what was said in the conversation, but I did hear the word refund. I am sure however that it would not be a big refund. If you are flying via the postal service I am guessing it was not first class.
So I suppose tonight I will pray that the poor chicken’s life is a bit more settled and for the Bishop who will be so sorry he missed this.
I am just thankful I didn’t. It made my day.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+