Labor party

No, I do not follow British  politics.

The title is close because in a few days, we will have a new addition to the family.  Wendy will be having a c-section to introduce Ava to the outside world.

People keep asking, "Are you ready?"  I think I am.  However, what do I truly have to do?  Encourage Wendy, prepare space for Ava, provide material goods, provide love and guidance.  I guess I will have my life and everyone else involved to get ready.

This process will probably be different than the first.  Hopefully no eighteen hours of waiting for labor not a five day hospital stay.  I am hoping for the end result.  A second beautiful little girl.

Even though Wendy cannot eat past midnight the night before the morning surgery, I will have eat so I do not (with ringing in my ears) hear, "Get this idiot some orange juice."

Shopping tripped up

A few days ago Wendy asked me to go to the grocery store.  She handed me a list of things needed.  So off I went to our chain.

Shopping does make me nervous.  I try to get the most for my limited money.  So a cheap price does appeal to me.  I love looking at  the bargain section.  If it is marked down, I will eyeball it.  I also wonder if I am buying the right item.  Is it the brand that is liked?  Did I misread the label and get the wrong item completely?

I think Wendy likes me to do the shopping sometimes because I do come back with a goodie or two.  Of course the price was reduced.  I do try and "treat" Wendy right.

Blinded

A little while ago Wendy was in the house adjustment mode.  You will notice I said Wendy.  In our bedroom we had some old blinds hanging.  They were old and misshapen and almost destroyed thanks to a teething cat.  So we figured it was time to update.  I took the blinds down.  We did not have anything permanent to put up and it was late in the evening.  So I put a sheet as a curtain.  the sheet remained longer than it should have.

Finally Wendy had enough.  We had some extra blinds from other home improvement adventures.  However, two of the three were the wrong size.  Of course our window is a double window so it takes two.  WE had only one.  So we venture to retail world to purchase another set of blinds.

I attempt to hang the blinds.  In all honesty it was not bad once Wendy got through my thick skull the position of the piece that screws into the wall.  I could not figure out how that thing went.  Three hissy fits (mine) and five explanations (Wendy) it was up.  Fortunately, I was able to use previous hole so the installment was not too bad.

The blinds are up and the important thing is that Wendy is satisfied.

Looking a gift card in the mouth

Mainly I am writing this because this post will be the next hundred.  I cannot bear to see that 99.

Most of the rewards given today come in gift card form.  I think because suppliers know they will not be used or to get what you want to purchase you always have to put down more money.

I have received a couple of gift cards recently.  One of them is only to the company that gave it to me.  I am referring to my wireless phone company.  Wendy updated her phone.  She turned in the old one for a $30 gift card.  It can only be used with the supplier.  Wendy had a good point...she said they gave us money so we will would give right back to them.

Why not just make it easy and apply it to our bill?  That is what I am going to do anyway.

It is all about the illusion.  I am giving you "free money" yet it is still mine. Sounds bizarre, part of it a little frustrating.  I would love to spend it elsewhere.  I guess that is what God does, if you think about it.  He is Giver of all gifts.  We have a choice of what to do with it.  We can spend it elsewhere or give it back to Him.  Yet in this case, it truly accounts for something.

Ring my Bell

You have heard we all scream for ice cream.  Occasionally I scream at the price.  Yet that is another story.

Wendy and I have found a nice ice cream to try.  It is Blue Bell.  We were driving down I40 returning to Cary when I saw a billboard.  "What is Blue Bell ice cream?" I ask.  Wendy said it was new ice cream in our area.  Supposed to be very good.  A few days later we were in the grocery store.  There was the ice cream.  It featured many flavors.  Yet the price was high.  We bit the bullet and bought some.  We tried Banana Split.

The ice cream was pretty good. Enough for us to try more flavors.  Wendy went to the website and printed off a coupon.  A dollar off!  Enough music to my ears for an encore.  This time we are trying Kentucky Delight.  We wanted Triple Dessert, but our store did not have it.

The good news is we have one more coupon.  Wendy is also on the list to receive coupons each month.  Thanks Blue Bell for your great taste.  First, of the ice cream and then giving your customers coupons.

Ticked off

Last night I was sitting on the couch, doing some reading and contemplating getting some sleep.  Then my left leg begin to itch.  So I hike up my pants leg.  I noticed a brown spot on my upper leg.  I had seen it earlier in the day, but thought it was a scratch of some kind.  So later that night on second thought I investigated.

I prodded at the spot and felt minor resistance.  I thought to myself that is weird.  Then it dawned on me this might be a tick.  I pulled with my hand, but it did not come up.  I thought maybe some alcohol will do it.  The only alcohol we have in the house is rubbing alcohol.  So I rub at the bloodthirsty creature.  It does not come up.  I retrieve a pair of tweezers and give a pull.  I pull up the speck and receive a confirmation.  It is a tick!  I look for a controlled place to burn it.  Wendy suggests a candle.  I proceed to roast the weenie.

To my knowledge, that is the first tick I have had attached to me.  I think one another time I have had one crawling on me.  It is a little concerning because I hear of the effects of a tick bite.  So far I see and feel a red bump.  Hopefully that will be all.

Be-Lame Game

I do not follow politics.  I usually have no idea what is going on.  However, I saw in the news a war of words on the House budget.  The President had not so kind things to say about the proposal.  The chair in charge of the budget had a rebuttal.  Yet, I feel it was a weak argument.  All the chair said was the President was lying.  Come on.  Can you not come up with something better than that?!  Talk about what you are doing, not call somebody names.  If you want to cut the massive spending, own up to it.

Same way with healthcare.  Those on the right, say "Crucify, crucify!"  Do not just say you are going to repeal it, come up with something better.  If you create a vacuum then something worse may fill it.

If you call someone an idiot, then you are both being idiots.  Do something so the voters will remember you.  Preferably, something positive.  That way when they see a solution, they will say oh yeah, that is the guy I want to follow.  If you have to resort to attacks on others, then you have nothing.

Of course all this is my opinion, which is why I am not in office.  Guess this shows I have nothing.

Note worthy

I was not blessed with good handwriting.  Okay, it is probably I do not take the time to work on my handwriting.  I have the hardest time reading what I just wrote down.  There has been many times when I find a note I left myself, only unable to decipher it.  Or I see a fragment and think what does "Milwaukee" mean?  It is easy to when leaving yourself a note say I will recognize the reference.  Yet the next time I look at the note, I have no idea what I was trying to mean.

So happy paper trails to you.

Cross in your fingers

I am fall from a theologian, even though I did go to divinity school.  I had a great thought in my mind, or at least it seemed like a great one to me.  Of course it was a week or two ago and now I am cannot express it.  Here is some kind of effort.

I was thinking about the cross.  It being close to Good Friday.  I do not think about the cross very often.  I do not own any cross memorabilia nor have any special attachment to it. The empty cross decorates many churches and is a witness to many people.  In thinking about it, the cross is a good reminder.  Hopefully I will not say anything too heretical.

The cross is a reminder that sometimes you have to suffer.  It is a instrument of pain.  Even the Bible says we are to carry our cross.

The empty cross is a sign of victory.  I know this is a reach, but I was reminded that it looks like a sword stuck in the ground.  In my mind, the sword is at rest.  So victory is achieved.

The empty cross is a sign of God's providence.  Things will work out.  Maybe in the short term not as you wish.  Jesus had to hang on for awhile, but is not there now.  Men in power tried to use the cross as an end (of Jesus' physical life), but God used it as a beginning (salvation for more people than Jesus could have touched humanly).  People have one thing in mind and God has another.  I think there is a verse in the Bible about a saying you intended this for evil, but God was able to use it.  *Side note...I looked it up, thanks internet, to see it referred to Joseph when he had been sold into slavery by his brothers.*

Easter is a big time of year for Christians.  It is about the reminder of God's promise.  God will be with us through the rough times.  God has something better for us.  Just look at that empty cross and then into your full heart.