Package deal

What is going on with packaging today?  I have the hardest time opening up something.  I think that it is paper so how hard could it be to open?  Answer...pretty hard.  I pull and it stretches with me.  Or the worst is when the package is resealable and then breaks.

 At least I know my contents are pretty safe.

Clouded judgment

It is so weird to see the seven day forecast with clouds and storms.  It seems that we have had more storms than usual.  I heard for last month we were two inches over for amount of rain, but at that point an inch behind for the year.  It does seem like we have had more rain ever since Metro ran outside a few months ago.  I am not sure where he goes during the wet weather.  If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May downpours bring?

I saw yesterday it raining sideways with the sun out.  I guess the current rain pattern is a result from the latest tropical storm hovering around.

Feel free to drop by anytime.  But only when I do not have any major plans.

Good grief

I will admit upfront that I do not have much experience in loss.  I have had a couple of grandparents die.  In all honesty the closest I have come to loss is misplacing something.  So that being claimed you can take everything I say with a ton of salt.

Today is Memorial Day.  It is a time when the majority of people are off work and yes, the kickoff for summer.  According to one comedian it is a great time to buy a mattress.  Yet, most importantly, or at least the official reason for the holiday, is a day of remembrance.  For those who made a difference in our lives and our country.  Those who paid with an ultimate sacrifice.  I have never served in the military nor do I know anyone personally who has died in service to our country.  Sure, I see the stories on television.  It is only imagining the loss the surviving friends and family must feel.

My in-laws church did something interesting during the service yesterday.  Other churches may do it or they may do annually I am not sure.  They included a memorial service in the service.  Names were read off of church members and family who died during the year.  A candle was lit in there honor, along with a photograph placed on a tree.  It was interesting to see how the people were impacted by their loved ones.

I am sure that grief never goes away.  There is always the tension between missing someone and, if the person was a believer, knowing he is with God.  I guess that is why someone who wants to be there is a shoulder.  The shoulder provides encouragement or a nudge when needed, hopefully block some of the insensitive things that are well intentioned, and provide a place to cry on.  Dealing with grief is a process.  I suppose not some goal to reach.

To the living I would say, remember those that had an impact on you.  Honor the memory and behave the way that person taught.  That is probably the best tribute.  Also live in a way that people will want to remember.

Wheeling and Dealing

Wendy and I recently watched the movie Flywheel.  It one produced by the Kendrick brothers who do Christian movies, like Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous.  Flywheel was their first one.  The title came from one sentence of dialogue in the movie.  I guess that is the way most movies are.

It was one of those life changing movies.  The main character is a not necessarily sleazy guy, but works really hard to make a deal.  Including ripping off the customer.  He has a God epiphany and vows to change his life.  It would not be an inspirational movie if things did not work out for him.

The dialogue was pretty funny and made some of the characters seem outrageous.  One of the funniest scenes is one I am not sure is possible, but it was a pretty good gag.  The message is good.  Everything is the LORD's.  It will work out, maybe not in an expected way.  In a way that I have just enough to trust Him again.

It was a pretty good movie and worth watching if you have the chance.  It has a lot to offer.  A whole car lot.

Hey, y'all watch this!

A year or so ago I was given a nice watch as a present from the company I do some work for.  It was their 90th anniversary and to commemorate they gave out watches.  I wear a watch if I have one.  The watches I had in the past, the battery died and I am too cheap to have it fixed.  Back to the watch at hand, it is a nice watch.  It has the metal links.  I usually get the cheaper material, but it was a gift so okay.

One day Joy was playing with the watch.  Wendy said you might want to get that from her.  The words, "I do not think she can mess it up," barely exited my mouth when Joy dropped it.  The clear face cover was cracked.  It still runs fine.  So I still wear it.

Fast forward to this morning or rewind dependent on when this read.  I was walking along and my arm swung out.  Right into the door jamb.  I am fine, but the watch face is not.  The watch must have hit the metal side of the door frame.  It shattered that plastic piece.  Amazingly, to me, the watch is keeping time.  It is just open access.  I wonder how long it will be before I hit it on something to disrupt the laying on of hands.

Time will tell.

Life is but a dream

I do not remember most of my dreams.  If I remember having a dream, then what happens fades pretty quickly.        I might have a general idea, but then cannot remember.  I have a feeling there were certain people in some kind of situation.  To my knowledge I have never had the naked in public dream.

I do not hear to many people talk about dreams.  The sleep kind that is.  It used to be a big thing in psychology circles.  I am in the introduction of a dream analysis book.  I thought it might be interesting.  Of course it has to say well this is what that can mean or it may mean something different.  One part in the book talked about how Freud thought everything dealt with sex.  Objects refer to men and women.

I do not think most of my dreams have a focus of an object.  Maybe that is why I cannot remember them.  They are that boring.

Dream on.

Conflict of interest

No, I am not  interested in conflicted.  Yes, I will privately complain.  However, in the heat of battle I tend to cool down.  Not really the level headed cool.   More like the game where you are looking for something and when far off hear, "Cold.  Colder."  In moments of frustration my instinct is to shut down.  Retreat to the Job defense, 'It would be better off if I was not born.'  It is ironic that in trying to appease everyone I end up disappointing everyone.

I know that some forms of conflict are needed.  Conflict makes a person take new responsibility.  Or makes him reach for a new level.  The key to difference is not to treat the person different.  Of course not everyone can get the end he wants.  A conflict should not end in a causality.

I think that is why there are different people in the world.  If the world was only made up of mes, then the murder rate would probably be one hundred percent.

Line item

This past weekend I had two bizarre customer experiences.  I have had some strange ones in the past.

Friday afternoon, after getting off work I head to a drug store chain to pick up some pictures for Wendy.  She had a coupon for a great deal on pictures.  So I arrive and see the photo counter.  No one is around.  There is a cashier at the front helping people.  I stand around for five minutes wondering what is going on.  Still no one.  I see the alphabetical bins and know Wendy's pictures are there and I even know my last name.  So after waiting I head to the cashier.  She says let me page someone for you.  I hear the announcement, "Customer needs assistance at photo."  I think ok, that should do it.  Five more minutes pass by and no one.  I wanted to head behind the counter and pick up the photos myself.
Then a woman who has been shopping since I have been waiting asks if anyone has helped me.  I say I am still waiting.  She says let me tell the cashier.  She mentions it to the cashier.  The cashier makes another announcement.  After two minutes an employee comes up.   He gets my name and hands me the pictures.  As the transaction is nearing the end, another employee comes up.  I think this guy is the regular photo operator because he says he was on his fifteen.  Would not a store have a back up counter worker for a department?  Oh well I got the photos.

Experience two.  Wendy and I and family ran out for a few minutes on Saturday night.  It was already close to bedtimes, but circumstances forced us into the open.  While out we thought we would pick up some much need grocery items.  We head to America's Family Empire...Wal of Shame.  We find our items and proceed to check out.  We do our normal find the short line that turns into the longer line.  The guy in front of us realizes he has left his wallet in the car.  So he goes out to get and it and the cashier checks us out. 
After checkout, the a store employee is checking the items purchase against the receipt.  We stand in a line of four.  He is rooting through a customer's buggy.  Seems like he is taking forever.  Finally one down.  The next guy he checks his purchases.  Then the third.  Right as we get up to the associate, he turns and walk off.  So we had to stand there for five minutes for you to check other purchases and he does not even bother to check ours.  In my mind it seems that we wanted for nothing.  However, if we had tried to go past I am sure we would have been stopped.  Oh well we made it home and to bed.

It seems those quick trips involve slow falls.

Nasally voice

The past day or so I have not quite felt right.  My nose has been burning and somewhat leaky.  The build up has also backed up into my head.  Giving me a little bit of a headache.  It is amazing what the nose can produce.  I can it come in all forms, liquid, solid, well maybe not so much gas, but loosely based on sneezing.

A runny nose can be irritating.  I am sure it looks disgusting with a trail hanging down.  It does not feel the greatest as well.  If you blow a nose too much then it gets sore.  The nose can effect taste.  Sometimes one can get so stopped up that the voice is barely heard or gets pretty deep.  I think I have heard someone say he waited until he was sick and then updated his answering machine.

I suppose there are worse things to have.

Well I guess it is time to scratch and sniff.  As according to urban dictionary, they used to say in the 1990s- Smell you later.

Memories are as good as the time

I thought I had a blog post in mind, but now cannot remember it.  Oh well.

That happens to me frequently.  I will come up with something and think it sounds good to me.  Then when it comes time to use it, I cannot remember what it is.

I am one that reacts to the present.  The future catches me off guard and the past surprises me.  When it does come to the present, I have the gift of oblivion.

Most people handle memories out of context. Pretty much like that sentence.  Looking back it is easier to think of something as being better or worse than it was at the time.  Which is good because it leads us to want to do it again, to achieve the results we actually want.

Mother May 1

Is it a sign of great respect when you honor someone after the fact or just a sign of not getting around to it.  A few days ago was Mother's Day.  A time to honor women.  Translation a bigger gift than what we usually give them.

Mothers are different breed.  They have the instinct to take of children, any children.  They have to do a lot.  Wiping noses, even when it is gross.  Kissing boo-boos, even when the child was told repeatedly to stop doing that.  Staying awake with a fussy child, even when the husband is fast asleep.

So thank you mothers.  We need you.  I need you.  So when we do not say we love you enough, know that you are loved because you are the ones we turn to.

On a personnel note, thanks to the one woman who works so hard for me and cares for my daughters.  Wendy, I love you.  Most of the time she even claims me.

Step one

A couple of Sundays ago during the worship service the choir sang a song with the chorus "One Step."  Besides being a catchy tune, it does have a good message.

Where would we be without that one step. 

The baby begins walking.

The first career.

The bride coming to meet her husband.

Sometimes life does require us to run at a full (some may say fool) pace, but it begins with one step.  I am not sure I would want to see my life all mapped out.  Okay, sometimes I would.  I do think if I saw it I would never do anything.

The best thing in life to is to take one step at a time.  It can be to move forward or to step back and reevaluate.

Ava story to tell

Well.  Ava Noel Parker entered the world a week ago.  The circumstances of this birth are more lucid.  Of course it did happen a week ago.  This time I had camera in hand.  It was interesting to hear during the procedure the doctor say, "Ok, Dad.  Stand up."  I got a photo of the doctor and nurse holding Ava from the womb.  Is it still called a womb even with a C-section?  How about place of origination?

Wendy is a trooper, as always.  She had some elevated blood pressure toward the end, which threw a kink in some planning issues.  The end result did turn out.

I had forgotten how many diapers one changes with a newborn.  I suppose all babies doo it, but Ava is notorious for causing a diaper change during a diaper change.  If you know what I mean.  And the squiggling.  It is different changing a newborn's diaper and an almost two year old's diaper.

Joy is handling the arrival pretty well.  She enjoys Ava in the bouncer and wants to make sure Ava has plenty of "moosic."

I am sure there will be many adventures of two Parker girls running around.

Customers Enjoy Opportunities

I recently read a book about seven CEOs who did great things with their companies.  The author implied that the growth of their businesses was because of the customer.  It is important to listen to the one you are trying to get money from.  Too often a customer can be viewed as a cusstomer.

I am not in business, but the service attitude can be applied to all relationships.  If you treat people like you want to provide the very best for them, then the relationship will go smoothly.  There is a difference in being taken advantage of.  A key to life if recognizing what people want and taking time to listen to it.

Of course being extremely driven did not hurt these CEOs in finding a profit margin.