Kinda windy today

Here's the view from our deck.
Or something like that. Better have rocks in your pockets if you go outdoors.
Maybe this will dry things out a bit :-)

March is the cruelest month...

as this photo shows.

March 27th. It was nice yesterday. Not so nice today.
As a matter of fact, we got so much HAIL this morning they had to blade it off the highway.
What you see above is snow, which is coming down quite enthusiastically as I write this.
Grrr.
When exactly is this global warming thing supposed to kick in, anyway?

Fessin' up time

In response to Jean’s challenge (mizjean.blogspot.com) here are a few of my unusual characteristics:

1. I am a pretty casual guy in a lot of respects, but completely anal about being on time. This may come from 14 years of OTR trucking, or it may be an inherited trait from my mother’s side. Either way, if I am to be somewhere by, say, 5 o’clock, I will often be there a few minutes early. I become irritated when those riding with me aren’t ready to go when I am. I am also completely annoyed by people who “time manage” by wasting my time. Get over yourselves, already.

2. I have “presentation preferences” in food. I like ketchup, tomato sauce, and even sliced tomatoes (on sandwiches), but will not eat tomatoes by themselves. Also with strawberries – OK sliced in desserts (yes to shortcake!) but not ok alone. Alternatively, I will only eat bananas solo – not as an ingredient (with the exception of banana bread). No fruit salads or jello with banana slices or even banana splits, please. Also - Every proper serving of trail mix must contain all elements – peanuts, almonds/cashews, raisins, and M&M’s. Any missing ingredient means a do-over.

3. I spend a lot of time in my office in my stocking feet (or slippers). Not in meetings, but when by myself. Shoes are an invention designed to cause discomfort. Had God wanted us to wear shoes all the time, he wouldn’t have made stocking feet feel so good.

4. I can talk more on the phone to people I don’t know so well than people I consider friends (or family). Friends or family I prefer to talk to face to face. I also stink at small talk in all situations. I’m a get to the point type of guy. Remember the scene in “Planes, Trains, And Automobiles” where Steve Martin goes off on John Candy, telling him “…when you tell a story, have a point! It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!”? That’s me, although not quite that direct.

5. I’m a terrible passenger. If I’m not driving, it’s best if I’m in the back seat, not paying any attention to what is going on. Too many miles driving, I suppose. I’m one of those people who press a dent in the floor on the right side when I think that we should be slowing down and the driver isn’t responding appropriately. I’m a good driver (IMHO) but I don’t think that that translated into being a good teacher. Not that my kids are bad drivers (they aren’t), but I think my teaching method may have been frustrating for them…

6. One more thing – when on praise team in church I do not like to put myself in a situation where I will refer to my fellow praise team members by name. If I do, I will invariably FORGET THEIR NAME even though I’ve known them for, oh, say, 15-20 years. I blame it on age. Or, perhaps, some unknown brain abnormality. Whatever, it has happened enough that I don’t want to go there anymore. Ever. Until we start wearing name tags at all times. Which I may need in a few years anyway.

OK, that’s six. Phew. Michelle, your turn. Also – how about you, Jana and Scott???

Spring has Sprung

Well, the temps have been above freezing for several days now, and I must say it is a welcome development. The only downside is that our road is complete muck. I think driving out the other day I actually drove over the roof of a truck that had sunk in a particularly deep mudhole.
Well, not quite that bad, but you get the idea.
I spent Saturday gathering up branches and burning them (doing my part to contribute to global warming, and not a moment too soon, I might add) and also on a ladder with a chainsaw cutting branches out of trees. Plenty o' firewood now.
I am glad for the turn of the seasons - however, let me rant a bit about this irritating exercise practiced twice yearly of confusing us all as to what time it is.
Enough.
I'm convinced that daylight savings time is a tool of the devil to create confusion and discouragement.
It's now proven that it DOES NOT create energy savings. In fact, it INCREASES energy consumption by 10-15%.
So, enough already. Let's set the clocks now and be done with it.
The first candidate who campaigns on a platform of one time, all year gets my vote, because I frankly am not impressed with the credentials of the current crop.
Do your part - let's start up a blog time protest and end this insanity.

So, today...

We're suffering from a basketball hangover.

This has been an amazing season for our teams, with the girls making it to the substate game and the boys making the state tournaments, which were played this past week in Des Moines.

After making it successfully through the first round game, we encountered Western, our counterparts from NW IA. It was a tough loss - after we led for 3 1/2 quarters WC pulled ahead and took the victory (and the eventual state championship).

Yesterday afternoon was the consolation game, but the boys had left it all on the floor against Western, emotionally and physically. Kinda a bummer for the fans, but even more so for the boys.

A bright spot was when one of the starters from last year who has not dressed or played all year because of a heart condition that - momentarily - took his life this past summer (PTL for portable defibrillators!) was able to come into the game for about two minutes and score a 3 (and a couple of fouls). Heart warming in the midst of what was otherwise a downer afternoon.

Now, back to real life. Sigh.

Who's ready to join this guy?

PLEASE! NO MORE! ENOUGH ALREADY!