Yep, still alive and kicking, but man it's has been a hectic week or so. Not bad, just hectic.
Friday night and Saturday morning I wrapped up working on the RV. One of these days I'll post a pic of it if Jina will let me. Despite fresh paint, she still calls it ugly. It's a 1974 Dodge, it runs strong (strong enough to get pulled over for speeding, thanks officer for issuing the warning), the essentials; fridge, stove, sinks, shower, toilet (I did say essentials) work. I've got less than $1000 invested, with the taxes/tags, replacement window, and a retrofitted A/C unit being my biggest expenses. It has chewed up a ton of free time this spring, but the kids love it.
Anyway, I went from that project to cleaning the boat up. Jina likes the boat better, but then it's only 5 yrs old and we're still in debt for it. Jina worked on the landscaping. Then I moved into cutting the yard. This put us right up against time to leave to go to a company function Saturday night. Sunday morning we slept in and then began packing for our camping trip. Sunday was spent with Mom and Dad at their farm land. Monday came and after a walk in the woods and a quick Bible story (Kind of a camping tradition with us, since we typically wind up missing church), Mom and Dad and my brother arrived. Seems the weather forecast had changed and they were calling for rain. Dad had a little bit of hay on the ground, and since swapping out implements was a prolonged ordeal, we raked up the cut hay into wind rows by hand. Wasn't that much and we had 4 of us working on it.
While we hoped against hope for a couple of hours of sun to dry out the remaining green hay, I started chopping on a Cherry tree that ants and woodpeckers had damaged to the point of threatening the barn roof. Yes we had a chain saw, but I thought it would be good exercise. Well, despite tugs and pulls with Dad's smallest tractor (circa 1930's Farmall Cub), the tree fell the wrong way. While my brother and I wrestled to keep it of the barn, Jina and Dad and the boys started to gather up some of the dry hay to store loose in the barn. Then the rain came, we gave up on the tree and hustled to try to get another wagon load of hay in the barn. With that accomplished, back to the tree. With tractor and atv and chain saw and axe, we got it on the ground with out damaging the barn roof...yeahhhh!
Lunch at around two, then Dad pulls another surprise. He'd bought a chain to repair the old go cart. Wrestle with it to cut to the correct length, get it installed, engine won't stay running. Adjust carb, get it running, my oldest doesn't want to ride. Couple of "you're gonna do it and like it" fatherly comments from me and he gives it a try, and then another, and another. Finally the day comes to an end, we pack up and head home. 6:30 pm. Kids got a shower before leaving so the two little ones fall asleep quickly. Making good time, until I get pulled over for speeding, thought I'd slowed down, but guess I didn't. Cop has a pop up camper so we talk camping, he was actually impressed with the condition of the camper, Jina's still not impressed.
At home, Jina packs up the kids and the left over groceries. I clean up the camper so it is good to go next time. Jina irons and packs me up for my trip (I love this woman), oh yeah, forgot to mention that I have to be up at 4:30 to catch a flight to New Orleans. It's 9:45 when we sit down to watch TV and cut up the strawberries we picked at the farm. In bed shortly after 11.
It's 11:20 p.m. eastern time as I type this, didn't leave the New Orleans office until after 9 eastern time and still need to knock out some emails so I'm not pressed for time tomorrow. 2 days of interviews, a flight home and then vacation. I hope.
I haven't ran much in recent weeks, but still have managed to get in a few miles. In all liklihood it will be after vacation before I pick back up with some training routine. A friend expressed an interest in running marathon, so that may be my motivation.
Anyway I'm alive and well. I'm blessed in more ways than I can count. Things are a bit hectic, I'll be short on sleep in no time, but I honestly have no reason to complain. It's funny how the job I hated month's ago is more tolerable, if not perfect, when I stopped looking at it as a trial, and instead started appreciating what God has blessed me with. Thank you God!
27 May 2008
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3 comments:
i would love to have a camper. i grew up camping so it is important to me. and...in my opinion...everyone needs to own something there kids are embarassed to be seen in. my parents used to own old, beat up campers and boats. when i became a teenager, i was so embarrassed but it didn't stop me from going. it's who i am today! your kids aren't old enough to be embarrassed but give it time. it will make them better people. i want a camper that my kids are embarassed to get in...that's my goal! ha!
glad things are going well!
One of my coworkers talks about trying to make it on one income as a policemen in L.A. in the 60's and 70's. He said they had an old truck bed camper that they went everywhere in.
As he moved up the ladder and eventually did high end executive protection after retirement, he had the monies to take his kids on some really nice trips. He said funny thing is, at family gatherings, it's the camping trips that are remembered, not the nice vacations.
Alicia,
If you really, really, really want one, we can negotiate a price. Just kidding, I think my kids would be very upset with me! I hope you are doing well. I read about Sam all of the time. He is too cute!
Jina
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