I Just Wrote My First Check of the Year

Posted by on 11.4.08 in Current Events, Personal

File this in the “Department of Useless Trivia,” but this morning a man came by to repair the gas heating system in our fireplace. Because Marlene is at her Explorer’s Bible Study, I met the man and chatted with him while he cleaned the unit and got it in good working order. When I wrote him a check in payment, it occurred to me t…

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Mississippi Votes

Posted by on 11.4.08 in Current Events, Personal

Well, not all of Mississippi, just the part that votes at Precinct 302 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Our polling place happens to be a local Baptist church. When we arrived about 7:30 AM, the parking lot was jammed with cars. We found a parking spot and went to the church gym, which for today has been transformed into a polling place. The first thing you…

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Quick Trip to Dallas

Posted by on 10.24.08 in Personal

Sometimes you just need to do something fun and crazy and that’s why we are in Dallas tonight.Earlier this week after a phone call with Mark and Vanessa, Marlene said something like, “We should drive to Dallas and surprise Mark and Vanessa and Josh and Leah.” From such little thoughts great ventures grow. So early this morning&mda…

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Three Years Ago—Then and Now

Posted by on 10.17.08 in Personal

Three years ago today, very early in the morning, before the sun had come up, we left Oak Park on our way to Tupelo, Mississippi. About that day I remember very little except that a few friends came to say goodbye as our Ryder truck was about to pull out of the driveway. Betty Nelson came, and Shirley Wilson, and Margie Gilchrist, and Soo Ai Kudo. …

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A Good Verse from Psalm 56 on my 56th Birthday

Posted by on 9.26.08 in Devotional, Personal

Here’s a good verse from Psalm 56 on my 56th birthday:  In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?    …

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If You Lose Your Cool, You Can’t Win

Posted by on 9.13.08 in Biking, Current Events, Internet/Blogging, Personal

Several times this week I started to write something about the presidential race, but I haven’t been able to do it properly, mostly because I find myself getting irritated by the comments I read on the Internet and the statements made by certain members of the media. To be honest, more than once this week I’ve found myself getting angry…

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Our Louisiana Visitors

Posted by on 9.1.08 in Personal

For the last several days all eyes have been focused on Hurricane Gustav as it barreled its way across Haiti, the Caymans, and the western edge of Cuba on its way towards the northern gulf coast. When we heard about the oncoming hurricane and the resulting evacuation order, we thought about our friends Brian and Tracie Howes and their son Brennan w…

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34 Years Ago

Posted by on 8.22.08 in Personal

Marlene and I were married 34 years ago today—on a hot Thursday night in Mesa, Arizona. Thirty-four years is a long time if you think about it—over 1/3rd of a century—so I try not to think about it. This morning Marlene looked on the Internet to see what symbol they use for your 34th anniversary—25 is silver, 50 is gold. I w…

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Hillbilly Homewrecker

Posted by on 8.8.08 in Personal

I would like to dedicate this entry to my fellow hot dog connoisseur Steve Boisse. A few years ago Steve and I and Ted King did a bike survey of two famous Chicago hot dog stands—Parky’s in Forest Park and Gene N Jude’s in River Grove. Not long ago Steve sent me a notice that the Chicago magazine had give Gene N Jude’s a fav…

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The Last Five Days

Posted by on 8.5.08 in Personal, Travel

Here is how we’ve spent the last five days . . . Friday—Spent all day flying home from Pinebrook in northeast Pennsylvania.Saturday—Helped Josh and Leah and Mark and Vanessa load their moving truck.Sunday—Drove to Dallas.Monday—Unloaded the truck.Tuesday—Drove back to Tupelo.On Saturday Joe and Becky spent time h…

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