Finally Recovered

As the saying goes: "I need a vacation to recover from my vacation!"

It has taken me a few days to get back to (almost) normal. I do believe a great time was had by all at Knoebels. The waterslides were fantastic! Even the "big kids" had fun on them. The weather was perfect for the first day at the pool. This park is absolutely my favorite as far as family friendly goes. I've been to a few different parks, but none comes close to Knoebels for the ability to allow me to relax with all my kids. I don't think I got uptight or nervous about their safety once the whole time.

The second day out, we attacked the amusement park. I'm so glad my sister (and her sons) came with us. Having her there allowed us to divide and conquer. My wife and I took the little ones to the area that was designed for them while my sister took the older ones to the big rides. This really minimized the standing around time for everyone. The weather was overcast, and we had a couple of thunderstorms pass through, but all in all, I think everyone got to ride enough to satisfy. It appears that many of my kids are rollercoaster nuts! Towards the end of the evening, they still hadn't ridden the Twister and I was concerned that there wouldn't be time and the line would be too long. Ends up, when we got there, the line was non-existant. They went 4 or 5 times in a row!

For the record, I probably rode the fewest rides ever and I'm fine with that. I go to enjoy watching the kids ride. That is my thrill. And no, I didn't ride any coasters. I leave that for my wife and kids.

We ended up the evening with ice cream cones all around. Hand dipped, two scoops in a cone(they called that a single!).

We didn't camp this time. I just didn't think it would be quite the vacation my wife and I needed if we had to mess with all that as well. Motel living was quite restful, thank you very much.

So now I'm back to work for 7 nights straight.
Then I get the weekend to go to two Drum Corps shows in Allentown. The DCI Eastern Classic. I'm really looking forward to that! I'll meet up with some old friends from my Crossmen days. My wife is only going to the show on Saturday. My sister and I are going to both Friday and Saturday's shows.

So all in all a busy week, but bookended by good, fun times.
Now where did I put that "honey-do" list...

Getting ready... or not.

We are supposed to be leaving in the morning for Knoebels by around 8:30. I just now started thinking of what I might like to take.

Cell phone
Digital cameras
VHS-C camera
charger packs
extra batteries
2way radios (don't have those batteries and will need to buy some)
a couple of changes of clothes
extra shoes
swimming suit (good thing the kids bought me a new tent for Father's Day)
towel
tooth brush and paste
deoderant
soda and ice
snacks for the drive
cash
more cash
plastic

That should be enough. That list is crazy with electronics. What ever happened to just going somewhere and not taking anything?
Imagine how long that list would be if we were camping as originally planned.
I think my wife is planning some food stuff for actual meals. That should save some money.
I don't remember when we last filled the van (read Sherman tank) with fuel. That should cost us about $60!

How will I ever survive two and a half days with no internet? I haven't gone that long in a year or so. If I had a laptop, I would probably log on at the hotel. I'm going to be totally unplugged!

Gotta go pay some bills that will come due while we are gone. I'll update when we get back.

Almost done!

It was a killer week at work. Unfortunately, I brought some of that frustration home. The family really doesn't deserve to hear me rant about work in the evenings. That's what this blog is for.

Day shift is the worst for me. I had so much frustration with coworkers this week that I almost walked out. That's crazy, I know. Especially when I remember how hard it is working out in the real world. This job has it's share of garbage, but the work is really easy for the most part and the pay is industry standard which is fairly good. I much prefer working nights. My wife doesn't care for it, though. I think it has something to do with having to keep the kids quiet while I sleep during some of the day. Fair enough. She does a great job of it, though.

I'm ready for the fall temperatures to start now. These 90° days are killing me! The only thing I will miss is being able to drive my car. I truly am a fall/spring person with a little winter thrown in. I have very little love for summer. Except for the extreme air conditioning... I love that part.

Next week is the family trip to Knoebels. The kids are really excited about it. Well, most of them. My second daughter has become a little more peer dependant and has expressed displeasure that she can't bring any of her friends along. I told her that it was ok with me if her friends' families brought them... I think it will be a lot of fun. We haven't been in a few years. This will be the first year there that my wife will be able to ride the rollercoasters. She's real excited about that. She can have them. I don't like coasters. Probably a control issue.
The Twister

























The Phoenix















Gotta get some rest this weekend so that I will be able to stand around holding everything while the kids run around riding rides all day. I won't mind. Just watching them play will be a blast for me.
Gotta go start that rest now. Maybe I'll blog more later.

Monday :-(

This is the week in my rotation when I work day shift for 4 days in a row. It is usually the most tedious rotation of the month. I expect it to be extremely busy since we are under staffed.
The temperatures and humidity are really high outside and this is causing our chillers to scream. I have to wear hearing protection in the mechanical room. These units are Carrier. I liked the York chillers better. Newer doesn't always equate with better.
I will definately be counting the hours this week.

On another note.
It appears that General Motors has begun building the Solstice in actual production quality. This is great news since so many folks have been waiting (not so) patiently for the car to be released for summer cruising. The wait is the whole reason I went looking for my S2K. So anyway, now it looks like I may have my Solstice closer to September rather than October. :-) Just to refresh your memory, here is a picture of one of the test cars in the color I am planning to get.

Since no one else that I read is updating...

I guess they are all too busy enjoying their summer while I'm stuck in the office or catching up on my sleep.

All the extra hours are really starting to wear on me. So far this year, I've worked my regular 14 - 12 hour shifts a month (total of 94 shifts which is 1128 hours). In addition to that, I have worked 460.5 hours of overtime. That makes 1588.5 hours (or so) for the year. 28 weeks gone in the year, so that averages 56.7 hours a week, every week. At this rate, I will work 2948.4 hours this year. For the normal 40 hour/week person, 2080 hours is the total for the year. I will work 908.4 hours more than the normal person! Of course, I'm not normal...

I praise the Lord for providing a job where I can earn enough to take care of the family He has given me. I praise Him for allowing me to have some play time and a few toys to enjoy myself. I really don't deserve the good stuff. I am human trash by all standards. God has just chosen to be merciful and given a huge measure of grace.

I have not been in much of a spiritual mood these last months. Can you tell? This is quite a rut I've gotten myself into. Motivation to read scripture is very low. I believe I am starving my spirit. Pray for me - that I will feel the hunger that is crying out inside. I have started reading John Piper's book - Don't Waste Your Life. Kind of a tough read, but definately something I needed. What a tragedy it would be if I wasted my whole life living for me. I hope to provide some impact reports along the way as this book affects me.

Just wanted to give a few shout out's:

To Emily - I'm more of an "A1" guy myself ;-) No Norweigian here as far as I know. I like your hair too!

And for Missy - you totally rock! I wish my teen years were spent seeking as you do. you really bless me with how much you love the Lord.

#9 - you missed a Friday :-p Empty nest is not far away, huh? Well, look on the bright side, you can travel on tour with SCC soon. lol! Or at least take trips and get together with all your cyber friends for coffee. I look forward to seeing you on the east coast soon!

Dallas - Congrats! Love her as Christ loves the church!

John, I know that preparations for your trip and your daily work routine are taking a toll. I'm really praying for you, brother! Wish I could take the flight with you so that we could talk a bit. *I like the mustache*

Jeremy! Where are you anyway!? I need an update on where you and the family are gonna settle. Praying for clarity for you and for the Lord to make the choice unmistakable.

MikeM... It's summer man! You should be much more visible! Your lounge chair on the deck is starting to dry rot!

Amy, when is the baby due? I think you and Dillon will make great parents! On the job training is the only way to fly.
*clarification so that everyone doesn't flood Amy's inbox - she isn't pregnant (yet) ^o^ !!!*

These are my friends and I blame Steven Curtis Chapman.

Finally got the hole filled in!!

It took what seemed like forever, but with help from the kids, I was able to finally get that water proofing hole filled in and tamped today. What a major hassle that was! I think if I ever do that type of project again, I will hire someone to do it.

Now we are ready to procede with the deck addition. I want to add a 12' X 16' deck off the kitchen. Can't seem to get the contractor to give me his estimate. He came by almost 2 weeks ago. We already have one quote that is through the roof. I'm hoping this second guy is lower, or I may have to give it a try myself.

Me and the boys are experienced at digging after all... Maybe I can get a city engineer to come by and let me know what I need for footers. He could probably give me a good idea as to whether or not I can handle it.

I went by General Motors this morning to see if there were any Solstice's around. I have heard rumours that they are going to start delivering them in a couple of weeks. I really need to get back to my dealer and make sure he actually ordered mine. If he hasn't, I will look for another dealer. From what I read on the solstice forums, everyone else was able to order the package they wanted and they actually got paperwork with it. I didn't get that kind of service from the local dealer. I'm not real confident in them. I'll check tomorrow.
In the mean time, here are a couple of pictures taken this morning. This is one of the "test mule" cars that has been on the road for a while. They have been using them to get all the bugs worked out.

Free Slurpee Day!

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Slurpee. In honor of that landmark anniversary, 7 Eleven is giving away samples all day today.
Go get your brain frozen!!
Slurpee.com They really have their own web page!!

GO GET ONE NOW!!!!!

Sleepy Sunday

I am so tired! I'm at work (where else!?). After a busy morning, I was sitting at my desk for a few minutes reading a bit of the paper. Next thing I know, 45 minutes have gone by and I'm apparently reading the same article. Translation: I fell asleep! It's pretty bad when all you have to do is sit down for a couple of minutes and you fall asleep. My apologies to my insomniac readers.

I really think I sleep better when I work night shift. I usually go straight to bed when I get home in the morning and get 6-7 hours. That puts me getting up at around 12 or 1, giving me a few hours in the middle of the day for whatever. When I work days, I usually stay up too late and only end up getting 3-4 hours of sleep. It all comes down to self discipline, I guess. That and the desire to spend some time with the wife and kids.

I just saw a car on TV that I think I would love to own. The Aston Martin DB9
Wow! What a car! This is a picture of the DBR9, actually. 6.0 liter, V12 engine, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, top speed: 186 mph! Nice! Cost? Only $155,000 to $170,000. I'm starting to save my pennies already. Maybe I'll be able to get a 2005 model somewhere around 2020.


Well, breaks over. I've got to get back to work. Thanks for reading (and drooling!).

Day Off?! Yeah right :-P

I spent most of yesterday in that hole that me and the boys dug last week. In order to make sure the wall doesn't have further leaks, I/we are tamping the dirt quite a bit as it goes back in. Packing each 2-4" takes a lot of time especially with just a hand tamper. The depth of the hole was about 6 1/2', length is 15', so you can imagine how much work it is to fill and tamp. We got it halfway done yesterday. Unfortunately, it is raining like crazy today, so I'm sure the rest of the hole will be filled and mucky, which will put me even further behind.

I gotta give big props to my oldest son. He has stuck by me throughout this whole project. When we were digging, he got lots of blisters and I was real surprised that he came back out and continued the job. I'm really proud of him. Some of the other kids are helping too, but not as much. Sometimes I wonder why I start projects like this. I know that I will benefit from the time with my son, but it may have just been better to contract it out and then take the boy to the park...

Sympathies to those in London who are dealing with the fallout from these attacks. My old church had a team there last week. Glad they got out before this happened. My nephews were to fly into London yesterday and catch a connecting flight to NYC. They are visiting family with their Dad. I'm pretty sure they were able to get in and out fine. Haven't heard, yet, but from what information I've been able to gather, they kept things fairly normal at the airport.

I'm back to work today at my "day job". I'll be working the next three days then it back on nights for 6 more. So that's 9 days before I get another "day off".

My oldest daughter has approached my folks about moving back in with them so she can get back on her feet. This is a good thing. It took a lot for her to humble herself and write them a note asking. I'm hoping she can make it work and that she will also get a second job so she can knock out some of her bills.

Thanks to my folks for their willingness to open their home again for her. It's hard on them since she can be a challenge and they are such creatures of habit. I'll be praying for all of them. I guess she got tired of living in multiple homes on couches with most of her possessions in her car. We make decisions in our lives that have consequences. She has chosen to live in a way that is tough on her. I think I've shown her that she is still loved and welcome in our house. We would make a place for her if she would be willing to actually try to be a part of the family. She hasn't progressed that far yet. I can see light at the end of the tunnel, though.

I still need to take a couple of kids out for birthday lunches. Hopefully I will be able to muster the energy to do that in the next few days. They have really been patient with me with having to wait so long. I really do have great kids!

How quickly the year is passing...

I am totally amazed that we are already in the second half of the year!

Seems only yesterday that I was shovelling snow in January. Now I'm digging dirt and sweating early in the morning.

I'm at work presently. Night 5 of 6. Then I get one day off which will be filled with work in the back of the house. I've got to get that hole in the ground filled in and tamped so that we can move along with the next project.

Next up is a deck off the kitchen. Along with that comes some landscaping and work on the bare patches in the yard.

Also on the short list is work in all three bathrooms. The upstairs toilet is leaking. This is probably due to not sitting exactly level on the floor. I will need to get a pro to make sure the flange is set right. This will cost some cash, but will be done right. The basement toilet needs new guts. I think I can take care of that one. Then there is the 1st floor powder room. We need to gut and redo that one. Gotta fix the other ones first, though.

Slowly but surely the work is getting done. There is so much that goes into ownership. Oh well. The value of the house increases with each project.

More later in the week. Hope all are having a blast in their short work week. You can have the days off. I'll work them for you! 93 hours this week (counting the 16 for holiday)! Should make for a nice paycheck - to spend on all the home improvements.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Today we celebrate our independence as a country. I have copied some links provided by a good friend of mine for your enjoyment and edification. Enjoy!


Presidential Address
History of the Fourth
Background on the Holiday
A Friend's Flag Page
Presidential Proclaimation

Fun stuff...


Make your own fireworks
Happy Independence Day!

Sick Day

We have several kids on the couch today. They are all sick with a virus of some sort. Makes for a tough day for my wife, since she has to cover most of those duties. I can't afford to be near the germs with all the work days I'm on the schedule for right now. It makes for a bad situation in that the other kids are getting bored and starting to pick on one another for entertainment.

These are the days when I would love to be financially independant so that I could take the kids out on the boat (which we don't have) to get them away and give them something to do. But instead, I have to get ready for work.

I think I'll play a "quick" game of Life with my second son so that he will have some dad time. I've got enough time for that.

I've been praying for my friends who are going on a long journey in a few weeks. Lots of details to work out and a few things not really falling into place. Some other type of tensions, too, I'm sure. Praying that they will have a time of real refreshment on their vacation.

More later.

Waiting for the tar to dry... no feathers, please

Yesterday, I was able to seal coat the back wall of the house. The moisture in the air (humidity) has been so high lately, that it hasn't dried yet. I would like to coat it again to be extra secure in the waterproof status of this wall. We are due some rain today and that may cause big problems since I have a 7' deep hole...

Not a whole lot going on today. I go back to work after 4 days away. I won't say days off, since I worked my butt off around here just about every one of those days. Got some good bonding time with my oldest son, though. That will yield dividends for the rest of the family. He seems a good bit more content now.

My oldest daughter has been crashing here on the couch for a few days this week. For the most part, she has been quiet and things have gone well, but yesterday she got mouthy and I had to ask her not to use a certain type of language in my house (not profane, but offensive). She did have a legitimate beef with a sibling, but wasn't handling it well. She ended up mad at me because I confronted her about the language and (in her view) didn't take care of the issue with the sibling. What she didn't know was that I took care of the sibling in private which is the way I prefer to handle it. That has always been an issue with her. She doesn't think the others get disciplined and punished since she doesn't see it. She ends up getting in trouble in front of the others since she is so confrontational and won't allow us to deal with it in private.

Pray for her. She really needs to learn these lessons before she will be able to move on and mature in her life. She left last night in a huff without talking to her mom or me about anything. Not exactly the best way to deal with issues.

Hope all my readers (I think I have 5 now!) are enjoying their summer! Unfortunately for the 365 day crowd, the only thing that really changes is the outside temperature... Teachers and students on the other hand - enjoy the break!