october:
04th
seoul, korea (depart)
toyko, japan (arrive)
toyko, japan (depart)
houston, texas (arrive)
houston, texas (depart)
mcallen, texas (arrive)
mcallen, texas (depart)
san benito, texas (arrive)
06th
EDWINA's b-day
09th
san benito, texas (depart)
san antonio, texas (arrive)
12th
EDELWEIZA's b-day
13th
RAMON's b-day
14th
LAINEY's b-day
16th
san antonio, texas (depart)
tyler, texas (arrive)
18th
LAQUAWNA's b-day
19th
GLORIA's b-day
20th
YVONNE's b-day
tyler, texas (depart)
san antonio, texas (arrive)
24th
san antonio, texas (depart)
san benito, texas (arrive)
30th
TED's (ME) b-day
PRECIOUS' b-day
BROOK's b-day
SHIANNE's b-day
BECKY's b-day
MARI's b-day
ERIKA's b-day
31st
halloween
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MONDAY 30TH OCTOBER 2006
11:08-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"JESUS replied, 'If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.'"
-- JOHN 14 : 23
MOM, DAD, and I played another couple games of Scrabble tonight; we were too tired to do a third game as we did Sunday night after the church's game night. DAD had beaten MOM and I for the first time ever then, but he wasn't able to get going much tonight. I dominated during the first game, scoring seven (07) points as my only score under twelve (12) and ending the game, after leading from start to finish, with just over two hundred (200) points. I had to gloat just a little because I didn't figure I'd get so lucky the second time around. I'd have had a much better chance of winning the second game had I not opened my mouth and let slip the fact I was trading in a letter to complete a word which would give me about a hundred (100) points for a single play. So they both figured I'd play at the top of the board to make use of a triple word score square. And sure enough MOM blocked it. I'd have spelled "revision" and used all of my letters, which would give me fifty (50) points right from the start, not to mention the points for the word multiplied by three (03). I ended up losing by about twenty (20) or so points. MOM won.
Yeah, I enjoy board games and miniature golf, oh and Pictionary. That's time well spent as far as I'm concerned; you can have your bars and clubs. CHRIS' sister AMY would call wondering why we weren't out causing all kinds of havoc. CHRIS would tell her we went miniature golfing or something. Yeah, we "went out" and caused havoc on the mini golf course. But really, I'm low key and he has a serious girlfriend. And anyway clubs and bars aren't my scene. I'm boring, so what. I like my boring self most of the time.
"JENNY ...
... thank you so much for my very first birthday greeting this morning. (The early greetings don't "really" count.) It means a lot to me that we are able to continue keeping in contact with one (01) another. Thanks so much for remembering me little sister. I miss you and I can't wait to visit again. Ciao for now, thanks again! Love ya." *squeeze*
I found this on the all knowing internet. I thought it was a rather accurate description as far as these general assessment thingies go:
"Your birthday on the 30th day of October shows individual self-expression is necessary for your happiness. You tend to have a good way of expressing yourself with words, certainly in a manner that is clear and understandable. You have a good chance of success in fields requiring skill with words.
You can be very dramatic in your presentation and you may be a good actor or a natural mimic. You have a vivid imagination that can assist you in becoming a good writer or story-teller. Strong in your opinions, you always tend to think you are on the right side of an issue. There may be a tendency to scatter your energies and have a lot of loose ends in your work. You may have significant artistic talent and be very creative.
An idealist and humanitarian, you strive to make the world a better place. You do your best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion. Deep down, you dream of being loved by many. You are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. While you are very ambitious, you never lose site of perspective. You have an abundance of creative talents... you just need to tap into them. Although you are a giving person, you can become selfish if you are ignored. If you are not able to help people, you tend to shelf your talents."
Well tomorrow I'll most likely look up a friend from junior high school. MOM ran into her sometime and said she had said to tell me hello. I forgot to ask her where she worked today. Tomorrow morning I'll ask and then drive over there to pop in and see what she's up to these days. It's been over ten (10) years since I've seen her. I think last I heard she was married with a kid; it'll be interesting to see how she's changed.
I don't know why I'm so tired, but I'm surely going to settle in for a night's sleep. Maybe I'll start trying to get to bed a more reasonable hour every night. I am a quarter of a century after all.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 30TH OCTOBER 2006
10:47-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 Hours)
"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today."
-- Deuteronomy 08 : 17 & 18
"PRECIOUS, ...
... I trust you had a great birthday. I hope wherever you found yourself today it was among your loved ones who utterly spoiled you. Hopefully you didn't have to slave away studying or working; time to just relax is something I'm sure you've earned many times over, especially on your special day. I know you're working diligently to become a professional and look into complete stranger's mouths, ... keep up the good work and continue to strive and reach for your goals. You're doing great I'm sure.
Happy birthday. I hope to hear from you again very soon. GOD bless you and keep you in His grip of grace. I do miss you. Sleep well PRECIOUS GLORY lloren."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2006
11:31-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"'Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.'"
-- MATTHEW 05 : 16
I was going to watch "Catch A Fire" after "Saw III" today but decided to not make it a double feature day. I may go tomorrow after church, but I suspect I'll just push back "Catch A Fire" to Monday or Tuesday. "Saw III" was good. There were times when I became a tad bit bored, but the end more than made up for it; I think there were about six (06) twists in the last fifteen (15) minutes or so. And of course, everything is set up for a fourth installment. And of course, I'll definitely want to catch a fourth installment in the series. It put a lot of the missing pieces in place from the first movie; everything kind of came full circle and it was surprising to learn what it all meant and whom it all was supposed to benefit. It's a very well thought out and well crafted franchise. I do hope they have much more up there sleeve and will keep it going even past a fourth. The traps were okay I suppose. There was one (01) which was pretty disgusting, and if you see the movie you'll know exactly which one (01) I'm referring to. And there's a trap which just makes you wince again and again and again. All in all it's a good movie, though it's very gory, but you'll have to have seen the first two (02) to have a full appreciation of the third.
Anyway I paid for my ticket at the ticket booth outside of the theatre and ANNA gave me a ticket for the 11:20 showing even though it was already 11:30. I didn't notice it until I was sent to the left instead of the right side of the building. It was playing on two (02) screens. One (01) began at 11:20 and the second at 12:15. I didn't think I had to tell ANNA I was here to see the 12:15 showing since it was already past 11:20. I walked back to the ticket tearer and toldhim that I wanted to see the 12:15 showing and not see ten (10) mintes less of the earlier showing. He said I had to go back outside even though the ticket had already been torn and was the same price as the showing just forty-five (45) minutes later. Odd. ANNA handed me a small slip of paper and I filled in my name and address and reason for the ticket exchange. It was weird. I just wanted to see it a few minutes later so as not to miss anything. It was more hassle than I expected to go through. If I were the ticket tearer, or ANNA at the ticket both for that matter, I'd've just told me to head to the other theatre to see the later showing. But whatever, I just wasn't going to head in late to a movie I could catch less than an hour later. And besides that ANNA shouldn't have been able to give me a ticket for the showing which had already begun, it didn't make much sense. Who are these people who go into movies ten (10) minutes late? Ridiculous.
To bed I go. ... But first I'll finish watching "Joint Security Area". It's good stuffage concerning the DMZ and the two (02) Koreas. It's daylight saving time or whatever; I've been overseas so much I'm not sure if we are doing daylight savings time or are going back to regular time. In any case the time here goes back an hour so I'll probably wake up an hour earlier than I want to. But that's no big deal because I have no problem with rolling over and closing my eyes again to catch another hour of sleep.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2006
10:52-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner."
-- Proverbs 13 : 06
It's kind of crazy to think that three (03) years ago this day was a Monday. What a difference between Monday and Friday, the start of a school or work week and the end of a school or work week. Well, that's normally the case; I've hadmany "work weeks" that have easily seeped into the "weekend" in months and years past. But nonetheless, it's always goodto know Saturday isclose at hand and not five (05) whole days away.
This day in 2003 I was fresh from a few months in the desert. The war had kicked off early in the year and I had done my piece and was back in upstate New York. I was a couple of weeks from the start of PLDC and about three (03) weeks post promotion board. That seems like more than three (03) years ago. Sincespending another year in Korea as a Staff Sergeant it seems as though I wasn't a Specialist very long when in fact I was almost two (02) years and was a Sergeant less than a year. There definitely were not plans to be a Staff Sergeant three (03) years in the future. I mean I hadn't ever attended PLDC yet and now I've completed plus BNCOC, have been promoted twice more, and have worked alongside many senior enlisted and senior officers in the Army. The last few years have been packed indeed.
MONDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2003
10:22-PM-(UTC/GMT -5 Hours)
I just finished an essay for my eArmyU course (Language in Social Context). I should have finished it last night, ... I have been really lazy and unmotivated lately. I guess I try to put my all into work, ... by the time I come home I'm drained. And even on the weekends I tend to be out of it. Time and time again I tell myself I need to change, or try to change.
But I did it and it is out of the way. Of course I have to do a few more papers in advance in order to complete all my assignments before I go to PLDC (Primary Leadership Development Course) next month. (I need to ask PINKY if I'm on the roster for the November course.) I really need to go next month. The next course would not be until 05 January. I plan to be in South Texas, with my family, at that time, so November needs to be my PLDC month. Yes. Yes.
I received a birthday gift from a friend today. I ripped it open (What? Do you think I'm going to wait until the 30th? Ha!) and saw that it was a picture frame. I told myself it was pretty weird to send a picture frame as a gift to a person who has no pictures. But, I was dumb, ... there was a picture in it: A picture of seven (07) of my high school classmates--TANYA, REBEKAH, RICK, QUENNIE, MARIEL, ANNIE, PRECIOUS, and myself. It was a truly great gift. I have absolutely no pictures of any of my high school (Med High class of 2000) classmates with the exception of one (01) I have kept with me since 1998, which has special significance. Something from the heart is truly better than anything with a price tag on it. (Well, I suppose the frame cost something, but well, that's beside the point.) I know I have said it a hundred (100) times already but
"Thank you so much JESSICA."
I didn't really look at the picture for a good hour after I unwrapped it. The second I turned it over and glanced at it I caught sight of faces I had not seen in over three (03) years. And I was drown in a wave of a hundred and one (101) different emotions and questions:
"Where are they now?"
"Do they remember this time?"
"Do they remember me?"
"What are they like now?"
"Who are their friends, partners, fiancés, ... spouses, children?"
This had me thinking for hours and it still does. And I have no doubt that each time it catches my eye I'll have to sit and think of my past, my present, and my future; theirs as well, and all the other people from high school and other places I have met. JESSICA assures me some people remember me, think of me, and still care. And even though I always stress to people about "what if's" being able to be "good" as well as "bad", I can not help but feel a little "out there", a little lonely, and a little forgotten about.
But maybe they feel the same way. I can assure you though, if you graduated with me in 2000 from Med High, you are thought of and cared about, ... if by nobody, at least by me. So if you are wondering if I'm wondering, stop wondering; ... I'm wondering. Ha! Some things we take for granted and some things we live to regret, but some things we just miss, and just wish we could live through again, if only for a day. And not live through to change things, but just to again be in the moment and stare into her eyes just a little longer, or laugh just a little more, or smile, or hug, or just exist in a time and place we know is safe, and full of good times and good friends.
"JESSICA ...
... Thank you so much for the gift. It was truly not expected and a gift that I'll treasure both because of it and the person who gave it. You are really too kind to me JESSICA. I do not hear from many friends from high school but I can always count on hearing from you. And that counts for a whole lot.
Thank you for unfailingly caring and reassuring me that our friendship will never cease, through your words and deeds, and the thoughts I know you think of me. It sure is nice to be thought of, ... to be remembered, ... to be loved. . I try to be as good a friend to you as you are to me but it is things you do like sending me a thoughtful gift out of the blue that makes me certain you'll always be a couple steps ahead of me. Thank you for being a little quicker and not being disappointed when I have to continually try to keep up. I'll see you soon, back home in el Valle!"
This was an odd entry to look back on since I'd been to Med-High twice this week and spoke with many of the teachers I'd had six (06) years ago and I'd unexpectedly run into one (01) of the girls in the picture recently in San Antonio. Plus with all the decisions I'm going to have to make in the next couple of years I can't help but wonder how everyone else is doing. Fortunately, I've been able to get informationon quite a few ofmy classmates one (01) way or another, but I wonder what they have planned for themselves in the coming months and years.
Anyway, I suppose I sent that picture ahead ofme to Kansas. I had it on my desk back in Korea. I'll most likely put it on my desk in Kansas too as a reminder of not only high school but a reminder of seven (07) persons and so many possibilities for each. I'm sure if asked, not a single one (01) of us in the picture would have guessed that things would be as they are now; we were just waiting to get on a ride and have some fun before we'd be cast out from the safety and security of our high school into the wide world.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 26TH OCTOBER 2006
11:48-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
-- JOB 13 : 15
I headed to Med-High once again today. It made the fourth (possibly fifth) time I've "gone to school" since being back from Korea. I think the fourth since I went to the school SARA teaches at twice and now my old high school twice. Anyway I had to return today since my theatre teacher only works every other day and yesterday was his day off. I had missed him last year because of the every other day work schedule too. This time however I had nothing pressing today so I figured I'd head back to drop in on him since there'd be talk of my visit. So I headed to his room almost immediately. He introduced me as if I was some sort of celebrity, but it was cool. His classes were auditioning for the one-act play they'd take to competition entitled "Impromptu". Coincidently it was the very same play we did during my freshman year at Med-High. I pretty much stayed put in the cafetorium to watch the auditions. I might even go back Monday to watch more and see if he's made any decisions or further pairings of students to audition together.
Mr. Cruz introduced me to his students as an actor and writer back when I attended school there. It was really weird, but kind of cool. And it was totally surreal when he took his class into the auditorium. All we ever had when I was there was the auditorium as a theater classroom so once we were there it was really something else for me. I walked around the stage as his students practiced and walked through a very familiar play in my mind. A few of the students asked me to do something; I almost did, the lines were still familiar to me. I tried helping a few students a little bit. For the most part they just weren't opening up and really giving it all they had. Mr. Cruz said he didn't see as much raw talent as he'd seen in past years but that these students worked hard. And well, that's important too.
There were a couple practices when I didn't think "Seven Stories" would ever be good enough to perform in front of an audience, but sure enough the class came together and lines were memorized and blocking was finalized and it turned out great. Mr. Cruz is going to leave a copy of the performance at the front office for me to pickup tomorrow. Also on the tape will be a performance of "Dinny & the Witches" which I acted in as a witch. Unfortunately, it was an early performance and I hadn't yet bleached my hair for the role; I wore a horrible yellow mop-top of a wig as a quick solution. I'm anxious to pick that up tomorrow afternoon. That will be something else to check it out too, seeing the play I created ["Seven Stories"] come to life once again before my eyes and see my classmates do what they did with it so well. Hopefully I'll be able to make a copy and somehow get it on a format I can transfer to DVD and possibly to my computer to save forever.
Being back at school these couple of days and fielding all kinds of questions regarding the Army and what my plans are for the next few years has obviously made me ask myself some of the very same questions regarding my future. My stay-in plan is to be accepted into the Special Forces community, but I haven't worked on formulating a get-out plan just yet. I'm getting more and more sure however that it simply must involve writing and acting because there really is no other feeling like creating using those mediums and I simply love it. Being back at Med-High and seeing Mr. Cruz in action again and the students polishing their performances, ... that's a world I'd fit well in. And on our way back from lunch, Ms. Villarreal and Mr. Cruz were talking about how weird it was to sneak away from school (we left for lunch a few minutes early.) and she mentioned that I should write a play about teachers skipping school. Well, the wheels started spinning and a little bit of brainstorming ensued. I think writing more and really making an attempt to embrace the craft would do me good and open up a whole new facet of my life and what I do day-to-day. It'd be good for me and maybe, just maybe, I can improve as a writer.
In any case I felt good at the school and comfortable around the stage and his students. He wants to see if he can use "Seven Stories" for the one-act competition. I'll be back next week to sit and speak with him more about it and tweaking the play will be one (01) of the first things I'll do once I get to Fort Riley, Kansas so I can hopefully get a few nice copies to him before deploying. I also need to look into the information regarding it's copyright and get on the ball. He asked me why I hadn't tried to get it out there and get it sold and published. I guess I didn't have a good answer because whatever I said didn't sound convincing to me either.
But yes, I'm a writer and an actor and that's something I need to really get back to doing. I need to make my get-out plan have acting and writing as two (02) goals to strive for, both as hobbies and educationally with intentions to pursue them professionally. All in all though it's just kind of neat to have been back there and see students at that stage in their life again with so many possibilities and opportunities. Ha! Here I am with my head in the clouds as if I'm years past my prime and going on eighty-five (85) instead of just twenty-five (25); there are numerous possibilities for me too. I need to remain open-minded, aware, and continue to do the things I need to do to be well prepared to take advantage of them.
Yup, four (04) days until I'm twenty-five (25) years old. How'd that happen all of a sudden?
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2006
10:54-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts."
-- 01 Corinthians 14 : 01
So I'm back in South Texas. I'll stay here through my birthday and the day I'm scheduled to take a picture for the church directory, then I'll be headed back to San Antonio to split my drive to Fort Riley, Kansas. My drive down here wasn't bad at all, fortunately I didn't hit any accidents or heavy traffic leaving San Antonio or anywhere in between.
I usually make it a point to drive to my high school to check things out and visit with my teachers each time I'm in the area. So this morning I headed to Med-High to check things out. I'd visited right before going to Korea a year ago so I figured I'd check in with everyone now that my tour there is over and done with. A year ago however I was setting my mind on two (02) years in Korea instead of just my contractual one (01) year. It would mean USD$300.00 extra each month which I learned began once the extension contract was signed, not simply for the additional twelve (12) months. That was good indeed, but it didn't take long for me to realize that the unit I was a part of wasn't exactly an organization I was willing to extend to remain a part of. Things improved a great deal from the first few weeks to the very last when I was a platoon sergeant on my way out and well respected and liked by the majority of the company and battalion, but regardless, it was time to move on.
I spent most of the time speaking with Ms. Santiago who was a health science instructor. We spent all of her conference period talking about what some of my classmates were up to and where the school was heading and had headed in the years since the class of 2000 had graduated. I went to lunch once again with Ms. Sanchez, who is still the computer teacher, dropped in on a husband and wife teaching team who taught Spanish and another health science course respectively. Mrs. Laney always makes a big deal when I visit and insists to her students that I was both a great student and was able to speak a great deal of Spanish. Ha! I can never quite recall when I was either in her class, but it's quite flattering that she thinks so. I guess I tried a bit. Of course now I'd love to have learned more Spanish than I did instead of just picking up bits and pieces here and there.
I missed Mr. Cruz however, just as I did last year when I popped in. Last year I was pressed for time however and couldn't visit again. This time around I'll be able to go back tomorrow and catch him as he only works every other day as he's retired. I do hope the theater program is thriving; it's truly one (01) of the best things going for the school. It's a medical magnet school but apart from all the medical environment, the theater program is a great opportunity for the students to get a taste of something different. Yes, I'm very biased and partial since I had so much fun in the class and working to put on plays with my classmates and Mr. Cruz. It was great.
Lunchtime football is alive and well; something which was a large part of high school for me and also something which broke a couple of my bones and gave me a concussion. Ah lunchtime football! Each time we were told it had been banned (and this was usually after someone was hurt) we sat out a day then went right back to it the next day. I remember a couple of times the principal came out during lunch to stand guard I suppose and ensure we weren't playing. It was really ironic though to be attending a medical magnet high school and playing football with no protection at all. We had broken bones, fractured this and that, and a hist of other injuries on that field. It was great though; I'd pay to relive a couple of lunch time football sessions.
CHRIS and I ran into QUENNIE, whom was in our high school graduating class, while I was in San Antonio. She had been living in Las Vegas for a while but had recently returned to San Antonio. She said it didn't seem like any time had passed at all. Ha! I told her it sure did to me. I guess it wouldn't seems like to much time if I'd only been and lived in a couple places and attended the same university for four (04) years, but shortly after graduation I was off to train for over a year and then was whisked away to Korea for a year. Each time I've moved since then it has meant moving, of course, but also being put in an environment with totally different people. So I've had to continually adjust and meet new people and learn how to interact with them. I've met people in a host of different environments and settings and for numerous reasons apart from school or work. In fact I vacationed in the Philippines to meet with friends I'd known only via the internet. Ha! So friends and experiences from high school, although very dear to me, aren't quite as vivid as they were a handful of years ago.
I'm down here for a while, particularly to spend my birthday with my family. It'll be the first time since 1999. My birthdays since then have had me in Alabama twice, Korea twice, upstate New York, and as of now it looks like I'll possibly be turning twenty-six (26) in either Kansas or Iraq, but more than likely it won't be here at home. So this is a big deal to us, me being here for birthday cake.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2006
9:02-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "REACH"-WARREN barfield Reach
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
-- LUKE 06 : 36
GLORIA's off to work. Her alarm went off twice. Funny, she never struck me as a "snooze-button-pusher". Apparently her boss is rather flexible when it comes to morning roll call. I need more flexible morning hours associated with my job.
It's almost time to be on my way. My things are sitting by the door and I've done a once over of her place so nothing is left behind. CHRIS called last night to inform me I'd left my Proactiv cleanser in his bathroom. Bummer. I was going to go back for it this morning but figured it would require my heading to his apartment to fetch it, then back here to lock his spare key in GLORIA's apartment, ... too much extra road work this close to being off in a single direction. I'm planning to head back up here on my way to Kansas in order to split up the drive. I'm a driver so I'd get on the road and make the twenty (20) hour drive from Texas to Kansas. I don't mind driving at all; in fact I like it a lot. But since I'm in no major hurry and have people on the way, I'll break my trip up. I might try to visit SARA again, but I'll have to see how I feel about going a few hours off course and out of the way. The quickest route takes me right through San Antonio and not as far east as Tyler. But I've made exceptions in the past.
Shower time. I should be on the open road by 10:15 and home by just after 2:00. Of course, that's only if I can get to Highway 77 without a lot of misdirection and turning around. It should be easy enough once I get on the 410 loop. Shower time.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2006
5:47-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "NOTHING WITHOUT YOU"-BEBO norman Try
"JESUS said to them, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I'll raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.'"
-- JOHN 06 : 53 - 56
It's not quite time to get up, get packed, and get on the road. I'm up because I heard what sounded like a car alarm and jumped up to look out to see if my baby was still out there. ... intact. She looked okay from the window of GLORIA's apartment. I didn't remember getting up; all that registered in my brain were the two (02) horn honks and me at the window peering out. The distance between where I was lying and the window I traveled without realizing it. But she looked fine. Of course now I'm antsy and ready to head down south.
Before beaming myself from the floor to the window I'd had a dream about my wheels being stolen again. I looked out to see someone taking my wheels off and rolling them to a truck. I couldn't get my shoes on and by the time I pulled one (01) on they were working on the last two (02) wheels. For some reason I just had to put my shoes on before heading outside to stop them or call the police, only in a dream of course. I'd have been out of there in boxers ready to run some serious interference. The two (02) horn honks probably woke me from that dream and sent me to the window.
There'll be no leaving just yet though. I need another hour and a half or so of shut eyed before I make the four (04) hour drive to San Benito. It shouldn't be bad at all, but I'm in no hurry to time a four (04) hour ride just ride. I won't be missing anything today by not arriving at a prescribed time. Back to sleep.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 23RD OCTOBER 2006
5:24-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O GOD."
-- Psalm 42 : 01
The day finally arrived: Yesterday after the three (03) of us had nice naps, we headed for Green Acres to do battle on the greens. It would mark the fifth (I believe) time we three (03) ventured out to play mini golf, but only the second time at Green Acres. And it would be the very first time we were to play the east course at Green Acres. The last time we played the west eighteen (18) holes. Furthermore we weren't playing after a rain so even the west course was going to play differently. It had been hyped up and talked about and we headed out nice and rested. The night wasn't too hot and wasn't too cold. After playing a little Time Crisis, it was time to grab a club, a ball, and head out to the course. It would be the east course, then the west. It was CHRIS' idea to end with a difficult first nine (09) holes and end with a difficult nine (09) holes since the east course was nine (09) difficult, followed by nine (09) easy; the west course was vice versa.
We decided to wait until the couple in front of us was a couple of holes ahead before beginning. To bide our time we putted around on the practice course. I set up a putt about three (03) feet out and hit it; CHRIS pretended it was a challenge and put his ball further out, hitting his putt as well. So I played along and placed my ball a good ways away from the hole, mentioning that if I made the putt I'd probably go crazy. And sure enough it rolled, curved, and disappeared into the hole. It's one (01) of those moments which would take ten (10)or twelve (12) takes to get for a movie. But that wasn't the case at all. It was spontaneous and definitely a moment worthy of some memory on the digital video camera I hadn't yet purchased. I almost stopped CHRIS when he put his ball about six (06) feet out; the moment would be ruined by a missed putt. Of course I didn't think I'd make my putt so I figured it was possible, and would have made for an even better story if he made it. He missed it, but we were still psyched enough to stop messing around and get on the course; we were ready.
I started off strongly as I had the last time we played at Green Acres before I split my time here in San Antonio with a trip to Tyler to visit my sister. My goal wasn't just to beat GLORIA and CHRIS, but to break par on both the east course and the west course. It was great, thirty-six (36) holes of miniature golf. I was well ahead after the first nine (09) and stayed pretty consistent to the end of the first course. I kind of choked up and played conservatively as I finished off the first eighteen (18). GLORIA wasn't doing too hot but she picked it up with a hole in one (01) after taking the six (06) stroke limit a couple of holes back. That put her into second place. But I was only besting her by a couple of strokes. At one (01) point I was sinking fours and made quite a few silly mistakes trying to get too fancy. Strangely enough I pulled it together after she asked me what was wrong. I let her know that I was never out of a game of miniature golf no matter what, this a minute or two (02) before I sunk the ball in a single shot on the next hole. Never count me out of a game of mini golf. From then I turned on the heat, gaining my couple stroke stride once again. I was pleased that my "rare fours" weren't turning into "normal fours". I missed about three (03) hole in ones as the match progressed. I was totally robbed on them too and on one (01) particular hole I was robbed twice as my orange ball skimmed the hole, struck the edge of the green and skimmed the hole again as it rebounded. A couple of those near hole in ones turned into threes too which was really frustrating.
CHRIS held his own after really fading but then pulling things back together. He ended up beating GLORIA but couldn't catch up with me. I was more than consistent once I realized things were pretty close. I missed breaking par but played a pretty good couple of rounds. Next time I'll turn it up and break par. If I was given those holes in one (01) and could take back a few risky shots which ended in a four (04), I could've been three (03) or four (04) strokes under par. Maybe next time will be when I head to San Antonio on my way to Fort Riley, Kansas. I'll need to break up what would be a twenty (20) hour drive from the Rio Grande Valley to Kansas. I haven't decided if I'll head to Tyler to visit SARA. It's not really in the path of my travels, but I'll see if I can't take an alternate route so seeing my sister can be part of the trip up there. And if I don't get a chance to drop in on ERIKA in Waco once I leave here, I'll get a hold of her and see if I can pop in on the trip up to Kansas as well.
Anyway, yeah hopefully they'll be game for another go around at Green Acres. Hopefully it has been adopted as our official mini golf spot. Embassy is good, but Green Acres is just well, better, even though CHRIS doesn't like the half hour drive. But hey, it's more then worth it to play on a good course.
So I've been sleeping at GLORIA's place. I'm not worried about my wheels being stolen here even though there's no reason to think they wouldn't besides the fact my baby's not in the place she was the last time it happened. CHRIS said that it probably wouldn't happen again, but the crazy thing is that there's no law against lightning striking twice in the same place. And even with lightning there's still a chance, it's not impossible. Who's to say that CHRIS' apartment complex hasn't become number one (01) ona very short list which these wheel thieves look into every so often. Of course, who's to say GLORIA's complex isn't on the very same list. I suppose though I'd feel a little better about them being swiped at GLORIA's then at CHRIS'. After all, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, ... yeah. And besides, what am I going to do, sleep with her? Ha! I'vethought about it though. Nope, I have to park her, head inside, and get some sleep. Getting back to normal as soon as possible is important.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 22ND OCTOBER 2006
5:02-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Help us, O GOD our Savior, for the glory of Your Name; deliver us and forgive us our sins for Your Name's sake."
-- Psalm 79 : 09
"Hold Fast"
MercyMe
To everyone who's hurting
To those who've had enough
To all the undeserving
That should cover all of us
Please do not let go
I promise there is hope
Hold fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is His grasp
So hold fast
Will this season ever pass?
Can we stop this ride?
Will we see the sun at last?
Or could this be our lot in life?
Please do not let go
I promise you there's hope
Hold fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is Your grasp
So hold fast
You may think you're all alone
And there's no way that anyone could know
What you're going through
But if you only hear one thing
Just understand that we are all the same
Searching for the truth
The truth of what we're soon to face
Unless someone comes to take our place
Is there anyone?
All we want is to be free
Free from our captivity, LORD
Here He comes
Hold fast
'Cause help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is Your grasp
So hold fast
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 21ST OCTOBER 2006
3:39-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "JESUS IS"-Hillsong London Jesus Is
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ... By faith we understand that the universe was formed by GOD's command, so that what is seen wasn't made out of what was visible."
-- Hebrews 11 : 01 & 03
Three (03) years ago today:
TUESDAY 21ST OCTOBER 2003
10:18-PM-(UTC/GMT -5 Hours)
Well, my SHARP Warm and Toasty did it again. This time it worked it is magic as I slept. That is right kiddies, I was exhausted when I returned here from work. I started talking to TRACEY but found I didn't have much to say. So around 6:00 or so I figured I'd take a nap. Before bedding down though I popped a Sarah Lee Dutch Apple pie in my "microwave." Ha! It was to bake at four hundred (400) degrees for about sixty (60) minutes. I wasn't about to sit around for an hour, so after it preheated (Yes, my microwave preheats before it bakes. It is pretty wild.) I popped the pie in, set my alarm clock for 2145, and slipped into bed.
I didn't have to tell you my reaction to a good ol' fashion nap and the smell of a baked apple pie when I awoke a few minutes ago. Yes, something akin to sheer bliss. I had forgotten about the pie when I first woke up but smelled it about a half second later. So naturally I tackled the ironing board in the middle of my room. I mean that is what the smell of pie makes me do, tackle ironing boards and slam into the floor. But, do not fret, I reached my pie without major injuries. The ironing board is fine too. And as of now, the pie is really hitting the spot. Today was definitely the kind of day that is capped off with a long nap and apple pie.
This morning we did a pretty good PT (physical training) session: Push-ups, sit-ups, etc. We did each exercise in sets of five (05) from five (05) to twenty-five (25) and ran in place in between sets. It was good stuffage. I was drenched in sweat by the hour's end. But I worked my body pretty well. Now let's fast forward to about 3:45 when I went down to the 710th Battalion headquarters to pick up my package from the mail clerk (SPC Cunningham). I popped in and was about to sign and pop out with my package in hand. I was mere seconds from signing and leaving, the door was about two (02) feet in front of me, when there was a tap on my back. I turned to face Sergeant Major Mendez.
Yup, it was time to do some exercises for having my beret on indoors. I figured it would not benefit me too much to try and explain that I was just popping in and out and that I was seconds from being outside again. Nope. I choose to just get on down.
Push-ups. Flutter kicks. Push-ups. Flutter kicks.
Yes, all I wanted was to pick-up my package and be on my merry way. Little did I know I'd get an impromptu PT session courtesy of the Battalion Sergeant Major, who was wearing the Army PT uniform with open-toed sandals on. But nevertheless, what's a little extra PT. I was wrong and was begin corrected. Yes, for those of you who are asking yourself about "exercises as means of corrective action and punishment," yes, it happens each and everyday in your United States Army. Oh yes and I have been in over three (03) years and am not in a training environment. End of enlistment: 26 March 2006.
I am doing okay. I have been getting a bit rattled by everything that is going on but I think I'm handling everything quite well. I cannot wait to go to PLDC (Primary Leadership Development Course). I need a change of pace right about now. I need some new surroundings and new faces. I'm looking at it now as a thirty (30) day vacation of sorts. But do not worry, I'll put pen to paper while I'm there and while I'm on leave in December I'll transcribe it all and post if as the back half of November and the front half of December. For those of you who visit regularly and actually enjoy your time here, thank you, that is why I'll be dedicated to posting more often. You know I love you all. Visitors, please bookmark my page, ... you know it is just indescribably fascinating.
Life is good, I cannot really complain. Well, I can but I'm refraining from doing so. I'm not in a low, just a bit of a lull in action. And I never mind lulls, it is just that I can not seem to get out of it. My brain seems as though it is numb. I have no drive or motivation in me. I have all the tools to get going and make some moves in my life, but I'm stuck in a rut. I'm hoping though that I can keep running back and forth, and gaining momentum, so that when I begin to see the edge I'll be able to hurl myself over and escape the rut. So I'm biding my time. When the time is right and the opportunity presents itself I'll definitely make my break. Things will speed up when I go to PLDC and going on leave in December will be great. That will mix things up. And next year I'll have no obligations so I think I'll try to get into things that actually interest me and I get some level of enjoyment from. I need to start reading again. I need to read much, much more. Well, maybe 2004 will be the year 2003 wasn't.
It is about time to finish that nap I was taking before I was so rudely interrupted by an odd compulsion to tackle my ironing board as a result of the divine lure of an apple pie. And speaking of pie I think I'll cram another piece in my face before continuing my nap.
Good night all. And good morning to the rest of you.
"MARILOU ...
... I'm watching my mailbox and waiting. You should get my letter very soon.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2006
2:53-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"JESUS said to them,'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.'"
-- MARK 02 : 17
I just arrived at CHRIS' apartment complex. He's not back from work yet so I'm sitting here with my baby staring at the spot she was in a few days back, sitting with out wheels like a wounded, helpless little bird. I'm still mulling over what direction I'm going to take while I'm here for a few days: I'm not paranoid, but to have it happen again would probably be enough to make me never park in this parking lot again; that would mean CHRIS would have to move by the time I returned from the desert. Ha! He's ready to make a move anyway.
Nah, I won't do anything differently but stay with her more often, which doesn't really help since the thieves would most likely steal her wheels in the dead of night, it would just make me feel a little better being with her. So I'll drive while I'm here, either following CHRIS or having him ride with me. He wants to head to the outlet malls in San Marcos tomorrow. I'm not sure if GLORIA is game but I'll be driving up there. He mentioned what I thought yesterday: parking her at GLORIA's place instead of over here. With my luck though the people who stole them over here would be making their rounds around town and hit there too.
All in all though I don't see what I can really do to ensure she's safe save sleeping out here with her or not sleeping at all when night rolls around and napping all morning long. It's not like I neglected to lock the doors and someone just opened it up and took the radio and every else in her. Nope. What else could I have done to ensure my wheels weren't swiped? And when does it ever cross your mind to even think of extraordinary measures to take to "protect" your wheels? I have "locking" lug nuts now. It seems like all that boils down to are lug nuts which are a little smaller than a standard wrench can get a bite on. But even they are only a means of deterring would-be thieves. In addition to letting me know how good the thieves were and that he didn't hear a thing, the man living in the apartment directly in front of the parking spot my baby was in told me he had come out around 7:00 and seen her sitting with no means of mobility. So that knocked an hour off of the time frame. It just seems like they would be prepared for something like locking lug nuts and they wouldn't really be slowed down at all, just slightly amused. Anyway, I'm not going to stress about it, I'm determined to continue to enjoy my time off because there will be much work to do when I hit ground at Fort Riley and then deploy.
SARA and I ate at a pretty good Mexican restaurant last night. I wanted a combination steak and chicken fajita plate but the dishes were both separate menu items boasting different sauces and different cheeses so our server came back with a big fat "no" to my request, letting me know he'd go with my back up order of just the Monterrey chicken fajitas. They weren't too bad at all. SARA didn't really eat much even though she claimed she was hungry; of course that was before she ate an undetermined number of Double Stuff Oreo cookies before we left. I had a few too before realizing I'd much rather fill mystomach with a meal rather than a snack, especially cookies. I'm not much of a snacker, I'd prefer to sit down to a good meal.
I ordered a slice of dulce de leche cheesecake to go since it was time to go. Sometimes it's just time to leave a restaurant; the cheesecake would have to be enjoyed at her place. So after a wrong turn we arrived back at the apartment. I left an hour or so later to give my baby a bath. I'm really taking a liking to her new wheels. But as I already ranted about her and her wheels above I'll just cut it short and say that I really, really like them. That's all on that. Anyway, I ended up forgetting my cheesecake last night and then again this morning; it would have made an ideal breakfast while I finished up my last load of laundry before packing. I doubt though it would turn out to be the kind of cheesecake which would be worth a five (05) hour drive back to Tyler. I was watching something at SARA's house and the fact OPRAH flies to get a particular donut (or some kind of quick food, I can't remember) was mentioned. It sounded a bit ridiculous to fly for whatever it was she'd pick-up. It wasn't anything like top of the line beef to cook either, it was something quick like donuts or a muffin or something. I don't know how true it was either, it could have been made up. Regardless, if I were rich I'd be the very same way. If I was in the mood for a particular something and knew where they just make the best such and such, I'd make a call and get there, and sure why not by plane.
I wonder where CHRIS is; I thought he'd be back by now. Well, maybe not. He hasn't called though, I expected him to check in even if he couldn't talk to ask me what I felt like eating. Weird. I suppose there's nothing else to do but wait. And why wait with eyes wide when I can doze off.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2006
12:14-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"But GOD drags away the mighty by His power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life. He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but His eyes are on their ways. For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain."
-- JOB 24 : 22 - 24
"YVONNE, ...
... happy, happy birthday to you! I suspect you have big plans with DAVID today. Let me know if he fails to do something special for you today and doesn't just completely spoil you. You're definitely spoil-worhty, especially today. Thank you for regularly checking up on me. It's nice to think of you as a loyal visitor to my lil online abode here. You're always more than welcome of course.
I hope you know just how important our friendship is to me and just how glad I am to have gotten to know you a little bit. I can't wait to continue to get to know you and learn about you. You've done so great for yourself, overcome so much, and have so much to offer the world and those around you. Let this birthday be a reminder that you're going to be okay, you're going to make it, you're going to grow and mature and become wiser, ... set your goals high and then start climbing. I'm so proud of you YVONNE and very proud to be your friend. Happy birthday! Eat some cake for TED! Ciao for now lil sister!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2006
6:09-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "ONE MAN"-CRYSTAL lewis Fearless
"... for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
-- NEHEMIAH 08 : 10
"GLORIA ...
... happy birthday! CHRIS must spoil you today if he hasn't already. And even then, make him spoil you again. You will be taking a break from your project to celebrate your day won't you? Just nod, smile, and do it. You deserve it, I know you study hard and work hard and have gutted it out as you earned an undergrad degree. Now that you're almost finished with a master's, well, I know you'll finish strong. But that being mentioned, it's your birthday, take a day off.
It's been quite an adventure getting to know you, but indeed a pleasurable one (01). I wasn't sure what to expect when I got word my buddy was seeing someone. And I met you a good ways into the relationship as well, too late for me to insist on his dumping you. Ha! I'm just glad that never crossed my mind because you were great then and now that I've gotten to know you I'm realizing you're absolutely perfect for CHRIS.
Have a great birthday GLORIA! I'll see you in a couple of days when I make my way back to San Antonio. And as your birthday gift I'll show you how to play an under-par game when we meet on the mini golf greens. Yes, that's right, a free mini golf clinic just for you, ran by yours truly. Ha! Happy birthday!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 18TH OCTOBER 2006
11:43-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I'm the LORD."
-- Leviticus 19 : 18
I'm trying to finish all my posts and get all the updates finished so I get things here up-to-date. I've been asked how I can all of a sudden post a handful of days at a time and if I just make it all up in one (01) sitting. Well, I definitely do not "make it all up" because my wheels did indeed get ripped right off of my baby a few days ago. The process is much more like making sense of notes and expounding upon what I have typed about the day. I'll jot (type) down sentence fragments and names and the like to evoke thoughts of something and then move on.
I've been busy and lazy and here and there for the last few months that I seldom had time to really sit down and pour out thoughts and feelings and retellings. So my paragraphs of text and "notes" would just sit as I added another day's notes and another day's notes. So, if you've been curious why all of a sudden you'll visit and have to catch up from where you left off eight (08), twelve (12) or twenty (20) days ago, now you know how I operate. I don't just use my remarkable powers of memorization to recall everything in detail for weeks at a time before sitting down to churn it all out. Nope.
I played hooky from school today. I planned to head out shortly after SARA but for some reason (I'm lazy.) I stayed put on the floor and closed my eyes again. I woke up a few times before 9:00 and told myself I'd get up and make the drive from Tyler into Whitehouse. But nope, I always seemed to just close my eyes again (It's because I'm lazy.) and fall asleep. But hey, I can do anything I wish with my leave days, I earned them after all.
I was productive today. I finally got up at 10:00 and began my mission: to setup SARA's DVD/VCR. When I arrived I immediately saw she had put the cable box atop an already unsteady Phillips-Magnavox television. Those two (02) pieces sat atop a small, glass-doored cabinet which held a handful of DVDs and VHS tapes. There really wasn't room in her configuration for the DVD/VCR I'd brought as her apartment warming gift; but of course, I had a remedy for that, a trip to Wal-Mart. I inspected the back of the small cabinet and was pleased to find particle board panels, about the strength and width of the cardboard used in appliance (ovens, washers, 'fridges) boxes, backing it. I was planning to empty the cabinet and place the cable box on the top shelf and the DVD/VCR on the bottom shelf. I'd cut out a small rectangle in order to feed the cables through the rear of the cabinet. So off I went to Wal-Mart in search of a good DVD rack.
Coincidently I found the very DVD rack I'd bought while at Fort Drum. I picked it up, along with a surge protector, complete with cable hookups, and was off to the register. For some reason my American Express card was denied but I really didn't think much of it because I knew it was a mistake I could remedy with a phone call. I pulled out my debit card, swiped away, and in no time I was back at my sister's place laying out the pieces for the DVD rack and emptying the cabinet. I started by removing the back of the cabinet and figuring out where I'd make the cut. It was easy enough given I normally carry around a large enough knife for the job. It was back on in no time and I was unplugging and plugging away. Building the DVD rack took the better part of a half hour. I knew how to do it without directions but made a small blunder. In other words I had to unscrew some screws in order to fit some pieces together midway through the building process.
Things were looking great. I had all the components placed in and on the cabinet. It looked good. The DVD rack was setup and all of SARA's DVDs and tapes were sitting pretty now. All that was left to do was to make all the connections and program the DVD/VCR to work with the universal remote she received with her cable. The wiring was a little tricky. From her wall she had a splitter going to her cable box and her cable modem. I wanted to hook it all up through the surge protector, but upon my initial inspection it didn't look possible. There were dual coaxial cable in and outs on the surge protector, but hooking up one (01) coax in and two (02) coax outs would not work. There had to be one (01) coax in for every one (01) coax out.
It took about ten (10) minutes for me to realize I could make it work if I put the splitter (which I'd disconnected from the wall) back on the wall and connected two (02) cables from the splitter to each of the coax in jacks. Somehow for the longest time I thought I was going to be one (01) cable short. But sure enough I wasn't. So that was al setup: the internet worked and the cable box was receiving the signal as well. So far so good. And it was all looking great. I knew she'd be surprised and very pleased to find not only the DVD/VCR hooked up, but a new configuration and a DVD rack beside it as well. I was kicking myself for not thinking to hide her gifts and do this all at once while she was at school for the day. She would have been blown away. But I reasoned that this was good too because it be like another surprise altogether.
Next, the wiring had to be hooked up properly so that just by using the controller cable could be watched as well as a DVD or VHS tape, without having to get up and make another connection. I fancied myself pretty adept at hooking up the components so I opted to set the installation pamphlets aside. Piece of cake. The connections pretty much stayed the same with a few minor tweaks. Before I knew it I was watching a DVD using her new player. I didn't bother to even attempt to watch cable. Not owning a television for all these years has pretty much turned me off of television programs, and I just can't stand commercials. Ha!
She called to ask me if I'd hooked up her DVD/VCR about a half hour before she was to be home. I said I had and she was happy because she'd be able to record her Wednesday night program. I thought she meant on VHS at first but then realized her cable box had recording capabilities a la TIVO. Then I realized I hadn't tried the cable. And sure enough it didn't work. The DVD hookup was good but I couldn't get to the cable. I ripped it all out and started over again. Still nothing. Now neither components were working and I was pressed for time. It wasn't going to have the right effect if she came home to see me troubleshooting the hookup, it had to be completed and fully operational.
Turns out it was merely a selection on the television's menu which was causing the miscommunication. So about ten (10) minutes before SARA came through the door I had it all hooked up, in place, and fully functional. It looks great now. I want to live here and use it. Ha! She really does have a nice apartment though. I'm glad my gift is contributing to making it more comfortable for her, I'm sure she gets pretty lonely out here. But she has other teachers there to talk to and she like joking with her players and students. She has a good time. She'll be just fine in time. I think she settling in more quickly than she thinks.
We decided to head to T.G.I. Friday's for dinner. I ordered their Cinabon cheesecake to begin with, followed by a brisket dipping sandwich. Before the food arrived I called American Express and worked out my credit card denial problem. It turned out I had to enter a zip code after I swiped my card. I entered 78586 (my zip code at home in San Benito) when my card was still registered at my old zip code from Korea, 96271. The guy on the line took my "new" address and said it would be updated in about twenty-four (24) hours. I think I'll leave my home address as the billing address on my cards and information so I won't have to change it when I head to Kansas or Iraq. And besides I handle most things online anyway, not much mail comes to my parents house back home anymore, at least not important mail.
Of course I did get an insurance refund sent their and I am expecting another refund now that I've taken my baby out of storage. And in related news I haven't heard from NATOYA from GEICO. I don't expect them to cover me since I technically did have my vehicle in a "stored" status. But who knows, I think she would have pretty much told me I was out of luck if she thought I didn't have a chance, so maybe I'll get lucky being that I'm a Soldier returning from a hardship tour. It really just slipped my mind.
Well, it's about time to call it a night and get some shut eye. I was planning to leave tomorrow but I've decided to stay and leave Friday morning instead. I'll head to school in the morning with SARA and try to catch first period since they felt cheated not being able to meet me the other day. Go figure.
I went to Wal-Mart an hour or so ago to buy a network cable. I've been using SARA's with my computer but I wanted to sit at the table and use it. I brought one (01) with me from Korea but for some reason left it in south Texas at home. When I came back though my computer detected a wireless network ("Byers/Parker") and I've been using it ever since. So I suppose a thank you is in order for whomever has an unrestricted wireless modem transmitting. I just wish they would have told me before I headed to Wal-Mart.
"Thank you."
Night!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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WEDNESDAY 18TH OCTOBER 2006
12:19-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."
-- 01 PETER 04 : 08 & 09
"LAQUAWNA ...
... happy birthday! I miss you. How's life in Japan? I didn't feel any closer to you on that side of the world; I didn't really feel close to anyone because I didn't have the time with everything that came my way. I was busy on slow days. You'll have to let me know when you return to the States so we can get together and catch up.
I still think we have a pretty neat first-meeting story, as friends of course. Ha! Anyway, as the years go by and you grow older I hope you won't forget me. I'll never forget you lil sister. I know we don't talk very often but you're thought of very often and will forever be in my heart. Thanks again for the ride; you have a great birthday young lady and get back safely. Love ya sis!"
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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TUESDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2006
10:26-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."
-- Psalm 55 : 22
School wasn't too bad today. Ha, school! It was a bit odd waking up so early to drive to a junior high campus. I found my sister's classroom with very minimal effort. It seemed as though everyone was expecting me so it wasn't difficult to get directions after being led off course by the woman in the front office.
Texas history. She was having her students outline a chapter. It was odd seeing an overhead projector and dry erase pen in action again. SARA needs to work on her handwriting, it's not very teacher like. She'll appreciate that I mentioned that here. It'll come though, as will better teaching skills and tricks of the trade. She's not bad though, she adores her students (most of them anyway) and that's important. But she could back off a bit on the yelling, which isn't screaming at the top of her lungs, just being a little too stern without warning. Of course I didn't realize how short forty-five (45) minutes was when there's a lesson to teach; control and order is a must in order to get the information into their little heads before the bell rings. But it'll come with patience and practice and she seems to get along well with her fellow teachers, they will help.
I know she's much better as a coach. I'd have liked to see her coach her volleyball team and I'm already sorry I won't be able to see her head up the girl's track team when the season rolls around next year. Hopefully she'll get out there with the girls and relive some of her track days.
It's odd seeing her out here on her own, teaching, living in an apartment, ... but she's getting along just fine. I don't think she'll get too lonely, it's just a matter of time before she begins to feel right at home and nothing spurs that feeling along more like waking up to do a full days work at school with a few hundred (100) junior high school students.
I'll probably leave Thursday morning and head to Waco, Texas to visit ERIKA if I can reach her and she's not busy. She works and schools though so popping in wouldn't be the best idea since I might catch her as she's just about to leave for either. Her parents are coming in over the weekend so that option was nixed. I'll head back to San Antonio to spend the weekend with CHRIS and GLORIA in the wake of GLORIA's birthday. And of course we're on for miniature golf at Green Acres. This time we'll take on both the east and west courses. I pray the weather cooperates and it's not too crowded. Conditions were ideal the last time we did battle on the greens.
About time for a little shut-eye. I might be going to school again tomorrow and I'dn't want to sleep through class. I'll probably hit up the mall tomorrow afternoon or evening and see what it has to offer. I need to hunt for a Best Buy too and shop for a video recorder. A Best Buy in San Antonio had the "Sony version" of the JVC brand I saw in Korea so I think I'm sold, but I just wanted to think it over and such. I should go to the nearby Circuit City and compare prices. But with all these video moments: mini golf, my wheels being stolen, my replacing the wheels, ... it would seem almost foolish to let anymore slip away, especially since there's a scheduled mini golf battle this weekend and I think we'll all be able to really bring our best games to the course. I'm aiming to both win and make par or better. We shall see. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get it recorded.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2006
11:44-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."
-- Romans 14 : 01
I didn't make it to Whitehouse Junior High School in time to catch my sister's last game as a volleyball coach. Bummer. But she was still at the school when I rolled into the parking lot. I was approached by a woman whom I later learned was another coach. It was pretty obvious that SARA had mentioned me once or twice around school. Some of the kids were pointing and talking and pointing; ... I was pretty sure I was expected. SARA came out of the gym a few minutes after the other coach came a little to close to my baby and read "Department of Defense" off of the decal at the corner of my windshield. Whitehouse turned out to be about a seven (07) minute drive from her apartment at Woodtrails in Tyler. When I called she began naming off streets as if I lived in Tyler; little did I know she was referring to Whitehouse, a suburb of Tyler miles down the road. I was coming into Tyler west to east and wouldn't have run into Whitehouse since it was south. But finding the school was no problem at all once I hit Whitehouse's city limits.
SARA's apartment isn't bad at all. I like it in fact. Of course don't expect me to describe it because I'm terrible at describing spaces. I'll just say it has a washer and dryer in it and a nice size living room area. It's nice. Anyway, the in-apartment washer and dryer closet would be a huge selling point for me since for the last six (06) years I've been having to get dressed and take a "trip" to laundry rooms. It's going to be nice to just pop up and throw a load in the wash without making a production of it and scheduling laundry time. She has cable television and cable internet, a dishwsher in a nice little nook of a kitchen. It's small but not too small. There's room for three (03) to maneuver comfortably in it I'd say. Alot of the furniture came from MOM and DAD and a lot was taken from my grandfather's apartment. And she gets a discount for being a Texas state educator. So yeah, she's not paying an arm and a leg every month. A pretty nice setup indeed.
She liked her apartment warming gift. She will never fully grasp the predicament I had at the store shopping for DVDs with CHRIS. I didn't know which to buy and then I didn't know what to put down when I had my own purchases in one (01) hand and hers in another. The situation was quelled by doing "cross up, cross down" using CHRIS' pocket knife. He said it has been the decider in more than a few situations when an adequate coin was lacking. So out of the store I went with three (03) DVDs for her and a box set and single DVD for myself. I didn't know then if she had any DVDs but now that I've seen her setup here I see that se has a handful. Well, compared to my collection (which should have just about founds it's way to Kansas by now) it's a handful. Ha! I suppose in about a year or so I'll begin buying Blu-Ray or HD discs and integrate that technology into my collection and life. I don't know, when I return from Iraq (if I'm to go in a couple of months) I may just have to buy a television and an entertainment setup. I'll be in Kansas for an undertermined amount of time, so maybe I should settle a bit.
The DVDs were good selections. She didn't realize the large box was for her too even though once she pulled the DVDs from the gift bag, she saw that they were wrapped with the exact same paper. But I suppose she thought I might be visiting others and playing Santa there as well. I suppose I'll let her off the hook. Needless to say she was surprised and quite pleased since she was plannig to purchase a DVD/VCR in the coming weeks. So I did well with the gifts.
Anyway, I'm in Tyler, Texas for a few days visiting my sister, SARA in her nice apartment. Tomorrow I'll head to school and check out her teaching skills; it should be quite an experience indeed to see her commad and control herds of 7th grade kids. Wat age is that? Around twelve (12) and thirteen (13) years of age? Oy. It's about time to stretch out on the floor and get some shut-eye. Yes, I'm on the floor. She doesn't have a couch of anything but I'm very comfortable on the floor. I'll most likely sleep on the floor, on a mat, when I get a place of my own. My bedroom will be setup very Eastern I suspect. Hopefully I'll find a place with a good floor.
Night. I just hope my wheels stay put tonight, car and all, ... all!
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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MONDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2006
1:59-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "SOMEHOW YOU ARE"-Avalon Stand
"It is for freedom that CHRIST has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
-- Galatians 05 : 01
Sleep isn't coming. Go figure. Yeah, I'm not surprised. Now that there's a plan in place to get some new wheels for my baby tomorrow, I'm anxious to go with GLORIA to Discount Tire, get my wheels, and get on the road to catch SARA's volleyball game. She's super disappointed that I ran into a snafu, as am I, but if I can get my wheels tomorrow morning I'll leave immediately after we're able to roll again.
I'm not as annoyed anymore. I was never really angry, even initially. I suppose I was immediately glad there wasn't any damage done to my baby; I mean all the glass was intact and I didn't notice any huge gashes or scratches in the paint. And they left my car on the curb and on some bricks. As strange as it may read, I'm rather glad they were as professional as they were. Tomorrow morning however I'll get down and dirty with a more thorough inspection of her. Sure, I should have done it while the police were there, but nothing immediately caught my eye. The glass was fine and everything was still in her, she was just elevated and relieved of her "legs". It must have been sotraumatic. I mean we've only been reunited for a couple of weeks (less really) and here she's being violated in the middle of the night with me sleeping soundly a few meters away.
San Antonio hasn't been good to her. I suppose it's time I give her a proper name. When we had our wreck a couple of years ago (once again in San Antonio, and one again while I was visiting CHRIS) CHRIS said it was because I hadn't named her. Of course it was a joke, but really, we've been through so much in such a small amount of time, and I'm away from her so often, ... it's about time I think about a proper name.
Well, I'm off to lay down once again and see if I can't drift off. I expect tomorrow to go smoothly, but then regardless, I'll need to be well rested for the buy, installation, drive, and hopefully the volleyball game once I hit Tyler, Texas.
I'm half tempted to sit outside with my baby; I'm sure she's a little uneasy. I really haven't comforted her enough today. I suppose I just didn't want to be reminded that I was once again grounded without the freedom of mobility. She just sits with a full tank of gas, places to go, but no way to move. But no worries, the situation will get resolved in due time and I'll be back on the road.
Night.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SUNDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2006
6:55-PM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "SACRIFICE"-Tree63 Tree63
"Have mercy on me, O GOD, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I'll take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed."
-- Psalm 57 : 01
What a day. What a day! There's a line in an episode of "The Unit" where JONAS blaine (DENNIS haysbert) tells a reporter to hold off on a story to protect his mission. To "keep her quiet" so to speak he hands her a card with a number on it and explains it's meaning to her:
"No matter how blessed our lives, how charmed our existence, things still inevitably, irrevocably go wrong. Your mother is swindled out of her savings. Your estranged husband runs off with your kids. Your best friend goes on vacation in a foreign land and disappears. Eventually bad things find us all. You ever hear of the get-out-jail-free card? This is a get-out-of-hell card. At some point in your life, God forbid, you have nowhere else to turn. Call that number."
And sure enough, as good as things were going for me (and have been for the past few weeks), no matter how "charmed" something bad found me this morning. I was ready to pack my bags and head east in my baby, destination, Tyler, Texas. As I approached my car I noticed what I thought were portions of the tree beside my car. There's a dead tree which towers above the sidewalk and the few parking spaces right in front of in on the walk to CHRIS' apartment. We always joke that sooner or later it is going to come down right on the cars below. I figured it was beginning to give in to gravity. As I got closer I realized they were rocks and were wedged under my car. I didn't remember running over rocks when I parked around 2:30 this morning after a very odd visit to the Shell station down the road from the Walnut Hill apartments. And besides they were too large to just run over without a noticeable bump.
That's when I noticed the front driver's side wheel was gone. Rim, tire and all; gone. The rear wheel as well and the couple on the other side, along with another neat pile of rocks which along with the pile on the other side and the curb, which my front fender was resting on, was propping up my car. I'd been robbed in the few hours between ending my gas run around 2:30 and heading out with my suitcase at approximately 8:15. CHRIS was at his computer, still a big groggy when I told him the news. And like everyone who has heard the news since then, he reacted with almost casual disbelief. A joke. Well of course, it just sounds crazy; after all you hear about it, but something like this is almost like an urban legend or one (01) of those one (01) in a kwazillion things. (No, "kwazillion" is not a legit number.) But he sure did believe it when he saw it. Weird though, nothing was stolen. My laptop still sat on the passenger's seat under a book, my sister's apartment-warming gift sat on the back seat, still nicely wrapped. Her [my baby, "the car") body was nice and black and shiny, her windows still intact. All they wanted were her wheels. They came, took what they wanted, and disappeared again.
I immediately called SARA to let her know I'd be a tad delayed and not to expect me until maybe tomorrow evening, hopefully in time to watch her lead her girls to one (01) last victory. Then CHRIS and I went inside and began hunting for the number to the San Antonio police. I didn't really think it was grounds for a 911 call, but I wasn't having much luck at all finding the number in the phone book. I looked in the front matter where the emergency number were. I could get a hold of the Federal Bureau of Investigation but not the local police. Finally I looked in the yellow pages and found a police department. It wasn't the local San Antonio PD but she gave me a good number and before I knew it I was flagging down officer.
I suppose he asked me maybe three (03) times if she had chrome wheels on my car. And three (03) times I said that everything on her was factory, nothing modified or "fancy". I figured maybe they thought they had a nice new vehicle on their hands since she's wearing a temporary Texas tag and I give her baths rather regularly so she stays looking good. I mean she looked good this morning too, she just didn't have wheels anymore. Ha!
But yeah, I wasn't angry, more annoyed that I'dn't get to leave on time and as planned to visit SARA. Once again I'd have to stay put and regroup and prepare to leave some other time. And of course the hassle was already making me roll my eyes. It was going to mean finishing up with the police officer, calling my insurance company, and shopping for new rims and tires. And of course, this all went down on a Sunday.
So after I had given the officer my report, was told that my insurance adjuster would contact me tomorrow morning, and unpacked my baby I did the only thing I could think to do in order to center myself again, ... I took a nice nap. CHRIS and I headed out a couple hours later to get some food, but I wasn't quite ready to put food in my stomach with so many variables and no plan. After some lemon chicken, flat bread, and couscous though, I was feeling much better and in a much better mood to begin structuring a plan of action. After lunch it wasoff to Discount Tire which was, of course, closed on Sundays. We hit up Wal-Mart which had tires but no rims. But the salesperson said Pep Boys would be open on a Sunday. And yes, they were open but had no rims in stock which would put me on the road today. And ordering them didn't sound like "they'll get here in a couple of hours."
So I figured tomorrow morning would be my best bet. And with the plan of action in motion we went to the movies. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning was pretty much a waste of money. I expected a back-story but there was about 2% back-story and 98% of the same ol' Leatherface chasing scantily clad girl around after she continues to go into the big house to rescue her friends who end up dying in the end. I think the makers were just trying to milk the name, get it out by Halloween, and take advantage of the fact that as the years go by more and more gore and blood is allowed on the big screen. Most horror just isn't intelligent anymore. So after that waste of a good hour and a half it was back to the apartment. GLORIA was due to meet us there for dinner, she said she'd makechicken enchiladas. I wasn't there to greet her though because as soon as we arrived I hit the couch and fell asleep. Apparently CHRIS did too because he appeared rather groggy when he walked into the kitchen. I looked up from my laptop when I saw a little streak head for the 'fridge behind him. GLORIA had shown up after all. She came over said I needed a hug and gave me a nice little squeeze. And she was right, I did need a hug. Someone made a lucky find of something which didn't belong to them and put a serious wrinkle in my plans.
CHRIS mentioned what I'm sure is what most guys and girls in "my business" think when things like this occur: I'm an American fighting man/woman, with all I do and all the sacrifices I make, I should somehow be immune to this kind of stuff. And yes, I think it's impossible for that not to go through a military person's mind. Sometimes the thought of being able to pick and choose just whose freedom we defend and secure pops into our minds. But of course that's not the way it all works, we perform selfless acts often for selfish people without thanks or want of thanks. Only, give us a break. A day I spend outside ofmy plan is a day I use not fully enjoying the time I have off, the time I've earned, and the time that in my case happens to be sandwiched between a hardship overseas tour of duty and a hazardous deployment.
And well, while I don't have my own "get out of hell card", I do have the best support I could ask for in my family and being here with CHRIS and GLORIA. Although theoddest things happen here when I'm with CHRIS. Maybe it's bad San Antonio vibes or something, go figure. However I'm planning to come back here once I visit my sister and I'm a bit uncomfortable about leaving my baby in this parking lot again, so close, but apparently still within the grasp of thieves. What a shame.
Anyway, the food's going to be ready soon and CHRIS just started to watch an episode of "The Unit" so I'm compelled to watch, even though I've seen season one (01) from start to finish three (03) times now.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2006
4:02-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Then Peter came to JESUS and asked, 'LORD, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?' JESUS answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'"
-- MATTHEW 18 : 21
I'm awake, but I'll most likely go back to sleep in an hour or so. We're planning to head out to Green Acres to play miniature golf sometime today. It was a possibility yesterday evening until CHRIS saw how "long" it'd take to get there. Long to me isn't exactly forty-five (45) minutes but he isn't used to jumping in the car and driving ten (10) to twelve (12) hours straight either, ... and he was driving that night so no biggie.
I didn't really do anything yesterday morning. I was going to give GLORIA a call in order to meet up for lunch but I busied myself until around 1:00 and thought she would have eaten by then. After a while I got antsy in the apartment and decided to drive to North Star mall to do a little browsing. And for some reason I failed to pack enough casual clothing before I left for San Antonio. I left most of my shirts, one (01) of which I was very surprised to have left behind. I found some Nike Shox that I wanted. I'm not much of a Nike person but I figured I'd make an exception since I've heard so many good things about Nike Shox. And it wouldn't hurt to at least try a pair on in the store and walk around a bit. And the shoes had a sensor in them which linked to an iPod nano using RF. The iPod would play music (of course) but also keep track of how many miles you put on your feet. The information could be taken back to a personal computer and uploaded. But the style I wanted didn't fit. This happens quite often when I'm in the market for shoes.
The salesperson said he'd order them and ship them wherever I ended up. I asked him if he'd ship to Iraq and that conversation immediately closed itself out naturally. So I left with no shoes. No worries, there are many shoe stores in other malls. I phoned CHRIS to let him know I'dn't be at the apartment when he returned. He would have to give GLORIA a call to have her let him in since I had his spare key. He said he had just left that side of town but he'd be at the mall shortly in order to do a little shopping for GLORIA's birthday gift. He met me after I'd ordered a slice of pizza, a ham roll, and a slice of chocolate cake. When we took our seats in the food court he pointed out an older man who was talking to a couple of young girls in the booth a few feet away. It was pretty obvious the girls didn't really want to talk; they hadn't touched their McDonald's bags and didn't look as if they were really engaged in conversation, just kind of nodding and keeping responses short. But the older gentleman went on and on and on. One (01) of the girls got up and left for a few minutes, leaving her friend to sit and wait the man out. He didn't leave though. About the time I finished my cake they finally dismissed themselves from the man's company and went about their mall business.
So CHRIS and I were on the move to root out a birthday gift for our beloved gal, GLORIA. We found our way into Coach at one (01) point and CHRIS mentioned we were looking for something for his girlfriend. The salesgirl asked him if it was her birthday or if he was in trouble. Hmm, in trouble. Whatever. So that kind of cut our browsing short, that and Coach bags are rather ridiculously priced. We hitup Express Men so he could mull over what his gift options would be while I did some shopping. They were having a sale so I picked up a shirt which was marked down as did he, ... um, for GLORIA. Ha! I ended up with a couple shirts, a pair of sacks, two (02) ties, and a pair of cufflinks. I opted to take advantage of JOEY's offering of an Express Men card so I'd receive a discount. I won't be keeping the card, I just wanted to get the initial discount, which came in handy since I spent a lot more than I planned to spend. But it didn't break the bank or ruin my budgeting. As we were shopping JOEY saw us laughing as we looked at some dress shirts and ties. I'm not even quite sure what was so funny but he came over to us and asked us what we were giggling at with a smirk. "Giggling?" Hm. We weren't giggling.
As I was trying on my clothes I overheard him mention his father being a first sergeant in the Army. So he gained back a few cool points after losing a whole host of them from the "giggling" reference minutes earlier. So as he was getting my Express Men account prepared I asked him about his father. I showed him my ID card and he saw that I was a Soldier as well; for some reason he assumed I was an E4. (I'll take a couple of those cool points thank you very much.) I corrected him and he said that his father was an E6 but said e was a First Sergeant. Obviously JOEY either didn't know his grade and rank structure or just didn't know what he was talking about altogether. I let it slide though. I figured trying to explain it would take much more time than I wanted to invest with JOEY; I was ready to pay and get out of there before I grew tempted to purchase anything else.
After Express Men (And a stop at Bostonian to purchase a pair of shoes to match what I'd just purchased.) we pretty much closed out the shopping session at North Star and headed to The Quarry to pickup a particular gift for GLORIA. At an outdoors store we saw a great pair of trail shoes. I was compelled to try them on. Instead of shoe laces they had a "system" for tightening the shoe around the foot. A circular ratcheting device was on the back of the shoe and when pulled out and twisted it tightened steel strands which ran on the top of the shoe. It's difficult to really describe but they were great. Unfortunately they were USD$125.00 worth of greatness. So I chose not to purchase greatness As we left I asked the salesgirl if the store was selling a three (03) foot tall sandal (flip-flop) on one (01) of the displays. I don't think LEAH really took my question too seriously; I'm sure she thought I was trying to flirt. But for some reason I was very taken by it and wanted it. Now that I think of it I have no idea what I'd have done with it. I suppose I'd have given it my sister. I think she would have appreciated something like that.
CHRIS called GLORIA shortly afterwards to see if she wanted to meet for food later. After a little debate we headed back to North Star mall so I could pickup my baby, and we were off to GLORIA's apartment. We talked about what to eat and if watching a movie was an option or not. Food and a movie turned into food and miniature golf which turned back into food and a movie. We ended up at Joe's Crab Shack before seeing a 10:15 showing of GLORIA's movie pick, "Open Season". I wanted to see it too though, the previews looked rather funny.
RUDY wasn't the best server in the world but the food was good. I ordered calamari, a half dozen oysters on the half shell, a whole mess of shrimp, and a slice of very delicious chocolate cake. Next stop, Barnes & Noble so I could purchase ERIC haney's "Inside Delta Force". I'm anxious to begin reading it. TIARA was chatty at the register. Somehow we got on the subject of food and found we both like to eat a lot. If I wasn't on a movie deadline we probably would've talked to her more. But if I was late for a single second of previews I'dn't be pleased in the least.
The movie wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It had it's moments and all in all the second half and a particular moment when BOOG (voiced by MARTIN lawrence) asks ELLIOT (voiced by ASHTON kutcher) where he poops in the forest. It was hilarious. You have to see it to know what exactly I'm referring too. I nearly threw up, I was laughing to hard. It hurt so much. And the guy behind me and CHRIS wouldn't stop laughing. I was doubling over in painful laughter wishing they'd both knock it off. The situation almost got grossly out of hand. Good times. We wrapped up the evening by heading back to GLORIA's to pick up my baby and back to CHRIS' to watch an episode of "The Unit". Not bad at all for a Friday the 13th.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2006
3:47-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
-- JAMES 03 : 14 & 16
"LAINEY, ...
... how are you? I miss you. I've no doubt you're working hard with schooling and all of your hobbies and extra curricular activites. Do take time out to celebrate just how special you are LAINEY. You've come a long way and encountered more than your share of adversity. Continue to grow and learn and overcome that which threatens to hold you back or hold you down.
You're destined to be a success LAINEY, you've already done so much. Keep on keeping on and continue to do what you want to do in your own way. I've always been impressed by everything you take on, you're off to a good start; you'll be ready to meet the world when the time comes in a few years. Push your limits and set your goals high and when you succeed, don't be surprised because it's merely a result of everything you've done to keep from failing.
So happy birthday you LAINEY. You will always be a friend and inspiration. Don't forget the cake."
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2006
2:37-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
"Do everything in love."
-- Romans 15 : 14
"Wrestling The Angels"
KELLY minter
This is what I'm thinking,
I'm a little out of step.
My spirit's leadin' right,
But the living keeps on pullin' left
I'm thoroughly conflicted,
I've got this pebble in my shoe.
O, You know, I wanna have it my way,
But I wanna come out looking more, like You
So I'm wrestling the angels,
And maybe I won't win.
But if this is how the blessing flows then, count me in
I'm falling on Your mercy,
I am losing to gain.
Walking with the evidence of change
Walking with the evidence of change
This is how I'm moving,
It's a limp that's all my own,
It's the journey of becoming,
And on it I'm sure I'm not alone
So I'm wrestling the angels,
And maybe I won't win.
But if this is how the blessing flows then, count me in.
I'm falling on Your mercy,
I am losing to gain.
Walking with the evidence of change
Walking with the evidence of change
Change that makes a diamond out of coal.
Chage that makes Your glory, shine through these holes.
I'm wrestling.
I'm wrestling, wrestling
So I'm wrestling the angels,
And maybe I won't win.
But if this is how Your blessings flow then, count me in.
I'm falling on Your mercy,
I am losing to gain.
Walking with the evidence of change
Walking with the evidence of change
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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FRIDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2006
2:02-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "OXYGEN"-Avalon Oxygen
"If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."
-- 01 JOHN 01 : 06
Yesterday evening, mini golf with CHRIS and GLORIA at Embassy Golf. Good stuffage. Somehow, however, CHRIS beat me by a single stroke. It was pretty crazy. Even with a hole in one (01) in the eighteenth hole he still nudged me out of the top spot with a sixty (60) to my sixty-one (61). GLORIA crumbled early and couldn't really recover. She was bummed out because there wasa spot on her car which was chipping away for no particular reason. I understood though when my computer acts up or my baby has something wrong with her it's difficult to focus on anything else. It was tough to watch her play while she was so distracted.
I'm sure we'll hit up the course again if not another course before I head out of here. Hopefully GLORIA will be in top form next time. But now CHRIS is coming on as quite a contender too. I'll have to bring my "A game" next time we play which hopefully will be this weekend.
Peace be with you always. And may GOD continue to bless you.
Faith & Confidence
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THURSDAY 12TH OCTOBER 2006
3:08-AM-(UTC/GMT -6 hours)
Listening - "TO SAY THANKS"-NICHOLE nordeman Wide Eyed
"If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."
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