Bummer man! I woke up today at about 3pm and immediately noticed my wife was limping along.... She informs me that she dropped a can of coffee this morning. She leaped to catch it before it hit the floor, this violent twist to catch the can caused a break in the fifth metatarsal fracture of the bone in her foot! OUCH! The metatarsals are the long bones of the feet. The fifth metatarsal is the outmost foot bone and connects to the little toe. I drove her to the bone doctor and she had some X-rays taken. It will take about 4-6 weeks to heal. Get well soon babe. I need you on both feet!
Let's all shop at Sears!!! I assume you have all seen the reports about how Sears is treating its reservist employees who are called up? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up... Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years. WOW! How cool is that!? I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I Suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.
Our son arrived home from college just the other day, so much like a man I just had to say, son I'm proud of you can you sit for awhile? He said, "I'd love to dad." So he did. Ryan joined us Wednesday and stayed til Saturday evening. We had a great time visiting, eating, and laughing. His Isuzu Rodeo was giving him problems. The drivers side front blinker light didn't work, nor did the passenger side rear blinker light. The tail lights were out and the instrument panel lights were kaput too. We pulled his car into the garage and started replacing bulbs. It was a good time together and we found that his vehicle had blown a fuse and this was the problem with the instrument lights and tail lights. A twofer you might say. Sweet! Replacing the blown bulbs was a simple matter too. All went well and now he is street legal again! (It was nice to be his hero again!) Spent about an hour in the hot tub Friday night after I got home from the chili feed. Ryan is starting to open up a bit more. Must be that growing process I heard about. You know, where they leave the nest, find out that lifes not all peaches and cream and all of a sudden, mom and dad ain't so dumb anymore. We tossed the football around a bit before he left! It was almost like old times, except he now throws harder than me and my arm gets sore. Oh, the times, they are a' changin'! Started taking the interior doors apart in the house. It's time they got a face lift. A few have nice large holes in them and need to be "fix alled." And a fresh coat of paint is in order. I'm excited by how it's going to change the overall look and complexion of our home. Something about making it warmer and cozier! :) The four days off from work was great. Good friends, family and food!
Wow! What a busy day! Got outta bed about 5:30 A.M... Saturday after going to bed after 12:30 that night. A mere five hours of rest! Oh well, I'm used to it! Had to get up and get the Salmon in the brine. Smoking Salmon day at the Flynn's household! Smoking Salmon is a two part process. The brining of the fish. Which is when the fish is soaked in a special brine for 2 to 9 hours. Since the fish had been frozen, the brining process time is cut down considerably. Notably to 1 1/2 hours! Cut the Salmon into manageable sized pieces. Then the fish needs to be spiced up a bit. Placed on a rack for smoking! The second part of the process is the smoking process. The fish will take smoke for about the first 3-4 hours. After that, if you add wood chips. You are just adding creosote. Then let the fish cool down and vacuum seal for later!
My wife and I were invited to our friends, Ed & Linda's for a chili feed. We went there last night. Little did we know that Linda is somewhat locally famous for her chili. She took first place in a Renton Community chili cooking contest. She beat out the several time champion! A fireman no less! Good on ya Linda! We have known Ed and Linda for twenty years. I worked with Ed for awhile at Boeing in Renton. He is one of my spiritual advisors. He is a strong Christian brother and I have much love and respect for him. It was nice for my wife and I to get out without the children for a change. We had great chili and cornbread. The chili was blue ribbon all the way! We overstayed our welcome. Talking for hours about deep and not so deep things. The Bermuda Triangle, fishing, family and God. Linda recently got a Collin Bogle print she has been wanting for about twenty years. They thought they would never find it again, but a miracle happened. They were in an art store in Oregon, they were asked what they were looking for. Not expecting the answer they got when they replied, "ah, you don't have it." They told her what it was and she said, "just a minute," She called the artist and to their utter dismay and joy, they were speaking directly with the artist and he was happy to make them a print and personalized it with the colors Linda specified! How cool is that!?
I have come to the conclusion that Thanksgiving is the best, last "Holiday" left. It has, so far, been untouched by the consumer madness that has adulterated Easter and Christmas. Why is this? I think it is because it is not a Christian Holyday. (misspelled purposefully) Since Christ is not brought into it, the secularists pretty much leave Thanksgiving alone. Those poor Turkeys! (secularists included) How many turkeys I wonder, were eaten on Thursday?! Haha.. Up next Christmas and the eating of tons of ham! We cooked the turkey at our home this year and then bundled everything up, mashed potatoes, turkey and the children and headed to my wife's mothers' home as she had ten teeth pulled on Tuesday. No traveling for her. She will be 87 years old next month! We missed our boy Eric. He enjoyed Thanksgiving in San Diego with his sargeant and a few other Marines! Thanks guys. It's young men and women like you that have allowed Americans the freedom to enjoy Thanksgiving!
I spent several hours today at Kentwood H.S. in Kent today. I was an observer at a SHARE presentation. Actually I stayed for two presentations as I am thinking about, looking into becoming a speaker on behalf of SHARE. The first speaker arrived late because of traffic, go figure. Bad traffic in this state!? When she did arrive she made quite an entrance as she was wearing a beautiful crown on her head and sash around her body with the words Miss Puget Sound 2006. Well, I actually thought it was a joke. I thought she was just dressed that way to get the attention of the tenth grade audience. Truth be told... She is Miss Puget Sound 2006! I didn't even know there was such a thing. Her name is Jackie, age 24. She said that she placed tenth in the Miss Washington pageant. Had she won that she would have represented Washington state in the Miss America contest. This young lady was full of exuberance. I mean, energy, energy, energy. She should be doing commercials for all those energy drinks. I thought "WOW!" Know way could I keep up with that! Maybe a few years ago. The Children seemed to enjoy her presentation. I thought she did a good job. The next class arrived shortly after the first departed... A new speaker, a young man of 32, Aaron is his name. His presentation was a bit different but just as dynamic. He passed out hugs to all the kids as they participated. Hugs are like Hershey's kisses, but called hugs. I learned a lot and will be attending another couple of presentations next week. Happy Thanksgiving!
Stayed up for nearly 24 hours again from Sunday morning to Monday morning, then of course, I wrestled with sleep, hence, a long day and a short day, Arrgh!
Got up Sunday morning at about 8:30 am. Had a bite to eat. Took the family to church, enjoyed the sermon and fellowship. Went out to lunch with my wife and the new pastor and his wife. Back to the church for play rehearsal and got home about 7 in the evening... A few hours later I was off to work at 11 pm. Got home at 6:30 am... And, you guessed it, had a rough time sleeping. Woke up at 11 am. After about 4 hours of shut eye. God was speaking to me as I lay in bed about some things. I was compelled to get up and write them down. Things like Jesus saying, " I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me." (John 14:6) This is a heavy statement! First, we must evaluate the words "I am." And who Jesus is saying He is here. In Exodus 3:14 Moses was asking God, who shall I say is sending me? God said to Moses, "I Am who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Now, either Jesus was a liar, a prophet, or told the truth. Jesus said, "I am the way"... The way? The way to where? Jesus said, "I am the truth"... Truth? Truth of what? Jesus said, "I am the life, no one comes to the father except through me. Rather boastful, wouldn't you think? "I am the way..." The way through the valley of the shadow of death. (Psalm 23:4) This is who Jesus is. He is the way through the valley of the shadow of death. What is this shadow of death? (Shadow: A reflected image, not the real, true thing) Where is this valley of death? Could it be this place we now dwell? Earth, The physical world? Is this just a shadow place then? A shadow place to die physically? Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... If so, where is the real death going to take place? Could it be a final death? Maybe even a spiritual death? "I am the truth..." "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:32) Does knowing Jesus somehow set us free? And if so, free from what? How do you go about knowing Jesus? Could it be so simple as to read the Bible? Is that how you get to know Jesus? Would that make the Bible, The Truth?! Could it be that knowing the truth, knowing Jesus will set you free from the shadow of death? "And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgement: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall He appear a second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb. 9:27-28) "I am the life..." Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat." Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me. That I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:29-40)
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink," you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. "Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."(John 4:7-15) So, In conclusion, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the father, which is eternal life. Now you know why I couldn't sleep!!!
My wife and I enjoyed the company of our friends Dale and Jean McDowell and their daughter Jeni last night. We BBQ'd Salmon on the Hibatchi Pot! The Salmon turned out wonderful. We enjoyed a nice over due visit. After dinner I performed several magical feats that I have been polishing up. For Dale I performed "mind Reader." His reaction was to start laughing and his face had question marks written all over it. For their daughter Jeni, I performed Tom Franks "Tricky Wallet" effect. Again the reactions were quite what was desired. My daughter said that I never let her sign a card. So, I did Wayne Houchins' "Indecent" effect for her. It is the first time I did this effect for anyone. Her eyes popped out and she was speechless. The joy on her face was priceless. Sometimes I think we magicians forget to actually perform for our own family. Always using them as guinea pigs. This was grrreat! She actually took the souvenir signed card as a memento. Sweet! I did Jim Cellini's Cut and Restored ropes and it is interesting to see peoples reactions and the look on their faces while performing this effect. Again, not performing for lay audiences often I forget that they are totally mystified. I ended with Tom Franks' "legend of The Five Mystic Rings. They all loved it. Funny how my friend Dale kept saying how wonderful the ring effect was. I felt my timing was off with my verbiage, but they were just enjoying the magic! There's lessons to be learned thru all this! Just for fun I asked Jean if I could attempt to perform something special for her. I asked her if she wouldn't mind if I used her for practice on an effect I'm learning? What could she say? She was in my home and a captive audience! :) Actually she was eager to help me out. I performed Ambitious card for her and her husband. I did the performance Michael Ammar teaches on his excellent DVD. The finale where the bent card rises to the top, when you tell them before hand that you are going to let them see the card arrive... The bent card arrived on top of the pack just at the right time, there were audible gasps of astonishment and joy. "I like that one, you'll have to do that one at our party," Jean said! This is what magic is, and should be about. Pure joy! Well, it was a great ending to a magical evening.
The past two days I have spent painting my Son Ryans' room. He has been in college for 4 years and isn't planning on coming home when he graduates next month. Yes, next month! He is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering! Way to go! Anyway, with Eric in the Marines and Ryan gone, the house is quite large. So Katie moved into Eric's old room and I have been moving furniture, boxing things up and painting. The hottub needed a new heater and that got replaced Monday! SO, After painting Ryans' room for the 2nd time (one coat is never good enough), Some muscles I forgot I had needed some nice heated water coursing over them! It was a chilly night but the water was 103 degrees. The sky was clear and crisp and the stars were out in abundance. Nice way to relax!
We did an outreach called Heroes Unmasked at our church Saturday evening. Our church has a day care and a grade school. We invited all the children and their parents to this event.
The Heroes of course were Jesus, Moses, David, (of David and Goliath fame)Queen Esther, and a few others. We set up fun events for all the children. Seemed everyone had a blast!
I don't know who had more fun... The adults? Or... The Children?!
I found out my brother Ted was released from the hospital last Thursday. That must mean he is doing better. Right?! I heard he is talking, that is good news because we were worried about potential brain damage. I don't know all that is going on, but am hopeful! I'll keep praying for a full recovery. I am sure he still has a tough, bumpy road ahead.
I look at photo's of my mom and dad and can't help wonder how it all got so messed up?! People start out with the best of intentions, but somehow, it all gets messed up. We hurt the ones we love the most, say the most vicious things to them. Things we would never say to people we call friends, or work acquaintances. I find it all quite baffling. We are supposed to forgive 70 X 7, endless, and yet it is so hard when you get crushed by doing the best you know how... I wish I could wave my magic wand and make it all better for everyone. My family is soooo messed up. It boggles my mind sometimes, I feel very fortunate to have escaped most of the mess.... I am not perfect, far from it. But I am tired of being dragged back down into it, like a crab trying to escape the cook pot, all the other crabs drag him back in just as he is about to get out! I have a wonderful life, why me? A super wife, great upstanding, morally conscious children. A decent job, a nice home etc. Is it simply the choices we make? Or don't make?
I wonder where the vitriol comes from that is spewed by my sister towards me? Is it self hatred, self loathing? Jealousy, envy? Or perhaps she feels that I am pompous, self promoting in all my endeavors to help her and others? I am at a loss to understand why my brother is so angry towards me. All our lives I have stood in the gap for him. At every turn, at every challenge in his life I have been there for him. I have joined with him in many of his endeavors and adventures. This blow out of our family happens to many families. Especially at times of high stress like these, where family members may die. I remember when I was about 14 my mom had a similar event in her life. Her husband Ray died, at a family gathering of her brothers and sisters, she lost it and her family called the medics, they came and took her away in a straight jacket! That effectively split the family apart. Seems history is repeating itself. I love him a lot, my brother Ted. He and I had a wonderful childhood, often mistaken as twins. Playing baseball and football together. I look forward to the future with him. We have a lot of golfing to do yet!
Been painting my daughters new room the last several days. She has decided to take Erics old room. It is larger and well, it was Erics. Katie chose three different colors, lime green, brown and a sky blue. All these colors have meaning to her as she is a horse lover.Almost finished, we decided to replace some dark paneling on one wall and that is all that is left and then she can move in!
Arrived at the church parsonage at about 5pm and the Pastor and his wife had already arrived! People were unloading things from the back of a large moving truck! It was raining sideways as it often does this time of year in the Seattle area! Everyone pitched in and we got finished in about 3 hours. We enjoyed some good food afterwards. Welcome Pastor Bill and Sandy!
This song comes to mind today as I am licking my wounds...
Clarence Carter - Patches
I opened up a can of worms today in my relationship with my brothers family. His significant other of 18 plus years and him have never been legally married. The State of Washington does not recognize "Common Law Marriage." I brought this to the attention of my brothers "wife" and she ignored it. She has been signing all the papers necessary for his care. Everytime she did this, she broke the law. I spoke with a nurse friend of mine about it and she went to the higher ups of the hospital, and they went to my brothers "wife" and confronted her about it... Now here is my problem, I actually want his "wife" to be in charge. I like the hard work and diligence she has shown. I do not doubt her love for my brother. The legal person now in charge of my brothers care is his oldest child, his daughter, age 27. She called me to tell me that I am no longer allowed to see my brother in the hospital. That his "wife" will still be in charge. Of course this is not true because she cannot give her legal status to her. Only Ted, my brother can. And, he is incapacitated at the present time. Then her brother, my nephew called me up and got all in my face about it as well. Then My older brother called me up and cussed me out and told me he is dis-owning me as a brother and that I am not allowed on his property ever again nor am I to ever call him again, and if our brother dies that I cannot come to the funeral... Whew! My name is mud. I am tired, tired, tired... Tired of carrying this family, tired of holding up the fort, Tired of trying to be the peace maker... My good friend told me it is time to let them all go, they are adults... Funny how all these years my older brother has referred to me as "Stable Mable," and "Steady Eddy," and "The Glue to the family." Mainly because I have been employed for 28 years at Boeing and married for 25 years... Whenever he needed financial help, I was there for him. I am the middle child of five. When things get stormy in my siblings lives, it was always me they came to. Now, I am nothing more than a dis-owned, red headed step child. That's o.k. Because a good friend of mine once told me, "Tim, there are two types of people in the world, givers, and takers. And we both know what you are. I am reminded of how much my mom got burned through all the years of her giving to others. I remember her finally reading the book, "looking out for number one." She was tired of being taken advantage of... I just read this poem on a good friends blog, kinda sums up some things:
Rudyard Kipling If
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
Visited my brother in the hospital today. It is painful to see him. He is struggling with pain and we think withdrawal from alcohol as well... He moans and groans, coughs and tightens and clenches. His wife stays with him constantly. I offered to relieve her, but to no avail. Since I normally am awake all night at work I thought I would let her go home and get some sleep while I stayed with him. She wasn't having none of it! I am proud of her for her diligence. She is on top of everything. Doing a great job being by his side. I have loved this song for more than 30 years, if you have never heard it, you are in for a treat. I remember first hearing Neil Diamond sing it, This is the Hollies. Close your eyes, sit back and hear the lyrics, feel the lyrics.
Halloween! A child's 2nd funnest holiday?! Carving pumpkins, Free candy, all you have to do is walk around carrying a bag, dress up weird, and knock on doors! Oh what grand memories I recall of tick or treating... When I was a kid.... No parents walked the streets with their children, I remember getting eggs thrown at us, I remember some of the "tricks" played on us.. I went with my daughter and her friend tonight and we enjoyed ourselves. They had a blast and the dentist will enjoy the influx of revenue! Batman & Robin
