Stories and other stuff

The following things have happened to me today: I heard from Vincent.  Yup that Vincent.   I filed the long talked about divorce papers.   I got a notice from the bankruptcy court they want to dismiss the bankruptcy.  I need to pay more money so I have to figure that in my budget.  More to come from that. My kid texted me and told me my car which he borrowed died on him twice today on the way to work. My phone keeps freezing up and I have to take the battery out to get it to work again. UNCLE!

I hated my name growing up.  I always thought my mom picked it out because she yelled it once at the top of her lungs and liked the sound of it.  She had to do that many, many times when I was a boy.  I liked playing outside and when I heard my first and middle names, I knew I'd better get home quick.  If I heard all three, I knew I  wasn't in a hurry to get home because I knew what was gonna happen when I got there! Not so much these days, though.  Mostly because I can use all kinds of puns with it.  Like talking about the farmer in the Dale.  Dale, for the uneducated, besides being a name for either sex, like Leslie, or Alex or something like that, is also a word for valley.  Back when people first started doling out names, my name would mean "village barrel maker"  A cooper is a barrel maker.  This Cooper is all kinds of things. Today I got to be the IT guy inbetween mowing my lawn, hauling off a truckfull of yard waste, and ...

Maybe this happens to you all the time, but not so much to me. We started our day here at Lark Circle by playing musical stoves.  That also involved moving the fridge around.  For a big house, we have a small kitchen and you can't get the stove out of the kitchen unless you move the fridge first.  Anyway, me and the roommate moosed the range from upstairs to downstairs.  French doors make moving appliances easier, by the way.  When we went to pick up the new stove, we decided we weren't going to do that without a dolly. I thought there was one at church I could borrow, but nope.  So I went to a place where they rent stuff. I told the clerk I needed a furniture dolly.  The lady behind the counter was a bit exasperated with her computer, so she told the woman to let me take a furniture dolly.  Take as in, no paperwork, no deposit, no driver's license as collateral.  "Just bring it back," she said to me as I left. So I moved the stove...

Yesterday I was talking with a friend and mentioned that I had to purchase a new range for the downstairs kitchen.  I think my roommate will appreciate having his own.  We used to have one down there but it became contaminated with the ooze from last year's flood so it was donated to the guy who hauls off scrap appliances. Anyway, I mentioned that I had my eye out of a Coleman stove too.  If every weekend is a three day weekend this summer, I want to try and do some camping.  Depending on what the funds situation looks like.  Still, I think having a camp stove is a good idea in case the power goes out. I found both.  I spent more than I really wanted to for the range, but it was an incredible deal. Here's that story: I'd asked if the Lord would lead me to a good deal on a range.  Look, I know that sounds silly, but I truly believe we're supposed to trust in all things that God will provide.  After that request, I set about visiting every t...

If you didn't believe the little story I told about my knee, read  this . God is a lot bigger than you might think.

From our "Really?" department here is today's short blog: A year ago, as part of my Bankruptcy thingie, I had to have the house appraised.  Money was tight but I managed to scrape together $350 to have it done. The guy came and took pictures and everything but I never saw the appraisal.  I just assumed that the guy talked to my attorney and decided the appraisal wasn't needed and felt sorry for me and didn't cash the check. That was a year ago. An hour ago the guy calls me and tells me he notices he never cashed my check and could he have it re-issued. God gives and God takes away.  At the time it was a hardship.  Today, the money is in the bank.  I am starting to think though that maybe the money I got was not an answer to a prayer, but just a rather large blessing! I don't know. I'm thankful thought that God knew this was coming my way and prepared me for it. I never know what's going to happen next. For example, this little nugget:...

I often share stories of how God works in my life.  I think it's important to share some of the stories I do because at least for me, these experiences help me grow in faith.  Today, I have to tell you my left knee hurt. I almost got mad at God today.  I don't understand the things that happen in my life and I was talking with God about it on my way to do some errands.  I wanted to smoke more than a beef brisket today but i just couldn't. stop and buy a pack of cigarettes.  I wanted to.  I was going to.  But I just couldn't. There are things going on that I don't understand and probably never will.  I try to just take those things in stride and lately I've felt truly blessed.  I mean that.  I'm so very grateful and thankful for absolutely everything I have.  I've been blessed beyond measure.  And yet, there is this one thing on my mind often and today was a good day for God and I to talk about it.  I talked and He list...

I've been a little busy and kind of neglecting the blog as of late.  Sorry.  Lots of stuff going on. I took some me-time today, seeing as how the rain interrupted gardening.  Oh well, lots of plants are in the ground thanks to Miss June.  Lots to go, but we'll get there in the next couple of days or so.  In the mean time I took a road trip to the real Idaho for lottery tickets. Malad was crowded.  I just kept driving up the road.  The further north I got, the further north I wanted to go, but a badly needed restroom break presented itself and I got my lottery tickets and just drove home like a good little do-bee.  I did not go to Jellystone this weekend.  Next weekend is up in the air, though. I have a new roommate, besides the immigrant.  He's moving downstairs.  I'm hoping it works out well for both of us.  I told God I'd like to share what I have and I had a particular situation in mind.  It turns out that someone...

I'm a water baby.  Well, I don't subscribe to such hocus-pocus as astrology; it's evil; but I like the water.  Sometimes.  When it goes where I want it to and not where it wants to.  Sometimes, though, water can give you clues. And sometimes, you gotta reach for your inner MacGuyver !  Here's the story: I thought great, it's 90 degrees already and I've got a busted sprinkler pipe.  There was an awful lot of water coming up out of the ground by the pool but no clear indication it was coming from the pool.  The hose was in the pool but not leaking.  OK, it's not the pool, but where? I turned on the sprinklers I had on earlier in the day because I'd changed a couple of heads.  They didn't pop up out of the ground far enough and would become waterlogged and not sprinkle.  The original installation used the flexible black pipe, metal saddles, galvanized risers, and brass heads, which means they're so corroded they're next to impossib...

I sorta got called on the carpet for not writing this, so here it is.  Events of the day just kind of warranted other stories, but this one is by far, the most important one of the weekend. It's a story about starting something.  It's also a story about the power of prayer and the motivation of one man in humble circumstances.  But it's not my story. It's the story of Nehemiah, cupbearer to the king, (read wine taster...if the king's wine was poisoned Nehemiah was gonna be the first to know!).  He was part of the remnant of Israel and was grieved that Jerusalem and God's chosen people were in ruin.  It's the story of how he fasted and prayed and then was given not just permission but money and materials to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It's a great story and here's how it works into today's story. I'm sometimes a random Bible reader.  I also am a systematic reader so I stay grounded in the Word.  I'm getting to know the Bible so...

I know how much you like my little license plate stories but tonight's takes the cake. First off, I don't go looking for these little things; they just sort of happen.  And I don't always tell you all about them, because I'm trying to convince my own damn self I'm not batcrap crazy. For instance, I didn't share about the convoy of license plates from Indiana me and the immigrant passed on the way to Promontory Point to see the trains yesterday.  Apparently Maine isn't the only state where companies register their semi trailers.  There were five of them; two regular semis and a triple trailer that belonged to FedEx, all right in a row.  Like I said, it's not like I'm staring at every car I pass looking for a sign or anything.  It just kinda happens. I promise. OK, you have to know there's more to this story and hopefully by the end of it, you'll laugh.  I know I did, because what in the hell are the odds this could happen to your intre...

When I went out to the back 40 last night to plant strawbabies, I surveyed the damage done over the winter months.  All I can say is "What a mess!" I'm fighting a couple of battles today.  One is weeds.  I'm gaining ground but my first instinct was to be so overwhelmed and not knowing where to start that I just wanted to crawl back inside the house and call it quits.  I'm tougher than that, though, so this morning, bright and early, I started someplace. The other battle I'm fighting is the one of good intentions.  It seems that I never have enough time or money to do all that I want to do.  I've had a little to spend on the yard this spring which was such a blessing!  It needed some attention and I'm very pleased with the way it's turning out.  June, though, will not let me touch the flower beds.  She let me pick out some flowers, but as for doing what I think needs done; she ain't havin' no part of it. I got sent out to the strawberr...

There are places I still feel like a fish out of water, but a bar isn't one of them.  Although I don't frequent bars and rarely drink, even at home, tonight I made an exception to the rule.  I went out with the guys from work because one of the best workers on our crew, and an all-around good kid was celebrating a new job and his last day with us. I didn't have my phone but had I had it with me, I would have sent KP a photo of me drinking a Blue Moon (sans orange).  Gotta say it was pretty tasty.  See, some things do change.  I had one.  And I had one Budweiser because, well, I'm still me.   In an hour and a half.  And then I left. I found a wingman before I did and I told him what my own "kryptonite" was.  I had just a small amount of beer left in the glass when I said I had that much time with them, meaning when it was gone and so was I.  Then the usual, "oh, just have one more".  There is no such thing as one more.  I to...

My next-door neighbors and I really aren't all that close.  We don't have much in common past the property lines that separate us. Yesterday, I mentioned I spoke to one of them.  It's the first time since last August when he was rather upset about some stray cats.  The pussycat problem has been solved.  He mentioned he saw one the other day, a red one.  I've never seen a red pussycat in my life and wonder, with as close as we live to the foothills and the lack of stray pussycats if he's not seeing a small red fox.  We have coons in the 'hood.  Last year, my neighbor had to have a family of them removed from his chimney.  I've heard coyotes.  We have mule deer in my neighborhood all the time.  They come down and munch on the garden occasionally.  So why not a fox? Anyway, I had to laugh because one of the things I discovered during the flood was that one of my basement windows is broken.  When we spoke last August, he said s...

Oh, it's so on! The annual battle for Lark Circle has begun and the damndelions (yes, damn-delions!) for some inexplicable reason have a large toehold in my lawn.  Honestly, it's the worst I've ever seen it and they just came out of nowhere.  Grass will grow where I don't want it to, but is having a difficult time where it should grow. My neighbor is building some lovely planter boxes on the side of his house and said something about him being tired of it being an eyesore, and then there's the south side of my joint.  Kinda made me feel terrible so I'm now, out of guilt, heading out to the home depot to get some stuff to correct that eyesore. I have to run to the nursery too.  I'm going to buy a flat of strawberries and the stuff to grow them in and re-establish my strawberry patch once and for all, to include adding its' own sprinkler head smack dab in the middle of it. I will grow strawberries.  Or at least I will try. The day started out uneve...

I'm literally sick to my stomach today.  Just a few minutes ago, I shared a picture on Facebook that I wish I hadn't seen, let alone shared, but the story along with the picture was important, and sadly, the picture answered a question a lot of my friends probably had on their minds. It's kind of a surreal thing for me to hear the news that a KC-135R crashed today.  The photo shows what was left of part of the tail of the aircraft which tells what base it was from.  Sadly, that picture also tells the story that whoever was on board today likely died in the crash.  A friend of mine who still flies on these things made a comment about the video of the 747 crashing in Afghanistan earlier in the week that it reminded him of GK, which is the location of the last -135 crash, some 14 years ago.  I was there shortly after the crash and the opportunity was there to visit the crash site.  The tail section of the aircraft had not been removed at that point.  It...

Earlier this evening the breaking news on the Standard Examiner webpage was that they solved the mystery of the identity of a man found burned to death in 1994 in Ogden.  In 1995, the man's family had reported him missing in Oregon.  (where else?) Today as I was driving on the base, I looked over and saw a woman in the car next to me wearing white sunglasses that were about twenty times bigger than her face.  As I made my way toward the hangar, she passed me in the other lane and that's when I noticed the black car she was driving had Oregon license plates.  When I saw it I just laughed.

I had a tough Monday so I decided to go for a drive up Ogden canyon.  On the way up the canyon, parked on the right side of the road across from the manmade waterfall was a green mini-van with Oregon license plates. Yesterday, I had to meet with my bankruptcy attorney.  While waiting in his reception area, someone called for someone who worked in his office who was with someone.  I overheard the receptionist call him and tell him so and so was on the phone and wanted to know if he was planning on going to Oregon... Today I had to go to Salt Lake for some personal business.  On the way home, as I was coming down the hill in front of Weber State, I looked up and there it was in the rear view mirror, a truck following too close with an Oregon license plate.