Going Green

We drove out to Oxford, Michigan to cut down some Christmas trees on Saturday. I’d love to say its been a family tradition, but we started using artificial trees back in the early 90’s.

We had fun, but as a result our 18, 22, and 24 year olds lamented about all the fun memories they didn’t have embedded in their brains as a result of our going “green” with plastic and steel trees 10 years ago.

Of course, we hadn’t gone green at all. WHO KNEW?!? It turns out, as our Christmas Tree farmer explained, that the way to go green is to cut down your own tree every year. He was a great guy, and took the time to explain how much carbon monoxide our potential tree, waiting in his field, had scrubbed from the atmosphere over the past 5-7 years while it happily matured in his garden of trees. He explained how each tree was drip irrigated, rendering each specimen a near-perfect shape and well distributed growth along the entire perimeter of the tree. He also pointed out that each tree was examined by him and priced personally by him, and that the purchase price was a fair price given the time and resources and genuine love for the craft that he had put forth in his own labor. He certainly was passionate about pine.

I have to admit, though, the tree we selected and hacked off is beautiful in its designated corner in our home. Its fragrance wafts supreme as we enter the house every day. Wonderful. Its needles, firmly in place, no doubt because of its spoon-fed, drip-irrigated upbringing, will offer our family joy over the coming weeks. While I used to have to pick which side sits forward on the Frank’s-nursery-live-trees-of-Christmas-past, I had no such decisions to make this time; its perimeter flawless, making the position in which I dropped the tree just as good as any other I may have selected. (Besides, Frank’s went out of business years ago.)

And the price? I bet you’re wondering how much it cost to be so ecologically correct, and intimately connected with the environment for our Christmas season.

Well, lets just say there’s more than one reason they call it “Green”.

Change The World

A great Sunday, this week. I played and sang at church this weekend. We did an instrumental version of Eric Clapton’s “Change The World” (Gordon Kennedy of WhiteHeart cowrote that song) as a prelude, Stefan Van Voorst’s “Change the World” as an opener, and closed with Chris Tomlin’s “God of This City” (an anointed song.)

The message this week was the final week in the series, “I’m Sorry. Apologizing for a sinful Church.” This weeks topic was the most controversial, apologizing to people of the Muslim faith.

Even as you read this, you probably have a mixed reaction to that title. Maybe indignant. I don’t blame you. As a nation we’ve had quite a tumultuous century, so far. 911 threw our economy into a tailspin, already racked with the tech bubble bursting, only to build artificially on another housing bubble that has now burst. The war, and the middle east conflict is ever-raging and foreign video of Arabs burning the American flag tends to have a strong influence on our predisposition towards the faith of Islam.

I was curious how the subject would unfold.

The service started with a video of Arab-Americans who have had their Americanism questioned in the past 8 years. We had a guest speaker in from Atlanta, Buddy Hoffman. who related his experiences during the 911 week. He was with a retired General when the events went down, and many commentators were using the phrase “cowardly act” to describe the terrorists attack. The general responded by saying, this wasn’t cowardly. These people believe what they believe, perhaps even more than what we believe. I’ve often thought about that, as well.

His assertion was that this war will not be won with guns and cannons, and I think he’s right. He asked this question: If we woke up an discovered that Washington had been obliterated, and every church in the nation had been burned down.. would it be over? Not for us, right? It would just be beginning. How can we begin to imagine we can stop a movement with the same methods.. albeit our focus being on the most radical aspects of that faith. Just as if we are approached in an anti-Christian manner, we’re most likely not going to listen, our methods to approach Muslims, as a church, have been largely ineffective, and therefore, most-likely careless; more about affirming our faith, than reaching out to Muslims.

For those of you who don’t know, I live in the suburbs of Detroit, where outside of the middle east, there lives the largest population of Arab-descent in the world. I interact and work with people of the Muslim faith on a daily basis, as do many of my neighbors.

I was challenged in the fact that I know only what I’ve been told (mostly by Christians) about the Muslim faith. What I didn’t know, is that Muslims, in large part would be interested in talking about Jesus Christ. You see, the Koran says that there is only one God and that we should make a straight path towards him. It also states that Jesus was born of a virgin and is the messiah. Did you know that? There is much common ground in which to start a conversation with a person of muslim faith. I’ve got some reading to do.

I’ve know for a long time that the Arab nation are the descendants of Esau, son of Isaac, twin brother of Jacob, who was cheated out of his birthright by Jacob and mother Rebecca. Its not surprising that his descendants are a bit miffed.

While I don’t think we will see an end to the middle eastern conflict in our lifetimes, I think we can do a better job of creating dialog with those we know, who practice the faith of Islam. While it may only be in our own little worlds, we have power to make positive change happen within them.



Look to You

What do you believe in? Do you believe it’s true,
or do you hold it over others who don’t believe like you?
Call it righteous indignation, or a justified alarm,
but muster His compassion for those who wish you harm

Our world, your world, will look to you.

The world is full of anger, and broken empty dreams
And the canopy that shields her is tearing at the seams
And hatred, rage and vengeance seem a natural response
But you know your call is greater, as a child of renaissance

Our world, your world, will look to you.

We’ll look to you to see how you respond in tragic circumstance.
We’ll look to you to see what happens when your enemies advance.
We’ll look to you to see just where you turn when you haven’t got a chance.
We’ll look to you

I know it must be tempting just to follow happenstance
It’s hard to lead the music, when you really wanna dance
But the servant that’s within you is calling you to stand;
The reason for your being may be close at hand.

And our world, your world, will look to you.

Tim Wheeler (ASCAP) ©2005Weaver of Melodies Music (A Bug Music Co.)

Listen to “Look To You”

Not Another One!?!

I got an invitation to a new networking website a couple days ago. "OH NO!" you say, "Not another social networking website“. Yes, but this one’s different.

Seriously.

The first thing is that someone in my extended family sent me the invite.. That’s ok, but the reason is that she added me to her family tree. Got your interest yet?

Unless you’re related to me (Thank your lucky stars if you’re not), you’ll have to join on your own. Go to www.Geni.com and sign up. Geni is a genealogical social network website, and you have got to check it out.

I’ve tried several times to get my family tree down. Once, years ago in a notebook. Once with a program on an old Mac. Thing is, I just didn’t have the time (nor the inclination) to do it right and accurate. While my aunts and uncles were still living, I gathered some data, but that is scattered, as well. Software for this kinda thing isn’t cheap, by the way, at least not for the good ones, but even with the best software, the performance is based on you and your efforts.

What’s great about Geni, and what will ensure its success is the wiki-like sharing of information. I spent about an hour entering names and info on my kids and then names and some info on my cousins, and then names of my aunts and uncles, the data growing scarcer as the generations progressed. Each time I added a person, it gave me an option of inviting them by sending an email to them.

Then, when they join the tree, they can update and add information that they have about the family, and the tree becomes more and more intelligent, adding dates of birth, death, marriage, etc.

You can even add a picture to each person on the tree.

Make sure to check it out. Its a great way to start keeping track of your family and an excellent way to get your extended family to talk to each other.

Fall Back.

There’s a crispness in the Michigan air. I took 6 bags of leaves off my front yard last week, and they’re already back. There’ll be 20 more bags before this is through. I’ve got pumkins on my front porch.. one of them is rotting.. yuck. Its dark when I leave for work.. and the sun is setting when I drive in my driveway. Fall is here.

Time changes this weekend. That means a little more sunlight in the morning, but also means driving home in the dark. Every year I promise myself that I’ll take advantage of DST and utilize the newfound morning hour. Get up early, exercise, write.. Every year, I find I remember the empty promise from last year. Hold me accountable. I’ll let you know how I do this year.

Pray For Words

Every once in awhile I hear a lyric that stops me in my tracks and makes me wonder who I think I am trying to write good lyrics. This one did that to me.. and made me pray for words.

Looking East

Standing in the ocean with the sun burning low in the west
Like a fire in the cavernous darkness at the heart of the beast
With my beliefs and possessions, stopped at the frontier in my chest
At the edge of my country, my back to the sea, looking east

Where the search for the truth is conducted with a wink and a nod
And where power and position are equated with the grace of God
These times are famine for the soul while for the senses it's a feast
From the edge of my country, as far as you see, looking east

Hunger in the midnight, hunger at the stroke of noon
Hunger in the mansion, hunger in the rented room
Hunger on the TV, hunger on the printed page
And there's a God-sized hunger underneath the laughing and the rage

In the absence of light
And the deepening night
Where I wait for the sun
Looking east

How long have I left my mind to the powers that be?
How long will it take to find the higher power moving in me?

Power in the insect
Power in the sea
Power in the snow falling silently
Power in the blossom
Power in the stone
Power in the song being sung alone
Power in the wheatfield
Power in the rain
Power in the sunlight and the hurricane
Power in the silence
Power in the flame
Power in the sound of the lover's name

The power of the sunrise and the power of a prayer released
On the edge of my country, I pray for the ones with the least

Hunger in the midnight, hunger at the stroke of noon
Hunger in the mansion, hunger in the rented room
Hunger on the TV, hunger on the printed page
And there's a God-sized hunger underneath the questions of the age

And an absence of light
In the deepening night
Where I wait for the sun
Looking east

©1996 Jackson Browne

Stirring Up Apathy

That’s what political advertisements have been doing in my brain over the last couple months.

My candidate has failed to excite me. At first I thought it was his lack of ability to communicate clearly. Now I’ve concluded that his message has been so watered down, that there’s nothing exciting to communicate.

Its much like a song that attempts to take a stand. If you work a song or idea to a point where there’s no chance of offending someone, you end up with milquetoast.

This election has turned into a who-not-to-vote-for campaign. One side’s running on change. The other one is running on fear.

One side make claims that are incredible.. literally. The other doesn’t make any claims.. they just point out how incredible the other side’s claims are.

I’m tired.

Would anyone like to join me for a serving of Sodium-free saltines and water?

A New Favorite Movie

Cyndi and I have this blockbuster subscription.. you know, the one where you can order movies online, 3 at a time and as you mail each one back, the next one on your selection list gets mailed out?

Well, it wasn’t long before every movie we've wanted to see in the top 300 movies was in our rear-view mirror.  To combat the recurring "empty queue", I’ve gotten into the habit of grabbing my laptop during the DVD previews of the movies we rent and adding interesting looking ones to my online queue.

I’ve picked some real losers.

Last night, my wife announced we should watch a movie. She went to the basket of incoming movies and pulled out “After The Wedding”.  She said, “what’s this about?”.    I really couldn’t remember. She rolled her eyes, but put it in the player, expecting yet another "Tim-blockbuster".

Well, we sat down and the movie began, with Sigor Ros as a sound-track. If you haven’t experienced Sigor Ros, then you won’t know what I’m talking about, but their stuff is wonderful. (I immediately googled to confirm it was them) Cyndi “loves it” when I google during a movie (not), and I could feel the wave of disapproval wafting from the far side of the couch. So I sat the laptop down and scooted over to enjoy the movie.   She actually said, "wow".  Ouch!

What a movie it was! Easily my favorite in the last 3 years. An emotional epic.  Surprizing character reveals and emotion twists, and amazing new cinematography.  Really fresh!

When it was done, Cyndi said, “Isn’t that, like, the best movie?!?”

I replied. “Well, I know how to pick ‘em!"

I almost fell over when the couch-pillow hit me in the head.

False modesty.

Funny how you read a verse again for the umpteenth time and see something new. 

I was reading in John 8 and Jesus talks about false modesty and calls it what it is. Lying.

Ever dismiss a compliment?  Ever try to deny praise for a gift you've been given?

This is a pretty cool translation, as well. Read the whole chapter for context. For that matter, the whole book is recommended. 

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://youversion.com/reader.php?startverse=John.8.55&version=msg

Tim Wheeler

(Sent from my iPhone)

Say Something, Dude!

Tomorrow I’m driving my youngest to East Lansing and moving him into his dorm. I know he’s thinking he’ll be back next summer. I’m thinking that too. I can’t help but remember, though, my mother, as she was loading me into the car with my cousin on my way to John Brown University. She looked at me with a tear in her eye and told me, “you know they say that when a boy goes off to college, he never really comes home again.” I remember laughing and saying that I would be home, but I realize, looking back, that she was right. I never looked at home the same, and the significance of that moment and that step largely eluded me at the time.

Emotions, for me, are running at the brim. Stress is high, (along with tuition) but mostly I’m numb. This has been a big year for my family. Big birthday, big anniversary, big wedding, college graduation, high school graduation and now this.

I’ve been mostly quiet on the writing front. When there was something springing forward, the energy has been lacking. If there’s energy, the inspiration is drown out by the business around me. While I discipline myself to write everyday, I sense that this period is a time to absorb life. To store every memory. Ponder every exchange between my son and I as well as his siblings. Banish regrets. Celebrate special times. Enjoy the moments we’re given, and give thanks for the moments gone by. Store them up until they are ready to come out.

There will be songs of joy and of sorrow. There will be songs of regret. There will be nostalgic songs, and songs of happiness. Sad songs, poignant songs, songs to celebrate the milestones, and songs that attempt to fill the emptiness of yet another room in our house. There will be many songs, but they wait, patiently, in the wings.

Right now at this moment, however, the only songs that come to mind are the songs of praise. Songs of thanksgiving. Songs of joy. The kind that streams down your face, wracks through your chest and then beams up and out through your cheeks. Songs of astounding humility for the being granted stewardship over a little boy who has always sensed the greater significance of his existence and the reason he was put here. The bigger picture of our lives. A little boy who often pictured himself in his older years, amazing his father who always thinks in the short term. A kid who at 6 years of age wondered why God made thunder, and then moments later pondered the fact that his children would have technology far beyond Nintendo.

I’ve marveled at his gift of seeing himself down the road, and now, that little boy has indeed arrived at a milestone down the path he has imagined so many times before.

I read a friend’s blog today who just lost his father. I lost mine a few months before that day I loaded up my Chevy Nova and my mother said goodbye in such a significant way. I’ve often thought about what he would have told me that day, had he lived a few months longer. I wonder because tomorrow its my turn to say something. Something significant. Something inspiring. Something that might give my son the presence of mind to grasp the importance of that moment.

What will I say to that little boy. The little boy who is so quickly bursting into manhood. The little boy who will leave tomorrow and will never really come home again.

Want Some Inspiration? Read This...

Regie Hamm's Blog post. (Regie wrote the American Idol Songwriting Contest Winner this Year)

Signs That Make You Say, "Huh?"

For the life of me, I can't figure out what this sign is good for,
other than positive affirmation for those entering.

Seen at the local Home Depot.

What's A Songwriter To Do?

I started writing songs when I was 13. Learned to play piano for real in the 10th and 11th grade. Played in bands through high school, college and single life. Kept writing and recording. Got married and lost the band gig. Kept writing. Raised kids, kept writing, even for them for awhile. Started writing professionally. Studied the model. Write. Cowrite. Get a publishing deal. Get cuts. Get airplay. Make boat-loads of money. Retire.

Side stories: Napster, mp3 format, broadband, Clear Channel, Record companies alienate (and criminalize) consumers, Major record company model collapses. Goodbye publisher-paid demo. Hello songwriter-paid demo. Hits don’t pay writers $500K anymore... or at least few and far between.

Bands aren’t discovered anymore. They have to build an audience, and then they can bargain for a deal. Trouble is, the deal they’re bargaining for isn’t such a deal anymore. CD sales are going away and the only way to monetize track sales is online.. which the record companies still haven’t figured out.

So where’s the future? Who the heck knows. If the rate of change continues, the industry will look completely different in 2 years, and then again in a year and a half. NSAI is battling in Washington for songwriter rights, and the record companies are battling for theirs at the expense of the artist and the songwriter.

The model has changed and will continue to change. Music sales may never come back to the levels they were, and because of that the major labels may lose their hold on monopoly and distribution (if they haven’t already).

On the bright side, the promotional playing field is leveling. Satellite radio is broadening the venues to hear cool stuff. Indie musicians seem to be making a living, better than before this all came down. Big stars, not so much. Sure, there’s Coldplay, but they could probably do what they did on the latest release without a label, next time.

So what’s a songwriter to do?

Let’s see... Figure out what’s next? Lobby Washington or champion those that do? Worry? Find cheaper demo studios and/or get more efficient at producing them? Network. (trying to replace all the people we knew who’ve left the industry)

I don’t think so. Sure we may need to spend some times in those areas. For some of us, more than others. For some none at all.

Some of these things might be good. Some of these things might give you an edge. Get you in the door. Break through the noise. Grease the palms.

But all of these things add up to squat, if you aint got at least one thing....

Great songs.

Write on.

Christian Clothing Woes

I recently came across a banner ad for a “Christian Clothing” vendor. I eagerly went to the site to see what they have available. I was disappointed, however, that after intense searching I was unable to find any Christian Underwear for sale.

Let's Rewrite History

Just saw the latest Caldwell Banker commercial where the portraits of Caldwell founders talk to each other.

One says “Hey Caldwell, do you realize we’ve been in the Real Estate business for (some impressive high number) years? The other replies, “Yes, we’ve been around the block a few times.” The other says, “Yeah, do you remember the 1942 Holiday party?” The reply: “That’s not what I was talking about.”

Tell me something. Did anyone call them “Holiday” parties in 1942?

Wouldn’t want the dead people to offend anyone, now, would we?

PFC Alex Knapp

We just dropped off breakfast at the VFW Settler’s post for the group of men cooking for Alex’s fundraiser today. Newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations are helping to promote the pasta dinner fund raiser that runs from 1 to 7 today. Its at the VFW on Wilson between 24 and 25 mile off Van Dyke in Shelby Township.

One of the soldiers who was thrown from Alex’s vehicle when the IED exploded will be attending today, as well. His family had just moved to the area.

The Veterans of Modern War will be there, as well.

We won’t. Planning didn’t work in our favor, and although we want to be there and help out in the worst way, our middle child is graduating from college today in Grand Rapids and we are preparing to leave for the day. Amanda has gotten her degree in Socialogy with a minor in Non-profit business. She’ll be doing an intership for a single-parent daycare this summer, and planning a 6 month service in the fall for an orphanage in Tanzania.

I’m so proud of her.

But back to Alex. If you live in the Detroit area, please drop by. If you don’t, please pray for a great turn-out and generous patrons. The Knapp family is the best. They deserve an outpouring from their friends and the community that they have served so generously over the years... and the country that Alex sacrificed so much for.

T

Use your VISA or the Flowers Will Die...

The Garden shop is working in synchronized manner with the gardeners in pastel raincoats, aiming their watering hoses in crystal arches. The cafeteria line is in such a groove that the jello is dancing the 2 step, and then some thoughtless dill-weed, dressed like a preppy (or a dumpy “out-of-it” older woman) comes in and wants to pay for his food or flowers with (ahem) cash, or even worse... a check.

The flowers die, the milk spills, the music slows to a stop. People look annoyingly at dill-weed. People stare at the frumpy woman writing her check. The cashier looks at them like, “hey, what can I do, its just the way things are...”. They finish paying while the next people tap their fingers on the counter, impatiently. He grabs his ham sandwich. She grabs her flowers. And the music starts up, and the world goes back to.... normal.

NORMAL?!?

Am I the only one who feels an itching on my forehead and the back of my hand when I see these commercials?

Alex Knapp Fundraiser

Alex is doing much better! Thanks everyone for your prayers and
contacts out on the caringbridge.com site. It means so much to Alex
and the family. He was able to read through the guestbook yesterday
and the out-pouring of support brought him and the family to tears.

On April 26th, friends of the family are coming together to raise
funds for the family. If you live in the Detroit area there's going
to be a dinner/fundraiser with raffles and food. Located at the VFW
on Van Dyke between 24 and 25 mile road on Wilson Street, the event
will start at 1PM and run to 7 PM. Stop in during the day, for great
food, great prizes, and a chance to help a warrior and his family.
Suggested donation for entry is $10 or a $40 family max.

If you'd like to make a cash donation, or have something you'd like to
donate for the raffle, please reply to this blog and I'll put you
contact with the right folks.

I Can Surrender All By Myself!

I was recently asked to lead a small group for a church-wide campaign. Excited by the group of people who asked me to lead, I agreed and then went in to pick up a copy of the curriculum.

Crud! It was on surrender. God is a comedian. He had to be ROFL.

I’m pretty good on my own. Far from perfect, and always flawed beyond my expectations, I, nonetheless think I can make it on my talent and skill alone (because, of course, I think I have enough to accomplish the task)

I find its easy to surrender many things to God. Mostly, the things I suck at. Other things, the things I’m pretty good at... not so much.

As a songwriter, I should know by now. Artists don’t cut pretty good songs. (unless of course they write their own stuff.)

Extreme Home Makeover Gets Makeover

Good friends of ours are having a hard time. Our son played with their son on the high school soccer team. We’ve known their son since grade school, but became good friends with his parents when our sons began playing club soccer a few years ago.

In the middle of his college career, their older son enlisted last year, went through bootcamp and shipped off to Afghanistan. Last fall, the father was diagnosed with colon cancer and just finished his second round of Chemo. He’s been having a hard time, but the treatments were coming to an end and their son was due to come home on leave last week.

Through it all, the wife of this family remained the most giving person, cooking food for parties she couldn’t even attend due to her husband’s illness. Never one to ask for help, she works in the mortgage industry (in the Detroit market... need I say more?) and he’s been missing a lot of work, due to his treatments. Everyone’s suffering financially, these days, but they are getting hit inordinately hard.

My wife and I are part of a small group and we decided to do something nice for them. They were planning on being out of town over the Easter week, so we were planning to sneak into their house (with the help of relatives) and do some home improvement / spring clean-up while they were gone. Things were coming together quite nicely.

Two days before his leave, their son, Alex, was driving an armored vehicle outside of Bagdad (yes, I know.. IRAQ?) when he drove over (or past) and IED that exploded. The soldier next to him lost both legs. A kid in the back seat, lost a leg, couple toes, and can’t use one arm. One soldier in back walked away unscathed. Alex’s legs were badly damaged, and it became apparent if he kept them he’d be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. Yesterday afternoon the amputated both legs beneath the knee, and because of extensive damage to the back of his thighs, (which were life-threatening enough by themselves to kill him) they may need to take more.

His parents are living outside of DC in a Marriot Courtyard, and events are unfolding as I type. Alex is in Walter Reed and will be there for quite awhile. Alex’s father is not doing well. After coming off his last Chemo treatment, he’s weak, susceptable to infection, and can’t even go in with his son, being both in danger and dangerous to his son at the same time.

Needless to say, we’re not thinking about doing home improvement any longer, although Extreme Home Makeover might be an option.. (I’ll get the video camera)

Perhaps its stories like these that are written in blood that make us stronger. Make us appreciate the blessings of life.

They make us examine and question our values, our priorites, our government. They make me look up to God and say.. “Why?!?”

But the answers can wait. Right now... we.. those who know and love Alex and his parents, or empathize with their plight, need to act.

More later...

Sex, Lies, and Advertising Irony

I was driving home last night, listening to a major new network on Satellite radio.

The subject was Elliot Spitzer and his resignation as the Governor of New York for his alleged, long-term involvement with a “high-price” prostitution ring. (I was so relieved to hear he wasn’t involved with a “bargain-basement” prostitution ring.) They

 had “experts” on and former sex addicts talking about the addiction. In addition, there were commentators who were skeptical of the governors comments about seeking help for himself. Another case of going to Rehab to make everything alright?

80,000 dollars for prostitutes. Wire transfer misconduct. It was clear the stations had a hot topic for the rest of the day. Clearly we had a public official who was obsessed with Sex!

Then, it broke for commercial.

What followed was no less than 3 minutes of cheap-grade commercials featuring discreetly mailed brown-paper-wrapped catalogs of “intimate play-things” for couples and sexual play, offering “The things you want, or at least want to know about.” After that, a string of male enhancement creams, and testimonials from those who “never perform” without using it first. After that, a service that allows you to try out all of the BIG 3 E.D. medications on one website... so you can compare.. “Aren’t you curious which one works the best?”.

Now.. lets get back to the public official who’s obsessed with Sex.

Chi-kopa-chi-kopita-kopita-kopita-kop!

Those who know me know that I have this one practical hobby / eccentricity / quirk. More the latter than the formers. Its a habit thats sorta loud, occasionally irritating, and although dependable, not always posh. I drive a diesel. More specifically I drive old mercedes diesels that I buy cheap and squeeze every last life and breath out of them. I love it. Does my wife love it.. well.. not so much.

I’ve always said that its a practical hobby. I get great fuel mileage. I buy my cars pretty reasonable and sell them after years and tens of thousands of miles for not much less than I buy them.

Lately, though, buying diesel fuel has not been so practical. For some reason, although its the most basic of fuels and take way less to process than gasoline, it’s selling for much more than gasoline. What is up with that? (It seems to me that a rogue oil company could capture the market if they just process and supply diesel at a decent price..) oh... ok... that’s not where I wanted to go with this blog...

Expectations. That’s what I wanted to write about. Actually, not expectations themselves but rather the way they can change so quickly. How we can suddenly acclimate to whole other levels in such a short time.

I was driving home yesterday when I saw a diesel station selling it for $3.64 / Gallon. For those outside the US you may be saying, WOW! Cheap!”. Not me. I’m saying wait! NO WAY! I paid $2.89/G for my last tank. Less than 3 weeks ago! That’s outrageous! Great Ceasar’s Ghost! (what show was that from?... ah yes... Superman!) GREAT CEASAR’S GHOST!

20 minutes later, though, and a few miles down the highway, I was snickering and looking slyly from side to side, as I pumped the frothy liquid gold into my 1990 300D 2.5 Turbo at its young age of 203,000 miles (car). So Happy was I!

Why so pleased?

I had beaten the system! I had struck pay-dirt. I had found a Walmart who was selling diesel for a mere $3.39 a gallon!

I was excited and satisfied to be paying a 1/2 buck more per gallon than the last time I filled up.

Holiday by the sea or a Mud Pie.. hmmm.. let me think on that and get back with you...

Lowered Expectations... we are such a fickle bunch.

Political Apathy

Why am I so apathetic when it comes to the election in November?

I think it has something to do with the fact that the real leaders who share my views, optimism, and who actually inspire me are not running. They are either too smart, do not crave the power, or do not want the attention and scrutiny that would be required to seek the position.

Don’t ask me who they are. I don’t know. All I know is that they are not running.

::shrug::