Come on ride that bus...and choo choo ride it.

Ok, ok, well buses don't go "choo choo". But anyway...

I am getting a CDL license. (Commercial Drivers License). At my last church, they hounded me about getting it, but I refused. I did so because the school I was teaching in at the time had the same kind of bus as the church. And if I got a CDL, I would be only the 2nd guy at the school who had one and they would have had me driving everywhere.

But now.....I don't have to worry about that, because public school won't be able to rope me into driving one because I won't take the airbrake part of the test. So I'll get a class B license without airbrakes. That way I can only drive for church (this bus has hydraulic brakes, not air). And I've been told that I'll be protected from having many people asking me to drive for them. I don't mind helping sometimes, but you know how that goes. This will be for the kids trips at church mainly.

So anyway, I'm in the middle of studying the manual. The driving part is easy, because its mostly common sense stuff. It's the checking the bus over part thats hard. I'm not mechanical by nature, so looking at pictures of leaf springs, Pitarm bars, u-joints, ect. on a diagram is Greek to me. Hopefully I'll be able to make it through that part.

I actually have to take 4 tests. Three written, and one driving. I'll take the written ones at the DMV in Toccoa, and then I'll have to make an appointment in Gainesville for the driving part. All together it'll cost $95.

All aboard...

Dance, monkey...dance.

Kickin' it - Easter Style. (More photos have been added to Micah's pictorial [different from Tori's blog])

A beautiful wife - and a son who could use a pimp cane. What more could a man ask for?

I don't remember if I posted this picture before...but...this is Micah getting his first haircut. I wasn't sure how he'd act. But once the sucker came into play...it was all good.

White men can get ashy too

Today I went to town to buy some red mulch. I put it in my front yard .......

...and while I was at the Feed and Seed store I stepped in a pile of white mystery powder.

Funny

Click here.

Spring Break

It's been a little over a week since I last posted. Its been a crazy and busy week. But now... I'm on Spring Break!

I'm visiting my parents right now. I'll be back home for Easter Sunday. I'm glad this break is here...I needed it.

I found this interesting...

Dear Yahoo!:
Was J. Edgar Hoover really a transvestite?
Melinda
Hawaii

Dear Melinda:

As fun as it is to imagine the former chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in drag, most historians believe this is just an urban legend.
The History News Network explains how the rumors began. In "Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover," author Anthony Summers quotes Susan L. Rosenstiel as saying she once observed Hoover in a black dress and high heels at the Plaza Hotel. The story, salacious though it is, isn't very credible. Rosenstiel's husband was involved in organized crime, and Susan was once convicted of perjury in an unrelated case. Additionally, why would the head of the FBI put himself in a position to be easily blackmailed?

Far more likely (though never proven) was that Mr. Hoover was a closeted homosexual. Hoover was a lifelong bachelor, but he did have one constant companion -- Clyde Tolson. The two were inseparable, even vacationing together. When Hoover died, he left his entire estate, valued at over $500,000, to Tolson. Additionally, it was Tolson who accepted the American flag used to drape Hoover's casket.

Of course, just because two guys hang out together doesn't mean they're lovers. The fact is, nobody knows whether Hoover and Tolson were more than friends, but it's interesting to note the two chose to be buried next to each other.

Test Time

Well, here's the story behind the picture.

We are taking the CRCT standardized test at school. It is a week-long and very serious. So it was kind of funny that something like this does not happen all school year, but during the CRCT a mouse goes running across the floor during the test. Kids were jumping out of desks, and girls were shreaking. I was on the floor trying to catch it, and got stuck under a desk (darn pudding). Finally one of the boys caught it and put it in this green bucket.

Turns out one of the girls "accidently" brought it from home. She said it must have climbed into her stuff.....uh...yeah.

And then TODAY, during the test a girl (different one) just vomits. She was sick from the stress of the test. So...so far, mice and vomit...and the week isn't even over yet.

hmm

On Wednesday of next week, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00
in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06.

Charlie Simpson

The other day I was at lunch with the teachers who I usually eat lunch with. It was lunch as usual. Then another one of the teacher who has lunch later came in to get a snack. She sat down right next to me.

So she sits down with us and begins casual conversation. Eventually, one of the teachers I eat with asked her about what she was going to be doing next year.

So the lady began to explain how her certification was not sufficient and she would not be able to teach. She began to really open up, and share her heartfelt feelings about having to leave the profesison she loved - working with special education children. It is her passion; it is what she believes in. It was definetly an emotional moment. She apologized for being on a soapbox, but the other teachers around me comforted her, and supported her for sharing her struggles.

While all that was happening...I was sitting next to her having a WWF match with my pudding, trying violently to rip the lid off with my teeth.

:1

This is a real excerpt from the Atlanta paper today. It is from an article talking about the bills passed on the last day of the legislature:
---------------

One of the first bills to gain final approval Thursday amends the state's wild animal laws to allow severely disabled Georgians to own "service monkeys."

Supporters of House Bill 695 say the trained monkeys can help disabled people maintain their independence by doing little jobs such as opening cans, fetching drinks and turning out the lights.

---------------

Ok. I don't want to be disabled.... but I know we all thinking the same thing.

I want a service monkey.

Long-term mobile phone use raises brain tumor risk: study

Now doesn't this just make you feel comfortable...
______

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060331/sc_nm/phones_dc_3

Micah's first haircut

See Tori's blog for the story and pictures. (Link to "Little Sugar Mama and Son" on sidebar.)

Rubber meets the road ministries

My church has been focusing on North American Missions recently. In church they've shown some videos up on the big screens of missionaries in North America. The last missionary they showed was about a ministry in Atlanta called something like, "Set Free Church Memorial Street Ministries and Shelter". Something like that. It was a very long name for the sake of inclusivity. It is headed up by a black pastor/missionary. He and his wife have been serving there for about 28 years. It is "in da hood, fo real". They deal with the homeless, crack addicts, prostitutes, the down and out, etc.

Anyway, the guy came to our church tonight and spoke to the Wednesday crowd. I knew back when the pastor said he was coming, it would be good. Sure enough, it was very encouraging and inspiring. It was also challenging. This man and his family are in the middle of a hard core ministry where the rubber meets the road. He is one of those guys who has given up many comforts in order to minister to those in dire need. He preached some from Matthew where Jesus looks out on the multitude, and he had compassion for them. He spoke about the difference between sympathy, and compassion. How compassion is more than just "I'll pray that somebody will help you", but it is "I will help you."

He gave several specific stories of people who have come in through the ministry, hard core, dirty drug addics; who accepted Christ and became disciples. It was a very inspiring message. For some reason, I have a hard time not getting choked up with I hear stories like that. Something about it just rings true in my heart.

Anyway, at the end, a bunch of us laid hands on him and prayed for him. It was a privilege. I hope that I have that same commitment. That whatever, wherever, whenever, when God says go and do, that I go and do.

Chuck Norris is the first result on Google for "Awesome".

I just found this interesting

The "Sunshine Commune" in southern Montana, with over 400 estimated residents, has not had contact with the outside world since the late 1950s.

Blast from the Past

Well... here it is. But then again... there it always was. This is my new truck.

It's my new truck, yet I have been riding in it since I was 8 years old. My dad bought this truck new for about $12,000 in 1988. I remember the first time we met. (The truck and I.) Dad came to pick me up from one of those camps that you dump your kids off at for a week during the summer. After he got me, we were walking back to the parking lot. I was looking for the puke brown F-150 that we had. Instead he walked me up to this blue and white steed. It was pretty awesome at the time, for an 8 year old boy. A brand new truck.

It sure beat that ugly brown one. I remember when we got it too. I went with dad to pick it up. It was used and we picked it up at some public resturaunt or something. I just remember I had to ride home in the back and there were beer cans back there.

But this new truck was nice. And I have ridden in it for the past 18 years. It's definetly part of the family. Lots of memories.

And now, the memories will continue. I was planning on getting a mustang. I got the 302 V8 part anyway. Micah's medical bills put a kink in my 'stang plans. But thats just how it goes sometimes.

In some small way...I'm glad it happened. It's no hot-rod, and maybe even, as Michael once said...it's an old-man truck. ...but you know what? It's my old-man's truck. And I'm proud to have it.

And today for the first time, Micah sat in the truck that I first sat in, when I was just 7 years older than he is. Maybe one day, he can have it too.

The interior of the truck is in superb shape for an '88. My dad always took real good care of it. You can tell by looking at the seats. My next-door neighbor runs some car audio/tinting shops and I'm thinking about seeing what it would cost me to have him take off the purple tint and redo it with some "as much as legal" black. I also want the bed to be able to come up off the truck and spin 360s.

Something I like about this truck....the long-bed. None of that mini-bed stuff here. Of course there's no extended cab, so my posture will be straightened not by its own volition, but Mom always said to sit up straight. I really is nice though to have the long-bed. As soon as I had the truck I hauled a wooden picnic table in it. Plenty of room.

I was expecting to get a 302 V8. Just not in a truck. But I like knowing I have the power...just like He-man.

IR

You know....I just don't know how I can do it. How do you injure yourself doing nothing? NFL players can get clobbered by 400 pound linemen and walk it off. I just leaned back and stretched....then I remembered something I had to do, so I jerked my head up while I was leaning back...and now I'm in pain. I strained something in my lower neck / upper back. It really hurts. I can tell this is one of those that is going to be sore for awhile.

The word "alibi", comes from the name of a prison in ancient Greece where prisoners were moved before they were released

Stop the Presses!!!!

ACTOR CHARLIE SHEEN QUESTIONS OFFICIAL 9/11 STORY

Thats right, the honorable, womanizer playing actor questions the offical story. Click here to read about it. Apparently, the twin towers were a controlled demolition from the inside that president Bush had been planning. Finally, the truth revealed!

In other Charlie Sheen news, a 500 pound cat saves Elvis from his penthouse...

One of these boyz is mine. The other is David's. I'll give you 3 guesses.

Swim time for the kids. I couldn't find Micah's usual floaty thing, so he was uncomfortable at first, but once he realized he wasn't going to pull a Titanic, he had a good time. David's mini-me was trying to drink all the water. By the way...if anyone reading this wants to purchase this hot tub, please let me know.

I thought this was funny

www.ninjalessons.com


I am thinking I should become an online trained ninja.



(I would also like to celebrate this as my 600th post. And no, I didn't use steroids.)

Afghan man prosecuted for converting

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan man who allegedly converted from Islam to Christianity is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death, a judge said Sunday.
The defendant, Abdul Rahman, was arrested last month after his family went to the police and accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told Associated Press in an interview. Such a conversion would violate the country's Islamic laws.

Rahman, who is believed to be 41, was charged with rejecting Islam when his trial started last week, the judge said.

During the hearing, the defendant allegedly confessed that he converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago when he was 25 and working as a medical aid worker for Afghan refugees in neighboring Pakistan, Mawlavezada said.

Afghanistan's constitution is based on Shariah law, which states that any Muslim who rejects their religion should be sentenced to death.

"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge said. "It is an attack on Islam. ... The prosecutor is asking for the death penalty."

The prosecutor, Abdul Wasi, said the case was the first of its kind in Afghanistan.

He said that he had offered to drop the charges if Rahman changed his religion back to Islam, but the defendant refused.

Mawlavezada said he would rule on the case within two months.

Afghanistan is a deeply conservative society, and 99% of its 28 million people are Muslim. The rest are mainly Hindus.

----------------------------------------------------------

How many American "Christians", if faced with the same dilema, would also refuse to renounce him? How incredibly little we suffer for Him here. But it is in those parts of the world were Christians are persecuted, that Christianity grows the fastest. I even heard (someone correct me if I'm wrong), that there are actually more Christians in China, than there are in the U.S.

Ravi, Ravi, he's the man...if he can't do it...no one can.

I have tickets to go hear Ravi Zacharias speak at the Fox Theater in Atlanta on May 11th. I am very happy about it. I also got a ticket for David and another friend of mine, Matt, that lives around here. It ought to be good. Here is the description of the lecture...

Ravi at The Fox Theatre

"Has Christianity failed you ... and so what does this say about Jesus?"

Many people have been disillusioned with Christianity, but does this negate the message of Christ or the role of the Church in society? In recent times, many people have been turned away from Christianity in hurt and cynicism, leaving the Church's role in modern life negligible for many people.
-------------------------------------------------

It really didn't matter to me what he was going to talk about. It could have been about "boiled eggs...and their role in early American life." and I still would go.

2 factoids

1)

Ants make up an estimated 15% of all animal biomass on Earth.


2)


Dear Yahoo!:
Why do we scream "Geronimo!" when we jump?
Ted
Parrish, Florida
Dear Ted:
World War II paratrooper Aubrey Eberhardt was the first to scream "Geronimo!" while jumping from great heights. Retired First Sergeant Ed Howard explains how it happened in his essay entitled "Paramount's 1939 Western Geronimo...A Forgotten Movie With a Giant Legacy."

In 1940, the United States' first Parachute Test Platoon was formed. It consisted of 50 volunteers who trained in the sweltering heat of Georgia's Fort Benning. The days were mighty hot, so the paratroopers wanted to stay cool in the evening. One night, Private Eberhardt and three friends watched the movie Geronimo at a local (air conditioned) theater.

After the film, the group discussed the jump they were to make the following morning. According to Howard, one paratrooper asked Eberhardt if he believed he could jump "without fear." Eberhardt, eager to prove his toughness, said he'd show everyone he wasn't afraid by yelling "Geronimo!" as he jumped. Eberhardt believed that if he had the presence of mind to remember the word, it would prove he wasn't scared. Questionable logic perhaps, but we're going with it.

Long story short, Eberhardt jumped, yelled "Geronimo!" as promised, and the shout quickly caught on with his fellow paratroopers. Some time later the phrase was outlawed because officers felt it would draw unwanted attention to paratroopers landing in hostile territories. That said, the "Geronimo" motto is still seen on certain military insignias, so Eberhardt's legend lives on.

Only 12 people in the last 10 years, who make less than $80,000 have been audited by the IRS.

Click this video. It's hilarious.

Charlie Moment - Stardate 3.11.2006

Charlie answering the telephone:

Charlie: "Hello?"

Other Person: "Hi, this is so and so."

Charlie: "Hi, how are you doing?"

Other Person: "Good, how are you doing?"

Charlie: "I'm doing good. How are you doing?"

The nuclear arsenal of the United States contains the explosive equivalent of 15,000 pounds of dynamite for every man, woman and child living on Earth.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Working on a different template

...but I haven't got all the bugs worked out yet, and I'm sleepy -- so it'll have to wait till later.

A video of a climbing robot. (This Mac doesn't let me make it an automatic link.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzfP0Ig7eVQ

Laugh or Cry

The reason these 2 pictures are here, is because I was looking on AutoTrader for vehicles priced in the neighborhood of $2k. I was looking at vehicles that cheap because we have found the Medical profession and Pharmaceutical (sic?) industry to be quite expensive. Unfortunately we will be doing some major cutbacks. Remember that in case you call my cell phone in the future only to find Mrs. Cingular talking to you.

But I got such a kick out of these two vehicles....(especially this one). I'm scrollin' down the list of cheap trucks (to haul my trash to the landfill with [...so long trash pick-up man - I will miss you]) and I am looking at the color column, and I see like...white...red....blue...green....white....camo.

It would be hilarious for me to drive this ultra-redneck truck to work. Look at it. I don't have anyone to hunt with, but I could drive this bubba-machine to school everyday with my cool fog-lights on. Those boys that always ask to go to the li-berry would just love it.

----

And then below that picture you see a Caddy. Yeah, I decided to check out all cheap cars in general...and that was in there. The mileage isn't even bad on it. Now that would be ironically funny. I go out and buy a cheap car to save some money, and I end up driving a caddy. Reminds me of Sun-Tzu's "Ancient Art of War" book; he says something like "When you are weak, make enemies think you are strong. When you are strong; make enemies think you are weak." I could wear a cheap suit and walk with a pimp cane too for the full effect.

Kneecap Nibbler

Micah is doing this thing now, where he cruises around the couch and when he gets to a person, he starts gnawing on their kneecaps. He does one...and then a minute later he does another.

Maybe he is a future canabal.

The loudest bird in the world is the Red-Throated Warbler. It's alarm call can be a piercing 122 decibels. I am unaware of anything special about their anal sphincters.

When asked to rate themselves, 81 percent of college professors consider themselves to be an "above average" teacher.

Zippadie do-da

Today was a beautiful day. We decided to drive over to Tallulah Falls and go for a picnic and a walk.

Mini-Me

Snickers insisted that she be allowed to pick her pose. She chose the over the shoulder look.

.

Perdy 1 and perdy 2

Who dat?

For some...manna in the wilderness....For Micah....crackers in the wilderness.

Micah loved everything about the trip to the park. Ok, actually this is just a picture where you can kind of see his top two teeth if you click on the picture and look close.

Here is Tori and Micah posing for a picture. Tori is smiling at the camera; while Micah concentrates on figuring out the mathmatical formula for explaining the extended length of the shadow in comparison to the original physical objects.

Sure...she looks tired....but endurance builds character.

While forcing Snickers to stand on this rail overlooking nearby water; I noticed she seemed a little nervous.........(see next photo)

heave-ho - see picture below

I believe the best way to help a small dog overcome its fear of water, is to make it face it head-on. Head-on and from 20 ft. in the air.

Snickers was tuckered out on the ride home. Here she is lying right next to the empty movie case that we tried to return.

Charlius Momentus Maximus

This is a bad one. Just happened today.

I will not tell you the backstory first, because you need to hear it fresh, just like this poor girl did.

The students are working in groups of 2. One group, close to my desk is composed of a black girl and a white girl.

They both address me and the white girl says,
"Mr. Kelly, how much time is left in class?"

Now remember, both the black girl and the white girl are basically looking at me when I say the following, (and the black girl has no idea why I would say the following...)

Mr. Kelly - "There's about 3 1/2 gorilla lengths left. And I have no idea how to translate gorilla time to real time."

Thats right. I said this to a group of two girls. One of whom is black.

-----

Why I said that....

The white girl's favorite band is the "Gorillaz". And I often tease her about gorillas because of it.

Of course, the black girl does not know this.

So of course, when I realized what I had just done, I had to play it off, and have the black girl ask the white one what her favorite band was, so she would see why I said that.

------

Yes. A true, true Charlie moment.

How do cats "know" to use litter boxes?

Dear Yahoo!:
How do cats "know" to use litter boxes?
Felix
Catskills, New York
Dear Felix:
Cats know how to use litter boxes because they still have thousands of years of wild cat DNA floating around in their nervous systems. It's the same reason why dogs like to bury bones, or people respond negatively to high-pitched shrieking sounds.
Cats are attracted to litter boxes for elimination because they provide a sandy substrate for covering their waste. Covering waste is very important in the wild, as it helps to elude predators. A cat's urine can smell pretty strong -- it can actually attract hunters. That's why in the wild cats always urinate far from where they sleep and hunt, and they do their best to cover it up when they're finished.

To be effective, a litter box also has to provide a certain amount of space for the cat. "Taking care of business" can be a vulnerable moment in more ways than one, especially if something is actively hunting you.

If your cat is having litter box accuracy problems, you may want to consider replacing it. Most litter boxes are plastic, which means they tend to absorb odors. Try to replace your litter box with an identical model, however, as our feline friends are notoriously sensitive to changes in their environment.

Why do dogs sniff each other?

Dear Yahoo!:
Why do dogs sniff each other?
Tarna
Dear Tarna:
Last year, we addressed why dogs love to stick their heads out car windows. Now we tackle another of life's great mysteries. What's up with a pup's propensity to sniff the backsides of his friends? Such behavior would not go over well in the human world, but in the canine community, it's standard operating procedure.
A dog's nose is its strongest weapon. In fact, it works up to a million times better than a human's. A dog uses its nose not only to sniff out dead birds in the backyard and burgers on the BBQ, but also to better understand other dogs. According to Point Ask, a sniff of the rear tells a dog all sorts of things, including what the other dog likes to eat, its general health, and if a female pooch is pregnant.

Dogs also use their olefactory talents to understand humans. This article by Meg Moss explains that, with one whiff, "a dog can tell where you have been and what you have been doing, what you have eaten, and even whether you are not feeling well." Moss goes on to say that when dogs sniff each other, they learn whether or not the dog is safe to play with or if they should retreat. Basically, it's just a way of getting to know each other. Although it's apparently an effective means of introduction, we're sticking with the handshake.

Random Fact of the Day

Birds do not have anal sphincters.

Little Sugar Mama

Tori has plugged into the Blogging Matrix.

Her posts will revolve around her and our family, but most specifically Micah.

Her blog is: Little Sugar Mama and Son
the address is: www.littlesugarmama.blogspot.com

I'll put a link to it on my sidebar.

Hikers find mission in mountains

Hikers find mission in mountains
Backpackers often eager to unburden

By BILL OSINSKI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/27/06

Oftentimes, the heaviest thing carried by hikers of the Appalachian Trail is a burdened soul.

To lighten those loads, Craig and Suzy Miles have created a ministry called Appalachian Trail Servants. Their brand of evangelizing comes after they and their volunteers have passed out buckets of trail mix and boxes of foot medicine to weary long-distance hikers.

"Most of the people who walk the trail are at a transition point in their lives," Craig said. Typically, they are young people recently graduated from college, or adults facing a crossroads such as retirement or divorce.

"They start off with questions like, 'What is my purpose in life? What am I going to do with myself now? It can be pretty scary," he said.

Surprisingly often, Suzy Miles said, people who started out seeking solitude in the wilderness will openly talk about such spiritual questions with someone they've just met.

"When you've walked through the same rainstorms with someone, and have been kept awake by the same person snoring at a campsite, then you're not really strangers," she said.

The Mileses spoke about their ministry Sunday at their home church, Mountain East Community Church in Lilburn. Their unusual mountain ministry started about three years ago when a brief prayer turned into a life-changing moment.

Craig, who grew up in Snellville and graduated from South Gwinnett High School, said he was praying for some direction in his life. At the time, he was working as a technician for an information technology company. He wanted to do something more in line with his education — he has master's degrees in both philosophy and divinity studies.

At the end of his prayer, he glanced at a table. On it was a magazine with a cover story about missionaries who minister to hikers in China.

For Craig, the article was an answer to his prayer for guidance. He and Suzy, who was a college student at the time, decided to turn their pastime of hiking into a ministry. Rather than China, however, they chose to stay closer to home.

Suzy, a native of Dahlonega, had hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail with Craig. They'd been married only about a year, but she said she did not hesitate to support Craig's vision.

They developed a 50-page plan and presented it to officials of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They received an endorsement, but were told they would have to raise funds on their own to make the ministry a reality.

The couple spoke at dozens of churches along the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail, seeking financial support and volunteer workers.

This year, the third of their ministry, Craig and Suzy will leave their home near Cleveland and do a "through hike." That involves walking all way from Springer Mountain in North Georgia to the trail's northern terminus, the peak of Mount Katahdin in Maine.

Besides walking and talking with fellow hikers, the Mileses will work with the volunteers who support their ministry. These "trail angels" staff the way stations set up by Appalachian Trail Servants, usually at spots where the trail crosses a road. They offer food, drink, medical supplies, and conversation — if it's wanted — to the hikers.

Craig said the deep wood is an ideal setting for deep conversations.



Find this article at:
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/stories/0227mettrail.html

uh...

If you've...oh...I dunno...decided you want to puke for some reason...read this article.

Stress

This has been a very stressful last week or so. There just seems to be stress coming from every direction. There's tons of paperwork I have to do at work, Micah is sick and cranky with his ear infections - which in turn is hard on Tori, etc., etc., etc., It's one of those situations where you wish you could pull an ostrich and stick your head in the sand (preferrably on a Pacific Island) for about 4 months, and then pull it out again to see if it got any better.

But, such is life. God never said it would be easy. But He DID say that he would never put anything on us, more than we can bear. And I know that He has a purpose in all of this craziness.
----------

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.


-Annie Flint

Always Wear Your Seatbelt

My mother sent me this video "Always Wear Your Seatbelt".

Warning: This video is graphic in nature.

We Are Sinking -- (This is funny)

http://www.introbia.ch/download/public/WeAreSinking.swf

Charlie Moment de Jour

Yesterday the counselor was in my classroom to show a drug video. I had shown the video before, and I had the volume turned WAY WAY up. I was having to fiddle with it and in the process it flipped to a TV channel. It was a soap opera. Fortunately only one phrase made its way out. Unfortunately that phrase was, "Give me the D*#$ phone!"

Video games are set to overtake television as the top form of entertainment, measured by total hours spent, in 2007.

For matters of legislation, soy sauce is treated as a beverage and not as a condiment by the food and drug administration.

?Quantos Anos Tiene?

It's Fun To Be One

Micah on his throne, with his minions BeeBop and Rocksteady on his right and left.

...must....get...mo..r.e...in.....mouth...

Que es?

me love trucks

Color Samples

I can't really find a picture of a car on the internet that has quite the color I'm trying to think of. Many come close. I found some that are in the neighborhood. I'm really looking for something half-way between some of the more "gold" look and this color on the cervinis picture. But it would be more on the gold tint than silver. This is my personal preference.

I found a cool site called "redlinegoods.com" They make custom boots for shifters and ebrakes,etc. They do dual colors / stripes / tubed, etc. With the exterior I'm thinking of, I think the boots in this picture would go good.

Also, since I'm on the thought of the interior...I kind of like some of the racing seats out there. I'm not to high on the ones that look like they have four arms trying to wrap around you, but I've seen some cool ones that are less extreme. This would be something to think about if the seats in the one I had were all messed up.

Also, I've been looking at high-powered headlights. There is such a variety...color tinted, but then you have to be careful there for DOT regulations, different shades of white. When I've looked at the scales that compare them to regular headlight bulbs though, the low on the Xenon ones are equal to the brights on regular ones. So I guess everybody that you drove past would think you were bright-lighting them. But I guess if they turned their brights on you, you could flip your brights on and burn out their retinas.

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1-2

The other day I went to Ingles and experienced a funny little 1-2 Charlie moment punch combo.

I headed towards the restroom. Went in. Noticed it looked different than usual. I supposed thats to be expected... since I'm standing in a womens restroom.

I find the mens room. Look on a stall wall. The only graffitti words there? ... "Teachers Suck".

My name was on the "tag" list, so here this is....but you know what this stuff reminds me of? Those girly quizzes that teen magazines have in them.




4 Jobs I Have Had In My Life
1. Hardees (front line / back line / frier of the poultry) & Shoneys (salad bar attendant)
2. Rite Aid (I got to wear a "smock")
3. Childrens Minister
4. Middle School Teacher

4 Goals I Set for This Year
1. Sow generously
2. Obtain a Mustang
3. Write (I have a couple of projects...whether or not this happens I don't know)
4. Become a better teacher

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
1. Gladiator
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. Schendler's List
4. Good Will Hunting (but I can't really watch any movie too much)

4 Places I Have Lived
1. Stockbridge, GA - birth to age 14 (8th grade)
2. Young Harris, GA - 14 - 18 (12th grade) (duh)
3. Toccoa, GA - 1998 - 2001
4. Cornelia, GA - 2001 - current

4 TV Shows I Love To Watch
1. The King of Queens
2. American Idol
3. Everybody Loves Raymond
4. The People's Court and/or Judge Judy

4 Places I've Been On Vacation
1. Phoenix, AZ
2. NY City, NY
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Minneapolis, MN

4 Websites I Visit Daily
1. www.craniumthreads.blogspot.com (narcissitic? spelling?) and all my blogging friends
2. www.ajc.com
3. www.usatoday.com
4. www.drudgereport.com

4 of My Favorite Foods
1. Brunswick Stew
2. Hot and Sour Soup
3. Texas Fajita Nachos
4. Bananna Pudding / Cheese Cake / cookies (I can't choose just one)

4 Places I Would Rather Be Right Now
1. Dreamland ( I'm in bed on my laptop and should be sleeping)
2. Camping
3. Visiting friends
4. On whatever island the people from LOST are on, so I could stare the black cloud in the face.

So Now I'm Going to Tag...
1. David who is too lazy to do this
2. Jared who is too apathetic to do this
3. Tori who doesn't have a blog to do this on

gmail

Michael mentioned on a post on his blog about gmail. I am decently happy with my yahoo mail, even though I am starting to collect more spam attention.

However, to see what the fuss was about, I checked it out. Turns out they have some really cool features. I went ahead and created an account. I'm still debating just a little bit whether or not to go with it; but I might. If I do I'll let ya'll know. The address I created is identical to my yahoo one, except just replace the yahoo with gmail. So it would be ckmail1@gmail.com I'm still debating whether or not it is worth the effort of contacting all the people/subscription stuff I'd have to if I make a switch. But thanks to Michael for bringing it to my attention.

PS. David, you should switch because your hotmail account is worthless. It trashes everything I send.

Charlie Moment

Today as I'm leaving the library after checking out some books:

Librarian: "Good luck with that."

Me: "I will."

David's New Ride

Introducing David's new steed. Scroll down a little to read details about the car.

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Vehicle Description



This 1988 Ford Mustang GT Hatchback has been in the family since 2000. It has passed an out-of-state inspection for title (KY requirement) by the Bullitt County, KY Sheriff's office.

Originally, this car was black. It has been repainted by a high school auto shop class and is now a silver pearl metallic with light blue racing stripes. The tires have about 50% tread remaining. Shocks, struts & ball joints were replaced in late 2004.

MOTOR. The motor was rebuilt to stock by a local performance shop. It is 30-over roller motor with stock cam. I built this motor to be dependable daily driver getting good gas mileage. Car used to be an automatic so it still has a 2.73 or 3.08 gear in the rear end. With conversion to a 5-speed, the car gets about 24 miles per gallon on the highway. This new motor has 2164 miles on it. New parts include: MSD Billet distributor, MSD blaster coil, injectors, smaller crank pulley, smog pump eliminator pulley, off-road H-pipe, oxygen sensors, aluminum drive shaft, Ford Racing aluminum radiator, speedometer cable, Accel spark plug wires, adjustable clutch cable with firewall adjuster, heater core. Performance parts include: BBK equal length headers, FlowMaster Catback system, cold air induction with K&N filter, Mac chrome upper & lower radiator hose kit. The only thing that does not work on the car is the cruise control - the cruise control cable needs to be replaced.

EXTERIOR. A six-piece clear headlight kit & LX taillights were installed about 1 1/2 years ago. There is a crack in the right rear lens. There are a few minor defects in the paint as you can see from the pictures. Paint is chipping on the front bumper where FORD emblem used to be. There is a small rust area on the right rear wheel well. A few chips exist here and there on the body from normal daily driving. The paint is 3 years old. The front windshield has been replaced and all the other windows are good & clear. A lift is available to serious buyers to inspect underneath the vehicle. There are no holes or rust under the car. Sub-frame connectors have been installed & welded into place.

INTERIOR. The cloth interior is gray. the front seats have seat covers. The covers are old & stained. The drivers seat has a small rip & a few stains. The console is in good condition other than a missing ashtray door. New carpet was installed in 2005. The radio is a Sony CD player. Wires are already run for an amplifier. The headliner could stand to be replaced.

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only because michael asked me to

Three Names You Go By:
1. Charlie
2. Mr. Kelly (at work)
3. Ceptor Jones (gamertag)

Three Things That Scare You:
1. Being a hypocrite and/or a whitewashed tomb (clean on the outside, dirty on the inside) like the Pharisees.
2. Wasting my life by not following God’s leading (and also more specifically, not leading people to Christ.)
3. The idea of bad things happening to my family.

Three of Your Everyday Essentials:
1. Wallet and cell phone (pocket essentials)
2. carabineer – with keys attached
3. my glasses

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. red button-up shirt
2. khaki corduroy pants
3. wedding ring (although I think it might as well be considered part of my body at this point.)

Three of Your Favorite Drinks:
1. coke
2. sweet tea
3. hot tea with my Chinese food.

Three of Your Favorite Songs - at the moment:
1. Grace Like Rain – Todd Agnew
2. Some song by Delirious? – but I don’t know the name
3. Willabe Wallabe Woo – by The Wiggles

Three of Your Favorite Artists- at the moment
1. Delirious?
2. Freddie Bruno
3. Reliant K

Three Things You Want in a Relationship (other than Real Love):
1. companionship
2. common beliefs and goals
3. great food

Two Truths and a Lie:
1. I stood next to Ric Flair in the airport (FYI – I hate that wrestling mess)
2. My mother has a star named after her in the official star registry.
3. I love social activities.

Three of Your Favorite Hobbies:
1. X-box 360 online
2. Surfing the internet
3. Reading “Scientific American”

Three Things You want to do really badly right now:
1. Finish doing work/chores and just chill
2. Watch “Cinderella Man” that we rented last night
3. Sell my car

Three Places You Want to go on Vacation:
1. Israel
2. Greece
3. Rome, Italy – not Georgia

Three Things You Want to Do Before You Die:
1. Lead to the Lord and disciple a bazillion people
2. Develop and build an underground bunker facility that is similar in many respects to the bat cave. It will be dimly lit and contain surveillance systems of my house and yard as well as the ability to launch remote control helicopters equipped with cameras, fireworks and smoke bombs. It will be immune to nuclear radiation and have enough supplies to last years. It will contain tunnels to nearby woods in case of enemy occupation.
3. Feel at peace with what my life has accomplished (fought the good fight, finish the race)

Three Ways that you are stereotypically a Chick/Guy:
1. I don’t like to explain my day.
2. Usually, whatever just happened or is going on….it’s not that big of a deal……so just calm the heck down.
3.I like to eat….a lot. (And I also like muscle cars…even though that is not related to eating)

Three people I would like to see take this quiz:
1. Jared Putnum (also known as Jeremy “Weightlifter” Punion)
2. David EUGENE Cox II (Also known as “hey! He’s throwing meximelts at my car!)
3. Tori Kelly (also known as “she who places my son on me to allow him to beat me in the face while I sleep as an amusing way of waking me up” girl.)

funny

Yesterday, at dinner, Micah was eating bread (his favorite). He was eating pieces of hamburger bun. All of a sudden, he started to choke on a piece. He started gagging, and his face began to turn a shade of red. And then, while still choking... he starts putting the NEXT piece of bread in his mouth.

Tuesday Night

Tuesday night was the first night of the G.R.O.W. program at church. I went, the pastor saw me signing in, said "you got a partner?", I said "no", he said "you want to go soul-winning?", I said, "yeah". We went to visit a couple. The man ended up accepting Christ, his wife who was a Christian but had been away from church for 10 years, rededicated her life, and their twin 6 year old girls are now supposed to start coming to KIDZ LIFE on Sunday nights.

When I told this to David, I believe ocrrectly pointed out, God tells you to do something, you are obedient, and bam - He works. It was amazing to see God do that right off the bat. And to think I almost didn't go Tuesday because I had to work very late.

It reminds me of a song I remember learning in Zambia:

A la le sala-landa, A la le sala-landa.
A la le sala-landa, ne-she pali, mu-le ma.

Translation:

When God speaks,
there is a reason.

GA's Move Over Law

I got this in a forward. I thought it was interesting. I supposed this is mostly for David. (Because he is known to be an unsafe driver, and I think mowing down pedestrians is next on the list). (Jared still prefers the T-boning unsuspecting victims approach.) (Charlie prefers, ...oh thats right, Charlie doesn't wreck.)


> > GA's Move Over Law 
> >
> > FYI
> >
> > I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of a new law in Georgia
> > (well, it has been in effect for about one year). It is called the Move Over
> > Law.
> >
> > This morning, a girl on the radio show was telling about a ticket she
> > received. She said she was on her way to work and saw where a cop had
> > someone pulled over. She said he was walking back to his car, so of course,
> > she
> > slowed down as she passed him. A few seconds later, the cop was pulling
> > her over. He gave her a ticket for not following the law by moving over a
> > lane while passing. She called a week later to find out how much she owed
> > for
> > her ticket, and it was $650! They said the minimum fine is $500!
> >
> > I believe the law is to move over a lane while passing a police car
> > assisting someone, a wrecker, tow truck, etc. Just wanted to make sure
> > everyone
> > was aware of it. I put a link on at the end for all to look at if
> > interested.
> >
> > http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/moveoverlaw.html

My next car

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Prayer Request from NTM missionaries

Some friends of our family, who are former NTM missionaries to Indonesia, have a son who is currently among a previously unreached tribe in Venezuela. He through many years of effort has helped translate the Bible into their language. However, it seems now that the government may make all missionaries leave. Hopefully not...but at least if so, God allowed him to get the Bible translated and national pastors started before they had to leave. Here is the excerpt from the article.

February 3, 2006



CARACAS, Venezuela: Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down a preliminary decision on the case of New Tribes Mission of Venezuela.

The Court determined not to suspend the effects of the Nov. 14 resolution which gave missionaries 90 days to leave tribal areas. At the same time the Court accepted the request for a hearing on the constitutionality of the resolution.

NTM missionaries will continue their exit from tribal areas in order to meet the February 12 deadline.

The process to overturn the resolution is still ongoing, but the final decision on that count could take up to a year.