It's been awhile

Hello again everyone! Well my crazy week with five exams is over...and it looks like I don't have to drop any of my classes so thats good! Now I don't have too too much to do before finals come around, so it is nice to have a little break. I was pretty productive so far today. Mom, let Dad know I bought the Adobe Acrobat thing for him. I hope it was professional he wanted....the man who sold it to me was very impressed...he said I would love the program. I just played it off as if I actually was the one who would be using it. :-)

I'm pretty excited that the weekend is finally here. I only have class on Monday and just a few homework assignments and an econ project due before coming home on Tuesday. Somehow my teachers decided to be kind and give us ways around going to class on Tuesday...I guess everyone wants to get home for the break...not just the students. I'm still working on how I'll be getting home, but I've gotten a few possible offers so somehow I'll work that out. I can't wait to eat real food!!!!

Actually, speaking of real food, I'm about to go to dinner in 15 minutes at Cafe Laura. Cafe Laura is a fancy restaurant on campus that is run by the Hotel and Restaurant Management students. Usually they have different themed dinners all of which are about 5 courses and I've heard are amazing. Tonight my roomie Julie and I are going to one. Its a Thanksgiving dinner...and it's only 8 dollars....and it can go on my meal plan card...what could be better!

The weather is amazing today...I love this. 65 degrees and gorgeous. Oh yeah...I have a new "job" now. I'm a "mark representative"....basically an Avon Lady. Mark is Avon's new cosmetics/skincare/fashion/etc line for younger girls. Don't worry this isn't an advertisement...just an update on whats going on with me. I think it should be fun...selling makeup to sorority girls who are broke...haha but wish me luck.

Well, anyway...I'm exciting about the upcoming break. It will be great to see everyone...even though I will not have a chance to see everyone I'd like to see. :-( Plus I can use a break from the two evil roommates and their even more evil cat. (Which by the way I had a chance to get rid of the other day but I'm too nice to do it...but I'll have to tell you about that later!) Time for some turkey dinner for me! MMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmm

Happy Friday

What a day, huh? It was cool this morning while I was working across the street. Overalls and a sweatshirt were comfortable, bordering on too warm. Then it got into the 60's while I went shopping with Anne and John. Then it climbed into the 70's. Wow. And it was, and is, beautiful to boot. As I write, the valley out front is striped with splashes of sunshine and shadow. It's nearly 4 o'clock, so at this point my money is on the shadow.

We have good news and bad news to share. First the good news. Coby ran away. Yes. It's true. Some things are just too good for words.

Now the bad news. He's home. A very nice lady at the top of the hill found him outside her home late last night. She took him for a ride up and down Triadelphia Road, but he didn't signal that any house was home, so she went back. She called a couple of veterinarians and they told her to keep him inside so he wouldn't hit by a car. Like it was any of their business.

I believe when it's time, it's time. You know? Joan and I both have living wills that state, "No extraordinary measures are to be taken to prolong life." I think keeping the dog inside is an extraordinary measure. Anyway, this lady even went so far as to place a large box with "Found Dog" boldly printed on its side at the end of her driveway. I'm such a dad. I not only noticed the sign, I told Katie about. She asked if we could stop. I'm too darn soft, that's my problem. We stopped. It was Coby. *sigh* So close.

My hope now lies in this: Coby knows that if he is willing to barrel courageously through the invisible fence, he has a playmate nearby. Just at the top of the hill. Across that very busy road. I can be patient.

So what's happening with you folks?

Well, well ...

It's a rainy day here in dear old Maryland. Normally that would suck (I am almost as confirmed in my admiration for sunshine as I am in my admiration for Macs). But today is somewhat different.

The normal rainy day things happened today. I got up and cleaned stalls. I went back to the branch-hauling job and pulled another half-ton of brush out of the ladies backyard (it wasn't raining yet). Then I received a delayed (I suppose) voicemail message that she and her husband were unhappy with me because the job wasn't completed yet and I wasn't there even though it was not raining. Okay. That kind of stuff is still happening and I'm apparently a bad boy. But guess what? Five deer just walked across the yard.

I know, I know. Big deal. Deer do that. But you don't understand. It's 4 in the afternoon. The sky is a decidedly overcast light grey with drizzle. It's dim enough that the neighbor's security light is lit on the front of her barn. And five deer just quietly traipsed across the yard. It was beautiful. And no unhappy customer can take that moment. Is that cool or what?

Oh yeah. I also got a call from the HR person at Lockheed Martin and I start on Monday. This rain day has all kinds of mitigating factors.

I head off to Cornerstone to practice for their Sunday service shortly. We're doing a couple of songs I really like and one I don't know. It should be fun. Also, I put on dress clothes when I got back from my morning hauling. I needed the practice. It feels kind of nice. Jeans are comfortable, but it will be nice to wear clothing that doesn't smell as if it will promote plant growth.

Whose turn is it to write back?

Dave

Ohmigosh!

Forgive me Father, for I have not posted in two days. What's up with that? Life I suppose.

Today was a blur leaving behind it dry, irritated eyes and sore muscles. I convinced my friend John to help me in a job picking up sticks. Only when we were on site did I reveal to him that the "sticks" were 30-40 foot pine trees I had cut up the day before. We took one load to the dump. It weighed almost a ton. Literally. I pay $25/ton to dump yard waste and this load cost me $23.50. In the afternoon, there was a shift change. I picked up Brandon after school and we took John home. Then it was back to the job site. Both Brandon and John were introduced to the Stihl Farm Boss chain saw for the first time. Neither did badly. Brandon and I got about half a load on, then we realized (thank you, Brandon) that we barely had time to make the dump before it closed. Scratch that. We were at the gate of the dump at about two minutes before closing time. But the ladies who work the scales raised such a fuss the last time I came in at the last minute that I didn't dare try it again. I'm such a wuss. So we brought the load home and I got permission to dump it in the neighbor's stream bed. It all worked out because she needed me to feed for her anyway. But we got the truck and trailer hung up in the soft part of the front field and didn't get back to the house where the trees were down until after dark.Then it was time to take Brandon home and run off to finance meeting for church. The meeting to set the 2004 budget lasted from 7 until midnight. Then I chatted with the pastor for a few more minutes. Now I am just getting home, settling down, and realizing that my body is not accustomed to this. Or to the coffee at 7 and 8 in the evening. Or to skipping supper. But I really do believe I can quickly become accustomed to frozen fun size 3 Musketeers bars. They are delish!

The forecast is for rain--up to 5 inches--over the next few days. I may not get back to this job until Saturday, and I believe I may start work on Monday at Lockheed, so things are beginning to go crunch. Yikes!

So, tell me again....how was your day?

Sunday's events

Today was my day to handle part one of the pilgrimage to Gaithersburg. Katie and I went to church together. Very nice people who remember names. How wonderful is that? Joan played the role of the heathen and stayed home in her p.j.’s. That’s a role a played with particular relish last week. Teen transportation is a tag-team event.

I played with the horses today while J&K went to Puzzini’s. I watched a couple of specials on John Cash while waiting for Kate Farris to return home. When she did, it was to impending rain, so we jettisoned our plans to build a breeding chute and I ferried sawdust into the stalls instead. The addition of more layers of sawdust will be a weekly activity throughout the winter. Apparently, you can keep bare stalls in the summer because it is cooler for the young horses to lay on. That’s not such a great thing in the winter, so we add sawdust. Who knew? And what’s next, comforters and such? Actually, I’ve seen the blankets and that really is the next step.

Joan and I co-piloted Katie to youth group tonight. While about “living loud,” which she does with her radio each morning (although I think this was more about authentic living), Joan and I learned about surly serving. Somebody apparently put a nasty twist in the knickers of our waiter. He was curt, abrupt, and impatient. Everything I look for in the service industry. Maybe he’s one of your DMV people, Beth. That was a poor start to a good evening because we found out that we can begin spending our Sunday evenings at Trader Joe’s. Hip, hip, hooray! Tonight’s dangerous discovery was dark chocolate covered cherries. Not such a hit with Joan, more’s the pity. I love ‘em.

We collected Katie and just returned home. Now it’s time to get ready for the week. God bless you all. Write soon.

dlc

No Title :)

Hi All~Is tomorrow Monday already? I'm not finished with my weekend! We're straightening and reorganizing and we're just getting going here!!! Oh well, it can continue, I suppose. Em and I will have a full week to get it all together after this school week. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break as much as the kids :)

Bob and I had our first Playhouse date of the season on Thursday. We saw Goodnight Gracie with Frank Gorshin playing George Burns. It's a one-man show of the lives of George Burns and Gracie Allen. We really enjoyed it, as always. It's so nice to get out and see a good show...........especially when it's only 20 minutes or so from our house.

Kyle's begging daily to go and get his learner's permit. I'll get him there this week. I only hope that he passes. It's a pain to get to the DMV. It's an even bigger pain to wait in line at the DMV. Such pleasant people................NOT!

Not much else new here. I'll check in with you again soon. Beth