jbw07's Xanga

Monday, October 22, 2007

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:43:33 GMT

So our homegroup hosts just got a new puppy. I wasn't having any ideas about getting a dog. I mean, I haven't visited those thoughts in quite a while--life has just been too busy. But when that dog got up, right after having slept on my lap for about 15 minutes, and opened up fire on the rug right in front of everyone, suddenly all questions of having pets in the future were silenced...and I experienced a steady, flowing, yellow piece of realization. That could have been me that dog peed on...

I would like to think all of us who didn't have pets that night were sharing similar feelings whilst we stared at the crouched puppy in disbelief, half expecting the owners to get angry and half joyful--knowing that we would be exempt from helping clean up. But that has yet to be confirmed..the feelings I mean. The cleaning up was never an option for me and not because I don't love serving people, as I can see that becoming a point of criticism in most people's minds. Please read further

And so, in this moment of zen or realization or whatever you want to call it, I soon began to draw a correlation between what was going on in front of us at that moment and similar events that have happened to me in the nursury at the church when I tried to "help" with the babies. This correlation lead me to a conclusion about both experiences: pets are like babies.

I mean this in two ways. First, pets and babies can't communicate to you exactly what they need so you have to learn what certain movements or sounds mean based on inevitable "accidents" that happen should those needs go unmet. The two most important meanings being, "I must relieve my bowels and/or kidneys now" coupled with whines or cries of pain from both organisms and "I'm hungry", which is coupled with whines or cries...of...pain...hmmm. How do you tell the difference?

And secondly, my favorite: If you don't have babies or pets you're not expected to clean either of these bottoms. That's the law. People assume that if you don't have babies or pets you also don't have experience cleaning either of these things and you will either be horrified at the prospect of cleaning up excrement, or they'll thing you're totally incompetent when it comes to handling poo.

I don't know where this unspoken tendency comes from, but it's an excellent negotiating point. I'm even typing this out loud and totally blowing my cover, but it still holds true. If you have never changed a diaper, no one will ever make you! It's not that inexperience always equals incompetence, but when it comes to dookie all bets are off.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:51:30 GMT

Updates include...

1. Learning how to invest (I've heard many different thoughts on this one...lladnar, tell me the secrets of trading options!! I think you have my cell phone)

2. Still working at the J.O.B...best investment I have so far...

3. I went dove hunting last weekend!...don't worry dgausepohl, nothing to be jealous of. My father-in-law popped basically the only birdie we saw :(

4. I think I rescued two chiggers from the wild planes of central texas...didn't spray my wasteline--dang it!

5. Livin' lovin' life! I'm livin' your love. Lovelivin' your life! Life life your love in my life!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:36:57 GMT

Randall changed his profile pic back. Whew! I was kind of going crazy cause I can't afford to upgrade...wait...trying to justify payment to wife...and....and it's a no go. DANG IT!! But I love that monkey, Randall!!!! Stay cool, man! You're my only link to the monkey!!!...unless I can get everyone to add that as their profile pic?

That seems like a good compromise: If I can't get at least two more people to change their profile pic to the monkey, then I can pay for the xanga upgrade.

What do you think?

Monday, July 30, 2007

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:15:48 GMT

All moved in. We had a good time with her family and celebrated my dad's birthday. We are exhausted.

We have a long week ahead of us, but praise the Lord! it's over. We have everything moved in, and we'll start making payments on our new house soon.

Thank you, Lord for your many blessings!!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:44:20 GMT

I drank 67.6 oz of water yesterday during the day, and I can't tell you what it did for my energy level. Usually, I have major problems with getting motivated to do stuff like making labels, calling dumb people, dealing with people's cr*p, and by the time 1:00 rolls around, I'm exhausted!

But by drinking all that water, not only did I have to pee like every 30 minutes, but I maintained an energy high the whole day WITHOUT drinking ANY coffee!!!...I'm doing it again today...

Wait a second....I think I've found the cure to coffee addiction!!!!!!...

Don't hate meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:43:29 GMT

I'm still waiting on my experience today.

My tan is almost gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:21:17 GMT

Another weekend passes and I have yet to get out in the sun to maintain the beautiful (to be read with a thick italian...no, spanish accent). And my wife and I have so much to do in the way of indoors stuff! What's a white guy to do?

We're going to have to start packing, for starters. Yes, another move; are you kidding me? There's no way we will last in that 1/1 garage apartamento the rest of the summer. It's just warming up, and I'd like to be in a place with CENTRAL ac. No more window units, please!

By the by, married life is bliss. We're learning how to be considerate of each other (more me than her...the learning I mean), and we're experiencing so much of the Lord's blessing. I've spent more time at home this past month than I have in years. Tonight, I'm going home to take care of my little wife and cook her some supper.

Yeehaw!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:41:42 GMT

In conclusion, it was an a pretty awesome, but bitter cold, panaramoid. I actually didn't plan on it being quite so frigid, but she stuck it out with me and we made it an unforgettable experience.

For the rest of the details, you'll have to hang out with the both of us sometime. Coffee, dinner, whatever. Monday nights are usually pretty good. Sunday after church. And that's pretty much all we have time for. Call a week in advance.

Have a nice day.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:23:36 GMT

So, on with my story.

I decided early on that this would be a surprise to Heather. (flashback) A couple of days before we left for Virginia, Heather and I were at a restaurant having a conversation about getting engaged. She knew that I was looking for a ring and was expecting something to happen the week of our trip, as is natural. But as the conversation went on, I just felt horrible that she would be expecting it. So I asked for the first nights after we got BACK from the trip to settle everything with the ring.

Man! I felt so bad for having said that after I finished talking. But I couldn't take it back. So (fast forward) here I am driving towards the highway feeling like poo because none of my plans are working out and low and behold, a light shineth forth from the heavenlies! Could it be? A sign from the Lord! It was another entrance onto the Parkway that read:

"Parkway closed 8 miles ahead"

I swerved off the two-lane road at the nearest turn-around point and headed back to the sign I saw. My plans were saved! We got on the Parkway to go the 8 miles. This was my last shot to propose, and I was determined not to introduce Heather to my family as my girlfriend!

Monday, March 26, 2007

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 21:15:44 GMT

Here's the engagement story from my point of view:

So we were driving away from a friend's house in NC, where we spent the previous night, and then headed up to see my Nanna for Thanksgiving. My plan was to stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway and propose to Heather before I introduced my lovely lady to the family as my finance (which she wasn't at that point). I had to figure out how to make this happen at a location I didn't know existed on a day that I wasn't sure would be clear.

-Now, before you TX people start getting confused and offended at my lack of romanticism, let me make it clear to you that comparing the roads of Applachia to your beloved exhaust-ridden slabs of concrete is a fatal mistake. Please visit other places...please-

On this particular morning (it was probably around 8:30) the weather was cold enough for it to start snowing. I tried to keep the flame of hope alive that either they had already salted the Parkway (again, for you Texans that's what they do on most mountain roads to prevent hydroplaning or frozen roads) or that the road wasn't that affected by the light snow.

But everything was dashed to the ground and spit on when I asked one of the rangers at the Parkway information center if we could make it onto the parkway. And no, this was not Chuck Norris. She looked at me with a contempt similar to Heather's reaction to mushrooms (thankfully no gagging commensed) and promptly told me that no passage over the mountains was possible. "Why don't you take the highway?" she asked all too nicely. I felt the blood leave my face. She was taunting me! "May your favorite pet run away and get eaten by a bear," I said under my breath as we walked away.

Meanwhile, I could tell Heather was starting to be concerned at the lack of excitement in my voice when I proclaimed, "It's snowing." She must have thought it was something she had said or done, but I assured her that I was just tired and very happy to the see the snow. What a wonderful thing. Snow. It just floats right on down and RUINS ALL YOUR PLANS. I was quiet most of the way to the highway because I knew that it was my fault for not taking the safe route and proposing in Houston at one of our more frequented places. But no! there's no way I could settle for that! My heart for Heather went beyond the brown grass and concrete of the city. I wanted her to be awed by the Lord's creation in a land that would mean something to us later on. It was He who had brought us together, and it would be He who would lead us into our engagement, so I decided to trust in my Jesus.

More later