Nate's Nonsense

All Guys Again

2008-04-12T14:09:00.002-05:00

Sarah left us again, high and dry. I'm starting to notice a pattern here. Every 1.5-2 months she is on a retreat with church or hanging out with her girlfriends. One of the trends when Sarah leaves is she lets the boys go to the library and pick out some movies and books. This weekend was no different as the boys came with about 5 movies and 3 books. Last night we watched a terrible movie, Lemony Snicket's-A series of Unfortunate Events. I hope Sarah got this on a recommendation and didn't pick this out on her own. I think the only one of us who enjoyed it was Grant. I thought it was terrible, Max thought it was creepy and Grant just liked it. Grant and I were laying on the couch together when Jack decided to join us. Jack starts flopping around on Grant and I, which made Grant upset, and then next thing you know Jack is asleep. It was nice to have Jack fall asleep on me. He's a MaMa's boy all the way so it was a good bonding moment for us. After the terrible movie is over we pop in another one. Happy Feet. I thought it was kind of an odd movie and didn't really understand the Al Gore ending and all the political junk at the end. Right now the boys and neighbors are watching Alvin and the Chipmunks. I don't know how many times the boys have watched this movie but I would dare to guess about 15 times. It's starting to get disruptive in the living room so I better go

All Guy Weekend

2008-02-25T17:05:00.002-06:00

Sarah went on a retreat this weekend with the church. So that meant it was all dudes, all weekend. Of course we had a blast wrestling, watching movies, cartoons, wrestling and just hanging out in general. Saturday night we didn't find anything we could wanted to watch or that looked appropriate to watch until we saw that Cops was on. The boys saw it as we surfed the TV and wanted to watch it. I didn't want to at first but then I thought if it gets too racy or foul then I can turn it off or change the channel. I thought it was very educational for the boys and I to watch as they learned the dangers that drugs can pose. It can ruin your life, your family's lives, your friends lives, your body, mind, etc...and you would be in BIG trouble with Dad. So, if you haven't taken advantage of letting your kids watch Cops or any other educational program I encourage to open up and go for it.

Halloween

2007-11-05T17:58:00.000-06:00

What fun is Halloween if you don't dress up and have fun with it right? Right. It's also fun to eat your kid's candy because they're either too small or you don't want your kids to have that much candy. I use both so I get more candy. Bad parent? Never. Forward thinking. Helps my kids sensitive teeth be cavity free, no upset stomachs, not as much fighting about who has the most candy, etc...Here are some pictures from our fun night of Trick Or Treating!!!

I need to warn the women folk who will be reading this blog. Pray before you see the pictures below because I am dead sexy in my costume.

Some of my fellow trick-o-treaters

Spider-Max and ??????

Jack's goal is to be as big as that pumpkin.

Family picture. Mom? What are you going to be?????

Let the fun begin!

Tonight at dinner

2007-10-19T19:14:00.000-05:00

Tonight at dinner Sarah and I were discussing her poison ivy. As we talked about how she got it, how it spread, what she read online, etc...the boys were listening to us. Max chimed in that it looks like a spider bite he saw in a book that Thomas and Jennifer(neighbors) have. Then he said, "Mom. I hope it's not leopardseal. You need to pray about that." Sarah and I both laughed. So please pray that Sarah doesn't have leopardseal, which is commonly known as leprosy.

Saturday

2007-09-25T22:44:00.000-05:00

My parents bought the boys a really cool swing set. I need help getting it from Siloam to Springdale. I just need some muscle. I'll reward you with pizza or some type of food and drink. Please let me know asap if you can help.

New Job

2007-09-24T21:33:00.001-05:00

I wanted to let everyone know that I have accepted a new job at JB Hunt as a freight broker and I start Oct. 1. I also wanted to thank everyone for their prayers, advice, and friendship. We're all real excited that I'll be back to day hours, make more money, and be able to be a father and husband again.

I also want to say thanks to my mother for watching the kids for us on Mondays and Wednesdays. I know Grant really enjoys his time with Memaw and Whizzy, her dog.

Hopefully I'll be really good at this and be able to make a good sized commission check so we can get out of debt even quicker.

Random Events

2007-09-24T21:22:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share some random things that I have heard from my children. Let's start with tonight.

After reading the Bible to Max and Grant, also known as #1 and #2, #1 made an interesting comment. We just read about the 10 plagues God sent to free the Egyptians. Max was really into it and thought God really showed who He was by doing all those things to the bad king. We talked a little bit more and then Max said, "You know what else I think I might have done to that bad king Dad?" I said, "Nope. What?" "I would have hit him with my elbow and a karate chop." I asked why and Max said, "Just because he's bad." I nodded my head and we prayed.

About a week or so ago Grant and I were talking about nothing in particular when he suddenly pulls his shirt up. This is not uncommon as the boys and I enjoy being scarecely or naked. Sadly, Sarah has put it in the boys heads that it is wrong or bad to be naked in the house. I strongly disagree but have slowed my nakedness in order to set a good example. Let's get back to Grant. He pulls up and his shirt, slaps his stomach a few times and says, "Dad. When my belly gets really big and sticks really far out then I'll be fat." Of course this is said in Grant's gruff and tough voice. I shook my head and agreed with what he said. After that Grant said, "When that happens I'll punch my stomach and tell my belly get back in there, get back in there. I told Grant I had tried that and it doesn't work so he's better off not getting fat. I'm not sure he believed me but he shook his head and we went on about our business.

Good Times

2007-08-19T20:58:00.000-05:00

Life is always exciting around the house. One of the boys always seems to do or say something that makes you laugh and I thank God for that. We need something to laugh about around here.

The other day Grant found my wedding ring on the table and brought it to me. When he brought it to me he said, "Dad. Look what I found. Gold!" then he proceeded to the ring to me. I don't remember what he was watching, but it had something to do with digging and finding treasures. I think maybe Clifford, but I can't really remember. I just laughed and thanked him.

Tonight while Max and I were getting ready for church he looked at me with a weird face. I asked what the weird face was for.
He said, "Dad. Did you cut your face or somethin'?" I said, "No. Why?" Max said, "You have this big red spot on your face and it's bleeding." It was a zit. I explained to Max what they were and he just shrugged his shoulders then we left for church.

For those of you who didn't or don't go to the Grove missed a good sermon tonight. I attached the link so you can listen to it. Matt Fries spoke tonight and it was really good.

Any Ideas?

2007-07-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

As many of you know I switched routes so I could increase my studies and get my CAD certification sooner than later. In doing so I am working nearly as many hours as I was and I am losing $300-$400 a month. I have thinking of ways to regain that money without having to hire a baby-sitter to watch the boys. My idea is to a paper delivery guy. I don't want to do this at all because it is 7 days a week and if I get sick or take a vacation then I have to find someone to cover my route. This past Monday I went and talked to a guy at the Morning News about getting a route. He has one coming available which pays around $800 a month plus a $250 bonus if I don't get a whole lot of complaints. He also told me they have an assistant manager for the paper couriers which works from 11:00pm-3:00am but only pays $9.00/hr. and works 3-5 week. I'm leaning toward the paper route since it generates more money but I'm open to any suggestions.

We're back

2007-07-02T11:03:00.001-05:00

After a longer than normal journey home we made it back. The trip must have been especially tiring on the boys because Grant slept until 9:00, Max until 10:15 and I put Jack down for his nap at 8:00(he's still sleeping). It was a weird morning but they quickly adjusted to being at home. They are currently outside playing with our neighbors, Jennifer and Thomas, and some of their cousins.

We had an exciting trip and enjoyed ourselves. One of the fun things we did was go to an REI garage sale. REI is an outdoor store similar to but better than Lewis and Clark. I bought a pair of Merrell's and a pair of Keen's for a total of $30.00. Both are slightly worn but in excellent condition.

Friday

2007-06-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

Drinks were provided by Max.

He just missed the ball, but his form is great.

This is our hole.

He has a great back swing.

Posing for the camera.

Thursday

2007-06-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

After work on Thursday the boys and I went to Sonic for our root beer floats.

Redneck Thoughts

2007-06-03T11:34:00.001-05:00

This might be the greatest month of nedneck calendar I have ever seen. Even though most of you won't admit, there is a part of you that envies, desires and hopes that the inner redneck comes out one day. I once watched a special on Jeff Foxworthy who said a lot of his material comes from fans who share their stories with him. If you have any redneck confessions it is ok to leave them here. I will not judge you, in fact we will treat this like an altar call. Everyone bow your heads and close your eyes. If you have a redneck confession just raise your hand. Thank you. I see you in the back. I see yours too. Thank you. Thank you. Now, let's pray.

Dear God, help us to accept the inner redneck inside of us and help us to not judge others who freely exercise their inner redneck. Amen.

If you lived this one out then you are my new hero. I asked David Davis if this is how their next child came about but he said it wasn't. I'm hoping that either John and Big Al or Micah and Lester(Elizabeth Hale) experienced this.

This one isn't funny, but true.

Who didn't do this when you were growing up?

Oak Plaza Barber Shop

2007-06-02T14:19:00.001-05:00

Today was a big day for me as a father. I finally convinced Max to get his hair cut with me at the Barber shop. He was awesome. He was very nervous the entire time but he sat still and did just as the barber instructed. The only regret I have is not having the barber use higher number guards. I forgot their guards are shorter than all other guards.

His hair looks good and we're both still dead sexy!

What do you want for breakfast?

2007-06-01T22:40:00.000-05:00

I heard Sarah ask Max this question the other morning. Max's reply was classic.

He said, "Mmmm...I'll take Oreo's or fruit snacks." Sarah told him he couldn't eat those because they were not real breakfast options. Who made her the queen of breakfast?

What do you want to be when you get older?

2007-06-01T22:30:00.000-05:00

Does anyone remember asking their parents or a loved that question? Max asks me that question but with a twist. He wants me to be a Power Ranger with him and Grant. So his question goes like this, "Dad. Which Power Ranger do you want to be when you grow up?" I always answer green because he wants to be the Red ranger (along with Grant), the blue ranger is a girl, so I choose green.

I didn't really think about it until the other day. Does Max not think I'm grown up? Am I too much of a kid and not enough of a parental force in his life? I didn't really give it much thought after a few minutes. He obviously thinks I am the coolest cat in the world and he wants me to save the world with him. That's an awesome compliment if you ask me.

Poker Earnings

2007-06-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

After a hard day of delivering the Purple Promise in Harrison I came home and did what every good poker pal dad would do; I took Max and Grant to see Shrek with my poker winnings from the previous morning. The big boys and I went to the malt to watch Shrek and it was great. We had cokes, candy and a really excited little boy behind us. As soon the lights went down he started saying, "Where's Shrek? Dad! Where's Shrek? Shrek!!! I see Shrek!" which actually made the movie a little more fun for me. The boys didn't seem to mind his excitement either. I was a little concerned that we would miss part of the movie because one or both of the boys would need to take a pee break, but that didn't happen. I encouraged them to drink their cokes slowly. All in all it was a great day for us. The poker pals were benevolent again by allowing me to take my boys to a movie. Thanks for folding all of your winning hands.

Prayer

2007-05-23T22:03:00.000-05:00

If you ever want to be amazed while praying, try praying with a kid. I love to hear my kids pray and listen to the big/wild things they pray for. Tonight Max prayed that God would heal Lil P, aka Parker Kelley, and that he would never get sick again. He also prayed that God would kill all of the bad people in the world and stop making them. He asked God to make the bad people so sick that they would never get well again and die immediately.

This is one of Max's crazier prayers, but he's also prayed that God would move us to Africa or Australia so we can tell people about Jesus. I too want to move to Africa while the boys are still young and maybe God is using Max to help us mobilize. I don't know, but I enjoy praying with my boys.

Snakes

2007-05-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

I have been seeing a lot of snakes on my route lately and today was no exception. I saw a total of 4 snakes.

The first live snake I saw I ran over, but not intentionally. I was driving on Hwy 170 going north at approximately 60 mph. I saw this black strip in the road and didn't think anything about it. Once I was within 2-3 feet I noticed a head lift into the air but it was too late then. There were cars coming from the other direction and braking wouldn't have done any good either. I looked in my side mirror and saw the snake strike at its mid-body, the part I ran over, and I thought, "That's probably the last time you do that."

The second live snake I saw was on a dirt road called Bidville Road and it had light brown(tan) and darker brown stripes or diamond shapes. It was pretty big and hanging out in the weeds but it was far enough out for me to see. I see things that most people don't because I am a professional driver and I am trained to see what you less than professional drivers can't or don't see. At first I thought the snake was a rattler due to its size and markings, but after googling it at work I realized it wasn't.

The other two snakes were dead in the road. Speaking of dead in the road, why do so many armadillos die on or near a hiway or road? I can't count all of the dead dillos I see in West Fork and Winslow. Do you think people try to kill them with their cars or do you think the dillos are playing dodge car? I don't know, but I would guess I saw at least 10 today.

I pooped in my pants

2007-05-22T18:06:00.001-05:00

We are still trying to potty train Grant. He was doing great until our family caught this stomach virus which gave him explosive mook (my fave word for poop) and we made him wear pull-ups until the virus passed.

Now we make him wash off outside with the hose, clean his underwear, bathe himself and he loses toys. This isn't working too well. If you have any ideas, which are legal, let us know.

Dead Pigeon

2007-05-22T17:53:00.000-05:00

I added a link which shows how I think the pigeon might look after it struck my truck.

I have killed again! That's right. I'm one bad s.o.b. Today wasn't my fault and I don't feel bad since it was a pigeon. For those of you who don't know I also killed a deer less than a year ago on Devil's Den Road. Don't worry, you can't see the blood anymore.

Some of you might wonder how I killed a pigeon. Was it the force, good driving, excellent hand/eye coordination or a combination of all of these? All of the above would be correct normally, but today it was the wind. I'm going 70 in my Sprinter on 540 returning from West Fork and Winslow. As I'm driving I catch something out of my right eye. It's a pigeon which has been blown sideways and is unable to flap it's wings. The pigeon hit the lower driver side of my window. After the loud thump I look in my driver side mirror to see flowers (not really, feathers) floating in the air. So, if you have thing for pigeons this is not the post for you.

Sarah thinks it's sad but I don't. If anyone knows how to get a picture of a pigeon for this blog let me know.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiting_for_friday/433787093/in/pool-deadpigeon/

BBQ Chicken

2007-02-27T21:59:00.000-06:00

I've always thought that I'm raising my kids the right way and tonight Max confirmed it. We cooked ribs and chicken, BBQ style. Is there any other way? Maybe, but I like my BBQ. Max was eating his rib like an animal, maybe a tiger or liger. We talked about how good dinner was and the fun we had making it. I let the boys throw in leaves, sticks, spiders, etc...until the charcoal is ready. While chewing on his rib Max said, "Dad. If we have chicken again. I want BBQ on mine!" then I gave him a high-5. Now I need to him to start drinking sweet tea.

Gotta Go

2007-02-06T23:19:00.000-06:00

As most of you know my parenting style is fairly laid back until the kid's stomp on my hot buttons. What are my hot buttons? I don't know. Ask my kids or Sarah if you want to know. What aren't my hot buttons? Peeing in public.

We were going to Wal-Mart on Sunday prior to church to get our final supplies for the Super Bowl party. Sarah went inside to get our goods while the boys and I drove around the parking lot. Max tells me that he has to go real bad. The last time he told me this and I didn't pull over he peed his pants while we were driving home from Colorado. So I asked him how bad did he need to go? He said real bad. I told him we were in a bad spot because there were no bathrooms in the parking lot and I couldn't find a parking and get all of us inside before he peed his pants. What was my solution? I told Max if he really needed to pee then he would have to pee on the tire while we were in the parking lot. Like the champion that he is, Max shrugs his shoulders and gets out of the van. He pulls down his pants and pees on the tire with countless people passing him. Did he care? No. Was he bothered? Not at all. Is he a champion? No doubt. So don't go telling me about how special your kid is until he/she pees in the parking lot of Wal-Mart on Super Bowl Sunday and doesn't think a thing about it.

I'm a bonehead

2006-09-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

As many of you know last week I had an MRI which revealed I had a tumor in my sinus cavity which is at the base of my skull. It is not in or on my brain, but it is right smack between my eyes. The doctor took the tumor out yesterday and he went through my right nostril. He took out 99% of the tumor and said it appeared to him to look like bone and bone marrow. I've always thought I was a bonehead but I guess it's official now. I was in the hospital about 5 hours and came out of surgery with minimal pain. I wanted to share a little of the joy I experienced after surgery. I couldn't believe how big my nostril was so I had Sarah take a picture of it so everyone could see. That is what it looked like before I cleaned it with a hot towel. It hurt too much to pick it with my finger because the blood was stuck to my nose hairs and they were coming out too. I normally tweeze my nose hairs but this hurt worse than tweezing. Enjoy the pic!

I want to say thank you to everyone who was praying for me and my family! I love you all dearly!

Fun with work

2006-09-11T21:48:00.000-05:00

Update 12/28/06
I haven't been able to come up with any new or witty responses to the mundane questions I get every day from my customers, but I do have some funny/strange stories/respones I have received.
I delivered a check to a lady who lives off of South School. I have been to her house before and her packages always require a signature. I never looked at the package to see who they were from or tried to figure out why they would require a signature other than the sender paid for it.
So I drive down her steep driveway only to see an empty driveway. I was a little frustrated because I knew I would be coming back the next day to re-attempt her package. I start putting the not available scans on her on package and applying the proper stickers, etc...As I am doing this I hear/see a truck pull into the driveway. The truck parks on the other side of my work truck and I hear the door slam! The lady is jogging toward me yelling, "Don't leave! Don't leave! You have my check. Don't leave!" I guess she didn't see that I wasn't in my truck when she pulled down her driveway. She said, "I felt like I needed to leave. I just felt a sense saying, 'Go home. Go home.' " So I left and came home as I could. I'm glad I did because you are here with my check." The lady opens her check and starts screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes!" and then she blurts out "My $13,000.00 check is her. I can pay off my Harley. You are a God! I feel like kissing you. I would kiss but I don't think you would want me to." I agreed that I didn't want her to kiss me, congratulated her on the check and left.

I deliver lots of paychecks to people and this one girl who works off of Cato Springs always tells me that I am her favorite guy every other Thursday. I smile and say thanks or you should inform my wife of how wonderful I am. Another girl who works at Million Air (Drake Field) always gets excited when I deliver their checks every other Thursday as well. She normally offers me a fountain drink and says, "Thanks buddy! See ya soon."

I just noticed that I deliver paychecks mainly to women. Why is that?

I'm still not loving my job at FedEx but I try to have fun as much as I can. Frequently people will ask me, "What did you bring me?" Sometimes I'll say, "I don't know, I didn't order it or
I brought you that million dollars you ordered." Last week I had the best response to one of my comments. I was on South School delivering an envelope to some people. The lady asked who it was for and I stated the name. She said that's my son, I'll sign for it. What is it? I said, "It's his wildest dreams!" The lady smiled at me and said, "No honey! His wildest dreams couldn't fit in that envelope. Having two women at once is my son's wildest dream. He wouldn't be able to handle it, but at least he would die with a smile on his face!" I never dreamnt I would receive a response like that.

It's a Penis

2006-09-11T21:39:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning we were eating breakfast as a family. Sarah put in some of the Sister Schubert's rolls with a sausage in them. As we were eating Max found the sausage in his roll. Upon finding the sausage he said, "Hey! This looks like a penis! Mom! Look! It's a penis!" Naturally we all smirked and tried not to laugh. I told Max he didn't need to say that because it's not appropriate at the dinner table. Once my other son "Repeat" heard Max say penis, he also began saying, "Penis. Penis. Penis. Penis." We also told him that was not appropriate talk at the table. After looking at the sausage I had to agree with Max. If you haven't taken the time to inspect your food latetly you don't know what you're missing out on.

Getting better and funnier.

2006-09-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

Last week work was a lot better and easier since I started my current route. I haven't been working 11-12 hour days unless I want to and my route is finally stabilizing to the normal amount of stops.

A week or two ago I was driving to a county road called South Lake Wilson Road. The house is in West Fork, but a lot of times this area gets labeled as Fayetteville for some reason. That makes a difference to me as far as commitment times go in my job, but I'm not going to bore you all with that. You need a current 911 map to locate most of my stops in the afternoon. I have a 911 map but it is for 1998, which is a little out of date, but it does help. So I pull out my 911 map once I find the county road, which is called South Lake Wilson Road, to locate house. Shocker, it's not in there. So I look both ways and see a mailbox to my right, so I check it out and decide to go that way. After driving about a mile I notice a mailbox without a name or numbers on it and a long driveway. I decide to take it since I have driven so far and I have never been to this area before. The drive is approximately 3/4-1 mile long and uphill. I finally reach the house and I am backing my truck like I'm supposed to. I grab the box out of my truck and I am doing my thing when I hear a lady yell, "Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?" Of course someone is there, do you think the FedEx fairy drove the truck? So I yell to her and state that I am on way. I ask the lady, are you four thousand four hundred and sixty-one S. Lake Wilson Road? She looks at me bewildered and a little dumbfounded. She replies, "No, I am forty-four, sixty-one." I look at her dumbfounded and then I smile at her. I smile for two reasons, I found the correct house and the lady didn't know the long version of her house number. I don't normally say the long version of house numbers but I do when I am going to West Fork/Winslow area because I am mainly driving on county roads which are 3-4 digits long. This helps me keep from confusing the county road and house number.

It also amazes me how many people don't know their house number. I'll pull up and say, "Are you 3263?" The recipient will say, "I don't know. What's the name?"

One other funny thing that people ask is "Whatcha got there?" A lot of times I say, "A box or an envelope." Lately I started telling people a million dollars. They don't know what to think of that so they quickly sign the sheet and go back to work or whatever they were doing.

It's been a fun ride so far with FedEx but I am ready to find something new. I wish the company had a training position in this area but they don't.

Oh Crappy Days

2006-08-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

The past couple of days have sucked! It started yesterday when we found huge wet spots in the boys' rooms. We check out our pipes on the air conditioner which return the water outside and it was leaking. We called the plumber who told us our pipes were probably blocked up, so get a wet/vac and suck out the slime. We go to Lowe's and buy a wet/vac. It sucks out lots of water, but not any slime. The water continues to leak. Sarah inspects it a second time and notices a big crack on one of the pipes. Thus, begins my crappy day.

The second stanza goes like this. Brenden e-mailed me with a paint drawing! Yeah!!! The only bad thing is I can't finish the drawing. I don't know where some of the fine points for detailing the drawing, but I do know how to do some of the work I was unable to finish and I couldn't remember how to do it.

The third stanza happened today. First, I called Shelter Insurance to see where the hiring process was. I had a bad feeling when I didn't receive a phone call yesterday for a second interview. Shelter called back last week saying they were going to continue interviewing the select few this week so I kind of knew this was coming. The third stanza part II goes like this. I was driving through Devils Den Park today to deliver a package in a town called Strickler on a road called Bug Scuffle road. On my way through Devils Den Park I saw about 6 deer, which is always fun. The sad part is one of the deer ran in front of my FedEx truck. This is how the killing occurred. I was driving and see two deer; one to my left and one to my right. The deer on my left goes left and the deer on my right goes right. For whatever reason the deer on my right looks back and decides to go left, which was directly in front of my truck. I slammed on my brakes but it was too late. Since the truck is so big and heavy the deer felt like a little bump in the road. That made me feel horrible and I wanted to go home after that, but I couldn't because I volunteered to work Mon-Wed to make extra money.

I probably wouldn't have volunteered but we need to get rid of debt and lots of things around our house are starting to fall apart. I hope your past two days were better than mine.

Answered prayers

2006-05-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

I don't remember if I shared these prayer requests on my blog or not but God has answered most of them. I prayed that God would provide a toilet, vanity/counter top, tub and our deductible. So far we have had a toilet, vanity/counter top tub and $500 donated to us. Our deductible is $1,000, so God has answered almost all of them. It is so exciting to see God answer our prayers and then be able to share the experience with you all.

I have more prayer requests to share with you all. Sarah won't start working until Jack is able to be in Mother's Day Out and we are on a long waiting list. It would be nice to have her additional income but I would prefer it if she didn't have to work at all. This leads into my next prayer request. There are 2 full-time positions coming open at FedEx and they close this Friday. That means they are not open for anyone to bid on them after this Friday. I have bid on both of them so hopefully I will get one of them. This will be nice so I can see my family and friends at night again and not have to miss Bible study or hanging out friends anymore. I am also praying that I would get more paint drawing jobs, since that is where the most money is made for me. There are multiple options that could work out for me to make enough income so that Sarah won't have to work. If I went full time at FedEx and did 2 paint drawings a month, went part-time (only if I could switch to AM shift) with FedEx and did 3 paint drawings a month or went full time doing paint drawings.

It's nice to know that God's word is true and He does listen to us when we talk to Him. I encourage everyone to talk with God more. He likes to hear from us.

Pictures

2006-04-23T18:36:00.000-05:00

Grant and Chloe making sugar cookies.

You can always count on Memaw and Pepaw for a Coke or Sprite.

I forgot what they were eating, but it must have been good. I bet we were coloring cookies or decorating something.

Sometimes the kids get upset if they aren't able to lick the brownie bowl. They look happy to me.

Just Pictures

2006-04-23T18:06:00.000-05:00

Grant is a willing object his cousin Chloe as she practices being a beautician.

Grant didn't want to leave the soccer game, not because of the great game. He didn't want to leave the dirt.

There's nothing quite like a birthday at the McGooden household. This is my Dad's birthday in January. Listed from left to right: Adrienne, Chloe, Yoda and Muscleman from Fantastic 4.

Grant loves Aunt Nikki and BJ (her dog). He also enjoys coloring cookies.

Me and the kids cruising in the 'Stang.

Brows

2006-04-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

Check out these beautiful brows I made while using one of my Christmas gifts. Pretty hot huh? If Sarah wasn't pregnant already this would have put her in the mood for anything. I wasn't paying while I was using my 6-1 trimmer. I was looking at my brows in the mirror when I leaned forward and forgot to move the trimmer. I hear the noise and see my eye brows falling. So in attempt to make them look equal, I botch the left side as well which ended up looking worse than the right side. The craziest thing about the whole ordeal is that no one noticed! I told everyone that I cut my brows, except for a lady at work. She noticed. I hope the pic isn't too grainy.

Demolition

2006-04-19T11:37:00.000-05:00

Dan from Complete Restoration came today with another to take one final survey of the area and set the demo day. Demolition is set for May 1st, so we will most likely be in the hotel on Sunday night. Sarah has said that she would like to build a house and currently that is not a reality. What I have been telling her is that we are building a new house, but we're going about in a slightly unconventional fashion. I'm sure Sarah will put the details together on her blog about what is going on.

After our deductible, $1,000.00 US, we are probably going to be an additional $500-$1,000.00 for a shower pan, $200.00 US roughly, and any other repairs that were caused by the water leakage. I am asking everyone to join us in prayer for God to raise all the money we will need. We don't have $1,000 or any additional money that will be required. Thanks for your prayers and I am looking forward to seeing what God does for us again.

Best Meal Ever

2006-04-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

As most of you know people bring food to you after you've had a baby. Thankfully this occured again for the birth of Jack. We have had lots of good meals and I am thankful for those who have brought them. I have to give a special shout out to the Henry's. They called and asked what we wanted to eat and Sarah told them pizza. They brought us a couple of pizzas, salad, drinks and beer. Never before has anyone brought over beer as part of a meal. Also, he had one of the pizzas deep dish because he thought I would like that, which I did.

Carrie said, "I hope you like thick crust because Patrick said that's what Nate
would want." Then PW said, "I know what Nate likes."

PW was right. So I wanted to say a special thank you to PW for thinking of me as well. He even brought light beer to help me watch my figure. Generally I tell people to ask Sarah what she wants since we are receiving these meals because she gave birth. I got to do the fun parts, have sex and watch the birth. Any chump can do that.

Working

2006-04-17T00:35:00.000-05:00

I've been working for about 3 hours I guess by now. I have a lot to learn still, but I really enjoy what I am doing. The work is fun, creative, and entertaining. One of the cool parts of the job is I get to work from home. I feel more connected to my family this way, even though I'm not always in the room with them. I hear most of what's going on so I get a better understanding of what Sarah is going through or what the boys are doing. Another cool part is I get to listen to music while I work, which helps the time pass a little quicker. I also get to check my e-mail, blog, eat with the family, etc...I feel free, which I like a lot. The flexible work schedule is nice also. I should have Sarah take a picture of me while I drawing a plane.

What a Day/Morning

2006-04-13T11:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday and into the morning were a whirlwind. I found out after Bible study that there was another paint drawing for me to do so I was excited about that. I also got paid for my initial paint drawing which is also exciting. I didn't go work for my Dad because I thought I would get my paint drawing in the morning, but I didn't. They had bigger fish to fry to first, but I did receive my new paint drawing. Since I didn't get the drawing when I thought I would I took the boys and myself to get haircuts at Leon's Beauty College. The boys behaved exceptionally well so we went to Sonic for a reward, then we went to Old Navy to do a little Easter shopping. The boys then began to get tired and hungry so their behavior was not good. We bought a shirt, went home, ate lunch and put the boys down. They were behaving worse now than before. Sarah and I watched House, because we have a DVR now, for the first time in a long time. We enjoyed the time together. Then I called Brenden to have him help me set up my AutoCAD program so I can work. That ran me until 3:15ish, which is when I normally leave for FedEx. Thankfully, Sarah remembered that Max lost the keys to the car in the mini-van and began looking for them while I got dressed. We couldn't find them initially, so I told the boys to get ready because they were taking me to work since Max lost the keys. Max was only wearing his underwear at the time. Sarah found the keys as I was putting the boys in the mini-van. So I leave for work and I arrive 2 minutes prior to my starting time. While I was gone the boys were horrible and got paint all over their room. I'll let Sarah tell you about that since she went through it. So I go to work and it was fine, until I got back to the station. While we were doing the re-load, which is putting the boxes in cans so they can be sent to their proper destinations, one of my co-workers recieved a call from his mother who informed him that his Dad just died! Hello!! So he walks by me crying and talking on his cell phone. I ask him what's wrong and he tells me his Dad just died. What do you do when someone tells you that? I did the only thing I knew to do. I gave him a hug, told him I was sorry and he left. So I get home, begin working on my paint drawing a little before I go to bed. Around 1:30ish I hear Grant screaming. It's not his normal scream he has from a bad dream or being scared, this is loud! So I run to get him. After I pick him up he pukes on my shoulder. It was a small amount thankfully so I call to Sarah for some back-up. She is nursing Jack so she has to go back to him to finish his feeding so he won't cry himself! Is anyone else tired yet? I am. So I clean the puke in the boys' room with Grant at my side. He is reading books, playing with toys and being rather chipper considering he was just screaming about 10 minutes ago. I have all the lights on in the room while I am cleaning up and Max slept through everything. He rolled over once but he never knew that I was in there cleaning up puke. So Sarah puts some sheets on the couch for Grant and a trash can for him to puke in. I go back to bed and around 2:00-3:00 Grant is screaming again! This time he puked in the living room on his way to the toilet. I guess he forgot about the trash can. So I clean that up while Sarah tends to Grant. She asks me if I want to sleep on the couch with Grant? I said no, but I guess I will. Grant falls asleep around 3:30-4:00. He wakes up when Sarah is taking Max to Mother's Day Out. Grant sees that Sarah is leaving and he begins to cry because he wants to go with her. I try to explain he can't go because he might make the other children sick, but it doesn't work. So here I am working at Sprint Tax, then going to FedEx, and then coming home to work on my paint drawing. It feels like the insanity will never end, but I know it will. I hope everyone has an exciting day.

I forgot to mention how Grant spits into the toilet. I showed him where to put his hands on the toilet and then told him to spit. So he puts his hands on the toilet, leans his entire upper body into the toilet and then spits. I see the water move! I don't know if is from Grant's spit or if he just dunked his head into the toilet. Fortunately, it was from his spitting and his face was not wet. I'll try to get a picture of that to post later. It is funny business!

God's Provision

2006-04-11T23:13:00.000-05:00

Many of you know our story either through reading our blog or by knowing us, so most of you know our struggles. As I posted prior to Jack's birth, I need and want to make money so Sarah doesn't have to work again unless she chooses. The couple in our Bible study who I am working for part-time are giving me another job to do tomorrow morning. I am very exicted. I also received my first check from them, which is also exciting. I wanted to say thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray. As my father often says, "I need the prayer and you need the practice."

I also wanted to let everyone know that Shelli Jones' blog is definitely worth your time. I don't know the woman but she ranks in my top 3 favorite blogs. I have played cards with her husband at the men's retreat and he is cool also. His name is Justin.

New Computer

2006-04-11T11:42:00.000-05:00

As many of you know we have a new computer. Yea!!!! It is nice to be able to check e-mail, news, sports, etc...from home again. The computer has some features on it that we are not used to having on a computer. We are able to watch and record TV. It's pretty amazing! Now I know how all of you Tivo and DVR folks feel. I fast forwarded through 7-8 hours of TV in about 2 minutes. I hope it revolutionizes our television watching as many of my friends state it will and has for them. It has a sub-woofer, remote control, flat panel, and it's pretty! I told John Nelson it's the prettiest computer I have ever owned. As Max would say, "It's beauuutifulll!". I might post a pic of it later if I'm feeling crazy.

Funk

2006-04-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

Sarah doesn't think anyone wants to read about my funk. I told her I disagree, it will be funny. Isn't that why we blog? That's why I blog. Sarah takes care of the serious side of our lives, mainly, and I generally take care of the humor. I'm not saying that Sarah's blogs aren't funny, because some of them are.

After I got home from work I noticed my toe nails were hurting. So I took off my sock to find that my toe nails were too long, so I decided to cut them. I cut my big toe nail last and I wanted to show Sarah because it was so long. I showed Sarah my toe nail and she thought it was disgusting, but it wasn't. I continued to look at it for a few minutes in amazement that I cut it off in one piece and at its size. After all of this I smelled something on my fingers. Initially I thought it was from Jack's diaper I just changed but I didn't see any mook on my hands. I continued to search the smell when I saw my toe nails. My feet were sweaty from work and but I never dreamed that to be the smell. My feet can get funky, but they've never smelled like this before. I do have one pair of sandals that I will not take my feet out of until I go to bed or wash my feet but I wasn't wearing them last night, obviously, since I came from work. So I pick my the long toe nail and smell it. Bingo! I never would have guessed that my toe nail would stink so bad, but it did. Now I wish I had taken a picture of it for everyone to see.

Prayer Requests

2006-03-26T15:14:00.000-06:00

As many of you know Sarah is going to be induced Tuesday morning. This brings about quite a few prayer requests for us. The first prayer request is for the safety of Sarah/Jack during and prior to the delivery. The second request is that I am able to make enough money to support our family so Sarah doesn't have to go back to work unless she really wants to. That would be a first in our family. The third request would be the mold removal in our house. I don't know what mold does to you or exactly how it affects you, but apparently it's not good. We need provision for that if our insurance company doesn't pay for it or most of the cleaning. The fourth request would be for a smooth transition for our family to the addition of Jack.

Many of you know our story the past couple of years. God has been faithful all the way through and I predict He will continue to be faithful. He has already brought about a new part-time job working with the Blanchette's doing paint drawings for airplanes. The work is exciting and frustrating as I am learning to identify differnt parts of planes, learn autocad, etc...Fortunately Brenden is very patient and willing to work with me. I am reminded of how faithful God was to Israel as they wandered for forty years in the wilderness. Many times they forgot God or sinned against his Chosen leaders. One of the awesome things about God is that He loves us 24/7. I think of how frustrated and mad I get at my kids for disobedience, I can't imagine what God thinks or feels as He sees us chasing mute items.

Thanks for all of your prayers, support and love; for past, present and future, that you, our friends, have shown us. You all are proof that God is everything the Bible says He is.

Since I am random in my thinking and being, I wanted to say that I would be remiss if I didn't say God bless you all and America. I thought about that statement and why I wanted to say it. I think I wanted to say it because I like to use the word remiss. I guess it wouldn't be my blog if it wasn't a little off kilter.

I hope to see you all in the hospital. You don't have to worry about not getting to hold Jack. We will let everyone have a turn. You might have to fight Max and Grant to hold him, but I will gladly share my turn.

Funny Boys

2006-03-21T12:33:00.000-06:00

This will be a blog that I update regularly. I will put funny statements or stories about Max and Grant.

This past weekend the Loibners visited us. None of the boys showered all weekend and they were pretty stinky at the end of the weekend. I'll start with Saturday morning. I was on the couch when I saw Max run into the living room. He spotted me and asked if he could watch cartoons? He laid down with me and I noticed an odor. I asked Max if he passed gas? He said no. I asked him several times because I kept smelling something. He denied passing gas every time. The Loibners left but not before discussing how bad our children stunk. Max put his Buzz Lightyear costume on once he woke up. My parents called so we decided to go to Siloam. When Max was taking off his costume he said, "Dad. Did something die in here?". We all laughed then I took a shower with the boys. There's always a good time brewing at our house.

Update 04/03/06
This isn't funny, but it sure is sweet. The Rowley's brought us dinner tonight and it was great. We had manicotti, salad, cookies, bread sticks...I liked it a lot. I was a little disappointed there wasn't any sweet tea, but I still love them. Sarah told me after they that Max asked, "Why aren't they staying for dinner?". So if you're bringing us food you might as well make some extra and sit down for dinner.

Update 04/10/06

How scary can a vampire be with a smile like that?

Here are the boys loving Mom and Jack!

This was called Rocket. It was one of the few ways I could keep Grant from going crazy!

These guys loving taking baths. Max has been asking when Baby Jack can join them. His cord and circumsion ring fell off in the same day! Now Jack can shower or bathe with his brothers. He'll probably need an oxygen tank, floaties, and a knife to stay alive, but I'm sure it will be fun.

Update 04/22/06
Today Max spilled some water on his shorts as he was helping clean the house. He just put a cup in the sink and then he starts to take off his shorts. So I ask him,
"Max. What are you doing?"
"My penis is wet. I'm taking off my shorts."
"How did your penise get wet?"
"I spilled water on it."
"From what?"
"Water. From that cup."
"Oh. I don't see any wet spots on your shorts."
"Dad! My shorts are wet and I'm taking them off."
"Make sure you put new shorts on."
"Why?"
"Because Memaw and Nikki are coming over."
"Oh."

Sarah told me I would do the same thing if my penis was wet. Maybe I would. I do prefer to be naked. Do you think my joy for nakedness led to our 3 kids? Pssst...me either.

Squirrels 2

2006-03-16T12:51:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted about those blasted squirrels in a while so I thought I should give an update. Earlier this year I finished cleaning out our attic. It was a mess with loads of crap and rat poison spread all over. I think that is why I keep losing weight...the poison is slowly rotting/eating away my insides. Anyway, I cleaned out everything except for some wood so I can crawl around the attic if it becomes necessary. After cleaning out the attic and throwing new blocks of rat poison around I haven't heard the squirrels in about a month. I don't know if they died, on vacation, decided to be quiet, or left the attic. I prefer the death scenario myself. I need to climb back up there and take a lookski. If anyone wants to join me that would be great. We can get BB guns, flashlights, ladder, etc...and have a gay old time.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that March Madness started today. I hope everyone picked their brackets and I pray the Hogs are bracket busters this year. It's good to be back in the tourney. God bless America!

Sprint Tax

2006-03-14T11:01:00.000-06:00

Let the good times roll. As many of you know I am working at Sprint Tax again this tax season. Never would I have dreamed to be back here again but I am. I actually enjoy it this time and appreciate the common man's tax problems. Since I know just enough to be dangerous about taxes I felt good when I knew I would be getting my taxes done for free. Just one of the many perks you get working here. I am either bored or busy. There's not a lot of in between. This is what leads to my latest post.

Sometime last week I was speaking with another LaTour employee about the benefits of working at Sprint Tax. I am able to check my e-mail and get paid for minimal work. I know checking your e-mail is not a big deal to some of you, but when your computer breaks and you don't have the money to get a new one, it is a perk. Trust me. Sometimes I call Sarah and give her an update on her e-mail and send e-mails for her. I know, what a loving and thoughtful husband. God was really good to her when he matched us up. After finishing my conversation with the other LaTour employee John LaTour calls me. He called about 1 min. after I hung up the phone. It was as if he was listening to us or knew that I was not busy at all. I don't blame him at all for giving me research projects to do each day I work. He is a business man and wants to get a ROI. The other LaTour employee calls me back when John leaves the office and promised they did not tell John I was bored or needed something to do while sitting on my butt.

For those of you who keep up with my blog, you will notice an unusual trend. I have at least one blog for the past three months. Eat your heart blogger world!

On a side note, the NCAA tournament is starting this week so the Hogs need extra prayers from their faithful.

Fun times in the shower

2006-03-09T11:30:00.000-06:00

I know that I have shared this story with some of you, but not everyone. I hope that each male out there has a child as thoughtful as Max so you too can have your ego boosted as I did.

About a month ago Max and I were in the shower together. In the midst of showering I noticed Max is checking me out. Actually, he's checking out my package, so I start watching Max. A few seconds later Max looks up at me and says:
"Dad. You have a big penis."
Nate: "What? What did you just say?".
Max: "You have a big penis. How did it get so big?"
Nate: "I don't know. It's just that size. I guess God wanted my penis this big."
Max: "Oh! Will my penis ever get that big?"
Nate: "For your sake, I hope so."
Max: "Me too Dad, because your penis is really big!"

After the penis conversation we finished showering and went about our every day business. Kids are funny! There isn't a topic that is off limits for them. So enjoy your kids, nephews, nieces, etc...

More blogging

2006-02-21T13:28:00.000-06:00

I hope to be blogging more often for my dedicated fan base. I have a bunch of blogs in my head, or at least they were at one time. Since our computer is down we have very limited access to the internet. I use it when I am working at Sprint Tax on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy reading to all.

48 Days

2006-01-18T00:07:00.000-06:00

I realize I haven't blogged in over 4 months so if anyone is looking to me for a daily, weekly or monthly blog you're probably out of luck. I will try to blog more but I normally forget what I intended to blog about when I have time or remember I had something I wanted to blog about. My kids load me up with blogging material but they also keep me busy which is why I often forget my stories.

I am reading this book called 48 days to the work you love by Dan Miller. I recommend the book to anyone who is struggling like I am to find a job that they enjoy and pays you appropriately. After reading the first chapter there were some questions for you to answer. I thought I would put them on the laptop so I wouldn't have to keep up with a notebook. The very last question is: "If nothing changed in your life in the next 5 years, would that be OK?" I'm not real good with the quoting and citing sources so if I'm doing something illegal let me know...I might change it.

I was talking to one of my frat brothers who just graduated from law the other night and I brought up this very statement to him. In the past 5 years of my life not much has changed at all. I have 2 more mouths to feed and a third on the way and more debt than I did 5 years. I'm not exactly living the American dream! This thought blew me away. I am worse off financially, by a long shot, than I was 5 years when I was working part-time at Sprint Tax and going to school. How pathetic is that? This isn't a poor Nate or cry for pity but a realization I hadn't noticed or thought about it recently. I realize that I have made some poor decisions that are the direct result of my current situation and I can't change that. If I could turn back time I never would have quit Wal-Mart, but hindsight and second-guessing is easy to do. Right now I'm smiling thinking about the trials and things I have gone through personally and with my family. I have seen God work in mighty ways through friends and family. God has poured his grace upon me during this time by opening hearts and check books to pay my bills. I have two friends who gave a total of $1,800.00 to us. Unreal! One friend gave anonomously after reading one of my first blogs. I didn't put that blog up there in order for people to give us money. It's my job to provide for my family, not my friends/family. I'm not saying it's bad for others to help out those in need, that's what being a Christian is all about. I'm praying that God will help me find a meaningful job that allows me to provide for my family also. I think I want to do something that involves an aspect of ministry or do full-time ministry work. I really don't know which is why I'm in my current position. I have a lack of focus and direction in my life in what I think God is calling me to do professionally. I am trying to change that with God's help and leading.

And the Winner is...

2005-09-15T23:06:00.000-05:00

I know it's been longer than a week. I don't blog a lot, but when I do it rocks!! The debris in the picture was under Grant's booster chair. Can you believe that my precious little boy could make such a mess? Sure you can. I think he is related to Pig Pen from Charlie Brown. The debris underneath his chair consisted of:
his hair(he's already balding), blueberries, Frosted Mini Wheats, yogurt(fan favorite), and some items were undetermined. Thanks for playing Bueller.

Squirrels

2005-09-07T23:09:00.000-05:00

Squirrels. What can you say about them? Some people think they are cute, fun, cuddly, etc...Me? I hate them. Why do I hate them? When I was a kid growing up we had a forest behind our house, or at least that's what I called it as a kid. It was really a huge gulley with a bunch of trees and rocks. There were lots of squirrels for me to shoot at as a young boy. There were also squirrels that lived in our attic and kept me awake at night as a little boy. Some squirrels had chewed a rather large hole in the side of our and began to live in our attic. My father didn't like that at all, so I had free reign to kill every squirrel possible. I used to be congratulated for this. It was pretty cool. My hatred for squirrels never ceased and has been rekindled now that I have my own house.

Some squirrels have chewed a small in the roof of my house and live up there. I remember waking up for the first time in my house to the sound of a squirrel peeling out in the attic. As Sarah puts it, "It sounded like the squirrel olympics." I have taken up squirrel hunting around my house. At first it was pretty easy because the squirrels would perch on the side of the house and it made for an easy shot. Eventually they got smart and quit doing that. I am also fortunate to have a dog that hunts. I didn't teach her how to hunt but somehow Bailey is very good at it. That I know of, she has killed 4 squirrels. She has also killed other animals but I will get to that some other time. That I know of we have eliminated around 6-8 squirrels at our house. This excites me! I hope to continue the hunt soon, but I haven't seen or heard many squirrels around my house. Maybe the word is out that my house house isn't a safe haven for the little rodents.

All of that to get to my story. This morning I heard a squirrel in my fireplace. I investigated the fireplace but I couldn't find a squirrel in sight. The boys were playing outside and had come inside to eat some snacks and play. Max is sitting in the recliner watching a movie and calmly says, "Dad. There's a squirrel in the fireplace. You need to get it." I said, "Where?". Max points and says, "In there." I will now use M and N for the talking parts. I look into the fireplace and there it is. It's a pretty big one. I wanted to get my BB gun and kill it but I didn't want to clean up any messes.
M: Dad. How are you going to get it out?
N: I'm going to open the fireplace doors and close the rest of the doors and hopefully it will leave on its own. I need you to take Grant and Bailey to your room.
M: Ok.
So off they go to Max's room. Grant starts crying because he thinks he is in trouble for something but he doesn't know what. I assured him he wasn't in trouble and they all left peacefully. So I close every door in the living room, move the ball pit in front of the hallway to the front living room and then open both sliding doors that lead to the back yard. I open the first door to the fireplace and the squirrel tries to escape but it hits the other glass door on the fireplace. So I open that door also, but the blasted squirrel won't budge. I grabbed Max's sword witht the green sheath and start hitting inside the fireplace hoping this will encourage the squirrel to move. Eventually it does and it takes off across the living room and jumps from a vent in the floor onto the door that leads to the boys' rooms'. It had ash on its feet and it left a paw print about 3-4 ft up the door. This squirrel probably jumped 5ft in the air before it hit the door. I was impressed with the skills this squirrel had. Once the squirrel hit the ground he saw that the glass doors to the back yard were open and he headed for freedom. After this I go get the boys and Max wants to know why it was in the fireplace. We talk about it for a few minutes then we start playing again. It was a great day at the McGooden household. I hope yours was as exciting as mine.

Bueller? Bueller?

2005-09-05T17:50:00.000-05:00

I found this as I was cleaning the kitchen in preparation of my mother-in-law, The Dode. It's an understatement to say it is gross. I don't have a lot to say about it, but I would like to hear some of your guesses. Any guesses on what caused this mess? I will post the answer in about a week. Have fun...I did.

Obe-No-Be-One

2005-08-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that Max LOVES Star Wars. He especially loves the light saber. We officially have all four colors now (red, blue, green, and purple). So if anyone wants to come over and play Star Wars with us we are fully equipped. I'm pretty sure that Sarah told me Jaime Miller bought the coveted green light saber for us today. To Jaime I say, "We are indebted to you and you have officially made Max's list of favorite people. He has been asking for the green light saber for quite a while. There are some rules by which you must play: Whatever Max makes up for that moment. When he cuts your legs, you must die. Don't try and protect yourself too much, or Max will ask you not to; so he can kill you. He's a big fan of Obe-One, which he pronounces O-be-no-be-one. It's really funny to hear him. I'll try to attach a picture of him in his Star Wars underwear and yielding a light saber or two. He has watched 4 of the movies and he is raring to watch number 5. If anyone would like to come over and watch it with us you are welcome. Max will watch the movie at least once a day and 3 times a day if we let him do so.

Monday's

2005-08-08T21:22:00.000-05:00

I'll write this little editor's note on my first blog here. I am very ramdon, scatter brained, and not grammatically correct. I don't care, but I thought I might warn you in case you get bothered by things like this. Enjoy reading.

One other thing. You might be wandering why I started my own blog spot. Sarah didn't like my DUI comment and has had many people ask her about the validity of the statement. I hope you all enjoy my thoughts and have a few laughs too. Peace, love and sooooooooul train.

After reading Shauna's "I'm Lifting the Damn Handle" it reminded me of last Monday. Last Monday was my first day on my own. I just got back from courier school in Irving, Texas, for two weeks. I need to give you some lingo for FedEx. On my route I am only supposed to get 1 on-call which is the lab at George's. An on-call is when someone calls in and says they have something to ship. I get so much freight on my route that I am only supposed to get an on-call from the lab if I get that on-call at all.

I get an on-call from some communication place that's on Hwy 412 E just up the road from the station. I didn't figure it would be too hard to find so I went searching. I look all over for this place and e-mail dispatch multiple times trying to find this place. Finally they send an e-mail back stating it is next to the big turkey by the poultry place. So I pull into the parking lot and I park right next to the big turkey but I still can't find the blasted place. I e-mail dispatch again and ask them if the business is supposed to be Game XChange? They e-mail back it's next to the big turkey! I e-mail back to them, "I'm at the big turkey!" There is not a business by this name. Are you sure you have it right?" Come to find out there's a blue building without a sign in front of it and the customer comes out to meet me. There's a sign in front of this building, but it is for the building behind this building. I wasted approximately 30-45 minutes trying to find this place and dispatch had to call someone to help me to get caught up on my route. The next day one of my managers rode with me because he thought I had the first day jitters so he wanted to calm me down. I assured him it was just that one on-call which I couldn't find. Things have been golden since then.

Thanks for the inspiration Shauna! You rock.