Random Monday Ramblings

As i start this i realize that i do not have a song picked out for my traditional Musical Monday fare... blame it on getting up early to go the gym... blame it on me not taking my Strattera this morning... but in the end the maximum effective range of an excuse is zero (0) meters. I was just not prepared for my traditional Monday offering. As i type this i am praying that God will open up the Heavens and shine a light down on me... and thus reveal THE song to use for today. Until then... enjoy some random Monday ramblings... Ok, i know i've mentioned this before... but unless the Panthers can get their starting 22 positions healthy in time for the regular season... it may be a looooonnngggg season for this Panthers fan. I am not talking 1-15 long, but perhaps 6-10 long... I have a ton of faith in Coach Fox, and i have seen him pull out victory from the jaws of defeat. I would not put it past him to have not really put his team into all that high of a game frenzy, but when the 1:00 PM comes on 13-September, i am going to be wearing my Panther Blue heart on my sleeve! Coach - i know i've said all i want for Christmas is a 9-7 season - but you do what you got to do to get this team into the playoffs! One thing i would like to point out... for at least the past 2 weeks Coach Fox has been working without of all of his starting running backs and wide receivers. It's hard to see if the offense is clicking when those key positions are out, and the offensive line has not taken all that many snaps together. My one real concern is at the Run defense side of things. Until Carolina picks up a DT to replace Kemoeatu they are going to be hard pressed to stop the run... and when teams can run on you it wears you down. Yesterday i went down to visit my co-worker, who is also a living example of what it means to be a husband who serves and takes care of his wife. A few years back his wife had a serious car accident that broke her neck and she became a quadriplegic. Since then this man has taken a very first hand track to her care. When i was interviewed for his clearance i was asked if the man had any hobbies and my answer to them sums it up. His wife IS his hobby. He has wired his house with an automatic generator so that if there is a commercial power outage he can run all of her medical equipment plus he can still heat the house and he still has a mostly functional kitchen. He went out and purchased an RV and then had it renovated so that they can still take vacations to visit their son and grand children. He not only has taken a first hand role in learning how to care for his wife, he has paid for a lot of the equipment and part time care givers out of his own pocket because his medical insurance, either does not - or will not, pay for it. This man is a modern day hero to me. I went to visit them because she is in the hospital. She has developed a very large kidney stone and it has become septic. It grew so large because she doesn't feel any pain and by the time there were any external signs it was so. I would ask for prayers from those who read this... she is in the critical cardiac unit of his local hospital. She has been fighting hard, and there are positive signs, but she is far from out of the woods yet. They still need to go and get the stone out... This man has been a source of encouragement in my walk with Christ... and he continues to fight alongside her bed. I miss our talks at work (even the times when it would appear i am not really listening), and i am praying for them to come again. Have you ever ordered tea at a restaurant and gotten that weird after taste? I LOVE iced tea and can pretty much drink it by the bucket load... but when you get a mouthful of tea that has been sitting at room temperature over night... wow. A coworker and i take turns making a 3qt pitcher of the stuff to share day in and day out... but i don't know what it is... the tea first thing Monday is nasty ~ if it's been left over from the previous Friday that is! Here at work i can understand how the tea got that way. There is no one to drink it over the weekend, but in a restaurant there is no excuse! Simply empty the container out at night, wash it out, and make a fresh batch first thing in the morning. Simple. On Saturday i took DS1 out to the Antietam National Battlefield to watch an artillery demonstration. Very nice! There is a group of volunteers who have been meeting once per month to practice and this was the first month the battlefield set up the demonstration. There are hopes to expand it to having two demonstration crews... one Union and one Confederate. There is a real part of me that wants to step up and volunteer out there for this, but for now i am enjoying my weekends just as they are. Maybe someday in the future. For me the highlight was learning about John Cook. He was a Bugler for Battery B, 2nd U.S. Artillery. During the battle Battery B suffered more than 40% casualties, and at one point this young man of 15 stepped up and manned the guns and performed valiantly - for which he was given the Congressional Medal of Honor. I am not good at telling stories, nor do i remember all that they shared with us, but this young man definitely earned it that day. Ok... i need to wrap this up, but i wanted to share that i am going to be a tennis widower once again. For the next two weeks the U.S. Open will be going on and my beloved LOVES tennis. Which i whole heatedly encourage her to pursue. I enjoy tennis too. But my 'passion' is the NFL... and the Carolina Panthers in particular (in case you had not gleaned that from my blog yet). I have an outstanding request for all birthday, anniversary, and Christmas presents... anything Panthers. LOL This morning i had an ad in my e-mail in-box advertising personalized Panthers Jerseys - even pink ones this year (pictured right). My beloved would never wear such a thing because my passion is not her passion. I have a friend who's wife is as big a football fan (she the Washington Redskins, he the Pittsburgh Steelers) so i have to confess there are times i am jealous that they share such interests. Even though my beloved does not share my passion for football, we do share one passion though ~ food. She loves to make it... and i love to eat it! In closing... God has been working on my heart and ears of late. Trying to relearn how to listen and hear His promptings... to discern His voice over the din of the world... and that one cannot pilot a ship through the ocean alone.

Therefore, brothers, [3] since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (Hebrews 10:19-39, ESV)

Saying "so long"

Today is the last day for my boss/supervisor, where i currently work. He has almost 20 years with our current company and has decided to not take the offer of the incoming company for our contract. I understand why, but i am not happy about his leaving. These things are facts of life. I have been very grateful for him as he 'saved' me from a bad job situation. When i came off of active duty in 2003 my employer informed me that i would be moved to the swing shift. When i told my then boss that was not really a good thing for me i was told i had 30 days to find another position/job or i would be moved. I told them that i had just spent a year away from my kids and that this would ensure i would only get to see them on the weekends. They response, "we have kids too". *sigh* Well, i was really bummed when my current boss "happened" upon my cube. He was looking for the one of the PC guys to set up his "new" laptop (he was being brought off of being laid off for the contract we are currently on). We got to talking and he encouraged me to apply for one of the seven positions he had coming open. Although in the end i took a 20% hit in my wallet (10% for the loss of the shift differential i would have had, and a 10% base pay cut) i have never regretted it. I now work a little over 8 miles from home, and more importantly i am home in the evenings with my family. I don't handle change very well, and i am not handling this well. He will be missed. I have mentioned before that four times a year i become a tennis widower for two weeks. Well yesterday my beloved was trying to watch some tennis. At four different times during the day she turned on the tennis coverage (both on ESPN and the Tennis channel), and each time they were either showing live, or a replay of, Serena Williams' match where she was eliminated by Svetlana Kuznetsova. I know she is the last American in the SLAM event, and i know she is #2 in the world, but there were some other matches that really good that we wanted to watch too! I mean come on! Every time matches were shown, literally all day yesterday, the only match we were able to watch was the Serena match. Today was the third day of getting back to the gym after taking the last 6 months off. Basically i was too lazy to get back. Well, i am paying the price for it now. My knees were killing me after from before when i would run as part of the regimen, so i asked them to take the running off and replace it with the elliptical. Now, i don't know who invented that particular torture device but it is a killer. I only use it for 10 minutes at a time, maintaining 110 rpm for the time. When i am done my legs feel like jello, but overall i like it. I miss running though. I am one of the few people that actually enjoy it. My dad got me hooked on it when i was really young. We lived in Brooklyn at the time and he was having to get himself healthy so he took the whole family on early morning runs in Prospect Park. Although i gave him a hard time about getting up early and running i think it planted a seed for me later in life. He eventually left me, my brother and step-mother at home and kept it up for a long time. When i was in high School i decided to go out for Cross Country... the first day the coach took us on a 12 mile job, then to the track for 8 sets of wind sprints (another 2 miles where you sprint the straight aways and jog the corners on a quarter mile track typically around the football field), then we did 8 sets of "hills" (a fairly steep hill beside the school about 100 yards long. I nearly died... but i was back out there the next day and stayed with it - right up until the team went to the state championships where i dropped out of the team (a theme of my life). When i am in shape (and about 20 to 30 pounds lighter) i love to just get up and go out running. If you ever seen the movie with Mel Gibson, "What Women Want", the scene where they pitch the ad campaign for women's Nike... the thoughts on what it's like to be out running is pretty much it... well, except from a masculine point of view of course. 8) Recently i found out that the author of a blog i frequent (Semper Reformunda) plays a tabletop game called Battletech. Man that took me back. I love that game. I found out he plays with some others at his church some Sunday nights. I would love to meet up with him and play a game or two some time. My all time favorite Mech was the Warhammer (pictured left). In game terms it's not really all that great. Prone to over heating, and poor short range options, but it has good armor and has a great look. Unfortunately the original producers of the game took some license with some images from the Japanese Manga - Robotech and lost a lawsuit and use of the images. Several computer and console games have been spawned from this game series, but i never got into the those games because i've never really been that good at hand-eye coordination games. Anyway... enough rambling for today...

The whirlwind of life

Do you ever feel like you are tilting with windmills? Maybe a more "American" idiom might be chasing shadows. Perhaps neither of those pictures are adequate because i am not being proactive at all. Lately i am barely keeping my head above water as i react to things around me. And for someone who struggles with ADD (even on meds) this is not a good thing, because once you get ramped up to deal with all of the incoming missiles you have a very hard time slowing back down again once the pace begins to slacken any. You get so busy looking for more that the "plates" you successful started to spin are now beginning to wobble, maybe even crash to the floor, only you're too busy doing other things. Right now... i am on "high alert" looking for the incoming that i am having a hard time focusing long enough on anyone thing to complete it. The past couple of weeks i have missed at least one day of work. The past couple of weeks it's been sickness (either myself or my beloved), yesterday it was the case of having to fill in for my beloved on my son's field trip to Annapolis, MD. We had already paid a lot of money for both DS1 and her spot and we would have had to forfeit both spots without refund so i went ahead and used up a vacation day. The weather was great and we had a tour of the state capitol building, and i managed to learn a few things. 1) I had not realized that General George Washington resigned his commission to prevent him from being declared the King of the new nation he helped fight to organize - that was done in the very same State Legislative building. 2) Annapolis was the Nation's Capitol for a period of about 9 months. 3) The current Maryland state flag is a combination of two representations. The yellow and black come from the heraldry of the first Lord of Baltimore, George Calvert, while the red and white bottany cross was from Lord Baltimore's mother's family. The Black and Gold wear carried by the units that remained loyal to the Union, while the red and white were carried by those who were loyal to the South. A better history can be read here. I was able to dicuss a little but about Maryland's history in the Civil War with him... not applicable to Annapolis, but an interesting side bar. For those who follow tennis, Rafeal Nadal lost! Has the world just come to an end? He won thirty one straigt matches on the clay at Rolland Garos. He was a monster on clay! But alas all good things must come to an end. For eight weeks each year i become a "tennis widower". Some women complain that their husbands abandon them for 17 weeks each fall, including my very own beloved. That was i pointed out something. Football is predominately played on Sundays. Each game is 3 hours long. On Sunday there are 3 games, and another on Monday nights. Then there are about 5 weeks where there are Saturday, and/or Thursday games so.... nine hours of footbal on Sundays, plus three hours on Monday night. That equates to about fourteen hours of football per week for 17 weeks... 238 hours total. Then let's add in the extra weeks of Thursday or Saturday games - 5 weeks of about 7 hours of football (averaged out)... another 35 hours. The we have the play offs... the first and second week of playoffs there are four games for another 14 hours each week... plus 28 more hours. Then the championship weekend... plus 7 more hours... then Super Bowl weekend - let's add another 4 hours. Grand total 311 hours of football, approximately. Well, each "Slam" event runs approximately 15 days, with coverage lasting up to 10 hours per day, at least through the quarter finals, then lets say another 6 hours on semi finals through the finals. So in one "Slam" there is about 135 hours of coverage, now multiply that by three (i am not counting the Australian because most of the coverage if from like 1AM until noon), and that equals over 400 hours of tennis! Who is getting the Lion's share here! Hmm! 8) I have so much more... but i am out of time for today...

Football and/or Fallout Fridays

Finally we have football games back on the air! \o/ But i didn't watch the game last night... Why you may ask? Primetime at the US Open. :) Man Roddick looked BAD last night. He just can't get the angles. It's almost likes he relies upon his incredible serve (he holds the world record at 155mph!). Gjokovich played great and has been steadily improving his game. Fedderer and Nadal need to step up their games as they both look like they are vulnerable. Ok, back to football... The Panthers finally begin their 2008 season and they are only 9 point underdogs to the San Diego Chargers this Sunday. I won't be able to watch the game since i don't live in the Carolinas, but i plan on following it on my phone as much as possible - as well as whatever game i can get on the TV. We'll see. Speaking of the upcoming season there are a few games i am looking forward to: 14-Sep: The Chicago Bears - this game is sort of a personal rivalry thing. Back when i was called up to active duty my poor Panthers were struggling. They were coming off of their 1-15 season and was working their way through a 7-9 season under first year head coach John Fox. Any way my platoon leader, a die hard Chicago Bears fan, wanted to "make the game interesting". I relucantly agreed when he mentioned sweatshirts. I thought to myself, "how much could that be? $20-$30 at most?" It ended up he wanted to do the NFLshop.com! I gulped when i found out, but i was committed. By the grace of God the Panthers won. I still have the sweatshirt. :) The tradition has continued and i now have a nice hat and 3'x5' flag - all Carolina Panthers gear. :) I think that tradition is due to swing the other way - but this time my friend is serving over seas. Not sure what he might he might want - but I'd be willing to send him something, just to let him know i am still thinking about him. 12-Oct: @ the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - the past several seasons this has really developed into a nice rivalry. Each time both teams bring their very best effort. It is also a division game, and the Panthers tend to wear their 'alternate' uniforms. A dream present for me is an authentic John Kasay jersey. But i hope i never get it in a way... they are incredibly expensive. 19-Oct: The New Orleans Saints - Since Hurricane Katrina, with the exception of the season they played all 16 games on the road, have been playing with a chip on their shoulder. They have also really stepped up and actually performed with more than pride. Even before that though, the two meetings each season between the Panthers and the Saints have been some really good games. 8-Dec: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ESPN) - for the same reasons above, but to include that this is the only nationally televised game for the Panthers so i will plan on sitting down and watching it. 28-Dec: @ The New Orleans Saints - for the same reasons above, but this is also the game that closes out the regular season. With God's provision this won't be the last game for the Panthers this year, but... we shall see. I also found a new button for my Facebook flair board: Sad, i know. LOL Not too much more to report other than it is still 52 more days until the release of the game. I've also been busy on eBay to try and pick up a few trinkets. All of them are sales like promos done by Bethesda Softworks. The first is a CD that i got when i pre-ordered the game from my local Game Stop. The label on the CD and the jacket were both done up to look like an old 45 lp. The songs are not all that great from strictly a music stand point, but are funny and fit the atmosphere of the game. The second item i picked up was the 'Vault Dwellers Survival Guide'. This is a tongue in cheek 'guide' for how a person who is used to living under ground all their lives should act in order to survive out in the nuclear wastelands. This was a promotional item available at a computer games convention known as the "Penny Arcade Expo" (or PAX for short). The last item i picked up for fun is a 'Nuka Cola bottle opener'. Since I am such a fan of Coke and Dr Pepper (especially in glass bottles for some reason) i thought i would pick this up. I am not sure if it is even usable as an actual bottle opener. All of these things will most likely sit on a shelf somewhere until i die and my kids are going through my personal affects and they say, "what in the world is this", and "what was he thinking"? LOL Still, they are interesting conversation pieces I guess. None of them cost very much, but I am sure I will feel guilty for spending the little bit extra it did cost me. Two countries, Australia and Germany, have restricted the game in some sense. Australia does not like the 'realistic' depiction of the use of drugs within the game (I totally understand their reservation here). Germany on the other hand has reservations about the graphic depiction of violence within the game (yet another "i get it"). I've considered trying to get the game from Germany but I am not sure. Part of the game is the 'campy over the top' of certain things. One of them is the result of combat within the game. Having said that i have also learned that it is completely possible to play the entire game in 'pacifist' mode. That is you would only have to kill one creature, and that is in the tutorial at the beginning of the game where you are trying to learn the controls of the game. Verse for today: Psalm 25 : 1-7, ESV To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Ever have a song running through your head...

...that just won't go away? It plays over and over and over again? LOL - i am there today. Last night my beloved was watching the opening ceremonies for the US Open and the song in question came on and it has been playing over and over in my head since then! This is not a bad thing as i LOVE this song. The problem? For the life of me i cannot remember the title to this song! That is the part that is driving me crazy. The melody is what is playing over and over with the whispers of the lyrics. How do you look something up on the internet when you have no "written word" to use as a parameter? This is all i know... It is a tempo piece, usually used to give the feeling of tension/conflict. The vocals are sort of an operatic. I have heard it used as background pieces in various sporting events like the US Open and even a movie or two, but rarely something like Football. Da da da da; da da da da; da da da da... da... da da - you see my dilemma? LOL If anyone happens to think of a possiblity PLEASE send it my way! I am willing to explore most options. Anyway... Ok citizens, go on about your business. There is nothing more to be seen here. The US Open started yesterday which means i am a tennis widower once more. I enjoy tennis. My beloved has really gotten me hooked, but I can still let it go until the highlights if it means I need to get some sleep. Same with Football - unless the Panthers are playing. Last night DD3 wanted me to take the training wheels off of her bike. It didn't last very long as we were going down the sidewalk but she couldn't quite get her balance. She never fell, but she got nervous enough for me to put them back on. Also last night was the "meet and greet" and DS2's school (my Aspie). He has been a little nervous for a little over a week now. He does not like change, and heading back to school is definitely change. We usually have a rough September before he settles into his routine. But we did get a good piece of news from last year. He scored "above mastery" in all areas of his proficiency tests. \o/ (proud papa). As I was stumbling through the house this morning (i really didn't want to get up) on my way out to the gym, DS1 was up and starting his day. He has never been very hard to get up, sort of a self starter when he sets his mind to it. Ok, I have totally lost my train of thought. LOL I hope that this finds each of you enjoying God's grace today. Verse for today: Psalm 127 : 1-2, ESV Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Ok, ok, ok

Man, it is takening longer to get myself geared towards getting more done than I thought! My beloved has been back in the work force for a little over two weeks now, and I can't seem to get my act together. I get the homework done, and the dinner made, and make sure the baths are done... but once all the kids are in bed it seems like all I want to do is veg.

I've been playing a game called Highlander over on Facebook, watching the Australian Open, or just day dream! It's like I feel lost or something. I have gotten some really small project done, but I know I can be doing a whole lot more. And to my beloved's credit, she has not harped me not getting things done. On the contrary, she has been incredibly encouraging. Still, I would like to get the realitively small projects done. Things like replacing the gasket around the garbage disposal... that would be a good place to start.

I've started forgetting to carry around my little notebook - and I've had some good ideas too... it is sitting in my pocket now. :-)
Verse for today:
James 1:2-11, ESV
Count it all joy, my brothers, [2] when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass [3] he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Musical Monday - and miscellaneous ramblings

My that was a refreshing weekend. With the snow and paranoid bureaucrats the kids had Thursday and Friday off, although I did not (I am considered an essential employee), my beloved had Thursday off. The result was a semi-long weekend. Our schedule was a normal one (i.e. something going on pretty much every day), but it still seemed to slow down a tad. We watched the Australian Open (some really good matches this weekend), a little bit off NFL football (Go Giants!), and I joined yet another App in Facebook (good grief!).

Well, my song for this week is another one that really speaks to me as to where I stand before God...

WHO AM I

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

(Chorus)
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours
(end chorus)

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

(chorus)

(repeat chorus)

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

This song really speaks to me, especially when I am feeling a little arrogant. I mean, who am I really? In the scheme of things I really am a vapor in the wind. A mere whisper in time. And yet I am His. I am a child of God, not because of anything I have done, but all because of what He has done, because of who He is. And that is an awesome thing to meditate on.
Verse for today:
Psalm 106:1-3, ESV
Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,
or declare all his praise?
Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!

Getting used to watching the sunrise

I have had several opportunities to learn to appreciate a beautiful sunrise over the years. If I had to pick watching a sunrise, or a sunset, I like sunrises the most. Even when there is a chill in the air the rising sun has the promise of warmth. It also has the impression of promise. A promise of a new beginning. Like all things are possible. This morning I am at work once more - scheduled this time. The work went pretty well and I will be able to take off early. Unfortunately my brain is a little fuzzy due to the early hour. :) One thing I would love to comment on is that it is OPENING DAY for the NFL today! Tonight opens up the season with the New Orleans Saints playing the Indianapolis Colts. I am hoping to watch this game (if I can nudge my beloved off the from watching the US Open) because for 1. the Saints are in my Panthers division, and they look in good shape to lead the way in the NFC South, and 2. the Colts are the current NFL Champions. Sunday my Panthers open up their season against the St Louis Rams. Although I've started a seperate blog for me to comment and ramble on about my Panthers I do want to just touch on this game here . A friend and neighbor has offered to allow me and the family to come over at one o'clock to watch the game... and I am just itching to do it... LOL The Panthers are one point underdogs, which makes me feel pretty good since the home team is spotted three points. There are a lot of questions regarding the Panthers in my mind for this season - but the one thing I know for sure... "It is what it is", and nothing is for certain. I would like to see a reverse of the recent trend of the Panthers losing their opening day game - not having won on opening day since 2003. Well, I am off to go wrap things up, get home, and get back to bed... and a nice start to a long weekend. :~) Verse for today: Proverbs 6:16-19, ESV There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Tennis Widower

I am sure most people have heard the term "Football Widow", or at least the term " Widow". Now, I am a fan of American Football (i.e. not the soccer variety), but I am pretty tame about it. I am content to watch/listen (to) it in the background while doing other things. Occasionally I will set aside some time to actually sit down in front of the tube to see a complete game - especially if it is a rare occasion when the Carolina Panthers are playing and the game is being televised in my area. But I think I have run into a whole new twist to this situation. I am what could be called, a Tennis Widower. My beloved loves Tennis. Just before I left for my two week Annual Training the French Open was being played. The finals took place the first weekend I was away. Well, I get home and the Monday of my 'home coming' Wimbledon began. (The Australian Open takes place in early January, and the US Open takes place later this summer - around Labor Day.) So for two weeks before I left, and now for two weeks since I've been home - the house has been completely disheveled. That is not to say that I exect my beloved to take care of it all. I do indeed help out. But that has meant later nights than usual cleaning up from dinner, making sure the kids get their bath/shower, folding laundry, etc. I am also not saying that my beloved just shuts down for these 'Majors' either. It's just that she does not function at full capacity so to speak. :) All of this I don't mind. I enjoy tennis. There are some really good matches to watch, etc. but the kick in the seat of my pants happened this morning. I had the opportunity to essentially take half the weekend off from my National Guard drill (long story, but I would have been able to not show up until 1300 tomorrow, and then get off NLT 0900 Sunday), but I would obviously not get paid for the half I was not their (totally expected and understandable). But when I explained the loss of income to my beloved she told me (in essence), well the women's finals, and the men's semi-finals are tomorrow. It's not like we were going to be doing anything else. ! 8 Wow. So it came down to me making the decision. Lately money has been pretty tight, and we are coming up on vacation time so... I opted to just drive the extra miles and drill for the entire time period. I do not want anyone to read into this more than it really is. If I asked my beloved to skip the finals, she would. We would go off and do whatever it is I would like to do. All the while she would make sure the video recorder was running so she could watch it later. ;) Verse for today:

Psalm 28:6-7, ESV Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.