We're at the chattanooga airshow

We're at the chattanooga airshow today The Blue Angels fly soon We climed in a KC-135 Supertanker I'm right next to an A-10 waitin 4 nachos cool.

No more pacification apparati in

No more pacification apparati in our house! Today Natalie gave her binkie to a lady at church and got big girl stuff. She's growing up. :) & :(

DARN IT!!!

I wish these guys would focus on making a profit but at the same time be fair!

What they've done to us recently is only making a profit and the American public be damned!

Aaaarrrgghhhh!

Check this story out. Exxon Mobil Profit, Sales Soar to Records

If you don't have time to read the whole thing, a couple of quotes...

"Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) rewrote the corporate record books Thursday as the oil company's third-quarter earnings soared to almost $10 billion and it became the first public company ever with quarterly sales topping $100 billion. Anglo-Dutch competitor Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) wasn't far behind, posting a profit of $9 billion for the quarter."

"Thursday's outsized earnings are a result of surging oil and natural gas prices that pushed pump prices to record territory after Hurricane Katrina. They come on the heels of similar eye-popping gains reported this week by BP PLC (BP), ConocoPhillips Inc. and Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO) Chevron Corp. (CVX) reports its earnings on Friday."

"Exxon is a good corporate citizen but it does not work for the welfare of the country," said oil analyst Fadel Gheit at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York. (B!S! They've been screwing us all!!!)

"Exxon Chairman and Chief Executive Lee R. Raymond did not mention of the record results in the company's earnings release. Instead, he noted that the world's largest publicly traded oil company "acted responsibly in pricing at our company operated service stations, and we also encouraged our independent retailers and distributors to do the same." (That man is so full of BS he wouldn't know if it hit him in the face... acted responsibly my eye!!!)

Again... AAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!

The Goings On

So - My first week of road training is complete. I like, really, REALLY like my new schedule. I left Sun at 10p and got back Mon at 9p. Then I had Tue and Wed free. I took a nap most of Wed afternoon and left at 10p and was home by 4p on Thur. I don't have to go back to work until 4p on Monday. (Trip to Battle Creek, MI and back) While I'm at work I work hard - but when I'm home I can get things done or just relax or whatever. It is SO much better than before.

I just heard from someone who was associated with a ministry my former boss called and turns out he called an yelled and berated an employee that doesn't even work for him. Sad, sad, sad! I am thankful to be out of there.

My mother-in-law is doing better. Turns out she didn't need surgery on her wrist. Her left wrist is broken, they set it and put it in a cast. Her right wrist has a badly, badly pulled tendon - so they wanted to imobilize it - so they put it in a half cast. So she has two casts like Joelle did! :) You ought to see Joelle being a little 'nurse' to Sandra when they're around. It's so cute.

So cuz of her arms - my sister-in-law and her youngest son is coming down from Minnesota for the next couple of weeks to help out. It'll be good having them around. In fact they'll be here this afternoon. We're driving up to Madisonville to spend the weekend with everyone.

Tried uploading some pics but it kept erroring out - so I'll to try 'em another time.

Have a great weekend y'all!

Break in trip. It was

Break in trip. It was a doozie We were to leave at 10p & bcuz shipping put half our order the wrong trailer we didnt leave until 1:30a What a day!

1st Trip Out

So in about an hour and a half, I leave for work for my first trip out. It's a 4 hour trip to Greenville, SC to deliver 2745 cases of cakes to 7 drops. Should keep us very, VERY busy! :)

After unloading we head for Piedmont, SC for a backhaul of the thin cardboard for the individual boxes to hold a pack of cookies - then back to the yard by supper time on Monday.

I'm feeling a bit anxious - I've done this stuff before - but you know, a new job, learning a new system, wanting to do a very good job and do it right.

Should be interesting.

Yoooo! (Quote: Johnny Five - Short Circuit)

Wow, driving around Hattiesburg MS

Wow, driving around Hattiesburg MS we're seeing some of the damage from Hurricane Katrina. Road signs & trees down, roofs with holes tarped Wow.

We're in Hattiesburg, MS to

We're in Hattiesburg, MS to pick up Sandra and bring her home she's feelin better-saw the dock she took a header off. Ouch. We'll head home soon.

Broken Wrist OR Chrysler Ambulance

Quick story - I've gotta get to bed. Today, my father-in-law calls Doreen with some painful news. The short of it was they are in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and Sandra fell of a dock (in a hospital) while they were getting ready to pick up a piece of equipment to take to Pennsylvania. She fell about 4 feet and definetly broke her left wrist, cracked a left rib on the left, brused her shoulder and has a cut on her face. Her right arm may be broken - we're waiting for the results of the MRI to get back on that one.
So tomorrow morning at 5am We're loading up in the van and all 4 of us are headed 7 hours down to Hattiesburg, MS to pick Sandra up and bring her home. She can't climb into their FedEx truck - so we're gonna go down and get her so she can have the surgery that her left wrist is going to require to be set and heal, here in TN. 14 hours round trip. All I can say is I'm thankful for a built in DVD player in the van. (We tried a number of different avenues to find someplace for the girls - but just couldn't get anyone! Oh well)

Cookie Hauler OR Snack Cake Relocation Specialist

Whichever you think is best! :)

Whichever it is - it is hard work. Today 5 of us (2 trainers and 3 trainees) unloaded a 90% full 48' semi trailer of Little Debbie Snack Cakes into 5 warehouses for independent distributors to pop the cases open and then deliver to local stores. 2388 cases. After we got things figured out - even the trainers had a couple of things to get figured out - we 'blew' those cakes off the truck!!! It'll be a lot harder when it's just me and a co-driver! :) I'm up for the task though - albeit as long as it is next week. I am SORE from today's work. Almost 6 years at a desk job has let me get soft, very soft! Pansy soft! :)

I am sore in like a hundred and twenty places. Ouch!

Oh well - it felt good to have a new outlook on work. It was nice getting out of the training room and actually do the job I was hired to do.

Once I get in the flow of it - I believe I will really enjoy this position. Of course getting out in -20 degree weather in Michigan will be tough - but I'm gonna smile and say "I Love My Job" even with chattering teeth! :)

Tomorrow is my last day of training. Log books - and an update on the 'freaky' new hours of service and some last little things they want us to remember out there. Then I'll be a 'real' Snack Cake Relocation Specialist with McKee Foods Corp. Cool. Found out the info on my first run. I leave Sunday night at 9p run to Greensboro, SC and empty a trailer full of snack cakes, then run to Atlanta, GA for a back-haul of some snack cake ingredient then back home in time for supper on Monday. (I'm going out with one of the other trainees and 3 trainers. Should be a fun time!)

Gotta go to bed and let my body relax and recoup!

Later y'all!

States I've Visited Map...

Got this from Cheryl.

The only state I haven't been in is Hawaii. Doreen did the same 'google blog-thing' and the only state she hasn't been in is Alaska. So it's a race, I'm trying to figure out how to get to Hawaii before she get's to Alaska and vice-versa. It should be interesting. If and when we ever get a winner - I'll be sure to let you know! :)



create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Information Overload

Ok - So I LOVE my new job - however, on this first day of orientation - 8+ hours of classes - my brain is full to overflowing. Wow - so much to know about a trucking job. :)

Actually - I've learned a ton about McKee Food Corp and what they stand for. I learned about Insurance and Benefits and blah, blah, blah. But the most important thing is that they want employees to be happy at work. I believe I will be!

Yeah baby!

Now I gotta get some sleep to let this stuff trickle outta my head so I can assimilate more tomorrow! :)

A Great Family Day

Today we had a very nice day at home. We mowed, weed wacked, did a bit of landscaping, hung a swing rope for the girls. Had a delicious breakfast and lunch, took a short nap. Ran an errand, picked up two pumpkins and just thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Joelle and Natalie are cleaning out their pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns and to get us some pumpkin seeds to roast and eat. Yummy, yummy!

4 Precious Faces! :)

Fun Find

Here we are at one of the four finds we found while canoeing and geocaching today. We had a blast with our friends.

Wading to a find

We had to 'park' our canoes across the way from the island where the geocache was hidden. Then we piled out and walked across a sandbar to where we needed to go. What a GREAT experience.

Perfect Picnic

On one of our cache stops, we found a perfect place to have a picnic. It had shade, beautiful view of the lake and a comfy bed of pine needles on the ground to put our blankets and food and to have a delicious feast!

Getting back.

Joelle working hard getting us back home while I relax in the back!! **GRIN**

Actually, the battery on our little Minn Kota motor ran out. Got to a get a new one. So for now our friends towed us back so we didn't have to row the entire way. It was great just laying back relaxing!!! :) What a fun day. 6 1/2 miles on the water, 4 successful caches, 1 could not find, a great picnic and a ton of fun!!!

Tuckered at the end of the day!

What a GREAT day. Natalie sacked out on the ride back to the cars. This was so cute - we couldn't pass up this photo.

Sore Racquetball Shoulder OR Canoein' & Cachin'

Thursday (my first -real- day of freedom) my wife and girls went to a friends house for a play-date for all the kids. And from what I hear they had a ball and the girls had quite a 'chat-fest.' So I did some much needed work on the computer here at home and then at 6p met two friends at one of the three racquetball courts here at Southern. We played for an hour. And sometimes we even played hard! It was a blast and I added it up and it's been almost 10 years since I last played a racquetball game. That is sad - but I'm getting back into it now! We had a ball - but boy, I'm paying for it now. It's known as sore racquetball shoulder. I've not used those particular muscles in years and - ouwie! :) But I'll have to say, its a good, very good ouwie! :)

Tomorrow is gonna be a great day, we're mixing two of our favorite activities. Canoeing on Hunter Lake and Geocaching. Someone has placed 4 caches on islands in this lake that can only be reached by boat - or so it claims - and so three families are gonna go canoeing. Like pirates we're going to 'raid' those caches! Arrrgh matey!

Have a great weekend all!

Unemployment

Doreen and I have this running (good humor) disagreement. Am I or aren't I employed. I say I'm not employed - technically and and Doreen says I'm technically on vacation. Either way - I'm enjoying this day off!!! :) It's good to be between jobs. Very good! :)

Airport or Hair Port

So which is it? When I was a little boy, one of the things we used to do was to drive to the outside of the airport in Denver and watch planes take off and land. Dad used to stand me on top of of the car and love each time a plane took off and landed. It was awesome. So my folks would ask me where we were and I'd say, "Hair port." They'd then say, "No, say Airport." I'd then say "Hair Port." My mom would then say, "Steven, say air." I'd say, "Air." Then she say, "Now say Port." Then I'd say "Port." "Now Steven, put them together and say airpot." Out of my mouth would pop, "Hair Port." He, he, he.

When I saw this sign over this hair cutting place - I remembered those experiences and had to take this photo, as a great memory. :)

Freedom! Finally Tonight we're relaxing

Freedom! Finally Tonight we're relaxing @ a mall while the girls r playin knowin I dont have 2 go 2 that unhappy work place tomorrow or ever! YES!

What Your Birthdate Means

Your Birthdate: May 7

Born on the 7th day of month gives you a tendency to be something of a perfectionist and makes you more individualistic in many ways. Your mind is good at deep mental analysis and complicated reasoning. You are very psychic and sensitive, and you should usually follow your hunches. You may not take orders too well, so you may want to work alone or in a situation where you can be the boss. This birthday gives a tendency to be somewhat self-centered and a little stubborn.

He, he - this is really pretty accurate, except for the point of of deep mental analysis and complicated reasoning or that I'm very psychic. My hunches of late haven't been that accurate either. Oh well! The rest isn't far off though! :)

Give this Birthday thing a try and see what your birthday means! :)

8 Hours

That's all I've got left here, 8 hours of work at LifeTalk.

I have NO idea of what I'm going to do today - this is a HUGE lame-duck situation! Nothing to do nothing to schedule nothing to plan. Nothing to clean-up, did that already!

Anyway - so I'm just biding my time to finish out here.

Hallelujah! :) I'm ready for a new chapter in our lives!

Write to ya from 'freedom' tomorrow!

He, he, he!

Weird

This pic just kinda blew my mind!

What Does Your Name Mean?

STEVE
S is for Smooth
T is for Thoughtful
E is for Edgy
V is for Vivatious
E is for Easy

What Does Your Name Mean?

Countdown - 48 hours

Oh man - I cannot wait. 48 hours left of my time here. And it's definetly time to go.

My soon to be boss came upstairs yesterday and dropped two bombs on my guys. I couldn't believe it. I feel bad for them - but happy that I'm outta here.

Later!

3 days or Moves into 1st Place

Three more days, then I'm awayyyyy! Oh yeah!

Mon, Tue & Wed are the last days I've gotta work at my old job. I can't wait! Seriously - I cannot wait! This has been coming for a while and I don't need to deal with the junk that's flowing around here anymore. I mean - one of my guys asked how things will be handled around here now and my soon to be former boss said, we'll have to think about it. He's known for 2 weeks and should have a plan - don't wait until next Monday to start thinking about it. But, I guarantee you - that is exactly what will happen.

Oh well - such is life - I feel bad for my guys, but happy for me!

My picks of yesterday's NFL games moved me into first place in the family's ESPN's Pig-skin-pick'em game. Oh yeah. :) Going for a 4th straight family championship. (Hopefully!!! *grin*)

You all have a very, VERY good week!

Out!

Match a Celebrity Music Taste - BlogThing

Check this out! :) Not sure if I quite agree with it - but the computer says so! :)

Your Musical Tastes Match: Nicole Kidman

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

What Celebrity Matches Your Taste in Music?

A Sunday Out

We didn't feel like hanging around the house this morning - so we grabbed our gps, some waypoints and went Geocaching. This was a find in a very peaceful cemetery. It had a beautiful view too!

Tonight we're going to the fall orchestra concert at Southern Adventist University. We had a sample of it yesterday and church and the girls seemed to enjoy it - so we'll take their Sabbath bag and enjoy some beautiful music tonight.

Have a great weekend yourself!

Former Professor & Friends

This weekend we had a Southwestern Adventist University Alumni Reunion Potluck here in TN. It's a thing they do, going around to different areas having alumni meetings trying to keep the University in the mind of the alumni - mostly for donations, but also just to keep in touch. Bob Mendenhall - my former Broadcasting professor - was one of the represenatives here and so it was fun catching up with him along with two other guys who graduated with the Broadcasting degree that I work with. It was a LOT of fun visiting!

Adventurers OR Being Inconsiderate

Hey, hey, hey - what do ya say?!!

IT'S FRIDAYYYYYY! Oh yeah.

Today I did my last radio show. No more radio for me - probably for a very long time. How sad that conditions have forced me to resign from a place where I have the potential to do what I love. Sad, sad, sad. Oh well - moving on...

Tonight Joelle was invested into her first Adventurers club. It was a precious service and she was a saint sitting up front. I was extremely suprised and proud how well she did - especially with a couple of kids around here not behaving as they should. One boy was making so many faces, it was quite humorous - but I'm glad it wasn't my daughter. She was perfect. (Check out the pics - further down this page - of her in the cute little uniform.)

A great end to a busy week. Trying to get everything done I need to at work to leave a clean break. 3 days left. PTL!!!

So what is it with people being so blasted inconsiderate lately? I just don't understand it. Case(s) in point...

#1 - This week my family and I went up to a 'park,' for a day to get away. Joelle's been begging, I had a day coming and we just needed to get away. So while we're there - we have to take the girls to the restroom a number of times. When I take them, I obviously have to take them into the stall. What is the deal with guys leaving the seat down and making a HUGE mess?? Hello - it takes all of half a sec to lift the lid. Uh DUH!! And what part of "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and clean the seatie" is so hard to do. Not to mention it is really, REALLY gross. Come'on guys who leave a mess - be considerate and clean it up.

#2 - Yesterday, we went to the grocery store to do our weekly shopping. Get into the store and start down the main isle with Joelle in the cart. 4 People just standing, in such a way to block the entire isle, are doing nothing but talking and being in the way. This is a MAIN isle - hello. Two other people besides me get 'behind' them and can't get through because they're being so incredibly inconsiderate. Uh - MOVE IT! A polite 'excuse me' was uttered - and NO response - so we had to go around. And that was just the beginning. Three other times last night - people would just 'stop' right in the middle of whatever isle we were in and leave me no way around while they looked for whatever they were looking for. Aaarrgghhhh! Have we become such a self-centered socieity that we no longer care about those around it - even in the super simple things of just stepping out of the way so people can get through?

And I'll stop here - after this one.

#3 - When we got to the grocery store, it was raining lightly, and Doreen started down a row to park so we could go shopping. We sat waiting for about 3 minutes while someone - who was 'waiting for a front-row' parking spot. Finally we backed up, went down a couple of other rows and finally found a spot. As we walked inside - the same car was sitting waiting for the same spot - meanwhile blocking up the entire row so that other vehicles wanting to get through were blocked in behind it. That is flat out pure, unadulterated inconsiderateness.

Sad - sad - SAD!

Tomorrow we have a reunion of sorts. Our college almamater is having a SAU potluck reunion of alumni after church. So we'll be there - to visit with my college counselor and wife and others, just for the fun of it!

Have a GREAT weekend!

"Ten-Hut!!!"

Tonight Joelle was invested into 'Adventurers,' the pre-curser to Pathfinders. It was very precious as she got all decked out in her uniform at home and then later waited in the room with all the other Adventurers to march in to the sanctuary. Boy, it's been forever since I was in Pathfinders - I really miss it. It was part of my life for so long, with my folks being leaders and then getting into it myself when I was old enough, then helping out by becoming a junior counselor. Gonna have to get involved with my daughter! :) (I pulled out my JMV and AJY scarves and sash with all my honors on it. Can't wait until Natalie's old enough and the 4 of us can work on it together.)

Investiture Candle

During the investiture, the kids put their names on an altar, then were giving a candle to bring to the parents as a reimder of us all, to daily commit our selves to God and to keep an eye on the Fire of our lives. It was a very precious service. I can't believe my little girl is growing up so quickly!

The Change... The Story

<--- This is going to be my new boss! :) Well in a sense, but I'm not kidding. I have resigned from my current place of employment. I used to LOVE going to work, but over the last year, things have just gone into the pits. It is extremely sad some of the things that are going on there and where it is being taken.

So, last February, I decided to put in an application at McKee Foods, Little Debbie's parent company, as one of their drivers. When I put the application in, my prayer was that if they called it was meant for me to accept the job. At the beginning of Aug, they called for an interview. Then a week later I was given a road Test and passed with flying colors. After we got back from Colorado they called for a 2nd interview, then I took a drug screen, which DHL promptly shipped to the wrong state and was lost. So I had to go back in for a second drug screen test, passed and was offered a job Friday morning. So Friday afternoon I handed in my resignation.

I tell ya what - it was like a HUGE Gorilla jumped off my back. So, if I can survive during the next 7 days, I will be free!

Anyway, Mon Oct 17 is my first day of orientation. I've got a week of orientation, 5 weeks of training and a 4 month probationary period. Shouldn't be a problem though.

So I'm in the same boat - basically - as Cheryl.

To a happy life!!!

OUT!

Te' ta Te'

Ok - here's a shot of me in a KC hat. (GASP - Horror of horrors) So now, since I had to go through this once - I'm 'willing' the Broncos win every time they meet, cuz I don't want to have to wear it! Waaa ha, ha, ha, ha!

Fun, fun, fun!

Broncos vs Chiefs Bet

Ok - so I've got a friend who is a HUGE Kansas City Cheifs fan. We keep in touch via e-mail and are constantly talking football, especially KC vs Denver. Last year we traded hats. I sent him a Bronco hat and he sent me a Chiefs hat. We've got this running bet that when the two teams square off - the losing team's fan has to send the winning team's fan a photo of himself in the winning team's hat. (Now in all fairness, I need to post a photo of me in the KC hat after KC whupped up on Denver the last meeting of the season. I'll try to remember to do that this week.) It's a fun way to 'bet' with him and make the two games a year they meet even more interesting!

Since the Broncos thoroughly beat the Chiefs last week, here's my friend (His face has been fuzzed cuz I didn't ask his permission to post the photo.) in the Bronco hat. Of course - check him all decked out in a KC jersey with a helmet.

He, he, he! I love sports!

Foster Falls Fun

Sabbath we went to Foster Falls to hide a GeoCache with some friends - then we hiked down to the bottom of the falls and enjoyed the view and the water.

I also must give kudos to my oldest daughter, I didn't think she was going to make it - but she climbed back to the top, all by herself. That was amazing!!! :)

Have a GREAT day!

Floatin'

Here's Joelle just having a bit of fun floatin' on a boogie board at the base of Foster Falls. The water was COLD Sabbath. I waded in it - but didn't go in farther that to the tops of my ankles - just too cold! :)

Just doing a bit of caching

Change - Hint # 3 and final

Literal OR Change - Hint 2

Sandra, my mother-in-law, just told me a hilarious story this evening.

The melted siding was making a noise banging up against the side of the house at my in-laws place one night. She happened to be up and an unusually large noise scared her. As she was telling Doreen the story, she said, "It scared me so much, I almost jumped out of my skin."

Joelle was sitting there listening, and turned to Sandra and said, "How do you do that?"

He, he, he! Precious!!!

So this weekend was very, VERY good!

Sabbath found us at the Ooltewah church, then lunch at our place with some friends. Then we drove out to Foster Falls, with our friends, to place a cache. Here. It was a blast and we found a GREAT place to put it. We took some time and played in the very cold water at the base of the falls, then headed home. On the way back home, we hit a couple of caches. One was in a restarea disguised as a 'fake' bird house. Very, VERY unique.

The girls were bushed - and barely made it home, awake. They had a little snack - then we put them to bed and they crashed.

Sunday had us sleeping in - ah yes. Then we had a relaxing meal, tinkered around the house - then headed for a Geocaching club meeting. Our first. At the beginning it was little uncomfortable - meeting ALL the new people - the we just fit right in and were on of the crowd. We had pizza, home-made ice-cream and lots of good conversation. The girls had a blast with all the dogs around for Joelle to enjoy. (Natalie even enjoyed some of them!!) They got to play on the jungle-gym and train.

We bought a Geocoin. It's trackable on geocaching.com and so we'll hang onto it and trade it out etc. They also gave us a GEOSET hatpin. Geocachers of South East Tennessee. It's a GeoCaching club. Cool.

The neatest thing about the event was Joelle won her first Door Prize of her little life. She got us another TN geocoin. You should have seen her grinning from ear to ear as she walked up to get her prize. Boy, was I proud daddy - seeing my little girl. She's growing up. :(

During the event a small group of us went and found another couple of caches - then we headed home after stopping at a 'Case' sale at the Village Market - the campus Grocery story that had veggie meat on sale - for a great price.

Then home for an afternoon of football, YEAH the Broncos kicked butt today, relaxing and visiting with my in-laws. It was good. Very, VERY GOOD!

Wrapping this evening up with blogging, watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Sabrina.

Ahhhh - what a weekend!

So back to work tomorrow - for another, 7 days.

Have a GREAT week!