Ways to Be Cool!

Someone sent me this pic online. Look at the very last entry down there on the bottom!



He, he, he - now you have the secret of the way to be 'cool!' I'm available, just give me a holler! :)

****GRIN****

40th Birthday Cards

So, I really loved all the cards I received for my 40th birthday and wanted to post the 'ditties' written on them here so I can look back at them occasionally and get a good chuckle!

Enjoy!

--sp

"Over the Hill Driver's Car Kit"
When you get behind the wheel
It's important that everyone know:
you don't know where you're going
And your only speed is slow!

You're low on octane, high on gas
And you turn and stop at will.
you think you're an "experienced" driver,
Truth is, you're over the hill.

(Pretty appropriate considering my current job! Ha, ha, ha!)
(I think I got that kit from the Gallaghers.)

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Hey, 40 year-old!
You should be excited about your birthday!
In the dictionary, "Forty" is surrounded by words like...
Fabulous, Festive, Fruitful...

False Teeth, Flatulence, Funeral, hummmm...

Ahem...

Anyway, have a fun 40th Birthday!!!
(Very creative and hilarious!)
(Cantrells)

----------

To: Old Man Pester

Happy Birthday and Look on the bright side of being 40!

You've already had as much fun as 2 twenty-year-olds!!!

(OUCH - LOL)
(Gallaghers - who are both in their twenties. How ironic they find that card!)

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Another Year Older?
You're Lookin' Good!
You're Feelin' Good!

You apparently don't realize what's going on!
Oh well Happy Birthday!

(WAAAA HA, HA, HA!)
(Reutebuch)

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I made sure I didn't get a funny card for your birthday.

I know how easily people your age pee their pants!

(That one REALLY cracked me up!)
(Bremmers)

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You're "40!" Do something that brings back memories of your "WILD YOUTH!"

Play an album!

(LOL - I think I still have an album around here somewhere! **GRIN**)
(Piroks)

----------

A long, LONG time ago...

You were born! (It plays the music from the Star Wars theme!)

(Unfortunately, that one is SO very true! *Chuckle*)
(Ashmores - of course they were BOTH born before me - HA!!!)

----------

On your 40th birthday: you're not over the hill yet!

...but you're certainly high enough to get nosebleeds!

(Ha, ha, ha, ha!!!)
(Ottos)

----------

And here's a note a friend had pinned to her shirt...

You'd be out of breath, too!!!

(The guy just climbed a HUGE hill, ya know?!!)

(THAT ONE TOOK ME A SEC TO CATCH, BUT ONCE I CAUGHT ON I LAUGHED MYSELF SILLY!)
(Spicers)

----------

AND FINALLY, FROM MY 39 YEAR-OLD, MOST PRECIOUS WIFE...


To my Husband; I love you so much - you make me feel warm all over!

...and I'm sure I'll feel even warmer when I get near your birthday cake, what with that incredible wall of flame rising from the candles!

(That one is so very true, it's not even funny! Well it actually is! HA!)


THOSE ALL MADE ME LAUGH INCREDIBLY HARD! YEAH, IT'S GOOD TO BE 40, BECAUSE I'VE MADE SOME GOOD FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY - FRIENDS FOR ETERNITY!!!

:-)

Dogs Communicating

This morning as I was headed to a 'pit stop' before coming down to the computer for a bit, I happened to glance out the window and had to stop and watch a bit.

Mocha, our dog, was standing about 5 feet from our back fence, facing towards where our neighbors have two dogs and she was barking her head off, and so were probably 90% of the canines in our neighborhood.

I was gonna go out and 'hush' the mutt, then I noticed her tail was sticking 'straight up' while she was barking. I've never noticed her doing that before. Plus it wasn't a 'snarly' bark, like I've heard her have occasionally when a 'stranger' is going by.

So I stood there and watched Mocha continue to bark, in that same position for a couple of minutes. Then the entire canine neighborhood went silent, Mocha dropped her 'flag pole' tail and trotted off to a different part of the yard.

Odd, I thought.

Then the scene from the movie 101 Dalmatians popped into my head where the dogs were all sending a message up the line as to where the puppies were.

I wonder if that's what the dogs in our neighborhood were doing this morning?

Hummmm???

**GRIN**

Faurty Has Awwived (Boston Accent There)

So, I am now 40. Wow! Who'd have ever 'thunk' that I would make it to forty? No, not that I was ever an Evil Knievel type or the Druggie type or the Prison Bait type, it's just that 40 always seemed a long, LONG way off. When my folks turned 40 and I was just 14, I remember thinking to myself, "I'll never be that old!" Well now I am! I got a few more creaks and squeaks and a bit more weight on board than I really would like to have, but I have arrived at the 'top of the hill.' I plan to stay at the top for a while and take in the view before starting down the other side!

My wife and friends really surprised me Friday evening with a really fun Surprise party for my birthday - actually on my birthday. I didn't suspect a thing. In fact at one point I was really kinda bummed that nothing, apparently, was gonna happen. I didn't see a point in our schedule when something could either! So I was kinda grumpy occasionally. I mean 40 only comes around once! :)

So Doreen and the kids had work and school and I had a PT and Dr appointments. It was funny, in my Dr appointment for my 'annual physical' at one point my Dr was looking at the paperwork seemingly mighty confused. He kept flipping back and forth between pages. Finally he asked, "Today's your birthday right?" "Yup," I replied. "Today I turn forty." That cleared up everything, his nurse wrote my age down as '39' right above where it has my actual birth date, which by using a bit better math, puts me right at 40. His reply, as he closed the folder, "Well congratulations, that makes you the winner of a rectal exam!" Too funny!

After all that, I ran a couple of other errands and did a couple of things at home before Doreen and the girls got home and everyone scurried about getting stuff set for the weekend before we were going to head over to the Olive Garden for our Birthday meals. (Doreen's b-day is the very next day!) We ate and headed to DQ for dessert. (Of which Doreen decided to pass on, which did seem a bit odd, but she did eat her WHOLE plate of food and claimed to be stuffed.) Then off to the church for choir practice.

After choir practice I got delayed helping operate the PA for some Adventurer girls practice a song for Adventurer Investiture on Sat night. Then we headed off for Bible study at our friends house. I figured it was going to be a short 'meeting' cuz it was so late already... and when we walked up, I saw William, their son and started making all sorts of faces at him through the window then turned and walked through the door - and hanging right there were two 'black' balloons. "Oh" - went through my mind, "someone's being funny and giving me a hard time." Then I turned the corner and was met by a crowd of really good friends, all in black with black balloons and caution tape, and a good evening celebrating me making it to 40.

I loved visiting with everyone there! They are all awesome people and what I would consider to be the best friends a guy could have!

Tracy made two awesome cakes, one with a spinner on top that said, "Steve is older than..." and around the top of the cakes were labels like, "Dirt, King Tut, You, The Wheel, etc" Too funny! The other was a couple of tomb stones that said "RIP to Steve's youth." There was pizza, a veggie tray, drinks, chips and lots of fun conversation.

They had some HILARIOUS gag gifts for me!

It was just a lot of fun. I feel kinda bad for thinking 'nothing' was gonna happen! I should have known better! :)

Thanks y'all. Looking forward to hanging around all y'all for the next 40 years!!

Perfect Timing

Just wanted to relate that no matter how hard we try, just let God's timing work.

A few weeks ago, we were on a camp out up in Chilhowee with our Sabbath School Class.

Since I'm a SS class leader, I was kind of in charge of the event.

I got a good study on "Nature" in the Bible for a worship on Sabbath. Just wasn't sure when I was going to present it. Typically, we do it right after breakfast, but I just wasn't motivated, plus the kids were playing together nicely and all the adults were able to just sit and converse!

A little later in the morning, I'm asked when we're gonna have worship and I say, whenever. So about 30 minutes later a couple more people ask, so we got everyone together and started singing a few songs.

Right then the rain, in the form of light sprinkle set it. We sang, prayed and did the Bible study on nature. And just the moment we had our closing prayer, 35 or so minutes later, the rain/sprinkle stopped!

Amazing, we stayed dry under the tarps we hung for just that sort of reason and it worked out in God's timing - I like to believe anway - just perfectly!!! :)

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday

Today is May 1, 2010.

I am calling in a 'Mayday Emergency Alert.' In less that 6 days (since today's almost over) I turn 40. Not sure I'm ready for that HUGE number!

A Game of Dog & Chicken

You've heard of a game of Cat & Mouse? Well, let me tell you about a new game of Dog & Chicken.

I was out mowing the backyard our lawn on Friday and our Dog, Mocha, and Chicken, Peepers were playing a hilarious game!

Mocha had been barking at me to throw the ball for her, so once when I went by it with the mower, I picked it up to throw it for her... and she was nowhere to be found. I couldn't see her anywhere. So I tossed the ball away and went on mowing around the backside of our shed.

That's where Peepers came 'running' by me at top speed, from the back of the yard. That was hilarious in itself, because chickens just run funny!

As I came on around the shed, I saw Peepers sneek (as well as a chicken can) up to Mocha's food dish and begin pecking at the dog food. Well, not two seconds later, Mocha comes streaking across the yard and runs up to Peepers, barking her head off. Peepers then takes off.

Not a couple of laps around the lawn later, I see this whole dance played out again!

After I finished I went to put Mocha back on the leash we keep her on while Peepers is free in the backyard and we're not physically present.

Peepers was 'hanging' out between the fence and Mocha's doghouse/food dish. As I was trying to get the leash on Mocha's collar, it was kinda hard because she kept twisting her head back and fourth to watch Peepers. I finally took a good grip of the collar and got Mocha's attention to get the leash attached and Peepers took that instant to RUN for the dog dish and got a couple of 'pecks' in before Mocha wrenched free of my grip - dog leash attached - and went to defend her dog-dish!

That was one of the most hilarious things I've seen in my life. I am hoping to someday catch party of that 'Dog & Chicken Game' on video to remember it and laugh at occasionally!!! :)

Average!

So, the big "4-0" is quickly coming. Actually, it's roaring up like a Mack truck with me standing in the middle of the road. Only 2 1/2 weeks away.

Don't know if it's because I'm tired from driving all night at work and unloading all day, etc, but I woke up in the bunk of the truck this afternoon with memories and moments from as far back in my ALMOST 40 years came streaming into my consciousness.

I'm kinda feeling a bit melancholy about it all right now!

As I was driving last night, I was listening to some sports talk show host explaining the difference between the players in College Football vs the quality of the players in the NFL. They also hit on the NBA, Golf, MLB, etc. The difference is vast, except for a very few exceptional players that move up to the next level.

So I started thinking about my life and see that through it all, I've been a 'college' level player.

In elementary I struggled with my studies - always average grades - and connecting with my classmates. All too often, my favorite part of the day - recess - ended in a fight because I wanted to be the best at whatever we were doing, ie dodgeball or tag or whatever and was just the middle of the pack and I'd get caught or out and get frustrated. (Interesting, I'd never thought of it in those terms or that way before.)
One thing, during those years, I was always good at was rollerskating. I loved the regular rollerskating we'd do at the school gym on Saturday nights. Can't make a life/career out of that though! :)

I think Academy, my Senior year, was about the best. I was a class officer, made it on the Volleyball team, was constantly involved with stuff and that was about the best grades I'd gotten in my life. (Still, they were pretty average though.) My Sophomore year I was trying to 'fit in' and barely did that. My Junior year year I was focused on one other person and didn't get involved in much else. I did a few intramural sports - but really just filled a slot on the team.

In college, I was so busy working trying to pay for college that I just 'passed' my classes - well all but one. Ended up with a HUGE "F" in algebra. Had to take 'bone-head' math to be able to graduate. With that and 'courting' Doreen, nothing extra really, I just existed.

I've never really done anything to 'stand-out' in my career. Pretty much feel like I've just been a worker bee trying to get the quota of pollen into the hive to get by. Just about got fired from 3ABN for asking the question, "why" too often. The 3 years moving was enjoyable - but extremely rough. Loved my time at LTR, but that all changed. The place operated just fine after I left.

Guess, I got to thinking about this a bit because when I was out with my shoulder operation, my partner ran with another guy for those 5 months and before I left, I could pack a warehouse extremely neatly and keep up with my partner. Well, the fill in could do it faster and better than me and I feel like I can barely keep up now. All it is, is stacking boxes, but I feel like I'm just barely doing enough to get by.

Maybe it is because 40 is coming, but I really feel kinda blase about my life. I have a wonderful wife, but at times, feel like I'm barely a competent husband/lover. My girls are awesome, but even after waiting 7 years to start with kids, not sure I have the maturity to help them be good people. I blow my stack way too easily - even after going through a Love & Logic course 3 times.

I always thought I was a pretty good racquetball player, and for the last two seasons, I've always finished 6th or 7th out of 10 or 11. Middle of the pack average - and that's in B league. Not even with the really good players.

In helping to lead our SS and my Builders class for Adventurers, I put quite a bit into it, but can't help but feeling it's barely adequate.

Humm, maybe I just need a really good night of sleep or to get past this upcoming reminder of how old I'm getting, which by the way is just midlife! Maybe this is my crisis! :)

Report Cards - Spring Midterm

Doreen and I had two very good Parent Teacher Conferences recently!

As much as I disliked school, I am so, SO, SOOO very thankful my girls seem to be enjoying it and doing very well!

All of Joelle's marks stayed satisfactory or went up this period! Yeahhh! The teacher wrote, "Joelle still has a bit of difficulty staying on task, but manages to get her work done! She is such fun to have in the classroom!"

Natalie's marks are all outstanding! No comment this quarter!

I love my girls! :)

Drama - Leave it to the Silver Screen

It's interesting how 'Drama' finds its way into our lives. We've got two situations right now that are both filled with Major Drama.

So is this life imitating art, or art imitating life?

Either way, I wish both the situation at church and the 'other' one would just calm down and let everything get back to an even keel! :)

No more drama! :)

Coin Toss

A friend this posted this on my Google Reader and I just loved it! It is SO true. So I wanted to share it with you!

Men are Just Happier People

Yup, I can see why! Read this and see if you agree with it too! :)

What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000.
Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache..
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier

Week vs Weak

WITHOUT GOD... our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday, Shatterday, Seven days without God - Makes one Weak!

Patience

Got this from Doreen's Aunt Debbie, who's daughter is fighting cancer right now! It was so good, I wanted to share it and remember it!!!

PATIENCE

When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. Rather than being restless or demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you. Patience brings an internal calm during an external storm.

No one likes to be around an impatient person. It causes you to overreact in angry, foolish and regrettable ways. The irony of anger toward a wrongful action is that it spawns new wrongs of its own. ANGER almost never makes things better. In fact, it usually generates additional problems. But patience stops problems in their tracks. Patience is a deep breath. It clears the air. It stops foolishness from whipping its angry scorpion tail all over the room. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil.

Anger is usually caused when the strong desire for something is mixed with disappointment or grief. You don't get what you want and you start heating up inside. It is often an emotional reaction that flows out of our own selfishness, foolishness or evil motives.

Patience makes us wise. Patience stands in the doorway where anger is clawing to burst in. Patience will foster peace and quiet. Patience is where love meets wisdom.

Few of us do patience very well and none of us do it naturally.

Report Cards... 1st midterm & Semester

I've had the girls report cards sitting on the desk to post the info on my page for way tooo long!

So here's the low-down on how my girls are doing in school.

1st Midterm '09/'10 year...

Joelle has a bubbly personality and is fun to have in the classroom. She's a good worker and would benefit for working more quickly. Every day she is showing more maturity and confidence.

We LOVE this report. Of course we kinda figured that she needs to focus a little better and work more efficiently - the SAME problem we're struggling with at home! :)

Natalie has leaped into her 1st grade year in a most outstanding way. She excels in all areas of curriculum. Natalie is self motivated and loves to explore and try new things. She is above grade level in her reading skills!

This is exactly the kind of report a parent likes to hear... my poor folks! **GRIN**

Semester Reports:

Joelle tries her best. She is often distracted, but will get back on task when reminded. She has a sweet, caring way about her that makes life happier for her classmates. She has some difficulty with consistency; sometimes excelling.

That is the epitome of my Joelle!!! :)

Joelle Iowa Test results has her in the 66th percentile. Hallelujah!!! It says, "Her overall achievement appears to be somewhat above average for 3rd grade." She needs a little work in Problem Solving and Data interpretation, but excels in Maps and Diagrams!

That is MOST awesome!

Natalie continues to excel in all content areas. She is very obedient and has such a positive attitude. She's a real joy to have in the classroom!

I'm so thankful to have to very good, precious little girls! I'm so proud of them!

Natalie Growing Up or The Golden Rule

Recently we've had a couple of 'issues' with Natalie and her classmates at school - unfortunately. Thankfully, we were able to turn it into a chance to teach her to "Do unto others, what you would have them do unto you!"

She had an incident with a classmate at school who was lying to her, and Natalie slapped the classmate for lying! Oy! So we had a talk and told her that was completely unacceptable and it appeared that she understood.

A couple of weeks later, she got upset at a little boy and pushed him. Well, that was it. We gave her an opportunity to think of a punishment for herself to help remind her to keep her hands to herself, or we'd come up with one for her.

By the time the deadline to choose a punishment rolled around, she hadn't thought of anything, so Doreen and I had one locked, loaded and ready to go.

The next Sunday she had invitations to go to birthday parties of two classmates. We had planned to attend both, but because she chose to be mean to other people around her, she could not be around friends - especially at a fun event where she 'might' be mean to others. So she was only allowed to go to one party - the one that wasn't as near as fun as the other one.

She did NOT like that much at all. She was really looking forward to going to the one.

We think it's worked though. Since then - no problems! We're continuing to pray that she continues to think of the Golden Rule when she is around her friends and classmates!!!

An Exercise in Responsibility for Joelle! The Followup

It was a rousing success.

Doreen said she checked on Joelle twice and both times she was up and getting bigtime stuff done!

That is absolutely amazing.

Now if we can just figure out how to get her focused ALL the time and get stuff done!

I am so proud of my girl!

An Exercise in Responsibility for Joelle!

Backstory...

Last night Natalie got sick. She couldn't keep anything, ANYTHING down. She'd take a small drink of water and about 8 minutes later - it'd come back up. Doreen had to tear her bed apart to get it washed, but it has leaked down to the mattress, so we laid her on our bed. I went to sleep down in the spare bedroom - had to get up early for work.

In the morning, I find that our bed got up-chucked on too and had to be remade. Then Natalie started with diarrhea.

I headed to work and was at it for 3 hours, during the time I got a text message from Doreen that she was starting to get the same stuff. So we worked out a deal that I'd come get the kids and take them to school. (Carpooling) and then pick up Natalie and take her to the Pediatrician to get checked out cuz we were worried about dehydration.

Sure enough, the Dr said she was starting, "to dry up." They thought they may need to IV some fluids into her, but wanted to try a medicine called Zofran first, then observer her for 45 minutes while taking little drinks of Gatorade - Cherry Flavor - to see if she could keep it down.

About half way through, she was keeping everything down and kinda perking up a bit. Success was had! So he wrote a prescription for her and an order for clear fluids for the rest of the day and sent us on our way.

At home - Doreen rested, but continued to get worse, almost to the point where Natalie was. So they rested the remainder of the afternoon and I went back to work for a bit.

This evening Joelle and I did everything around the house. Then we made supper, then lunches for she and I for tomorrow and did the bedtime routine.

Natalie will be staying home from school for one more day - just to be sure not to share the bug, and Doreen will need to relax.

So I showed Joelle where all her stuff is for her lunch to be packed in the morning and make a list of what she can make for breakfast and then all the 'responsibilities' she needs to complete by 7:30a to be out front of the house to meet our friends to carpool to school.

It is going to be very interesting to see if she can focus and get up and get everything done and be ready to go!

I can't wait to see the outcome!!!

P.S. As of this writing, both Doreen and Natalie are resting easy, not feeling the best, but better than this afternoon!

Hang in There

Got this from a friend on Facebook, (Thanks Kent T.) and I really enjoyed it so much I wanted to repost it here so I can read it again and again and remember the good moral in it!

Enjoy!


In the old days of the American West, ranchers would sometimes take a wild steed that they could not break, tie it to a burro, and turn the two loose. The steed would rear up on it hind legs, snorting with defiance, and off they would go out on to the range. Before long the bucking steed would disappear over the horizon, dragging the helpless burro behind.

Days would pass, but eventually the odd couple would reappear. The little burro would come first, with the submissive steed in tow.

What went on out on the range always brought the same result. The steed would buck and kick and pitch and pull, but the burro, willing or not, would hang on. Finally, the steed would become exhausted, and at the point the burro would take over and become the leader.

That’s the way it is in life. The winners hang on. They are determined and committed. They know that perseverance can bring you out on top.

Lack of perseverance is the reason most people fail in business, in politics, and in their personal lives. Success depends on staying power.