How NOT To Be Rude With Your Cell Phone

Here are a few points from Tim Steven's blog post, "Wherever You Are...Be Fully There". Thought these were definitely worth repeating.

• When you start a meeting, turn your ringer off and move it away from you. If the screen comes to life when you get a text–then put the phone upside down so you won’t see it. If it is likely to vibrate, then put it somewhere it can’t be felt or heard.
• If your phone does vibrate during the meeting and your guest says, “Go ahead and take that if you need to” — reach down and silence it without even looking. This communicates to your guest that they are very valuable to you.
• Don’t buy into the “what if there is an emergency?” line. Rarely does that happen. It’s not a good excuse for having to look at your phone multiple times through every meeting.
• If you know you will need to be reached during the meeting, let your guest know, “My wife is at the doctors office and may need to reach me, so I apologize in advance that I’ll be taking her call when it comes.” That tells your guest this is an exception–you wouldn’t normally do this.
• If you are in a meeting with multiple people–follow the same rules. Don’t convince yourself that your participation isn’t needed right now so you can disengage and respond to texts or play your next turn in Words With Friends.We fool ourselves into thinking we can multitask, or that our disengagement won’t be noticed for a few minutes. Not true.

This Too Shall pass

You May Be Taliban If...

1. You refine heroin for a living, but you have a moral objection to liquor.

2. You own a $3,000 machine gun, but you can't afford shoes.

3. You have more wives than teeth.

4. You wipe your butt with your bare hand, but consider bacon "unclean."

5. You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.

6. You can't think of anyone you haven't declared Jihad against.

7. You consider television dangerous, but carry explosives in your clothing.

8. You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.

9. You have nothing against women and think every man should own at least four.

10. You've always had a crush on your neighbor's goat.

11. Your cousin is president of the United States

Why Men and Women Have Such a Difficult Time Understanding Each Other

Geocaching Find #700

I still enjoy geocaching, but since I started teaching school on my day off, I have not had as many opportunities to go out. But while Brooke and Amanda were in Alabama, I took a few days off work (and it's summer so I'm not teaching), so I took advantage of the time to grab six quick caches and log find #700! (June 24, 2010)

Yes, that's a 35mm film container. My 700th find was actually a very simple hide sometimes called a "lamp post" or "lamp skirt" cache. Can you guess where they are hidden?

Proud To Live In Texas

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion, that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a Story in the LA Times read: " California archaeologists, finding of 200 year old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers".

One week later. A local newspaper in Texas reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture near Maypearl, Texas, Bubba, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless".

Just makes a person proud to live in Texas, don't it.

S.P.E.C.K. of Truth

I follow the blog of Mark Batterson, lead Pastor of National Community Church. I just discovered their "From the Garden to the City" Bible reading plan for 2010 and Pastor Heather Zempel's short video on how to read the Bible. She suggested reading for a "SPECK of Truth". Here's what the acronym stands for:

• Is there a SIN for me to avoid?
• Is there a PROMISE from God for me to claim?
• Is there an EXAMPLE for me to follow?
• Is there a COMMANDMENT for me to obey?
• How can this passage increase my KNOWLEDGE about God or about Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit?

I am always looking for tools to help me apply God's Word to my everyday life, and I thought this was worth sharing. You can see the whole video clip here or this seems to be the same material Pastor Heather was sharing.

Proven Home Remedies

These really work. I checked this out on Snopes.

1. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.

2. Avoid arguments with the females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

3. For high blood pressure sufferes: Simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer.

4. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

5. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you'll be afraid to cough.

6. You only need two tools in life: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the W-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

7. If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

Daily Thought:

Some people are like a Slinky - not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

California Vs. Texas

A man is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote jumps out and attacks dog.

California :
#1. Man starts to intervene, reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural.

#2. He calls animal control. Animal control captures coyote and spends $200 testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it.

#3. He calls veterinarian. Vet collects dead dog and spends $200 testing it for diseases.

#4. Man goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting bite wound bandaged.

#5. Running trail gets shut down for 6 months while wildlife services conduct a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is clear of dangerous animals.

#6. $50,000 of state funds are allocated to implement a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area.

#7. State legislature spends $2 million investigating how to better handle rabies and how to possibly eradicate the disease.

#8. PETA protests the coyote relocation and files suit against the state.

Texas :
#1. Man shoots coyote and keeps jogging. He has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge. Buzzards eat dead coyote..

Any wonder why California is broke????

Where in the World is Grace O'Mally?

Grace O'Malley is one of our three box turtles. Her first name is Grace because all of our turtles have names that start with "G". Her last name is O'Malley because when we first started the turtle thing, Amanda named our first turtle Grumpy O'Malley.

So I went out to feed the O'Malley family this morning (Grumpy, Little George and Grace). Little George came walking up to me because he knows his food source. Grumpy had once again climbed up on the cinder block wall that surrounds the perimeter of their pen and was going for a walk. Grace was nowhere to be found. The cinder block wall offers many shaded resting spots for the turtles, so I checked all of those...three times. Next, we have a wood pile shelter built in the middle of the pen. Checked there, also three times and she was not there. In the past, turtles have crawled under their "water bowl" (an upside down trash can lid), so I checked there. Grace was still nowhere to be found.

At this point, I was trying to figure out how a turtle could disappear from our turtle pen. I was pretty sure she had not found a way to escape. If there was a way to escape, Grumpy would have found it on his many wall patrols. Didn't seem very likely that an animal would eat a box turtle. If she had died, I would have found her laying around somewhere (shells don't rot too fast!). Why would somebody come steal a box turtle?

Finally I decided to check the area where the turtles usually hibernate. It's not the right time of the year for that, but I had run out of options. Sure enough, as I began to move my hands through the leaf piles on the ground, there was Grace. She was buried head up, so it seems she may have been laying eggs again. Usually if they are trying to bury themselves, they go head first. In any case, the mystery was solved and I could safely wake up Amanda (who would have been devastated if a turtle had disappeared).

Let Me See If I Got This Right

IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.

IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.

IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.

IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.

IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.

IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET...

1. A JOB,
2. A DRIVERS LICENSE,
3. SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
4. WELFARE,
5. FOOD STAMPS,
6. CREDIT CARDS,
7. SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
8. FREE EDUCATION,
9. FREE HEALTH CARE,
10. A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON ,
11. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE,
12. THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE SITUATION

If You're Not a Geocacher, You Won't Appreicate It

Long Service!

Mower Shed Repair

Our church mower shed was built more than 20 years ago and has held up very well...up until last year. Last year the weather caught up with our shed (and with several of our buildings at church). I'm not much of a carpenter, so I put out a call for somebody take on this project, but when nobody responded, I called my Dad. Dad is great at this kind of stuff and was willing to help, so he came to the church on Monday.

This is just one example of the weather damage. This is the side of the shed and a piece of trim that goes along the bottom of the building.

We got one side replaced, the back, the front, and here we are trying to get the door on before the rain.

And here's a picture of the mess we were rushing to clean when the rain started. We still have to replace one side, remount the doors (they are on, but they need some work still), the trim that goes around the top shingles and the trim that goes along the bottom of the building. Of course, there is caulking and painting to do as well.

Dad is coming back out sometime next week to help me get the project finished. Since carpentry is not one of my gifitings, I was hoping somebody would take care of this project for me. That did not happen, but because of it, I've been able to spend some quality time with my Dad, and that's better than finding somebody else to do the job.

Made Me Laugh

Geocaching

The weather was nice today and I had the itch to do something outside (something fun, unlike mowing the yard!). I was torn between geocaching and riding my bicycle. I asked Amanda if she wanted to geocache today and she said "yes", so that settled that. I miss geocaching and I REALLY miss geocaching with GeoPunkin.

Amanda's ability to find caches that I cannot find is not my only reason for wanting to geocache with her, but it sure makes life easier. This was our first cache today, a multi (find the cache at the given location, and it will give you coordinates to another "leg" of the trip...this one had three legs). These little gnomes guarded the caches along the way, and Amanda found the first one.

OK, this picture is totally staged. Amanda got a new cammo shirt this weekend and could not wait to go geocaching with me so we could both wear our cammo shirts. She also wanted to find an ammo box cache today because they are full of fun-for-kids trade items. We intended to take our picture together when we found our fifth, and last, cache today (the ammo box), but we forgot. Next best thing? Come home, grab an ammo box, stand in front of some bushed and let Mom take a picture. Now if only the bushes had been a little taller so you could not see the house in the background!

Mower Help

A couple years ago, I put Amanda on my lap and gave her a ride on the riding lawn mower. Ever since that day, She has been consumed with the idea of driving the mower. On Saturday, I had to mow my yard and the church fields surrounding my house. I took a small patch in the field right behind our back yard, "cut out" a square, put the mower in second gear (say "granny gear") and let Amanda give it a try.

Once Amanda understood which tire to put on "the line", things went better. She gave it a good effort and most of the grass in her little area got cut. Next time, we'll work on comprehending straight lines.

Owl Update

As I was walking home from church tonight, I heard some odd animal sounds coming from the trees in the field next to my house. I also thought I saw a bird swooping in and out of the trees. With all of the bird activity at our house this week, I grabbed a flashlight and went to check it out.

As I scanned the trees with my flashlight, I found 3 baby owls and the swooping bird I saw was the mother bird bringing them food. The sound I heard was the baby owls crying out for momma to bring them food!

I didn't think my camera would pick up the owls in the dark, but as you can see from these pictures, it did (click on the pictures to see a larger version). These are the three baby owls...Momma Owl wouldn't stay long enough for me to get her picture.

Brooke Visits The ER

Tonight Amanda wanted to ride bikes...something she and I do together. Brooke said she wanted to join us, so we got out the third bike and went for a ride. We made a few laps around the church parking lot and then headed out to the neighborhood.

The third bike we have is more a youth-size bike and the seat is not so comfortable, so I offered to let Brooke ride my bike once we were headed home. Brooke was trying out bike riding (first time in 20 years!) to see if she could ride without it hurting her back. She was considering making bicycle riding a new family activity. That was all before "the incident". Brooke was aiming for the sidewalk, took a turn too fast and then...well, not sure what happened next, but all I saw was her fall off the bike and onto Kelly Elliott. Thankfully there were no cars in the near lane at the time or this could have been a much more serious post.

Amanda and I rode up to see if she was OK. She said she could not get up and that her arm really hurt. I helped her up, rode home, got a vehicle and came back to pick up Brooke, Amanda and the other two bikes. We stopped at a nurse friend's house on the way and decided it would be a good idea to get an x-ray. Brooke was hurting but fairly calm. Amanda, on the other hand was crying and very worried about her mother.

They know us well at Medical Center of Arlington. Brooke was the last one but has now made it complete...everybody in our house has visited the MCA emergency room. Despite the pain, an x-ray showed no broken bones, no chips and nothing that needed casting, so thank you, Jesus, for that. They gave Brooke a sling and medication for pain. The arm has been hurting since we got home, but she's sleeping now and we're thankful nothing is broken and thankful for no traffic on Kelly Elliott at that time. Not exactly the best way to spend a Tuesday night, but we're thankful to be home with no broken bones.

Sunday Picnic and Stuff

We had a church picnic after service today. Beautiful weather and God's food (hamburgers) was served!

Had to take a picture of Ed's grilling hat. I don't know if that's what he calls it, but I've never seen him wear it any other time.

Brooke and I came home from the picnic and took a nap. Amanda, on the other hand, partied with Polly and friends.