Well, the days since my surgery have passed by in a blur so I hope I can remember all the pertinent details.
The day after surgery, Wednesday the 12th, I woke up pretty early, about 6 or 6:30. You’d think I would have slept in. Well they had given me a pretty strong pain killer, one that I’ve used before for painful eye infections, and it has an odd effect on me. They make me very drowsy but at the same time I don’t really sleep very well. So anyway I got up early and ate a pop-tart, which settled on my stomach pretty well after the nausea of the previous day. I messed around at the computer for a couple of hours and then was ready to go back to bed. I slept for two hours, got up for two hours, then back to bed for two more hours. Other than that I don’t really remember much about that day. Joni ran to Kearney to pick up some eye drops that I needed for my left eye and I got those started.
Thursday was uneventful as far as I can remember. My stomach was getting back to normal but I was still kind of drowsy and listless from the pain pills. I think that was the last day I needed any pills though, it wasn’t hurting much. I managed a shower but couldn’t put my head under since I was still bandaged up.
Friday it was back to Omaha for my follow-up appointment with Dr. Feilmeier. He removed the bandage from my eye, which felt really good. It was a tight pressure bandage with a thing wrapped clear around my head to help hold it in place. He took a quick look and said everything looked as it should. It was a quick visit and we were on our way home. I was supposed to call my boss and let her know when I might be returning to work but I didn’t. I was still undecided as to what to do about that. The doctor said I could go back as soon as I felt up to it and I really didn’t know when that might be. That evening I showered and was able to wash my face and hair. That felt pretty good too.
Saturday and Sunday were bad days. I felt really depressed and just didn’t want to do anything. I tried working on a couple of audiobook reviews I needed to do but that didn’t go well. I watched parts of a couple of football games on Sunday but neither one was very interesting. It was just a bad couple of days. I think I spent most of those days playing a game on the computer since that was the only thing I could find that would occupy my mind for a while. I put on the Sunday night football game and that was a good one; a pretty exciting game. I started feeling kind of normal again during that.
By Monday I was feeling better but I don’t really remember what I did that day. Oh, I finally called my boss and told her I would try a short day on Thursday. I told her I couldn’t work Friday because I had to see the doctor again but if Thursday went okay and the doctor didn’t see any problems on Friday then I would resume a normal schedule on Saturday.
On Tuesday the 25th I woke up feeling really good and I had a pretty productive day. Joni and I went to Kearney and did some final Christmas shopping. After we got home I finished those two book reviews I had been working on and wrapped some Christmas presents. We have a couple of windows that leak pretty bad in the winter so I got those washed up and taped up the seams like we always do in the winter.
Wednesday was even better. This was the day we were supposed to get our big blizzard. I woke up that morning with an itch to clean house. We made a quick trip into Kearney to pick up a few cleaning supplies. I think we got back home at about 11:30 and the snow was just beginning to fall in earnest. We had picked up lunch in Kearney and brought it home so after we ate I started working. I washed dishes and straightened up the kitchen and then vacuumed. After that I broke out the Clorox wipes we had picked up in Kearney and disinfected the house. We’ve had an unusual amount of colds and sickness so far this season so I really wanted to try and stem those a bit. I wiped doorknobs and light switches and faucets and handles and knobs and buttons and surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom. It felt good to do that. I think a cleaning ritual like that can wipe away sickness from your mind as much as from your house. All that time it was snowing like crazy and school had let out so Adam was home early. By Wednesday evening I was already having second thoughts about going back to work the next day and had all but decided that in the morning I would just call in.
Thursday morning there was a lot of snow on the ground but I saw that the plows had already cleared the roads so I figured I didn’t have a very good excuse to stay home. Getting out of the driveway was a little rough, but from there on it was okay. The parking lot at Walmart was a real mess as I had supposed it would be and it was a hard day. Lugging those shopping carts around is hard enough, but dragging them through the snow is much worse. The cart machine we use can normally push 20 carts at a time, but in the snowy mess we were only getting 6 or 7 on each trip. Even then it kept getting stuck and I would have to pull and pull on it to keep it going. In the meantime, every time I managed to get some carts out of one of the racks in the parking lot I was scooping out the snow and chipping the ice away to make the next trip a little easier. Luckily it was a relatively slow day or we wouldn’t have had enough shopping carts. All of the reserves sit outside and were buried in snow. I worked from 10am to 3pm that day and I was definitely ready to go home. I’m glad I went though because one guy called in leaving only three of us. With three we could get by on a normal weekday, but it was such slow work in the snow we were having a hard time keeping up.
Which brings us to today, Friday. I saw Dr. Feilmeier at 11am this morning and he said everything looked fine and we made an appointment for one month. On the eye chart today I breezed right on down to the 20/20 line with no trouble and got 2 out of 5 letters on 20/15. Oh, we had called ahead of time to make sure Dr. Feilmeier made the trip from Omaha and obviously he did. He said the interstate between York and Grand Island was very bad and traffic was crawling though at 15 or 20 mph. I had noticed on Thursday when I went to work that the interstate was closed, and it was still closed when I went home. So I’m going to enjoy the rest of my day off and tomorrow will be back at work. Hopefully the parking lot will be in better shape by then.
Job 1:21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” ESV
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Showing posts with label job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job. Show all posts
Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Journal - Cold Weather
So I had my day off on Monday and I was definitely ready for it. As I mentioned previously, my feet and legs were pretty sore after my first few days on the job.
Tuesday I only worked from 10 to 3:30. I wasn’t feeling too bad when I started but by the end of my shift I was getting kind of sore again. I’ve discovered that weekdays at Walmart aren’t all that busy, especially in the morning. That’s nice because at least us cart-pushers get to take a little break in between runs to the parking lot, unlike Saturday when you pretty much have to keep going all the time. The slower pace is good if you’re sore but I can see where those days might drag a little once I get over the soreness.
Then on Wednesday I had another long 8 to 5 shift. The day started out cold so I wore jeans and a jacket but by noon it had warmed up pretty nice so I changed into some shorts that I had taken with me. I think I took my jacket off by 10 or so. Even on a slower day it doesn’t take long to get warmed up. Much of the talk among the cart-pushers this day was about the cold weather that was supposed to be coming in Thursday through the weekend. I was asking everyone what they like to wear for cold and/or rainy weather and got some good advice. Even though the pace was slow that day I was still pretty sore again by the end of my shift. My feet are holding up better but my calves have been really hurting. I can’t tell you how good it always feels when I finally get out to my car and sit down for the drive home.
Thursday I was off but Joni and I needed to go in to do the grocery shopping. I didn’t really feel up to going but I also needed to pick up some cold weather gear. I picked up some warmer socks to wear with my boots and a stocking cap, which I may or may not wear and also some good winter gloves that won’t get all wet if it gets snowy. I got a warm jacket that I hope will be waterproof enough to wear in snow or rain. It’s not as heavy as a winter coat but it’s big enough to wear layers underneath. I think that will be better so I can add or remove layers depending on how each day is. It also has a hood I can pull up to keep the cold wind off my neck and face. I also got some of that water-proofing spray for my hiking boots and I hope that will keep them reasonably dry in the rain or slush. It sounds like most of the guys like to wear winter coveralls for really cold days so I may get some of those at some point. Walmart has them for about $50 so I guess that’s not unreasonable.
Anyway, we finished our shopping and came home and had some lunch. Then I water-proofed my boots with two coats of that spray. It was indeed much colder today, only about 55 degrees as I write this at 3:30 in the afternoon. I should be all set for the weekend though with expected highs in the lower 50’s. Tomorrow I have another short day, 10 to 3:30 and then a long 8 to 5 for gameday Saturday. I hope my legs are feeling better by then; that could be a long day.
All in all I think this is a pretty good job. It’s physical, but not at all stressful like working in a kitchen or an office. We’re pretty much left to ourselves outside with nobody looking over our shoulders all the time and even on a busy day like gameday Saturdays the pace is quick but not hectic. I’ve been told that when it’s rainy or snowy or just plain cold we’re allowed to stay inside the cart bay in between runs to the parking lot. The cart bays are on each side of the building, north and south, and that’s where we bring the cars up from the lot. There’s about a four foot high roll-up door where we push the carts into the building so I guess we can just duck in there to get out of the weather when we need to. That doesn’t sound so bad and in the meantime I sure have enjoyed working out in the warm sunshing. I come home each day with my face all sunburned even though I’ve been wearing my hat. I’ve learned that you can burn a lot faster in an asphalt parking lot than you can in your garden. But like I said before, I spent enough time in the sun this summer so that the burns are always faded by the time I wake up the next morning.
Psalms 90:17 Let the favor[a] of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! ESV
1 Corinthians 4:12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ESV
Tuesday I only worked from 10 to 3:30. I wasn’t feeling too bad when I started but by the end of my shift I was getting kind of sore again. I’ve discovered that weekdays at Walmart aren’t all that busy, especially in the morning. That’s nice because at least us cart-pushers get to take a little break in between runs to the parking lot, unlike Saturday when you pretty much have to keep going all the time. The slower pace is good if you’re sore but I can see where those days might drag a little once I get over the soreness.
Then on Wednesday I had another long 8 to 5 shift. The day started out cold so I wore jeans and a jacket but by noon it had warmed up pretty nice so I changed into some shorts that I had taken with me. I think I took my jacket off by 10 or so. Even on a slower day it doesn’t take long to get warmed up. Much of the talk among the cart-pushers this day was about the cold weather that was supposed to be coming in Thursday through the weekend. I was asking everyone what they like to wear for cold and/or rainy weather and got some good advice. Even though the pace was slow that day I was still pretty sore again by the end of my shift. My feet are holding up better but my calves have been really hurting. I can’t tell you how good it always feels when I finally get out to my car and sit down for the drive home.
Thursday I was off but Joni and I needed to go in to do the grocery shopping. I didn’t really feel up to going but I also needed to pick up some cold weather gear. I picked up some warmer socks to wear with my boots and a stocking cap, which I may or may not wear and also some good winter gloves that won’t get all wet if it gets snowy. I got a warm jacket that I hope will be waterproof enough to wear in snow or rain. It’s not as heavy as a winter coat but it’s big enough to wear layers underneath. I think that will be better so I can add or remove layers depending on how each day is. It also has a hood I can pull up to keep the cold wind off my neck and face. I also got some of that water-proofing spray for my hiking boots and I hope that will keep them reasonably dry in the rain or slush. It sounds like most of the guys like to wear winter coveralls for really cold days so I may get some of those at some point. Walmart has them for about $50 so I guess that’s not unreasonable.
Anyway, we finished our shopping and came home and had some lunch. Then I water-proofed my boots with two coats of that spray. It was indeed much colder today, only about 55 degrees as I write this at 3:30 in the afternoon. I should be all set for the weekend though with expected highs in the lower 50’s. Tomorrow I have another short day, 10 to 3:30 and then a long 8 to 5 for gameday Saturday. I hope my legs are feeling better by then; that could be a long day.
All in all I think this is a pretty good job. It’s physical, but not at all stressful like working in a kitchen or an office. We’re pretty much left to ourselves outside with nobody looking over our shoulders all the time and even on a busy day like gameday Saturdays the pace is quick but not hectic. I’ve been told that when it’s rainy or snowy or just plain cold we’re allowed to stay inside the cart bay in between runs to the parking lot. The cart bays are on each side of the building, north and south, and that’s where we bring the cars up from the lot. There’s about a four foot high roll-up door where we push the carts into the building so I guess we can just duck in there to get out of the weather when we need to. That doesn’t sound so bad and in the meantime I sure have enjoyed working out in the warm sunshing. I come home each day with my face all sunburned even though I’ve been wearing my hat. I’ve learned that you can burn a lot faster in an asphalt parking lot than you can in your garden. But like I said before, I spent enough time in the sun this summer so that the burns are always faded by the time I wake up the next morning.
Psalms 90:17 Let the favor[a] of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! ESV
1 Corinthians 4:12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; ESV
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Journal - On the Job
So last Wednesday I had orientation at Walmart. Me and two other new hires started at 1:30 pm and we basically spent four-and-a-half hours filling out papers, touring the store, getting talks from various managers and learning about the company history. We were there until 6pm. The other two are overnight stockers so I’ll probably never see them again. That was my official start day and I’ll get paid for that time.
I had Thursday off because it takes a couple of days for them to get all our information in the computers and get us activated.
On Friday I had a full 8 to 5 shift. This whole day was spent in the training room completing a whole bunch of training modules on the computer. I didn’t count but I think there must have been about 20 modules which took anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes each. This was all general training on things like safety and customer service that all employees have to complete. Each module had a short quiz at the end that had to be passed with at least an 80%. I passed each one the first time through except for the very last one I did. I had to take that one twice because by then I was tired and had a hard time focusing. But I got them all done in a day.
Saturday was my first day actually working. One of the managers took me outside and introduced me to the cart pusher that would train me. When I interviewed for the job I had asked if there was enough work as a cart pusher to keep a person busy all day, thinking that there might be a lot of downtime when you would have to find other things to do. She assured me that cart pushing was a full time job, and on Saturday I learned that she was right.
At slower times there are two cart pushers on duty, one covering each side of the parking lot. Saturdays are busy, and yesterday was a game day making it doubly busy. During busy times like that there are actually two pushers on each side and since I was only training there were actually five of us working and we were busy trying to keep up with it. It’s pretty amazing how quickly those carts can pile up.
So anyway, I learned how to gather carts by hand with a rope that allows you to handle 10 carts at a time, and I also learned how to use the mule, which can handle 20 at a time. A mule is a battery powered cart pusher that pushes a row of carts from behind. You can operate it by remote so that you can stand at the front of the row to steer them. That thing is pretty cool and fun to use.
By lunchtime my feet were already feeling sore. I’m just not used to being on my feet that much. Also my hands were starting to feel a little raw. The mule saves a ton of work but it’s still a pretty physical job. You have to stack the carts on and then unstack them, plus with a full load of carts you really have to throw your weight into them to steer the thing. On my lunch break I picked up a pair of those fingerless weight-lifting gloves that a lot of the cart-pushers wear, and also some cushioned inserts for my shoes. I had intended the inserts to go in my boots, which I will be wearing through the winter, but I decided to try them in my shoes for now.
Well, it was a pretty long day. I worked an 8 to 5 shift and by quitting time my feet and legs were really hurting. Also my face and neck were sunburned.
I got home in plenty of time to eat supper and then settle down for a nice Husker game. It turned out to be quite an exciting game! Nebraska was down 20 to 3 early on and I have to admit I thought it was going to get ugly. But in the second half Nebraska rallied and ended up winning 30 to 27. Wow, that was a great game! I wish they would play every game like they did in the second half of this one. Next week will be a real challenge with Ohio State, who is looking pretty good this year. Periodically throughout the game I was getting up and stretching my legs and by the end of the game I was feeling almost normal again.
Today we decided not to go to church. I really didn’t want my job to interfere with that and I told them I couldn’t work Sunday mornings, which they didn’t seem to have any problem with. Once I get acclimated to the job I don’t think it will be a problem. I got up this morning feeling pretty much normal again. My feet and legs felt good and my sunburn had faded. I only had to work 12 to 5 so that was good. Another 8-hour shift might have been bad. It was much less busy today and there was actually time to take a short breather in between cart runs. I wore shorts instead of jeans and stayed much cooler, plus I wore a hat to keep the sun off my face. I also took a jug of water so I didn’t have to keep running in to the store to use the drinking fountain. It was a much better day. By 5 my feet and calves were getting sore again but not near as bad as yesterday. The inserts I put in my shoes helped a lot and the gloves keep my hands from getting sore.
Tomorrow I am off so it will be good to relax and rest up for my next shift. On Tuesday I have another short day and then a full day on Wednesday. I should be ready to go again by then. This job is going to get me in shape, that’s for sure. Today I got a lot of advice on how to dress for rainy and/or cold days so I’ll need to do a little shopping before long.
So my first two days on the job were hard, but good. I could grow to like this job I think; we’re left alone in the parking lot for the most part and the work is not complicated. And no office politics, which will be nice.
The fact that God prepared me for this job is not lost on me. Without keeping toned up with the exercise bike these last few years I don’t think I would have lasted out the day on Saturday. And a summer of yard work and gardening put some color on my skin so that my sunburn didn’t bother much at all. God knows I don’t like cold weather so maybe we’ll have a mild winter? Huh God? Huh? Well, we’ll see about that. Whatever comes my way I know that I can face it with God on my side.
Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” ESV
Luke 12:22-23 And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ESV
I had Thursday off because it takes a couple of days for them to get all our information in the computers and get us activated.
On Friday I had a full 8 to 5 shift. This whole day was spent in the training room completing a whole bunch of training modules on the computer. I didn’t count but I think there must have been about 20 modules which took anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes each. This was all general training on things like safety and customer service that all employees have to complete. Each module had a short quiz at the end that had to be passed with at least an 80%. I passed each one the first time through except for the very last one I did. I had to take that one twice because by then I was tired and had a hard time focusing. But I got them all done in a day.
Saturday was my first day actually working. One of the managers took me outside and introduced me to the cart pusher that would train me. When I interviewed for the job I had asked if there was enough work as a cart pusher to keep a person busy all day, thinking that there might be a lot of downtime when you would have to find other things to do. She assured me that cart pushing was a full time job, and on Saturday I learned that she was right.
At slower times there are two cart pushers on duty, one covering each side of the parking lot. Saturdays are busy, and yesterday was a game day making it doubly busy. During busy times like that there are actually two pushers on each side and since I was only training there were actually five of us working and we were busy trying to keep up with it. It’s pretty amazing how quickly those carts can pile up.
So anyway, I learned how to gather carts by hand with a rope that allows you to handle 10 carts at a time, and I also learned how to use the mule, which can handle 20 at a time. A mule is a battery powered cart pusher that pushes a row of carts from behind. You can operate it by remote so that you can stand at the front of the row to steer them. That thing is pretty cool and fun to use.
By lunchtime my feet were already feeling sore. I’m just not used to being on my feet that much. Also my hands were starting to feel a little raw. The mule saves a ton of work but it’s still a pretty physical job. You have to stack the carts on and then unstack them, plus with a full load of carts you really have to throw your weight into them to steer the thing. On my lunch break I picked up a pair of those fingerless weight-lifting gloves that a lot of the cart-pushers wear, and also some cushioned inserts for my shoes. I had intended the inserts to go in my boots, which I will be wearing through the winter, but I decided to try them in my shoes for now.
Well, it was a pretty long day. I worked an 8 to 5 shift and by quitting time my feet and legs were really hurting. Also my face and neck were sunburned.
I got home in plenty of time to eat supper and then settle down for a nice Husker game. It turned out to be quite an exciting game! Nebraska was down 20 to 3 early on and I have to admit I thought it was going to get ugly. But in the second half Nebraska rallied and ended up winning 30 to 27. Wow, that was a great game! I wish they would play every game like they did in the second half of this one. Next week will be a real challenge with Ohio State, who is looking pretty good this year. Periodically throughout the game I was getting up and stretching my legs and by the end of the game I was feeling almost normal again.
Today we decided not to go to church. I really didn’t want my job to interfere with that and I told them I couldn’t work Sunday mornings, which they didn’t seem to have any problem with. Once I get acclimated to the job I don’t think it will be a problem. I got up this morning feeling pretty much normal again. My feet and legs felt good and my sunburn had faded. I only had to work 12 to 5 so that was good. Another 8-hour shift might have been bad. It was much less busy today and there was actually time to take a short breather in between cart runs. I wore shorts instead of jeans and stayed much cooler, plus I wore a hat to keep the sun off my face. I also took a jug of water so I didn’t have to keep running in to the store to use the drinking fountain. It was a much better day. By 5 my feet and calves were getting sore again but not near as bad as yesterday. The inserts I put in my shoes helped a lot and the gloves keep my hands from getting sore.
Tomorrow I am off so it will be good to relax and rest up for my next shift. On Tuesday I have another short day and then a full day on Wednesday. I should be ready to go again by then. This job is going to get me in shape, that’s for sure. Today I got a lot of advice on how to dress for rainy and/or cold days so I’ll need to do a little shopping before long.
So my first two days on the job were hard, but good. I could grow to like this job I think; we’re left alone in the parking lot for the most part and the work is not complicated. And no office politics, which will be nice.
The fact that God prepared me for this job is not lost on me. Without keeping toned up with the exercise bike these last few years I don’t think I would have lasted out the day on Saturday. And a summer of yard work and gardening put some color on my skin so that my sunburn didn’t bother much at all. God knows I don’t like cold weather so maybe we’ll have a mild winter? Huh God? Huh? Well, we’ll see about that. Whatever comes my way I know that I can face it with God on my side.
Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” ESV
Luke 12:22-23 And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ESV
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Journal - A Stormy Week
So this has been a pretty enjoyable week.
Sunday night we had some pretty intense storms. I generally like storms, especially at night, but I was worried about my pumpkins and other plantings. We got an awful lot of rain, pretty hard at times, and it also hailed for a few minutes although the hail was not very large. Also, the wind blew so hard that the rain was blowing straight across the yard at times. I just wasn’t sure if the garden would survive at all.
Monday morning I went out to take a look. The pumpkins were kind of beat up but it looked like they would survive. None of them were broken off anyway, and the hail hadn’t stripped the leaves very much. Overall I thought they would probably bounce back just fine. I did lose a sunflower and I’m pretty sure one of the two watermelons that came up won’t survive. I seem to be missing a cucumber or two as well.
Monday afternoon we went to Mom’s house. Aunt LeeDel, Uncle Marvin, and Uncle Butch were here for their annual Memorial Day visit. Mike and Bobbi were there as well, but had to go shortly after we arrived. Mike said about half of his tomatoes had been destroyed by the hail. It was a fun afternoon with the family. Uncle Butch, Uncle Marvin, Joni, Adam, and I played three games of croquet in the back yard. Mom has a large pile of bricks that were there when she moved in I think, and she said I could bring some home. She also had a few bricks from the old school building and she let me have those as well.
So on Tuesday I got to work with the bricks. The ones from the school still had a lot of mortar stuck on them so first I had to clean those up with a hammer and chisel. The mortar came off pretty easy for the most part. Then I finally finished up the brick border that I had been working on along the north and west sides of the patio. When that was done I planted some marigolds along the new section I had just put down. Joni and I really like how the brick border turned out and if we can get some flowers to come up it will be even nicer. Actually we do have a few hollyhocks coming up but they’re not very big yet. It doesn’t look like the catnip I planted is going to come up, and I’m still having trouble getting any mint to take. That stuff just doesn’t like to be moved. The other day (was it Monday?) I gave them some plant food we had on hand so maybe that will help them along a little.
Wednesday we had more storms, but nothing like the storms of Sunday night. There was plenty of lightning and thunder and rain, but not wind or hail. It rained off and on for most of the morning and afternoon. We enjoyed that but now I’m starting to worry that the pumpkins are getting too much water. Always something to worry about. I can’t imagine how farmers must feel all summer long: not enough water, too much water, wind hail, weeds, insects…
Anyway I looked at everything today it looks like they’ll bounce back just fine. They seem to have enjoyed the rain at any rate.
Nehemiah 9:6You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. ESV
Job 26:8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. ESV
Job 26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. ESV
Job 26:14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? ESV
Sunday night we had some pretty intense storms. I generally like storms, especially at night, but I was worried about my pumpkins and other plantings. We got an awful lot of rain, pretty hard at times, and it also hailed for a few minutes although the hail was not very large. Also, the wind blew so hard that the rain was blowing straight across the yard at times. I just wasn’t sure if the garden would survive at all.
Monday morning I went out to take a look. The pumpkins were kind of beat up but it looked like they would survive. None of them were broken off anyway, and the hail hadn’t stripped the leaves very much. Overall I thought they would probably bounce back just fine. I did lose a sunflower and I’m pretty sure one of the two watermelons that came up won’t survive. I seem to be missing a cucumber or two as well.
Monday afternoon we went to Mom’s house. Aunt LeeDel, Uncle Marvin, and Uncle Butch were here for their annual Memorial Day visit. Mike and Bobbi were there as well, but had to go shortly after we arrived. Mike said about half of his tomatoes had been destroyed by the hail. It was a fun afternoon with the family. Uncle Butch, Uncle Marvin, Joni, Adam, and I played three games of croquet in the back yard. Mom has a large pile of bricks that were there when she moved in I think, and she said I could bring some home. She also had a few bricks from the old school building and she let me have those as well.
So on Tuesday I got to work with the bricks. The ones from the school still had a lot of mortar stuck on them so first I had to clean those up with a hammer and chisel. The mortar came off pretty easy for the most part. Then I finally finished up the brick border that I had been working on along the north and west sides of the patio. When that was done I planted some marigolds along the new section I had just put down. Joni and I really like how the brick border turned out and if we can get some flowers to come up it will be even nicer. Actually we do have a few hollyhocks coming up but they’re not very big yet. It doesn’t look like the catnip I planted is going to come up, and I’m still having trouble getting any mint to take. That stuff just doesn’t like to be moved. The other day (was it Monday?) I gave them some plant food we had on hand so maybe that will help them along a little.
Wednesday we had more storms, but nothing like the storms of Sunday night. There was plenty of lightning and thunder and rain, but not wind or hail. It rained off and on for most of the morning and afternoon. We enjoyed that but now I’m starting to worry that the pumpkins are getting too much water. Always something to worry about. I can’t imagine how farmers must feel all summer long: not enough water, too much water, wind hail, weeds, insects…
Anyway I looked at everything today it looks like they’ll bounce back just fine. They seem to have enjoyed the rain at any rate.
Nehemiah 9:6You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. ESV
Job 26:8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. ESV
Job 26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. ESV
Job 26:14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? ESV
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I Hope
Well, I called the lady from the Lion’s Club on Monday morning. Her husband took a message and said she would probably call me later in the day, but I never heard from her. She did call, however, on Tuesday evening. I had just stepped out of the shower so I let my voicemail take the call. When I called her back at around seven, I got her answering machine. So, we’re having a little trouble connecting, but that’s okay, it will happen when it happens.
Try as I might, I just can’t stop myself getting my hopes up. I tell myself not to expect too much, that it’s too soon to get excited, that every time I get my hopes up, I end up disappointed. That’s kind of silly when you think about it, for what is life without hope? There’s an old saying you may have heard that goes something like this: man can live for about 40 days without food, about 3 days without water, about 8 minutes without air, but not one second without hope. It hurts to get our hopes up only to have them dashed again and again, but imagine a life with no hope at all.
The more I think about this, the more I think about all the things I can’t wait to see again. Of course, I am anxious to see the faces of my friends and family. And my own face as well. I’ve been blind for a little over a year now, and legally blind for some time before that. It’s been a long time since I got a clear look at myself. I wonder how much I’ve changed. I’m anxious to see the people I have met more recently too, the ones I didn’t know before I went blind. I have mental pictures of them which I’m sure are completely wrong. It will be like meeting a radio dj in person, they never look the way you thought they would.
I want to see the house I live in. I was almost completely blind when we moved here. I want to see my old hometown which I haven’t seen since 2007 when we drove up from Dallas for Grandma Howard’s funeral. I want to see Gibbon’s new school, and I want to see the old one again before they tear it down. I want to see my mom’s new house. I want to look up at the night sky and see the stars. I lived in the city for so many years where all you can see is a handful of the brightest ones. Now I live in the country and I know there is a perfect blanket of stars up there, if only I could see them. I want to see my Christmas tree and houses decorated with colored lights.
It’s been more than two years since I drove a car and I can’t wait to do that again. I want to watch a football game. I take that back, I want to watch LOTS of football games. I want to play Star Wars Battlefront 2 on PS2. I want to play Roller Coaster Tycoon and Railroad Tycoon and Transportation Tycoon on my pc. I want to get out my digital camera and take pictures again.
In one of my recent posts, I mentioned a movie called “Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King. One of the main themes of that film is hope, and how it never dies even at the worst times of our lives. Main character Andy DuFresne summed it up when he said, “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Red’s hope was eventually rekindled by his association with Andy who never lost his. At the end of the movie, Red is finally released from prison after a thirty year stay, and as he is riding a bus to meet his old friend Andy, he thinks these lines:
”I find I’m so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.
I hope I can make it across the border.
I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.
I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.
I hope.
A man at the beginning of a journey whose conclusion is uncertain. That’s me, all right. But I have hope, so no matter how uncertain the conclusion is, in my heart I know one thing; God’s not going to let me down. He carried me this far, and I know He will still be there at journey’s end.
Job 11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Try as I might, I just can’t stop myself getting my hopes up. I tell myself not to expect too much, that it’s too soon to get excited, that every time I get my hopes up, I end up disappointed. That’s kind of silly when you think about it, for what is life without hope? There’s an old saying you may have heard that goes something like this: man can live for about 40 days without food, about 3 days without water, about 8 minutes without air, but not one second without hope. It hurts to get our hopes up only to have them dashed again and again, but imagine a life with no hope at all.
The more I think about this, the more I think about all the things I can’t wait to see again. Of course, I am anxious to see the faces of my friends and family. And my own face as well. I’ve been blind for a little over a year now, and legally blind for some time before that. It’s been a long time since I got a clear look at myself. I wonder how much I’ve changed. I’m anxious to see the people I have met more recently too, the ones I didn’t know before I went blind. I have mental pictures of them which I’m sure are completely wrong. It will be like meeting a radio dj in person, they never look the way you thought they would.
I want to see the house I live in. I was almost completely blind when we moved here. I want to see my old hometown which I haven’t seen since 2007 when we drove up from Dallas for Grandma Howard’s funeral. I want to see Gibbon’s new school, and I want to see the old one again before they tear it down. I want to see my mom’s new house. I want to look up at the night sky and see the stars. I lived in the city for so many years where all you can see is a handful of the brightest ones. Now I live in the country and I know there is a perfect blanket of stars up there, if only I could see them. I want to see my Christmas tree and houses decorated with colored lights.
It’s been more than two years since I drove a car and I can’t wait to do that again. I want to watch a football game. I take that back, I want to watch LOTS of football games. I want to play Star Wars Battlefront 2 on PS2. I want to play Roller Coaster Tycoon and Railroad Tycoon and Transportation Tycoon on my pc. I want to get out my digital camera and take pictures again.
In one of my recent posts, I mentioned a movie called “Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King. One of the main themes of that film is hope, and how it never dies even at the worst times of our lives. Main character Andy DuFresne summed it up when he said, “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Red’s hope was eventually rekindled by his association with Andy who never lost his. At the end of the movie, Red is finally released from prison after a thirty year stay, and as he is riding a bus to meet his old friend Andy, he thinks these lines:
”I find I’m so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.
I hope I can make it across the border.
I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.
I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.
I hope.
A man at the beginning of a journey whose conclusion is uncertain. That’s me, all right. But I have hope, so no matter how uncertain the conclusion is, in my heart I know one thing; God’s not going to let me down. He carried me this far, and I know He will still be there at journey’s end.
Job 11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
Micah 7:7 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Journal - News, Weather, and Sports
Yesterday, I called my case worker, Cindy, at Health and Human Services with a few questions. First I asked about the new health bill and how that might effect the Medicaid program. She said there have been no changes. Apparently even though President Obama signed the bill, it’s till kind of up in the air as to what will happen. Also, most of the changes that are supposed to be implemented won't take effect until 2014.
Last week, when BCBS denied me they suggested something called CHIPS. I told them I never really liked that show very much. Just kidding, Chips is some kind of insurance program but I thought it was specifically for children. I asked Cindy about it and she said there are two programs called Chips. The one BCBS was talking about is actually handled by BCBS and it’s for people who can’t get insurance. The drawback is that it usually has very high premiums. I was kind of planning on that anyway so I guess I will look into that further and see what happens. Unfortunately, that means I have to contact my arch enemies, BCBS, again.
The third thing I asked about was Medicare. I had heard recently that when you become eligible for Medicare you have to pay a hundred dollars a month for it in the form of a deduction from your social security. That isn’t necessarily true, however. Any amount you have to pay for Medicare is based on your income. She said that my income is below the maximum so I won’t have to pay anything for it. I still have another year before I am eligible, though. I forgot to ask her if that is the same in every state.
Last Thursday, I filled out an application online to renew our food stamps since they are getting ready to run out. They don’t call it food stamps anymore. Now it’s called SNAP. Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program or something like that. Isn’t it funny how we always try to put fancy names on things? I guess the name “food stamps” is kind of outdated, though. These days they give you a debit card and each month they just deposit more credit to your account. We’re getting closer to that cashless society every day. Anyway, since I called Cindy yesterday, she went ahead and went over the application and asked what she needed to ask about that to finalize it. It was all so easy. I can’t help but think how much trouble I had with that same system in Dallas.
The weather is shaping up very nicely here in Nebraska. Our temps have been in the sixties and are starting to push into the seventies now. Unfortunately, spring in Nebraska means wind. I remember when we moved up here at the end of April last year. We had some pretty powerful wind storms in those first few weeks. Those were kind of scary but our house proved to be very strong. It isn’t insulated very well, but it's solid.
I was a little sad last night. If the Huskers had won their basketball game Sunday, they would have been playing Oklahoma last night. I was looking forward to that game, but instead Oklahoma played Kentucky. Oklahoma won, so the last four teams in the tournament are Oklahoma, Connecticut, Baylor, and Stanford. Connecticut is the clear favorite. They are the returning champions and have won every game for the last two years. Maybe Baylor will knock them off in the championship game.
Well, that’s all the updates I have for now. Until next time, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars. Bonus points to whoever can tell me where that phrase came from.
2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
Job 11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
Last week, when BCBS denied me they suggested something called CHIPS. I told them I never really liked that show very much. Just kidding, Chips is some kind of insurance program but I thought it was specifically for children. I asked Cindy about it and she said there are two programs called Chips. The one BCBS was talking about is actually handled by BCBS and it’s for people who can’t get insurance. The drawback is that it usually has very high premiums. I was kind of planning on that anyway so I guess I will look into that further and see what happens. Unfortunately, that means I have to contact my arch enemies, BCBS, again.
The third thing I asked about was Medicare. I had heard recently that when you become eligible for Medicare you have to pay a hundred dollars a month for it in the form of a deduction from your social security. That isn’t necessarily true, however. Any amount you have to pay for Medicare is based on your income. She said that my income is below the maximum so I won’t have to pay anything for it. I still have another year before I am eligible, though. I forgot to ask her if that is the same in every state.
Last Thursday, I filled out an application online to renew our food stamps since they are getting ready to run out. They don’t call it food stamps anymore. Now it’s called SNAP. Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program or something like that. Isn’t it funny how we always try to put fancy names on things? I guess the name “food stamps” is kind of outdated, though. These days they give you a debit card and each month they just deposit more credit to your account. We’re getting closer to that cashless society every day. Anyway, since I called Cindy yesterday, she went ahead and went over the application and asked what she needed to ask about that to finalize it. It was all so easy. I can’t help but think how much trouble I had with that same system in Dallas.
The weather is shaping up very nicely here in Nebraska. Our temps have been in the sixties and are starting to push into the seventies now. Unfortunately, spring in Nebraska means wind. I remember when we moved up here at the end of April last year. We had some pretty powerful wind storms in those first few weeks. Those were kind of scary but our house proved to be very strong. It isn’t insulated very well, but it's solid.
I was a little sad last night. If the Huskers had won their basketball game Sunday, they would have been playing Oklahoma last night. I was looking forward to that game, but instead Oklahoma played Kentucky. Oklahoma won, so the last four teams in the tournament are Oklahoma, Connecticut, Baylor, and Stanford. Connecticut is the clear favorite. They are the returning champions and have won every game for the last two years. Maybe Baylor will knock them off in the championship game.
Well, that’s all the updates I have for now. Until next time, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars. Bonus points to whoever can tell me where that phrase came from.
2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
Job 11:18 You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Dream Diary - Pool Tournament
I had a pretty strange dream last night. It had something to do with my blindness so it caught my attention more than most dreams I have.
In the dream, I was in this bar *& grill that I worked in as a cook a long time ago. The owner of the bar used to hold these little pool tournaments, and that’s what was happening in the dream. I was playing in the tournament, along with my brother Kevin, my friend Jon Nutter, and another guy named Mark Krueger. Mark was a friend of Kevin’s back in high school.
So I guess it was just the four of us. I was drawing up a playoff grid for us and putting down each person’s initials where they were supposed to play. I was supposed to play in a game against my friend Jon. We were just getting ready to start our game, when the dream skipped a little.
There were some people sitting at tables watching us play pool, and suddenly I was standing there talking to one of them. It was Brian Kroll, someone else I knew in high school but haven’t had much contact with since. He has a beard now, but in the dream he looked the way he did in school. He was asking me about the farm I live on now., and I was explaining that I just live there, I don’t farm it because I’m blind and drawing social security and everything. Then he was saying that he might turn me in because he didn’t really think I was blind, seeing as how I was playing in the pool tournament and all. I told him to go ahead if he wanted because my blindness had been certified by a doctor.
Then I was back to the pool game, but now I was playing against my dad instead of Jon. I was trying to line up a shot, but was havng a lot of trouble. I would look at the pool table, noting the positions of the balls. Then I would move around the table and look from a different angle, but everything looked different. Back and forth I went trying to figure it out. Finally I counted how many balls were on the table. There were six. So I turned to Dad and said “How many balls are there on the table?” and he said “Nine.” The overall feeling was that I couldn’t see the table properly because of my blindness.
Well, then my brother, Kevin, came over to the table and started moving the balls around. I got mad and decided to leave. On my way out I saw a policeman just kind of standng around. I was scared that I would get in trouble because I was playing pool when I was supposed to be blind, and I wanted to aboid going near him.
I made it out without incident, and the next thing I know, I’m driving down a country road going home. I was in the car I had in high school, a 1971 Ford. The car wasn’t running very well, but I wasn’t very concerned about it. I was thinking that if I was going to be driving this car again, I would have to get a stereo in it. It only had the old A.M. radio that was in the car originally. The last thing I remember is thespeedometer. I looked down at it and the numbers going across were like, 17, 33, 63, etcetera, instead of 10, 20, 30. Of course, that didn’t seem odd at all.
I have no idea what any of that means. Such a weird jumble of people and places and ideas. But I guess dreams are that way. I’m a little disturbed by the overall sense of guilt at not being as blind as I should be. I’ll have to think about that.
There’s one more little dream fragment that I want to note, but this was not part of the pool tournament dream. It’s not really clear at all; I just remember something about my high school, my band teacher, pop machines, (or soda machines if you’re not a mid-westerner), and a guy that I worked with at my last job. That guy, Ken, is the significant part. In an earlier post, I said that I didn’t have any friends at my job, but that wasn't completely true. Ken and I would talk sometimes or go to lunch once in a while, although we never saw each other outside of work.
Anyway, Ken emailed me shortly after I moved up here. It was just a quick, “How ya doing" email, and I sent him a quick one back and that was it. Then last week I got another email from him asking me to call him. I've been debating whether to call or not. Part of me wants to leave that part of my life behind and not look back. Also, I hate talking on the phone. I've been saving the email with his phone number, and last night I had finally decided to just delete the email and forget it. But before I did, I decided to ask God. I asked Him if I should call Ken or not, then I closed up my email for the night. Lo and behold, Ken showed up in my dream last night. So I suppose I'll have to call him, darn it. I really hate talking on the phone. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Job 33:15-17 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
In the dream, I was in this bar *& grill that I worked in as a cook a long time ago. The owner of the bar used to hold these little pool tournaments, and that’s what was happening in the dream. I was playing in the tournament, along with my brother Kevin, my friend Jon Nutter, and another guy named Mark Krueger. Mark was a friend of Kevin’s back in high school.
So I guess it was just the four of us. I was drawing up a playoff grid for us and putting down each person’s initials where they were supposed to play. I was supposed to play in a game against my friend Jon. We were just getting ready to start our game, when the dream skipped a little.
There were some people sitting at tables watching us play pool, and suddenly I was standing there talking to one of them. It was Brian Kroll, someone else I knew in high school but haven’t had much contact with since. He has a beard now, but in the dream he looked the way he did in school. He was asking me about the farm I live on now., and I was explaining that I just live there, I don’t farm it because I’m blind and drawing social security and everything. Then he was saying that he might turn me in because he didn’t really think I was blind, seeing as how I was playing in the pool tournament and all. I told him to go ahead if he wanted because my blindness had been certified by a doctor.
Then I was back to the pool game, but now I was playing against my dad instead of Jon. I was trying to line up a shot, but was havng a lot of trouble. I would look at the pool table, noting the positions of the balls. Then I would move around the table and look from a different angle, but everything looked different. Back and forth I went trying to figure it out. Finally I counted how many balls were on the table. There were six. So I turned to Dad and said “How many balls are there on the table?” and he said “Nine.” The overall feeling was that I couldn’t see the table properly because of my blindness.
Well, then my brother, Kevin, came over to the table and started moving the balls around. I got mad and decided to leave. On my way out I saw a policeman just kind of standng around. I was scared that I would get in trouble because I was playing pool when I was supposed to be blind, and I wanted to aboid going near him.
I made it out without incident, and the next thing I know, I’m driving down a country road going home. I was in the car I had in high school, a 1971 Ford. The car wasn’t running very well, but I wasn’t very concerned about it. I was thinking that if I was going to be driving this car again, I would have to get a stereo in it. It only had the old A.M. radio that was in the car originally. The last thing I remember is thespeedometer. I looked down at it and the numbers going across were like, 17, 33, 63, etcetera, instead of 10, 20, 30. Of course, that didn’t seem odd at all.
I have no idea what any of that means. Such a weird jumble of people and places and ideas. But I guess dreams are that way. I’m a little disturbed by the overall sense of guilt at not being as blind as I should be. I’ll have to think about that.
There’s one more little dream fragment that I want to note, but this was not part of the pool tournament dream. It’s not really clear at all; I just remember something about my high school, my band teacher, pop machines, (or soda machines if you’re not a mid-westerner), and a guy that I worked with at my last job. That guy, Ken, is the significant part. In an earlier post, I said that I didn’t have any friends at my job, but that wasn't completely true. Ken and I would talk sometimes or go to lunch once in a while, although we never saw each other outside of work.
Anyway, Ken emailed me shortly after I moved up here. It was just a quick, “How ya doing" email, and I sent him a quick one back and that was it. Then last week I got another email from him asking me to call him. I've been debating whether to call or not. Part of me wants to leave that part of my life behind and not look back. Also, I hate talking on the phone. I've been saving the email with his phone number, and last night I had finally decided to just delete the email and forget it. But before I did, I decided to ask God. I asked Him if I should call Ken or not, then I closed up my email for the night. Lo and behold, Ken showed up in my dream last night. So I suppose I'll have to call him, darn it. I really hate talking on the phone. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Job 33:15-17 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
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