Good Reasons

Well, this round of Sick has taken long enough. Just lingering and lingering at 95%, really not wanting to start exercising again and getting back into the group just because you’re not sure it’s fully gone.

After that disastrous sinus condition, you had 15 years ago, you just wanna get rid of it. Just sinus pressure and runny nose left. The first week was a misdiagnosis so it hasn’t actually been as long as it seems.

Still, you’ve been home for a month and haven’t really done anything productive after kicking ass for three weeks, and that’s just infuriating.

Could always be worse though.

Never thought you would hear from Flame again, but she’s definitely in the ‘worse’ category. Terrible medical problems before even getting two flavors of cancer. On top of it all, she finally got separated. Truth be told you never thought that would happen.

You’re always going to be doggedly encouraging, and being there for a friend who is fighting through cancer is something you absolutely would do no matter what, but you had to let her know you would have nothing to do with anything else. Nothing wrong with contact, but… yeah. 

It’s easier for her to not think about the future for a now because she thinks she’s gonna die, and considering all the medical problems she seems to have had a couple years ago, including another two months comatose in the hospital with sepsis… sigh.

Growing old is more appealing than the alternative. But wow, you have so much to be grateful for regarding your health. 

There’s not much to be worried about other than possibly hurting her feelings, but truth be told… wow… you just don’t really wanna screw around with having to get to know someone new these days.

That means something, so you definitely need to work on yourself for a while. 

Gonna read 1 Peter tonight. You like him more than you like Paul. Peter was supposedly the ‘bull in the china shop’ kinda guy. A lot of mustard. And there’s something you can really identify with him about – denying Christ. It sounds terrifying. Like if you were being tortured, would you deny Christ? Would you be that weak? How strong is your faith? 

Peter was a total guard dog, cutting off an ear to protect Jesus. That’s something you could see yourself doing. But then that same bulldog denied Christ three times. Wasn’t even tortured (then) to do it.

Asked forgiveness when Jesus got out of the tomb and received it. And then like all but one of the disciples went on to die a horrific death preaching the Gospel. But that time, he didn’t fold.

Learning of the gruesome fates of the disciples is when so many questions in your mind met their end. Not one recanted. There’s just no way to square that. 

Jesus existed. Preached. Has disciples who were around for many, many years after His time on earth. All but one died excruciating deaths wow trying to spread the gospel. Not one of them recanted.

These are facts, born out by historic record. Jesus could be nothing but either The Savior or a con artist. And no con artist would’ve been good enough to go 11 for 11 on martyrs decades later.

1 Peter will be something short while you’re waiting for what He wants you to read next. Knowing your luck, it’ll be get another Paul book.🙄

Might try a light gym day tomorrow just to get back in action. You’ve been idle long enough. And if you get yourself sick again because you hadn’t finished fighting it off…?

Being sick and tired of being sick and tired of us a good reason.😂

Texas

Plans change. People shuffled. Money spent. Work needs doing. Second week of NoDak became One Week in West Texas. Night Shift even, so you’re actually really kicking ass. Lolz you were made for 6pm-2am.

Fun while it lasts though. Week three will be back in NoDak. 6am flight after working until 2am will be rough for the other guy flying back with ya. You’ll be fine though. 😂

Hopefully you’ll be back here. Love the flat prairie at night. Only the hum of one generator and a big speaker playing construction work music (ie endless AC/DC and Yankee rock), but on break… you can get far enough away from it to feel the quiet wind and look on the horizon to see far distant lights of wind turbines blinking.

It’s wonderful. First of its kind facility. You’re implementing your own policies to help out team leader.

lol and now they’ve moved on to Slim Shady doing all of his standing up. 😂

And of course they hit Sweet home Alabama thinking it’s actually a song people listen to in the south.

But it’s nice. You’re building something with interesting people. Far more alert and helpful. Nighttime is your home turf. Always has been.

Finally, a truck inbound. Game time. 😁

NoDak, Part IV

Sleepy. Another 5 AM at the airport. Another morning of Ted being squeaky out of fear. 2 to 3 weeks. Replacing 35 pound machines with 42 pound machines. The bulk is what makes it more difficult, but you’re getting used to it. Your squad putting up 10,000 in a week.. that’s what’s magic.

You really wanna do this at sea. There’s so much that’s like that. Although it is nice to be able to go out to eat.🤔

So worth it to stay an hour away from the site. Well for you. Too exhausted at the end of each day to cook anything other than an Advil soufflé. 

Two weeks on two weeks off. Yeah you could handle this for a while. Building up a good deal of strength by deployments and hauling beer kegs around when you’re home. Apparently it’s tough for them to find people. Got to the point where that’s not difficult at all since most of it is just driving. Easy money. 

Leaving the holy city in May always sucks, but you can’t complain. You’ve enjoyed so many of them; it’ll make next years’ more special. 

Hope Kristi Noem is good at her job and she didn’t get where she is because she’s gawjuss. 

Back at it.

It’s time. North Dakota. A bit warmer this time. Big gig picking up where you left off in December. Gonna get torn up; first week back after a few months, always leaves a mark. And you haven’t done a good job staying in shape from December.

Still the oldest, most clueless about the biz, needing all manner of back braces, painkillers, and B12 infusions. But word has it the first crew out was asking when you would be out there. It’s nice to be liked. Good guys. They would’ve been good to have gotten in already, but you had to give your other gig commitments to a few weeks heads up. 

Everybody feeds off each other’s energy. Everybody with a can-do attitude. You don’t even realize how bad you’re hurting until you get back to the room.😂

6:30am flights suck. But you’re renting the car so you have to be first. Responsibility gonna responsibility.

It’s springtime in the holy city, but for once this time of year, it’s going to be good to get away for a bit, despite missing Easter Sunrise service. Just grouchy at the moment here. Reasons.

Plane’s delayed. Might not make connection in Chicago. Could be worse. Plenty of time though. Only benefit of 6:30am flight.

Miss Ted already. She hates the cattery. Been giving her more attention since the folks lost Sam. Mom’s still hurting. They’re going to get another one. Glad you didn’t have to talk them into it. Just suggested they wait a little while. Not fair to have to fill Sam’s paws while his shadow still looms large.

Plane out of Charleston was an hour late; net result is a far more comfortable layover in Chicago for you and a bit longer of a wait at the airport for the rest of the guys. Wonderful conversation with a wonderful Catholic girl sitting next to you heading to a surprise party for her mother-in-law. She was abuzz with the Holy Spirit. Energetic in her faith. Wow that was refreshing. It’s getting a little cold again, and you have absolutely no doubt He had an idea regarding the seating. 😂 You needed that.

As bizarre as it sounds… one of your big hangups on reading the Bible is… vegetation.🤔 You like it. Forests. Waterfalls. Green horizons meeting blue skies when you look landward. Never really cared for deserts. They make you thirsty. One of the reasons you never really gravitated much towards westerns, despite the fact that they were always awesome. Maybe picturing the setting of the Bible being more ‘Mediterranean’ and less ‘Middle Eastern’ could help. That’s ridiculous… but then again, so are you on occasion. Might help. It’s not like they couldn’t find wood, yanno…🤔

LOLZ what else would you expect from a lover of the sea? Land is supposed to be green.

So much…. Land. 🤢

You’d love to do this kind of work at sea.

Well…. Work your ass off and build a solar powered mining boat. 👊😂

And work on realignment with God while you’re up here.

Strive to be a good man. One that no one can hold down….🕊️✝️🫡