Warmth. Life. Happiness. Families. Calm. Future. Faith.

Light blue skies.

Deep blue seas.

Peace of Jesus.

Forever young.

Friday gonna Friday…

Are so much bigger than us.

May she find the peace of Love. The Love she deserves deep down. Beneath the anger she wrote of that she didn’t want to hurt you, in a letter you will never part with.

For whatever strange reason she has come into your thoughts today, may it be to pray for her to find happiness and joy. To live so fully today, and rest well tonight in His arms.

And one day after a long, beautiful life, to find her way Home.

May she now leave your thoughts today as gracefully as she entered them.

Amen.

Another two weeks in Texas. Late but direct flight so no leaving the house at 4:30am with a confused cat. At least this time she’ll know you are coming back while she’s at the cattery.

Don’t want to go this time, but it’s not bothering you. If it’s like Nebraska it’ll hit you hard; like three weeks ago it won’t be too painful. Do two weeks and head home. Gets less monumental every trip. Just glad for the opportunity.

It’s Gawjuss season back home still. Warm but somewhat mild Spring. Only rough weather lately is out here in central time zone. If good weather holds after you’re back, Folly on a cloudless night with a cigar after 2 heavy weeks of working would feel amazing.

Folks had their 50th anniversary. Telling the same stories. Still laughing at them. They’ve come so far since then in ways you’re only now starting to appreciate at your own age. Never spent an anniversary with you; they always went out of town. Mom’s surgery saw to that though. Could always be worse. Will be someday.

Familiar grass grids from the sky. Diagonal lines cut through woods for power lines. Flat. Rural roads wind into obvious planned communities. Rows of standardized housing like they came right off the assembly plant. Love your country, but wow is America unconsciously obsessed with industrialized homogeneity when seen from the sky.

We love our individualism until it comes to certain things. Find a house built in the last 20 years that isn’t one of three colors, none of them vibrant. Double that for cars.

You get it; standardized products are cheaper, HOA’s exist for a reason, etc, but there’s almost certainly some stupid law that would keep a creative person from painting a mini-mural on their car for the fun of it. “Street Legal”, blah…

Everything started going downhill when they outlawed dueling and you’re tired of pretending it didn’t. Need to hit the range again when you get home. Thinking of getting a 45. The 9 mil sticks, despite you cleaning it.

Could have been a relaxing day before getting started working, but one of the guys missed his flight yesterday and someone had to go to DFW to pick him up. Figures. At least you’re staying at the place you love. Right next to the amazing restaurant with red velvet cake that’s literally literally the best you’ve ever had. Worth suffering through the next day. 😂

Another 2 weeks on the humid side of this state. You’ll live. 😊

Headed home. Probably will have to get a new phone at some point soon. Bummed. Love this one; held onto it for over 6 years now. Don’t want to give it up. Port’s finally going, and buttons occasionally have issues with text.

Amazing how different things were in 2018. Laid off by a computer by a longtime company, moved into a bad fit gig, but it was fine. The year could be split down the middle on when that happened. Second half of it wasn’t nearly as great. Made a lot of money with that company, but hated going to work every day. Good job/bad pay to Bad job/Good pay in an instant. Could be worse.

Having a job you hated going to was a good experience for you in the end. Response during that part wasn’t to accept it, but to push harder to get a place in the company you were better at and more suited to. A position you got, after remembering how Dad’s story about breaking into a career he’d wanted when feeling like he wasn’t happy.

2020 saw you leaving that place; bad fit just means bad fit sometimes. But the experience and lessons learned were what mattered.

2018 comes roaring back. Crown. Crow. Craziness. Hard to believe that was six years ago.

Hard to believe the folks will have their 50th anniversary soon. Not because they’re them; but because Time occasionally plays the part of the Roman slave saying “remember thou art mortal” too well.

When you left Texas Saturday, wow. Much better shape than in Nebraska and delta team rocked the job. Customer was considering asking for a third week and even though you missed Ted, you were down for it if needed. More is coming down the pipe, so it was fine to come home.

Doesn’t mean you didn’t feel 10 years younger. Just For Menned the beard out there as a joke; you’d still be older than most of them, but who cares. 😂 With the hat on, you looked 60 because all anyone could see was a blond* beard. Mom’s still 39*, so it’s fine.

Have to stay young though. Gym isn’t convenient on the way home anymore, and Celt is long gone as a potential gym buddy. Walking around here is good, especially at how fast you’ve always naturally walked when by yourself… but it’s getting to be the season of OFF spray when it rains, and lifting is as important as cardio – so a gym schedule is prolly for the best.

Still dry yourself, even though you’ve felt like celebrating. Just keep forgetting about it. Vodka still in the cabinet sealed. Maybe Friday night, especially if you hang out with friends after patching that up. 🤔

Turns out poor guy was venting after a frustrating weekend with the wife and took it out on you. Arguments happen with every couple, so meh. Didn’t even need to apologize after that, but he did anyway. Good man. Good friend. 

It is a tad ironic, having said all that that a trip to total wine is in the works since you haven’t made it downtown to the cigar shop. 

Won’t be able to open the garage and smoke it for the store, so citronella is in the future as well. Good old tradition finally got buried a couple of years back, thanks to the absolute love, a few dolphins, and a December Sea. It didn’t have to work out for that moment to be what dragged you away from the Cistern any more than the Experience of the bad job to be good for you in the long run.

Still… Doesn’t mean tonight’s not a good night for a cigar and a chat with Him. That was the affirmation of your Faith. The first one as an adult. It’s never going to not be special. But Time has moved on from the year 2000, and finally so have you.

Getting inventory for the store tomorrow. Picking back up one client bank reconciliations. Busy day tomorrow. Hopefully the amazing sleep cycle will hold at least for a little while. 😂

…make it worth it.

One week to go. Group’s done very well. Customer seems happy. Weekend was great for rest. Goodness knows you needed it. 

A lot of conflicting emotions this week for some bizarre reason. So much on your mind about your distant past. No idea why. Could always be worse though.

Over a month ago, one night you had a whole 375 ml bottle of whiskey in one night. Granted it was over the course of eight hours, but still. You definitely understand why alcoholics can be cranky; can’t understand how they could be alcoholics dealing with hangovers like that constantly.🤔

First thing you said the next day was “Wow. That was a lot. But I know I don’t have a problem.” Lolz…

You know what that meant… protocol. If you did have a problem, you would be the last to know.

Just like after Crow left… one month, not a drop of anything alcoholic. If it was tough… you’d have considerations to make. If not, you were fine.

First weekend… was annoying because you were bored. Vodka in the pantry stayed sealed though. Friends invited you out, one loves to drinks. Told him feel free to mix for everyone else. You had fun, stayed dry, etc. Same the next Friday.

No issues since. Even better, you’d forgotten about drinking or the dry month test. It ended a week ago. Still haven’t had anything. No interest, even bored in a tiny Texas town with very little to do outside the hotel room for 2 days.

You think you can check that box, lolz… thank God as always. Gotten past Isaiah 35, and you’re still confused as to west He wanted you to read it. Seems scary for it to have applicability in your life; destruction of nations, etc.

There’s always a reason, though. Who says it has to be immediately clear…

Met someone last night. Waitress at pizza place next door to the hotel. Really sweet. Loved talking to you and could because the dinner crowd had come and gone. Way too young for you, and probably just chatting because you were by yourself, but it was nice. Refreshing to know that silence from dating apps isn’t the real world. Got ghosted from a literal 100% match; you’d never even seen one of those before. Lol next time don’t ask what her go-to karaoke song is, even if she lists it as an interest… 😂

Ted must be dejected as anything now. Asked Him to send her brother to cheer her up. Because reasons.

Bright and early tomorrow at 5:30am central. 6:30 for you. Once more unto the breach… back brace, knee pads, and Advil all in tow… 😂

Texas. Another flat place without a drop of ocean within 500 miles.

Northeastern, not West Texas this time though. Prolly fewer tumbleweeds. A little closer to sea air, not that the lungs will notice.

Wake up at 4am airport trip again. People talking about rescue dogs in line. Glad someone’s taking care of them. Blasphemous statements about non-Carolina BBQ. Sha couldn’t come by twice a day to give Ted the meds, so poor squeaky meow girl has to be boarded. $15 a day for a play area and giving her her meds isn’t bad, but wow you feel bad; she’s never been away from you in a strange place. Ever. And for likely 2 weeks. Sigh.

It’ll be worth it. You’re down 10 lbs since Nebraska and stronger, but it’s still hardhat heavy work, and, you’re well, 47, lolz. These deployments are hell to get through. But so good for the body, mind, soul, and wallet.

Still on Isaiah. Churning through it. 32:6-8 speaks loudly about modern America, but might say something different tomorrow. One of the few downsides to live in a federal republic with universal suffrage is that everyone has a thousand opinions on how to spend money they didn’t earn, instead of focusing on just making sure they had enough for them and theirs.

Everybody wants to rule the world, and sadly social media seems to be making people entitled to force their views on others regarding how “society’s money” needs to be spent.

History tells us that fuse won’t burn for too long. Seems like it will, then five years happens in five minutes and the nature of literally everything gets shifted. Whatever comes down the pipe will soon enough though, so just keep working hard, spending less, buying bitcoin, getting in shape, and trusting Him above all, to take the wheel.

He always has His reasons for reading suggestions. 🤔