MET THE LORD WITH WHISKEY ON MY BREATH
The following photo was sent to me by my Aunt Phyliss. She and Uncle Delbert were driving down the city road near Elk City, Kansas when they saw the Armadillo on the side of the road. They knew they just had to get a photo before it become someone else’s dinner.
Sadly, this Armadillo failed to remember that drinking and walking on the highway leads to roadkill.
LikeHOW HIGH’S THE WATER, MAMA?
I wanted to point you to Erin’s blog. He is a friend of mine who lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has some great entries that provide interesting accounts about the flooding. I think it will give you some good prospective about what the people there are dealing with. Also, there are some links to some pretty amazing photos in one of the entries.
So take some time and check out his blog at http://fromthebirdnest.blogspot.com, and pray for the people dealing with the flooding. Oh, if you can help out any way, I am sure it would be appreciated a lot.
SIGN, OH SING WITH ONE VOICE
Mr. Briggs Family Fun Center (formerly Phat City (formerly Fun Plex)) seemed like a weird place for a show. We wondered where the concert would be at with their floor-plan. We figured it would be in the roller skating area. We were kind of right because it was on the Grand Prix Track (formerly the roller skating rink). The seats were the rubber wall things they use to make go carts track. That was a little strange, but overall Mr. Briggs worked for a concert.
The LifeLight Colorado Concert Tour did not seem to get much press so maybe that is why the turn out was kind of low. Too bad because a lot of people missed a great and an affordable show. However, it was kind of nice because with less people we got to real close to the stage and then we got meet and talk to the bands after-wards.
Willet opened up the show. I had never heard of them, but they were really good. Their lyrics and the story behind the lyrics can be found on their website, which I really like. After the show, we got to talk to them for a while. They are really nice guys and easy to talk with. The band works with Food For The Hungry to help people in Ethiopia. They have this great statement on the website:
Yep, I am a new fan of the band for their music and attitude.
The second band up was Vota (formerly Casting Pearls). Why they changed there name, we don’t know and they didn’t explain it. Still, they are a good band and we enjoyed their set.
The final group of the night was a band we really enjoy and had seen before (if fact we saw them the year we went to LifeLight). We were looking forward to hearing Sanctus Real again and they did not let us down. They sang a lot of great songs and really made it a great night of worship.
I think it was the first time I remember hearing a crowd yell for a specific song, “Say It Loud” for an encore and then get it. I wanted “Eloquent”, but I could not out shout the crowd. Although, “Say It Loud” is a good song.
We still believe that our friend, Zac, has a secret life as the lead singer of Sanctus Real. However, he did not give us at shout out or any clue he was Zac at the show. That does not detour our theory. He still looks like and has the same mannerisms as Zac. It is a bit scary, really.
All of the bands did a wonderful job interacting with the crowds. I did like how all the bands took cameras from the fans and then on stage took photos/videos of themselves while singing and giving the camera back to the people.
Also, at concerts, we usually have a contest on how long it will be for the bands to complain about the air, er, lack of air. However, the three bands and even the speakers from LifeLight did not say anything about the altitude. So way kudos to them for handing Colorado.
For some photos of the concert, Click Here.
SET DOWN THERE BETWEEN THE DUCK AND THE LEDBETTER
I do not know why it happens, but most of my business trips turn into rough trips for me. At least they are humorous stories for some of my friends like Stefan and Bill. My trip in early June turned out to be no different. I had to go to area of Inyokern, CA. If you do not know where that is, you are not alone. It is a near Death Valley and the edge of the earth.
So here is a very quick recap of the trip.
1. Sitting in LAX, I started feeling sick, like stomach flu sick.
2. The flight from LA to Ridgrecrest was very bumpy and rough.
3. The hotel was weird. I was in a suite that is about five blocks from main area. No biggie till I got to my room, put all my stuff in it (all but my cell phone), and went down to get soda for my flu. Well, my key-card did not work when I got back to my room. So I had to call the other building and they said they would send a new key over. Twenty minutes later no one came so I called back. They said I to go over to the front desk. So I had to walk those blocks in the dark back through the neighborhood I did not know to and from the suites to get key-cards. They did not work again. The manager said she would come over and I should meet her in front. I waited and waited but finally 40 minutes later she found me and let me back in. All that with being sick and needing to get up at 3:30 AM to be leave for the client site at 4:30 AM.
4. Spend the first day of the part of the trip where I should be working, sick in the hotel room. That evening I went and got new hotel key-cards so I had working ones. They worked!
5. The next day, I went the hour and half drive to the client site (left at 4:30 AM every day). Things did not work as I hoped till 2 PM, but after that it got better. So I am now way behind. At least it is not 120 degrees as I feared.
6. Get to the hotel suite, and my key-cards do not work. Head over to the hotel and the poor guy at the front desk sees me come in. He grabs about 10 keys to make and says one these should work more than once.
7. After finishing work at the client site, I went back to the Inyokern airport and fly back to LAX. There I meet my brother. However, while waiting for him to pick me up after I grabbed my bag, I run into a long time friend, Kelli. That was a nice surprise. She was hurrying to catch plane. I was actually playing her husband, Steve, in fantasy baseball that week. So I wonder if he sent her to spy on my team.
8. Friday, Brian and I went to enemy territory and saw the Cubs play the Dodgers. Yes, it is true, most LA fans did not show up till the 3rd inning. When they did get there they were loud and into the game. I only saw about seven beach balls at the game in which the Dodgers won 3-0.
9. Saturday, I flew home a different airline hoping for a smoother trip. Right before take off, a lady from the front trades places with someone behind me near the back. I was not playing attention, but maybe I should have. A little after take off, my throat starts scratching and then starts to close like it does when I am around cats. Turns out there are cats in the front of the plane. The lady moved because she is deadly allergic to cats and can’t breath around them, just like me. I drank lots of fluids, thanked God it is not a long flight from LAX to Denver, and hoped that being in the back of the plane was enough to survive for the flight time. I probably should talk to Monkey Pen Member, Rick about it as he has connections at the airline. Then again he might pick a cat over me.
Oh, traveling, it is always so fun, when you survive.
See some photos of the trip here
BEEN A GOOD DOG, MY BEST FRIEND, RIGHT THROUGH IT ALL
Oh, how we have dreaded making this decision over the last few months. How do you decide it is really it is the end?
The eyes that were once full of life are now so sad all the time. The desire to be playful, that too is gone. The once powerful legs can’t help the tired body from falling down. The once insatiable appetite is only there on certain days. The desire to eat instead of breath, it is not really that strong now. Come to think of it, breathing is like a major exercise that is very painful and exhausting. Even napping is a major issue because of the pain.
So as hard as it is, we decided it was time for our 14 year old black lab, Shelby, to be put down. It was so very hard for us to make the call, but it was her time even though she does not complain with all her pain. It is hard to see the one we still call puppy fall down stairs or slip on the floor. We worry about her when we are not home because she just will not use the medical alert pendant to get help if she falls and can’t get up.
I will miss my great friend, Shelby very much. She has been a true comfort, joy, and friend to me over the last eight or so years when she became a constant part of my life (she was part of another family before that but we did knew her even then so we have know her pretty much all her live).
RIP….
Shelby Marion
Born: Sometime around 1994/1995
Died: June 01, 2008 around 7:30 PM – MST
To view more Shelby photos over her life, click here.
