Thursday, December 29, 2005

I don't do New Year's Resolutions

2006 is almost here, and I'm sure most folks are thinking about the resolution they want to make for the new year...I hate that part...so trite...you know your gonna break it anyway...why not just make the resolution when it needs to be made, and stick to it?

one of my friends was sharing about scars http://brownsquirrel.blogspot.com/2005/12/scars.html and it made me wonder what I've come thru to get to this point in my life. I think I've had my share of bumps and bruises for sure...I don't think a day goes by when I wish I'd have finished college and gotten some kind of degree...but that probably wouldn't have guaranteed me any kind of job stability...

It's been said you can't teach character....and I mostly believe that. Character is taught, but not like manners or etiquette. Character is a life lesson, and a tough one at that...I realize that to have something meaningful written on my tombstone, I have to live my life with meaning now.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

the first day back to work sucks...

especially after a long weekend. Christmas was great, as I thought it would be just because I'd get to see my family, and Holly's too. Got the drill I asked for, a 12V Makita cordless. Got a couple new pair of jeans. got to spend some quality time with Holly, not just two days.

What did you get?

Thursday, December 22, 2005

¿so this is Christmas?

one of the things I like about my job is the non-retail part of it...I don't have to deal face to face with the people who bought the product I'm shipping out. I was thinking about this last night and just pondering that I really haven't gotten into "Christmas" yet, or at least as the world does. Christmas for me is so much more about my family than the gifts I give. It's about time shared with the ones I love. Don't get me wrong: I love giving gifts. I just prefer to give all year long, not just one day.

I think it was a couple of years ago that I really latched onto Christmas and my faith. We celebrate Christ's birth every December 25th...but shouldn't we celebrate it every day? Maybe some of you have beaten me to the realization, as I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of that...it's kind of funny in a way...Christmas and Easter...the time to attend church for the "casual" church goer...and yet so interconnected...without birth you cannot have death....and without Christ's death we cannot have everlasting life, or even life to it's fullest here on Earth.

Dear friends, I hope that you have a most excellent Christmas this year, wherever you are and whoever you are with.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

it's been some time since I've put up a post with any real substance to it, so here goes.

I'm finally looking forward to Christmas. Over the last few years, it's taken me longer and longer to get to where I enjoy Christmas...partly because of work and stress, but mostly because I'm tired of what Christmas has become....espcially this year with the big debate of Christmas vs. Holiday...I've found myself saying Merry Christmas to anyone, but especially those who say Happy Holidays :P

work is going well. I'm getting a raise that takes effect after the new year, and I'm not that far off of a promotion in position, based on the time I've worked and the skills I've attained.

I've got to put brakes on my truck. Bob is gracious enough to lend me his driveway and tools to do the work. I'm hoping I don't have to put rotors on, just pads, but the sound when I press my brake pedal tells me I may have waited a bit too long...I'm pretty sure I can do all the work for under $100 in parts.

I finally got the new hard drive for my laptop...I was waiting for it to ship from the guy I purchased it from in Florida...It's in my laptop now and it's SO MUCH faster than it was...definately desktop replacement material.

Holly and I looked at rings last weekend....I was caught a bit off guard by price, but it'll all work out in the end :)

I think that's about it...

Chad

Friday, December 9, 2005

random thoughts

there's nothing quite like cutting doughnuts in the fresh snow of a parking lot

people driving in the snow are morons...espcially in big cities

four wheel drive is good, but it doesn't help you stop

no I didn't hit anyone

fresh snow is beautiful

money sucks

Christmas is coming soon, and I still don't like Christmas music

I really want new tires for my truck, but can't really justify buying them until I need them

I miss my friends and it's mostly my schedule that does it to me

I was praised at work for my git 'r' done attitude

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

beginning...again

Romans 1:13-15 (NLT)
I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see good results, just as I have done among other Gentiles. [14] For I have a great sense of obligation to people in our culture and to people in other cultures, to the educated and uneducated alike. [15] So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach God's Good News. (emphasis mine)

I decided I need to actually read my Bible...I keep finding silly excuses for not reading at least a little bit everyday. I keep a small Bible in my attack sack (my backpack), I have a Bible program on my computers for crying out loud. I can't use the excuse that I don't have time, because I do, I just choose to squander it on other things that are decidedly less important than my spiritual well-being.

Sunday night I had the privilege to worship with a band called Casting Crowns. They're a newer Christian band from the Atlanta GA area. The main focus of their music isn't the happy, "never have a bad day", CCM sugar coated stuff that all too often is played on radio (The Fish)...instead, they focus on kicking the church in the butt, in love of course. I felt my heart break as I thought about my church, and how we as a body are so quick to let each other settle on shallow things, rather than bleed together and wrap each other's wounds...and I know that Ridgewood isn't the only church like that, hence a generation of 20- and 30-somethings looking for love in all the wrong places, and not to God to supply the stuff of their hopes and dreams. My thought is: what am I doing to help point these people to God? Simply going to church doesn't do it...the guys I work with all know I go to church...am I living a life that show's Christ's love to them, so that I can be read by them as though I was the book? That's why I absolutely have to be in God's Word daily...

Thursday, December 1, 2005

bleah

I hate being sick...I've managed to almost shake my head cold that's had me down for the last 2 days...my usual formula of lots of orange juice and rest is working, just taking a little longer than I would have liked. I probably could have gone into work, but didn't want to chance being to weak and having it all start over again...

so far I've managed to watch The Matrix, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and I'm working on Unbreakable right now.

it might be time for some more chicken noodle soup...

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

I get a kick out of how 2nd shift should stay behind and work overtime to "get ahead"...at least that's how my expiditer feels...so I stayed an extra hour tonight, even though I really didn't want to. Nothing says fun like working extra on the first day back from a long holiday weekend.....

Monday, November 28, 2005

another whirlwind tour

I'm sitting here thinking about the long weekend I just finished. Spent Thursday at Holly's folk's house with her family for Turkey day itself. Got a chance to chat with Holly's brother-in-law John and her sister Katy as well.

From here on out, "we" refers to Holly and I... ;)

Woke up late Friday morning as I negelected to turn on my alarm...I set it, but didn't fire it up before I fell asleep. Got a wake up call at 8:30 from Holly, who was patiently waiting for me at her place. Pick her up and hit the road. Mom call's about 9:30, telling me not be rush down as she's pushed dinner back from 1 to 4 so Tricia (my sister) and her family can make it over and not be rushed. Get to Mom's about 1 and sit for a while and talk and catch up with Mom and Terry (my stepdad). Tricia and the kids show up around 4ish and the three older girls attack Holly and start playing with her. My nephew Zach comes over and sits on my lap and we watch some TV...dinner is at 5. After dinner, Zach and I start watching a Spiderman cartoon on DVD, while Holly is once again being drug around the house by my 3 older nieces. Becca, my youngest niece, just does her own thing while all this is going on.

We head over to my maternal Grandparents house to visit with them, since I haven't seen them since April. Grandpa's talking about coming up to Wisconsin to go fishing again this year like he used to before his health started going crazy, and I told him that if he did, to call me and I'd join him. We were over there about an hour or so, then headed back to Mom's to retire. Holly and I stayed up and watch "The World is Not Enough" on the Bondathon on Spike TV...a girl who likes Bond movies...very cool

Saturday, we headed uptown in Monmouth to have breakfast with Mom and Terry, then back to their house to visit some more. Hit the road around 1 to head over to my Dad and stepmom's place. Visit with them before they have to leave to have dinner with some friends. Call Tricia and offer to pick up dinner on the way thru Pekin. Mmmmm...La Gondola....excellent. get to Tricia's and eat. Zach insists that I sit next to him, and the girls are once again, fighting over who gets to sit next to Holly. After dinner the kids start bringing the Christmas tree up from the basement, much to my sister's dismay. While the tree is getting set up, Jack (my brother-in-law) myself, Zach, and Jack's friend Russ are playing Burnout 3, trying to see who can get the most damage in a crash. for being 4, Zach does pretty darn good.
After much turmoil, most of the kids end up in bed, while Russ has headed home and Tricia, Jack, HOlly and I play trivial pursuit....guys vs girls....guys got beat, I'm sorry to say, but we were gracious about it. We played another game of Burnout, then headed to bed.

Woke up around 10 on Sunday morning. The kids my must have been tired, because I assumed that they'd all be up and running by 8. As I was getting my stuff together to get in the shower, I see Abby (my oldest niece) on the phone. She's talking to my stepmom about them coming over for brunch. It must have worked, cuz Dad, Julie (my stepmpm) and Barbie (one of my stepsisters) showed up around 12 for brunch. About 1:30 we get loaded up and head to a friend of mine to meet up with some old friends I haven't seen in a while. These are folks I used to hang out with in college and before I moved to Milwaukee. WE ordered pizza and spent the next 4 hours catching up with each other. Just about everyone is married: Brian and Jamie, Ruth and Tater, Cory and Vicky, Chris and Peggy. Couple of them have kids, and one couple is expecting their first child. While Ruth was eating, I held her daughter Sarah...3 months old...haven't held a newborn in a while. Neeedless to say, Sarah must have been REAL comfortable, cuz she filled her diaper to the point where it leaked onto me :P Never fear, baby fluids don't bother me...went out to the truck, grabbed my bag and changed clothes...Ruth kept apologizing, and I told her it was fine...I was used to it from Tricia's kids.

We start heading home just after 6. Stopped for dinner about 8 or so just to get off the road for a bit. Somewhere near Rochelle, IL, my muffler decides it wants to come off my truck. The exhaust had rusted through right in front of the muffler, so it was all still hanging from my truck and now dragging on the freeway. Get pulled over, grab a bungee cord from my toolbox and get the hanging part of the exhaust secured enough so it isn't dragging on the ground so we can get home....getting it fixed tomorrow I hope. Hit some thick fog after Beloit all the way into Milwaukee, so we took it slow. Got Holly home about 11:30, got her stuff in the house, kissed her goodnight and headed home.

that's my story, and I'm sticking to it ;)

Chad

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

what in the world??

what in the world??: "1. Mud On The Tires - Brad Paisley
2. Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley
3. I'm Gonna Miss Her - Brad Paisley
4. Alcohol - Brad Paisley
5. Listen to Your Heart (Hardbounze Single Edit) - D.H.T.
6. Stupid Girl - Cold
7. Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Green Day
8. Sex Machine (Get Up I Feel Like Being A), Pt. 1 - James Brown
9. People Of The Sun - Rage Against the Machine
10. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
11. Killing In The Name - Rage Against The Machine"


this is what I listened to as I fixed Pastor Mike's laptop....yeah...ecclectic :P

one more day!!

ok, so one more day of work this week...the first two have sucked so far....I'm glad for a long weekend so I can recover. I've been getting my cynical with work lately, and this break will hopefully quell that somewhat.

enough about work...I'm currently working on Pastor Mike's laptop...seems he lunched a hard drive...quick trip to the Large Retail Chain for a replacement and we're back in business....the tricky part will be recovering the data from his old hard drive....I may have an ace or two up my sleeve, but I promise nothing on a bad hard drive, as I told Mike.

Friday, November 18, 2005

a little overtime

so, tonight I got my start at material handling at work...we're still
here putting stuff away the first shift decided to leave behind...fun
fun fun...

Thursday, November 17, 2005

laptops for the poor

FORTUNE: World's first working $100 laptop - Nov. 16, 2005

gotta hand to this guy...very ambitious, and yet, I think he's going to pull it off in the end...

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

funny how the days roll by

ok, so sunday night at Bible Study, the question was asked "what encourages you?" I said that lately the fall colors were amazing and I loved them....too bad those colors are all gone now...replaced by gray drabbiness....sigh...

was up earlier than usual for a client call today, only to show up at the clients house and have her not be there. Got a call half an hour later, asking if I had been to her home....never fear, I've rescheduled for Thursday.

not much going on this week...or...I guess there is. Aside from rescheduled client, I'm at the church tomorrow taking care of some issues, and maybe running down to Palmyra on Saturday, as well a bonfire Saturday night, and if I can make it downtown, a birthday party. We'll see how the body feels at the end of the week.

Friday, November 11, 2005

becoming unforgettable

I've been thinking lately about the people who have into, and in many cases, left my life. Sometimes these people left on their own accord, sometimes it was my choice, like with my move to Milwaukee.

There was this kid in kindergarten named Justin. Justin used to eat his crayons and drink his glue on an almost what seems like weekly basis. I kid not you, I'd turn around and look at him, and he'd be having lunch.

I remember a little blonde girl named Michelle, also from kindergarten. my first kiss. I believe her family moved that summer before first grade.

my friend Brandon. has a charm about him that I sometimes loathe, espcially after we graduated high school during the first summer. It seemed like I couldn't take him anywhere without hearing "excuse me, are you Brandon Brown?" It would make me want to scream...sometimes I did :P B is someone, who when you meet them, leave an impression on you that stays with you.

I know that I'm a person who people don't easily forget. For a while, when we did the Gathering on Tuesday nights in the Small Sanctuary at Ridgewood, people wouldn't remember my name, but they knew who I was..."The Loud One." Often, when someone else from the Gathering was out with a friend, the friend would mention me by name. The person would ask who?, and the friend would say..."Chad...The Loud One..."...and the person would be like..OH YEAH..Him!!! he's crazy! etc etc

I wonder now what I do on a daily basis to become unforgettable to people...unforgettable in a good way. It's ironic that often the people that stick in our brains are the ones who've offended us....for example, if I'm cut off in traffic, I can tell you the car, color and often license plate of the offender, as well as the gender, hair color and clothing. That just how I'm wired...snapshot detail. I think sometimes I have too good of memory for recall on things like that, when there are times I can't find my keys...

back to my point....what am I doing, daily, to be positively unforgettable?

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

find a way to become unforgettable to people....

more to come
I'm feeling tired again lately, and not wanting to get out of bed until I have to...like today...alarm set for 11:30, got up, ate breakfast, went back to bed with my alarm set for 1:30....laid in bed til 2. schedules all wonky lately....makes it tough to function normally

Saturday, November 5, 2005

if I were a hero, I'd be....

You scored as William Wallace. The great Scottish warrior William Wallace led his people against their English oppressors in a campaign that won independence for Scotland and immortalized him in the hearts of his countrymen. With his warrior's heart, tactician's mind, and poet's soul, Wallace was a brilliant leader. He just wanted to live a simple life on his farm, but he gave it up to help his country in its time of need.

William Wallace

79%

Neo, the "One"

75%

James Bond, Agent 007

71%

Maximus

71%

Batman, the Dark Knight

71%

Lara Croft

71%

Captain Jack Sparrow

63%

Indiana Jones

58%

The Terminator

54%

El Zorro

54%

The Amazing Spider-Man

54%

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

of thunderstorms and circuit boards

as I posted before, nothing much planned for today....dropped a new hard drive in my Mac so I could use the drive that was in it for a client's PC. Holly had lunch with a friend, then came to my place, only to fall asleep on the couch in the living room. I'm not going to wake her...we both had long weeks and are up for a whole bunch of nothing tonight...well, maybe dinner at Saz's later on...

I'm a little surprised there's a thunderstorm in November...in my mind, storms usually only happen in the summer, but who am I to predict or control the weather??
Saturday afternoon...and I don't have much planned at all. Work was tough this week, as we shipped ALOT of wire. Business is up and that's good, but it's also hard because we're short two guys on nights, and we had two more guys missing at some point this week. To top it all off, I couldn't sleep last night. Part of it was my mind racing, thinking about the past week. Another part was that I didn't WANT to go to sleep...and I don't know why....just felt like staying up...

I've got some invites do to stuff today...poker night at a friends house, the symphony...but I really don't feel like doing anything..I have a computer to fix, and one I want to finish for the church, and maybe a run to Harold's to sort thru his pile of computers parts so I have some stock on hand...but I just want to veg today. Last weekend was go go go, and I didn't have a chance to rest as much as I usually do and just hang out with people.

I got a called from UW-Madison hospital yesterday. More testing in the works for the kidney donation. Couple things they want to be sure of before giving me the go ahead and proceding. I think the anxiety of waiting is more detrimental to my health than anything else I'm doing lately...haha

til next time
Chad

Wednesday, November 2, 2005

random thoughts for today

why is my cat a spaz?

why is it, that even though I slept more on Monday night, that I feel better today?

when's the first good snow gonna happen?

will the Packers win another game this year?

why is my room always a mess?

Why is it, that when a conservative is in office, he/she is blasted by the media for every move they make, but when a liberal is in the same office, no one notices what they do?

Why did God pick blue for the sky?

Why did God pick blue for Holly's eyes?

tired

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28


Hey God,
I'm tired alot lately. Could I have some restful sleep, and some not so tiring days soon, before I go nuts?

Thanx
Chad


I knew when I got up today that I was tired. I woke up at 10:45am, ate breakfast, and then felt drained, right about 11:15 or so. Put on Rhapsody and laid in bed...fell asleep..woke up at 2pm. Showered, packed dinner and headed off to work. Busted my tail getting everything out, which was ALOT today. About midnight, two people mentioned how tired I looked. ONe was Nick, my material handler, the other my boss Jim. I knew I felt tired, but I also looked tired. I stayed for some overtime, then headed to the church to setup a computer logon for the new secretary, all the while thinking about my bed. I started wondering what's making me so tired. I'm getting enough hours of sleep at night. Is there something stressing me out? Am I'm worrying about something and I'm just not aware of it? For the live of me, I can't think of anything....and that's going to keep me up thinking too.

I'm thinking Saturday's gonna be a light one this week, to be my Sabbath day of sorts. I'd like to figure out how to make sure my time of relaxation is, well, relaxing. How I can rest in the Lord and be refreshed.


'til next time

C

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

what am I waiting for?

I feel like I'm waiting for something ....I'm not sure what though. I know that today I was very tired, and almost looked forward to going to work, so I wouldn't have to think about what was next, just do my job. Right now, I'm drained, physically and mentally, and I'm not sure why to be honest. I know that I'm weak right now, and the smart thing for me to do would be to go to bed soon. I don't want to though, and I plan to either work on one of my project boxes (computers) or tinker with my Mac. As long as I keep myself out of trouble online, I'll be happy tomorrow.

Back to my thought...I feel as though I'm waiting for the "next big thing" in my life. I've been thinking about long term plans alot lately. I know that I want to marry Holly and spend the rest of my life with her. I know that I want to buy a house, more specifically, rental property. I know that I don't want to work second shift much longer. I know that I want my church to change, but I don't know what that looks like, or how it would be accomplished. I know that not many things satisfy me lately. I know that I need to focus on my relationship with Christ in order to shake some of my uncertainty. I know that I'm anxious about my potential surgery, while the ones who love me are nervous.

I've also been thinking about "growing up" alot lately. What does it mean to be "grown up"? Does it mean bills, a mortgage, marriage and kids? Is it a state of mind, or maturity? Lately I've "felt" more grown up with all the responsibilities I have now. I'm a trustee at church; I help lead the young adult ministry at church; I have a full time job; I have a significant other that I enjoy spending time with; I have a cat; I worry about money...these to me seems like things that "grown ups" have and/or do. There are days when I don't feel like I'm almost 30, and then there are days like today, where my whole body hurts from playing too much dodgeball on Saturday night, and I can't quite shake it off like I used to.

I know that I'm learning patience right now...Holly and I talked about wedding timing this weekend. I brought it up because I wanted to know her timeline and what she is comfortable with. She'd like to finish her schooling first, which means another year and a half...I'd rather not wait that long...but I also don't want to push her too hard either. I'm also patiently waiting for "that next big thing."

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Monday, October 31, 2005

a fresh start...

so it looks like I may jump ship and come to Blogger...we'll have to see what happens...


C