Tuesday, August 31, 2004  

Well, i just wanted you all to know that I finally did find the 1st "save station" for Metroid Prime. If you don't find a "save station" you have to start from the beginning, or from the last save. Good thing the tech geek at Best Buy told me it was not an option to buy a memory card.

For 3 tries, i had to sit thru this gruelling long introduction movie thing on the game that it will not let you bipass. Bypass. Buy-pass.

Anyways. In video games, you know it is a blessing and curse to get to a save station like this, bc it usually means a very big huge mean monster scary guy will be around the corner, and the game-makers are assuming you will get your butt whooped about 18x before you actually kill the sucker, thus the need for a SAVE. So far, the first creepy larve "queen roach" thing i have to kill has kicked my arse exactly 3 times. I was laughing so hard thru the whole thing bc i really suck at killing things that are spewing yellowish green gas-like venomous poison at me with intense fury. And no matter where i went, this queen thing kept finding me and spewing the gunk. [She stays in one spot and i move around her -- she's in some type of a cage thing].

After the 3rd time, i decided my hands & fingers hurt too much to try again, and i gave up.

Maybe when i get home from work tonight, and am sick of the feeding-frenzy of complete idiot losers who wait until THE NIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS to go school shopping (did i use the logos/word IDIOT??? I MEANT IT!) i will have enough fury of my own to kill the queen roach thing.

p.s. I will try very hard to not let this blog turn into a recap of my video game triumphs or defeats, but i will also let you know that it will be a challenge to shut up about it. I therefore make no promises.

   [ posted  @ 10:35 AM | ]

Alas. It has been said that, "Money can't buy you happiness." However, the TRUTH is, that money can buy a Platinum Nintendo Game Cube METROID PRIME BUNDLE, which indeed does bring happiness. So you can't go out to a store and buy a box of HAPPINESS, but the truth is, you can buy things that make you happy. In my case...

I won a Lexmark Secret Shopper contest a few weeks ago. I am the best sales person on the face of earth, and the guy gave me my pick of 100$ gift card to ANYWHERE I WANTED and i had to make up my mind over the phone and the only thing i could think of was BEST BUY. It has everything, you know. So I didn't have any clue what i would want there (and then i realized i should have got a gift card to TIRES PLUS because i need some work done on my car) but it hit me half way thru the day at work that for YEARS

i have wanted

a Platinum Nintendo GAME CUBE!

And if i couldn't get last year's Thanksgiving Blitz Pack with the 4 Legend of Zelda titles, i got the very next best thing!!!

Holy crap. So i got home late from work (we were supre -ok super- swamped) and realized i could go get this thing tonight. It's 99.99 and they had them in stock at the Burnsville Best Buy, and if i got dressed and hurried my butt up, i could own one by 9 p.m. So i ran up there, and the cool associate helped me pick out a memory card and i got the 2-year $10 replacement plan and was all set up. [P.S. I also made sure to flag down his manager and tell him what a great job this young man did, getting me my add-ons and my replacement plan. He thought of things i had not, and for that i think he needs a pat on the back. And, if someone gives YOU great customer service, you should really tell their manager so they can get a leg up, ok???]

I don't even need an adapter to get it to work on my new dvd/vcr thing mom got me for xmas last year!!!! It works!!!!

Of course, this game is waaaay over my head, but it came free with the thing (and a bonus disk) and it's going to take me some getting used to in order to play it. This is not the '80's version of Metroid by anymeans.

And this means everyone will have very easy Christmas shopping for me bc all i'm going to want is GAMES. haha. OK so i turn 29 next month, and you do not know how very much i don't care what anyone thinks of me wanting this so badly and finally being able to get it. I WON IT. I finally own one. I am happy.

Thank you Lexmark!
Thank you Cincinatti!
Thank you Shakopee!
Thank you goodnight!

   [ posted  @ 7:43 PM | ]

Guess what starts TODAY!!!!


Yes it's all i'll be doing besides work thru the 12th of September... My picks are kind of hard because Kim Clijsters is out on a wrist injury. I DO NOT like Lindsey Davenport, but she's coming into the draw in high standings... I don't want her to do well, but i predict she will. I expect the Russian women to do well, and the South American men to show off some stuff. And of course ya gotta pray for a Serena Vs. Jennifer match-up at some point. Remind me to get some VHS tapes at work.

Woot.

   [ posted  @ 7:12 AM | ]

This image is entitled "View From Cyberspace." My sis Terri finally got a computer (A DELL, JUST LIKE MEEEEE!) and not only that, but even INTERNET! (EARTHLINK, JUST LIKE MEEEEEE!!!) Clone wars have started. Next thing you, she'll have a blog. And this is our view of the Goudy family from afar... thru the wormhole, all the way over there in CheeseLand, Packerland, WEHSCAAAHNSUN! Welcome back to cyberspace.

Everyone say "Hi Terri! Hi Tom! Hi Andrew! Hi Sam! Hi Philipe Gonzalez! Hi Joseph Rufus! Hi Christiana!"

   [ posted  @ 3:47 PM | ]

I have chosen this picture to tell one and all about the pickle i have got myself into. It is not just one pickle, it's actually many teenage pickles. And it's kind of funny, they all kind of look like this - Just Kidding.

My ministry at CEFC i take very seriously -- I coordinate and direct a team of students who are from grades 8-12 involved in music ministry during the jr. high "EDGE" service on Sunday mornings. When i first started, I had no idea who would sign up or want to be a part of this, so I did not have a lot of standards besides just who ever would come. This year, it's my 2nd year and i know all the students really well and can figure stuff out. We decided that we needed LESS PEOPLE so we (meaning the pastor, me and my co-leader) set some restrictions on membership and decided to raise the bar.

I had no idea that it would only ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE.

We had the first of two orientation meetings today. I set up two info-meetings to umm, well i already said "ORIENTATE" prospective members with the new standards. Extra practices during the week, etc. We had 14 people today alone, and there are at least 6 others i know of who are coming to the next meeting. When Pastor Craig ordered pizza, he only ordered two -- if that gives you any indication of how many ppl we thought would be there.

My plan was to have ONE BAND. Minimal rotation -- maybe only occasionally. Use the same group of vocalists and singers and sound people every single week. This would involve maybe 7 people on stage and 3 in the sound booth. Ummm, i am over my limit.

My gut instinct was to limit this to 10-12th graders. I didn't do that. I should have done that. Too late now.

My gut instinct was to only ask on who i wanted to do this, not open up to the entire monster huge youth group. I thought that would hurt feelings, so i didn't do that. I should have probably done that. Too late now!

Ummmm, anyways this ought to be an interesting year. I am not as much freaking out about it, as I am scratching my head at what God is up to. I truly prayed about this and left it up to Him who he'd have do this. I sent parent-letters home with the students today and made it very clear to them this is NOT FOR EVERYBODY, and their parents had to sign on the agreement too. I hope and P P R R A A Y Y that will weed some of these people out. [I'm banking on the fact that most of these parents set high standards for grades in school, and most students are already involved in at least 2 or 3 other church ministries on other nights of the week or weekend, sports and part time jobs too!! Hopefully parents will not let their kids over-commit and burn out WISE UP! SAY NO ONCE IN AWHILE!!! SHEEESH! COME ON PARENTS, BE MEANIES!!! COME ON!!!]

If not, here's what i'm left with:

2 drummers, 2 bass players, 1 keyboardist, 6 guitar players, 7 vocalists, and 5 or 6 sound techs. No guy singers, mind you. We sound like the mice choir someday with these girls and their changing voices. Trying to craft a rotation out of this will be very tricky.

I know some people (and i used to be one of them) would absolutely KILL to be in this position. They drool over it. They only can WISH they had this many student volunteers. I looked at the group sitting around the table today -- 14 strong, and realized this is more than i regularly had in the youth group where i was a full time youth pastor!!!! So i know i should not complain. But you gotta manage what you got with wisdom too.

Ummm, ok. Bye.

   [ posted  @ 1:14 PM | ]

Here i am with some of my peeps at the STATE FAIR! We (Pastor Craig and i) took 12 of us over there from the band (there are even more who could not come) and spent the afternoon walking around, eating, and walking around and eating some more. The weather was exactly as i had prayed it would be. Upper 60's and only a little breeze; mostly cloudy. We had a good day. I got to eat cheese curds -- altho bc i'm such a sharing person, i gave quite a few of them away, so i don't know that i got my fill of them. I also had CANDY BAR ON A STICK! It's deep fried in batter, and then coated with powdered sugar. Very yummy. Let's see what else did i eat? Well, anyways... It was a good day to take the kids and show them how much we appreciated them! 

   [ posted  @ 5:48 PM | ]

The cow picture is for no reason. I just thought the clouds looked cool.

Yesterday i met with Aimee from church regarding some vision-casting she is doing for her new job and other things. It was a brief but energy charged meeting. She has the same feelings i do regarding the direction things should take this year which i thought was very cool.

Also, she told me about her roommate, Naomi, who is preparing a move to Zambia in 2006 to build a maternal hospital and asked how i would like to be a part. I got duper (super duper) excited and said i would do whatever i could to help them set up events and stuff as they are in the fund-raising stage and even pray about going over for a short-term or longer. It was godly-odd to me that Zambia is the exact spot i've been reading about a lot (it is the country which houses Victoria Falls) and now to hear about people going to missions there. I just got fired up. I'm sure there will be more to come on that later. Since we're taking a group to the state fair on Saturday, I could not help her with her banquet they are doing this weekend. But we'll talk again soon.

   [ posted  @ 8:23 AM | ]

It's humid today. Really humid. This picture makes me really happy. I'm pretending i'm vacationing here, in front of a big roaring fire, crackles and snaps all around, and i'm reading a good book under a blanket, with Glen Campbell singing Christmas tunes in the background off a phonograph. Who's with me? 

   [ posted  @ 10:21 AM | ]

This weekend, while helping a very frustrated mother and her daughter, one of my associates at the store, Dan A., was doing his best to explain the concept of getting a battery back up system instead of just a 7$ surge protector to plug your computer into. It was a busy hour and i was flying all over the store troubleshooting, helping, etc. [If only they made roller skates for this endeavor, i might wear them.]

I overheard this mother (again, i must reiterate she was super ornery and she's a frequent customer who is NEVER in a nice mood) tell Dan that [get ready, this is a DIRECT QUOTE]

"Computers are the worst thing to have ever hit the planet."

Immediately, i in my satyrical condemning managerial mode, grabbed the mic on my walkie talkie chord and announced to the entire team what i just overheard, laughing, and as i was walking away, i began a tirade over the air of how stupid this woman was. [Remember we wear ear buds, so no one else would hear this internal communication.] Well i did not call her stupid. But with as much sarcasm as i could muster, I talked about Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, leprosy, the black plaugue, ebola, alcoholism, modern day terrorism, etc. And then as i recounted these horrors of planet earth's history, I concluded, as the angry mother had, that yes,

in fact,

computers MUST BE the "worst thing to have ever hit the planet."

How could anyone be so angry over something to make such a stupid claim?

It is a well known fact around the store, that i LOVE dealing with the angry people. I love 'em. I love looking them in the eye, after they explain to me in indepth terms how their 500$ camera they just bought does not take clear pictures. They will hold the camera in front of me and scroll thru the preview screen picture after picture and show me how blurry they are. And then in my most condemning sarcastic way possible, I take the camera, put it in picture mode, explain to them truthfully that i have NEVER TOOK A PICTURE WITH THIS CAMERA, and snap a shot and show them how clear it is. In amazement, and also frustrated embarrassment, they will ask me how in the world i did that. I will smile at them and tell them that i had to keep my hands steady for just one tiny millisecond to let the camera take the image... that you can't point, click and MOVE it immediately or it won't get the image. Their "defective" problem solved, i then tell my team not to sell such expensive equipment to people who are too dumb to figure this stuff out. (Don't get me started on my opinions of how to pick out a digital camera for some person. People think they need a lot more than they really do. Go ahead and waste your money, america...).

One man took up 10 minutes of my time RANTING AND RAVING to me what a rip off a 150$ HP computer rebate was. He'd waited 7 weeks, he said, and wanted his money NOW. I very politely laughed at him (well in my mind i was laughing, but the evil smirk on my face should have said more than i needed to) and refused to give him any money. He had not kept copies of any of his receipts and there's no way for me to track a rebate without that. I walked him over to the internet computer in copymax, looked up the rebate info, and clearly showed him that the rebate form said it could take up to 12 weeks to fulfill, but that i would take his info and do some checking. When i called him back a few days later, he did not want to come to the phone. His wife informed me that they had just got the check in the mail that day. Hmm.

All this to say, I pretty much feel like the two teens on the front of the Titanic with their arms out stretched proclaiming that there is no doubt that i am king of the world. I am happy as a clam in retail management. And i would like to share with YOU a song i wrote to commemorate my feelings.

Sung to the tune of
99 bottles of beer on the wall,
this song has become
a standard favorite whilst we work.

99 customers left in the store
99 customers left
Kick 'im in the shin
get rid of him
98 customers left in the store

98 customers left in the store
98 customers left
kick 'im in the shin
get rid of him
97 customers left in the store.....

The point of the song is to get rid of all the customers by closing time so we can lock the doors, pull the gates, and laugh from the inside at the losers who drive up 1 minute later trying to pry the doors open to get inside.

Finally, if you ever hear me ask an associate over the walkies "do you need me to bring a towel?" This is my code language to them when they are having a problem dealing with a customer and have called for my help, that i may kick the person in the SHIN with my Dr. Martens boot, thus causing a bloody pool of problems and possible floor stains. A towel, in that case, would be nice.

Thank you, and remember: never shop at Target or WalMart for your school supplies. OfficeMax will always have a better selection, the stuff IN STOCK and we'll actually help you find it. Now go about your day, and don't be stupid...

   [ posted  @ 7:41 AM | ]

Truly ya should check this site out LOL

   [ posted  @ 8:15 AM | ]

Found this link from Emerging Minister's blog. Bible in story form using lego people and settings. Truly ingenius and worth a look!!


Click here to go to Lego Gospel.

   [ posted  @ 8:11 AM | ]

I know it is only mid-August. I just have to post this for the record. It's 57 degrees today in the Twin Cities, and it sure does not FEEL like August. I am so happy about this. It is what i prayed for this summer: that it would not be super hot and that i could save $$ by not having to run the a.c. a lot.

This kind of weather reminds me more of October - so as i look out my window and see blue skies and green leaves, i pretend it's really the beginning of autum, and that Christmas is on the way. When i breathe in, i pretend i can smell evergreen candles burning and can hear Bing Crosby singing some song of Yule. Whatever "Yule" is. It's probably pagan but that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

I haven't quite started the TRUE RITUAL yet... that is, playing Christmas music. But i did listen to one or two Amy Grant Christmas songs. And i'm ITCHING to watch White Christmas. Also last night I had a dream that I made it home for Christmas (something that is not looking too promising this year...) and only had Christmas presents bought for a few of my family members. It was on my list of things to do with one day off before Christmas, and i totally forgot to get presents for the rest!! So, I lied and told them i forgot the presents back in MN. Also, it was a weird Christmas in the dream because it involved going for boat rides with Grandpa George. Most family get togethers in my dreams are at Grampa and Gramma Larson's place. The boat rides proved a timely tactic for deterring the truth that i had no presents to exchange with people. Happy Holidays!!!!!

   [ posted  @ 9:34 AM | ]

Well this picture makes me feel super guilty for my cat-hatred mentioned a few posts ago. Kitties are super cool and wonderful. Cats: not so much. Cats have demons. Kitties have spunk. There, now ya know. 

   [ posted  @ 4:57 PM | ]

Greg's done it again. The song "Bumper Sticker" is finally posted. He's a genius! And if you think so, you should comment on his site.

   [ posted  @ 7:37 AM | ]

While blog-hopping tonight, i found something that re-confirmed (not a word) my mom's theory (since passed down to me) that "Cats have demons."

I found this site, and there is no better proof now to me that not only do cats have demons, but anyone who owns a cat is not very bright. It makes you do strange things. Scroll scroll.

   [ posted  @ 8:04 PM | ]

HA!!! One step closer to the MARK OF THE BEAST!!!! OH NO!!!!! HAHAHAHA

Fingerprint reader used by cops in my state. Read story here.

   [ posted  @ 6:53 PM | ]

It's probably illegal to reprint this, but this article just resonnated with me today for some reason. Read it if you want...

BETRAYED

by James N. Clymer
Chairman, Constitution Party National Committee

In his State of the Union address, true to presidential form, President Bush followed the normal pattern of bragging about ways he has violated the Constitution and laid out grand new plans for further violations. Instead, his message should have said something like this.

The state of the union is in deplorable shape: our government is no longer functioning as a republic. Its officers have no regard for their oath of office to “protect, preserve and defend the Constitution”. The Constitution is regarded as a curious relic, given lip service only when it fulfills the ends of those who wish to distort it.

Our defining culture is in shambles. Our fundamental God-given rights are regularly being denied. Many of the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence against King George that formed the basis for the War for Independence apply equally today.

He should have elaborated that the people have been betrayed by the very ones to whom they trusted their government.

Republicans have accepted the welfare state and have joined in the battle cry, "Get me my slice of the pie". Corporate welfare has become the norm and "bring home the bacon" has become the charge to “conservative” Congressmen. The Republicans have given up any attempt to hack at the roots of the nanny-state and are instead expanding it at a greater rate than the Democrats.

Just look at the burgeoning social budget under George W. Bush: The Bush administration, with the complicit Republican majority in both houses of congress, increased the rate of spending more in three years than Bill Clinton did in eight.

The Federal government is now spending $21,000 per household per year and that was before the $540 billion medicare prescription benefit package was signed into law. In the last year alone, nonmilitary discretionary spending rose by 8.5% which is more than double the 4% cap Bush had vowed to enforce and is nearly three times the 3% average annual increase during the Clinton administration.

Adding to the woes of the Republic is the out-of-control Judiciary. The First Amendment is stood on its head while the Tenth Amendment is ignored. Judicial legislation is becoming standard practice and both the Congress and the President are too jelly-spined to do anything about it.

If the President cares a whit about restoring the Constitutional balance of power, he would implore Congress to expeditiously pass the Constitution Restoration Act of 2004 which limits the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts under the authority granted congress in Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution. This recently submitted bill removes from the court jurisdiction to meddle with the protection of the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the first amendment in the arena of public acknowledgement of God by a public official.

Under this Republican administration, the government has adopted a police state mentality in the name of security. The passage of the Patriot Act has further eroded the liberty of Americans. As stated by Benjamin Franklin, "Those willing to sacrifice essential liberty for a little security deserve neither freedom nor security".

Fundamentally, one of the problems of this ailing union is the lack of fidelity to the enduring principles upon which this nation was founded.

In 1996, following his nomination as the Republican candidate for President, Bob Dole, when asked about the platform adopted by the convention, stated that he had not read it, felt no need to read it and did not feel compelled to follow it. In 1998 the Texas Republican convention which was attended by 7,500 delegates produced a platform which called for abolishing the EPA, BATF, HUD, the Department of Energy and the IRS. It further urged the US to withdraw from the United Nations, repeal NAFTA and GATT, cease funding the International Monetary Fund, curtail commitments to NATO and conduct investigations into the CFR and the Trilateral commission. Of course George W. Bush was governor of Texas at that time and when he was asked about this platform (which incidentally would fit nicely into the platform of the Constitution Party), his flippant response was that he "runs on his own agenda".

This lack of fidelity to the tenets of the organization in which they claim membership is also evident in the way our elected officials flout their oath of office. Can a country long endure when its leaders betray the people who elected them, when they betray their oath to defend and preserve the Constitution, and when they betray the very principles they claim to uphold?

It is time for the American people to wake up and let it be known that they are not going to take it any more. For years in the Peanuts cartoon, Lucy would hold the football and invite Charlie Brown to kick it, promising that she would faithfully hold it in place. Time after time, Charlie Brown would run and prepare to give the football a mighty kick when in the last split second Lucy would always yank it away and Charlie went into a spin. Charlie Brown never seemed to learn and fell for Lucy’s lies time after time. Likewise, conservative Christians in the Republican Party seem to be as blockheaded as Charlie Brown. No matter how many times the Republican leadership yanks away the football just when they think they are about to execute a triumphant kick, like Charlie Brown, they never learn.

   [ posted  @ 7:11 AM | ]

Oh NO. I just realized i did something i really thought i would NEVER do. Is this a turning point in my life or what???? I just spent a whole hour watching home improvement shows on A&E ! I never watch those things!!! One was called "Sell this House," and the other one was "Makeover Mamas" where two moms in law got to remake one room in their kids' house. At the half hour break when the show was over, i smartly turned off the TV!!! Those things are on tv 24 hours a day and i will get SUCKED IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

   [ posted  @ 9:32 AM | ]

Holy Back To sChool MADNESS batman!

It's a holy war at work right now... Let me tell all the computer geeks in the house one quick story about how DUMB people are.

I took a call last night at work from an mid-aged sounding lady saying they can't get their cd-rom drive OPEN on a new computer they just bought from us. I asked her some stupid questions like "did you push the button on the tray?" She said they tried everything.

So i told them to bring in the tower and we'll just swap them out part for part what is defective. Stupid people. So they bring it in and we find out they only have one cd-rom drive. Not two like they thought. THEY WERE TRYING TO OPEN A BLANK EXPANSION BAY!!!!!!

So they argued with my associate Dan, who told them they could burn CD's. They didn't realize they have to first load the cd they want to copy, then take it out, put the next one in etc. They thought there were two drives.

BUT IT SAYS "EXPANSION BAY" right on it!!!!!!!!!!

GRRRR. I've been dealing with the lamest people all week long... And Chris and his girlfriend FINALLY had their baby (she was over a week late) so he's gone (he's one of our supervisors) so with our boss on vacation - we've been working with like one manager in the building at a time. Another suprise visit today by a store manager from another store who told my assistant mgr that he loved my style and that i did a great job leading the team when it was busy.

At least one thing went right.

I've not been able to get pix on here as much bc i switched to MOZILLA FIREFOX instead of stupid$%^&** Internet Explorer. Want to get rid of popups easy? This did it. You do have to get used to it, and install a ton of extensions to make it fly steady, but it's awesome and works a ton better than stupid IE. I recommend it to all of you. Plus it's a free download. Plus, it's got better security. But i've not got my Picasa Hello program installed right to do screen captures and upload pix so for now that's off.

Oh, and now our sr. high staff at church is SCRAMBLING at the last minute to find teachers and leaders for small groups. Ummmmmm they should have got to me sooner. They're asking me to teach, 3 weeks before we're supposed to start, and this is the first i've heard from them. GRRR. Now i can't do it bc i committed to jr. high. I'm disappointed, but maybe they will learn you can't put it off till the end of the summer to try to find a volunteer force. I heard a lot of adults dropped out who led last year. Sad. I send them an email with my thoughts.

Have you got all your school supplies?

   [ posted  @ 8:54 PM | ]

A Day in the life of KT

Well it was my day off so i headed up north to do Prayer Stations (the last of this summer) with the kiddies and we had JUST enough people to do one. Usually they want more than one to run at a time, but it was ccccold out today and so we had to call in reinforcements just so we could go out. I found that people were a little more open to talk today for some reason. A funny thing that happened was that where one of the girls was stationed to hand out the flier saying what we were doing to people approaching us, there was a group of 3 DFL'ers (democrats) petitioning for some thing they were trying to do for John Kerry to win the election!!! hahahahahaha So Bethany stood there the whole time and challenged their views. It was funny bc there they were promoting the liberal rot, and we were there upholding Christ. LOL

After that I helped Pastor Craig pick out a computer and then i went to get something to eat and spent a few geeky hours at the Rockford Road Library reading this entire book. And yes i read all 112 pages of it (there were a lot of photos, don't worry) in just 2 short hours. It was a really cool book. Who knows i'll probably end up living in Africa someday :) Whatever God wants, ya know it's my motto.

Then i had a meeting with Pastor Craig and my "under-study" apprentice, Steve, concerning our team of students that lead music for the jr. high church service on Sunday mornings. We met for about 90 minutes to hash out some expectations and what will be taking place this next year. Pastor Aaron (the sr. high dude) asked how i wanted to be involved this fall for sr. high. I didn't answer him. I don't know what kind of time committment i'm going to be able to make. I was not asked to teach - well not directly anyway which kind of turns me off from working with him at all. The level of commitment i'm making to jr. high at this point is going to already take up one night of my week - and even tho my heart is to probably be more involved in the sr. high, i don't work extremely well with Pastor Aaron, so i guess i'll just take what i can get. [If i did anything for sr. high, i'd ask to be a zone leader and stay with the same small group all year, preferably juniors or seniors.]

I also found out my friend Aimee got the job i wanted with the youth department as Community Life Coordinator. She was settling into her new office today. But no matter what happened there or how all that transpired, i know now that I would have probably not fit in there with the staff and I sense God leading me in a whole new direction anyways so that just goes to remind me... That sometimes we are hurt -thinking God's off His rocker, when in fact, His ways are higher. And i am very happy for Aimee. She's perfect for the job.

I'm tired. That's my day.

   [ posted  @ 7:46 PM | ]

180,000 people gathered at my state's capitol this weekend for the Twin Cities Festival, a Louis Palau event...

Billy Graham was only able to gather about 70,000 when he was here a few years back - so this was pretty cool. I did not go. I'm not a proponent of mass-evangelism techniques like this (since i 'm of the opinion it produces more false converts than real ones). But it's still interesting to see what can happen when God's people put their heads together.

Besides, it was too hot out, and... I had to sell office supplies.

   [ posted  @ 9:42 AM | ]

Bobble Head Theater

If you scroll down to the middle of this page, you will have the opportunity to view some truly funny and creative BOBBLE HEAD THEATER. Never seen anything like this!!! There are several episodes!

Watcha think?

   [ posted  @ 10:18 PM | ]

Another mystery solved...

Doing some more reading about Bible translation and tonight i found this article regarding sign language around the world. I always wondered if for example, the British have the same sign language system we use in America. I guess they don't! Check out this article from Wycliffe if interested...

   [ posted  @ 5:24 PM | ]

Cheating every step of the way, i beat Peasants Quest with only 134 points. The ending did rock, just like my buddies said it did. The only thing i will say is that my prediction was that the characters in the game would at the end be revealed to be certain homestarrunner characters such as

Rather Dashing- as played by Homestar
Trogdor - as himself
Jhonka - played by The Cheat
Kerrek - played by Bubs
Naked man behind tree - played by Coach Z
InnKeeper - played by King of Town
Baby - played by ... "What's Her Face"
Mom - played by Marzipan

etc.

Now that i've beat it, i don't want to play anymore.

   [ posted  @ 4:05 PM | ]

This one goes out to all the moms...

So today I happened to be at work, and i so happened to be behind the register when a mom comes up, angry looking, and kind of like SHOVES her son towards the counter and nudges him to place a Butterfinger candy bar on the counter in my direction.

I thought to myself: oh how cute the mom brought him all the way to an office supply chain store to get her son fatty calories wrapped in a yellow package!!

But it was not a joyous occasion for any of the 3 of us. I soon found out.

The mom looked me in the eye and said,

"He's got something to tell you."

At this point, i thought, gee, this kid is only what like 6? 7? Is she going to make him pay for this??? What a mean mom!

I said, "OK..."

And he starts fidgiting, looking down at the ground, won't look me in the eye, etc.

He says, "Well, you know, my friends when ever they come in a store they sometimes take a candy bar, take a bite out of it and put it back on the shelf. Or, they will put it in their pocket and leave with out paying for it..."

I nodded my head sympathetically & let him continue...

"Well," he went on, "I took this one and put it ..."

The mom cut him off "He put it in my purse."

"Ohhhhh," I said. "And how did it make you feel when you did that?" I asked him.

"Not good at all," he said.

"Yeah," I said, "I'll bet that didn't feel good at all."

"Yeah," he said, picking at the wrapper.

I said to him, "I'll bet you'll never do that again, will you?"

"No," he said.

I thanked him for being brave enough to tell me, and thanked him for being honest with me, hoping that was OK with the mom... Since he was still picking at the wrapper, i asked him if he was now going to pay for it, and the mom snapped at me that NO, he had to put it back on the shelf. However, it kind of looked like he had tampered with the packaging, so i asked him (stupid me) if he had already taken a bite out of it. He said he had not. Then i saw that the packaging was only wrinkled, and not bitten.

Then i again asked him if he would do that again, and he said no, and i reinforced the message by saying "Don't do that anymore."

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and they left.

Thank you. Another criminal deterred.

   [ posted  @ 9:50 PM | ]

Well i had to cheat to even get this far... but i have 20 points so far in PEASANT'S QUEST, the new game on Homestar. I'm mad to find out most of my guy-friends and ppl i work with already beat the lousy thing: some didn't even have to cheat at all. Oh well. I'll keep at it!!! If you play, let me know how it goes for you. I'm really only doing it because everyone else is doing it. It's not really my thing... really... it isn't... I have to keep up with everyone else and have things to talk about you know, be cool. Be real cool.......

   [ posted  @ 9:46 PM | ]

Hacking hacks wife...

You have absolutely got to weep and pray for a country in which a national news story reported by the A.P. could end in this line:

Lori Hacking had told friends she was five weeks' pregnant, but police said she had not confirmed a home pregnancy test by visiting a doctor. If her body is found and the pregnancy is confirmed, prosecutors could add an additional murder charge.

I am sure I am not the first nor the last to mention this but what does it say that our country would prosecute a man for killing a 5 week old baby, yet allow legal abortions in the 3rd trimester? Dear God in heaven...

Sheesh.

   [ posted  @ 8:09 PM | ]

HI.
Thanks for stopping by. I had a real busy weekend - details undisclosed ! I am making this post to say that I am alive and still reading the blogs in my blog roll but don't have much to contribute to this one at the moment. I am sure i'll find something by day's end.

Also, just a quick random thought. At the RNC last time around, GW shouted over and over a phrase the audience participated in: "Help is on the way!" Did you notice John Kerry do the SAME THING last week? Pathetic!!!! Anyways, I'm pretty sure i'm voting for the Constitution party this time around but still... come on people. Where are the intelligent speech writers???

Toodles.

   [ posted  @ 11:44 AM | ]

[=Links=]

[=Designed By=]