Bathroom Redo Done!

That's right, it's done! New paint, lino, mirror, sink, vanity and towel racks. It looks absolutely beautiful. It really feels good to have it all done. The most difficult part of this project was the sink. The new vanity makes the sink closer to the wall making it very difficult to line up the trap. It took two trips to Home Depot but I got it all together.
Our next and final room is our master bedroom. We will be repainting and installing window treatments.
For Christmas we purchased a wireless router for our dsl. Tonight I got it working correctly. I hooked it all up last night but something was screwy so the computer didn't recognize the wireless connection. It is all good now and we can go anywhere in our home to surf the net. What a great feeling!

Weather today was beautiful. It has been very windy for about a week. Today was about 60 degrees and very little wind.

-Norm

Bathroom Redo

Well I start redoing our master bathroom today. New paint, new sink and new linoleum. It is going to be beautiful. We are replacing the sink due to a rust spot that was in the current one since before we moved in. I am also replacing the ceiling fan in our playroom. The light fixture seems to have a mind of it's own. Turn on the switch and a little while later, out goes the light.
The master bedroom is the last room to paint and update before putting it on the market. It is all so exciting!! In January it is time to start scanning the job market in Knoxville. The will be fun.

Weather today: cold, cold and cold. There has been a pretty good breeze all day which is keeping a chill in the air.

Off to the remodel.

-Norm

Yesterday-A Day of Memories

I received two special visitors yesterday. The first was a man named Brian. He works in the printing industry. Brian and I both have the same former employer. Our former employer was a person who was able to play any role when needed. This person had a very explosive temper. I worked there for over four years just to provide for Tina and I. We had a number of press operators that were great. They made it bareable there. It was nice to reflect with Brian on those times, but mostly as a reference point about how times have gotten better and how we have improved over the years.

The second visitor was Michelle. She was our clerk when for the printshop at the O.C. years ago. Last week I told was telling my daughter about Michelle and her sail boat. It has been about 10 years since I had seen her and the week after my story, she appears. It was great to see her, meet her husband Jim and their five month old son, Jimmy. We went over and saw Marc at the City. I also had a chance to share with Michelle the improvements we have made at the Opportunity Center.

It was truely a great day that ended with Tina receiving a re-imbursement check. We now have money for Christmas!! We celebrated with a trip to Baskin-Robbins for ice cream.

Weather today: wet drizzly and I had to drive the car. Weather next week is suppose to be sunny and dry. Waitin' for it.........

-Norm

Last Weekend

This past weekend was great! Most of Saturday spent installing the molding around the doorjams. I also put filler in the places that needed it. I only had to pick up a little bit of leaves at the church. The sprinklers have been turned off, so the grass should stop growing.
On Sunday after church we went to lunch with the Greers at LaCorona. We really like that place! Later we went to Steve and Linda's for Matthew's birthday party. It was an enjoyable afternoon/evening. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2.
I took Monday off and we went to Medford with the Greers. We did the
Harry and David's factory tour. It is such a great tour. They make Moose-munch and different types of candies and treats. This is one of their busiest seasons. Following our visit to the Harry and David store we drove up to Central Point to the Rogue Creamery. I love their Oregonzola. It is a Blue Cheese. Next it was off to the Rogue Valley Mall. We looked in stores and had dinner in the food court. We went in Bill's utility truck so that all of us could ride together. It was a great day. On the way home we drove through areas of snow. It was beautiful.
Bill and Vicki are wonderful. We all love them. I am grateful to have them as friends.

Weather today is rainy and very wet. The high today was around 56. It is suppose to rain the remainder of the week.

-Norm

The Nativity Story

This seems to be the time of year when there is more focus placed on the birth of Jesus Christ. Gift giving and celebrations abound. This year a movie has been added to mix of activities available, The Nativity Story. We went a saw it tonight in Anderson. It was well done, although Tina and I agree the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds were lacking. When the angels said "Fear Not" I believe the angels were created in such a way that they are to be feared. They are warriors! It was enjoyed by all of us. We went with Bill and Vikki. They have become our movie going buddies.
The rest of the day was pretty challenging. I don't think I stopped moving the entire day. Time was spent at Crown Motors and SRMC, instructing the crews. Our weekly Leadership Team meeting also took up a good portion of my morning. Such is the life of the Supervisor.

Weather today had a high of 67 degrees. It was beautiful but started out at about 31 degrees. I drove the car to work today.

-Norm

Closet Doors and A Job Search

Last night I installed new mirrored closet doors in Hope's room. They are Contractor's Wardrobe and were very easy to install. They really add depth to the room. No more asking "dad do you know where a mirror is?"
I have started monitoring the job market in Tennessee and have contacted an organization similiar to the Opportunity Center. They told me that when we get closer to contact them. I am not worried about finding a job there.
We are also planning to open our own drive-thru coffee business there. Regarding a place to live, we are planning to rent for awhile to get an idea about where to buy.
I have also been looking at church websites on the internet and there seem to be some great ones. We won't really know until we're there.
The girls are getting more excited as we get closer to summer. We are close to putting the house on the market. I just have a few more things to do. We are shooting for sometime in December but are still not sure who we get going to list with. It is all so exciting.

Weather today was 65. I worked at the church collecting leaves and mowing the lawn. Before that Tina went shopping and got her a coffee. She worked for Chef last night and again this evening. Tomorrow I will do some more work on the house.

-Norm

Youth For Christ Board

It has been apparent to me for awhile now that I need to cut some things back from my schedule. Besides trying to live life, we are also making plans and getting ready to move to Tennessee. A few weeks ago I submitted by letter of resignation to the local Director of YFC. I have been on the Shasta Region YFC board for about four years. With our background in youth ministry and living in Red Bluff, it was a good fit. New work crews and a big move have made it necessary to resign. One less thing to fit into an already tight schedule and that feels good.
This weekend was fun. Tina's Aunt Teri came up from Modesto. We all love her and tried to spend as much time as we could of with her. On Thursday Tina worked for Chef Paul. She really enjoys this and it is great experience. We joined her for dinner. It was excellent! I am so proud of her. She put in alot of hours and we all benefited from her labor. Friday we all went an saw Happy Feet. It was a pretty good flick. Yesterday was spent mowing the lawn at the church and raking leaves there. Hope was in the Holiday Parade last night. She plays clarinet with her Middle School and they marched with the local high school band. They were great!
Today we spent a good portion of the day with the family. Church and lunch. Aunt Teri left today. We just got home from the Greers. We love them too!
Tomorrow I must be to work at 7:00 Am. I am in charge and the CRP for the day. It should be fun. Tennessee is looking better everyday.

Weather today: The HIGH was 47!! Can you believe that? The high was 47!!! It was cold here today boys and girls, C-O-L-D, cold. There's a pretty good chance of showers (maybe even snow) on the valley floor tomorrow. That should be fun
F-U-N, fun. I will be driving the car. Smile.

-Norm

Happy Thanksgiving

This thanksgiving is going to be alittle different this year. Tina is working at The Experience with Chef Paul Trout. It is interesting and will probably be the way things will go from now on. We are in a life that revolves partially around food. Tina is really enjoying this! I think Chef really like having her there. She is increasing her skills with one of the best Chefs anywhere.
Today, I am reflecting on T-Days gone by. I remember big meals at Grandma's house. Aunts, uncles, cousins all gathered there. We would get huge cardboard boxes from the appliance/heating store next door and create tunnels in her backyard. Most of the time we would spend the night and the next morning wake to the smell of eggs and bacon. Grandma made the best! Grandma's house was always the host house. There was always a feeling of belonging and family. Our family suffered a big loss when she died.
This year Rachael and her family are living in New York (Toronto-this weekend) and we spending the day at home, later at Steve and Linda's. We will meet Tina this evening for dinner to have our own Thanksgiving Experience. That is the part I'm looking forward to the most. We are going to see if Aunt Teri would like to join us. I picked her up from the bus stop last night. She is up from Modesto for the weekend.
I am kinda on call all weekend long. We have people working at the Rest Areas and no one else is in town. That leaves me and my pager. It would be a pretty drive up there. This is one of the busiest traveling weekends of the year. I will be interested to hear how many rolls of toliet paper they go through. Maybe I'll ask if I go up. I hope they ordered enough.................

Happy Thanksgiving. We do have alot to be thankful for. We are blessed.

Weather: It is windy and pretty chilly. The sun is shining which is always a good thing.

-Norm

New Sound System

This weekend I helped to install a new sound system at Grace's school. Dave and I installed eight Yorkville speakers and are preparing to install the amp. Besides the speakers,PTA purchased a Colisium 70 volt mixer, six Samson mics, two Johnson monitors, a Berhinger 12 channel mixer, Audio Technics wireless lapel mic, and 6 tri-pod boom stands. We are set! When everything is in place it will be an awesome system. Last year PTA purchased a video projector, movie screen and a dvd player. We will hook all these things together as part of the updating of the multi-purpose room. I can't wait to have it all in.
Hope went to the Revolve Tour at ARCO this weekend. She said she really enjoyed it. Her favorites were Natalie Grant and KJ-52. She likes rap.
Weather today: It's raining right now and has been overcast and cold all day. Yesterday it rained in the morning and then cleared off to a beautiful day. I like this time of year, but Summer is still my favorite.

-Norm

New Air Filter

My K&N Air filter came in at Cycle Gear. I picked it up today. Tomorrow I will install it and then take it for a ride. There are mixed reviews about this air filter. I can't wait to see how it affects my bike. I really like the Cycle Gear store. I have purchased new gloves, oil, and other items from this store.
We have a three day weekend. It is Veteran's Day. I am going to install the new P.A. system in the multi-purpose room at Grace's school. It has been along time coming and all the components are in. I am also going to install Hope's closet doors and work on the doorway transitions at our home. Hope will be attending a girl's conference Friday and Saturday.

Weather today: Chilly and about 65 degrees. It ws a cold ride to work this morning. Rain is coming later on Friday.

New Sparkplugs and An Oil Change

Hope to had stay home from school due to pink eye. Her medicine had been ordered but needed to be picked up. I stayed home with her. While here I got a couple projects done. The first was changing the sparkplugs in the Aurora. I hadn't changed them since we've had it. I thought this wouldn't take long. Four hours later I was done. I learned that this car does not have spark plug wires. Instead it has a plastic cover that go down to where the plugs are. It took alot of work but it does run smoother. I also changed the oil in the scooter. It has needed to be done for sometime now and I finally had the chance. Following this Hope's medicine was ready, so after I had picked Grace up from school, we went to pick it up. Grace had been asking for a couple weeks if I could pick her up from school on the scooter. Today was that day. It was beautiful today.

Weather today: It was a beautiful day. This morning started out cloudy and a chance of showers. That decreased as the day went on. It did get windy and is still somewhat gusty.

WellI have hot dogs that are screaming to be BBQed.

-Norm

The Spin Has Spun

Friday at work was hobo chili day. Everyone brought a couple cans of chili, we mixed them all together and had lunch! The County CAO, several department heads and city council members came to serve my clients. It was awesome and went very smoothly. Prior to the chili feed we had the dedication of the memorial area for Corinne. When I got home it was time to get ready for Family Movie Night at Grace's School. We all watched "Over The Hedge". Once the movie was started it felt good to slow down.
Saturday was spent looking at Tennessee houses on the internet and doing a little work on our house. I also had to go to the church to pick up leaves and mow. The girls also took a few last rides on the gyro before it is sold.
Speaking of the gyro is no longer in our possession. It has headed south to a good home. I borrowed Pastor Paul's cherry picker to help load it on the truck. It always amazes me how these things work out. It loaded very easily. We needed to get this done while there was a break in the weather. Following the sale of the gyro we went for lunch at Hal's Eat'm Up and then on to Chico. We stopped at Family Christian Store and purchased Tina an Emery Cd. Then it was off to the evening service at Matthew's Cafe. It was very good. Following church we went to Kmart. Tina wanted a band type ring to wear while she is cooking and working at school. The jewelry dept. was having a 70% off sale. I also got a new watch. My old watch died. You know, I never realized how much I used the date feature on my watch until I didn't have it. It was dinner at Taco Bell and then home.
When we arrived home there was an empty place in the driveway were the gyro had been. We all had mixed emotions. I am looking forward to paying some bills and have a little bit of a cushion. I am also going to purchase spark plugs for the Aurora, a air filter for the Reflex, get a haircut, the Disney movie CARS and a coffee card for Tina.
Weather today: sunny but abit cloudy. It should be nice for the next couple days and then comes the rain.
Enjoy!
-Norm

A Strange Monday That Has Ended Well

I had a rough morning. It actually started out last night. I ground up the coffee beans and set the timer on the coffee maker for 5:30. I awoke at 5:15 and later heard the coffee maker kickin' in. When it was done I got up to find that I had forgotten to put the coffee pot in the coffeemaker. I had a mess to clean up. I then started a new pot of coffee. I then went to the scooter only to find I had forgotten to put gas in it. By this time I did not have time to stop and get any so I drove Tina's car to work. Ridin' to work in style.

I went to work to find out that an instructor was going to be out again today. I had a early morning staffing at Mission Providers and then another meeting back at the office. I also had to help order supplies for the rest areas, and then another staffing in the afternoon.

I had to let a client go today for not following through with a behavior and attendance agreement. It should have worked out. I left early today. Calvary Chapel is using my sumo suits tonight so I had to drop them off. Tina and I just arrived home from a presentation of War of the Worlds. It was a production of the Barestage Theater in Red Bluff. It was excellently done and unlimited food and drink. What a great time we had. I really enjoyed this evening. Especially after such a rough day.

Weather today-beautiful and 80 + degrees. This morning was chilly. There was ice on the seat of the scooter. I love this time of year!!

-Norm

Today Was Blinding

After church today I installed new blinds in the kitchen, playroom, living room and vertical blinds on the sliding glass door. I had to go to Home Depot to return a blind and have another one trimmed. They all look great!
Linda came over for lunch today. Tina made an excellent meal. Rotisorri chicken, rolls, squash, and mashed potatoes. It was a good and busy day.

Weather today-another exceptionally beautiful day, maybe even a little to warm. It is expected to be a little cooler tomorrow. We'll see..................

-Norm

This Little Light Is........Installed

I accomplished alot. I did get the playroom window trimmed out. I think I did well a multu-tasking today. First thing this morning Tina asked me to install the new lights in the kitchen. Her parents are coming for lunch tomorrow after church. I installed some Energy Lite double rail track lighting and a drop down light over the sink. The track lighting is adjustable and moveable on the tracks. It turned out great. I also trimmed out the window and repainted the trim.
After I installed the lighting I had to leave to go mow the lawn at the church. It was not dark enough outside when I left to fully appreciate it. When I returned it was dark and the lighting looks awesome!

Tina is helping Chef Paul again tonight. The girls and I are watching Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Ascoban as we eat grill cheese sandwiches. It has been a very busy day and I am tired. I must go turn the clocks back one hour. It's fall back time.

Weather today was perfect. We had the sliding glass door and front door open most of the day. It has to be at least 80 degrees today. Absolutely perfect for what I was doing with the exception of being up inside the ceiling. It was hot up there!

-Norm

It's Friday!!!!

We finally made it to Friday! I am so glad to be home tonight. I decided with all the running around and work I've been doing on the house, I'm taking the night off!!! I made quesadillas and steak for dinner. Tina is working at The Experience with Chef Paul tonight. Extra money and work experience too!
Tomorrow I will work some more on the house. The plan is to trim out a back window of the playroom, paint the front brick and the outside door of the playroom. It should be a busy day. Hopefully, I won't break anything important! Last night I hung the accordian doors on the service area and the hall closet. They look so nice! Tina said I am ahead of schedule.

Boy, I'm glad this week's over!!! Unfortunately, next week looks just as busy. I refuse to think about that now, it's time to relax as the girls and I watch home movies of our trip to Ensenada. Charlie Brown is suppose to be on t.v. later. Happy Friday!!

We get an extra hour of sleep this weekend - time change happens!

Weather today-very cold this morning (mental note: I need lined leather gloves) My hands were so cold when I got to work. I had to arrive early this morning. It seemed to be cold until around 10:30, then it topped out today at about 83 degrees. It was a great and warmer) ride home.

-Norm

New Microwave

I did it! I really did it! I installed our new over the range Magic Chef microwave oven. It is so cool. A number of people told us how difficult it was but following the templet made it pretty easy. The most difficult parts were the electrical (installed an outlet) and the venting. After two trips to Home Depot I am finished. It is so convenient and definately looks better than the grunging hood that use to be above the stove. I cooked popcorn in it last night.
Work today involved a trip to Graingers, Shopko, the Rest Areas, Shasta Lake Water Treatment, Shasta Regional Medical Center, Dept. of Rehab. and Far Northern Regional Center. I think that about does it! Oh and two of my staff called in sick!!! Whew what a tiring day. Tomorrow I must go in early. I will be the only Supervisor there. It reminds me of one of the things I really like about my job, no two days are alike.

Weather today 82 degrees and gusty at times. Seems to be more windy during the night hours for some reason. I might have to drive the car again tomorrow.

-Norm

Now Where'd I Put That Wrench????

This weekend was quite busy. I drove the Volvo to work on Friday due to heavy winds expected in the afternoon. They arrived so I was happy to be be in the car. I arrived home to find out there would be a wedding on Saturday evening. This is the time I usually mow the church lawn. I changed clothes and headed off. So much for a relaxing evening. It really needed to be mowed.
Saturday morning I woke up ready to install the new mailbox and paint the planter bricks. While digging the hole I hit and punctured the main waterline to the house. I was using a prybar to loosen the dirt. My first thought was "that rock doesn't want to move". When I pulled the bar up the water began to fill up the hole. I couldn't believe it. I hurried to find a wrench to shut the water off at the street. I had to leave this project to videotape Crystal's wedding and reception.
I arrived home with everything I needed to get this job done. I went to Lassen Lumber and they gave me some great advice. So I patched up my mistake and turned the water on 1/4 the normal pressure for about 4 hours. I left the hole open until I could check it this morning. Thankfully everything stayed entact overnight and no water in the hole.
Following church this morning I came home moved the mailbox, filled the hole and put on trim around the area. While I was working outside Tina and the girls were cleaning inside. Most of my day was spent cleaning the old decorative rock of grass and dirt. Grace came out at the end to help me. It turned out great!! I wish I was here tomorrow to see if the mailman notices. Worn out after all this but decided to start painting the bricks on the planter. I stopped because none of us like the color. We will get another color to more closely match the color of our house. I decided I had done enough for the day and have been on the couch ever since.
I have to be to work early tomorrow so I will call it a day.

Weather today was eighty-something degrees and was perfect for Grace and I as we worked outside. It is not suppose to rain until November sometime. Fall is such a great time of year.

-Norm

Homecoming and Our House

On Friday I got off work early to attend the Homecoming Rally at Red Bluff High. Morgan borrowed our sumo suits for her entrance as a queen candidate. It was pretty funny and unexpected by the crowd. I couldn't help remembering my time in high school. I think I have done pretty well since leaving those halls. Another thought while sitting there was 'these kids have no idea what the future has in store for them". While this is true for everyone, high school students seem to be standing at a threshold of life and independence.
Friday evening Grace and I attended the game. Red Bluff got creamed 32-0. We left at halftime. The higlight of the evening was spending time with Grace. Grace had a hotdog and I had an excellent tri-tip sandwich. It sure felt good to go home.
The rest of this weekend was spent working on our house. Mostly the little touches that add curb appeal and flair. I spent quite abit of time assembling and hanging window screens and a new security screen on the front door. I am trying to get this outside stuff done before the weather changes. It is good to be back to work to get some rest.
We have a parent meeting tonight at Vista.
Weather today: Cloudy, sprinkly, and chillier. Fall and cooler weather have arrived.

-Norm

Are We Better Than Our Mission?

Let me preface this by saying I attended private/ Christian school first through tenth grade. I attended public school in kindergarten, eleventh and twelfth grades.

Read on..........

Hope has been attending a youth group at another church in town. Her first meeting was in mid-September. She has not gone the last couple weeks due to weekend family events. On Sunday I asked her if she was planning on going she said "no, I don't really like it". When I asked her why, she stated "the kids there are all home school kids and they make fun of us who attend public school". I must say this disappoints me. I trust Hope's judgment. I believe her and it got me to thinking.
This question needs to be brought to the table: Are the people of the Church (Body of Christ) better than the people of mission field we are trying to reach? If so, then how can we effectively reach them? If so, why would we want to?
Our family has been extremely involved in the public schools of our community. It is an opportunity to meet and minister to students, staff and their families. People who are influencing the next generation of decision makers in our community. I feel our involvement has made it a better place. In my opinion, families who send their children to private schools or are home schooling are running from the battle. As Christians we are called to be light and salt. When light is present is chases the darkness. We have heard many a sermon about salt being a preservative. Sadly, the condition of some of our public schools are a result of the light running from the darkness. We have let our guard down or left public schools altogether. I think my children are more well adjusted partly due to our influence in their schools and helping to make decisions that effect not just them, but all students in their school.
Sadly, this group of "make funners" are runners and sheltered. How did they reach this opinion of public schools. We have seen home-schooled students who are socially deficient instead of being given the opportunity to be salt and light. Beginning adulthood steps behind their peers.

I guess I refuse to have my family and children live in fear. Fear becomes the focus and anything that becomes our focus other than God, is our god.

Weather today: WINDY!!!!! 75 degrees (did I mention it's windy???)! The leaves are starting to turn and fall.

-Norm

My Ride

I don't know that I have yet posted a picture of my Reflex (the picture is a Honda stock photo). I really enjoy the ride and especially the gas mileage. 70+ miles to the gallon. This time of year though it can be a little cold on the ride to work. This morning it was about 50 degrees. My hands got cold even with gloves on!
Well, it is finally the weekend! It looks like we have someone interested in buying the inflatable boxing ring. We are selling do to thinning things out before the move to Tennessee. It will be nice to have one less thing to think about (and eventually move).

Weather today: chilly this morning and 80 degrees this afternoon. I am looking forward to the scooter ride home.

-Norm

I'm Sick!!!

I woke up on Monday morning with bad cold and could just barely speak. I have been home from work for the last three days. It really zapped my energy and gives me the worst headaches I think I've ever had. Part of this might be my body screaming out that it just needs to get some rest.
Today, I am feeling better, but the headache is still hanging on. I had a chance to download some mp3s from the internet. Groups like Dizmas, Falling Up, Berlington, Emery, Spoken and Further Seems Forever. This will be the second sampler cd I've put together.
It is Parent Teacher Conference Week so the girls are on minimum days. Grace is home now and we are hanging out watching family home videos. Christmas 2000 is what we are watching right now. We were the host house and everyone is opening presents. Hope got a ballerina tutu. I think we're getting ready to eat. That's all for now.

Current weather: It rained this morning. Chance of showers throughout the day. It is not currently raining though. I think it's about 65 outside and cloudy.

-Norm

We Are Done!

It was Monster Truck Nationals weekend in Red Bluff. The PTAs at Jackson and Vista served as parking attendents. One of my volunteer duties for the last four years is to coordinate the parking at this event. We parked about 4,000 cars in 3 days! I am so glad we are done with this. It is a good fundraiser, but also a very tiring one. I am sick and top of it. We tried some new things in the back parking lot. This made that lot more managable. Sheila did a great job back there. We are very fortunate to have her a President this year.
I am looking forward to slowing down alittle. With Business Expo and Monster Truck Parking I am feeling drained. It is a good drained, but drained just the same.

I'm gonna go get some rest. I've earned it. Good night.


Weather today: It got down to 40 degrees last night! The high was 80 degrees and windy in the late afternoon. Partly cloudy.

-Norm

Gearing Up

This weekend was very relaxing. After the week we all had it was nice to take it easy. I kinda worked at my own pace. On Saturday I had to wmw the lawn at the church and mowed ours as well.
Sunday-church in the morning and resting/lounging in the afternoon. In the evening we went to Steve and Linda's for Daniel's birthday party. We entered their house at the end of a church potluck and ice cream social. It was a little awkward because we don't go to their church. The family party was nice.
Tonight we had a Parent Meeting at Vista. I think I was placed in charge of this group. We are organizing to become a PTA. We had a great group of parents and staff at this evening's meeting. I have been concerned about the parking event this weekend. It requires about 20 people, we have an average of 13. The last minute push is on................

Weather today was incredible! 93 degrees and beautiful. It is suppose to be like this throughout the weekend.

-Norm

What A Busy Week!

This has been an incredibly busy week. Monday evening involved two meetings, Site Council and Parent Forum. At both of these meetings I pushed parking cars at the Monster Truck Nationals. I hope we have enough people each night.
Most of the activity was centered around the local Business Expo which happened yesterday. A design and booth building excerise I take on each year. This year I was/am a little more pressed for time so it was definately last minute. The theme was "building blocks". I spent time painting boxes to look like concrete bricks for our backdrop. I then applied pictures of our client engaged in work. We arrived prior to the expo to set up. It came together as planned. The various types of assembly/packaging products we have done were placed on the "block" boxes. We also added video projection of pictures and people on the various crews we have. We received many compliments. I am glad to be done.
Tonight, Hope has her first Junior High/Middle School dance. We will be chaperons. I have been kidding her all week about embarrasing her. I wouldn't do that to her. I think this evening will be fun. Tina and I will both be guarding the troops. Following this evenings activity I am going to rest, rest, rest.

Weather today, I had to drive the car to work (instead of the scooter) due to heavy winds. It is a very blustery day and near 85 degrees.

-Norm

What's Been Going On Lately

I finally did it. Since we first got the internet I had put an extension cord from a plug-in the back bedroom to our family room. This worked for a while and would occasionally cut out due to moisture. With our recent purchase of a laptop and DSL we needed another connection in the family room. I climbed up into the attic, hardwired the connection, cut a hole in the wall, installed a box and hooked up the receptical. It works great! Until this was done the laptop had been sitting on the dining room table. Now we sit in the family room surf the net and watch t.v. all at the same time. This is great!
We still have the interactive equipment for sale. We are selling a boxing ring, sumo suits, and the human gyro. People have expressed interest in all three. It will be great to have this chapter of our life done. I think we have found buyers for the gyro and boxing ring.
I have started my job search in Tennessee. We are all leaning toward Knoxville. I am getting excited about moving. We are going to have to sell our home which means getting it ready to sell. There isn't much to do except minor things on the house itself and alot of stuff in the backyard.
Weather today: It has cooled down alot! Temperatures have been in the mid 80's. It has been real windy in the evenings on the ride home. Wind combined with big semi trucks while riding a lightweight motorcycle are not a good combo.
but ya gotta love this weather!!!!!!!!

-Norm

More Hip Than We Know We Are......

The following story appeared on the Yahoo News Service today......


US drivers hop on scooters to dodge rising gas prices

by Virginie Montet
Mon Sep 4, 7:03 PM ET



WASHINGTON (AFP) - With rising gas prices an increasing number of US drivers have hopped on scooters, long a favorite in parts of the world familiar with pricey gasoline.

Karl Levithan, retired at 55, tools around the Washington suburbs on his silver Vespa from April to November while the weather is agreeable.

"Sometimes, less is more," he said, noting that fuel is often more than three dollars per gallon (3.8 liter) now. "Americans should think about more efficient means of transportation."

Scooters get a whopping 60 to 80 miles (97 to 129 kilometers) per gallon of gas compared to fuel hungry cars which average 20 miles (32 kilometers).

This year is set to mark a record in scooter sales although the streets are far from resembling traffic in Milan.

"The big markets are urban markets, vacation destinations and college towns," said Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council.

According to the industry group, 113,000 scooters were sold in 2005, up 18 percent from the year before.

The market is led by Japanese makers Honda and Yamaha, but storied Italian brand Vespa from Piaggio, which was pulled from the market in 1985 because of pollution problems, made a big splash went it was reintroduced in 2000 with retro looking models.

The maker has 180 stores around the country with the most sales in the cities of New York, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle on the Pacific coast, and Dallas, Texas, according to Piaggio Americas spokeswoman Kathleen Reynolds.

Randy Campbell opened a shop in Dallas three years ago and will open a second in a few weeks in near-by Fort Worth, Texas.

"The more you see them riding the more they are gaining popularity," he said. He said his clients are mostly between the ages of 35 and 55 and that 40 percent or more are women. Half are buying the scooters, which sell for between 3,000 and 4,000 dollars, for pleasure, a quarter for economy and "some for the hip-cool."

Suburban rider Levithan agreed that the look helped.

"The more retro it is, the better it is," he said. He added that scooters are "more socially accepted" than motorcycles. "People smile at it."

The service manager at Campbell's university-town store, Rian Sumner, also noted that riders skew older.

"More professors are riding them than students who get big cars with air conditioning," he said.

But in Washington, where gasoline is more expensive than in Texas, prices are driving scooters' popularity, according to Gerry Helfgott, an Italian who opened a Vespa store in the nation's capital.

However, two wheels cannot replace four and Campbell said few of his customers use scooters as their only mode of transport.

But, he said, "a few customers replace their second car with a scooter."

The northwest city of Boise, Idaho, has only 200,000 residents but Valery Aker sells about 20 scooters per month at her two-year-old shop.

"The more people see them, the more they like the idea," she said. "And they are fun."

I Forgot To Add.....

when we came home yesterday from JF we walked into the house to find the dog had somehow opened the back door. He had been running amuck for three days! The playroom was cluttered with the stuffing of Grace's American Girl doll. A pair of shoes were history. Later, Grace came in saying "I don't think he likes me". She was holding her other doll that also had the insides ripped out. When we went into our bedroom-Mitchell had spent a great deal of time there. The sheets were shredded and had to be thrown away. He also wet on our bed. I could have hurt him!!!!

Last night, Tina suggested that we watch a movie she had rented "Pay It Forward". It is based on a school assignment given to a student where he is to come up with a way to change the world. I really liked it! I am not going to tell you any more about it, but highly suggest viewing this film. It is diffinately worth the watch.

-Norm

JoshFest-Summer Camp For Families!

We returned yesterday from Joshua Fest in Quincy. It was a great weekend filled great concerts, ministry and family time. We arrived late on Friday evening, just before 10:00 Pm. Our goal was to see Skillet. They were scheduled to play at 10:00. We had a previous goal of seeing Family Force 5 at 7:15 but didn't make it (bummer!). The JoshFest staff does an amazing job! They allowed us to park our car out front and unload following the concert. Then they transported all our stuff via golfcarts to our campsite. We set up camp in a horsebarn. It was nice except the mosquitoes. We lived with them.

Skillet was great!

Saturday morning included a Praise and Worship service and getting acclimated to our surroundings. The afternoon lineup was incredible! Transistor Radio,
The Finalists-I had never heard this group before. They were good.
I needed a shower so I missed Paul Wright.
Krystal Meyers-
Dizmas-These guys also do a great concert! I have seen them the past three years.
Falling Up-I enjoy this band.
Hawk Nelson-This has to be our family's favorite. We were allowed into the Youth Pastor's interview session. These guys are great musicians who happen to be Christians. I love good, fun, positive music.
Pillar-Their first time at this festival. I didn't really know what to expect. I did not walk away disappointed. Their drummer was awesome!

Sunday began with Praise and Worship that was truely annointed and the message "Who's Your Daddy". It was a great time of being together with so many different family members from so many different churches and areas.
EverStaysRed-a personal favorite of mine. They have a new cd coming out in October, can't wait to get it!
Inhabited- I hadn't heard of this band either. They have a female lead singer.
Storyside B-
Disciple-
Project 86-
Seventh Day Slumber-I had only heard their music on the radio. I kept finding myself thinking "oh they did that song...". As part of their concert the lead singer Joseph shared his testimony. What an incredible time of ministry. The Holy Spirit was there walking and working among us. Whew!
Thousand Foot Krutch-These guys never disappoint. A great way to end an incredible festival.

Hats off to Aaron, Chris and the whole crew who put JFest together. Also all the bands for their hearts and desire to minister to people.

Weather today-101 degrees and clear today. The mornings are staying cooler longer. It was alittle chilly on the ride in today.

Joshua Fest Is Today!!!

Well, it's finally here! We leave for JF this afternoon and will be seeing some of the greatest Christian alternative bands in existance. I purchased four new sleeping bags because it gets a little chilly up there in the hills. I am really looking forward to seeing Skillet tonight. Tina went and saw them in Paradise some time ago. Dizmas is also a must see this weekend. Also on the list is Hawk Nelson, Falling Up, Pillar and Thousand Foot Krutch.

On another note, this was Open House week. On Wednesday evening we attended Vista. What a great evening. Alot of parents were there and alot of energy was in the air. We were very concerned and even scared about Hope attending this school. She seems happy and is enjoying it. We really enjoyed meeting Hope's teachers. I think she will do well.
On Thursday evening we attended Jackson Heights' Open House. I love this school and the staff. We have invested much time into making it a great place to send our children. Last night was the first time I'd been on campus since school started. Tina and I really like Grace's teacher, but then again they're all good!

It is time to go and get the Fest started. See you Monday when I won't be able to hear as well.

Current weather 99 and clear. It should be nice in Quincy. See you there..............

-Norm

We've Got Jokes Today.....

One of my clients came in today with a sheet full of jokes for me. I thought I'd post them here for everyone to enjoy!

Q) Why did the skeleton go to the movies by himself?
A) He had no body to go with him.

Q) What does a bee sit on?
A) His bee-hind.

Q) Where do cows go to have fun?
A) To the moo-vies.

Q) Why don't lobsters share?
A) Because they are shellfish.

Q) Why was the policeman in bed?
A) Because he was an undercover cop.

Q) Which runs faster, hot or cold?
A) Hot. Everyone can catch a cold.

Q) What does Christmas have to do with a cat in a desert?
A) They both have sandy claws.

Q) What do you call a pony with a cough?
A) A little hoarse.

Current weather: 98 degrees and a little breezy. What a great day. Last night was a parent forum at Hope's Middle School. A good number of parents all wanting to make the school better. Looks like it's going to be a great year!

Only 3 more days until JoshFest 06. Tomorrow August 30 is Hope's 12th birthday!! I'm a proud daddy of the two best girls in the world.

-Norm

New Computer and DSL

Well our computer at home has gone to Desk Top Heaven. It kept crashing and we didn't know why. We took it in to Best Buy to have it looked at and they told us the sad new. The circuits in the motherboard had got hot, expanded and had fluid leaking from them. This is not a good thing. The computer was toast. The next step was to purchase a new one. Tina and I decided a lap top was the way we wanted to go this time. We ended up purchasing a Toshiba Satellite M105-S3041. It has all the bells and whistles we were looking for and then some. The CD/DVD player and burner is my personal favorite. I was able to take the old documents and pictures from the old computer (in between frequent shutdowns). It was time consuming and very frustrating, but it is done. We also went from dial-up to DSL. What an amazing thing and so fast!!! I am sure glad to have been able to save our old information and take this computer thing to the next level.

Today Hope and Grace`were in a children's musical at church. They both did and excellent job. Following church we went to lunch with the Greers and Fergusons. What a great time. We are blessed to have such great friends. They encourage me and are genuine. Lunch was at Round Table Pizza. Good friends, good conversation and good food.

Only 4 more days until Joshua Fest!!

Weather today 92 degrees and a slight breeze. A good day overall.

-Norm

The Power of Story

I picked up a book the other day-Stories of Emergence, Moving from Absolute to Authentic. It is a collection of articles written by various authors regarding the Emerging Church. The first article is written by Mike Yaconelli. Mike was the founder of Youth Specialities and also a pastor in Yreka, California. He was killed in an automobile accident a couple years ago. I think we could have been friends.

I have been thinking alot about what he has written regarding the Power of Story. He states that "stories descibe our interaction with God, the tale of God's presence or lack of it in our lives. Stories are the playground of out faith, the place where the logic of our beliefs gets tested by the illogical experiences of our lives, the workplace where our ideas about God run head on into the real God. Our stories are the testing ground where our peceived ideas about how God works come face to face with how God really works. Our stories are the daily journal of faith's complicatedness, the progress report of our journey with God, the roadmap of our attempts to follow Jesus in the twisted and complex jungle of reality. Our stories are our testimonies to how the historical God works in the present. Stories are the witness of our sightings of God, our periodic glimpses of him, and our daily frustration of trying to keep him in our sights, losing him in the busyness of our lives and thenfinding him again-or trying to find him."

In John we read about the Word becoming Flesh and dwelling among us manifested in Jesus Christ. Today, I think we put fleshness to the Gospel-otherwise it is just stories. As we share our stories of struggle, defeat, and victories, we are sharing reasons to believe. Putting flesh to Faith. I grew up in a church where during each service there was a time to share a testimony. Some people would always share the same thing. Some people sat silently. Others would tell how God was moving in their lives giving reason to go on-they were the Word becoming flesh. A glimpse at God moving among us. Stories are powerful tools. I love to listen to a good story. I also love to tell a good story. When they strengthen my faith or the faith of others, that makes it even better.

Stories always remind us that the work of God is always ongoing and always changing and always revealing something new." -Mike Yaconelli

Current weather: Sunny and beautiful. Today's high was about 92 degrees. We saw the movie "Barnyard" today. It was a great story.

-Norm

Preparing For JoshuaFest 2006

Well it's only a couple weeks until JoshuaFest in Quincy, California. This will be our third trip up the hill to attend this event. It is a great event in a beautiful setting. Quincy is located in the Sierra Mountains on Hwy. 70 between Oroville and Reno. It has a population of about 4,000 and is the seat of Plumas County. They have a wonderful fairground there. JoshuaFest is held there. Over 100 bands will be playing at JF, September 1,2, and 3! Also, Camp Jerico Kid's Program. Two years ago we stayed in a borrowed a tent trailer. Last year we stayed in a motorhome. This year we will be going the budget way and staying in a couple tents. Some of the bands playing there includeSkillet, Dizmas, Hawk Nelson, Pillar, Falling Up, TFK, Ever Stays Red

I totally love the whole festival atmosphere. It is very relaxing to sit among the pine trees and listen to some great music. I am also looking forward to the Praise & Worship and Church Service on Sunday morning. JF always seems to come around when it has been a stressful time at work and I am in need of some relaxation. Having just returned from a nice adventure in Tennessee that doesn't appear to be the case yet. We do still have a couple weeks to go........

Current weather: 100 degrees and beautiful.

-Norm

A Week In Tennessee

Yesterday we returned from our fact finding trip to the Volunteer state! We flew out of San Fransisco on Tuesday, August 8 headed for Memphis. Once settled into the Holiday Inn we went searching for dinner. Right down the street was a Chic-Fil-A. The staff there was very nice and friendly. Very good chicken wraps. We had set aside Wednesday for touring with a Real Estate agent. Her name is Debby. She took us to various parts and suburbs of Memphis to show us homes within our price range. It was nearing lunchtime and she suggested Back Yard Burger. I must say this place served incredible burgers. We settled on the Blue Cheese Bacon Burger meal. It was soooooo tasty. I now have a burger favorite in the south! We saw a number of very nice homes in Memphis on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

On Thursday afternoon we headed for Nashville but decided to wait to see it until our return trip to Memphis. We ended up driving through a massive rain storm while heading to Knoxville. We took a driving tour looking at what houses were available there. We really liked this area. We decided to drive up to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. While on our way we stopped by a "Tourist Information" building. It turned out to be a front for a timeshare outfit. They promised us a reduced hotel rate, two free Dollywood tickets and breakfast in exchange for sitting through a 90 minute presentation. We stayed Thursday night and Friday night in Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge is a tourist trap!!! Getting the free amusement park tickets was the best part.

We spent a day at Dollywood! Hope and I went on the Tennessee Tornado. It loops and spins in all directions. I didn't think I liked roller coasters. We also went on their wooden coaster. It was fast and the g-forces were incredible! I would recommend this park if you are in Eastern Tennessee, but watch out for the rest of Pigeon Forge. It's a Smokey Mountain timeshare tourist trap. Tourists beware!!!

To be continued........

Life Outside The Fence

Jhn 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

As I was on my way to work yesterday this verse popped into my brain. At a time when we are fighting for freedom and trying to maintain stability in other parts of the world freedom has a price.
Personal freedom also has a price. Here in John, Jesus is speaking of spritual freedom. It will cost us our guilt, shame, self condemnation and past hurts. It will also take bowing at the foot of the Cross admitting we have sinned and need a Savior. Humanity is fenced in on all sides. Fences of shame, guilt, hurt, and condemnation. On the gate is the lock of sin which has us trapped with no way to escape. Jesus stands at the gate with the keys having overcome death, hell and the grave. He is waiting for us the make the choice to follow Him and leave the pen of sin. Jesus offers freedom and if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. The freedom far outweighs what we have to give up or give away for it.

On another note. Buck and Rachael left yesterday for New York. It was a sad setting in our home last night. They will really be missed. Thankfully the cousins got to spend the last evening together. I look forward to hearing about their adventures to and living in New York.

Here's a just for fun Make TJ Drink

Current weather: 94 degrees is the expected high today. The haze is nearly gone. I could get use to these pleasant summer days.

-Norm

Tennessee and Virginia

We are going on a fact finding mission. Next week we will all be going to check out Tennessee and Virginia. The plan is to fly into Memphis and meet up with a real estate agent and view the Memphis area. Later in the week we will drive up to Nashville and then on to Virginia. We have been researching these areas and think they are places we might like to live. Tina and I have been discussing places we might like to move to. I have lived in our town because my parents raised us there. I would like to live somewhere because we want to live there. These areas interest us. One thing is for sure the real estate prices are lower.

More to follow.....


Current weather: 93 degrees and a little hazy. The fire on the mountain is still burning, but it is not as hot in the valley. I actually needed to wear a sweatshirt on my ride to work this morning.

-Norm

Bike Ride, Lassen Park and The Creek

This weekend was packed with wild and fun stuff to do. Friday evening was dinner with the Greers and the Hollers, a going away dinner for Buck, Rachael and the girls. They are moving to New York City this week. We all met at Round Table Pizza to enjoy great pizza with friends. On Saturday, Bill, Dean and I met at the church at 7:00 AM. We rode motorcycles to Mineral for coffee and on to Chester for breakfast. It was beautiful (but little chilly in spots). We had breakfast and great conversation at the Kopper Kettle. I had a huge plate of biscuits and gravy. Following breakfast it was back down the mountain for a ride through Lassen Park.
We were told there were suppose to be 100+ bikes coming into the park. We waved alot! We stopped at both visitors centers and then caught Hwy. 44 to Shingletown. From there we to the cutoff to Manton, to try to catch Gary at home. We were not successful so we headed for home. We rode nearly 200 beautiful miles!
On Sunday after church, we all went to Francisco's. This would be the last lunch with the Hollers. It was great! When we got home we filled the raft and headed to the creek. We had been wanting to do this for quite some time. The water was warm and the rope swing kept calling the girl's names. It was a blast! I spent most of my time paddling the raft and getting use to how to manuver it. We went home tired, but it was a good tired.
We are seriously looking at moving to another state. Tina and the girls will be going to Tennessee in a couple weeks to take a look. We are currently in research mode.

Current weather: suppose to be 95 degrees today. There is fire on the mountain so alot of smokey haze. There were cinders on the bike when I went out to start it this morning. The smell of smoke is in the air.

-Norm

I Passed!

Yesterday I took my motorcycle license drivers test. It was at 4:00 PM, in the heat of the day. Yesterday's high was 110 degrees. The DMV instructor was pleasant and had a great sense of humor! I did well on the actual driving part. I can now drive at night, carry passengers and ride on the freeway. With this new license also came the purchase of a new helmet for the passenger. We purchased a Bell Bandito. When we got it home and went to take off the packaging, I noticed the following sticker "Caution:use care when removing packaging from the helmet to avoid injury or damage to the helmet". I am sure it is made to withstand a great amount of pressure and abuse so to think that by simply removing the plastic case from around the helmet I could damage it. Weird!
My first ride on the freeway was a great one. I thought big trucks doing 60-70 mpgs would be more of a problem but nothing out of the ordinary just keep both hands on the handlebars!

Current weather: Expected high of 95 degrees today and beautiful. This is alot better than the three digit temperatures we have been having. It's gonna be a great weekend!

-Norm

A Difficult Week and Hot!

While on my motorcycle ride to work on Monday morning I remember thinking what great ride it is. I am taking back roads that are lined with oak trees. When I arrived at work I was told the news about coworker. There had been a shooting at their family home and she was dead. It is still unclear what happened. The investigation is still going and the autoposy will be done on Friday. We also had a visit from OSHA. I have been working deligently to get needed documents and training records. Next, an employees mother called about reports of the air conditioner in our building not working. This was untrue, but they called the local new t.v. station anyway. A reporter came out to access the situation. They did a very favorable report on us.
Thankfully these happened at the first part of the week. Thing are a little slower now.
After all my projects were finished last night. I soaked in our small pool. It felt so good!

No word yet about funeral services.

I still think it was a nice ride in on Monday. It is all that has followed that has been difficult.

Current weather a staggering 110 degrees! Rumor has it, it could get up to 117 be the end of the week.

-Norm

Wood Go-Carts and The Neighborhood Hill.....

I remember spending childhood summer days pounding nails building wooden go-carts. These involved finding a piece of plywood big enough to sit on. It seemed there was always scrap 2x4s available and we would use them to support the back axel and wheels. Next we would take another 2x4 and attached it front and center to the plywood with a bolt. This was our steering. The front axel and wheels were attached to this 2x4 piece. The final touch was attaching a rope to the 2x4 or the front axel. Now we are ready to go.
Our section of the neighborhood was perched high on a hill. Our home was at the top of a paved street. Around the corner from our home was another paved hill with a dip at the bottom. We had a great time going down and up, down and up.... This is how we spent a number of days. These same hills were also great for skateboarding and testing our the latest two wheel creations. This was back before helmets and safety gear. I think I left a good deal of skin on these sections of street and still lived to tell about it!

Weather today: 94 degrees and a beautiful day. The ride today on the Reflex was great and enjoyable.

-Norm

God; Strong and Loving

I am re-reading Wild At Heart by John Eldredge. I just finished Chapter 2. At the end of this chapter he has posted this verse: "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you O God are loving. Psalms 62:11-12.

In reference to Wild At Heart, the point is being made that we as men need to be strong. There is definately a place for this. I love camping and the outdoors. I have a newfound love for motorcycle riding. While I do not consider myself a manly-man, there are times when I need to be strong at home and at work.

The other side of God is His love. I desire to be a loving husband and father. Also a caring and compassionate boss and case manager. When I speak I hope there are two things that are heard, I am strong. As with God a defender of the weak. That I am loving and tender in all areas of my life.

I look forward to an upcoming motorcycle ride with my friend Bill to Lassen Volcanic National Park. I am looking forward to an upcoming family trip to southern California to watch my daughters in their showcases. Strong and loving.

Current weather: 104 degrees and a slight breeze.

-Norm

A New/Old BBQ

I had to put our old gas barbeque to rest earlier this summer. It was an old Kenmore with a wooden frame. We got it when we were apartment managers. A tenant left it behind so we adopted it.
I have been on the lookout for another one. The other day I stopped by our local Salvation Army store. They had several and one was in very good condition. They wanted $24.00 for the best one. I left empty handed. A few days later, the banner went up 50% off everything in the store on Friday! I got a nice BBQ for $12.50! I have a tank and need to fill it up then I will be in business. I love BBQ hot dogs.

I will hopefully be filling the tank tonight and then let the Qing begin!

Current weather: 100+ degrees. It was a great ride in this morning.

-Norm

Honda Reflex

Well, I continue to ride the Flex to work. It is great! I really like the 70 mpg. I recently installed headphone speakers in my helmet so I can have tunes or listen to the radio. Next week I will take my motorcycle drivers test. I have a goal to ride Hwy. 36 to Fortuna. In a car this road is abit of a bear but I really think it would be a great ride on a bike. There are small little towns along the way: Platina, Mad River, Wildwood and Bridgeville just to name a few. It's about a 3 1/2 hour ride to the coast. We could grab some seafood or burgers and ride back home. That sounds like a great day!


Current weather: 100 degrees and a slight breeze.

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Today Tina and I celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary! It seems like only yesterday we were honeymooning in Monterey and San Francisco. God has blessed us with two beautiful girls and a nice home. To celebrate we went as a family to Disneyland. It was the world premier of the new Pirates of the Caribbean-Dead Man's Chest. We saw all the stars walk the red carpet down Main Street USA. What a great event! Rides and stars were the order of the day. We returned home at 2:00 AM on Monday morning. I was so tired at work yesterday and slept very well last night.

We recently got a dog. His name is Mitchell. We is a "pound puppy". Call us the rescuers! The two cats we already had kinda freaked out with this new addition. Mitchell stays in our fenced back yard. The cats main entrance into our home was through the back sliding glass door. Needless to say they now enter through the front door only.

Current weather 109 and very humid. The air conditioner at work is on the fritz so it has been very uncomfortable. Weather people say "cooler temps are on there way" I say........they just can't get here soon enough.

-Norm

Parents, Christians and Public Schools

I have been thinking about a question for quite some time now. But first I must tell you what forces me to ask it. We have two daughters. Hope will be in 7th grade next year and Grace is going into 4th grade. Since the time Hope was in Kindergarten we have been involved in PTA and other activities at their school. It has become our family's school and we take ownership of it. We do this first as parents and secondly as Christians. Sadly, too few parents get involved in the education of their children or even know the name of their child's teacher. It appears to be a respite time for parents while their children are in school or at at school activities.
As I said earlier, my daughter is going into 7th grade (middle school). This school will be attending has not had a good reputation in the past. Recently, I sat on the interview panel for a new Principal and Vice Principal for this school. I am very pleased with the people who were chosen for these positions. I feel it is going to be a great year! My brother has a daughter (my niece) who is the same age as Hope. They applied for an inter-district transfer to try to tranfer to another school/district. By brother has substituted at this middle school in the past.
So, here my question. If all the Christians leave public schools who will be left to run and advocate for the students in them? Numerous times I've heard it said that "They are taking God out of the public schools". Sadly, Christians are taking God out of the public school each time they pull their children out (salt and light). I remember the fear we had when Hope started in elementary school. Now through alot of participation and prayer we have help to make a school a better place for everyone. It has not been easy and required alot of time and meetings, but all students, staff and families of the school have benefited.
I challenge you to get a staff list of your child's school and pray for each person on it, or just start with your child's teacher. Walk the campus inviting Jesus there. It is your school and in your neighborhood. If we don't, who will?

Weather today: 106 degrees and windy.

A Need For Heroes

This weekend I attended a reunion for students of Sierra Christian Academy. I attended this school from first through ninth grades. It changed administration in my tenth grade year and eventually closed. Every two years a reunion is organized for all former students of the school. It was held this past weekend.
Our family was extremely involved with this school and spent many summer days helping to clean, build, paint or doing whatever was needed. We were also close to the administration and teaching staff. Several were in attendance at this reunion and all set at the same table. I watched as they laughed and recalled memories. The thought struck me these are some of my heroes. I can remember days when the school did not having enough money to pay a bill and they would call the student body together for prayer. Someone then went to the mailbox and there was a check for the exact amount that was needed. This happened on several occasions during the 9 years we attended. The hours spent in prayer for students. God used them to impact my life and countless others. In Hebrews 11 we read about great heroes of the faith, this weekend I saw a few more that could be added to the list. These heroes have encouraged me in my faith. I thank God for them.

Weather today: 105 degrees with a warm wind blowin'. This is why I live here!

-Norm

A Fun Answer To High Gas Prices

Last Friday we purchased a Honda Reflex Scooter. It is a 2002 with 400+ miles on it and in near mint condition. I have been riding it pretty much all weekend. On Thursday I went to DMV and took my written test for a motorcycle license. I passed. The permit is good for 1 year. I can't take passengers, ride at night or on the freeway. I will be taking the driver's test soon. This scooter is a 250cc and gets 80 mpg! It will be perfect for my 40 mile commute to work. Until I get my license I can take backroads to avoid the freeway. I am looking forward to this. I purchased a quality helmet from the local Yamaha dealer and need to buy gloves. On my ride home after purchasing it began to rain and got windy. I now have a deeper respect for BIG SEMI TRUCKS! I told Tina when I got home "I could see how people get addicted to riding motorcycles".
The commute just got alot more fun and cheaper too!

-Norm

Weather today: Rainy, windy, and about 60 degrees.

Tents, Fans, Flying and A Great Concert

What a wonderful weekend this past weekend was! Friday evening I purchased two dome tents from some of my clients. I was a little leary of the condition before I'd seen them but was pleasantly suprised. I scored both for $15.00. One is a six person and the second is a two person. They're in great shape and all the parts are there too!

Saturday morning our local airport hosted the Young Eagles Free Fly for kids. Tina and I took the girls. The pilot that was going to take them said they were so light that one of us was able to fly in the plane with them. Tina didn't want to go. We flew over the girl's school and the river. It was a beautiful day to be in the air. The rest of the day was spent trying to install a ceiling fan in Hope's room. The way our house is wired the light switch control the bottom plug of a wall outlet. So, the installation of a ceiling fan requires putting a box in the ceiling and wiring it to the switch. I am not an electrician so this took a good portion of the day. The overall project is to install three ceiling fans all involving the same situation. I got the first one done about 11:00 Pm.

Sunday included Morning Worship and a Men's Group trip to In-N-Out Burger, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, and the installation of the second ceiling fan. On Sunday evening we drove to Redding to see Hawk Nelson, Falling Up and Thousand Food Krutch (TFK) in concert. It was an incredible evening. I don't think there was a part of that I didn't enjoy. We got home about 11:30 Pm. Hope and Grace loved the concert and then came home to newly installed ceiling fans.

Weather today: 86 degrees, sunny, breezy and perfect weather!!!

-Norm

5 Days of Magic!

We spent all of last week in southern California with five days at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. I had not been there since the completion of California Adventure and Downtown Disney. We spent quite abit of time in these new additions. By far the best ride in the California park was "Soaring Over California". What an incredible ride. Grizzly River Run is the "wet" ride. We went as a family on this. A total of eight people are loaded in the raft. By the end of the ride some part of you WILL be wet. While in California Adventure we went into the Hollywood section. This totally played games with my mind! It looks like Hollywood. We had the opportunity to see Aladdin. This rivaled any Broadway production. We also visited the Golden Vine Winery presentation. A definate highlight was the Disney Electrical Parade. I had seen it on video but the live version was outstanding!

Most of our evenings were spent in Disneyland. The 50th Anniversary Celebration will soon be coming to a close, Mickey ears with "50" scattered throughout the park and on every ride. The 50th fireworks presentation was beautiful (we saw this twice). Sleeping Beauty's Castle changed colors with each firework display. WOW!!! Our family spent alot of time in Fantasyland. I think my favorite was the Peter Pan ride. Judging by the lines it was popular with other people as well. Other family favorites include Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Matterhorn, and the Tomorrowland Rockets. We also saw the Fantasia presentation (two times). As we were leaving the park on Friday evening, Tina made the comment "I could stay a few more days". I agreed. Our family had a wonderful time!
Southern California weather was 60-70 degrees and sunny. It rained off and on Friday. We went prepared with umbrellas.

Weather today: Sunny, not a cloud in the sky and 74 degrees. I can finally dry out and mow the lawn!!!

-Norm

The Building

First a little history. I used to work for a printing company as a press operator. I worked there for 4 1/2 years. Working there involved long hours and a business owner with an uncontrollable temper. It was not uncommon to start work at 7:00 AM and not leave until 9:00 PM. The next morning the owner would come in screaming about all that we did not get done! During my time there I met the owner of the building (the landlord). He was a different kind of guy. The landlord and the printshop owner we're always arguing about something, usually regarding much needed building repairs. Neither of them liked the other. I started a new job and would ocassionally stop by to visit my former coworkers. A couple of years ago the building burned and the business relocated. During the fire the building was gutted. The outside of the building was concrete and withstood the fire. Everything inside was burned.
Fast forward to yesterday. I drove past this building. The inside was never rebuilt. Yesterday I noticed the unusual part. They painted the outside of this building and the adjoining buildings. As I drove past I could see through the windows, it was an empty cement slab with nice paint on the outside. While the exterior had new paint, within the walls it was dead and lifeless.

I think there is a lesson here.

Often times we try to put on new paint or put on a new face. Inside we are lifeless, a cold dead slab with walls that could house something great. In Ephesians 2:1-6, we are dead IN trespasses and sin, but God who is rich in mercy brings us to life and joins us together with Christ. Unlike this building owner, God works from the inside out, rather than the outside in.

Weather today: Raining (still!). 58 degrees and getting cooler as the day goes on. Snow a lower elevations this evening and tomorrow.

-Norm

MISSION:Excellent Customer Service

I like to receive excellent customer service. In my business dealings from day to day, I try to comments about the service I receive. Good as well as not so good. Following the experience I mention below, I had two excellent experiences. I commented to those businesses about their service as well.

Here is my story.

The other day I entered a local bank. I am not a customer of this bank, but in the past I had been a signer on a Client Fund account for work. We frequently went to this branch to make deposits. The following is a letter I wrote to the Manager following my visit. I have not included the name of the bank for personal reasons.



March 15, 2006

Mr. Manager,

Yesterday I entered your bank from the back parking lot and was shocked at what I saw. There was much remodeling being done and the smell of paint filled the air. As I approached the teller windows I was taken aback by what stood ahead of me. Counter to ceiling was what appeared to be bulletproof glass. I could not believe this bank had purposely placed a barrier between a customer service representative and me, the customer. I had to speak louder than normal to the teller and with no confidentiality whatsoever. When I asked the teller why these were placed here she replied “if you had been robbed as many times as we have…..” Nearly in the same breath I was asked if I would like to open an account so that I may be able to make my payment automatically? My next thought was “Why? It might just get stolen anyway”!

I do not have an account with (inserted bank name here) but did enter your bank to pay my mortgage. Why would I open an account at a place that doesn’t trust me even before I walk through the door? With her words your teller asked for my business, but the environment screamed of distrust.

The question I must ask: Don’t you trust your customers? My impression from the glass barrier is “no” and “the less human contact-the better”. I feel sorry about the robbery and even more that there are people who view this as a way to make ends meet.

There are other ways of handling this situation. Place a barrier between the robber and the money/safe. Not between the customer and the teller/customer service. It appears you are focusing on the one bad customer instead of the hundreds of good and honest people that walk through your doors each week. This letter speaking up could represent the hundreds that don’t, but take their business elsewhere-where we/they are trusted.

Coincidently, when I called your branch to get the name of the branch manager my call was picked up automatically. I was (automatically) placed on hold for 10 minutes with no answer. I had to call back a second time to actually speak to someone.

I recently read a book regarding developing excellent customer service practices. I highly recommend “Raving Fans” by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles. The publisher is William Morrow and Company. It is a quick read and very insightful. I would encourage you to get a copy.

If you would like to discuss this situation further, please feel free to contact me. I may be reached at work (000) 000-0000; home (000) 000-0000.

Sincerely,
Norm


I have yet to hear from anyone at this bank. Could this be yet another barrier?

Weather today: Windy, rainy, and chains are required on all vehicles 50 miles up the road.

Good Friends, Good Food, Good Night

Last night we had dinner with a group of friends at one of the family's home in the mountains about 40 miles away. My wife is a chef in training. Really, she is going to school to become a chef. All the wives were in the kitchen preparing the meal. It sounded like they were having a good time and doing what they enjoyed. The men were in the living room talking. At the meal, the great conversation continued accompanied by excellent food. I remember thinking "this is great. I enjoy the way this feels." We must have talked about everything, movies, food, drink, church, family, travel and laughed alot! Shortly after dessert someone looked outside and discovered there was about 1 1/2 inches of snow on the ground. With the exception of our hosts, we are all flatlanders, so there was some concern about getting down off the hill. Gary (our host) climbed in his four-wheel drive car and went to survey the roads. He returned with a good report. We all came down the hill together and made it home safely.

It was an evening filled with good friends and good food. A great and enjoyable combination.

-Norm

Weather today: Partly cloudy, 48 degrees. It hailed tonight for about 20 minutes.

The Home Going of a Care Provider

Today, I attended the funeral of the group home administrator for some of my clients. The pastor who conducted did an excellent job. I find it interesting to listen as people recall a person's life at their funeral. As someone in attendance I found myself frequently thinking "I didn't know that about her". A few things I learned were that she was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She accepted Christ into her life at 15 years old while attending Sunday School. What followed was a marriage that lasted until her recent death. Becoming wheelchair bound due to MS and all the challenges that brings. Even with this condition she had a huge impact on the lives of those around her and the residents she cared for.

Her greatest ambition in life was that everyone, her family, friends and each person she came in contact with would come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We met a number of times with each other and never talked Jesus. Most of our conversations centered around the clients we serve.

Each time I leave the funeral of a Christian believer, I can't help but think, who will take their place in touching the lives they touched? Such was the case today.

-Norm

Weather today: Freezing all day and currently snowing. Spring can't get here soon enough!!!

Salsa and Chips!

I know this is my second post today! Leave me alone!

We are chips and salsa people. It is not uncommon for us to enjoy these while watching a movie or enjoying time together as a family. I enjoy trying new things in the kitchen and came up with my own salsa recipe!

I thought I'd post it for all to enjoy!

2 large tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
2 Jalapeno peppers
1 purple bell pepper
1/2 white onion
2 celery stalks
1 medium size carrot
1 tablespoon of pepper (or to taste)
2 tablespoons of salt (or to taste)

Chop all ingredients in a food processor and place in a bowl.
When everything has been chopped and mixed, blend all ingredients together in a blender. Place everything back in the bowl.

Cover and chill for 3-5 hours. It's excellent!!!

-Norm

"Next Blog" Warning

There is a link on this website that is not the doorway to all that is well and good. It is the "Next Blog" link located in the upper right-hand corner of this blog. It is a gamble. You never know what is waiting on the other side. The best advise I could give is stick to the places we know are good. The internet while full of great places, things and images also contains things that I do not want stuck in my brain.

The Bible gives very good instruction regarding such things:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.-Phillipians 4:8

It reminds me of a chorus we sang in Sunday School: "Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. There's a Father up above looking down with tender love. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see."

Other verses to this chorus include "Oh, be careful little feet where you go....."
and "Oh, be careful little hands what you do....."

Another verse in the Bible I strive to live by is "Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up or us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."- Ephesians 5:1

How would an imitator of God surf the internet?

-Norm

Weather today is clear, breezy and chilly.

Busy Weekend

This weekend seemed to be a busy one. On Saturday, I took care of the church building. This is my every Saturday ritual. After I got home we went shopping. It is a goal to make our playroom/family room more presentable. We purchased a couple cabinets and a chair. We purchased them unassembled. I now have a couple projects to put together. Sunday at church our pastor is teaching through Matthew. Alot of geneology. He makes it very interesting. Following church we went to Round Table with a group of friends. It was great to talk and just be together. I enjoyed this time alot! These people are real!
Last night I was involved in a worship concert. The group was made up of musicians from a number of local churches. I play drums. It was a great time of playing together, but always involves alot of work. I really just wanted to be home with my family. We have something going on every night this week.

-Norm

Weather today 38 degrees, rainy and snow at about 1,000 feet elevation.

Spots and Wrinkles

We have a very temperamental clothes dryer. I do not like wrinkled shirts or clothing. A standard practice I have is to "fluff" the wrinkles out by placing them in the dryer for a short time. Over the past few months our dryer has not always been heating up. When items are put in it can take them quite awhile to get dry, if they dry at all. (I've replaced knobs and switches chasing the problem down).
Wrinkles in my life are imperfections and make me look unkept. Spots are embarrasing spills that we wear. They require a cleaning agent, something to get the spot out. Wrinkles can require heat and tumbling = keeping the faith through tough situations. But the spots require a cleaning agent to help us come clean. This cleaning agent is the blood of Jesus that takes away the sins out the world.
My personal goal is to be spotless and no wrinkles. I believe this is Jesus' goal for me as well. Ephesians 5:27 speaks of the great days ahead......"and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless". A former pastor of mine presented a math problem that I still think about from time to time. It goes like this:

a blackened sin filled heart + red blood of Jesus = cleansed/made white as snow

Spotless and wrinkle free should be the goal of every Christian. What would a radiant Church look like if we truly and honestly pursued wrinkle free and spotless lives? We will be presented to Him one way or the other.

-Norm

Weather today: gusty winds, 45 degrees and snow at low elevations. Happy March Day!

Mailings, Mailings, Mailings

It has been a packed day. From the moment I walked in the door at work I was constantly moving, including my 15 minute lunch. We currently have a huge mailer that requires labeling and mail prep. It is do out by the end of the week. We have this job as well as a number of other mailers with very tight deadlines. I spent most of the day in production mode. It did feel good to work out on the floor. I don't think I've laughed that much in a while. We had a good but busy time today.

-Norm

Weather today: Winds from the south with gusts of up to 45 mph. Rainy off and on. High of about 52 degrees.

The Presentation

At 1:00 PM today we recognized another care provider hero. She has retired due to "burn out". I have come to value her role and her friendship.
Each day I supervise my employees and then go home. At the end of their day, they go home where someone makes sure they remain safe, while also teaching life and independent living skills. When a resident/client gets a job or their own apartment/home in the community there is joy and sadness all at the same time. Alot has been expected of them but they have rose to the occasion. It is a team effort with each person doing their part. I truly believe it is not everyone who can provide these types of supports.
It was an honor to recognize another support person. As expected there were tears, hugs and cheers. She finished well.

-Norm

Weather today: 52 degrees and it rained all day long.

Elvis Has Left The Building.......................

I work in a workshop for people with developmental disabilities. When a client starts or leaves our program there is paper work that needs to be completed. This was the case this week. Last week I had a few clients transfer to other programs or move out of the area. All week I found myself putting off doing this paperwork. On Friday afternoon I figured out why.
One of the people who left the area was a gentleman who loved to impersonate Elvis. He would frequently bring his costume to work or bring it for special occasions. He had been in our program for about 15 years. I must say I am going to miss "Elvis". I think I am grieving his leaving. I really enjoyed him and his playing Elvis. It has not been the same place since. I did finally finish the needed paperwork late in the day on Friday.
On Friday we also had the opportunity to recognize some heroes. You see "Elvis"'s care provider is retiring after over 25 years. This is one reason "Elvis" moved away. Everyone signed a Certificate of Appreciation and I delivered it to them on my way home. Tomorrow we will make a similiar presentation to another care provider who has also retired. We will be doing this with everyone present. It should be a pretty emotional time. Lots of hugs, smiles and tears.

-Norm

Weather today: It began sprinkling about 1:30 PM and has been raining steady since then. 50 degrees was the high today.

Thinking About Sacrifice

I have been thinking this week about sacrifice. In Exodus in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, God instructed Moses how to build a tabernacle so that He may have a home among His people. The basic layout of the Tabernacle was an Outer Court, an Inner Court and then at the very center the Most Holy Place (a.k.a. The Holy of Holies). Upon entering the Outer Court the first thing you see in front of you is the Altar of Sacrifice. In the back ground behind a curtain, is the Inner Court. I believe the picture here is that before we can have fellowship with God, a sacrifice must be offered. That sacrifice was God's One and Only Son, Jesus. I feel that to often we take His sacrifice for granted. Just saying a prayer to escape Hell's flames with no real intenion of allowing Jesus to change our lives. We must sacrifice our lives as well. Jesus sacrificed his life and we must surrender our's to complete the process. It is interesting that in tabernacle times a family would actually raise the animal they were going to sacrifice. The children probably became friends with the lamb only to have to offer it as a sacrifice. It cost them something. The sacrifice of that lamb did not forgive sin it only pushed it ahead until the next sacrifice was made one year later. When Jesus, the Lamb of God was sacrificed He was the Final Sacrifice for sin, giving us access to God once again and allowing us access to the Most Holy Places.

-Norm

Weather today: 65 degrees and partly cloudy.

Why In-n-Out Burger?

While at the In-n-Out in Las Vegas. Tina and I discussed what makes them at great place to eat.

We came up with the following list:

1.) Fresh Food-visably fresh, not frozen

2.) Excellent Value

3.) Good Customer Services

4.) Clean Restaurant

5.) Straight and To The Point Menu

The items on this list I believe can be said about each I-n-O location. We have visited a number of them and each is the same. Easy to see why they are the favorite of so many people and my favorite as well!

The scripture references on each item are also a plus (french fries wrapper, bottom of the cup).

-Norm

Weather today: 70+ degrees and not a cloud in the sky!

We're Home!

Well we're back from Las Vegas. I had to go there for a Comenserate Wage and Piece Rate Time Study training. In working with people with disabilities we are able to pay them less than minimum wage. We hold a special certificate from the Department of Labor (DOL). This training was an update on DOL regulations.
I flew there with my coworkers and Tina drove (11 hours!!). Our room was a very nice suite at the Desert Rose Inn, just off the Las Vegas strip. Tina and I walked alot. I think we pretty much covered the whole strip. A highlight of the trip was a personal tour of the pastry kitchen at Caeser's Palace by the Executive Pastry
Chef. It was a huge place and very impressive! Another highlight was lunch at In-n-Out with Tina and a trip to their Company Store. I purchased a hat, license plate frame and a key chain. As I mentioned earlier we walked ALOT! I think we went into almost every casino on the strip. We didn't drop any money into the machines but looked at everything. It is amazing the differences in architecture and themes from casino to casino.
I enjoyed the trip and the training. It was very nice to have Tina there.
It is so nice to be home.

-Norm

A Difficult Day

Have you ever tried to cram a weeks worth of work in just one day? That was my day today. I am going to Las Vegas for a three-day training for work, so the cramming was a necessity.

Weather today 65 degrees and became cooler as the day went on. North wind=arctic wind.

-Norm

Three Days Still Isn't Enough

The celebration of Lincoln's birthday made this a three day weekend. It seems these times off go very quickly. Family Movie Night at the girl's school was on Friday, Saturday was spent cleaning out the trunk of the Volvo and mowing the lawn at the church. We then arrive at Sunday, this one was a special one. Lincoln's Birthday ham dinner and dessert potluck at the church. It was interesting-I'll leave it at that. Today was spent getting things together for this evening's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting, visiting Grace's class at school, washing our cars, and watching the kids ride the go-kart. Finishing off with the PTA meeting. I serve as Unit President. It requires quite abit of time, but I really enjoy the improvements we have been able to make. Playground equipment, bulletin board, marquee sign, not to mention annual art and snowflake contests. While at the school today I peeked out at the playground. It was/is very rewarding to see the children playing on playground equipment and swinging on swings that we were very instrumental in purchasing.

The weather today was 75 degrees and breezy. Rumor has it, it's suppose to start getting cooler.

I Can See Tomorrow From My Computer!

It became very apparent to me the other day while blogsurfing how small the world is. The internet seems to have made it even smaller. I was viewing posts that were actually dated with the next day's date on them. It is weird to see what's happening in the life of someone on a day that (in my part of the world) hasn't even happened yet. In case your wondering-it's Sunday. Hope and I are getting ready to play a challenging game of croquet.

Weather here today, sunny and 65+ degrees. Ahhhhhhhh February!

-Norm

aLiveNorm.

The Driver's Seat

I drive a Volvo. It is an older Volvo 240. We bought it from some friends. As with the ownership of any older vehicle, some re-assembly is required. This was the case with the driver's seat. It was such a gradual thing. One day the seat seemed to be fine. A few days later I noticed my back was hurting. I ending up spending most of last Saturday taking it apart and fixing it. It required the replacement of a bolt in the frame underneath and two screws to join the back support together (originally riveted). I couldn't see the problem until I got inside the seat. The weird thing is that I didn't start noticing the problem until the pain appeared. Then upon visual inspection I came to the conclusion "hey this thing needs to be taken apart!" I think life gets like this sometimes. I had a gradual problem that I didn't see as a problem. I was buzzing down the road at 70+ miles an hour while my comfortable situation is falling apart. It takes an inward view. I am happy to say, Monday's drive to work was alot more comfortable knowing I had dealt with the problem.