Driving Down Memory Lane

Driving around Knoxville (and across the United States for that matter) has given me alot of time to think. The other day I was reminded of a client whom I use to work with. His name was Sam. I really liked Sam. He had a gentle spirit and frequently teared up when he laughed. Sam was one of the first people with a disability I had frequent contact with. He really liked riding his bike, mowing the lawn and listening to his scanner. Sam lived with his mother who was elderly and as time went on her health deteriorated. They were very close.
One week we decided that after work on Friday our group would take a bike ride and then go out to a local mexican restaurant for dinner. At the time I was driving a little Ford Festiva. I put a bike rack on the front and one on the back to haul our bicycles. We were all packed in the car. It must have looked halarious to someone not knowing what was going on. We all had a great time!
I also remember Sam's reaction when I told him Tina and I were going to be parents. A big smile came on his face and sometime later he arrived with a gift.
One day we got the call that Sam's mom had passed away. Our worlds changed forever on that very sad day. Sam bestowed on me one of the greatest honors of my life. He asked if I would be a pallbearer at his mother's funeral. As part of his mom's request, a neighbor became his care provider and they eventually moved away. Every once in a while he would call me and then we lost contact. He had an impact on me and I am grateful for his friendship. Maybe someday we will see each other again. I'd like that!

Weather today: 85 degrees and it was suppose to thunderstorm, but just a few spinkles this afternoon. The rest of the week looks clear and low to mid 80's.

-Norm

Celebrating Two Weeks!

Tomorrow I will have been in Knoxville for two weeks. My first day of work was last Friday. I received a brief overview of client/resident files and then toured a couple houses. There is alot to this job, mostly quality assurance and making sure all documentation is complete and up to date.
When not working I have been looking at houses and/or areas to live. I think we have narrowed it down to two areas. Powell or Halls. Both areas are in north Knoxville and are known for their good schools.
I attended City On A Hill Church again today. I really like it there. The pastor's message this morning was on suffering and how God allows it to make us better. I also enjoyed the worship.
During one of my many excursions during these past couple weeks I came across a discount Christian bookstore. I purchased the EPIC dvd by John Eldridge. He is the author of Wild At Heart, a book that caused quite a comotion in the church back home. John presents the gospel in four acts. It is a great presentation and one I will share with Buck when we get together. I have been watching over the last week.
I also purchased a few cd's at bargain prices. I have been listening alot to Leeland-Sound of Melodies. Stand out songs are "Carried To The Table" which is a song about communion and "Yes, You Have" about how Jesus has stolen our hearts. Everything on this cd is great! I also purchased Tait-Empty, Dizmas-On A Search In America, Family Force Five-Business Up Front, Party In The Back.
Today, I am going to take a look at a couple more houses in Halls, so I better go do that. After that I'm gonna seista for the rest of the day. Life is good here. It will be even better when the family arrives and we purchase a house.

Weather today about 90 with a nice breeze. Only suppose to be 67 degrees tonight. Perfect.

-Norm

I Got A New Job!

Well I received the call today offering me a job at Sertoma Center in Knoxville. I am being hired as a Residential Coordinator and will oversee about 8 residential homes for people with disabilities. It sounds similiar to what I had been doing at the Opportunity Center, but on the residential side rather than vocational. I am very excited! I must have TB and drug tests before I can start working. I will put a link to Sertoma on my "Sites I Like To Visit" list. Go check it out.

I have been going all over Knoxville trying to get a feel for the area and the best places to buy a house. Some places are good, some places are not as good, but I really like this place. The weather has been exceptional! 85 degrees during the day and about 60 degrees at night. Perfect.

I attended City On A Hill Church on Sunday. It is a Foursquare Church reaching out to Knoxville. I really enjoyed the worship and the pastor's message. They have a website http://www.cityonahillchurch.com/ I wasn't the only recent California transplant in the congregation. There was another couple that moved 2 months ago from Burbank, California. After church Pastor Tony came up to introduce himself and asked me some questions about being there today. I told him about the interviews and our family moving to Knoxville. Together with the group standing around us, we asked God to provide employment and help us with the move. Today I got the call about the job and spent the afternoon/evening with the realtor. How cool is that????

God promised that He was going before us and not to worry. He is doing just that. I trust Him to show us which house would be the best for us. I met with our agent this evening and we toured a few homes. I really liked a couple of them. We are going to meet again tomorrow. I can't wait!

I think that's all the news for now.

-Norm

Leeland - A new favorite!

We had a chance to hear Leeland at Joshua Fest.

Excellent Band and vocals!

I thought I'd post their banner.

I Made It To Knoxville!

O.K. I left last Thursday (9/6) at about 3 Pm in the afternoon. I drove that night as far as Winnemuca, NV. Beginning mileage from Red Bluff was 262480 on the Volvo (don't worry Volvos go forever!). I stopped briefly to gas up in Reno. The next morning (9/7) I started out at 6:00 Am and drove until 7:30 Pm when I stopped at Laramie, Wyoming. The mileage that day was 262868 to 263449. I stopped and gassed up in Elko, NV. On Saturday (9/8), I drove the width of Nebraska, stateline to state line only stopping for gas in North Platte, Neb. and Percival, Iowa where I spent the night. Mileage that day was 263449 to 264248. Sunday, I started out at 6:30 Am to drive through Missouri and Kentucky, only stopping for gas in Boonville, Mo. and Paducka, Ky. I spent the night last night somewhere near Hopkinsville, Ky. Mileage for Sunday was 264248 to 264885. I arrived in Knoxville today (9/10)ending mileage 265185. I booked a hotel online and when I arrived it is on Knoxville's eastside. I took everything of value out of the car. I went to Wal-Mart to buy clothes for my interview tomorrow. It's bedtime in Tennessee. Good night.

It rained a little this evening and 50 % chance of showers in the morning.

-Norm

I'm On My Way

Last Friday was my final day at the Opportunity Center. It was happy and sad all at the same time. We partied all afternoon and then it was time to say our final good-byes. My staff are the greatest and they put together such a great event!
That evening we left for Joshua Fest! As always it was an incredible weekend filled with incredible bands. It was also a great distraction after leaving the O.C.
I left yesterday around 3:00 Pm for Knoxville. I drove for about 7 hours making it as far as Winnemucca, Nevada . This morning I awoke about 5:30 Am and started driving again at 6:00 Am, grabbing a sausage biscuit and coffee at McDonald's. My driving day ended at 7:30 Pm in Laramie, Wyoming. I decided to get a room and am staying here at the Travel Inn. It appears that the University of Wyoming is having a football game tonight and all alumni were invited, which meant rooms were kinda scarce and it's a Friday night. My biggest concern before I left Red Bluff was the Volvo. I am thankul that it has been running great and no problems! This confirms what I felt like God spoke to me earlier, that He is going before us and making a way. I trust Him to do just that.
Thursday was a sad day. I woke up early to meet the movers. Tina brought the girls by for final hugs. I cried and Hope did to. I'm really going to miss my family. After all the car stuff I left my family in Red Bluff head for our future.
Weather today in Wyoming, about 80 degrees and clear BIG skies. I refuse to "Cowboy Up" while I'm here.

Leaving Laramie......

-Norm

Joshua Fest 2007

We are on the verge of being out of our house. Escrow is supposed to close this week and then we will move in with friends for a short time. I will be heading to Tennessee the week of Labor Day.
Speaking of Labor Day weekend, we won tickets to Joshua Fest! We had talked about going but with the move to Knoxville, hadn't been planning on it. As I was driving I heard an announcement on Effect Radio about a contest. I signed up online last week. We received an email on Monday that we had won two free tickets and a camping spot. We are going up on Friday. My last day of work in on August 31 and then it is off to JFest. What a way to end it!!!!
We still have a few things to take out of the house. We are down to the "essentials". Pretty much food, clothes and tolietries. Oh yea and the t.v.'s because they are important. It is kinda weird to walk in and see the place empty.

Weather today-100 degrees and humid.

Holding Pattern-House Sale

Well it appears we are in a holding pattern with closing escrow. The auction company called on Monday asking if we heard from an appraiser? No one had contacted us regarding this until yesterday. The appraiser came today to make sure the house was still standing. It is a good house and we just wants the money.

This has been a difficult week. Yesterday I broke the news to my clients that we were moving and that next week would be my last. It has been sad. I am relied on so much. I would like to take most of them with me, but that would be impossible and not practical. Emotionally I am tired so this holding pattern might be a good thing for this evening.

It all seems surreal. Like it is not really happening. I know it is and reality will eventually hit me. This will all be good, it's just the adjustment that is difficult. Thankfully it is going a little slower than we expected.

Weather today 91 degrees with 41% humidity. that seems to be the big concern about our move-the DREADED HUMIDITY.

Time to eat, so I must go.

-Norm

Times Are Changing

WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!!!! One week ago our home sold at auction. I thought that was pretty stressful. We did not have a starting price or minimum bid. We had no idea how much ourhome would go for. I am happy to say we did well. We will be signing all the paperwork on Monday and we must be out by Friday. Two week escrow!

I gave my notice at work. It is very difficult to be quitting a job I absolutly love. I submitted my letter and then told each of my ten staff members individually. They all had different responses. I am really going to miss everyone.

We are looking to rent a home in Knoxville. It is difficult because we have a dog and cat, neither of which the girls will let us get rid of. Once there and I get a job, we will be able to purchase a house of our own.

Speaking of a job, I had a phone interview on Friday and I thought it went well. Unfortunately, they needed someone right away, so they hired someone already in the area. There are a number of job opportunities available in that area. I have already had a couple call and ask me to come in once we get there. I think I will get a job fairly soon.

We had a yard sale today today. It was difficult seeing stuff go. Knoxille will be like starting over.

We are all doing well with these changes but it seems we have a number of obstacles, finding a house and a job. I know these are the big things, but we know God will provide. We should not doubt. He has spoken to us that he is going before us!

I think we will all be feeling better once we find a place on the other end and we are on the road. It could be a couple weeks for those.

Weather has been hot and dry. 104 today.

We must remember "Get Out Of Here"

-Norm

From The Realtor To The Auctioneer

Well we took our house off the real estate listing and are going to have it auctioned. We have had listed for nearly four months with no walk throughs or any real interest to speak of. We need to get going with this Knoxville move so we decided to have it auctioned.
We signed the contract on our 20th anniversary on June 27. The auction company started getting the advertising in place and we scheduled our first open house. The first of two was last Sunday and a ton of people showed up. We were very suprised at the turn out. A number of bid packets were given out as well. Our second open house will be this next Sunday and the auction will be on Friday, July 27. One month after we decided to do this. Employment looks very promising as far as employment in Knoxville. We have also been pricing houses and like very much what we've seen. Our family is very excited. It's kinda scarey at the same time!
There are only two things I am requesting at our new house, a garage and a hot tub. With getting the house ready I have realized I need a central place to put tools and home repair things. I currently have them in a few places. I want the hot tub because have talked about getting one for along time and if we don't do it during this big move we may never do it.
I am also looking foward to being debt free. I am suprised at how much of our income goes to debt. I am expecting lower wages in Tennessee, so not carrying debt will help out alot. We are also looking at eventually starting a business. Tommorrow we will be meeting with a lady to discuss our plans. She is a former owner of a type of business we are looking at starting. I appreciate her insight and am looking forward to this meeting.
I believe that is all the news for now.
Weather today was rainy and cooler than it usually is this time of year. It is a fantastic break from the hot weather we usually have.

-Norm

It's My Birthday!!!

What a great day it has been! I went to work today even though in years past I have taken my birthday off. I had some paperwork to turn in and a meeting to attend this afternoon. When someone has a birthday it is tradition for them to wear the "Goofy Hat" and a huge pair of orange of orange sunglasses. Today it was my turn to wear them. It is a fun tradition.
When I arrived home this evening Tina and Hope were starting the BBQ. Tina had made a very spicy seasoning and a bleu cheese sauce for the steaks she had bought. It was all incredible! We had dinner outside on the deck. After that we went to the diversion dam to walk and be together. On the way home I noticed the lights were on at the bandstand at the river park. The community band hosts weekly concerts each Monday night during June, July and August. Tonight was the first of the season. We went and saw some of Hope's friends from her school who play in the band. It was a great way to end the day! I am so blessed.

Weather today-chance of showers all day and about 85 degrees. There was a south wind blowing on the way home. What a great ride.

-Norm

Busy Schedule

What a busy time it has been lately! This week seemed more packed then most. Wednesday night was Open House at Vista. It was well done. The theme for the evening was Renassanse. Hope and the Vista band opened the evening. They sounded very good.
Thursday evening was Open House at Jackson Heights. It started off with a hot dog dinner sponsored by PTA. The remainder of the evening was spent in Grace's class and with teachers coming to Tina and I to say good-bye. When began getting involved at Jackson Heights I prayed that God would use us there. On Thursday night the Glenda (the Office Secretary) came up and gave us hugs. She then told us that we were a "God Send" to the school and thanked us for all we have done. I thought back on that prayer that began 8 years ago. He did use us there and will continue to until we move. I have grateful to be used.
Friday evening it was early to bed. On Saturday and Sunday I was parking gate director for the Nitro Nationals Drag Boat races here in Red Bluff. Both days I had to be there by 5:00 Am with parking starting at 6:00. The spectator gates opened at 7:00. Tehama County Search and Rescue parked the cars and we collected money. I came home on Saturday and fell asleep.
Sunday afternoon we were done at 3:30 Pm. It felt good to go home. It was 90+ degrees both days. I came home and mowed the lawn. I think I will eventually have to get a new mower. Our old one is barely hanging on. After the mowing I set up the sprinklers and came inside to take a cool shower. I fell asleep last night with the water still running. Tina woke up at 3:00 Am and shut it off.
Today has been spent getting up late and going to Tina's parents. Her aunt and uncle were up from Stockton so they had a barbeque. The girls and I went over. Tina hurt her back on Friday and has been down all weekend. It feels good to have the Boat Drags behind us. That will probably be the last time I will do that. I had a good crew and he laughed quite abit.


Weather today was great. I barbequed hot dogs for dinner (twice). The dog ate the first batch and a few pieces of tri-tip after I set them on the counter. I was not happy. We have had a couple people interested in our house. As our agent says "it only takes one". Tina has finished school and the girls have two more weeks left. I hope it doesn't take all summer.

-Norm

PTA Appreciation

Last Monday evening was the final JHPTA meeting of the year. I had taken Hope to audition in L.A. so I wasn't able to make the meeting. When we arrived home, there were a number of gifts and boxes on the living room floor. Hope asked "What are these boxes"? Tina said JHPTA suprised us with a moving/appreciation party and gift cards. She said it was a nice time. I read the comments and couldn't help but think about the changes and improvement that have been made by a small group of parents. I remember my first meeting, we met in a kitchen and there were five about of us there. About 45 minutes into the meeting someone finally acknowledged me and asked me who I was. Later on as President, I vowed to not let this happen to anyone else and make these meetings more family friendly. Board Meetings were held at Burger King so the kids could play while we met. We led this group for four years and helped make the school a better place. Playground equipment, a marquee sign, enclosed bulleting board, reflection arts program, addressing school safety issues just to name a few things. Our children's lives were enriched through our involvement. It feels good to be noticed and appreciated. While I was at the school the other day, Grace and I went to the playground. We climbed on the equipment but what I enjoyed the most was my ride on the swings. This was something we thought kids should have. Through a matching grant from WalMart we accomplished this goal as well. The ride sure felt good.
Weather today: 85 degrees and beautiful. I love this time of year because you never know what your going to get. This weekend looks to be clear and in the lower 80's. I see a scooter ride shaping up for later on today.

-Norm

Los Angeles In A Whirlwind

Earlier this week Hope, Grace and I went to Hollywood. Hope recieved a casting call to audition for the new American Girl movie. We left home at 3:30 Am on Monday and arrived in Hollywood at about 11:30. Once there we went to an information table in front of the American Girl store. We had about 3 hours before they would start taking the J-Q group. The lady said we should get in line about 1:30. We went to lunch and got in line to wait at about 1:15. The line was already about 2 blocks long with the A-I group. At about 230 they by and seperated out the two groups. They started taking girls from our line at about 3:20. It seemed to go pretty quick after that. The audition part took about 10 minutes, then we had to wait until 8:00 pm to hear whether Hope will have a call back. We decided to stay in the area until 9:00. We went to Beverly Center, the largest mall I think I've ever been to. About 8:45 we still hadn't got a call. We were all very disappointed. At this time, we decided it was time to head home. I drove for about 2 hours until we reached a rest area and parked. Next thing I knew it was 7:30 Am and we were being awaken by a Rest Area worker emptying a trash can near our car. It was a long ride home, thankfully Hope was in better spirits.
On the way home I was thinking about dreams. We really do not have any control over what our children's dreams are. We bring them into the world and they are our dreams. As they grow they also develop dreams of their own. We assist them with acheiving those dreams. This is a little of what I did this weekend. I got to be the dad helping my child get a little closer to her dream. I guess that is one of my dreams as well.

Weather today: I rode the motorcycle yesterday and today with just a sweatshirt. It has been great weather! Not to cool and not to hot. Beautiful.........

-Norm

Big Work News

I returned to work today. Before I had even climbed out of the car this morning, I had a group of clients greeting me and welcoming me back to work. There were hugs all around! Once inside I caught up on all the behavioral issues, production status, and how all my staff were doing. I Following that it was up to the front office to let them know I was back. I went into the Manager's office and she said she wanted to let me know she had gotten the Director's position. I am very excited for her. She will be in charge of the entire County Department of Social Services. It is the largest department and the most employees in the County. That is a huge responsibility. I wish her well. I was asked by a few people if I would be applying? A huge no! It would take me away from the clients I serve each day. Besides, we are making plans to head to Knoxville. Our plans are bigger than here.
Tina went and got the air conditioner on her car fixed today. She is gone to school this evening so I haven't heard how things went with that. Well, that's all the news for now.

Weather today: Very, very, very windy. Chilly and some sprinkles.

-Norm

Sick At Home

On Sunday morning while listening to the pastor I started feeling sick. It was not because of the message but because I was catching a cold. I came home from church and have taken it easy ever since. I did not go to work yesterday or today. While at home I have been doing alot of sleeping and watching DIY Network and HGTV. I really like these two networks. With our house up for sale, it is giving me some ideas about what to look for in Tennessee.
Well, Tina took her car in the other day to have the air conditioner serviced. For $120.00 she had the freon topped off and it was working fine until Saturday. We had to go to Chico and it was about 85 degrees. It was then we learned the A/C had stopped working. I came home early on Friday to sign some payroll papers for the Round Up Association. They told me at that time I could expect a check on Monday or Tuesday. I checked yesterday and it was not ready. Today Tina took the car into Bob's and they told her it would be $200.00 to fix the A/C. Wow! About 1:30 today I received the call that a check was ready. Tina went a picked it up and when she came back, the check was twice as much as we expected. We have enough to pay for the A/C. God has provided! We will also be able to buy our Disneyland tickets! I am also feeling better but still coughing occasionally.
Weather today: It rained quite abit today and we'll be having thunderstorms for the next few days. I think I will be driving the car for the rest of the week.

-Norm

Spring Break For Cowboys

What a busy weekend! On Friday morning I had to be in Redding early to attend the Christian Businessmen's Commitee Leadership Breakfast at the Holiday Inn. It was great! A customer had purchased an entire table and invited us to go. The keynote speaker was Joe Kemp, former San Fransisco 49er. He delivered a very challenging message. Following breakfast I visited a couple of my crews and went back to the O.C. to review timecards. I left early that day.
I received a call a few weeks ago about my interest in parking cars at the Red Bluff Round-Up. My answer at that time was I'd have to check with PTA. At our monthly meeting it was confirmed PTA was not interested. They found another group to park cars and I was asked to supervise and teach them how to do it. We were responsible for the front lot at the Tehama County Fairgrounds. I had coordinated parking at the monster truck nationals and the rodeo as well. I know how to coordinate both front and back lots.
I arrived at the fairgrounds on Friday at 12:30 Pm and the crew started showing up at 3:30. We parked cars until almost 8:00. On Saturday is was extremely wet weather and very windy making it a pretty nasty time. Sunday was quite abit dryer, but parking cars difficult while trying to dodge all the puddles. We started at 10:30 and ended at about 2:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. When we finished I went inside the rodeo grounds to releave Tina of her ushering duties. By the time Sunday evening arrived we were both pretty tired.
I am taking the rest of the night off. Grace and I went for a very long bike ride tonight, that was the only thing I had planned.

I think tomorrow I will mow the lawn.

Weather: a fantastic day. The ride to work today on the scooter was a little chilly, but the ride home this evening was great! I received a few waves from riders going the other direction.

-Norm

It's Listed

Well, we are finally in position to list our house. We chose Cynthia Allen from Culp Diversified Properties. We listed it on Friday. Tina and I have been scoping out homes in Knoxville. We found one that is over 2,000 sq. ft. and almost half the price of what we are asking. It looks beautiful in the pictures. We will be able to pay off debt and our home here. I have found a few jobs that look similiar to what I am doing now. I am getting the resume packet together. It is all so exciting.
On Thursday on my way home I was stung by a bee. I was riding the scooter and had gloves on. The bee went under the strap on my glove and stung me on my right hand. It swole up and I had to go to the doctor. They gave me antibiotics. Today it is finally looking better but it is still itchy. I think I am allergic to bee stings. Definately something I am going to watch out for.
This week we are going to Yosemite. I haven't been there since I was a kid. We will be staying just outside the park. Everybody here is on Easter vacation. I am taking Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off. It should be alot of fun! This is our last California attraction we have been wanting to do.
Jimmie Johnson won Martinsville today!!! He rocks!

Current weather-75+ degrees and beautiful. We need rain and that may happen this week.

-Norm

The Pirates Are Coming (again)

The Second Flood of 2007

We arrived home from Disneyland last Saturday. We pretty much took Sunday off but did go see Bridge to Tarabithia. It was very sad, not your fairytale Disney ending.
While we were away a guy from our church repaired the ceiling in the back bathroom and replaced the laminate flooring in our hallway. It was nice to come home and have it all done. On Monday night I climbed into the attic to measure to see how much insulation I needed to purchase. I got the measurement and put the ladder outside. I leaned it up against the house just outside the sliding glass door.

Tuesday morning just after I got to work Tina called stating there were puddles of water in the kitchen. I left immediately to fix whatever was going on. I discovered the water spicket for the washer was leaking and the tub to the washer also had a slight leak. I also think a hose was leaking. I have since replaced the water spicket and fixed the leak. I went back to work.
When I arrived back that evening Tina asked if I left the water running in the back yard. I hadn't, so I went to look. The ladder I had leaned up against the house had been blown over by the wind and hit the outside water spicket. Water was spraying up toward the eaves of the house. I shut the water off and called Richard (the guy who fixed the bathroom and flooring). He came over and capped it off. I couldn't believe this all was happening. The washer water spicket was still leaking. I later replaced it with Tech-tite spicket. It works well.

This weekend we went to Sonoma and San Francisco. We went to take a look at Grace's mission. We all worked on the Sonoma Mission, so we all went to see it. It was a great weekend away. We did wine tasting in Sonoma and toured the mission then we drove up to Rohnert Park to spend the night. On Sunday we went to a couple cheese factories and purchased a bunch of Brie. Excellent! Then it was on to San Francisco. Lunch at the Boudin Bakery at Fisherman's Wharf. We purchased some sourdough bread and took a drive down Lombard Street. The city was very beautiful on the way out and the weather was perfect. Hope and Grace put their feet in the water down by the wharf.

It was time to start home.

Weather today: 68 degrees and beautiful. Unfortunately most of my day was spent inside.

-Norm

Our Last Day

Sadly, it's our last day at Disneyland. We have gone on every ride icluding the Tower of Tower and Screaming Over California . The Tower of Terror is a ride that we could only go on once. If I would havedropped one more time I think I would have lost the soda I had before the ride. We did ride Space Mountian, Pirates of the Carribean and the Haunted Mansion about three times each. Last night we went on both tracks of the Matterhorn. It was great even in the rain! Today, we will ride everything we can. The park is open until Midnight and we will be staying until it closes.

Weather today: 58 degrees and partly cloudy in southern California.

-Norm

L.A. Here We Are.....

We are here at Disneyland! We left home on Friday evening and headed to Santa Cruz staying at the Ramada. It was nice. On Saturday morning Tina and I headed for the Salvation Army to buy some clothes and shoes. We also took the girls to Marianne's Ice Cream. Tina went there when she was a little girl. We spent a good portion of the day at the Boardwalk. While Grace and I were riding the Tilt-a-Whirl, I threw up. It was so embarrasing. I ended up tossing my shirt in the garbage. We drove to Santa Maria were after a long search we finally found a hotel room. Sunday morning we got up and started our drive to L.A. We are finally here! On Sunday night Tina and I went to a local Wal-Mart. We found a Disney section with stuff half the price that we would pay i the park. We scored two t-shirts, a coffee mug, autograph book, and a few bags for the girls.
Yesterday was our first day at Disneyland. We went on quite a few rides. The Dream Parade was great! The fireworks were incredible! To complete our day we got dinner at In-n-Out right down the street from our hotel. Day was at Disneyland was a dream come true.

And Away We Go......

Soon we will be heading off to Disneyland! We will be spending five wonderful days at Disneyland Resort. We will also be going to the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. A week full of rides, motel rooms, and time together as a family.
Well, the house is on the mend. We are going to have to replace some sheetrock in the back bathroom and the laminate flooring in the hall. Fortunately, our insurance will cover these expenses. Last Friday night I spent quite abit of time in the attic pulling out all the old insulation. Saturday we drove to Sacramento to purchase the new flooring. Sunday was a day of rest. Tina and I went to the movies and Long John Silver's for dinner. I had Monday off so after I took the girls to school I dropped the car off a Bob's Tire. They are doing some front end work and replacing some sensors. While they had it apart they discovered the seals were leaking. They also needed to replace a part. The part alone is $500.00 and it needed to be ordered. They will be doing this work tomorrow.
The reminder of Monday was spent painting and trying to rewire a light and wall switch. Still working on the switch. This has got to be one of the most frustrating things I have done in awhile. I really don't like electrical work.
Alot has been going on and we have been very busy. I will be the Case Responsible Person (CRP) at work tomorrow. Everyone else will be at trainings. I need to be there early so I must go to bed.

Weather today was a mixed bag. Cold this morning, cloudy later in the day with sprinkles. Warmed up to a balmy 55 degrees. It was pleasant this evening.

-Norm

I Fixed It....

A couple weeks ago the timing belt snapped on the Volvo. I have been riding the scooter back and forth to work since then. I now have put over 10,000 miles on the scooter. I researched how to replace it on the internet. I also tried to find a book but there wasn't one available in town. There are a couple great places to find Volvo repair info on the internet. I started this project yesterday and ran out of daylight and steam. I put the new belt on and put most of it together. I hopped in and turned the key but it didn't start. I was a little disappointed. But I will try again tomorrow.
Today following morning worship I came home and started back at it. At about 2:30 this afternoon I climbed in and it started!!! I had to take everything apart again and checked the Top Dead Center (TDC) marks. I also had to take the #1 plug out the find TDC. I think I was 180 degrees out on my first try. I called Steve and he walked me through some troubleshooting. It works and it sure feels good to have it done. I did it myself! Tina and I took it for a spin to the store. All's well!!!
We are going to dinner this evening with the Greer's. They are going to Haiti this week and we are celebrating the return of the Volvo. This should be fun!!!

Weather today about 55 degrees and beautiful. No rain in sight, but we are now ready for it when it decides to.

-Norm

What's Been Going On...

To update everyone on our accredidation. On Monday I had the honor to taking one of the surveyors around to the various crews we have. Her name was Anita. She is from Illinois. We had a very nice time. I so enjoy showing off the crews and our program. On Tuesday we visited people who are in indiviual placement. That was fun. On Wednesday morning we visited a couple more crews we weeren't able to visit earlier. We were joined by the other surveyor, Larry. He was from Kentucky. As the morning went on we discussed Tennessee and our moving there. It sounded like our idea is a good one. Later that afternoon we received our Exit Review, it was very positive. The CARF surveyors can not tell you the final outcome. We must wait until we receive the report from the home office in 4-6 weeks. I am sure we will get the maximum 3 years. I really enjoyed these days, but boy were they exhausting! It felt very good on Thursday to be totally done with CARF.
On Thursday evening Grace had her first band concert. She is playing percussion. She did a great job! I am so very proud of her.
Friday evening was Family Movie Night at Grace's school. We watched CARS. It was the first night we used the new sound system. Everything went great and there was less things to set-up. That alone is a major benefit.
Yesterday was spent working on the house. We are turning in the water damage to our homeowner's insurance. It is just to bad to do ourselves. We repainted all the heating vents. They look brand new! I also had to fix the leaky toliet. The stopper was leaking causing it to run all the time. It is alot quieter now. I also screwed down the 8x8 planks that border our deck. It looks so good now.
Today I put new framing/molding around a door in the playroom. It definately looks much cleaner. Just needs paint.
The list of stuff to do is getting alot smaller, only a couple more things.

Busy, busy busy.

Also today our church voted to purchase a house next door. The is a home that has been landlocked. All surrounding property is owned by the church. It is a good deal and I cannot wait to see these fences come down.

I was speaking to my friend Dave (a fellow Volvo owner) about the fuel problems. He thought it might be a fuel sensor. The same thing happened to him and that was the culpret. It's about a $40.00 part. Let's hope that's all it is.

In case you haven't noticed I've added a few new links to the right. A couple are disability links and some coffee links. Enjoy.....

Weather today had been 60+ and beautiful. The ride to church was in the low 30's. Chillyyyyyyy.

-Norm

12 Hour Day!!!

Today I worked a twelve hour day. Most of the day was spent restriping the work areas. I also spent some time getting caught up on paperwork. We are in CARF mode. Commission for the Accredidation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) awards programs a certificate of accredidation. The maxium is a three certificate. We have an excellent program and I am excited to show it off. I will be a tour guide of sorts for one of the surveyors. It should be fun!
Back to today, I had one instructor call in sick so we had to cover his crew. Another instructor called me at about 11:00 Am to let me know her father had passed away and she needed to leave. It was an interesting day. I am thankful to be home. I am battling a cold. It will feel good to take some medicine and go to bed. I get to sleep in tomorrow. I need it.
The house battle also continues. I will be taking the carpet out tomorrow and probably going to replace the foam pad. That should be fun.........

Weather today was excellent 60 degrees and not as cold at night. Suppose to be windy tomorrow.

-Norm

Water, Floors, Crawlspaces and Stress

Most of the day today was spent under the house repairing a waterline. The waterline I cut yesterday was the wrong one. It was the coldwater line to the sink in the front bathroom. I thought I was cutting the line to the swamp cooler. That line is attached to the sink line, only it is in the wall. I capped the swamp line up in the ceiling. A place I didn't want to cap it. I will be watching this. To repair the line I cut, I purchased a techtite coupler and a techtite cap for the swamp cooler line. Once I got everything in order, it was not that diificult. It just required a few trips in and out from underneath the house. It feels good the be done that that part.
It looks like we are going to have to take a drive to Sacramento. The laminate flooring in the hallway took the brunt of the abuse. It is swelled at the joints. The flooring is still available through Lumber Liquidators. Add this to the list of things still left to do before we sell the house.

Weather today-very, very, very cold. I am beginning to doubt this whole global warming thing.

-Norm

Our Own Series Of Unfortunate Events

Yesterday I had to work. It was an interesting day. The O.C. is only open on weekdays, but yesterday I had to conduct a CPR training. I hate working on the weekend and so did just about everyone in my two classes. Yes, I did two CPR classes training twenty people all together. I came back into town and headed to the church to play drums for a benefit concert to help Laurel go to the D.R. When I got home I was totally bushed.
This morning started out as usual Sunday morning. I got up took a shower and headed off the the church. After we got done with the music part of worship, Hope came in and said I needed to leave now. When we got in the car Hope said that there was water in the back bathroom. I had driven about 1/4 mile and the car stopped. We pushed the car. I thought it might be out of gas so I ran across the street and bought a gas can and gas. I put gas in the car but still it wouldn't start, all this time I wasn't sure what was happening at home. I ran across the srteet and called Tina to tell her I couldn't get home but was trying. I tried to explain how to turn off the water at the street, but she couldn't get it. I asked her to go to the neighbor's house next door to ask Mark if he would shut it off. Next time I called Grace said mom was coming to pick me up. Tina explained to me what was happening while we were behind the world's slowest drivers. They apparently were not trying to get home to a flooding house. By the time we arrived home the water was off. Poor Grace was handling everything like a trooper. I scanned the house to discover it was a copper pipe in the attic. This was the line to the swamp cooler. I headed back to the church to see if I could borrow Bill's wet/dry vacuum and picked it up at his home. We cleaned things up and put a blower on the carpet.
Steve and I headed to check out what was happening with the car. It was discovered that the there was something going on with the timing. Possibly the belt or chain. We had to rent a tow dolly to get it home. We rented one from UHAUL.
The car is now home. Tina and I head off to Home Depot to get a cap to cap off the copper pipe. Home Depot didn't have any the size I needed so we bought a coupler to cap it with. We got home, I changed clothes and headed under the house. I cut the line and discovered the coupler was the wrong size. I headed back to HD to discover they were closed. The perfect ending to crappy day.
There is nothing I can do until morning. Home Depot opens at 7:00 Am. Hopefully tomorrow will be a tad bit better.

Current weather-It has been cold. 25 degrees at night. This is the reason for the broken pipe. It has been about 55-60 degrees during the day.

-Norm

Paying Bills

I hate paying bills! I mean I really hate paying bills! It seems that money goes away quickly. Sometimes there just isn't enough to go around. It does feel good to them paid and know where your standing. Sometimes it means I do without. Sometimes that can be a shakey place, other times it's a good feelin'. The mortgage is paid, the car payments made. We do have food to eat and the house is warm. I have come to also realize that I don't like money either. I know we need it to get by, but I don't like it.
-
Whew glad to get that out!


Tonight our family took communion. It was a time of scripture reading, prayer, wine and crackers. We all shared what we are thankful for and a wish. It was really special.

Weather today: a mixed bag. Rained alittle. Fog happened. Clear sky. It is cold tonight. The next few days are to be clear and sunny. My plans are to powerwash the deck and stain it while the sun is shining.

-Norm

Current Flix

We have watched a number of movies lately. Some on dvd and a couple at the theater.

Recent views include:

Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest- not only are both of these are on the list due to Tina being a fan of Mr. Depp but I really enjoyed them. We watched Curse on New Year's Eve. I think it interesting how the writers can mold a story around a ride at Disneyland.

Little Miss Sunshine-This was an incredible film, but be prepared for some strong language. It was funny. I think I might have lived parts of this movie! The shooting style reminds me alot of Napolean Dynamite.

Lady In The Water-I am struck by this movie. It takes a community and confession to complete this task. M. Night always puts together a good movie. There is always so much written into them, you almost have to watch them a few times.

Talladega Nights-Funny in parts. I think Will Ferrell is better in skits(i.e. Saturday Night Live)

Night At The Museum-History does come alive. It was great to see Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Roonie on the big screen again. Great movie!

Happy Feet-Good movie, but some of the musical selections chosen are not appropriate for children even though it is marketed as a children's movie.

I am getting the itch to watch The Matrix series. Don't be too suprised if I post something about that in the near future.

Weather today-chance of showers and a Winter Snow Warning. I drove the car today.

2007 A Year of Change

Here we are, it's 2007! We started the New Year with the Greers. It was a nice evening of talking and watching the Pirates of the Caribeean I. Yesterday was spent mowing the lawn and cleaning up the back yard. I woke up late and it sure felt good. We went to Tina's parent's in the afternoon, ate, payed games and watched Lady in the Water. That is such a great movie! If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it!

This year will bring about many changes for our family. Selling our house, a pending move to Knoxville, and a new job(somewhere). It is all so exciting! This month I will begin my job search. I have updated my resume and am getting new Letters of Recommendation. I am confident I will find a great job.

Last night Grace was praying before going to bed. She prayed for each member of our family and added a comment for each person. It was great to listen to her pray. I totally loved it and I'm sure the Father did too! I couldn't help but think her relationship with Jesus is real and she is willing to share her thoughts an concerns with Him. It was great to hear.

Weather today-65 degrees and a little cloudy. Yesterday was beautiful and a great way to begin a new year!

Happy New Year everyone!

-Norm

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