My Musings

A Change to My Blog

2009-11-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

Well, it had to happen. I have been getting spam comments on this page. Therefore, I've changed my settings for comments to require word verification. I know it's a pain, and I hate it, but I don't think very many of my faithful and legitimate readers care about links to Miley Cyrus Naked (if that is really where the links take you). So, my apologies to those who have meaningful comments. Why do people find it necessary to muck things up and make it harder on everyone?

The Majority takes Rights from the Minority - Again

2009-11-04T07:09:00.000-05:00

The results of the vote in Maine overturning the right of ALL people to marry the person of their choice are in, and -- big surprise -- the narrow minded heterosexual majority stripped away the rights of a minority. Why do we continue to put basic human rights up to a popularity contest? When will we learn that all people are deserving of the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that these rights are not subject to "majority rule"? Again I need to ask the question, 'How does my choice of a lifemate or spouse affect your marriage?' I believe that eventually this matter will have to be decided in the courts and the legislatures, and once the rights are granted, they will not be taken away by narrow minded bigotry. Marriage WILL ultimately be expanded to include all people -- why continue to fight and impede progress and inclusion?

Ready or Not, Christmas is Coming.

2009-11-02T08:08:00.000-05:00

Well, we have passed Halloween, so it seems that the Christmas preparation season is "game on." As I sat this morning trying to figure out how to juggle money to pay the first of the month bills, I began to shudder at the thought of the costs of Christmas. Gotta buy a few gifts; there's the added cost to the electric bill for decorations; charitable requests, unpaid time off from work, and the list goes on. Then I began to ruminate on how one can be expected to enjoy Christmas -- to be "merry', to celebrate and rejoice -- when one cannot possibly fully participate in the annual "traditions" of spend, spend, and spend. Then, of course, I began to reflect of the true meaning of Christmas -- while it is about the giving and receiving of gifts, it doesn't necessarily mean the giving and receiving of the newest, most expensive, biggest, most popular stuff. The greatest gift was given centuries ago, and that gift is still a source of joy, strength, peace, and hope to all who take the time to receive it -- that gift is the human manifestation of the grace and love of God. So--much as my worldly self is stewing about what Christmas 2009 is going to look like here -- I will be celebrating the joy, peace, hope, and love of God made real in our lives. There may not be much under the tree, and the decorations may be a little less than usual (though with Ben in the house, I expect a lot of decorations), but the spirit of Christmas will be alive and well. My wish for all of you is that you keep a sense of balance and recognize that Christmas is not just a day, but a way of life. As you ski down the slope of Christmas prep, keep a sense of balance and take time to not only give, but to live the Spirit of Christmas.

Tueday

2009-10-20T07:31:00.000-04:00

I am till reeling from my 61 hour work week (plus doing church stuff) and into a new week that doesn't look much better. As I see things, we need more people. We have proven that throwing excessive overtime at the problem is not the solution since we got half way to a controllable situation with people working OT last week, but by yesterday afternoon, we were right back behind the 8 Ball. I fear what the situation will become as our team is relocated and some don't go. Ben keeps telling me it isn't my problem and I know that on some levels, but I feel as though in some ways I need to be involved in the solution. Don't know what's going to happen -- we shall see.

I AM GAY

2009-10-10T22:06:00.000-04:00

In preparation for National Coming Out Day, I just wanted everyone to know that I AM GAY and proud. The coming out process is exactly that -- it is a process filled with several "coming out"s, not a specific event frozen in time. One can come out to family in a single event, or at work or here or there. However, I come out each time my partner and I are out in public -- he gets asked, "Is that your Dad?" Do we change the subject or tell the truth of who we are to each other. Each time we encounter a situation where our sexuality is either unknown or questioned, we make the conscious decision whether or not to "come out." I have been "out" to myself, my family, my church(s) and more for more years than I care to think about, but new opportunities to come out arise frequently if not every day. So, today I take this opportunity to say for NCOD -- I AM GAY!

Thursday

2009-10-08T20:52:00.000-04:00

Well, I went back to work today after two vacation days. I put in 10 1/4 hours today and probably that tomorrow. They want folks to work Saturday and Sunday to catch up, but I cannot. Saturday I am doing a workshop in Pontiac (four times during the day -- yuck) and Sunday I have a Board meeting and church. That kind of fills up a weekend. It appears that the overtime will be continuing next week. GM seems to be offboarding a LOT of people recently. Perhaps the recession is not over -- at least not here in the mitten state.

Tuesday

2009-09-30T20:25:00.000-04:00

There is a ray of hope on the job front. I cannot elaborate on it yet, but it sounds like a workable solution at least in the short term. At least I am not staring directly at the soup line for the moment. Also, sent my grandson's birthday card out today -- he will get it a day or two late (Sorry about that), but it's sent. Sadly, the only contact with daughter, SIL and grandson seems to be when I send a birthday or Christmas card. I think that we are all missing a valuable resource in the relationship that we are not cultivating, but I am lost as to how to make it happen. There isn't a day goes by that they aren't on my mind. My hope and prayer is that they are well and happy and that they know that they are loved.

What Next?

2009-09-30T09:11:00.000-04:00

"What Next?" is usually a dangerous question to ask, because no sooner do we ask it than we find out the answer -- usually something not too exciting. Well, I guess I asked the question this week and yesterday the answer began to unfold. Before leaving for work I had a premonition that I was going to lose my job. It did not happen -- quite! However, imagine my mood when I read the email that said that my job will be moving to a site some 75 miles away sometime over the next few months. Of course, I do have the "opportunity" to "transition" with them, but is that a practical choice? I have to sit down and do the math on costs etc. The trouble is that the employer is not providing the answers that we need to make an informed decision, but they want our answer on whether or not to go -- by Monday. There's supposed to be a rep from the temp agency on site tomorrow, so we shall see what THEY have to say. According to the unemployment office, if I don't go, it is viewed as a voluntary separation and benefit would be dependent on the outcome of an "investigation." Again, no clear cut answers! So the question of the day, like it or not, is "What's next?" Only time will tell!

Monday Musings

2009-09-28T20:55:00.000-04:00

I survived Monday somehow. Had a very busy weekend. Took part in AIDS Walk in Midland on Saturday and church twice on Sunday. That all meant two long drives (totalling about 400 miles). The rest of Saturday was spent getting ready for Sunday, so there wasn't much down time on the weekend. I woke up feeling fuzzy and almost panicky this morning which made the first half of the workday a bit weird. The fog started to lift about halfway through the workday. Of course, by that time, the fog and panic were replaced by a bit of exhaustion. Came home where Ben had dinner and a big tall cocktail waiting for me. Doing laundry this evening and perhaps tomorrow will actually get some of LAST WEEK'S laundry put away. LOL. Life is always an adventure here at Happy Acres.

Emotional Ups and Downs

2009-09-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

We've been back from vacation only a few days. We had a wonderful time, doing our best to put the trials and troubles of day to day life out of our minds and to just relax and enjoy each others company. It was wonderful, but ended way too soon. We came home on Saturday, spent Sunday resting and doing laundry and stuff, and hit the work merry-go-round on Monday. By the time we reached Wednesday night, we were both mental basket cases. Our under-employment situations are no secret to long time readers. Something has to give if we are to survive. One or the other or both of us need jobs that use our talents and educations, that fulfill us, and that provide some financial rewards. That likely means that we will have to re-locate and we are open to that -- the question is "Where?". The answer to that is dependent on opportunities that may arise. Of course, the preferences include warmth, some mountains (or at least hills higher than the freeway ramps), and reasonable travel time/distance to both families. The lack of clarity and answers continues to leave us feeling confused and trapped in our current situation, which coupled with everything else, deepens the depression. Thankfully, we have each other. Ben is the bright spot in my life (and rumor has it that I light up his life). Whatever we do, we will do it together. I am not posting this to ask for answers, but simply to vent. Of course, if someone HAS the answer, don't hesitate to send it ASAP. Maybe God works through blogs too.

The Joy of Vacation Quickly Fades

2009-09-22T22:02:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful trip to Iowa, and the break was great. However, with two days of work under my belt, I am ready to go again. I came back to a huge backlog of work and am putting in overtime trying to help catch up. And strange as it seems, the BS at work hasn't gone away. People are still people and problems are still problems. We do have three days scheduled off together next month so we will find something to do with it. Even though time off has a drastic effect on the budget, not taking time off has a worse effect on our emotional well being. Ah well, life goes on -- and on -- long after the thrill of living is gone. HEE HEE.

Home Again

2009-09-20T09:46:00.002-04:00

Well, everyone, we have returned from a much needed and too short vacation. We visited with Ben's family in Iowa and had the opportunity to visit with friends in Illinois and Iowa. One thing I have never figured out is why people usually come home from vacations as tired as when they left. I truly believe that a one week vacation, while enjoyable, is too short. You spend the first couple of days unwinding from the chaos of routine life and the last couple of days gearing up to get back into it. That leaves four or five days to relax. Now a two week vacation would allow a week and a half to relax and have fun. I vote for more vacation time for most people. Europe seems to have it right -- people get much more "holiday" than we do, they are restricted on how much they can work. But it is wonderful to have been off for a week. Today is unpacking, laundry, groceries, and such. Can't wait for the next vacation break. Pictures may follow soon.

HELLO

2009-09-04T07:52:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe it's been three months since I posted anything here. Guess I've been too busy at Facebook -- some of those social networking sites are addictive. It's been a weird summer -the weather has been okay but not great, we've had to put down two pets. finances have been a struggle, and so on. BUT -- we have our health, we have each other, we are both employed, and life goes on. We are heading to Iowa for vacation in a week -- a much needed break. Church stuff continues to both challenge and bless us both. That, in a nutshell, is a quick update. I will try to post a bit more often if I can tear myself away from FB-- hope to see you all there.

And the Fight Rages On

2009-05-26T19:11:00.002-04:00

The California Supreme Court validated Proposition 8 today. That does not mean that they agree with the content, only that the process was valid. However, the idea that voters get to decide everything without regard to rights or equality makes me wonder what would happen if someone proposed reinstating slavery and having a majority build it into the constitution. Would slavery then become law because a majority of bigots said it should? I doubt that such a proposal would ever pass in this day and age, but if it did, the court would be bound to uphold it. So -- let's reinstate slavery, let's take away the right of women to vote, and let's see what else we can cram through a gullible electorate to turn this country back a few hundred years. OR -- we can wake up and realize, as many states have done, that just because a majority of people don't approve of same sex marriage, freedom from slavery, or the full inclusion of both genders in the voting process doesn't give anyone the right to legislate such bigotry. I am not going to criticize the Cal. Supreme Court for this ruling -- they are bound by law. However, I say SHAME on the voters of California! I think that all the GLBT people in California need to move to Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, or Maine and watch California's already teetering economy fall flat on its face. The decision today is a setback, but folks -- same sex marriage is here to stay. Eventually these inane constitutional bans will fall one by one like dominoes and we will be included as full members of society. Until that day, stand firm and speak out for JUSTICE for all.

What a Week!

2009-05-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

Here I am at the start of a three day weekend (except, of course, for church). The break from the secular job is much needed as the pressure of getting things up and running is about wear me out. That's not to say that it is entirely my responsibility -- there are better paid people than I to have the final call on things. However, I am in a position of having to deal with local management who has expectations (I believe them to be a bit unrealistic, but hey -- I'm only a grunt so who cares). Then we have to deal with co-workers from the other side of the world by email and instant messaging whose "way of doing things" impedes the achievement of those expectations. Then there are the people who work with me. We have a team of 11. Management has figured out that this is too small a group to achieve the desired result so they are adding a few folks. Then we got the news that one of the better team members is leaving next week to take another job. OUCH! Add to that the fact that our team absentee rate seems to be among the highest of any job I've ever had and you can imagine the chaos. We have been short one, two, or even three team members every day since the start of this project. Add to that the ever changing processes, and you can begin to see why my stress level is at its apex. Since I am one of two folks scheduled the latest, we have to stay to make sure that all the work put before us for the day is completed. Yesterday was a ten hour day with lunch at my desk while continuing to work. Poor Ben had to keep himself entertained since my workload made me nearly two hours late picking him up after work. He was so good about it and didn't complain, but even though it wasn't my fault, I sure felt a good case of the guilty's. Today will be sermon day (and I hope a little R&R), tomorrow is church and then I am OFF on Monday before heading back to the grindstone on Tuesday. I sure hope that things balance out or I may lose my cool! Can't afford to chuck the job -- the creditors would just not understand. Ah well, this too shall pass -- like a kidney stone!! Hug someone.

TGIF

2009-05-08T17:57:00.002-04:00

For some reason this has been an incredibly long week. Today was the completion of training for my new duties. Monday I start the new task and the new schedule from 1030-7pm. That's not horrible, just different. Of course, between gaps in the training schedule and Ben's car trouble, I lost out on about 9 hours this week - plus the 5% pay cut took effect this week. Next paycheck will be a bit anemic, but it's better than NO paycheck. The bright note in all this is that the work I will be doing is the same work (with some revisions) that I was doing for these folks a couple of years ago. At that time, the work went overseas, but it's coming back -- and bringing work back to Michigan (the unemployment champ) is a victory. If we do well and keep the customer happy, there is more work to be had. That means if our team does well, I should have a degree of job security for some time -- I hope.

The computers are up and running after two monitors and a power supply. Perhaps that will be the end of that for a while. Tomorrow will be Sermon day! Sunday will be church, a board meeting, and then a trip to see Mother for M day! So-- I will likely not be home until around 8 on Sunday evening. At least with the new work schedule, I can sleep late on Monday.

That's the way it is on this fabulous Friday! Hope you all are well. Hug someone.

The Economy Strikes Again

2009-04-30T18:11:00.002-04:00

Well, I experienced the joys of the current economic situation today. All of the temp help was called into an office one by one and informed that we will be taking a five percent pay cut starting next week. My response, while not happy, was reasonable -- 95% is better than no percent. I was kidding with a couple of co-workers by saying that I should wait until next week to call in sick so it won't cost me so much -- of course, I'm not sick and I won't be calling in. I also reasoned that an across the board five percent pay cut was better than a five percent staff reduction. So, the little bit extra that Ben has started getting from the church counterbalances part of what I am losing -- the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Ah well, life goes on .....

Life Moves Forward

2009-04-29T18:07:00.002-04:00

Well, it was a long and time consuming move, but we turned in the keys to the old place last night and brought the last load of stuff back -- Ben called those boxes the "Miscellaneous Boxes". They will get opened in the next couple of days and all will be well within a week or so. Another casualty -- besides the table leg, a chipped glass, and a couple other small oops's -- was the laptop display screen. I was sitting here the other night typing away (or playing a game or something equally exciting) when all at once Ben let out a howl. Before he could explain it, the entire rack of dvd's and cd's came toppling over toward me and the computer. It smacked the lid of the laptop and the display went all whacky and useless. Well, I worried and stewed about it for a while, and we decided to find a monitor to hook to the laptop. I posted my need on freecycle.org and within hours yesterday I had a couple of emails offering monitors. I went this afternoon and picked one up, brought it home, hooked it up, and --voila!!-- I'm back up and running. All things seem to work out somehow.

Hello all; miss me?

2009-04-26T18:11:00.002-04:00

When I looked at how long it's been since I last posted, I was almost embarrassed to come back. Between a serious facebook addiction, moving, job, and church, things have been a bit hectic. I've missed you all. Our move is nearly completed -- we have about one and a half more carloads and then final clean up to finish up. Then, of course, there's the joy of unpacking it and finding places for everything. It amazes me how quickly the space fills up. We are settling in nicely, however, and look forward to staying here for a while. I am so sick of moving. This is my fifth move since moving back to Michigan in 2004. Doing the math, that works out to about one a year. TOO MUCH. I am so sick of seeing cardboard boxes!!!. My time at the church is winding down -- two more months and I'm done. The turnaround in the congregation's involvement and attitude over the past six months is amazing -- almost makes me want to stay to see where it leads. But I won't and I cannot according to contract. They will now need to step up and move forward into the next chapter of their life as I do so in mine. I did have the opportunity to go to Ben's church with him today and meet a bunch of his folks. At work I am back in training for a desk that will be doing the work that I did when I was there nearly two years ago--the work that went to Malaysia is now coming back to the good old USA -now if only our primary client (a large US automaker) stays in business! Spring seems to be coming finally. We've had some hot weather already and oh the spring rainstorms!! I think I saw a big boat full of animals go past the window last night. All in all, things are good. We are happy and looking forward to making this place into a home we can enjoy together for a good long time. We shall see.

The Economy Strikes Again

2009-03-14T12:36:00.002-04:00

We continue to read and hear about how the economy is struggling for growth and survival. In our area, many folks have fallen victim to this economic mess as jobs vanish, homes are lost, and prices continue to rise. I have felt very fortunate to have landed a decent job, but even this one is not immune from the ravages of the economy. Relax -- I still have my job, but they are cutting 40 hours per employee over the next five weeks. While that will result in a loss of several hundred dollars for our household (and many others), I am thankful that I still have a job. This management decision adds to an already uncertain future for my job. We shall persevere -- God hasn't let us down yet. But that doesn't lessen the worry factor. It is perhaps the least desirable part of working through a temp agency -- the lingering knowledge that any day could be the last balanced by a desire to do a professional and worthwhile job. Ah well, life goes on!

Daylight Saving Time

2009-03-07T15:49:00.003-05:00

Remember to SPRING FORWARD one hour tonight!!

Saturday

2009-03-07T15:14:00.003-05:00

First, thanks to all who made suggestions about furniture arrangements in response to my last post. I knew that the particular readership of this blog would surely have ideas on decorating -- LOL. I am sitting here today watching it rain. Our weather has been weird -- cold and snow, then warm and sunny, now cold and rainy --welcome to Michigan where if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes. My sermon is pretty much ready for tomorrow, a load of dishes is washed as is a load of laundry. Ben will be home within the hour and dinner is on the horizon. Tomorrow is church and a board meeting -- oh joy! Less than four months and my time with this group will be O-V-E-R!!. It's been an interesting ride with moods swinging from excitement to gloom and back toward excitement. It is my prayer that during these four months I can narrow that swing and focus the group on being church. Ah well, we shall see. In six weeks time, Ben and I will be moving -- scary prospect. I look forward to the new place, but getting all this crap packed and moved and unpacked is a daunting challenge. We shall, however, manage it somehow. Anyone want to come and help? Well, that's about all that's going on here -- guess I will wrap this up and go back to playing games on Facebook. See you there!

Looking Toward the Big Move

2009-03-04T17:55:00.002-05:00

In just over a month Ben and I will be making many trips between where we live now and our new home -- we must have a few thousand boxes of stuff and furniture enough for a small hotel (well, that might be an exaggeration, but you get the idea). Here is our new floor plan. I have been arranging furniture in my mind for the past week and there are so many options that we won't actually decide anything until we start getting stuff over there. We had to laugh during our initial visit to the new complex. The not too bad looking young man showing us the units made several mentions of "roommate" situations -- particularly with reference to the second bedroom. We decided not to burst his bubble of innocence or ignorance, but we thought, "Boy, have you got it wrong!" But back to the unit itself. See that area on the first floor called "dining area"? Well if one has a small and narrow table maybe it would work as what it is labelled. However, I am playing with several ideas for that space. We have two antique wooden arm chairs that I think would make a great reading nook with the addition of our antique round side table. Or we could put a TV there (that's what they say a lot of residents do), but I don't think I want a TV in the Living Room. Then of course, we could do a wall of bookcases (God knows we have enough books to fill it), but that would mean having to buy bookcases. We could leave it empty (what a novel idea). Your thoughts on this "odd" and somewhat useless (or somewhat versatile) area are welcome. Anyway, it will be a fun experience setting up housekeeping - again!

Life is Up in the Air

2009-03-03T20:49:00.002-05:00

Our lives continue to be in an uproar. After a Saturday morning trip to the mechanic for four tires and new front brakes, we headed west to apply for a lease on a townhouse. Between those two stops, the rent and a couple of other bills, the big three week paycheck, the tax check and the bank bonus are gone and it's back to the grindstone to earn enough to pay the next stack of bills. But life is good. I am really looking forward to the townhouse. With a basement that will allow Ben to bring his glass stuff home and also some space for storage, I might be able to keep at least the first floor somewhat organized. At least that is the plan -- of course it remains to be seen whether or not I can do it. Only time will tell. The job continues to be challenging -- not terribly difficult, but a great deal of detail. It's easy to make boo boo's, but I think I have a handle on what I'm doing. The problem with a temp job is that I go to work every day with the possibility that this could be the last day. I expect it to last for some time, but since we service a major automaker, and they aren't doing so well, they may make cuts and those cuts will roll downhill to us. We shall see. I'd like it to last a year or more, and certainly at least six months. Six months will qualify me for unemployment again and a year will put me within 6 months of social security. Who knows? I might just slide into retirement and become a gentleman of leisure. Ben can support me in the style to which I'd like to become accustomed. Just kidding -- we will get through all the turmoil and life will settle down one of these days. I hope! Hug someone.

It's All Facebook's Fault

2009-02-22T18:24:00.002-05:00

Hi all! When I looked at my page today, I realized how long it's been since I posted anything. Shame on me. Besides the reality that I haven't had much to say, I've been hooked on Facebook and seem to be spending a lot (read that as way too much) time there exploring and of course playing Pirates and Sudoku. So, blame Facebook - I seem to strangely addicted.

On a different note, I completed my federal and state income tax forms. The US owes me, and I owe the state. At least the difference is in my favor. Now all I need to do is figure out the city forms -- they're more convoluted than the US IRS forms == I never thought that was possible, but..... Once the federal check arrives, it is going for four new tires for the little red car. With the miles I do, good tires are essential. At least I got new wiper blades the other day and with Ben's help got them put on -- in cold windy weather. A word to the wise: If you need wiper blades do it in August or September when it's warmer. We about frostbit our hands, noses, and ears. At least now I can see out the windows LOL.

I don't know much else today so this will be it for this post. See you all again soon (sooner than this time). Remember to hug someone.