Pardon my spinning propeller...

Ok, here's something that might be of interest to you bloggers out there.

I was recently looking through the statistics on my blog and noticed a new name pop up on the referral list. It was from Carlin Brooks who is an elder at the Maple Hill Church where we used to attend. I had no idea that he was blogging...or reading mine. He had some nice things to say (thank you Carlin!).

Anyway, I got to thinking, I only knew he did that because someone clicked on the link. How could I know if someone links to my blog (or web site or anything) even if no one clicks on the link? Some time ago, I was researching a programming problem that I was having. Someone had mentioned a similar problem in his blog, and the developer of the product commented on it and helped him fix the problem. He mentioned that he found the post using Google Alerts, so I thought I'd check it out.

Google alerts lets you create search terms that will be automatically executed for you on a scheduled basis. The results will then be emailed to you. Anything that has already been sent to you will be filtered out so that all you receive will be new information.

Here is an easy way to set up an alert for your blog. Go to Blog Search @ Google, type link:yourblogaddress.com (I typed link:constanttransformation.blogspot.com. When the results are displayed, there will be a link that says:

Create an email alert for link:constanttransformation.blogspot.com

Click on that, enter your email address and you are done.

I received my first notification this morning and look what it was:

Google Blogs Alert for: link:constanttransformation.blogspot.com
My evil friend Donnie...
By John Grant(John Grant)
My evil friend Donnie "tagged" me. Can't he see that I struggle just to post, much less to play blog games? His comment on the game?... "Man....that's a lot of work, I hope these don't come around too often...." ...
Finding Our Place -- reflections... - http://johngrant.blogspot.com/

See, I never would have known about this had I not set up the alert since nobody reads John's blog anyway (just teasing John, I know Amy reads it) ;-)

A note to LSU from the educashun state

Truck Update

I've not mentioned the ongoing saga of my truck here in a while. Main reason is..there's been no news in a while. The truck is still at the shop, originally taken there on Sept. 9....2007. I heard through the grapevine that they had found the problem, they had to drive it the distance to get the OBD computer to cycle again. Wow...an adventure this has been.

We need some monuments....

When the children were small, Kathy and I used the envelope system. When you get paid, you separate cash into envelopes dedicated to budget item. When the cash for that category is gone, you are done. It's a great system, but it can have its downfalls to be explained here.....

I had just gotten paid so our envelopes were freshly stocked. I needed go to town to run several errands so Kathy asked me to stop by the grocery store. I took the grocery envelope with me and headed out. I had several things in my hands when I was getting in the car. I had to go take something to Kathy's sister, Walmart (I think) then I stopped at the grocery. At the grocery, I picked up several things, got to the checkout line.....no envelope. I looked in the car....no envelope. Uh oh.

I explained the issue to the manager and told them if someone turned it in, to call me. I went home and explained the situation to Kathy. That was not a fun evening. Finally, we go to bed....I hear this big sigh.

"What's the matter honey?" (dumb question huh?)
"Somebody has our grocery, money"

As I laid there, it came to me. I had laid the envelope on top of the car while I was putting the stuff in the car (I'm pretty sure that my intellectual biorhythm was at a low point that day). I don't remember picking it back up. I got up, got dressed, and headed out. It was about 11pm at this point, 3 hours after my original trip.

I retraced my steps....slowly driving along the path that I followed earlier looking for the envelope. I drove all the way back to Leeville Pike where Kathy's sister lived at the time. I was just about to give up and turn around when...in the middle of Leeville Pike (a busy two lane road) there sat our envelope. All the money still there. It was amazing.

I've always wondered why Peter, after the transfiguration, said...

"Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

Someone explained to me that the Jews were always big on monuments and festivals. It's all about remembering. Remembering what God has done for you in the past, so that you will trust him in the future.

I know of several places where I would need to build some monuments. I don't think that they will let me put one in the middle of Leeville Pike.

Crazy blogging games....

Ok, so being fairly new to the blog world, I am totally clueless about these crazy blogging games (are the anything like reindeer games? I don't know). So, anyway, I have been tagged by LeBlanc with a game called meme.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Ok, here are the facts about me....

1) All my life I was going to be a professional musician. I grew up in Nashville so I didn't have to make a long trip to watch my dream fall apart, I could watch it crumble from the house that I grew up in ;-). I wouldn't trade the life I have for that life anyway.

2) I love magic. I love to watch a good magician, though I've never studied it that much. I like David Copperfield (though he's gone a little cooky lately), Chris Angel, and the other guy that I can't think of his name. (David Blaine)

3) I am nearly deaf in one ear. I ruptured both of my ear drums when I was about 12 shooting a .22 pistol at Short Mountain. My right ear healed back pretty well, my left one didn't.

4) I love to watch sports, but I get pretty angry at the referees/umpires. I'm working on this one, though I didn't do to well just today (sorry)

5) When I was in high school, I worked at a grocery store. I love grocery stores. I would love to manage one, though, it would have to be a neighborhood grocery not a huge Ubermarket.

6) I am allergic to cats and not just a little bit. My eyes and my throat swell shut. I had an old allergist (Eugene Bishop) tell me that the worst reaction he had ever seen was my reaction to cat hair. (sorry, Amy)

7) In my opinion, there is no such thing as too much peanut butter. If you can breathe after biting a pbj sandwich, you don't have enough.


Ok, Amy, Donna, Terri, John, Tara, Cary and Kelli....it's your turn.


Man....that's a lot of work, I hope these don't come around too often....

This guy is crazy good...

More on my eclectic taste in music. The family and I were at John and Amy's this afternoon and we got to swapping interesting youtube videos. I showed them this guy. Not sure how I found him, but this is crazy....

The Love of God

I love this verse from a hymn written in 1917. It was on my mind this afternoon for some reason. I thought I would share it.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Ok, I'll stop whining....

After I wrote post this morning, I tried to catch up on some reading of the blogs that I subscribe to.

I read this Amy's blog
Then some how I wound up on this page
LeBlanc blogged about this case in Georgia
I read Tara's blog about Richard (a good friend, who saved my life) being sick and his sister Becky (who I mentioned in this morning's post) completing chemo treatments and 30+ radiation treatments.

As all of that rattled through my brain today. I realized that I was upset and whining about something that really wasn't that big of a deal. I realized.....how selfish I've been....how self-centered. Forgive me...

God is good....all the time....

My good friend Richard told me of his sister and her husband who are working in Brazil. He said that no matter what was going on, how dire the circumstances, they always said...

God is good....all the time

I've never forgotten that.

There was a time (not too long ago) that if something like this had happened, I would be in an absolute panic. I'm at a different place now. I wanted to be sure that the kids knew what was going on. I told Kathy 'hey, some day they may lose a job....they need to see how God works'.

As you can imagine, starting a job search the week of Thanksgiving is not an ideal situation. Folks are either out of the office for the week, or if they are in the office, they don't want to schedule interviews or anything like that.

After hearing the news officially, I went straight to one of my own clients. Unbeknownst to me, they had been making plans for a renovation of their site. They gave me a 4 week full-time commitment. That takes care of my family through the end of the year. New projects and new positions usually come available at that time.

Also, on yesterday, I had a previous client and one that I had never done work for call me about projects that they wanted to do. Since I knew them both personally I asked 'have you read my blog recently'? They both said no.

I joined facebook a few months ago, with a few minutes of signing up, I was contacted by David Hinson of Sumner Systems Management. I worked him with many moons ago (back when we both had hair and knew everything). David is one of those guys who is technically brilliant and business savvy. He has been a great advisor to me since we reconnected. He has introduced me to several contacts.

There is a story about dealing with change that I heard Jeff Walling tell on a video.

The story had to do with watching people swim in the ocean who are not accustomed to it. He said that they are three types of people:

• The first type is resistant to the waves. They are determined to stand still and overcome the power of the waves. Of course, they can't resist and are eventually overcome


• The second type are the submariners. When a wave approaches, they dive under the water. They are able to maintain, they avoid change, but they miss all the fun.


• The third type, learns to move with the waves. They first learn to rise and fall with the wave, they eventually learn that they can ride the wave to a new place

I thought that was a great analogy. Surf's definitely up, lets see where we go.

Yesterday, hits to this blog were 3 times their normal amount. Whether you know me personally or not, If you have introduced me to a friend, or done anything to help me and my family I want to thank you.

Is your hut burning?

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

My hut burst into flames today. For the first time in 21 years of employment, I was laid off from a job. When the boss told me, I told him the above story.

Hey, anybody need a good .NET developer? Here's my resume

American Idol Revisited

The only TV shows that my entire family watches together tend to be the competition shows, American Idol, Last Comic Standing, and the dance show that I can't think of the name. Anyway, last season was the first time that I watched American Idol all the way through. I saw the silly auditions all the way through the finale. I even went to see Melinda Doolittle when came home to Nashville.

I wasn't blogging then, but there was plenty to talk about. A good friend Trent and I would debate the merits and downfalls of each singer after the show aired each week. As the show came down to the final few, we picked our favorites and debated and cheered as they competed.

On my recent post about my taste in music Trent 'Anonymous' Arwine accused me of being a Blake Lewis fan. I just wanted to address that accusation in this post. Please bear with me ;).

Blake Lewis was only in the final three for comic relief. He was the vocal equivalent of Gilligan between Ginger and Mary Ann or Barney Rubble between Betty and Wilma. Come to think of it, he looks like Barney Rubble. And why did he let Sanjaya do his hair? Blake Lewis didn't belong in the same zip code with Melinda or Jordin. Melinda was by far the best singer, however, as you remember, I predicted that Jordin would win because she had the smile, the beauty, the whole marketable package.

Sorry that they rest of you had to see that, it's all in good fun. ;)

In the final weeks when Melinda came home to Nashville, Kathy and I went to Belmont University (where we met and fell in love) to see Melinda. As luck would have it, the camera happened to pan over the crowd at just the right time to get a picture of big goofy me sticking up in the background. So, in case you missed my 15 milliseconds of fame, I just happened to have it Tivoed.

My American Idol Appearance
See me way in the back?

Happy Anniversary...

In my post yesterday, I talked about my parents. On my way to work, I talked with my mom and she reminded me that today is their wedding anniversary. 61 years ago today, my dad had just returned from WWII and my parents were married.

Happy anniversary, I love you very much. You've not been dealt an easy hand, but you've been a tremendous example for many.

I love you very much. Happy anniversary.

Rocking around the family tree....

Check out this post on snopes.com about the 2007 Lowe's catalog. I guess we are to believe that this tiny little mistake just 'slipped by' the proofreaders. Come on guys, everybody knows that Christmas is responsible for a majority of your income. There is nothing more important than the 'holiday' catalog. It is carefully crafted and poured over for months before being published. Don't do something like this and then try to weasel out of it. Stand up and say "We think there's more money to be made by appealing to non-Christians than Christians". Please don't insult our intelligence by trying to pass it off as a mistake.

On the flip side now, this begins the season where there will be many stories about company policies and retailers banishing the word Christmas from the workplace. There will be stories about Christians standing up for their right to say Merry Christmas or decorate their cubicle or whatever. My issue here is that I'm not sure that anyone is drawn to Jesus by people standing up for their 'rights'. If you are offended by someone saying 'happy holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas' Jesus gives us some pretty clear instructions on how to deal with offenses.

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.

I don't believe that in his teachings or in his example, Jesus was very concerned about our rights.

Stand on my shoulders.....tell me what you see...

Last weekend, I was watching Sarah play basketball. She has really improved since last year. But, as I was watching, I was overwhelmed with the sense that my purpose in life was in she and Chris. I don't why I felt that way, but I did. I had a sense of calm that I've not experienced in a long time.

My family is very interesting. I am the youngest child of a youngest child. For most people my age, their grandfather fought in WWII. My dad was at Iwo Jima. For most people my age, their great grandparents were alive at the turn of the 20th century. My grandmother was born in 1885.

My dad lived a rough life growing up. His father was a share-cropper. Owned no land, but did all the work. My parents are part of the "Greatest Generation". They lived through the depression, fought the wars and helped make this country what it is today. My father left high school in his Senior year to join the Marines. He couldn't swim a lick, but the Marines took him anyway. That's what it was like in '41.

My parents worked all the time to send me to a private school. The neighborhood that I grew up in was pretty bad. The schools were bad. They felt it was worth it to sacrifice their time and energy for me. The college deal in my family was this: you will go for one year. You may choose to continue or quit after the first year. If you continue, we will pay for it. When I got my diploma, it was paid for. Amazing stuff for a firefighter.

God's timing is amazing. I believe that we sometimes limit God's plans to our own lifetime. His timing is so much more far reaching than that. His plan for my family may come to fruition 3 generations from now. One day it will all become clear.

I don't remember where I heard this quote from a father to his children, but it means a lot to me:

Stand on my shoulders, but tell me what you see....

No time today....

Today, I have much to say, but no time to say it. My gift to you today is a quote that I saw on my iGoogle page.

"In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing." Mignon McLaughlin

My taste in music....

Wednesday night was quite a turning point for me.

I watched about the last 30 minutes of the CMA awards. (yikes)
I knew who most of the nominees were. (double yikes)
I was actually emotionally invested in who won. (I give up)

Yeah, it's still a a little hard to admit, but I do listen to country music now. Music has always been a big part of my life. My tastes have always been varied. I was a volunteer usher at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in high school so that I could see the symphony for free. Rush was my favorite rock band. I've seen them live nine times. I will never forget the day that I heard the song Eruption on Van Halen's first album. I've always thought that Boston's first album was one of the best albums ever made. They thought a lot of it since they basically remixed it for the next three albums.

Growing up, my mom loved Hank Williams (Sr. not Jr.) I heard all of his songs a hundred times. I remember going to the Grand Ole Opry as a kid. I enjoyed Marty Robbins, he was quite a character. If at any time you had asked me, I would have told you that I couldn't stand country music.

I find now that I listen to different music for different reasons. I listen to smooth Jazz like Jeff Lorber, David Sanborn or Dave Koz when I'm working. The fact that it doesn't have lyrics helps me concentrate. However, if we are approaching a tight deadline, then I listen to rock for the energy. I usually listen to Daughtry (whose first album may replace Boston in the aforementioned category). I usually listen to country when I'm in the car.

I listen to jazz to hear the musicianship. I've found that I listen to country to hear the songmanship.

Here's a couple of examples of what I mean. Brad Paisley's song Online has in it one of the most well put together lyrics I've ever heard.

I drive a Maserati, got a black belt in Karate and I love a good glass of wine

Or this line from Chuck Wicks' Stealing Cinderella

To her I'm Prince Charming, but to him I'm just some fella....Riding in and stealing Cinderella

Compare those with one of the worst lyrics I've ever heard from Van Halen's Why Can't This Be Love

Only time will tell if our love will stand the test of time.

I knew that I was getting old when I began worrying about what my kids listen to. A few years ago, Chris loved Nickelback. They came in concert and I took him to see them. I had not listened to any of their music and I enjoyed the concert quite a bit. After that, I loaded their CD on my computer. Once I could understand the lyrics, I was pretty shocked. The whole experience was a turn off of for Chris. He started listening to country after that. He said it was 'cleaner'. I said Well, instead of singing about sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, they sing about cheating, drinking and more cheating.

I'll close this somewhat rambling post with one of my favorite music jokes sent to me by Corrie Wells.

What's the difference between a blues musician and a jazz musician?
A blues musician plays 3 chords in front of 1000's of people.
A jazz musician plays 1000's of chords in front of 3 people

Have a good day...

It's deer season....

Growing up in Nashville, I didn't see a lot of deer. Years ago, I had a job in the middle of Brentwood. The building that I worked in was right next to the interstate but there was a large wooded area next to the parking lot. Every once in a while, a deer would walk up to the building. It was always a big deal. Everybody would stop working and come look at the deer.

Now that I live in Lebanon, seeing deer is not such a big deal any more. They are everywhere it seems. Seeing a buck is rare, but doe seem to be all over the place.

My dad didn't hunt, so I never went hunting as a kid. I don't have any real problem with it, it's just something I never did growing up. When we moved to Lebanon, I was fascinated by the number of people who hunted. Deer season is a big deal.

I'm fascinated by the amount of preparation that goes into deer hunting. I know that you have to get up very early. I know you need a tree stand. I also know that deer hunters use special soap to keep deer from smelling their scent. And you have to be very quiet, and never look a deer in the eye.

I'm puzzled though, if deer hunting requires all of that preparation, why do deer get hit by cars? I picture some unfortunate guy, stuck in a tree for 6 hours in the freezing cold and returning with nothing while some mom wearing Ralph Lauren perfume listening to Brad Paisley in her Honda gets a 10 point buck on the way to get her kids from school.

Life's not fair I guess.

The unsavory truth about Sonic coffee

I had an experience yesterday that still has me shaken a little bit. First, I drink a lot of coffee. Unless I'm outside doing something outside, I usually have a cup of coffee with me at all times. Usually, in the mornings, I'll stop somewhere and get some breakfast to eat on the way to Nashville. My favorite place to stop lately has been Sonic.

Yesterday, I pulled up to the order stand and order my usual:

Order Taker: Welcome to Sonic, may I take your order?
Donnie: I would like a breakfast burrito and a large coffee.
Order Taker: I'm sorry our coffee machine is not working right now.

Ok, at this point I went through a long thought process. Something like, hmmm grounds + water + heat, there's not a lot to go wrong there. What do I do? leave? McDonald's is close by. What else is there to drink? Finally, I had the bright idea

Donnie: Orange Juice, I'd like to have orange juice.


After a few minutes, they bring my order to me.

Donnie: You have an emergency call out to fix your coffee machine right?
Delivery Girl: No, what happened is that somebody forgot to thaw the coffee.
Donnie: ?!?!?!?!!?!?!?????!?!!!!!
Delivery Girl: It's a machine like they use in hospitals where the coffee comes in frozen blocks and you have to thaw it before you can put in the machine.
Donnie: yikes


Now, I'm not a coffee snob, at least I don't think I am. It doesn't have to cost $4 before I'll drink it, but I'm really struggling with the idea that its too much trouble to brew the coffee right there. I'm sure that there are lots of reasons to do something like this from a business perspective. But wow, that was a little bit of a shocker.

I know the local Sonic franchisee and he is a believer and a good man. But, I'm sure that decision is made by someone at the corporate office.

My house is bugged....I'm sure of it...

This weekend, I was angry....very angry. Won't go into details, but just picture me angry.

Was supposed to go to the Titans game, but couldn't. If I had gone to the game, I would have missed Church on Sunday Morning for the second week in a row. Instead, I was at Church. But I was angry.

As soon as I reached the auditorium, they began singing "This is My Father's World" which is a hymn that I've loved since the sixth grade. Hymn after hymn was uplifting and I began to relax and become less angry. The sermon was about "Worrying", which is what I was doing. The scripture reading was my all-time favorite passage:

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

At the end of the service, they introduced Paden who I baptized the week before last. John Grant also read the except from my Letter To Paden. For the first part of Sunday School period I went to several adult classes and talked about a fundraising dinner that is being planned for Arewa Aid. This organization is trying to raise money for some humanitarian aid in Northern Nigeria. This is a place where 9 year old boys are begging in the streets and water is so scarce that if you have some, you will use it for 3 or 4 different purposes before you discard it by watering your plants.

At the end of Sunday School, I felt like the luckiest man in the world. Anybody remember what I was angry about?

I love fall...

I love the fall, I always have. Football...basketball...cooler temperatures....I love everything about it. For some reason I even like the clothes that you can wear in the fall better than any other season. I remember in college, I had bought this cool jacket and I couldn't wait to wear it. Kathy and I went to a football game at her alma mater. It was one of the first games of the season (still summer), but I wore my jacket.

One of my most fond memories of fall, is when we used to have a family reunion in Gatlinburg every year. I have some family in Georgia that would meet us every year. It was always a great time. I loved Gatlinburg. We usually stayed at a lodge called The Brookside Resort. They have a bridge with benches built over the Little Pigeon River (which is a creek at that point). Sitting on that bridge on a cool autumn evening is one of my favorite places to be.

As a severe allergy sufferer, I believe that the first frost should be a national holiday.

Friday, was FCS's homecoming. They played MJCA which was a game we thought Chris might actually get to play in. He did, and had another long touchdown run! It was cool. The local radio station has a coach's breakfast where all the local football coaches meet at Shoney's and are interviewed about their games. The coach called Chris' name for scoring a touchdown which was very cool to hear.

Saturday was pretty busy. Sarah had her first basketball games. She and her team did well. They played a regular season game at FCS then we drove to Carroll Oakland School to participate in a Jamboree with 3 other teams. On the way to Carroll Oakland, we took Cedar Grove Road. I'd always heard of that road, but, I don't remember ever driving on it. I've definitely never driven it on a bright sunny fall afternoon. It is a very curvy tree lined road. In one of the curves, there was rugged fence with trees all around. I was struck by it on the way there, we stopped on the way back just long enough for me to get a few pictures.

Sarah had a birthday party with her friends Saturday evening. Our friend Bonita who sells for Mary Kay came over and showed the girls how to pick colors for make up and they all did make overs. One of Sarah's gifts was a dance game for the Nintendo Wii. She and her friends had a blast playing that as well. For some reason Chris and I usually have to be somewhere else during the friend birthday party.

Chris and I had the chance to go to the Titans game today. He's going to go, but I had to back out because of work responsibilities. I'm a little miffed about that one. Anyway, fall is always busy. I love the fall...

Girl Crazy...

In my younger years, there were a lot of ways you could've described me, but the way I would most likely be described would be Girl Crazy. I just couldn't help it, it's who I was. I felt very fortunate to have survived my teenage years without it getting me into any serious trouble.

As I've gotten older, I've realized that God has a tremendous sense of humor. You see, now, I'm in my upper-early 40's and find myself being the dad to a long-legged-blue-eyed-blonde. Now, I get to be the worried dad. I'm on the other side of this fence. My only hope now is that long-legged-blue-eyed-blondes will go out of style. Any chance of that?

When we were expecting, we found out that we were going to have a girl. I told Kathy that I was ok with having a girl as long as she was ugly (didn't happen). I then backed off that and said "Ok, she can be pretty, but she needs to know Jujitsu". Later, someone pointed out to me that knowing Jujitsu was one thing, being willing to use it is quite another. Yeah....I guess that's right. (Notice in the picture that she has not one but two phones in hand....trouble)

I've always known about the special connection that exists between a son and his mother. I really didn't know about the connection between a father and his daughter. When she was young, she was very much a momma's girl. She really didn't even like me that much, and told me so. As she's grown older, we've developed that special bond that exists between a father and his daughter. I guess it's a whole different kind of girl crazy now.

Happy Birthday Baby, I love you very much...

Here's another thing on the long list of things that make me cry....

Ok....Now this is getting rediculous....

You may have notice that I've not mentioned my truck purchase in a while. Well, that's because it has been at the shop for about 3 weeks. The new shop that I took it to is a little more sophisticated. They have more equipment and are located right next to the emissions testing station, so they know how to get it passed.

Anyway, they found a problem and had been driving the truck trying to get the on-board computer to cycle. As I've mentioned before, it takes a long time for that sucker to go through its paces. I went and picked it up last Friday since I drive to Nashville everyday. I figured I could get it to roll over pretty quickly.

The guy at the shop told me I needed to get abut 200 miles on it before it could be tested again. I wanted to get some miles on it pretty quickly so I got up early Tuesday and drove to Cookeville and back. That got me about 80 miles on it, I drove it to work Tuesday, that got me another 60 miles. One more round trip to work and we've got it right? Well, on my way home last night, the lovely 'Service Engine Light' came back on.....Lovely. I called Kathy, she met me at the shop....we left it there. Hopefully, it won't be another 3 weeks.

On another note, this is kind of interesting. Being mostly a by-the-book kind of guy, I purchased a temporary tag when the truck didn't pass emissions on the first try. If I was going to have to take it to the shop, it should be legal right? Well, as the saga has progressed, that tag expired. I talked to the folks at the County Clerk's office, they said that they could sell me another if I had proof that it was being worked on to pass emissions testing. Cool, I didn't have the title with me so I couldn't purchase the tag immediately.

1. I run home...get the title....go back.
2. Kathy had signed the title so she had to be the one to buy the tag (Why? I don't know)
3. I take the paperwork to Kathy, she goes to the clerk's office.
4. It's been more than 30 days since the last emissions test, you can't buy another temporary tag (Why? I have no clue)

If there is a point to all of this, it is, that the people sitting at the counter of the County Clerk's office are not the ones that make the stupid rules. They are put in the uncomfortable position of having to enforce rules that they probably don't even agree with.

Another observation, as a software guy, its kind of interesting to look at this situation. When writing software, the standard function of the software is usually pretty simple to write. Most of the time and energy is spent handling the 'out of the ordinary' situation. My own philosophy in this is, if there is even a 1% chance that a particular situation could arise from a legitimate use of the software, then you must allow it. It does not appear that government works that way.