Movie, books and Year's end.

We started watching the movie Ghost Rider and turned it off after the opening scene depicted someone selling their soul to the Devil.
We decided to watch a movie about The Last Queen of Hawaii. Jan wanted a travel movie but this was best I could get at the library. The documentary said that the missionaries brought the gospel and also disease; wiping out most of the native people. The good ol' USA took the Hawaian Islands in the end, exiling and then imprisoning the Queen. The funny thing is that a few days later I listened to part of a radio sermon about how missionaries saved Hawaii. Go figure. History seems to be written and re-written.
The last movie I started to watch but haven’t finished, Jan was not interested, is a documentary of Malcom X.
During all this movie madness we’ve cleaned up the house, put the Christmas decorations away and gotten more organized for the tax season.
I Read “Every Man-God’s Man” and started reading “The Shack”. (Eerie opening in light of the storm in Detroit.)
Yesterday I applied online with Careerbuilder, which took way too long. Today I interviewed at AppleOne then drove to downtonw Columbia to donate blood platelets. The guy next to me is a history teacher so we talked about history and how kids don't want to learn.
The garage is getting cleaned up and out. This afternoon I fixed up an antique wicker love seat. Some of the items so far are I've repaired:
glued the legs of a small table,
glued a wooden ships wheel with a carved bust of a sailor in the middle. Jan had dropped it, but was fixable.
I'd really like to go fishing today!
Tomorrow we're going to an auction in North Carolina.
Happy 2009.

Merry Christmas

Is it better to say "Have a Blessed Christmas" more than "Merry Christmas"?

One other question, Why is it that the Jews have other names like Israel, Hebrews and Semites?

On a lighter note: The answer to another question is "practice". The question is "how do you learn how to cut hair?" I am one of the people that the students practice on. Luckily there is an instructor who fixes the problem(s). I gasp when I looked in the mirror after the guy paused and called for help . There was a line like a bowl cut. Sides cut short, like I asked, the top and the bangs a little long, like I asked but I didn't ask for a line. I asked it to be blended a little above my ear. He started okay and I commented to him that it felt like he know what he was doing. A little encouragement I thought would help me get a good hair cut. NOT! The sides today are still a little long by my side burns and I asked that the back be rounded. I cut the back but need to trim a little off of the sides. The blend is high above my balding spots. The instructor, who helped the last time, had to fix it and thin it so it looked okay. I didn't notice the other problems at first. I keep going back and doing my part for society. Last question, How much did I pay for this haircut?

Lessons Cont.

Lesson two is about the cabinet that I had screwed, clamped and glued back together. When you have a door make sure that the door is in place and keeps the cabinet square. I had to put a shim under the bottom hinge but it looks good. The newer knobs were left at home so tomorrow I'll install them and take a picture.
The Kline's had their party Sunday afternoon. Scott said he missed us but was understanding. Carol did not go due to the lake effect snow. Jan cleaned, cooked and laundered and I rested most of the day then we watched "Godzilla" It was not supposed to be funny but it was and then so boring at the end we watched it in fast forward.
The temperature here dropped 30 degrees from yesterday but Jan still opened the store. This morning I emailed the lady for a CAD job with Apple-One employment agency. I'll interview with her Tuesday. After bundling up and the trailer still on the back of the van since Saturday I put the spare tire on to make sure it fit. Yes! I bought two spares at a yard sale for $5. At $50 a piece at the store, I'll keep these at home and not mount them since we are always close to home. While checking the grease in the bearings I thought of Tom and Colin and I working in Tom's garage. I mowed the last of the leaves and pine straw and piled them onto the trailer. The yard looks so good with Jan putting up the ribbons and I putting up the wreath under the peak where the bats were and the other decorations...we're ready for Christmas.

Lessons

If someone like Bob Snell picks an item up off of your un-attended pile. Don't say a word. We know Bob and he has a reputation. He was mad because we didn't start our "pile" in the middle of the yard.
It was still dark and we were the only ones there. I was looking at a stack of movies, to watch at home, not paying attention to mind (guard) the pile of purchases. Well a few minutes after saying something to him, I tried to point out that there were tools (all guys like tools right?) and the guy selling them is in the shed in the back. He said "is this your pile too? " I said "No. I just wanted to help by pointing out there is more stuff in the back. You can shop anywhere you want!"
We went back to the sale on the way home to see if the high priced furniture had sold and if we could get it for their bottom price. They were selling everything and moving to Washington State. The lady there said that Bob was so rude to her, complaining about us, and she didn't want that kind of drama at 7am!

Movie Time!

Lately...

The job search is slow. I applied for an Auto-CAD job. Thursday I had lunch with my old boss and co-workers. He was encouraging about the technical Specialist position in the Distribution Center I had applied for. The hiring manager should call me after the first of the year. Wednesday I talked to a career counselor who is in our SS class. Then talked to my pastor after church. Monday we sang along with a Handel's Messiah choir. What fun it was to sing tenor again!

I've been keeping busy fixing up and painting an old $25 china cabinet like my Grandma Kline's. Gluing and clamping different areas on different days. Not much time involved but time consuming. It's ready now. Jan painted the inside. Thanks! Tomorrow it'll go to the shop and the door put back on along with a price tag. I wish I would've taken a before picture but I'll take an "after".

Today I visited the Allstate agent who said to me "now you know about insurance" okay...I thought about saying "now I can sell insurance too?" I'll be saving some money and getting coverage for the money making van.

Tomorrow there are only a few GS's. We may just go to the flea market. My dad used to go to the flea market and did not buy any fleas. The lady who opens the shop on Saturday morning isn't feeling well. I hope she is feeling better soon, she is a real nice 70 year old lady. So no Starbucks break tomorrow. Today I had a McDonald's coffee and it was okay!

PSALM 9:10

"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."
To me this means since I trust Jesus and seek to know Him I will be remembered.

Two days: Friday and Saturday went like this: Friday's newspaper revealed 3 GS but were too far away and Jan did not want me to go because we have a limited amount of room. So, giving Jan a break, I opened the shop and in the afternoon went to some friends who have an old house where the drain for the washing machine was so slow that it overflowed. The snake I brought over cleaned out some bad stuff that is not worth describing. Still slow, I offered to look in the crawl space. My one knee went down to peer under there and got wet. No one would want to go down there. Either they will call a plumber to replace the old pipe or try more drain-O products.

Saturday was GS from 7 til 10 and we ENJOYED a Starbucks eggnog Latte and cranberry-orange muffin. Our part-time employee opened the shop and I went in at 12 so she could take her dog out, eat and she said she fell asleep, which she hardly does. She was real busy that morning so must've needed the rest. Dajahleik came by without anything to do. It must be hard being 12yrs old and dirt poor in a small town. I'll welcome phonetic spellings of his name because it took me a long to learn how to say it. I encouraged him to go to the library and read. Become a teacher because you could go to school and be reimbursed if you teach for a few years. He doesn't want to go into the military or see his dad who is imprisoned. In the past I've helped him with homework, took him to eat. He wants to help move heavy things and deliver things to earn money for Wendy's. Once he spent the whole $20 there.

One call came from a headhunter but the job is for architectural.

Sunday is here and listening to http://www.theheartofworship.org/ It comes on at various times. Check it out!

Rainy Day

Lots of rain and a tornado warning. The price to pay for the nice weather yesterday.

I opened the shop at 10:30 and worked til 2:30 then ran an errand for Jan. After that, a trip to the library where attendance is up 40 percent now days. Got two DVDs: Gettysburg and A Travel Guide to China. Also three CR magazines and made 4 pages copies of the latest CR about cell phones.

Tillie and I then went to Columbia to shop for a "Life is Good" present for Jan. Disappointing.

Tillie did not help me cook turkey leftovers, but I did need help. Jan took one look when she got home and added water.

So tonight I'll send a long over due email with pictures of Thanksgiving, read some and tomorrow I'll start out at 6am checking the newspaper for Friday GS sales.

BAT HOUSE

This afternoon I battled BATS. While cleaning up the garage and taking things into the attic I saw that the BATS were back. I removed 5 hibernating bats last week from the roof vent--- well I actually relocated them. Maybe they flew back to 'their' nest. Being so warm (it was 72 deg. today) I only caught one. The other 4 flew away....scared the bananas out of me at the top of the 14 foot ladder, no less.

First: Remove the bat poop. (this is the smelliest poop I ever smelled and being so close - ewwee!)

Second: Paint.

Third: Cover the outside with window screen. My staple gun was purchased in 1989 from Coast-to-Coast Hardware (I know because I write the purchase date on things) and it did not work well atop of the ladder. Santa- I need a new one. Anyone know how to build a bat house?

Self employed!

I was thinking that I should put on my resume that I am self employed. Working at the shop the last few days with Jan, I get tired, ready to go home at around 5 and a old lady with a cane who can hardly walk or breathe comes in asks for a chair. Jan asked, "you mean to sit in? We can take the display merchandise off of this one so you can sit."
I quietly went to the sign and turned it over to read "CLOSED". Then later she managed to get to the back room where she again is sitting pointing with her cane requesting the prices of various items. She wanted to know the price of a large shelf, we sold one just like it so I told her. But she wanted a small one, but Jan said shelves are not for sale.

She did buy some other items and after checking out she started talking about her life. She talked very slow as you can imagine. One of her relatives helped raise Joe Louis in Detroit.

Now, another lady drives up in a snazzy convertible, looks at a $20 fireplace screen outside, Jan meets her at the door while the slow talker lady is going down the handicapped ramp. Talking a mile-a-minute, she sees the sign CLOSED but Jan is gracious and sells the screen. We heard all about her fireplace, blah blah blah while I took Tillie out of her cage ". She says, "I have two dogs" blah, blah.......We have such a good time and laugh about it all. We need to.
God sees us and doesn't laugh at us or handicapped people, but is compassionate and loving.

Start Up

Start Up