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Annoyances Blogging Commerce Driving Health People Politics Weather

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

1.  This was originally going to be a quick tweet from me, but then I decided to upgrade it to a full-blown ‘Grab Bag O’ Thought’. This happened on the way home from work this afternoon on Speedway Boulevard (Miami-Dade County’s SW 137TH Avenue in Homestead). One slow-moving vehicle (in this case a ‘soccer-mom minivan’) can disrupt the normal flow of traffic on a single stretch of roadway for miles affecting dozens of motorists. I generally drive on the slow side. Typically out of every 10 vehicles on the road today 8 will pass me at any given time, and I will pass 2 of them. When I make note of a slow-moving vehicle then it must really be a slow-moving vehicle. These drivers are generally oblivious to the rush hour world around them. Just because you’re driving real slow does not necessarily mean that you’re driving real safe. It usually means that you’re being distracted while driving. Oh yeah – get out of the left lane !

2.  Speaking of my car by chance this past Saturday morning I checked out that brand new car wash that recently opened up on Useless-One caddy-corner to The Big Cheese. I was their only customer at the time, and I got my car washed on the outside and cleaned and dressed on the inside. They took their time and did it right. My 6½-year-old car looks nearly sparkling new now on the inside. The ultimate results far exceeded my overall expectations. I plan to be a regular customer of them in the future. After I return home from my upcoming road trip I’ll be going back there for a wash and wax !

3.  It’s Election Day here in Homestead, and I’m so glad that I’ve already voted via absentee ballot. I do it that way in lieu of being insulted at the voting precinct (inside and outside). It’s just so much more civil voting in the privacy of my own living room. On this day we’ve got the incumbant Mayor who’s a loose cannon, says what’s on her mind, and publicly degrades people along the way who she doesn’t agree with. Running against her for the job is a guy with a lot of experience in Homestead politics who’s (allegedly) got a short temper and gets into street fights with citizens (allegedly). I hesitantly voted for one of these candidates – not really for the person but really more as a vote against the other person.

4.  Last Tuesday night in the ‘Grab Bag’ I mentioned the fact that I picked up several of 8 colds in 12 months from November 2007 to November 2008 at Starbucks. Once I stopped going there I stopped getting colds. This past weekend I went back there to pick up a package of VIA Ready Brew (instant coffee). I did so because it’s the most delicious instant coffee that I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. Fast forward to this afternoon, and I believe that I now have my first genuine cold in about a year. In defense of Starbucks though I don’t believe that I picked up this cold from there. I think I got the nasty germs earlier today from either Publix or our base gymnasium. I’ll be able to confirm the mere existence of this cold as soon as later tonight or tomorrow morning – especially if it gets worse.

5.  Get ready for more seasonal (normal) temperatures around these parts of the free nation starting on Thursday and continuing through the weekend. Expect mid-afternoon high temperatures right around the 80°F mark and early-morning low temperatures deep down into the lower-60s with wind chills into the upper-50s. The humidity will be low, and the winds will be brisk and cool. Later in November I’m forecasting a major continental shift in the weather pattern (induced by El Niño) that will surge much colder air deep into Florida.

Be sure to check out my ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ in a mere 48 hours or less, and until then stay up-to-date with what I’m thinking and doing via my Twitter account.

Categories
Food Philosophy

The Fortune Cookie Message Of The Week Club

Late this morning I enjoyed a hot and delicious Lunch courtesy of my all-time favourite take-out Chinese Food joint in the neighbourhood – Shanghai.

fortune-cookie

Here’s this week’s fortune cookie message:

– ‘Spectacular accomplishment is never preceded by less than spectacular preparation.’

I disagree somewhat with this one. You can over prepare for an event. The result can sometimes be just as bad – even worse – than a lack of sufficient preparation. Sometimes a little spontaneity can be that added touch that lifts something from standard to spectacular. Spectacular preparation is not always the key to success.

Categories
God

Life Pointe Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad

It’s the 1ST Sunday of November of 2009 at Life Pointe Church in beautiful Homestead Florida, and here are my takeaways:

– Daylight Saving Time is done and over with, but some didn’t get the memo.
– A lot of people showed up an hour earlier than normal.
– Some people who normally attend the 2ND service went to the 1ST service.
– Hardly nobody was fashionably late for the 2ND service.
– 34 years and 8½ months ago I celebrated my first Communion.
– This morning during the 1ST service I led Communion for the first time ever.
– I was nervous while leading it, and I stumbled a few times.
– I think I over-practiced for it in a few areas.
– The next time you see me on stage at the 1ST service I’ll be hosting it all.
– That’ll be in two weeks on the 15TH of November.
– It’ll take me the next two weeks to prepare for it.
Lead Pastor Travis J. led this week’s message.
– Jesus Christ is the Lord of our Life – and our Lifestyle.
– When a lot of us were saved by Him we suddenly got boring.
– We were once party animals, and then we became hermits.
– We should be just as jovial and outgoing today as we were yesterday.
– Everyone’s got excess baggage they don’t like to talk about.
– God heals all broken hearts and dreams.
– You’ve just got to reveal your baggage to Him so that He can heal you.
– If there’s no trust in a relationship then there’s no passion.
– If you totally trust God then you will be totally passionate towards Him.
– ‘If that doesn’t light your fire then your wood must be wet.’ – Travis quote
– It is never acceptable to degrade anyone on this journey.
– God made us exactly how He wanted us to be made.
– If you degrade one another then you are degrading God.
– Never hang your head down low in shame.
– Treasure yourself, and treasure God for creating you like so.
– I’d been personally degraded / abused many times during my previous life.
– I was told over and over again that I was nothing more than a reject.
– It happened as a little kid, as an older kid, and even as an adult.
– The degradation collectively affected who I was in this world for over 30 years.
– It shaped the man that I used to be.
– But then I was saved 38 months ago, as God pulled the dead man out of me.
– I’ve never been so alive.
– Thank You Lord Jesus for all that I have – and all that I am.
– It is all because of You !