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Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

Let’s do it:

1.  It feels like a Monday for me because I took a 3-day weekend from work (to include Monday). I had so much fun setting up and personalizing my sparkling new desktop computer system on Saturday and Sunday that I spent Monday catching up on everything else that I would have normally done during the previous two days. I got it all done and then some on Monday !  I was proud of myself when I went to sleep.

2.  After over 15 years with State Farm I saved over 24% by switching my auto insurance to GEICO yesterday. Back in February I compared State Farm with GEICO, and had I made the switch back then I would have saved a mere 9%. It wasn’t worth the time and the trouble to switch. But a more than a 24% savings is definitely worth it !

3.  The MASSIVE political ads continue to inundate and stuff my (old-fashioned) mailbox. I’m actually taking the time to glance over all of the fancy and glossy literature, but the joke is on them. I’m not voting in the Primaries – not even via absentee ballot.

4.  A closed door that you can not open due to the fact that it is locked shut and you don’t have a key for it, or there is another impeding factour (such as a person who won’t let you in) is very symbolic of ‘The End’. You can’t go any further. You can’t proceed. Progress is halted. STOP !  It’s certainly not a positive symbol – especially if you are on a fantastic journey. Before I was saved by Jesus I regularly hit closed doors in my life – literally, figuratively, and symbolically. Nowadays (in my new Life) I don’t encounter too many closed doors. I am simply more aware of the ones that I need to stay away from. But when I do reach a closed door on this journey it is far more painful than it ever was in my previous life. Sometimes what isn’t that big of a deal to one person may actually be a closed door to another person. There should never be a closed door between me or you – and God.

5.  Back in November 2007 a Canadian Dollar was worth more than U.S. $1.08. Today it was only worth U.S. $0.94. The British Pound has dropped from above U.S. $2.10 to below U.S. $1.90. The European Euro was flirting with U.S. $1.60 as recently as the start of July 2008. Now it’s down to nearly U.S. $1.49 !  Our U.S. Dollar is making a substantial comeback. That’s allowing oil prices and ultimately gas prices to drop.

6.  The last time I went through the Starbucks (in Homestead) drive-thru I received exceptional customer service. That’s a good thing because they had already received two strikes in a row from me, and had they received a third strike in a row I would have initiated a temporary boycott of the joint. A boycott of Starbucks is something that I’m not sure that I’m ready for yet.

7.  I got a haircut at the legendary Woody’s Barber Shop yesterday. I always feel clean and refreshed after I get my mop cut. Believe it or not I actually don’t keep track of when I get a haircut via an Excel Spreadsheet. There’s no point to it. If my hair blows around in the wind then it’s time to get a haircut.

8.  If HP wanted to do a television commercial right here in my living room then all they would have to do is simply film me sitting down here at my computer workstation using all of their fine products.

9.  I have an HP printer-scanner-copier all-in-one device now. I bought it at Office Depot yesterday. Those two pictures of Barney and Fluffy that I posted on the blog last night were the first two that I scanned (as a test). I’m gonna look around for some more classic pictures. Maybe I’ll find one of me from my U.K. days some 23 years ago. You can see what I looked like as a goofy 18-year-old !

10.  My credit card company just raised my credit limit by a tad. They must’ve seen how much money I spent this past weekend !  😯

Categories
Animals

Remembering Barney & Fluffy

Barney and Fluffy were the childhood cats of me and my brother, but I should clarify that a bit. We found Fluffy (a Manx) outside on our elevated patio deck on a bitter cold and icy Northern Virginia morning on the 23RD of December in 1983. She remained with us (our family) for over 17 years – until 2001 – long after me and my brother had become adults and moved on with our respective lives. Barney arrived about 4½ years later in 1988 while I was living here in Homestead (at the air base) but my brother was still living at home. Barney remained with the family for about 18 years – until 2006. Both cats lived long, fat, and happy lives. Fluffy was the most lovable feline I have ever known in my entire life, and Barney was simply ‘the cat that didn’t like me’ – although during his last year (of perhaps senility) he came over to me and purred on me as if to ask me for my forgiveness for all of those years in which he didn’t care for me.

Here are some classic pictures of Barney and Fluffy. The first one has a date imprinted on the back of it of ‘APR 89’; however, I suspect that the picture was actually taken around Christmas-time of 1988. That would make Fluffy about 5½ to 6 years old and Barney less than a year old. The second picture was taken several years later well into the 1990s.

Barney & Fluffy - Christmas-Time 1988
Barney & Fluffy - Christmas-Time 1988
Barney & Fluffy - Mid-1990s
Barney & Fluffy - Mid-1990s
Categories
Food

Monday Night Countdown

I’ve been eating Kellogg’s Pop Tarts longer than any other food in my entire life. I’ve pretty much enjoyed a 35-year-plus relationship with those rectangular delicious delights. I prefer them as a late-night snack !

And so this week on the ‘Monday Night Countdown’ I present to you my TOP 5 favourite Kellogg’s Pop Tarts flavours. ENJOY:

5.

Hot Fudge Sundae
Hot Fudge Sundae

4.

Blueberry
Blueberry

3.

Wild Berry
Wild Berry

2.

Double Berry
Double Berry

1.

Cherry
Cherry
Categories
Blogging Food God People

Life Pointe Church Sunday Morning Tossed Salad

1.  It was another glorious Sunday morning at the movie theatre in Homestead that we convert into a corporate place of worship for about 4 hours every week. If you’re looking for a modern place of worship and you’re within 30 minutes or so of Homestead then you should check us out. We do two services every Sunday morning, and they start promptly at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM. Next month we’ll be expanding to a three-service schedule with start times of 8:30 AM, 9:45 AM, and 11:00 AM. Whether you’re an early-bird or a late-riser there’s a service at a start time that’s convenient to you, so feel to free check us out. Get rid of any traditional perceptions that you may have of ‘church’ because we do it so much differently than you probably ever thought. For more information on how we do church feel free to check out our official web site at moviechurch.info.

2.  Pastor Paul kicked-off a short two-week message series this week entitled ‘Consumed’. This morning’s teaching was all about Worship. I am a worshiper. You are a worshiper. We are all worshipers, but what exactly are we worshiping ?  God desires one thing from us – our worship of Him. Since we will become just like what we worship it is imperative that if we are truly Christians – absolute followers of Jesus – then we must worship God – so that we will become just like Him. We worship God for who He is. We know who He is because of what He has done. Sunday mornings should be a time of reflection – a time of celebration for the worship that we have done for Him during the rest of the week. Sunday mornings should never be an exception to the rest of the week. God sees and hears what is truly in our heart. Even if we can’t say it. Even if we can’t write it. He knows it because he feels it within our heart and our soul. He is our audience. He is always there for us.

3.  Following the two services I did some paperwork over at the LPC offices with Paul, Jesse, Alex, Anne J., and Gene Gene The Dancin’ Machine (who is on the threshold of starting up his very own WordPress blog). Afterwards I enjoyed a MASSIVE Lunch with Paul, Ms. Annie, and the rest of the Hollifield crew. We all gathered over at El Nachito – East Naranja’s favourite neighbourhood Mexican restaurant. I stuffed myself silly, and I enjoyed every last second of it. I just took my Lipitor, so I should be good to go until tomorrow’s MASSIVE meal of the day !

Be sure to check out other nice Sunday Wrap-Ups from other fine Life Pointe Church bloggers such as this cool dude, and this young cat.