Not So Classic Husband

10 Day Bachelor: 5/6/7 Days Down

2009-07-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days have been full of activity. Last night we had our church picnic. It poured for about 10 minutes as we were setting up for the evening. But it cooled down a good bit after that and it was a really nice evening. Lots of chicken for us to eat over the next week at the church!! I was there until about 9:15 getting things put away and relatively clean... standard work for the picnics. Did some stuff when I got home and went to bed at 1:00am.

Today was a pretty good day, too... at first. I finished a project that I have been working on for over a month and it looks great!! If you want to see it, all you have to do is watch the screens when you go into church before the srevice begins. I'm very happy with the turnout. So after work I went to some friends' house for pot pie--actually in PIE form, to all you native Pennsylvanians.
** Rabbit Trail: Why is "Pot Pie," (to Pennsylvanians) just in a big pot, full of broth,
and topped with some dough called "Pie?" Riddle me that!
Anyway, it was really good PIE and the laughs were plentiful. I was really enjoying my visit when I got a phone call from work. One of our video projectors blew another lamp...the second one in 2 weeks! Well we don't normally keep $800 lamps in stock, so if you wish to see the awesome work that I did this weekend, you'll have to look to the left when you go in. Well, I was looking forward to taking tomorrow off so that I can clean the house and make everything comfortable and calm for the return of my beautiful ladies on Sunday. But it may be inevitable that I go in to do some legwork in getting new lamps or projectors. Arrgh!!

Tonight also provided a pretty heavy storm to our section of the Commonwealth...enough to cause some pretty major flooding of creeks and rivers. While I was at work tonight, I heard that one family had water up to their porch, and their basement full of water. And as I came home, I got a call from a woman (whose husband is on the same covert operation as My Beloved and Scarlett) asking if I could email Classic Mama, to relay to her husband that their basement was underwater as well. And when walked to our basement, there was some water there, too, although only a small section was damp. This was a pretty big storm, so please pray for the families whose homes are damaged that nothing would be lost and that restoration and repairs would be quick and inexpensive.

So, it is now 12:32am and I am going to bed so that I can awaken tomorrow early enough to get the house clean, get some other continuing stuff done, and possibly go up to get Bubba from the Original Classics. I miss my little guy. I miss my girls. Three more days... three days until the resurrection, er, uh, reunion!

Stay dry!

10 Day Bachelor: 3 & 4 Days Down

2009-07-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I am not really diggin' this whole bachelor thing. Sure, I have great opportunity to do some stuff around the house and I am doing that. Yesterday I cut some low-hanging branches from the big maple in the back yard so that my neighbor wouldn't whack his head as he rode his lawn mower past the tree. He didn't ask me to do it, I don't even know if it bothered him. But it would bug me so I did it...and felt good for it. Then later in the day/night I installed three-way switches in our basement so that Scarlett could turn the lights off when she sleeps down there with her friends (or when she has been bad and we lock her down there...KIDDING!!!) It took some work, but I got it done.

So why do I not like the bachelor thing? Well, today (rabbit trail: I was glad to go to work today because the weekend was SOOOO LOOOONG!!!!) I had lunch with a friend who understands the new bachelor thing all too well. At the beginning of this year he lost his wife to a long battle with cancer. But when I talk with him and listen to all that he is going through, I don't hear anything negative about how he's doing. Sure there is grief. There is definitely loneliness. But he has a Father who loves him dearly, and such a supportive group of friends and family, that the grief he feels is not heavy.

Again...why do I not like (temporary) bachelorhood? Well, at the end of lunch, he brought me back to work and before he left I gave him a hug and told him how well he was doing with this. And he told me (after chatting for a few more minutes) that these women that we've been given...our wives...deserve to be loved. They DESERVE IT!!!

My wife DESERVES to be loved. I tell her that I love her everyday because she deserves it. She isn't perfect. There have been times when I thought about giving up. But my friend told me at the end of our time together, "What good would we do them if we threw up our hands and said, 'I'm not going to deal with her and her stuff.' They deserve to have someone love them."

At present there is nothing that is making me think about giving up. Oh No!! In fact, my thoughts are about how I can make the very most of my time alone so that when she and Scarlett come home, she feels the love that she absolutely deserves from me. And how that will leave an impression on Scarlett that will make her realize that she also deserves it. I just can't wait to see them and love on them in the way that was granted me to do four-and-a-half years ago.

PS: Please forgive me if this post seems "flighty." It's almost 1am and my thoughts are all a-jumble.

10 Day Bachelor: 2 Days Down

2009-07-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was uneventful...really. I woke up at 5am to the sound of a stopwatch alarm that was somehow set by Bubba. I guess it was his way of sticking it to me for leaving him with the in-laws. But don't worry, I went back to bed until about 9am.

It's amazing that with all of the projects that I would like to do around the house, I somehow lose the motivation when it comes to actually doing them. I spent the morning watching for Classic Mama online while ripping CDs for my "non-16-gig-iPod touch" media device. But I did not see her during the morning. So I was doing things online (like seeing how to properly harvest black walnuts for their apparently wonderful flavor...a harvest which may be some retribution for the annoyance of them being in our lawn).

Speaking of the lawn, I did mow it yesterday. That was good.

In the evening I went to church where I received a voicemail from My Beloved. So, instead of sitting in the service, I went into my office, turned on the service through my phone and went online to find Classic... again to no avail. The message was good, though (what I heard of it). The speaker talked of William Penn and the Message of freedom that he was called to bring to this great nation (and it IS a great nation!!). William Penn was on fire for the work of the Lord, and we need to bring that fire back to the BLAZE that Penn (and the Lord) intended.

Well, when I got home, I saw that there was an email from Classic that was sent only a minute before I read it, so I immediately went on to find her. There she was!!!! We chatted for a while and she and Scarlett are doing great. I love technology and how it allows people who are a world away to talk like they are in the next room. However, text will never replace the close intimacy that we have when we are together. "Absence make the heart grow fonder."

It's true. I miss you, Beloved.

10 Day Bachelor: 1 Day Down

2009-07-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

It would not be at all surprising if you were to ask, "Where is your family?" Since I haven't posted since Christmas, you wouldn't know that my girls (Classic Mama and Scarlett) are out of the country on a covert mission...really! And they will be gone for 10 days. Since I don't want to use all of my vacation time to stay home with Bubba, we decided that he would be happy and in good hands if left at the home of the Original Classic Mama. Therefore, I am a temporary bachelor for the next 10 days.

While there are a lot of things that I want to accomplish with the house in a state of near emptiness (like scrape and paint the front parts of the house, cut down a pine tree, add a light switch in the basement...to name just a few) I really miss my family. Classic told me to keep busy and remember to eat, which is actually good advice, and I'll be fine. But when I go to bed tonight, I will not have that companionship that I have grown to love and need. I won't have the kisses from my wonderful children when I go off to work. This is OUR house and it's too big for one person, so I pray that they come back to me safely and that the rest of the days go by quickly.

My Beautiful Children

2008-12-24T08:41:00.000-08:00

This is usually the sort of thing that you would see on My Beloved's blog. But so people don't think that I am without pride for our wonderful children Scarlett & Bubba, here are some recent photos that we had taken of them. They're so darned cute!!!

Christmas in the Classic Home

2008-12-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

I figure that it's been too long since I have posted and this is a perfect time to do so. It's Christmastime and the air is cold, but filled with the Spirit of Giving. Stores are flooded with people doing their last-minute shopping, and probably spending way too much for gifts that, had they thought about it a few months ago, they could have purchased for much less.

But that is not the case here in the Classic/Not-So-Classic home

My Classic wife, my Beloved, truly makes Christmas a bargain. Always on the lookout for the best deals, looking for coupons (then doubling and even TRIPLING their values at times), making cookies, and thinking about what those people in our lives and on our hearts would really enjoy, Classic Mama does Christmas right!

She understands that Christmas is about giving. And not for the sake of spending money on people, but to make someone that means so much to her feel loved, to let them know how special they are to her. And that she does it all while doing her usual bargain-hunting means a lot to me.

I am blessed to have such a thoughtful, loving, giving wife who really understands and (all-too-often) puts up with my "stuff." And I want the world to know that next to the Original CHRISTmas Gift, she is the best gift that Father could ever give to me.

I love you, Sweetheart. Thank you for your generosity and for all you do for me, our family, and so many others in this world. You are a gift!!

The Classic Gym Teacher

2008-09-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

So, I went home for lunch today as I always do (I love living 3 minutes from work!), ate a wonderful baked mac and cheese with broccoli, and enjoyed the hour with my Classic Family. Then Scarlett asked My Beloved if we could play the game that they played yesterday.

Background:

In our backyard, we have a 50-foot black walnut tree that is in full fruit right now. If you have ever had a black walnut tree, you know these three things:
1) You have an abundance of squirrels;
2) You have an abundance of black stains on anything flat that is near your tree; both because
3) You have a yard full of ankle-twisting, mower projectile, green tennis-ball sized NUTS!

Because of the abundance of these nuts, keeping them under control is not possible...but it can be fun. Classic Mama decided to help me out by collecting the nuts and putting them into our yard waste barrel while at the same time, giving Scarlett credit for Phys-Ed.

The Game:

Start as close as you want to the barrel and throw a nut into it. Easy. Then take a step away from the barrel and throw another in. Keep doing these two steps until you miss the barrel, at which point you have to run a lap around the back yard and back to the beginning position. Keep doing this until all of the nuts are gone or until Classic Mama says it's time to stop.

It was a fun and energy-boosting game. I am so proud of My Beloved for not just going out and playing with our daughter, but for inventing a game that should be taught in all Phys-Ed classes in every school (at least those that have black walnut trees near them). And I love her all the more because she is getting those darn nuts off the ground! Thank you, My Love!! And thank you, Scarlett and Bubba!

I wonder if the next level of the game includes climbing the tree, fighting off the legion of evil squirrels in order to get the nuts before they hit the ground...

Rhema...from a 10-year old!

2008-06-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Our Pastor at church like to use the phrase "There's no such thing as a junior Holy Spirit" when referring to children and their ability to hear from God. Well, our dear, young Scarlett hears from the one and only Holy Spirit often. And today she wrote something in her journal that will stick with me for a long time to come:

"God doesn't care about what we did. He cares about what we do next."

How many times are we faced with temptations that seem so great? What about the words we say that can either encourage or cut down someone around us? Or falling back into the thing that we despise most about our past? It's not what we've done that makes us who we are, it's what we do next (more accurately, Whose footprints our next step will fall into) that give us identity.

Out of the mouths of babes....

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

2008-06-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

In not-so-typical Not-So-Classic style, I am going to speak very briefly about a classic film (this one's for you, Beloved...in more ways than one!) Do you remember that classic B&W turned color turned B&W film "The Wizard of Oz" and the scene where Dorothy accidentally throws water on the wicked witch? What does the witch scream? If you know the answer, then you know what many of us are experiencing.

WE'RE MELTING!!!

Last October, the Classic/Not-So-Classic family was incredibly blessed with a house much closer to work and everything else, just in time for the gas-price's ride to the moon. When we looked at and walked through the house to consider buying it, it was nice and cool inside. Well, summer has begun to beat down upon us and we are HOT!

So I am posting today in hopes that some of you may be able to help by recommending a good individual or company who installs central A/C.

I've clicked my "ruby slipper" clad heels together and said "There's no place like home." But right now, there's no place like the library or the grocery store or work or the pool or...

Thanks! Stay COOL.

Again with the tagging!

2008-04-04T13:38:00.001-07:00

Based on the obvious fact that I don't often post to my blog (let alone read other's) my dear Beloved Classic told me yet again that I have been tagged. When I was a kid, I remember playing tag...but I was always aware that I was actually PLAYING!! Anyway, in the spirit of having some good clean fun, I will join in the game...again.

Melissa tagged me with a "7 random things" bit, but if you know me, I'm sort of an open book. If you don't know me then you are much safer that way! However, I am going to take the tag thrown to me by Classic Mama, which is a modified version of Melissa's tag.

7 of my top favorite movies (not in any particular order either):

#1. Hoodwinked. The story of Little Red Riding Hood...in a severely twisted form!! LOVE IT!! Plus, Patrick Warburton is one of the characters and anything that "Putty" says always makes me say "R-I-G-H-T"

#2. Meet the Robinsons. Disney movies can be somewhat predictable at times, but this one was hilarious. "Grandpa" and his arm-hung woodchuck...oh what a hoot!

#3. That Thing You Do. Some movies are pop, and some are too "cult-ish" but this was an obscure one that seemed to keep my attention. Plus, when I began dating Classic (for that week and a half) I quoted lines from the movie to her. She was surprised because, as she said, "I've never met anyone who has seen the movie, let alone memorized it!" I am Sparticus!!

#4. The Princess Bride. No explanation needed.

#5. A Beautiful Mind. This story about Nobel-Prize winner John Nash is absolutely riveting. To see a man struggle with the things he did and overcome them (while not eliminating them) is a great picture of the power we have over the enemy who will always try to distract or defeat us in our journey.

#6. Good Night and Good Luck. The George Clooney directed film is a phenomenally done story of Edward R. Murrow vs. Joe McCarthy in the age of blacklisting. To see a man stand up to the powers-that-be in government and broadcasting to say that they are wrong (and they were) and succeed is such an encouraging symbol of the battle that we should all be fighting...standing up for what is right.

#7. The Count of Monte Cristo. Again, one man fighting against injustice and enduring extreme pain and hardship all the way through to the end. Like Lance Wallnau says, "If you're going through hell, keep walking."

Tag, I'm It!

2008-03-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

As I have not been blogging for quite a while (and reading for even longer) my Beloved Classic Mama clued me into a fact that I would have never discovered...I've been tagged!

Thrills tagged me and a number of "The Husbands" probably because none of them would know it on their own, but rely solely on the snickering and pointing of their wives who would proceed to tell us that we've been tagged. So, thank you, Thrills. I will indulge your (and possibly others') curiosity and answer these very thought-provoking questions.

What if I could meet someone in the art world to chat with?
M.C.Escher. He's crazy!! And the impossibilities of many of his pieces intrigue me.

What if I could have one wish granted for the benefit of all mankind?
ALL mankind? I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. I'd like to buy the world a Coke.... Actually to have everyone sing in harmony would be nice...it's hard having really good pitch!

What if I could travel anywhere in the world?
Rome, Australia, and Shady Maple :)

What if I could live in a period other than the present, for 24 hours?
Tomorrow

What if I could make over three areas of my body?
My gut, my center area, and my mid-riff.

What if I could become an animal for 24 hours?
Either a wolf (they are so cool!) or any bird of prey like an eagle.

What if I could bring someone back to life for 24 hours?
Princess Diana: She's been gone for over 10 years, and the media still covers her death like it happened yesterday. I think that she would tell everyone to "get on with their lives!" And if she didn't, her resurrection would be an actual news-worthy event.

Tomorrow's my birthday and we are fulfilling one of my "what-if's" by going to Shady Maple for breakfast. So much for the gut.

Seems like always

2007-12-18T18:22:00.000-08:00

Do you remember what it was like to not have email? Does your memory reach back far enough to when you didn't know how to drive? Or what about before you had to go to work everyday? These are all things that it seems like we have always done.

Today, I think about the last three years, and how it seems like they have always been. It seems today like I have always been married to my wonderful gift: My Classic Wife.

I love you, Sweetheart. And I will never love you as much today as I will tomorrow...from now until there is no tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary!

Where Have I Been?

2007-11-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

It's said that absence make the heart grow fonder, but I'm guessing that no one has lost any sleep since I have last posted here. And if you have, I am sure it's because of something more pressing, like "Did I unplug the iron?"

Well, since my last post, quite a bit has happened. We settled on the house, we are settling into the house, and it's even getting painted. My Beloved, Classic Mama, did a sensational job of painting the living room...it is so nice. And unlike the previous house, there is actual color on the walls (which makes Classic very happy). We also painted Bubba's room a very, VERY light brown. This was a little disheartening because it is not too far from white. But the cute border and the area rug that we added make the room a boy's room. Scarlet got a rug as well, and soon will have color on her walls as well. The colors that she chose will be reminiscent of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" Not really, but it will be colorful.

All in all, despite some really stressful days and hours up to closing and moving, God has been so good to us. Buying a house is an expensive venture, but God has been and is continuing to be so good to us. Father God loves His kids. He will always love His kids. And if you are going through a rough time, whether it be financial, emotional, or physical, remember that God loves His kids...and that means YOU!! To borrow from a recent sermon on Ephesians 3:20-21, I give this encouragement: Ask and Imagine...that is all we are required to do. God takes care of the rest.

Sick Days

2007-10-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I may not be the smartest cookie in the ocean, or the most intelligent apple in the barnyard, but one thing I know is that sick days are not easy. At least not for me.

If you know me, I'm a doer. Like it says in James, "Be doers, not just hearers..." I'm a doer. Alright, the scripture is speaking of the Word of the Lord and I am taking it slightly out of context, but the fact is that if I am not doing something, I'm lost. This makes sick days really difficult. And today was no exception.

I took a sick day today because I was, um, sick. Something in my stomach woke me at 3am and I laid awake for a good hour and a half. And when the alarm went off at 6:30, I felt even worse. So I called in sick, and My Beloved took great care of me (mainly by letting me rest.) That's the hard part: the resting. It's not my style. I need to "Do." But what I really need to "do" is learn from our Maker's example and rest. I got plenty of that today, and wouldn't you know it, it worked!

I will be returning to work tomorrow.

"...and the LORD gives again."

2007-09-23T06:18:00.001-07:00

It's easy to get disappointed with the things that don't happen for us. The situation with the house disappointed me, and as my Beloved will attest, I don't always say "Praise the Lord" in those times. But we were (and are) prayerful about the house and we know that God is still provider...and I truly believe that!!

We lost the sale of the house on Friday morning. Classic and I had been talking about going to her parents for the weekend, but I wanted to stay home a pack. Well, now that would not be necessary and we headed out that afternoon. The only problem is that we had no Pack-and-Play for Bubba to sleep in (it was in Classic's office at the church). The question arose about whether to travel half an hour out of our way to get it from the church, or go buy one to leave at the parents' place. I try to take the cheaper route, and Pack-and-Plays are not inexpensive. So to the church we go!

Traveling across the river during rush hour is not a quick trip. We sat in traffic for quite a while and were actually on the bridge when Classic received a call. A woman that Classic's father works with was calling to tell us that she had a Pack-and-Play that her child won't stay in anymore. She gave it to Classic's dad and it is now at their home to stay. Thank you, Jesus!!! We turned around and headed north.

It's about a 1.5 hour trip to where we affectionately call Hoth (for all you Star Wars buffs). About 3/4 of the way there, my phone rings...it's our realtor. She had contacted the couple who initially made an offer on the house to see if they were still interested. They were, they made a new offer, we accepted!!

The LORD loves to give his children good gifts. And the gifts that He gives are perfect. Thank you, Jesus!

I Need a Job

2007-09-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Pay no attention to the previous post that stated that I blog once in a lifetime. I got something to say!

If you see the heading of this post and know me well, then you can rest assured that I am NOT looking for other employment. This is a long "o" sound...as in the book just before Psalms in the Bible. If you read the post by my Beloved this morning about the house then you have a good idea about what I am feeling.

I'm going to look at this from a greater perspective, one that Job got to see very clearly. The LORD gives and the LORD takes away! And in the grand scheme of things, this is not even a blip on the "rough situation" radar. Sure it's a sucker-punch of disappointment, but what do we have to worry about? Did this catch God by surprise? Will the un-selling of the house make God any less capable of providing for exactly what we need (and even WANT)? We have been prayerful through this whole situation to a God who answers prayer, and sometimes His answer is "No." Praise STILL be to God!!

"Blogger" Defined

2007-09-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

If you are an avid reader of the infamous "blogger buddies" (which include, but are not limited to: Classic Mama, The Campbell Corner, Promises Fulfilled, to name only a VERY few) you know that blogging is extremely important for relationship building, encouragement, and just plain having fun. But what of those who only post once or twice a week...I mean month...wait, a LIFETIME?? Do they actually deserve the tag "Blogger?"

And by "they" I mean "me."

For the M.I.A. (Moms in Action)

2007-09-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

As my very first post, I am uploading a video that I was asked to put together for the Moms In Action group at the church. I hope it meets your approval (you know who you are!)