Month: February 2007

No more ranting

My last post didn’t go off so well, so I’m doing another quickie here to push the last one down the page. It’s beautiful out today, but pretty cold. 32 right now, the weather says. We’re supposed to get some snow tomorrow. Of course we were supposed to get some snow the last few days. Salt Lake City got about 8 inches. We got barely a skiff. We’ll see how this next one goes.

I think the sicknesses are on the downward slope now. We’ll probably get out and look at some more homes this coming weekend. The girls are looking forward to it, I’m sure.

Warning: Long-winded rant ahead

Well here I am again. It’s way passed when I should be in bed. My fever is undoubtedly at least at 106 by now. But I can’t sleep. And, so, since I’m so philosophic, I need to write.

Tonight we watched a news program about ABC anchor Bob Woodward, who was reporting in Iraq when his Humvee was blown up. It nearly killed him. The descriptions of his condition were amazing. They literally removed nearly half of his skull so that his brain could have the room it needed to swell and repair itself again. Miraculously, he’s walking, talking, smiling, and loving life. Now, of course, he has found his life’s mission: be a voice for the so many soldiers who have come back home with brain injuries.

As you might have guessed, my rant tonight focuses on the costs of war. I like to look at things in an economic perspective sometimes. Americans understand economics, right? Err, maybe not. Americans understand that if you don’t have the money for something, you don’t buy it. Hmm, wrong again I’m afraid. Well I think they do understand this: if you stop paying your mortgage, you’ll eventually be foreclosed. If you don’t pay your car loan, you no longer have a car. If you don’t pay your 55% loan from Quickie Kash or wherever, Tony Soprano himself will probably hunt you down and break your kneecaps. Those things are just reality.

I believe that everything and everyone has their price. I know, a highly immoral thing to say, but we are humans afterall. Let’s take my current situation. We just moved up here to Utah. Saturday we went out looking at some homes. Some very beautiful, big, expensive homes. Do I think it’s the “right thing to do” to buy one? Do I think that we will be blessed by buying one? I don’t know. But I know that the Lord blesses you when you follow him. I also know that the cost of the homes is just too high, no matter how “right” they might feel when we’re standing in them.

So it is, I believe with the current situation in Iraq. Many leaders boldly proclaim that we will pay any price, bear any burden, blah blah blah. It’s a bunch of nonsense. The cost (price) has become too high. The human cost, the emotional, physical, psychological, and, of course, economic costs are too great. Is the mission noble? Absolutely. The people that are sent there are incredible people who never get the appreciation, respect, and gratitude that they deserve. It’s almost like the whole situation over there has become the 900lb gorilla in the room that no one wants to acknowledge. If you look at pure dollars that are being spent, it’s absurd.

Back in the states here we are literally being invaded by those from other countries seeking “better lives.” While I can sympathize with their plights, I have no compassion for their lawlessness. The drain on local and national economies, health care systems, school systems, and everything else, is just too great. There are those that will claim that “the white man” did the same thing when the colonized the west. Well, maybe you’re right. If that’s the case, go see if you can find someone that will sell you back the Louisiana territory for 4 cents an acre or whatever it was. Go build up an army and at least be up front about what you’re doing: invading this country. Until you do those things, just shut up and realize you broke the law.

I heard a story tonight about a guy in Dallas who goes down to the airport every single day to welcome any troops who might be coming home that day. He and some friends have pompoms, cookies, and all sorts of other stuff. I admire people like that. I admire the people he’s welcoming home. But I think that enough’s enough. The cost is too great. The US Government has foreclosed on itself millions of times (figuratively, of course). Now today (and tomorrow in the east) we’ve seen the beginning of a long overdue correction in the equity markets. The data is a little scary. No, I don’t have tin foil on my head, but I am a realist. And I think it’s high time that resources stop flowing overseas and stay here at home.

I’m sure that many will disagree with me. That’s fine. I welcome it. I think that civil discourse and discussion is something that unfortunately has been lost in the current world scene. It’s turned into more of something I might catch my 2 year-old saying: I got the pink cup, you got the green, nanner nanner. I think most of government is a bunch of pansies that have interest groups so far in their pockets they don’t know which way is up.

Perhaps some will look at current world events and relate them to biblical prophecy or whatever. If you think Providence has a hand in things (as I do), then let Providence have a hand in things. Just because the United States is playing a certain role in the middle east does not mean that that is what Providence would have done. What does it say in Daniel? Something about a stone rolling down the mountain and it can’t be stopped? Well guess what? Even the United States can’t build something big and bad enough to blow that stone up. And, if you don’t think that Providence plays a role, then you’ll probably agree with me anyway.

So what do I do from here? I have no idea, really. But I think it was therapeutic for me to write this, and now I’m able to go to bed.

Diagnosis: Pathetic

Well I found myself today shivering in the fetal position wrapped in 3 blankets, wearing the heaviest wool sweater a Phoenician has ever even considered, when I realized I should probably go see the doctor so he could let me have it. I drove over to the “InstaCare” center closeby. Luckily there were only a few people there ahead of me. By the time I was seen, there were about 5 or 6 guys around my age, all sounding and looking pathetic. I went back to the doctor and here are the diagnoses:

Doctor’s diagnosis: 103 temp, serious flu. He told me I should be expecting to “feel pathetic” for a about a week. And it started about Friday of last week, so hopefully 7 days is it.

Julie’s diagnosis (and this is a direct quote): “You’re just plain pathetic.”

I love my wife dearly. She can call me pathetic anytime she wants as long as she lets me feel pathetic every once in a while. I don’t think I’ve ever been this sick before.

Abigail and Grace both had something similar last week, so I probably got it from them. Grace still has quite the runny nose. She’s licked and wiped her upper lip so much that she has a red moustache from the chaffing. We told her that we were going to take a picture of her, but she thought we were making fun of her. You’ll just have to imagine.

Lucy started feeling sick probably Sunday afternoon. She has this thing about throwing up. We used to ask her if she needed to “spit” because that’s the only way she really understood it. So we’re trying to transition from “spit” to “throw up” (much classier, I know, but what do you say?). Anyway, she tells us about 4 times a day that she needs to throw up. She’ll go in the bathroom in front of the toilet, open her mouth, and expect something to happen. If she didn’t look so pathetic, it might be pretty funny.

Gwenyth is as cute as can be. Julie goes crazy about the little ones at 10-11 months, so she can’t get enough of her. She’s starting to clap her hands and wave bye. She is pretty cute, I must admit. It’s dangerous at this age, because it makes Julie want more . . .

So if any of you have contacted me and I haven’t yet responded, please know that it’s par for the course: I’m pathetic. Yes, Michael, you’re right. There is no one waiting for a response. But it helps me feel important.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Abraham Lincoln (I am profound, thank you): “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.”

The Gumboo Part 2

Now I’ve got the junk. I started feeling it this morning when i worke up. I think that the 30 degree drop in temperature probably had something to do with it. We kept hearing about all the snow that was falling all around Salt Lake City, but we got barely a skiff. It’s amazing how localized the heavy snow can be. I tried to tough the fever out, but by about 3pm today I could hardly look straight, so I came home and slept for a while. I feel a little better now. Hopefully we’ll be well enough to go work in the nursery for the first time this Sunday. Or maybe I’ll still be sick . . .

Abby was home from school Tuesday through Thursday. Grace was out Tuesday and Thursday. They were both back at school today, so hopefully things are getting better for them. Julie has been out shopping for stuff every day. She got some fancy clothes and lamps. Now she tells me I just need to find her a house to put her new lamps in. Speaking of homes, we’re still wondering what in the world to do with the situation. We’ve got a few ideas, but nothing solid yet. We’re happy and comfortable where we are now, so it’s not too bad. And I don’t really want to pull the girls out of school.

Among the 6 episodes of Oprah that were watched tonight, Julie heard a memorable quote from a movie called “Little Miss Sunshine.” She tells me it’s a little too appropo for her lovely husband: “Sarcasm is the refuge of losers.” I’m not quite sure how to take that just yet.