OEA's - gotta love um

In life I think we each have our different things that bring us an odd sense of joy. You know, those things that for some is boarder line torture but to others it’s euphoric. For example, the grandma who simple loves crossword puzzle, or like my own grandma 5000 piece puzzles; putting together a 5000 piece puzzle would kill me, I’d get tired, and end up forcing pieces in and ending up with a new rendition of Picasso’s art. Another example is the guy who just can’t get enough time sitting in the middle of the woods, boarder line freezing to death all for the hope of that “Golden Buck” walking in front of his line of sight. In the south it’s guys working hours on their truck so they can go mud bogging, up North it’s guys waxen skis so they can fall off the side of a mountain just a few seconds faster.

For my wife it’s scrap booking, working in the garden and running. All of these things she excels at. She’s very creative with her scrap booking and I enjoy being able to relive the past with her. She’s also wonderful with plants, she can make what I think is a dead stick bloom into a beautiful rose. She’s very tender and loving with her plants; just a word of advice, as you guys visit the house watch were you step, that so call blade of grass my really be a soon-to-be flower, and believe me she knows where their at. She’s also a good runner. Much more dedicated then I am, she seems to simply enjoy the freedom she feels, for me I simply feel the pain of my body screaming “Matt you weigh 250 pounds what in the world are you trying to do to me.” I really love my wife, over the last day I’ve been reminded of how wonderful she is and how deeply blessed I am to share life with her.

And now it’s time for me to share with you my odd euphoric activities (OEA). I think I have a couple. One being a good cup of coffee while sitting in a favorite chair in a peaceful environment, if there’s snow falling or a nice rain it makes it all that much nicer. Another one of my OEA’s is cutting grass or working with my chain saw. There’s something about knowing you’ve done a good days work. Is it the rush of testosterone you get as you man-handle a large oak, making it move as you desire, or the sense of pride you feel as you deeply inhale the smell of fresh cut grass with that slight hint of gas as you reflect on the beautifully trimmed yard, with parallel lines, nicely edge sidewalks, and blown drive way? My last OEA is road biking. This is a OEA from high school that over the last years I’d slipped away from, but over the past few months have rediscovered. This morning I went for a wonderful ride, cruising the roads feeling thankful for the ability to ride and also enjoying the amazing landscape that we live in here in PA.

Well, this blog has yet again became a rather length on, so to those who have finished reading, thanks, and I hope this weekend God blesses you with the chance to enjoy some of your OEA’s.

Just so people keep reading

Hey guys, or to whom ever is reading. Realized it's been a couple of days since a post, so thought I better leave something.

Life? It's been good, I'm coming out of a crappy mood spell, I had about three days where my mood would turn sour in a hurry and I hated it. But things are looking up.

Love? Yes, I'm still in love with my amazing wife. I hate that she is the one who 98% of the time gets to experience my crappy moods, I love her greatly, she's wonderfully graceous and patient.

Work? Last night at Saturate we had a great night, I just felt like everything went smoothly and that ultimatly God was very honored and pleased. Youth stuff is running smoothly and I'm looking forward to the events coming down the pike.

Well, that's about it,
Till next time

People amaze me, really they do

People amaze me, really. I mean think about us we are really weird, complex beings. I'm sitting at Panera right now, waiting on an order to be completed. I'm sitting so I can see the door, and so the manager can see me, get my food and hit the road. While I'm waiting I'm watching people. There's a girl to my right, probable 25? Maybe a little older, and with her is a younger girl, 12 maybe younger. Are they sisters? Mom and daughter? Friends? Who are they waiting for? Why Panera? Who knows?

There's also a woman to my left, at the table next to me. We are about three feet apart, but I'm not said a word to her. To be honest I've tried to avoid eye contact cause once they made you have to engage in a conversion, if not you just look like you're checking her out and I'm definitely not doing that, trust me, I'm happily married. But anyway back to observing. Why is she sitting here? Who's she waiting for? She's made several calls, who is she talking to? I can see an older couple sitting about 15 feet away. He and I've made I eye contact a couple of times. Do you think He knows I'm writing about him? Ok, now he's staring at me, kinda weird. Is that his wife he's eating with? If so, how long have they been married? Happy?

Here's another couple. They just walked in. They are dressed really sharp, must be coming from church. Here a question, why do we dress so formal for church, He really looks funny removed from all the other "church goers." I wonder if people sit at restaurants on a Sunday and peg the "Church people." I wonder if we stick out like a sore thumb. I'm in a suit and tie, hey look at me, hey I'm a church man, God loves me, I'm perfect. That comment was probably judgmental, sorry.

Back to the second girl, she just met a group of other young ladies. “Order for crying out load.” They’re just standing in the doorway getting caught up on life as 20 people are squeezing their why by them.

Ok, to a deeper thought. People, we are all the same yet incredibly different. We all seem to have similar problems, yet each one is unique for each. Where do people find security? Peace? Comfort? Meaning? Well, the food is done and I'm now off to a High School Leaders Lunch, sorry about rambling and possibly not making much since.

in with the baby out with the excursion

well, today Pearl and I are back in the office. This weekend was a mad dash to Georgia and back. We left Friday at 6pm drove through the night, arrive around 7am and then was off to see the new baby. We were with family till 10ish that night then crashed. Spent Sunday loading up a uhaul, somemore time with family, then Monday morning headed back to the north.

It was a great time, I really loved seeing Mom and Dad. And Gabe, my new nephew is absolutly amazing. Pearl and I were able to have some good times riding together. We realized we have been to something like 27 states together, before we die we'll hopefully hit all 50, who knows?

Also we drove the largest SUV in the world down, an Excursion. Once there we hook up to a 12' uhual trailer. We had to be something like 40' long.

Well, here a quick blog reflecting a quick weekend.

we're having a baby ...

Well, we as in Pearl and I are not, but literally at any moment, with in the next 10 hours my sister will make me an uncle.

Now the Uncle’s role is important, and I feel like society has not given the uncle the amount of honor and recognition that is really needed. I mean, I know I didn't help make the baby, that would move me from the uncle role to the dad role and those roles must not combine, and I know I didn't carry the baby for 9 months, that would just not be natural, and I know I'm not responsible for either the mom or dad being on this plant, that's the grandparents role, but the uncle is still important and here is why. I was the one who picked on this future mom for the last 22 years, where would she be today with out having an annoying brother? I was the one who was forced to tag along on her dates in high school, I was the one who stood guard at the wedding giving my nod of approval as her and this outsider man married, I was the one who, well ... I guess my role is limited to the annoying baby brother, the pestering date tag alone, and the groomsman at the wedding. So the moral of all this rambling is that I'm sooo excited for my big sis who is becoming a Mom today, and I'm so thankful that she has an amazing husband to share her life and this new life with.