Fun Stuff

Yes, Kellie, I copied your entry! I just thought it was fun!

1. Started your own blog (I was tempted to leave it regular :-) )
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (It's hard to walk around with a piano around your neck.)
4. Visited Hawaii (I hope soon!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (World)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Just the base)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch-hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Read Gone with the Wind
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (One day...one day)
29. Seen a total eclipse (Only a partial)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (Hahahahahahahahahaha)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. (WOWWOWOWOWOWOW)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (not necessarily filthy rich)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (Several funny times, actually!)
47. Had your portrait painted (I'm including caricatures)
48. Gone deep sea fishing (I was really out there to see birds and did get seasick)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (One of my dreams)
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (Lumpfish, but hey, it was still caviar!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Swam in the Mediterranean Sea
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (Chipped, actually)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (Does outside count?)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Have a blessed day!

Help Is Here

Well, my help arrived today. It wasn't the help I was expecting, but I am still glad to see it arrive. The person I wanted to have help me changed his mind because he would have ended up taking a pay cut to come help me. Unbeknown to me, he was already working in the assistant manager position and with that pay level's bonus setup, he actually makes more than a regular "Joe" behind the counter. Since that plan fell through, the feelers were sent out again and a young man was found at another Raleigh location. He started this morning and I think he was a bit overwhelmed. But at the end of the day, I think he will be fine. He was catching on pretty quickly and I am sure that by the end of the week, he will fit right in.

Today was very busy because it was Monday and people always save up their "problems" from the weekend for Monday morning. But in addition to that normalcy, training the new guy kept me busy with an extra load. I worked late tonight and still didn't get all of the tasks done so there is a pile already waiting for me for Tuesday morning. It will soon become easier when my helper's computer and phone are set up. There will also be some rearranging of the cubicle space to accommodate him. I hope we will soon be able to get into a smooth working relationship!

This past weekend was a boom for my Project Feeder Watch data collecting. I ended up with a total of 24 species of birds seen at my feeders over the course of the weekend. The cream of the crop was when Brittany and Bob came to the suet at the same time! Yes, folks! Brittany is back!!! And this time, she bought her beau. It's easy to tell them apart when they are together because Bob is smaller (as all male hawks are). But when it's only one or the other grabbing some fat, it's not so easy to know which one it is. I am so glad that she has made a return visit. It's not everyone that has a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) come eat from their deck for two years in a row!

Until next time, have a blessed day!

Color

Colors are beautiful, captivating, and engaging. They enrich our world and make it a more pleasant place in which to live, breathe, work, and play. While I can and do appreciate something in black and white, I much prefer to have colors flowing freely through my world. Life without them would be dull, listless, and boring.

However, one set of colors that has always been and will always be contentious is the color of human beings. I am not really sure of the reason why, but I believe that it has to do with superiority and the clash of cultures. When God confounded the languages at the tower of Babel, everyone was the same color. Since they couldn’t understand each other, the different groups of people went their separate ways and colonized the rest of the earth. Over time, genes died out in some populations but survived in others. This genetic differentiation produced the wide array of skin colors that is now found in the human population. Skin color is as simple as this—genetic adaptation to a particular environment.

Culture and language are very closely tied together. They are so intertwined with each other as to be like two sides of the same coin. When two cultures meet, each one naturally believes his way to be the correct way. This belief has led to some violent clashes throughout history and the repercussions of these misunderstandings still reverberate in today’s times. Also, different cultures have thought of other cultures as backward, slow, or dimwitted. What they failed to see is the intelligence shown by the other culture in working towards the same goals as them but in a different manner. No one culture is superior to another.

With the onset of evolutionary thinking and propagandizing, along with lingering bitterness and anger, this concept of “our way” versus “their way” gradually changed into more sinister ideologies. The concept of race, as we know it today, was formed from those ideas. Races are defined mainly by the color of a people’s skin. When that idea became firmly entrenched in people’s mind, any person of color was seen as being less than human and could thus be treated accordingly. Sadly, most people that would never actively condone such actions passively stand by and do nothing because “that’s the way it’s always been”. Why should they change the way they view life even if it’s not the right way??

When something or someone comes along to challenge their view of life, these same people tend to get angry and lash out at the person or persons responsible. One of the most visible lightening rods of the 20^th century was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While he was far from perfect, I admire him for taking a stand against prejudice and injustice based on the color of one’s skin. I am not going to debate nor discuss his whole life here, but one thing that has always stood out to me about his life was from his “I Have a Dream” speech.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."…

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be

judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. (Emphasis mine)

Is there any wonder that he was well thought of by blacks during those tumultuous times? He was daring to say publicly what they had felt and dreamed of for years. He was voicing their anguish and pain from years of injustice and hate. I would certainly look up to someone that was trying to help me get out of such deep pits of despair.

The world has come a long way from the days when people of color were looked down upon. I’m not saying that those ideas have totally disappeared. The work is still in progress. Sadly, even people of color have feelings of hate towards others of different skin tones. Therefore, we must all continue to strive towards the goal of judging a person by his character and using that as the basis for fellowship over the color of his skin.

Have a colorless day!

Help On The Way!

Well, this past week, Kansas City, MO, was added to the fray. It is now getting harder to figure out what exactly I am supposed to do because I am finding that each warehouse is not the same as Raleigh (I expected each DC to be run basically the same!). Not only am I having to learn new customers and vendor numbers, etc., I am also having to learn how the new customers expect things to be done. Many of them are not happy about such a big change. I hope they will be patient with me because I am piloting this plane and learning to fly at the same time!

Thankfully, the powers-that-be have seen my dilemma and have come to the rescue. My manager told me last week that they are looking for some help for me. I immediately thought about a person I used to work with in the store and suggested him for the position. My manager told me that he couldn't pursue him outright, but that I could talk to him. Therefore, I called him and asked him if he was interested. He definitely was! He immediately called my manager to let him know he was interested. As time progressed, other people's names came up and I had to make sure that my idea was not abandoned. I called him back and told him if he really wanted it, he would have to fight for it.

Well, as things turned out, I didn't have to worry too much. They went to talk to him Friday afternoon and as soon as the manager of his store can fill his position, he will be coming on board to help me! YEE HAA!! Now I have to rearrange my office cubicle and accommodate him. It will be tight, but I will be able to adjust. The first few days will be busy because I have to teach him and show him the ropes in addition to the regular customer service.

Brittany still hasn't shown up for the suet. I guess she doesn't need us anymore. I am a bit bummed because it was exciting to see a hawk eating from the deck. Maybe she will return one day! With all the cooler weather, the birds have been keeping close to the feeders. They don't have to search for food when it's provided in nice containers for them. It was a busy weekend in the backyard with all the consuming and flying around. I even had two Eastern Towhees (Pipilo erythophthalmus) at the same time!!

Have a blessed day!

Worthy

According to Webster’s Dictionary, worthy means “having value, meritorious, honorable”. We use this word when someone has achieved something of worth and is deserving of the honor and praise or when we bestow honor upon some thing for its intrinsic value or the value we give it.

But when I think about what true worth is and what is deserving of the adjective being attributed to it, nothing of this earth comes to mind. Everything that mankind does is done for self and is never done with a pure heart. There is no man anywhere that is worthy for praise or glory. As John says in Revelation 5: 3-4, “And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.”

But, thank God, there is Someone worthy. Jesus Christ Himself. Verses 9-12 of Revelation 5 tell us, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”
A song by the Gaither Vocal Band comes to mind when I consider the worthiness of our Lord. It’s a heart-stirring song that I can hear over and over. It's entitled "Worthy The Lamb".

Here the cries of the shackled
From the onset of time.
For the chains of defeat, there’s no key.
See the tears of the broken,
The cries of the slaves.
Is there no one worthy to set us free?

Then the crying is stilled
As the chorus rings out;
The shackled released from their chains.
And thousands of voices are swelling the song
Worthy the Lamb that was slain!

Then all the archangels,
The saints of all time,
Holding their crowns in the hands,
Fall down before Him,
Joining the song,
Worthy! Worthy the Lamb!
Worthy! Worthy!
Worthy the Lamb that was slain!
Worthy! Worth!
Worthy the Lamb that was slain!

Praise Him! Praise Him!
Praise the Lamb that was slain!
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Praise the Lamb that was slain!
Praise the Lamb that was slain!

I for one am looking forward to casting my crowns at His feet and shouting, “Worthy is the Lamb!”

Have a blessed day!

Consolidation Revisited

Today, a second DC was added to the mix and it was very obvious. In addition to Raleigh customers, we now have Lexington, KY, and Baton Rouge, LA, customers to service and more are on the way. January isn’t a terribly busy month for the auto parts industry but today I felt like it was mid-July and the computer system was down. Every time I turned around, my phone was ringing or someone was handing me an order or a piece of paper with a question or a part number to confirm.

I knew this was coming and thought I was prepared, but what will I do when the busy season begins and we have all 11 DCs? And it’s not only me. The ladies that will answer most of the calls will be inundated all day long. And some of the customers will undoubtedly become frustrated with all the new changes. Some customers are a challenge to deal with when everything’s normal, let alone when they become frustrated!! I certainly hope that the growing (or should I say shrinking?) pains for this consolidation will be short and relatively painless. If not, we will all be in for a time of controlled chaos.

On a saner note, this past weekend’s Project Feeder Watch was wonderful. My feeder area looked like a miniature RDU. I was delighted to see all of the different species come feed from them. The highlight of the count was the two Brown-headed Nuthatches (Sitta pusilla) that visited. They are some of the most acrobatic birds I have ever seen and it was fun watching them fly in at top speed, twist around in midair and grasp the edge of the feeder roof with their feet in order to look back on the flight path, and then drop down headfirst onto the feeder floor to grab a morsel before taking off again. There was also the occasional squabble if both arrived at the same time. They make for a fun watch.

Well, until the next DC comes aboard, here’s to hoping for calmer days ahead.

Have a blessed day!

Mmmm Mmmm Good

Tonight was a night out for the Franks' family. We were invited to dine in a most exclusive establishment called Chez Fowler. We were especially honored to be invited for this particular night because making her head chef debut was none other than Miss Mikayla Fowler. She was excited about her first "solo" performance and the dining hall was only open for her special guests.

Upon arrival, we were shooed into the den so as not to spoil the surprise. We didn't have to wait long before the dinner gong sounded (Kellie called us to the table) and we were treated to a most splendid setting of plates filled with Mexican omelettes, grits, and turkey bacon. The meal was rather delicious and after finishing the pleasant meal (complete with Il Divo background music no less!), we retired to the den for coffee and chocolate chess pie while watching a movie. It was a fun time had by all.

It did my heart good to see the excitement in Mikayla's eyes tonight. She was looking forward to her first meal and she did a wonderful job (with some help from her sous-chef!). I hope that she continues to want to learn the joy of cooking for others and that she will see that it offers great rewards, not only in satisifying the physical appetite, but also in giving people pleasure as they enjoy her food.

I am ready for my next invitation!!!

Have a blessed day!