Ya just wonder about some folks

We have been making some changes in the fleet on the farm this winter.  Bought a couple bigger semi trailers, sold the little semi tractor, upgraded a pickup, sold the Jeep, sold a 10 wheeler, traded a 10 wheeler for a semi tractor then bought its twin brother. It's getting so the girls at the Drivers License office know me on sight.

Anyway, we decided to sell the old Chevy flatbed truck

Since we got the Ford 550

we just have not used it.

Listed it on AgTalk and Craig's List. A young man from around Carbondale called interested in it.  Wouldn't be able to come until Saturday.  We had a couple things going on Saturday but I made sure I was available if he was willing to drive over 3 hours to get here.

He pulls in with (I assume) his Mom and Grandmother.  They all climb in the white beast and go for a drive.  He comes back in the shop grinning like a cat in a mouse factory. "I want it ... but I have to sell mine first.  I'll be in touch."

I retained my composure and didn't say what I was thinking:

"You !@##$$! You dragged 2 ladies  3 1/2 hours one way on a Saturday to look at a truck that you knew when you left home you were not going to buy today even if it were exactly what you wanted!"

Ya just wonder about some folks.

Cornelius Bumpus

ring   ...  ring  ...

Hello?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!

GRANDPA ?  !!!

Cornelius Bumpus

Born 4:30 AM

February 20, 2012

9 pounds 8 ounces

20 1/2 inches long

On Grandpa's Birthday

..."just ain't right in the head"

I have come to a conclusion:  Anyone who volunteers to be on a pulpit search committee "just ain't right in the head".  Besides being on the committee, I agreed to handle the correspondence.  Having applied for jobs in the past I decided some basic common courtesy was required.  Everyone who submits a resume gets an acknowledgment within 24 hours.  Same for any email sent to us.

It amazes me the response that gets.  This one floored me:

 Thanks so much.  You probably don't have any idea, but many (well, most really) churches looking for a minister NEVER respond.  That you emailed me the same day -- oh my, I am deeply indebted.

 I've spent several evenings writing letters. OK, email, but it is the same thing in my head. I've sent questions, answered questions, gotten to know some of these guys I think as well as you can without meeting them.  And we have met with 3 so far before getting down to the final group.

These are the hardest to write.  I haven't counted but all totaled I have written over 30 saying:

One of my frustrations going into this is I knew at some point I would be writing to all but one applicant expressing regret but saying no.  And knowing I will have to say that to some very good men. We have been working to narrow down our list of candidates. We have had nearly 45 express interest or send a resume. We have narrowed our list down to five guys.

It really hurts me to say you are not one of them.

Some much more than others.  There are a couple preachers I have known for years, both over 5 years, that applied.  We had a guy who, when I wrote and asked why now replied the church he was at couldn't afford to pay his salary and his girls had to eat.  I also found out his wife decided she didn't want to be married to a preacher and left him and the girls.

Most everyone says "You need to run background checks"

"OK, how?"

" I don't know, but you really need to do it."

I found a couple places that will do it.  One has a 13 page contract for services we have to sign.  The applicant has to fill out and sign a 4 page release form.

The other looks more user friendly.  Group Publishing (they do a lot of Sunday School and VBS material) has a division doing that.  It looks more like what a church needs.

We're making important decisions based on limited information.  You think deciding to borrow a half million dollars to buy farm ground keeps you up at night?  Try this.  Speaking of which, I think I'll try and get some sleep.  I'll schedule this to post in the morning and maybe I'll add or change it before than.

Later Y'all

I should have known better

Were you ever in a place that seems determined to run off business?. After I stopped by the FSA office the other day I had to go to Terre Haute.  I should have gotten a can of pop in their break room, but I decided to stop at the TravelMart by the interstate.

I should have known better.

First you pull in to see this sign

OK, 2 signs.  One saying trucks HAVE to go around the building this way. The person who put the sign up is obviously not a NASAR fan because you are circling backwards.  It just ain't natural.  Then there is the 5MPH sign.  Ever try and run a semi 5 MPH?  Or most any stick shift car for that matter?  You circle the building to find this nice big parking lot .... blocked off with railroad ties.

The clear area in front is the access to the fuel pumps.  I wasn't in a big truck, but I do have a couple.  And I have spent a lot of time in trucks.  So it makes me wonder where do you park a truck anyway?

And as you leave you have to dodge these !@#$!@$!%%^^! truck tires stacked in the middle of the driveway

Oh, and gas was about 20 cents higher than in MARTINSVILLE!

I didn't take any pictures inside.  But there are signs like WIPE YOUR FEET! and RESTROOMS FOR PAYING CUSTOMERS ONLY!

I almost commented to the gal at the cash register, but I decided what I was being tempted to say was not a good Christian witness. But I should have know better than to stop there anyway.  I've been there before.  This is where I went to back out of a parking space and as I turned ran the front of the Dodge over a truck tire placed over a hole in the lot and tore my front license plate off.  That was after getting !#$$@% about the condition of the restroom.

It's like these guys are trying to give me a reason NOT to stop there.  Next time I'll just drive back downtown and see Old Dad.  At least he is glad to see me.

Spring has sprung, Fall has fell, Winter's here and ....

...  Wanda, you got your snow.  Happy now?

One of the places we seem to frequent more than normal this year is the West Union Cafe.

People tend to develop habits. You know that someone will probably be there mid afternoon or certain evenings.

 And you discover you have become predictable when you stop mid afternoon to catch a landlord drinking coffee and Heather asks if we're coming in tonight like usual?

By the way, I saw her one day with her hair down and almost didn't know her. 

Or you set down and Savannah brings you unsweetened tea without asking.

 BTW look closely over Heather's shoulder on the wall.  Yes, that is a picture of Dad

Kaycee asked for a picture of him for the memory wall she wants to make.

 

And on the way out don't forget to look at the bulletin board to find important information.

It's a good place to eat.

And if you're a regular you can narrow down when I was there to within 2 hours and one of two days.

(They put the salad bar out after 2 PM on Fridays and Saturdays)

I'm both overjoyed and heartbroken ....

 

One of the most difficult things I ever did was leave Johnson City, Tennessee and head for Illinois, leaving my little girl on the campus of Milligan College. Milligan is a good college, but it was 500 miles from home and my little girl wasn't old enough or ready for it, regardless of what the calendar said.

To be honest, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive Milligan College. Because my little girl thrived in its environment. She loved the mountains. She grew into a beautiful, well educated, big hearted, young woman. And she stayed in east Tennessee.

It has always been interesting visiting Jill. She has friends with names I recognize. For instance one time when were here she took us to dinner with some of her friends at Jim's house. I am familiar with his work, but when he writes for Christian Standard magazine he uses his full name.

She bounced around several jobs. Not necessarily “normal” jobs. Things live working with an adoption agency finding families and homes for kids. Eventually she ended up working for East Tennessee State University as a grant manager, responsible for … well, I'm not not going to try and explain because I'm not sure I fully understand it. I'm just proud of her for what she does.

A couple weeks ago she got her Masters degree from ETSU. This weekend we returned to Johnson City for a very different reason. I'm both overjoyed and heartbroken. Because we came back to Hopwood Church, on the campus of Milligan College, for Jill's wedding.

 I'm overjoyed because Jill has married a very special guy, one I am convinced God was grooming just for her. I'm heartbroken because he lives in the mountains of North Carolina.

So in the morning we will head north, although it will be a little different than 15 or so years ago. Because we're probably leaving Johnson City for the last time. We won't have much of a reason to come here again. Jill will be in the mountains of North Carolina. And while I will be heartbroken to leave my little girl behind, this time I'll be leaving her in the care of a great guy.

'Course, he still isn't nearly good enough for my little girl.

My First Responder class is progressing slowly.  One of the reasons it was moved from West Union to Robinson was because the instructor was on duty or on call there.  So we are meeting at the ambulance base.  But when the instructor has a run the class gets cancelled, so we are going long on the schedule. 

Some of the "clinical activities" really frustrate me.  I guess too many years of holding vibrating steering wheels and wrench twisting and beating on things.

 

My fingers just don't have the  sensitivity to find a pulse.  I just don't feel it. 

I had trouble taking blood pressure, too.  I was looking on Amazon and found a Sphygmomanometer (run THAT through your spell check) and stethoscope set that wasn't too expensive so I splurged and bought them so I could practice. Marge would like the color...

I don't think I'll make it as a Doctor ... or Nurse ... or Paramedic.  Because I put the cuff on my arm and pumped and listened and released and I just don't hear the sounds well enough to check blood pressure.    That or I'm dead.   But at least as a First Responder instead of an EMT I may not need that ability very much.

I'm making a First Response kit for my truck.  You can buy one for $100 or so, but I decided I could build one that suited my needs better for less.  But what do I put everything in?  I can uy a genuine First Responder bag for $35 or more .. or go to Walmart and buy a 6 can cooler with a hard liner that will hold everything I need for $5.98.

Any guesses which I bought?

Now I just need to stock it.

Our latest chapter is Emergency Responder childbirth training

MORE information I hope I NEVER need

I think once this chapter is done all we need is CPR certification (or re-certification for most of us in class) and do our finals and we're finished.  The finals may finish me alright.