I have reached my BREAKING POINT!

Well, this is it. I've reached my breaking point. The lady in this video feels exactly like I do.

With one of the biggest snow storms of the season headed our way, I'm gearing up to shovel my driveway for what seems like the millionth time this winter. I'm also getting ready to plow the church parking lot and shovel the sidewalks. I recently saw a good teacher friend of mine. I asked him how things were going. He said he felt like he was fighting a losing battle. Shoveling manure (only he didn't use the word manure) against the tide was how he put it. I told him I was having the same struggles. I guess there has been a lot of shoveling going on this year.

Everybody say it with me. "WE LOVE WINTER!".

Weather Update

The most recent forecasts are calling for 6-12 inches of snow along with ice and sleet.

In like a lion indeed!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In like a lion...

Spring is almost here! Tomorrow is the last day of February and spring is only three weeks away! It won't be long until we see daffodils and tulips bursting out of the ground. Wait... what? The weekend weather forecast is calling for sleet, freezing rain, ice and snow? You're kidding, right? This is just a joke you're playing on winter-weary midwesterners, isn't it? It's not? DRAT!

The Cincinnati Enquirer describes the weekend weather forecast as follows:

"Prolonged storm with significant snow and ice headed our way". Don't you just love journalists? Talk about a sensationalized headline! Nothing like a prolonged storm with significant accumulation to kick off the month of March. They're not kidding when they say it comes in like a lion. I sure hope it goes out like a lamb the way it is supposed to.

I.... Love.... WINTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grammar

I'll make this short and simple. I want one of the items pictured below. The butchering of the English language is rampant and downright embarrassing these days. It's not difficult to know how to speak well. The biggest culprit? Laziness. I deal with kids every day who use the laziest speech you can imagine. Guess where they learned it? From their parents who also use lazy speech. Just like poverty, laziness is generational.

Winter Hazard

Winter is waning. For the first time in months the snow has completely melted and the ground is visible. The freezing and thawing snow and the salt has wreaked havoc on local roads. You don't have to drive around very much to figure what that means... POTHOLES! I'm driving very carefully these days and doing my level best to avoid potholes. I got new tires last month and potholes eat tires for lunch. I'll be darned if I'm going to ruin a brand new tire due to a pothole. Bottom line... the roads are a mess and municipalities do not have the funds for such extensive repairs. Yet another reason I love winter.

Nothing Worse

Parents say there's nothing worse than when your kids are sick. While that's partly true, I would also contend there's also nothing worse than when your grandkids are sick. We got word today that Elliott has some kind of virus and had a fever that spiked at 104. After some Tylenol and a trip to the doctor, his fever is down to 101 and his parents are waiting for the illness to run its course. His Momma said he isn't really acting any differently, he's just hot. That was good news. At least he doesn't seem to feel bad. Regardless, we are praying for a speedy recovery for our little guy.

Here's Elliott cuddling with his Momma as she prays for him. Very sweet!

Our first date

February 24th, 1989. 25 years ago today Tami and I had our first date. It boggles my mind to think we have been together for 25 years. In many ways it just doesn't seem possible. It's as if our days of dating were last month, but a check of the calendar indicates it certainly has been 25 glorious, wonderful years.

We met in college. I had admired her from a distance for quite some time (Tami says I stalked her, I say I admired her from afar). Either way, I was too shy to approach her and she had no idea I was even alive. I knew she was out of my league and I don't think she was in the market for a boyfriend. I thought things would remain that way until one day we ended up in a class together. As luck would have it, we wound up being two people in a larger group who gathered in a lounge to study and chat before that class. It was in that environment that we kind of got to know each other (but just barely). I was smitten with her, but was too scared to act on those feelings. I guess she got tired of waiting because she eventually asked ME out. How lame is that? I was such a chicken! The funny thing was, I didn't even realize she was asking me out. She wanted to know if I wanted to come over to her house to watch some movies (I didn't know at the time she had a child at home to care for). I already had plans for that evening so I politely declined. It wasn't until an hour later on my drive home that I realized she was actually asking me on a date. DUH! I couldn't believe it. A golden opportunity and I blew it! Somehow I found her phone number and called her. I explained I really was busy that night, but asked about the following weekend. She was available and we set up that first date.

There's really not much to tell about that night. I arrived after Tami had already put Jessi to bed. We watched two really bad movies (she picked them out... haha!) Jessi had the chicken pox and woke up crying as we were watching the movies. We had some popcorn and chatted a little bit. That's about the extent of it. It's nothing earth shattering, but that's how it all began. Needless to say our subsequent dates were a little more eventful as we went out to restaurants and movies etc... It didn't take long before I realized I wasn't just dating my new girlfriend, but her 4 year old daughter as well. Most dates after that took us to the park, the zoo, Kids' movies and anything else we could do to keep Jessi entertained while we got to know each other better. It certainly wasn't a typical courtship, but it's our story and I wouldn't trade it or change it for anything. 25 years later here we are. Three children all grown or nearly grown and grandparents to boot.

God sure knew what He was doing when he brought the three of us together.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Little General

I forgot to mention yesterday that our babysitting duties on Friday and Saturday included the other Grandparents too. You'd think 4 well-seasoned parents (and grandparents) caring for a 6 year old a 7 month old would have an easy time, right? Well... yes and no. Yes, everything went very well and there were absolutely no problems, but no, it wasn't easy. It took the efforts of all 4 adults to ensure things went well.

During our fun babysitting adventure, I jokingly said I was going to start calling Elliott by the nickname of Napoleon. The Little General. It didn't take long for all 4 adults to realize who was in charge and calling ALL the shots. I'll give you a hint. Nobody calling the shots was over a year old.

I will say it again. We had SO MUCH FUN! Sveta was an absolute sweetheart and angel and Elliott was, well, running the show.

We're still tired today, but it was totally worth it!

The All Nighter

Last night Tami and I pulled an all nighter. No, we weren't studying for final exams. We were babysitting and spending the night with the grandchildren. We didn't really stay up all night, but it kind of felt like it. It's been a long time since we've gotten up in the middle of the night with a baby. To be honest, it was an absolute blast!

We got our sweet little Elliott to sleep about 7:30 and we thought he would be down for a good, long while. Nope! 35 minutes later he was awake and ready to par-tay! We played with him and had lots of fun (Sveta was watching the Olympics). Finally about 10:30 we got him to sleep again. He slept until 3:00 A.M. and then he woke up once more. Again he was ready to par-tay like a mad man. We played with him until about 3:45 and he went back down and slept until 7:00.

Elliott does not have a reputation for being a good sleeper and we were prepared for a very rough night. In reality it was a piece of cake. I know it's easy for me to say because I don't have to do it night in and night out. We are wiped out today and it's easy to see why God gave babies to young people.

We had a great Friday night and Saturday with the grandkids. Sveta was so sweet and was a big help with her little brother. Elliott was a laugh a minute. What a great start to the weekend. Now if you'll excuse me, I need a nap!

God's Ways

God's ways are not my ways. God's plan for my life is drastically different than my own plan. In my own way and my own plan, my Dad wouldn't have died at the age of 47. He would have lived to see his grandchildren and he would lived to enjoy his retirement running fishing charters on Lake Erie. God's plan took him from this earth before any of that could happen.

Why all this talk about my dad? Well, tomorrow would have been my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. It's so strange to think about that. In my memory, any 50th wedding anniversary celebration I ever attended was for really old people. My Mom does not fit that description and Dad has been gone for nearly 24 years. It just doesn't seem possible.

Thinking about what could have been for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary causes strange feelings. Dwelling on it is not healthy. Especially since it was God's plan for Mom to get remarried. Cliff is a great guy and has been a real blessing to our family. I miss my Dad, but I also love Cliff and I am so thankful to have him in our family. There are reasons for all these things happening, I just don't know what they are... and I'm not supposed to know. I don't understand it, but God's plan is perfect in every way. Whatever the reason, I know all things are done for His glory.

Soli' Deo Gloria!

No Time

Sorry for not posting today.

After a long day at work, I came home, changed clothes and went directly to church. Ice dams caused damage to a dropped ceiling and as a Deacon I was responsible for helping to replace it. After the repair work there was also clean up work to do.

Making a long story short... I got home late and I'm exhausted. Thanks for understanding, folks. See you tomorrow!

Time is strange

Time flies when you're having fun. One minute of sit-ups seems like an eternity. Close your eyes for 5 more minutes in the morning, an hour passes. Close your eyes for 5 minutes at work, one minute passes. Time is a strange thing. Our perception of time is even stranger. Time is constant. A week is seven days no matter how you slice it. It's never any longer or any shorter. But compare a weeklong vacation to a week of hard labor. The hard labor will seem like it never ends. The vacation will pass seemingly in the blink of an eye. When you're a kid, Christmas seems like it will never arrive. When you're an adult you can't believe Christmas arrived so quickly. "Christmas? Already? But it was just Thanksgiving!" You get the picture. Our perception of time is influenced by our circumstances. The graphic below refernces Europe, but I think it could just as easily apply to Cincinnati.

Melting!

Temperatures in the 40's today and tomorrow. Over 60° on Thursday. At long last the white death is slowly melting. Die white death! Die!

The calendar is charging hard into March and spring will soon make its triumphant return.
It's amazing how a few days of temperatures above freezing can improve a person's outlook on life. This seemingly endless winter is proving to be anything but endless. That light at the end of the tunnel? Yes. Yes, I see it now.

Break out the sunscreen!


I'm melting! I'm melting!

Perfect Timing

Just when you think you can't take another moment of winter. Just when you think the next snowflake may push you over the edge. Just when you think the next time you hear the words "Polar Vortex" you may jump out the window. Just when you think winter may drag into the 4th of July... something unexpected happens. Something that lets you know that no matter how bad things get, there will be always be relief. A sunrise after a dark night, a rainbow after a storm, a spring after the unrelenting, grueling grip of winter seems like it will never loosen its hold on me.

For me, that moment came last week. I walked through the door after a particularly hard day at work and Tami told me she had news that would make me feel better. I was pretty well beaten down and more than a little skeptical that she could make me feel better. I made guesses that involved my children or grandchildren. Being with them always cheers me up. That wasn't it. I asked if it involved food. A good meal always makes me feel better. That wasn't it either. After I'd exhausted all my guesses, I finally had to give up and let Tami tell me what it was that would make me feel better. She simply said, "How would you like to go on a cruise?". You'd think my first reaction would have been elation. It wasn't. Money is tight at the moment and a luxury vacation is not in the budget. So my first reaction was, "Yeah, right! Whatever!". I then asked how this would be possible. Tami showed me a letter that had come in the mail that day from Carnival Cruise Lines. It basically said we had been customers in the past and they wanted us back. In order to get us back they were offering us a free cruise. You would think I would be really happy now, right? Not so fast. My life experience has taught me if something sounds too good to be true... it usually is. Thinking this must be some sort of scam or at the very least a "bait and switch" sales tactic, I inspected the letter carefully for any small print that would reveal this letter to be a sham. I found nothing out of the ordinary. At this point my hopes were beginning to rise, but I was being cautious. I didn't want to be crushed by some hidden trick. I suggested we go right to the horse's mouth and call Carnival directly to confirm the validity of the offer. Tami called Carnival and sure enough the offer was legitimate. I was in disbelief! Nobody gives away free cruises, do they? Apparently they do. Ten minutes later, Tami and I were booked on a 5 day cruise out of Charleston, South Carolina to the Bahamas. We sail March 30th and return April 4th (my spring break). So it boils down to this... we have to pay the taxes (less than $200) and gas down there and back and the rest is on the house.

Just when we were at the end our ropes, we find out we will be in the tropics in less than 6 weeks. Somehow I feel like I can now handle whatever winter has left for us. I know it will be warmer in Cincinnati by then, but it won't be as warm as it will be in the Caribbean. I'm pretty sure Tami and I are still in shock and it won't seem real until we are on a cruise ship in March. Crazy. It's just crazy I tell you.

This is our ship. The Carnival Fantasy. It's the oldest ship in the fleet and quite small by modern cruise ship standards. But we don't care... it's plenty big for us and it's a FREE cruise.

Getting some rest

Whew! I need to go back to work so I can get some rest. The snowfall on Friday and Saturday nights kept me very busy. Not only did I work to dig out my own driveway, but I also spent a lot of time at church plowing the parking lot and shoveling the sidewalks. I did not do this alone. Several men from the church were a part of the effort. To save money, our church does not employ a company to clear the snow. Instead we use manpower from church volunteers. I'm not complaining. It is a pleasure to serve the church body in this way. In turn, maybe this small contribution can help the church use its money elsewhere (building repairs, missions etc...)

Old Man Winter has made sure to keep me busy this weekend. There's no rest for the wicked.

I also twisted my knee on a patch of ice... UGH!

Happy Birthday

We spent the day with the grandkids today. It was Sveta's 6th birthday party and we enjoyed our time with the Morton Family immensely! Lots of cute moments and a good time was had by all. Photos and details later.

In other unrelated news... It's supposed to snow again tonight. Oh joy!

Valentine's Day Massacre

Ok. So it's not really a massacre, but it certainly feels like it.

Forecasters said the snow storm has intensified and predictions for accumulation have been increased. We are now looking at 3-6 inches of snowfall by midnight. Another kick in the gut! Another trip to the driveway to shovel ourselves out. This winter has been absolute misery. Please. Make it stop!

Hope Springs Eternal

It's mid February and as I type this, the weather forecasters are calling for 2-5 more inches of snow today. It will start falling while I'm at school which means I will have a long and slippery commute home this afternoon. This winter will now enter the record books as one of the top 5 snowiest winters in Cincinnati history. And I don't believe for a moment this is Old Man Winter's last gasp. I truly believe he has even more winter to throw at us in the coming weeks.

Having said that, I get to hear one of my favorite phrases today. PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT! That's right, folks. The Cincinnati Reds start spring training today. Just hearing that brings a glimmer of hope to my winter-weary bones. This also means the baseball season is only about 6 weeks away. You all KNOW how much I love baseball (and with baseball comes warmer weather and spring).

It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the snow forecasted for today, but I know the light is there anyway. It's in situations like this I like to quote my grandma. She used to say, "It won't be as long as it has been". For many years I had no idea what that meant. I do now. There's more winter behind us than ahead of us. That's a good feeling. It won't be long before I hear the umpire shout, "PLAY BALL!"

Olympic Sweep

The secret is out and I don't believe there is any danger of spoiling anything at this point.

Nick Goepper won a bronze medal at the Sochi Olympics as part of an American sweep of the slopestyle skiing competition.

There were a lot of cool sights around Hidden Valley Lake today. As I drove into "The Valley", there was a large sign congratulating Nick on his bronze medal. You already saw the olympic rings of the dam. Someone also walked onto the frozen lake and carved a message in the snow covering the ice. It said, "USA. Go Nick!" and had the olympic rings. There were countless other handmade signs and messages on the electronic sign boards of area businesses. It was quite the exciting day here in little ol' Hidden Valley Lake.

Nick was favored to win the gold in this competition, but he came up short this time. I have a feeling he will be back though. At the tender age of 19, Nick will still be in his prime when the olympics roll around again in 4 years.

Thanks, Nick. You made the locals proud today!

Win one for the Goepper

Our small town here in middle America has been quite abuzz the last few weeks. Hidden Valley Lake (Lawrenceburg) resident, Nick Goepper just competed in the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Nick went to East Central High School (Michael and Abby's high school) and got his start at Perfect North Slopes where Michael used to work and where Abby currently works. Both Michael and Abby know Nick, but not real well.

Nick competed in the slopestyle ski event while we all slept on Wednesday night. His performance will air in the U.S. this evening on tape delay. Because of this delay I already know the results of the competition, but I will watch anyway. There are watch parties all over Lawrenceburg tonight, but I'll just be watching from home.

Even though I know the results, I will not be posting them here. I wouldn't want to spoil the fun for those who don't want to know ahead of time.

Here's Nick!

Here's the dam at Hidden Valley Lake. I like this! On another note... I think the date on somebody's digital camera needs to be adjusted. 2035? I don't think so.

Perfect North Slopes. Where it all began!

Chalkboard Paint

My very talented wife just completed another project. She painted the side of the kitchen island with chalkboard paint. She can now print messages and Bible verses on the surface. The picture below shows the view of the kitchen island as you enter the front door of my house. What a wonderful thing for friends and family to be greeted with Bible verses as they enter our home. It can also be used for birthday wishes, Christmas greetings and a multitude of other messages. The possibilities are endless. Here's Tami's first message:

Geography

You all know I am a Social Studies teacher. One component of the Social Studies curriculum is geography. Geography is one of my favorite subjects and that's why I enjoy Social Studies so much.

I have always loved maps. Since I was a young boy, I have always been able to sit and study any map for hours. It doesn't matter what kind of map it is, I love looking at it and digesting every detail. It's for this reason also that I seem to do really well on Geography questions in trivia games. I try not to be a Geography snob, but I must admit I find the general public's lack of even basic geography skills appalling. I think everybody should be able to locate any of the 50 states on a map, know the seven continents, the four oceans and major rivers and cities. The lack of basic geography knowledge has been the source of several funny family stories that are told still today. One such story occurred when we were playing Trivial Pursuit. I don't remember the specific question, but it started with, "What country.............". My sister-in-law's answer was Africa. AFRICA??????? Seriously?????? Africa?????? Africa is a continent, not a country. Sheesh!

 

I know everybody isn't a map junkie like me. The following map may look like a joke, but I'm telling you it's not. There are people out there with no earthly idea (no pun intended)where anything is located. I honestly have 6th graders who can't tell you what state they live in or what continent they live on. And believe me, It's not that it hasn't been taught. It most certainly has been taught... many times. It's not at all uncommon to ask a child what state he/she lives in and get answers like, Cincinnati or America. UGH!

Abby's New Room

Abby is growing up and recently expressed a desire to remodel her bedroom. Tami was up to the task and gave the room a complete makeover. She did every bit of the work and is becoming quite the interior decorator. Notice the before and after photos. From little girl childish decor to grown up sophisticated decor. What a transformation!

Before:

After:

Setting a record

As I type this, we are in the midst of the 7th snowiest winter in Cincinnati history. It's not going to take much more snow to put this winter in the top 5 and one more doozy could vault us into the top three behind only the winters of 77-78 and 76-77 (The top 2). With several weeks of winter remaining, a climb up that list is a very real possibility.

With more snow this past weekend and even more forecasted near the end of the week, I would not be astonished if I open my door one day to see this:

18 floors of Patriotism

It takes a lot to get me to post a video on this blog. However, I couldn't help myself with this one. At a Marriott in Louisville, Kentucky, 1000 high students were in town to participate in an event for the State Choir of Kentucky. Every night at curfew (11 P.M.), the students come out on their balconies and sing the National Anthem. It's just a beautiful sight (and sound). What a cool thing for these kids to do.

This video brought me to tears. Not just because a thousand high schoolers would do this, but mostly because I am in mourning for my nation and hearing the National Anthem causes me to cry. This once great nation is going down the dumper and I honestly don't see any lights at the end of any tunnels. I wish I had hope for the United States, but the truth is I really don't. Nothing ever seems to improve. This is not a Democrat -vs- Republican statement. It's a sad commentary on a nation attempting to totally remove God from every facet of its being. I'm sorry, folks. I know I'm being a downer, but I just can't seem to muster any optimism. I pray that I am wrong. There is one thing that is certain though. God is in control. The Lamb is on the throne.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Bieber

If you haven't heard of the the recent troubles of super-punk, Justin Bieber, you must have been living under a rock. I'm not here to outline all the garbage Justin Bieber has been doing lately. If you're interested, a quick internet search will yield more results than you could ever want. All I want to say is how thankful I am that Abby has never been one to latch onto pop culture. Thank goodness Abby was never a Justin Bieber fan, a Belieber if you will. As a Dad, I've never had to deal with a child who had a crush on some highly paid, no-talent, teenage heartthrob. My kids have never been to a teeny bopper concert and I am thrilled with that. I don't think my nerves could have handled the thumping music, gyrating teenagers and the screaming girls. I probably would have lost my mind... kind of like this poor guy.

American Birthday

My last post mentioned the two year anniversary of Sveta being in this country. We went to visit the grandkids today and took an ice cream cake to commemorate the occasion. Sveta's mommy dubbed today her "American Birthday". We put two candles on the ice cream cake and sang to her. She loved it.

On another note, Sveta's actual birthday is ten days from now. It's hard to believe she will be six years old. Time sure does fly! Our girl is growing up!

Homecoming Anniversary

February 8th, 2012. Two years ago today, Jessi and Barry landed at the Greater Cincinnati airport with our granddaughter, Sveta. It was the most joyous homecoming you could ever imagine. I will never forget  how she ran around the International Arrivals area and greeted the other children and basically acted like she owned the place. The crowd stood back quietly so as to not overwhelm her and watched the newest member of our family steal everyones' hearts. It was the first time we'd seen her in person and it was glorious!

Here we are two years later and it's as if Sveta has always been here. I struggle to remember a time when she wasn't a part of the family. Time has a strange way of affecting our perception. Two years is a relatively short period of time. We waited so long for Sveta to come home, but that seems like a lifetime ago. A distant memory. The important thing is she's been here for two years and she has brought us so much joy and has been a tremendous blessing to many people.

Happy Homecoming Anniversary, Sveta! Goppa loves you!

As always, none of this would be possible without a great and almighty God, To Him be the glory today and forever!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Busting up concrete

A few days ago I mentioned our most recent bout of the white death. I'm sure you recall my description of the dreaded precipitation. It was like nothing I had ever seen (or shoveled) before. I failed to mention I had only shoveled a small portion of the driveway on Wednesday. Three days later, the driveway is now covered in what can only be described as a slab of concrete-like ice. You may think I'm exaggerating because of my hatred of winter, but this is an absolute accurate description of what is currently covering my driveway. Today I went out and attempted to shovel the white death. The white death laughed at my snow shovel as it bounced off the hard surface. It was a bit like trying to shovel a concrete slab with a plastic sand shovel.

Time for plan B. I used a flat nosed shovel to get under the solid sheet of ice/rock and it started coming up in very large chunks. I'm telling you folks, it was exactly like busting up a slab of concrete. Some of these chunks were 2' x 2' or even larger. They were just like chunks of concrete, just not quite as heavy.

After an hour and a half, I dragged my aching back into the house and felt like I'd been through the wringer. The driveway is now about 75% cleared and hopefully some warmer temperatures will aid in weakening the rest of the ice and I will have a clean driveway in the very near future.

Have I mentioned my displeasure with winter? I'm finished with winter, but I'm afraid winter is not finished with me...

A Lack of Common Courtesy

Tami was watching the post-debate wrap up last night. She told me about something that just caused me to shake my head.

After the debate, Ken Ham asked Bill Nye for his autograph. I don't know exactly what Mr. Nye wrote, but it was something like this: "Dear Ken, I am still skeptical. Bill Nye". That sounds reasonable and although I disagree with Mr. Nye's opinion, he is still entitled to it. In return, Ken Ham autographed a small paperback book on Creationism and signed it something like this, "Dear Bill, maybe this will help with your skepticism. Ken Ham" and attempted to hand it to Mr. Nye. Instead of graciously accepting the offering, Bill Nye said, "That book won't fit in my luggage. Mail it to me."

What a RUDE gesture. Even if Bill Nye is vehemently opposed to every word in that book (and obviously he is), he should have taken the book. Even dropping it in the trash can in the parking lot would have been better than refusing to accept it. Common courtesy and manners dictates a person accepts a gift even if they despise it. I thought people with progressive points of view (Liberals) were supposed to be open minded (at least that's what they claim). Some even call themselves "Free Thinkers". I don't mean to say Mr. Nye represents all progressives or liberals, but it would certainly appear he is very much a closed minded person. An open minded person would have taken the book, read it (or at least perused it) and formed an opinion about its contents. Clearly Mr. Nye had no intention of being open to Ken Ham's position. Open minded? FAR from it!

I know this is a strong statement, but unfortunately this incident cheapens the debate for me. Was Bill Nye at the Creation Museum to have a healthy, spirited debate? Was he there to hear his opponent's viewpoint and give it intellectual consideration? Or was he there to try and make Ken Ham look like some sort of kook (and to collect his fee for speaking)?

After further review it seems Mr. Nye's rejection of Ken Ham's gift indicates the latter. Maybe Bill Nye heard something that made him uncomfortable or something that shot holes in his case. Could God be working on Bill Nye? Sure. Or maybe he's just plain rude.    

Rocks and wet sand

I don't know what to call the precipitation that fell from the sky last night. It definitely wasn't snow. Snow doesn't make a clicking noise as it falls. I guess I'd have to call it a mixture of ice pellets, sleet and freezing rain. Whatever it is, I have to say in all my years of shoveling the white death I've never shoveled anything like it. There is a thick coat of ice over a layer of ice pellets. Before doing any shoveling I had to break through the ice. Once I was through the ice I started shoveling what could be best described as wet sand and rocks. I know that sounds strange, but that really is what the consistency of the stuff is like. The ice chunks from the top layer were the rocks and the layer of the ice pellets was the wet sand. This mess was really heavy and terribly difficult to shovel. Have I mentioned lately my affection for winter?

I Like Ham

Last night we watched the much anticipated and much publicized debate between Ken Ham and Bill Nye. Ken Ham is the founder of the Creation Museum and Christian, creationism apologist organization Answers in Genesis. Bill Nye is the self-proclaimed "Science Guy". A science guy who doesn't even have a degree in science (I believe his degree is in engineering, but I'm not positive). These men are diametrically opposed in their view of how the world was formed. Ken Ham contends what I view as obvious. The world (including mankind, all animal and plant life) was created in 6 days by an all powerful and almighty God. A plan that was in place since eternity past. Bill Nye contends the world was created purely by chance in a huge cosmic accident known as the Big Bang Theory. Think about how absurd this is. There was nothing, then there was this gigantic explosion in space and primitive life forms were created. Even more absurd is the notion that all the complex life forms on the earth today somehow evolved out of that primordial ooze. Mr. Nye also contends that science proves the earth was formed in the Big Bang and that the Bible was merely written by men and there is no proof that any of it is true. Mr. Ham contends the Bible is God's complete and perfect word and very clearly outlines the origins of everything on earth. Mr. Nye contends science is based solely on fact and that the Bible is purely speculation. Mr. Ham admits that it takes faith to accept the Bible as God's word, but also contends that Mr. Nye's so called science also requires faith as there is no way to go back in time to observe the world of long ago. Mr. Nye says carbon dating clearly and accurately dates the world back billions of years. Mr. Ham shot holes in that statement by pointing out there are hundreds of dating systems and they are all over the map in their results. In other words, one dating system may date a rock to be 10,000 years old and another dating system may date that very same rock as much younger. There is no consistency in these dating systems and are totally unreliable. Mr. Nye said if you were a Christian there was no way you could be a scientist. I guess he was saying all scientists believe the world was created by chance. Mr. Ham showed videos of scientists who believe the world was created by God and named many others. Being a scientist and a Christian are not mutually exclusive.

I must apologize because I feel like I'm bogging you down in details. I'll stop here. There is so much more and Ken Ham presents it so much more eloquently than me. If you want to see the debate for yourself go here:

Ken Ham -vs- Bill Nye debate

I think all the readers of this blog know me well enough to know what I believe about this issue. I don't believe there is any other explanation for the creation of the earth than God. It's that simple for me. I could not be more certain the Bible is God's true word and He speaks to us and teaches us through that word. And speaking of the Bible, it became evident throughout the debate that Bill Nye has no idea what the Bible actually says. Don't you think in order to refute the Bible, he should actually know what's in it? Mr. Ham on the other hand knew exactly what the secular scientists' view is. He stated it plainly and a trip through the Creation Museum accurately reveals secular science views versus the Christian worldview.  The key in a debate like this is knowing your opponent's case better than he knows it himself. In this area, Ken Ham mopped the floor with Bill Nye.

I'm not here to beat you over the head with the Bible. That simply doesn't work. All you can do is read the Bible for yourself, think for yourself and decide for yourself. I'm just a man. Don't take my word for anything. My word is worthless. Take God's word for it. His word is NOT worthless.  

The worst

The weather forecasters were right. Tonight about 6:00 the snow/ice/sleet started coming down with a vengeance. It's been 4+ hours since then and it hasn't let up yet. In fact, the news is reporting as bad as things are now, the worst is yet to come. In Hidden Valley the roads are usually better than those in most surrounding areas. With that being said, we just received word that Hidden Valley is closing down two main roads in the community. If that's the case now, I shudder (and shiver) to think what the overnight hours will bring.

We were out for a short time this evening and things really were bad. The worst roads of the winter for sure. YUCK!

Strange Feeling

I wouldn't normally post this, but today is my birthday. I don't like any recognition of my birthday and always wish it would pass like any other day. This wish has nothing to do with age. It has everything to do with avoiding attention. Being a strong introvert, I don't like being the center of attention. So, if I have such a desire to keep my birthday private, why am I posting it on a highly public blog? Well, it's because I turn 47 today and that's the same age my dad was when he died. In fact, my dad passed away exactly two months after his 47th birthday. It's strange to think that same path would leave me only 8 weeks to live. Lord willing I will long outlive my dad. I feel so young and realize with each passing day how much my dad missed by passing at such a young age.

Should have stayed in bed

Have you ever had one of those days you wish you'd stayed in bed? Yeah, me too. Mine usually happen on Mondays. Today was one of those days. I was REALLY tired. I am doing my best to fight of the early stages of a cold. My students weren't exactly interested in my excellent lessons I had planned for them today. The weather forecast is calling for.... get this, folks... A rain/freezing rain/sleet/slush/ice/snow/wintry mix. Doesn't that sound like fun? To be honest, I'm kind of curious to see what a rain/freezing rain/sleet/slush/ice/snow/wintry mix looks like. Sounds like Old Man Winter is in the mood to throw every weapon in his arsenal at us. I say bring it on! I just got new tires on my car.

This photo isn't mine, but it does sum up my day pretty well.

They laid an egg!

The Super Bong is history and it was over almost before it started.  The Broncos were heavily overmatched and a score of 43-8 doesn't lie. I'm not upset because my Broncos lost, I'm upset because they laid an egg and it was never really a game. There was no real entertainment value for football fans looking to watch a good game. We did get to spend the evening with good friends and had some tasty food. All was not lost.

Gotcha!

Yesterday was an important day. Two years ago yesterday Jessi and Barry received full custody of Sveta. In the adoption world it's called "Gotcha Day". However, Jessi and Barry said that sounded too much like a kidnapping and renamed it "Family Day". February 1st, 2012 was family day for the Mortons. It blows my mind to think Sveta has been here for two years. It seems like only yesterday we were waiting for the phone call from Jessi and Barry saying it was time to travel to Russia. On the other hand, it seems as though Sveta has been here forever. It's difficult to remember a time when she wasn't a part of our family. Happy Family Day, Mortons! (One day late, sorry).

Here's the link to Jessi's blog post from that glorious day two years ago if you are interested.

Jessi's Blog- 2/1/12

And so it goes...

Five days ago the temperature was 10 below zero with wind chills ranging from minus 20 to minus 40. Today the calendar turns to February and the mercury is supposed to top out near 50°. Not to be deterred, Old Man Winter is predicted to come back with a vengeance early next week. More freezing temperatures and snow are in the forecast for the near future. I can hardly wait.

This is how this year's winter has felt: