What A Year It Has Been!

You may have noticed that I allowed Tate's first birthday to pass without so much as a comment or photo. That's because I've been busy working on his video.

Happy Birthday Buddy-Boy!



In case you'd like some more, here's the video I did after Tate's first week.

Random Google Search Results #3

EDMC gave me permission to continue to piggy-back her great idea so . . .

To once again prove that some people think Google has an answer for everything (and it does!), here's another installment of random Google searches that have lead people to Wade's Rantings. I added a link to the post that Google found.

1. "accidentally dropped something down car a/c vent" - It wasn't your wedding ring, was it?

Shocking Confession #3

2. "controlling your husband" - I'd like to file a complaint with Google for this one as there is absolutely nothing on this blog having anything to do with controlling one's husband . . . and I resent any insinuation to the contrary!

3. "remember the alamo i forgot who won" - Yet another example of why Texas History should be taught in all American schools!

Sigh! . . . The Mexican Army of over 6,000 men led by General Lopez de Santa Anna fought 200 Texan volunteers at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas in March 1836. Only 6 of the volunteers survived the battle but they were soon executed because Santa Anna would not give quarter to 'revolutionaries'. Legend has it that Davy Crockett was one of the 6 but nobody knows for sure. Susanna Dickenson said that she saw Crockett's body by the garrison where he fell supposedly during the battle.

Later at the Battle of San Jacinto, Sam Houston yelled, 'Remember the Alamo!' as a rallying cry and led the Texans in a surprise attack against the Mexican Army. 600 Mexican soldiers were killed in less than 20 minutes. General Santa Anna was captured and Texas won its independence.

The stars at night
Are big and bright!
(Clap, clap, clap, clap!)
Deep in the heart of Texas!

I know, I'm a history snob. And I have no earthly idea how this Google search brought up my blog.

4. "what do you do when your mother-in-law chokes you?" - Get a restraining order!

Do You Do The Heimlich?

5. "Is it a good idea to air out dirty laundry in church?" - Umm . . . based upon the title of my post on this subject, a little discretion in this area will probably be greatly appreciated by your fellow parishioners!

Please Air Out Your Dirty Laundry Someplace Else!

QOTW: O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum 2007!

I know, I know - this post is a retread from last year. But not all 300 posts can be original! Plus, this is a pretty good annual debate!

Now let's first take a moment to marvel at Kelly's lovely yuletide decorating. Note the fiber-optic snowman in the corner that turns a bit psychedelic after you get loaded up on Dr. Pepper . . . .


. . . . ok, continuing on now!

Let me re-issue the Pro's & Con's of real and artificial Christmas trees.

1. Drive to a tree lot, fight for a parking space, lay claim to the most non-odd looking tree on the lot, haggle over the price of said-non-odd-looking-tree with some guy who has a Marlboro hanging out of the corner of his mouth, strap said-oddity to the roof of your car, admire the affinity between tree sap and the roof of your car, and drive home at a snail's pace so the wind doesn't strip all the needles off of your over-priced freak of nature.

Con!

2. Bring artificial Christmas tree down from your attic.

Pro!

3. Finally finish 2 hours of stringing lights, hanging ornaments and balancing a tree topper only to have your wife come in and say in a very unimpressed tone, "It's still leaning too far to the right!"

Con!

4. Spend only 45 minutes propping artificial tree perfectly straight up in stand, plugging in pre-hung lights, hanging ornaments and a tree topper.

Pro!

5. Notice your real tree going up in flames because it caught fire from the Christmas lights after you forgot to keep it watered!

Con!

6. Watch your neighbor haul his charred Christmas tree to the curb because it nearly burnt his entire house down . . . while reminding yourself that your artificial tree is fire-retardant.

Pro!

7. Once Christmas is over, pay a $250 ticket because you got caught dumping your real tree in a ditch on the side of highway!

Con!

8. Spend all of 30 minutes after Christmas taking down your artificial tree and putting it back in the attic.

Pro!

I guess that settles it! Get an artificial tree!_____________________________________________

"A real Christmas tree or an artificial Christmas tree?"

Total votes: 16

Nothing beats the smell of a real Christmas tree!: 25% (4 votes)

Artificial! Trees lots are a scam!: 75% (12 votes)

300th Post!

I remember a conversation Jody and I had a few years ago about blogs. I remember saying , "What da' heck is a blog?", "Why can't they just call it what it is - a website!" and "You'll never find me wasting my time writing a blog!"

Ahem!

300 posts later, we can all see that I am perfectly capable of change! (Just don't tell Kelly!)

So I've been trying to think of something clever to write for my 300th post - like 300 Random Things You Didn't Know About Wade.

(Ugh! I'd rather poke myself in the eye 300 times!)

But instead, I'll just issue a great big Thank You to all you in the blogosphere who, for some reason, actually keep stopping by to see what I have to say.

I can only imagine what the next 300 posts will bring!

I Got Some Great News This Week!

I get to keep my job!

Following a series of unfortunate events (the details of which I won't bother boring you all to death with), my company decided that "ensuring future corporate prosperity" (how's that for generic business speak) meant giving some of us severance packages for Christmas!

From a business perspective, I actually understand why they had to do it. I even understand why they needed to do it during the holiday season (tax right-off; plus, it keeps the 2008 books clean). What I struggled with was how they went about doing it.

We got an email a week ago saying that severance packages were coming for some of us. Unfortunately it didn't say who. Since our managers were in the same boat as us, none of them knew either. So we just sat around for a week (literally in some cases!) waiting to find out who would get the ax.

Yesterday was D-Day. If you got a phone call from your manager (assuming your manager hadn't already been let go) then you were safe. If you got a phone call some random person from Human Resources that you didn't know from Adam . . . well, we hope you enjoy having a little extra time to spend with your family this Christmas. And oh, don't spend that severance check all at once - that's supposed to last you for a few months!

I got a phone call from my manager.

Whew!

I have to share with you all that I really was at peace with whatever happened. I spent time in prayer with God. I spent time talking with Kelly. Although I had no idea what would happen, I had a sense that things would be OK either way. I kept reminding myself of Jeremiah 29 when God says, "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you."

I kept focusing on the fact that God has plans not to harm me. Getting laid-off certainly wouldn't be any fun. But that wouldn't mean that God had suddenly decided to stop providing for Kelly, Tate and I. And since nothing happens by accident without God's knowledge, I had a peace within me that even if I did get laid-off, God would continue to provide for us in another way - and in doing so, He would reveal yet again how truly faithful and wonderful He really is!

So as the dust continues to settle let me say how grateful I am that not only do I still have a job; but even more grateful that I (and you all, too) have a Heavenly Father who looks out for us and provides for us all that we need . . . simply because He loves us too much to do otherwise.

Please pray for those, both at my company and elsewhere, who will go through this Christmas without a job. May they be gainfully employed by a company who has never heard of such a terrible thing called lay-offs!

Tagged . . .

EDMC tapped me on the shoulder with a meme. This one you take the first letters of your middle name and find adjectives starting with the same letter that describe you.

Yet another fine example of how simplicity sometimes can go hand-in-hand with higher degrees of difficulty.

Witty - Although not near as witty as I would like to think of myself to be, I love to make Kelly and Tate laugh - so therein lies the reason for my constant search of the next punchline . . . or barf sound, depending upon my audience.

(By the way, this little exercise has brought to my attention the disturbing shortage of adjectives beginning with the letter 'w'. I had to choose between witty, wacky, womanly, weak, and whimsical. So yeah, I'm witty.)

Axiomatic - Kelly says she can read me like a book. There's a part of me that wishes I could be an unpredictable enigma. But I think part of human nature is the need to feel known and understood - and that would be me!

Debonair - Let me guess, now you're thinking I'm delusional, right?

Eclectic - Which is what Kelly's calls my music collection on my iPod. Hey, I can't help it if I have a refined, albeit deaf, ear.

Thanks, EDMC! Let's give Keri, Tara and Audra a try.

Last Week's QOTW: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Had to wait to post this one until I finished with the lights. Which apparently puts me in the category of decorating on December 1st.

The roof is dying to have some lights added up there but since I'm trying my best not to fall off a roof this holiday season it's not going to happen - because we all know that the first thing that would happen as soon as I step foot on that roof would be for me to fall off of it!

Maybe Keri's husband can swing by and throw them up for me!

It's funny how every year while putting up the lights I always think of the that scene from Christmas Vacation and hope it doesn't happen to me.

Now that I've got the outside lights up ( . . . and working!) , it's on to the Christmas tree!

_______________________________________________

"When will you decorate for Christmas?"

Total votes: 26

Already decorated! (Sorry, Wade!): 15% (4 votes)

As soon as we clear the Thanksgiving table: 30% (8 votes)

December 1st: 34% (9 votes)

December 15th-ish: 3% (1 vote)

Bah, humbug!: 15% (4 votes)