Rehearsal day

It's Friday morning, rehearsal day. We woke up to rain and thunderstorms. The girls have gone off with Sean's mom and two nieces for manicures and pedicures. I went down for the complimentary cooked to order breakfast. Tate is still asleep. I just read Tad's facebook status, and he is in his first college class.
You should see this hotel room. It is a two room suite, typical Embassy Suites room if you've ever stayed there. It is wall to wall wedding stuff. Gift baskets (some made, some in process), attendants presents, decoarations menus, "candy bar" items, wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, oh, and of course beds and clothes for five people for over a week. There's not enough room for the maid to get in. Yesterday we just handed her about ten dirty towels and traded them for clean ones. It's been nice being togrther, the six of us, for this week.

Catching up

I had a feeling this blogging would be more than I could handle. Now I'm having to do it with my phone, which is pretty painful for me.
Tad got moved in on Sunday. On Monday the girls did wedding stuff and we guys went shopping. Tad needed a shelf/tv stand, a tv, and a router. We started at Ikea and got the shelf. Next we went to Best Buy, Target, and Walmart pricing tvs and routers; we got the router at Walmart. Then we snuck in Sams and found the tv on clearance. We convinced them to sell it to us even though we didn't have a membership. Technically they gave us a one day temporary membership. All of the shopping and going from store to store took almost an hour. When we walked out of Sams, Tate remarked, "This makes four stores we've been in and out of in record time today. (not Best Buy, the other four)
So we got that set up in Tad's room and walked the campus, then headed to Tina's cousin's house, where we set up camp for three days.

On the Road

The trip today has been very smooth. Maggie said we should roll into the hotel around 10:30 without stops, so we are shooting for midnight.

We are using Tad’s collection of King of the Hill DVDs as entertainment on the road. He’s keeping them at school, so we have to get through 6 seasons.

Two stops before hitting the road, lunch and Office Depot. I have no idea what the Office Depot stop was for, but I think Tina’s sprint through the store looking for whatever it was proved to be unsuccessful.

Today it’s the other side of the rode that got the interstate closure. An overturned 18-wheeler blocking the way. Yikes!

A stop at Cracker Barrel 3 hours down the road made for a good bathroom break, then Tina has taken over the driving, while I blog this with Hank Hill in the background.

We just passed through Chunky, Mississippi, and felt a little sorrow for the winner of their beauty pageant, Miss Chunky.

Just checked Tad’s facebook status: Tad Daniels is starting to abhor driving. Ha

Tad just called and asked if they had camera’s that take a picture if you are speeding. He saw what he thought was one, and it flashed as Tina drove passed it, doing, well, just a little over the speed limit. I guess we’ll have to wait for that one in the mail.

We are between Jackson and Vicksburg, Mississippi. The plan is to stop in Vicksburg for dinner and Target, and to rotate drivers. I’ll drive Tad’s car, Tina will continue to drive the van and Tad will get a much needed break.

I just took a picture of a high school football practice, out my window. I’m not sure why.

Evidently, Vicksburg doesn’t have a Target.

Just hit a very hard shower. We got through it in about 5 minutes, not too bad. (especially since I wasn’t driving).

More later.

Right On Schedule

I was a little late leaving work, but got out of there a little after two. Hopefully we could still be on the road before 4:00, which would put us at our hotwire paid hotel in Birmingham around 10:00, not too bad. I decided to wait and eat my lunch on the road and let Tina start the trip driving. I reversed that decision around 3:30, when we were still well away from being packed. Uh-oh, we are a little behind schedule.
Uh-oh, we are a lot behind schedule. We finally pull out of the drive, with Tad following in his car, a little before six, and we had to make a stop by the bank and a stop to get a bag of ice (when did ice get to be 2.50 a bag?) Anyway, we are finally on the road. Thirty minutes later we are stuck in traffic just outside of Charlotte. I mean bumper-to-bumper, standstill traffic. So, I pull out my handy-dandy GPS and ask Maggie for a detour. 45 minutes later we are back in Fort Mill, heading out a different way. Check the rearview and Tad is still there.
Ugh. It's around 7:30 and Maggie tells us we should be at our hotel around two (that's a.m., for those keeping score at home). Of course Maggie doesn't realize we haven't had dinner yet.
After a long stop at McDonalds, where Tina had to teach them how to make a burger and fill a cup with ice and coke, the new ETA is 2:30, but we are finally on the interstate.
Do not travel I-85 through diwntown Atlanta at midnight on a Friday night! 5 lanes, 4 of which are closed. Nearly one hour stuck in traffic (no attempt at a detour this time). New ETA, 3:30. By this time who cares right, just get us to a bed.
Finally some good news, we arrive at 3:30, but we've crossed a time zone so it's only 2:30 here. Hey, at this point it's all about the small victories. Heading out in an our or so for the second leg, surely it will be better, right?

Welcome Back

Well, what do you know, I remembered the username and password to my blog account. So to catch you up on what’s going on, my future son-in-law graduates today (congratulations Sean, well done), my older son Tad begins his post high school education next week, and my oldest, Teisha, is getting married next Saturday. Since I have nothing going on to keep me busy, I decided to start blogging again. Actually, I mentioned to Tina an idea about blogging the next couple of weeks’ experiences, and she sort of committed me to it on her facebook page, so I’ll do the best I can. I expect this to be more like a twitter in some cases, but since my twitter account is over a year old and I can’t remember the user id and password, I’ll blog.
This afternoon we start heading to Texas, so when I get home from work I’m sure Tina will have everything packed and Tad will have it all loaded so we can head out as soon as I do some pool maintenance. Yes, I still have some pool maintenance to do, you don’t think I planned ahead or anything do you?
(By the way, in my own “Where’s Waldo” kind of way, I have hidden sarcasm throughout the blog that may or may not be obvious.)
I’m very excited about the week ahead, but emotions are really all over the place. Tad starting college, Teisha getting married, having a son-in-law, all sound like great things, but they also certainly signal a change in our family dynamics. Of course, our family has always been about changing dynamics, from adding kids to relocating to different states, and with God’s help we have always ended up ahead of where we started. I don’t expect this will be any different.
My goal for the next two weeks is to just enjoy the ride, and if you keep up through my blog, I hope you enjoy it as well. Now, I have about 10 hours work to get done in the next half-hour or so, then we are on our way.

Happy Birthday

To Me. I celebrated by working a couple of extra hours. Yeah, not my idea of a good time, but tis the season at my office. Anyway, Tina and the kids made me feel special with what little time they had. Tina had a lot of friends from all over send me email with birthday wishes. Many I hadn't heard from in quite some time, and it was really great getting these email throughout the day. And Tina even came to my work and took me to lunch. So yeah, it was good day in spite of all the work.
I am feeling a whole year older though. That's kind of yucky. I'm sure I'll grow out of this feeling in a few days.

This is the dessert I had for lunch.

Merry Christmas

It’s been a while since I have blogged. In the meantime I have appeased the guilt and nagging about not blogging by convincing myself, if not others, that the delay was an overt attempt to leave the tribute to Tina up a little longer. Tina didn’t buy it, so I guess I’ll give in and blog.
I thought I’d share some seasonal thoughts and memories. There is good news and bad news to this. The bad news is I think a lot, so there is likely to be a scattering of random thoughts throughout the blog. The good news is I can’t remember what my thoughts were five minutes ago, so that should at least limit the volume, if not the randomness.

I took Tate shopping last night for a few last minute items. Every year he has trouble getting his shopping done, as he has neither money nor transportation. At least that’s true for shopping for mom. He can’t really surprise her much if she drives him and accompanies him throughout the store. So each year I take him shopping, sometimes the other kids go with us. Oh, and I’m usually behind on my shopping as well, so it’s not just for Tate. Hey give me a break, it’s not like I have money or wheels either. Well, money anyway. Even though I usually don’t look forward to this, I always enjoy it more than I thought, and this year was no exception. I enjoy seeing everyone busy about their shopping, and spending time with Tate. Tina accompanied us this year, but we dropped her at another store and met up later, so I think the surprise is intact, though my surprises are not always good ones, for instance her birthday, but that’s another story and memory that I’d rather not bring up. Anyway, the only part I didn’t like was the madness of driving, especially in the parking lot. As we were leaving some guy nearly ran over people trying to cut in front of us for a parking space. Made me chuckle a little since we were leaving, and since he didn’t kill anyone. Chill dude.

One of my favorite Christmas memories is the years when I played Jesus as an adult in our church’s Christmas play. Two things about this: 1) This always was very humbling for me (which I need) and made me closer to God, and 2) If you are looking for a good diet plan, I recommend committing to being on a stage in front of a thousand or more of your friends, relatives, coworkers, and strangers wearing what our music minister referred to as a diaper. If you would like pictures of this for blackmail or a good chuckle, I’m sure they are bringing a premium price somewhere on the internet.

This year around our house Christmas has included a few activities. Tad was in the church’s Christmas program. None of us were able to see it live, as we had commitments elsewhere, but I’m sure it was great. He also sang in the choir during our church’s two candlelight services. I attended one of these and it’s always a wonderful event. Teisha is home, and that adds a stronger sense of family to the season. We sure miss her when she’s away. This year her fiancé will be visiting us after Christmas and we are looking forward to that. Also, Tina’s parents will be joining us for a few days around New Year’s Day. Tina was busy toward the last few days of school baking and doing Christmas parties at Tate’s school. I think he really enjoyed having her be a part of that, and Teisha made it home in time to help as well. Teal managed to get caught up on all of her schoolwork before school let out, after missing a week due to illness. It was very hard on her, but she was a trooper and persevered and I think she worked hard enough that her grades didn’t suffer. She also received a driving permit recently, so I’m sure we’ll be taking a few trips while I am off of work to get her some experience.
We played a game of video clue the other night. That is a fun game, but it takes a while. Our kids are getting much better at fooling me. By the end of the game, I think they all had it figured out, and I was more confused than anyone. Also, they were laughing and making jokes through the entire game while I was trying to speed it along. Obviously they were planning on sleeping in the next day while I was getting up to go to work.
Speaking of work, today is Christmas Eve and I will be working. I received an email from our corporate office with a schedule of due dates in January. I replied to the lady who sent it with some housekeeping item. She replied and congratulated me on being the only person on her distribution list working today. Somehow that doesn’t make me feel like a winner. I went back and counted and there were 76 people on her distribution list, in multiple locations across the U.S. Yea me. Anyway, we close at 2 today, and I may slip out early in order to…um…not get locked in. Yeah that’s it, I wouldn’t want to get locked in on Christmas Eve now would I.

Well, I warned you it was going to be random and rambling, and I didn’t let you down. Oh, one last thing. I was reading a blog from “The Truth Project” and they had an interesting comment on the Christmas story. If you get a chance, read Galatians 4:4 and relate it to the Christmas story. I’ll summarize:

4) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5)in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6)And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7)So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

I like the entire passage, but particularly focus on the first comment this time of year. The birth of Christ was no accident. It was planned and it happened just as planned, when the right time had come. That’s a quick summary, but if you have time, slow down and spend some time thinking and praying about what all that means. It’s incredible, as God’s Word always is.

Merry Christmas to everyone!