60 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 10-6-15”

  1. Good morning everyone. I didn’t mean to start a thread when I mentioned the coffee and policeman. But, to continue: A fast food place is not a good place to rob because you have to get in line and there are lots of witnesses and several clerks.
    The Washington area is huge, and there is a chain of “quickstop” stores called 7-11. They are open late and in the evenings, they may only have one clerk, with a hundred dollars or so in the cash register. About once a week, one of them would be robbed in the DC area.
    My friend said that the clerks were happy to give them free coffee just to show up.
    They drank coffee, chatted, maybe the clerk would take a bathroom break, etc.
    It worked well for everyone.

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  3. I got two telephone political survey calls yesterday. I took both. One was apparently a Republican survey. One appeared neutral. They just wanted to get my opinion on issues.

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  6. Starting a beautiful day in Hendersonville. Sun shining on the treetops.
    Mumsee, NancyJill and others surely have noticed this phenomenon in the mountains.
    The sun isn’t up yet, but you can see the sunshine on the treetops on the mountains.
    She can’t see it here, but we once were staying in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Elvera would watch the sun come down the mountain.

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  7. That sounds lovely, Chas. We have small areas of the Atlanta vicinity that are hilly and full of trees that give a few moments of feeling like one is driving through the mountains. I prefer those routes to the expressways. Our route over to the daily doc commute has one such section. We could take expressways, but we choose the peaceful and pleasant route. Today is the urology appointment. We will see a new doc today.

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  9. Janice, if this is the Pat Conroy I’m thinking od, he wrote several books. A graduate of The Citadel. I read most of them.
    He didn’t tell us why they divorced. Must have been something important. You don’t just decide to give up everything like that.

    Another subject. A funny.
    I was reading Matthew 15 this morning, and for some reason it reminded me of this.
    Some time ago, Chuck was visiting and we were talking about serious things, end of life matters. Chuck asked if we had burial plans. I said, “No. We don’t know where we will be when we die. It doesn’t matter to us. Any place. The only thing is; we want to be buried together. When the Lord returns and finds on of us, we don’t want him to have to run around looking for the other.”

    Chuck thought that was funny.

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  10. Chas- I remember the mountains in Arizona showing the sunshine long before the valley. I drove a school bus one year that went from a mountain village down into Tucson, a 7,000 ft descent in 20 miles. I would see the sunrise from the top in the valley to the East of Tucson, then see it again when we got down into the Tucson valley. Great memories.

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  16. Aj, what’s up with you and Cheryl? Everything OK?

    It was so refreshing to have that little smattering of rain last night and then to be able to walk the dogs in actual cool air. And then to wake up with morning to cool air coming through the window.

    We’re heading up to the 90s again by the weekend, though.

    According to a post yesterday on a site called LAist.com, this is why (don’t think I’ve ever heard it explained in this kind of detail before):

    _____________________________________________

    … There’s a reason that this happens every year.

    Eric Boldt, who works at the National Weather Service in Oxnard, told KPCC that this annual phenomenon is caused by storms that move from the Pacific Northwest east across Middle America. These storms leave cool air in their wake, which moves into the area between the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, also known as the Great Basin.

    This cool air nestles in the Great Basin until it overflows, then spills down the mountainsides. This compressed air speeds up as it moves through mountain passes, and as a result, heats up. This is called “compressional heating.” And who is the recipient of these hot winds? That would be Southern California, where the air pressure is low. The Santa Ana winds can be explained this way.

    When does it end? Well, Boldt predicts at least one more heat wave before Halloween …
    ____________________________________________

    So it ends, basically, in November. Sigh.

    Until then, I’ll remain jealous of all your cool fall weather everywhere else.

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  18. I reread that blog post, Michelle. Well said. There have been some books that I enjoyed and then found the movies, made from them, disturbing. The scenes were no longer limited to my imagination but by someone else’s. I wish more parents realized this. Children are subjected to way too much violence and adult themes today.

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  19. Janice, I am a technical business analyst. My job is to write business requirements for technical solutions. They must be in layman’s terms that user-types can totally understand and that contain no ambiguity because our clients are going to sign off on them and then we’re “stuck” doing what they say. So I’ve learned to write very clearly. There’s a wonderful book by Gerald Weinberg called “Are Your Lights On” with a chapter called “Nothing is too good for our customers” that contains useful, helpful hints for eliminating unclear wording (like that one, which could mean that even if our customers had NOTHING, that would be too good for them).

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  20. That last post reminded me of something humorous. We did some work with Microsoft a few years back and they asked me to review some requirements between them and a third-party. My findings were that they were very ambiguous and could mean several different things in terms of deliverables. Their response was that was exactly how they wanted them because it gave them great leverage in what they were going to demand in the finished product.

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  21. Here is this poor South Carolina boy, stuck in a blog full of editors.
    I’m gonna hafta be careful about what I say now.

    Seriously?
    I just heard a guy on the radio say:
    “Get your printer from the company WHKP got their printer from.”

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  25. Jumping in here with a couple things before I catch up with the other comments later…

    Chas – That Dunkin Donuts thing happened here in Connecticut, in West Hartford. (FYI, West Hartford is a fairly wealthy community, with a large Jewish population.)

    The employee claimed she was just joking, & the manager had her go apologize to the officer in the parking lot, & they offered him a free coffee, which he declined, saying he’d go elsewhere. (The employee also apologized to the other patrons.)

    True to form for social media, there was an immediate call to boycott Dunkin Donuts. That’s ridiculous to me. For the actions of one employee?

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  27. Karen, I don’t think a claim of “just joking” is very credible under these circumstances. You joke with someone you know in a personal setting; you don’t joke with a policeman (in a way he takes as an insult) at your place of business. Seems to me this fits the proverb about speaking hastily and then saying (when caught) “I was just jesting.” She was seriously out of line, based on your summary of what happened.

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  29. Linda’s posts on clear, careful wording reminded me of a book I read this year, Brief: Make a Bigger Impact By Saying Less, by Joseph McCormack. Lots of great tips on communicating without superfluity.

    This book is mainly about brevity in a business environment, but can be applied to a variety of other circumstances, as well.

    I found it helpful as a piano teacher, trying to make the most efficient use of instructional time with my students each week.

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  35. Can you all help me sort something out? I’ve been through an emotional wringer this afternoon and I’m a mess.

    I was so angry I was shaking and nearly in tears and when I’m bad like this, I suspect something else is going on and I can’t figure out what my issue is.

    I made an appointment last week to take our Honda in to the local dealership (where we’ve had terrible experiences in the past, first error) for a recall issue. That dealership got our number and information over 6 months ago and never called us back to say we could come in for our part.

    So, I got a letter in the mail reminding me to take care of this issue (air bag for my CRV) and called to check on my slot in line. They gave me an appointment at 12.

    I didn’t sleep last night, but that’s another story and an excuse, taught a great study on Heaven, ran some errands and showed up at 11:55.

    I had books and my phone. I checked in and sat to wait.

    And wait.

    And wait.

    At 12:20, I approached the service men and asked when I would be seen. I was getting annoyed at this point, because I had been told it would be a 2.5 hour appointment. If I hadn’t even been checked in with my keys, how late would it be when they finished?

    I was told I had to wait my turn and they would get to me soon.

    At 12:40 I called the Honda dealer where we bought our car, a 25 minute drive south, and asked if they could help me since the local people had kept me waiting for so long. I said this loudly, so people looked at me, including one of the hospitality people.

    They could see me, but it required another 25 minute drive down and back, added to the 2.5 hours on the car. I told them I’d call back.

    By 12:45 I had nearly lost it. I approached the desk again, another man, and asked when I was going to be seen.

    Confession: I’d already tweeted twice asking when I would be called.

    I was so angry by that point, I kept apologizing for being angry–“be angry but sin not. Do not feed the seed root of bitterness.” He got back to me 5 or so minutes later. Apparently when I checked in at the front desk, they marked me as a no show.

    I calmed down, was polite, but still indignant. It meant I had lost the entire afternoon to work.

    He told me he’d put me through as quickly as possible.

    The car was done by 2. So, I got out earlier than I had been told originally.

    But I’m really upset. I’m upset I couldn’t control my emotions and that I was the one apologizing for losing my temper.

    The service man kept agreeing it was their fault and apologizing in return. I got in and out and was home by 2:30, but I’m still not able to focus, I’m still tied up in knots and I can’t seem to toss it away.

    I come back to–was I in sin for letting the anger build and then, politely, blowing up? Did I sin when I tweeted? Called the other dealership? Let the anger build higher and higher into fury?

    I was cold, but polite, sort-of, but if I didn’t sin, why do I feel so bad right now?

    The day is lost. I can’t focus. I may just go lie down and try to get some rest.

    But I keep circling back to maybe there’s something in me that needs to be dealt with–pride? Needing respect? Self-pity?

    None of these speak well of me. 😦

    Help! I could use some insight. Thanks.

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  36. I was 25 and my husband was 31 or so when we bought a plot of land. A year later we started building our home. We had the basement put in and the shell put up for us. We did all the rest. Lots of elbow grease saved us a lot of money and gave us a lot of equity. We almost lost it with several lay-offs, including two year long ones. Fortunately, we were able to hold on through it all. Thank the Lord.

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  38. Michelle, we have had the same experience from the place we bought our vehicle. Our last visit was the only decent service we have had. We, long ago, decided we will never buy from them again. With what we pay for vehicles, it is not unreasonable to expect decent service. IMO. I do try to not take it out on anyone not involved in the situation. It seems to be epidemic among car dealerships these days. Is there not enough competition? Generational? I have no idea. I do know others who no longer go to the local business, but travel a half hour to another town. Then the local dealership wonders why.

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  39. Michelle, sleep deprivation can do awful things to a person. It does to me, anyway, even after only one night of poor sleep. You have had chronic problems with insomnia. I personally don’t view your mention of having not slept last night an excuse.

    That said, God knows your heart, and the Spirit will convict you of sin, if that is what it is in this case.

    I think it’s a wise decision to rest a while. It’s hard to process everything when tired. My guess is you will have more clarity on what the Lord is telling you after more time has elapsed since the incident. The physical signs you experienced — the shaking, etc. — sound pretty normal to me under the circumstances, and can cause lingering aftereffects.

    Once some of those physical and emotional responses subside, I think you’ll be in a better position to discern the Lord’s voice.

    Praying for you.

    Grace and peace.

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  40. My mother and father built their own house – they were 30 and 32. My father even drew up the designs, although he isn’t an architect. He also did the plumbing and wiring – and he isn’t a plumber or electrician either. They spent their first winter in the basement. Owning their house without any mortgage has made a big difference in their being able to survive financially.

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  41. Michelle, I’m normally pretty calm in a situation like that (haven’t actually taken a car in for repairs – my father does that, though he isn’t a mechanic). Every once in a while, I’ll snap. I usually can figure out that it’s hormone related. Menstruation and menopause are big factors in our ability to process things. My mother, although she is in her late 60s, still gets hot flashes. We can always tell when she is about to get one, because she’ll get all upset about something relatively insignificant or that she is normally calm about.

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  42. I was thirty when I bought my house which is now our house. We refinanced after marriage, and put husband’s name on the house then. I bought the house in 1983. We got married in 1985. I looked at several condos and other houses before this one. I had full time employment and a part time job. The condo I tried for did not qualify me because they would not count my part time income. This house had a nonqualifying VA loan along with seller’s financing. I walked through this house barely looking at it because I did not think I could get it. The agent told me what to offer. By the next day it was under contract between me and the seller. It truly seemed unbelievable. I had a decent downpayment of ten grand. And to think, is is only three to four miles from where I was born. 🙂

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  43. Michelle, I do not know what to think about your anger. I do know Jesus got angry about certain things, but not when he was personally mistreated. Since we are suppose to follow His example, then I would check my anger and behaviour against His high standards to see if I needed to ask for forgiveness and apologize or take a treat to the dealership to restore good feelings and make a good witness of how Christians behave differently than what the world e,pects. Pray and follow God’s lead. 🙂

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  46. I was 24 and G was 32
    Michelle I think you already had a bad experience there and we’re expecting another which you got. You were primed and ready.
    I have done that same think before. Mostly at doctor’s offices.
    Once I wanted a certain haircut and after much asking around made an appointment at a very upscale salon. I had to take off early from work because they didn’t work Saturdays. After I waited an hour she came out told me she was running behind and asked me to reschedule! !!!
    Needless to say I didn’t reschedule and I didn’t go back.

    Kim

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  48. When we bought this house (our first & only), I was 39 & Lee was 45.

    The reason I asked is because I recently learned that my niece & her “husband” just bought a house. She is 27, & I think “Hubby” is a couple years or so older. For some reason, that seemed young to me, especially these days, to be able to afford & buy a house. I guess I was thinking that most people bought their houses in their 30s.

    But I see some of you were still in your 20s when you bought your first houses.

    My parents were 29 & 32 when they bought their first house, but they really couldn’t afford it, so we had rooms without furniture. 🙂

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  49. Cheryl – I don’t think so. I hope they are okay. (Saying a prayer.)

    About that Dunkin Donuts situation: I agree that the employee was way out of line. My point was that the actions of one employee, especially when the manager immediately steps in to correct her, is no reason for a boycott.

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  51. I haven’t experienced the problems Michelle talks about.
    Around here they are generally prompt at getting to the car if I have an appointment.
    A day later, I always get an evaluation e-mail.
    They seem anxious to have a satisfactory rating.

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  53. I’m around, just haven’t had much to say. Been busy with Cheryl’s therapy and doctor visits, and trying to keep things together. Therapy has been rough on Cheryl, although today was much better. We’ve been discouraged by her slow recovery, and I hate seeing her in pain. We’re in survival mode, just plodding along it seems with no idea how this is all gonna go. School has started as well. And I recently learned that since I’m 9 months short of 50, my disability claim was denied. My options there are now to refile and wait 2 years for another hearing, or appeal, which has a 25% success rate, but still wait a year for that. Kinda kicked us while we were already down. So we’re a little overwhelmed with a lot of uncertainty. :/ Prayers would be appreciated.

    As for the blog and you folks, I need the normalcy and routine, so I’ll keep posting and you folks keep doing what you do. Even though we don’t have much to say, my wife and I still read multiple times a day. 🙂 So I’ll be around…….

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  54. Certainly we will keep you all in our prayers, AJ and Cheryl. I’m sorry recovery is slow, and that your disability claim was denied. Very difficult to receive bad news like that when the going is already rough. 😦

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  58. Michelle, your talk on prayer went well and your Bible study went well. I think that emotionally you were worn out. You put a lot of yourself into both of those studies. You gave your all and you had nothing left, besides the lack of sleep, to allow you to handle this annoying situation. They were out of line, but you were out of margin, or had nothing left emotionally or physically. You go and go and give and give. Hopefully you are sleeping now to rest up.

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