Posts Tagged → holiday
Back on Schedule
Today marks the end of our long Holiday weekend and months. We, just like most have been in sort of a holiday mode since Thanksgiving back in November. I have been off work for the last five days celebrating the New Year holiday and tomorrow it is back to work. Back to a normal schedule. I have eaten so much over the last month or so that I am too scared to stand on the scale. I have really enjoyed being off work and dread going back tomorrow. Nevertheless it is time. This period of time has been filled with ups and downs. We posted of our car accident earlier in December. Hopefully we will get the car back in the next week or so. This will no doubt be a tough financial year for us as our insurance will likely increase. I also begin paying back my student loan this year. We did get to see Jordan on Christmas Eve and half the day on Christmas Day so that was a good point.
It is time to get back to school soon as well. School does not start back until January 20th but this is my final semester and I have to do a long thesis paper. This semester I have to turn in a 15 page proposal before class even begins. This means that starting next weekend I will have to get busy and start on my proposal pretty heavily. This semester will last until May and then I am done. What a moment that will be. We are going to celebrate as a family and go somewhere and have a great time. This will be followed up by our 20th anniversary in September.
This long weekend had some wonderful weather as well with temperatures reaching the mid 70’s on the second of January. Last night Sunday and I decided we would go to Bricktown and take some pictures. We only stayed about ten minutes as a cold front arived and the North wind was blowing garbage down the street. The 70’s had given way to 30’s and with wind blowing 20 to 30 MPH it was very cold. I was left asking myself why we did not do this on Friday night. As soon as we arrived last night and parked the car we saw people running for their cars.
I did manage to get this lone picture of the Coca Cola Bricktown Event Center. It was hard trying to take a night time picture leaving the shutter open for many seconds while the powerful wind was blowing the tripod around. This may explain the lack of crispness of this photo. As I said, I gave up on this within minutes because it was just too cold and windy. I could have tolerated the cold but it is hard taking night shots when the wind is blowing the tripod around.
As we return to work tomorrow we begin the busiest time of year for our office. I will have to learn the process of what we are doing during this busy time of year. This worries me a little bit because although I have been in this office for ten months, I have been met with people that will not show you anything. I am sure you have dealt with these types of people. They want to feel needed in the office so they hoard all the knowledge so everyone will have to come to them when they have a question. Then when they get another job or retire the whole office suffers because the only one that knows how to do certain tasks is gone. This is what I have been battling for many months. Tomorrow it is time to get serious and force some information out of these people.
My wife is moving to another office next week and so she will be training her replacement this week. She is a little happy and sad about it. She has worked in this office for several years and loves the supervisor. That is a rare thing to have where we work. My wife is a good person and goes the extra mile for people and I hope things work out for her. My son’s cell phone has been ringing for ever and he is sleeping right through it. It is so loud that I can hear it loudly in my bedroom with the door closed. I just went to wake him and give him his cell phone. Sometimes when everyone is asleep I post on this blog from the laptop in the bedroom so I do not wake anyone else up. I better get this posted since everyone is up and around now.
Happy Thanksgiving
This weekend we went to my father in law’s house in Checotah, Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. With the exception of two people engaging in a small political argument it was a pretty good time. There were many family relatives that showed and for the most part, everyone enjoyed themselves. This morning my wife and I defied logic and went to buy a few items for Christmas. This was the first time in our 19 year marriage that we have done this. Now that I have done this, I can tell you that it is a mistake as I found out that we were sold the wrong item. We were rushed through and I did not get a good feeling from the beginning. I was half way home before I noticed this. I am hoping that they will make things good without too much trouble. Honestly I hate going to a store and having a sales representative hovering over me. If I need help, then I will seek them out. Then we went out to breakfast as a family and had a good time.
I am so tired of school work and I am ready for this to be over. I just turned on the television and heard about an attack in Mumbai, India. Apparently this has been going on for a couple of days. Let’s hope and pray those people are doing okay. I usually do not watch the national news because it is design to incite anger among their viewers. If you think I am just making this up, just watch them. The theme is usually black against white, rich against poor, old against young, big business against the workers, Republican against Democrat, and a whole host of political correctness that I will not mention. For that reason, I choose not to partake in their games.
It has been a bad week at work so I have not felt like posting for a few days. Jack, I did receive your message and I agree with you. Thanks for the input.
Happy Veterans Day
I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank the veterans of the United States military on this day. Our country as diverse as it is shares the freedoms that many countries do not have. The freedoms that we take for granted are often non existent some other countries. We owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans who fought for our country. Many of these veterans never saw any hostility but that does not remove the gratitude for them because we know at any time those that were in the military could have been called upon at any time. What ever the motivation, the end result was the same and that is a retention of our rights that we enjoy today.
Our country has people of differing opinions to the point of hostility. There are many in our own country that cannot muster the energy to say a nice word about our military. As contemtable as that is to me, I say this…You owe gratutude to our military for giving you the right to dissent. Our military is an all volunteer force and no one is compelled to join but somehow our military always ranks among the top in the world. Some of these people join for the opportunity to serve our country, while some join to gain a college education. Some go as a last resort during hard economic times. Whatever the reason a person joins we know that it was voluntary and no one forced them to join. The rights and freedoms that we Americans enjoy are directly related to the veterans that live next door to you. Again, I would like to express my thanks to those that joined the military for what ever reason. You have ensured our safety, our freedoms, and our rights and I am grateful.
Thank you,
Paul
Happy Anniversary
Today is our 19th wedding anniversay and I am truly blessed. I met Sunday in 1988 and we married in 1989 at Life Christian Center, now Eastpointe Community Church. Sunday is more than one could ask in a wife. She does things for me without even asking. I always try to remember to give God the glory for my marriage because without him we would not be together. We have had a pretty good weekend so far as we went out to dinner on Friday night, then Saturday morning. We went to the new Warren theater in Moore to see a movie called Ghost town. It was strange because I did not see a single person in there under the age of 40. The movie was good though. This morning we went out for breakfast again. It has been a somewhat relaxing weekend.
My Bah Humbug View of Holidays
This coming Friday is Independence Day in the United States and by far my favorite holiday of the year. This is a day where you can just enjoy life and be with your friends and family. So far Hallmark has not ruined it by making it a gift guilt holiday like Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentines Day. I have nothing against giving a gift but when it becomes a duty then I do. There are two commercials that I find particularly offensive. One of them is the Hallmark commercial where they turn the card over to make sure it is a Hallmark. The translation is that you are a cheap loser if you did not spring for the expensive name. The other one that really angers me is the Lexus commercial where the loved one just hands their spouse a set of Lexus keys. I do not know about you but if you have ever priced a Lexus, they are way over the top. I cannot imagine spending $50,000+ without discussing it first with your spouse. That is the perfect ingredient for a rocky marriage. My point is that holidays have become a responsibility, a bill, a duty that is not fun any more. I genuinely dread Christmas every year and that is tragic since it is supposed to represent the birth of Jesus.
It is interesting to note how when the news or the commercials speak of gift giving, they use words like procrastination, or running out of time. Why would someone procrastinate to do something they love to do? The truth is that it is a burden that most people see as a duty. So when someone gets you a gift for any of the holidays you can look at it as someone did their duty rather than cared enough for you to buy you something. It is something similar to that dreaded mortgage payment. Money is not the issue but rather the expectation that you must perform. Heck if it was just the money it would be easy. Just write the check and be on your way. For those of you that think this is just a bah humbug poor attitude that I have, just remember that most suicides are done during Christmas. This is not a coincidence because Christmas has become a duty and not an exciting event to look forward to.
The fourth of July is still fun because there are not duties that must be adhered to making it a day where you can still relax and enjoy life. In our busy lives where everything must be scheduled, it is nice to have a day where you can go out and enjoy visiting with family and friends without the burden of having to play any games. This is a day where you can enjoy the freedom we have and recognize the meaning of this day without it being corrupted by marketing. I do love what Christmas stands for but I do not like the game. Some people actually do like that stuff but I don’t and I know I am not the only one. Most guys that I meet that are not afraid to be honest will tell you they see it as a duty as well. I think that in the beginning it was nice and people wanted to do this but now that we have to listen to guilt commercials day in and day out, it is no fun anymore.
When is the last time you played the Valentines game? Did you enjoy it? Really? Did you really enjoy waiting at the restaurant for two hours for a seat on a work night. I bet if you were honest you would have to admit it was not a good time. I spoke with the manager at the Texas Road House the day after and he said the Fire Marshal made them run people off because there were so many people in the building that exceeded the legal limit. I love that place but have been there a number of times when it was not that busy and it still felt like we were being smothered with the crowd. I definitely would not want to be there then. My point is that people put themselves through this because it is a duty.
If you disagree with my opinion please send hate mail to plmccordj@yahoo.com or just post a response on the the blog.
Technorati Tags: holidays,humbug,duties,Texas Road House
Christmas
It has finally arrived and I am glad. We have had a nice day so far but it has a little bit of dread since tomorrow we have to go back to work. We could not ask for better weather as it is 60 degrees out there and clear. It looks like a cold front is heading this way and we have a chance of snow tomorrow. I am really greatful for my wonderful family and friends that have made this such a good Christmas. I hope all of you have as nice day as we are having. Only one week until 2008 and I can hardly believe that. What an eventful year with school, pneumonia, gall bladder surgery, and the worst ice storm in Oklahoma history. I think it will end on a positive note giving God the credit for all the blessing we have had.
Thank you all for your support and prayers through this year.
Paul
CHRISTmas, Are You Ashamed?
I know I have posted in the past about this sad topic before but I thought being Christmas eve, it is relevant to mention again. In that previous post, I was angry and was speaking out of emotion. First the picture above is an example of what has always made me proud to live in Oklahoma City. This is one of the few places that still acknowledges Jesus in the Christmas celebration. I took this photo on the top of the parking garage at St. Anthony hospital in Northwest Oklahoma City. It was taken on Christmas eve in 2006. I just love that our downtown buildings still display the cross of Jesus on their buildings as a badge of honor and I think this is very important.
Discaimer: I use Godaddy.com as the domain registrar and hosting for this site and I love them. I really am pleased with their service and would recommend them to others.
In this photo, I took a screen shot of an email that I received via email yesterday. It was very nicely put together and wished myself and my family “…a Happy Holiday and a fantastic New Year.” I think it is unfortunate that Godaddy has chosen to follow the trend of other companies around Christmas that refer to Christmas as “HOLIDAY” instead of Christmas. This advertisement is so blatant because they single out Christmas as Holiday, and then go on to mention New Year by name. I think this is a conscious decision that companies are making to omit Jesus CHRIST from Christmas. Their motives are never announced so it leaves us to speculate. I would guess they would probably say they do not want to offend those of other religions by mentioning a Christian holiday by name. This is unfortunate because Christmas is a Christian holiday specifically to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This is the only holiday among all the other holidays this time of year that plays Christmas music, and giving gifts.
I would venture to say that the real issue that would never be admitted to is being ashamed of Jesus. There are millions of people in the United States that celebrate Christmas that do not even believe in Jesus. They want to play the game without any commitments. Companies want to sell their goods and take advantage of Christmas without acknowledging Jesus, the very reason for the holiday. You cannot have it both ways. Since they do not believe in Jesus, they will likely not listen to this argument either but I think it is relevant and important to know.
The Bible says in Luke 16:13…
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Also Jesus says in Mark 8:38…
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
This is so important because Christmas celebrates Jesus and these words are His own words. His words are more relevant than anything else. The way Christmas has been been displayed in recent years on television with advertising has been a complete turn off for me. It makes it not even feel like Christmas and I find myself muting every Christmas commercial on television. In their attempts to not offend other religions, they have successfully offended the very people that celebrate Jesus’s birth. I am not advocating boycotting businesses or anything but rather be a light. If you believe in Jesus, then do not be afraid to admit it and tell people about Him. Do not be ashamed of Jesus by taking the easy way out and saying “HOLIDAY”.
Don’t Happy Holidays Me!
If there is anything that really gets to me is the never ending “Happy Holidays” or Holiday this or Holiday that. It is CHRISTmas! We do not buy gifts for New Years Day, or Thanksgiving Day. This is the Christmas season period. Lets not forget that Christmas is the birth of Jesus. It has nothing to do with the fictitious Santa Claus. It amazes me that the very people on television that tell you to go buy a gift for your loved one for this “Holiday” season do not even believe in Jesus. This is one topic that really gets on my nerves. The commercials are all about getting your money and making you feel guilty than recognizing the true meaning of Jesus’ birth. There have been studies to show that most Americans would rather them say “Merry Christmas” as opposed to Happy Holidays but they will not do it because in this politically correct climate, they do not want to offend the one minority. In America the minority rules the majority. We do not want to offend the minority so we completely disregard the majority. Something is not right there.
Technorati Tags: Christmas , Jesus , God , Holiday , Thanksgiving , New Year
Happy Father’s Day
I do not like these holidays but I will not get into that. I have so many responsibilities that I just want to lounge on this day. I can not relax though because I have school work to do. I have several papers to write and I will not have time to relax except in three week intervals twice a year until Spring 2009 when I graduate.
I will say this… I have a wonderful wife and kids that a trillion dollars would not replace. Although I am busy, I am blessed beyond measure. For those of you that know Sunday, you know what a great person she is. I think I am going to give my dog a bath in a few minutes. She will love that. I can hardly wait to see her shake off all over the furniture. I better go so I can get busy.
Happy Memorial Day
I hope everyone is doint well this holiday. This has been a productive weekend as far as getting a persistent computer problem fixed. As many of you know I also run the Del City Amateur Radio Club repeater nodes as well. One of our repeaters is connected to the WIN System most of the time. It went down for a hard break over a month ago. We just got it back up this weekend and within 48 hours, we were blocked due to pulsing on the system. I ran the pulse check script and found that we were pulsing sporadically. There is a problem with it and I am a little tired of playing with it. I do not have the energy to continue fighting with it at least for now. I will wait until my dad gets back and see if he feels like playing with it.
I really needed this three day weekend. This is the first free day off that wasn”t a doctor’s visit since February. I just tried to relax for the most part. My summer classes begin next weekend. I already went to OU and bought my books. I need to go back out there and pick up my summer student aid sometime this week. I hate to ask off because I have just been transferred int another shop and it doesn’t look good to start taking off as soon as you get there.
I have the best wife in the world. I just needed to say that. She is always there for me and does things for me when I don’t even ask. I cannot say enough good things about her. She has a good heart and is always thinking of someone else. Recently she worked all night doing the Relay for Life event in Midwest City. She is just that kind of person. I really believe she will be in a special place in heaven when she gets there.
I love you Sunday.
Paul