Frustration!

This week my dear wife fixed pancakes for breakfast. If you were to come to my home for breakfast, I could pretty much tell you what you would have to eat on any given day. Monday is not a good day - it is usually cereal. Tuesday is pancake or french toast day. Wednesday is Waffle Wednesday. Thursday is Egg Sandwich day. Friday is Home-Made Cinamon Roll Friday. Saturday is Biscuits and Gravy. Sunday is bought cinnamon roll day.

On Tuesday, she had fixed pancakes and I wanted syrup on them. Most people do. I made a significant tactical error, however, by waiting to open the bottle of syrup after my pancake was done. It was a new bottle which meant I had to risk my fingers by cutting off a hard plastic seal that covered the bottle cap. The plastic used is wretched stuff, stiff and sharp when taken off. Next, I had to take off the bottle cap which had been screwed onto the bottle by a 600 pound gorilla. The reason I had to take the cap off was to get at a paper and foil seal that covered the top of the bottle that has a little tab that is almost impossible to raise to get the seal off. So, usually I grab a knife and stab the seal to enable me to remove it. I then had to screw the broken cap back on (the flapper on it had broken when I was wrestling with removing it) so I could finally dispense the syrup on my now cold pancake!

Two or three thoughts went through my head. How do elderly people or people with disabilities get their syrup? Secondly, I am beginning to wonder if the producer of the product does not want me using the product. Or, maybe the grocer is afraid of people stealing the syrup out of the bottles while they are sitting on the shelves. No wonder we are all almost incapacitated with fear. Even eating syrup communicates to us that we are embarking on a very risky odyssey. Hanging over the pleasure of a delicious breakfast is the risk of poisoning!

Gone are the days of buying a bottle of syrup, taking it home and pouring onto a warm, buttery pancake. Better safe than sorry? Remember this, if you plan to have syrup on your pancake - be sure and OPEN THE BOTTLE THE DAY BEFORE.

Variety of Experiences

Last evening, the "Illini Quarterback Club" hosted Gibson City. The IQBC has been in existence for 68 years. When the football team is away then they have a Thursday evening meal and a live hour long call in radio show. When the team is home then the club hosts a Friday luncheon. They invite different towns to come as guests.

It was a fun evening on several fronts. Participating in the live radio broadcast was exciting. Being there last evening was good because the Illini had won last weekend and everyone was living off of the glow of that victory. Seeing Ron Zook up close (we were 10 feet apart) was pretty cool. The setting was awesome. The event was located in the "Colonnades Club" at Memorial Stadium. It would be really, really nice to watch a football game from there. The food was good and the company entertaining and the conversation interesting. The coach takes questions from the audience both during the live broadcast and during breaks. The questions asked during the breaks tend to be a bit more interesting. He also interacts with folks who call in with comments and questions.

I was a bit out of place. The only orange and blue I own are of a more casual nature. However, I did feel better when I saw that there was at least one other who did not wear orange - Ron Zook. We were dressed pretty much alike!

The whole experience was not one I would necessarily pursue. In the end, however, it was very enjoyable. I continue to be surprised and amazed at the different experiences that come into my life. Riding in a combine, flying in a Cessna 172 to Pontiac for coffee, going fishing at Clinton Lake, watching my son play basketball, teaching my daughter to drive, and on and on it goes. It is humbling and I am grateful.

Equipment

I thought it might be nice to post the astro-equipment I use. It is a bit like looking at the pictures in the wallet of a proud grandparent. I don't want to rush it, so I will go one at a time. Today, the oldest of the bunch. It is a Celestron C8 - known as the orange tube classic C8. The "8" refers to the diameter of the telescope tube. It is eight inches around. Celestron began manufacturing this particular telescope in 1970. It became an influential scope because of several factors not the least of which was affordability and ability. It could be purchased for a reasonable price, was fairly portable, was large enough in diameter to allow the user to view a lot, and was of good quality. The style of scope is SCT. That acronym stands for Schmidt-Cassegrain. It has a couple of mirrors in it and a "correcting plate" which acts like a lens on the front. The design makes the telescope fairly compact especially considering the diameter.

I have been looking for one for a long time. Thankfully, a gentleman had one that he wanted to sell. He was advertising on the web and I assumed we would need to make some shipping arrangements - never fun when you are considering shipping fairly fragile equipment across the U.S. It was so exciting to discover he was only two hours from where I live and that he would be more than willing to drive half-way to meet. Rather than purchase the scope and accessories out right, we were able to do some trading. And, he was a wonderful Christian man with whom I had a most blessed couple of hours visiting. It always amazes me where I meet believers.

The scope is the newest to me and it is taking me a while to get use to it. The last time I had it out was Halloween. Usually, I don't like going out that evening. Not because of fear of what I don't see but fear of what I do! It was a beautiful evening, however, and after our "Hallelujah Party" at church I went out for almost 2 hours. The moon was out and, while not full, was plenty bright. I was able to see some beautiful sights - including M-13 in Hercules and the Double-Double star system in Lyra. The Andromeda Galaxy was washed out by the moon light. Jupiter was dancing in the southern sky.

I plan to do a "public showing" at the church soon. Be sure and join us!

Breakfast

This morning I went to breakfast at Percfection Coffee House here in Gibson. It is a cool place to eat though not my usual breakfast hangout. My practice is to eat breakfast out once a week. It is my favorite meal restaurant meal. What smells better than bacon frying in the morning? The vast majority of times it is with another man whom I am either wanting to get to know better or with whom I need to discuss concerns within the church.

There is something about getting up and out as the world around me is waking up. I usually walk to where I eat breakfast. It takes me ten minutes and by the time I get to the restaurant I am wide awake. By the time I am done with breakfast I am so wired from drinking coffee that I need to walk home just to calm down. At home I drink two cups a coffee in the morning. When I eat out I drink two gallons of coffee in the morning.

Today I had the joy of having breakfast with my oldest son. I was deeply humbled. For one thing, and some of you know what I mean, we talked as man to man. That is a significant transition for both of us. Not that our conversation was necessarily "deep" or that we forgot we were son and father. And, he asked me my perspective on some concerns in his life. I have had to fight offering up too much advice and trying to be a fix-it person. The Lord has been teaching me to wait on Him. I was very pleased and humbled (forgive the repetition) that Drew would ask.

Go out to breakfast. Watch the world wake up over a plate of bacon and eggs. Spend the early part of a day conversing with someone you love. Don't worry about the cholesterol. Enjoy the glory of a sunrise and the pleasure of the food and bless God for His goodness in your life.

Wild Hogs - NOT!

Yesterday, October 19th, was our second annual bike ride to Starved Rock, Illinois. Starved Rock is near Ottawa, about 100 miles from my home and is the second oldest state park in Illinois. It is located on the Illinois river with a very attractive lodge, hotel, and restaurant. The fall colors were very nice and the view of the river from "Starved Rock" is great. There is a lock and dam on the river that is fun to watch from the vantage point of the overlook. There is also a nice museum containing the history of the location.

My riding partners are Frank (on the left) and Jerry. I am in the middle. We left at 10:00 A.M. and had beautiful clear skies about 1/2 way. Clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped and we had to stop and grab a cup of hot coffee. We were tempted to turn back but pressed on and I am glad we did. The sun eventually returned and we had a delicious lunch at the park restaurant. The worst part of the trip were the Chinese beetles - they look like lady bugs on steroids. They were not a problem on the ride, although the occasional smash against the helmet is startling. At the overlook at Starved Rock there were thousands and thousands of them. People were literally running from them. It looked like the plague.

Another exciting event happened when we were riding the twisties up to the park. It is a narrow road and a young couple had decided to park to take some photos or just enjoy the view. The problem was that their vehicle was 1/2 into the narrow road. One of the motorcycles backfires when you let off of the throttle. That person was in front of me and just as he got by that vehicle his bike let out a loud "BANG"! I almost wrecked laughing so hard at the reaction of the young couple in the parked jeep. They were so busy looking at the leaves (and endangering every one's lives) they never noticed the motorcycle till the explosion from the tailpipe.

I enjoy the two men I was riding with, although they are hard riders. They never met a speed limit they liked. They are full of great stories and can be hilarious. Neither are shy - 8 Illinois State Troopers were at the restaurant on their motorcycles. It was like a magnet to the two men who waltzed right over and starting talking to them. When we were exiting the restaurant there were two dear ladies outside smoking. One of the men said: "Don't you know that smoking is bad for your health?" The ladies were startled, but did admit that they knew that. Then the man said, "Well, you are so old it probably does not matter any way". I kept walking, perhaps a little faster.

It is good for men to spend time with other men. To encourage one another, challenge one another, bless one another, and enjoy one another. It was a small adventure in the middle of the month. A nice little vacation spent with two dear brothers. And, I was very thankful by the end of the trip to have survived unscathed, but with a bit more insight into life and a few more stories to tell.

Blogging and Slogging

Do people still read blogs? Has Face book and Twittering spelled the death of their longer winded cousin - the blogger? I am wondering. We are entering into a new frontier with communication. It is less face to face and more keyboard to keyboard. At least they are "talking", but are they really?

We had a wonderful baptismal service two weeks ago. All adults. It was glorious. The video is on our church web site - it takes a long time to load - be patient. It is such a wonderful thing to participate in the decision that people make to obey Jesus in baptism. My heart is humbled.

This past Sunday things did not go so well. There were technical problems. They can be really aggravating. And, a lot of people were out of town. Too often I see who is not here rather than who is here. And, at least from my perspective, the sermon did not go so well. I want everything to go just right and when it doesn't it throws me into discouragement. I still have not learned the lesson of slogging onward and upward. Praise God when it all comes to gather and heaven seems to have come to earth. But, Praise God also when things break, we stumble through sermons, and all does not seem well. God is still on the throne. Following Jesus means slogging at times.

ISS Up and Away

The light streak in the center of the picture just above the trees, is the International Space Station. I asked my oldest son, who is currently working as a photographer, to shoot the picture for me. It was taken on May 29th of this year. I enjoy watching it pass over and try to imagine what the people are doing aboard it. Reading? E-mailing loved ones? Sleeping? Looking down at me looking up at them?

The ISS orbits the earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of approxmiately 200 miles. It is a little over 12,000 square feet of living space that travels at over 7,000 mph. This is not your typical RV. Would you consider this the ultimate escape? The view is awesome. The setting is ultimately unique. It is a bit pricey. I think the Russians charge $51 million a seat for a trip on the Soyuz to the ISS. I am not sure what that works out to per night, but it is more expensive than Motel 6. The station is not yet complete. I have read that it is the most expensive object ever constructed, with a cost between 35 to 160 billion dollars. And, it is easy to see at night with the naked eye. Some folks have spotted it during the day time. It is bright, very bright.

Reminds me - let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. The ISS is bright, but it does not "produce" the light, it merely reflects it. (Someone may argue that point) The light seen from it originates with the sun. A good deal of what we see is reflected from the solar panels. And so with believers. We are to reflect the Light. The Light of the world is Jesus.