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do you ever...

forget to blog for a while and then find yourself NEEDING to write something but then suffer the consequences of having writers block? This sucks. I really need to get something on paper, but I'm just not sure what it is. I know one thing. the workplace is NOT a good scene to set Slacker (http://www.slacker.com/) to the Bloodhound Gang channel. Though good for chair dancing and getting rid of some of the caffeine in your body, the lyrics leave a little to be desired. Unfortunately, they don't really align with my spiritual beliefs either.

Since we are on THAT subject, this weekends service was one of miracles. Johannes Amritzer stopped by to congratulate our MCM ministry school students for graduating. They had just returned from Tanzania and many of them saw real miracles first hand. Amanda and I also saw a miracle during this service...her dad decided to join us. I'm not sure it was a good service for a new comer...I mean, Amanda and I were shell shocked and we are dyed in the wool believers. We believe in miracles and healings...and her dad...eh...not so much. I think it may have been VERY Benny Hinn for him, but the best part was he actually stopped to text us the following day to ask questions. Miracles DO happen :)

My oldest finishes Kindergarten this week. Time is flying and I don't involve him enough in what I'm doing. Amanda coaxed him to climb the ladder a couple days ago to give me my hammer while i was on the roof. I was PANICKED the whole time...but he did it, and did it well. I don't give him enough credit, and need to let him spread his wings I guess. I'd just feel like crap if he got hurt...that's how it goes I guess.

My youngest is two. Very two. enough said. he finally figured out that if he whines enough SOMEONE will give him that which he whines for. Not daddy. Daddy will give him his room for whining. which makes him SCREAM. Daddy will sometimes give in to the screaming and provide that which was whined for to stop the screaming. It's amazing, and usually squelches the fire whistles.

Gastric bypass recipe and favorite food of this update is simple. You want a pizza fix, but pizza is NOT on the menu. One small corn tortilla, a little sauce, a couple pepperoni, and some cheese. bake at 425 for 10 mins. Oh man...the pizza fix is FIXED.

so it's been a while...

and not so long ago I posted about being an addict. one of the things many gastric bypass patients deal with is a transfer addiction. Since it's nearly impossible for us to truly be "foodies" again post-surgery, many folks pick up new habits to replace the innate desire to crush 4 bigmacs at one sitting. I tried booze. nah...that just makes my pouch hurt. I tried popcorn. Oh the bloat. I tried sex...it takes two to tango and Amanda's transfer is definitely NOT sex LOL...so that left me with COFFEE.

I have turned into my dad. I go everywhere with my 2 dollar insulated mug from Big Lots. I'm not big on fru-fru coffee and starbucks tastes good, but who wants to drop 4 bills on a cup when I can go to big bird and get a POUND of the good stuff for 7? Sheetz has good coffee..and for 99 cents I can fill my mug with that delicious infusion of roasted beans and western PA tap water. Not a BAD deal, but as far as coffee goes, Mickey Dees wins the coffee battle hands down. When you are in the mood for a cuppa joe, nothing beats the arches.

Now onto other matters...Nick got a warning today at school for "drawing a gun." I have to wonder if he was asked at all about the picture and then coached a little or if the teacher just saw a gun and flipped out. I certainly spoke about this with him when I got home and I gotta tell you, the imagination of a kindergärtner is amazing. he drew a picture of himself holding his toy pop gun from Cabelas, and his imaginary friend who was pretending to be a deer, and they were playing "hunting." I asked him if what he thought about pointing guns at people. He said that it was not right and he should have drawn a deer instead of his imaginary friend pretending to BE a deer. Yup. I advised him to not draw guns at school anymore and if he does...make damn sure he's shooting animals and targets...not people.

We then played Wii Hunting for a few minutes. I'm having a hard time even being mad at him...I mean...things were different when I was a kid. I brought my grandfathers old single shot shotgun to school for show and tell one time. I carried a pocket knife EVERY DAY to school from the time I was in the fifth grade up till the day I graduated. I had a really nice lockback knife with a chicken fighting scene on the blade...it was an awesome knife and it gutted countless bluegills. My high school teachers (particularly Mr. Hartell) would often ask me for my knife when they needed one...they knew I had it. That would never fly today. Times have changed and I have to say i'm not thrilled about it. It's harder to be on the "right" side of the world these days, especially when there are whack jobs making it harder every day. Just a couple days ago a state trooper was effectively ambushed by a guy with a 30-30 "hunting" rifle - not a good day for hunters who do things right...and NOT a good day for gun owners. In truth, the "system" failed us - the system took this rifle from the shooter a few years ago and he somehow got it back. And used it to shoot a state trooper at distance, in the neck - right above his body armor. Sick sick people around here.

I teach Nick everything there is to know about gun safety and I'm a bit upset about him drawing a person with the gun...I realize what his intentions were but i have to hold him responsible for what he did draw. Here's to other law abiding gun owners trying to teach their kids about gun safety...