Cell phones + water = bad

Ok, this post is going to be an attempt to explain the necessity for me to get a new phone.

It all started when I was in KC for the annual Wales' Christmas bash. As usual, our Friday evening was spent at the Plaza, first eating supper, then browsing the shops for awhile. We ate at Uno's, which is a great place to be introduced to Chicago-style deep dish pizza. Well, after supper, nature called. I knew that my cell didn't always stay clipped in its belt holster, but I wasn't quick enough on the draw, and - ploosh - I'll let you decide what happened there. This is accident #1, of three basic accidents that happened that night. I'll just say that all three had to happen for the night to turn out as it did. If any two of the three had occurred, no problem. So, my phone's zapped, and I don't know anyone's number in my head anymore. Accident #2: I'm browsing in Barnes and Noble (big surprise :)) and I check the time and realize I'm supposed to be back at Uno's right now. No big deal, when is the last time a group of around 30 people managed to meet and leave within 10 minutes? Apparently, it was that night. So I get to Uno's at 7:50, ten minutes late, and no one in sight. Hmm......... I start to think maybe I got the time wrong. I then realize that Accident #3 had already occurred earlier: the vehicle I arrived in had left soon after supper, so nobody that was left would have missed me on the ride home. So, I went back to Barnes and Noble for a while, thinking that If anyone did miss me and come back, they would probably know to check here. Well, it's not easy to relax in a situation like this, so I went back to Uno's, got a mocha from across the street, and decided to wait it out. Finally, at around 9 pm, I figured it was probably going to be up to me to get to Wales'. Another problem: I don't remember their address. After some intense memory searching, Glenwood comes to mind, but I don't have a clue how to get from the Plaza to anywhere I know. I started to take a closer look at the taxis all over the Plaza. Hmm... $2.20 + $1.70 per mile....I remember Tina saying something about 19 miles to the Plaza according to Mapquest....I have $36 and change in my wallet.....figure 20 miles....wow, that's close...Anyway, for the first time in my life, I hailed a cab. I told him I barely had enough for a 20 mile fare, so he knew I was interested in the shortest route, not the fastest. Anyway, I made it to Wales', with nothing but the change to spare after I paid the cabbie. I missed the whole gift exchange, but since I had put a gift in the pot, there was one left for me. It was a whole bag of gummi worms, gummi bears, sour worms, etc., which I ended up accidentally at Tom and Tina Fehr's place anyway. :( Oh, well.
On the bright side, I was not under a cell phone contract, so I just decided to get a new phone and forget about trying to collect an insurance claim on my old one. It's a better phone anyway, and Alltel ended up giving it to me for nearly half price (that's after the discount for a two year service agreement).
So I guess that's the long way around to say that I don't have anybody's number for my contact list, since my old phone was unresponsive to any and all resuscitation attempts. :(
Therefore, if you would like me to have your number, please respond via comment, or, if you don't want the few people who read this blog to also know it, by e-mail. ;)

Snow, KC, cell phones

So it is time to catch up a little already. December 1 was the first snow accumulation here, and it has snowed twice since then, but only about an inch each time. This past weekend in KC was just what I needed to pick me up a little. I say that truthfully, despite the fact that the weekend did include at least one totally downer experience on Saturday night. If you don't know that story, but would like to, I may post it if there is enough interest. Another slight downer was the fact that my phone is officially dead. Alltel has no stores in Illinois, so my options were limited. I called them up to discuss the possibilities, such as insurance, upgrades, etc. Basically, the quickest and easiest option was to sign a new service agreement ad get a new phone. The supervisor gave me an awesome deal on the phone I was interested in, and it should be here tommorrow. I am kind of excited because it is a camera phone with a slot for a SD memory card and is Bluetooth enabled. Don't think I'll use bluetooth, but hey, it ended up only costing $30 more than if I just replaced my phone with the insurance. So if any of my adoring public is feeling frustrated at leaving me messages (which they aren't, because I still check my voicemail :) ) that should be taken care of in the next day or two. Unfortunately, I won't be able to retrieve my contacts, so I will have to start over again. Oh well, I only had about 40 contacts because it wasn't that long ago I had a problem with my other phone. Ok, so I am once again rambling on about unimportant things, so I'll stop boring you.

Ash

Train of thought??? What's that?

Ok, so here I find myself, once again found wanting in my feeble attempts at keeping this blog going. To those near to my heart (i.e., Kansans and other aquaintences from such faraway places as Michigan, Indiana, and Colorado), I apologize and ask forgiveness. It seems that more than one of my latest posts have begun this way, maybe I should start taking my own hints.:) Anyway, just sitting here doing laundry, Luke's gone, and thought I'd make use of this time. So, congrats to Brooke and Vince, Brian and Julie, Jason and Joni, and Kirk and Wendy. I think that covers those friends of mine that have either recently married or become engaged. Man, either I need to post more often, or people everywhere are all deciding to get hitched! hehe It looks like my move to Bloomington may be slightly delayed, maybe until later in January instead of early. I gues whatever happens will happen. I'm not the one really in control anyway, so that's all fine with me. I am excited for this weekend though. As of today, I am cleared to take Friday afternoon and Saturday off from work, so I plan on being in KC!! That should keep me going for the rest of the week, for sure. Work is going well, Craig (Jeff's bro, and my boss in the shop) is determined to turn me into a Diesel Tech so I can help him out with Powerstrokes. I like it though, at least it keeps me from doing oil changes all day:) School starts again about the middle of January. I have no idea when the next time I can make it to KS will be, other than the 2nd weekend in Jan.

Now that I have blabbered on without any cohesive train of thought whatsoever, it's time to sit back and take a mental breather.....ok, so I like to write for my blog alot more than I remember:). Two months go by, and I realize that there have been things worth writing about, though I didn't think so at the time. My first holiday season away from home has gone reasonably well. I had to miss most of the Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday cause I worked till after 4pm, but I got there in time to have my supper when the food was brought out for everyone else to have their second round.
Well, I guess that's all for now, and hopefully it won't be another two months till my next post.

Looking up (in more ways than one)

First off, I would like to say a special thanks to all those who have offered prayer and encouragement on my behalf. Both have been greatly appreciated. Even though it was killing me to sit in the audience while listening to so many others praise our Father in song after beautiful song, the trip to Gridley this weekend was incredible. The chance to see and talk to some friends that I don't see very often was great. On a side note, congratulations to Aaron and Michelle, God bless you both richly in the days to come. I am once again alone this evening, but somehow things are looking up. I may go to Roanoke tonight for the hymn sing, that is if I can get ahold of any one. My phone is locked in my toolbox at work :(.
Once again, I can't stress the awesome blessing of fellowship enough to satisfy my love for you all.

I don't like being alone

I've got such a jumble of thoughts in my head right now, it is hard to sort them out. They stem from the title of this post. Right now, I am alone. Luke decided last night sometime to go with most of the Washington YG to Apple River, which is some kind of park, to go hiking for the weekend. I was planning on going to Gridley today and sing, but had to work til 4. Since I have free time now, I thought I'd do a little blog reading. Well, that is what beings me to my present state of sorrow. Every post I read from Dona, Brooke, Tifani, Kellan, or anyone else at KSU, Topeka, or just Kansas brings me deeper into this pit. I thought I could go and take a nap to escape, but it turns out I can't even settle down enough to sleep. I can't remember anyone or anything in my life that I have ever missed so badly. There it is, I've said it. I am homesick more than I ever could have imagined. And to add insult to injury, I have officially shed tears into my pillow (during the previously mentioned, unsuccesful nap attempt). This has not been an encouraging way to spend a beutiful Saturday afternoon, but I had to get this stuff off my chest. However, I think of Romans 8:18: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Sorry

By the way, I am sorry if the word verification thingy is a pain, I still want people (instead of spam) to leave comments.

Ok, ok.....

So I'm sitting here in the computer lab at Parkland checking out other blogs, and I realize I still have and hour before I need to be in class. I have therefore decided to make use of this opportunity to post again, since, to my shame, I see it has been over a month.
Well, so far life is good in Illinois, although reading Luke's post on things he misses has put a bit of a damper on my mood right now. I miss Kansas! More specifically (sp?) I miss KSU ACYG. Especially after reading about the Batcave, the late night Wal-Mart runs, and having an hour and a half phone conversation the other night with various members of the aforementioned group. I am currently going through a withdrwal phase because I don't have the kind of deep personal relationship with anyone here that I had with some very special people in KS. I suppose that will eventually change, but in the meantime, it sometimnes makes me sad. Another jolt of reality: As of yesterday, I have officially changed my counseling elder to Ron Messner, in Washington. This kind of caught me off guard, as it wasn't until late last week that I even had a thought that I wouldn't be able to counsel with John now that I am 7 hours away. I did have a much needed phone conversation with him, which was when we decided to switch my elder, but it isn't the same as seeing him face to face. I should quit now before I am swallowed up in despair ;).
On a lighter note, some may notice that my blog is not nor has it ever been on Luke's famous list of blogs. Apparently, I update even less than Vince, a fact that I will not try to argue with anyone. :)

Parkland College

So this morning I went to Parkland with my boss and met with the two instructors for the ASSET program. The meeting was far beyond anything I could have imagined. I found out that my math and english classes should tranfer no problem, and that basically I already have all the electives taken care of, except maybe one social science one later in the program. Which translates to no class on Friday, at least for the first session, and class on Monday doesn't start til after noon, and class on Tues/Thurs starts at 10! Which also means I can commute for a little while and I'm not under the gun for a place to live. I found out Parkland also has a Motorsports Club, and they have a 1980 Chevy Malibu that is set up for drag racing that the students work on and get to drive! I was so excited, though due to the 8-week blocks that I'll be there, I don't know if I'll be able to get involved or not. I just had to think on the way home how God has made everything work out so beautifully, and it helps me to be thankful.

Well, I hope you're having a blessed week, hope to see ya at Leo!

My life so far as an Illinoian

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a while. Big hairy deal. jk :) Seriously, things are good, although since school/work hasn't started yet, it is extremely difficult to motivate myself to do much of anything. I am going to Champaign Thurs. morn with one of my future bosses at Mangold's to see the director of Ford's program at Parkland College. I am not sure what this meeting is going to entail, but at least it is something. I have heard from other employees that this is how it goes at Mangold's sometimes: ........yeah, we'll get back to you........oh, right, we'll get on that...............sure, let's do that..........now...let's do it. You get the picture? In their defense, there is a lot to do running a dealership, so I guess I'm not really upset about the whole thing. I am actually quite more concerned with the fact that as of yet I do not have a place to live, either in Bloomington or Champaign. I have had some good leads finally, so hopefully one will pan out.
Much to my delight, the Washington YG has a tradition of DQ every Wed. after services. :) I have also been at both Sarah Hodel's apt. and Erin Hodel's house later than midnight in the last two weeks, so it seems I should fit in well with the YG here. ;) Joe came out this past weekend, that was sweet. As far as the lack of posts go, I have had to use Luke's computer to get online, and his favorites list is obviously different from mine and I'm a little leery to change things.
Well, that's about all I have, sorry if you fell asleep at work or wherever you were when you read this.

P.S. - I miss my KS buds so much, I have actually had dreams about some of you. (That's as sentimental as I'm going to get in public. :))

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow...

For those of you who weren't in KC this weekend or wo haven't found out already, my youngest sibling, Austin, gave his life to Christ late Sat/early Sunday. Quite a shock, as it semmed his life had been going in a direction that didn't lead to God. Praise God for seeds planted and nourished by Christian parents, as well as (hopefully) Christian siblings. Our family circle is now complete, which brings joy to my heart. Austin plans to attend KSU, mostly because there is little to no Christian influence or fellowship at Highland CC where he is currently in school.

P.S. - On a lighter note, I got a ticket Sunday morning going home to be with Austin his first Sunday as a believer, but it really doesn't bother me. :)

Hot Times in Kansas

Wow. I think today is the first time I have come home from work and seen Weatherbug reading 100+ (without the heat index)! It currently reads 102, and with the index, 110. Sometime earlier today the temp was 105, so I imagine it was around 115 with the index then. No wonder I have been perspiring profusely nearly all day at work. That really takes it out of a guy, as I'm sure you all know. That cool shower was soooo refreshing, believe me. Well, I now realize that this is indeed a totally random post, so I'll not bore you any longer.

Ok, a little news....

All right, so here is a little piece of news from my oh-so-exciting life. Since January of this year, I have been working full time in Manhattan, not sure where to go or what to do next, but believing that God would show me when it was time. Well, an opportunity has presented itself, and I am currently attempting to get things finalized. As it looks now, I will hopefully be moving to central Illinois sometime around the end of July or the beginning of August. I don't have a place to live yet, but I trust that He will provide. God willing, I will be working at Mangold Ford/Mercury in Eureka, and taking my mechanic classes at Parkland College in Champaign. I'm hoping I can find an apartment or some living arrangements around the Bloomington area. Any parayers, if you feel moved, are appreciated. None of this is concrete yet, although I have officially quit my job as of July 30. So I take each day trusting in God and His faithfulness.

Ughh......I hate sickness

Wow, let me say nothing ruins my day(s) like being sick. Especially the kind of sickness that doesn't necessarily render you useless as far as strength and work ability, but yet tethers you to the house/apartment anyway. Grrr...

Well, I just had to vent a little. Now I am going to try and enjoy my day as best as I can.

Isaiah 40

All I can say is wow. I read Is. 40 over breakfast, and since I am early today, I just felt like writing a little. My first thoughts are of vss. 6 - 8:
"...All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever."

Talk about a little perspective! It humbled me for sure.
For me and for many of you as well, vs. 31 is very familiar, and is a great piece of encouragement in itself. That said, I would encourage anyone to read from verse 12 through 31 as a whole. I feel it adds even more to that last verse. That section of Scripture speaks of the majesty of God. It reminds me a little of Job 38. Something else I noticed: immediately preceding the majesty of God is verse 11:
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."

What a picture of the many dimensions of our God! I think I'll amend a previous statement and recommend the entire chapter. It has blessed me to read it this morning, and I hope it will you as well, should you have the opportunity to read it yourself.

Not-So-Deep Thoughts by Ash Crash

I don't have much to say, except that I just awoke from 11.5 hours of sweet, sweet rest. I feel amazing considering I felt nearly dead after work yesterday. Well, I guess that'a about it.

Friends....I Love Ya All

So tonite at about 9:30, I decided to make an effort to catch up on blogs that I have neglected to read for quite some time now. I have recently tried to get my own blog running again, so I figured this was the logical next step.
About a third of the way through the blogs I currently have on my Favorites list (about 15 or so) the devil starts telling me that I'm too tired, this list is too long, and I should just go to bed. Grace gave me the strength to continue, and I was thankful for many of the various blog entries that help me to remember the countless blessings God has chosen to bestow upon me. This led me to the thought that the reason the list seemed so long at first was because God has given me the opportunity to love and know some amazing people! So, this post is dedicated to my friends, beloved brothers and sisters, those from the past but certainly not forgotten, those in the present that I certainly take for granted, and to those I haven't even met yet.
I apologize and ask forgiveness where I have failed to adequately communicate my love and appreciation for each and every one of you.

P.S. - Sorry if the previous post was too graphic or descriptive. I tend to get into writing without always thinking of the readers. :)

Sometimes the craziest things get to me....

As the title to this post indicates, I don't understand why little things sometimes really get to me. Case in point: I'm at work, starting to close things down in the shop as the clock nears 5 pm. I walk through the doorway into the shop, and catch a movement towards me on the floor just out of the corner of my eye. I happen to be in mid-stride, and as my left foot comes down, I feel something soft under my foot. I look down, and there on the concrete is a little brown mouse, maybe five inches from nose to tail. I have only crushed it enough to wound/cripple it, but not enough to kill it very quickly. It lay there shaking and struggling, so I had to put it out of its misery. So I carefully put the side of my shoe on its head (I could have eaasily covered the whole thing with my shoe, but I really did not want that kind of a mess) and tried to crush the skull as quickly as I could. As I did so, all the little legs and the tail of the mouse stuck out and tensed as the little creature passed out of this life.
Now here is where I start to lose faith in my understanding. It has been roughly an hour since this took place, and it is STILL bothering me. Why does the death of a little animal, a rodent no less, make me feel like I've done something terribly wrong? It isn't something I've never done before, so why is it such a big deal all of a sudden? I am somewhat confused about the whole situation, I must say. I guess I must be turning into a softie or something.
Well, that's my little tidbit for today. Now, naptime.

Not-So-Deep Thoughts by Ash Crash

Not-So-Deep Thoughts by Ash Crash

Ok, I'm sorry if no one reads this because I have noticed that it has been over three months since my last post. Anyway, I don't have alot to say, just that the days really start to run together when you are working full time, especially during the summer. I am thankful that there are several people working here in Manhattan this summer because it has been a blessing to be able to continue things like the Monday night prayer meetings, or just hangin' out, getting coffee, etc. I would like to give a special thanks to Luke for forwarding Jeff Wiegand's e-mail to me, as I had an encouraging chat with Jeff on the phone about it. Luke, if you don't read this, I'll try to tell you in person sometime in the future. :)
One last little joy - I saw the Phantom of the Opera the other day, and the soundtrack got so stuck in my head that I had to go out and get it after work. I am still listening to it, right now in fact, some three days later. It is awesome!
Well, I guess that's about it. I am hoping to make it to Latty, although it isn't super promising right now. I also am going to try really hard to make it to Detroit over the Fourth, and it is getting harder to not get over excited about it.
Hmmm... Ok, I think that is REALLY about it :)

Various ramblings...

So I thought I'd post again since my last posts were pretty depressing (at least for me). For those concerned, I am nearly over my cold/flu, and thankfully was getting over it by Saturday last week. That and the awesome and moving testimony of our dear Brother Toffee helped to lift my spirits considerably. I also realized once again how much I love the Taylor Church. Anyway, the end of the weekend was brought down slightly when I learned that I had left my keys at Joe's house. I have extra keys here, but they don't help much with the car in Topeka.:) Oh, well. I am quite excited for the upcoming weekend as well. Last year's Dallas/Ft. Worth trip was incredible, and I am looking forward to it again this year. Well, I have to be off to clean our Apt. for singing tomorrow. Ta Ta

Just keeps going and going....

Well, another day of fighting the flu is drawing to a close. Called in sick to work today, as I had another night of 1-2 hrs of actual sleep. Then Aaron introduced me to the wonderous drug that is Tylenol PM. After eating breakfast and hitting the sack, I promptly cashed out for nearly five hours. Sweet, sweet rest. Didn't do much of anything the rest of the day, except to take care of a long-overdue grocery list. Then I did laundry at ~9 pm, since I won't have time to do it tommorrow before I leave for Taylor. I am anticipating this weekend with joy in my heart, since it is about the only thing I can be joful about right now.:) Just kidding, God has blessed me in more ways than I can ever imagine, and he will still be there long after this little sickness has gone. It would be nice if He couls take care of it before the weekend, though.:)

Luke's not the only one...

Stuffy head, runny nose, aches and pains, chills, fever, fatigue, headache...I really REALLY dislike being sick. I really REALLY dislike having to work while sick, let alone when I don't have time to eat lunch as well. Not a good day at work, and I'll leave it at that. Plus, I missed walleyball at the rec because of this junk. Oh, well, at least tommorrow night is church services. I need something to lift my spirits.
Sorry for the overly negative post, but that's about all I got today.:(

All Things New

Well, I just got back from KC for the weekend. Great weekend, got to go to my first mainstream contempory Christian concert (I have seen Accapella 3 times). It was awesome! It was the All Things New Tour, w/ Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, and Chris Tomlin. There was about 25 of us that went together, and it really was a great time. It was a little loud at times, but I imagine that's to be expected.
One other kind of amusing thing was riding from Topeka to KC in Chelsie Bahr's Blazer with a total of four girls and two guys in it. As one of the guys in the front seats, I didn't have much of a problem with it, but I think the girls would have a different opinion. :)

Nothin' goin' down

Wow, I can't believe it has already been a week since my last post. I guess I still don't quite have the habit formed yet. Anyway, I did want to say that I'm sorry for so few postings, but honestly, not much happens with me cause I'm at work every day. And believe me, you don't want me to bore you with the mondo excitemnet that is the Manhattan AmPride station. I do finally have a saturday off, though, which is nice since I've worked the last three in a row. Some excitement: I am Napolean Dynamite according to the quiz thingy that's been goin' around. Sweet!
Oh, yes, musn't forget - Congrats to Bryce and Erin!! I wonder if I should ask when the new CD will be out.... :).

Shoveling ..it...

Ok, I'll start by saying that I had a really crappy day at work today. Thank goodness I only had to work until two, even though I was scheduled to leave at one. (That was a direct result of my crappy day). In the floor of the shop at work is a drain pit, about 2 ft wide x 4 ft long, and about 4 ft deep. This pit is used when washing the floor, washing new tires/rims prior to balancing them, etc. The drain for the pit is approximately 3/4 of the way up on one side. This allows solid particles to settle and then it is mostly water that drains off the top. The problem with this system is that eventually, the solid particles will fill up the pit to the point that they block the drain, and then the whole thing fills with water rather rapidly. Take a wild guess as to what I was doing from around 10:30 or 11 this morning until nearly two this afternoon. Yup, five trashcans full of ..it...and don't think for a minute that it was mostly mud and therefore would not smell bad. This mud also contained traces of various other fluids, such as oil, gasoline, antifreeze, coffee (when it gets cold in my thermos), and who knows what else. Needless to say, I removed my boots and left them OUTside the apartment when I got home. So, my day has been looking up ever since I got home.

Still Champions....

Yes, yes, it's true. Tonight the Euchre Championship of Manhattan was held at the Hunting House where the defeated Joe and Brooke (0 - like, 1,349) challenged the undeafeated champs, Ash and Tommie (Like 1,349 - 0). As usual, the final outcome was easily predicted. Although close at 9-9 late in Game One, the reigning euchre studs pulled ahead in the final hand for yet another win. Game Two started in dramatic fashion with Ash getting euchred by a killer spade hand. Though disappointed, the champs were not down for the count. As luck would have it, another killer spade later in the game gave Tommie a loner hand, in which he took all five tricks. The Dueling Dynamos from Tridek never looked back, sealing the deal by euchreing the Westside Wanna-be Winners (aka The WWW's) twice in a row for the victory and title. The WWW's are crying for a rematch but The Dueling Dynamos will not play till their victory dinner from The WWW's has been served. Then and only then will the Dynamos agree to a rematch. We send our condolences to The WWW's and our congrats to the Dynamos.

This has been Tournament coverage brought to you by Killer Spades

Apologies

Ok, first off, I want to apologize to all those who faithfully checked this blog in the last month only to see no new posts day ater day. I am truly sorry, and just ask for forgiveness because I have become one of those people that wants to read everyone else's blogs, but too lazy to provide anything, funny or not, for anyone else. So, sorry again, I'll try to do better.

Well, there have been some interesting events in my life in the past month, but my memory will not be able to reproduce them well enough to be complete or as funny as they were at the time. I don't really have alot to say, but I finally felt like writing, so I figured I'd better take advantage of it. I'll try to keep my posts a little more frequent :).

Oh, I have learned that when a customer brings in his truck for an oil change, and you forget to change the filter, he gets quite upset. That, and tractor tire rims hurt alot when they land on your foot.