Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Revenge of the Weeds

If you recall, I had quite a struggle with my lawn last summer. Crabgrass grew out of control and my feebile attempts to gain control over my property resulted in a backyard that resembled the lunar surface. Well, things haven't changed . . . much.

This spring (our first spring in this home) brought many new and interesting varieties of unfavorable growth in our front and backyard. Yes, the crabgrass is back, but now we have what resembles a small marsh along our low-lying fence, along with three-foot high grass and bugs as well as this purplish flower weed that has popped up all over. Of course there is also clover, wild onions & several other types of weeds that I haven't even begun to figure out. So, I went industrial and industrious.

Enter Kirk.

Kirk is our friendly store-keep at the local green thumbery. First, we picked up some stuff that I was scared to transport in the van due to the mile-long safety label. That ran out, but it was effective. So, today I got some more (a different brand), and Kirk helped me decipher the rest of the year.

Let's see, spot treatment now, then I put down pre-emergent in the first part of April followed by weed-n-feed. . . .and so on and so forth, until we start all over again, next Spring.

It sounded more like a science experiment than taking care of my lawn! Ironically, I'll probably spend just as much money in equipment, time and chemicals to keep my lawn within the neighborhood standards than I would if I'd gotten written up to the point the HOA forces me to pay for the services of a lawn company!

The truth is I want the pride of bringing my lawn back to life. It's going to go through some pain (due to the chemicals) and I'm going to have to put in a lot of sweat equity, but in the end, I am hopeful of Kirk's promise; that all will be well - as long as I'm lining his wallet.

God Bless!

El update on El Guapo

Woohoo! Last week I took my annual AF Fitness test and although my run time was almost half a minute slower than my last test, my sit-ups were the highest since college! I pushed out 45 situps in one minute vs. the 33 I got the last time I attempted in a test environment. Praise the Lord! I was doubly blessed to get the test done before a class that I am currently enrolled in that would make testing now very very difficult.


See, I am taking a one-week combatives course that is basicall beating the snot out of me! For your viewing displeasure, I've attached some disturbing images of what this class can do to the unconditioned body. Boys and girls - don't try this at home!

An inconvenient time

I believe most would agree that visiting an ailing 90-year old grandmother should be a top priority. Well, though it should be a top priority, it is very easy to find excuses or other life events that are happening to keep from making the trip, especially when the visit takes a 24-hour round trip drive at today's fuel prices and the actual time with grandma would only last a couple hours at best. Now, try to bring four adult brothers, each with their own lives and families, together to make the trip at the same time! That, my friends, is what I was blessed to be involved with this last weekend.

Everyone had their own reasons why the trip would be a difficult one to make, and yet it was understood by all of us that it had to be done - whatever the cost. Let's look at the factors.

1. One brother had a very busy work schedule that was already keeping him hundreds of miles away from his family on a daily basis. The weekends that he did have available were spent commuting from Texas to Georgia to spend a few precious moments with his wife and three kids.

2. Another brother is coach for his son's soccer team. The trip would mean missing the game that weekend as well as the little free time away from his consulting job to be with his daughter and his wife as well.

3. Brother number three is a pivotal player in two family businesses; the administrative lifeblood to his and our dad's company. When you run your own businesses, weekends take on a whole new meaning!

4. I was forced to be gone on my son's fifth birthday and miss accompanying Rachel during a church solo. My work is starting to snowball and being on the road for just one day caused my e-mail inbox to swell to well over 60 messages.

Enter God.

1. An accident on the job forced brother number one to stop work at his jobsite until a review of all safety mechanisms was performed.

2. Brother number two discovered late Friday that Saturday's game had been cancelled due to heavy rains!

3. The third brother was able to take a minimum number of office calls on the road and keep things afloat while mobile.

4. Last minute preparation by the skilled musicians we work with at church provided Rachel the accompaniment she needed and Andrew's birthday came one day early this year (or maybe I just didn't recognize Leap Day)!

Needless to say the trip was a terrific success. I can't remember a time that all four of us were together in such a close proximity without completely getting at eachother's nerves, yet this past weekend was different. Everyone understood the gravity the trip would have in our lives and the joy we would bring to our grandmother by making it happen. There were of course twists and turns along the way. For instance a massive snow storm stretching from Lousiana to the Ohio River Valley got in our way while traversing the NE corner of Arkansas. God decided we needed a break(down) and we spent three hours in Jonesboro getting a new alternator on our van. The snow pounded the entire time we waited and then, just as we pulled out, it seemed to clear up. In the end, we all gained a terrific experience and a few minutes with our grandmother that would have otherwise slipped away. I hope that we were able to share a little joy with her as well.

Moral of the story:
There's almost never a convenient time to do what's right, and it's almost never right to do just what's convenient.

God bless ya'll!

By popular demand, here are the kids.