So back in Houston and just got into my hotel. It's fun to travel to same place over and over, you start to form a routine and people smile at you and know you when you walk in. The lady that works the counter at the Hampton knows that I like to watch Lost so when I came back from dinner last week, she had the tv in the lobby already piping in Lost. I came in to Avis today and the girl that always works there, well, she was still working there. The Schlotsky's I like to eat at in the Houston airport, well she is always working when I get my Ham and cheese w/ salt and vinegar chips. I've realized that it is not so fun sometimes to be in places where you don't know anybody and everyone is a stranger. I look at my friends differently when I get back home after each trip, I actually miss them :)
So this is the week that I will be in the worst area of Houston. I was told that there are more than 20 gangs in the hood I will be working in. This is the reason that along with the 8laptops we packed up for the trip, I also pack something else to go along my side. Yes, this is necessary. I like my job but I will not die without putting up a fight!
Hopefully I will be alive to write more blogs :)
Oh yeah, another thing. I really think there is something about my face that just attracts people that need money. What in the world. I love helping people but lately, in the same stinkin hotel parking lot, I get approached by people who either need food, gas, or money. I've become very blunt with these people and actually kinda enjoy being like that. Now of course I have a gentle spirit, but I am very clear..."dude you smell like alcohol, are you telling me that you have not had a drink"......"yes, I quit many years ago..." It's tough sometimes to discern who is telling the truth and who is lying through their teeth. I'm getting better at it though!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Another Week on the Road with God
So we just finished up a nice Memorial Day party that entailed a cookout and then a miniature dance party. I've been gone the past few weeks and away from all of my friends, it's so nice to come home and be around people again. I just love people. There are personality types that like to be at home and not go out much and don't really like being around people, this blows my mind and I cannot even comprehend it. I do like my alone time and appreciate a nice long ride in the car with no noise, but I always looks forward to times spent with friends.
Now on to character flaws and things I want to work on. The past few weeks, we have literally worked some 85 hour weeks. I lost 5lbs last week and I ate like a hog, that should tell you something. I'm below 190 and I haven't been there in a while. Well except the time I got sick when I moved into Canterbury and only ate crackers and water, but later returned to the downstairs to film "Herbert Running like Lance Armstrong." Tangent, sorry. So back to a character flaw. We have been working like crazy and I realized that I don't trust people. I tend to try and take on a lot of work instead of trusting that others will take care of it. I do this in my personal life as well. I'd rather just do things, that way I know they get done and don't need to depend on anyone. I know this is a problem. It would make life a lot easier to trust people with tasks and allow them to help me. I am going to try.
While I am at it, I can share another. I need prayer. I really struggle on the road to read my Bible. Being tired is not an excuse but it is what I use and I think my brain is so many other places that I just lose focus. If the Lord brings this to mind, please pray for me that I will find strength when my body tells me to just go to sleep. I can see how it is easy to get side-tracked when life gets busy. This saying one time was BUSY - buried under satans yoke. Kinda cheesy, but can be very true if you let it control how you focus your relationship with the Lord. I've struggled the past few months.
This was not supposed to be negative blog, but it sounds like it. I guess I'm just learning that I can't do everything on my own and I need people to help me. On another note, a friend of mine went on a mission trip to South Africa. She sent me a support letter and like I always do, it got stuck in a pile of mail and I forgot about it. When I finally remembered it, she already had the support she needed. I happened to be in Houston so I just sent the money I had with me, which happened to be $60. It was a small amount and after hearing her story, I wish I would have had more.
She told me about a man she met at the beginning of the week. He was working at a mill but had decided to help them translate for the week. He wasn't being paid, he just happen to be a believer and wanted to help. Long story short, by the end of the week, she had gotten to know him pretty well and he seemed like a really awesome guy. He mentioned that he wanted to go to Bible school but did not have enough money to go. At the end of the week, she told the pastor of the church that she wanted to help this man with his bible school. It turns out that the money he needed was pretty much the money that she had. Honestly this made me cry to think that such a small amount of money could mean so much to someone. #1 I wish I would have sent a lot more. #2 It is very humbling to see what the Lord can do with our small gifts. #3 She told him my name and he said he was going to pray for me because she told him that I wanted to go to Bible school someday also.
It's easy to think sometimes that the small things we do in this life don't mean much, but they do and the Lord can use any gift. I really like stories. I want to be an old grandpa someday that can sit around a campfire and tell all the kids crazy stories.
Welp, back to the office tomorrow for the first time in WHILE! Then off to Houston for 1.5 weeks.
Now on to character flaws and things I want to work on. The past few weeks, we have literally worked some 85 hour weeks. I lost 5lbs last week and I ate like a hog, that should tell you something. I'm below 190 and I haven't been there in a while. Well except the time I got sick when I moved into Canterbury and only ate crackers and water, but later returned to the downstairs to film "Herbert Running like Lance Armstrong." Tangent, sorry. So back to a character flaw. We have been working like crazy and I realized that I don't trust people. I tend to try and take on a lot of work instead of trusting that others will take care of it. I do this in my personal life as well. I'd rather just do things, that way I know they get done and don't need to depend on anyone. I know this is a problem. It would make life a lot easier to trust people with tasks and allow them to help me. I am going to try.
While I am at it, I can share another. I need prayer. I really struggle on the road to read my Bible. Being tired is not an excuse but it is what I use and I think my brain is so many other places that I just lose focus. If the Lord brings this to mind, please pray for me that I will find strength when my body tells me to just go to sleep. I can see how it is easy to get side-tracked when life gets busy. This saying one time was BUSY - buried under satans yoke. Kinda cheesy, but can be very true if you let it control how you focus your relationship with the Lord. I've struggled the past few months.
This was not supposed to be negative blog, but it sounds like it. I guess I'm just learning that I can't do everything on my own and I need people to help me. On another note, a friend of mine went on a mission trip to South Africa. She sent me a support letter and like I always do, it got stuck in a pile of mail and I forgot about it. When I finally remembered it, she already had the support she needed. I happened to be in Houston so I just sent the money I had with me, which happened to be $60. It was a small amount and after hearing her story, I wish I would have had more.
She told me about a man she met at the beginning of the week. He was working at a mill but had decided to help them translate for the week. He wasn't being paid, he just happen to be a believer and wanted to help. Long story short, by the end of the week, she had gotten to know him pretty well and he seemed like a really awesome guy. He mentioned that he wanted to go to Bible school but did not have enough money to go. At the end of the week, she told the pastor of the church that she wanted to help this man with his bible school. It turns out that the money he needed was pretty much the money that she had. Honestly this made me cry to think that such a small amount of money could mean so much to someone. #1 I wish I would have sent a lot more. #2 It is very humbling to see what the Lord can do with our small gifts. #3 She told him my name and he said he was going to pray for me because she told him that I wanted to go to Bible school someday also.
It's easy to think sometimes that the small things we do in this life don't mean much, but they do and the Lord can use any gift. I really like stories. I want to be an old grandpa someday that can sit around a campfire and tell all the kids crazy stories.
Welp, back to the office tomorrow for the first time in WHILE! Then off to Houston for 1.5 weeks.
Monday, May 21, 2007
I might buy these
So I am totally against tighty whities as they are called. In my job, I am constantly surrounded by radio signals and equipment that is transmitting all the time. To top it off, I spend a majority of my day talking on the cell phone. Often I place the cell phone between my legs just to place it somewhere so it won't fall. Often I look down and realize that this is probably not good for future generations of Tanners and will move the cell phone and put it in the console.
I do have to admit that the above undies are quite interesting to a guy who is trying to think about his future generation :)
Another long long day of work, but I did have a great dinner tonight at Fogo de Chao. It's a Brasilian Steakhouse, MAN SO GOOD.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Chris Moody is married
Chris and the "Lod" are married. It was a great wedding and very personal. I love weddings that are personal and the things said are from the heart and maybe a tear or two is shed.
Top 3 or 4 reasons Lottie is for Chris:
1. She got him out of his small "bachelor pad"
2. He came off a K$$$$$ to buy a phat ring.
3. He bought a house
4. She's awesome and he is out of his league :)
They are playing checkers right now, by the way. (Checkers is Christian for "doing it.") I always wonder why the church is so quiet on talking about sex, it was God's idea people. For married people to do it. We should get comfortable saying it.
On another note, for some reason I thought it would be okay to leave Columbia at 1:00AM and drive back to Pendleton, whew, the decision we make. Thank you jack-in-the-box for staying open late and serving me a diet coke and a croissant at about 4AM :)
Thank you continental.com for your website allowing me to try and book a flight on Sunday to leave Sunday.
Thank you friends who will pray for me, that despite being busier than I have ever been in my life, I will find time to read the Word and pray.
Thank you Simmons for making the Beauty Rest mattress that I am about to crash in.
Thank you fan people for making the fan that will make that special noise that puts me to sleep.
Thank you Layla for trying to lick my feet while I type this blog.
Thank you Layla for the fart you obviously just lit because now my room smells funny.
Thank you friends for being my friends.
Top 3 or 4 reasons Lottie is for Chris:
1. She got him out of his small "bachelor pad"
2. He came off a K$$$$$ to buy a phat ring.
3. He bought a house
4. She's awesome and he is out of his league :)
They are playing checkers right now, by the way. (Checkers is Christian for "doing it.") I always wonder why the church is so quiet on talking about sex, it was God's idea people. For married people to do it. We should get comfortable saying it.
On another note, for some reason I thought it would be okay to leave Columbia at 1:00AM and drive back to Pendleton, whew, the decision we make. Thank you jack-in-the-box for staying open late and serving me a diet coke and a croissant at about 4AM :)
Thank you continental.com for your website allowing me to try and book a flight on Sunday to leave Sunday.
Thank you friends who will pray for me, that despite being busier than I have ever been in my life, I will find time to read the Word and pray.
Thank you Simmons for making the Beauty Rest mattress that I am about to crash in.
Thank you fan people for making the fan that will make that special noise that puts me to sleep.
Thank you Layla for trying to lick my feet while I type this blog.
Thank you Layla for the fart you obviously just lit because now my room smells funny.
Thank you friends for being my friends.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Need Sleep!!!!
So far today, here are a few stories from the Houston area. I was working in the ghetto today and this is just some of the things I've heard / seen.
1. A woman explaining (screaming) at another woman that it was okay for her to sell herself because "all my bills are paid."
2. A kid that could barely walk screamed at and cursed at so bad that it would make a sailor cringe.
3. A woman propositioned "something" in exchange that her power wouldn't be turned off.
4. A car was repossessed in a matter of 10 minutes.
5. Many people cursed at / around.
It was quite an experience working in one of the worst areas I've ever been. It has been 4-5 straight nights of 12AM to 3AM and I am SLEEPY! These are the days you wish you were paid by the hour :)
Chris Moody gets hitched in a day!
1. A woman explaining (screaming) at another woman that it was okay for her to sell herself because "all my bills are paid."
2. A kid that could barely walk screamed at and cursed at so bad that it would make a sailor cringe.
3. A woman propositioned "something" in exchange that her power wouldn't be turned off.
4. A car was repossessed in a matter of 10 minutes.
5. Many people cursed at / around.
It was quite an experience working in one of the worst areas I've ever been. It has been 4-5 straight nights of 12AM to 3AM and I am SLEEPY! These are the days you wish you were paid by the hour :)
Chris Moody gets hitched in a day!
Monday, May 14, 2007
I'll tell you what I like...
I like for my hotel room to be about 67 degrees...this is about the temp that forces u to jump into the king size bed like it's a swimming pool in the middle of the summer. I just love it.
I will tell you now what I do not like. I do not like when people get picked on. Not just in a friendly way, but in a really mean way in which someone is trying to belittle another person. At a Japanese sushi place tonight, a guy was complaining about his food at the table beside us. I seriously am a patient person but I about lost it and told this man that he should leave. He was making fun of the ladies in the store and trying to talk like them, just being an idiot. Lord forgive me, I really wanted to punch this guy and had already sized him up to see if he could beat me up. I think I could have taken him. I just don't understand why people treat people so badly. There is no way they lay down at night and feel good about themselves. We made sure to tell the waitress that we thought she was great and I also added that I wanted to take my chopsticks and stab in his , oh wait, I shouldn't be thinking all this. Forgive me Jesus. Anyway :) Either way, man I love sushi.
Oh yeah, don't think you can get away with out anyone knowing......see link.
I will tell you now what I do not like. I do not like when people get picked on. Not just in a friendly way, but in a really mean way in which someone is trying to belittle another person. At a Japanese sushi place tonight, a guy was complaining about his food at the table beside us. I seriously am a patient person but I about lost it and told this man that he should leave. He was making fun of the ladies in the store and trying to talk like them, just being an idiot. Lord forgive me, I really wanted to punch this guy and had already sized him up to see if he could beat me up. I think I could have taken him. I just don't understand why people treat people so badly. There is no way they lay down at night and feel good about themselves. We made sure to tell the waitress that we thought she was great and I also added that I wanted to take my chopsticks and stab in his , oh wait, I shouldn't be thinking all this. Forgive me Jesus. Anyway :) Either way, man I love sushi.
Oh yeah, don't think you can get away with out anyone knowing......see link.
Around and Around
Leave on Monday, Fly to Houston, do a days worth of work, fly back on Wednesday.
Leave again for Houston on Sunday, worked my butt off, well not really it's all still there, but you get the point. It is HOT here! I don't think I've sweat this much in a long time!
Fly back on Friday to hit the Chris and Lod super shin dig that is going down.
This is prophecy, Chris moody is going to get married. Sinners, get your life straight and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, He's coming!
Back to worky, and eaty, and sleepy. I like all of these, eating the most :).....
Leave again for Houston on Sunday, worked my butt off, well not really it's all still there, but you get the point. It is HOT here! I don't think I've sweat this much in a long time!
Fly back on Friday to hit the Chris and Lod super shin dig that is going down.
This is prophecy, Chris moody is going to get married. Sinners, get your life straight and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, He's coming!
Back to worky, and eaty, and sleepy. I like all of these, eating the most :).....
Thursday, May 10, 2007
My Friend Ed
I secretly think Ed wants me to stay single. About daily, I get messages much like this one :)
Monday, May 07, 2007
Prayer
A co-worker / friend of mine at work just lost his son in a car accident. His son was killed and a friend of his, and two others were badly injured. It is so tough sometimes to comprehend death but I do comprehend a God who says He can comfort during times of hurt. I know you don't know these people but please pray for Dan, Lorraine, and their daughter Jenny as they deal with losing their son/brother.
Every time I go to a funeral, it humbles me and makes my brain spin and think about how fragile we really are in this life. It puts Jesus' words in perspective for me and to know that Jesus has conquered death. We don't have to fear death when we know Jesus and what He has done. Regardless of whether you are a believer or not a believer, the pain is still the same.
How many people do YOU need to have conversations with? Mom? Dad? Brother? Friend? Neighbor? I can think of a few I need to have. It seems like talking about the Bible, reading the Bible, nothing comes to life until we actually do something that it says. I like the Bible described like a two edged sword, sharp and piercing on one side and healing on the other side.
I am going to bed, for some reason I thought it was okay to stay up until 12 AM when I know I have to wake up at 3:30 AM to catch a 6AM. :)
Every time I go to a funeral, it humbles me and makes my brain spin and think about how fragile we really are in this life. It puts Jesus' words in perspective for me and to know that Jesus has conquered death. We don't have to fear death when we know Jesus and what He has done. Regardless of whether you are a believer or not a believer, the pain is still the same.
How many people do YOU need to have conversations with? Mom? Dad? Brother? Friend? Neighbor? I can think of a few I need to have. It seems like talking about the Bible, reading the Bible, nothing comes to life until we actually do something that it says. I like the Bible described like a two edged sword, sharp and piercing on one side and healing on the other side.
I am going to bed, for some reason I thought it was okay to stay up until 12 AM when I know I have to wake up at 3:30 AM to catch a 6AM. :)
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Call from Ed
Ed called me today and translated Mary Addison thoughts and mumblings....
Mary Addison: "Uncle Justin will you allow me to be your flower girl?"
Me: "If you don't mind doing it when you are 15."
Ed thought this was really funny and the picture below is the reason I am worried about Ed being a father. I'm wondering when she will be driving tractors, wakeboardings, or cutting the grass.
Picture further illustrates my point:
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