Today and tomorrow are my busy days at work. We've had some changes in dealerships lately so an analyst was talking to me about some of the changes needed in my jv's (journal vouchers). I promptly did a cash jv and forgot to look for the changes needed. I discussed with him how to make the changes and I actually knew how to do them on my own! However, when I did a new jv to makes the changes we found out the new project numbers hadn't been set up. Now I had a jv partially done, but I didn't need it. I ask him how to delete the jv. He had never had to do that so we started trying different things. When we had it deleted or at least thought we had, I told him that I was glad that I could train him on this new procedure.

That made me laugh--me training an analyst! It truly was the blind leading the blind.

Stuff Christians Like

Don't know where I came across this site, but I've been reading through it a little bit at a time. It's called Stuff Christians Like, and it lists hundreds of things that have been a big part of Christian's lives. Disclaimer, the guy has some entries that I skip over, his sense of humor doesn't always blend with mine, and he says some things that you may find offensive, but many of the topics are right from my past.

#?? Watered Down Orange Drink at VBS
#50 Bible Fanny Packs
# 16 Greeting the people around you
#14 Dating God
#59 Watching Jon and Kate Plus 8
#72 Love Offerings
#194 Traveling Mercies

I couldn't find the story, but he tells about a friend who went to a fundamentalist Christian college that had long, long, long invitations on Sundays when everyone wanted to get out and go to lunch. Apparently they took turns "taking one for the team" to go forward so the invitation could end and they could all go to lunch. I'm thinking I know that school!

I look at my schedule and think, “when this and this and this are over” life will slow down some and be ok. I’ve been in that mode the last couple of weeks: this is the Klopfenstein reunion, this is my CU class, etc. Paradoxically, in my class we read a book called Margin which is about not overcommitting our time, finances, money, selves, etc. so that we can live a more simplistic life that allows us to love God fully, invest in others, and take care of ourselves.

Yet, it seems as if this is just replaced with that.

What’s going on in my life?
•CU class finished last night.
•Tonight is West Michigan Whitecaps game with tickets I won through work. I thought I’d won four which makes inviting people a bit difficult, but I won five tickets which made it perfect to invite two couples.
•Today was the finance year end celebration. The finance leadership team grills burgers and chicken, and there’s ice cream and prizes. I didn’t win.
•Tomorrow night is the 4th annual street cookout. There will be fewer people this year. One is out of town, one has died, one is in a nursing home, one now lives with her children, one couple’s coming depends on how she feels tomorrow afternoon, etc. Such it is living on a street with half of the owners being over 85!

Rambling Thoughts

•279 Klopfensteins from 25 states is a lot of Klopfensteins!!!
•It was interesting and quite satisfying to see how many people appreciated the work Dad put into organizing the Klopfenstein reunion.
•I think my sister said it correctly when she said it really was a union and not a “re”union since most people hadn’t met the others.

•I met a “cousin” who lives in Grand Rapids and goes to church at a church that I had visited soon after I moved here. What if I’d started going there and we had become friends? And then we found out over the weekend we were related?
•Today I work I talked with another employee who attended the same undergraduate school I did about 10 years before I did. It was interesting to talk with him.
•I’ve cooked the last two nights. My parents were visiting so I had guests both nights. Monday night was pork chops on the grill, red potatoes, carrots, and rolls. Two of the guests brought a fruit platter and dessert. Tuesday nights was grilled chicken breasts on salad. Both were good I thought.
•Bloated dead fish floating in Lake Macatawa are gross. I almost lost my lunch seeing some of them.
•I had a great time visiting with family from Friday evening until this morning.

•I don’t think many people would believe these two people would be so excited about Krispy Kreme 8 years ago!

One year ago today . . .

All week I’ve been reminiscing about my trip last year to Washington DC. A year ago today I toured Voice of America and then did a bus tour to Mt. Vernon. On the way back we toured through Arlington. In colonial days when Arlington was being built, taxes were paid based on the amount of house frontage. This house paid the least amount of taxes of any house in Arlington because it is only 7 feet wide!

Whitney

Had a great Saturday evening with Whitney. We went to Grand Haven pier and walked out into Lake Michigan. She had fun using her new camera. It was fun to spend time with just her as I've not had the chance to do so before. Here are a few pictures from the evening.

I was sad to see on the tv as I left work today that Tim Russert had died. I enjoy watching Meet the Press and liked his book Big Russ and Me.