Get your muffler fixed

There are guys out there with their big pick-ups who do something I find unimpressive.  For some unknown reason, they favor loud mufflers.  Every time they give their machine a lot of gas, there is this big racket coming from their pipes.  I find it disturbing and annoying.

So I am at a stop sign and this guy with his pick-up will turn and then floor it and the noise from his truck will let us all know he is wanting attention and that he doesn't care about other peoples comfort.

I much prefer quiet modes of transportation.  I hope people fix their mufflers and lay off the gas and consider others.

Turn in your keys

I wish people would drive around less.  To some people I would like to say, "Drive home.  Park your car.  Put away your keys and stay home for a while."  It would appear that some people drive out any old time when they sense the need for some small thing.

Learn to combine trips.  Enjoy being at home.  Stay off the roads for a while.  

Highway 41 construction done

When I returned from a weekend in East Troy I drove home using highway 41 north bound.  It was nice to have the road contraction done in Fond du Lac and Oshkosh.  It seems like it has been years since those projects began and we are finally clear to drive through without any orange barrels to watch out for.  I have to say the construction guys did a good job.  The roads are smooth and wider.  It is really easy now to turn off of 41 to merge onto 45 north.  There is no braking or stopping anymore. There are no lights to wait for or intersections to navigate.  Just a nice wide turn and overpass.

Usually I don't like widening or expansion of roads.  But when the project is done I have to say it is a nice improvement.

Power outage

We lost power on Tuesday night when we had high winds in the area.  It wasn't until Thursday afternoon that we regained power.  In the meantime, we were able to put together some meals because we have a gas stove.  I washed up in the back yard using water that we gather in a rain barrel.  Our potable water came from a nearby artisan well.

Without power, our refrigerator and freezer were off and we ended up throwing away some food as it thawed and went bad.

It was dark and quiet in the neighborhood.  Some people were out cleaning up their properties as branches and trees had come down.

We were without internet, radio, and television.  Only the computer did I really miss.  I was able to charge my phone and iPod while at work.

I am grateful that the tornadoes in the area did not strike our home.  It was nice to see the community pull together.  I am still cleaning up the outside but am close to having that done.  

Needing my freedom

I am not a person who needs fame, or recognition, or glamour.  I want to stay out of the spot light and away from crowds.  Being an entertainer or the person up front speaking and leading has never been my driving passion.

What I need is my freedom.  Recently I was reminded of a great word that describes that which is autonomy.  Autonomy is freedom from external control or influence.  It is the right or condition of self-government.  Those things are a strong, long-term pull for me.  It is a deep seeded thing that is just there that I can't fully explain.  I like the word autonomy better than independence because there seems to be an under pinning of pride to independence and even an independence from God, which isn't at all what I am trying to get at.

I like having control over my schedule, my activities, and my comings and goings.  I like to move around and not be clamped into one space.  I like being able to make my decisions about what I order, eat, and taste.  I don't like a lot of things forced down on me.  If I respect you, eventually I will adopt your thinking and ways because they have shown to be best.  But I don't want to have things jammed down my throat.  I want to decide.

Build your own radio station

It is great to have an FM transmitter in the home.  I bought one a number of years ago from CCrane.  It has been a wonderful addition and has opened up many possibilities.

I will transmit to the receiver behind me when I want to just be in the office.  But at other times I will turn on the kitchen radio and the living room radio and make it a whole house thing.  Most of the time I have the FM transmitter plugged into the computer and I am playing podcasts or music from the iTunes application.  But sometimes I plug it into my iPod and play music at random.

Either way, it is nice to have a micro FM transmitter that allows you to have your own broadcasting ability.  Defiantly something I would recommend.

Close calls on the road

Last week as I was driving to work and from work I had close calls on the road.  One was at a sharp bend when a log truck was coming the other way.  We passed each other at the worst possible place.  The thought came to me that a thousand pound log could slip off the back of his rig and fly through my windshield to instantly kill me.  Then on the way home a car from the other way dipped into my lane but at the last second saw me and corrected itself.  We could have hit head on.

These instances, happening on the same day, made me think that I have some time left on the earth.  God protected me and graciously allowed me to live.  I am ready to go into eternity.  Jesus is my way to the Father.  In some ways I would welcome death because life can be such a drudgery.  Yet for God to have two perfect opportunities to take me, and not, makes me think I have a purpose to fulfill in my time remaining.

Shake my hand

When it comes to greetings, just shake my hand.  I am not into hugs.  I don't need creative hand gestures.  Take my hand in a firm grip and pump it a few times.  I have no problem with hand shakes.  Others do.  I don't.  I think it is a perfectly appropriate way to signify respect and acknowledge the other person and then begin a conversation.  Just shake my hand and let's move into the next stage of our interaction.

Wished for direction for Detroit

Recently the city of Detroit declared bankruptcy.  Anyone familiar with the once mighty city saw this coming.  After decades of Democrat mayors, high regulation, increasing taxes, and unions, the businesses that kept people flush with money moved on.  And who can blame them?  When the welcome mat gets shorter and courser, it becomes apparent that you are no longer welcome.  So they left for greener pastures.  I say, good for them.  Detroit is now the perfect example of what a liberal mentality can do to a place.  I would never want to go there or even visit there.

My hope is that the city starts to level the thousands of empty buildings they have on hand.  Personally, I like things orderly, neat, and trim.  A city full of run down shanties is not very appealing to the eye.  Nor is it safe.  I would recommend they bring in demolition crews, level the worst areas, and turn it into farm land.  Farm land is not the most exciting but there is an orderliness to it that does have a certain voice.  I think Detroit needs to work on its image.  Now is the perfect time.  Get rid of the old junk and turn those vacant lots into green space.

Sad on Sunday mornings

It has been my experience that I feel sad on Sunday mornings.  Sunday is a good day.  Don't get me wrong.  I enjoy gathering with other believers at church, worshiping in song, and hearing a message from the Word.  I enjoy having dinner, reading, and resting at home in the afternoon.  Usually I take in some TV too.  It isn't a big pressure day.  I don't have much on my agenda.

Stepping one day back I think is why I am sad on Sunday mornings.  Saturdays are my favorite day of the week.  It is so refreshing to work on my own things the first day of the weekend.  Usually there are a number of things that I want to get to that I have been delaying because I need focused blocks of time to get them accomplished.  I will pick up around the house, do domestic things, and take care of the yard.  All of these are nothing special but I like doing them for one simple reason:  they are mine.  I like my own work and I like to work on improving my life.

When it is Sunday, that favorite day of activity and work is behind me.  There had been such a great feeling of accomplishment and Sunday is not a big day for work and getting things done.  So I am sad on Sunday mornings.

OTA station from Wausau

An over-the-air station from Wausau has suddenly become available.  The station is WAOW, channel 9, an ABC affiliate.  It is not always available on my TV set.  It comes and goes.  Sometimes it comes in strong but other times it will not come in at all.  I have not adjusted or changed my TV antenna in anyway which makes me think this station has upped it's power.

I hope to add an outdoor antenna this year.  Just having an antenna outdoors and as high as possible makes me think I could receive channel 9 consistently.  It is out there.  I just need to have a better way to receive it.

Stop-Doing List

In the book "Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work" by Chip and Dan Heath, I was challenged to start a Stop-Doing List.  This was in apposed to my To-Do List.  I like lists and I have several lists going on at one time.  But I didn't have a Stop-Doing List.  Here are a few things on my newly created Stop-Doing List.

Stop spending time on the temporal and start investing in the eternal.
Stop complaining about what is wrong and be thankful for what is right.
Stop expecting others to pick up the tab and start being more giving.
Stop being impatient for the next thing and start being content.
Stop fearing other peoples opinions and do what God has called you to do.

Those are just some things on my Stop-Doing List.  I am reviewing it often.  I am sure I'll add things as they come to mind.  It is a good exercise.  I think it helps to expose some of my self-limitations.

You need something to sell

It is so basic but I fear it is overlooked.  Every business needs to have something to sell.  If people are not buying, their lack of buying should tell you something.  It means they don't want what you have. You haven't adjusted to their needs or demands.  Maybe you haven't been listening.  Maybe times have changed.  Maybe culture has shifted.  Expecting your customers to be the same as they were when you started the business fifty years ago is not very realistic.  It is a empty wish that really is kind of sad.

If you are looking to start a business you need to begin with having something to sell.  Maybe it is your expertise.  Or it is a service.  Or a product.  But you have to have something that people will exchange money for.  Start there but never forget that people need something to buy in order for you to stay in business.

Free & relaxed

Recently I posted on those things that make me cringe and tightened up.  This post is on what makes me feel free, relaxed and hopeful.

1.  Getting in the car and going somewhere to explore and discover some place new.
2.  Going outside to put the yard in order.  Enjoying the clear air.  Doing something physical like cutting, watering, cleaning.
3.  Having a bowl of ice cream.
4.  Acquiring something that fits the need perfectly.
5.  Discovering a great deal and pulling the trigger.
6.  Getting every email account, financial account, and document up-to-date and organized on my computer
7.  Seeing something good win.  Like creation over man's development or good character over bad character or a wise choice over a poor choice.

Taking a break

My hope for this blog is that I would come across a subject matter that I could get deeply into.  My hope for this blog is that I would share who I am and it would be very attractive to someone or someones out there who would invite me to journey beside them to our mutual success.  My hope for this blog is that it would grow in readership.  My hope for this blog is that I would get a more clear understanding of who I am.  My hope for this blog is that I could write something of lasting impact.

Right now, it doesn't seem like much of that is happening.  I am struggling most weeks to come up with a very minimal three posts.  Therefore, I am thinking of taking a break from this blog.  Perhaps I just need a week off.  Perhaps I need to shut this down and go in an entirely new direction.

If I come back next week with more to say, that is terrific.  If this is my last post, it has been a good exercise and a learning experience.  

Turtle roadkill

As I commute to and from work, I drive along the Wolf River.  Sometimes I see that a turtle has been run over and killed.  I never like to see road kill.  It shocks and saddens me.  Over time, I have come to the conclusion that these untimely deaths are a message from the Lord that we are all mortal and it is best to be right with Him because we never know when our time will be up.

The strangest road kill is turtles.  To actually run over a slowly crawling reptile, a driver must really be inattentive.  The person must have been impaired, sleepy, or of poor eyesight.  People!  Please pay attention!  If you can't dodge a turtle, you may want to take yourself off the road.

To-do list

I am currently writing a list of my daily, weekly, and monthly things I need to do.  Once those lists feel complete, I intend to look it over and filter it by these three criteria.

Can I eliminate it?  If there is anything on the lists that I don't need to be doing at all, I should scrub it from my schedule.  Maybe I feel the need to do something.  Or maybe it has been a habit for a long time.  I may need to let it go and strike it from my list.

Can I delegate it?  If there are things on my lists that others could do better, I need to hand those tasks over to them.  It maybe that I need to pay someone to do those things.  I need to be willing to give up that money in order to free up my time to do more important things.

Can I quicken it?  When my list of to-do's has been shortened and cleaned I then need to examine those things that remain and see if I can speed up any of them.  Maybe there are steps that could be eliminated.  Maybe I could make a concentrated effort to get a number of them completed in a short period of time.

My hope is that I can make my essential list my highest, most needful, most impactful items to accomplish.  I also want to free up time so that I can have more of it to spend building relationships, resting, and thinking of ideas.

Cringes

I was recently listening to the CD that comes with every issue of Success magazine.  In there, the publisher Darren Hardy, was talking to an author who said we are living in an age when people have many options.  But they don't know what to do next.  She suggested that we write out everything we have to do and then go over that list.  When going down the list, note how your body reacts.  Does it cringe and tense up or does it relax, feel free, and feel hopeful?

So in response here are some things that make me cringe.
 
1.  Meetings.  Especially where I may have to be spontaneous or cleaver.
2.  Being on stage, giving a speech.
3.  Washing dishes.
4.  Attending social gatherings.  Where people have surface conversations.
5.  Opening a letter from the insurance company which likely contains a bill.
6.  The moment that I remember that I forgot to bring a gift.
7.  Being confronted by someone who claims I did something wrong when I didn't.

Gadgets

Why are gadgets so interesting?  I think it has something to do with what they allow you to do.  A gadget expands your ability.  It gives you greater power.

A gadget is also engaging.  It asks to be figured out.  In a sense it is a puzzle.  It holds a promise and it wants to be used for its purposes.

I like gadgets and I find them somewhat addictive.  My wish list has a number of gadgets that I hope to bring into my life very soon.  

Recent re-fi

Recently we refinanced out house.  The motivation to do so came from a Dave Ramsey podcast.  In it he essentially said, "For those who haven't re-financed, I don't know what you are waiting for.  There is some evidence that we have reached bottom on rates and that things will begin to go up from here."  For some reason, his few words motivated me to action.  I asked my wife to set up an appointment.

We choose to go with a local credit union.  They have been advertising low rates and a 10 and done scenario.  The process was super clean and I respect this organization because of how they handled the whole thing.

Our upfront cost was $500, which we paid out of our checking account, and then a $70 filing fee.  I choose to look at that money as a house payment.  They would not allow us to role those expenses into the loan.

We lowered our rate by 1.475%, took 3 years off the loan, but added $40 to our monthly payment.  These are numbers I can live with.

My ultimate goal is to live in a house that is completely paid for.  I see this re-fi as a step toward that goal.