Death Scare

Yesterday, I go a little of a death scare. I found out that my Aunt Doreen, one of my mother's sisters, passed out while working at Wal-Mart.

Upon arrival at the hospital, they diagnosed her with a possible anurism, but said they could not confirm it because their facility was not capable of performing the test.

The hospital found blood pockets in her skull and a mild amount of swelling.

She was then airlifted to a larger hospital about two hours away. There the neurosurgeon said they hoped it was an anurism because they are easy to fix.

He performed a "dye" test, found the anurism, and put a "coil" in it. To insert the coil, they sent a line up her leg into her brain. She was in a drug induced paralitic state during the procedure.

The blood on her brain, the dr. thinks was due to another anurism bursting. He could not tell for sure. She is not in the clear yet. My aunt is looking better, however she is required to stay in the hospital for 14 days to be watched. The dr. said that brain injuries take the longest to heal and there is a two week critical window where more problems can occur.

I have not hear anything today, but I know that in a case like this, no news is good news.

Rule #1: God is in control.
Rule #2: Act like it.

Love-Hate-Love-Z

This thought is about my car.

I own a 1985 Nissan 300zx Turbo GLL. It is black over gold. Now I will go into all of the masculine details. It has a turbo charge V6, all leather, all digital/electronic. It has an upgraded stereo system that someone stole the faceplate off of and automatic climate control. It sports 4-wheel disc brakes and Kumo tires.

Now the not so fun stuff. This car which I have name The Scorpion was born and raised in New England. This means there is some rust. There are some scratches and dings on the body, but nothing major. The engine is currently suffering from a knocking noise that I believe creates a condition that prevents the engine from running sometimes. As just mentioned, there are times where the scorpion just decides to not run. This usually happens when I need to drive it. It came with a retractible antenna that doesn't raise due to the motor not working. No antenna, no radio. CD's only, oh, wait, no faceplate, no music, period. There is a vacuum leak that I haven't been able to chase down. I think the fuel sending unit is going bad. The turn signal doesn't reset after you turn, the windshield wipers don't do intermitten, the side mirrors (which are electric) don't operate from the switches. There is a leak in the power steering system that requires the system to be topped off every so often. There is a grounded wire somewhere that cause the battery to drain if the car is not driven at least every three to four days.

I love this car. I have had so much fun driving this car. I fell in love with this type of car when I was 15.

My family has always been interested in its history. My family is one of those families that has a family tree program so we know who all we are related to. I think that maybe some 10 or 15 generations back, my wife's family might meet up with mine. Anyways, during this research process, dad met this guy, Marcus Davis. We hung out with Marcus on a fairly regular basis, thinking that we might be related somehow. During that process, Marcus wanted to sell his jet black 1988 300zx. It sat in our yard and driveway for several months. I used to get in it and play with stuff and think of how cool it would be for me to drive this car. Dad didn't see it that way. Marcus ended up selling it to someone who one month later totalled the car and only paid him $100. Marcus told us he wished he had've sold it to us. I have wanted to drive one of those cars ever since then.

Fast forward many years. We moved to Connecticut with the navy with only one vehicle. The second having been sold to pay for the move. I went 10 months with only one vehicle when I finally go tired of being stranded at work or at home. I started searching and I came across my Z on an auto sales website. It was rekindled love at first sight. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten it, maybe I did the right thing by getting it. I guess only God will be able to tell me when we meet up in heaven. I have driven this car for just over two years now. I am hooked. I know that if I had've gotten that 1988 as my first car, I would still own it now and probably would own another.

Right now the Z is parked in front of the house because it decided that it didn't want to drive on a regular basis. I started taking the minivan to work and making a schedule with my wife so that we can share the same vehicle. I hate it. I wish that my Z would work. I did a little shopping for another vehicle as the wife periodically tries to convince me to sell off the car and get something else. We always seem to come back to the Z and just get it fixed. We have come around again and I am going to take it to get looked at so that I can know how much I have to save up to get it fixed. I don't ever want to sell the scorpion. I will be a very happy man if I am sixty years old and I can go out to the garage that is specifically built for one car and drive out the scorpion with the T-Tops off on that beautiful day.

Time will only tell how close to that I get. We currently live with my in-laws because we cannot afford any kind of rent/house payment. God will take care of us. He has so far and I know that he will continue in the future.

Thanks for reading.

The Closer

Last night was my first night to close at Papa John's. I have been working at Papa John's as a delivery driver for about a month now. Hours have been crappy and the tips don't make it any better, but its a job. I am still "the new guy" but as one co-worker put it, "You are a part of us now. No one called you 'the new guy' after the first week. We call you Tim. That should say a lot. Most new people we don't bother to learn their names until they have worked here a few month. People just don't last long."

So, first night to close. Got home after midnight. Wow, it has been a long time since I worked that late at any job. Papa John's is just my part-time job. I have a real job. Not that delivering is any less of a real job, but I also have a "day job."

It wasn't stressful. It wasn't really difficult. It was just long. I didn't think that closing the store would take that long. I did work at Wendy's when I was in high school. I guess that it does take a while to close down a place like that. There were only two of us. Me and the shift supervisor who is 8 years younger than me.

I guess I have to say I like working there. I am learning the neighborhood better, and I get to drive all night long. Well, that is I get to when it is my turn to make deliveries. I still haven't hit that jackpot night where I make over a hundred bucks in tips. They tell me that it will come. Right now I am hoping to move up in the food chain and get better hours. The better hours would be doing two or three nights as the closer vise five nights as the extra. More hours and more tips as the closer.

Well, I guess that is all for now. I am kinda tired from getting home that late, but I am sure I will be ok. The day job provides all of the coffee I can consume whether it is healthy to or not.

Our upcoming President

So, I like most of the Republicans in this country have been thinking about the election we just had. I feel like so much is going to change for the worst. I know that the new guy is going to have new ideas and should change things that are supposed to make our country better. I just don't feel comfortable about it.

Well, God hears us even when we don't talk to him and he knows what goes on inside of us. Keeping that in mind, God had a sermon prepared this past Sunday that I feel was written just for me.

I will start with Romans 13:1

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Wow. Really. Even horrible one's?

We all know how liberal the new guy is and what he talks about doing. God tells me that I am supposed to submit myself to that authority anyways.

I will have to take this up and finish it later. I have more and I want to do more, but work just came by.

Test Drive

Ok, so my wife has been doing this blogging thing for a while and I thought that maybe I would take if for a test drive. I originally created a screen name so that I could go and view and comment on the blogs that she writes. This actually feels weird. I don't know who is going to be reading this. I don't really mind, but it is a wierd thought to think that an unknown number of people could take a look at what you have written. Maybe that is why we do this. I am sure that as I get in the groove, I will be able to write more.

Right now my oldest son is in my office working on his homework. Ahh the joys and pains of scripture memorization and simple addition.

His scripture is Romans 12: 1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I like that.