Well the truck is up and running fine. It was the battery. What a different a new battery makes.
Both Cody and Lindsey are enrolled at Waypoint Academy. They will start on Tuesday. Cat and Sean have found a home and will move in at the end of September, just before their wedding on October 4th. They also got their Jimmy running. It needed a new rear end, and Sean's Dad and Uncle put it in for them.
Don and Akiko's wedding is September 20.

I going to try to figure out how smart I am. The batteries on the stratus and the truck crapped out this week. I'm hoping it is only the batteries. I will first try to start up the truck. This one has the oldest battery. Both vehicles have the same symptoms and will start with the help of a jump. They just won't hold a charge. Car repair may be easy to some, but to me it is rocket science.

Are you enjoying the presidential campaign yet? The negative ads are just heating up. The dems are having their convention, and it started up with an appearance from Ted Kennedy. You would have thought that it was the second coming. Quickly, tell me what Ted has done. Can't think of anything except drinking and womanizing? He has been in the senate and.......... well he has been in the senate. I just can't get excited by a man who gets richer in a Government job. Before Barak Obama ran for president, what did you know of him and what he had done. He has been in the senate and..... well he was in the senate. Joe Bidden at least has done something. What he has done I'm not sure, but he has done something. At least the Republicans can boast that John McCain grew up with Abe Lincoln and has a younger wife. He did serve his country, and was held prisoner for 5 years. What has McCain done lately? He has served in the senate and...... well he has been in the senate. He did a great comedy routine on the Tonight Show and he looks healthy enough to last a few years. Where are the past presidential candidates? I miss Pat Paulson. There is a man who would have kept us smiling for a while. How about Gary Hart? How about another Bush, I understand that Jeb is looking for a job? With another Bush in office, we could all die laughing. How about, Tits and Fritz?
We need a candidacy like in the movie"Brewsters Million" where the write in vote of "non of the above" wins. Here is some food for thought
George Bush II picked Cheney to be his running mate. This was a way to have the old guard run the country from the VP seat. Obama has choosen Bidden to be his VP. Do you see the similarities?

I had many firsts this week. While playing the postlude on the piano, I dislocated my thumb. I had to stop and pop it back in.
Another first was that both the car and the truck's battery went dead at the same time. I have to wait until payday to purchase two new batteries.

I read in the paper that the insurance companies right to charge premiums based on credit score is unconstitutional. This was the most idiotic procedure since no-fault insurance. Insurance companies are appealing this ruling. They feel that the person who is down on their luck, poor, and possibly with a poor paying job, should pay more insurance then those who have a terrible driving record, and possibly a suspended licence, but can pay. Maybe they will charge you by how tall you are.

I love true enthusiasm. Watching the Olympic you get to see raw emotion. These athletes are giving it their all, and when they are rewarded, that's when the tears start. The other side of the coin is when one of the sprinters falls in the final race. They have practiced for 4 years only to trip and falls. There are no do overs. For some of these, it is the dream of a lifetime. Imagine, at 16, you have reached the peak. All your greatest joys, your greatest success and failures before the age of 21. How do the rest of us go on living? I would think that the greatest success for these athletes is what they do with the rest of their lives.

Life at our house is not without excitement. Although Lindsey is home, she still continues to think we are there to wait on her. School starts up in a few weeks, and maybe then thing will slow down to a state of normal, or the shit hits the fan. With both Lindsey and Cody going to the same school, it will either be heaven or hell.
Donald trial run as a composer and arranger for Fair Haven Ministries has come to an end. They decided that he was not a good fit for their congregation. They want more show, hire in professional musician, and look for the glitz.

Cody has hardly been at home since he got his drivers licence and got his own car. he is the first person in his family to get a drivers licence.

Catherine and Sean are looking for a house to rent. They desperately want to move into a place of their own before their marriage.

Liz has been approved for disability, and now we just have to wait.

Another Monday morning. Cody passed his road test yesterday, so today I have to take him to the Sec. Of States office to get his first licence.
Lindsey has returned home, but I don't know for how long.
Cat had her first bridal shower this weekend.
Cody and Lindsey go back to school in a few weeks. Liz is also going to try a few classes this fall...... and the wheels on the bus go round and round.

My father must be laughing his wings off.
This week I had to kick my youngest daughter out of the house. To make a long story short, she refused to abide by the rules of the house. The same violation of the same rule happened three days in a row. Her answer was that she was 18 and doesn't need rules and we can't make her abide by these rules. This was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I had no choice. I still love her very much but she challenged me and I could not back down again. My father, who passed away over a year ago, must be laughing in heaven. When I moved out at age 18, he told me I would someday have that same problem with my own children. He was right, and it turned out very good, so I guess I am in good company with my decision. My father had been dead over a year, and incapacitated by althimerz for 5 years, and still he is giving advice. Thanks Dad

Comcast Cable

Here in Muskegon, we have one cable company with no compitition. Muskegon has sold its soul to Comcast and Comcast has charged the highest rates in the country. I wonder when people in charge will realize that if they keep socking it to the people with this type of holdup, how long can we afford it? when you buy a car, you can get just what you want and need. With cable, you have to pay for a bunch of worthless channel to get the few that you want.

What a weekend. Friday Liz and I helped Donald and Akiko move into their new place. Uhaul had fail to supply a truck as promised, so we had to use my old black pickup. It ran like a charm, and between the four of us and Becky we spent the day moving them. It must have been almost 15 loads. Saturday we had to go to my nephews wedding in Caladonia. Again, outside in the heat. Sunday was a little more relaxed, even though I had to give the message at the evening service. I was asked on Thursday, and had to write it with all this going on. On top of all that, Cody and Lindsey decided to fight like little kids. My cardiac meds were working over time. I went to bed last night at 10 oclock and woke up at 10 this morning. Well, now that I have woke up and had a cup of coffee, I'm off and running two hours behind schedule.

Great friends with great Stories.

I was thinking this morning how fortunate I have been to have such great friends. Without naming names, here are a few,

One friend collects motorcycles, used pianos to refinish, cars, houses, and all other kinds of collectibles. This gentle man would give you the shirt off his back in a snowstorm. His kindness and generosity is unmatched and yet he goes pretty much unnoticed. I could go on forever, but I will leave that to another blog.

Another friend is a retired radio man. This guy has the best radio voice I have ever heard. He is an organist who has played just about any organ you can describe. Recently he received a Hammond Organ to put under his Betty Paige poster. He also has an old radio to remind him of his glory days. ( He doesn't need reminding, he is still in his glory days). He collects old ties and great stories. You could sit and listen to him forever.

I have just scratched the surface on just two of many great friends who have great stories. What binds us together? Besides the love of God, county, family and friends it is the interesting stories they share.

It's not surprising when you read in the paper that banks are now in trouble. This is one of the things that happens in a depression. It is no surprise that Detroit auto makers are losing money big time. This is due to mismanagement. When gas price were climbing, they were selling gas guzzlers. what really surprise me is that our leaders who have lead us down this path, are still in charge. They don't have to worry because they have their golden parachutes. Big business has slipped so much money into their pockets that retirement isn't a problem. Granholm is the worst governor since Miliken. Granholm is saving the state alot of money by riding the bus to work. What you don't see is the long line of car following her bus incase there is a problem.
There are alot of politicians posturing during these times, but not much being done.

You have to love persistence. Some friends of our bought a Rainbow Vacuum. To get the $400.00 worth of attachments for free she had to give 10 names and each of these names had to have a presentation. Years ago I purchased a Rainbow vacuum and had it for years until it was destroyed in the Midland flood. This vacuum cost over $1000.00 20 years ago so it is hard to believe how much it cost now. This was the best vacuum that I ever owned and believe it or not it was worth the money.
So this gal is coming over today to give us a presentation. We already told her we were not buying the vacuum. Even though we gave her 3 good reason as to why we don't need a vacuum, she still has to give the demonstration for our friends to be eligible to get their attachments for free. I thought the three reason were very good.

1- I already have a vacuum
2- I don't have the money for a vacuum
3- I don't have carpeting. ( hardwood floors )

I'm feeling little down. I was having a down day yesterday with minor angina problems. There's been a little stress around here lately. I tried to preach a sermon, or give a message at church last night. Don't try to do this after you have taken your cardiac meds. I could not concentrate. My mind was racing faster then my lips, and then my lips were moving faster then my mind. I went home last night and went to bed around 9:30 and didn't wake up until 10 this morning. For those of you that listened and didn't understand, you have my apology.

Bike time in Muskegon. Have you been listening to those great hogs. These magnificent steel horses make the ground tremble from vibration of all that horse power. Even when they are coasting, or at a stop, the riders still have to give it a little gas just in case the hard of hearing didn't hear them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against these riders of range and highway, and I don't mind sharing my city once a year with these "hell's angels wannabes", but when they decide to race down our street at 3 oclock in the morning, I get a little testy. So we replaced the Air Fair with the fireworks convention, which was replaced by the motorcycles. We love noise.
The first motorcycle was mentioned in the bible, when it said that "Joshua's triumph was heard through out the land". With 40,000 bikers in our tiny town, we will be rockin this weekend, and I hope there are no fault lines to disrupt.

As a parent I often wonder why my kids think I play favorites. Don't they realize I don't think that way? I have never thought of my kids on a grading scale. Maybe I should think that way and give them all a weekly rating. On a scale of 1 to 10 I will give a a score of........ Better luck next week.

In the Muskegon Chronicle, in the letters to the editor section, a man bring up a very valuable point. The Government likes to play with numbers so that things don't look so bad. His example was the unemployment figures. According to statistics Muskegons unemployment is around 8%. The true number is around 30%. The government does not count those who's benefits have run out and still do not have a job. They also do not count the ones who don't qualify for unemployment because their past employers refuse to let them collect unemployment by trumping up false charges to avoid paying. If you want the real number, it is closer to 50%. Teenagers who have never had a job and are unsuccessful in searching for their first job, those who have chosen to go on welfare as a last resort, those who have become disabled and are going through years of paperwork to get disability, small business owners who have lost their business and don't qualify for unemployment, and of course our convicts who lost their jobs because they were bad. Let's not even mention the jobs loses if our troops come home.
The government speaks of the strain on Social Security because of the retirement of the baby boomers. What they fail to mention is that there should be an abundance of jobs with all these baby boomers retiring. Where are these jobs? Mexico, India, Pakistan, and anywhere you have cheap labor. Why are we still calling this a recession?

Why do young people think that other people would babysit their kids when ever it suit them. Just drop the kids off and don't even pay to sit their kids. Like we have nothing better to do then watch their kids. The reason that they are pawning them off is because they can't stand the fact that they are parents and with that comes limited freedom. My father had always told me that he loved his grandchildren but was not a babysitter, he was their grandfather. When our kids were young, we paid to have babysitters come to our house, we didn't just drop them on others. Now that our kids are old enough to be on their own, what make them and their friends think that we want to watch their kids in our free time. I guess the word "sucker" is still printed on my forehead.

Haven't talked much about the weather lately. The weather has been very nice and not too hot, not too cold, not too wet and not too dry. So much for the weather.

A lot of people are having a hard time with the economy in the state that it is in. With Michigan being one of the hardest hit states, this state continues to find way to hurt it own. The biggest of all jokes is the no fault insurance. The poor person who can only have basic coverage on their car get screwed while the person who is better off, can afford full coverage, they get the advantage. Even when you are not at fault, you only get the coverage that your insurance dictates. You can try to get your deductable from the other drivers insurance, up to $500.00.

I read in the paper on Sunday that bill collectors were going into people accounts and taking their Social Security to pay for what they owe. This is illegal unless it is child support or owed money to the Government. The banks are allowing this to happen because some judge has signed a paper that let them collect their money. The banks can't refuse a Judges order even if it is not legal. Some poor person who relies on their SSI check can fight this and win in court, providing they do not lose everything and starve to death during this long process. Once again no fault hurts the needy.

When you think you have it bad there are many who are worse off. Have wonderful week and may God bless you as much as he has blessed us.