along the journey

Dad sent me this picture. Thanks Dad.

Well last night on the train I had prepared some text for an entry this morning. I left my palm pilot at home! I thought about just not writing anything and putting up an entry that said that just that and said I’d update tomorrow. I got an email from Dad, actually several, he mentioned he missed my morning blogging! HA! It’s only now 8:19, I’ve only been here for 10 minutes, and how in the world would I have had a chance to blog? I don’t know, but it sure is nice to know that he reads this!

We went to our small group last night. It was the furthest trip we’ve made so far, about 35-40 minutes. That’s nothing really, but since I don’t get home until 6:45 and it starts at 7, and I still have to eat dinner, it’s pretty hectic. I was supposed to teach the “childrens life group”. But only two of the kids were there and that’s because we were at their house. So they didn’t have childrens life group, but midway into worship the youngest started pulling kleenex out of the box, all of them. I took the box from her, helping to allow her mother to be able to worship. After worship they were pretty loud, I decided I’d go sit with them while they played in the play room. I went to the play room and hung out with them for a while, all the time Caleb was asleep in the sling. It was so precious. He had fallen asleep in the sling shortly after I had put him in it, during worship. After they got tired of playing and Caleb started waking up, we went back and joined the group. I changed Calebs diaper and then laid him on his blanket in the middle of everyone. And he rolled over!!! It was great. He did end up pretty fussy towards the end, but it was a great daddy night!

Amy’s not feeling well today, she woke up this morning and I heard the her in the bathroom coughing, sounding like she was going to throw up. I remember later in the morning she told me that she was really sick. As it came time closer for me to leave, I asked her if she wanted me to stay home with her. She said no, that she really needed me to work, for the money. So Ralph picked me up… yes that means my truck is still not ready…the whole trip to the train station he was talking about the impending terrorist attack. It wasn’t until I was out of the car and walking to the platform that I had such a feeling….. if something like 9/11 happens and I’m not with my family… I’m going to be devestated… I prayed to God- Please don’t let anything happen today while I’m not with my family.

This has got to be one of the funniest posts on MeTa that I’ve ever read (I’m sure that most will not get it, Amy included):

God bless the babelfish!

Fish that I love!

Swim beside it.

And guide it.

Through the stream with a beam from above.

From the ocean

To the river

To the depths of

my ear canal.

God bless the babelfish,

my language pal

Started actively searching for information on running today. found a few websites that have training plans especially for beginners, I’m not sure I’d even consider myself a beginner. Dug my palm out and brought it with me for the first time. I’m not as rusty with the graffiti as I expelted I’d be. Last time i was writinq on the palm was during rehearsals for track and field. Now it’s different. Now i don’t have anything to do….read, sleep, watch people, write. In fact, I’m sure I’ll do all of that anyway.

this time change thing has really screwed with me. It’s almost dark and I’ve still qot an hr and a half before I get home. It felt like noon when we left for the train this morning. Yes, that is Amy and Caleb took me to the station. My truck still isn’t ready. It’s been so long. Ralph says it’ll be done tonight or tomorrow.

this weekend was great. Mom and Dad were here. Have I mentioned how much i miss them? It looks like we’ll be moving into the house I grew up in. There goinq to sell it to us for what they owe. Dad even mentioned co-signing for a loan, if we have problems getting one. We think we will since it’s been less than a year since we were denied last time. God will make a way. Caleb was such a ham for his grandparents. Almost like they’re always around.

i’ve been looking for information regarding running a marathon- This book looks like just what I need- The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer

Hey, I added some new pictures- these are of last weekends trip to River Valley Ranch…. enjoy!

Could it be possible that things might be clearing up for us? I mean really. Let me not speak too soon. This morning on reflection that I was going to Columbia again, I decided that Amy and I were going to get our drivers licenses. After getting out the door, and easily finding our way to the MVA, we go in and begin what I expect to be an involved process of getting them. About 45 minutes later we walk out, newly licensed in the state of Maryland. We have a bit of trouble getting our IRS rebate cashed at a bank, so we decide to try the grocery store. She cashes it and sells us money orders and stamps and we’re on our way. Woo Hoo! It couldn’t be easier, well I guess it could’ve. If we could’ve cashed it last night at any of the 3 places we went to….. or heck, if we could’ve taken it and deposited in our non-existant bank account, and simply wrote checks for the bills. That would’ve been easier. I’m currently on the phone, have been for over 40 minutes, trying to track down what is going on with cheksystems. I requested a report from them on Saturday, but I doubt that it’ll get here anytime soon. And if it does I’ll have to do this same work. So I’m being proactive regarding it.

Working on a day-to-day basis on where I’ll be located. Checking the senate website for updates on the closing of their buildings. Who knows when I’ll be back in DC. Hopefully not till Monday.

This weekend started pretty awful…. didn’t seem to get much better. We woke up early yesterday to get to the bank early and get a bank account. We’ve been here for almost 2 months and don’t have a bank account. We still have ours in Ohio, but not one here, where we can deposit money, cash checks anything. We get there and the lady starts putting in our information, then mentions that they call this place called ChexSystems to verify that you’ve not been reported for negligent banking activity. So we sit there and watch the lady write down stuff on a slip of receipt tape. Then she says that she needs to check with the branch manager about what to do, because I’d been reported in 97 for NSF activity. Which means that I may have just bounced a check or something. Anyway, they won’t open an account without a letter stating that I don’t owe the bank money they can’t open an account for us. Not to mention that bank is no longer there, nor do I know where/who they are now. The branch manager comes over to explain things to us, and continues to tell us that we can’t open an account without having a Maryland ID. The other teller was going to without problems, or so it seemed. So not only can we not open an account until I get a letter from a non-existant bank, but I also have to get a Maryland drivers license!! Maryland DMV is a whole different story. In order to get a drivers license you have to have Birth Certificate or Valid Passport, plus Social Security Card and another picture id, some utility bills with present address, lease agreement with present address. Needless to say, I was a bit perterbed at the list of requirements. And the fact that I didn’t have a clue where my birth certificate is, and we don’t have any mail with current address on it. She did say a forwarded piece of mail will be valid. And then the branch we have to go to is open from 8:30 - 4:30 Mon-Fri and 9-12 on Saturdays. So we have to wait until next Saturday before getting drivers licenses and by then I hope to have tracked down the bank that reported me for bouncing checks!

We went to River Valley Ranch yesterday for their Fall Family FunFest. I went to RVR for camp the summer of ‘92. At that time in my life I was certainly too young to appreciate it for what it is. You could pay to go horse-back riding, build scarecrows, go on a hayride, climb the wall, have someone jailed, enter a pie-eating contest. Henry and I participated in the adults sack-race. We got some cute pictures of the family, and baby in a pumpkin patch. I will post them eventually… we had a great time. Shortly after arriving at home I got a call from my boss. He told me that there was an emergency situation and that the Senate needs to have some 400 computers setup before Monday morning. That he’d call me after 5 sometime Sunday with more information, letting me know where/what I needed to do. So possible overtime. It’s 7:38 on Sunday now, no word whats going on. I did find out on www.senate.gove that the Senate Office Buildings will be closed again tomorrow. So I’ll probably be working again in Columbia tomorrow.

Dad went on the walk to Emaus this weekend. I was supposed to write him a letter about how much he means to me, and how his spiritual walk has affected my life, but with the way things are going I haven’t had to. So I’m going to have to write it and email it to him. Mom sent us a great winter outfit for Caleb, and another toy. He loves to lay under these toys, especially the ones that play music, he gets his legs going and swats at the dangling animals and shapes. He loves it.

I’m currently trying to get control of this constantly growing stack of floppies that have pictures on them from over a month ago, Calebs intro to Amy’s side of the family, the rest of mine, a birthday party, from the Pentagon, some other stuff… some of the disks I grabbed had pictures over a year old…. gotta figure out what is on them. Right now, just trying to move them from disks to the hard drive. I may burn them to a CD then take them to work and upload them from there. The networks not too much better there, but they do have a T1 or something, it goes slow, but it’s better than dial-up.

Woo Hoo… I’m not in DC today. I actually go to sleep in a bit later today than usual. I left the house at around 7:10 and go to the office in Columbia at 7:45. That’s not a bad trip. Anyway, I get here and am shown to a conference room. Where I set until Al got here at 9. Then Al and I sat there without computers or anything, just talking to each other, until about 10:15 when we were told to go back to the service area. We went back there, and checked in with our boss , who is in DC, gave him the extensions of the phones at the work bench we were setting at then waited some more. Then we were told to go out and sit in these cubes. The cubes are definately nicer than the setup in Mason or DC, but the computer I’ve got stinks…. it’s slow… slower than the one I had in DC for 3 weeks. Still have not done any work, but feel somewhat safer. I’d honestly rather be sitting at home doing nothing rather than sitting in this office doing nothing. I’d have the same access to the same information and resources…. NONE!

I miss my baby and my wife. And mom and dad.

Anthrax here at the Senate…. makes it feel close to home. Especially since its just a block away. Today they mention that over 20 people have tested positive for exposure to Anthrax. They’re closing the House but not the Senate- yet. I’m prepared. I don’t feel scared that Im’ going to die, or get anthrax, but I feel unsafe. I’m scared. I’ll be alright. God will provide and protect, of that I have no doubt. I do have doubt in the world, and in the people which are running things around here.