Random stuff

Yeah. Random stuff. I wanted to dump a bunch of files and comment about them. It keeps me writing but in a different way. Writing about fun stuff draws me in that direction. It remains to be seen how fun this is. The more I go in the direction of happiness and fun, the more I will have that in my life. That is where I am now. Just having fun and trying to stay on the sunny side of the street. I'm happy and doing well, in case anyone wondered about me. If not, I understand. I didn't think about you either. Haha. Kidding. Whoever you are. Thanks for reading! And happy new year! 

Yeah, I know. Nobody cares, especially at this stage in the game. But I'm going to have fun with this post, like it or not. 

For some reason, when I open Instagram, I see stuff like this. I don't see models. I see this. Why? Because this is what I look at. IG learns and shows more stuff like this. Haha. Opossums and raccoons saying stupid stuff. I love it. Some of it is pretty bizarre. If you need a laugh, open up IG and look at stupid stuff. That's what I do. Yes, that is where the frog at the top came from, too. Weird? Indeed. But I wish I had a suit like that. I would wear it to bed. And the library. And the grocery store. 

My son has a hamster. He had me look up hamsters on IG. That's how this one came about. It was so weird I saved it. Wouldn't you? No? I don't blame you. It's a little scary. But that hamster looks so cute ... and delicious. 

I miss my old phone because it could do stuff like this. Filters are fun, especially for a kid. My new phone has FaceTime, which has stuff like this for calling grandma and grandpa. Technology should put people together, not put space between them. My kid is always finding stuff to do on my phone. Who knows what he'll cook up next? 

I just want to lay on this couch and take a nap. Like 45 years ago. Look at that rug! Look at that wood paneling! It feels like home. Let me take a nap on your couch, grandma. And then I'll wake up and drink some lemonade and play outside. 

I miss stuff like this. This is what my son's last school would send through an app so I could see what he was up to. I don't see this anymore. Maybe that's because he's actually learning. And he is. He's doing well. I noticed a lot of his stuff improved, like penmanship. He's doing okay. Even though I don't see Leaf Man anymore. 

It's funny, sure. But it's also true. I like stuff that is good on multiple levels. Stuff that doesn't make any sense, too. I like Christian memes. I hope no one thinks I'm being sacrilegious. It's important to laugh at ourselves. I'm not laughing at the Bible. Certainly not. This one speaks to me. Read the Bible and calm down, Joshua. Jesus was the happiest man who walked the earth. I seek to be like Him. 

I like this guy. I can't spell his name, but I like him. He likes to make fun of life hacks, which I also like to do. Thank you for telling me something that will possibly save me .5 seconds of my time over the course of my life. But someone took his likeness to make a Christian meme. Christian memes work surprisingly well. They make me laugh on a different level. And sometimes they make me hurt a little. Hey, we've all been there. Laughter is a good way to inoculate against nonsense. 

If you look at his clock, it says 2:39. He's been up for a while. That's me. I do that. I wake up and pray, though. Then I go back to sleep, ideally. I don't get enough sleep, but that's okay. I'll rest when I get to heaven. Until then, God wants me to talk to Him while I'm here. I have important things to do. Like plot my escape to the forest. Haha. 

It's so nice when you wake up in the middle of the night and you fear it's time to get up for the day but you still have a few hours of sleep left ... if you can go back to sleep, of course. But why does his arm look so big? Maybe it's lack of sleep making me see things. 

Sometimes my son takes my phone and does things I didn't even know it could do. Whatever he did here looks cool. I guess he was measuring stuff. Maybe he was measuring the messiness of my room. It’s not my fault! He probably gave up and went to play with his hamster. 

Well, it serves you right. Trying to steal fish. You deserve to be trampled by an ostrich. I like random stories. A man fighting against all odds against a guard ostrich with only his wits and his fishing pole to defend himself. Makes sense. Better than a lot of movies I've seen.

Hey, it's true. Godly men are what is missing in the world. If you go to just about any given church, what is the ratio of men to women? Usually more women than men. If God can reach men, it will bring whole households, communities, and countries back to Him. I pray that happens in my country. And, as hard as it is to find a godly man, it is at least equally hard to find a godly woman. Some say they are godly, but I look at the fruits. Some say they are not godly, but, again, I look at the fruits. A godly woman is a treasure only God can reveal to a man. And a beautiful gift only God can give. 

If you are a dude who has ever gone to church, you've been there. It's a great feeling. I've been told I must be quite popular with the ladies (not sure how true that was), but I felt that the rest of the day. Heck yeah, I am. At least for a day. 

I'm trying my best to love people how I should. So, the above doesn't really apply anymore. I used to avoid people. Now, I try to at least try. That's my mantra these days. Joshua, at least try. All about trying.

Home! Even when I'm home I want to be home. Not because I don't like being outside. I do. But just look at his face in bed. I love my bed. I love my topper. I love my blankets that are so soft. One night I had on five blankets! Look at that guy's face when he's not home. Then look at his face when he's at home. Home is good. 

I love a good pun as much as anyone. Okay, more than anyone. They're so stupid they become funny. I'm teaching my son to appreciate the delicate art of a good pun. The girls are gonna love him. Or, at least, their grandfathers will. 

I don't know what this is, but it is an abomination. Actually, I do know what it is because it lists the recipe. Those four items plus brown sugar. Mmm. In case you can't tell, this is a retro recipe. But I would sure like to try it today. For history's sake, of course. And then throw up. For the sake of my health. 

And doesn't everyone want such an atrocity adorning their table during the holidays? I hope so. Yes, it is a wiener tree. Another retro idea we should bring back. This actually appeals to me. I like little wieners. Bite-sized sausages. Perfect for Christmas. Or anytime! No jokes, please. We are keeping this PG. 

My jokes always kill it. The conversation, that is. Their eyes get wide and then quickly narrow and then furtively look away. And that's about it. Hey, why are you walking away from me? I was going to tell another joke. I promise it isn’t a punny one. Get it? Punny?

If your mama didn't make this for you as a kid, what happened? She didn't love you? Haha. I've even made this for myself, but with extra butter. There were some pretty lean years when I was on my own or living with my girlfriend eons ago, but food like this kept us alive. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. Whatever God gives you to eat is a blessing. Amen?

Babylon Bee! How many times have I shared a Babylon Bee story with someone and they thought it was real? Many times. It's parody that comes awfully close to mimicking reality. Sometimes they even predict the future; that's how strange the world is now. Bee knows the future. That’s why it deserves a spot here. 

We all need a book like this. For everything. Maybe I should speak for myself. I thought I knew a lot when I was younger. The older I get the more I realize how little I know. I like that blanket, though. It looks soft and maybe a little silky. One thing every bride should know: soft blankets make everything better. Pile them on. The more, the merrier.

Haha. Creep. You go, girl. This is probably how women view me. It explains a lot. At least I'm not bald yet. And I have all my fingers. That guy looks like he's missing some. He’s also sweaty. Or crying. I get the crying part. 

To Tom Holland's dad: I understand completely. I get the same way when the girl I'm enamored with graces me with her presence. I mean, isn't she lovely? Yes, Emma Watson, too. 

I feel sad for that loveseat. It looks comfortable. I cried a little when I saw this. And then I laughed. And cried again. And went on like that for a while. 

Strange story time. I was riding with a guy for training in Hastings, a nearby town, when I saw this building and instantly remembered something. I was at the grand opening of the theater part of this museum in 1994. I looked it up. It was a Western-themed movie on an Imax screen. They gave away beef sticks. I recalled all of this in an instant just by seeing the square building. That's the value of actually seeing these places in person. It jogs my memory like nothing else. I am visual in nature, but memories are stored other ways, too. Coming back to where I used to live and play years ago is allowing me to put together a more cohesive picture of my youth and young adulthood instead of relying on disjointed memories. 

After having spent some time with my new coworkers, I often feel this way. Scurrilous language, raunchy stories, ribald jokes. I need a shower, stat. I'm an anachronism yet again. Oh well. Buckle up, big boy. Back to the grind. But hopefully with a new mindset. 

God loves you. I wrote that on a sticky note and put it above my monitor when I was having a hard time. That's all it says. God loves you. Some days, that's all you need to know. Thank God for that. It makes everything bearable and worthwhile. 

This blog is my heart. You didn't think I would miss an opportunity to talk about my heart, do you? God is at the center of my being. God has a plan. I'm sticking close to Him. I love Him with everything I have. I trust. I follow. Even when I don't understand. Actually, especially when I don't understand. I have plans but always defer to Him. 

I know, this post was weird. But hopefully fun. Or different. I don’t know when I’ll post again. I hope everyone has a happy new year. 2022 has to be better than the last few years. No more looking back. (But, hey, this blog is over 15,000 hits now.) We are going to be okay, everyone. Keep trusting God and going forward. Stay on the sunny side of the street. Amen.

***

I planned to end this blog in the new year. It wasn't in my heart to do that. The post in question was disingenuous at best. It felt wrong. My heart simply has not changed. If anything big happens, expect a post. And I will probably always post about that special girl. Selah. 

So far I like my job. It’s a fairly new to the area communications company, though it was founded in Nebraska. Trying something new. They have a company truck. My son loves that. It’s a fun atmosphere so far. At least another two weeks of training. My job, if I am able to keep it, will be there forever. I like my boss enough I would jump ship with him if he asked me to. I think this is a stepping stone for him. Maybe it is for me, too. I digress. 

Since moving here, I got to see a couple of people I haven’t seen since 1996 when I graduated. That was fun. It’s cool to see how much someone changed … or didn’t. Also on a good note, I've been talking with the girl I am enamored with a bit lately. Not much. But more than usual. I think she softened to me a little. She even invited me over to her house for a bit. I was in my pajamas but jumped at the chance to see her. I gave her a hug and even a kiss on the forehead before I left. She makes me happy. Maybe she sees I'm really just a harmless (though a bit clueless) man who wants to see her happy. (And, I truly enjoy her.) Or maybe I'm reading into it. Regardless, it is a blessing to have at least a small corridor of communication with her. I hope she sees me as a worthwhile soul to have in her life. Because I certainly see that in her. Pray for her, if you so desire, as she is dealing with a spiteful ex right now. I don’t know how she is handling that, but she seems to be doing the right thing. As always, a class act. 

If you followed this blog for any length of time, that automatically makes us friends. Sorry, I don't make the rules. Thank you for reading. And God bless. 

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