Working my butt off.

Apologies for having went silent on the blogs.  But anywhere where I actually string together more than 20 words (besides the car driving home)...yeah, that's not happening.

At the start of January, I had a temp job that had become part-time.  That job ended early in January.  I picked up a temp job as a "costumed sign waver" - the job I thought would be extra cash turned out to be my only job.

So, the day after I first started waving a sign dressed up as an American landmark, I'm driving down to Ivy's job when I get this message.

2017-01-15 16:37 Wanna work 10p-6a

What?!?!

I'd worked 14 months as overnight stocker/janitorial at Wal-Mart already.  And I was very glad to get out of there, away from overnight, and back to something local and days.

However...an opening at the store my wife and daughter work at...
The magic word might have been "permanent"

Having an end date on your assignment sucks.  Trust me.

So...by now, the end of January, I'm working 70 hours a week.

WORKING.

None of this sit-on-my-butt stuff chatting with fellow contractors like I did supporting wargames in 05, 06, 08.

None of this taking calls from shoppers like the week I put in  60 hours call-center-from-home.

A 40 hour job of stocking and facing
And (right now) a 30 hour job of dancing with a sign for a tax shop.  (Yeah, that one).

I'm burning calories like crazy!

The one job is seasonal, and when tax day comes and goes, so will that job.

But, for now, I'm hustling making the money.



I don't know how my Dad did it.

Happy New Year

MM#100*

Ten Thousand Reasons
Matt Redman
(slightly edited)

The sun comes up
It's a new year dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord O my soul
    O my soul
    Worship His holy name
    Sing like never before
    O my soul
    oh
    I'll worship Your holy name

Two thousand years of wrong

MM#108 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear     It came upon the midnight clear,     That glorious song of old,     From angels bending near the earth,     To touch their harps of gold:     "Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,     From heaven's all-gracious King."     The world in solemn stillness lay,     To hear the angels sing.     Yet with the woes of sin and strife     The world has suffered long;     Beneath the angel-strain have rolled     Two thousand years of wrong;     And man, at war with man, hears not     The love-song which they bring;     O hush the noise, ye men of strife,     And hear the angels sing.     For lo!, the days are hastening on,     By prophet bards foretold,     When with the ever-circling years     Comes round the age of gold     When peace shall over all the earth     Its ancient splendors fling,     And the whole world give back the song     Which now the angels sing.

MM#109 Belleau Wood Garth Brooks Oh, the snowflakes fell in silence Over Belleau Wood that night For a Christmas truce had been declared By both sides of the fight As we lay there in our trenches The silence broke in two By a German soldier singing A song that we all knew Though I did not know the language The song was "Silent Night" Then I heard my buddy whisper "All is calm and all is bright" Then the fear and doubt surrounded me Because I'd die if I was wrong But I stood up in my trench And I began to sing along   Then across the frozen battlefield   Another's voice joined in   Until one by one each man became   A singer of the hymn Then I thought that I was dreaming For right there in my sight Stood the German soldier 'Neath the falling flakes of white And he raised his hand and smiled at me As if he seemed to say Here's hoping we both live to see us Find a better way Then the devil's clock struck midnight And the skies lit up again And the battlefield where heaven stood Was blown to hell again But for just one fleeting moment The answer seemed so clear Heaven's not beyond the clouds It's just beyond the fear No, heaven's not beyond the clouds It's for us, to find it, here

---

Sometimes, there's a single phrase in a song that catches me - and not necessarily something obvious.  From "Life has killed the dream" from "I dreamed a dream", MM #45; to "We became stepdads and soccer moms" in "Life Happened", MM#85.  And perhaps the most notable in our family's history was "Who brings my chaos back into order",  "This Is Amazing Grace", MM#96.

Both of these songs have a line that I haven't forgotten. 

"Beneath the angel-strain have rolled / two thousand years of wrong"
Living in A.D. 2017, over two thousand years since the Word of God became flesh...are things better...are we kinder to each other...has the command to love God and love our neighbor been better obeyed?  In some ways...a little.  But there's still so much distrust, so much fear of the other, so much scapegoating. 

"Then the devil's clock struck midnight"
It's horrible how so often we can discard our shared humanity - in some cases our shared heritage or our shared faith.  War is hell, even at times setting brother against brother.

Xmas Dose of Perspective

I've been sitting on this one for a long time, almost a year.  (Not as long as For Annie, but it's stewed for a good while, like a crock-pot meal.)

Irving Berlin wrote a song performed by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney called "Counting My Blessings (Instead of Sheep)"

This song, along with many other songs performed by folks from earlier decades, was on a Christmas classics station, on rotation endlessly during the holiday season last year at Home Depot.   So I heard it.  A lot.  Along with Marshmallow Christmas.

Christmas is hard for me (see other blogs) in part because of the self-imposed pressure to do "enough" for Christmas, and being creative with a bankroll smaller than Jeff Bezos.

I can't keep up with the Joneses.  It's taken a lot of work, hustle and frugal living to get to probably the best financial position in our lives.

But when I look at my small bankroll, I think back to when I had none (or even when I was badly overdrawn).
It takes discipline, but remembering how far I've gotten (by the grace of God) is very helpful.

Take it away, Bing.

---

#MM107
"Count Your Blessings"
Written by Irving Berlin
Performed by Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney


When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

Really Big Christmas Tree

It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  I was driving back up the west side of the outside of the KC Metro on K-7.  I remembered that a particular sports player (Tim Melia, the brick wall in goal for Sporting KC) was going to be at a Christmas Tree Lighting at Legends - an outdoor mall in west Kansas City, Kansas. My lovely bride was with me - I'd just picked her up from work.  Finally, a Saturday night with us together.  Go home, relax, peace and quiet. But that player was going to be at Legends. Heck...Ivy loves Christmas.  Big time.  And that tree lighting is a nice thing... "Hey, baby, wanna go see the tree lighting at Legends tonight?" "What?  You really want to go see a tree lighting?" "Sure.  You.  Me.  Call it a date." Yeah, Mr. Grinch took Mrs. Claus on a Christmas Tree Lighting date. Found parking on top of the parking garage.  Complained about the cold weather.  Never found the soccer player.  Listened to live Christmas music.  Got Smores-on-a-stick and hot cocoa.  Missed the lighting while getting fries.  Got pictures in front of the tree. It was great. I don't hate everything about Christmas.  Honest.

The Anthem of the $eason

MM #106
Santa Baby


Going back to my description of Christmas as "the celebration of Immanuel, wrapped up in consumption and smelling of tradition", I find this song a very apt anthem to the spirit of December25.  It may be tongue-in-cheek, but I still feel like it describes the real spirit we're surrounded with.

Santa Baby, just slip a sable under the tree, For me.
Been an awful good girl, Santa baby,
So hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa baby, a 54 convertible too,
Light blue.
I'll wait up for you dear,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Think of all the fun I've missed,
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed,
Next year I could be just as good,
If you'll check off my Christmas list,

Santa baby, I wanna yacht,
And really that's not a lot,
Been an angel all year,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa honey, one little thing I really need,
The deed
To a platinum mine,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex,
And checks.
Sign your 'X' on the line,
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight.

Come and trim my Christmas tree,
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's,
I really do believe in you,
Let's see if you believe in me,

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing,
A ring.
I don't mean on the phone,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight,
Hurry down the chimney tonight,
Hurry, tonight.

Drinking the eggnog - repost

REPOST from 12/24/08

In America, what is called the Christmas spirit should really be called "drinking the eggnog". Going along with the millions of fellow members of the economy and community.

American Christmas (which I will simply call December25) is not a celebration of the birth of Mary's boy child. It is a hodgepodge of centuries of tradition and American (consumerism / commercialism / materialism.)

I HATE DECEMBER25.

From the day after Thanksgiving to December25, we are prodded by our neighbors, friends, and especially family, to 'be in the Christmas spirit.' Which means shopping and decorating and traditions, most of which have very little to do with a stable in Bethlehem.

It is a solemn time. It is time to think of our fellow man. And to that end...SHOP! SHOP EARLY! GET THE DOORBUSTERS! Keep your fellow man in business by buying tons of stuff. Remember, consumer spending is 70% of your nation's economy. (However, now we're just keeping Wal-Mart in business because everything's actually made in China! Japan! Mexico!)
Got more presents for Suzie than for Johnny? Well, I guess you're going back to the mall to balance the piles of presents!

But...it's the holiday season. December25 is coming soon! And it's just not December25 without...(fill in the blank.... family!... in-laws!... the tree!... Santa!... Santa's milk and cookies!... Recording Christmas specials on tape!...)  Who cares why we started half these traditions...we did it last year, and by Montgomery Ward Rudolph's red nose, we'll do it again!

Oh, and no December25 is complete without the good Dr. Christian whining and moaning about the Christmas Wars...evil retailers who won't mention Christmas. Who cares that the only thought of Christ is a token midnight mass at the end of the December25 season. No...if the retailer's won't mention Christmas...boycott!