House news

There is major movement on the house news.

Sunday, we made an offer somewhat lower than the asking price and slightly lower than what we were willing to pay.

Tuesday, the counter offer came in. They agreed to all the terms (this stays, we do this, y'all do that.) The money counter was the exact price we had in mind to pay. We accepted and now have a contract on the house. It has to appraise for the agreed on price (which it should very easily.) It has to pass the home inspection and the termite inspection.

My mortgage broker is faxing the pre approval letter to the realtor. From there we get the appraisal. Then the inspections. The closing is set for July 28th. We hope to push that to the week earlier. It will give us time to get settled before I have to be back at school on August 1.

Dancing the happy feet dance.

What a day ...

It was a good day with friends.

The afternoon was spent at the picnic with about 50 friends. Then the eveing was spent singing karaoke with about 30 old friends. It was grand. I could stand a few days like that a week, lol.

The picnic was lots of fun with the good food, good company, and the water wars. It was a good eating, good talking, wet dripping time. I brought the Nuke dip. It was a great hit. The recipe:

2 lbs Velveeta Cheese (cubed)
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 lb. Hot Breakfast Sausage
24 oz Hot Pace Picante
16 oz Diced Hot Banana Peppers
16 oz Diced Jalapenos
12 oz Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
1 Onion (Diced)
Habanera Pepper Juice (to suit taste)

Cook the burger and sausage in the juice from the banana peppers. Melt the cheese with the picante. Add the other ingredients. Eat with chips. Eat with scrambled eggs. Eat on a hamburger. Eat it on your finger. It is good and hot.

It has a great taste along with the heat. The best thing is that you can adjust the heat to suit your own individual taste.

Try it.

Dead horses

Ode to a dead horse beater

through this site
here we gather
to beat the horse
that died in his lather

the subject is whipped
til nothing doth remain
but still our whips
know no refrain

even now we whip
not the horse laying dead
but the new horses
ridden by repliers instead

can we stop this nonsense
can we stop the bloody fray
before there are no more horses
to take us home today ?

Ron

“Life is a series of unexploded events
held precariously together
by this fleeting facade we call order."

Counting the days

I am counting the days until vacation time.

time to relax

time to move slowly

time to sleep late

time to sing the night away

time to enjoy life

time to refresh for the new school year awaits

Vacation will start with a bang, albeit a wet bang. I am looking forward to the water gun wars of the coming weekend. There will be much mirth and laughter. It will be good to see some old friends. It is my understanding that some friends from Louisville are even making the trip.

Today has been interesting. Usually, the school and the State are crying that we are spending too much money. Today, my Principal calls me and tells me that I absolutely must spend $800 today, on tools and material. I put my calculating skills to work and spent it all. I like it when they say "Spend."

Well, free time (lunch) is over.

Y'all have a great day.

"Semper et infirmi est animi exiguique voluptas Ultio."
Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind.

Two more days of classes

I just finished two days of classes on some training equipment I inherited from the former program. The classes were in Danville. It was a nice 40 mile one way trip. The classes were fun and informative. That's the kind of classes I like. All I have to do now is convince my Principal and the state that I need the $30,000 that is required to purchase and update the systems that are there.

I have this week of school left and then vacation begins. I will be off 4 weeks over the summer, although I will spend some of that at a teachers conference in Louisville. I have to do that networking thing. For the most part, the teachers I have met are more than willing to share their teaching skills and secrets with the new guys like me.

There is not much else going on around here. We are getting things ready for a picnic this weekend. We are going to spend time with friends and colleagues. There will be burgers and dogs, water balloons and water guns, and vast amounts friends. It hopes to be a good time.

Y'all have fun.

OK .. I wrote something new

A Hero

As a growing boy
I had several heroes
Some wore capes
Some flew through the air
Some had webs
While others had glowing repulsor beams

My childhood heroes
Came in various sizes, shapes, and colors
They had special powers
With super secret identities
They had super foes
To provide spectacular battles

As I grew,
My heroes changed
They became more real
And worked their special abilities
In the real world
The same real world I lived in

They were leaders
Men and women of peace
Or champions of important causes
They battled injustices
With the powers of the mind
And the weapon of the pen

Older now
And looking across a stretch of time
That sees the changes
Wrought by a near lifetime
Of growing and changing
My heroes have become closer

The caped flying warrior of justice
Still brings the smile to my boyish heart
The champions of world issues
Still stir my being to fight the good fight
However, now I can see the heroes
That have been with me all my life

You didn’t put on a cape and fight my foes
But you did keep me safe
You didn’t fight hunger in the world arena
But you worked, everyday, and fed a family
You have always been my champion
Even when the sparkle in my eyes
Was captured by some far distant star

You are one of my heroes, Dad
Even when I didn’t know what heroes were
You were there filling those shoes
Today, you will just smile
And say you were doing what fathers do
But, I will know,
That is part of being a hero too

Thanks for all the years
Of being my unsung hero

Ron Simpson
June 18, 2006

Happy Fathers Day

I think I will cheat a post today ... (actually use someone else's words)

My dad chased monsters from the dark
He checked underneath my bed
And he could lift me with one arm
Way up over top of his head
He could loosen rusty bolts
With a quick turn of his wrist
He pulled splinters from his hand
And never even flinched
In thirteen years Id never seen him cry
But the day that grandpa died, I realized

Unsinkable ships sink
Unbreakable walls break
Sometimes the things you think could never happen
Happens just like that
Unbendable steel bends
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable
Ive learned to never underestimate
The impossible

From "The Impossible" by Joe Nichols

Dads are human too ...

And from my old bag of bones ...

The Child I Never Saw

When I met him,
He was as old as anyone I knew,
As we walked,
He aged, and I grew;
I never knew him unknowing,
I never saw him young,
I saw that shining warrior,
Of which many songs were sung;
He held me,
He clothed me,
He fed me,
I was the child,
He could not be;
As I played hide-n-seek,
He saw what my tomorrows might be,
He worked,And he dreamed, for me;
He held faith,
He harbored hope,
He kept the dream,
I never saw the child,
But, hand in hand,
We walked in times stream;
The man I am today,
Belongs to the child I never saw.

Thanks, Dad.

Ron Simpson, Jr.
June 21, 2001

Going on ...

I have thought about this a good portion of the day. I have even consulted the Bible a time or two. I was at a loss of how to proceed. Parts of me wanted to retaliate against those that would speak harshly to me. Parts of me wanted to break down and just cry. Still, there were other parts that wanted to hide in the corner and other parts that wanted to just stop thinking about it at all.

I have come to these conclusions.

I cannot stop people from thinking what they wish to think, no matter how vehemently I defend or decry the situation.

No matter how well thought or elegant, any response will change nothing and serve only to perpetuate the situation.

This cannot change who I have fought to become unless I allow it to get inside me and fester (Isaiah 59 about cockatrice eggs.)

I will have to live with the consequences of my decisions, as will those around me.

I will not allow this to live in my heart or my head. (A friend told me once, you can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from making a nest in your hair.)

I have a wonderful circle of friends and the best 'best friend' ever.

I love my children and my hand will always be open to them.

The only door I have closed is the door to the past, and I refuse to open it again.

There was one chance to live a perfect life, and someone already beat me to that.

I am still looking forward to tomorrow and all the beauty it can bring.

Living is a good thing.

something I got in Email

Boycott Huge Success

The Counties of San Diego, Imperial, Los Angeles and Orange reported the statistics for the Boycott and Rally by the Latino Communities was a resounding success.

1. Retailers reported sales were down 4.2%
2. Shoplifting was down 67%
3. Traffic collisions involving Uninsured drivers were down 42%
4. Gang related violence was down 71%
5. Street corner 'Orange' sales were down 85%
6. Illegal dumping was down 53%
7. Hospital Emergency Rooms reported 86% fewer non insured patients.
8. County Services reported 65% fewer Welfare Claims.

The County Commissioners are recommending a Boycott be held at least once a week for the foreseeable future.

Take it in the humor in which it is intended !!

Unbelievable

My baby graduated from High School last night ... sniffle sniffle

part of my gift ...

My gift

For most of your life, we have held something in safekeeping for you
We have doled out small amounts when the situation warranted
But for the most part, have kept it, in trust, waiting for a day like today
Today, you fulfilled a parents dream, and trust me, we have had plenty

It started in your toddler years, in little bitty increments
It progressed through your early school years.
We trusted you with small amounts, but it is such a volatile substance,
It had to be so closely monitored and carefully measured
There were times you demanded it
However, you were still not ready
Even today, it is extremely dangerous to use,
Nevertheless, we must have faith that you are ready to handle it fully

It is not in this envelope
Although, additional gifts may gather here

It is out there,
Outside the doors
Out there in the real world
Out there, where it usage has the greatest impact
It is choice
You are standing under a caution light,
With roads running out past the horizon
In every direction
The World is open to you
There is no one there to make you go
Save choice
There is no one there to make you stop
Save choice
It is a gift more valuable than the checks you gather today
It is more valuable than the cards, or the party

You are now a creature of choice
There are no rules
You can do whatever you choose, from here
There are consequences to choice, but no barriers

Enjoy all the gifts you accumulate today
But, use choice the wisest


Dad

Absentee

The Governor of KY is being indicted today. His lawyers will attend the arraignment, but he will not. The Governor is too busy to be there. He is in Florida on vacation.

I think this shows a complete contempt for the legal system. As Governor , he should be the shining example of legal compliance. Even if he thinks this indictment is politically motivated and has no merit, he, as our chief legal officer, should be using all diligence, to give credence to the legal system.

I know he is not required to be at the proceedings, but his disregard, considering his position, is contemptible, in my eyes.
I have not seen the evidence in the case. I have only seen the actions of the parties involved. The Governors actions speak volumes, maybe more than he intended. He should be in every court proceeding, proclaiming his innocence. He should answer every reporters question, proclaiming his innocence.

Just my take ...

Quite a pair

A friend of about 40 years died this week. I have known his entire family most of my life. He was 42. I wrote this for his mom, in memory of him ...

Quite A Pair

It was a long time ago and yesterday,
you came into my life crying and cooing;
Eventually, you were toddling, holding my hand as you went
we made quite the pair;
One day, right on time and way too soon,
you let go of my hand and made it to the chair without falling;

Time passed, trikes gave way to bikes,
training wheels held you up and saved your knees;
That dreaded day came and the training wheels were gone,
my hand on the seat as you pedaled along;
I let go of that seat and watched you ride ,
filled with sadness and swelling with parents pride;

I let go of your hand the day you started school,
and watched you ride away on that big yellow bus;
I let go of your hand when you walked across that stage,
and someone gave significant paper and a handshake of congratulations;

I let go of your hand when you took the hand of your wife,
and I watched, as Mom's do, as you started a brand new life;

Today, I will let go of your hand one more time
and you will walk a walk you must take alone,
but ... before you go,
there is something you need to know

I really didn't let go the day you made it to the chair;
I still held the seat the day you circled the yard;
I held you all the way to school, in that big yellow bus;
I walked across that stage with you, hand in hand,
We made quite a pair;
I did watch you take her hand in yours, but mine remained there too;
Even today, as you walk the final walk, on the path you chose
I will not let go of your hand;

Someday, we may walk, hand in hand,
down a street of purest gold,
and the angels will stop and smile,
because, we make quite a pair.

Ron Simpson Jr.
June 7, 2006

In Memory
Ricky Blevins

Something different

The Assault

I thought it was a shallow pool, like a rain puddle
The sun would come up in the morning and chase it away
I had no idea it would overwhelm my life and change it forever
There was no clue that it would be this engulfing force

By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late
I was in its terribly powerful grasp
As much as I struggled, it was to no avail
I only entangled myself more in this bondage

Wave after wave inundated me
Invading my very core
Surrounding me at every port
Leaving me without an avenue of flight

Fear crushed me
Hope of release fled
I was trapped
Without chance of liberation

Slipping under
I marveled that this could happen to me
All my care was undone
All my caution unraveled

How could this be
How could this happen
How could I
How could I fall in love?

Ron Simpson Jr.
June 2, 2006

FRIDAY !!!!

I used to work for a contractor that killed all the excitement of Friday. We worked 6 days a week, so Friday wasn't the end of the work week, and we got paid on Thursday, so it wasn't payday. Talk about your downer. Anyway, it is the end of the work week for me, today, so YEAH !!

My hand is somewhat better. It is throbbing at the moment. I probably shouldn't be typing this, but if I weren't, I would be typing something else for work, so there would be typing either way. I am working on a course syllabus for each of the classes I teach to put into my Program Assessment Box. They have to be ready for inspection by Friday next. I have a class all next week and will not be here at the school to work on mine. I will be working some at home in the evenings to finish it up, but am trying to get as much done now as I can. (pain not withstanding)

I just printed Syllabus number one, three more to go, yipeeee.

I am still sleeping in the sitting position. Tammy abandoned the bed last night to sleep on the couch with me. She says she just can't sleep as well or at all if I am not in there. That is one of my superhero powers, I guess.

I have discovered an activity that the pain loves more than typing. That is driving. It hates driving. There is something about the position it has to be in and the vibration of driving that seems to aggravate it. The combination of the days work and the drive home make it flare way up.

BUT ... It is FRIDAY !!!!

I know, my pain does not know it is Friday, but I do.

The tests from the DR visit should be available on Monday. Then we will know if we are pursuing the proper treatment. I know it still hurts like a Raz-a-fraz-a-braz-a-racker when I try to write.

well, it is time to get back to the grindstone, and there is a random thought running around in my head, that might need attention sooner than later.

I might be back ...

The hand news

Well, I am off work today. I do not need to be driving.

Writing is difficult. It is weird. I can bend the two outside fingers all the way to the palm with no pain. I can bend the middle two fingers all the way to the palm with not pain. But, if I try to bend any three fingers, the pain is nearly unbearable. Tuesday, at work, I was addressing the envelop to send my assignment to Dr. D. I had the pen in my hand, holding it with my first finger and my thumb, and writing very sloppily. I twitched my middle finger and bent it in, instinctively. The PAIN shot to a 15. I broke out in a sweat. I almost threw up.

In 30 years of working construction, I cannot remember a pain that hurt as much. I still had to finish the address (which I did, painfully.) Then I had to drive home, picking Chris up along the way. I was in so much pain in my left hand, I couldn't even grab my seatbelt. When I picked Chris up, I had him hand me the seatbelt. I drove to Lex and met Tammy. We did the switch (Chris.) Then, I went home and took drugs. Eventually, the pain waned.

I went to my DR yesterday. She suspects that it is Gout. I never thought of that. The symptoms fit. She put me on several meds and told me to continue with the neurontin, if it works. So, here I am, not hurting as much (pain is at a 3 level now on a 1 to 10 scale with 10 being intolerable,) not stoned this time, and still sleeping on the couch because laying down makes it hurt more ('bout an 8.)

Doc put me on Methylprednisolone and Cephalexin. She sent me for X-rays.

I have a follow up appt next week.

Oh yeah, I can now bend three fingers at once.