Love/Hate Relationship

I love technology. I hate when it doesn't work! I love technology, but I am far from tech smart.
I'm not even sure how to customize this blog, so I just use the template and add a few photos from time to time. I've seen blogs with great graphics and wonderful backgrounds, but I can only view from a far with envy. I am graphic oriented, I just don't know how to do this in a blog.
Anyway, back to the real reason for this post.
I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Decatur Alabama on a business trip. I flew into Birmingham, got my rental car, hooked up my laptop with Streets & Trips and GPS unit. The GPS didn't work. Did I mention that I hate when technology doesn't work? The computer wouldn't recognize the com port that the GPS was connected to, so I was relegated to actually looking up information on a paper map. I hate it when that happens. I guess I should be troubleshooting the problem instead of posting this mini-rant, but what fun is in that? Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Thursday Thirteen No. 6

Thirteen Things I Am Thankful For 1. I am thankful for the God of all creation who loved me enough to provide a plan for my salvation that I might spend an eternity in a place that that He has prepared for me. 2. My parents who loved me, gave me a strong set of values and set wonderful examples of what a husband, father, and man of God should be and how he should relate to the world around him. They were married for 60 years before Mom passed away in 2003. Their marriage still stands as an example of what love and commitment is all about. 3. My wife without whom I would be nothing. My appreciation for her love and support over the 33 years we have been married cannot be adequately put into words. 4. Our daughter and Son-in-Law with whom we share many wonderful experiences. They have given us four of the greatest grand kids on the planet. 5. The grand kids who are a special blessing and a gift of God. They bring joy to everything. 6. My church which provides me with a source of spiritual renewal and refreshment each week. It provide me with the opportunity to share God's word with other believers and and equips me to share His love with those who do not know Him and need Him as much as I do. My church has provided me with my closest friends in this world. 7. My job. God has given me the privilege of doing something that I dearly love, architecture. 8. Living in the greatest country on planet earth. For all of it's problems, this is the most blessed and best place to live. 9. My good health and the good health of my family. I have several friends that are not doing well. One of them will probably not be with us this time next year. 10. The Bible. I am thankful that God has provided me with a guide book for life. If you want a little wisdom, read a chapter a day of Proverbs. If you want to know how to relate to one another, read Matthew 5, 6, & 7, the Sermon on the Mount. If you want to know how much God loves you, read the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 11. My home. I am humbled that God allows me to live as well as I do. I have done nothing to deserve the privilege of living like this. 12. Creation. Every time I take a walk in the woods, go fishing in a stream, or watch the colors change in the fall or life renewed in the spring I am constantly amazed by God's creation. All you have to do is watch a couple of episodes of Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel to realize none of this stuff just happened and then evolved into what it is now. It was designed and created by a God so awesome that no one will ever understand it all. 13. I am thankful for those of you who do stop by this blog occasionally to read the thoughts of someone traveling through this world just like you. May the God of all Creation give you a day richly blessed with family and friends. May He fill your life journey with as many reminders of His presence and His love for you as He has mine. Happy Thanksgiving and may God Bless!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Things That Make You Go H-m-m-m-m

Why do you bother to sterilize the needle you use for a lethal injection?

If you choke a Smurf, what color do they turn?

H-m-m-m.

Happy Birthday to Me

Tuesday, November 20th is my birthday. While I'm not that excited about turning 61, it does give me an excuse to buy myself a present. A week ago I bought a set of Bose Companion 3 Speakers on Ebay for my computer. They arrived today. HOLY COW BATMAN, these things are incredible. Boy, did I do good or what?

I can't wait to see what I'm going to get me for Christmas.

It's Chili Weather

I like chili almost anytime of year, but when the weather turns crisp in the fall, the chili is better than ever. I like mine a little on the spicy side and I have a recipe that is great. As a matter of fact, I have entered friendly cook-offs at the church, office, and among friends and this recipe has never been beaten. Here it is, but remember, you have been warned, it is on the spicy side.

Rollin’ Thunder Chili – Base Recipe

4lbs stew meat
2 cans Ro-tel chunky tomatoes & green chilies
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 large cans tomato sauce
2 packages Williams chili seasoning
2 fresh jalapeno peppers diced. (Remove seeds)
1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 medium-large white onion chopped
2 pablano peppers, chopped (may substitute green bell peppers)
8 oz Worcestershire Sauce
Garlic salt
1 can red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans

Cut stew meat into bite size pieces.
Place in large backing dish.
Pour Worcestershire sauce for marinade
Add garlic salt to taste and one package of chili seasoning to meat.
Marinate 4 hours to overnight.
Brown meat and ½ of onion in skillet
Place meat in crock pot
Add other ingredients and cook until done (1 1/2 -2hours)
Add beans & jalapenos during last ½ hour

If you can find either Durkees "Six Pepper" spice or Tones "Southwest Chipolte" spice, you can add either of those to the marinade section.
One last note, cut everything chunky style. My motto is "If it ain't chunky, it ain't chili."

Enjoy!!!

Happy Birthday Oklahoma!!!

Our first State Flag. 1911-1924



Friday, November 16 is the 100th birthday of my home state, Oklahoma. Oklahoma is the birthplace of Will Rogers, Garth Brooks, and me. They picked entertainment, I picked architecture. I guess we know where fame and fortune really lies.
Prior to statehood, Oklahoma was known as Indian Territory because the government used it to relocate Native American Indians onto reservations. As a result, 39 different tribes are still represented in the state although, most people are familiar only with those known as the Five Civilized Tribes, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole. It was also the location of one of the early century oil booms. Tulsa became home to so many oil companies that it was known as the oil capitol of the world. That title moved to Houston because of offshore drilling, and now title now probably resides somewhere in the mid-east.
While I was born in Henryetta, I grew up in Tulsa and still consider it my home even though I haven't actually lived there since 1984. It was a great place to live as a child. I was ten years old when the state celebrated its semi-centennial. Tulsa buried a time capsule, including a 1957 Plymouth Fury in a concrete vault. Earlier this year the vault was unearthed to discover that time had not been kind to the car.
Water had leaked into the vault and turned the automobile into a rusted hulk. Maybe next time they'll just rent a climate controlled storage unit.
At any rate, it's a great state, with some great people and a great heritage.
Happy Birthday Oklahoma!

Thursday Thirteen No. 5

My Thirteen Favorite TV Sitcoms of All Time A few weeks ago I offered up my 13 favorite comedians. Since I am always up for a good laugh, today I give you (in no particular order) my 13 favorite sitcoms. Every sitcom today seems to have one premise...sex. Everyone one of these had something different to sell and they did it better than anybody. 1…. All In The Family. Carrol O'Conner starred as Archie Bunker in this groundbreaking comedy series. 2. WKRP In Cincinnati. This might be my favorite. There was magic chemistry among this cast. From Johnny "Dr. Fever" Caravella, to Mr. "Big Guy" Carlson and Les Nessman, this cast of characters was unique. 3. M-A-S-H. Based on the movie of the same name, this comedy respected the horror of war and brought humor to the everyday life of the soldiers in the M.A.S.H. unit. 4. The Cosby Show. Bill Cosby has always been at the cutting edge of television. As the first African American actor/comedian to land a starring/co-starring role in the TV series I Spy he was spectacular. The Cosby show brought us an African American family that was upper class, inner city, and smart comedy. The parents were in charge, they were smarter than the kids, and they gave us some good lessons about parenting in a humorus venue. 5. Newhart. Bob Newhart had several hits but the setting of he and his wife running a struggling bed and breakfast was great. It gave us the memorable brothers, Larry, Darrell, and Darrell. 6. Cheers. I don't think I need to say much more here. Norm and Cliff were my favorites. 7. Fraiser. Perhaps the most successful spin-off in the history of television. 8. The Carol Burnett Show. While not a sit com, it is still among my favoites. 9. Taxi. As you can probably tell by now, I like unique characters and this show had them. Jim was just the best. 10. Lavern and Shirley. This is probably the closest thing to I Love Lucy ever made. 11. The Andy Griffith Show. Everybody wants to live in Mayberry. 12. The Dick Van Dyke Show. Van Dyke brought a unique combination of humor and slap-stick to the television each week. 13. Happy Days. "The Fonz", enough said. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants