man, i hope we sing god bless america at church on sunday
(that, or maybe a hymn about jesus)


it just hit me that this coming sunday, the first of the month would probably be part communion, part god bless the usa. that's too bad. moving on.

last year, on the 4th of july, i took a look at where i was standing with regard to my new year's resolutions. in the spirit of tradition and the personal inventory that i spoke of last sunday, i'll do it again today. let's rewind and review...

1) start getting right with god - well, hmm. i don't know if i've made much progress with this. i am still half-way involved with church. i attend worship, reluctantly, every sunday i am not working. when our sunday school gathers on those sundays, i'll say some words. i can definitely lay claim to re-entering the worlds of children's musicals and vacation bible school. those are very much pros. the cons? i still have a pretty negative taste in my mouth about my church. not about god, necessarily, just about his place within our walls. that shouldn't really affect how i feel about my own personal relationship, but it does. so...i still have work to do with this one. but i feel like i am headed in the right, pun intended, direction.

2) don't give up on huffman (the community, not necessarily my church) - done. i hesitated. i truly did. five days after i wrote the resolution post, i had an ak-47 pressed against my face. very scary stuff. my assistant manager walked away. and i wanted to follow him. as time was put between the fourth and last (knocking on wood) robbery, i get the feeling that i wanted to follow him to make sure he was ok. not really to follow him away from that place where we didn't feel safe for a time. whether it's healthy or not, i don't feel scared when i go to work. that's a good thing. huffman has it quirks, but it's my huffman, you know? i feel good about this one moving on through the end of the year.

3) don't get fat - so far, so good. i went on one of my patented "let's throw up everything inside of me twice" diets the night of hannah's church musical. as long as that happens once again in the next six months, i am gold.

4) drive fast and safe to the emergency room when it's time - this one was in reference to the inevitability of this being the year hannah would break her first bone. it's been unnecessary so far (knocking on wood again).

5) eat more ribs - wow. what an absolute failure this has been so far. my goal was for one meat-a-thon per month. that has not happened. not even close. i would have to go twice a month for the rest of the year. i can go ahead and chalk this one up as a loss unless a dreamland opens up on chalkville mountain in the next two months.

6) don't throw up - failed. see number three.

7) go to the iron bowl - still too early to call. i don't have tickets in hand. but if alabama opens up their season 4-7, i could fall into some.

8) don't start smoking - this was to be my gimme to raise morale in times of trial. i haven't had to play that card yet, but it's good to know i already have one vote to cancel out the whole ribs fiasco.

9) make christmas less "busy" - i can assure you that this is going to be a stone-cold lock. i think hannah is old enough to understand that her party can be held on a day not christmas. i think it will make her 5th birthday feel that much more special anyway.

10) see brian again - done. already. i didn't even have to take a trip to sunny florida. although, i wish that we could. maybe soon, though, if he doesn't kill himself on his new motorcycle. here i am, bragging on him with every other breath and what does he go and do? buys a freaking crotch-rocket. just because you've lived enough life to have a mid-life crisis does not erase the fact that you are only 27, dude! please don't kill yourself. what? do i sound like my mom?

11) close this chapter as it relates to my father - i was never as close to that closure that i was looking for back in january as i was this past wednesday. and then? andy's dad had to go and have a heart attack. thanks, mr. rickles! obviously, i am a douchebag and i am only kidding, but were it not for the perspective and reflection that andy's dad's worst day lent me, i might have closed the book around lunchtime. still tracking this one, but something will happen well before the end of the year.

5 "yea's", 2 "nays", and 4 still up in the air.

i do feel good that the first six months of the year haven't totally flown by. dates and things sneak up on me, but i don't feel like i am losing time, which i tell myself is because i am not so wishing for my next big thing to do that i am missing out on what's right in front of me.

here's hoping that continues the rest of the year.

and remember, when you are singing that ole' standard, "the us kicks everyone else's ass" (it's a favorite in our house), in church on sunday...

god bless(es) everyone.