B4 "The Break"

I've been doing my best to publish posts as often as possible over the last few weeks. I've currently have 3 posts I'm working on all at the same time. I've got ideas for a couple more that I want to share with you. But I'm afraid that those are going to have to wait. 

Once again I am going to be taking a bit of break.  

What I will be doing during that time will give me even more material for creating content for future posts. I'll be seeing places and visiting people I haven't seen in a long time.

But before the break, I want to share a few things from the last week or so. 

Last Thursday, while shopping at the Sam's Club I ran into someone I never expected to see in Bowling Green, comedian Rik Roberts. 

 Rik's been in the comedy business for over 20 years. He tours the country doing stand-up in clubs and motivational speaking engagements. 

He also runs the School of Laughs which features comedy writing and performance classes in Nashville and online. 

And if that's not enough he also puts out a bi-weekly School of Laughs podcast. You can find all about Rik and the many facets of his career on his website:  School of Laughs.com

The great thing about Rik is that he's really just a regular guy. A family man and a man of faith. We stood in the middle of Sam's Club talking about stand up comedy, family vacations, strange observations about Disney movies, and more. 

Thanks for hanging with me, Rik. Hopefully, one day we can sit and have an even longer conversation. 

There's a new Lego element in my home office. I already have a pencil holder like this one... 

...and some small Lego boxes...

 
...as part of my desk set up. A couple of weeks ago I added this. 

It's a perpetual calendar that can help me keep track of the date as I'm working at my computer or recording a Rewind program. 

In a couple of posts over the last couple of months, I've made it a point to show you the changes happening in the town where I live. 

Recently there's been indication of a change that is literally close to home. When I say "close" I mean right next door. 

In the lot that's just left of our house there are now wooden stakes with red flags on them.  

As the son of a surveyor, I know that these markers are indicators of property lines. 

I have learned that these are there because the landowner plans on building a house on this lot. This will be something new, and not necessarily, a welcome change for us.

We've always enjoyed having the open space next to us. It kind of gave us a sense of privacy. But what can you do? I'll keep you informed of just what's going on as this situation develops. 

The phrase "Just like Mom used to make" came into play for me this past weekend. At my request, my wife, made me a batch of blueberry muffins from a Jiffy mix. 

My mom used to make these for my dad, my sister, and me when I was a kid. I hadn't had them in decades. Eaten warm from the oven with some melted butter they brought back memories of my parents. They weren't the best muffins I've ever had but they were loaded with nostalgia. Thanks for the treat, Sweetheart. 

Last year at this time we were in the midst of converting one of the two rooms in the back of our house into Paula's office. This year we are working on the other room in preparation for making in our new bedroom. 

We've been using it for a storage room the last couple of years. So over the weekend we sorted through the boxes and moved all the furniture out so that it can be painted later this week. 

Just for reference purposes here's the "before" picture. The room still looks pretty cluttered but believe me, it's a lot better than it was. 

The empty closet in the background is a major accomplishment in and of itself. 

A lot of the stuff we sorted through made it's way to the Good Will store or other places. Some of it is stashed in other areas of the house. We will decide what to do with it some time in the near future. 

I will share the "after" look for this room once the painting project is complete. 

I forgot to mention this in the middle of last month but this little guy, my grandson, turned 9 month old on July 19. 

Now, not many people make a big deal when a child turns 9 months old but I do. I figure it's significant that he's "been out as long as he was in". But that's just me. 

Anyway, Gabriel is crawling now and starting to walk while holding on to furniture. Pretty soon, we'll have to put things up so he can't reach them when he comes to visit. Based on my experience that means putting it up twice at high as we think he can reach. 

Last but not least comes a milestone that seems to have come out of nowhere but was bound to happen. 

My grand daughter, who has been my little sweetheart for the last 5 years started school this week. 

I talked to her through a video chat, on the morning of her first day. She seemed excited and a bit anxious at the same time. That's one thing I love about her. She's always anxious to experience new things. 

A year and a half ago in a post on my Goofy Guy blog I described the feelings I experienced when I saw Aria in the Magic Kingdom for the first time as: "an overwhelming emotional appreciation of a special moment." On the morning of August 9, I had that same feeling but doubled. 

I look forward to sharing the things she discovers with her. But I can't help but realize how fast time passes when you're not looking. 

There you have a few of the things I wanted to share with you before the break. Keep watching my Facebook feed or check back here for more posts in the near future. I promise it'll be worth it.