The Journey beetle is always cool

The backdrop to their entire stage was an LCD screen so they could make it look however they wanted.

Julie and I got to enjoy her Christmas present!

We saw a Journey concert in Cincinnati last weekend.  Lots of old people… hahahaha.

I guess you needed an ammo box sticker update too…?!

I rolled my trailer over my wheel chuck block…

…and buried it in the ground!

I found this old shadow box Julie made.

Her mom fond the things to put in it.  

Pebbles finally likes me?

I was helping Johnny and Savannah sort through some of the leftover Kubina stuff in their basement last weekend.  When I showed up, May was happy to get lots of pets.  Pebbles realized there might be a good reason to warm up to me and ended up letting me pet her too!  She figured out I wasn’t so bad and hung around without complaining for the rest of the weekend. :) 

Zoe always wants in on the hugs!

It’s cute that whenever Jewels and I take a hug break, that Zoe wants in on it…❣️

My next book

I found this book on Gustav Eiffel’s life in my grandpa’s collection and decided to read it finally.  I had pulled it out back when we were cleaning out my mom’s storage center once we finished the work getting Steve and Janice settled in Waynesville. Since I had been up in the Eiffel tower with Julie in 2000, I found it interesting.  He designed many bridges over the years prior to the tower.  Some of the longer ones are pictured here in the center of the book.  

You might want to see my Jeep’s outside stickers too?

Finished?

I’d been wanting to try organizing the back of my Jeep a little better.  It was too hard to get to my tools, winch extensions, impact sockets, fluids, and kinetic lines.  Plus the bags I had on the top layer would flop around too much even though they were tied down.  So I bought one more packout box (labeled grinders in this pic), reused my old “ammo crate” style boxes from my first Jeep (labeled winch line and kinetic), and everything fell into place nicely.  On the fluids box, I ground away some of the packout engement to make it easier to get the impact sockets out without removing the kinetic box.  I may try doing the same for the grinder box?  This lets me have the maximum visibility out the rear window too.

A place for everything and everything in its place. 

Cool winning graphics!

The Dragon’s stole home plate with the bases loaded for the win in the bottom of the ninth. It was going into extra innings otherwise. Two outs and a full count no less. Exciting!

Nice night for a Dragon’s game.

It was family night with church so we dragged John and Savannah along with us.  It’s fun to sit in the shadow of the buildings where dad started his Delco career 60 years ago.  

I think it’s time for a sticker update…

I guess you can call my Jeep, table, and office doos my sticker book or my junk journal?! Here’s how they look currently.  It’s fun to think about the memories, locations, and fun associated with each of them. There are even some that remind me not to do “THAT” again, hahahaha.

These don’t include outside of the Jeep, or my ammo boxes, water bottles, clipboards, folders, etc… 

It’s not just about the watches…

As I look at my shelf here, I see so much that gives me great memories and inspires me to continue the efforts for my family, our relationships, prayers, etc.  It’s really too much to process sometimes when I count the blessings of my ancestors, my parents, my wife, my kids, and the fruits of my labors. It’s a privilege to have them all, and I pray I can continue to provide for and enjoy them for years to come.  I also pray for them as I rotate through my list each week as I go about my days.

As I consider how my watch collection has settled out, it reminds me of so much.  My grandfather’s watch on the far left.  I remember him showing me how to use the slide rule on it, him flying with it, teaching me to turn wood while he wore it, etc.  On the far right, my retirement watch and realizing it’s basically the same watch acquired at about the same age as my grandfather.  In between I have my fathers, my work anniversary one, and much more that each has special meaning.  I recently reacquired the watch my dad was last wearing before he died too (that I bought for him).  It will be on the shelf soon too.

But it goes further than that.  I’m so blessed with my wife who loves me for much, who I love so much, our deep friendship over so many years, and the life we share together (Cyclones memorabilia).  Andy’s handiwork burning his name in the wood and all the stickers representing all the time spent with my boys.  The construction bucket, WD-40, and picture of my dad bringing me home when I was born representing all the time we spent together and all he taught me!  The pictures of my ansestors reminding me where I came from and my Christian heritage I’m so thankful for❣️There’s more including the camera representing my engineering career.

Thank you Lord!!

It’s fun to see the things the kids left behind…

This is the door to what was Andy’s room which was my room growing up, and is now my office.  If I remember right, this was part of the “wrapping” of one of Isaac’s presents back when they were pranking each other.  Of course, there’s a couple ninja figures involved too.  Don’t mess with duct tape, it’s serious business.  It’s been holding that sign up for more than a decade! 🤪