Does it have to mean something?

Soo,

I am probably overthinking this one a bit. Help me out here. I've become a little more reflective lately. This is a good thing (I think) as I have usually been the kind of person who doesn't notice much - really. There was a time in the notso distant past when I didn't realize my wife had cut and colored her hair for at least two days. I just knew she looked really great - I didn't think about how or why. So, yeah.... where was I? Back to overthinking things.

Speakiing of haircuts - I got a really bad one on Friday. I actually had to get scissors out and even things up around my ears when I got home. I then proceeded to get out my beard trimmer and accidently hacked a huge swath of fur out of my goatee! Yep. For those who know me - I have only shaved this thing twice in the last 12 1/2 years - for work both times. I started growing it while at Fuller Seminary the day my son Bryce was born (3/12/96). Not only do I feel naked without it - but now I'm reflecting on why I have worn it for so long. Woe is me! Now for the reflecting and possible overthinking part. Here goes...

• Why did I grow it in the first place? Am I hiding something? (except for a very pronounced set of jowls and a swell cleft in my chin?


• Do I grow it back, or go naked for awhile? (Actually, according to Beth - I think its coming back - real soon!)

The point of all of this - (Yes Virginia, there is a point here). I don't ever want to do something even as minor as growing facial hair, unless I am willing to do some self-examination in the process. Here's some of what I mean.:

• How important is style to me? I don't want to get caught up in being "stylish" or trendy for trendy's sake.


• Neither do I want to let myself go to the point where I don't care. I think both extremes are a bad testimony. I usually err on the side of letting myself go a bit.


• Also, the question of whether I am hiding something, or rather - hiding from something is a valid one. Do I somehow feel more comfortable with a little bit of fur between me and the rest of the world? Why?

Maybe this is a bit overanalytical (probably so), but I think it is healthy to do some self-examination once in awhile. So, I've been asking myself these questions - and pondering. Maybe there's something to it.....the goatee. Maybe I grew it as a statement of rebellion - or wanting to hide, or feeling the need for a barrier or cushion between myself and the rest of the cold, prickly world.

Or, maybe (most importantly), it could just be that my wife likes it. (She does!)

Update...

Soooo, I am not going to weigh in on politics until I feel the need. I can hear the collective sigh of relief from all two faithful readers...

Here's a sample of what's happening in our little world:

Mom's Birthday - November 4th - Happy Birthday Ma! (Yes, I did call) You don't look a day over 90... We Party Tonight!

Austin (my youngest) won the part of Edmond in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which will be performed lat Winter 2009 for the Jacksonville Theater Guild. Pretty Cool!

Hunting News - Last weekend I went out with my buddy Mike K. to see if we could burn a little powder and bring home some small game. We were looking for rabbits and upland game birds. Not much luck - but he wanted to get some squirrels while we were at it. I shot one squirrel, he got a quail. Being the generous fellow that he is, he let me keep both (thanks a lot!).

My mom always told us - "If you shoot it, you eat it." So, ...... I did. I must say - the quail was no problem - love it, love it, love it! I was reluctant about the squirrel - but it was pretty good. Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid to cook rabbit, and I've eaten a lot of other game, I was just a little iffy at first. But, it was really pretty good. I'm not eager to go out and get more any time soon - but it was really quite moist, pleasant and tasty. The cliche rings true - tastes like chicken! I have noticed one thing though... my tail seems to twitch now when I hear loud noises and I've been craving peanut butter.

Chilly fall evening fun...

Soo, I went fishing with my friend Mike K. this evening. I caught 1 small bluegill - he hauled in about 5 other bluegill and a couple of good sized crappie. Here's a pic of the largest crappie (about 10 in +) and a nice bluegill for your enjoyment.

Happy 4th!!!!!!!!

Soo, today we once again celebrate our freedom from the tyranny of British rule. Many people will go to the beach, the lake, and have backyard BBQ's.

Today, we grilled out at my son Darian's place - his treat. We were joined by his "friend" Rachel and her parents. Had a great time - and the burgers weren't bad either.

Also - very important news here - I made home-made Ice Cream with my new-found trusty "old" Home-made Ice Cream Maker - strawberry to be precise. It was just de-lish.

In other news: Joey Chestnut held onto the Nathan's hot dog eating contest title defeating Kobayashi in overtime! Every year they do this big contest at Nathan's at Coney Island N.Y. The "athletes" compete for the coveted Yellow Mustard Belt. Kobayashi had won for 6 years straight. Read my take on the whole thing from last year's post here.

What a great country we live in.

God sometimes speaks to me in wierd ways...

So, I did some chores around the house today. There was one biggie that had been sneaking up on me for quite some time. In my younger two sons’ room we have been having issues with an old dresser. I have “repaired” it twice before and swore that we would replace it. Didn’t happen, probly won’t any time soon. So, I “fixed” it again today. What struck me was this. The thing is made of cheap pressboard - completely of sawdust and Elmer’s glue. It also has some “snazzy” woodgrain paper glued to it on the outside. This thing probably cost us 10 bucks at a yard sale – maybe $65- new. I can’t even remember when or where we got it – but it was falling apart again. I got out my manly tack-hammer, and drill and went to work – yet again. Dad to the rescue!

I don’t know how God speaks to you, but this event really struck my heart. First, we’ve been married for 18 going on 19 years and much of our “fine” furniture is nothing but pressboard – sawdust covered in paper – pretending to be something made of “real” wood. Even now as I type this, I am sitting in front of a “lovely” – broken – pressboard computer desk with peeling wood-grain paper veneer. It sits next to some equally “lovely” pressboard bookshelves that I also recently fixed because they were sagging under the weight of our books. Not all of our furniture is cheap and fake, but enough that I sometimes get a little self-conscious about it. (Sigh.) Alas, some things just aren’t important – but they do illustrate the point.

Then I got to thinking further,….hmmmm…. how much of my life is made up of pressboard? How many of my relationships go no deeper than the thin fake veneer on my kids’ dresser? How much effort, do I spend “pretending” to be something that I’m not? If I look under the surface – beneath the notso-pretty wood-grain paper, what would I see? I am afraid some things in my life have been nothing more than sawdust and glue pretending to be something substantial.

Hopefully, this is more than just food for thought. I suddenly feel really convicted about some things….. Bye for now!

Thoughts on Hunting....sort of...

Deer Hunting Season is upon us...sigh....


To make a long story short (my story) I failed to bring home a corpse dilecti (so far) I might go out yet again go tomorrow afternoon. I saw three does walking together yesterday - total. I took a shot at the middle one. I missed, (of course) and judging from the pain in my right bicep I'd say it was because I didn't shoulder my gun solid enough and it moved when I swung to aim at the doe. Otherwise, it was just way to windy yesterday - nothing was moving.


I went out this morning (later than I should have - 7:00am) and saw two does as I walked in. Then I saw a really nice buck who just wouldn't cooperate and went the wrong way. I saw him again a bit later - still uncooperative. I also refrained from shooting a small buck - just way too little - he was begging to be shot - just 10 yards from me - going back and forth - just beggin' - I don't even think he saw me! He must have smelled a doe or something and finally took off.


Then, I saw what turned out to be a couple of poachers on my friends' land. I saw some movement, then I heard a little kid, then I saw this guy who must be a complete bonehead (might have been the kids' dad). He was wearing a blue sweatshirt, smoking a cigarette and walking with his gun in one hand like a loaf of bread. NO ORANGE! I couldn't believe it. I had to get out of my position to make sure they saw me - I didn't want to get shot! Who knows what could have happened if we hadn't seen each other. They turned and walked back the way they came - I don't think they wanted to talk to me - they knew they didn't belong. My friend (who owns the land) was pretty mad about it when I told him. What kind of guy goes out with a gun during hunting season - brings a little kid (2 -4 yrs old) - smokes a cigarette, wanders onto someone elses land and doesn't wear ORANGE!!!! That's what happens when cousins marry I guess. The thing is, that little kid was learning to do the same thing. Great example, pops!


Which brings me to another point - What's with the camouflage trucks?!?!?!?!? Are you gonna drive your truck into your tree-stand partner?














As you can see, my attitude may need a little adjusting. Bye for now.

Still More Manliness!

Hi Y'all!



Well, I just did something that, I must admit - is very unusual, not to mention really, really rare. So rare in fact that I called all my kids over just to witness this rare event. I actually used duct tape to tape ducts. Oh yes, my friends, I did! I know you probably find it hard to believe, but I even have photographic proof: Viola!


Duct tape as we all know is very useful for many things. Just as a "fabric substitute" alone you can find a million and one uses. I know a young man who went to prom in an indestructable duct-tape tuxedo! I also own a few wallets made of the stuff, and I even had a friend make me a most wonderful pair of duct-tape slippers. You can also do a lot of other things with it. But what was it actually meant to do? Just look at the picture above. Pretty neat huh?????



So, the next time you find yourself "fixing" a window, re-attaching a bumper to your truck, mending a broken vase, or "repairing" an old pair of jeans - just remember that your old pal Steve Oberg actually taped ducts with this most magical of all household items. You witnessed it here!

Here's to a busy "Holiday" weekend...

Have you ever noticed how time flies when..... oh, never mind.

Had a somewhat busy weekend - largely at home.

Friday was spent running around town- literally - took one of my sons to the doctor (twice) - (Don't worry grandma, he's fine - just bumped his knee at football practice - now wearing a brace as a precaution.)

Saturday - Spent doing chores - lots of 'em!

Sunday - Church, more chores, (whew!) then a rather 'impromptu' good old-fashioned weenie roast in our own dinky little "illegal" firepit. (It's a no-no since we live within city limits - it's more of a gray area).

Monday - Had breakfast with my big brother, I went fishing with him and our good friend Mike. We caught 16 catfish between us (I had only 4 personally - Carl had three, Mike took care of the rest, as usual.) Four of them were in the 19+ inch range! (Sorry, no pics)

We also snagged a few turtles - me and Carl caught the same one at different times. I also got a really great-lookin' lobster-tan. (Sunburn)

On the way home we picked elderberries by the roadside. I spent and hour and a half (with my youngest son Austin's help - washing them and taking them off of the stems. (Only half done so far - whew!) Not sure what to do with them. I've heard you can make really great dessert wine or cordials with them. Perhaps some jelly. Who knows? (I'm sure Martha Stewart could help;)

That's it for now - I'm sure you've all been missing my little fishing updates - hope this tides you over for awhile.

Fun O' Th' 4th

Patriotism notwithstanding (please see previous post if you doubt me...) I sometimes chuckle when I think about all the fuss over July 4th. (Well, it is special in the sense that it does only come once a year.) Here is a brief history lesson:





July 4th 1776 - our nation signed and adopted a Declaration of Independence - which paved the way to our Revolutionary war with England. In that document we set forth our desire to become independent from British rule. Now, each year on July 4th we "celebrate" this defiant, patriotic act by: Getting drunk, Watching sports, Going to the beach/lake/pool and laying around in a nearly nude state, lighting explosivees on fire, BBQ-ing some sort of dead animal (that one's my favorite), or All the above.





Now, given the fact that A. we're not big drinkers & 2. Nobody wants to see me lying around a beach/lake/pool in a half-naked state I chose to go fishing instead. (We'll be at a BBQ later this evening - lighting explosives of course, & doing our part to celebrate freedom from British rule.)





Below is a sample of what I caught today. (The one that got away.)









Yes, it really was about that big. Oh well.



Speaking of July 4th traditions - I just read here that Joey Chestnut just defeated Takeru Kobayashi in the annual Coney Island Nathans Hot Dog eating contest. 66 dogs in 12 minutes! A new world record. He beat his own world record 59 1/2 (yes they count halves!) he set just two weeks ago at the qualifying event in San Diego. There was a lot of angst going into this year's competition - Kobayashi apparently had been suffering from a bad wisdom tooth and an arthritic condition in his jaw. However, the American (Chestnut) now holds the crown, er' the Yellow mustard belt! I was rooting for Chestnut last year when he narrowly lost by less than two dogs. This year, Kobayashi had a small reversal at the end of the competition (barf!) which reduced his final tally by even more! This is a photo of him celebrating after last year's victory. What gets me is not the gluttony of it all - yes it is a bit unsettling to watch! Rather, that this is considered a genuine sport. They really are athletes and judging from the appearance of the competitors - it isn't a "big-man's" sport anymore - look at the abs on that guy! The girl behind him in the picture is called "The Black Widow" she weighs less than 100 lbs. and gives all the guys a run for their money (depending on what kind of food they are competing with.) This is serious business - with serious money at stake apparently. Crazy isn't it? Heckuva way to make a living if you ask me.

Happy 4th everyone!

Manly-Man Pre-Father's Day Manliness...

So, Carl (My Big Brother) came by to brag about the fishies he caught with his family today. I gladly helped clean 'em.

He did pretty well I'd say - check this bad boy out - pretty big (Yes, I mean the fish!) It measured in at 16+ (they have to be 15+ if taken from Lake Jacksonville).


Honestly, we rarely catch one that is legal - and when we do, we often throw them back.

Should be good eatin'.

Fishing Fun!

Just a quick note - went catfishing with my son Cameron & good buddy Mike K. Cameron & I both got skunked. Mike (of course) caught 2. They just weren't really biting like usual. Last time we went to the same pond we had 20+ fish between three guys in about two hours.

Mike gave 'em to me, cause he's somewhat retired, gets to fish all the time, and had no more room in his freezer. I gladly accepted and just got through cleaning them. Here's a pic of what your average central Illinois farm pond channel cat looks like just before excecution.










He was just over 19in. I didn't weigh him. - yes, he's average - to somewhat small for that pond.

I have personally pulled out fish from that pond that wouldn't fit head to tail in my sink - head out one side, tail out the other - no lie! I had heard about such things from people who fished the California Aquaduct - never saw it personally though.

Well, enough braggin for one night. More to resume tomorrow.

Father -Son Time...

So, I went fishing today with my youngest son, Austin. Our church had a father-son fishing thingy with the Royal Rangers. Some nice folks at our church have a little (4-acre) pond/lake that they open up from time to time. We ended it with a gool ol' fashioned fish fry. (Stuffed myself I did!)

There were about 20 or so boys and a bunch of dads and other guys from the church. Me and Austin befriended another boy who was there solo. I spent much of the day untangling, re-tying and baiting, re-baiting, showing how to bait, giving casting lessons - you know what I mean. All-in-all we had a pretty cool time though.





Here is an un-doctored pic of a really nice Red-ear (blue-gill hybrid) I hooked today. No, they aren't normally that big - this one looks to be slightly more than 9 inches (my hand is 8in. +). This one was much thicker than my hand too. Normally a "big one" is about 6 - 8 Inches.

Not that catching a blue-gill is such a great feat - we usually throw 'em back - but just wanted to show people (especially in Cali.) that yes, the rumors are true about farm ponds out here! You probably won't catch anything like this at Apollo Park (wink wink). Just wait till I go catfishing next week!

Thoughts on being manly....

So, I spent the afternoon (and a good chunk of the evening) monkeying around with plumbing. Yeah, that's right - plumbing. Well, it wasn't actually "plumbing" - it was more like "plumbing lite."

See, the idea of "plumbing" for me anyway conjures up mental images of large pipe wrenches, blowtorches and large long dirt trenches. I think of myself all sweaty, wearing a hard had and wiping the dirty sweat off my brow with a pair of leather palmed gloves. Yeah - that's man's work!

Cut to reality. Tonight, I did "plumbing lite" - We got a new fridge with an ice maker and I got to install 1/4" OD copper from the basement to our kitchen -about 8 feet worth. Problem was I couldn't get the @#$@$#$ fitting to stop leaking!!!!!!!

We took a trip to the hardware store for a soft line from the floor fitting to the fridge - and I took another trip for a couple of other neat doo-dads. If I were a "real" man I s'pose I'd know what they were. After the third (or fourth) try - it held.

Maybe we'll be able to enjoy the fruit of my manly labors as soon as the ice decides to freeze. I'm holding my breath on the fitting not leaking over nite.

Sure feels good to be a man!