Here’s an update on my incredibly interesting life…..

It really cooled off here on Friday, at least for Florida. It was like being inside a freezer at work all day, so when I got home and got ready to go for a walk Friday night, I bundled up with a long sleeved shirt, flannel shirt over that and then an insulated wool shirt over that, completed with wool ski cap and winter gloves. OK, I know I’m a major wimp—I never liked cold weather in Ohio and now that I’m used to Florida weather, I’m an even bigger wimp. Tracy was all over me about my clothes, laughing and making fun of me. Then, three-quarters of the way through our 40-minute walk, she said I had the right idea because her ears were hurting and cold and her hands were cold. I guess that means we’re both wimps!

Much nicer day weather-wise Saturday. I went and washed the car Saturday morning, went to the store, then came home and went to work, 3:30-midnight.

Had yesterday off, got a lot of errands done. Tracy and I went out to eat with Dan and Renee at Golden Corral (since it's Florida, I refer to it as Golden Coral). It was her birthday gift to us. We had a real nice time. Good food and pleasant conversation. We're going over to her place for Thanksgiving; that's always a really nice time too.

Gotta go, time to leave for work!

Well, my 4-day weekend is over and it's back to work today. It was great to have the time away from the everyday grind for several days.

Went to the early service at church yesterday; it's a more traditional service but it was really nice. We'll probably start going to that service from now on. With the snowbirds being back, the morning service was packed; there was hardly anywhere for us to sit when we got there.

Here's a meerkat from our recent trip to the Lowry Park Zoo.

Have a good day!

Went to the new car show Thursday in Tampa--it was excellent! Tracy had her EGD Friday; doctor said he didn't find anything major and still doesn't know what is causing her nausea and sweats.

Tracy lost 4 more pounds last week; I stayed the same. Time for me to get back on the horse, stick to my diet and lose some more weight.

IT'S STRANGE ISN'T IT

Isn't it strange how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Isn't it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short they seem when you're watching a good movie?

Isn't it strange that you can't find ! a word to say when you're praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel or ZANE GREY book?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?

Isn't it strange how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events in the last minute?

Isn't it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?

Isn't it strange how we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say, but we question the words in the Bible?

IT'S STRANGE ISN'T IT?

Randy bought a new car!

Well, OK, only in my dreams! However, I am going to the Motor Trend New Car Show in Tampa today, and once I come back, I'll probably have the hankerin' for a new car. "Over my dead body" says Tracy. So I guess that means no new vehicle!

Here's some tidbits from Charles Stanley....

Colossians. 2:9-15:
Once we are saved, we no longer have a sin nature, but instead we have God’s nature within us. However, sometimes we still sin because we still have a human body, which sometimes can lead us into sin. The message of scripture is that we are a new person once we accept God’s grace.

Ephesians 2:1-11
3 types of death:
1. Physical
2 Spiritual
3. Eternal
Verses 1-3 show God’s viewpoint of sinners. Lost people are walking dead people. A person who is spiritually alive is more alive than one who is spiritually dead. Those who are spiritually dead do not understand spiritual things.
Only god’s grace & love can save us. We must respond to this great love and mercy.

Have a blessed day!

The Mole Family

The Mole Family

A papa mole, a mama mole, and a baby mole all live together in a little mole hole.

One day, papa mole sticks his head out of the hole, sniffs the air and said, "Yum! I smell maple syrup!"

The mama mole sticks her head out of the hole, sniffs the air and said, "Oh, Yum! I smell honey!"

Now baby mole is trying to stick his head out of the hole to sniff the air, but can't because the bigger moles are in the way. This makes him whine, "Geez, all I can smell is....

MOLASSES!

The Eagle Has Landed!

A pic from our recent trip to Lowry Park zoo.

Everything back to normal as the Hartley family starts another week. Rick did outstanding with his surgery. His mouth is still a bit sore....but duh....he did have 6 teeth pulled and one of them required stitches because the surgeon had to go down to the bone to get the sucker out!

I'm off Thursday and Friday this week--it's needed. I plan to go to a car show Thursday in Tampa, then have to take Tracy for an upper GI scope on Friday.

Above is a picture we took from our recent visit to the Lowry Park zoo. What does it have to do with anything in this post? Absolutely nothing!

Rick is doing better today following his oral surgery. His mouth was still bleeding yesterday and the dentist said to pack the affected areas with teabags. So I went and bought some raspberry flavored herb tea. Bleeding seems to have pretty much stopped today; the dentist said there may be some bleeding for up to 48 hrs after the surgery. Rick also got really sick last night; I think it was from the pain medication he'd been taking. He stopped taking it after he got sick and seems much better this morning.

Tracy's weekly weigh-in went well--another 2.4 pounds lost, now up to 75 pounds lost. I, unfortunately, gained a pound, so I've lost a measly 21 pounds. I still have 9 more pounds to lose to reach my goal weight.

I worked half a day yesterday, lounged around and watched college football the rest of the day.

Later........

Here's Rick, just home from the oral surgeon after having 6 (yes 6!) teeth pulled. Even though this picture may not really show it, he is alive, just completely out of it, as you might expect.

We'll keep you updated!

Update: 8:03 pm--Rick doing fine, now all doped up on pain meds and sleeping.

Here's the fountain recently installed in the pond outside our front door.