(no subject)
Not much going on, but that doesn't mean this post won't be long, so don't sigh in relief just yet.
Went to bed pretty early last night, comparitively. Cassie was really tired, but I feel bad because she didn't get a wink until the little party in Alex's room ended. Woke up this morning and made Cassie some pancakes. I was going to try to get a good start on the lawns I had to do today, but Alex borrowed the truck, told me it'd be about 20 minutes, and then came back a few hours later. Benton and I didn't get started until 5. Cassie and I were supposed to have a picnic at the park, just the two of us, and that got shot to hell when one of the mowers fell off the back of the truck. It took us a few seconds before we realized the tailgate was down and a mower was missing. We pulled over and turned around to look for it, but lo and behold, it was gone forever. The only conclusion we could reach was that someone found it and took it. I guess if someone's property falls off their car, it's fair game. I'm not mad about it or anything--- things get stolen-- rather I'm just impressed that it was taken so fast. The theives must have been quite reflexive to have noticed a mower and taken off with it in less than a minute.
This does, however, pose some problems. First of all, that leaves me with only one mower to do all my business with. I might just buy a cheap mower from TSC to tide me over, but that will have to wait until my school money comes. Also, the remaining mower is my mother's. This means I'm going to have to borrow it from her, but I'm sure that if I mow her lawn once a week, she won't complain. I'm not going to tell her this... I'm just going to start doing it that way--- if she has a problem, she'll tell me.
Something I'm going to try to do tomorrow (while Cassie's at work, I guess) is take her mom's riding mower to JC's and see if it can get fixed. If we can fix it, that eliminates the need to use our own mowers to mow the Elkins lawn.
Someone called about the truck today. It's for sale, by the way. Alex told me he wants to buy it, but I have a feeling that will fall through. It's a reliable tank, I just don't think he realizes that it's 130 a month for about 20 months, not to mention a disgusting amount of gas every month, and insurance. I'd be more comfortable selling him the mirage, but it's not for sale. I wish I could just give him that damn thing. He needs it more than I do, and my mom never uses it. I asked my mom if I could sell it to him, but she gave me the, "We'll talk about it later," line, so I don't think she's for it.
Benton leaves in a week. It's going to be weird with him gone, but I think it will also be good--- for him. He's had a lot of rough patches this summer and the time away will give everyone who ever had a grudge to cool off. When he comes back, I have no doubt that he'll be a lot wiser than he is now.
While we were mowing today, a lady waved us over and asked us to mow for her. She was having a garage sale, and there was an electric Johnson for sale. It's a 100% wooden fender copy. She bought it for 450, said it's brand new, and was asking for 150. I offered to mow her lawn for a month for it. After a little negotiating, she agreed to hold it for me until I had mowed enough times. So, in four thursdays, I'll be the proud owner of a brand new electric guitar (with case). Jeremy, I know you want details, but all I can tell you is that it's pure wood, electric, 3 pickups with a whammy bar, volume, tone and reverb knob, and dried-blood red. It's a beautiful thing.
I think I'm going to call my aunt tomorrow while Cassie's at work. She might have some things for me to do. Maybe Pat Fair is back in town. If I can make 150 tomorrow, which is a slim possibility, I can put 100 towards rent (since I've been blowing money on food and cigs all week), and use the 50 for bills. That would give me a head start on a new "tide-over" mower and possibly money for this semester's textbooks. My money doesn't look like it'll come tomorrow, so I guess it's either Saturday or sometime next week.
Yesterday, I had lunch with my old youth pastor. I decided that since he's no longer my youth pastor, and people look at me weird whenever I tell them that I still hang out with the guy-- especially since he's no longer a youth pastor--- I've decided that he's my godfather. Anyway, I had lunch with my godfather, and we talked about my living situation. I wanted his perspective on the issue since my dad is extremely opposed to the whole thing.
I told him that I was living with my girlfriend. He just cracked up laughing.
"How's that working out for you?"
"Good," I said, "actually, really good."
"Well of course. You're getting laid."
Then I told him about how my dad feels. I told him how my dad said my mowing business might have been better this summer if I had made the "right decisions." That's verbatum, by the way. Godfather was shocked. "What a crock of shit. Those are words from hell, Wesley."
Godfather is direct.
He told me that when you're raising your kids, you just have to tell them what's right, and when they grow up, let them go and see what happens. He said that the biggest misconception among parents is that they should keep you from making the same mistakes they did when they were your age. "It's impossible," Godfather said. I agreed--- partly because it justified my lifestyle, and partly because these were the words of a guy who has worked with countless teenagers and college students for over ten years.
It troubled me, hearing this completely opposite view from a person who was every bit as Christian as my father. I suppose in the end, the decision is mine to make, and when I can make the right decisions, I do. Meanwhile, I'm just trying to live my life one day at a time.
"How can God be opposed to me loving Cassie as much as I do?" I asked. "God only wanted for his children to love one another, and even though Cassie isn't Christian, she has helped me realize what love is, and why it's important that I love my friends...how can God be opposed to that?"
I was about to go on, but Godfather saved me. "You're assuming that Cassie isn't an instrument of God," he said.
Consider these factors, Godfather said: Every parable of the bible has an idiot. They were either a murderer, a theif, a villain--- who by the power of God was saved. Peter, our most beloved disciple, was a murderer in his life before Christ. The progidal son left his home and spent his fortune on gambling and sex. He returned home and found his father with one of the most important (if not THE most important) Christian traits of welcoming--- one of mercy.
It began to be clear. God doesn't count our sins, he loves us too much for that. He couldn't, because even us imperfect children will turn the other cheek when our loved ones give us those minute sins like leaving the toilet seat up or forgetting to do the dishes. If we are fallible, and capable of even static benevolence, then God is infallible, and capable of perpetual mercy.
Godfather put it in fewer words: "The only thing that matters is, have you accepted Christ, and what are you doing with him in your life?" When Cassie and I get married someday, it won't be a holy union. To me, we are already united. Instead, it will be a proclamation to others that she is my soulmate and I promise with a circle of gold (or platinum) that I will do everything I can to make her happy for the rest of my life--- and no responsibility has ever made me happier. I would go on, but I need to save some good material for our vows.
Godfather is kind. He's selling me his Canon Digital Rebel SLR with a 28-80 mm lens. He's asking 1200 for it, but I'll have to see what the package is like. For a 6 MP camera, including a lense and memory card, it's not a bad price. I seem to think I found a deal on Adorama.com for 200 less, but maybe Godfather will curb the price a little. More on this later.
Went to bed pretty early last night, comparitively. Cassie was really tired, but I feel bad because she didn't get a wink until the little party in Alex's room ended. Woke up this morning and made Cassie some pancakes. I was going to try to get a good start on the lawns I had to do today, but Alex borrowed the truck, told me it'd be about 20 minutes, and then came back a few hours later. Benton and I didn't get started until 5. Cassie and I were supposed to have a picnic at the park, just the two of us, and that got shot to hell when one of the mowers fell off the back of the truck. It took us a few seconds before we realized the tailgate was down and a mower was missing. We pulled over and turned around to look for it, but lo and behold, it was gone forever. The only conclusion we could reach was that someone found it and took it. I guess if someone's property falls off their car, it's fair game. I'm not mad about it or anything--- things get stolen-- rather I'm just impressed that it was taken so fast. The theives must have been quite reflexive to have noticed a mower and taken off with it in less than a minute.
This does, however, pose some problems. First of all, that leaves me with only one mower to do all my business with. I might just buy a cheap mower from TSC to tide me over, but that will have to wait until my school money comes. Also, the remaining mower is my mother's. This means I'm going to have to borrow it from her, but I'm sure that if I mow her lawn once a week, she won't complain. I'm not going to tell her this... I'm just going to start doing it that way--- if she has a problem, she'll tell me.
Something I'm going to try to do tomorrow (while Cassie's at work, I guess) is take her mom's riding mower to JC's and see if it can get fixed. If we can fix it, that eliminates the need to use our own mowers to mow the Elkins lawn.
Someone called about the truck today. It's for sale, by the way. Alex told me he wants to buy it, but I have a feeling that will fall through. It's a reliable tank, I just don't think he realizes that it's 130 a month for about 20 months, not to mention a disgusting amount of gas every month, and insurance. I'd be more comfortable selling him the mirage, but it's not for sale. I wish I could just give him that damn thing. He needs it more than I do, and my mom never uses it. I asked my mom if I could sell it to him, but she gave me the, "We'll talk about it later," line, so I don't think she's for it.
Benton leaves in a week. It's going to be weird with him gone, but I think it will also be good--- for him. He's had a lot of rough patches this summer and the time away will give everyone who ever had a grudge to cool off. When he comes back, I have no doubt that he'll be a lot wiser than he is now.
While we were mowing today, a lady waved us over and asked us to mow for her. She was having a garage sale, and there was an electric Johnson for sale. It's a 100% wooden fender copy. She bought it for 450, said it's brand new, and was asking for 150. I offered to mow her lawn for a month for it. After a little negotiating, she agreed to hold it for me until I had mowed enough times. So, in four thursdays, I'll be the proud owner of a brand new electric guitar (with case). Jeremy, I know you want details, but all I can tell you is that it's pure wood, electric, 3 pickups with a whammy bar, volume, tone and reverb knob, and dried-blood red. It's a beautiful thing.
I think I'm going to call my aunt tomorrow while Cassie's at work. She might have some things for me to do. Maybe Pat Fair is back in town. If I can make 150 tomorrow, which is a slim possibility, I can put 100 towards rent (since I've been blowing money on food and cigs all week), and use the 50 for bills. That would give me a head start on a new "tide-over" mower and possibly money for this semester's textbooks. My money doesn't look like it'll come tomorrow, so I guess it's either Saturday or sometime next week.
Yesterday, I had lunch with my old youth pastor. I decided that since he's no longer my youth pastor, and people look at me weird whenever I tell them that I still hang out with the guy-- especially since he's no longer a youth pastor--- I've decided that he's my godfather. Anyway, I had lunch with my godfather, and we talked about my living situation. I wanted his perspective on the issue since my dad is extremely opposed to the whole thing.
I told him that I was living with my girlfriend. He just cracked up laughing.
"How's that working out for you?"
"Good," I said, "actually, really good."
"Well of course. You're getting laid."
Then I told him about how my dad feels. I told him how my dad said my mowing business might have been better this summer if I had made the "right decisions." That's verbatum, by the way. Godfather was shocked. "What a crock of shit. Those are words from hell, Wesley."
Godfather is direct.
He told me that when you're raising your kids, you just have to tell them what's right, and when they grow up, let them go and see what happens. He said that the biggest misconception among parents is that they should keep you from making the same mistakes they did when they were your age. "It's impossible," Godfather said. I agreed--- partly because it justified my lifestyle, and partly because these were the words of a guy who has worked with countless teenagers and college students for over ten years.
It troubled me, hearing this completely opposite view from a person who was every bit as Christian as my father. I suppose in the end, the decision is mine to make, and when I can make the right decisions, I do. Meanwhile, I'm just trying to live my life one day at a time.
"How can God be opposed to me loving Cassie as much as I do?" I asked. "God only wanted for his children to love one another, and even though Cassie isn't Christian, she has helped me realize what love is, and why it's important that I love my friends...how can God be opposed to that?"
I was about to go on, but Godfather saved me. "You're assuming that Cassie isn't an instrument of God," he said.
Consider these factors, Godfather said: Every parable of the bible has an idiot. They were either a murderer, a theif, a villain--- who by the power of God was saved. Peter, our most beloved disciple, was a murderer in his life before Christ. The progidal son left his home and spent his fortune on gambling and sex. He returned home and found his father with one of the most important (if not THE most important) Christian traits of welcoming--- one of mercy.
It began to be clear. God doesn't count our sins, he loves us too much for that. He couldn't, because even us imperfect children will turn the other cheek when our loved ones give us those minute sins like leaving the toilet seat up or forgetting to do the dishes. If we are fallible, and capable of even static benevolence, then God is infallible, and capable of perpetual mercy.
Godfather put it in fewer words: "The only thing that matters is, have you accepted Christ, and what are you doing with him in your life?" When Cassie and I get married someday, it won't be a holy union. To me, we are already united. Instead, it will be a proclamation to others that she is my soulmate and I promise with a circle of gold (or platinum) that I will do everything I can to make her happy for the rest of my life--- and no responsibility has ever made me happier. I would go on, but I need to save some good material for our vows.
Godfather is kind. He's selling me his Canon Digital Rebel SLR with a 28-80 mm lens. He's asking 1200 for it, but I'll have to see what the package is like. For a 6 MP camera, including a lense and memory card, it's not a bad price. I seem to think I found a deal on Adorama.com for 200 less, but maybe Godfather will curb the price a little. More on this later.