Heard at our house #2

Posted on 09/01/2008 by RLW3

My son enjoys ribbing and picking on his sisters. So, at the dinner table, he said, “Oh, Cakes, look! You have a mole on your shoulder.”

She deadpanned, “It’s my twin!

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Heard at our house #1

Posted on 09/01/2008 by RLW3

While my wife was preparing lunch, our youngest daughter walked up to our oldest daughter and said “I just want you to know that I’ve already told three people and posted it on Facebook that I am going to miss my big sister. She’s leaving.”

My son then chimed in, “If it’s on Facebook, that means that it means alot!”

Our youngest, determined to communicate her affection to her older sister, continued, “I think that you shouldn’t come any more because it is too sad to say good-bye.”

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Too much estrogen…

Posted on 09/01/2008 by RLW3

You’ve heard of chick flicks…

Well, from time to time, I get trapped into living a chick’s life.

Take the latest event as an example…

I told my wife earlier this morning that I started crying while running this morning. I remembered a very touching video that my wife’s friend e-mailed her awhile back.

I found it on the Internet and showed it to her. She then walked out into the living room and asked my oldest daughter, “Do you want to see something that will make you cry?”

My youngest daughter then rushed in to join them and asked, “What are we crying about?”

That, my friends, is life with chicks!

Oh, for the video, go to YouTube and search for Team Hoyt. But, be prepared to cry. It is very touching.

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I tried something new

Posted on 09/01/2008 by RLW3

I woke up early and did my morning run this morning. Yes, I ran the whole way. My time was good. However, I tried something new.

In Bill Phillip’s best selling book, “Body for Life,” he highlights the benefits of interval training. You begin your aerobic workout at about 60% of your maximum effort for about 5 minutes. Then you exert a 90% effort for 1 minute. You go back to 60% for another 4-5 minutes and keep repeating this pattern until you finish your workout. He advises that your last intense interval is 100% of your effort, trying to reach a personal best.

Well today I tried that, sort of…

I have no idea how long I actually “sprinted” but I assure you that it wasn’t a full minute.

And, if you were here to watch me, I would be embarassed to call it sprinting. So, I figure that I should just tell the truth…

Let’s just say that I ran faster than I usually do for a little bit three different times. But, hey, it’s progress!

However, I was really weak at the end of the run. In fact, I haven’t felt that way since…

two weeks ago! And then it dawned on me…

I left out the most important part of the “I Made It” post a few weeks ago. I can’t believe that I forgot the ending. Anyway, if you care to read it, I have added to that post.

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A chip off the old block?

Posted on 08/31/2008 by RLW3

They say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Well, tonight, I don’t know if that is such a good thing.

My son is making new seat covers for our old, beat up F-150! I mean, he has a sowing machine out and is sowing plastic clips onto the fabric! I am actually impressed!

I wonder where he gets that from? Hmmm…let me think…DON’T TELL ME…

Maybe he got it from watching his father remodel an entire house for his entire life… (by the way, the link will take you to pictures of the end result)

or maybe he got it from watching his father essentially rebuild an entire car…

Hmmmm…

I’ll figure it out soon!

Do you know what is really ironic? My wife, who is probably the only person on the planet who wanted to get rid of that truck for the last decade more than me actually bought the fabric so he could fix it. Do you think she dotes on her son???

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Love those hunches

Posted on 08/28/2008 by RLW3

After I dropped my youngest daughter off at some friend’s house this evening, I decided to return the library books that I had checked out a few weeks ago. 

The library had e-mailed me a reminder earlier in the week that the two books that I had checked out and still haven’t read are due soon. Since I don’t want to be out in public with a “delinquent library book” charge associated with my name. Anyway, the library is close to the area mentioned by the realtor that my wife spoke to a few days ago.

I had never been in the area that the realtor mentioned to my wife, so I thought that now would be a good time to check it out. I’m not going to give up on getting a house before our lease expires on 10/31!

As I drove through the area, I saw a house for sale. I made a U-turn and pulled into the driveway in order to grab an information sheet out of the little plastic box. As I did, two people were were walking away from the house.

It turns out that they are neighbors who are watching the house. Well, one thing led to another and they ended up giving me a tour of the home! They weren’t supposed to since it is listed with a realtor…but I’m not going to say anything. My lips are sealed!!!

When we finished, the wife said that if I didn’t like this one, that she had a friend who is probably going to die soon that has a beautiful house with an in ground pool. So, since they were going out to eat anyway, they decided to have me follow them so I could see that house!

The second house is NICE! The first one sits on 2 1/2 beautiful acres. We’ll see what happens!!!

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Dylan was right

Posted on 08/27/2008 by RLW3

Bob Dylan was right when he sang that “the times, they are a changin’ ” back in the sixties. However, they haven’t changed for the better.

Last night, my wife and I had to sit down with our son to address some attitude problems that have arisen.

We communicated the problematic things that we have observed and asked him to communicate what was causing this.

It pained me greatly to hear that one of the things that have been bothering him is being called “gay” at school.

My son is clearly not gay. He is a tough, kick butt wrestler. In fact, last year I learned that he had punched a few guys in the face who persisted in harassing him

“What do you mean, you hit him?”

“I hit him.”

“You mean you actually punched him?

“Yes.”

“With your fist?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you hit him?”

“In the face.”

Well…

Last year, three girls approached him and asked if he was gay. He responded, “No, but I’m not going to kiss a girl until I marry her.”

I wish I could have seen their faces when the handsome, athletic guy was telling the girls that he is determined to stay morally pure!

Why are some guys calling him gay? Because he is morally pure. Evidently, the only way to prove that you are not gay is to fornicate and watch pornography. Since he doesn’t, that means that he is gay.

I can’t tell you how this pains me. When I attended high school, the sexual “revolution” had just started to make inroads into our culture. A decided majority of the people left high as virgins. Now, evidently, here in wealthy, upper middle class Overland Park, KS, that is not the case.

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We found a house! almost…

Posted on 08/26/2008 by RLW3

When I received that inspiration to find this apartment, I had the distinct impression that we would be able to buy a house at the end of that six month lease.

In fact, when we signed the lease, the woman made the lease out for 12 months. I told her “No”, it’s only supposed to be for 6″ and made her change it.

Well, since learning that the corporate office had changed their acceptance criteria, I had really been questioning my decision! Will I have to look for another place to live in six months?

The answer to that question is “No.” Once your rental application has been approved, they don’t care how you pay for it.

Although I have been applying for every position that I can find for the past month, I still don’t have a job. However, what am I going to do about that impression of being able to buy a house? I can’t just give up on it. After all, my wife and I have attended a seminar on creative real estate financing…

Maybe we can buy a house with little to nothing down…who knows. I know that it won’t happen if we don’t at least try!

So, since she had the day off, we took a few hours and went looking at houses. Really, we are just trying to determine where we want to live.

Well, we found a house that we both liked. That is no small achievement.

The price was just a little above what I would like to ideally pay. But the location is great. The back yard is like a park!

My wife called the realtor only to find that escrow just closed on the house!

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

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Do you think that I’m a little late?

Posted on 08/25/2008 by RLW3

I am 48 years old. I have been working very hard since I was 12 years old. And today, I am embarrassed to say this, but I just set up my first IRA account with Charles Schwab.

We started out our marriage with a $7,000 nest egg.

We were a young, zealous Christian couple that was determined to reform the world starting with our family! We were going to practice natural family planning (no artificial birth control here!) and have our first child at home.

We payed the mid-wife $2,ooo. Everything was going according to plan until the contractions started! The mid-wife sent us to the hospital and our first born child was delivered via C-section! And we have had no savings account since then!

Oh, I know that I should have just put money in my 401K but for most of my married life, we have needed every last penny to pay the bills and feed the little rug rats.

And so now, at the very young age of 48, I am starting to save for retirement!

Well, who wants to retire anyway? Retirement was invented by Otto von Bismarck as a way to defeat his political opponents.

I agree with the Rascal Flatt’s lyrics: ” I wanna be running when the sand runs out.” I started out our marriage determined to reform the world, so I guess I will head into the next life with both guns blazing!

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Have I become a Charismatic butterfly?

Posted on 08/24/2008 by RLW3

Since the very beginning of this move, I have been telling my wife that I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up joining a different church and then spending time in the Prayer Room. Well, today we started looking for our new church. We will look at a few more and then make our decision.

The church we attended today is much smaller. However, it is very easy to see that we could help it to grow.

Well, see what happens. It’s just the latest little adventure with God.

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