Woo-hoo!  She is a 3 pounder, now!  I am really excited about that.  I have the Colorado Creeping Crud again, however and am not a happy camper.  I hate being sick, especially when I have things to do.  They are letting Savannah be next to her mom’s skin more now.  This is a good thing.  Taking medicine isn’t.  I always have a strong reaction to meds, so if something makes a normal person a little drowsy, I crash.  Perhaps that is why I don’t feel like I have much to say this morning.  It’s in there somewhere, but it doesn’t want to come out.

This tsunami thing is really terrible.  I can’t imagine what the conditions are like, especially when someone like Colin Powell, who has been around the block a time or two, says, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

You know, we are living in the last days of time.  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  One thing about earthquakes is that whenever there was an earthquake in the Bible it was caused directly by God.

The Denver paper ran an article about giving to the relief efforts.  It said that while most Americans watch the news and ask, “How can I help those people?”  Con men sit and think, “How can I scam someone using this?”  If you decide to do something, make sure you check out the organization first.  Things you especially want to ask are:

If I donate money to this organization, how much of the money actually goes to help the people and how much is eaten up in overhead?

Is the money earmarked specifically for this purpose or does it all go into one big fund that this organization then disburses to all the causes it supports as well?

If I donate food, bottled water, clothing or other items, how will they be shipped?  When will they be shipped?

Is this an organization I would normally trust or donate to?  Have I received help from them in the past?  What was that experience like?

You guys can probably think of other questions as well, which you are welcome to leave in the comments section.  I don’t have any links to organizations because I haven’t checked any out yet.  Just make sure you know where your money is going or what is going to happen to your stuff.

Remember, The Good Book says, “It is better to give than to receive.”  (Especially in this case!)

Welcome to the New Year!  Where are the jet packs and the flying cars and stuff?  Ah well.

I want to tell you all that there are still nice people in the world.  I was looking up Savannah Melodies on the web and came across a very nice website that sells the plants called Scarbrough’s Garden @ http://daylily.net/scarbroughsgarden/garden.htm. Well, it seemed to me a user friendly site and they invited questions.

I had a very pleasant correspondence with Mr. and Mrs. Scarbrough which I had planned to cut & paste here but was having trouble with the web-based e-mail format transferring correctly without a bunch of work.  I told them about Savannah and how I was interested in the flower but that I have a notorious black thumb.  They e-mailed me back saying that they would send me a free one in her honor and were confident that it would do well here, even under my hand!  Isn’t that cool?  I think it is a very nice gesture and wanted to share that with you.  They have a very nice site and I would recommend it.  If you are interested in growing any of the things they offer, please consider them.

In other news the Lake Superior State University has issued its list of words and phrases that should be banished from the language for Mis-Use, Over-Use or Uselessness at http://www.lssu.edu/banished/ among the words and phrases?  Blog!  While you are there, you may also wish to click on the link that tells about the Unicorn Hunters.

Our New Year’s celebration was not as eventful as Christmas.  We had church and a chili cook-off afterward.  Since I became a teetotaler sixteen years ago, the holiday has become more reflective and restful.  The kids go outside and bang pots and pans and the Ad-a-man club shoots fireworks from the top of Pikes Peak.

We did celebrate my little buddy, Dale’s birthday, though.  He turned 40 and we gave him a big black bag full of as much over-the-hill stuff as we could find.  We (Russ and John and I) went to the ARC and got him some caps and slippers and other wardrobe enhancements.  We even found a "Grumpy Old Men" hat like Walter Matthau wore.  I gave him a six-pack of prune juice and a jar of prunes as well as a "Depends."  We had great fun at his expense, but, well, it wasn’t our idea that he turn 40.

We are praying for the families of the victims of the tsunami and earthquake.  I would like to refute the allegation by the UN’s Jan Egeland that the U.S. is stingy, however.  I would, but I won’t take the time.  Whenever there is a disaster anywhere, who is the first on the scene?  Americans.  Often times privately funded organizations.  Who was first on the scene when hurricanes devastated Florida?  George W. and Jeb Bush.  Monetary or humanitarian aid from which countries?   Well, Americans have always been both fiercely independent and magnanimous at the same time, since before we became a nation.  Religious "heretics" came here to escape persecution because they wouldn’t go along with the status quo but stuck to their values and beliefs.

I don’t have all the numbers handy on all the unpaid loans America has given and all the money we are giving as a nation to this problem.  You can’t really add it up because they call for helicopters and we divert 37 from their current military mission.  We have private organizations and radio and TV stations and churches that take up the cause.  Anyway, I am proud to be an American and proud of our Texas Cowboy President who represents the core values of the majority of our country.

As the Good Book says, "Fear God and respect your president."

The Good Book says, "Thou shalt not kill." Also, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee..."

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Real bedside conversation between me and Abigail, while looking at Savannah:

Abigail:  Dad, could this baby have been aborted?

Me:  Yes.

Abigail:  That’s sick!

Me:  Yes it is.

Well, we are up to 2 lbs 9 oz now!  Over 2 ½ lbs!  We have cold germs running through the house again, so we won’t be up there again for a little while.  Aarrgghh.

I had been worried about my friend Sam, whose blog http://samsam.blogdrive.com/ I read every day, lives in the part of the world where the tsunami hit.  He hadn’t added a new entry and didn’t e-mail me back right away, so of course I feared the worst.  I e-mailed a friend of his, whose blog http://jincruise.blogdrive.com/ I have started reading because Sam had a link to it on his blog, and she said he was okay and not in the danger zone.  I guess if I would have looked at a decent atlas, I could have figured it out.  She thought it was perhaps that he was away from his broadband connection and just relaxing at his home.

In other news, my daughter Elizabeth has started blogging.  Unlike mine, she is just putting down whatever rambling thoughts go through her head without fixing anything up.  She is at http://www.blurty.com/users/belas/ if you want to see it.

One of the presents I got was a ventriloquist’s dummy to use in Sunday School.  Ben found it (at the Goodwill Doll Sale, I think) and knew I had fixed up another one and thought I would like this one too.  I do, except he is staring at me, waiting for me to name him.  If you ever get one of these or find one of these, and the mouth doesn’t work, don’t toss it!  The heads are attached with an electrical tie, not sewn on, which makes it easy to come off.  Just take his head down to the hardware store (if you still have such a place in your town.  I love hardware stores, especially family-owned for generations ones.  They are one of the most helpful, educational places in the world.  Not like the big box super hardware and lumber and everything else including a lunch wagon stores.) and ask for a spring to fit the appropriate area.  Within minutes you have a working dummy.

My first dummy is a fellow named Herkimer Schnickelfritz Magillicudy, that Margaret found in the trash behind a church.  She asked the folks, "Is this supposed to be out here?"  "Oh yes."  "Okay."  He didn’t have any clothes, so we had to fix him some up.  This new fellow has a tuxedo!

Since I have 6 & 7 year olds in my class now and had 4 & 5 year olds before that, I never had to really learn true ventriloquism.  Kids don’t care if your lips move, they just think it’s fun that you are playing with toys, like they do.  I think I might like to learn how to do it right, though.  For free if possible.  I will have to search the ‘net or get a "for dummies" book on it.

I’ve gotta run this morning, but remember, the Good Book says, "It takes one to know one."

We have always had traditional things we have done for various holidays, like for Thanksgiving we have a big turkey and all that goes with it and I read the poem "When Father Carves The Duck" which i found on the internet at http://www.jeannepasero.com/Thanksgiving/duck.html.  We have it in a book of Children’s poetry that we bought when Ben was little.  Then we pray and eat.  We keep "grazing trays" out all day in case anyone drops over.

Normally, on Christmas Eve, everyone is so busy doing all the last minute stuff that we just order pizza for dinner.  Then on Christmas morning, we read the Christmas story and open presents.  Since everyone is so busy with their new stuff we just eat the leftover pizza from the night before.  We have always had pizza for Christmas dinner.  We set out the "grazing trays" then too.  We keep stuff through the season for just in case.

This year, Margaret’s brother John and his wife Becky came out to visit!  They drove all the way from South Beloit, IL, which is on the Illinois/Wisconsin border just to be with us.  That was really special.

You may or may not recall that we something like a menagerie at our house with 4 cats, 1 dog, 1 bunny and 2 birds.  John has allergies.  Bad allergies.  So bad that we had to take all the grazing trays to the hotel and order the Christmas Eve pizzas there.  We took the party to them.  Christmas morning we went to Ben’s apartment and carried all of the pizzas, presents, trays, some other breakfast foods over there.  So, our tradition was a little jumbled this year.

One of my favorite presents, they are all my favorites you understand, but one favorite I will take the time to tell you about is one I got from Abigail.  It was a Coca-Cola phone.  It looks like it was made form old-fashioned Tiffany stained glass with the logo inlaid in it and when it rings, it lights up inside through the glass and the handset looks that deep, dark., beautiful brown color that is the heavenly nectar.  It is so cool.  I also got a Coca-Cola clock this year.  I got an empty bag and a coloring page from Western Wearhouse because Margaret wanted to get me a new pair of boots or a gift card for some, but wasn’t sure how much it would be.  I guess she didn’t figger if there was any left over I also need a new hat.  (just a little joke there)  I am down to wearing my faithful old Army boots, which are the second most comfortable shoe on Earth.  They are 16 years old, however, and starting to leak a little now.

I gave Ben a gag gift from the dollar store, a remaindered book and tape set called, "How to Win at Parenting without Beating Your Children."  It was full of new-age claptrap that is worse than worthless.  The real present I bought for him was Dr. Dobson’s, "New Strong-Willed Child."  This is a completely re-written version of "Raising the Strong-Willed Child" full of new research and data, and is excellent.  It seemed, since when she was born she came out with her fist raised and obviously determined to live, and many of the things she does now, appropriate.  One of the paragraphs on the back cover starts out, "They come into the world smoking a cigar and complaining about the temperature in the delivery room..."

Ben and Isabel went to the hospital and visited Savannah.  They took all of her presents up to her, read her the Christmas story, and opened her presents with her.  She would respond to the brightly colored papers and the crinkly sound it made.  We spent the day at Ben’s house, Grandma took her nap in their glider rocker and a great time was had by all.

Margaret is doing better; she is less dizzy all the time and may be ready for work on Monday.  She still has a pain, but I’m not going anywhere.  Seriously, her head itches where she hit (she had an abrasion) and she can’t scratch it.  She really is doing a lot better and it is because people were praying for her.

As the Good Book says, "Santa brought gifts to the Baby Jesus and Rudolph’s nose was the star."  Okay, maybe the Good Book does not say that.

We had another snow, about 7 inches.  This is looking promising for a white Christmas.  Here in Colorado Springs we don’t often have one.  It is VERY slippery, however.  Margaret came out of church, slipped, and fell flat on her back, hitting her head hard.  She had a giant goose egg and was disoriented including some short-term memory loss!  I’ve never seen anything like it before.  All of a sudden, she could not remember what day it was or what we had done all day or where she lived.  She was very upset and so was everyone in the van.  I had planned to take her to the hospital after I dropped everyone off at home, but she wanted to stop at the fire station and have someone look at her, so we did.  They put her in an ambulance and she went to the ER.

I took Grandma and the girls home at 10 MPH, it was that slick, then made a couple of work-related calls and head for the hospital.  Elizabeth had gone with her in the ambulance so she would not feel quite so bad.  It was bad enough for her, though.  She is claustrophobic and they had put a neck brace on her and strapped her to one of those boards I can’t think of the name of because it is 3:04 AM.  We were done in the ER about 1:15 and then had to go get a prescription for a painkiller filled.

I mention she is claustrophobic (which is not, as I thought, a fear of Santa) because not only was she strapped down, but she also had to have a CT scan.  Yes, Carter and Randy, there was something in there.  Of course, I was a big enough brat to ask the doc.  It helped that Margaret was helpless and couldn’t slug me or anything.  They also X-rayed her neck to make sure she hadn’t hurt herself.  They didn’t find a concussion, but I have to wake her up every couple-three-four hours to make sure she knows her name and where she is, etc. so here I am.  Telling you guys what happened, drinking double-strength coffee and trying to focus on writing.

She is actually doing okay as of this writing and says she can tell someone was praying for her because of how much better she feels.

*YAWN!!!*  Excuse me.  Okay, I haven’t gone on this little sleep since the bad old days.  *YAWN!!!*  Oh!  Excuse me.

I think I just go ahead and post this.  As the Good Book says, hmmm...I have too little sleep to put something in here.

Okay folks, unless I update this entry later this will be about it.  I recommend for your reading pleasure this link http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?tab=weblogs&user=sbalak&uid=174359431 which goes to Susan’s blog.  Her tips, for both women and men, are absolutely true.  I especially like the propriety ones, but there is something for everyone.

I will post pictures of the baby as i get them developed.

Here we have a picture of Abigail sitting awfully close to a big guy with a red suit.  We went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s "Electric Safari" where they have over a million lights on display with animations and colors, plus getting to see the critters and they had Santa there.  All my girls are beautiful, but the most photogenic is Abigail.  Of course it helps that she likes to get her picture taken.

Over the weekend, I finally met Randy in person, which was fun, even if he does like coconut.  Ah well, I have a friend who prefers pepsi to Coca-Cola, too, so i guess it takes all kinds to make a world.  There may be no accounting for some people’s tastes, but some people are just no-account.

Okay gang, that’s it for now.  Remember, as the Good Book says, "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."  Matt. 2:10 (KJV) 

Let’s not forget the baby’s birthday.

We got to see Savannah today.  We had been avoiding the hospital because we have all had a variety of stomach and cold viruses and did not want to carry anything up there.  The nurse said she wished everyone would show that kind of common sense.  She was moved to a different section of the NICU (Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit) because she is doing so much better.  She is in a plastic "house" which the nurse said is an improvement as well.  A plastic box is more like it.  One of the things it does is make it easier for them to control the light coming in.  It also controls the noise she is exposed to.  She had been in the open warmer before so they could get at her in a hurry.

Anyway, we went up there and she is 2 lbs 5 oz!  She is also now getting 7 CCs an hour.  This is a mixture of mother’s milk and powder with fats, vitamins and calories added.  She is still on oxygen, which is to be expected, but has NO IVs.  They took the last IV out today.  She now only has the one tube down into her stomach, and any medicine she needs she gets that way.  And, she was smiling!  Some people say babies don’t smile, but don’t believe ‘em.  Not only that, but while she was sleeping she looked just like she was laughing.  I will try to get some pictures developed but without digital, it takes longer.  I hope to get the pictures that Isabel took with her camera because she is the real photographer and able to capture things on film that escape me.  She has a pic of the baby smiling with her eyes open.  That will be so cool.

Isabel is doing fine; she just has to have her blood drawn often to make sure it is not thinning too much.  They are hoping the clots will dissolve.

I have been too busy to do justice to the Christmas series I wanted to do.  It is too bad because it is so exciting to me that God himself, not some second person of an alleged trinity, came and lived among us as a man.  He was born in a cave and laid in a trough the cattle ate out of and wrapped in barn rags, even though he was the Creator of the universe and King of Kings.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."  Isa. 9:6 (KJV)

How can the son be called the Everlasting Father?

Since so many people I know are looking for work and some for their first real job, I have decided to put down a few of the rules that I have used in the past to get a job.  Modify them to fit your situation and I guarantee you will get a job.

I will assume that you understand the basic rules of hygiene and the importance these have to a good first impression. Even things like fingernails. Every thing you know about those things and have control over you should.

You already have a job.  Yes, you do.  No, I do not mean by faith, although you should apply that everywhere.  No your new job is now finding a job.  You have to work at finding a job.  God will help you, but faith without works is dead.

Set your clock to get up for work at 6 every morning. Dress for the job you want or better.  Your boss or prospective boss should say to you, "You don't have to dress up for this job." rather than the other way around.  Always look and act professional, no matter what and no matter what job. People DO judge you by how you look. A neat, clean appearance without strong perfumes or odors puts you one leg up on everyone else.  It is both amazing and shocking to me the way people look and, er, well, smell, for interviews.  It’s astonishing to me the way they are allowed to work, also.  Take a little pride in yourself.  You not only represent yourself, but your family, your church, and any organizations to which you belong.

Pray, eat a good healthy breakfast, then set out into the community with a plan. Break the city down into square blocks and start a pattern on a map.  You should work as many hours a day on this job as you will be available for when you get a job.

Keep a notebook that is just for your work search. This is valuable and interesting later. Also print out or put in your notebook a list of personal and business references, and references that are relatives and are not relatives. Also keep a list of places you have worked, even if it was "just" volunteer work. A prospective employer may or may not contact your references so make sure everything is up to date and people know they may get a call about you. You can make up a resume for yourself also. If you do, keep it to one page.  Having your references ready saves time borrowing a phone book, looking everybody up and hoping they are in there.  Make sure your contact information is good.  If you use a message phone or contact number, be sure to indicate this.

When filling out the applications, always take your time to write clearly and legibly, printing being preferable to longhand.  No fancy scripts or calligraphy and beware of spelling. I was an assistant manager type to a woman who would take a stack of applications and tell me, "Go through this stack and if there are any spelling errors anywhere, they go in the discard pile.  I would just as soon throw them away if I were allowed to."  Neatness does count.

If there is a place to put down hours of availability, think before you just write down, "any."  There might be shifts you would be unhappy with working.  Putting down your availability correctly allows you to refer back to your application after you are hired.

Make a few notes in your book about the time and date and whom you turned the application in to.  Be friendly and nice to the receptionist or secretarial type person.  They are good people to know, not annoy.  Find out the name of the person who actually hires and fires people and when they are usually in.  At some places, the manager instructs the workers to keep people from doing this and encourage the application process.  This is where being on friendly terms with your future co-workers is nice.  Ask if at least you can have someone put your application on the person’s desk again.

Make a note or two or use a star system to tell yourself how bad you really want to work there.  Again, make friends with any receptionists or secretarial types you meet.

After a week of doing this, you need to make your "rounds" again.  You should have a large number of applications in.  Now start the follow-ups.  Go back and talk to everyone.  Ask them if they have had time to consider your application.  You will notice I said at the beginning that this was your job.  Every day, you need to work actively on this plan.  You can also watch the want ads in the paper and on local websites, but these are not best for a primary search.  What can happen is a company may come up with an opening that is somewhat different from the qualifications you listed on your app and when you see the ad, you can update your information.

I have seen that computerized applications are big in some places.  I have never had to deal with these, but I guess I would check the company’s website and do those from home if possible.  I still think that even with the machines, there has to be a way to make that human contact that is necessary.  Maybe talking to managers on duty and asking them about how the process works, I am not sure.  Tell them the job-hunting advice you have received and ask them for suggestions.  Somebody leave a comment on how you dealt with this.

You will need to make your "rounds" every week.  You can start out applying at the "good places" first, but as time goes by, you should have an application in at every business in town.  If there is a kind of work that you think you are just too good for and will not do, then obviously do not go there.  You do not want money enough and you will not be taking this advice anyway.

One important note, which you would think is self-explanatory, but is not, is never lie on an app or a resume.  Writing your qualifications in the best possible light is good, but never make stuff up.  Also, if there is something in your background that is, er, uncomplimentary, you are best off disclosing it if they ask.  The same company I just mentioned would not call references and former employers themselves, they used a professional third party investigating firm and would send back a report that included detailed descriptions of their conversations with your former supervisors.  Even though most employers will not give a reference, good or bad, they will to a third party because then if you do not get the job because of what they say, they never told your prospective employer anything.

Special note to you skirt-girls:  It is religious discrimination for a prospective employer not to hire you because you follow the Scriptures and will not wear men’s clothes; however, I would not make this an issue until after the job offer has been tendered.  After you have the job, many places nowadays are very upscale, tolerant, and easy to work with on the issue.  Some are not.  Margaret was going to have to sue a Popeye’s franchise (which suit the ACLU declined to help on) because they told her she could not do the job in a skirt even though Pentecostals were working at other Popeye’s in town.  She got a better offer elsewhere and nothing ever came of it, but discrimination does exist.  One Arby’s around this same time did not even want to let her apply because they would have to modify their uniform regulations.  Normally this is not a corporate policy, but a lazy local manager.

In this modern age where it is against the law in some places to say that homosexuality is a sin against God and nature and an abomination, which it is, we are going to have to make sure that people realize that we have rights, too.

Remember, as the Good Book says, "If ya don’t work, ya don’t eat!"