CO-WORKERS 101

I did a little editing on this picture and liked the look, so for what it is worth, there's Abbie.

I have a number of things running though my head tonight. I am not the best at getting out the thoughts that come to my mind. I think I get that from my dad. He always has thoughtful insights to things, but he has to form them the way he wants to say them first. Well, I will try to do my best, so here goes.
I want to talk about work. Not necessarily my work specifically, but work in general. When you finish college and are hired to do a job, the job is easy. It is what you have been prepared for, it is the people that you have not been prepared for. I never took a class in college called "Co-workers 101". I wish there was such a thing, but in that arena it is all on-the-job training. I think the people you work with can be as much as 90-95% of the determining factor in whether or not you enjoy your job. You could be the best pharmacist in the world, but if you battle with personalities at work you will often go home frustrated. I say this not to say that I have problems at work, but to point out where I am blessed. I enjoy being around the people I work with. The other pharmacist that I work with would be a friend of mine even if we did not work together. That makes a big difference in a workday, believe me. If I was not able to laugh as much as I do at work, I think I would be a very angry and bitter person. In the healthcare field you often run into people that do not feel well and they let you know about it. That can bring a person down. I appreciate my co-workers and my job very much. God has blessed me and my family and he continues to do so every day.

Don't get me wrong, I still look forward to my days off just like every one else. You did not think I was that crazy, did you?

The BEST in THE WORLD

I digress from writing about my daughter for a moment to reflect on greatness. Today I watched Tiger Woods win his 12th Major Championship (2nd all time to Nicklaus) in convincing fashion. Just to give an idea of the performance, Tiger was playing on the longest course in the history of the majors, yet he tied the lowest score in the history of the PGA championship (-18), and he had the fewest bogeys ever in a major championship (3). I could go on with the stats, but suffice it to say he is the best player in the world. The fact that that statement would not be argued by sane people is staggering. This is a situation where you can say "he is the best golfer on the planet," and you are not wrong. That to me is unbelieveable. I know Tiger is wealthy beyond compare, but I like him because he is the best at what he does, period. He works harder than anyone, and it shows. That inspires me. It inspires me as a parent to culture my daughter's strengths to help her be the best at what she does. Earl Woods had a golf club in Tiger's hands at 3. How did he know to do that? My child has not come with a stamp that says "Greatest ever at basketball." I would like to know how you can see what gifts your child has and then how to help them develop those gifts without burning them out or becoming obsessed with their accomplishments. I am not saying my daughter is a Tiger Woods, but how would I know the difference? I think she is a very remarkable little girl and I feel the weight of guiding and directing her paths. Even as I sit here and write these things, one thing occurs to me. There is one thing that I want for Abbie above all else. I want her to go to heaven more than anything in this world. If that means she has Tiger Woods' talent at something and does not use that talent, but goes to heaven, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I hope to be a parent that encourages my baby in her talents, but I will be a parent that encourages my baby in her faith. Anyway, those are my thoughts after watching Tiger Woods today. I still have no new pictures yet, I tried today and did not get any good ones. Thanks for sharing with me and I will be back soon.

Seems so long ago...

Amber and I watched a slide show of Abbie and the video of one of her first baths yesterday. It has me remembering the past 14 months and how our little girl has grown from this little baby to the toddler she is now. We could not believe how little she was and how quiet, too! She did not really even peep when she was getting her bath. I remember when we held her all the time because she could not turn over. Now, she wants to be on the ground running. It was good and bad to watch the video. Good because it just makes me smile to remember all the feelings and fears we both had and how God watched over us and continues to, despite our struggles and imperfections. Bad because those times are gone and that little bitty baby is growing every day and before I know it, she will be a little girl and eventually a bigger girl (OH NO!). Well, enough of the remember whens, let's talk about what Abbie is doing now.
Abbie is currently fixated on "The Wiggles". The Wiggles are a group of 4 Australian men that sing songs and dance on the Disney channel. It is amazing to see Abbie watch them because she is completely mesmerized. She does not dance, and she hardly moves except the occasional head nod. The good thing is that they do have some good (or at least catchy) tunes. The problem is that I have been singing "the Emu Song" all day. I have not caught myself doing the motions yet, but that is around the corner I am sure. If you want to get a glimpse of the Wiggles to see what she likes, watch one of the Disney channels at 9AM on weekdays and you will see what I mean.
Amber is doing much better. The headaches have pretty well subsided and my long stretch of days is over, so we have some time to "decompress", to steal a phrase from Seinfeld. I will try and get some new photos while I am off. Thanks for being patient with my hit and miss blogging. I do enjoy writing about things, but it takes time that I do not often have. Hopefully I will be back on soon. Until then, "Keep on Wigglin'!"

Surgery for Big brother

As you can see, Little Al had surgery last Friday. He had a small growth under the skin of his left shoulder and the vet was not sure what it was. He (the vet) wanted to remove it now in case it was something that would need further treatment. Fortunately, it was just a lipoma, a fatty tumor that requires removal only. Little Al had one removed before, when he was much younger. Again he came through like a champ, and was playing some fetch with me two days afterwards. Now, taking out the stitches is all that is left, along with paying the bill.
Amber continues to have headaches. She has pretty much had a headache of varying degree for about a week. I think I have her talked into going to the doctor to see what the problem is. Please pray for her, this has been a drain and she is struggling with it. My having to work a bunch of days in a row is not helping either. Abbie is the one thing that can keep Amber smiling. Abbie can be a toot if she wants to, but generally she is busy doing her business and chattering away all the while. She is the best little girl in the world. Have I said that before? Well, please pray for Amber and I will try to update with any changes.