Covered Up

Okay, so we opened the doors to the Oslo Oasis yesterday. I spent the day covered up in last-minute details including a fruitless search for the air hockey paddles. My day was a dead sprint from the time my feet hit the floor until the time I finally laid down last night. Ian had the morning off from school (thanks F-CAT), and he helped me do the last minute moving of stuff around at the Oslo Oasis. I then took him to school, ran to Wal-Mart to get some stuff like trash cans, light bulbs, etc., ran back tot he Oslo Oasis, ran back to the office and then back to the Oslo Oasis again. I got there two minutes after we were supposed to open the doors.

I had plenty of workers, but no Oslo Middle School kids showed up for our first day. Not entirely unexpected, as we are still getting the word out. Meanwhile Emily called needing a ride to go in to work. She's not on the schedule for Mondays, but they needed some extra help, so I took her. Ian went along too, and helped in an unofficial capacity at the Bible Sale store in the outlet mall. I then stopped by Sears because another sporting goods store employee had told me over the phone that Sears carried air hockey equipment. Yeah, right! One package of pucks, and no paddles. Oh, they'll have some in at Christmas time.

Flying back to the Oslo Oasis, where my workers were diligently making copies of flyers, and doing some more cleaning at the place. They are such a good bunch of folks. I wrestled with one of the computers that suddenly decided it didn't want to talk to a monitor, and never did convince it to play nice. It now sits unplugged and may wind up in the landfill today!

At 5:30, I headed home just in time to see Peggy take Ian and Emily to the high school for chorus practice, and fix Peggy and me some salad for supper. My first meal of the day (unless you count the candy bar I bought at Wal Mart earlier in the day). I collapsed on the couch for about 20 minutes before needing to get ready to go to an Elders' meeting at the church.

While sitting in the Elders' meeting, my right arm started itching just below my armpit. I thought nothing of it, scratched without even looking and tried to pay attention to the discussion in the meeting. My neck itched some too, so I tried to sooth that itch. After I got home (just in the nick of time to watch "24"), I started paying attention to the fact that I was itching in several places. I started examining myself and found out that I had broken out in hives! I mean I was covered in red, blotchy patches, from my feet, up both legs, from my waist up to my neck front and back! My arms, my wrists. Lovely. Took a couple of benedryl and went to bed. This morning, my blotches are fewer in newer and small in size, but wearing shoes today will be a LOT OF FUN. Still have major blotches on my thighs, feet and wrists. Today is going to be a swell day.

Oslo Oasis

It's taken much longer than I had hoped, but the outreach center we will operate on Oslo Road is about to open next week. This outreach center is targeted specifically at students from Oslo Middle School who live in the general area where the center is located and where our new church building will be constructed. I have secured the services of several members of VCC to operate the facility on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and while I don't expect a stampede of students next week, I hope we can get things up and running and show the community that there is a safe place for their Middle School Students to come hang out after school. Thanks for your prayers for this outreach effort. I'll try to keep you posted on how things go.

Gran - Nov. 30, 1912-Feb. 7, 2006

blounts-gran
Originally uploaded by blountman.

On Tuesday, February 7, Gran went home to be with the Lord. We knew it was coming. Gran was ready. It still stinks. We are SO glad that we got to go to Ashland over Christmas Break and spend time with Gran! He was alert and knew us and enjoyed the visits almost as much as we did. We saw him every day while we were up there. That was the main purpose of the visit. It was one of the very rare times that the five of us have gotten to travel and vacation together since Elliott started his college career.
Peggy is up in Ashland for the funeral, while the rest of us make due in Florida. Emily is sick and hasn't been in school since Wednesday morning (when she had to come home early). I am so glad that we were able to get a flight for Peggy and that she will get to spend some family time. I am also so glad for the example Gran lived for all of us. If I could be half the man of God that Gran was, I would be twice the man of God that I am now. Thanks Gran, enjoy your rest in the Lord, you deserve it!

Basketball City, Baby!

With the serious rain storms over the past 24 hours in Vero, what better to do than to watch as much basketball as possible. With the ESPN Game Plan, we can watch our choice of college basketball from all around. We saw the Lousiville-Notre Dame Game along with most of the nation, but then watched Bama whup up on LSU, and Tennessee (boo) continue to roll. Then we headed to the Whitt Gym at VBHS to watch Florida Air Academy and Vero tangle. One of our youth group guys plays for Florida Air Academy (Jayvee team), and it was good to get some of the group together to support Zach. Zach's team won, but the varisty lost to Vero (go Indians) for their first loss of the season!

Of course I then made it back home tonight in time to watch the Gators chomp all over my beloved Kentucky Wildcats. I was afraid that would happen. Ah well, we need to regroup and whup the snot out of the Volunteers on Tuesday night. Since tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, and since I preach in the morning, guess I should shut this thing down and go to bed, eh?