It has been a LONG day, and everyone is gone, but he tries to make me feel like I am his number one.  Viper is such a great dog, but even though I appreciate it, it is all an act….if Scotty would walk in he’d drop me quicker than a rock star’s girlfriend.  But I let him do his thing, mostly because his heart is in the right place.  He is a pretty great friend even when I am not his first choice.

After doing two services, (equal to the amazing Father PT Morgan today) I got in my truck to help some parishioners move.  We are actually moving most of their stuff tomorrow, but I am Deacon Steve (and his wife Aracelly) were available, so we met them in Greenfield and loaded up for the trip to Greenwood (apparently they are attached to the cities with the partial name “green”).    But my truck kept acting up.  It started fine here, but in GreenFIELD it would not start.  And then in GreenWOOD it would not start either.  Deacon Steve “jumped” me, and I want to be clear that is was helping me to get my battery started, as we are clergy.

But upon my arrival at home, I realized that my wipers were SLOW.  So at the house I opened up the hood.  Sure enough, after a thorough inspection, I discovered the wire from the alternator (it CHARGES the battery) was frayed.  I repaired it, and am charging the battery now as I type.  Hopefully I will see some changes in the morning!  It is a $600 truck for God’s sake!  It should run like a top!  (And no, I do not know what that means.)

But for now I am still alone, with an actor dog, and awaiting my family.  The morning will come soon enough, but in between the Bears come on in 15 minutes!

Life is good!  And the day, overall, was not bad either!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+ 

Well, here I sit once again at home alone.  And what makes it all the more pathetic is that I got my weeks confused thinking a dinner party for the parish of St. Matthew’s was next Friday when it turns out it was last night!  And now I will sit for TWO nights with nothing to do.

Of course I COULD go out and get into trouble.  I was actually an expert at such things as a kid, but I have decided against it.  Scott will be home from band practice sooner or later (probably later) and the dog and cat need to be fed.  (Please do not get all caught up in the excitement)  Amanda is with Steph and Cassie seeing some Chinese acrobats in Missouri, and even Ben is hanging out with some friends on a play date.

So I will sit here and work on my sermon.  I have started it about 5 times, and have always ended it.  I am seeing a clear change in how I write these days, as I have moved from a complete manuscript to doing this back and forth nonsense and then just talking off the cuff.  It really isn’t off the cuff at all though, as I have been working on it all week.  BUT I find that I now tend to deviate from what I have written anyway, and  it gets all jumbled then.  Perhaps God is calling me to something new…..

But for now I will hang out in this empty house and contemplate what to do next.  Yes, I have seen “Risky Business,” and doing that dance would not only probably injure me, but traumatize my animals.  Instead I think I will get in my workout clothes and get onto the treadmill.  I was heading there anyway when our power went out earlier.  It will kill an hour and be good for me…….at least a lot better for me than dancing.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Yep, I have been here all night alone, except for the dog and cat.  Amanda and Ben have headed back to Missouri for “Parent’s Weekend,” and although Scott has stayed behind for a job interview tomorrow, he is 18 and therefore NEVER around.  He is rehearsing with his band tonight.  I imagine he will be doing the same tomorrow and Sunday as well.  And although I am clearly not the dog or cat’s first choice, I am all they have, so they amuse me.

But in truth, I am bored.  I have accomplished quite a lot today, as well as hit the YMCA and did some time on the treadmill.  I was contacted by our insurance company today as I apparently qualify for a special program which includes nurses and a nutritionist, but that was secondary to my motivation to work out.  I will say, my interview with them was disturbing though.  I know that I struggle with my weight, but I am in pretty good shape despite that.  What I discovered is that this does not matter.  I have been upset all day.  I hope it helps too!

But now it it almost 11.  Amanda, Steph, Ben and Cassie were heading to a museum. Scotty is still at rehearsal.  The dog and cat want me to go to bed….and I am in bed typing…….and bored!  I hope tomorrow will be a better day.  My gym clothes are washed and I will hit the Y again.  THAT however does nothing for the boredom.  I am praying to find a constructive way to address that!

Until tomorrow….goodnight and God Bless!

Tommy+

This morning I got a message from Google asking me if I wanted to look at some new formats for my blog.  Being a guy who really cannot stand change, I was a bit hesitant as my blog has had the same format since the beginning.  And in addition to that, consistency and routine are really good for me, so I originally decided to keep it the same.

But then I thought that readers might like to scroll through pictures, which I have only been doing for a couple of years.  The blog title has always had a connection to the content, but often you cannot tell what it is about by looking at the title.  This new format, one of MANY I can try, allows the picture, date, and title to display.  And clicking on it brings up that day.  Let me know what you think.  I hate to colors, but maybe if I can fond someone smart enough they can help me change it!

And speaking of change, since that is what this entry is about……I was trying to quote David Bowie in the title and even find a picture of him, but the weird ones are too weird and the recent ones just look like a middle aged guy that many people would not recognize.  So the water will not be as deep here as I intended.  But I hope you get the point.  I may be changing the format, and although I still will use this as a discipline and therapy as I have since my stroke, I am also well aware that a lot of people read this, and I can work a little harder to make it more appealing for them as well.

So change seems to be upon this, but we will see.  I just would like to know what you think!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I do not want to exaggerate, but our yard is just about two acres of land and has approximately 7 million trees on it.  And with it scheduled to rain tonight and tomorrow, I had to get out on the riding mower and mulch up the leaves on the ground.

It is pretty much a daily chore now to get these mulched, and so much easier than raking.  If they get wet, they mess the whole thing up, so that’s why I needed to get out there today.  7 million trees produce a lot of leaves, but fortunately I am up to the task.

I did get an earful from one of the “herd” of squirrels who lives in our yard.  He was definitely not happy. My best guess is that enough leaves have fallen to expose his shower or something similar, but whatever it was, he was not happy about it.  I did consider waking the dog up to chase him, but he was already tree-ed.

So at least I know tomorrow will not be a mowing/mulching day, as it will be wet.  I suppose I can live with that.  I have already been out there four times and most of the leaves are not even close to being down.  I can tell it’s going to be a busy few weeks ahead!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I am writing tonight to encourage you to check out another blog which is found on Facebook called “When Dementia came Knocking, a daughter’s journey.”  It is written by my cousin Christine Tirman, and is about her journey with her mom, the Matriarch of our family, Odette Tirman.    It is a great read, and particularly relevant as so many of us go through these same issues.

But more than anything, I encourage you to pray for them.  Dealing with these issues is a hard, but inevitable thing.  And sadly, we all go through it.  I love my family, and I am blessed to have them.  But more than that, I thank God for the courage of my cousin to post this journey.  It will be a blessing to you as well.  Give it a look and see what you think.  I am sure you will find it a blessing to you as well.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I often feel like Jay Cutler, the quarterback of my beloved Chicago Bears (who were beaten by Detroit tonight in Detroit).  I try to take the snap, drop back in the pocket and make a good throw, but often my protection is just not there.  No, I am not a real quarterback, but it is a pretty good metaphor for my life.

In truth, we all need to be surrounded by people who “have our back,” and sadly for Jay that doesn’t seem to be the case.  In my 50 years, I have never seen a Bear’s quarterback get to beat up.  But even the best teams will have issues, and that’s where it compares to my life.  We just have a lot going on right now, and things seem to “slip between the line” and it becomes harder to make those good choices.  Don’t get me wrong, I want to…..but occasionally you have to “rush a throw.”

So if you are not a football person, I apologize for the metaphor.  It just felt right today (and probably tomorrow and the rest of this week.)  I hope things get a bit easier, I really do.

But for now I will just do what I should and lead the best that I can.  Every minute is a new opportunity, and I am not willing to settle for second best!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I have to confess that I am enjoying the view.  My office is in between Scott/Ben’s room and our room, and as Ben is in his bed, I hear the familiar words, “Mom, I am scared.”  Of course he is not scared, but it serves him as an excuse to head into try and suck up to his mom.

There is good news and bad news in this though.  The bad news is that it never really works……at the start.  The good news is that he keeps at it an he wears her down.  It is a game of cat and mouse at its best.  And sadly for my wife, she is dealing with a four year old professional.

He is actually IN my office now, playing….but at every mention of her name he gets the “deer in the headlights” look and bolts to his room.  Sadly for him we have a signal.  I cough loudly in code and she will appear and he will be removed.

And of course that is just what has happened and now he is back in his room crying.  He doesn’t understand that this is not our first rodeo, but that’s okay.  It is fun to watch.  He is a real stinker and a true Tirman.  Thank God for him too.  He makes me laugh pretty hard.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Being a parent is hard work.  After driving Drew Carey all around Missouri (see yesterday’s blog) I spent as much time as I could with Steph in between her games, and suddenly we were back in the car heading home.  Too little, too fast…..but I wouldn’t trade a moment of it.

And of course now I am home typing, and waiting not just for my alarm to go off at 6, but also for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving when she will return home.   I was able to see her play in three games though.  She is an awesome player, and it was fun to watch.  As regular readers know, I have also resigned my position as the Noblesville High School Women’s Lacrosse Coach, so I will, for the remainder of her college career, be able to attend her games.  It felt weird to sit there and watch just as a parent…..but I will get used to it.  It is just so very cool to see her play at this level.

The picture was impromptu as we were walking towards our car to leave.  These young women are amazing lacrosse players, and even more impressive as people.  Two of them saw us taking the picture and stopped their car and ran over to be a part!  It was a lot of fun.

But now it’s back to the grind.  Tomorrow is another day…..and one more to cross out on our way to Thanksgiving break!  Yee Ha!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+ 

Yes, Ben, Amanda, and I are in Missouri visiting Steph and Cassie as Steph has three games tomorrow.  I am excited to see them all.

But one of the interesting dynamics is how Ben acts around all the college girls.  While guys my age desperately try to look and act younger, Ben tries to act older, thus he stole my glasses to act like a big guy.  There may be issues though, especially as he tells everyone that Cassie is his “girlfriend.”  And of course she was the one to get him that Transformers backpack for his birthday, which may indeed be the equivalent of a “promise ring” in the preschool world.  But Cassie didn’t seem to mind.  Ben just flirted with everyone.

And the funny part about my glasses is that they make everyone look like Drew Carey, which I of course take as a great thing, because he is one of my comedic idols.  I actually bought them however, not to look like Drew, but because I have a young son who whips his arms and legs around all the time.  And after he broke a couple of pair, I decided to go with indestructible.  They have been a great investment for me for sure!

But tonight we have enjoyed seeing the girls, having a nice dinner, and driving around a celebrity.  Tomorrow who knows?  The games for sure, but whether it’s Drew, Optimus Prime, Spiderman, or Batman we will not know until we get there.  It doesn’t matter though, he is our son and we will take him regardless of who he is.

Goodnight from Missouri and God Bless! (And keep the house clean Scotty!)

Tommy+