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The Princess City……Mishawaka, Indiana

How ironic that on a night that I begin a three night stay in my hometown, Mishawaka, Indiana, the debate on Facebook between us “natives” is whether Princess Mishawaka was really the daughter of Chief Elkhart, and even more importantly, if she really existed.

In truth, it all makes me feel uncomfortable. There are just some things you count on, and for me, one of them is that I grew up in a town (now a major city) named for an Indian Princess who is buried under a rock near the river. Mishawaka is “The Princess City” and it would be a royal shame to find out that it all wasn’t true. History means a lot, and to all of us who grew up here, it means even more.
Of course I think the city is now about 100k people, but when I lived here it was just 15k. The hotel I am staying at while I scope out locations for churches up here was WAY OUT in the CORN when I grew up, but is in a congested area now! It is nice, but honestly I cannot say I am happy. It is no longer small town Indiana……and I am clearly a DINOSAUR.
But I will take comfort in the fact that I still believe she exists and is buried here. And like many other times, I will drive by that grave tomorrow. Some things we just need to believe, and this is one of them.
I thank God I get to spend a few days at home…..albeit in a (nice) building in the middle of what should be just corn. It is still Mishawaka, and I still feel my best here.
Who says you can’t go home?
Goodnight and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Yes I did….but it is nothing to be proud of……

Although I often mention my spectacular career as an ice hockey player (it’s so much more spectacular in my mind too) what many people do not realize is that I took a short season break from ice hockey to play soccer for Manchester. Yes, it is true, and yes I did, and I even started. But this story is just as amazing as the story of my dad breaking his arm playing football at Notre Dame (also true). My dad broke his in gym class…..I played for the amazing Manchester College Spartans in North Manchester, Indiana. (That’s right, not that silly English team)

But in the first semester after high school that’s about all I did. I gave up playing college hockey and selected Manchester College to be near my high school girlfriend. I spoke to the football coach about playing football for them on my campus visit in the Spring. He flatly turned me down because I didn’t play high school ball. I was a good football player, but played HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY. He wouldn’t even give me a tryout. After all, the Spartans football team had to protect their reputation. Dear Lord, I had never even heard of them!
So I saw the soccer team down on their field after he rejected me and walked over to talk to the coach. His name was Coach Hastings and he was very gracious. I told him I didn’t know a thing about soccer and had never even kicked a real soccer ball before, but if he would let me tryout in the fall when I arrived that I would buy a ball that day and train every day over the summer and learn the game…..which I did. And though they also were no powerhouse, I loved it. I came to camp as the fastest player, could kick/shoot with both legs, and brought my hockey aggression with me. I started at left inside striker, and learned a lot.
One of the things I learned was to not make decisions based upon things like a high school girlfriend. She actually dumped me after close to three years of dating just about 2 weeks after I arrived. I went into a deep depression, which led to some healthy aggression on the field and a varsity letter……..BUT that was all I got. I left college just after the season, with a varsity letter and a half a credit from gym. I failed everything else.
I drove over to the campus today on my way back from a trip up north. So many things were the same. It amazed me at how I remembered things, and how even the same of failing welled up in me there too. No one wants to go to college to fail, and here’s a secret, I just didn’t do it there……I did it three times in three places.
But despite the failure, and despite the pain, and despite the shame, God used it to bring me to the life I have now. Sure, Angelina went on to Brad, but come on, look what I have! In truth, I needed to be there, even for such a short while, and I needed to fail…because ultimately, I need to connect with reality and grow up. And that I did…..for the most part.
Ironically, I will be spending the next four days up north, but not in North Manchester, but in Mishawaka my home. I am sure I will see a lot more things that will bring on these important memories, and all and all, I expect to learn a lot.
I have no regrets about my past, as long as I can learn from it, and thankfully I have. Having your name be synonymous with “academic probation” is nothing to be proud of, yet it is the “Tirman way.” So like the rest of my relatives, I screwed up and went on to be successful. But they are just doctors and professors and such……no one did it like me. After all I played a season of soccer for Manchester.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Taken out of the will……maybe, maybe not

Tonight we were looking for a picture for the blog as Amanda was holding court up in our room while supervising Ben taking a bath in the tub (picture would not load….sorry). Amanda was on the bed, and Steph and Molly were sitting there with her, while Scott was trying to get Viper to grab his stuffed squirrel from his hand. Viper was no less than pathetic at this, and as he was struggling with the task Scott said……”He cannot help it, he is old like dad.” (Viper is 7 and I am 49)

Of course I was not offended when they ALL laughed, but I really thought the dog should be. Men in my family live forever….well into their 90’s, and even though my dad is WAY past that at 163 (yes I have people ask me if my exaggerations of his age are really true, and this one is not true….he is only 123) I couldn’t help but think that it was a slam at his dog.
Of course Viper hasn’t and wouldn’t bite a soul. He is most times barely awake enough to chew his food, but in all truth, he does that by choice. He is comfortable in his own fur as they say (mostly in the dog world) and is intent upon living the life he wants, not anyone else.
So the gist of it all is that it is Saturday night…..Ben is clean, Molly and Steph are now probably glad they did not choose Penn State for college, Amanda feels listened to, Scott really does think he is funny (he is), Viper has his squirrel, and I, though classified as “old” am just about at my “half way” point in life. I thought about taking them all out of my will, but decided against it at the last minute. After all, their being funny is just their way of showing me they love me.
And I will have the last laugh when they are at my attorney’s splitting up my $9.35 estate……..
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Relationship Issues……..

In retrospect, buying our three year old son a recorder (yes, the one like a flute) was probably a mistake. But just like so many other men, I apparently am unable to know that I am making a mistake until she sees me. To me, it was a worthwhile investment, at least for the “cute factor” but any moron can tell you that $1.00 for a recorder in the hands of a three year old is a musical mistake. (they actually play this very music during hostage standoffs to mess up the criminals)

But for a time, we thought we were cool and in for some praise. Also in retrospect, it probably would have helped had I made a comment about her hair too (since she had just come from the salon). But if I were really capable of wise choices, I wouldn’t be a guy.
So I am hoping to recover in some way this evening. The hair compliments are clearly too late (though it does look maaaavaelous) and I thought we were making progress when Amanda picked up the recorder and started playing (though she will not tell you….she plays the saxophone) but BEN grabbed it an broke it. (You would think that when you spend that kind of cash something would last.) So the bottom line is NO progress.
But here is the blessing……I am a GUY and I am used to it! So no worries there! I will survive the night and move into the next day. And no worries there either……..I have just bought Ben an accordion on Ebay!
(I MAY have redeemed myself with the VIDEO included on this blog!)
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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At his post……

As things get weirder and weirder here in the United States, I made the decision to beef up the security here at the Tirman Compound. A man’s home is his castle as they say, yet my neighborhood association specifically denied my request for the construction of a moat. I had no choice, since I am not capable of staying awake 24/7 to guard the yard, I made the decision to arm my children. And once again, not the neighborhood association, but this time the police have these things called “laws” which in other places they seem unwilling to follow, but here I had to just give Ben a squirt gun.

It is okay though, because he not only enjoys it, but he is a squirt. He had a blast first shooting the water into the air, then the dog, then me, and then his mom….the latter also apparently against some law, though Amanda frequently makes stuff like that up. It’s nothing like the idea I had about opening a wildlife refuge here in Indiana a few years ago that Amanda poo-pooed. She’s pretty ignorant about the Constitution though, because everyone knows that the Second Amendment talks about our right to Bear Farms.
But for now I will just worry about guarding our yard. The moles are still an issue, and one I intend to address tomorrow. The work on the Church will not take place until next week. But for now I am just proud to be an American and to own my little piece of God’s Good Earth (okay, I know all you clergy-types….I am only the steward). Still, it is a heck of a blessing!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Seeking the Affirmation Massager 3000…….

You probably do not want to know. We are already 200.00 into this leak with nothing to show. The plumber did say the leak is clearly in between the water meter at the street and where the water comes into the house, but the idea is now that an excavator needs to dig up the side yard and run a new line. We are currently negotiating because we cannot understand how that could really be considered “on premises.” Time will tell, but we will see.

So it has been a long and stressful day. I was able to get myself a new phone tonight, which I needed, but that I clearly do not understand. I suppose the stress does not help, but in the end it will make my life easier. They do not yet make a phone that rubs your shoulders and tells you how blessed they are to be your phone yet, but had they had one, I would have paid a million dollars for one. I will just have to be satisfied with the one I have.
But just as I have been on a BIG learning cure by switching from a PC to a MAC, I have now moved from a Blackberry to an Android….the cure is getting larger, but I am along for the ride (as opposed to “up for the task.”)
But tonight I did get a few minutes to relax with the cat who was in the basement hiding from the storms. It reminded me that I am not a cat and that I really need to be out being a bit more proactive in my own storms. And that I will. I may be a techno-moron, but if I can get some traction I can negotiate even the most treacherous storms. Tomorrow I intend to too.
But if not, I will spend the rest of the day looking for that affirmation/massage phone. Let’s hope it all goes well!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Fandangoliscious……..

No, it is not a real word, but it truly encompasses the lack of clarity in my day today. The water is off and mostly gone. We have blowers drying out the dirt under the church. Our insurance does NOT cover the clean up nor the repair, and the costly part, the plumber, is coming tomorrow. I know over the course of my career colleagues have always got excited to have doctors as members, but I never have seen it that way. I don’t care what people do. But today I do see what a real and tangible blessing it would be to have a church with some plumbers, electricians, and mechanics….but unfortunately we have none of these! When you do, there is never a problem I am sure.

I have considered asking my dad, who is a PhD. psychologist and retired, to come tomorrow and crawl under the church and talk to the pipe (which is what we think it is) about why he is leaking. It would be cheaper I am sure, though I am not certain about its effectiveness. I am just trying to save money we do not currently have.
So keep us in your prayers and pray especially that this is a simple job. Tomorrow I want to be spectaculariscious, and nothing else in my mind will do. And fortunately for me and the way my mind works, all that just may be possible!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+

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“Don’t drive angry, don’t drive angry…..”

If I had a nickel for everyday I have had like today I would have at least 5 cents. At times I feel as if my life is like my favorite Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day,” while other times I just long for it because I would know what to expect. Moles aside tonight, because they are the least of my worries, I can see why people drink too much or run away! I am trying my best tonight to not do either.

But today has been a tough day….no, I have not caught a mole nor have I received any type of communication from them seeking either a settlement or a surrender. My day, all day, has in my estimation been on the edge of explosive, but a lot less stressful that receiving a call that the parking lot of our new St. Patrick’s was flooding. I wet down there and met the water department. There is a leak between the shut off at the street and the main shut off to the building. Our landlord is a GREAT GAL and though she mentioned that it is plumbing “on the premises” and “technically” ours to deal with (meaning pay for) she wants to work with us on it. Fortunately the city shut off the water and tomorrow morning we will begin to dry the thing out and get it fixed. I however do not need any additional stress in my life….particularly today.
So I indeed have poured myself a vodka tonic, but in an effort to not run away, I have handcuffed myself to the chair and I threw the key out of my reach. I know my limits and I am close to them, but had I really wanted to suffer I would have thrown the vodka tonic out of my reach too. I am dumb, but not stupid.
Anyway, the sunrise may not bring a better day, but it will lead to solutions, but tonight I will just set it aside. Bill Murray told the gopher, “Don’t drive angry,” and I won’t. I will instead take a deep breath and center myself for the new day.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Of moles and men……

Though it is just after 8 pm here, it seems like 11 to me. My body is clearly out of whack, and I long for it to get back into a rhythm. My sleep cycles are all messed up, but hopefully soon I can get back to normalcy.

You see, I like routine, and I do best when I know what to expect. Lots of people are that way I suppose, and I number myself among them. I am not quite their king, but I could make a case for it. With my ever-fluid brain, the routine helps me to keep balance.
That’s why TWO things are bothering me now! You see I not only blog as a form of therapy, but I also work hard on my lawn. It is great exercise and a very tangible discipline as well. That’s why the sudden appearance of CRABGRASS is driving me wild…..particularly since I treated for it months ago. It is now popping up everywhere, but only to be surpassed in irritation by a MOLE.
Now I say “mole,” because the plural, “moles,” is just too much to fathom right now, but considering the tunnels are more numerous and elaborate than those in the Afghanistan mountains, I may be dealing with a bunch.
And I have tried all sorts of things that I have tried before that have never worked in my entire life…..hoses, poison, treating for bugs, and even mole traps. If they are still around next week I am going to claim them on my taxes, but for now I want them OUT.
In Caddyshack it was a gopher, and the dynamite Bill Murray used to try and terminate him destroyed a lot of the golf course, and I am considering this because these little rodents are killing off a lot of my lawn.
So keep me in your prayers. I sprayed the crabgrass again tonight with something new, though I am wondering if it was a good idea…after all, in a few weeks with the moles, it may be all I have left. I now have to figure out a plan for the moles. I may just call a dermatologist.
Goodnight and God Bless!
Tommy+
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My consultant has a nose that knows…….

We have had some problems growing our Fellowship in Brownsburg, and Deacon Tony and I agreed it has a lot to do with the discomfort that people have coming to worship in somebody’s home. And although Tony and Denise have been generous in their offering, it seemed the time to restart our search for a “place” to meet for worship.

So tonight, instead of hanging out with my wife and Ben at the Noblesville Street Dance, our trusty dog Viper and I got into the car and drove out west. It wasn’t like Lewis and Clark, particularly because I had the air on and his head was out the window. And, though I do not remember history all that well, we were in a Volkswagen, when everyone knows that Lewis and Clark were not…..they drove a Ford. But we saw a lot, driving through the towns of Brownsburg, Avon, Plainfield, and Indianapolis. And, I have some ideas as to what we do next.
You see, we have a lot of people who are interested out there, but when it comes down to brass tacks, they just don’t seem to show up. That means we might want to consider a different plan. Tony will tell you, we already have our best-looking clergy out there, but that apparently is not enough! (Yep, that is a joke….everyone really thinks Fr. Stephen is the best-looking because he is young and he no doubt pays them) But regardless, we want to make things grow out there.
So if you know of a church willing to rent some space, or you are willing to donate thousands of dollars, get in touch with either Tony or me! Holy Spirit is a great opportunity, and my consultant has been out that way and agrees. And who in their right mind could ever disagree with God’s favorite dog……the Golden Retriever?
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+