Monday, December 26, 2005

Stole It From Jamie

Well, I'm at work again.
Monday after Christmas. All businesses are closed except for us apparently.
We're supposed to close at noon. So the rental Manager and I are trying to find cool stuff on the net.
So I've been readiung through some journals, some random and some from people I know. I stole this "get to know mw list" from Jamie's entry back in July.....

1. full name: Charles Shawn Stinson
2. glasses/contacts: neither, but beginning to think I might need them soon.
3. birthdate: 02/19/75 - This year I'll actually be "in my 30's" not just 30.
4. religion: Christian
5. siblings: 2 sisters, one older and one younger.
6. Nicknames: "Shawny" or "Shawny-poo, in Elementary school "Gilbert", @ a previous job "Andre", or "Shawn-boy" to my Dad
7. Where you want to live: I'm pretty happy where I am now. But I wish I was a little closer to town. I currently have to drive 10 miles just to get to a gas station or convenience store.
8. Birthplace: Columbus, MS
9. Ever gone skinny dipping? no
10. Favorite movies: Face Off, Tommy Boy, & Any Back to the Future Movie.
11. Favorite Book: I love the Dark Tower Series By Stephen King. And The Book Of James.
12. Favorite Type of music: Acoustic Alternative & Rock
13. Favorite types of cars: old Jeep Cherokees (the old ones with the boxy look)
14. Favorite Saying: "It's all good"
15. Favorite Fast Food: Subway
16. Favorite Ice Cream: Mayfield's Moo-lineum Crunch
17. When Do You Go To Sleep: 11pm to midnight
18. Funniest Person you know: It's a tood up between Kristi & Joseph Kinnaird
19. Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving - The great food of Christmas without the rush to try to see everyone.
20. Favorite Food: Mexican, specifically Chicken Quesdillas
21. Favorite Television Show: anything CSI
22. Favorite junk food: Ice Cream
23. Favorite sappy love song: "Everything I do, I do it for you" That dates me some doesn't it.
24. Favorite Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper
25. College: Montevallo, Shelton State, UAB @ Walker Cellege, & UAB
26. How Many Kids You Want: 2
27. What Kind Of Job You Want: TBD
28. Pets: Cat & I want a dog
29a. FAVORITE SMELLS: Breakfast @ Grandmaw's
29b. LEAST FAVORITE SMELL: Vomit
30. FAVORITE SOUND? Ethan Running through the house.
31. FAVORITE COLOR? Blue
32. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY? Cool
33. IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OF HALF FULL? Half Full
34. What CD is in your player? The Legend Of Johnny Cash (Greatest Hits)
35. What's the most annoying thing people ask you? "Why do you live in Jasper?" People talk about it like it's the last city before you reach the edge of the world.

Friday, December 23, 2005

I'm a clock watcher

Well, Here I am.
At work.
It's 2:18 and today is "Festivus". (Seinfeld reference)

I've been told I can leave early, but not before 3:00. That means I'll be leaving at 3:01.
I'm so ready for Christmas. I'm really excited about Christmas this year. I can't wait to see the boy's response when he sees all his gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. Of course since he's not even 2 so he currently has no idea that he's going to "rack up" in a couple of days.
Here's what he's getting from us....
A Tricycle
A "swirling sawdust workbench" complete with tools.
A large metal Tonka Dumptruck
An art Easel (Easle?) with a chalkboard on one side and dry erase board on the other.
A remote control Car
A "Little People" Farm
some clothes
some chalk and accessories for his easel.
some bath tub toys
and finally a figure 8 electric race track. You know the kind with the two cars and the triggers to race around it.(The box says for ages 8 and up so I guess I'll always have to play with it with him, for safety of course.)

I'm glad we're building a new house. We're going to need the room for all his stuff. This list does not even include the gifts he'll get for all grandparents and great grandparents and aunts and uncles. It's going to be great.

But also with this fun comes the issue of scheduling the madness. Here's our schedule as it stands right now....

Today... go by Walmart for last minute presents and christmas snack foods. then get home and wrap presents.
Tonight..Possibly open some presents with Ethan and Kristi. (We've always opened one on Festivus because we're so impatient.) The hang out with Kristi's Parents and sister for milk cookies and a ]viewing of the Christmas Classic "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". I'm laughing just thinking about it.
Tomorrow morning...Go to Kristi's parents and have Christmas with them.
Tomorrow Noon...Go to my parents and have Christmas with My immediate family.
Tomorrow evening.. @ 5pm lead worship at the Christmas Eve Communion service at church. then go hang out at home or with the Allred's some more.
Tomorrow late night... help Santa assemble gifts and get everything in order for Christmas.
Christmas morning...Santa Claus @ our house
Christmas midmorning..Breakfast with Kristi's Grandparents and aunts and uncles on the Allred Side.
Christmas Mid to later morning...Lead 10am worship service at church
Christmas Lunch...Christmas with Kristi's Mom's side of the family..
Christmas afternoon...Crash and burn. Try to get some rest and enjoy the booty we collected over the past few days.

I'm tired just thinking about it.

One final thing....
I can't express how awesome it is that The Creator of the universe did what He did for us. I don't want to get into a heavy theology thing right now, but I've been thinking about the fact that on the one hand God gave his only son to walk the earth like us, experience what we experience, then die a horrible death to save us from our sin. (Even though he did rise again.) I would never give my son for anybody. Ever.

Then on the other hand I realize that because Jesus is God, God sacrificed himself. He choose to come here and go through what he went through just so that we could have a relationship with him.
To know that God came in the humble way that he did says so much about our God and our Lord and the things he finds important.

I am so thankful for the gifts he's given me, including my family, my job, my church, my possessions and my friends. I am so unworthy.

"And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"


Charles Wes­ley, Psalms and Hymns, 1738.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

House Update

Just an update on the house....
The sheetrock is finished and sanded.

Brickers have started working. They don't like the Red Brick with Red Mortar combo, but I think it looks great. They sadi looking at all that red gives them a headache. They 've gotten up to the windows on the back and far side of the house.

Some crown molding has been installed. They've still got to finish putting in the doorways and molding around the windows.

I'm getting really excited about having a new house, but really scared about having a house payment

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Only A Matter Of Time

Well, it's only a matter of time before I get fired from job #1.

I realized today that I have achieved none of my sales goals for 2005. That's really sad. But, to make matters worse, another guy in my same position has not only reached his goals but has surpassed me the past few months. He's more than quadrupled my revenue numbers in the last quarter.
=(

Actually I don't think I will get fired. I think everyone is aware that I tried my hardest and that the majority of his revenue has been a fluke. It's been a result of the increase in demand in the southern half of the state (all his Territory)due to the hurricanes.

I know this isn't a great journal entry. And to anyone reading it, it sounds pretty depressing, but I wanted to be sure to get this is writing that way I can look back in 2006 and hopefully this will encourage me to go even further to secure get more new business.

It also makes me wonder...
am I a sales guy who also leads worship?
Or am I a worship leader who also is in sales?
I think there's a big difference.

Friday, December 9, 2005

Oh! Grow Up!

I realized today that I'm 11.
Physically I'm 30 years old. But mentally I think I'm 11.

I think I've known this for a while, but it really hit home for me today when a co-worker mentioned that he can't walk into Wal-mart without going through the tool section just to see what new gadgets are available.

I do the same thing, except I always walk through the toy section then the section where they keep the playstation games. And I do it for the same reason. I want to know what is new on the shelves.

I think part my interest in the toy section really started happening a few years ago when the toys I grew up with started reappearing on the shelves. G.I. Joe's, Transformers, Star Wars, superheroes. Even my pic for my livejournal profile is of a favorite G.I. Joe character of mine from when I was a kid. (FYI: His name is SnakeEyes. He's a Ninja who can't speak due to injuries received while saving a friend while fighting in 'Nam) Is it sad that I still know that and that I still think he's a cool character?

I'm not sure when I'm going to grow up. There's a part of me that hopes I never do. I think the day that I'm no longer impressed with the look of the new Batmobile on the toy shelf is the day that I'll consider myself old.

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Appliances

So I'm in the process of building a house.
Man, is it an expensive process.
I had to go pick out my appliances recently. I had no idea there were so many options on a dish washer. I mean, all I really wanted was a button on the front that would say "wash dishes". But we ended up getting the star trek model that's got more buttons that my cell phone.

Anyway, I guess it's all cool. More gadgets for me to figure out.
Our refrigerator has a few cool things on it too. You can set it to alarm if it is opened. That way we'll be able to "come a runnin'" if Ethan tries to get out the pickles or something. (He really loves pickles.) Or I guess I could set it to let me know if Kristi is trying to get into my Moose Tracks Ice Cream.

Anyway, I'm excited about getting the house finished and finally being in a place that is ours.

Here's a status report, Today they are mudding the sheet rock and according to the guy this morning they expect to be finished today. The brick has still not been delivered so I'm not sure when they'll get started on that. But, overall it's still moving pretty fast.

I'm thankful for all the blessings in my life.
God is Good all the time.