Dear Dairy,
I am only gonna have to work 5 12 hour days this week instead of 6. I don’t know why the changed it, I am sorta glad for the time off, but I was looking forward to that big check.

Friday night is the last night my shift works before the lay off takes effect. It sounds like alot of the people who are getting laid off are gonna lay out. They were saying goodbyes in the clock line this morning and wishing each other luck.

The more I check into it the more I am really considering trying my own business of pressure washing. Lynn is even sounding encouraging about it. We have done some research and it looks promising as a way of making a living. I am thinking about going ahead and getting some of the equipment and giving it a shot on a part time basis. It would be good to do that and get my foot in the door with some customers. That way if the plant shuts down I will have a head start.

Dairy, sometimes it is so aggravating that my family thinks I am stupid. I may be stupid but not as bad as they seem to think. I told dad about my plans and he started telling me “you’ll need insurance” and then he asks ” who will your customers be” he asked it like I ain’t thunk of none that. Now Dairy I ain’t dissing my dad he just aggravates me sometimes. If I ask advice he won’t give it unless I practically beg him for it and if I don’t ask he wants to make suggestions right and left. It ain’t like the idea popped in my head and I just said “Hey I’ll start my own business.” Heck, I thunk about it a good deal before I ever mentioned it Lynn. I guess I am the Rodney Dangerfield of the VonStegall family, I don’t get no respect.

Every time I tell someone about starting my own business I get the same crap. Who knows maybe I am stupid but dadgum it I’ll give it shot if the plant shuts down and I may give it shot if it dutton shut down. I got something else in mind that I think I will research also but I ain’t gonna tell about it. But if I do decide to try either one I will not go into it without a clue of what I am doing. And if I go bust that will be alright also, at least I would have tried. Having said all that I sure hope the plant don’t shut down.

!>>:;><<):”””"===++!@##$%%^%%

1JOHN 2: BUT YE HAVE A UNCTION FROM THE HOLY ONE, AND YE KNOW ALL THINGS.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND I HAVE BEEN UNCTIONED!!!

Dear Dairy,
This is my last week on 12 hour shifts. Boy is it gonna be a long one. The next 6 days ain’t gonna be nothing but work and sleep. After that I will have a whole week off, then it is off to the 5 day a week 8 hours a day schedule. I don’t think I will like it any better; it will be the same work and the same long drive, and working for the same moronic management. As long as it is coming I guess I am ready to just get it over with and start the new schedule. I should find out which machine I will be operating sometime this week.

We still can’t decide what we want to do with my week off. Do we be sensible and stay home or go take a short 2 night trip. If the weather is good we may go camping. We have also talked about taking down all the bedroom and closet doors and painting them. Nah that sounds too much like work.

I done some checking and I think I can start that business doing pressure washing without spending a fortune. Of course it will take a decent amount of money to get started and then if I bomb it will seem like a fortune. I was still kinda surprised that I could get all the equipment that I think I need for less than I thought. The down side to that work would be any rain days cut me out of work. Also if the construction business slows that will affect it also. It doesn’t really matter I probably will never go into business for myself anyway, too many headaches. I really don’t like the idea of working two jobs again but that would be the best way to start. I could sort of build up business and that way if the plant shut down I would have a headstart. But then again if the plant never shuts down I will be working two jobs just so I can pay for the equipment. I think for now I will just pray that the plant improves and I will keep reading and trying to learn as much as I can about the business.

Dairy I sure am gonna miss my family this week. It’s gonna be busy. I may try to give one of my overtime days away near the end of the week if I get too tired, but then again that extra money will be nice and I can sleep plenty during the shutdown week. All this thinking about what to do just makes me dread the long stretch more and more, so I reckon I will stop now.

So long and God bless.

1 JOHN 2:19 THEY WENT OUT FROM US, BUT THEY WERE NOT OF US: FOR IF THEY HAD BEEN OF US, THEY WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE CONTIUED WITH US: BUT THEY WENT OUT, THAT THEY MIGHT BE MADE MANIFEST THAT THEY WERE NOT ALL OF US.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND I HOPE MY PAL JAMISLINC GETS TO FEELING BETTER SOON.

Dear Dairy,
I woked up around 4:30 having to pee. I couldn’t go back to sleep so I got up and looked at the ss lesson, then laid down on the couch to try to go back to sleep. I was almost asleep when the stupid cat jumped on me and then the next time I almost dozed off a girl from work called to see if I would cover for her tonight. I couldn’t cover or go back to sleep so I watched an Andy Griffith movie.

We got some of them credit card applications in the mail yesterday so I opened them up and then put everything back in the self addressed, postage free envelope and I will send it back monday. Let them put their trash in their own trash can. Just for good measure I put an empty m and m wrapper in one of them. I do this every now and again. One of them sent us a refrigerator magnet(like that’s gonna make us sign up) so I took that out, you can never have too mini magnets on your refrigerator.

It’s gonna be a long day at church today, it is pastor appreciation week so we are having a dinner after the service. We got some good cooks and I like to sample a little bit of everything. I am trying to eat better but it is so hard sometimes. I know I will over eat today.

Oh well Dairy, I reckon I’ll check back with you again later today or maybe tomorrow. See ya later old pal.

1 JOHN 2:18 LITTLE CHILDREN, IT IS THE LAST TIME; AS YE HAVE HEARD THAT ANTICHRIST SHALL COME, EVEN NOW ARE THERE MANY ANTICHRISTS; WHEREBY WE KNOW THAT IT IS THE LAST TIME.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND I APPRECIATE MY PASTOR!!

My dearest Dairy,
I started out slow today and finished strong.

We went to town early and Jamie buyed a TV with his birthday money. He originally wanted to buy video games. We was gonna let him but first we made him listen to some common since. The common cents was this: You always get a video game and beat it in a short time and then never play it again. We suggested that he get a TV and we would pay what he was short. He had a TV that is old and probably won’t last much longer anyway. He mulled it over and decided to get the TV. Now that was not only common cents for him but for me and Lynn. If his TV went out we would have got him another, more than likely. So we saved us some money and he got something that has the potential to last years. I still have a TV that I bought when I was 17 and I am almost 37 now.

WE use to boycott Disney because we are southern baptist and we agreed with the boycott. Part of the boycott was against McDonalds(they are owned by disney), now that there have been sum changes at dizzknee we are dropping the boycott at the southern baptist suggestion, on a trial basis. We got us a big mac today, it was alright but I think I prefer burger king better. I should have gotten the 20 piece chicken nuggets, I all weighs liked them. Maybe next time.

I tried to take a knap but couldn’t so I lazed around for most of the afternoon. Then I took the trash off, reluctantly I might add. Own the weigh back from the dump I went past calvins rental house and him and jamison and the sleek shiek was cutting grass. I stopped and shot the breeze for awhile and let jamie play with the boys. OLD calvin must’ve inspirated me because I came home and cut my grass, every bit of it. Then I changed the dirty air filters in both cars. So I finished strong on a day I thought I was gonna just be lazy all day.

The Today show on NBC had “Doctor” tom cruise on one day this week. He was asked about his criticism of Brooke Shield for taking medicine for post-partum depression. He talked to the host like he was plane stupid. He says you don’t know the history of psychiatry I do. He says there is no such thing as chemical imbalance and that those types of drugs are unnecesary, he knows because he studied the history of psychiatry. You know I can take any stance I want on psychiatry and go to the library and find studies and books to support it. The same goes for websites. Weather you are four or against these medicines you can find something to support your view. Personally my views on this subject are:(I like using the colon)1. My son is on four of them medicines that he was trashing. 2. I do not like him being on them but I can see the difference in the quality of his life. 3. There probably are some parents who just want to make their kids into zombies so they don’t have to deal with them. But I’ll go out on a limb and say most are probably like we are, they try real hard to give what is needed to improve the quality of life without giving enough that will make the kid a zombie(my kid definetely ain’t no zombie). 4. I’ve said this befour but I’ll say it again. If your heart, kidney, liver, colon, and the appendix, which has no known use can malfunction then what in the crap makes this idiot think that the most complex organ in the body, which is the brain, should work perfectly and never have any troubles. We have the technology to treat these problems. We would be very sorrow stewards of this technology if we did not use it to better our lives.

1 JOHN 2:17 AND THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY, AND THE LUST THEREOF; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF GOD ABIDETH FOR EVER.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND I IS GOING TO GO RUB MY WIFES FEET!!

Dear Dairy,
I work with a guy who is gay. That don’t bother me, it’s his life, he can live it anyway he wants. What I don’t like is that he has one of them rainbow tags. I have heard him call it his fag tag(his words). I guess most groups like to have some kind of symbol to identify themselves or to make themselves stand out. I know I like to wear my tarheel shirt. It says I’m a tarheel fan. I’m proud of the work I do(we make an excellent product, CONTINENTAL and GENERAL TIRES) so I like to wear my company shirts around. Anyway I can understand that they may want something to identify themselves, but why do they have to take something like the rainbow that was sent from God and has a positive meaning and pervert it. Like I said they have the right to choose to live anyway they want, I just wonder why they picked a symbol that has absolutely nothing to do with their lifestyle.

I’d rather not have that stuff shoved down my throat. Every tv show seems to have a homosexual, you would think that they are a significant percentage of the population. I also don’t understand why they want to force their way into the Boy Scouts of America. They clearly don’t agree with what the boy scouts stand for so why not stay away from them. I was a scout and the pledge or oath I can’t remember which says something about keeping yourself pure in mind and body. If I remember correctly it also says I promise to do my best to do my duty to God and my country. Homosexuals do not agree with that so why try to join an organization that they disagree with.

There are several gay people that I work with and while I do not agree with there lifestyle choice I try to treat them the same way I treat everyone else. That is what my Lord commands me to do in Matthew 7:12 THEREFORE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER YE WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO YE EVEN SO TO THEM: FOR THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.

A rainbow is suppose a reminder of a wonderful promise from God. If you are gonna use a rainbow as a symbol or a logo why not make it something that is Godly and decent. Like the dear lady who calls her grandchildren her rainbows, I think that is much more appropriate.

I guess that is enough rambling on that. It is just something I was thinking about on the way home from work so I thought I would type about it.

1 JOHN 2:16 FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD, THE LUST OF THE FLESH, AND THE LUST OF THE EYES, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE, IS NOT OF THE FATHER, BUT IS OF THE WORLD.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS!!

Dear Dairy,
They revised the new shift alignment. I now have one guy beat on night shift, so I am moving on up. They had told us we would be shut down from the 1st thru the 10th. Now they have posted that we will work until the 3rd. So I got up some extra overtime, thinking I would be off 2 days earlier. I think I will skip overtime this weekend since I will have to work 6 twelves from monday until sunday. Hung by my own petard!

I done some checking on a that pressure washing business. I talked to a guy who knows the ins and outs of the construction business. He said that there is definitely a market out there. He even made a few suggestions that I hadn’t thunk of. He knew what the going rates are and told how several different people that he has dealt with charges. Next on my list is to check on equipment prices. I’ll start with new equipment and then see how used stuff compares. Who knows maybe something will work out if they shut down the plant.

I guess I need to get to bed so I will be rested up enough to do yard work the day after today. I hate yard work. If I could afford it I’d hire it out. That is enough crap for today. Have a good day Dairy.

1 JOHN 2:15 LOVE NOT THE WORLD, NEITHER THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORLD. IF ANY MAN LOVE THE WORLD, THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS NOT IN HIM.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND AIN’T SURE ABOUT CHANGE.

Dear Dairy,
Last night the family dinner went good. Jamie came up with a new sysyem of opening gifts. Instead of getting them all together and opening them all at the same time, he opened them as they got here. Lynn’s parents got here and he opened their’s. My parents got here he opened their’s. His aunt got here and he opened hers. He was really excited he got the video game he wanted so bad. He got a decent amount of cash. He wants to buy more video games. We are trying to encourage him to think about what he wants and to make a good decision about spending it.

My head strarted throbbing just like I said it would and it contiued until I went to bed, which was pretty early. I can’t complain to much since it has been quite awhile cents I have had a migraine. It is a bad feeling to know ahead of time that your head is fixin to hurt like crap. The good thing is if you take something before it actually starts hurting sometimes you can prevent the biggest part of the pain. Last night was not one of them nights.

I got a good jump on my sunday school lesson for this week by reading it monday night. It was so relaxing sitting by the fire reading and thinking in a peaceful setting. The temperature was just right. It would have been perfect if Lynn would have been there with me. This weeks lesson is about telling others about salvation. Its easy to say I try to live in a way that witnesses and testifys of Christ, which is what we are suppose to do. But sometimes I think I say that as a cop out for not verbally testifying about my salvation, what it is and how to recieve it. I know I need to be a verbal witness yet I don’t always look for the opportunities to do it. There are always opportunities everywhere I go but I need to be watching for them. I’m not saying that I don’t verbally witness, I am saying I could do it alot more than I do. So my job this sunday is to get the youth to be aware of witness opportunities and to take advantage of them. Most of them have been in church most of their lives so I don’t know that I really teach them anything, but I am mostly reinforcing what they have already heard. I read somewhere that you have to take in something 7 times before you really get it. I only read that once so it may be some other number besides seven. If I see it six more times I will know for sure.

In two weeks it will be the fourth of july week. We have been told we will tentatively have off about 10 days. They will not post anything so we don’t know for sure. I wish they would post something so that we can make plans to do something if we are gonna have extra time off. We are thinking about going camping and hiking and maybe take in a couple of minor league ballgames. There are several teams in the area playing and most of them are gonna have fireworks at least once during that week.

But until then I have more overtime than usual lined up. I want to be able to make up for any extra time off and also be able to pay for anything we do that week without taking any money from our regular budget. If we have extra time off I have enough overtime to cover it especially if you count holiday pay. If we don’t have extra time off it will help pad the checking account some. Either way it will be alright with me.

Good day and God bless everyone in diary land.

1 JOHN 2:14 I HAVE WRITTEN UNTO YOU, FATHERS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE KNOWN HIM THAT IS FROM THE BEGININNG. I HAVE WRITTEN UNTO YOU, YOUNG MEN, BECAUSE YE ARE STRONG, AND THE WORD OF GOD ABIDETH IN YOU, AND YE HAVE OVERCOMETH THE WICKED ONE.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND MY FAVORITE TV SHOW IS ANDY GRIFFITH!!!

Dear Dairy,
I’m gonna try to get this entry in before I get a migraine headache. My left eye is getting blurry so in about 20 minutes my whole head will be throbbing.

I think everyone had a good time camping. We went swimming first. They have big pool there and we had about a third of it to ourselves. We saw lots of deer and the boys played in a big gully behind our campsite for several hours. I got in a good bit of reading.

The boys actually went to bed at 9:30 on their own. I stayed up til about 1 and got up around 5. I didn’t do much sleeping in that time. When I was teenager I always slept on the floor, I just liked it better than a bed. I must be getting old. The boys got up early and we did some hiking and broke camp and came home. We stank. I need to wash all our sleeping bags before we use them again.

When me and Jamie got home my truck was parked at the road and I was wondering what the crap is it doing there. Lynn had parked it there and hung a sheet on it that said HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY JAMIE. When he walked in the door Lynn and Kimber started hollering happy birthday and spraying him with silly string.

We let him open his presents after that. He liked what we gave him and he would not let me have it for the twenty dollars I told him I would give him if he did not like the gift. We got him a baseball with Hank Aaron’s autograph in a case with a gold glove that told when he was inducted into the hall of fame. We also got a hologram 3D card and a cartoon drawing of hank that was also autographed. I don’t know if either autograph is real or not but the ball came with a certificate of authenticity. Of course, if you are gonna forge the man’s signature you are also likely to forge a certificate of authenticity also. Hopefull he will see it as a very special keepsake since Hank Aaron is his all time favorite player.

With the gifts and the camping trip we are also having his grandparents and some other family members over for pizza tonight. This is probably the most money we have ever spent on a birthday. I guess becoming a teenager is a milestone but I hope we ain’t started something that will be expected every year. I don’t want to disappoint him but it ain’t happening every year.

Anyway I had a real good time and I think Jamie did too.

1JOHN 2:13 I WRITE UNTO YOU, FATHERS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE KNOWN HIM FROM THE BEGINNING. I WRITE UNTO YOU, YOUNG MEN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE. I WRITE UNTO YOU, LITTLE CHILDREN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE KNOWN THE FATHER.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND MY BOY IS 13 TODAY!!

Hey Dairy,
Yesterday was pretty peaceful. Today I go camping. I checked the weather it appears that it is gonna be pretty nice temperature wise. There may be scattered showers but we will make do if it rains. I don’t particularly want to swim but it’s Jamie’s day so if there is not lightening we will. I hope them boys don’t expect much in the way of food. Hot dogs on a fire and poptarts for breakfast. I may throw some instant grits and oatmeal in the mix, but that is as good as it is gonna get for an overnighter.

I am gonna take a book or two so if they want to just play around the campsite I will get some reading in.

Yesterday in sunday school we had a guess teacher. Carson went to the beach and since I worked all night and would not be able to hold a thought much less convey one(come to think of it, it would be just like when I’ve had a full nights sleep) we got a substitute. I really enjoyed her lesson. She was much different than how I teach. I pretty much read the scripture and tell what I think about how we should apply it to our lives. I ask questions to try to get them to think about how it can be applied to their lives. This lady done an enteractive lesson. She had the kids do things and used visual aids. I may try to do that sometime and see how it works for me. It was good for me to be able to hear a lesson instead of teaching it. Everyone who teaches need some teaching themselves and the way my work schedule has been my getting teaching has been limited. I am glad that is about to change.

Dairy, I’ll let ya know how it went tomorrow.

1 JOHN 2:12 I WRITE UNTO YOU, LITTLE CHILDREN, BECAUSE YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND I NEED TO LOAD THE CAR.

Hey hey Dairy,
I feel like a kid in a candy store. It always fills good to have a day off when you are suppose to be working. You know today is fathers day. I have to admit that if it weren’t for my kids I wouldn’t even be a father. I really hope that I’m a dad. Thirteen years ago was my first fathers day. You know when the kids are too young to buy things or plan things it is up to the other parent to provide the gifts. Well I’ll never forget what Lynn gave me for my first fathers day. I don’t think she will ever top it either. What was it you ask? It was a son. Yeah my boy was born on fathers day. It was real cool. And just by coincidence he was also born on his birthday.

1 JOHN 2:11 BUT HE THAT HATETH HIS BROTHER IS IN DARKNESS, AND KNOWETH NOT WHITHER HE GOETH, BECAUSE THAT DARKNESS HATH BLINDETH HIS EYES.

I AM VONSTEGALL AND MY KIDS ARE ALL SUM!!!!