Sound of snow

When I was growing up on the farm I could hear the snow falling from the trees.  Everything around me was white and peaceful.  It's been snowing for an hour now.  I went outside to feel the snow hit my face, but there wasn't peace.  All around I hear snow blowers and plows chewing and pushing away.  Things have changed and I miss being home.  I miss the quiet.  I used to love snow when I was a kid.  Snow meant sledding and snowmen and digging tunnels.  Now it means shoveling and being late for work.  It means potholes and accidents on the roads.  I miss going outside with my family and to not worry about anything except staying warm.  I remember one time I lay down on the snow face down for a few minutes and my mom came running out.  She was worried I passed out but I was just enjoying myself face down with nature.

Deciding between two car seats

My wife and I got in an argument over which car seat to buy.  Our daughter is 2 years old and she's outgrowing her current seat.  The argument started because my dad bought our last car seat for $5 at a garage sale.  It worked really well, but we need one for the other vehicle.  My wife is looking at car seats starting at $230!  I couldn't believe it.  These things are expensive.  The lady at the store said we can't put a price on safety, but she can.  My wife has pretty much made up her mind between two models.  They are the Britax Frontier 855ICT and the Graco Smart seat Ryker.

Britax Frontier 85ICT(~$230 @Amazon 1/12/2012)

We have a girl and they don't make this seat in pink.  That isn't a deal breaker with my wife and I'm a little shocked.  Our daughter can stay in this huge thing till she's 85 pounds if we can fit it in the car.  When she goes above 85 pounds we can switch it to just a booster seat and then I'll use the main body as a recliner in my living room.  She can stay in the booster seat until she's ready for college.  According to the Britax website the only con with this model is that it's a little bulky and the fabric isn't machine washable.  It has two drink holders so my daughter can have her two 40oz colas for those long trips.

Graco smart seat Ryker(~$300 @Walmart 1/12/2012)

This one is available with some pink on it.  This seat works up to 65 pounds in the forward facing 5 point harness configuration.  It only has one cup holder and I think that's where they lost me.  It's side impact tested and all that, but if it only has one cup holder I just don't know.  This would have been an excellent car seat if we would have got it when she's 6 months old.  We wouldn't have to buy another one.

I think we'll buy the Britax Frontier model.  It's a little cheaper and has the two cup holders.

Fighting over God

One of the worst subjects with me and any other human is the subject of god's will.  The reason I get upset when someone gets all preachy with me is simple.  I know everything about god.  I hate politicians using his name to get votes.  I hate seeing people holding signs saying god is against gays.  I was created by god in his image and I feel a special connection with him.  The connection is spiritual and personal.  It's a one on one between the two of us.  I trust him and believe.  It's hard to believe in something that doesn't exist in reality.  It's even harder to believe that someone else has a greater connection and it's their mission to help him out.  History has a lot of stories about people doing horrible things in the name of god.  The idea of working for God and doing his will is crazy.  What gives you the right to do his work?  Does he really want you to hold that sign by the side of a busy street outside an abortion clinic?  I can talk with god just as you can but you're saying that god gave you these directions to give me.  If I ever give advice about religion I'll ask the person to just pray for an answer to a question they think would help.  If I said anything else it would only hurt the situation.  I can't speak for him.  The idea that anyone could speak for god is insane. When I'm at church I'm focused on a spiritual path.  I dedicate an hour to god and try to tune out what's going on during mass.  Going to church is like a sacrifice to me and I feel guilty I feel that way.

This was written because of a facebook post.  I don't watch football but I know who Tebow is and tonight he's a loser.  Sorry Broncos fans :(

ick

A razor blade forged from invention, cold, and smooth.  I force myself across your skin and leave a valley of freshly cut skin.  A river of warm thin blood soon fills the newly formed valley and coats my smooth shiny edge.  I stop for nothing and continue my journey downward getting deeper with every inch.  Vein, muscle, and fat now stand in the way of me completing my mission but offer little resistance.  Bone is the only brake this vehicle has.  Scratching and scraping away at bone I continue the line I started narrow and true.  This will soon be my last chore and when it's complete I will be discarded.  This is my purpose and the reason I was created.  In a few moments nothing will matter.  I feel the end drawing near and the momentum is finally extinguished and I lie still.  As I look forward I realize all the things I might have accomplished.  I could have done so much more with my existance.  I could still be useful if only fate would have started me elsewhere.  I could have started the cut somewhere with little resistance in my path.  I could have followed in another's path to lessen the hard times.  The edge once so sharp is now imperfect from the battle with bone.  Half of my edge is stuck in bone.  The other half is still sharp and willing to work but cannot continue on without the other half.  The blood once so warm and thin is starting to gain density while losing warmth.  My once shiny surface is now covered in red and a bead slowly forms at my tip forming a drop which gravity pulls to the floor.