End of Year Thoughts

Hey there. Some thoughts at the end of A.D. 2005.

A friend betrayed me about 6 months ago, out of the blue turned against me and severed our relationship of 10+ years. Something happened today that made that reality sink in more, made me see that that part of my life is done, closed off. And that makes me a little sad. But I know I must accept it and move on. I can do all things through Christ Who strenghtens me.

I just saw a website that claims that we will run out of oil by the year 2050. I've been hearing claims that we will run out of oil in 50 years for over a decade now, but the time estimate seems to be the same - about 50 years. Whatever happens happens. I know that there are enough alternate energy sources that if/when it does happen, things will still go on. I think the only reason we don't see more non-petrolioum energy sources is because of economics. The science is proven - it's just a matter of time, money, and willingness to change.

Another year almost over, and I don't know how much I've grown or moved forward. A lot of things are about the same as they were a year ago. Hard to say how much I've grown or changed.

There are changes coming for me in A.D. 2006 - some I'm aware of, some I hope for, and some that will be total suprises. One thing that will not change is God's love for me.

Moving forward into 2006,

bIsh

Smokers!

What is it with smokers? Why do so many of them seem to think that the whole world is their ashtray? It's ridiculous. I was driving the other evening, and I pulled up on the left of a white van at a stop light. As I watched, the driver first flicked his ashes out the window onto the pavement, then he dropped his lit cigarette onto the ground. That really burns me up (no pun intended), and cigarettes dropped from cars start fires. This past summer, a large fire was started from a lit cigarette dropped from a car on a freeway. A hillside burned, and a house burned down. A house burned down, and a family lost everything because someone was STUPID enough to throw/drop a lit cigarette from his/her car! And the smoker probably has no idea that it was him/her who caused the fire. That was just one incident. How many other fires have been caused by careless and STUPID smokers?

And why do smokers think it's okay to poison other people's lungs? If they want to smoke to death inside their own homes and cars, what do I care? That's their right, I suppose. But what right do they have to poison anyone else's lungs? None. And that includes children in a home with smokers. What right does any parent have to smoke? None. Some belligerent smokers claim that non-smokers are oppressing them and trying to deny them their right to pursue happiness. This is a false argument. The fact is, no one has a right to poison the air of another.

I wonder how much of air pollution is caused by the billions of cigarettes smoked every day.

Tryin' to breath clean air here,
bIsh

I'm a musician.

I had a revelation tonight, an epiphany. I realized that I am at heart a musician, not a technician. I love music! It was after my church's Christmas music program (in which I play the trumpet), that I realized this. For the first time in my life I fully realize that I was born to make music. I was not born to work on computers (my current job), but to create music. I am a creative person. I used to think I was a logical person, and I am good at math and the sciences, but I am also very creative. These past few years I have seen my creative side blossom and grow. And I realize today, December 10, 2005, that I, Bish, am a musician at heart. I do not know what-all this means, or where it might lead, but I am eager to see where the Lord leads me.

Blowin' my horn as long as I'm able,
bIsh

Nothing Particular

Christmas season is here again. I like this time of year - the lights, the music, the decorations, the cold weather (Ok, it doesn't really get that cold in the Bay Area), celebrating Jesus' birth, family gatherings.

I replaced the heater hoses in my 280z, and so far, no leaking. I think the old hoses were failing right at the junction with the heater core. Of course, they were probably the original, 27 year-old hoses. The good news is that the valve is good, and the heater core is good. I took the opportunity to upgrade my stereo while I had the dash torn apart. I think that if this happens again I might pay someone to do it. Replacing those hoses was, so far, the messiest, unfunnest, irritiating job I have done on a car. Lying updside-down, on my back, with my upper torso and head cramped in a small space, working on parts up above my face - it was not fun. And it was very time consuming. Just getting back to where the hoses are took a couple of hours. Then removing all the hoses and assemblages took several hours. And re-assembling everything took a few more hours. But it's done, and I'm glad it's done. Hopefully, if the Lord wills, it should not need doing for another 25-27 years. So now I have both cars back on the road.

We had our first rainstorm of the season. I know, most of the country wouldn't consider what we get to be real storms, but for us it was a good rain.

That's it for tonight.
bIsh