I'm still here

I’d like to apologize to the millions of “Time of the Preacher” subscribers for my lack of posting over the last couple of weeks. Advertising revenue has been down.
The railroad continues to make cuts and I’ve slid to the bottom of the seniority pile here in Temple, but I’m hoping to still be able to work here at least through the summer. I’ve been working as a switchman in the yard (instead of sitting on an air-conditioned engine, I’m standing/walking on ballast in the heat) since the middle of April. I’ve lost an inch in my waist, my feet hurt, I haven’t been sleeping well, and I haven’t been fishing. Much.
However, vacation starts on Monday at 7:00 am. No big trips planned, but we are going to visit Inks lake on the way to San Angelo to spend a few days with my parents. I’m going to fish a BASS Federation tournament with Dad on the 16th, and we are making plans to get bunk beds for Jones and Georgia and move Annie out of her crib. Maybe next year we’ll go to Europe for a couple of weeks.

I remember wondering one day back in 1999 when or what it was in life that made guys seemingly check out, push pause on their upwithitness, not know or really care what was going on around them. Tuesday, as Aaron and I were talking about the trouble with weeds in our yards, I realized that I was in that spot in life myself. I’ve got a mortgage and 2.5 children. I realized on my way to work a couple of nights ago that the reason parents aren’t hip or cool by the time their kids are old enough to care about hip or cool is that they’ve spent the last few years of life working and worrying to make sure those kids eat, have a place to live, clothes to wear and survive to that point in life. I’ve realized that I’m closer to 40 than I am to 20. Don’t misunderstand. None of this stuff depresses me, it’s just answered that question that I had back in 1999.
I’ve listen to the Bellamy Bros. song “Old Hippie” about 327 times in the last few months and realized that I really identify with it. Listen to it. It would probably make more sense than all of my ramblings.