Good morning Boys and Girls.

When I started this blog, I'd had a zillion ideas zipping around my head. For months - years maybe - I'd really wanted to get them out. I also wanted to become a better writer and had learned from other endeavors in my life that the only way I get better at something is in the doing of it, and over and over again to boot. I wanted to practice organizing my thoughts in such a manner that when written, I'd clearly convey my ideas, and do it using the simple language most of us use in everyday speech.

The idea of writing "as Jesus" was a lark, and became overwhelming soon after I started. My idea was to try to point out that Jesus was very likely NOT the magic man he's been turned into by so many Christians, that the Bible, while a wonderful book, was, in fact, written by men and as such, reflected the times with regard to how historical events were recorded; facts sprinkled with embellishments and exaggerations in the grand tradition of storytelling from that part of the world.

I contend that "God" made the physical laws of the Universe. I contend that "God" wouldn't break those rules. -I know, I know, who cares what I think.

Still, some of the posts later on, when I'd given up on writing "as Jesus" and instead turned Jesus into my buddy, the world traveler, who'd call me on the phone to discuss the issues of the day, were at times pretty funny, I think. Those posts were far more fun to write, but still far too cumbersome for me to attempt with any regularity.

In any case, of course I can't provide proof that my ideas are any more correct than those who contend that their learned beliefs about God, Jesus - or Allah, or Zoroaster, or any of the other myriad religious symbols and beliefs systems available for selection on this planet - are on the mark.

So it goes.

A couple of years ago I tried to do away with the title of the blog, hoping that if I just changed it to "surrogate's blog", I'd (a.) offend fewer people, and (b.) gain a broader readership among those turned off by the religious implications the title conveys.

Interestingly, the title has prooven to be equal opportunity offender, annoying both people with strong religious beliefs as well as those from the other end of the spectrum who write off anyone who'd make mention of Jesus as a religious whack-job. While I see myself as a middle-of-the-road sort, I think those initial impressions HAVE stuck and, as such, I think it's time to let the title go.

When I tried to drop it a couple of years ago, I was counseled against it by some of my regular readers who'd grown comfortable with "Jesus Reporting" moniker, and presumably with me. Now however, what with our beloved tBlog teetering on extinction, I'm bringing this up so that if and when this thing gets shut down, and for some reason you'd like to keep in touch, search for "surrogate's blog" and not "Jesus Reporting by surrogate."

I'm looking for another place to call my blog home with a similar feel. I've always loved tBlog and I hate to think it'll be gone soon, but I think it will. I cross post on a few other sites once in a while, but so far, I haven't found another site that feels quite so comfortable. I hope I find something soon.

Back up your posts, people.


Be good to everyone.

Good morning Boys and Girls.

Last night, while on the phone with SweetLady, she had the nerve to tell me she was jealous of all the frigging snow we've been getting here in West Michigan; that snow is beautiful; that snow is a wonderful thing; that snow is somehow, a blessing from God.

As my blood pressure rose, because of my frustration in being unable to express to her how wrong she is; that, in fact, snow is Devil spit; I decided to take a picture from just outside my lower sliding door looking up onto the deck I wrote about in my last post. I just took the pic with my phone (my camera is in my Jeep and I couldn't be bothered to go get it, which, of course, would have been easy since the garage is attached and I could have walked the twenty or thirty steps without getting cold or wet) so the quality isn't any good, but when I sent it to her phone, she said... she said... I'm sorry, my anger is boiling over again.  Breathe. Count to ten. Exhale...

She said the snow looked beautiful.

After a night's sleep, I've calmed down. My anger has abated, but I still feel the need to point out how wrong she was.

 
I hope this clears things up.

What? She likes purple.

 
Be good to everyone. 

Good morning Boys and Girls.

Not sure if this is entirely true, but it sure seems to be:

If you see a commercial touting the benefits of some new-fangled miracle drug today, tomorrow, you'll see a commercial from some law firm asking you to call them if you've taken it.

How 'bout we ban the advertising of prescription drugs AND the the resulting class-action lawsuits associated with their use?

Just a thought.

Be good to everyone.

Good morning Boys and Girls.

I woke up at 4:45 yesterday. As I dressed, SweetLady stirred slightly and, in a sleep-filled groggy voice, asked me what time it was. When I told her, she asked me if I had to leave right then. Hmm. I HAD been very comfortable and warm... I set the alarm on my cell phone to ring an hour later, climbed back into bed, and melted into loving arms.

At 5:45 I got up, made a pot of coffee, checked to see if I'd packed what I needed, kissed SweetLady goodbye and was on the road by 6:15. I'd had to clear a couple of inches of snow off the Jeep before leaving, and the snow continued as I began my trip.

The road through Des Moines, I-235 was fine, just wet and slushy. Just east of the city though, where that road merges with I-80, conditions changed quickly. Plows had come through recently, but if they'd used any sort of de-icer, it hadn't had a chance to work yet. I moved to my usual position in the right lane and drove at 55 mph. Every now and again, I could feel my wheels slip a little and eventually, I turned on the four-wheel drive. Obviously, the conditions had been brutal overnight, since during the first hour I passed at least a couple of dozen cars far off the road sitting at odd angles to the road surface, covered with snow. Early on, through the city, traffic had been heavier than I'd expected for so early on a Sunday morning. Now though, sixty or seventy miles into my journey, I was seeing more cars off the road than on.

It happened so quickly, just as the sky was beginning to lighten.

I was driving on long straight stretch. Don't think I'd moved the steering wheel more than and eighth of an inch in either direction for a couple of miles. Suddenly, my car veered left. Not a lot, really. Almost as though the car had decided to make a lane change of its own accord. I tapped the brakes lightly to turn off the cruise control and turned the wheel to match the direction I was now heading. I didn't panic, but neither did I gain control of the car. I could feel the car simply sliding, and continuing to make a more and more severe left turn as I crossed the left lane and inner shoulder.

When the front left wheel hit the snowy grass of the median, the turned became exaggerated. Within half a second I began to spin. I'd guess the median was perhaps sixty feet wide, and gradually dipped three or four feet and then rose again up toward the oncoming lanes.

I think I spun three and a half times. When the Jeep came to a stop I was in the right-hand lane on the west-bound side facing traffic. I looked toward the east to see if any traffic was coming. Not a car in sight. I said a quick prayer, and tested the jeep. It responded. I aimed back at the center median to get out of traffic as soon as possible. Even this was difficult because the road was sheer ice. It took me a good ten seconds to get the wheels to grip enough but soon I was in the middle of the median, feeling a lot safer than I had in the oncoming lanes.

Sat there a minute or so, breathing hard, then looked back to pick a time to make my way back onto the east-bound lanes. It was then I saw the elongated swoops in the snow made by my Jeep as it spun across the median. During this whole episode, not one vehicle passed me going in either direction. I said another prayer and eased my way back onto the road.

Interestingly, within minutes, traffic began to thicken and within a half hour became steady, and then got heavier all day long.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, if extremely slow, 'til I got to my own driveway about seven-thirty last night. According to my neighbor, the seven or eight inches of snow on the ground had come just in the last couple or three hours, and my plow guy hadn't come yet. Try as it might, the Jeep couldn't make it up the hill and I think I damaged my four-wheel drive forcing the issue.

Finally, I gave up and let the old war-horse slide backwards to a stop about three feet from the edge of the pond, half-on and half-off the driveway. I grabbed what I absolutely needed, and make the tenth-of-a-mile trek up to my garage and house. I started to get upset, cursing the likely repair bill upcoming in the next day or two. Then, for the umpteenth time during the course of the day, I realized that, had even one car been coming the other way yesterday morning, I'd likely be dead.

I quit my swearing, shut my mouth for a minute, then, as I walked, I said yet another prayer of thanks.


Be good to everyone.