Diary 4/5 - 4/11

Daily thoughts that may or may not be helpful.

4/5/25

I took Rex and Asher to Busch Gardens amusement park. I thought we’d save time by not waiting in line, so I bought tickets online. When I showed them to the ticket-taker, he told me I had bought tickets to Tampa Bay, FL. Oops! He directed us to Customer Relations so I could plead my case. While waiting in line, I remembered the tactics I learned from the meatselling guys, so I rehearsed my story then stepped up to Gloria at the window: Heartwarming - “Hi, Gloria, I brought my boys to the park for a fun time together;” Appeal from High Value Customer - “I bought the park tickets, all-day dining packages, and quick passes;” Pity - “I did a really stupid thing, do you think you could help me out?” It worked—Gloria exchanged our tickets! We had a marvelous time, thanks to the meat guys, and although I never bought meat from them, I enjoyed the Busch Gardens German meat sampler in their honor.

4/6/25

I’m reading Endurance, which is considered one of the best survival stories ever. It’s about 40-year-old Captain Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance ship, which set out for Antarctica in 1914. The boat got stuck in ice, was crushed by ice, and eventually sank, forcing the crew to live on ice floes in subzero temperatures while eating penguins and seals. Many of them got frostbite; it sounds so miserable. I was reading this in my hot tub and felt quite guilty.

Endurance Photo by Frank Hurley, Public Domain

4/7/25

Today was a new hire event at our company. We hold an orientation day for new employees each month, where they take turns introducing themselves, sharing a personal fact, and learning about CMA. I lead a section of the day about how to succeed as an employee, and I usually make the point that if I can succeed, then anyone can because when I was a new driver, it was the 90s, and driving was very confusing. When I went to the gas station, all the gas was labeled ‘89 or ‘91 or ‘93. I thought these numbers referred to the year the gas was discovered (like, oh, the ‘91 reserve was a great year), and I couldn’t figure out two things: 1) There seemed to be a stopping point for the years, so why did they stop discovering gas?; 2) Being underaged, I had “heard” that older wine was more expensive, so why was older gas less expensive? Utterly confusing! It is a miracle that I have a job in the automotive industry today. If I can make it, then you can make it, is what I tell them.

4/9/25

Wednesday used to be Survivor Wednesday. I used to watch Survivor manically (or maniacally; both will work), meaning no one was allowed to interrupt my watching, and since no one in the family cared to watch it, it was always me alone, glued to my phone screen, which in the end didn’t help my parenting or my marriage. So I gave it up for the good of the relationships, and it has been replaced by Karaoke Wednesday. Last week’s karaoke was such a hit that we upgraded the Five Below Karaoke Microphone with the House Party 3000, a next-level device with blinking lights and better sound. But here’s the thing - it may be a next-level device, but it doesn’t give you a next-level voice; it only amplifies what’s already there. So, if you sound like a dying frog, as I do, you still sound like a dying frog, only louder. There’s only so much that my family can take. Coming soon: Survivor Wednesday.

4/10/25

I was asked to lead our church's Men’s Bible Study in a few weeks because the leader will be away. What an honor, but also what a high calling. I was raised Baptist, and I thought we were serious about the Bible, but then I became Presbyterian. The first time I attended a Presbyterian Bible Study, I spent the whole hour in a cold sweat. I found ingenious ways to dab my forehead to hide that I was sweating. I also spent the hour fighting thoughts of “You don’t belong here” and “They’re going to find out that you’re a phony.” I’m happy to report that I’ve been through multiple studies since then, and I don’t sweat anymore, and only occasionally do I battle such thoughts. However, leading a study is a different story. I’ll bring a hanky and not be shy about it.

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