notinKansasanymore

Happy Thursday, everybody!!

This thread makes me think of these lyrics, from a song called "Wreck of the Day," by Anna Nalick. I've only heard it once, but it stuck in my mind. ... 'Cause you can't jump the track,we're like cars on a cable and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table No one can find the rewind button girl, So cradle your head in you hands And breathe, just breathe, Woah breathe, just breathe ... There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout 'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out These mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again If you only try turning around. 2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song If I get it all down on paper, its no longer inside of me, threatening the life they belong to And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud And I know that you'll use them, however you want to Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable, And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table No one can find the rewind button now Sing it if you understand. and breathe, just breathe woah breathe, just breathe, oh breathe, just breathe. ************************************* There's also a book, called Henderson the Rain King, by Saul Bellow, which tells the story of a man's search for meaning. He journeys to Africa, has lots of experiences and adventures and mistakes. In the end, he realizes that the secret is just "Breathe." ************************************* For what it's worth, love, niKa

Wooo, wooooooo. Dip-da-dip da-dip ramma lamma ding dong. Happy Friday, everybody! The Halloween costumes are made, the work week is over, and niKa is happy. The drinks are on me!

Last night, there were vigils all over the country for 2,000 service members killed in this war. God rest their souls. I raise my glass; this time, silently.

My dear Fellowshipper: It could never be a derail to talk about Mark, or any of the others who have gone before us. I sometimes wonder what kinds of posts Don Brunelle would have made on Greasespot, for instance! He'd have loved it. A great cloud of witnesses. As we get older, there will be more, and then, someday, we will be with them. Rather difficult to be afraid of such a circumstance; sounds more like a beginning than an end. Here's to Mark, and Don, and all the rest. love, niKa

Ah, yes, my brother TommyLove, I must remember that blood is thicker than pigskin, and think of the days of my youth. In fact, I'll be doing that a lot, soon: my 30-year high school reunion is in a couple of weeks. MrniKa thinks that high school reunions are for the birds; I hope that he remembers that when he's swooping and gliding, upon wings like an eagle, around the dance floor with me. He was not of those fortunate ones, who got to polish their snappy dance moves once each year for the Happy Household Holidays Banquet; he has been stuck in a lab, dancing with petrie dishes, centrifuges, and the like. May the karma of Kurt and Veronica Rocco help us! Hey! :D Do YOU FOLKS ever get out and cut a rug every now and then?

Please join hands for a moment. Let's bow our heads, and consider thoughtfully, as we are one in the spirit, HOW in the HECK the SOONERS could need DOUBLE OVERTIME (first in school history) to beat . . . . . . BAYLOR!!! OOOOHHH!!!! :mellow: :( :o I'm at a loss for words. It's Baylor.

Here's a real one that turned out to be in this category: The Book of Virtues by William Bennett (he lost millions of his royalties gambling in Vegas)

TommieTuttle, I notice that you are officially a Newbie, with One Post. Would you care to be undershepherded? Here, I have a little card for you to register for a very interesting class. It's a pretty green card. <_< :blink:

1. Ron: you didn't ask about shooting skills, ability to homegrow tomatos, or the ability to string a trot-line. 2. I saw David Allan Coe sign that song live. He had the tightest band I've ever heard in my life. Not even Willie Nelson's could rival it. It really IS the perfect country western song. 3. I think that "Country" is Willie, George Strait, Hank (either Sr. or Jr.) ,my homeboy Garth Brooks, and much of the stuff on modern "country" radio. I think that "Western" is some of Willie's stuff, very little of the others' stuff, but some, and anything by the Sons of the Pioneers. You have to understand that I haven't lived in Texas since my apprentice year, before the 9th Corps, but it's hard to outlive 5 generations of conditioning. Thank God.

Hmm. I like the three-point climbing analogy by Rhino, and also the "finding the balance is an ongoing thing" remark by Belle, and lots of the other comments made by folks here. It's a support system, and a sense of shared experiences, and therapy. Not just therapy received, for which I'm very grateful, but also therapy given, which we all also have a need to give. We are a community of people uniquely qualified to minister to one another, because we have a shared set of experiences which are (thankfully!) rather unique. Greasespot is a ministry to ministers, both former and current; it is for those who are burned out, and those who are still on fire. And those somewhere in the middle. The ministering isn't always warm and fuzzy. Sometimes we need hugs, but sometimes we have our heads on crooked, and we need somebody to "rip us a new one." Who but a brother or sister would have the courage to do that? The advice given here is generally well spoken; it often has been purchased by painful experience by those who offer it. It's a heck of a deal.

70's Houston, you remind me of my brother, who was actually in Houston in the 70's. Are we related? Or just fellow Texans?

Okay, we've got to keep our young people awake. So, here's a question: What was the best make-out spot at Emporia?

Yeah, but then you'll owe him a pack. I think that rule gave a few people the shakes in residence. Corps Time was a rule that I didn't particularly care for, either. And nothing to drink at meals? No wonder we were so easy to lead around by our noses - - we were a bunch of dehydrated kids!! :lol:

TommyStrange, I am glad to see that you are taking care of the important stuff. They are our treasures. love, niKa

I think that part of the point of Greasespot is that if it works, it helps people to heal. If they're healed, they don't need Greasespot as much as they did before. When I first discovered it, I was on it all of the time. As time passed, however, I was able to use the forums to deal with several issues successfully, and no longer needed the forums quite as much. I generally only check one or two of them any more, except for an occasional foray. I think that Greasespot is a very effective ministry. If you don't need it quite as much as you did, perhaps this speaks to its effectiveness. At least, that's how it has been for me.

Working! Way too busy. Tae Kwon Do lessons for the niKaKids. Church choir and Dining Skills for Children for the niKaKids. Mr. niKa just got back from a two-conference weekend. niKa's mom got a visit from daughter and the grandkids, got taken out for a perm and a manicure (just the girlie necessities, you understand). niKa trying to get to the gym before her arteries completely clog. niKa trying to get everything graded in time. Dropping everything to show the old niKahouse every couple of days, hoping that somebody will just buy the darn thing. You know, just life. :P

Gotta love the internet. I just found the information below. ********************************************* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is Vegemite? Vegemite is considered as much a part of Australia's heritage as kangaroos and the Holden cars. It is actually an Australian obsession that has become a unique and loved symbol of the Australian nation. A Vegemite sandwich to an Australian kid is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to an American kid - but the taste is QUITE different! Vegemite is one of several yeast extract spreads sold in Australia. It is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract (a by-product of beer manufacture) and various vegetable and spice additives. It is very dark reddish-brown, almost black, in color, and one of the richest sources known of Vitamin B. It's thick like peanut butter, it's very salty, and it tastes like - well let's just say that it is an acquired taste! Australian children are brought up on Vegemite from the time they're babies. It is said that Australians are known to travel all over the world with at least one small jar of Vegemite in their luggage, for fear that they will not be able to find it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Vegemite In 1922, Fred Walker (1884-1935) of Melbourne, Australia decided to try to make a special "yeast extract" that would be as delicious as it was nourishing for his Fred Walker Cheese Company to sell. The chief scientist in the company Fred owned was Dr. Cyril P. Callister, and it was Dr. Callister who invented the first Vegemite spread. He used brewer's yeast and blended the yeast extract with ingredients like celery, onion, salt, and a few secret ingredients to make this paste. In 1912, a national competition and a prize of 50 pounds was offered to the winner or winners to name the new product.. The name ‘Vegemite’ was finally chosen from the entries by Fred’s daughter Sheilah . With its unusual and unique flavor, Vegemite was not an immediate success and sales were slow. In 1928 Vegemite was renamed and registered as Parwill in an attempt to boost its sales and to attract customers of the rival spread Marmite (an English yeast spread that dominated the Australian market sinc 1910). "If Marmite...then Parwill" was the rationale behind Walker's strategy to carve a niche in the market for his spread. The name Parwill and Walker's play on words didn't catch on. It was only sold as Parwill for a short time in Queensland. The name was withdrawn in 1935, and the original name was reinstated. Earlier, in 1925, Walker had arranged with the Chicago, Illinois firm of James L. Kraft to make processed cheese in Australia. A company called the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. was established alongside Fred Walker and Co. In 1935, Walker used the success of his processed cheese to launch a new campaign to revive Vegemite. The company launched 2-year coupon redemption scheme whereby a jar of Vegemite was given away with every purchase of other products in the Fred Walker Cheese Company. Australians tried the product and loved it. Vegemite was well and truly on the road to success. Two years later, the company held a poetry competition and once again brought Vegemite into the national spotlight. This time its success the prizes were imported American Pontiac cars. Entries flooded in and sales multiplied. In 1935, the recipe and manufacturing methods was sold to Kraft Foods and has been wholly owned and made by American companies. In 1939 Vegemite received endorsement from the British Medical Association which allowed doctors to recommend it as a Vitamin B-rich, nutritionally balanced food for patients. In World War II, soldiers, sailors, and the civilian population of Australia all had Vegemite included in their rations. Soldiers’ Vegemite came in three sizes: seven-pound tins for the platoon, eight-ounce tins for soldiers on the go, and half-ounce rations for behind enemy lines. This war-time demand meant that civilian were limited. Hence, advertisements were run to explain the situation: “Vegemite fights with the men up north! If you are one of those who don’t need Vegemite medicinally, then thousands of invalids are asking you to deny yourself of it for the time being.” The main change to the original recipe in recent years has been to reduce the salt content from 10% to 8%. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did You Know? 22.7 million jars of Vegemite are manufactured in Australia every year - that's 235 jars per minute. 30 jars are sold in Australia for every one exported. Vegemite is in nine out of ten pantries in Australia. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Happy Little Vegemite Song We are happy little Vegemites as bright as bright can be, We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch and tea, Our mummy says we're growing stronger every single week, Because we love our Vegemite, We all adore our Vegemite, It puts a rose in every cheek! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Eat Vegemite Using your favorite bread, some butter or margarine, and of course, Vegemite. Spread butter on a piece of toast or bread. Cover very thinly with Vegemite (for the optimum Vegemite sandwich you only need a dab). Dip your knife in the Vegemite, and scrape up just a bit (it will mix right in with the butter and spread easily). Some people like to "marble" the Vegemite into the butter. Eat it open-faced and enjoy! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :P :wacko: What DO you mean, that my little buddy A.P. wouldn't have changed the outcome? He was a Heisman finalist as a true Freshman last year!!! We'll never know, though. It might not have been quite as sound a butt-kicking. His nickname is "A.D.," because he can play All Day and not get tired. He's also a very sweet guy. I predict that this will be his last OU / TX game; if that kid doesn't go pro next year, he's nuts. Just my opinion. By the way, there was a picture of the Vegemite jar on that other website, but I couldn't figure out how to transfer it to this one. Perhaps one of you computer types could favor us with a graven image . . .. Hey, by the way: Are there any Lurkers reading this? If so, HI! Have a great day! :) This thread is a great example of how life, with all of its struggles, triumphs, and silly things, goes on quite happily after TWI. Life is fun!!!

OOOOOH, the pain! Our five-year winning streak against the boys from Austin has been . . . vegemited. We got shellacked, 45 - 12. I miss Quentin Griffin! I miss Josh Heupel and Josh White and all the other guys who spoiled us rotten. I don't want our twelve starters back from last year; I wish them well as they get on with their lives, but I'd sure like for Coach Stoops to have been able to borrow them for a couple of hours today! :wacko: :(

Ah, vegemite. It's what I hope my boys in Crimson and Cream will make out of the Texas Team today. Time will tell. I may be hearing from Heaven in another way. :o

Praying for you, and I am so very, very sorry for your loss. love, niKa

WaHOOOO! I just love it when nice people find one another. Good luck to Ted and Moony; best wishes, congratulations, and Wow-Eee-Zow-Eee!

Don't make me come down there, TommyBoy. When we LOSE to TEXAS? Well, maybe . . . :blink: and then again, maybe not. ;) The only things for sure about OU / TX are that: 1) we will get the preceding Friday out of school, :P and 2) one can never tell who will prevail. :o Emotions run too high for this game to be easily predictable. But I'll for sure be somewhere to WATCH that one, rather than just hearing it on the radio.

Okay, now they say that it wasn't a second bomb. It was just somebody's backpack, which they blew up. Well, whoever that backpack belonged to is going to have quite an original excuse for not having his or her homework. "Really, Ma'am, it's the FBI's fault." :unsure:

Well, on the upside, the Sooners blew out Kansas, even after Adrian Peterson left the game with an injury. On the downside, somebody blew him- or her-self up in the Microbiology building during the game. My husband is in that building several times a week, and I'm pretty darn glad that he was at home listening to the game on the radio with me, rather than checking on his petrie dishes in the Microbiology building. Police reportedly found and disabled a second explosive device, not far away. As if there's not enough going on in the world. Sheeesh.