Train Wrecks

Last Tuesday afternoon a truck and trailer got stuck on the railroad tracks in downtown Norcross, and a train hit the trailer and derailed. The trailer was carrying a family's possession, they were moving. Everything was destroyed. The train blocked the two heavily-used crossing in Norcross, meaning thousands of cars had to find different routes. This caused a huge traffic jam that affected the entire area.

Busy Tuesday. Four hard working team members out. Slow night. Watched the end of Kentucky Michigan State and the start of Duke Kansas. Also the college football show in between games.

Left at six last Wednesday night. Since the sun is setting earlier the darkness also seems to cause heavier traffic. Maybe people always leave work when the sun is at a certain point in the sky. Since traffic had been bad the night before I decided to take an alternate route home, the northern route: PIB to Pleasant Hill/Old Milton. I decided to take 400 south. Bad call. When I didn't get off on Mansell, that's when I saw southbound traffic backed up due to nighttime construction. Then Holcomb Bridge traffic was jammed, even though it was 7 pm. My commute took 1-1/2 hours. Ceil had a big Thanksgiving meal for lunch at school, and had brought home leftovers.

Thursday: C went over to Nancy's to pray. M was out as well, so I made a couple of stops on the way home. Bought a pretty pair of blue shoes that come highly rated, but now I think I may have jumped the gun. Comfortable but not built up in the heel. We'll see.

C had cooked orange chicken, which I gobbled up. Nothing on TV. Watched the first half of Houston's humiliation of Bobby Petrino, Todd Grantham, and Lamar Jackson. Might've figured heavily in the Heisman vote and playoff picture.

Saw a little bit of the Panthers / Saints. Terrible play by a cornerback I'd previously liked, who clipped the kicker on a touchdown return. Saw a second clip on the same play. No wonder those guys play defense. The referee looked like Abe Vegoda. Though the touchdown was called back, the Panthers scored a few plays later (below). The Thursday night Color Rush uniforms weren't too bad - especially the Saints. 

My customer doesn't always work on Fridays, so we only enter orders for Monday thru Thursday. Then if they work Friday then we enter those orders late Thursday. If the orders aren't entered the crew can't work, and they start work at 5:30 am. Many mornings my first thought after waking up is "have the orders been entered?" Especially on Mondays and Fridays. This morning was no exception. After deciding to not get up this morning, I quickly realized I'd forgotten to enter orders to today. So I had to get up. I've trained others to enter the orders, but the newest girl hasn't been there long enough to remember to ask about Fridays, and the buck stops with me.

Wasn't excited about the lunch. Pasta from Panini Bread. Our last lunch meeting of the year. We didn't have BBQ last month, so we were all set to do BBQ again, but I got overruled. Renee coordinated the lunch and places the order, and I think she had a hankering for it. Before Christmas we'll have a big meal for the whole building, ham and turkey and dressing and sweet potatoes, plus a best dessert contest. Maybe BBQ in January.

Anna arrived home late Friday. C made pizza, but it was just us two for dinner. Saturday morning I cleaned upstairs. While the Tech game was on C and A ran to the mall. I posted things on eBay and did laundry. For dinner C cooked beef tacos - Anna's choice. Watched the Clemson game.

Left home at 9 am and drove to Macon. Beat the church crowd at Jeneane's at Pinebrook, a popular meat and three. I had meatloaf, sweet potato soufflé, and potato salad. Mom had meatloaf and dad had chicken tenders. The turkey and dressing looked good. I passed on biscuits but ate the flapjack-like cornbread. Went home and worked around the house. Left Macon at 6:30. Traffic wasn't bad but I opted for 675 over downtown. Bad call. A wreck added 30 minutes to my trip. Got home and watched Hallmark Channel with Ceil. After the long day I completely forgot to post to my blog. I hate missing a day. Now I'll have to make it up, probably over Thanksgiving.

How many times did you see Billy Graham in person? I saw him twice: in the 60's at Atlanta Stadium and years later at the Georgia Dome. My grandmother used to have a lot of that stuff from Billy Sunday and Earnest Angley, but I know Billy Graham was in a different league from those guys.

I was surprised I remembered so many details from Sunday's Q&A at JFBC. On the way to work Monday I had dictated an email to myself with many of the details. Later as I typed it up I remembered more and more. I may have a decent memory on the things I want to remember but I'm slow getting those things from my mind to my mouth when I'm having a conversation with someone. Since I don't talk much people think I'm smart. At least I fool some of the people.

I had thought all the political posts on social media would subside after the election. I was wrong. It's only gotten worse. I'm on social media too much as it is. I don't need my feeds filled by an acquaintance I crossed paths with forty years ago. A pastor posting political views (not Biblical ones, mind you) not shared by three-quarters of his liberal community.

Trump will not be an effective President if he has to react to every barb hurl his way. Hopefully he will be too busy, and will limit his press conferences. Both Obama and Hillary were smart enough to remain quiet most of the time. Pence's response was more mature. And he drug Trump to church.

For the past eight years religious liberty has been under attack in this country. A presidential candidate said in a speech that Christians would have to change what they believe. Now others are scared their way of life will be threatened by the new administration. Both vice president elect Pence and other potential cabinet level candidates are judged not by the overall body of their work, but to obscure comments made over 15 years ago, taken out of context.