Road Rage

Sunny Saturday morning. After golf I stopped at the Northside Drive Goodwill, then RaceTrac, then the East Cobb Goodwill. Had my sunglasses on.

While making a right onto 120 from Timber Ridge Road. Thought the coast was clear when I pulled out – but I failed to see a big dark F150 pickup bearing down on me. I had never seen it. I heard the honk and the pickup sped past, barely missing me. Evidently the guy had been speeding. No daytime running lights. The guy stopped in front of me, right in the middle of the road. So I had to stop behind him, but I didn’t pull too close. The guy got out of his car. He stood there are screamed at me. Then he got back in his truck. He pulled over from the right lane to the left lane and down the hill toward the red light – but didn’t pull all the way down to the car in front of him. I could’ve pulled down to the red light, but didn’t want to pull past him. When the light turned green he swerved into the left turn lane, made the left, and sped off. Replaying this in my mind, the guy had to be speeding the whole time. And if he was turning left, why was he in the right lane? Still, I’ve got to be much more careful.

After a long hard week, Ceil was ready to crash after driving back from SC. Friday night the Hall's brought us a pie from Pizzeria Lucca in Roswell. I got to catch up on the episodes of Only Murders in the Building that I had missed.

After a trip to the grocery Saturday morning, Ceil napped through most of the afternoon football games. I wasn't cold out in the 50 degree weather until I got back in the house, so I bundled up.

After church we ate chicken fajitas at Pappasitos. They had a big after church crowd but they seemed to be better staffed than they are on week nights. Ceil quipped on how the waitress might’ve done too good of a job refilling my Coke Zero time after time.

Got home from lunch at almost 3 pm. Ceil worked me the rest of the day, moving furniture out of the living room and foyer. Workers are going to sand off the bumpy ceilings. We also cleaned out an old chest filled with old pictures and Christmas cards. Found photos of Lang and Claire from where they had come over to our house on Hillpine when our dog Speedle was a tiny puppy. Also photos from my single days, with Don Head and David Hurt, like this one.

MONDAY: up early to lift weights at the gym this morning. After work I went over to the track next to our plant, and ran for the first time since July 4. “Sprinted” the straightaways and walked the corners at each end of the soccer field. Two miles. My second workout of the day. Didn’t count because my watch battery had run out. 

Then I stopped by Dollar Tree and Baskin Robbins and the convenience store, so I didn’t get home until after 7 pm. Beef tips for supper, which I don’t like because it takes forever to chew them up. Then they’re left over and never get eaten until I break down.

Watched the Manningcast. Jets wearing throwback Joe Namath era uniforms, with grey facemasks even. Old Aaron Rodgers looked better in that uni. Not sure it helped him play better.

Our house was a mess because the workers were sanding the ceilings smooth. Lots of plastic covering everything. Hopefully they’ll finish today. Making progress.

TUESDAY: up early to go to the gym. After work I had a focus group on nutritional drinks.

A Christian pastor in England was arrested after commenting on Islam, and saying God made humans just male and female.

DENISON: the American legal system stands on the belief that our laws can be objectively interpreted. If someone being prosecuted for a crime can successfully argue that the charges are “just the prosecutor’s interpretation of the law,” there can be no law. Scientists use the scientific method to guide their investigations. When they publish findings, if critics can successfully argue that these results are “just the researcher’s interpretation of the data,” there can be no science. Human subjectivity and error enter the equation. This is why we have courts to weigh legal opinions and judge according to accepted jurisprudence. It is why we have peer review of scientific research. And both legal and scientific positions can change as more information comes to light. But in neither case do we believe that the enterprise itself is subjective and thus untrustworthy. The same mindset should prevail with regard to biblical study. When it doesn’t, we should ask whether the skeptic is working on the basis of objective reasoning or rejecting truth claims they don’t happen to appreciate personally.

WALTER JOHNSON [SABR Bio] his major league career strikeout record lasted for more than 60 seasons. Johnson passed Cy Young in 1921 and finished with 3,509. He wasn’t passed until 1983 when Gaylord Perry, Steve Carlton & Nolan Ryan all went past the mark. Ryan finished with 5,714. Johnson was intending to sign and play in the startup Federal League for a huge pay increase from $7K to $25K year, but his loyalty to his team, his city, and his Senators’ teammates as well as a strong personal persuasion from PIT’s well-respected player/manager Fred Clarke. This was following Johnson’s 1913 year which many baseball historians hold to be the greatest season ever pitched. His record 110 SHO total may never be reached.