Sweet Week

I was asked to speak this afternoon at the retirement party for coworker Sherry, who is leaving after 30 years. Been working on my speech. Renee sent me my picture.

Sherry started off as a temp, not long after I started at the old RMP office. Bill Baldwin was there – also Frances Moon and Ronald Pruitt. Sandra Born had just started a year before, and Todd Harris and Margo were hired a year or two later, then Joy Saxon and Patsy Miller joined the team. Tried to remember the names everyone would recognize. Dennis Arrowood and Jhannio came along after I had moved to fabrication.

So Sherry is a member of the old gang. Back then at RMP her daughter was little – now how old is she? All our kids grew up. Grandma Born has grandkids that are driving. Guess I should save all that stuff for next week.

I had forgotten that I had been Sherry’s supervisor for a few years. I was in charge of the scheduling and clerical group. As she does now, Sherry could do lots of things, and do them well.

At RMP doing everything involved with billing the tubing production is no simple task. I’ve never seen anyone be able to figure all that stuff out like Sherry can. When we first went on the AS400 in the early 90’s we worked all week then came in on Saturday to figure out how to finalize a Material Processing order. It took us all day to bill two of them. Now Sherry is the master of them. Sue is no slouch, but this isn’t her last day here.

Lots of people come to me to help figure out problem orders that get screwed up. Not just you guys, but sometimes Purchasing, the plant, the program group, and other AS400 districts. Now you know why I can be so grumpy. Do you know who I go to when I have a problem I can’t figure out? Sherry.

I think starting tomorrow when Sherry’s not here, I’m not going to be quite as smart as I used to be. Sherry we will miss you!

I remember Joe Profit. Number 23. He was the Falcons first round draft pick in 1971. Hopefully he didn’t say he was an original Falcon, but he did play for Norm Van Brocklin back in the early years. Profit came after Junior Coffey and Cannonball Butler, and played with Harmon Wages (below). Wikipedia says Profit set a Falcon record with 169 yards in one game – but he only rushed for 471 yards in his NFL career. Scored the first touchdown in WFL history.

Things picked up around here last weekend. Ceil helped out at Charles’ rehearsal dinner Friday night. MC went out to eat with her sister, so we had three dogs and a cat at our house unsupervised. I worked till six and stopped by Taco Bell on the way home. Later MC came home and we watched the Opening Ceremonies. Not too good – they didn’t even have any pickup trucks in the show.

Early Saturday morning Ceil sent me to the grocery store. I pulled my black Braves cap down low over my tousled hair and put on my huaraches so hopefully no one would recognize me. Saw a mom I knew from Johnson Ferry – but she didn’t recognize me (perhaps she did, but was scared off by my grungy looks). Ceil cooked an omelet with turkey bacon and baby spinach. I made mine into a quesadilla. The ladies went off for a manicure, and I went for a nap and later a haircut.

Tuesday and Wednesday Matthew worked in the flower department at Whole Foods I asked M about the roses at Whole Foods and he gave me the scoop. Ceil was at a school function Tuesday night, so that gave me plenty of time to shop. Whole Foods didn’t have red roses so I chose some that were kinda red and white. Ceil said she liked them even better. I also got her this thing for her to put in her bathwater that made it smell like rose petals. I didn’t see any good chocolates at Whole Foods so I went across the street to Trader Joes, where I got her some Altoids and three candy bars: chocolate with almonds, one coffee-flavored chocolate, and another with toffee. When I got home I laid them all out and made her a card. I also mailed Anna a valentine.   

After the big lunch I didn’t eat much for supper – some leftover cheese dip with chips. Not a good day for my diet. Watched the new Braves special on MLB Network, followed by Costas interviewing Smoltz. Yesterday on the radio Smoltz said after 1996 the only reason the Braves were able to win five more division championships was because of Bobby Cox’s superior managing of inferior teams. Then Wednesday morning AM680 morning shock jock blowhard Steak Shapiro completely ignored Smoltz’s analysis and the record string of consecutive division championships, saying the Braves should’ve won a second title. This is why I don’t listen to Steak. Smoltz didn’t say they shouldn’t have won in 91 and 96. Both times things just didn’t go Atlanta’s way. That’s baseball. In 91 Hrbek pushed Gant off the bag and Lonnie Smith made his disastrous baserunning error, then Jack Morris out-dueled Smoltz in game seven. Certainly not Cox’s fault.      

Tuesday C came in from her Bible Study carrying a plastic Kroger bag. Wednesday morning I noticed some little candy hearts on the counter. I packed my breakfast and lunch and looked for a Kroger bag to put them in. The bag Ceil had brought in was now empty, so I used it. Grabbed by briefcase and went to work. Got to work, pulled out my laptop, hung up my briefcase on the hook and draped my jacket over it.

Wednesday afternoon I needed to go into the side pocket of my briefcase. Pulled some things out, then went back to pull out more. I missed the sidepocket and stuck my hand into the main compartment. Only then did I find the goodies Ceil had snuck in – some candy hearts and a scone from Publix.

Will is in Peru but he had a bunch of surprises hidden for MC to find today. It was like a scavenger hunt. He’d hidden one in their dog Okie’s collar. It had been there all along!

Wednesday night C cooked hamburgers, tossed a salad, and chopped up a potato and sweet potato to make baked fries in the oven. She says she will bake my valentines apple pie today. She also got me some peanut butter cups, but kept the chocolate covered almonds for herself. We watched a little of the Olympics but I’m not really getting into it this year. Also two episodes of Gilmore Girls. We finished season five so were have 2-1/2 more seasons to go.

M went to the coffee house with his friend Jade then later fixed them something to eat.

Paul Johnson is recruiting private school players. Hopefully the private school players have better fundamentals. Tech usually has one or two players from Marist or St. Pius, and sometimes a Westminster player as well. Some are recruited to play at the private school and if they continue to develop should be pretty decent players. Nowadays there are summer camps for football and AAU teams in basketball, so players are playing against good competition more often.

Part of a solution to the question asked in yesterday’s post – also discussed last month in our Wednesday night prayer group: pray for a breakthrough in righteous living. No one is righteous by themselves or without God. Have humility even when others don’t. Recognize and throw out the lies satan tries to make you believe about your wife. If we are living righteously there will be fruit.