Indian Summer...Again

Summer does not want to leave us as this weekend has seen temperatures approaching 90 degrees. I have to be prepared for cold weather as the trip to frigid Detroit, Michigan looms in about ten days. My blood is thin after this week of warm daytime highs. I'm sporting a bit of a sunburn after two days of golf this week and some time spent in the yard cleaning the pool yesterday.

We went to church today expecting to meet Anthony and Erin from work, but they failed to show up. I don't know what happened. I invited them as we had a guest speaker today, Ken Mansfield. Ken was an agnostic who was the American Head of Apple Records and was hired by the Beatles in the '60's to direct their album sales and entry into the US market. Ken was a big deal with Capitol Records, the VP of merchandising, when the Beatles came calling. He recognized the potential of the Beatles after visiting London and helped to create a new division with capitol that co branded smaller record labels like Apple. He immersed himself into the entire phenomenon that was the Beatles and slowly lost himself as his fame grew along with he Beatles. He eventually left Capitol to form his own label and after initial success with Waylon Jennings and James Taylor, his label eventually failed and he found himself not only out of work, but out of options. He was no longer a viable commodity within the corporate circle and finally packed up his things in LA and headed to Nashville. He did bring something with him to Nashville and it was the transcendental spiritualism that found him with a guru. He eventually met a young Christian woman who argued with him about "the way". Ken agreed that Christianity was a way, but not "the way". His girlfriend told him that she could not waste her life with someone who would not live in the Kingdom after life on Earth.

Ken found himself so far out of the industry that he eventually accepted a position with a small amphitheater in Nashville. When Whitney Houston came to the theater in 1987, he was a member of the AV crew and was called out by Whitney to fix some re verb on her mike. When he walked out, he saw three of his former cronies in the corporate world of the recording industry sitting in the front row drinking champagne and they just stared at him. It was the single most humiliating moment of his life and he knelt down that day and gave his life to the Lord. He had to be broke for the Lord to break him.

He went on to tell us of a story of an event that he attended at a mega church in San Diego several years ago and a woman stood during the Q&A portion of the event and told Ken that she was a member of a youth group at her church in 1969 and the youth pastor passed around a hat with a slip of names that he wanted the kids to pray for. The names were those of the Beatles, their spouses, members of the roadies, and the Beatles management. Many of her friends got Paul McCartney and John Lennon and other famous people. She picked out a name she had never heard of and began praying for that person. The name was Ken Mansfield. The woman went on to tell him that she prayed for him daily for seven years and then left home and went to Los Angeles, where she fell away from the church and began "sleeping with the enemy". Ken in the meantime had found Christ and he was proud that day to watch as that woman came forward to rededicate her life. It came full circle. Ken's book is "The Beatles, the Bible and Bodega Bay". He was very convicting and a very powerful speaker. He is, by the way, married to the woman who helped him change his life, the one he met in Nashville. One of Ken's credos is that EGO is not a word, it is an acronym and stands for Edge God Out.

I decided Friday night that the Mustang was getting dirty. I took it into the shop and had new front struts installed to smooth out the ride and the mechanics got some fingerprints and smudges on the hood and it was due a good wash. As I was out spraying off the car, some old man walking in the park started yelling at me. I heard him, but thought he was yelling at some kids playing soccer. He finally got my attention. He was wearing Bermuda shorts and sandals with white socks and told me that I couldn't wash my car, it was "against the law in Roseville." I told him that there was an open hose law and that your garden hose had to have a nozzle on it so it wouldn't run down the street. "You're wrong and you could get fined," he said. I thanked him for his opinion, called him a Democrat and told him to go vote for Barack Hussein Obama and leave me alone. We need to be prepared for government taking over our lives if the Democrats win and it looks more and more likely that they will. God help me.

I went to Modesto on Thursday and Lorraine only had two appointments set up, so I knocked off at three and went over to Creekside Golf Course. I had played Dryden in Modesto, but not Creekside. I joined up with two other guys and proceeded to have my best round of the year, shooting 37+37=74, I was on fire and hitting every green. It was great to see it all come together for one day at least. I wasn't able to carry that over to the tournament on Saturday as I shot 43+40=83 and took fourth in my flight.

Jennifer and John continue in my prayers and especially Samantha, who has just started taking her first steps. Jennifer has moved into an apartment with a girlfriend and has Samantha one week on and one week off. Something happened between the two of them and there is a serious disconnect right now. Pray for some Heavenly guidance for both of them as they navigate the bumpy path of separation. Pray also for Samantha that she stay healthy and content during this period while her Mommy and Daddy try to sort things out.

Our two year-old dishwasher is having problems. Darla asked me to look at it last Sunday because the door was hard to shut. I opened it and the right side dropped about four inches. It turns out that the spot weld for the hinge on the right side worked loose from the tub. It is a GE Profile Dishwasher and cost close to $900. We had GE out on Wednesday and they took one look and said they couldn't fix it. The repairman contacted GE and they in turn got in touch with us and offered to replace the unit with a New GE Profile Dishwasher. The new one retails for $1,200 and should be installed this week. The only thing we are out is the $99 service call fee, which I'm sure I could argue. The point is, though, the dishwasher was out of warranty and GE is stepping up to replace it. The repairman said that he has seen several other spot welds not hold, so this is not an isolated incident.

Darla and I went out to Home Depot last night and bought a new chandelier and a new matching light for our entry hall. I plan to install them next Saturday. They are antique brass fixtures with etched glass holders and globes. Darla has been slowly upgrading our fixtures and appliances and things look good around here.

Well, it looks like the weather is supposed to turn cooler this week and we have a chance of rain by next weekend. I'm supposed to play golf Wednesday with Boyd, Darren and Bob at Lincoln Hills. Darren has a pass for four players with cart that runs out at year end, so we are happy to help him use it up. Perhaps the weather will clear up by Sunday when the club holds the Past President event. I will write more next week. Take care. Ciao.