It's Saturday night ...

The grand daughters are in hand for the next four days!! Spent a wonderful evening at the park in Plainview celebrating the great niece's 2nd birthday. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, cake and ice cream, just couldn't get any better. Watched all the little ones (there are 6 from 3 years 10 months to 16 months) run around and play all over the park. Some of the adults played horseshoes and bocce ball. The youngest grand daughter fell asleep on the way home and stayed asleep while the oldest has had her bath and is in bed watching Shrek 2. It's going to be a fun but tiring next few days.

Well it looks like British Petroleum has failed to stop the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico with the "top kill" procedure. I'm all for finding and producing our own oil so that we don't have to rely on foreign oil, but this disaster is really a setback for off-shore drilling. I hope someone somewhere comes up with a workable solution real soon!

My wife may get tired of what's on TV this weekend, a marathon of Deadliest Catch!! I've seen many of the episodes, but they're still fun to watch. I guess I missed that Captain Phil Harris had passed away in February of this year. I sure his family will miss him deeply, you could tell he had lots of love for his sons. DC will be a little different in the coming years with him not at the helm of the Cornelia Marie.

My closing thought for the day: Every individual has a place to fill in the world, and is important in some respect, whether he chooses to be so or not. -Nathaniel Hawthorne

From everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness. -- Psalms 103:17-18 (NIV)

A long weekend!!

It's the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. Let's remember those that gave all to defend the greatest nation in the world!! Without their ultimate sacrifice, we would not be able to do the things we do today including expressing our own opinions on our own blogs!!

Grand daughter alert!!! We are going to be fortunate enough to keep our two beautiful grand daughters (age 3 & 1) for 4 nights!! Their dad is driving a busload of choir kids to San Marcos and mom is going along for the ride so gramps and doakie get babysitting duties. That's just fine with me even though I'll have to take a day off that I wasn't planning but summer is a little more relaxed so an extra day off is no big deal.

Two entertainment icons passed away this week. Both made us smile and laugh, one lived a full life including a marriage of 75 years, the other had some issues during his adult live but he was trying to get things right. Art Linkletter was a early TV icon. I can remember watching House Party when I was growing up. I remember enjoying the segments with the kids (even though I was a kid) because, as Mr. Linkletter said, "Kids say the darndest things!" Gary Coleman, "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?", was a wonderful child actor but he had lots of trouble when he got to adulthood. They both made their marks on the world and provided us with lots of entertainment over the years.

My closing thought for the day: Remember those that gave all, starting during the Revolutionary War until the conflict today in Iraq and Afghanistan. The price they paid is so we can enjoy the freedoms we have. God Bless Them and their families.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. -- Romans 12:15 (NIV)

Another school year is in the books!

Today ended another school year at Lockney ISD. Tomorrow night, the class of 2010 graduates and then beginning Tuesday, the summer routines begin. This summer should be different because construction will start on the high school building to replace the one that was burned in January 2009. If everything goes according to schedule, we should be getting ready to occupy the new building around this time next year.

I'm not one to voice my opinion on politics very often but I have to agree with veteran Colorado journalist Chuck Green in that it's time the Obama administration started taking responsibility for their failures (and successes) and stop blaming the previous Bush administration. (You can read Green's column at this link -- http://www.aurorasentinel.com/articles/2010/02/07/opinion/columnists/doc4b6af63781c92027520167.txt)

Now don't misunderstand me, I respect the OFFICE of President of the United States but I don't always respect the holder of the office. Mr. Obama and his cronies in Congress have done nothing but drive this country further into debt and guided this country away from what the founding fathers envisioned. His lack of a quick and effective response regarding the oil spill in the Gulf is as bad as what happened with the previous administration and their issues following the hurricanes that hit Louisiana.

Okay, enough on politics! I thought this would be one of my slower summers in several years but the education region that my school district is a part of is starting a wide-area, licensed radio frequency network and there is going to be lots of planning and preparing for the installation to begin. Also, TEA (Texas Education Agency) is beginning a new project that every teacher and administrator will be a part of will include online professional development and collaboration which means the IT directors around the state are responsible for uploading the district's personnel to the service. I'm also attending a workshop or two including one on the iPad. Now my district is a 100% Windows but I'm curious about the iPad although since ATT Wireless doesn't provide 3G service (or any service) in our area, my getting one or even considering implementing them into the school has basically a zero percent chance. I'm also awaiting change approvals from the E-Rate people in order to start an update to our network infrastructure. Overall, I guess it'll be a fairly active summer. I do plan to get a couple of weeks of vacation in this year since last year I barely got one week in due to issues after the high school fire and deploying 70+ new computers throughout the district. Who knows what other projects I'll get involved in this summer.

My closing thought for the day: "When the solution is simple, God is answering." -- Albert Einstein

I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me -- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. -- Acts 20:24 (NIV)

Three in a row!!!

Never on any of the other blogs that I've tried have I posted this many times in a row. Maybe it's because I have no specific direction at this time with this blog, as the title says -- Some Thoughts from West Texas!

Just found out a little while ago that my oldest daughter, her husband and the two beautiful grand daughters will be moving to a neighboring town (just 25 miles away instead of 100) to teach and coach!! I know they are excited because where they have been is undergoing some major changes. I really hope it's a good, solid move for them. Now if my youngest daughter can find her first teaching job!

American Idol is over for another year. Lee Dewyze is the winner and again, the American Idol public voted for a conservative, clean-cut image contestant. Do you think America is trying to tell us something? Washington better listen up!!

I really enjoy this time of year, school is nearly out and even though I work 12 months at my school, the summer is a lot more relaxing; and I really enjoy the spring time weather. I'm a computer storm chaser because I have a full time job and it cost less to follow the storms on the computer than traveling around in the car (plus I don't have to worry about storm damage to the car!!). Occasionally if the storms are near my town, I'll go out and chase for a few miles.

My closing thought for the day: "What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens." -- Thaddeus Golas

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. -- John 3: 17 (NIV)

The last Tuesday of the school year ...

Another school year is coming to a close. Another class of young people have completed their public education and will be heading out into the world. My hope is that they will reach the goals they desire, will find a way to make a difference and they will not forget those that help them to succeed ... their parents and teachers.

As an educator for the past 20+ years, I realize that our education system is not perfect. There are things that I don't like but I feel that we do our best to provide a quality education for EVERY child! I hope every educator has a restful summer and be ready to face the challenges of another year in August.

Dancing with the Stars ended tonight with Derek and Nicole winning. I thought the top 3 was correct and that any of the 3 could have been the winner. Definitely one of their best seasons since the show started.

American Idol concludes tomorrow night and personally I hope Lee wins. I think I will miss having Simon judging next year. I wonder, can they find someone as brutally honest as Simon?

I'm looking forward to watching Howie Mandel on America's Got Talent. It's also fun to watch some of the more interesting acts that show up on this show.

My closing thought for the day: "The difficulty in life is not on how we struggle to survive the next day; it's on how we live today."

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. -- James 1:19 (NIV)

It's a beginning thought ...

Greetings from West Texas where the land is flat, cotton is king and football rules the weekends.

Why am I doing this blog? I'm not really sure but sometimes I have thoughts that I want to share and then, sometimes it's thoughts that no one wants to hear. You may not agree with anything I have to say but it's my opinion and my blog.

It's only 95 days until high school football starts and only 103 days until Texas Tech football starts. I enjoy my sports but I look forward to high school and college football more than anything! This year Tech football will be different for a couple of reasons: 1) my youngest daughter will no longer be marching in the Goin' Band from Raiderland, she'll be setting with the rest of the family as a new graduate of Texas Tech (and hopefully she'll be teaching!!); and 2) a new era in coaching with Tommy Tuberville and his staff.

I was as upset as anyone else when Mike Leach was dismissed but after awhile, I realized that I cheer for Texas Tech not a specific coach. I've been cheering for Tech football since the days of Coach J. T. King with Donny Anderson and Tom Wilson leading the team and will still be a fan for a longtime, no matter who is coaching. WRECK 'EM TECH!!!!

Well, that's a start for my blog. If you found me, I hope you will return to see what I'm rambling about tomorrow.

My closing thought for today: I would rather be Biblically correct than politically correct.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. -- Romans 12:10 (NIV)