Bubba Breaks In

Well, internets, it's good to be back. Our CPU was in the shop last week, so I missed out on a lot of blogging.

At the end of my freshman year in college, I met a classmate named Everett. I think it happened after Wednesday Nite Bible Study down at Bill's Pizza in Northfield, though I can't be sure because that part of my life is a 15-year-old blur. Over the next three years we became very close friends and in fact roomed together our junior year. Everett, known as "Bubba" to close friends and family, is from Kentucky, has half my anxiety, twice my intelligence, and twice my bulk. As Pastor Gary once said, "You meet the guy, and you think, 'yeah, he'll grow up to be a truck driver.' But the guy's smart, he's really smart."

Anyway, we have stayed close throughout the years though neither one of us has any ability to initiate communication and though he is cataloguing librarian at Trinity International University, not exactly in my back yard, er, pasture.

So it should not have been a surprise when he burst through the door at 11:20 p.m. on July the third. But it was. Oh, it was.

Unbeknowns to me, my wife had planned a small birthday celebration on the 4th. I was already planning to host my dad and a few relatives on his side, but Tara decided that my birthday present should be much larger than that. So she got me an Everett for my birthday, as well as Phil and Nancy from this area. On the night of the third, Tara and I were chatting in the living room (she had just come home from Applebees). I was just thinking about locking the house and getting to bed when the back door opened and then slammed shut. This was quite distressing to me since we live several miles from anywhere and doors do not open by themselves very often.

"Hello?" I said in a firm voice. There was no answer, just footsteps.

"Who's there?" I asked in a less firm and more anxious voice. I was frozen in my ugly green recliner, knowing that I was about to be murdered here with my family and thankful that I know Jesus has paid for my sins and granted me eternal life with him.

"Hey, Jim!" said a familiar voice from the inky darkness. It was my very old, very dear friend Bubba. He hadn't realized what a fright his coming would create in me. If he would have, he might have worked harder at it...

I had a wonderful birthday, thanks for asking. I turned 35 years old and no longer claim to be young by any stretch of anyone's imagination. The maturity is not a bad thing; the realizing that you are twice the age of your high school students is.

While Everett was here, and playing with the boys, Evan turned to me and commented, " I don't think you're going to like this, Dad, but with Everett here it's like having two dads." Yeah, he was right. I didn't particularly like it, but I could see his point. I relate through work, projects, listening, theology, and more work. I am most at peace when I'm working. Everett is more laid-back and recreates well.

After I got home from work tonight, Toby and I spent a little time in the barn. He wanted to learn how to saw, so I taught him. With a real saw. It took him some time, but while I finished touching up the paint on the side of the barn, he sawed something like a real 1x4 in two. By himself. Wow, was he proud! The rest of us were pretty amazed, but you couldn't argue with the results or the cut. It was just about straight.

We still have no action on moving. I wait patiently for the ol' thumbs up or thumbs down, but neither seems to be happening. Mercy.

Evan goes to the farmer's market tomorrow to try his hand at selling produce. We have maples tree seedlings for $3 each and hostas for $2. He will probably add some reasons tomorrow for his nickname "Little Tycoon".