More Quick Takes

1) My clothes dryer has not been working too hot lately, taking forever to dry a load of jeans or towels. Just as I was about to break it to my husband we may need a new one (This train of thought was spawned by the Electrolux commercial with Kelly Ripa where she brags she can wash AND dry a load of laundry in 36 minutes! My green-eyed monster has been out ever since.), I remembered my dear father-in-law once looked at my dryer when it was doing the same thing and found a bird's nest in the vent going out of the house. I decided it might behoove me (basically because I am so cheap) to check out the vent and dryer hose to it to see if there was some kind of blockage. (WARNING--Do not attempt this before you've showered. You wouldn't believe the stuff that will stick to you!)

I shoved the dryer out of its tiny space and squeezed my not so tiny self behind it. I disconnected the hoses, cleaned them out like a pro and was feeling pretty proud of myself until part of the hose broke while I was trying to get it back on the dryer. No worries, I was able to pry it off with my trusty pliers and had plenty of hose left to reconnect it. I got all the excess lint vacuumed up and put the dryer back in place. It's still no Electrolux, but it does seem to be working better.

My husband seems to enjoy me tackling some of these projects myself. Imagine him hiking up his pants and sniffing, "Yeah, my wife did all the drywall taping on our attic project," as if he were announcing he could bench press 500 pounds. But I'm afraid this backfires on me. When I shoot for my husband's admiration I end up doing the work myself. Hmm. . .is he outsmarting me?

2) I've been analyzing how I spend my time lately (no wonder that Electrolux commercial got to me) and considering keeping track of every minute to see where I waste it. I've been recording time spent doing things important to me and the hours seem so few in comparison to an entire week of hours. What is happening to all my time? I stay busy all day. The television is not on. I don't even listen to the radio. I'm not languishing forever with a good book or talking on the phone. There is a part of me which longs for efficiency and another which fears being locked into routine. What am I to do? What time management tips have you discovered?

3) We saw a commercial (I assure you we aren't television junkies. We're just attentive when we watch.) for a debt solution type of place, one of those organizations that want to help with credit card debt. We were taken aback when the commentary actually said, "It can happen to anybody and it probably isn't your fault." What? Probably isn't your fault? What are we doing, creating a society of sissies who don't take responsibility for their own actions? YIKES!

4) I had a brief discussion with a couple of guys about homosexuality. I wished we had more time to explore the topic when one of them said, "Of course there is some argument as to what the Biblical culture prescribed as homosexual behavior. Some people believe it may have more to do with pedophilia than what we think of as homosexual. That's just the thing. In homosexuality there are no victims like there are with pedophiles."

"I don't know," I said, "I saw plenty of people in college I would classify as victims when they were convinced by other people they must be gay."

This led to a discussion about gays in Christian leadership and how we wouldn't put a bank robber in charge of a church because he creates victims, but a homosexual doesn't. I don't think the man saying this was necessarily endorsing homosexuality, but trying to explain some common trains of thought.

It was very interesting and I found myself in a position I am not in frequently, conversing with two men I don't know very well, both my senior and very learned, both well spoken, kind and easy to get along with. We had limited time and I wondered how much to say and how to stay respectful while stating what I believe to be Biblical truth. It made me realize what a bubble I live in and wish for more practice in situations like these.

5) My aunt pointed me to some interesting articles about Facebook terms of use (Thank you, Aunt Lori. I DO read some forwards!). If you're an avid Facebook junkie, you'll want to have a look.

Facebook Membership May Be Forever
Facebook CEO to Scared Users: Trust Us

It's an interesting discussion, one precipitated by the changing technological culture. Mark Zuckerberg explains it well in his note.

6) "Mom," my thirteen-year-old son asked out of nowhere, "Do you think it's bad when people date all through high school and get married? Is it bad they've never dated anyone else?"

He asked me this while we were driving home from an appointment. His question sparked a wonderful, albeit brief (we were only a few minutes from home) dialogue on dating and God's plan for people. It brought to mind similar conversations I had this week in the car--one with he and his younger sister on the way home from church about tattoos, one with their older sister about sex.

I am often astounded at how our kids have picked up our attitudes and beliefs about life. We have not sat them down regularly or purposefully to instill this in them. They get them through short-lived encounters, time talking in transit, at the dinner table, in the waning moments before going to bed. These small moments, occurring every day, matter, a lot.

7) We're shopping for a different vehicle. BLEH! I hate it. It stresses me out big time. I hate the thought of spending thousands of dollars, dealing with salesmen, knowing unless you buy brand new (which we aren't), you'll probably get something with some issues. It makes me a little sick to my stomach. Pray for me. We're hitting it hard today.

Pop over to Jen at Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes. Have a great weekend.