Today began with the same routine. Alarm played some random 80's rock song that is always obnoxious at 6:10am no matter how cool the song. Downstairs for some shredded wheat and juice. Yep I'm over 40 now. Quit coffee last year because cardiologist concluded I have a common condition which causes my heart to flutter when I consume caffeine. Oldest daughter skipping the smoothie this morning since out of some ingredients. Other daughter is nearly ready for school, so I better hurry and get my face shaved , shower , and put on a darned red shirt again. I never owned a red shirt before I started working for that retail store 10 years ago. Needless to say I don't wear red on my days off. Better get the boy out of bed too, since wife will have to help get him ready for school and don't want him to give her any trouble. Let me just say that he is not a morning person. OK, next drive the girls to each of their schools, first to the high school drop off where there are cars lined up for nearly a block. I'm sure they arranged the drop off area to annoy parents and to fund the county with traffic ticket fees since you cant legally turn out of the school in order to go anywhere except in the opposite direction that you need to go. Then to the other school, which isn't very far, but all 4 of the stoplights are always red. Hurry back to the house to send the boy off to elementary school. Thankfully it is close and he likes to ride his bike to school. Then for a few quiet minutes with my wife before off to the bullseye. I am very thankful for my job and I do enjoy my job, but I like vacation better. I find it easier to get through those long stretches of work days if I have a vacation to look forward on the horizon. My next vacation is to Mexico. My family goes on a trip every year in January with a group of people to build a house for the poor in Juarez. It's a great time for us to reflect on the reality of the world and those less fortunate. It really makes you thankful and have more appreciation for God's provision. It's a great experience to be used by God to bless a family with a home. Hearing the families that we build for express their gratitude in prayer to God for his faithfulness and provision for them is incredible when we see what kind of lifestyle they live in poverty.