The worst job ever.

There are many odd things that I think about during any given day. But a couple of days ago I had a thought that has stayed with me for a while.

I feel very sorry for cashiers. I think that might be the most stressful job on the earth. No it's not having to deal with grumpy costumers, although that has to suck, and it isn't the crappy boss always breathing down your neck - making you account for every cent whether losing it was your fault or the employee before you - and it isn't all those stupid produce numbers you are expected to memorize. Those, although crappy, parts of the job are just that; part of the job. No the reason that I feel sorry for cashiers is the illusion they must suffer that the line will never end. 

Think about it: you look up and there is three people in line. You finish bagging the costumers groceries and give them their receipt. While looking at the next costumer - giving a warm smile as every good cashier does - you eye catches a costumer falling into your line. The void of the previous costumer has been filled. 

therefor, it is never ending, and on a good day the line will stay at three with the rare spike of five or six. But this time of year a good day is five or six and you know that their will be at least one costumer that is especially stressed out and has her three kids all under 4 - themselves stressed, feeding off of there mother. 

It's been awhile.

Well I don't know if I will say much but here are some pics of today. We live on an Apple orchard and it was a beautiful morning. 

rough draft essay

Everything you are about to read is true. and it is a rough draft. I hope you enjoy.

There are some things in life that are so wrong that they are beautiful. One Day last week I was staying at home. It was a perfect day; the sun was out and the apple trees in the orchard were in their fall plumes.  I decided to get some fresh air from my studying and went out to find my dogs a little on the crazy side. It was my fault I hadn’t ran them in a few days and their energy was a little through the roof. 

So I sent them chasing a ball through the orchard – their favorite activity in life – but only one returned. It was Oscar: My fun, hyper-energetic, Black Lab/Great Dane mix that is in his mid-life crisis but doesn’t know it yet. He had retrieved the ball and was ready to do it again. But his return brought up a very important problem; where was Aloha? Aloha (a-lo-a, the “h” is silent) is my 2 year old Boxer/Pit Bull/Viszla mix who I have to constantly worry about what kind of trouble she is going to make for me, and she was still out in the orchard.

I looked around and spotted her. She was slowly circling something below one of the apple trees. As she crept around, she would pause, lower her head, then jump, regain her composure that start circling again. I watched this go on for a couple of minutes and then decided I would see what she was interrogating. Walking towards her I brainstormed what it might be; Gardner snakes were really common out here but a snake would have tried to get away and then Aloha would have grab and brought it to me to be congratulated on her catch, it could be a field mouse coming up and down out of it hole but then Aloha would have tried to dig after it, it could be a mole – normally something that she would have gone after right away but the last time she did the mole bit her lower lip and didn’t let go – a very funny sight but one she wouldn’t have wanted to repeat, or it could be something dead. Something dead was my worst fear.

As I walked up to the scene I knew what it was immediately. A possum. Dead or alive, I had no idea but undeniably the ugliest creature God ever made. The last time I encountered a possum I almost soiled myself. I came upon it unexpectedly and instead of playing dead, it snarled at me – showing me its disgusting, and intimidating, set of teeth. So this time I kept my distance.

I stared as intently as Aloha. And then, right when I started feeling comfortable that it was dead, it breathed. And what do you think I did? Well I jumped, may have screamed, and ended up 5 feet farther back then when I had been. I don’t know why I was so surprised; it was just a possum playing possum, but I reacted like I saw Emily Rose hanging off the ceiling. 

Well, a breathing possum only leaves one conclusion to the question what do I do with it? So I went to the garage and grabbed “The Varmint Killer”: A device that every farm and ranch have. Our farm has 2 or 3, but the one I chose was a simple, but very elegant, break action shotgun in the caliber of 410 (pronounced four-ten). I grabbed a few shells (just incase) and headed back out into the orchard. Aloha was still at it; circling, pausing, lowering her head, then jumping back.

Once I got with in ten or fifteen feet of it I called Aloha back to me. By this time Oscar was feeling a little left out and had come to see what all the fuss was about. I knew he wasn’t going to like what was about to happen but it would be good for him.

The dogs were finally behind me. I raised my instrument of death and put the bead of the barrel to the head of the possum. My finger starts to squeeze. I am a poor marksman; I close my eyes before the trigger is fully pulled. Crack! My eyes immediately open. The “Varmint Killer” truly lived up to its name and I smiled.

This is a reaction I couldn’t control. It was really a disgusting sight; the recent possum was still moving on the ground… Well you don’t need to know the rest. I think the reaction was a primal instinct that man has power and loves powerful instruments. Whether its knives, clubs, or in this case guns, they all have a special place in the heart of man (I know this is a stereotype an there are exceptions). On the other hand I think that I had a feeling of accomplishment from my paternal instincts. In our family, my wife and I don’t have children. So our dogs fill some of those needs. They are like children you can leave alone for twelve hours at a time and kick out of the house when they frustrate you. Anyways when it comes to a rodent that could give my dogs rabies or a dead rodent, I will choose a dead rodent.

The day was perfect; sunny and cool. I shot a possum. Oh, and I was in my slippers. 

Some free writes from this last weekend

Day 1 9-18

I’m in Sisters Oregon. A fun little town that thrives on tourists spending their money on the little independently owned shops. The shops crowd the main strip running through the town. They are so aggressively trying to get people to stop that they appear to be preparing for an assault on the people who do not stop, but choose to pass through and head on to their destination.

 

I’m tired. I am very tired. It is 6:20 am I have been out of bed since 5:30 and I have been awake since 5:00. My alarm to wake me, the one I set grudgingly at 11:30 last night, is set to wake me up at 7:00. Yes 7. To start my explanation of why I was awake 2 hours before my alarm is to wake me up, I must tell you that after setting my alarm at 11:30 already very tired from the week – it was Friday after all – I was assaulted for 30+ minutes by a snoring that could have moved the Richter Scale on the side of the north Sister. In case you don’t understand, the north Sister is apart of the 3 Sisters. A group of active Volcanoes ten mile to the south of the town of Sisters – hence the name of this pleasant little place.

 

The food at this little place is a little expensive. So I order some homemade biscuits and a side order of bacon. It just arrived and I must attend to this beautiful, healthy, elegant, I would keep going but I am hungry. That was amazing. A good start to my day.

 

MY DAY, I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY DAY!!!! Not the day I have had, but the day I am planning for today. So I have a break from my music dept. retreat this afternoon. SOOOO guess what??? I brought my fly rod! I, Shayne Flock on this day the 18 of September in the year of our Lord 2010 will fish the great Metolius River. Yes! ME! I am going to take on the toughest fly-fishing-only river in OR. I spent a fortune on flies yesterday, talked to all the pros I know of and have already scouted Camp Sherman. I a certain that I will prevail. BUT you must understand that on the Metolius if you catch 4 fish you have had a banner day. So I am shooting for 3. I hope to shoot some video today also, on my cell phone. Well it’s already 10 til seven – I am going to go watch the sunrise.

 

Peace.

Day 2 night of 9-18

Well if I could describe what just happened at the church I would quit school and just be a writer. But there is no way that I could accurately describe the scene that just occurred. All I can say is it is what happens when you put 100 + Christian musicians together who have not had enough sleep and were over worked on a Saturday. I is important to mention that they were Christians because I have experienced first hand what non-christian do in these circumstances, and believe me, it looks nothing like what just happened.

I will write a follow up tonight or tomorrow. Just wanted you to have something to read.  

The Waiting Game

It's funny how God tries so hard to rip you off your own two feet, and when He has balancing on one foot on the side of the cliff, your head looking strait down at the waves thrashing below, one leg strait out the other way, desperately trying not to fall and knowing it would only take a slight breeze to finish you, He still waits for your approval. He says, "Just let go. You won't fall. You will fly." And that grabs your attention away from the waves. You really want to trust Him. He has never let you down before. Everything inside you cries out to your rescuer. 

So you say, "OK." and right then, when you are smiling, fully faithful to His words, tired of trying to control your own situation... you look down. You see yourself falling in slow-motion. It's just like the movies - you never see yourself tumbling over as you fall to your death like it is in reality - you see yourself falling face up, looking back at yourself, crying out, "Why?! How in the world did you think that was a good decision?" And right before you see yourself hit the jagged rocks, you squint. Your stay closed long enough to realize your still on top of the cliff, and that is all it takes to bring you back to square one. Balancing on one foot, one leg in the air and face looking at your demise. 

But after all that, God is still there. Just asking you to fly with Him. 

Here I am ...... again.

I am sitting in a library on a college campus. Although it is a different library on a different campus, it feels organic - like home. That bothers me. I am sick of feeling home on a college campus! I want to have a real home!!! I want to come home from a day of work and walk through my own front door and into my real home to my real wife, kiss her, and have her say, "welcome home, babe!" but no. I am on the 2nd floor of a library looking through the window at the trees and the green grass and the people passing by - the same thing I have done for the last 6 years on 3 different campuses. And yet, part of me is excited to start this next leg of my college adventure. I am ready to learn, grow, and be prepared for my next life. But then I leave this place, go to my temporary home and watch my wife come home from a long days work and then have the realization that I am starting my 7th year of school and I have been doing this WAY TO FRIGGIN' LONG! 

God, I pray that you help me finish strong and quickly. I owe it to my overworked, over-stressed, wife. 

On a brighter note, My father came up this last weekend. We spent two days fishing. He only caught one, I caught 6. HAHA. BUT he told me that fishing with me was a lot better then being a principal for those two days! It was a blast. I miss our times of fishing together - they happen way to infrequently nowadays. 

Silver Falls

I took the family to Silver Falls State Park today. It was great. There was only one problem; there is very few trails that allowed the dogs to walk. But, all in all, it turned out to be a fun trip. 

We walked to Upper North Falls. Once we got there, we were shocked at the natural beauty. I couldn't believe how deep the water in the pool was (not that I was brave enough to jump in).  Then we let the kids off the leash and they took a swim, chasing after pieces of wood. I got to spend awhile just sitting back and enjoying life while being sheltered from the summer heat by the mist of the waterfall and walls of the canyon. 

It was another day spent amazed by God's beauty.