10:47am
We’ve been without power now for a whopping hour and a half. We’d always heard of the power going out during an ice storm, due to the trees falling on power lines, transformers exploding, etc. But this is the first time our power’s been out for more than an hour. Ever.

So far the clock/temperature gauge on the wall has dropped from 65 degrees to 63. I can only surmise it’s gonna keep dropping.

Kyler and I went outside for a bit in the backyard. There’s a good half inch of ice over everything. He fell on his butt, but he’s a kid, so it didn’t hurt. (If I fell on MY butt, you’d hear about it for a week.)

Across the street a neighbor’s tree split down the middle. It looks like his other one will be going soon, too. This gave me the idea to look at a few of our own trees in the front yard. Sure enough, we have a massive tree with a massive amount of ice on it. And it’s leaning… Slowly… Getting lower with every passing minute.

I have an APC power supply that’s fully charged, so in theory I can use my MacBook for another hour or so, if necessary. But currently I’m typing this on my Clie, which once more makes me thrilled to have this thing. I need to replace the internal battery sometime soon, though. It won’t hold a charge much longer than 5-10 minutes of heavy use. I have an external power supply that I can plug into which runs on 4 AA batteries, but it’s kind cumbersome. (That, and I can’t very well charge it while I’m typing at the same time… Not that it would matter… Because… You know… It’d only last another 10 minutes after that…)

Thankful. What am I thankful for? Thankful for the Clie. Thankful for the keyboard. Thankful that Kaleb’s sleeping (for now). Thankful that I just loaded my MP3 player with the new music I downloaded from eMusic.com. Thankful that Kaleb slept through the night. Thankful that Kim didn’t have to go into work, so she’s able to stay home and help me wrangle the kids. Thankful that we have a 4Runner with 4-wheel drive, so if we HAVE to go out, we can. (If we can get the garage door to open…)

And now Kaleb’s crying… Gotta go…

Kevin

8:55pm.

Well, after experiencing almost a full day without power, it JUST NOW came back on! Just as we were putting Kyler to bed (in our bed, no less, so we could siphon off his body heat to stay alive) – DING! – up come the lights (and the heat, and the refrigerator, etc.).

In retrospect, I think I wanna get another small, handheld TV someday. The one I have it Black and White and from the late 80′s, and it takes a whopping 4 AAs to run. If there’s an current, color model that runs on only 2 AAs, I’m there. (Last I checked, they were only $50-75 a few years ago. Cheaper on eBay.)

So now we’re back in business. The status quo has been restored, and we’ll be feeling our toes soon enough.

That tree I mentioned? Sure enough, the weight and the pressure were too much, and one of the major limbs went down. It was a bradford pear, and apparently those suckers just can’t handle ice storms very well, because there were trees split everywhere around town. Purty things, but oh-so-fragile…

And now I think I’ll get ready for bed. Now that Kyler’s warmed it up for me sufficiently. Maybe I’ll even let him stay in it tonight… unless he kicks me… then he’s outta there! (Still loved, but outta my bed.)

Some Photos for You:

(Whoops… someone forgot to cover the grill…)

Neighbor’s tree, not mine… (Not that there’s much difference….)

Lubbock, TX.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Kim heard from the placement office last week, and was told that, come March 4th, she’ll be reporting to work in Lubbock, Texas.

Now, I know some of you are scratching your heads over this. “Lubbock? I thought she had to move to one of the 17 BIG cities?!?” This is true. And technically, she’s working out of the Dallas office. But Lubbock is considered an R.A. (Resident Agency), and they had an immediate need for someone with Kim’s skill set. Sooo… Lubbock it is.

So Kim and I have been researching everything we can on Lubbock, and I gotta say, the reports are widely varied. Some people call Lubbock a “hidden oasis” in West Texas. Others call it an atrocious dust bowl. This article on Men’s Health from December 4th labels it one of the “drunkest cities in the nation.” Seriously.

Read on…

“Men’s Health ranks Lubbock 92 on the list and unfortunately, in this case, the higher number, the worse it looks. Denver, Colorado is listed as the most dangerously drunk in the country at 100. That’s followed by Anchorage, Alaska; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Omaha, Nebraska; Fargo, North Dakota; San Antonio; Austin; Fresno, California; and then Lubbock at number 92. They say that translates to a grade of “F”.

This isn’t Lubbock’s first time to make Men’s Health magazine. Ironically, back in April, the magazine called Lubbock one of the safest cities for drivers. Then in September, it ranked Lubbock one of the fattest cities for kids.”

So. It looks like Kyler and Kaleb will be hanging out with a bunch of obese drunk kids as they grow up. Who are nonetheless safe when they drive. Fancy that. (Perhaps “hanging out” isn’t the right word… “ministering to” might be more applicable. We pray…)

Anyhow, we’re pretty pumped. Lubbock is a decent enough place to spend the next few years and raise our kids, and it sure beats the pants off of moving to New York or Miami or Detroit. It’s true. Check the news. Those cities are now, officially, pantless. It’s not a pretty site.

Kevin

(I think we wanna live in the lower lefthand quadrant, around all the markers…)

Other Lubbock Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubbock,_Texas

http://www.texasescapes.com

http://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/

http://www.visitlubbock.org/

In about 3 weeks the government is going to tell Kim and I where to go.

That’s right. Our time here in Oklahoma is quickly drawing to a close. We’ve ranked the 17 cities we were given, submitted the list, and on December 7th we’re going to find out where our destiny lies.

Personally, we’re rooting for Dallas. We have friends there, Kim used to live there, and it’s close to Tulsa, so visiting Grammy and Grandpa Mills wouldn’t be too difficult. Second and third choices are Houston and San Antonio, and there’s a possibility of an opening in Lubbock as well.

Outside of Texas the choices are a bit further. Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Miami, Las Angeles, San Diego. You get the idea.

As much as we’ve loved living in Edmond, we’re still kind excited about moving again. We kind of see it as God sending us to a new mission field. New people to meet, to influence and be influenced by, new lifelong friendships to foster. It’ll be good.

So that’s the sit rep on the Mills in OK for now. (Yes, I’ve been watching Battlestar Galactica the past few weeks while on the treadmill. And you know what? It ain’t half bad.) We’ll be sure to let you know when we get the full report in early December.

Kevin

I love people. They can be so entertaining sometimes. While I’m primarily an introvert (I’d prefer to read a book in a quiet nook than party hard), I also really enjoy a genuine, masks-off conversation.

So when I had a conversation with a guy in the sauna at the gym today, I was ready to learn something new. And learn I did. (FYI, when you’re half nekkid in a sweltering room with strangers, it’s not uncommon to strike up a conversation.)

The guy (I think he said he name was Raul or Rollo, although he looked like neither) had traveled for most of his life. He had just returned from a trip to Antarctica a few months ago, finally able to check it off his list of visiting every continent in the world. He said he had a great time playing with the penguins for his 21-day stay. (And seriously, how many people can say that?)

So what do you ask a man who’s been all over the world? Why, where’s the best place to live, of course!

The answer? Bangkok.

That’s right. Bangkok. Although to be honest, London was his first response. He really, really loved London, but said it’s just too expensive to live there. (I nodded my head in agreement, having no whit of a clue, of course.)

Bangkok, however, is where his heart was and where he’d  choose to settle down, if he had it all to do over again. He said he loved the Thai people, emphasizing how kind they are.

I was surprised. I would have thought his answer would be related to the exotic cuisine. (I know MY answer for most-wanted locales would be closely tied to my stomach.) But no, it was their HEARTS that he highlighted. Kind of a refreshing motive for his answer, really.

So that’s today’s “Wisdom of Strangers” entry. I’ll be sure to provide further reports on Sauna Conversations in the future, as they come about.

Kevin

This is Kyler’s Batman that we drew together today. Kyler says, “He’s cool. And he has cool powers. Love Batman.”

So that’s it. Trevor C. would be proud.

Kevin