Guy Named EDd (& friends)

Waiting

2026-07-29T08:14:22.925-05:00

rage within

rushing, overwhelming

tears

flowing dry

pain, unknown

hurt, inside, contained

breaths, reason

placated

waiting

Fallon Clothing Advice

2022-08-15T01:12:00.001-05:00

I dreamed I was trying to get ready for something special for school. My best friend was waiting on me. I was trying to curl my hair and Jimmy Fallon came and told me it looked pretty awful and so were my clothes.

I looked down and I was wearing some white pants with a green pattern, thick 70's material, white jacket with slight different green and slightly different pattern, and a green shirt that didn't match the other two greens.

- Holly

Stuff My Wife Says: 7-7-22

2022-07-07T18:24:00.008-05:00

"My ovaries are like, 'where's my friend?'"

Bye, Bye, Bye Uterus

2022-07-05T06:44:00.005-05:00

All the things in one place. View the status updates for Holly's hysterectomy in the tracker below.

Time to lubricate the dogs, Dad

2022-07-03T20:58:00.004-05:00

Ok, ok, don't worry — it's not obscene (on purpose).

carrot snack for Gemma

For full context everyone should first know we have three +100lb canines we love dearly and we would never hurt them. Also pertinent to the story is the fact that they're all terrified of fireworks. Due to their fearfulness they were prescribed some doggy Xanax a few years back to help them through all the Independence Day shenanigans. When we can get them to actually swallow the meds it works great, they chill in the kennel and eventually sleep when the booms slow up.

playful Oreo

Since Independence Day comes on a Monday this year several of our neighbors chose to celebrate this past Saturday (yesterday). Having advance notice I shoved the doggy Xanax into some Vienna Sausages and dosed the pups early in the evening. The little weenies are the perfect bite-sized snack for them to swallow the pills whole.

precious Zeus

So here it is July 3rd and some of our neighbors felt the need to fire off a couple test fireworks in between the beautiful showers we had this evening. Hearing the booms begin my son says...

Son: "Don't you think it's time to lubricate the dogs, Dad?"
Me: "You mean medicate the dogs?"
Son: "Yeah, you know, give them the weenie."

...and then I lost it. Yep, I'm 12 years old again and all I can do is stifle giggles and try to not make eye contact with my wife. I love that boy.

I made a chess board (with help)

2018-12-27T08:19:00.003-06:00

With A Fence

2018-04-13T11:30:00.003-05:00

Back in college I wrote a little poem to stun the class. I still find it quite humorous. I don't think I'll ever forget the looks on my classmates' faces while I was reading it aloud from the front of the class.

With A Fence

The first time it was wet,

And I liked it.

Warm as I went in, I

Was slowly surrounded,

Engulfed in pleasure as the world

Faded away.

Lost in my nakedness, with

The sun on my face,

Inhibitions did not exist.

Muscles twitched, and out came soft

Cries of joy.

The warmth penetrated and an uttering of

Relief could be heard.

Deeper,

Deeper I went in

To the warmth,

To the safety,

To the dream state with

No pain,

No burdens,

No fears,

Just me

And the hot tub.

- Jeremy

Toddler Toes & Church Hymns

2016-04-15T05:46:00.001-05:00

My son has pink eye and is having trouble sleeping. That, of course, means I'm having trouble sleeping too.

Toddler Toes & Church Hymns

I've been awake since 3am
With toddler toes in my chest
Listening to airy phlegm
And raspy snoring breaths.
I wish I could comfort him
And still get a little rest.
His constant moving, flailing limbs
Make the sheets a giant mess.
As the giant moon dims
And I lay here in my nest
I think of calming church hymns
And pray for the best.

- Jeremy

Addison's Benefit Cookout

2015-02-06T07:34:00.001-06:00

Addison is an 8 year old girl from Farmingtion, AR. She is in the 3rd grade and has been diagnosed with leukemia. Addison is currently in Little Rock, AR fighting this horrible illness.

Fayetteville Autopark is having a benefit cookout today (Friday, February 6, 2015). $5 buys your lunch and 100% of the proceeds go to Addison and her family. Her father works at the Autopark and they are supporting their employee.

Money-Eating Fish

2015-01-27T23:30:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I find myself speechless when I read scripture.

"...go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin..."

Jesus didn't say, "go check in the console to see if we have some change" or "lend me a dollar". He provided and He did it in a miraculous way.

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Recap

2015-01-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

In conclusion to my other posts about attending the 2015 Catalyst conference I'll leave you with a bit of inspiration from God. As I lay in bed trying to fall asleep the second day an overwhelming clarity came over me about all the knowledge and insights I had heard that day and the previous day. This is what I understood.

Do what God has told you to do until he tells you to do something else. While you're doing what God told you to do KNOW what you're doing and have a defined plan to stay focused.

How do you do that? Take a good look in the MIRROR and ask the following questions:

Who are you?

What breaks your heart?

What are you doing about it?

An easy way to gather your thoughts on those questions is to use the following acrostic.

MIRROR

Ministry: (Who are you?)

Impact: (local, global, etc.)

Reach: (Who sees God through your ministry?)

Requirements: (What has God told you to do?)

Opportunities: (What internal growth can happen?)

Rewards: (What external gifts will be received?)

Below is the video recap.

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Ping Ping Explosion

2015-01-25T23:00:00.000-06:00

So, the Catalyst conference is a fairly large production. We saw multiple bands, there were a lot of speakers, and we had more than a few MC's in between. A couple guys that were there were Tripp & Tyler. If you haven't met Tripp & Tyler, you should check out some of their YouTube videos.

I'm not usually a fan of these guys, but they did tell a few good jokes in between sessions and helped the audience have a pretty good time. One of the skits they did involved liquid nitrogen and 1000 ping pong balls. Check it out...

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Sleep Poem

2015-01-25T22:00:00.000-06:00

In an effort to be frugal with our spending while in Dallas for Catalyst 2015, a bunch of us guys decided to share our hotel room. The following is what resulted from that decision on day one of the conference.

4am

(because sleep deprivation brings out the poet in me)

Lying awake

In a super 8

It's 4am

But I don't blame them

Sawing logs

Snorting like hogs

Talking in sleep

Clicking their teeth

Twitching and rolling

Tossing and turning

Tiny little pillows

Man, my neck muscles are hurting

Throat noises resound

Echoes abound

This conference better be great

I guess sleep's gonna have to wait

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Notes

2015-01-25T21:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I attended the 2015 Catalyst conference in Dallas Texas. For those of you who don't know what Catalyst is about you should definitely check out their about us page on their website. From my perspective, Catalyst is an awesome, two-day, Christian leadership conference where Christian leaders can become better leaders.

Like anyone is who expecting to learn something, I took notes. Well, actually they're just tweets, but what's the difference, really.

Here are my takeaways from #CatalystDallas:

You serve, God changes @richwilkersonjr
Can a sheep lead a wolfpack? Depends on the strength of the sheep. @richwilkersonjr
You can't catch a wave unless you're in the water. @djstrickland
One must be teachable in order to be taught @EugeneCho
Encourage change with dreaming @lysaterkeurst
Do a wake-up prayer @lysaterkeurst
All organizations resist change @andystanley
Also, no matter what you do while in Texas, don't eat texas shaped waffles.

Here are more tweets about #CatalystDallas:

#CatalystDallas Tweets

2014 Arkansas General Election Issues

2014-10-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

For all of you Arkansas voters out there, I hope you've read up on the issues you'll be voting for (if you haven't already voted early). In the past I've found it a little difficult to keep up with the issues and what they're all about so I thought I'd make it a little easier for anyone who stumbles across this post.

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Research and Extension (UAEX) has prepared reviews of each issue for this election. According to UAEX documentation, they provide:

Fact sheets vetted for neutrality and accuracy
Ballot-preview presentations by county agents
Timely updates during the election cycle
Assistance with local ballot-issue education programs when requested
Press releases highlighting new fact sheets

Thanks to UAEX, I can now paraphrase what the issues are really about. I've provided links to excerpts from the review of each issue.

There are five issues to vote for or against during this election:

1) Giving legislators the authority to approve state rules

MY THOUGHTS: I don't like the thought of legislators having that much power. I'm voting AGAINST this issue.

2) Requiring minimum percentage of valid signatures before allowing petition extensions

MY THOUGHTS: If they're adding invalid signatures to petitions, they can't be trusted. I'm voting FOR this issue.

3) General amendments to the Arkansas constitution

MY THOUGHTS: There are several sub-issues on this issue. I'm for the first 4, but that fifth one just makes me feel unsettled. I don't like how it's kind of tagged on to the others. It feels dirty. I'm voting AGAINST this issue.

4) Making Arkansas a "wet" state (no more dry counties)

MY THOUGHTS: If an Arkansas county wants to be a wet county let the people of that county vote to for it. I'm shouldn't be allowed to tell other counties what to do. I'm voting AGAINST this issue.

5) Increasing minimum wage

MY THOUGHTS: Increasing minimum wage is only going to increase prices for everyone in the state. If employees think they are being treated unfairly by their employers, they should find a different job. I'm voting AGAINST this issue.

Be prepared when you walk into the polls on voting day.

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 5

2014-10-23T08:45:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from the review of Issue Number 4 from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Research and Extension.

What is being proposed?

This initiated act would increase the state minimum wage from $6.25 to $7.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2015, then to $8.00 per hour on Jan. 1, 2016 and finally to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2017.

Why is this issue on the ballot?

The sponsors of Issue 5 state that they believe everyone who works hard and follows the rules deserves a fair wage. The sponsors were unable to obtain Arkansas legislative support for a bill that would increase the state minimum wage. This prompted the group to sponsor a petition to take the issue to the voting public.

See the entire review HERE

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 4

2014-10-23T08:44:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from the review of Issue Number 4 from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Research and Extension.

What is being proposed?

Issue 4 would change the Arkansas Constitution to make the sale, manufacture, distribution and transportation of alcohol legal statewide. It would end the practice of local elections on alcohol sales, a process commonly called “wet” or “dry” elections. State legislators would continue to have the ability to regulate the sale, distribution and transportation of alcohol, but could not prohibit it.

Why is this issue on the ballot?

Sponsors want to make the sale of alcohol legal in dry counties but said the number of signatures to put the issue on the ballot at the local level is difficult to collect. Arkansas election law makes it easier to put the issue of alcohol sales up for a statewide vote than to have elections county by county on the matter. A statewide election on any constitutional amendment requires signatures representing 10 percent of the people who voted in the last election for governor, whereas a local election on a county’s alcohol status requires signatures from 38 percent of registered voters in that county.

See the entire review HERE

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 3

2014-10-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from the review of Issue Number 3 from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Research and Extension.

What is being proposed?

Issue 3 proposes several changes to the Arkansas Constitution. Briefly summarized, these include:

Gifts from Lobbyists: The proposed amendment would prohibit Arkansas constitutional officers, members of the General Assembly and members of the independent citizens commission (established by this proposed amendment) from soliciting or accepting a gift from a lobbyist or person acting on behalf of a lobbyist.

Independent Citizens Commission: The proposed amendment would create an independent commission to set salaries of state elected officials and provide recommendations regarding reimbursements and “per diem,” which is an additional payment legislators receive to help pay for meals or lodging when they are performing official duties. Salaries are currently set by the General Assembly within guidelines contained in the Arkansas Constitution.

Campaign Contributions: The proposed amendment would establish constitutional law regarding contributions to candidates running for political office. The state’s Constitution does not currently address campaign contributions. Laws concerning campaign contributions currently exist only in Arkansas Code (laws that can be changed by the Arkansas General Assembly).

Lobbying by Former Legislators: The proposed amendment would prohibit a former member of the Arkansas General Assembly from registering as a lobbyist until 2 years after his or her elected terms expires. Arkansas Code currently prohibits legislators from serving as lobbyists for at least one year after their term expires.

Term Limits: The proposed amendment would allow legislators to serve 16 years total in the House or Senate instead of chamber-specific term limits for the House of Representatives and Senate. Current limits are six years in the House of Representatives and eight years in the Senate.

More details about each of these proposed changes are provided below.

Why is this issue on the ballot?

Issue 3 is a combination of issues that were initially proposed as separate amendments by different legislators. The issues were later combined as a compromise to gain support for putting changes regarding campaign contributions, lobbying and gifts before the voters. Proposed changes regarding campaign contributions, lobbying by former legislators and gifts from lobbyists mirror proposed changes by Arkansas citizens who tried to put similar requirements on the 2012 ballot but did not collect enough signatures for their petition. The citizen sponsors said the changes were meant to restore voter confidence in state government and decrease the influence of special interest groups.

Legislative sponsors of this proposal decided to include them in this proposed constitutional amendment. The proposed changes regarding legislative, executive and judicial salaries is an attempt to address low salaries while turning over decision-making power of a controversial process to people who aren’t elected. The proposed changes to existing term limits removes the separate House and Senate office term limits in favor of a 16-year-term limit which could be served in either chamber or combination.

See the entire review HERE

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 2

2014-10-23T08:42:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from the review of Issue Number 2 from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Research and Extension.

What is being proposed?

Issue 2 proposes adding to the Arkansas Constitution a requirement that ballot issue petitions submitted by the public contain a minimum number of valid signatures of registered voters before the Secretary of State’s Office allows petition sponsors more time to gather additional signatures. To receive more time for gathering signatures, a petition would need signatures from:

At least 75 percent of the necessary signatures of registered voters from 15 different counties, and

At least 75 percent of the necessary signatures of registered voters statewide.

Currently a sponsor is automatically given an extension to gather additional signatures if a petition is submitted with the necessary number of signatures regardless of how many are valid.

Why is this issue on the ballot?

Legislators said they would look at legal changes to the petition process as a result of two high-profile ballot petitions in 2012 that contained hundreds of suspicious signatures. Election officials said more than 100 pages of petitions for a natural gas tax had signatures that appeared to be in the same handwriting, or every person on the page having the same name, or the names being in alphabetical order. Petitions also had technical problems – the pages lacked a notary seal or the signature of the signature gatherer. The sponsor of the petition did not collect enough valid signatures to have the proposal put on the ballot for voters to decide. However, the problems with the earlier petition and a second petition seeking to establish casinos in the state led legislators to propose Issue 2.

See the entire review HERE

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 1

2014-10-23T08:41:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from the review of Issue Number 1 from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Research and Extension.

What is being proposed?

Issue 1 would change the Arkansas Constitution to allow state senators and representatives to pass future laws that give legislative committees the right to review and approve state agency administrative rules before the rules could go into effect.

Why is this issue on the ballot?

Arkansas senators and representatives want to provide a committee of legislators the legal authority to approve state agency rules. Arkansas Legislative Council committee members currently review state agency rules. Arkansas Supreme Court and Attorney General opinions have said legislators do not have the legal authority to approve rules before they go into effect, but they are allowed to review them for informational purposes. According to Arkansas legal opinions and scholars, voting to approve or disapprove state agency rules would violate the state Constitution’s requirement for separation of powers among the state’s legislative branch, executive branch and judicial branch. However, legislators believe the current practice gives the executive branch, or state agency leaders, more power than what the state Constitution intends.

Legislators have proposed laws and constitutional amendments in previous years to give the Arkansas Legislative Council more oversight of state agency rules, but this is the first time the issue has been put on the ballot for voters to decide.

How did this issue make it to the ballot?

Arkansas legislators voted to put Issue 1 on the 2014 general election ballot. State legislators have the right to include up to three constitutional amendments on the general election ballot. Constitutional amendments require the approval of a majority of voters in a statewide election.

See the entire review HERE

Auto Tweet Blog Post

2014-09-10T10:53:00.004-05:00

Got a blog you follow and always tweet every post? Why do the work yourself when you can put the internet to work for you?

How to turn off nearby friends on Facebook app

2014-08-19T19:35:00.001-05:00

On your newsfeed swipe from right to left to show your favorites menu.

Tap the Nearby Friends item in the menu.

Tap the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen.

Toggle the button to off for nearby friends.

Done.

-- by Jeremy

How to NOT Get Shot by a Cop in Ferguson, MO

2014-08-18T21:43:00.001-05:00

DON'T BE A CRIMINAL!!

Seriously, all kidding aside, if you're not doing things to get the attention of the police, you're probably not going to get shot by the police. If you get confronted by the police, don't try to reach for the police officer's gun.

What's happening in Ferguson, MO is no joke, but how it's being represented in the media is. Why does it have to be about race? Why does the police officer have to be the bad guy?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/14/michael-brown-ferguson-missouri-timeline/14051827/

-- by Wes

Halloween Already

2014-08-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

Fall is coming! I always hit a point in the summer that I am ready for fall to start. I want pumpkins and chili and apple cider. The best part of fall is the day I get to hand out candy to all the little people that come to my door. I love to cook lots of halloween foods such as mummy hot dogs and graveyard potatoes. All our friends and family are invited to swing by and have some food and get a treat.
This brings me to the treats we choose to hand out. We purchase full sized candy bars. This makes us a popular house in the neighborhood but also saves us money. My husband likes to hand out handfuls of candy and he has a large hand. We have to buy gobs and gobs of candy to keep from running out. I began to compare prices and found that giving the little people one full sized candy bar is cheaper than my husband's handfuls. We buy an assortment of candy, including Skittles and Starburst as well as chocolate. It is usually most cost effective to purchase the candy at Sam's Club, however, we make sure to look at the per unit prices as Walmart can be more cost effective at times for full sized variety boxes.

Here is a link from Field Agent, as well as some pictures showing what information they have gathered regarding Halloween treats. Where do you come in on treats? Do you hand them out? What kind do you like to give the little people in your neighborhood?

For other holiday stats check out this link:

-- by Holly

Tax Free Weekends, really?

2014-07-23T12:40:00.004-05:00

Ever wonder about those tax free weekends that happen during all the crazy back-to-school sales? The guys at Field Agent supposedly figured it out. Check out the article:

Guy Named EDd (& friends)

Waiting

Fallon Clothing Advice

Stuff My Wife Says: 7-7-22

Bye, Bye, Bye Uterus

Time to lubricate the dogs, Dad

I made a chess board (with help)

With A Fence

Toddler Toes & Church Hymns

Addison's Benefit Cookout

Money-Eating Fish

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Recap

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Ping Ping Explosion

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Sleep Poem

Catalyst Dallas 2015 Notes

2014 Arkansas General Election Issues

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 5

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 4

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 3

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 2

2014 Arkansas General Election Issue Number 1

Auto Tweet Blog Post

How to turn off nearby friends on Facebook app

How to NOT Get Shot by a Cop in Ferguson, MO

Halloween Already

Tax Free Weekends, really?

The Facts About Back-to-School Tax Holidays