Oh Blogging Night....

Six months ago I would have said that blogging was stupid. Six months later I tell you it is so enjoyable. Tonight as I read through different blogs I realized the imagination of so many. We get bogged down by things in our lives like work, family, friends, etc. It is such a release to seat back and tell the world what you think about, dream about, long to have or have not. I have to give my prop's to my wife Beth who single handedly turned everyone on her posse list on to blogging. You rock Beth. For those of us who have hectic lives and crappy jobs it is nice to sit down, connect, and type the finger to the bones if need be just to let off some stem or to share a moment in time. Rock on Blogger.

Holiday Blues

Its easy to sit behind a computer and throw stones at someone. However I have never used this to poke fun or make people feel self-conscious. I feel more and more people are not communicating to one another and find it easier to slip into a make believe world.

Lets say your not in the Christmas "spirit". If there were such a thing I haven't felt it for years. Sorry folks. That's just how my heart feels. I dread the holidays. They only remind me of chaos and unhappiness as a child. Sure I have had years were I felt happy inside but not this one. Granted there is only 7 days to Christmas it couldn't be over soon enough for me. I am excited for Christian and I know he will receive everything he ask for on his list. As for myself and Beth we decided to take it easy this year and spend small amounts on one another. Christmas December 25th is more to me about the birth of man who spent his entire existence on convincing people he was Christ. Only to be the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation. I wish I could turn back the clock and remember what the holidays meant. I think I have a mental block from the ages of 6 to 18. I miss my grandfather. I hate my parents didn't work out. I hate that I don't feel much emotion or joy. I will do my best to fake a smile and hope that some sort of Christmas miracle will occur.

Goodbye My Friend

I an only begin to explain what the past 5 days have been like. Emotional, sad, exhausted can explain a little of how I feel. On Saturday December 11th my grandfather past away about 10:30am. For days I have thought of what I could say to even give you an idea what happened in South Carolina. No words could ever give you a clear idea of what I experienced unless you yourself have gone through it before. Now that things have calmed down and I can think clearly I will do my best to tell you about the last 12 hours I spent with my Grandpa.

Friday Dec. 10th I received a phone call from Angela that I needed to leave as soon as I could because Grandpa had taken a turn for the worst. Just Wednesday night I spoke to him on the phone and he sounded like the same old Grandpa I knew. His last spoken words to me were "I'll be fine." I soon left worked, came home, and prepared to go to see him. There were a couple of unfortunate events that took place after that actually worked to my favor for me to stay and pick up my sister Jenni at the airport about 9:49pm.

The flight was late and landed about 10:21pm and we hurried and got her luggage and hit the road. It was about 11:30pm when we got on the road and arrived at my grandparents house about 2:00am Saturday morning. My mother, stepdad, and sister Angela were all there along with my grandmother and grandfather.

I stayed up and talked to him for awhile. I sat at the foot of the bed for a good while praying for him and reading the Word. By now his breathing was terrible and his breaths were short. We moved him on his command into a sitting position and then back to a lying position for a two hour period. As I sat beside him I couldn't help but to think of all the wonderful memory's we shared together over the years. I tried to lay down and rest but it was impossible as I could hear Grandpa mown in pain from time to time. At 5:00am I went back to the bed room and just felt there was a change. He was breathing as hard as he could go and the look in his face had changed. My grandmother lay beside him holding his had trying to comfort him. At one point he was saying "Up, Up, Up."My thought on that is he was talking to God and no one else at that moment. My sister then told me to wake my mom and tell that time was short. We took turns holding Grandpa in a sitting position. We never left his side. The dawn came and we all took shifts beside him making sure he was breathing. The next couple of hours he slepted peacefully while my stepdad Ron stayed at his side.


As morning came to many people arrived to visit with Grandpa. Most of them visited with one another in the living room so he could rest. About 10am he awoke and on learning many visitors were there he was able to let us know he wanted to get dressed and go to the living room. It took awhile to get him dressed. As we were getting him dressed and into the wheelchair he really started to have trouble breathing. It was really hard getting him into the wheelchair. It took about four of us to do so. The next few minutes still ring out like an eternity in my mind. As we wheeled him down the hall his life started to transfer itself out of his body. As we came into the living room and stopped in front of all the family and friends, he took his last breathe and past away.

To stand beside someone and watch their spirit leave there body was amazing. I cant even describe what it is like. We cried and mourned the rest of that Saturday. We were greeted by old friends who had rushed to get their just to talk to Grandpa, however many didn't make it in time. The saddest part was that very Saturday we were to celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. Much of the food was brought to the house. Even the wedding cake that was made. Sunday Angela and I traveled home to see our families and to prepare to go back for the funeral.

After a long Monday morning at TEEACH Beth and I dropped Christian off at Andrew's to stay the night and we headed back to SC. We arrived around 8pm. We checked into the hotel and changed then right back out for the viewing. Afterward we headed back to Granny's and ate and visited the retired back to the hotel. Tuesday morning we got ready for the funeral which was at 11am. The service was wonderful. We then traveled to the cemetery for the final resting place. We were met by 7 state guards(retired) who saluted the casket draped with the American flag. I was honored to watch the guard fold the flag and hand it to my grandmother at the end of the service.

My grandfather meant so much to my mom, her brothers, and especially my grandmother. He joined his daughter Carol who past away in the early 1970's at age 21. What a homecoming that must have been. He finally is in the presence of the man he had preached about most of his adult life, Jesus. I want to say thank you to my wife Beth for her support. Without her by my side this would have been so hard. To my stepdad Ron for just being so supportive of my mom. You are a wonderful person. And to my brother in law Tim who drove 10 hours with 3 kids just so that Jenni wouldn't have to go home and could stay and visit with Granny and Mom.

Thank you if you have came to read this to stay informed about what has been going on. I will say I am sad. I am only sad because I would't be able to hear his voice. I believe that he is in a better place. Heaven. I have no doubt. I am worried about my Granny. Grandpa was her best friend. They loved each other so much. If you wanted to send her a card then just just email me and I will be glad to give you her address. Thank you to all who have prayed for us. I feel covered by your love. And that is The World According to Thad

December 10th

About 12:30pm this afternoon my sister called and told me my grandfather had taken a turn for the worse. It was very difficult to hear after just talking to my grandfather on Wednesday. Its about 5:50pm now. Most of the family is on the way to SC now. I am going to pick up my sister Jenni from the airport at 9:49pm and then leave to go to SC. It has been an emotional day. Very stressful. I could definitely use your prayers right now. That's all for now.

December 8th

The gift that keeps on giving. My father in law. He surprised me this past Sunday evening by once again inviting me, yes me to go the Carolina Panthers game on this coming Sunday. This weekend will be extra busy. Beth, Christian, and I are going to see my grandparents as they celebrate 60 years of marriage. What an accomplishment. Put that in your pipe Donald Trump and smoke it. I think that is a miracle by today's standards. I feel if more people thought of marriage as a longtime commitment they would live healthier and more loving lives. Together they were the dynamic duo raising 5 kids and losing one in their later years. Congratulations to you both.

On the lighter side of things I received a ticket from High Points own Rick Dietz yesterday. Who just so happens to be my father in laws best friend. It is to bad I didn't put 2 and 2 together because I may have been able to avoid the embarrassment of sitting on Westchester for all to see the humiliation of getting a ticket for expired tags. Please keep usand in your thoughts. It has been a financially draining year for us. Thanks to the Lord for all his has provided for us. And thank you to all of you who have helped us stay on our feet. You rock!! So be kind to one another and blessings to you all. And that is The World According to Thad.

Shine On

I just got off the phone with my mom. She told me my grandfather had about 12 weeks to live.

The doctor's found a lump in his lung two weeks ago. It was the same type of cancer that he battled in his gall bladder last year and the year before. At 81, he has sustained more illness than any other person I have ever met in my entire life. He has lived a wonderful life. He will finally go home to the place he has put his faith in for so long. Heaven. His whole adult life was dedicated to preaching the Gospel of Christ to people all over the US and abroad. He made several trips to Africa. He was in the Army Air Corps. In WWII as a pilot. He was fortunate not to have orders to go to combat. In 1971 he lost his second child Carol to cancer of the lymph nodes. Through that tragedy he managed to continue to spread the Word of God. He will leave behind four children, 3 sons 1 daughter(my mom), 11 grand children, and 11 great grandchildren and his partner for 60 years who is the strongest woman(besides mom) I have ever known, my grandmother Nancy. My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor. She has waited on my grandfather hand and foot since the day he started dialysis and cancer treatments. So to my grandfather and grandmother we love you.

Thank you Granpa for all your love you showed all of your family. We we miss you greatly.

"Shine on love shine on, unto the Heavens with red and blue and green horizons" by Angie Aparo

Coming Down the Mountain

4:00am...Wake up time. Get ready head to Jason's.
5:00am...Met Jason at his house and packed up and went to John's house.
6:15am...Got to John's and had to go to someone else's house to pick a basket that was made to carry our stuff and attach it to Jason's jeep.
7:00am...We realize that we cannot attach the basket because we didn't have the tools t attach the basket to the trailer hitch
7:00am...Panicking we buy WD-40 to lube up the the metal so we can hopefully attach the basket and get going
7:10am...We frantically call to see if anyone is up and John gets ahold of a coworker and landlord to borrow tools to attach the basket safely. After using a block and banging the crap out of the basket it goes into the hitch and bulllllaaaaaaahhh
7:45am...Went to eat some Bogangle's and drank some coffee. We get back to John's house to load up, and realize we do not have any safe way of tieing down our gear to the newly installed basket and have to find a hardware store to get some tie down straps.
9:30am...Finally got to the hardware store and bought 7 tiedown straps to hold four backpacks loaded to an excess of 50pds a piece to the newly installed basket attach to Jason's jeep.
10:30am...Stop to get gas and finally got on the road for a four hour journey to Panthertown Valley.


In order to tell you how our trip went I had to give a detailed description of the events that took place before we left on Friday. We stopped several times to use the facilities and finally got to Panthertown about 3:30pm. The hike in was great. The sun faded quickly as we hiked to our destination for camping. We had to set up in the dark as night fell upon us very quickly. We had a collage of things for dinner and retired soon after.


Saturday John and I woke up early to enjoy the little bit of sun that we had that day. We started building the fire and enjoying conversation. Jason and Landon took the opportunity to sleep in a little late. We were soon greeted with rain that lasted the rest of the afternoon and evening. Getting a fire going and keeping it lit was very difficult but we managed to keep it going enough to eat dinner. Soon after we retired from the wet and played a couple of rounds of cards then settle in for the night.


Sunday morning was greeted with a very warming and well needed sun. John and I spent most of our early morning trying to lit a portable camp stove that only Jason seemed to be able to light. After about a good 30 minutes we went and woke Jason to give us a hand. As the morning went on we were able to built the best fire we could and enjoyed a steak and eggs breakfast cooked over the campfire. We were able to dry all that was wet in the warm sun on Sunday afternoon. We then packed up and made the journey back up the mountain to get back to were we started from late Friday afternoon.


It was a great time a good fellowship for all of us. We have talked about moving the camping trip to a new location next year. So thank you to Panthertown Valley and all your beauty. We truly enjoyed it.

The "What Do You Mean" Syndrome

Have you noticed lately that people are extremely sensitive? I seem to have noticed for the last 6 or 7 months. I have listened to many conversations among coworkers and friends and notice everyone seems to be on the edge of just ripping the other persons head off. I don't get it. Most of us in adulthood are able to get our point across without being hateful and mean(although for me it is difficult because my wife always tells me I don't get my point across very well without raising my voice and usually making a fool of myself). We sometimes are so worried about upsetting each other that we walk on egg shells around each other and you can sense that if you say one wrong thing that a bomb is going to explode and that person could burst into a fiery inferno. So comes to my point of "What Do You Mean." That seems to be the catch phrase for people who are extra sensitive and those who are on the verge of just having a complete melt down. And by the way I perceive people there are a lot of people who are on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I think someone spiked the local water sources with a stress virus. People just have forgotten to have fun. They worry about every little thing in the world and they don't talk about what's bothering them. I want to tell you all something: "Take a breath, let it out. Go to the person who you feel tense around and clear the air. And stop being hateful to one another."

And that is The World According to Thad.

Legitimate Biological Disorder

Depression. Attached to the refrigerator this morning was an article about the nasty and ugly disease depression. All of you know that Beth has been battling SAD(Severe Anxiety Disorder) and moderate depression. That is no new news. It has made things difficult between us at times. More so my lack of understanding of the matter. I do understand how it affects people of all ages and what it does to their lives. For years I listened to my father say how he was depressed and in his mind it justified his impulse behavior and how he reacted to my siblings and I. My brother also suffered from depression for years and now has become unbearable to be around. I was a young teenager the first time the phone rang when my brother attempted suicide the first time. Then the years following it rang many more times concerning the same matter. Years later when my dad and mom split up my dad took some sleeping pills and said it was a suicide attempt. Then a couple of years later when he remarried he had a flip out attempt and tried to hurdle himself of a balcony at Myrtle Beach which landed him in the South Carolina Mental Hospital. I have to apologize to my wife Beth about my ill feelings of when people say they are depressed. For years I heard my dad say it but he never received the help he needed.

Same for my brother. In men it can turn them into a raging fire ball. It can do the same I think in women plus you also have to throw in their hormones. My mom has battled anxiety from her current job. So to get to the point of the matter, I do understand that depression is an illness. I saw first hand growing up what it can do to a family. Keep Beth, Christian, and I in your prayers as we share in this fight together. Thank you to all who have supported Beth in her every day battle she has with this disease. And that is The World According to Thad.

A Newer Look

Once again Beth has come to the rescue. I wanted to update the picture of Christian and I and she not only updated the picture, she updated the whole blog site. Once again Bethie you amaze me with your skill and talent. Thank you for being patient and just booting me out of the way so I wouldn't get frustrated. I hope you all enjoy it.

November 20th

From sun up to sun down there is never enough time to get it all done. The past week was spent hustling and today was no different. I did some things around the house to help Beth out. She was pretty well spent when she woke up this morning. I had a lot of extra energy so I got busy making beds and doing laundry so that tomorrow she would be able to actually have a peaceful day. The rest of the afternoon was spent getting ready for this weekend's third annual trip to Panther Town Valley. I am so excited. I will miss Beth and Christian next weekend. I got some loner equipment from my friend Tim and his good friend Dan & Tia. I hung out with them Friday night playing the Xbox game Halo 2. They were nice enough to let me come over and play. Man I wish I had a Xbox. Anyhow, dinner is cooking right now. Beth told me I had some key ingredients: chicken, potatoes, celery, and carrots. So I went to the trusty old internet and typed in chicken and potatoes and BAM!!! the first recipe I came to was Homestyle Chicken. It is a Canadian recipe. So it is cooking right now. Tomorrow we will go to Papa and Nana's house for a early dinner. We wish Daryl and Linda well as they pay their final respects to their dear friend Larry Hall tomorrow afternoon. We wish the Hall family well. And that is The World According to Thad.

A Hard Days Work

I have been doing some session work with my bandmates this week. We had a long day today. After working on tracks for 8 hours we traveled to Raleigh to pick up a fretless bass for Friday's session. The man at the very bottom is CH. He told Jason, Landon, and I today that he would front the money for us to master and duplicate our first full length cd. P.S. To Jim G. and Papa D. CH has a warehouse full of items to build custom made golf clubs.



Thad warming up

John Landon"flop"Crane

Jason laying down some keyboard tracks

CH "The Boss"

Whats Happening

The month of November has been so busy. November has been filled with work, play, sorrow, and vacation. Recently I spent some time with my dad's dad. My grandfather. I call him Pop. My father's cousins wife past away unexpectedly last Wednesday. So I went last Friday night and Saturday to comfort my Pop and to attend the funeral services. My Pop at 84 years of age still got up and mad me breakfast on Saturday before the funeral. What a great man. The night before was spent talking about his younger years of being in the Navy. We talked about all his favorite places and the fact he was on two different ships during his service. He was in the Navy four days when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He never went to the war zones. He had orders twice but was called back both times. He was a gunner captain on the USS Trenton shooting the 40mm and 20mm cannons. After that he joined the ship USS Antietam. It was an aircraft carrier. He was on the ship on her maiden voyage I couldn't tell you the year. He loved visiting the ports of Peru. And like a lot of young sailors he like to have a couple of drinks and flirt with the ladies. We had such a great visit.


I received some sad news this weekend. My mother's father my Grampa was told he had a lump in his lung and it was cancer. Those of you know that his body has taken a beating over the years. He is already battled gall bladder cancer. Survived 3 heartattacks. He has diabetes and is on dialysis now. He has congestive heart failure. And arthritis in his joints. He is what is so wonderful about his situation. Through it all he has always gave thanks to our Savior for all the mighty work He has done. My grandfather still ministers the Word inspite of all that he has gone through. He still manages to put out a news letter and record a message for a local radio station. He is all slower than he used to be. I think his time here is almost up. My guess is that if the doctor advises him to do treatment for his cancer that he may refuse being that he is 81. Please be in prayer for him.


I have been on vacation this week. A well needed vacation. Monday I stayed here as a new heating furnace was put in. YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAH! Tuesday was a great day spent with my little buddy and loving son Christian. I volunteered at school with his class. He taught about his work cycle. His teacher gave me good instruction on what I could do to help him. He did so well and I am so proud of him. He showed me how to put together a skeleton of the human body. We wrote a journal entry about elephants. He is making so much progress on his writing. We had lunch. Then we had recess. All the kids would ask me to hang them on the high monkey bars. Then I made the mistake of letting on child zoom down the little zip line they have. Suddenly the entire play ground was lining up pushing and shoving just to get a chance to go down the zip line. The kids were awesome and I had a wonderful time. Yesterday I spent doing part time work with CH in Winston Salem. I am waiting on Jason to come and pick me up right now. We are going to do more work today and tomorrow. And finally the weekend I may get to do some yardwork. It has been a great week at home. I almost hate to go back to my real job as they call it. And that is The World According to Thad.

Wednesday

Who would of thought that writing could be so therapeutic. Never in my wildest dreams after keeping journals in high school English classes did I think I would start writing all over again in my 30's. This is very therapeutic for me. For months on end have I been frustrated about life and all of lives ups and down. The more I write the more I want to share about how I think and view things. Thanks to those who come and read for not being critical when I rant and rave about things I may or may not know about. My wife has really been an inspiration for keeping this blog. I used to watch her and could not understand how in the world she would sit for hours and hours just writing about Christian and what was going on with him. Many wonderful things have happened for her because of her blog. So hats of to you Bethie. Thanks for being an inspiration to all. Ofcourse we do share the cutest little boy in the whole world and he is worth writing about and fighting for. I love you Little D. And that is the World According to Thad.

Calling On Santa.......Come in Santa

I just got back from helping Bert and Izzy load up their moving van to go to Augusta. It was a little difficult leaving and saying goodbye. We shared a lot of laughs over the years with them. We have also shared some saddness with them as well. Thank you to both Bert, Isabella, and Gabriella for your friendship you have shard with Beth, Christian, and I. We will miss you.

In other news a note all grandparents. You will be receiving letters to Santa in the mail in the next two weeks. The list is not very long, however it includes much to do about Star Wars. You help with Santa would be well appreciated this year.

And that is The World According to Thad.

I Was Ready for Some Football

My first NFL experience was yesterday at the Bank of America Stadium watching the Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders. Wow. That place was rockin. I want to thank my father in law Daryl and Uncle Terry for being so kind and hooking me up with a ticket. I had a absolutely fabulous time. Football is a real American past time. All 5 branches of the military were represented. There was even a fly over by 4 F-16 fighter jets. They flew just a few hundred feet above the stadium and bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmm!! The sound was incredible. It was like sitting on the runway at Langley. The game was preceded by breakfast at Bob Evans and was followed by dinner at Joseph's Deli. Thanks Terry for both.


Today is Kristin and JD's big day. Welcome home to both of you and the new addition to your family Sophie Francis Moore. Yes a baby girl. P.S. The baby's room rock's. I really dig the screen door to keep the cats out. And wow what a fat cat Sadie Mae is. I don't know if I spelled that right. But Bert and Ernie aren't exactly small cats. T


Thanks again to Daryl and Terry for a wonderful Sunday football experience. Later

Poetry

The Warriors who fought so hard

Counting down the days to November's dawn

I think I am better, I think your not

So full of greed so full of lust

I would be a paid poet if I thought I could write

I could be the leader of the free world if I could convince them I was right

I believe in anyone who pays my dues

I was born a rich man raised and groomed

To make people believe that I am right

To have them not notice the trails of deceit I leave behind

So who would it be but the man from Texas the Conqueror of our century

"There's oil in them there hills lets kill em all and kill some of ours at the same time to"

So yell and shout and raise your glass high, it’s the wonderful days of politics the wonderful harvest time

A Message To All

Just to let you all know I did not vote today. I shouldn't have to explain myself and but just to clarify let me address a few things. This is a message to all who think it is a civic duty. This is a message to all of those who say you don't have the right to complain if you don't vote.

I made a decision days ago not to vote for the presidency. However I was going to cast a ballot for the governor's race and the senate, congress. I talk to my wife 2 times today and we discussed what we were going to do. We both came to a reality that there was not one candidate that was more impressive than the other. She and I decided together not to go to the polls. Here is the bottom line, if you decide to vote that is great. If I don't that is my constitutional right. I would rather feel peace in my heart about the person I vote for than be ashamed for the decision I made. We do not have enough choices of candidates. Why should it just be demorcrat or republican. Those assholes only care about 2 things, money and power. I care about my family. If more people cared about their families then the state of the nation would be a lot better than it is today. I am not about ego. I choose peace. And I don't appreciate when people who think they know what's best for me. I hope I made myself very clear.

I don't care for people talking trash about my family. My family issues are my issues no one else's. Its okay to voice your opinions, when you insult my family you insult me. Know the facts. If I speak about them it is to get it off my chest. I am not looking for consultation or opinion. It really hurts my feelings when people talk trash. So please stop. Thank you.

Good Day Everyone

Wow what a weekend. Poor Christian has a ear infection. Beth took him yesterday to the doctor. I felt really bad because the band was committed to play Sunday night and I wasn't able to be home all day. When I called Beth yesterday she was very drained and upset that the doctor had prescribed medicine that cost us $77. I don't have the best health insurance policy. And it seems recently the doctors are trying to help boost the pharmacy sells. One more reason I want to pull my hair out. I have made a choice for the presidency, my vote is that neither candidate is a better candidate than the other. So I have decided to not go to the polls tomorrow. I don't like John Kerry. And I am tired of the quietness of the Bush campaign. Bush lied to protect himself as did Bill Clinton did. I wish they would give me a few minutes of their time so I could explain to them what it is truly like to be poor, middle class, and white. They cannot begin to understand my problems because they both come from wealthy backgrounds. I would rather be happy and broke, than rich and lonely.



I have started creating a new blog site thanks to Ronnie's inspiration on Squarespace. I am starting an online journal titled The Chronicles of Travel (the online journal). This will be a temporary journal until our new website is designed.



In even better news my father in law surprised me last weekend with a ticket to go see the Carolina Panthers play the Oakland Raiders. Thanks DD. Yo Da Man. And that is The World According to Thad.

Who is Fooling Who

Conversation at Dinner on Thursday October 28, 2004 between Beth and Thad:
Beth:"How is the spaghetti Thad"
Thad:"It was wonderful Beth"
Beth:"I used a different sauce today what do you think?"
Thad:"It is great"
Beth:"Are you full?"
Thad:"Yes I am full."
Beth:"Are you are sure your full?"
Thad:Yes dear I have had plenty."
Beth:"You like the sauce right?"
Thad:"Yes Beth it was fine."
Beth:"Great because you were eating Tofu!!"
Thad:"LOL"
Beth:"LOL"
Thad:"Wow. That is a first."
Beth:"LOL You had no idea that was vegetarian did you."
Thad:"I couldn't tell the difference."

Yes Beth tricked me without having any idea I was eating Tofu. Amazing that it tasted just the same. But what horrible gas did I have afterwards. Thanks Beth for the excitement.

Monday, Monday

I was very heartbroken yesterday to see the Panters lose at home. I hated even more for my father in law and his brother who saw the slow demise up close at Bank of America stadium. I feel for those guys after kicking butt in preseason and to lose 4 straight. I believe. I believe that John Fox can rally the team back up in spirit and encourage them to kick into overdrive. The problem with their team is they are plagued by injury. But the ones who are healthy need to play as a team. Not for themselves. And how about Brad Hoooooooooooooover!! That dude is awesome. Hats off to you bro.

In other news I hope you all know by now that Christian will go for his TEEACH evaluation on December 13th. We received the letter last week. We are truly excited that we will finally know if what we thought to be true about Christian. Beth and I have talked many hours about the possibilities of Christian having some mild form of Autism. We have accepted he may be autistic. Once we have the classification or label( if you want to call it that) then we can better help him get the help he needs in school and help for us here at home. Thank you Beth for your hard and ongoing sacrifice, continually keeping me informed about Christian and fighting to get the help we need to better help our son. You are the best friend in the world. And I am lucky to be married to you. And that is all from the World According to Thad

Is it Friday Yet?

Another week has gone by. I continue to itch in light of my efforts to be ivy free. The itching hasn't been as bad the last couple of days, however it still is evident that the ivy is lingering. I have been working on my resume the last hour or so. I haven't updated my Monster account in months. I always seem to get the job listings for insurance salesperson, car rentals, leasing agencies. Your probably asking why? Well the job search will still continue until I feel I can find something that is a little more profitable for the family. I want to buy my wife and son a house hopefully in the next couple of years. Working at the restaurant is cool and I enjoy it. I would like to see how my resume does online just to see if someone out there is looking for someone like me to work. After my last post about the band your probably saying why would you want to find a new job? I cannot stop putting out feelers. Until the possibility of going on the road is a reality then I have to continue to look for something better. I always like to keep my options open. Well I hope you all have read Beth's blog on her conference with Mrs. White, Christian's teacher. He had a wonderful report card. Congratulations son on your fine academic performance. Tomorrow brings on the last day of the work week for me. It will be a not so hectic weekend. So I hope all of you get to enjoy this fine October weekend. Take care.

The Never Ending Itch

Well it has been a week and a half since my brush with poison ivy. Today I was at the end of my rope. I thought I was going to rip my arms off of my body I itched so bad. As always my wife came to the rescue. I was frantically searching for a doctor to see about getting a shot to knock out the constant burning sensation I was feeling. She got online and within minutes had come up with a simple but effective solution. Technu soap and cooling gel. After one use I feel worlds better. I was hurting so much earlier today I rushed home and hour before I was scheduled to get off from work. Thank you again to you Bethie for your wonderful knowledge and willingness to take me to the store to get something to ease the violent scratching and burning.

I am off to practice. I had a great conversation with Jason last night. We cleared the air a little bit on some strain we were feeling toward one another about band stuff. It can be draining on what the possibilities could be if we would just get out there and shake the bushes to get some dates to play. It is a lot harder to try and find places to play in a Christian band. The churches are were we like to play, however unless they have a decent size congregation a lot times they can not afford to reimburse your expenses. And we are really not very interested in playing smoky rock clubs were all the people would probably just heckle us for singing about Jesus. We are in contact with the owner of Maxx Productions in Winston Salem about hiring the band for a three year contract to possibly tour and also do studio work . If it goes through we may have a better chance of touring and getting our music heard by more people. So keep us in your prayers. And our families to because we have to be able to take care of their needs as well as possibly be away from them weeks at a time. And that is all from The World According to Thad.

What a Weekend for Celebration

This weekend we celebrate Christian's 6th birthday. I cannot believe that the six years have past by so quickly. I remember that I was so excited when he was born I went running down the hall to inform my folks that he was born and with tears in my eyes I said to my mom"He's here" and she asked me "Honey what's wrong?" ah, the things we go through. I have to give my prop's to Beth and Christy who have put together a supper duper Safari Blast birthday party. Beth you have outdone yourself this year. I applaud you for your imagination and hard work. Thanks to our friend Christy who has blessed us so much with her friendship and help with preparing for the party. And to Aunt Angela for the gift of money to help with the party. Bless you sweet sister. We look forward to all who attend. To the Galats we will miss you being here, we can't wait to see you at Thanksgiving. To my beloved son, words will never describe the love I have for you. Your are the most wonderful son a father and mother could ask for. I love you Christian Daryl Helderman. You and your mother are the reason I get out of bed every morning. Bless you little child on this wonderful weekend.

The Joy of Rash

Yes rash I said. I worked very hard this past Sunday clearing small trees and vines in the backyard along our fence. Monday afternoon I discovered my arm had little red dots all over it. I thought nothing of until the early hours of Tuesday morning my arm just above my elbow itched like crazy. I woke up hours later to find a rash. What the heck? In all of my years I have never to my knowledge had a rash anywhere. Later Tuesday night it had spread all over my forearm and then on my other arm. Okay seriously what the heck? Wednesday morning I woke up with rash from wrist to elbow on my right arm and two huge spots b/w my wrist and elbow on my left arm. If I had to take a guess I have for the first time in 30 years on this earth have either poison oak or poison ivy. Wow. I never thought that turning 30 would be so great. I am very fortunate not to have grazed the family jewels or anything in that area with the wicked poison plants. I would have been in a world of hurt had that happened. So my arms have that dull pink calamine lotion look to them this evening. This stuff really sucks. It really has got me down in the dumps. And that is all from The World of According to Thad.

Ahhh... Sunday Morning

I truly love getting up on the weekend and being able to enjoy the sunshine in the mornings. Beth and I got up to start an early and busy day. She is off to the store and Christian and I are going to do some yard work in the back yard. Our day started with a quick breakfast with Christian making all kinds of chicken noises. He is in good spirits this morning. Yesterday he was truly not himself as he was zoned out for most of the day. We watched Star Wars all day yesterday. Christian's newest love of video. I find it amazing that something that I enjoyed as a 5 year old would still be popular 25 years later. My mom took me to see the original Star Wars and I believe it to be the first motion picture I saw as a child.

Next weekend is the big party. This year should be a blast as the years past. We look forward to all coming and visiting with us. Well I need to get going and start on the sawing of trees. We have several small trees growing through the fence from our neighbors house. They are hanging over half of the fence. So off I go.

Round 2

Well so ends debate number 2 for the American Presidency. I have to say the the first hour was reminiscent of the last debate but it all hit the fan win the real questions that America wanted to know about were asked. Good job to both candidates for their responses to environment, stem cell, abortion, and energy questions. Special prop's to Senator Kerry for his proclamation to abstinence. Wow. That is a big word for me. But to both candidates thank you for finally dealing with issues that needed to be talked about. A quick message for all of you BE INFORMED. Go check out John and George. Just remember you cannot complain if you do not vote. And remember voter registration ends very soon Good night to all. God bless.

Politics and the Deception It Plays

These view is simply one of opinion not one of exact fact. This is entirely my opinion and definitely not shared by my wife and son.

I don't normally engage in conversation about politics because it always sets off numerous debates about who is right and who is wrong. This years election will be one of great history. I have to admit I have not done a lot of homework so as I am writing this entry I am studying what the big nose democrat has to say about healthcare reform. Here is a example of look what I will do:

"The Kerry-Edwards plan will give every American access to the range of high-quality, affordable plans available to members of Congress and extend coverage to 95 percent of Americans, including every American child. Their plan will also fight to erase the health disparities that persist along racial and economic lines, ensure that people with HIV and AIDS have the care they need, end discrimination against Americans with disabilities and mental illnesses, and ensure equal treatment for mental illness in our health system."

Fat chance. The health care industry is so powerful that it would take the would be president years to get through the red tape BS to put this into practice. We all agree that health care is outrageous. It has become big business at its best. Think about it. Don't quote me on this but I would say that a lot of health insurance companies spend billions of dollars on lobbying the federal government so that their pocket stay deep. I want to tell the health care business tycoons a little something "YOU SUCK". There are people dying in the streets because you don't want people to afford your care. So what the heck is the solution. If I were president, I would tell the health insurances people to "Kiss my A@@"do something else. Dear Health Care people, stop the madness. We are poor. You are rich. Stop ripping people off. Have a heart for crying out loud. People help those who are in need. Stop being selfish. Get it done.

I picked on Senator Kerry for a moment now its George W.'s turn.

"America will not wait for new threats to grow and fester. We will face new challenges – swiftly, surely, and with steely resolve. We cannot forget that the terrorists remain determined to kill as many Americans as possible, both abroad and here at home, and would like nothing more than to use the world’s most deadly weapons against us. With such an enemy, no negotiated peace is possible; no policy of containment or deterrence will prove effective. "

Mr. Bush, we appreciate your valor, but we need to take care of our economy right now. And for the love of Pete would you use a different word than resolve. I do want to live in a secure nation but you cannot tell one country they can have nuclear weapons and one cannot. That just doesn't make any sense. If I were president, I would destroy every nuclear warhead we had in our arsenal and only use nuclear power for energy.

Let it be known that I am a registered republican. That doesn't mean I always vote straight republican. Do yourself a favor. Find out what both canidates stand for and make an educational decision based on the information provided to you. What would you do if you were president? Here is what I would do!

I would first make sure that you were happy. I would hope you would learn how to not live in fear. American's fear everyone in the world because the rest of the world see's our true colors. We take for granted the freedoms we have and we let those stupid SOB in congress who WE elected into office make foolish decisions for us when they are suppose to represent us. I would make it mandatory for all to work in the restaurant business for 24 hours on a busy Friday night so people would understand what its like to work for $2.13 an hour. I would stop social security. It does have a purpose however there are better ways to save for retirement than taking it out of my personal payroll check every week. I would let people keep that money to invest in their own retirement. I would absolutely rip to shreds government agencies that suck up money that could go to people who really need it. Welfare, I got one word for you REFORM. Defense, we should have a well trained and qualified army that cares about their country and who want to be in the military and understand that you may have to go to war so day. I wouldn't bribe people to be in it but I would cut the red tap for them to have maximum retirement plans. Economy, gone are the days of free enterprise. Steamrolled by corporations and big business. Out with corporate America and in with free enterprise. Down with socialism, anarchy, and all that mess. Give back to the States the power they need to make decisions about their economy's and education funds. So if I had a billion dollars I would run for President of the United States. However, I don't so for know I just keep on with what I know best, cooking and playing guitar. And that is the World According to Thad.

Music

For several months I have thought about all the different concerts I have been too. Over the past fifeteen years I have seen so many that I thought it would be cool to look back at all the different shows I have been too. For most of you it will be boring but for me it reminds me that music is a big part of my personality. So here is a least of music groups that I have seen starting with some of the greats: Ray Charles, Tony Bennet, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Oak Ridge Boys, The Commodores w/o Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock and the Head Hunters, Guns & Roses, Skid Row, Extreme, Bon Jovi, Van Halen w/Gary Sharone, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, Moby, Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth, Hole, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Lucious Jackson, Angie Aparo, King's X, Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms, Cracker, Eve 6, Semi Sonic, R.E.M., Tribe Called Quest, Wycliff Jean, Alanis Morrissette, Tori Amos, K' Choice, U2, Sean Lennon, Buffalo Daughter, Dave Matthews Band, Beck, Jesus Lizard, Pavement, Radiohead, KRS-1, Blues Traveler, The Wallflowers, Live, The Connells, Mannheim Steamroller, and last but not least the band the myth the lengend The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Also here are some gospel groups I have seen: Petra, WhiteCross, Newsboys, Russ Taff, Mylon Le Fevre and Broken Heart, Michael W. Smith, Margaret Becker, The Ressurection Band, Sacred Warrior, FFH, and Carmen.

Wow. It is awesome to share that with others. My musical history began when I was 11. I watch my older brother jamming on his homemade guitar that he built in senior year shop class and knew I wanted to learn how to play. Growing up in a non-denominational church I really appreciated the praise and worship music that sounded much like rock music. Needless to say I was hooked on music and how it moved people. I took lessons for about two years from our church piano player Dave Foxx. Dave has taught music at Greensboro College now for many years. After the two years of lessons I relyed on my brother and some of his band mates and friends for furthering my musical progress. I learned how to play by ear and just started to try and play everything I could listen to on tape, record, or cd. I have to give prop's to my brother Rik for always believing in me and keeping in check about my playing. In my early 20's I played in my first rock band with long time friend Jason and Joey. The band name was Tinman. You know like the Wizard of Oz guy. We played for a couple of years and we all started to rub shoulders a little to much and decided it would be best to part ways. After that I didn't want to play anymore. I saw how unkind and ruthless the band scene could be so I put my guitar down for about 5 years. I still played every once in a while and settled down with a wife and child. It wasn't until two years ago that I picked it back up again full time again and started playing with my current band Travel. So that is all today and thanks for reading my blog. God Bless. I love you Beth and Christian.

Time

After working in the restaurant business for 12 years you get used to living around a clock and constantly monitoring your progress. Its not usually obvious to the naked eye but an external time clock can easily become an internal time clock. Without hesitation every morning I start my day the exact same way as I did the day before. Coffee, set up my line, cook, clean, restock, clean up after other peoples messes, then go home. If I charted this on a timeline you would find it very interesting how the progress of the day goes. I rush like a bat out of the hot place at the start of the day only to switch into overdrive by open and then back down to first gear when I leave for the day. What is my point in all this. This routine carries over into my regular life. Its easy for me to run like a bat out of the hot place everyday all the way up to the early hours of the morning some times only to get a few hours of sleep some nights and get back up and do it all over again. It is a tiring process sometimes. I say that many days all I want to do is stay in bed and dream what it would be like to not do anything.

Lucky

Yes I feel lucky. What the hell am I talking about. Well its like this, if you have not noticed my blog received a new look today. And it is all thanks to my wife Beth. She rocks. I have never met someone that has not had any classroom training of hotmail and just get on the computer and do her thing. Beth is very gifted with the ability to learn very quick. When she first started messing around with the hotmail stuff I never imagined she would learn so quickly and she just makes it look so easy. Beth you are truly talented. Another work week has come to a close. I am off from cooking the next two days. I have to leave in a bit to go help John and Jason pack up the trailer for tomorrows show for The Miracles In Progress SubstanceAbuse Ministry, along with the Support Group Ministry for Anchor and Knowledge Awareness Day. The event will be at St.Thomas Chapel Church in Summerfield. I have a meeting at work first thing in the morning and then it is off to set up to play. The weekends get long but the music will keep going on too. Thanks again to Beth for the face lift on my blog. Beth you are an awesome wife.

New Theme

I hope you all like the new look of The World According to Thad. Thanks to my wife Beth for her awesome ideas and her skilled knowledge of making a good looking blogskin. Rock on!

Recipe for Exploding Eggs

Think I am joking. Not today. I promised my band mate John that I would post this recipe on the internet for all to enjoy. So here is the recipe for Exploding Eggs:

18 large eggs
1 blackcat firecracker

Directions.
Let Barry scramble up the eggs and get them going on the campfire. Give Thad a firecracker that you had been trying to use to wake up band mate Jason with. Let Thad light and throw the firecracker at Barry and watch the firecracker fall into the scrambled eggs.

BOOM!!!!!


Then observe everyone laughing hysterically at the eggs that have splattered all over the tent, chairs, Thad, and Barry. The yield should be enough to serve 2 or 3 eggs when all is done.

And to add to my recipe collection I like to call this Extra Crisp Bacon:

2 packs of bacon thick sliced
2 sheets of aluminum foil to cover grill rack over grill
a lot of freakin wood

Directions:
First wrap the grill rack with aluminum foil with four very hungry men watching. At the same time ask those same hungry men to go fetch a lot of freakin fire wood to make sure the fire stays hot. All at one time add bacon to grill rack and every piece of fire wood collected and watch the magic begin. Soon you should notice the grease pouring off the grill rack into the blazing fire and create the biggest grease fire I have ever seen camping. It should yield about 12 pieces of extra cripsy burnt bacon. Careful not to burn your hand.

All of these recipes were created this past weekend when the band Travel went camping at Black Lake Youth Center right outside of Asheboro, NC. After the excitement of creating a new concept in campfire cooking we enjoyed playing to a very young audience of extremely tired youth that had to range from ages 9-17 and a few supervising adults. All set up for a wonderful weekend with friends and was wrapped up with one band mate going to the hospital with doctor's telling him there was nothing wrong with him. Glory to God in the Highest for a wonderful unforgettable weekend. That is all today from The World According to Thad.

Thoughts of The Day

If I cause turmoil in my own life and take it out on others, does it give me the right to complain and be selfish. People seem to cause grief in their own lives and then turn around and act like a victim. I say that because in the recent months I can not count on hands and toes the amount of people I encounter that have created bad situations in their lives and want to blame everyone else for their troubles. It is almost like cause and effect. I learned about this in economics class in college of all places. Your "cause" is you want to be independent and do whatever the heck you want to do with no regards to personal feelings of others. The "effect" would be you create chaos in your entire life. Its kind of like drink and driving or eating blowfish or touching the flame. If more of us would use common sense in our lives and put others before ourselves I think that more people would be happy in their lives. And that is The World According to Thad.

I Am Doing Fine

My sister and brother-in-law asked me on Thursday "Thad how are you doing, we are worried about you." My response was, "Honestly, I feel like I am in a slump." Just the night before my mom called me and ask "Thad are you okay, I am worried about you." I said "Mom I am doing okay, however things around here have been difficult."

For the past three weeks Beth and I have experienced some interesting moments. Everything from plate throwing to Beth jamming her toe on the computer desk. So to answer Angela, John, Mom, and family"Yes I am doing okay."Beth and I have received a tremendous amount of support from our loving family's. All of you have reached out in ways we cannot thank you enough for. So to my mom, Ron, dad, Mandy, Red, Linda, John, Angela, Jenni, Rik, Brenda, Tim, nieces and nephews, Jason, John, Dayne, Ashley, Jim, Carol, Sherry, and everyone else thank you.

You all my be thinking what have I done. You have been a support unit for Beth, Christian, and I for years and I wanted to personally thank all of you for all the little things you do all the time that help us as a family get by each week.

I wanted to share this because all of your generosity has not gone unnoticed. From Dayne and Ashley giving us a free weekend away to celebrate their marriage to going to Papa an Nana's house for dinner on Sundays. Thank you to mom for the help with Christian's medicine monthly to my nieces and nephews who always open their loving arms everytime I see them. To my father who help me pay my car off, help with rent, and other little things to Jason and John for their willingness to deal with my moodiness. And to everyone else we appreciate eveything you do for us.

The future is bright for Beth, Christian, and I. Everyday presents different challenges but we are up for the fight. Beth still gets tired early in the evening and Christian is doing wonderful in at school. And as for me I am doing well at work and the band is going semi smoothly. So that is all for now. Take care.

Sun Shiny Days

So much for rain and storms so far today. I recall seeing the news say there was a 50% chance of rain and 82 degrees temperature. Well it is about 6:30pm my time and I have not seen a drop of rain yet and it felt more like 90 degrees in the semi overcast sky. I am not complaining because the sunshine set up a beautiful back drop for an afternoon show we did today at the new Center City Park in Greensboro. We played three songs. The schedule was running about an hour behind when we got there, however thanks to the coordinators they were able to get us in about a 1:00pm about thirty minutes later than the 12:30pm slot we were suppose to play. It was terribly hot. The sun beat down on all five of us showing no mercy. The scene was really cool. We were surrounded by the downtown skyline and it was very impressive. Even the two officers working off duty for the event were kind enough to tell us they enjoyed the music. We actually had to give them our name and address, for possible booking at their church. So thanks to all who came out. For all those who want to know more about the band you click on the link for our site on this blog spot. Tomorrow we go to Nana and Papa's for stuff peppers. Yummy. And that is The World According to Thad

What's Going On

I hope you all did not miss me to bad this week. I have had a busy schedule the last week. I have been practicing with a new bass player for a show we played last night, going to birthday party's, and open houses for school. So today is a nice rainy day to relax and get some things done like go to my sisters' so my brother-in-law can help me work on my car. Thanks John. My poor 1992 Chevy Cavalier has been running poorly due to some radiator issues. Hopefully today we can get it straightened out.

If you have read Beth's blog lately you would know that she is going through a lot right now. She is completely overwhelmed by life. It is not far to her to just tell her to pray about it or she's just depressed because that would be the easy way to put a band aid on the situation. For many years she has been silent about a lot of things in her life that bother her. And when she started her blog it was a helpful tool to talk about Christian and what was going on in his life. Most of you know by now that our son was diagnosed with ADHD last October. And I would say that most of you know that he may have some form of Autism. We are still waiting for the TEEACH foundation to call for a evaluation date for Christian. It could be as late as December before we hear anything.


I wanted to share that with you all so that you will stand with us in prayer. I do believe that that will help us throught this ruff time. If you want maybe you would comment on her blog or write her a letter of encouragement. This morning she has gone to talk to a doctor. Thanks to her mom. Thank you Linda. Bethie I love you. I will see you when you get home. Thanks to all of you who read Beth's blog and mine. I don't think she is done completely with her blog. She will probably take a break for awhile. I wanted to share this letter with you to her from me. Thanks again for all the support.


Dearest Bethie,

I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for all the turmoil that feel right now. I am sorry if the pressure of everyday life is pounding at your doorstep. Christian and I love you very much and we support you in love and share with you the hope of better days to come. I want you to know that we are here for you. You have been the glue that holds our family together. And what a magnificent woman you are. I cant help to feel a little responsible for what is going on. I know you stress about our finances. I will not tell to stop worrying about them anymore. I thought we had made a good decision with you staying home with Christian all this years. I will say that he had the best companion and teacher that he could have ever had with you. I know its a job that does pay a lot and it seems boring at times. Thank you for putting his needs above anyone else's. I know that in you are feeling a little down and out right now. I wish I could help you. I also understand that right now there is not a lot I can do. I stand with you. I will be by your side through all these hard times. I love you more than I could every put in words. I am here for you my dearest Bethie. I am sorry if I have contributed to some of your hardship.

Love you very much,

Thad

I will blog at you later.

A Beautiful Day

What a gorgeous fall like day today. I am at the house hanging out listening to music while Beth is out braving the tax free weekend with Christian, Isabella, and little Bella. And I should be cutting the grass or finishing the quarter round around the floor. I just don't feel like getting started yet. I enjoyed a wonderful evening with Christian last night. He and I had boys night out. We went to Outback for dinner. Then went to Target and bought a Hot Wheel toy and a Spongebob Squarepants video to watch. We turned in about 10:30pm but tossed and turned till about midnight. I usually have a hard time going to sleep knowing Beth is on the road. She got back okay from Raleigh about 2:30am after going to see Alanis Morrisette and the Bare Naked Ladies. She had a blast she said. So another weekend is here and it is so nice outside. I love it.

Well so long for know as I go to do all my manly chores for the day. Anyway signing off. And that is The World According to Thad.

Friendship

I seemed to have shifted away from what my intentions were for starting this blogger the past couple of days. Work was not something I wanted to discuss(at least not that often). Because the blog was supposed to be about thoughts on life and how different people have the same ideas, but interpret life in different ways.

One thing in my life that stands out to me are the friends I have made over the years. When your a young adult seeking independence you tend to want to just fall into a crowd and be accepted. That was definitely true in my case. I did the same old same old hanging out with people living the good life. I always tried to associate myself with the "who's who" of everyplace I worked and looking for acceptance in any way I could. I thought for the longest time how cool I was by the amount of alcohol I drank or who's house I was going to party at for the night. Yes I would say that I was the stereotypical young adult male looking to have it all and with absolutely no one answer too. I found that by being the best at whatever I was doing (work, partying, whatever you get the picture)would grant me access to the cool circles and the in crowd.

I found acceptance in circles of people who drank and did things I would rather not talk about. I went to all the best party's and drank the best of wines, ate the best foods. I was wined and dined by all the big wigs were I would work and people I hung out with.

The funny thing was that out of all those people, I don't have any clue to what happened to the majority of them. I have had casual conversations with some of them on the phone or when you run into them at the grocery store or at a restaurant. You find that the only thing you have in common is that you all used to party together. Other than that you had absolutely nothing in common with them.

I did make two or three lasting friends. Some live here others across the country or in cities not to far away. I met my best friend of all times in March of 1995. It is no surprise why I asked her to marry me 6 years ago.

Beth is my best friend. She is charming, beautiful, witty, unbelievably smart, sophisticated, and an outstanding mother. I want you all to know that when I met her my life changed completely.

On August 28th we will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. We have had a difficult road. Through it all, I could have never had a better partner and mate than you Bethie. Thank you for showing me how to be true, honest, and humble. You have also taught me to not be so serious about the little things. You have shown me that reading and be knowledgeable about anything and everything is okay. You have taught me patience and kindness and how to be tolerable of people even when they piss you off. Bethie your the best friend I have ever had. Thank you.

To all my other friends you guys rock. I couldn't have made through this years without your support. I would talk to you all the time but you aren't very good at staying in touch. I guess I inherited my moms abilities to talk on the phone as much as possible. I love you mom.

Finding lasting relationships is important to me. I am still meeting new people but choose to stick to the friends and family I have now. Not that I don't want to make new friends but I have good quality friendships already that need to keep growing. Bless all you folks who have taken the time to read this site. And that is The World According to Thad.

Six o'clock Comes Awfully Early

Believe it or not there is a lot of work to do in a restaurant. This morning I had the lucky priviledge of going in at 7am to open the restaurant. After a very restless night of sleep and not getting to bed until close to midnight I awoke at 6am to get ready for work. Much to my surprise my beautiful wife got up not to much after I did. Being the only one in the restaurant early in the morning can be difficult(when the phones ring off the hook) or relaxing with no interruptions from grumbling co-workers. I have decided that working by myself is what I enjoy the most. If something does not get done than there is no one else to blame except for me. We had a busy day followed by a ghost town from about 2:30pm to about 5pm. That tends to be the slowest part of the day and when you have been there since 7am and all your work is done and your just waiting to get out of there it can get very boring. I try talking myself through all my issues or sing music or think of my wife in.............Well I should probably stop there. Off to band practice I go tonight. We have a new bass player who is learning some music for two upcoming dates. We are in the process today of updating our band website. As of 5:30pm it had not been updated but maybe by tonight it will be. So I bid farewell and I am off to wash the nasty smell of kitchen off of me so I can enjoy a wonderful dinner of tacos with my wife, son, and friends Isabella and her daughter Gabriella. So that is all from The World According to Thad

Get it Out

Have you ever had one of those days when you wanted to let everyone know how you feel? That is what motivated me to start this blog. Everyday it seems my brain was jammed up with ideas, thoughts, opinions, dreams...Hopefully you get the picture. After months of reading Beth's blog (my wife) I decided to create one for myself. Beth has a brilliant way with words unlike anyone I have ever met. I could tell that writing for Beth was therapeutic so I thought this was a excellent way to just GET IT OUT. Many of you know by now the mad cap adventures in the our household. Our son demands a lot of attention. He was diagnosed with ADHD last October and ever since then Beth and I have begun a new journey in our life. The ADHD diagnosis did not come as a shock to Beth and I. It was a new beginning and a relief to finally try and breakthrough to our child who for 4 years showed the signs of being different. When your child is born you want everything to be perfect. For so long Beth and I were embarrassed to go anywhere or do anything outside of the house because we never knew what Christian was going to do. We are not embarrassed anymore. In fact, it has given us hope and motivation to be better parents. Please understand that when your child is different from everyone else it makes him/her unique. When you meet people whose children have behavioral problems don't treat them any different than you would any other child. After months and months of doctor's visits, new medications, and many frustrating nights it has brought us to today. I want everyone to know that we are doing great. Christian starts school in a few short weeks and so begins another year of challenges. Beth and I are up for it because God has given us the strength to get through this time. We also realized that Christian may have more than just severe hyperactivity. We are currently on the waiting list for TEEACH. TEEACH is an evaluation program provided by UNC at Chapil Hill to help diagnose children and adults with autism. There are many forms of autism and we do think that Christian shows the signs of having some autistic tendencies. We are currently on a waiting list to have him evaluated by TEEACH. Please don't be sad for us. We praise Jesus for the work that he has done in our lives and the life of our son. Yes it can create sleepless nights, but that is part of being a parent. Faith defined in the dictionary means
believe or trust. I have faith in Jesus Christ for He is the one who makes life possible. Thank you to all of you my friends and family who have also help us through what could have been a really hard time. Your generosity and kindness has meant so much to Beth and I.