My day off

Off colour but I reckon I got a bargain.

Today we had the best weather we have had for a long time. Unfortunately I have an energy sapping head cold so I have not been able to enjoy it as much as I would have liked. A hair cut started my day. My wife has cut my  hair for years, so I sat obediently while heaps of hair fell off. She claimed that it was two haircuts worth, accusing me of letting my hair grow for eight weeks. Some weeks ago I saw a rowing machine in a "Pay and Display" store. While I thought it was not working as it should and the computer wasn't working, it was a reasonable quality machine. The price then was around $200. I thought about buying it then. On Saturday we went to buy something something else and discovered the rower still there. There was no price on it so we asked. It had been sold to a man who was coming back with the money - but that was four days ago. They said they would check it out and I should get back to them. Today we rang and they said since he hadn't come back with the money we could buy it for $165.  There is my birthday present. We raced into town and picked it up. When I got back home I pulled it apart. I repaired and adjusted various parts, lubricated others and put it together again. At the end of the day I looked into the little computer display. I was not really worried about not having it, but it was worth investigating. I cleaned contacts, renewed an eroded bit of metal, put batteries in it and away it went. I now have a rower that is almost as good as new. A new one would cost well over $1000. I have always enjoyed the rowing exercise, I rowed for real at secondary school. I enjoyed rowing when I was a regular at gyms, it is a good over all workout and I look forward to having a great workout as soon as I am over my cold.
Hens on the loose
When I returned from my walk up the hill yesterday my neighbour informed me that he had a hen running around his backyard, "Was it mine?" I went down the paddock to count our hens. I discovered two others on the loose. My neighbours caught their intruder and I guided the other two into the run. The last part of the afternoon was spent putting new netting on one of our hen runs so that hopefully the hens wont escape. We have eight hens, often they lay between eight and seven eggs a day which is pretty good.
Thinking out loud about creator... again
Last post I raised the question of believing in God but not necessarily believing in "him" as the actual creator of all that is. In thinking further about this - to say this does not make the symbol of "creator" invalid. All language about God is symbolic. Calling God creator is a way of talking about our relationship to life, to the universe and to each other. By calling God creator we are recognising that these relationships and responsibilities are of ultimate importance. ... well these things are implications of seeing God as a creator.   Anyway... beware... heretic burbling again. ... well a not quite 63 year old still exploring the massive mystery we call "God."

Did you know that I nearly died at birth? Apparently I was premature and what my mother called a "blue baby" whatever that is. The story went that at one stage they thought I wasn't going to survive! I am glad they saved me... the 63 years have been pretty good.