I'd like to let you in on a very interesting thought process I've had since starting Robertson Electric.
With wanting to get a new business started my brain goes into this mode of "how can I let that random person know that we have an electrical business so they call us when they need electrical work done?" when I see someone who may not know what we have to offer. Make sense?
One evening we were at our neighborhood park in Lincoln. Another couple and their grandchildren were there playing too. We didn't know them at all, but my brain went into the above mentioned mode. I start thinking I should start up a conversation with them and maybe it would lead to letting me tell them about Robertson Electric. It then occurred to me I've got my priorities mixed up. Shouldn't I be more concerned about starting up a conversation to tell them about how amazing Jesus is? Yes, I should.
That's all there is to my thought process. Sorry if you were hoping it might be more interesting.
The good thing is now I have a constant reminder. I still see someone and wonder how I can let them know about Robertson Electric, but that just reminds me I really need to figure out how to tell them about all Jesus has done for them. Who knew that starting a business could grow me in so many ways?
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Monster Month - Updated!
In the next 2 weeks, I'm supposed to run a total of something like 29 miles. I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not.
I had a great 5 mile run this morning. I stepped on something in the middle of it and twisted my ankle. It hurt but I ran through it and the pain went away until about 2 hours later. Then I went to 'town' to mail something for my favorite electrician, limped through the park, made a painful emergency potty stop for the 2 year old at the local restaurant and started for home. The pain go so bad I had to pull over, put my head down and crank the air, or I would've passed out. For real.
I made it home, popped pills as fast as I could (and I usually avoid medication like the plague), lost my cool with my overly fussy 2 year old who clearly didn't understand I was in pain and unable to meet her every need right when she needed it met, and hopped and crawled around until relief came (from the meds and from my favorite electrician.)
Now I sit here with a great excuse to blog and sit in front of my computer through all of nap time.
I will be running that race on May 2nd. At least that's what I'm telling myself now. How long can a sprain last? All advice is welcome.
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I think you need a big update on the people I know running this race. It's drastically different from the last time I told you about it.
Ashley - she's still in!
Brooke - works full time, mom to 2 kids, afraid she wouldn't be able to train
Dennis - lives up north where the sidewalks were ice covered for the first several weeks where we needed to be training, got a big promotion (we're very proud of him) and goes to work hours before the sun comes up and might make it home an hour before it goes down.
Jill - SHE'S PREGNANT! Instead of having her as a running partner, I gain a new niece or nephew! I'm ecstatic!
Katie - she's still in!
Luke - I'm not sure what his excuse is but I bet he has one.
Rob - one of the many who didn't get signed up in time.
Two out of the seven are still in. That's something. Thankfully I've learned of more runners since then.
Annie - Brooke's sister. She will finish well before me with a pace of 9 - 10 minute miles and a focus well beyond mine. Watch for red, curly hair, and an ipod.
Charles - my cousin - remember him, the most eligible bachelor in the Midwest? He's still eligible as far as I know.
Julie - a fellow SLP! She actually ran it pregnant last year.
Katie - my sister-in-law, (who nicely provided me with a wrap for my ankle today). Her and her sister are training for a full marathon in Oklahoma.
Sami - Katie's sister. I think she's another one of those crazy fast runners that will finish well before me.
Shauna - she's a new blogger and a great college friend. If I run with no one else, I know I'll be running with her. As far as I know, she's still an 11 minute mile friend.
Any one else out there?
Now to just hope that I can walk in the morning.......
UPDATE:
It's morning, and I can walk! It's amazing. I promise I was in MAJOR pain 24 hours ago. Now I'm walking almost normal without any pain medication. Can anyone explain how that could be to me? I think we should call it a miracle. Why not? It's still tender but I'm at least hopeful I'll run on it this week!
I had a great 5 mile run this morning. I stepped on something in the middle of it and twisted my ankle. It hurt but I ran through it and the pain went away until about 2 hours later. Then I went to 'town' to mail something for my favorite electrician, limped through the park, made a painful emergency potty stop for the 2 year old at the local restaurant and started for home. The pain go so bad I had to pull over, put my head down and crank the air, or I would've passed out. For real.
I made it home, popped pills as fast as I could (and I usually avoid medication like the plague), lost my cool with my overly fussy 2 year old who clearly didn't understand I was in pain and unable to meet her every need right when she needed it met, and hopped and crawled around until relief came (from the meds and from my favorite electrician.)
Now I sit here with a great excuse to blog and sit in front of my computer through all of nap time.
I will be running that race on May 2nd. At least that's what I'm telling myself now. How long can a sprain last? All advice is welcome.
-------
I think you need a big update on the people I know running this race. It's drastically different from the last time I told you about it.
Ashley - she's still in!
Katie - she's still in!
Two out of the seven are still in. That's something. Thankfully I've learned of more runners since then.
Annie - Brooke's sister. She will finish well before me with a pace of 9 - 10 minute miles and a focus well beyond mine. Watch for red, curly hair, and an ipod.
Charles - my cousin - remember him, the most eligible bachelor in the Midwest? He's still eligible as far as I know.
Julie - a fellow SLP! She actually ran it pregnant last year.
Katie - my sister-in-law, (who nicely provided me with a wrap for my ankle today). Her and her sister are training for a full marathon in Oklahoma.
Sami - Katie's sister. I think she's another one of those crazy fast runners that will finish well before me.
Shauna - she's a new blogger and a great college friend. If I run with no one else, I know I'll be running with her. As far as I know, she's still an 11 minute mile friend.
Any one else out there?
Now to just hope that I can walk in the morning.......
UPDATE:
It's morning, and I can walk! It's amazing. I promise I was in MAJOR pain 24 hours ago. Now I'm walking almost normal without any pain medication. Can anyone explain how that could be to me? I think we should call it a miracle. Why not? It's still tender but I'm at least hopeful I'll run on it this week!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Flat Cookie Issue
Martha failed me, or maybe I failed Martha. I can't seem to make a non flat cookie unless I make a cookie with so much in it that it maintains it's ball shape and crumbles all over when you bite into it. I don't consider myself a bad cook. I like to bake, was in 4-H, inherited good baking genes, lived in Love Hall, usually make edible things and know how to follow directions...most of the time.
I took exception on this pan to the direction that said "baking sheets lined with parchment paper,"
Really, usually I don't have those issues, just the issue of the flat cookie. I was actually discussing this with a friend a few days ago. We thought that it's related to your butter needing to be room temperature. Well, Martha told me to melt it. I thought she would know, so I followed that direction. Do you think I should have disregarded her direction? I would love to know your thoughts on how to not make flat cookies because I am sick of all my cookies being 1 mm thick and spread out all over the pan!
Please help me!
Okay I know my drizzling is probably driving you crazy too. I admit it. I have issues with drizzling too.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Good Timing
Here's a "Not Me! Monday" Julie style....
On a night last week when I really needed sleep, I did not sit and dink around on the internet for at least a half hour when I should have been going to bed. I always go to bed in a timely fashion, so I can be at my best for my employer and family. When I went to get ready for bed that night, I did not waste more time closely inspecting my face for something I could pick. I'm way past that teenager stage where my parents had to yell at me, "Julie, quit picking!"
When I finally made it to bed, I did not think I heard a mouse in our house and was certainly not startled awake 30 minutes later by a mouse. That non existent mouse was not caught in a trap right under my bed! I do not have mouse traps on my floor where my baby crawls and of course I don't live in a house with a mouse. I did not refuse to take the non existent mouse out of my house, and my brave husband did not suggest we wait until morning to take it out of the house. I am not a demanding woman, so I did not demand he get it out before I went back to sleep.
My baby did not decide to wake up 60 minutes later and he had not just eaten 2 1/2 hours ago. My 10 month old always sleeps through the night. I did not make him cry for 45 minutes and then I did not give in and just feed him so he'd go back to sleep. I'm strong in my resolve to get him to learn to go back to sleep without eating.
When morning quickly came around, I did not sleep too long and I did not leave five minutes after I should have in order to safely be to work on time. That could not be me!
On a night last week when I really needed sleep, I did not sit and dink around on the internet for at least a half hour when I should have been going to bed. I always go to bed in a timely fashion, so I can be at my best for my employer and family. When I went to get ready for bed that night, I did not waste more time closely inspecting my face for something I could pick. I'm way past that teenager stage where my parents had to yell at me, "Julie, quit picking!"
When I finally made it to bed, I did not think I heard a mouse in our house and was certainly not startled awake 30 minutes later by a mouse. That non existent mouse was not caught in a trap right under my bed! I do not have mouse traps on my floor where my baby crawls and of course I don't live in a house with a mouse. I did not refuse to take the non existent mouse out of my house, and my brave husband did not suggest we wait until morning to take it out of the house. I am not a demanding woman, so I did not demand he get it out before I went back to sleep.
My baby did not decide to wake up 60 minutes later and he had not just eaten 2 1/2 hours ago. My 10 month old always sleeps through the night. I did not make him cry for 45 minutes and then I did not give in and just feed him so he'd go back to sleep. I'm strong in my resolve to get him to learn to go back to sleep without eating.
When morning quickly came around, I did not sleep too long and I did not leave five minutes after I should have in order to safely be to work on time. That could not be me!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thankful Thursday
As you may or may not know, we are in transition between jobs and cities. We're working on starting an electrical business in a city we don't even live in while I finish the school year with my current job. We initially figured Brad would probably need to be in Lincoln a lot while the kids and I stayed out West. It was like a reversal of last year where he commuted to farm out West and I stayed in Lincoln with a one year old and a baby on the way. We survived, but I wasn't excited about not having Brad around again.
Well, God has worked things out for us amazingly, and Brad has yet to make a trip to Lincoln without us. God has provided excellent work for Brad out here; and at the same time when jobs open up in Lincoln, Brad has almost always been able to do them on a weekend when going to Lincoln was already our plan.*
Here's the best example of this. Last weekend we had our annual March Madness vacation planned. We "vacationed" in Lincoln this year. At the beginning of the week, Brad already had two service calls** scheduled for while we were there. Then the day we left, someone we didn't know called because they had a smoking electrical panel and saw our number in the phone book! The phone book has A LOT of electricians in it. We put our number in it because we figured people who know Robertson Electric might need it to find our number sometime, and we doubted any new people would call. Someone actually did! (It was quite an exciting moment for us. It doesn't take much around here.) The point is - Brad was able to add another service call to his day while we were back and didn't have to make an extra trip. It's just one of those times where you felt like you could see God working things out nicely for us.
All of that wordiness is just to say I'm thankful that God has timed things well for us in this area so I haven't had to be running a zone defense with the kids for a long stretches of time. I know God's timing isn't always how we would like it to be, but I've really been thankful these last few months for how God has orchestrated things in a way that's encouraging to me. (Let me tell you, it doesn't always feel that way. I'm hoping to explain that all for you on Monday. It's gonna be good.)
Speaking of timing, I liked this story about God's timing in Haiti.
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*Now listen, if you live in Lincoln and have electrical work you'd like done, please don't be afraid to call because you think we're living out West still. Brad knows he may need to make an unplanned trip, and we have several more times when we're already planning to come to Lincoln between now and when we move back completely. We'd be more than happy to serve you and I can deal with running a zone defense every now and then!
**One of those service calls was for some very nice Bright People who are selling their home in SW Lincoln. If you're looking to buy in that area, let me know and I'll share their information with you. Their home now has a ceiling fan in the master bedroom, which is a big plus if you ask me.
Well, God has worked things out for us amazingly, and Brad has yet to make a trip to Lincoln without us. God has provided excellent work for Brad out here; and at the same time when jobs open up in Lincoln, Brad has almost always been able to do them on a weekend when going to Lincoln was already our plan.*
Here's the best example of this. Last weekend we had our annual March Madness vacation planned. We "vacationed" in Lincoln this year. At the beginning of the week, Brad already had two service calls** scheduled for while we were there. Then the day we left, someone we didn't know called because they had a smoking electrical panel and saw our number in the phone book! The phone book has A LOT of electricians in it. We put our number in it because we figured people who know Robertson Electric might need it to find our number sometime, and we doubted any new people would call. Someone actually did! (It was quite an exciting moment for us. It doesn't take much around here.) The point is - Brad was able to add another service call to his day while we were back and didn't have to make an extra trip. It's just one of those times where you felt like you could see God working things out nicely for us.
All of that wordiness is just to say I'm thankful that God has timed things well for us in this area so I haven't had to be running a zone defense with the kids for a long stretches of time. I know God's timing isn't always how we would like it to be, but I've really been thankful these last few months for how God has orchestrated things in a way that's encouraging to me. (Let me tell you, it doesn't always feel that way. I'm hoping to explain that all for you on Monday. It's gonna be good.)
Speaking of timing, I liked this story about God's timing in Haiti.
-----
*Now listen, if you live in Lincoln and have electrical work you'd like done, please don't be afraid to call because you think we're living out West still. Brad knows he may need to make an unplanned trip, and we have several more times when we're already planning to come to Lincoln between now and when we move back completely. We'd be more than happy to serve you and I can deal with running a zone defense every now and then!
**One of those service calls was for some very nice Bright People who are selling their home in SW Lincoln. If you're looking to buy in that area, let me know and I'll share their information with you. Their home now has a ceiling fan in the master bedroom, which is a big plus if you ask me.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thankful Thursday
It's FINALLY nice enough to spend time outside and that makes me thankful for so many things. I'm somewhat of a nature lover so I feel a little over exuberant this time of year. I'm especially a bird lover and you would not believe all the birds we've had flying by this week! WOW!
What nice weather means is I can resume walks with my little girlfriend. She has amazing taste in clothes and shoes and is great for unlimited conversation. Her baby tends to do a lot of the same things my baby does, and she NEVER hurries.
We enjoy the wide open spaces and the nature around us,
arrive at our destination,
and turn around to walk back down the driveway.
Some days a half hour walk with a girlfriend is just what a mama needs.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
This and That
I was thinking of this title this morning before I saw Lisa's blog heading. I figured since I thought of the title before I saw hers and let you know that, then I could not worry about you thinking I was a copy cat.
Since it's Thursday, I'd like you know that I'm thankful for asparagus. We love that vegetable at our house, and it was on a great sale last week.
Brad's closing out his week with some small commercial jobs. He's very capable of residential and commercial jobs if you didn't know that already.
I'm sure a lot of you have been following the Compassion Bloggers. They bring such amazing perspective to life. We are so amazingly rich and blessed, and I hope I can be even slightly responsible with all that I've been given.
I need to do something with Robertson Electric's facebook page. I'm really embarrassed about it. Brad gave me that job, so it's not his fault. It's mine. Thanks for everyone who has become a fan! Do you think I should put "enlightening" quotes on it? Talk about what electrical work he's doing? Talk
How about those 12th seeded Huskers winning yesterday?! What a great way to start March madness. Even if I only get 2 channels out here in the country that may never have basketball on them, I still love March madness.
The weather has not been kind to running outside this week. I see some treadmill miles in my future. Hopefully they can be in front of a tv with a basketball game on it.
Since it's Thursday, I'd like you know that I'm thankful for asparagus. We love that vegetable at our house, and it was on a great sale last week.
Brad's closing out his week with some small commercial jobs. He's very capable of residential and commercial jobs if you didn't know that already.
I'm sure a lot of you have been following the Compassion Bloggers. They bring such amazing perspective to life. We are so amazingly rich and blessed, and I hope I can be even slightly responsible with all that I've been given.
I need to do something with Robertson Electric's facebook page. I'm really embarrassed about it. Brad gave me that job, so it's not his fault. It's mine. Thanks for everyone who has become a fan! Do you think I should put "enlightening" quotes on it? Talk about what electrical work he's doing? Talk
How about those 12th seeded Huskers winning yesterday?! What a great way to start March madness. Even if I only get 2 channels out here in the country that may never have basketball on them, I still love March madness.
The weather has not been kind to running outside this week. I see some treadmill miles in my future. Hopefully they can be in front of a tv with a basketball game on it.
