"Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings." ~ John Updike

Hello out there in the world where folks let their fingers do the walking on the computer keyboard or the numeric pad on their phone or tablet in order to grab hold of my blog, today's edition, coming forth on this Friday, September 21, 2018. However you got here, I send out a huge and hearty welcome. This week has been something else. But, let me be clear. I pretty much think they all end up being that way. Or, that's how they get interpreted. It more or less becomes the standard operating procedure. I find myself worn out at the end of the work week whether or not I've really been productively busy or not. I suppose, at least in my case, I get to the end of the work week and turn in my 'occupied' sign and without even thinking I let out a deep sigh of relief. I'm not sure I am tired but it must be easy to make myself think that I am. I do know that of late I've been thinking about sleeping late. Strange. That's not something I typically focus on. Sleeping late? It's like someone got inside my internal clock and messed with the hands. Hey, what you got planned for your days off? I am really looking forward to sleeping late. How absurd. What is wrong with me? And, the sleeping late involves doing so on a train. Preoccupied with sleeping on a train. I'll let you shade tree shrinks take that information and come up with some guesses as to what my problem might be. Please don't tell me it has to do with something that happened when I was a toddler. Please! You know. Did I say, choo-choo, or whoo-whoo? I'm just messing around. Thus far, the best answer has been the R word. As in RECLINER. It seems always ready and willing to help me with my problems.

Here's a Friday flashback from September 21, 2007. ~ We hired a new kid to work out in our plant last week. Everyone was joking about us now hiring children. He just enrolled in college and is working to help support himself. In addition to being young, he looks even much younger. He did quite a bit of welding in high school and thus far he seems to be a fast learner and a hard worker. The older guys were saying we might have to open a daycare for our new employees. I had seen the young fellow but not spent any time with him. One day I was walking through the shop checking on various projects and there he was standing in the shipping and receiving area. I went over and introduced myself to him. He said to me, “Sir, you sure look familiar to me, could it be possible I know you from somewhere?” I saw the opportunity for a joke so I told him, “Well, back in the early seventies I did work as a department store Santa, and you may have sat on my knee, but I would guess you were born much later than that.” He was dead serious, “No Sir, that would not have been possible because I was not born until 1989.” Wait a minute. 1989? 1989? That’s almost 1990. Sometimes moments occur when you really begin to appreciate how much water has flowed under the bridge, or in my case, under several bridges. As Willie Nelson used to sing, “Ain’t it funny how time slips away?” And so it does. ~ Bear in mind that was 11 years ago. Think about it. Today, that same scenario could be played out with a worker born in the year 2000. That's hard for me to take in, but, it fits, so I might as well get used to it.

When we talk about conditioning it would be hard to not mention candy corn. I heard a fellow talking about how this candy, were it not associated with Halloween, would never be purchased and consumed. Yet, 35 million pounds or 9 billion pieces are sold every year. We plunk down our money and get in return the yellow, orange, and white concoctions made of  Sugar, Corn Syrup, Confectioner's Glaze, Salt, Dextrose, Gelatin, Sesame Oil, Artificial Flavor, Honey, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Red 3. But it is appropriate for the season. And, that's why we buy it. It is not for the taste. That does not mean I will pass it up because eating it is also a part of the conditioning. Maybe we end up mostly being like lab rats. We already have some in our home. It adds such a festive touch to our decor. If you decide to pass it up this year but need to stay in touch with your inner candy corn, here's a tip. Take three tablespoons of granulated sugar and wash it down with Karo light corn syrup. Now you know where to come to get advice. I do hope you enjoy your Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. Lord willing, I will do my very best to show up on time to get our work week cranked up with our next visit. May God bless. Amen. ...More later.