Thursday at work. It is a slow day and I am kind of day dreaming. I had my second call for jury duty. Sat around for 4 hours just to have us all dismissed because a settlement was reached. We did not even find out anything about the case. I passed my Federal SAFE test and now will start on the State of Kentucky information. I am not sure if it is worth all the studing. My company has announced it will be closing another 250 branches before the end of the year. Why are they pushing us if we still not writing any mortgages.

Found out another friend's spouse has cancer. Kidney cancer and they are going to have to have surgery. So please keep all the people you know in your thoughts and prayers.

Mom and Lynn are in Nashville for her birthday this week. I hope they have a great time.

The boy's baseball is finished. They both had fun. I think Graydon learned more and will be ready for spring. I plann to keep working with them both as well. I need to throw with E more. Graydon needs to work on his hitting. Basketball starts next month.

Kern Classic

Had a great time yesterday at the Shaun Kern Classic basketball tournament.  I could barely play with this head cold but it was still a great time.

Shaun Kern is a friend from church who has a non operable form of brain cancer.  He and his family have been through 1 round of Kemo and radiation and got some great news this week.  The tumor has shrunk about 40% from when he was diagnosed in the spring.

I met Shaun playing pick up basketball on Monday nights at the Roc.  While playing we both found out we went to Murray State at the same time but were not sure if we had met there.  He played football there and at Morehead.  He has a wife and 2 small boys at home and girl on the way this fall.  Please keep them all in your prayers.

Bradley Stevenson  set up the tournament and did a great job.  We had 4 teams playing in a double elimination and it was a great day.  I played on Bradley's team and we finished 2nd.  Not bad for a bunch of old guys who usually only play half court.  Kyle Macy and Shaun were the coaches in the final game.  Kyle was  so great with everyone even when he got a call from Dick Vitale during the game.  I heard him tell Dick he was at a charity ballgame and asked him why he was not there.  Some one needs to give this guy another coaching job.

The highlight for me was after the game.  Bradley had got a couple of high school certified refs to do the last game.  I went over at the end to say thanks to them and feel bad that I did not get their names.  While talking to them I got to tell them about Shaun.  One of the them is a cancer survivor and said it was great what we were doing.  He said actions like yesterday did more for people with cancer than any words or just donations ever could. 

So I ask everyone to get out and do something for someone else this week.  It does not have to be anything big or for someone with cancer.  Just do something for someone else because you can do it and they need it done.

PS

Sharlena Ralph

Max Conyers and David Pugh were the referees. Max coaches Upward Basketball.  

 

Thanks Shar 

I have been studying for a week now for the new mortgage loan test for the SAFE act.  I now think I know more about mortgages than I ever wanted to know.  We will find out tomorrow.   The industry really does need to have a level of professionalism returned to it.  I am not sure what the real justification was to exclude loan officers who work a FDIC insured banks but I think it was a bad idea.  Most large banks do not sell their mortgages as securities but the majority of small regional banks do.  Those who use Federal insurance programs need to have the same training and certification as any mortgage broker.   I do believe that the regulations need to be brought together under 1 agency and regulations.  The idea that the HUD could not take over the running of the VA housing, USDA lending, Fannie and Freddy is very strange.  All the programs do similar but not identical functions but the overlap is huge.  Some are overseen by the FTC some by the FDC.  Others by the VA and HMDA.  All do a good function but they can all be stream lined to remove waste.  Fannie and Freddie where the 2 odd balls but now the Federal Reserve has controlling interest in both.  Take all of the protections from the oversight agencies and all the insurance provisions from the the regulators and move them to the cabinet that was made to oversee Housing and Urban Development.  Limit the Urban expansion but adding in the farm protection from the USDA and move the VA lending in to allow the VA to concentrate on the health and well being of Vets.  This is something I really need to spend some time thinking about.  Put together a list of each program and what they do and how they overlap.  Wow I am really spending too much time on this.  Hopefully it will pass with me passing the test. 

Good morning all.  I hope everyone had a good weekend.  The family is back after a good MSU homecoming trip.  I wish I would have went but the sinus cold really was a bad one.  The two days of class last week were very long but I am now much more prepared to take the SAFE test this week.  So far no jury duty since the first trial.   

Nothing big this week so far.  Hope everyone has a good week.

Missing the Family

Beth and the boys are in Murray today for homecoming. I stayed home fighting a sinus cold and headache. Talking to Beth this morning and they are fine. The other day E got in trouble the other day at school. He and a friend were talking in class. He also taught the friend a little saying learned from his cousin Lexi. Talk to the hand Talk to the Butt Talk to the man from Pizza Hut. He told Beth and I while driving and we almost lost it. Being the good dad, I had to call and share this wonderful news with Granny and June. It just reminded me of all times June got me in trouble. I have decided that this is just a great line that needs to be shared with everyone. Have a great weekend all.

Thursday Night

More rain so no ball games tonight.  Fall baseball has been a very wet ordeal.  We have lost over 3 games form both E and Gman's seasons.  I am glad they got to play though.  E is really coming out of his moma's boyism and Gman has really stepped forward with his fielding.  Gman needs to work on his batting.  I am really considering batting cage trips this winter.  The swing is ok but he needs to work on his feet and hips.  The inside out nature of lefties really comes out in him.  E needs the hitting stick.  I did not buy one last month because it was not on sell like the baseballs and knee savors were.  I will get one at some point though.  

Still very tired from the week in class and the driving.  Beth and the boys are going to homecoming in Murray tomorrow.  If I am still this tired and fighting the headache still I think I will stay home.  If I do I may finally get the new computer case and try to build the home server out of the parts I have been hoarding.  And get the mattress from the old bed over to the Good Will. 

We have had to put almost $2000 in the van this year.  New brakes, flushed the coolant system, 100k mile tune up and then an intake valve ans sensor went out causing it to stall.  I hope this will be it for a while on it.  The truck is closing in on 150k also.  I really would like to go a couple of years without an auto payment.  It is very funny but Beth and I both think vehicles should be driven forever just like the ones our parents had. 

Monday Thoughts

I am at the SAFE class for 2 days.  I am enjoying the class today.  It is a lot of information but I feel that it will help me in the future.  Any certification will be mobile and will be a good thing.  I do wonder why all of these classes last for so long each day.  Ten hours today and ten tomorrow.  The CE class was 11 hours.  After so long you just tune out and lose anything you may have gained by being there.  At some point the training companies need to have some sort of educational background to figure out when to stop for the day.

I am missing Beth and the boys.  Beth said Gman's game went good tonight.  E's is Saturday.  Thanks to Charlie and Jeff last night was great to get out of the hotel.  Good luck with the surgery Charlie. 

Short night tonight. 

PS
What yah doing?