Big #1

April 28, 2009

Happy Birthday ... The Big #1 .... to Aiden James Mellott ...
better known as AJ.

His recovery from surgery has been great ... first doctors report is Good.
His First Year has been very eventful.

Another Piece of Our Heart

Goodbye ... Ginger (the cat) ... she will be missed after all these years.

Warm and Lazy Day

Should be a great weekend. The temperature should be Mid-70's and sunny. Just what I wanted so now I can do the yard work that is needed. AJ is doing great. He is almost his old self. He still gingerly uses his arms but after last night and his climbing I feel those days are past. Peanut is doing well and already starting to job hunt. I wonder if I could hire her to train #1 and #2 how to find a job. You would expect pride to kick in soon and motivate them. Wild Mom is off again at Camp Bluebird. She has been there since Wednesday. This afternoon she gets home and tonight she will head downtown to a church retreat. It must be nice to be on the go all the time. Not, I am glad to be a homebody for a while. I miss the food, my bed and the little ones. As far as I know Lew and Lil Princess will be over for the weekend. Ginger the cat isn't doing so well. I am afraid her time is measured in days and they are only a handful in number. She has a mass on her shoulder and isn't eating or drinking very much. She basically just lays around sleeping. Starr is doing well and hopefully going to be more involved with her firefighting buddies. National Certification is the goal. Lady is well though she is fighting the sniffles. Hopefully this warm weekend will help her get ahead of this stuff. Maybe we just need to go for a quiet get-a-way somewhere? ChincoTeague or Cheat river?

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If a town passes a law with a 72% majority ... where does a Judge get off declaring it unconstitutional? He should administer the law equally and fairly as the voters determined. The voters have a right to determine how they want their town run. If a small percentage of voters don't like the new law ... then move to somewhere they agree with! Since when did the Minority run this world? This is a great reason for term limits for a Judge. After awhile some of these Judges seem to get arrogant and think they know best.

Government Motors (GM), err, the old General Motors should just cut their losses and move on. Lets quit bailing out a sinking boat and do something with our money that has a better future. The Unions deserve what they get. They have raped the industry for 50 years for their benefit ... it is time for them to bend over and get a good dose of their medicine.

Don't you just love it when Tiger falls short and the person the Media does give a chance of winning ... wins. If Tiger wants to be great ... let his record speak ... not the Media trying to hype up the ratings and create a story to report.

The Conclusion draws Nigh

Tuesday, April 21. The trips are over and now it is time to get back to work. AJs surgery went very well and it did not take nearly as long as they thought. Which is good. We now are awaiting his return home and have our fingers crossed that will happen today. I was told they will release him once he starts crawling and walking. I can imagine the little guy is pretty sore, I know I would be. Peanut is fine knowing her little guy is ok. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and hopefully now things will settle down into a dull roar. Well, after 6 weeks, Wild Mom is back in Florida though she won't be there long as more planned trips are upcoming. No one can ever say she just sat still and did nothing exciting. She did manage to get some shopping done in Pigeon Forge and naturally the car was totally packed for the rest of the ride south. There was an antique auto show in Pigeon Forge and both sides of the street were packed with antique cars. I could easily believe they stretch for about 9 miles through town. Did I ever see some nice ones, good thing my checkbook was at home. We left pigeon Forge after having breakfast at The Apple Barn and a side trip to the Old Mill Candy Factory and then went straight through the Smokey Mountains. I love that drive though it does add some time to the trip. We stopped in Woodstock Ga. and picked up Starr for the ride south. That was a lot of fun and we were able to spend time and chat a lot. It is fun listening to someone talk about their dreams and plans. The excitement and hope just oozes out as they do. Something that we haven't had the luxury of in a long time. All is well and full of dreams in Woodstock. We stopped in Montgomery Al. at a BBQ place and it was very good. It did make the rest of the ride hard since my body wanted to rest and not drive. After a quiet Sunday in Florida, I headed home on Monday. The return ride home was long and uneventful. I dropped Starr off in Woodstock and finished the last 11 hours by myself.

Now it is back to work, yard work and paying for these little jaunts across the country.

He is Alive!

Another week and this one will prove to be a tough one. AJ has his surgery on Friday and it is something we all dwell on. Sunday, we had the whole church pray for him and that helped knowing others will be praying for him on Friday. Peanut is worried and that goes without saying. Also this week contains Tax Day. I finally finished Monday night and will file it tonight. Another task finished for the year. Yes, I paid for several people on welfare. It is sad when some welfare recipients live better than the taxpayers. After 40 days with no caffeine, I am able to drink coffee and tea once again. Actually, several times I have found myself drinking water instead of coffee or tea. What did I gain for the sacrifice? Well, I have a few new insights and feel better about a few things. Friday night is also when I will take Wild Mom home. After 6 weeks, she is ready to get back to her house and friends. We will miss her but I also understand the desire to "get home". I will even get to spend some time with Starr as she rides down to Florida with me. Could it get any better? The job situation for #1 and #2 remains in a frozen state -- no change. Lil Princess, Lew, and AJ looked smashing in their Easter outfits. Of course, the chocolate face and hands went without saying. Doesn't the Easter Bunny bring anything else than chocolate? The dining room was full Sunday with all the grandkids and family. How can we be so easily changed to let the family meal time around the table be taken from us. Those moments are precious and full of memories. I am so thankful that for just a moment in time we shared that time. Though the sleep monster held Peanut and #2 back from the Easter Sunrise service they battle through and made the 11:00am one. For that, thanks, it meant so much to share that time together. Also this weekend we watched the movies Fireproof and Flywheel. They are awesome and I challenge you to see them if you haven't. This is our second time and it was still great. The message they bring is timeless and really tugs at your heart. Are you right with God? Hmmm.

Nationals are 0-7 ... surprised? I am not. The basketball and hockey seasons are ending, now the never ending playoffs start ... Ughhhhhh. Dancing with the stars this season will never be the same with Holly and Steve gone.

Springtime Daze

It is back to the grind as the vacation season ends. The trip was great but now comes the ugly part ... paying for it. Plus to make life worse I am doing my taxes. It is a double dose of bewilderment of how to make things stretch that far. I sure wish bowling would hurry up and start again. There are a few things I want to try before I forget them. We always end early when the Ladies State Tournament comes to town. The Youth bowling doesn't start until after school ends. The next big event will be AJ's surgery on the 17th. After that I will be taking Wild Mom home to Florida with a swing through Pigeon Forge. By then she will have been here almost a month. Life will never be the same. With Easter just days away I am looking forward to seeing the kids dressed up in their new outfits. Lil Princess is sure to get the second looks. Though AJ and Lew will be cute in their clothes. I wonder how many of the older kids will make it on Sunday Morning? Lady is recovering from the time-off and getting used to the work schedule. No changes in #1 or #2 job situation. They have had some nibbles but no bites. Peanut is slimming down. Sure hope she doesn't fly away in a strong breeze. Can't wait till the bikini gets pulled out and tried on.

Baseball season is here and the Braves are 2-0 while the Nationals are well on their way to another bad season. Tomorrow is the first round of the Masters and I am looking forward to seeing and sleeping through so of the days. Cheng is out till next Tuesday so work will be a special challenge.

The End of the Adventure

Well, the adventure is over. We arrived home last night about 0200 am. It was a long drive but a lot of fun. Will I do it again! Heck yes. We had lunch and a great visit with Lady's parents in Indiana. Her niece was there and we wrestled and tickled and put ice everywhere. She was so full of energy and hopefully I wore her down a bit though sometimes she put up a really good effort. Seeing lady's mom and dad was great especially since it has been a while. We talked and laughed about many things and memories. The food was great and lady managed to bring home a bagful of homemade noodles. Enough to do some serious damage to a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. We managed to stay just ahead of the weather though sometimes when we stopped long enough it would catch up. The ride was accident free but the traffic jam in Columbus Ohio was enough of a headache. Now that we are home, we will have to readjust to reality and get caught up on some of the things we have missed while on the adventure.

AJ's surgery is on April 17 with about 6 weeks of recovery. That same day after the surgery, I will head to Florida to take Wild Mom home. We need to get her home so she won't go into debt paying the phone bill. She is ready to get home and get ready for her next adventure ... Keren's wedding party and Camp Bluebird.

I went to work today and nothing has changed ... well it was worth a wish.

This years trip was a success and well worth it. I just wish it could have been longer and others come with us. Let me see ... where will the next adventure take me too?

If you had one wish ... what would you wish for?

Day Nine of the Vegas Adventure

We are spending the night in Terra Haute, IN. We just ran out of time trying to get to Lady's parents house. We should get there for breakfast since we are about 140 miles away. Driving today was good. No weather or problems. But time changes, a truck wreck, and construction combined with the 65 mph speed limit to keep us from reaching our goal. Lady once again was text queen. Wild Mom tried her hand at backseat navigating once she got her hands on the road atlas. We only missed three turns.

We should be home late Tuesday night if all goes well.

Day Eight of the Vegas Adventure

Well, I am writing this late since today's travel was really long. We left Vegas and drove until we were in Guymon, Ok. That was a long day ... some 858 miles. The trip home started early and very quiet for the first part. We sure hated to leave and start the journey back to reality. We had good weather and the traffic wasn't bad. In Tucumcari NM, we headed northeast to intersect with I-70. In Oklahoma, we started seeing the remnants of last weeks snow. Some places were still snowed in. A lot of businesses were closed. Lady quickly and effortlessly slipped into text mode and kept busy the whole day. Wild Mom tackled the crossword puzzles and crafts. It was nice cruising at 80 mph and the Toyota did very well and the mile per gallon stayed around 26.

Day Seven of the Vegas Adventure

Well, like all good things, it must end and we head home tomorrow. Saturday was a very relaxing day. We went to the Venetian and had lunch at the sidewalk cafes. We ate at Wolfgang Pucks cafe. The food was very good and very filling. The entertainment varied from renaissance singers and dancers to living art. We topped off the meal with some sorbet. After returning to our room we split paths as I headed out to bowl and Lady and Wild Mom headed to a show. No, it wasn't Chippendale's or Thunder Down Under. Bowling went well and as usual and I wasn't last and I did win some money. Now it is time to wait and dream about next year. I fought with the strikes but I was deadly on splits, picking up every one of them ranging from 5-7, 2-10, 5-6 and a myriad of double wood spares. Lady and Wild Mom really enjoyed the show. It was a collection of skits from illusionists, magicians, acrobatics, guys flying in the air and comedy. The little cafe downstairs makes a mean bagel-ham-cheese-egg sandwich and breakfast burritos.

Well, time to get some rest since we will be hitting the road early for the ride home. Still not sure of which way we will go since the weather is so messed up.

Day Six of the Vegas Adventure

Well, the fun continues. We drove the Vegas Strip at night and saw all the lights. If course there was a zillion people hanging around doing nothing important. That is except for the working girls. Who else would dress like that? Bowling was fun and I did ok. I wish for more but delight in the fact their were others with higher averages do a lot worse. I did manage to win a few side pots ... so that helped. Looks like the tournament schedule is:

2010 - Reno Nv.
2011 - Reno Nv.
2012 - Baton Rouge La.
2013 - Reno Nv.
2014 - Orlando Fl.
2015 - Wichita Ks. (25th consecutive tournament)
2016 - Reno Nv.

So it looks like a lot of fun. We did go to the Venetian Casino and saw the sights. They have a small Italian town built up including the river with Gondolas to ride in. This is all on the second floor of the building. The room is painted like a sky and is extremely real looking. When we first walked in you would think it is real, we did until we realized it was dark outside. The Sorbet was great and they had a Violin, Flute, Guitar trio playing love songs. They were really good. Saturday, we will go back and eat lunch there in a sidewalk cafe. We have been sitting here planning some more vacations ... that is fun. Lady is just taking in all the sights and keeping busy. Especially with the text messages. Wild Mom is her usual self. We have a fridge full of leftovers as she keeps bringing the doggie bags home. Today is laundry day so the washer and dryer are in full swing in the other room.

Well, time to run and get ready for Saturday.

Day Five of the Vegas Adventure

Well, we have arrived. The drive across Hoover Dam was awesome and crowded. The sheer size is breath-taking. We only had 104 miles to drive today so it was easy after the last three days. We arrived at the Resort and it rivals the cruise ship in features. The room ( 2 bedroom suite) has two bedrooms plus a fully stocked kitchen, sitting room and dining room. The bathroom is bigger than our room last night at Days Inn. The spa tub helps take up room along with the glass shower. We ate lunch at Harrah's, played Keno (no luck) and then came back for some rest. I may have to try out the massage facilities on the 2nd Floor on Saturday after my bowling experience. They have pool tables, air hockey, WII, Xbox centers and other game places for the gamers at heart. Too bad the kids didn't come along. The pool is big and a very active place. They have poolside activities much like the cruise ship. They are setup so that you can have a great time without ever leaving the Resort Complex. Tonight we will go to the 10pm showing of "The Blue Man Group" at the Venetian and Saturday night we will go to a Variety Show at Planet Hollywood. I am really looking forward to the BMG show it has been about 5 years since I last saw their show. Wild Mom is chilling out with her feet propped up while Lady is exploring all the amenitites of the Place. They even have an Arts & Crafts place ... that lit up Lady's eyes. Vegas has really grown and the traffic is nasty. We have used the shuttle bus or walked all we can. We are located one block off the Strip but can see the lights very easy.

Time to rest and get Ready for Tonight.

Day Four of the Vegas Adventure

A long day, we went from Amarillo Tx to Kingman Az. Rolling along at 80 mph helps too. I managed to drive 107 miles today without touching the brakes. The day was great with no weather and clear blue skies and the low 60's. There is not much to say since the terrain was mostly desert and very little trees. I did like just looking at the terrain and seeing so many different things. I was disappointed that we didn't get to see any wildlife as we drove through that desolate place. The highest elevation we reached today was 7250 feet. I think so far we have drove through the reservations of Cherokee, Hopi, Zuni, Navajo, and several others I can remember. Custer would have been proud of me not losing my scalp. Flagstaff did have some snow on the ground. From Seligman Az to Kingman Az (some 90 miles) we drove on the historic Route 66 instead of the Interstate. What was nice was that each town had a Historic Route 66 building with vintage cars all around it. Some of those cars were really nice. We ate lunch at Sky City Az. and had to really work to keep Wild Mom out of the Casino. The highest I paid for gas was $2.17 in Flagstaff but the highest we saw was Clines Corner NM at $2.49. Good thing I didn't need gas there. Tomorrow will be really easy as we only have about 101 miles to go. Lady and Wild Mom did pretty much the same thing as the previous days. Princess must have worked today since Lady only got 750 texts. Wild Mom must have chatted with most of Florida as she kept the cell circuits busy. Lady didn't like the elimination results so she will have to watch it next week and hope.

Las Vegas ... here we come.

Day Three of the Vegas Adventure

Well after a restful sleep in Little Rock Ar., we are going to try out the beds in Amarillo Tx. We even manged to get here in time for Lady to see the eliminations on Dancing With The Stars. We ran into a very hard rain just west of Fort Smith Ar. There must have been a hundred frogs killed as that frog strangler of a rain came down. They predicted hail, lightening, and tornadoes but we saw none of those. After we got through it the sky cleared and we had a beautiful day for driving. It was 72 degrees and sunny as we cruised the Interstate. At one point I went almost 100 miles without touching the break. For the day my average was 70.2 miles per hour. The highest gas price was $2.02 per gallon. We did contribute to Dennys as we ate breakfast there. Not much changed for Lady and Wild Mom. Well, Lady did forget her camera in Little Rock so we will have to arrange to have it sent back to us when we get home. We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse in Amarillo and it was very good even after Wild Mom sent it back to be made into charcoal. Mine was medium rare and very juicy. Once again ... I ate too much. I am trying to figure out how to squeeze a midnight snack at Whataburger. Tomorrow we will try and make Kingman Az. but I fear we may only get to Flagstaff Az. Especially if we have to stop a lot. The Toyota is doing quite well as a road car. I even got 29.1 miles to the gallon on one tank today, the rest averaged 25.5.

Let me see if I can recall anything from home. #1 is counting and recounting our bowling winnings from the Sunday Night league. #2 needs to get dog-washing refresher course. He could even call Wild Mom and update her on Muffin. Peanut's working days are drawing to a close as the week ends. Starr is having a blast moving and cleaning the old apartment. Not sure what Princess did today, surely wasn't work, since she text Lady at least a 1000 times today.

Beautiful

A Lil Princess at her finest ...

It is worth a second look ...

Day Two of the Vegas Adventure

Day two has ended as we spend the night in Little Rock Arkansas. Lady needed to get to a TV to see Dancing With The Stars or we might have made Fort Smith AR. The day started off with breakfast at the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge. As usual it was great and we started the trip stuffed ... more business for the rest areas. Also many plans were made for the next time we pass through Pigeon Forge. We met up with a friend ... Blue ... in Memphis TN. He drives an 18 wheeler for Prime Inc. We had a great dinner and spent a couple hours talking. At one point today, Lady was texting so much the keyboard just leaped across the car. Lady spent most the day reading, texting, sleeping and sewing. Wild Mom did her usual ... knit, read and sleep. It is amazing how many snacks she has squirrelled away in the backseat. I spent the day driving ... fun! Gas has been pretty consistent hanging around $1.85 per gallon. We haven't drove through this area much since we left Blytheville AR in 1978. So the changes have really changed the looks but we were still able to find things that we could remember. Tomorrow we hope to make Amarillo Tx.

Day 1 of the Vegas Adventure

Well, the first day of the trip is over. We are in Pigeon Forge. Better yet, they have no wireless so you are reading this later. The trip was uneventful except for the 90+ minute delay in Bristol as the NASCAR race ended. 10 mph on the interstate was dumb. I won't even go into my feelings on this topic. Sunday before the trip was good. Lil Princess looked georgeous in her green and white dress. While we went to pack and leave on the trip, Lil Princess and Lew went to some friends to play with the baby goats and rabbits. Lady and Wild Mom are doing good except for the snacks ... before we reached I-81 they were into them. For the most part Lady slept (partially because of the sun) and Wild Mom knitted. Three times, the person passing me got pulled over for speedin. When you pass a trooper and then he pulls out and flips the lights on, even if you are innocent, the old heart races until you realize it was the other guy. That is also a great way to keep awake cuz the adrenalin does flow faster. Just so you the reader isn't disappointed, we did eat dinner at Denny's. Hopefully tomorrow we will make Arkansas and spend the night. Well, it is 7am ... time to wake these sleeping beauties ... later.

Time Marches On

Well, five days till we hit the road to Vegas. Wild Mom is now here with us. We drove to Pigeon Forge last Friday and brought her back to Virginia. Of course we ate at The Old Mill and did some shopping first. The only down side to the whole weekend was that it rain the whole time. Coming back the trunk was crammed full along with half of the back seat ... and she packed light! We had to cut the shopping trip short since the car was full already. Lady is ready to go and anxiously awaits the day we leave. Though the grandkids will be missed ... we will have a blast and enjoy every minute of the trip. I wish a couple of my friends would be able to make it to Vegas for a visit but it seems doubtful.

Peanut and AJ are now in their own room downstairs. Wild Mom was happy to have somewhere to sleep other than the futon in the living room. Today, she even bought a small lamp so she could lay there and read at night. No change for #1 or #2 ... the job market is so quiet I even wonder if it exists. Since we were out of town last weekend we did not see Lew or Lil Princess. But we will get to see them this Saturday before we leave. I did manage to get a dress for Lil Princess and I will post pictures soon. Starr is still enjoying her job and has even managed to squeeze in a move to a new apartment. Wonders will never cease to happen ... I wonder what will happen when she turns 30? A pink dress with lace ruffles?

The bowling season is over for the leagues. The youth team finished in second losing the title by one pin. Ever doubt that one (1) pin counts? The adult team finished in the middle of the pack above .500. So that was good though it gives us room to improve next year. I did manage to get my goal on Sunday by rolling a 619 in the morning and a 655 that evening. The last series gave me enough pins to get my average to 185 for the year. A far cry from the 169 two years ago. I am hoping the slump is over and I can get back to where I belong ... in the mid 190's.

Work is the same ... a big pain. One project ends and they drop another one with a even shorter deadline. It is amazing how with just a couple of days left till we leave and the number of people that call me for computer work. It never fails. 5 people called me yesterday and today. Some of them I haven't heard from in almost a year. It is almost like the computers know my time is limited and take advantage of it.

I will post about our trip ... so stay tuned. Who knows, maybe even a few pictures.

Time gets Shorter ....

Well, I guess spring has finally arrived ... so it is time to put up the jacket and get the shorts out. The worst thought is that the grass will start growing and before long the dreaded mower will have to come out and a weekly chore starts up once again. One more week of Bowling left and our Sunday's will be free for a about 10 weeks. The Youth team is in first place and the Sunday Night team is in the middle of the pack. Wild Mom should be starting her journey here sometime this week. We are supposed to pick her up in Pigeon Forge next Saturday. Peanut is happy as her new room is about done. Once the paint dries she can put the furniture together and set the room up. That also means AJ has a new are to explore and make his mark. Then we will have a few days to get the old room done and ready for Wild Mom. Lady is ready for the road trip about as much as I am. It is nice just to get away for a bit from the drama of normal everyday life. #1 and #2 are still waiting for the job fairy to visit. Lew and Lil Princess spent the weekend with us and we were in constant motion. We will miss them while we are gone ... but not enough to take them with us! Starr is doing well just working and getting healed up. We are proud she is hanging in there though the job is not the ideal one ... but it is a job and a paycheck.

I haven't drank any caffeine for two weeks and surprisingly I didn't have any withdrawal problems. especially considering how much tea and coffee I drink on a daily basis. I imagine my mood changed some ... but I am so lovable in the first place.

Only two weeks before we head for Las Vegas. I am looking forward to the drive out there and seeing the countryside once again. The last time we made that trip was 1990. Gee, have we been in Virginia that long? 19 years? Good thing I am ageless or I would feel old.

By time Obama undoes everything Bush did, we will be back to the Clinton Years. I said a small prayer today when Obama said that programs would be judged on their scientific value and not on their moral value. Why do we try so hard to destroy our values and play God our self? They also said the number of Christians are decreasing and the number of people believing in an unspecified higher power is increasing. Are we forcing History to repeat itself?

Brrrrrr

Well, it is snowing and everything is white. We got abut 6" of the white stuff. The rest of the week will be cold (below freezing). The weekend was busy on Saturday as we cleaned and moved boxes around. Wild Mom arrives in about 12 days, will life ever be the same? Last week included a funeral for a lady at our church. Normie will be missed, especially I will miss her since she made a wicked BBQ sandwich. Lately the Church has kept me busy. One Sunday morning the Pastor had some business and was late getting back to the servive and I filled in until he returned. Then on Ash Wednesday, the funeral caused a conflict and I stepped in and conducted the service. This is a major change from past Pastor's and their not letting the Lay leader assist. Bowling is almost done. The Adult league has 2 weeks left and we are in the middle of the pack. So finishing much higher won't yeild anything more than we will get now. There is always next year. The Youth league has 3 weeks to go and we are in first. So we have our work cut out on that league. This youth teams seems to click a lot better than the recent past ones. As I said Wild Mom will be here soon in preparation of our trip to Las Vegas. We will head west about the 23rd of March. Lady is also getting pumped to go since she missed the last couple of trips because of work. #1 has had a couple of interviews and is still waiting to hear back. #2, well, he is still alive and not working. Peanut keeps trudging to work though some days are harder than the others. AJ is growing and is on the verge of walking. lately he has been side tracked with his climbing. He is climbing on everything whether it was meant to be climbed on or not. The sofa has a constant stack of pillows across the front of it as he loves to climb up there. Lew and Lil Princess continue to give us laughs and tears. These times make us laugh but sometimes the constant use of "no" dampens the enthusiasm. No new words from Star since her job started. She must really be working hard and making a lot of money. Maybe we should move down there and let her support us. Our cruisin buddies have a new car --- 2006 Cadillac DTS. Sure is a nice car but I am partial to mine.

Work is the same. It has slacked off some but dealing with certain people is a major league pain. Maybe one day the petty wars will subside and everyone just do their job like they should. Cheng and I are trying to get back to our 8 hour days but haven't been too successful so far.

Well, the stock market continues to sink lower and wipe out most of many Americans retirement plans. When will all this throwing of money about ever start showing some ability to stabilize the economy. Maybe he should listen to the Citizens who helped him get there and do what we think will work.