Tuesday, October 31, 2006

OK, who spilled the beans!




Your Love Style is Agape



You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner.

Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare.

You are willing to sacrfice your world for your sweetie.

Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you.

For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Chug - Chug - Pop

Well, is it Summer yet? Maybe if the seasons jumped ahead it would be more fun. I wonder how someone with absolutely no concept of operating a computer would want one. The Radio America Network rebuild continues to get delayed by some really dumb service calls.

"My firefox doesn't work ... you need to reinstall it!" "Excuse me; you never had it installed according to the computer." Oh! that’s right. I was thinking of my home computer!"

"You have to find my XYZ folder in my email program for it has important files!" "I found it ... in your trash folder." "Gee, how did it get there? Did the Server crash and move the folder?"

"Where are you [8:00 am] .. Are you coming in?" "I sent you an email yesterday saying I would be out!" "Ok, but let me know when you are out!" 5 hours later .. "I found your email from Thursday .. It was hiding in my inbox."

"I am sending 50 pages to the printer .. and they won't print. I checked the printer and it was on." "Ok, try it now, I refilled the paper tray!"

"My monitor must be broke, so can I get a new one?" "What is wrong?" "It blanks out after about a minute and I have to slap the side of it to get it back on, must be a bad wire!" "Ok, reset your screen saver from 1 minute to 30 minutes."

So you can now get a brief taste of what my life goes through several hours a day. And actually, some of these same things occur at the other work site. The best is "My email is broke." from what I see it hasn't been checked since May. For some of these Einstein’s, a frontal lobotomy would be humane.

Wild Mom: Continues to get ready for the Family party. Lots of house cleaning and remodeling. Hope I recognize the place.

Lady: Continues to work and work. Lots of stuff to do. Soon she will start delegating things to the Kids and help them burn the calories off from all the junk food they eat.

#1: First day of work had 18" of snow. Gee, if he worked here that wouldn't have happened. Oh well, such are the adventures of life.

#2: The application got half filled out. Playing those games sure limit you time to live and advance yourself in the world. Perhaps he should get a job testing the new games. But that would be too much like work and the fun would be gone.

Star: Still recouping from the wedding. Working on "Thank You's" and getting all the paperwork straightened out. Married at home and a Manager at work in the same month ... go girl!

Princess: Things seem to settling into a pattern. School, School, School, School, School, Fire Dept., Work, Fire Dept. And add in the flurry of emotion as she explains it all inside of 5 minutes as she gets ready for bed. What will happen when Mr. Right shows up? The earth will rock as the human dynamo stops.

Brother #1: Health wise not good. Still a long way to go. The full extent will be known when Wild Mom gets over there.

Brother #2: I guess from the little birdie, things aren't perfect and many issues need to be resolved.

Sister: Hmmm, what can you say about someone so together and in control. :)

Utah Scene: No new news. Guess the snow storm downed the internet and phone lines.

Now I am too tired to comment on the rest of the world.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Crickets? What Crickets!

I thought I might scramble a few thoughts on this hump day. Not much has changed on the work scene. There is enough to keep me busy until the Redskins have a playoff bound team. The new backup data server is turning into a real pain trying to get a stable operating and file system on it. I am on my 6th install and each time it comes up differently. Oh well, what else did I have to do anyways.

Wild Mom: She is just planning away for the Family Christmas party in November. Looks like we will be able to even squeeze in one night at the farmer's Opry. I guess the next question is "who will pay for it?"

Lady: Slowly recovering from the wedding. But it will take a while because so much was let go during that time. But she is good at finding plenty of "honey-do's" to occupy my time.

#1: He finally landed a job in Colorado. So I guess everything is slowly coming together for him. Lady and I sure hope so for his sake.

#2: Still unemployed. There are a few BLANK job applications laying on the table, so I guess when the Blue Moon rises he will fill them out and perhaps gets hired before hell freezes over. Only time will tell.

Star: haven't heard much from her. I guess her new hubby is either testing the limits of her endurance or teaching her the art of finishing the course.

Princess: Don't get to see her much between my stuff and her school and EMT stuff. The main evidence she has been there is the pile of pudding cups. Yes, she has new new uniform and boots. She has been on two calls at the station and come back pumped up ... sure wish she was that excited about school.

Brother #1: No new information. But I know he is figuring out how to deal with Wild Mom when she gets there. There was something about a trip to Germany to visit some relative. At least it will be after Octoberfest and she shouldn't get into too much trouble.

Brother #2: Nothing new. Wild Mom is planning to spend a few days there when she passes through on the way to England.

Sister: Just helping Wild Mom pack to come up here. Gee, I wonder if there is an ulterior motive? Hmmmm!

The Utah Scene: All is quiet on the Mormon Front.

***** Side Thoughts *****

Yesterday on the local news, the weather man started off by telling us about our "deep freeze and how it would be over in a few days." Someone please refresh my memory but isn't a freezing temperature considered to be anything below 32 degrees? I looked at my car temperature guage and it said 52 degrees. Are they spoiled? What will happen when it really freezes?

Don't you just love them Redskins ... errr ... deadskins? The fans are blaming the Quarterback and the coach is saying it is his fault. The bottom line appears to be the whole team is a loser. That many over-priced prima-donnas just can't be a team in a team sport. I see this as very similar to the so-called super star olympic basketball team -- they can't play together. You can even throw in our World Cup team into this group and even add our illustrious Ryder Cup team. It seems we do great in places one person can dominate but when it comes to team play we find a way to lose badly.

Monday, October 23, 2006

A Father's Memories and Prayer

Today my little girl, well, grown daughter to be exact entered the next phase of her life. One where I step aside for a young man to become the focus of her attention. The four hour drive home gave me a lot of time to reflect on the days events and to remember my little girl's life with us. It was amazing how the on-coming headlights kept blurring up my vision and forcing me to rub my eyes.

I thought of that young lady who came to us with so many issues. No child should ever have that much turmoil in their life. A child should be smothered in love and protected not used as a pawn to soothe someone's bruised ego. Those first few weeks required us to empty all our love out to her. But amazingly we recovered quickly and were ready for the next day. Even then we saw a beautiful young lady .. the same one who was so stunning on her wedding day.

She came in like a mini tornado and it didn't take long for her to draw us in and draw all our love for her. Now, I wish we could have had her in our life sooner. For what we have experienced and felt could have been even better. She was in many ways like the energizer bunny. Everything seemed to accelerate and move at a faster pace with her around. Life with her was like a mystery novel, we never knew what would come next. Those hugs and little but constant "I love you's" changed the dynamics of our life. She perfected those little coy looks and protests of "please". Yes, she probably had me wrapped around her finger ... but who could resist her smile and pleading. I sure couldn't.

I remember that first prom. From the hair disaster just days before the prom to the young lady that walked into the living room that night looking so grown-upand lady-like. From her arrival in our life looking all tattered and hurt to the sophisticated lady waiting for her escort, I now realize that sight was just a precursor to what she would look like on October 20, 2006.

Many times I wondered if she would ever pick a winner for a boyfriend. In reality, they weren't that bad but they weren't what a father had in mind for his little girl. She deserved only the best and that quality was hard to see in some of them. But she chose the best one when it counted --- Keith. I have been impressed since I first met him. But you know, she chose him and showed me my little girl had heard a little bit of what I had said as she grew up.

The trials and tribulations of school really tried the bonds between us. It was easy to tell us what we wanted to hear but the reality of the words never matured. But even though we seldom saw eye to eye, she got a raw deal when the school quit on her and her dream of a Diploma vanished when they asked her to leave. I believe you should never give up on a child, love them and support them and you will be rewarded. I hold my daughter up that way … love her and support her and she became a beautiful bride. But this spring when she crossed the stage and received her diploma I was proud as I could be. All those words I had spoken to what I thought was a wall at that time really had taken hold and she did it on her own. My little girl was becoming a woman with a dream.

I think of the many hair colors, the black, blue, purple, green, red and those colors that were mutations of the others when the dyes didn't go right. I laugh now at the thought that every time she dyed her hair we had to repaint the bath room. Those black/blue/red/green polka dots really gave it character. But they were her attempts to define herself. This weekend her hair was beautiful and not a hint of those dyes. My little girl had finally defined who she was and I was so proud.

In her other attempt to define herself, we struggled with her tattoos and many piercings as it was so different for us but she respected our feelings and really tried to tone it down when she was around us.

My little girl is now a grown lady and someone I am proud to call my daughter. I will miss the times she needed me to be her shining Knight for now I must step aside for her new hero. My job is now complete and I am proud of the results. I had the perfect canvas to work with, a beautiful, smart and energetic woman and I thank God he entrusted me with the task and the responsibility for his most precious creation. I wish I could have had more time but I will cherish every moment I did have. I know she is still here and I will be a part of her life forever but life has changed as it is God’s will and I take on my new role as mentor and future Grandfather.

Jessi – I love you and pray for your happiness and success and wouldn’t trade these memories for all the wealth in the world.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Wedding Bells

Thursday was a long day with the drive down there followed by the last of the decorating, the reherasal and the dinner afterwards. I am glad this isn't an every day affair for I would be drained both physically and emotionally. The bed that night was most welcome to my aching bones.

The wedding on Friday was everything we hoped for ... it was beautiful yet tiring with so many things to do. From my point of view everything went as planned. The bride was stunning. There wasn't anything else that could have been done to improve how she looked.

Saturday was equally busy as we started the day getting Matthew back to the airport for his flight home. Then it was off to the Maryland Rennaisance Faire. Once again the weather was great and the events at the faire were great. We laughed, were amazed and saw many new sights. Some were worth seeing and others we could have done without. The down side was the 75 minutes it took to get out of the parking lot ... anyone say I-66 at rush hour?

Wild Mom - she is back from her camping expedition. She had a great time and managed to leave the countryside in one piece. Now it is time to plan the Family Christmas party and her trip to England.

Lady - she is exhausted and emotionally drained after the last 6 days. She was gorgeous and radiant throughout the wedding and managed to keep the tears under control. One of her highlights was dancing with her two sons, of course I sneaked a couple of dances in for myself.

#1 - back in Denver and hopefully the job interview went well on Saturday afternoon. He was his usual self so the Denver air hadn't had an effect on him yet.

#2 - Pitched in this weekend and made a difference.

Star - what can I say. She was absolutely beautiful.

Princess - Beautiful and eclipsed only by the bride. That old saying "she cleans up pretty good" would be a massive understatement. They way she looked was nothing short of "heartbreaker" and those young bucks at the wedding were mesmerized. I kept my eye on her during the dances and reminded the young bucks to keep the distance during the dance. I guess I should be happy she has no desire to dress up every day or I would be an exhausted old man with absolutely no hair trying to keep her safe from the millions of young bucks that would come to the house. I guess the grungy look has some advantages. :)

Brother #1 - the word is his eyesight is in jeopardy and may not get any better. His kidney's are still a source of worry to. The jury is still out on his job and his recovery is far from being finished.

Brother #2 - he is ok and I presume to take it that his family is ok also.

Sister - just getting ready for the next cruise -- anyone say "addicted?"

Utah Scene - no updates.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Cut the Drama for once!

Well, another week comes to a close and as usual it didn't lack for excitement. I never seemed to get caught up at work as all the brush fires kept me away from putting out the main fire. With nearly 10 1/2 months of the year gone it is time to start thinking about taxes. Where did this year go? How can I slow them down because I don't have that many left to just let slip away. Oh well, just make the best of it and grab what I can. ... slap! ... oops.

17-20 Oct - Wedding Bells in South Boston Va.
21 Oct - Ren Faire
14-20 Oct - Family Christmas Party in Florida
?? Nov - Act 2 of the Drama "Life at the Davis Compound" staring Billy Joe Jim Bob Davis

Wild Mom - away at camp so the Telephone Company is going through lay-offs resulting from the loss of capital. There was a report of some mysterious human form terrorizing the woods of Northwest Florida but Wild Mom denies any knowledge. That was after I reminded her to scrape the mud from her shoes and remove the twigs from her hair as not to get the inside of her tent dirty.

Lady - busy as usual but getting tired of the 40 hour weeks. She leaves Tuesday to go down and help Jessi get the final things ready for the wedding ... gee, 1 week to go.

#1 - No words from the land of snow and bunnies. Either he has found work and is too busy or he has run out of money and can't find a free long distance phone.

#2 - Unemployed once again. Enough said.

Lew - such a gang-buster. He loves the rocking horse and we love the fact the sound box on it died!

Star - Busy, nervous, busy, nervous as she gets ready for the big day. Gee, eloping sure looks better all the time. Finding rooms for the guests are complicated by the NASCAR race nearby this weekend. Why can't they postpone the race for a week and make our life easier? What is more important -- a wedding or those midfield antics where a race springs up?

Princess - Not much to say since she is usually in bed shortly after I get home. School comes early. By the time I get home and eat my microwave hot dinner she is snoring away in tune with the stereo. Have you ever heard anyone snore in time with rap?

#1 Brother - No updates because he is getting ready for Wild Mom to invade England and also she is away camping.

#2 Brother - Need to call him and find out how his world is spinning ... Wild Mom's directions .. and who argues with the BigFoot of NW Florida.

Sister - Not a clue ...

Utah scene - No words from Mormonville but we will hopefully see them in November when they return home from their trek across America.

********** SOAP BOX **********

Let me see, the Democrats want to know when and how much the Republicans knew of the Perverts actions and then to run them out of Congress. That is such a close knit group I would ask when and how much did the Democrats know and elect not to say anything about until it was a political advantage too? Do the pages only talk to the Republicans? No Democratic page knew of what was happening and decided not to say anything? I am sure if you look hard enough you will fine Mr. Pervert had democratic friends even though now they are hiding back in their closets.

I keep hearing how the majority party hasn't done its job so we should vote them out. Well, there are two parties in Congress and no one has done anything about Medicare, Social Security, the Budget, Giving a definition to "Marriage", or the Immigration Issue from South of the Border. So fire the whole lot of these Congress persons, both Republican and Democrat for not doing their job. We all know after the Iraqi war is finished they will appoint a hundred or so Investigative Committees to point the finger ... so let's join forces now, get the job done, and then play the blame game when American Troop's lives aren't on the line. But then again, these Congress persons are safe in their padded offices with their pages at their beck and call and besides there are more important things like ... Photo Ops and investigating drug usage in Baseball.

I heard one person ask what could be done to make schools safe again like it was for our parents. Well, for starters:

1. Allow corporal punishment and put the teachers back in charge of their classes. Make school a place of learning not a day care center for babysitting.
2. Put prayer back in school.
3. Teach them the 10 Commandments and how that affects the Laws of the land.
4. Teach them Citizenship and how to be a good neighbor instead of website design and Homosexual History.
5. Teach them Responsibility for their actions and hold them accountable instead of coping out and blaming so called abusive authority figures and the "Environment I grew up in made me do it". Quit letting excuses be the plea for avoiding personal responsibility.
6. Make a Human life worth something by stopping the killing of innocent unborn children. When someone takes a life ... refer back to #3.
7. Get rid of Liberal Judges that think they know more than what the voters want. If we vote for a law .. then don't change it. This is America and the place where the majority rules ... right ... or did I get kidnapped and hauled away to some island in never-never land. 1 hand-picked judge (buddy of an elected person) should not be allowed to throw out what 100,000 people wanted and legally voted for.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

The Weekend is Over?

Sniff ... the weekend is over and I am not ready for it to end. While it was fun this weekend, I wish it had been quieter and more of a laid back time. I am leaning strongly to make a few serious changes around the first of the year. I would like to have my personal time back and quit this run ... run ... run thing. Bowling was a positive experience this weekend with the Youth team going 4-0 this afternoon and the Sunday Night league went 7-0. Saturday we got the HD stuff setup on the new TV and the ball games sure look nice.

Wild Mom - getting ready for her Camp time and planning her trip to England. Health wise she is still getting that all straightened out. Looks like we will be down there in November and she will come back with us and then leave for England from here.

Lady - went to South Boston to see Jessi and pick up Princess's bridesmaid dress. Though it was a long trip she did have fun. Working 40 hours for her is wearing very thin and not much fun. Maybe we will just pull the plug and retire.

#1 - settling in to life in Colorado Springs. Hopefully he will find a job soon and get his life on track.

#2 - also tiring a bit of the working hours ... welcome to the world ... you only have about 45 more years to go until you retire.

Princess - The source of the wildness this weekend. Five 16-17 year olds had a sleep over on Friday night. Life will never be the same for me ... I can still hear the giggles and squeals in my ears. They were a lot of fun to listen to as they chatted. Sometimes I really had to bite my lip to keep from laughing but it was informative as to their logic and impressions of life.

Lew - Three years old now. Chucky Cheese was the party scene. Of course, the presents keep rolling in with the new hobby horse being the biggest. Oh, and plenty of puzzles to solve. He and I walked around the mall Saturday afternoon and that was an adventure. We couldn't pass a merry-go-round without at least a couple of rides. Add some food and we had an adventure.

Brother #1 - Kidney problems and the full extent of the problems are still being evaluated by the doctor. Any trip to visit Wild Mom will have to wait until 2007.

Brother #2 - No news is good news I guess.

Utah Scene - well, they are heading back to Florida to live. I guess life in mormonville just didn't pan out. Probably not enough Ren faires .. since those would be considered demonic. The journey continues ...

Monday, October 02, 2006

Chomp - Chomp

Well, this past weekend was quiet and relaxing and well worth the wait. The cabin was nice and the fireplaces and the hot tub added a great touch to make it seem cozy and warm. We did exactly what we wanted .. nothing. No TV, news, computers or traffic, all we did was relax, talk, read, and soak in the hot tub even while it rained, rode through the mountains and forests and generally forgot about the world. The dinner Saturday night at the Inn was great and something we will do again. I managed this weekend to read "The Copper Scroll" by Joel Rosenberg. It was good and makes me think of the end time and what could happen. For the most part everyone managed to do just what they wanted.

Though the weekend will generate memories, the start of the week brings frustration and the start of a "screw it attitude." Trying to be highly motivated is getting harder and harder when the ones that are supposed to know better keep getting air bubbles in their brains. Even when you work hard and help them they very quickly forget you were even there until reminded at some later time. I guess I should just start saying "no" more often. Perhaps implement a ratio of 35 No's for every Yes. January 1st looks better and better if I can put up with it that long.

Lady - all relaxed and ready for the job wars again.

Wild Mom - nothing new to report or at least nothing has been reported to the police to get back to me.

#1 - arrived in Colorado on Sunday night. The trip was uneventful just long. To bad the Jaguars lost to the Deadskins. Maybe should become a Bronco, Rockies and Nuggets fan.

#2 - Still working. Just needs to understand you can spend a dollar only once then you must get another one. Debit cards will mess you up when it comes to tracking those elusive bucks.

Star - not a good Sunday for her but we gave her a lot of virtual hugs and will make them real in a couple of weeks when she gets married. Hmmm, will that make her an old married lady? Hmmm.

Princess - the tattoo wars start again ... now it is 3 shooting stars streaking across some unmentionable place where only her and her maker should see. That is if she wears clothes that cover more than 20% of her body. School is proceeding in a satisfactory manner or at least we haven't got a phone call from the front office. Now I just need to get her to Ft. Belvoir to get some paper work down. I would have expected more of a push from her to do it since it means ... getting out of school.

Lew - he is fixing to be 3 years old ... can you imagine?

#1 Brother, #2 Brother, #1 Sister and the Utah Scene will be updated later when I hear of anything.

##########

Thank God the Baseball season is over with. No more Juicer Bonds to hear about. Though "Arrested" would be a good word.

The Nationals finished last despite Frank Robinson's best effort to motivate them. Now the owner will work his magic and set up the team for another year at the bottom. You would think a man so smart to make that much money wouldn't be so clueless in everything Baseball or be a better pick of people to help him. Thanks Frank Robinson ... you are a class act.

Gee, another Congressman who is corrupt or sexually depraved. For a group of men who are supposed to represent the best we have ... they sure find ways to be more evil than the convicts in the Federal prisons. Could we say going to prison is a step up the promotion ladder for a Congressman? Maybe Teddy (The Dunker) Kennedy can give lessons on how to get caught and get away with the crime and still appear honorable. For a group of "leaders" that can't do their job ... no budget, no social security reform, no Medicare reform, a war with no real direction, no legislation on same sex marriages, no guidance on abortion ... these people sure make up for it in graft, crime, bribery, alcohol, sex, and immorality. They will fight over the littlest attempt to change our path back to where it should be. I agree that it is time to clean house and try to reverse this downhill slide in morals and integrity. Let this be the year of "No Incumbents."

Monday, September 25, 2006

Hmmm

Well, another week starts and the wedding gets ever closer. So I will sit here with one eye on the ball game and jot down a few thoughts. On the work scene, the new job closed on a new location and it looks like April 1st is the move in date. Go figure, it conflicts with my National Bowling trip. But they all ready know which one gets the priority. Train Ride to Reno anyone? The old job is proceeding great though little headaches crop up on a regular basis. This weekend is our planned retreat to a mountain cabin where we went last year for a great time with friends. Hmmmm. Weekend bowling went ok .. it could have been better but we did have some fun.

Lady - shopping trip success as she purchased a dress and 2 pant suits. Let the modeling begin. Like me, she is looking forward to this coming weekend.

Wild Mom - doing fine. She is waiting for the test results and follow-up discussions with the doctors.

#1 - looks like this weekend is moving day as he heads for Colorado. Lots to do to get ready.

#2 - haven't seen a lot of him as he works and spends time with his friends. Wonder when the "I want to drive" questions will start?

Star - she was up here this past weekend as a good friend died in an automobile accident here last Sunday night. She also had to deal with her grandmother in Arizona passing away on the same day. So we tried to smother her with love and I drove her home on Saturday. I had to get back for El Agave! :) Of course she returned with more wedding goodies ... gee less than a month to go. But it was nice to have her here a few days. BTW - I got everything for my uniform so I can do what she wants for the wedding.

Princess - where do I start? Let me see, she ate, slept, and worked. Add some friends, a box of pudding cups, a 24 pack of soda and she is in heaven. Oh, the court papers with signatures finally showed up and made it legal. Now she can't escape .. She is stuck with us forever. Almost a month now and the car is still in one piece.

Brother #1 - add on kidney problems to the list.

Brother #2 - No words as he get another year older.

Utah Scene - must be ok as no news is good news.

############################################

How sad ... there is a Crescent Badge that Muslims can wear on the Air Force uniform. When will I get to wear a United Methodist badge on my uniform? The more I see the more I believe that our greatest enemy isn't in front of us ... the enemy is inside. The bleeding hearts will give everything we have away ... with no fight. They have fought to keep religion out of everything but now they let our enemies advertise and flaunt their religion in front of us. What is next? We all wear Middle Eastern head gear as a sign of support and surrender? We have suspended the immigration laws because we don't have the will to uphold and enforce the laws ... so now let our uniform make a religious statement. Shame on the Military leaders that allowed this.

I am glad the Baseball season has nearly come to the end. I have managed to not watch any games while Juicer Bonds continues to break honestly set records by great athletes.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Scooby Doo

Well, another week has passed and the end of the week was great. We spent all day Saturday with Jessi just chillin out. We were able to watch her pose for her bridal portraits. Two things came to mind as we watched her. First, how PREPPIE she looked. That is quite a change from the old Jessi we know. She was beautiful with only a small distraction of the sports socks with her wedding shoes. Secondly, we were amazed how well she listened and followed directions. I find that a novel concept from her. Really, spending my birthday with her was special and a day I won't forget for a long time, if ever at all.
We also saw her graduation pictures and gee, am I the handsome one? She did take some pictures while we were down there, so maybe I can get a copy and put them up here. That is the good ones I approve of!

Schedule:
Cheat River getaway (Sept 30)
Jessi's Wedding (Oct 20)
Ren Faire (Oct ??)
Family Christmas party in Florida (Nov 16)
Time to plan a cruise (Soon)

Lady - Bought her a sparkly dress so she could slink along the aisle and sparkle as she wiggles. Gee, the image of a bull in a china shop comes to mind ... it is like waving a red flag in front of my eyes.

Wild Mom - she is back to driving herself and the tests continue. Hopefully they will find out what is wrong with her. My bet is on old age and early onset geezerhooditis. :)

#1 - Still in the holding pattern for the exodus to Colorado. If they wait long enough they can do it in the snow.

#2 - not much to say excepts he works and clean the food out of the fridge by eating everything not marked or sealed up with a lock.

Star - Love you and thanks for a great day. Can we do it again?

Princess - School, Homework, Study. Hopefully this week they will finalize the guardianship since the Judge forgot to do it on the 1st of August. Gee, you know that leaves me a few days to change my mind!! Hmmmm. No, I am willing to stick it out for a long time. Though she needs to practice her wrestling style. She has won as many bedtime wrestling matches as the Redskins have won football games. For the un-informed -- 0-2-0. Gee, add in preseason and it grows to 0-6-0!! Oh, back to Princess. I need to teach her how to guard the front door so those wild and vicious kittens don't run into the house. I should point out that the baseball l bat beside the door makes a good kitten stopper except for the thud sound. Perhaps I should change her name from Princess to Puddin ... she eats that stuff by the case, particularly the chocolate variety.

Lew - he is almost 3 and parroting everything he hears. We haven't seen him a lot as our schedule has been so crazy.

Brother #1 - Nothing new.

Brother #2 - Still waiting for a return call.

Sister #1 - Is she home yet? Perhaps her getaway was so good they never came back.

Utah scene - maybe they have converted and away on mission!!

Monday, September 11, 2006

Whoosh!

Let me see. It is a new week and I don't see much change. First I was asked how the network rebuild was coming along. I replied, “Slow since I have to deal with all these printer issues. I was then told to prioritize and get the network done while the printers limped along in second place especially since they had been messing up for 2 years. Ten minutes later, I hear an anguish cry from the end of the hall about how I MUST get the printers fixed since he couldn’t print something he wanted.

We are now back into full swing on the bowling scene. The youth league is a short one ... 13 weeks ... but should be a lot of fun. I am a little disappointed in the turn out for it but all I can do is make it that much more fun for those that did turn out. It looks like every team has at least one good bowler and we don't have any three adult/1 child teams. Sunday night is going true to form, we sink to the bottom and then about mid-November we start our climb back into contention. Don't know why this happens but it has for most of the last 14 years of bowling on that league.

Wild Mom - she has tests this week on Tuesday and Thursday. I hope they get the electrodes hooked up right or she might look like the Bride of Frankenstein after they zap her. She is having a fence put up to keep that canine killer called Bubbles from terrorizing all the poor kittens nesting under her shed.

Lady - fighting off a sore back. I think a new BBQ grill and bathroom would make her feel better. She is starting to plan and scheme over our retreat to Cheat River on the 29th of September.

#1 - Getting close though the exact date is unknown. It was nice to see that he admires me so much he cut all his hair off to be just like me. :)

#2 - Gee, work doesn't seem as much even fun though payday is. I enjoy reminding him he has 40-50 more years to go. The next major milestone is getting his learners permit to be closely followed with a license.

Star - Will I get lucky and see her this weekend? Sure hope so. I wonder how many stares she would get if I walked behind her jingling my pocket change to make people think her piercing were making the noise. Of course I would be very discreet and not let anyone know I did it!

Princess - The drama play was interesting but the ending lacked something. The funny thing about a carnival is that I don't like roller coaster rides. So don't try and pull me into a waiting car. The first week of school is done and I believe all went well the first few days. The weekend job continues (for reasons I don't completely understand) but it is her choice so I have to accept it or risk the fury of Lady. Saturday had some crisis concerning hair color and after a phone call and an appointment on Sunday afternoon she is now a blonde again. Gee, I like having very short hair, there is a lot to be said for wash and wear.

#1 Brother - still recovering but no real update.

#2 Bother - School, work and a baby. Not sure what he does with all his free time.

Sister - on a trip somewhere having fun.

Utah scene - all is happy in LDS land.


No comment on the Curly W’s or the Deadskins …. 

I have a chance to go see the orioles and twins play … could it be worthwhile?

Thursday, September 07, 2006

10, 9, 8, ... Blast Off

Well, it has been a few days since my last entry. If this week keeps going like it has then my working days will come to an end very quickly. It isn’t worth the frustration and crap and they surely don’t pay me enough to deal with it. Today has been nothing but printer and mail problems and most of then have been “operator error”. Before complaining to me ... make sure the blinkin thing is turned on, or push the “send/receive” button to get your mail. If there is a problem and I am sitting at my desk, don’t call someone else at home about the problem. Get your hind end up, walk to my office, call me on my cell, or just call me on the office phone. Jeesh. There have been a few moments when I was this close --> <-- to pulling the plug and heading for the pasture. After almost a year, you would expect a few people would know when my work shift is? I love the phone call that starts with, “Hi, are you coming to work today?” This was at 8:30 am and my shift doesn’t start till 1:00 pm. Or the “The printer has been broke all day, I send it a job this morning and I MUST get the job printed soon.” Forget the fact you send an 11x14 document to the 8x10 tray and the printer was paused waiting for you to put the right paper in.

Then there are those that try and fix a computer and they don’t have the foggiest clue what they are doing. Such as “does it matter whether the hard drive or the floppy drive is the master?” “Where do I plug the cable to in order to make the hard drive the master?” “What jumpers (master/slave), you move the cable, I know that much.” “Do you have a new cable, this one is bad … one wire is discolored (the red edge signifying pin 1) and will probably short the drive out.” My fun meter has been dropping quicker than the fuel needle in a 69 Mach 1 Mustang with the gas pedal on the floor board.

Well, so much for my typical day this week at work. Even at home it continues and with half grown adult kids you would think the simplest thing could get done. Such as turn out the lights and lock the door when you go to bed. Even after I turn them off they come back on and no one did it. Poltergeist? I wake up for who knows what reason and every light is on in the kitchen, living room, hallway and the outside floods. Maybe I live in a prison compound and we need the lights to control the inmates! I surely can see it in the electric bill and the electric company employees love it at bonus time. Forget the trash being emptied every night … let’s feed the ants a midnight snack, for they have plenty of light to see what they are doing.

Maybe one day I can afford a motorized garbage can … because this manual one I have never makes it to the curb for pickup. The kitchen table is a bonanza for the sorting freaks of the world. The mail gets placed there, it is read and then put back into the pile, then add the next days and it starts over. I must sort it into piles 4 times a week only to see it all mixed up again. It must be either too heavy, junk, or too much of a mental challenge to put it away. Then they have the stomach to complain about it getting wet when the cat knocks over the half empty glass of whatever. It also amazes me how we can have 6 cases of canned soda, 2 pictures of tea and I go get a drink and there is NO Tea. My how every one disclaims drinking it as evidenced by the number of empty cans that were unable to be put into the recycle bin for the non-existent trip to the curb. I must be blinded by the light and didn’t see them, who knows.

The list goes on but I will remain civil, keep this PG and not really say what is wrong! Besides, I need to get busy and work to pay the electric bill.

Lady – getting tired also but she is smiling as she has a new futon and is eyeing a new grill now. Is this the start of the puppy, hamster, and car cycle in its new form?

Wild Mom – initial word on the MRI isn’t encouraging but it is best to wait until the doctor reviews it and decides what is next. She sold a purse from her web site, the sad part is someone lost their Christmas gift from her now that it has sold.

#1 – leaves in about 2 weeks. Retraction from last post … he doesn’t sit around playing games all the time as I stated. Just 4-6 hours a day or when ever I see him … which ever comes first.

#2 – still working and gone the rest of the time.

Star – miss you and hope to see you soon.

Princess – School is priority 1.

No updates from Brother #1, Brother #2, Sister #1 or the Utah Scene.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Oliver T. Shagnasty

This has been an interesting week. Quite exciting for the work but quite tiring on the old body. Job #2 is a lot of fun with some of the management decisions made at Job #1 really suck in my opinion. But then again I don’t have the power to change them so I just have to grin and bear it. But believe me; their armor is a bit more tarnished. Lady and Princess went to Lynchburg to shop with Star. Sure wish I could have gone and saw my #1 daughter but someone had to work to pay for that shopping trip.

Lady - Busy, Busy, Busy. Got her dress for Star's wedding but still needs shoes. We both are looking forward to our little excursion to Cheat River the end of this month.

Wild Mom - She is whacking all those poor pine trees down as a precaution before they fall on the house during the next big storm. She goes to the doctor next week for a series of tests. She could just pay me the dollars and I would tell her what is wrong with her. :) !!!

#1 - still waiting. Now that his friend's mom is doing better they might make some plans. I wish I could sit there all day and play video games but then again ... that would be pretty boring.

#2 - Still working and getting use to the routine. Eat, sleep, goof off and then work.

Star - Miss you young lady, I wanted to go but had to stay behind. You continue to make us proud and only want the absolute best for you. Besides, I need to get to the base and get my uniform ordered and all the stuff put on it. How special are you? I will wait and tell you in person ... words won't convey how much.

Princess - Seeing how she likes tattoos’ perhaps I can help her out and accomplish something at the same time. I will have them tattoo "School is #1 Priority" on the inside of her eye lids so she can be reminded all night long. We could tattoo "Be a kid, stop working" on her forehead so she could read it as she puts her makeup on as she prepares for work. You lose the ability to effectively whine and complain if you put aside or nit picks any suggestions. Do we love her? Absolutely. Do we agree on some of her choices? Nope. Only a few days until school starts!!! :)

Lew - Growing though we haven't seen him a lot lately. We really have to watch what we saw because he is going through a phase of saying anything he hears, no matter how appropriate it is for the moment or location.

#1 Brother - not much to report. Rehab, discussions with his employer about the future, and life in general.

#2 Brother - leave it at "No Comment."

Utah Scene - No reports, so we assume the best and hope for the best.

Looks Like A Match

You Are 37% Impulsive

You're a pretty stable and serious person. You don't take things lightly.
This doesn't mean you can't have fun - you just have fun responsibly.
You definitely have a spontaneous side, but you only let loose when it's appropriate.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Short Two

The first night of bowling went very well. No one embarrassed themselves and we had dessert at Applebee’s afterwards as a reward for being so good. The wedding was nice on Saturday and we even managed to get Mexican Food later on.

Work continues to be interesting but I believe some major changes are in the making. Lady and I had a quiet discussion while we were riding to and from the wedding on Saturday. It comes down to priorities and right now our sequence is a little fowled up. Maybe I should just retire and let the world pass on by. Taking a quick look, I could do it as soon as Thanksgiving, and absolutely by the New Year.

Not much on the family scene that is nothing I want to get into right now. I wanted to call Jessi after watching the wedding as it made me think of her. Sometimes you just want to box the kid’s ears since obviously they don't listen to an adult. Or is it just too easy to blow you off? Oh well, it gives the opportunity to blow off steam and dance around the room in a frenzied manner. Maybe I can even remember a few dirty 4 letter words and pepper the speech with them. :)

School Days just keep marching closer ... Oh the sweet sound of the march.

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Hmmm, I guess the Press is sucking egg off their face with the announcement that Karr's DNA isn't a match. He may just be nothing more than a publicity hound and set the press up with hardly any effort at all. Those news hounds sucked up the bait faster than my dog eats a piece of meat. Too bad they give the "REAL JOURNALISTS" a bad name. It seems that getting the scoop first and then analyzing it to ad nauseum is their way of padding the ratings and their pocket books.

I am saddened to hear the Phonak team has disbanded as a result of Landis's scandal. Right or wrong he has taken a good bunch of riders down. It would be nice to know the "Real Story."

Hail to the DEADSKIN's

Saturday, August 26, 2006

A Short One

Well, it is Saturday morning and the end of another week. Will someone stop the treadmill and let us off? We have a wedding to go to today and that should take up most of the midday. No Mexican food but Wedding cake instead. Sunday evening is the start of a new bowling season. Half the fun of the first night is seeing who the new people are, but amazingly we only have about a 20% turnover.

School starts soon!!!!!

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I guess Nagin has botched things so bad in New Orleans he has to deflect the heat to himself by referring to where the World Trade Center once stood as "a hole in the ground." From where I stand, a mark of a great leader is the ability during adversity is to get the job done (rebuild New Orleans) in spite of the failure of others (La State and US Govt.). Instead of taking charge he plays a game of blame and "it is not my fault."

Please, quit talking about Captain Highpants (Karr) twice in every news segment. He doesn't deserve the recognition.

I just wonder when we will take Terrorism seriously and our Politicians quit playing party politics and do what is right for the United States of America? Those fanatical clerics in Iran are telling us they will do everything they can to destroy the United Sates, not to mention Israel. They are close to making their promise good. Time after time they preach our destruction and we stand by doing nothing because the Democrats and Republicans are arguing over how to get votes. They fail to realize if they blow this the donkey and elephant will be extinct and they will have to work for a living once again.

All is quiet on the steroid world. This is how they succeed, be silent and sneak past us. Juicer Bonds will get the title by sneaking up on it while MLB sticks its head in the mud at home plate.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Excusssssse me!

Wow, has it been that long since I wrote anything? I must be getting old ... Time is flying by as the jobs are keeping me moving. It is nice to have control and rebuild a network the way I think it should be built. I have no one to blame if it goes haywire and doesn't do what it should. I do miss having my free time but the $$ are nice.

Wild Mom - is doing fine but we have to figure out what is causing her dizzy spells. Could it be Beer? Too much Perfume? Old Age? A new Boy Friend? or simply high on life? Time will tell as she is being tested by her doctor. Pssst .... Bigger Needle!!

#1 - No change. Still in a holding pattern as to the exact day he will leave.

#2 - Still working and learning about life. It is tough learning to deal with customer issues even if you are right and they are wrong.

Jessi - sure would be nice to see her. I miss her piercings and all. She is investigating an offer to get into management with Pizza Hut. From where she was to being the Boss. Wow! Keep it up Jessi ... I like being proud of my daughter and being able to brag about her.

Lew - Buy the kid his own cup of ice cream and what does he do? Let it melt as he mooches sips of my milkshake. Grrrr.

Princess - Where does one start. We are finally getting the court paperwork so we do our legal stuff for her ID card and health care. She loves sucker bets. She bet me her room would be clean yesterday (Wednesday) ... it is Thursday and guess what? Her nice clean car lasted almost two weeks ... maybe I should get her a trunk monkey to clean it up? Life is good and she is a joy to have around. Though sometimes a roll of duct tape would come in handy. EMT training is now back on the front burner but school is still #1 in my book. Driving the car while text messaging and looking at guy's bums is a great way to have a bad day and least from the perspective of her new car!

Brother #1 - No new words lately.

Utah Scene - No words from there either ... but seeing how they are way out west ... Customs takes a while to clear the Postman and the quarantine time for his horse slows the mail way down.

##### ##### #####

Man, I am already fed up and tired of the Karr crap hogging the news time. Back off News Service, they haven't even charged him yet because they haven't determined if they have a case and you are already shade tree lawyering him. We went through this 10 years ago. Give us a break.

If Virginia Police want to enforce Aggressive Driving .... Then watch the Taxi drivers ... they are horrible and completely disregard the rules if they think they can get away with it (i.e. no policeman around to see). I laughed the other day as a Taxi stopped for a red light, waited a few minutes and then run it when no cross traffic was coming .. Only to go two blocks and go to a 7-11 to get a Big Gulp. I tried to speak to one the other day when he nearly ran me over in a crosswalk while I had the walk signal. That was fruitless as he couldn't speak English and obviously didn't know the friggin road rules. He must be driving on his Bombay license. And the examples go on ... and on ... and on!

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Saturday Night Alive

Let me see. Lady's computer died (Hard Drive) and I am sitting here watching the new one as it setups. I pulled one out of my bag of many Computers and wouldn't you know it, it had bad memory. So now I am running memory tests and they are boring. So, I will try and write a few lines while the test runs.

In the Future:
Ren Faire - Sept.
Cheat River overnight - Sept.
Maxx’s Baptism - Sept.
Someone’s Wedding - Oct.
Family Christmas party - Nov.

Lady - is fine just working and trying to keep up with Lou this weekend. I wonder who will win that race. She still hasn’t parked the new car long enough for me to drive it. I suspect when it needs gas I will get a chance to drive it and to pay for the gas.

Wild Mom - she is doing fine. A little frustrated trying to get some carpentry work done and no one will take the job unless they are overcharging her. Patient waiting is the key. I haven’t got any money from her so I guess the Internet sales are a little off.

#1 - still waiting to head for Colorado. His day is mainly playing some Football Coach video game. I never cease to amaze me who someone can sit and play a game so long. Oh well, at this point he won’t change so no since fretting over it.

#2 - is working and getting a taste of the working world. He sounds like he is enjoying it but at times it does get frustrating. Especially when a customer makes a scene over being shorted 1 cent. He quickly agreed to give the dork a penny but the man wanted to make a scene. A five-finger sandwich in the mouth would have been the better pay-off.

Jessi - Went dress shopping for the bridesmaids this week and we haven’t heard anything yet. I suppose she is too busy cruising South Boston with her new convertible and checking the guys out. She has potentially found a caterer and the price is reasonable. Looking at pictures this week of our last visit to her and Keith’s apartment made me really miss her and brought back some major memories of how much fun that day was. Could be roll the clock back to 2003 and start over?

Princess - work, driving the car and being with friends is about all I can say. I know she has been a faithful visitor to the County Fair.

My thoughts - Her schedule is opposite of our schedule and we don’t see her much. Kind of like providing a motel for her and the only way we know she was here was the dirty bathroom. I guess she is planning to work both jobs (so I have been told by others) and that will definitely keep our paths on opposite tracks. I guess the sad part is the plans and hope that get side tracked because we never see her except in passing. I believe this is a result of past baggage where everyone wanted her to work all the time to keep her out of his or her hair. We are different and want her here, part of the family and involved in creating those memories that will last forever. Working all the time leaves you tired and with no memories. Maybe I am getting old but I think the family is more important. I just wonder?.

Brother #1 - Still basically blind but he can make out forms. The brain is basically dead where the blood clot was and his brain will have to reroute the signals. That is the unknown for it could take 1 day, 1 year, or never. He is talking of coming over here to see Wild Mom. No details yet but shortly there will be.

Utah scene - no new news. They are both working and looking forward to pay raises when they finish the training period.

Time to take Lou for some ice cream and fun!

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Shazam

Let me see, it has been a few days since I wrote anything. The job at radio America continues. I have never seen a network so hosed up. About all I can do is start over and do it right this time. Other than that everything is going well. A few things I wish for but as usual I wait.

Lady just returned from a weekend get-away with her best friend. You would expect two ladies of considerable experience to know not to get sunburned. But they did and yes they are paying the price. The good thing is that when we go to Cheat River in late September the odds of sunburn are less though the odds of snow and ice are greater.

Wild Mom - finally has her web page up. Can you believe she won't share the profits with me .. her poor son who slaved over getting it done? Sniff. Here is the URL for her site if you care to browse it.

http://knight.blackhawke.net/~kraftyme/

#1 - working odd jobs and getting ready to head west. I hope he stays away from Brokeback Mountain; the water does funny things to you. He loves having his car back. Can you believe he washed it but didn't offer to wash my car?

#2 - is into his second week of working. So far so good. The Davis Taxi service is doing well that is when he uses it. Never call someone to take you to work when that person has a major problem getting there themselves.

Jessi - what can I say? She is special. Our visit last week was great and worth doing again soon. She has a new car now. I believe it is a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron convertible. I will have to make sure I wear a hat so my hair won't blind us when I ride in it next time. The wedding draws ever closer and the nerves get more on edge. Keith is blowing his off in the Kingdom of Loathing. :)

Princess - were does one start? She is putting the miles on the new car and Exxon loves it. Her hamster would have more play room but they brought the last of her stuff over and her room is packed with boxes not to mention our family room. She still works at Glory Days :( but fewer days. She found out last night the County Fair is an expensive place for what you get. That is why we do the Ren Faire in a few weeks. But she is a kid and the barf-mobile rides excite her as she is squashed against the side of the car. Less than a month to school ... snicker ... snicker. Her first bowling league is over with and she did very well. She listened to me as much as she listens to me in real life.

From the Utah scene comes word there will be a new arrival in April. Congrats!! By the way if you are born in Utah does that automatically make you a Mormon and for baby gifts you send black pants, white shirts and a bicycle?

Brother #1 – still has a long way to go. He can see but everything is basically a blur. His heart test showed no clots just that it was enlarged. Time will tell.

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I hope Floyd Landis can explain his actions but deep down inside I feel his desire to win was greater than his integrity would bear. If he did have abnormally high levels, why didn't he ever test positive before and have that issue settled before the Great race? It makes you wonder what sports record you can trust as being "honestly achieved?"

That disgraced Congresswoman ... what can you say. She assaulted a police officer then played the racist card and now that she LOST the election she is spouting off again. Come on lady, the people voted and they said they wanted a person with integrity and a small amount of honesty. The electronic ballots didn't decide to make you lose ... you mouth punched one too many racist comments and people remembered.

Israel should have never stopped. When they smashed Hezbollah against the Iranian border they would have fled Lebanon and left the Country to grow right. I still vote to turn Syria and Iran into a big sheet of glass before they try it on us. And if they timed the strike to when a few liberal bleeding heart democrats fact finding tours were there that would be icing on the cake.