Food For Thought

Subject: DEPT. OF ENERGY

Does anybody out there have any memory of the reason given for the establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ... during the Carter Administration?

• Anybody?
• Anything?
• No?
• Didn't think so !
  

Bottom line ... we've spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency ... the reason for which not one person who reads this can remember.

Ready??????? It was very simple ... and at the time everybody thought it very appropriate...

The 'Department of Energy' was instituted on 08-04-1977 ... TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

Hey, pretty efficient, huh?????

And now 32 years later ... the Budget for this "Necessary" Department is at 24.2 Billion dollars a year.

For that amount we get:

• 16,000 Federal Employees
• and approximately 100,000 Contract Employees

AND LOOK AT THE JOB IT HAS DONE!

• Gas Companies making Billion dollar Quarterly Profits.
• Gas Prices averaging $2.60 per gallon for Regular Unleaded.
• Automobiles and Trucks that suck the gas up with amazing fuel efficiency of 15 mile per gallon.
• Plans for High Effiency Nuclear Power Plants that still sit on the drawing table.
• Millions of gallons of unrefined oil waiting to be drilled for in the Continetal US.
  

>>> THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD
AND SAY "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" <<<

Ah, yes, good ole bureaucracy ... And NOW we are going to turn the Banking System, Health Care & the Auto Industry over to them?

A Child's Prayer

Dear God,

Please send clothes for all those poor ladies in Daddy's computer.

Amen.

A Friend Returns Home

Sorry for the long time between posts ... Verizon managed to cut my cable for the Internet and it took COMCAST 5 days to repair it. The more I deal with any large corporation the more messed up they seem to be. All is well around the homestead except for it being so cool. We had frost last night (May right?) It has been fun the last few days not having cable or Internet, reminds me of the 60's though the kids didn't like it. I did manage to read a book, "The Shack" by William P. Young. It is well worth reading in my humble opinion. I am still puzzling over some of the things that were said, even after finishing it. Perhaps shortly I will blog about it some. A friend wants to sit down and discuss it, so that should prove most interesting. Last week, I learned a friend died on May 10th. He and I had bowled together for some 22+ years. I met him every year at the National Tournament. I will miss him and the times we shared letting the bowling lanes beat us up. The funny thing is we have now lost a bowling team member every year for the last three years. Is God telling me something?

Vincent Russell
September 01, 1932 - May 10, 2009

Wild Mom is getting nearer her deadline as the weekend grows closer. Now we just have to get her to slow down and just let things happen. Lady is getting ready for her birthday weekend coming up. I am still not sure what we will be doing but we will do something. No change in the job status for #1, #2, or Peanut. Good thing the unemployment is only 4% here ... if it was higher like most other places there would be a chance they would become permanent (for life) guests. The grandkids are a source of many laughs and chuckles. They each try an out do each other. AJ will stand in front of the TV and dance. Nothing is too sacred to not climb on. Lil Princess remains the center of attention and demands such. Lew is independent and acts like it. The similarities between him and #1 are uncanny and too numerous to count. Starr is still modeling and enjoying it. I think the telemarketing shine has worn off and it has revealed it self as the pain it really is. Peanut is consumed with "mommy duties", though she has managed to do some cooking. Believe it or not, but she is good. --- DISCLAIMER for my safety ... Lady is still my favorite cook. ---

Youth bowling has started and will run for 14 weeks. The season looks bright and full of optimism and hopefully one that is successful. The adult league will start the last weekend in August.

Work is the same and no one changes. We do manage to escape to WAMD to work. That gives us a 4+ hour window to recover and experience the real world. Don't they teach you virus scans and hard drive scans take time? Noting is instantaneous, well, except for their questions on why "MY System is broke."

What is it about Washington Sports ... the teams always seem to lose in the most ugly manner? Their skill level makes you wonder if they ever finished Junior Varsity sports.

Mothers Day 09

It was a great day. Lady had all three grand kids (Lew, Lil Princess, and AJ) go to Church with her. That was an adventure in itself. Lew managed to get a good shiner when Lil Princess hit him with her head. All three of them got some good time swinging on the swing set while Lady counted the morning offering. Then #1, Peanut, and #2 prepared dinner for her. It turned out very good though #1 kept worrying about it. Lady was very happy at the whole day. Even Starr was able to get through on the phone and talk with her. I had a great day because Lady was happy. Plus #1 managed to get the whole yard cut so the weeds aren't higher than the basement windows.

Wild Mom had a good day that included going out to eat. I sure missed having her around but I know she enjoyed being with her friends after her long vacation.

Thanks for the Great Memories

The weekend finally arrived. Our Bible Study group started a new course of study just doing Bible questions. The kicker is that we just can't give the answer ... we have to give the verse to support your answer. That makes it a little tougher. Of course you have a week to do 20 questions and you can use any resource you like. Friday Night was Chili Dogs and Brats at our friends house. Instead of dropping $125 eating out we made sandwich's and watched a movie, "License to Wed", all for less than $20 bucks. Eating out is nice but we would rather save the movie for the cruise which is 7 months away.

To Wild Mom, Lady, and Peanut ... I hope your Mother's Day is the best. I love you all and wish I could do more for you. Maybe one day I will be able to give you everything you want, until then I give you my heart and love.

Wild Mom is doing well and getting things done for the Reception. That is scheduled for the weekend of the 23-24 May. We haven't decided about going yet especially since it is Lady's birthday. Lady is fine and losing weight. Her and Peanut are losing weight using different programs but talk about it a lot. I just hope they both don't put a bikini on and ask me who is doing better. That would be a kiss of death for me. Peanut is fine and relieved that AJ is doing so well. The Cardiologist says every thing is good and he will not have too go back in. AJ is really active now and very opinionated. Chairs are not for sitting but standing up in, especially rocking chairs like the one he got for his 1st birthday.

#1 and #2 are pretty much the same ... still unemployed. #1 did do the yard work this weekend and I am very happy about that. Lil Princess and Lew aren't here yet since Lady and Peanut went to the Sister's In Christ banquet together. Too bad the other two couldn't find time. Last year when all three went Lady was unbelievably happy. Starr has an excuse and we love her just the same. Starr is doing well and working at her new job. I think Dave works their too. Hopefully they don't sneak off to the janitors closet too much and put smiles on their faces.

Work is the same. Cheng does his best to make it nice but the Stupid one's we can't fix seem to get more radical and father from reality. Thanks Cheng for doing it right.

We are trying to plan several things for the summer:

• A trip to Indiana so see Lady's parents.
• A weekend at the Cheat River Lodge in West Virginia. It has been a while since the last one.
• A weekend on ChincoTeague Island.
• A weekend in Florida for the Reception in May.

I got my first pay statement where they took less tax withholding out. Yes, it is nice to have the extra dollars but that means my tax bill will be larger next year. They don't mention that I will have about $1900 more to pay since they withheld less. Thanks Obama for the secret wedgie.

I see the Media must have been paid off since the gas prices have been creeping up (now at $2.17) and they haven't said one word about it. Last time they were screaming all the time. I guess Exxon's 400 Billion profit wasn't enough ... they need more to fund the exorbitant bonuses for the Executives.

Way to Go Manny ... you have been busted! You would have thought when the heat was turned up only a fool would test the waters ... oops ... you are the fool!

No Pollen!

Well, the week is coming to an end. It seems the days just fly by. AJ continues to get stronger and seems to do anything he feels like ... climbing, jumping or walking. He celebrated his first birthday on Tuesday and as usual destroyed a teddy bear cake made just for him. Wild Mom is doing well and getting ready for the wedding party to be held later in May. Her camps went well and the woods were left in one piece. Though most of the animals evacuated to safer areas. Peanut is well and looking for a new job. Interviews are coming but nothing yet. #1 and #2 continue to spin their wheels when it comes to interviews. Makes you wonder what is wrong? Starr is working and doing well. She is still recovering from the other week but getting stronger every day. Lew and Lil Princess will possibly be here this weekend, at least we are hoping so. We haven't seen them in almost two weeks and feeling some withdrawal pains. Lady is doing well but asking about a weekend vacation in a month or so. We are still trying to figure out if a trip to Indiana is possible in May. Do you realize we only have about 8 months till the next cruise? Ginger (the cat) passed this week as Age caught up to her. It seems different without her but she is better off and who knows ... maybe someday in the future we will see her again. For now, the memories are rich and many. I wish we had a few pictures of her as reminders. I managed to get the front yard cut but already it is in need of another one. What is the downer is that this is just the start of the growing season. Maybe winter will hurry back and stop the growing.

Work is the same ... busy and steady. Yes, "Can't Fix Stupid" reigns supreme. Now we have a new antenna in Aberdeen MD to get fixed up to our humble standards. We have a satellite feed now from Today's Christian Music (TCM) and I like it. I sure wish the station would put it on the air. It sure makes the time pass and the music isn't half bad. Sure beats what we have on the station on the weekends.

Anyone tired of Hockey Playoffs, Basketball Playoffs and the NFL Draft? I am. I am surprised there isn't any other sports news to focus on.

My rating of Obama's first 100 days --- "C" though I do give him an "A" on Personality. It is amazing how the Democrats with no plan or good ideas can win you over with words and personality while the Republicans have a solid plan but are inept at selling the idea to you.

Easter Pics

Lil Princess

Lew

Who can avoid saying yes to either of these kids?

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?

###########

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.