What's Next?

After milling around trying to think of something to write about, I decided that I would write up a list, not a list of resolutions, Per Se, more like goals.

Are those the same things?

Anyway, I thought I would list some goals of mine for the next year, and beyond. Now, hopefully some of them don't take until beyond, but you never know.

1. - Read Moby Dick, I got this inspiration from Holly the Anglophile Football Fanatic. It figures I would pick this novel, right? But I hear it's pretty good.

2. - Write everyday. In fact, I'm going to try and do the whole Blog365 thing again. Hopefully I won't get really, really sick again. Let's put it this way, all I needed was the dirt.

3. - Try to be more social network savvy. That means Twitter, and Plurk, Facebook and Stumble Upon - sorry no links, too tired, or lazy, you pick your own word.

Hey lookit that - It's 2009 on the east coast, so my time is running out - or maybe I'll have a list of three. :)

Naw.

4. - Exercise, no seriously, I need to exercise. No excuses. None. Nada. Zip.

5. - Eat better, kind of goes along with number four, don't you think.

6. - Be less critical of teen aged boys, well it's worth a shot, right.

7. - Read more, maybe even a classic a month - now that would be some fun!

Okay, it has become resolutions after all that hard work and thought to avoid it. Hmmm.

8. - Get my own dot com, just because it's the thing to do.

9. - Get myself a customized website, or at least improve upon this one.

Cool, this Doctor Who episode reminds me of Lifeboat, that classic Alfred Hitchcock film that takes a good look into humanity and how it deals with stress. If you haven't seen it, you should. In fact...

10. - Watch Lifeboat(1944), it's a classic. Or you could always watch this Doctor Who episode from Series four called Midnight. It's freaking brilliant! Trust me on this one.

Okay, twenty-eight minutes until a new year, and eight hours until Mass.

11. - Should be number one, Pray more, and go to adoration.

12. - Get Jessie's room finished, well started and then finished.

Okay, that's a start, so now I must go pop the champagne and watch Dick Clark bring in the New Year, oh wait, he already did that. I get the local people that seem to have been tipping the ole eggnog themselves, if you know what I mean.

Happy New Year everyone!! I look forward to seeing you all succeed and ave your dreams fulfilled in 2009. Okay, that might have been a bit thick, I think. :)

See ya next year!!

2008 A Remembrance

Here's a quiz that I saw at Beth's site. How well do you remember?

You Remember 90% of 2008

You were paying attention during 2008. And you remember what happened really well. You'll be able to talk about 2008 for years to come... Even when most people have forgotten what went down.

How Much Do You Remember 2008?

A Little Review

I stole this from Krissa at Halfasstic.com, because I enjoyed it so much, and I'm scrambling to say something witty and important before the end of the year, in an hour and forty-five minutes. No panic, really.

Merry Christmas!!

Welcome to my most favorite, and least favorite, day of the year.

It's my most favorite because of all the goodwill toward mankind stuff, and the whole Christmas season that never ends stuff (I mean there were Christmas decorations on sale in September for crying out loud). Then there is my favorite - watching the kids open all their stuff with wide eyes and big smiles, ever so excited that they are getting presents. It's really a great time to be alive, and to have kids.

Then...

You realize that besides college bowl season, and if you are lucky you NFL team will make it into the playoffs (GO BRONCOS!), there really is nothing, I mean NOTHING going for January or February even. Granted, if we lived in a state where we could go skiing every weekend, it might not be so bad. But we do not. In fact, we live in probably one of the flattest states in the entire country, Nope, no skiing there. I'm not complaining, really, I mean we did choose to live here and we all love it, with the exception of January and February (for me).

Then you start looking at the kids, twenty minutes or so, after they opened their gifts, and - you know what happens those of you with children old enough to express it - you hear, "I'm bored." Without fail. It must be the nature of children, I remember doing the same thing, especially if I got nothing but socks and underwear for gifts. I really didn't like Santa much that year, but still like buying socks and underwear for some reason.

Oh and one more thing, cover your eyes there southerners. It gets really COLD. I mean this past week was bad, I'll give you that. But it was only for a couple of days. Here, at least for the past seventeen years that I have lived here, it gets really really cold for one week straight, usually in January but it has been available for our enjoyment in February. We are talking the temperature never, never ever, rises above ZERO. And there is the wind, as well. Maybe I should plan my next trip to Disney for mid-January, it has low crowds (a plus), cheaper rates (a nice incentive), and I believe you need your air conditioning still, and can go swimming as well.

Oh well, that bad stuff hasn't hit yet, and I have taken my 'Happy Pills,' so I should be good.

Just so I don't look like a total jerk of a Father, my oldest turned eighteen, yes that is a one followed by an eight, two days ago. I was going to embarrass him with a really long sappy post, but figured that since he is a man now he might not appreciate it as much. Besides he doesn't even read this. :)

However, in case he does, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY!! Keep up the good work and please don't frequent the hookah bars too much, it bothers your mother and I. Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should. We still love you though.

Okay, my eyes are getting heavy and I may soon start to write incoherently - I'm impressed that I spelled that right at three in the morning. Crap, the kids will be up soon, I better get to bed.

Merry Christmas to all, and may God Bless You!

Guess What?

Some of you have inquiring minds, and well I need to let you all know something.

I am a big fan of Dr. Who.

Yes, I know you probably figured this one out already, especially if you follow me on Twitter. Heck, if I could find the time to Plurk again, you'd probably hear about it there as well.

Funny thing though, no one has asked me about that. Can you believe it?

Michelle at My Two Army Brats asked about homeschooling, and yes we do. If you have any questions, I can point you in the right direction. :) Seriously though, if I can help I will and I know some very smart people that do home school and are quite good at it.

However, I think there was something else on your minds. Let me think about this.

Oh, I know, you want to know how our trip to Disney went. Excellent - and I think I shall talk about that later, I promise. I just have to take care of a few other things, like...

We are expecting number seven!

Yea!

Now what we have to do is figure out a name for our new blessing. There are conditions, of course, and we already kind of have an idea. You see, we have three boys and three girls, the boys names begin with the letters A, B, and D; while the girls names begin with J, K, and M. See the pattern?

Another thing we have going for the kids is that their nicknames, end in a 'y' sound; Andrew is Andy, Benjamin is Benjy, and Daniel is Danny with the girls it's Jessica is Jessie, Kaitlynn is Katie and Margaret is Maggie. Notice the other pattern? The boys nicknames all end with a 'Y,' and the girls end in 'IE.'

So new names like Roger or Rhonda will not work, I mean Roggy and Rhondie, I think not! Besides how does 'R' fit in the original pattern? So, what have we here is a minor yet still joyous problem. I mean is there a name for number seven? If it's a boy, do we go with a name that begins with an 'E' and if it's a girl do we go with the letter 'N?'

Then there are the middle names, I mean they have to flow properly right? We have also used up all the grandparents, so we are truly breaking new ground here. Okay, that's not true because some of the kids names have nothing to do with grandparents, so I just led you down a path of reading a senseless paragraph. Sorry.

We're liking Abigail for a girl and Joseph for a boy, which actually works well with all the above conditions; it fits the pattern and would set up any future children names (you never know what God has in store for you, remember?) because it resets the with either an 'A' or a 'J' and Abigail can become Abbie while Joseph would be Joey.

I guess we do have it all figured out then. :)

Too Cool For School

All you need is a little bit of time, and this is what you can get...






h/t Deacon Greg

Blago -- Really!!

Not a fan of SNL, but I thought this was pretty funny. Oh, and I am so NOT from Illinois anymore -- Really!

Working My Way Back To Reality

Bummer.

Vacation is over - well except for the drive home (currently we are between Atlanta and Chattanooga, in case you are keeping track).

Nine days of magic over in a flash.

Although some time seemed to last forever - when someone had a blow up (me, or the kids), those are never fun. You know the fatigue-driven moments of high anxiety and whatever. All I have to say is I wish those dang cups were a little more sturdy.

Other times it seemed to go by too fast - Mickey's Very Merry, and in this case Very Crowded, Christmas Party. Who knew that EVERYONE would want to go on a Tuesday night. For the record, our night was the only one that was sold out while we were there.

Then we received the sobering news about a friend of ours son getting killed in a car accident. He was seventeen. No one should have to ever bury their kids, and I can only pray for him and his family.

My daily blog bursts from Disney never happened, mostly because of crappy Internet access, and partly because of, well, fatigue. :) They'll be coming soon though, maybe even all on the same day.

Yeah right.

Okay, signal is weakening, so I must depart. Bye-bye, for now.

Any Guesses?

As to what may be wrong with this picture?

Plumb Tuckered Out

Or something like that. :)

Because I Don't Want To Forget

Me, Andy Benjy and Dominic all went to the ESPN Zone for a very late dinner tonight.

Okay, I went because I am an adult and one child wanted to see the Bears-Saints game. The other two just tagged along for fun, or something like that.

Anyway, I stood in line for over an hour and a half to get in to see two football teams, that I care nothing for, playing in a state that I really don't want to claim anymore thanks to some moronic governor.

You read that right, an hour and a half. And no, I did not vote for the moron, sorry.

To eat dinner.

At 10:30PM. At least that is what time it was when we finally got our food, maybe it was 10:15 but it really didn't matter because, well Benjy was able to shake the hand, not once but twice, of his favorite college football player - Graham Harrell (quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders). The child rattles off stats for Harrell all the time and talks about how he got screwed in the Heisman voting (I agree completely with him there). So he is sitting just over there (three tables away) with his parents when I tell him. I think that he was still in a texting zone with Rene because he kind of mumbled something. After about the third time we mention it, he finally realizes what we are all talking about.

Andy goes and shakes Harrell's hand and tells him that he got screwed with the Heisman, and Benjy just sits there. To Benjy's credit though, he didn't want to bother Graham Harrell, so kudos to the kid for having some manners, right? Benjy did, eventually, finally go talk to him for a little bit - dragging me along for the ride.

To answer your question... No, I didn't have my camera. Figured I wouldn't need it at a restaurant, guessed I learned that lesson. :)

After meeting his favorite player (college), Benjy then, texts Rene. Hey the boy still has his priorities - cute blond girl versus a college football player. He is fourteen, remember.

Anyway, the Saints take the lead in the football game, and then let Chicago tie it up. I'm ready to go, since Jenni wants to be at the Magic Kingdom, when they open at 9AM, but my Bears fan, Andy, wants to stay.

UGH!

Turns out to have been a good thing though, because Benjy gets to meet Mike Leech, head coach of Texas Tech AND Jim McMahon, AND Fred Bilentikoff (he's a Raider so I don't care if his name is spelled wrong. :) ), and a few other famous, to some, football players and coaches. I guess staying for the rest of the game worked out after all.

Oh, and the Bears won; 24-21.

Best of plans...

So, I had this grand vision of posting a daily blog of our trip to Walt Disney World...

Guess what? It didn't happen. I am currently sitting in the resort watching the rain come pouring from the sky, listening to some Disney movie (Cheeteah Girls 2), watching the two youngest run around between the two rooms, Jenni sleep, Andy is frantically searching for his Cubs hat, Benjy and Dominic are playing football - at the beach, I did mention that it was pouring rain, right?

Whew. How's that for an update.

I would show you some photos, but... the USB cable that I brought along for the ride, is the WRONG USB cable. Yikes!

I am capable of uploading from the camera phone, but...

as you can see, the quality is, eh.

But it's still "magical."

More later, the rain is stopping and we have places to go. :)

Btavia, IL 5 - Orlando, FL 80

Daddy thanks for the pretzels AND the sun! Oh and the heat as well. :)



Do you think that they think we made the right choice? My three youngest enjoying a Wetzler's Pretzel in the glorious warm sunshine. :)

Okay, no more rubbing it in, just thought I would throw up a quick picture from my cell phone. More from the cameras, as soon as I find my USB cable (here cable, cable, cable).

Cruising on I-65

A new first for Roger and you all are witnessing it, first hand.

Pretty exciting, isn't it?

I am live blogging my trip to Disney World!!

Okay, that would be insanely boring, plus knowing how my head works, it would probably be pretty incriminating as well. :)

I will tell you though, at this moment we are two miles from the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Oh, and I'm not driving. :) Just thought I would make that clear.

Highlights so far:

Andy drove for 42 miles and then quit under the pressure of two crazy parental units. Sorry, but I was getting seasick in my car.

Interesting - my air card just crapped out. How is this going to work?

Oh and we're in Tennessee now.

Things overheard in the car,

"Why can't I lick your face, Dominick?"

Apparently the boys were playing a game that involved face-licking, on the Nintendo DS. Don't ask, as I have NO idea!

"I got a go Mom" and "I got a go Dad" So far Danny is doing EXCELLENT!! No accidents, and aside from the time when he refused to go number two again and again, all is good. Did I mention no accidents?

Wow! It is freaking dark out here - really dark, and I still don't have any service. I better save this work of art or, there will be nothing, because I can't repeat myself, don't ya know.

I have reconnected, but we'll see if it... Yes! We're back and cooking with gas!

So far the weather has been great as have the kids, and Jenni even just gave me a hard time about "rambling on my blog" she probably wants me to rest for my shift, or something.

Oh well, that's the update and now I must lay my computer to sleep, or at least plug it in.

See you from Disney, or the road again - who knows.

Holy Backup, Batman!

Why?

Why did I give this post a title like that? I mean, I'm not even a fan. Yet there it is, in my title no less. Now I have to have something about vigilante-ism, or whatever. Although I do look slimmer in black.

Oh well, as you can see and may have seen in the past - especially any long time readers, my mind like to do this to me and then I have to follow up with some fabulous words and knowledge and well I really don't know.

All I do know id that this post will have nothing to do with any sort of toilet backups. I promise.

Some of you may be aware that I am heading out on a trip, so now is your chance to stop by and pickup some snow from my driveway. Bet you thought I was going somewhere else with that, didn't you? I am serious though, especially since it is supposed to snow about every other day that we are gone. (no I do not have some crazy looking smirk on my face right now - I'm outwardly giggling)

Okay, it's like 18 degrees outside, I think it is time to head south.

Now.


P.S. - The backup refers to my Google Reader and all of your wonderful posts that will be unread, by me, until I am no longer mobile - unless I get a signal while Jenni is driving, of course. :)

Tootles.

What Time Is It?

Summertime!

How is that possible in December, you ask?

High School Musical 2, that's how.

Let me explain.

This is the latest fascination by one of my children, even though they call it "Musical 3!"

Yesterday, my first day of my official work stoppage (figures that I didn't post anything, right?), and that is what I had the 'pleasure' of viewing.

I had the pleasure of viewing this Disney masterpiece not once.

Not twice.

Nope, not even three times.

We are talking FIVE times! Yes five, the number after four and before six! Almost one time per child. I think that if Andy wasn't working, it would have been on for number six.

Okay, that's probably not true, because while Andy does enjoy the movie (I think), even he wouldn't sit down and watch it FIVE times!

I should also mention that I did not actually sit through this all five times, I mean I have a Dr. Who marathon that is keeping me up late, and two little monsters (Danny and Maggie) that are getting me up early. They must not have received the memo about my work stoppage.

Back to the latest and greatest fascination with High School Musical 2, extended version by the way. Which means it has an extra song, yea!

Now Roger you are babbling and not saying much... How has HSM2 fascinated one of your children?

I will elaborate ...

In my house, if you walk into a room and say "What time is it?" you will not get a simple "It's Nine o'clock Dad." No, that would be too easy. Instead you get "It's summertime!" Which is, you guessed it, a line in the movie.

Cute, isn't it?

Yeah, it is. Then you get more like this, I can say "I want more," and my child will start to sing the song "Fabulous," or "Get out of the pool," will get the response, "don't get a third."

If you want this child to sit quietly for an hour and a half - good luck! But you can start by putting on HSM2, and get scared by the intensity that this child shows when these images are being broadcast from the DVD player to the television. I mean I hope this child pays this close attention to something really important, like a Daddy lecture for instance.

Okay, that IS a pipe dream, I imagine, but I can dream right?

So which child is so taken by HSM2, you ask?

Why Danny, of course! Yes, the two-year old. He cracks us up when he starts reciting lines from the movie, or better yet, breaks into singing one of the songs. It's so cute.

So cute, that I can hardly wait for the twenty hour drive to Disney World.

I mean it is only ten times I have to hear it, right?

Sunday Smorgasbord - Broncos Edition

You know those new Verizon Wireless commercials, with the two ladies talking about a phone and if it was the last one, who would get it? HI-LAR-IOUS!! (in my humble opinion, of course).

Well, Thanksgiving week is over, turkey is all eaten, and all visiting family members are either home, or on their way... No visits to the hospital, no fights among the cousins (except maybe some minor drama between a six and four year old), and no BIG drama among the adults! No we can concentrate on our upcoming trip, you know, the one to Disney World. Maybe you heard me mention it a time or two. Only eighty-seven and a half hours until we leave, as of this exact moment. (It's 5:30PM in case you were wondering).

Crap.

Cutler just threw a stupid interception and now the Jets are driving... Oh, and ANOTHER Broncos defensive player is hurt. Not good. At least San Diego is losing right now as well.

These Sunday Smorgasbords are turning into some live blogging as well. Bonus!

QUESTION TIME

See how I did that? I started a question time section for you... Meaning here are a few questions for you my gentle readers...

1) This one comes courtesy of my French friend Catherine... Better interview (as in whom would you prefer to interview); Barack Obama or Nicholas Sarkozy? - Michelle Obama or Carla Bruni?

2) Pumpkin or Cherry Pie?

3) Any pictures from Disney World you would like me to take? I'll take it for you, if you'd like.

See how painless that was? On to another update from the Broncos-Jets game... two more injured Denver defensive players (I kid you not), ridiculous! But the defense holds and only gives up 3... whew! 27-17 now.

Why is it that my six-year old and my nine-year old want to keep fighting with each other? I mean I'm pretty sure that me and my brother never did that. Must be a girl thing. :) Good thing they are going to get their own rooms early next year. Of course, they'll probably miss each other then. I just hope that they remember to always be there for each other when they grow up, and maybe for me as well.

GIVING YOU THE BIRD (of the week)

Photo Credit

Fourth quarter begins...

And more Broncos are falling by the wayside, what the heck is going on here?


Okay Burger King, I really don't care what people that have never tried a Whopper or a Big Mac think of each sandwich. Sorry, it's just not going to matter to me, or most Americans, in my opinion. I mean most Americans (myself included) shouldn't be eating them anyway, right. Plus, I imagine that they will have chosen the Whopper, considering the commercials are sponsored by Burger King.


Have I mentioned my distaste for commercialism lately? Except maybe them there Verizon commercials...


News of the freakin' insane...


Parents using DNA to find right sport for kids.

BOULDER, Colo. — When Donna Campiglia learned recently that a genetic test might be able to determine which sports suit the talents of her 2 ½-year-old son, Noah, she instantly said, Where can I get it and how much does it cost?

“I could see how some people might think the test would pigeonhole your child into doing fewer sports or being exposed to fewer things, but I still think it’s good to match them with the right activity,” Ms. Campiglia, 36, said as she watched a toddler class at Boulder Indoor Soccer in which Noah struggled to take direction from the coach between juice and potty breaks.
“I think it would prevent a lot of parental frustration,” she said.

I bet she's a transplant from California.

Broncos just got a touch down!!! Cutler to Stokely, for a 36 yard strike... 34-17, AND San Diego lost! Whoop-whoop!

Now Jenni and Benjy are making fun of me. :( I don't think I care at this moment, I mean they know how I am when it comes to the Broncos.

Uh, I'm still going.

Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.

He argues that it pretends to provide stories with a moral message, but has actually helped to create a more materialistic culture.

In a guide to helping people find happiness, the abbot, who starred in the hit-BBC series The Monastery, warns that society is in danger of losing its soul because of growing consumerism and the decline of religion.

He suggests that many people have become obsessed with work, sex and eating in an attempt to ignore their underlying unhappiness, and criticises corporations and industries that have benefited from promoting false notions of fulfilment.

Fr Jamison, who has been tipped as a contender to succeed Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor as the next Archbishop of Westminster, targets the behaviour of Disney in particular, which he says is "a classic example" of how consumerism is being sold as an alternative to finding happiness in traditional morality.

Of course, he next says...


While he acknowledges that Disney stories carry messages showing good triumphing over evil, he argues this is part of a ploy to persuade people that they should buy Disney products in order to be "a good and happy family".

You can read the whole thing at the link.

Well, I have to go and clean the kitchen, and it looks like the Broncos will win!

Welcome to Advent

This is the last official day of NaPraGoMo, although I am wanting to keep doing this in some fashion. My prayer for today is a video message that I saw on my friend Laura's blog, and very appropriate for the season. Enjoy, I think you will.






God Bless!

Happy New (Liturgical) Year

Welcome to the new year, liturgically speaking.

Yes, my friends, it is Advent, the four weeks that we anxiously await the birth of Jesus. You can see that I have added an Advent Wreath at the top, above the Disney Countdown (which will be disappearing soon, as we will be there (Yea!!)), and it will be updated each week (as long as I remember). If you want one, you can head over to the Curt Jester and get the code for yourself (the countdown code as well).

Remember to try and put the CHRIST back in Christmas this season.

Have a great day!

Go Help Feed The Poor!

Hey there!

I have a blog friend that is all about sharing the grub this year, and until a few minutes ago, I didn't realize how I could help and you can too!!

Just go here...

Anglophile Football Fanatic

(UPDATE: For some reason the cool little picture that I had doesn't work, but this link does)

And look around. She's funny and wants to help others, because she's a good Catholic! Well, actually it's because she cares, being Catholic is a bonus. :)

Anyway, go and visit Holly and say Hi! while helping to feed some people that may not be able to help themselves.

Remember we're trying to put the CHRIST back in Christmas!

Maybe This Should Have Been For Black Friday Instead

I think that the crazy people on Long Island should have thought about this yesterday, instead of about their "great" deals that they killed a man over.

God,

I earnestly pray for the right ideal,

for guidance in each questionable situation,

for sanity,

and for the strength to do the right thing.

Amen

It's time, once again, to remind people to put the "Christ" back in Christmas. Christmas is about goodwill and caring for your fellow man, woman and child. Not about getting an Xbox 360 for $40 less than normal, or for some $10 object that you "need" and will only lose or forget about before the turn of the new year. I'm sure that man's family appreciates your "needs" and they will be thinking about them while they bury him.


Peace, please.

Big Bad Black Friday

What the heck is wrong with this country and all that goes into this insanity known as Black Friday? I mean people are getting killed...

...The heavy glass and steel sliding doors were literally knocked off their hinges in the shopper-stampede-to-be-first. Then the wave of humanity caved in on defenseless Wal-Mart workers as they opened early -- 5 a.m. -- for the annual bargain hunting ritual that kicks off the morning after Thanksgiving.

"The crowd pushed so forcefully that they crashed the doors down and one of the workers from Wal-Mart was pushed to the floor as the crowd entered the store, many of them running," said Det. Lt. Michael Fleming of the Nassau County Police Department.

Cell phone video obtained by CBS 2 HD shows Jdimytai Damour, a 34-year-old part-time employee hired as a holiday temp. He was crushed in the onslaught and pronounced dead an hour later. As responding Nassau police and paramedics tried to save him, they were also jostled and pushed to the ground. ...

I'm sorry folks, but you all need to go back to your religious education classes - this is not what Christmas is about.

Good night and rest easy - I know that I will try to.

A Prayer For Black Friday

Okay, take this next prayer in the spirit it is intended...

The Shoppers Prayer

Our cash

Which art on plastic

Hollowed be thy name

Thy Cartier watch

Thy Prada bag

Online

As it is in store

Give us each day our Platinum Visa

And forgive those that stop us spending

And lead us not unto Louis Vuitton

For thine is the Gucci

The Dior and the Armani

For Chanel No.5 and Eternity

AMEX

Happy Black Friday everyone!! May your Door-Busting be grand and your shopping bags full of all your needs and wishes.

Football, Feast, Flood and Fatigue

What a day!

Thanksgiving 2008 will go down as one of the more memorable Thanksgivings, ever! Really, I mean it. At least until next year's festivities, of course.

First up, we had some parade action. We had some sort of parade (not Macy's) in Chicago, of which all I can remember is that it was sponsored by McDonald's. Then came the Macy's Day parade and extravaganza - always cool, and I love them balloons. Then we can't forget all the lip-syncing celebs, even Andy Williams got into the game. Finally Santa made his appearance, and it was time for some FOOTBALL.

Okay, until Detroit wins at least ten games in a season, for a minimum of five seasons, they should be banned from playing on Thanksgiving. Dude, they suck! Sorry, but it's true. It was so bad, that I can't remember the score (44-10, I think). That's okay though, Detroit was in it at the kickoff. Ugh. At least it ended in time for some FOOD!

Great turkey this year, and there was some awesome corn, cranberries, yams (or sweet potatoes), some carrots made with bourbon (YUM!), stuffing, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole (Double Yum!). The food was great, as always (Thanks Mom!). Having all the cousins(on Jenni's side, at least) together was, LOUD. But the kids don't get to see each other that often with us all living in different states, and all, so it's all worth it.

Then there was more FOOTBALL, another freaking blowout, what the heck is up with that... Then came the FLOOD, and we weren't even at my house! In a freak accident, somehow the hose/piping under the kitchen sink decided it would like to cause a wee bit of havoc. Success! Oy, what a mess, but we all pitched in and got the mess cleaned up, and the pipes all fixed in due time. Apparently it had something to do with the hot water being too hot. All I know is that it added a little bit of excitement while coming down from the food coma.

Finally, more FOOTBALL, okay the game was another snoozer and blowout. Benjy was extremely happy though as his Philadelphia Eagles kicked some Arizona Cardinal butt! Alas, it was another blowout, which brought on the FATIGUE from crappy FOOTBALL, and now I need to go and get myself some sleep, because Jenni wants to see all about some sort of door-busting thingamajig. I have no idea what she is talking about, only that we have to leave here around five in the morning.

Wait a minute, 5 AM!!

What the heck is up with that?!

Anybody else participating in this foolishness?

Gotta go hit the pillow now, good night.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Here's a prayer for your Thanksgiving Day. A little something different.

Though our mouths were full of song as the sea,

and our tongues of exultation as the multitude of its waves,

and our lips of praise as the wide-extended firmament;

though our eyes shone with light like the sun and the moon,

and our hands were spread forth like the eagles of heaven,

and our feet were swift as hinds,

we should still be unable to thank thee and bless thy name,

O Lord our God and God of our fathers,

for one thousandth or one ten thousandth part of the bounties which thou has bestowed upon our fathers and upon us.

- from the Hebrew Prayer Book

And a little something more common, I think.

We Give Thanks
Our Father in Heaven,

We give thanks for the pleasure

Of gathering together for this occasion.

We give thanks for this food Prepared by loving hands.

We give thanks for life,

The freedom to enjoy it all

And all other blessings.

As we partake of this food,

We pray for health and strength

To carry on and try to live as You would have us.

This we ask in the name of Christ,

Our Heavenly Father.

- Harry Jewell

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pax

A Meme For Today In One Word

Alrighty then! I'm running on empty here, which means I will FINALLY get to some of these things that I have been tagged about, or to contribute to. First up Colleen's from Mommy Always Wins, and a one word meme. I picked this one because I thought it would be easier (I know, it's cheating but I promise to do the other one later, maybe even this weekend.) Let's see how we do. (I'm betting that one word answers will be VERY HARD for me).



Where is your cell phone? Ledge
Where is your significant other? Party
Your hair color? Brown
Your mother? Unknown
Your father? Ditto
Your favorite thing? Books
Your dream last night? None
Your dream/goal? Published
The room you’re in? Kitchen
Your hobby? Writing
Your fear? Loss
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Published
Where were you last night? Home
What you’re not? Skinny
One of your wish-list items? Indifferent
Where you grew up? Everywhere
Last thing you did? Potty
What are you wearing? Clothes

Your TV? Old

Your pet? Three
Your computer? Insufficient
Your mood? Happy
Missing someone? Jenni
Your car? Mini-Van
Something you’re not wearing? Cologne
Favorite store? Target
Your summer? Short
Love someone? Always
Your favorite color? Green
When is the last time you laughed? Tonight
Last time you cried? Unsure


Wow, I actually did it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away.

Begone Evil Spirits...

O Divine Eternal Father,

in union with your Divine Son and the Holy Spirit,

and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I beg You to destroy the Power of your greatest enemy - the evil spirits.
Cast them into the deepest recesses of hell and chain them there forever!

Take possession of your Kingdom which You have created and which is rightfully yours.
Heavenly Father,

give us the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
I repeat this prayer out of pure love for You

with every beat of my heart

and with every breath I take.

Amen

The Winner Is...

Brooke Burke.

Yes, she is the winner of the latest installment of Dancing With the Stars, or whatever that show is called. Now protocol would suggest that it is all right to post a picture of Ms. Burke, however, this being a family type blog (with a few exceptions), there will be no picture. Sorry fella's, or maybe ladies looking for some style pointers from the attractive former hostess of "Wild On!" At least I think that was what that travel show was called on E!

It almost reads like I kind of have some pop culture in me... don't you believe it. I know nothing!

My older boys were just having some fun with me on Facebook. They are both grounded now. Please don't feel sorry for them, but hey, if you want to see the drama yourself, you can always invite me to be your friend. That didn't sound too pathetic now, did it? That would be Roger Miller in the Chicago network. :)

Turkey day is coming, let the fasting begin.

I just read something about women in France (are you reading Catherine?), and something to do with Saint Catherine and being twenty-five on her feast day. They are called Catherinette's, I think. I found it to be pretty interesting, but apparently not enough to remember the whole thing. :)

Also, who can tell me the great Crusader battle that was won today, a long time ago?

I'll be looking for your friend requests... Okay I'll stop now.

Look Over Me Lord

Make me deserving of the faith that I need to get near you.

Forgive my shortage and light my way to the right path.

Endowed me with the gift of humulity

And courage to confront the tentations of this world.

Please father never live my side

And give me a shield to protect agains envy from others

And my own self pity.

Amen

Haves and Needs

I have a lame title.

I need to be more witty.

I have a runny nose.

I need to catch it.

I have at least three different meme's that I have been tagged for.

I need to do those.

I have a back porch that needs some plastic protection for the winter.

I need to do th.. WAIT! I did that!

I have a big toe that has a HUGE toenail attached to it.

I need to cut it down, but can't find the clippers.

I have a beautiful niece that just turned four!

I need to give her more hugs before she goes back home to Colorado.

I have another niece and a nephew that seem to finally like me.

I need to give them more hugs before they go back to Minnesota.

I have three weeks of vacation that I have to burn.

I need to do it before the year ends, so I am on a "working" vacation, this week.

I have a trip planned next week, that I have been looking forward to for over a year.

I need to really enjoy the time spent with Andy, because he may not want to tag along with us much longer.

I have a new employee that is a pain in the butt!

I need to just forget all about him and enjoy these next few weeks.

I have nearly 200 items in my Google Reader.

I need to read them all before I go to bed tonight... Maybe.

I have a headache coming on

I need to go to bed.

I have a title that might not be so lame.

I need to quit kidding myself.

Good night.

Every Night

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep;

May angels watch me through the night,

And keep me in their blessed sight.

Amen.

A New Low?

Yes folks, I am hitting a new low.

My beloved Denver Broncos just got beat by the hated Oakland Raiders 31-10.

This sucks.

At least San Diego is losing, at the moment.

Did I mention that my son is now a Duhawk?

WHAT IS A DUHAWK? The “Duhawk” tradition dates back to 1924 when Loras College was called Columbia College. The Columbia football team, under the tutelage of head coach Eddie Anderson, was just coming off a win over the Wisconsin School of Mines (later UW-Platteville), followed by a stirring 7-3 victory over the then-powerful Kohawks of Coe College. Columbia would next travel to Michigan to face the mighty University of Detroit. In a preview story for the upcoming game, the Detroit Free Press focused on Columbia’s heralded win over the Kohawks. At the time, Columbia did not have a nickname, so the Free Press sports writer took the liberty of referring to the Columbia gridmen from Dubuque as the Dubuque Hawks, and later in the story the “Duhawks.” The name caught on and the Detroit Free Press became the author of this controversial moniker...

More at the link, if interested.

Okay, the Chargers are a driving... Please stop them Indianapolis.

Andy also got his drum set, he's keeping it at his grandparents house.

Dangit! Chargers tied it up at 20-20. Of course there is still 1:30 left on the clock (crossing fingers).

Looks like Twilight kicked Bolt! down in the box office this weekend. Darn vampire love stories, stealing all the tweens. Of course, James Bond is still in second.

So, this game is taking my attention away from what I am saying here... Can you tell?

Almost like live blogging the game, only I'm not.

Two seconds left and a fifty-one yard field goal attempt.... after this time out.

Benjy is walking on some thin ice with his smack talk about the Broncos place kicker...

And THE COLTS WIN!!

Alright. Now the Broncos are up by two games again in the suckiest division in football. Whoop-di-doo.

Okay, melancholy sucks, so I bid you all a good night, unless I find something that will amuse me of course.

Christ the King - A Tribute?!

For the Children

A Parent's Prayer for their Children

O Heavenly Father,

I commend my children unto Thee.

Be Thou their God and Father;

and mercifully supply whatever is wanting in me through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world,

to resist all solicitations to evil,

whether from within or without;

and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy.

Pour Thy grace into their hearts,

and confirm and multiply in them the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit,

that they may daily grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and so, faithfully serving Thee here,

may come to rejoice in Thy presence hereafter.

Amen.

College Day!

Class today was all about the Eucharist...

I will share more later.

Penn State kicked some booty and is on their way to the Rose Bowl!

Notre Dame... OUCH!!

Texas Tech... DOUBLE OUCH!!! With a swirlie in the girl's bathroom! UGLY game.

Which all means; Daddy is happy (Penn St), Andy is not (Notre Dame), and Benjy while bummed is not letting it get to him, too much (Texas Tech).

One last thing, a continuation from yesterday, I forgot to mention the great news for Andy...

WHAT IS A DUHAWK?

He is!! Andy was officially accepted to join the freshman class at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.

YEAH Baby!!!

Anybody have an extra $125K laying around? If so, Andy will be a callin' you real soon ya hear!

Bye!!

Psalm 22

The Passion of the Messiah

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?

Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;

And by night, but I have no rest.
Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
In You our fathers trusted;

They trusted and You delivered them.
To You they cried out and were delivered;

In You they trusted and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm and not a man,

A reproach of men and despised by the people.
All who see me sneer at me;

They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
"Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him;

Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."
Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;

You made me trust when upon my mother's breasts.
Upon You I was cast from birth;

You have been my God from my mother's womb.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near;

For there is none to help.
Many bulls have surrounded me;

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint;

My heart is like wax;

It is melted within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;

And You lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs have surrounded me;

A band of evildoers has encompassed me;

They pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones.

They look, they stare at me;
They divide my garments among them,

And for my clothing they cast lots.
But You, O LORD, be not far off;

O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
Deliver my soul from the sword,

My only life from the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion's mouth;

From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

Adventures in Student Driving

A while back, say two or three years ago, I sort of made a promise.

A promise that I have been reminded about every so often, over those past two or three years.

A promise that may or may not end up in having a "day in infamy" like result.

I promised my God daughter Jordan, that I would take her out driving, once she got her permit.

Last night, that promise came to fruition.

Now, it should be noted that I have already successfully taught one child to drive, and considering the fact that he is still alive and ticket-less after nearly two years of driving, I would say that I did fairly well.

*** Another side note... Holy smokes! I have a child that has been driving for nearly two years already?! More about this child later. ***

Anyway, last night around eight, Jordan shows up.

That would be eight post meridian.

That would be eight, on a Thursday evening when Grey's Anatomy (okay, I really don't watch this show that much, especially with Izzie having lurid thoughts about some dead guy from when the show was actually pretty good.) is on. But first, I had to go and get Mickey D's for the kids... yes we eat that late, sometimes.

That would be eight, when it's dark outside, on a school night and any other excuse I should have thought of at the time.

Fine, whatever, we'll go for a drive.

It actually went very smoothly. She stayed within her lane, without hugging the curb (something Andy was really bad at), I even commented on how smoothly it seemed to be going and how I didn't feel nervous at all. We eventually made it to a warehouse with wide lanes and limited obstacles - a warehouse where I successfully taught Andy how to come to a complete stop, back up and park in between the line.

Jordy needs to learn how to make a more complete stop, not continue rolling while in reverse, and the importance of parking in between two lines. Now, to her credit, she had only driven four times previously. So after unsuccessfully teaching Jordan the fine art of parking, I asked her to drive us to Wal-Mart. I know, it's kind of crazy sending a kid that can't park, to a busy parking lot, but I needed some body soap. And we were out that way anyway.

Imagine this: "Jordan turn right" (left blinker goes on)... "Okay, the roadway is clear, so pull onto the road and slowly accelerate to the speed limit." (turns left, in the wrong lane, with a car coming from the opposite lane (SO NOT GOOD!!)) "Jordan, pull into this driveway, now."(Semi-truck coming up driveway, using both lanes), "Uh, Jordy..." (moving to the right, over the curb, and driving down the driveway with the passenger wheels riding higher that the driver side wheels). (REALLY< REALLY NOT GOOD!!)

Oh and Jordan couldn't stop laughing - apparently my face looked funny, I guess. (No Comment)

I finally get Jordan sorted out and on the proper track to Wal-Mart, and are coming up to a four-way stop, one with a left turn lane and a lane that can turn right or continue straight. I tell Jordan to go into the left turn lane and stop. Stop. STOP!!

"What I thought that I didn't have to stop."

She was serious.

We get to Wal-Mart and I get this question. "So, do you think I would pass my driver's test?"

She was still serious.

The rest of the ride home was relatively uneventful. Sorry.

I think that I will wait a few more months before I try that again.

I am serious.

More Mary

We Catholics Love Mary, and there are many a prayer dedicated to her. Here is a great one...

Remember,

O most gracious Virgin Mary,

that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,

implored thy help,

or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee,

O Virgin of virgins, my mother;

to thee do I come,

before thee I stand,

sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,

despise not my petitions,

but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.

My Blog Has Been Analyzed, And I Don't Know Who It Is

I found this really cool website today, called Typealyzer. It is a website that runs your blog up against the Myers-Briggs personality test. I dig these kinds of things, so I thought why not get this blog analyzed, or rather "typealyzed."

It's a really easy site, all you do is type in your blogs URL and within a few moments, your blog has been "typealyzed."

You just know the spellchecker is going to have a field day now, don't you?

A little about myself... I be one shy cat, that plays a not-so-shy cat on the Internet. Amazing what the freedom of anonymity will do for a person. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy visiting everyone and on one hand want to be visited by millions of others, but maybe not. For instance, I may just blab along in a comment field (no, really?!), yet if I were to meet you in person, I would turn into that two-year old that is holding their parents pant leg.

Anyway, I have taken the Myers-Briggs test on a few occasions and I have rarely, if ever, been diagnosed with an E for extrovert. This actually surprises lots of people, because no one believes that I am, in fact, an introvert.

My final results are almost always INTP, occasionally I'll get an F in place of the T - for feeling rather than thinking, I think.

**** COMPLETELY DIFFERENT INTERJECTION*******

I am currently listening to Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman, and as per usual, I'm getting a bit choked up. This is normal right? At least for Dads with daughters, right?

****BACK TO THE TYPEALYZING**************

Well, when I put in my URL, to say I was surprised would be an understatement. It came back as a ESFP.

What is this and what have you done with Roger's blog. Complete opposite, with the exception of the P.

I tried it again --- same result.

I put in Holly's URL, just to get a comparison, figuring it would show me something (not sure what exactly), and guess what? Same personality type. No freaking way! I mean she is most definitely more outgoing than I, just check her out if you don't believe me. I tried Kalynne's, same result. Okay, maybe there is a glitch in the system, because I don't feel like I am anywhere close in personality to these women.

So I tried Michelle Malkin - basically a news blog with a very conservative bent. Finally something different.

Here is what else the site says about my blog...

ESFP - THE PERFORMERS

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves. The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions. (not good, as I am in a management position.)

I think my colors may be a changin' I apologize if this starts getting screwy looking - blame Blogger!

So, apparently when I am out and about in the world I am a thinker, yet when I am here at the computer; I am a performer.

How totally exciting!

No, really, I'm being serious. Now all I have to do is channel my inner ESFP, and put my outer INTP on the shelf.... might be difficult after forty-one years.

Okay, so all of you need to go out a try this thing and report back. Can you do it? Will you? If I had permission to do giveaways I'd give something away. :)

Bye-bye, gotta go pick up the kids from choir.

Ack!

Heavenly Father,

I know that you are always there for me,

And I wish that I could always be there for you;

However, You have made me human and I have

many failings in my life.

Please help me to realize that all the "Ack's" in my life,

Are all a part of your big plan and will be so totally worth it in the end.

I Love You;

You Love Me.

Amen.

In case you were wondering why I don't do my own prayers. :) The heart is there, but the brain just doesn't always make sense.

Have a great day!

Laser Tag and Poo (Krissa will be so proud)

Tonight was a fun night, we played laser tag with the teens from church.

I TOTALLY kicked some Butt!!

Seriously.

I am SO not lying.

Before I talk more about my awesomeness at laser tag, I need to tell you about some poo.

Not Pooh, as in Winnie the, but rather poo, that come from digesting food over a period of time and having it break down and spread all of its goodness to every part of your body and then all the bad stuff, well except for some fat and other things that you body likes to cling to, gets processed into a waste area known as your colon which then compacts the stuff, also know as crap and s%$#, oh and poo, which then exits the body through an area known as Uranus (ba dum dum), into a receptacle known as a toilet, also known as a port-o-potty, a poop hole, and an area where you dig in the woods and make sure that you bury it or else you may step in it. If you have the aforementioned toilet there is a little knob, or handle, or even pull string that you can generate a flow of water (which is WAY less ever since someone in Congress decided that fat people that have large quantities of waste need to flush more than once, because in their haste to save the environment with low flow toilets, Congress forgot all about said fat people with large deposits of waste, thus the multiple flushes and {more than likely} the wasting of more water) which most normal people do after completing the discharge of bodily waste.

Except maybe some people.

Except maybe some people that live in my house.

Except maybe some people that live in my house and just got a brand new toilet and bathroom that use WAY too much toilet paper.

Except maybe said people that then decide to forget to mention said backup and continue to use said toilet.

Can you say gross?

This isn't close to gross, this is so far past gross that you cannot imagine it.

Oh wait, maybe you can.

Imagine seeing the Air and water show in Chicago, Illinois, where on a daily basis nearly one million people visit the area known as Grant Park to watch the wonder of flying aircraft, and floating watercraft, and then watch spectacular explosions in the air done to music.

Yea, I hear it's a lot of fun, but me a really large crowds like that just don't get along, especially since there is approximately six port-o-potty's for the nearly one million spectators to use, (okay there may be a bit of an exaggeration here, but go with it, because it helps with the image I am about to spring on you). So now imagine sitting in just one of these fine little port-o-potty's when, either by a really strong gust of wind, or some very mean prankster decides to roll you down a hill, after the fireworks.

That is almost how gross it is.

Did I mention that I kicked some serious butt in laser tag tonight?

Grace

Here's grace...

Bless us O Lord,

and these thy gifts,

which we are about to receive,

from thy bounty,

through Christ,

our Lord.

Amen.