A Trip To Turtle Lake... With The Boss.

Yes folks that what the month of May will be starting out for me.

Can I get a Woo-Hoo?

Woo-Hoo.

Thank you very much. Now, I am sure that there will plenty of stories to tell on this extravaganza that begins at five in the morning tomorrow.

First up is the six to seven hour drive to Turtle Lake, Wisconsin (sorry, didn't mention that part yet).

Next will be a really boring hour of how the customer is so pleased to have us servicing their equipment, blah, blah, blah...

Then comes the three to four hour drive back south to Madison, Wisconsin. This is where i will sit in my hotel room and try to get some sleep (can't do it without my honey, and I am not substituting her with my boss).

Then we get up and leave for Kenosha, by seven I would imagine. Where we will get to spend another hour of our lives listening to how great we are, how great the Packers will be - even without number four, more blah blahs and we're out of there.

Now, normally I would go back to the office - which by the way will be a shambles because we are doing a computer network migration and, well.... I will not be doing that this day, because I will take advantage of being able to come home and work on my %#&&@* kitchen floor.

More from the road, only I will be doing it in different voices...

Things I Like About April 29

I like the fact that the rain seems to be very productive in producing all the pretty flowers - for next month.

I like that the trees are filling out nicely, with their pretty green leaves.

I like magnolia trees because they look so nice this time of year.

I like that I had to scrape ICE off of my window before I left for work this morning.

NOT!!

Voices in My Head

That is right. I am going to be entertaining the voices in my head for the month of May. Now, I know that I failed miserably, due to my mental condition (laziness), for April with the letters. In the process of doing that I also kissed Blog365 good-bye.

Such a slacker.

Anyway, if you have read some of my previous posts, you are probably aware of all the voices I use. I know it sounds crazy and all, but I don't think I am.

I just like to argue with myself.

So, this will be the month of revelation and all that other good stuff that I need to give me focus on my writing life. Or, it's a really good excuse to spend some time with my trusty PC.

Speaking of PC's, well I guess technically they aren't, but I am seriously considering an iMac all of a sudden. I know Cubbie will get excited if he reads this, but I should tell him to just chill-out, because it is just a seriously considering, not an actual going out and buying. I do think that it is cool looking and that it will help out with my budding film career. Oh wait, that's Cubbie's dream. (see why he is getting excited about the prospect of me possibly considering the purchase of an iMac).

Voices.

I can do voices.

In May, there will be thirty-one opportunities for me to prove it.

Isn't it exciting?

Someone Likes Me, I Think...

I want to thank Damama T for giving me this beautiful tiara. I can honestly say that I have never been given one before. Oh sure the girls let me wear theirs, but they always want them back. :)

Thank you for the honor Damama, I shall hang it somewhere, on the right, amongst other honorable mentions and important stuff - as long as there is room, of course. :)

And The Funk Goes On...

Hey there, just a quick note to say hi, and to let you all know that Jordan is home and doing great. Thanks for thinking of her and praying for her health, I'm sure that she appreciates it. It is too bad that the Doctor's couldn't find out what was wrong with her. She dies appear to be doing better, although we are all keeping a guarded eye on her.

Some of you may have noticed that I did something I hadn't done in a while, which was miss a few days of posting. I was trying to think up a good excuse, you know so that I can weasel my way back into the Blog365 world. Alas, I cannot tell a lie, I just wasn't motivated. I saw it coming, but couldn't snap out of it.

Anyway, I'm currently in a project from H-E-Double hockey sticks, so...

Gotta go!

Maybe my Blog 365 will start with today! (Who am I kidding, that takes a lot out of a person)

God Bless!

From The School Of Deep Thinking

I tell you these blogthings are a riot... Just look at this:

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History Foreign language

What Should You Major In?

I even like some of these subjects, maybe it's time for a career change. Hmm.

Okay, that's the last one, for today. :)

Creativity Breakdown Part Deux

I'm in a funk, so I visit blogthings, and this is what I get:

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

Don't Think I Saw This One Coming!

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant. You're up for just about anything.

Who's" Your Inner European?

Somebody Has To Be Pulling My Leg

To Whom It May Concern:



What the H-E- Double Hockey Sticks is going on around here?



My entire house and everything I own, or at least it seems that way, is breaking.



Now, we don't do laundry like The Philosopher-Mom Kalynne (Happy 20th anniversary, by the way!). However, we do do(hee hee) a fair amount. Okay, I know, I know, Mom does most all of it. Anyway, with six - seven if you count me- kids, our washing machine and dryer get quite the workout. The agitator stopped agitating for a little while (not good), but it does seem to be working, at least until magical Leek week. :) It needs to be replaced, and will be by year's end. I just hope that it lasts until then.



So what are you complaining about there Mr. Mylhibug?



I'm getting there.



Next thing we know, our oven doesn't work. Now, thankfully my in-laws were in the process of re-doing the kitchen and letting their oven go. While we were at Disney World last year, the range was moved into our garage. (Don't go there about our trip to Disney being in September... I have deaf ears to that... just ask Jenni).

You just know that there will be pictures at some point, due to the fact that I just Love do it yourself projects. Which began yesterday, and will continue through Benjy's high school graduation (I kid) - I think.

The dishwasher quit working, last week. I was able to fix that! (Yea Me!)

Bathroom faucet - Kaput! Again, I fixed it - in three hours. You know they make it look so easy on the packaging.

Trampoline - A hole/rip in it. Can you believe that?

Car - Leaky gas line, new car in line, once they find the title.

Teeth - Don't really want to go there, I'll just say that I am a good example of BAD dental hygiene.

Which brings me back to the oven. I was able to get the old oven out, without blowing up the house. Our oven was one of those 'double ovens' which is kind of a misnomer, since the bottom half was just a broiler and not usable for making chocolate chip cookies, cakes, etc. The new oven is a range (I guess) that has an oven and a stove top, so that means (naturally) I need to replace the cabinet, which then leads to the floor, which needs to be replaced due to the water damage from a leaky dishwasher, which means....

I'm NOT giving up on my DISNEY DREAM, darn it!!

Anyway, Mr./Ms. Whom it may concern, thanks for the good times to come... no, really, I mean it. I promise.

Have a nice Spring...

ME

I Think I want To Cry

Dear Rain,

Have I got a song for you...

'Rain, rain go away, come again another day...'

Sure it's going to be 70 tomorrow, BUT rain all day Thursday AND Friday. I wonder if the kids will ever get to play soccer this season. Must be making up for all of the non-rain out days over the past seven seasons.

What? You want it All back now?

Dear State of Illinois,

Okay, I get the fact that it was Cubbie's first tax year to file, but really, rejecting it because I wrote out his entire middle name (like you asked for on the form), when all you needed was the first letter. Couldn't you guys have figured that out, I mean it is the FIRST LETTER?!?!?

Not that it matters, because he owes nothing and is getting nothing back. It's just annoying because, well, today is THE day!

On the bright side, it looks like my bank account will have some extra federal stimulus around May 9. Disney Here We Come!!

And people gives us a hard time for having six kids, sheesh!

Dear Letters committee,

I think I am at a point where I don't want to write letters anymore. They are kind of lame lately and I don't really like lame. I'll give it another day or two. Maybe.

Have a good night and God Bless!

P.S. - Don't forget to keep Jordan in your prayers, she could use the comfort.

Jordan Update

They still don't know what is going on with her body and she continues to have these weird moments of pain. Hard to watch, can't imagine how it feels. They were supposed to do some tests today, but before they were going to start she started having another episode, with vomiting, so the doctors decided that they would change tactics. Whatever that means. Anyway, they have now moved her on to a new hospital Central DuPage in Winfield, because it has an association with Children's Hospital. To be honest, I never was a fan of where she was, especially after having two of my children have problems there at childbirth.

Anyway, thanks for those of you keeping her in your prayers, I know that she appreciates it. I forgot to mention this earlier, she is 14 and was just confirmed two Sundays ago, there is a picture of her down there somewhere.

Keep strong Jordi, we're all here for you kiddo. I love you ~ you fairy Godfather (that's what she has called me since she was five.)

Cool T-Shirt Slogans Wanted

Because I like causes of all kind, especially fun ones, I am encouraging all three of you to go and visit Trish here and bring your creativity! It could win you a cool new T-shirt. Or better yet, some cool new blogger friends.

Oh, the slogans are to be of the blog-related type: You know something like "Blog This" or "My mom goes on vacation and all she did was blog." Hey, that one might work. I call it! Dibs on that slogan... I'm off to enter it, now.

Bye-bye!

P.S. - Don't forget to visit Trish (because I might get some new bling. ) Seriously, it looks like a cool little site to visit, complete with mistakes, errors, boo boos strike outs. :)

A View From the North Side...

Dear Andy,

I am enjoying your new blog, and see that you are very adept at writing long posts that make way more sense than mine. Maybe I should practice more. :)

Seriously, I am very proud of what you have done, and you just keep proving to me and your mother that you do indeed know what you are doing. We should just relax about the whole homework thing, or should I say lack of homework? But I must digress, after all I will need more material for later. Maybe.

I am glad that you have finally jumped on the band wagon of your local sports teams. I love the fact that you get excited at the prospect of going to a Cubs game, when before it used to be a rather lackadaisical attitude at best. Now, a new season doesn't come around without you asking if we can get tickets for this game or that. I just wish we could go for more.

As I have told you many times, that 'money tree' is long gone, and the new one just isn't coming up. :)

Anyway, just thought that I would drop you a line and plug your blog. Also, I wanted to encourage the four of you reading this to check it out as well. Just don't tell him that you are a White Sox or Cardinals fan, otherwise he might just have to ban you.

Good Night and God Bless!!

P.S. Don't forget about Jordan.

Prayer Request

Hey there, anyone that is reading this. Can you please keep my God daughter Jordan in your prayers? She is currently in the hospital, suffering from Lord knows what. Not trying to sound flippant, it's just that they still haven't found out what is happening to her.

She goes into these seizure like moments, when she is in great pain and it feels like something is moving inside her stomach and esophagus, or just through the middle of her chest. It is very heart-breaking to see her like that, and we are praying that they find out what is going on. She is having a procedure done tomorrow afternoon. So far they have checked her brain with an EEG, given her a CT scan, and apparently had some weird psychiatrist come in and repeat the same questions over and over again. Tomorrow's test is going to be a scope of her esophagus and stomach.

Thanks in advance, for your prayers. I will let you know more when I find out.

God Bless

Down to a 'T'

Today's topic is the letter T.

Yes, instead of an actual letter that is being written to somebody, somewhere. I decided to honor the letter T. Mostly in honor of Damama, because she pointed out - a while back - that I had neglected to mention it as one of my favorite letters. Still not in the top five, but definitely in the top ten. :)

This letter should not be confused with the following:

Tea - A drink with jam and bread (you can sing along if you know the words...)

Liked it so much, I put it in here twice!Tee - What them there golfers hit that little white ball with, or something that little league baseball and softball players use to help get them started.A 'T' - also a technical foul in basketball, when you do some bad things like share your expansive use of four letter words, or talk about dating some one's mother, or daughter.

A 'T' - Also can mean a timeout in football, basketball and hockey.

There is also Tee-shirts. I mean what other letter has a shirt named after it, you tell me.

The longest word, in English, that starts with the letter 'T' is twenty-one letters long: tetrahydrocannabinols - which from what I can gather is a really long word for pot - the illegal substance that people say makes them feel good, or something like that. I have no experience myself, so I cannot share.

There are three words that have the length of two letters that start with the letter 'T': To, Ta, and Ti.

According to my math and http://www.morewords.com/ where I got the previous tidbits, there are 8782 words that start with the letter 'T' in the English language.

What else could I tell you about the letter 'T?' Why, I'm not sure, but I will end this now, while I still have a sense of sanity...

A Recipe For Nonsense

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to resign my email account on yahoo, due to the fact that it has nothing but SPAM in it lately. Therefore, you can take your SPAM and eat it anyway you like it. I hear that frying it is pretty tasty, don't forget the pepper!

Have a good day!

Mylhibug

What To Do With This Life Of Mine?

Today, I went through a 'specialization day' with my Ministry Formation class. This is a day where we picked three different subjects, or ministries, in which we have an interest in. They include: Youth Ministry, Family Life, Evangelizing, Religious Ed, Compassionate Care, Justice and something (sorry, I can't remember), Respect Life and Diaconate.

I think that was all of them.

Okay, so I picked Evangelizing, Diaconate and Family Life. Why? Well, I am already pretty involved in Religious Ed and with Youth Ministry, so why not spread my wings a little you know.

First up, Evangelizing. I enjoyed this class very much, the presenter was very enthusiastic and told great stories about how she evangelizes, etc.. Did a huge plug for Light of the World retreats and talked about how we should be evangelizing in our every day lives. Okay, I'm good with that, and will try to do more as life continues me along this journey - wherever that is taking me.

Next, the Diaconate. Okay, to be honest with you, I really didn't think that I would get a whole lot out of this. I mean let's get real here. I have six kids, aged 17, 13, 10, 8, 5, and 2. Not exactly allowing for a lot of extra time with those stats, now is there? God has a great sense of humor, because after listening to Monsignor Shwartz, I honestly felt like this was where I was to go next.

Uh, did I mention the kids?

I did, and since I have a great knack with the kids, any kid it seems, Monsignor threw this my way... "Your ministry could be with anything we are talking about today, even youth ministry."

Okay, now that is freaking scary.

Plus there is a lot of homework and other stuff that is included. AND you have to be spiritually mature. I don't think that I am, at this point... Again from the Monsignor "We're not looking at your education, or anything like that, we will train you." Homework! "Not as much as Ministry Formation..." I seriously doubt this, because first off, it's a five year program, as opposed to the current two year program I am in. "Your wife has to be in totally, you are a team. She would be the wife of a Deacon, not a Deacon's wife (okay, totally paraphrasing here, but he basically was saying that my wife would need to be a partner with me through my journey(if I were to take it) and that she would NOT be expected to do what I was)" That will seal the deal, Jenni doesn't want to do that. Maybe. We'll have to pray on it.

Okay, when I pray on things like this wonderful and mystical things start to happen, like I become more mature, responsible and committed to doing something correctly and properly. Or something like that. Will my heart convince my mind that this is what I want to do, at this time? I have thought about it before, but the kids were my best excuse. However, by the time I would complete the program, which doesn't start until next summer, the kids will be 23, 19, 16, 14, 11, and 8. A lot more manageable.

But Jenni would have a larger load to handle around the house. Okay stop, before I bust a gut from laughing so much. Who exactly, do you think is doing it already. Oh yeah, you have a point.

I'm going to be praying on it, and I am asking you all to do the same for me, please.

Finally, I went to Family Life, after lunch, in a warm room. Enough said.

That's it for now, more later as I have a letter to post. I wonder what it will be?

A Letter to a Nutcase (in my humble opinion)

Dear Albert Gore,

What is up former VP of the USA? Or should I say Mr. Nobel Peace Prize? What exactly did you do to get that again? Oh yeah, you said it was going to get very very hot and all life all the planet will be OVER!

Aside from the obvious reasons why the Nobel Peace Prize committee got it wrong, like the fact that Global Warming has absolutely nothing to do with promoting peace and goodwill among man, but it is still kind of chilly here.

Oh yeah, it's supposed to snow tonight as well. Guess you fooled somebody.

Let me tell you what I think. I think recycling is a great idea and that everyone should do it. I think that conserving energy by turning off the lights in rooms that aren't being used is a great idea. I think that everyone should have their thermostats set to a more reasonable temperature in the winter and the summer, to conserve energy is a great idea as well.

I also think that carbon footprints are a joke. I think that preaching about saving the planet, while using more energy than the average American, heck than the average American block is a big bout of hypocrisy, and you should be ashamed. Being carbon neutral sounds all impressive, but you know what, you still used up that fuel, and you still polluted that air. What difference does it make what else you do, it isn't going to change that fact.

News flash for you, almighty former VP. If a volcano were to erupt today, say the equivalent of a Mt. St. Helen's, it would leave a bigger carbon footprint than the entire population of the United States. How you planning on stopping that?

How about ideas for alternate fuel sources, like wind energy, solar energy and others like that? Why not try to get your buddy in Massachusetts to go for those wind turbines? Oh yeah, that's right it will ruin his view. So what you really want to do is have your cake (unlimited use of fossil fuels and the like), and eat it too (by depriving the little guy the opportunity to use renewable resources by scaring the crap out of them).

Mr. Gore please retire peacefully and leave us hard-working people alone, and quit trying to scare the heck out of us - it's not nice.

Good Day

Me

Because I Have No Creativity...

Your Movie Buff Quotient: 48%

You are well on your way to becoming a movie buff. You've seen many of the great films, and you have even probably developed an expertise in a few genres.

Are You a Movie Buff?

Why I Hate Do-It-Yourself

Dear DIY,

Will you please quit lying to me. Sure, doing things yourself will save you money and help you to build character (whatever!), but please quit putting words like easy, simple, and any body with half a brain could do this.

They do NOT pertain to me, an I am thinking of calling a lawyer.

Seriously.

Okay, maybe not, but come on.

Two faucets, one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom, have been in need of replacement over the past two months.

"Piece o' cake," the maniacal wannabe mechanic/plumber, handyman side of me says.

"Um, sure. But isn't there someone we could pay to do that?" the wussy, sensible, knows exactly what I am not capable of doing side of me says.

"Disney," is all that evil side has to say to that. Because he knows that if I spend $250 to have someone replace my faucets, that is $250 less of 'Dole Whips' at Disney.

Dang that evil side, hitting below the belt like that.

Okay, I think I mentioned the kitchen disaster previously, but basically it HAD to be replaced that day (back then), because when you turned on the water, instead of vertical flow, it was horizontal. You get the picture?

Now, the bathroom faucet suddenly, over the past three weeks or so, has decided to go green and limit the flow of water to one gallon per HOUR. Not good, not good at all. I mean Doctors will tell you that you need a nice flow of water when you are washing your hands - I know I saw it at a hospital or Doctor's office once (really)!

So in a fit of motivation not seen since the ice cream man came down the block, I went to my local Menard's (save big money...) and purchased my new faucet, figuring I could do it before I went to bed. Heck figuring I could do it and blog ~ mission accomplished.

It just took a LOT longer than it should have.

First off, the hot water hose came off in a snap. Not a literal snap, but rather quickly. I'm thinking that Jenni is going to finally have faith in my mechanical abilities. OOPS! Spoke too soon. The cold water hose would not loosen up, at all. I have a blister forming on my hand from all the exertion (I know, what a wuss), but seriously, it is only supposed to be finger tight, not crazy glue your head to a beam tight. Sheesh!

So after, lets just say a really long time that I am embarrassed to discuss in real terms, so I will say that I started it during Desperate Housewives and finished during ER.

Anyway, I get the new faucet put back in and the hoses all connected. That part was easy, really it was. I turn on the water and leak city - not nearly as much fun as Kalynne's Magical Leek Soup. What the heck? The washers were no longer part of the assembly, they were in the garbage.

Gonna need those.

Okay, I recover the washers and get the hoses reconnected. Turn on the water - no leaks (so far, so good), then I turn on the faucet and.... drip, drip, drip.

No Way!!! (Jenni saw this and started laughing ~ yes she did).

Now what? I disconnect everything and see that the washers are askew, so I straighten them out, reconnect and get the same thing. Now I know that there isn't any blockage in the hoses, because I actually turned the water on to make sure that wasn't the original problem (I'm not as dumb as I think I am). I look to the instructions for guidance.

Nothing.

For giggles I take the filter/screen thing off the end of the faucet, and turn on the water. Good flow. Hmm. Could there be a safety valve to prevent flooding or something built in to the filter/screen thing?

I reconnect that and...

I came here to blog before midnight.

Good night and God Bless!!

The Blog, It Is A Changin'

Dear Friends and Foes,

What do you think of the 'new' me? I am trying to figure it out myself. Actually, I am in the process, I think, of trying to get all my widgets and pictures and all the other stuff back. If I can't get the ones I like back, I may be going back to the 'old' me.

So, was there any widget that you all liked in particular? I'll be playing around with a few new ones as well. Can hardly wait, I bet. :) The one that I am missing that I would love back is a picture of my kids at Disney, but because of the split columns it doesn't allow me to do it. I don't like what it will allow me to do.

I've been using Google reader lately, so I may not mess with a blog roll. Then again, I like everyone else's blog roll, so if I like yours who is to say that you won't like mine, right?

Well, that's it for now. I'm on the hunt to find my missing, or better yet, new stuff!

Talk at you all later,

Mylhibug (See I need that signature back.)

Self-Pity One-Oh-One (Or Why I Should Ride the Storm Out)

The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Dear Roger,

I know that you ad some great ideas for something to write about earlier today. What happened? Did you get cold feet? Are you afraid that people won't be entertained by what you write? Are you really writing for them, or for yourself?

Why are you envious of others web hits, or whatever they are called? To paraphrase something we heard in a movie once... "If you write it, they will come" (eventually). Besides,what would you do with all the added pressure? Seriously, you freak out when it comes to coming up with something, like this letter, or the lists from last month. You have been surviving both as far as I can tell.

You want to feel pain and anguish? Join the Memphis Tigers.

Now, we do have a problem, you and me. I want you to be happy, as do you. I want you to be creative as I think you do, but you seem to balk at my ideas. True they may not be any good, but you don't know until you try, right? Heck you are great at giving advice, yet clam up when it comes to listening to some. Afraid to open up, or something I imagine, but I'm not a psychiatrist.

I am sure that I have more for you to listen to, or read as the case may be, but I don't want to hit you with it all at the same time. I will tell you this though, you will have some fantastic ideas coming tonight and the rest of this week. See if you can capture that magic and use them.

I look forward to seeing what you can do with what you see/sense and I, at least, will be watching.

Sweet Dreams,

Your Muse

P.S. ~ The Nietzsche quote is appropriate, as you should be well aware.

Good Night an God Bless

Things In The World That Deserve A Two-fer!

Dear Mr. I'm-in-a-hurry-so-who-cares-if-I'm-weaving-in-and-out-of-traffic Dude,

What the heck are you thinking? I mean, seriously, you have been swerving in and out of all the traffic this whole way to work. Want to know what I find to be very funny. I'm sitting right next to you at this light, just like I was two lights ago. Since your little brain isn't quite comprehending what I just said, let me spell it out for you. Swerve in and out all you like and you still haven't gotten ahead of me.

Ha, ha, ha!

Me

Dear Miss I-know-it-says-only-fifteen-items-or-less grocery shopper,

Let me help you here. Fifteen items is one more than fourteen, and less than sixteen, or in your case twenty-six!

Yes, I did count them. Yes, I was impatiently sighing and visibly counting your TWENTY-SIX items. Was I surprised that you couldn't find your check book? Or that your credit card said "no way Jose!" Then you didn't even make an attempt to help bag the TWENTY-FREAKING-SIX items that you had, no that would be beneath you, I guess.

So, please don't mind me if you hear my exclamation "she had twenty-six items... how rude." Because to be honest, I think you might deserve it.

Happy Shopping!!

Me

I Am A Snob And Very Proud Of It.

To all my friends with more than two kids. Rejoice!

Then read this.

You might get a kick out of it. In fact, read the comments - they show some insight into the type of people that want you to quit being so selfish and having more than your fair share of two.

Morons.

Why You Should NEVER Double-Dog-Dare A Large Man With A Sweet Tooth

Dear followers of this saga,

When last we left you, we had this happy man.

Now I am here to tell you (pardon me Paul Harvey) The Rest of the Story.

This is my sister in-law Jenni. She's on the right, Dana is on the left and had absolutely NOTHING to do with any of this, since she and Ben live in Colorado.

**Funny story, I am married to a Jenni, my youngest brother was married to a Jenni (now married to a Megan), my younger brother thought he might marry a Jenni(married a Jamie instead), my youngest brother in-law is married to a Jenni, and my younger brother in-law didn't want to have anything to do with a Jenni and married a Dana, which isn't even close to being a Jenni. Imagine the get-togethers if we all married Jenni's. Of course it wouldn't necessarily be all Jenni's, there would probably be a Jenny and a Jen and a Jennifer, but I digress** (ED: I apologize for what basically was a wasted paragraph from a wasted mind, or something like that).

She is totally responsible for the images you are about to see. Okay technically Benjy is, because he took them, but if it weren't for this Jenni, here with her daughter A.

Then this Jenni, wouldn't have THAT face... (notice my fingers pointing toward the guilty party.)

Everyone on the same page? Good, because I think I will just have to make you wait - you know, to build up a following and all that jazz...

Okay, you're right. Not a good idea, otherwise my three readers will dwindle back to two. :(

So, Jenni came to town, she lives in Minnesota with her husband and two darling little angels, J and A. Well, J had a birthday (number 7!) on February 22, but they were up there in their frozen tundra, while we weren't exactly toasty down here. So, they came down to visit, and we threw in a birthday party to boot. Here is the now infamous family from the great white north of Minnesota (they look guilty don't they?)

Imagine a cake that was actually a toll house cookie on a cookie sheet. Good-sized cookie, wouldn't you say? J loves Spider-Man, so naturally he loves spiders?!? Anyway, Jenni decorated the cake with chocolate frosting, that made it look like a spider and his/her web.

Pretty talented, that Jenni. Here is what the spider and part of the cookie/cake looked like. See the spider?

In case you missed the first one. :)

Well we are goofing around and the next thing I know, I am being challenged to eat the spider, the to eat the spider AND the cookie it is attached to. (No, not the whole tray of cookie. That would be really hard to do, even for moi.)

Well, dares turned to double dares, then Double dog-dare, then my mother in-law chimes in. "If she triple dog-dares you, you HAVE to do it. My Jenni was nowhere to be seen - I think she was talking on the phone about something much more important that dares and the like.

Here is he size of the cookie, roughly five inches in diameter...

Notice how thick the frosting is...

Do you think she's happy?

Couldn't stop laughing...

Our hero (and none too bright neither)...

I better go and lie down now, as my stomach seems to be reliving this.

Good Night and God Bless!

Benjy and Jordan Got Confirmed Today

I would like to present to you...

Benjamin John(of God) Miller




Jordan Maria(Goretti) Hankes.


Today was their Confirmation date. They are now considered adults in the Church's eyes. Not quite yet in ours, but they are definitely closer. :)


A couple of bits from this week's homilies regarding Confirmation:


"We have given you the tools you need, like someone that goes out and buys $100 running shoes, and then sits on the couch admiring them. Except we don't want you to admire the tools we have given you, we don't want you to sit on the couch..." ~ Monsignor Deutsch (paraphrased a bit by me, since I cannot remember it exactly.)


"I want you all to go home and thank your parents. Because they have spent a lot of their time and money into preparing you for this day, and your life. And up until this moment, you have been a dead-loss" ~ Bishop Doran (again a bit of paraphrasing going on.)


All in all the ceremony was very lovely, we had two Monsignor's and the Bishop anointing the children, about 150 in all.


Because it is the diocese's centennial year the Bishop decided to have every parish make a 'pilgrimage' so our trip was to Aurora Central Catholic High School. It would have been nicer in our Church, but it still was a great experience for everyone, especially Benjy and Jordan.

Again, I say congratulations to the newly Confirmed. God has given you the tools you need, now go out and use them.


God Bless.

Double Dog Dare Does A Body Good

Dear Blogger Friends,



I am writing this for you now, at 10:35. As you know I am not what you would call an enjoyable person at this hour. However, I am going to turn over a new leaf.



***What's up with the Final Four? BLOWOUT City. At least North Carolina almost came back, but almost only counts in hand grenades and atom bombs***



Tease time! Why is this man so happy?



That my friends is what I will be talking about, soon. I promise.

As long as Benjy can get me those pictures.

Have a nice evening.

Some of the BEST Nature Photos

No, seriously. These guys from, I am assuming it is dnd-photography.com took them, and I got them in my email. So naturally (Ha!), I will post them here.

I am so predictable. Just be forewarned, in case you send me an email. :)

Anyway, here are a few of the examples I got in the mail, enjoy!!

"I Love you Mommy!!" Or maybe it's, "Hmmm you'll make a good snack!" - Hey it's nature, not me!

"What to eat what to eat!" or "Now I know how humans feel about those gnats!"

How many zebras can you spot?

"Just put one foot in front of the other."

"Kisses darling, I'm giving you kisses!"

"Mom, mom, mom, MOM!!!" or "This iPod works great, did someone say something?"

Cool!

Creepy, yet cool as well.

That's it, I hope you enjoyed the pics and drop by their website to see more photos and their story.

Have a Great Day!

Ha Ha Ha Ha

A little girl asked her mother, "How did the human race appear?"

The mother answered, "God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made."

Two days later the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, "Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved."

The confused girl returned to her mother and said, "Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?"

The mother answered, "Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his."

Have a good evening and God Bless!

No, We're Not Too Litigious Here

Talk about your dumb LAWSUITS.

Seriously, and The Smoking Gun has a point about suing the county as well. After all, the pictures of their private residence is there for the whole world to see, if they wanted to, on the county's web site. As well as the price they paid, etc...

I wonder how many people put the address into their Google maps, to see for themselves, especially since their address is on the court paper work.

Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Why can't people just go out and make money the old fashioned way, and get a job, instead of going for the fast and easy buck. Must be too taxing, I guess.

I sincerely hope the judge that gets this case throws it out, and then reprimands the lawyer for filing such a stupid, STUPID, lawsuit.

So do you want to hear how I really feel? :)



Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones. ~ Bertrand Russell

Absolut-ly Ridiculous

Dear Absolut Vodka~

You have a lot of explaining to do. What are you implying, or trying to imply here?

It's quite obvious in my humble opinion. You are trying to incite a craziness of thinking for the uneducated. By this advertisement you are implying that the Western United States belong to Mexico, and that they were taken illegally from the Mexican people. Time to open a history book now, because the western United States, with the exception of Texas which both countries (technically the Republic of Texas and Mexico) were fighting over possession of the land. We won, the Mexicans lost, how's that go... "All's fair in love and war..."

The remaining territories were purchased, that's right, purchased with cold hard cash for $15.5 million and we relieved your country of it's debt at that time. So, guess what? The western states are the property of the United States and have been since.

All this is rhetoric is going to bring is the patriotism of the United States citizens, and push forward an agenda that would leave the countries to look like this:

Anyway, that is my three cents - which by the way will no longer be used to purchase your product, if you care.

Sincerely,

Roger W. Miller II

Let's Talk About Sex (at least as far as a PG{rated} Blog can go)

Actually, I'm not talking about it.

They are.

Have a nice day.

What is Going On?

Dear Blogger,

I seem to be having issues with your service today. For instance, my Dashboard looks like a mutant page, granted I can still get here to post this letter and fulfill my obligation on that end. However, I have some super-cool photos that I would love to share with my thousands, hundreds, two readers, and your service will not allow it to happen.

Please get on this right away immediately as soon as you see fit.

Sincerely,

An Album Cover To End All Album Covers(not to mention a really cool band name)

Hello all!



I was lurking like I like to do, when I can't get to sleep. Anyway, I went over to Damama T's blog and read a very touching tribute to her mother who passed away twenty-four years ago. While there I (and I do this at every blog I visit, because you never know where it will lead you).



It led me to Kathy:I am who I am and this neat little experiment, which ironically she got from Damama T - talk about some weird sense of synergy, eh?



But I digress (trying to keep up with Kalynne, don't ya know. She's the digressing champ{Is that even a word?}).



Ugh. Your point?



Oh yeah, An Album Cover that is created through a whole bunch of randomness (actually three random web pages, to be honest). Then after creating said cover, well you see if it fits you to a 'T.'



So here are the instructions:



Go to the following websites...



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random(The first article title on the page is the name of your band.)



http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3(The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.)



http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7daysThe third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.



Got it? I'm not putting in links, (although it looks like they may be there, not sure...) well because Kathy didn't do it, and I'm not sure if it would screw something up - does that make sense? Whew! Are you all still with me? Anyway, just copy and paste the URL into your address bar and it should work just fine.



Now for my cover...

My band name and album title:

Geriojennsa ~ 'Enjoyment of One's Self'

There you have it. Does kind of fit you know, except maybe the whole (Geriojennsa is a genus of moth in the family Arctiidae.) part. :) That's okay, I kind of like the name for a band... (I got dibs!)

Good Night and God Bless! (for real this time)

I Don't Feel Like A Big Mac Anymore.

Like I said yesterday, this is the month of "Letters" for nablopomo.com. Here is an example of a letter received via email that I feel very strongly about. Why do "family-oriented" restaurants like McDonald's care to do something that is so anti-family?

They really won't be losing any money from me (I personally can't stand their food), and I will have to find an alternative for the few occasions when I get food for the family from there.


McDonald's CEO: Company will put full resources behind gay agenda McDonald's has signed on to a nationwide effort to promote "gay" and "lesbian" business ventures.

Dear Roger,

According to McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner, McDonald's will aggressively promote the homosexual agenda.

In remarks on McDonald's Web site concerning the company becoming a member of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), Skinner wrote: "Being a socially responsible organization is a fundamental part of who we are. We have an obligation to use our size and resources to make a difference in the world … and we do."

The company gave an undisclosed amount of money to the NGLCC in return for being recognized as a major promoter of the homosexual agenda. In return, NGLCC placed Richard Ellis, vice president of communications of McDonald's USA, on the NGLCC Board of Directors.

Ellis was quoted as saying: "I'm thrilled to join the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce team and ready to get to work. I share the NGLCC's passion for business growth and development within the LGBT community, and I look forward to playing a role in moving these important initiatives forward."

McDonald's refused to comment to World Net Daily on the placement of its executive on the board of the "gay" advocacy organization but did send an e-mail confirming the corporation's support for the agenda of the homosexual business lobby.

"McDonald's is indeed a Corporate Partner and Organizational Ally of NGLCC. Our vice president of U.S. communications, Richard Ellis, was recently elected to its board of directors," said Heidi M. Barker, senior director of media relations for McDonald's.

NGLCC describes itself as promoting the LGBT community first and always, including same sex marriage.

NGLCC gives credit to sponsors such as McDonald's for its financial and other support that helps in its work. "Through the commitment of our corporate partners, the NGLCC has been able to advance the ideas and causes of the LGBT business community," the Chamber said.

Take Action! Very important!

~Call your local McDonald's and ask why McDonald's is using its size and resources to promote the homosexual agenda.

~Send an e-mail to McDonald's

~Forward this e-mail to family and friends.

Thank you for caring enough to get involved. If you feel our efforts are worthy of support, would you consider making a small tax-deductible contribution?

Sincerely,

Donald E. Wildmon,Founder and Chairman American Family Association

Good Night and God Bless!

What April Is All About (At Least On This Blog)

Just so you don't think that I am crazy, or anything like that. I want to explain what you may be seeing during the month of April.

Now, I use this blog to try and improve my skills as a writer, believe it or not, and I really do dig constructive criticism, so please by all means, let me know when I write a bad sentence, use a comma incorrectly, or even (God Forbid!) misspell a word. I'm a big boy and I can take it.

Most of the time.

To that end, I am a big fan of this NaBloPoMo concept, in case you couldn't tell, because it forces encourages me to write more. As every aspiring writer knows, the best way to improve your writing is to; write, write and write again. So finally, after many years of procrastination, I think I have found a way to get off the couch (so to speak, since I am sitting on my couch as I type this) and get back to doing something that I love. Blogging, er I mean writing. :)

This month, April for those of you that may be calendar challenged, the theme is letters. I used to love writing letters, then I think email came around and ... well you know, I kind of got lazy. Heck if I write an email that is more than a paragraph (especially with my current boss) it is considered too long.

I don't get that. Of course, I have been known to get a little long in the wind category, in case you hadn't noticed.

Anyway, you will notice posts that are letters. As you may have noticed I already wrote to the Colorado Rockies. I wonder if I will ever send these letters out - okay, no I really don't wonder, I know it won't happen - have you seen the price of a stamp lately?

So look for letters that will, hopefully, be entertaining and maybe even controversial, or educational. (No Way!)

Anyway, enjoy your April, whether you come along for this ride with me, or not.

Good Night and God Bless!

Rox Reign Begins With Rain, Thankfully

Dear Colorado Rockies,

Whoa! Did you guys get a break there, with the rain! I left work and saw that the score was 5-1 in favor of the Redbirds, and figured that you had lost the game. Only just now (I know, some fan right?) did I look at the standings and see that you were a half game behind the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.

How could this be? I mean Jeff Francis couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, by the sounds of it. Okay, sound isn't really a true representation of what I saw/heard. It was actually the visual that I was getting in my head as I watched my Gamecast showing pitch after pitch after pitch going for balls. You threw ten of them in a row. Ten!

After two and one-third innings you had given up 5 runs, something like 4 base-on-balls, a double and a home run.

Yikes!!

You sir, are the ace of this magical team. Although my daughter could have done just as well yesterday as you did. Okay, obvious hyperbole, but still.

Yikes, again!!

Fear not, for after one out in the third inning, the skies opened up. The rains came down, and kept coming. Finally after more than an hour and a half of the sky perspiring, the umpires called it.

Your stats for the day now read 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Way better than the alternative, don't you think?

As for the offense, guys you need to hit the ball AWAY from their defenders. Actually you all did an outstanding job, compared to the ace of the staff. So enjoy the re-opening day today and bring one home for the purple and black.

Go Rox!!