I'm home!...sigh.....

I had an awesome week camping in Rhode Island last week. The weather was spectacular. Daytime highs were in the upper 60 to low 70s (About 22 celcius for my European friends). At night the temp was dropping into the low 50s. Just perfect sleeping weather.

It was great seeing my son Kevin again. He is working there for the summer and I had not seen him in a few weeks. Tuesdays are his day off so we got to spend a fair amount of time just hanging out and having fun.

Tyler kept pretty busy as well. He earned four new badges. The one to be most proud of is his swimming badge. Two years ago he was afraid to even jump in the water. He couldn't swim at all. He has been taking lessons and is actually now on a "pre-team" squad. He actually swims a number of different strokes and races in the relays. This year he is planning to try out for the swim team. The coaches have been pushing for him to try out.

I spent time at night sitting on a rock by the pond staring at the stars and thinking about life. I prayed for all my friends and was just so at peace. I tried sending a blog from my cell but, there is not even a cell signal where I was sitting. Here is what I had tried to send:

Its my 2nd night in the woods of RI. Im sitting on a rock by the pond listening to the bullfrogs. There is a fill moon in the clear night sky and I just saw an owl fly over. I see no signs of modern civilization and I am at peace with nature and God. This is why I look forward to my week here each year. In a few minutes I will pray for each of you and say good night to the stars. I will sleep well knowing I get to do this all over again tomorrow.

The boys were not the only one busy that week. I spent my afternoons getting certified by the Red Cross in Wilderness First Aid. I passed with flying colors. So, if I ever come across you hurt in the wilderness, you are in good hands. LOL

Of course this week I am back home and back at work. It has been a stressful week so far and I am already longing to go back to one of the only places on Earth that has made me feel so at peace. Oh well, I can look forward to next year....tm

One of the local residents came to visit us.

Tyler had to build a shelter and spend a night sleeping in it to learn Wilderness Survival.

This is the rock area I sit at night. You can see sooo many stars here at night!

This was my home for the week.

Tyler and Kevin on the Sunday we were heading home. It was hard leaving Kevin behind.

It's Official!

It is confirmed. I have totally lost my mind. I went to send a text message to Dena about an hour ago. I punched in the number and then sat there staring blankly at it for a minute. It took me that long to realize that trying to send a message on a calculator just is not going to work. Doh! To make matters worse, I then proceeded to totally forget what it was I wanted to say to begin with! I turn 46 next Weds and I guess senility is giving me practice for growing older.

Dena: We will be the best of friends until we are old and senile. And then we will be NEW friends!

Luckily for me, tomorrow I have the day off and then I leave Sunday to spend a week camping with my son Tyler and the other scouts of the troop. One whole week of no modern conveniences. No computer. No phone. No television. No work. No wife. (Woops did I just say that?). I really need this vacation.

I did set my blog to be able to post from my cell phone so I may be able to post some Random Pics of the Day from my sanctuary in the woods of Rhode Island. I can't have you all forgetting who I am if I am gone for a week. lol

Thought 4 My Thursday

Something to really think about:

If you could send a message back in time to yourself, what would it be?

Maybe it's just me?

It seems lately the littlest things turn into major battles in my house. Nothing is ever kept strictly to the immediate issue. Tonight it started out about the way I am doing the sidewalk in front of our house. It quickly became, "Well let me tell you what's wrong with you Tom!" When I asked to stick to talking about the sidewalk I get told, "It's not just the sidewalk. It's this, this, and that!"

So my question for you is this, When you have a disagreement with someone, are you able to keep it simple or do you take the opportunity to blast that person about everything since the dinosaurs died?

Random Pic of the Day

Today's picture illustrates a little trick I use to figure out if I took my medication. I suffer from High Blood Pressure. In other words, I am married. Because I am typically running all over the place I sometimes forget to take my medication. Or worse yet, I forget if I have taken it or not. So, what I do is turn the bottle upside-down after I take it. If it is upside down, I know I already took it that day. In the afternoons I always turn it back over. The bottle sits right in front of my computer screen so I see it all the time. It has saved me aggravation many times.

Random Pic of the Day

This is how my day ended yesterday and continued today. My laptop decided it was time to retire. What you see here is what is commonly referred to as BSOD or the Blue Screen Of Death. Simply put, it means you are so screwed it's not even funny! I am hoping the guys at the repair shop can fix it fast and cheap! Judging by the redlines and the random symbols it displayed before giving me this, I would venture to say I did something to the graphics adapter. Maybe all that porn I downloaded was just too hot to handle? LOL

Letting go....

Yesterday I did something that all parents eventually do. I watched my oldest son, Kevin, grow up a little more. I am a Boy Scout leader and both of my boys have been involved in scouting for years. Every year we go camping for a week in Rhode Island. It is something I look forward to every year. So do both my boys. Last year while there, Kevin came to me with some papers to sign. He wanted to get a job working in the camp during the summer of 2009. It would mean 10 weeks that he would be spending away from home. I thought this sounded like a terrific opportunity so, I signed the papers for him. He talked about it all year and I thought I was ready. Oh how wrong I was.

Yesterday was the day I needed to get Kevin up to Rhode Island. All along I thought I would be able to handle his being gone. After all, he spent the entire month of August last year in Japan with his Japanese tutor and her family. We really only talked to him twice that month and it was very briefly. So, by comparison, Rhode Island is virtually right around the corner. I can hop in the car and be there in just under 4 hours. He also has his cell phone with him. These are the things I keep trying to remind myself of. And yet when yesterday arrived, I found myself extremly teary and emotional and several points. It started when I watched him walk his sister down to the bus stop for school. It made me think back to the days when we would walk him down to the bus. Just when did he become this young man? It was touching to see him walking and watching over her. My boy was becoming a man.

My wife and I drove him up to the camp. I didn't drive like I was in a rush. My wife even commented about my not driving in the carpool lane. Instead I stayed in the slow lane. I later confided that I was actually just prolonging the amount of time I had left with my son. When we got to the camp and got him all checked in, they told him to get settled and then he could meet them at the dining hall where he will be working in the kitchen. We took this time and the 3 of us walked around the camp a little bit. My wife has never been there and we thought it would be nice if she saw where we live for a week each summer. After a little bit I started to notice that Kevin was ready to get to work. So we walked with him back to the dining hall. He reluctantly gave him mom a hug and he shook my hand. I didnt care what people thought and I pulled him in and gave him a hug too. I told him I loved him and watched as he walked inside. We stayed on the grounds for about another hour and walked around. Again I was in no rush to leave my first born child behind. When I knew it was really time for us to get moving, we walked one last time back to the dining hall. Inside Kevin was being shown what his responsibilities will be. He had a big smile on his normally straight and serious face. For the first time in a long time, he is where he feels happy. He fits in. He is with kids his own age that he can relate to. They will be his family until we pick him up on August 26th. And even though I will be at the camp from July 5th to the 12th with Tyler and the rest of my boyscouts, and I will get to see Kevin that entire week, I am looking forward to the day Kevin comes home.

I love you Kevin and I miss you in a way that you will not understand until the day comes that you have your own children and you have to stand by helpless as they grow up before your eyes.....tm

This tent will be Kevin's home for the entire summer.

My Celebrity Sighting

Have you ever walked past someone and thought, "That looked just like....." It has happened to me a few times in the past. Today when my wife and I went for our walk through town, we passed Starbucks. I looked at the people sitting outside and looked at this blond woman that looked very familiar. As we passed, I said to my wife, "Is that Melissa Joan Hart?" She had not seen her so she said we should walk back and look. When my wife saw her she said yeah I think it is and we continued on our walk. I started thinking about it. Why shouldn't I just ask the woman if she was Melissa? When I said it to my wife she said, "If you want to ask her go ahead." I told her if she was still there on the way back I was going to ask. We made it to Dunkin Donuts, got our coffee and headed back. We like to sit outside Starbucks anyway.

When we got back to Starbucks, the blond woman was still sitting there with her husband, her kids, and her dad. I walked over to her and asked, "I'm sorry but if I don't ask it is going to make me nuts all day." "Are you who I think you are?" Melissa looked up and smiled and confirmed it was actually her. I talked to her briefly and welcomed her home. She grew up in Sayville and I know her family still lives here. I am assuming she decided to come home and see her dad since tomorrow is Father's Day.

Despite all the bad crap they have said about Melissa in the tabloids, I have to tell you that she looks great and is still as friendly as can be. She is a very pretty girl and still has those dimples. It was fun seeing her relaxing and being just a normal mom hanging out downtown with her children.

While sitting there I could not resist the urge to take a couple pictures. I am sure if I had simply asked, she would have let me take the pictures but, it was kinda fun sneaking a few snaps on my phone. Besides, her son was running around with her digital camera taking pictures of things and people. Including me. So Melissa, when you go through your camera and see this bald guy you don't know, it's just me. I am sure the pictures I took have a bigger impression on me than the couple of me will on you!

So, now I can add Melissa Joan Hart to the list of celebrities I have met over the years. The others include Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miagi in The Karate Kid; the guy who played Rocky's brother-in-law in the movie; and also one of the cast members from the TV show Boston Legal.....tm

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

(click pic to enlarge)

Favorite 4 My Friday

Today's favorite is the hour of 8 AM to 9 AM on my work days. In this hour I get more done than I can in my entire day because the office is still closed. I do not answer the phone during this hour and there are no other workers in my office. This is especially nice since I have one coworker in particular that puts my blood pressure meds to the test.

Because space is very tight, her desk happens to be back in my office instead of out front with the rest of the clerk-typists. She happens to be one of those people that is super nosey, super opinionated, and has no check-valve on her mouth. She hates me with a passion for some reason. Actually it has a lot to do with the fact that I am the one that pretty much everyone answers to. At the end of the day when everyone has done there jobs and inspections, it is my name that the property owners see. I will have to dedicate an entire blog to all the petty stuff she gets so uptight over. She has a way of bringing the entire place down. She will even go out of her way to dig at me. Prime example: The picture is actually of her desk. (I love when she is not at it!) The skeleton on the wall is something she hung up last Halloween. She knows I don't like my office looking like a preschool. So, when she found that huge skeleton she wasted no time in hanging it up. To make it worse, she leaves it there. Here it is mid June and it is still there. She decorates it for each holiday. You are probably wondering why I just dont ask her to take it down? I try not to let her know it bothers me. She would rejoice at that.

Well, I should end this here. It is 5 minutes before my favorite work hour ends and the office opens and everyone should be getting here in a few minutes. Then about 10 minutes after nine "my friend" will be taking up her post at that desk and making my day hell. Where are those blood pressure pills?!......tm

Random Pic of the Day

Question for you....

If you saw ME in a police car
what would you think I got arrested for?

It doesn't matter how well you know me. Just give me your best guess.
And for the record, I have never been arrested!

Thought 4 My Thursday

"You decide your own direction, so make
your journey one you'd want to read about"

Random Pic of the Day

It's been awhile since I mentioned the chickens. So today's random pic of the day is a picture I took a few minutes ago. The 6 of them are running around the yard eating any bugs they can find. They are actually getting quite big. They are about the size of what you would find in the freezer section of the grocery store. lol Sorry for that morbid comparison but, it was the easiest way to convey what I meant.

Toon 4 My Tuesday (w/ image this tiime)

Paybacks are a ....!

As you may or may not know, I am a Jimmie Johnson NASCAR fan. I have been betting with Dena for the last few years. She is an avid Tony Stewart fan. Well, in what can only be described as extreme child abuse, she has brainwashed her son Devin into also cheering for Tony. She has "Joshy" doing it too but, we can all figure out why he goes along with that one. (They need a more comfy couch to sleep on). In any event, yesterday Jimmie suffered a bit of bad luck. After leading for most of the race, he ran out of gas on the last half lap and finished further down in the order. You can imagine my disappointment.

Not to miss out on a chance to tease me, Devin posted a blog about Jimmie's loss. Go see http://tonyalltheway.blogspot.com/2009/06/conserve-gas.html to see what the crumbsnatcher had to say. I was seriously laughing so hard my sides hurt.

Well, today I decided it was payback time. I made sure his mom knew what I was planning since I was going to need her help. I called their house and asked to speak to Devin. When he answered the phone I explained that I was an attorney and that my client, Mr. Jimmie Johnson, was very hurt by Devin's blog. I told Devin that we intended to sue him. I could hear a little nervousness at this point. I asked him if he owned a home. He said, "No." I asked him if he owned his own vehicle. Again the answer was "No." I then asked if he was over 18 and when he said "no" I explained that in that case we would be forced to sue him for his allowance and all Tony Stewart memorabilia he may own. Needless to say he sounded a bit more nervous at this point. This is when I told him who I really was. After all, I can't have people yelling at me for picking on kids. At this point he looked at his mom and said, "Oh I am gonna have to pay him back for this one!"

You better believe I am going to be watching over my shoulder for awhile. I can only imagine what he may think of to retaliate! Thank you for being a good sport Devin. And Dena, thanks for your help setting him up! lol

Insomnia

It is 6:40 AM and I just finished feeding the dog and the chickens. While you may be sitting there wondering why that has any significance, it really does. It's because I am still awake from yesterday. I worked last night and got in about 4 AM. Normally I go straight to bed and fall right asleep. Not today. I felt pretty awake when I got in. I actually grabbed a beer hoping that would help. Nope. I have been watching infomercials and TV church services. I am sure I will pay for this later but since it is raining at the moment I dont care how much of the day I may waste away. I am not used to having insomnia so this should be interesting. I hope my wife wakes up before the kids do. Then we can go grab breakfast........spoke too soon. Here comes Kaity! Grrrrr

Random Pic of the Day

To us Islanders, this scene is something we would not think twice about. But, as I sat having lunch today it occurred to me that you mainlanders may be sitting there wondering why this guy is standing at the dock holding a long net. Well, what you can't see in this picture, is the chicken leg he has tied to a string. He is crabbing. What you do is tie the chicken to the end of a long string and toss it into the water. In a few minutes you slowly start to draw in the line. Almost always, there will be a crab clamped tightly onto the chicken. You slowly draw the crab to the surface and slide the net under him, scooping him out of the water. If you are lucky he is a good size and has some other friends underwater just waiting for you to toss the chicken leg back in. Pull in a few of them and you have a nice dinner that night!

What About Me 4 My Wednesday

Some days life doesn't have to be about us. Today is one of those days for me,
despite the title of this post. Today this post is simply to wish my best friend a very

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Yes I realize I am reusing a picture I made a few years ago, but this happens to be Dena's favorite flower.

Music 4 My Monday

Everyday the news is filled with stories of people. Most of the time bad. Occasionally you may hear a story of someone that goes above and beyond and does something spectacular. We call them heroes.

But what about the unrecognized people? The ones who give without expectation of anything in return. The beautiful people that help us each and everyday? Not because they have to but, because they choose to. We all know them. We see them in our lives without ever taking the time to stop and see what they do for us. Or to let them know they are appreciated.

People like the lady who works with mentally challenged adults. Or the single mother that makes someone else's daughter feel special on prom night. Or the Midwestern woman who spends each and every day teaching your children about life so you can go to work. It could even be the man who goes out of town to lay the ground work for cell phone towers just so you can talk to distant relatives. Maybe it is the man who plays Santa in your small town or the 18 year old that joins the military not because he has to but, because he wants to. And just maybe it is the woman who is there to answer the phone when your doctor is not there even though she has major health issues of her own.

Everyone of them and those like them give of themselves so that the world can hopefully be a better place for the rest of us. When was the last time you took a minute to thank them? They are not looking for anything more than for just one person to stop and recognize the fact that without them, our life would be difficult to say the least. They are no different than you or I. They are our friends and neighbors. You will never read about these people in the paper or see them on the evening news. But they will go out again tomorrow. Making a difference in yet another life. Knowing inside that there is a special place for them in God's kingdom.

I am asking each one of you that reads this to stop and look at the people you take for granted in your life and when you see them next, let them know their work is appreciated. Look them right in the eyes and with a simple smile on your face tell them Thank You!

Random Pic of the Day

It has been rather stressful around my house lately. Relaxing is not an option for the most part. Tonight I took some time to just sit outside in the yard. I built a nice fire and grabbed a beer.

The Golden Egg

I tell my kids all the time that one of the reasons we had children was simply so we could mess with their heads. Last night was one of those times.

When we first got the chickens, Katie was very excited. She was hoping that these chickens would lay golden eggs so we could be rich. Can you see where this story is leading yet? Well, being parents that hate to see our children disappointed, my wife decides we need to help Kaitlyn realize her dream. We took an egg and spray painted it gold. Since paint doesn't dry so fast on eggs, we had to wait a day or two to carry out the plan. Last night I put the egg inside the chicken pen. Out in the open where she would see it easily. I gave her an ear of corn and sent her out to give it to the chickens. Of course I had to go outside to see her reaction.

Kaity ran to the chickens, tossed in the corn, and came running back. She had not seen the egg. So, I said to her, "Bug, what is that thing in the pen?" "Did someone toss a golf ball in there?" Kaity ran back and looked and announced, "Nope. It's just a rock." I told her that it didn't look like one so we should go look closer. That's when it hit her. "OMG! OMG! The chickens laid an egg! And it's golden!!" She took the egg and was running around yelling. She ran into the house to show her mom. When my wife asked her if she was sure it was an egg Kaitlyn replied, "Yes it is. I smelled it and it smells like poop!" In between laughing I asked why it would smell like that and of course she informed me it was because, "Eggs come out of a chicken's butt" Can you see me rolling on the floor holding my sides at this point?

Well, of course Kaitlyn has been calling people to tell them about her chicken and its golden egg. We overheard her telling her cousin that a plain egg is only worth $5 but this golden one is worth $20. Where she came up with those figures is beyond me. She also claims to know which of the chickens actually laid the egg. I can only wonder if she went outside and sniffed each chicken's butt to compare to the smell of the egg.

She wanted to put the egg in her back pack and take it to school today but, I convinced her that would not be such a good idea since it would break. And everyone knows that no one will pay $20 for a broken golden egg. Whew! That would have been a mess!.........tm

What About Me 4 My Wednesday

I sometimes get so caught up in things that I miss out on other things. Or I end up slightly behind schedu.......oh crap! It's already Thursday! Looks like I did it again! Dammit!

Random Pic of the Day

In my job, I am required to maintain 24 hours annually of in-service training. Of course that means everyone in my field also has to do it. In my county I am the one that handles everyone that comes through us for training. I run the website

http://www.freewebs.com/boasc

I also organize the payments and setup the registrations for the courses.

Today we had a seminar. We had 140 people attend this one. The picture shows my view from the back of the room.

Toon 4 My Tuesday

The Junior Prom

Tonight was the Junior Banquet for my son's High School. My son is not a very socially active person and was not really planning to go. He is terribly shy. Not to mention the fact that he goes out of his way to be different. ie- wearing a dog collar. When my wife asked him if he planned on going he kind of brushed it off. He later told her why. She was disappointed for him. After a few days a thought had occurred to her. There was a girl that Kevin had really hit it off with a few years back. She is a year older than him and lives in another town, but does not have a current boyfriend. Kevin perked up at the suggestion and actually contacted her. You should have seen how happy he was when she agreed to go. This is a very big thing for him. It is actually his very first "date." I will let you know how things turn out.

Favorite 4 My Friday

Sitting here thinking about what favorite to post about I decided to share my favorite past times. After the house is quiet in the evening, I like to sit and play on my laptop. I used to play online games on Pogo or MSN. That was until I came across an article about a virtual world called Second Life. It sounded intriguing and worth a look. What started as a curiosity has become literally a way of life for me.

For those of you not familiar with Second Life, it is literally a whole online world. You create an avatar and from there you go out and meet other people. If you have ever played "The Sims" you have a basic idea of what it's like. The only difference is every character you meet is a real person. You can talk to them and interact with them. In world there are soooo many things to see and do. There are stores, gardens, dance clubs of all kinds, beaches, pretty much everything you may encounter in the real world. I have done things like horseback riding and skydiving. If you can do it in the real world, you can do it in Second Life. With a couple added bonuses. In SL you can also fly! You also can look pretty much any way you like. I have been everything from a rabbit to a monkey. And my human avatar actually has hair!

I started out looking like the typical noob fumbling my way around. In the time I have been playing, I have grown to a point where I now own virtual land where I rent out houses to other users, I have worked in a dance club as a stripper (that is a whole other post! LOL), and I have created things that I now sell in world. SL has its own economy based on a monetary unit called a Linden. Believe it or not, Lindens can be converted to actual real world cash. I have reached the point where I am actually making a little bit of money off of this game.

You do not need to be a paying subscriber to play. You can create a free acount. If you wish to own land you do have to have an account though. But, as I said, I make money there. It covers my monthly fee and leaves me with a little extra each month. I will never get rich off of it but I do enjoy it. The people that rent from me have become friends. The gardens I have created have become quite popular hang outs.

My favorite part of the whole thing is the people. When I joined a couple years ago, seeing 16,000 people online at one time was considered a lot. Now at any given time the number is well over 70,000. It is a global community. I have talked to people from all over the world. I actually have one person that lives in Germany that I have been helping with their English. They have been teaching me some German. You are not restricted to typing either. You can use voice chat.

Second Life is not for everyone. Many people try it and for whatever reason just dont care for it. But for every person that doesn't stay, there is one that does. If you should ever decide to check it out, my SL name is Brock Fabre. Leave me a message and I will find you and show you around. Visit www.secondlife.com for more info. Hope to see you "in-world!"


This is me sitting in a tree in Mystic on SL




This is part of the land I own.




I created a tree with falling leaves that I now sell online.




This is when I decide to be a monkey. LOL

Wish I had a horse!

I swear that the days before cars had to have been easier. I spent this past weekend working on both cars. My wife and I have identical vehicles. We bought them the same day. For some reason, despite hers having lower mileage, her car is in worse shape. In any event, I worked on it over the weekend and finally got it running like new again. No more misfiring. No more exhaust leak that made it noisier than a jet. She was very happy. So was I......until yesterday.

She called me to tell me that her car died. She had stopped at 7-11 and now the engine won't turn over. She ended up walking the last two blocks to work. After she got off, she walked back to her car and sat in it waiting for 2 hours till I could get there to get her running. I got there, jump started the car, filled the gas tank, and she drove home without incident. I noticed a lot of corrosion on the battery so when we got home, I replaced the connections and cleaned the terminals. That should do it.....NOT! While running the engine I noticed if I turned on the headlights, they would dim if I turned on the blinkers. Uh oh. Alternator troubles. This was confirmed when I looked at it and saw that the back of the alternator appeared melted.

I let her take my car to work and figure I will take hers to work myself and fix it later. Well, this morning the car wouldnt start. With no one around to give me a jump, I ended up staying home. I walked in the rain to the autoparts store and $230 later I have a nice new alternator. I was not able to get the old wires off so I ended up cutting those and rigging new. It was not exactly fun fixing it in the rain but I didnt see much choice.

I am now sitting on the couch waiting for her to get home with my car so I can jump the battery on hers. Boy that shower felt good.......tm

This is the new one I put in:




This is the one I took out:

Toon 4 My Tuesday

Music 4 My Monday

Today is Memorial Day here in the USA. It is a day for us to remember that freedom is not free. It has a price. There are men and women who gave their lives in order for us to have the liberty that we do. Please take a minute to listen to the song below and say a prayer for the families of those that died fighting for your freedom. But, please also take an extra minute to pray for those that still serve today. They are the sons and daughters of our country. People like Dena's son Kody have made the choice to help protect us.

Kody, although we have never met face to face (yet)you make me proud to know you. Please know that everyday I thank God for you and those like you. Without you, we may not be able to have the life that we do here in the USA. God Bless you and may He always be by your side no matter where you go.

We should never expect others to live up to our expectations

if we do not live up to them ourselves.....tm

The no-competition field day competition.

My daughter goes to the same elementary school that I went to as a kid. I remember looking forward to field day every year. It consisted of things like track and field events, tug-of-war, three-legged races, relays, and the peanut hunt. Of course that was before kids developed peanut allergies. I was far from athletic but, I always had fun. I didn't care if I won awards or not.

Today was field day for Kaitlyn. I took the day off so I could go and watch. Aside from the fact I love going to the things the kids do, my wife is in Washington DC for the day. What I saw today seemed fun for the kids but the competition was gone. The events were no longer based on skill or athletics. Instead it has become one giant kids party. There were about 12 different stations that the "teams" rotated to. Events included things like dancing, crab soccer, an obstacle course, face painting, and sand art. Since when did sand art become a field day event? There were no stop watches. No ribbons for the top competitors. No judges. Nothing that would make the kids strive harder to be the best. Have we gotten that pathetic that we must prevent our kids from having to grow up and face the fact that they may not always be the best? How does this prepare them for life down the road where they may have to compete for things like jobs and promotions? People win and people lose. We get over it.

This was the closest they came to a sport.

I don't recall the hula hoop as an olympic event.

This was kinda cute. The one in the back had to lead the blind
through a field of debris without stepping on anything.

Getting her face painted.

Face painting results.

Random Pic of the Day

I took this picture this past Sunday. This is my niece. She is about 18 months old and has discovered the joy of eating potato chips!

I can not be the only one....

I am sure you are all used to having to use the "captcha" system in order to post comments on other people's blogs. You know, those funny little words they make you retype? But, am I just weird or does anyone else sit there and try to come up with meanings for the senseless words? What language is that anyway? I am pretty fluent in typonese and yet these words seem to be a code I can't crack.

What exactly does "chipawe" mean? In my house it is something you have to do when the ice cubes are stuck together. "I had to "chipawe" at the block to get the ice I needed." Or how about "Husties?" Are those pasties for very large breasted women?

I sit here each day and enter such words as "wherf" and "Polidefa" and "elitylar" and try to figure out if I am supposed to decipher the codes. Maybe it is a secret message from the KGB? "Tom! You must "Noinga" at the first sign of "Isplidu" and pass along the secret "Oredic" But be sure not to "Seselpal!"

Ok so maybe I just have way too much time on my hands to think about this stuff. But it sure makes my "facdila" hurt! Sorry, I just could not "ressest" posting this. It sure is giving spell check a workout!

What funny "captcha" words have you come across?

Music 4 My Monday

My goal in this life is to do whatever it takes to be remembered. As a kid I was kinda lost in the shadows a lot. Didn't seem that people even knew I existed. So that is why I am choosing Tim McGraw for today's Music 4 My Monday.

My 100th post.

Well here I am. Staring at the screen for my 100th post! In keeping with that theme, as promised, here is my list of 100 things you may not know about me.

1. I was born in Micanopy, FL on July 8, 1963

2.I moved to Long Island when I was a baby.

3. I love living near the ocean

4. I have a college degree in construction technology.

5. I have a second college degree in Architecture

6. I used to have my own construction company.

7. I don't anymore.

8. I have 3 wonderful kids.

9. I love being a dad.

10. I think I suck at it at times.

11. I was done having kids after 2.

12. Until my brother had a baby girl and I wanted a daughter.

13. I lucked out and got one.

14. My daughter thinks she has me wrapped around her finger.

15. She is probably right.

16. I love to travel.

17. No Sally, Egypt and India are not among the places I have thought about going.

18. If I could get married all over again I would.

19. Probably not to the same person.

20. I love NASCAR

21. Dena is the one that got me hooked.

22. I am a tough person to get close to.

23. I am very very careful about who I let in.

24. My best friend as a kid was Bobby D.

25. He was killed when were kids.

26. I have never had closure.

27. It's why I don't let people get close.

28. I love my job.

29. It involves life safety.

30. I won 6 Student service awards in college.

31. I also won the Gertrude Zerinsky Memorial award for dedication and service when I graduated from New York Institute of Technology.

32. To this day I have no idea who Gertrude Zerinsky was.

33. I collected beer bottles when I was a teen.

34. I have over 200 different bottles from all over the world.

35. I have one brother and one sister.

36. I am the oldest.

37. We all still live in the town we grew up in.

38. I talk to my brother a few times a week.

39. I talk to my sister maybe a few times a year.

40. It keeps me from punching her husband in the mouth.

41. I do cry at sad movies.

42. I also cry when I watch my daughter in a ballet.

43. I always root for the underdog.

44. I will stand up for anyone being bullied.

45. I am a stickler for following rules.

46. I take pleasure in writing tickets to people that don't follow rules.

47. We owned a gymnastics school.

48. We had to close due to the economy.

49. I miss doing the birthday parties at the gym.

50. I am high energy when I am working with kids.

51. I have been told numerous times that I am a lot like Robin Williams.

52. My best friend lives in Nebraska.

53. My other best friend lives in Florida.

54. I dream of owning a chicken farm some day.

55. I am raising 6 right now.

56. Thanks to my mother-in-law

57. My first job was working for the county.

58. I pulled weeds out of sandtraps at a golf course and emptied trash cans.

59. I thought golf was a stupid game.

60. I now look forward to playing any chance I can.

61. I am not that good at it.

62. I also worked in a card store for awhile.

63. I worked nights while going to college.

64. It was in a factory that sends out all that junk mail that fills your mailbox.

65. I want to learn how to ride a motorcycle.

66. So I can travel from NY to CA and back on it.

67. My favorite shows are anything dealing with ghosts.

68. I read the entire Harry Potter series.

69. I really like the number of this question.

70. I don't know why I told you that.

71. I prefer automatic transmissions

72. I have driven a stick shift for the last 19 years.

73. I have a hard time letting go of things.

74. The same thing with people.

75. I forgive probably more than I should.

76. People tend to take advantage of that fact.

77. I was the second smallest kid in school.

78. People took advantage of that fact too.

79. I am no longer the smallest out of all those that were in school with me.

80. I actually had very thick hair when I met my wife in high school.

81. I have been pulling it out ever since.

82. I get way less sleep than I should.

83. I am a part time disc-jockey.

84. I can "feel" the presence of people no longer among the living.

85. This freaked out someone close to me. (Your mom says hi kiddo).

86. I talk in my sleep.

87. Loudly and clearly.

88. One time it was in a foreign language that I didn't know I knew.

89. I think the 1980's were the most fun I ever had.

90. There are many nights I don't remember.

91. I love to write.

92. I wrote a soft-core porn short story one time.

93. Ok so maybe it wasn't so soft-core.

94. I can talk in front of groups no matter how large.

95. I am considered the "go to guy" by way too many people.

96. I secretly love being the "go to guy" Shhhhhh....don't tell anyone.

97. I don't think any one religion has got it right.

98. I prefer instant gratification.

99. I am willing to wait for it.

100. I will probably reread this blog after I post it and wish I had done it different.

So there you have it. 100 totally mundane things you probably didnt need to know about me. If any of it makes no sense or raises questions, please feel free to ask. I welcome the conversation. Wonder what I will do for my 500th blog?

B-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r!

I can not be the only one this happens to. I was in the shower earlier and sure enough, someone turned on the hot water elsewhere in the house. Of course the result is me being blasted with a wake up call of ice cold water. This is not a one time deal either. For some reason every single time I get in the shower, someone gets me. Doesn't matter what time of day it is. 98% of the time it is my wife. I don't know why. I have even tried taking my shower when she is not home. Inevitably she will come home and get me. There was actually one time I waited till she was at work and the kids were not home. I was all set. Enjoying the nice hot water. All soaped up and suddenly, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Water so cold that I have been waiting for my testicles to come back ever since. Turns out she had set the timer on the dishwasher! She doesn't even need to be home to get me!.........tm

Favorite 4 My Friday

My favorite for today is my favorite blog to read. That honor actually goes to.......drum roll please.....Devin at What I Think

His posts may be brief, but they are always fun or interesting. I enjoy viewing the world from his perspective. The innocence of youth. (Although he is about to turn another year older next week).




Kudos Devin on making blogging fun!

Thought 4 My Thursday

Take yesterday's dreams and make them the adventures of today.
So that they may become the treasured memories of tomorrow..........tm

Toon 4 My Tuesday

Random Pic of the Day

It was a really nice day today. When I got to work I looked at my official vehicle and decided it could really use a good cleaning. So I took it to the local car wash. Have you noticed that a car just seems like it runs better after a really good cleaning?

My daughter needs a mute button!

Yesterday being Mother's Day we did what we usually do and took my wife out for a late lunch / early dinner at Applebee's. While sitting waiting for our food I was telling my wife that I had seen a sign for fresh eggs at $4 a dozen. I then commented that I was going to go home and squeeze our chickens to get eggs. Well, my daughter looks at me and in a nice loud voice, so that everyone in the place can hear, states, "Daddy you can not choke the chickens!" I sat there half mortified and half on the verge of laughing. I calmly told her that I did not say choke. I said squeeze. Of course she was not following me and continued to protest loudly about me choking the chickens. Needless to say my wife and I are laughing hysterically and making sure we try to clarify to her what we meant. I was making sure that I also spoke loud enough so everyone could hear me. My guess is they were laughing too hard to hear me. Kids!....tm

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all of my "mom" friends have a most wonderful day! You all deserve it! HEre is a little something that will make you smile:

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2.. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Random Pic of the Day

Today my boys and I did a 15 mile hike. It was up to the North Shore of the island so there were a lot of hills and rocky trails to navigate. I swore I would never make it. My left ankle hurt so bad I figured they were going to have to shoot me like a lame horse. Today's pic is of a Red-Tailed hawk that was sitting in a treetop. It is seeing nature like this that make the pain all worth it.

Two Angels

Two traveling angels

Keep reading to the bottom of the page -- don't stop at the feet (You'll see).

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room.

Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.

When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,

'Things aren't always what they seem.'

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.

Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?

The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused.

The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die.

'Things aren't always what they seem,' the older angel replied.

'When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it.'

'Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead.

Things aren't always what they seem.'

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later...

Ooooo

Some people ( )
come into our lives ) /
and quickly go.. (_ /

ooooO
( ) Some people
\ ( become friends
\_ ) and stay awhile....

leaving beautiful Ooooo
footprints on our ( )
hearts... ) /
( _/

ooooO
( ) and we are
\ ( never
\_ ) quite the same
because we have
made a good friend!!

Thought 4 My Thursday

"Never do anything you may have to explain to the paramedics"

8th Meme

I was tagged for the "8th Meme" by Dena at Thoughts By Dena

And so, in no particular order, here are my 8's...

8 Things I Look Forward To

1. Sundays
2. That one week of camping each July
3. Traveling each fall for work
4. Watching Kaity dance on stage.
5. That perfect song on the radio
6. Hugs from my daughter
7. Payday
8. Waking up another day


8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Got out of bed
2. Fed the chickens
3. Investigated a fire.
4. Bit my lip to keep from killing a co-worker
5. Left work early
6. Stopped at McDonald's so I didnt have to cook dinner.
7. Relaxed on the couch
8. Ran to the grocery store

8 Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Get in better shape
2. Visit that special friend of mine
3. Balance my budget
4. Learn the guitar
5. Finally be finished with the house
6. Fly
7. Stress less
8. Get my car running right again.

8 Shows I Watch

1. Axe Men
2. Ghost Hunters
3. Paranormal State
4. Breaking Bad
5. 24
6. NASCAR races when I can
7. Dirty Jobs
8. GACtv (Not CMT, they play very little music).


8 Bloggers Tagged For The Task

Many of my list have already done it so I leave it up to you if you want to post it.

Tag! You're it!

Tag your are it!!!

1.What’s your current obsession? I sat here thinking and thinking. I really don't have one at the moment.

2. What’s your weirdest obsession? I can not cut off a song at what I consider to be an illogical stopping point. Otherwise it will run through my head all day.

3. What are you wearing today?I am taking a mental health day so I am sitting here in a tee and PJ bottoms

4. Why is today special? The sun came up and I am still here to see it.

5. What would you like to learn to do? I would love to be able to play the guitar.

6. What’s the last thing you bought? New sneakers and dry socks since I destroyed the last pair in a fire investigation yesterday.

7. What are you listening to right now? Kenny Chesney singing on the music channel. Oh and Cookie snoring.

8. What’s your favorite weather? Sunny days with temps in the 70s.

9. What’s your most challenging goal right now? Balancing my finances. It's really getting overwhelming

10. What do you think about the person who tagged you? I think Dena is a special person with a heart of gold.

11. What's your favorite guilty pleasure? Can't write that here. (just kidding). I enjoy chocolate covered pretzels.

12. Favorite vacation spot? I really liked the Bahamas

13. What would you like to have in your hands right now? The TV remote. It is just out of reach and I am too lazy to get up to get it.

14. What would you like to get rid of? my stress and high blood pressure

15. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? I have this friend in Nebraska that could use a hug.

16. What bad habit do you have that you would like to terminate? My thinking I have to be the one that fixes everything for everyone else

17.What super power would you like to possess? Normally it would be invisibility, but today I just wish I could fly.

18.What is the one thing that you have done in your life that you are the most proud of and if you had the chance to do it again you wouldn't change a thing? When I started this survey I didnt think it would be this hard. I dont really have an answer for this one right now.

19.What’s your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? See the answer to question #3 lol

20. What’s your dream job? I actually really like what I do now. But I have thought about teaching too.

21. If you had $150 now what would you spend it on? Bills is the right answer but I could really use a new MP3 player

22. Do you admire anyone’s style? Not really. Although I do envy the guys that can wear a suit and not look like they are uncomfortable in it.

23.Describe your personal style. Jeans, sneakers, and either a tee or hoodie depending on the season.

24. Who’s fashion show would you want tickets to? LOL Like I would even know a designer name?

25. If you had to slap one person with no repercussions, who would it be and why? The one secretary that sits in my office that thinks she runs the place. She is nasty and just WAY too into everyone's business.

26. What are you most proud of? My kids for sure.

27. If you could choose one person who has passed to have lunch with who would it be and why? My friend that passed when we were kids.




Now the rules of this tag:

1. Respond and rework: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention

2. Tag 7 other people you would love to learn more about. Here’s mine: I will leave this open to all of you that read it. If you decide to do it and have not already, feel free to indulge us. :o)

Happiness Women -vs- Men

(A) How to Keep a Woman Happy"*
It's not at all difficult !

All you have to do is to be:

1. A friend
2. A companion
3. A lover
4. A brother
5. A father
6. A master
7. A chef
8. An electrician
9. A carpenter
10. A plumber
11. A mechanic
12. A decorator
13. A stylist
16. A psychologist
17. A pest exterminator
18. A psychiatrist
19. A healer
20. A good listener
21. An organizer
22. A good father
23. Very clean
24. Sympathetic
25. Athletic
26. Warm
27. Attentive
28. Gallant
29. Intelligent
30. Funny
31. Creative
32. Tender
33. Strong
34. Understanding
35. Tolerant
36. Prudent
37. Ambitious
38. Capable
39. Courageous
40. Determined
41. True
42. Dependable
43. Passionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

44. Give her compliments regularly
45. Love shopping
46. Be honest
47. Be very rich
48. Not stress her out
49. Not look at other girls

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

50. Give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself
51. Give her lots of time, especially time for herself
52. Give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

53. Never to forget: birthdays anniversaries arrangements she makes

(B) HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY....!!! :

1. Leave him in peace
2. Feed him well.
3. Let him have the remote control.


...... are you seriously looking for more??

Favorite 4 My Friday

My favorite style pizza is called a "Grandma Pizza" It is usually square and has extra garlic and a few other spices. The cheese is also under the sauce instead of on top of it. It may look like a sicilian style but, it has it's own unique flavor.