An extreme white Christmas

Like most people, I dream of having a white Christmas every year. Living here on the island we do not typically see a lot of snow. The Atlantic Ocean keeps our weather a bit warmer. Well, this year it appears I got my wish x 10!

My son Tyler and I headed out for camping this past Friday along with the rest of the scout troop. We do it every year at this time. We deep fry turkeys and make a lot of other food and then invite the families to come out on Saturday night for dinner. We normally camp Friday night until Sunday morning. This year we had to pull out Saturday night after dinner. It seems Mother Nature decided to bless us with a promise of a white Christmas by slamming the island with a blizzard. This is why we cut camping short. Not because we would not have survived sleeping outside, but because we knew the roads were going to make it almost impossible to drive home on Sunday morning.

When we left camp, it was snowing lightly and it almost appeared that the weathermen had over-hyped the snow yet again. As we made our way from the north shore down to our home on the south shore, the snow intensity increased. It was a very fine powdery snow and while it was snowing hard, it still seemed unlikely that we would get the predicted 12" - 18" by the time the storm was supposed to end on Sunday morning. Well, someone must have read into my thoughts and just had to prove me wrong. I woke up to a little more than 2 feet of the cold white powder. We have drifts upwards of 6' high. When my son pushed the door open through the 4' high pile that was blocking it, to let the dog out, the dog looked out and then turned around and peed on the tile floor instead. I can't really blame him. Being a male myself and knowing how hard it is getting into a cold swimming pool when the water reaches certain parts, how could I get mad that the dog refused to go drag them through the cold snow? Besides he would have had to tunnel his way around anyway.

So come Friday I will be enjoying my uber white Christmas. In fact I have a feeling we will be looking at this snow for some weeks to come. If anyone out there needs snow, I have plenty to spare!

Just to give you some perspective, my son Kevin is 6'-2" tall.
You can see how high the snow is on him.

The fence behind the shed is a little more than 6' high!

Santa used to be a gun slinging, chain-smoking, pervert

These are actual ads from years ago. I am old enough to remember these types of ads appearing each year at Christmas time. I am happy to say that Christmas is a lot safer for the children now that Santa has been to therapy!

We can see here why Santa is always looking to see where the bad girls live!
I can't really blame him since Mrs. Claus only let's him come once a year.
(Looking close at this picture, the skirt starts at the top of her thighs, and yet her butt is shown a lot higher.
What sort of legs does she have in between her butt and thighs?)

Correct me if I am wrong Santa, but doesn't smoking actually cause scratchy throats?

I guess if I was surrounded by perpetually happy midgets, I would smoke too.

"You'll shoot your eye out kid!"

Trees trees every where but, none to chop I think!

So yesterday was the day to go out looking for a Christmas tree. Since I am working today (and it's raining) and next weekend I will be camping, yesterday was either find a tree of be stuck buying a precut one and praying it doesn't dry up and die before Christmas. This is only the 3rd year we actually went out to cut down our own. I really enjoy it. Despite the inevitable incidents of aggravation that comes with it.

The day was sunny but very windy and very cold. We don't get weather like this until February typically. We all bundled up to face the elements and set out for the tree farm. We arrived at about 2 PM and the place was mobbed. Cars parked along the street as far as the eye could see. I lucked out and got a space almost directly across from the gate. We walked in, paid our $5 deposit for the bow saw and headed out into the field in our quest for that perfect tree. We walked and we walked and then we walked some more. Passing all sorts of trees. Of course none of them were perfect enough to be our tree. The problem here being we each have a different idea of what the perfect tree looks like.

The next 90 minutes or so were full of all sorts of comments. Things like, "It's too skinny" "It's too fat" "It's too tall" "It is bald on that one side" "It leans funny" "I do NOT want a Charlie Brown tree!" Then of course we have to toss in, "I have to go to the bathroom!" This being none other than my daughter who seems to feel the need to use every single public bathroom she can find. Even the porta potty she eventually was able to waddle to with her legs crossed. I kept hoping that I would turn a corner and see "The tree" bathed in glowing sunlight with birds singing and angels playing harps around it. It never really did happen that way. Maybe next year?

The highlight of the afternoon occurred when my middle guy decided to be a wise guy. My older son had spotted a tree. My wife commented it was too short. Since she is 5'2" and my older son, Kevin, pointed out to her, "You are too short." Well, the middle guy, Tyler, heard him and chuckled. Since everyone else chuckled too, I guess he figured this type of humor is acceptable. His mistake came about 10 minutes later. Katie found a tree she thought was nice. I think she would have settled for anything since she still had to find a bathroom. My wife looked at the tree and ruled it out saying "It's bottom heavy" Tyler not missing his chance snaps back, "You're bottom heavy!" Well, I choked, Kevin froze, and Katie paused in her pee-pee dance. We looked at each other and walked briskly away leaving Tyler with his mom. I have a feeling it will be quite some time before they find his body. I just wish he had made this mistake before we started buying his gifts. I could have saved some money!

We did eventually find a nice tree. The kids took turns trying to cut it down. They blamed the saw a lot for it not working so well. So after they had enough, I crawled under and finished the job. Katie did eventually get to the bathroom and we managed to get the tree tied to the car and home. I am really gonna miss Tyler though.

This is the tree I tried to convince Kaity we were getting.
She was not amused.

This is the tree we did end up bringing home.
I will try and post a pic of it all decorated.

Ho-Ho-Humbug!

I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything beyond a picture here and there. Things have not exactly been so easy lately and as a result, when I do have the time to sit and write, I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. Even now, I am sitting here almost forcing myself to type. So be warned, this may turn into a bit of a self pity post.

As I get older, it gets harder and harder to get into the whole Christmas spirit. This year is no exception. I tell myself that I should be working to make the holidays extra special for my kids. They should look forward to Christmas. My daughter does, but I still feel as if I should be doing more for her. Since my wife is working and going to school full time, I am left to take care of everything else. This leaves me exhausted most of the time.

In addition to the above, several things have happened over the past few months that have really taken a toll on me mentally. I found out my wife was cheating on me. My older son has been rebelling in a major way. Including sneaking out at 1 AM to go Lord knows where. My mom is having health issues. My wife has decided that she can not accept my oldest son being gay. My car died and I had to find funds to buy a new one. It's a used car but it is "new to me." My middle son has been battling depression. My brother's wife has distanced herself from the family and it creates major trouble for my brother. In fact, there is going to be a major fight in his house on Christmas morning I am sure. He just doesn't know it yet. And there are all the other everyday common worries on top of all of this. I am dealing with it all very much alone. I have found the ones I would talk to have become rather scarce these days. Not that they don't want to be there, they just have things going on in their own lives. I don't blame them.

Add all of the above together and drop it onto the shoulders of one very over worked and over stressed dad and.......well let's just say I am having a bit if trouble finding the holiday spirit this year and I hate it. I want my kids to think back to Christmas with memories that fill them with joy.

Any suggestions? I am very much open to ideas.

Random Pic of the Day

These hungry guys were hovering next to my car at lunchtime yesterday.
I was tossing fries up to them and they would catch them and wait for more.
I am surprised at the picture since it was taken with my cell phone.

Random Pic of the Day

Today was the Holiday Parade in our town. Despite winds howling at 40 mph, my daughter (looking at the camera) and her dance troupe were out there marching and dancing down Main Street. I love to watch her dance.

Woops!

My wife and I went to the mall today. She had wanted to go later in the day but, after I gave her a look that said, "It is the last race of the year and I am not going to miss a race I can rub in Dena's face later!" we agreed to go and get back before the race. On the way back she wanted to stop and grab a cup of tea at 7-11. I didn't mind since I wanted Diet Cherry Pepsi anyway.

We went inside and she said she was going to get a small one. I grabbed my Pepsi and a bag of Cheetos and met her by the coffee. I saw that she had a 20 oz cup. I questioned it since she wanted a small one. She said, "Yeah you are right. I will get the 16 oz instead" Me trying to be the helpful husband, I take the 20 oz cup and go to put it back on the stack. They stack them upside down so I had to turn the cup over to put it on top of the pile. As I am doing this, I see her mouth open and her eyes widen. I can tell she is about to say something. I probably should have froze and found out what she had to say.

It seems that she puts her half-n-half into the cup before the tea bag and hot water. So while I may have helped her, I made one hell of a mess as I dumped the contents of the cup down the entire stack of clean cups and all over the lids. Not to mention what splashed all over the counter and down inside the cup holder. Of course I did what any normal person would do. I looked at her and started laughing. Since we were on the side away from the registers, the worker didn't see anything. I did make an attempt to wipe some of it down but it was a losing battle.

I hurriedly made her a 16 oz tea and we paid and hightailed it out the front door. I can only imagine what the poor guy was thinking when he walked around and saw the mess. Good thing I don't go into that store all that often!

Thought 4 My Thursday

I wish I could impart some wonderful words of wisdom on all of you today. However, I am over the edge these days and totally out of my mind. So: No mind= No thoughts. Check back with me next week. lol

Let's make this kid smile.

I read about a little boy on one of my friend's blogs.
http://brittanyjohnson87.blogspot.com/2009/11/noah-biorkman-wants-christmas.html

His name is Noah and he is 5 years old. Noah is dying of cancer and his wish is to be able to celebrate this Christmas. His family is doing it early for him. All Noah wants is Christmas cards. He is not asking for toys. He is not asking for money. He is asking for cards.

If you are a skeptic like me, you are doubting the validity of this story. From what I can tell, it is genuine. I am going to do it. Not only that, I am going to ask my daughter to make a card too. I look at it this way, if it is fake all I wasted was the price of a card and a stamp. But, if it is true....well imagine the smile this little boy will have when he receives all these cards!

For the address and the rest of the story, go to Brittany's blog by clicking the link above. I am asking you all, please believe and let's make a difference to this little boy....tm

A proud moment in my life

I was away this week attending the Annual ICC Conference in Baltimore, MD. Despite a lot of heartache from the homefront, I was able to still enjoy my 15 minutes of fame. It was nice to be able to be recognized in front of a crowd of close to 2000 colleagues from all over the world. I even got to make an acceptance speech on the stage. LOL I am posting the story below:


The Building Officials Association of Suffolk County, a New York Chapter of the Code Council, was presented the ICC Community Service Award during today's Awards Luncheon. Community Service Awards are presented when circumstances warrant recognizing meritorious service that promotes the public health, safety and welfare in communities by initiating activities or actions that are considered to be above and beyond the normal expectations.

"For 20 years, the Chapter has managed an annual golf outing to raise funds for children's charities," Awards Committee Chairman Tim Ryan explained. "The Building Officials of Suffolk County Chapter has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to charitable organizations, including St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Schneider Children's Hospital and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation."

"The purpose of our job every year is to provide a future for our children and the children in our communities," said Chapter Secretary Thomas M. "Twenty years ago our association realized that, despite our best efforts, there are kids that will never get to grow up because they're lying in hospitals with either cancer or diabetes. We'd like to accept this award today, not only on the behalf of our association, but for all of those kids that are brave enough to dream of a future, and for every parent that hopefully we were able to give another day they were able to hug their child."

Random "Drunk off my ass" pic of the day

This picture is of me (on the left) and Jeff W. He is a Code Officer like me but, in Utah. The picture is of us at a party we had tonight. The one major difference between us is...I am drunk off my ass. Yes even as I type tis, I am feeling like the room is spinning. I started with a few glasses of wine. Followed by Captain Morgan rum, and then a bottle of "43" I am feeling rather festive at the moment. LOL

Random Pic of the Day

I took this picture about an hour ago while standing on the field behind home plate in the Baltimore Orioles Stadium. I am at a conference for work and tonight we had a reception event in Camden Yard followed by a tour of Orioles Stadium. Very nice event.

My best friend.

As many of you know, Oct 31st is Halloween. For me it also means something else. This Halloween will mark 6 years since I met someone that would go on to become my best friend. Over the years we have shared many laughs and just as many tears. There is no one else on this planet that knows me like they do. That is because I can be 100% real in front of them without the fear of being judged. And Lord knows I have said a number of things over the years that have made them go, "Oh Mylanta!" This friend knows things about me that I could never even admit to my family. We have shared stories about our kids and offered many tips to each other about parenting. We have shared our dreams and fears about life. I am never afraid to speak my mind and have no trouble telling them when I may not see eye-to-eye with certain things.

I know there have been times when she has wanted to just reach out and smack me for things I have either done or said. But, I know she only does that because she cares. We don't always have the same thinking but, we both listen to the opinions of each other and sometimes we just agree to disagree. No hard feelings either way.

I have become a better person because of things she has either taught me, or through my simply sitting back and watching her as she deals with things in her own life. And I can genuinely say, when I talk to her, we have fun. And although it has only been 6 years, it feels as if we have known each other forever.

I am posting this a day early because I will be traveling for a business trip on Saturday. So let me just say this now, so the whole world can see it:

Thank you Dena for all you have done for me. Thank you for being there when I needed you and even when I didn't. Thank you for always believing in me and for never giving up on me. And thank you for being my best friend. Hugz Kiddo

Toon 4 My Tuesday

Things that make you go "Hmmm..."

You have to tell me why no one questioned
this design when they were building it!

Thought 4 My Thursday

"If a man makes a simple mistake and there are no women around to make

him pay for it for the rest of his damn life, is he still a total screw up?"

What the heck is that?

Part of my job involves reviewing building plans. Depending on how small the project is, we will sometimes allow the homeowner to draw their own plans. The picture here is a recent submission. I had absolutely no idea what it was supposed to be. I could not decide if it was a picture of the sun or perhaps a squished spider? When we finally got ahold of the owner, they told us it is a swimming pool. Uhhh......yeah I just don't see it.

Gettysburg

Last weekend I was away camping with my boys and the rest of the scout troop. We spent a few days in Gettysburg, PA. I had never been there and honestly, I had never really cared if I had gone or not. I sure am glad I had this chance now.

For anyone not familiar with the Civil War, Gettysburg marked one of the most famous of all battles. It started on July 1, 1863. (100 years and 1 week before I was born). I will not go into a history lesson here but, this was huge. Thousands of men engaged in one very bloody battle.

We spent 2 days hiking close to 20 miles along roads and paths and across battlefields. There are markers and memorials everywhere. There are big ones and small ones. Each marking a place where a particular infantry was stationed or where a notable person had lost their life. These memorials are everywhere. Not just in accessible areas but, also in the middle of the woods or up on hillsides.

Standing in many of these spots, I could not help but let my mind take me back 146 years and feel the battle. There is an electric feeling of death in the air. The guns and cannons are long since silenced, but the energy of the dead soldiers is loud and clear. I did not see any ghosts while there. At least none that I know of. I have a couple hundred pictures to study to see if they show anything. I have included a few here.

Kevin and Tyler on "Little Round Top"

One of the thousands of monuments

Me and the boys by the Long Island Infantry Monument

The adult leaders and a few of the dads. I am in the middle.
(I dont recall being in a hole when this was taken). lol

Thought 4 My Thursday

By the time you finish reading this,
you will have wasted 5 seconds of your life....

Hey, Devin! Have you heard?

A few months back my friend Dena's son Devin started a blog where he could talk about NASCAR driver Tony Stewart. (http://tonyalltheway.blogspot.com/) Devin took great pride in flaunting the fact that Tony was doing better than my man Jimmie Johnson this season. Please note I said "was".

Where are you hiding now Mr. Devin? Have you looked at those standings lately? In case you have missed it, here is the standings as of this week:

RANK	+/-	DRIVER	POINTS	BEHIND	STARTS	POLES	WINS	TOP 5	TOP 10	WINNINGS
1	+1	Jimmie Johnson	5728	Leader	30	2	5	12	19	6,074,780
2	-1	Mark Martin	5716	-12	30	7	5	12	18	4,598,680
3	--	Juan Montoya	5670	-58	30	2	0	6	16	4,560,080
4	--	Tony Stewart	5644	-84	30	0	4	15	21	6,184,680
5	+2	Jeff Gordon	5623	-105	30	0	1	14	21	5,628,030
6	-1	Kurt Busch	5607	-121	30	0	1	8	17	3,993,030
7	+1	Greg Biffle	5540	-188	30	0	0	9	14	4,151,310
8	+2	Carl Edwards	5536	-192	30	0	0	7	13	4,814,820
9	-3	Denny Hamlin	5509	-219	30	1	2	11	16	4,239,890
10	-1	Ryan Newman	5505	-223	30	1	0	5	14	4,320,030
11	--	Kasey Kahne	5422	-306	30	0	2	5	12	4,864,470
12	--	Brian Vickers	5377	-351	30	6	1	4	13	4,084,730

I do believe that Tony is now behind Jimmie? Hmmmm...? Who is laughing now my friend?

By the way, if this is how the season finishes, your mom is going to owe me a shirt. Are you going to be the one to take the pic of her wearing it in public for me? hehehehe

What About Me 4 My Wednesday

I am affected by the seasons. This is the time of year I seem to go through a bout with depression. It happens every year. I spend a lot of time looking at my life. Where I have been and where I want to be. Maybe it is things in my past that have happened in autumn. Maybe it is watching the Earth as she slowly prepares for her winter slumber. Or maybe it is a little of both. Either way, I become very introverted. I keep to myself and spend much of the time in a hazy fog. Simply going about my days on autopilot.

The one thing that keeps me from totally going off the deep end, is the fact that I know this mood will pass. It always does. One day I will wake up and the sun will be shining and the world will seem right again. Until then, I will be in my own little world and may seem a bit distant. It is nothing personal. It's just me.

Toon 4 My Tuesday

Random Pic of the Day

This is the latest marketing campaign in 7-11. They have what can only be described as a little brown turd trying to get you to buy coffee. The splatter you see on the floor has me stepping over it everytime I go into the store. It's silly because I know it's fake but, I do it every single time.

Random Pic of the Day

Thought 4 My Thursday

Thought 4 My Thursday

Music 4 My Monday

This is a new song by Miley Cyrus called "Party in the USA" The song is awesome but, this video made by a bunch of guys is priceless. They title it "Party in the FIP" FIP would be the Fire Island Pines. For those of you not familiar with The Pines, it is a community on Fire Island in NY. It is primarily a summer community since it is on a barrier island facing the Atlantic Ocean. The people there are all about having fun as you will see in this video.

Grow up and be a stripper!

Ok, maybe it's just me but, I have an issue with this latest offering in children's toys. I assure you, my daughter will not be getting this one from Santa this year. And if she even thinks about asking for it, she is headed straight to therapy!

Thought 4 My Thursday

Family Ties? Who's family?

I am trying to figure out just what planet my mother lives on these days. She seems to have lost all touch with this one. Let me explain.

For many years my mom has always said she loves the closeness of our family. Apparently we have different ideas of what a close family is. We all live within several miles of each other but do not see each other all that often. Family functions are the primary times. Or so it used to be.

Last Sunday my brother had a BBQ to celebrate his daughter's birthday. They do it every year and always the same weekend. The past 2 years my parents decided to plan vacations for that weekend. So this year when they didn't, we all thought they would be attending. Okay, in fairness they did show up. They stayed for maybe an hour. The entire time my mom made sure to say repeatedly that they would not be staying long since they had another party to go to. Now correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't your 10 year old grand daughter take priority here? The party they were going to was at a friend's house. They have commented in the past about how they are not all that close to these people. In any event, off they go to this other party. I should also point out that the weekend before my sister had a party for her daughter and my parents were there early and were among the last to leave about 6 hours later.

A little while after my parents left my brother's house, my sister's daughter took a knock to the head when she walked behind the swing set. Because she fell on her butt and looked a little dazed, my paranoid brother-in-law called an ambulance. (That is a whole other story and by the way, she is fine). So, off go my sister, her husband, and my niece to the hospital. They left their son behind at the party. It was not very long after that my mom shows up to pick up my nephew. I guess none of the other 8 - 10 adult relatives are capable of watching a 7 year old boy? Now my brother is hurt and rightfully so. Not only was his family put aside when my parents left initially, but apparently my sister's kids are top priority.

Fast forward to Tuesday. (Yesterday). My daughter developed a fever while in school. Since Swine Flu is a scare these days, the school demands that you pick up the child immediately and keep them home an extra day. My wife also works in a school but, in another district. She knew it would take time to get home and I work even further away. So she called my mom. In the past my mom has told us many times that if we ever have an emergency she is here to help. Well, I guess she didn't think this was so important. She was asking what time Katie gets off the bus. My wife explained that she had to be picked up. So mom says, "You mean like now?" "Oh I don't know. I really have....." At this point my dad tells my mom to forget it. He will pick her up. I think he sees the favoritism being shown here. Why is it that my mom can drop everything to go get a grandson that is fine with other relatives, and yet can not take 20 minutes to pick up a sick grand daughter? All she had to do was bring her home where my oldest son was waiting. But nope. She could not be bothered

I know my brother was planning to confront her on the party issue. I think I will give him a call and see how that went. I also wonder how long it will be before the other grand kids catch on that they are all treated as if they are beneath my sister's kids. I already know both my boys see it. They have actually pointed it out........tm

September 11, 2001

I just returned home from a business trip. As I made the 7 hour drive home today I thought a lot about whether or not to post today. I just read the blogs of Sally and Riley and wanted to respond. I knew the reply would be lengthy so I am posting here instead.

Sept. 11, 2001 I was on my way to a conference in Lake Placid NY. I was with co-workers. 7 of us total so we were in 2 cars. We passed through NYC that morning at about 5 AM. As we approached the city I looked to see the familiar sight of the skyline. It included both towers. We stopped for gas about 8:30. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was a perfect day. We got back on the road and everything seemed just fine. It was not long after that one of the code officers in the other vehicle called me on the radio and asked if we had the news radio on. I replied that we did not. He then told me that a plane had just hit one of the trade towers. I assumed it was simply a small plane and that it would be easily controlled. Planes have hit the Empire State Building in the past too.

When I turned on the news I learned it had been a jet. I listened as the news gave the unfolding details and I listened as the reporter suddenly yelled that another plane had hit the other tower. Instantly we knew this was not simply an accident. As we drove further we listened as the events of that day unfolded. Immediately I began to think of my wife and children. Living on an island where the only way off is through the city, I knew they were suddenly cut off from the rest of the world. I started trying to recall which way the wind was blowing. What if there was bioweapons on the plane? Or nuclear? Would the wind carry and kill everyone we knew on the island?

I grabbed my phone and tried calling home. I needed to hear what was happening there. All I got was a busy signal. And so it went for many hours that day. Phone calls home were met with that annoying buzz buzz buzz. I was scared and unsure of what to do. We found out that all the bridges and tunnels were in lock down. Now we could not get home if we wanted to. This was certainly not the time to test how far my badge would get me in a crisis.

When we arrived at the hotel all we could do was watch the TV and pray. And so it was for all of us from all over New York that were this conference. An emergency meeting was called for those that had arrived. We were informed that we were all on stand-by. Our services were offered to the Governor of the State. We may be going in to assist in damage assessments as the search for survivors continued. It was not till 2 days later that we were informed that due to the overwhelming response and the realization that there was little hope for survivors, we would not be needed at that time.

I was finally able to get a land line call through early that evening. I found out that my family was fine. And the images on TV had shown that all the smoke was blowing out over the ocean and not over the island. My wife was also relieved to know I was fine. She said to me, "I knew you were passing through the city and I know you. You would have been running into the buildings doing anything you can to help as many people as you could." Four days later we were finally able to get home. You better believe my family got some very big hugs.

As the days went by, I learned of the deaths of people I had known. The memories of that day still haunt me. It is only through talking to my friends and some therapy that I am finally able to face this day each year.....tm

Random Pic of the Day

This was how I spent my morning.
Dena was busting on me for "working" so hard.
Obviously she is not a golfer or she would know that golf IS hard work!

What About Me 4 Wednesday

Part of my job involves traveling a couple times a year. This week is one of those times. I am in Alexandria Bay, NY also known as the 1000 Islands region. We were here about 4 years ago too. It's a pretty area. My room actually has a balcony that looks right out onto the St. Lawrence River. Just south of here is Lake Ontario

I actually look forward to these trips. I get to see nice areas of the country that I would not normally be in. In November I will be in Baltimore, MD. Even though the trip is work related, it is very relaxing. I don't have to deal with the normal daily stresses of the office when I am here.

Favorite 4 My Friday

This week's favorite is a feeling. Do you have a friend in your life that you can always count on? Someone that no matter how crappy a day you are having, just a few minutes spent talking to them can have you laughing and just very happy for that moment? I do.

It makes no difference what sort of mood I am in, I am always genuinely happy to talk to them. The opposite is also true. No matter how bad a day they are having, they are happy to hear from me and they let me know it. We can go from being pissed at the world and wanting to kill someone, to laughing hysterically over something so stupid and silly.

I love that feeling I always am left with after talking to them! Thanks kiddo. Hugz

"Insulting Batteries"

If any of you have a Facebook page, you know that one of the popular things to do on there is take silly surveys. You can find out important things about yourself like, "What 70's TV character am I?" or "What animal would I most likely turn into?" My son Tyler recently took one titled "What crime am I most likely to ever be arrested for?" His result was "Assault & Battery"

The other day, we were sitting in a restaurant having dinner and this survey came up. As we discussed it, my daughter sat with a puzzled look on her face. As soon as there was a moment silence she loudly asked, "Why would anyone insult a battery?" We all lost it and laughing so hard I am surprised we didn't get kicked out of the place!....tm

Random Pic of the Day

We just returned from spending a couple days in Pennsylvania. Monday we were in an amusement park called Knoebel's and Tuesday we went to Camel Beach which is a water park. The picture above was actually taken Monday. My daughter had the best time. She is a daredevil and will try pretty much anything. But, the best part of the whole trip for her was having her oldest brother back after a whole summer without him. She dragged him on many rides with her. When I saw her reach up and take his hand, I just smiled and snapped this pic.

Buying a room for $1.31

Like most kids, mine are under the misconception that they own part of our house. Tyler had commented recently about the bedroom being "his." This then of course gave Kaity the idea that her bedroom was in fact "hers." I pointed out to both of them that in fact, my wife and I own the house (along with the bank) and that we allow them to live there for now. Of course being the smart ass that he is, Tyler had tossed 2 cents at me so he could claim his share of the home. I told him when he moves out I would go take the splinter he just bought and give it to him.

Last night Kaity and Tyler were having one of their several daily battles. Suddenly Kaity ran up the stairs and brought down her change bank. She opened it up and grabbed some change. She proceeded to count out what she grabbed. It totaled $1.31. She handed it to me and then walked over to Tyler, put her hands on her hips, looked him in the eye and said, "I just bought your room! Now go upstairs and clean your stuff out of it!" She then told him, "I am turning it into my storage room. I am going to store shoes and clothes and a piano!" I should point out that Kaity does not play the piano. In fact, we don't even own one.

I sat there laughing. It was just way too funny. Of course Kevin was just looking at both of them and half smiling. He shares the room with Tyler and just got evicted by his 8 year old sister. She told him, "Too bad." I am still chuckling over this whole thing.

By the way, can anyone come help me lug the piano upstairs for Kaity? .....tm

Thought 4 My Thursday

If you are just going to argue that your answer is right, don't ask the question!

He's home.....

After a very long 2 months, my oldest son is finally home. He was away from home working in Rhode Island. Today was his last day of work. My wife and I drove up last night and spent the night in Mystic,CT and then drove to RI to pick him up.

He seems different. More mature. Which is never a bad thing. He had an awesome time and made a lot of great friends. He was full of stories of his adventures and I found myself anxious to hear every word and more.Even my wife has managed to just let him decompress and be happy. (If you follow my blog regularly, you know their relationship has been very strained). One thing I was so happy to watch on the drive home was Kevin singing. It's not that he never sings, but he is usually subdued about it. Tim McGraw's song, "Live Like You Were Dying" came on and Kevin sang it with power and feeling. This is not the same boy I dropped off back in June.

Right now he is sitting on the couch playing a video game. Living in a tent the last two months made him appreciate the things he has at home. Things like his bed, his video games, cell phone service signals, and indoor plumbing!

Kaity has not left his side. She missed him a lot. When she saw him she ran over and gave him the biggest hug. Right now she is just sitting next to him on the couch and laughing with him. I am sitting here just taking it all in and loving seeing it all. Welcome home Kevin!!

Toon 4 My Tuesday

Music 4 My Monday

Many of us get caught up in stressing over those everyday issues that we all have. Life is never going to be easy no matter what we do. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we will accept it and be happier. Life is going to always throw things at us. We can cry about it, or we can smile and just deal with it. Today's song is about doing just that.

Random Pic of the Day

The edge of Hurricane Bill out over the Atlantic Ocean.
This is about as close as it is going to get to us.

Random Video of the Day

My chickens in their very first net video appearance.
Cameo appearance made by my left hand. LOL

The thrill of a Hurricane

I have always had this fascination with the weather. Growing up I would track it and chart it. My favorite part is storms. Especially hurricanes. The power of the wind and the water is just amazing to watch. I actually get an adrenaline rush anytime we are even remotely threatened by one. I love the running around before a storm trying to prepare for the worst. Then when it hits, riding it out and seeing the destruction as it happens is just something I can't even begin to describe. I live on a giant sand bar that juts into the ocean. So if we get hit, it is not a pretty thing.

The first experience I had with a hurricane was in the mid 1970s when Hurricane Belle hit us. I remember the next day riding my bike around looking at the trees that were knocked over. I remember sleeping in the middle of the house that night as it passed over us. It was barely a hurricane when it hit so it was not as bad as it could have been.

In Sept of 1985 we got directly hit by Hurricane Gloria. This was a little more powerful than Belle. There was a lot more damage. There was major flooding in the south side of my town. The Atlantic Ocean had pushed water up into the bay over the barrier island that sits between the Ocean and the small Bay. People were without power for days if not weeks. We had winds upward of 90+ mph with some higher gusts. For days before that the weather channel had their Storm Chasers out. Watching those guys standing on the coastline as the storm raged was awesome. I wanted to be one of them. In fact to this day there is still a part of me that would love to be a storm chaser.

So, now that you know all that, you can imagine the excitement I am feeling as I watch the track of Hurricane Bill. According to the Hurricane Center, Bill will be a category 3 storm when it makes it's closest pass by us. That means sustained winds of about 130 mph. The forecasts all show the storm passing to the east of us. But they also make sure to toss in that disclaimer saying that it is all based on other weather features doing what they expect. So, until Bill is north and east of us, we are not totally out of the woods.

For the next several days I will be constantly checking the weather maps and my email for the latest predicitons. I have to keep on top of it for work. Part of my job is disaster preparedness. It is my favorite part of the job. The safety of about 20,000 people all depends on how well I do my job. Not to mention the safety of my own family.

Keep an eye on the weather over the next few days. If you see Hurricane Bill heading toward Long Island keep in mind I may not be able to post for awhile. And if it hits with the force it could, it will be weeks before I can contact anyone. Just know I will be out there in my yellow rain gear staring mother nature in the face and loving every minute of it!

Thought 4 My Thursday

"If you think you've got a hold of it all, you haven't got a hold at all"

Random Pic of the Day

This was my lunch today. I discovered a few years ago the delicious taste of sushi. Once a month a group of us go out to a local sushi place. This month we just can't seem to squeeze in a date so today I decided I would just get some take out. I decided on rolls. From left to right in the picture is California Roll, Alaska Roll, and Philadelphia Roll.

You want a picture of my what?!!

Part of my job involves prosecuting people in court. I am constantly getting demands for all sorts of things. Today I received a DEMAND FOR DISCOVERY. Basically the defendant is requesting to see all my evidence. This particular individual is very anal and tries to use any type of symantic error to his advantage. He is also very detail oriented in his demands. So the following paragraph made me stop and wonder just what he is asking for:

3. Any photograph or drawing relating to the criminal action or proceeding made or completed by a pubic servant engaged in law or Code Enforcement activity, or which was made by a person whom the prosecutor intends to call as a witness at trial, or which the people intend to introduce at trial, including but not limited to:

You may have overlooked the error. So, go back and read the second line carefully. "pubic servant?" I realize in my job that I am subject to a lot of scrutiny but, what does my manhood have to do with anything? Is he actually asking for a picture of my....oh my! lol

I am sure it is just a typo but, I am going to love standing before the judge while questioning the defendant about this unusual request!

Music 4 My Monday

Today's music selection is very retro. In fact it dates back to the early 1960s. This was my very first favorite song. According to my mom, I would sing it all the time when I was 2. If it was on the radio, I would sing along. If I was sitting in the bathroom, I would sing it. For those of you that are old enough to remember it, remember it, feel free to sing along. For those of you that think the 60's were a million years ago, bite me! lol

What was your very first favorite song?

Hornets 1, Me 0

Today was supposed to be one of those relaxing days. The wife and kids had gone out for the day and I had the entire house to myself. I planned on taking it easy and just enjoying the quiet. I am not one to sit idle for too long though. Before long I decided that before I curl up outside with my book and a coffee, I should mow the lawn.

It was still early and I knew if I waited it would get too hot. So, I grab my MP3 player and fire up the mower. There is a section of the yard that is sort of out of the way and has all the rose bushes and an old stump from a tree we cut down. I usually do this area last. Today I figured I would just get it out of the way. As I was getting as close to the edges as I could, I bumped the stump with the mower. While it didn't bother me, it pissed off the hornets that had apparently made a nice home for themselves inside it. I saw them fly out and I backed up. I guess the one brave martyr in the swarm decided I had not backed up far enough. He landed on my hand and proceeded to sting the living hell out of my pinky finger.

If you have never felt a hornet sting, let me share this bit of info with you; it f@#$ing hurts! The area that was stung swelled up and felt like it was on fire. As time passes the pain gets deeper and deeper. It is now 9 hours later and while the swelling went down, it still feels like I closed my finger in a car door. I can feel it right down into the bone.

You know what I will be doing tomorrow. As soon as the sun sets I am going to spray the hell out of that nest. If I wasn't working tonight I would do it now. I already bought a nice big can of bug killer that shoots up to 25 feet!

How Men and Women Argue

I found this at: Maxim Magazine Website [Click the image to make it larger]

Random Pic of the Day

My Copilot when I drive.

Random Pic of the Day

Never in my life did I imagine a day where my kids
would sit in the yard petting chickens in their lap!

Doh!

I saw this elsewhere and it was just too funny not to share:

This is a classic example of why you NEVER add your boss as a friend on Facebook!

I'm confused.

I am going to break a rule I had set for myself when I first started blogging. I am going to air a bit of dirty laundry. I am doing it because I am confused and really could use some input. Before I get into the incidents in question, let me set it up for you. My older son is away since June working a summer job. Although I got to see him a few weeks back, my wife has not seen him in about 6 weeks. Before he left they were butting heads frequently over some individuals in his life that she does not approve of.

Ok lets skip ahead to this week. Monday we all went to visit my son. We picked him up Monday night and since Tuesday is his day off, the plan was to enjoy a nice family day. We all stayed in a hotel. When I got up Tuesday morning I noticed I had a text message on my phone. It was from my son. Since I knew he was asleep at the time it was sent I kinda figured it was just Verizon lagging behind since he doesnt get a signal where he works. I assumed it was in response to a message I sent him. It turns out that my wife was snooping through his phone. A fact that pissed him off and I can't blame him. It upset me as well, since she could have just left him alone for this one day and just enjoyed the visit. To top it off for whatever reason she sent me a text from HIS phone! Well, he was mad the rest of the day. He could not wait to get away from us and back to where he is staying for the summer. The part that has me all confused is my wife blames me for it.

Wife: It's all your fault!

Me: Wait how is it my fault?

Wife: You should have known he had not messaged you and not said anything!

Me: You should not have been snooping in his phone. And how should I know you were the one that messaged me?

Wife: Because he was asleep!

Me: Yes but, I assumed it was a Verizon glitch. And why the hell would you respond to a message I sent him and not expect me to question any of it?

Well she maintains that it was my fault. That I should have been smarter. Crazy huh? Well it gets better. After spending what turned out to be a not so fun day Tuesday, we dropped my son off and we all came home. She was mad at me the entire time. Now comes Weds. She is still mad and we have words. One thing leads to another and she sends me a message at work saying she is done and will be gone by the time I get home. Ok she threatens it all the time. So why worry. I finish work and go home. She is gone....along with all her clothes. She left my 8 year old and 13 year old home not knowing where she went. So now I am sitting there thinking oh great, I need to figure out what is going on so I can deal with the kids. I cant afford to take off from work and I cant leave them alone on the nights I work. So, I make a phone call and arrange a sleep over at my brothers for tonight. (Thurs). Ok all set. I have bases covered.

Well, she comes back a few hours later. Now tonight I get told that I should have known she would be back! Now why would I assume that? That she would not let the kids be alone at night. Again, why would I assume that? And she is pissed that I told my brother that she left. Okay, but didnt I need to explain why I suddenly had to have him watch my kids over night? I certainly could not just wait till tonight and see if she was back or not. I needed to do what was best for my kids. Once again, I didnt create this situation and yet I am in trouble.

Ok so my question for you all is this: Was it my fault that my son found out she was snooping his phone? And should I have waited and not said anything to my brother when I knew I may need a sitter? Dont be afraid to be blunt. If I am wrong tell me. Oh and before anyone comments about me posting this, she thinks nothing of telling the world when she is mad at me via a social networking site.

Thought 4 My Thursday

" If you can never manage to be happy with where you are at,
you will never be happy wherever you go."
--- Written in 2000 by Phillip Bennett --- Georgia

Random Pic of the Day

This is my kids enjoying a morning swim at the hotel in Mystic CT. We went to visit Kevin (on the left) for the day. He is working in Rhode Island for the summer. He has been gone for 6 weeks already.

Music 4 My Monday

I was sitting here trying to decide what to post for today. I could not make up my mind. A song came on the radio almost as if on cue to my thoughts. This is a song that means a lot to a very dear friend of mine. And since her son was doing the Relay For Life in honor of her mom, it made perfect sense for me to post this. So Dena, this one is for your mom. I know what this song means to you. It means as much to me. Better grab a tissue before you hit play kiddo.....