December Already?

Wow, this year has flown by. Happy December everyone, enjoy your holidays.

Beautiful Day

It's another beautiful Colorado day. The sun is shining, just a few wispy clouds dotting the sky, no wind to speak of. The only downfall is that the temperature is in the cold range; predicted high today is 31 degrees (Fahrenheit, not Celsius). The snow from the the other day is still covering the grass in the neighborhood, but the streets and driveways are all clear and dry. The gray cover over the mountain tops, that I can see from my desk, hints at perhaps some much needed snowfall in the mountains, not sure about that though. Anyway, just another reminder of why I love living here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope your day is as beautiful as mine looks like it's going to be.

Happy Thanksgiving

This holiday is one where people like to share the time with their families, eat heartily, and prepare to shop on black Friday. We, on the other hand, have no relatives in town, and haven't for quite a few years, so we carry on a slightly different tradition that we have come to look forward to. As "orphans" we have our "orphan" Thanksgiving dinner at our house each year (only missed one year recently when Linda and the boys traveled to California). At our celebration we have our local family and other "orphans" join us. We truly appreciate having John and Ginger Carmichael (our closest family in Colorado) help us and join us to celebrate. We can usually get them to bring a ham, since Ginger is not a turkey fan, which gives us more than enough food. I will make my usual mashed potatoes (is there an 'e' in that word? spell check says yes) that have been getting raves for years. The key is lots of butter and some cheese and garlic mixed in. This year we are joined by our friend Clay who has been orphaned by his wife and family this year, and we are also inviting our neighbors who may not brave the snowy roads to go to their condo in ski country (as planned) so they may or may not join us. We are also looking forward to a potential visit (maybe for desert?) from our good friend Tom after his dinner with his family.

Altogether it looks like we will eat well, gain back some weight lost, but most importantly we will get to spend some quality time with our local family and friends, while giving thanks for those things we are most thankful for.

Thanks Veterans

Just a quick post with a few thoughts in mind. This Sunday is Veteran's Day, so first and foremost I want to say thank-you to the veterans in my life as well as the others that continue to ensure our way of life. Second, this Saturday, in downtown Denver there is a Veteran's Day parade. I would like to encourage each of my local readers to consider coming out to the parade. My family will be there, as my sons will be walking in the parade in full dress cub scout uniform, honoring the veterans as best they can. This is the second year in a row that our cub scout pack has joined in the parade and I feel it is a great opportunity for Daniel and Josh (as well as the other scouts). Come on out and lend your support. Thanks again veterans, I appreciate what you have done.

Halloween

It's Halloween again, time for trick-or-treating, reminders of cavities, etc. But for me, Halloween has always had another dimension, it is my dad's birthday. So today I want to dedicate my blog and this day to my dad. I am blessed with a dad that loves me fully and unconditionally, and I am often reminded how that is not always the case in this world. Because of him, who he is, and the examples he has set for me, I am who I am today. Thanks Dad, I love you.

Quiet Mornings

I am up this morning before everyone else in the house. The wife and kids are sleeping in on a Saturday. I've got plans so I am waiting for my ride. But, what I am reminded of is how quiet and peaceful a morning with a cup of coffee and no one else awake can be. I could get used to this kind of morning on the weekends. It seems like a great way to get charged up for the day, spend some time reading friends blogs, write in my own, read some news online... I understand a little better now why my dad always gets up at or near the same time every day of the week. I hear voices, this would be the end of the solitude of my morning, now on with the hustle and bustle of the day. I plan on having a good one and hope you do the same.

REALLY?

Okay, so I haven't seen the movie, and I only heard a quick blurb on the radio on my way in to work today, but what the ...... Al Gore wins a Nobel Prize for a MOVIE. I'm not sure anyone has ever won a Nobel Prize for a movie (don't have the time nor inclination to look it up) but my impression (remember how I started this post) is that this movie was/is somewhat Michael Moore-ish, twisting of facts and quotes out of context to meet one's pretext. I will acknowledge that there is global warming, and that we as a world need to be working on solutions...but, allow me to note that throughout history the average temperature of the earth/globe has modulated such that if we look at any short term data (a few hundred years) we will always see either an upward or a downward trend. I'll get off my soapbox before I present any other controversial ideas without taking more time this morning to do a bit of research (what I would expect of everyone, including myself, and hopefully this post will drive you in that direction to either confirm or change what you believe...do some reasearch). I really wouldn't want to confuse the issue with facts.

Stu Get's his BMW!!!! WooHoo!!!

A lot of you have already seen it (since only 3 or 4 actually read this blog) but for those who don't know yet, last Friday we picked up my new (used) BMW. Man what a sweet (pun intended) ride. That car corners like it's on rails, hugs the road and goes way to fast way to easy. I'm gonna have to lighten up my foot a bit :-) Below is the test from the add that got us interested and then purchasing the car.

2002 BMW 330xi, Steel gray metallic with gray leather interior. The body and mechanical are all in good shape and has never had a accident or been smoked in. The car has 111k on. The original owner took good care of the vehicle and had it serviced at a local dealer and then a BimmerHaus after the warranty ran out. Then the car badly overheated because of a blown hose and the motor had to be replaced. I found a used motor (65k) and went through the car afterwards. The car also got new tires, brakes, belts, control arm bushings and an alignment. The car had just had a major service right before the engine damage, so it is up to date on everything. All of the coolant hoses, sensors, water pump, t-stat, and radiator were replaced as a good measure. I used to work for the dealer as a BMW Master technician and I work with BMW's every day of the week, so rest assured it was repaired correctly. Power seats and mirrors with memory and adjustable lumbar support Power windows and locks Power moon roof Steering wheel controls for the stereo, cruise control and telephone Harmon Kardon Premium sound system with in dash cd player Winter Package, including headlight washers, heated mirrors, heated leather seats, pass through ski bag and fold down rear seats. Premium package including gray leather interior with real mrytle wood trim and Bi-Xenon headlights. 17 inch alloy wheels. Auto dimming rear view mirror Clear Bra for protecting the hood area Optional Shiftronic Automatic Transmission I have the original window sticker and this car was ...

As most of you know I have been drooling/lusting over a car like this for quite a while, to Linda's deepest consternation, but we found one that scratches my itch and didn't cost an arm and a leg, just an arm. BTW, anyone want to buy a Nissan Maxima?

Colonoscopy

Just the sounds of that word as you let it roll off your tongue seems ominous. Let's break it down for you readers: oscopy -- examination using a scope (in this case a long thin flexible scope with a camera), colon -- the inner most regions of ones nether world. This afternoon, I get the "joy" of having a doctor examine the inner most regions of my nether world. I was warned by others I know who have had this same experience that the preparations are the worst part. Well, if that's the case, the rest of the day shouldn't be so bad. I took yesterday and today off of work so I could be on a clear liquid only diet. I was taken off of all pain medications excluding acetaminophen (a semi-worthless drug at best in my opinion) on Monday. Due to the pain that let loose in my body, I missed out on playing 9 holes of golf with John and Derek and witnessing what John has told me was the best round of his life, he shot 1 over par 37. Great job John, very impressive, I wish I could have been there with you for that one! Back to the preps... I had to drink a concoction to help prepare my nether world for examination, an 8 oz. glass every 10 minutes until I drank 9 glasses. Do the math folks, that's 72 ounces, a half gallon. 4 more glasses of the stuff when I got up this morning and I am nearly "clean as a whistle, inside and out" (a few MASH aficionado's will get that one). No more fluids or anything starting in about a half hour, boy am I hungry, haven't eaten anything solid since 7 pm on Tuesday, it is now Thursday at 10:25 am. Not the best diet in the world, but I am anxious to weigh in tomorrow morning to see how much I lost in this process. Okay, enough about this thing already........

End of Summer?

Happy Labor day! The day many people consider the final day of summer. We expect it to be over 90F today and for days to follow so how can summer be over? The kids started into school a week and a half ago, so how can summer still be going? All the swimming pools in Colorado close this evening for the winter so it must be the end of summer. Linda noticed a tree or two turning yesterday while we were out running errands, so autumn must be here. I hope you all had great summers this year, BBQ's, swimming, bike rides, golfing, etc. and I expect that I'd best blow out my sprinklers this afternoon, after all, summer is over and it might freeze. ;-)

Grandma

It is with a torn heart that I take this blog to say goodbye to my Grandma. For those of you who hadn't heard, she passed away on Friday. My Grandma (Helen Jewett) lived a long life full of love and faith and most recently pain as well. She and my Grandpa were together until his passing two and a half years ago. Both of them held dear their deep religious beliefs which helped to shape who I am today. One of the things that Grandma's passing brings is a new phase of life for my parents, who were taking amazing care of both Grandma and Grandpa. It helps us all say goodbye a little easier knowing that they lived with such love a care from both my mom and dad, and that they passed in the midst of that love. As far as both Grandma and Grandpa are concerned, they are both now in a better place and together once again, pain free and with their lord. Goodbye Grandma, I love you.

Vacation

As of today I earn 10 hours of vacation each month (has been that way for about 7 years) and have about 360 hours of vacation available to use. My fine corporation, in it's desire to force a work-life balance in it's employees, has decided that they will start to limit how much vacation time you can actually save in the bank, and when you reach that amount, you will stop earning vacation time until you take some to go below that mark. So I have decided that I need to burn some of that time, as well as work on some items in our yard or on our house. In that vein, I am taking all of next week off of work, and working on items on a prioritized list, alongside Linda, even to the point of planning which items to work on which day. Then on Thursday, we are going camping, so I'll get a little rest then. I guess where I was headed with this post, it that I thought vacations were supposed to be restful, fun, exciting, or something like that, but no rest for us on this one. Oh well, it's got to get done, we have a wedding reception to host in two months. :-)

Dad

So I was talking to my dad the other day on the phone and one of the first questions out of his mouth was, "So, why do you have a blog?" My response was something along the lines of stating that I needed someplace to not write. So, in response to my dad's prodding, a quick post. This blog is not abandoned, just idle.

Hi dad, I love you.

WA!

Check out the video here. This is something I could John and I doing. I have GOT to get me one of these things.

Pain

Most (if not all) of you that know me, and not many others read this I'm pretty sure, know that I battle chronic pain. I can honestly say that I don't remember my last pain free day. But, the problem, as I see it, is not the pain in itself, but my attitude toward the pain and how I have let it affect me and my life and my relationships. So, on that note, as I battle a terrifically painful evening, I want to take a moment and apologize to each of you. In the past I have taken the easy way out and used my pain as an excuse, a crutch, a way to justify my being grouchy or just in a bad mood. I cannot promise that I will not continue with some of these at times, but I wanted to say to each of you that I will try to change my attitude toward the pain and my life with it. I have not been a happy or pleasant person to be around for a while now, and my goal with this public statement is to change that, starting NOW.

Thank-you all for staying by me as I have struggled with this, and continue to do so. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Why do I Feel Guilty?

So today is the second day in a row that I have stayed home sick from work. I have a bug that is agravating my asthma, fogging my brain, making me tired, making my body ache, etc. So I am taking a couple of days for me, and to try to feel better. The question is, "why do I feel guilty?"

Why do I feel guilty that...
1. I am not getting anything productive done around the house?
2. other people have to cover tests for me at work, as I have done for them in the past, and will again in the future?
3. that I slept for 14 hours the other night, and after trying to get up and go into work this morning, I went back to bed for 3 more hours?
4. that when I feel even a little bit better I don't think about trying to take care of item 1 or getting to work for item 2?

I will admit that in general I don't take the time I need for me, and to stay healthy, so I think when I do take that time, like now, my guilt button gets pushed.

I'm off to drink more fluids (although I'm not sure what else I would be doing with them) get some rest (there's nothing on tv during the day worth watching) and try to ignore the nagging guilts.

Merry Christmas Eve

In this holiday season and with all the various groups trying to not offend anyone, I'd like to take a moment to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! If you take offense at my saying this, tough. Has anyone else noticed that while the various groups work very hard to avoid these words, especially our outspoken atheist crowd, that they still happily take the day off work and get paid for it? Sorry folks, you can't have it both ways.......'nuf said, except, MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!! Enjoy the season and spread some love while you're at it.

BTW NORAD is tracking Santa again this year, way cool!

Random thoughts, etc.

Okay, you can thank (blame?) John Carmichael for getting me back on the bloggosphere, even if only for one post today....

The blizzard... wow, that was a good one. It has helped me reestablish some of my faith in humanity as the neighborhood digs it's way out of this mess. A few of us have snow blowers (a fun toy and very useful in this deep stuff as well) and none of us has hesitated to loan the blower to other neighbors, to blow off the driveway of the elderly lady near-by that lives alone, getting the idiot's trucks unstuck as they venture out into the mess (four wheel drive just means four wheels to spin, duh), and other feel good types of things. Maybe back to work tomorrow, we'll see.

Now, the real reason I am blogging today, John has tagged me "it" in the blogger world with the challenge to blog about the five things people don't know about me. Like John, I will qualify that as the five things MOST people don't know about me. Okay, here we go:

1) I attended high school on a 48 square mile island that is rich with World War 2 history. The island is Saipan, and it is part of the Mariana's Island chain near the Mariana trench.

2) I used to be a VERY good windsurfer, near the infancy of the sport. I haven't successfully attempted to windsurf in many years, but it was one way for me to expand the size of my island while living in Saipan.

3) I have appeared in three and starred in one Japanese television commercial. In one I actually windsurfed with one hand while holding a plate of ice cream in the other, while wearing a full white suit, tie and all.

4) I am more the instigator than people realize. My forte is planting the seed and watching someone like John get blamed for the whole thing, all in good fun of course. I would never intentionally get anyone else blamed for something I did nor for the idea, and am always right there to own up to my own mistakes, etc.

5) I am shy. It takes me some time to warm up to other people and to open up as well. Having John as my best friend (my wife Linda not included of course) and his being so very not shy (to but it mildly) has helped me in that arena somewhat. And since I am often associated with him in various situations, it shocks many people to hear this, but alas, I am and sometimes it really comes out.

Okay, that's it for now, a long post and maybe (only maybe) I'll get back into this blogging thing. Thanks John for the impetus.

Signs that They are Growing Up

As most of you know, Daniel and Josh are 9 and 7 now in the 4th and 2nd grades respectively. Daniel has joined flag football this year and this coming Saturday is his first game. It is a non-competitive, fun league and the coach is taking the right attitude, have fun and learn about the game. Or as I like to say, we PLAY football, so have fun.

It wasn't that long ago these boys were learning how to ride their bikes and we would watch them carefully every minute they played outside. It continues to be an adventure raising my boys. I love them dearly and am excited as they continue to grow up seeing the people they are develping into.

Are You Kidding Me....

Just read this headline and part of the article and am truly amazed at the Australian knee jerk reaction to the tragety of the Crocodile Hunter's death. I guess they are finding rays mutilated and killed. Have they forgotten the basics of what Steve taught, living with and learning about the wildlife around us? Grow up people, or as Steve would say...."Crikey!"