Hrmmm… well, this past Sunday marks the 33rd year of my residency on this planet. I don’t feel any older, but I’m sure that with the progression of several more of these birthdays… I will. All in all, it was a fairly good day.
It’s not often that a person gets to share their birthday with the running of the Daytona 500… especially with being a NASCAR fan, like I am. So, that in itself was good. The end of the race could have turned out better, but ya can’t win em’ all.
I thought it to be somewhat ironic that Kasey attempted to help Earnhardt Jr. move toward the front and give Jimmie Johnson a challenger for the trophy at the end. Then, Junior’s “old man” engine apparently went into sleep-mode and push Kahne back several places as the 5 to 6 car locomotive steamed past both of them in the faster bottom-groove. ~sigh~ I guess we’ll see how things pan out in California next week.
In other news… ice sucks. It sucks not because it inhibits the proper and safe flow of traffic… but because it inhibits the proper and safe flow of traffic from Friday evening until Monday morning. What good is that?? If you’re gonna mess up the roadways… at least do it on a work day.
Nothing has been accomplished by Jack Frost unplugging his nostril on central Arkansas over the weekend, only to have the roads become at least 75%-80% passable by Monday morning’s commute time. Yay.
At any rate, here I am once again, sitting in my windowless office on the second floor of a manufacturing plant. Each day I listen to the constant scream of power drills, the crackle of welders, the loud whir of metal grinders, the banging of hammers on ¼” plate steel and the shouts of workers trying to communicate over the noise level. At least it’s work and it’s paying the bills.
Well… I know this is short, but I’ve got stuff to do. More later.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Monday, February 13, 2006
Howdy boys n’ girls…and anonymous commenter. It would seem that the “day of love” is once again upon us. Time to shower the object of your affection with gifts of chocolate, flowers, candy hearts, red hots, valentine cards and stuffed animals.
Love is a very powerful, yet sometimes blind, leader of our lives. Love binds special people together through trials and joys. Love can be precious, passionate, sympathetic and loyal. Love can also make someone give all they have, freely….only to find that the sentiment isn’t mutual. As I said…love can sometimes be blind.
But through happiness or hardships, love tends to remain even through hearts sometimes get knocked around and trampled on. It’s all a matter of looking past the shell to the innermost part of someone. When you can truly see their heart…when they let you in… it’s a special and precious gift they give. Always cherish that when it happens. By doing this, they are showing their devotion to you.
Now that the mush has been tossed out there…on to other matters. As for the question about the new Jeep (from the prior post) it is 2WD. Ideally, I would have gotten the 4x4 version… but the incentives and rebates aren’t coming into effect until the end of the year. We may return and upgrade to a nice 4x4 at that time, with plenty of equity still left in the vehicle.
The extended warranty we chose will add value to the trade if we come back in, because the next buyer won’t have to pay for it to be carried on the vehicle. The money we saved in getting the 2WD enabled us to insure its value with the warranty. Pretty smart tactics.
The picture is still forthcoming… and will be posted soon. More later.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
I thought I’d take a moment and update the blog to include a new addition to the driveway. We’ve recently brought home a brand new 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport for the wife. Her 1994 Jeep Cherokee had over 250,000 miles on it and had served us well for about as long as it could, with our budget.
It is a deep green color (I’m told it’s “Beryl Green”) and suits her very well. She’s giddy with it and I’m happy that we were finally able to get her something safer and more reliable. It needs the glass tinted, for sure… so I’m gonna be looking into the cost of that. It’ll keep the temperature down in the vehicle this summer and keep the interior from fading.
I haven’t had a chance to snap a pic of it in the driveway, yet. But, here’s what it looks like (thanks to Jeep.com)
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Howdy, boys & girls. I’m back with an update for the ol’ blog. We have secured the tax return. While it’s not the amount I had initially estimated, it was a notable sum. The most important thing is that it was enough to cover the bills we had concerns over. Not only that, but it was enough to give us that security plus a bit of spending cash.
Now, with my existing second job, I can probably set back that second paycheck and use it to fund the ATV I’m wanting. Shouldn’t take but about 8-10 weeks and I’ll have enough for a good down payment.
That’d put me getting it somewhere around the end of March to mid-April. That’s not too bad.
Apparently we lost out on the larger return amount because of some stupid Federal guidelines or some mish-mosh. We were told that even though we filled out our W4’s as “single and 0 dependants” on the part-time jobs my wife and I worked… that the employers’ payroll departments had to gauge the withholdings based on the annual income from that particular job.
The Federal Government doesn’t have a “part-time-job” bracket to judge withholdings from. So, when the employers looked at their annual charts of how to withhold the “single and 0 dependants” claim… they saw that the part-time job status would put our annual salary below the poverty level and they withheld far less than they should have.
To make the long story short… we basically screwed ourselves out of some extra Return money, because our part-time job taxes were based off one scale… and the annual income bracket was another scale. We didn’t lose the money… it was just paid to us in our paychecks rather than as part of the Return. It sucks, I know. The Feds really need to look at this and make a provision as to what status an employee needs, tax-wise.
If it’s going to be a full-time position, fine. But if it’s only part-time, then there should be a different tax bracket to calculate on. Eh, what do I know? I’m just one of the blue-collar workers. Actually, I guess you could consider me a light-blue collar worker. I’m sort of in the middle…somewhere between ditch-digger and corporate executive.
At any rate… I have a new cellphone. I got a Motorola RAZR v3 flip-phone. Yup, it’s ultra-cool. Love this thing!! So, at least something good came out of all of this headache. This, and the ability to catch up on the bills. All in all… not a bad situation, I reckon.
More later…
Now, with my existing second job, I can probably set back that second paycheck and use it to fund the ATV I’m wanting. Shouldn’t take but about 8-10 weeks and I’ll have enough for a good down payment.
That’d put me getting it somewhere around the end of March to mid-April. That’s not too bad.
Apparently we lost out on the larger return amount because of some stupid Federal guidelines or some mish-mosh. We were told that even though we filled out our W4’s as “single and 0 dependants” on the part-time jobs my wife and I worked… that the employers’ payroll departments had to gauge the withholdings based on the annual income from that particular job.
The Federal Government doesn’t have a “part-time-job” bracket to judge withholdings from. So, when the employers looked at their annual charts of how to withhold the “single and 0 dependants” claim… they saw that the part-time job status would put our annual salary below the poverty level and they withheld far less than they should have.
To make the long story short… we basically screwed ourselves out of some extra Return money, because our part-time job taxes were based off one scale… and the annual income bracket was another scale. We didn’t lose the money… it was just paid to us in our paychecks rather than as part of the Return. It sucks, I know. The Feds really need to look at this and make a provision as to what status an employee needs, tax-wise.
If it’s going to be a full-time position, fine. But if it’s only part-time, then there should be a different tax bracket to calculate on. Eh, what do I know? I’m just one of the blue-collar workers. Actually, I guess you could consider me a light-blue collar worker. I’m sort of in the middle…somewhere between ditch-digger and corporate executive.
At any rate… I have a new cellphone. I got a Motorola RAZR v3 flip-phone. Yup, it’s ultra-cool. Love this thing!! So, at least something good came out of all of this headache. This, and the ability to catch up on the bills. All in all… not a bad situation, I reckon.
More later…
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Greetings, salutations and howdy to all my readers. It’s the last day of January, so I thought I’d surprise everyone by tossing another entry into the ol’ blog. Hrmm… I guess I should get everyone up to date with the results of the things I mentioned during the last entry.
Well, Underworld: Evolution was fantastic, in my opinion. Granted, it wasn’t for everyone. But, if you’re a monster fan…specifically a werewolf and vampire fan, you could appreciate the show. As usual, the “high paid critics” did their job of picking it apart into mere scraps of its full scope. It’s comforting to know that I think critics are anally retentive hermits of society with nothing better to do than critique others efforts. I don’t listen to em’ and I don’t recommend others let their movie-going experience get ruined by a bunch of nay-sayers. Watch what you like.
With that being said, on to the W2’s. Today is the last day that employers can sit on their W2 forms and drag their respective feet. The last two items we’ve been waiting on should be showing up soon. Upon receipt of those items, we’re going to implement Project: Back In Black. It’s time to get out of the red and get our bills into a zone of comfort so that we’re not struggling to make the almighty dollar stretch from one paycheck to the next.
After the finances are situated and under control, we’re going to look at the budget and see about adding something fun to our belongings. We’ve dreamed of having an ATV for a long, long time. My father-in-law is extremely happy with the one he has, so I did some research into the different brands and I’m going to go with Arctic Cat. Yamaha makes a mean machine, but I think I’m getting more for my money with AC. They just seem to have more features for the same money. Yamaha wants to bleed you dry.
Here’s a picture of the one we’re considering. It’s a 2006 Arctic Cat 400cc 4x4 Automatic with winch. The camo paint package was just silly on price (an additional $400 for paint), so I’m opting for red to match my truck.
As for the birthdays… the wife’s b-day is coming up on the 6th, and mine is coming up on the 19th. My dear wife will be dragged, kicking and screaming, into her 30’s this month. I’m finding it quite funny. She made certain to razz me over turning 30, and now it’s her turn. Haaaa Haaaa Haaaa!!! Our good friends have already taken us for an extremely good steak supper at a very quaint shopping village down close to where they live. It’s a rather strange, but quite nostalgic, place. They have everything they need to be self-sufficient. A bakery, mechanic shop, furniture store, jeweler, leather shop, restaurant, doctor, taxidermist, church, and the list goes on.
They almost seem to be like a strictly devout Pentecostal group, but not quite. Everywhere you look, men run the place. There were very few women in public view. Those that were providing services talked very little and seemed almost distant from the customers. I kept wondering when they were all going to put on matching jumpsuits with sparkly clean tennis shoes and offer us Kool-Aid. As I said…quaint, but somewhat creepy.
Anyway, I have work to do and I’d better get about it. Hopefully, my next entry will be about the ATV and what has come about in the first part of February. Ya’ll take care.
Well, Underworld: Evolution was fantastic, in my opinion. Granted, it wasn’t for everyone. But, if you’re a monster fan…specifically a werewolf and vampire fan, you could appreciate the show. As usual, the “high paid critics” did their job of picking it apart into mere scraps of its full scope. It’s comforting to know that I think critics are anally retentive hermits of society with nothing better to do than critique others efforts. I don’t listen to em’ and I don’t recommend others let their movie-going experience get ruined by a bunch of nay-sayers. Watch what you like.
With that being said, on to the W2’s. Today is the last day that employers can sit on their W2 forms and drag their respective feet. The last two items we’ve been waiting on should be showing up soon. Upon receipt of those items, we’re going to implement Project: Back In Black. It’s time to get out of the red and get our bills into a zone of comfort so that we’re not struggling to make the almighty dollar stretch from one paycheck to the next.
After the finances are situated and under control, we’re going to look at the budget and see about adding something fun to our belongings. We’ve dreamed of having an ATV for a long, long time. My father-in-law is extremely happy with the one he has, so I did some research into the different brands and I’m going to go with Arctic Cat. Yamaha makes a mean machine, but I think I’m getting more for my money with AC. They just seem to have more features for the same money. Yamaha wants to bleed you dry.
Here’s a picture of the one we’re considering. It’s a 2006 Arctic Cat 400cc 4x4 Automatic with winch. The camo paint package was just silly on price (an additional $400 for paint), so I’m opting for red to match my truck.
As for the birthdays… the wife’s b-day is coming up on the 6th, and mine is coming up on the 19th. My dear wife will be dragged, kicking and screaming, into her 30’s this month. I’m finding it quite funny. She made certain to razz me over turning 30, and now it’s her turn. Haaaa Haaaa Haaaa!!! Our good friends have already taken us for an extremely good steak supper at a very quaint shopping village down close to where they live. It’s a rather strange, but quite nostalgic, place. They have everything they need to be self-sufficient. A bakery, mechanic shop, furniture store, jeweler, leather shop, restaurant, doctor, taxidermist, church, and the list goes on.
They almost seem to be like a strictly devout Pentecostal group, but not quite. Everywhere you look, men run the place. There were very few women in public view. Those that were providing services talked very little and seemed almost distant from the customers. I kept wondering when they were all going to put on matching jumpsuits with sparkly clean tennis shoes and offer us Kool-Aid. As I said…quaint, but somewhat creepy.
Anyway, I have work to do and I’d better get about it. Hopefully, my next entry will be about the ATV and what has come about in the first part of February. Ya’ll take care.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
I guess it’s time for another journal entry. I don’t have a whole lot of news, but at least I can ramble aimlessly. I know how much my dedicated readers love to watch me show my less intelligent side. ~lol~
Well, let’s see… what shall I comment on first? Hrmmm… I guess the first thing that comes to mind is the movie release I’ve been waiting on. This Friday night (Jan 20th) is the opening night for Underworld: Evolution. The sequel to the blockbuster vampire vs. werewolf movie that had everyone talking. I can’t wait to see how it all works out. The wife and I are planning a late evening viewing at the local theater.
Coming up after that would be “tax season” with the delivery of our W2 forms, and subsequent trip to the local H&R BLOCK office for a rapid-refund. Some might argue the practical thinking behind paying for a fast return… but when you look at percentages, as we did last year, and realize that out of a ($5,500+) tax return… $100-$200 ain’t that much to pay to get your money in hand faster. After all, it is our money. Then comes the task of prioritizing the spending of said cash. (Mainly in an attempt to insure that the wife gets her fair share… or there will be hell to pay ~lol~) We have agreed on some very wise spending in order to position ourselves in a much more comfortable financial situation after it’s all said and done. I think we’re being very smart about this and we should be able to reduce (if not eliminate) a good amount of stress if we follow our plans and don’t lose our head.
After the tax-return events, we are looking down the barrel of yet another pair of birthdays. Both of ours fall in February. Hers is on the 6th and mine is on the 19th. I’m going to immensely enjoy watching my wife squirm as she turns 30 years old. She’s fighting the idea of being knocked out of her youthful 20’s… and I’m going to laugh as she joins the rest of us in “middle age”. Actually, I hope my “middle age” isn’t until about 45. It’d be kinda nice to be around for my grandkids and possibly great-grandkids. Somehow, I don’t think this world will be around long enough to see me be an old man.
The good Lord might even take me before that time comes about. Ya never know. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past 2 years… it’s this. Appreciate and savor the sweet moments of innocence and simple pleasures in life. When it’s over…it’s over. And the more I live, the more I realize just how short a year really is. When I stop to consider that I’ve already burnt up 32 of them, and that an average man’s lifespan is about 70 years, I suddenly realize that I better make the next 30-40 years as good as they can be. We’re only on this Merry-Go-Round for so long… then it’s the next generation’s turn at making sense of this thing called “life”.
We’re barely here long enough to stare in wonder… realize that most are trapped by the “system”… come to the conclusion that the odds are rarely in our favor… accept what we cannot change and appreciate that which we can… and make the odds a tiny bit better for those who come after us. Then, we become like so many of those who’ve come and gone before us. We are a fond memory. A name in a book. A grave marker erected by our posterity. We lay in wait, like those who we’ve visited and wondered about. It’s sobering. Life really is short. And what we leave behind is the blood of generations before us…a Surname…and the stark reminder that they, too, must make the best of the life they’ve been given.
The best that I can hope for is that my kids become better men than I’ve become. I’ve become worldly and backslidden and bitter. I try my best not to show a poor example to them. But I fear that I’m not the father I should be. I get the impression that most fathers feel that way, regardless of what they do right or wrong. I’ve been told on several occasions that “kids don’t come with instructions”. Mmm… that may be so, but regardless of the fact, ya gotta make them work. It’s not like a bicycle that you can take apart and reassemble until it comes out right. We get one shot. No pressure…right? I’m just thankful that I have my wife to help me. Actually, I should give her a lot more credit, here. She actually has “child rearing” down a bit better than I do. I muddle through and, for the most part, get them to do what I need them to do. But Mommy has the plan, man. Mommy knows best…and Daddy just tries his best to stay out of the way until he’s bellowed at.
I sincerely hope that after we restructure our finances with the “Almighty Tax Return”… that I can quit my 2nd job. Having to eat supper late at night and then trying to go to bed without my stomach getting nauseous just isn’t what I consider “fun”. Then, after staying up even later and trying to get enough rest before I have to get up at 5:30am just ain’t working out. I get sleepy by mid-morning and have to feed myself a non-stop stream of caffeinated drinks just to stay functioning. Not really a healthy thing… but what can I do? I have to have the income until we get caught up. The key, afterwards, is to maintain the budget without spurious spending.
Well… guess it’s about time to get some work done. I just felt like rambling. More later!!
Well, let’s see… what shall I comment on first? Hrmmm… I guess the first thing that comes to mind is the movie release I’ve been waiting on. This Friday night (Jan 20th) is the opening night for Underworld: Evolution. The sequel to the blockbuster vampire vs. werewolf movie that had everyone talking. I can’t wait to see how it all works out. The wife and I are planning a late evening viewing at the local theater.
Coming up after that would be “tax season” with the delivery of our W2 forms, and subsequent trip to the local H&R BLOCK office for a rapid-refund. Some might argue the practical thinking behind paying for a fast return… but when you look at percentages, as we did last year, and realize that out of a ($5,500+) tax return… $100-$200 ain’t that much to pay to get your money in hand faster. After all, it is our money. Then comes the task of prioritizing the spending of said cash. (Mainly in an attempt to insure that the wife gets her fair share… or there will be hell to pay ~lol~) We have agreed on some very wise spending in order to position ourselves in a much more comfortable financial situation after it’s all said and done. I think we’re being very smart about this and we should be able to reduce (if not eliminate) a good amount of stress if we follow our plans and don’t lose our head.
After the tax-return events, we are looking down the barrel of yet another pair of birthdays. Both of ours fall in February. Hers is on the 6th and mine is on the 19th. I’m going to immensely enjoy watching my wife squirm as she turns 30 years old. She’s fighting the idea of being knocked out of her youthful 20’s… and I’m going to laugh as she joins the rest of us in “middle age”. Actually, I hope my “middle age” isn’t until about 45. It’d be kinda nice to be around for my grandkids and possibly great-grandkids. Somehow, I don’t think this world will be around long enough to see me be an old man.
The good Lord might even take me before that time comes about. Ya never know. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past 2 years… it’s this. Appreciate and savor the sweet moments of innocence and simple pleasures in life. When it’s over…it’s over. And the more I live, the more I realize just how short a year really is. When I stop to consider that I’ve already burnt up 32 of them, and that an average man’s lifespan is about 70 years, I suddenly realize that I better make the next 30-40 years as good as they can be. We’re only on this Merry-Go-Round for so long… then it’s the next generation’s turn at making sense of this thing called “life”.
We’re barely here long enough to stare in wonder… realize that most are trapped by the “system”… come to the conclusion that the odds are rarely in our favor… accept what we cannot change and appreciate that which we can… and make the odds a tiny bit better for those who come after us. Then, we become like so many of those who’ve come and gone before us. We are a fond memory. A name in a book. A grave marker erected by our posterity. We lay in wait, like those who we’ve visited and wondered about. It’s sobering. Life really is short. And what we leave behind is the blood of generations before us…a Surname…and the stark reminder that they, too, must make the best of the life they’ve been given.
The best that I can hope for is that my kids become better men than I’ve become. I’ve become worldly and backslidden and bitter. I try my best not to show a poor example to them. But I fear that I’m not the father I should be. I get the impression that most fathers feel that way, regardless of what they do right or wrong. I’ve been told on several occasions that “kids don’t come with instructions”. Mmm… that may be so, but regardless of the fact, ya gotta make them work. It’s not like a bicycle that you can take apart and reassemble until it comes out right. We get one shot. No pressure…right? I’m just thankful that I have my wife to help me. Actually, I should give her a lot more credit, here. She actually has “child rearing” down a bit better than I do. I muddle through and, for the most part, get them to do what I need them to do. But Mommy has the plan, man. Mommy knows best…and Daddy just tries his best to stay out of the way until he’s bellowed at.
I sincerely hope that after we restructure our finances with the “Almighty Tax Return”… that I can quit my 2nd job. Having to eat supper late at night and then trying to go to bed without my stomach getting nauseous just isn’t what I consider “fun”. Then, after staying up even later and trying to get enough rest before I have to get up at 5:30am just ain’t working out. I get sleepy by mid-morning and have to feed myself a non-stop stream of caffeinated drinks just to stay functioning. Not really a healthy thing… but what can I do? I have to have the income until we get caught up. The key, afterwards, is to maintain the budget without spurious spending.
Well… guess it’s about time to get some work done. I just felt like rambling. More later!!
Monday, January 09, 2006
Seeing as how it’s been a while since my last post, I thought I’d toss a few thoughts around the ol’ blog. Hrmm…let’s see now. I suppose you’re wondering about New Years (mainly, since the Christmas report has already been posted). Suffice it to say that it came off without a hitch. We (the wife and I) had our friends over to ring in the new year, and we all played board games, drank, and watched the ball drop over Times Square in New York.
Bless his heart, Dick Clark made a valiant and brave appearance on his “New Years Rockin’ Eve” as he does every year. Of course, in light of the stroke he suffered earlier in the year, his speech and appearance were obviously affected. But the mere fact that he did what he loved to do, showed the world his resolve and determination not to let fate beat him into submission. I was impressed and touched.
My grandfather celebrated his 81st birthday yesterday with family and friends. His sense of humor never fails to amaze us all, and I deeply respect him. He has always been the stubbornly grounded and “old-fashioned” anchor of the family, and it would only seem right that the sweetest and most forgiving woman in the world would be his wife. My grandmother is one of the very few true southern ladies, in my opinion.
I’m truly blessed by having the opportunity to know, love, and learn from these two people. I don’t know how life will be the same when the time comes for them to pass on. They’ve been the center of our family all of my life. I suppose all things must take their turn, and likewise all people must assume the roles left for them by those who have been called on to the other side.
On other matters, my computer is giving me fits over my CD-Writer. I think I have an aged and defective ATAPI master-slave cable that I’m going to have to replace. As luck would have it, I have a spare on my desk at home. It’s just a matter of time to be able to unhook everything and swap the cables out. If that doesn’t fix the issue, then apparently my 52x Sony Writer must be defective… at least in the writing functions. It will read just fine. Very puzzling.
Our new PS2 (playstation 2) game system now has a PS2 Remote which can control the DVD functions that it’s capable of. I was rather impressed by the video output on the DVD’s. It many ways it has out-performed our simple DVD player that we used in the living room for a long time. That unit is now my youngest boy’s property.
Well… I guess that’ll do it for today. I’ll write more as time permits. Oh! And I almost forgot. I believe there was a Doug Chastain who posted a comment on my previous entry. I’m not sure if this is the same “Mr. C” that I’ve known ever since 7th Grade, or someone else with the same name. Regardless, feel free to drop in anytime. I’m always glad to have readers and comments. I tend to question my own sanity with some of these deep-thought entries… but that’s the whole reason for creating this blog in the first place. I’m sure my readers tend to question my sanity as well. ~lol~
Exit… stage left.
Bless his heart, Dick Clark made a valiant and brave appearance on his “New Years Rockin’ Eve” as he does every year. Of course, in light of the stroke he suffered earlier in the year, his speech and appearance were obviously affected. But the mere fact that he did what he loved to do, showed the world his resolve and determination not to let fate beat him into submission. I was impressed and touched.
My grandfather celebrated his 81st birthday yesterday with family and friends. His sense of humor never fails to amaze us all, and I deeply respect him. He has always been the stubbornly grounded and “old-fashioned” anchor of the family, and it would only seem right that the sweetest and most forgiving woman in the world would be his wife. My grandmother is one of the very few true southern ladies, in my opinion.
I’m truly blessed by having the opportunity to know, love, and learn from these two people. I don’t know how life will be the same when the time comes for them to pass on. They’ve been the center of our family all of my life. I suppose all things must take their turn, and likewise all people must assume the roles left for them by those who have been called on to the other side.
On other matters, my computer is giving me fits over my CD-Writer. I think I have an aged and defective ATAPI master-slave cable that I’m going to have to replace. As luck would have it, I have a spare on my desk at home. It’s just a matter of time to be able to unhook everything and swap the cables out. If that doesn’t fix the issue, then apparently my 52x Sony Writer must be defective… at least in the writing functions. It will read just fine. Very puzzling.
Our new PS2 (playstation 2) game system now has a PS2 Remote which can control the DVD functions that it’s capable of. I was rather impressed by the video output on the DVD’s. It many ways it has out-performed our simple DVD player that we used in the living room for a long time. That unit is now my youngest boy’s property.Well… I guess that’ll do it for today. I’ll write more as time permits. Oh! And I almost forgot. I believe there was a Doug Chastain who posted a comment on my previous entry. I’m not sure if this is the same “Mr. C” that I’ve known ever since 7th Grade, or someone else with the same name. Regardless, feel free to drop in anytime. I’m always glad to have readers and comments. I tend to question my own sanity with some of these deep-thought entries… but that’s the whole reason for creating this blog in the first place. I’m sure my readers tend to question my sanity as well. ~lol~
Exit… stage left.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA 2005 TOURHere we are again, back at the Ol’ Blog to toss out some more of my life’s little documentaries. And I’m guessing you’re curious about the TSO concert, and about my Christmas holiday. As luck would have it, that’s exactly what I’m going to write about.
My excitement was growing as the hour approached for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert in Little Rock at Alltel Arena. On the evening of the concert, there was somewhat of a squabble between the two lovely ladies that were to be accompanying me to the concert. My wife’s best friend got the tickets and was at the house to ride with us in one vehicle. Well, it seems that both of them had been through a fairly rough day prior to getting ready for the event, and neither one of them was over the days’ events yet.
One mis-spoken word at the wrong time and in the wrong tone…turned into somewhat of a verbal cat-fight in no time flat. I did my best to keep out of the discussion, being that there were two females and only one male. Women tend to gang up on the opposite sex, especially when the man has no backup. Doubly so when the man throws in his “two cents” about the “female issues” on the discussion table. I just ducked and covered.
The squabbling back and forth continued as we got in the truck. I have a single cab Dodge Ram. Sound travels well in a single cab. Ask me how I know. At any rate, thing kept escillating to the point where I had finally endured enough. I voiced my observation of their combined stupidity when it came to consistently and repetitively aruging over meaningless bullshit. I said they should appreciate the fact that they have a friend to watch the concert with, and to stop having a piss-&-moan episode with me trapped in the middle.
After a short time of cooling down, things became tolerable. After 15 to 20 minutes inside the Arena, the excitement of the concert began to take their minds off the fight. The concert was spectacular!!! There were laser lights, strobes, pyrotechnics, spark-sprayers, fog machines, backup singers, soloists, guitar features, keyboard features, drum solo, drama and fantastic music!!!
At one point, “snow” fell from above the crowd and shimmered as the strobe lights danced off the twirling confetti. It was magical, to say the least. Of course, the two ladies swooned after…”him”…as TSO likes to refer to Angus Clark, one of their lead guitarists.
Christmas was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. The boys weren’t disappointed and that was my main goal. The wife was happy, I was happy, the boys were happy… and that’s what it’s all about. Being with family, bringing smiles to faces, and remembering that Jesus is the reason for the celebration. Our friends, Chris and Sheri came over and showered the kiddo’s with presents, too. No complaints were registered by either boy. ~lol~It was a good time at both events. I’m not sure what the plans are for New Year’s Eve, just yet. But, I’m certain that my wife will have my evening ironed out way before the ball drops.
Well… I better get back to work. Christmas is over and whether I’m rested or not…it’s the work week. More later!
Friday, December 16, 2005
Howdy, boys n’ girls. I guess I can toss another entry or two into the old Journal before Christmas gets here. Old St. Nick is just about ready to take his yearly flight. If you have kids, I hope they get a ton of goodies. I know I’m gonna be having some fun on the 21st, because Trans-Siberian Orchestra is coming to Alltel Arena in North Little Rock. I’m gonna be there!!! This should be awesome!!! Many thanks to “Brat” for the amazingly cool Christmas gift.
Well…what else to write? Hrmm… it’s 1:50, I’m hitting my sleepy-stage of the day where I the the urge to nod off and yawn a lot. It never matters how much sleep I get or how early I get in bed. It happens every day. I guess this begins to happen around middle-age? Who knows.
I should be able to get my home internet back in working order on the 20th…which is this coming Tuesday. I’m looking forward to that. Oh, I won’t get to spend any more TIME in there on the net than I am right now…due to the nagging and griping I get each time I sit down to surf. But at least my service will be active.
I guess, being that this whole blog was started in order for me to just let out some random rants about things that annoy and confound the very sense of logic within me, I could throw out some issues that have come to mind.
1) What is it with all of the stupid disclaimers, microscopic print, 900mph scrolling text and speed talkers on television commercials these days?!?! Tell me, honestly. How many times do we have to see “Professional driver on closed course” and “Dramatization”? Ah yes, dramatization. Everything’s a stupid dramatization. A truck pulling a battleship…gee, I’m glad they said it was just…a dramatization. I would have tried to hook the USS Alabama to my new truck and take it home as a trophy!! ~rolling eyes~ I’m sorry, but I don’t think a sports car can outrun a jet!! I also don’t think that wet-condition tires will allow a car to drive ontop of a body of water. (Not unless Jesus is behind the wheel).
Hey, marketing people! Let me clue you into something that the general buying public is intelligent enough to realize… vehicles can’t drive off cliffs, under the ocean, or through boiling lava, without being destroyed!! We don’t need someone telling us that this is fake.
Anybody who needs that explained to them is too stupid to drive a vehicle in the first place! Any lawsuit from an injury received as a direct or indirect result of attempting to reenact a dramatization should be laughed out of court.
2) Why does every medication they come out with have some sort of horrible series of possible side effects? Shouldn’t these possible reactions be taken into consideration before someone says “sure! Give it to the public!!” ?
Exactly how safe is a medicine when the side effects could be “dry mouth, diarrhea, flatulence, incontinence, upset stomach, nausea, nervousness, drowsiness, and some sexual side effects”? Is that a fair trade-off?? I think I’d rather be sick than to possibly suffer the rest of that. Thank you.
3) Why is it that advertisers buy blocks of advertisement time…so that their commercial is not run once…or even twice in a short span of time. It’s run 4 or 5 times!!! People begin to loathe the product being shoved infront of their faces on TV while watching their favorite program. Once or twice is fine, marketers… not 4 and 5 times. You’re beginning to turn customers away. Just a clue there.
That’s all for now… more later.
Well…what else to write? Hrmm… it’s 1:50, I’m hitting my sleepy-stage of the day where I the the urge to nod off and yawn a lot. It never matters how much sleep I get or how early I get in bed. It happens every day. I guess this begins to happen around middle-age? Who knows.
I should be able to get my home internet back in working order on the 20th…which is this coming Tuesday. I’m looking forward to that. Oh, I won’t get to spend any more TIME in there on the net than I am right now…due to the nagging and griping I get each time I sit down to surf. But at least my service will be active.
I guess, being that this whole blog was started in order for me to just let out some random rants about things that annoy and confound the very sense of logic within me, I could throw out some issues that have come to mind.
1) What is it with all of the stupid disclaimers, microscopic print, 900mph scrolling text and speed talkers on television commercials these days?!?! Tell me, honestly. How many times do we have to see “Professional driver on closed course” and “Dramatization”? Ah yes, dramatization. Everything’s a stupid dramatization. A truck pulling a battleship…gee, I’m glad they said it was just…a dramatization. I would have tried to hook the USS Alabama to my new truck and take it home as a trophy!! ~rolling eyes~ I’m sorry, but I don’t think a sports car can outrun a jet!! I also don’t think that wet-condition tires will allow a car to drive ontop of a body of water. (Not unless Jesus is behind the wheel).
Hey, marketing people! Let me clue you into something that the general buying public is intelligent enough to realize… vehicles can’t drive off cliffs, under the ocean, or through boiling lava, without being destroyed!! We don’t need someone telling us that this is fake.
Anybody who needs that explained to them is too stupid to drive a vehicle in the first place! Any lawsuit from an injury received as a direct or indirect result of attempting to reenact a dramatization should be laughed out of court.
2) Why does every medication they come out with have some sort of horrible series of possible side effects? Shouldn’t these possible reactions be taken into consideration before someone says “sure! Give it to the public!!” ?
Exactly how safe is a medicine when the side effects could be “dry mouth, diarrhea, flatulence, incontinence, upset stomach, nausea, nervousness, drowsiness, and some sexual side effects”? Is that a fair trade-off?? I think I’d rather be sick than to possibly suffer the rest of that. Thank you.
3) Why is it that advertisers buy blocks of advertisement time…so that their commercial is not run once…or even twice in a short span of time. It’s run 4 or 5 times!!! People begin to loathe the product being shoved infront of their faces on TV while watching their favorite program. Once or twice is fine, marketers… not 4 and 5 times. You’re beginning to turn customers away. Just a clue there.
That’s all for now… more later.
Friday, December 02, 2005
I guess it’s about time to toss in the first entry for the “Holiday Season”, as everyone seems to be calling it now. In this little online journal entry, I’d like to address a few items that seem to irritate me about this time of year.
First off, the Holidays are supposed to convey a sense of brotherly love…tolerance…good will…cheer…kindness…courtesy…and a return to the values of home and family. Each year, it seems to become more and more about anger…intolerance…poor manners…rudeness…and an opportunity to ruin the whole experience for the person next to you. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are those who try very hard to ignore the general majority who seem to wander along with the social infrastructure on a daily basis, not unlike lemmings to a moral cliff. If you have any doubts to my words… just try to have a pleasant experience at the local mall on the day after Thanksgiving. You’ll be lucky to walk away without a bloody nose.
Bless these kind souls who try their best to maintain the cheer of Christmas in the midst of this animosity-filled religious multi-culturalism our country is drowning in. In a time of “tolerance” and “freedom of religious belief”, Where certain groups are exempt from penalty for all manner of religious holidays and observances. It seems to be blatantly absurd (and frightening, I might add) to witness the growing governmental oppression of Christianity, and the icons of it’s celebration…namely Jesus.
What has this country come to, and where are we headed? Here are some of my fundamental beliefs:
1) I believe all Americans should have the right to worship whatever deity they see fit to worship.
2) I believe that the freedom to attend organized worship services of these deities should be allowed without governmental influence.
3) I believe that the freedom to discuss one’s beliefs and the right to observe religious-holidays without penalty should be a basic right we all have.
I also believe that the people who file lawsuits over a baby Jesus in a nativity scene on a courthouse lawn ought to be laughed out of the courtroom! It’s true that this country was founded on religious freedom and freedom of expression. But that also applies to the religious beliefs of the founding fathers, themselves! Most, if not all, were Christian. Some were even ordained ministers! Yet our government, who operates in buildings adorned with Christian mottoes, figures, likenesses and references, upholds these absurd lawsuits by religious fanatics and atheists against Christian practices! Why? Don’t Christians have the same rights afforded to other denominations? I’m beginning to fear that the answer is “no”.
Get this… I work two jobs. At my main job, we freely and openly hold a “Christmas Dinner”. This, in no way, implies that we are forcing or mandating the religious observance of Christmas on any non-Christian or non-denominational employees. It merely means that we are holding a dinner in appreciation of our employees, in the spirit of the Christmas Season (which is a season of good will and kindness). It’s taken well, and there are no objections to it. And there shouldn’t be!
It is a dinner created in good will for the benefit of our employees. If there is nothing negative to it for anyone attending, I fail to see where any objection could be raised. If you’re not a Christian…so what? Enjoy the free food! Believe what you want! Enjoy the fact that others are happy and want YOU to be happy. Just because you believe something else doesn’t mean you have the right to oppress and demean the joy of others who do! Be tolerant!
At my second, part-time, job… we aren’t even permitted to advertise “Christmas Items” due to the fear of negative publicity surrounding the corporate name. Why would there be negative images drawn about the company, you ask? It’s because some idiot filed a lawsuit against the company in the past over a “religious reference” of Christmas. Now, the whole Christmas Season is muted and has become “politically correct” at that place of business. At least they haven’t taken away the Christmas Carols being played over the satellite radio.
Well… in the immortal words of Charlie Brown, “Well, I’m not going to let all of this commercialization ruin MY Christmas.” And that’s exactly what I intend to do. The government may regulate how Christmas is advertised or how it’s publicly observed, but the government can’t regulate how I celebrate it in my heart. As long as I have the joy of the Christmas Season in my heart and share it with my family…it’ll remain as it always has.
If I don’t get the opportunity to share another post with you before Christmas gets here… I’d like to take the opportunity to wish each and every one of my readers a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Oh…and Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza and Happy (Insert the holiday of your choosing).
First off, the Holidays are supposed to convey a sense of brotherly love…tolerance…good will…cheer…kindness…courtesy…and a return to the values of home and family. Each year, it seems to become more and more about anger…intolerance…poor manners…rudeness…and an opportunity to ruin the whole experience for the person next to you. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are those who try very hard to ignore the general majority who seem to wander along with the social infrastructure on a daily basis, not unlike lemmings to a moral cliff. If you have any doubts to my words… just try to have a pleasant experience at the local mall on the day after Thanksgiving. You’ll be lucky to walk away without a bloody nose.
Bless these kind souls who try their best to maintain the cheer of Christmas in the midst of this animosity-filled religious multi-culturalism our country is drowning in. In a time of “tolerance” and “freedom of religious belief”, Where certain groups are exempt from penalty for all manner of religious holidays and observances. It seems to be blatantly absurd (and frightening, I might add) to witness the growing governmental oppression of Christianity, and the icons of it’s celebration…namely Jesus.
What has this country come to, and where are we headed? Here are some of my fundamental beliefs:
1) I believe all Americans should have the right to worship whatever deity they see fit to worship.
2) I believe that the freedom to attend organized worship services of these deities should be allowed without governmental influence.
3) I believe that the freedom to discuss one’s beliefs and the right to observe religious-holidays without penalty should be a basic right we all have.
I also believe that the people who file lawsuits over a baby Jesus in a nativity scene on a courthouse lawn ought to be laughed out of the courtroom! It’s true that this country was founded on religious freedom and freedom of expression. But that also applies to the religious beliefs of the founding fathers, themselves! Most, if not all, were Christian. Some were even ordained ministers! Yet our government, who operates in buildings adorned with Christian mottoes, figures, likenesses and references, upholds these absurd lawsuits by religious fanatics and atheists against Christian practices! Why? Don’t Christians have the same rights afforded to other denominations? I’m beginning to fear that the answer is “no”.
Get this… I work two jobs. At my main job, we freely and openly hold a “Christmas Dinner”. This, in no way, implies that we are forcing or mandating the religious observance of Christmas on any non-Christian or non-denominational employees. It merely means that we are holding a dinner in appreciation of our employees, in the spirit of the Christmas Season (which is a season of good will and kindness). It’s taken well, and there are no objections to it. And there shouldn’t be!
It is a dinner created in good will for the benefit of our employees. If there is nothing negative to it for anyone attending, I fail to see where any objection could be raised. If you’re not a Christian…so what? Enjoy the free food! Believe what you want! Enjoy the fact that others are happy and want YOU to be happy. Just because you believe something else doesn’t mean you have the right to oppress and demean the joy of others who do! Be tolerant!
At my second, part-time, job… we aren’t even permitted to advertise “Christmas Items” due to the fear of negative publicity surrounding the corporate name. Why would there be negative images drawn about the company, you ask? It’s because some idiot filed a lawsuit against the company in the past over a “religious reference” of Christmas. Now, the whole Christmas Season is muted and has become “politically correct” at that place of business. At least they haven’t taken away the Christmas Carols being played over the satellite radio.
Well… in the immortal words of Charlie Brown, “Well, I’m not going to let all of this commercialization ruin MY Christmas.” And that’s exactly what I intend to do. The government may regulate how Christmas is advertised or how it’s publicly observed, but the government can’t regulate how I celebrate it in my heart. As long as I have the joy of the Christmas Season in my heart and share it with my family…it’ll remain as it always has.
If I don’t get the opportunity to share another post with you before Christmas gets here… I’d like to take the opportunity to wish each and every one of my readers a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Oh…and Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza and Happy (Insert the holiday of your choosing).
JESUS is the reason for the season...
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Surprise! Didn’t think you’d get another entry so soon, did ya. I’m known for that. (chuckle) Anyway, I just thought I’d bring my dedicated readers up to par on the events of this past weekend.
Some good friends of ours live in southern Arkansas where the wide areas of pine groves, hardwoods and country roads give whitetail deer the perfect environment to flourish. They own a patch of this hunter’s paradise and invited me down to hunt in a privately owned area where I didn’t have to pay some outlandishly expensive membership fee just for a chance at getting a deer.
Well, early Saturday morning, that chance came. I got my first deer at the age of 32. Other hunters might chuckle and wonder why it took me this long to bag my first deer. But if you don’t know the way I was brought up, then you wouldn’t know that the only hunting I’ve really done is with my grandfather and then by myself.
My dad’s not really an avid hunter. I enjoy it, though. What I know, I’ve had to either learn through instruction or on my own. I’m no seasoned pro. I know the fundamentals and I know the safety aspect, but it’s not like I was sitting on a 4-wheeler at the age of 10 with a deer draped across the back rack.
I didn’t go on my first deer hunt until I was about 17 years old. I try to go each year, though I rarely see many deer. The area I live in is over-hunted and under-stocked on deer. I have hunting clubs all around me and a wildlife refuge area located just down the road from my house. What usually happens during deer season is this;
The “smart” deer typically feed at night in the open pastures near my home, and then return to the safety of the protected refuge by morning’s light. Thereby avoiding the high-powered rifles, bows and muzzle-loaders. There are a few times when deer will linger in pastures. These are the ones that typically get picked off in a matter of time.
At any rate, my deer was a doe. She had plenty of meat and will be a welcome addition to our freezer. I nearly got a shot at a 6-point, but it wasn’t a clean shot so I didn’t take it. Too many trees in the way to pull off a killing shot, and I certainly didn’t want to just injure the animal. I always try my best to be an ethical hunter. I kill what I’ll eat. I eat what I kill. And I’ll never take an unsure shot.
Well, enough of my rambling for now. More later.
Some good friends of ours live in southern Arkansas where the wide areas of pine groves, hardwoods and country roads give whitetail deer the perfect environment to flourish. They own a patch of this hunter’s paradise and invited me down to hunt in a privately owned area where I didn’t have to pay some outlandishly expensive membership fee just for a chance at getting a deer.
Well, early Saturday morning, that chance came. I got my first deer at the age of 32. Other hunters might chuckle and wonder why it took me this long to bag my first deer. But if you don’t know the way I was brought up, then you wouldn’t know that the only hunting I’ve really done is with my grandfather and then by myself.
My dad’s not really an avid hunter. I enjoy it, though. What I know, I’ve had to either learn through instruction or on my own. I’m no seasoned pro. I know the fundamentals and I know the safety aspect, but it’s not like I was sitting on a 4-wheeler at the age of 10 with a deer draped across the back rack.
I didn’t go on my first deer hunt until I was about 17 years old. I try to go each year, though I rarely see many deer. The area I live in is over-hunted and under-stocked on deer. I have hunting clubs all around me and a wildlife refuge area located just down the road from my house. What usually happens during deer season is this;
The “smart” deer typically feed at night in the open pastures near my home, and then return to the safety of the protected refuge by morning’s light. Thereby avoiding the high-powered rifles, bows and muzzle-loaders. There are a few times when deer will linger in pastures. These are the ones that typically get picked off in a matter of time.
At any rate, my deer was a doe. She had plenty of meat and will be a welcome addition to our freezer. I nearly got a shot at a 6-point, but it wasn’t a clean shot so I didn’t take it. Too many trees in the way to pull off a killing shot, and I certainly didn’t want to just injure the animal. I always try my best to be an ethical hunter. I kill what I’ll eat. I eat what I kill. And I’ll never take an unsure shot.
Well, enough of my rambling for now. More later.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Hrmm… here it is, the 18th of November and I’m looking forward to my eldest son’s 9th birthday party tonight. My oh my, where does the time go? Doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was holding my firstborn in Children’s Hospital. He was a preemie…born 2 months early and weighing only 2 lbs.-5 oz.
He was, and still is, my miracle boy. Now he’s nearly as tall as my wife and weighs a hefty 90 lbs. He’s having his party in a football theme. Many of his school buddies are coming over for a bonfire weenie roast and smores. The cake’s done and the house is clean, so things seem to be ready.
Tomorrow, I’m headed out to our friends’ place down in south Arkansas to do some serious deer hunting. Oh, we have deer around my place…but I live near a wildlife refuge. We have several hunting clubs that think they own the woods around my place…and with so many of em running around with their guns and 4-wheelers, it’s a wonder anybody kills any deer. Most smart deer head over to the refuge during the day and only venture out to feed in pastures at night. I know… I’ve seen em.
Down where I’m going, there is more land and fewer hunters per acre. I stand a very good chance of at least seeing a deer if not shooting a deer. That reminds me…I gotta clean my gun tonight. It’s been in storage since last season.
Well… I’ll close this entry by saying that I’m sorry for the “few and far between” status of my entries of late. But, I’m working two jobs right now and it doesn’t leave a tremendous amount of time for blog entries. I’ll post what I can as soon as I can. Please bear with me.
Y’all take care and I’ll post again soon!!
He was, and still is, my miracle boy. Now he’s nearly as tall as my wife and weighs a hefty 90 lbs. He’s having his party in a football theme. Many of his school buddies are coming over for a bonfire weenie roast and smores. The cake’s done and the house is clean, so things seem to be ready.
Tomorrow, I’m headed out to our friends’ place down in south Arkansas to do some serious deer hunting. Oh, we have deer around my place…but I live near a wildlife refuge. We have several hunting clubs that think they own the woods around my place…and with so many of em running around with their guns and 4-wheelers, it’s a wonder anybody kills any deer. Most smart deer head over to the refuge during the day and only venture out to feed in pastures at night. I know… I’ve seen em.
Down where I’m going, there is more land and fewer hunters per acre. I stand a very good chance of at least seeing a deer if not shooting a deer. That reminds me…I gotta clean my gun tonight. It’s been in storage since last season.
Well… I’ll close this entry by saying that I’m sorry for the “few and far between” status of my entries of late. But, I’m working two jobs right now and it doesn’t leave a tremendous amount of time for blog entries. I’ll post what I can as soon as I can. Please bear with me.
Y’all take care and I’ll post again soon!!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
As many people tend to do, these days, I was recently surfing around through Ebay when an interesting question came to mind. I’m a rather reminiscent person, and I suddenly wondered if there were people who were placing toys on Ebay that I’d grown up with. I decided to toss out a few searches, and I was genuinely surprised by what I actually found!
This got me to thinking more and more about exactly which toys I owned while growing up and how much fun I had with them. My imagination was my best friend, being out in the countryside. I didn’t have a lot of kids nearby to play with during summer vacations. So, I’d take my toys outside in a camouflage gym bag and create adventures that might last ¾ of the day!!
My children are growing up in an “instant” world. Entertainment is provided for them without any requirement for imagination. I have to nearly force them to turn the TV and video games off and play with their toys, these days. Thankfully, they enjoy reading.
Oh, don’t get me wrong… I’m part of the video game generation. I cut my teeth on the likes of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Q*bert and Space Invaders. I’ve seen it all and played most of it. So, I thought it might be fun to throw out a few memories of mine. Who knows, you might share many of them with me.
Toys I Remember Having As A Child: (this could be a long list)
==========================================================================
GI Joe action figures:
1) Snake Eyes & Timber (his wolf)
2) Mainframe
3) Beach Head
4) Airborne
5) Lady Jay
6) Cobra B.A.T.
7) Gung-Ho (original)
8) Wet Suit
9) Doc (original)
10) Quick Kick
11) Grand Slam (original with silver pads)
GI Joe playsets / vehicles:
1) GI Joe L.A.W. playset
2) GI Joe J.U.M.P. jetpack pad playset
3) GI Joe Outpost Defender playset
4) GI Joe Skystriker “f-14 tomcat"
5) GI Joe Devilfish "boat"
===========================================================================
Go-Bots:
1) Green Cykill
2) Jeeper Creeper
3) Master Blaster
4) Dive Dive
Go-Bots Playsets:
1) Thrust-1 (evil base) playset
===========================================================================
Transformers: A=Autobot D=Decepticon
1) Optimus Prime (A)
2) Dirge (D)
3) Warpath (A)
4) Skydive (A)
5) Red Alert (A)
6) Jet Fire (A)
7) Blaster (A)
===========================================================================
Miscellaneous other toys I recall.....
- Voltron Motorized Lion Set (all 5 lions)
- “Dr. J” Wilson basketball
- Brown stopper-gun set with red, firing, stopper darts
- Lincoln Logs (logs and slats were wood…plastic chimney)
- Erector Set
- Tinker Toys
- Hot Wheels
- Stomper trucks
- Nikko Turbo-Panther R/C dunebuggy
- Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun
- Crossman AR17 combo Pellet/BB gun
- Crossman 357-6 pellet pistol
- Coleco Electronic Quarterback (handheld game)
- Simon (game)
- LiteBrite (electronic toy)
- Candyland, Sorry!, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Dominos, Operation, Clue (board games)
- HeMan & The Masters Of The Universe figures w/ Castle Greyskull
- Star Wars figures (first issue)
I warned you this would be a long list... but I think I've gone on long enough. I could recall movies & TV shows that I enjoyed, but that would be almost unbearable here. At least I'm posting entries more often!! More later.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Howdy boys n’ girls. Looks like we’re back together for another installment of the redneck’s rant. Hrmm…yea, it’s been another long gap between entries. While I do apologize, again, for the delay of new material on a daily basis… at least it does tend to give me more to comment on when I do come back to update the blog. Without further adieu, I’ll crack the old knuckles and we’ll journey down the twisted path of my mind for an insightful look into the whole “Jason Experience” as of late.
I’ve been dealing with a pinching pain in my upper back, located over my left shoulder and between the shoulder blade and spine. I’ve tried stretches, heat, a new chair, and corrective posture habits. Nothing seems to get the slight “burn” out of that area…and it even goes slightly numb from time to time. It isn’t incapacitating… but it’s definitely annoying. I think it stems from a lack of adequate support in the chair I was forced to use her at the new job, a bad habit of slouching whilst working on the PC (since most monitors are not situated at a level equal my eyes), and the fact that I’m not 18 anymore.
Does anyone know how to stop a female cat from “yoweling” at night while she’s in heat? The constant “mmrrOOOWWWWwrrr” and trilling is driving me insane. My wife calls this cat her “purr-purr-princess”…so you can imagine how spoiled this thing is. I can’t believe how often this cat goes through menstrual cycles. Apparently I’ve never paid that much attention to it before, but they’re in heat and begging for some about every other week, it seems!!! I’ve never seen anything like it!! She’ll sit there and bat her eyes… trill out a little purr…and wiggle her ass like “I neeeeeed it!!!” Ugg…. Somebody get this cat FIXED!!!
Well, with it being practically the end of October, now, here’s an update on what the kiddos are dressing up as. My youngest son is going as the movie version of Wolverine from X-Men. There’s a cute story behind this character and my kid…but I won’t take up space here with it. He’s got the suit, the little claws, and we’ll be styling his hair and giving him a pair of makeup “sideburns”. He should be very cute. My oldest boy is going as a Star Wars “Clone Trooper” from the last movie to hit the big screen. He has a trooper suit, complete with helmet. The “blaster rifle” toy is on order and should be here in just a few days.
My wife and I are big kids when it comes to the holidays, and we want our kids to always have good memories of the things we did as a family during special times. So, she and I dress up each year to take them up to an event at our capital city’s zoo, called “Boo At The Zoo”. I’m going as the Grim Reaper… and the wife is going as a witch. We both feel that our costumes tend to represent the best of our bad side. I’m typically the harbinger of doom… while she’s typically brewing up trouble.
I’ll let you know how things go. More later.
I’ve been dealing with a pinching pain in my upper back, located over my left shoulder and between the shoulder blade and spine. I’ve tried stretches, heat, a new chair, and corrective posture habits. Nothing seems to get the slight “burn” out of that area…and it even goes slightly numb from time to time. It isn’t incapacitating… but it’s definitely annoying. I think it stems from a lack of adequate support in the chair I was forced to use her at the new job, a bad habit of slouching whilst working on the PC (since most monitors are not situated at a level equal my eyes), and the fact that I’m not 18 anymore.
Does anyone know how to stop a female cat from “yoweling” at night while she’s in heat? The constant “mmrrOOOWWWWwrrr” and trilling is driving me insane. My wife calls this cat her “purr-purr-princess”…so you can imagine how spoiled this thing is. I can’t believe how often this cat goes through menstrual cycles. Apparently I’ve never paid that much attention to it before, but they’re in heat and begging for some about every other week, it seems!!! I’ve never seen anything like it!! She’ll sit there and bat her eyes… trill out a little purr…and wiggle her ass like “I neeeeeed it!!!” Ugg…. Somebody get this cat FIXED!!!
Well, with it being practically the end of October, now, here’s an update on what the kiddos are dressing up as. My youngest son is going as the movie version of Wolverine from X-Men. There’s a cute story behind this character and my kid…but I won’t take up space here with it. He’s got the suit, the little claws, and we’ll be styling his hair and giving him a pair of makeup “sideburns”. He should be very cute. My oldest boy is going as a Star Wars “Clone Trooper” from the last movie to hit the big screen. He has a trooper suit, complete with helmet. The “blaster rifle” toy is on order and should be here in just a few days.
My wife and I are big kids when it comes to the holidays, and we want our kids to always have good memories of the things we did as a family during special times. So, she and I dress up each year to take them up to an event at our capital city’s zoo, called “Boo At The Zoo”. I’m going as the Grim Reaper… and the wife is going as a witch. We both feel that our costumes tend to represent the best of our bad side. I’m typically the harbinger of doom… while she’s typically brewing up trouble.
I’ll let you know how things go. More later.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Howdy folks. Well, I’m back again to distribute sunshine… not unlike a cow pie in a wood chipper. ~lol~ I realize I’ve been gone awhile and have left my adoring masses without anything to read. For that, I do apologize. But, from time to time, I have to attend to real life and the tight schedules that come along with it.
I’ve been well. I’ve managed to remain employed and at least marginally stable, financially. However, my money situation is tending to want to lean toward “Chronically Impoverished” if this trend continues for much longer. I’m desperately seeking some local part-time work to help shove a proverbial crutch under our budget.
After the hit my wife and I took in the pocketbook (over the job change we both were forced into about 7 months ago) we’ve been struggling against the slowly sinking ratio of income versus bills. We’re beginning to slide into the bright yellow zone, and the red zone ain’t far off.
I’ve applied at several places with only one showing any sign of interest, thusfar. The only problem is in the fact that I’ve basically had to hold their hand and coax them to contact me with information after the initial interview. I was supposed to be scheduled for a drug-screen before beginning work with the local Tractor Supply Company.
That was over a week ago. I’ve had to call the supervisor 3 times since then, inquiring about when and where this was supposed to happen. I don’t have time to sit around for half a month while people drag their feet. I have a family to support and I need the work NOW. They’re about to find me “unavailable” real damn fast.
In other news… the boys are doing well in their sports. My oldest son (Justin) is playing flag-football in a local church league, and they won their game last night. My youngest son (Logan) is playing his church league soccer game tonight. Mondays and Tuesdays are always hectic each week. I don’t know who made up the Practice/Game schedule for the church league…but they need to be flogged. Here’s what we have to contend with…and keep in mind that there are two separate locations for practice…and yet a third location for both boys to play games.
Monday – Logan’s Practice from 6:00pm to 7:00pm ~then~ Justin’s Game from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Tuesday – Justin’s Practice from 6:00pm to 7:00pm ~then~ Logan’s Game from 6:45pm to 8:45pm
As you can see, it takes a tag-team environment to get the boys where they need to be on an almost overlapping schedule on both nights. Again, practices are on two different fields in separate locations…and the games are played at a third location. *Sigh* … the joys of parenthood.
Well, that’s all for now. More later.
I’ve been well. I’ve managed to remain employed and at least marginally stable, financially. However, my money situation is tending to want to lean toward “Chronically Impoverished” if this trend continues for much longer. I’m desperately seeking some local part-time work to help shove a proverbial crutch under our budget.
After the hit my wife and I took in the pocketbook (over the job change we both were forced into about 7 months ago) we’ve been struggling against the slowly sinking ratio of income versus bills. We’re beginning to slide into the bright yellow zone, and the red zone ain’t far off.
I’ve applied at several places with only one showing any sign of interest, thusfar. The only problem is in the fact that I’ve basically had to hold their hand and coax them to contact me with information after the initial interview. I was supposed to be scheduled for a drug-screen before beginning work with the local Tractor Supply Company.
That was over a week ago. I’ve had to call the supervisor 3 times since then, inquiring about when and where this was supposed to happen. I don’t have time to sit around for half a month while people drag their feet. I have a family to support and I need the work NOW. They’re about to find me “unavailable” real damn fast.
In other news… the boys are doing well in their sports. My oldest son (Justin) is playing flag-football in a local church league, and they won their game last night. My youngest son (Logan) is playing his church league soccer game tonight. Mondays and Tuesdays are always hectic each week. I don’t know who made up the Practice/Game schedule for the church league…but they need to be flogged. Here’s what we have to contend with…and keep in mind that there are two separate locations for practice…and yet a third location for both boys to play games.
Monday – Logan’s Practice from 6:00pm to 7:00pm ~then~ Justin’s Game from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Tuesday – Justin’s Practice from 6:00pm to 7:00pm ~then~ Logan’s Game from 6:45pm to 8:45pm
As you can see, it takes a tag-team environment to get the boys where they need to be on an almost overlapping schedule on both nights. Again, practices are on two different fields in separate locations…and the games are played at a third location. *Sigh* … the joys of parenthood.
Well, that’s all for now. More later.
Monday, September 26, 2005
In an effort to curb the steadily increasing velocity of the “poverty avalanche” that seems to be pervading our financial livelihood, at the moment, I am attempting to procure part-time work in the evenings. In layman’s terms, “We’s broke and we needs sum muney. We ain’t got enuf vittles, ya’ll.”
With that said, the prospective places I’ve applied at have yet to contact me regarding the applications I’ve turned in…but that’s not to say they won’t. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. Things aren’t exactly just peachy in the old pocketbook and time is quickly running out before people start pulling the plugs on things until we can grease their palms with some greenbacks.
Ain’t life just grand? *sigh* At any rate, let’s move on to brighter things. If you’d like to check out a really odd and somewhat freaky site… direct your browser over to http://www.99rooms.com . It helps to have a broadband connection and you’ll need to have Flash installed on your system to view the rooms. It’s darkly intriguing to me…and seems to go along with my hum-drum mood at times. Apparently there is no equivalent to OSHA in Germany that might prevent local web-heads and artists from journeying through old, abandoned industrial sites and turning them into strangely disturbing art galleries. Enjoy.
Recent Intellectual Illuminations:
1) I’ve developed an odd addiction to Mountain Dew: Pitch Black II…don’t ask me why. Is my eye supposed to twitch like this? (kidding)
2) A SuperSoaker water gun will sufficiently motivate a household cat to leave the sanctuary of a cubby hole beneath the neighbor’s front porch. This was necessitated by the fact that the cat in question is:
a) female
b) in heat
c) an escapee from the confines of our house.
Needless to say, the cat was neither happy to be caught, nor thrilled about the rather moist methods I
used just prior to its capture.
3) Small, plastic, fishing-lure-like worm toys that my child loves to throw about…will adhere to painted walls and will leave small, dark, greasy stains when removed. Ask me how I know. They also stick nicely to blown ceilings.
4) Many restaurants openly advertise that they serve ONLY Pepsi products at the soda fountain, yet most offer Dr.Pepper. Dr.Pepper is, and has always been, owned and bottled by Coca-Cola. Is Dr.Pepper untouchable?
It’s time to rest and ponder on these matters. More later.
With that said, the prospective places I’ve applied at have yet to contact me regarding the applications I’ve turned in…but that’s not to say they won’t. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. Things aren’t exactly just peachy in the old pocketbook and time is quickly running out before people start pulling the plugs on things until we can grease their palms with some greenbacks.
Ain’t life just grand? *sigh* At any rate, let’s move on to brighter things. If you’d like to check out a really odd and somewhat freaky site… direct your browser over to http://www.99rooms.com . It helps to have a broadband connection and you’ll need to have Flash installed on your system to view the rooms. It’s darkly intriguing to me…and seems to go along with my hum-drum mood at times. Apparently there is no equivalent to OSHA in Germany that might prevent local web-heads and artists from journeying through old, abandoned industrial sites and turning them into strangely disturbing art galleries. Enjoy.
Recent Intellectual Illuminations:
1) I’ve developed an odd addiction to Mountain Dew: Pitch Black II…don’t ask me why. Is my eye supposed to twitch like this? (kidding)
2) A SuperSoaker water gun will sufficiently motivate a household cat to leave the sanctuary of a cubby hole beneath the neighbor’s front porch. This was necessitated by the fact that the cat in question is:
a) female
b) in heat
c) an escapee from the confines of our house.
Needless to say, the cat was neither happy to be caught, nor thrilled about the rather moist methods I
used just prior to its capture.
3) Small, plastic, fishing-lure-like worm toys that my child loves to throw about…will adhere to painted walls and will leave small, dark, greasy stains when removed. Ask me how I know. They also stick nicely to blown ceilings.
4) Many restaurants openly advertise that they serve ONLY Pepsi products at the soda fountain, yet most offer Dr.Pepper. Dr.Pepper is, and has always been, owned and bottled by Coca-Cola. Is Dr.Pepper untouchable?
It’s time to rest and ponder on these matters. More later.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
I seem to find myself grasping for what to write, now. There are some events that have occurred, recently, which I don’t believe need to be aired to the public. So, in respect of the people’s feelings I have already unintentionally mutilated, I won’t discuss them in this blog. I can at least show some respect and common decency in this small way.
With that said, I will attempt to turn my attention on other matters. I wonder, sometimes, why it seems to be that there is a direct, perpetual and disproportionate imbalance between the amount of money I make and the bills that I have to pay? It always strikes me as bitter irony that no matter how much I bring home, I’m never the recipient of my paycheck. I’m merely the courier.
Now, I’ll relate a somewhat bittersweet experience I had. I rescued a butterfly yesterday. I’m sure, to some, I seem like the least likely person to extend a helping hand to one of nature’s daintiest creatures. However, as I was getting into my truck yesterday evening, I spied a butterfly struggling across the scorching pavement of the parking lot where I work. I started to shut the door of my truck and just worry about what I needed to do. But, for some reason, I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to this poor creature’s struggle.
I got out and went around to see what the problem was with the little fella. Certain species of butterflies have two wings on each side of their body, a forward wing and rear wing. This poor butterfly was missing one of its forward wings, entirely. It seemed dazed and desperate to escape the scorching surface of the parking lot… so I reached down and let it crawl onto my finger. Knowing that it couldn’t fly in its current condition, I realized that its hours were numbered. With no way to go from flower to flower, its already brief life had been unfairly shortened by this injury. I decided to be kind to this poor victim of fate, and let him (or her) ride with me on my errands. For storytelling purposes, let’s consider “it” a “him”.
It’s rare to see a live butterfly riding “shotgun” in a vehicle. It’s even rarer for a butterfly to travel anywhere at 65mph. For a short time, my little friend was Hemi-powered…cruising through the city in which I live in air-conditioned and shaded comfort. Slowly opening and closing its wings, my new co-pilot seemed content to be my guest as we went from one place to another. I never left him for very long, and was always pleased to find him waiting patiently for me when I returned to the vehicle.
My friend rode with me until I finally reached home, and clung to my finger as I introduced him to my wife. She was as taken with the beauty of its remaining wings as I was. As I set out the supper that I’d purchased for her and I, she examined my little friend. We agreed that there was little she or I could do aside from placing our winged guest on the nearest flowering bush and wishing it well. So, I placed him outside on a nearby bush, carefully. I said goodnight as its damaged wings slowly opened and closed, and went back inside. I don’t know the fate of my co-pilot now… but I hope, in some small way, that I helped ease its suffering. I dedicate this small and strange entry to my friend… the Hemi-Powered Butterfly. Rest well, my friend.
More later.
With that said, I will attempt to turn my attention on other matters. I wonder, sometimes, why it seems to be that there is a direct, perpetual and disproportionate imbalance between the amount of money I make and the bills that I have to pay? It always strikes me as bitter irony that no matter how much I bring home, I’m never the recipient of my paycheck. I’m merely the courier.
Now, I’ll relate a somewhat bittersweet experience I had. I rescued a butterfly yesterday. I’m sure, to some, I seem like the least likely person to extend a helping hand to one of nature’s daintiest creatures. However, as I was getting into my truck yesterday evening, I spied a butterfly struggling across the scorching pavement of the parking lot where I work. I started to shut the door of my truck and just worry about what I needed to do. But, for some reason, I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to this poor creature’s struggle.
I got out and went around to see what the problem was with the little fella. Certain species of butterflies have two wings on each side of their body, a forward wing and rear wing. This poor butterfly was missing one of its forward wings, entirely. It seemed dazed and desperate to escape the scorching surface of the parking lot… so I reached down and let it crawl onto my finger. Knowing that it couldn’t fly in its current condition, I realized that its hours were numbered. With no way to go from flower to flower, its already brief life had been unfairly shortened by this injury. I decided to be kind to this poor victim of fate, and let him (or her) ride with me on my errands. For storytelling purposes, let’s consider “it” a “him”.
It’s rare to see a live butterfly riding “shotgun” in a vehicle. It’s even rarer for a butterfly to travel anywhere at 65mph. For a short time, my little friend was Hemi-powered…cruising through the city in which I live in air-conditioned and shaded comfort. Slowly opening and closing its wings, my new co-pilot seemed content to be my guest as we went from one place to another. I never left him for very long, and was always pleased to find him waiting patiently for me when I returned to the vehicle.
My friend rode with me until I finally reached home, and clung to my finger as I introduced him to my wife. She was as taken with the beauty of its remaining wings as I was. As I set out the supper that I’d purchased for her and I, she examined my little friend. We agreed that there was little she or I could do aside from placing our winged guest on the nearest flowering bush and wishing it well. So, I placed him outside on a nearby bush, carefully. I said goodnight as its damaged wings slowly opened and closed, and went back inside. I don’t know the fate of my co-pilot now… but I hope, in some small way, that I helped ease its suffering. I dedicate this small and strange entry to my friend… the Hemi-Powered Butterfly. Rest well, my friend.
More later.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Note: This entry has subject matter that is psychologically deep and not necessarily linear in construction. It is not intended to indicate an analysis of any person or particular situation. It is merely a "venting" necessitated by an over-abundance of stress in my life. If you make any sense of this, you have my sincerest and most humble sympathy. Apparently you're as far gone as me.
There are times in my life when I wonder, truly, if I am my own worst enemy. It seems that I am the greatest single source of my own misery due to my blatant disregard for possible outcomes to decisions I make. I try to reason out the various outcomes that could result from a decision. Perhaps it’s a feeble attempt at not only self-preservation, but also the preservation of the ones around me that I consider very dear to my heart. Invariably, regardless of my thoughts on the outcome, I tend to let my emotions and my instinct guide my choices. It’s rather ironic that I inwardly chastise people who cast their fate to the wind and are reckless with their actions and lives, yet I seem to do that very thing each and every day with the choices I make.
Sometimes I’m lucky and walk away unscathed by potentially crippling ramifications. Other times, I’m figuratively driven into the ground on my chin by the things that come to pass as a direct result of my choices. Perhaps this is common to many people. Perhaps I only “feel” as if I’m an isolated case. Odds are that this is not something rare, but no matter. I live within this body and mind and I deal with the feelings and the actions and the reactions to what choices I make.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a common feeling or not. Realizing that others deal with this does not comfort me as I deal with it. It merely causes me to be saddened for others who apparently go through what I do, at times. Ultimately, I must come to grips with the results of my indiscretions and hasty decisions. Ultimately, I must rise to the challenge of what I have wrought with my own two hands and do my best to care for those caught up in the malestrom of my actions.
A dull and sickening ache seems to always pervade my being and gnaw at my soul. I don’t think there is any recourse I can ever enact that will drive this from me. Many of you, at this point, might very well be asking yourself, “Has this man gone utterly mad? Has he gone so deep within himself, trying to find some sort of reasoning for his own foolishness that he’s lost a grip on the reality of life? Has he failed to come to grips with the undeniable fact that no man is truly in control of his own destiny and circumstances?”
I’ve wondered about my sanity in the midst of the endless circling my life tends to make. Strange loops of complacency and monotony seem to pervade my existence, wearing deeper and deeper grooves in the surface of my consciousness. But, I think this comes about as a result of my own need for a constant “routine” and fear of change. When things change, then the comfort of familiar aspects in my life are torn away. I find myself unsure… uncertain… hesitant of what to do next.
I seem to keep finding myself boomeranging, if you will, back to the same crossroads I always come to. Which path to take? Which destiny will be mine? How will I cope with the negative ramifications of my decision, regardless of which path I take? I cannot see beyond the horizon of my destiny… merely the paths leading off into the distance and the choices left upon the post before me. At this point, I tend to step back and think… “Both decisions will hold negative effects. This is one of the certainties of life. Merely take one path and hope for the best”.
I also seem to have a knack for following in the gene-laden habits of my forefathers when it comes to emotional issues and behaviors. Be it good, bad, or simply quirky and unique… it seems to have an inherited pattern to it. This pattern has gotten me laughs, love, and a lot of expressions that seem to silently say “So, Jason, how long HAVE you been eating paint chips?” Regardless, I seem doomed to follow not only in the positive of my ancestors but also in the negative. This worries me when it comes to my two boys. So much negative has already been thrust upon them in their short years here on this Earth.
I’m certainly no shining example of perfect fatherhood and no model husband. But I do try to encourage them and steer them along the proper and responsible pathway through life, even tho there seems to be an inhereted “butting of the heads” when it comes to obedience in the face of what they’d rather do. As I’ve mentioned to my parents on occasion… I never knew the proverbial “Paying for your Raising” statement included accrued interest. ~lol~ Ah, laughter. That felt good.
Well, before I suck up all the bandwidth on the server with this single post, I’ll take a break and resurface to the land of the living. I have nicer things to worry about on the surface… like having more bills than money. More later.
There are times in my life when I wonder, truly, if I am my own worst enemy. It seems that I am the greatest single source of my own misery due to my blatant disregard for possible outcomes to decisions I make. I try to reason out the various outcomes that could result from a decision. Perhaps it’s a feeble attempt at not only self-preservation, but also the preservation of the ones around me that I consider very dear to my heart. Invariably, regardless of my thoughts on the outcome, I tend to let my emotions and my instinct guide my choices. It’s rather ironic that I inwardly chastise people who cast their fate to the wind and are reckless with their actions and lives, yet I seem to do that very thing each and every day with the choices I make.
Sometimes I’m lucky and walk away unscathed by potentially crippling ramifications. Other times, I’m figuratively driven into the ground on my chin by the things that come to pass as a direct result of my choices. Perhaps this is common to many people. Perhaps I only “feel” as if I’m an isolated case. Odds are that this is not something rare, but no matter. I live within this body and mind and I deal with the feelings and the actions and the reactions to what choices I make.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a common feeling or not. Realizing that others deal with this does not comfort me as I deal with it. It merely causes me to be saddened for others who apparently go through what I do, at times. Ultimately, I must come to grips with the results of my indiscretions and hasty decisions. Ultimately, I must rise to the challenge of what I have wrought with my own two hands and do my best to care for those caught up in the malestrom of my actions.
A dull and sickening ache seems to always pervade my being and gnaw at my soul. I don’t think there is any recourse I can ever enact that will drive this from me. Many of you, at this point, might very well be asking yourself, “Has this man gone utterly mad? Has he gone so deep within himself, trying to find some sort of reasoning for his own foolishness that he’s lost a grip on the reality of life? Has he failed to come to grips with the undeniable fact that no man is truly in control of his own destiny and circumstances?”
I’ve wondered about my sanity in the midst of the endless circling my life tends to make. Strange loops of complacency and monotony seem to pervade my existence, wearing deeper and deeper grooves in the surface of my consciousness. But, I think this comes about as a result of my own need for a constant “routine” and fear of change. When things change, then the comfort of familiar aspects in my life are torn away. I find myself unsure… uncertain… hesitant of what to do next.
I seem to keep finding myself boomeranging, if you will, back to the same crossroads I always come to. Which path to take? Which destiny will be mine? How will I cope with the negative ramifications of my decision, regardless of which path I take? I cannot see beyond the horizon of my destiny… merely the paths leading off into the distance and the choices left upon the post before me. At this point, I tend to step back and think… “Both decisions will hold negative effects. This is one of the certainties of life. Merely take one path and hope for the best”.
I also seem to have a knack for following in the gene-laden habits of my forefathers when it comes to emotional issues and behaviors. Be it good, bad, or simply quirky and unique… it seems to have an inherited pattern to it. This pattern has gotten me laughs, love, and a lot of expressions that seem to silently say “So, Jason, how long HAVE you been eating paint chips?” Regardless, I seem doomed to follow not only in the positive of my ancestors but also in the negative. This worries me when it comes to my two boys. So much negative has already been thrust upon them in their short years here on this Earth.
I’m certainly no shining example of perfect fatherhood and no model husband. But I do try to encourage them and steer them along the proper and responsible pathway through life, even tho there seems to be an inhereted “butting of the heads” when it comes to obedience in the face of what they’d rather do. As I’ve mentioned to my parents on occasion… I never knew the proverbial “Paying for your Raising” statement included accrued interest. ~lol~ Ah, laughter. That felt good.
Well, before I suck up all the bandwidth on the server with this single post, I’ll take a break and resurface to the land of the living. I have nicer things to worry about on the surface… like having more bills than money. More later.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Goooooodmorning boys and girls. It’s time for yet another daily life report from “yours truly”. My sister is headed back down to Louisiana to join my brother-in-law at their apartment. I’ve seen some pictures of the place that he’s emailed to the family. While there is a bit of damage to the structure, it’s not that severe.
Most of the actual damage was inflicted upon the surrounding pine trees. Some of these did damage to other homes in the area, but I’m glad that they’re not having to extract a tree from their bedroom. Their jobs are still secure and their landlord has asked for their assistance in getting things back in working order. The guy is really nice and helpful, I’m told, so I’m sure everything will be back to 100% as soon as possible. My folks are taking her down there today… so I should have some reports from them either tonight or tomorrow on the condition of things when they arrive.
There are plans to do some ATV riding with friends this weekend. That’s always fun, but it would be so much more fun to get my own. One step at a time, I suppose. As it stands right now, I’m looking for some part-time work to help supplement the existing budget. I need to make sure I don’t let my hunger for a new toy outweigh my common sense when it comes to financial obligations, I suppose. That wouldn’t be good.
But, at any rate, there will be some job-hunting going on this weekend, and (as I mentioned in the last post) a visit to the Arctic Cat dealership. If any of you are interested in taking a peek at the rigs I’m trying to decide between… here’s a link to each one…
2006 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 Automatic – http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/products/modelhome/51/0/home.aspx
2005 Arctic Cat 400 4x4 Automatic VP – http://www.arcticcat.com/atvs/lineups/specs.asp?y=94&c=95&s=102&m=631
Both are pretty, both look tough, and both have good reviews. But, if I don’t get a loan app to be approved, I ain’t getting either one… *sigh*
((NOTICE)) – I have discovered why those of you who read my blog are having difficulty in posting comments to my entries if you’re not a “registered user” of Blogger. Apparently it has something to do with the option I inadvertently selected in the Comments Setup section that disabled readers’ ability to leave comments if they weren’t registered users. Now, I’m no rocket scientist here… but switching that option back on MIGHT just solve the problem. (rolls eyes) I’m sorry about that, folks. But, afterall, I am… a redneck.
Most of the actual damage was inflicted upon the surrounding pine trees. Some of these did damage to other homes in the area, but I’m glad that they’re not having to extract a tree from their bedroom. Their jobs are still secure and their landlord has asked for their assistance in getting things back in working order. The guy is really nice and helpful, I’m told, so I’m sure everything will be back to 100% as soon as possible. My folks are taking her down there today… so I should have some reports from them either tonight or tomorrow on the condition of things when they arrive.
There are plans to do some ATV riding with friends this weekend. That’s always fun, but it would be so much more fun to get my own. One step at a time, I suppose. As it stands right now, I’m looking for some part-time work to help supplement the existing budget. I need to make sure I don’t let my hunger for a new toy outweigh my common sense when it comes to financial obligations, I suppose. That wouldn’t be good.
But, at any rate, there will be some job-hunting going on this weekend, and (as I mentioned in the last post) a visit to the Arctic Cat dealership. If any of you are interested in taking a peek at the rigs I’m trying to decide between… here’s a link to each one…
2006 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 Automatic – http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/products/modelhome/51/0/home.aspx
2005 Arctic Cat 400 4x4 Automatic VP – http://www.arcticcat.com/atvs/lineups/specs.asp?y=94&c=95&s=102&m=631
Both are pretty, both look tough, and both have good reviews. But, if I don’t get a loan app to be approved, I ain’t getting either one… *sigh*
((NOTICE)) – I have discovered why those of you who read my blog are having difficulty in posting comments to my entries if you’re not a “registered user” of Blogger. Apparently it has something to do with the option I inadvertently selected in the Comments Setup section that disabled readers’ ability to leave comments if they weren’t registered users. Now, I’m no rocket scientist here… but switching that option back on MIGHT just solve the problem. (rolls eyes) I’m sorry about that, folks. But, afterall, I am… a redneck.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
I know I’ve been neglecting my daily literary responsibilities on the blog, and I do apologize to all of my adoring (albeit invisible and mute) fans for my selfish indiscretion. I will attempt to remedy the aforementioned situation with a witty and somewhat truncated entry for today. I say truncated because I have approximately 7 minutes until I get to carry my redneck ass to the house for a beer. And that, boys and girls, is something that Mr. Jason could use right about now.
To make this short and sweet… I continue to be afflicted with ATV FEVER and in an attempt to quell this burning passion for my own mud-slinging, dirt tossing, water crossing, mechanized trail beast…. I’m going to visit the local Arctic Cat dealership this weekend. I have already heard the praises of Yamaha’s being sung to me by one friend. Now I hear the praises of the Arctic Cat being announced by not only my father-in-law, but also by my brother-in-law. Ultimately, I have researched both machines of interest. I have read user reviews concerning the performance, reliability, comfort and abilities of both…and I like both quads.
I think the determining factor(s) will end up being…
a) the credit approval amount
~and/or~
b) the package deal for the money.
Well… it’s now 4 minutes past when I’m supposed to leave. So, guess what. I’M OUTTA HERE!!! I’ll add more useless commentary tomorrow at some point.
Yall have fun now…bye.
To make this short and sweet… I continue to be afflicted with ATV FEVER and in an attempt to quell this burning passion for my own mud-slinging, dirt tossing, water crossing, mechanized trail beast…. I’m going to visit the local Arctic Cat dealership this weekend. I have already heard the praises of Yamaha’s being sung to me by one friend. Now I hear the praises of the Arctic Cat being announced by not only my father-in-law, but also by my brother-in-law. Ultimately, I have researched both machines of interest. I have read user reviews concerning the performance, reliability, comfort and abilities of both…and I like both quads.
I think the determining factor(s) will end up being…
a) the credit approval amount
~and/or~
b) the package deal for the money.
Well… it’s now 4 minutes past when I’m supposed to leave. So, guess what. I’M OUTTA HERE!!! I’ll add more useless commentary tomorrow at some point.
Yall have fun now…bye.
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