Can't stomach it

Greetings belly dancers

I am not sure what is the culprit, but the past few days my stomach has not felt right. It is probably my eating habits. Oh well I digest.

This morning Marley did a magic trick. He made something reappear. He threw up. It has been awhile since he has thrown up, I am grateful for that. I could hear him retching and I turn to look. There is the unwelcome visitor. I do not know how he throws up such large quantities. I know he likes to eat. When I put food in the dish that does not bother him eating. I have to maneuver around his furry head. He even lets me pet his head while eating. The rest of the time is very skittish. I cleaned the vomit up. At least he hits the litter box.

On a cooler note, it is temperature wise becoming fall. The next two nights the lows will be in the upper 40s. That seems pretty good to me. I had to break out a long sleeve shirt. Then toward the end of the week it will be in 80s again.

I guess we can weather all that.

Bedhead

Hello all you living in Sleepy Hollow

For the past few weeks I have not wanted to get up in the morning. Usually I hop out of bed to do my morning routine of reading, catching up on television, and the occasional nap. These past mornings it has been more of napping. Even before I leave the comfort chamber I look at the clock and roll over. I am not sure if there is anything on television worth watching to keep me awake. It could just be my body breaking down.

Wendy and I played racquetball this morning. She has been going to the gym in the mornings before work. We did okay for not playing in many months. We were able to hit the ball at least three times.

Maybe in the future I will have enough strength to get out of bed in the morning.

Get your mind into the gutter

The leaf does not fall far from the tree.

It has been a pretty decent weekend as far as two days can go. Saturday Wendy and I got rid of some uninvited guests and we saw some friends. Last week Wendy noticed a huge spider web on our back door. Saturday I went out with a broom to clean out the cobwebs. I noticed that on the deck were a bunch of leaves. So I swept them off. Then I look up and see that the gutters were full of debris. I figure I had better clean them, especially with all the rain we have had lately. My hands smelt like wet leaves for most of the day. I had the wash my hands multiple times to get the gunk out of my fingernails.

Saturday afternoon Wendy and I spent time with some college gal pals. As females they like to go shopping, specifically clothes and shoes. They took turns trying on outfits and modeling. They convinced Wendy to buy two pair of shoes, with heels. she actually wore one of the pairs today. I think that was the first time I had seen in a show with a heel. Previously she had said she does not wear heels because of the poor balance. She seemed to do alright. No loss to gravity today.

That night we were going to go to Macaroni Grill, but the wait was too long. We ended up at Chili's. Wendy and I order the Triple Dippers. That is basically your choice of three appetizers that you can dip. It was pretty much all chicken. It was not that appealing as it looked on the menu. I felt not the greatest in the world after consumption.

Today was the 100 year homecoming celebration at my home church. My brother, his girlfriend, Wendy and I went to meet my parents at church. It was a pretty good service and good meal. It was good to see people I have not seen in a few years. Everyone acted pleased to see us. There were a lot of people I did not recognize which is pretty good for a church.

Here is one random one for you. I was trying to make a comparison illustration in a youth Bible study tonight consisting of the phrase "showed his thing." Yep, it was in a room of high school youth. Wendy was nice enough to point it out to me afterward. Teach your children well.

That is enough junk for you to sift through now. Come back when we are having our price reduction sale.

Tool much

Hello all you fixer uppers

I think that I finally fixed the bathroom sink after days of fiddling with it. Maybe I should have used a guitar, but I don't play. Wendy said yesterday that it was leaking around the base. I apparently had not tightened it just right. I hope I don't have to mess with plumbing for a long time. There is a lot of plumbing to do around here, but I don't have the knowledge or the money for it.

I am not very good with my hands. Maintenance issues are not my strong suit. I am not gifted in looking at something and figuring out how it works. It is ironic that at work I am in the facilities department. I can get frustrated pretty easy, as people will tell you. If it does not go as I think it should I get upset. Sometimes with fixing things you have to work with it until you get it. It can be a lengthy process. I would rather have the quick fix. I think if I had money I would be willing to pay for the upgrades.

Tools and supplies are pretty pricey. However, if you know what you are doing and are able to use them then they pay for themselves. I don't know about or how to use 90% of the things out there. Will I ever one day? Probably not.

Well I have to go and make myself useful.

A little slice of life

Hello all you with the knife and fork

Last night after Wendy had a long day at work, we warmed a generic grocery store pizza. I put it in the oven for more than the allotted time because the package mentioned needing to be defrosted. I had it in the freezer. The timer on the microwave does it noise. I pull out the pizza and it looks fine. I serve a piece to Wendy, who lets me know it is still cold in the middle. Oh well, back in the oven for a few more minutes. Later we enjoy. It was not too bad of a pizza. I would try it again. Which is good because I have another in the fridge.

Today is the last day of the work week. It has been a rough week. I don't know if it has been the rain or circumstances. The days have been long. However, now that the week is over it feels like it ought to be Monday or Tuesday. Not that I am looking forward to another couple of days in the week.

Well it is cheesy, but true.

What a drain

Hello all you spouting off

I hopefully fixed a leaky faucet for now. I know eventually we will need new plumbing. Home repair is not my thing. I get no joy out fixing something. It makes me nervous that I am not doing something right.

I went to the local hardware store during my lunch break yesterday. It was an adventure. I was behind 3 school buses because of early Wednesday dismissal. I made it to the store. I did not really have an idea what I was looking for. I brought the parts from home, but they all the look same. I conferred with one of the associates. He recommended I get a seated seal and I thought I had one. So I made my purchase and went home. I replace the seals and realize I don't have the part I thought I had. So it is back to the store to pick it up. I also bought a new ball, but found out it was the wrong size. Before I left the first time I thought I should pick up the seated seal, but of course talked myself out of it. If you are hardware shopping get what you think you might need and then if you don't use it, take it back. It will probably save you in the long run.

It was a rough day. I am not sure if it is working 100 percent correctly. I still don't like the look of it dripping some after the faucet is turned off. Once you wipe the drops off, it appears to work. I fear I may have to replace the ball after all. Once I get the right one of course. The one I got yesterday was not the right size.

So after a disappointing drip, sayings spouting from my mouth, fists flying to face, I hope I have located at least one leak. I hope it will soon be a pipe dream instead of a nightmare.

Work like a rented a mule

Hello all you wild animals or is domesticated?

This morning I went to gym. It was the first time in months. I was only able to work out for about 15 minutes. I did the treadmill for 15 and the elliptical for two. It was not that bad. Then I had to head to work.

The way to work was uneventful, which is a good thing. The only thing of interest is that every light I met was yellow. Fortunately they did not turn red on me, but I still don't understand. Maybe I am Green Lantern and they were trying to weaken me. I am so sick of the state of our roads. It is annoying to drive over rough patches. I am paranoid that my tire will blow. I cannot stand to ride over bumps.

Yesterday I noticed the sink in the downstairs bath was dripping. I tried to use some previous seal rings, but they did not work. It would work temporarily and then drip. I guess I have to get a new kit. It is so annoying to see the water drip. My money goes down the drain. Why do I have to use my money on bills when I want to waste it on other things? I hope I can fix that leak or the screaming you will hear is just me.

It is a wrenched life I lead, pipe.
They probably don't even use lead anymore.

Ring. It's for you. I don't want it.

Hello all you with your listening ears on

I always seem to call Wendy at the wrong time. Her phone rings when she is in the middle of doing something or just sat down to relax. Guilty party? Me. Penalty? 50 years. Most of the time I have nothing to say on the phone. I am like traffic. All pause and nowhere to go.

Wendy and I watched the season premiere of House last night. It was pretty good. I love the jokes. It was funny and moving at the same time. It shows you sometimes just have to live. One person can't control everything. Here's the remote.

I watched a pretty cool show, maybe last night called Castle. Stars Nathan Fillion and some others. Fillion plays a mystery writer who helps out the NYPD, most to one of the detectives dismay. It seemed interesting. Of course the storyline has been played to death. Sometimes it jumps around how they figure out things, but overall a decent show. I suspect I may have to pay attention.

Now back to making phone calls. Anybody there?

And the award goes to

Thank you it was an honor to be nominated.

Wendy and I just to have the television on watched the 61st Primetime Emmy Award Show. Or People I Have Never Heard of in Tuxedos and Low-cut dresses. I guess I don't watch much television in prime time because I had not heard of much of the shows. I know that I have never watched them. It seemed they handed out a lot of Emmys for bizarre things. Like best guest actor in a series? It seemed that the network channels only did well in comedy. Cable appeared to take the other categories.

The award shows always seem the same. Cut to the audience who pretends to be laughing. The host trying to get them to laugh. The winner looking surprised and rambling on thanking people. The other nominees looking upset.

I don't try and watch a lot of award shows, but it seemed that there were a bunch of people who won they first Emmy last night. Wendy made the observation that the majority of the winners were not American. Of these winners most were British.

It is always a good career if you get paid to do what you want and win an award on top of that.

It is the end of an error

Hello all you finale-ists

Well it is that time of year for the television viewers. Some of your shows that you love to watch are leaving the airways, maybe for a few weeks or long term. Other shows you watch are coming back to join you on the couch. Pass the chips.

Season finales always seem weird to me. Most of the time they leave you hanging ready for more, which is the purpose. I mean the show wants an audience. Sometimes I have to wonder what about the other storyline you didn't resolve? The shows always it with some big excitement. It either gets resolved or you have to wait until next season where such a big problem is resolved in the first five minutes. Maybe I am not a smart viewer but I like it when my show answers the questions.

Television shows come and go. You never realize the length of time a show has been on the air. The good ones never seem long enough and the bad ones seem too long. Most shows have a particular following. I hear about many shows, but never bother to watch them.

For you soap fans, your showers just got less interesting. You may know, or Wendy may tell you, that long time running (72 years) Guiding Light has gone dark. Guiding Light and Little House on the Prairie are the majority of Wendy's viewing habits. Sometimes GL's storylines have been odd to me, but someone must like them. They chose to wrap everything up in a marathon of deaths, marriages, and pregnancies. Although they left out some people I thought should be included, from my limited viewing experience.

Well if you find a show to show your support that is why their are DVDs, Youtube, and other places on the Internet.

Couldn't do any worse if I tried

Hello all you out there in the land of the living

I think I have stopped looking forward to Fridays. The only nice part about them is that you don't have to work the next day. However on Friday everyone runs around hectic. It is a good feeling to have everything done. Of course over the weekend you have to decide what to do or your have plans that someone told you do.

I hope this day gets better than the morning. Nothing too terrible has gone on, but I want better all the same.

Well here is to Friday. We have the rest of the day to make it right.

Wet, but not wild

It all comes out in the wash.

According to the forecast, it looks like we will have some rain the next couple of days. I hear that we need it. Plus I am inside most of the time anyway. As long as I have a working roof I am satisfied.

I recently read a book about trivia edited by the people at Mental_floss magazine. They also have a website with the same name. Although without the word magazine in the address. If you enjoy goofy trivia and games then visit the site. The book was based on the seven deadly sins and how people throughout history participated in the more human side of nature. It is amazing that most of the people in power either killed to get there or once there had a bunch of lovers.

I guess it all boils down to love and hate.

Live by the steal die by the steel

Greetings secret ninjas and public ninjas

You could poke somebody's eye out. I read a story this morning about a college student at John Hopkins who killed an intruder with a samurai sword. Apparently a multiple time robber broke into a 21 year old's apartment with the intent to take the student for all he was worth. The student saw the intruder and grabbed a samurai sword he had. The would be burglar approached the student who had the sword. The burglar turned pin cushion backed the student against the wall. The student swung his blade striking the perp. The perp's hand was nearly severed and he sustained a chest wound, which led to his death.

Why would you attack anybody who has a weapon? I guess if you a good guy then you are required. I suppose the burglar was trying to give the student a hand.

Get my point?

Spec-tacle

Hello all you multiple eyes

My glasses are constantly slipping down my nose. I am not sure if it is oily skin or what. Wendy is convinced that I need to get them adjusted. When I take them off they appear to be really wide. I did not think that I have that big of a head. Every time I bend over they slip. I am really surprised they don't fall off, but they hang on. Occasionally they slip almost off.

Like most long time glasses wearers I forget they are there. Until they move of course. One of the problems with being a glasses wearer is watching television while lying down. I don't do it much because I am worried it will mess up my glasses even more. Although it is hard to see what is on television with bad eyesight.

My glasses are constantly dirty. Truth be told or written I probably don't clean them as much as I should. I never realize how dirty until I look at them from a distance. I wonder if looking through dirty specs leads to bad vision. That would be depressing that glasses could harm your eyes.

Maybe one day I will see through the glass half clear.

Swing and a miss

Hello all you Monday mourners

Well, I think the shells went well. At least a few were eaten. We left the rest with Wendy's parents. The reunion went well as far as reunions. The shells seem to be needing something else to be truly good. They were alright, but not wonderful. I guess that is what makes a true chief, knowing what to add to the ingredients.

Last night our friend, Charles came over and we played on the Wii. He was pretty good. He and I played the Wii Sports. Toward the end of the evening we were on the practice portions. He was pretty good with the tennis. I struggled to get one while he was in the twenties. In the baseball home run derby he smacked the ball consistently over 500 feet, while I barely made 300. There was a funny part in the golf practice. The goal was to get close to the hole. I made a shot that hit the flag pin and rolled of the green. Do I get any credit? Nope, it did not count. It was funny and frustrating at the same time.

An athlete I am not, not even in the feet.

What's cooking good looking

Hey, what is eating you?

This afternoon Wendy and I have a family reunion. We decided we would try and make a few goodies to take. Wendy found a recipe for some shells. So we went to the grocery store and picked up the materials. We baked it this morning. It looks pretty good. I will let you know if it is any good later.

I tried last night between naps to make some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. It was a batch that we had in the cabinets. It was a pretty easy mixture. The powder, an egg, and butter. I mixed it together and put it in the oven. I had to put it on two trays. That was probably my problem. One tray was cooked too much. Most of the cookie was good, but the bottom was burnt. The other batch was so chewy that it was hard to stay together. Needless to say I will not be taking these to the reunion. So Wendy and I have to eat them. Oh well, that is the way the cookie crumbles.

I don't know how we keep misplacing items in such a small kitchen. We have been missing our kitchen scissors for a few months now. This morning I was looking for a pizza stone scraper to clean the pizza stone. I could not find it. I looked everyone where I thought it was. Then I tried to find a pot I thought we had. Could not find that either. Guess I don't have a pot to, you know, uh, cook in.

Well here is hoping I don't have a recipe for disaster.

Tragic hero

Hello all you in wonderland

Yesterday was the eighth anniversary of horrific time in our nation's history. In 2001 terrorists hijacked planes and attacked buildings in New York and the Pentagon. Thousands of people lost their lives and millions are grieving.

I do not remember much about that particular date. I think was in class at divinity school. We were supposed to have a lunch discussion, but we heard the terrible news and spend time talking about what was going on and praying.

I have been to New York a couple of times, but only after September 2001. I have seen the memorial site and the gap that is there. I cannot imagine what it was like before. It must hit hard for many people. I admit being thousands of miles away it is hard for me to put in perspective. I don't think that anything will truly heal those that lost their loved ones. The nation will move on and so will the people who lost, but in their own way.

Last night Wendy was watching Fox News as I was sleeping. I woke up to see some of the coverage and remembrances of people who were they that day. It was amazing to see the thick billows of smoke from the buildings. The scary part was that no one knew what was going on. It is hard to know what to do when you have no idea what is happening. It was interesting to see the firefighters covered with ash as they tried to rescue the survivors. One of the firefighters said something about getting paid to risk their lives.

Heroes are formed in time of tragedy. A hero is someone who responds in time of need. We talk about acts, but it is most likely the person. The acts are the way a hero is expressed.

Take some time to remember the ones you love. When you get a chance to be a hero, give it a try. You don't even have to look good in tights. Although I hope nothing bad happens to you and yours.

Nowhere to run

Hello all you explorers

I wish I had the adventurous spirit to just take up and go somewhere. I have a hard time deviating from my work-home combo. Yesterday was one of those days when I just wanted to be somewhere else. I wanted to get out town or something. I really had nowhere to go. I had even considered just getting a hotel room or anything. Why pay ninety bucks for a bed? We didn't make it though.

Last night was a dinner and talent show at the church. It went okay. There are a lot of talented people in the world. Sometimes it seems that I am one of the few who is not.

Tomorrow, or Sunday, for those who have calendars is a family reunion. This is a pretty important reunion for my Dad's side of the family. Like all things it was probably more important in the past, but it still goes on. It is usually good food (that is free and I don't have to cook) and a time to catch up with family.

I don't know what it is about Friday and work, but why is it that I am always busy on Friday. It never fails that the week is slow, but on Friday it is everything must go. Maybe they spend all week prepping for Friday. It is probably so they can leave early Friday. I wonder if Friday is becoming the new Monday?

Well here is to finding something to do. With or without the ninety dollars.

Something about an alert or not

Greetings to all who read this

This morning I noticed that my phone was not behaving quite right. It was not letting me read my junk mail. That is all I pretty much get with e-mails. I went into the settings and was able to correct it. Now I am back to reading about things I cannot afford.

I saw that Ellen DeGeneres is going to be a judge on American Idol. Another reason to not watch a show that I don't watch.

Hugh Hefner or however he spells his name without the dollar signs is single again. I guess he has technically been separated from his wife for years. The weird thing to me, if I read the story right, is he will be paying her less money now that he is divorcing her. I guess it pays to be married in some ways.

I wonder if older people are nicer than the younger generation. They also seem to want to say hello, while our generation passes one another by. Granted I am not the friendliest, but it is an observation. It is weird that people were more friendly when they lived farther apart. I guess you were happy to see your neighbors when they dropped by. Now that all the houses are on top of one another you probably think of excuses not to see them.

Oh well just some random things to read instead of peeping out the window.

Bored-er line

Hello all you out there peeping in the windows

Nothing much new is happening around my way. It all seems to be happening on the highway. Wendy and I traveled back on Monday early evening. Maybe it was the time of day or something, but 40 was crowded. Plus it was getting dark and rainy. I don't drive well in either condition. It was an adventure getting home. I am glad Wendy knew what she was doing or I might still be on 40. We did make it home and we had a good weekend with Wendy's family.

It was tough going back to work on Tuesday. I was thrown my schedule all day. I was thinking Monday was Saturday, then Sunday, and I finally realized it was Monday. The good news is: a short week!

I wonder if my eyesight is getting worse or least more than normal. I am specifically talking about buffet lines. The past two times I have been to a buffet I have seen something on Wendy's plate and wondered where she picked that up. I did not see it on the line. Of course I am not the most observant guy in the crowd. I would have trouble picking out my friend in a lineup.

From my eyes to your screen.

A 10 hunt

Hello all you who have been out of school for awhile and those in school for awhile

This morning Wendy and I went down the Creek without a paddle. It was Wendy's 10 year college reunion at Campbell. It was sort of a last minute decision. It was a small crowd. Only two other couples, their kids, a fiend of ours who graduated with Wendy, and Wendy and I attended the reunion. I think they were hoping more people would show up. About 15 had registered but no that many showed. It was surprising a good time.

They showed pictures from the yearbook of the people. It was interesting and funny to see pics from those years. Then they fed us a nice breakfast. It was in the cafeteria, but still good. Then they handed out door prizes. Since it was a small crowd they gave everyone there a prize. Wendy was the first to be called and picked out a nice clock. I was next and picked out a Campbell tie. I had wanted one for many years, but have been too cheap to buy one.

Then we went on a tour of the campus. It has changed a lot even in two years. We saw the new convocation center where they also play basketball. It was very nice. It should be with the money they put into it. We saw the new chapel that was not open yet. It does not look that bad. Campbell will probably get good use out of it.

It was amazing to see all that Campbell has grown. There are new things that I would not have even thought about as a student my years ago. Wendy said with all these new things she would love to go back to college.

It was a good time remembering the past and looking toward the future.

Laughing on the outside

Hay! cowfolk and horses

Last night I had a pretty good time. I had two free tickets to Charlie Goodnights comedy club. I invited Charles, a friend from Campbell days who lives in the arena. We met up with my brother and some of his gang. We ate at a brewery in Raleigh. It was a little place with more seating outside. Since it was nice out we sat outside. It was a nice view of the Raleigh skyline. One of our party even snapped a few pictures. The food was okay and somewhat cheap. I got out with ten dollars. Not bad when pretty much everything is that price.

We made it to the comedy club. The intro act was pretty funny, although I had heard some of his material before. The opening act , Glenn Jensen, was pretty good. I have seen him at the club also, but you can always hear something funny the second time. Then it was the headliner, Greg Morton, who was great. I saw him before a couple of years ago. I enjoyed it again last night. It is an amazing act filled with costume changes. All of us laughed very hard. If you hear he is coming to town I would recommend seeing him. If you like that kind of thing of course.

The coolest part was that he stood around after the show. We got to talk to him and he was the most personal comedian I have seen. He was joking with us and glad we made it out to the show. It was great. I even got my picture with him and Glenn Jensen.



I will let you guess to see who is who.

Wendy and I have a short day at work today. We are looking forward to that.

Have a great Labor day weekend and don't do any work.

Bumps and scrapes

How do do how

All this week I have been confused about what day it is. I have been ready for Friday since Monday afternoon. It is slowly getting there.

Yesterday afternoon as I was walking Rustey, the dog Wendy and I sometimes dogsit, we saw some horse residue of horse de ouvres. I saw it before Rustey and my only thought was to avoid it. On the way past it he did not pay it any attention. However, on the way back, before I realized what was happening, he gobbled one up. He just ate it whole. I was thinking, Aah, crap! I had heard some dogs eating two scoops but have never witnessed it. I have no idea why they do that.

This morning as I was going to work I ran off the road. On purpose. There was a left turning lane just out of reach, but enough for me to squeeze by. So I took my chance. I did not realize there was a big hole on the side of the road. KaBoom! Fortunately, everything seems to be in working order, except my sanity. I was furious for awhile. It tried to wreck my morning.

I also cut my finger this morning. I was taking a toner cartridge out of the box and it got my cuticle. It bleed awhile. So I put a band aid on it. It is on my middle finger of my left hand. I just noticed the finger. Yippee! It is messing with my typing. So I guess I can't land that secretary job. Dang, now I can't wear that short skirt and lean over the water fountain.

I think I have done enough damage today.

Sticks and Stones will hurt you

Greeting all two of you (me included)

Last night Wendy and I watched the Family Stone. I think you would have to be stoned to fully appreciate the movie. Alright, the movie was not all about drugs, but there were a bunch of references. It is about a dysfunctional family (in my opinion) getting together for Christmas and meeting one of the son's new girlfriend. Of course the family does not like her and shows it. Then you have the usual mishaps and the the couple realizing they are not meant for each other.

All the characters in this movie were bizarre and had their quirks. Each one at one point seemed like the "bad guy", but then I suppose was able to be redeemed. It had the stereotypical happy ending of happiness and true love (of pot? Just kidding.)

On a heartbreak scale I would give this movie about a week to get over. The good news for those out there single start dating someone with a large family and you could walk away with your true love.

I find it taxing

Hello all you consumers and producers

I saw that today the state sales tax is going up one cent. I guess what they say is true, "Watch those pennies." It would be hard to do and probably not wise, but I think for every 1,000 job loss or unemployment percentage someone (not me) ought to pay. It is probably a bad idea because then the state would be in more of a financial bind and raise taxes again. It is disheartening to hear about job losses.

Wendy and I finished watching the movie Knowing last night. I could follow the first half, but not the second half. I must have missed something. One minute he is stalking this woman, the woman is uncooperative, then cooperates, gets hysterical, dies, aliens, and everyone dies. It was very weird.

It has been hard to get motivated lately. I am not sure what it is. Maybe instead of depressing I am regressing. It is back to a time of shutting my body down. I have lost interest, even though I am being charged it.