Energize

Hello to all of you made of molecules. Who am I to say if they are in the right place?

This morning I am taking some time off work to go with Wendy to a doctor's appointment. If she wants she will tell you more about it. All I know is that she has to chug some solution that is supposed to taste horrible.

I know that I talk about being worn down a lot. These couple of days I have felt it more. I had quit my habit of passing out on the couch for a few days. Now it is back. I get tired around 6:18 every evening. Wendy and I have been going to bed earlier and I still feel tired. I used to could get up in the morning and actually do things. Now I get out of bed and feel like taking a nap. I have no idea how it will be when I have to function on a lot less sleep.

I guess if I do start to yawn a lot, throw some food my way.

Mow em down

Well it is getting to be that time. I need to begin mowing the grass again. I have not done it yet. I thought about it at least. Does that count for something? It always seems that parts of the yard grow faster than others. Then the other three fourths do not really grow.

At least I get some exercise. Sometimes I am such a push over. Other times I use a push mower.

Severe is near

Greetings to those who breathe the air.

Wendy and I noticed yesterday that the wind was pretty strong. It was blowing and shaking a lot of the trees. I could feel the gusts hitting the car on the drive home. As we were sitting around our house we saw the effects of the wind. Wendy and I wondered if there were any warnings. Wendy checked online and they was a tornado warning for our county.

During the night the rain started. It came down hard at certain points. I almost wondered about our skylights. At some point Wendy turned on the tv to check what was going on. The news had extended the warning. I did notice that the rain slacked off right after she turned on the tv. Then it started up again.

I am glad that we did not lose power. Looking at the forecast it does look like a wet day. I am thankful we did not get the damage some places received.

Weekend finally...but now over.

I know you thought you had heard the last of me. Not quite.

Wendy and I have had a busy end of week and weekend. It has been pretty productive.
Thursday night through Sunday we were house and animal sitting for some friends. It is usually good to get away. We do not have internet access at their house. We are out of the loop.

I do not remember Friday at all. Which I guess is good. Then Saturday was busy. We updated and downgraded our phones. We are no longer Blackberry users. We have just generic phones. Although they do slide out with a Qwerty keyboard. I think Wendy really likes the phone. I already like the bill. It is much cheaper than our previous bill. We did not use the internet enough on the phone to warrant the expense. Now we can save the extra money or use it for another bill. After that we met a friend for Wendy to do some clothes shopping. She found one outfit and still has money leftover to get another outfit. Saturday night we watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons." It was okay, but long. Fortunately, for our bodies Friday night we went to bed very early.

Sunday, which I guess is today, was another busy day. It is Wendy's mother's birthday. Plus her church was honoring her for 25 years teaching Sunday School. So they wanted the family there. Wendy and I surprised her mother by attending. It was pretty nice and the food was good.

I am ready for the week to be over. It will be the end of March, plus we do not have to work Friday.

Feeling a little short

Greetings people with nothing up their sleeves.

I think I will try to wear short sleeves today. The thing that gets me is the cool temps in the morning and then it is warm in the afternoon. Well at least for today. It is supposed to be cool all weekend. I guess I should take advantage of the warm weather as I can.

I really wish today was Friday. I do not like why March is crawling. I am ready for next week. You cannot beat payday and a day off in the same week.

Snuggle with the hand that feeds you

Better to have hand to mouth than foot in mouth.

One of our cats, Metro, has been snuggling with us recently. He will stare at us for a few minutes and then jump in our lap. He will lie down with Wendy before bedtime. As I am typing on the computer he will nose his way to the keyboard. This is the cat that used to randomly bite us. He has calmed down a lot.

Okay it is mainly because he is hungry. He knows when it is getting close to feeding time and we off course are sitting there. He is the dinnertime alarm clock.

In a completely unrelated event-What is going on with the weather? It is supposed to be cooler and wet over the weekend. I guess we need to take over the rest of the week and work the weekend. Or maybe not.

At least if the weather is bad, you have animals to keep you entertained.

March is more like walking

Dear March winds,

I wish you would blow on through. It feels like this is such a long month. And we still have to go into next week. I think I am ready for April because of the day off. It will be good to get a break from work. Plus I am hoping for the nice weather. I am not looking forward to the weeds growing in my yard. They are already here.

Plus there are more exciting things happen later than now.

Health me please

Well I have no idea what the future holds.

I do hope that tomorrow is a better day than today was. Everything I touched today turned out wrong. It is a completely frustrating day.

With the new passage of health care bill I can get a better premium with Dr. Death.

Room to breathe

Hey space savers.

Yesterday was a productive day. We started to straighten up the extra bedroom which had become a junk room. We already had a bunch of old things that we were going to get rid off. The boxes were sitting in the floor taking up a lot of room. You could not even walk around in the room. Wendy was off work Friday so she had cleaned up some. So we finished going through the things laying around.

Then we ended up going through my closet. Wendy and I got rid of several old shirts and pants. I was surprised how many clothes I had and do not wear. It still feels like I have a bunch of clothes in the closet. I had two previous bags to get rid of from a clean up last year.

So we made our way to the local thrift shop to drop off our former belongings. It was a pretty big give a way. It was about six bags and four boxes. Mainly clothes and miscellaneous items. It is amazing what we had collected over the years.

The room is for the most part clean. At least everything is out of the floor. I think it will always be a work in progress.

After dropping off the materials we went grocery shopping. We had nothing in the house to eat. Now we have a few things to munch on. Then we came back to finish straightening the room.

We also went to contemporary worship service at our church last night. It was pretty good. Then we came home to watch Seven Ponds. The movie was pretty strange. For me it was a little hard to get into. It is a pretty depressing movie with a few happy parts. It is amazing to me that Will Smith plays characters who are so versatile. One minute is doing action scenes and the next minute is a genius. I guess it is all in the script.

Priced to move

Greetings to those with taste.

This week it seems that restaurants are trying to maximize there customers. You may know what I am talking about. IHOP and Denny's have had cheap specials in the past hoping to draw people in. Most people will buy something else instead of the special.

The other day Jimmy Johns was having a dollar sub. The sub was pretty big. So looking for a deal Wendy and I went. We found a crowd. The line did move fast and we got out food. We both got sandwiches. Wendy bought a drink and I bought chips. We both paid two dollars. I am thinking that with the line out the door for most of the afternoon they made money or at least broke even. If you have ten people buying one dollar subs compared to one person buying a five dollar sub.

Cici's pizza is dropping their buffet price for a few days. It is back to the price when they first opened. So last night Wendy and I went for dinner. The crowd was not too bad. When we first got to the restaurant, there was not much pizza on the buffet. It had pretty much been wiped clean. I was thinking if you are going to have a promotion of a cheap buffet at least keep it filled so people do not have to wait in line. Fortunately, they did a better job later that night. It must have also been two for the price of one night because we saw about eight pregnant women there.

Rita's Italian Ice is doing a promotion also. We will be there today. I will let you know how it goes.

It is good to get more food for less.

At last

Greetings to those in the human race.

It has been a long week. I am glad it is Friday. I do not think we have anything planned this weekend. We will probably clean up a guest room which became a junk room. Hopefully we will find some things to give away. Most of it we do not want. Plus we need the room. We have not looked at it in years anyway. Only to say, "We still have that."

Wendy gets to enjoy some needed time off today. I would join her, but all the jobs I have been working on this week need to be done today. Of course the materials are coming in today. I think Friday is sometimes the new Monday.

According to the forecast it is supposed to be nice. I am glad for the people who have outside plans. Most of the time I sit around the house. At least it will be naturally comfortable in the house, hopefully.

Alive and kicking

Hello to all with feats of strength.

Joy is doing well. According to Wendy she is kicking like an all star. I have even felt her movement. Wendy loves to lie in bed at night and watch Joy's progress. I will be just about asleep and Wendy will ask, "Did you see that?" I did happen to see movement last night.

It is interesting to hear from other moms about mannerisms that the babies have. Then they say, "Oh, that is what was going on." It will be interesting to see in a couple of months what Joy has been doing.

Shaken not stirred

Greetings to those who see the glass full.

It may be full of the particles leftover from you mixed in. I can never completely dissolve packet mixes that I put into my liquids. Every time I put a packet of mix into my drink I stir. I think I get everything mixed well. Then I finish the drink and on the bottom of the cup is clumps. Most of the time it happens with hot chocolate. It always happens with a powder mix that Wendy has.

Sometimes I can turn up the cup and the clumps will slide. Other times I can tap on the cup and it will loosen. Every once and awhile I will poke at the residue with my finger. I usually try to get it all. Even though it is basically powder. They say it is good to the last drop. I always wonder how the last drop is supposed to taste then.

There is a cup-le things to get you going today.

They call it a plan

Hello to all with your listening ears.

Wendy and I are talking about changing our cell phone service. We are only about a year and a half, if that into our current plan. We want something a little cheaper. We use some of the services our phone and plan provides, but not enough to warrant the current cost.

Yesterday afternoon Wendy was on our carrier site and saw that one could change the plan with change of contract. So last night we thought we would give it a try. We look around on the site. We choose the button to change plan. We wait. For some reason it was so slow. Then we it finally loaded there were only three plans.

We did find a family plan that looked to suit our needs and it would save our money. For some reason they wanted us to update our phones. We were not sure what that meant. The phones they showed us were well over 200 dollars and into the 400s. So to save 30 dollars we would have to shell out 200?

I guess we will have to go into the store. I hope it will be a better experience than the website. We did not want to get abused why we do not like our current plan. However, the lack of personal interaction did not help us this time. A couple of times we have gone into a cell phone store we have not had the best customer service. I guess you could say they were trying to phone it in.

Why the long face?

Greetings gassy ones.

I noticed coming home from work that fuel prices are increasing. Last Friday I had to tank up so I went by a fuel station that is usually cheap. But to my horror it was one penny more than a gas station I passed closer to my house. I put in my little bit of money and went to work. Then that afternoon I was driving home from work and the gas price was nine cents cheaper. Today it started with its normal price and by the end of the day was close to what it was Friday. Why is it playing yo-yo with the price and my emotions?

Cars are a lot of trouble. I should get a bicycle. They seem expensive, but think of the money saved after a month or two. The only thing is they are not great for carrying things. Plus you have to pedal. As I learned watching the Amazing Race, I could get a horse. Hay, neeiighbor! I wonder if they eat grass or just poop in it. That way I could get rid of my lawn mower.

Just horsing around with some ideas. Maybe it will keep my emotions stable.

Hourly employee

Well it is time for another one.

Over the weekend we went through daylight savings time. It was the spring forward. I guess you think about it as completing tasks an hour earlier. Since it hits around 2 or 3 am most people think about the hour of sleep they have lost.

The good thing is the longer daylight. It will be nice for it not to get dark until later. Not that I go out much at night.

Good enough to eat twice

Salutations stuff,

Wendy and I had pretty good weekend food wise. Earlier in the week work had a bunch of activities. So of course there was free food. I was able to snag some leftovers and bring some goodies home to Wendy. It made a couple of good anniversary presents, though I doubt Wendy saw them as that. I brought home a large pan of fettuccine alfredo. Apparently the caters brought way more than needed. The building was begging people to take some home. Wendy and I have eaten a couple of meals off it and have not made a dent.

Then of course was the barbecue dinner at church Friday. I helped a little bit with the cleanup. So I was able to score some dessert and a carton of potatoes. We also took home some of the cake from the baby shower the other day.

I think we will be set for awhile on the food front. How is it that the desserts get eaten faster than the other food items?

Tickled pink

Hello girls and guys.

Yesterday our church had a dual shower for us and another pregnant couple in our Sunday School class. That was one of the many activities that the church had going on this weekend. I think it was possible that with everything going on some people of the church could have been 48 hours.

The shower was very nice. It was pretty well attended. We had no idea what to expect. We were almost late because we took a late afternoon nap. There were the mints, veggie trays, crackers and pimento cheese. Of course there was cake and punch. The women of our Sunday School class did a great job. We found out later they had been there most of the afternoon.

I am sure you are interested in the presents. Well I am also. It is apparently a tradition at the church for the gifts to be placed in a crib during the baby shower. That was pretty neat to see a crib full of gifts. We received diapers, blankets, onesies, outfits, lotions, and other baby memorabilia. I cannot even tell you want some of it is. I hope Wendy knows what it is and the use for it. I can tell you it is greatly appreciated.

There was a party game of guess the flavor of the baby food. There were seven jars of baby food with the label peeled off. The winner received a basket of items made in North Carolina.

It was a great kickoff for the shower season.

Shower the people you love

I suppose that would be us.

Today is going to be a busy day for us. Wendy has a haircut appointment in the morning, errands to run, and a baby shower in the afternoon. It does seem that everything happens at the same time. There is no in between. We sit around the house bored or we are gone all weekend.

The church is hosting a baby shower for us. Any gift we get is a gift we do not have to buy. Plus I guess there will be little cakes to eat.

I am glad it is Saturday. Sunday will be a day of rest though.

Out in the field

Hello Friday feelers

Wendy and I watched the movie "Cloverfield" last night. Yes, there was material on this disc. I am still not sure if that was good or not. The movie was bizarre. I could not really make sense of it. It was on of those thrillers that throws action at you but not much plot. I think it was meant to take a look back at what happened. However, I am the one saying what happened.

I have no idea why it was called "Cloverfield". Did the alien destroy just New York? How many aliens were there? I am not a big fan of movies where they do not wrap everything up. I guess I like everything explained to me.

There have been a lot of movies where the plot is that the viewer is watching what happened to the characters after they died. I guess if you think about it that is the same thing as a book.

The good news about this movie is it was only an hour thirty. A little bit of a time waster. It did the one camera action like one of the characters was filming a movie. I guess it was a nice camera, but it would blank out at random times.

If you are reading this then it probably got posted.

The rain reigns

Well it looks like we might be soggy bottom boys. I saw that rain is projected in the forecast through Saturday. The good news is that the temperature will be warm. Is that fog in my head or is it outside?

Wendy and I watched the movie "Precious" last night. It was an okay movie. The main character went through a lot. I cannot remember how it ended. I think I say it was based on a true story. That is the way life usually is. You go through life and face struggles. Things for the most part work out. However, you are not exactly sure how.

I am not sure if I mentioned this or not, but the other night Wendy and tried to watch "Cloverfield." However, the disc was blank. I put in the movie and the counter started, but nothing on the screen. Not even the menu or previews. I have never seen that before. We are supposed to get the movie again today. Hopefully we will see what happens.

Three-dom

Years ago, it was three, Wendy and I were married. It has been my best decision in my three decades.

Wendy is helping me to improve. No matter have much screaming and sleeping I do. Who knows what I would be doing without her? Probably even less than I am now.

I know that I am not the easiest person to live with, but Wendy does a great job at putting up with me. I should show Wendy more that I love her. At least I have the rest of my life.

I love you Wendy. Here is to many more years together.

Road is paved good intentions

Greetings visitors to our streets.

After four months the streets are finally paved. A paving company came something in November to work on the streets in our neighborhood. However, the streets required more care than at first thought. There were not only cracks, but apparently the curbs needed attention. The crew would come out for a day. Then it would rain for two days. Imagine the process until our frigid winter. Then we did not see the paving crew for 3 months.

We did see evidence of their work. The potholes were raised about the road. Something to avoid. There were barrels in the middle of the street. Something to avoid. Along with the cars parked on the side of the street.

We had no idea what was going on. There was not much communication. Finally about a month ago we received a letter saying the paving company would come out sometime. They needed dry weather and highs above 50 degrees. Of course we did not have this. Then last week on the mailbox was a letter saying the paving company would be back to finish the job.

Today was that day. The streets are paved and clear. It is safe to drive again. Well maybe.

It is a reel mystery...until the last five minutes

Hold your questions until the end. I know they squirm which makes it difficult.

Sometimes I will read or watch a mystery series. I usually just sit back and enjoy the show. I can never really tell who the culprit is. They often throw in characters just to make you wonder if that is the villain. Then in the last bit of the show the main characters resolve the situation or find out who committed the crime. That is the beauty of editing. You can condense a lot of work into a brief amount of time.

It seems these shows always have the same themes.

The main character gets some realization by talking to a friend or family member. Take "House" for example. I wonder consider that a medical mystery show at least. He talks to Wilson and figures out the missing connection. I guess the lesson there is if you cannot be great, have great friends. Inspiration is one of those moments. You are stuck on something and all of sudden you have your answer.

Another scene one always sees in the legal dramas is the breakdown. The culprit has gone all show without any remorse or emotion. Then in the last five minutes of the show the trail is getting warm. The investigator makes one statement then the accused breaks down. Usually it is an angry diatribe how the person was jealous or felt cheated. It always ends in "I didn't mean to kill him!"

I am glad that the shows wrap up after an hour. That way you get to see a new guest star next week.

Waking up is easy to do

It is getting out of bed that is the hard part.

Greetings bed bugs.

I know a lot of people think about sleep. I would like to go back to sleep right now. Fortunately, I do not toss and turn to wake myself up during the night. However, in the early hours of the morning I do wake up. Sometimes I will go back to sleep. I know it is time to get up when I try to go back to sleep only to look at the clock fifteen minutes later.

Sleep time is strange. Sometimes it seems like you slept several hours, but it has only been 30 minutes. Other times you think it has been a few minutes, but hours have past.

I do not know how I will be when forced to operate on a few hours of sleep. I have never by one to thrive on an all-nighter. I feel like I walk around like a zombie anyway. Drains.

Well it is time for my sleep study. The best way is with my eyes closed.

Miss communicate

Dear somebody else.

I do not understand why other people try to get involved in conversations. I am probably guilty of it myself. If there is a problem then 9 times out 10 more people get involved than need be. Either someone brings a person in to solve the problem, which can be a benefit. Or the person brings in another person so the first person does not have to do anything. That is the scenario that I see most often. Or at least how I get sucked into things. Most people will make me the intermediary. Then I have to report to both parties when they could just talk to themselves. Oh well at least it is a chance for me to practice the English language.

Today was a day. I had a frustrating time a work dealing with a machine. I am stupid enough to try and kill myself to make something work. I know I should take a break before I break something. Knowing something and doing something are two different things.

At least one part is over. I am not sure which part though.

Doing my warmups

It is finally happening. The temperatures are catching up with the season. I saw in the five day forecast that we are supposed to be in the low to mid 60s for the highs all week. The plus side is that the lows will be out of the 30s or 20s.

I think it will take my body time to adjust to wearing a short sleeve shirt. I have been wearing long sleeves and most of the days a sweater.

Like Glenn Frey once sang..."The heat is on"

Baby, I am tired

Greetings crybabies.

Well the nursery is a few steps closer to being completed. Now we just need the baby. That will be a few moths though.

Wendy's parents came into town with the crib in the truck. Wendy's dad and I put together the crib. It only took us a little bit of time. However, it took longer than I thought. We had to turn around a few things, but it is up now. Her dad also hung up the valance in Joy's room.

If putting together things for the baby is this hard now then I am in trouble. I know the toys and things only get more completed. Hopefully the dad gene will come through when I am a dad. It seems that most dads know how to fix everything and moms give the best advice.

Who knows what kind of father I will be? Only Joy will know in about 30 or more years.

Oh yeah, we did lunch at K&S cafeteria. It was good. I was the only one who did not get turkey and dressing. Then I went with Wendy's dad to a train store. He loves model trains. That store was expensive. I saw model trains for about 300 dollars. They will choo-choo through your money. Wendy and her mom went shopping. Wendy's mom bought us a mattress for the crib. Now the crib has the mattress and the bedding set is in the crib.

Joy we are ready. Well, for the most part.

Cat nap

Hello to my dozing fans

I like to sleep. My body shuts down early. Just ask Wendy. I am sure she would like to put me down a few times, make that many times.

This morning I did get up around my usual time. I was thinking about lying in bed for a few minutes. I kept hearing the cats around the room. I am not sure what they were doing. They would jump on the bed and jump off. I figure that I would get up and go downstairs so the cats would follow me. I am not sure if they woke up Wendy, I know she rolled over. It is one of those things that you have to do something before something else happens.

I am not too selfless. I am sure that I will get a nap sometime today.

At least these crazy cats give me practice for our bundle of Joy.

Hanging at the crib

Yo Yo Yo. What up and down?

This weekend Wendy's parents are coming into town. They are bringing Joy's crib, see the nursery, and I guess visit us. Wendy and I do not have big enough vehicles to transport a crib. So her parents are nice enough to bring the crib to us. They are even nice enough to help us set it up. I am sure I need all the help I can get.

Wendy's parents are also picking up a red chaise lounge from us. It is Wendy's favorite piece of furniture, but she does not get to sit in much. Right now it is located in Joy's room. We do not get to use it because the chair is larger than the space requirements of our house. Especially if we want to use other furniture.

I get week

Dear working stiffs (those that get paid and those that do not)

I am glad that this week is nearly over. At the time of this post I still have to make it through today. Will I make it? Place your bets now.

The past several weeks have been awful. It seems Mondays and Tuesdays have been a week all by themselves. I keep wondering how many mistakes I can make in one day. Every thing around me is going wrong also. Maybe I am on nerves, but it seems that everyone is on nerves also.

I am going to try and knock myself into next week. I will let you know how it goes...from the future!

Handsome

If you are happy and you know it, clap your hands.

This winter has been extremely rough on Wendy's and my hands. Our hands are both chapped and sore. She has to wash her hands several times a day due to her work. I am always banging my hands on something. They are so dry and chapped that they bleed easily. Wendy is constantly putting lotion on her hands to heal them.

On my left hand, at the pinky knuckle I have had a rough patch of skin for several weeks. Yesterday I noticed it was moving to my right hand. It does not helps that I have several cuts on my hand. I notice immediately after applying hand sanitizer. They should call that stuff cut locator.

It is interesting the style of hands. It is surprising to shake peoples' hands. I do not do it too often. I am faced or handed two different scenarios. One people has such rough hands that it almost hurts. The other person has such soft hands, I wonder how that person got them.

My hands are usually cold, at least that is what people used to say. They may have changed temperature now. I know that if my hands get cold, then I am done being in the cold. It ruins the rest of my body. Usually I can handle touching hot items, but last night I could not pulling dinner out of the oven.

Well that if enough of letting my fingers do the talking.

Nowhere to go

For the money we want to spend...Or don't want to spend.

How in the world is traveling so expensive? Wendy received some airline vouchers from a previous trip. They expire at the end of April. We have been wondering how to use them. Several people have suggested great ideas. Only problem, the places are expensive!

So last night Wendy sat with the computron and did some research. Most of the flights to where we thought about going were well past our voucher amounts. There were only three places under our amount. Two of them we felt meh, maybe and the other we have been several times.

The other difficult decision is that we have the flight voucher. However, when we get there we have to pay for lodging and meals. What a ripoff. It would be spending a couple of hundred to save a couple of hundred. Why are hotel rooms at $150 a night? Do they do the sleeping for you?

I am not sure what we want to do. We would love to get away, but where to go? Our weekends are filling up with other plans. However, the mental breakdown will be scheduled in soon.

Keeping tabs on me

Why does new technology that is supposed to make your job easier make it harder?

The other day at work we got a new tabbing machine. It is a lot more complex than the old one. The old one you just put in the pieces and turn it on. This one has more moving parts. It is also heavy. I have not gotten the hang of it yet. It is pretty frustrating. Of course I get frustrated pretty easily. I might figure it out by the time I return. If the machine does not kill me first.

Missed the mark

Hello bullseye shoppers.

Yesterday Wendy and I went to Target. Wendy had collected several gift cards because she is important. She had a couple of things in mind that she wanted to get. So we head over to Target to see what our gift cards can get us. Apparently not much.

It Wendy several tries to find the items she was looking for. She had some things in mind, but could not find them. She is not picky, but she does know what see wants.

We did find a couple of things. We bought a sheer curtain and some curtain rods. We also picked up some diapers and wipes. To help stock up now.

Wendy also increased her registry. So now you have plenty of opportunities to get us something. Hopefully, it will be in stock.

There is no I in paint

If you are a viewer of Wendy's blog then you know that we have completed our project. We have worked in the baby's room and two bathrooms. The best part was that we were able to use most of the supplies we already had.

I admit I do not like to paint. I guess if you took out the i it would be pant. I do breathe more than normal while painting. It is not the fumes, fortunately.

I am glad the home improvements are done. At least we have a week or two before starting on something else.

Today Wendy and I taking turns passing out on the couch. I went first, now it is her turn.

Not a fan of the draft

Greetings you breathers of air.

I noticed last night our house has temperature issues. I have noticed this for awhile, but it because practiced last night. I was upstairs and Wendy was downstairs. The upstairs felt about 10 degrees warmer than downstairs. It almost got hot upstairs to me, while Wendy said she was freezing downstairs. I am convinced it is something to do with draft somewhere downstairs. It is like a breezeway in the house. I can sit in a part of the house and feel the cold air. So part of the house you feel warm and wonder why the heat is on. Then the other part you are ready for the heat.

If we could reach the yin and yang, instead of yanking our chain. To the wallet.

There is some kind of smell from the bathroom

Yep, it is paint or at least primer.

Yesterday after work I picked up my brother and we went to work in our upstairs bathroom. It needed some attention. We had to sand and spackle some parts that needed extra work. We were able to finish the trim and at least prime the walls.

I was hoping to do more, but the time ran out on us. I am sure my brother had better things to do than hang out here all night.

I think by today we will have it done. It is difficult because of some many narrow spaces. It seems that something is crammed on each wall. Plus the ceilings are much taller in the bathroom.

Wendy commented that the work looked good, so that is a relief.

March on

It is nearly the end of February. My question is how can the shortest month be so long? I know the month is not even over. I think it is the Olympics. Or at least the coverage. By the way that skier, he may be a skier, Shaun White freaks me out. I would post a picture. However, I do not want the IOC after me and I do not want to look at his picture.

The good news is that it is Friday and payday. I hope that March steps up the pace. Left, right.

Early to bed, early to rise

Greetings pillow pals,

Last night I was extremely exhausted so I car-ried myself to bed before nine. I admit I do often nap before nine, but last night I just went up to bed. I just have a normal day at work, but Wendy will have a long day with her job.

I do not mind going to bed early because I like getting up early. The only thing about getting up early is that it makes for a long day. I have to wait around for things to get started. I am often at the mercy of other peoples' schedules. At least I can get the things I want to do out of the way.

See you around now or then.

It pays well to be unnoticed

Or at least you break even.

I wonder how time and money factor with popularity. If a person is not popular then no one will bother him. Then he can save money and have lots of time. However, he will probably waste it looking for ways to entertain himself. On the other hand, if he is popular a lot of people bug the person for time and money. Yet the person gets noticed for things that can earn money and help with time. Hmm, a question to ponder when I get the time or money.

I hear a lot about the phishing attacks that people devise to get into your accounts. To my knowledge I have not been a victim of one. I wonder if I would know. Fortunately, I do not have much to offer that people would be interested. Just ask the survey e-mails I receive.

Identity theft can be a big problem. Or if you do it right you can have a career in Hollywood.

Put the pedal to the medal

Greetings to those who wear the Olympic rings.

I have not been watching the 2010 Winter Olympics. It is not really my thing. Wendy does have it during background noise as I fall asleep. Her complaint is that every time she tries to watch, it is skiing. I am surprised that the coverage is still on. I think it runs two weeks. I wonder how many athletes there are in the Winter Olympics? Because I keep hearing the same names. Maybe it is that way in the Summer Olympics. I do not really watch the Summer Olympics either.

I did hear that the speed skater Apollo Ono did win a medal. So he became the all time medal winner for the Winter Olympics. I think he won seven. I know this is a major accomplish and I could not do it. However, in a small part of my mind I think that most are bronze. Here he is squeaking by to take his place on the stand and make history. It is a sport that the difference between a medal or not can be a thousandth of a second. In the long range of things it is the number of medals that count in the history book.

By the way a special programming note. If you are easily disgusted, then do not watch the first five minutes of Saw VI while eating dinner.

Room with a nice view

Wendy and I have been busy this weekend. Of course we had a lot of help from friends. We have finished Joy's future room. Well, we do have to finishing getting the paint out and moving the furniture in. The painting is done. Wendy finished the touch ups yesterday. I was working in the bathroom. All that is left in that room is the trim and a few touch ups. It looks way better than the bare walls we have had for the past year. We only have left the upstairs bathroom and eventfully the guest bedroom. Someday we will get to the kitchen and then we will have worked with every room in the house. I guess until we decide to change it again.

We squeezed in a grocery run after church. We had nothing in the house. It was time for our weekly shopping trip. Then once home we worked for a few hours on the house projects.

We worked pretty much all day Saturday and most of Sunday. I think it was a pretty good weekend, even if I did have to work hard. It will almost seem like a vacation going back to work. Wendy enjoys the home improvement bug. I am relieved that it is nearing the end. However, one of the drawbacks of ownership is that once you fix something you realize another thing is not working.

Someday when the house is ready we might have people over. For now you will have to settle for descriptions or fuzzy photos.

Brush with greatness

For those that like to watch paint dry (especially after applying it to the wall) come over to our house.

Last night Wendy and I did a little bit of renovating in Joy's room. We cleaned out the room. Of course that means the other spare room is now a junk room. I guess when we finish one room we will move to another room. My brother and his girlfriend came over to help us. I picked up some BBQ plates from a fundraiser for dinner.

My brother and his girlfriend were a big help last night. After I arrived home and before Wendy arrived, I took the leftover painting supplies we had. I did an inventory. We had enough to get started. We for some reason had a bunch of primer left over. Wendy and I cannot figure out why. On the bright side, it is something we do not have to buy. We had a few brushes, one rollers, and a few used liners. I then moved most of the boxes Wendy had packed out of the room. See previous paragraphs for details. Then my bro and his girlfriend arrived. They helped remove outlet covers and tape the walls.

After this Wendy arrived and we at the BBQ plates. Then it was time to go to work. We had enough primer, even though it was old, to finish the room. At least the first stage. It did not take us anytime at all. The room is pretty small, but they were fast. My bro's girlfriend had the roller and made quick work of the walls. My bro was on one side getting the spots near the ceiling. I was on the other struggling to say in the lines. You can tell the nice coverage of the roller and then my weak brush strokes.

I think today Wendy and I will purchase the paint. We might try and tackle the painting today. My brother and his girlfriend have other plans so they will not be able to help. Fortunately, Wendy is pretty good with a roller. I hope we have the success that we had last night.

I'm a survivor therefore I whine

Greetings people on the island.

I know that I do not really watch Survivor much. I have only watched to support Wendy in her viewing habits. So the in new Survivor Redemption I have no idea who most of the contestants are. They have divided the people into Heroes and Villains, at least for the time being.

The thing is they are all annoying. These are people who have been on the show before. Granted it may have been many years, but they act like they have no idea what to do. Everyone of them is pretty much getting injured.

Also the so called "Heroes" get on my nerves. They are the ones who seem to be not getting along and backstabbing one another. I think they were miscast. However, to their defense they are the ones losing the challenges so they have to vote people off.

So far it is a dull season. I guess that is why they have 40 days. Or it gives you something to do during Lent.

Paint me into a corner

Prepare for your brush with greatness.

I think Wendy and I have narrowed down the paint colors to put in the nursery. Wendy yesterday found the tan that she wanted. One color down. We know we want one pink wall. It is amazing how light the pink is. I am sure it will take at least two coats. It is probably good it is light so it does not look like Pepto Bismol or extremely bright.

We did put some samples on the wall, so we can get a good idea of what it will look like.

I guess know we can rock and roll. Well at least roll the paint.

No voice of reason

Hello audio people reading this.

Since Friday my voice has been strained. It sounds like I am very hoarse. I do not necessarily feel that bad. I have the occasional drip from the nose. Most of the time my nose is very crusty. Ponder that as you are eating your breakfast cereal. Yesterday I had that weak cough. At one point it felt like something was in my throat, but it must have passed. It is one of those things that I almost wish I felt worse. At least then I would know what it was.

I told a few people that my almost lack of voice was Wendy's valentine present. Maybe I cannot say "I love you." I guess now I have to show it.

Let the chips fall they may

Hello you crunchy crowd.

Well taking those random surveys may have come in handy. The other day I received two bags of chips. They are barbecue and sour cream and onion. I took a survey on potato chips and it asked me would I like to receive some chips and then later take another survey. I thought, why not? I wish I could trade in the chips for cash. At least they were free.

Speaking of chips, Wendy and I last night went to Lowes to pick up paint samples. We were deciding between greens, pinks, light browns. Those are the colors in Joy's bedding. We did decide on colors. I will let Wendy tell you that. She knows the exact colors.

Now the work begins...after I finish this bag of chips.

You are the closet thing I have got

Well after a decent weekend Wendy and I made it back to the home in the ground. Apparently we did not miss much, except grief. Not five minutes after we get home my evening gets shot.

Wendy was putting some items away in a closet located in the hallway. She remarked that the door was hard to open. Then all of a sudden the door comes off the track. It is one of those bifold doors, I guess. That is what Wendy calls it. I call it other four letter words. We tried for an hour and a half to get that door back on track. We had no luck though. I can get one side in, but not the other.

Now I cannot even get the door slammed in my face. I cannot wait to get that door back up so I can kick it down.

Something tastes fishy

It is that day. I will let you figure out which one.

Last night Wendy and I went to a Valentine's Day dinner at her parents' church. It was senior citizens. We were allowed to go because Wendy's mom teaches the Sunday School class that was serving the food.

It was a pretty good meal. Trout, pork chops, baked potato, slaw, and hush puppies. Of course there was dessert. I had chocolate pudding with whipped topping. It was a pretty good time even if we were the youngest couple there.

They had a raffle and Wendy won a prize. She won a $5 gift card to Bojangles.

Spread the love, with or without the germs.

Eat yellow snow

I did something I have not done. At least not in my short memory.

With the powdered snow on the ground, I put some of it in my tummy. We made snow cream. It is pretty easy to do and surprisingly easy to make. It looks pretty weird, but does taste good.

At least there is one good excuse for snow.

You take the good, you get the bad

Well hello snow angels.

Go away!

I want my normal temperatures of 54, not 30. All the newscasters are saying the snow is beautiful. Most often there is the relationship between something beautiful now and annoying later. Snow is the perfect example.

Wendy and I did make it to her parents' house with seeing any snow. After we ate dinner, Wendy's dad looked out the window and the ground was covered. We had errands we wanted to run today. I am not sure that will happen.

This white stuff has me seeing red. I want green.

I'm loving it or at least a strong like

Greetings lovebirds or other animals.

I thought of a few random things. Of course you may have these before.

If you have nobody this Valentine's Day at least you are ahead in life.

Talk to me like lovers do. Not yell at me like my wife does.

I heartly knew her.

They say love makes the world go round. I say because it feels like you are running in circles.

They say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. The way to a woman's heart is through her friend's ear.

Remember dates. Or you are doomed to repeat the bad ones.

Valentine's Day is one of the few times people do not mind getting carded.

These are just a few things that I thought of this morning. They are humorous in attempt. In no way are they meant to be taken as advice, unless you are desperate.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Strung along

Bling me back to you.

This Valentine's Day I got Wendy a charm for her Pandora bracelet. Yeah, I am not ruining the surprise. I gave her the charm last night. I do Valentine's Day is not until Sunday. If I have a gift for someone then I like to go ahead and give it to that person.

It was a dramatic moment when I received the charm, for me anyway. I ordered the charm off Ebay. I was not exactly sure when the charm would arrive. I knew I had ordered in plenty of time, but you never know. The shipper put the shipping information online so I could track it. It was in Maryland and then the next day I saw it was on the truck to be delivered.

I thought part of the surprise would be to go ahead and have the charm on Wendy's bracelet. So I unlatched the bracelet. No problem. Then I try to put on the charm. By the way it was Pandora Little Girl charm. Back to the story, I could not get the charm on the bracelet. I struggled for what felt like 30 minutes. Each minute getting more desperate. At one point I thought I broke the bracelet. I thought my inexpensive gift would cost me a lot more. I even called my sister-in-law to get advice on how to put the thing on.

By the way it did work out. The charm is on the bracelet. Wendy is happy.

Almost there

Hello all you achoo-ievers! What do you nose?

This has felt like a long week, but we are almost there. Tuesday felt like it ought to have been next Friday. I know I am looking ahead. Maybe I am looking forward. What is to you? The question is what is it to me.

It appears I know just enough to get myself in trouble. Most of the things I do I know just enough to get myself stuck. I know a few steps, but still have to grip the banister of advice. Most of the time I get fortunate and it works out. After of course having a temper tantrum. It is my breaking point that leads to the breaking point of the problem. Please do not try this a home. I am a professional. Or is confessional? I can never remember.

Remember to bring to a boil and stir occasionally.

You are the wind beneath me

Well blow me down.

The wind is supposed to get pretty bad today. I did not see many trees out the window blowing at me while at work. However, I did met Wendy for lunch today and saw limbs in the street. Of course they were not large limbs. I did see a large trash can and mailbox down, but I am not sure if the wind played into that equation.

I do not want to see the wind knock down trees because then they will fall on power lines. I want the wind to produce power not to knock it out.

Until I breeze by next time.

Weather got you hot and bothered?

I wish.

I am ready for some warmer temperatures. Usually we are supposed to be in the 50s, but that has not been the case. I think we have more of a wet winter also. I am not used to all this cold and wet. I wonder how people who usually have to deal with those conditions do it.

Stop giving me the cold shoulder. Show me the hot stuff.

We interrupt your viewing schedule

Well hello people who are enjoying the view.

The past couple of nights, okay more than that, I have passed out watching television. I watched about 30 minutes of the Superbowl. Then I passed out and woke up near the end. It did not peak my interest. I usually at least like to see the commercials. I do not remember any of them. Since I watched so little of the game coverage I missed the commercials that everyone is talking about.

It is discouraging when there are programs that you watch that come on with a gap between them. For example, Wendy and I watch House at 8. I like to watch Castle at 10. There is usually nothing on at 9. so I end up falling asleep and missing Castle. Yes, I should set the DVR. I think about doing it and then figure I will do it later. However, most times I do not. The reason for this post is that I did not do it last night.

Game. Set. Match.

At least I can watch reruns.

A taxing weekend

I sure hope this makes cents.

Wendy and I did make it to see my parents this weekend. The weather did cooperate with us. One of the purposes for us to go visit was to see my parents of course, but also to get our taxes done. I admit that I do not understand the complex forms. Put this in line A if you are excluded from line B. Fortunately, my dad does understand taxes and enjoys doing them.

It was not that painful of a process. Plus we did get a little bit of money back.

Surviving the slush

Well wet ones.

Remember to wipe your feet. Now that the snow has melted and the rain has lifted. At least for a few days. Check your local listings. It is that time for the ground to be saturated. There are still a bunch of puddles all around. This morning the ground was frozen so all the leaves and grass made a crunchy noise. This afternoon the temps thawed out and the crunch became a squish. It does look like when are in for some dry weather. Finally.

I got tired of wetting my pants.

In the middle nowhere to live

Hello to all you homees.

Over the weekend Wendy and I were house and animal sitting. The house is located on a paved driveway with one way in and out. As I was walking the dog with not much around me, I was thinking I could live in a place like this. I probably could not afford the current place I was.

Sometimes I would not mind living in a secluded place. Not much around but a few neighbors. Perhaps a nice sized yard. First I would have to learn what to do with a yard. I can see being in the middle of nowhere. The only thing that would get to me is the drive to places you need to go. I am not much of a driver though. If there was a severe storm you would be stuck there.

I could see the aspects of living in a city. Sure it might be a little crowded and noisy. You have everything right there. All that you need, with a few exceptions, are right in the neighborhood. I would not mind public transportation, or at least I say that right now.

Currently, Wendy and I have somewhat of a compromised living. We are in the middle of nowhere, but close enough to a quick drive to so called civilization.

Deliver me to evil

Here I am to live another day. Barely.

It probably is not as bad as it looked yesterday, but I am still here. After work I was on my way to the library. I had to stop by the house to pick up the books I wanted to return. So I enter the house only to leave again.

I drive toward the library. Traffic was not too bad until I get across from the library. The only bad part about going to the library is I have to cross a highway. There seemed to be a break in the traffic, but a FedEx van arrives. It is in the left turning lane and I am wanting to go forward. The problem is that I cannot see what is coming in the left lane. I probably pulled up to far because I thought I could before the van arrived. Of course there were several cars in that lane. From my point of view it looked pretty close to my hood. Of course there was a car behind me. I was able to put it in reverse, wait a few minutes, and the proceed to cross. I am sure I could have many things different, but I made it.

So in the grand scheme against me I survived. Now to look for other ways to express myself to the ground.

Girl power

Hello boys or girls.

Well one of the answers has finally been revealed. In about five months a new girl will be in our possession. Wendy had an ultrasound yesterday and she is far enough long that we could find out the gender. Joy Olivia Parker.

Joy seems to be doing quite well. You can look at Wendy's blog for all the specifics. Now we have five months to get everything ready. The first thing Wendy and I did leaving the doctor's office was to pick up some outfits.

Our next question is how to decorate Joy's room? I know we will think of something. Now we have the inspiration.

I also have to figure out how to save the amount of money I make in five months.

In case you missed it, here is the debut picture of Joy.

Wait for it.

Well folks it is almost here.

Nothing to report yet. Keep your fingers crossed, but not your legs.

See you in a couple of hours.

Working on it

Greetings for the meetings.

Yesterday I spent a few hours out of the house. I helped my supervisor clear some of the sidewalks at the building. A lot of places are still closed or delayed today. It looks like they should be. Most of the main roads are clear. The only problem is getting to them. Most of the neighborhood side streets still had ice on them.

Wendy and I did make to my station of work. Then my supervisor, another guy, and I spent the majority of the day cleaning of the sidewalks. It was pretty tough. The hard part was the layer of ice stuck to the sidewalk. You had to take a shovel and chip away before you can move the snow. We got the sidewalks clear. My supervisor had a crew come in and clear the parking lot. Wendy and I left at 3 and I guess they still worked until close to 5.

The building is under a two hour delay this morning. That is good because the temperatures are still cold. It is supposed to be rainy today, but over freezing. Then the warm up begins. Well until Friday where there is a chance for more wintry mix.

Something that surprised me was there was a few people at work yesterday. Granted they did not stay long, but they were still there. If I had not have to helped with cleaning the sidewalks, I would not have been there. I guess some people cannot stay away.

Wendy and I came back to the house and I tried to shovel my driveway. Our driveway is a slope. Mistake number one. All I have is a small digging shovel. Mistake number two. I will get a snow shovel. Hopefully I can wait until they are cheap and not overpriced. After a few attempts I was successful in getting Wendy's car out of the driveway.

To paraphrase an old song... "Take this snow and shove it."

Snow news

Well let's just plow ahead.

All weekend Wendy and I were in the house. I went outside a couple of times to take out trash and try to clean off the cars. Wendy's car was in the sun, so most of the snow had melted. I was parked in a shade so I had to work to clean off my car. I noticed most of neighbors driving around. I have no idea the state of the roads. I hear people say the main roads are drivable. The main issue seems to be neighborhood roads. Fortunately we had nowhere to go. It is getting a little boring sitting around the house.

Both Wendy and I are off work today. When the sun comes up, hopefully the snow will start melting. I think we are supposed to be above freezing, at least during the day. It will probably take most of the week, but we should be back to normal. My town did say they would scrape neighborhood streets, but according to the trash collection schedule. I am not sure if they can get down our road due to the road destruction in our neighborhood.

Later this morning I will probably have to venture out to help shovel the walks at work. I hope by then the sun will be up and doing its thing. I plan on taking Wendy with me. At least we can get out of the house.

I do not like driving on snow and ice. I do not really have the know how. So I am hoping the roads will not be as bad as they look. I know crews have been out and trying to get everything back to normal. I feel bad for people who had to get out in this weather for work. I guess that is the price of being important.

I did shovel some snow on our steps. It came up as blocks of ice. It looked to be about 2 inches thick. This was two days after the snow. I guess when the temperatures stay below freezing the ice has nowhere to go.

It does look like we are in for some warmer temperatures, but also some rain. At least we can go back to playing nice instead of in ice.

Frosted Flakes

Well you can break out your carrots and top hats.

We did get some snow. I think the official measurement for RDU was five inches. I think it even snowed some more last night. I had tried to clean up some of the sidewalk, but when we went to bed I noticed it was covered again. Fortunately, we did not have to be anywhere.

So we spent the day at home. Wendy and I were pretty productive. We spent the afternoon cleaning. It looks a lot better.

Today looks like another day of being at the house. Church services have been cancelled. It may be awhile before most of the snow goes back to the sky. The temperatures are supposed to stay pretty low.

Given the cold shoulder

Well the snow did arrive. I have no idea how much yet. It is at least two inches. It appears to have stopped now or I am not able to see it falling anymore. It did start earlier than I thought. Wendy and I went out for dinner last night around seven. Our reasoning was we had better get out now, in case we were stuck in the house all weekend. Flakes and droplets were already coming down then. I was surprised to see them that early. The ground was already covered by nine last night.

I look on WRAL's website this morning. It looks like the heavy stuff is north, like in Durham, while east is getting sleet. Some reporters were saying there were a bunch of wrecks earlier. Reporters said that some of the major roads were drivable.

Perhaps this storm will no be so bad. It sill may have wrecked my weekend plans. Hopefully it will not wreck my car.

Have fun if you must, but you must be safe.

Road wary

Hello to those who are driven to succeed.

Please get out of my way. Yesterday Wendy and I took a road trip to get a few errands done and a quick visit to her parents. Traffic was not too bad. It was just the drivers. It seemed we were behind, in front of, and beside a bunch of yoohoos.

The people in front of us would drive 20 mph below the speed limit. The people behind us wanted to drive 20 mph about the speed limit. The people beside us wanted to be in our lane.

We did make it back in one peace. More and more I wish I could figure how to work from home and do everything here. Some people are driving me to do it.

Hail snow!

To all you flakes.

I am not looking forward to this weekend. According to the forecast our area is in the good chance zone for some winter precipitation. I saw a projection that said we may get something in the double digits! I am talking about the number of inches not the temperature.

It always seem to be severe weather on the weekends when we have plans. Wendy and I plan to visit my parents. They live east of us so they should not have any snow, but who knows if we will. The last time I wanted to visit my family the snow also visited.

Today is supposed to be nice. So enjoy it while you can. At least the snow will be on the weekend and I will not have to worry about getting to work.

Americans with their brain on idle

Greetings to all who have a song in their heart.

If you want to audition for American Idol, please keep it there. You may know that I am not a big fan of American Idol. After last night I remember why I cannot stand it. It was the ongoing nights of seeing people audition. Of course, because it is television, they are going to highlight the people who cannot sing or have lost touch with reality. Apparently, there are a lot of people that have lost touch with reality.

The two big types of people on the show. The wacko who thought he was the one or the person who had the rough life wanting to make it. Which one made it? Hmm. The "one" left bursting in flames, but still thinking they are hot stuff. I guess to their defense they are the ones that keep America going. We probably need people who do not give up, but I do not want them next to me. Of course the person with the sob story, has talent. That always helps.

Ok, I admit. I was probably in a bad mood last night. I got tired of watching those people sing. I can imagine how the judges feel. However, I have no pity. They are getting paid millions to sit there. I have to pay to sit there. There is my so story. Put me on American Idol. I know I cannot sing, though sometimes I try. I am crazy after all.

My sincere apologies to Wendy. My television also for the horrible things I said about it...

Dried up

Greetings to those in clothing.

Yesterday was a quiet day at work. A lot of people were involved in meetings. Today I get the privilege of being in one of those meetings. I will not have anything to say, so that is a good thing. I, along with other employees, will be honored for years of service. I have been at my current job for five years. I know not a big deal in the scheme of things. I worked for the same company part time before hand so it seems that I have been there a lot longer. Some days it feels a lot longer. The good news is we are getting a free lunch.

After work yesterday I come home, as usual. I decide to start some laundry. I put the clothes in the washing machine. It does its thing. I put the clothes in the dryer and it begins to do its thing. I notice that the hose is becoming loose from the vent. This is not the first time I had to mess with this. Last night it happened several times. Each time I became more frustrated. I got it to hold enough to dry my laundry. I hope that it holds.

It is annoying because the space is so tight and it is hard to get back there. The hose does not fit well. I have this connection piece which does not hold the hose well. I am sure it is not exactly right, but hopefully it works.

If I get another house I am going to make sure the laundry room is wide open. No more of this laundry closet. If I can help it.

Speaking of washing machine and dryer, I would love to have a front loader. I know it will not help with the hose problem. They do look cool and I hear they are more efficient.

Spaced out

Highway to the danger zone or whatever they are calling it.

I admit that I am not good at spatial objects. I know it is just me wondering what is going on, but I feel that people pull in front of you with little space to spare. Two times in one day I nearly saw two accidents. It looked that way to me.

First in the morning I was on my way to work. I was the second car at a stoplight. The light just turned yellow. The car in front of me proceeded to go. A car from the other direction was turning left at the same time. It seemed they just missed each other. The leftee got out of the way and the car in front went on its way. Then two seconds later a red jeep blows by me and through the red light. It did not even stop.

That afternoon, coming home from work, I was in a curve. It is a little bit of an annoying curve, especially when the sun is in your eyes. This car was coming from the other direction. It looked like it paused when it saw me, but went ahead to turn left in front of me. Fortunately, I did not pack the trunk.

Another thing that gets me is the four way stop close to my house. I can never tell when it is close who got that first. Most of the time in that situation I wait to see what the other car will do. There are people who seem to go right as you in front of them. This always makes me nervous. It seems like they are going to hit me. They have not yet, but I still panic.

These are the things that drive me wild.

Whether the leather

Hello all you young whipper snappers.

I was flipping around the channels and not paying much attention. There was some channel that had a reporter go into what looked like a bondage service. The mistress or whatever had him put on a wig and some kind of black latex/rubber suit to dust. It was weird looking.

It got me thinking, why do those suits look like trash bags? I guess that is the way it is supposed to make you feel. I don't really know and am not looking forward to finding out.

Short weekend long day

Greetings those who made it to the end of the day.

I heard several people say that this weekend flew by. I am not sure why it went by so fast. I did not do much so I guess being in a light coma helps pass the time.

Maybe this week will pass by quickly. I can hope.

Keep your eye to the calendar.

Busy doing other things

Hello to those working for the weekend.

You do not have far to go. Unless of course you work the weekend. Then you have a few more days.

Have you noticed that when you are busy trying to get something done that is when everything wants attention. You are trying to do something on your list and people want you to get things done on their list. People want to keep you busy. I guess that is why it is called busy-ness.

Running around like crazy does make the day go faster. Most of the time because you wish the day was over.

A period in history

Greetings to you and me.

Last night the period key was sticking on the computron. It is pretty annoying when you want to type in an address. Or complete a sentence, unless you resort to other methods?!

This morning the key seems to be working. Well for the most part...

You complete me. Or at least what I type.

Heart on fire

Could it be the food? Naaa.

Soon it will Valentines Day. Check local listings. I have already been ordered to get something for my wife. As of yet I have no idea what to get. I have been thinking of a few things, but are they thinking of me is the question. I am not good at giving gifts, but they say practice makes perfect.

My wife does deserve a lot more than I give her. She puts up with a lot of my antics.

So if you have any ideas and feel like sharing, let me know. Remember I don't want to spend anything over five dollars. Only kidding. (Not really. Okay I really am.)

Out of the loop

Hello to my circle of friends

I know this is not what you are supposed to write, but I have nothing to say. My head feels like a blank tablet. I have spent the last 20 minutes staring off into space trying to come up with something.

I fell asleep during the Golden Globes. Wendy told me Avatar won the big award. I guess it is all about placement. That is a case of how the last shall be first. If you something that comes at the end then you will be the last to be remembered. Of course making tons of money does not hurt either.

If something else comes up you will be the last to know or would you be the first?

The stars will shine

Due to the flashing lights and makeup

As I am writing this Wendy and I are watching the Golden Globes. Actors and actresses may be talented, but it is definitely when they are edited. When I see the stars on these shows I cannot help but think these people are crazy. They look suave at the movies, but then full of panic when on the stage accepted an award.

You would think they would be pros at winning awards. It seems you always seem the same stars at the award shows. Yet each time they look like they do not know what to do. However, when they flash to the audience everyone looks bored. Plus all the forced laughter does not help.

Even before the so called drama of the Golden Globes was the pre show of the Golden Globes. That was 30 minutes of boring. It was basically stars walking down the red carpet being interviewed for 10 seconds by obnoxious people. Is that a rule of people on the entertainment shows?

Well there goes the music in the background. Thank you.

Voice of reason

I hear you.

Have you ever heard someone talk and wonder what they look like? I would hope that would be listening to them on the radio or some audio file. You might get a picture of what you think they look like. Sometimes you may not even realized you had a perception of that person's looks until you see a picture.

It does seem like some people do not look like they sound. The voice does not make the body type. Here is an example of guys. If a guy is small, then he may have a deep voice. On the other hand if the guy is larger, then he might have a high pitched voice.

I had a professor who was a young looking guy. The first day of class we see a guy standing in front. Then we hear this deep voice and wonder where it is coming from. It turns out it was the professor.

Now this all my observations, which you may not find true in your experience. I guess the observation could be made about pictures. People post older pictures and then you see them in person and you do not recognize them.

Oh well. As long as we do not have video phones you are free to imagine how a person looks.

Survey says!

I am not good enough.

Yeap, that is me. I signed up to take part in internet surveys. Why? I was bored one day and thought hey they might be giving out money or coupons. Not quite yet.

I have received several e-mails for me to participate in surveys. Most of them do not apply to me. After the third question they say I do not qualify. I guess I do not drink beer or read magazines. Some have been specific to say did you see this issue.

I am not sure if these surveys are going anywhere. I have been awarded several point. After you take the survey you get to receive free points. Either by scratching some cards or playing a slot machine. I am not quite sure what the points do. I would guess to put your name in the pot for prizes. However, yesterday I tried to take three surveys and each time the award points did not cooperate. Oh well.

Months back I had signed up for another survey company, after hearing about it on the radio. I thought who does not want free money. They never contacted me. I guess they did not want me to have free money.

You may say it is ironic that I have no opinions and yet I am taking these surveys. Well you can have your irony, I will take my free money (Someday.).

Act Your Age?

Hello all you living in the glory days.

Wendy and I watched a movie last night that was set in a high school. I am not exactly sure when the movie was made, but it looked like the 80s. Why is it in 80s teen movies the actors all look so old. It looks like people in their 30s portraying teens.

Of course they are all the stereotypes. The jocks, the popular, the drama queens, and the outcasts. The outcasts always have a way of being the main focus of the movie. In the end they are the heroes. The crowd realizes, always at a party scene, that the popular person is a jerk. So it comes down to a fight scene where the former popular student is now humiliated. After of course the dramatic transformation of the weirdo.

Another big part of those movies is that a guy and a girl are best friends. They are both outcasts. One of the pair loves the other, without the knowledge of the loved one. The one loved, however, loves another person. Always it is the popular person's love interest. Then most of the time the best friends realize they were made for another.

I don't remember high school and senior year specifically being a great time of transition. I guess I did not have the right experience. I was not the popular jock nor did I have a best friend who was a girl. To my defense I did not go to high school in the 80s either.

Well there goes the bell. Time to change classes.

More is less

Everything you always wanted is...not here.

You can get a lot from the big stores. Or at least that is the idea. A large quantity for a small price.

It does seem like the more you want something the further away it becomes. I guess in that respect you are getting less.

I was thinking specifically about content online. It seems that everyday I am adding new sites to peruse. That is of course if I can remember where to find them. Yeah, I know that is what history and favorites are for. So I spent most of my time finding new sites instead of reading the sites I went to at the first place. It seems like I am spending more time online, but learning less.

It is nice that most content is free. Well except for the amount you pay your provider. It is a great way to get more for less.

Is that something in your pocket?

Or are you happy to see me?

For the past several days I have been hearing a rattle when I walk. I would hear occasionally or when I focused on the noise. I thought it must have been something in my pants pocket. However, I have not been carrying anything irregular.

I narrowed down that it was not my pants. So I look at my shoes. On the bottom of both shoes is a little rip. So I pull the little pocket back and shake my shoes. Out falls like rocks or pebbles of dirt. I have no idea how long they were in there. I guess my shoes were wore out enough to trap debris.

The rattle is gone. No more shaking of the head. It is time to roll.

I can do a better job of sneaking up on you!

Throat away

Doctor Doctor gimme the news

Fortunately I do not get sick very often. I am not sure if I am sick right now, but I have felt better. Yesterday I had no energy. I was on the couch most of the morning before work. Then last night after dinner my throat felt weird. It felt like something was stuck in my throat or it was scratchy.

Today it feels a little sore. I guess I will have to drink a lot of fluids. Or get plenty of rest.

Sleep it off.

Cheaper by the dozing

Hello all you who roll by being inexpensive

I would love to be considered a cheapskate. Because a cheapskate is actually successful in being cheap. When you are called cheap other names then you are not really cheap, but just a jerk.

I am in cheap in some things, but then I will waste money. I have a hard time in spending money, but then I love to go out to eat. Wendy and I looked at our statements and we saw we ate out a lot one week. The amazing thing is that it does not seem too much at the time, but when you look back. Wow, it adds up.

I do try and buy generics. I don't have enough of a discriminating taste so I can eat pretty much anything. Wendy and I are at the moment on a money saving spree. I hope that it lasts awhile.

We went to Taco Bell for our anniversary. It was surprisingly good. The last time I was not really satisfied. This time I had a pretty good burrito. The good thing was it was cheap. It as a nice sized burrito for the small amount of money it cost. I wonder if it was a new item, so they had it on sale.

I know some people say the best way to handle finance is to pay cash. I am not that good yet. I have a hard time getting out cash. I feel if I get cash out then I will not have enough in the bank. I think if I wrote down what I spend I would be more careful in my spending.

The important part of money is setting aside some each month. I have tried to do that in the past. I hope I can continue in the future.

Hopefully you will see my face if not on the dollar, then behind it.

Deal me in

Hello all you who sat around the house most of the day

I cannot believe the afternoon flew by. Those reading this will say, "But it is (insert time)."

Wendy and I have not done much today. We went to a store that sells baby items for discount prices. We picked up a few things. Well two. One is a boy's outfit and the other belongs to a girl. We are not sure what we are having yet, so it is better to be prepared. Besides both outfits together were 10 dollars. The outfits in the store were pretty inexpensive considering some still had the tag.

Then we noticed one of a few remaining Blockbusters in our area. This store was having a closing sale. Most of the merchandise had been picked through. The majority of the movies we had not heard of. I noticed they were even selling the racks the movies were on. As we made a purchase I was tempted to ask the cashier if the card machine was for sale. We pick up Saw II, Saw V, and Danny Deckchair. Each movie was about a dollar. You cannot beat that.

I love to see items on sale. It does make me want to buy them more.

Then we came home and had lunch. A la peanut butter jelly sandwiches and a baked potato. Not necessarily the greatest combo, but who knows some restaurant somewhere might feature it.

Who knows what else we do? Because we don't.

What's up with love?

Greetings to those who have a heart.

Wendy and I watched the movie Down With Love. It was with Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. It was the traditional love story. Girl wants guy. Guy doesn't want girl. Guy wants girl. Then girl does not want guy. At the end they realize they were in love the whole time. Of course after the bizarre mind games they play on another.

It seems in every romantic comedy the guy is a lady loving lunatic and the women is devoted to her career and independence. Through the relationship that buds they each realize the error of their ways. The guy becomes a one woman man and the woman realizes that it is lonely at the top.

I would think that the couple would not change. How many people would actually change? Romantic comedies are all about putting two people who would never meet into a place where they not only meet but fall in love.

Everybody enjoys the chance to root for romance. You are the either the ultra cool who wants the hometown person or you are the homegrown looking for the star. Either way I hope you meet the love of your life or your screenplay.

Sitting in the dorkness

Hello all you who rise before the sun or stay up after it has gone down

It looks like it is going to be a quiet weekend. We as of yet have no plans. Probably catch up on rest and things around the house. I am sure we will leave the house at least a couple of times.

It is sort of early and I have been goofing off at the computer. Just checking around on some geeky websites and seeing if anybody has anything to say. Apparently they do.

I enjoy watching the technology video podcasts. Even if it is only one out of every three words I understand.

Well that is where I will be. Unless I am asleep, which is possible.

Spark plugs

Greetings all you who are shocked to see this

It is the time of year of cold wear. So if you have dry air, carpet, and clothing of some material. Then add in shuffling feet. You come up with the recipe for some fireworks.

My wife is now afraid to kiss me. You are thinking well so am I. For the past couple of days as I try to kiss my wife their is the static shock. It hurts. One time a few days ago there was a large, painful shock. Wendy said she even saw the spark. I can even feel the hair raising on me when I take off the sweater I have been wearing during the day.

Too bad we cannot convert this static cling into energy. It would be a neat source of energy. Maybe it would be cheap. Probably not effective, but cheap.

Holding your own

Greetings all you in the family

Soon, in about five months, I will be holding a new addition to our family. We are both excited.

Speaking of family, Wendy and I watched the movie I Am Sam. It was better than I expected. Sean Penn did a good job. It was about a mentally challenged man and the trials he went through to raise his daughter. It does show that love is the important thing. Oh, and having a bunch of friends.

During the movie Wendy turned to me and said, "That will one day be you." Was she talking about holding a baby or being mentally challenged? I will never know. Only kidding.

Children if you want to see what your parents go through then watch I Am Sam. Parents if you want to know how to love your children, then watch this movie. Either way take a few moments to watch. You may want a box of tissues or your loved one's sleeve.

Whoops!

Well well well.

This post will be short. I had a feeling to call into work this morning. Our area was supposed to be affected by winter weather. I turn on the television this morning to see what happened while I was resting. The morning temps were warmer than they have been all week.

So I drive into work as normal. I turn on my computer and boom! See an e-mail that we are operating under a 2 hour delay. Oh well.

It is annoying when weather is like this. I do not like the suspense. Delay or no? It is a tough call to make when the threat is there.

Oh well. It is Friday. I made it safely. Now for some piece of quiet.

It's not the People's Choice

Greetings award winners

Wendy and I watched a few minutes of the People's Choice awards last night. I am not sure how long she watched it, I fell asleep. The show's choice of winners surprised me. I was a little shocked at the winners. I do not watch much mainstream tv so I do not know what is popular with viewers.

This has been a long week. I am not sure whey time is going so slow. Some people say it is the first week of January already. I think it is only the first week in January? It seems like it ought to be February.

I am not ready for the possible flakes tonight into tomorrow. Hopefully it will not be a burden on my travels.

Players will score

Greetings to those riding the bench

We all like the ones that make the awesome plays. The highlight reel flashes over and over. The player that has the high score or puts up the numbers is the one who gets the jersey. Apparently it is the same with playing off the field.

I know this has been going on for awhile. Yes, I am talking about the Tiger Woods drama. How do athletes have time for all the fooling around while they are playing. I guess golf would be the one sport where you have the most free time.

How do these people meet all these women to begin with? I do not even know over twenty women. It must have something to do with money. Or perhaps the fame. People in Hollywood are known for their strange relationships. People do strange things.

I would hate to see the money these players spend on gifts. Although that is probably where the sponsorships come in. You might want to be careful in giving the commemorative knife sets.

Car package

Hail on wheels

I got my oil changed today. I can tell that the service providers put extra air in my tires. I could feel that I was sitting higher. Either that or they adjusted the seat.

Driving down the road does make me nervous. I am constantly worried about my tires. I cringe every time I hit a pothole. I am looking forward to hover cars. That way, in my limited thinking, we would not have to worry about air pressure. However, you might have to worry about the air pressure under you car.

To the future!

With a little snip

Hello all you dreamers

I just finished watching You Don't Mess With Zohan. I had heard that the movie was horrible, but it was not that bad. I was surprised at the quality of the movie. Yeah, it was completely unrealistic. It was also very over the top.

Adam Sandler does what he gets paid obscene amounts of money by taking a character and going wild. There are a bunch of good cameos in the movie. Of course he has the SNL alumni in the movie playing bizarre characters.

The movie does have Sandler play the character who everything works out for. The hero who learns the true meaning of life. It all comes down to the woman in his life.

If you get a chance to see this movie, take a chance with it. If you like stereotypes and of course plenty of sexual innuendo.

"You like uh da pepper?"

Find the right circuit

Hello all you looking for an access point

I saw a short article online that at first looked more interesting than it was. One line that was interesting talked about how middle age people (It mentions 35-54) were unhappy with the progress of technology. Apparently that generation excepts more.

Why not? They were the ones who saw the shows promising great things in the 2000s. I mean it is supposed to be the future. Yet here we are with the same technology all our lives. I can see why they are disappointed.

The study also mentions that people over 70 see the most changes in technology and their minds were blown. I guess the most has changed in their lives. When they were born the gadgets were not there.

We have made our lives easier, but better? I guess that is for the debate team. I would rather be part of the rebate team.

Own vacation

Hello all you out in the world

Sure, you may have been off a few days. Did you have a good time? Now that it is over does it feel like you did nothing?

This has been a long week, but now that it is nearing the end I am not ready. I did not accomplish much. I do not really want to relive the week, unless I came up with something better to do.

I am sure I missed something in the news, but something struck me as odd. Are Rush Limbaugh and President Obama vacationing in Hawaii? I had heard that Obama was there. Then I heard that as Rush was dealing with his heart pain the reporter talking about the story was in Hawaii.

It must be nice to go somewhere for vacation. Unless you count Wal-Mart.

Wherever you went I hope you brought me back something.

Is it too early to be late?

Greetings to those that hung around.

This is it. The first of a new year. We have only had a couple of million of them.

Wendy and I had a pretty low key celebration. We went to a Pre New Year Gathering, but left early. We were both feeling tired. We spent the reminder of the evening watching the celebration from New York. Basically warm and lounging while those guys and gals were in the rain and packed in a large crowd. Some people had been standing out there since the previous 2 am, or so they said.

I would much rather being watching the coverage from my house or at least someone's home than outside. I do not think I could handle the crowds. I am not sure if I am claustrophobic, but I do not have the intention of finding out.

So pretty much I rang in the year with a bo-ring.