More to Follow

More walking !

2007-05-07T13:37:00.000-06:00

April-May
Our daughter has been walking for about 1 1/2 months now. She loves to walk, and does not like being carried much anymore. She still loves her snuggle time though. My favorite part of her learning to walk was watching her take small shuffling steps, and then look over her shoulder at me... and hold her hand out for me to hold. I missed all of this for the boys when they were in this phase. I hope everyone out there is doing good. I wish you all the best.

Back!

2007-05-07T13:35:00.000-06:00

What's been going on?

Life has been absolutely crazy these last 6 months.

Blizzards, yet another road trip, another blizzard, soccer, swim classes, and walking babies!!!

DEC Flashback Blizzards-
Two back to back blizzards. (DEC) Crazy snow here. It was insane, like watching a South Louisiana rainshower, only with snow. For 18 hours. That gave us 19 inches. We got our drive cleared, but the street remained untouched. Then, two days later, we got hit again, with another 20 inches. Seriously thinking of buying a snow blower. The streets are finally getting cleared, but it is slow going. The 2 inches left on the street is packed ice. Fun to drive in, if you are alone... lol. To top it all off, we are supposed to leave on the 23rd to go to MO. I-70 has been closed, and will be awhile before it's open. ** Update- we are leaving tomorrow morning at 10:00 am. Hoping the roads are ok.

DEC Flash back- Road Trip
Left at 10 am. Roads are crap. Everyone who was stuck in the Denver area is now trying to leave. 470 to I-70 is not so bad, but all the ramps are closed. Ever had to p33 really bad and can't pull off to go? LOL. To make matters worse, the exit (which was supposedly open) to I-70 had the sign knocked down by a snow plow, and we missed the exit. Had to drive clear to the north side of denver and back down I-25 south. 2 1/2 hours later and only 10 miles, still have to go. What normally takes 40 minutes (Our house to I- 70) has taken over 3 hours. Finally found a place outside of Aurora to go. 13 hours later, we were home in MO.

JAN, The Trip Back-
Turns out, the weather wanted us to stay home a little longer. 2 days before going home, the 31st, CO + KS recieved more snow. We had to extend my vacation time by another 2 days. KS finally opened their I-70 up to CO, and we left on the 3rd. It took about 14 hours of straight driving. At least there are no windy roads between KC and Denver. If it wasn't for the ice, we could have set the cruise control and took a nap. KS is sooooo boring. lol.

March-
Soccer and swim classes have been keeping us on our toes lately. Between the two, we are running ragged. Our daughter started to take small steps, and finally started walking. She is 18 months old, and was just not interested in walking until now. Now that she can do it, she is really going all out.

Hello Again

2006-12-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Again.

Things don't always go as we plan.
I was going to write up the road trip, got sidetracked.
I have some of them on my backup drive, and I'll publish them at a later date.

It's been really hard to keep up with life, let alone blog.
As before, it's not that I don't want to, it's that life keeps
throwing things at me that are more important than the blog.

I'll be posting the Christmas Card pictures soon. (as soon as my wife lets me... lol)
We don't want to give away the secret poses until we are sure people have their cards.

One Year Old... time flies

2006-09-22T17:30:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe that our little baby girl is a year old today. What happened to last year? She loved her cake, loved her presents... Woke up happy as always. What more can ya ask for? She is a little beauty.

Made It

2006-09-08T13:14:00.000-06:00

We are here. It was a long 5 days, but we made the drive from Louisiana to Colorado.

I have some good stories to write up. But that's for later. I think I need to help unpack and get settled.

Crawling Video

2006-08-26T14:08:00.000-06:00

I know this is a little late, but we are doing what we can... lol.
Busy is an understatement around here lately.

This video is from the first of August. She is even faster now. :)

Where is My hairbrush ?

2006-08-24T12:01:00.000-06:00

We had to take this picture. She loves her hairbrush, and me singing to her in my 'Larry The Cucumber Voice'.

So long 'soccer mom image'

2006-08-22T15:52:00.000-06:00

I do not think the minivan had another 500 miles in it. We ended up trading it for a Nissan Pathfinder. It at least has a warranty. And we love it, unlike the minivan.

It costs how much to do what ?

2006-08-19T19:50:00.000-06:00

Um... our minivan is dying on us. BTW, if anyone owns a Pontiac Montana, please look into the leaking intake manifold problems (link)

Been A long time...

2006-08-18T11:49:00.000-06:00

I have not been around much. AGAIN. Life is really moving right now. We are closing on the house (for the second time... link) on 31 AUG. The boxes are 96% packed. Thank you my beautiful wife. Mom and Dad will be here on 28th AUG (Monday) afternoon to help us finish up and drive to Colorado.

First Day

2006-08-12T16:19:00.000-06:00

The boys were wore out from their first day of school.

In Training

2006-07-20T14:45:00.000-06:00

Our little girl keeps on amazing us. This is her on the 4th of July. Last week, she had started crawling, and we lowered her crib down a notch. Now she is very sneaky. My wife looked in on her at nap time, and she was pulling up on the bars. So, a week later, we had to lower her crib to the lowest notch.

I swear this little girl is getting some Pink Ninja training camp stuff sent to her somehow. lol...

Discovery Oddity (from Transbuddha.com)

2006-07-17T10:01:00.000-06:00

I waited until the Discovery landed safely before posting this video.

It is the work of alphamonkey over on Transbuddha.com. It is a wonderful rendition of the launch video, sped up in a few 'boring' places to make it fit in time with the song, 'Space Oddity' by David Bowie. You know, "This is ground control to Major Tom, ..." Lyrics

The video was shot from the right rocket booster looking down past the right wing of the shuttle. It is timed for certain parts of the song to fit the right mood. If you like flight or space, I think you will enjoy this.
Click on the picture for the video. More 'plain jane' videos of the shuttle are here: LINK

Is it the weekend already?

2006-07-14T14:28:00.000-06:00

I can't believe how incredibly short and long this week was.

I am looking forward to some family time. The weekend is good for that. Still no new offers on the house. The realtor company is dragging its feet in letting us go. They have until Monday and then I will be going one step up the food chain to get away. Sorry for my erratic posts.

Kids Say The Funniest Stuff

2006-07-14T13:28:00.000-06:00

Some humor to start the weekend.

Never trust a dog to watch your food. - Patrick, age 10

When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don't answer him. - Michael, 14

Never tell your mom her diet's not working. - Michael, 14

Stay away from prunes. - Randy, 9

Never allow your three-year old brother in the same room as your school assignment. - Traci, 14

Puppies still have bad breath, even after eating a tic tac. - Andrew, 9

Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time. - Kyoyo, 9

You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. - Armir, 9

If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse. - Naomi, 15

Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick. - Lauren, 9

Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a baseball bat. - Joel, 10

Never try to baptize a cat. - Eileen, 8

Test: One week old video

2006-07-12T13:00:00.000-06:00

This is a test post of our daughter at one week old. If it works, I will post a video of her crawling next.

Crawling along

2006-07-10T11:50:00.000-06:00

Our little girl decided to give us two presents over the weekend. On Friday night, her second tooth broke in, and she didn't even fuss over it. Then on Saturday, while I was letting my wife get her 'away' time in, our daughter crawled for the first time ever. It blew my mind watching her go from a sitting position to a three stride crawl on her knees. I think she has been practicing behind our backs. Maybe she has been taking secret 'Pink Ninja' training camp articles to bed with her.

Realtor Update

2006-07-10T11:46:00.000-06:00

Anyone out there ever tried to "extract" themselves from a realtor not living up to the standards set forth in a contract? It's kind of like a no win situation. There were some things about the buyer's of our house that our realtor failed to mention to us. Then the contract for them to buy the house fell through. We submitted a request in writing to be "unconditionally released" from our brokerage agreement" with the realtor selling our house. Now it feels a little tense as people are still looking at our house, since it has to remain under the current agreement until the top dog in the company "lets us go" or what have you from our contract. In the meantime, it is a little awkward dealing with our realtor. To make matters worse, someone vandalized the sign in our front yard. The part that was vandalized was our realtor's face, which now resembles Bill Gate's reflection in a mirror. *see Devil* I don't know who did it, but that could make the situation even more tense. This is really getting old.

The couple who was buying our house is now 'unreachable'. It looks as if the money they put down as a 'good faith fee' is going to be in limbo for a while. We could care less about it at the moment, we really just want the house sold for the price listed. I know God is taking care of us, it is just hard to let go of the illusion of control we think we have on the situation.

Breathe...

2006-06-29T19:39:00.000-06:00

OK... I need to breathe a little here.

Bad news last night, the couple who was... (that's right, was) buying our house decided to NOT buy our house two days before closing. More to follow on this late breaking news. Breathe... breathe...

It's Official...

2006-06-25T18:30:00.000-06:00

Our daughter just cut her first tooth, my wife just called. She also said 'ma ma ma' for the first time today.

I apologize for not writing alot lately. Bad manners, me not being around much. I have been in San Diego since the 18th, and working over 60 hours since then. I will be in San Diego until the 2nd of July. My wife is still at home in KC MO, visiting our family. ALot has happened this week. My wife found an awesome house to move into, and the couple who owns it accepted our offer. This will be our 10th time moving in the 9 1/2 years that we have been married. All of them are directly related to the military. No complaining here, we love moving and all, but now that we are civilians, it's alot more stressful.

AWTM wrote about her little road trip / adventure, and I am sure my wife can directly relate to that. 15 hours in a minivan with a 8 month old, and a 5 and 6 year old boy can make for some interesting travel time. Schedules are way disrupted by events like this. They are supposed to return to Louisiana on the 29th, a day before we close on the house we are selling there. Please pray for her and the kids, it's gonna be a rough few days for them. I wish I was back before they were. We'll all be re-adjusting to the 'normal schedule' for at least a week.

What's in a name?

2006-06-14T15:11:00.000-06:00

Being a 'weather guy', I know how the general public likes to take pot shots...
The NHC has had its fair share of 'bad press' but this is downright absurd.

A co-worker pointed this out a few minutes ago:

NHC Names Link

Quoting from the site:

...the 2005 list will be used again in 2011.

The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is
so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different
storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that
occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO committee
(called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending
name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to
replace it.

Several names have been changed since the lists were
created. For example, on the 2004 list (which will be used again in 2010),
Gaston has replaced Georges and Matthew has replaced Mitch.
On the 2006 list, Kirk has replaced Keith.

End Quote

So....
Why on earth would you replace one name with another that
sounds like, or is even very closely spelled like an offending one from
a previous season?

Someone should ask them why they picked not one,
but TWO names like that for 2011.

2005 retired storm names:            2011 replacement storm names:

Dennis                                     Don

Katrina                                Katia

Rita                                        Rina

Stan                                         Sean

Wilma                                     Whitney

What do you think?
I am curious to see if anyone else finds this as clear as I do.

Raining in the house

2006-06-13T17:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a long while since I posted anything.

It's not that I don't like writing. It's that I don't
have all the time that I want to do it. Maybe if I worked
at home...

Here's a little summation of the last 2 weeks:

We finally worked out a compromise with the family who
is buying our house. We are closing the deal on
June 30th, but we have an occupancy waiver
allowing us to remain in the house until July 31st.

My wonderful wife (I swear she is still a Navy wife at heart)
has totally worked out our packing and moving down to
the last detail. We are going with a do it yourself move.

The main problem is, my wife, two boys
(ages 6 and 7) and our daugher (8 mos.)
will be moving to Colorado until
October 1st.... alone. I am still under
a contract to remain in Louisiana until Sept 30th.

At least it isn't another deployment,
and it's not a hurricane induced seperation.

She left Sunday morning (with the three kids)
to drive to KC Missouri for a week,
drop the boys off, and head to Colorado for
2 weeks to find a house. I really feel for her,
since that is a 15 hour trip to KC on a good day.
She had heavy rain near Memphis through
Cape Girardeau... and our daughter decided to
start cutting teeth two hours into the trip.
We are not used to her crying. She is the most
laid back baby I have ever seen. Seriously.

Our daughter is such a blessing... we often
joke that if she had been first born,
we would have 5 kids by now. LOL... We
almost didn't have her after our youngest
son gave us an exciting 4 years. I need to
write up a few of his 'best' tantrums.
That's fodder for another post.

I am leaving for California this Sunday,
for a two week business trip.
She comes back on the 28th of June,
just in time to prep for the closing.
I arrive on the 2nd of July....
But wait... there's more:

Last night I was watching a movie on
the couch, fell asleep and woke up
around midnight. I went to walk down
the hall to the bedroom, when I felt
a drip on my head. I looked at the
glass of water I was carrying
and tried to figure out how 'that'
just happened. Hmm... another drop
hits my shoulder and I look up.

A nice ring of wetness was slowly taking
over the ceiling, and directly above
that is our AC unit in the attic.
*Don't know why people want
to put things like that in the attic,
must be a southern thing.

I go up and try to find the source,
look at the drip pan, check the
drain pipes. It is beyond me.
All I am thinking is, we close on the
30th, and neither of us will be home
to take care of this.

It'll be fine. I am honestly not worried.
I have faith that God will take care of us.

Carnival of Recipes

2006-05-25T08:41:00.000-06:00

VW is hosting the Carnival this week.

I have a simple recipe to offer, that tastes awesome!

_________________________________________
Stuffed Italian Chicken Breasts

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 TBsp olive oil

1/4 cup parmesean cheese

1/4 cup mozzerella cheese, Shredded

Small bottle of 'Wishbone' Italian Dressing
(Chosen because of it's 'squeeze' bottle and taste)

24 - 30 toothpicks

Wax paper

13 x 9 cake pan (glass if you have one)

Basil

Garlic Powder
_________________________________________

Preheat the oven to 350.

Fill the cake pan with about 1 inch of water
and place it on the bottom rack.

*It is always a good idea to soak the chicken in
enough water to cover it with a tsp of salt added
for at least 24 hours.

Using the wax paper to cover the chicken breasts,
beat them until they are almost 1/4" to 1/2" flat.
This will make them easier to roll.

In a small mixing bowl, add the parmesean cheese,
mozzerella cheese and enough Italian dressing to
make a "paste" out of the mixture.

Using a small spoon, place one spoonful of the mixture
onto a flattened chicken breast. Spread it along
the width of the chicken. Roll the chicken like a burrito,
making sure the ends can be folded 'up'. If there is some
extra space, you can add more cheese mixture.

Use the toothpicks to 'close' the roll. Threading them
works best, similar to holding a patch on clothes prior to
sewing.

Brush the chicken with olive oil, and lightly sprinkle
some basil and a little bit of garlic powder over it.

Place the chicken on the oven rack directly above the
cake pan. The cake pan will catch the drippings, and
also keep the inside of the oven moist.

Bake for at least 25 to 30 minutes.

Squirrels Gone Bad

2006-05-18T08:18:00.000-06:00

Thanks Army Wife (AWTM) for the blog fodder...

I read this story about a year ago... I don't know it's origin, but it is funny nonetheless.

I think AWTM had a run in with this squirrel's cousin.

Please use the bathroom before reading this, I know two people who had
'accidents' from laughing so hard. Trust me. ;)

EVIL MUTANT ATTACK SQUIRREL OF DEATH

Mike never dreamed that slowly cruising on his Harley Davidson Fat-Boy motorcycle through a residential neighborhood could be so incredibly dangerous!

Little did Mike suspect.

Mike was on Glenray Drive a small street in Catonsville (near Jack McNaulty's house) a very nice neighborhood with perfect lawns and slow traffic. As Mike passed an oncoming car, a brown furry missile shot out from under it and tumbled to a stop immediately in front of him.

It was a squirrel, and must have been trying to run across the road when it encountered
the car. Mike really was not going very fast, but there was no time to brake or avoid it -- it
was that close. Mike hates to run over animals, and he really hates it on a motorcycle, but a squirrel should pose no danger to him. Mike barely had time to brace for the impact. Animal lovers, never fear. Squirrels, Mike discovered, can take care of themselves!

Inches before impact, the squirrel flipped to his feet. He was standing on his hind legs and facing Mike's oncoming Harley with steadfast resolve in his beady little eyes. His mouth opened, and at the last possible second, he screamed and leapt! Mike was pretty sure the scream was squirrel for, "Banzai!" or maybe, "Die you Guinness-sucking, heathen scum!"

The leap was nothing short of spectacular...

He shot straight up, flew over his windshield, and impacted Mike squarely in the chest. Instantly, he set upon Mike. If Mike didn't know better, Mike would have sworn he brought 20 of his little buddies along for the attack.

Snarling, hissing, and tearing at his clothes, he was a frenzy of activity. As Mike was dressed only in a light T-shirt, summer riding gloves, and jeans this was a bit of a cause for concern. This furry little tornado was doing some damage!

Picture a large man on a huge black and chrome Harley Davidson Fat-Boy, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and leather gloves, puttering at maybe 25 mph down a quiet residential street, and in the fight of his life with a squirrel. And losing...

Mike grabbed for him with his left hand. After a few misses, Mike finally managed to snag his tail. With all his strength, Mike flung the evil rodent off to the left of the bike, almost running into the right curb as Mike recoiled from the throw.

That should have done it. The matter should have ended right there. It really should have. The squirrel could have sailed into one of the pristinely kept yards and gone on about his business, and Mike could have headed home.

No one would have been the wiser. But this was no ordinary squirrel. This was not even an ordinary angry squirrel.

This was an EVIL MUTANT ATTACK SQUIRREL OF DEATH!

Somehow he caught his gloved finger with one of his little hands and, with the force of the throw, swung around and with a resounding thump and an amazing impact, he landed squarely on Mike's BACK and resumed his rather antisocial and extremely distracting activities. He also managed to take his left glove with him! The situation had not improved. Not improved at all.

His attacks were continuing, and now Mike could not reach him. Mike was startled, to say the least. The combination of the force of the throw, only having one hand (the throttle hand) on the handlebars, and his jerking back unfortunately put a healthy twist through Mike's right hand and into the throttle. A healthy twist on the throttle of a Harley only has one result.

TORQUE.

This is what Harleys are made for, and they are very, very good at it. The engine roared and the front wheel left the pavement.

The squirrel screamed in anger.

The Harley screamed in ecstasy.

Mike screamed in .. well .. he just plain screamed.

Now picture a large man on a huge black and chrome Fat-Boy, dressed in jeans, a slightly squirrel-torn t-shirt, wearing only one leather glove and roaring at maybe 50 mph and rapidly accelerating down a quiet residential street on one wheel, with a demonic squirrel of death on his back.

Mike and the squirrel are both screaming bloody murder.

With the sudden acceleration Mike was forced to put his other hand back on the handlebars and try to get control of the bike.

This was leaving the mutant squirrel to his own devices, but Mike really did not want to crash into somebody's tree, house, or parked car. Also, Mike had not yet figured out how to release the throttle... his brain was just simply overloaded. Mike did manage to mash the back brake, but it had little effect against the massive power of the big Harley Davidson Fat-Boy cruiser.

About this time the squirrel decided that Mike was not paying sufficient attention to this very serious battle (maybe he was an evil mutant NAZI attack squirrel of death), and he came around his neck and got INSIDE Mike's full-face helmet.

As the faceplate closed part way, he began hissing in Mike's face. Mike was quite sure his screaming changed intensity.

It had little effect on the squirrel, however. The RPMs on Mike's Fat-Boy maxed out (since Mike was not bothering with shifting at the moment), so the front end started to drop.

Now picture a large man on a huge black and chrome cruiser, dressed in jeans, a very raggedly torn T-shirt, wearing only one leather glove, roaring at probably 80 mph, still on one wheel, with a large puffy squirrel's tail sticking out of the mostly closed full-face helmet. By now, the screams are probably getting a little hoarse.

Finally MIKE got the upper hand ... Mike managed to grab his tail again, pulled him out of his helmet, and slung him to the left as hard as he could. This time it worked ... sort-of.

Spectacularly sort-of ...so to speak.

Picture a new scene.

You are a cop.

You and your partner have pulled off on a quiet residential street and parked with your windows down to do some paperwork.

Suddenly a large man on a huge black and chrome Fat-Boy Harley Davidson Motorcycle, dressed in jeans, a torn T-shirt flapping in the breeze, and wearing only one leather glove, moving at probably 80 mph on one wheel, and screaming bloody murder roars by, and with all his strength throws a live squirrel grenade directly into your police car.

Mike heard screams.

They weren't his...

Mike managed to get the big motorcycle under control and dropped the front wheel to the ground. Mike then used maximum braking and skidded to a stop in a cloud of tire smoke at the stop sign of a busy cross street.

Mike would have returned to 'fess up' (and to get his glove back). Mike really would have.

Really...

Except for two things.

First, the cops did not seem interested or the slightest bit concerned about Mike at the moment. When Mike looked back, the doors on both sides of the patrol car were flung wide open. The cop from the passenger side was on his back, doing a crab walk into somebody's front yard, quickly moving away from the car. The cop who had been in the driver's seat was standing in the street, aiming a riot shotgun at his own police car.

So, the cops were not interested in Mike. They often insist to "let the professionals handle it" anyway.

That was one thing.

The other?

Well, Mike could clearly see shredded and flying pieces of foam and upholstery from the back seat. But Mike could also swear he saw the squirrel in the back window, shaking his little fist at him.

That is one dangerous squirrel.

And now he has a patrol car.

A somewhat shredded patrol car .. but it was all his.

Mike took a deep breath, turned on his turn-signal, made a gentle right turn off of Glenray Drive, and sedately left the neighborhood. Mike decided it was best to just buy himself a new pair of gloves. And a whole lot of Band-Aids.

Growing too fast...

2006-05-15T15:18:00.000-06:00

Two recent pics of our little daughter...

Remembering (what's for dinner Mom?)

2006-05-12T15:14:00.000-06:00

When I was 13, I never thought about cooking in my own kitchen for my own family. I can still remember learning the "right" way to make mashed potatoes and gravy, fried pork chops and the best green beans ever. The teacher at that point was my Great Grandmother.
I don't remember all the exact details, but I do remember how cooking was a big part of her life. My Mom's entire side of the family were all great cooks. Most guys look at me oddly when I admit that I enjoy cooking. I enjoy it because I am keeping memories alive, and I am honestly having the best time while in the kitchen. My Mom recently gave me some cooking accessories that once belonged to my Grandmother. I tell my son's (and now my daughter too... lol) everytime they are in the kitchen when I am cooking.

AWTM wrote about her Mother and angel food cakes... and even the coke bottles used to hold them up. I remember seeing these on the counter as a young boy. I can't think of a better way (at least in my family) to share and keep alive the memories of loved ones.

Just like that...

2006-05-12T15:01:00.000-06:00

Well, I am so amazed right now. It was only Wednesday (10 May) that we put our house on the market. We have had a total of 3 couples look at it. One of those couples was looking at it for the first time as of yesterday. They must have liked what they saw. We received a phone call today with an offer of 4k under what our listing price was. We decided to wait, as it had only been on the market for less than 3 days. After rejecting the offer, 10 minutes went by, and the phone rang again. The couple offered the full listing price for our house.

God is truly amazing. My wife has just had a lot of worry lifted off of her with those two calls. Now... to find a new house in Colorado. That is the next major obstacle. Anyone know any people near Denver ?

Settling In... Moving... Life

2006-05-10T08:54:00.000-06:00

Quick note here.

Life has thrown us another unexpected turn. We were just getting all settled in, finally finished unpacking from the move last year, and reorganizing our lives after Katrina. Then, the night before (April 25th) a 2 week business trip I could not unschedule...... BAM !!!

We find out my company wants us to move to one of three places. San Diego, Denver, or Houston. Cost of living points to Denver.

I just got back on Sunday night (7 May). I will write more when the dust settles. For now, we have to get our house ready to sell. Lots of planning to do. Life. Stress is not present. I hope it stays that way. ;)

Jacksonville Bound

2006-04-13T15:38:00.000-06:00

We are long overdue for a family trip.

I know what some of you are thinkning... didn't you get to go on a trip last August through October? No... not that kind of trip. This is a stress free not evacuating from a hurricane trip.

We have family in Jacksonville, not blood relatives, but church family. And that is as good as the real deal. 8 1/2 hours of driving and we will be there. It's gonna be great to see the people we missed and be near the ocean again.

The Gulf Of Mexico does not count...

It might be Tuesday before I post again.

If you can't tell, I am trying to make this a daily thing... slowly finding time to write a bit here and there. My main problem is I have alot to say, but not enough time to sit and do it.

Happy Easter !!!

Freedom is wonderful

2006-04-12T15:12:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have noticed the Systema link on the right hand side of my blog. Some may have not... either way, I want to briefly touch on this subject.

I want to share how relaxed and calm I have felt since starting Systema.

What is Systema, you may ask. Well, it is a simple yet complicated answer.

On the outside, it is viewed as a way of self defense. On the inside, it goes much deeper. It is actually a complete system, and is actually as ancient as some of the popular Asian martial arts. If you can visualize it, it is kind of like a combination of aikido, yoga and pilates all rolled in to one package.

Another perk is that it is a Christian-Faith based system. *Not a martial art, but a complete system, which involves your mind, your body and your faith.*

If you are still reading this, I am not trying to sell anything. I only wish to give back the same feelings I have.

The basis for Systema is in breathing, and that is the main key to relaxing.

Our bodies are always under attack by stress, and most of us suffer from some form of tension. Yoga practitioners may know what I am saying about being able to breathe away your tension.

Even in a stressful situation, a practitioner of Systema is able to stay relaxed, and focused. It does not matter what that situation is, or when it happens.

This allows me to realize that I am not in control of anything around me- which allows me to be "free" from tension.

There is much more to it than that, I have only scratched the surface.

I just feel a need to help others, as it was not long ago that I was a stressing wreck, and now I am not.

Systema has also allowed me to become more "in tune" with my praying.

to be continued...

Her First Words...

2006-04-11T15:08:00.000-06:00

It's Official...

My wife just called me a little while ago.

Our daughter has spoken her first words...

DA DA...

I am so excited!!! I can't believe how much she has changed in the last month.

It is really scary and exciting at the same time. It's also hard to put her down, she is such a little doll.
I'll try and encode a video that is small enough to post here. Her laugh is also quite adorable.

Go Fish Revisited...

2006-04-11T11:04:00.000-06:00

Just in case anyone was wondering, my boys were not actually playing with actual fishing tackle. The youngest was using his blanket for a rod, reel, and lure all in one. The older one simply bit the blanket and got his tooth yanked out by the younger one.

It was easier than the old string and doorknob routine.

Just a little clarification. :)

Talk about the Weather and Faith

2006-04-10T15:50:00.000-06:00

This certainly boggles the mind. CLICK ME
I mean, honestly... could I be that lame as to believe this?

Quoted from the link above:

*According to Florida State University oceanographer
Doron Nof, Jesus may have been walking on ice that
formed under special circumstances on the lake.

In his research of the history of lakes published in the
April issue of The Journal of Paleolimnology, Nof said
temperatures dipped low enough in Jesus's time in the
region to freeze parts of the Sea of Galilee.

Nof said the ice could have been thick enough to walk
on, although the frozen area would have been
surrounded by slightly saltier water emanating from
salty springs along the lake's western shore -- salt
water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water.*

Insert Wayne's World quote:

"Shyahhh, right. And monkeys might fly out of my butt."

This guy is just full of scientific facts...

Quoted from the link above:

*In 1992, Nof suggested that the parting of the Red Sea that
allowed the Jews to flee Egypt in the Exodus may have been
caused by very strong winds that created an unusually low
tide exposing part of the sea bottom.*

Sounds like someone using science to explain miracles...

First off... I am a Christian, and secondly, I am also a US Navy trained meteorologist and Oceanographer.

Ice thick enough to walk on... hmmm...

The average salinity (how much salt it contains) of sea water is around 3.5 grams per liter of salt water. (35%)
At that salinity value, it takes a temperature of 28.5 degrees F in order for it to begin to freeze...

The Sea of Galilee is fresh water, and is fed by some salty springs along the Western shore. So, the salinity values of the water would definitely be lower than that of sea water, but would they be cold enough to allow ice to begin forming? Maybe the ice was already there, and was in the process of melting. We know from Matthew's account that this miracle occured in the spring time. In John's account the disciples were at least 3 to 3 and 1/2 miles out, which is nearly halfway across.

This doesn't explain scientifically how Jesus was able to get out to the disciples, who were out that far. If the water near the shore had been frozen enough to stand on... (very unlikely, as we all know that water near a shoreline is subject to daily temperature changes because it is shallower and would heat faster, and be more likely to have thinner if any ice was present at all).

I would have to say, if the ice was not mentioned in the bible, it probabaly was not important enough to worry about or to argue over, and therefore shouldn't be taken very seriously as an explanation. Faith comes into play here... you cannot explain faith by proving it with science.

A great example of faith is found in John chapter 8, verses 5-13.

Faith is not easy to come by.

More on this tomorrow...

Go Fish...

2006-03-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have to share this little gem. My daughter is beginning to teethe, and it reminds me of when my two older boys were teething. It's more fun when they get older, and lose their baby teeth. The tooth fairy comes, and money is left. This particular incident happened last year, almost a year ago to the day.

My wife was working her last week at the hospital in Jacksonville, FL as we were preparing to transition out of the Navy and move to LA. She was on night shifts and I didn't usually call her because I know how hectic working on a postpartum floor can be from all of the stories I have heard her tell.

The night started normally, her leaving for work, the kids and I eating and then finishing homework. I let my two sons play in their room an extra 30 minutes that night while I was catching up on some last minute paperwork before I started my civilian job. The normal sounds of kids at play filled the air, laughter, an occasional "I was playing with that" and "You always do that". What happened next scared me to death. My oldest, who was 5 at the time, came running into the living room with his hand covering his mouth. (muffled voice through fingers) "Dad, he knocked my tooth out!!!" I was immediately alarmed. My youngest son, who was 4 at the time, is definitely the more aggressive one, and doesn't always realize how rough he gets. I asked what he got hit with, and he wouldn't answer me. I ran in the bedroom and saw that my youngest son was laying on the bottom bunk of their bunkbeds and laughing hysterically. He was holding a blanket in his hands.

I couldn't figure out why he thought it was soooo funny to knock out someone's tooth. "Why did you do that?" I asked. "How did you do that?" He looked at me and said , I didn't mean to. We were just playing go fish. " I looked around the room and did not see any playing cards or even their official "Go Fish" deck anywhere. I asked him where the cards were at, and he said, "Cards? what cards? We were using the blanket." How can you play "Go Fish" with a blanket? Well... let my son tell you.

....Dad, I was on the top bunk, and he was on the floor. I was the fisher guy, and he was a fish. I threw the blanket out and yelled go fish. And he bit it. I set the hook, and his tooth popped out.

LOL... I couldn't believe he remembered from the one time we went fishing, that you have to set the hook. The tooth gap wasn't even bleeding bad, my oldest son was just in a little bit of post loss drama. He said it didn't hurt, it just scared him. We never found that tooth, but the tooth fairy did leave a little money and a note saying to be more careful being a fish around your brother.

People

2006-03-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ok folks... we all know some people are more challenged in the common sense department.
If you work, or even just venture out to the local K-Mart you may run into a few of these people.
I have been known to fall into this category myself from time to time. As I sit here pondering the
need for wearing 0akleys in a world so dimly lit by these, ahem, stars... this clip ' Berlitz - Sinking on Transbuddha 'came to mind.

It totally reminds me of that Bill Engvall skit, "Here's your sign". Would we be more apt to talk to
them or would we avoid them? I am thinking some days, when you need a great laugh for later, talk to them.
On others when you know you won't have the nicest thoughts running through your head, avoid them.

AWTM (Army Wife) had a great run-in with some tax people. For those who remember seeing that entry, it was rather amusing.
She also added how it is not nice to talk about others. I agree, but I also think it is ok to do so and laugh if you are willing
to let yourself be put in the same lump category.

Find the humor in any situation, without being hateful. Is that even possible? Food for thought.

I tend to avoid this type of talk to others, as it sometimes backfires, but I think life is what you make of it, or better put,
what you tend to see. If all you look for or focus on are the bad things, then maybe after a while the bad things block
out the good things. It works both ways though. I hope I don't lose readers or blog buddies over this. I've just been taking
a good hard look at life in general lately, and my friend's mother passing on kind of put the spotlight on things for me.

Hang in there reader's.

Friends: Part 2

2006-03-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry if this appears jumbled together, but it is hard to write....

My best friend (and only really close friend since the late 1980's) and I have always been there for each other. He is as close as a brother to me, and always will be. I might have to post some of the funnier stories on here one of these days, but I'll wait for now. He graduated in 1994 and went to college, and I graduated in 1995 and joined the Navy. There were times when we couldn't always get ahold of each other, or make our schedules fit together on summer vacation, but we always managed to pick up our conversations right where we left off at.

One of the times I truly regret not being there for support was when I was on deployment, and he was going through a divorce. I was so upset that I couldn't call. Emails are nice, but sometimes words are better spoken than written. The second time this happened was in 2001, when he called and told me his mother had been diagnosed with cancer. I am no longer in the Navy, although I still work with them. I don't have to worry about being shipped out to some crazy shoreline to be shot at and worry my family anymore.

(Back to the present)
When this particular phone call came in, I was just floored. The phone call was about his mother, and how the doctors had only given her 5 or so days to live. Deep down I had always feared this phone call, knowing how aggressive her cancer had been. I bit my tongue to keep from breaking down, and listened. I told him I would fly up as soon as I could. He said I didn't have too. He knew I would, and I knew I would. We made some jokes, like we always do to keep each other on our toes, and said goodbye. He would call later with any updates.

Right after the call was over, I couldn't take it anymore and broke down. I know how close his family is to each other. They are like spokes in a wheel. No matter how many new spokes (grand kids, new in-laws... etc) are added to the wheel, when one is not there, it is sorely missed. All these memories came flooding back from High School, and I kept crying. I pulled myself together and let my wife know. We began looking for flight prices, just in case.

Tuesday night, the phone rang again... she had passed away that evening, and he would let me know the details of the arrangements the next day. He was on his way back home. He lives in St Louis, and our families live in Kansas City.

I finalized my flight plans and left on Thursday morning. The visitation was Thursday night. When I arrived, I pulled it together so I wouldn't add to the sadness. It was hard to see my friend and his family, whom I have also grown fond of and close to, going through this. His youngest sister is also one of my closer friends from high school/middle school.
We spent most of the evening reminiscing, and trying to laugh.

I remember hearing that Bill C0sby once said that if you can find humor in something, you can survive it. It seemed to be working well, and we kept it up. The service was the next morning, and was very beautiful.

The unity of my friend's family was shining brightly, even in this seemingly dark moment. The pastor reminded us all that we shouldn't mourn her loss, since someone can't be lost if you know where they are. We all know where she is, and how well she lived her life.

My friend got up to read a letter that he had written in 2001 when his mother was first diagnosed. He read it very well considering how hard it was. I don't have the words to describe how moving this was, it is just incomprehensible, unless you have been in a situation like that.

I was so glad that I was there in person, to comfort him and his family. I don't think I could have forgiven myself if I hadn't gone (like that was a possibility while I was still breathing). It's times like these, that you really know how much you care for your family, even family that isn't blood family. I am deeply honored to know this family and be a small part of it.

Friends

2006-03-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

I received a call I had been dreading last Monday. It's not a call anyone wants to ever receive or make. I'll flash back a few years and then fill you in. It's gonna be a long one... so be prepared.

Mardis Gras and King Cakes

2006-02-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I am not a big fan of Mardis Gras, and all of the things that go along with it.
I am a huge fan of one of the smaller, sometimes overlooked Mardis Gras items.

The King Cake !!!

(Click the image to go to Paul's Pasty Shop)

I don't buy into the superstition part, I just enjoy eating them. Since moving here in May,
we have been introduced to alot of the local customs and observances. Some of them are
pretty odd, and we just sit back and watch those. But this is one thing I will definitely be looking forward to next year.

A Long Time Coming

2006-02-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

I guess it's about time I wrote something. After all, it's been nearly two months since I posted. As you can see in the picture above, it is hard to not be mesmerised by that little girl. I've been spending as much time as possible with her and her brothers, and my wife. It's been wonderful having them back. I really need to work on posting more often though. I have been commenting on other people's blogs and neglecting my own... add that to wanting to be with my little girl above, and you get the idea about what's been going on. She just started laughing last week. It is so amazing watching her develop a personality. My parents are in town for a couple of weeks. We have been gone since Christmas, so it's nice to have family down. Dad is repairing our roof damage from Katrina. (Allstate finally came through with the insurance money) Take care out there, I'll be making more comments than posting, but I will try to write my own after Mom and Dad leave.

Seven Memes A-Blogging

2005-12-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Mommy Needs Coffee sent me a meme last night, I really think I may need
some caffeine tomorrow after this one. LOL

This meme had me saying youyou (j/k), but I was glad to finally receive one.
This is my first... lol.

Seven Things I Want To Do Before I Die

1) Watch my children grow up
2) Dance with my daughter at her wedding
3) Take my wife to Dubrovnik, Croatia for a honeymoon we never had
4) Make lists of things I need to do to avoid being sidetracked (I feel like the ball in BreakOut without a list)
5) Be the best Father and Husband I can
6) Surf Banzai Pipeline or Jaws in December-January
7) Pass down something meaningful to my children that only I can

Seven Things I Cannot Do

1) Woodworking... I feel sorry for the birds that are living in that birdhouse I made for my mom 15 years ago
2) Turn down a friend who needs help, no matter how swamped I am (It is not as good as it sounds, causes a lot of stress but it is worth it in the end)
3) Stay focused on one thing when I know there are several other things related to it to do. (Which is why I need the list from above)
4) Resist my wife when she wants something (Not what you are thinking... sheesh lol)
5) Go more than 2 days without being on a PC. (I tried it once, I was dreaming about coding and scripting... not good)
6) Yardwork. (I can, it's just the fact that I want to knitpick everything and by the time I am done over-analyzing it, it's getting dark and ... oh well)
7) Drive late, late at night with other people in the car. (Mostly cause I can't sing, and that's how I stay awake, so I would either not be driving too long or not at all. LOL)

Seven Things I Admire In My Spouse/Best Friend

1) Unwavering Confidence in my abilities
2) Her ability to overlook my flaws and things I do that bug her
3) That she loves me as much as I love her, and that it is still growing
4) The way her eyes light up when she laughs at me being a nut case
5) That she kept me sane when I was on those deployments
6) That she can finish most of my sentences for me
7) The way she is with our children

Seven Things I Say Most Often

1) Dude (insert a ? or ! or . after this... sometime italics are needed for proper clarification, 'cause it is a voice thing)
2) That's tight. (It means really cool, or something to that effect)
3) Sweet (same as Dude, only used less often)
4) She-yaah Right ! (This is either used alone or in conjunction with, Are you Mental ?)
5) Why you gotta waste my flava ? (Used on the poor shmuck who stole the punch line from a joke I was telling)
6) I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume... (At work when we have a speaker volume battle- its Milton from Office Space.)
7) Arrrr. (It's an inside joke at work. Involves Pirates...)

Seven Books or Series Authors I Love

1) Max Lucado
2) Tom Clancy
3) Jack Handy (I mean, read these and tell me that is not funny...)
4) Dean Koontz
5) Jack London
6) Dai Vernon
7) Larry Jennings

Seven Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again

1) Gross Point Blank (I hate sounding like a chick, but I really felt the groove between Minnie Driver and John Cusack, and I loved the sharp smart humor. It's almost like Seinfeld in places.)
2) Ten Things I Hate About You (This adaptation of The Taming of The Shrew is really good)
3) Indiana Jones (Any of them, really. Dad and I both love them all)
4) Fight Club (This still blows my mind, another one of those deeper than it appears on the outside)
5) Office Space (I used to have a desk by the window and I could see the squirrels and they were merry...)
6) Star Wars (Original Trilogy, has been my my favorite since I was 3 1/2)
7) The Matrix Trilogy - ("It's deeper than it appears on the outside. Look carefully for symbolic references, and find out how far the rabbit hole really does go.Â)

Seven Songs I Can't Get Enough Of
(itunes has samples...)

1) I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe

2) Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

3) I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

4) Amber - 311

5) For You To Notice - Dashboard Confessional

6) Miser Lou - Dick Dale

7) Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

Singing

2005-12-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

I am bound and determined to hold my daughter, no matter how much it hurts me when I get home. I have to sing to her and dance with her. I have alot of catching up to do, both as a dad and as a husband. My ribs may be singing pain, but my heart is singing
JOY !!! Only 2 days left till it happens.

>> How to have a heart attack. Well, not.

2005-12-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started semi normal for me. I woke up, fumbled for the alarm and took a shower. I was a little sore on the left side of my chest, but I thought I had just slept funny. It hurt a little more intensely an hour later, and I began trying to figure out if I had fallen out of bed the night before. My chest felt like I had sore, bruised ribs at this point. I kind of shrugged it off and decided to go to church.

I didn't feel any worse than I did at home when services started, but about 45 minutes into the service, I was feeling much worse. My ribs had gone from feeling bruised to cracked. The pain was also bad enough that I couldn't breathe properly. I thought, this is not a side stitch, as the pain begain to radiate to my shoulder. When the sermon was over I tried to stand and sing with everyone else, and only made it about 3 lines into the song before I felt extremely dizzy. I had to sit, but I could still not breathe and I felt really nauseous. My friend asked me if I was excited about going home on Friday to bring my wife, two boys and new daughter back to our home in Louisiana, and I whispered "Yes." She looked at me and asked if I was ok, and I said I didn't know. I told her how bad my chest was hurting, and she went to find some help. There happened to be a visitor sitting on our back row, and she also happened to be and RN.

She had me lay back and took my blood pressure. My pain was intense at this point. My ribs felt like they were being crushed whether I was breathing or not. My BP was 140 over 108, after taking it a few times. That freaked me out a little bit, since I am in shape and know that is too high for a 28 year old guy thats 5 ft 10 and 160 lbs.
The RN (I am protecting her privacy, I will call her 'M') asked me about family history and I told her baout my mom, and how she has been on heart meds since she was 18 for heart problems (irregular heartbeat among others)

They decided to call EMS to be safe, as my pains were not getting better. 'M' found some asprin and had me take it. Everything after this point is a blur, kind of fuzzy. I remember the EMTs talking to me and asking me my age and stuff, and they did several EKG readings. They didn't like them and decided to take me via ambulance to the nearest hospital.

I finally agreed to let them call my wife, I just didn't want her or my parents scared. What do you do when something like this happens? I prayed, and I know that everyone around me was praying. I wasn't scared of dying, but I was worried about what would happen to my family. All I could think of was making it, and staying calm.
(Or as calm as one can be in the midst of severe chest pain and an ambulance ride @ 28 years old)

Another EKG was done in the ambulance, and I heard the EMT say, I still don't like this. At the ER in the hospital, another EKG was performed, and a cardiologist looked at it. I was given the news that it wasn't my heart, it was something else.

I don't know how to pronounce the name, but all I knew was it hurt and it came on fast. Costochondritis, or an inflammation of the cartilage joining the ribs and the sternum/breast bone. They told me it wasn't serious, but it was very painful.

I had heart problems in the Navy, and I was starting to wonder if they had missed something. I kept asking are you sure it is not my heart, since my mother has had heart problems since she was 18. I don't like taking the first diagnosis with a knife and fork. It's my life and health, and I want to be sure that they are sure.

I was given 2 doses of Toridol by IV, which took around 30 minutes to work. I was feeling a little better, but I still couldn't breathe right and was very sore.
I was taken back for a chest X Ray, which was "normal" according to the doc.
I immediately called my wife and let her know it was not heart related and I was doing better.

I was released and was given a ride over to the preacher's house, since my house was about a 30 minute drive from the hospital. I rested for a few hours and talked. I drove home and discovered that I waited to long to fill my prescriptions. The pharmacies close at 6pm on Sundays. I was given a script for Ketoprofin and Darvoset.

They told me it would be a couple of weeks before I was feeling better, and that I should not go to work on Monday. Turns out they are so right about that. I am really hurting, after venturing out to Walgreens and leaving my script there. I am walking around like a 90 year old man. At least I am alive, and it wasn't heart related.

I was thinking about Joe (Attaboy)yesterday at the preacher's house, and I don't know how I would have handled a real heart attack. I kept saying "Not me, Not me" in my head while lying on that bench at church when I was in pain. It just goes to show you, you don't know when, and you can't choose when. GOD still has plans for me, and if anything, this has made me closer to HIM for it.

Network Love

2005-12-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

Jenn over at "Mommy Needs Coffee" cracked me up with her post . It inspired me to make her a new "Network" Icon for her desktop. LOL. Computer romance... too funny. Jenn, if you want it, I put it here:

Icon Link

iPOD owners beware...

2005-12-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Backtrack Link to Original Story

One fellow has been the victim of a "Podjacking". I know, I know. It sounds like a cheap Sci-Fi Channel spin-off series, but this is serious and could get worse.
If you have an iPOD and you "Podcast", you should definitely look into this.

On a funnier side note, I wonder if what took place on my return flight from KC to Houston a few weeks ago counts as one. There was a passenger who decided that the Flight Attendants were amateurs, and wanted to replace the boring drone of "This is how to buckle your seat belt" and "This is how we spell EXIT on an airplane" spiel with his iPod output. We got to hear some Bob Marley during preflight and Jack Johnson during take off. It was hilarious. I am guessing that his FM transmitter was able to "overpower" the intercom on the plane. I can't wait to hear the next show. LOL.

Cooking with kids...

2005-12-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a good time at home over the Thanksgiving holiday. I got to spend alot of time with my family. One of the things I got to do while home was to help out the other Kindergarten "moms" with the annual feast. It turns out that I am the only dad who showed. I got alot of stares. LOL. Since my family is the only Katrina evacuee family living in the eastern KC area attending that school, I always try not to mention it. I hate drawing that attention to us. I am so gald my son's teacher and the staff keep the reality of our "situation" under wraps. I like to cook, so I was ready to get started. We had about 5 moms show up to prepare a "feast" for 75. (65 five year olds, and about 10 to 15 adults) I was assuming that we would be using the kitchen facilities. Nah, we got to pretend we were college freshmen. They had a teacher's lounge, and 3 microwaves. Menu items included, Macaroni and cheese, Instant Mashed Potatoes (powder... is this really potato?) One of the moms was really adament about taking charge and watching the rest of us "do stuff". She caused a couple of the other moms who had shown up to leave. I volunteered to do the instant powdered 'taters, thinking, "The teacher's lounge is down the hall and away from her." Luckily, one of the other moms had broght in a 5 qt crockpot, and the lounge was sporting a 1982 era microwave. I had a brainstorm, and decided to make the potato-based nightmare in the dinosaur of postmodern technology. The 5qt crock barely fit in the jurassic period microwave... ('micro' wave? can't be about the size of the oven). I proceeded to cook them for 3 minute intervals, and fluffed them with a fork in between heatings, adding tiny amounts of water and butter. After 4 cycles, they were done. They looked pretty decent for powdered potatoes, and the kids really liked them. I am thinking how odd I must have looked making them. Me, the only dad, among a group of moms, and 'cooking'. I love cooking, my Mom and Grandma's have kind of rubbed that off onto me. I just hope I didn't ruin any of the other dad's evening at home later that night when their wives told them about the dad who played mom and cooks. The best part of that whole day was sitting with my 5 year old son, and watching him eat his little feast with his best friend from his class. Dear readers, sorry this is not as funny as Boudicca's version of "Cooking with Kids". LOL, that is a very funny read. Check it out.Boudicca's Voice: I Almost Failed First Grade Today

New Pics of my daughter are up

2005-12-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to putting up some recent pics from my trip home. I am only including pics of my baby girl alone, to provide some privacy for the family. I will have other pics available by offerning access to friends and family via a flickr account setting. If you havent seen them, you will be in love with them. She is such an adorable little girl. Just had her ears pierced too. I will be flying back to see them on 23 December. It's a late night flight, and it's worth it. I'll actually be home for Christmas, as opposed to here, alone. And this time, home is my childhood home, and not where the Navy has placed us. My wife and children will be driving back with me on the 27th to return to our home in Louisiana.

Click Here

A Good Night's Sleep

2005-12-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

***I finally made it home before the sun went down for the first time this week.***

Update as promised, even if it is a few days late.

Sleep deprivation is a horrible thing. Especially when one has to repeatedly get up at 3:30 am to be somewhere by 6:00 am. Under normal circumstances, this would be do-a-ble by getting up at 4:45 am. Katrina changed alot of things, including traffic patterns. My job this week has taken me to Gulfport, M, which was a 50 minute commute BK (Before Katrina). The commute time has increased exponentially, by increasing the number of cars and decreasing the amount of entrances/exits from the city of Gulfport. Then, working 6 am to 5 pm, driving 2 hours back to Slidell. After 4 days, I am really wiped. Hence, no update the other night.

I am not complaining, mind you. I am just wore out, stating a fact. I have very little to complain about. My family is safe, I am safe. We have a (minor-damaged) house, and a car. Not to mention the fact that Trinity (my wife) and I have a new daughter, and my sons have gained a sister.

I was so excited last week for Thanksgiving! I was actually able to be home (KC Missouri) and see my wife and three children. It was definitely worth the price of the over paid airline ticket. Being a Geographical Bachelor for nearly 8 weeks is not any more fun than it was in May. Still no complaints though. There is much to celebrate, since we will be together as a whole family again by the 23rd of December. We are driving the minivan back from KC on the 27th, and stopping somewhere overnight so we can wake up refreshed (yeah right lol) and drive the rest on the 28th. My daughter has grown so much since I have seen and held her last. She is too long for the 0-3 month clothes, but too skinny for 3-6 month clothes. She is a tall 2 month old. I am going to try and get some pictures loaded to my FLICKR account by Saturday.

My boys seemed to have changed alot too. It's scary how you notice the little changes in their growth when you can't see them every day. I wonder if it's like watching a pot of water boil, since it never seems to do anything until you leave the room.

I actaully get to work from 7 am to 4 pm tomorrow, with a 20 minute commute. I am sleeping "in". LOL. Now I can finally have a good night's sleep. Well, as good as I can without my wonderful wife beside me. You military spouses know what I am saying.

Update to Follow

2005-11-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Been gone for a week. I was able to visit my wife and children in KC for the Thanksgiving Holiday. I will write more later.

Big brothers...

2005-11-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

I can see my own boys doing something like this. They love their little sister, and I am sure she is going to acquire some of their attributes as she grows. *I plan on teaching her the mechanics of a good wrist shot, and how to skate.* I just thought this was too good to not mention. It is a hoot, especially if you have kids about this age.

One more note, why can't we (Americans) get some really cool ads like that over here?

Project Valour IT

2005-11-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

I wish I hadn't been lazy all week, and gotten around to this sooner. Please check this out, it would mean alot to me. If you know a Sailor, Marine, Soldier or Airman, please visit this link.

I remember back in June, when I first learned about Chuck, and my family and I prayed for him. He is still recovering from his injuries.

But Valour IT is not just about Chuck... It's much more than that. It's about our Servicemen and Servicewomen. This goes beyond one, and touches many.

Chuck and his wife are doing what they can to spread this. Check this out!!!

MSNBC is also hosting Chuck's wife. This is awesome !!!

WHAT: Friendly fundraising competition for Valour-IT.
WHEN: November 2nd through Veterans Day (the 11th).
WHERE: Based in the blogosphere, spreading everywhere else.
WHY: Because giving wounded warriors with hand and arm injuries access to a computer supports their healing and puts them back in touch with the world.
HOW: Blogger teams will be divided along military branches, with civilians "up for grabs." Prospective team leaders were approached yesterday Wednesday (waiting for replies). When the leadership is announced, you will have the opportunity to join the team of your choice.

Some Supporters of Project Valour IT:
Smash's Site

Da Godess' Site

Army Wife Toddler Mom's Site

New pics are up

2005-11-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Just posted some new pics to Flickr.

I really miss my family, for those who didn't already know.

It's been a long, long day.

Milk and cookies emailed me back... it looks like they posted Project Valour IT !!!

Check it out.

Anniversaries are...

2005-11-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

...wonderful, especially when you get past 5. We are on number 9 this year.

I am so excited, but a little sad at the same time. I just hate being away from my wife on our Anniversary. The Navy kept me away for 4 of the 9 times we have had a chance to celebrate it, and now Katrina has snatched one of those as well.

No matter. I still got to surprise her with her fed ex delivery today. And flowers.

I love being all romantic. Anyone need any advice, let me know. I have lots of ideas for us guys to surprise our wives.

I Love you babe....

Google + MIchael Moore ?

2005-11-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

I think maybe the moonbats have taken over Google...

1- Go to http://www.google.com/

2- Type in "Failure", without the quote marks.

3- Instead of hitting "Search" hit "I'm feeling Lucky".

What are they trying to say here... ?

-nEo-

Sn1ckers, Kit K@ts and Coke...

2005-11-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

As a parent of 3 children now, things like this really frighten me...

What is this world coming to? What kind of person would do this at an event where there are children involved? I am so glad that there are parents out there who check for things like this. I can't imagine the aftermath if the kid had tried to wash her sn1ckers down with that coke.

sick, sick people...

Time and distance

2005-10-29T10:50:00.000-06:00

I really miss my family.
Being deployed and missing family is one thing. This is entirely another. On deployment, you are rarely given the opportunity to think of missing family. And when you do get the opportunity, it's not like you can just drive or fly two states away and go see them. In that regard, deployments were a little easier. Being in our empty house, and seeing our things, the kids' things... the empty crib... that is harder than anything right now. Psychological warfare. At least I can call them... any time I need to. And my email is not screened or limited by size. LOL.

My daughter is recovering from her first cold, and her and Mommy can't take anything for it. My youngest son just got over a 48 hr flu like virus. Soccer day is today, and I am wishing I was there for that too. I also wish Thanksgiving would get here faster... that's when I'd like to have them move back down. I for sure get to see them then. Until then, all I have are pictures.

Pics from Hawaii

2005-10-25T20:46:00.000-06:00

I took all of these... let me know if you want a bigger copy.

1_mile_east_of_banzai_pipeline_N_Shore

1st_attempt_at_art_cityscape_waikiki

diamondhead_pre_sunrise_waikiki

surfer_west_waikiki

2nd_attempt_at_art_cityscape

sunrise_waikiki

sunrise_waikiki_diamondhead

boardwalk_waikiki

Back from Hawaii

2005-10-25T20:45:00.000-06:00

Waikiki is fun, but way to fast paced for my taste. It's also a good thing I love sushi, since the other food choices were way overpriced. (As well as Internet Servvice... only 10 bucks a day... that's why there is a gap)If you wanted the 2 cheeseburger meal at the g0lden @rches, it was only 7.99 before supersizing. I can't eat that greasy stuff... lol. I could get 2 meals worth of sashimi and crab/tuna rolls for the same price. The North Shore, especially Sunset Beach and anywhere east of Waimea Bay was much more relaxed. That would be the best place for a surf bum to live... I love it there.
I could live in a tent on the beach... lol.
The business side of the trip was long hours, 10 hour days, reminiscent of my Navy days. We (my business associates and I)only had 1/2 a day to sight-see, just before our flights back to the mainland. I have to bring my wife next time, but it may be awhile with the baby being so small and all. I really haven't been keeping up on this blog at all, time is short. I think I should have alot of free time with my family staying in KC until mid to late December. I'll have some pictures up in about 2 hours or so. I have to shrink them down *in file size* first, and I still have to clean my house. Yes, I slept all weekend instead of doing housework. Jet lag sucks...
At least I still have a house to clean and a yard to mow.

Introducing my daughter !!!

2005-10-07T16:54:00.000-06:00

Drop me a note if you want to know her name... *family and friends only*

Born 22 SEP 05 @ 10:03

Weight: 8 lbs 12 oz

Length: 20 inches

We left Slidell on August 28th at midnight, and decided to go home to family in KC Missouri. We had not been home since then, and were now waiting for the arrival of our baby daughter. My wife and 2 sons will be staying in KC until sometime around Christmas. My father and I are went to Slidell on Sunday 26 September to assess the damage to our house in Slidell. The house took minimal damge, no water or flooding. The roof lost a few shingles and I lost my chimney, and one tree on the house. The fence in my back yard is also gone. I had to get back to work on the 4th of Oct, so Dad and I gathered up some clothes for the boys and some *non maternity* clothes for my wife and left for KC on the 29th SEP.

The worst thing I think was coming back to a horrible stench:

Power went out in Slidell on the 29th of August around 3 am and was not on in my neighborhood until the 19th of September... We had about 6 lbs of Chicken in the Freezer over the Fridge. My neighbor was a former New Orleans PD crime scene photographer, and said that in all his years doing that, the smell of those refers with spoiled meat was so much worse than any homicide he ever had to shoot pictures on.

The fridge is outside, and *airing* out... lol. I bought a small college dorm style fridge until I get my insurance check to buy a new normal sized one.

I am back in the house now, and am still cleaning up the debris in the yard and around the street. Internet is up and down, as well as the phones. I leave for Pearl Harbor on Sunday for 2 weeks of training Navy personnel how to use software.

I hope to write more soon.

Neo

Safe and Alive

2005-09-01T09:03:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to let some people know that my wife, 2 boys and I are ok. We left our home in Slidell, LA at midnight on Sunday 28 AUG. We decided to leave when my Navy Forecaster training sensed an immediate threat to us as this storm showed no signs of weakening. We also decided to go to where our family was, 1.) Wife is pregnant and due any time ** 80% effaced and dialated to a 3 as of this morning (1 Sept) ** 2.) There was no telling how long we would be away from our home, and money is very tight.

The drive to Kansas City took 14 1/2 hours. We are all ok, considering. I am very thankful to have us all together and alive. I'll update more as time allows, or as soon as our new daughter is born.... lol

Please pray for the victims who were less fortunate than us.

ArmyWifeToddlerMom: On Death and Dying

2005-08-12T10:43:00.000-06:00

ArmyWifeToddlerMom: On Death and Dying

I think I was about nine when I had to say goodbye to my grandma for the last time... *at least on earth*

I remember how hard it was to look at her, and how much I was going to miss her.
I only wish I knew then what I know now.

The song group, 'Mercy Me', has a song titled, "Homesick".
It deals with death and dying, and all the emotions caused by it. This song just has the words we need to hear, to be reminded of at times like this. It doesn't make the ordeal any less painful, but it does provide hope, which is something we all need.

Lyrics for "Homesick"

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again...
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now.

AWTM, if you would like to hear this, drop me a line,
I'll send you a copy via email.

Did I actually pay for this?

2005-07-30T19:57:00.000-06:00

Can you believe that the above picture is from the back row? Would you also believe that there were only 12 rows in this theater? My wife and two boys were with me, and the boys had their hearts set on watching the Fantastic Four. The movie was a very good representation of the comic series. I am just glad the boys weren't old enough to notice the quality of the theater.
If you are ever in Slidell, stay away from the Carmike Theater. Oh.. I almost forgot to mention that the tickets cost 7.50 a pop for the wife and I. The kids were a measely 5.50. This was highway robbery.

I am glad that we were able to get over the mess and just enjoy the time together. I only wish to warn you readers about the rip off going on here.

2005-07-25T12:32:00.000-06:00

see the original post by Joe at ATTABOY

I find this way too funny... read the article, but look at the ad at the top of the page...

Back in town...

2005-07-24T17:51:00.000-06:00

I am finally back in town. San Diego was fun, but it wasn't as fun as it could have been without my wife and 2 boys. They are coming back from vacation tomorrow night or Tuesday afternoon. I pray that they have a safe trip. We havent seen each other since July 5th. I am so excited that they are coming back.

The Plot Thickens

2005-07-08T07:43:00.000-06:00

I remember when I was 18... (10 years ago) and thought I was invincible. At 28, I realize my own limitations, mental and physical. With that in mind, I still made the 880 mile drive from New Orleans to Kansas City for a long 4th of July weekend. That's where I'm from, so that's where the family is. Anyone who's ever been away from home or moved away knows that at least once a year, you have to go back. The weekend was awesome, lots of family from all over the country was in town. Some of them had not been in the area in over 12 years. It was a nice reunion, 50 people spanning 4 generations. Like all good things, the weekend was over and I had to get back to work. Problem was, work was in New Orleans, and the time of my departure was coinciding with the arrival of Cindy.

Well, call me stupid or just young and dumb. I had to get back... so I just hoped I would make it before storm arrival. Wrong-O... I met Cindy as I made the turn from I-55 onto I-12. I love 60 mph wind gusts across the Highway, from both sides at different times. It makes you want to stay awake when you've been driving for 13 1/2 hours. Not to mention the rain, horizontal rain. Good thing I had put on rain-x... wipers made it worse, but with the rain-x, I just let the wind suck it off the wind shield.

I finally made it home, and was very greatful that they closed the office for the next day because of Cindy. I recovered, came in to work on Thursday, and am now dreading the next one. I am not afraid of these storms, I am afraid of leaving my home to them while I am out of town. Here is where the plot thickens... I am leaving on Saturday morning to spend 12 days in San Diego for a business trip. Guess who's coming to the New Orleans area this weekend... Dennis. Good times ahead. Thank the LORD my wife and boys are still in KC on vacation.

Little Time

2005-05-27T13:10:00.000-06:00

My wife and two sons arrived Sunday night. It was a very
good reunion. We received our household goods from the
Navy PPO shipment on Tuesday. My wonderful wife has been
working her tail off unpacking while I am at work.
I can't wait to start this 3 day weekend. Needless to say,
I will post when I can, since I would rather be with my
wife and kids than posting.

Episode 3

2005-05-19T21:21:00.000-06:00

I saw Episode 3 last night, at midnight. I only had to wait
in line for 45 minutes, so it was well worth the small service
charge to buy the tickets online 3 weeks in advance.

The storyline was very close to a script I found in May of last
year. In fact, it was so close, that the only differences in it
were found in the middle 1/3 of the movie. The beginning and
ending 1/3 went exactly as the script I had read.

Knowing what was going to happen before it happened -
made my night, it did.

I was very impressed with the portrayal of Anakin as he
made his journey down the slow spiral of the dark side.
It was more than I had hoped for, and was very disturbing
in places, the looks he made as he slaughtered innocent blood.
I am not a fan of violence, but the character was portrayed exactly
as he should have been.

I read a few reviews this morning, and all I can say is,
"Please stop whining... it is over, you didn't create the characters,
or the story, so stop criticizing it like you made it and someone
else didn't do justice to YOUR creation."

It just gets old to see the same tired old posts of,
"Worst one ever... blah blah blah."
It's Lucas' story, let him tell it like he wants. Enjoy it, it is only
entertainment... or is it? LOL.

Anyway, I really enjoyed myself, despite the fact that there
were a couple hundred Kevin Smith wannabes in the audience.

This Sunday night, my wife and two boys will be coming home,
to Louisiana. I am more than ready for them to come home.
It's been 3 weeks since I have seen them, and it was only a 2 day
visit. Before that it was over 3 weeks since I had last seen them.

If you get a chance, head over to my buddy, Joe, and visit his blog.

ATTABOY - http://attaboy.tommydoc.net

Good night all...

Photos to follow

2005-05-19T09:30:00.000-06:00

I am working on a photo site as well... family history... new baby on the way ( #3)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1995wxman/sets/

First Blog Attempt

2005-05-16T14:22:00.000-06:00

I am not quite sure how this will pan out over the next few months...

There are alot of things to write about, but little time.

Please be patient as I update this.