Newest Webmaster

My son (13) has just entered the ranks of the webmasters.
He was tasked to make a website in one of his classes as school (incidentally he is home schooled and loves it when the assignments connect to real world situations/issues).
He developed a website for his sister's Soccer Team - Bengals Soccer.
He did the whole thing in FLASH to boot!
Way to go kiddo - keep up the good work.
:)

Where the Hamster's go to Die

My son woke to a rigomortus rodent today.
I had forewarned my kids of the perils of owning hamsters - they croak quicker than any pet I have ever know.
When I was a kid I would loose one every other month or so.
Weird.
Wet-tail is one typical illness they get if you don't keep the cage tidy.
My son's hamster did NOT die of wet tail - I checked.
It's a fairly easy check - basically they look like they hung their whole butt in the toilet.
You know, like when you sit on the pot in the middle of the night and someone has left the seat and the cover UP!
We have no clue why this little guy bit the dust... or the cedar chips.
The ceremony in the backyard was fairy uneventful.
I used a post hole digger and we found some brightly colored leaves to toss rather than flowers.
Quick goodbyes were spoken and we all headed in out of the rain for breakfast.
I can tell they all took it quite well... life lesson and all... since they want to head to the pet store to pick another one!
Why not... they're only $8.
:)

Dog Gone It

Dog Gone.
Skipper the Nipper is out of our home.
We had several episodes of his 'Dominance' where he nipped our friends.
He wasn't BITING them.. he clearly could have done damage... but rather, he was NIPPING them - to put them lower on the pecking order in our home.

My wife's sister left with two bandaids on her nose after she had simply bent over to pet Skipper. He lurched into her face and his tooth cut her nose.
Sheesh.

Obedience training didn't work either.
After recent training, he would sit, stay, laydown, etc., but he attempted another NIP just last week.
I was petting him and saying "GOOD DOG" for not barking in the house at a friend that was visiting. My buddy bent over and pet skipper on the head right next to me and BAM.

I was able to catch Skipper in mid-air by the lower jaw.
Don't ask my how I was able to move faster than him...
May be a remnant from my time in THE MATRIX.

You think that's air you're breathing?

Anyway... The next morning (last Saturday) we took a ride back to the SPCA where we got him back in February.

Happy Trails Dude... just can't trust you in our home when we are always inviting friends over that have little kids.

Hemeroids

You know... now that I really think about it... Hemeroids really are a big pain in the butt.

Eminent Journey

I've got a journey ahead...

For most of my life I have been self sufficient (though I know God has guided and strengthened me along the way). I tend to always do things in my own strength... and recently have 'seen the errors in my ways'. I'm finally exhausted of coming around full circle time and time again. I find myself at the same spot I was only a year or so ago... again.
I liken my life right now as one living on one side of a great forest. A forest of immeasurable thickness and unknown width. On the other side lies an incredible land of unfathomable riches and glory and peace and all else that appeals to me and God.
Being too ragged to walk another 'loop', and not knowing what lies ahead - I have decide to enter the forest in an attempt to reach the other side.
If I die in the forest - I will at least have attempted to reach the other side - and I count it as gain.
My own selfish heart is in hopes the forest isn't too wide... but I am going to let that feeling go as well.
And I am fully aware it's a 1-way trip... God knows I don't want to be here again.

I feel the first branches of the thicket brushing on my shoulders as I enter.. It's going to be quite a journey.

I've got a handful of promises as my only supplies.
One of which is...
Psalm 23

Soccer Madness

I know many folks involve themselves in the Soccer Phenomenon in America - and somehow I too have been sucked into it's vortex.

4 kids in Soccer practice during the week, games ALL WEEKEND LONG and now Tournaments - is killing me.
I can't seem to get anything else done around the house - anything.

When the season first starts I am all for it (this has been going on for several years).
I cheer and hoot and holler like the rest of the freakazoidal parents.
By mid-season I begin getting this killer headache and knotted stomach when the weekend approaches (which is totally NOT what is supposed to happen - I used to LOVE weekends).
Here at Season-end with 3 tournaments ahead and countless practices - I swear I will NOT do this again (I swear this every year).

My young daughter (11) asked me when 'Jack the Yak' (4) was going to start playing.
I paused for a second to let the question register and allowed it to mingle around in my head with all the other thoughts on the subject (knowing the idea was going to get beat up badly by the ideas on the 'hate-soccer' shelf in my mind)..
surprisingly, even to me, I said "Next season."
The next thing I said was really cool and I don't know where it came from.
I suggested that everyone currently involved in soccer take a sabbatical for a season so we can all go to the Yak's games and cheer.
No dropping kids off here and there and missing each others games.

I love it.
I sure hope I can follow up with such a great idea.

Yak would certainly benefit.. And I really think we all would too.

US Presidential Election

Vote.
If you decide not to... just sit down and shut up.