Turkey Day Pinata

What a great Turkey Day!
My kids and I took the weekend and made this pinata and are going to smash it open this afternoon!!!
It is made of papermache/balloons/construction paper/cardboard!
Totally easy and fun for all!

sydney's sketch

This is a quick sketch that I drew out of memory.

The Dude

I am Connor and this is the dude that i drew.

Caterpillar Sketch

My kids have been sketching lately and I am going to post these sketches here...
I drew this little critter to get my sketching back into swing.
This caterpillar was outside my bedroom window...

Little Rabbits

Some tiny little rabbits were born in a den in my backyard.
There is an area behind my garage that we all call the cemetery.. it used to be a garden, but now only has two concrete blocks sitting up-ended. I did that for fun and never took them down.

My kids came over and I told them about the rabbits.
They all ran to check them out.. and the little rabbits did NOT budge.
They hugged the ground and didn't even blink.

It was fun and the kids got to pet some wild animals - too cool.
Here is a sketch of the little rabbits I did when we got back into the house.

Eagle

The other day the kids were over and we found a small bird in the driveway.
I don't even know the type of bird it was - If I had to guess, it was a Meadow Lark.

Anyway, it was just sitting there and didn't try to fly when we approached.
I held out my finger and it hopped on... like a tamed bird at the petshop.
Weird.
It apparently had flown into the side of the house (don't know why) or the fence.. but it was clearly dazed.

My kids pet it and had a great time seeing this wild bird up close and personal.
Then it had a seizure.
It was one of those 'grand maul' total seizures.
When it ended.. the bird sat there for another minute or two and then died.
Right in my kids hands.
Sad

We took it back to the back yard and laid it at the foot of the concrete block - in what we call the cemetery. Appropriate I guess..

My youngest daughter was quite sad. She cried a little bit until I explained to her a bit about life.
I told my kids that every time an animal dies - God makes another one somewhere else on the planet. So as little 'Eagle', the name they had given the bird, passes away... somewhere out there a little tiny bird chipped it's way out of an egg.

They like the idea and we went back to playing.
:)

Self Pity

I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.

Did I fall off the Planet?

When life throws you a serious curve ball... sometimes it hits you hard enough to knock you down. I have been doing my best to keep standing and I have my days.
Up for a while - doing great and getting back into the swing of things.
Down for a while - mucking thru the whoa-is-me... it's not just self pity.. it's true depression.

Life Stinks sometimes.
Life is Great sometimes.

I am a christian man and I still can't figure out how God is getting anything good out of this whole pile of crap. I have feelings like He made a bad decision. He crushed JOB in the Bible to prove a point - that His servant JOB would serve Him no matter what... but life still STUNK for JOB.

I still serve God and still believe He is in charge of all things and is still totally powerful.
But life still STINKS for me...

nuff said.
for now.

SMALL

You ever feel really small in the big scheme of things?

This little critter is small.

We on the other hand - are only as small as we think we are.

Time to think big.

Time to live.

5-Mile Run

Time to commit to running again this year.

I admit I have slacked and not run nearly as much as I should have – but yesterday was a great start. A friend of mine went on a 5-mile run around an incredible park yesterday.

Mariners Museum in Newport News Virginia

We both ran for our high-schools back years ago and have run tons since, but he has really kept up where I have slacked – and it really showed up yesterday.

Sheesh.

I was dogging along, but made the full 5 miles. His encouragement was to simply run more often – even a mile or two twice a week and a longer run on the weekends. I’ve decided to give it a shot.

What do I have to lose?

Like everything else in my life right now – there is only one way to go, and that is up.

Good luck to all of you who have decided to ‘kick it up a notch’ this year.

I Wonder Where The Lions Are

"Got any openings?" a man asked the circus manager.
"I need a new assistant tamer," he said.
Just then, the head tamer ran into the lion cage flashing him an eyeful of her spandex bodysuit.
The big cat slunk to the ground, licked her ankles and rested his head at her feet.
"Can you do that?" the manager asked the man.
"Sure," he said, "Just get that lion out of the way!"

Happy New Year

2006 is OVER!!!
Did that go by FAST or what?!
Much happened for all of us.
Some good - some wretched.
I hope we all learned a lot.
I figure there is only one way to go from here - UP.
Blessings to all my dear friends.
Keep the Faith and keep following God as he leads in this great Adventure.
-------
Here are some Headlines from the news in 2006.
Perhaps 2007 will be better!
-------

Crack Found on Governor's Daughter
Imagine that!

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No, really?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!

Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
Whaaat??

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!

Miners Refuse toWork after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy bastards!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!

War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
You think?!

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!

Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?!

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Taste like chicken?

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!

And the winner is....

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?

Lost in a SWAMP

A friend (Kurt) and I went Geocaching yesterday in a beautiful park here in Virginia.
Seashore State Park.

We found 8 or so caches back in the woods and all over the park - it was a perfect day.

Well, rather than go BACK to the parking area to begin a particular search (which is what the instructions told us to do) we started trecking in the park FROM one of the other caches.

We got deeper and deeper into the forest/swamp area and couldn't actually GET to the cache we were searching for because we were blocked by the swamp at every turn.
We walk on and on and things only got worse - and the sun was setting soon!

We decided to attempt to get back to a nearby road (we could hear the cars going by off in the distance)... but were blocked by swamp in that direction too.
Luckily we had our GPS units and followed the 'track-back' feature to get most of the way back - but found a fallen tree which we used as a bridge to make the final crossing to higher ground!

It was fun and we didn't even have to get our shoes wet - but it was certainly a better option than spending the night in the woods.

Ain't Geocahing fun?!
Check it out for yourself at www.geocaching.com!

Road Apples

Can't forget one of the most memorable times of my Christmas trip to Laurel Maryland Race Track.
I GOT TO SHOVEL HORSE SH*T!!!

You ever pee like a race-horse?
Well - try crapping like one sometime... I swear these race horses are all muscle so when they let the apples roll - they shoot out like bullets!

I had the wonderful opportunity to shovel a GIANT wheel barrel full of it and dump it in what all the stable hands call the SH*T SHED.

Piles and piles and piles of it. It was a veritable walk in crap house!
Fun was had by all!

Merry Christmas!!!

What a great Christmas!
I was invited to spend the Holiday in Maryland with a friend.
We spent Christmas Day at a nearby homeless shelter.
We cooked and served an amazingly HUGE Christmas meal for all who showed up.
Some of the guys that came over LIVED under a nearby BRIDGE!

It was a real eye-opener!
We are sooooo blessed and don't even live like it most of the time.

I also had the oportunity to go to the Laurel Racetrack - at 4AM.
We fed and watered the incredible race horses that my friend Lisa is in charge of.
They also need to be walked/galloped every single day so their muscles stay 'tuned'.
There were huge and solid - pent up energy like you wouldn't believe!

Anyway, here is a picture of my friend Lisa with one of the horses.

A Garage with room for a CAR?!

I know women wouldn't understand - It's a guy thing.
I actually pulled my car INTO my garage to change the oil!
It was great.
I haven't been able to do that for 10 years!
We typically cram our garages so full of STUFF that nothing else fits - let alone a CAR!
So there I was - IN THE GARAGE - changing the oil.

Goodness it felt great!
If all goes well - I will be disciplined and KEEP the garage that way!
We'll see!

Goodies

I never expected a small package on my porch this morning.
I never expected to cry when I opened it either.

The package was from my aunt and uncle in Louisiana.
They know all I am going thru with my divorce and they must also know how tough it is during the Holidays.
When I opened the box and saw all the goodies cooked for me, I was overcome with a deep sense of love and care.
These feelings are far in between and it just hit me.
So there I was holding a little box of home-made cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and ginger bread... crying.
It was a good kind of cry and I really felt loved.
Thank you soooooooo very much Dianne and Ken.
You are wonderful.
Mike
I love you.
You don't even know how much this helped.

Wheelchairs

I was returning to work from running errands at lunch and walked up behind a guy in a wheelchair.
He got to the front entrance door just before I did. With only slight difficulty, he opened the door for ME to go thru.

My brain suggested to my mouth to say "Oh no.. let me get it for you." But my heart quickly intervened and told my brain and my mouth to shut up and just let the guy open the door.

I mean, he probably gets only a few chances each year to do that - so I let him.
Not out of pity or some stupid self-righteous attitude... but simply respect.. just as I would for anyone else.

I said "Thank you very much." and walked on thru.
I caught the next door for him.

It all works out in the end.

Sometimes we just need to let people be people.

Joy to the World

Where do we find our Joy?
What does it take to bring us Joy?
Just what is contentment?

A friend of mine works in an orphanage in Russia.
It's cold there right now - very cold.
As Christmas draws neigh, He witnessed something pretty cool and I share it here:

He was watching a little boy pull a beaten-up empty box on a piece of twine behind him. For a second, he thought "how sad", but then he saw the true JOY on the boy's face as he ran and pulled that box bumping behind him. He said it was an incredible sight.

Some enjoy the beautiful wrapped packages, some the thoughtful gift inside, some the cardboard box.

Just attach a short piece of twine and pull.

Tacos

I cooked WAY too much last night.
I came home, made a quick decision of what to have for dinner and started cookin'.
TACOS!
One of my most favorite meals.
Well, I started frying the hamburger meat, tossed in the special seasonings.
Got the Refried Beans crankin'.
Put the Spanish Rice on to boil.
Cut up my misc - Cheese, Lettuce, Onions.
Got Guacamole.
Salsa.
And pulled out the shells...

I was so busy having fun cooking - I cooked nearly double what I could possibly eat.
I got on the phone with my sister and invited here over (she couldn't make it since she lives in Idaho), but it was a kind gesture.

I drank a cold beer and watched some DEAL/NO DEAL and enjoyed eating HALF of my meal.
Fun was had by all.
I need to fiture out how to cook for ONE!
:)

Christmas Lights

Well.. most of my lights are up.
I got up on a ladder last night and hung lights all across the front of the house including around the porch.
I underestimated how far the 'icicle' light strings would go and didn't have enough to finish the dormers (I'll do that tomorrow).

The wind started howling so I got off the roof before I fell off.
:)
I'm simply having a wonderful Christmast time!

Dinner is Served

I did it.
I cooked my first dinner in my new home.
Eating out and even a quick meal is NOTHING like pulling a Rachel Rea 30-minute meal!
I timed myself and did it exactly in 30 minutes - it was great.

The picture may be a little blurry, but what you are seeing is:

Lemon Spice Chicken
Sauteed Green Beans in Garlic and Butter
Onion Bun
Garden Salad with fresh chopped Scallions
Bass Ale

What a great dinner.

Tapas Style

There are more and more of these "Tapas-Style" restaurants cropping up - it's the newest craze in the downtown night bar/bistro scenes.

If you never have been - the basics is this: small individual portions of a meal - served (an paid for) separately. Eat your bread, them perhaps a vegetable, or maybe you jump straight to a meat dish - or better yet - sushi. Each plate is decorated (garnished) as if it where all you were going to eat.

Pretty fun - Oh, and there is usually a better beer selection than normal restaurants. Dark Imports are my particular poison.

All that to say this.. Kurt, Wanda and I had a great dinner at Empire Little Bar Bistro in Norfolk VA last night. Kurt paid and said "Merry Christmas". We owe him one!

Thanks Kurt.

Frosty Day

Got up this morining, had my espresso and looked out the window..

FROST

I even had to scrape my car windows!

Virginia is usually nice and warm even on Christmas. But it looks like winter is trying its best to arrive here on the East coast. One year it was 74 on Christmas Day! So you never know what is going to happen from year to year.

Cold has 2 settings (according to me):
GIRL COLD and BOY COLD
Whenever someone says "Dude, it's cold outside."
I alsways ask... "Boy cold or Girl cold?"
And then I just wait for their answer...

I love it.

First Night

Well... I spent my first night in my own home.
This was the first time I've ever spent a night in my own home that only I owned.
I had never purchased a place of my own before I went into the Navy - and got married from there. So now that I am divorced, (you see where this is going) I spent my first night in my own home.. alone.

IT STINKS!

Yet.. There are levels to stink you know:
(being alone stinks - starting over from scratch only stinks half way - uncertainty is fairly neutral smelling, but looking ahead to new adventures smells pretty good.)

My sister reminded me of a great song by Rufus Wainwright - "One Man Guy". I'm a one man guy - and that guy is ME.

I told her (my sister) about an incredible woman I recently met - and my sister suggested I play Rufus' other song - "Hallelujah"!

Sisters are great - they know just how to lift you up when you are down.

First Christmas Alone

Going thru a divorce really stinks.
This one is one of the worst I have ever seen in my entire life.
My wife is turning my kids against me one at a time. :(
It's been 10 months now and it's clear it's over.

But, somehow I need to pull thru and get moving.. sooo...

I decided to stop living at my friend house and BUY MY OWN.
It's not my dream house by an stretch - but it's mine, or will be this Thursday.

I haven't got any furniture so moving will be EASY!
Wait, no.. a friend gave me a couch. So I will have a place to sit down.
I will need to shop for a bed and some other neccessities!

What will help?
I think decorating for Christmas will.
I am going to go shopping for some 'icicle' lights this week.
I picked up a Christmas Album - Sarah McLauchlan at Starbucks.
And perhaps a Christmas tree will help too. We'll see.

:)

HD to NYC

What a ride!
Some silly storm was terrorizing the southern states and it hit Norfolk on Friday.
We waited patiently since neither of us wanted to ride in the pouring rain unless we had to.
Kurt F and I headed down the road early the next morning (2 Sept) and had no idea what lay in wait for us – a slow moving storm… and we were riding 70mph toward it.

A gorgeous day.
We rode across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel and north across Virginia and Maryland. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry was a 3.5 hour wait so we rode on.
Delaware and New Jersey were fine until we caught up to the storm.

First the rain was light, but soon we were in torrential downpour and high side winds that were blowing us around. We made several unintentional lane changes. The rain was hitting my face so hard it actually hurt, so I periodically shielded my face with my left hand while holding the throttle with my right.
I also had to often reach up and empty my glasses as they kept filling with rainwater and getting into my eyes.
It was tough to see Kurt ahead sometimes as we rode on – and I couldn’t afford to get behind, because he knew the route we were taking and I didn’t!

We rolled into his in-laws driveway just as night was falling.

All I could think of was our 3 immediate needs.. which I told Kurt and Family while standing in the rainy driveway:
A Hot Shower
A Warm Woman and
A Cold Drink

His mother-in-law said she could find us 2 of the 3 and I was hoping her water heater was broken!!!

After a hot shower and a couple cold drinks, we all stayed up late playing cards by candle light since the storm took out the house power.

The next day was beautiful.
Kurt and I ran 4 miles or so (I was totally out of shape) and then we rode our Harleys to Yankee Stadium where we saw an incredible win by the Yankees 10-1.
Monday we rode home in perfect weather and finished the best motorcycle trip I’ve ever been on.

I hope there will be many more in the future.

The Life Cycle

I think the life cycle is all backwards.

You should start out dead and get it out of the way.

Then, you wake up in an old age home feeling better every day.

You get kicked out for being too healthy; go collect your pension, then
when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day.

You work 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement.

You drink alcohol, you party, you're generally promiscuous and you get
ready for High School.

You go to primary school, you become a kid , you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a baby, and then...

You spend your last 9 months floating peacefully in luxury, in spa-like conditions; central heating, room service on tap, larger quarters everyday, and then...
..you finish off as an orgasm.

I rest my case.

Caffeine Anyone

I found someone that loves coffee as much as I do!

Confusion Says:

I used to say:

That that does not kill you,
Makes you stronger.

But have decided upon the following as a reasonable alternative:

That that does not kill you,
Hurts like hell... but, it doesn't kill you.

French Vanilla and Chocolate Syrup

I couldn’t help myself.
I purchased a quart of French Vanilla ice-cream and some chocolate syrup. I scooped 4 gigantic spoonfuls of ice-cream into a bowl and just COVERED it with syrup.
It was sooooo good.. but I just know I totally cancelled the 5 miles I did this morning!!!
Dang

Poison Ivy

I have never been susceptible to poison ivy before in my life.

A couple weeks ago, I caught the absolute worst case you can imagine – well I take that back since some people have died from it – it was just the worst case I could imagine: up and down my legs, on my back and chest, arms – none on my face or head Praise God… I have been very careful NEVER to scratch an itch or touch my head in any way… it has been really tough.

My guess is that the stress I am going thru has broken down my immune system.

I used to be able to walk in it, sit in it, play in it.

Once my sister and I were feeding handfuls of green leaves to pigs in a pen.. my sister caught poison ivy worse than she has ever had, I didn’t get it at all.. and we don’t know what happened to the pigs.
:)

Geocaching has it’s issues – poison ivy is the one that effect me the most.

Atlantic Ocean - Virginia Beach Oceanfront

I’ve spent quite a bit of time at the beach lately.

Mostly to let the ocean’s natural salts soothe my poison ivy.. but also to play in the waves. I’ve made some very fun sand castles and have been perfecting my body surfing.

The beach is a wonderful place, I just wish my skin tanned better than it does – I always have to swim in lotion before going out. Actually I have been playing for about an hour and then putting on the lotion – just to get some color.
:)

Motorcycle in the Rain

This time of year short bursts of torrential downpour come without warning.
I was out riding my Harley the other day and got caught in some cats-n-dogs.
Raindrops the size of grapes were pelting me and luckily I wasn’t going fast. I have found that above 40 miles per hour these sting pretty hard. The rain soaked my shirt, pants, underwear, everything. The rain was running down my legs and into my boots.. by the time I got where I was going, my boots were completely FULL of water. I sat down and poured the water out and rung out my shirt before going inside.

It was quite an adventure.

This may sound weird, but I liked it.. being totally soaked and free. It seems that unpredictable things like this don’t happen often enough, and I welcomed it.

Great Card

My sister sent me a great card the other day.

FRONT: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.
INSIDE: But when life hands you a load of crap, don’t make anything. Trust me on this one.

I laughed out loud and put it right on my desk.
What a great sister.
:)

Boat Work - Blue Water Ahead

I helped a friend work on his boat this past weekend.
We fired up the motor and scrubbed all the decks and surfaces.
It was fun and got me wanting to get MY sailboat up and running again.
It’s been 4 years since my boat has seen water – I think it is sad just sitting on the trailer. I have just spent ALL my time playing with the kids and getting a new business up and running... I neglected the poor boat!

Yet, working on the boat was very rejuvenating. Somehow, somewhere deep inside, I got some energy.. a little wave of hope.

Finally Got some Tail

It's been 9 months and I finally got some tail.

I was riding my motorcycle along the Colonial Parkway.
This is one of the best places to ride your bike in Virginia; tree covered road, along a river, cars few and far between. A must.

Anyway, I was riding along and I passes a racoon - roadkill.
I quickly pulled over and walked back.. with my trusty Buck knife, I cut off the tail.
I was hoping to tie it to the back of my Harley so it could flap in the wind as I rode.. but after I went on the internet to research what it actually takes to make the tail 'usable'.. I perished the thought.

The taxidermist website said I had to: split it full length with a knife, remove the tail bone and all meat, salt the hide for 3 days (scraping and reapplying salt each day) and then soak it in Borax so the bugs wouldn't eat it. And it would be stiff, unless I took it one more step and actually TANNED it with some chemicals.

NOT GUNNA HAPPEN... They only cost $3.50 on Ebay.

Geo-Caching

Discovered a brand new (to me) hobby.
Geo-caching.
You may have heard about it before, but until you have done it.. you can't knock it.

Basically, it's a treasure hunt for small hidden treasure all over the planet.
Most of these little hidden locations are in the USA, and increasing in number daily.

Individuals have placed hidden 'caches' in wooded areas, on cliff sides, along rivers, under water, and even on busy streets in urban areas.
To find them, you must go to www.geocaching.com and type in your zip code (one of the ways to find them).
You will then see a list of all the caches near you.
Cutting and pasting these coordinates into Google Earth gives me a quick aerial view of the site.
Then I simply input the coordinates into my GPS unit ($150 at BestBuy), which guides me to within a few feet of the hidden cache.
From here you must be a sleuth.. think like the guy that hid it and you shall find it.
Signing the Log Book is always a task, and if the cache is large enough to contain small treasures (misc items that look like they came from the dollar store), you TAKE one and then LEAVE one (yep, gotta bring something with you).
Making sure no one is watching, you must RE-HIDE the cache and split.

It's a gas.. and good ol' outdoor fun.

Lost Sunglasses

Dangit.
I lost my sunglasses.
I took them off on the airplane and set them on the seat next to me.. so I wouldn't forget them.
Then like 'pavlovs travelers'.. when the little bell when 'ding' every single person on the plane stood up. I mindlessly grabbed my bags and headed off the plane, took a leak in the first MENS room and realized I was missing my glasses.
I wasn't 30 feet from the gate and got permission to re-board.. but my glasses were already GONE.
Dangit.
Someone must have spotted them in my seat (3A-First Class) and pocketed them.
I hope they enjoy them.. they were a very nice pair.
Bogus.
I am not feeling the full loss of them yet since the 2 glasses of wine have me partially sedated.
It will hit me when the sun comes up tomorrow.

New Family

I joined an elite group recently.
Harley Davidson motorcycle owners.
It's a nice family if you look past the tattoos, goatees, leather and scull-cap helmets.
One guy even had a "Loud Mufflers Save Lives" sicker on his helmet (safety conscious).
They all tell me I need a 'bitch' to ride on the back.
I think they are referring to the sweet and gentle girl that often accompanies you when you ride.. one that has more underarm hair than I do.
:)
Here's my new ride.

Insect Collection

My twin daughters have an assignment in school to collect 10 insects (and kill 'em).
I remembered doing this when I was a kid so I jumped in to help.
At first this sounded like a simple task: Just go outside and turn over some rocks and logs and grab everything that moves.

No so fast.
I was too anxious.. I had this instinct to kill bugs!
(I've eaten tons of them in my lifetime.)
Soooooo... after Daddy terminated a centipede, two rolypoly bugs, and spider... I was told they died in vain.

Insects only have 6 legs.

The beetle, the crane fly and the earwig were OK for the collection.
Tomorrow, I'm on the prowel for a bumble bee, a butterfly and perhaps a grasshopper!
I hope I can even dig up a grub or two! :)

(The 'Killing Jar' has some cotton balls with fingernail polish in it.)

Dude.. that's Rude

Sitting next to a girl that didn't have earphones for her DVD player showed me a new kind of rude.
We were on a regional jet, so the outside noise was a little louder than usual, which in turn caused our deaf little passenger to crank her DVD player so we all could enjoy a move only she could see.

No care for others.
No idea that she was not the only one on the plane.

Some people's kids.. I swear.

Applebees

I just ate a piece of leather that was on the menu claiming to be 'Applebee's Choice Sirloin'.
Thank God for Killians Red.. it helped.
:)
Remind me not to go to chain restaurants anymore.
Sheesh.

Chips Di Morte

There is a style of chip out there that will drain all the fluids out of our body and shrivel your tongue to resemble a sidewalk worm on a hot summer day.

"Salt and Vinegar"

Chips that Kill

Homeless and Rejected

A clean cut white guy approached me on the city street today as I walked to my office.
He said,

“Please,
Please Help Me.
I am homeless and need something to eat.
I am sorry for having to ask you for money.

My wife took everything from me,
And now I have nothing left.

Please.”

I gave him all the money that was in my wallet.

Marshmallows

A friend of mine told me something when I left the Navy.
He said, "Mike, watch out... don't let yourself turn into a marshmallow".

I laughed.

Now I know what he means.

Lean and mean has been replaced... I really need to workout.
:(

Post Coffee Blues

Woof.
I am wiped out.
I didn’t think coffee had an effect on me any longer.
Boy was I wrong.
I had a fairly late meeting last night and then went out for coffee at Starschmucks afterward. I downed the last of a monster Cup o’ Joe about 10:45PM.
I knew something was up as I drove home buzzing.
The books next to my bed got lots of use as I read chapter after chapter and even switched books often. Usually I can’t make it 15 minutes reading at night.
No restful sleep.
Psycho dreams.
I was somewhat relieved when morning struck… but am wiped out this fine Friday.
A good workout at the Gym would probably do me some good... but I haven’t been there in a long time either.
Woof.

This too shall pass.....

Friend in Need

Howdy Friends and Family,
I know that my close friends read this blog fairly regularly... so I ask you all for prayer for a friend of mine.
I worked with him for 9 years and actually miss his whit and humor now that I have started my own business. I certainly don't see him and the others at the firm as often as I wish.
Anyway...
His name is Kurt and his wife is seriously ill and in the hospital.
I will not give you the details, but please know that he dearly loves her and wants her to live - and she needs your prayers.
We know that God hears our prayers and according to His will, he governs all life. Please seek Him on her behalf that He would have mercy and allow her to return to full health. Pray also that Kurt would find comfort and rest thru all of this.
Thanks for your friendship and devotion to the KING.
Mike

Cold Pizza

I figured that cold Chinese food was as good as cold Pizza and was wrong.
A couple bites in I didn’t get the warm fuzzies that I get when eating icy cold left over pizza straight from the frig.
So, I popped my noodles into the microwave for 2 minutes and ate Chinese Food ala Magma. Nearly burned my tongue off.
I chased it with some weak tea that you get in the Chinese restaurants.
You know the type – they dip a tea bag into a pot of water for maybe 3 seconds and serve it to you with a smile.
Good move.
All in all, I discovered something new about life… and can pass it on to my kids.

Boulder Cigarette Man

I was in Boulder Colorado the other day…

After a week of enjoying the gorgeous weather and beauty of Boulder, I had to catch a plane at an ungodly hour – 6am… at the Denver airport.
The drive is only about 45minutes, but one must also plan for plenty of time getting thru security etc. so… I had to leave Boulder at 3:30am.
Woof.
I was on the curb outside the hotel waiting for my shuttle and a guy was out wandering the streets. As I watched, I observed him checking in planter beds and along the street edge for cigarettes. He picked up a few and looked at them closely to see if they had any tobacco left for smoking, and then tossed them back down in disappointment.
When he got close enough to me to ask, he did. “Excuse me, you got a cigarette?” Of course I didn’t and I glanced at my feet and saw a couple of choice butts laying there.
I said, “There are a couple over here that look like they have a drag or two left on them.”
He quickly said, “Oh, no thanks… I’ve got some in my bag.”
I don’t think he did.
He wandered on, crossed the street and continued to check the planter beds… and disappeared into the dark Boulder morning.

Funny what a good addiction will do to you.

Jerry Wegener – July1961–Oct 2005

USNavy Seal, Friend, fellow heir to the kingdom of heaven.

I can still see his happy face across the table at Christmas time last year.
Crazy to think he is gone.
I just got home from the funeral.
When I heard the news of his death it didn’t seem real. I wanted to call him on the phone. I still want to.
I hugged his wife and kids and will see them next week.
I saw Jerry one last time and it was clear he wasn’t in his HUGE body anymore.
He professed Christ as his Lord and Savior and I know he is face to face with his maker right now. He was a great husband, dad and friend.
Hundreds of people are going to miss him.

Seems like only yesterday we were carrying a 300 pound inflatable raft on our heads in HELL WEEK… That’s when the instructor wasn’t IN the boat.
Hah.
He and I went thru BUD/S (USNavy Seal Training) in Coronado California together back in the 80’s. Class 131. We laughed recently at the hallucinations we had when deprived of sleep for a week and all the crazy things we did together… and now he’s off to a better place.

Good Bye my friend – I loved you like a brother and am going to miss you.

This was a little wake up call for me to dig-in and really spend quality time with friends HERE and NOW for we never know when it’s our time to go.

When your number comes up… you check OUT… and you check IN to eternity.

The Geckos are Gone

We let them go.
They were not going to make it in our death trap of an aquarium.
I took them down to the local pet store and due to their condition; the guy didn’t want to take them.
He suggested taking them to a vet for shots.
He said that the shots could probably cost about $40 and the whole visit with paperwork another $40… per lizard.
Lizards.
My kids and I had a little vote and we decided that rather than let them sit in the tank and die slowly… we would let them go.
Yep.
We took them out in the woods behind our home where there was a nice wood pile and plenty bugs for them to eat… and we let them go.
It was raining so we didn’t stick around to see how they liked their new environment.
Sure hope all is well for them.
All in all... I figure they are in a better place.
:)

Google Earth

Google Earth is totally blowing me away.
It's got no real use yet... for me... but it is totally amazing.
I have been looking at all the 'sites' and Wonders of the World from HOME!
This is going to KILL tourism for the cheap skates... and the simple minded no-money-to-travel guys.

One question: Does anyone know the best lat and long to view the Great Wall of China?
I've followed it all across China and can't get a good view of it.
It's supposed to be the only Man-Made structure visible from space... but a good view of it eludes me.

And is there a good place over Africa where you can see a herd of Elephants?

Lemme know if you do.

If you haven't downloaded Google Earth yet and looked around with a fast connect on the internet... DO IT!

My Boss is a Rat

My Boss is a total Rat.
He breathes down my neck constantly.
Like a vulture - hovering and spying and making a complete nuisance of himself.
That's what he is... a vulture rat!

It used to be I could blog or sketch, surf the web and enjoy life, but now with the Rat constantly watching I feel stifled.
I wish he would let up or fire me so I could get back to my life...

.. oh the perils of being self employed.
:)

Camping – Ate A Snake

We went camping in the Blue Ridge Mountain last weekend. It was awesome.
Gorgeous trees and hiking trails, streams and lakes.
We really had a great time.
My kids ran town to the nearby stream and jumped in for a swim while I set up the tend and got the campsite all ready.

It wasn’t 20 minutes they were back at the campsite carrying a snake.

My son had spotted it in the stream (only a few feet away) and threw a rock on it’s head… killing it dead.
I took this as an excellent opportunity to teach my kids about some of the greater things in life… eating snakes.

I showed them how to skin it, gut it, fry it, and eat it.
It wasn’t the biggest snake, so we each only got a few bites… but it was great!
It’s been a long time since I did that… a long time.
We didn’t keep the skin.. which would have been great.

Some critter in the woods is enjoying the entrails and skin right now.
:)

Surfing Rhode Island

My wife bought me a surf board on my birthday.
What on earth was she thinking?
I can’t surf.

Then I remembered a line from ‘Apocalypse Now’…
“Are we gunna fight or are we gunna surf?”

So I graciously accepted the gift and have been trying to learn since.
Sheesh… it ain’t easy.

Last week we took a vacation trip to Rhode Island to see some old friends.
Well, they aren’t old, it’s just been a long time since we saw them last.
Anyway, we took two days of the 5 and went to the beach – Narragansett Beach.
Awesome waves DUDE!
The typical set was 4 or 5 four foot waves followed by 2 or 3 eight footers!
The bigger ones kick our butts, but we rode the little ones… totally fun.

My 14 year old son is a natural and catches nearly every wave he tries for.. me on the other hand am still playing a balancing game on the board!
I ate more sand in those 2 days than I did in a week of SEAL Training.
I think the SEAL TEAM should teach guys to surf.
I really do.

Surf On.

Geckos on the Edge

My leopard Geckos are dieing.

They are not shedding properly and their eyes are covered with skin.
Can’t see means can’t find food.
Can’t find food means can’t eat.
Can’t eat means can’t survive.
I have been force-feeding them food (I hold them heads-up toward the ceiling and they open their mouths, where I drop in a nice juicy waxworm).
But they have been refusing these lately.. and I foresee a short pier and a long walk on the horizon.

:(

Walking the Dog

You gotta walk yer dog at least twice a day.
Rain or shine.
If ya don’t… you will be cleaning up the mess.

Fairly straight forward... right?!

The other day… we set out around our typical ½ mile loop.
I go for a daily bike ride for exercise, so this loop is just for poop.

I call it the poop walk.

There is an island between two lanes of traffic nearby where we aim.
It’s the neighborhood pooping grounds and since it rains often enough (especially here in May/June), no one picks up the droppings.

Anyway..

On the poop walk we came across a huge black rat snake smashed into the street which the dog promptly grabbed and carried along for the ride!

She even carried it home and chewed on it in the backyard for a couple days… and eventually ate it.

I know, I know… what kind of a dog owner would let their dog chew up and eat a snake.. well, I figured it has just as much nutritional value as the 50lb bag-o-beef-flavored-cardboard-chunks in the garage… and probably tastes better too.

We’ll never know.
:)

Amazing Mountains… Amazing.

I was in Boulder a couple weeks ago and got this wild hair to climb a mountain.
You know what I mean.
It’s the same feeling runners get when it’s pouring down rain…. Gotta run.

Standing in downtown Boulder I could see a clear view of the Flat Irons.
I ran and got on my running shoes (I don’t travel anywhere without them) and got a lift to a park called Chataqua. It’s right at the base of the mountains.

I was amazed at how lousy I felt after the first mile… Being from the coast of Virginia and living at sea level certainly put me at a disadvantage, but the mountain was there… so I couldn’t stop.

The run turned into a jog and then to a hike… and at the end into a climb.

It was simply gorgeous. I could see the whole world up there.

I climbed to within 50 feet or so of the top of the first Flat Iron and had to stop.
I was to a point that unless I had someone with me and some climbing gear, it was going to be dangerous. So I sat down on a small ledge with the warm sun shining on my face and took in the mile high air.

It was thin and crisp.

Surprisingly the only wildlife I saw were some chipmunks on the trail… which was a breeze coming DOWN!

I jogged all the way back to the hotel and felt like a million bucks.
Amazing Mountains… Amazing.

Phil Keaggy

I just saw Phil Keaggy in concert.
That guy is the most amazing guitar player in the world.
Seriously.
He blew the socks off any guitar playing I have ever heard before.

He had some sort of mixer that recorded segments of his music and then played/looped it back when he pressed a button with his foot. He then recorded over that and then again over that. In the end he must have had 20 different sounds/voices playing.. which sounded like he had a stage full of people.. but it was just HIM. He had full control of turning them off and on again to create some of the best guitar music I’ve ever heard.

Inconceivable.

Phil.. you rock.

If you EVER get a chance to hear him in concert.. do NOT hesitate to go.
This kind of music doesn’t come around very often… once in a lifetime I expect!
:)

Old Stomping Grounds

Just did a SketchUp Training session at the firm I used to work at... Cranberry, Heavens, Right-o and Platypus Architects.

It was really fun to see those guys again.
Most of them were surprised to see me step in the door.
They knew I had a side-gig with SketchUp since I had told them even before I left… but it still caught some of them off their guard.

In fact, someone (no one really knows who – nor would tell if they did) was actually MAD that I came and gave the training. That same someone called Boulder CO. (headquarters of @Last Software) and told them off.
Reasons unknown... personal problems if you ask me.
Weird.

I gave them the best training they could get for SketchUp and for some reason someone didn’t appreciate it.

Some peoples kids.

I read a scripture this morning that reminded me of the whole situation:
Jesus said, “A prophet is not welcome in his own hometown”.
Luke 4:24

The W of Chicago

I stayed in a hotel called the ‘W’ a couple weeks ago.
It was crazy.
It was clearly the ritziest hotel I had ever been in.
The room was approx. $300 a night and they spared NO expense on the decorating.
Every single thing in the hotel and my room was unique… the art on the walls wasn’t the stuff you can buy at Walmart (sunset paintings or abstract color swooshes).. they were original works of art.
One especially nice piece was a deep frame that had a metallic mat and bamboo visible thru the 8” opening… it was done very well.
There was a framed window opening into the shower room – and shutters that could be pulled for privacy. Quarry tile covered the bathroom and the shower was nothing more than a single piece of thick thick glass extending out from the wall – to keep the shower water from splashing on the nearby sink.
The shower head was large and mounted on the ceiling overhead… it was more like standing under a waterfall than a shower.
Too cool.
The furniture seemed to be imported from someplace incredible and I didn’t want to sit on anything… for fear I would break it or mess it up somehow.
I realized that I wasn’t actually relaxing… It was all too unique and showy for me to relax.
I tend to enjoy myself in hotels where I am reminded more of my home than a museum.
I was relieved when I checked out… like I had spend a day in a china shop with a bull that I was responsible for.
Stressfully weird.

Start Up Pains

What a crazy life.
I THOUGHT that by starting my own business… I would have more time on my hands… you know… time to play with the kids, change the oil in the car, rake the leaves… anything.
Let me be the first to say… I HAVE NO TIME AT ALL!
I haven’t found a minute to myself yet... and it’s been a month (on the 11th).

I’ve been busy designing buildings, sketching, site planning, master planning, and traveling (teaching people how to use a program called SketchUp).

I took on the SketchUp training to add variety to my life and to fill in the gaps should my architecture design business fall short… and have found myself REALLY busy.

I’m in hopes that it is a phenomenon associated with START UP, and not going to be like this for the long haul.

One more crazy thing about owning your own business (I’m no pro yet, but will be soon enough).. is billing. I was used to a paycheck every two weeks deposited right into my checking account. Now I send out bills and WAIT. Good grief.. don’t these people know I have mouths to feed around here!
I am in hopes that this too is a symptom of START UP and things will smooth out as I get going.

And finally, I hate how I haven’t been keeping up with the Adventures of Stu the Lemming on my Daily Sketch Blog (What is the true meaning of Daily anyway? I’m not going to even give you a link :(.
For anyone who knows what I am talking about… soddy. Poor Stu is ricocheting around in the belly of a sea creature all this time!

I’ll try harder… When I get some time.

New Addition to the Family

We were tired of owning dogs that bit people’s faces off … so we decided NOT to rescue one from the SPCA… like we have done in the recent past.

We had tried it one last time a week ago and what a disaster.
The dog actually bore it’s teeth to me when I asked it to get off the couch.
I nearly didn’t get my hand out of the way when it lunged and snapped it’s jaws! And then it decided to hump my kid's legs during breakfast… good bye you freakazoidal maniac dog.

We researched every dog on the planet and found a match for our family… a Mexican Hairless Chihuahua. We cooked it up with a side of potatoes and gravy and then went to North Carolina, to a breeder of fine dogs and purchased a purebred Golden Retriever.

She is gorgeous. 9 weeks old, gentle as can be and is already learning to go to the back door (to be let out) to relieve herself.
She romps and plays with the kids in the backyard and sleeps at the end of our daughter’s bed (in a doggy bed) during the night.
We called here Biscuit.
We’ll need to come up with 3 names for the proper registration of a purebred. (silly breeders)… but for now it’s just Biscuit.
I can even see a cat named Gravy in our future.
:)

You know… it honestly looks like she will be a perfect addition to our family.

Setting Sail

My apologies to those who don’t know yet… I have been extremely busy.

I have departed the wonderful Architecture firm HEWV and started my own Company (I'll get you a web-address when I get one).
I’ve been doing freelance work on the side for quite some time and had finally reached the point where I was getting no sleep at all.

My last day was 11Feb05… and tomorrow morning will be my first day at my new OFFICE! (home)
The kids are all excited because they think I don’t have to ‘GO TO WORK’ tomorrow… little do they know that I will certainly be going to work!
Quite possibly even more than before!

I am going to be quite holistic in my approach to an Architecture/Design Firm. (3 main areas)

1. I am going to be doing quite a bit of Master Planning, Site and Building Design, Feasibility Studies and Preliminary Design. I'm going to try to lay low on shop drawings, bathroom and stair design and specifications!)
2. Along with this I will be creating Architectural Graphics (pretty pictures of what the design will hopefully look like when it’s done) – Site and Buildings alike.
3. And lastly I will be Training people to use an incredible program that I have become quite proficient at – SketchUp. I hope in the future to train Autodesk Products like ADT and Revit... but we’ll see how that goes.

For now… I’m going to go for it and remember the slogan my fellow comrades used to quote in my days with the US Navy Seals…

“The only easy day was yesterday”!

Think Impossible Things!

"There is no use trying," said Alice. "One can't believe impossible things."
"I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
--Lewis Carroll

Gladiator

"If you find yourself riding thru green grass and feel the warm sun on your face... do not fear... you are already dead."

Maximus

Chicken Little

"The sky is falling."

Happy New Year! 2005

We took the family down to Nags Head NC and spent the week between Christmas and New Years on the beach. Fresh Rock fish tastes sooo good when you know the thing was swimming only an hour before!

It was great.
We had some snow flurries for the first couple of days, but then the weather turned warmer and the sun came out.
Our home town of Chesapeake got 6 to 8 inches of snow (absolutely unheard of) and we totally missed it!!!
We built sand castles to beat all sand castles (modeled after the strongholds of The Lord of the Rings Movies) and frequently ran in for hot chocolate.

I had forgotten how nice the early morning fog is for walking on the beach.
Good times were had by all and we came home on the 2nd.
I think my kids collected over a hundred shells which accounts for our weight and bad gas mileage on the return trip.

To our great joy no pets had died!
Our friends had remembered to water and feed them all (hamsters, guinea pigs, parakeets, geckos, cockatiels, and fish).
I was especially happy we cleaned the house BEFORE we left... I hate coming home to a mess... especially following a vacation.
:)
Let's see what 2005 holds... I see the winds of change.

ROGER WOKE UP FROM THE COMA!!!!!

Thank you all for your prayers that rose to our King as a sweet aroma.
HE has chosen to bring Roger back out of his coma and has restored his mind also.
My other brother Jonathan has been at his bedside daily and Roger said a groggy and labored "HI" yesterday back to Jon.
Today Roger gently laughed when Jon told him he was thinking of going on Vacation from the Hospital.

Praise God in the Highest!
More as we go.

Flying Squirrel

We had a Christmas Party at our home this evening and one of the little kids that came over tugged on my wife's sweater and said, "Excuse me, you have a squirrel in your pantry."

My wife smiled and asked her to have one of our daughters get it... She figured it was just on of the kids playing around.

Turns out... It really was a squirrel in the pantry!
But no ordinary squirrel - it was a FLYING SQUIRREL!

I couldn't believe it.
It was so cute. It was tiny (must have been a juvenile) and looked more like the a hamster with it's buggy little eyes and had baggy skin along it's sides for 'flying/sailing'.

I didn't even know those things lived in Virginia!

I scooped it carefully into a box and put it out on the back porch. I slowly opened up the box and BAM... It exploded out like a true flying squirrel should! It stepped once on the box lid, once on the top of the wood railing and then it touched down waaaaaaay across the yard near a huge oak tree!

Too cool.

My Brother

I don't have any biological brothers - but if I did - it would be my two best friends in Idaho (Roger and Jonathan).
I just got word that Roger was crushed under a truck that fell off the jack while he was changing the oil.
It crushed his chest and caused a stroke.
He is in a coma.
He's my brother... Please pray.

P.S. He loves Jesus as much as I do - I just don't want him to go meet HIM yet... Not before I have a chance to say Good-Bye.

Hang in there Rog.

Four Stages of Life

This was sent to me from my sister.
I don't care what everyone else says about her - She's great.

FOUR STAGES OF LIFE
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

Currently, I am in stage 3.
I even drink the milk and eat the cookies.
The absolute best part is putting sooty boot marks on the hearth - and watching the kids hoot an holler about them!
:)

New Hamster Croaked

I heard some hysterical laughter coming from upstairs...
it was my oldest son.
I always love it when my kids are laughing (there are millions of kids out there that are not).
:/
Anyway... I asked him what was so funny and he held out his hand.
There it was... Another dead hammy.
My son wasn't laughing at the funky position the hamster was posed in.. He was laughing because we have owned it only 3 days!
We're off to the Petsmart Pet Shop today for a free refill.
14-day guarantee with receipt (but I tossed the receipt - who knew?!)
:)

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.

Another Great Tip for Presentations

This tip is actually for someone attending a presentation - not for the presenter.

Write these down or memorize them if you can, but for heaven's sake USE them each at least once during every presentation you attend.
With a 'concerned or focused' voice simply state each of the following:

1. Stay the course.
2. Is this true?
3. If that's your only idea we're in big trouble.
and
4. I'm sure there is a worse way of doing it, but for the life of me, I can not think of it.

Also... Do NOT quote any movie lines nor song lyrics that you think of during the presentation.. save these for a nice quiet intimate eventing out with your spouse.
:)

It's a Mystery

"Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind."
-- Jack Handy

freakin' Godless euroweenies.

Follow this link to what is going on at the European Union in Brussels Belgium and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Tough Times at the Office

You know your office is really going thru some tough times when they replace the "Starbucks" coffee that used to flow like milk and honey with "Maxwell House"!

Oooogh!
:(
All of us had a very rude awakening when we got our first cups this morning.

The worst part is..
I am here for the coffee... So now I don't know what to do!

Home-School Network Admin

Little did I know that when we decide to home-school our children I would become our principal and Network Administrator.
It's just about a full time job dealing with the setup/connections/workflow of 2 desktops, 3 laptops, a DVD recorder/burner hooked-up to our satellite dish (classes for the kids pipe in from Bob Jones University) and a printer/scanner/copier.
Sheesh.
I had to train my son quickly and give him administration rights to our home network... especially when it comes to loading the education software while I am out of the 'principals office'.
What has complicated things even worse is the recent addition of a wireless network.
We are currently trying to get it up and running so we can all have internet connectivity and also take advantage of the single printer station from anywhere in the house.
I am soon to become the Network Security Manager as well.
:)
Gone are the days of college-ruled paper and pencils!
Woof.

Presentation Tip

If you are commonly giving presentations to groups and are using your 'working' laptop...
take a quick note to self -
"The people at your presentation do NOT need to see your scattered miscellaneous desktop icons... Nor do they need to see your personalized background image."

Here's a simple fix.

Create a separate 'user profile' called 'presentation'.
When you go to log-in prior to the presentation - simply pick 'presentation'.

It would also behoove you to have your company's LOGO as a background image and the desktop looking spick and span (only the items for the presentation present).

Professionalism could make the difference between securing the contract or not... or even repeat clients.
:)

Seminar Techniques

Here's a not so hot tip on keeping the audience on the 'edge of their seats' during a presentation.
Turn the temperature down to 'ARCTIC'.
It worked great in the seminar I was in yesterday.
It wasn't all that fun sitting there curled up in a ball, chattering my teeth.. but I was awake!
:)

Printing/Plotting Black Hole

I got sucked into the vortex of printing/plotting today (and worse in the recently past).
Today was only 24 or so sheets.. but we recently printed an entire document set... and had to schedule HOURS of our Team's time to do it.

Our Architecture firm is almost there.
We are about to implement Autodesks ADT 2005.... we've been bumbling along with 3.3 for what seems ages.
This is a mindless plug for Autodesk's newest product... I DON'T WORK FOR THEM.

If you own/use Autodesk ADT 3.3 and have needed to plot a long list of sheets.. get a fresh cup of coffee and begin the tedium.
Anyone else getting sick and tired of printing/plotting?
Having to open every drawing one at a time, tell them (yes I talk to the drawings) the page setup is 'previos plot', and hit print.. is tiresome at best.
Every single drawing, one at a time... for many many sheets.
Woof.

Best solution actually is to either hire a person that's sole responsibility is to print/plot (which I have suggested on more than one occasion) or upgrade to Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2005.
With 2005 (provided you use the Project Navigator - and only a fool wouldn't) you can simple pick the sheets to plot, tell them (I will probably always talk to my drawings) which size paper you desire and 'bam'.. DONE... it prints in the background while you keep productive (I can get back to my crossword puzzle).
They call it "automated documentation" or even "file-based collaboration".. but I call it "going home on time".

Camping / Lost in the Woods

Camping was incredible.
We called Sherando Lake Camp Ground about 25-30 Miles out to make sure of directions on the approach... they said they were ALL FULL.
The suggested we try Cave Mountain Lake about 45 minutes away.. and it turned out better!
No crowds (60 tent sites and only 30 or so used).
Cave Mountain Lake was chilly water, but wonderful.
The first evening there was NO ONE at the lake... we swam and played like we were the only ones on the planet!
The lake was surrounded by mountains and thick forest... which is where we camped... walking distance away.
We pitched out tent right on the edge of a stream which my kids played in to hunt (and catch) craw-dads.
We ate most everyone of the little critters they caught (after boiling).
We hiked up a mountain ridge on the second day.
Since the campsite was directly at the base of the ridge, I told them all they could run ahead to the camp.
We broke up into 3 groups.. the kids had to burn some energy.
My wife, carrying our 2yo, followed them and then I was behind that... with our 4 year old.
When I caught up to the 'first' group (4 kids) and asked where 'Mommy' was I got dumb looks.. and concern from my teenager.
I grabbed the boys and headed back up the mountain looking for my LOST WIFE!
We searched for about an hour and headed back to camp.
She had inadvertently taken a side ridge down a separate canyon and gotten lost.
Luckily she followed the stream back to our campsite... sheesh.
She had taken a fall too, but wasn't too badly hurt.
This is the sort of thing you read about in the newspaper - "Woman and child - lost for weeks in the woods".
Thank God it didn't end like so many stories I've read!
All in all it was a great trip... even the Copperhead snake in the dark.
But that's a different story!
:)

Sherando Lake - Virginia

We're heading camping this 4-day weekend (took Friday off)!
I expect we will be rained out totally... And I am sure to tell you all about it when we get back... But we're NOT only going for the sunshiny times.
The sun doesn't always shine and we know that... We learned a long time ago to make the absolute best of every adventure we go on... Rain or shine.
It's memories we're building here.. And they will be good ones if I can help it!
:)

Taylor Guitar

My son bought a Taylor Guitar yesterday.
Solid top beautiful instrument - inconceivably rich sound.
He has learned to play quite well on my wife's guitar (Tanara - basically unknown brand)... but wanted to OWN his own.
He told me it was the most he had ever spent - I knew that already.
It's not the money aspent ($250) that impressed me, but the fact that he had saved diligently and learned to play while he was saving.

Good character - sure wasn't my character when I was 13.
I bought him a case, some replacement strings and some picks.
I figure I will promote any quality character my kids display.

Hang in there kids.. it's a tough world.

Bathroom Camping

Someone is currently camping in the bathroom on our floor.

It's common knowledge that in a multi-story building when you have to do 'business' you always use the floor directly above or below yours... but never your own floor.
So I stepped up to the next level only to find someone has sprayed industrial strength disinfectant into the 6x6 room.
It's an acid fog that burns your eyes as you peek periodically to make sure you are still aimed at the urinal.
Sorry for the details.
Toilet room etiquette is a time honored tradition... some learn slower than others.
The sign still says 'occupied' on our toilet room door.
Camper.
:)

Gouda Cheese

I found a block of Gouda in the Cheese/Luncheon Meat drawer in the frig.
It looked to be a a few months old based on the dark yellow crusty shell and the red waxy edge falling off.
Can Gouda ever go bad?
I mean.. it smells like a butt when you buy it and it smells like a butt when you eat it.. so how do you know?
Sniffing only works for some products.
**
I cut off the majority of the crusties and got down to what appeared to be 'virgin' gouda.
I covered my sandwich with about a 1/4" layer and then finished the Dagwood Sandwich off with the typical stuff.
Well... I ate it a lunch yesterday.
I spend an hour or so in the bathroom last night!
**

--[gory details cut for your protection]--
**
Gouda does go bad... and it lets you know with a vengeance... and it still smells like a butt.
:p

Urinal Candy Bowl

Listen.
I can't stand it any longer so I will blog it and get it off my chest.

There is a candy bowl on our secretary's desk.
Her desk is the first desk you come to once you leave the restroom.
I see guys walking past there and grabbing candy and I have decided that I don't like candy any longer!

Almost no explanation is needed.. but I rant on...

Often when I visit the restroom the sink is DRY... I don't know about you, but a dry sink means one of two things... either the person dried the sink after they washed their hands or... heaven forbid.... didn't wash their hands.

Listen... DON'T PUT A CANDY BOWL ANYWHERE NEAR A URINAL.
:p

Tick Tick Tick

I was on the phone with my dad last night and I kept hearing a 'beep'.
It was exactly every 5 seconds through the entire conversation.
It sounded like some sort of medical beep... you know, the kind you hear in the hospital.
I asked him about it and he said he could hear it also.
I asked him if it could be his phone battery running out... or anything of the like.
Then it hit me...
"DAD", I said.
"When was the last time you had the battery on your pace maker checked?"
He laughed and said that it was doing fine... The 10 year old battery was supposed to conk out after 7 years and had been checked only 2 weeks earlier.
I was skeptical and told him to go get it checked!!!
The beeping sounded like a warning alarm like it was about to cut off... just like my cell phone!
:)

Push ups

I did a hundred pushups with my sons 2 days ago and still can't lift my arms over my head without pain!
The biggest pain is that I used to be able to bang out any number of pushups and recover quickly... I guess all the miles are catching up with me.
Always remember - It's not the years... it's the MILES.

Dog Obedience School

Our dog Skipper has a dominance problem.
I have taken the time to help him see where he stands in the 'pecking order' in our home - the bottom.
Even my littlest tiniest 2 year old can take food out of his mouth and he's obedient and gentle with her.
But when NEW people come over... he has to challenge them in attempt to place them BELOW him on the order.
Akita mix - typical.
Skipper bit a good friend of ours in the face - well NIPPED rather than bit... but it was out of line all the same and he is currently attending dog obedience school.
I am in hopes of driving this natural desire to dominate out of him... but am skeptical... since it didn't work for me.
:)

Booleans Nightmare

DON'T waste your time making polygons and extruding them...
Boolean add-subtract-intersect.
I built an entire 3D model in AutoDesk ADT 3.3 using this technique and though it looks pretty nice... and is accurate.... all the parts are separate. Thousands of separate little boxes!

My boss asked me to change a few things - simple things like move a few windows - and it took me days.
Here's the rub.
If I had used ADT walls and windows... I could have made the changes in a second (fractions of a second with a fresh cup of coffee). But because I used extruded solids, I had to modify every single rectangle/box that connected to the windows (brick, precast, soldier course, recessed panels, sills, headers, etc.)
Don't do it.
Build your models with true ADT elements and then add MASS MODELING only as appropriate.
Appropriate in this case would be a fancy trellis or a custom light fixture.

Follow this link to Chris Yancher's blog (Between the Walls).
It's a great video on the ease of use of ADT 2004/5 for mass modeling.

Frozen Cameras

Note to Self:
When working in Autodesk VIZ 2005 (great 3d program for rendering architectural models), don't put cameras on a frozen layer!
Some days I am quicker to realize my mistakes... Yesterday was not one of those days.
I wasn't watching which layer I was on (my first mistake), which incidentally happened to be frozen.
I was attempting to add a camera to the scene and for some reason... It disappeared as soon as I placed it.
Weird.
And by sheer instinct, instead of looking for a reason... I quickly clicked all over the nearby vicinity and added 14 or so more cameras... All of which were disappearing as I inserted them (actually they never appeared at all).
They didn't show up in the list of pickable/editable items, yet I could switch the active view to them!
It was downright crazy... I had never seen anything like it.
Beau Turner - alias 'VIZ gooroo' .... Listened patiently to my dilemma and then casually looks over my shoulder and says, "perhaps they're on a frozen layer".
I dismissed this immediately.. No one in their right mine would try to place items into the project without first checking their active layer...
... Dang.
He was right.
:)