Thanksgiving Recap

What a weekend.

To start with, I had picked up whatever disease Princess had gotten from school and spread it throughout the house. Cowboy used to get sick all the time, probably since he was born so small. Conversely, since Odie was the first fully-cooked monkey, he hasn't been sick at all in the last 8 months. Well, that changed this weekend. We thought he might have croupe for a little while, but he was just sick. Like sleep no more than 20 minutes at a shot sick. Made for an interesting weekend.

Cleaned the house. Almost completely. We were way over our weight limit with the last move, to the tune of $1200 that we had to pay back to the military. Our mission in life is to slim down so much that it's no longer a factor.

Bought Daughtry's new CD. I am by no means an American Idol fan, but the one show I watched last season had this guy on it and he absolutely rocks. Not sure why he was booted--his music (and the CD) are just awesome. Go buy it. Now.

Managed to survive the weekend with only a pound or two gained. That's huge. We actually ran--twice. I feel horrible for SW, because no matter how hard she tries she isn't losing a pound.

Went to see "Happy Feet." It wasn't what I expected, but it was still a very good movie. Pretty political for an animated flick. Great music, though.

That's about it. All in all a good weekend.

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Bathtime Monkey Business

Who says toys don't have minds of their own?




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Photo Update

This is the "kid crowd" from the visit we had at Odie's baptism (minus the infants). We had a total of 10 people in the house at once--first time we've managed to get everyone to come by the Lucky Ranch at the same time. With the Arizona heat, these pumpkins were mush in about 24 hours.










Here's the whole crowd at Ben's baptism. How do you like me and Cowboy's first suits?









The monkies in their halloween outfits. Princess was a pirate and Cowboy was his latest rage, a Power Ranger. They both won "Best Costume" in their classes. Of course, Princess lost a lot of her acessories that day at school, so we had to improvise for the actual trick-or-treating.









This is just a foray into my photography skills. Until I get a better camera this is about as good as it'll get.














He has to be the most photgenic kid I've ever seen. And to think we were scared off from the modelling agency by a bunch of skinny teens practicing their "walk down the catwalk" in the lobby outside the reception area.






Cowboy the first time he put his sparring gear on. I've written a lot about his endless pursuit of joining "Black Belt CLub," in which he gets to spar, on my other blog. To say that he was excited about getting in is an understatement. The gear is too big for his little body--he's the smallest in the class--but he has held his own so far.





family, photos

So Long, Spanky

We lost a member of our family last night.

Spanky was a chinese pug that my wife had with her in her early days in the Air Force, and then passed on to her mother when she was assigned to Germany, where we met. He was an ornery old bastard, but was loved very much by my wife and mother-in-law. He lived a long life--making it all the way to 16 years. In the past year or so his health has been on a steady decline, and it took a big turn for the worse in the past month. We've been expecting him to go any day, and he died in his sleep last night.

He's probably marking his territory in dog heaven right now.

We'll probably replace him, as he was Koda's best friend. Hopefully with a dog that was a little less ornery and one that gets along with me and the monkies.

Rest in peace, puppy. You'll be missed.

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Emphasis

You ever notice how what you emphasize in a sentence can completely change its meaning?

"I didn't screw your sister."

"I didn't screw your sister."

"I didn't screw your sister."

"I didn't screw your sister."


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Christmas List

I'm ready to get once of these.

The camera I got when I got back from the desert just sucks, and it doesn't make me feel any better that I spent $290 to get iut. I read Photographica all the time, and have always been jealous of the pictures that people can take with SLR cameras--it's just that $1000 price tag kinda gets in the way. It doesn't help much that I'm in a tug-of-war with our decade-old credit card debt that I'm hoping to have paid off by the time we leave Tucson. I think this is one lusting that will have to wait.

For Christmas I think I'm going to get my Ring again. This is considered the most prized posession of any Citadel grad, and mine was lost in the mail by UPS (U People Suck) a few years ago. That was the Ring that I was given in Summerall Chapel in October of 1993, surrounded by my brothers with tears in my eyes. It became a matter of principal for me to not replace it, since I considered it irreplaceable. But I miss it--real bad. So I think it's time. I'm going to send the paperwork off this week.

The sad thing is that I see these on eBay all the time, either by scumbags that find Rings (in say, a UPS warehouse) or by disgruntled grads who need money.

I wonder if it will settle the dreams that I have once a week of being back there. I am a little excited because Montgomery (if it's still there after the tornados yesterday) is only seven hours away from Charleston. Maybe I can go there for Parent's weekend or something and show the monkies the inside of the barracks. The last time I set foot on the campus there was the day I graduated.


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Jackster's Blog

My nephew has a blog.

Granted, he's only 8 months old--but the kid can write for someone so young.

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Issues

I truly do miss blogging. Trouble's disappearance from the blogosphere (relocation, actually) was a slight wakeup call for me. I used to have so much to talk about, and now the only stuff that goes on around my life these days is family stuff that I don't really care to share with the world.

Politics? It makes me sick to my stomach and I feel as if I'm just rehashing old arguments. Daily I am flabberghast that these overpaid, overrich buffoons are running our country.

Military? Ok, that's going relatively well recently. The job I have is still kind of rediculous, but the future is certainly bright right now. It's looking like the family will be going with me, mother-in-law included.

Tae Kwon Do? Still going well--but I started a whole blog on that subject by itself.

Writing. I have had a novel, or at least a god story, buried away for so long. I read Paperback Writer and am jealous beyond reason that she can do that. Honestly, I can feel characters in my head trying to get out. I just don't have a story to let them.

blogging, random

No Narrative Necessary

What a jackass. This photo sums it up.





military