Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Our area of the country is digging out today from one of the biggest blizzards in recent years. The snowblowers on our street have been running nonstop (I can still here a few out in the distance).

The blizzard practically buried parts of Harrison St. Three of our neighbors had snowdrifts to the middle of their garage doors that spread to the middle of their driveway. We were lucky only a very small drift in the middle of our driveway and parts of our sidewalk were buried. Our street however had an 8ft drift, nobody was going anywhere! Days like this is when I am very thankful for the snowblower!

Due to the blizzard we actually had a fun and not so productive day. Grant and I watched a movie (Elf), took a long nap, made homemade chicken noodle soup and decorated a gingerbread house. Mark watched football, washed and folded all of the laundry and organized the new computer. It was a simple day but a fun day! grant had a pajama day. He was so cute running around the house in his footie jammies! Days like these I will remember forever, the afternoons at the mall not so much.

Fun Game On a Snow Day

1. put your music on shuffle.
2. for each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. tag friends who might enjoy it, too.

If someone says, 'Is this OK?' you say...
'Not Ready to Make Nice' -Dixie Chicks

What would best describe your personality?
'All of the Words (Sea of Faces)' -Kutless

What do you like in a guy/girl?
'Anything But Mine' -Kenny Chesney

How do you feel today?
'Every Once in Awhile' -Black Hawk

What's your life's purpose?
'Pressure' -Billy Joel

What's you motto?
'If Everyone Cared' -Nickelback

What do your friends think of you?
'Don't Stop 'til You get Enough' -Michael Jackson

What do you think of very often?
'Who'll Stop the Rain' -CCR

What is 2+2?
'She Thinks My Tractors Sexy' -Kenny Chesney

What do you think of your best friend?
'Sloop John B' -Beach Boys

What do you think of the person you like?
'Let it Be' -The Beatles

What do your parents think of you?
'It's Officially Over' - NKOTB

What will you dance to at your wedding?
'We Fall Down' - Kutless

What will play at your funeral?
'Run It' -Chris Brown

What is your hobby/interest?
'Bawitdaba' -Kid Rock

What is your biggest secret?
'Gold Digger' - Kanye West Hey!

What do you think of your friends?
'Alcohol' -Brad Paisley

What is the worst thing that could happen?
'Bootylicious' -Destiny's Child

How will you die?
'Click, Click, Click' -NKOTB

What is the one thing you regret?
'Because You Loved Me' -Celine Dion

What makes you laugh?
'Cowboy' -Kid Rock

What makes you cry?
'Hey Jude' -The Beatles

Will you ever get married?
'Sexyback' - Justin Timberlake

What scares you most?
'Another Day in Paradise' - Phil Collins

Does anyone like you?
'Redneck Yacht Club' -Craig Morgan

If you could go back in time what would you change?
'Bridge Over Troubled Water' -Simon and Garfunkel

What hurts right now?
'2 In The Morning' -NKOTB

What will you post this as?
'Invisible' -Clay Aiken

Are You on Facebook?

A few months ago I joined the Facebook community. I was a little leery at first because I tried MySpace for a few weeks and than my page was deleted for reasons unknown to me. This really irritated me and the MySpace people also had no idea why my page was deleted. It's not like I am some creepy adult trying to lure teens to my page. So I joined the "grown up" world of Facebook.

I enjoy Facebook! Where else can you reconnect with old friends, share your day with your current friends, join groups, and take mindless quizzes? "Just make sure you don't get addicted" said Mark. Sure Mark, whatever!

Facebook is an amazing way to reconnect with your old classmates and not have to go to your reunion! You can catch up on their lives, who they married/dated and see current pictures without having to make the awful road trip with a 3 year old...woo hoo!

A few things I want to know about Facebook: Why do some people have 100+ friends? Who keeps challenging me to take an IQ test? Who has a crush on me (according to a ticker that comes across the screen)?

Let it snow!!!

You know how when you were a kid, you always used to be real anxious for that first snow? Maybe hoping that school would get canceled? Or that you could build that superwickedawesomecool fort that you'd been planning since, oh, last April?

We finally got some over the weekend.

And like I was many years ago, I was psyched to see it again.

Why, you might ask?

Because tonight I got to fire up my brand new snowblower. And let me tell you, it was pretty exciting. I think all the thing doesn't do is play MP3's, and I'm sure that will be forthcoming in the newer model.

After having to shovel all that !@# snow last year without a functioning snowblower, I (and my back) are very pleased to welcome the Toro Power Max 826 LE to our family. A great toy you hope you never have to use!

Waiting on the World to Change

Tomorrow is election day. I for one am tired of all the campaign ads on radio and television and can't wait for tomorrow to be over with. Mark and I both voted early so we are both eagerly awaiting the results.

One thing I have to ask of you when you fill out your ballots tomorrow is be informed of the issues and the candidates. When I say candidates I mean ALL of the candidates not just president and senate. Do you know who is running for judge in your district? How about Insurance Commissioner or State Treasurer? Do me a favor and don't vote for the people that you don't know anything about. Stay away from the decision that a lot of people do in that situation and look at the R, D, or I after the candidate's name. Just because that person is in your party doesn't mean they support the same issues you do. When I come across that situation especially if there is one candidate running I will not vote for that person or write in a name of my choosing.

Do you want the economy to change? Do you support measures 1-4? Do you want your basic human rights protected? I don't care who you vote for this election year just be informed of the ssues and the candidates and get out and vote to make your voice heard!

I am Grant's mommy and I approve this message.

I'm Going Home

"But these places and these faces are getting old...So I'm going home." --Daughtry

I sometimes hear people wishing that their jobs would allow them to travel more.
I guess I realized these last few days I'm not that guy.

I talked to a good friend of mine today that has to travel once in awhile for work as well. We both are in agreement- we'd just assume not if we can avoid it.

When I first started my career, I traveled all the time. A lot of car trips to a lot of small towns, where all you did (heck, all you could do) was work or go to the ar, and not always necessarily in that order. Later in my career, I used to spend about 4-6 weeks every fall flying back and forth from home to Denver and various other cities. When you're a tall guy, flying is not a lot of fun, unless you're willing to pay an arm and a leg. (Sometimes when I get off those flights it feels like I did anyway, but that's another story.)

Although I haven't had to travel much in recent years, I do occasionally have to go out of town for various things. Today as I write this, I'm sitting in the San Diego International Airport waiting for a flight to take me home. We had a busy weekend last weekend- traveling out of town for a wedding, then me flying on to San Diego with Carla & Grant staying at her sister's place and heading home later.

To pass the time, I'm looking at Carla's text messages that she's sent me the last few days- pictures of Grant at the mall, carving a pumpkin, etc.

And I realize how much I want to get home.

Home can't compare to this airport restaurant, where I'm watching, among other things:
-a guy who can't handle his liquor just after the noon hour, spilling his bloody mary onto the next table with a swing of his hand;
-a group of women bragging about their latest shopping purchases (looks a little spendy to me)
-the handicapped travel cart nearly knock over the little kid who got in the way at a bad time (appears everyone is OK)
-a young guy sprinting down the corridor (must be late for his flight)

And why is travel so great again?

But then the clincher. I see a little boy about my son's age walking by with what I think is his Mom, his teddy bear firmly clutched under his arm and his little bag in tow (it's shaped like a lion's head).

I wonder if he's going to meet Daddy soon, either at this airport or another one. I sure hope he and Teddy get home safe and sound.

And that's the one thing good about traveling, everyone.

Coming home. You don't appreciate it until you leave it for awhile, even a short while.

I can't tell you how much I miss Carla and Grant when I'm gone. I can't wait to see them later tonight when I get home. I can't wait until I hear "DADDY!!!" for the first time in three days.

Daddy'll be home soon, little buddy. Time to get on the big plane.

Litter Bug

This post is for the people responsible for leaving plastic bottles, cans and various candy wrappers in the soccer nets at our neighborhood park. I will make this short since I am a little perturb about the situation. Pick up your d**n garbage! A three old has picked up your garbage twice already. There I feel much better! Thanks for letting me vent.