Nada...

That's what is going on here... Well, there is life and all that goes with it, but other than that, nothing earth shattering... We did attempt to go bowling yesterday, but all the lanes were reserved for league bowling, which is probably just as well, who knew it was $50 an hour to bowl these days?!?  The bowling alley is also a laser tag/bumper car/arcade/etc "fun place" so the kids had fun anyway...

I love these things for some reason, I don't think the kids are quite as enthused about them as I though... :)

I just hope Spring gets here, to stay!  Ah, a few more weeks...  

Spring Is Here!!

I, for one, am SO glad winter is over you really can't make it up! Of course it will still only be in the mid 60's to 70's for the next few weeks, but warmer weather is right around the corner!! Taylor and Sarah (girl next door) decided they wanted to take tennis lessons, so they had their first lesson today...

Taylor getting the hang of it...

I don't think the guys were too enthused about just watching, I think they thought they would be able to play on the empty courts, and that wasn't the case... 

I asked them if they wanted lessons as well though, they weren't interested... :)  Chance wants to go somewhere where he can ride his dirt bike, Tanner didn't really say what he wanted to do, he does want a mountain bike though, so who knows...  Not too much else going on around here, getting ready to get outside and finish some of the projects that aren't quite done, but I won't be starting any NEW projects, that I can tell you!!  (I hope anyway :)

R.I.P.

So the kids came running into my office earlier in the day, "Dad, Woody died!". I looked over and Chance was holding the lifeless hamster in his hands... I was in the middle of resolving an issue at work and just said, "Okay, well you better go bury it.". So they did...

The burial site...

Not sure if the Scriptures were necessary, but I wasn't in charge of the 'service', so not sure... :)

There lies Woody...

So not really sure exactly how it died, it was the one who had the babies not too long ago and then ate them (with possibly a little help from the male hamster, not sure, I didn't observe any of it)...  Speaking of baby hamsters, Taylor's hamsters have six little babies, still alive too!  Yeah, they all have hamsters, but Tanner only has one.  Of course Chance is down to one now too, but he seems pretty set on getting a replacement for Woody.  Why is a female hamster named Woody you might ask?  Well, Chance thought the male was a female when he got it and named it Elizabeth, then when he figured out it was actually a male, he didn't want to confuse the poor creature by changing it's name, so he then just named the female Woody... :)

Yeah, not too much else going on, it has been rainy and wet all weekend long, but I KNOW Spring is right around the corner, so that is very exciting!  LOT of things to get finished up around here once it's warm!  :)

New Project Perhaps??

We took the kids to the park yesterday, Tanner loves the skate ramp, so now he thinks it would be great to have one in the backyard...  Hmm.  I could practically make one out of the scrap lumber I have lying around, we'll see how that goes... :)

Waiting their turn, although Chance isn't nearly as excited about skateboarding as Tanner is...

Taylor prefers to just observe... :)

On another topic, my how times have changed since 1955... :)

A Year Older...

Carolyn and the kids had a party for me this afternoon...

A handmade card from Taylor...

42...

Yeah, just another day really, but the kids were appalled when I told them they didn't have to get me anything...  I do love getting things from them, no matter what it is!  Now I've got to go see what's wrong with the pool pump motor and Carolyn is cooking ribs for dinner...  :)

Fun Stuff...

Joshua told me about this site, kind of fun to play around with...  :)

PhotoFunia...

Not Much...

Going on that is... It's just COLD! Oh well, Spring will be here in a few weeks...

Funny.  Or at least I found it rather humorous... :)

True...

It's humurous at times watching our elected leaders "lecture" Corporate America...

Museum Trip...

So today we went down to Atlanta for "company day" at the High Museum of Art... I actually brought my camera too, but you weren't allowed to take pictures in most of the exhibits...

Kids in front of one of the exhibits...

Tanner and Taylor, it's kind of funny some of the stuff that is considered "art" though...

Another persons idea of art...

These are the ones that kill me though, there were only four pieces in the whole room, all different shapes and different colors...  Had names like "Green Curve IV", makes you want to locate the buyer...

Taylor getting her face painted, Chance and Tanner weren't interested.  They had various other "craft" things for the kids, but they weren't interested in those either... :)

Anyway, we had a good time and enjoyed the various exhibits and the lunch, although I'm not sure I would have actually purchased tickets myself to go... 

Yeah, Whatever...

Yeah, haven't really had anything to say lately, of course I DID have the flu!  Which sucks, I never get sick, but it kicked my ass...  I didn't do much of anything but lay on the couch, luckily no one else got it, yet... 

Other than that, not much going on.  We did get nine new baby hamsters, of course they are all gone now because the mom ate them, at least that's what Chance said happened to them...  Which is just as well I suppose, because nine could quickly turn into 47, then 275, etc...  I guess the kids "handled" them and apparently if the babies smell like "humans", they will get eaten.  I suppose it's just a matter of time though before there are more babies...  :)

No, I STILL haven't taken any pictures this year, I need to get on that!  It is "company" day at the High Museum of Art Atlanta on Sunday:

Website...

So perhaps I'll take some pictures there... :)  Does look pretty interesting, the kids seem fairly excited about it...  It's closed to the public, and there will be all sorts of "fun stuff" to do along with seeing all the exhibits, I'm looking forward to seeing 'The First Emperor:  China's Terracotta Army' myself, so should be a fun day...

Yeah, other than that, just waiting on Spring to FINALLY get here because I am so over being cold you can't make it up!  Soon Matt, soon...

Happy Valentine's Day Carolyn!!!

The Problem...

Are signs like this necessary??

Speaking of stupidity, really?? 

Yeah, the stupidity and ignorance of the average person is stunning really, and I don't think it will change.  I guess there probably always have been stupid people though, it's just that now people's stupidity is documented 24/7 and posted online for the whole world to see...  Speaking of stupidity, I think Scott Adams has hit the nail on the head regarding this "stimulus":

Ignorance Will Save Us...

Seven Spanish Angels...

Does it get any better than these guys?

Funny...

SO many people have kids that really have no business whatsoever raising children...  Perhaps they subscribed to this "parenting" magazine... :)

I'm Retiring...

Why is that you might ask?  Well, the conversation went something like this:

Tanner:  "Dad, doesn't 100 x 1,000 = 100,000?"

Me: "Yeah, why?"

Tanner:  "So all I have to do is sell 1,000 things for $100 each and I'll have $100,000?"

Me:  "Yes, I suppose so."

Tanner:  "Well, I'm going to go get started making something to sell then."

Me:  "What are you going to make?"

Tanner:  "I'm still figuring that out."

Me:  "Good luck with that son."

Tanner:  "How hard can it be?"

Me:  "True."

So I suppose I may not retire RIGHT this minute, but you never know... :)  It really is that simple though, happens every day.  That's what I love about kids.  The innocence and the optimism.  Too bad so many people get jaded so early in life, it shouldn't be that way.  I suppose it has a LOT to do with people being told:  "You can't do that."; "That isn't possible."; "That will never work."; etc for most of their lives.  Which is why I always tell my kids, "You can do whatever you want, anything is possible and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."  More people should do that...

Anyway, not much going on here other than life...  I'll just be glad when winter is over, it nearly is, but we are supposed to be getting some of that ice and snow here in the next few days...  Won't be long though and I'll be firing up the pool heater and getting ready for Spring!  Have I mentioned that I LOVE Spring??

No, I still have no photos to post, not sure why I don't take many pictures this time of year, probably because I'm too freaking cold all the time!  :)  Friday is the Valentine's dance at the kids school though, so perhaps I'll take some then.  Who knows, I may even get that new camera for my birthday, which may motivate me to take more photos!  We'll soon see on that one... :)

Hilarious...

Okay, maybe not 'hilarious', but I thought it was pretty funny... :)

Death In The Family...

Which is why I've not been blogging... Actually, the kids all decided they wanted some fish and half of them died, but it sounds like a good enough excuse to me... :) So they are still learning how to "raise fish", I just keep telling them that the strong will survive...

Yeah, other than that, not much going on. I'd post some pictures, but I haven't taken any in forever, I don't even know where my camera is although I think it is on the back of the piano...

So hopefully I'll get motivated to start taking some pictures soon, I'm running out of movies to watch and am tired of movies anyway. Chance, Tanner and I are thinking of taking a backpacking trip, Carolyn and Taylor are not interested, so we'll see how that works out. I suppose we'll start out with a few hikes and go from there... :)

So I'll let everyone know how that works out... I am signing all the kids up for Taekwondo classes, so they are excited about that. They have a gym for the adults to work out while the classes are going on so I may even amuse myself by doing that while they are in their classes, who knows. I've never worked out in my life though but hey, why not?

I also took all the kids to the dentist today, so that's always fun. Remember that tooth Chance ripped out about a year ago? Then there was the root canal and all the other procedures? Yeah, now it has to come out because it never "took", so we have to go see an oral surgeon to have that done and then he will have to get an implant... I don't think he is looking forward to all that, well, he told me he was a "little nervous" but not too much... Myself? I just can't believe how expensive it is going to the dentist these days, what can you do though...

All I know is I'm excited that January is nearly over because I CAN'T wait until Spring is here, I'm way over being cold!! I'm freezing right now and I'm inside with the heat on?!? I think I've finally figured out that the reason I'm so cold all the time is because I have no body fat, perhaps we should relocate to a warmer climate? At least during the winter anyway... Or perhaps I should just start eating a lot more... :)

Not Sure Why...

But I do not like it when my babies (not that they are babies anymore, but they'll always be mine I suppose :) are gone for 3 or 4 days, particularly when I can't reach them for 2 of those days... Not that I spent all day trying or anything, but called a few times and just got VM, anyway, they are back and they had a great time snowboarding, ice skating, etc. Our neighbor took them to Gatlinburg on Friday and they got back last night. No one took that many pictures as it turns out, but here are a few...

Playing in the snow...

Tanner, obviously, iceskating...

In front of the cabin they stayed at...

Ditto...

Playing pool in the cabin...

They had a great time, and want to know when we are going to go snowboarding again. Does sound like fun, so I suppose we need to plan a trip! I've not been skiing/snowboarding in years, trying to remember and I suppose the last time I went was with Titus and Marci, which must have been 15 or more years ago... So I suppose it's time to go again... :)

100 Things...

Yeah, I stole this from Petra's blog because I really have nothing to say... :)  I was trying to figure out how to change the color of the fonts, but then after reading through the list, I realized that I had actually done everything on the list, so it wasn't necessary... :)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Thought about playing in a band
4. Lived in Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given to charity
7. Been near Disneyland
8. Seen a praying mantis
9. Climbed a mountain
10. Sang a solo
11. Watched people bungee jumping
12. Know people who have visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Have relatives who have adopted children
16. Been out to eat with people who have gotten food poisoning
17. Have siblings who have walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Been to the airport in Guam
20. Slept on a train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a tarantula
26. Gone skinny dipping in a hot tub
27. Run more than 3 miles
28. Have seen pictures of gondolas in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (around the SF Bay)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language but no longer remember much of it
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen a documentary on why the Tower of Pisa actually leans
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen photograph’s of Michelangelo’s David online
41. Sang karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt in a movie
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Wanted to visit Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Marveled at pictures of the Sistine Chapel
50. Wondered why the Eiffel Tower in Paris was actually built
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Watched a documentary about the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited a Russian tea house
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Bought any Girl Scout Cookies
62. Seen any whale watching shows on the Discovery channel
63. Got flowers for no reason (other than being a Dad)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Wondered why people go sky diving
66. Wondered what it was like in Nazi Concentration Camps
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Wondered why quilts are so expensive
73. Wondered what the allure of Times Square was
74. Been to the Everglades
75. Walked off of a job
76. Had any relatives who have seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been passed by a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen pictures of the Grand Canyon
80. Published a book
81. Been fascinated by the Vatican archives
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Ever wanted to walk in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Wanted to visit the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Wondered why you have never been called for jury duty
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (if being the Father counts)
95. Driven through Texas, home of the Alamo
96. Been in Utah, home of the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100.Read an entire book in one day

Ugh!

So some idiot knocked out my phone line yesterday and I was without a phone or internet access for a while, of course AT&T said it would be "fixed by Tuesday", fortunately they came out and fixed it this AM! I hate being without internet access though, I'd almost rather be without electricity... :) I know some people would get all pissed off at AT&T and start demanding that someone come out, I feel the same way, but I also realize that AT&T is a massive company and could really give a shit about one person being without phone or internet access, so other than the initial call to report the problem, I'm NOT going to rant and rave and spend hours on the phone because I also know that doing that gets you bumped to the end of the list anyway... Kind of like complaining in a restaurant, why? Bitch about something that I am going to eat so the people who are actually preparing it 'behind closed doors' can 'fix it up right' for me?? Yeah, no thanks! I've worked in enough restaurants thank you. Anyway...

Yeah, I haven't felt much like blogging lately, I actually don't feel like doing much of anything when it's cold out, and winter has really just started here... I am about movied out though, so who knows, there are still about 12 weeks or so until Spring gets here... I suppose I could work on some of the many "loose ends" around here like painting trim, caulking trim where it needs it, etc... I have LOTS of work left to do outside, but I won't be doing any of that until it gets warmer, I just can't do it for some reason, I HATE being cold! Actually, the more I work on this house, the more I don't much care for it. That would be we actually! I think I just need to build a house, a house that is just the way we want it and one that needs absolutely nothing done to it!! We might just do that, of course we would wait until the economy is not in the toilet and our projects around here are completed, so who knows, we might do that in a few years... Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea!

On another topic - TAKE MORE PICTURES MATT!! For some reason, I've taken almost no pictures in the past six months or so, not sure why, just haven't... I do frequently think, "That would make a good picture" or "I should go get my camera", but by the time I would go get it, the 'moment' would likely be over, so I haven't lately... I'll have to work on that... :)

Chance and Tanner are going snow boarding this weekend, so they are looking forward to that. Me? Not so much. Well, I'm happy they are going and I know they'll have a good time, but Carolyn and I have been running around trying to find them "ski" clothes to take and it really seems kind of silly to spend the $$ on skiing outfits that they will likely wear JUST this weekend and that won't fit them the next time they go... What can you do though? Can't let them freeze to death while they are on the slopes... :) So I might have some photos later. Our neighbor is taking them and she is GREAT about taking pictures and giving us copies of them all. Now Taylor wants to know what we are going to do while the boys are "having SO much fun"! She already has a 'list' of things that she wants us to do this weekend, so far the 'list' includes: going to a movie, going to the park, going ice skating and something else that escapes me right now, I'm sure she will be reminding me though... :)

What else is going on? Yeah, other than work, not much! Chance has to get braces, of course we knew that, but wow! Who knew they were so expensive these days. I seem to recall them being around $2K, hah! I wish! $5,400 is what they are, perhaps I should call around for a 2nd or 3rd 'opinion', not on whether or not he needs them, because I know he does, but on how much other people actually charge for them! And I'm not sure about other people's dental insurance, but mine doesn't cover a single freaking penny for braces, nice! Oh well, what can you do?? Not have kids I suppose... I happen to like mine though... :)

Who knows, perhaps I'll get around to actually taking some pictures to put on here this week, time will tell. :)