Dead Blackberry

I just got my Blackberry from Tmobile. I had been using a Windows
Mobile Dash which was a total POS. I got the Blackberry less than 30
days ago and just yesterday spilled coffee on it. Now it does not
work. Well, it works about like you'd think. Some keys operate other
qwerty letters or options. The main thing is the select buttons don't
work, so I can't even answer a phone call or view a text message or
email. It was a really nice phone too. To replace it would be like
$400 (which I did NOT pay this much--I got it with a year service
contract for $99 plus they gave me one month free phone service). So
now I have no cell phone whatsoever. Its very frustrating. I don't
know what appointments or whatever I'm missing, plus I used it for
EVERYTHING...to take notes, send receive emails, get address
information, keep contacts, grocery list, checkbook, I am feeling
really screwed right now. *sigh*

Canine Pedicure or Torture Device?

Logan and Lexie (although they did not know it ahead of time) got me a Pedipaws for Christmas. I tried to use it the weekend before with poor results. Poor results in this case means Splott kicked into survival mode and flayed 90% of the skin off my left friggin arm. Stupid dog. Well, Lexie (the resident doggie sympathizer) helped me use it on him today. I trapped him (sort of like a variant on the full nelson wrestling maneuver) and petted him and said "good boy" while she used the Pedipaws. This worked much better. After the first paw I think it finally sunk in that we were not trying to kill him and is heart rate actually slowed just a little and he stopped breathing like a rabid wombat with an impacted colon. Stupid dog. As a side note, the apartment smells generally much better, and he seems to be finally getting the idea of where to pee. Must be all those beatings...
Kelly via BBerry

McPlayland

This is the only good thing left at McDonalds besides Redbox. The kids always have a good time for some reason. Here's Lex walking around the vacant kiddie table shaped like Ronald's head.
Kelly via BBerry

McCafe=McBullsh*t

The coffee here is no better than 6 months ago folks. I don't know it they're charging more for regular joe, but the "capuccino", "latte" etc. is only marginally better than those at gas stations and truckstops.
Kelly via BBerry

Playing Santa

Note to self for next year: One should make sure they are fully awake first so as to avoid dropping things, knocking sh*t off the walls and generally making enough actual racket for a fat man in a red suit with big sleigh and eight reindeer... FYI: Santa was gonna screw with the kids about the cookies and milk, but instead he just shoved the crap in his gob as part of the standard routine. *yawn* . . . .so. . . .tired. . . .
Kelly via BBerry

Cookies and Milk

Since my divorce, we celebrate our Christmas on Christmas Eve. The kids get up Christmas Eve morning and see what Santa has brought. This year, they've decided to experiment. They are leaving a variety of things for Santa instead of just the traditional cookies. They are leaving out crakers with pepper jack cheese, a cracker with hummus, and a cracker with feta cheese spread, a coconut cookie, and then some milk. I personally think he'll leave the cookie. He's had a few too many tonight anyway...
Kelly via BBerry

Omlette

I taught Lexie how to make an omlette this morning. We made turkey breast and cheese omlettes!
Kelly via BBerry

Christmas

I have been searching high and low for a futon that I can afford. Lexie wants one for Christmas, and also Logan wants a loft, so if I can find a futon, then I will put the other half bunk into his room and turn it into a loft. It should require minimal woodworking. I looked on craigslist for a futon and found one in Lebanon Junction. I called and spoke to the people and they said I could come look at it yesterday after work. LJ is 30 minutes away. I got there about 5:45pm and there was a big barking dog on the porch, and nobody home. I went down the street to get service on my phone, and called but only got voicemail. That makes me mad! So I found another person (closer) who has just a frame, and I priced mattresses at American Freight. I think I can do it. We'll see! I'm going Friday to look.
Kelly via BBerry

French Press $3.50

You gotta love discount and thrift shops... I found this awesome pyrex French Press for only $3.50. That is pretty cool. Also found a couple 4XL polo shirts...
Kelly via BBerry

My advertising budget SUCKS!

This bus ad just screams cheap!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Lexie's Report

Lexie's work is improving. For this, I am very grateful. She got more than a couple D's on her report card on this most recent grading period.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Holiday Traffic ALREADY?

This is on Outer Loop and it sucks...
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Sick Day

Logan said his stomach hurt today so I took the day off and we are home.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Splotty's big head

Splott has been doing better on paper training. Of course, we've decided to give him a couple more options on locations. But its keeping the carpet much cleaner and I'm way cool with that. I have told the kids if I am not 100% happy with the dog by Christmas, then his ass is toast.

Grandma's Earrings

I was looking for a clothes brush I had seen in a box the other day when I was working on cleaning and unpacking the remaining boxes from moving. I found the earrings that came from Mom & Jack's estate. They are little more than costume jewelry...14 karat yelow gold, but they were Mom's. I had gotten them for Christmas one year. I think she wore them only once. They came with the receipt, original earring box, and a plastic bag that said Service Merchandise. The receipt was dated 12/22/89. The price was around $20. I would have been 22 years old when I got them. I seem to remember them being on a good sale, but I'm thinking now they are much more suitable for a 10 year old, then my mother who deserved something a lot nicer from me. They are simple gold hoops...

Limo ride

For selling 25 or more items in the schools fund raiser, Lexie got to ride i a limo to Gattiland where the kids got to have a celebration.

No Gang Sign!

I today this little girl at the pizza party not to do gang sign, but she didn't listen. Bad influece on my daughter!

Lexie at School(I spoke with the councillor)

Lexie needs to work harder. Her test scores show she is 100% capable of doing the work. I need to check over her homework every night and make her redo it if she missed a bunch. The councillor is going to have a talk with Lexie. She is also going to speak to her teacher about doing the same kind of thing in class. She says I need to give Lexie social motivation for better grades because that's what she craves at this age (or ask her what kind of reward she would like for better grades). Councillor suggested things like going to a movie, having a play-date, etc with friends. Also, she said on work that comes back with bad grades, I save it for the weekend and sit with her and take time on the weekends to do it. That would be time away from TV and playing, etc. Then let her know if she does better in class, she will have less work and more play.

Politics and the 7 year old

Last night we were all set for TV night.  It's the one night a week where we faithfully sit in front of the TV to watch our favorite show "Heroes".  But instead, there was Senator McCain telling us that we would not be watching Heroes tonight, but instead, Saturday Night Live.  We watched a bit of it until it started getting a little more adult in theme...I know, it's 9pm...  So we shut it off.  Well this morning Logan askes me "Daddy, what if Obama gets elected and then he kicks out all the white people because of what they did to his ancestors?"

 

Hmmm....so many ways to answer that.  But I wanted to give him useful information and not bullshit like I usually would some adult who asked me that question.  I told him that the president is only PART of the United States government and that he couldn't do that.  I also explained that even if he could, he would not, because that would make a whole lot of people mad, and what a first-term president wants more than anything in the world is a 2nd term.  I told him if the president makes enough people mad, he can get kicked out himself.  Or at the very least, he won't be re-elected in 4 years.

 

So if Obama kicks me out because I'm white, then I'm gonna feel really stupid.

Halloween Art by Logan

This is really the cutest thing he has done in a while, and I really love it.  Once in a while he does something that is either spontaneously cool, or that he really spent a lot of time on.  This was more the former I believe.  The only problem is, he doesn't understand why I don't go ga-ga over every single peice of paper he churns out anymore.  I tell him that he has to put effort into his work so that it will be exceptional.  He sometimes wants to draw three lines, say it's done, then get upset if you are like "meh."  The fact is, I know how really good an artist he is, and it puts his stuff on a different scale than a regular 7 year old.

 

Ok, I know this thing is not really thrilling, but it was just so cute I had to make over it.  The guy with one eye---well, really he has two eyes, but he is in profile looking at the tree.  Yes, I did have to get the explanation from a 7 year old.  And yes, it was a "duh" moment.

Logan the Zombie

Braaaaaaaaains!!!!!

Halloween: Lexie the Puppy

Lexie wanted to be a puppy.  Here is a picture of her.  Too bad you can't see the tail that took me like an hour to make...hahahahah.

Lexie & School

This morning, Lexie asked me to sign her agenda (which is normal) but also had a CYA paper from her teacher Mr. Young. Every time she gets a "U" (they don't give F's--U is for unacceptable) he stamps the paper with a parent signature box. That way he makes sure the parent knows, and he's covered in doing his job. Well, this has been a weekly (sometimes multiple!) thing. I explain this is her last year of grade school. I explain how important consistent good grades are. I explain how this leads you into a chain of Middle school, High school, College, Job, and the financial quality of your future. I explain how school is her most important job. I ask if her homework is done when I get home. If its not, I tell her to do it. I tell her to let me know if she needs help. I tell her if she needs me to explain something, I will, but I will NOT do it for her. I put the responsibility 100% on her, but make sure she knows I will help explain something (if I can understand it myself).

She got upset. I saw thst Logan left his mask/hat thing on the loveseat so I decided to take it to him. Plus Theresia told me there was no school on Monday or Tuesday, so I signed them up for CEP. Then I asked to speak to Lexie's councillor. She was dressed up as a jackass. She said they would start an evaluation process. We'll see where this goes.

My little Monster

Logan had scouts last night and he made a Frankenstein mask out of a paper bag.

Lexie's Jack 'O Lantern

Here's Lexie's. She picked a small one and designed it to be a baby.

Logan's Jack 'O Lantern

Here's a picture of mail Logan's Jack 'O Lantern.

Work Halloween chili cookoff

Here are the other two labelled bottles.

Work Halloween Party

I got these cool ass stickers for the work Halloween chili cookoff. You put them on 2-liter bottles of soda.

Retirement

I figure it's never too early to start thinking about retirement and how to not be a burden to the kids when I hit 55 or 60.  I think I will be semi-nomadic.

 

I'd like to buy a small bit of land in the woods of Kentucky or Indiana.  Somewhere a guy could be a hermit in a little one-room cabin (or perhaps more realistically a used travel-trailer like my mom used at the feed mill).  I could live there until it was either too hot or too cold.  I could live about 90% off the grid...meaning no electric bill, water bill, etc.  I think i'd have to find a way to work the legalities of that out, but it could be done.  I like to camp and this would be an extension of that.  Like with a wood stove and outhouse.

 

In the hottest months, I could visit with the kids.  Say July with Lexie and August with Logan.  In December, I'd split my time between them for the holidays.  I think they could tollerate dear old dad that much.

 

Then in January and February...perhaps I could afford an old VW bus or something similar.  I could visit Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Southern California...mainly staying put for a couple weeks at a time.  I got plenty of time to research where/when/how.  By eschewing a true residence and all the accompanying fees, bills and expenses, maybe I can survive with the small amount that may or may not be available from Social Security, and the meager amount I may tuck away with 401K.  I'm not getting any younger.

Rear-ended

This was a couple weeks ago... I left work just a little early because I was taking the kids camping with the cubscouts at Mammoth Cave. Well, I was on National Turnpike and the traffic was stopped so I stopped also. This woman of India descent slammed into the back of my car. The only thing I could understand from her was "why you stop?!" and "late for work!" She examined both vehicles and gave me her insurance info and left. Her name was Gambar Shampsah or something like that. Anyway I asked my insurance company what to do and they said to get a police report incident number and give it to her insurance company. Well, when I called the police, the officer did the report, but also gave ME a citation! He asked if my drivers license had the current address and I was like "...uh, no." He asked if this was my previous address. I could not look him in the face, "...uh, no." Well also, although I provided about 5 proof of insurance cards, none were the most current. *sigh*. So here I am, $12 poorer for getting a license, and wasting my time with these fine upstanding citizens...

Circuit Court Criminal Traffic Division

Man, in this place, you are with the dregs of society!

Cat vs. Serpentine Belt

This past Wednesday was pretty crazy for one reason only...

 

I was leaving from my apartment to go pick up the kids.  Usually my ex and I meet to do the exchange.  I live about as far south in Louisville as it gets.  So I start up my 2001 Oldsmobile Alero, and all of a sudden there's this wierd bumping vibration.  Not a little shimmy...I mean the car shakes some...and I feel complete loss of power on the steering.  If your power-steering car has ever died going around a corner, you know what I'm talking about.  It's like I'm back to driving Judy, my '64 Falcon---worse actually.  I look up, knowing something is bad wrong with the steering and that's when I see little gray clouds wafting out from under my car!  My thought quickly re-evaluated from smoke, to bird, to---uh, oh....something furry!

 

I jumped out of the car, barely getting it into park and popping the hood release.  I threw open the hood, and wide-eyed still staring is a CAT HEAD!!!  A split second, and I was like  "...where is the blood??"  Then the creature, eyes as big as quarters swivels its head toward me!  I couldn't hardly believe it was ALIVE!!!  This stupid cat had done something bad wrong to my car!!!  I yell for my girlfriend to come over.  I'm afraid to get closer to the cat to put up the hood stand, and I definately don't want to let the hood slam back down.  She comes and shuts off the engine.  I can see that there is gray fur ALL over the place.  I'm wondering how this cat can possibly have ANY fur left!  Two people come over to see what the commotion is about.  One, is an older lady.  The other is a little boy with a neon green plastic machine gun.  The lady says to me..."Oh, I know the owner.  He's a nice cat.  Try to grab him out..." and I'm thinking two thoughts simeotaneously.  The first is "You have fallen out of the dumbass tree and hit every single branch on the way down!"  and "If I do that, my hand and arm will come out looking like I put it down in a running garbage disposal."  I can see the friggin' cat is about as unhappy as cats get.  Even moreso than my sister's cat Scout who HATES me.

 

The little boy (who has been aiming his 15 inch long green M-16 at the cat the whole time) says "Want me to shoot him?"  I look at the kid and ask if I can see his gun for a minute.  I gingerly poke at the cat with the orange tip of his green gun.  Until now, the cat has not made a sound.  Not a mewl, meow, hiss or anything.  He's just staring around like "WTF?!?!!?!"  I mean this cat's eyes are so big...he doesn't even look like a real cat to me!  So anyway, holding the very end of the gun, it go in toward his head (the only thing showing) with the day-glo plastic tip of the weapon.  The cat completely in a flash changes gears from scared, to p*ssed-as-hell!  This cat turns into a feral demon of some sort!  It chomps down on the gun like a steel trap and starts clawing the hell out of it!  It snaps its mouth--biting down two or three times, all the time ripping at the plastic with its front claws---then it bounds up like a ball of lightning and out under a bush!

 

The two ladies (my girlfriend and the dumbass) both go running all "poor kitty" after the cat to check on it.  Meanwhile the kid left and I'm just staring at my serpentine belt thinking "poor car".  Stupid stupid cat!  It was not even cold that day!!  My girlfriend told me it didn't look badly hurt--only some fur missing.  Believe me!  I could have told you that without seeing the cat!  Anyway, I had to get this special tool from Autozone to get the belt back on.  Cat vs. Serpentine Belt.  Cat 1, Serpentine Belt 0.

Optimism Warning

The back states "Good, Hearty Family Favorites" Uh....no.

Hematite Bracelet

I found this hematite bracelet at the Jtown Gaslight Festival. Supposedly it will cure anything that could possibly be wrong with a human body. The iron is absorbed into the bloodstream and increases the oxygen level... Anyway, it looked cool. My girlfriend was gonna get it for me but after she accidentally broke a clay flute and had to buy it, I wouldn't let her. Besides, it was cheap...

My Little Bookworm...

This weekend, we had some down time and I was reading. I had to get Lexie a dictionary at Half Price Books, so to be fair, I spent about the same amount on Logan. He grabbed up his book of scary campfire stories and read while I was re-reading a Thieves World anthology.

Death at the Dumpster

When we left for school and work today, there was a dead deer laying next to the Dumpster! It stank so bad, but I couldnt believe it, so I took a picture.

Light!

Just when I was getting resigned to the idea of going without power for two whole weeks, I come home from work yesterday and the electric is back on! (Also, Splott was out of the kitchen somehow...) The kids and I were fairly relieved. We celebrated with a movie... Speed Racer, which was much better overall than the first 15 minutes (which almost made me want to shut it off...)

I have to scoot downtown and pick up Pure Tap water bottles. The water company gives them to Louisville Scooter Group to distribute to our members.

Louisville Blackouts

Louisville Kentucky continues to hobble along with no power. This is the 3rd day. My frozen items have thawed. You cannot find ice or batteries ( C or D cell) anywhere. Gas is getting hard to find..half the cities stations are without electricity and the other half are running out. The guard has been called in...they are manning the intersections with no signals working. Schools were closed yesterday, today--and possibly tomorrow. All this could last 2-3 weeks i'm told.

Dog and Housebreaking

I got a dog several months back. He's a cute little SOB (that cracks me up!) named Splott. Well, he's been a pretty good mutt--a cross between a beagle and a pug...they call it a puggle. Anyway, the kids love him to death (sometimes literally) and he's good to have around when I am alone, but....he can't totally get the hang of where to drop his waste products. I am getting a couple used kid gates, and going to make some modifications to the kitchen. Pads don't work 100% of the time (he misses), a crate doesnt work (he rolls in it), so this is my next deal. Wish me luck. *sigh*

Camping with Pack 77 - Saturday

We got up saturday and put up the tent. After we got it up, we found out that we'd set up in a different site from the other folks. Someone was asking about the mixup, but we never had to move. 9am we found out everyone was going on the "Violet Lantern Tour" at 915! We scrambled but they wouldn't sell us a ticket because it was after 915 when we got there. The tour ranger said we could go anyway...just to put our admission in the donation box when we got back. It was like 3 hours and about 3 or so miles. Turned out it was closer to 4 hours, and the last 1/2 mile was up 4000 steps! The troop leader said she felt like she was going to have a heart attack. I'm glad she said it first. Doesn't look too good when a fat guy says it...

We got back from this ordeal and I took a quick nap. We were invited on a 5 mile hike...there was no way.. I made lunch for the kids, then napped a little. I did dishes and cleaned up. Later, the kids played and there was a parents meeting. After that, dinner & playing in the fire. 10pm or so we went to bed. At 2am, I wake up with horrible back pain and realize I'm sleeping on something big, cold, and hard. My air mattress developed a slow leak, and deflated throuh he night. There was little to do besides blow it back up. I had to huff and puff...the electric pump sounds like a weed eater or something. I got another 2 hours of sleep and had to blow it up again. Finally itwas about 6am and I could get up. Man, I had no sleep for like two nights straight.

Camping with Pack 77 - Sunday

Got my instant coffee (and hot chocolate for the kids) and sat in a camp chair for about an hour trying to give my back time to recover from sleeping sans air. Packed up slow and steady. We stopped at the camp store and got showers. I took a scenic route home so there would be more stuff to look at and winding roads to help keep me awake. It worked until about Radcliff, Kentucky. We stopped at the treehouse McDonalds on Dixie Highway for lunch/supper. Weekend done.

Camping with Pack 77 -Friday

This past weekend the kids and I went camping with Logan's cubscout/boyscout pack. Here's a rundown...

Friday after work, some crazy Indian woman slammed into the back of my car. I was leaving early to go home and pack up. Funny how that didnt work out. We had some communication issues and the few words I understood were "why you stop?!" and "I am late to work!" I got her insurance info, she got mine. She looked at our cars, got in hers, and drove off. I called my insurance company who told me to call the police and get a report, then call her insurance to file a claim.

Needless to say, we left late. I decided to use the GPS in an attempt to shave off some time with a short cut. Apparently the people at Tom Tom have a fantastic sense of humor. Apparently I do not, at 845pm, at the dead end of a gravel road that has signs saying both "private property" and "beware of dog". We turned around, back down the road...let me set you straight. When I say road, in this case, what I'm REALLY referring to is a dirt path just inches wider than my car, covered in a light sprinkle of gravel, tennis-ball sized rocks, and downed tree branch parts about as thick as my wrist. So we get back up out of this hole, back onto pavement for a short bit. I had kindly requested an alternate route from the GPS. It took us down another gravel road which quickly degenerated into something not quite as bad as before. After about 10 miles, its 930, and we pop out of the forest (litterally) onto pavement again somewhere inside Mammoth Cave National Park. It says turn, I turn. The good news is we are almost to the exact campsite! The bad? Its pouring bucketfulls, and its now pitch black.

I found the other campers, and I was able to erect a tarp over the car so we could sleep with the windows down. Yes, I did NOT pitch the tent in pouring rain and pitch black. Did I mention the kids had taken out the flashlights and not put them back in our camping supply tub? At about 3am, these women pull up in a van. They are talking loudly and swearing like sailors. Sweet. Saturday is a different day.

Busted

This morning I opened the door to Logan's room to tell him something and caught him in the act. I think he's too young still, but when I went to check his progress (he was supposed to be getting dressed) he was laying on his bed still in his night shirt READING! What kid at the age of seven sneaks a book around in their lunch box and reads when they should be doing other stuff? Admitedly some do, but I'm just so thrilled that he's excited and entertained by reading that he WANTS to read. It makes me proud.

We Will Rock You

I was listening to Queen's "We Will Rock You" on headphones, at the same time eating saltine crackers. I happend to be chewing, and at the beginning they do this stomp-stomp-clap thing, and for some reason I just heard the stomps and not the claps.  Then I stopped chewing on the cracker and I realized that the sound of my chewing was the EXACT SAME PITCH as the "clap" part and masked it perfectly.  Very weird.  So wierd I should have probably not told anyone...

Growing

The tomato plants the kids and I planted are growing good, but no tomatoes yet...

Great Weekend

Its rare that I will have a really super weekend when I don't have the kids, but this one was an exception. I rode with my scooter group, got to see my girlfriend, and we saw the new Indiana Jones movie, which was pretty good. We also went to this Mediterranean restaurant called The Grape Leaf down on Frankfort, and it was really good, and not too expensive. I'm still in the process of getting Splott housebroken...we're up to about 60/40 right now. Fortunately I got this killer cleaning spray at Feeders that makes taking care of urine pretty easy. He's crated during the day if I'm not here, then stays out at night. He likes to try and sleep in the middle of my bed, and I'm breaking him of that too. He beds down in the middle of the blankets, so I think he might need a cushy dog bed to make him comfortable and secure.

Pug X Beagle = Puggle

In case you couldn't tell by looking, there is no POODLE in a Puggle. Well, he went to the vet last night and except for a bit of (expected) kennel-cough, he is fine, not wormy or anything. Now if I could get him to understand not to do his bidnez in the apartment. He's peed once and pood twice. Fortunately all were easy cleanups (due either to the cool spray stuff I bought at Feeders for the pee, or the fact that his poo is like wood). I banished him from my bed last night (not like I'm using it, but he has to know what is a human place, and what is an animal place) and I woke up this morning and he was in the other place I REALLY don't want him sleeping--my couch. He definately likes to be comfortable...

Should I try a doggie bed???

Also, is there some sort of spray that I can put down outside to tell him "this is where you go, idiot"? I really don't feel like he's marking territory inside...

Splott again

We're going to try him out of the crate at night, and in the crate while we are gone during the day.

Lexie, Logan and Splott

Here are the kids with Splott. Logan has already made the "best day ever" comment.

Puggle

Splott is a puggle

Splott

Here's Splott

girlfriend

Geeze...its like 10:30pm, kids are asleep...I miss having my girlfriend to snuggle up with sometimes...

Just Grate

I did something new this year for the first time. I used the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health care, and also dependent care. I have run into a major snag. The dependent care FSA does not work like the health care. The big difference is you can only spend up to the amount you have currently contributed. My problem is all my daycare expense comes in the summer while the kids are out of school. I may not be able to use it for 1/2 or more of my daycare expenses.

Did you know SIM chips could go bad?

I have been having problems with my phone lately so T-mobile decided to try replacing the SIM card. They said if you're having trouble and it has been a long time since your SIM has been replaces, you might need a new one. It seems they do wear some going from one phone to the next. Also, as mobile technology evolves, they can have minor incompatibility issues with newer phones. Well, that is what T-mobile said... So this is your basic Public Service Announcement!

Puggle

The kids and I picked out a doggie.  He has to have his fix operation, so we don't get him until Monday or Tuesday.

Eurobounce

Logan did the Eurobounce at Jefferson Mall. Lexie lost her earring and I had to replace it (like $35 or else her holes grow back). I figures why shouldn't Logan get something too. She was mad and jealous, but she's going to have to learn. You don't lose jewelry.

KNall [via TMoDash]
www.louisvillescooter.org

Chinese Food

There's a lot of good meals I can cook at home, and that's how I save a lot of money, but tonight we got Chinese take-out. Its been a long while, so I splurged a little. Plus after I picked up the kids at the bus stop (who were already hungry and asking for 'snack') I went over to my girlfriends house. I have been carrying leftover garden soil from where I planted my tomatoes, and she had these nice planters she got last year intending to plant tomatoes and never did, so I got into her shed, got out the planters, and filled them up. I thought that she might never get around to getting plants (same as last year) so I went and got some tomato plants and a green pepper. I hope Theresia keeps them watered...
Anyway, since the kids were already hungry, and then STARVING by the time I was finished, I chose to forego the salmon croquettes I had planned to fix, and grab some take-out. Hey, they built my scooter...its the least I could do. We watched some TV-on DVD, and they have been asleep for like an hour.

My first Scooter Sunburn

I went out around the Taylorsville Lake area with some guys from my scooter club on Saturday. I was wearing my leather roper gloves that leave a "V" of exposed skin on the backs of my hands, and you can (barely) see where my hand got reddish. Man, that is so cool! Ive got over 1700 miles on the odometer now.

Havana Rumba

I am at Havana Rumba with Theresia tonight. She is taking me out for mother's day. So far, just drinks at the bar. She got a Cuba Libra and I have a margarita.

Talent show-Logan

Logan sang "Let Me Rest in Peace" (Spike's Song) from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

Talent show-Lexie

Lexie sang "No Good Deed" from the musical "Wicked"

2008 Elections-am I the only one who finds this funny???

I have said this before...you have two big choices for the presidental elections, and both of them are politicians. I'm leaning toward Clinton, just because I think, with $4 gas prices on the way, American needs a change. I also think the "Economic Stimulus" refund is really nothing more than a "Republican Vote Stimulus" refund. How much more obvious can it be. Anyway, I saw this on a T-shirt over at cafepress and thought it was just friggin' hilarious, but as my wonderful sister will point out, some people could find it offensive. Me? I'm offended by very little and I suspect I may have a lot broader sense of humor than most. Anyway, let me know...do YOU (aside from everything political) think this is funny???

Incompetence in the Workplace

My friend Charlie gave me this link almost a year ago, and I stumbled upon it again. If you work in an office environment, read this and if you don't know anybody who fits this description, i'd be surprised....

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/102876/the-art-of-showing-pure-incompetence-at-an-unwant

Ride Last Night

I rode my scooter around last night after work with my new friend Kevin. He's a really cool guy, is big into the scooter scene in Louisville. It was the first time I've ever ridden with anybody, and I was a little nervous about turns and such, but he's a really observant rider and follows very well. I think next time he can lead and I will follow. It was great to meet someone with similar interests. I don't have a lot of friends right now that have a compatible schedule.

4 Kinds

We planted 4 different kinds: Early Girl, Jet Star, Patio, and Tomato Celebrity. We'll see which one does best. Anybody have a good spaghetti sauce recipe???

Upside Down

Two of the tomato plants are just sitting on the balcony. The other two stick out of holes in the bottom of the bucket and are hanging upside down.

Buckets

We're using 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot, with gardening soil, top soil, and soil/cow manure mix. It stank pretty bad.

My Garden

The kids and I are trying our hand at growing tomatoes this year.

Logan, playing outside

Logan had a pretty good weekend too. I played hookey and worked from home Friday because the kids were off school. I don't hardly ever do that, so I don't feel bad on occasion telecommuting. Logan is getting better on the scooter. We played some frisbee today while i was grilling flat iron steak and corn on the cob.

Lexie, playing outside

The kids were outside a lot today. We went to see Ironman and Drillbit Taylor last night at the drive in. It was their first time to a drive in.

B52's

Here at the concert. So far the only benifit of the VIP pass is free nachos, 4 free beers, and reserved seating which is pretty far from the stage. It has stopped raining, and if it starts again, the roof will be another benifit, but I am a little disappointed..thought VIP would mean premium seating too. Oh well, at least I'm not ankle deep in mud like those blokes.