Space Derby

Last Friday was the Cubscouts Pack meeting and they had the Space Derby. Logan had fun, but didn't win any races. His rocket looked cool, but it was way too heavy. The kids who were doing well--their rockets looked like thick pencils. I told Logan next time ours is going to look like a McDonald's straw!!!

Newline Champagne Digital Kitchen Food Scale

I got this Newline Champagne Digital Kitchen Food Scale

for my girlfriend Theresia. She's sick the past couple days with some bug, but prior to that, she has been doing Weight Watchers. I'm really proud of how well she's done so far. She doesn't see it as much, but I do because she has just started and everybody knows you can't lose a bunch of weight really quickly or else it won't stay off. She said to me the other day that she estimates a lot of her portions and that she would probably be doing better if she was more accurate, so I got this for her. I hope she uses it.

She's a real sweetheart. I value her opinion more than anyone else on a lot of stuff. Like for example, I had to drag her to look at the apartment I'm getting (and even though she was very sick and not feeling well I bet she didn't even THINK about trying to get out of it). She looked around and told me it was ok, but they have to fix this, and this, and this, and...

Packing

Man, my apartment is a total disaster area. Lexie has so much
homework tonight that I can't really ask the kids to help me pack.
Their room and the kitchen are the main things. Everything else is
down to 1-2 boxes left to pack. I can't pack away dishes and food, so
I'm stuck with the kitchen.

Puppy Found

I found the d*mn dog. Now I'm going to bed.

Lost Puppy

We have been packing and boxing all day. Well, mainly the kids have played, and I have worked, but what else is new. When Lexie decided it was time for bed, she started looking for her webkinz dog and could not find it anywhere. She tore the place apart looking, was bawling in tears, etc. It got to be such a big deal with her that she almost got a spanking. It has me upset too because I know how much she loves it. So I messed up and told her that I was worried it might have ended up accidently in the dumpster. So she got so upset and I yelled at her and sent both kids to bed. I went out to the dumpster with a flashlight looking now that they are asleep in their room. Also checked the car. I don't know what else to do.

This is how you can tell it's Kentucky

Man, this is ok I guess if you're driving the d*mn truck, but if
you're following with a couple of little kids, it is WAY not cool.
Friggin' rednecks! My thought is "You'd better display the big fake
balls on the back of your truck to compensate for the ones you do not
have in your pants." I want to start a company that makes small
plastic 2" penises so that you can seak up and attach them whenever
you see a set of these.

Pirate Rocket

This is Logan with his rocket for the Space Derby tonight. I don't
think he'll win, but we really worked hard on it. Last night we put
on red speckles, and pirate decals!

Lexie in new sweater

This is a sweater that Theresia and I found at Goodwill. I used to
think that only poor people like me shopped at Goodwill, but I was
never more wrong! Plus you can find lightly used things, and even
stuff with department store price-tags still on them. I got her
several new sweaters, and Logan three more pair of khaki pants for
school. I need to hem the pants still... A few weeks ago I found a
really nice Pampered Chef insulated carafe for like $3!!!

Scooter Update - Delivery

I was concerned at first about shipping and delivery. It is the most crucial part of this deal. I got a voicemail from Linda at Valley Scooters. She said she would email my my tracking info, and told me I'd be getting black instead of red.I got the email, and tracking number and UPS told me:

ESTIMATED Delivery: INDIANAPOLIS, IN *01/28* !!!!!

I just about shat myself! I was thinking that I could get it scheduled for delivery on 2/1!!! I even confirmed with my boss when I talked to him ("no problem--don't worry!" he said) and now it's coming in on Monday instead of Friday!!! So I called UPS. "Its no problem sir. We can deliver on Friday the 1st of February." I asked when because I would not be in town until around noon and she said I would have to be available from 8am until 5pm!!!I was wound up and freaking. I emailed John again and he said to go to ups.com get the number for the terminal and talk to them. Couldn't find it on the whole bloody website (apparently you can track freight to some extent on the regular ups site, but for freight and LTL shipments you really need to go to upsfreight.com). I finally spoke to someone who could schedule the delivery around 11am-5pm. So I'm set--in that.

Scooter Update - Color

This is my second choice. They don't wait around for your color to come in--that's why they ask you up front for your 2nd choice. I was a little disappointed at first, but then I thought that black is pretty friggin cool. And I can add some color in the form of pinstriping or flames, or any damn thing. Plus I got that Black Magic reflector kit and that stuff will not even show on this scoot!!!!

Olympus Digital Camera 3.2 megapixel

Lexie's mom got her a kiddie digital camera for Christmas and she really likes taking pictures with it. The only problem is the kids computer will not recognize it even with the software provided. I have to let her use my laptop. Plus the quality is not that great (its not really expected to be with a kids cam) and she wants to print them or get them developed. This led me to think about getting her a "real" camera, but even the cheaper ones are $125 and 7 megapixels (which she doesn't need). Something with the quality of the 1.3 mp you get on phones would be fine. Then I started looking for an older camera but nothing TOO big and clunky--but cheap-cheap-cheap in case she drops it. So I found a used one for around $25. Its going to sit in a drawer until her Birthday in April.

Oh Deer!

I saw a pretty-good sized dead deer alongside the road on the way to work. Scary thing is that it was on Hurstborne! That bothers me not only because its so busy, but also because it could have been me that hit it! I go up and down there every day right now on the way to work!!! With any luck, my route will be changing in less than a month since I am moving.

Death and Taxes

Well it didn't take the lady long to do my taxes. It never does. The kids and I went up to the plaza behind where I live last night. We got to Jackson Hewitt at about 7:15 and left before 8pm. They seemed to do just as good a job as H&R Block.

I was considering going to this place called the Americana Community center over close to work--they do the taxes for free. But taxes is a thing I don't like to screw around and take chances with, you know? If something goes haywire, I want the person/company who did my taxes to eat the bill. You can get that at H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt...

Jackson Hewitt vs. H&R Block

Aside from the few years I did my own, I have always gotten my taxes
done at H&R block. This year I got a coupon for $25 off from Jackson
Hewitt. I gave H&R the shot to honor the coupon and they
declined...so...I am going with Jackson Hewitt this year. They said
they have all the same features as H&R and the lady started rattling
them off. They have the 8-15 day electronic file/refund thing so
that's what I always do.

Movie of snowday

Snow Angels!

Logan's first snow day!

Lexie playing in the snow

SNOW DAY!!!!

These were the "homemade" sleds

School = 2 hour delay!

we played in the snow!

Logan angel

This is Logan's first snow!

Lexie angel

she said "hurry up and take the picture! my butt's getting cold!!"

snow angels

my (ahem) angels made snow angels!

homemade sleds

We were in a pinch, so I made sleds from cardboard boxes, garbage bags, tape and rope.

Shirt; Heroes Season 2 & Beowulf

Theresia gave me this Family Guy shirt she got from her sister. It was Goodwill-bound, so she let me have it! Today when I was taking breaks from cleaning and packing, I watched several episodes of Heroes Season 2. I love that show. Season 2 is not out on video yet; but Netflix has this thing where you can watch movies and stuff online which is pretty cool. This evening, T and I went to see Beowulf at the Greentree 10, where every show is now only $1. It was so cool--Angelina Jolie is a monster I would gladly welcome into any nightmare I might have!

Lunch at Bearnos...

We haven't had pizza in a while

Darth Lexie

she is strong with the force!

Darth Logan

in the process of cleaning, they found the Darth vader mask that Logan got for his Birthday.

Lexie's picture for Dana

it took her FOREVER to do the grass!

Captain D's 2

logan looks pretty goofy too! nawww...he's just cute!

Captain D's

Lex looks goofy in this picture. Logan laughed out loud!

Logan and his laptop

Logan likes playing with the laptop Pawpaw and Dana got him for Christmas!

Snow Princess

isn't she so pretty? i love it when she smiles...

Part Eskimo

Wonder if Eskimos wear belts?

Deep thought

Wow, this white stuff is pretty cool! <laughs> Cold! Cool!

Calculating...

...wind speed, snowball weight...arc....velocity...

Cold hands, Happy heart!

Lex didn't seem to notice the cold

Logan Taunting

Naaaah, Naaaah-Naaaah and all that...

Snowball Fight-First Blood!

Gnat-girl bombed Lex in the head.

See what I mean?!?!!?

I almost had to sneak to get pictures of MY kids!

Gnat-girl

This little girl is nice and everything but she wanted to be in every picture!

First Snow!

This was our first snow of the year!

Red Roketa MC54-250B

This is the Roketa scooter i'm ordering probably next week.

I am going to take off February 1st (it's a weekend I don't have the kids) and go up to my friend Chuck's where it will be delivered. He has a friend who owns a mechanic shop and we can put it together (some assembly required) and test it out before we haul it back to Louisville. Chuck has a F250 truck and even a trailer if we need it.

Hey man, nice shirt. Nice shirt man!

this is one of the two shirts my wonderful girlfriend got me for Christmas!

my little cookie salesperson

Lexie's troop leader Megan told me she would be happy to sew the patches onto Lexie's vest. We got it back tonight. If you want any Girlscout cookies; let us know!!!

Day at the Zoo

It was so beautiful today that we absolutely had to get the kids outside. We went to look at a couple apartments and then took them to the Zoo. it was a great day.

Panko-asian for happy fun grease sponge

this is bound to be the BOMB!

Dana's Panko Porkchops

I am using the Panko crumbs/breading that Dana recommended a while back. It took me this long to remember to look for it in a place that might have it! They already look really tasty! I did it like she said and double breaded them with water and flour first, then egg/water and Panko. I hope they taste half as good as they look! I'm frying in olive oil to minimize arterial damage!!!

new apartments

i will know today if i get the apartment i applied for. i will get to see the actual one this weekend. they need me to start paying rent on the 1st so i may have 1/2 a month double rent, but dont think it will completely kill us. just make things slim for the kid's birthdays this year, but i've promised to do what i can to get them a dog, so they would be happy with that.

Space Derby!

Logan and I were working on his rocket for the Space Derby. Its just about done, but we will still have to paint it. We cut the sheets of plastic fin material into the shape of flames! When you are done a propeller and rubber-band powered engine goes on, and then its complete. Its like the balsa wood airplanes i used to get from the hobby store when i was a kid.

Stevia "Supplement"

This stuff is cool. My girlfriend got it for me. Its called Stevia and is a no calorie all natural sweetener. The wierd thing is nowhere on the package or literature does it say the word "sweetener". Thats because of the conspiracy! The nutrasweet and equal guys pay our politicians tons of money to make sure that Stevia (which has been used in Asia and Europe for a long time in place of the "deadly chemical sweeteners") does not get FDA approved as a sweetener. This keeps it out of candy, sodas, etc. But the clever folks market the stuff as a supplement which lets them sell it without breaking the law. I am testing 3 packets in my coffee. So far it tastes fine. I want to eat a little plain...

My Two Favorite Girls!

I am lucky to have a beautiful sister and also a gorgeous girlfriend! 2008 is going to be the sh*t!

New Years Eve Dance

The Bedrockerz played at the St. Dennis New Years Eve Dance and we had a good time. They asked my sister Patti up to sing Auld Lang Sine (think that's spelled correctly).