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We worked extremely hard today. After our respective obligations this morning, we made a lot of progress this afternoon on our house. I worked in the yard for about 2 hours. I raked up the dead thatch where the voles have wreaked havoc, and trimmed our border reed grass. My wife started to work in the garage, and I helped after the yard work was finished.

We still had about 25 boxes in the garage, just a mixture of this, that, and everything else in between. We went through every single box, and threw out a lot of junk. Remember a couple of weeks ago I said I was ready to start throwing things away? That day has come. Everything else that wasn't thrown away was taken to our basement (remember, it's the black hole from hell). Our garage looks great. There's definitely a lot more room, but still we have work to do. I just need to get my side of the garage more organized, get some things up on shelves, add some pegboard to the walls to hang tools, and so forth. But, it's a big step.

Now that everything is in our basement, we can start making little dents here and there. We're committed to having a big garage sale sometime this summer or this fall. We also committed ourselves to start decorating our house this summer too. That involves paint, some wallpaper, a border here and there, and to starting hanging our pictures. So, hopefully, in a few months, I'll have something new to report.

After working hard today, I opted to go the casino. As predicted, I lost. I also learned a valuable lesson. Never, ever go to the casino on a Saturday night. It's just too hectic to have any fun, and not worth my trouble. In fact, if I had thought of that earlier, I would have saved myself $100. Oh well. Easy come, easy go.

Well, I've got good news and bad news regarding my car. The head job went well. It runs great, still leaks just a little oil, but otherwise runs great. However, the power steering pump started to go out after I got the car back, and the air conditioner didn't work. I drove it back to the mechanic. He looked it over, and said the power steering pump needed to be replaced, and somehow, the air conditioner didn't have any freon. He said there was leak near the pressure valve. F**k! That car is nothing but a money pit. I wish we would have sold it when we had the chance, even though it's become my primary means of transportation now. I've essentially parked my truck, and am using the car to help keep the mileage low. Plus, the car gets about 35 mpg (versus only 19 on the truck). With gas prices at all time record high, the extra mpg helps quite a bit.

Well, the University of Kentucky got knocked out of the NCAA tournament last night. They were defeated by Michigan State in double overtime. Thus, one of our two favorite teams made it to the final four, (reference University of Louisville making it to the final four on Saturday). While we would have enjoyed seeing a U of L versus U of K championship game, it wasn't meant to be.

I just received word how much my car repair bill will be. It's about $650. That was more than I expected, but that included a triple repair. While replacing the head gasket, I also asked the mechanic to replace the timing chain and gear, and also to re-true the heads. The tensioner pully was also going bad, so there were a plethora of things fixed. All in all, I'm very pleased. In other words, it was more than I had budgeted for, but it also gives me a sense of relief as well. The car still runs great, doesn't burn oil, and the engine doesn't knock. So, I think it still has a lot of life left in it, hopefully. Sometimes it feels as if we keep pouring money into a worthless cause, and other times, I believe it's money well spent. We'll see. Of course, it's a LOT cheaper than having the dealer do the job, so we can't complain.

We had a very nice Easter. We went to Church, had a great dinner with family, relaxed, and had an enjoyable day. All in all, we were happy and were thankful to be able to spend time together. I have the upcoming weekend off too, but that will be my last for awhile. We're transitioning to our summer schedule at work next week, and unfortunatley, I don't think I get another weekend off until May. Sigh. Enjoy them while they last I suppose.

I headed to the casino again yesterday evening. I had a coupon for $10 in free chips that I forgot to use on Saturday, and I didn't have anything else to do. I came home a winner once again, topping out with $100 profit. Three winning sessions in a row, woohoo! It's a nice feeling to walk away with some cash stashed in your pocket. I wonder if my streak has come to an end though, and I predict I'll lose the next time I go.

It seems that we've over spent our budget the past couple of months. My previous high hopes of paying off our credit debt have significantly dwindled. We did so good with no frivolous spending in January, but the previous two months have been killers. It makes me angry to think about it, and as much as I rant and rave about our spending habits, it doesn't seem to matter. I feel we'll be in a perpetual cycle of being spendthrifts our entire lives. There's always something that bogs us down, whether it's an unexpected car repair, extra medical payments, or my wife buying new clothes on a continuous basis. For as hard as we work, it seems as if we're always living paycheck to paycheck. Ugh.

Just when you begin to see light at the end of the tunnel, you get steamrolled with a new train rolling down the tracks. It's as if you've been dropped into middle of the ocean, and you struggle to swim to the top. Just when you're about to break the surface, the sea monster from below pulls you back in. And, you begin anew, starting over from whence you came, swimming hard to reach the surface time and again. Is there hope of ever breaking free? Perhaps, but in today's society, it's becoming an ever increasing struggle. Occasionally we win a battle or two, but inevitably, we're losing the war.

We just watched the University of Louisville advance to the NCAA final four. In fact, it's history for Rick Pitino (their head coach), as he's the first coach to lead three seperate teams to the final four. It's a warm feeling knowing that Louisville is doing so well. We lived in Louisville for 8 years, and my wife received her Master's Degree from Louisville.

We went to a movie last night, National Treasure. It was a family night, and we all enjoyed the movie very much. Even our 8 (almost 9) year old daughter enjoyed the movie. And we marvled at the fact that there wasn't a single swear word in it. That was a treat, and definitely made it a great family adventure.

I headed to the casino a couple of times this week. On Monday, I won $75, and today, I won $100. That makes up for the last couple of times that I lost. It's an up and down battle, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

I've had the last two days off, and still have tomorrow off. That's an awesome feeling. It's so nice to have a 3 day weekend, especially since it's Easter. We're planning on going to an early Church service, and then will enjoy a family dinner at my wife's parents. It should be a restful day.

Our dog Ginger is doing OK. She had an accident a couple of days ago. She went pee on the bed. No warning signals, she just squatted and went. Otherwise, she's doing great. We went outside today (it was very mild, with temperatures in the 50s) and went for a 4 block walk. That's a lot for a little dog who only weighs 4lbs. It really wore her out, so much so, she's not even hungry for dinner. The same thing happened last weekend after her puppy training class. She was exhausted. It's hard to believe that we've had her for 4 weeks already. She sure has become a member of our family, and we all love her a lot.

While driving to my puppy training class today, I learned to take multitasking to the next level. I was driving a stick shift (my truck), eating a hamburger and drinking a diet coke, at the same time that our puppy was trying to snuggle in my lap, without my seat belt on. The dog was trying to grab the hamburger, and I had to answer the cell phone. In retrospect, it was quite comical, if now downright dangerous. I often complain about other motorists and their lack of attention while driving, and here I was doing it myself. It's a good thing a cop didn't see me, he could have cited me for careless driving.

Today was our first day of puppy training class. All I can say, we failed miserably. Ginger (our dog) was very scared at first. The dog next to us weighed about 80lbs, and kept trying to eat her for a snack. Eventually she made friends with the brute, but then was too distracted by all of the other dogs, sights, and sounds. She couldn't perform any of the tasks. The "look" command wasn't even heard, and the "sit" command was a complete disaster. Needless to say, I was disappointed, if not embarassed. All of the other dogs were doing remarkably well. The other dogs seemed to walk on the leash well, and Ginger simply wouldn't walk at all. Sigh. Plus, she wouldn't go potty when we got home. Ugh. I gave up. I was tired (I worked a midnight shift, and only had 4 hours of sleep), I was crabby, and she put me in a really bad mood. Oh well. At least that's my normalcy.

Due to my rotating shift schedule, I often will eat lunch on my own. I especially enjoy going to the Olive Garden, I love the soup and salad combo, and it's a great deal. But I always get such a strange look from the hostess when I say, "Table for one please." It's like they get puppy dog eyes and feel sorry for me or something. Some of the hostesses make a big production out of announcing loudly to the waiter, "Table for one." I'm not sure if they're trying to humiliate me or not. But I ask, is it such a big deal to dine alone? People do it all of the time, there are hundreds of thousands of single people in this world. What do they do? Are single diners not supposed to eat?

With regard to table etiquette, I've always wondered what is proper. Do you tilt your head to your glass to drink, or do you lift the glass to your mouth. I know that's a trivial thing, but I've never been able to find the answer. I find myself doing both. Neither one feels better over the other.

I got new glasses today. The prescription was 1/4 point worse, but overall, I could have left it alone. I mainly wanted a different look for the frames. I went with a very small, thin, narrow lense. It definitely looks different. It will take some time to get used to it, especially positioning my eyes and head for optimum viewing, but I think I'll like them eventually. If not, Lensecrafters does have a 30 day money back guarantee that I could use.

I read on the Internet this morning that a 427 million dollar bank robbery has been foiled. Apprently, a hacker got into an overseas bank and found a way to transfer money out of the bank into 10 privately held accounts. Hmm, don't you think that would be traceable? That's why I ask, why take so much. If you really wanted to steal some cash, wouldn't it make sense to take much smaller amounts? I mean, 427 million is somewhat noticeable, if not downright obvious. Why not take 10,000 instead. That's a blip on the screen, an oversight, a transposition error. But 427 million? I really question the judgement of some people. I mean, this guy was smart enough to hack into the bank computer system to begin with, don't you think he'd be smart enough to not be so greedy, and to not take such a noticeable amount? Duh. It just confirms my theory that there are a lot of stupid people out there.

Moving on, my dog does some stupid things too. Granted, she's still a puppy, but some of her bahavior is downright neurotic. When she needs to go potty, she can't just go to a spot and go. Recently, we've begun the transition from the pad inside to the yard outside. It's a 5 minute ordeal, in that she has to sniff around, walk in circle ten or 12 times, move to a new spot, sniff again, squat, then circle again, then sniff, then possibly move one more time, then sniff, squat and pee. What's up with that? Why do they do that? I just can't understand why it takes 5 minutes to find the "spot". Maybe she'll improve with time, and this is all still new to her. But it's annoying to say the least, especially when it's downright freezing outside, and she's just as, if not colder than I, as she's only 3lbs 3ozs. Complete nuts I say.

After making my post yesterday about bipolarness, I went to the grocery store because I couldn't sleep. I thought I might as well do something productive, since I'd worked myself into an agitated state. At the store, I think my blood sugar crashed. I had an episode of the shakes, I broke out in a cold sweat, and I couldn't see straight. I thought I was going to faint. Over the years, I've had periodic episodes like this. One time, I did faint in college. I literally blacked out. I usually eat something fast though, and I recover quickly. Last night was no different. I had a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter and a glass of milk, and in about 15 minutes, I was fine, and my mood had indeed swung the other way. The funk had passed. Thus, as I did research on the Internet until about 3:00 am, I think it may indeed be low blood sugar that is causing all of my symptoms. Hmm. My bloodwork at my physical last week was fine, but from what I can tell, the only true way to diagnose hypoglycemia is with a 3 hour glucose tolerance test. I think I might head back to my doctor to discuss it with him.

I often wonder if I'm not bipolar. I can go from incredible highs to the lowest of lows, in the manner of minutes. I've been that way for a long time. I certainly have a lot of the symptoms. Today was a good example. The day started off very well. I was in a good mood, and things were OK. But as the day went on, my mood began to trend downward, and by evening, I became very crabby and irritable. And that essentially describes my life in a nutshell. I have good and bad days. Right now, I'm definitely in a funk. I often wonder if I shouldn't see someone about this, but then often deny that I might have a problem, and of course, by that time, my mood has swung again. I think my work schedule has a lot to do with it, and as I dwell on it more, that typically begins my downward spiral. Perhaps it's time for a career change? Hmm, that would be wonderful, but unfortunately, I've got such a specialized degree that it would be hard to do anything else. But, I've only got myself to blame. It's something to think about though.

Otherwise, I think I'm about ready to make a big committment to start throwing items out. We've accumulated so much junk, that it's becoming overwhelming. I'm a pack rat unfortunately, and I have a really hard time throwing away anything. I've got just about every box for every electronic item we've ever purchased. Sad, huh? I've got file folders of receipts and bill statements dating back to the beginning of our marriage. I keep every little thing. You never know when you might need it. I suppose you could even consider it obsessive compulsive. Or at least a mild case at that. Hmm, that could go along with my possible bipolarness.

We've got a lot of stuff that could sell well at a garage sale. And that's what I can't get past. I look back and think about how much money we've wasted over the years on useless junk. It's cluttering our lives. Our basement has become a virtual dumping ground for all of our stuff. And to compound matters, my wife is pack rat too, and of course, our daughter takes after both mom and dad, so unfortunately, we've all got it. I wish I could just dump it all. Take every single box of junk, not even look inside, and just put it on the curb. But then I think, hmm, we could make a few bucks at the garage sale, and thus just can't bring myself to throw it all away. I think I'd be a lot happier in the end, and perhaps someday, I can actually do it. We'll see.

Well, three months that is. Our new puppy Ginger turns 3 months old tomorrow. She's really growing up fast. I'd say she's gained about one and one half pounds in the previous three weeks. Her muscles are really toning in now, and she has become quite strong. She's doing much better on the potty training, and is back to consistently going on the pad. We went for a ride in the car today, to the pet store and to the computer store. She got to go into the pet store, and walked in and out on her leash. She met a couple of people, and another dog. It went well. Tonight, we gave her a bath, her first since she arrived. She seemed to enjoy it, but was also very cold I think. She didn't cry or bark, but just wanted out of the sink very badly. Her hair is so short, she was dry in just a couple of minutes. She smells much better now. Tomorrow, we go back to the vet for her next series of shots. Plus, she officially starts puppy headstart this coming Sunday. I'm nervous about that, but hopefully, for her, it should be a fun time. She still gets occasional stubborn streaks. That's completely frustrating, and amusing at the same time. I have to keep reminding myself that she's still only 3 months old, and equivalent of a toddler. The one thing I can't get used to are the nose kisses. She loves to kiss, especially after not seeing you for awhile. Maybe it's something you get used to with time, but it still gives me the willies. She also likes to nip just a bit, but everytime she does it, we grab her snout, squeeze gently, and say, "NO BITE!" She's starting to catch on.

My taste buds are dying. I'm not sure what I've done to them, but I'm in extreme pain. Perhaps you know what I'm talking about. You know, when a single taste bud at the tip of your tounge becomes inflammed, and it hurts very badly. Then, after a few days, your tounge has healed itself. Well, for me, it's not a single taste bud on the tip of my tounge, but about 30 or 40. I can see them in the mirror. Little red dots all over my tounge. And man, does it hurt. I've searched on the Internet, and there doesn't seem to be any definitive cure, other than time and patience. It actually started this past Sunday, and now, it's about as bad as it can get. It hurts to eat. It hurts to brush my teeth. My tounge simply hurts. And, I can't trace it back to any single event. It's the strangest thing I've seen.

Our new laptop arrived today. In fact, it arrived about 3 days sooner than expected. To our surprise, it was built, tested, and boxed in just 2 days instead of 5. I'm not complaining. It's actually very cool. However, as expected, there's a lot of bloatware installed on the harddrive. Dell always does that. I remember when we bought our desktop from Dell, there were a lot of useless programs installed. The laptop was no different. Just a lot of garbage. I deleted it all. Unfortunately, one of the programs keeps coming back though. Or at least the reminder about the fact that it was installed. I can't seem to find any reference to it in the system registry, but I will keep looking. I've got all of our own software installed on it now, and it's very nice. The lightweight laptop was definitely the way to go. It only weighs 5 lbs, but also, it's a little on the flimsy side. I suppose that's to be expected. I actually bought the 3 year service plan, along with Dell's complete care package. In other words, if anything breaks, even if it's accidental, it's covered. I figured it might be a good investment, considering the sensitive nature of laptop components these days, especially since the laptop is an ultralight, and perhaps a little flimsier than heavier units. Also, 3 years seems to be a good lifespan, and at that point, we'd likely invest in a new machine anyhow. So, now we only have to worry about paying for it. Paying a little each month, that's how we live our lives these days. It's the American Dream, right?

I received the results of my physical exam a couple of days ago. For the most part, I'm very healthy. There weren't any abnormal readings in the bloodwork, and that all looked good. So, my fatigue is indeed related to my lifestyle, and unfortunately, there's nothing I can about that, or at least nothing that I'm willing to do (quit). So, the battle will continue. My cholesterol was 188, which is less than 200, so that looked good. However, I didn't have enough "good" cholesterol. It was 32, and it needs to be at least 36. My "bad" cholesterol was 125, and it should be less than 160. So, I asked the doctor what I could do to increase my good levels, and he said, "Not much". But, I can increase my exercise, and try to eat a little better, and that should help.

We've had somewhat of a setback in house training our pup. Last night, we went out to the bar with friends, and thought she'd be OK in our bathroom. She climbed the gate though, and then wasn't able to get back over the gate to use the potty pad. So, she had a couple of minor accidents then. She had an accident this morning, and one yesterday morning too. I think she's just confused now about where she's supposed to go. So, we're starting over. Ugh. I'm seriously questioning whether or not we should have gotten the dog. In retrospect, I wish we wouldn't have gotten her.

On an unrelated note, my wife found out last week that she's alergic to cats. She's experienced a lot of difficulty in breathing over the last year or so, and we thought she had developed a case of Asthma. After a full workup with the allergist, she's extremely alergic to cats. That's unfortunate, as we have two, and have had cats in our home our entire married life. The doctor recommended removing the cats to solve the problem, but that's not really an option. They've become so much a part of our family, it would be almost impossible for us to give them up. So, she's going to limit her contact as much as possible, and will wash her hands vigorously after she handles them. They're not allowed to sleep with us anymore, and definitely no snuggle sessions. I feel sorry for them, as they don't quite understand why they don't get the love and attention from my wife like they used to, but it's the best of a bad situation.

The cranes continue to migrate through the central plains. The peak migration period is supposed to be around March 20th. I had planned on traveling west to view them sometime next week, but we may also receive our last blast of winter next week too, so not entirely sure if I'm going to make it. We'll see.

Well, life with the puppy continues. She continues to be quite a handful, and is generally a lot of fun. We're still trying to potty train her, and overall, that's going OK. She has had just a couple of accidents on the carpet. Thankfully, since we have the Dupont Stainmaster carpet, her accidents don't sink in, but puddle on the top. Then, we just use the odor and stain remover (with enzyme action) to clean up the mess. It's a little stressful, but she's still learning. She has shown her stubborn side too, and I suppose that's just the terrier instinct in her.

I had a physical exam today. From all accounts, I'm very healthy, other than chronic fatigue, and that's related to my job schedule. The doctor did order a full set of bloodwork though, just to make sure. I wonder if I'm not a little anemic. I've tried to take daily vitamins, but they don't agree with me. I often feel bloated, and quickly gain a lot of weight.

My wife is changing jobs. She's a school teacher, and will be moving to a new school this coming year. One of the perks of her current job is the laptop that she gets to use. Her new school doens't supply laptops to the teachers. Oh well. Thus, we've been shopping around, and just today purchased a new laptop from Dell. I got a really good deal, and got 37% off, plus free shipping, along with a double memory upgrade and a free DVD upgrade. I'm pretty happy. It's an ultralight, is only 1" thick when closed, and weighs about 4 1/2 pounds. It's very cool. While we don't need it for another couple of months, this was just too good of a deal to pass up. While there are always deals on the Dell website, we decided to grab this one while it was available.

Otherwise, nothing else to report. Same stuff different day. We're anxiously awaiting spring. We had a wonderful, warm weekend last weekend with temperatures in the mid 70s. It was awesome, and a sign of things to come.

Well, it's been about 5 days since Ginger arrived at our house. She arrived Sunday evening without any trouble. We were a little worried about her traveling from Texas, but it actually went quite well. She was scared at first, but then happy to see us, and was cuddling in my daughter's arms in just a couple of minutes.

We arrived home, let her explore a little bit, and gave her a drink of water and some dinner. She was happy about that, gobbled the food down, and then used the puppy pad that we had placed out. We kissed her goodnight, and put her in her kennel. She slept very well the first night, likely quite tired from her plane ride. She slept for about 3 hours, upon which she was crying. Thus, I got her up and let her out, although she didn't use the bathroom. She slept again for another 3 hours, and then it was time to get up in the morning. I on the other hand didn't sleep a week. Too much adrenaline.

Monday was a quiet day. We lounged around the house, and got to know each other. She was still a little lethargic, and didn't really want to play much. Monday night was bad. She cried all night long. She wanted nothing to do with the kennel, and missed her mom and litter mates a lot. I didn't get much sleep that night either, but did manage to sneak in a couple of hours after putting in a set of ear plugs.

Tuesday was very similar to Monday. She started to get her energy back, and started exploring the house. Today was much better, and she definitely is starting to feel a lot more comfortable. I did run a few errands in the afternoon, and she stayed at home and slept. She's also getting along pretty well with the cats. Our older cat hates her, and our younger cat tolerates her. In fact, he started playing with her, and they take turns chasing and nipping each other. I think the younger cat is happy to have a new playmate with abundant energy. Tuesday night was bad once again. She howled a lot, to the point that even ear plugs could not drown out the sound. I eventually moved to the couch, so that she could see and hear me while still in her kennel, and that seemed to help. In fact, she seemed content, knowing that I was close by.

Wednesday, we ventured outside. It was our first time meeting new people. I went to my workplace, as a couple of the women that I work with wanted to see her. They thought she was so small and cute, and Ginger generally took it in stride, although she's very timid around strangers. Hopefully, that's just the fear period that puppies experience at this age. We also went to the pet store to get a couple more balls and to buy puppy chow. Wednesday night was a little better, but she was up around 3:30 am. My wife wasn't very happy, but she normally gets up around 5:00 am anyhow, so she tolerated the early awakening. I had to work. She did have her first accident on the carpet too, but it was easily cleaned up.

Thursday was an OK day. Ginger has definitely become very comfortable in our house. She plays hard, and now explores rooms on her own, and has found her voice. All in all, she's doing very well. I slept for about 4 hours in the morning, and she was fine through that period. I'm sure she slept too, but also entertained herself with toys and rawhide chews. I got up and we had a couple of very vigorous play sessions. She's a riot. It's so funny to watch her run (actually hops like a rabbit), to see her pick up toys in her mouth and shake them to death (that's how they do it), and to hear her bark at the cats. She also loves to cuddle. She's very happy snuggling in your lap, or in the crook of your arm, or around your neck. She definitely likes skin to skin contact. Last night, she slept the night through. She was in the kennel for about 7 hours, and didn't make a sound all night long. I don't know if she was just really tired, or has realized that we're not leaving her. Nevertheless, it was the most restful 7 hours of sleep I've ever gotten I think. After being run ragged with only 2 or 4 hours of sleep over the previuos 5 days, it was much needed.

Today, we traveled to her first checkup with the vet. He said she's very healthy, and everything looks great. She's gained 10 oz. in the previous week, and should mature at 7 to 9 lbs, just like the breeder thought. She had her first heartguard treat, and will get another set of shots in another couple of weeks. She's sleeping now after having a grueling play session. She likes to run laps around our love seat. She runs so fast, it's like a blur or white and brown and she whizzes by, barking along the way, and occasionally stopping to growl and chew on a ball or a squeaky toy. It definitely wears her out, and hopefully, we can continue to do that each night before bedtime.

Tonight will be a big night also, as my wife is having several friends over for scrapbooking. So, she'll be able to meet another 5 people or so, along with a couple of other dogs, Max and Murphy. We're supposed to introduce her to 100 people or pets in the next couple of months, so far, she has met 6. Puppy training class starts in three weeks. That should be fun.

Well, today is the day that our new pup arrives. She's enroute right now, traveling via Continental Airlines Petsafe program. The breeder dropped her off a couple of hours ago, and she'll arive here in Omaha in another couple of hours. We're all very excited about the new addition, but very nervous too. I think we're ready. We've got all of the supplies. We've got chew toys, treats, collars, leashes, potty pads, and an array of other assorted items. I've done as much research as I possibly can, and feel comfortable in what I need to do. While it will be an adjustment, I think we'll do just fine overall, and hopefully it will be a great experience. Hmm, we'll see.

Well, I have much to report. It's been a busy week though with life moving forward. Our new bed is working out very well. In fact, now that we've gotten used to the new feel, it's become a very comfortable bed. It's still very warm, and I end up sweating most nights, I just let some cool air in to solve that problem. So, I'd say that almost a month later, we're very happy with our decision.

My wife made soup again yesterday. If you remember from a couple of months ago, she made soup, and I hated it. This soup wasn't much better. In fact, we didn't even eat it. We decided to abandon the project, and made PB&J sandwiches instead. Crazy!

My wife had a Tastefully Simple party this past Friday. I spent the day cleaning the house, and rearraning clutter. It was a lot of hard work, but the house looked really good. And, only a short day later, it's back to normal, looking cluttered and disorganized again. Sigh. It's frustrating to work so hard for so little, but that's just the way it is I suppose.

I went to the local gun show yesterday with my father in law and one of his friends.
It was OK, but so much old crap. I think as a society, we hold on to things much longer than we should. I don't have a lot of room to talk though, as our basement is cluttered with box upon box of junk. I did buy a new knife though. I've been looking for a good pocket knife with a jean clip for awhile, and finally found what I was looking for. It's a heavy duty knife. My wife wasn't impresed, but it's exactly what I wanted.

NASCAR started up again today with the running of the Daytona 500. While I'm certainly not a diehard fan, I do enjoy a good race once in awhile.

I'm starting to get a little nervous about getting the puppy next weekend. I think we're ready, or at least as ready as we can be. It will definitely be a big adjustment in our lives, and while it will be a LOT of hard work, it should be a lot of fun too. Ha!

I'm still in the midst of a four day weekend. I have tomorrow off. It's one of those holidays that I'd just rather work (and receive double time for), but it will be a good day to spend with my daughter too.

Otherwise, if you recall, I paid of my truck loan a few months early (earlier in the year). I've been waiting for the credit union to release the title. Unfortunately, it seems that the post office has lost the title in the mail. The credit union mailed it almost two weeks ago, and I've yet to receive it. Ugh. Now, I'll have to get another release of lien, and get a duplicate title. While it's not the end of the world, it's a hassle nonetheless. We're also trying to rearrange some finances, to hopefully pay down some credit debt. If all goes as planned, we should be able to pay off our credit card debt altogether in another couple of months. Yeah!

Of course, something else will come along, it always does. In fact, I just found out that the head gasket needs to be replaced on our Saturn. The car has 115,000 miles, but I think the engine still has a lot of life left in it. The engine does not knock, it doesn't burn oil, it just leaks it very badly. My father in law's private mechanic should be able to repair it for well less than half of what the dealer was going to charge, but even still, that's about $400. Yikes. But, I think of it as an investment in my transportation. Again, the engine for all purposes still runs great, and the gas mileage is excellent at 35 mpg on a bad day. Oh well, again, that's life.

I know this may sound strange, but I think we might have a ghost in our house. Yesterday evening, my wife was inquiring of the wherabouts of her kitchen shears. We have two pair, but the good pair was missing. I haven't used them in quite awhile, and when I do, I usually leave them in the kitchen. Our daughter indicated she hadn't seen them, so apparently, they just disappeared.

Today, the kitchen shears mysteriously appeared on the counter. Now I know my wife thinks I'm playing a joke, but I honestly didn't have them. I swear. Our daughter vehemently denies having anything to do with them, and my wife also said that she didn't have them. So, this only means one of two things. First, someone is lying, and my wife had them all along. In other words, she doesn't want to admit that she misplaced them. I made her look me straight in the eye to say that she didn't have them, but I think she was looking over my shoulder, and not directly in my eye. Or, the other option is a little scary, in that we have a ghost living in our house.

Now we don't believe in ghosts, but there really isn't any other explanation. My wife indicated that a ghost couldn't possibly be living in our home, becuase it's a brand new house, and we're the only ones that have lived here. I basically said, "Duh, have you not seen the movie Poltergeist?" LOL!

So, someone is playing a trick, or we have a ghost living in our house. Either way, it's an erie feeling.

Well, we've made it offical. We've made arrangements to adopt an 8 week old toy Rat Terrier. She'll be delivered in a couple of weeks from a breeder in Texas. She sure is a cute pup, and should be about 7 or 8 pounds when fully grown. So, while she'll not be a big dog, it's a breed that has a lot of energy, but also has the terrier instinct. But, from all accounts, Rat Terriers are loyal family dogs and get along well with cats too. I'm definitely a little nervous about the extra work involved with raising a new puppy, but it should be an interesting experience. We've been talking about getting a puppy for awhile, and have decided that now is as good of a time as ever. I've been able to rearrange my schedule over the next 6 weeks so that we can give her as much attention as possible.

My daughter learned a valuable lesson in school today. She learned that kids can sometimes be cruel, even if they didn't mean too. It all began when my daughter approached a couple of girls at recess to ask if she could play with them. Apparently, they said that they didn't want to play with her, which hurt her feelings, so she went over and sat on the end of the stage. She said she didn't cry, but from what I can gather, she was at the verge of tears, but was able to hold them back. That's a big thing for a young girl to handle. This is the second year at this school, so she does have other friends to play with, but I think she was crushed.

Apparently, the teacher witnessed the whole ordeal, and spoke with the two girls, and then spoke with the mother of one of the girls. The mother proceeded to call my wife, and had the girl apologize to my wife, and then called our home and apologized to our daughter this evening. That was a nice gesture. Hannah said it was OK, and that she'd see her tomorrow in class.

So, while it's not an earth-shattering event, I think Hannah did learn a good lesson today.

Well, the groundhog saw his shadow today. That means six more weeks of winter. Hmm, that's just about the amount of time until March 21, regardless, so I'm beginning to wonder if this groundhog thing is all a hoax. Haha

Today was a beautiful day across the plains. It was mild, the sun was shining, and it was a grand day. My daughter had an early dismissal from school, so I picked her up and we went to the zoo. It was a slow day, and a lot of the animals were still indoors, but we really wanted to see the IMAX movie Alaska. We like to see the IMAX movies, they are both educational, and inspirational. The 6-story screen and awesoem 6 channel sound is exhilirating. The movie itself was grand, with amazing vistas and breathtaking scenery. It was a fun afternoon.

After the zoo, we drove to the pet store to look at puppies. I think we've decided to get a dog. Our guinea pig died this past week, he was about 6 years old. He just lied down one day, stopped eating and drinking, and couldn't move. About 5 days later, he died. We had debated on whether or not to get another guinea pig, but I think we've decided on a dog. I'm lukewarm about this idea, as it certainly will be a big change, with a lot of additional work, but I think we're ready, as a family that is. Everyone is expected to pitch in with the work, so hopefully, it will be a good experience. We thought about getting a Chihuahua, but after playing with one at my wife's mother's house (she's watching one for a friend), we think it's too small, and too fragile. So, we did some research, and settled on a Terrier, either a Jack Russell or a Rat Terrier. The books indicate that Jack Russells aren't the best dogs for first time dog owners, so a Rat Terrier it is. We're thinking of the miniature variety, which should weigh about 12 lbs when fully grown. Perhaps the perfect size. We found a breeder, and as luck would have it, they have a litter of pups available. So, we'll have to think long and hard, but we might be adopting a new little girl in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

Well, the new mattress was delivered this past week. Wow, that thing sure is big. It's about 18" deep, and even with a half-height box spring, it still feels like I've got my nosed pressed against the ceiling when I lie down. Oh well. It's a bit softer than the floor model at Nebraska Furniture Mart, and we've basically worked ourselves into a complex over it. The first night, we both slept fitfully. We had our previous mattress for almost 12 years, so it's something that we definitely got used to. The second night was just as bad, we both didn't sleep well, although I felt rested in the morning, and didn't ache, so that's a good sign. With all things, it will just take time to get used to the new feel. It's a top-end Sealy mattress, we spared no expense. Ha. The cat's like it very well, although anything other than the floor to them feels like a palace.

I did hit the casino a couple of times this past week. I went on Monday so that I could get my free Mardi Gras beads (every month, they give away a free prize, such as a tee shirt, a hat, or beads, etc). I won $75 that day, and would have liked to stay longer, but I needed to depart to get some lunch, and opted not to head back after. I headed back to the casino last night for a couple of hours. I was down almost $100, in fact, down to my last $5 chip, and won it back, eventually being $50 on the plus side by the end of the night. I would have stayed longer, but this really fat guy sat down next to me, and he smelled very bad, enough that it almost made me gag, so I pulled the chips in and left. Maybe he saved me some money, I don't know. It wasn't the typical body odor, but more of an unclean, nasty, gunky odor. It was bad.

I watched a good movie last night, The Towering Inferno. I know, that movie is like 30 years old, but I've never seen it before. And, in the world of DVR, we're finding that we record shows we wouldn't have bothered with before, simply because we can. It was a long movie, on American Movie Classics, but a good thriller nonetheless.

Let's see. I've got my taxes just about done. I hope to send them off this weekend, and plan to Efile. I'm not thrilled, but the sooner I pay them off, the smaller the penalty will be. I also made arrangements to pay off my truck loan about 5 months early, and my health care savings account has been set up too, so hopefully, I can pay off our daughter's orthodnotia bill early too.

We had a get together with my family yesterday. It was our annual holiday party, only a couple of weeks late. We didn't have time to get together in December, so we postponed it until January. It was a fun time, we all laughed a lot, had some great food, played cards, eventually the Newlywed game. We all had a great time, it's good to see family, to catch up on their lives, to laugh, and remember old times. Just wish we had time to do it more often.

Well, my career as a professional black jack player probably still needs some finetuning. Last night, nothing was on TV, and I intended to go to the gym. Instead, I decided to drive over to the casino boat. I was too tired for physical exercise, but awake enough to play some cards. After about 2 hours of play, I was up $20. I decided to call it a night and head home. In other words, I couldn't make a living, but it sure was fun. Had I left about 10 minutes earlier, I would have been up $60, but I managed to lose about 8 hands in a row, and that was my clue to pack it up and leave. Ah, $20 profit is better than anything in the red.

Well, we picked up our new entertainment center and TV on Sunday. It was quite a job, required two trips, and the assistance of two of my brother-in-laws and my father-in-law, but it's all set up, and boy oh boy, it sure is sweet. I got all of the HD channels activated, and it's breathtaking. It's almost to the point of being spoiled watching HD TV, and then having to watch regular TV thereafter. It's just not as good. You get accustomed to seeing the super-clear, awesome picture, and then get let down when you watch regular channels. Oh well, that's what it's all about. Ha.

Yesterday, we went back to Nebraska Furniture Mart and got a new mattress set. We spent about 300 dollars more than we wanted to, and bought an ultra plush, when we were mostly set on getting another firm mattress like the one we have now. It was somewhat out of character for us, but the ultra plush felt so nice, it was amazing. Hopefully, it won't be too soft, but we'll see. If it is, it will be an expensive lesson.

We put everything on the no interest plan until 2007, so we do have 2 years to pay for it. Should be easy enough. But, it was just the initial thought of dropping $3000 so quickly, especially when we have income taxes that are due very shortly. But those taxes are due right away, and these new payments can be deferred for a few months. LOL, ah, it's a vicious cycle.

We decided to have Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast. It just happens that there was a Starbucks Coffee shop right next to the doughnut case in HyVee. I've never had a Starbucks in my life, but I think my wife is addicted to it. I called her, and inquired what she wanted. She wanted a peppermint mocha, non-fat, with whipped cream, whatever that might be. Me, I just had their daily coffee. I'm not into fru fru coffee (as we call it). I just like a good cup of jo, with cream and sugar. I have to admit, my coffee was the most bitter coffee I've ever had. That was even with a full packet of sweet and low. I can't believe I paid $1.75 for a cup of coffee that quite possibly could have been the worst cup of coffee I've ever had. In other words, I'll never have Starbucks again.

We bought the HDTV. Well, let me rephrase that. "I" bought the TV, and my wife reluctantly agreed. She never said "No." She did express concern about the price, but she technically never said no, so to me, that meant, sure, go ahead, be frivolous.

We decided on a 34" flat-screen TV (no, not a flat panel, but a flat screen, traditional tube TV.) Ok, the downside of this, the thing is an absolute beast at almost 200 pounds. The upside, it's got the "BEST" picture quality of any HDTV on the market right now, and it fits exactly into the new entertainment center we bought to go along with it. I mean exactly. There's about 1/2" to spare all the way around, otherwise, it's an exact fit. It's almost as if the entertainment center was built for this specific TV. The entertainment center was labeled as an "HDTV" entertainment center, so maybe it was.

We bought a 34" Sony WEGA model. Link here if you'd like more info on the TV. You can read some customer reviews from the Circuit City site, or check out the reviews from Epinions.com for additional details.

I have to admit, I'm pretty excited. I think we got a really good deal at the Nebraska Furniture Mart, and think we'll enjoy this TV for years and years to come. Sure, it's frivolous, and very extravagent, but hell, you only live once, and by golly, we're making sure that our one shot is an enjoyable one.

Well, I have to admit, after almost two weeks of having DVR, it's definitely an awesome feature. In fact, I think it will revolutionize the way we watch TV. Recording shows is so easy, I can't ever imagine going back to a regular VCR. The clarity of the shows is astounding too, and it's unbelievably easy to not only set the recordings, but watch them as well. It's almost as if watching TV has become more efficient. Plus, when using the onscreen guide, which goes out about 6 days, you can set up your whole week's recording schedule in just a few minutes. Another cool feature, you can set it up to record the entire series of a show. Thus, with a one-time program, you can record every new show of Everybody Loves Raymond for example. That's it. Every new episode thereafter will be recorded. It's very cool.

Now, I'm considering moving to the next step. The DVR has a built-in HD tuner. However, we don't have an HD TV. So, I've been doing some research on big-screen TVs. I think it would be cool to have a nice, large, HDTV. We had intended to buy a new TV for when we finish our basement, but that is years away. I'm seriously debating whether we should just get the TV now. Nebraska Furniture Mart has a deal going on now, no interest if paid off by January 2007. That's two years we'd have to pay it off. Hmm, very tempting.

My wife on the other hand thinks we need to buy a new couch and love seat instead, I'm not so sure. Our old couch can hold up another two years (doubtful, ha). Seriously, we do need new furniture. Our couch is sagging severely in the middle, and every time we sit down on the love seat, it makes these creaking noises, like the wood is about to crack. Yikes.

And, we need a new mattress set. We've been using our current set for 11 years, I think it's time we get a new set. So, what to do. I guess it boils down to the needs versus the wants. We need a new mattress set, and will probably need a new couch and love seat. But I want a new HD big-screen TV. Hmm, decisions, decisions, decisions.

OK, I don't know if you've seen the commercials for Herbal Essence where the woman moans wildly about shampooing her hair. Now that's exciting. But otherwise, shampoo isn't all that energizing. Most of use shampoo, and for most of us, we use it every day. Do you think our hair gets tired of the same old shampoo, day in and day out? I actually do. It's like after months of use, it's not quite as effective. It's like building up a resistance to the shampoo's cleaning effects. And amazingly enough, if you just change to a different brand, then it seems life is good again. Shampoo becomes exciting. Your hair smells great, it's clean and shiny, and the shampoo does its job. I know this has nothing to do with anything really, but it's just a thought that came to me.

Well, it's mid January, still about 6 weeks away from good sandhill crane viewing. I enjoyed my visit to Central Nebraska so much last year, I'm axiously looking forward to the visit this year. I don't know that I'll see anything new, and it might just be the same old thing, but for some reason, it's kind of exciting. Especially if the day turns out to be as beautiful as the trip last year. And, to see a beautiful sunset on the Platte River is awesome.

Well, Lady Luck has been on my side the past few days. On Monday, I decided to go to the gym to get some exercise. I left the house around 800 pm. I got to the gym, and the parking lot was nearly full. I had forgotten how crazy it can be right after the first of the year when everyone has made their New Year's resolution to lose weight. So, I decided to kill a couple of hours. I first went to the bookstore, but there wasn't anything that I was interested in buying. So, I ventured out to the casino boat. It's only 20 minutes away, almost too convenient. After about an hour, I was up $125. I was giddy. I decided to take the profit and run. Finally. Too many times I've been up $60, $75, or even $100 and have lost it all. Not this time.

Yesterday, after work (I got off at midnight), because my sleep pattern was altered too much (from working midnight shifts earlier in the weekend), I decided to head back to the casino for another try. I wouldn't be able to sleep for another 2 or 3 hours, so I decided to spend it at the boat. After 20 minutes, I was up another $100 bucks. I couldn't believe it. Neither could everyone else at the table. The pit boss was a little upset. I walked away, again. I went home and watched the movie Truman instead.

It was a great movie. I'm finding that I really enjoy learning about United States history. In college, I struggled to get C grades in the two history classes that I took. Now, I wish I could take the classes over again, when the grades don't really count, to actually learn something that I didn't know before.

Anyhow, back to my story. Today, before work, I was still feeling a lucky streak inside me, and I headed back to the boat once more to hit the cards. Again, I was up $50, then down about $40, and eventually, after about an hour, was back to $100 on the plus side. That's $325 in 3 sessions. Totally awesome!

It's funny how Lady Luck can pay you a visit. But, unfortunately, you can have just as long of a bad streak too. That's the way it goes. Up some days, down others, but as long as you have fun, it should be worth it. It's important to remember though to not gamble with money you can't afford to lose. I do like to play the cards, that's all, of course, that comes from my father and mother who had the hot gambling bug in them, but it sure is fun. Especially when you win!

Well, another 6 inches of snow fell last night, but there really wasn't a lot of wind. Thus, same story, different day, I fired up the snowblower, and had the driveway clean in about 45 minutes. I then headed out to run some errands, and also get a new toy. We have been discussing the need for a digital video recorder (DVR), and thought it was time to take the plunge. Thus, I exchanged our old digital cable box for a shiny new DVR, and boy oh boy, is that thing cool. You can record up to 60 hours of TV, or about 15 hours of HD TV. We don't have an HD TV, so we get the full capacity. You can record two shows at once, you can pause and rewind live TV, it's totally awesome. All in all, it will be an extra $10 a month on our cable bill, but from first impressions, I'd say it will be worth every penny. Now, I'm wondering why we didn't do it sooner.

Well, we received our 8 inches of snow afterall. We awoke this morning, to find that the advertised lull between systems was here. The wind blew quite a bit overnight, and drifted the snow a bit, but overall, it's not too bad.

My father in law gave me a pair of heavy-duty coveralls right before winter set in. He works for the post office, and these are the same coveralls that mail handlers wear. Wow, were they ever warm. In fact, it's the first time I've ever worn coveralls in my life, and it's probably the warmest I've ever been when pushing snow. He also gave me a a balaclava to go over my head. It was awesome. I now know what I've been missing all of these years.

The snowblower fired right up, well almost. I had to prime the engine a bit more than expected, but it took. Unfortunately, we have an east-west driveway, and the wind was still blowing from the north around 20 mph, so anytime I tried to blow the snow north, it blew right back into my face. Hmm, that was kind of nasty, but otherwise, I made quick progress, and had the driveway cleaned out in about an hour. Not bad.

Therafter, we ventured out, to grab a few supplies at Walmart (my wife now has the bad cold that I had right around Christmas), and also to an orthodontist appointment for my daughter.

Later, the piano tuner came by to tune the piano. It hadn't been tuned in probably 15 years. It was severely under pitched, but after a couple of hours, it sounds beautiful again. Unbelievable how different it sounds.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is oh so delightful. The aforementioned snow storm has arrived with a vengeance. We're expecting several inches, somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 to 14 inches. The entire region is in a flutter about the upcoming snowstorm. It's already started snowing today, and should continue right on through Wednesday. So thankful that I have my snow blower. I got it out yesterday, cleaned and gassed it up, and it's ready to go. Hopefully, it won't be too bad, as the snow is expected to come in two pieces. 6 or 8 inches today, and another 4 to 6 inches tomorrow. Ah, fresh snow is so beautiful, but when the wind blows, it gets bitterly cold, which I don't care for at all.

Well, the new year has arrived. We made it through the holidays just fine, although I was under the weather with a terrible cold. My wife and daughter drove to Kentucky to visit some good friends there, and I stayed at home and played Black Jack. I had to work too, but I was able to hit the casino a couple of times.

We didn't have much weather to speak of, but within a few days, we should have a pretty big snow storm. Looks like by next Tuesday and Wednesday, we could see several inches of snow.

I did a preliminary tax estimate too. It's bad news. I in advertently claimed too many exemptions. Instead of claiming 3 total, I claimed 6 (3 for my W4 and 3 for my wife's). Yikes. Sure enough, right now, it looks like we're going to owe about $2400 to federal (plus penalty) and about $350 to state. Damn. That's not exactly the new years present I was hoping for, but, nothing that can be done about it now. I was originally angry as hell about the whole prospect, but have now come to realize it's my own fault. Had I paid "more" attention, we wouldn't be in this mess. Oh well. Life sucks sometimes.

With regard to new years resolutions, I don't think I'll make any. I invariably don't follow them. One time several years ago, we tried to seal our resolutions in an envelope to open the following year. That was kind of fun, perhaps we'll start that again for next year.

Today is Christmas Eve. Only it doesn't feel like Christmas. I'm not sure why, but it doesn't. We decided to do a little last minute shopping today. Not for Christmas presents, but for a new electric knife to carve the turkey and ham. Our old electric knife broke a couple of years ago, and we've never gotten around to replacing it.

We were amazed at how many people were still out and about. The stores were full, the streets clogged, I honestly didn't believe that many people would still be shopping on Christmas Eve. It's almost as if it's just another day, nothing special.

We made peanut butter fudge today. It was an old recipe that my administrative assistant gave to me. Her fudge was very good, and we wanted the recipe. Our first batch may have turned out a little dry, but it was fun nonetheless, but a lot of work.

I had to work this evening, from 4 pm until midnight. Sigh. Maybe it would feel more like Christmas if I didn't have to work. It kind of takes the magic out of it. Another reason, I think our 8 year old daughter finally has given up on Santa Claus. She didn't want to go see him, or even write him a letter. So, that's kind of sad in a way, but expected I guess.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Well, yesterday, I started feeling under the weather. I could feel a cold coming on. I thought I was getting one last week. I traveled to Kansas City for some work-related training. It seems that whenever I travel to KC, I always get sick. But last week, I was able to beat it down. I thought I was over it.

Now today, I've got a full blown cold. It's in my throat and chest. I've lost my voice. I can't hardly speak, and I'm coughing hard. I haven't had a cold this bad in about 10 months. I suppose it was time. My job depends on my ability to communicate to not only my coworkers, but also to my customers. I'll make do, but my voice is so raspy, I honestly don't know how I'll cope.

Hopefully, I can begin to get over this before the holidays arrive.

Cell phones have become the modern-day necessity. Everyone has one, and if you don't, well, then you basically need one. Really. It's true. Actually, I don't believe I know anyone that DOESN'T have one. It's amazing.

We've all come to the point where we feel we NEED to have one attached to our hip. It's almost comical. I saw a good friend today who I haven't seen in awhile at a meeting. Sure enough, he had his cell phone firmly attached to his belt. I asked him if he uses it much. He said, "No." I asked him why he carries it on his hip. He said, "In case anyone ever needs to get ahold of me." I asked him if he received many calls. He said, "No."

So, there you have it. Many of us have them, and do any of us use them for anything important. Mostly, no. I've had a cell phone for about 5 years now. Have I ever used it for anything other than mindless dribble? I can't recall a single instance where I couldn't have gotten by without it. Sure, I don't doubt that cell phones have saved lives, and I suppose it's a good piece of insurance to have, but I think we've taken the obsession to the next level.

There's always something bigger and better. The newest model. The newest gimick. It used to be analog, then digital, now global digital. Cell phones used to be the size of a brick, and now, they're the size of a postage stamp. They used to be black and white, and now, they're in color, capable of broadcasting streaming video to your personal web page. Just more nonsense for communications companies to continue getting richer while the majority of Americans scrape by. It's an injustice. We're being conned by corporate America.

Is it worth it to pay my $80 per month for the cell phones that my wife and I now carry? I personally am beginning to question that. But, the first time I could actually use it to save someone's life, I might be thinking a different tune. It's all about convenience. As a society, we've become accustomed to getting instant gratification. Instant communication. Instant feedback. I think we've gone off the deep end.

My daughter has been begging me to set up the Christmas tree. She's become quite anxious, and for the last two weeks, has been asking if we can start decorating the house. To me, it's just more work on top of an already busy schedule. I've lost the luster of the holidays, and I'm not really into them. In fact, I'd just prefer for them to be over. Then, things can settle down to normal once again, and life can go on.

Ah, but to see the holidays through children's eyes. To see the joy and wonder, to see their faith in a deceiving tradition, to enjoy the suspense of receiving their heart's desires come true. I remember those days, and wonder what it would be like to feel that way once again. I remember fondly my holidays past, and am a little sad that I can't give that to my daughter.

I'll put on a good face, and in fact, we did set up the tree today. We unpacked box after box of Christmas docorations, and my daughter was overjoyed. You could see the twinkle in her eye as she discovered ornaments and decorations that she'd long forgotten about. It was fun. If only to be a kid again, just for awhile, that would be priceless.

Even though I've been married for almost 12 years, I've come to the conclusion that I still don't understand women. Well, most men don't, so I'm not alone. It snowed today. So, my wife decided to make soup. That sounded great, and I thought it would feel good after being out on a chilly day. After she arrived home from the grocery store, I ventured out myself to run a couple of errands. I said I'd be home in a couple of hours.

After getting home (I was starved, as we had an early brunch), my wife immediately informed me that she didn't think I'd like the soup. She even said she didn't know if she'd like it herself. You see, my wife likes to experiment with new recipes, and this was a new recipe. I on the other hand have never been excited about these experiments. While there have been a few good recipes gleaned from the process, a lot of the time, it's not pleasant. Tonight was no different.

The soup was a hamburger, green bean, and corn mixture. First of all, I've never been fond of corn in soup, period. I guess I've just never told her that. The soup was too thick, and the taste too harsh. This is one recipe I'd just rather do without. To my wife's dismay, I ate a few bites, but then pushed it aside. My daughter was making gagging noises as she tried to eat it. While that was probably a bit over the top, my wife got upset and went running from the table.

About an hour later, after throwing a few dirty glances in my direction, she's still fuming. She also made a pumpkin pie, which I didn't get to have on Thanksgiving. I thought I'd at least help heal the rift by enjoying a piece of dessert. As I grabbed a plate from the cupboard, she shot back, "I didn't say you could have a piece of dessert." I shrugged my shoulders, put the plate back in its place, and began to walk away. I guess she was feeling guilty, and said, "I was just kidding. You can have it." I glanced back without showing much emotion, and said, "No thanks." That prompted another uproar, and she went storming out of the kitchen, mumbling "You've managed to insult me again."

So, I just don't get it. I suppose I never will. She feels that we (my daughter and myself) never appreciate anything that she does, but that's not correct. We appreciate very much all that she does for us, but I guess she just doesn't see that. She prefaced the dinner with words of caution that the soup was going to be bad. And it was. I ate a few bites, but that's all I could take. I didn't say anything, except that I didn't like corn in my soup.

I apologized. But, she's still on the warpath. Sigh.

OK, enough is enough. I think the stores have taken rebates to the extreme. It seems you can't buy anything these days without a "mail-in" rebate attached to it. As I type this, I'm waiting on 12 rebates. I still haven't figured out the whole rebate scheme, but as far as I can tell, companies are buying our contact information so that they can bombard us with junk mail. I guess it doesn't really matter, I don't even bother to open 50% of it. I simply throw most of it away. I suppose the other angle would be that businesses hope that we just won't bother with the hassle of collecting the proper forms, cutting the UPC symbols, making copies of receipts, and so on. A recent tax software purchase is a prime example. I had to spend $180 out-of-pocket to get all of the freebies and upgrades. After filling out paperwork for over an hour, hopefully, in the end, I'll get about $120 of that back. That's if all of the rebates are accepted. I've sent in rebates before, only to receive a letter in the mail stating that they were missing the proper form, or that the UPC symbol fell out of the envelope in transit, or some other line of BS. And, in the end, it takes 8 to 10 weeks to receive your money. There's so much of a disconnect there that it just doesn't feel like you've gotten the bargain that you signed up for. Oh well, the retailers have us by the walnuts. The only choice we have is to put up with the nonsense, jump through their stupid hoops, and give up up personal information, or pay the higher price. Sometimes, the higher price just might be worth it.

I begin my vacation today. I've got the next 7 days off. Unbelievably, we're not going out of town for the holidays. It's going to be an awesome feeling. Being away from work hopefully will give me a renewed spirit, and because we're not rushing around like fools, it should be a peaceful time. I've got a few errands in the house that I'd like to get done, but if I don't, the world won't fall off its axis. If I get a chance, that's great. So, we can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, attend my sister-in-law's wedding reception, and just enjoy the break.

Today, we attended my sister-in-law's wedding. It wasn't a traditional wedding, in fact, it was a very non traditional wedding. She decided to get married at the court house. She originally was going to run off to Las Vegas, but we convinced her that was a bad idea. So, she got married by a judge. It turned out to be a really beautiful wedding. The judge's words were very touching. It brought back memories of my own wedding. And, I think the bride and groom were both truly happy. It was a good day.

Last night, we drove away from the city for dinner. I had received word at work about a great steak house that was in a small town about 30 miles away. We drove there once before to eat, but it was too busy, and the wait was over 2 hours. So, we decided to try our luck again last night.

This was definitely a step back in time. I grew up in a small town, and steak houses such as this were common to me. But, it was a new experience for my wife. Actually, we found it quite amusing.

Now please understand, this is a small town with a population of about 400 people. We arrived, and instead of taking our names, the owner asked us to take a seat in the bar. Sure beats standing up. We ordered drinks, and relaxed while beginning to watch the Oklahoma/Nebraska football game.

After about a 30 minute wait, we were shown to our table. The restaurant is a historical landmark, and we were seated in the balcony. The ceilings were low (about 5 feet) but were covered with original copper plates. It was beautiful. The menu choices were mostly peppered with steak entrees (typical of a small town place), and it was then that I noticed in bold, black letters: "We do not accept credit cards."

Wow. It hit me like a rock. I've come to assume that ALL places accept credit cards. It's the way we live. Well, actually not via a credit card, but a Debt card for us, but it still works the same. Thankfully, I had just gone to the bank earlier that day and I did have enough cash in my wallet, otherwise, we would have had to pay for our drinks and leave.

The food was OK, the ambience was great, and overall, it was a pleasant evening.

Ah, life is good when things are new. Take our new car for instance. Six weeks ago when we drove it off the lot, it was divine. The feelings were unexplainable. It was a euphoric moment. Now, with a little mud on the tires and grime on the windows, the bloom is off the rose. I took our car to get it washed yesterday. It needed it. I spent about an hour, washing, buffing, drying, and cleaning. Now, it looks new again. I didn't feel the same as when we drove it off the lot, but it felt good again. I'm not sure why, but driving a clean car makes me feel at ease.

I decided to do a little furniture rearranging in our guest bedroom. Actually, it's a computer room most of the time, and once or twice a year, we have guests. Anyhow, back to my point, I decided to switch the location of the computer and dresser.

I purchased a new desk, to tidy things up a bit, and also give us more space. I debated on buying a real-wood desk, but decided on a pressed-wood kit instead. I've been looking for awhile now, but couldn't find anything that suited me. Finally, I found the perfect desk, and brought it home. It was heavy, about 100 pounds, and needed assembly.

As I unpackaged the contents, I was amazed. The desk was broken down into about 30 wooden pieces, with a gallon-sized bag of bolts, nuts, screws, nails, and other associated hardware. Wow. I was overwhelmed. So, the quest began.

I started on page one, and continued to plod through 24 more pages of instructions (full size pages, front and back). Most of it was graphical, but still, it was a daunting job. Overall, I spent about 3 hours putting the desk together. It actually looks really good. It's a nice desk, and will serve its purpose well.

Several times throughout the ordeal, I was cursing to myself under my breath, as I couldn't find the correct part, or didn't understand the instructions. Once, I dropped the bottom shelf on my big toe. It still hurts even today. It always makes me uneasy though when you've finished and you still have several bolts, nuts, and screws left over. I know that I followed each direction properly, I'm assuming the company sent a few extra, just to confuse us a little more. Did I really miss something? ha

Anyhow, that crosses another 2 items off of my "To Do" list. Slowly but surely, I'll get that list done, eventually. It only takes time and patience.

Yesterday, we took our piano out of storage so that our daughter could begin piano lessons. This is the piano that I was given when I was a child to learn how to play the piano myself. I was about 10 when Dad purchased the piano. I took lessons for about 4 years, and then lost interest as I became a teenager.

That was one of the items that I wanted when my folks passed away. I felt that I deserved it. Afterall, it was bought for me, and only myself (among 7 other brothers and sisters) learned how to play.

When my mother passed away, the piano, as willed, was given to me. At that time, I really didn't want anything to do with it. It only reminded me that my parents were gone. Every day that I'd walk past the piano, it would bring back painful memories.

Then, we moved across country, and I decided to leave the piano in storage, in our garage. It was wrapped in blankets, and covered in plastic. We did have plans to move it into our basement, but I could never coordinate enough people to do it.

Then, this past week, my daughter started her own lessons, unbeknownst to me. My wife and I had discussed it, but I didn't realize she was starting so soon. How could a child take piano lessons I asked, without having a piano to practice on?

So, we decided to move the piano into the house afterall. There really isn't room upstairs, so we placed it in our front foyer. While it's not the ideal place, we do have room there, it just looks a little odd. I cleaned it all up, blew out all of the dust with an air compressor, and cleaned the keys. Actually, it still looks beautiful. It hasn't been tuned in probably 15 or 17 years. It doesn't sound that bad, but will sound much better after a thorough checkup.

And, so it goes, passing down from generation to generation. My father and mother gave that piano to me almost 25 years ago, and now today, I'm giving it to my daughter. It almost makes me feel old in a way, but then again, those feelings of sadness that I'd always associated with that piano have disappeared. It's been 4 years since my mother's death, and that time has allowed me to heal. I'm thrilled that my daughter is taking lessons. I'm even more excited about the fact that she's not only using the piano that I learned how to play on 25 years ago, and indeed, even my mom took a few lessons too. It's a wonderful piece of heritage to share with my daughter.

It's beginning to be that time again when Old Man Winter will soon be descending upon us. The leaves have turned, the flowers have died (for the most part), and I'm mowing the grass for what I hope will be the last time this year. I've got winterizer fertilizer to put down, and I'm trying to get as much done outside as possible.

I don't particularly care for winter. I was born and raised in this part of the country, so I should be used to it, but I moved away for so long, I came to enjoy the mild winters of the south. Last winter was our first winter back on the plains, and it was a record setting winter at that with huge amounts of snowfall. I hope we don't repeat that again this year, but time will tell.

I generally prefer spring and fall the best. I love spring because I like to see the emergence of new growth, the beautiful flowering trees, and the color that transcends into summer. I love the fall for its cool, crisp days, and I love to see the fall colors emerge upon the horizon. I do however have fall allergies though, but have learned to cope with those for the 6 or 8 weeks that they bother me.

Winter is depressing. It's cold, dreary, and colorless. I really don't care for snow at all, having to drive through it, having to watch for other drivers lack of winter driving ability, and the cold, blustery conditions. Summer is OK, but it's often hot and muggy, and occasionally uncomfortable.

Ah, the change of season. Something that marches on, unchangeable, and always present in the back of our minds.

I voted today. Frankly, I'm not sure my 2 hour investment was worth it, (yes, I stood in line for 2 hours), but nonetheless, I voted. There was much grumbling in line among voters, especially because only 1 person was checking everyone in. Our precinct must be half of the city. It was unbelievable. Then, a lady walked in and began talking with the gal a couple of people ahead of me. She said the line at the other school across the street (the next precinct over), there were 4 tables for checking people in alphabetically, and that there were only 3 people in line. Ugh! So, I've done my civic duty, I voted, I'm not sure it was worth it, but I at least cast my ballot.

Interestingly enough, my 8 year old daughter informed me last night that she was voting for George Bush. They were having a mock vote at her school today. She said that she heard John Kerry was going to pass a law that all kids had to go to school all year long. She was concerned because kids need summer vacation, and she thought George Bush would be better as president by not passing such a law. Mind you, she's in the third grade, but at least she's got a viewpoint.

I'm not an overly political person. I never have been. But, this year's presidential election could prove to be interesting. I just read that the candidates have spent over 600 million on political advertising. I can't even begin to believe that. Imagine what could have been done if that money were spent elsewhere. It almost makes me angry, as I'm a middle class, regular joe, struggling to make ends meet, often living from paycheck to paycheck. I know there are tens of millions of people out there just like me. It's amazing how much money there is in the world, yet it's shocking to know that people still go to bed cold and hungry at night. It's wrong.

And speaking of wrong, I read in another poll that up to 10% of the eligible voting population (one of a thousand different polls that have been taken in the last few weeks) won't even bother to vote. That's insane! We were given constitutional privileges by the Bill of Rights, and it's crazy to think that someone wouldn't exercise that responsiblity. Especially when you have people in other countries that fight everyday for the freedom and independence that we as Americans take for granted. And, it's these idiots that won't vote who often complain the loudest when they don't like the way things turn out.

They say the election will be too close to call. The latest polls again have the candidates neck and neck, making a final sprint for the finish this coming Tuesday. I'm betting that we'll not know the official outcome of the election for a few days or even weeks. It simply will be too close, and there will likely be several contested races in a few states. The process will come to grinding halt. Again!

And, to make matters worse, why does Ralph Nader even bother to run? He has no chance (let me repeat that, NO chance) of becoming the next president. I believe his only desire is to cause more chaos in an otherwise disorderly system. And why would someone waste their vote on such a candidate, knowing that those votes could tip the scales in another candidate's favor? Idiotic.

Well, for what it's worth, I'm gong to vote for John Kerry. I believe that George Bush has mislead the country by leading us into a war that wasn't necessary. The pricetag continues to escalate, something on the order of 200 billion. Imagine what that 200 billion could have been used for right here at home. Things such as education, healthcare, social security, and so foth. I believe that America deserves better. I understand the need to protect ourselves from terroristic threat, but I feel the war with Iraq was launched for the wrong reasons.

John Kerry has some outlandish ideas, and he's promised much more than we can pay for, but I'm willing to give him a chance. It's got to better than 4 more years of George Bush. Sometimes, a fresh face can give new life. Sure, things could be worse, but I have hope that they could be much better.

My wife on the other hand said she's voting for Bush, and that she can't possibly vote for "Herman Munster" as she keeps referring to Kerry. Sigh. I hope that folks across America are going to base there vote on more than that. So, our votes will cancel each other other. I'm afraid it might be that way across the entire country.

This evening, my daughter and I went trick or treating in our neighborhood while my wife handed out candy back at home. We were on a mission to hit every house that had their lights turned on. About halfway through, we noticed a peculiar sight. An upscale SUV, I believe it was a Lexus, was driving toward us, stopping at every 3 houses or so. The children would get out, go trick or treat at the front door, then get back into the car and drive to the next set of houses. You see, there are still a handful of homes that are still under construction, and I think they were using the vehicle to bypass the empty houses, or those houses that weren't celebrating the tradition. I guess it's the ultimate form of yuppie trick or treating. The weather was nice, but breezy, and about 60 degrees outside. Certainly nothing to seek shelter inside a warm, cozy SUV. Oh well, it never ceases to amaze me that the world is full of idiots. I see proof of that theory nearly every day.

I haven't posted in quite awhile about my diet, or lack thereof I should say. You see, I think I've really given up on the diet craze. Instead, I've simply started to buy bigger clothes. Mainly just pants. I've really been wanting to get comfortably back into my size 34 jeans, but have decided to just accept the fact that I'm getting fatter. So, I've invested in a few pair of size 36 pants, does it really matter? Ha, to everyone but me, certainly not! Oh well. Life's too short to worry about something so petty. But, I still go to the gym. I actually enjoy it. I don't work out hard, but usually just go to remain active. I've got the membership, I might as well use it. So now, my mission isn't one to necessarily lose weight, but just to do some exercise, to elevate my heart rate, and to do something good for my body. It still doesn't stop me from enjoying a Krispy Kreme (reference a previous post) or a Rootbeer Custard freeze now and then. :)

I know we all have our personal pet peeves, those things that really make us steamed. Have you ever had the ice break away from your cup as you were taking a drink? You know what I'm talking about, you take a drink, but the ice has frozen together. Just as you tip the cup, the ice breaks free, and you get a face full of liquid, which also dribbles onto your chin, and down your shirt. I hate it when that happens.

Another pet peeve of mine, stupid, idiotic drivers that drive like a bat out of hell, doing anything and everything to get ahead of you in traffic. They have no disregard for other drivers, and no matter how fast you're driving, it's never fast enough. Invariably, they cut you off, and often, offer some form of obscene gesture to make them feel superior. What's really funny though, as you drive up to the next stop light, there they are, no further in their pursuit than they were before. Hurry up, then wait! Idiots. That's all I can say. For us normal drivers, it's usually quite amusing. While they're busy tearing up their vehicles, we mosy along at our normal snail's pace, and often get to the same place, but only seconds apart. It doesn't make sense.

Have you ever noticed how fast or slow you eat? I mean, really, it's not something we think about. We eat when we're hungry, but who ever really times it? This morning, I decided to treat myself to Village Inn for breakfast. I always order the Village Inn breakfast, I don't even have to look at the menu. Scrambled eggs, bacon most of the time, and pancakes. If you get there early enough, they can have everything ready in about 10 minutes. When you're by yourself, you don't have anyone to talk to, no interruptions, just you, your breakfast, and a ticking clock. I admit, I can eat fast if I need to. My wife certainly can. She's a teacher, and has learned the fine art of shoveling food into her body as fast as possible, to remain alert for devlish children. This morning, after gobbling down my food, the waiter came by, and made a remark, "Wow, you sure ate that fast." How am I supposed to respond to that? I mumbled, "Yeah, I was hungry." And then he left. I suppose it's no different than our two cats. If we open a can of tuna and give them a little to make them happy, they can clean the plate in 30 seconds flat. I don't know if there's any proven research that eating fast makes you hungrier later on, if it makes you gain more weight, or if it's bad for you. But, sometimes you do what you have to do.

As I was driving home from taking my daughter to school today, I drove past the local Krispy Kreme shop. The smell was enough to make me pull over and get a couple of doughnuts. Of course, they always offer a free sample hot off the line, and I opted for a custard filled confection for my second choice. As I was driving home, it occurred to me, do doughnuts have any nutritional value. Well, according to their website, not much. In fact, a regular glazed doughnut has 12g of fat, and 22g of carbs. In other words, one doughnut has more carbs than an Atkins dieter is allowed in an entire day. Was it worth it? You bet. Nothing better then a glazed doughnut, hot off the line, that literally melts in your mouth.

Well, our family has recently experienced a round of the flu. Our daughter was exposed to the flu this past Thursday. We were hoping that she wouldn't get it, but she did. It came in full force yesterday, as she threw up in the back seat of my wife's new car. Now the good news, since we decided to go with the leather seats, cleanup was a snap. The bad news, the flu spread to me soon after, and possibly to my wife today. While my daughter threw up, I fortunately did not. I was just nausious, achy, very tired, had the chills, a bad headache, and had intestinal troubles. I feel a little better today. But, those same symptoms are now manifesting themselves in my wife. My daughter feels better too. So, was this the super bug that has America running scared? I doubt it, and I'm sure there will be more to come, the season has only just begun.

We drove away yesterday with our shiny new car. It's awesome. We feel really good about the car, knowing that it'll be a very reliable means of transportation. We took it for a long drive today, to stretch her legs, and to see what it's got. Wow! Driving down the highway at 95 mph, with the tachometer only reading 2800 RPM was a rush. And, it barely felt like we were driving above 60. So, this V6, 240 horsepower, hot rod machine can rock, and it definitely had a lot more to give. Mind you, we don't intend on driving 95 mph down the highway on a regular basis, but it sure was fun. Smooth ride, awesome radio, I'm not sure what more we could ask for. I think we're going to love, love, love this car.

I went back to the dealership this morning to negotiate the price. They weren't willing to budge yesterday, but I thought they could do better. After talking with the sales manager, I offered the following pitch:

"Look, I think you can do better. We're not trading in a car, and it's the end of the year closeout. It's also the end of the month, and I'm sure you've got sales quotas that have to be met. I'm buying your top of the line accord, of which you currently have 10 in your inventory. Plus, you're getting a $1000 dealer incentive from Honda on this car, and I'm paying cash. What can you do for me?"

He walked away, and a few minutes later, came back to say that we had a deal. After some tense issues regarding a credit application (we were financing through our credit union, so no need for a credit ap), the papers were signed. Snip snap, in about an hour, we were the proud new owners of a 2004 Honda Accord EX, V6, top of the line, leather seats, sun roof, fully loaded, Redondo Red, kick in the pants car.

Even though it's a extravagant, expensive, car, I'm happy. It's exactly what my wife wanted, make, type, color, and options. She's thrilled. In fact, it will be early birthday present for her. We're not picking the car up until Friday, which is OK. I'm excited. It's a sharp looking car, and am just glad that we've got reliable transportation again.

I've decided to repair our old car afterall. I'm not sure what we could get out of the car if we don't repair it, and feel that we can likely get close to blue-book value if the car is in working order through a private sale.

In the meantime though, we've decided to go ahead and get the new car, but just 6 months sooner. This way, we can save a few thousand dollars on a year-end closeout, instead of buying a new vehicle next April, when discounts would be few and far between.

A couple of months ago, we started weeding through replacements, and shopped around a bit, viewed brochures, peeked inside windows at dealerships, and so forth. I had pretty much narrowed it down to a Honda Accord. The reliability is a high priority for me, and it's been consistently rated in the Top 5 automobiles for the last 10 years.

After finding a car that we wanted, and even the color, my wife stopped by for a test drive. She loved it. So, I think tomorrow, I'll talk to the dealer again, perhaps try to haggle the price a little more, and put an offer in if they're willing to bargain.

Needless to say, my wife is thrilled.

Well, after having towed the car to the Saturn dealership, I anxiously awaited for a call from the Service Manager. After a few hours, the word was in. The complete wiring harness and ignition need to be replaced on the car. They don't know for sure if the electrical surge got into the air bag system or not, but possibly. They're unsure of what actually caused the short, possibly just a wire being chaffed, and short circuit likely developed. To fix the problem, the bill will be ~ $955 plus tax and supplies. And, if the fire caused any damage to the air bags, it could be another one to two thousand dollars.

After considerable debate, I decided to hold off on the repair. I wanted to think this through, and weigh all of my options before I decide. We were going to buy a new car in April of next year regardless, as soon as my truck was paid off. Should we go ahead and buy a new car now, get a good deal on a 2004 closeout, and pay my truck off early? We hadn't really planned for that, which would also require a stock sale, but perhaps it's the best solution? The Saturn is only worth $2500, is it worth it to put so much money into it?

My initial impression is to not repair the car, and junk it out. Can we trust the car if the repair is successful? What will go wrong the next time? The car has 110,000 miles on it, right now, I don't think it's worth it to repair it.

Today, my wife's car died. She called me this morning to let me know that her airbag light was flashing. Sigh. It's always something with that car. She has a 1997 Saturn SL1, and it seems, every other month, something else breaks. She called back later to say though that the airbag light had gone out, so I thought maybe it was just a glitch.

This evening, we decided to go out for dinner. We got into the car, started it, and immediately, smoke started pouring through the vents and from under the dash. I huriedly backed the car out of the garage, and told my wife and daughter to get out. I retrieved a fire extinguisher from the garage, but by the time I returned, whatever was burning had put itself out.

Thus, I'm extremely upset at this time. I'm guessing that we've burned out a good portion of the electrical system. The fire was definitely coming from under the dash. Must have been a short somewhere. Perhaps the air bags shorted out (hence the blinking light this morning) and the short fried the system when we started the car this evening.

We'll have it towed into the shop tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to hearing the diagnosis. I know it will be an expensive repair, and the car's not worth that much to begin with. We've been waiting for the other shoe to drop on this car for some time, and perhaps it just did.

Today has been a somber day. Four years ago, my mother passed away on this date after a long battle with bone cancer. I remembered the events with vivid detail as if it were yesterday. Ironically, today was also my father's birthday. He would have been 78 if he were still alive.

I regret that I did not have time to drive down to my mother's grave. I'm not an overly sentimental person, but I do have deep feelings in my heart. The past cannot be changed, and we have to move on and face our own lives, and my parent's souls will live on in me forever.

Today was an uneventful day. I awoke early, had a good breakfast, and was on the road by 8:00 AM. I bid fond farewell to the Black Hills, knowing that I'd be back another day.

I was headed south, then east, the miles seemed to drift by. I wasn't sleepy, despite a somewhat short night last night. I was alert, watching the western Nebraska sandhills fly by. I took the back roads, wanting to experience a different Nebraska than I've known in the past. I wanted to travel roads that I'd not been on before.

It was a surreal expereience. It was amazing to me that Nebraska could be both beautiful and dull, at nearly the same moment. I realized how thankful I was for my city home. While I used to be a farm boy a long time ago, that is so much a part of my past, and a place I've chosen not to revisit.

A couple of tanks of gas, and a couple of stops for food along the way, and sooner than later, I pulled the truck into the driveway once again. It was a long journey, about 1400 miles, with so many highs and lows. I'd climbed a mountain. I'd had a fight with my wife. I'd grown in the end, and realized, that it was still all somewhat insignificant in the grand scheme of life.

On the way back to the hotel last night, I called my wife. It seems that things have changed, and she's now having regrets about letting me go on a vacation by myself. I asked 6 weeks ago if I could go climb a mountain, and she said yes. I asked 3 days ago if it was still OK to go, and she said yes.

Now, it seems she's a little jealous that I get to have fun, while she's stuck at home, working hard, and becoming frazzled with each passing moment. I was angry. It really upset me. If she really felt that way, I wish she would have told me the truth before I left, but here I sit, having feelings of regret.

I contemplated bagging my vacation early, and driving home. I wasn't in a mood to have fun anymore. It was as if all of the joy of yesterday had been erased. As I ate breakfast, I weighed my options. In the end, I got it. I could understand where my wife was coming from. While she said "yes" on the surface, deep down, she was jealous, and feeling that our relationship was inequitable. I felt bad. I felt selfish. I was still angry though.

I decided that I'd already invested too much to leave early. The hotel room was already paid for the 3rd night, with no refund possible. Thus, I decided to stay. I wasn't in a good mood though, and wasn't in a groove to hike. I had intended on another full hiking day, another 8 miles or so (just as I'd done the day before), but my heart wasn't in it.

I drove to Wind Cave National Park instead. I hadn't been to that particular cave in many, many years. We stopped to take a cave tour several years ago, but passed at the time. It was an enjoyable tour, and I learned a great deal. After the cave, I decided to drive to Deadwood, to learn more about Wild Bill Hickock. It was about 60 miles to the north, but I had a lot of time to spare.

Upon arriving in Deadwood, I got trapped in the traffic while a wild west gun showed was presented. After that, I parked the truck, and walked the streets. They're lined with casino upon casino, just up my alley. I couldn't find a casino though that had any black jack players. Lot's of dealers, but no players. Plus, it was senior citizen city. I had to laugh.

Finally, I stumbled upon a casino that had a few players playing the cards. I walked in, and began what was to be a 5 hour run. I was playing with $60, but the table minimum was only $2, so it played out long and slow. I was up, and down, and in the end, walked away only down $10 for the day. I decided to get some dinner. After a great 12oz ribeye, I decided to win my money back once and for all. After another 2 hours, I was up $25, and had enough money to pay for my steak dinner too.

It was late though, about 10:30 PM, and I still had to drive about an hour back to my hotel. I asked the dealer about the possibility of deer in the road, and he warned that I should be very careful. Indeed, I saw 14 deer alongside the roadway as I headed south. It was a very scary afterall.

Tomorrow I head home.

I didn't set an alarm this morning, despite my desire to get going by a somewhat decent hour. I slept in, and awoke shortly before 8:00 AM. Not bad. Although, I had anticipated getting up earlier. I showered, and packed my duffle, and headed downstairs for a couple of cinnamon rolls in the hotel lobby.

After stopping at a local grocery store for supplies, I was on the road. It would be about a 45 minute drive to the trailhead of Harney Peak, a very enjoyable drive through the South Dakota Black Hills. As I came closer, I occasionally tried to find the peak off in the distance, which is marked by a CCC fire observation tower that was built in the 1930s. With each new curve, the forest grew denser, and soon, Rapid City was far behind.

Soon enough, I arrived in Custer State Park to begin my journey. It was a cool morning, with bite in the air. I drove to Sylvan Lake, and eased my truck into a spot near the trailhead. This was it. This was a moment I've been waiting for. I was about to climb a mountain. I've hiked many, many times before, but have never really "accomplished" anything. This was different. This was a new adventure, and I was excited.

I changed into my hiking shoes, packed my waist-pack, and within a moment or two, I walked into the forest. I glanced back once or twice, knowing that I'd be back in a few hours. Warning signs indicated that up to 6 hours should be allocated, but I thought I'd be back in 4. And so, the journey began.

It wasn't a hard climb, just difficult portions here and there. I managed to take my time, enjoy the trip, and see some great things. I rested, I stopped to sneek peeks of the fire tower off in the distance, and I overall relished the experience. It was everything that I had hoped for. After about an hour and a half, I was at the top. I definitely earned the view.

Once atop the mountain, I sat behind a rock outcropping, and just gazed in amazement. It was windy at the top, maybe 30 or 40 mph, but from my position, the wind was blocked. The sun was shining on my face, and I felt at peace. Even though there were dozens of hikers milling around the mountaintop, it didn't matter. We'd all come to experience the destination, and savor the moment. I ate my lunch in solitude, not wanting the moment to end. It was all that I expected, and more. It was a great day.

After about 45 minutes of exploring the fire tower, I knew that it was time to leave. I gathered my things, snapped my pack, and headed back down. I took a different trail down, just to see some different scenery. It was an uneventful trip down, rather steep in once section, and near the end, the soles of my feet were burning. I was thankful to have my truck in view. Only a few more steps, and I'd be back where I started.

I headed to the hotel to clean up. It was about 3:00 PM. I took a long, hot shower, and changed into new clothes. I layed down to rest, and to catch up on the news of the day.

That evening, I headed to the Flying T Chuckwagon Supper and Show. We've been there before. It was a fun evening that I wanted to experience again. It was a pleasant evening, and I drove back to the hotel with a feeling of satisfaction.

Today, I headed out of town for a mini vacation. Just me. I'm heading to Black Hills in South Dakota to climb Harney Peak, which is not only the highest point in South Dakota, but the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains. It's elevation is about 7250', with about a 1200' climb from the trailhead.

After scrambling yesterday to get everything done so that I could enjoy a few days off, I left early this morning, and was on the road by 9:00. I was pleased with that. I didn't pack afterall until 15 minutes before I left, so I was making good time. I grabbed a couple of pair of jeans, a couple of pair of shorts, some clean underwear, and couple of shirts, and grabbed my toiletries. I grabbed my hiking gear, the maps that I had printed, my camera and cell phone, and a stack of CDs, both store bought, and custom burned. I was ready to go.

The trip was rather uneventful. I jammed to great songs along the way, listened to talk radio, and tried to make contacts on my ham radio, but couldn't muster a single person. It was a 9 hour drive, just long enough to make you appreciate the effort and be thankful that you had arrived. I stopped along the way at Cabela's in Mitchell. I debated on stopping at the Corn Palace and at Wall Drug, but decided that I've "been there and done that" for both, so I motored on.

I arrived with plenty of time to clean up at the hotel before meeting a friend for dinner. He's lived in Rapid City for several years, and we were on a tech team together for several years. It was good to see him. I enjoyed his company.

After a great dinner and good conversation, I called it a night, anxiously awaiting my journey the next day. I was eager to get started, and was nervous about the difficulty the climb might pose. Tomorrow, I thought, I'll be on top of the world!

I've joined the new craze, downloading music (yes, legally) on a per-song basis. There are several services to choose from, but since I already have an account set up at Walmart.com, I decided to download the files from them. It's actually pretty cheap, at 88 cents per song. This way, you can download just the songs you want from a particular album, and not have to waste money for songs that you don't like. It's awesome.

Just today, I spent several hours downloading 36 of my favorite country songs. I spent about $33 total to download the songs. That's about the same price as 4 CD's but I have my favorite collection of songs from about 30 different artists. Imagine if I had to buy all 30 of those albums, just to get my favorite songs? Wow, that would be expensive. $270 to be exact. Ouch! And, I'd have a very large collection of CDs that would take up precious space.

Now, with 2 70 minute custom burned CDs, I've got the entire collection. Now how cool is that?

It's amazing how your "to do" list can grow, and grow, and grow. Especially when you're busy with other things, working full time, and squeezing everyone else in too. I decided to just write all the tasks down in a Word document, so that I could keep track, and not forget them all.

I decided to tackle a job on the list today, and man, did it kick my butt. Now that we have neighbors behind us, we decided it was time to hang a curtain on our patio door in the basement. I ordered the rod and curtain from JC Penny about a month ago, and it arrived about 2 weeks ago.

In all honesty, I had been putting this job off. I wasn't looking forward to it, and it somewhat intimidated me. Well, today was the day. I opened the box, and tried to sort through the instructions. They weren't very clear, and I was quite frustrated. Then I realized I didn't have all the hardware I needed (I needed pins to hang the drapery), and then realized that I needed wall anchors, because I couldn't tap into the 2x4 studs. Ugh!

After reading through the directions about 8 more times, I finally got it. I understood the brackets, the measurements, and the entire concept. I made my trips to get my supplies, and after a couple hours of labor, I have a new curtain hanging over the patio door. It looks good. It should be functional. I haven't figured out how to attach the cord pulley to the wall yet, but another 2 or 3 times perusing through the instructions should solve that.

Phew. One item off the list, but just this past week, I added another 5 or 6 things to my "to do" list. It seems it's a constant battle. One step forward, and 3 steps back. Sigh.

A few months ago, we purchased a Nintendo Gamecube system for our daughter. We also purchased several games, titles that we thought she might enjoy. In fact, she enjoys most of them, but her favorite game is Animal Crossing. It's a reality-based game where she moves into a town, makes friends, does odd jobs for money, has a house, bills, and even a mortgage. Deep down, we were very uncomfortable with this game, as it's sometimes hard to distinguish it from the real world.

Our daughter became so obsessed with this game, that we often worried, "Is she playing it too much?" We would joke that we'd occasionally sneak downstairs and play her character while she was sleeping, which would drive her completely nuts.

Our daughter built a house, and worked around the city to earn bells, the game's version of money. She occasionally paid bells to the bank after finding new things throughout the game, and would buy clothes, etc. It's surreal. She paid off her loan to get a bigger house. She worked harder, and eventually had enough money to build a basement. She continued to do odd jobs, and decided that she wanted a bigger house still. It seems that she was running out of room to hold all of her "stuff".

Sound familiar? It's eerie how it mimics real life. She was upset that she missed the fireworks on the 4th of July. We were on vacation. She watched the meteor shower in the middle of August. She got up every morning at 6:00 AM after that to attend daily aerobics. I think it was the game's way of getting the kids back in the habit of getting up early for school. Neat trick.

Anyhow, back to the house. She asked the town handyman to build her a bigger house. You see, he never told her how much it was, she just asked, and he was happy to oblige. In a couple of days, she had a house. It was huge. It was big enough for 10 characters. Her new mortgage was 398,000 bells. She was completely flabbergasted. She didn't think it would be that expensive. Hmm.

Tonight, after dinner, she let it be known that she decided to delete her old town and start a new one. Yes, with a couple of keystrokes, she deleted the town off the memory card, and all that she had accomplished. My wife thought it was because of her huge "mortgage", and he feelings of despair in never being able to pay it off. She's worked so hard. She's been playing the game daily since April. She wouldn't let us touch it, and now, in an instant, she's deleted it and started over. Hmm.

So, when it's all said and done, after hard feelings over the game's control on our child, I'm beginning to wonder if it doesn't have some valuable lessons to teach. Was this her way of declaring "bankruptcy", and starting over. She's 8. She doesn't fully understand the concept of money, but she was smart enough to realize she was in over her head, and that something had to give. She commented, "Dad, I'm not going to be so dumb next time."

Ahh, if it were only that easy.

OK, I realize I haven't put a lot of new entries in my journal lately. Honestly, I've been busy. Really. I have. I've thought of a dozen different topics that I'd like to comment on, but just haven't found the time. Oh well. This is the last on my list of priorities, and I never meant this to be an everyday thing, but I promise, in the future, I'll try harder to post. Ha.

Ok, I started my diet a couple of weeks ago. It's been an up and down battle, I've had good and bad days, but in the end, I'm down about 6 pounds overall. I was down about 8 total, but fell off the wagon for a couple of days, and gained a couple of pounds. Ha, let's just say my willpower was failing me when I needed it the most.

So, the battle continues. A little here, a little there, and if I can't maintain my present course, I should continue to lose a pound or two a week. While I can't say that it's been easy, it hasn't been all that bad either. Hmm, as long as I don't fall of the wagon again. Ha. We'll see.

It seems that we've been plagued with challenged neighbors our entire adult lives. Even now, living in a somewhat upscale neighborhood, I'm no less prone to problems than before. It's frustrating. Perhaps I'm being somewhat of a snob, and believe me, I know that I'm no angel, but give me a break.

We recently built a new home. In fact, we've lived here about 10 months now. The neighbor on my left also built a new home, about a month before me. You'd think after spending this kind of money on a new home, you'd want to take care of it. The guy hasn't even pulled the painter's masking tape from the glass block window in his bathroom. Unbelievable. The landscaping that they installed around the front and sides of their home is dying. His yard doesn't look the best, and he's already killed one new tree, and the other is gasping for water. Sigh. What's next?

Well, I'm back on the diet craze again. I decided that enough was enough, and it was time to start getting serious once again. I had reached my highest weight ever of all time (near 200 lbs) and felt and looked miserable.

So, a new beginning has arrived. I know, I've tried this before several times, and failed, why will this be any different? In the end, it probably won't be, but it will give me the chance to get back to where I started at least, if nothing else. Otherwise, I could continue to gain weight at my leisure and be obese within no time at all. So, the battle continues. Up, down, and somewhere in between, I guess it's called life.

It seems that I'm off to a decent start. I've lost 5 lbs in 3 days. That seems a little excessive, but it's probably mostly just water weight for now. I don't notice that my clothes fit any better, and seems typical of most extreme diets that I've heard about. I understand this cycle won't continue much longer, and I should be able to reach my balance of losing weight at a steady, but slow pace.

I'm actually trying the Atkins Diet again, just to get me about half way to my goal weight, and will then adjust to a sensible, yet balanced diet thereafter with continued exercise. I'm also using an herbal supplemental program, in conjunction with a short term Atkins plan. I tried the Atkins Diet once before, in 1999, and lost about 11 or 12 lbs in about 3 weeks. So I know it worked before, and it appears to be working again.

More to come in the future. I'm keeping a detailed diet journal, and will likely post it in a few days.

We recently purchased a piece of home fitness equipment. While I have a gym membership, and have the time to actually go, my wife on the other hand does not. We could buy her a gym membership too, but she simply doesn't have the time. So, we decided to buy an elliptical trainer for her to work out in the basement before she goes to work.

We looked at elliptical machines, but frankly, they were a little more expensive than we had imagined. So, we settled on Gazelle, a glider-type system being hawked by Tony Little. I was skeptical, (as I always am), but my wife was excited. She has a friend whose parent's have a Gazelle, and they've had great success.

There are several versions of the Gazelles, ranging from about $100 on the low end, to about $400 on the high end. We decided to purchase a mid-range model, and actually got a good deal on free shipping from the Home Shopping Network.

The Gazelle arrived this past Monday, and I promised that I'd have it put together by the end of the week. Today was my deadline, and I decided to unpack the box and get my wife started. The unit itself took about an hour to put together, and as I type this, she's going through the beginner's video right now.

I tried it, and I'm not impressed. I was on it for about 10 minutes, and I wasn't even out of breath. And, it felt awkward. So, it seems that maybe it wouldn't be for me, but perhaps it might help my wife achieve her own goals. I suppose if I gave it another try, and really expended the effort, it might be OK, but I'd rather head to the gym.

Our daughter Hannah got her braces on today. She wasn't very happy about the whole ordeal, and was pretty grumpy after her one hour appointment. She received braces on both the top and bottom, along with an expander to expand her top palette. She chose purple and yellow for the color inserts, to match her school colors.

All in all, they don't look too bad, but I think she was in quite a bit of discomfort. It will take a few days of adjustment, but I think she'll be OK. She's having a little trouble speaking, but that's understandable. In time, she'll figure that out too.

I'm a little concerned about her teeth cleaning habits, and the fact that we'll have to be much more diligent in the future. The dentist recommended buying a water pick to help clean out food from within the braces. I agreed. I've never used one, but my wife said they do help quite a bit.

So, for the next 13 months, our life will be a little different. Considering some of the things she's been through over the previous 10 months, I know she'll get through it just fine.

This past weekend, we attended my nephew's wedding in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I was able to get some very affordable round trip airline tickets, and thus we flew instead of drove. However, the catch to the affordable tickets was that we had to leave on Saturday morning (the day of the wedding) at 7:00 AM, and return on Sunday morning at 7:00 AM. My wife says that I was being cheap, I like to think that I was being thrifty.

You see, if we drove, it would have required an eleven hour trip each way, plus, we likely would have rented a car. This way, we could fly up for the wedding, and be back home to do other things.

Well, let's just say that from the beginning, we were destined for failure. The night before our trip, we received a call from the airlines, indicating that there was a maintenance issue with our flight, and thus, we were bumped to the next flight. This would put us in detroit around 4:00 PM instead of Noon. After grumbling just a bit, we decided we could still make the wedding set for 6:30 PM.

Our first flight to Chicago was quick and painless, although, upon arriving at O'hare, we discovered that our flight to Detroit was delayed about an hour. This would still put us in Michigan with plenty of time to arrive at the wedding, but just barely. We arrived in Detroit soon enough, and within about 3 minutes of walking off the plane, we were on a shuttle bus to the rental car facility. It was there that additional problems began to mount. It took us no less than 45 minutes to rent the car, and needless to say, we were steemed.

So, we took off like a bat of out hell, and rumbled down the Interstate doing almost 90 mph, in hopes of making up time to reach it to the wedding before it was over. My wife changed into her wedding clothes in the bathroom at the rental car booth. I changed into my clothes while driving down the Interstate. OK, well, that part's not really true, but it makes the story that much better. Really, my wife did change in the bathroom, and I changed at the motel after we checked in. We flew as fast as we could to the Church, and believe it or not, we made it with 9 minutes to spare. All of that worrying for nothing, ha.

It was the most beautiful non-traditional, traditional wedding that I've ever seen. Very few flowers. No ushers. No ring bearer. No flower girl. But, the vows were very touching, and the bride was radiant. It was a very pleasant event. The non-traditional part continued after the wedding, when we realized there would be no reception line, no bubbles, no throwing large quantities of bird seed, and so forth.

The reception was no less non traditional, in that it was a reception with music and food. However, the food was a vegan/meat split, with a lot of eclectic entrees, and wedding cupcakes, the beer was home brewed by the groom. Everyone had a great time, and enjoyed not-so-typical music. In fact, a lot of people wanted to hear and participate in traditional wedding songs, but it was apparently in the DJ's contract to not play them. Sigh.

Nevertheless, we had a great time, although my wife did have a large amount of wine, and was quite tipsy by the time we closed the joint down (we were literally the last carload to leave).

After arriving back at our hotel, I tucked my wife into bed, and then visited with my family until the wee hours, it was about 3:00 AM when we said good night. I tried to sleep, but was too keyed up, and since we had to be on the road by 5:00, I decided to stay awake and watch movies.

After waking my wife up around 4:30 AM, she promptly woke up, and realized that she was about to be sick. No, it wasn't from the alcohol, she apparently had received some kind of food poisoning, possibly from the pesto or the fish the night before. She threw up and felt better.

In fact, by the time we arrived at the airport, she was hungry, and wanted something to eat. She ate a half of a bagel, and had some Coke, and she said she felt very good. However, by the end of the first flight, she was feeling very sick again, and threw up what little she ate just as we landed. It wasn't pleasant. On the next flight, she continuously felt nautious, and held the sick bag in her hands for self comfort. She didn't throw up again until we arrived home.

Myself, I was suffering deeply from sleep deprevation. The adrenaline was kicking in from my wife being sick, and I couldn't sleep if my life d