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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Rat-tastic!


Today I learned that blood is thicker than...well, rat piss! For those of you who have been spared this unpleasantness, Team Florida has been working on our rat invasion while the biggest problem we have in Colorado is snow. Today, the team worked on something worse than removing rats from traps in the attic: removing many boxes from that same hot, stinky attic so that new insulation can be blown in.
No rat - no matter how big - is a match for the A Team!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Swine Flu Warning


I just received this email warning from our school nurse. It was simply this picture with the words:

CDC Warning: ***DO NOT DO THIS!!!***
I just wanted to share this learning with you - especially D-Unit - for your safety.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

hump on my neck


I got this knot on the back of my neck about 10 days ago...it doesn't go away so I waddle down to the dr. office yesterday. He looked at it and offered "thats looks like a knot on your neck"...then he tried to drain the neck/hump...nothing would come out...so he gave me a prescription for amox-clav 875 mg twice daily. (after seeing the size of these pills, I assumed this medication is also use by large animal vetenarians for elephants and horses). He said to soak my neck with Epsom salt wet hot towel solution everynight.... and let him know if I am still alive in a few days.

after the Epsom salt recommendation talk, I thought he might add "and bury a stolen dish rag and some chicken feathers in the back yard on the full moon."

Anyway, it's about 4:30 am and I am sitting here with a wet towel of epsom salt wrapped around my neck.

Film at 11

Monday, April 27, 2009

Wisdom from the Young


Subject: First Grade
A 1st grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She
presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb
and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard
to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may
surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first-graders,
6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1. Don't change horses.......... until they stop running.
2. Strike while ..............the bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before................ Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of.......... termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but........ How?
6. Don't bite the hand that.......... looks dirty.
7. No news is............... impossible
8. A miss is as good as a................. Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new.................. Math
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll.................. stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust................. Me.
12. The pen is mightier than the.......... pigs.
13. An idle mind is........... the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's........... pollution...
15. Happy the bride who.......... gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is.......... not much.
17. Two's company, three's............ the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what............ you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and......... You have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as.......... Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not.......... spanked or grounded..
22. If at first you don't succeed........... get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you............See in the picture on the box
24. When the blind lead the blind ........... get out of the way.
25. A bird in the hand................ is going to poop on you.
26. Better late than............. Pregnant

Friday, April 24, 2009

So if we're taking up a collection....


I took the Mighty Windstar (aka "the soccer van") into our favorite repair shop yesterday. This shop is owned and operated by a gentleman who resembles Elvis. Ribhard thought the van needed a tuneup at the very least; it was running rough, and the gas mileage had dropped. Elvis determined it needed an ignition coil pack, various wires, and an oil change. Ribhard approved the $400 contribution. Elvis later called to tell a sad tale about a non-driveable van, loud engine noises, and "blowing a rod" (I don't know mechanics, but this is apparently not as fun as it sounds.) He said we now own a hunka hunka useless crap. Elvis said we're pretty much "caught in a trap". He's given us a few days to say our good byes and find someone to tow it off - in case any of the organs can be donated. We're left with unanswered questions: Why now? Why couldn't the MW have hung on another month until the end of the school year? Good bye, Mighty Windstar.

[revised] EMC + Poptart


So we were out of coffee at the abode this morning. So, to avoid the logistical hassel of an early morning coffee run - I told my wife, "send a text message to the neighbor and see if they'll send their son over with a cup of coffee grounds or something" (good friends of ours) but my wife didn't want to bother them, etc., So I said "naa... just make it funny... in the text tell them that you'll pay them $200 for a cup of coffee grounds" the joke being my wife REALLY wanted Coffee and she was willing to pay a premium (we all know that feeling right). Nonetheless, again she declined, she didn't want to bother them, etc., So, no biggie - I went on my way (and as a footnote I actually got a nice creamy Vente Vanilla Latte with an extra shot on my way in).

"Anyway", my wife decided at some point that she would just go get herself a cup of java from the store. Now, "apparently" when you turn [Right] onto Morriss Road from College Road (near our house) you're still in what's called a "school zone" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_zone). And "apparently" if you didn't know that, and thought you were in the "40 mph section" of Morriss Road (which is not unreasonable), and so you "logically" would accelerate to get "up to speed" right? Anyway I learnt that if you did just that - and for example, if you made it up to lets say 32mph - at which point some guy in a fitted / pressed dark blue suit with a shiny badge on (and not like the ones the kids get out of the gumball machine either - we're talking the really NICE shiny ones) anyway if he hops out from the bushes and waves at you, I learnt that he is in fact "not" saying "hey, do I know you?" - rather he is flagging you down to issue you a $200 ticket. So - in the end, she did end up paying $200 for a cup of coffee.

True story...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I tried something I never tried the other day



I got up and broiled a piece of salmon for breakfast...and had cantalope and mango with it on the side. Not bad. Kinda like a reverse from eating breakfast at night.

Made me think I was in spain eating on a second floor patio outside...and watching my pool boy (boat) and houseboy (augthedog) working around the house for some strange reason.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

It's IMPORTANT to learn stuff everyday!


The name of our blog seems more appropriate than ever. I just finished the book Brain Rules by John Medina (whilch I highly recommend). The last chapter, Exploration, underscores the importance of lifelong learning. And you thought we were just having fun here on this blog. (Dr. William Glasser, by the way, contends that you must have fun to learn!) Anyway, check out one of the Brain Rules websites, and you will notice that each chapter is summarized in a fun video clip.
Anyway, our credit assignment for the district is to blog on each chapter. I offer my blog entry (via cut & paste) that I just left on this last chapter:

I agree with those of you who observed that this last chapter is a fitting end for the book. In detailing a baby’s exploration of the world, Medina has once again (perhaps without intention) highlighted the limitations of a lecture-style classroom to promote learning.
The information in this chapter is a strong argument for inquiry-based education and truly highlights the importance of “lifelong learning”. What has become a catch phrase for education (previously defined in my mind as taking an occasional university class) now seems to be a more urgent survival skill. If I am going to lose synaptic connections totaling an everage of 30,000 neurons a day, I am more motivated than ever to create as many new neurons as possible, something Medina assures us the adult brain is still able to do. I want to be like the 70+ year old researchers, Krebs and Fischer, still creative, walking down the hall, oblivious to others as they chat about their new research findings.

Colorado Springs


Gulfport


Reno


Ft. Collins



Flower Mound

I will take religion with yarns for $500 Alex..........



speaking of religion with yarn..P-Lou reminded me that at our wedding 7 years ago..the priestess bound our hands together with a long piece of ribbon. I could check and see what religion she was.. if she still has an office in old colorado city next to Goodwill.

PS: She also had glitter on her chest which might be another plus for that religion.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

We could use a couple of these mayors in the states.......

Learnt Something new on Sesame Street Today

Democracy is Dead


Democracy is dead: NASA has opted not to name a room in the international space station after Stephen Colbert.

Even though Colbert won an online poll by a landslide, NASA instead chose "Tranquility," which came in eighth place in the poll, as the room's new moniker. Space nerds will know that the name is a reference to the Sea of Tranquility, where Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
But it's not all bad news: On Tuesday's The Colbert Report, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams announced that Colbert will get his small piece of immortality after all, as the organization voted to name a treadmill on board the space station after him.
The treadmill in question will heretofore be known as the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT). Williams explained that treadmills are vitally important to astronauts, as they use them to prevent bone-strength loss while in space.

Is American TV Great or what!!!!!!


NBC wants ex-Ill. gov. for Costa Rica reality show
By MIKE ROBINSON –
CHICAGO (AP) — In the span of a few months, Rod Blagojevich could trade the Illinois governor's office for the Costa Rican jungle.
NBC says it wants Blagojevich, who pleaded not guilty to federal racketeering and fraud charges Tuesday, to appear on its upcoming show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!"
A network statement says 10 celebrities will be dropped into the Costa Rican jungle "to face challenges designed to test their skills in adapting to the wilderness."

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

MIlk........... natures perfect food


I have been drinking a lot of milk lately... 3 glasses a day......is it just me or does milk actually taste better out of a glass than right out of the carton?

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Monetize

Have yall seen the tab that is Monetize on this blog web site? Go to 'customize' and look at the tabs.. last one over to the right is 'Monetize' and read the deal. It says they will pay us money to put ads on our website.

Now I am not suggesting that we sell out to to "the man"......but the really intriguing part of this Monetize deal is that Google says : "Google automatically chooses which ads to show based on your blog's content"

Now my burning question is: just what in the hell would the ads be on our website????

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Things that make me scratch my head...

Without making any judgment (cough) - just putting three things next to each other.

1. Catholic abuse scandal in the U.S. a few years back - all may recall.

2. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30134892/ - describes a report coming out in Ireland where thousands of kids were abused by over a hundred Catholic priests.

3. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30134639/ - essentially states that Notre Dame doesn't want Obama to speak at their graduation ceremony because it will "damage the integrity" of the Catholic institution.

Just scratching my head is all...

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Dayenu! (let it suffice!)


Leo and I actually learned something yesterday, about faith and tradition and the evil of chametz. We were invited to a traditional Seder dinner, which is a ritual feast held during Passover (although due to scheduling, the dinner was held early). For those who don't know, neither Leo nor I are Jew. Not being a member of the club, I never knew what Passover was. For those of you out there who are also not members of the club, or privvy to the holiday, there is really interesting history behind it. I'll spare you the details of retelling the history, as there are better sources out there than I. The predinner rituals can last up to three hours, but our host referred to the "30 minute Seder" (www.30minuteseder.com)guide and kept it brief. The children hide chametz throughout the house, and then after dark the adults search the house by flashlight to find and rid the house of the hidden chametz. As the tradition goes, once the bread is found, a feather is used to sweep away stray crumbs onto a wooden spoon, which is then burned altogether. We skipped that part. We did, however, look under our plates and pretend to sweep away chametz from underneath. There was candlelighting, reciting of things, and ritual eating and dipping in saltwater of matzah, marror, chazeret, charoset, egg, and karpas. Leo's favorite part was that it is traditional that each persons cup is filled by the person sitting next to them, as though each person had a servant. Furthermore, when drinking the wine you are to recline, to the left, and finish the entire cup.

We were far from the only non Jews at the table. The only Jew, actually, was the host, who is admittedly an atheist, who wants to pass along the tradition to her daughters, who are half jewish half Kazak. And the diversity didn't stop there. Her husband, of course, is from Kazakstan, the husband of the other couple present is from Greece, and one of their two children is adopted, from Guatemala.

Dayenu!

I learned a few new lyrics today.................


You probably didn't know all these words.....neither did I:


Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics(Mercury)Is this the real life?Is this just fantasy?Caught in a landslide,No escape from realityOpen your eyes, Look up to the skies and see,I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,Because I'm easy come, easy go, Little high, little low,Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to meMama just killed a man,Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's deadMama, life had just begun,But now I've gone and thrown it all awayMama, ooh, Didn't mean to make you cry,If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,Carry on, carry on as if nothing really mattersToo late, my time has come,Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the timeGoodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go,Gotta leave you all behind and face the truthMama, ooh, I don't want to die,I sometimes wish I'd never been born at allI see a little silhouetto of a man,Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the FandangoThunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me(Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo figaroMagnifico I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves meHe's just a poor boy from a poor family,Spare him his life from this monstrosityEasy come, easy go, will you let me goBismillah! No, we will not let you go(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go(Let me go) Will not let you go(Let me go) Will not let you go (Let me go) AhNo, no, no, no, no, no, no(Oh mama mia, mama mia) Mama mia, let me goBeelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for meSo you think you can stone me and spit in my eyeSo you think you can love me and leave me to dieOh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta hereNothing really matters, Anyone can see,Nothing really matters,Nothing really matters to meAny way the wind blows

Monday, April 6, 2009

Ladies & Gentlemen, Sir Elton John!


I learned again Saturday night that some things (people, talent) do get better with age! Lest you think I am just star struck - or simply inhaled some concert "air", both Ribhard and I could compare this performance to previous concerts with the Rocket Man (3 for Ribhard and 2 for me). The show included almost 3 hours of music - including new piano riffs and extended arrangements. Elton played a lot of 35+ year old stuff to which only he and I knew the lyrics - ok, just me, because I noticed Elton was using the rolling screen of a prompter. He still has a profile that reminds me of Aug (if Aug were to have a bad, bloated kind of day). I would just like to say Elton (still) rocks!!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

I got your fat finger right here...................



I learned a new expression today while standing next to the copy machine at work pretending to be deep in thought looking at papers.................a fellow worker could not make copies.....her code would not work........ ..another worker bee said "hey, maybe you are fatfingering your pass word?"

"Pick Your Seat!"


re: last entry "It's On..."
Yea, hurry up and get your tickets before all the benches are taken!