Going to NYC!

Photos finally worked!


Between the skyscrapers...

Central Park...

Empire State Building...

First subway ride ever (*note the worried look! Good thing Aunt Whiskey Girl is there.)...

in Central Park...

Still in Central Park...

View from Central Park (We go to the Big City just to find the closest thing to home!)...

I've tried to add photos to the previous post like three times but blogger is being disagreeable, or my computer needs to be cleaned up. One or the other, I don't have time to mess with it right now.

Tomorrow immediately after work I'm taking a plane to NYC. We're celebrating Mentsh and Dr. Who's birthdays. We have a lot of activities planned, and I think we'll have a blast. Unfortunately, I'll be arriving late Friday night and leaving Sunday evening. I couldn't afford to take a day off of work... :(

I'm stoked about getting outside of my comfort zone again. It's been a long while since I travelled. It's gonna be fun, and I'll be with my family!

See y'all later!

I'm in Panama City Beach!!

Mom and I decided a while back that we both were desperate to put our toes in the sand and walk the beach, so we made a pact to head to PCB for Labor Day weekend. One thing led to another, and I'm here with my mom, my sister Mentsh, her two daughters, and my stepmom. We are having a BLAST! This is the first time for the younger neice to ever see the beach. The older one saw it when she was a baby, so it doesn't really count, either. They are becoming quite the little beach babies!

Mom made a new creation on a variation of Fiesta Lime Chicken tonight...it was SO GOOD! We've walked the beach twice, built a sea turtle out of sand, swam in the ocean, had fish nibble at our feet, and went to a beachside restaurant. Tomorrow we're going putt putt, and I'm hoping to convince the others to go the jetski route.

OH! We were driving around and we passed by one of those places that rents scooters, and one of them had two SPYDERS for rent!! I was so tempted, but it's not something the others would enjoy, so it'll have to wait for another trip.

I hope y'all are having as great of a Labor Day weekend as I am!

Happy Birthday!!

Two birthdays today...my brother-in-law, Mike, and a friend, Phil.

Happy Birthdays, old men! I hope you're having a good one!

I'm in Michigan.

I drove here through the night last night after work with one of my girlfriends. As I drove through Indianapolis, yes, I thought of you, MM. It was 1am, and I don't have your phone number with me. Maybe if you get it to me by the time I pass back through on my way home, we'll stop by, and you can meet my dog!

I'm enjoying holding little Jackson in the picture in the post a few down. He is so cute and such an agreeable baby!

Funny video!

This is Titan at North Lick Creek. It should be called Slick Creek!

I can still barely breathe...

I don't think Titan will be chasing after skunks again.

Poor feller had been begging to go out for some time while I had my hands full coooking. So as soon as I finished up my cooking and cleaning up around 5am, I decided to walk him. He finishes his business, and we cut between cars heading back to my apartment, and suddenly Titan takes off running full force, dragging me about 15 feet behind on one of those retractable leashes, and boy am I thankful for those extra feet!

The foolish dog was going after a damned skunk! It was still dark, just starting to light up some, so I could see he went after an animal, had it in his mouth, dropped it, then I pulled him away, and I realized it was a skunk when I saw the white striped animal dash into a hole in the ground.

I don't have to tell you how wretched that smell is...like something nasty was burning. I stood outside my door a moment contemplating how to approach the situation, while Titan is foaming at the mouth and drooling. I decided an immediate bath was about the best I could do with supplies on hand.

So now that he's been bathed, I had to throw away his nice leather collar. He's out on the patio until I'm convinced he's stopped drooling and stinking.

Anyhow...fun way to start a weekend, especially when I'm supposed to be gone all day today!

Announcing Baby Jackson!!!

One of my best friends, Andrea, has birthed her first child, third in her clan of kiddies. Jackson is his name, and cuteness is his game!! 6lbs 19" born 8 days ago. This is a pic of him today:

Did you know...

I find nothing quite as insulting as saying I'm not Southern.

And while I'm on the topic of things that irritate me, it really irks me when people call my dog that particular nickname I care not to share so as to contain the contamination.

Not many things can seriously make my muscles so tense that I have to consciously let it go so my shoulders don't get knots, but those do.

Quick update

• Life is good. I'm reconnecting with some friends from way-back-when and having a blast with them.
• My job is EXCELLENT. This has got to be one of the best companies to work for right now. Our managers, directors, and VP are extremely supportive and understanding. They make some hard calls, but that comes with the territory. I just completed a milestone on a project I've been working on for a while. I went out drinking with some coworkers last week and they were quite entertaining!
• I rearranged my living room furniture. That always renews my sense of life for some reason.
• I bought a WebKinz!! It's a virtual world for kids. I thought it would be fun because my nieces love it. I have hit the jackpot when it comes to having something that excites them to tell me about on the phone!
• I'm going through my apartment and throwing away stuff I'm finally willing to let go of, like old shampoo bottles! It feels so relieving to be rid of that stuff. I find it amazing how much "trash" I've been willing to live with.
• My girlfriend, Leann, is coming for a visit this weekend. We're planning on swimming at Nate and Dr. Who's and then to the drive-in theater!!
• Finding a house or property to build is not looking promising.

Desperation.

I am feeling desperate to go to the beach, if even for just a day. Can't wait until Memorial Day weekend!

Regarding Texas' discussion on secession

"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion... We have had thirteen States independent for eleven years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century and a half, for each State. What country before ever existed a century and a half without a rebellion?" --Thomas Jefferson to William S. Smith, 1787.

I say we're due.

Preds game!!!

This was Jeb's very first live hockey game! Jeb sat with Nate most the game. We had awesome seats given to us by my company, along with free food, always a plus! Also my step-sister got to join us...I was so excited that she was able to make it.

The most memorable part of the event was, as you can see, Jeb NEVER took his fingers out of his ears the whole time! (ahem, not even when going to the potty or washing his hands!!)

Happy Birthday!!

Today is Whiskey Girl's birthday. I won't say how old 'cause all who need to know already do... I will say, however, that she didn't blow out all her candles the first try!!!

I love you, and I'm honored you're my big sister!

Great fun!

Can you tell we had great fun on Sunday? I had the boys that day. We rode the Jeep and Cub Cadet, climbed the jungle gym, swang, dug in the mulch, piled mulch on the slide to slide into, played basketball, played dueling Guitar Hero on the Wii, watched First Kid, last half of Thumbelina, and the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show movie (which they said they want to watch every day now), and finally all three were in the tub when Mommy and Daddy got home.

It was a good day.

[On a side note, can y'all believe that I have pictures of Eli when he was first born on the blog?? April 2005. How fast they grow!!]

Where is the line in the sand?

Everyone I speak with seems to be struggling to determine where the line in the sand is for their personal lives, but what I want to know is where is the line for the nation? When will we collectively say enough is enough?

For the healthcare direction we're heading as an example. Now the government is saying they're going to "take care of us"...oh they'll take care of us alright! For one, I do NOT want the government actively investigating my medical records. That alone concerns me. But when the government starts footing the bill for people's personal decisions on the care of their bodies, what makes us think they will stop there, because they surely will not. When they're paying the bill, they'll start looking for ways to make that bill less expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if they start mandating diets and exercise routines that THEY see fit.

How far down this road must we go before people see they get better results when they take responsibility for themselves and their actions, or lack thereof? Is there even going to be an option for individuals to keep our personal choice at our own expense? I have my doubts.

Anyway...seeing the future of how government will soon be regulating the population's eating and exercising habits has had me thinking and I wanted to share.

It's about time!!

It has been freakin' cold here!! Someone might think it's winter or something. I just think that because I live in the South, and I have to put up with the summers that we have here, then I should not have to put up with temperatures as low as we've had recently during winter...and without any snow, even!!!

Well, I'll stop my complainin' now because today we had a high in the 60s and expect at least 4 more days of temps in the 60s. Tomorrow I plan on at least a short ride on the bike...that always serves as an attitude adjustment.

Y'all enjoy this wonderful break in the weather if you're anywhere nearby!!

You asked...

Nate got me the Autocom Pro-Rider: Super Pro AVi kit.

It is freakin' awesome!! It's noise cancelling. I can hook up my phone, iPod, GPS or bike-to-bike radio! I can be listening to music, and when the phone rings, it will mute the music and put the phone through. When speaking bike-to-bike, it will lower the volume 50%. This thing is freakin' awesome...Oh, wait, did I already say that?

Sigh...

I am in such a wonderful place in my life right now. In no particular order: I start my new job on Monday! (I got promoted!!!!) I have a lovely apartment that I enjoy. I'm a Tennessean again. Nate got me a sound system for my motorcycle for Christmas. I'm surrounded by a family that I love and loves me. It's just all good right now.

I'm happy.

Getting a bug...

If only I were referring to the fact that I've been a little sick the last couple weeks, I would be better off. However, I'm referring to the obsessive thoughts of going for a ride on my motorcycle. I had so much fun on the Natchez Trace, I can hardly wait for the next adventure. I'm looking forward to using what I learned to make the event even better.

After two and a half days of riding, I finally got really comfortable that I can maneuver however needed, to trust the bike and the fact that it wants to do the right thing on the road. Another thing I learned is that a seat pad is worth it's weight in gold, and I bought one shortly after returning home. I also look forward to getting a sound system for my bike/helmet. No more earbuds for me!! I think I got the packing right last time, I had all I needed, and didn't bring hardly anything I didn't use (just a few emergency items).

Anyway, I'm getting the itch, and winter doesn't even start until tomorrow!!

Couldn't tell from watching the news...

But I guess it's official that Obamination is the president-elect now that the electoral college has voted. Can you tell I'm excited yet?