Good Evening.

The Count. Betty.

Flash.

These are a few pictures from our Halloween 2008 yard display. I think we got everything up and going in record time this year thanks to Rudy and his crew and The King of Halloween. We started a little after noon and was done by 3pm. Usually I am doing finishing touches around 5pm with early bird trick or treaters walking up around 5:30pm or so. This year I actually had some down time to think "Is there any more crap I could put out?" I am glad I stopped. This year trick or treaters were a little low in number compared to previous years. The neighboring towns are having theirs on the same night this year which cuts our numbers. I think our official number was 58, which is about average. The lowest in the 40's and the most in the 80's. If we counted everyone that was dressed up our number would probably be around 75 or 80. I was surprised by how many parents dressed up to take their kid or kids out trick or treating. After 8pm which was the official cut off of trick or treating we waited for Rudy and King to stop by for pictures. They then helped to tear down which isn't usually done until around midnight. Tonight we were done and in the house around 10:30pm. We still have a TON of candy. I think we handed out maybe half of what I bought. Tomorrow we will go out to Kings and pack up the blow molds and air blown items. I had a fun Halloween but now I am exhausted and glad it is over. Happy Halloween everyone.

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

Yesterday I did some scouting in preparation for deer hunting. I walked down into the small woods and visited my 2 deer stands to see if they were in good shape and that the tree limbs surrounding them would be out of the way for good visibility. I did see some deer tracks but no rubs or scrapes that would suggest a nice buck working the area. While walking through the woods I noticed large areas of poison ivy that I had to wade through in my search. When I got home yesterday I quickly walked back to the laundry and removed my poison ivy clothing and started to load the washer. After I got it all loaded up I thought I would go into the bathroom and do a wash down just to make sure. It was then that it hit me. My new phone of only a couple of months was in my front pocket. I quickly went into the laundry and opened the lid to find the washer swishing away. The first pair of pants I found nothing but the second. There it was all soaked and water logged. Great..... I removed the back cover, battery and sim card and shook most of the water out of it. I thought once it dried out it might work. For the rest of the evening I layed it on the dryer thinking the warmth would help draw the residual water out of it. After several hours I thought I might try it and no dice. I went to work this morning thinking I would have to get another phone. I thought I would try once again as I had nothing to loose. I placed the battery back into the phone replaced the back cover and pressed the on button. I a few seconds the phone came to life and was ready to go. My eyes lit up and the first thing I did was scramble to text Needles about my friend that was back from the dead. It is my Zombie phone. The screen still has a bit of moisture which distorts it but I am glad it still works and I am sure that the screen will clear up eventually.

These last few weeks have been very busy. My parents have been up visiting and have been trying to spend time with them and not to mention the Cache Slash Fest. Yesterday we went to Oblong for a quilt show and then a tour to Rudy's work. We arrived home to relax awhile until it was time to go back to Oblong for the night parade. With Halloween just around the corner the work and fun hasn't ended. Have a Happy Halloween.

It's Done...

Cache Slash Fest 2008 is over and I am glad. It has been a very stressfull few weeks with planning and all the work that needed to be done. If I listed all the things that had to come together over the past months it would run off the page. Trying to coordinate activities with several other people and get this all to run smoothly is a challenge to say the least. I would like to thank our guests for the weekend for being there for the venting when stress seemed to get a bit high and also for the post event cool down vent. I would have to say that this event was the most enjoyable for me. Usually I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off getting things done but this year I actually had some down time to eat, visit and enjoy some of the fruits of my labor. I have to say that if there is a next year I am not doing as much so if it doesn't get done.....so be it. Today I felt like a rung out dishrag, I think that all the preparations finally caught up with me. Still tired after a busy day.

PS. Cynical and Ragged you are welcome back anytime.

Sockaholic

For the last three days I have come home to dirty socks from the floor in the laundry room being dragged into the middle room. They have the look of being rabbit kicked and "lerved" very intensely. I think it's Copper and he may have a problem. I think he is addicted to stinky socks. An intervention might be in order.

Cache Slash prep is still ongoing and things are about 90% done. Since we haven't gotten much response from sponsors we wonder if it might be the economic down turn. We still have some time but I am not holding my breath. Have a good day.

Fast Approaching.

The Cache Slash Fest will be here in a couple of weeks so preparations are in high gear. Can't post much but things are falling into place as usual.

Great Weekend.

Friday after work I got home and finished packing a few items for the weekend. When Needles and Jenny from the Blog arrived we all packed up and headed South to the promise land. We made good time and arrived around 6pm. When we got there we got to visit for a bit and then ordered Pizza by the Guy. The pizza was amazing and after our stomachs were full ,we sat in the screen porch and chatted with each other until it was time to go in. We were all tired and Cynical called it a night and we followed shortly after. The next morning we woke up to enjoy coffee, fresh fruit and begals. After that we went to the Halloween shops to see what they had new this year. I scored a Morbid Industries T-shirt at the first store and Grimrot latex prop at the second. After my Halloween shopping we went to a Japanese restaurant called the Tokyo and we all enjoyed the beef and the yum yum sauce. I have to say that the food was very good but I still think I prefer the Shoguns rice. After I cleaned everything off my plate it was time to return home and await the guests of Cynical and Raggeds house warming party. Around 4pm Rudy, Brando, Yin, Yuri, Mom and Dad arrived and got a brief tour of the place. Rudy, Brando, Yin, Mom, Needles and I made another run to the Halloween stores and Big Lots and then returned in time for the party. In the next few minutes several people arrived and brought all sorts of amazing foods for the party. After we all gathered outside where there was a quick announcement, prayer and then we all descended on the food like a bunch of wild dogs. Not really. I quickly yet orderly got into the food line and filled my plate to maximum capacity and then went to my lawn chair to devour my gatherings. In short order I was back for round 2 and then 3. Before long I lapsing in and out of a food coma and my higher brain functions were shutting down so that my stomach could digest the food in my belly. In a few hours the limited cognitive abilities I had seemed to return and I got to visit with several guests and my family. We sat in the lawn chairs and visited with Raggeds family until late into the night. I think we finally turned in around midnight. It wasn't long until I was ready for bed. Sunday we had party left overs for breakfast and don't think that the term leftovers is derogatory because it isn't in the least. I had BBQ and for dessert 3 kinds of cake. Leftovers ROCK! After we made a run to the mall for Needles to get her ring checked and cleaned we returned home for more leftovers and in no time at all it was time to go home. We left around 2:30pm and made our way back North, sent with a togo of more leftovers and drinks for the road from Ragged. Needles drove with Jenny riding shotgun, while I napped in the back seat. When we were North of Mt. C I thought I would text Rudy and Brando and see where they were. It was just a few minutes later that I heard Needles say "Is that Brando's minivan?" Then there was a white streak blowing around us with Brando waving like a mad person in the passenger side window. Before long we were pulling into the driveway of our home. Our fuzzy housemates were affectionate in our return and within minutes I was collapsed on the couch. It was a great weekend spent with great people and I ate some great food. What else could you ask for. :)

PS. Guess what we had for supper tonight...........party leftovers. Oh and Cynical the last piece of HOLY COW cake is still in the fridge.

One up, one down.

We took Copper to the vet Monday for a follow up visit. He came back fine other than his B12 level was alittle low in his blood. They gave me some $15 brown fluid that I get to squirt down his throat once a day for a few days. He loves that let me tell ya. I love it too since when I am done I am cleaning up brown drops off of him, me and the floor when finished. When Copper got home from the vet last Monday he was very sneezy. I think he picked up a cold while at the vet. A couple of days later we noticed Tugger being kinda erpy. He was straightening his head and licking his lips and mouth alot. He also had the occasional hack and sneeze. Yesterday Tugger wasn't interested in eatting at all. Today when I got home I found Tugger running from the back room licking his lips so I am guess he got his appetite back. Needles came home with some soft food and Tugger mowed through it in no time. I think both of our kitties are on the mend but it has been a house of sickly felines for the last few days. It was getting to the point that I was getting worried about our weekend plans but I think we are OK now.

Every afternoon this week has been helping with Halloween decorations. I think a lot of the heavy lifting is done but there is still lots to do.

Preparations

Today I spent about 8 hours at a friends house helping him get ready for the upcoming party and holiday. Today we put up a archway and set out all the cemetery fencing. We also got a couple of loads of Halloween items out of storage to be put up later. At the end of the day I was wiped out and heading home where Needles had made soup beans and sour kraut. Yum. After I got my belly full I had to lay down for a brief but refreshing nap. We got a lot done today but there is still lots to do. I would say we are about 20% done and with 24 day left I think if we can have a few more productive days we might just get it all done in time.

This is a scarecrow that I worked on for "G". He is a beach ball with chicken wire for shaping, several layers of paper machete and cotton balls to give it facial features and then several layers of latex then painted. His body (not pictured) is grapevines with some black material for clothing. He stands about 8 foot tall.

Fish Pond

Check out my new fish pond in my blog gutter. Just scroll down a little and it's on the right. Don't forget to feed them. Just click on the water and watch them go into a feeding frenzy. Click on the icon in the top left corner to get you own.

Funny

Home is where Copper is.

Today after work I stopped by the vet to pick up my little sickly one. I got there and stood waiting of the bill to be tallied. After about 5 minutes of them scratching their head I began to wonder and then the lady had to take the bill into the back office to look it over. This is when I began to worry. I was afraid I might have to take out a small loan to bring Copper home. They looked it over and did some adjusting as some of the charges had been added twice making the bill almost double what it was. I am glad they took the time to look it over and adjust it to something a little less jaw dropping. Copper is home on a special diet and has a follow up appointment on Monday. He seems to be doing well and walked into the house like he never was gone. Tugger however was a different story. Hissing and slinking away to his table was what he considered a welcome home. Today I have been a little sore. Yesterday after all the wind I thought I would go onto the roof and secure the antenna a little more since it seemed to be leaning just a little. I used my A frame ladder since the extension ladder was back at Mom and Dad's. I set the ladder and started up only to get on the 3rd or 4th rung and one of the legs sunk into the ground. This is when gravity kicked my arse to the ground. I got up with my ego bruised but non the worse for wear. Today I am a bit sore on the left side of my chest but I think I will live. Also yesterday we joined the ranks of the powerless. Our power blinked off and on a couple of times but at 12:30pm our power was gone and didn't come back for over 4 hours. If Ike was this windy here just imagine what it was like in Texas. Those poor people.

Copper Is Coming Home.

This morning I received a call from the vet. She said Copper was eatting and drinking and seemed to be doing much better today. He seems more interested in his surrounding and should be good to come home tomorrow. She said that he still hasn't had a bowel movement but she thinks this will come in time. With him in strange surroundings and cooped up in a small cage he might not "go" until he comes home. She said some cats are particular on where they go. I will be glad to get him home but not so glad to see the cost of his stay at Hotel Animal Hospital.

Copper update.

Thursday morning I took Copper to the Vet. While at work they called and said that his blood work and stool samples were normal and other than a little dehydrated from the vomiting and diarrhea this was fine. They wanted to do an Xray to make sure he didn't have a blockage but would need to sedate him due to some crankiness. His X-rays came back fine and they said they would want to keep him until he ate and had a bowel movement. Yesterday when I visited the vet's office after work they said that he didn't eat at all and was drinking water, but he hadn't vomited today. This was the first day he hadn't in 5 days he hadn't thrown up. This morning they were going to start him on gruel (soft watery food) and see how this went. About 10am I received a call and they said that he didn't have a fever and he was eating food but he hasn't had a bowel movement yet. They suggested keeping him until Monday and they felt like he would be ready to come home then. The vet said that when they opened the door to his cage this morning he shot out of it and down the hall. This is the most active he has been since this whole ordeal. I think we got some good news and that things are getting better so we will wait and see how things go. They said they would call me tomorrow on his progress and Monday we will hopefully get to bring him home.

Sickly Housemate.

This week (Monday) started with Copper getting sick alot and not eatting much. Tuesday was more of the same with Copper having diarrhea and green tinged vomit. Last night we came home to 3 puddles of green puke and Copper very lethargic and sickly. He was able to drink alittle and I did get him to drink some of the liquid out of a can of samon. This morning I had enough as I am sure he had also. I crated him up and off to the vet we went. I got a call around 1:30pm saying that his lab work showed him to be dehydrated and they were giving him fluids. They also wanted to do an X ray of his belly to check for obstruction. They asked if they could sedate him as he was "cranky". Does this sound familiar Ragged and Cynical? Anyway I haven't heard anything so he is staying the night at the vet. Tomorrow I hope to get an update. I hope to bring puky back home.

Productive day.

This morning I woke up a few hours before Needles. I started off with grinding and brewing a pot of 89er's blend coffee. After I started on my first cup I thought I would get breakfast ready even though sleepy head was still in bed. I started the beacon and sausage and after I got them going I went check on sleeping beauty. I had hopes that some of the smell of the coffee and food would make it into the bedroom and rouse Needles from her slumber. Before long, just as I was starting the eggs and the toast was a little over done, she strolled into the kitchen. A good morning sweety and in a few minutes we were at the kitchen table with breakfast in front of us with a cup of joe and apple-strawberry-banana juice. After breakfast we had a job to do. The shower was in need of a little repair so we jumped into the car and went to the big city. A quick stop at ACE hardware to get a part and we were on our way home. When I started working on the shower I got done in a flash and tested my work......No change and I found out why. Another fitting had broken and was spraying water in the closet. Soooooo another quick trip to the big city to get another part and soon after I arrived home the shower was working once again. After that I decided to go into the garage and clean out the car and put in the new floor mats. After that I thought I would wash and wax the Jeep and after that was accomplished I changed the oil in purple truck. This was something had been needing done for several weeks and while I was at it I lubed the front end. After that was all done my stomach was telling me to find a bite to eat and just my luck Needles was inside making a tater tot casserole. It was very good and my belly was satisfied. I am now setting on the couch contemplating a nap and I think that is what I am going to do. Good evening folks.

Able to lease more building than he can remember...

It's John S. (Superman) McCain.

Awww.

Would you like a world where these animals can share the planet with us and our children?

Sarah Palin voted against these animals going on the endangered species list so that it wouldn't impact oil production in Alaska, but voted for wolves to be slaughtered by helicopter in the interest of increasing moose population. I would like to think we can share the planet with all of it's animals. Something to think about.

For some truth on Palin just click HERE.

Last Day of the Diary Dee

Our local ice cream shop is shutting down for the season. We usually stop by there maybe once a month. Since this luxury is going away for awhile we have stopped by the last three days. Saturday while Cynical and Ragged were here I got a large vanilla shake. Yesterday just before our company left we stopped back by the Dee. I got a large hot fudge sundae. Tonight since it is the last hoorah of the Dee I got a JUMBO hot fudge sundae. Jenny from the blog was supposed to visit today and enjoy the Dee with us but she had homework and couldn't make it. The last 3 days have been very yummy ones.

Weekend

Friday after an interesting day at work, I came home to await the arrival of our weekend guests. Around 6:30 pm Cynical and Ragged rolled in. We visited and enjoyed each others company. Shortly after they arrived, Rudy, Brando and the family came in and we all sat in the living room and conversed into the evening. Saturday morning we awoke early because the ladies wanted to get a jump on their project. After a breakfast of HUGE cinnamon rolls they were going to dye yarn and fiber. After a few hours they had their items ready for stemming so after they had everything put away we grilled hamburgers and went to the Dairy Dee for dessert. After dessert we visited Rudy and Brando's farm. We Wiied for a couple of hours and Rudy ordered pizza for supper. After the pizza was devoured we watched National Treasure 2. We arrived home around 10pm and in no time it was time for bed. This morning after bagels and cream cheese the ladies rinsed out the yarn that set over night. They hung the yarn on the rack to dry as we had warmed over hamburgers for lunch followed by another Dairy Dee run. When the yarn dried our guests decided it was time to head home. We tried to get them to stay another night but they had some fuzzy house guests that they had to get back home to. We enjoyed our guests and in a few weeks we will be heading South to visit them.

I'm Back!

Two Days, roughly 800 miles and seeing a different part of the country. Yesterday I left work around 2pm. My boss and I loaded up and left on a trip to Columbia, Missouri. We arrived at St. Louis around 5pm and awaited our contact to arrive and take us on the rest of our journey. After a couple of missed turns we arrived around 7:30pm. We ate at the Flat Branch Pub and Brewery. I had the smothered Sirloin and my boss enjoyed a pasta salad. For dessert we split Tiger Stripe ice cream which is an original dessert of the pub. It was very good. After we finshed out late supper it was time head to the hotel. We stayed at The Stoney Creek Inn. It is a nice hotel mixed with Bass Pro. Very rustic but also modern. It was very neat and I would recommend staying there if you get a chance. I was kicking myself for not taking my camera. This morning a 7:30am we met in the lobby and went to the Galley for our continental breakfast, then it was on the road again to our final destination. We arrived at Brookfield, MO. around 10am and was given a tour of Pershing Memorial Hospital. It is a small hospital like ours but is undergoing a major renovation. I was neat to see and we learned alot about our upcoming project. Around noon it was time to grab a bite to eat and get back on the road for our trip home. We left around 1:15 pm and I arrived home at 7pm, tired and ready to get out of the vehicle. It was a neat trip but very whirlwind and not alot of time to sight see. I am home now and ready just to rest and do nothing. I wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow. Have a good holiday weekend everyone.

PS. The picture above is the room I stayed in. I got it off the interwebs. When you walk into the rooms they each have a cute stuffed animal on the bed with a sign to purchase them and take them home. Mine was a raccoon with a bandana around his neck. Very cute.

Going out of town.

This morning just after I walked into work my boss asked me if I was up for a road trip. "Always" I said. Apparently we are going to Columbia, MO. for a PACS demonstration. We will be leaving around 2pm Wednesday and coming back Thursday afternoon. This is my first business trip with the hospital and I am not sure what to expect. I hope it will be very informal. I will get more details tomorrow. Hopefully we will get some good eats.

Fast Weekend.

After a very trying Friday, Needles and I headed South to the promise land. We arrived down there around 7:20pm and was greeted by my parents and a feast. We ate and then reclined to the living room to catch up on things. Before long it was late and time to go to bed. We woke the next day to breakfast and then into town for some yard sales. I had my eye on items for our Halloween projects but came up empty. After we got home we went to Grandma's house for homemade pizza by my Aunt R. It was soooo good and of course I made a pig of myself. After that we got to visit with my Aunt R and her new puppy Izzy. Izzy is a Chihuahua and is very loving and affectionate. When we went back to Mom and Dad's we went on a ride on the property across the road from my parents. My Mom and Dad rode their golf cart and my Aunt R and Uncle A rode their golf cart. Needles and I rode Dad's new 4 wheeler. While we were riding the electric ice cream maker was churning away in the sink. When we arrived home after about an hour of riding the ice cream was ready. I again made a pig of myself and had 3 helpings. I could not tell you when the last time I had homemade ice cream. I thinking 15 years or more. Last night we stayed up until our eyes grew heavy and called it a night. This morning we ate breakfast and while Mom and Dad went to church, Needles and I took and ride back in the country side on the golf cart. I am still amazed at how well that thing is able to go in the woods. Around 1:30pm we decided it was time to go and made our goodbyes and headed North. We arrived home a little after 4pm and while the kitties were still locked up, cleaned house. I was so very much needed as it seems we haven't cleaned in awhile. It is now time for laundry, showers and getting ready for work tomorrow. Bleah!

Silly Olympics

Thanks Media For Lying.

It seems that the Georgia and Russian conflict has a bit more complex than the media has lead us to believe and decided to omit and sweep a few small details under the carpet. Lets just say they have put a Western spin on the story. Apparently South Ossetia in Georgia had some people loyal to Russia and Georgia sent the military to crack down on these separatists. "They were killing their own people, burning and looting homes, towns and anything else in their way." Russia moved in to stop this action and was accused of invading a sovern free country. It doesn't sound free to me. It would be like Texas killing off the Democrats to make sure the state stays red in the next election. Hmmm. Matter of fact I would put it past these jokers in the White House. Another thing that wouldn't surprise me is that Bush and his buddy's would find some way to make a buck on the whole ordeal. This to me sounds a bit like Darfur in South Africa but that's another "little incident" we haven't heard much about because it doesn't sell papers, magazines and premotional spots in the TV. Isn't it interesting how our information is filtered, blended and strained for our consumption. You would almost think this is a free country. Thank You Patriot Act, but I am afraid this has been going on since the Vietnam "conflict".

Watching Antenna in HD.

Today after breakfast of bagels and 89er's blend coffee Needles and I went to the big city to do some shopping and some grocery getting. Little did she know that I had secretly planned to get an antenna for our local channels. After stopping by Needles work and visiting with her co worker, boss and bosses family we stopped in at the grocery store and then ran by JC Pennys which was fruitless. We walked down by Radio Shack and I asked if they had any TV antennas and about half way through my question I noticed the 10 ft antenna bolted to the ceiling in the shop so I stopped my question short. I said "I need one of those" and he said "that was the biggest one they have in stock". I said "I need one" and they started to bring the box from the back. I thought the box would be about 6ft long and easily fit in the car with the back seat down. NO. This thing was 8ft long and there was no way. I told them we had a little more shopping to do and I would be back withe the truck. We then stopped to eat at Wendy's and then dropped by Wally World on the way home. We then returned home and got the truck to return for our purchases. After home the work began. I was determined to get this thing up so that we can at least watch the last week of the Olympics. No thanks to DirecTV since they have no plans in ever getting local channels in our area. Our Olympic viewing consisted of 2 hours from 5 to 7pm in the evening and they were mostly the off games like marble shooting and who can make the largest belly button lint ball. By the way I would so rule in that competition. I would bring USA the gold with a little bit of white and gray mixed in. Anyway we started to work on the antenna about 4pm and had it up and running in about 3 hours. There were several tough issues with this little venture. Our old antenna had lost all of its aerials and didn't work at all. Also the bolts that attached the antenna to the pole was rusted so that I couldn't get it off. I took a pair of side cuts to cut the bolts but standing 20 ft in the air and cut bolts with one hand while trying not to fall and kill myself was tricky. After an attempt to cut the bolts failed I began to beat on the bracket with a hammer. The top bracket came off quickly but then the bottom bracket started to go and bend to my left, then snap and boom the thing was on the ground. I fell 3 inches from the neighbors wooden fence. If it would have went to my right it would have taken out the phone line and to the left would have been the power line. Both not good options so it fell exactly as it needed to and avoided any issue. I guess a little luck shines on you every once and a while. After that it was a challenge to hoist an fully expanded antenna attached to a ten foot mast to the roof. Last but probably the hardest part about the while ordeal was trying to fish the coaxe cable through the wall to took it up. We finally manage to get it all done and then came the moment of truth. To see how many channels we get. After pointing the antenna to Terre Haute our market area we did the scan and got 6 analog and 10 digital channels. I was thrilled and started to watch the Olympics but after about 45 minutes the channel started to fade and the digital channel broke up and was gone. I thought might as well try Evansville and pointed the antenna in that general direction. I went inside and did a channel scan and was amazed that we could pick up 9 analog and 15 digital channels. I pulled out my GPS to see which city was closest thinking Terre Haute was since we are considered in their market and not eligible for local channels and was surprised that Evansville is 53 miles as the crow flies. Terre Haute is 58 miles. Hmmm. Anyway we have all the channels from Eville and also can pick up a few Terre Haute channels too. I am pleased with the purchase and am thrilled to finally have our local channels. No more waiting for Heros to rerun on Scifi. Take that DirecTV!

I knew it!

CNN) -- A policeman and a former corrections officer say that on Friday they will unveil evidence of what they claim is their biggest find ever: the body of Bigfoot.
The thawed body of a creature reputed to be Bigfoot reportedly weighs more than 500 pounds.
Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, a pair of Bigfoot-hunting hobbyists from north Georgia, say they found the creature's body in a wooded area and spotted several similar creatures that were still alive.
The carcass of the furry half-man, half-ape is 7 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs more than 500 pounds, they say. However, the two are not disclosing the exact location of their discovery to protect the remaining creatures.
Tom Nelson, chairman of the biology department at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, said he's "pretty skeptical" the world will feast its eyes on a new species Friday.
"That would certainly rock mammalogy," joked Nelson, who specializes in the study of mammals. "I see a research grant in my future."
Whitton and Dyer plan to unveil what they say is DNA and photo evidence of the discovery in Palo Alto, California, in conjunction with a group called Searching for Bigfoot Inc.
A photograph on that group's Web site shows what appears to be the body of a large, hairy creature with an ape-like face, stuffed into a large freezer.
According to a written release, the two announced the discovery on an Internet radio show, "Squatch Detective," several weeks ago. iReport.com: Do you believe in Bigfoot?
"The only person we would allow to come down and verify the body was 'the Real Bigfoot Hunter,' Tom Biscardi," Dyer said, referring to Searching for Bigfoot's CEO, who has been looking for the elusive, legendary creature in the United States and Canada since 1971.
Whitton is a Georgia police officer who is on administrative leave after being shot in the wrist during a pursuit. Dyer is a former prison guard.
DNA tests on the body have begun, said the statement, and "extensive scientific studies" will be done on the body by scientists, including a molecular biologist, an anthropologist and a paleontologist.
Nelson, the university professor, acknowledged that new species of animals have been discovered in recent decades and that, in science, "we always acknowledge the possibility of something new."
But he said that even in north Georgia, home to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the foot of the Appalachian Trail, it stretches the imagination to think a family of 7-foot-tall creatures could have eluded hunters, hikers and creeping development until now.
"To the average person, these places just seem like extreme wilderness where you'll find lions and tigers and bears," he said. "The reality is that you're never more than a mile from a road."
The group says the animal is male, has reddish hair and "blackish-gray" eyes and human-like feet, hands.

PS. I have to go feed the Loch Ness Monster in the toilet.

Computer Ill

Yesterday I got home as usual and got on the interwebs. I set the computer aside and left it for awhile. When I came back to it, it was in screensaver mode. I moved the mouse to wake the sleeping puter and I got the blue screen of death folllowed by a quick shut down and reboot. When it rebooted it showed the windows XP screen for about 15 seconds and then shut down again. This is when I said "CRAP!" I knew it was serious. I rebooted in Safe Mode and it locked up and I had to do a hard shut down and reboot to find it wouldn't go into Safe Mode only to shut down and reboot again. I f8ed the reboot and tried every option and nothing worked. I was able to freeze the blue screen and list off the stop error and codes for Needles to look it up on the other computer. It seemed that I had a hardware issue. I did a hard drive scan in Bios for it to pass and no issues. I removed the RAM and reinstalled it and still nothing. I rebooted with the supplied boot CD and still nothing. I was starting to get worried. I remembered I had the old RAM in the drawer so I installed it and rebooted with the boot CD and I was able to make some progress. After getting into Safe Mode I was able to Scandisk SCNDSK and find an issue that wasn't found before. I ran recovery SCNDSK /R which took a little over an hours and then SCNDSK /P and everything seemed to come back. I lost a few things and the wireless assistant is down but for the most part I am back with half the RAM. It was touch and go for awhile but after 4 to 5 hours it seems to be OK. Cross your fingers. I am needing to back up all my pics.

Bad Day

Today was not a good day. As soon as I got to work at 7am my boss said that her dad that has been fighting the battle against cancer was in the final stages. She left to be with him in his final hours. At 8am we received a call saying that hospice was there and they were telling them he has hours. At 9:10am it was over and his suffering was over. Please keep them in your thoughts.

TAKE THAT FRENCHIE!

As you probably well know but if you are just coming out of a coma or something you might have heard about the come from behind win by the United States over the trash talking French in the 4X100M swimming relay. Take that! You know where you can stick your french bread. Hee Hee.

I'm too old for this stuff.

Last night I went over to my friends house and we had a cookout. I arrived around 5:00pm and started in on my beer. About 6 beers later I had Needles who was still at home come out and bring me more beer. After I finished that I drank some of my friends beer and by the end of the night I was drunker than Cooter Brown. The one thing I had forgot about drinking like that is the morning after. I felt very rough this morning and while Needles woke up a couple of hours after me I wasn't in the mood for B'fast. I just layed on the couch and tried to wish the jack hammer in my head would go away. Around noon I started to feel better and get an appetite. Needles made chicken and Yukon potato blend and it was very good. I guess I am back to normal now but I think it will be awhile before I get my drink on again. CHEERS!

PS. For those of you still wondering about the lyric line. The name of the song is Come Dancing by The Kinks.

Remember way back when.

Our local radio station has been playing some oldies but goodies lately. This is a lyric line that was brought out of my memory from the old days. So lets see who remembers this one. Here is the line.

Out of my window, I could see them in the moonlight,
Two sillohettes, saying goodnight by the garden gate.

Comment: Whats the name of the song and who played it?

Good luck.

Happy 8-8-08

Hello everyone. I hope you are having a great 8-8-08.

Travel Blog Pic

Unfortunate Product Image

Look at this image and comment what is wrong with it...

There just needs to be another punkin.

It's beginning to look alot like "TIKI" round here.

Last week I recieved my 2 tiki drink shaker containers. I am going to use them for the event and today I recieved four 6ft tall totem tikipoles. A hui hou kakou (Until we meet again.)

PS. Kitties don't like 6ft tikipoles.

Heroes Marathon

Today we have been watching Heroes season 2. We are about half way through the marathon. It has been pretty good so far but they have been showing commercials for season 3 during the marathon which tends to give away some items. This evening we are doing pork chops on the grill. It's gonna be good.

Hospital Picnic

Today was our hospital picnic. It was at Red Hills State Park on the north side. They had a bounce house, snow cones and other various games for the kids and food for the adults. It was fun and we had a good turn out. I think everyone that was able to show from my department made it. There was only 2 that didn't show but one was working and the other was out of town for a seminar. Brando, Yin and Yuri was able to be there and it seemed like they had a lot of fun. Yin didn't want the games to end and Yuri still wasn't topped off after 2 snow cones. They had a good day as the threatening rain on the forecast never appeared and the temps wasn't too bad. Tonight I think we are going over to The Kings house to work on some CSF08 projects. Have a good weekend everyone.

Yin enjoying herself pestering Yuri that is on his second snow cone.

Weekend Progress

This weekend has been one of relaxation with a bit of work thrown it. Yesterday Needles and I ventured to the big city for a few items and some grocery shopping. When we arrived home we found ourselves with the challenge of finding a place to fit it all. Both of us has wandered into the kitchen and opened up the fridge to shout, "We ain't got not food!" This is somewhat funny as the fridge is full to the point of not being able to fit anything else in there. Last night after we got home we went over to the King of Halloween's house to talk about the upcoming Cache Slash Fest 2008. We confirmed previous plans and also talked over activities for the event. I think we are going to have 4 or 5 activities and our usual 8 caches. We are also in the midst of devising a survivor grand challenge for our guests but we still haven't got that part ironed out just yet. For the most part we know what we are going to do, we posted it now comes the time to try to make it all happen. It can be somewhat of a challenge but we have accomplished our task the last 3 years and I am sure this one will be like the rest. It seems very erratic and hectic at the time but some how it always seems to fall into place. I guess that is what happens when you got good help. I think that last night we have decided that after next year (2009) we are going to call it quits for the event. At that time we will have had the event 5 years and we think that it will be a good end point. We can always bring it back if we want to but with gas prices and people don't have as much money to spend on activities like this so we think the number of people that will attend might go down. CSF08 will be the litmus test of our these predictions, so only time will tell. Also I think we have been so busy this time of year we have started to see Halloween as work and not able to enjoy it as much as we have in the past. We made good progress at this stage of the game with plannning and we have even had some ideas to work on for next year. We didn't get home last night until almost 1am. Today we went to Needle's Mom's house and had lunch with most of the uncle's. We are now home staying inside and out of the heat. I think I am going to go out later and try to put up some new lights on the garage, that is if it cools off a little.

Weekend Doins

Yesterday morning I received a phone call from a friend that I haven't seen for awhile. I went over to mostly visit but he was also residing his garage. When I arrived we started prepping the wall with a new door surround, starter strips and J channel. While standing there a gust of wind blew through the area and one side of the door surround not nailed up yet blew over a smacked me in the face. It hurt but I was able to laugh it off and then go on about my work. About 15 minutes later I was standing on the deck, minding my own business when a wasp landed on my left foot and stung me between my big toe and the second toe. Needless to say I hopped around for a bit and tried to walk it off as my foot first throbbed and then felt like it was on fire for about half an hour. The sensation finally left but for the rest of the evening when I sat still for several minutes and then got up to walk, I could tell my toes were stiff. When I returned home Needles had chili prepared so I had a late lunch. Later that evening we settled in for T.V. watching and interwebing. Today I got up a little before Needles so I folded a couple loads of clothes and then went to Rudys house. When I arrived King of Halloween was there so we discussed the upcoming Cache Slash Fest Event. After that we went inside to watch a little T.V. and visit. Around 2:30 pm I returned home and Needles and I grilled out hot dogs. This evening I hauled off a load of limbs that we pruned out of the tree and put up a piece of siding that blew down last week. I also plugged up a couple of areas in the garage that birds have been trying to nest and get into my garage. Now we have settled in for the rest of the night. We received Vantage Point form Netflicks so we might watch it after our showers. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Moving, Grillin and Sleepin

Last Thursday we left to travel South to Cynical and Ragged's new house. We arrived at the new house around 6:30pm. Cynical and Ragged arrived shortly after we got there with their cars packed full of boxes. After helping them unpack we followed them back to the house to load up all three vehicles and then back to the new house. I am not sure how many trips we made but later in the evening we ordered pizzas and it was excellent. It was from a new place called Pizza by the Guy and it reminded me of pizza we used to order here locally from the Pizza House. That evening we returned back to the old house to relax and finally to retire for the night. Friday we awoke to a bit of soreness, Cynical and Ragged making a run to the new house for an early appliance delivery and breakfast prepared by our hosts. Scrambled eggs, turkey beacon and fresh fruit, yum. After that it was time to make the first of several runs for the day. Several runs later by various friends and family and we were starting to make a sizable dent in the move. For lunch, a stop off the Panera Bread and before long it was time to pick up the Uhaul 17 foot box truck. That is when we loaded up a lot of the big and heavy furniture. We made one run with the box truck and other support vehicles and it was time to rest for the evening. I think I measured our progress at around 70 to 75% and that time. By the end of the evening we had both beds assembled so that we could have a place to sleep for the night. The shower felt good on our sore and stiff bodies and The Shogun filled our bellies to cap off the evening. I was the one that had to set at the end of the table and get a hot shrimp tossed up to be caught in my mouth. I think my big mouth was a pretty easy target for the guy. Saturday morning after a few minutes to work out the kinks in my back, Cynical and I made a run to Kroger and picked up begals and fresh fruit for breakfast. Shortly after Needles and I had our coffee it was time to get back to it. For the most part we had another load with the box truck and other vehicles and we were pretty well finished. Later in the day after some debate we ordered Chinese take out and the food was wonderful. That night the house was falling into place and things were finding there place to be. It was neat to be able to be there to see an empty space become a loving home for a couple and kitties that definitely deserve it. Sunday morning we finished off the Chinese food we couldn't finish the night before and before long it was time to go. We decided to cut our visit short and go to my parents house to visit them and also see an Uncle that has been having some health issues that may make his presence somewhat questionable over the next months and years. We hated to leave our hosts and we hope to see them again very soon.

Today Needles and I grilled out on our new Weber grill. It is a B-day present from Needles and it worked great. Needles had a monster sirloin and I had my usual NY strip. Mmmmmmm.

Thank you Sweetheart.

Going out of town.

Tomorrow we will be leaving to help out in The Big Move of 2008. I am very excited for Cynical and Ragged and hope that everything goes smoothly. I am sure the weekend will be busy but very rewarding when finished. See you in a few days.

The Big Three Five.

Yep today I am the BIG THREE FIVE. I have to say that it doesn't feel any different than yesterday. One thing that this day does make me think of is my friends and family. On this day I am truly reminded of how blessed I am. Have a great day everyone.

West Salem Fireworks 2008

Wish you were here.

Flood Pics

Happy B-day to me. Well not yet.

Today we went down to Needles Mom for a B-day lunch. On the menu was BBQ pork ribs, Au gratin potatoes and green beans. For dessert was homemade brownies, squash pie with cool whip followed by a DQ ice cream cake. Of course I had a sizable helping of all three. After filling my gut we sat around the table discussing Needles Uncle C's brand new truck. It is a silver 2008 ford ranger. It is a very nice truck and has that new truck smell. I received several gifts from Needles Mom, mostly Halloween decor items and a few scratch off tickets with one being a $5 winner. It was a good day.

Lots to do and lots got done.

Today we woke up late unlike Cynical and Ragged. We rolled out of bed around 9am. After brewing some Mudhouse Espresso coffee we decided on breakfast. Needles had scrambled eggs and I decided on a fried egg and cheese sandwich on toast. We then knocked off a couple of movies we had Tivoed from our free showtime and Starz weekend. First was Lucky Number Sleven, I wasn't sure about this movie at first but within a few minutes the banter like lines reminded me of The West Wing. The writing was very smart and witty. When you get into the meat of the story it has the feeling of another movie which I like, The Usual Suspects. The twists and turns in the end made the story. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate it a strong 9. I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it. The second movie was an oldy but a goody, Oceans 12. We had seen it before but at the time we lost interests and missed most of the show. Today we were able to commit our full attention and watch. We actually enjoyed it very much and are looking forward to seeing Oceans 13. By this time it was getting to be close to 2:30pm and I hadn't done a thing. I decided to go out and mow the lawn while Needles made Barilla spaghetti with home made meatballs. Mmmmm. When I was done mowing, weedeatting and spraying weeds, I went in to eat and just after eatting I received a phone call from my Mother. After the talk it was time for the second yard of the day. I mowed and weedeat that lawn and returned home around 6pm just as the storms rolled in. After the storms Needles and I went out on the front porch and sat and listen to the rain as it was unusually quiet in the normally noisey neighborhood. After the rain stopped I retrieved my hedge clippers and started in the front bushes. After about an hour of clipping, the bushes were done and it was time to go in, collapse on the couch and eat again as the spaghetti from lunch was long gone. It is now time for showers and relaxing for the rest of the night. Tomorrow we are going down to Needles Moms for an early B-day party for me. It has been a good, productive day.

Mudhouse Magic!

I mentioned a few posts ago that I had ordered coffee online from our home away from home in Springfield, MO. A few days after I placed the order I received a message from Kyle the head roaster stating that my order information had went through perfectly except for exactly what I ordered. He stated that he was sorry and that the situation was very embarrassing and that he would get my order out as soon as he had all the information. I returned the phone call and left a message that I had ordered the Mudhouse Espresso Blend, 1 pound, whole bean. The next day I received another phone call asking how I wanted it ground. I again returned a message restating that I wanted it whole bean, not ground. Several days go by which leads us up to now. Today when I arrived home I noticed a little black box on the front porch. Was it? Could it be? Yes it was. My long awaited Mudhouse order. I grabbed the box up greedily and went to the kitchen table to open my prize, the Mudhouse logo smiling warmly at me like a warm cup of coffee. After I carefully made cuts in the tape to gain access to my coveted treasure. Upon opening the package the first thing I noticed was a note and the second was another package of coffee. Apparently the have just started the interwebs sales and they have had some growing pains. I miss our little home in Springfield.

I think the note is very neat. They didn't have to send more coffee but I am sure we will "make" ourselves drink it. (In background there's the whirrr of a coffee grinder followed by dripping of coffee maker and soon to be followed by slurping. Might throw in a yum or two.)

If you would like to order coffee from the Mudhouse click HERE.

A/C All Better.

The air conditioner is all better now with a brand new blower motor. I still haven't received a bill but I will sleep well tonight. Last night although it wasn't too bad was a little humid in the house. :)

New Blower Motor.

Well I had my A/C guy stop by today and the diagnosis is a bad blower motor. After looking online I have seen prices ranging from $60 to $100 dollars. It could be worse. He is going to bring home a motor tomorrow and replace it. It really comes in handy to know a A/C guy.

I get my answer.

I asked "What Next?" Well I got my answer today. The air conditioner blower fan is whats next. It started making a noise tonight and hasn't shut up since. I put in a call to my favorite A/C repairman but it is late and I suspect we won't hear anything tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

What Next?

Over the past few months I think we have had our share of weather and other natural disasters for this area. First of all the earthquake shook us up for several days followed but a weeks worth of storms including a tornado that fortunately didn't cause any damage, and now the flooding. The flooding has caused us to go without drinkable water for the last few days and who knows for how much longer. At least we do have water for bathing, washing clothes and using the restroom. Tonight we had another in the round of storms roll through. I think other than the fact we were without power for a couple of hours we got though it OK. At about 8:40pm I noticed a missed call on the cell phone. It was my brother calling to say that his dog pin was laying upside down in the horse pasture behind his house. We went out to survey the damage. Other than the dog pin everything else was alright. Also Waylen the dog is OK.

Today Needles and I ended our 5 year hiatus from the movie theaters. The last time we watched a movie in the theater was X-men 2 and we were in Kansas City. We have been to the drive inn several times over the years but not the theater. I have to say I don't think we have been missing much. We arrived early to get prime seats and went in the middle of the day to hopefully decrease the number of people that might be there. I think we had a little over 30 people in the movie we were watching. Lets see where to start. We sat through 20 minutes of advertising of T.V. and movie shows before the feature and the sound was so loud that I thought I was going to have to plug my ears at times. We gave it a shot but I don't think I am cut out for watching movies at the theater. For the price we pay for tickets I would rather pay a little more and enjoy the movie on DVD in my own home. The show we watched was The Happening. It is the new M. Night Shyamalan movie. We love all of his other movies, some more than others. It is amazing the suspense that can be created with the way the movie was shot. The music and camera moves made me jump a couple of times. We enjoyed this movie a lot but is was not as good as Signs, The Village but better than Unbreakable. I would have to say that it was a little better than Lady in the Water and right on par with Sixth Sense.

Flood Footage

At the beginning of the video you see the large white water tower just left of center. This is very close to where Needles works.

Have You Called Jenny Yet?

Thanks to Jenny from the Blog for allowing us to wash our funk off at her house. Man she lives up town. She has runnin water and everthin. Thanks.

State of Emergency

I always wondered what it would feel like to have your county declared a State of Emergency. Well today was the day. I have to say that other than not having running water, it doesn't feel that different. As the days go on we will see how that changes. Today the main line that leads from the water wells broke. This on an average kinda day wouldn't be that great of an inconvenience, a couple hours or a day without water, but this is no ordinary day. The field the the wells set on are flooded and so is the area over where the break is, so they had to call in engineers to see what they can do. It looks like we might be without running water for several days to weeks. Grreeeeeaaaattt. It's not like we don't have options. My sis in law just dropped off a couple of gallons and we do have friends in neighboring county's that will let our scroungy arses in for a pity shower. The main problem is toilets. I can go outside and do my business but I wonder how Needles will cope. We might have just found a use for our yellow pales that is left over from the kitty litter.

I get my drugs in the mail.

Today I placed my first order to The Mud House. It is a little coffee place we visited in Springfield, MO. last month. We have run through the beans we had brought back with us so we thought we needed to place an order. I have to say the price of the coffee isn't too bad for not being Starbucks but the shipping is a little high and when you buy more that one item you don't get a break on shipping..... I guess it is cheaper than driving there.

Heroin...It does a body good.

GO OBAMA!

Well it looks like the primaries are winding down and even though it is a close race I am glad that this mess will be over. I am tired of all the mud slinging and the candidates being called out for each and every faux paus. Three or four months ago I would have loved a have a Obama/Clinton ticket but now I am not so sure. I think that both candidates have whipped their side of the party into such a feud that if their candidate doesn't make the cut, then they are going to vote republican. Yeah, That's what we we need 4 more years of what we have already put up with for almost the past 8 years. By having another republican in the white house will definitely show Obama. And I am afraid we will ALL pay the price for it. Democrats and republicans alike.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YURI!

This is hilarious.

Herbal Elements - Funny video clips are a click away

To GO Where No One Has Gone Before!

Well they shot off the Space Shuttle Discovery with its crew of seven, the Japanese Science Lab Module and a fix for the space stations crapper. The crew manning the station has been using bags to collect their liquid waste since the throne malfunctioned about a week ago. Fortunately the solid waste portion of the space toilet is still working. Good luck to crew of the Discovery and the Space Station on their mission.

Jeepy All Better.

Got the Jeep back today and it was the water pump. $182.00 not bad. I was expecting worse.

Change is in the air.

Today I went to work and today we had an observer that is going into the Radiography program. I was talking with her and while chatting our discussion round to gas prices and all the driving that they have to do in the program. She told me that her mother traded in a truck this weekend and that the car dealer had told them that they were no longer taking any trade ins with a 8 cylinder engine or greater. They said they can't sell them. It looks like the rise in gas prices made a great impact in the holiday travel with a new word being coined "Staycation." Tomorrow the Jeep is going into the shop. While driving today I noticed a pecking noise in the engine. I am not sure as to how long it has been going on but I hope that what ever it is will be a quick and cheap fix but probably not as it sounds like it is deep in the engine. Probably valve or lifter. Wish Jeepy and Me luck.

Cook Out

Today Needles and I traveled south to her Moms to have a cook out. We got the notice a little late but we arrived just in time for the food. We had pork burgers and southern style hot dogs with sides of baked beans, sweet potatoes and green beans. Also the Needles uncle grilled some baked potatoes. It was very good and of course I ate way too much. For dessert we had watermelon chilled to perfection. We stayed as long as we could until the weather threatened and we needed to get home so that I could mow the lawn. I just finished mowing about 15 minutes ago and it looks like within the next few minutes we will be getting some rain. I has been a nice weekend other than being a little hot today. Either the rain will cool it down or make it so sticky we can't stand it. We have been very lucky this year and usually by this time I am wondering about turning on the A/C but so far this year it has been mild to almost chilly at times. I think this year we will easily hold out until June 1st. This is when we usually turn on the A/C give or take a day or two. I am glad that we have a extra day this weekend. Hope that everyone is having a good long weekend.

Back from the Butchers

Today Needles and I made the trip to a not so local town to pick up some beef. After listening to what kind of deal we could get we decided on a side of Angus beef. We got several bags of beef and a few bags of pork, chicken and other frozen veggies. I think we got about 120 pounds of beef and 50 pounds of other goodies in all. We went with the premium package which comes with sirloin, New York strip and pork steaks, pork chops, pork ribs, beef ribs, several roasts, ham, whole fryer chickens, ground beef, beacon, sausage, chicken breasts and fritters along with several frozen veggies and steak fries. On average it was between 4 and 5 dollars a pound but for the choice cuts this isn't too bad for fresh beef when you pay over 2 dollars a pound for just ground beef at Wally World. We brought the food home and surveyed what we had and tried to decide where to put it all. After several minutes and a few tries at repacking we made it all fit. I think if we had one more bag of items we would have had to find storage elsewhere. It has been about 3 years since we had purchased a portion of beef and I think that time it lasted us about 14 months. I think we have more this time so we will see how quick we run through it. To quote Jenny from the Blog "Moo!"

UPDATE: For supper tonight Needles had a sirloin and I had a New York strip with mashed potatoes and sweet peas. It was very good.

McLuvin and McChubbin

I am not sure why but when any new or foreign shoes enters our home, it is like the cats loose their minds. They commence rubbing and sniffing and all the usual kitty euphoric activities. Needles purchased not one but two new pairs of shoes and when they were both delivered and opened the furry people were in heaven. That is until Needles put them away in the bed room so that they didn't overdose on huffing shoes. This morning Needles brought a pair of her new shoes into the living room while she got ready for work. After a few minutes we noticed one kitty rolling and rubbing the new shoes to death while the other kitty looked on awaiting his turn. It was like they were tag team shoe wrestling. When Needles was ready she had to shoo away the shoe seducers to put the shoes on and head out the door with the kitties longing for her return... Or more like her shoes return. When I got home I kicked my shoes off in front of the couch and noticed Tugger coming my way but after a quick sniff and head rub he was done with them. It was like he said "Been there, done that, lets move on." As I set here typing this post, in floor just in front of me I see McLuvin aka Tugger in full fledged head waller on the new brown shoes. Copper while setting in Needles lap is keeping and eye on him just in case he might get a chance. We might need an intervention. Do they have S.S.A.F.K? (Shoe Sniffing Anonymous for Kitties) Do they give a discount if we sign up two?

PS. I figured you could figure out who McChubbin was. No....not me. I think we need to call Dr. Scholls.

Appointment for Beef.

Saturday Rudy, Brando, Needles and I have an appointment for Beef. A not so local butcher is having a sale and since it seems that the prices on everything is going up and we like to buy in bulk we thought we would go ahead and get a few things. We have done this before about 3 years ago when we bought a half an angus so we know what to expect. We are just wondering if we will have the room. We had our freezer level full last time, but we do have a back up plan. My Mom and Dad said we could use their freezer if we overflow which is very possible since our freezer has a lot of Schwan items in it awaiting its turn to be consumed. Last time we went to pick up the meat we took 3 coolers and that wasn't near enough. I have a large carryall container to go into the back of the truck that I think will come in very handy. I Love Beef.

Weekends

Mom, Dad and Grandma have been in town the last few days, so we have been spending as much time as possible with them until they go back on Wed. Last Thursday Rudy, Brando and their crew, Mom and Dad, Grandma, Needles and I all went out to eat at the Trace Inn and we finally got to take Mom and Dad out to eat for a belated anniversary. I think we all had a good time even though Needles got a different cut of meat other than what she ordered. Today we went to town and did a little grocery shopping and got the digital converters for their TVs so when the signal changes in Feb 2009 they will be ready. This weekend we haven't ready accomplished much but it is nice to be able to visit with family. Have a good weekend.

Steven King's THE MIST (Review)

If you haven't seen this movie then turn away and stop reading. Otherwise I warned you. The movie started out nicely with very believable characters and reactions to a violent storm that has torn up a small community. As family's are settling down and converging on the local grocery store to get supplies as a weird mist rolls in. Just when people are calming themselves a earthquake hits and shakes up the communities already shaken nerves. Just add a man running for his life and shouting things are in the mist and were off to a nicely rounded horror story. Sure a few non believers make a break for their cars and you hear their twisted screams of torture and unimaginable death in the mist. The endless preaching of the bible thumper at first seems harmless and understandable for some in a stressful situation but after awhile the people start becoming their own worst nightmare. The actions of some of the characters seemed inconsistent and their seems to be a wave of mistrust in each others idea of danger even after seeing and hearing it first hand. I think this is an attempt to heighten the uneasiness amongst the characters and raise the stress level but it just seemed frustrating and of topic at the time. The preachy ladies profit-like predictions start to convince a growing group that she might be right. After several cheesy special effects the holy rollers are in full effect looking for someone to blame and a sacrifice to appease their version of god's thirst for blood. What was once the majority now finds themselves a minority and figure out that they would be safer to take their chances on the road. The preachy ladies constant bible thumping gets to the point where if I were trapped with her I would be the first to volunteer for sacrifice just to end the torture of her voice. I found myself cheering when she finally "get hers" and cheered even louder when the Coup De Grace came. The movie characters explain the revelations type happenings to a military experiment that has opened a dimensional door which allowed these creatures to enter our world and wreck havoc. The creatures are unimaginative in their design although the acidic spiderwebs were a nice touch. When the group ,that made a break for it, runs out of gas they come up with only one solution. I was into this movie, even with its cheesy special effects and inconsistent acting up until the very end and then the last five minute ruined this movie. I haven't read any of Steven King's books but I have seen all of his movies and I have been told many many times that his movies don't translate well to movies but I feel that this movie had a lot of potential up until the ending. This movie had the potential to be in the top 3 of his movies in my book but I have to put it in the middle of the pack now, right there with Storm of the Century and Sometimes They Come Back and the end of the pack being The Langoliers and Riding the Bullet. Christine and The Silver Bullet are still number one and two respectively. I would have to put IT in the top 5.

THE MIST

on a scale of 1-10

Acting- 7

Special Effects- 4

Story Idea- 7

Entertainment Value- 6

Would I watch it again- No

PS. Although not one of John Carpenter's best, go watch The Fog (1980 version) It's creepier and has a better ending. John Carpenter's best movie by far is The Thing and the funny thing is that the movie poster is shown in the opening scene of The Mist.

Home Again

Today we woke up to the same ole grind. I have done three loads of laundry and one yet to do to get us caught up. Needles is currently fixing lunch and later this after noon I have to tackle the yard. It looks like a jungle out there. My belly is a lot better other that the occasional ache but I think I on my way back to health. I am not sure what spurred the problems. Food, travel or just the general change in life's order of things but I was miserable at times. Like I said all things seem to be getting back to normal and preparing to get back to the work week Monday. I am not looking forward to it. Have a good weekend everyone.

Day 6 & Day 7

Thursday I awoke to stomache cramps and just an overall nauseated feeling. I did manage to put away some of my breakfast but left most of it on my plate. I hoped at the day went on it would go away but no such luck. We left the B&B to walk around downtown and spent a couple of hour walking around until it started to spit rain. Since I was not feeling well and the rain we decided to go back to the Inn. For the most part I was in bed yesterday. Late in the evening I was able to eat a sandwich from Panera Bread. After spending 7 hours of the day in bed I went to bed early and slept probably the best sleep I had slept the whole time we were gone. This morning I woke up feeling better but still a little ache in by belly. I got a shower and it felt wonderful. Shortly after that it was time to go down for breakfast. We had omelet souffle with a raisin muffin and fresh fruit. Yum..I finished all but the muffin. After breakfast it was time to pack up and leave. We wedged, cramped and stuffed all of our stuff into the trunk and I was surprised it closed. We said goodbye to our host and away we went on our trip home. The first stop was to gas up but shortly after that we were on our way. After a couple of hours we arrived in St.Louis. We were getting a little hungry so we stopped off at Ruby Tuesday. After eating it was time for the main event for the ladies. The stop at THE LOOPY EWE yarn shop. This is for knitters and yarnaholics almost like seeing Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster or so I am told. We walked in and the ladies went wild screaming waving their hands in the air grabbing skein after skein of yarn off the shelf and yelling "I must have this!" Well maybe it didn't quite go like that but close. Let's just say that I was surprised that the ladies cut their visit at an hour, I was expecting more. After the ladies got checked out with their purchases we headed East in the direction of home. We rolled in the drive way around 4:30pm exhausted and glad to be home. I think we all had a good time and we couldn't have asked for better travelling companions. Vacation 2008 is in the books.....Now time to plan for 2009?

Day 5 Continued

In addition to the day, after we got back to the B&B and rested for a bit, it was time to think about supper. Ragged suggested the Springfield Brewing Company. We drove down the street and made a mad dash for the front door in the pouring rain. After settling in we ordered drinks followed by the main meal. Before long our hunger was satisfied again but we needed another caffeine fix so off to the "Mud Hut" Mud House we went and then back to the B&B to call it a night. Tomorrow will be our last full day in Springfield and the ladies are feverishly looking for things to do.

The picture above was not taken by me as we were being bombarded by big ole fat drops of rain. Not very conducive for picture taking.

Vacation Day 5

Today we started the day off with a nice breakfast. Today it was Spring Herb Egg Strudel with sausage and fresh fruit. After that we were off to battle the rainy day. Our first stop was Bass Pro. After a run through we decided to go back through and pick up the items for purchase. Bass Pro proved to be an expensive stop. Cynical and I scored some nice The North Face wind breakers and I snaged several shirts. After we checked out and had taken our items to the car we went back inside to eat at Hemingway's. We all had the buffet and it was very good. There was fried catfish, cherry glazed ham, roast beef, smoked turkey, salad, several soups and sides to choose from. For desert I went with a little of all the choices. Bread pudding with rum sauce, apple cobbler, ambrosia and chocolate mousse. After we stuffed ourselves it was time to move on to a stop the ladies had planed. We stopped off at a yarn shop and Cynical and I looked over a used book store and a comic book store. When we left there we thought we might stop by the Springfield Tour Center and check to see if there was any information we might have missed about things to do. After visiting with the very friendly people at the center it was time to head to our next stop, a coffee shop. Cassil's coffee was one we had marked to check out so we stopped in to satisfy our caffeine cravings. Shortly after getting hopped up on our beverages of choice it was time to move on. With all the rain we decided to return back to our B&B and make plans for supper and make out a plans for our last day in Springfield.