Peeved

Final Notice....

2008-12-09T17:25:00.001-08:00

My Blogger.com link is ending, but a new beginning can be found over at Wordpress, the company Austin now works for...

Two options--you can add http://dpeeved.wordpress.com/ to your Favorites if you use the bookmark to find me or you can use the same link to add to your RSS Feed, ie, Google Reader..

We will officially pull the plug on this site Jan 1st...hope to see you over at Wordpress...

Hook Em....

Cameron--- torn between 2 lovers.....

2008-12-02T17:35:00.001-08:00

Amie, his girlfriend....

...and his other love.....

Who says....

2008-12-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

.......you can't teach an old dog new tricks? The only thing that scares the 12 year old canine more than a vacuum coming at her is seeing the travel luggage out of the closet. In this photo, she is more concerned about pleasing her master and keeping momma happier with less hair on the carpet, especially with a house for sale....

Texas-ography

2008-11-29T06:15:00.000-08:00

Teri's Christmas wish list....

The Boys on the big screen...

Our college math major :)

Reason for the season....

Future trouble....

U.T. 49 A&M 9

A warm, Thanksgiving day.....

Hey fellers, take cover, it's the day before, if you know what I mean...

Buffalo ranch across from the property we are interested in...

REAL Texas neighbors......

The road to serenity....

Front view from the property we like....

Stretching the bellies the night before Thanksgiving feast....

Why it's so hard to return to Colorado......

A Star is born ....

2008-11-26T09:48:00.001-08:00

As many know, Austin works out of the house as a coder for a company that develops a product where, mostly media outlets, can set up discussion groups and a commenting forum. Well, President-elect Obama's team and their change.gov website is now incorporating Austin's company's product onto their site and he made the news at New England Cable News and you can watch it here . Where you see the video (wait for the commercial to end), just fast forward the progress bar to about the 1:45 remaining point and take a listen. Let's hope Austin, like Barack, is willing to share the wealth :).

Turkey-cation

2008-11-26T05:05:00.000-08:00

Well, our Texas Thanksgiving vacation is in full swing as can be verified with the protruding of the guts! Whataburger, Mexican food, brisket, chicken fried chicken,brownies, pumpkin pie--nothing is safe around here from being devoured. Lasagna and smoked turkey both in the calorie forecast.

Teri arrived with Austin last Friday so they could attend an organized tour at U.T. for entering freshmen. Cam and I flew together on Southwest and came in on Monday morning.

First time since March 2007 that our whole family has arrived on a trip together. Cameron's girlfriend is back home watching our house, along with guard dog Shelly. We heard from her that as soon as Shelly came in the home she immediately plopped herself on the couch, a canine sin at our place--guess she is just challenging the caretaker with a little of her 12 year 'bitchy' (get it) attitude. Another first--Kelli, Dan and Brynn drove in from Colorado on Saturday and Kevin and his family arrive Thursday morning--so, first time in 20 years we have all gathered at the Nunns for Thanksgiving.

Teri and I met with a realtor in Burnet yesterday and spent about 3 hours touring the area and checking out 3 different properties. We definitely liked two, but who knows if they will still be on the market when/if ours sells back in CO. It was more intended to meet the realtor and to rule out areas. For sure, we ruled out living in town or even rural subdivisions.

That's it, time to go figure out many calories "keyboard typing" burns...

4 Sale...

2008-11-19T05:33:00.001-08:00

Well, it's been on the market for a week now, so we are settling into the ways of home selling. It does inspire (force) you to keep your house in immaculate condition. We had a stager that came over and spent over an hour with Teri giving her the best ideas. The market is slow, but we did have four showings in the first four days. Of the four, we are in the "Top 2" for one couple. If want to take a look, you can go here and click on Panoramic View.

Pray for a quick sell!

Ebay Tornado...

2008-11-17T15:32:00.001-08:00

Well, the collection of EBAY inventory gathered through out the Summer had its happy ending last night, all be it with the house for sale, probably was not the best of timing! Mrs. Claus and I spent 2 quality hours together to get the first 60 paid items on their merry way last night and today. We WONT be doing the "100" listings any more, but will revert back to our 25 per Sunday offerings, especially in light of home showings.

Stats:
Items listed: 100
Items sold : 97 (average Ebay rate for clothes sellers is 40%)
Furthest customer: Bulgaria
Gross proceeds: $1,540.00 (best night ever)
2008 Resolution: $10,000 in gross sales
Year to Date: $10, 741 !

Congrats.....

2008-11-09T05:10:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed a great time last night at Austin's season ending cross country party. Of the 29 high school runners, Austin was the only one to make All State Academic team from Ralston Valley High School. To receive this award, the runner must maintain a GPA of at least 3.6. He also accomplished his goal this season to beat 20:00 in their 5K competitions with a 19:59 personal record and ran his fastest mile split ever with a 5:40! I knew intelligence was hereditary, but who would of known speed, as well. You will just have to figure out which parent sent you those genes. :) We are proud of you !

Yikes

2008-10-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Not trying to gain sympathy, but one week after my 2nd bike Fall this season, I officially have "old people" bruising--the kind that keeps spreading--what is up with that?? But I still do have all the hair on my legs, so not THAT old..

Yup, at the 29.5 mile mark of a 30 mile ride I was cycling up behind an older lady (the kind that gets bruises like mine) walking her dog. I announced my presence with my trusty Power Ranger bell and she made eye contact with me and reeled her pup in. As I approached, I saw she still had slack in the leash and her dog proceeded to venture out in front of me. So off the sidewalk I went and when I tried to get back on it, my front wheel got sideways with the sidewalk and once again this 220 pound projectile went over my bike, striking my leg against my frame. I rolled across the sidewalk and down a hill about 10 feet headed toward a ditch before coming to a rest.

Well, the kind old soul came up to make sure I was OK and then announced "on the Olympic scoring system, I would give your fall about an "8". I then quickly calculated the prison term for Assault on the Elderly and Animal Cruelty and decided it wasn't worth it...

And my Power Ranger bell-- destroyed :(

Til next time...

Thanks!

2008-10-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

....to my wonderful mother-in-law who cared for her daughter as I returned back to work and who has safely returned to the Lone Star State....my belly is evidence of her splendid brisket, enchiladas, brownies and apple pies and the house is as clean as ever....I remember when I buried my last parent realizing while I had lost my natural parents, I still was blessed to have parental figures in my life with Teri's parents and we can't wait to return to our Texas roots to be closer to them...

FALL-orado

2008-10-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

From the perch of a bicycle seat, enjoy the photos of COLOR-ado. It is entirely possible by next Fall, you may be seeing photos of the Texas Hill Country. To truly capture the beauty I see, select each photo to enlarge....

Pop!

Simple...

Trail riding, much safer than the concrete I once again splattered myself on yesterday...

Our first metro snow front appears to be on the horizon...

Pristine....

We can compete against Vermont...

Floaters...

Serenity....

Standley Lake saying goodbye to yet another Fall....

Ole Glory...

Equestrian peace......

My Cigar Smoking Dog...

2008-10-21T11:09:00.001-07:00

Demented....

2008-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Another 8 hour overtime Sunday...I wish I could share the usual collection of "I can't believe people called you on 911 for that" stories....today, we have only one offering, but it made local headlines, so enjoy here .......once again, I will end with "there is simply no way I can make that up"....

Bad Boys

2008-10-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Check out the shine on mom-in-laws brownies--that's what 10, 000 calories of butter, sugar and chocolate look like when applied to the top of the delish dessert!

Teri continues to make remarkable progress!

I am passing the baton....

2008-10-14T17:02:00.001-07:00

Help has arrived as I return back to work tomorrow. We usually have pink roses here for her, but this time we switched pink themes-- got her one per day that she is here helping us...

Molly Maid Jr. (injured) and Molly Maid Sr....

My specialty for my final night of kitchen duty....before picture of Steaks Diane (ground beef, seasoned patties, sauteed onions and mushrooms), mashed potatoes and, arriving late to the party, green beans....

The final product....

Last, but not least, mother-in-law has been warned in advance of the surprise that awaits her....

ReCap

2008-10-13T12:19:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe 7 days have elapsed since the surgery, time flies as they say when you are having so much fun...in the past week, we have learned:

1) My cooking has not produced any weight loss
2) Austin loves his dad's menu
3) Emerald is spelled Emeril
4) Fibroids like to play hide and seek
5) My mom-in-law will be a welcomed addition to our home tomorrow morning
6) Dryer Balls, whose only purpose is to reduce static electricity, have a life span (that my wife did not tell me of). I touched the metal door know today and my underwear exploded!

Tonight's Meal...

Teri wanted to give me a break from cooking today (perform your own translation), so we ate out here .

Day 6 Recovery...

2008-10-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

The household queen continues to be on the mend, almost all day without any pain meds! Hopefully, she is saving a few for my insomnia difficulties. I am also letting her heal emotional issues she has suffered from my blogging, so we will mostly leave her alone today.

I went into work an 8 hour overtime shift today. It is really hard to get material from people missing their uterus, but we in the 911 biz are never short of fodder. It is never a question of having enough to blog about, just a question of how much I want to edit out. So, we will just highlight a few:

Caller #1: "Yes, I think I need paramedics. I awoke this morning and I fell overnight in the kitchen. And now I just noticed my 90 year old mother has fallen in the living room, so we both need help getting up".

Caller #2:" Hello, I am at the Belmar shopping center and I was walking out to my car and noticed I had a shoe lace untied. I sat down on a bench to tie my shoe and laid my car keys next to me. As I was tying my shoe, I looked over and a squirrel grabbed my keys and he is now way up in the tree just holding my keys and staring down at me".

Caller #3: "Yes, my neighbor just came and knocked on my door and said he was fighting with his roommate. He then ran right back to his address where the fight was taking place at".

Caller #4: "Hi, my neighbor just got released from the hospital a couple days ago and they gave him some extended length Q-tips so he could apply some medication in his nasal cavity. Well, he ran out of them last night so I tried to improvise. I got a regular length Q-tip and stuck a toothpick into the bottom end of the Q-tip. He inserted the Q-tip up in his nose and the toothpick separated, so he now has the Q-tip stuck up in his nose and cannot reach in to pull it out".

...............you can't make that kind of stuff up.....................

Tonight's Offering.....

The recipe--5 tbsp of Crisco for 12 biscuits--clearly, recipe was pre-heart disease days....and did you note, "Bake at 425" BUT NO TIME FRAME. Only real men can handle instructions such as these....

Kitchen Aid mixers are a must have for Homer Homemakers...

.

Yup, had to use college algebra to make 3/4 recipe...

Wolah! Emerald, step aside.....

SatHERday...

2008-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Teri continues to move forward and is feeling quite well, hooray! ONLY 5 more weeks of recovery.

AND FOR THE SKEPTICS....

last night's gut enhancer.....this boy can read and follow a recipe.....being married for 22 years, following instructions comes naturally.....

I was reflecting today and was left curious this week when Teri was in the hospital. It seems like the two most important concerns prior to dismissal from the hospital were 1) Have you passed gas? 2) How is your bladder output? So, are 'bad' and 'good' the only way to measure these? I mean you can't just say "my temperature is good" or "my blood pressure feels fine" and you are good to be released--there is always some medical measuring device that confirms what you are feeling, is there not?

Well lo and behold, as the lovely wife was in Percoset heaven today, Homer Homemaker discovered those measuring devices of which she had not revealed to me--yes, testing apparatus do indeed exist--see the pictures!

Gasometer

Bladometer

Well, me being the curious one, had to perform some health testing. The gasometer was fairly simple to figure out how to use, but I just found it perplexing the tubular end would be shaped more like a mouthpiece--why couldn't they go 'round'? Anyway, after experiencing some discomfort at the point of entry, I knew the value of an important seal and adjusted appropriately. There was a "2,500" mark on the container, so I knew that was my target. After several cups of coffee and some chocolate chip cookies, I was quite confident in my potential. I rared back and uncorked a THIRTY TWO HUNDRED---Olympic gold!

The bladometer was much more comfortable to use. It looked like the scoring range was anywhere between 100 and 900. Looking at the top, it had some smaller 'pop-up' ports, clearly for youth testing. I removed the entire top and poured out an "800". Clearly, caffeine had great value with both testing instruments. I declared myself healthy and remain ever so fond of home health care!

The sofa princess awoke and I was anxious to share my discovery and results. To my surprise and devestation, she stated I had used her lung strength meter and her water jug--Y I K E S. But as one who is forever prepared, I got out the alcohol towelettes from the first aid kit---couple of swabs-- they are good to go again!

Tonite's Meal...

My cupcake apron makes me look like I have a 5 month pregnant uterus....

Breakfast pizza, before......

After....and between the 3 of us, ALL GONE (dog did not participate)!

Teri's mom arrived into town...Kelli, Dan, Brynn also stopped in bearing a gift...

Well, I am running low on blog fodder (don't be yelling Hallelujah), so I am going in for 8hrs of overtime tomorrow at the 911 center and am entrusting Teri's care to our 17 year old, now those could be some anxious moments....

Day Four...

2008-10-10T05:08:00.000-07:00

Teri commented earlier she was uncertain if she was enjoying being the brunt of my blog fodder. I affectionately shared she merely is the "center of my attention".

Big day--hysterectomy staple removal! In the interest of gas and co-pay savings, I offered Teri to sterilize my needle nose pliers, she declined. She also refused to join in with me on the following idea. I wanted to go down to the local magic shop and buy a spring-loaded parasite (think "The Alien" movie-remember this scene?). I wanted to tuck the prop below a huge bandage on her belly and when the nurse went to go remove the gauze pad-- LAUNCH TIME! She again declined. Teri's mom arrives in 5 days and I am telling her that her daughter does not play well with others.

After the successful removal of 13 staples, we went out to Qdoba for lunch. Teri repeatedly and uncharacteristically raved about the naked burrito she was enjoying (Dr. said that was the only thing naked she could have for 6 weeks). I came home and looked up her enthusiastic behavior in our "Love Language Translator" guide--translated, "Wife despises husband's cooking". Who would of thunk?

Nurse called tonight, pathology report all benign---praises!! They did find the fibroids after all. I guess my introverted wife had bashful 'roids as they were hiding inside the uterus.

Back home to my housekeeping duties--our feather duster--someone missing their Punk Rock bird?

Dinner tonight---Mexican Open Face Sammiches--yummy!

I need your forgiveness in advance, but have to share this thought I had when I was in the surgical waiting room for 4 hours on Monday. You know many employers allow you to dress up for Halloween. How cool is this idea if you are a Recovery Room Nurse and are monitoring patients coming out of anesthesia--dress up as Jesus! Make sure you have a video camera as you could make some big bank submitting your results to various TV networks. Please be compassionate and fore go the costume for cardiac patients. I know what you are thinking, Dave needs more counseling. I will ask Dryer Ball therapist for a referral.

Finally, should I be concerned? As I walked by Teri surfing the internet, I noticed she was logged in to WebMD.com--she was searching "MISTER-ectomy". That sounds bad for me, like I may be seeing the real Jesus soon...

Gotta run, like reallllly run (before she reads this)...

Tonight's Delicacy

2008-10-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I rolled out the Sportsman's Menu. I have had some recent outdoor success and wanted to share the bounty with my wife. The main entree was a fish sandwich which I reeled in from nearby Standley Lake late Summer. I think the limit was a dozen, so I stopped fishing at that point. To my surprise, they were square-shaped, but that worked out just fine.

The side dish were buffalo fries. Now that story was a bit more adventurous as Sarah Palin phoned a few weeks ago when she was in town for a rally and wanted me to be her hunting guide as she had never harvested a bison. I told her I knew of a place but it was protected as it was a nature preserve. Well, Sarah being SLIGHTLY rebellious, insisted I act as a 'lookout' for the authorities while she zeroed in--bang! Check out her success. Long story short (it's probably too late), we took the buffalo in for processing. While I was busy in the restroom, Sarah instructed the butcher, Mr. Kroger, she wanted all steaks and I wanted only potatoes. I was just grateful he put them in a sealable bag. Teri passed on the taters, said they tasted 'gamey'.

Have you noticed the sammich theme? You have probably concluded my culinary skills are limited, but you are mistaken. This is all strategy. I usually roll out caviar on my nights to cook and have known to whip up some steak tartar (merely a fancy name for road kill--think about it), but I have to temper my menu as mother-in-law is arriving in a few days. I wanted to show my compassionate side and did not want her to feel intimidated by my kitchen competence. I am all about building up her esteem as undoubtedly her BBQ brisket and homemade enchiladas will put my menu to shame, all intended. Five days and counting...

Inspired by a true story....

Housekeeping....

2008-10-09T08:06:00.001-07:00

Dave's Top 10 Discoveries....

1) Women have more clothes than men

2) Dogs shed

3) Technology advancements have not resulted in a quieter vacuum cleaner

4) Cycling shorts left too long in the laundry results in noxious odor

5) I was sent to store for prunes--M&Ms bail (poop)out plan was a failure. Prunes have been renamed to Premium Pitted, Dried Plums Plus--no lie! I am calling Oscar Mayer and proposing Tubular Steaks.

6) Note to men doing laundry--when removing brassieres from the dryer, check the cups--I found a pair of ankle socks nestled today.

7) I cannot iron my silky thongs on the "high" setting.

8) Calling Molly Maids to ask if they have a "businessman special" to include a back massage results in immediate disconnect.

9) Bleach added to 'colored' items produce groovy, tie-dyed underwear, shirts and pants.

10) First day of counseling went well. The counselor called it "Maytag Castrophobia" and reassured me by saying "Dryer balls are your friends".

Inspired by a true story...gotta run..

First Meal !

2008-10-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

(click photo to begin drooling)

I was tasked with trying to compete with the hospital's abundant menu choices. So, I prepared well and presented the following fine dining experience to my darling wife.

Entree:
Steaks a la Tubular encased in a French croissant a la cylinder

Side Dish Choices:
Tortillas a la frito cheeps
Cucumbers ala dwarfs

Garnishments:
Mustard a la baby poop-on
Queso con che-dar'
Onie-ahns con teardrops

Dessert:
Vanilla ice cream with a light pink sauce' ala Pepto Bismol

Mission accomplished! Gotta run, Rachel Ray is on the phone for me......

Announcing the arrival of...

2008-10-08T12:48:00.001-07:00

Great to have her back at our castle!

I arrived about 9a.m. to go retrieve our patient and she was pretty much set, all dressed back in her civilian clothes with nothing exposed. She stated the doctor had been in and all was set. Although she hadn't had her 'magical M&M moment', the nurse declared her bowels, through the stethoscope, sounded like they were just fine. THROUGH THE STETHOSCOPE?? My wife says mine are too loud and she is in another room. If ever there be a need for a nurse to listen to my bowels that closely, she is risking a perforated ear drum! I digress.

The doc commented that she will probably now fit into smaller clothes-wow! At the pre-op visit last Thursday, she said Teri's belly was the equivalent of a '5 month pregnancy'. In man-speak, a 12-pack a nite belly. I showed great restraint as I was tempted to rebut "maybe 3 months pregnancy, 2 months home-made ice cream maker". But I declare, seeing in her in her capris, it is ALL gone! This is a great deal--a C-section where they found no baby, a tummy tuck without the price--I love health insurance.

So, I went down to the hospital pharmacy and got her Percoset. We then headed home and she requested we swing by the liquid pharmacy, so a Starbucks pumpkin spice accompanied us the rest of the way home.

She is at home resting comfortable enjoying catching up on the 900 pending emails. I told her to enjoy today as the "100 daily sit ups" program starts tomorrow!

Got to go and plan dinner, now that will be an adventure...

Til next time...

Good News....

2008-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Teri just called and they are releasing her this morning! She has not had the magical moment yet, but good to go regardless. I forgot to leave the M&Ms over night, so that is probably the cause.

Next, dryer balls are real, go here to learn more. I assure you I would rather deal with the static electricity versus a static heartbeat. The internet versions are less scarier than the wifely ones. Seriously, I thought she had authored a book on how to "scare straight"your husband into laundry compliance. So, I think the best compromise I will suggest is to drop the flesh colored look.

We got a good luck at Teri's incision. The surgeon clearly did not excel in geometry.

Now I am panicked- she is coming home and I am now the chef. Get this--her hospital had Room Service ANYTIME you wanted it--got a craving, give them a call and they were there in minutes. Items like talapia, top sirloin, cheesecake, etc. were all on the menu. So, I am working on the home menu when she arrives. So far:

BREAKFAST: Coffee
LUNCH: Sammich
DINNER: Coffee and sammich

Laundry--I am for cost cutting and energy savings. Is it an acceptable practice to invert, turn inside out, my whitie-tighties to wear 2 days in a row? Let me know...

Gotta run, need to go find that vacuum thingy ma jingy...

My Princess and My Castle...

2008-10-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

Teri....

Internet Get Well balloons--free--what a deal! Now I just need a laptop to take to her so she can see what I got her..

Spoke to her via phone prior to arriving at 830 a.m. She said she slept very well, had a good liquid breakfast and was pretty much pain free. Also, she added she was catheter-free. SHUCKS, I wanted to take a quart of cranberry juice and pour it into the discharge container and watch the nurses reaction when she noted the change! (I told you all I needed prayer).

When I arrived, she was just getting ready to go the potty, which I understand is a good sign. She walked in with minimal assistance and returned to sit down in the chair to hang out with me and watch TV for several hours. Her pain remained insignificant, so they weened her off the morphine and she is now on Percoset. The drugs combined with her first full meal (chicken quesadillas) we believe was going to be a great nap recipe, so Austin and I left her for a few hours. She should go on her 1st significant walk after the nap.

She is being well taken care of in Denver's newest hospital. They have an admirable vision statement "to become the Best in Nation in compassionate care" which they are truly striving for. BUT, what is up with the hospital gowns? I mean seriously--my wife looks great in anything she wears, but is the only option the "Vicky Secret Full Moon" gown? I get cold chills just looking at her.

Dr. is thinking possible discharge (there is that word again) tomorrow afternoon. I guess one of the true 'back to normal' indicators for this procedure is having a bowel movement. So, when I return tonight, I am taking her some M&Ms as a reward and have my best fatherly "you are such a big girl" voice rehearsed.

Forgot to mention, Teri was happy to hear surgeon did perform the Bikini cut. Of course, that prompted me to think--down the road if I need to have my prostate tampered with,what do I ask for-- "Speedo" cut, "Male Dancer" cut? Help me out with the terminology.

On the home front....

First words out my17 year olds mouth this a.m.--"YOUUU made coffee?"..

Before starting some housecleaning, I did some internet searching on the benefits of dust to the human body and got--"Your search produced no results"---WHAT!! Google is NOT my friend..

To Teri's beloved "Ruby Moms" and friends--she had, as of this morning, 391 emails in her mailbox from your group--your task is to get the number up to 1,000 by Wednesday afternoon--the more she has to read, the less she will notice my sub-standard home cleaning..

And for the BIG NEWS, first check out the photo below...I am not even kidding you, my first wifely order, I mean suggestion, was that I pull the linens from the dryer which she had done prior to surgery and fold them. Lo and behold, what you see in the photo was the first thing that stared at me as I peered into the dryer. Like Paul Revere exalting the British are coming, I came upstairs whooping and a hollering "I found the fibroids, I found the fibroids". I called her immediately to share the revelation. Her response, those are "dryer balls". After giving myself a Lance Armstrong testicular inspection, I then blurted out--- "D R Y E RRRRR BALLS?" Well my lovely Blog followers, a definition is forthcoming on my next update.

Clearly your prayers have worked for the love of my life, but I am still a work in progress...til next time....

Yes !

2008-10-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

(5) Texas 38, Colorado 14

Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog....

2008-09-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

"Dad--over here!"

"Check this out!"

"Do you see what I see above our back fence?"

"And just think--mom thinks I am going blind cause I am 12 years old-I showed her--huh!!"

Yup, the Shelly-Belly is still irritated this new backyard raccoon won't come down and play..

High-Fives

2008-09-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

:) Austin ran a PR (personal record) for his 5K cross country meet at 20:07 ---I told him he has "breaking 20 minutes" in him, couple more meets to go!

:) Teri added oil to her car for the 1st time since I have known her (1978)..

Now aren't those worth celebrating......

Piggy-backing....

2008-09-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

...on last week's thoughts, link to another blogger's link and call it good--here you go ...........

A Perfect Weekend Defined...

2008-09-21T20:40:00.001-07:00

Univ of Colorado 17 West Virginia 14

University of Texas 52 Rice 10

Denver Broncos 34 New Orleans Saints 32

Dallas Cowboys 27 Green Bay Packers 16

Yup, the four teams I follow are a combined 12-0 in their 1st three weeks of play!!

She Has Passed Me By.....

2008-09-16T17:48:00.001-07:00

The easiest way to blog is to link to someone else, so here you go ....Teri has learned from the best :)

Your humble blogger.....

Lonesome Dove

2008-09-11T09:30:00.001-07:00

146 acre site 35 miles northeast of Denver is where Cam and I arrived at 630 am today to take in some mourning dove hunting. On opening day 10 days ago, there were 100 hunters sharing an acre each. When we arrived, we were the only ones around.

The closest thing to see a real dove were the six decoys Cam had placed above his head...

Trying to stay awake-- thank goodness for the thermos of coffee nearby....

The main deterrent--a cold front moving in from the North and a bit breezy kept the birds away..based upon our discussion with the DOW officer, we suspect our dove friends have continued their migration to the South...

Cam returning from blasting some practice bird, perhaps a swallow of some sorts....

We still had a great time hanging out together for several hours in the flatlands of Colorado. I told Cam if he ever hunted near Aunt Sissy's and Uncle Jon's 4,000 acres of leased land he would never return to bird hunt in Colorado. Oh the memories of South Texas bird hunting in September, there were many great ones!

Happy Birthday !

2008-09-10T06:08:00.001-07:00

The queen of the house turns......Happy Birthday! To celebrate, we are going here to enjoy a few special day calories and then out to Red Lobster for dinner. Did I ever share we are both gaining weight?

From the Inside Out

2008-09-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Folks are always excited when I tell them I work for a 911 center with the usual comment of "Wow, that must be exciting"! My standard response has always been "Well, 80% boredom, 20% panic---we get paid for the panic".

I just thought I would share my past week, nothing special at all--no Columbine High School tragedy, no Democratic Convention, etc.- just the average week in an emergency call center. Some calls tragic, a few serious, a share that are humorous and many confirming the notion of the 'dumbing of America'. None of this information is embellished or exaggerated, it truly is an inside peek of this past week.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 caller: Yes, can I have your non-emergency phone number?

^^^^^^^^^^

911 caller: I just returned from walking my dog and my 45 year old boyfriend is dead in the shower.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 caller: I need paramedics because I just stabbed two people.
Response: You stabbed two people?
911 caller: Yes, I am schizophrenic living on the streets and two teen boys were trying to take my wallet and I stabbed both of them in the chest.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 caller (frantic): I need someone out here now, I see two huge reindeer!
Response: Mam, out here we call those elk.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 caller: My name is Bill and I need to report my $5,000 crown has been stolen.
Response: Sir, your crown has been stolen?
911 caller: Yes, I am your State's Drag Queen Champion and I am missing my gold crown.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 Caller: Can you send an officer by my house, I have a raccoon stuck in my back yard tree and I need him removed.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 caller: I need paramedics immediately. My 2 year old son was at the top of my stairs and fell backwards down to the bottom and has gone into a seizure and is vomiting.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 caller: Yes, I am sitting in my office looking out the window into a field and I see something. I am not sure what it is, but if you could have Animal Control respond as it is either a dog or a puma.

^^^^^^^^^^

Officer is dispatched on a hearing impaired 85 year old who is clearly disoriented and probably in need of care. When we check on the officer's status, he responds: "Well, she has her hearing aid in but can't hear me and I am standing 3 feet from her. But yet she is claiming she is hearing all kinds of voices in her head".

^^^^^^^^^^

Caller: Can you have Animal Control check the north side of the reservoir. I see a pelican who looks like it has swallowed an extension cord, part of it is hanging out of its mouth and the cord is trailing it when he flies.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 Caller: I need an ambulance as I have just been stabbed.
Response: Do you know who stabbed you?
911 Caller: Yes, I thought it was a chick. She was standing on the corner and I just told her she looked hot and then HE said he was a transvestite and for some reason didn't appreciate the compliment and turned around and stabbed me.

^^^^^^^^^^

911 Caller: Yes, I work at a tanning salon and I just went into the liquor store next door and their only employee on duty--well---she is passed out drunk on the floor.

So there you go, a sampler platter from this past week's 911 archives. Hope you enjoyed and, if nothing else, you know that every single gray hair I have has been earned in honest.

Til next time.....

New Ride!

2008-09-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

Good things come to those who wait. After perusing Craigslist for more than a month, Austin hit a home run when his found this! Mint condition 1991 Nissan Extended Cab 4x4 with the V6 engine it and only 99K miles on it. A divorcee had pretty much owned it since new and had it always garaged. She essentially only used it on bad weather days. A great find!

His Honda is an automatic, so he is just working on perfecting his 5 speed skills. In the mean time, we are in the process of perhaps moving as many as 4 other vehicles by year's end as part of early planning for Texas move. We will keep you posted as we know how much it is to buy and sell used cars, don't we!

Da Gazelle

2008-08-30T05:41:00.001-07:00

Austin kicks it in to pass one last runner before finishing his first cross country meet of the season! He finished the 5K at 21:59, a few seconds slower than last year, but it was 15 degrees warmer this season. Tough course as there are 2 significant climbs that are no fun in the heat. There is one period in September where he races 5 times in a 12 day stretch. Somewhere along the line he hopes to pass his personal best of last year which was right around 20:30. We will keep you posted....

D.N.C.

2008-08-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well, Denver will be in the worldwide spotlight as the Democratic National Convention comes to town. Working in law enforcement, it is a big deal. Our agency alone is loaning out 135 officers who will be assigned to the Pepsi Center working 12 hrs shifts through Thursday night. Personally, it is sad that we are spending $90 million dollars (40 mill to host it and 50 million dollar grant for security) for what amounts to a stuff-coat party. Maybe it is just me, but doesn't cancer research, to name just one, need a few more pennies for research? And yes, I would say the same about the R.N.C. that starts in Minneapolis after the D.N.C. closes its doors.

Regardless, Denver is hopping, including Rocky Mtn Metro Airport where I cycled out to see Cam, who turned 20 years old yesterday, working an 18 hour shift. As the photos verify, he does actually work. Teri drove out a bit later to get a glimpse.

A Gulfstream III dropping a load of passengers. Cam said it was some Senator's staff, but he could not recall who.

Cam marshalling up the plane.

Ted Turner is in town....

Cam exiting the tug as the reposition the jet out of the way for the week.

A couple of Blackhawks will be stationed at our nearby airport and will be circling the Denver metro area looking for aircraft that should NOT be airborne. Airspace for about a 10 mile radius will be very restricted with orders to "escort" those who violate from now until Thursday night.

We are praying for an uneventful week!

Personal Record....

2008-08-19T15:23:00.001-07:00

Amidst the Olympics and all the heart-warming stories, I thought I would share one of my own achievements. I am now ONE POUND away from my all time weight record, as in body mass, not weight lifting. I think that qualifies me for a silver medal!

I weighed 221 lbs. in late 2003 when I began my marathon training and got down to 195 lbs by race day Valentines 2004. Actually, I got deathly ill with an untreated sinus infection so was down to 184 at my Dr.s visit in April. So, what began the demise? I think it was depression--the onset when I was told at the marathon that at my weight I qualified for the "Clydesdale" division, the highest category, in terms of race day weight. Well, why didn't they just put me in the "Runners Who Create Their Own Pot Holes" category. Instead of gel snacks, protein bars and shoe laces in my race day goodie bag, perhaps some inner thigh lubricant and my own personal CPR guide would have sufficed. Being called a Clydesdale has made it so tough to watch Super Bowls and all of those Budweiser commercials. Perhaps I just need to trade our lab mix in for a Dalmatian and I will be all set.

So, moving forward. Is there such thing as reverse-Bulimia or contra-Anorexia. You know--you look in the mirror and you are convinced you are NOT overweight. Instead of heading to the toilet to hurl, you head to the fridge to fry you up a burrito. I mean there is a diagnosis for everything else in this world, so I have to be on to something here.

What is the true gauge? Go try a BMI (body mass index) calculator like this one and see what your results are. Once again, I earn the Silver medal as I am in the Overweight category. A couple more bowls of ice cream and the Gold is mine as I would be Obese. At 6ft 2", my high normal weight should be around 195 lbs. Forget that. Holy cow (no pun intended), what would I weigh if I didn't work out?

So, the creative side of my brain has a solution. Using the same BMI calculator and plugging in 220 lbs, to be 'normal weight', I need to be 6ft 7" tall. I now have a goal to add 5 vertical inches by December 31st.

Off to Google to find me a plan....

Retirement looming...

2008-08-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

With all of my recent weather related posts, I am starting to think retirement must be looming. After all, isn't The Weather Channel ones favorite channel when you are relegated to the Lazy Boy and the remote control?

What a past 24hrs...we have gone from the projected "3rd driest year" in Denver's weather history to "above annual rainfall" pace....soooo weird.....

Friday starts the deluge of moisture.....

Pretty much 60 straight hours...

Liquid gold...

A revived back yard....humm, is it time to call the Realtor??

Sunday noon, off on my bike ride.. return to normalcy....boats abound in Standley Lake

General aviation returns to the skies.....

Cam on 'break' from his refueler job at the airport as his dad has delivered his mail via the bike...

Yes, the 'white tops' in the foreground appeared over the weekend--SNOW at about 11,000 ft.---Fall is in the air!

Extremes....

2008-08-15T16:02:00.001-07:00

Well, as we have clearly posted this year, extreme moves in the weather have been the calling for 2008. While the previous post was "Hot Dog", today has gone to the other end of the pendulum. We set a 128 year old record for the "coldest high temperature on this date" hitting only 60 degrees, and that was at 3am. The rest of the day it just kept getting colder. Teri's car at 1pm recorded the temp at 49 degrees---yes, on August 15th! RAIN, sweet rain, all day long, probably nearing an inch in the gauge. Weekend pretty much calls for the same, SO looking forward to a cycle ride under these conditions!

All else is quiet and well...looking forward to my 4 day weekend...and my favorite football game tomorrow nite--Donkeys vs. Da Boys!

Hot Dog

2008-08-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

After 12 years, the lab hound mix has finally figured out the cooling system....cool wood floors on her belly and her head right above the floor vent--her new favorite spot for Summer time relaxation. She can also lifeguard the backyard at the same time checking through the patio door for birds and squirrels whom she has unsuccessfully tried to capture.

Sorry, slow newsday....

47 days!

2008-08-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

....since the skies last parted over Arvada, CO!

I arrived home amidst darkening clouds and rising humidity and decided to taunt the heavens by leaving open my truck windows-- it paid dividends!

Gutter gusher!

Street bath....

.75 of an inch in 45 minutes--perfect downpour!

Stuff...

2008-08-05T11:13:00.000-07:00

The record breaking "consecutive days above 90" ends today! It was trounced with 23 consecutive days versus the prior of 18 days, eclipsing a record set over 100 years ago. Unfortunately, moisture, or lack of, is still on pace for the driest year ever. June 20th, yes 6 weeks ago, was the last measurable rainfall we had in our subdivision.
Austin treated himself to his own 17th birthday gift by buying a new (to him) I-phone. Now that my friends is some slick technology. I mentioned 17 was a 'meaningless' birthday year but Austin indicated he is now able to see Rated R movies. So, Cameron, as a big brother example, wants to take him to see a Rated R movie (things parents don't want to hear).
We had lunch with Cameron and his girlfriend yesterday. They (things parents don't want to hear) moved in together along with two of Cameron's high school friends. The foursome are renting a home in Broomfield and have signed a one year lease. Crystal ball is forecasting some interesting stories. Next Monday all four sets of parents are invited for a BBQ--pretty much "Meet the Fockers II"..
Been a couple months since Teri and I enjoyed coffee at Five Bucks, so we hung out about an hour and chatted about our lovely marriage-- conversation went about 59 minutes too long--just kidding. We actually discussed our two kids and our involvement in their future, needed the coffee to keep us awake.
I accomplished a 1st on my bike today--after 2,500 miles of traversing the last few years, I was curious as to whether I could hit 40 mph on what is essentially is a mountain bike. Evidence of one of two things: 1) I have a degree from Pan American or 2) faith in God. I lived to type about it. Also evidence that 215 lbs. pointed downhill does create some energy.
As you can see by the photos, our Fall Ebay inventory yearns for cooler weather. We are well supplied as we have continued shopping all Summer for our most profitable items.

Off to enjoy the gorgeous weather, current noon time temperature for our Texas friends: 74!

A Weekend Laugh....

2008-08-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

As one who loves pranks, this meets my highest of standards...enjoy.....

U.S.P.S. delivers...

2008-07-29T09:27:00.001-07:00

Yup, United States Pedaling Service headed out the door today with five Ebay packages crammed into the backpack. My lovely assistant joined me on the gas saving trip. Once we completed the dump (postal language), we pedaled over to Lake Arbor to circle it once then headed back home. It was Teri's personal record at just under 12 miles and finished off my month of riding with my best personal month at 211 miles logged!

Got to go check and Teri to make sure she hasn't consumed too many painkillers...

Til next time...

Not since 1901....

2008-07-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

The National Weather Service has reported a temperature of 91 degrees in Denver as of today, moving us one day closer to smashing a heat wave record that dates to the 19th century. In 1874 and again in 1901, Denver experienced 18 consecutive days in which temperatures reached or surpassed 90 degrees. Unfortunately for relief-seekers - the week's forecast is flush with 90-plus degree temps. If the heat lasts through Thursday, the record will be broken.

In addition to roasting, we are dry--call us dry roast. Now on pace for the 3rd driest Summer EVER. For us specifically in Arvada, we have not add any measurable rainfall since early June.

Call us Texans in training.....

Up on the Rooftop......

2008-07-27T15:10:00.001-07:00

and it wasn't St Nick....our new roof is done, courtesy of Nationwide Insurance :)

Product arrival.....

Product mess...

included the shed.....

WHERE are my nine laborers? During lunch, one was taking a siesta in Teris' hammock..

The old roof prepares for a dump run...

Nearing completion...David dreaming of stealing the turnip truck in the driveway....

Nine 'laborers' got the job done in just a bit over one day of work, pretty amazing. Looking at the crew, I thought about placing a "U.S. Border Patrol-K9" cap on the dog, but thought against it thinking that would set back the project a few days...anyway, glad it's done--where else can you get a $7,000 home improvement for $250!

Crave-cation, Week 2

2008-07-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed another very short work week, this week only Thur-Sat. In the interim, we have been a feasting.

After learning for the 18th consecutive year Colorado has maintained its status as the nation's skinniest state, Teri and I decided we would work on letting someone else have the title for next year. After all, we don't want heads to turn when we enter Texas, the nation's 9th most obese state, with our trim, sveldt bodies. So, on Saturday, we went to Costco, shopping central for the "let's get fat quick" crowd. Just a few of the tidbits we packed home below.

Sunday night we headed for some more caloric intake by heading up the hills about 25 minutes from the house. 91 degrees when we left 5300 feet elevation, 79 degrees when we arrived at our destination at 8,888 feet at the Wundervu Cafe. Dining outside under the pines on a perfect Summer evening! Photos from the view about 5 minutes from our house as well as Teri's gut bomb! Like I said, we only have about 12 months to fit into our new Texan stature, so we are stepping up the pace.

Monday was spent lounging around, another good way to make sure we don't burn off calories. Teri and I did our usual Monday morning Ebay shipping and inventory run--well, we didn't really 'run' cause that would be exercise. After lunch, I went to the pool where I did NOT swim, just took in the sun, read "Jesus for President", ate chips and drank Kool-Aid. Trying to stay focused!

......oh, a Jenny Craig smiling moment was the invention of the 20 minute ice cream maker--talk about their stock soaring! A batch of mint chip ice cream was whipped up Monday night to keep us on a (fat) roll!

We had Cameron and Amie over for dinner Tuesday night for a rare find in Colorado--fajitas! Woah, and they actually were legit and tasted like the real Texas beef skirt. Clearly, no shortage of calories in this BBQ feast.

A fun time Wednesday at the ROX game vs the Dodgers today as they win 5-3. Weather cooperated as temps predicted to be in the 90s were only around 80 with clouds and mist, perfect for a day game!

Our view!

Our ballgame hot dogs' view!

Thinking about our Rio Grande Valley folks facing Hurricane Dolly--winds were so high they ended up bringing down the flags in the 5th inning!

So, feast-week is over with. I believe we are off to a great start to remove Colorado from the #1 position amongst skinniest states. We went down to the local "morph" shop where, if you give them your diet, they can forecast your looks in the next one year. It appears that we will be fitting in just fine with the #9 fattest state. Here is a photo of Teri projected out as well as myself !

Til next time......

Stay-cation

2008-07-16T17:03:00.001-07:00

I am in the middle of two very shortened work weeks! Working Thurs and Fri only for the next 2 weeks, mixed in with some overtime slots for easy payola. We did hope for a Summer trip, but between finding "Shelly-care", Austin having a new job and Cameron wanting to venture with us (hence no Shelly-care), we are postponing the adventure. We still may do both a HS reunion trip to the Valley in October and perhaps an early December trip.

On Sunday, Teri and I enjoyed our first movie out in about a year viewing "Get Smart"--pretty hilarious stuff! Probably a better flick for us older crowd who had a grasp about about the Agent 99 and Maxwell Smart era.

On Monday morning, for the 1st time in 18 months, Cam took me flying for about an hour. Arrived at the airport at 9am and wanted to snap a quick photo and wolah, dead 'fresh' batteries--bummed! Flight was fun, but oh so darn hazy, looked like mini-L.A. from 7,500 feet. It was interesting as his 1976 Cessna had the basic instrument panel, which in the long run will probably make him a better navigator. The ones I flew with him in the past had the latest avionics packag e which were much more sophisticated, but his plane that he currently trains with is $75 versus his previous rate of $124 in the new ones, so something had to give.

After the flight, Teri and I then ventured out for our 1st visit to Lodos. Great food and elevated, outdoor seating--fun stuff. As you can see from the background in the photo, mountains are 'zeroed' out by the smog!

(For you fashion officianados, it is VERY important to bring together the hat, sunglasses, polo and facial hair--black and gray rock!)

On Tuesday, I aimed to go out and do a 10 mile bike ride, but my adventure took me 25 miles instead. I hopped on a trail I had never ridden and my curiosity kept me going. So, in light of burning 2,000 calories (I gave Teri 1,000 calorie credit), we easily justified heading to downtown Denver's 16th Street Mall to pay the Cheesecake Factory a visit. The absolute best thing on their menu is the grilled shrimp and bacon club sandwich followed by the coconut/vanilla/chocolate crusted cheesecake. Our bodies were quickly restored of their calorie depletion and we headed back home to stay cool for the rest of the day. Essentially, it appears we are taking a simple 'no cook' vacation.

Wednesday, the last day of my first Stay-cation time period was a day of chilling. Teri had a mid-afternoon Dr's appointment, so couldn't make any huge plans. We continued our pattern of eating lunch out thus eliminating the need for home-prepped dinners. We both had a rare craving for Chinese, so we ventured out to the authentic Panda Express, waited on by Juanita and Maria, of course. Ya gotta luv it--but for the price and taste, it is a decent value. I went down memory lane after lunch and went for a swim at our old subdivision pool . This is where both boys had their swimming lessons, many a sunburn, Cam's bike got stolen, great free July 4th picnics, etc. BUT, we don't miss the subdivision at all.

Back to the grind tomorrow...all be it, only 2 days...

Surrender....

2008-07-15T16:36:00.001-07:00

We have flown the white flag on inside temperature heat! When the thermostat was approaching quickly INSIDE to 85, we had to put a stop to it. But, there was value in our effort. We just got our utility bill yesterday and although average temperature for past 30 days was up 20%, our kilowatt use was DOWN 40%. So, with the cost savings incurred, we have put a compromise strategy in place---thermostat will be set at 79 degrees.

Who needs Central Air.........we do :)

The Wimpys

Ebay Biz Report

2008-07-14T14:09:00.001-07:00

One of our New Year's resolutions was to have Ebay gross annual sales of at least $10,000. Half way through the year, we should be at $5,000 (probably don't need a college degree to figure that one out), with an average monthly volume of $833. Here is where we stand:

January- $1297
February- $1238
March- $1513
April- $ 961
May- $1011
June- $ 513 (took one week off for Las Vegas trip)
TOTAL: $6533 !

Although we have been selling for 4 consecutive years, this is our first to try 'year round', which includes Summer sales. Now that is where the difficulty has been. While we have done OK at a 75% rate of selling all listed items (Ebay average around 40% for clothiers), it is no where near our 95% Fall and Winter rate. The enlightening strategy has been we are buying cold weather gear (jeans, athletic pants, ski apparel,etc) throughout the Summer at discounted prices. We literally have 2 shelves full of items in waiting to be launched in October. The other added benefit of buying ahead is you buy with an 'accumulation' mentality, not the 'urgent to sell' one, which often leads you to buying items that are not very fruitful.

Two more difficult months, then into our stretch run! And for you lurkers, we do send in our IRS quarterly estimates for tax purposes :).

The Heat is On...

2008-07-11T17:37:00.001-07:00

6pm Outside Temp

Interior main level temp

Master bedroom temp

Central air is for wimps............

Man Toy

2008-07-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

You know, there is a small list of mens' "must haves"-- not a question of why they need something, just a matter of when they will acquire it. It falls along the lines of tools, some kinds of sporting gear, techie-gadgets, electric razors, radar detectors, etc. My acquisition was last week--a stinking air compressor! There are just a few items that are on the "I will never regret that purchase" list, and a Craftsman air compressor is one of those items.

For the life of me, I can't find bike tubes that stay fully aired in between rides. So, here I was with my 12 volt, car compressor having to air before each ride, and that was a pain. The best thing that happened was Teri shorting it out a couple weeks ago and, although I could have fixed it, it immediately found the trash can. Of course, when you have no air source, you know what is going to happen next--yup, blew my cycle tire on a ride about 10 days ago. The time was NOW to purchase this intro-compressor! Not only was their bike issues, but it seems like one of our car tires is always low. My truck alone has been to Discount Tires 3x this year for bead leaks.

I initially did have my regrets though when it took me 4 minutes to add 2 lbs. of air to one of Teri's tires. Heck, if I would have had the right connection, I could have farted faster. So, in disgust I went down to Sears with the presumption that my dual tire chuck
had failed me. So, they handed me a traditional helmet-styled air chuck and I arrived home. WOLAH, that sucker works great now. It also has a blower accessory, so we have now blown out my truck air filter, the vacuum cleaner (now that was a mess!), the garage floor and the cars' carpets!

There was one hesitation--a New Year's resolution "not to buy anything new, unless it was replacing an item". While I would have saved a lot more by getting another 12V car compressor, I had the desire to beef up the purchase and can still, in my mind, justifying it not violating the New Year commitment.

Oh, and for the "I must find the best deal" bone in me...ordered on line, shipped to store, included 17 piece accessory kit and, of course, taxes--TOTAL: $97.00, about 33% off usual store price. YES!

No regrets....

Accomplished!

2008-06-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

Photo from the 1,000th mile!

Well, yet another 2008 resolution can be checked off the To Accomplish list. My goal to complete the "Rubber 1,609K" (translated: via bike, run and walk, total 1,000 miles) by December 31st this year was surpassed today at 2pm MST, exactly 1/2 way through the year. What I thought would equate to a trip from Denver to Austin, Tx., actually turned out to be a bit further south of the Texas capitol. If you scroll down to the bottom of this route, it shows a map indicating I would have ended up in Pleasanton, Texas.

So, with the year half way done, do I want to challenge my self to return back? Humm, after splattering on the concrete 3 weeks ago (one wrist 80% healed, the other still hurting at 60%), I am not too sure. To top it off today, at the 997th mile, my front tire went kapooey and my transport shuttle (Teri) had to come pick me up as I didn't have a spare on me. Came home, fixed it, and finished the ride.

Officially, 1001.7 miles on the bike-o-meter. On the weight-o-meter, FIVE POUNDS gained since the start of the year. Of course, all muscle-- of course...

Touring Tuesdays....

2008-06-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

Last week the hills above, this Tuesday 'downtown' along the Pearl Street mall, one of the 'must sees' when touring Boulder, CO.

We met Austin at the Intense Debate International Headquarters :). As with any smart startup company, they are wisely keeping their overhead low. Austin has indicated they are moving to a newer office in a matter of weeks. Enjoyed meeting the I.D. team before heading out to the Rio Grande for lunch.

Housed in an old, historic garage, scrumptious Mexican food at the Rio Grande. They actually have several locations across the U.S., including Austin, TX!

Clearly, by the camera angle, the wife boozed it up at the cafe. Off to the far left, is our '1/2' son Austin :). I have great benefits where I work, but what I wouldn't give to be in shorts and a T-shirt like Austin enjoys. Yes, I fit in well with my Crocs, a local Boulder mega-company.

Like with seemingly everything else in life, 'old school' is now 'new school' in the world of bicycles--a nice minty green ride.

Boulder is dominated by bicyclists. Clearly, they have less concern about rising gas prices than our Denver metro friends.

About four long blocks and stores lining both sides, Pearl Street Mall is well known for all kind of human and 'wild' life. It was a pretty sedate day being there on a Tuesday afternoon.

Trying to make a living and doing the best he can.....

Build a gelato stand and the misses will find it...a nice heaving scoop of Jamaican Coconut...

Weekend Royalty...

2008-06-21T15:17:00.001-07:00

Swimming at Cam's pool, his complex in the background....

Brynn and her flower cannister--it travels with her...

Future lifeguard....

As close as she wanted to come to getting in, she stayed perimeter for all 2 hrs....

Brynn insisting on getting a hair strand wet--her definition of adventurous....

Teri's craftwork---a pillow case dress for the princess...

Hawkin'

2008-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Teri and I had a nice , quiet afternoon hike above Boulder at this trail. The weather I thought would be cooler at 9000 feet, but still fairly warm, muggy and no breeze-- all a bit unusual for mid-June. We hope to do this kind of thing more often this summer.

At the parking area, lo and behold, dad talking on his cell phone to his 19 yr old pilot son who flew to Moab, but then had no transportation back and forth to the camping areas. At the time of this photo, he was at the Grand Co. Utah Sheriffs Dept in Moab hoping for a ride (without handcuffs) back to the airport 17 miles away. He was declined, so him and his friend split taxi fare of $50 to get there.

Husband walking ahead of wifey to eradicate the dragons, dinosaurs and bears....

Simple beauty......

"Go Green".....before the dead of summer arrives...

Not a bad view looking back toward metro area....

Back to the west where snow still rests atop the 14,000 foot peaks....

The Happs

2008-06-15T09:44:00.003-07:00

Two weeks into his new job, Austin is having a great time. From
checking his company blog at Intense Debate, it appears that he
is a welcome addition (see June 12, 13 posts) as he has received
some nice pub. He looks forward to his Lebron James-like bank
roll in the future :). His first paycheck is Monday, just in time
for his cell phone and insurance bills-welcome to the REAL WORLD!
He took a second ACT test on Saturday, one more focused on
writing skills, and required by some institutions.

Cameron is pursuing his new passion--high country backpacking.
He leaves for a 3 day trip Monday morning hoping to hike about
20 miles or so. As for his flight training, he has started to
work on his 'commercial' flight rating getting his biggest
challenge out of the way a couple weeks ago when he flew to
Price, Utah and back in a Cessna 172. As part of the
requirement, he had to fly total round trip of at least
600 miles and land at two different airports. He is taking
a crash-course, on-line economics Summer class in July and
is holding a 3.0 GPA as he nears his Junior year, not bad
for having a full time job and full time girlfriend, not
to mention flying, backpacking, etc.

We have challenged ourselves to GO GREEN in a miniscule way
by trying to avoid using our central air this Summer. With
only Teri at home most days, she can tighten up the house
at the coolest point of the day and try to 'store' the cool
morning temp. It hit 90 yesterday, so day one of the challenge
has been met. The beauty of Teri being anemic is she is
constantly chilled---just wish she could pass it along to me.
Unfortunately, the furry lab-mix dog is not impressed with
our decision.

Speaking of, Teri awaiting more info on test results from her
doctor--but looks like she will have the 'female surgery'
thingy-ma-jig some time this Summer. So, it looks like Austin
and I will have to maintain the house for a bit, so we are
investigating Molly Maids, but I do not believe they have
an overnight option nor a cooking division.

My bum wrists continue to heal--right one at about 70%, left
one at 90%--felt good enough to hop on the mountain bike
yesterday for a very short ride of 8 miles or so. Teri is relieved
and has tossed the "Wiping Your Hubby's Hiney" survival guide.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all. Teri is grilling steaks later today
to celebrate. I am enjoying new a new pair of comfy, cocoa
colored Crocks. Cameron is working, so will be missing out on
the feast. Shelly probably thinking she could eat Cam's portions.
Speaking of the canine, her gimpy leg is back to 100%, so she is
back on squirrel patrol in the backyard.

Send gas money......

Later....

PAW-fect

2008-06-10T15:09:00.001-07:00

Went to the vet today to get the paws checked out. Now what is that LAST thing you want to see when the Dr. walks into the exam room----uhhhhh, that would be the Dr. is wearing a cast! I thought for a moment it was a practical joke, but she had just had surgery from a tennis injury. Anyway, praise God, xrays revealed nothing broken in either hand--just a right hand wrist sprain and a strained right tendon. So, got me set up in a splint for 2-4 weeks which INSTANTANEOUSLY helped as it provided immediate support! Off to work tomorrow, still driving with my left hand and then shifting as well with the lefty--glad my wheels are well aligned. Hope to be eating right-handed again by the end of the week. In the mean time, Austin enjoying another lefty in the house...

SpectaculAIR Show!

2008-06-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

A simply, glorious day for an air show out at Rocky Mountain Metro Air Show. Just to think 4 years ago Cameron was volunteering at one, today he worked it. Great weather day, blue skies, slight breeze and about 75 degrees. Enjoy the photos and the videos!

Air Force mascot falcon dawning his own helmet. For some reason, I do not believe the ones out in the wild wear one......

A B-17 all chromo-fied....

News media estimated 10,000-15,000 on hand....

World renown Patty Wagstaff on hand, has to be the greatest air show, female pilot ever to come to be...unreal at 56 years young!

Our lil friends Chris and his son, Adam, getting Patty's autograph...

A MIG 17, locally based, so we get to see him practice regularly...

Patty, inverted, picks up a ribbon with her tail that is being held by her staff center runway..

Patty tumbles across the runway before pulling straight up and returning back for another pass...

Air Force F18 buzzes down the runway before pulling straight up with both afterburners roaring..

Navy F16 circles back right at us and then banks to the South, no doubt directly over our house...guess Shelly got to enjoy the noise as well......

Strawberry Farm...

2008-06-07T05:45:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess Lance Armstrong can be blamed for my injuries as I was inspired to ride when I got back from Vegas. Actually, I just got my ride out of the cycle shop getting some brake work done--well, the 'breaks' work--as in my right arm this a.m. feels broken! This is the result of my knee hitting the concrete sidewalk after going about 15mph.

I was cycling near at a park when 2 kids, about 6 and 9, yelled "hello sir". With their being a neighborhood garage sale going on, I thought they were just marketing, so I ignored them. I got a bit closer, and once again they piped up, so once again I ignored them thinking maybe they had a lemonade stand going on. Well, after I passed them, they shouted at me again, so I looked back (thinking maybe I am nude and they want to tell me or maybe a rattlesnake has crawled up back tire, etc) and that distraction had my bike go off the sidewalk. When I tried to recover, the front tire got sideways on my and 215 pounds of humanity went over the front handlebars while my leg got trapped underneath my bike. So, my reaction was to extend my hands out and try to break my fall--not a good idea looking back.

Oh, and what did the kids want--they were lost and needed directions to the library. I almost told them "I will tell you where the library is if you will tell me how to get to the ER". But the 10 yr old girl was truly apologetic, as well as grossed out when she saw my knee. They did offer to pick up my broken cycling mirror, my sunglasses and my radio, all laying in the park.

To make matters worse, I tweaked my back big time in Vegas and now with this ordeal, I did a Real Age test---I aged out to be Methuselah--969 years old! My kind wife has been nursing me back to health. Although I am hoping not, I suspect an xray of my right arm may be in order. My biggest concern-- don't think I can wipe the hiney, so I am going to have to pull the prenuptials-- I do believe I had the 'for better or worse' clause-- this will be a true test of our marriage.

Til next time...

La$ Vega$

2008-06-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, is there such a thing as a bad time in Vegas? I don't think so. Teri and I arrived this past Monday for a 4 nite stay at Caesar's Palace for our annual Intergraph Intl User's Group Conference, our 911 software provider and the industry leader. Surely I cannot complain about these working conferences as the last 7 years included places like Nashville (Downtown), Orlando Walt Disney World Resort, Montreal, Canada, Indianapolis, Nashville (Grand Ole Opry) , Denver (boring :) and this year in Vegas!

Weather was a variety. Upper 90s 1st couple of days, windy (60 mph!) the 3rd day and mid 80s on Thursday. Teri totally enjoyed pool time, only stress she had all week was making sure the tan lines were even and not enjoying the scent of her new spray-on sunscreen-- how does the other world live? I know one thing--we may be in a recession, but based upon pool side viewing, the plastic surgeons haven't missed a beat--ladies packing more flotation devices than the Titanic.

The best I could do was turning one .25 slot machine into $33.00, not a bad return for 30 minutes. A co-worker won $750 and another conference attendee pocketed---FORTY-THOUSAND DOLLARS last night! Yes, 40,000!

Looking up 9 floors directly above the pool and you will see our room..

Looking down 9 floors at the night time view of the pool....

Self-portraits are hard...

YUP, Lance Armstrong, our key speaker-- awesome 45 minute message on his life battles..

The Strip--day time.....

The Eiffel Tower at dusk.....

Pirate ship battle at Treasure Island--ship taking on fire and water....

The Mrs. in front of her palace that I bought her......

See the diver feeding the sting-ray?? Way cool aquarium...

Teri winning 3/4 gallon of gas on nickel slots......

The biggest sin in Vegas is not gambling, but the gelato stand...

Gelato cost: $10.00! The largest size--$47.00.

Cool, painted ceiling at The Forum Shops-- every high end store in the world resides here!

When in Vegas, you must eat at a buffet--so we did, Jimmy BUFFET's Margaritaville restaurant!!

Endless marketing.....

Awaiting the fountain show next door at the Bellagio...

Click the play button and enjoy the grand finale'--the dancing waters of the Bellagio Hotel!

Bow-dacious...

2008-06-01T06:57:00.001-07:00

Sister in law Kelli has delved into her own home based 'bow production' business...take a look right here . I know some nieces in Texas who would look super cute this 4th of July.

Tres...

2008-05-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Our princess turned 3 today, so we went and celebrated with her at Chuck-E-Cheese, another place, just like the zoo, that we visit about once every decade. We had a blast and she was showered with gifts as somewhere around 35 people attended! Enjoy the photos (sorry, we bumped a setting so some are blurred).....

Just like her daddy, she loves her hockey!

A bit concerned the blonde boy
is going to scarf her cherry
cupcakes!

Her Aunt Sissy coaching her on package opening.....

Yet another noisemaker

for her mommy and daddy to endure

Yes, her Uncle "D" taught her what a "Texas 3" looks like!!!

Zoo-licious

2008-05-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I made my 'once in a decade' trip to the zoo. About all I need I guess as nothing has really changed since my last visit. The weather was splendid, so that made it worthwhile being outside on a gorgeous Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy the pix of our new found friends.

"Jim"-21 yr old, 440 lb gorilla. Nice rear end.

"Let's scare off the kids at the
petting zoo by head butting
ourselves"...

"Why do they put me near the tiger cage?"

Our pink-bowed girl hanging
with the pink flamingos..

Lazy water buffaloes....

Cheetahs on the prowl....

Ladies looking slim in front of the elephants...

Momma and baby billie...

Pacing before breakfast time!

Brynn feeding her animal!

Downtowners...

2008-05-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

Harry, Marilyn, Teri, Austin, Dan, Kelli and Brynn all headed downtown to act like tourists while your author had to work for a living. Kelli and family arrived by light rail from the southern metro area while our side of the family arrived via conventional travel. They all met at Union Station, a historic landmark established in 1881. This once train station now serves as a hub for all bus and metro train travel. After they were done there, they walked along the downtown Platte River, an area we may choose to rent for a year prior to moving back to Texas--still on the discussion table. After they had built up an appetite, they all had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, essentially a factory for fat production, but oh so yummy!

HIred!

2008-05-20T16:44:00.001-07:00

Well, while most 16 year old are competing for the stocking job at Walmart, lifeguarding or flipping patties, Austin today was hired by Intense Debate as a software engineer where he will be programming Php, Css, Javascript, etc. He will work 40hrs per week, flexible enough where he can come in by 10am and work his '8' and also work on weekends. So, I am officially clueless as to what he will do, so he can communicate with his Grandpa Nunn and his Uncle Dan. They are a start up company based out of Boulder and he starts in about 10 days, just enough time for Teri and I to surf the web and come up with some stylish pocket protectors!

CONGRATS AUSTIN!

State Champs (and more)....

2008-05-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Austin's high school just captured the 4A championship for Colorado high school baseball. But there was much more that drove this team than normal athletics. Enjoy the Denver Post article which captures the heart of a 17 year old teammate and cancer patient....

In the photographs, nobody will ever grow old.

Dads puffed chests with pride. Moms dabbed at tears pooling in the rims of sunglasses. Designated hitter Nate Jurney clutched the state championship trophy, as the Ralston Valley High Mustangs lifted him on their shoulders, saluting a teammate who refused to let cancer stop him from smacking two hits on the happiest day of his young life.

"I live in the now," Jurney said Saturday.

If now is all we're promised, then somebody grab a camera. Quick. Because right here, right now, is as good as it gets.

"I believed we could win all season," Jurney said. "But I never could picture myself holding the trophy. Until now."

Needing to beat Thomas Jefferson twice to win the double-elimination format of the Class 4A tournament, Ralston Valley produced convincing 10-0 and 8-4 victories on a spring afternoon so close to perfect it might fill scrapbooks for a lifetime.

But the moment nobody will ever forget might not look like much in a dusty scorebook 20 years down the road unless you know the whole, remarkable story of a double belted by Jurney in the second game. The way a lanky, 18-year-old senior ignored the pronounced hitch in every awkward stride as Jurney chugged to second base made teammates slap backs and shout like a band of brothers.

"Nate is a kid who has fought his butt off. And he comes up with a heroic action. Again," said senior Matt Skipper, the 6-foot-9 pitching and slugging star of this Ralston Valley team. "What (Jurney) has done is made us family, not only as a family of baseball players, but he's brought an entire community together."

The long, strange, wonderful trip that made these Mustangs state champs began with small, painful steps taken two years ago by Jurney. That's when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that invaded his femur and required surgery to remove the malignant growth and rebuild his left knee.

After the dark-haired boy was diagnosed with a disease that strikes an estimated 400 children and adolescents in the United States each year, merely seeing Jurney pull on a baseball uniform again would have qualified as powerful stuff.

Sure enough, there he was, wearing No. 17 in the dugout, when the odds were stacked against the Mustangs and they needed a reason to believe anything is possible against Thomas Jefferson, which owned a six-game winning streak in recent seasons against Ralston Valley.

"I just want to play baseball," said Jurney, whose cancer has yet to be defeated after it spread to his lungs eight months ago. But he decided, with the blessing of parents and a doctor, to combat the new tumors with laser treatments rather than more invasive surgery that would have ended his athletic comeback.

But know where truth exceeds fiction any screenwriter in Hollywood could imagine? Jurney has proved to be far more than an inspirational good-luck charm for Ralston Valley. The dude can hit.

In the most crucial game of the season, Jurney batted eighth in the Mustangs' lineup during the title-clinching victory, and ripped a wicked single on top of his gutsy, refuse-to-surrender double.

"I pray that the next scan of my lungs doesn't show any growth in the tumors. My doctor says I will eventually need an operation. But there's no date set for it," Jurney said.

"Life's never been better than now. This is awesome. Really emotional. Tears? Only tears of joy."

"I can see us as friends 20 years from now. I can see us being together until we die. And then when we die, we'll go to each other's funerals," said Skipper, the big first baseman. "This is a lifelong friendship that we've bonded. This day lasts for the rest of our lives. The grass will always be green, and nobody can ever take the feeling away from us."

With a dream in his pocket and eyes full of hope, Jurney walked off the green grass of All-City Field in a line of rowdy Mustangs through a gate swung wide

Thanks George!

2008-05-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we have done our share to stimulate the economy as our rebate check was $1,500 and our flooring remodel was $1495.66--how about that for keeping a project under under budget--we have ONE GALLON of gas left over! And, as perhaps a God thing, we have a showing on Thursday evening at 545pm and our house is not even listed as For Sale. Enjoy the new view....

Before--garage entry way

After......

Before---main entry.......

After.......

Before--master bath area....

After......

Before....master toilet....

After.....

Evidence.....

2008-05-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Well, here is my evidence that old people can stay up late hours---yes, it is 303AM and my Super Big Gulp Mountain Dew has me wide awake after arriving to work at 945PM with zero sleep. Going on about 33hrs straight right now as I type this entry and oh so looking forward to the bed here in about 6 more hours. The move into our new location really went super well, all things considered. The great news is there will be no more moves, no more upgrades--just coasting the rest of my way there which will end anywhere between 11 and 23 months.

Days Off?

2008-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

So much for resting on my days off. Actually, it was good timing to invest 5 hours of home improvement labor into our flooring re-do as I needed to get myself tired for my short night. We move our 911 center into a new facility and I have to arrive at midnight to begin to test arriving equipment. It's been a decade or so since I have worked on the dark side of life.

Garage entry way--- carpet, pad, staples and tack strip all yanked off and awaiting new natural slate tile...

From our main entrance--well looky here, the 1980's called me and they want their linoleum back!

Speaking of the 80s, the worst decor move ever----carpet in the master bath area--not no more!!

..and our deck, where all of the remnants will spend the weekend......flooring installer arrives Thursday morning....should have finished photos up in a week or less....gotta impress the in-laws arriving in a few weeks for Brynn's 3rd birthday.....

Arggghhhh

2008-04-29T07:13:00.001-07:00

Well, Austin treated me last year to an NBA playoff game, so I returned the favor last night and we went down to see our Nuggets bow out of the 1st round after being swept by the Lakers. Intense game, by far the closest of the four we lost, but it was not meant to be. No doubt, there will be some serious shakeups, probably including the ouster of the head coach during the off season. And what is it with the NBA scheduling an 830 PM start time? Yikes, that makes for a short night for us older folks!

Special...

2008-04-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

For those of us who have been to way too many funerals over the past decade, this post is for you. My lovely, research assistant wife shared this most awesome song by country superstars Diamond Rio with me yesterday and it made quite an impact. The lyrics and video, while certainly emotional, are so uplifting.

Enjoy it here.

Cycling Duo

2008-04-14T15:21:00.001-07:00

The wife and I experiencing total exhaustion at the 3.0 mile mark :) Can someone invent a stylish chin-strap--love how it totally disguises the spare chin!

Spring time in the Rockies--a glorious 70 degree, wind-free day with snow still resting atop the mountains.

Still upright....

Cute chick, LAME photographer...

The only reason she kept pace--she had this to chase after. Redefining the phrase "bringing sexy back"!

C.I.C.U.---Cycling Intensive Care Unit...

Fun ride, glorious day. For Teri's 2008 cycling log book: 5.3 miles!

ROX....

2008-04-06T16:23:00.001-07:00

For my birthday, Austin got me a pair of tickets to the see the Rox play the Diamondbacks on opening Sunday under beautiful skies at Coors Field. All went well, but one thing.......

Rox being presented with their 2007 National League Champ rings!

Sweet seats!!

The only thing that soured the day---ROX give up runs in the 9th and the 10th innings to lose the game. The defending National League rep in the World Series just 6 months ago are now 1-5 and playing abysmal baseball...yes the season is young.....

The mantra last Fall was Rock-tober----I renamed it today to CR-APril..

Life's Most Embarrassing...

2008-04-03T16:13:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love when you embarrass yourself? Neither do I....real story today....

I am training a new 911 hire at work and we share a headset system---she has a 'live' mic and I have a 'muted' mic so I can prompt her for the right line of questioning for 911 callers without the caller hearing me in the background. By depressing a button, I can become the 'live' mic so I can take over a call in the event of a dire emergency. All along, my trainee can hear my activity and how I am proceeding with the call for her own training benefit.

Well, it seems like I had to do that today and immediately after that emergency, I had the need to head to the men's restroom. Well, as I had completed aiming the stream toward the target, I noted my 'live' mic was still on. Nice, huh!

I returned back into the center not knowing of a nice way to say "Sorry, please forgive me for peeing in your ear"....

Yes, I know what you are thinking--"at least you weren't pooping"..

Life goes on....

2008 Goals-Quarterly Report

2008-04-02T16:01:00.001-07:00

Wow, 1/4 of 2008 has now expired. Well, keeping me on track were my publicized goals. Let's see where we are at for the 1st quarter.

1) Change template on my Blog 
DONE!

2) "Rubber 1,609 K" exercise goal-1,000 miles--
1st Qtr Goal-264 miles
1st Qtr Actual-453 miles! 

On my adventure from Arvada,CO to Austin, TX--I am now
departing the southern edge of Amarillo! However, this
goal just got a bunch tougher as my exercise bike at my
work location is no longer available.

3) Do something big for God--

Feb: Paid off credit card to become completely
debt free (non-mortgage)

March:--prompted by the Holy spirit to invite my entire
work crew to church. Our work group has seen its
share of struggles, mostly self-imposed, so I sent
everyone a group email to their home email account
and shared my testimony and encouraged them to see
a different way. Although I was indifferent to any
response I got (I just wanted to be obedient to the
calling), it was well-received from those who contacted
me and expressed their appreciation.

4) Take a family airplane vacation.

It's paid for, just do not know where we are going yet.
Teri and Austin crave Mexico, I want to do something
different in the Motherland.

5) Ebay biz goal of $10,000 gross, annual income
1st Qtr Goal:$2,499
1st Qtr Actual:$3,990

This goal will now become more challenging as we switch
to selling Summer clothing--harder to find plus final
selling price for shorts and the like are much lower
than Winter clothing.

6)Home improvements-master bath/living room
floors
Well, we have decided we want slate for both of our
home entry ways and laminated, wood flooring with
an aged-look in our bathroom. Photos and measurements
have been taken---now we just need to find a laborer!

7) Be a good neighbor.
One thing that really influenced my heart this year
through listening and reading is Jesus really intended
to keep this all simple--love Him, love your neighbors
and take care of the elderly, widows and orphans. So,
for the Winter time at least, I have put this into play
by snow shoveling our entire cul-de-sac sidewalk.
Additionally, I shovel the driveways of my widow
neighbor and the most elder couple at the end of
the block. What to do for Summer?

8) Help support Cameron's flying efforts
and goals
We have helped in various ways, mostly financial,
which is his preferred way :)Agreed to use his college
fund to pay for periodic FAA updated testing. Gave him
some cash to apply toward fuel for a Cessna flight
or toward Commercial flight, he opted for commercial
flight, for his Spring break Seattle trip. Allowed
him to file himself as his own dependent
significantly increasing his tax refund of which part
went into his flying fund!

9)Help support Austin's business adventure
www.blogonize.com/> with ideas, solutions,
financing, etc.
Not only this adventure, but now several more brewing
ideas. He has been on the road recently alot to
Boulder for brain-storming purposes.

10) Buy Teri tennis shoes
DONE!

Spring Break in Seattle

2008-03-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Craving seafood......

FINALLY, a picture of the 'birds' :)

Serenity.....

Cameron and his 'other' best friend, Danny, at the Boeing plant

Fantasizing about their dream jobs......

Start Up Weekend...

2008-03-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Pretty amazing....about 1/2 dozen folks in Austin's group when they arrived Friday night armed only with enthusiasm and a ton of brain cells. Forty-eight hours later, they have their idea conceptualized and website up and running! It is called Hitsurance . The concept was born out of the idea of what happens to a website that has just been swamped with traffic because they were just mentioned on Oprah, CNN, etc. and their server cannot handle the activity. Folks would tend to lose confidence in the web application and any attempt to impress the 1st time visitor is lost.

With their product, visitors are redirected to a freely available caching service (memory storage center) at peak times where the application can recontact those attempting to visit and let them know when their site has been restored. As a result of this service, communication is maintained with those interested in visiting your site!

Our Easter Honey...

2008-03-23T16:08:00.001-07:00

Empty Nesters

2008-03-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Austin, other than sleeping at our crib, is pretty much gone all weekend which started Friday night. He is particpating in StartUp Weekend in Boulder, a unique idea for eager entrepreneurs. He got home very excited last night and you can see him in action in this clip.

Cameron is heading to Seattle tomorrow to meet his new love interest's parents. While he and another teen pilot were originally planning on the long Cessna 172 trek, for a variety of reasons, they chose to go commercial route. His friend's dad is a United Airlines pilot and he is spotting all 3 of them buddy passes at $80 1st class, round trip---now that is a nice gig! AND yes, we have asked Cam to email us a picture of new new cutie, but it has yet to hit his To Do list. He plans on visiting the Sky Needle and, of course, the Boeing plant. The usual Seattle forecast awaits him.

Teri and I were discussing at dinner last night our 2 social creatures. We have absolutely no idea what gene pool they derived it from, certainly not their parents. Perhpas their late Aunt KK is my only guess.

Teri and I are doing Easter Service tonite as I have an overtime slot tomorrow morning. Royalty (Princess Brynn) is due at our house a little after lunch time for some ham and other delish morsels.

Everyone but dad is on Spring break--send e-sympathy cards to me.

Later,

Headlines you dont want to see....

2008-03-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

on a quiet Sunday morning...and my father-in-law had the audacity to brag that it was 94 degrees in Texas this past Friday...

5 to 10 inches of snow expected in metro area

As another storm system approaches, a significant amount of snow is expected to accumulate in the metro area by Monday morning. 9NEWS Meteorologist says the next winter storm is set to hit Colorado Sunday evening and it could be a big one.

A WINTER STORM WATCH goes into effect for the metro area at midnight and the storm could bring as much as 5 to 10 inches of snow to the metro area, while the foothills are expected to get 6 to 14 inches.

Take a live look at Denver weather here.

oh well, another opportunity to fullfil 2008 goals in helping the neighbors shovel their sidewalks :)

True Texans....

2008-03-15T17:02:00.001-07:00

My heart still beats as one..........

Been a long....

2008-03-13T16:50:00.001-07:00

time since only myself and the boys went out together...as a matter of fact, probably years. I know we have done things as a family and then me with each of them, but not as a threesome. So, where do three 6+footers go--an NBA basketball game, of course. Actually, Austin's business club at high school had some discount tickets they were selling as a fund raiser. We figured we would buy 3 knowing Cam wouldn't go due to his hectic schedule. But, surprisingly, he joined us and Teri MORE THAN WILLINGLY gave up her slot to him. The Nuggets dominated the game
so much that we departed at the end of the 3rd quarter!

Marketing Man

2008-03-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Austin was one of about 100 folks who attended Tech Stars for a Day in Boulder last week. He is vying for one of the Top 10 'hot ideas and companies' spots that is up to be awarded in April. An expected 500-800 competitors worldwide are expected to submit their ideas. He had some inside scoop the execs liked ping pong so he branded his company logo Blogonize onto some ping pongs balls and purchased an eye-catching container and quietly left them behind. From a post today on their website, it looks like they found them!

Ring....ring...ring....

2008-03-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

Lionel Richie called, he wants his Afro back !

Just another day at my babysitting job....

Why do wives have to go through the old photos--is there anything good that really comes of it...she probably needs a few more household chores to keep her busier....

Ladies and Gentlemen....

2008-03-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

"this is your Captain speaking, in just a few minutes, the flight attendants will be coming through the cabin to pass out some Depends and some butt wipes"

Lamb vs Lion

2008-03-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Well, day 1 of March--record high heat for the date in Denver--74 degrees! This morning--Blizzard Warning. The lion has triumphed!

Oh My....

2008-02-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

Where are these months going--oh yeah, February, short month. I love February cause the financial budget actually works well for 28-29 days. Don't know why God didn't make them all this short, probably didn't know what He was doing--yeah right. So another month gone by and time to check 2008 goal progress---really not for you to be bored with, but just to keep me motivated.

1) Change template on my Blog---Accomplished!

2) "Rubber" exercise goal of 1,000 miles--129 miles in January, 151 miles in February. When you have yummies popping out like these out of our stove both in the same day, Lord knows you have got to keep the aerobic activity full steam ahead. Forget losing weight, maintaining weight is so hard to do. I haven't stepped on the scale in a month, I think someone told me it broke or something like that. Sometimes don't you wish you were sugar intolerant-- exercising less sounds so appealing.So, my road map now has me just leaving Clayton, NM on my way to the Texas hill country by the end of the year!

3) Do something big for God--something I haven't done before and devoted to glorify. Marking this off as we are debt free. For Valentine's Day, Teri got a blank check to pay off her credit card balance--a bit over 4 digits. So, yes, we still have a mortgage, but I feel confident the Lord sees that as an obligation, not Biblical debt, simply due to the amount of equity that we have. Free at last, free of bondage, hallelujah!

4) Take a family airplane vacation. Pending, money for trip available, destination unknown. Explored this a bit in February--took a peek at Hilton Head, SC---$600 per night for a hotel--HOLY COW, I just wanted to rent a room, NOT BUY IT! You kidding me--and we weren't even going to play golf--just to hang out and tan on the beach. I can go to the 'fake and bake' tan shop here for $6 a visit.

5) Keep the Ebay biz going and shooting for 5 digit gross income. Monthly goal $833.00, January gross income:$1,282 February, $1198-even with taking Super Bowl Sunday off--accomplished!

6) Home improvements---master bath flooring and living room entry way--upgrade-We did agree in February that Pres GW's tax stimulus rebate will go towards getting this goal accomplished.Pending.

7) Be a good neighbor. For the Winter time at least, I have put this into play by snow shoveling our entire cul-de-sac sidewalk andshovel the driveways of my widow neighbor and the most elder couple at the end of the block. - Once, wasn't a very snowy month. Only one significant snow event in February and did do it then. A lil help from my neighbor with a gas powered blower was some nice help-accomplished!

8) Help support Cameron's flying efforts and goals--Accomplished-provided some fuel money for his Austin, TX New Year's trip. Our efforts in February were to meet with him to work on improving his budget so he would have more money to fly--he has done swell and showing some real discipline in this area!

9) Help support Austin's biz adventure with ideas, solutions, financing, etc. Accomplished- 'content editor' for Austin's video and some guidance with his next contest submission. Also, new effort in embryotic state-FLIGHTBULBS--remember the name! In February, we cheered Austin on as he has been swamped staying abreast of his application and consideration by Tech Crunch for his Blogonize website in an upcoming competition.

10)Buy Teri some tennis shoes -Accomplished in January.

A New Chef is Born...

2008-02-17T20:27:00.001-08:00

but a chicken is not :) ......

Aunt Sissy and Brynn enjoying a teaching moment as they whip up a batch of cupcakes for the household....otherwise, quiet day as we enjoy her monthly overnite visit--she is a blast!

Where's George....

2008-02-10T17:40:00.002-08:00

Sorting through my wallet and up popped a $1 with blue print on it stating "Track where I have been. Go to www.wheresgeorge.com so I did. Interesting enough, a site where you can enter the serial number on the bill and see where all it has been tracked. Checking it out, there is a logical explanation that outlines why my George ended up in Denver. Check it out here .

Sorry, on slow days, I like to educate my readers :).

Rendevouz TV

2008-02-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Like our car situation, we have recently had to play rotating TVs. Our family room TV went on the fritz back last Summer. It would take many minutes to warm up and one had to tap it on the side several times to get the picture to appear. Well, it never failed we would miss some big Rockies moment while it was warming up. So, we donated it to a needy family after learning of a co-worker who was willing to sell me a decent Hitachi TV, so he claimed.

He was thinning out house inventory in hopes of selling his home so I handed him $25 for our "new" HDTV (Horrible Definition). On the lower channels, the volume had so much interference it was hard to comprehend and the picture quality on most channels was below average. So, we donated it to a local homeless organization just in time for Austin's XBOX game system to develop a problem, which meant we would borrow his 13" color TV from the basement while the XBOX was shipped to McAllen, TX for 3 weeks for repair.

Well, the XBOX made the round trip back to Denver yesterday, so last night we were TV-less for the first time in our bedroom in 21 years of marriage. Absolutely not wanting to risk our marital union, I went out and bought my wife her Valentine's gift today so she could keep on doing her exercise DVD and have something to watch while ironing. (Oh, yeah, I might watch it a tad:). So, a new, SHARP 20" flat screen TV now sits atop our dresser ready to keep our marriage just perfect!

And, as a side note, a neat new website discovered today that notifies you if your purchase price drops in the next 30 days! You sign up for free an email will be sent if the price drops so you can go back to the 'big box' store and get a credit for the difference!

Time to help motivate Teri upstairs to go exercise...

Til next time....

Resolution Progress Report

2008-02-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

I might stay more inspired and accountable if I give periodic updates to my 2008 goals, so in a nutshell we will review...

1) Change template on my Blog---Accomplished!

2) "Rubber" exercise goal of 1,000 miles-- on my road to Austin, Texas, I logged 129 miles in January--goal was 83.3 mile---Accomplished! Arriving in Pueblo, Colorado..

3) Do something big for God--something I haven't done before and devoted to glorify--couple ideas, so pending!

4) Take a family airplane vacation. Pending, money for trip available, destination unknown.

5) Keep the Ebay biz going and shooting for 5 digit gross income. Monthly goal $833.00, January gross income:$1,282--accomplished!

6) Home improvements---master bath flooring and living room entry way--upgrade-Pending.

8) Help support Cameron's flying efforts and goals--Accomplished-provided some fuel money for his Austin, TX New Year's trip.

Checking In...

2008-01-29T06:01:00.001-08:00

Wow, almost the end of January. But, this month I can understand why time flew...

What was a 4 car family just 8 months ago, is a 1 car family this Tuesday morning. Ole reliable--the 1993 Chevrolet pickup with 142,000 miles rests by himself in the garage. Teri's VW Piece-of-Saat is back at my mechanics after VW refused to help, seems IF we would have been the original owner, they would have considered assisting us (I am sure that is with a wink-wink). So, we are trying to sell it on Craigslist "as is". If not sold in 7 days, we will fix it and then sell again. Austin's Honda meanwhile is at a different shop getting an idle problem addressed.
Cameron has been battling the 'fraud epidemic'--seems like someone got a hold of his info in Kissimee, FL. and went on a spree at Walmart and the movie theatres and sucked $300 from his account, also known for a teen as "life savings".
After 16 consecutive weeks of Ebay selling, we are taking a one week vacation as we did not want our items to end on Super Bowl Sunday. MUCH NEEDED break as business has been great!
After Austin's 90 seconds of fame with his recent contest win, his membership increased by over 10% in one week. He is now focused on this contest which is international in scope, but held in our own backyard in Boulder, CO. So, he is trying to mix in high school track training, gym-ratting, school work and his business. Of course, we have told him to focus on his gym workouts :).
As we have shared before, Cam in his jet refuel job, at times gets to meet some celebrities. Tom Brokaw and Gordon Lightfoot have stopped in before. On Friday, Ted Turner stopped in for a visit. Seems as if his keys got locked in a friend's car who was returning him back to the airport and Cam's company had to arrange for a locksmith. Cam's conversation with Ted--Ted: Is a locksmith on the way. Cam: Yes sir. So professional is our teen son!
"Save Blogonize" campaign, sort of like Save the Whales. Although the IRS does not see it as a "non-profit" company, we see it as "not making profit" company. Send check or money order to:. Seems like the lad will have to find a 'real job' in about 3 months if he cannot get it monetized as his savings are dwindling quick with his $200 per month server lease.
Tis tax season, so off to buy my software today. I am guessing this may be my last year of helping a dozen or so other families, mostly because I want them to find someone else in anticipation of us moving back to Taxes, I mean Texas...
Cam has returned back to college with a "GPA builder" set of courses: 1) Intro to Music 2) Intro to Spanish 3)Micro-economics 4) Business speech. I do recall the strategy myself which ferociously backfired when I was a Soph and got a "C" in Badminton---in south Texas, 'birdies' were meant to be killed by shotgun, not rackets!
Tis been 3 years since Shelly went for her vaccination shots. I remember after that ugly battle driving home staring at an 8 year old canine doing the math thinking "ahhh, she will be dead before her next shots are due"---W R O N G! So, on my notes to do is contact Petco and ask 1) Do you have a female vet 2) Do you have a muzzle I can borrow? 3) Will her foam come out of my clothes? 4) Do you know both human and canine CPR? 5) Can we avoid the rectal thermometer experience?

Til next time..

15 seconds of fame...

2008-01-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

Well Andy Warhol coined it, but I think Austin's time frame is more like 90 seconds. As many of you know, he started developing internet businesses when he was 13 years old. He sold three of them to work on his biggest project, Blogonize. Simply put, he owns a site where you can host your own blog, or for the non-techno savvy, your own internet diary. Many folks like us simply use it as a platform to keep others apprised of our family happenings while others use it to talk about niches (ie, finances, travel, sports, etc). But with the likes of Blogger and Wordpress as his competition, he is simply a David in this Goliath world.

When in a crowded market, you have to keep on striving to be unique and cutting edge always looking for a break where you can compete. He may have gotten his Monday night. Over the weekend, TechCrunch.com invited folks with new ideas and sites to do a self-promoting video for their review and they would select the top three. Austin did and was selected! It is the best free advertising he could have received as their readership is 615,000 strong!

For the most part of the last six months his feelings were others knowing he was 16 year old would hinder his site's reputation, but now he has learned otherwise. The video he produced which was 90 seconds long can be seen at Tech Crunch

Oh, and why do I use his completion (Blogger.com)? Well, I do but I also 'dual post' over at Blogonize each time I author an entry.

I did ask him if CNN was dropping by the house today...

Congrats!

Arghhh....

2008-01-21T15:49:00.002-08:00

Yup, absolutely BREAKING news, as in our cars keep BREAKING! Two weeks ago as she was driving her Maria Andretti speed of 30mph, Teri had her 2001 VW Passat Turbo go kerplunk on her which included the ever dreaded "I heard something rattle in the engine kind of noise". So, she called her two sons, both who were oblivious to the ringing of their phones and both who had cars and could of come and rescued her. To no avail. I then had to leave my work for a one hour round trip and get her home and then arrange for a tow to take it to the shop. Simple diagnosis--a broken timing belt at 71,000 miles. Yes, a car that required it inspected (which we did) at 60K and no replacement until 105K, snapped!

My mechanic then told me to call both VW Corp and the VW dealership since it seems this is a well known problem that VW has failed to issue a recall for. Lo and behold, Audi (the exact same car with different decals) lost a class action suit for the very same problem. The VW dealership mechanic stated it 'broke', meaning it was defective vs. wear and tear. I have never heard such a soothing, calm voice tell someone (that someone would be me) "sir, the damage estimate is $6,412.00" --you got it, a $50 rubber belt snapping resulted in some broken valves and who know what else.

VW Corp told me they would contact the local dealership by last Monday to see if they could be of assistance. As of today, they have yet to contact them. I guess they know they have a problem. Based upon my Google research, I have mixed feelings whether they will come to an acceptable resolution or not.

So, in the interim, we know only one thing-- our VW is history as we are going to sell it once it gets repaired and NO WAY (unless VW pays for it all) is the dealership repairing it. It seems their labor shop rate is $150 per hour. Are the flipping mechanics living in the same subdivisions as the brain surgeons??

If you go here , you will see what many other owners think of this car. The only satisfaction of this whole ordeal is I have renamed the Passat to a Piece of Saat...

We will keep you posted...

In memory....

2008-01-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

Our Heavenly father welcomed home his most recent angel this morning. For those who knew her well, she was the salt of the earth and the epitome of simplicity and generosity. She was a gentle and kindred spirit who loved the Lord and will dearly be missed. Her heart cared for others. Praises to my 'care warrior' twin sister who was with her when she passed.

My darling wife, caretaker of all of our Hallock archives, has found these few photos all taken of my Aunt Ruth over the past 6 months. While there are many who scorn the Internet as a 'bad thing', it has proven once again to be able to connect generations of families who had been separated. It was somewhere around 5 years ago we began to get reconnected with her recounting our Summer visits to upstate New York via email and blogging. And through the Internet, she sent us an 'e-card' wishing us a great Christmas just three weeks ago and only days before her diagnosis.

We enjoyed our monthly email from her and she always was inquisitive of our happenings around our Denver family, especially our two boys. Our boys will always remember her as the Aunt who did the 'genealogy thing'. Ruth was our family heirloom and our treasure chest and we look forward to cherishing her research and relics.

Until we meet again...

AUNT Ruth and UNCLE Sam :)

Halloween at 'the home'

'Wild child' at 92 years YOUNG....

Princesses

2008-01-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

As the Lord peacefully called my 92 year old Aunt Ruth to her Heavenly home this morning, it is a true blessing to have another joyful princess around our house today. Our darling 2 year old niece was working on her cheerleading routine last night as the Denver Nuggets played on the TV in the background.

Your Next Two Professional Pilots...

2008-01-08T17:54:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder why the pilot cockpit doors are closed on your aircraft? You may have an answer here as Cameron sitting 'left seat' and Eric as the co-pilot fly through the clouds about 20 miles west of Crawford, TX (George W's home)! To top it off and unbeknown to them at the time, they are singing "Bye-Bye Miss American Pie"--yes, the movie inspired by the plane crash of rocker Buddy Holly!