Boy does this picture remind me of MY school days. We had desks that looked just like that.

I know all you educators are feeling somewhat sad because school is ending or has ended. No longer will you hear the pitter patter of little feet (or some big ones) running down the hall. No more will there be the constant yelling, screaming,laughing and some crying during recess. No more will you get to see the look of exasperation as one cannot quite grasp the concept you are teaching. And, then there is the look of "Oh yeah, I get it." which comes when a concept is realized. In Foam's case the pictures created and the variety of looks on a certain subject. Yep, you are probably already missing those little darlings and wish August would hurry up and get here.

What does a vacation do for you? You lie around and get a tan, weed your lawn and garden, go on long boring trips, put up with the spouse all day, do a little fishing, and life will be boring, boring, boring. Bring back school.

Okay I have had my say so will close with this that someone sent me. I don't know if it is true but it ought to be and I hope it is.
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SCHOOL ANSWERING MACHINE

(This is hilarious - no wonder some people were offended!)

This is the message that the Pacific Palisades High School (California) staff voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine. This is the actual answering machine message for the school.

This came about because they implemented a policy requiring students and parents to be responsible for their children's absences and missing homework. The school and teachers are being sued by parents who want their children's failing grades changed to passing grades – even though those children were absent 15-30 times during the semester and did not complete enough schoolwork to pass.

The outgoing message:

"Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options before making a selection:

To lie about why your child is absent: Press 1

To make excuses for why your child did not do his work: Press 2

To complain about what we do: Press 3

To swear at staff members: Press 4

To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you: Press 5

If you want us to raise your child: Press 6

If you want us to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone: Press 7

To request another teacher, for the third time this year: Press 8

To complain about bus transportation: Press 9

To complain about school lunches: Press 0

If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day!

If you want this in Spanish, you must be in the wrong country.

If you can read this, thank a teacher!

If you are reading it in English - thank a veteran!
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I was going to save this next little bit for another day but I liked it too much.

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How to speak Chinese in 3 minutes
Ok read the English meanings and then OUT LOUD say the chinese
words...
You MUST read them out loud or it doesn't make as much sense)...


1) That's not right........ Sum Ting Wong
2) Are you harboring a fugitive................... Hu Yu Hai Ding
3) See me ASAP.............. Kum Hiah Nah o
5) Small horse.................. Tai Ni Po Ni
6) Did you go to the beach?.................... Wai Yu So Tan
7) I bumped in to a coffee table................. Ai Bang Mai Fre Kin Ni
8) I think you need a face lift...................... Chin Tu Fat
9) It's very dark in here........................... Wao So Dim
10) I thought you were on a diet............... Wai Yu Mun Ching
12) staying out of sight.............................. Lei Ying Lo
13) He's cleaning his automobile................ Wa Shing Kah
14) Your body odor is offensive.................. Yu Stin Ki Pu
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Have a nice day everyone.

I am sure most of you have seen this picture. I received it the other day and was so impressed that the flag is made completely out of flowers, living flowers.

It just dawned on me that I have not posted since Monday. I thought it was just yesterday. My how time flies when you are having fun; by fun I mean weeding, watering, planting and all sorts of "honey do's".

I was driving down the road the other week, (in my bus), and was watching the flies hit the window. Self, I thought, what a great subject for a blog.

Have you ever noticed that when you clean your windows one of the first bugs to hit it is a big, yellow something or other and it always hits dead center of your line of site. That way you have to keep moving your head to look around the gooey mess splattered all over the place so you can see the road better.

I just love driving through where the bees are busy at work. Stupid bees. One would think they would have enough intelligence to stay sucking on a delicious flower as opposed to checking out the speeding vehicle coming down the road. Oh no, they have to call all their little buddies and make a mass suicide attack so the vehicle is amply covered in their body parts.

Then there are the black flies that are just bigger than a gnat. They like to pepper the windshield like rain drops only they don't wipe off quite as well. I had one the other day that committed suicide and died a very happy bug. He hit at the top of the window and slid all the way down to the bottom with a big grin on his face. It reminded me of cartoons.

I cannot quit this drivel without speaking about the wasps. They are sneaky. They watch for drivers who are coming down the road with their windows open and their arm hanging out. Usually the shirt sleeve is flapping and makes a great scoop for wasps to enter into the shirt. How do I know this? Well I am a victim you see. I was driving along in an 18 wheeler one day and all of a sudden I felt a sharp burning sensation on my back. Not only did I feel it once but a total of three times. I slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the cab and started undressing right there in the middle of the road. Sure enough, a wasp had entered my shirt and was having lunch at Delaney's cafe. Well the food was bad cause he was never heard from again.

Okay, enough of the bug talk. I was out watering the lawn yesterday morning when two very large hawks flew up on a pole fairly close to me and proceeded to have a conversation. It was awesome. Turned out that one had caught a mouse and wanted the other to have it. Beautiful birds.

Bored yet? I am in a mood and could go on for a while if you wish.
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Just had this sent to me and thought I would share it. Good for those 40 or older and it even works in Australia.

Exercise for older adults.

Just came across this exercise suggested for older adults, to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. It seems so easy, so I thought I'd pass it on to some of my friends. The article suggested doing it three days a week. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks.

Then try 50-lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level)

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks.
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Have a nice day everyone.

Cheryl says this is what I resemble when I want to be fed. Hmmmmmm.

I am officially fired for the year. My last trip got taken away from me because the bus broke down and there are no more trips this year. I cannot believe I am feeling somewhat blue about it. I have never enjoyed a job like I have enjoyed this one. Maybe summer will go really fast and I will be back behind the wheel before I know it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. I would like to know if this is just a United States special day or do other countries celebrate Mother's Day as well?

We had a good time. On Saturday we went out to dinner and took in a movie, Spiderman 3. I promised Cheryl I would get her a new fishing pole (her request) but the stores were so crowded that we just didn't feel like doing it then.

We are finding that since moving to a small town we are becoming more and more removed from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities. I think we are getting old. We really enjoy setting at home and relaxing, going to the post office and watching some of the locals ride their horses through town, saying hi to most everyone we meet and doing some chatting with them. Yep, I like the small town lifestyle. Oh, it has it's problems too but we choose to ignore them.

I keep telling myself I don't know what I am going to do now that I have all this free time on my hands. Sure I could go and do yard work, work in the garden, paint the deck, paint the house, and so on but that doesn't sound like fun at all. One thing I will do is more indexing for genealogy. I have not been too active in that lately and I need to get going again. Actually I think I will go and lie down until this ambitious feeling goes away.

I think I will go get a bottle of red wine, put on some REAL good cologne, practice my best French accent and be ready for Cheryl comes she home from work. However I don't think any of that will work. I don't drink wine, I don't wear cologne, I'm Irish not French and Cheryl would just laugh and say here is a quarter call me in the morning. Sigh... keep on dreaming Timmy boy.

Have a nice day everyone.

Since this is Mother's Day weekend AND since I will be gone for the rest of the week I wanted to post the following on my blog for all of you who are or will be mothers. Happy Mother's Day from the Irishman.














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Have a nice day everyone.

This is an old picture of the ladies of my household, the year I don't remember.


This is a picture of the two youngest ones with their fiesty old mother. This picture was taken this year. What happened to my sweet innocent darlings?



This is a picture of the complete group of women that are in my life now, minus a daughter-in-law and one granddaughter. Great bunch if I do say so.

I took the baseball team to a competition last Saturday that was more fitted for skiing. The wind blew 30+ mph, the snow came, the rain came but the game went on. It was so cold that at the 4th inning I went and sat on the bus. No sense me getting frostbite is there? Wouldn't you know it but the next day was sunny and beautiful with no wind. I went to church and gave thanks.

I have to leave for another trip in just a few minutes so this will be short. Come May 24th and it all ends for this year. Unlike many teachers who are looking forward to school ending, I must say I will miss it and look forward to the fall. I have the best job I have had in years.

Let me see if I have anything worth leaving today...
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Understanding Engineers

For those of you who have difficulty understanding the engineer's mindset!!!

Understanding Engineers - Take One

Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, “Where did you get such a great bike?"

The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."

The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fitted you anyway."

Understanding Engineers - Take Two

To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Understanding Engineers - Take Three

A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.

The engineer fumed, "What's with those blokes? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!"

The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!"

The priest said, "Here comes the greens keeper. Let's have a word with him."

He said, "Hello, George! What's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?"

The greens keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind fire fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."

The group fell silent for a moment.

The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."

The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything he can do for them."

The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?"
*************************************************************************************

Have a nice day everyone.

Well it finally happened. I had a feeling things were getting kind of too tense around here but Cheryl finally added the straw that broke the camel's back. We are filing for a divorce after 41 years of marriage.

Why, you might ask. Well, I will tell you that Cheryl is not the sweet loveable person everyone thinks she is that is why. She is mean and rotten right down to the very core. What she did to me this morning was inexcusable and there is no forgiveness.

Did she step out on me? Noooo. Did she physically abuse me? Nooooo. Did she mentally abuse me? Noooo, but it was something that will take me a long time to recover from. So what did she do that was so bad? SHE STOLE MY BACON!!! It wasn't a little piece, noooooo, it was the whole plate and then she laughed about it. I am so mentally distraught that I can hardly finish this blog. I just wanted to let you know so you could offer some words of comfort and good advice on how to handle the situation.

The worst part is that on Sunday I got up in front of a lot of people and told them what a wonderful woman she was. How am I going to face the embarrassment? (Have you ever noticed that the older you get the worse your spelling gets?)

I'm sorry but I just can't go on this morning and I had a wonderful blog planned.
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Golfing and a Frog

A Woman was out golfing one day when she hit the ball into the woods.

She went into the woods to look for it and found a frog in a trap.

The frog said to her, "If you release me from this trap, I will grant you three wishes."

The woman freed the frog, and the frog said, "Thank you, but I failed to mention that there was a condition to your wishes.

Whatever you wish for, your husband will get times ten!"

The woman said, "That's okay."

For her first wish, she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the world.

The frog warned her, "You do realize that this wish will also make your husband the most handsome man in the world, an Adonis whom women will flock to".

The woman replied, "That's okay, because I will be the most beautiful Woman and he will have eyes only for me."

So, KAZAM-she's the most beautiful Woman in the world!

For her second wish, she wanted to be the richest woman in the world.

The frog said, "That will make your husband the richest man in the world. And he will be ten times richer than you."

The woman said, "That's okay, because what's mine is his and what's his is mine."

So, KAZAM-she's the richest woman in the world!

The frog then inquired about her third wish, and she answered, "I'd like a mild heart attack."

Moral of the story: Women are clever. Don't mess with them.

Attention female readers: This is the end of the joke for you. Stop here and continue feeling good.

Male readers : Please scroll down.

...
...
...
...
...
...
The man had a heart attack ten times milder
than his wife .

Moral of the story: Women just think they're really smart.


Let them
continue to think that way and just enjoy the show
***********************************************************************************

Have a nice day everyone.

My toes tell me that too.

I just finished watching the movie "Night At The Museum" and quite liked it. It was a bit on the corny side but at least it was clean cut and one that children could watch with no problems.

Well, we gave our talks today on marriage and everyone seemed to like them quite a bit. I am including in this blog a copy of a humourus story that Cheryl told. I think for the most part you will like it.

We went out to our Son-in-law and daughters house that they are building. It is coming along nicely but a lot slower than they expected. Isn't that always the case though. It will be very nice when it is finished.

Saturday I cleaned up on the yard quite a bit, mowed the grass, tried to get a better watering system working and dreamed of going fishing. I was so tired Saturday night that when the kids all arrived to spend the weekend I just said, "Good to see you and good night."

It is Sunday night now and I am still very tired so I will say goodbye for today and hope this finds you all doing well.
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CURTAIN RODS----PRICELESS

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates
and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days.

Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

Nothing worked!!!

People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit.

Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local Realtors refused to return their calls.

Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home.........

And to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods!!!!!!

I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON'T YOU
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Have a nice day everyone.

This is my idea of exercising too.

Not much to say today. Tis a beautiful morning with the sun shining brightly, the birds are singing, the squirrels are at the door begging... wonder what the next half hour will bring? Probably snow.

Didn't do much yesterday and yet I feel very tired today. Go figure. I didn't even get up to fix Cheryl breakfast before she went to work. I'm sure glad she doesn't have my attitude. She always fixes my breakfast.

Since I don't have much to say this fine day I will close with this interesting bit I received about Minnesotans.
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Minnesotans

Two Minnesotans walk into a pet shop near Duluth. They head to the bird section and Sven says to Ole, "Dat's dem."

The owner comes over and asks if he can help them.

"Yah sure, ve'll take four of dem dere little budgies in dat cage up dere." says Sven.

The owner puts the budgies in a paper bag. Ole and Sven pays for the birds, leave the shop and get into Sven's pick-up and drive to the top of some big cliffs near Two Harbors.

At the cliffs, Sven looks down at the 1000 foot drop and say s, "Dis looks like a grand place." He takes two birds out of the bag, puts them on his shoulders and jumps off the cliff.

Ole watches as Sven falls all the way to the bottom, killing himself dead. Looking down at the remains of his best pal, Ole shakes his head and says: "By yumpin' yiminy, dis budgie jumping is too dangerous for me."

VAIT!!! Dere's MORE!

Moments later Knute who's been to the pet shop too, arrive s at the cliffs. He walks up to the edge of the cliff carrying another paper bag and a shotgun. "Hey, Ole. Vatch dis." Knute says. He takes a parrot from the bag and throws himself over the edge of the cliff. Ole watches as half way
down, Knute takes the gun and shoots the parrot and continues to plummet down and down until he hits the bottom and breaks every bone in his body.

Ole shakes his head and says, "And I'm never trying dat parrotshooting either."

BUT VAIT!!! Dere's MORE, you betcha!!

Ole is just getting over the shock of losing two friends when Lars appears. He's also been to the pet shop and is carrying a paper bag and pulls out a chicken. Lars grasps the chicken by the legs, holds it over his head, and hurls himself off the cliff and disappears down and down and hits a
rock and lays there lifeless.

Once more Ole shakes his head...."First der was Sven with his budgie jumping, den Knute parrotshooting ,.and now Lars hengliding....."
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Have a nice day everyone.

Cheryl got this picture from a Red Hat member and I liked it enough to post it today and let all of you know how I feel about you.

Not much to tell today so this will be very short. It has been raining and snowing here and today looks like more of the same. Cheryl has just left to go to work and will be gone all day so I can get a decent nap in for a change. Tonight we are having a group of people over for Family Home Evening and are having a pizza party. Yum, yum.

Hope this finds all of you well and happy. Keep in touch.

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Being a Mother

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a
baby.
Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "Normal," is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct...
Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring ...
Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good."
Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices....
Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf
ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.
Somebody never helped a fourth grader with her math.

Somebody said you can’t love the fifth child as much as you love the first.
Somebody doesn't have five children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions
in the books.
Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery ...
Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of
kindergarten...or on a plane headed for military "boot camp."

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied
behind her back.
Somebody never organized four giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....
Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a
mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home....
Somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.
Somebody isn't a mother.
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Someone sent me this picture and I thought it was good enough to share. If I am repeating myself with some of my blogging I apologize and blame it on Cheryl.:)


Have a nice day everyone.

I know I have posted this picture before but with spring cleaning coming and the many yard sales that come with it I just had to post it one more time.

Hope everyone is feeling well this fine day. I got home about 10:30 pm from my run with the softball team. By the time the second game was over the girls just wanted it to end so they could get warm. I had the best seat in the house 'cause I parked the bus where I could sit in my seat and watch in relative comfort. Heh, heh, heh.

Foam how are you doing? When I read your blog it seems like you were not doing too well physically... we already know the mental part left a long time ago.

Pam I enjoy your comments as well. You strike me as a very interesting person and one that would be fun to know.

Where are the Australian ladies? Where is Alice? Where is Tigersue? Where is Luce? Where is UKBob? Where is is Dana? (Working probably) Gosh I miss all you guys. Have my blogs became that boring? Where is LOWA? Where is The Insane Mind? Better yet where is the Ramblin Irishman? He went out to lunch and forgot to come back. I probably have left someone out and I apologize but I miss hearing from all your good people.

Got to take the track team to a meet today unless they cancel. This week has been full of cancelations due to the weather.

Did I mention that my boss is a Ham Radio operator and wants me to get my license back? Yep, I am working on it although the old mind gets fatigued quite easily. Cheryl and I used to teach individuals how to market themselves in today's work market and one thing we always stressed was to never stop learning. It didn't matter whether it was formal education or just learning for the fun of it... never stop. So I guess that is why I do some of the things I do.

Got to close and get going so will close with this bit of wisdom....

Who Packs Your Parachute?

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb..

"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, " I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory -- he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these! supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachutes.

Have a nice day everyone.

A friend of mine sent these pictures to me and they are too choice to not share them with you. Apparently after the horses moved on the doe (mother deer) came out and took the fawn with her. Choice, very choice.

I apologize for not reading more blogs than I have. I feel good to squeeze in my drivel let alone read some good blogs. I have not heard from the ladies in Australia for a long time; hope they are fine.

If you live in Idaho very long you will know not to expect winter to be over just yet. The farmers have been doing their thing and gardeners have been doing their thing and lawns have been getting mowed for the first time this year. I even put the water on my lawn for the first time... silly me. The very next day we had snow, snow, snow. I took a group of golfers to a large competition and they played in the snow, snow, snow. Today I am supposed to take the baseball team to a competition but again we are having snow but who knows what this afternoon will bring. Ah Idaho, I love it.

Guess I will close with this story sent to me by a friend in Idaho Falls. Only in Texas could THIS happen.:)

Church Organist

There was a church down in Texas that had a very big-busted organist.
Her breasts were so huge that they bounced and jiggled while she played the
organ.
Unfortunately, she distracted the congregation considerably.

The very proper church ladies were appalled. They said something had to be
done about this or they would have to get another organist.

One of the ladies approached her very discreetly and told her to mash up
some green persimmons, and rub them on her breasts and maybe they would
shrink in size, but warned her not to eat any of the green persimmons;
because they are so sour, they will make your mouth pucker up and you won't
be able to talk properly for a while. She agreed to try it.

The following Sunday morning the minister got up to the pulpit and, after an
uncomfortable moment of hesitation, trying to cover his embarassment, said,

"Dew to thircumsthanthis bewond my contwol there will be no thermon tewday".

Have a nice day everyone.

After all the hulabaloo about global warming someone finally got a picture of why the icecaps are melting.

This is the only time this week for me to blog and this has to be short. Cheryl is off exercising with a group of women while I stay home and play on the computer. Her Parkinson has been acting up and she is not feeling too good lately. I guess I will have to find more work for her to do to keep her mind off it.

We have been doing fine actually, just busy. Of course here in the Northern Hemisphere it is spring and we are all busy with gardens, fishing, lawns, fishing and fishing. It really chaps my hide when work interferes with fishing but I adjust.

Have missed hearing from many of you. I look forward to the daily comments and reading your blogs. Dana, thank you for the fishing information. I have got to find where to catch crappie. My friend in California said the same thing about eating them. Lowa it was good to hear from you, it has been a LONG time. It amazes me how many people have never heard of chokecherries but then maybe they are indiginous to the mountain country only. For those who have not heard of them they are a small tree cherry that I have only found in the wild although I see where Gurney's catalog offers them. We are going to get a couple of plants and see how we do. The berry itself is very bitter and makes you pucker big time, but when made into a syrup or jelly it is simply delicious.

Bubba I don't let Cheryl read your comments. I have enough trouble keeping her at bay about an ATV as it is. We all know that men rule and women drool so they have to wait until men have all their toys. (Now there was a sexist remark if I ever seen one.) If it wasn't for us having to buy a better vehicle she would have had her ATV by now.

Our Bishop has asked Cheryl and I to give a talk next Sunday on marriage. He must think we have a good one or something. If only he knew how abusive she is with me. Today, for example, she made me get out of bed at the crack of dawn so she could cut all my hair off my head. Abusive, I am telling you. The other day she accompanied me on a trip with the school kids. We didn't get home until 1:00am and the woman would not let me sleep at all while driving the bus. How rude!! I asked for pancakes and eggs for breakfast, she insisted that I have hash browns, bacon, eggs, hot chocolate and toast. I never get my way. I cut a couple of trees down in our yard (that she really liked) and she now holds a grudge. Every time I turn around she is reminding me of those trees. Abusive, I am telling you.



















Well, enough of my trials and tribulations. Guess I will close with this thought....

This happened to be on a flight getting ready to depart for New Orleans.

Jack was sitting on the plane when a guy took the seat beside him. The guy was an emotional wreck, pale, hands shaking, moaning in fear.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked.

"I've been transferred to New Orleans, there's crazy people there. They've got lots of shootings, gangs, race riots, drugs, poor public schools, and the highest crime rate."

Jack replied, "I've lived in New Orleans all my life. It's not as bad as the media says. Find a nice home, go to work, mind your own business and enroll your kids in a nice private school. It's as safe a place as any where in the world."

The guy relaxed and stopped shaking and said, "Oh, thank you. I've been worried to death. But if you live there and say it's OK, I'll take your word for it. What do you do for a living?"

"Me?" said Jack. "I'm a tail gunner on a Budweiser truck."



Have a nice day everyone.

I know this picture depicts only women but believe you me my body said exactly the same thing.

I was thinking the other day (yes, I think once in a while) that I need to post a picture of me and my bus. After all it sees more of me than my wife does lately. My boss told me that vacation time was over and that for the next two months I would be gone more than being at home. BRING IT ON!!!

I hope everyone had a very nice Easter. I am curious if Easter is celebrated down in Australia and over in England. I know Canada does not because they are bad children and on the black list of Easter goodies. Even Santa refuses to go there.:) So if any of you nice people are still reading my drivel please let me know. We went over and visited our children in Paradise, Utah, attended church services with them and then had a wonderful meal. The kids all searched for candy and got VERY hyper on the sugar. I was glad when the time to go home came although I did enjoy the visit. My kids bought them an ATV and of course I had to ride it. I worry about Cheryl though. She has wanted one of them for a long time now. I think her "wanting fire" has been stoked up some more.

Did I mention that Cheryl agreed to let me buy a pontoon float tube boat? BRING ON THE FISH. Now I am looking for an electric motor to put on it so I don't have to work so hard. Yes, I am lazy. I can hardly wait to try it out but since it is stormy today it won't be this Monday. Speaking of fishing.............., Dana if you are still reading my blog, and I hope you are, I need some advice about Bass fishing. What kind of lures are best, what kind of spots do I look for, how do you prepare them for eating, do you have to skin them first? If I don't hear from you I will start emailing until you finally give in and tell me.

You know I am still thinking about Pamela and that Marine comment. Hmmmmmm.

UK Bob, can I plant tomatoes in a container and have them come out well or is it best to not mess with containers? How often should a person water tomatoes? I think I over-water. We just were given some bush cherries to plant and I sure am hoping they will grow and flourish 'cause bush cherries make the best syrup and jelly.

My wife spoils me. Got up this morning to a breakfast of french toast smothered in chokecherry syrup, eggs, and last but certainly the best, BACON, BACON, BACON. Of course that was topped off with a cinnamon roll and ice cold milk. Yum, yum.

Got to get going. Been nice writing to you.

Have a nice day everyone.

Now isn't this like we Americans? Complain about privacy................ yeah.

Just a short update on what Cheryl and I are doing. The past two days we spent driving around the area finding and looking at fishing res??? places. In one day we found 12 places with fair to good fishing all within 35 miles or so of the house. Since that got me all excited Cheryl agreed to let me purchase a pontoon boat. Now I am really excited. If I start catching fish like I hope it will be orgasmic. (I can't believe I actually said that.)

Today we went to the Mormon temple in Logan, Utah and attended a session. Then we spent the day shopping, one of my most favorite things to do............NOT!!! My back was hurting so bad that I had to ride the little electric buggys around the store which made me look like a wuusss. Big old healthy looking guy making those poor little old ladies hoof it. NYAH, NYAH. I got to it first.

Oh, by the way Pamela I am trying to decipher just what you meant about spending the weekend with the marines. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Spicy old broad anyway.

Vacation time is over and tomorrow I hit the road again. My boss told me to hang on cause I will be running my buttocks off. I don't mind though cause it will only last another two months and then summertime hits and no work.

Let me see if I have a story or poem to leave you with.

Where Are the Wicked Folk Buried?
'Tell me, grey-haired sexton,' said I,
'Where in the field are the wicked folk laid?
I have wandered the quiet old graveyard through,
And studied the epitaphs, old and new,
But on monument, obelisk, pillar, or stone,
I read no evil that men have done.'
The old sexton stood by a grave newly made,
With his chin on his hand, his hand on a spade:
'Who is the judge when the soul takes its flight?
Who is the judge 'twixt the wrong and the right?
Which of us mortals shall dare to say
That our neighbor was wicked who died to-day?'
'In our journey through life, the farther we speed,
The better we learn that humility's need
Is charity's spirit that prompts us to find
Rather virtue than vice in the lives of our kind.'
'Therefore good deeds we record on these stones;
The evil men do, let it rest with their bones'
I have labored as sexton this many a year,
But I never have buried a bad man here.'
-- From "Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the
Memorials of the Dead in Ireland," Vol. 2, Part 1 (1895)

Have a nice day everyone.

You know I am not a political minded person but sometimes you see things that are just too good to pass up. It states it so well.

I must say thanks to Iran for releasing the British sailors. Of course I must also say that if you didn't the British would kick your ignorant arses.

I feel so good today. Gasoline just went up another 5 or 6 cents. Thank you oil companies for making impossible for the little people to take vacations due to high gasoline prices. Thank you Senators and Representatives for sitting on your collective arses and doing nothing about it. We elected you on your promise to do better and you have fulfilled our wildest dreams by not listening to a thing we say. All of you are rich people and could care less about the poor or lower middle class. Gosh, just think it won't be long until you can start telling your lies on TV and throughout the country. We love it and will keep electing you. Why? Because the other guy or woman is worse,in our opinion. If our elected officials are our best it makes me shudder to think of what the worst would be like.

How did I get on this kick anyway? Must be Luce's fault.

Went fishing, caught one, he got away... maybe it was a she. Miserable weather.

A friend of mine sent me this about a school in West Virginia and it is just too good to pass up. Enjoy.

NO PARENT LEFT BEHIND.

You cannot read these and not laugh out loud. These are real notes
written by parents in a WV school district. Spellings have been left
intact.

1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please
execute him.

2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.


3. Dear school: please ecsc's john being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31,
32 and also 33.

4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is administrating.

5. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out
of a tree and misplaced his hip.

6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.


7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was
hurt in the growing part.

8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered
by very close veins.

9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

10. Please excuse ray friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

11. Pleaseexcuse Lesli from being absent yesterday. She had diahre
dyrea direathe the shits.

12. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea,
and his boots leak.

13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

14. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because
i don't know what size she wear.

16. Please excuse jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to
get the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it monday. We
thought it was sunday.

17. Sally won't be in school a week from friday. We have to attend her
funeral.

18. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a
weekend with the marines.

19. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and
could not breed well.

20. Please excuse mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with
gramps.

21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.

22. Please excuse brenda. She has
been sick and under the doctor.

Now we know why parents are screaming for better education for our kids.

Have a nice day everyone.

As much as I hate to admit it this could possibly be Cheryl and I.

In a bit of a hurry and can't say much so will post this joke a good friend sent me.
What makes it more realistic to me is that I see this at about every game I take the kids to.

At one point during a game, the coach called one of his 9-year-old baseball players aside and asked, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?"

The little boy nodded in the affirmative.

"Do you understand that what matters is whether we win or lose together as a team?"

The little boy nodded yes.

"So," the coach continued, "I'm sure you know, when an out is called, you shouldn't argue, curse, attack the umpire, or call him a pecker-head. Do you understand all that?"

Again the little boy nodded.

He continued, "And when I take you out of the game so another boy gets a chance to play, it's not good sportsmanship to call your coach 'a dumb ass' is it?"

Again the little boy nodded.

"Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain all that to your grandmother".


Have a nice day everyone.

I sure was right about having my run canceled yesterday. The wind blew like crazy, it snowed like crazy and I slept like crazy. All those years that I had to work in that type of condition makes me happy to just stand at the window and watch it do it's thing. Today is cold and the wind is blowing but no snow. I feel another nap coming on.

I do indexing on line which is taking the 1900 census and converting it into an electronic data index for genealogists to use. I truly enjoy doing this work and if any of you wish to do the same just let me know and I can tell you how to get involved; it costs nothing.

I have been doing the Cuyahoga census in Ohio which is mainly around the city of Cleveland. Since Cheryl is from that country I keep hoping I will come across some of her ancestors but no luck yet. It has amazed me how much variety there was, or is, of people from all over the place. I have recorded Russians, Hungarians, French, Austrians, Irish, Welsh, English, Germans, to list a few. What makes it even more interesting is the census taker was very poor at spelling and most of the people did not know how to spell their names so I get a lot of names that are spelled as they sound. Hmmmmm. Very interesting work.

I have a relative/friend back in Iowa that thinks I am not fair to my Welsh heritage because all I ever talk about is the Irish. Not true. The Welsh are a proud and hard working people and I am proud to bear some of that blood.

Have you ever heard of the Welsh spoon? (I hope I get this right) When a man found a woman he really liked and wanted to marry her he would carve out a spoon for her. Now this is not just any ordinary spoon but one with unique carvings of various things. My understanding is that the more intricate the carving the more he thought of the young woman. Cheryl asked me if I would do that for her. Wellllllll, there we have a problem; I can't draw a straight line let alone carve something. She will just have to do with me telling her I love her and that is that. Heck, it took 25 years for her to get her diamond ring which she lost the stone out of. (Money down the drain; could have got a fishing boat or something useful.)

There is a story about one of my ancestors who lived in Virginia and had a lovely farm and home. One day he came to his wife and told her he had made the deal of a life time. He had traded the farm and home for a good hunting rifle and two hounds; he was headed to Kentucky. Can you imagine the shock that must of had on that poor woman?

He took his two boys, ages 8 and 12 if I remember correctly, and went to Kentucky to find some land. Once there he found what he was looking for, made a makeshift protection for the boys over a creek bed, and went back to Virginia to get the rest of the family. He was gone for two months bringing back the family. Can you imagine leaving your children like that and expecting to find all is well when you met them again? Mercy!!

Genealogy is a lot of fun and if you have not tried it you really should. Once it gets into your blood it is hard to let go.

Beatitudes of a Family Genealogist

Blessed are the great-grandfathers, who saved embarkation and citizenship papers, for they tell WHEN they came.

Blessed are the great-grandmothers, who hoarded newspaper clippings and old letters, for they tell the STORY of their time.

Blessed are the grandfathers, who filled every legal document, for these provide the PROOF.

Blessed are the grandmothers, who preserved family Bibles and diaries, for these are our HERITAGE.

Blessed are fathers, who elect officials that answer letters of inquiry, for--to some--the ONLY LINK to the past.

Blessed are mothers, who relate family TRADITIONS and LEGENDS to the family, for one of her children will surely remember.

Blessed are relatives, who fill in family sheets with extra data, for to them we owe our FAMILY HISTORY.

Blessed is any family, whose members strive for the PRESERVATION of RECORDS, for this is a labor of love.

Blessed are the children who will never say, "Grandma, you told that old story twice today."

-- Wilma Mauk

Have a nice day everyone.

Merciful heavens I am out of pictures. I guess I will have to go and dig through the photos for something about Cheryl and me.

If I was a betting man, which I am not, I would bet that I will have my run canceled today due to snow. It is cold here and the wind is blowing like crazy with snow at times. I don't think the kids will like playing softball in this kind of weather.

I don't know if Dana still reads my blogs or not but if you are here I wanted to tell your parents about my puzzle collection, such as it is. I have train puzzles and I am always on the lookout for them. I have three that I have not put together yet, gave three away, and have three hanging on my wall. My clock is a train clock that whistles on the hour (when I put batteries in it) and I have another clock that is shaped like a train. Trains fascinate me.

I was reading Bubbas's blog about ghosts and aliens. I know for a fact that aliens exist. I have met and talked to one and she resides in Colorado. Actually she was abducted by an alien space ship a long time ago and they did strange things to her mind. I used to hear from her quite often but I think I was drawing too much attention to her and the government might find out. What's funny is that when the aliens had her they ran some tests and then stamped "REJECT" on her forehead and sent her back to her home. The governmnet actually caught up with her once and after running more tests they too stamped, I'LL SAY THIS IS A REJECT!" Now that has to have some affect on your psychological well being. We still love her inspite of what the normal world might think.

Do you get caught up in the political end of things? I have a sister over near Logan, UT who is into the political comments quite a bit. She is always bashing that beloved person, Hilary Clinton. What is wrong with Hilary Clinton? Sure she was abducted as a child and the aliens did strange things to her. Sure she married a man with no morals at all. (I wonder how her morals are) Sure she represents everything that makes me wonder, but my goodness is that any reason to pick on the poor defenseless lady? Who knows. Maybe she was born in Germany and in a secret life is an art teacher. Can't be all bad.

Exotic dancer

This has been around before but its to good not to
pass on again......


One day a fourth-grade teacher asked the children what their fathers did
for a living. All the typical answers came up--fireman, mechanic,
businessman, salesman, doctor, lawyer, and so forth.

But little Justin was being uncharacteristically quiet, so when the teacher
prodded him about his father, he replied, "My father's an exotic dancer
in a gay cabaret and takes off all his clothes in front of other men and
they put money in his underwear. Sometimes, if the offer is really good, he
will go home with some guy and make love with him for money."

The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to
work on some exercises and then took little Justin aside to ask him, "Is that really true about your father?"

"No," the boy said, "He works for the Democratic National Committee and is helping to secure the 2008 nomination of Hilary Clinton, but I was too embarrassed to say that in front of the other kids."


Have you ever had a meal in a big fancy restaurant? Cheryl had one last weekend while she was in SLC. It was prepared by top notch chefs so you would think that it would be a great meal. Wrong. She said it was a pathetic meal for a very high price. Personally I like a good old country meal, with all the trimmings, topped with a cold Pepsi. Sure my blood pressure is affected but what the heck it is fun while it is happening.

Okay, okay I have bored everyone enough. Time for me to take a nap before I leave on my trip to play softball. All of you be safe today and I will think on new things to bore you with when I get back.

Have a nice day everyone.

There are some who think winter is over and I must admit the signs are all over the place that spring has arrived. First I thought it was because Robins and Killdeer were spotted but the sure sign of spring... "road work ahead" signs are popping up like flowers on a warm day. However, winter still has some kick left in it as we are experiencing this week. Having lived here a good deal of my life I know that Easter weekend generally means a storm of some sort and sure enough it is coming today and tomorrow.

I read with interest my friend Bubba's blog about her bout with high blood pressure and the effects it can have. Not that I am trying to take away from your experience Bubba, but I thought I would tell you of my one time that I almost died from high blood pressure; quite a sobering experience.

I was living in California at the time and my medical provider was Kaiser Permanente who regulates the doctors quite well. My doctor was a good man but Kaiser kept them on such a short leash that he could not do what I feel he wanted to do.

My blood pressure has always been on the high side, even when I was a teen-ager it was elevated. For me a 160/92 is a good pressure but it sends the medical people into a tizzy. My doctor had given me various pills to help lower it but to no avail. (I now take three different ones to get it down to 140). I don't remember what medicine he had me on but he decided to try a new one. The first time I took it I felt very weak, light headed and somewhat nauseous, but he told me that would pass as my body adjusted to it. After taking it for a while and with the same results I refused to take it anymore, but I never told him.

One morning I had an appointment to get a blood pressure check and I must admit I was not feeling too good that day so I decided to take his new pill along with my old ones. When I arrived at his office my blood pressure was (if I remember right) about 225/128. They put me in a room to monitor it for a while and that was that. I finally looked at him and we decided I could do just as much good at home as setting there in the facility.

Just walking out to the car was a real effort and I did something I hardly ever do, I asked Cheryl to drive home while I lay down in the back seat. Arriving at home I was in such bad condition that I could not walk the length of the garage. Cheryl convinced me that I should go to the emergency room immediately but I thought I could just lay down and all would be well. I tried to crawl through the house to the bedroom and could not even do that; I collasped in the hallway. All this time I was fighting like crazy to keep from blacking out.

Cheryl ran and called the ambulance while I just layed where I was at. They got there in short order but the narrowness of our hallway and the size of my body made it impossible for them to get the gurney back to me. They asked me if I thought I could crawl to the living room where they could help me better and I said I would try.

While all of this is going on our little dog, Dusty, was just a yapping and I am sure he was wondering who they were and what was wrong with me. Cheryl put him in a room and made the comment, "Dusty be quiet." Well, the paramedics must have thought I was Dusty and they started encouraging me to make it down the hallway by saying, "Come on Dusty, you can make it." Cheryl was so concerned about me that she never bothered to correct them that Dusty was the dog and my name was Tim.

It was a major effort to make it to that gurney and all the time they kept saying, "Come on Dusty, you can make it." Cheryl finally realized, just as I reached the gurney, that they were calling me by the wrong name and she corrected them telling them that Dusty was the dog. About this time my sense of humour kicked in and I looked up at them and went, "Woof, woof." Everyone started laughing except me.

They did a blood pressure check on me and my pressure had fallen from 225/128 to 59/25 or something like that. My kidneys had quit working and the pain from my kidneys was unbearable. They rushed me to the hospital and while we were traveling they tried to put an IV in me but could not because my veins had collasped.

Once at the hospital the personnel put tubes in me, even in places that were quite sacred to me. I was so out of it I did not recognize some of my children who came to see what was going on. My one son took a look and left the room immediately saying he could not stand to see his Father that way. The pain was so unreal. Suddenly, without any warning I upchucked all over the place and from that point on I started getting better. It turned out that I had overdosed on prescription medicine.

The following Sunday I attended church and everyone asked me how I was doing. My reply. "Resurrection is not all it is cut out to be 'cause they were just as ugly as before."

So Bubba, take care of that high blood pressure. I enjoy your blogs and comments on mine too much to have something happen to you. Sounds like you have a caring son and that is very good.

That is my story for today and I hope it is not a repeat story. You know what is said, as you get older the mind is the first to go.

Have a nice day everyone.

Howdy to anyone and everyone. I sure have missed having contact with you and maybe this week I can catch up on some reading and blogging. I only have two runs (so far) and they are on Wednesday and Friday.

Got my taxes done finally. What a relief that is and what a pain at the same time.

Cheryl and I took a short drive to Pocatello and got our fishing licenses for the year. Now to the water I shall go. About three of the trips with the students involved activities that were right next to the Snake River and me with no fishing license. My pole will be aboard the bus every time I leave.

How is everyone doing? I feel like the ugly stepchild who is outside looking in.

Mercy what I would give to have my health and strength back. I shoveled a small pile of leaves into the trash can this morning and the pain in my back almost had me in tears. I don't know what I am going to do about keeping the yard and garden up.

Cheryl is not feeling too well this a.m. either. I think she ate some bad food when she was in Salt Lake City this past weekend. It pains me to see her not doing well.

Have any of you viewed the movie "Eragon"? I have finished two books in the series and truly enjoyed them and was wondering how good the movie was. I would recommend the books very highly.

Well, March madness is is full swing and down to the final four teams. I have been so busy that I had to consult the paper to see which teams they were. I guess I will root for UCLA although I really don't care who wins at this point.

Have you ever wondered when the media is going to let Anna Nicole Smith finally die and be buried? She has been getting more coverage than any dignitary of the political or social world. All she had going for her was a pair of double F's.

The big thrill in our country was the rodeo recently held in Pocatello. These people take their rodeos quite seriously. I have to be careful about poking fun at them or I will get punched in the nose.

So much for my drivel. Got soooooooo much catching up to do.

Have a nice day everyone.

This is Grandma and Amber at the Red Hat Society gathering. Two of a kind aren't they.

I am so sorry I am not blogging more but this is the season that the bus seems to be running non stop and I am so tired most of the time. I am actually forcing myself to write tonight before going to bed just so all of you know I have not forgotten nor am I ignoring any of you intentionally.

Cheryl just returned from a trip to Las Vegas which her two daughters in Utah took her on. They had a blast and she got to visit with an "OLD" friend from Bakersfield, CA which was a highlight of the whole weekend. When I get some pictures uploaded I will show you what our daughters did to her and the crown they made for her.

While she was out playing I was out driving. Saturday we had a double header softball game I took the team to participate in. It was hot and a very clear sky which sunburned all of us. My face is still hurting a little from the sun. I loved it.

I am so tired that I am not making sense so will close with this that a friend gave me last Sunday.
***********************************************************************************

The Cowboy

A Montana cowboy was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture when suddenly a brand new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.

The driver, a young man in a Bryony suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you give me a calf?"

The cowboy looks at the the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure. Why not."

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultr-high resolution photo.

He then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany... Within seconds he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. Then he accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with e-mail on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full color, 150 page, report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP Laser Jet printer, turns to the cowboy and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

Says the cowboy, "That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves."

He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Then the cowboy says to the young man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not."

"You're a Congressman for the U.S. Government," says the cowboy.

"Wow! That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required," replied the cowboy. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew to a question I never asked. You tried to show me how much smarter than me you are. You don't now a thing about cows... this is a herd of sheep!! Now give me back my DOG!

**********************************************************************************

Ah yes, one has to love our government people. There is a saying in good ol' Wyoming that goes... Wyoming!! Where men are men and sheep are nervous.

Have a nice day everyone.

I call this picture "male chasing female until SHE catches him."

Lately I feel like the ugly step child to blogging. It is crazy how busy I have been for a part time job. This week is another one filled with long days and long runs. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Well, my sweety joins the ranks of the "old farts." She turns 60 this Thursday. I thought I would do something extra special for her birthday but the daughters beat me to it. They have a surprise trip planned where they take her to Las Vegas for fun, shopping, relaxation, shopping, casinos, and of course shopping. Is Dad invited? NOOOO!!! This is a girl's time out and something special for Mom. What am I doing? Taking kids all over southeastern Idaho for activities. Whew, I was worried about getting her a present and now I won't have to.:)

How about those gasoline prices. I just watched a CNN news spot about why gas was rising so much. The bottom line... NO ONE KNOWS. Our poor oil companies, who set a record earnings, is going broke I guess. This is so silly. We live in a crazy period of time. Now if I was rich and famous like so many of you are I would not worry about such things but... I am not rich and certainly not famous... just full of hot air.

In this area of the country we have a weekly newspaper that still prints about Aunt Tillie visiting Aunt Gertrude last week. John Harper went to the hog market to watch the sales. The local youth were spotted tipping over cows one night. I still don't know what that means. How do you tip over a cow? All the cows I was around were bigger than I was and stupider by a long shot.

I cannot believe how far removed from hunting I have become. I was watching the Outdoor channel on TV the other night and they were hunting mule deer. It made me sad to see those magnificent animals being killed yet I used to do the same thing when I was younger. Now I just enjoy looking at them in their natural habitat. Snakes, on the other hand, can be killed by the millions and I will cheer for each demise. I watched a pitbull tackle a water moccasin and it was fascinating. I am a firm believer of keeping a cat or pig around if I live in snake country. How did I get on this subject?

Have you done your taxes yet? I keep putting it off because I know I don't get anything back. On the plus side I also know I don't have to pay any extra monies either.

There sure seems to be a rash of bus accidents lately. The one in Georgia and other places. We had a bad one happen in the town of Rexburg, Idaho that was quite serious and could have been much more serious. Probably means more regulations coming when most of it could be attributed to other causes.

Guess I will close. I probably won't get to post again until next Monday. Each day this week I leave somewhere between 4:00am and 5:00am. When I get home I am tired and don't want to be on the computer. (THAT is a sure sign of tiredness with me.)

Here is something to enjoy.
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An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"

"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

SO, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!
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Now the way I interpret this story is that not all of you can be perfect, like the Irish, but you do make the world a beautiful place for a bunch of crackpots. Ha,ha,ha. I am so darned funny.

Have a nice day everyone especially if you go by the name of BUBBA.

Now who could resist a face like that?

Today is the last day I get to blog for this week. I am so far behind so many things at this house that I get tired wondering which way to jump so I lay down and nap until it passes.

Thought of some things to write on my blog while I was away but right now I cannot remember a single one of them.

Tigersue I am embarrassed to say I did not do any indexing during the month of February. I have some serious repenting to do over that matter.

Okay Schaumi what name do I refer to you? Do I call you "Foam" or do I still call you Schaumi? Women!!! They are so fickle some times especially art teachers.

Do any of you like Arby's products? Every time I take a group of young people the one place they all want to stop at is Arby's. Personally I find them a little on the expensive side but I do like their Rueben sandwich made from corn beef.

Are all of you getting excited about St. Patrick's day coming up? I just know that all of you will be wearing the green. As I was doing my genealogy I found that I am almost 100% pure Irish. I had one grandmother who was born in Wales but I call the Welsh kissing cousins to the Irish. How I would love to go to Ireland and do some research.

I don't know how many of you blog with the Australian women folk but they are a hoot and come up with the darndest jokes. That Jeannette cracks me up as well as Merle.

Got to go. Lots of things to do today. UKBOB if you are still reading my drivel I will be posting some questions for you about gardening. How I want a nice garden this year but......... I have go to cut down some large trees and start over since they are half way rotted through. We are thinking about planting elderberry's, chokecherries, and bush cherrys.

Guess I will close with this little ditty bit.

A Gas-tly Grandpa

To minimize the flies a bit...
We often sprayed the toilet pit.
It was usually doused with Kerosene
But someone, instead, used gasoline.
Gramps went out soon after that
With pipe on hand and his old felt hat.
He settled down for a leisure "rest"
To smoke awhile and pass his best.
He struck a match to light his smoke
And that was when the "Heavens" spoke!!!
Gramps blew out a hole in back
And layed there limp as a gunny sack.
He groaned a bit and shook his head
Then blinked his eyes and slowly said.
"I haven't figured it out yet
But it must'a been somethin' I et."

Have a nice day everyone.

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD PEOPLE!!!

When I first saw this picture it made me think of my daughter-in-law who lives in California... I call her Ol Grizz.

I have not died, had an accident, been beat up by Cheryl nor any other kind of bad thing happen to me. The state athletic tournaments have been the last three weeks and I have been living in my bus taking students to and from the events. The couple of days I have been home each week have proven unproductive because I have been so tired that all I want to do is sleep. Starting this week the runs are not so long, although I do have four days again, and hopefully not so tiring.

Last Thursday I was fighting snow for 300 miles and I was so tensed up by the time I arrived in Caldwell, Idaho that I could not rest at all that night, even though I thought I was tired. Oh well enough of that. I will quit sniveling.

Hope everyone is doing well. I still have not had time to read any blogs but promise I will one of these days. Schaumi did you change your blog name? Listen buddy, I am a fair detective and will find it so you just as well tell me where you are now.

Won't be long and the Robins will be chirping, the Killdeer's will be chirping and the baseball bats will be smacking. Best of all though... the ice will be going and the fish will be there for the taking. Oh yeah. I don't have time to set down to the computer and keep up my blogging how in the world will I find the time to fish? Priorities that is how.

I have met some very nice people while doing what I do. I have the gift of gab (some people have a different name for it) and I like to walk up to a stranger and just start a conversation. Now there are those who would not believe this because most of my life I have been somewhat of a recluse. Didn't like being around people and definitely didn't like talking to them. Up until a few years ago people would tell me that I was not a friendly person and they were right. It is all that darned Cheryl's fault. I was happy being a recluse but she just would not have it. Took her about 35 years of marriage but she finally created a monster. Now when we go to social activities she is the one waiting for me to quit talking so we can leave. I swear she and I have done role reversals.

Got to quit for today. I appreciate those who have checked my blog to see if I was back. I can tell by the counter that someone has been here. Got another four days of running this week but will try and do better about blogging.

Have a nice day everyone.