Great Quotes from a Great Man!

His best is saved for last!!! - Don't forget it!


'Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.'- Ronald Reagan

'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Ronald Reagan

'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' - Ronald Reagan

'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.'- Ronald Reagan

'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan

'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination. ' - Ronald Reagan

'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.' - Ronald Reagan

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan

'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.' - Ronald Reagan

'Government' s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases : If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.' - Ronald Reagan

'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.' - Ronald Reagan

'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'- Ronald Reagan

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.'- Ronald Reagan

"Freedom From Want," a painting by Norman Rockwell.

not just for kids to remember

Today on the Rush Limbaugh show a lady by the name of Jennifer James called in. She is a freelance writer for the (ultra-liberal) LA Times (boo, hiss). It was a complete shock to hear that she, as a conservative, wrote an article paying tribute to the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock and that the Times actually published it in their "Kid's Reading Room." It's a great article and I thought I'd share it you all.


Remember that we need to be thanking God and his son, Christ Jesus, every day for this nation; Not just on Thanksgiving. This nation was founded for many reasons, but the most important was so that we could worship Him freely. It is a gift and a blessing that God gave to the men and women who braved much to come here, and that gift continues today. Let us not waste it!


It was Thanksgiving, and for the first time our whole family was together.
By Jennifer James November 23, 2008

It was Thanksgiving, and for the first time our whole family was together. Mom and Dad had to drive all night just to get here, but boy was it worth it! The Grandsters really know how to do it up right. The Grandsters being Grandpa and Grandma. We were all seated at the table, and I couldn't wait to dive into those mashed potatoes and gravy. And the smell of the turkey -- I thought I was going to faint with happiness.

"What's that, Mindy?" demanded my little cousin Sam. He can be such a pain. He is 8 years old, two years younger than I am.

"What's what?" I asked.

He pointed to a little paper cup containing just three kernels of corn beside Grandpa's plate. I opened my mouth to answer and then realized I didn't know. Ugh! How I hate admitting that I don't know something!

Grandma answered, "It is to pay tribute to the Pilgrims."


"But why three kernels?" asked the always curious Sam. Give it a rest, I thought.

Grandpa answered, "It reminds me of what a tough time the Pilgrims had. In the beginning, three kernels of corn was each person's daily food ration." The table got real quiet after he said that.


Grandpa continued, "Against all odds, they made a life for themselves in the wilderness. Let's talk more about it after dinner."

Sure enough, dinner was over and Sam wanted to know more.

"Squanto taught the Pilgrims to grow corn!" Sam exclaimed. He's never going to forget that -- he played Squanto in the Thanksgiving Day play at school.


"That's right," Grandpa said. "But at first the Pilgrims were terrified of the Indians, as they called them. Then one day a tribesman named Samoset ventured into their encampment. He was tall and dark and by many accounts quite handsome. Loudly and plainly he proclaimed, 'Welcome!' in perfect English."


"The Pilgrims must have freaked!" shouted Sam.


Grandpa laughed and agreed. "I'm sure you're right. He had learned the language from English fishermen. For the Pilgrims, life was a constant battle for survival. Later, Governor William Bradford made a decision. Instead of the colonists sharing their crops equally, he assigned a parcel of land to each family and told them they could keep whatever they produced for themselves."


"Then what happened?" asked Sam.


"At last the Pilgrims began to prosper. Governor William Bradford wrote in his book 'Of Plimoth Plantation,' 'This had very good success, for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.' "


"Shoot! If you can keep everything you make, of course you're going to work harder. Everybody knows that."


Grandpa answered, "The first seed had been planted for the American Revolution. People were free to practice their religions as they saw fit and were free to keep the fruits of their labor. This had never happened before in the history of mankind. In the words of William Bradford, 'As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.' "


"That William Bradford sounds like a pretty cool guy," said Sam.


"He was a pretty cool guy," Grandpa said with a chuckle.

growing up fast

It really is amazing to me how quickly time rolls by when you are looking at the life of your child. I would swear we just brought Livvie home from the hospital and now she's 3 years old and working on crafts for Christmas. In honor of my little girl, I will post a couple of pics taken of her latest creations.

Happy faces and Christmas ornaments

More Christmas trees for our home

Who wouldn't want more Christmas?!

A friend of mine asked if I would be posting pictures of our other trees ( I think she is in the Christmas spirit as well ). Ask and you shall receive!

My wife Lauren, and her little helper Olivia, did a great job getting them up and decorated. Thanks for all of your hard work girls!

Family Room (kids) Tree

Olivia's favorite Barney ornament

Master Bedroom Tree

Bathroom Tree (animal theme)

Olivia's Tree (very girly)

Closeup

Jack's Tree (all boy)

Closeup

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Now that the election is over, it's time for my family to turn our attentions elsewhere: Christmas!

For my wife and I, this is the best time of the year. We love Christmas. Over last weekend, I took the time to climb up into the attic and pull down all of our Christmas decor, which my wife worked hard to get up over the next couple of days. We have Christmas trees in almost every room of the house, including our bedroom, Livvie's, and Jack's. Christmas music has filled the house for a few days now.


It is NOT too early for Christmas!!!!


Everywhere I go, there are Scrooges! "It's too early", "I can't believe the stores have Christmas decorations out", "Can't we get through Thanksgiving first".

Repeat after me......It is NOT too early for Christmas!!!!

Yell if you must.......IT IS NOT TOO EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!


Living Room Tree

Election 2008

This is a battle cry to all those conservatives and independents that believe in this country and the principles this nation was founded on: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Never in my lifetime has there been a more important and defining moment facing the United States of America. These truths set forth by our Declaration of Independence and upheld by our Constitution are under severe attack by those who see our country as the biggest problem in the world and not as President Reagan did: America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere. These people wish to make drastic changes to our republic that will have lasting effects for decades to come. Whether or not they wish to weaken us purposely, that is what will happen to America if they are allowed to have unfettered power in Washington. Our Liberty will be infringed upon by high taxation, our Lives will be endangered by their push to weaken us militarily, and Pursuing Happiness will be the last thing on Americans minds as we work just to survive. In the minds of some, these are radical words, but make no mistake, these are radical people that could hold all federal power by the end of tomorrow evening.

Now is the time for these people to be stopped! Tomorrow is Election Day 2008. As citizens of the United States of America we have been given an unbelievable privilege and opportunity to cast votes that help determine the path that this country will take. VOTING IS NOT A RIGHT. You will not find it spelled out in any of the 27 amendments to the Constitution. Millions of people in this world do not have this sort of privilege and we must not take it for granted. If you haven't already, take serious time to think through the candidates and which direction they wish to lead us. Don't be a person that wastes your vote because it's a "historic moment" or because you like how they look or speak; think this through.

My position: I love this country. It was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and I believe as President Reagan did: we, as Americans, have the capacity now, as we have had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom. This nation is a true blessing from God and we must fight for it. The "last and greatest bastion of freedom." There is nowhere else to go if we allow this nation to be destroyed by Socialist/Marxist policy. We must stand up and say NO to this kind of "change."

I will be helping to support the election tomorrow in my county and I had the opportunity to vote in advance, but understand that this is worth waiting in line for. Your country and the lives of our children and grand-children are at stake. Conservatives: this is a fight that we can win! Don't pay any attention to reports from the media. Go Vote! Find as many people as you can and explain the issues to them. Then have them Go Vote! Remember the quote from Edmond Burke: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" While I don't believe these people to be evil, I believe this statement truly applies to the situation we face.

While I do not support all of the positions that he has held, I have already cast my vote for Sen. John McCain as my next President of the United States. Sen. McCain loves this nation and has already given so much to defend it. I believe he will work hard to protect this nation from all enemies "foreign and domestic." He is a man of faith that will work hard for the American people and a man we can be truly proud to call Mr. President.

McCain/Palin 2008

a fun and oh so true read

The Old & New Moral Story -

OLD VERSION:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long,building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY:Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION:
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long,building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a pressconference and demands to know why the ant should beallowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such
wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'
Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.' Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.Nancy Pelosi & John Kerry exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share. Hillary and Barack go on national television agreeing that the plight of the grasshopper is the fault of George Bush. Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.
Obama gets his old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of single-parent welfare recipients. The ant loses the case.The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house,crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it. The ant has disappeared in the snow. The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY:Be very careful how you vote in 2008!

any further explanation needed?

This is another great email that I received regarding Obama's economic policy:

This is a great way to explain the situation to everyone so THEY will understand what is going to happen.

Subject: Redistribution of wealth
Author unknown:

Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read"Vote Obama, I need the money." I laughed. Once in the restaurant my server had on a "Obama 08" tie, again Ilaughed as he had given away his political preference--just imagine thecoincidence. When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to himthat I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. Hestood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going toredistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homelessguy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight. I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank theserver inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homelessguy was grateful. At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment Irealized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn,but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earneven though the actual recipient deserved money more. I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow inconcept than in practical application. REDISTRIBUTION OF SOMEONE ELSE'S WEALTH, A GREAT IDEA .............. or just a fools game?

for the Undecided

I am an avid listener to talk radio and came across a terrific "essay" from one of my shows. This gentleman has posted a note to the Undecided Voter on his website that gives some great information. If you're undecided, please take a look. If you have decided, look to see if you'll learn anything new! Be prepared: this is not a quick read. It is very long, but truly important.

http://boortz.com/nuze/undecided.html

new small business rules

You small business owners out there are preparing for life under a Barack Obama presidency. Here some new rules for small businesses based on Obama's ideals of change and fairness:

As of November 5, 2008, when President Obama officially becomes president-elect, our company will instill a few new policies which are in keeping with his new, inspiring issues of change and fairness:

1. All salespeople will be pooling their sales and bonuses into a common pool that will be divided equally between all of you. This will serve to give those of you who are under-achieving a "fair shake".
2. All low level workers will be pooling their wages, including overtime, into a common pool, dividing it equally amongst you. This will help those who are "too busy for overtime" to reap the rewards from those who have more spare time and can work extra hours.
3. All top management will now be referred to as "the government." We will not participate in this "pooling" experience because the law doesn't apply to us.
4. The "government" will give eloquent speeches to all employees every week, encouraging its workers to continue to work hard "for the good of all".
5. The employees will be thrilled with these new policies because it's "good to spread the wealth around". Those of you who have underachieved will finally get an opportunity; those of you who have worked hard and had success will feel more "patriotic".
6. The last few people who were hired should clean out their desks. Don't feel bad, though, because President Obama will give you free healthcare, free handouts, free oil for heating your home, free food stamps, and he'll let you stay in your home for as long as you want even if you can't pay your mortgage. If you appeal directly to our democratic congress, you might even get a free flat screen TV and a coupon for free haircuts (shouldn't all Americans be entitled to nice looking hair?)!!!

If for any reason you are not happy with the new policies, you may want to rethink your vote on November 4th.

Politically Correct

This is a fun cartoon that was emailed to me by a co-worker. Scary thing: it's very true. Watch out kids!

the camera is up kiddo

Since I've been so neglectful in my posts recently, I decided I'd at least put up a new picture. My wife and baby boy went to a V-CHE meeting (Christian Home Schooling group) so it was just Livvie and myself at home. We had some fun playing with the web cam on our new laptop. As you can see Livvie wanted to look at herself on screen rather than pose for the camera!

my silly girl!

This is my little girl who NORMALLY will not cooperate when you want a picture. I was so surprised when my wife sent it to my phone, I had to post it!

please think through your vote

This email was sent to me by my brother-in-law and while I know the actions of Sen. Obama's parents are not his fault, he has plenty of his own actions he must answer for. This is just a very small portion. I ask all of you to please think about your vote before you cast it. What can it do to this country? This is an election for President of the United States: this should not be a popularity contest based on who looks better or delivers speechs well. This should be about substance and who will fight for the American people and defend the Constitution using the powers given to him BY the Constitution. Please think this through and leave the other stuff for high schoolers voting for prom king and queen. It's pretty long, but I know you can make it through.

A pilot's perspective on Obama

,,,,,,,,,,DO I HAVE THIS STRAIGHT?
HIS FATHER WAS A BLACK AFRICAN MUSLIM FROM KENYA . WE HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF HIS AFRICAN FAMILY.
HIS MOTHER WAS A WHITE AMERICAN ATHEIST FROM KANSAS ... WHERE ARE THE PICTURES OF HIS AMERICAN FAMILY?
HIS FATHER DESERTED HIS MOTHER WHEN HE WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD AND WENT BACK TO AFRICA BY WAY OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY . HOW? WAS HIS FATHER WEALTHY?
HIS MOTHER MARRIED AN INDONESIAN MUSLIM AND THEN MOVED TO JAKARTA WHERE HE WAS ENROLLED IN A MUSLIM SCHOOL
WHEN HE REACHED HIGH SCHOOL AGE HIS MOTHER SENT HIM TO HAWAII TO BE WITH HIS WHITE GRANDPARENTS AND HE WAS PUT INTO AN EXPENSIVE PRIVATE SCHOOL. HE LATER WENT TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY . HOW? WERE HIS GRANDPARENTS RICH?
HE LIVES IN A $1.4 MILLION HOUSE OBTAINED THROUGH A DEAL WITH A WEALTHY FUNDRAISER. HOW?
HE 'WORKED' AS A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN CHICAGO . HE HAS NEVER HELD A PRODUCTIVE JOB OR RECEIVED A PAY CHECK THAT WAS NOT GOVERNMENT-FUNDED AND/OR TAYPAYER SUPPORTED.
THE PRESIDENCY IS NOT A CIVIL RIGHTS POSITION, NOR IS IT SUBJECT TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SET ASIDES; ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WON'T CUT IT.
HE ENTERED POLITICS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THEN THE NATIONAL LEVEL WHERE HE HAS MINIMAL EXPERIENCE.
HE IS PROUD OF HIS 'AFRICAN HERITAGE' (A FATHER WHO GOT A GIRL PREGNANT AND DESERTED HER).
WHERE IS THE PRIDE IN HIS 'WHITE HERITAGE'? (A MOTHER WHO FLAUNTED CONVENTION AND DID NOT BELIEVE IN GOD).
SOME MIGHT THINK THERE WAS NOT MUCH TO BE PROUD OF EITHER WAY.
HE BELONGS, AND HAS BELONGED FOR OVER 20 YEARS, TO AN 'AFRO-CENTRIC' CHURCH IN CHICAGO THAT HATES WHITES, HATES JEWS, AND BLAMES AMERICA FOR ALL THE WORLD'S PERCEIVED FAULTS. (INCLUDING CREATING THE AIDS VIRUS IN ORDER TO INFLICT IT ON AFRICANS).
HE REPEATEDLY WHITEWASHES THE PASTOR, HIS CHURCH AND THE MEMBERS WHO CHEERED AFTER HEARING VITRIOLIC TIRADES AGAINST AMERICA ..
HE COULD NOT CONFRONT HIS PASTOR BUT HE WANTS US TO BELIEVE HE CAN CONFRONT NORTH KOREA AND IRAN ?
YEAH RIGHT ! !
DURING HIS VERY BRIEF TIME IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE HE HAS MANAGED TO AMASS THE NUMBER ONE ULTRA LIBERAL VOTING RECORD OUT OF THE ONE HUNDRED MEMBERS.
HE HAS VOTED CONSISTENTLY FOR BIGGER GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER TAXES. HE HAS VOTED FOR BIG ENTITLEMENTS AND LEGISLATION THAT WOULD SEVERELY CURTAIL AMERICA 'S ABILITY TO FIGHT TERRORISM AND TO PROTECT OUR BORDERS AND OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS AROUND THE WORLD.
BUT, HE IS A GOOD ORATOR. ISN'T THAT A COMFORT?
YEAH, I THINK I SEE HOW WELL HE COULD UNITE THE COUNTRY.
I THINK THE TRUTH IS THAT HE HOPES NO ONE WILL PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR WANNABE CHIEF PILOT. HE HAS NEVER FLOWN AN AIRPLANE, IN FACT HE HAS NEVER EVEN SAT IN THE COCKPIT, BUT HE SAYS HE HAS RIDDEN ON PLANES BEFORE. WE ARE SURE HE WILL GUIDE US SAFELY THROUGH THE STORMS WE MAY ENCOUNTER ON THIS FLIGHT.
PEOPLE WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD THE STORY ABOUT THE WOLF HIDING IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING SO HE CAN DESTROY THEM FROM WITH-IN ? THE HAND WRITING IS ON THE WALL, DO YOU NOT HAVE EYES TO SEE IT ?

THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE YOU VOTE FOR THIS GUY! CONSIDER YOUR KIDS & GRANDKIDS.THEIR FUTURE IS IN OUR VOTING HANDS.

a note to my loyal fans...........both of you!

Good afternoon all! Do you remember me? You know; the normal Kansas guy going on and on about whatever random things come to mind for the day.

I've been unavailable for two weeks due to serious certification studies and a very short, much needed 5-day excursion into the beautiful and vertigo causing hills 0f southern Missouri. Being an intense Jayhawk fan, this was a trip into the lair of the enemy. I will not hide my loyalties when it comes to KU. My debit card, which was used frequently at multiple outlet malls and shops, proudly displays a very large Jayhawk on it. The thought that some rabid Mizzou fan could slice up my card did briefly cross my mind. Thankfully, my card made it home intact.

This was my first time in Missouri; specifically Branson, MO. The area is very beautiful. My wife and I are big fans of having lots of trees. We definitely went to the right place! I've lived in Kansas my entire life, so while someone from the Rockies may not be impressed by the Ozarks, I was in awe! It was very overwhelming at first and made it difficult for me to drive. Up and down, side to side. Vertigo, vertigo, vertigo. Watch out for that cliff! Don't worry, after 5 days in country, the feeling passed and I was able to enjoy and hope to do it again sometime!

I'll try to add more about the trip later. My wife took some pictures and I might even post a few of them. They were taken from a moving van, so who knows how they turned out!

Thank you all for being patient with me while I was away. A lot has happened in the world of politics recently and like always, I have something to say about it. I'll work hard to put my thoughts together and get them out soon. Until then.....ciao.......or later gator!

hitting the books and a little more

Certification tests are coming up quickly, so I've been studying any chance I get. Every student needs to take a study break to revive themselves. I spent my 5 minute break with a friend.







It was good to see you again old friend!

it's a beautiful morning.....

I haven't had the opportunity to ride for a few days, but I thought I'd post a few pictures from one of my last times out. If you need exercise, I would suggest buying a new bike (Trek) and heading out before the sunrise: Mornings are beautiful!

say ahhhhh

After weeks of pain and my wife pushing me to go, I spent my morning in the doctor's office. I have a terrific doctor that is always willing to listen and answer question: that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I'll have the x-ray results back in the next couple of days, but I have pictures I took of my room ready right now! Apparently, I'm obsessed with blogging.

blatant bias

Although I shouldn't be surprised by it, the absolute bias towards the liberal agenda in the mainstream media continues to grow and become more astonishing. I had the opportunity to see this while clips from ABC's "The View" were shown on "Fox & Friends" this morning. It was all I could do to keep from yelling at the television! The idiocy of some of these women is appalling.

Clips were shown of the times when Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barak Obama made their respective appearances on this ridiculous program.

From the get go, John McCain is hammered by Joy Behar and Barbara Walters about his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Question after question is fired at him without giving the man a chance to answer any of them. The look on Walters' face is almost one of disgust when speaking of Gov. Palin. It's pretty obvious that Sen. McCain was invited on just to be attacked. Barbara Walters used to be a trailblazer when it came to reporting. What happened to her?

Sen. Barak Obama: all-knowing, understanding, brilliant, articulate. This is the way the women of "The View" treated him. They completely fawned over him. Tough questions? Yeah right! At one point, Walters talks with Sen. Obama about being related to Brad Pitt and refers to him as sexy. Gee, thats some great reporting there Barbara!

Please understand, I do not think of anyone from "The View" as legitimate reporters. Walters was at one time, but has now decided to push her views on the public rather then reporting news and letting us make up our own minds. This is just one example in a very large list of offenses perpetrated on the American people. The media only wants to give us one side of any story, so the outcome can be pushed in their favor.

early morning commute

I have nothing too interesting to write about today. Due to this perplexing situation and because it has been days since my last update, I'll post about having my very own driver bring me to work!

Before you become envious of me (thinking I've won the lottery), take heart, it was just a shuttle service from Davis-Moore. The NAV system in my wife's van in not reading DVDs properly, so I woke up bright and early to drop it off before 7:30. The big problem now: How do I get to work? I was informed by the kind gentleman from the service center that they will take me to work. Terrific, my own driver! Lets get a move on.....and be quick about it!! Yeah right! Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to drive, would rather BE the driver, and I would never treat one in that way. Either way, it doesn't matter: I was one of 5 other people who were crammed into a small van and driven to work/home.

Long story shortened; I was the last person dropped off, so I enjoyed a nice 40 minute ride around the city as the others departed for places unknown to me, all the while listening to the kind, older driver talk about the different people he's driven around. It was a nice trip that delayed my arrival to another busy day at work. As he pulled the van away, I took the moment to capture a picture of van (I already knew it would make it to my blog).

Will I ever see this shuttle or driver again? Only time will tell. There is a pretty good chance though; I still need a ride back when my van ready!

I'm singin in the rain, just singin in the rain!

There is definitely a problem when I can surf to work!

Don't get me wrong: I love water. I like to shower in it, drink it in my coffee, wash my car with it, etc...

However, being a born and breed Kansas native, this boy is not used to seeing an ocean on his morning commute. Judging from the radar image, Ike invited one of his friends to come by for a visit. He must have given the wrong address.

taking a Fall

My wife and I love Fall! As far as we are concerned, Fall is a do-over for the last four months of sweltering heat and humidity. We are so ready for it to be here, I was persuaded to climb into our attic and pull down all of the Fall decor. Since there have to be others out there who feel the same as we do, I'll post some pictures to get you in the mood!

always remember

Even though most people were not directly affected by the events of September 11th, 2001, I'm sure it stirs many thoughts and emotions in all Americans. While getting ready for work, I watched Fox News' tribute to the 9/11 victims this morning. I stopped what I was doing and stared at those images that I've seen countless times. The same feelings come flooding back: terror for people in the towers, anguish for families that will never see loved ones again, respect for men willing to run into such destruction to help people they don't even know, and a burning anger against those attacking my country.

My prayers go out to those who were personally touched by this attack and to those brave men and women in harms way working to protect all of us from another 9/11. I ask that the citizens of this nation and most importantly those we elect to lead, never forget that there are those in this world willing to do anything to destroy us.

I pray that the United States turns to God for direction and that he will bless our nation!

so long good friend.....

Today, our family has to say goodbye to a fond friend; one that has been there for us through many ups and downs.........in temperature that is! Our new furnace & A/C are being installed as I post.

From what I've been told, everything started out a little dicey. The workers were there much earlier than expected and rang the doorbell multiple times; waking up the kiddos, who have yet to calm down. I've also been warned that the house is very dusty and has a lovely fragrance. I have a feeling that my old furnace is trying to foul things up so we just scratch the whole idea.

No matter how many bumps along the way, this has to be done. The old furnace might not make it through another Kansas winter and is starting to look like a fire hazard. The A/C still has time left, but it's not very efficient.

This is the first step in a list of updates for the house. Next up will be a new bathroom. After that will come, new wiring, plumbing, and possibly windows. A long list of goodbyes await us.

So farewell good and noble furnace/AC. Our time with you was short (4 years), but you served us well!

Seattle would be nice

the cure for a rough start to the day is beautiful gray, rainy weather. Fall cannot get here fast enough!

shots taken from the front steps of the old courthouse

a happy good bye!

I would like to say thank you to the executives at NBC & MSNBC for making the choice to remove Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as anchors of political events. I have never watched them for analysis, but I've read plenty of transcripts and watched enough video to know that these two are COMPLETELY in the tank for the liberal Democrats. My biggest problem with these two is that they call themselves reporters. That is a far cry from what they are. The Webster definition of a reporter is: a person employed to gather and report news. I don't see anything in that definition about interjecting their own biased opinion. Olbermann loves to bash conservatives and tout the liberial party line at every corner. Here's a quote from Chris Matthews during the presidential primary about a speech Obama gave;

"It's part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama's speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often."

Does anyone really think that Matthews can be objective? I certainly don't believe so. Like Olbermann, he is going to hold the Democrats up any chance he gets. These two are not news reporters.

Don't get me wrong, while I have many problems with the Democrat philosophy (Socialism), I have no problem with someone wanting to be a Democrat. That's what is great about this country! You have the right to make that decision. I believe true Conservatism will win out every time, but you still have the right to make the wrong choice.

the timing couldn't be better

I received a great email from my mother-in-law Deane and thought I'd post it. Being on the Helpdesk can make it difficult to keep my anger down. This note came at the right time! Thanks Deane!
Ecclesiastes 7:9 - Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

NAIL IN THE FENCE
Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.
(Most importantly the last sentence)
There once was a little boy who had a bad
temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails
and told him that every time he lost his
temper, he must hammer a nail into the back
of the fence. The first day the boy had
driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next
few weeks, as he learned to control his
anger, the number of nails hammered daily
gradually dwindled down. He discovered
it was easier to hold his temper than to
drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't
lose his temper at all. He told his father
about it and the father suggested that the
boy now pull out one nail for each day that
he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally
able to tell his father that all the nails
were gone. The father took his son by the
hand and led him to the fence He said, 'You
have done well, my son, but look at the
holes in the fence. The fence will never be
the same. When you say things in anger,
they leave a scar just like this one. You
can put a knife in a man and draw it out.
It won't matter how many times you say I'm
sorry, the wound is still there. ' A verbal
wound is as bad as a physical one.
Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They
make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share words of praise
and they always want to open their hearts to us.'
It's National Friendship Week. Show your
friends how much you care. Send this to
everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if
it means sending it back to the person who
sent it to you. If it comes back to you,
then you'll know you have a circle of friends.
YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED!
Now send this to every friend you have!!
And to your family.
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole.

your company's computer guy

...the day was spent in a place that makes most computer analysts and technicians cringe: The Helpdesk. In explaining my day to a friend, I joked about taking a poll to see how many people knew where the on/off button is on their computer and that judging from the daily calls, it was running about 50/50. As always, the day was spent with the usual calls: I don't remember my password, my account is locked out, my printer is not working, and even: can you help me fix the games on my computer? What a day! 1 down, 4 to go.

the dungeon that is Helpdesk

the best way to get through the day: Coffee

Yes...I am a KC Chiefs fan. It took years of therapy for me to be able to admit it, so back off!

I'd like to say congratulations to my Chiefs for taking it down to the wire and almost not losing to New England. It only took Tom Brady getting injured for them to keep it close, but hey, we'll take the "nonpounding."

With the injury to Brodie Croyle, the Chiefs will be using backup QB Damon Huard. Same story line every year.

who is this guy?

Being one who never really knows what to say, I'll start this out trying to explain myself and what I'm doing. As the title states; I'm a normal guy and these will be my thoughts and observations on almost anything in my everyday life. Please understand that I am not a prized philosopher showing how intelligent he is or some grand writer with multiple accolades on the wall. I'm your everyday guy who works in the computer field, has a wonderful wife, and two terrific kids. There are so many things happening everyday and I feel like I need to put my two cents in about them. This could be daily, weekly, or even minute by minute. It is not my intent to offend anyone, although this could happen. Let me explain. I am a conservative christian who whole-heartedly believes that Jesus is our Savior and that this country, which I dearly love, was founded on this premise. This is Truth supported by the Bible and our country's founding fathers. This is the worldview that I hold and the prism through which I will be viewing things.

Not every post will be about spiritual or political things. I do have kids that you'll see pictures of! I have a psycho Jack Russell Terrier that you'll get to know. Music is always fun to talk about and I've recently taken to early morning rides. Some pictures from those rides could very well end up right here.

The whole idea behind this is to get my thoughts out and to make people think whenever possible. Not just others, but myself included. I hope it does that for you; the thinking has already started here!