Family News

Let's see...we've got a few updates to share:

Autumn, Paul's new partner, was having some tests done for a cyst on her ovaries. So I haven't heard an update, but please keep them in your prayers. He also said he has some pictures from some birthday parties he's going to share...so hopefully we can post those soon.

Allan and Shirley Osterwise, Alice's sister and brother-in-law (mine too) are new grandparents!!! Their son Travis and his partner Brooke had a baby boy on Wednesday as they told it... 8 LB 3.5 OZ 20.75 in. Brown hair and blue eyes (so far). Not sure what the "so far" means. I'm sure it's referring to the hair color, I'm not certain how often babies change eye color. :)

Penni got word from a friend of her boss, a Sprint Executive, that he is going to put the money up for her to record a professional grade CD of her music. What a tremendous break this could be for her!!! You go girl!!!!

Ben, our son in law, gets home from Germany this weekend. He's been there for several weeks studying German. Then the following weekend he and Elam are going to London to watch the start of the Tour de France bike race. What a thrill that should be!!!! If you haven't checked out their blog lately, it's a must see!!! Their tour pictures and accounts are just terrific. There is a link on the right side of ours under "Places You Might Like To Visit".

Good news for me, I think. I've been working on a book about Customer Service for what seems like forever. I think I finally finished it the other day. At least the first draft. Still needs some graphics and professional editing - anyone know any good editors? But it's getting there!

Oh yes, did I mention we're getting our passports renewed?! :)

Ain't life grand.....

Here's What's Up Lately

Been dealing with some serious storms here lately. We've learned that the little "creek bed" between our house and the woods does indeed overflow when it rains really hard!

We've learned that Japanese Beetles do major damage to Roses if you're not paying attention, and I wasn't!!!

We've learned that Eli really likes to eat carpet, chew up balls, and chase flying bugs! Not much new there, but it's fun to watch him chase flying bugs, especially at night!

I've been working hard on my Customer Service book and am just about finished. I think. Now we'll see if we can find an editor to help put some real structure to it.

PENNI had a great article published in the
LUBBOCK paper this past weekend. It's worth the read. It would be great if this generated some additional exposure for her and possible "open doors".

Ben comes home from Germany this week; Heather and the boys are really looking forward to that. Mo and Pappa left a couple days ago so they are trying to get back in to a regular routine again.

We have some prayer requests coming from our family in PA. God knows the need, so if you wouldn't mind adding that to your list, we'd appreciate it.

Thanks for stopping by....

Ya Gotta Go!!!

It was a pretty quiet weekend here. Hot and very humid so we spent some of our time indoors. Saturday we did some running around early morning, then kinda hung out in the afternoon doing some chores around the house. That evening, we went to a "Classic Car Show" at the Monroe Mall. It was nice. Lot's of real classics at this one. Not sure which was my favorite, but I think the Malibu Super Sport topped the list.

We were planning to go to Grandfather Mountain on Sunday but when we got up it was storming here, so it was iffy on the weather in the mountains, so we opted for another day. Went to church, out to breakfast, then we took in a movie..... YA GOTTA GO!!!!

We say EVAN ALMIGHTY. It was a great family movie. Funny beyond belief and very good from a christian message point of view. Some of it was a bit "over the top" from movie stand point, but over all, it was worth the money and the time. It'll probably be a "buy this one" when it comes out on DVD, Blue-Ray, or whatever format is popular when that happens.

If you're stopping by here, but haven't visited Ben and Heather's site lately, it's a must see also. They've got some great pics of their time in Germany and some history "lessons" that are worth hearing.

Thanks for stopping....

What I've Learned These Past Few Days

Since it's been a while, I thought I'd share some learning experiences. It's not that you can't teach ol' dogs new tricks. It's just that some times I'm amazed at what catches my attention like:

• Don't haul sod that's been grown primarily in sandy soil in the back of a pick up truck that has a carpeted bed liner. It's virtually impossible to get that sand out. Been trying for 3 days: vacuuming, power washing, vacuuming, and it's still in there!
• Even if you ask someone in a store if they have something, it's always best to look yourself, most store employees have no idea what's in the store they work at - even the "managers" some times!!
• Miniature Schnauzers like to chase things that fly - just about anything; grasshoppers, Japanese Beetles, Wasps, Bees, you name it, if it flies, Eli's on it like flys on stink - oh yes, he chases flys too!!!!
• A riding lawn mower doesn't always save time...at least in the beginning. By time I figure out new patterns for cutting the front, I've logged some serious mowing time! But at least I'm sitting down! :)
• Entire lakes can just disappear! Yep, you heard me right. In Chile, a lake - about 10-12 acres in size, just disappeared. One day it's there, the next day nothing there but chunks of ice on the lake bottom.
• When your dog eats things like string, rope, socks and tassels off pillows, be prepared to help pull some poop out when he goes potty. It ain't fun, but if ya don't he looks pretty silly running around in circles wondering what the heck it hanging from his backside!!!
• New and "better" software ain't always better. Sometimes if what you have is working and hasn't given you any problems or allowed any "intruders" - stick with it. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :)

Okay, that's enough. Learning makes me tired!

Ain't life grand!!!!

A new twist on the 10 Commandments

Ya gotta love this one! And rightly so.

The Vatican has decided that road rage and other inhospitable driving behavior has gotten out of control. So they have issued The 10 Commandments for the Road.

This one is my favorite -
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.

This whole thing is a great idea and something that I, for one, should take a close look at! :)

Putting History In Perspective

My son-in-law Ben is visiting Berlin, studying German for the summer as part of his studies. Of course, while he's there, he has had an opportunity check out some of the museums and local history in the area. If you have a chance, take a look at some of the accounts of his experiences there. It really puts "history" in perspective, at least for me.

He has logged two chronicles; "Week 1" and "Week 2" Both have some terrific commentary and wonderful photos.

Quick Summary Of Events

Well it's been quite a weekend.

Some of you got a couple of "political" emails from me one regarding illegal immigration and one about a bill that effects women with breast cancer. Hope you had a chance to at least look at them and consider their impact.

We had a busy Saturday here in NC. Alice is still working on the interior of the home, so we spent most of Saturday shopping and working on that. It is coming together nicely. It's been slow but worth it in the long run. Sunday, was a kick back day. It was very hot so we just kinda played it "cool". I washed her "car" and cleaned it up some; she did some more interior work and unpacking some boxes in the garage; and we dealt with some wasp nests in the garage. I'm learning that 1) if you leave the garage door open all the time that 2) you don't leave boxes open. :)

Of course, since it was Father's Day Sunday, I was pleased to receive greetings from some of my kiddos. Plus a nice surprise call from Penni. Earlier in the week I got a nice card from Elam and Silas - those little guys are really somethin'.

Truck Project

Thought I'd just share a photo or two of the project truck. I can't believe it's taken this long, but then if you had seen the amount of over spray, and then the amount of West Texas dust left over on the inside, you'd understand. It was raining today and this picture was taken without wiping the truck down. I had just pulled it out of the garage after working on the interior and doing the wheels and step bars.

This second photo is just a reflection of the "truck slave" ... ME. It's not a good picture of the shine on the truck, but it does give you some idea based on the reflection of the "shiner". :)

Just have a few more things to do and then she'll be "show ready". Not that I'm planning on that, but I'll be back feeling good about my ride again. After all she ain't no boy toy!!!
Thanks for indulging me!

Ain't life grand!

Rainin' Again - But Not Complainin'

We're getting another round of thunder storms today. It's refreshing, "loud" and the rain is much needed. It makes Eli a little nervous, but he adjusts!

I know this sounds rather self-serving, but to date, I've spent about 10 hours on the truck and I'm still not done. Today, I managed to get the passenger side finished, the tailgate and the driver's side. What a chore! I was winding up on the driver's side of the truck bed, when I looked at things after my round with the buffer to get the over spray off and it looked worse than it did when I started. Everything I did, seemed to make matters even more pitiful. I was really getting frustrated. After going through everything on my "detail" shelf, and believe me I have a lot of stuff on my detail shelf, I finally found some Mequiar's Swirl Removal. I figured, what can I loose. So I tried it and finally, I was able to get it to look like it was ready for some waxing. Speaking of waxing. After all this time. I was getting tired of putting one coat of polish and then one coat of wax on everything. So, since I had a bottle of Eagle One Nanowax, a polish/wax combination, I decided to try it. So far it seems to work just fine and gives a wet look just like the others. But we'll see. Now I just have the top of the cab to do and I'll be finished. Except for some trim pieces. :)

Oh my....ain't life grand!

Uhmmm -

I reckon ya need to be careful when purchasing a "used" bike in Vancouver, BC..
Might be a good idea to replace the seat if you should happen to do so!!!

Who would imagine that there would be a World Naked Bike Rider Day? Guess I missed that one when I was riding! Which is probably a good thing! :)

Just Coolin' Down

Just came in from doing some yard work and thought I'd jot some "news" while cooling down.

The picture you see is of "Ms. North Carolina". At least that is what I call her. That's our rose bush I transplanted; thought was dead; showed some life; we had a conversation; and now she is full of beautiful teacup roses! Go figure!!!

We got some much needed rain yesterday - about an inch. So that was wonderful! I thought for sure the beetles were gone, but no such luck. With the sunshine they're back! Guess I'll spray again this evening and see what happens. The trap is working, there are just too many.

For you "car/truck" guys here's a tale for ya....
When working for West Texas Gas, my truck (black in color) go white over spray literally all over it! While in TX, I managed to get about 75% of it off using a clay bar. But that was about it. So I just left it at that. Not my style, but with the daily dust in Lubbock, it was a futile attempt to keep the truck up to snuff anyway.
Well, now that we have better conditions in NC, I decided now is the time to get that stuff off and clean that sucker up.
I purchased a mild rubbing compound and set about my task. Once I determined the compound was "safe" to use, I started on the hood, because it was most noticeable and had the most scratches. I have a machine, but decided to do the first half by hand just to be safe. I rubbed it all out a section at a time, then applied Mequiar's Step 2 Polish, then Mequiar's Step 3 Carnuba Wax. It was amazing. Then I used the machine on the other side. Then did both front fenders. Only difference, I skipped the Step 2. Not Good! There was a NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE! Plus, in the right light, there was a film under everything!!! It was most noticeable on the hood. This would NEVER DO. So, I had to do the whole thing over again. I'm not sure I'll re-do the fenders, they don't show the difference as much. But we'll see.

TIP - When you use a rubbing compound or claybar, to get rid of the "film" or residue left behind, use a 50/50 solution of Isopropyl Alcohol and water. Just spray it on and white it off. If the surface is clean and smooth, your done, if not, start over! :)

It's about an hour and a half process for hood, and 45 minutes for each fender. So it's gonna take a while for the whole truck. But we'll get-r-done!!!

Ain't life grand!!

Japanese Beetle Invasion

Well, it was a quiet Sunday afternoon, then all of the sudden, out of no where... They were EVERY WHERE!!! Hundreds of Japanese Beetles!!!!



In the bush by the deck, in the flower garden, all over the Crepe Myrtles, EVERY WHERE!!! I had seen one the other day, but just one. Now there were hundreds of them. We made a quick run to Lowes and picked up a Japanese Beetle "trap" and some spray. I put the trap together, placed it in the yard, and puff!!! They swarmed the trap...before long the trap was filling up with beetles. Then, that evening I sprayed the bushes.

Now, we'll see what today brings. They may invade again later this afternoon, but as of right now. No sign of the pesky little critters.

It seems that in Japan they are little problem because they have a natural enemy. Here in the states they do not, so they can do great damage to roses, Crepe Myrtles, trees and bushes. It seems they eat the leaf material leaving only the veins of the leaf.

Dirty little buggers...guess I'll need to make plans in the fall to make sure I get them while they're in the ground. Hope my neighbors do the same!!! :)

Credit Card Tip For On Line Purchases

Not sure if you know this already, but some companies, like Citi Bank, have "virtual" credit card numbers that you can use for on-line purchases. They are "one time use" numbers that are not traceable back to your regular credit card number. Thus, you are less susceptible to on-line credit card fraud or identity theft. I'm not sure how many companies offer this service, but you might ask your bank or check with your credit card company. It could save you some aggravation in the long run.

Just thought I'd pass it along.

Hot in the North Carolina

It's been big time HOT in the Charlotte region the past few days. We did manage to get out this morning and visit the local "farmers market" in downtown Matthews. Alice picked up some fresh picked Yukon Spuds for potato salad and a nice size Zuchini for Zuchini cake. Then we made our way over to the local hardware store. It's one of those kind where a guy like me could spend the day. Everything is everywhere. Every size nut and bolt you could imagine; wrenches big enough to turn nut on the biggest earth mover; live chicks; odds and ends of every kind; you name, it looks like they had it!

We then went to nice little restaraunt for breakfast. From there, we made our way over to a Classic Car and Motorcycle show. As most of you know, we don't have a "toy" any more. We sold our last one, the Vette, a few months ago when we bought Alice's Buick. So we're kinda looking around. But just looking!!! It was fun to see some real classics at this show. I think my favorites were the Buick GS series. Similar to this one


Then we did some shopping for "decorative" stuff for the house and headed home and out of the heat. Guess we're wimps! :(

As Paul Harvey Would Say -- "And Now, Page 2"

Poor Paris Hilton is ordered back to Jail. I guess the judge was none too happy about the Sheriff releasing Miss Hilton early. Oops!!! So back she goes. At least that's what they are saying. And of course, she wants her mommy! Oh, grow up Paris!!! :)

Now the only reason I mention any of this is due to the nature of our justice system and how on ocassion, "it" does something right. Here, the judge set the parameters, the Sheriff violated those parameters, apparently without justification, and the Judge said, ain't gonna happen!

OK I'm done. :)

Sometimes is just SOOOOO Frustrating

There are times when I get so frustrated at what I see or read that I just want to spit nails. For example... in todays news about Paris Hilton getting out of jail after serving only 3 days of her 45 day sentence. Apparently it's some undisclosed medical condition that necessitates her being confined to her home for the duration of her sentence. Now if she weren't Paris Hilton, do you suppose she'd have that "luxury"? Not likely!

But, I did get some good, or at least some, well-I-didn't-know-that kind of news.

Did you ever see someone park in a Handicap parking space that didn't have a sticker and was obviously NOT handicapped? If you're like me it's frustrating and you want to confront them, but usually Alice won't let me - or sometimes you're not always sure that what you "see" is what you "see". Well here's a website that can help.

Then for those of us who hate those litterbugs running around our neighborhood or town, there is a cute little place for us too.

Oh my... this is too much fun. :)

WOW!!!

This photo was posted on Yahoo. You would think it's in the South Pacific some where. But it's actually swans and a sunset in Jumala, Finland in the Baltic Sea. What a sight!

The Drought Continues

Here in NC, after a deficit of 3 inches of rain it's called a drought. Well, 3 inches in one month; eight inches for the year. Not quite what I'm use to, but I'll go with it. Anyway, we've managed to keep the flower bed going. This is the side bed. That rose bush is the one that's gotten some "publicity" in the past. It was pretty bleak when we first arrived. But it has managed to hang in there and produce some pretty nice blossoms. The other one that we transplanted is budding and hopefully will bloom soon.

Ain't life grand! :)

Follow Up to "True Colores"

I know some of you think I've lost the handle off my pail with this issue. Especially when it comes to the numbers. But if you read this recent post, especially the amendment proposed by Hillary Clinton you can see how the numbers begin to mount. This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

I guess the bottom line here is this - whether you agree with me or not is irrelevant. If you don't "vote" or support candidates that back your position, then we all pay the price, one way or the other, down the road. And yes, there will be a price to pay. :(

True "colores"

It seems that Mexico and the Mexicans that continue to berate our country find every way possible to express their disgust with the USA. Their behavior at the Miss Universe Pagent is no exception.

Folks, I don't mind that they don't like the US. I don't even mind that they booed Miss USA. What I do mind, is that they do this sort of thing, then beg to let us let them in our country for "free".

Now I don't mind saying that I am not in favor of any kind of amnesty program. And yes, we should build a fence. And yes, we should NOT be giving free health care to or other government assistance to illegal immigrants from any country, especially Mexico. As I have indicated before, if they are not happy with their country's economic situation, fix IT. Don't come and pillage ours and then send the spoils back to Mexico, then complain that you are not treated fairly.

It's no secret, if you do the research, 12 million now, will lead to 20 million ten years from now. Then that 20 million will lead to who knows how many, then before you know it, you and I will be asking for English to be taught in our public schools so that our children or grandchildren can have an equal opportunity at education. We'll be seeing signs that say "Engilsh spoken here" instead of "Se Habla Espanol". You think I'm kinding, but I'm not. Just do the math and see how long it will be before YOU/WE are on the outside looking in.

Taste of Charlotte

We visited the "Taste of Charlotte" Saturday afternoon and it was a very nice day.
Cloudy, which was good. Cooler, which was nice. And not as crowded as we might have expected.

Downtown Charlotte is not as big as most cities. In fact it has quite a "small town" feel to it. The area where this event was held was right in the middle of downtown and it gave us a real sense of the types of restraunts and shops that were around. Theres is plenty of new construction going on, so the city is definitely growing.

We had a chance to sample a few dishes from different restraunts and the finished the day with some Cold Stone Ice Cream. :)

The day got better!!!!! We finally received some much needed rain!!!!

If You Missed Any!

For those of you who may have missed any of our posts from Yahoo, or some of the photos or slide shows, there is a link to the right that will take you to our Slide Show web site. You can see all of our slide shows there. Heck, you can even make your own slide shows and share them with the world!!!

Still Trying and Still Learning

I posted this photo so I could update our profile. Seems I there's not an easier way to do it that I've found.

Oops Forgot the "water wows"

Found out today that Monroe, the city where we live, has different restrictions than Monroe County. Monroe-City is asking for voluntary water restrictions in addition to what the county is asking for. Seems that the City does have a water shortage. So that puts things in a different light. Now I guess I'll have to do that rain dance! :)

June and Water Wows

This picture was taken in PA while Jake, Robin and Ray's boy, was playing with Eli on the floor. Eli was taking a break and Jake layed down beside him. I posted one on our other site with he and Rylie together with Eli.

As you can tell, I keep coming back to this site. Not sure why, I guess I like the fact that 1) it has no advertising and 2) folks can post comments with out becoming "members". So I'll see how it goes. Will probably need help from Heather and Ben to get the full benefits of it. They are pros at this site.