hmmmmm

last week our niece was over visiting w/ my wife.  i had an old pc that i was putting back together after i pulled out the hard drive to secure our info off of it.  my wife gently suggested that our niece could use a pc for her daughter as they don’t have one.  i figured, sure, that’d be a good use for it.  i put it together and sent it on its way.

so last night, my wife was on the phone w/ our other niece (sister to first niece).  she said they were coming over to work on our pc because they needed ms word.  after she hung up, i looked over at her and scrunched my eyebrows.  ’so why exactly did i send them a pc?’  she didn’t appreciate the tone.  she was right.  i withdrew the question and held it for the niece.

niece2 arrived and sat with us while her friend worked on our pc.

me: so did you guys set up the pc i sent home w/ your sister?

niece2: yeah, we put it on the computer desk.

me: it has ms word on it.

niece2: it does?  oh, we didn’t hook it up yet.  we just put it on the desk.

me: *blink blink* hmmmmmm

niece2: so we didn’t have to drive all the way over here?

me: *smiling and shrugging*

it was a nice visit anyway.  they brought their two daughters and another great-niece of ours.  they kept us laughing the whole time.  the girls played twister and took turns on the elliptical machine.  it takes so little to entertain kids.  i’m glad they came over.  moments like these go by too fast.  it won’t be long before we see them as often as we see our sons, not very.

take care.

grace

on the way to the grocery store on Mother’s Day to get some stuff to finish off dinner prep, i was playing a song from my phone on the stereo (yeah, i’m geeky like that).  i hadn’t intended on it, but ‘Amazing Grace’ started playing by George Jones.  i’m a gj fan so i let it play.  just as i’m turning into the store, the engine cuts out.  i looked down to see the gas light screaming at me: i’ve been on for two days now moron!  ‘how rude’ i thought.  the store has a big hump going into the drive and i juuuuuuusssst made it over.  i coasted down and looked into the gas pumps (yes, luckily the store has an attached gas station).  the first one was available.  i yanked the wheel and rolled right up.  whew.  Thanks Lord.  now that’s some grace right there.

 

choice

you know, if i had to choose between talking about relationship issues and getting tasered…. i would so get tasered.

games

i’m going to bend the ‘don’t write about the wife’ rule.  remind me never to play games with her.  yesterday we were driving with our niece’s daughter, trinity.  trini was in the back seat with her seatbelt on.  she had a few shiny oversized play coins.  she wanted to play the ‘guess which hand they’re in’ game.  my wife may be the best guesser of all time (or maybe she can see the coins in between trini’s small fingers).  so poor trini tried to adjust the rules that you couldn’t repeat the same guess twice.  just like a girl, bend the rules to assure that you win!

so next it was my wife’s turn to hide the coins.  well, right away she shakes the coins to make the klinking sound and drops them on the seat between her legs to hide them and put out two empty hands!  it was actually pretty funny.  poor trini got so frustrated that she couldn’t guess the right hand.  it went on for at least five minutes.  she finally asked for my help, my wife showed me which hand, i guessed the right one and trini got so happy.  she was determined to get it since my success bolstered her up.  the wife went back to the drop the coins trick and poor trini gave up right when we arrived at the pizza place.  lesson:  never play games with the wife.  she’s ruthless.  like i didn’t know that already!

take care

cali coyotes

it’s time to start cappin’ some coyotes.  this report is about a baby that was almost coyote food!  i guess in san bernardino (sp?) coyotes are just running amok.  they stroll up and down the streets in the middle of the day looking for cats, small dogs and babies.  it’s time for some action!  just want to let you all know, i’m for hire.  shooting coyotes happens to be a favorite pastime of mine.  i don’t often get the chance to do it since i’m a city boy and all.  but given the chance, i’m all over it.  ranchers love killing coyotes.  mangy little critters.

so if you want to put me up for a few nights and feed me, i’ll sit out day and night callin’ them critters in and let the lead fly.  i’ll use shotgun slugs to keep the stray bullets to a minimum.  wanna be safe.

*update*

so i saw another nightly tv report about the coyote problem in california.  three kids attacked in a week!  and the advice from CBS reporter John Blackstone…  make plenty of noise.  after i stopped laughing, i thought heck yeah.  first make a clicking noise, then make some banging noises!!!  that’s how you take care of coyotes!  one cali lady on the report said ‘he was stalking us, we just couldn’t shew him away’.  CAUSE HE’S HUNGRY AND WANTS THAT KID!!! 

prayin’

today is the National Day of Prayer!!

anybody out there not know how to pray?

here are a couple of ideas: pray in thanks for the gifts He’s given you.  pray for forgiveness for the times you’ve turned away from Him.  pray for guidance to know His direction.  pray to see HIm in your life.

My prayers for today:

For the souls of my dearly departed; my dad, my grandparents, my uncles, my friends, my wife’s family members.  May they rest in Your peace and love.

For all unborn children to see the light of day and to receive Your love.

For my wife and sons, that we may do Your will.

For my mom, her health.

For my sister’s family, especially my nephew and his new son and my niece and her new husband (off to Iraq soon).

For all of those who have fallen away from You O Lord, especially those in my family.

For an increase in the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and all of the adoration chapels around the world.

For the salvation of souls and conversion of sinners.

In thanksgiving for Your Divine Mercy.

To be steadfast in daily prayer.

In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Things I’ve learned

I understand that giving from my heart is more than giving from my wallet.

If you want to change someone’s life, give them some of your time.

Turn the dang tv off.  Read to your children.

The Lord has an ocean of graces He’s just waiting to shower on you.  Just ask!

 

hungry

wordpress must be hungry because it ate my last post.  i don’t post a whole heck of a lot, so that’s kind of a bummer.

happy

this weekend was a mixture of happy and sorta.  the happy was visiting with my nephew’s new baby (my godchild).  i’m happy that he seems to like me.  at 3 months, it hard to tell if they like you or just want a ride.  i got him to smile quite a bit.  that made me happy.  i kissed him and talked to him.  it filled me with joy.  pure joy.

i also attended a silent/live auction.  i bid on several things at the silent auction and was outbid on all of them.  i’m kinda cheap so it really wasn’t too difficult to outbid me.  the first item was a gift card to chili’s.  i love chili’s.  the second item was for dog grooming.  my ‘buddy’ needs a good clipping.  the third item was a framed b/w photo of the parish church that the auction was benefitting.  i attended that church during my childhood years and i also sent my sons to school there.  the picture was lovely.  i went up to $165 then bailed.  i think i’ll buy a digital slr and create my own photo.  the live auction was just that, lively.  they brought in these two auctioneers that looked like they just stepped out of the 1890’s.  excellent auctioneers, with great humor.  they had one liners that just kept coming.  and they really worked the bidders without being pushy, it was almost artistic.  i bid on one package that had a night’s stay at a swanky hotel, dinner at a romantic restaurant, and tickets to a show.  i was outbid by my own aunt!  she didn’t know i was bidding because i was sitting in front of her and had my bidding number blocked from her sight.  i noticed the auctioneer pointing behind me when i was outbid and i turned around to see my mom gesturing me to look toward my aunt.  sure enough, she was the other bidder, so i bowed out.  i couldn’t see driving up the price on her.  i really did want to get that package for my wife though.  she got it for her daughter and son-in-law.  thinking about it, they deserve it more.  maybe next year.

hope you all are doing fine.

outside

i have been going crazy with this ‘cleaning the garage’ thing.  My new toolboxes are frickin’ cool.  i butchered a yoga mat that i found to line the shelves of the toolbox.  i’m quickly thinking that i might need to go get two more.  i’ve been contemplating putting in shelved closets so i can store golf clubs and rakes, shovels, brooms, saws, turkey fryers, car stuff milk boxes.  i wonder what craigslist has on it?

Lord help me.

tooly

i am in the process of cleaning my garage.  funny thing is i’m cleaning it just to clutter it up with weight equipment.  i don’t really plan on getting into lifting weights anytime soon so they’re getting demoted from the downstairs extra room to the garage.  the extra room will be offered to my b.i.l. and the larger downstairs room is going to my younger son who is returning from college in 2 weeks.  there is much to do.  starting with the garage.  tonight i plan to have it cleaned and ready for the moves.  oh, i found some mouse poop behind a desk i’m getting rid of.  that can’t be good.  i think the poop is from last year.  at least i hope it’s from last year.  i haven’t heard any scurrying about lately.  hmmm…

as a help to organizing the garage i was allowed to purchase (yes i had to get permission) a standup toolbox.  sears just happened to have one on sale!  but then again don’t they always have one on sale?  i actually bought two.  one to stand on the other.  i’ll try to get a pic of the garage all cleaned up.