Alright, quite tooling on me about my country music...might I point out that my brother was able to ESCAPE from the country music influence because he was in his teens and at the age where he did NOT have to attend concerts, jam sessions, etc with our parents. I was freaking 7 years old-did not have the choice. I believe, therefore, that is the reason why I picked up country. Before I expressed my opinons in my previous blog, I did say that I knew many of you did not like country...so I think I covered my ass there. Sorry, I still like it. I was the one who got on stage with my Dad's band and sang "You're Cheatin Heart" when I was 8. I received a dollar for my performance. I still have this dollar. I will not get into the discussion of Hank Sr./Hank Jr. End of story/rant. :-)



Try to catch MTV's Making of the Video of Kelly Osbourne's "Papa Don't Preach." You can tell Jack doesn't like the attention she's getting. I guess Jack can now turn around to Ozzy and say, "Dad, I hate Kelly." just as she did about him. Ahh, sibling rivalry. Would anyone agree that Jack is about the ugliest kid out there? Or is it just me?



This Shakespeare thing is so cool. In looking at our lineage, as it goes back to BC, we are also related to Charlemagne (Emperor of the Romans) and someone called Albert the Great as well. On the geneology site that Barry is doing research, one of the lines is traced to Adam and Eve. Technically, we are related to God. Some way, some how. When I told my grandpa this he said, "It's been a long and winding road to us since then hasn't it?" I don't know how the hell you can go back that far, but it's there. My step-dad said to me, "Maybe you'll go to church more now since you know you are related to God." :-) Ha



Off to the Great Northern reaches of Minnesota tomorrow to (the newly coined) MN Mike's parent's home. Hopefully it will be warm and nice out on the Birch Lake for some fishing, sunning and relaxing. There is some serious flooding going on in Roseau, MN the famed hockey town about 10 miles from the Canadian border. The whole city is under water at 23 ft, with 16ft being the flood stage. It's really sad. A co-worker of mine lives there, and her mom told her that even if she tried to come home, she would have to take a boat to their house.



I have to pass along one last thing, because it wouldn't be a blog without a story. I stopped at Target on my way home from work on Tuesday. As I pulled into a parking place and got out of my car and started to walk towards the store, this woman in a mini-van stops and says to me, "You need to MOVE it over." I'm like, WHAT? Turning around, I see that the person who had parked next to me had parked at a screwed up angle and messed up the parking for the rest of the row. I had parked between the lines, but there was a large gap between myself and this car. The next open space next to me was now not big enough to fit her van. Realize, I did not even do this on purpose, but simply pulled in because I was going to be in there for all of 5 minutes. As I turned around, she was driving down the next aisle smoking her damn cigarette. So I yelled, "Do you want me to move over?" It just hit me all the sudden and I got pissed. She waved her hand at me like "whatever". So I yelled back, "Are you SURE? Cuz I can f*cking move it for you!!" She just kept waving her hand at me. So, I left it and went into the store. When I came back out, there was a small station wagon pulled into the space next to me that was supposed to be 'too small'. This person had pulled so akwardly into the space, that there was literally 2 inches between my end of the car and their's. But, I squeezed through and made it out just fine. Do you think she had anything to do with it? And what the HELL is this world coming to when you have to be so freaking lazy to argue over a parking place close to the door? It was there that I realized why we don't carry concealed weapons. My anger was so out of control and shocked by this behavior, that I quite honestly felt like if I had a gun, I probably would have pulled it out. Scary thought. I think I might need anger management classes. Hope this doesn't scare anyone-I am honestly safe to leave your children with!

Congrats to my brother for taking the time to screw off....sounds like a great time.



Mike L.: I grew up on country...during the Outlaw phase in the 1978-1982 range. When you dad plays in country bands your whole life, it's hard not to like it. :)



Short weekend, or so it seemed. Went to Rochester on Friday night, had dinner with my parents (crappy Mexican) and was able to drive them around in my new car. I think they liked it? Saturday, got up and took off for a wedding in Cresco, Iowa. Stopped in Harmony to visit the grandparents along the way. Grandpa told us that on Sunday it was Laura Ingalls Wilder Days in Burr Oak (she lived in the town where my grandparents lived when she was 9) and there was going to be a parade. Get this: Grandpa and Grandma were the Honorary Grand Marshalls of the parade and were going to ride in the pace car at the beginning. Too funny and too cool. I think they were actually looking forward to it. They are the second longest living residents of Burr Oak, well known and well liked, which I'm sure contributed to them being picked.



Left from there for the wedding. Typical small town church wedding, etc. My mother had my cousin and I in stiches because a little girl in front of us kept talking to my mom. She must have been around 3? She says rather loudly at one point, "Do you have a tattoo?" Why she asked this, I do not know. But, when you're in church, bored and trying to be quiet, it was funny. This little girl also spent most of the service turned around staring at my uncle and cousin who are black. It was cute :)



The bride had a cool dress-kind of Tarzan like going over only one shoulder. It was a straight skirt, and because this girl is so tiny, it looked great. Food, pork sandwiches (small town Iowa remember) along with a vegetable salad, fruit, and home made dill pickles. Dance was a blast because they had the same DJ that we had at our wedding. Jeff Duncan is well worth the extra $75 you pay to request him. We boogied it up until about 11pm and took off back to Rochester. Can I just say that people really lose their inhibitions at wedding dances when a few drinks are involved! And watching my 13 year old cousin Tyler do his moves a la Chris Tucker from Rush Hour, made for a good time.