It's been over a week since I posted-been extremely busy.

We had our last big event with Target Market this weekend. I haven't had a day off now in 9 days, worked 43 extra hours on top of my normal 40. Ready for a break!! :)

Unfortunately, we had more bad news yesterday. Mike's Uncle Tom was killed in a car accident Saturday night. So, he left this afternoon to head down to Iowa. I'm leaving Wednesday for the funeral on Thursday. He's very shook up about it, as are the rest of the family. Hopefully all goes well this week.

FYI to Dad, Pat, Lyn-no NASCAR results probably until next week. I"d do them, but I don't know where he has the Excel sheet. Lyn-I heard you're sick of Steve Park being the human wrecking machine?

I haven't had time to catch up on my war news until today. Just found out that Peter Arnett was fired. That's a story, for sure. Heard Geraldo got fired too...that on the other hand isn't so surprising.

Pat-Kirby's trial is all the news at night up here. He's supposed to be testifying himself sometime this week.

I'm watching the movie Primary Colors tonight. I love it-John Travolta was great in it. Makes me miss Clinton. I can't help it. I was reminded of an SNL right after Bush took office. Will Farrell's on the phone talking to Bush Sr. and says, "Daddy, this is HARD!" I love Barbara Bush's quote last week. She said (and I'm paraphrasing big time) "I'm counseling the former President, the current President, and the governor of Florida." Then I think she said something about how she's really running things. Pretty close!

I'll be out of state from tomorrow through the weekend. Our HR director who is acting as the boss these days had the nerve to ask me if I was taking sick time for funeral leave. My response? "How many hours do you think I worked this past weekend? I'm taking comp time." I would have liked to have added a name to punctuate the sentence, but I did not. I need the unemployment. :) Pat, I keep your advice in my head each day, believe me. It's the only way I don't go postal.

Again, I agree with Pat's analysis of Clerks.

God Bless America.

And hope for the very best.

This article really makes me sad about Kirby Puckett.

As I read this quote from an article relating to the SI one, I felt it was appropriate. Especially since I looked at this guy like an idol.

"Idolatry is really not good for anyone," as Washington Wizards assistant coach John Bach said of Michael Jordan in Monday's New York Times. "Not even the idols."

I'm still glad I saw him go to Cooperstown. There isn't another baseball player I'd probably ever go see inducted in person.

Tell me again why I'm mad at you Lally??

;-)

Tell Karen she'll probably like Daredevil. I didn't tell MN Mike that I had no interest in going because I knew nothing about the character. Since it was his birthday, I went. And then, to my surprise, I liked it. So, tell her to give it a chance. I did the same thing with SpiderMan and Xmen and really enjoyed them too.

Sorry it's been awhile since I posted anything. Work has been hellish and has taken much of my time and energy.

For Lally and my brother, I sent to you both a photo of Mike & I at Graceland. I promise I will scan more when time permits. My days are taken up largely by resumes and cover letters these days.

The birthday season for us passed through on March 1 and March 6 for me and Mike (respectively). When my grandfather who is almost 88 tells me that I'm old at 28, what does that mean!?! :) On Mike's birthday we went out to dinner at Ol' Mexico, a neat mexican restaurant in Woodbury near our home. Then, we went to Best Buy so he could spend his birthday money on electronics. His purchases were: The Osbournes Season One DVD and NASCAR 2003 for PS2. I had a few bucks left from Mike's parents gift to me, so I bought an Elvis CD and a cheapo design cd for the computer so I can make frames around photos I scan, for a project I'm doing. The $5 I spent on Corel Draw was not worth it, but what do you get for that amount of money anyway? Exactly. Also, I must point out that I was asked by 11 different people at the store if they could 'help me'. Why is it that when I am not purchasing anything of value at their store, they want to help me? But when I want to buy a computer or television, there isn't anyone around for miles and miles? The service even included an emaciated young man in a wheel chair asking if he could help me out. His arms were so thin that I wanted to ask him if I could help him before they snapped in two!!

After the Best Buy excursion, we went to see Daredevil with Ben Affleck. Great movie-I really liked it a lot. I'm not a big comic book person, so I don't know anything about the character. Because Mike is a big fan of this guy, he wished they had gone into more detail in some areas. I like Ben most of the time and thought he did an admirable job. My favorite character was played by Jon Favreau, the guy that played Monica's boyfriend Pete the millionaire on Friends. (the guy is always and will be Pete to Mike & I. Also in Swingers and Rudy.) He was the perfect balance for Ben Affleck. I did agree that there were a few too many gaps in the story line that left me wondering a lot of stuff. Overall, entertaining. And, Jennifer Garner kicks some ass.

Remember Lally, this is all only in my OPINION!!!

Shut down date for Target Market: April 30. My thinking: they'll get rid of us by March 31.

Pat, I bought the book Religion for Dummies that you had listed on your wish list. It's a cool book.

In response to my brother's post of the Kellogg guy being the namesake of my junior high...it is so fitting that the man was a 'flake' because I HATED that school more then anything I've ever disliked in my life. It was the worst three years! It was so appropriate they named the school after him.

Lally-I collect Hard Rock shot glasses.

And, I will scan Graceland photos to post.

Back to Minnesota last night as off 9:15 pm. It was a long 13 hour day of driving from Memphis, Tennessee. But, we made it and had a fantastic trip. The only downside is that we've come home to 5 degree temps after basking in 80 degree sunshine for 5 days!

As I could tell a zillion stories, I'll give you a low down of the trip, and then put in "tales from the road" as my brother does...

We left at 7:30am on Friday, the 14th. We were in Paducah, Kentucky by 6pm that evening. Not too bad. Left at 7am the following morning and arrived in Jacksonville at 6:30pm. It was warm and beautiful! I liked Jacksonville as a city a lot.

The next day we went back to Georgia to visit with Mike's cousin Chad, whom he hadn't seen in 6 years. He is married with 7 year old twin girls, and a 14 month old daughter. We met at a great outlet mall about an hour from Savannah where I was able to shop at the Gap and get some deals. Nice to meet more of his family. On Monday we drove to St. Augustine, Florida, which is the oldest town in the US. This is where Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the Fountain of Youth. Naturally, there is a whole tourist attaction around this! The town is cool-a fort is on the water front and the town is all in cobblestone with little shops. Spanish influence, sort of reminded me of a cross between California and the French Quarters in New Orleans. Ate supper there and shopped. Beautiful weather. Went to the beach there as well and walked in the ICE COLD ocean!

Left Tuesday morning for what intended to be a stop at Daytona and then to Disney. Well, we rolled into Daytona at 8:45am and fell in love with the place. Toured the track (which is so banked on the corners it's amazing) and got to walk on pit row, AND go to victory lane for pictures. Wicked cool stuff. Got to see the Earnhardt statue out front. Inside there are attractions such as the history of the track, the hall of fame of Daytona, etc. There is the 16 second pit challenge where you are invited to try change ONE tire, not four, in 16 seconds. It was fun to watch. You can also do play by play for a taped race, watch a movie, drive the Silcon Speedway, go on a simulated ride (the kind that puts you in a seat in front of a screen and jostles you all over). The highlight was to Michael Waltrip's Napa car on display from just two days prior. I posed with thumbs up! :)

We didn't leave Daytona until noon, and decided to go to Sea World instead of DIsney. We finally realized we wanted a lot more time to go to Disney then we would have, so decided to wait until another trip. Disappointing, but I think we made the right decision. Sea World was really neat. Shamu show is fantastic as are the other shows such as dolphin and sea lions. It was a super fun day.

On to Ocala, FLorida to stay with Aunt #2 who had a new puppy named Minnie. We didn't do anything for 2 days but lay around and actually 'vacation' and check out the town. Left Friday morning for Memphis and had one hell of a day trying to get there. Got caught in Birmingham, Alabama for over an hour due to a closed down interstate. Then it rained all the way to Memphis. Another 13 hour day.

Spent all day at Graceland on Saturday, which of course to me was the highlight. I'm a dork, I know, but i've wanted to go there since I was 8 years old. I nearly peed my pants when we drove up I was so excited. It was a cool experience, with the house being as gaudy as you would expect from Elvis. Shag green carpet on the floor AND the ceiling in the Jungle Room! But, only 2 rooms were lavishly decorated-the rest are putting much typical 70's living areas. Just with more money! The do a nice audio tour, so you can wander at your leisure and it has Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa giving anecdotes on your headset. I learned even more then I thought I knew about the King. Last, we headed to the Meditation Gardens where he and his family are buried. Everyone gets pretty quiet out there-rather neat experience. Then, the rest of the time is spent exploring 3 other museums and like 20 gift shops. I didn't buy a lot, but did buy a fair amount! Car museum is really nifty-he had some great ones. Ate at the Elvis Chrome Grill, which is a southern style restaurant with harleys and cars parked in it. Then, we also were able to go on the two airplanes he owned. The Lisa Marie is truly a 'Flying Graceland' as he called it. Gold plated seat belt covers for godsakes! I was in my glory all day long.

Later, we drove down to Beale Street and then went to Sun Records where Elvis was first recorded. The pamphlet says, "They say the tour will give you goosebumps..." Which I thought was crap. It is not. One truly does get goosebumps! It's a simple half hour tour, with a tour guide who is a little too theatric, but puts a nice twist on everything. (He totally fits the place-side burns, rolled up jeans like the 50's, and REALLY knows his rock n roll history)_I was actually standing on the mark that Elvis stood while recording "That's All RIght Mamma". They play bits of the different songs recorded there in the studio as you stand there...and that's where the goosebumps begin. Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Ike Turner, Carl Perkins, BB King, you name it. They even let you touch the original microphone that Elvis used. They let you use flash photography in the studio so I hope the pictures turn out. They also have a great souvenir shop where I bought Dad his tshirt that he asked for. I also bought a small poster of the "Million Dollar Quartet" if you've ever seen the photo of Elvis at the piano with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee and Johnny Cash surrounding him. That was Sam Phillips money makers at their best.

We ate on Beale Street at BB King's club. Great food, and even cooler music. It was Beale Street at it's finest with loud blues music, lots of people and food that is southern to the core. Did a little shopping at the Hard Rock down the street and a few other shops. It was hard to leave Beale!

And then we left yesterday morning. we drove by Graceland on the way out of town as I waved and said,"Later Elvis!"

Tales from the Road:

Played the license plate game and came up three states short: Hawaii, Rhode Island and Wyoming.

Some interesting signs included the following:
Cruisin' Chubby's Gentleman's Club-Truck Parking
Ho Chunk Casino
ABS-The Bovine Love Connection
Eat More Chikin (from a bunch of cows posing)

Funny License Plates:
Uff Da 4
Nrwgn 2

SItes:
A water tower size cross in Effingham, Illinois. Still no idea what it represents.
From Paducah to Florida we saw more then 50 Waffle Houses. What's the big deal?
In Nashville, you could buy Fireworks EVERYWHERE. And really cool ones at that!
Saw TBS, Olympic Torch Site and Turner Field in Atlanta.
Kentucky boasts cheapest cigarette sale prices in the US.
We got into some freaky backwoods places in Alabama. "You shore gotta purdy mouth"
Earnhardt statue at Daytona!
Cheapest gas was $1.33 just over the Georgia border.
Most expensive was $1.79 in Illinois. Most we paid was $1.74 in Edgewood, Illinois.. The cheapest we paid was $1.51 in Macon, Georgia.
Went through 11 states in all: MN, WI, Illinois, Kentucky, Tenneessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansaw.

And those are the tales from the road. Great trip, but I think we'll fly to Florida when we go back the next time!! It was a looonnnnggg drive but well worth the money and vacation time. Back to work tomorrow! All I heard from the newspapers on the job situation is that the Governor proposed taking all the money that funds us-but obviously the legislature still has to vote on it. I'll find out more tomorrow I'm sure! Post cards will probably reach many of you this week...hope you like them.

I'm outta here...gone until the 25th.

Bye!

I just spent 2 hours at the most worthless job fair of non-profits. You know things are really bad when all they're offering is summer help and stipends.

It's even worse when you see a former political candidate that you know there who lost the last local election looking for a job too.

I had a blogger moment this morning as I was attempting to drive patiently through traffic in snowy weather....do you ever have a time when you want to tell something to someone, but the topic is rather gross? Here's an example: say, you go to the bathroom, and something happens such as a poo that is so long you wonder whether it will flush. It's so funny and interesting (at least to you) that you want to pass it along. But others will be grossed out, such as many of you are that are reading this. So, maybe you confide in your spouse. Your spouse is equally grossed out, but can't help but laugh. I guess one just keeps it to oneself. Here's my question then:

What's the funniest term you've heard to describe having a bowel movement? Here's a few I've learned:
"pinch a loaf"
"dropping the kids off at the pool"
"take a crap, shit, dump"
and my all time favorite, "I gotta go grow a monkey tail."

Florida trip is close to being a reality. We leave Friday morning. I guess all that's left to do is to buy food and stock the cooler, plus pack. I dug out the summer clothes and I can only hope that it's actually warm enough to use some of them!

We might try to go to The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, on our way to Memphis. Still no decisions on Disney World yet. It's really hard!

Tonight, we are all cordially invited to watch Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne renew their wedding vows in a ceremony sure to freak us all out. Preview: Ozzy kissing Marilyn Manson. Ouch!

I'm feeling like this sort of says it all for American companies these days...

"A Japanese company and an American company decided to have a canoe race
on the Missouri River. Both the teams practiced hard and long to reach
their peak performance before the race. On the big day the Japanese won
by a mile.

Afterward, the American team became very discouraged and morally
depressed.

The American management decided the reason for the crushing defeat had
to be found. A "Management Team" made up of senior management was formed
to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was: The Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person
steering, while the American team had 8 persons steering and one person
rowing.

So American management hired a consulting company and paid them an
incredible amount of money. They advised that too many people were
steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

To prevent losing to the Japanese again next year, the rowing team's
management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors,
3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering
manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1
person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called
the "Rowing Team Quality First Program," with meetings, dinners and free
pens for the rower. "We must give the rower the empowerment and
enrichments through this quality program."

The next year the Japanese won by two miles. Humiliated, American
management:

- Laid off the rower for poor performance,

- Halted development of a new canoe,

- Sold the paddles, and

- Canceled all capital investments for new equipment.

Then they distributed the money saved as bonuses to the senior
executives. "

Spent last weekend in Northern Minnesota visiting my in-laws and the nephew. He's grown a lot and is hilarious. He doesn't want to crawl, but rather inch worms his way to where he wants to go. Loves his walker thing. He's a very laid back baby and smiles all the time.

The decision was made last weekend that we are going to take a trip to Florida Feb. 14-23. COOL! We'll be driving down and staying in Jacksonville and Ocala with Mike's 2 aunts. We're going to plan a day at Disney World, which means we have to make some serious choices on what we want to see. The big two at this point are Magic Kingdom and Universal. When I get Pat's Disney book, we'll have to check it out. I'd really like it to be warm so that we can go to the beach in Jacksonville. I've only been to one other beach on an ocean, which was the Bahamas, and I couldn't get in the water because it was hurricane season!

On the way back home, we're coming on up through Memphis so I can visit Graceland at last. I've been doing a lot of research on it, along with the added attractions that go with it. All I can say is that I will be in Elvis Heaven when I go there. I wanted to stay a night at the new Heartbreak Hotel, but it's looking like they are full that weekend. Have to settle for a 'normal' hotel I guess. Otherwise, we'll visit Beale Street, some shops, and take a tour of Sun Records where Elvis got his start.

Mike found a cool web site that allows you personalize hockey jerseys and it is immediately displayed on the screen. Example: Gretzky, 99, on a Pittsburgh Penguins Jersey. Or, Kristin, 01, on a Minnesota Wild. It's cool. They even have old teams, such as our hometown fave, MN North Stars. Check it out at: http://www.icejerseys.com/ Click on the link "Customize Your Jersey".

Here's a brief tidbit of what's going on at work: we are a program of the American Lung Association, because they administer our grant. Guess what they did today? They eliminated the entire tobacco control program. Um, hello? Does it make sense to anyone to operation the American Lung Association without a tobacco program? Is it not the number one cause of lung disease? We're still here until July at this point, when our grant runs out. Just another reason to get out sooner!

Yay!

Spent the weekend hanging out, not much going on. I had to work on Saturday as well. It's been so cold we pretty much have stayed home and burrowed in. It's not supposed to get above 6 degrees tomorrow. And we still have no snow.

I have an interview tomorrow. It's not something I think I'll take, but I figured it would be good practice to get back into the groove again.

I've got Mike hooked on Harry Potter books right now. He just started the third one, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban, which is my favorite by far. I'm really excited to know that the fifth book will be out in June. The fight will be on which one of us gets to read it first!

I just finished family photo book #3 for Mom, which means I'm finished. All I have left is to begin the Webb album, which is mine, so I can take my time. I'm taking a short break, and organizing my information at this point. I still have a lot to put into the computer program. Unfortunately, our setup at home with our desk doesn't make data entry very easy. I think I'm going to have to re-adjust some stuff in that room.

Rented The Rookie with Dennis Quaid, but haven't watched it yet.

Friday was the last day of work for my boss. Scary. Much drinking commenced last week.

Yesterday there were issues already, but managed. I can only imagine what today may bring. The governor is going to announce his budget ideas.

Pat, did SNL not suck with Jeff Gordon? Or, should I say that the show itself sucks now?

We have finally hit typical January weather in Minnesota. This morning it was -2 degrees with only a high of 13 expected. We have yet to receive any substantial snow, however. We had about an inch last night, bringing our total to 6 for the season. So, if you guys in NY would like to send snow our way, we'd take it. I'd like to go snowmobiling next weekend up north, but it might only happen if I go out on the lake. The lake is the ONLY place with enough snow!

This past Friday we attended the Vikings Exhibit at the Science Museum in St. Paul. It was very interesting, especially for us Norskies. If it comes near you, I highly recommend it. It was interactive with a Viking ship you could walk on and a replica of a village.

Yesterday in the mail I received two new books that I'm psyched to read. Last Train To Memphis and Careless Love are 2 part bios on Elvis written by Peter Guralnick. It's great because the books are based on facts, interviews and the author is not simply drawing his own conclusions or painting Elvis in a specific way. I'm looking forward to learning some things I didn't know. And, as Paige said, "What's with you and this Elvis?"
:)

I'm getting really scared. All I did was post a brief comment on Clerks and Mallrats.

If I had known it was going to become this, I might not have. haha

:)

I don't know enough about Kevin Smith and his movies other then to make a passing comment.
I don't think I care enough to post more then a passing comment. But, as always, I am interested in reading any movie rant. March on Lally!

I was going to repeat a good burn that my husband said, but I won't. It could just open up another can of worms from Lally AND my brother. :)

I will agree with you both that A Beautiful Mind is a great movie. I think that anyone who has this disease deserves a medal for just living day to day. It was really a great explanation of what a person with Schizophrenia goes through.

Hey Lally, can I not have my own opinion on a movie!?!?

:)

Since this is my FIRST foray into the world of Kevin Smith, here's my discussion of the topic:
I did like Clerks, it was, as I said, Interesting....I laughed. The format was cool. But I still liked Mallrats a lot better. That's just the way it goes in my world! I guess my personality and humor is better suited to Mallrats. Perhaps it's my age and that I did hang out in malls when I was ages 12-16.

However, if you want to get into the whole Kevin Smith, best flick discussion, I would say Clerks is his finest of that series because it's 'different' and that he made the frickin' movie with a budget of like $20,000. Dogma would be the close second.

All in my 'opinion' of course.

Thank You. Good night.

Okay, just so no one takes me off their blog lists, I thought I better post something.

The sickness stuff is much better then it was, but still isn't going away. I managed to get in a full day of work yesterday, but I am paying the piper today. It seems like one day I'll do good, the next I'm worn out. Day by day will just be how it goes.

Mom & I had a great time visiting Pat & family for Christmas. My two favorite things that Paige said to me were:

"Aunt Kristin....what's with you and this Elvis guy?" This was in reference to a book Alissa had given me for Christmas. Paige didn't quite get why I liked him!

"I'm glad I'm not you!" We were disagreeing about her not getting out of the tub and I told her that Lyn would be mad at ME if Paige wasn't ready. That was her response.

It was nice to see Alissa still excited about Christmas too. Kids really do make the holidays fun and memorable. That's what it should be all about.

I'm offically on a mission to find a new job. My boss is leaving her position as of next week and I can't stay here without her support. It pretty much seems like each day or week, we find out how crappy the state of government offices and their staffers REALLY are. Unfortunately, they are screwing a fantastic program and disappointing a ton of Minnesota teens. I wouldn't give it more then 3 months to last. I had thought I would stay on to close the place down, basically since I put so much into setting up the program at the beginning. But, the information I received yesterday pretty much erased that option from my mind. I'm on the hunt!

Mike & I are in the midst of a Kevin Smith movie marathon. I had honestly never seen such flicks as Mallrats, Clerks, Dogma, etc. Mallrats was awesome (and it was filmed at Eden Prairie center which is right next to where I used to work at techies), Clerks was interesting and Dogma was hilarious.

Apparently, this sickness that is going around is not going away. Hang in there Mike L.!

Here' s the take on my cold/flu/sickness whatever. Mike had it first, both my parents have had it. Barry's still hasn't gone away completely and is on anti-biotics. Mike felt better, but still didn't get rid of his hacking. Then, I get it a week ago. It's the kind where the first day, I was so wiped out I could barely move. After that, I could manage half days at work and had some energy. Then all the sudden, I would feel like crap. By Friday I was doing a little bit better and thought I was on the right track. WRONG! I was up all that night coughing again. We had a Christmas party in Duluth on Saturday night that I really wanted to go to, so once I got up and going Saturday morning, we went. I made it okay-but was in bed by midnight. Woke up hacking the most horrible crap out. We were home by noon on Sunday and I felt a lot better. Still coughing , but it was getting much better. Mike slept all day Sunday, so should have known something was coming. He woke up Monday coughing again with a sore throat. I felt good all day Monday, and felt really good Tuesday, minus the coughing. Tuesday, Mike's down for the count with it again. This morning I'm up at 5am coughing my brains out and now I felt like shit AGAIN! My next step is to lysol the whole place to get rid of germs. We're down to separate hand towels, no drinking out of the same glasses, you name it. I hope things start turning around.

Work stays about the same, but gets just a tad worse with each meeting. I don't even feel like talking about it anymore. Same shit, different pot each day.

I agree with Mike L. that there is diddly on television. I can only watch Thirteen Days so many times before I feel like I was AT the crisis. I watched an excellent biography on Queen Noor of Jordan, as well as one on the Queen Mum. Both very amazing ladies. Caught the Osbournes last night. It's not as good as last season, but still worth watching. Ozzy was in tough shape in last night's episode. I wonder if he was self medicating?? I love Ozzy, but you can't help feeling bad for the guy. He's really taken Sharon's cancer hard. And Jack and Kelly are brats!

I read my last post. Man, I've been in the dumps lately. Yuck. I got the dreaded 'cold' that I've been so excited that I had been able to avoid. Managed 2 half days at work, was able to work from home today on some crap that could only be done AWAY from the office & interupptions. My boss said she didn't care what I did in terms of sick time/vacation this month, she's doing the same. Nothing to lose so use 'em! There is a certain amount of relief in the 'screw it' attitude. :)

I watched my two holiday must see movies. Last night while I finished the tree (While resting in between ornaments from my cold) I watched It's A Wonderful Life. I truly did feel better after I watched it. Did you know that it did not become a classic until they started playing it on TV in the 70's? It was a box office failure. Jimmy at his best. 2nd movie: Going My Way with Bing Crosby. Technically, it's not really a Christmas movie, but the movie ends at Christmas time so I always watch it then. Bing won his Best Actor for this one.

Now, I'm looking to Charlie Brown & Little House on The Prairie to complete the holiday movie ensemble.

We have a cable channel called True, which mostly airs biography movies. Anybody have it? Tonight I started watching a bad movie about the life of Rock Hudson. I was really pissed off because although it was made in 1990, all "Rock" and his "lover" would do is hug. Give me a break-the guy was gay, the story is about this, KISS THE GUY! Not that I want to see it, but I try to not be homophobic and I think it would have been a much more realistic movie if it had been done.

Anyone seen what Johnny Cash looks like these days? He is in Rolling Stone this month-it's sad. He's 71, has asthma, diabetes and glaucoma. He can't read or write, but can barely sing and play guitar. What's happening to those outlaws? Is Willie next? They're getting old.

I think I should move to Canada.

I know that I live in the greatest country in the world, but I'm starting to become very cynical. More so then usual. It's scaring me. I am going to watch It's A Wonderful Life tonight while Mike watches the Penguins take on the Crapitols, as he calls them. Jaromir Jagr is a hated enemy in our household.

Job:
Word came down from our grant manager that I need to start pulling together a list of all the things we have, contracts, etc so that should we be given the word to shut down in 30 days, we are ready with a plan of action. I think it will take them about $100,000 to shut this thing down. Breaking contracts isn't a cheap business. We still have no final word on where the place is going. We do know that the program as we know it is gone. If we want to play, we have to play by the Health dept. rules.

Christmas shopping is done! Shipping will commence this week! I feel a huge amount of relief in terms of the pocket book. I think we'll be just fine. However, it's time to start looking for that good old thing called a job! And, the house probably is going to take another back burner leap. Oh well. At least we are not like some family & friends that we know that are in debt up their butts, work a zillion jobs, and keep on buying. However, my uncle Tom related a cute story about our grandparents at Thanksgiving...

Apparently, in the early years of their marriage, they found themselves with $18. All the money they had in world, which back then, was a pretty good chunk of change. They borrowed someone's car, drove to Decorah, and purchased a record player for $18. They now had no money. Grandpa said, "We were the dummies. We had to BORROW someone's car to get the darn thing, but we sure wanted it bad enough to spend all we had." My aunt Diane's comment was: "It sounds like a Webb. Spend your last cent on electronics." Heehee

Second story: Diane asked Grandpa how long he and Grandma had been together before they knew they were getting married. Here's his response: "I was living with Grandma and her Mom at their house in Bluffton for awhile. Grandma Molly was called away to a birth (she was a mid-wife) and found out that she would have to stay for quite a long period of time. We were told in no uncertain terms that Grandma and I had to get married if we were going to be staying in the house like that. So, 2 weeks later we were married in the rectory at St. Bridget's." Then he said to Diane, "I don't think that story is common knowledge in our family." I assume he was referring to the living together part!! Pretty cute.

Thanksgiving was fine. Ate well, gained weight. My pumpkin pie was the best. 2nd year running. Pam made romogrout from Grandma's recipe. It was damn good.

John & Jenny had a baby boy on November 23. Just under 7lbs, but 1 month early. Issac John Simon. He's a doll, but soooo small. They said that even though he weighed a good amount, he has no body fat because he is early. He's a little jaundice, doesn't want to eat, and only wants to sleep because he is still technically in-utero. They call him their little chiquita banana because he's dressed in yellow because they didn't if he was a boy or girl, he has blond hair, and then is jaundice! Poor little guy. But, they'll get there. It just takes time. We are passing on stories to them, including yours Mike L. on the success of babies that come early.

Put the tree up Sunday night, and will finish decorating tonight. Mike has his own small tree in the corner with just his sports ornaments on there. Gotta have the Jerry Rice, Steve Young and Mario Lemieux guys on there! I have my own collection of Gone With The Wind ornaments. Pat, your tree looks nice in red.

Been awhile since I've posted. I probably won't be posting much in the coming weeks. Work is slowly going down the tubes, so my time seems to be consumed by that. It's safe to assume that I will be jobless by February. And, it has nothing to do with the incoming governor this time.

Busy Christmas shopping, trying to get it done by Thanksgiving. I hope to finish up tonight. I hate shopping during the holiday season-I'm not a good crowd person.

On Sunday I attempted to make my first roast-and it was really good tasting. I also made potatos, gravy (it was runny but good) along with corn muffins, salad, and vegetables. WOW! I can't believe I knew how to do it. All with the help of Mom, who just got me started on when to put it in the oven and how to defrost it.

Heading to Rochester for Thanksgiving at my mom and barry's. That's about all planned.

I need to watch it's A Wonderful Life or something to make me feel better about life and my fellow man-kind.

My brother with Senator Hillary Clinton. Holy Crap! My co-worker and I think it's cool.

Last Thursday night we went to the Minnesota Wild game against Pittsburgh. Only Lemieux's second trip to the new Xcel Energy Center. Welcome to the state of hockey. Mike loves him to death and was able to stand down by the ice and take pictures of him. As he said, "Two feet away from greatness." Great game-overtime tie. Mike was thrilled to not be the only Penguins fan. Our governor-elect make an appearance at the first intermission where everyone cheered him-I booed so hard I hurt my throat. Then, we all booed the Commissioner of the NHL. Everyone hates that guy. The arena is awesome and a great place to watch hockey. We get the 2004 NHL All-Star Game at last.

Start the new work schedule today: 9.5 hours a day with one day off a week. (Not like I don't already work those hours most of the time, but there is some incentive now)

Mommy made homemade chicken and dumping soup on Sunday. Holy crap is it good! I scored a little extra for lunch and supper today. Stopped at my Aunt Linda's on the way home and scored some flat bread and more soup. She had made Grandma Garness' ham and dumpling soup. It was a good day all around. And, the Vikings won against the Packers, so my step-dad and I were happy.

Long time no post. I've been wallowing in post-election depression, which is why I haven't written. I spent 3 hours discussing things with my Uncle Charlie (my political mentor) and I have now come to terms with what has happened. No more whining.

Won't know if my job is safe for some time yet. It's really hard to say. Many other states are yanking their tobacco money to fix the budget (Wisconsin raided all of their's) so it's a definite possiblity. The Dept. of Health is giving these random answers. They don't have a clue. I think they're thinking that they have to watch their mouth because in a little over a month, Mr. Pawlenty will be their boss. His transition team is already in there asking such pointed questions as, "what program is this? Is it really needed? Where does the money come from?" I guess I'll just brush up the resume and hang on.

Spent the weekend in Rochester again. Mike is deer hunting last weekend and this weekend. I didn't feel like staying home and since I haven't had a lot of time in Rochester in the past months, I've been just hanging out and visiting with people. Nice to not have anything pressing to do.

Anybody catch 20/20 last week with Sharon and Ozzy? Pretty sad. Ozzy broke down on camera about Sharon. I will say that daughter Aimee is the smart one in that family. Well-poised, quieter, and not annoying at all. I'm not so fond of Jack and Kelly anymore-they're brats. The new season starts the 26th I think. I hope it's as good as last season.

I have a lot to say, today, the day after the election. I'll try to not rant too much.
I'm displeased with the outcome. It's going to be a sad 2-4 years in this state.<

However, Walter Mondale made an excellent point. Democracy spoke. We live in a great nation where we have the freedom to choose what we want. I might not agree with what was chosen this round, but there is hope. I'm going to remember the words of Paul Wellstone in the coming months: "Don't get cynical. Get out there and do something about it."

In the governor's race, Republican Tim Pawlenty won. What this means is that Target Market is in for the fight of our lives. Tim Pawlenty was the biggest opposer of our organization. He fought hard to get rid of us last year. Guess what that means when he is governor? A lot. Our staff has pulled together and determined we aren't going to go down without a dirty fight. Our theme song? Rocky. The next 6 months are going to be a wild ride. And this is why I truly love politics.

This is all I will be saying for the next two days...
VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE


To continue in this spirit, I will post the following email sent from Michael Moore. I like it. And I'm probably going to do what he is suggesting.

Dear Friends,

Well, folks, Tuesday is the day! The day that George W. gets taught a long
overdue lesson. The day that we, the MAJORITY -- the 52% who never elected
him -- get our chance to reclaim a bit of our former democracy (back when
ALL the votes used to be counted).

What if, on Tuesday, all of us, regardless of our political stripe, and
just for the fun of it, decided to serve one big-ass eviction notice that
said, you have two years to remove yourself from the premises-and you had
better not damage anything on your way out?

I think we can give Bush the Mother of all Shellackings on Tuesday. It can
happen if you, and the millions of others, who are now reading this letter,
will do one simple thing:

TAKE THE DAY OFF THIS TUESDAY.

That's right. Call in sick, skip work, skip school, skip Springer, and then
devote the next 12 hours to dragging as many people as you can out of their
homes and getting them to the polls.

I know a lot of you cannot afford to do this. But, honestly, can we afford
NOT to? Bush has been effectively stymied in his first two years from doing
much of the serious damage he was hired to do (we owe a big thanks to Jim
Jeffords for that). Yet, if he has both the House and Senate under his
thumb for his final two years, we will all pay a huge price for many years
to come.

On Tuesday, go down to the local candidate's office and volunteer to do
whatever is needed: give a ride to the polls for senior citizens who can't
get there, make last minute phone calls to probable voters who may have
forgotten to vote, pass out handbills on street corners, do cartwheels in
the middle of the mall -- you name it, I am sure it will work.

Or you could just start going door to door in your own neighborhood. Knock
on every door and tell people in plain, non-political language why you
would like them to go down to the polls right now and vote for so-and-so.
Tell them you have never done this before, that you were just compelled to
do it as an act conscience, to do something for our country. Or tell them
you just needed to get some exercise. Tell them what they already know:
that the corporate guys have made off like bandits while the rest of the
country lives in utter fear over whether they will have jobs, health care
benefits, or our pensions when they retire. EVERYONE can relate to this --
and trust me, it is on everyone's mind right now. Even many conservatives
who have seen their job or their 401(K) go up in smoke are now livid and
want their pound of flesh.

I know that for many of you this will be a new thing. Give it shot. I
promise you, at the end of the day on Tuesday, if we succeed, you will
never again doubt the power of just one individual who decides that she or
he can make a difference

Send this email to your friends and family so that they, too, can be
informed of the good women and men who are running for the House and Senate
(and for many local and state races as well). Visit my web site at:
http://www.Michaelmoore.com for my recommendations.

We will deny Bush control of the Congress next week, and then we all work
to get him out of the White House in 2004. 2004 will NOT and MUST NOT be a
repeat of 2000.

As for local and state races, whenever possible support Greens and other
progressive candidates like those highlighted on my web site.
(http://www.bowlingforcolumbine.com/involved/greens.php)
There you will find the list of progressive candidates who have a chance to
win.

Will you join with me in doing this?

It's our only chance, right now, to receive a small measure of justice for
what happened in Florida in 2000. And that is worth something.

Expect a wake-up call from me at your bedside 6am Tuesday!


Yours

Michael Moore

You want to see somebody who had way too much time on their hands?? An entire website devoted to the bible-in the form of LEGOS. You have to at least look at it. It's way too funny. <

Last night I did not go to the Wellstone memorial. In the end, it was better that I didn't because they filled the place in less then an hour with 20,000 plus people. Nice service-but it turned into a political rally at the end. I have no opinion on whether or not it should have turned this way, except to say that it's most likely the way Paul Wellstone would have wanted it. Bill and Hillary got their fair share of cheers and Fritz was given a standing ovation. It was wild to see Jesse Jackson, Trent Lott (who is a dickhead), Tom Harken, the Gores, Ted Kennedy, etc. It was a nice celebration of the lives of some really amazing people. If you talk to the press though, they'll let you know that they thought it sucked. And, the GOP is throwing a big fit. Some feel Norm Coleman has some leverage against Mondale, but I think that's bullshit. <

The GOP has said they will respond with such criticism as: he's too old and that the voters of Minnesota don't know who he is because he last ran for an office in 1984. Hmmm..yet when the Star Tribune polled the state, they found that 98% of Minnesotans know who Walter Mondale is. What to think?

That's where my mind is now and will be for the next week.

I also have a brand new DELL computer at work and I'm loving it. My last one that I just retired was over 4 years old and pig slow (to quote one of my TMers.) :) I not only have a CD burner on here but a DVD player as well.

Since Friday, life in the political world of Minnesota has drastically changed. WIth election day being little more then a week away, Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash with his wife, daughter, 3 aides, and 2 pilots. It's looking like good ole Fritz Mondale will most likely be stepping in to replace Senator Wellstone. Watch for Minnesota to make headlines on Election night. It's going to be a doozy.



The hard part for our office has been that our boss and and press secretary knew the Wellstones and their aides very well. Obviously, they are taking this hard. Our boss could and most likely would have been on that plane if Wellstone had not been traveling to a private engagement before going to Duluth. It's scary to note that any one we know in the DFL party could have been on board. The headquarters is just a block away from our office and while all the news is transpiring, Ted Kennedy and Walter Mondale are standing down there giving interviews. Wild. Tom Daschle is in town now, and a lot more are on their way. Tomorrow is the public memorial service and I think I'll go. As inappropriate as this may sound, it's an opportunity to see many of our US Senators (rumor has it that most of the senate is coming) as well as Clinton. I would like to see Clinton speak in person once in my life. Cheney may come too, but I could give a rat's ass if I see him or not.



Thanks OJ, for the info on Gedde Watanabe. My husband and I also realized that he was in the movie GUNG HO with Michael Keaton if anyone even remembers it. We like it cuz it's pretty funny and has some great one liners. (Example: "Razy American auto worker!") Apparently Gedde has really been around the block in terms of TV and Movies!



Angels win the World Series. I gotta say they were the ones that wouldn't die. As I heard a reporter ask, "What helped get the monkey off your back? Whoops, not the Rally Monkey." Did anybody see the batboy for the Giants? His grandpa is the coach, and that little guy was crying alligator tears that they had lost. :( Poor kid.

Yay Paige! It's a big moment when you lose that first tooth.



Pat, do you remember this? I could never find the tooth fairy money under my pillow when I would get up in the morning. Mom would say, it's probably down in your bed from you rocking in your sleep. (To others, rocking is a term I won't get into) So, I would search my bed, but no luck. Then MOM would search my bed, and always miraculously find it down under the covers. Hmm-do you think the tooth fairy may have forgotten to put it under my pillow the night before?? Wink. :)



And, speaking of Arthur books, has anyone heard of this series yet? Captain Underpants. Such titles are: "Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space." Apparently, some parents have not taken a liking to these books because they promote being disrespectful, not to obey authority, etc. A fourth grader got in trouble because he and his friends were having too much fun with the Name Change-o-Chart 2000. You can take a chart and transform any name into something like: Samuel Albert Smith to Snotty Pizzashorts. Here's who I agree with. Barbara Genco of New York's Brooklyn Public Library says, "First of all, they're funny as heck, and kids love them. And they get kids, especially boys, to read-and that's what we want." I've asked Mike to buy me one of them for Christmas. Sounds like they are right up my farting and burping ally.

Saw a great billboard off of I-35 coming home from Northern Minnesota:

"Stop saying my name in vain or I'll make rush hour longer. " -God



It appears Bud Selig is trying to make ammends with Minnesota baseball fans as well as the Twins organization. In the Sunday Star Tribune he took out a full page ad with a team picture of the Twins that says (paraphrase): "Minnesota, thanks for your enthusiasm, patience and dedication this season. We look forward to working together in the future." Trying to make nice with all I guess. Yuck.



I was really excited to see John McCain on SNL. I liked his Ashcroft, but was disappointed in the rest of his performance. I guess he's truly a senator first. But it rocked that he did the show. Mike's question (some may find this word offensive, so I apologize) to me was: "Do you think he'll use the word gook like when Chris Parnell would play him during the 2000 elections?" I really think the show needs to start using Horatio Sands and Tracy Morgan A LOT MORE.



I don't know how much stock most people take in dreams, but I always have really vivid ones and usually remember them. After my step-sister passed away in 1991, I had a bizarre series of them about her. They freaked me out until I started to analyze them a bit. Anyway, I woke up Saturday morning kind of in a daze...had a dream about my grandma. It was actually really cool. She was just sitting at her kitchen table, hanging out with the family. I asked her why she was there and she said she had just come to say goodbye. She looked like the old grandma-the one with weight on before she got sick. I went over and gave her a big hug and she said something like she knew that we missed her, but she was okay and feeling much better. It made me feel a lot better for some reason. There are many philosophies on what dreams mean and I could read it many ways. I chose to view it as 1) my subconscious working out the many details of how I'm feeling about losing her 2) maybe she was really saying goodbye. Interesting to ponder, not sure of the answer. After 9/11 especially, I pay attention to my dreams even more. Before it ocurred, I used to have this recurring nightmare about once a week that I was on the top floor of this tall building and the floor was moving around. Kind of like it had waves. I would be crawling around trying to get to safety, but no once else noticed and they weren't experiencing the same thing. I'd wake up in a panic. After 9/11, I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS DREAM AGAIN. Strange???? Yes. But I'm glad I don't have it anymore because I hated it. I had probably been dreaming that dream for 5 years or more.



What's the best band name you ever heard?

My answers: Screaming Monkey Boner (my fave)

God Speed You Black Emperor

Bruce Banner (as in the Hulk guy)



Personally, I liked the Chain Smokin' Alter Boys that Pat posted.



We watched both Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club this weekend on TNT. These movies totally remind me of growing up in the '80's. I love 'em. I noticed the guy who plays Long Duck Dong has not only been on ER, but also played a doctor on 'My Wife and Kids' last week. One of my favorite scenes in Sixteen Candles is at the beginning whenever they mention Long Duck Dong, they hit the gong in the background. :)



Saturday night we spent at Mike's parents house looking at his Grandma's old slides. It was really cool. :) Maybe we should be nostalgic and go back to this? I remember it was always a highlight when I was little when we would ge the projector out and check out the family slides. You had to giggle at how young everybody looked, the places they'd been, the clothes they wore. Mike's dad had these wicked sideburns going in one picture. We had to laugh :)

I can't believe I came that close to being removed from Clan Lally. Thanks for being so forgiving :)



I took the afternoon off from work yesterday because I wanted to catch up on some sleep and lay around. About 3pm I ventured into the kitchen and made some homemade soup. Around 4:15pm I stepped into the living room only to see a dead mouse lying in the middle of the floor. People, WE DON'T GET MICE! We live in a second floor apartment that is no where near to being pest infested or anything. Let's just say I hid in the bedroom until Mike came home. Where did it come from and why the hell did it just croak in the middle of the floor?



As many of my co-workers and husband can attest to, I am being a total bitch this week. Just thought I'd get it out in the open. :)



Found this funny picture of Bush 'posing' like Dr. Evil with his pinky by his mouth. Seems appropriate this week doesn't it?



Anybody seen the GAP ad in Rolling Stone of Willie Nelson?? AWESOME picture. Also, Playboy's interview with him this month is highly recommended.

Forgot to mention that I ran up to KMart yesterday for a few things. Target is closer, however, the prices at KMart are cheaper. The ONLY reason I made the choice to go there instead of Target, however, is this: the self-checker. I cannot tell you how awesome this invention was, and I serious recommend other retail outlets similar to theirs look into this feature. I went into the store, looked around and picked up my items in 15 minutes, and checked myself out in 2 minutes flat. I took a look around, and only 2 lanes were open. Both of which were knee-deep with about 5-7 people per lane.



In any other circumstance, I would have chosen Target. But, the thought of wading my way through a Sunday afternoon crowd there and waiting in line for 10 minutes was too much to handle. KMart will keep my business (although their selection isn't as good) just because of this awesome feature. I highly recommend giving it a try if you manage to find a store you actually want to go into. :)



Tonight, while playing around on the computer, I was singing along to my Springsteen CD. Unaware of how loud I was getting (I had headphones on) Mike walks in laughing at me. He could hear me clear as day out in the living room. What can I say? I'm learning the words I don't know on some of the tunes and jamming to the others!!!!!!!!!



I'm working on old family photos again after taking a short break. I completed my grandmother's life cycle by putting in her death date in my geneology program. It was a reflective moment for me. I'm always putting in new info and catching up with stuff that hasn't been done, but rarely have to update information that has happened recently. Hard to explain how I felt about doing this one.



The Rein of Terror begins tomorrow at work. My boss officially starts her 3 week leave of absence. AHH!



Last item of interest: I purchased the 'Friends' trivia game yesterday. Mike and I are very sad people. We knew the answers to almost everything. However, we would love to play with anyone of you!! Let's get together soon! :) Good game of fun though.

FINALLY! My Blog is working. Apparently there were some issues with my template. It needed a face lift anyway.



Well, our rein of being America's Team is now officially over. The Minnsota Twins had a good run while it lasted, but couldn't catch a break in the end. Anaheim is a good team, and they deserve being in the World Series. However, it doesn't mean I have to like it!



My parents were up on Saturday and delivered our new/old bedroom furniture. They brought TJ, our dog, with so I got to play with him. He made himself at home by crawling up into the chair and taking a nap. :) I can't wait until we get a dog.



Still can't get enough of Springsteen's album. I listen to it all the time. I LOVE the beginning of Countin On A Miracle, and my all time fave is Waitin' On A Sunny Day. Brings back good concert memories. I gotta say that for being in his 50's, the guy can still boogie on stage. I'm really glad we went considering all the family stuff going on.



It's been 2 weeks since my grandmother passed away and I have to say that I really miss her. It's amazing how you just take advantage of knowing that they're always just 'there'. Plus, having gone down there almost every week or so since she became ill, I didn't realize how it had become part of my schedule. The more I think of her and the things she did in her life, the more I realize what she gave to us as individuals and as a family. She was truly our matriarch and will always be missed. Reading the memorial I wrote for her was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. It was, however, something I felt compelled to do. In the end, I'm happy that I could honor my grandmother in the way that I did.



SNL sucks without Will Farrell.

I've been having some blog issues. Nothing has been posting, so I apologize.



Been gone for the last week at my grandmother's funeral, etc. Back to work today, which is sort of a blessing to get back to normal again. Went up the north shore of Minnesota for our anniversary this weekend. We stayed at a cool lodge in between Lutsen and Grand Marais for 2 nights. Lakeside view of LakeSuperior. The lodge was pretty small, however Mike had to throw in that it reminded him of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. After that, I kept expecting to see those twin girls standing down the hall.



Crappy weather all weekend and very cold. IT started to spit snow today. I'M NOT READY FOR THAT YET!



Saw Springsteen last Monday night. It was hard to go the day after my grandma died, but our family was insistent that my aunt and I go. It's kind of like our special thing since we love the Boss. Best show I've ever been to. He played for 3 hours, with about 5 encores. Great tunes, great energy, great crowd. I've been playing the CD all weekend. Favorite tunes: The Rising, Lonesome Day, Waitin' On A Sunny Day, City of Ruins, Mary's Place, Counting on A Miracle, Empty Sky. Lally, you're going to love the show. Anybody see him on SNL Saturday?



Speaking of which, SNL was pretty good. Matt Damon is a hoot when he wants to be. Our fave was him and Jimmy Fallon doing Sully and his friend from Boston at a Springsteen concert. Rachel Dratch as 'zazoom' is awesome.

Blogger isn't posting for me yesterday and today.

No posts for me too. Lots to do and catch up on.



Can I just say that I think we need to buy a digital camera? This morning I looked at my brothers pictures from his trip to MN, clicked on the ones I wanted, purchased them, and they will arrive in a few days. How cool is this?? I just can't tell you. Plus, there are so many times that Mike and I are going separate places, but each need the camera. This would eliminate the problem. Neither of us like to use disposable cameras. They suck.



Worked a lot of extra hours last week catching up on stuff and helping out with a proposal for the Dept. Of Health. I have come to realize that state agencies are NOTHING but bureaucracy. They are nothing but this. It's ridiculous at times. I'm trying to get information about our bank account because the World HEalth Organization wants to deposit money they owe to us in our account. Except that our org that does the business stuff says that they 'don't like to give out that kind of information to just any organization.' HELLO! This is the WORLD Health Organization in Italy. I think they're safe. Plus, they don't want to send us a check in the mail for christ sake when they could just wire it. Frustrations abound. I've learned much about being in management in the past 2 weeks. I don't like it, but I'm doing it. My boss goes on a one month leave for October. That should be interesting to see how much people realize they HAVE to listen.




I spent the weekend by myself, while Mike went home to visit his parents. It was quite lovely. Friday I watched Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. Then I went and had a beer with a co-worker and her parents who were visiting. I slept until 10:30 Saturday morning, then watched the end of Almost Famous and all of Field Of Dreams. The latter of which I cried like a baby. I'm very emotional lately. (Pertaining to grandparent issues, it's like I can't cry about them, but I cry over movies to release it). Then, I went to Taco Bell because I was hungry for it. I don't think I'll do that for awhile. Totally did not agree with me, but it tasted good. When I came home, I watched Coal Miners Daughter. When it finished, I drove up to Kmart and did my 'what we need' shopping. YOu know the stuff: shampoo, underwear, stuff like that. I've really gotten away from shopping at KMart sadly, but their prices are still cheaper on the items I use then Target. My only problem with them is still their check-out lanes. 2 lanes for about 15 people. Not good. So, what did I do? Used the fabulous self-checker machine. This is the coolest invention. I wish more places would get them. I was out of the lane in 5 minutes. You scan your own items, bag 'em, the machine talks you through the whole process, you swipe your credit card (in my case, a check card) and sign electronically on the pad. Out the door I went.



When I got home, I began to clean my disgusting apartment. It had been quite awhile. I re-arranged my plants, pulled dead leaves off them, swept the balcony, put up my new plant stands, etc. All the while I watched this Freddie Prinze movie called Head Over Heels. A dorky movie, but somewhat cute. Not good acting. One of those you have to watch a few times before it grows on you. As I began to do my laundry for the evening, I watched the Miss American pageant which is like tradition for me. We watched it when I was a little kid, and then in college we used to get drunk and take bets on it. Even better. Wayne Brady hosted and did a better job then many before him ever did. But, then again, I love Wayne Brady. My favorite round was the quiz show at the end. They had to answer 16 trivia questions, mulitple choice, and had five seconds to lock in their answer. Questions ranged from historical, current events, music, movies. Pretty fluff stuff. Holy crap were those girls dumb!! Out of 16, I got 2 wrong and it was only because I second guessed myself. The questions that the girls did not get were stuff like, "What is the name of Bruce Springsteen's new album?" Duh, it's only been all over the news radio and magazines. "Besides George W.Bush, what other son followed his father in presidency?" Hello, same thing. They've said it a million times on the news and campaign trail. The one stumper, but one you could get right if you really thought carefully, "Who was the first American in Space?" John Glenn, Alan B. Shepard or Neil Armstrong. Answer: Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, John Glenn orbited the moon, but Alan Shepard was the first person to go into space. Anyways, I just wasn't overly impressed with their knowledge of trivia!



Later in the evening, I began to watch Kindergarden Cop on TNT as I addressed envelopes. My boss made me a deal: she had tons of envelopes to do for the DFL campaign. She is in the process of moving and didn't have time. So, she'll pay me $10 an hour to do them. By the end of the weekend, I made $60! Not too shabby when you can just sit in a chair and watch tv while you're doing it. All in all, a lovely, quiet weekend was had. I recouped quite nicely.



A week from yesterday-it's Springsteen time on September 30!



Thanks to my brother, again, for the great CD of songs. I listen to it all the time. :) I'm particularly fond of City of New Orleans and Steve McQueen.



Question: anyone pay bills online? Or credit cards? What luck have you had and do you think it's a convenience? I have it set up with my long distance account, but set it up for my credit card because we are having huge issues lately at keeping track of when things are due. Just wondering the pros and cons of it.



Heading to the Twins game tonight, the only one I'll make it to this season since it's over in a few days! However, tonight Michael Restovich from Rochester, Minnesota makes his Metrodome debut. The guy played over the weekend in Chi town against the White Sox and blasted a 420 foot homer. He's going to do well with them I think. We're going with Mike's best friend Ty and his wife Jodie. I've been craving a dome dog lately. Makes me think of Field of Dreams. Remember these lines:



Ray Kinsella: So what do you want?

Terence Mann: I want them to stop looking to me for answers, begging me to speak again, write again, be a leader. I want them to start thinking for themselves. I want my privacy!

Ray Kinsella: No, I mean, what do you WANT?

[Gestures to the concession stand they're in front of.]

Terence Mann: Oh. Dog and a beer.



You gotta admit, this movie has some good quotes. I cannot watch this movie without getting goosebumps or shedding a few tears. This rates in my Top 5 of 10 movies.
Check out the quotes list here.

My translation of Alissa's Spanish came through. I like the thin vs. slim translation.



Let me pose a question to you all about the 'going back to school' time of year. Do you all still get that feeling? The one in the pit of your stomach that makes you partly excited and partly sick to think of going back to it all? Or, do you just get excited to think that you don't have to go? Or, even more, do you get the feeling because you watch your kids head off? Just curious. I still get the feeling no matter what, but mine is more the 'I'm glad it's not me' kind. I wasn't a big fan of school. College was different.



Janelle took off for UW-LaCrosse two weeks ago. All seems to be going okay. She had been talking with her roommate all summer, coordinating what they would both bring. They were both junior transfers, it was working out well. The night before Janelle leaves, the girl calls and says she isn't coming. She is pregnant. Nice! Janelle did get a new roommate but haven't heard how the new one is.



My friend Jess's brother Jordan took off for Luther College in Decorah at the same time as Janelle. He told his mom that he wanted to come home every weekend because his roommate was really wierd. Low and behold he jumped right into all the activities that Luther had to offer (including the Young Republicans) and no longer wanted to come home all the time. He was afraid he would miss out on all the cool stuff. That's what I like to hear!! :) After it taking me a full year to realize all the cool stuff college had to offer, I'm all about making sure kids get into the coolness of college.



Watched Silence of the Lambs on cable last night. I forgot how freaky that movie is. It's a really good movie, just a little unsettling at times.



The 6 episode season of Sex and the City finished up on Sunday night. It was supposed to be 13 episodes, but with Sarah Jessica Parker's real life pregnancy, it got knocked down to 6. It was such a bummer-this season was no where as good as the last one. Last season was amazing-every episode my mouth would be hanging open at the way the story line had turned. This last episode was good however. The guy from Office Space is potentially her new love interest. They have some cool chemistry.



The Twins magic number is now done to 6. Each time the White Sox lose, we gain. It will be nice to watch the Twins in post-season play for the first time in 11 years.



Pat, spoke with Grandpa and told him you likely found the plane he worked on at the Cessna plant in Kansas. He was interested in chatting with you about it. Like you said, he views it as another job and said, "pat was always really interested to know which plane i worked on. I never knew."

Congrats to Paige on her flying experience! Mom and I just sat down to read it and loved it. :)



Answer to Thursday (one) question:



The anti-christ for me in movies is: TOM GREEN, specifically the movie: Freddy Got Fingered

(I think he was funny on his show on MTV for the most part, but otherwise I have to turn the channel.)



Female: the chick who played Adam Sandler's girlfriend in The Waterboy: Fairuza Balk

I hate her!



Visited the grandparents today. After helping Grandpa out at their apartment by sweeping, vacuuming, etc he said, "Boy, look at the cheap labor I get out of buying someone a cheeseburger!" (He had gotten cheeseburgers from the restaurant for lunch for us.) We were happy to help.



BTW, Pat, they were THRILLED with the photo card of Paige with the copper tub. It was sitting on top of the TV. It was really cool and it turned out great.

Again, no posts, sorry, been busy.



Friday night we babysat for the Henks. Tyler and Riley were quite the pair, to say the least. We had friends visiting from Duluth as well, and Tyler was quite psyched to meet them. When Bryan and Mary walked in the door he said, "I thought more friends then them are coming." Apparently, he thought we had a party going on. He sat in the corner of the couch with Mike carrying on a conversation like an adult. All with a bag of Doritos in his lap, until I realized that Mike wasn't keeping track of how he was eating and neither had I. Whoops! Had a minor accident (almost got the toilet thing going) but couldn't keep his pants down to hit the toilet. I was putting Riley down so didn't know what was going on. Mary helped him get cleaned up and get a pull-up on instead of underwear. He asked her, "What's that brown thing on your face?" It was a mole. Gotta love 3 year olds!



State Fair on Saturday. Did the park and ride thing for 5 bucks. The crap part was that they cram you on a city bus, which we were the last to board and had to stand holding on for 20 minutes. We were all hoping we smelled okay with our arms up in the air holding on to the bar. Let's just say we got to know our fellow passengers pretty well. Easier then parking and walking and paying a fortune though. And, they give you incentive to do this by giving you $2 off your fair ticket.



Had a pickle on a stick, which was interesting. Pat, I forgot to get for you a Gedney Pickle Hat. More of a headband, but I thought of you. Had mini-donuts, Sweet Martha's cookies, a taco, etc. Walking from noon-5pm in the sun makes for a long day, but it was fun. Checked out the Poultry barn, Horses and Goats. Got to pet the goats, which is always fun. Saw some really interesting people as usual. Had a lady budge in front of me to get the pickle. There was like 3 people in line, so I don't know why she felt the need to do that. When she looked back at me to see if I was mad (She knew she did it) I said, "Hey, you must really want a pickle more then I do." I don't think she liked that. I was in no hurry!



Two cool things at the fair. One: this ride where they launch you into the air while you and a partner are strapped into this oval shaped thing while you hold your hands crossed your chest. It flies up, turns upside down, etc. People REALLY scream. The second one is taking you up a couple hundred feet and drop you into a net. It's a lovely free fall that scares the shit out of most people. Good laughs.



Saturday night we saw Austin Powers again because Bryan and Mary hadn't seen it. Even better the second time around.



I started watching Frequency the other night on HBO and have got to catch the whole thing. From the hour I watched it was AWESOME. We've also become quite fond of the Replacements. That's another movie I can't get enough of watching. Mike is into the Fast and the Furious on Starz lately. I think Vin Diesel is cool too, but that's about it. We also watched Blazing Saddles and Bull Durham.



Two new board games I have to get. The 20th anniversary edition of Trivial Pursuit, the 80's edition. Pat, we are hoping to purchase this before you come to Minnesota so hopefully we can play it. The second is the new Friend's Trivia Game. I don't know if you can purchase it, but it was in the JCPenney Christmas Catalog. I HAVE to have this game. Finally, something I could most likely win. Last year I wanted the Elvis Trivia game but no one got it for me. I think everyone realized I would just kick their ass so it was pointless.



Thursday Three Answers:

1. What would be the most mis-matched combination of food (i.e. curry flavored doritos)?

Syrup flavored baloney and Cookie Dough Gatorade (Stolen from Saturday Night Live )

My co-workers contribute these:

Marshmallow pot roast

Wasabi covered Hershey Kisses

Pesto Ice Cream

Lemon Hot Dogs

Peppermint Pastrami



2. Name a style of public urination in at a mens room urinal (sorry ladies):

Can't help you. But I can recommend that you put the toilet seat down at home so that your wives/ girlfriends/mothers/sisters/children don't fall in


3. Your favorite town name:

Well, there is Embarrass, Minnesota, the town before Babbitt, Minnesota where Minnesota Mike is from. (Could I fit Minnesota in that sentence anymore?)

But I think I like these ones:

Fertile, Minnesota which is near Climax, Minnesota. Spread Eagle, Wisconsin. Intercourse, Pennsylvania.



The discussion today at work centered on the episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel pick their "Top 5" celebrity list that they could sleep with and the other couldn't get mad. Makes for interesting conversations. We also are creating a staff CD of all our favorite songs. Do you know how hard it is to actually pick out your favorite song and album? I can't do it-I can' t pick out my favorite book either. I like way too many to narrow it down.

My answers to last week and this week's Thursday Three:



Would I run naked through my local shopping mall on a Saturday for a million dollars:

Yes



Who is the best looking Government Official?

Colin Powell



Link to goofiest guy or girl:

It's a celebrity, he's dead, but I've always wondered how the hell this guy got famous.



What’s the best business slogan you’ve seen?

I don't know if this is qualifies, but a local rock radio station had a billboard that said, "Elvis is dead. Face the music."



In keeping with the Elvis theme, what would Elvis be like if he were still alive?

I think he would have lost weight, gone to rehab, and been in seclusion for a number of years. Then, in 2000, he would have come back for another Comeback Concert and he would be dressed in regular clothes (no jumpsuits) and look distinguished and cool with silver/gray hair and glasses. Still would have all his gold and TCB jewelry.



Which two famous women would you most like to see fighting each other (cat or regular)?

Gwyneth Patrow and Jennifer Aniston (fighting over Brad Pitt) I think Jenn would kick her ass.



In my quest to find the goofiest person, I came across this tshirt slogan that Lynn saw on a poster in Galena, Illinois and we all thought was hilarious.



Spent 3 hours at the State Fair yesterday. This might sound crazy, but my co-worker brought along a polaroid from work and we went on Mullet patrol. We actually came away with 4 good pictures of really bad hair. Made the day quite fun! Otherwise, had the cheese curds, donuts, lemonade, cookies, etc. I didn't feel so good last night, can you guess why?

Did I mention that Pam and I are going to Bruce Springsteen in concert at the end of September? I hope (and think) that $85 is worth it to see the Boss and the E Street Band. Bought the new album last week. It's awesome.

Pat: Watch it, or you'll be walking to my house from the airport in Minneapolis.



Have any of you seen the Distinguished Gentlemen with Eddie Murphy? I had never watched the entire thing until last night. I have a fondness for short, political movies such as this one. Cute movie. Reminds me of a couple of my other political favorites: Dave and The American President.



Went out to dinner with Matt and Jill last night. Can't seem to coordinate weekend schedules, so we had to settle for a weeknight meal. Hadn't seen them in a long time. Went well, had fun. Ate at Damon's, which is a close knockoff of the ESPN Cafe. We ate in a round booth facing 4 big screen TV's and a speaker on the table. Unfortunately, the Twins were getting their butts kicked so it wasn't a fun game to watch.



The Great Minnesota Get Together started today: Minnesota State Fair. Did you know that it is the second most popular fair in the nation? Some favorites on a stick to note this year: alligator, fried candy bar, fried cheese cake, pickle, and turkey leg. The all-time best Minnesota fair feature is Tom Thumb mini-donuts. Second would be cheese curds. Third, corn on the cob cooked with the skin on over a grill, stripped down and dipped in butter, and then handed to the customer. Good stuff.



Going to see Matthew Perry and Liz Hurley's new movie: Serving Sara on Friday night.



No plans this weekend. YES! I'm sleeping until noon.



Newsweek had an article on blogging this week. Interesting to read and find out why some people do it, and what they post about.

Back from the weekend up north and doing my father-in-law's retirement party. A fun time was had by all. We had more then enough food with waaay too much leftover. Anyone want ham sandwiches and 2 lbs of homemade potato salad? It's tasty!



It was a long weekend, spent most of the time cleaning and making food. My folks came up with the dog. Our dog and Mike's parents dog didn't get along. They bit each other and then Joey kept trying to hump TJ even though they are both boys. It was very strange. TJ is so used to being socialized with other dogs, but apparently Joey isn't. He was really pushing his territory issues. Freaked me out. I hate dog fights. Gross.



That's all for now...

Forgot to mention to Mike L.Those are 2 of my favorite quotes from So I Married An Axe Murderer. I love that movie. "HEED! PAPER! NOW!"

Long live the King...of Rock and Roll. Elvis Week is here and I'm loving it. Did you know he made 32 million in sales of memorabilia this year? That Graceland alone brings in 15 million in revenue? I bet Nick Cage and Lisa Marie had a pre-nup. She's worth a bundle. According to the British tabloids, Lisa and Nick held a seance to contact Elvis and ask his blessing of their marriage. The King said it was A-OK with him. Retarded tabloid crap.


No matter what anyone says, or how he died, he's still cool to me.



The 10th Annual Camping trip went well. Great sleeping weather and no rain, lots of sun. Tshirts went over big time with the famdamily. We had a picture taken with everyone wearing their shirts. Unfortunately, I don't have digitial pictures of this because I accidentally erased them. DAMN! I was on the winning team for a change during the Winnebago Bowl. We've progressed so much in the 4 years we've been doing this. We now have cones to mark off the end zone, as well as an electronic scorer. I only had 2 major incidents of pain. Trying to get out of my husbands way (he was on the other team) and I bounced right off of him. It really hurt. Then, trying to tackle my cousin in the end zone so that he would drop the ball, Uncle Charlie throws his hand in to tip the ball away, and they both fall on me. We're talking over 300 lbs with both of them. Not so fun. But, a good laugh and some great plays.



Co-worker had her baby on Monday at last. Lost the office pool on that one. Cool name for a girl: Emery.



This weekend is our party for my father-in-laws retirement. Relies started descending last night. Should be a good time, hopefully we get all the food in place. It sounds like my parents might actually be coming up with the dog! He's going to love the lake.

I figured I better post after reading my brother's jab at me...what can I say about my inconsistency? I have no life to post about somedays!



The latest in the saga of kids doing stuff wrong at work: came in yesterday morning and the screen of someone's laptop was cracked. It would appear that while it was closed, someone either sat on it or a football bounced off of it. Haven't quite figured out how to handle this situation! It's never dull around here. :)



A guy I work with spent last weekend up at Breezy Point Resort near Brainerd, Minnesota. The cool part is that on Saturday night he hung out with Tony Oliva, the old Minnesota Twin! Apparently Tim had started talking with a guy one Friday night and they were chatting about the Twins. The guy said they should come back to the lounge the next evening and meet Tony and hang out. They drank and shot the shit with him for hours. Super cool guy. I remember when I interviewed him for an online chat that he was really nice. I had my laptop and my brother hand changed my screensaver without telling me and it flashed, "Kristin's brother is the coolest." Tony laughed and said, "So, you're brother is the coolest, huh?" There is a guy who really belongs in the Hall of Fame.



Which reminds me of an article that everyone should read about Cooperstown. I"m slowly becoming disenchanted with baseball and I've sworn that if they strike this year, I will walk away from the sport forever and pledge my allegiance to NASCAR and hockey. However, this article re-affirmed some of my faith. It's really more about my love of the Hall. A very magical place.



This one on the Twins is worth a read too...



Getting ready for our annual camping trip this weekend. We love to camp, yet we only go once a year. This is our 10th Annual Garness Family Camp-Out, complete with tshirts and the 4th Annual Winnebago Bowl. Thanks to my husband, he organized a football game one year and it's been tradition every since. Since we camp at Camp Winnebago, you get the idea. Last night we went out and bought a Pudgie Pie Maker to make hot ham and cheeses, cherry pies, stuff like that. Pulled out the tent, cooler, grill, all that crap that goes with camping. Plus, we have to get Whittney and Tyler in the back seat of Mike's car in addition to bringing this stuff. Still don't know if that's going to work! I will hopefully be able to post pictures on Monday.



Answers to the Thursday questions:



I didn't find any alternates of me. I found many things with my name, but none worthy of viewing. The cool part when I typed my name into Yahoo search, my blog came up!


I would not cut off two of my fingers for a million dollars.



I would like to kick Bill Gates' ass. In my mind I see Anthony Michael Hall playing him in Pirates of the Silcon Valley and I just want beat the crap out of him. I know that he has done much good and much bad, but I just don't like the guy. He looks like a turtle.



Pat, it's funny that you put Larry Ellison down. There is a huge interview with him this month in PlayBoy. (Yes, my husband gets this magazine.) The guy is a major dick. I can't stress this enough.



I watched Coal Miners Daughter the other night for the hell of it. Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones are awesome in the movie. Mike can't stand the movie because he hates hearing her say, "DOO!" Also watched Jerry Maguire for fun too. We were laughing at the part of the little kid who's on the phone while Cuba Gooding is ranting about his contract. He says, "You talk to much." Then, "It was nice talking to you, bye Rod!" Jonathan Lipnicki was the cutest kid to play that role.



I found this cool Stump Your Friends website that allows you to create quizes about any topic to send to friends. A local radio station had posted it on their website. Since I sent it around at work, everyone is in quiz overload stumping one another. My brother got 9/10 as did my husband. They both missed this question: What is the first car I ever had? Because I felt this quiz was too easy, I created another. Stump yourself here, or create your own quiz. Not sure I should send it to Dad. He might not like the question: "Who does Kristin call her 'real' dad?" :) There's a story there.



My mom has always been an Elvis fan. Not a freaky-obsessed-he's-still-alive kind of fan, but a casual fan. I, in turn, have become a fan since I was about 12. One year my cousin Molly and I decided to tell her little sister Allison that Elvis was really my dad. The reason is that my parents are divorced and Allison had been born after this and had a hard time comprehending who my dad really was. We took advantage of this when she was about age 7. We had her totally convinced that my mom had an affair with Elvis and I was his kid. Finally, Allison marched up to my mom and said, "Is Elvis Kristin's Dad?" You had to be there to see the look on my mom's face. Priceless. She ruined it by telling her that Uncle Steve was really my dad, not Elvis. Anyway, that's the origin of the question.

Interesting questions posed for the Thursday three: My favorite lawn ornament seen is a large pig with piglets following...they looked scary real. had to stop and look twice. maybe I'm retarded. Favorite Southern name: Billy-Jack and Doolittle are my personal favorites. (However, I have to say that some of the nicknames in our family may qualify. My mom and her sisters: Charmaine=Slim; Sandra=Rita; Susan=Jity; Pam=Penny; Dave=Davey John. Some how Aunt Linda escaped the wrath.) Best looking CEO/Chairman: Steve Case of AOL/Time Warner



I'm visiting my parents this weekend and on Thursday night we went to the Olmsted County Fair in Rochester. The people watching was at its prime. My mother about passed out at the girl (about age 19) wearing a long hippie looking skirt with a tank top that did NOT cover her large pregnant belly. Last year at the Minnesota State Fair I saw a woman wearing this: a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, BIKER SHORTS, and a tank top. It was baaaaad.



I gotta point out this great billboard that KDWB, our local Top 40 station in the Twin Cities recently did. It said Ugly Kids...and had pictures of two really ugly kids. sort of. Then a week later they had the billboard that said "Ugly kids become DJ's." Check out the link.

Goldmember is worthy of watching if you are a fan of Austin Powers. Same old sight gags, jokes, etc. Mini-me and Fat Bastard steal the show. Michael Caine ROCKS as Nigel Powers, Austin's dad. (I'm a big Michael Caine fan though). Goldmember (the character) is way dumb, that was the only character I didn't like. The opening sequence is Great. Brings you right into the movie. Most critics are saying that it's lost it's mojo. I liked it for what it was: a Mike Myers production. (Ozzy makes an appearance with the family and the outtakes of him trying to do that scene are HILARIOUS!)



Also rented Men In Black (hadn't seen the first one yet) and I Am Sam with Sean Penn. I have to say the first MIB is better then the second, more entertaining. I Am Sam is also very good, but slow moving and too long. Music is mostly all Beatles toons and it rocks. Sean Penn is amazing. He's a cross between a Forrest Gump, Arnie from What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and Daniel from The Other Sister. (If you have not seen the last two movies, I highly recommend them.) I have new respect for Sean Penn as an actor.



Went to the Minnesota Zoo on Saturday afternoon. Hadn't been there in almost 10 years. Pretty decent place, although it was mobbed with kids and families. Mike had never been to this zoo, so he was excited. Watched an excellent dolphin show where we sat in the front row by the tank and were splashed a bit. One of the female dolphins is very pregnant so it was neat to see her big belly. Those animals are so amazing. Mike swam with dolphins in the Bahamas and ever since then I have so much respect for them. Truly fantastic creatures. I came eye to eye with a really cool beaver, who stood about a foot away from me and stood looking right up at me chewing his little stick. He was about the size of smaller dog which I wasn't expecting. They also have a cool petting pond of sting rays and star fish that you are welcomed to touch. Little kids really were excited about that. Rode the monorail to see the larger outdoor animals like the bison, camels, and moose. New Tiger Lair exhibit with 2 beautiful tigers. Overall, a good day. We were wicked tired at the end of the day!



Sunday we spent the day watching NASCAR during the longest rain delay and caution. I nearly crapped myself watching Steve Park's accident. I felt bad for Junior-I can only imagine how scary it must be for him now after losing his dad in an accident. Park has just had the crappiest luck this year. I'm soooo glad that he and Jr. were okay. They are two of my favorite drivers. Besides their driving ability, their both really hot!



Taking Friday off this week to head down to the Grove town (as my co-worker and former resident of Spring Grove calls it) to visit Grandma. Time is getting shorter and priorities are being pushed into place. This is at the top of the list right now.



Since everyone is on the topic of what they are reading...Just finished The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Starting Primary Colors. Cannot get into it Not sure why. I have read so many books in my lifetime, I don't know that I would know where to start in terms of listing what is good. Off the top of my head, 2 books that I think should be required reading in college: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and 10 Things I Wish I'd Know Before I Went Out Into The Real World by Maria Shriver. I love bios too, and one of my favorites because the story is so good (nothing to do with the music side) is Love Can Build A Bridge by Naomi Judd. As the review said, "This isn't the dust off the bible story you were expecting..." I have a soft spot for single working moms, so this story really hit home for me. Childrens Books: A Fish Out of Water by Dr. Seuss; Charlotte's Web; Little House Series; I'll Love You Forever; The Giving Tree; plus there is this one book Paige made me read a few years back, can't remember the name, but it was about the kid who didn't want to give up his blankey. I have issues with giving up my blankey still.



In a moment of digression.... my great-aunt Marguerite once told me a story at age 10 (to discourage my blankey use) about a little boy she had taught many years ago. He had this blanket that he took everywhere. Once on vacation he had his head out the window as they were crossing a bridge and was holding the blanket out and flying it like a kite through the air. There was a big gust of wind and it snapped the blanket out of his hands and into the river below. Way below. It's so funny to me, but I know that if it were MY blanket it would not be. So it's more like a devilish laugh...hehehehe IF your child has a favorite blanket, just let them. They'll figure out when to get rid of it.



Pat-your story about the drive-in movie has kicked me into gear. We have one near us and are going to try to go this week. It's something we've talked about since 1996!