It's been long time

One faithful follower of A Cage Of Words told me they cried today because I had not updated my blog in over a week. I am about 99% sure that person was not joking so this is a late night, from the library, update because it has been a busy time at work the last few days.

I want to thank all of my peeps up at CG for a great stay. Some of the highlights:

• Video Games with Pat
• Pizza with Pat and Chris
  
• Helping Jeff with all the deer, both running into town and cleaning
• Walking around the old camp
• Throwing a snow ball
• And best for last, Tricia's cooking and hospitality - I miss Uno

I also owe a large thank you to all who transported me around the state and who opened their houses to me. You know who you are and I enjoyed all the good time in the car and living room.

But I am sure you are all on Pins and Needles wondering how the big meal was. It was amazing. The Torres family sure does know how to host a great feast. All of my favorites were on the table and I am sorry to say this Mr. Stove Top, but it was the best stuffing of my life. Top it all off with some good Wisconsin beer and I was in heaven. (I did miss your homemade rolls though grandma, even when Steve and I squish them, they are still the best!!)

After such a great week I was concerned it would be hard to get back to life in Indiana, but that was not the case. I have been busy with a meeting in Indy yesterday (hence no Monday post) and working on finishing up a project that I have been working on for far to long.

I also am working in my 2009 calendar. I know this is a rather ambitious project for me to be doing during 2008, but I am trying something new so lets just go with it. If you have any dates you would like me to remember let me know. I am going to tell you if I actually put them on the calendar, but you never know if you don't try.

Keep up the fight, and happy Advent

Amazing Wonders

Yes my life has been filled with amazing wonders lately. Please allow me to share some of them with you.

12 Hour Sleep
Yes, it is true I did sleep for 12 hours. I know this may not seem like a huge deal, after all people are in comas for years and college students spend much of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend passed out. I however did this without having any drugs or alcohol (except one glass of wine). Truth be told it may of been closer to 11:50, because I did get up and go to the bathroom a few times, but still that in impressive.

Beard Ice
This weekend I was able to achieve the highly prized formation of beard ice. It is truly a mark if pride when a man, or woman, can say that they acived beard ice. It requires a lot of determination. One to grow out a beard long enough. Two to sit out in the cold long enough. For those of you who don't know the beard kind of acts like a natural scarf. If you cover it with a scarf on a cold morning, you run the risk of freezing the two togehter. Not fun to pull that apart, it hurts. Not quite as intense as this guy, but I did get it two mornings in a row. I am sure my friend Chris in WI can tell you more about his beard ice.

Sitting in the Woods II
I could spend some time talking about sitting in the woods again this past weekend, but really if you care that much, or are really that board you can just read last weeks post, not much changed.

The Number 8
A friend was reading my blog and asked me if there where any numbers I often confuse in addition to the letter I can't tell apart. Well he inspired me to do some research into my number writting and this is what I have found. I can only reconize the number 8 by the process of eliminatin. I seldomaly write it the same way twice and it nver looks like an 8. I leave if open, make the loops to skinny, or squish it in the middle so it looks more like a bold c. I have no idea why I do this but apparently I have some misplaced agression against the number 8. I am sorry 8. As for the rest of the numbers, they might not all look excactly as they are supposed to, but I can tell them apart from each other.

Sitting in the Woods

This past weekend I went out and sat / walked around the woods of St. Mienrads Indiana. I have a buddy who goes to school there and we had a lot of fun walking the draws, posting the fields, and driving around the back hills. One might call this activity hunting, but I think hunting implies killing, and as of yet I have not killed an animal so I am going to call it what it is: sitting in the woods.

As I was sitting in the woods I asked myself why I continue to do this year after year with no luck. I came to the conclusion that to be honest killing a deer is really not that important to me. I would like to do it, but I don't think it is the main reason I go out season after season. I think I go because of how amazing it is to sit out in nature for 2 days. The world is so alive in the late fall and so many people just see it as a world that is dieing for the winter. To see all the birds, tree beavers, colours of the trees, and so many other simple things that are out there make you feel like you are in your own special art gallery.

How often to we slow down in our busy life and take 2 days to be with our own thoughts and prayers. Do you know how many Hail Mary's you can get in on one day of hunting? I could wear out a rosary in one morning out there. To have the opportunity to reflect on what is in your life and have time where no one is going to bother you is such a blessing.

So yes I am a wood sitter in er. And I am proud of that fact. Maybe one day I will become a hunter, but for the time being I am at peace with my place in the trees.

Keep up the fight.

Letters and Hair

So it when I went to get my new license, the lovely woman at the BMV said I had light brown hair. I always thought I had blond hair. I guess over the years it has gradually turned from a blond to a light brown. I didn't know hair could do that.

t-f, a-u, n-r-v, i-j, x-y These are all letter combinations that when I write I can't tell them apart. Just thought you all might like to know that.

Keep up the fight

Way to go Ryan

I am sure you are all on the edge of your set wonder how my weekend was so I better not let you wait.

We had a great time here in Nashville. I picked up mom and dad on Friday and we hit the outlet malls right away. It is funny how when I was a kid I hated getting cloths for Christmas, but now it is awesome. Mainly because I have little to know will do go cloths shopping by myself.

We spent Saturday at camp and also went over to Bloomington for a little while in the afternoon. The highlight could of been the church bizarre but in the end it was more of a church garage sale with some rather interesting items. O well at least we got some cookies.

Sunday we took in the sights of Nashville and also did some good old fashion relaxing. Dad and I hung several bird feeders and I think am going to have to go back to the store and get some more seed already if all the birds keep eating this fast.

There plain left on Monday early afternoon and unfortunately bad weather meant the had to get routed to KC. It sounds like they had a rough trip on the way home.

We had a lot of fun and it was nice to show them all of the places I talk about. Mom also said Ryan did a nice job decorating the place and gave the official seal of approval.

Keep up the fight

Something I swore I would never do

It is funny how time has a habit of changing our out look on life. I remember as a child cleaning the house before any guest came over. We would clean the kitchen, clean the living room, the basement, bathroom, our own room, and even the hall. Actually as I look back I really did very little of the work but at the time I felt I was doing more work then anyone else.

I swore up and down that when my parents came, or I had guest that I would not clean everything and make a big deal about. Sure I might pick up some of my toys, but never all the cleaning that was required as a child.

Well I have been cleaning this week in anticipation of my second big guest to visit my basement dwelling. Special Ed and Super Penny will be making the trek to Nashville Indiana tomorrow. I am going to pick them up at the airport around 10:00 in the morning and am looking forward to a nice long weekend with them.

I am not sure what all we will be doing, and after a week of 70's and sun the forecast for the weekend is rainy and cold. I am sure we will have plenty of shops to check out in Nashville, and truth be told there might be a few things I have on my list as well.

Keep up the fight

I think I am ready for tonight

Ok lets see here:
FOX, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC TV stations numbers... check
Key races printed out for Senate... check
Key races printed out for Governors... check
Key races for Judges... who cares
Dry erase white board... check
Red and blue dry erase markers... check
Red and blue ink pens... check
Poll closing map print off... check
Blank maps of the US... check
Computer with internet connection... check
Online bookmarks of all key races... check
Online bookmarks of all major new channels... check
Online bookmarks of commentators... check
Fully charged cell phone... check
Calculator... check
Battery powered radio and extra batteries in case the power goes out... check

What am I missing? O right, sanity.