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R U Serious?'Success is never final, Failure is never fatal, it is Courage that counts." - John Wooden |
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July 04 At Albertson's TodayI went there to buy a few things and I saw this black man with tears streaming down his face... just wandering around. He was close to my age. Me being me, I approached him while everyone else avoided the guy. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that his wife and his little girl and he had been foreclosed and thrown out of their house, and he didn't know what to do. I took him aside and we talked for about 10 minutes and it turns out that his name is Bob and he served in Vietnam, as I did. The company he worked for was downsized and he lost his job. Through his tears he asked me if I had $5 to spare. He was so nice and polite. I sat him down and we talked about his options. Then I reached into my wallet and gave him the $100 bill that I had gotten for Christmas from my Mom. That $100 was like a Million$$ to him!! I'll probably never see him again but that's OK. I had to help him off his knees. I told him NO beer, NO whiskey, NO cigarettes!! Buy staples for your family!! I followed him and he did buy rice, milk, potatoes, bread, etc. Anyhow, it really got to me and I was glad I was able to help. He kept saying, "Are You Sure? Are You Sure???" Yes! I was sure!! I knew what I had to do. We hugged and he walked away with a big smile on his face! What a GREAT 4th of July!! Ya know? We can't really depend on our government to "bail" people out. They will bail out companies, banks and the auto industry but when it comes down to the man on the street, the backbone of this Country, they could care less! So the next time you see a homeless guy or woman holding a little cardboard sign, please think twice before you drive by. There, by the grace of God, go all of us!
No photos or crap tonight. Only a song to get you thinking. Just think about it! Mark Wills.
July 03 More Guests….. Our Niece Kelly and her Hubby!
Our niece (God Child) and her hubby are visiting us for the 4th of July weekend. Lots of visitors lately but when you live in California, I guess it’s to be expected. Kelly is a few months pregnant but she’s not sure what gender the baby will be yet. We sat around throwing out a few names. Any suggestions?? Girls seem to run in her family, so….. Her hubby Nate is a Great guy and we all get along well. We sit on the patio and just tell stories and laugh at each other!! What better way to spend an early Summer night!! Nate, Kelly …… and Becky kissing the baby!
Nate and Kelly
Of course Baxter had to join in
Isn’t she CUTE???
Becky let them take her car to Disneyland and the beach today
We ate burgers with multiple toppings tonight and Buffalo Wings tomorrow. My flag WILL fly!! I hope you have a Wonderful 4th of July!! I’m almost certain…… No, I AM certain that my dogs will be going crazy!! LOL!! No special patriotic song tonight but instead the official R U Serious theme song! Have a terrific holiday weekend and remember why we celebrate it. My comments to yall tomorrow! July 01 Today Was… Well, A Day
At least much better than the last two days. Monday and Tuesday… nothing went right, except for Bonnie’s birthday! I was back and forth to Lowe’s about 6 times but today it all came together! Finally fixed that darned toilet that has been driving us crazy, got the backyard sprinklers working again (NEVER use plastic fittings!!!), 5 loads of laundry done and folded, cleaned the kitchen top to bottom, took the trash out from the garage and still went to the post office, bank and grocery store!! The reason for all of this? We have MORE company coming tomorrow for the weekend. Our niece and her hubby from Arizona. They are a FUN young couple who were recently married. Of course, more pics. Now about Bonnie… Sue asked how old she is. She just turned 4 Sue. Karin asked if we really gave her flowers….. Here they are, Then she tried to eat them!
Some excitement in the old neighborhood this morning. My Neighbor (crazy lady) Charlotte came to my door today and said she had locked herself out, yet again. I went over there and the first thing I noticed was that she had her house keys hanging around her neck. Before I could say anything, her redneck son pulled up, rolled his eyes and let her in. I worry about her. I walked outside 30 minutes later and there were two fire engines and a Paramedic van parked in front of her house. They told me she was OK but wouldn’t say what had happened. I’ll ask the redneck. There must have been 15 firemen and paramedics there but as usual, the wife had the camera with her. Sorry girls!! We bought new Cell phones the other day! Mine is an iPhone G3 (our new house phone) and hers is an iPhone G3S for her work. VERY cool but lots to learn. Hers has voice recognition and video messaging. The big plus is that her company paid for hers and will pay for over half of the plan! WOW!! I almost didn’t post because I had nothing to say!! We’re on the downhill side of the week so we all have something to look forward to. A song I haven’t played foe awhile. Sad but GOOD!! Mark Wills Take care my friends…. I hope to make the rounds tomorrow, just busy today June 29 Happy Birthday Bonnie!Bonnie turned 4 years old today!!! Here she is waiting for her flowers to arrive!
 She dressed for the occasion!!
 The Birthday Girl!!
 We celebrated with Doggie Ice Cream all around!! 'Frosty Paws'. They loved it but Becky and I thought it tasted a little funky!!
So Happy Birthday Bonnie!!! I let her pick out tonight's song.
Take care all!!!!!
June 28 Our Last Night and Dinner!Well, tonight was our last night with Steph and her family. They spent the day at the Flea Market and then ne last trip to the beach. I kinda think they had a fun week! We topped it off by having a Huge BBQ! Six slabs of babyback ribs… GONE!
5 lbs of twice baked potatoes… GONE!
Watermelon… GONE!
Before the feast… And during!
Their friend McKenna was the sweetest girl!! She did 90% of the cleanup
This is me preparing the ribs
This is Steph and me
And her beautiful daughter Alaura
Then as they packed up, it seemed that our guest room exploded!! LOL!
Dennis goofing around!
And then, OUT!!
Long week for them but we had a great time! Maybe their best visit ever!! I’m gonna let Steph post her Disneyland pics on her space (http://kittyscattitude.spaces.live.com/, so stop by her space and check them out! This song is too funny!! ME, 35 years ago!! Have a GREAT Sunday! June 26 At The In-Laws… Yet again
This time the whole family was there. The three daughters and the three brother-in-laws. Not quite sure what the occasion was but we had fun! My niece was there and I told her the story about when she was a baby and constipated, ‘Uncle Bob’ bought some prunes to help. I would eat one and she would take a bite, over and over!! The next day she was still constipated but I had to camp out in the bathroom!! Also about how I was the only one who could make her stop crying and get her to sleep. Here she is with her grandma at her bridal shower
Today, my two brother-in-laws were there. Jason, Myself and Mike
Found this sign in my FIL’s garage!
Oh! And here’s the missing photo from a previous post!
We also brought home peaches to can. Blanched and ready to go!
Our Spaces friends are returning tomorrow and Becky is going to the Flea Market with them. Then I’ll BBQ Ribs!! Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Corn on the Cob! It will be their last night. Today was Knotts Berry Farm, a scary amusement park!! Oh those rides!! LOL! All for now but I’ll be posting Steph’s pics tomorrowI Have a Wonderful weekend!!! June 24 Fun With Our Guests!
As I told you in my last post, our friends are here. They arrived around 10:30 last and we sat around and just talked. All 5 of them!! But we really enjoy having them here! Today is ‘Beach Day’! They are off to a quaint little beach town called Seal Beach. Shopping (The Shell Shop!), lunch at a Great restaurant named Walt’s Wharf (www.waltswharf.com), then the pier and the beach. I’m pretty sure they’ll be tired. Then tonight, hubby and two of the girls are going to an Anaheim Angels game while the remaining four of us pig out on pizza! Heck, I can watch the game on TV but they will have fun!! Tomorrow is one of the daughters birthday so it’s off to Disneyland!! The daughter, Alaura, SO wants Becky’s 350Z!! Since she has her license, we’ll let her take it for a spin. Here are a few pics: Stephanie
Dennis
Alaura
It’s always such fun to meet a Spaces friend face to face!! She earned a Softball scholarship!! Isn’t she cute?? Lisa played with the dogs…
Baxter FINALLY got the hot dog toy!!
More pics later!! And Yes!! Food pics too!! June 23 Visitors From The North!
My good Spaces friend of around 8 years (Kittycatlane) and her family are on their way to visit us from Idaho tonight! Stephanie and her family come here every year for their vacation to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm and the local beaches. It’s always a pleasure to see them again. I promised to BBQ my babyback ribs for them. Hubby and two of the girls are going to an Anaheim Angels game too!! Her girls consider Becky and I as Aunt and Uncle and they love the dogs!! Of course, I’ll be taking pictures!! You know me! The weather will be perfect for them. Should be a fun week for them, and us! Her space is http://kittyscattitude.spaces.live.com/. I think you’ll like this song!! Have a Great ‘Hump Day’!! More tomorrow!! June 21 Fathers Day…… Whew!!!
I’m not a father except for three dogs, but we spent the day at my wife’s folks house and it was a blast!! Her younger Sis was there along with one of her daughters, Samantha. The weather was partly cloudy and in the low 70’s. Perfect!! Here are some pics! Becky and her Mom
And Dad!! Her Mom and Dad have become closer to me than my own.
Pics of Dad’s yard! Lots of cactus and fruit trees!
Oh Yeah! His Possum Trap!!! The Possums always seem to have ‘accidents’!
Here is a picture of his outhouse!! LOL
And another…
Then it was off to pick fruit!! Peaches and apples!! I was working on Dad's computer. Apple Tree
Picking Apples
And Peaches
And the harvest!! Buzz stole an apple!! Which Bonnie stole from him!!
Dad’s bar
Grapes!!
And the rest of us… Me…
Eating GOOD EATS!!
Group
Dad, Becky and Sis
Becky and Dad
Mom and Samantha
Saw this sign in Dad’s bar!!
All in all, a great day except I called MY Dad and he wouldn’t pick up. But he finally phoned back and left a message. It’s late there so I’ll call tomorrow. One picture didn’t turn out! A HUGE 3 foot wide Elm tree with an engraved rock in front that reads, “I Don’t Remember Planting This!” LOL!!! I truly hope you all had a Wonderful weekend!! June 20 Graduation NightI'm tired today so I present you with another column by my favorite writer... except for Sue Lehman!! Great story Sue!!
Anywho, This was in the L A Times today and I wanted to share it, especially with all of you who have sons and daughters getting ready to enter college.
In just a couple of months, the little girl will leave for college.
Chris Erskine
June 20, 2009 This is the quirkiness we will miss, one of the oddities that will leave life a little empty after our teenager jets off to college in August, miserable August, only two months away.
The other morning, I walk into the kitchen to find Posh washing three waffle-makers the little girl had used to make breakfast for her high school class last week. As you may know, the last month of senior year is like the last month of an American presidency, nothing much. In fact, the teacher had turned the classroom over to the students, who took turns arranging activities, mostly showing movies and such. Well, when their turn comes around, the little girl and a couple of friends decide to make waffles for the class, since teenagers are always willing to eat, especially meals of dubious nutritional value. Before it is over, the waffles smog up the classroom so badly that the smoke detectors go off, the fire alarm sounds and the entire school is evacuated. Good thing our daughter's graduating high school -- before she burns the whole stinkin' place to the ground. Posh and I have always been very careful when it comes to making babies. We rely on the same birth control methods as hillbillies: whiskey and religion. Before being romantic, my wife downs a shot of Jack Daniel's, slams the shot glass to the bar and shouts: "Please God, not another one." Four kids later, we are still parenting, we are still together. A long marriage like this is an odd thing in itself -- like a lie detector test that won't end. "Are you mad at me?" No. "Want to fool around?" No. "Bowl of ice cream?" OK. Of course, lust is always out there -- irrefutable, like humidity -- but these days we are mostly bound together by our children. They are our hobby. They are our passion. They are our life. These are the questions we mostly ask: * Where are they? * Whom are they with? * What are they burning down tonight? This week, the little girl is graduating, another milestone, another notch in the bedpost! Not that everything is songbirds and champagne. One grad's mom has the shingles. That's right, shingles. Me, I expect to come down with hives or smallpox at any moment.
Just remember: What doesn't kill you just makes you funnier. Posh seems OK. She and The Graduate have been yelling at each other since senior prom. I think they are vocalizing their stress. When they are not yelling at each other, they are yelling at me -- their big, gooney wailing wall. Fortunately, I have Tina Fey's shoulders and Conan O'Brien's hair. If a guy like me can't take a certain amount of abuse, who can? (Here's a tip, dads: Just smile and promise to do better. It's much like a performance eval at work. You don't have to mean it.) "I'm hiding her computer mouse," Posh says the other day, as she tucks it between some unpaid bills. "What'd she do now?" "I took away the car -- now she's losing the computer," Posh explains. I don't know what the little girl did, but from the look in Posh's eyes, I'm pretty sure she killed someone. "Want to fool around?" I ask, hoping to make Posh laugh a little. "No." "Bowl of ice cream?" "OK, she says. What doesn't kill you just makes you rounder. We are like Lake Wobegon, except the kids drive BMWs. Other than that, we are almost exactly like Lake Wobegon. All we want is for our kids to be happy. This week -- graduation week -- we are a town of damp eyes and quivery lips. The consensus is that the kids have survived our parenting in ways that are truly remarkable. They have been taking AP classes since kindergarten, these teenagers. Now Purdue awaits. Princeton awaits. A whole gaggle of kids is going to Stanford. Stanford? Who gets into Stanford these days? Geniuses and wunderkinds. You little Einsteins, you. We parents are so proud we could burst. If we burst, there would be wine and whiskey everywhere. Then there are the tears. Lots and lots of silly tears. "Seems like only hours ago you napped in my backpack as I mowed the lawn," my buddy Pete wrote in a yearbook dedication to his daughter. I read that, and suddenly fatherhood had me by the throat. I was Steve Martin in the driveway, shooting hoops. I was Jimmy Stewart in that bar, wiping his whiskers with his wrist. Can we get on with this graduation? Before I just melt. Yes, all we want is for our kids to be happy. And tonight, their graduation night, they undoubtedly are. Their smiles are on high beam, their hugs long and strong. For 18 years, their beautiful smiles have lighted up our funky little town on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Now they are off to light up the world. Good luck, kids. Good luck, world. We'll miss you like sunshine. Hey!! The guy can write!!
Tomorrow we are going to the in-law's house to celebrate Fathers Day. He has an amazing yard with cactus and fruit trees!! I'll take pics including ones of my crazy in-laws and a few surprises!!!! I hope you are all enjoying the weekend..... It rained here today!! California?? June?? Oh, well!
Take care now..... Leaving that excellent song up. |
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