Big party this Saturday, We are having a party for mom. Her birthday is next Thursday but we are having the party this weekend. We went to Sam’s club and laid down about $200 for food. We still have a few things to pick up, like my sister at the airport and the cake. It should be a good time, pictures to follow

My mom has gotten an offer on her house. Much less then we were asking, but we started asking before the housing market crashed. The real estate agent handling the property for us (this is down in San Diego) feels the market has not bottomed out yet. She believes that it will continue down for the rest of the year and then stabilize for a couple years before it starts to climb again. I don’t want to have a house sitting vacant for a couple years. I can see nothing good in that. I am coordinating with my sister on the sale of the house. She has been a little more hesitant to sale at a lower price, but talking with her last night it seems that she is starting to except that it is what it is.

Mom was saying that she missed the house. She had lived in it for 50 years and raised both me and my sister. I can not imagine how hard it must be on her to know she has lost a certain amount of her independence. Mom does seem to enjoy our company but it still must be hard. After all those years she is picking up after me again

To hear the story behind these pictures go my friend Nate's blog and read "well that was an adventure"

This is a three day weekend for me, Monday being President’s day. Plans include clean up the garage so I can put my truck in it, watching Ava on Sunday and going to church, and Monday my buddy Nate and I are heading for the desert. Nate picked up a couple of cap & ball black powder revolvers. So I figured we should go try those out and I should bring along my muzzle loader. I have TC 54 cal. I have not had it out of the gun safe for a couple of years, time to dust it off and make a lot of smoke. I am sure that we will bring a couple of other guns as well. Just haven’t figured out which ones.


I am thinking about getting black powder deer permit this year. I did not put in for the lottery on deer permits but there always seems to be some left over that can be bought first come first serve. With black powder the chances of getting a deer go way down. This can be a good thing; I would not have to field dress, drag, cut the critter up. But it is a good excuse to walk around the woods with black powder rifle. It is also upland game season and I can carry my shotgun for grouse. I really enjoy grouse hunting and with my new knees I am hoping that it will be more enjoyable this year, besides Grouse are so much easier to drag then deer.

I was looking through the obituaries this morning. It is a morbid habit I know but I still do it and I am sure that you do also. I saw the Mr. Dick Tyer had passed away. Dick was the gentleman that hired me from a blue collar to white collar some twenty years ago. He was a very nice guy and I enjoyed working for him. Dick had been retired for some 18 years. Whenever I see someone I have known pass away I tend to reflect on my own mortality. My heath issues in recent years tend to weigh a little heavier. I am eligible for retirement in 9 days but I plan to stay through the end of 2009. There are sound reasons for staying but it reading obits does make one think.

I do believe it is time for more coffee and then it is off to the garage.

I got home from work yesterday and my neighbor had removed all the snow off my travel trailer. The trailer sits on the north side of my house in the shadow of the garage. The snow does not melt in this location. There was close to four feet of snow on the trailer and we are expecting a little more tonight. Not only did he remove the snow from the trailer, he cut a path through his yard so I could get into the trailer to check for damage. The only damage we could find was to the air conditioner cover. It was broke in a couple of places. Made some temporary repairs and I figure to replace it sometime this spring.



I am ready for spring this year. If only so my mom can get out of the house into the back yard and do stuff. It has been much to cold and the snow has been much too deep this year to do much of anything outside.

I went to Florida Tuesday and got back yesterday evening. Left 70 degrees came back to 32 degrees and a lot of snow in the yard. Maybe relocation would not be a bad thing.

I went to work this morning feeling pretty good. Heading down the hall to get a cup of coffee and something in my new left knee popped. Went on about my business and within an hour my knee was killing me. It felt like a tooth ache and ran all the way down my leg. I lasted until 9:00am and I headed for home. After two pain pills and a little bit of rest I am doing pretty well. It feels like a tissue problem. I think what happened was some scar tissue broke loose. My range of motion is good and it does not hurt when I move the knee. I figure that I’ll be good to go in the morning and head back to work. I have a few things to line up for a trip I am going on next Tuesday.

The first of the year we were blessed with a new dog. I blogged about her and how she was tossed out of a car and left in a park to fend for herself. Maggie has blended into the family. In the short time we have had her I have lost a pair of slippers and a very expensive leather jacket to her teeth. When I discovered the jacket ( the end of one sleeve) I looked at her and said" Maggie come here" she was off like a shot, ran up stairs and would not come down. This morning mom brought me my slippers and one of them had been made an open toe model. I hid the slipper and called Maggie. She jumped up in my lap as happy as could be. I held her collar and showed her the slipper, and firmly told her "NO, NO, NO". When turned loose she was gone and would not come back to me. I have the feeling that before she was dumped she had been disciplined harshly for chewing. I am not one of beating dogs, I figure a harsh tone works just as well. I guess that I will not be leaving shoes, slippers, jackets, and anything else I am fond of out over night.

32 days and I am eligible for retirement. I have my retirement package filled out; all I have to do is sign and dated it. That being said the bride and I have discussed this in length. The house will be paid off in 26 months, and I had planned to stay until the end of this year. That would give me a full 35 years on the job. If I wait until the end of 2009 two months from being mortgage free. I do believe I am going to wait, but it is going to be wonderful to know that I can be considered on the 2-10-12 plan. Make me mad 2 times by 10, and I’ll be gone by 12.

The bride heads of to the hospital in a couple of hours. She will have a hysterectomy today. She expects to stay in the hospital until Friday. So it will be mom and me against the world for a few days.

Mexican invasion It is disturbing that incursions by the Mexican army or not reported by the main stream media. Mexico is not a friend of the United States and they allow, and help their citizens to invade us. The ecological damage along the invasion routes is mind boggling. The disrespect shown by the illegal aliens (click on second video)is enough to turn your stomach. We have 50,000 troops alone the border between north and South Korea. For what? A hold over from the cold war, we scared that some starving peasants make sneak into South Korea to find food and work. Our government will not protect our borders but they protect every other border in the world. Just about every place we have been in a war we leave troops. Korea was 50 years ago, we have troops, WWII was 60 years ago we have troops. We have to stand up and protect our own country.

Got a little snow the other day. I do believe there is more now then shown in the picture

We had a pretty good snow storm this morning. I am guessing it end up around 10 inches in my yard. I went out for breakfast this morning, as I pulled out on the main drag my truck went sideways in a few different directions. I was in four wheel drive and that really surprised me. I figured as warm as it was yesterday (got to 50) the roads were wet when the cold front came through and it was ice under the snow. It was an exciting ride and I am glad the bride and my mom where not with me. I would have been yelled at.

Getting ready to go to Maddie's britday party. She is 6 going on 30. Should be fun.

Open letter I sent to the editor of the news paper

I am amazed at the calloused manner people treat animals in our society. Just last night two little dogs were dumped at the Ogden Park. A friend’s daughter managed to catch one of the dogs after a night spent in the bitter cold. I imagine the other dog is still wandering the streets. I don’t understand the mentality of people that would dump domesticated animals in the dead of winter to fend for themselves. This action is cruel and unnecessary. There is the humane society, or animal shelters where the animals will at least have a chance. To the person that kicked the dogs out of your car your actions are beneath contempt. Your character is defined by your actions. The dog that was caught has been placed in a home were it will be well taken care of. Sleep well tonight thinking of the second dog freezing as it attempts to survive

I went to church this morning just after I did the snow blower on a couple of driveways. I should have waited with the snow blower. By the time I went back outside to climb in the truck you could not tell I had cleared the driveway. The roads were not in the best condition for a Sunday morning drive. I was going down Interstate 84 at 40 mph in four wheel drive. The trip home was slightly better but I did see where one guy had just slid off the road and ended up in the trees. He was on the phone and someone else was stopping so I kept on trucking. I figured I would not be much good in knee deep snow with my cane. As I approached the neighborhood there was a three car accident with tow truck and cop cars. It has stopped snowing and I have just finished my lunch so I will clear the drive way one more time.


There is a gun show on the 12th of January down in Salt Lake City. I plan to attend and maybe peddle one of my 22 caliber hand guns. Most of the time deals are not that good at the shows but it is fun to get out of the house.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I wonder about some medical procedures. My bride had to under go a biopsy yesterday. I was in the room while they took a tissue sample of one of her ovaries. Her Dr. is one of the sweetest kindest ladies you could ever meet and she did prescribe a couple of pain pills for the bride. But I don’t think they helped much. The procedure was performed with some of the strangest instruments I ever seen in my life. But when the wife cried out in pain and the tears were running down her face I knew it hurt and hurt badly. Now I have had a colonoscopy and the procedure is not bad at all and they sedated me, but on a painful biopsy almost nothing. The bride’s Dr. said that her partners in the practice don’t even prescribe the pain pills. It don’t seem right to me. Just one shot of something could make it bearable and that is not to much to ask.

My buddy Nate is taking me out to the desert this morning to do a little shooting. It will be good to get out of the house for a few hours and burn gun powder. I’ll be traveling light today. I’ll think I will take the mini 14, one of the 10/22’s, and a couple of hand guns.
It is cold this morning, around 22 degrees. The forecast says a high of 27 degrees, but it should be sunny. I can remember when temps like that never bothered me. It is not that way now. I don’t take the cold like I use too but that is why they invented indoors and central heat.

I’ll buy Nate lunch while we are out and I’ll invite him to dinner. I believe the bride is making curry chicken and it does not get much better then that.

I went into the office this morning. I only spent two hours there and most of that time was used to clean up my e mail inbox. I have deicded that I will work half days starting next week. Weather I like it or not I will have to go back to work sooner or later, I mean full time.

Mom’s house is on the market. I saw it listed on the web to be honest it is very sad. Mom had lived in the house for 50 years and growing up it was the only home I knew. But life goes on and I hope a great family moves in and enjoys the home.