Our Life - chapter 2

2010 Christmas Card

2010-12-05T17:38:00.001-08:00

Big Red Bow Christmas

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Daniel Soccer Season 2009

2009-11-29T17:10:00.001-08:00

Dean's Flag Football Season 2009

2009-11-29T14:46:00.001-08:00

Something new...

2009-11-10T06:29:00.000-08:00

and today on the news....

2009-07-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

Out on the river...

2009-06-26T11:55:00.001-07:00

There was this dog...and he LOVED fetching a tennis ball out of the water...

I'm pretty sure he'd do it all day if you'd keep throwing the ball...

Lots of pictures I've been meaning to post...but I haven't...

2009-06-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

We have been doing a little landscaping at the house...and a recent trip to the nursery presented us with some MAMMOTH hibiscus flowers...

We didn't buy...but we may go back.

My Latest Video - Dean's Baseball Season

2009-06-10T11:45:00.001-07:00

Check out this little girl...

2009-06-09T11:17:00.001-07:00

Congrats to all the High School Seniors out there...

2009-05-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all none of them that read my blog are very excited to read this new post.

Another LSU Tiger wins big in Orlando!

2009-05-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

Another funny Youtube video

2009-05-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Fast forward to 2:15 to see what happens when a 'fan' jumps onstage...and scares Britney...She screams so loud you can't hear her...

2009-04-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

The weather was equally as miserable this morning... but cleared up a bit after lunch...I headed to the Mall of America... which is just Ri-donk-ulous...I found this little octopus lamp at a Tchotchky store...lots of cool stuff...but...mostly overpriced...Walked the entire mall...all 3 floors...Then got back on the train and went to the Metrodome to catch a Twins vs. Rays game...I 'overpaid' for some scalped tickets on the street...but I was 4 rows off of the 3rd base dugout...

oh...and the Twins stink.

Another Rainy Dreary Minnesota Day

2009-04-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Seriously...

I know it rains alot in Louisiana....and we have all those hurricanes and stuff...

but, come on...Minnesota...

This is the best you can do...

It's the end of April, it's 45 degrees and rainy...again...supposed to be the same tomorrow...

Definitely not the type of weather to draw new residents in...

Last one's for the day...

2009-04-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is in the lobby of the hotel / block where I'm staying...

Essentially, it's a 5 story raining fountain...

Pretty nifty...

2009-04-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Some sights while walking to the Convention Center...The interior shot is a 2 story Target in downtown...

and the SheetMusic is a wall mural...

Light Rail in Minnesota

2009-04-25T18:11:00.001-07:00

I'm doing these in separate posts....because I like the way it looks better...than if I try to cram all the pictures into one long post....you'll have to deal...

After arriving at the airport...and navigating my way through the concourse with some pretty good signage...I found the light rail station...

It really is a baffling thing when you think about the benefit of a transit system like this...and how much the communitys fight it....the whole way...

For $1.75 I rode the rails from the airport to downtown Minneapolis...in about 20 minutes...

Traveling to Minnesota for the APA conference

2009-04-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

That's the American Planning Association for all you 'non-planner' blog readers...

So, I get to the New Orleans airport early...because there is NO traffic...after waiting for almost 2 hours to board the vessel...We waited another hour and a half inside this cramped craft to take off...

I hate the whole process of traveling to another place...while I usually enjoy the spending of time in that location...

I forgot my brush and my headache medicine...so I had to perform my bald-spot-comb-over with my lady-like hands this morning...

We're officially a Baseball family...

2009-04-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's funny... how un-interested we are in watching baseball on TV...but when it involves your children... it's a completely different experience...

We are still undefeated...but, We've had two great games recently...very stressful...

Dean has been playing at the pitcher position...which provides for lots of ACTION...as most of the kids don't really hit it that hard...

I'm done counting days....More pool nonsense...

2009-04-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

So...We got our gutters installed on our home and garage...and we finally bought a new fridge...so We'll get our garage fridge out of the house and back to where it belongs...

Next up...the pool...
As you can see....it is still mostly empty...we got an estimate to repair...but, it isn't sounding very promising...as the 'experts' tell us that the pool is actually constructed out of cinderblocks...and there is no guarantee that what they repair will actually stay that way...

Ayways...we are inside on Saturday...and Daniel comes running in..."THERE'S A RAT IN THE POOL!!!"
We all mosey out there....cause....this wouldn't be the first rat we had found in the pool...(It would actually be the 3rd)
lo and behold...there's this little hairy thing walking around the step of the pool...I suited up in my work gloves and picked the little thing up...

We are no biologists....but, Janet and I have come to believe that it was a baby mole...That's it on the tip of my thumb...

So...we fried it up and ate it...(Not really...)

I'm just gonna round it up to 365

2009-04-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that today is my one year anniversary at my new job?
Me neither...
Time flies...
This weekend and till today we have been blessed, once again, with a visit from some of our Florida Family...The Ishams...
We have Eaten some really good food...consumed some really good Daquiris...and had some good laughs...
We look forward to whoever wants to come next...
Again...I'm been slacking here lately...but, It's been crazy busy at work...I'll update you guys when I get a chance...
If you get the chance....this morning at 7:50 central time...I'll be on the radio...
www.wjbo.com
Take it easy Ya'll!

Days 335 - 346+

2009-03-24T11:39:00.001-07:00

another news blurb...
This time about Flood Maps and Flood Insurance in the Parish...click it or ticket...

2009-03-12T07:53:00.001-07:00

Days 328 - 334

2009-03-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

Days 323 - 327

2009-03-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

This video is entirely too long....but the payoff is pretty funny...

Days 321 and 322

2009-02-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

I FINISHED MY FENCE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!

after only 4 months... it's finished...we let the dogs out to play in the yard...for the first time since last June....

I'll post some stats when I take some time to figure them out...

oh....and for a special occasion such as this...I present to you The Amazing Race Tryout video...

Day 320

2009-02-25T08:27:00.001-08:00

Watching the Oscars on Sunday I saw a nominated Animated short film called Oktapodi...and I had to find it...
It's pretty funny....
In the same vein as the short films that proceed the Pixar movies...

Days 318 and 319

2009-02-24T19:04:00.001-08:00

Seriously...I'm 35...and I've never caught more goodies at any parade than what we caught today...

We were invited by the family that we rented the townhome from to go to New Orleans with them...We got to watch Zulu and Rex from the 2nd story balcony of a house on St. Charles Street...The parades passed right in front of us all 5 hours we were there...and when I tell you they unload....It's down-right ri-donk-ulous...

We caught more bags of beads than individual beads...and I PROMISE...there were more beads in the gutter of the balcony than I had ever caught at any parade...

It was truly a Mardi Gras to remember...and a GREAT way to introduce the boys to this south Louisiana festival...

When we got home we dumped out all 60 pounds of the goodies....for this photo..

Days 314 - 317

2009-02-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

Another article...

and....I mean....obviously...

This is my favorite part...

“He has decided there will be no subdivisions developed without sidewalks, and you look at the cost of cement,” she said. “With each and every requirement, the cost goes up, and pretty soon it will be so expensive that people can’t afford to live here. I’m not sure this area is ready for that much change.”

You know what...she changed my mind...we should keep doing things crappy....cause it's cheaper...

Another for Day 313

2009-02-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

a quote from the article:
'We are currently waiting for confirmation from Guinness that my ear hair, which stands at 25cm is now the new standard for men with extreme ear hair.'

For the whole article click

Realizing now, that I don't meet the NEW standard for extreme ear hair...I guess I will start trimming again...

Days 312-313

2009-02-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

Since I know that Janet and I aren't the only people on the planet that love those home makeover shows...I present to you a bathroom that is part of a friend's home improvements...
I can't stress to you...how much we are impressed by the changes...
I can hardly wait to see it in person...Nice work Dave and Roxane!

Days 305-311

2009-02-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

Okay...so the first photo is from our Valentine's Day dinner at this FANCY restaurant at that historic House I mentioned a while back...

Janet got the better dinner (AGAIN)...She got a stuffed Lobster tail thingie on a creamy crawfish risotto....

The second photo is a picture of my splurged snack the other day...I spend a whole $1.25....

But, I think I'm worth it...

Mmmmm....hot fries.

Days 301 - 304

2009-02-09T06:40:00.001-08:00

No major news to report from this past weekend... Worked on the fence... I can now officially declare that we are more than half done...
I have one single-wide gate left to build...and the Double-wide...
I have 8 more posts to put in the ground..
and by my calculations we will be about 250 fence boards short....after dismantling all of the panels that were knocked over during the Hurricane, and the extra yard that we are enclosing (about 200 square feet)...

Here's another shot from my Lafayette trip...It's the house that I grew up in...I can't tell you the number of bike ramps that were constructed on that sidewalk there...Too many to count...
I can also remember that when we would get heavy rains...water would completely cover the sidewalks on both sides of the road...and we could skim board all the way across the street...

Days 299 and 300

2009-02-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is one of those 'What if' pictures...

Sure...What if I wasn't a horrible player...

What if I had played more than one season...

What if I had actually scored a single point during the season...

What if my parents had actually bought me actual basketball shoes instead of hand-me-down bum sneakers....

I coulda been the next Larry Bird...

Maybe not...

300 Days since I left Orlando...It really doesn't seem like it...but...The blog doesn't lie...

Day 298

2009-02-03T21:39:00.001-08:00

So, Dean has this spot on hsi finger that he constantly picks at...and it's just a nasty little sore...Really quite funky...

Well, tonight we were getting them ready for bed and Janet asked him if she could look at it...

She told him that if he didn't quit picking at it...that it would fall off..."What do you mean?" he asked...

She said it again..."If you keep picking at it...it will fall off"

"What do you mean?" he asked again...

"If you keep picking at that scab on your finger...your finger will fall off..."

This was immediately followed by hysterical crying...as he couldn't believe that Mom would say that...because Mom doesn't joke like that....

We spent the next 10 minutes trying to calm him down...

and then janet and I spend the next 15 minutes laughing about it...

This is a glass sculpture from the lobby of one of the terminals in the Dallas Airport...

Day 297

2009-02-02T21:03:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure too much needs to be said beyond what the picture says for itself...

Other than you really can't tell how silky smooth it was by the picture...

Days 295 & 296

2009-02-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

Janet and I installed 8 more fence posts on Saturday...and cleaned our garage....We are now able to park one car in the garage...and with a little more labor...we should be able to get another one in there shortly...I have a pile of hardy board planks that were overstock when they built our house...and I just need to figure out a way to store them...

Today I made a difficult decision...One of my early 'bargain finds' was a pair of 15" Cerwin Vega home Stereo speakers...New they would have been about $300 bucks a pop...I paid $100 for the pair...Well, one got pretty beat up in the move...and it just wasnt worth keeping...So, I removed the speakers from the cabinets...and set em ablaze...

I got about 18 years out of those speakers...Money well spent...if you ask me...

Day 294

2009-01-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

Most of my blog readers have never seen this video...It's from the past...
But, My buddies in college loved it so much...that when Janet and I got married...They sang That's Amore' for us during the reception...
Too good not to post...and remember...

Day 293

2009-01-29T12:09:00.001-08:00

Some people I know do this thing where you can pick squares and then whatever the scores are during a particularly SUPER cool sporting event happen...different people...may or may not win pretzels...or something...

Well, I found this chart that lets you compare your square numbers, with the probability that those scores will happen to end a quarter...

Apparently my best odds...are during the 1st quarter with the Steelers having 14 and the Cardinals having 7...(Having happened 60 times during the regular season 2006-07)

Days 291-292

2009-01-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

I've become addicted to Facebook....Well, for that matter, so has Janet...We've taken a liking to hunting out and finding friends from our past...So far...I'm leading the friends race...but...she steals all the ones that she knows anyways...so, it'll even out eventually...

The coolest thing is just finding someone you haven't seen or heard from in 20+ years...Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Panama City Beach, Stuart, Orlando and back to Baton Rouge...What a long strange trip it's been...

Oh...and for nostagia's sake...that's the old man-cave...the room under the stairs...about 40 square feet of awesomeness...

Day 290

2009-01-26T17:53:00.001-08:00

Here's my $30 room service french toast...

Once again...not worth the money...

That bacon in the lower right corner...that's $1.75 per slice...

Seems a bit much....

Yesterday when I got home...we had leftover flank steak...and today was Grilled Brats...

2 meals that were infinitely better than all but one New Mexico meal...

Day 289

2009-01-25T18:27:00.001-08:00

Food in New Mexico is HORRIBLE...

I believe in the 4 days I was there...I maybe had 1 decent meal...
and the locals are kidding themselves...When you take their suggestion for where a good place to eat...and you get the same suggestion from multiple folks...You start to figure...that they know what they are talking about...

Either that, or it's the big conspiracy...to keep the tourists in the crummy restaurants...

Day 288

2009-01-24T04:09:00.001-08:00

At the conference yesterday during the mid-afternoon break...there was a Trail mix and smoothie bar...It was pretty cool...

This 'little' guy's name is Winston...

He's a 7 week old, 18 pound Great Dane puppy that my brother's family just adopted...

I can't wait till Dean and Daniel can saddle him up and ride him...

Day 287

2009-01-23T00:20:00.001-08:00

I flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico today for a Smart Growth Conference...It's a pretty arrival into the city...but...once you are on the ground...there isn't really anything that distinguishes it from Anywheresville, USA...

I asked my Cab Driver what the 1 can't miss thing to do or see was in town...and he suggested a ski lift ride to the top of the mountain just to the east of Town...so we may try to go do that on Saturday...

Days 285-286

2009-01-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

I've had all these grand plans about waxing nostalgic about growing up in Lafayette, and spending a couple of days there last week...But I haven't been able to get the photos from the trip to my home computer...yet...

So...Here's a picture I did get...

It's the house where my Grandmother used to live...I remember having to steer around that shrub next to the driveway on my big wheel...

They've closed in the carport which made me drive by the house the first time by...

It's quite wierd to spend some time in a place where you haven't been for 20 years...and your last memories of that place are when you were a child...

This is the house where, I believe, I developed my love of high-fidelity audio, Aquariums, and Minitures..(My Grandfather was a really neat guy that left us too soon)...

I can remember tying a rope around his hand built Wire Control airlplanes...and dragging them around the back yard...What I wouldn't give to have those planes today...

Days 281 - 284

2009-01-19T18:22:00.001-08:00

So, Janet returned from her 'weekend getaway' trip with her good friend Tara....to Atlanta to see Celine... (See, I didn't type her last name right there...That's because I know Adam loves it when I refer to my favorite female pop singers by just their first names...cause, I mean come on...I say Celine...do I need to say Dion...People just know...sorta the exact opposite of when Adam says..."Nobody puts baby in the corner" I had no idea what he was talking about...)

This is how Boudreaux welcomes Mommy home...He sleeps in her open suitcase...

Day 280...

2009-01-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

I realized that photographic evidence of how horrible our room at the Tropicana was would be helpful in defending my case...

This is how they repaired some kind of carpet defect...

Day 279

2009-01-15T05:26:00.000-08:00

So...I'm at the State APA (American Planning Association) conference in Lafayette...Let's just say the hotel isn't as nice as the Venitian in Vegas...

The first photo is what I saw when the elevator opened to let me out on the wrong floor...

The second photo is what I saw when the elevator opened...

The Hotel is undergoing some major renovations...but...it just doesn't seem ready to host this many people...When it let me out on the 1st floor...there were no lights on...and I was ducking and dodging stuff hanging down from the ceiling...Very classy...

I do think that the room is nicer than the room Justin and I moved to in Vegas at the Tropicana...now THAT place is a dump....with NO remodeling going on there....

Day 278

2009-01-13T14:15:00.001-08:00

Seriously...
A friend at the office accused me of having less hair now than in the photo...
He's not very nice.

Another article...

Days 273 - 277

2009-01-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

I'm officially.... Utterly... Overwhelmed...
Overwhelmed... I say...
Who'd a thunk it...but...I received 17 responses to the RFQ that we issued to help us do some work here...and I'm supposed to choose my top 5...(The other 6 folks in the group will select their top 5 then we'll meet to discuss and select a top 3)
I have no idea where to start...on my first blush...11 of the 17 received a check mark...and 2 received a check plus...
I don't know what my system means other than...13 of the 17 firms that responded would be good for the job at hand...
Now I just need to figure out which 8 of those aren't the best...and I'm done...

no problem...

Again with Day 272

2009-01-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

2 days in a row with 2 posts...I'm CRAZY!!!
I finally got around to taking photos of the gift Janet got me for Christmas....
It's quite the show stopper in our guest bedroom...I've finally collected something Janet isn't completely embarassed of...and she gave me a Curio Cabinet to display them in...Now my dollies have a special place....

Day 272

2009-01-07T11:39:00.001-08:00

I was sent one of those chain mails with a cool picture attached...
and I had to check out www.snopes.com to see if it was true...and lo and behold...it was...and there was a link to a website with a bunch more similar photographs....from the World War 1 era...That is 25,000 soldiers posed as the Liberty Bell...

Day 271 again

2009-01-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

It's crazy...2 blog posts in one day...
This was on the evening news tonight...
It's goatee'd me on TV

Day 270

2009-01-06T08:32:00.001-08:00

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard
I dare you not to laugh...

Days 268 and 269

2009-01-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

Getting back into the swing of things again at work...
It's amazing how much I didn't miss during my week off...It's like...nothing is going on...
I'm heading to Lafayette, LA next week for the state APA conference...and then to Albuquerque, NM in 2 weeks for a National Smart Growth Conference...
Quite the jet setter...
This is Daniel attempting the Wii fit hula hoop...it's funnier than it looks...

Day 267

2009-01-03T10:34:00.001-08:00

Poor Stupid Nick Saban...man...it's easy to root against him...
Here's another video I made...on the road..

Days 263 - 266

2009-01-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

So, after a short/long/quick/tiring/yet still fun trip to Florida... We are heading back home...again.. It's weird making this trip going the opposite way that we had for the past 12 Christmases...
It was good getting to see everyone that we got to see and I'm sorry that we just didn't have time to see everyone...
So, I'm blogging in the car from my stewardess seat, catering to every "I'm hungry" & "Movie's over" beck and call... Hopefully this is some sort of sign that I'll continue to stay on top of it... Thanks to all the loyal readers!
Geaux Tigers!

Days 267 - 272

2008-12-29T08:17:00.000-08:00

This just in....

2008-12-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Cheetah Lady wants to make Tacos....and eat rice...

Day 266

2008-12-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

I'm upset that I ONLY own 1 out of the top 10 nerdiest Christmas Ornaments...as per THIS website...

Days 263-265

2008-12-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

Worked on the fence Saturday...Picked up a sweet tool belt at my brothers Chinese gift exchange party...(Which happened to be the present I brought...)
Which begs the question...Why is a Chinese gift Exchange? Is this really how the Chinese give gifts to one another?

on Sunday I took on the task of edging my driveway and sidewalks....
I estimate that I gained about 8-12" of overall width...It's probably been 2 years since they have been trimmed...

Day 262

2008-12-19T07:15:00.000-08:00

and the goofy website of the day...
Click This...
It's a Website called "You Bent My Wookie .com"

That's an AT-AT from the Star Wars Universe...Made out of Gingerbread...

Day 261

2008-12-17T11:55:00.001-08:00

My mom sent me several photos from the LSU campus during the LSU snow day...

It really was a cool thing to see....Blizzard like snow in Louisiana....crazy...

Day 260

2008-12-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

Adding to list of things I can't believe I've never seen...
I present to you the Grape Lady...

Days 256 - 259

2008-12-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

People (noone) ask me everyday (not really)...
Where do you find all of that HILARIOUS stuff that you find?
It really just amounts to about 4 different sites...that just have tons of funny stuff...
One of my new favorites is called SexyPeople.
http://www.sexypeople-blog.com/

It's filled with photos that people submit...of themselves...

Day 255

2008-12-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

It's SNOW day in Louisiana...

What a crazy morning... We were woken with the sounds of the boys running into our bedroom.. proclaiming... "It's snowing outside!!!"

and...what do you know...it was coming down...and I mean...coming down something good...

The dogs were totally baffled by the idea of walking in it...but...somehow they managed...

and I left work early...to come home and play in the snow with the boys...We attempted to make a snowman...but...I think our snowman construction methods were a bit questionable...as...the simple application of cranberry facial features...seemed to cause the whole thing to come tumbling down...

Overall...it was a fun time...and now is turning into a nasty slushy mess...

Day 254

2008-12-10T18:22:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2001, Dean was just over 6 months old...and when we showed this photo to our family and friends...everyone accused me of photoshopping a photo of my child onto a photo of Santa...

the nerve...

No...it was indeed a legitimate Santa photo...and I don't think we ever really got another good one...for either boy....

Day 253

2008-12-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Nothing says Christmas...Like Children...

Children...with Santa...

Children that are scared to death of Santa...

That's Christmas to me...

Day 252

2008-12-08T06:06:00.001-08:00

This just in...
Check it out...
http://http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/35697254.html

Days 250 - 251

2008-12-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a garage sale to ry to sell some of our stuff...and I took the boys to a bowling birthday party...

Today...My Dad and older brother came over to help me work on my wooden fence...I knew it was a lot of work...but...I mean...It is just a beast of an effort...I'd say we are nearing the 50% complete mark...

and we still have the pool to finish....

Day 248 and 249

2008-12-05T05:42:00.001-08:00

and here's a picture of our dog...sunbathing...

Day 247

2008-12-03T18:13:00.001-08:00

We call this his Cyndi Lauper phase...

He argued that it is more of a classic Poison look...

But...I think at that point we are really just splitting hairs...

This was an 8am soccer game...It was about 42 degrees...

Oh...and Check this out...

2008-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

I'm less and less impressed by the quality of youtube videos after you upload them...but...You'll get the idea...

Day 246

2008-12-02T17:15:00.001-08:00

I went to visit my younger brother at his shop...where they work on cars installing lots of things that cost lots of money...

This little hooptie...had some cool hydraulics...and they were in the process of installing flame throwers on the exhaust system...

Don't you have those on your car?

Days 242 - 245

2008-12-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Seriously...If you want to live in the Flood Zone...You're gonna have to raise your house up 1 foot above the base flood elevation...

Days 240 & 241

2008-11-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving...ya'll..

Here's a dog sitting in a chair.

Days 238 and 239

2008-11-25T06:52:00.001-08:00

So...yesterday...a 'volunteer' told me that we were better off (where I work) before I got here...

I guess he doesn't appreciate my opinions...

and that's a rabbit with a pancake on his head.

Days 225-237

2008-11-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

So this was our last weekend of sports for a while...It'll be nice to get our early Saturday mornings back...but we'll miss the competition...

Both boys played in older age brackets...and both played really well this season...Daniel was the only kindergarten-er on his team...and he scored 3 goals this season...

and Once again...Dean was consistently the smallest player on the field with the biggest heart...Louisiana Lightning strikes again...

Days 213 - 224

2008-11-10T10:32:00.001-08:00

It's too easy to be lazy...

Here's an action shot from Halloween....

Days 205 - 212

2008-10-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

What is it about Conference Centers that requires them to buy ugly carpeting?

So...I'm staying at this Hotel in Miami Beach...the Eden Roc Resort...

Day 1 I get a 3 different room keys from the front desk that don't work...They had to come reprogram the lock to get it to work...

You can't get to the beach from the hotel...because of all the remodeling...You have to walk about 300 yards down the construction zone to get there...

Last night there was a fire in the parking garage and we had to stand out on the street for 20 minutes while the fire dept put it out...and it's freakin' cold in Miami right now...so that was fun...

I ordered my $17 hamburger...and got the wrong $4 coke...

and I got stuck on the 4th floor in the elevator...because it wouldn't open...

Surely...one day this is going to be a nice hotel...but...It isn't ready for this many guests...not today...

Day 204

2008-10-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

It makes me question my whole decision making process....when I go to my orthopedic doctor..and he has THIS art in his lobby....

I mean...

come on...

THIS....

in your lobby? Is the best you can do?

Really?

Day 203

2008-10-20T20:44:00.001-07:00

Not too much with the house today....I picked up about 60 pounds of lawn clippings...dumped them in my woods...

That's right...my new lot has woods...so...I created a huge mulch pile...

Here's another shot from our DC trip...Arlington is a spectacularly moving place to visit...

Days 200 -202

2008-10-19T19:59:00.003-07:00

What a weekend...

We got all sorts of help...and accomplished all sorts of stuff...

Got my hands on a Z-turn mower...Totally awesome...

I mowed the yard...twice...

and as you can tell from this wonderful photo....over 1/2 the yard was taller than me sitting on the mower...

We got 3 or 4 nice sized loads of stuff brought over...and it's starting to feel like our place...

Haven't met too many neighbors yet...hopefully they won't hate us. :o)

Days 187-199

2008-10-16T21:32:00.001-07:00

So...I was boycotting my own blog for a while there...No good reason...other than the fact that I was SICK of saying that I had no news about the house...

Well....that's all different now...

We are officially Land Barons...owning property in 2 states...

I'm sure the troubles are just beginning...but they are our troubles...and we can get out of this silly townhouse...

Our move-in date is tentatively going to be next saturday....

We'll be using the next week to clean, paint...and prepare the house for our arrival...

We are both happy...and we really did get a spectacular deal on a beautiful home...

Oh...and last week Janet and I went to DC so she could receive an award for being a Star employee at her company...it's quite an honor...and I'll be sharing more photos soon...

Day 186

2008-10-03T21:35:00.001-07:00

Make sure that if you apply here...you have rules....

Day 185

2008-10-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Never Before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.

Days 183 and 184

2008-10-01T21:30:00.001-07:00

Saturday night at the LSU game there was a jet fly-by....it was as impressive a thing as I've seen in some time...

and seeing as how we were seated in the upper deck...the soundwave shook my shirt when it blasted by...

it was awesome...

The new TV show the Mentalist is pretty good...

Day 182

2008-09-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a little clip from the LSU /Miss St. game...
Heroes was good today...

Days 177-181

2008-09-28T18:39:00.001-07:00

Lots to say...but not much going on....

We celebrated Daniel's 5th birthday with my family and Janet's family....only 23 days after his actual birthday....stupid hurricane(s)...

This is Dean...crashed out Saturday night...I scored 4 tickets to the LSU / Miss. St. game....not a barn burner by any stretch of the imagination...but the weather was awesome...and the boys got to experience the electricity of Tiger Stadium...at night...for an SEC contest....

on a weekend that saw the # 1, #3 & #4 teams lose....it was nice to escape with a win...

Day 170-176

2008-09-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

I know...I'm a slacker...

so...the new TV season has started...and we have programmed the DVR...

It's going to start smoking...

Monday - Heroes....the Sara Conner Chronicles, Chuck and Monday Night Football

Tuesday - the new show FRINGE is really good, Law and Order SVU, I recorded the Mentalist to see if it's any good...and the World Series of Poker is on every Tuesday as well...

Wednesday - America's Got Talent

Thursday - the Office, ER, Survivor, CSI, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia & my family loves that stupid show Hole in the Wall

Friday - Life

Still waiting on the Amazing Race and probably a dozen other shows that I'm forgetting...

and this one is for you 'red staters' out there...

Day 169

2008-09-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Day 168

2008-09-16T20:38:00.001-07:00

Ever seen a $1,200 sink and faucet?

*cough*overpriced*cough*

Day 167

2008-09-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

So...today we were attacked...by our townhouse...again...
As you may...or may not recall...During Hurricane Gustav...the house threw a mirror at me...that I detected with my SpiderSense and cat-like reaction speed....only to catch it and bring it safely to terra firma...unbroken...
Well, today...Janet wasn't so lucky...
Today, the townhouse attepted to crush poor Janet by throwing the refrigerator door at her...
Thankfully...she was wearing her Wonder Woman Bracelet thingies...and merely threw the door...full of ketchup, BBQ sauce and mustard aside...
you can't get us...Stupid townhouse...We're smarter than you....you're just a townhouse....not even a real house...

This is another of their 'moments'...

Day 166

2008-09-14T15:52:00.001-07:00

My brother in law invited me to the LSU game with him tonight....I've never had better seats for a tiger game....

57 rows up on the 30 yard line...

I'm not sure that I've ever been less confident after a 41-3 victory...heading into SEC play...

Our quarterback situation is scary bad...and our kicking game leaves something to be desired...

Day 165

2008-09-14T15:50:00.001-07:00

The dogs definitely have their 'moments'...

Day 164

2008-09-11T18:38:00.001-07:00

No...Y ur sister be lyien?

I got my first wrong number text message while at the Parish Council Meeting tonight...

no house news today...

Day 163

2008-09-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

So....The story so far...

We were told on Monday...that the bank's 'bottom line' is more or less $3,500 more than our offer...

We got BACK with my bank fellow...who is operating with a generator and a cell phone...and tried to send him the rest of our paperwork today...

We also found out there could be tax 'issues' with the house...and, hopefully, my agent and the listing agent are working on those details...

Basically, from what we understand, either the seller paid the taxes through a title company so he could sell the house, or a title company paid the taxes and put a lien on the property...who knows...hopefully we can find out tomorrow...

In a perfect world...which, almost 10 weeks later (that's how long ago we put our offer in on this house), we know this isn't...we could be closing on the property in 2 - 3 weeks...

It's pretty crazy...after looking at many, many houses since I moved here in April... To actually be this close to buying the nicest house (in our price range) for significantly less than we originally thought possible is just nuts....We are in the neighborhood of $120,000 less than their asking price...so...we are getting pretty excited....

I'll keep you informed if anything changes...and I'm sure 'OPERATION POOL CLEAN-UP' will lead to several adventurous posts...

oh...

and this is funny.

Day 162

2008-09-09T16:07:00.001-07:00

Simply amazing...

Before Thursday... I'd say... that I maybe had seen 5 hummingbirds in my life... maybe...

Our friend puts out 3 hummingird feeders every day...and apparently there is an entire tribe of them living in the trees in their backyard...

I promise...there were no fewer than 50 birds attacking that red juice...

Day 161

2008-09-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Daniel celebrated his second hurricane birthday in his first 5 years...

Hurricane Frances in 2004 and Gustav in 2008...

As you can see...he's no worse for the wear...and we got to stay at a friend's house with electricity...so he had a little private party on his birthday...

Day 160

2008-09-07T17:49:00.001-07:00

Church, Work, Football, Rest...
and I officially hate The New England Patriots...stupid Tom Brady and my fantasy football debacle...

We went to Walmart yesterday....to restock our shelves before IKE heads this way...and this was the line to get into the store...