"Today's the last Day I wake up 4..."

Hey Blog readers...I thought I would jump on here and make some updates. Things are generally good around our house and seem to be looking up from where they were just a week ago. Most people right now would think that it is the general state of the economy that would be giving us woes...but so far that is not true. I can't help but think of all the people out there looking for jobs that have recently lost them or the 1 in 6 people in Elkhart County that are unemployed due to the RV industry collapse. But as many of you know, our woes have been "K9 Health Induced".

Thursday we got Daisy's staples out. Things went very well. Her incision is healing well and over all her health is good. She has lost 7 lbs. since her surgery, which is good. Due to her injury she has lived a somewhat sedentary lifestyle and we were feeding her like we always have. Long story short...cut back food, loose extra pounds. If it were only that easy for all of us(oh to have the metabolism of a Weim). This morning we noted some swelling in the foot again. Not nearly what we had before, so we are starting antibiotics again. No real big deal, just precautionary due to the open skin around the pins. Our biggest challenge right now is keeping her calm. She is feeling better, so she want to get up and wander the house and that is a no no. Our next big milestone is Mar. 9th, when we go and hopefully get this fixator off her leg. Oh yeah, and on that note, I called and they gave us some great news on that...it is included in the original price of the surgery(wheew...the thought of big money outlay is getting old).

The title to today's blog is a quote from Sharkboy this morning. Tomorrow is his 5th Birthday. He will be celebrating this whole weekend. Last night he got to pick where we went for dinner. He wanted to stay home and eat Volcano pizza and play Wii. So that my friends is exactly what we did. Tonight we will make the trek to TGI Fridays to have dinner with friends and family(about 14 or so). Then tomorrow I have to work, but he will be joining us at the firehouse about 4 for cake and ice cream. He doesn't know about it yet, but I think he will really enjoy it. He is growing up really fast. Some days he uses up my every last ounce of patience, but I would take nothing in exchange for the impact he has had on my life. I love that little guy. Happy 5th Birthday Sharkboy...

So I was reading this magazine today at the Dr. and it had a story about a guy that was constantly getting his vehicle keyed in the parking lot at work. He drove a Hummer H2 and he was tired of this occurring. His company had reviewed there security cameras but due to the location he parked it was not visible in the picture. Well having enough money to own an H2 apparently he had enough money to install surveillance cameras on his H2. Well it got keyed and he got the whole thing on tape. The police were contacted and the criminal that was keying his vehicle was identified and arrested. The criminal was a member of Greenpeace and the Sierra League. When questioned about his motives he said that he was targeting this vehicle because of it's carbon footprint and that it was killing the environment. Ok...now I am no environmentalist. I appreciate the environment, and am a bit concerned about global warming and general pollution. I also drive a full size pick up with a big 'ol fossil fuel burning V8 and don't plan to change that. I have to tell you that this person's reasoning for keying this truck really ticked me off. Global warming is a problem, but damaging someone's property is even worse. I hope they throw the book at him. That man disgusts me...(soap box being put away)

This week there isn't a lot on the schedule. Sharkboy gets his 5 y/o shots on Monday and after that we will head for the school we think he may attend for a conference and tour while school is in session. Other than that...just working and trying to keep our Daisy calm. The weather appears to be warming up also. Today and tomorrow will be in the 30's we are due for about another 2 or 3 day cold snap and then according to the weather people we start climbing...(maybe in the mid 40's)I can't wait. I definitely have a case of the "Winter Blahs"...and I don't think I will be able to go to Florida to shake them.

So until next time...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

A quick update...(and Picture of Daisy's fixator)

Hey blog readers...no post yesterday, sorry it was a long day. We spent most of the day out doing inspections, by the time dinner was had and the chores were done there was no creative juice left to pen a blog. So here is the update...

Today Sharkboy and I went and saw our friend Cassie to get our haircuts. As always she did a great job and has made both of our heads presentable for another few weeks. Sharkboy loves to get his haircut there because they have Playstations as each of the chairs. Then we came home and played all afternoon. Some Wii, some little cars and now he is comfy on the couch watching Kung Fu Panda.

Daisy is doing much better. Everyday she gets closer to being our old Daisy. She got a card today from her friends Kota Dog and Lexus. It was a really sweet get well card. She sniffed it and seemed to like it.(Thank you Kota Dog and Lexus' humans!) She goes tomorrow to have her staples out. Here is a picture.

External Fixator with out protective tape.

So there you have it...todays update. Tomorrow like I said we go get the staples out. I am very confident that will go well.

Thank you again to all that have sent well wishes for Daisy and us. It really means a lot and we can't wait to have her running around the retention basin like old times.

Stay warm, Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!

We have survived the first week...

Hey blog readers...today was a good day. Daisy's swelling seems to be getting under control. It is becoming a chore to keep her calm. She is obviously feeling much better. Making us in turn all feel much better too.

Today we just hung out. I had 3 calls after midnight last night and that left me a little short on sleep. So while she napped, I did some things and caught a couple of little cat naps too. She is getting around really well. She is still for the most part carrying that leg, but more and more she is using it. I have pictures of the leg without the tape over the fixator, but I haven't uploaded yet...most likely will occur on Wednesday.

Sharkboy and I played some Wii bowling today. Good times. He is actually quite good. A lot of it is luck, but he is knocking the pins down. He and I are also starting to plan our "Boys Trip". I promised him coming up this spring that he and I would pack up and hit the road over one of my 4 days. He is really looking forward to hanging with Dad and staying in a Hotel, and I am too. He is getting really big and says such grown up things. I just don't want him to ever feel like he can't hang out with Dad and do stuff. I really take this job of "Dad" seriously and I hope he sees it.

Jenny went to dinner with some girls tonight from church. They sing together in the Praise team and are trying to figure out a happy medium with their schedules and their practices. There are issues with time and their sacrifice...they are all getting really busy. They went to Hacienda, which worked out good for me, because Jenny brought me home a Taco salad. It is one of my favorite things. She really must love me...

Tomorrow I am working...We will be busy trying to get some inspections done. So I am guessing that there won't be an update...but you never know. So until next time...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

I love Sunny days...

Hey blog readers...so no update for a couple of days. I have to say though that it is great to look outside and see the sun. There is just something about the sun that makes me happy. I am also very happy to be back at work. I know a lot of people just go to work because they have to and they really look forward to their days off. I love my job and don't get me wrong, I like my days off, but I really like what I do. So long story short it is really nice to be back with the boys running calls and doing what we do...

Daisy is doing better today(according to Jenny). She developed an infection in her surgery leg below the actual incision. It is around one of the pins on her fixator. She is now on some antibiotics and we have adopted an almost always slightly sedated state for her to keep her calm. Now that is not saying she isn't aware of what is going on, she just sleeps more. She still wakes up occasionally and looks around and gets up and goes outside to go potty, just a little groggy. She has been sleeping in bed with us since Thurs. night and it seems to keep her comfy and sleeping most of the night(except her 2 am potty break). So we will just take this week nice and easy. Our next big landmark will be Thursday the 29th when she gets her staples out. Then we are in for the big haul to March 9th.

Friday night we decided that since Sharkboy was going to miss out on the Disney trip, for several reasons, we would get him/us a Wii. So Awesome Aunt Kelly advised that Target had Wii's. We mobilized...and were successful. When I brought it in Sharkboy flipped out. He was doing double fist pumps and screaming..."We got a Wii, We got a Wii". He was so happy(and there is nothing like an excited, happy kid). So after dinner we hooked it up and we played some bowling. He kept saying every time it was his turn, to watch out a "prefessional" was getting ready to go. He did pretty well...he plays at the babysitters occasionally. The only problem is, he thinks we should be playing 24/7. But I am sure(or hope)that we will be able to slow that up a bit.

We had ice rescue training today. I have to tell you that the last 10 years of doing ice rescue training for the fire department, I have always ended up with wet feet or a wet shirt. Well this year was different. We used these new suits and they are incredible. Warm, dry and I felt like I could move around in it. I did have a little residual air in the suit and looked a little goofy when I entered the water, but warm and dry = happy Jay.

Not a lot of big stuff on the horizon. Our goal this week is try to return to some semblance of normal life. I have been in a funk, and when I woke up this morning I decided it stopped then. Thank you again for all of your well wishes for Daisy...she is improving(slowly)and I look forward to sitting outside this summer on the deck laughing about everything(while sharing a libation with friends).

Oh yeah, and before I end this up today I want to Thank L.A. and F.i.L.(Mimi and Papa) for having Ethan for an overnight on Saturday. Somehow you guys always know the right time to jump in and help out. Jen and I feel that we can never tell you enough how much we appreciate and love you. That one night helped so much...Thank you!

So I think that is it for now...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!

This is getting to be more like having a baby all over again...

Hey blog readers...I don't have a lot of time to post a big post today, but I thought I would jump on here and touch on a couple of things.

Our Tuesday night was left as some what of a mystery. Sorry for that, but I wasn't really ready to type the whole ordeal out. So long story short, Daisy had a nasty reaction to her sedative. She was gasping for breath, twitching and shaking uncontrolably and unable to lift her head. She lost all control of her bodily functions as well. I guess the best way to describe it was our dog was a noodle. Well on Wednesday morning we rushed her to our vet and it was determined she had recieved too much sedative(puppy overdose). There was some time in that whole ordeal that we had decided that we didn't want to put her through much more...you can imagine the emotion that was flowing from that. Well no worries, she has bounced back.

After our run in with the sedatives Jenny and I vowed to never give her sedative again. Well last night was Jenny's night on the couch(we had decided to take turns) and I was in bed. Well at 2:30 am Daisy was wanting to wander around the house. Jenny was frustrated and it was very aparent that we need to figure something out. So we put her in bed with us...we picked her up, she didn't jump. We also broke our new role and decided to give her the new dose of sedative. Well that was great success. Jenny and I got 4 hours of good sleep. So we are going to make the sedative a nightly routine for a while...for us as much as her.

This whole thing is starting to wear on Sharkboy. He is starting to act up and not listen and Jenny and I think he is a little jealous of Daisy and all the attention she is getting. So Jenny and I are looking into doing some things with him to remind him he is our son and we think he is cool and we love him. So we have now started Operation Make Ethan feel important too.

Well that is all I have time for now. I will be on later and maybe have some more current Daisy pictures. She is looking and feeling better. Now on to my Friday.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

Some random stuff...

Hey blog readers...I just want to start this blog out by saying Thank you to everyone that has wished Daisy and us well. It means a lot to know that we have friends and family that care so very much for us and our little 4-legged friend.

Her update: She is feeling a lot better. She is starting to try and push her limits, and she is definitely going to be a handful. This morning she already tried to jump up on her favorite chair. I think I scared her when I hollered for her to stop, but as any good dog Dad would do, I picked her up and she is now sleeping in her chair. We had a really rough night on Tuesday. I won't kill you with the details, but she had a reaction to the combination of her pain meds and her sedative and it wasn't pretty. But we are past that and we are just focusing on getting her through the next a little more than 7 weeks...

I didn't get a chance to really blog yesterday and I wanted to make sure I made at least a couple of comments about the Inauguration. I have to say that Tuesday was a day to be very proud to be an American, Democrat or Republican, Black or White, Man, Woman or Child. The ceremonies and festivities moved me as an American. Personally I am excited for the opportunities of a fresh leader bring. While I was watching I was a little jealous of our dear friend Athena being there and witnessing it live. I was very proud of her living out her dream of witnessing the 44th time we had a peaceful transition of power in our great nation. Thank you Athena for your pictures and I look forward to your blog/review of the trip.(if you want to check her blog out, it is listed to the left click on "Athena", you won't be dissapointed)

Sharkboy is doing great. He is adjusting to our new "Robo-dog". He was the only one that could get her to start drinking yesterday. He was very calm and offered water from the little bowl in his little doctor kit he has. She gladly accepted his gesture and is back to drinking from her bowl on her own. We have committed to him that when we get her free of all of her restriction and it is not punishment for someone to come watch her, we will take him somewhere. Sadly, the money we had set aside for our trip to Disney this year is in her surgery now. But he is excited about the summer of weekend trips we have told him we will take. His only stipulation that he has put on it is that we have to stay in some hotels(deal little man). Disney will always be there and we will get there...

Other than that, we are just all adjusting to our Daisy and her limits. I can say with confidence that I think we have made a turn in the right direction. It will only get better from here. I will probably post later today.

Until then...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

Home at last...Home at last...Thank the Lord we're home at last!

Hey blog readers...well we made it home today. It has been a very long 2 days and it is only the beginning of her recovery.

I got the call this morning a little after 8 that I could come and get the home care instructions and get her headed for home. This is another example of how great this clinic is and how much they pay attention to their patients and their families. The surgeon was not scheduled to be in until after 10, but he came in early to get Daisy ready to get home, know how much we wanted her here with us. He is a very special person, both for what he does with animals and his attention to their human's needs.

So I walked in and was quite shocked to see her. She was very excited to see me. She licked my face and just couldn't hold still(she missed her Dad). The doctor described his procedures and showed me how things were progressing and told we what to look for and look forward to. He did finally give in a little and say that if we pick her up to put her on the furniture she could be up there, but we could not leave her side, in case she wants to get up(actually down). Then we will have to help her down. We will also have to help her outside and keep her on the leash...you know, so she doesn't run around including at night.

Here are some pictures so you can picture what everything looks like.

Ready to go outside.

Right when she got home.

E/s320/Daisy+Surgery+001.jpg" border=0> The fixator with the protective bandage.

Resting on the couch.

The incision...yucky:(

That is it for now...I have to take her out to try the potty thing again. Then sedatives and bed, for Daisy too.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

We're heading home...

Hey blog readers...this morning I followed the directions I was given last night and that was to call the office when I woke up and check to see when I could do the pick up to bring Daisy home. The Doctor came in early(he wasn't due until 10-ish)and gave her, her exam. He said she was ready to go home...

Now the transition at home will begin. It is a little faster than we thought, and throws a wrench into some things that we were planning, but we can deal. I will hopefully have pictures and more to report later today. It is feeling really good to know I am heading home real soon.

Funny thing happened last night. I chose what side of the bed I was going to sleep on and it was opposite to where they had the clock. So I just set my cell phone as the alarm clock. I put my Ipod on and fell asleep(actually easier than I thought). I was jolted awake by a loud static and buzz and about had a heart attack. My first thought was something was wrong with my Ipod. Nope, I plucked the earphones out and it got louder...It was the alarm clock. Someone had turned the alarm on and it was not set, so at midnight, the default time, it went off. I shut it off and promptly fell back asleep...

More about Daisy later...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

The day in review...

Hey blog readers...well today has been a long and emotionally draining day. If you have read the previous postings you will understand.

After today I have realized that our dog means more to the family than is outwardly visible to the world. I am the first one to tell you that they are just dogs, until today. This has been a very eye opening day for Jenny, Sharkboy and I. Daisy really is a member of our family.

I want to take a second to express my thoughts on NIVES (Northeaster Indiana Veterinarian Emergency & Specialty)office. They have been 100% what I would expect from a professional health care facility for people, but they do it with animals. From the phone call to make the appointment to the post-op phone calls they have provided. They have done everything in their power to make this as easy as it can be. I would definitely recommend them for any specialty surgery your pet would need.

Tomorrow I will call in the morning to find out what time I can do the pick-up and get the home care instructions. That will begin a long healing process for Daisy at home. In the coming 8 weeks we will have to keep her activity to a minimum. I am going to disable to doorbell to avoid her usual Pavlovian reflex to it ringing. Then we will work on getting her acclimated to her new "No Furniture" life(at least for 8 weeks).

Again, Thank you to all who have offered their support. It means a lot...I can't say Thank you enough.

So it off to try and get some sleep tonight...more tomorrow.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

She made it through surgery just fine...

Hey blog readers...I just finished talking with the surgeon, and updating Jenny on Daisy's progress. So here it is for everybody else...

Surgery was successful...Daisy woke up just fine and is resting. The Doctor commented that she already has a fan base at the office. Everybody is making all over her. He said that the surgery found a tear on the inside of the muscle. It required him to cut good muscle to get to the pocket of injury. Once he was in he found scar tissue, old blood and mostly stretching and separation of muscle(not massive trauma). He freshened the injury site(removed scar tissue and made fresh edges to promote healing)and began the closing process. He was very pleased that after all of the internal suturing her leg already looked to be in the proper position. He did have to place an external fixitor(think erector set screwed into the bone that will support her leg until her muscle can). She will wear that for 8 weeks(or longer?)...sounds good, but she is a very active dog and he doesn't want her on the furniture(that will be no easy task). So I will call in the morning when I wake up and see what the pick-up time will be.

Thank you again to everyone that has called, texted and IM'ed. A big special thank you to F.i.L. and L.A. for checking in. I gotta be honest, I didn't think F.i.L. would take any interest in this what so ever(as always we appreciate your support and Love you both). He never ceases to amaze me...

So now I am going to go find something to eat...and hopefully get some rest tonight.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!

I'm not much in the way of patience...

Hey blog readers...here I sit in a hotel room(in Fort Wayne) waiting to hear word about our dog. Now you have to understand that Daisy is treated and respected in our family as our first child. She has free reign around the house and can often be found sitting/laying on the furniture sleeping. So the fact that she is in surgery is very heavy on all of our hearts.

About 3 weeks ago Daisy was out playing with our puppy sitter(one of her favorite people other than family) in the back yard. She was behind Keri and let out a yelp and fell to the ground. She would not immediately get up, and when she did she wouldn't put weight on her back left leg. So we took her to our family vet and it was thought at that time that she may have pulled a muscle. She was placed on anti-inflammatory medication(puppy ibuprofen) and assigned bed rest. Well it was determined, after 2 weeks, that it was not working and she would need to see an Orthopedic Specialist. We contacted one in Fort Wayne and today's appointment was set.

We took the road trip this morning expecting to be told it was a tendon and may need surgery. Well after x-rays and a complete exam it was determined that is was a "Hock" muscle tear(not at all common in dogs). In human comparison it would be like tearing a calf muscle. A treatment plan was determined and that included some surgery. Worst case scenario at this point is that they will open up the leg, freshen up the tear, repair it and then place an external fixator on the leg. She would then have that fixator on for 6-8 weeks. She would then need to have the fixator removed and some therapy to follow. So lets hope that we have less of an outcome than that.

So we are back to where I was when I started this blog...waiting. I am not very good at this activity. I am nearing the 4 pm time frame when they said would be the earliest I would get an update...so pray for Daisy, pray for Jenny and My sanity and let's hope for the best. I am also hoping that they will say I can come visit her. You know, you just don't know somebody is Ok until you see them...

Thank you to all that have expressed their concern and best wishes for Daisy. It helps and if we don't get back to right away, it isn't because we don't appreciate it. We are going to have our hands full for awhile...

Thank you for reading my ramblings...updates to follow...sorry not much funny to report today.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

I have hit the century mark...

Hey blog readers...well it is true, I am now typing out my 100th post to this little blog. It is kind of strange to think it has been that many. Hopefully there have been more good than bad. More interesting than boring...so without further ado:

I haven't posted for almost a week. There has been big things going on, but just add to the excitement of it all I had a nasty sinus infection/head cold that just repeatedly kicked my tookus. So I really didn't feel like getting on the computer to chronicle the week.

Sharkboy has been doing really well. He is getting really big and is starting to act and talk like a big boy. Last night we took him the movies. I dropped Jenny and him off at the front door and just as he was getting out he exclaimed: "Thanks for the lift Daddy". I also fear that he has caught Jenny's affliction of just when he walks into the house he heads for his room to change clothes. Usually shorts and some sort of "Winter-inappropriate" shirt (tank tops and the such). That is soon followed up witha complaint that it is too cold. Other than that he seems to have kicked the being bad at school, good thing.

Jenny has been busy too...the usual stuff however, nothing really that burning. She has been working as hard as ever at keeping all of our house in shape despite Sharkboy, Daisy and my attempts at demolishing it. She is really amazing and her ability to keep the 3 of our lives, let alone hers, in line and tidy...well my friends is why I love her.

Like I mentioned previously I have been busy all week and fighting some sort of infection that has rendered my sense of smell almost completely destroyed, my voice sounds a bit hoarse and the skin around my nose so chapped and sore that blowing my nose is quite painful. But now I am 24+ hours into my antibiotic therapy I am feeling better. Hopefully my nose skin will regenerate and I won't need a graft to repair it. As soon as I get rid of the lump in the back of my throat I will be a happy little camper.

Tomorrow(Monday), I will be taking our Daisy to the Orthopedic Specialist in Fort Wayne. If all goes well we should be home that night, but there is the potential we would need to stay so she can have an operation on her leg. She was playing about 3 weeks ago, fell to the ground with a yelp. She wouldn't get up for several minutes. When she finally did, she wouldn't bear weight on that leg. Well after 2+ weeks of anti-inflammatory therapy and rest it hasn't improved. So our very capable Vet has refered us to this specialist. If she needs surgery, they will do it right then and will need to spend the night. So I am going with a bag packed, they don't want the person who brings her too far away. So I will just hotel it that night and pick her up the next morning...so we hope all goes well.

A couple of notable things that have happened this week. We have a "shit ton"(meteorological term) of snow on the ground(about 2 feet at home). We seem to have survived sub-zero temps over the last few days. My friend Athena is in Washington DC witnessing history. I envision something from a movie sort of road trip, and I look forward to seeing her blog updates of her progress.

So I will end this 100th edition of Plays with Sirens with this little thought. It came from a class I took this week. It was being taught by the son of a notable fire service person. The instructor was quoting his father's response to not being able to retrain firefighters and this is what he said: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Bullshit, if you hold his head under water long enough and suck on his ass hard enough he will eventually take a drink." Huh...never thought of it that way.

As always...Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps!

They are forecasting snow tonight...

Hey blog readers...so we got everything dried up from sledding yesterday. The noses have stopped running (well except Jenny's). Sharkboy and I hit the hill again today, but it was just the 2 of us and it was a blast. I is becoming quite the little adventure seeker...

So they are forecasting snow tonight...high winds in the morning and dropping temps through the rest of the week. Welcome to winter in Northern Indiana. We live in a snow machine. We can get lake effect snow in a moments notice...so those of you in sunny warmer climates, I envy you. I don't necessarily want to move to where you are, just visit so I can golf.

Well I am working overtime at Sta. 2 tonight. Not a whole lot going on(not a bad thing). Tomorrow I have to take the dog to the vet. She hurt her leg a couple weeks ago, but it isn't getting any better with just an anti-inflammatory. So I think an x-ray is in her future...

Other than that...not much going on in my world.

So until next time...

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

Sledding today...

Hey blog readers...today we enjoyed a Snow Day here at the house. We layed around in our Pajamas until well into the afternoon...



Ryan stopped by today to drop off some CD's that Jess burned for us. However he walked up to the house. He informed me that he was stuck in a snow bank down the road. He made a slight error and buried his car to the point he couldn't drive it out the snow bank. I took the truck down and pulled him out of the snow bank. Thank God for 4-wheel drive.



Then after lunch and some stuff around the house...we went sledding. Here are some of the pictures...

Sharkboy ready to hit the hill.

On the sled.

And the return trip.

My 2 favorite people in the world.

He makes me so proud.

The Family Self Photo.

The Better Half.

And finally the homemade Cocoa and Kahlua.(Mmmm)

Now I am trying to put all of our pictures on the back up drive...and organize them. I think this is going to be a big project. So I will drink my Yuengling and chip away.

Stay warm...Until next time...

Be Kind, Be Safe....

Shalom my Peeps.

To catch you up...

Hey blog readers...well it has been a while since I caught you up on things. Well here it is(the Cliff Notes version).

Christmas: Awesome time. I was able to enjoy the family the whole way through. My 4-day fell over the holiday and I enjoyed every minute. Here are some of the high points: Jenny loved her presents and Sharkboy seemed to enjoy his too...I got some great tools to help with my Golf Cart project, and F.i.L. and L.A. came up big with a rolling toolbox for my tools. We also got a visit from Athena and Sister on Christmas night. They brought more beer and we shared some laughs and just general conversation.

New Years: I worked. It was a pretty quiet evening. We slept all night, up until about 5am and then we went out on a sick person...and it wasn't from celebrating the New Year.

Jenny's Birthday(aka "Jen"uary): We did the dinner with friends thing the night before(great time, but the heater was killing me). Then I gave her all of her presents. She loved them. One of the presents I gave her were tickets to see Spamalot at the Morris(she really wanted to see this show). It was hilarious. I am a big Monty Python fan, so it lived up to a lot of my expectations. We laughed, and laughed and laughed some more.

Last night was our theatre night. We ended up after our show having dinner with F.i.L., L.A., Phil and Sherry. We went to The Vine, enjoyed some yummy food and conversation. The company was great, oh yeah and the beer was good too. I tried a new beer last night called 312. It is from Goose Island brewery in Chicago. It was yummy. A bit on the light side for my tastes(I am a big stout fan), but it had a nice hop to it and a very smooth finish.

Since it is my blog...I have the ability to take certain liberties. I would like to take a moment to wish L.A. Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday to an awesome lady that we love very much. Thank you for being you.

Well that is about it for now. We are in the throws of winter here. We have a pretty good amount of snow on the ground. So I think it is time to go out sledding. Maybe you will see some pictures of it in the near future. So until next time...

Be Kind, Be Safe

Shalom my peeps.

CNF for the day...(and this past weekend)

Hey blog readers, here are the CNF (Chuck Norris Fact) for the day...(and this past weekend).

Sat./Sun.: Chuck Norris did in fact build Rome in a day.

Mon.: Chuck Norris' credit cards don't have a limit. Last weekend, he maxed them out.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

More to come later...

Hey blog readers...been a very busy holiday season(more on that later...). I just wanted to hop on here and do something. Several months ago Awesome Aunt Kelly introduced me to the funny world of "Everything Chuck Norris". Well in honor of that Jenny bought me a Chuck Norris Calendar. It is a daily tidbit of life as Chuck Norris. It is hilarious...So I have decided that daily in my blog, I will be posting the daily tidbit.

So to catch up, here is the 1st & 2nd postings:

Jan. 1:

The chief export of Chuck Norris is PAIN!

Jan. 2:

Chuck Norris uses a nightlight. Not because he is afraid of the dark, but because the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris.

So there you have it.

Be Kind, Be Safe...

Shalom my Peeps.

(oh yeah, and more on the holidays later...)