Get The Body You Always Wanted

1. Wait until at least April, when the ground softens.

2. Dress warmly (think layers), bring a shovel and a lantern on a stick.

3. Listen. Is someone coming?

4. Cover your lantern with a blanket, wait.

5. Continue. If you're not used to hard physical labor, wear weight-lifting gloves to avoid excess chafing.

6. You may need a wheelbarrow. You probably should have brought a wheelbarrow.

7. Come back with a wheelbarrow.

8. Try to have the body you've always wanted back to your house by dawn.

9. Get online, start shopping for outfits!

10. Your friends may treat you differently now, with your new body, but they are probably just jealous.


I thought this was funny enough to share.  Reposted from The Hairpin.

Birthday/Retirement

My wife and I attended my Mom's retirement party today, on my wife's birthday.  The big, ugly and rarely posted thing in the middle is me.  (-Well, what did you think I looked like?)

Happy Birthday, Kate!    Happy Retirement, Mom!

Layoff The Cats

Over a week since the last post?  What the heck have I been up to?  Well, it has been a busy, odd week here.  Ten hour days is my new norm, though there should be less of them per week.  We have had overtime on and off lately, and layoffs have been handed out to some while the rest of us watch and wait.  I should know better where I stand in a week's time, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

The cats seem like they are no longer kitties.  They are 9 months old on Monday, and I'm not sure if they are their full size yet, but they have certainly come a long way.  We weighed them about a month ago, Basil was 10 pounds and Hamish was 7, so I am afraid they may still be growing.  Time will tell...

A Moment With A Hawk

I just stepped outside for a moment just now.  The sky is overcast , the temperature is above freezing and I can hear the snow melting - falling off the trees and dripping everywhere - and I have thoughts of Spring.  Then I realize it is really not even halfway through January.

Just a Google Images photo, for effect. ;]

Just as I was about to come back in I saw some kind of hawk, flying high in this urban sky.  I delayed coming in for a few moments and watched this hawk come lower as it passed beyond to the west, then circled back even lower coming straight at me, and passed almost directly over me about 50 feet up.  Now this hawk obviously knew I was not prey, and yet it took a moment to look at me as I stayed and waited reflectively to look at it.


- - -

Not a lot going on here lately.  I have been working overtime and things have been pretty routine at home.  Work is a bit odd lately as we are changing some of our procedures in our department and face some possible layoffs.  My boss is stretched to her limit I think, but still puts on a brave, pleasant face every day.  But before I go on, this blog is not about work and I will keep it that way.  We can just say that work is still so much more fun for me in this department than my old position and I wouldn't trade it for anything right now.

The Badgers may have lost their third straight Rose Bowl, but at least they have gotten there three straight years which is not too shabby at all.  I am excited about the new head coach and our returning team next year.
The Packers play continues having won their wildcard playoff game last Saturday and will play at San Francisco this Saturday night.  I think we can do it, the Packers can go the distance, but I am almost afraid of the games now.  Lose and it's over - and it's a long time until next season.  I don't want football weekends to ever end!

PTFO

New Year's Eve, The Edited Karaoke Video

Using the YouTube Video Editor for the first time was a learning experience, yet helpful if I ever have a chance or reason to do it again.  Overall, it took too long and I didn't really know what I was doing at first, but on the second try I think I did okay enough.

It was all in good fun and many goofy Karaoke highlights are here.  The mood was loose and fun, all played it up somewhat with the camera a bit but it was Becky that kept the girls going - Go, Aunt Becky!

Happy New Year to Becky, Terry, Mike and Jerome (not in vid) and thanks for going out with Kate and me (also not in vid) on New Year's Eve!

2013: The Morning After

It's Jerome! - Wearing last year's glasses

Becky, Terry and Kate

I guess I can be a real pessimist sometimes because last night turned out much better than I had expected.  After pre-writing the last post I napped for a couple hours and, while I still woke up a bit grumpy, things got better quickly.  Two good friends were unable to show up and, while that wasn't good, it meant we were all able to fit into one car and I didn't have to worry about driving.  And when midnight passed I was not the one who was ready to leave right away.  The bar was full, but not overly so as I remember it in past years, and that made a big difference in my enjoyment.  Karaoke was popular - not by me - and I got several grammy winning performances on video.  This gives me an excuse to try out YouTube's video editor for a future post.

Mike and Jerome

This morning has not been too bad, for me anyway.  My wife is hurting pretty bad in the next room.  The house is not wrecked and the cats don't seem scarred so I think it went pretty well.  Even though we got home at maybe half past midnight my wife and I managed to stay up until almost 5 in the morning somehow.  I'm not sure how that happened, we were drunk and must have been in slow motion.  I hope all our friends had a good time.  I'll probably make a call or two this afternoon to see how wrecked some of them are feeling.  That should be good for a laugh or two.

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday and well wishes all around for the new year!  Now to get it off on the right foot the Badgers could win the Rose Bowl today.  Go Bucky!

PTFO