tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248432722011-11-27T19:14:02.919-06:00A place to speak the random thoughts that come to mind. And also a way to make Mel happy.Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.comBlogger2291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-60230329235296646142010-09-02T14:36:00.001-05:002010-09-02T14:36:59.035-05:00

A couple of days ago was Reagan's birthday, and I thought that I would surprise her for lunch. Since basically all of her friends from middle school went to a different high school, Reagan has been trying to find people to eat lunch with. It's not that she's not making friends at school. It's mostly that the girls she knows are on a different lunch schedule than her. Bottom line, I wanted to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-60903254440021554062009-03-17T16:19:00.001-05:002009-03-17T16:19:00.873-05:00

As many of you know, my wife – Leah – has been experiencing some very disturbing abdominal pain for a little over a month now. It all started while she was at CPC (Children's Pastors Confernce) in San Diego at the beginning of February. Near the end of the conference week, she woke with discomfort in her abdomen, and at that point she dismissed it as the result of sleeping wrong. By the end of

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-89438078506285539532009-03-11T14:15:00.001-05:002009-03-11T14:15:18.966-05:00

As a former elementary school student, father of four, and an active Children's Ministry volunteer (I use the term "volunteer" loosely), I have been to and participated in my fair share of school programs. I think it's fairly safe to say that when any of us hear that our child will be in a school program, we all envision the same thing:Small, cramped seating in a room designed for midgets along

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-5945759648284823642009-01-26T14:59:00.002-06:002009-01-26T22:05:43.315-06:00

Having been related to many law enforcement officers, I have been entertained by the antics of criminals and spellbound by the first hand tales of their capture. Today, though, I have heard it all:http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7846822.stm?ad=1On a warm, humid night somewhere in Nigeria, two detectives were on stakeout. The recent rash of car robberies

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-9462714065004826402008-11-12T16:37:00.001-06:002008-11-12T16:37:41.489-06:00

I haven't had a chance to comment on the news lately, but I just can't pass this up:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030203247.htm Apparently, scientists have determined that we all smell. I don't mean that we can perform the action of detecting odors with our noses; that would be obvious and need no scientific investigation. I mean that each of us, possibly without our

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-52569421997568416672008-11-04T09:51:00.001-06:002008-11-04T09:51:33.430-06:00

No Heroes last night, so I'll just have to tell you a story about my children and my childhood. As a child, I went to my first haunted house at the firefighter training house near our neighborhood. It was a little house with maybe two rooms, and I was probably about eight years old. All I remember is that my sister and I walked through and saw the traditional guy rising up from a coffin, a big

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-14224401682771414432008-10-28T14:34:00.001-05:002008-10-28T14:34:51.938-05:00

This season really is almost a complete reboot of the series. The ones we were sure were villains are becoming heroes. The ones we trusted as heroes are becoming villains. And characters we thought were gone are still orchestrating events. Interesting. Highlight below to see my thoughts:If you haven't already busted out a Google search on the title of the episode, it comes from Horace (the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-89606885699711370402008-10-22T14:36:00.001-05:002008-10-22T14:36:26.581-05:00

Finally caught up on posts. Highlight below:We get to see Hiro kill Ando again, but from a different perspective this time. Here we see that Hiro stops time, travels to a prop shop and trades the real sword for a fake, grabs some fake blood, travels back in time to just when Adam started the fight and preps Ando for what is coming, then returns to the bar with Knox and Daphne so that he can

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-72761539230270055282008-10-22T13:51:00.001-05:002008-10-22T13:51:57.769-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since I put up a new post. I have been watching the show, and I've got back to back notes on the last two episodes. Highlight below to see more:Nathan handles the opening narrative this time rather than Mohinder. I don't know if that is significant or not, but it is a first for the series. Anyway, Nathan is still trying to work out the details of how Linderman knew

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-74315162975006512842008-10-13T10:00:00.001-05:002008-10-13T10:00:10.029-05:00

Sorry it's taken so long. I've been out of town for the past week, so I only just saw this episode a few days ago. I should be back on track with tonight's episode, though. Highlight below to see my take:Future Peter takes PP into the future to see what's happened. Amazingly, everyone there has powers. So far, we've seen a future with specials being hunted and caged. One with some kind of

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-75213439330537646162008-10-01T13:44:00.001-05:002008-10-01T13:44:36.414-05:00

Okay. So here's the deal. I haven't been receiving the best customer service lately. Maybe it's me. Regardless, I stopped by Barnes & Noble on my home last night to pick up a copy of Inkdeath that my aunt had purchased for Abbie. She paid for the book over the phone and had it ready for me to pick up at the store. Their instructions to her were for me to just drop in and pick it up at the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-17160992353194924412008-09-30T12:53:00.002-05:002008-09-30T12:53:56.715-05:00

I'm so glad that I have something to write about every Tuesday again. This was a pretty good episode that answered a few of the questions presented in the premiere. Highlight below for details.Starting with Tracy, we found out that she really isn't Niki Sanders. The body in the coffin, the dual birth certificates, and the fact that Dr. Zimmerman claims to have "created" Tracy all point to a

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-48031470800034161052008-09-23T09:03:00.001-05:002008-09-23T09:03:02.803-05:00

It seems like forever since we've seen a new episode of Heroes, so it was a pretty big deal at our house last night. We hooked it up in HD on the big screen and made an evening of it starting with the pre-show. First off, when was the pre-show filmed? It was designed to look live, but since the sun was still up in Texas, there is absolutely no way it was dark in Los Angeles. More importantly,

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-90825426602627030142008-09-18T11:44:00.001-05:002008-09-18T11:44:56.683-05:00

First of all let me just say that until I read this article, I had no idea that there are actually people out there called "toilet-paper researchers." Now that I know, I'm wondering how you end up in such a career. Is this considered a promotion from arm-pit sniffer? Or is it just the entry point on your way to hemorrhoid cream tester?Are there kids out there right now that, if asked, would

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-54196487417424432172008-09-12T13:26:00.001-05:002008-09-12T13:26:12.135-05:00

Recently, I was finally able to purchase a projector and screen for my media room. Since I've wanted one for about 7 years, this was a pretty momentous occasion at our house. First, we got the projector. It took about 2 weeks to come in. Next, we painted the room. That was a day or two. Finally, we ordered the screen once we knew exactly how large of an image we were going to project. That

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-15848349036530703922008-08-28T15:37:00.001-05:002008-08-28T15:37:45.527-05:00

Okay, okay. I know that some of you are wondering if I died and went home to be with the Lord. Maybe some of you were hoping. Either way, I am still here, I've just had a crazy busy summer.Things got started off with VBS in June during which I was slimed and tasked with mixing together odds and ends from the kids' pantries for our youth minister to eat. I couldn't even stand the smell much

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-34104340753339492992008-05-14T17:10:00.001-05:002008-05-14T17:10:05.024-05:00

Of all the great things that man has accomplished in his tenure on earth none can equal whatever act comes after the phrase, "hold my beer for a sec." Whenever you hear those words uttered, especially with the often heard sub phrase, "this is gonna be hilarious," you know that something great is about to transpire. We have all heard that the wheel, fire, electricity, and paved roads may be the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-1240673321494176772008-05-07T16:48:00.001-05:002008-05-07T16:48:36.547-05:00

It's really a tough call today as to what I should write about. I've run across several interesting articles, and they all struck me as something worthy of additional insight. Rather than choose just one, I'll try to hit them all and let you decide which you prefer:Crazy toll booth bill – Apparently, a woman was told she owed $870 when she tried to leave DFW airport after only being in the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-40896434768887092172008-05-05T16:52:00.002-05:002008-05-07T08:24:49.489-05:00

I think it might be simple human nature to make excuses. All the way back to the very first couple, Adam and Eve (not Steve), mankind has been making excuses. If you remember in that story, Adam and Eve both ate the fruit, and when God showed up and asked what happened (like He didn't already know), Adam said, "She made me do it." Or something like that.All of us that are parents have experienced

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-2107287184180894512008-04-28T13:26:00.001-05:002008-04-28T13:26:49.131-05:00

It was a great plan, or so we thought. Abbie has shown a little interest in golf over the past several weeks, and I've taken the time to go to the driving range with her, setup a net in the backyard for practice, and finally, to get a tee time for us this past Sunday afternoon. She's really been doing well, and I think it might be right up her alley since she only has to concentrate in 15

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-39561500097010959282008-04-15T09:59:00.001-05:002008-04-15T09:59:57.440-05:00

I have friends and family that live in Colorado, and they all tell me that it is a wonderful place to live. They claim that the weather is nice, the humidity is low, and the bugs that we deal with in Texas are non-existent. They say that even though it snows, it's only around long enough for the kids to have fun, and they say that you absolutely can't beat the scenery. I don't think they are

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-46665579282552560732008-04-14T16:09:00.003-05:002008-04-15T16:09:31.580-05:00

It's not very often that I get to have a couple of days with no women. Now, I know that that might sound really glamorous to all of the single guys out there, but trust me, when you live in a house with six women, it's nice to have a few days with just your brother every once in a while. Since last Friday was Jeffrey's birthday, I left work early and headed over to Shreveport to celebrate with

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-32416346095013165302008-04-08T13:13:00.001-05:002008-04-08T13:13:36.166-05:00

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to pull off a robbery? Would it be glamorous and sexy like The Thomas Crown Affair? Would it be slapstick funny like Fun with Dick and Jane? Or would it be well planned but ultimately foiled by the police like Heat? Or would it be the one moment in your life that labeled you as a moron in front of the rest of the world?So, how's this for a

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-12414976024813276762008-03-31T11:10:00.001-05:002008-03-31T11:10:55.419-05:00

As most of you know, Leah's Windstar has been in the process of dying for a while now. First, it developed an oil leak which we found out was actually leaking oil into the transmission. Then it started sucking oil up into the engine. We were actually putting oil in it almost twice a week. The silver lining was that I didn't have to worry about oil changes; it always had new oil. After all

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-79067549410393671302008-03-19T14:59:00.001-05:002008-03-19T14:59:36.278-05:00

So far Leah and I are having about the worst week ever. As these things go, of course it didn't start this week; it all started when we were in San Diego. While we were there, Leah's mom, Babe, fell and broke her arm. She had been living with Leah's brother and his "friend," and since Leah's brother has been detained (again) by the state and his "friend" was at work she was found that evening

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-70037598152828480232008-03-13T10:04:00.001-05:002008-03-13T10:04:45.160-05:00

We've all been there. You go to Taco Bell late at night because you're desperate for something to put in your stomach, you order the bean burrito because $0.39 is all you scrape from the crack in the backseat of the car, and then find yourself the next morning wishing for a copy of the entire Harry Potter series and some handrails while your spouse is in the other room telling you it's time to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-1223075806510094522008-03-07T01:36:00.001-06:002008-03-07T01:36:38.298-06:00

Well, we've had an interesting week and an especially interesting last 24 hours. Leah and I flew out to San Diego last Sunday for CPC (Children's Pastors' Conference), and we have really had a great time. Since the conference didn't really get going until Monday afternoon, we were able to spend morning Monday on a short tour of the city. We went to Old Town San Diego which is where the town

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-54393803802717363472008-02-22T17:19:00.002-06:002008-02-22T17:21:00.230-06:00

Last weekend was Sydney's birthday party, and all she wanted was a pink bounce house. She's been asking for one for almost an entire year. She just wanted a bounce house and her friends to come play in it with her. Unfortunately, the weather man was calling for rain all day on Saturday – the day of the party. What were we going to do?Leah and I talked and then called the All4Fun team with an

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-20598531724911065572008-02-22T17:09:00.002-06:002008-02-22T17:13:27.141-06:00

I finally uploaded some pics of the kayaks. These are from our first day out, so they are not rigged at all. I'm about to have mine pretty much done, and then I'll get a pic of them completely rigged out for fishing.Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-53820839475504505712008-02-14T13:31:00.001-06:002008-02-14T13:31:15.283-06:00

Science has just made an interesting discovery that might take some pressure off of the Dems this election season. As we have already discussed, the Dems have a little bit of a challenge in their campaign with the rising price of gas. On the one hand, the high price of gas is making big oil companies richer and it's making it more difficult for lower income workers to commute. On the other

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-37638309312521641902008-02-11T15:06:00.001-06:002008-02-11T15:06:47.339-06:00

So, I've had my kayaks for a couple of weeks now, and I have had a chance to get them out on the water a couple of times. The first time we went, we did take the camera with us, but I still haven't gotten around to downloading the pictures from the camera to my computer. Oh well. Maybe you can seem them in a later post. Regardless, here's how things went.For our first outing, it was just Leah

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-29201465809806885182008-02-07T10:52:00.001-06:002008-02-07T10:52:17.297-06:00

My dad dropped little pearls of wisdom for his children throughout our lives, and like most kids, we took some to heart and we let some just escape right out the other ear. One of the most important, though, is to always be prepared. Think through the things that might happen and plan for emergencies. You never know when something is going to go wrong. To that end, I always have a coat (even

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-32713120547565993102008-02-01T10:49:00.001-06:002008-02-01T10:49:54.351-06:00

It's interesting to me how most jobs have a uniform, even the ones that don't. Think about it. Some are pretty obvious. Car mechanics, fast food workers, custodians, painters, police, firemen,t he military, you can always pick them out of a crowd based on what they are wearing. But can't also generally tell a lawyer from a construction worker, a banker from a pool cleaner, or a programmer

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-11256827939239945482008-01-30T16:17:00.001-06:002008-01-30T16:17:37.973-06:00

I know. I know. I don't post things nearly often enough. Every once in a while I do actually have to work.So, I've been looking at kayaks and saving money for nearly a year now, and yesterday I finally "laid out the Benjamins" as Jeffrey would say. I bought two kayaks for fishing since I figure that with all of my kids, one wouldn't be enough, and sure as shooting, I'll find somewhere that I

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-20552257934895493382008-01-09T13:54:00.001-06:002008-01-09T13:54:19.572-06:00

I saw this article today, and I struck me as something I had to write about:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22571847/ Everyone that's ever been married knows that things get tough from time to time. Sometimes you just have to get away. We all deal with that differently. Some take a walk around the block. Some spend time alone in the bedroom reading or watching TV. Some immerse themselves in

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-41823708804424804402008-01-08T10:08:00.001-06:002008-01-08T10:08:24.915-06:00

I did have a fair amount written about the various ways that this article struck me as humorous, but I decided to delete it all and just share the article rather than risk being accused of writing in bad taste.http://www.nbc5i.com/news/15001098/detail.html?rss=dfw&psp=nationalnews

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-39496491200204205052008-01-02T13:06:00.001-06:002008-01-02T13:06:00.287-06:00

We just returned from our annual Christmas trip to Deadwood to visit my mother and grandparents. We started out in Shreveport this year with my dad's parents, and we had a nice visit there. Grandmother bought dinner for everyone from a local catfish joint called Shane's. Apparently, she thought that we were going to be more hungry than we were or that we were all bringing friends because she

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-80122997502389955232007-12-28T08:58:00.001-06:002007-12-28T08:58:52.012-06:00

Everyone start saving now. I know what I want for Christmas next year. Yes, I realize that it's only a few days after Christmas, but it's going to take a while for you to save and compile your money for my gift.How many times have you ever wished that you didn't have to pay high prices for electricity? Have you ever wished that you could turn the tables and be your own power company? Have you

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-37269971990909026752007-12-26T13:28:00.001-06:002007-12-26T13:28:02.511-06:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. I just haven't really been inspired. We've been running around like crazy getting things ready for the holidays, shopping for family and friends, and attending holiday parties. It's almost all over, though.The kids had a great day yesterday. I think they all got what they wanted, and other than a few fights in the late afternoon, we enjoyed

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-12296522291205743562007-12-04T09:21:00.001-06:002007-12-04T09:21:30.623-06:00

We see the end of Volume II: Generations and the very tiniest start of Volume III: Villains. A pretty good episode that covered a lot of ground and left plenty of questions for what's coming next. Highlight below to read more:Starting with the Sylar storyline, he and Maya are at Mohinder's apartment. Obviously, Mohinder decided not to go to New Orleans after the phone call he received, so he

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-17050663366648897212007-11-27T09:53:00.001-06:002007-11-27T09:53:15.762-06:00

No long preamble this week. Just highlight below to read:Peter seems to have momentarily jumped back to the future again and he sees himself and Caitlin captured again. As proof that he was there, he shows Adam a flyer mandating evacuation as a result of the virus. Since no one else seemed to see him there, I'm not sure whether he really was there or not. Regardless, Adam tells Peter that he

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-4675839102163616542007-11-26T08:23:00.001-06:002007-11-26T08:28:23.952-06:00

Most high school boys have a certain vehicle in mind when they think of their dream car, and many are fortunate enough to actually get something pretty close during their high school years. For some it's a sports car. For some it's a monster truck. For some it's an off road vehicle. For others it's a fixer-upper that they can tinker with every afternoon. Very few of us have such mixed emotions on

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-51675062025609200902007-11-20T09:27:00.001-06:002007-11-20T09:27:34.320-06:00

A pretty good episode about dealing with the loss of someone you love. Highlight below to see more:First off, let's talk about Matt Parkman. His power is growing, and he's taking a little bit of advantage with it. Not only can he read minds, but now he can control them somewhat, too. He first realizes it when he tells Molly to come back to the table to finish her cereal using only his mind.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-12009711010053928222007-11-15T09:07:00.001-06:002007-11-15T09:07:42.069-06:00

Everyone has played tag, haven't they? I sure hope so, it's a great game for kids and adults. I remember when I was a kid, I even saw a movie where college students had taken tag to a whole new level. In the movie Gotcha! the college students played tag around campus with paintball guns. If you haven't seen it, go rent it for a look at a young Anthony Edwards and some serious 80s

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-86139354558419760692007-11-14T17:01:00.001-06:002007-11-14T17:01:08.358-06:00

Every young man needs to know how to make a coonskin cap, and I really feel a bit left out in that it wasn't included in any of the coursework that I had as a child. I mean, how can you expect a person to grow up to be a responsible, self-respecting citizen without intimate knowledge of how to skin a coon and make a head covering? Honestly, it's a serious shortcoming in our educational

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-26954358686214387372007-11-13T15:44:00.001-06:002007-11-13T15:44:04.130-06:00

We played last night, but NBC.com has saved me once again. I really love being able to watch TV on the internet. After a few mediocre episodes, these last two seem to be pulling us out of the slump. Highlight below for more:This episode jumped around between storylines and timeframes, so I'm going to try and consolidate all of the storylines separately.We start off right where the last episode

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-83471953298297733672007-11-06T16:53:00.001-06:002007-11-07T08:19:21.060-06:00

We had softball last night, so I just got around to watching the episode. It's a pretty good turn for things. Read below for more info:First off, we see a strange green glow around the earth in the title scene. A foreshadowing of the holocaust that the Shanti virus will unleash, I imagine.Next, Hiro and Kensei have finally gotten the end of their journey together. Or at least Hiro has finally

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-52602267749904621932007-11-06T14:59:00.001-06:002007-11-06T14:59:15.603-06:00

How many of you have ever seen the movie Armageddon? If you have, then you might remember the scene where Oscar (Owen Wilson) asks what it's going to be like when they land on the asteroid. Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) responds with a lengthy explanation of temperature swings and landscape features which Oscar then summarizes into, "Okay, so the scariest environment imaginable." That's about

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-18557547208948934682007-10-31T11:30:00.001-05:002007-10-31T11:30:18.913-05:00

I'm sure that you can remember at least one time that you stayed at your friend's house too late without a bike when you were a kid. It started to get dark and you didn't want to be late getting home, so you asked, "Can I just ride your bike?" Sometimes, your friend might say yes, but if it was a particularly cool bike they probably just offered to pump you. If you're not familiar with the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-22886167092979853032007-10-30T16:41:00.001-05:002007-10-30T16:41:59.431-05:00

Well, we did play softball last night, but I went ahead and watched Heroes online at lunch. This episode was okay, but like so many other shows this second season seems to be struggling to keep the pace set by the first. I'm not ready to give up yet, but I do hope things improve soon. Highlight below to read more:First off, who is Adam Monroe? If you didn't notice, that was the name on the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-71411745358575774732007-10-26T16:09:00.001-05:002007-10-26T16:09:17.572-05:00

When I was a kid, there was a commercial on television that showed some guys in a lab running engines that allegedly had no oil in them. The point of the commercial was probably something about how one engine was better than another because it could run with no oil, but I don't recall those irrelevant details. The important thing is that they were allegedly running without oil.My wife's van is

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-36901738084845976802007-10-23T21:24:00.001-05:002007-10-23T21:24:48.817-05:00

Three weeks in a row softball has been rained out. Oh well, at least I can keep up with Heroes. Highlight below to see more.So, Matt wanted Molly to find his dad and then he didn't want to go see him. Does that make sense to anyone except Matt? Then he finally meets his dad (with the encouragement of Nathan) and seems surprised to discover that the guy has powers of the mind, too. And how

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-46261683569021499972007-10-22T15:52:00.001-05:002007-10-22T16:27:52.463-05:00

I stayed with my brothers this weekend for a little man time. Jeffrey, Logan, and I all hung at Jeffrey's house in Bossier and we had a great time playing video games, watching movies, and we even got to catch a Mudbugs (local CHL team) game on Saturday night. Overall, it was an awesome weekend.For entertainment on Saturday, I bought a skeet thrower and we all pitched in on some skeet and shells.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-74941726099437553442007-10-17T11:14:00.001-05:002007-10-17T11:14:41.329-05:00

I distinctly remember the day that I experimented with swear words. I'd heard my dad use them frequently. I'd heard my grandfather use them frequently. I figured that they were part of the package if I was ever going to be a man. My sister had other ideas, and after a long conversation with my dad, I swore off swear words.That's probably a good thing, too. Take a look at this article:http://

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-37437769820384777282007-10-16T08:59:00.001-05:002007-10-16T08:59:15.977-05:00

Softball was rained out again. I'm beginning to feel like we're flashing back to the spring where every game and make-up game was rained out for a couple of months in a row. The good news, though, is that means I got to watch Heroes last night with the rest of America. The bad news is that it was a pretty weak episode. Highlight below to see my take:Who couldn't see the deal with Micah and

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-76959826458791131322007-10-09T11:20:00.001-05:002007-10-09T11:20:00.237-05:00

Softball was rained out last night, so I actually got to watch Heroes on a Monday night. Very nice. Highlight below to see what I thought:Niki and Micah said goodbye to D.L. Apparently, D.L.'s injuries were too severe for him to survive at the end of last season, so his final scene was as a grave marker in some Las Vegas cemetery. Of course, it's also possible that Niki lost control of

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-59742321159388853712007-10-08T13:14:00.001-05:002007-10-08T13:14:23.530-05:00

Every once in a while, Leah and I try to get away for at least one night, and with four kids, that only happens once or twice a year. This past weekend was one of those weekends, and we were planning to be away for two nights. Leah actually was planning to surprise me with a getaway to Austin, but she wanted to put in a round of golf and didn't know where I would want to play, so she ended up

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-80139219695429687842007-10-03T09:52:00.001-05:002007-10-03T11:15:16.408-05:00

Monday night softball games are killing me. I hate having to post these a day late. Oh well, softball only lasts until November, but then again, there's always the spring season. I guess I'll have to tell the league that my team can't play on Monday nights in the spring because of Heroes. I did finally get to see the latest episode, though. Highlight below to read my thoughts:Peter is AWESOME!

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-10556589737956757622007-10-02T10:34:00.001-05:002007-10-02T10:34:14.045-05:00

Nearly every husband in the world has a HoneyDo list somewhere that they are constantly working on, and nearly every one of those lists contains a line item that reads something like "Kill Bugs!" It doesn't matter if you actually have bugs in your house or not. If you do, then it means to kill the ones that are there and don't let any new ones in. If you don't, then it means to kill the bugs

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-21378837520260522612007-10-02T10:16:00.001-05:002007-10-02T10:16:12.073-05:00

I like to think that I'm proof that God has a sense of humor. Not because of my looks, although my sister might disagree, but because of my allergies. I'm a guy that loves the outdoors. My favorite things to do involve hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, golf, etc., but there's a problem. I'm basically allergic to air. Why would God make a guy with so much desire to be outside be allergic to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-60952073948958450202007-09-26T15:02:00.001-05:002007-09-26T15:02:33.497-05:00

So apparently I'm broken because I don't like shows that stink like steaming dog turds wrapped in burnt hair, and the rest of you are normal. I mean, if you like watching shows where the main actor covers his inability to act by faking a seizure every time he's supposed to be doing something "psychic" then I suppose "Psych" is for you. If you'd rather watch a show with a little bit of cerebral

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-62743468638586059062007-09-26T09:28:00.001-05:002007-09-26T09:28:43.450-05:00

I have no idea what ever happened to those special episodes that were supposed to air over the summer. I guess I missed them with all the things that need to be done in the process of raising kids. Regardless, the wait is over. I've finally seen the Season 2 premiere (a day late), and I'm impressed. When you wait all summer for a great show to return, you start to get anxious that your

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-8103181809237783992007-09-25T13:48:00.001-05:002007-09-25T13:55:47.183-05:00

As promised, here are pictures from Reagan's Art Award ceremony. The last photo is the artwork that she and Lacey submitted. I know it says Reagan Morgan, but trust me that was just a mistake on their part. It really is Reagan Newman's work.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-52392863924637164152007-09-25T10:17:00.001-05:002007-09-25T10:17:28.341-05:00

Before the comments and emails start coming in, I know you are all waiting on my recap/review of the Heroes season two premiere, and I promise it will be posted soon. Our fall season softball games are all on Monday nights, so I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to watch the show on Monday nights (at least until November). But I am not going to quit writing about it.In the meantime, let

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-62025242533285255012007-09-17T14:05:00.001-05:002007-09-17T14:05:04.378-05:00

Just yesterday Reagan received an award for her entry into the Hispanic Heritage Art Contest. It seems kind of odd that my kid would have won third prize since we're not Hispanic, and I don't know much of anything about Hispanic Heritage, but she and her friend Lacey entered the contest last year and won third prize. The ceremony was yesterday at the Dallas Public Library.I'm not sure if she

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-44972795459534587322007-09-12T10:19:00.001-05:002007-09-12T10:19:17.533-05:00

I don't ride motorcycles. I've never had the desire. But if I did ride a motorcycle, I would wear a helmet. Not because someone told me that I had to, but because it would protect my brain which (anyone that's ever seen me play sports will agree) is nearly my only asset. That's one of the things that I love about Texas. When I get on a motorcycle it'll be my choice as to whether or not I

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-23944628183727189762007-09-06T09:56:00.001-05:002007-09-06T09:56:24.996-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was on a plane destined for Arizona, and we were stuck at the gate for over an hour waiting on a maintenance crew to make some repairs. If only we had known that there was a better way.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20590374/?gt1=10357 I really can't improve on this first line, so I'll give it to you verbatim, "Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-90082829954693140582007-08-22T08:02:00.001-05:002007-08-22T08:02:19.025-05:00

The animal related news just keeps coming.http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/08/20/bear.death.reut/index.html?eref=rss_topstories A man was found naked, dead, and half-eaten in a bear cage at the Belgrade Zoo during the annual beer festival. That sentence alone raises some pretty scary questions. Of course the most obvious, what was the man doing in the bear cage to start with? Followed

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-7206363983849942342007-08-21T08:56:00.000-05:002007-08-21T08:57:32.755-05:00

Anyone who’s ever owned a male dog knows all about getting their leg humped by their pet. Imagine if the pet weighed 336lbs, though.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6954728.stmAt that weight, a simple leg humping is more akin to barnyard rape, and it can be quite dangerous. As a matter of fact, an Australian woman was killed by her pet camel when it knocked to the ground and tried to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-15883253222891156002007-08-21T08:40:00.001-05:002007-08-21T08:40:32.003-05:00

The Chinese are everywhere. All of my electronics are made there. Most of my clothes are made there. Many of the people that I've worked with over the years are from there. Many of our cars are made there (and the ones that aren't use parts that are made there anyway). And they house a huge portion of the world's population.It seems to me that China can do pretty much whatever it sets its

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-79087207131234998262007-08-20T10:58:00.001-05:002007-08-20T12:57:42.971-05:00

Most of the country likes to poke fun at Arkansas for a variety of reasons, and many of the jokes that are made have something to do with questionable marriage practices. As a result, the state really can't afford to make mistakes in that area, but they have.http://www.comcast.net/news/national/index.jsp?cat=DOMESTIC&fn=/2007/08/17/741951.html&cvqh=itn_toddlerBefore July 31, 2007, girls could

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-4183775443637922942007-08-20T10:43:00.001-05:002007-08-20T10:43:39.060-05:00

One of the big topics of the upcoming election season is going to be global warming. Almost everyone in the race will say that it is a real phenomenon caused by man, and they will almost all say that they have the right plan for how to handle it. I'm still not convinced that global warming is anything more than a political scare tactic that benefits radical, tree-hugging organization like

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-73921472562586331262007-08-16T14:43:00.001-05:002007-08-16T14:43:20.332-05:00

I ran across an article that seemed too absurd to really be entirely true, so I did a little research. Much to my surprise, the original article that I read is, in fact, based entirely in truth. I'll share the articles that I've found and some of my own thoughts and then you let decide what you think about this.http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2006/press_release_0684.shtm - Press Release from

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-83986480622588594992007-08-15T15:11:00.001-05:002007-08-15T15:11:53.257-05:00

There are movies, songs, and video games centered on the idea of getting away with a crime. In some, the criminals are just criminals that earn our respect because they're not the worst of the characters. In others, the criminals are fighting some larger evil so their actions are justified. And in many, someone gets wrapped in duct tape before it's all over.Generally speaking, the victim of

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-2665874701216634742007-08-09T08:30:00.001-05:002007-08-09T08:30:12.903-05:00

I can't really add anything to this. It's too funny on it's own:http://www.nbc5i.com/news/13850604/detail.html?rss=dfw&psp=news Oh. Okay. I'll try.The article says that Oscar Still – we'll call him "Moonshine" – organized the Redneck Games somewhere southeast of Dallas. Apparently, one of the rules is that "Being a Redneck is allowed….Ignorance is not." I'm not really sure that sentence

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-78671948547862702222007-08-07T08:50:00.001-05:002007-08-07T08:50:55.043-05:00

Honestly, I've never been to a strip club. I've never seen a strip show. I've never really had a desire. Of course, I understand the concept. I've watched plenty of cop movies, and everyone knows that in order for the detective to crack the big case he has to turn in his badge and go to the strip club. All of the baddest criminals in the world own or at least hang out in strip clubs. I

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-7791039780289077302007-08-06T13:03:00.001-05:002007-08-06T13:10:37.462-05:00

I really feel that I owe much of my amusement park enjoyment to Hamel's Park. If you're not from Northeast Louisiana, you might not have ever heard of Hamel's Park, but if you grew up in Shreveport during the 80's, you almost certainly spent countless hours there. Hamel's Park was one of the only amusement parks in Louisiana for a long time, and was the place where that fueled my hunger for

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-63902705974483890452007-08-03T16:01:00.001-05:002007-08-03T16:01:56.884-05:00

Two related articles caught my eye this week, and they are both related to sex. I know it's surprising that a guy would be interested in articles about sex. I'll bet someone somewhere did a study to find out that articles on sex would at least get men to think about reading. Whether they did or not, I don't know. What I do know is that someone did a study on why we have sex.http://

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-75777802184188838772007-07-31T15:20:00.001-05:002007-07-31T15:20:32.754-05:00

There are dirty jobs, like they show on TV with Mike Rowe, and then there are crappy jobs that you don't even want to admit you have. How would you like to be the guy that designed toilets for a living?http://www.livescience.com/history/070730_flushing_toilets.html Apparently, there's a market for it. According to a sociologist named Quitzau (which sounds to me like something I heard while

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-13479428470530204882007-07-31T15:07:00.001-05:002007-07-31T15:07:27.214-05:00

What will we think of next? Hollywood, the city not the industry, has a pigeon problem, and they believe that they've come up with a solution. Of course, being on the far left coast, they had to come up with the most insane and yet humane method of dealing with the issue, and that led to the creation of the Pigeon Pill.http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3930341&version=2&

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-3430519728948272002007-07-30T13:31:00.001-05:002007-07-31T15:42:18.525-05:00

Starting last Thursday night, Aunt Sis and I embarked a weekend for the ages. Grandmother and Granddaddy (her parents) were planning to come over for a visit to see her new place. This would be their first time in town since Aunt Sis moved back from Oregon, and their first time to Sachse. At first, we thought it would be okay to send them a map and wait for their arrival on Friday morning, but as

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-83307848814226766262007-07-26T08:54:00.001-05:002007-07-31T15:27:25.339-05:00

I don't much care for cats. We had one as a pet for a while. It was somewhat interesting, but it's nothing compared to a dog that actually wants to be around you. I'm just glad that our cat wasn't named, Oscar, didn't live in a nursing home, and never killed anyone. The "Cat of Death" as I'll call him resides in Rhode Island, and apparently has the ability to either predict when patient's are

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-79064250583802914822007-07-18T12:27:00.001-05:002007-07-18T16:20:32.625-05:00

I've just finished re-reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (OOTP) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (HBP) in preparation for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (TDH):I'm most interested to find out what becomes of Snape. I think it's interesting that only two of the books have been titled around a single character: Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-Blood Prince. In

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-2513871810679432822007-07-17T12:33:00.001-05:002007-07-17T12:33:23.598-05:00

How do you handle a situation where you're completely surrounded by men with guns?http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19795748/?GT1=10150 From what I can gather out of this relatively short article, Mr. Dana Farrell Shelton was intoxicated on Sunday night and police were dispatched to investigate a disturbance at the bar where Mr. Shelton was drinking. By the time the police arrived, though, things

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-65640070574253139322007-07-16T11:20:00.001-05:002007-07-16T11:20:27.673-05:00

We all went camping at Possum Kingdom State Park this past weekend with the Getz family. Kenton and Carla have four boys nearly the same ages as our four girls and one little girl tacked on the end. Yes, there was a total of nine children between our two campsites and only three adults for most of the time that we were there since Kenton didn't get there until Friday evening and Carla left

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-17411310694870253832007-07-11T09:02:00.001-05:002007-07-11T09:02:45.553-05:00

Continuing the stream of name related thoughts that I've been pondering this week, I found two interesting articles yesterday.First off, there is at least one study into this idea that names somehow relate to our lives: http://www.richardwiseman.com/quirkology/surname.html. Richard Wiseman (Is anyone surprised that a man named Wiseman likes to study stuff?) apparently studied the impact of

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-76536778703479255032007-07-10T15:51:00.001-05:002007-07-10T15:51:49.311-05:00

I know that I've already posted for today. Actually, I posted one thing from yesterday that I didn't get finished on time and one thing for today, but this article that I just read needed some commentary.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19692094/ In the news today, the Pope has approved publication of a paper stating that other denominations are not true churches and that they do not have a

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-28840077477946567532007-07-10T08:57:00.001-05:002007-07-10T08:57:43.543-05:00

One of the most evil things that we talk about in our society is addiction. In nearly every form, it's the root of evil. Addiction to cigarettes, addiction to alcohol, addiction to TV, addiction to junk food, addiction to work, they are all the extremely evil end of things that are not necessarily intrinsically bad. So, I'm sure that I am not alone in thinking that a mechanism for eliminating

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-52959694049479832472007-07-10T08:45:00.001-05:002007-07-10T08:45:43.464-05:00

I was just talking to Leah yesterday about the way that names play into our lives and wondering if anyone has ever done a study on that. We all seem to have this subconscious idea of what people with certain names should look like or how they should behave. Or haven't you ever met someone and thought that their name didn't really seem to fit their personality, job, looks, whatever? Of course

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-83051742481393210982007-07-05T09:13:00.001-05:002007-07-05T09:13:07.158-05:00

During the day on Tuesday, a link to this article popped up on msn.com and it caught my eye as a good experiment for my blog:http://msn.chemistry.com/msnarticles/IsYourDateIntoYou?trackingid=508259&bannerid=2002322&GT1=10185 Since our kids were all spending the night with various friends, Leah and I were going to have dinner and see a movie, and I thought that it would be fun to use the hints

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-36331226134886843592007-07-03T08:53:00.001-05:002007-07-05T15:57:36.780-05:00

Don't you ever sit around and think about what you would do if you were in charge? Many times, when I see something that I don't like, I just put on the list of things to do when I'm President for a day. Since I'm a pretty hard worker, fairly intelligent, and really looking to solve problems rather than worry with getting re-elected, I'm pretty sure I could fix a ton of stuff in twenty-four hours

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-72728976972176647112007-06-27T13:54:00.001-05:002007-07-05T10:56:33.191-05:00

Nearly all of my life I've had a little sister nipping at my heels, and now that's she's once again caught up to me in numerical age for a couple of months, I thought that it would be appropriate to share this revealing news article:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19373032/site/newsweek/page/0/I didn't even have to read the full article. I just read the blurb at the top and knew that it was good

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-79975177679737145672007-06-27T12:00:00.001-05:002007-06-27T12:00:07.162-05:00

Our day yesterday was long and tiring, but we are finally back home. We started by packing our things and getting ready to make the trek to the Baltimore Airport. Since we had a little spare time, I flicked on the TV and found Return of the Jedi on HBO. It didn't take very long before I realized that I've been a poor father. My kids knew Darth Vader. That was it. They couldn't recognize

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-10202951291583766762007-06-25T21:18:00.001-05:002007-06-25T21:22:33.426-05:00

Really, I think it would have been pretty cool if Aunt Sis had been able to make this trip with us, but Emma was quick to point out that our choice of restaurants this evening would not have been good for Aunt Sis. We had dinner at a seafood restaurant on the shores of the Potomac River, and Aunt Sis really can't abide seafood.Earlier in the day, Leah and the girls headed out to Georgetown while

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-15548363466439817572007-06-24T18:15:00.001-05:002007-06-24T18:33:29.052-05:00

To go through all of the different museums that make up the Smithsonian would take days and much of it would bore the children to tears, so we have trimmed our visit down to a few key areas. Today, we went to the first two: The Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum. I guess technically the zoo was the first since it is also part of the Smithsonian, but it's so far away I

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-63808748628559090392007-06-24T08:51:00.001-05:002007-06-24T09:23:43.430-05:00

We had a really full day today, so full in fact that my camera battery is currently dead. I'll post some shots as soon as it gets recharged. In the meantime, here's a rundown of our day:We slept in a little, and that was good for everyone. After eating, though, we set out on our adventure. Our first stop today was the International Spy Museum. I couldn't take any pictures inside, but believe me

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-13220783093443294482007-06-22T20:13:00.000-05:002007-06-22T20:22:08.360-05:00

Here are the pics from today. Pay particular attention to Abbie's photo skills as she did her best to get a shot of a gorilla, and also notice "The Summer House." Leah and I didn't see this on our last visit, but the kids found it pretty quick. It's amazing how quickly thirsty kids can hone in on water. Anyway, when we started hitting the caches, it was the first thing on our list, and we found

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-21482703528255378732007-06-22T19:24:00.001-05:002007-06-22T19:24:37.089-05:00

I seem to have misplaced the cable for getting pics off the camera, so I don't know when I'll be able to show you any of the pictures that we are taking. I'll post some as soon as they are ready, though. In the meantime, I'll just continue to update on our trip so far.We got up pretty early this morning and headed out to the zoo. Surprisingly, there is no entrance fee for the National Zoo.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-47674563167730210562007-06-22T19:23:00.001-05:002007-06-22T19:23:59.856-05:00

I'm not sure how much internet access I'm going to pay for in this hotel room, so I don't know exactly when this will be posted. I generally get free internet, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. We're in DC and at our hotel, and it's been a long day in getting here. We woke up about 5am and starting getting the kids ready for our 8:30am flight. Leah wanted to leave the house by 6am,

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24843272.post-36101811338851305822007-06-08T14:20:00.001-05:002007-06-08T14:20:58.202-05:00

Leah likes the beach. I prefer the woods and mountains. You can imagine how our discussions over vacationing destinations generally go. She wants to go somewhere sunny with an ocean and I want to go somewhere dirty with hiking trails. And I've always believed that I had a pretty good argument.When you are in the woods, there are birds, plants, and woodland critters that are not the least bit

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07727209628175504806noreply@blogger.com5