101031 + Oct wrap up Pipes

101031 - UP and all to church, D acolyted today.  L&J stayed for Sunday school and then off to a birthday party.  DG&I home right after church and then hung out watching tv and taking it easy.  I'm not feeling well and pretty much down all day.  LD&J out to practice for the church Christmas program.  G&I got dinner, all home and ate.  We hung out rest of the night.  I got drugged up and bed early.

101030 + Up and D learning plumbing today.  Found a rabbit in the side yard.  D&I to rental to winterize it.  We took a break for lunch and to do some geocaching.  We went to an army surplus store and a pawn shop.  Home for dinner, games and bed.

101029 - Red-eye back

101029 - In chicago at 6am, home by 9:30am zzzzz...  straight to work.  D&J had their school halloween parties, last school in system, calling it the fall festival.. huh?  After work we ran out to 2 banks, and then to a Greek restraunt.  We dropped  D off at friends bday party, home, showered up boys, played Sorry & Jenga, started watching a giant ant movie...  boys up to bed, up crying, scared of giant ants...  I sat with boys about 30 min talking them down, L mad...  Watched movie with L.  Finished monthly $ stuff, bed.

101030 - In CA w/ Lee.  Red-eye home...

101026 - 40 down...

101026 - Up saw boys off to school except G who was home sick.  I worked and watched G.  We played 'Pass the Pigs' and had laptop in living room.  L home took G to DR.  He has strep throat...  Call with lee, Tornado sirens going off everywhere...  L&G home.  I ran back to school and got the boys, no coats, rained on us walking home.  We watched a movie in the basement for safety, L ran out and got meds for G and dinner.  J screaming a bit, I opened presents and then back to the basement for LEGOs and a movie. Bed for all.  Hard to believe I got 40 years down; 40 to go...

101025 - Medal and Stress

101025 - Pretty crappy day,  got stuff done but pretty depressed.  After dinner went to Jack's game, they tied.  All to Dairy Queen for awards.  Home and boys to bed.  Joe over to chat, then Bible Bangers.

101024 - Up, L2 Church, DJG&I cleaned up from the party.  We had some lunch and then ran some errands: projector back to rich, paintball place, tanks and camp pants for boys, Lowes electrical supplies, Target legos for all 3, clock for L's iPhone
Meijer groceries and stuff for dinner, Grossl's tv and stuff back.  Scott B called, his dad died... WTF???  We played some baseball w/ G, then dinner.  I ran electric to the garage dr opener, D helped, G played harmonica.  Boys to bed, Called lee about palm trip vs calling hrs w/ Scott, taking late flight out so I can be with Scott.  Basement clnd up a bit, Bed, blog, Bible catch up.

20101023 - 5th Annual OSU Football @ Winger's, By the Numbers

0 - Points for Purdue
1 - Dog, Lilly
5 - Annual party count
17 - Kids on a horse
20 - Pounds of Chili
40 - # of Matt's birthdays
49 - Points for Ohio State
70 - Degrees and awesome weather
80 - Hot dogs
101 - Of our closest friends and family
All this adds up to 1 FANTASTIC Football/Birthday party!!!
We all had a good time and the boys were exhausted and ready for bed!!
















Up early and Jeff and the boys help put the final touches on the party. Everything was ready and the folks started pouring in.

101022 - D&G to the Dr for yearly exams, all ok.  Jack walked home alone, his first time, he did fine.  In the evening we ran around and got TV's and projectors for the big day tomorrow.  Up late making sure everything works.

101021 - Stacked?

101021 - Up took G to school, at desk, finishing up proposal.  One of our house deals fell through :-(  Dinner with the fam, cleaned out the shed then to Scouts for some pumpkin carving.  Up late working.

101020 - Up and in to office, worked on a proposal and meetings all day.  Ran to the airport for an early flight, home 10pm.  J had soccer practice tonight.

101019 - G school Party

101019 - Up an in to the Boston office for a meeting all day...  G had a bday party at school today!  Then all 3 boys to dentist :-o  I stayed up late working. Had a business dinner with Tom, Jamie, bob, BrianH, Rob and Jim at a Spanish Topas place.

101018 - Dam pretty day

101018 - Up and saw the boys off to school. To the airport and off first to Philadelphia, grabbed a Philly cheese-steak there, then on to Boston. Met Cindy & Lee and we made our way to the office to manage the days disaster and see the folks there.

After work I forced the the gang out on another 'team building' experience/geocaching adventure. We found this:

The Pawtucket gatehouse and dam. Once the largest dam in the world, it held the title for about 40 years.


Second is a memorial to all the brave men and women from Pawtucketville who fought and fell to defend the liberties of the people of this country. A nice stone monument overlooks the river.




Finally we come to a boulder commemorating the conversion to Christianity of Passaconaway, the Pennacook Indian Chief. He lived near the Pawtuckett Falls in Lowell and now a rock bearing his name hides a small geocache.


After we found the cache we headed to the brewery district where we found a microbrewery for dinner. As we were ordering we noticed the sprinklers were going off in the brewery section... Soon the lights started flashing and the alarms ringing and we had to evacuate the restaurant... Police and fire engines arrived very quickly.

This pretty much sum up the entire fiasco of a day... Back to the hotel for some work and baseball...

101017 - Horsin around

All up late, D latest he has ever slept... Out for lunch @ Steak-m-shake. Then J&I got our hair cut while LD&G did some clothes shopping. Home and the boys helped mulch the horse in.


A quick round of kickball with G's new official red kickball and then inside. J&I played chess, D watched TV, L&G snoozed. I cooked some steaks for L and I. Helped G put an Iron Man puzzle together and then played G's Uno attack. All boys to bed, me ready for flights tomorrow am :-(

101016 + HAPPY 4th BDAY GRANT!!!

101016 + Up w/ D for doughnuts and the troops started rolling in. First Joe & Joey and then Jeff & Cole. Doc provided the power auger And the digging began early.



Then Frank, Bob & Seth arrived to dig in. The boys put pipes together and drilled an bolted on the supports. We dug and dug for HOURS... Then up it went!



It took us 5 hours! We all pitched in and got things cleaned up just as the birthday boy arrived. He was happy to see us and that the horse was up.






Gma&paB&W arrived and the Cole clan and we all had lunch. Then we all piled out for a round of Grant's favorite game, baseball!






After a fun game we headed up for presents, it was so cute how Grant loved all the things he opened. We then had cake & a piñata.










What a great day for a great boy! Happy birthday Ganty! We love you! I love you!
We had some steak for dinner, played with some of the news toys and then watched the Buckeyes get spanked, Wisconsin style :-(

101015 + Ready for the Bday boy

101015 - Up, D to friends, L to work, I read Bible and Father the Family Protector, sitting at desk.  Ran and got taxes for 2009 done, more work.  Out with L&D to smokey bones, sucks.  D&I out to home depot for supplies to put up the horse.  Home watched baseball with D until midnight.  I called in troops to put horse up tomorrow.  L has things ready for G's party.


101014 - Up at 4 and flew to Houston.  L meetings today, D @ Nicole's and then a friends.  I had a great meeting and flew home.  L&D out to dinner & scouts, I got home and stayed up talking to L, bed @midnight

101013 + Up saw boys off to school, crisp clear morning.  L to meet with 1 of J's Drs about his psych eval... result = no ADHD, above average IQ...  :-)   Worked till 5, all to meet Gmab @ Wendy's halfway and had dinner.  J&G went with her for the next cpl days.  LD&I to ToysRUs and a teacher store to load up on G's birthday presents.  Home, hung out.  Bed for early flight tomorrow.

101012 - Tree Ninja

101012 - Kickball w/ G in the early morning.  Then I took G to school.  In the afternoon the horse from the school was delivered to our backyard.  To scouts with J tonight.

101011 - D had a BAD morning, not listening, hates me for making him do what his mother told him to do (brush his teeth 3 times until he got it right...)  I wrote D a letter, why i am on him and why it is important he listens to his mother...  Then to add to it -> SUPER STRESSFUL DAY AT WORK...  enough said...  Played catch with boys in backyard, joe neighbor stoped by, watched movie with boys, Jackie Chan.  Bible Bangers.

101010 - Do-si-do

101010 - All up, and anxiously awaiting 10:10 am tick on the clock. Today we hit 10/10 10:10. This will only happen 2 more times in the history of the world. (providing the Aztecs were right, we only have 11/11 11:11 & 12/12 12:12 left...) Seth home & L&D to church. G&I hanging out waiting for J to get home reading the paper. Everyone home for lunch, then L to the grocery, D to his buddy Connors, D playing DS, G snoozing on the couch and I got the week lined up. I got J down for a rest. D got home and we started preparations for the next 2 party weekends coming up...
Everyone back home and all duded up for a ho-down! We looked like an old west family as we headed to the barn down the road for dinner, a sing-a-long and some square dancing. L&I got to do the Virginia reel and then Jack stepped in and danced with L the rest of then night. After 2 sets of multiple square dances people were packing up. J went up to the Caller and asked if there would be anymore dancing. The guy told him if he could find enough people they could dance more. J took off into the crowd of adults and pulled 3 more couples and L to the dance floor for one more dance.



Back home and all boys clnd up ready for bed. After a couple Lego Star Wars Bible stories on YouTube we got them to bed.
I don't want it to be Monday tomorrow...

101009 + FOOTBALL

101009 + Up and L&J out to J's soccer game. I hung out w/ D&G and ready for the big day. D got bfast and packed lunches for G and himself. L home,
Jack had a great game and did an awesome as goalie, I wish I could have seen it!
L&I dropped D&G off @ Seth's and helped rescue their dogs. We then headed to the Ohio State Expo Center, battling the Quarter Horse Congress cowboys, parked and got the bus to the Shoe.


As you can see we sat pretty high, but who cares? We were there! Gma&paW gave us the tickets for our 16th wedding anniversary, Oct 1. But on Oct 1 I was out in a tent with D&J for a scout campout... The game was an OSU runaway from the start and the stands cleared out pretty early. But L&I wanted to stay to the very end, and we loved every minute of it! We got back in the car and L checked on J (he is staying with his buddy Donovan) and found out J won third place in the campground Halloween costume contest! He dressed up as Jim Tressel.
Home and we picked up DG & Seth and headed out for some errands; supplies for G's birthday next weekend and the annual football party the week after that, and some pizza. We played some monkey in the middle and then in to watch the new 'Karate Kid' and then more football!

101008 - Up and to the desk all day, out for dinner at Sonic's.  Home worked in the yard, L cleaned up the garden and I leveled some pavers while the boys played.  In for the night and watched "Little Monsters', the movie, not my boys, well...

101007 + Up worked, stressed, yeller... but made it through the day...  L to J's conf, all good, except what we know about his 'transitioning'  L&D to D's conf, all good, except he talks too much...  I got subway with J&G and we all met at home for dinner.  DJ&I to scouts for J's first meeting.  Up late watched 'Grand Torino', very good movie.

101006 - Horse for G's bday

101006 - Up and saw the boys off to school. Chained to the desk all day... Then D came home and told me they ripped out the slides and tomorrow they are taking out the horse. WHAT?!?! No way! So I got ahold of the Principle... And G is now getting a big metal horse the backyard for his birthday! Looks like he (they) will enjoy it :-)


Fast dinner then L&J to soccer and I cleaned up garage and camping supplies with D&G. Brian over for a beer and help. Then J&I sealed the attic. Up late doing movies and email.

101005 - Secret Championship?

101005 - Up w/ boys, took G to school, then stuck on phone...  Guy stopped to get paid, then more phone...  Around dinner time we saw some kids back at the ball field.  D&I walked back and SURPRISE, D's team was in the championship game, except the coach 'thought we were on vacation' and forgot to call and tell us... hmmm....  On the walk home D was crying, he knows a JERK when he sees one...  L&I made him suck it up and play...  He struck out both times he was up to bat but they were CRAP calls as the crowd protested...  They lost, but got 2nd place trophies.  D was all smiles, talking about next yr...

When I had a minute alone with D, I got choked up told him sorry for making him go to that game, he did right thing, for his team, regardless of the coach...  and that I was very proud of him....  We went to Jeff's to help him with his car top and stopped at Panda Express for dinner.

101004 - Worked frustrated flights
played rough with boys
nothing on schedule
played cards, had fun
bible bangers

101003 - Nature Boys

101003 - Up and packed up camp.  Ate some camp food and then D&J took a big hike.  Met the Pettits at the gun range and did some BB gun shooting.  Then stopped at McD's for some real food on the way home.



Home, unpacked, showers all around.  Lit the furnace w/ jack.  To the grocery with G, I put a huge fake spider on his shoulder andhe screamed so loud I thought the police would come :-) LOL.  Home had a snack and played with playdough.  We watched some youtube = Lego bible story, very cool.  L&I watched little miss sunshine



101002 - Up and it is COLD.  Got the flag up and the boys had to go to stations today.  We had food and a fire and we were fine.  I took some boys on a hike and we saw some neat things.  Played chess with multiple players at the same time after dinner.  In for another cold night...



101001 - Up worked a full day.  After work rushed around and got things packed.  DJ&I met up with the Sampsons and headed to Camp Falling Rock for a 2 night camp out.  We got there and had just enough light to get our tent up.  IT IS COLD.  Tonight is L&I's 16th wedding anniversary...  We will have to celebrate after this adventure...