Wade, The Handy-Dandy Floor-Layin' Man!

I put myself to good use these past 2 days and completed a project that had been on my To-Do List ever since we built our house several years ago . . . lay flooring down in the attic!

Oooooo! Exciting stuff, isn't it?

The only problem with my sudden motivation to get handy around the house is that I'm no Bob Vila!



In fact, I'm more like Tim Taylor - the funny guy who's better off letting someone else handle the power tools!


But an overflow of Christmas decorations, baby items that needed to be stored away until baby #2 (which is not happening anytime soon!), and a long list of stuff that probably should just be thrown away meant that I needed to make better use of my dark, drab, floorless attic.


So first, I added light . . . and it was good!


Then (thanks to Mike, a good friend who has lotsa cool power tools!) I put in floors . . . and it was good!




But the best part was that I did it all without having to spend quality time at our local emergency room . . . and Kelly said, "It was good!"

Tagged . . .

I've been tagged again . . .

This time it's by Get Off My Lawn! - a blog I tripped over not too long ago. I found Lawn (as I'll call him) immediately endearing as we have both learned to embraced the grumpy old men within. Take a moment to stop by and even say hello. But consider yourself warned - I don't think he likes it when people walk on his lawn!

(Love that blog title, by the way!)

Now, on with the meme. Here are the rules:

1) Post a note about a blogger you would like to see something wonderful happen for. Maybe one whose posts have touched your heart in one way or another. Include details as to why you admire them and what you wish for them. Be as supporting and affirming as you can.

2) Post your favorite memory around selflessness, giving, or doing for others. Something that has actually changed you.

3) As a postscript, name one thing you will actually do for someone in your life before December 31 that is born out of joy.

4) Tag 3 other bloggers who will play the game and find the spirit. Don't forget to leave a comment on their blog so they continue to share the good feelings.

Sounds easy enough, right?

1. Helen - If you don't read her blog then you should. And if you do read her blog then you know that she is definitely deserving of something wonderful to happen in her life! She's had a rough go at it lately and could probably use a little encouragement. Hang in there, Helen!

Blessed Assurances - Another blog that should be on your radar screen. Susan (a crazy high school friend of mine who knows too many of my crazy high school stories!) and her husband Jeff are hoping for a little wonderful bundle of joy. I desperately hope that for them as do so many others! Hopefully this will be their last Christmas as just Susan & Jeff!

The A-Team - Want a good reason why Jody & Janell deserve something wonderful to happen? They're raising twins! And if you've ever googled 'raising twins' then you'll know that it ain't easy! But despite all the challenges they face (most of which strike the fear of God in me!), both Jody & Janell come off like pro's - although more like exhausted pro's! All the more reason why I wish something wonderful for them!

2. I once pulled over to help 2 old ladies whose car had broken down out in the middle of nowhere (between Comanche and Brownwood, Texas) during a hot Texas summer. Since I have the mechanical IQ of a dead hamster and didn't have a clue how to fix their car, I instead used my friendliest, most-trustworthy smile to offer to drive them to a relative's house 45 minutes away. I could tell they were a bit leery of me at first but they accepted my offer.

During the drive, I talked non-stop about my then-pregnant wife and my small group in hopes of reassuring them that they didn't have anything to worry about. I don't know why I did that other than maybe then they wouldn't think I was some psycho serial killer . . . because we all know that psycho serial killers don't have pregnant wives and don't go to weekly bible studies.

Apparently it worked because they both fell asleep in my car! No joke! Think about it - 2 old women who spent 2 hours in the heat and then sit in an air-conditioned car with some babbling idiot who won't shut up about his church and family . . . I'd act like I fell asleep, too!

I actually felt bad when I had to wake them up once we got to Stephenville because I didn't know where their relative's house was.

Once we got there, they were sweet and offered to pay me for my inconvenience. I declined and drove away just happy that I was able to help.

3. I know I need to do something for Kelly. She works hard everyday with Tate and never complains! I'll think of something good and then share it later.

4. I'll tag Jennifer because she tagged me not too long ago . . .

. . . Chris & Sarah because I've never tagged them before and I'm curious if they'll do it . . .

. . . and Wendy because maybe then she'll throw in more pictures of Casen just for the heck of it - and you can never go wrong with more Casen pictures!

Thanks for the tag, Lawn!

No Home For A Tree

Am I the only one who feels sorry for the trees that don't get picked in time for Christmas?

I know - kinda sappy.

But don't worry, they'll soon be turned into useful products such as tongue depressors, golf tees and particleboard!

Merry Christmas!

Ah, yes! The annual trip to the local shopping center to visit Santa Claus. No doubt the highlight of every child's Christmas season!

But you'd be crying too if you heard what this creepy-lookin' Santa had just whispered in their ears!

Ever wanted to know how Santa really felt about his gig at the mall? Just take a closer look at Santa's left hand!


Although little Mikey and Matthew were unaware, Jessica knew something was up when upon closer inspection she realized this year's Santa was really just a mannequin the mall had borrowed from Macy's.


Santa will have one of two effects on most children. One child will glow with Christmas joy while another will experience fear itself - especially if Santa is wearing make-up!


While most older children delight in telling their siblings that there really is no Santa Claus, Mary chose this moment to instead tell Jeffrey that he was really a girl and Susan that she had actually been adopted from a family of coneheads!


The twins agree - vertical stripes do nothing to slim Santa's figure.


Some kids like to show how tough they are by shaving their hair into a mohawk and wearing skull & bones t-shirts with camo pants. But we all know that Santa's lap is the real litmus test for true toughness!


Have you ever seen a Santa mail it in any worse than this guy? Of course she's screaming! I bet he didn't even start growing out his beard until October!


The first thing they teach you in Shopping Mall Santa Class is that screaming children aren't near as bad after your 4th Crown & Coke!

Hope you don't have anything to scream about during your holidays!
Thanks to Dad-N-Law for forwarding us these pictures!

QOTW: Hey Santa! Duck And Cover!

It looks as though the 'signs that the end of world is near' theme remains appropriate for our weekly QOTW recap.

I have to say that I'm quite concerned that we may be seeing a new trend as last year's results from this same question were a bit more, let's say . . . passive!

Out of 14 votes to this same question a year ago, I was the only one who had no issue with filling a Santa intruder full of chocolate chip cookies, milk and several rounds of buckshot. Meanwhile there were 7 of you who would have used up 2 GB on your digital cameras with photo evidence that the fat man in red actually exists!

But apparently something's different this year because Santa doesn't stand a chance if shows up without his SWAT team gear!

What gives? Did Santa get a little too handsy during last year's photo-op or something? Sheesh!

Regardless of what has drawn your disdain for Father Christmas, I feel that it's my responsibility however to give you fair warning that, according to Weird Al Yankovic's The Night Santa Went Crazy, Jolly Old St. Nick can be pushed only so far! In other words, what goes around comes around!



_____________________________________________

"You're woken early Christmas morning by a man wearing a red suit placing presents under your tree."

Total votes: 11

You assume you're dreaming and go back to bed: 0% (0 votes)

You hide your family in a closet and call the police: 27% (3 votes)

You gather the kids around for a photo-op: 9% (1 vote)

You get trigger happy with your 12 gauge shotgun!: 63% (7 votes)

Grumpy Old Man Incident #1

Searching for a sign of the impending apocalypse? Then look no further than today's teenagers . . . particularly those found in my neighborhood!

Apparently I haven't been taking my medication for my Grumpy Old Man Syndrome because a series of events tonight ended with me standing in the middle of my street and yelling at some local punks.

Instead of trying to explain what happened let me just say that it involved said-hoodlums running out in front of my car on purpose (??????) and me asking in a not-so-polite-infact-quite-aggrevated-and-loud voice to 'please stay on the sidewalk' . . . but not in so many words!

I dunno, maybe stupid is the new cool for kids these days.

I probably wouldn't have twisted off on them so quickly had I not known that these were the same teenagers who have been recently picking on a couple of younger kids on our street.

From there I went to our local shopping mecca and quickly noticed a widespread lack of parental supervision as every teenager born in northeast Tarrant County between 1989 and 1993 was congregating in packs of 20 on the sidewalk - making it quite difficult for me to get by with Tate in his stroller!

I tried to be polite at first: "Excuse us!" "Do you mind if we slip by?"

After a while I discovered a far more efficient phrase: "Make a hole!"

A couple thoughts jumped around in my head as I drove home: (1) I can't possibly be turning into a grumpy old man - I'm only 32! (2) If those punk kids mess with me again I'm gonna ring their necks!

I think it's time for me to go take my medication!

Now I'm Just Mad!!

What can possibly be worse than getting a stomach virus for the 3rd time in as many months?: Getting a stomach virus the day before your niece is born!

So while everyone else is at the hospital today anticipating Morgan's arrival, I'm home in bed anticipating my next dash to the bathroom!

I can't tell you how mad I am right now!