what will it be in 20 years...

Earlier I was noting this...

as i am sitting here typing, my son is playing a game on my Droid that blows away anything that could even be thought of when I was his age. He is playing with a device that fits in the palm of his hand that has more computing power than what was on the Apollo missions to the moon. and I think back to when my parents got me a Commodore 64. I thought that it could NEVER possibly get any better than that...

and even more surreal is that he has picked up SpeedForge on my Droid and is doing far better than i have and I have been playing it for a couple of days. In five minutes he is already better than me...

um... yeah....

So the conversation goes like this....

I-Man: Why does Elf on Shelf feel like plastic?

me: thinkin to myself "well..it gets a little cool at night downstairs cause I turn the heat down lest Obama come and demand more taxes from me cause he thinks I am using to much energy while he jets around the word guzzling thousands of gallons a gas a day campaigning for another term"... but I actually say..." He freezes up so he can be super silent and hear everything you guys say"

I-Man: thinking somewhat hard as he drinks his hot chocolate... "he didnt move last night. He is in the exact same spot."

me: thinkin' "DAMMIT!" but I say " Santa is really busy with Parades so he has told his elves to save money (see previous statement about gas) and only report back to him every other day"

I-Man: "his hands and feet are in the same place everyday"

me: crickets chirping...."yeah... he's kinda like me in that he likes to put his hands in his pockets when it gets a tad bit chilly"

I-Man: "but he's wearing gloves"

me: "well... that's a good point" getting a bit nervous here...

me: "wow, isnt this Demi Lovato on the radio?"

I-Man: "Yes it is!!!! Its her new song, and its from blah, blah, blah. Blah blah, blah, blah blah... and it's really cool..."

me: whew....

moving so fast

Last week it was Dora, couple of days ago it was Hanna Montana. Yesterday it was Wizards of Waverly Place... now suddenly today it is.... iCarly.

...just in time, it seems for the WORLD PREMIERE of the "iQuit iCarly" Movie

Cant get this song out of my head...

WHen we headed to Florence the other day for Thanksgiving stuff, I kept hearing this song in my head... and it still keeps popping up...

I found out long ago
It's a long way down the Holiday Road

Holiday Road
Holiday Road

Jack be nible, Jack be quick
Take a ride on a West Coast kick

Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road

I've come back long ago
Long way down the Holiday Road

Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road

Scalin" Back

With the economy all it that is (or isnt) and stuff, I wonder if everyone is doing like we are and scaling back a notch or two on the overall spending, etc. for gifts and stuff for family and friends. I know I have made a concious effort to not go overboard this year and there are several things that I have put on my "list" to get for people in the future that I could have easily secured today. I was telling someone the other day that it isnt so much that we can't but that there is a level of uncertainty that exists with the economy these days, despite the drivel Washington and the press tries to spew everyday that makes a degree of caution prudent. It is definitely my intent to make the Holidays a tad for meaningful and be about time spent together....

Birthdays loom

...so the twins wanted to have a birthday party at the local bowling alley. Considering the fact that they have NEVER bowled, this should be interesting. Heck, even I consider a bowling ball heavy so the amount of games they actually play might be, um... minimal. But there are video games, etc and I will get my bowl on while they run around like crazy for a couple of hours...

Today is SUPPOSED to be TWO Christmas parades in TWO different towns at the SAME time. not sure how this is going to happen... Throw in my wanting to to a snappy for Holiday cards and today should be, well... Interesting.....

PS.. turnes out the second parade is at 1pm, so we will make it to both....

Santa has learned a wise tactical lesson in the past few years... He used to do scouting trips and would actually put stuff in Ryles and I-Man's stockings way ahead of Christmas day. Well, Jessica alerted him that this might be tempting fate with the twins, and Santa has gone back to waiting till he arrives on Christmas to put whatever he deems necessary into the stockings... I am so glad I have been able to develop a good relationship with Santa. And Santa appreciates the good relationship I have with my employer and what that means to the whole operation...

Headin' full barrel into the Holidays

Ok... Christmas Tree up and rockin"... Stockings hung with care.. Elf showing up every morning to keep an wary eye on the kids... Family and Friends gifts wrapped... Advent Calender spooled up... Birthday, Anniversary and Christmas looming... we have been Blessed for another year. We certainly hope these Holidays bring everyone a little bit of Reflection, a little bit of Relaxation and a whole lot of Joy. Remember... No one is guaranteed tomorrow. So make the best of these times. Happy Holidays... and Merry Christmas!!!

Is it me, or are the days Drastically shorter at this time of year than before? It's like dark here at 4:00pm now... i feel like I am in New Jersey or something.... of course, the world has probably tilted and the same scientist to fudge Global warming data are probably not telling us because they know what is best for us...

time for a change

Looks like I am going to switch Jessica to the HTC Eris and I am going to go for the Droid. I would prefer to go with the Eris as it kicks the Iphones ass all over the place but it doesnt have an actual physical keyboard, and I gotta have that. So once the Droid arrives next week sometime, we will leave the Blackberry world. I may return down the line as I suspect Rim will continue their fight with Apple and start heading more toward the Iphone style platform. The Droid's capabilities are outstanding too. I will have to get used to the more Cyborg looking form factor....

so it seems some scientists have been screwing with the data or just outright not reporting the correct data when it comes to this Global warming stuff? If these scientist have been found out, what of the others who have not been found out? How much of this is just plain AGENDA and made up to try to scare people into doing things?

Thanks

I have been blessed. And I have been fortunate to have many things inexplicably go my way during my lifetime. But I will definitely give thanks on this day for Jessica, our children, our families and my friends. ANd I also want to give thanks for my Volkswagon Jetta TDI, which at 215,000 mile and 55 miles to the gallo, is STILL going strong.

Of course, UGA should be prosecuted

I see where PETA is wanting UGA to stop using an actual white English Bulldog as its mascot, citing its usual litany of crap about animal cruelty. PETA is complaining about how they treat this dog, who NO DOUBT gets treated better than virtually any person on this planet. DOn't these people have anything better to do?

musings

...is it me or does the Mall seem a little bit more menacing than it used to. I was at the Mall today and it just seemed to be a tad bit..."dark"... the atmosphere was just somehow different. Bands of wild looking kids and groups of wildly dressed girls... maybe i'm just getting old... but I didnt feel comfortable during the time I was walking around there alone...

..Fixing an Apple Cider cake for the Turkey Meat festivities over the next couple of days. One for when my mother comes tomorrow and another for when we travel to Florence. It came out good, I think. taste like... apple cider. Interesting.

Looks like nothing's gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same, listen

Sittin' here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone, listen
Two thousand miles I roam
Just to make this dock my home, now

I'm just gon' sit at the dock of a bay
Watchin' the tide roll away, ooh
Sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time - Otis Redding and Steve Cropper

Ok... so V was actually pretty decent last night. Set-up some stuff nicely. I guess it is a little different because I already kinda know the story and theoretically what is going to happen. This is exactly the same as my experience with Battlestar but I expect that once they get to March, things will be a little bit more unpredictable....

I have mentioned before that I dont seem to remember any dreams that I have, except occasionally. I had a dream the other day and the only reason I can tell you this is that I remember that Kristen was in the dream. And I only remember that we were sitting at a table talking. And that is all I remember. I dont remember what we were talking about or anything. Its strange because it almost seems that if anyone I know comes into a dream I am having, I immediately wake up. I know this because its almost as though I only remember that someone I know is suddenly in the dream and my mind shuts down the dream and wakes me up. And I usually wake up and think "that was weird", and then try to remember what the dream was about and I cant recall. It's happened with other friends too. I always wake up as soon as they come into the dream and that is the only time I remember or notice that I have even had a dream. People say that I dream ( or that I have to ) but my experience of sleep (as far as I can recall usually) is that I lay down, close my eyes and within a minute I am asleep and the next thing I know the alarm is going off or I wake up several hours later. Blank space (or darkness) is all i usually recall... Strange. maybe I need to research why this happens. Sure it means something or another...

50 days till Christmas. I am (as well as Santa) pretty much finished with gift shopping. Maybe one more thing for my secret family person I drew the other day, and I will call it a day... But I do hope to start this holiday season with making sure I-Man and Ryles understand the real original reasons behind the Holidays and the religious significance of it. Even though we aren't overtly (or overly) religious, I have always felt that it provides a solid foundation and I dont want Christmas to be only about how much loot we can haul in during their Gift-O-Rama week between their birthdays and Christmas. And for some reason, even though the "Let Start XMAS in August!!!" thingy has been going on for several years now, I have always never thought the "Holidays" started until Turkey Day... but.. for some reason, I walked outside yesterday and it felt like the "Holidays" were already here. Not sure why I felt that way, but I did.

And I as I mentioned before, next year's travel/event sched seems to be setting up to be eventful indeed. Plans are setting up for a return to Bristol, Darlington, and Charlotte for races, as well as maybe fittin in Atlanta in the Fall. Potentially Monster trucks in the ATL in January. Going to try to see a NBA game as well as get to the Braves this summer. Summer will also bring a potential trip with the twins back up north, as well as a cruise with Grandma and another some more sharkfishin'. Another trip for a wedding in September, as well as a couple of Fraternity events have me looking at something in EVERY month thru November. Which is how I like it... I like having something to look forward to and plan mentally for. Gives me "Hope for Change" in the daily doldrums of work....

Buyer's Remorse?

Exactly....

V... tonight!!!

at first, I was a little apprehensive about this V remake. But the reviews are saying that the pilot is outstanding. If this is another Battlestar, it would be great. I remember watching this back in the day, and I remember how STUNNED i was when Diana ate that mouse. This will be a case where no one should be surprised who is watching. I mean, the design of the spaceships give it away...

Halloween and random observations...

Halloween came and went... I-Man as the ever popular (it seems) Snake Eyes and Ryles as a Throwback witch... Originally, I-Man was going to be Storm Shadow but the all white uni was too small.... We also were treated to have several people over Saturday night after Homecoming. That went very well and we missed the rain for the most part until right after midnight... It was an interesting mix of old friends, family, Fraternity and Ryles and I-Man's friends sleeping over but it all seemed to work out for the best...

...the most interesting part came when on Friday, I needed to run to the store real quick and get some firewood in prep for Saturday. I close my trunk to the jetta and, hop in my car and start backing out of our driveway. As I back up, I hear Mocha the BattleCat meow. I stop, get out and look around as sometimes the old feller doesnt seem to move too quick to get out of the way... didnt see him, so I figure he had moved off and was in hot pursuit of some squirrel. I hop back in, back out and start up the street... "Meow...." my window was down so I look in the front yard...no BattleCat..."interesting..." I think to myself.... so I stop by the mailbox checking the mail..."MEOW!!!!".... I'm like "WTF!?!?!!"...surely...no...no way.... So i hop out and open my trunk and out flys Mocha the BattleCat who streaks off across the street.... Wonder what would have happened if I had had my radio turned up.... Cousin Madison was here and celebrated with Jordan, I-Man and Ryles too...