everybody ought to have one of these.....

Ever have a friend who knew you every which way? They know your good stuff, your bad stuff and everything in between. They're the kind of friend you could call at 2:30 in the morning from jail and they would be there without a trace of judgment.

Jeff and I met when we were both 14 when his dad came to pastor our church. He didn't want to come to Kingsport. At all. He hated the thought of moving right before he was to start high school. During the next 4 years we became each other's closest friends and sounding boards.

Over the years life took us in different directions and we lost touch. Then Facebook came along, I found his little sister, and she gave me his contact information. Jeff came up this past weekend and we went to the Unwigged & Unplugged concert at the Ryman. As much fun as we had at the concert, the best part of the weekend was our conversation. We stayed up talking until about 3:00 Monday morning, then picked it right back up a few hours later.

I've found that the older I get, the harder it is to find good friends. I've also found that the best friends in life are the ones I made as a teenager. Good times.....

sibling facebook chatter.....

Julie Stapleton Cathey at 9:37pm May 12

I'm going to have major surgery so I can have strawberry shortcake too!! Either that or come in Memorial Day weekend.....

Devonna E. Stapleton at 10:12pm May 12

I'd go with Memorial Day weekend if I were you...but it's totally up to you, whatever you want!

Wade Stapleton at 6:55am May 13

I don't have to have major surgery to get this. I just show up.....

8th grade formal.....

gonna' move.....

Not me. No, the bride hasn't kicked me out of the house. Yet. Tomorrow's the day Meg moves back home for the summer.

26 years ago, right about this same time, I moved back home from my dorm room at ETSU after my stellar freshman year. I made about 3, maybe 4, trips up and down the stairs in the dorm and I was finished. I had a 13" television, some stereo equipment, a small refrigerator, and my clothes. No books to take home, since I'd already sold them back for pennies on the dollar. I stripped my bed and tried to fold my sheets, but they cracked and crumbled and I ended up throwing them out. No one told me I was supposed to wash them. And of course, no computer equipment. PC's back then took up the space of a small laboratory. So instead of a computer, I had my slide rule and my abacus. It was that long ago.

Tomorrow's move will be more like the move I made when the bride and I moved into our first house. There's a recliner involved. A couple of televisions. More clothes than I've owned in my entire life. And nick nacks. Tons of nick nacks. (I don't think I ever had either a nick or a nack in my dorm room. Decorations, other than posters, were never even considered. I wonder what happened to that Farrah Fawcett poster? I'll bet Ray still has it.)

It'll be good to have Meg back home. Yes, it will be an adjustment for all of us, but that's normal. Besides, it'll be good to hear the girls fighting again.....

chris farley lives on.....

thanks, devonna.....

designed for those too busy to pray.....

LiveScience.com - 3/25/09

The Web site InformationAgePrayer.com offers, for people too busy to speak to God themselves, a daily service of invocations (using voice-synthesizing software) for Catholics, Protestants, Jews or Muslims. Starting each day "reciting" the Lord's Prayer (or the Islamic Fajr) is $3.95 a month. Hail Marys are 70 cents a day for 10. A Complete Rosary Package is $49.95 a month. Each prayer is voiced individually, with the subscriber's name on the screen, and for Muslim prayers, the computer's speakers point toward Mecca.

this probably makes me a bad person.....

Have you tried to find a family-friendly movie lately? One that both Dad and daughters can watch together without good ol' Dad getting embarrassed? Just about impossible any more.

After searching through the Comcast pay-per-view lineup for about 20 minutes, we decided to watch Marley & Me Saturday night. The bride was afraid she would cry. I thought it might be good because of the previews. And who wouldn't want to watch Jennifer Anniston for 90+ minutes? 90+ minutes later, I guess the best way to describe my feeling was that I was mad.

I'm a pretty practical kind of person. I see a problem and I attempt to fix it. (Unless that problem is one presented by the bride. I've long since learned that she doesn't always want things fixed, she sometimes just wants to tell me about a problem and then she expects me to not do anything but listen. I think she's trying to drive me to an early grave.) The whole time I was watching Marley & Me, I wanted to solve their problem. I wanted to scream "JUST GET RID OF THE STUPID DOG! IT'S NOT FUNNY ANY MORE! OWEN, DUDE, JENNIFER ANNISTON IS ABOUT TO LEAVE YOU OVER THE DOG! YOU HAVE THE MOST CROOKED NOSE ON THE PLANET, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANY BETTER THAN HER! JUST. GET. RID. OF. IT!"

I read Grogan's autobiographical book, The Long Trip Home. Very good book. He talked about Marley in the book, but he never described him in any way close to how he was depicted in the movie. Yes, John Grogan and his dog had a special connection. Especially when Marley was older. But I sat there the whole time wondering just how any dog could be worth the problems he caused.

The bride said she'd like to have a small house dog one day. I've told her that she can either have a dog or me, because if she gets a dog I'll be gone the very next day. She hasn't gotten back to me yet on that.....

sometimes it takes growing up to appreciate things.....

We had a strict rule at our house growing up - once your hair touched your ears, and if you were a male, it was time for a haircut. (I say "we", but actually "we" had nothing to do with it. This was more of a management mandate.) When said hair did actually touch said ears, I would be driven to Ed Medlin's Barber Shop and promptly given a haircut. The next day at school would be terrible because my hair would be so much shorter than everyone else who was my age, but I got used to it. (You know your hair is short if the principal's butch cut is longer than your hair.)

As I got older, I was allowed to go other places besides Ed Medlin's for haircuts, but the rules remained the same - my hair had to be short. Only when I got to college did my hair touch my ears. I thought I was a bigger rebel than James Dean. These days, my hair never gets longer than about 2 inches. (On my head, that is. My back hair can reach lengths up to 6 or 7 inches if not properly maintained. It's a gift.)

Looking back, I'm sort of glad Dad made me keep my hair short. Not because of the ridicule I received from those with thick, flowing manes of hair, but because I was never tempted to grow a mullet. When your hair is short both in the front and in the back, you don't have the luxury of "business in the front/ party in the back" kind of hair.

Today I'm grateful that Dad for never gave me the opportunity to look like any of these guys.....

















PS - Kathy Moffitt said she used to date guys who looked like this.....

two more ways to know you're getting old.....

1. Your oldest daughter finished her last day of classes for her freshman year in college earlier this week.

2. Your youngest daughter will be a freshman in high school in about 3 months.

No wonder I like going to bed so early these days.....

hey, y'all, watch this.....

Bloomington, Minnesota

Police said a 23-year-old man is in stable condition after he pretended that he was falling off a bridge over the Minnesota River, then actually fell off the bridge. Police got a call just before 5 a.m. Sunday from a 21-year-old man who said his friend fell off the Highway 77 bridge and into a marshy area about 30 feet below.

The caller said he was driving north when his friend, who he said had been drinking, told him to pull into the bridge's emergency lane so he could urinate.

The 23-year-old stood eventually climbed to the ledge of the bridge, then looked at his friend and pretended to fall. "He then in fact fell," reads a press release from the Bloomington Police Department.

Police from Bloomington and Eagan responded, and the Eagan Fire Department used a chair lift to retrieve the man. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where was treated.

i know it was you fredo; you broke my heart.....

New York Daily News - 2/7/09

Joseph Milano, owner of Goomba's Pizza in Palm Coast, Fla., was in the federal witness protection program for squealing on Bonanno crime family members in New York but lost his anonymity in January when he was arrested for allegedly pistol-whipping a customer who had dared to criticize his calzone.

what a weekend.....

This past weekend was the very definition of perfect when it comes to weather. Mid-80's, low humidity, very few clouds. Perfect.

I did, however, hear a few people say that it was just too hot. I felt like punching them in the face, but I held back. These were probably the same people complaining about the cold weather two weeks ago. I guess they have to have something to complain about.

Spring is finally here.....

brilliant.....

Morning Sentinel (Waterville) - 4/1/09

Two adults and three teenagers were arrested in Waterville, Maine, in March and charged with arson, with all the evidence needed consisting of a video the five made, describing their crime, crafted with theme music and cast-and-crew credits.

it's the little things.....

The bride and I are celebrating our 21st year of marriage today. We've always tried to do something special for each other on anniversaries and birthdays. On her 40th birthday, I surprised the bride with a trip to the doctor because I thought I was having a heart attack. Thoughtful, that's what I am.

The bride got a jump on the festivities a day early this year. She woke up just before 4:00 Wednesday morning and couldn't get out of bed. I heard all kinds of noises and thought she was having a bad dream. Turns out she was just attempting to roll over and couldn't because of some severe back pain. We went to the doctor, and she loaded her up with a muscle relaxant, a steroid pack, and 800 mg Ibuprofen pills.

Oh, the things we do for love.....

i-right, fake 21, bootleg hot pass on one....

WFTS (Tampa) - 4/1/09

In March, two men were seen on a backyard surveillance camera in St. Petersburg, Fla., attempting a home break-in during the day when no one was home. According to the police report, one of the men assumed a football stance, then ran the length of the yard and rammed the back door. However, the latch held, and the impact sent the man backward, leaving him on the ground, writhing in pain. The collision also triggered an alarm, and the men escaped before police arrived.

old friends are the best friends.....

I've been able to catch up with so many old friends because of Facebook. About a month ago, I found some friends from my old church youth group. Over the course of several emails, messages, and a few phone calls, we've decided to have a reunion this fall. The committee met in Kingsport on Saturday and we had a great time seeing each other. I hadn't seen ANY of them in about 27 years, but the conversation flowed like we'd just seen each other last week. One of the main topics of discussion regarded how we used to get into so much trouble during youth outings. Some of those times involved mooning. (I never said we were necessarily the best role models.)

I'm really looking forward to the next committee meeting.....

he has no control.....

Metrowest Daily News - Framingham, 3/2/09

Christos Kokkalis, 19, allegedly doing 65 mph in a 30 mph zone, was charged with assault in Framingham, Mass., in March, for reacting badly to a pedestrian's hand gesture suggesting he slow down. According to a police report, Kokkalis swerved across a street into the man's path, drove by, turned around and did it again. The report said Kokkalis denied fault, claiming that his car "turns on its own" because of an "alignment" problem.

an old fart characteristic.....

Remember how I said the other day that the M*A*S*H marathon I watched this weekend was obviously targeted for on audience older than me because of all the AARP and incontinency advertisements? Evidently the mere fact that I watched these commercials caused me to act elderly yesterday.

I parked my car Tuesday morning where I normally park it. I got out of my car and began to walk across the street toward my building. We'd had some storms pass through on Monday night, and it was breezy. But for some reason it felt breezier than it ought to, breezier than the force of the current wind. I felt cooler than I should have felt. I looked down. The barn door was wide open. (Fortunately, no livestock escaped.) Ever discovered your zipper was open and try to calmly but quickly close it? It never works. What I thought would take less than 2 seconds ended up taking about 4 attempts. Luckily it was before 6:30 and there were no other people around. Or maybe the early birds could see me through their office windows and had a good laugh. If so, I'm glad I could start their day off with a little comedy.

For lunch on Tuesday, I had melba toast and cottage cheese.....

my girls, easter morning.....

yet another way to tell i must be getting old.....

The bride and the girls watched the movie Twilight Saturday night. I was invited to watch, but I have vowed to go to my grave without watching Twilight or any of the High School Musical movies. I believe it's important to have goals in life. I decided to watch a M*A*S*H marathon instead.

During the third episode, I figured out from the commercials that I must be a bit young for their target audience. It was the commercials advertising AARP and home delivery of incontinent supplies that gave it away. During the next commercial break, I watched the Loud 'n Clear hearing aid commercial.

After the fourth episode, I drank a warm glass of milk and went to bed.....

new film-making method.....

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. - 3/12/09

Canadian filmmaker Rob Spence said recently that he would install a prosthetic eye with a camera and wireless transmitter (of the size now used for colonoscopies) into the socket from which one of his eyes had been removed as the result of a childhood accident. He hopes to control the prosthetic eye in the same way that his muscles control his good eye, to record what his eyes see, and his first project will be a documentary on people's attitudes about privacy in an "Orwellian society." "(T)he best way to make a connection (with an interviewee) is through eye contact," he said. "When you bring in a camera, people change."

just about the only pick i got right in my brackets this year.....

because when i'm out of town, i tend to eat like a pig.....

This was my meal Friday night, courtesy of Calhoun's.....

had about all the quaint i can stand.....

I've always loved this place. Whenever I come to Gatlinburg, I always stay at the same place. They've had the same staff for 20+ years. They deliver homemade, hot doughnuts and fresh-squeezed orange juice to your room. It's old, it's rustic. It's quaint.

My problem? I'm writing this on my balcony. That's not all that bad. But it's the only place I can get a good wireless connection. Oh, they say they have wireless internet. But it's so weak, you have to be outside to get it.

I called the front desk. She told me to try it in different places around the room. The only place I can half-way get it in the room is if I'm over near the bathroom sink. Not the best place to have a computer. She also invited me to come try it out in the hotel lobby. I wanted to ask if she knew that defeated the point, but I didn't.

I'll just stay somewhere else next time.....

new economic plan.....

This was an article from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on " How Would You Fix the Economy? "

I thought this was the BEST idea. I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President,

Patriotic retirement:

There's about 40 million people over 50 in the work force; pay them $1 million apiece severance with three stipulations:

1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

All National financial problems fixed!!!

thanks, Chris.....

from calm to storms.....

We had a stretch of severe weather come through Middle Tennessee Saturday evening. Luckily Franklin didn't experience any damage. I took a couple of shots right before it all broke loose. The first one is looking towards the southwest, the other due west. It's amazing how diverse the sky was at that point in time.....

just keep your eye on the ball.....

Manchester Union Leader - 2/4/09

Paul Sanchez, 67, an "occasional" golfer, filed a lawsuit in Brentwood, N.H., in February against the Candia Woods Golf Links for a 2006 incident in which his approach shot hit a yard marker in the fairway, bounced back, and struck him in the eye. Sanchez claimed the course owners were negligent in placing the sign in the fairway and also should have warned him that balls would bounce off of it.

shock of the night.....

Going into Motown Night on American Idol last night, I figured Lil' Rounds would have her "moment" and be the best. And I told the bride that Adam would struggle. I was wrong on both accounts.

My favorite of the night was Matt, but I'll have to say that Adam was a close second if not just as good. Lil' was a disappointment for me. Allison was incredible, Danny and Chris were very good.

My prediction for the bottom three - Michael, Megan and Scott. Who's going home? Could be any of those three.....

think i'd just get me some new keys.....

Twin Falls Times-News - 3/6/09

Once again, a man was found to have climbed into the waste tank of an outdoor toilet, but according to a March report in the Twin Falls (Idaho) Times-News, the emergency crew seemed to accept his story that it was all a mistake and not a manifestation of perversion. Rescuers from the town of Filer, Idaho, said the man told them he was just looking for his keys that he had accidentally dropped and had been in the tank for 15 minutes before help arrived. The man declined to identify himself, and no official report was required, but after the man was hosed off by a fire truck, he "discovered" that his keys had been in his pocket all along, and he drove away.

how to know you're getting old - way #532

Whenever you:

• wash two vehicles
• vacuum them out, and
  
• Armour All the trim in one afternoon
  

and you feel like you've been drug behind a logging truck down a gravel road,

this probably indicates that you're getting old.....

opposites attract.....

The bride and I have different philosophies when it come to garage sales. She feels that garage sales can provide an additional stream of income, and that they're lots and lots of fun. I, on the other hand, feel that once you take into consideration the time put forth to make it happen, you end up making about 37 cents an hour. I'd much rather just take it all to Goodwill and be done with it. But that's me.

We participated in a garage sale on Saturday. Luckily, we didn't host it, and we only put a couple of large items in the sale. Our next door neighbors are moving (yeah, the good ones, doggone it!) and they want to get rid of a bunch of stuff so they don't have to take it with them. I did my part to thank them for letting us put the air hockey/ping pong table and baseball backstop in the sale by promptly breaking a huge mirror they had up for sale. I'm considerate like that sometimes.

The bride and I spent a good part of our day cleaning out our garage. We had several people come over and try to shop our non-existent garage sale. Those who didn't speak English didn't understand why we had all our stuff out in the driveway but didn't want to sell it.

Later that afternoon we brought our two items back to our garage. Nobody wanted them. But about 15 minutes later, a lady came by and agreed to buy the air hockey/ping pong table. She's coming by later this afternoon to take them away.

Anybody who wants a free baseball backstop, let me know.....

nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide.....

Arizona Republic - 1/21/09

In Phoenix in January, Shawn Holden, 20, ran from his car rather than be detained at a traffic stop for running a red light, and officers pursued him on foot. As police were wandering around looking for Holden, a truck driver walked by, got into his truck, and drove off, running over the prostrate body of Holden, who had been hiding underneath. He was treated at a hospital and arrested.

hand it on down.....

I grew up in a time when clothes were handed down from one family member to another. I knew that whatever my cousin Mark, who was three years older than me, was wearing would eventually end up with me. And that was fine. My sisters, just sixteen months apart, went through the same thing with each other. That's just the way it worked.

I'll be 45 this year and I'm still getting hand-me-downs. Not clothing, but iPods. Yep, I'm too cheap to buy my own, so I wait until the girls get a new one and I simply claim their old one. Last year, we bought Meg an iPod Touch and I got her old green iPod Mini. It has served its purpose over the past year.

We got Sara a Touch for her birthday this week, so I inherited her Nano. It's hot pink. I call it manly pink. Makes me feel better. But I did buy an armband case for when I run to cover up the fact that it's manly pink. Again, makes me feel better.....

what does one trillion dollars look like.....

All this talk about "stimulus packages" and "bailouts". A billion dollars. A hundred billion dollars. Eight hundred billion dollars. One TRILLION dollars...

What does that look like? I mean, these various numbers are tossed around like so many doggie treats, so I thought I'd take Google Sketchup out for a test drive and try to get a sense of what exactly a trillion dollars looks like.

We'll start with a $100 dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomination in general circulation. Most everyone has seen them, slighty fewer have owned them. Guaranteed to make friends wherever they go.

A packet of one hundred $100 bills is less than 1/2" thick and contains $10,000. Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for week or two of shamefully decadent fun.

Believe it or not, this next little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.

While a measly $1 million looked a little unimpressive, $100 million is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet...

And $1 BILLION dollars... now we're really getting somewhere...

Next we'll look at ONE TRILLION dollars. This is that number we've been hearing so much about. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it's a million million. It's a thousand billion. It's a one followed by 12 zeros.

You ready for this?

It's pretty surprising.

Ladies and gentlemen... I give you $1 trillion dollars...

(And notice those pallets are double stacked.)

So the next time you hear someone toss around the phrase "trillion dollars"... that's what they're talking about.

thanks to cathy for the link

would you shut up, i'm trying to concentrate.....

The Mercury (Hobart) - 12/23/08

"This adds an extra dimension people will appreciate," said Hobart, Australia, mayor Rob Valentine in December, announcing that at the annual Taste Festival later that month, performance artists would entertain in the restrooms. According to Valentine, the performers would also supply soap and towels and would "recite (a) favorite poem, or tell ... a story" while concert-goers "used the facilities."

life comes at you fast.....

Saturday was one of those cold, rainy, ugly days. And very laid back. I had plans of watching basketball all afternoon long. That all changed when I heard a terrible grinding noise coming from the laundry room.

I opened the lid of the washing machine and saw that the agitator wasn't moving, but the tub was full of water. I found the washer manual and saw that we'd bought the machine 9 years ago. Great, no more warranty. The bride and I went from talking about getting it fixed to buying a new one to also buying a new dryer to match. Dollar signs flashed, followed by the reminder that we'd just replaced our downstairs HVAC system. Yay.

Rather than spending the money on a new high efficiency washer and dryer, we opted to get it repaired. The good news is that if the estimate is over a certain amount, Sears will give us that much off a new washer if we buy through them. So we've got that going for us.

The good news is that the bride hasn't had to do any laundry since Saturday.....

Another PS - Today the bride is celebrating her 27th birthday. She liked 27 so much that she's going back to it this year. Tonight, since she's a St. Patrick's Day child, she wants corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Yeah, I won't be fixing that, so we'll be going out. Happy Birthday, sweet bride o' mine!

how's this for originality.....

There are days when I can't come up with anything to post that's new and original. When this happens, I look for strange and weird stuff around the web.

Last week a family member who shall remain unnamed (coughMegcough) said that they didn't like my blog whenever I didn't write about some type of life event. Well, today's post will be original.

I received the following text Wednesday night from someone who will from this point forward be known as "the poo":

How about this for some blog material.........and this is a true story just minutes old. Meg laughed so hard at the dinner table that coke and white beans almost shot out of her nose. She is still blowing her nose and trying to recover.

Parents will do anything to make their children happy.....

PS - 14 years ago today, our baby was born. Happy birthday, Sara! We love you!

new exclusive line of barbie dolls.....

Thanks to this forward from Stephanie, Jennifer and the bride:

Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition Barbie dolls, made especially for the Nashville market.

'Brentwood Barbie’ This princess Barbie is sold only at Green Hills Mall. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, and a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a cookie-cutter house. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.


'Hendersonville Barbie'
The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with the Ford
Windstar Minivan and matching gym outfit.
She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation.
Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.


'Gallatin Barbie'
This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray
Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit.
This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash
(preferably small, untraceable bills) ...unless you are a cop, then
we don't know what you are talking about.



'Cool Springs Barbie'
This Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible, or
Hummer H2. Included are her Starbucks cup, credit card, and
country club membership. Also available for this set are
Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper.
You won't be able to afford any of them.

'Ridgetop Barbie '
This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans
two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and Tweety Bird tattoo
on her shoulder. Included is a six-pack of Bud Light and a Hank Jr.
CD. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's butt
when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and ge t
a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.


'West End Barbie'
This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print
outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends.
Percocet prescription available as well as warehouse conversion condo.




'Springfield Barbie'
This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own
high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased
beer-gutted Ken out of Ridgetop Barbie's house. Her ensemble
includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through
halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.



'Vanderbilt Barbie'
This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long str aight brown hair,
archless feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white
socks. She prefers that you call her Willow . She does not want or
need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Vanderbilt Barbies and the
optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.






' Bellevue Barbie'
She's perfect in every way.
We don't know where Ken is because he's always out a-'huntin'.




' Dickerson Road Barbie/Ken'
This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken
by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.

but i wasn't on the clock.....

Chicago Tribune - 2/15/09

Jeffrey Boyle was convicted in 2006 of setting eight fires during the time he was a lieutenant in the Chicago Fire Department and is serving a six-year sentence. But in January, he filed a lawsuit against the department demanding his pension, of about $50,000 a year, on the grounds that he was off duty during the time he set the fires.

new level of nasty.....

I had a dentist appointment yesterday afternoon. I left there with a taste in my mouth that was like none other I'd ever experienced.

First they did the oral cancer screening. Have you had this done? It's a vinegar-based rinse that you have to swish around in your mouth for 30 seconds. They try to disguise the taste by adding some kind of berry flavoring. It was like gargling Italian dressing with a spoonful of raspberry smoothie. Lovely.

Then came the cleaning. I still have the vinegar taste in my mouth, now comes the fresh spearmint. Now I've got a vinegar/berry/spearmint combination working. Awesome.

Last came the sealant. I've always thought it tasted like Carefree bubble gum. Not an offensive taste at all. But when mixed with vinegar, berry and spearmint, it's enough to make one gag. And the worst part of the sealant is that it leaves a semi-thick film on your teeth, and you can't brush your teeth for 6 hours. By 7:00 last night, my mouth felt like I'd been eating out of an open dumpster in the middle of August after a rainstorm. (This is not a comment on the bride's cooking; last night's supper was wonderful!)

So I've got 6 months before I have to deal with that sensation again.....

yeah, let's put those back on.....

Cape Cod Times - 2/11/09

Allahmanamjad Barbel, 21, sought help in February at the police station in Barnstable, Mass., after his sister playfully put handcuffs on him at a birthday party and couldn't get them off. Police removed them and then, after running his name through the computer, discovered several outstanding warrants and immediately re-cuffed him.

ta-ta, tatiana.....

Top Three Things Tatiana Del Toro Learned on American Idol

1. Begging for a spot on the show only works so long
   
2. Maybe I should have learned a new song in English
3. Ryan Seacrest may be a pervert
   

game 1, 2009.....

Sunset Middle School has a really good softball team. One of the parents from our team said this would be the best team we'd face all season. We gave up 5 quick runs in the first and lost 8-1. Sara scored a run and played a great game at shortstop, including an unassisted double-play. I was extremely proud of her.

I got a few shots in during the game. This was my favorite one.....