October Fun!

Okay, the pictures are way up there but they did make it...I'm not quite sure how to make it look nice but Laney wanted me to get these out (especially the one with her snowman!) First though, you can see the boys are riding bubbas (motorcycles for those who are in the know) on the xbox. Then there is one with Sadie stylin' in her Greek onesie (compliments of her world traveling great aunt) and one of Julie and Sadie keeping warm together.

Buy Me

Wanted:
Real Estate Agent, willing to work for free. A gifted interior designer and landscaper eager to donate own free time to enhance seller's home for added market value. Loves children and willing to babysit 4 of them. A knack for making BBQ Brisket is a plus. Please call, or post replies here.

Punkin

Well, the kids earned the right to have their very own pumpkins next year, by demonstrating their enthusiasm and surprising skill in sawing-on-the-line to cut out the jack-o-lantern features. Mya may have a future in the professional gourd art industry. The kids sketched their individual votes for how the eyes should look and what shape mouth it should have... and I Sharpied them onto the surface. Laney also came up with the angry eyebrow look, so I really have to give most of the credit to the kids for the finished design.

As we scooped out the slimy guts, Mya remarked that we could simply make a pumpkin pie by shoving handfuls of this stuff into dough and cooking it. Yum. A prodigy chef she is not.

Here's a pic of Sadie at 2 1/2 months... all 13 lbs of cuteness!!





Oh, and as Ang & I were trying to determine who we would root for in the World Series, we recalled that Detroit beat the Padres (p'tooey) in '84. Yes, the very same year that the Cubs tragically lost to the Padres (p'tooey) and their game winnin', homerun-hittin', clenched-fist-wavin' Steve Garvey (p'tooey). So for the rest of this season, we're Tiger fans.

Are you smart enough to get email from me?

Scott sent some emails and requested return receipts. This automated response just made me smile. Not only do we have to be warned that the coffee we're about to drink MIGHT be hot but now we must be warned that the people we send emails to might not be that smart!

Note: This Return Receipt only acknowledges that the message was displayed on the recipient's computer. There is no guarantee that the recipient has read or understood the message contents.

BTW: Pray for Gib because he has a fever and definitely does not feel good. And pray for the rest of us because he definitely does not feel good!

U.S. jets intercept Russian bombers near Alaska

TRAINING EXERCISE: Two Tu-95s penetrated an American buffer zone.
By BRUCE FINLEYThe Denver Post
Published: September 30, 2006 Last Modified: September 30, 2006 at 06:32 AM
A push for greater Russian military openness collided with old Cold War habits on Thursday as Russian long-range bombers flew within 15 miles of U.S. airspace over Alaska. Fully armed U.S. fighter jets responded, intercepting the two bombers. The Russian Tu-95 bombers on a training exercise Thursday penetrated a North American buffer zone, according to a statement Friday from Maj. Gen. Brett Cairns, operations chief for the North American Aerospace Defense Command based in Colorado Springs, Colo. The bombers stayed in international airspace.
The U.S. response "was appropriate," said Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. "We have a near-sacred responsibility to protect and defend the United States and Canada against any and all threats. We will not waver in this responsibility," Keating said. Four U.S. F-15 fighters, supported by two Canadian CF-1 fighters, found and intercepted the bombers. A U.S. pilot snapped a photo of the Russian craft with a red star on its tail. U.S forces, too, have been conducting training exercises over Alaska and Canada.
The encounter happened despite a new initiative led by Keating to get Russian commanders to notify U.S. officials more fully about training missions.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that the four F-15 pilots are my good buddies from work."

Moose taken down by Crimson Bears

Tim, Laney & I went to a local high school night game last night - our Palmer Moose vs. Juneau's Crimson Bears... a showdown to decide who goes to the State finals.

[Anchorage Daily News]
Palmer came back on Tanner Grover's powerful 24-yard rumble up the middle in the third quarter. Grover kept his legs churning and carried a pack of Juneau defenders into the end zone. But Palmer would come no closer. The Palmer defense stopped Juneau on a fourth-and-goal attempt at the 4-yard line with 2:15 play, preserving the chance for one last desperate drive.
But heading into a heavy crosswind, Palmer quarterback Smith threw two incomplete passes on third and fourth down, and the Moose season was over.

We had a great time, and we were glad it was a dramatic game, but unfortunately we lost, 14 to 19. Laney enjoyed the hot chocolate and hanging out with the guys. Despite her youth and this being her first football game, she still knew that standing on the Palmer home team side was where we needed to stay put (despite the crowd, limited view, and being grazed in the lip by an errant football).

Colorado to California Pt.2

Denver to Ontario, California... by way of Portland. Who designed this route? A quick glance at an atlas will show you that the distances makes a perfect triangle between these 3 cities... a waste of a good 3.5 hrs to be exact, but in the end it was better than going through Seattle or winding up at LAX (yuck). Ontario is a 15 minute hop in the "Company" plane (a 2005 Bonanza). I got shoved in the left (pilot) seat and was held to the coals during this my first instructional ride in a bonanza, after a day of travel, departing an international airfield, in a State which I'd never flown, in a plane I'd never flown, with digital avionics I'd never seen, and at night. But Troy (buddy, instructor, possible employer) is a natural instructor and was coaching me all the way. What a beautiful evening, and introduction to So. California and Victor Valley. I got to see the high desert there... happily, there are views of surrounding mountains wherever you go in the Valley. And I'd just missed the heat of summer by a few weeks. Here's also a shot of the twins and Katie-Katie before school on my last day. The Cali. leg of the trip was over way too soon, but I was happy to get back to my own family, despite leaving 75-and-sunny for 50-and-gray. Thanks, J's for your very warm hospitality! Hope to see you again very soon.

Colorado to California Pt.1

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Reunion time for me & over 400 classmates in Colorado. It was awesome... I got to 'room' with Jason, hike Colorado trails, 'hit' our old favorite restaurants & coffee shops, catch a football game, and hang out with over 10 of my closest friends that we still keep in touch. Funny how it seems like, dispite a 10 year break, we just picked up conversations where we left off. Very cool! Even got to show Jason what geocaching is all about... we found 5 of 6 in one afternoon! Here's a picture of some o' the group at the game vs. New Mexico (Hos, Harry, Joe, me, Sixtoes & Dave), Jason geocaching with me on a ridgeline, me at Garden of the Gods, and the whole group (Juice, Cools, Hos, Vecc, Jenn, Dave, Tracy, Cookie, Kyle, Harry, me, Sixtoes & Hort).

Sunday, Sunday, La La, La La La La

Okay, so the song is really Monday, Monday but rainy days were meant for the Mammas and the Pappas. We've spent a lovely day here doing something similar to geocaching. Instead of a GPS, you use your eyes and ears and instead of locating exact coordinates, you search for kids among piles of laundry and toys. So far I've found 3 out of 4 so I think I'm doing pretty well.