It's just me...Roo

One Week Gone

2012-01-09T08:04:00.005-07:00

Well, here we are, January 9, 2012. How was the first week of your new year? Nothing too exciting in my week, but nothing traumatic either.

What do you have going on this year? My big even this year is that I will be turning 50 years old in 39 days! WOW! HALF A CENTURY! I'm not sure I'm ready for that, but it's definitely better than the alternative!!!

Beyond my birthday, we a several family reunions coming up this summer (all in one weekend!!!). Although I haven't always looked forward to them with much enthusiasm, I'm learning to enjoy them. Especially after connecting with a cousin at one a couple of years ago who has become a good friend over the last couple of years.

House hunting is still a big thought on my mind, but we'll have to see how the financial market goes. I'm liking where I'm at with my friend and we seem to have a pretty good thing going. I don't want to mess up that relationship, so we'll just have to see how things go.

I'm pretty sure that work will present new and hopefully exciting challenges. Our team is regrouping after the exit of the man that was my supervisor from the day I was hired. We also have a new(er) manager. He's been with us for about 6 months, but with all of the things going on he hasn't had a chance to really take charge yet. This will be a challenge for all of us.

So, to all of you, I hope that your first week of the new year was a good one. I hope that your year is a good and positive one!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

2012-01-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Photos*]

I hope that this new year brings you all wonder things and blesses you and your families with happiness. We are facing scary times, but we will endure.

I'm looking forward to seeing what this new year has in store me. I'm ready... BRING IT!

ONLY 4 MORE DAYS...

2011-09-19T08:47:00.002-06:00

Voting for this contest ends on 9/22. Please vote. Use whatever emails you have (and I know most people have at least 2 if not more!!!).

Thanks! I know Courtney appreciates the support.

PLEASE VOTE

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

A young friend of mine named Courtney is trying to win a photography contest. First prize is a new camera. If you would like to help, please register your email address(es) and vote for her photo. If you have multiple email addresses you can register each one and vote once a day per email address through September 22.

Thanks!!!!

HAPPY COLORADO DAY!

2011-08-01T11:12:00.005-06:00

A friend of mine found this quiz online this morning, courtesy of the Denver Post. I thought it might be fun to share it here:

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_10035188

In honor of our upcoming Colorado Day, it's time for a quiz:

1) When is Colorado Day?

2) What is the oldest continuously operating business in Colorado?

3) Where is the most senior water right in Colorado?

4) When did the Colorado River start originating in Colorado?

5) Why is there a big "A" on a hillside west of Fort Collins?

6) Colorado is known as "the mother of rivers." What's the longest of her offspring?

7) In 1995, Ben Campbell switched from Democrat to Republican. But he was not the first U.S. senator from Colorado to change parties. Who was?

8) For whom did Coloradans vote in the 1876 presidential election?

9) What Continental Divide pass in Colorado was crossed by two railroad lines?

10) When did Colorado women get the right to vote?

Answers:

1) President U.S. Grant signed a proclamation admitting Colorado as a state on Aug. 1, 1876, so Aug. 1 was a state holiday for many years. Then it was moved to the first Monday in August. It quit being an official holiday in 1985 when the state made Martin Luther King Jr. Day a holiday.

2) Despite its recent claim, the Rocky Mountain News, founded in 1859, is not the oldest continuously running business. The R&R Supermarket in San Luis holds that title. It opened in 1857 as a general store owned by Don Dario Gallegos.

3) Near the oldest business is the oldest water right, San Luis People's Ditch No. 1, which began diverting water from Culebra Creek in 1852.

4) Until 1921, the Colorado River began at the junction of the Grand and Green rivers in Utah. That year, our legislature changed the name of the Grand to the Colorado. But the Grand lives on in place names like Grand County and Grand Junction. It would be simpler to discuss Western Slope water issues if we'd go back to calling it the Grand.

5) Colorado State University began as the Agricultural College of Colorado when authorized by the territorial legislature in 1870. Students were known as "Aggies," and thus the A.

6) The Rio Grande, at 1,900 miles, is the longest. The Arkansas, 1,459, and the Colorado, 1,450 (90 of those miles in Mexico), come next.

7) Henry Moore Teller represented Colorado in the U.S. Senate as a Republican from 1876 to 1882. He resigned to serve as secretary of the Interior (he was the first Coloradan to hold a cabinet position) until 1885 when he returned to the Senate as a Republican. He was a "Silver Republican" when he started another term in 1897, and became a Democrat for his last term, which started in 1903.

8) Coloradans did not vote in the 1876 election; that year the General Assembly chose the state's three presidential electors, who were Republicans and gave Rutherford B. Hayes his one-vote margin in the Electoral College. It was the only time, until 2000, that Colorado's electoral votes made any difference in a presidential election.

9) The Denver & Rio Grande crossed Fremont Pass from 1881 to 1923, and the Denver South Park & Pacific line operated there from 1884 to 1937. A remnant of that line, from Leadville almost to Climax, operates summer excursions as the Leadville, Colorado & Southern.

10) As of statehood in 1876, Colorado women could vote in school elections, and there was a referendum on full suffrage. It failed. One passed in 1893. Colorado was the second state, after Wyoming, to grant full female suffrage, and the first to do so by popular vote. Don't believe all those "Women couldn't vote until 1920" statements you encounter.

And now you can celebrate Colorado Day, whenever it is.

Ed Quillen (ed@cozine.com) is a freelance writer, history buff, publisher of Colorado Central Magazine in Salida and frequent contributor to The Post.

Pretty cool

2011-04-05T21:24:00.000-06:00

My friend Jami posted this on her blog today. I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to share it here.

Enjoy!

40 Years Ago This Week

2011-02-11T12:09:00.001-07:00

I occasionally read a blog that is done by Wayne Osmond's wife, Kathy. She posted yesterday that it was 40 years ago this week that ONE BAD APPLE hit #1 on the US Charts and stayed there for 5 weeks. I'm posting the YouTube video as well as a link to Kathy Osmond's post.

Miscellaneous

2011-01-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have received links to some pretty cool things lately.

Here are a few of them:

Frazil Ice @ Yosemite

Laurel and Hardy meet Carlos Santana

Surprise!

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T20:17:00.001-07:00

The holiday season has come to an end. Tomorrow it's back to work and for many, if they don't go back to school tomorrow, they will sometime this week.

For the most part my holidays were good. Had a nice Christmas at my sister and brother-in-law's house. Christmas really is more fun with a child to watch. The excitement and joy can not be matched.

It was good to have the family all together again. Ashleigh was with us this year.

I normally do not really like New Year's Eve, but this year was spent with a great friend, and some (hopefully) new friends. We had a nice evening.

I hope that 2011 will bring many wonderful things to you and your families.

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

2010-12-15T11:15:00.002-07:00

This is another one that I got via email. I've seen it several times before, but thought it was worth sharing.

Good morning said a woman as she walked up to the man sitting on ground.

The man slowly looked up.

This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new... She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life.

His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before... "Leave me alone," he growled....

To his amazement, the woman continued standing.

She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."

The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.

"What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.

Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked.

"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"

The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"

"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."

"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."

"This is a good deal for you, Jack" the officer answered. "Don't blow it."

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived...

The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"

"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.

"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled... "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"

"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."

"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"

"What business is that of yours?"

I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."

"Oh."

The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference." She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"

"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."

"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."

The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.

"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently... "Jack, do you remember me?"

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so -- I mean you do look familiar."

"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."

"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.

"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."

Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."

"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble... Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."

"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.

"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons...He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet... If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."

There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.

"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus... He led me to you."

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways....

"Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.

"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee."

For My Crafty Friends

2010-12-14T22:18:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine forwarded this to me in an email. I thought it was pretty cool so I thought I would post it here.

Here is a money saver.

Don't throw out your old magazines, do some green crafting with them. Having a lot of patience and time you can create this amazing-looking multi-looped gift bow. Magazines have never been so crafty until now.

Materials:

1 magazine page (or 8 ½ x 11” paper of your choice)
Small hole punch (or a sharp object for poking a small hole)
1 metal brad
Scissors

Steps:

Cut across the magazine page to make nine 3/4 to 1 inch strips.
Start with one strip and make a loop at one end.
Turn the strip and make a loop at the other end.
Use the small hole punch (or sharp object ~ be careful!!) to make a hole through all 3 layers of paper.
Place the brad through the hole.
Repeat with the remaining 8 strips. (I find it best to hold the prongs of the brad between my teeth while I loop the next strip, but do whatever works for you.)
Open the brad to hold all the strips in place.
Attach your finished bow using double sided tape.

Related Projects

Seed Paper Flowers

Handmade Paper "LOL" Card

"Love You" Note Card and Envelope

DECEMBER 7, 1941…

2010-12-07T15:49:00.002-07:00

…"a date which will live in infamy".

Let us not forget those that lost their lives on this day 69 years ago. Nor should we forget those that survived. They made sacrifices as well.

Thank you to all the Veterans of that era as well as those that fought in other conflict, and those still serving today.

God Bless America!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2010-11-23T11:20:00.002-07:00

I hope that everyone has a joyous Thanksgiving. Travel safely and be happy.

What is going on!?!?!

2010-11-22T13:45:00.002-07:00

I can't believe how screwed up our government's priorities are. There so many things that they could be concentrating on, but what are they doing? Screwing around with the airport security screening process.

They are so concerned with not offending foreign visitors or foreign immigrants (legal or illegal), but they are more than willing to let their own citizens be fondled, ogled at, and downright humiliated trying to use our own airline industry. Women with prosthetic breasts have to be submitted to the humiliation of someone "adjusting" their prosthesis to satisfy the curiosity of the TSA agent. If they choose not to go for the full-body-pat-down, then they are subjected to being scanned and every inch of their bodies exposed to the world.

Come on people. As I just heard someone say our government should be more concerned with finding these groups and stopping the terrorist groups instead of trying to fix things after they have gone wrong. They need to be more pro-active instead of always re-active.

I Believe

2010-10-15T14:55:00.002-06:00

* I believe that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

* I believe that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

* I believe that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distances. The same goes for true love.

* I believe that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

* I believe that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

* I believe that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

* I believe that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

* I believe that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

* I believe that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

* I believe that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

* I believe that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

* I believe that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

* I believe that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

* I believe that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

* I believe that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want him or her to doesn't mean they don't love you with all he or she has.

* I believe that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

* I believe that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

* I believe that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

* I believe that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

* I believe that you shouldn't be eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

* I believe that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

* I believe that your life can be changed, in a matter of hours, by people who don't even know you.

* I believe that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

* I believe that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

* I believe that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Author Unknown – I saw this posted in a Jimmy John's restaurant and had to post it here.

GIRLFRIENDS

2010-09-10T13:26:00.000-06:00

My very dear friend, Glenda, gave me a plaque years ago, that is sitting on my desk at home. I look at it every time I sit down here at the computer. It is a great poem about girlfriends and what they mean to us. Here it is:

Girlfriends are much cheaper than therapists and a whole lot more fun.

A girlfriend knows your deep dark secrets, but likes you anyway.

Girlfriends are no farther away than the phone, even if it's 4 a.m.

A good girlfriend is hard to find, impossible to replace and never forgotten.

I love you Glenda. Thank you for the plaque and more importantly for being my friend.

Don't Forget to Say THANK YOU!

2010-08-27T09:50:00.003-06:00

This came to me in an email from my aunt. I know personally there have been a lot of prayers going out for various illnesses, sadness, hurt, etc., but I also know that I forget to stop and say THANK YOU when things are going well.

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, ' This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed." How is it that there is no work going on here? ‘I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments"

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?” I asked.

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, Lord."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. "

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity."

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.”

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world."

"If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm; you're unique to all those in doubt and despair......."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are

ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.

"Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it."

If you have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been blessed with, how can you not send it on???? I thank God for everything, especially all my family and friends!

New Found Blog...

2010-07-29T11:29:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine pointed me toward a new blog that she found. It's a crack-up! Check it out over in my "Who Am I Following" section. It's called CATALOG LIVING.

Writing from a Cousin

2010-06-25T18:51:00.007-06:00

I am the first grandchild on both sides of my family. On the maternal side of my family, over nearly 27 years there came to be 20 grandchildren. Janel is #20. There are nearly 27 years between us. I have to admit though that this “kid” has really impressed me recently. She has become a lovely young woman, a good wife to her husband Michael and a loving mother to her son James.

Janel has been writing periodic posts to her family’s blog and several have touched my heart. I want to share one with you (click here). As she says, she was raised on the land that her paternal grandfather owned, so she’s a “country girl.” There was a wonderful old barn that stood on this land. Recently it has been coming closer and closer to falling over. A few weeks ago there were some big winds that blew through the valley and sadly the wind was strong enough to blow the old barn over! You can see from the pictures though how easy that would have been.

Thank you Janel for sharing this wonderful insight to a piece of your life and those that love you.

These are my pictures of the barn that I took a couple of years ago.

Goodbye Grandpa

2010-05-30T22:54:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, May 22, 2010, my Mom’s family all gathered in their home town, and celebrated the life and passing of my Grandpa, Cletus Turner Rogers. He had just turned 96 years old on May 6. His passing came exactly 24 years and 11 months to the day after my Grandma, his wife, Mary Luella Rogers.

I know this may sound cliché, but my Grandpa was a wonderful man. He and Grandma celebrated their 44^th wedding anniversary just a couple of months before she passed away. They raised 6 children, and had one that passed as an infant. From those 6 children, they have 20 grandchildren, of which I am proud to be the first, and 36 great-grandchildren with another one due in July.

Grandpa’s service was truly beautiful. Eric Smith, a dear friend of the family, delivered his eulogy. My Mom spoke, as did another friend of the family. There was a musical number presented by 2 of his sons and a few of his grandsons, as well as one presented by a grandson-in-law and his brother. It was a song that I had never heard before, but it was lovely. It is called “These Hands.” Here is a youtube.com version by Johnny Cash. It brings tears to my eyes hearing it again.

After the service, the funeral procession was escorted through town by the Alamosa Police. I was so touched to see the officers as we passed by standing outside their patrol cars with their hands placed over their hearts. Adding to the small town, country feel, drivers traveling in the opposite direction on the highway would pull over and stop as we passed. This was a 23 mile trip, so there were quite a few that stopped. Such respect!

Grandpa was buried beside Grandma in the Manassa Cemetery. Although it was very windy that day, it was still beautiful out there, very simple, quiet and peaceful.

Later in the afternoon, the entire family went out to Peggy and Carl’s home in the country. We all thoroughly enjoyed spending time together and having fun. Some rode the old tractor. Some rode the motorcycle, while others rode the ATV. The kids played on the trampoline and the 2 tire swings. It was a great time for the adults to visit and for the kids to get to know cousins that they see all too infrequently.

I am so grateful for the family that my Grandma and Grandpa started. I pray the we can all continue to make them proud. I thank my entire family and my friends for the love and support that they continually give me.

Grandpa, you will be missed but I love you and am so glad that you are free of your tired old body. This separation is only temporary. I know we’ll all be together again some day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREVOR!!!

2010-05-13T08:23:00.001-06:00

Trevor is the BIG 5 today!!!! What is so magical about that number? He is excited to be 5 and I know that we've all been building him up for it too.

Casa Bonita tonight for dinner then back to Papa & Mimi's for cake and presents. The big birthday party is a week away at Chuck E Cheese.

Happy birthday Buddy! Have a great day. Auntie Roo loves you!!!

And happy anniversary to my Mom & Dad! 49 years.

Moving and Catching Up

2010-04-28T20:12:00.000-06:00

The actual physical move is complete. Now comes the unpacking. I'm anxious to get back to all of my daily reads, but it's going to take me a few days to get caught up. Amazing how far behind on even the personal stuff you can get when you're out of communication for 5 straight days. I'm glad to be back among the technologically connected.

Adorable Kids

2010-04-05T08:34:00.000-06:00

Saturday, April 3, my Sis & I took the nephew, Trevor, to the Easter Egg Hunt at the church where he goes to preschool. He had a ball, but it was even better when Zoe showed up. They adore each other and as his Mom says "I think she has his heart right now." They both lit up when they saw each other.

Children's Miracle Network and Hershey's

2010-03-27T15:18:00.002-06:00

Hershey’s has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network and this Easter Hershey’s will donate up to $5000 to CMN through the Better Basket Blog Hop campaign. It’s so easy to participate and will only take a few minutes of your time. Hershey’s will donate $10 per post up to 500 posts. When we are all done that will be $5000 raised for Children’s Miracle Network!

Here’s all you need to do.

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES:

* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop toChildren’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

I found out about this on Weebles Wobblog. I’m sending Easter Baskets along to Stacey, Heather, Karen, Jami and Annie.

And to YOU. So pass it on, peoples.

You can follow the giving on Twitter using hashtag #betterbasket.

Thank you to Hershey’s for making a difference and giving us the chance to participate!

If We Can't Laugh at Ourselves...

2010-03-23T20:35:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling like the blond you hear all the jokes about...DUH!

Does anyone else have the WEATHER CHANNEL DESKTOP utility loaded on their computer? Have you noticed when there is a severe weather alert in your area it puts out an audio reminder that sounds like thunder? I have this utility on my desktop at home, which stays on pretty much 24/7 because of a couple of programs that are on it. It needs to stay running.

Well, for the last 2 days I've been hearing this strange noise while in other parts of my apartment. It would sound like someone was banging on the steel girders of the building. I was really getting annoyed because I couldn't figure out what people were doing. Then I became worried that it was the hot water heater. It is in need of replacement, but I've decided that since I am moving out in 4 weeks that they can just deal with it after I'm gone. However, this noise was making me rethink that attitude.

So, this evening I've been sitting at the computer uploading pictures and videos. This thunder has gone off a couple of times and has scared me both times because the speakers are turned up pretty loud. I had been watching movies on the computer while packing and hadn't turned them back down. I finally had an A-HA moment... the thunder noise is what I've been hearing!!!!

As I said... DUH!!!!!

The speakers have been turned down and now I can rest easy again.

If we can't laugh at ourselves, who can?

Twilight

2010-02-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

I finally joined the ranks...I started the Twilight series last week and I'm hooked. I finished Twilight yesterday, but did not have New Moon loaded on my iPod yet, so I am redoing Twilight. GOOD BOOK!

Olympic Coverage

2010-02-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

My friend/acquaintance/fellow-church member, Amber Johnson is going to the Olympics! She was one of two winners of a contest sponsored by Microsoft to send bloggers to the Olympics. She's quite talented and entertaining. Follow her journey through the Winter Olympics in Vancouver via her blog...Crazy Bloggin Canuck. You won't be sorry!

Can't wait to hear about your latest adventures Amber!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-12-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

I hope that the new year is a good one for all of you! New Year! New Decade!

Love,

Rhonda "Roo"

"If you can dream it, you can do it."
Walt Disney

Fun Christmas Songs

2009-12-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few fun Christmas songs. What others should I have included?

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Christmas Don't Be (Chipmunk Song)
Twelve Days of Christmas - Straight No Chaser
Carol of the Bells - Straight No Chaser
We Wish You a Merry Christmas - The Muppets
Mr Heatmiser

Count down to Christmas (MST)

2009-12-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Say THANKS to our troops

2009-11-25T08:40:00.001-07:00

Let the service members know that you are thinking of them and appreciate their willingness to sacrifice for you and your family.

Check out this Giveaway

2009-11-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs that I read, SCRIBBIT/A BLOG ABOUT MOTHERHOOD IN ALASKA (a favorite by the way!), is doing a great giveaway, compliments of HP. CHECK IT OUT!!!

GREAT NEWS!!!!!

2009-11-05T22:04:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted any really good news, but today is different:

Trevor went for his check up with his cardiologist today. His heart sounds good. He doesn't have to go back to see the cardiologist for a year. He has no limitations. He can play any sport his little heart desires and he is no longer considered "high risk" when it comes to things like flu shots and such.

As my sister said (TMan's Mom), "He's our HEALTHY, normal, ORNERY little boy :0) We couldn't ask for anything more!!!"

He is a good little kid and keeps us all entertained. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers over the past several months. They truly do help.

Are You Ready?

2009-11-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

November 1 …. Are you ready for what lies ahead?

I’ve been looking at my calendar and can’t believe everything that lies ahead. Nearly every weekend this month has something going on. Thanksgiving is less than 4 weeks away; time out with friends; Holiday Food and Gift Festival with the family; and lots of cleaning to do. Christmas is less than 8 weeks away… Got your shopping done yet?

So everyone, put on your running shoes and all of your festive holiday garb and let’s enjoy the fun times ahead of us.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-10-30T12:54:00.000-06:00

Have fun and be safe!!!!

Show Your Metal

2009-10-06T20:13:00.000-06:00

You Are Copper

You are provocative and challenging.
You help people realize who they really are.

You live a very balanced life.

You always take time for love and art.

You are both a powerful and generous person.
You always have time to give back.

People find you to be incredibly ethical and loyal.

What Metal Are You?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

I feel so much better...

2009-10-02T22:13:00.000-06:00

For a week now I've been harboring some anger toward a friend because of an incindent that took place a week ago. It hurt me (not physically) and shattered me for days. I was truly angry and hurt.

I had nearly decided that because I had not addressed it immediately that I was going to let it go, but I would not let it happen again. However, an opportunity presented itself a few days ago and I tried to address the issue. It was blown off and nothing was resolved. I made up my mind that I would not bring it up again, but as I said, I would not let it happen again.

Well, I was asked about it it this evening. I told my friend that I was not going to bring it up again, but they stopped me and apologized profusely. They told me that looking back now they realized how horrible they were. I thanked my friend for the apology and told them that their apology meant a great deal to me. It was all that I had been wanting for a week.

Because of this incident and the way things unfolded throughout the week I was truly afraid that our friendship was doomed. I was afraid of what I thought was a severe change in my friend. After our discussion this evening, I realize this is not the case and our friendship is fine.

I really need to learn how to stand up to people. However, given what I learned this evening, I needed to just let this lie for a few days. Standing up to the friend at the time would not have accomplished anything.

So... What would you change and when?

2009-09-30T20:33:00.001-06:00

If you were granted the wish of going back in time, how far back would you go? Once back to that time, what would you change?

Do you know when something happened that might have changed your life's journey? At what point in your life can you say "If I had gone 'left' there instead of 'right' my life would be better." And how do you know that it would be better? How do you know it wouldn't have taken you down an even uglier road than what you think you are already on.

I think we've all had that "What-if?" thought, but be honest with yourself ... do you realy want to find out? Try not to look back. I've heard this stated in many different ways, but remember "Yesterday is gone, Tomorrow is unknown and not guaranteed, Today is a gift and that's why we call it the present." If you want to make changes, do it today.

Heart-wrenching

2009-08-15T18:43:00.003-06:00

There is a blog that I follow that directed me to another blog with a heart-wrenching story about this 2 year old boy. I thought that the least I could do is post a link to Jaden's story and share it with those of you that read my blog. Click on Jaden's name above to read the story.

More Mountain Dew cookin'

2009-08-05T11:41:00.002-06:00

One of the replies to the Mountain Dew cupcakes was about Mountain Dew dumplings (thanks Cindy via Kristen's FB page).

Mt. Dew Apple Dumplings - Mmm Mmm Good!!

Ingredients:

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 oz) can refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (12 oz) can or bottle of Mountain Dew

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Cut each apple into 8 wedges. Separate the crescent dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Mountain Dew cupcakes anyone?

2009-08-05T09:43:00.003-06:00

One of my friends on Facebook mentioned that she had just tried Mountain Dew cupcakes and that they were totally worth the effort. After a request or two for the recipe she posted the link to Cassie's blog How to Eat a Cupcake and the recipe for Mountain Dew cupcakes. I haven't tried them yet, but I plan to. If you try them be sure to post a review.

Are you a mermaid or a whale?

2009-07-31T14:33:00.004-06:00

I can not take credit for this one. A co-worker forwarded it to me. I have no idea where it originated but to whoever it wrote GOOD JOB!

Recently, in large city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tanned woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said: THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE? A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places likePatagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia.

Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, goodness, look how smart I am........

Manassa Pioneer Days Parade Grand Marshal

2009-07-27T11:25:00.009-06:00

I wanted to wait and write this post when I had the picture(s) available, but I also want to put this in for Lori's Perfect Moment Monday. So I'll write the post and then add the picture when I get home later tonight.

My Grandfather, Cletus T Rogers, is 95 years old. He was born and raised in Manassa, Colorado. This year for the annual Manassa Pioneer Days Celebration, he and his friend Bill Allen served as the parade Grand Marshals. We were all excited for him. It was an honor for him. He and Bill are two of the few surviving members of the Class of 1932.

Thank you to those that made it possible and honored these two men, especially my Grandpa.

Bill Allen is in the back seat and Cletus, my Grandpa, is in the front seat.

List Your Self - Week 4

2009-07-08T20:31:00.003-06:00

LIST YOUR SELF - Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery. By Ilene Segalove & Paul Bob Velick

Here's the next List Your Self entry. Enjoy!

YOURSELF

LIST THE COMPLIMENTS YOU RECEIVE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

DAILY LIFE

LIST THE COMPONENTS OF YOUR PERFECT DAY.

BUSINESS

LIST THOSE PROJECTS YOU PUT OFF TIME AFTER TIME.

CHANGE

LIST THE THINGS YOU MUST DO BEFORE YOU DIE.

CULTURE

LIST THE PATRIOTIC GUESTURES YOU’VE MADE.

MEN AND WOMEN

LIST WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO AFTER SEX

GREATER TRUTHS

LIST ALL THE PLACES YOU’VE BEEN THAT MADE YOU FEEL IMMORTAL, MOVED TO TEARS, OR OMNIPOTENT

HEALTH

LIST THE THE THINGS YOU DO THAT YOU CONSIDER BAD, WRONG, OR UNACCEPTABLE

GROWING UP

LIST THE TOYS, CLOTHES, AND OTHER ITEMS YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE SAVED FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD.

SUDDENLY...

SUDDENLY YOU POSSESS THE POWER TO BRING BACK INDIVIDUALS FROM THE PAST. LIST WHO YOU FEEL WE NEED ON EARTH RIGHT NOW.

Have fun with these and please feel free to share your lists in the comments if you would like to.

Old Friends

2009-07-07T19:24:00.006-06:00

My Mom has a friend that she has known since they were both 3 years old! I think that is so cool.

Sadly her friend, Jacquie, had a stroke last year and is struggling right now to regain her speech. Other than that she seems to be recovering very well. Mom has been spending more time with her recently helping her get back and forth to her therapy sessions. I personally think it has been very good for their friendship.

Jacquie came to Mom & Dad’s on July 4th and had dinner with us. It was good to see her. Here is a picture of the friends that have known each other for about 64 years!!! (Jacquie is on the left and Mom is on the right)

PERFECT MOMENT MONDAY: A Good Weekend!

2009-06-28T21:11:00.005-06:00

I've been "Aunt Rhonda" or "Auntie Roo" to a lot of kids... my friends kids. But you know what, being Auntie Roo or Roo to my own nephew is the best! I wouldn't give up the days with the other kids for anything, but I'm loving this role.

Trevor came and stayed with me again Friday night. When I got to Grandma & Grandpa's to pick him up, Grandma (Mimi) asked if we were going to stay for dinner. I said we probably would. I didn't know that Trevor had other plans. When Momma got home he was ready to go. When I asked him what we were going to do for dinner he said "HAMBURGER HELPER"! So we stopped @ Super WalMart on the way to my apartment and got the fixin's for Sloppy Joe Hamburger Helper. I even offered to buy a pizza, but he was set on the HH. I think one reason is because the first time he and Momma came to my place and ate dinner I made HH. I'm such a gourmet cook sometimes!

We watched Thomas for a while, played with trains, watched Yogi & Boo Boo and then went to bed.

Momma came over Saturday and we all three went to the pool to go swimming. They were having the annual pool party. I wasn't sure it would be a good idea. I thought it would be pretty crowded and too hot. Well, we found a place in the shade to set up our chairs and the crowd really wasn't bad. They had a few drawings for prizes. We all three got tickets. We were getting ready to leave and they announced that they would be doing the last drawing in about 20 minutes and it was a pretty good prize... $50 off rent... but you had to be present to win. So we decided to hang around. Well they called one of our numbers! I got a $50 credit on my rent for July!!!! It was worth the wait.

Afterwards, Momma went to visit her friend Marion, but T didn't want to go. "I'll stay with Roo." So Momma left, T played computer games while I got ready to go to dinner. T and I went to see my friend Gary for a few minutes and then we went and met Momma and Marion for dinner. Later on it was back to my apartment to gather their stuff and head home.

Today I worked on replacing the belt on my vacuum cleaner. It's not that hard, just a pain in the behind!!! I got that done and did some vacuuming. Then I got an invitation for a motorcycle ride if I would buy lunch! SURE THING!!! It was a nice ride and a good lunch. I even tried Rocky Mountain Oysters! They aren't bad once you get past the idea of what they are.

As we finished lunch, my phone rang... Mom's ring (You're Momma Don't Dance and Your Daddy Don't Rock & Roll!). When I answered I was SHOCKED to hear the little guy's voice on the phone. See, he just doesn't like to talk on the phone. He didn't even want to talk to Momma when she called Friday night!!! He asked me if I wanted to go on a picnic. I told him that I had just eaten lunch, but asked where they were going. He told me that they were going to the park that we went to last weekend. Well, since it was HIM that called ME, how could I not go? So I told him that I would meet them at the park a little bit later. I went and we all had a good time.

When it was time to go home he thought he should come over to my place again, but we had to tell him that since Momma and I both had to work tomorrow that it just wouldn't work out this time. We are already planning our July 4th picnic celebration though.

I love the little guy and am so glad that he is finally starting to be my little buddy. I do however miss all the kids that used to call me Aunt Rhonda, or Auntie Roo. Most are grown up now and starting to have their own families. Others I just don't get to see often enough. I love you all!!!

Hope you had a good weekend too! Enjoy the week. For me it will be a short one. No work on Friday!!!!

June 25, 1909

2009-06-25T22:48:00.008-06:00

(circa 1943) June 25, 1909, Marvin Otis Rankin was born. He is my paternal Grandfather. He would have been 100 years old today. He passed away August 20, 1995.

To say he was an AVID fisherman and outdoorsman in general, is an understatement. He is the one that taught me how to cast a fishing line. We have notebooks that he kept when he was fishing. He would record weather conditions, wind direction, water temperature, what kind of bait was used, etc.

He was a hunter, and trapper as well. He would trap beavers, muskrats, fox, etc. and sell the pelts. This was not a "sport" for him. He sold these pelts to help with the family's expenses.

He was a rural route postal carrier for 40 years. When Chris and I visited for more than a couple of days we got to go out with him for part of his route. That was pretty cool!

He was also the local weatherman for many years. He had an official NOAA weather station set up in the yard. Each day he had to record the day's high and low temperatures as well as precipitation. I believe he also had a machine to record maximum wind speed for the day. Once a week he reported this information to the local weekly newspaper, The Wet Mountain Tribune. For many, many years his picture appeared in the paper next to his report. We granddaughters were greatly disappointed when they quit printing his picture. As television became more regional and less local, he started reporting his weather information to one of the television stations in Colorado Springs/Pueblo. Hearing the weatherman say his name on television kind of made up for no picture in the paper. When Grandpa died, they even acknowledged his passing on the newscast.

He was a camping enthusiast as well. I think we did more camping with him and Grandma than we did with our folks. There were even times when Grandpa would set up a tent in the backyard for us to camp in out there.

I miss you Grandpa and still love you dearly. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(Clockwise back left - Chris, Mom, Dad, Me, Grandma, Grandpa - August 1994, 2 months before Grandma passed away)

One Lovely Blog Award

2009-06-07T00:59:00.006-06:00

Friday morning I was nominated for the ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD. Thank you Stacey @ All Stace, All the time.

Rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I don't know that I have 15 blogs that I can nominate, but I'll do my best.

In no particular order:

Annie @ More Than Just A Mom

Michelle @ Scribbit/A Blog About Motherhood in Alaska

Heather @ 7kidsandadog

Jami @ Me and Mine

Jesse @ Storms make oaks take deeper roots

Lori @ Weebles Wobblog

Live and Learn the Hard Way (I'm sorry... I don't know her name!!!)

I'll have to do some research and find some others to nominate. In the meantime, thanks for the enjoyment and entertainment ladies.

List Your Self - Week 3

2009-06-03T18:07:00.005-06:00

LIST YOUR SELF - Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery. By Ilene Segalove & Paul Bob Velick

Ok... it's been a few weeks, but I'm back. We had a birthday/anniversary dinner a few weeks ago, prepping for a garage sale last week, and one week I just forgt! Here's the next List Your Self entry. Enjoy!

YOURSELF

LIST YOUR "SUNDAY" RITUALS

DAILY LIFE

LIST WHAT KINDS OF PEOPLE SHOULD NEVER DRIVE CARS

BUSINESS

LIST ALL THE CONTRACTS YOU'VE SIGNED

CHANGE

LIST THE WAYS YOU HAVE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER

CULTURE

LIST HOW YOU FEEL CONNECTED TO OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD

MEN AND WOMEN

LIST THOSE FEATURES THAT GRAB YOUR ATTENTION WHEN A MAN OR WOMAN WALKS BY

GREATER TRUTHS

LIST THE TIMES YOU SAID YES WHEN YOU WISH YOU HAD SAID NO

HEALTH

LIST THE WAYS YOU LIVE ECOLOGICALLY IN YOUR HOME

GROWING UP

LIST THE SIGHTS, SMELLS, AND SOUNDS YOU REMEMBER FROM YOUR GRANDPARENTS' HOUSE

SUDDENLY...

SUDDENLY YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE. LIST THE STUFF YOU'D GRAB TO SAVE

Have fun with these and please feel free to share your lists in the comments if you would like to.

List Your Self - Week 2

2009-05-06T22:23:00.006-06:00

LIST YOUR SELF - Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery. By Ilene Segalove & Paul Bob Velick

YOURSELF

LIST THE ACTIVITIES YOU’D DO IF YOU WEREN’T SO AFRAID

DAILY LIFE

LIST WHAT’S UNDER YOUR KITCHEN SINK

BUSINESS

LIST THE TIME YOU FELL INTO A BAD DEAL

CHANGE

LIST THE PEOPLE YOU’LL ALWAYS INCLUDE IN YOUR WILL

CULTURE

LIST HOW YOU TRY TO BE ECOLOGICALLY SOUND

MEN AND WOMEN

LIST THE STRANGEST PEOPLE YOU MET

GREATER TRUTHS

LIST THE WORDS THAT TOUCH YOUR SOUL

HEALTH

LIST ALL THE STUFF IN YOUR MEDICINE CABINET

GROWING UP

LIST ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE LOST ITEMS

SUDDENLY...

SUDDENLY YOU'VE BEEN GRANTED LUNCH WITH GOD LIST YOUR GRIEVANCES (This one should cause some serious thought!)

Have fun with these and please feel free to share your lists in the comments if you would like to.

Final Post-Final Follow-up Visit

2009-05-04T20:38:00.001-06:00

Well, we got a good report at Trevor's final follow-up visit. We saw Dr Schaffer, and had an EKG and Echo done. Trevor was very scared of the stickers they have to put on him to do the EKG and Echo, because they really hurt coming off. His skin is so sensitive, and in the hospital they ripped so much tape and stuff off of him, that he hates band-aids and stickers on his skin!!! He was also very scared that when we went in to have the Echo done, that there was going to be "blood". We promised him no "blood" and told him to try and relax and enjoy his Thomas movie. Once that got going he was fine, but he was very leary of the whole appointment. That's to be expected because when he actually went in for his surgery, he felt great, but when he came out he was sore and all cut up and felt like "poo".

Anyway, everything looks great!!! Even the Sonographer was telling us his pictures looked good, and he doesn't usually say a word except to chat with Trevor. Trevor is currently taking Lasix and Digoxin (has been on Digoxin since he was 3 months old). Dr Schaffer told us to continue the Lasix for 2 more weeks, and then stop it, and to continue the Digoxin for 5 more months, and then we can stop that too. That means that he won't have to take any more medicine, which has actually been an everyday thing for us since he was 3 months old. Hallelujah!!! Not that it was terrible, but it will just be nice to not have to remember to take it on a daily basis.

I asked the question, how will they know that the Contegra needs to be replaced, and he said like usual, they will be watching the right ventricle because if the Contegra is wearing out, it will start to leak into the right ventricle again. That shouldn't be for at least 10 years, but I was just curious how they would know. And he assured me again, that replacing it will not take another open heart surgery. They will be able to replace it in the cath lab!!! Hooray!!!

I must say that everyone's prayers has helped this go so smoothly and we really appreciate all of them!!!

Love to all!!!

The Matsons

Don't Forget to Click

2009-05-04T11:16:00.002-06:00

Don't forget to visit the Breast Cancer Site and click to help with donations of mammograms.

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T10:04:00.003-06:00

In honor of the memory of my friend Marla, I intend to repost this blog post each year on May 1.

Have a great day everyone!!

HAPPY MAY DAY!

List Your Self - Week 1

2009-04-29T21:33:00.004-06:00

Back in the fall I wrote about a book I found, LIST YOUR SELF - Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery.

I've decided to share some of this with you. I'll try to do it on a regular basis (hopefully each Wednesday). I'll list the category and then the list title.

YOURSELF

LIST ALL OF THE QUALITIES YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING HUMAN

DAILY LIFE

LIST ALL THE THINGS YOU HIDE WHEN YOUR FRIENDS COME TO VISIT

BUSINESS

LIST ALL THE TIPS PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN YOU TO HELP YOU DO BUSINESS BETTER

CHANGE

LIST ALL THOSE EVENTS YOU WENT INTO WITH DOUBT THAT TURNED OUT SURPRISINGLY WELL

CULTURE

LIST HOW YOU'VE CONTRIBUTED TO THE WELFARE OF THE PLANET

MEN AND WOMEN

LIST ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE HURT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO UNHURT

GREATER TRUTHS

LIST THE REAL REASONS YOU ARE INSPIRED TO STAY ALIVE

HEALTH

LIST ALL THE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED

GROWING UP

LIST THE NAMES OF ALL YOUR PETS, FROM CHILDHOOD UNTIL TODAY

SUDDENLY...

SUDDENLY YOU'VE ARRIVED ON JUPITE. LIST THE THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT.

Have fun with these and please feel free to share your lists in the comments if you would like to.

Final Visit to the Hospital today

2009-04-21T13:26:00.000-06:00

Posted 4 minutes ago
Well, Trevor had his follow-up visit to his surgery today. It went great. Everything looks good, and he got those "nasty" stitches out. He was a real trooper. He kind of freaked out when he realized they were going to be messing with them, but the actual removal of them was not bad at all. He's well on his way to recovery, and it's been hard slowing him down.

Next appointment is May 4th with his cardiologist, Dr Schaffer, and hopefully he will tell us, see you next year.

Thanks again for all of your prayers. They have surely helped!!!

Love,Chris

HAVE YOU HEARD?????

2009-04-20T19:06:00.004-06:00

OMG! Have you heard about Susan Boyle from Britains Got Talent? You really need to check it out. FANTASTIC!!!!!!! (click on her name above)

Best of luck Susan. GO GET 'EM for all of us that are not beauty queens and have had similar dreams that have been killed.

YOU ROCK!!!!

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame
He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came
And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/lesmiserables/idreamedadream.htm

We're Home

2009-04-16T08:06:00.003-06:00

Posted 10 hours ago

Well, we did it, or I should say Trevor did it. We got out of the hospital in record time. The better he started feeling, the less he wanted to be there. And when he found out we didn't have to constantly stay in the room, that was all she wrote. The longer we were gone from the room the better. The day Kaitlyn came, the nurse got a little worried thinking we had broken out of the joint.

Last night he did really good. He ate some Mac and Cheese, or as he corrects me and says, it's "Macaroni and Cheese". He kept that down, and wanted french toast and eggs this morning. His nurse from the the night before figured out that we should try and get medicine in pill form, and crush them up and give it to him in a spoonful of pudding. Thank goodness. That was a great idea and worked like magic. He still gets a little queezy from his meds, but at least they don't get his gagger right away, and they have time to digest. In case you are interested, he is on Furosemide (which is a diuretic), and will continue his Digoxin (which helps the heart beat stronger). He also got a prescription for ibuprophin for pain, but can guarantee he will only be taking Tylenol. Anything else, once again, gets his gagger. He should only be on the Furosemide for a couple of weeks, and he's been on the Digoxin since his first surgery, so I'm not sure if he will have to take that forever or if they can take him off of it now. That will be a question at his follow-up appointment.

Anyway, his oxygen was dipping down into 80's last night with oxygen "blowing by" his face, so I was thinking he would probably come home today, but that he would probably have to come home on oxygen, which I wasn't looking forward to. Been there done that and it's not fun. Like a miracle this morning, his oxygen on room air was 93% or better for the most part. I was thrilled!!! So we got to come home without oxygen. WoooHooo!!! Honestly, you don't know how thrilling that is. Just from the experience we had from his last surgery, he ended up on oxygen for 3 months. Every appointment we went to, and they put the pulse ox on his finger to measure his oxygen, we would all breath deep, as if that would help Trevor's oxygen level. Anyway, it was a huge relief to see his oxygen level today.

We have a follow-up appointment on Tuesday, April 21st, and he will get his stitches from his tubes out. He's probably not going to be real happy that day. But at least there are no stitches to come out on his incision.

Well, I think I'm rambling. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight. I'm sure Trevor feels the same. I would just like to thank everyone for their love, prayers, and support during this journey. I know all the prayers helped in his speedy recovery.

Love to all!!!

Chris

From Auntie Roo:

I would like to add my thanks to all of you out there in the blogosphere. We/I truly appreciate the support from everyone.

God bless you all.

Homecoming....

2009-04-15T14:12:00.003-06:00

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!!!

Nothing too extravagant.... just had to mark the occasion.

TREVOR...

2009-04-15T11:34:00.002-06:00

TREVOR IS ON HIS WAY HOME!

Wednesday is looking good...

2009-04-14T22:23:00.001-06:00

Posted 2 minutes ago
Trevor wasn't quite as happy this evening as he was yesterday evening. He had kind of bad night Monday night, in that most of his medicines kept making him sick to his stomach and some of the liquid medicines would trigger his gag reflex... not good.

He was up and active throughout the day though. Papa tells me he was RUNNING down the hall! I knew we wouldn't be able to keep him down long.

He's still having a little trouble keeping his oxygen levels up. It has been hovering around 90% and they want it to stay closer to 98%+.

We are still very hopeful that in Wednesday's update we'll be able to tell everyone that he is at home, but we'll have to wait and see.

Keep your fingers crossed that he goes home on Wednesday. That would make his day... maybe even his week!!!

Love,

Auntie Roo :-)

Monday's update

2009-04-14T09:21:00.004-06:00

as posted by Momma...

Day 4
Posted 12 hours ago
Well, Trevor just keeps doing better and better. He kind of had a rough morning, not being able to keep anything down, but they've switched all of his meds that he might have been getting intraveniously to oral, so with little or nothing in your stomach, it's hard to keep them down. Anyway, it's gotten a little better, but I'm sure the skinny little guy has lost a pound or 3 that he couldn't really afford to. We'll have to work on that when he gets his appetite back. Although, with all the running he did with a "bad" heart, he's probably going to be running even more now, so putting on weight is going to be hard for him. I wish I had that problem;0)

So, he was kind of having a rough day since Daddy went home. He is tired of being here, just wanted to go home too. After seeming a little depressed, Kaitlyn showed up, and really perked him right up. That's just what he needed was a little Kaitlyn therapy. They had fun riding in the wagon, and watching the "marble game", and "exploring" the place. Kaitlyn isn't old enough to come up to the CPCU, so we hung out down in the lobby and they had a ball. It must be OK here if a 6 year old says "this place is really cool", as she is leaving.

Well, after such a big day, Trevor is now fast asleep, only to be woke up in just a few minutes to get some nausea medicine so he can then keep down his Lasix. That got his gagger this morning, and got it again tonight.

Love to all!!!

Chris

P.S. From Auntie Roo... SO GLAD to see his smile coming back. We hadn't seen that since Friday morning.

Getting better every day

2009-04-12T21:54:00.005-06:00

Posted 11 minutes ago

Trevor continues to progress nicely.

All of the drainage tubes were removed earlier this morning and the final tube in his groin was removed early this afternoon. Poor little guy has had enough of all this though. He kept telling the nurse to QUIT and GO AWAY!!! Anyway, the only tubes he has left are the oxygen tube and one IV tube in his foot. Oxygen we'll probably be turned off tomorrow, but the IV tube will probaly stay until he is released. This is in place for blood draws (if necessary) and medication administration that can't be given orally. We're all thinking that today he is just plain ticked off at us all. He wouldn't smile and didn't want to talk to anyone.

He is up on the "Step Up" floor now. The next step is going home.

He's been up and walking just a bit. He had a wild cherry Slurpee this afternoon. Tonight he had his first real food, chicken fingers and french fries.

I asked him this afternoon how he was doing. His reply "Not good." So I asked him if he was better than yesterday. He replied "Yeah." So I guess he's feeling a little bit better.

And just so you all know... the Easter Bunny didn't forget him. He found him in the hospital and he left something at Mimi & Papa's house as well.

Daddy will be going home tomorrow. That won't be easy, but he has to get back to work. At least he can go knowing that Trevor is doing well.

I will be posting some more pictures so check the gallery.

Love to you all!

Auntie Roo :-)

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

2009-04-12T00:07:00.003-06:00

I hope you all have a wonderful day. What a wonderful day to remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for each of us, giving us the blessing of the atonement and for his resurrection.

Saturday evening update

2009-04-11T22:04:00.005-06:00

Posted 13 minutes ago

Trevor continues to progress. Here are the highlights of Saturday:

1. The catheter was removed. NO MORE DIAPER!!!

2. Moved out of the baby bed to a big-boy bed. He no longer looks like he's 10 feet long lying there in that little bed. There is even room in his bed now for Momma to lay down with him.

3. Still in ICU, but in his own room. It's quieter and more space. Hopefully everyone can rest a little better tonight.

4. Chowing down on grape popsicles. He loved the first one he had this afternoon and his nurse has told him he can have all the popsicles he wants!!! You know he'll take advantage of that.

5. He took his first steps since before the surgery. He walked from the bed to the potty. Granted, it's only about 4 feet (if that), but he walked over, stood there and did his thing. Momma carried him back, but it was a positive step.

6. The drainage tubes are looking better with less drainage. They tested him and found that his vitamin K was low which helps thicken the blood. They gave him some vitamin K and they also backed off of the heparin (blood thinner). That all seemed to help alleviate the oozing. The nurse said that the tubes could possibly come out tomorrow.

I was there this afternoon for several hours. He was still pretty sleepy, but doing well. I just talked to Chris to find out how he did while we all went and got dinner (FatBurger if anyone is interested!). She said he was wide awake when they came back. He's watching Thomas movies now. So he should be pretty happy.

She did say he has a low grade temperature of about 101. They gave him Tylenol, but they are not real concerned, just watchful.

Thank you all for the continued love and support.
Auntie Roo(Rhonda)

Latest news...

2009-04-11T12:46:00.001-06:00

Day After Surgery
Posted 23 minutes ago

Trevor did pretty well over night. He started drinking water last night. Had a hard time keeping it down for a little while, but we're past that now. He's still only drinking a little bit though. Two of his drain tubes were oozing, and that was concern but that seems to be clearing itself up now too, but we'll still have to watch it. Dr Schaffer stopped by and said, "He's fine. If he has a good heart rate and warm feet that's a good sign there isn't a problem".

So that's all for now. Hopefully we will be walking later today. He will moved to a private room in the CICU which will be nice.

That's all for now. Thanks for all the warm wishes and prayers.

Love to all!!!

IT'S DONE!!!

2009-04-10T21:37:00.008-06:00

TMann's surgery is DONE!!! He came through it like a real trouper. It went smoothly.

Here are some updates from his web page:

Surgery today
Posted 11 hours ago
Well, now it is just a waiting game. We checked in at 6:00a. Trevor got his "pajamas" on...vitals were taken...and toys were played with. Then we found out that they had a Thomas movie, it was all over then.
They gave him Versed to calm him down before they took down to the OR. It made him very loopy so by the time that it was time for them to take him down nothing bothered him at all. It was the cutest thing. The nurse came to pick him up, and he thought that was great!!! He had a big grin on his face, as she picked him up and it was almost like he was thinking, SHE IS CUTE!!! He then put his arm around her neck and laid his head on her shoulder, and off they went. We watched him go down the hall, and it didn't bother him at all. After he went through the doors, the tears on our end started.
We've gotten a couple updates from Esther, Dr LaCour-Gayet's right hand person. Anyway, it's 10:10a and they have gotten through the breast bone and are now getting through the scar tissue to get to his heart. She will come and give us another update when he is on the heart/lung machine. They are AWESOME here.
That's all for now. Thanks to everyone for their well wishes and prayers.

Update 2:35p
Posted 7 hours ago
The procedure is done. Esther said he did great. They had him off the heart and lung machine once, and decided they wanted to take a better look at the blood flow in his right artery, so they put him back on the heart/lung machine, undid the conduit graft and got a better look at it. The surgeon concluded that there was no problem, so he re-did the graft and got him back off the heart/lung machine.
As of about 1:30p they had to finish closing him up. Now he is in the CICU doing great, but the unit is locked down for a sterile procedure so we won't be able to see him for another 20 minutes or so.
Did I say this place is AWESOME!!!
Love to all!!!

CICU
Posted 1 hour ago
Well, we’re just hanging out here in the CICU with Trevor. He is still doing great. They took the breathing tube out about 5:00p, and by 6:00p he was drinking water. He is such a trooper. They say he will be up walking tomorrow. So now we’ll see how he does over night. Harold and I have a sleep room here at the hospital, but we’ll probably be staying right here in the CICU with Trevor and just get cleaned up in the morning in the room that we have reserved.
A funny story though…Trevor really is Thomas (the tank engine’s) biggest fan. Right after he got his breathing tube out, the nurse was asking him if it was “Thomas the Train” or “Thomas the Engine”, and in his feeble little scratchy voice he was able to say, “it’s Thomas the Tank Engine”. We (including the nurse) were cracking up.
Well, that’s all for now. Auntie Roo should be posting some pictures soon.

So that's the latest on our little man. I'll post more as he progresses.

Friday is the day...

2009-04-08T09:11:00.006-06:00

The time has come for TMann's second heart surgery. He will go to Children's Hospital on Friday, April 10. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. that day. We're anticipating a 4-5 day stay.

Here is a previous post explaining his condition.

http://itsjustme-roo.blogspot.com/2008/05/update-on-status-of-trevors-heart.html

Here is some additional information from his Mommy too:

"As far as I know, the first part was already during his first surgery and this surgery on the 10th is to install the "tube" or conduit, as Dr Schaffer referred to it, called the Rastelli repair.'To do a complete repair, the surgeon closes the ventricular septal defect with a patch and opens the right ventricular outflow tract by removing some thickened muscle below the pulmonary valve, repairing or removing the pulmonary valve and enlarging the peripheral pulmonary arteries that go to both lungs. Sometimes a tube is placed between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. This is sometimes called a Rastelli repair.'
The above information is courtesy of http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11071"

Please keep him in your prayers throughout these next few weeks as he undergoes the surgery and goes through his recovery.

I love you Boo-Boo.

***********************************************************************************************************

April 4, 1909

2009-04-04T00:08:00.002-06:00

(circa 1943) April 4, 1909, Anna Emily Elizabeth (Lange) Rankin was born. She is my paternal Grandmother. She would have been 100 years old today, April 4, 2009. However, she passed away on October 24, 1994.

I was fortunate enough to spend a great deal of time with her throughout my life. In fact, my Sis and I even lived with her and Grandpa for about six months, back in 1969. We baked, we shopped, we fished, we camped, and we played lots of games. One of the funniest things we did was when we would go tromping through the dump searching for treasures. We found some good things there sometimes.

Happy Birthday Grandma. I love you!!!

(Taken 2 months before she passed, August 1994)

Going Wireless

2009-03-22T17:57:00.003-06:00

I took the laptop over to Best Buy yesterday morning to have the Geak Squad check out the wireless capabilities. I've never attempted a wireless connection. Turns out that with the laptop being about 5 years old, the internal network card wasn't working so I had to buy a card. My original purpose for doing this is so that we have the laptop available next month while TMann is in the hospital. I know that my Sis will be spending a good deal of time there for a few days. So I decided to make sure that she (and I) could use the laptop with their Wi-Fi network while she's there if she wants to do so.

When I got home and got the card installed, I opened up a whole new world! I've temporarily hooked into a neighbor's wireless network (thank you whoever you may be!) and am really enjoying it. I can hang out in the livingroom and play around on the Internet. I don't have to park myself in the office and work at the desktop computer. However, because I don't know where the wireless connection is coming from, the signal is not real strong and therefore not real reliable. Also, because the signal is pretty weak, I don't have all of the same capabilities. I can't do download or instant messaging and Internet pages are slow to load.

The bottom line here is I've nearly convinced myself that I better see about setting up my own network setup. It might force me to get more use out of the laptop. It's just been sitting around gathering dust for the last couple of years except for any occassional use once in a while. Besides, the couch is much more comfortable than the diningroom chair in the office.

Thomas & Friends - Live! On Stage

2009-03-19T08:12:00.004-06:00

TMann's favorite character (yes... even before Lightning McQueen) is THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE. ANYTHING Thomas he just loves. So imagine his delight when his Mama decided that we all needed to go see THOMAS & FRIENDS - LIVE! ON STAGE. Last Saturday the 5 of us (Mama, Trevor, Mimi, Papa & Auntie Roo) made the 90 minute drive to see this show. I have to admit, it was pretty cute and TMann absolutely loved it. It was well worth the drive and the company was great!

A Pet-Peeve

2009-03-11T15:41:00.002-06:00

Why do the businesses that install these toilet paper dispensers insist on mounting them below knee level when you're seated? It's fine when there is a new roll in the dispenser, but when the roll starts to run out, it's nearly impossible to get a hold of the end of the roll from that angle!!! I'm just saying...

Are They Really to Blame?

2009-03-11T08:13:00.004-06:00

Recently there is a lot of talk in Colorado about making talking on your cell phone and driving illegal unless you're using a hands-free device. From my own personal observations I have to wonder, ARE CELL PHONES REALLY TO BLAME? Ok... in some cases yes, but read on.

I drive about 17 miles one way twice a day to get to work and home again. I drive quite a bit around town for extra curricular activities as well. All in all I drive about 250+/- miles a week. It has been my observation that people have forgotten how to drive; they've forgotten the rules of the road (myself included sometimes!!!).

Here are a few examples:

1. When I leave my home and go to the main thoroughfare, I am entering a 3-lane roadway from a 4-way intersection. The other day, I was making my usual right tun on to the roadway. The traffic from the opposite direction had the green light and arrow. To go the same direction I was going there is a double left turn. I went ahead and made my right turn into the nearest lane on the right. One of the drivers making a left proceeded to make his turn and turn in to MY LANE and then proceeded to shout at me and throw hands and fingers at me indicating I was in the wrong. Hello Fellow Driver... YOU WERE WRONG. You should have been in the MIDDLE lane not the right lane. As far as I know there was no reason that I should not have been making my right turn while the oncoming traffic was making their left turns... 3 lanes, 3 cars. Anyone disagree?

2. What are those sticks/knobs on the left side of the steering column? HELLO! They are TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS!!! USE THEM!!! I see so many people on the highways and byways continually changing lanes and never using their turn signals or not using them long enough. Here is what the COLORADO DMV DRIVER HANDBOOK says about how long you should signal:

In urban or metropolitan areas, you must signal
continuously for 100 feet before making a turn or a
lane change.
At speeds above 40 m.p.h. you must signal
continuously for 200 feet before making a turn or
lane change.

What people don't realize is if they would use their turn signals they may have an easier time of making those lane changes. I for one do watch for those signals and (if I the person hasn't already ticked me off!) if possible I will try to back off and let them pull over in front of me.

3. When someone in front of you is trying to make a lane change or turn, don't ride up on their tail end. Not only does it make people mad, but you're risking an accident if the person in front has to stop suddenly. Just this morning someone did this to me. I was making a lane change and because traffic was slow, I had to slow down to get over. The person in the other lane was kind enough to let me over, but the person behind me was right on my bumper. As I finished the lane change, the person behind me went zipping around and did his own lane change two cars ahead of me. Funny thing is we both continued down the highway and he ended up behind me by the time I exited anyway. So... how far did your little race get ya Bud?

4. The really big one is... what do you do when an emergency is approaching? So many people just don't even pay attention. Here is what the COLORADO DMV DRIVER HANDBOOK says:

You must yield the right-of-way to all emergency vehicles using a siren, air horn, and/or flashing red, blue or white lights. Where possible, you must pull over to the right edge of the road. If you are in an intersection, drive through the intersection before you pull over. On a roadway with two or more lanes traveling in the same direction, if you are approaching an emergency vehicle that has stopped along the side of the road, when possible you must leave at least one lane between your vehicle and the emergency vehicle by changing lanes, unless directed otherwise by a police officer or emergency personnel or conditions prohibit the lane change. If the road only has one lane on your side, or you cannot change lanes, slow down to a safe speed and use due care and caution as you pass.

So, back to cell phones and driving... I'm sorry but there are some people that should not do anything but drive when they are in the driver's seat... don't talk to passengers, don't mess with the radio, don't discipline your child, don't even scratch your nose! They just are not capable of multi-tasking even in the simplest of forms. YES, I do agree that the cell phones can be distracting (and I admit that I do drive and talk on the cell phone), but use good judgement people. For instance, if the drive is treacherous... bad weather, horrible traffic, whatever, HANG UP AND DRIVE!!! People need to take responsibility for themselves and their abilities, or lack their of. Again, use good judgement.

It will be interesting to see what happens with this law. One point that I do agree with is that teen drivers will not be allowed to drive and talk on the cell phones at all, hands-free or not. They do not have enough experience to be able to handle that. Tackle one thing at a time. One point that I'm have a hard time with is the fact that on-duty law enforcement and safety personnel will be exempt from this law. How do we know that they are not on personal calls as they are driving down the road in their patrol vehicles and/or other emergency vehicles? I realize they use the cell phones as part of their job, but it just sticks in my "craw."

And one last thing... how is a hands-free device any safer than just talking on the phone itself? You're still talking and not focusing all of your attention on driving, you're just not holding it in your hand...

So get out there and BE SAFE!!!

Florida Update

2009-03-08T20:43:00.003-06:00

Ok.. so in my original rant about the rental home in Florida, I indicated that I was considering contacting the BBB of Central Florida. I did send them an email on February 11. Until this week I hadn't heard anything so I figured they were blowing me off. Well I did get a response this week. It doesn't say a whole lot, but at least it will be on file and if anyone else should have problems in the future they'll have more than one complaint.

re: Elite Florida Vacation Homes, Inc., case #9E20-8F3%
Dear Rhonda Rankin:
We have received your correspondence concerning your experience with the company. It is unfortunate you have had this experience. We regret the necessity of your letter, but appreciate that you have taken the time to bring this matter to our attention.
Your letter will remain in our files as a matter of record. If you care to advise the BBB of the final outcome of this matter, we will be glad to include it in our file. The information you have provided will be maintained in the Better Business Bureau's file for a three (3) year period.
We appreciate your using the services of the Better Business Bureau. Remember, our complaint and inquiry services are available 24/7 by calling our automated phone system or by visiting our web site at www.centralflorida.bbb.org. To use our automated phone system, please have the telephone number of the company available when calling, including the area code or toll free prefix.
Sincerly
Phyllis Coleman
Consumer Affairs, ext. 332
pcoleman@centralflorida.bbb.org

I also contacted the Florida Department of Health. They responded that this did not fall under their umbrella, however, I should contact the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. I filed a complaint via their web site and received this response:

The Division of Consumer Services, Bureau of Mediation and Enforcement, has received your complaint concerning the above referenced business. Thank you for filing your complaint with this office. Often it is only through correspondence from concerned and responsible citizens that we become aware of consumer issues.
I have mailed a copy of your complaint to the business and have asked the business to respond to the allegations. I will review the response and contact you with a status update. Please be aware that this process may take between 30 and 60 days.
If you have any additional documentation to support your allegations that you did not include with your initial mailing, I would appreciate you forwarding that information to my attention as soon as possible. Please include the reference number displayed above on future correspondence and address any questions or concerns to my attention. Examples include, but may not be limited to proof of payment to the business, receipts, estimates (front and back), advertisements, copy of a contract (front and back), or any correspondence with the business you think might assist in understanding your complaint.
Sincerely,
Richard Otway
Regulatory Consultant
850-410-3699
Fax: 850-410-3801
E-mail: otwayr@doacs.state.fl.us

I'll update as or if I hear more.

Paul Harvey, GOOD DAY!

2009-02-28T22:01:00.004-07:00

I just read a post on a friend's Facebook page and then checked MSN.COM. Paul Harvey has died. To quote one of the replies on that same Facebook page, "It's like America's grandfather is gone." It's so very true.

I grew up listening to Paul Harvey on the radio from time to time, because my Grandparents always loved to listen to him. When I got older I tuned in on my own. He had a voice that was very easy to listen to.

I was lucky enough, in 2002, to see him speak, in person. He was pretty much the same, but since he was not on the air, his language was not quite as reserved. He was not vulgar or obscene, but he truly made his opinion known.

You and your charm will be greatly missed Mr. Harvey. GOOD DAY!

My (Our) Sweet Valentine

2009-02-15T23:44:00.007-07:00

TMan has a lot happening over the next couple of months. See, he was born with a heart defect, a hole in his heart, more specifically called TRETALOGY OF FALLOT. The link will take you to WebMD to get more information about the defect. It's complicated, but as you've seen from pictures (and some of you have seen him in person), you'd never know he's got this problem.

He had open heart surgery before he was even 2 MONTHS old. A patch was placed over the hole in his heart to impede the leakage of blood. Little boys grow (thankfully), but the patches do not. So, he's nearly 4 years old now and it's time to make another repair. To prepare for this, he is going to have a cardiac MRI done on Monday, March 2 at Children's Hospital. While it's not a risky procedure, he will be sedated during the procedure and that is supposed to take 2-3 hours. They will be looking at his arteries and aortas to see if they are large enough now to insert tubes. If I understand the whole thing correctly, this would mean that this will be the last invasive surgery he'll have to have for this defect. If they are able to insert the tube all future procedures will be able to be done through a scope, like angioplasties and things of that nature. If his arteries are not big enough they will have to put on a new patch. That will mean that later on down the road (maybe when he's about 10 years old) he'll have to have another surgery. We are truly hopeful that they will be able to go the tube route so that no more open heart surgeries will be required after this one.

The actual surgery (for which ever procedure is going to be done) is scheduled for April 10. I would like to ask each of you to include him in your prayers. I know I'm a little prejudice, but he is such a special and unique little boy. He deserves to grow up and have a wonderful, happy and healthy life.

I Need Your Opinion ...

2009-02-09T14:10:00.019-07:00

Our trip to Florida was fun, but I have to tell you first of all about the management company with whom we dealt. What a nightmare! I'll warn you, DON'T EVER RENT FROM EVERGREEN FLORIDA VACATION HOMES or ELITE FLORIDA VACATION HOMES. Their employees are rude, nasty and couldn't care less about customer service. (02/11/09) I just found out they also are associated with VACATION RENTALS BY OWNER & MAGIC VACATION VILLAS. There may be others, so watch out for the names shown below in labels area.

I would like for you to read what I present here and then give me your opinion of how you think the company (EFVH) and we handled this.

Let me tell you up front, this is a long post, but I want to give you the details so you can judge for yourself as to whether we were overly demanding.

So... here we go:

The week of December 6-13, 2008 there were 11 of us that made this trip to Florida:

Barry & Julye (Mom's brother & sister-in-law)
Mom & Dad
Chris, Harold, Ashleigh & Trevor (Sister, brother-in-law, niece & nephew)
Gayle & Harold (Mom's sister & brother-in-law)
and me.

Barry & Julye flew in on Friday from SLC and the rest of us all flew in together on Saturday from Denver. We could not get into the rental house until 4 p.m. on Saturday. While the rest of us were picking up our luggage and rental cars Barry & Julye went out to the house and tried to enter. Here is where our first admitted mistake happened. Barry had not read all of the entry instructions. In the past, the houses we've rented had a 4-digit code that was entered on key pad on the door and that released the lock. No, this place used those realtors lockboxes. He did not understand that once the code was entered the front of the box opened and there was a key inside the box. Have you ever tried to work those? Once you know how to work them it's not too bad, but try entering the numbers in the dark... yes... the front porch light was burnt out.

After fighting with it for a while, Barry tried to call the management company and did not get an answer. He called me and asked me to call. I got an answer. The man did not introduce himself and if he greeted me with the name of the company it was mumbled because I didn't hear it. I had to ask if I had reached the correct company. Nothing was said about being on the phone with another client or that he would return any calls. We exchanged several calls between ourselves as well as several between one of us and the management company. The man on the phone (I personally never understood what the name was when I was talking to him) was insistent that the lock worked as he had just been there earlier in the day. His immediate reaction when Sis talked to him was that if he had to make a trip out to the house to let us in, we would be charged $60. Well, with no thanks to, or compassion from, the management person we did finally get the door figured out and were into the house.

Our next battle was the pool. We were to be in Florida for 7 nights. So we paid an extra $15 a day for pool heat for 7 days. Our expectation was that when we went to get into the pool that first night that we would have a heated pool. WRONG! So, again, Sis called the management office about this issue and was informed that the heat was indeed on. He had turned it on himself about 11 a.m. that morning; however, it takes 24 hours to heat. If that was the case and we were scheduled to arrive after 4 p.m. on Saturday, why was it not turned on the day before? In essence they charged us for pool heat knowing that it would not be warm that first night.

During the conversation, this man became very abusive and threatening. He informed Sis that we were the most troublesome tenants that they had and had received at least 11 calls from us that day. He informed her that he was ready to tell us to pack our bags and get out of the property. If we had had any other options we would have, but unfortunately we were stuck and he knew that. Sis was in tears when she hung up. Thank you very much EFVH for getting our vacation off to a GREAT start.

We let things go until Monday night when we got back from the park as we still did not have adequate heat in the pool. We (as a team) composed an email to the woman with whom Sis had been working when she reserved the house. Barry had brought his laptop, so we were able to get Internet connections and email.

Here is that email:

I'm e-mailing you because we are having a problem with our pool heat, and I'm afraid to call your "property manager". When I spoke to him on Saturday, I was treated very poorly. He was was very rude and condescending. I actually felt humiliated after I talked to him. I was basically threatened with eviction for calling too many times. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication among our party about how to get into the house. If the "property manager" had either answered the phone the first time or returned a phone call when we first started trying to reach him, he might not have received so many calls. Well, we finally got in, and I'm sorry we had such a problem on a Saturday. I did apologize for being a "problem resident", but that meant nothing because he was rude from the get go.

Unfortunately, I had to call him again about the pool heat, because I thought that since we paid for pool heat that the pool would be heated on the first night, as did everyone else in our party. When I was trying to get that straightened out, he finally told us to pack our stuff and leave, he was tired of getting so many calls from us. I felt humiliated, couldn't believe he would tell us to do that, let alone, talk to me (the customer) like that. I have to tell you, I was in tears after hanging up with him. Honestly, we are probably the most conscientious residents you will ever have, but we do expect to get what we pay for. Well, he told me it wasn't his fault that the weather outside has been so cold, and he explained that he turned the heat on Saturday afternoon, and that it will not be heated right away, but that it should be heated the following night. Well, here it is Monday night, and we are still unable to swim in the pool due to the temperature. That's 3 nights of PAID pool heat that we have not been able to utilize.

After reading the "Guest Book" to see if there was something we are supposed to be doing, that we might not be (due to the fact that I'm scared to call the property manager) we noticed that there is supposed to be a "pool blanket" somewhere. There isn't and never has been a pool blanket anywhere to be found. That could be the problem, but honestly, Karyn, we've been coming here and renting houses for the last 10 years, and we've never had a "pool blanket" and also have never had problem with the pool heat, and if that is the problem, I am SCARED to call this guy. When I spoke to him on Saturday, he was very adamant about not NEEDING to come out here because he was just here a couple hours before, and inspected the house, and was POSITIVE everything was in working order. That is fine, but if he would have been a little more tactful about trying to help us, you probably wouldn't even be hearing from us right now.

We would really love to swim after we get home from the parks, but we cannot, and we are not sure what to do? We've paid for pool heat, shouldn't we be able to use the pool?

I would appreciate your assistance in resolving our issues so that we may enjoy the remainder of our vacation because it really got off to a BAD start. We are enjoying the house in general, but the pool issue is extremely disappointing.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Sincerely,

It turns out that this woman was one of the owners of this management company so we thought there would be a little bit of compassion displayed by her. Again WRONG!

Here is her reply:

Dear Ms. , I am attaching a copy of the rental terms and conditions that you received at the time of booking. Please note that in these terms it states that if the outdoor temperatures drop below 55 degrees, the pool heater will not heat the pool. There are no refunds or rebates on pool heat. Sincerely, Karyn

As Sis pointed out, we never once, in all of this mess requested a refund. If they chose to read it that way, that was their mistake.

While we were out at the park on Tuesday, the management guy called Sis on her cell phone to inform her that he had just been to house and that the pool was sufficiently warm. He also informed her that he had the repaired the torn screen which we had obviously torn since it was not in that condition when he was there on Saturday. WRONG DUDE! That was one of the items on our list of things that were wrong with the house that we started as soon as Sis talked to him the last time on Saturday. We had not even been out around the pool except to look at it.

When we arrived home that night this was the email that was waiting for us:

Mrs .,

It is amazing how one sided your argument really is. In this world you reap what you sow and if you had spoken to us with the respect and manner that you crave, you would have received a more amicable response. Instead, you opted to go on the offensive and insinuate that we are liars, so what do you expect? You might get away with that here but the customer is not always right when they are wrong. The fact that you are the customer does not give you free license to be patronising and of an "I want" attitude.

When you called about not being able to operate the lockbox, we were actually with another client. Yes, another client. That means somebody else in this world other than you. We did speak with you and get you into the home, even if the lockbox at the home could have been operated by a two year old yet you all collectively struggled. Not our fault. In fact, two of you called at the same time and whilst I was speaking to one, the other's call went to voicemail.

As Karyn correctly points out, the temperature is very cold and we have no control over that as the equipment will not operate. This is something that we tell you about in our literature. It is December in Florida with various coldfronts hitting the state on a regular basis. A member of your party seemed to think it was like boiling water in a kettle, which just goes to show just how much you really know about pools and poolheat. We inspect our homes and the equipment before and after every guest, personally.

Your email just lacks any kind of common sense or perspective and is completely one sided.

That email was signed by someone named Daniel.

Then there was this one from Philip

Ms ,

Following our conversation earlier today, I wanted to respond to you myself. Daniel did a good job of explaining to you in his reply exactly how we felt on Saturday night with your constant calls. I do not want to go over old ground but your entire approach to this is so self centered and I want to make sure you understand our perspective on these matters.

On Saturday we received 11 calls from you, which was more than we got from every other home we manage combined. My understanding is that you were not even there. Some of your party were and they were trying to ring us at the same time as you. How you could possibly know what was going on is beyond me but the fact that you immediately went on the offensive given only one side of the story is what complicated matters. Of those eleven calls, we answered five, three more we could not answer because we were talking to you while your other members were trying to call. The other three went to voicemail because we were actually with another client who was not too happy about the constant interruptions from somebody that he personally claimed would be a problem guest to us.

You claim that we did not answer the phone which is simply not true. But even when we did, you were aggressive and accusatory and if there is one way to wind us up, you found it. This "customer is always right" bullshit does not work with us because we are in a business where more than a few clients come to town with an agenda and try and enforce that agenda from the moment they arrive by causing trouble and laying the ground down for compensation. We have been doing the job long enough to spot these people a mile away and we are skeptical when anybody contacts us adopting your tone.

For the record, although the lockbox worked perfectly fine, we do have an emergency lockbox for occasions when guests are unable to use it correctly. We did give you the lockbox number for entry purposes and you got in the home within minutes of actually calling us. With all respect, you try getting most management companies to answer the phone on a Saturday night and see how many of them respond as quickly as we did.

Your other issue, which occurred within minutes of you getting in the house, was the pool heat. A guest pays for pool heat by the night. You paid for seven nights, the first night of that was Saturday. I personally turned on the heater at around 11am. The outside temperature was still only 54 degrees and the low overnight had been in the mid-30's. This heater is not a kettle. To heat 12,000 gallons of water, a machine has to work hard. For it to work in conditions that it was not designed for is impossible. To try and combat this, and knowing the temperatures would not pick up until now, I left the heater running for 24 hours a day instead of the usual 16. At best, the water temperature was only going to get to 10 degrees above of the outside air temperature.

I got no thanks for this but then I didn't expect any from you. I came around to the home on Sunday and checked the heater again and everything was working normally and the water temperature was higher though not 85 degrees. This had nothing to do with us. I cannot control the climate and it is made clear to every guest who orders pool heat what the risks are. I was at the home again when I called you today and the pool registered a temperature of 82 degrees at around 11:30am.

The fact that you said it did not feel like 82 degrees has nothing to do with me. You have already called me a liar, are you now saying that my thermostat is lying as well?

Contrary to my own feelings regarding you, I am leaving the equipment running 24 hours a day and hopefully your pool will stay warm now that temperatures have improved. At my initial expense, I have also asked for a pool blanket to be fitted this afternoon. This is at the discretion of the owner and as of today, I have not received his approval to purchase a blanket. I have also asked my maintenance man to replace the pool screen that is torn on the corner of the pool deck. It was not like that when you moved in and is easily chargable but I am scared to ask you to pay for it as I would hate to ruin your vacation anymore.

You may be frightened of me Ms ... but you really need to look at the way you talk to people. If you can't handle the response then don't provoke the discussion.

Enjoy your vacation,

Philip referred to the fact he got no thanks from us for leaving the pool heater on for 24 hours instead of the normal 16 hours. That was never mentioned until this email. You can't thank someone for something you know nothing about. At this point we decided our complaints were falling on deaf ears and we decided to let it drop for the rest of the trip. However, when we got home (back to Colorado, Utah, Nebraska, etc) we composed another team email as one last protest of the way we were treated. This is our email:

Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:54:16 -0600

Wow. Not one, but two abusive, accusing e-mails, that even contain foul language, and from the "President" of the company no less.

Well, I had to let this go until I could come home and let it all sink in, as to what REALLY happened in Florida. I actually went to your website, and read all the HYPE about how you take pride in your homes, and expect that every client will be a "repeat client". Well, if we are any example of how you treat your "repeat clients", good luck with that. Word of mouth just happens to be the BEST form of advertisement, and just to let you know, you will be getting a lot of free "advertising" from our party. We have been coming to the Kissimmee area for the past ten years and renting houses, which I know is no comparison to the 5 long years you have been in business, however, we always get asked where we've stayed, how we liked it, etc. We have always recommended places we have stayed in the past, but I will do my best to advise anyone and everyone that I can (thanks to the World Wide Web) to steer clear of evergreen florida vacation homes, (formerly elite florida vacation homes) or any company that is associated with efvh, or phil, dan and wendy young. After the way we were treated, and the condition of the house itself, I can certainly see why "Dinville" was still available at such a late date. It also makes me wonder why your name changed from elite to evergreen. Almost makes me think you HAD to change it.

As for an "AGENDA and seeking COMPENSATION", our only "AGENDA and COMPENSATION" we were seeking was to have a fun and relaxing vacation that we have been planning for TWO years. I know you don't know what that is like, because the way you treat your clients, you obviously have all the business you need. We worked long and hard to save for this vacation, and were so excited to rent this nice house with a nice pool, etc. We were very excited to get to the house, and when we had trouble getting in, (which again, I apologized for, but it meant nothing), we got a little anxious. It was obvious, you didn't want to be BOTHERED on a SATURDAY.

After we experienced what we did with evergreen florida vacation homes, I was very upset that we actually gave people like you our business. I will let anyone and everyone read the e-mails that were sent in reply to our request for "help". I will also make it known that we were "threatened" not once, but twice. Once with being evicted, and twice with having our pool heat shut off because we were wanting a refund. Forgive us for wanting pool heat for our ENTIRE stay rather than just 4 of the 7 days that we paid for. As I said on the phone, not anywhere did I ever ask for a refund. All we wanted was Pool Heat. And isn't it funny that after I mentioned that the handbook stated we should have a pool blanket, that one showed up. Even after you argued with me that it didn't state that, and that I should re-read the handbook and see how it says "use the pool blanket 'where available'". It's obvious that you re-read your own handbook to find out that it actually said the "pool heat will not work efficiently if the pool blanket is not used." It's also funny how the pool heat seemed to be fine after the pool blanket was supplied. I've never dealt with such evil, suspicious people in my life. I also can't believe that people would use your company to manage their property, but that is something they will have to deal with.

You mentioned that the pool area screen was ripped or torn and it wasn't that way when you "inspected" the home. Well, that could very well be, however, it must have then happened in the very short window of time between your "inspection" and our arrival, because that is actually on our list of issues that we had with the house. I guess it's IMPOSSIBLE that it could have been overlooked when you inspected the house before we arrived, even though it wasn't even noticeable unless a breeze came up. I actually thought someone might have ripped it in order to get in and take the pool blanket we were supposed to have, but after speaking to you on the phone, I knew that we never had a pool blanket in the
first place.

Here is a list of issues we had with the house. After talking to you on the phone that first night we thought it necessary to bring these things up, just to let you know, that things WERE overlooked during your "inspection" and everything was not in "PERFECT" working order as you stated. Again, we wouldn't even be bringing this stuff up, nor would you be hearing from us, had we experienced some good, old fashioned customer service.

1. MOLD in all the showers. We actually went out and bought Clorox cleaner so we would feel comfortable stepping in the showers. GROSS!!!

2. The front porch light was burnt out, so we had to try and enter the combo to the lockbox every night in the dark.

3. The handle on the sliding glass door actually fell off. We had to do our best to screw it back on without a screw driver.

4. Pool screen ripped. Not really noticeable until a breeze came up. (That was actually fixed during our stay, and after being ACCUSED of ripping it.)

5. Bolts had fallen out of the pool table. That could have caused injury had one of the persons in our party not been able to put them back in, and again, without a screwdriver. It also slants.

6. The air hockey game had all the pucks shoved in the goal of one side. We had to dig those out in order for the kids to play.

7. Glob of previous guests shaving cream in the sink of the master queen bathroom. GROSS!!!

8. Outlets to the right of the kitchen sink didn't work. Not sure why they didn't work but could be a fire hazard.

9. Left arm on the loveseat in living area right off of the kitchen was broken, flattened somehow. Looks like someone might have sat on it and flattened it. Which can be seen in your virtual tour of your property. (02/10/09 - just checked the virtual tour and it has been changed. The broken loveseat arm can longer be seen)

10. Main bathroom upstairs, toilet door does not latch.

11. Cable connection, in the twin bedroom at the front of the house, and downstairs bedroom, not fastened to wall.

12. No back to remote.

13. Carpet had some bad spots on it.

14. The blind valance in the tub area of the main bathroom upstairs was not attached. It was lying in the window sill.

15. No towel rack in the tub area of the main bathroom of the upstairs bathroom, but there was one in the toilet area... seems a little backwards.

16. Moldy, dirty pool toys left by previous guests. GROSS!!!

We are NOT asking for a refund, which, I know is the only thing that matters to you, however, we simply found it ironic how your web-site and every piece of literature you supply for your clients specifically states how much "pride" you take in your homes. Your property owners might be interested in how their properties are "managed" and what "pride" means to you.

Some final thoughts as I reflect back on this entire situation. Having worked in customer service positions ourselves, it doesn't matter who was wrong or right, or if there was a problem or not. Whether you know it or not, and I'm guessing NOT, it is your job to put a CUSTOMER at ease about their purchase. $1500 is a large purchase, and a customer only wants to know they didn't waste their money. If the CUSTOMER is having difficulty, for WHATEVER REASON, it IS your job to put them at ease, whether it's a Saturday or not. That IS the nature of your business. Obviously there was not a problem with the lockbox, but a friendly voice saying "well, try this or that" would have been nice, instead of threatening that you are going to charge us $60 if you have to come out. The pool heat, well that's another story, but again, a friendly voice explaining what the problem was would have been nice too, however, don't accuse a customer of not reading the handbook clearly, when you are not sure of what it says yourself. (speaking of the pool blanket, of course). And for the record, I was not the first one to speak with you. It happened to be my sister. I actually thought I was the only one to take your verbal abuse, but she said "no, he was kind of rude when I talked to him also."

As I stated in my previous e-mail, we are probably the most conscientious clients you will ever come across, and I'm sure you found that when you inspected the house after we left. It was in the same, if not better condition than when we arrived. (I'll say better because of the simple fact there was no more mold in the showers).

No need to respond to this e-mail and dig yourself a deeper hole. We just wanted to let you know, as I mentioned above, that our only AGENDA was to have a nice vacation. PERIOD!!! I would like to thank you for putting a damper on that. I imagine that was YOUR AGENDA. This e-mail is only being sent to accomplish one thing, and that is to let you know how dissatisfied we were with your "service". Your e-mails responding to our request for "help" were appalling. After those were sent, and after what happened over the phone, anything that you felt you did to go above and beyond the call of duty was too little too late. We have never been treated so badly before in our lives, and don't plan on it ever happening again. Fortunately, you nor anyone in our party will ever have to deal with each other again.

Our satisfaction comes from knowing that WORD OF MOUTH is the BEST form of advertisement, and in this economy, vacations are not a priority and business is very competitive.

Regretfully
Yours,

And here is the pleasant response we received from them. OH and please note it is addressed to Dear SIR! All along they have known that they were dealing with a woman and suddenly it is MR and SIR.

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your mail. We do not have time to read it all right now but we do welcome all feedback.

Like all companies, we unfortunately have to cater for very bad clients occasionally, some stupid ones too, and some both, as I am led to believe you were, by everyone you dealt with while in our home, and even before you arrived by all accounts.

As a result of this, and your belated complaint below, my attorney has been sent a copy of your rather juvenile threats and action is being taken. You were the aggressor here, not the victim, and you really should be ashamed to suggest otherwise.

There are 2 sides to every story Sir, and although I have not finished reading your rather savage document, it is obvious what you are saying, and I am very thankful that the 50,000 guests that have stayed with us prior to you, will testify to our service and the fact that we do take care of our clients. We have had many good guests and they do come back time and time again. That is good enough for us, and a real testimony to the job we try to do.

We are proud of our record, our customer base, and our reputation. You should also remember too that we have a responsibility to the owners of these homes and if we see any guest in any of them, who we think represents a threat to that home, then we have a duty to the owner to be firm with that person and let them know in no uncertain way that they will be in trouble if they damage the property. We do not mess about, or compromise with such people, so you messed with the wrong guy here, if you thought you could
abuse your way into our affections. You may call yourself conscientious Sir, but the condition you left the home in speaks differently. I did not complain to you because I half expected to find that, plus I did not want anything more to do with you, and besides that, I do get problems in homes occasionally and just get on with putting them right, while banning those responsible from ever staying with us again.

You are, of course, banned. It goes without saying. We grade all our guests Sir, and you are a 1. I hope you are proud of that.

Still, as I said, you will be hearing from us shortly, but in the meantime I suggest you seek some kind of professional help, and I mean that is a kind way Sir. People who do not have the ability to see their own faults are usually those in need of help the most, and you are in such denial that you may be beyond help, but it is worth a try I think.

Please do not thank me for this advice, just take it. That will be reward enough.

And when you have done that, then hopefully you will have matured enough to know that when you call a company, any company, mouth off as you did, start rabbitting on about being the customer therefore I am always right, and displaying a level of ignorance that we have seldom seen before, then well, you really do deserve everything that comes back.

If you cannot handle that, then you really should not provoke the discussion. Or to put it another way, if you live in a glass house, dont start chucking stuff around!.

Now, go back to Munchkin land, or wherever you are from, click your heels together three times and say there is no place like an Evergreen home and before you know it
you will be back here again, apologizing for being such a really bad guest the first time, and begging us for forgiveness, which of course we will do. I will never let you stay in one of my homes again, but I will forgive you, because this is a time for forgiveness, is it not, and no matter how unintelligent, ignorant, or abusive that person might be, if we cannot find it in our hearts to forgive them at Christmas, what kind of world would it be.

As I said, we will be back in touch soon.

You have a great New Year and a prosperous 2009.

Regards,

This one again was signed by Phil.

None of us have responded to this one, although I’m still thinking about it. I’m also trying to decide if I should write the Better Business Bureau. I will admit, my family can be rather difficult to deal with sometimes and once you tick them off, it’s hard to get back in their good graces. However, I feel this approach by EFVH is completely uncalled for and lacks any resemblance of customer service.

I really would like opinions from the outside world. I realize you are pretty much only getting our side of what transpired to start this, but you can see from both sides how everyone chose to deal with it.

CROCS & Crocsbutter

2009-02-05T21:01:00.012-07:00

Ok... I know some people really don't like Crocs and people think they're ridiculous. I have to admit that I didn't care for them either until I received a pair for Christmas a couple of years ago...they had MICKEYS on them instead of the usual holes. I now have 3 pair (the red ones, pink/grey, and black/red) and a blue pair that are more like slippers that I got at Walt Disney World (I think they are WDW exclusives because I can't even find the same ones on the Crocs website!!!).

Recently they've begun to look pretty dull. I'd heard about this stuff called CROCSBUTTER that is supposed to shine them up so they look good again

If you look at the picture above you can see the shine on the one on the right. The left one has not been cleaned yet.

I'm pleased to have my Mickey Crocs shiny again. Mickeys are not easy to come by so I want to keep them looking good as long as I can.

So, if you and/or your family have Crocs that are looking rather shabby, get yourself some Crocsbutter. You can get it most places where you find genuine Crocs products.

(this is an unpaid endorsement, but if someone from Crocs should happen to read this, I'd be happy to make it a paid endorsement)

FACEBOOK Fever

2009-02-03T20:39:00.002-07:00

I have to say, I have caught the fever. I am having so much fun finding and "chatting" with friends that I've found.

If you haven't joined yet, check it out and have a great time!!!

Tractors, Hats, Ponies & Bulls

2009-01-17T20:34:00.008-07:00

It's Stock Show time in Denver. Sis and TMann are in town for a few days so we decided the stock show would be fun and different. TMann enjoyed climbing in and out of the trucks, cars and tractors, riding the pony and sitting on a Brahma Bull.

Here are a few highlights:

Getting a few pointers before tackling that Big Brahma Bull!!!

Yeah! I'm Cool!!!

Shaky start to 2009

2009-01-10T23:36:00.003-07:00

I'm not going to say that 2009 has started out badly, but I haven't found much to be happy about yet...

1. I did connect with someone from the past which felt very good. However, he shared with me that his Grandmother, Adrienne, who at one time I was quite close to, had passed away last month. I found her obituary stating she had passed away on December 12. While searching for her obituary, I found another one from the same family. This was Adrienne's brother-in-law. He passed away just on January 4. So sad... two family members in less than one month.

2. In October I had received an email response from another friend indicating that things were not good in her life as her husband was near death from cancer. I had not heard anything from her since that point so again I went digging. Again, I found the obituary. Her husband passed away on December 19.

3. I've had laryngitis since December 29. A couple of days I had NO VOICE. I have not been sick ... no cold, no aching, no sore throat... just a funny voice. I finally went to the Doctor in January 8. There has been no definitive diagnosis. He gave me a prescription for a steroid for 4 days. If it is not significantly better by Monday, he is going to recommend a visit to an ENT specialist.

4. One of my best friends was laid off from his job on Friday. This is the second layoff since I met him 4 years ago. He's doing ok, but now is not a good time to be looking for a job.

5. The rest of what I'm worried about I'm not going to write, because at this point in time, it's not mine to share.

I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude about the things that can still be changed or improved. There are things to look forward to, but right now it's kind of rough. Just say a few prayers for our country as we head into a new, unknown era.

Goodbye 2008

2008-12-31T10:24:00.008-07:00

One of the blogs that I follow is written by a woman named Annie. It is called MORE THAN JUST A MOM. I've really come to admire her writing and that fact that she doesn't seem to be afraid to tell it like it is.

Her post today really got me to thinking though. It is entitled Adieu 2008. It is a recap of what happened with her and her family throughout 2008. It made me sit back and start thinking about what has happened in my life this year. If you'll indulge me, I'll give you glimpse of my year in review:

January brought good things for a friend of mine as he finally got himself out of a bad living situation of more than 14 months. It was a sense of relief for me and his other friends as well as a sense of freedom for him. It also brought a very sad time for both of us. More so for him than me. His mother passed away mid-month. It was a blessing for her as she had been struggling with a crippled body for many years. She was a wonderful lady and I'm glad I got to share her life for the short time.

February brought more sadness when another friend lost her 3+ year battle with breast cancer. Again, those of us still here miss her deeply, but we know that she is no longer in pain and is not suffering.

Spring brought several get togethers with friends which included helping one friend celebrate a #0th birthday. My Grandpa celebrated his 94th birthday. We celebrated a new baby in Holly's family. One of my friends moved away (eastern Nebraska), but we keep in touch via email and even got to see each other the day after Christmas.

One of my friends bought a motorcycle and we spent a lot of time running around on that throughout the summer.

July brought the annual and bi-annual family gatherings. Got to see family members that had not been around for many years.

Holidays moved in for the fall and things got busy, traveling to Nebraska for Thanksgiving, home for a week, off to Florida for a week, home for a week and off to Nebraska again for Christmas.

So that's a brief recap of what my year included. I've been enjoying writing my blog because I love sharing pictures and fun/interesting stories. Through this media, I can write them and if someone doesn't want to read them, they don't have to. I thank all of you that have commented along the way and I hope you'll continue to read and comment.

Love to you all!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Roo :-)

The Birthday Cake

2008-12-31T08:44:00.005-07:00

As I told you in my last post, we started a new tradition this year... a birthday cake for Jesus. Here are the pictures from this year's celebration. We figured one candle was sufficient since this is our first year of doing this... besides, 2,008 wouldn't fit on the cake!!!

TMan got the seat of honor since he is the one that suggested the cake in the first place.

Postive Post

2008-12-22T13:40:00.006-07:00

I realized this morning, while looking at my page, that with Christmas just days away I couldn't leave my last post as the first thing people see when they come to this page.

So I thought I would share a cutie about TMann... Sis was trying to explain to her little man that Christmas is really Jesus's birthday and why we celebrate Christmas. Being a 3-year old his concern was that there be a birthday cake. So, we will be starting a new tradition this year... A birthday cake for baby Jesus on Christmas day.

Beware of Colorado Highway Laws

2008-12-18T13:33:00.002-07:00

For those of you that may not be aware (or at least didn't remember) there is a law in Colorado that went into effect a couple of years ago which prohibits driving (cruising) in the left hand lane of the multi-lane highways. You should only use the left lanes for passing other vehicles and then get back over to the right as soon as possible.

I had forgotten about this until yesterday, when I got stopped by a CSP officer and given a courtesy warning. She told me that they are starting to enforce this more now to help avoid some of the aggressive driver accidents. Thankfully that was just a courtesy stop.

Unfortunately the rest of the story is not so happy. If you ever get a ticket for not being able to provide proof of insurance, don't depend on the court system to inform the DMV that you have provided such proof and resolved the issue. THEY DON'T DO IT!!! During this courtesy stop yesterday, I was informed that my Colorado driver's license was revoked more than a year ago for failure to provide proof of financial responsibility.

See, I had been involved in an auto accident in October 2007 and when asked for my information, I discovered that I did not have my current auto insurance card with me. I received a ticket for this and of course the DMV was informed of this citation. I was summoned to appear in court and provide the necessary documentation at that time. Prior to the court date I received a letter from the DMV indicating that I needed to provide this information. I went to court as instructed with the proper documentation. The insurance issue was dismissed. I assumed (and YES, I know what happens when you assume something!) that the DMV would be notified through the same channels by which they were notified of the original citation. I thought the issue was done and satisfied all the way around. WRONG!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, when the CSP officer took my license to run it through the system, she came back to my car and informed me that my license had been revoked as of 12/09/07!!! MORE THAN A YEAR AGO!!!! And I had never been notified by ANYONE. So she took my license but let me drive away.

Well, long story short, I panicked most of the rest of the day yesterday. This morning my thoughts were a little more clear. I made a few phone calls and found out what I needed to do get my license back. Turns out it was more simple than I thought it would be and I had my license back in about 90 minutes.

Just be careful and don't assume that the system is going to take care of things. Look out for yourself!!!

Lightning & Mater

2008-12-15T21:11:00.003-07:00

TMann's favorite movie, from day 1, has always been Disney/Pixar's CARS (although THOMAS is a favorite as well). So, imagine how excited he was when he actually got to "meet" Lightning McQueen and Mater! Mater was a little loud so TMann had to cover his ears, but he really was thrilled.

Luigi's station from Radiator Springs has been setup at Disney's Hollywood Studios @ Walt Disney World. This is where Lightning and Mater hangout while they are in town. I think this was a highlight of the trip for TMann.

Vacation is over...

2008-12-14T21:01:00.003-07:00

Well, vacation to Disney World is now in the history books. We returned yesterday and now the weather here in Colorado is -18!!!!

I haven't had time yet to review all of the pictures and get them edited for posting. Hopefully before the weekend.

Love to all.

Roo :-)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2008-11-26T13:50:00.008-07:00

Taking off this afternoon to go to Nebraska and spend the holiday with Sis and her family.

I just wanted to take the time to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Remember to count your blessings and be sure to remember those that are fighting for our freedom as well as their families that make a sacrifice every day.

Love to all!

Roo :-)

Beautiful Photographs

2008-11-24T15:46:00.002-07:00

I have a friend who has recently decided to try to make some money from his hobby. He takes beautiful photographs.

Check out his website:
A New Dawn Photography
Reflections by Steven James Reed

The Weekend

2008-11-17T13:55:00.004-07:00

Sis & The Kid were here for the weekend. We had a good one. Lots of running around, lots of fun and funny things kids say. The best one was today as we were sitting, eating lunch. I asked The Kid, "Did you know that we're coming to your house in 9 days?" "Nine days?" he replied. "Yes, can you count to 9?" I asked. His reply? "To 9!" and that was that. I guess it was one of those where you had to be there, but it was funny!

Saturday we spent part of the day @ the Holiday Food & Gift Festival @ the Convention Center. The first thing we did was go see Santa Claus. This was great because last year he wanted nothing to do with the man. "NO WAY!" was all we got when we asked if he wanted to go see Santa. Here are the pictures from this year:

It finally came...

2008-11-14T14:10:00.004-07:00

Our first measurable snow of the season has finally arrived. We were just one week short of the record for the latest "first snow." The record was November 21, set back in 1934.

It wasn't bad, but it made for a slow and sloppy drive to work this morning. People forget how to drive in those conditions from year to year. They get stupid over the summer. Plus then there are the ones that don't take care of their vehicles... tires spinning on the slush from bald tires, not scraping snow off the windows, brake lights, etc.

Anyway, it's finally happened and now maybe people can find their snow brains again.

Happy Fall/Winter everyone.

THANK YOU VETERANS

2008-11-11T08:12:00.002-07:00

Today is Veterans Day. Sadly too many people do not acknowledge this holiday. Denver's Veterans Day parade was held this past Saturday and there was a very dismal turn out. I have to be honest, I did not attend either.

However, its not too late to acknowledge these brave men and women that have served our country and fought (in whatever capacity) for each us to maintain our freedom, both as a nation and as individuals.

If you're out and about today, you're probably going to see veterans all over showing some kind of sign that they have served or are serving. Please be sure to say THANK YOU! And you know what, don't forget to thank police officers and firefighters. They, too, make sacrifices for the rest of us every day.

THANK YOU VETERANS FOR HELPING TO GIVE ME THE FREEDOM I DO SO CHERISH.

Oh... Memories...

2008-11-07T08:43:00.004-07:00

So... what was your favorite TV show when you were a kid? A couple of my co-workers and I got in to a discussion this AM about our favorite shows as kids and it was fun. However, for the life of me I can't really remember how we got to the subject. We were talking about plans for the weekend and craft shows and the next thing we knew we were talking about old shows like Gilligan's Island, That Girl, I Dream of Jeannie, Romper Room, Family Affair, etc. Then we started thinking about the theme songs.

I had to find a site that would give me a couple of theme songs because we couldn't remember exactly how they went. This site is great. Check it out. It's called TELEVISIONTUNES.COM They not only have the OLD favorites, but the new ones as well.

Here's the theme to a show we rememberd fondly...
http://www.televisiontunes.com/That_Girl_-_1968_-_Begining.html

Well, it's done...

2008-11-05T09:09:00.003-07:00

I can't say that I'm happy with the outcome of the election, but at least it's over. The thing that is bothering me today is that The President-Elect's picture is EVERYWHERE!!! Every time I click on a page on the Internet, there he is. Even when I went MSN Live Search, he's there as the background.

Right now I'm not feeling very congenial toward this man who is supposed to lead our country and I really DON'T want to see his face every time I turn around. And you know, I think I'd be just as sick of anyone else's picture popping up EVERYWHERE.

Election Day 2008

2008-11-04T07:56:00.002-07:00

It's finally here. I will be so glad when this day is over. I know there should be excitement and the anticipation of a new President, but this has been THE most obnoxious campaign season. I'm so ready for it to be over.

Just remember everyone, be civilized and respectful regardless of whether the elections go the way you want them to or not. We are all human beings and we each have our own opinions. Whether we all agree or not, we all deserve to be respected.

Have a good day and if you haven't done so already

DON'T FORGET TO

VOTE!!!!

Voting issues

2008-10-29T22:01:00.004-06:00

BIG SCREW-UP!

How many of you heard about the "missing" ballot mess in Denver County? Here's the news story from the local NBC affiliate KUSA. Brief recap... Sequoia Voting Systems in California supposedly had printed AND MAILED 21,000 ballots on or about Oct 16. Come to find out the mail facility only received about 10,000 and the other 11,000 were never printed! It was finally discovered on Friday, Oct 24. This was after those poor souls @ the election office had to listen to phone call after phone call from citizens that had not yet received their ballots. I was one of them. I was asked to wait until Monday, Oct 28 and if I didn't have my ballot by then I should call back and request another be sent.

Well, when I heard about this "mistake" I decided to wait until today, Oct 29, to see if my ballot arrived. And arrive it did. So here I am, 3+ weeks after I requested the ballot; 2+ weeks after the date it was supposedly mailed; and 6 days from election day just now beginning to fill in my ballot. When I submitted my ballot request @ the beginning of the month, which was immediately acknowledged, I expected to have had it mailed back AT LEAST a week ago if not earlier than that. Thank goodness I have thoroughly reviewed the sample ballot and had a lively debate with my friend over the amendments and referendums. I should be able to just zip through the ballot and have it in the mail tomorrow or Friday.

It's been frustrating and I wasn't looking forward to going to a poling place to have to do my voting, but I would have done it. I would have felt guilty not voting.

Regardless of which candidate/party you're favoring, if you haven't already done so,

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU GET OUT AND

VOTE!!!

It is our right and privilege as US Citizens and it should not be neglected or ignored.

Halloween is coming

2008-10-27T08:40:00.005-06:00

Halloween isn't until Friday but the local merchants had early trick or treating for the kids this past Saturday.

He kepting telling (Mom) that "trick or treat is cool!!!"

Here's Thomas the Train getting ready to go trick or treating "downtown."

According to Mom, the kitty was told "Sorry Frankie. I can't play right now. I have to go trick or treating."

All smiles and ready to go for the loot.

Got a sucker. Let's move on.

Mr. Cool ready for more.

Enjoyin' this sucker.

Have fun everyone and be safe!

List Your Self - Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery

2008-10-23T21:21:00.003-06:00

Several years ago I purchased a book that I thought sounded extremely interesting. It is called LIST YOUR SELF - LISTMAKING AS THE WAY TO SELF-DISCOVERY. It is written by Ilene Segalove and Paul Bob Velick and published by Andrews and McMeel. I want to give credit to all responsible for this book, so I am not taking any credit for any of this. I only want to share. If you're interested in owning the book, it can be purchased on AMAZON.COM for only $10.17. I'm sure you could probably find it at local chain-bookstores.

This is not the type of book you sit down and read. This is a book which you create as you go throught it. It is truly intriguing. I filled in some pages and then put it away when I moved around and forgot about it. I came across it the other day and thought it would be fun to share it here.

The first chapter of the book is HOW TO USE THIS BOOK. One topic is THREE WAYS TO BEGIN:

FLIP THROUGH THE CHAPTERS. WHEN A LIST IDEA POPS OUT, GO THERE. CHOOSE THREE TO SEVEN TOPICS THIS WAY AND START LISTING. OR ...
ATTACH AT RANDOM, SKIPPING HERE AND THERE. THEN MAKE YOUR OWN COMPOSITE. OR...
START FROM PAGE ONE AND MOVE SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ORDER.

Write the answers in the book slowly, honestly. Keep it personal, confidential, and always write whatever comes to mind first. Try not to get stuck in your head.

Based on some of the lists the authors have created, this is the kind of book you should carry with you.

WHEN TO USE THIS BOOK:

On your travels
Big birthdays
Upon Waking
During career moves
At the outset of marriage
When you are troubled
At parties
Standing in long lines
When you are overwhelmed
When you feel stuck
When you forget your purpose in life
Before bed

The chapters cover different aspects of our lives:

Yourself
Daily Life
Business
Change
Culture
Men and Women
Greater Truths
Health
Growing Up
Suddenly

What I would like to do is share some of these list ideas with you from time-to-time.

So, to start, here is the first one:

Under the topic of YOURSELF - LIST THE PLACES YOU GO IN YOUR MIND WHEN YOU WANT SOME PEACE AND QUIET.

These answers are for you, but if you want to share, feel free to leave your ideas in the comments.

I hope you enjoy this.

Help Donate Mammograms

2008-10-23T10:24:00.004-06:00

I'm sure many of you have seen the email going around about clicking on the Breast Cancer Site to help donate a mammogram. Below is the text of this message. If you want to, please feel free to copy this text and send it to your friends. You can also come back to this blog and click on the link that I have just added in the upper left corner of the home page.

Also, if you would like to add this same link to your blog page, I can help you with that or you can get the information after you click on the CLICK HERE TO GIVE - IT'S FREE button. In the upper left corner there is a link that says LINK TO US. Click on that and that will give you the coding you need to add it to your page.

A favor to ask, it only takes a minute....Please tell ten friends to tell ten today!

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota (45,000 clicks) of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window).

This doesn't cost you a thing and you don't have to give any information. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammograms in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

AGAIN , PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 FRIENDS!

Twintle Twintle Wittle Star...

2008-10-13T23:11:00.005-06:00

With a little bit of a cold and a segue to ABC...

I love this kid...

2008-09-29T22:13:00.009-06:00

So... TMan is learning the ABC song... Sis sent these videos yesterday. As she said... cutest little ABC song you've ever heard (x2). (Sorry they're a little dark)

I love you TMan... you're just too cute.