Calendar Crisis (for some)

Today's date comes around once every four years. People born on leap day must be frustrated at times. They are the forgotten group whose true birthday doesn't exist for three years in a row. And for each of these three years, they must choose an alternate day in which to celebrate their birth.

I wonder if leap day people grow weary of being asked "when do you celebrate your birthday - February 28th or March 1st? Or when they hear "hey, you have a birthday only once every four years so when the rest of us are 60 years old, you're only 15! Barely old enough to drive. Doesn't that make you feel young?!?! Hahaha." The leap day birthday person is probably ready to scream.

Besides leap day, I bet the following dates of birth could also be a frustration:

January 1st (comments about just missing that tax deduction and/or were you the first baby born that year?)
February 14th (oh, a sweetheart baby)
April 1st (fool)
September 11th (always that terrible association)
October 31st (probably the most joke-provoking date of all)
December 25th (think there will be many birthday presents for you?)
December 26th ( ditto above - everyone's broke)

I vow to repeat this post on this date in 2012. And then again in 2016. And then again in .... ok, I know .... you can do the math.

Happy Leap Day!

Remodeling High

We are in the process of having our kitchen remodeled and painting done in other rooms. The project started 2-18 and all should be completed Friday. Yesterday the guys repainted the paneling in our dining room and it was oil paint. Needless to say the fumes have left us a little light headed. Today they did the front door and finished up the shutters in the dining room--more fumes to inhale. We've got the windows open so hopefully that will help some. Last night I kept waking up to the smell.

The kitchen work included scraping off the popcorn ceiling, steaming off the wall paper, taking out the sink, and taking off the tile counter tops/back splash. It's fun to think of ways to improvise such as washing dishes in the bathroom sink and placing a card table on top of the counter after the guys leave so I can fix coffee in the morning.

I've got before pictures and when all is completed, I'll post those and the after pictures.

Mel thinks this is all a bit more primitive than camping in our camper. Maybe we should have put it up and lived out there for this 12 day project!

Smokin...

If I ever water ski again, I want to try this.

Relief

I can't help myself. The show entertains me like no other. It makes me happy. Even after 7 years, I still look forward to watching each week.

But especially this year. It is a such a nice diversion from Obama, Clinton, McCain, Huckabee and all other persons discussing the election which seems to be every time I turn on the TV.

I thank these 4 - for taking me away.

Charlotte NC

The visitor's guide reads: Enter through the foot of the cross...


Today we drove 80 miles south to visit the newly opened Billy Graham Library. The barn shaped building represents the Graham dairy farm where Billy was raised not far from this sight. A farm boy who would later become the spiritual advisor to many US Presidents.

He is 89 years old now and not in good health. His permanent home is in Montreat, in the North Carolina mountains. His wife, Ruth, passed away last year. He has said that Ruth is the most religious person he has even known.

This poster was one of many in the library. I thought it was an interesting lineup for the Charlotte Coliseum in 1972.

In the early 1980's while living in Houston, Tim and I attended a Billy Graham Crusade at Rice Stadium. The house was full. It was quite an inspirational evening.

Several years ago when Melanie was a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, she invited me to a lecture on campus given by Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter. I remember thinking that Anne Lotz clearly inherited her father's speaking abilities and the delivery of an inspirational message.

His son, Franklin, is taking over his father's role now. I think these are going to be very big shoes to fill.

Amazing

I can't believe what I found amongst these candy hearts!

On the Road to Recovery

Well, the doctor that did the first partial hip replacement said I'd get 10 - 15 years out of it before it would need to be replaced. I got the short side of the estimate - 11 years. The hip started hurting me this past November, and I remembered exactely the symptons from 11 years ago (isn't that strange, heck sometimes I can't even remember if I closed the garage door when I'm only 2 blocks down the street). Anyway, I went to my family doctor, he took some x-rays and then sent me to an orthopedic surgeon. His assessment was to iether learn to manage and live with the pain or have it redone - well, I do have a high tolerance for pain; the only problem is that it doesn't last very long. So, surgery was a no brainer.

Went in on Friday, Feb. 1; surgery was scheduled for 7:30am and woke up in my hospital room around 12:30pm feeling no pain - they gave me a spinal which deadened everthing from the waist down. Stayed in the hospital for 3 more days and was released on Monday, Feb. 4.

Tom flew in on Sunday and was a tremendous help when I was released. He did the grocery shopping, fixing meals and being there for moral support. I'm not sure what I would have done without his assistance that first week at home. Tom left for home this fast Friday evening.

My HMO provides a few benefits I didn't know were available. I have a visiting nurse come in 3 days a week to check on my health (blook pressure, temp, etc) and to change the dressing on the incension.

They also provide a physical therapist that comes 3 times a week and provides and assist me with leg strengthing exerises. She really pushes the exericses, which is good.

Then I have some great neighbors - they've been coming over to feed the dog each morning and popping in to make sure everything is OK and is there anything I need.

Well, I was going to post a picture of my hip before the surgery - however, the boys were out there in full view (remember the Seignfeld episode with Kramer) so I decided not to. Maybe I can cut them out of the picture, oops - I mean cover them up,

Hope everyone has a Happy Valentines.

My Name Is

One of my job duties at work is to verify the social security numbers of our applicants. With the current immigration problems now at hand, we are closely verifying the identity of all our applicants, Hispanic or otherwise.

I've always had identity problems of my own with the Margaret - Peggy confusion. I still do. Someone even called me Marge one time. All of my legal documents bear a first name I have never been called. Why did Stan and Ro give me one name and call me by another?

The only advantage is if I am arrested and my name appears in the paper or on CNN. No one would know it was me! I just realized that I have an alias and it's perfectly legal.

I ran across this link on the Social Security website and thought it was interesing. The popularity of some names has certainly changed over the generations. Others have remained consistantly popular.

My name in Spanish is the drink below. I like that - especially on the rocks.


Note: spel chek is not werking right now whin making a post. Blogger knows about it & is wworking on it.

They're Everywhere

Here it is Ash Wednesday and again this year I'm giving up Starbucks for Lent. This year since Lent comes so early, there will be 46 days without--instead of 40. I made it through ok last year so we'll see if I can overcome the temptation in '08. All but one of the pictured stores below are within easy access of our house via foot or bike when the weather is good. If just these stores are in the near vicinity, I can't begin to think of how many are in all of Plano. And, of course, we're not counting the kiosks in the local grocery stores.


This Starbucks is attached to Barnes & Noble and is at the end of our bike path. My friend and former biking buddy, Karen, and I have sat under those umbrellas many a day taking a break from our ride. Mel & I have also walked here many times from the house.

Here's a new one that just opened. (I had read in the paper that new store expansions were being slowed down--I guess not here though.) This one is just off another portion of the bike path.

Notice the iron barriers on the lower side windows. A driver passed out and drove his car from the street through these windows a year or two ago. Thankfully it was at a time of day when there were very few people in the store and no one was hurt. When they replaced the windows, they added these. Although this store is only about a mile from the house, when I go there it's usually by car as it's at the intersection of two busy streets and the route there has limited sidewalks.

This store is an easy walk via the bike path and some sidewalks. It's at the corner of Parker and Alma. Mel's sweet stepmom's name was Alma Parker so I toast to her when I'm here.

The Starbucks I frequent the most didn't show up here as I guess the other pictures took too much space on this post. Oh well, come the end of March I'll post a large picture of it with me drinking my Venti Moca Light Frappuccino!

"Lead me not into temptation"

Amen

Super

I'm not a big sports fan and know little about football. But I do remember the first Super Bowl even though it wasn't called that at the time. Over 40 years ago! Oh well, at least I have my memory.

Here are some tidbits that stick in my mind about Super Bowls:

My friends and I thought Joe Namath was IT - Broadway Joe.

The Cowboys won a lot of Super Bowls. Tom Landry always wearing a coat, tie and hat.

I once saw and touched a real Super Bowl ring. The year the Colts won (1971) their punter, David Lee, worked during off season at the bank where I was working. When he came back to work, we were in awe of his ring.

I am crazy about Terry Bradshaw, our Shreveport connection. He and I are the same age. I love his personality and that he's never tried to cover his baldness.

There is a local connection in today's game. My co-worker's nephew is on the Giants team, #39 starting fullback Madison Hedgecock. He graduated from a local high school, then graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, was drafted by the Rams, dropped by the Rams, and recently picked up by the Giants.

We'll watch the game tonight and I still won't totally understand all the details. But I will enjoy the festivities.

Go Giants!

(I bet some fans can name all the previous winners. I can name one or two.)