2010 Came and went!!

Spring is finally here! And guess what that means?

House Renovation time!

We're tackling the next big project with small steps. First we are tearing out the last of this terrible carpet downstairs then scraping and repainting the ceiling.

The next improvement will be the patio door install in the basement to create a open guest suite in the basement. One wall will come out and some doors will be moved. Pictures before and after will be following soon.

Wish us luck and patience.....

Valentine's Day Photos

Valentine's Day, it's not just for humans...

Indie loved Aaron's gift bag and tissue paper!
We had to eventually put it away a week later.
Everything is a toy :-)

Gingerbread House Disaster

Mom and I ventured to create a totally edible Gingerbread house, it was tough as you can see. Go ahead and laugh, we sure did!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

35 and holding.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.....
I want to thank everyone for making this Birthday very special!
My husband, family, and friends showered me with gifts and attention. And as always the dinner at El Gaucho's was unforgettable. Love you guys!

Aaron's Surprise 40th Birthday pictures

The party was a hit!
Thanks for your help!! :-)

Getting Older Quotes: Mine first, yours last?

The older folks are eager to share the wisdom from life experiences. So why do the youngsters never listen? Because they need to learn it for themselves - - - Jeni Storck

We spend our lives on the run: we get up by the clock, eat and sleep by the clock, get up again, go to work - and then we retire. And what do they give us? A bloody clock.
- - - - Dave Allen

I refuse to admit I'm more than fifty-two, even if that does make my sons illegitimate.
- - - - Lady Nancy Astor

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
- - - - Lucille Ball

Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.
- - - - Coco Chanel

I grow old . . . I grow old . . .
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.
- - - - T. S. Eliot “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.
- - - - Bob Hope

At age fifty, every man has the face he deserves.
- - - - George Orwell

Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.
- - - - Satchel Paige

Old Age: First you forget names, then you forget faces, then you forget to pull your zipper up, then you forget to pull your zipper down.
- - - - Leo Rosenberg

When men reach their sixties and retire they go to pieces. Women just go right on cooking.
- - - - Gail Sheehy

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.
- - - - Kurt Vonnegut

The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything.
- - - - Oscar Wilde

Jobless in Seattle

Well here we go again folks; job hunting is such a treat in this challenging economy.
I have been taking this time to catch up on some home projects and enjoying the quiet. I am looking into some local community colleges to complete my degree as well. I guess everything happens for a reason as they say... Thanks for the continued encourgement everyone!
And good luck to all of you searching.

Goodbye Mr. Clarke, you inspired many.

Arthur C. Clarke with his satellite antenna

at home in Colombo, Sri Lanka in January 1977.


Science-fiction writer, inventor and futurist Arthur C. Clarke has died, leaving fans bereft at the loss of his brilliance and creativity.
Clarke died early Wednesday after suffering from breathing problems, the Associated Press reported. He was 90 years old. He suffered from post-polio syndrome and was confined to a wheelchair toward the end of his life.
Clarke wrote more than 100 sci-fi books, including "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Clarke hosted such investigative programs as "Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World", "World of Strange Powers" and "Mysterious Universe."
Among his many honors, Clarke was one of only 17 writers ever named a Science Fiction Grand Master.

In addition, he received the UNESCO Kalinga Award for advancing interest in science, as well as nominations for both an Academy Award nomination, for "2001" (shared with Stanley Kubrick), and a Nobel Peace Prize, for laying the conceptual groundwork for the creation of orbital communications satellites.

With such an impressive resume, it would be easy to forget that Clarke's greatest significance was as one of the 20th century's great popularizers of scientific thought, especially through the medium of science fiction.

Clarke so relentlessly promoted the exploration of space, while celebrating cultural and geographic differences here on Earth, that he was called "our solar system's first regionalist."
Thanks to his deep love for his adopted Sri Lanka and its people, Clarke became a true citizen of the global village he helped to create.

The international popularity of his work transcended political boundaries, allowing him to bridge the chasm between the U.S. space program, the Russians and his native United Kingdom throughout the Cold War era.


How many men of the 20th century could count both Alexei Leonov and Walter Cronkite as friends?

In 2007, Clarke celebrated his 90th birthday.

"Sometimes I am asked how I would like to be remembered," Clarke said at the celebration. "I have had a diverse career as a writer, underwater explorer and space promoter. Of all these I would like to be remembered as a writer."
He listed three wishes on his birthday: for the world to embrace cleaner energy resources, for a lasting peace in his adopted home, Sri Lanka, and for evidence of extraterrestrial beings.
"I have always believed that we are not alone in this universe," Clarke said.
Humans are waiting until extraterrestrial beings "call us or give us a sign," he said. "We have no way of guessing when this might happen. I hope sooner rather than later."

Country Girl turns County Girl

Thanks to the well wishes and prayers (and my excellent resume) I landed the Claims Asst. gig! I started 12/03 and like it so far. The people here are fun to work with and the training is going well.

Thanks again for all the support. Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and Happy New Year to come....

GOBBLE ... GOBBLE

I'd like to share a famous Family Thanksgiving Day story....

It started in Granada Hills, CA. on Wednesday November 22nd, 1972 "Thanksgiving Day Eve ".
My Dad was sent to the store to buy my very overdue pregnant Mother rolls. As luck would have it there was a bread strike so the rush of shoppers were in full force.

My Dad ran through the last store in search of rolls (visited about 5 stores). He finally spotted one lonely bag of precious rolls, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed a lady running to the shelf. Being the gentlemen that he is, my Dad resisted the urge to do a full body tackle and let her grab the rolls.

My parents decided to make homemade rolls after the unsuccessful search. At about 5pm (mid bake) my Mother's contractions started. They dropped everything and raced to the hospital. After 3 hours of labor the Dr. sent her home with sleeping pills.

At 7am, Thanksgiving morning the labor intensified and at 2:50pm I finally decided to come into the world. (due date was October 6th)
The whole family waited in anticipation and had to eat vending machine tuna salad sandwiches for Thanksgiving dinner. I am routinely reminded of this fact during each yearly feast and quite frankly have been nothing but trouble ever since.

The DR. came out to the waiting room to share the happy news. (he had broken his foot and was furious that his holiday was ruined.) After the announcement he spotted my Grandfather smiling and stated "What are you smiling at? You didn't have a baby." my Grandpa quickly replied "What did you do, kick one of your patients?"

This is one of the many funny family stories and it reminds me that humor is the spice of life and I am proud to say my family never fails to to make me laugh.

I love you guys and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

FREEDOM!

Yes its true, I am free from bondage! FREEDOM!!!
My last day with the company of doom is today, November the 2nd, year 2007.

For the first time in my life I am tremendously happy to be unemployed....

Please wish me luck in my job search! I have a very important interview next Thursday w/ King County for a similar postion.

Only differences: high wage, superior benefits at low cost, job stability, pension plan, generous 401k match, professional management, and lets not forget less stress...

I'd like to send a special thank you to my husband for supporting me through this.

~ Jeni S. Mcleod

Disturbing Baby Halloween Costume

Just think.

Somewhere, some couple is ordering this right now…

Fetish or Halloween Costume?

Let me start by saying I come from the time when a Halloween costume was created at home. For example; " The Bum", "The Cowgirl" or the "Sheet Ghost".... Here's my recent experience while looking for dog costume ideas...(don't laugh)

A quick trip to Wal-Mart and Target revealed some interesting costume selections. While the hemlines were slightly lower on the Target French Maid and Cheerleader, Wal-Mart hewed to form with a saucy Red Riding Hood and a naughty rag doll, advertising a "sultry vinyl bodice and thigh highs ... lollipop not included.

A theme was emerging. And it wasn't Halloween. Since when did Halloween costumes become marital aids? The hobo has turned into the Hillbilly Honey. The traditional vampire is now the Mistress of Darkness. I have nothing against playing erotic dress-up, or even mass-market fetishism. I'd just prefer it didn't converge with a family holiday (and wasn't sold next to the dryer sheets). If you want to play cheerleader at home, go team. But trick-or-treating with your children in anything featuring latex and cleavage seems like a little too much trick. Some kids were confused. "Where are the monsters? they asked. "Where are the superheroes? I pointed weakly to Wonder Woman and her thigh-high boots. "She's pretty, said a 4-year-old(approx age). Before adding, "You can see her breasts. ~ Need I say more?

Wesley Snipes Indicted on Tax Fraud

Wesley Snipes was charged last Tuesday with failing to pay taxes and conspiracy in an indictment that could put the actor and producer behind bars for more than 40 years..

"Each of the conspiracy and false claim charges carry a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment," prosecutors added, noting: "Snipes is also charged with six counts of failing to file income tax returns."
"Snipes also faces up to one year imprisonment on each charge of failing to file income tax returns," they said.

Can anyone show me where in the constitution it states that U.S. citizens have to pay taxes on wages. By signing your W-2 you're telling the government that you're volunteering, willing to pay them a % of your wages. Look it up! Oh, and guess what the IRS is NOT part of the U.S. government. Imagine that!

I Have the POWERRRR!!

Aha! I have been granted permission to write on the blog of another! Oh, the power! The things I could write! The truths I could reveal! The ideas I could share with the world!

Or, I could just say "hi"...

Thanks for the backstage pass, Jen! Great to see you hitting the blog universe (note that I refuse to use the word "blogosphere". I've barely gotten myself to use the word "blog").

And for the rest of you, feel free to drop by and see my own blog at Michael O'Blogger.

Remember this basic fact of life as we know it...words can change the world. Or, at the very least, really piss people off...