Happy Birthday to me and other peripheral B.S. 8)

Yes, today is my birthday, and no no-one improtant forgot it. I merely used Happy Birthday to me as a title not a selfish plea for attention 8)

Last Sunday while the local girls were at my place for the weekly dinner and watch Dexter fest the aforementioned subject was brought up.
"So Dad" asked Ashleigh "what do you want to do for your borthday next Saturday?" I said I would like something simple like forgetting it and she said not happening. LOL
So the discussion was on should we eat at the hanger, mexican food, asian food, etc. Jessica mentioned McDonalds and Dan jumped on that one as they both know I like that place. Ashleigh avoided it because, like two weeks ago she called and asked what I was doing. I said sitting here reading a book and eating Fritos. Well the lecture began, those are bad for you Dad. I said something about dipping them in cheesesauce but that didnt slow her down. Finally I said I am eating them to get rid of them so the temptation isnt there. She said i should just get rid of them NOW and so I said ok, I would eat them faster. She was not amused, though I was. (I thought it was a pretty cool comeback afterall LOL)
Then one of them (I think Dan) mentioned they should have one of those McDonalds birthday parties, they could set the number on the birthday chair to six and add a homemade one to it. Even Ashleigh got into that one. I saw her yesterday and mentioned that we could do something simple like at the regular dinner/dexter thing but she smiled secretively and said we'll see so I am worried. 8) If I was you and lived in Juneau I would avoid McDonalds today, just in case.

A co-worker's (Andy) Mom always sends homemade Banana Pudding for my birthday which she did Thursday night since that is Andy's friday. So tonight I came out to go to work and the headlight switch on my truck went out. Now normally this would not be a big deal except it is winter and dark more than light these days and I go to work at 11pm which is dark plus 1.5. So I called jessica to borrow her car and drove there with parking lights only in the truck. She came out with a homemade Pumpkin Pie and whipped cream (real cream she pointed out and it says on the can not that oily stuff like the commercial says LOL) Now it's a tossup which I like best Banana Pudding or Pumpkin Pie. A hard choice to make for sure. Which to eat first. Oh yeah and Jessica you were first saying Happy Birthday 8)

it's not a choice of which to eat, thats a no-brainer, I am sitting here at 0130 with banana pudding AND pumpkin pie and dinner as well. Ashleigh you cant read this part. Dinner is history, I am taking it back home. Wont have room for it after desert. Both of my choices are bad for me, but were birthday gifts so there is no choice about eating them (yeah right, not eating them is not even in the equation. as-if LOL) The only choice is should I get the tempatation out of the way and eat it all tonight (YUMMMMMMM) or be sensible and have some for tomorrow night (save money on dinner because I wouldnt need any again) ok, tomorrow night part sonds good and delicious x2 right? Ok, so which one tonight and which one tomorrow night. Pumpkin Pie has been a family traditional birthday thing since the kids mom was around and she taught it to the kids. But banana pudding has been a tradition from Andys Mom since I started this job.

OF COURSE I KNOW that family comes first, but it's BANANA PUDDING. Ok, here's the plan a spoon of pumpkin pie followed by ,,,,,,,, you got it like wine tasting. You sniff it for the aroma, swirl it around for the flavor, swallow it for the pleasure (notice it's the three S's) and then a cracker to clear the pallette before the next one. I dont have any crackers and wouldn't use them anyway in this case. So it's decided one of this one and then one of that one and then ,,,,, you get the hint. And because i love my Ashleigh (and all her sisters) and for thier concern about my health I will remove the temptation as fast as I can. I brought a big spoon, and will eat faster. Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!!!

In closing I remeber a couple birthdays ago we ate at the Hanger. Ashleigh brought along a really cute cake shaped like a dinosaur with the appropriate number of candles on it. When lit they were brighter than the lights in the resturant. LOL We had the brightest corner in the place.

The kids like to attract attention especially when it's moi in the spotlight. 8)

Today, was a nice day 8)

Since I work midnight to eight I get messed up on my days ,,,,,,, a lot. LOL  So, when I say that today, Saturday, was a nice day. While I'm fairly sure it was Saturday I am quite sure it was a nice day. Sunny with a very few clouds, a brisk 19'ish on the drive home, and enough sunshine to hurt the eyes. LOL

Now, some people I know (like the kids Mom Judy would be saying something like 19 degrees thats not a nice day!!) But it was dry, sunny, and ,,,,,,, nice.


A while back Dan, Myself, and a mutual friend Jeremy pulled the engine out of Dan's '87 Toyota pickup because it had thrown a rod. (you can read about it in a previous post on this bloggy thing as well as on Ashleigh's (Ewing) blog. After pulling it we dis-assembled it to rebuild it. I spent some time cleaning the engine and parts with diesel to remove the grease etc. so they were all nice and shiney.

After determining the cost of a crank kit, gaskets, a rod, a piston, etc. it was determined that a new engine wasnt that much more so a new engine was ordered from Oregon. The price wasn't so bad even with shipping and core charge. Shipping took 1 day (they e-mailed me wednesday night and it was here thursday afternoon, pretty cool) The core charge was $350 but to ship it back was $250 so that wasnt worth it thus no claim for the core charge.

My daughter Jessica and I went to get the thing on Thursday and I sent an e-mail out about the need to get together to install it soon. So, today on the way home I figured I needed to move and rearrange some stuff in order to accomadate Dan's pickup, and an assembly area for the new engine etc. But the Harley got thrown into the mix as well as other stuff.

Where before the weather was warm and the garage mostly empty now things were different. The vette was put away for the winter and was thus in the adjoining stall, and the Harley had been sold to a guy in Skagway who was coming to get it next week.

So, I needed the bike accessible to load onto his truck, the tractor was parked where the truck would need to go and the truck where the tractor normally sits etc. so you see the issue. Plus the engine was still sitting on the pallet on the floor behind the tractor.

(That's a younger Sammie helping plow her Moms drive. I had wrapped her plastic wheels with rubber bicycle tires and screwed them to the plastic wheels with large headed screws so she had traction and was studded. Now it would actually get stuck not just spin on the surface. LOL)

Basically I was puttering around. Got the engine up on the stand and was getting it ready to put the oil pan, water pump, manifolds etc. in preparation to re-install into Dan's truck when Jessica showed up. How convienant was that, and she was so happy that I put her to work helping move the tractor, pull the Harley out, tow the truck around and put it inside etc..

Then I called Dan & Ashleigh informing them that we were all going to lunch and since Ashleigh is preggo and REALLY PICKY these days LOL I let her choose where. She chose the hanger and so Jessica, I, and Dan & Ash went for lunch at the hanger. Now generally I am not a hanger fan and it has nothing to do with the quality of food. In fact today i had an amazing chili and fries covered with cheese. (Was going to dump them together and make chili fries but they were so darn good separately I just enjoyed them that way). And a new draft rootbeer that was also good. Dan had some orange noodely looking stuff he said was good, Ash had something wrapped inside a red tortilla she liked and Jess had a slab of orangey something between two buns. I had some amazing chili.

But, as I said my problem with the hanger isnt the quality nor quantity of food. My problem is ,,,,,,

well, lets just say that after I insisted on paying Ashleigh said ok, dont even look at the ticket just sign it. In fact I'll sign it so you dont have to see it. Think you have my issue figured out? I dont think so.

When the receipt thing came she covered the bottom and said how much tip you want to leave. Then she said we have all told you that those amounts on the bottom are suggested amounts for tips not what your required to leave. The restuarant is not telling you that you have to leave a certain amount. Blah blah blah LOL


You see my issue is that I resent them telling me what to leave as a tip based on my balance. I actually exceed what they "suggest" but resent being told what to leave.

Anyway, I digress, after a great lunch we all headed back home. I had to go to work at midnight so sleep was beckoning. We still need to set a day to start on engine and I need to order pizza and wings for that day (tomorrow sounds good to me) remembering last time when I ordered two orders of wings and Ashleigh ate them ALL. She will claim to have eaten only 3/4 of them but she ate them ALL. I think she let me have one when I got back with the rootbeer so in all honesty she only ate 15/16ths of them not ALL. LOL  This time i'm ordering 4 orders and will be there when delivered not out getting rootbeer.

<<<<< see there she is eating WINGS,,,,,,,, oops there she is drinking water after she ate 15/16ths of the WINGS. LOL

So, the end of another gorgeously brisk and sunny day. Now it's 3 a.m. and all I can think of is

Want some more ????

I didn't think so,,,,,, 8(

Have a great veterans Day, and to any other Marines out there Happy 235th Birthday today (oops clock changed so make that yesterday).

Holidays and celebrations have become so commercialized they have lost thier meaning and if we dont remind the younger folks those meanings will be lost forever.

Like my title "Want some more?" that has become the mantra of National Pig Out Day. Sorry, that would be Thanksgiving. Do you find it interesting that a day of giving thanks for all we have is celebrated by wasting and indulging ourselves even more. We should be thankful not only on the fact that we create more edible waste and garbage than any other country in the world but that we have the freedom to do so, the freedom to say it, and the freedom to worship, or not, by our own choice. How about the fact that the Friday after Thanksgiving is given more prominence than the actual holiday. Are we going to get Friday off for a 4-day weekend, the first official shopping day for Christmas, etc.

We live in the greatest country on Earth with the highest standard of living. We have so much to be thankful for, not just the competiton of who can eat, devour, waste, indulge, the most, but the fact that we live in a country, a society, a time,where we can.

Veterans Day is a day where we recognize the sacrifices made by those that served our country. But anymore it's seen as another day off, another day to watch the game and drink the afternoon away, another excuse to party. But have you ever even attended a veterans Day parade, or do you just get  upset because it inconvienanced your drive to the package store. How often do you stand for the flag in a parade, place your hand over you heart during the National Anthem, or even know the pledge of alligence?

No honey, Christmas is not all about Santa Claus? But the stores, you know the ones, that have thier Santa decorations out before Thanksgiving and lately before Halloween even. While Santa is an important sideline to Christmas (Thats CHRISTmas not X-mas) he is there mainly for the commercilization and money making aspect of the celebration.

While Thankgiving is a time of thanks, and Veterans Day is a time of recognition, Christmas is a time of celebration, If your a christian then it's a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. If your not a Christian it's still the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, you just choose to twist it, commercialize it, rename it, and insert your own diety to worship such as the dollar, Santa, the game, getting high, or a number of things that take away from the real meaning of the celebration.

But then isnt that what we do to all the holidays? The only ones not seen as a day off, a time to party, is the ones important to you as an individual.

Like me I am a veteran so vaterans Day means allot to me, 11/10 is a Happy Birthday since I am a Marine, I am a Christian so Christmas means a lot however I do indulge Santa and spend more than I should on those that I love, those that I like, and even those I do not know, but not at the loss of the real meaning.

New Years is a time of hope, or dread. A time of resolutions, if you dont know what a resolution is then try this. A resolution, especially as related to New Years, is a promise, usually to self, to accomplish something that usually is never accomplished or even attempted. LOL

So, hug a Veteran and say thanks, eat your heart out until your stuffed and then watch the game and try to stay awake, and spend, spend, spend, for Santa. (ever notice that the kids seem to enjoy the box and wrapping paper more than the girft. Often thought of wrapping an empty box and letting them have fun) but dont forget what this all means and where it all came from.

The veteran will appreciate the effort, the rats at the landfill will appreciate the wasted food, the stores will appreciate all the money you spent, and Jesus will still love you.

So, all the Happy's and Merry's for the next year from me to you.  As for me, every day is amazing but it has been a rough year. LOL

Driving a Dad's vette the first time.

I have daughters from two marriges. Tammy and Carri with Skip in # 1, and Jessica, Amanda, and Ashleigh with Judy from #2.
This is a story about Tammy and how she had just gotten her drivers license in Tucson Arizona. She had been after me for about a year to drive my car, a 1977 Corvette. I was hesitant but she eventually wore me down so I promised the following Saturday I would come up and go to her little brothers (Scott) soccer game and that I would let her drive me to the game in the vette. The younger girls would be visitng family so it would work out nicely.
I arrived early ( as i tend to do) and instead of waking everyone up in a dark house I chose to catch a few winks sitting in the car. Now while Corvettes may be cool, sporty, fast, and all that they are NOT comfortable to sleep in. I had cowboy boots one and can remember trying to get my feet to fit and the seat to recline and all that. It was a miserable couple of hours and when Ed (skips boyfriend who was/is the best guy she ever dated in my opinion) woke up and offerred me coffee I was most grateful.
Morning arrived in a blaze of color that you have to be in the southern desert to appreciate. It was going to be another beautiful, sunny day. A perfect day for a soccer game, and even better for a young lady to drive a cool car with the t-tops taken off.
Tammy tried to do the no brreakfast thing she was so excited to go drive the car but eventually gulped down what was required to satisfy her mom and Ed. Only then to be disappointed because she still couldnt leave until they did and there was no gulping on thier part. Scott was equally excited as he was gonna tear 'em up on the soccer field that day.
The time came, it was a sunny, warm, Saturday, and the kid was gonna drive a bright red, stingray. What could be better. She was excited and nervous at the same time.
We walked out to the car, I threw her the keys, and she stood at the door staring at me with a vacant look on her face sort of like I cant believe this is really gonna happen, and oh poop the time is here. 8)
We got in she started the car, and immediately asked if we could go by her friends house so they could see her driving the car. I relented and said sure. So to the friends house we go, she pulls up, runs to the door, knocks, and no one is home.. So, she asks to try another, we drive over there, do the alley this time, she runs to the back door, knocks, and no one is home. Friend after freind, NO ONE is home. This poor girl finally gets to drive the cool car and there is no one to show off for. We did have a long drive all over Tucson that day and did make Scotts soccer game before it ended. She had a great time and told her friends all about it on Monday.

A bunch of years later, while living in Haines Alaska Amanda got her chance to drive the 1975 Vette we had at that time. It was 40 miles from town to the house. I drove her car and she drove the vette. After 2 hours I was vacillating between worried and angry. She finally showed up and I asked (quite pointedly) where the heck have you been, what took so long. She said sorry Dad but I was so scared I would wreck the car I only drove 40 miles an hour. LOL

I had purchased an Auto/Tire repair shop as my retirement gig. I had operated with the owner for 6 months prior to his moving and my taking over to get to know how it all worked.
January 1, 2005 I retired from the Border Station in Haines Alaska which was a Saturday.
Monday I opened the shop on my own for the first time. Tuesday I had deliveries of new tires, new equipment, and two cords of wood brought in. On Wednesday morning, January 5, 2005 I looked out the office window to what I thought heavy snow blowing (it was snowing very heavily at the time) only to step out and see the shop was on fire. That June I put the car in the car show ( where it had shown every year from when I first got it wrecked, while sanded for body work etc) with the sign below leaned against it. You can see the before of the car, the fire, and the after.

Can you spell ,,,, H U N G R Y !!!!!!

Here it is 3a.m. I am at work and havent eaten since I went to bed at 3p.m. and cant eat before 9a.m. Why, because I have a fasting lad at 9 in the a.m. Having a fasting lab at 9a.m. for someone on my shift is like having one at 8p.m. for you normal folk. A 12 hour fast means I am

H U N G R Y !!!  LOL

My thoughts concentrate on food at this time and since I have been good and dropped almost 40 lbs since July my thoughts should be on other things like

But NOOOOOO it has to be on stuff like Denny's where I love to eat breakfast especially at 3 a.m.. Last time I had Denny's was in July while visiting Missoula. The kids Mom, I, and Sammie had gone there. The waitress was so very nice. Sammie cant have milk but wanted Hot Cocoa so bad the lady went out of her way to make her one using soy milk.

of course another thought is the ever popular Burger.

<< Though this one looks delicious I couldn't even take a bite so may settle for a shorter one. >>

But at 105 pounds it probrably isnt a good idea either.

Dont you hate it when you cant eat. Not an I'm not hungry situation but CANT EAT. Kind of like when the plumber comes in and says I am turning the water off in 10 min. You ask the kids anyone need a drink or to go potty they're turning the water off in 10 so now is the time. 11 min later the water is off and EVERY kid in the house is thirsty, needs to go potty, (I had all girls so the backyard wasnt an option) or suddenly needed a shower. LOL

Well, the burger idea isn't working because the thoughts are bigger than the tummy. So, my thoughts while still on food moved closer to home>>

What do you mean I want some. This is ALL mine. I'll make you some next time and any good B-B-Q must be followed by a proper desert later sitting around shooting the bull. What do you mean if I dont share I'll be shooting the bull alone and probrably still hungry? Ok, ok dont bust a gasket I'll share but this desert is ALL MINE.

You cannot get a good Banana Spilt in Juneau Alaska. I have tried, you get stuff called banana splits but they are in bowls, not boats, they dont have ALL the flavors of ice cream and or toppings. Bummer because I DO like them. The last time I remember having a good one was years and years ago while working at the Border Station in Nogales Arizona. I had a friend/neighbor named Donna. I called her Donna-do because she was so tiny but with a huge attitude she could do anything even at 4'11" and maybe 95 lbs. We would switch off on riding to work as it was 20 miles one way from Patagonia where I lived to Nogales. She worked at Taco Bell and as such we would meet next door at Dairy Queen since she got off 15 - 30 min. after me. Whoever rode bought and every day it was a banana spilt. Now Dairy Queen knew how to make a banana spilt, and a milk shake as well.

A funny story re, Taco Bell. You must realize that we lived on the Mexican Border and to get Mexican food was pretty easy to say the least. Well the kids Mom LOVES Mexican food and this one year she decided to come visit the girls during spring break. So, lunch time is coming and she asks the girls hey you guys want to go have lunch with your Dad and surprise him. A chorus of yeah's followed and a 20 mile drive to the Border Station in town where they all picked me up and we went to her favorite mexican restaurant, Los Amigos. The kids liked it because it had a train that ran around the top of the walls blowing smoke and sounding the whistle. Judy and i liked it because it was good food at good prices.  We all had a good lunch and they went back home.

The following day Judy came to visit the girls again and again asked if they wanted to surprise Dad for lunch, they yelled Y E S !!!!! When the arrived at the border station and I came out and got in the car. Judy asked where I wanted to go (as if I had a choice, c'mon we had been married my choices ended the day before the wedding LOL) A small voice from the backseat asked can we have real mexican food this time. We turned to Ashleigh and said sure baby where would you like to go to get real mexican food and she said