I Got Over It, Or Did I?

I posted about not getting the foreman's position a few days ago, being all butt hurt and all the mixed feeling. I did get over it and now glad that its not my position. Our big boss convinced Corey, the former foreman, to stay on as a mechanic, which helped tremendously. But things seem to be in chaos. David is not doing a bad job but is making a few decisions that I don't think are quite right. Without getting anybody in trouble, one of the many examples that I could give you are, he flipped a coin to give me an answer to a problem I had the other day. It was a $500 part that I had to replace. He also made the call to replace an alternator when the battery was bad.. not the alternator. I don't think that that's right but...........you make the call. When I have had to make decisions like that I have always asked for a second opinion. According to another co-worker you should always allow the person working on the unit to thoroughly go over the problem before making a snap decision. I agree. but I am not in charge so... and something else other department heads are bitching about us not getting the trucks out faster and how nothing seemed to get done. (keep in mind, I alone, work on 12 or more trucks in one day) So the solution was to drop work on all pickups and trailers and only work on big trucks (18 wheelers). All the Ford's and Chevy's we have that need work will go to some one else like the Ford or Chevy House! Mind you, one of the last trucks that we sent up there, took them 3 MONTHS to get to. So I don't think this is going to go over very well. We were also told that when we work on Saturdays that all we are supposed to fix is the air conditioners. Mind you the trucks may be falling apart and not running but the air conditioners are going to be working great! Go Figure.

I give up! So I have made up my mind. I am going to approach my boss and inform him of the transfer I want to make. I am wore out and burned out with the position I have and will do what it takes to get away from it. Even if it means going to work for another company!

I plan on going to work, within the company, to work for another department being a measurement tech. They read and repair meters for the rigs. I am told its easy work, good pay, and they get quarterly production bonus' too. Being a mechanic, the only time we get any kind of recognition, or bonus or praise of some kind is during Christmas where the bonus' are company wide.

In a way, I brought this on myself. I wanted to be a pee-on that just did his job making lots of money with no responsibility. I have outdone that and proved my self too dependable/responsible. I've got to quit doing that!

Life is good otherwise and I am just going to take it all in stride. A war may brake out but in the end I will win. I think what I need to do is get my balls out of Shelly's purse and just say what I have to say!

Amazed

This is amazing. I have never had this many people view my blog. According to Feedburner, my post about the supposed "Tornado South of Fort Stockton" has 435 visits in the last 30 days.

Someone even posted comments about it on an Audi Forum site. Its funny, I don't believe this person really read my comments about the picture very well. He/She wrote:

Sorry Folks, but the image is a FAKE. Here, it says the tornado was at a different rig in March, not April. Weird? Naw, just fake. http://flightofaneagle.blogspot.com/2008/04/tornado-south-of-fort-stockton.html The tornado and lightning are real, but the rest is photoshopped. The image is from 2006 from Florida, not 2008 from Fort Stockton, Texas. Snopes isn't always right, but since the tornado and lightning were posted in 2006 and updated on Snopes in 2007, this can't be Fort Stockton in 2008. Note that it was reported to be from Missouri before being reported from Texas, but without the oil well. http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/sedalia.asp I was suspicious as I don't recall the radio tower south of Ft. Stockton or the trees. <>

O well, glad I gained a few more readers. And by the way, SandRidge does have a few rigs that drill for oil, but these are drilling for gas. There is a radio tower out there, you just can't see it from the road.

I Need To Just Get Over It

As of last Friday, our shop foreman has put in his two week notice, and is going to go to work for as an adjuster for an insurance company. So, as everyone knows, I am the foreman's assistant. Everyone that needs work done comes to me if Corey was not available and I would handle all the delegations and paperwork. Since he was leaving I thought that I would get the foreman's position. I have been working for the shop for over 2 years now, know whats going on, and already know all the in's and out's of the position. However, I did not get it. With mixed feeling, let me step back and give you a little bit more info on who did and why I am not el heffe (I think that's how you spell it).
Some time back an entire bay was taken from the shop and set up for truck inspections. Because of the massive fleet and the amount of tickets that were being give to our drivers for DOT violations (anything that the DPS would pull you over for), the company decided that this would be best to help eliminate the problem. David is a friend of mine and is very close friends of our big boss. David moved back to Fort Stockton from Austin to work in this DOT Lane. They actually are getting paid to inspect a handful of trucks, then stand around and do nothing for 8 hours of the day. David worked as a mechanic many years ago when the company was very little. I guess that was good enough for the big boss to say "Put him in charge." He is a very hot tempered, sometimes ill mannered, short fused man. Though he is a great guy, he is just not management material. The big boss said, that he did consider a couple of us for the position, but thought it best to bring in someone from the outside. "I can't afford to loose anymore help on the floor."
Here is where the mixed feelings part comes to play. I do a lot of work for the shop. And am very depended upon. I've been told by several of the guys that I should have been put in charge, no questions asked. That really makes me feel good; knowing I have a crew that's "got my back". On the other hand, some days, I'm so glad that I am not the decision maker. I'm not going into detail because it is too much to blog about right now, but yesterday was stupid crazy and being in charge of mass hysteria was not something I wanted to deal with. Guys, I make decent money; the over-time is great, so that is NOT the issue right this moment.
My issues are:
I am not allowed to transfer to another department.
I am not able to move up the ladder to a better position.
I cannot go to work for any other company in this area doing the same work for the amount of money that I am being paid; am I going to have to stay in the same position till I die just because of the pay?
Flip side:
I am respected as a hard, dependable worker
Do not have to deal with managing others,
Am in the situation to perform my work the way I want to,
I am not expected to be on call 24/7,
I do not have to do extra work to fill in for what other co-workers didn't or couldn't do,
Put in more overtime just to catch up on the things like paper-work....

Does any of this make sense? Maybe not, but I had to get my jumbled thoughts out so that I might be able to just "get over it"

*UPDATE* Tornado South of Fort Stockton?

Check this out

O

Someone anonymously commented with a link from Snops.com that gave the history behind the real tornado.

"The picture of the tornado funnel and lightning bolt was indeed taken in Florida, but it long antedates the tornadoes that hit the state in February 2007. According to the National Weather Service Forecast Office In Melbourne, Florida, this Photograph was snapped near Lake Okeechobee, Florida on 15 June 1991. It has been available for purchase (in poster form) through the Tornado Project's on-line store since at least mid - 2001. "

Thank you Anonymous for the info and to TheLGB for the comment!

Tornado South Of Fort Stockton?

Supposedly on March 30, 2008 there was a tornado next to one of the Sand Ridge Rigs (on the ranch about 25 miles south of Fort Stockton). That day and night we had some very fierce winds that did damage some trees around town but no word of any tornado. However,

Kevin Gafford took this picture south of Ft. Stockton Drilling for Sandridge.
"Man it was quite a sight last night",
Kevin.

The picture is absolutly amazing, yet unbelieveable. There was no tornado reported arround the imidiate area and no reported damage to any of the property. A tornado that size would have produced major damage to something, and trust me if something is damaged, all of us know about it.

This picture has aready circled the globe, I have received it in a subcription email from Joke-R-Uss and have been sent to my inbox several times from friends/family all over the place. To be honest I don't believe this to be real, just photoshoped or something. I have not talked to Kevin yet but will let you know when I do.

What do you think?

A Lizard Story

If you have raised kids (or been one), and gone through the pet syndrome including toilet-flush burials for dead goldfish, the story below will have you laughing out LOUD!
Overview: I had to take my son's lizard to the vet.



Here's what happened:
Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me there was "something wrong" with one of the two lizards he holds prisoner in his room. "He's just lying there looking sick," he told me. "I'm serious, Dad.



Can you help?"
I put my best lizard-healer statement on my face and followed him into his bedroom. One of the little lizards was indeed lying on his back, looking stressed. I immediately knew what to do.



"Honey," I called, "come look at the lizard!"
Oh my gosh," my wife diagnosed after a minute. "She's having babies." "What?" my son demanded. "But their names are Bert and Ernie, Mom!" I was equally outraged. "Hey, how can that be? I thought we said we didn't want them to reproduce," I accused my wife.




"Well, what do you want me to do, post a sign in their cage?" she inquired.



(I actually think she said this sarcastically!)
"No, but you were supposed to get two boys!" I reminded her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet voice, while gritting my teeth together). "Yeah, Bert and Ernie!" my son agreed. "Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some guys, you know," she informed me.



(Again with the sarcasm, you think?)
By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was going on. I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it. "Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience, I announced. "We're about to witness the miracle of birth.



"
"OH, Gross!", they shrieked. "Well, isn't THAT just Great! What are we going to do with a litter of tiny little lizard babies?" my wife wanted to know. (I really do think she was being snotty here, too. don't you?) We peered at the patient. After much struggling, what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second later. "We don't appear to be making much progress," I noted.




"It's breech," my wife whispered, horrified. "Do something, Dad!" my son urged. "Okay, okay." Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot when it next appeared, giving it a gingerly tug. It disappeared. I tried several more times with the same results.




"Should I call 911?" my eldest daughter wanted to know. "Maybe they could talk us through the trauma.



" (You see a pattern here with the females in my house?)
"Let's get Ernie to the vet," I said grimly. We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage in his lap. "Breathe, Ernie, breathe," he urged. "I don't think lizards do Lamaze," his mother noted to him. (Women can be so cruel to their own young. I mean what she does to me is one thing, but this boy is of her womb, for Heaven's sake.



)
The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered at the little animal through a magnifying glass. "What do you think, Doc, a C-section?" I suggested scientifically. "Oh, very interesting," he murmured "Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, may I speak to you privately for a moment?" I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside.




"Is Ernie going to be okay?" my wife asked. "Oh, perfectly," the vet assured us. "This lizard is not in labor. In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen... Ernie is a boy. You see, Ernie is a young male. And occasionally, as they come into maturity, like most male species, they um....um....masturbate. Just the way he did, lying on his back." He blushed, glancing at my wife. "Well, you know what I'm saying, Mr.. Cameron.




" We were silent, absorbing this. "So Ernie's just...just...Excited," my wife offered. "Exactly," the vet replied, relieved that we understood. More silence. Then my vicious, cruel wife started to giggle. And giggle. And then even laugh loudly. "What's so funny?" I demanded, knowing, but not believing that the woman I married would commit the upcoming affront to my flawless manliness. Tears were now running down her face. "It's just...that... I'm picturing you pulling on its..its...teeny little..." she gasped for more air to bellow in laughter once more.




"That's enough," I warned. We thanked the Veterinarian and hurriedly bundled the lizards and our son back into the car. He was glad everything was going to be okay. "I know Ernie's really thankful for what you've done, Dad," he told me. "Oh, you have NO idea," my wife agreed, collapsing with laughter.




2 - lizards - $140...
1 - Cage - $50...
Trip to the Vet - $30...
Memory of your husband pulling on a lizard's wacker .Priceless...

A Lot Going On!

We have a lot going on right now, and it's things that are great for us.

Here is a quick rundown:

Not only did we get the new car (Which Shelly absolutly loves) I was able to get a promise from someone to take my Dodge truck that I could not get to run, have an person interested in taking the P O S Neon off my hands that also sitting in my driveway, I found out that the money that I have invested so far in my retirement plan has made twice as much as I thought, bought a great suround sound system that I will install in the living room here in a little bit, an official toddler in my household (Brenton is 18 months old as of yesterday) who is in a very hyper and happy mood this morning, a Tyla who will be home soon after spending the night with a freind, who will also be hyper when I give her the Miley Cyrus/Hanna Montana CD I bought her

AND

(Deep breath......)

It's gonna be another beautiful day outside today! Tomorrow will be a complete different story, but today is looking GREAT!

Playing Around

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a BOX of "stuffing" to re-cussion my hand-me-down recliner. (It needed it badly, thanks to my mother-in-law... she loves me so!!!). When I opened the box it come billowing out and went everywhere. Brenton had a blast and I let him play. Cotton was everywhere! (we're still finding cotton in the wierdest places!) We all had fun and I had to take pictures.

It was all giggles by the time it ended!

Shelly's New Car

Earlier in the week Shelly's Jeep (its acually her Mom's) started acting up. Made some really wild sounds coming from the engine. Sounds and acts like the water pump is going out (I think). With working all the long hours that I do, I culd not find the time to attempt to fix it and could not even insure that I could get it done in a short time period. We have been talking about and looking at the Chevy Colbalt's for about a year now so we just up and decided it was time. Now here is the interesting part.

Shelly called Gilbert at Amistad Motors here in Fort Stockton. Told him that we would like for them to pay off the Cavalier, put us in a new economical 4 door, payments at $350/month, and our APR at 7%. We thought it was worth a shot, all he could say was no, right? (keep in mind here, that this is only dealing with him over the phone, not actually at the dealership!) He first came up with a Pontiac G6, nice car but would up our payments to $475 per month. We told him No Can Do. So about an hour later he calls Shelly back and has a 2007 Cobalt that would fit us perfect, and to meet him at the dealership at 8:00 that night. That was fantastic, gave me time to get home and get a shower and eat a quick dinner.

Guys, here is the sweet part about all of this (and to shorten up the story). They did paid off the Cavalier and let us keep it, put us in a new Cobalt, required no down payment, put extra insurance on BOTH cars, uped our interest rate to 7.99%(only cause we still owed $6000 on the Cavalier) and all for a grand total of $21,000 and payments at $376/month!!!!!!!! That feels so great.

Fire Balls

I am going to have to try this some time!



How To Make Fire Balls - video powered by Metacafe

Immigration

I am not going to say to much on the subject since it might "dismantle" the content. There are a couple of things that I found that have supported the content like Here and Here (read up on your history) read on, let me know what you think.

This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points. For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. NOT printed in the Orange County Paper......... Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace!

New Immigrants From: "David LaBonte"My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined.Dave LaBonte (signed)Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:

Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times.They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children anew life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.

Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy,France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life . I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

(signed) Rosemary LaBonte

Christmas 2007

As always it stays busy around here during the Christmas season. Shelly and the kids went to San Antonio to visit her uncle the weekend before Christmas.

That was a house full! I stayed at home since I had to work.

Christmas Eve, we went to my parents house for the traditional reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas". In case you didn't know, what happens is, we each purchase a single gift. Gag gift, fun gift, or just something neat. We all sit in a circle around the living room, and listen to my dad read the story. Every time he says the word "THE" we pass the gift to the person sitting next them. It is histarical! and you will be amazed at how many The's are in that story. At "The End" the gift you end up with you get to open. The kids are just now getting old enough to enjoy it.

That was another house full! Always too much fun.

Christmas day was great too. After spending half the day putting everything together (Yes, my dumb ass left my good tools at the shop....uggg), we all just had a day of nothing put play!

From the Tunnel of Fun

To the very addictive PlayStation 2

The two little rug rats made out like bandets again this year.

Happy New Year!

Lost

Have a Lot More to post....but Shelly some how lost the alarm clock, then her cell phone after church (she put it on silence) during the Greatest Christmas Program.

Wait...

Shelly found her phone, Thank THE LORD, and YES good grief she found the alarm clock.

She is blaming me for loosing the clock since she found it on her side of the bed and under the head board, and I am the one that had to get up early yesterday, and I had to have had it because.... Keep it coming... It's ok ... I take the blame.... as long as you found it, it don't mater

Gas Prices Too High

T&C must have there heads up their ass . This has been this way for weeks

Not only do I have to pay $8.05 a gallon for gasoline, I can't fart when I take a piss. What that hell?

I go into this T&C all the time. Since my name is on my uniform, they know me by name. I walked in with the camera and they looked lost. I went to the restroom then right back to the car. The new employee followed me out and lit a cigarette then started dialing someone on her cell. She watched me leave the parking lot. I pulled in to the video place across the street to take the pic of the $8 per gallon sign and I could see that she was pointing at me. I could only guess that she was calling the police. Why? I don't know. This was just too funny to pass up!

"Snowmen and Snowflakes" Mission Complete (Well, Almost)

I think all of the outside decorating is done. I am glad.

It turned out to be quite a bit more work than I expected. Me and my bright ideas!

First off, I got the ideas to use snowflakes after finding a few packages of little plastic ones at Wal-mart. When I realized I did not have enough and went back to get more there were none. After looking around some more there were no snowflakes anywhere to be found. None other than the lighted icicle type. By the way, it turns out that all these lights I've seen around town have just about burned out. So Shelly & Tyla made some out of that cheap glittered batting that is supposed to be used as a table cover. Tyla had a blast.

We put them on the roof and a few on the fence next to the house.

I made a huge snowflake out of lights on the right side of the yard. Can't see it from the street though. O-well.

I built the Christmas Trees and the Snowman family a couple of years ago. I always get compliments on them. The only problem I have with them is the Pennies I used for the eyes. They keep falling off. I guess Super Glue doesn't stay super forever.

I will have to periodically go out and straighten things up from time to time but I think we are all done. Now its time to sit back and enjoy the season.

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Snowflake Update

Got more snowflakes up and it looks cool. Taking me and Tyla a lot longer to make the flakes than I anticipated. (....like Dad I have to pee..., Dad I need....Dad we have to.....) So it will be another week before everything will be done and pictures posted.

If It Works...Hey, Go For It!

Leaving work the other day I happened to notice this car in the parking lot. I have to say its not original, but if it works than go for it. I laughed really hard. Not at the person for doing it, just wondered if my self-proclaimed "redneck" brother was around to do the repair job!

You cannot see it to well but the new"head light" is securely attacted using the finest method possible. (J you have to get your hands on some of this!) Industrial strength 2" electrical tape. This new product holds up to 2 lbs more than standard duct tape and is fasionably appealing.

Watch Out for Online Job Applications

As with most job seekers, I have my resume posted on Monster.com and occasionally recieve emails that show interest in my resume. I received one from VeriResume that actualy looked promising and legit. It asked for me to post my cell phone number and provider and then upload my resume. (First thought, why are they asking for my resume if they already have it.) I went to research the company that they are supposidly repersenting, and they mention nothing about the position that VeriResume is looking for. ONLY to CONTACT THE HR. DEPARTMENT FOR THAT POSITION. The William Morris Agency does exist and does have job opening, but I personally qualify for NONE! Here is the email I got:

Dear Scott ,

I recently saw your resume online and I think you would be a great fit for one of our clients, the William Morris Agency. They are looking to hire an accounting clerk, and considering your background, I think you would be a great fit for the company. WMA is looking for an entry level accounting clerk. A degree in accounting or finance is a plus, although not a requirement for this position. New grads are encouraged to apply. As an accounting clerk for WMA, you will need to be detail oriented and consider organization a priority. WMA offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package to the right candidate. Joining the team at WMA means you will be a part of the largest and most diverse talent and literary agency in the world, with offices all over the world, including New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville, London, Miami Beach and Shanghai. If you would like to apply for this position, please click on the link provided below and fill out the online application. *(Link deleted for safety reason) Expect to be contacted one or two business days after submitting your online application. I look forward to hearing from you soon! Regards,Rose Snyder

According to Tabatha Marshall's "Something's VeriRotten with VeriResume" information and research, I found out that I was almost subject to acts of a spammer/phisher. There are mixed comments on her site but most are against VeriResume.

So let me say, watch what your doing, do your research, and again...if its too good to be true...

First Snow Of The Season

A snowball fight is always fun! Giggling 1 year old playing in the snow.....Priceless!!!


We had our first really big cold snap last night and boy was it big! I thought the snow in January of this year was great, But this one is just going to be a big mess. I had 4 1/2 inches in my front yard and huge branches laying all over; the weight of the snow was so great that it split the neighbors tree in half and knocked out the power for over two hours this morning.





SnowMan UPDATE: Just to give you an idea of the snowmen we built over the years we could start here when there was not much in 2005, then here when there was plenty and this years:

Tyla had a blast. 45 minutes in 32 degree temps was a little too long for me. But Tyla was the one that said she thought we should go inside after she could "not feel her toes"! (Thank God! I thought my fingers were gonna fall off, never the less a few other limbs, uhum.)

"I'm Not Gonna Tell You Again, Put The Lid Down!"

"I'm not gonna tell you again, put the lid down!" I heard that over and over and over but never listened. Jake Wulf did though!

Jake Wulf wants to keep the lid on it. The 9-year-old boy flushed out a plan for a foot-activated toilet seat lifter that is called the "Privy Prop," designed to lower and raise the toilet seat.

I remember all the years that my mother bitched and moaned about putting the lid down on the commode. (and no I did not say "toilet" for obvious reasons, those that know me will get the joke here... HA!) It has become a habit now to put it down for several reasons including, but not limited to: keeping the dog from drinking out of it and (I hate to say this) deter my son from playing in it.

Jake took this to a new level and I believe he should get all the credit. This is a fantastic invention, however, "He said his family has considered seeking a patent for it, but that might cost too much. There's also a chance a national company might catch wind of it after Friday's show."

Jake and his family should have all rights to this invention since it was his idea and he created it. For a 9 year old to something like this is just phenomenal. I have to say, let this boy shine. Let him keep the one thing he has actually worked hard on to improve his everyday life and let HIM see the benefits from it, not some major corporation that has stolen or taken ideas for sheer profit.

Though it may come in handy here in the next year or so with my son being a year old now and potty training soon it might be a smart investment, however I don't think that I will buy one if I know that It was not going to benifit/help Jake and his family.

Sperm Special

I'm going in for the message!

I just had to take this picture. I have seen signs like this all over the internet but not anywhere around this little town. I took the picture Saturday morning and it is still the same as of Sunday morning. A full day and no one has changed it back?

Over $1000 for Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) Concert Tickets

Hannah Montana is the biggest rage right now, ok atleast for Tyla. But paying almost $1400 for a concert ticket is outrageous! We considered it when a friend said that she was going to be in the area but after seeing THE PRICE OF A SINGLE TICKET my daughter will only have to dream of going to her favorite singers concert. I remember Garth Brooks saying that he would only sale his base tickets for not more than $18. Now he has them over a $140 for a "Lower level" seat according to Ticket Liquidator. We paid $40 to go see Tracy Lawrence a few years back and that was way more than I could afford at the time, but did it anyway.

By the way, Tracy will be at Billy Bobs on October 13th, in Fort Worth for only $22 and thats RESERVED SEATING.

So all I can say here is that Hannah, (Miley) YOU are NOT getting my money!

Too Much Dust In Ft Stockton Texas

As everyone knows, the dust in West Texas is , well, a given. No matter where you go there is not a home that I have seen that does not have dust on most every shelf, counter and floor. (except where it is cleaned daily) Once every week to two weeks you will find me cleaning one of the many rooms we have in our home, making it thouroughly free of dust. Clean is one thing but dust is absolutely unavoidable.

The reason I mention this is because there is an issue with the "Neighbors" just across the street from the shop that I work in. They have a really big issue with all the traffic that goes through the "yard" , creates too much dust in thier homes. They have filed petitions and demand Sandridge Energy to do something about it. (Sandridge ownes Lariat Services and Lariat is who I work for. ) Paving the front parking lot does not seem to be enough. Personally that has made things a lot better, I think. But the dust still pours into the neighbors homes. Now Sandridge has to do something the neighbors say to keep it down by "some type of suppression, emulsion, something down to contain the dirt" from "the back". Keep in mind that we have miles and miles of pasture behind our facility that Sandrige does not own.

Read the story here, however, watch the newscast to the right; they mention something interesting at the end (not in the text) that is an entire different post.

Talk About Mixed Feelings

When you see your mother-in-law backing off a cliffin your new car.

Body Found North Of Fort Stockton

A body of a woman between 20 to 30 years old was found just 15 miles outside of town.

News West 9 reported on this saying:

Pecos County Investigators are looking for answers after a body is
found north of Fort Stockton.
The discovery was made 15 miles north of Ft.
Stockton off FM 1053.
According to authorities the land owner found the
body, while he was checking on wells on the property Thursday around three.
Investigators found what appears to be the badly decomposed body of a women
in her late 20s or 30s.
Investigators tell NewsWest Nine, they believe the
body had been in the field for weeks.
The body has been sent to Lubbock for
autopsy.
Pecos County Deputies are investigating it as a murder.

CBS7 reported this:

Fort Stockton – Fort Stockton Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a woman's body found north of the city early Thursday afternoon.Deputies say a pumper who was checking wells on a lease road off Highway 1053 found the body.Investigators believe the body may have been out on the lease road for two to three weeks.They say the body was decomposed, and an autopsy has been ordered.The Pecos County Sheriff’s office and Texas Rangers are investigating.

The Odessa American reported:

PECOS COUNTY Sheriff’s office officials in Pecos County are investigating a woman’s body found Thursday afternoon outside of Fort Stockton. Pecos County deputy Pete Galvan said the body was found at 2:30 p.m. Thursday 15 miles outside of Fort Stockton when the landowner was checking on a well site on his property. He said sheriff’s investigators have had a hard time in the case because the body was decaying. “As far as we can tell it’s a woman,” he said. “The body was in pretty bad shape.” Galvan said sheriff’s officials think they know how long the body has been dead but are not completely certain because of the weather.

So far, we do not know who she is. It was apparent that she was "Dumped". I am commenting on this because I feel that with Fort Stockton growing bigger each and every day that we do not need some like this happening in our community. If any one has any information about this please contact any of our local Law Inforcement offices:
911
Crime Stoppers - 432/ 336-7777
FBI (El Paso) - 915/ 533-7451
FBI (Midland) - 432/ 682-4766
National Youth Crisis Hotline - 1-800-448-4663
Police Department - 432/ 336-4600
Sheriff Department - 432/ 336-3521
Texas Department of Public Safety - 432/ 336-3414
US Border Patrol - 432/ 336-2486

If you have information about this and do not wish to make contact with athorities directly, you may comment or email through my blog and I WILL relay the information for you.

Update: 10/02/07 Invesigators have identified the body. Her name is Tonya Michelle May. CBS7 reported on Oct. 2nd. that the investigation is still underway.

Update: 10/04/07 According to the Fort Stockton Pioneer, "Evidence that we located at the scene indicates that it was a murder,"

How Do You Spell 2?

My wife was helping Tyla with her homework and asked her how to spell 2.

Tyla - "Well 2."

Shelly - "No, how do you spell 2?"

Tyla - Agressively "2"!

Shelly - "No Tyla, how do you spell it, not say it?"

Tyla calmly raises her arm and writes the number 2 in the air.

I may be blond but I did not hand this, say... dumb blond, down to my kids. It has to have come from my wife. I have posted about some weird comments from Tyla before here.

Myspace "Bears" No Results

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

I didn't think that "Bears" had anything to do with it!

My Son is So Full of Shit

I have to post this and I have said it before here.

My Son is so full of shit its unbelieveable. He has Shit his diaper 5 times in the last 5 hours. WTF? I am not sure what is causing it but Shelly is getting really iritated at this point.

Note: I do NOT change dirty dipers

Update #1 : We're up to diper Six at 3:00pm, and by the way he is NOT sick.

Update # 2: Shit diper number 7. 8:oopm

Why Does That 500GB Hard Drive Only Have 465GBs OF Usable Space?

OK, the computer geek in me is coming out again. Fellow Blogger, Jake, posted

Why Does That 500GB Hard Drive Only Have 465GBs of Usable Space?

on his blog Utterlyboring.com.

This site explains the math/science behind it. However, its sounds far more complicated than it really is.

So to help explain it to the average Joe (or in this case average Shelly)

I found this site.

When you go to the lumber yard and ask for a 2 x 4 piece of wood you are actually getting a 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 piece of wood. The original piece of wood is 2 x 4 but when it is cut down to a smooth, flat finish, it becomes the 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 perfect piece. (OK sometimes not perfect .... but you get the point).

The same is with computers. You start with 500 GB (gigabytes) and then you take away from the size when you add all the software that goes into it. You are not getting less of a product. The sell point references the original size not the "finished size".

Aggie EduKation

I could not resist!

I Believe All Schools Should Have This On Their Answering Machines

The outgoing message: "Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options before making a selection:

To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1*

To make excuses for why your child did not do their work- Press 2*

To complain about what we do - Press 3*

To swear at staff members - Press 4*

To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5*

If you want us to raise your child - Press 6*

If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7*

To request another teacher, for the third time this year - Press 8*

To complain about bus transportation - Press 9*

To complain about school lunches - Press 0*

If you realize this is the real world and your child must be held accountable and responsible for their own behavior, classwork-homework and that it's not the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up now and have a nice day!

If you want this message in Spanish, you must be in the wrong country.

Cost of Illegal Imigrants

I found several variations of the following.

This was from DorE in Google Groups.

14 Reasons To Deport Illegal Aliens

Hope these 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read by the majority of Americans. Then they will have something to yell at their U.S. Congressmembers.

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year.
http://tinyurl.com/zob77

2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English!
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American- born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare and social services by the American taxpayers.
http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html

9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html

11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border.
Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht

12. The National Policy Institute, 'estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period.'
http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf

13. In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin.
http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm

14. 'The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States '
http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml

So using the LOWEST estimates, the annual cost OF ILLEGAL ALIENS is $338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR! If deporting them costs between $206 and $230 BILLION DOLLARS ...

Here I Sit All Broken Hearted....

Years ago, (I feel so old) when managing a store in San Angelo, I scrubbed off many written messages on the walls of the bathroom. (I had to do that often). One that I half-ass remember is

"Here I sit all broken Hearted, went to shit and only farted then one
day...."

For some reason I cannot remember the rest. It has stuck with me and want to know what the rest of it says. Anyone have a clue? Ad lib, if you will. Click on the "Comment" link below or send me an email with your suggestion for an ending.

Got It!

I think I got it. You can now suscribe to my blog and get updated through your email. All you have to do is click on the link just to the left and subscribe. You will only get an email when I add new content. As Feedburner puts it "No new content, no email for you"

Eagles

Hyperactivity, Sleepiness, And ADHD Often Improved After Tonsillectomy

Paul Harvey mentioned something today about a little boy may have been cured of his ADHD after getting his tonsills removed. For some reason this struck me. After telling my wife, her little reasearch found this. Interesting read....

I have to say that I think obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) seems to be the problem(after reading this) . Though I have not been diagnosted or feel that I haver ever had ADHD, Shelly seems to think that I have sleep apnea and if I have my tonsills out that will fix my problem of snoring and being tired all day. What do you think?

Now That's What You Call A Knife!

I have always enjoyed my Gerber. Even had Leatherman at one time, but I have never had an actual Swiss Army Knife. So, when I can come up with the mere $1200, I am going to get the

Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife!

Its got everything... (Click on the picture to get a closer look)

85 Implements 110 Functions

2.5" 60% Serrated locking blade,
Nail file, nail cleaner,
Corkscrew ,
Adjustable pliers with wire crimper and cutter,
Removable screwdriver bit adapter,
2.5" Blade for Official World Scout Knife,
Spring-loaded, locking needle-nose pliers with wire cutter,
Removable screwdriver bit holder ,
Phillips head screwdriver bit 0 ,
Phillips head screwdriver bit 1,
Phillips head screwdriver bit 2,
Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5mm x 3.5mm,
Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6mm x 4.0mm,
Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0mm x 6.5mm,
Magnetized recessed bit holder,
Double-cut wood saw with ruler (inch & cm),
Bike chain rivet setter, removable 5mm allen wrench, screwdriver for slotted and philips head screws,
Removable tool for adjusting bike spokes, 10mm hexagonal key for nuts,
Removable 4mm curved allen wrench with philips head screwdriver,
Removable 10mm hexagonal key,
Patented locking philips head screwdriver ,
Universal wrench ,
2.4" Springless scissors with serrated, self-sharpening design ,
1.65" Clip point utility blade,
Philips head screwdriver,
2.5" Clip point blade ,
Golf club face cleaner,
2.4" Round tip blade,
Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, can opener,
Golf shoe spike wrench,
Golf divot repair tool ,
4mm allen wrench ,
2.5" blade ,
Fine metal file with precision screwdriver,
Double-cut wood saw,
Cupped cigar cutter with double-honed edges,
12/20-Guage choke tube tool,
Watch caseback opening tool,
Snap shackle,
Mineral crystal magnifier with precision screwdriver,
Compass, straight edge, ruler (in./cm),
Telescopic pointer,
Fish scaler, hook disgorger, line guide ,
Shortix laboratory key,
Micro tool holder,
Micro tool adapter,
Micro scraper - straight,
Micro scraper - curved,
Laser pointer with 300 ft. range,
Metal saw, metal file,
Flashlight,
Micro tool holder,
Philips head screwdriver 1.5mm,
Screwdriver 1.2mm,
Screwdriver .8mm,
Fine fork for watch spring bars,
Reamer,
Pin punch 1.2mm,
Pin punch .8mm,
Round needle file,
Removable tool holder with expandable receptacle,
Removable tool holder,
Special self-centering screwdriver for gunsights,
Flat philips head screwdriver,
Chisel-point reamer,
Mineral crystal magnifier, fork for watch spring bars, small ruler,
Extension tool,
Spring-loaded, locking flat nose-nose pliers with wire cutter,
Removable screwdriver bit holder,
Phillips head screwdriver bit 0,
Phillips head screwdriver bit 1 ,
Phillips head screwdriver bit 2 ,
Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5mm x 3.5mm,
Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6mm x 4.0mm,
Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0mm x 6.5mm,
Magnetized recessed bit holder,
Tire tread gauge,
Fiber optic tool holder,
Can opener,
Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, wire stripper ,
Reamer/awl,
Toothpick,
Tweezers,
Key ring,

Actual Size: 8.75. W x 3.25. L
Weight: 2lbs 11oz
Limited lifetime warranty
Made in Switzerland

I've Concluded....

"I've concluded there was only one logical reason for removing the Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court building. You cannot post things like:"Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery," and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment."

Thanks Betty

Days Since.....

Real

No Shirt

Satan Goes To Church

Just minutes before the church services started the towns people were sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate. Soon, everyone had exited the church except for one elderly gentleman whosat calmly in his pew without moving, seemingly oblivious to the fact that God' s ultimate enemy was in his presence.

So Satan walked up to the old man and said, "Don't you know who I am?

The man replied, "Yep, sure do."

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Satan asked.

"Nope, sure ain't," said the man.

"Don't you realize I can kill you with a word?" asked Satan.

"Don't doubt it for a minute," returned the old man, in an even tone.

"Did you know that I could cause you profound, horrifying, physical agony forever?"

"Yep," was the calm reply."

And you're still not afraid?" asked Satan.

"Nope."

More than a little perturbed, Satan asked,

"Well, why aren't you afraid of me?

"The man calmly replied, "Been married to your sister for 45 years."

Ever Wonder?

Ever wonder what those little icons on your desktop are doing when your not watching. Maso Digital Studio gives you the

"Icon's Story".

Made Some Changes!

Added a few things to my blog.

Changed up the Layout of my blog and put in a survey on the left hand side of the page.

I also attempted to add a subscription list to it and found that it only works with the home pages of (these are RSS Feeds):

MY Yahoo!

Newsgator

My AOL

Rojo

Bloglines

Netvibes

and you can add to Google.

All this will do is add it to your homepage and not send it to your email, unfortunately. I will continue to work on trying to get a Free subscription services so all of you can get an email when I update my blog. (Does anyone know of one? Let me know) This may be confusing to some but when I get the bugs worked out it will work with out fail, so bare with me. Just keep reading and post all the comments you want!

Stupid Lawsuit

Dutch court denies suit of woman who claimed emotional damages after losing lottery

Tyla's Birthday

Its that time of year again when everything is non stop. Summer time, for my family, is the busiest. Around Tyla's Birthday seems to be more so than most times. And as everyone knows, Tyla just had her 10th birthday.

On a side note: I know this really means nothing to most but I found it neet: As everyone knows yesterday was 07/07/07, Tylas was born on 07/07/97. Its kind of cool, I think, for Tyla since something like that won't happen again for 100 years.

Anyway, we celebrated here Birthday last weekend. Tyla wanted a Ft Stockton Panther theme this year, with a Panther cake, blue and white streamers and paw prints everywhere. Funny thing was that it ended up being a Texas Longhorn party. Seems like Tyla ended up getting a little bit of everything with a Long Horn on it. Including a purse! (Thanks Mom, Dad and Rebecca) That just really got her hyped up and decided to paint her room, with orange Longhorns. Came home the other day to find little Longhorn outlines all along the east wall of her room.

Tyla will be going to Odessa today to spend a week with her Aunt Leslie, and as one final birthday gift, (almost regrettably) we desided to finish her room for her. Thats alot of work since she has got so much stuff. O'well, the things you do for your kids!!!

I am going to post 2 or three more times today so I can add a few more pictures, so keep reading.......

Forth of July

To kick off the city's Forth of July activities, Tyla and some of the other girls in Girl Scout Troop

# 102, presented the US and Texas flags to everyone participating in the festivities. She really enjoyed doing this but she says that it was hard for her to do. She said that the flag war really heavy. The girls held the flag throughout the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. I am very proud of her to say the least.

There did not seem to be much there this year so we did not stay very long. There was a few vendors there with some neat stuff but not much I would have wanted to come home with. Tyla decided to go play with one of her friends and Shelly, Brenton and I went and ate lunch. For the first time in a long time, I got to take a nap. Brenton and I took a 2 hour nap in my recliner later that afternoon. It was great!

Later that night we went off to the park for the annual fireworks show. This years fire works seemed to be better than I've seen before. Believe it was well worth fighting traffic for. Brenton was not really amused with it as much as I thought he would be. He did not fuss or fight. All he really wanted to do was sleep.

Brenton, The Puppy?

He may not be but he really likes puppy toys!

We normally have toys scattered all over the house but when they are put up Brenton's toys go in a basket beside the love seat and (our Boxer) Lola's toys (the ones she never plays with) goes in a bucket next to the stereo speaker. Brenton's first reaction when entering the living room is to head for Lola's toy bucket. He dumps it to find his favorite chew toy... a squeaky brush. He will crawl all around the house with this thing in his mouth. We are not sure why other than it happens to be the right size to fit in his mouth and it may be soothing his teeth? Still funny, besides.

Speaking of teeth, he now has his 2 bottom middle teeth, the left top middle in and the right one trying to come through. This teething bit is for the birds. When Tyla started teething, she got her first tooth and it was smooth sailing there on out. NOT with Brenton. He has fevers and is cranky a lot more with each one. They won't let him go to day care if he has a fever and he is the most cranky at night during all of this. Really can't wait for him to get out of this stage! I know Shelly will too. She is now trying to ween him since Brenton has bitten her one to many times. I think its time for him to get off the tit anyway. The little turd.... when its time "to eat" and I am in the room, Shelly will get the both of them ready and it never fails, he will look up at me, grin really big than go to town. (uggg so unfair.... LOL)

I know its been a while but life has been stupidly crazy. Busy just does not explain it clear enough.

Brenton is now 7 months old and is 20 lbs. (he really looks like my dad when he was this age. Have a great pic that I will post later.)

Brenton is doing his damnedest to crawl. He now get up on all 4's and can scoot his way across the floor. He was rolling over, and over, and over, and over.... to get where he wanted to go. Guess he figured out that the scooting was better. I will give him another week and he will figure it out!

His first tooth finally came through a week ago. (Thank You GOD!) It was the bottom middle, I think it will be the left side. The massive drooling has stoped and excessive crying for no reason has quit. I take that back, he does have his fits when its bed time and he is fighting sleep.

What about Tyla? My cute little girl, has now really become my our beautiful little lady. I could not ask for more! Her teacher has said that she is "her shining star!" Tyla's battle with dyslexia has become a victory for the school and Tyla! I AM SO PROUD! Any more said would be too much. Tyla is so great!

Thank you, Lord, for all you have given me. Both of my children have prospered and seen what a great life you have provided us. Please, be with the families of those who lost their children at Verginia Tech! AMEN!

First (Likely the Last) Snow for 2007

Wednesday produced a winter storm that I don't think anyone here in Fort Stockton has ever seen, (or they have not seen in many, many years.) I got about 3 inches in my front yard alone. This makes a few firsts for all of us. Tyla, 9, has never seen this much snow and ofcourse almost 5 month old, Brenton, had his first encounter with it. Shelly and I can vagely remember seeing this much snow. I don't really know that we ever had more than an 1/2 inch or so.

2007 Snowman

Tyla and her friend did a great job! It sure as hell beats our last snowman that I posted on

in January 2005!

Our Home

Our house looks completely different with a white roof and yard!

Please!

Hunter

Hunter is now a month old and he is growing strong. He was born on December 18, 2006. 2 months early, this child decided he had to live. With a months worth of tubes down his nose and up his butt, he is getting ready to go home.

You may not be able to tell but that is dad's (Shane's) finger that Hunter is holding

Missy, Shane... I pray God blesses you and keeps you safe. I pray that Tayler and Hunter are always watched over by his angels. IF I could be one of those angels, HE knows I would be there!

Starting Up the Year With A Blast!

The new year, so far, shows a promising prosperous one. At 17 lbs, Brenton is strong and healthy. Tyla is improving in school and is a fantastic BIG sister. Shelly is now part time at PCMH *(see note below), not PRN (meaning regular hours, not just when they need her). I am working more hours with a bunch of overtime at Lariat Services , so that means more money coming in. The bills some how seem to pile up at the beginning of year, so hopefully I will be able to take care of that soon. (I will post on our bill situation later....) All and All, we are doing ok. Making in through and getting by!

Tyla and Santa

I think I am going to have to be worried when Tyla gets older...... she is already flirting with Santa!

ATM Security Available But Not Used

I got an email from a friend that said...

Good Information. Please Read:

I just found out that should you ever be forced to withdraw monies from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. The machine will still give you the monies you requested, but unknown to the robber, etc, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you. The broadcast stated that this method of calling the police is very seldom used because people don't know it exists. It might mean the difference between life & death. Hopefully, none of you will have to use this, but I wanted to pass it along just in case you hadn't heard of it. Please pass it along to everyone possible.


This is good info if the technology was actually used by the bank. The Broadcast they are talking about is a San Antonio news story and you can see it here.

According to what I found, there is NO bank that uses the technology however it is available. Watch the video. It clearly states that it simply is NOT used. One website stated:

"Until [the technology is implemented], forwarding this message is ill advised. Since it is extremely unlikely to work, the "advice" in this message could actually be dangerous. Forcing a victim to withdraw money from an ATM is a high-risk, violent crime. If a victim enters a reverse pin at an ATM that does not have the safety pin system installed, he or she will receive an error message and no money will be dispensed. This delay could antagonize the criminal and increase the risk of violent retaliation."

Here is my advise: make sure and double check the truth in information like this before spreading it around. You could put yourself in more danger if you have the belief that something exists, when in fact, it more than likely does not.