4.0/18 Wish I was that good with my bowl picks

Alright! Just checked my grades for the fall semester!

I have been fairly nervous for the last two and a half months about my Informational Literacy class. Through 12 credits I had a 4.0 GPA and was hoping for the same in the fall semester.

I have really desired to do very well in my MA at least better than my BA at TBC. Tonight I checked on my grades and got an early little Christmas present to learn that I kept the streak alive with an A in both classes.

Informational Literacy was a pretty tough test for me and now that I am past it I'm pretty happy! I guess my final project must have been good enough to pull me up into the A range. I was pretty nervous about the whole ordeal.

I am now half way through the program, both academically and financially, and I have obtained a 4.0 while raising kids with Samantha and having a full time job... one more year!

Concerning my bowl picks... could they get worse?

Wyoming won... that should have been my sign.
Rutgers did beat UCF as I suggested!
Middle Tennessee won.
BYU beat Oregon.
Utah thumped Cal.
And right now Southern Methodist is beating the daylight out of Nevada.

I guess I'll take the 4.0 over being really bad at selecting college bowl games.

Christmas in the Bag!

We've got Christmas set! The presents bought, the packages wrapped!

I believe that I am almost more excited as a Dad waiting for the 25th to watch my kids eyes light up! This year is going to be great!

We did about 2 hours of Swimming at Watiki on Sunday. After swimming we headed over to Outback... Samantha has never been there and it's probably been 6-7 years since I last had a bloomin' onion of there quality! We also had some lobster tail and steak.

On a side bar... Samantha has always been funny with her steaks. She's always been a believer that a steak is only done if it's dark brown from one side to the other. Lately she has decided that pink in the middle isn't so bad. So lately if she get a steak she order's it Medium and has a big smile on her face! It's almost as though she's discovered a new food!

After the Outback we had a lot of time left for the night so we decided to get an early start on the Christmas shopping. First stop was Toys-R-Us! This store has really been one of those necessary evils for us. At least 90% of the the stuff at Toy's-R-Us are things we would never want our kids to have. The other 10% is pretty cool. We've found some very cool items for Aundrea over the last several Christmas and Birthdays!

Aundrea and Tristan were whipped after a day of driving, swimming and shopping!

Monday we finished our shopping and headed home after a meal at a local Mexican restaurant. When we got home, we sent the kids to bed and then started wrapping presents (while watching Ben Hur).

Now with the kids (and Samantha...thank you Vegas!) done, I can sit back and wait for Christmas to get here!

Christmas Countdown

Ok so we're off to Rapid for some swimming at Watiki and to finish up our Christmas shopping.

We've got a lot left to get for the kids. I've don't think I could enjoy Christmas anymore now that we have kids!

I am fortunate in that Samantha's Christmas is settled as Vegas covered that for the both of us! Now we just need to worry about the two kids and maybe one or two things for the pups.

Christmas movies are really becoming a tradition in our household. With the invention of the DVR we've really been able to record a lot of good movies for later viewing. Aundrea is currently watching "Happy Feet" which isn't a big Christmas movie but is really funny all the same!

So far I've been very pleased with Aundrea's attitude towards presents and gifts. She is struggling a little bit with sharing again... which seems to be a cycle for her. We need to do a little better job of putting her in situations to share with Tristan and other children.

Tristan was given a big wheel at Grandpa and Grandma Strong's a week ago... you can tell that he absolutely love's being on it, but is frustrated that he can't touch the pedals yet.

Off to Rapid we go.

College Bowl Pick 'em

Here's my guesstimate on the Bowl's:

New Mexico- Fresno over Wyoming
St. Petersburg- Rutgers over UCF
New Orleans- Southern Miss over Middle TN
Vegas- Oregon State over BYU
Poinsetta- Cal over Utah
Hawaii- Nevada over Southern Meth.
Little Ceasars- Ohio over Marshall
Meineke- Pitt over NC
Emerald- USC over BC
Music City- Kentucky over Clemson
Independence- Georgia over Texas A&M
Champs Sports- Miami over Wisconsin
Eagle Bank- UCLA over Temple
Humanitarian- Idaho over BG
Holiday- Nebraska over Arizona
Armed Forces- Houston over Air Force
Sun- Stanford over Oklahoma (Joy say's the Okies)
Texas- Navy over Missou
Insight- Minnesota over Iowa State
Chick-fil-A- V. Tech over Tennessee
Outback- Northwestern over Auburn
Gator- Florida State over West Virginia (FSU can't lose BB last game at the helm)
Capital One- LSU over Penn State
Rose- Ohio State over Oregon
Sugar- Florida over Cinncy
International- NI over South Florida
Papa Johns- South Carolina over Conn
Cotton- Okla St. over Miss
Liberty- East Car. over Arkansas
Alamo- TT over Mich. State
Fiesta- Boise State over TCU
Orange- Georgia Tech over Iowa
GMAC- Central Mich. over Troy
BCS Championship- Bama over Texas (Combined score of 48)

Ok we'll see how I do, a few risky picks but we'll see... bring home the big money!

Feel free to tell me where you disagree!

Ebay and Used Jeans

So I'm known by my wife to have one or two cheap bones in my body. Now understand, I'm not cheap about everything... just some things... and jeans are one of my some things.

Jeans are perhaps the most overpriced item in all of the history of the world of clothes... ok so I've seen some thongs that are equally overpriced... but you wouldn't catch me dead in a thong!

Jeans to me are like the plague... I love to wear them... but I HATE to buy them. My rule on jeans is simple... if the number behind the dollar sign is "2" or higher then they stay on the hanger. That is unless the "2" is immediately followed by a decimal point... which trust me... doesn't exist!

Recently I had a rather brilliant idea. As I noticed that my closet jean selection was down to 2 I decided it was time to do the evil deed and purchase that third pair.

Now understand that down to two pairs of jeans for me is like telling a woman she only needs two pair of shoes... things like that just don't go over to well!

To further complicate my issues, one pair of my jeans is about 2 inches to short and are require that I sag the rear end a little more than I'm comfortable.

The other pair are something I found at Kohl's this past summer for $14... heck you can't beat $14 jeans!

The only problem is that I failed to understand the term "low cut" jeans. For me, I figured that this was something to do with the legs... perhaps even the crotch... I don't exactly enjoy feeling the crotch of my jeans! So low cut... heck yeah... bring those bad boys on!

Did I mention that I'm not overly excited about dressing rooms? I stay out of them... much like I stay out of thongs! This has led to a few issues over the years... most of which have been minor hiccups on my road of fashion. This time it really bit me in the butt... I mean like a rottweiler bite! Low cut actually means that from the crotch to the belt loops the jeans actually have less material... DANG.

My rear end isn't quite as slender as it once was and I'm not implying that it's shapely... it's just there!

I thought they only made low cut jeans for girls so that they could show off their thong? (wow not really sure why I keep bringing up thongs?) Guys are meant to have regular cut jeans... I ain't got nothing back their that I'm looking to show off!

To make matter's worse, the only store I have bought jeans at in the last 6-7 years is called Saver's... which specializes in used jeans and a lot of other garage sale items. It's not exactly American Eagle!

With all this drama, I decided that I would elevate my jean shopping experience by utilizing the single greatest internet website of the decade, Ebay!

After a great deal of browsing, I came upon a pair of Silver Tabs. If your not familiar with Silver Tabs, let me just say that they're like the best jean Levi EVER invented! At the time the jeans were up for only $2.50... that's like stealing candy from a baby!

So I did the math... I could bid $13 and with the $6.80 shipping fee I'd be at $19.80 and under that $20 window. DONE! I ended up with the winning bid of $12.50 and feeling very proud of my purchase!

That was until about 3:40 today. That's when I opened the mail to discover these...


Now I know what your thinking! They do look pretty good! Upon closer inspection I noticed a little surprise...


Darn it. Looks like a five foot four inch crack dealer wore out the bottoms running from the LAPD on COPS.

Just my luck. Maybe I should just stick to buying thongs?

One Year... and Counting

It's been difficult to imagine that our family has now been in Gillette for a year (as of TODAY)!

At times, it seems like only yesterday that we, along with mom and dad, made the finishing touches on the Uhaul and headed yet further West than Ellendale, North Dakota.

Looking at the past year, we have certainly had our good and bad moments! I have had a much more difficult time adjusting to the new locale and job than Samantha and the kids have in adjusting to the move.

In fact for the first 8+ months I really struggled with the move and my decision to move my young family out here. However, the last four months have been much better for me and have really helped me confirm my decision making.

I have also felt a little more goal driven this fall than I had in the past. Partially thanks to now being more than half way through my master's program and being able to see the end in sight. I have also had a great deal of motivation to at least attempt to pursue education beyond my master's degree, I'll complete this decision sometime in the summer and will hopefully have an answer in the fall.

Samantha and I have also discussed and come to some major financial decisions for our family that we have already begun to implement. Having a job that is rewarding of my time has been a big blessing over this past year, hopefully it will enable us to continue towards our goal of paying off a great deal of college debt. We've been adamant about not taking out another dollar in loans to pursue further education, good thus far!

Samantha and I have also wanted to expand our family by at least one more child. NO, I'm not making an announcement! Ellendale was enjoyable, but based on my salary we both recognized that it would be near impossible for us to have another child. It's now very much a probability! I'm sure at some point in 2010 or 2011 we'll have an announcement to make, but let's wait till then!

For the kids the year has been an exciting change. First, they've been able to see much more of me on a regular basis which we hope leads to benefits in the future. Tristan celebrated his first birthday shortly after we moved out, since then Aundrea has had her third special day!

This past summer was exceptionally special for us as we were able to take a six week hiatus and just enjoy one another and family! I think we put about 6,000 miles on the car this past summer, it's a vacation we won't soon forget.

Like all move's, we have had a few difficult decisions to make over the past year. The first came in the form of an almost move back a little closer to Samantha's family. At the time I believed it was a decision I was making more for Samantha, however I don't necessarily believe that now! Samantha would like to consider a move back to Minnesota in some point in her life but right now she seems to be content in living in a few places different than where she grew up. The job itself would have been a good landing for me and I still think it would have been a good fit. There were however a few issues that I tried to overlook in order to make the move. Samantha on the other hand looked at the whole picture and called me on it, thank the Lord for a good wife! Overall, I think we did the right think by staying put for now.

We have also wrestled with the idea of purchasing a house. It's easily been one area that I've struggled with. A house and land that we can call a home is something that I desire for Samantha and these kids. On one hand I believe that it represents stability, on the other hand I have no intention of making a long term commitment to Wyoming or paying into the ridiculous housing market of Gillette.

Another good move, but difficult decision for us, has been my acceptance of a baseball position with the local Legion team. The position will require that I commit to the program for much of the winter, spring, and summer, and it will severely limit our ability to travel on our own like last summer. However, they offered to allow my family to travel with us on road games, making the decision much easier for me. I have had other concerns taking the position as well but I'll spare you those! The financial remuneration will also assist us in meeting our family goals.

So here we are one year since a move that took us away from the only community Samantha and I knew as a married couple to a place that's different but has provided us with several positive experiences! In another year I'm not sure what I'll be reporting, but I can now say that I look forward to getting to that point!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

This past weekend was a memorable one! I managed to squeeze Friday and Monday off work as Samantha and I headed to Denver to fly out for Las Vegas, Nevada!

Ok, ok... here's where you insert all your "Christ-like" swear words about how bad Vegas is!

In reality, you haven't been there so pipe down!

For us it was a lot of fun! This was my third time to visit "sin" city and Samantha's first. I am finding a great deal of joy in traveling with Samantha to places she's never been! I think I'm happy just knowing that it's a new experience for her! It's so much fun to watch her enjoy a new experience!

Our decision to go to Vegas really began about a year ago, just after our decision to leave Trinity and head to Wyoming. It was there that Slivo and I had initially talked about meeting up in Vegas and hitting up the Brooks and Dunn concert with our wives in tow.

Two years ago Sliv's treated me to a trip to the Southwest United States that started and ended in Vegas but also included places like Sedona and Phoenix, Arizona; La Jolla and San Diego, California (where I witnessed the Lion's get THUMPED by the Chargers). That experience still resonates as one of the most enjoyable trips in my adult life. The highlight of the trip was no doubt listening to a tremendous Brooks and Dunn Concert at the Hilton in Vegas. To understand this concert imagine a theater that seats about 800 or so people with Kix and Ronnie rockin' out to Hillbilly Deluxe about 60 feet away... nothing will erase that memory in my mind!

You can't beat a Brooks and Dunn "My Maria"

I think this is about the time I wet my pants from anticipation!

This time around with B&D calling it quits we decided that we couldn't not take Essy and Samantha on the trip! So plans set and sleepless nights abound we headed down to Denver on Thursday and blasted off at about 6:34 on Friday Morning!

My date for the weekend was pretty alright! I mean who could beat the mother of my children!

Samantha was ecstatic! For a while I was certain her and Essy had picked up tickets to Chippendale's based on how excited she was... but I guess she was just stoked that we were leaving the kids behind and had the opportunity to spend some time with her husband and some very good friends!... (much to my joy!)

That's NOT a statue! This guy had me BLOWN away! I wish that I could control my body that well!

Once in Vegas we met up with Coach and Essy and headed out for GAMBLING AND ALCOHOL!!!!! WHEW!!!!! YEAH!!!!!! Ok... if you've never been to Vegas let me be serious... there's actually a PILE of stuff to do besides slots and beer! You know, things like blackjack and shots! Kidding... we actually became tourists! There are A TON of sights to see in the town! We checked out a lot of the major casino's and their free attractions! On top of that there are many non-casino related activities to enjoy, like shops such as F.A.O. Schwartz and ESPNzone... both are VERY COOL!

These two drink more "sweet tea" than the rest of the south combined!

On Saturday night we hit the concert! Unfortunately right before the concert Slivo said, "Concert's like these are sometimes not quite as good the second time around." DARN IT! He was right! Kix put down to much Tequila before coming on stage and they didn't let their electric guitar player jam like at the previous concert... dude can play about as well as I can eat!... YEAH, THAT GOOD!

Excalibur at night! In order to get this picture we went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower... it was around this time that Heights and Elevators make me sick... VERY sick!

The days were spent doing a great deal of sight seeing and eating! The Buffet at Paris is unlike anything I've experienced on Earth! WOW! Ok... imagine Old Country Buffet... except 10x bigger and 10x better... ok don't imagine OCB... just imagine REALLY GOOD FOOD!

The whole experience was absolutely great! You just can't beat an experience like Vegas! To put it calmly... Vegas is an absolute assault on your senses! It's an incredible place that is great for that 3-4 day gettaway... any more than that and your just being a putz!

Wouldn't it have been cool to stroll in their 40 years ago and hear Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra? We had fun! If you ever want to go to Vegas, call us up! My quiet chicka' from Minnesota is sold on the place!

They just might break my heart...

This will be a quick post...

I just wanted to comment a little on the Tiger's decision to trade away Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson.

First... CRAP... looks like we're priming to rebuild instead of take the bull by the horns.

Second, I really enjoyed Curtis in center and Edwin when he threw. I am a little annoyed by the clubs ability to trade them, particularly Curtis to the Yankees. That's not a good fit for him.

Well, actually for him it probably is a good fit, but I really didn't want to see him in pin stripes. He'll be protected in that lineup and will probably help the Yank's a great deal.

Edwin on the other hand was just beginning to show us what he could do. He had a power fastball and an excellent slider. I was most looking forward to his performance next season. I really believed that he had the ability to be "Cy" quality. Now he'll probably collect hardware with the D-backs. UGH!

On the the other side of the coin, the Tiger's were able to net "prospects" WHOOPTY! I grow weary of the MLB's crowning of blue chip prospects. Much like the NFL teams decision to hand out the BUCK's to college kid's to go pro, SILLY. So now we've got a few guys that are "can't miss prospects" for two guys that have proven they can get it done at the big leagues. That's trash.

Now understand, I will eat my words if the Tiger's steal the pennant in '10. I guess what I am saying is that I wanted to see them do it with the two they lost over the four they gained.

At any rate, the Tiger's never called and asked my opinion so I guess I'll buck up and pray that we just landed a superstar! Bye fellas... hello new guys!