Who I Am

Have you ever been so tired that proper functioning is really just not possible? I am in the middle of that place now. All last week I was just dragging needing to catch up on some rest but it wasn't gonna happen. You see, this past Saturday morning Pam and I got up and left the house at 7:00 to drive to Waco so we could go to her Dad's retirement party. We left the girls with my parents because the trip was going to be to short and well, too long. So we got to Waco around noon and hung out until around 6:00 then headed to the retirement party. It was a nice party. Besides my in-laws I'm pretty sure I knew no one, which is good cause that meant I could disappear in the crowd and didn't have to talk to much ;) After the party Pam's sister's and brother decided all us simblings should go out, so we did. We went to this sports bar place called George's and hung out and laughed and had a good time. We orginally were going to stay the night with Pam's Dad but when we found out he was leaving for Virginia at 5:15 the next morning we decided to stay with Pam's older sister Kasey and her husband Shane. So anyway, after hanging out for a while we went back to Kasey and Shane's and stayed up a little longer. I think we finally went to bed around 2:30. We woke up around 8:00 (ugh!) and had breakfast and hung out a little longer then hit the road back to Odessa. It was a long, long short trip. Pam and I crashed on the couch Sunday night trying to watch a movie and don't know that we have either fully woke up since. So here I am so sleepy I can hardly function and I have a test today in Abnormal Psychology which I didn't really get to study for because I was driving all weekend and at the same time trying to get ready for my first Statistics test that will be in a couple of days, along with reading 200 pages in my Cognitive Psych book so I don't completely bomb the next test coming up in a week or so. (It is a very hard class!!!!) Yet there is no rest for the weary! So now I have to log off now, run by Town and Country and get me 44oz. of my favorite lifeline (Diet Coke) and drive to Midland to go to my Statistics class, hopefully I won't fall asleep driving like I did on my way home from Waco but hey that's a completely different story :)

Tamara has recently discovered a new talent. I have to say I am rather impressed with this current display of , athleticism(???) Whatever you want to call it, it's cool and I sure can't do it. Believe me I tried and ended up on my back. So here are a couple of pics of my amazing spider kid.


Mommy admiring the talent!

She drops back to earth from there!!

Per a request by KJ here are a couple of pics of the new little rat we adopted. His official breed name is Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, they cost like $700 but we got him for free!! (that's the only way we would have gotten him) His name is Rufio, like the lost boy off of Peter Pan. (No we didn't name him) He also answers to Roofster, Froto and you stupid little dog. He is highly intelligent. We've had him since Friday afternoon and already he can sit, stay, lay down, dance, jump and we're working on speaking. The girls love him and deep deep down I'm sure I do too ;)

Don't let the innocent look fool you!!!!


Giving Kisses


Snuggling

We adopted a dog this past weekend. He is smart, young and energetic. He barks and barks and barks and barks and barks. He was supposed to be crate trained...he's not. He was supposed to be house broke...he's not. Last night I went to bed around midnight, he began barking at 1:00, by 1:45 he quit. 2:00 Pam started yelling at someone in her sleep, the dog began barking again, except this time he barked until 3:30. 3:45 Pam again started yelling at someone in her sleep, I in turn yell at Pam to be quiet and quit talking. The dog starts barking again. He barks until 5:30. At this point, I am resolved to not go in there while he is barking that will only strengthen his behavior. 5:45 he begins barking again he does so until my alarm goes off at 6:30. I wait...he goes 5 min. without barking, so I go in there and reward him with a treat and take him outside to go potty (which he never did). He just wants to play...HA HA HA!!!! You just kept me up all night and you want to play??!!! So I let him back in and wake everyone up, take my bath walk in my room and the little fur ball was asleep in my bed. UH, NO!!!! I holler at him, start barking and acting like a clinically insane person. If that little rat thinks he can keep himself and me up all night and then sleep in my bed he has another thing coming!!! He could stay out all night if he'd quit chewing stuff up and peeing and marking everywhere. So that's it, I feel like my mind is gone. I have huge bags under my eyes, my body aches and my motivation for this day is shot, just like that little dog will be if he puts me through one more night of barking hell!

The other night MaKayla, Tamara and me were laying on the couch playing and watching T.V. Tamara reached over and grabbed MaKayla by the leg and blurted out, "Your leg feels like a shaved puppy dog leg!" Me and MaKayla busted out laughing. Luckily it didn't hurt MaKayla's feelings but with as hairy a legs as her parents have she really doesn't have much of a chance anyway. (What am I talking about, Pam's legs are as slick as a thistle, I mean whistle!) Where Tamara thinks these things up, I will never know.

I'm sitting here in the library at school, working on homework and watching the Ryder Cup live on the computer at the same time!!!! How awesome is that? I don't know how much homework I'll get done but homework will always be there, I mean come on the Ryder Cup is only one once every two years. Life is good :)

On this day around 7:30 p.m. 9 years ago my life was forever changed. You see that is the time that Pam said "I Do." Is there any other 2 words that are more powerful when it comes to love? I Do promise to love you through good and bad, I Do take you as mine for the rest of my life, I Do expect you to make mistakes but will love you anyway, I Do want to have children with you, I Do want to grow old with you, I Do want to experience life with you and it could go on and on. When I was 19 years old I did not realize the power of these two words. I didn't realize how this simple phrase could transform two lives into one. Yet 9 years later, with many ups and down, laughter and tears and 2 beautiful children I fully understand the power of I Do. Without Pam saying "I Do," I don't know where I would be today. She said "I Do," want to be your girlfriend on June 21, 1998. She said "I Do," when I asked "Will you marry me," in Bronte, TX at a Town and Country March 20, 1999. Yet most importantly she said I Do when the preacher (Uncle Dave) asked "Do you take this man to be your husband?" Now everyday she looks me in the eyes and says "I Do love you more than than I did yesterday, more than words can describe." I hope she knows that "I Do" too.

I love that Fall is almost here! I love the smell of Fall in the air. I love the coolness in the mornings and the mildness through the day. I love that hunting season, football season and baseball playoffs are here. I love that we get to put out all the festive decorations. I love that Charlie Brown specials will soon be playing on T.V. to commemorate the holidays. I love that Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. Fall is my favorite time of year and today feels like fall and I love it.

As life rolls on and time flies by, there is so much that I just don't remember that well anymore. Sure I can stop and think back and try to reminisce on days gone by but there are just some things that when they pass, they are gone. Then there are some things that happen in life that you will remember vividly and can replay them over and over in your head like it just happened. I love those moments! I love those moments with my wife, and I love those moments with my girls. Over the past couple of weeks me and my girls have been going out bird hunting at our lease. The hunting hasn't been all that good, but the company and memories have been awesome. I cherish all the time I get to spend with them like this, because I remember like it was yesterday the time I spent with my dad like that. I hope I'm doing as good a job with them as he did with me. I pray that I can always remember each detail of our adventures together and when I'm too old and my mind has forgotten. that they'll still remember and retell the stories to me so I can enjoy them all over again.

It still hasn't worn off!

I took Nyquil last night...it still hasn't worn off!
It's gonna be a long day.

Okay, I realize I am not as young as I once was but this is really getting out of hand now. It's time I do something to regain my youth or it may leave me forever! Let me explain, as stated in a previous blog, I take more pills each morning than most 7o year old hypochondriacs. Now to add to this old age behavior, I have tons of gray hair to go with it and to make matters worse, a couple of my chest hairs are now turning on me as well. (They have been voted off the island) I find myself going to bed earlier and earlier, which isn't anything too disturbing since I have always been someone early to bed, but in the context of old age, it is! Now comes the kicker. I have to drive to Midland College twice a week for a statistic class that I need. It is exactly 24 miles from my house to MC. I have now found myself driving this long boring stretch of road at the whopping speed limit of 62 mph. Why 62 mph you may ask. Well it goes something like this, gas is expensive and I drive a 1993 Explorer. While it is still very dependable it lacks the ability of great fuel economy, so if I drive slower it gets better mileage. Still you ask, why 62 mph? Well, I refuse to drive 10mph under the speed limit but just going 5 mph under the speed limit seems like a waste of time. So there I am, driving down the stretch of road I used to push the speed limit to the max on, getting past by a 80 year old driving a 20 year old Buick Park Avenue. (and giving me a dirty look as she goes by) The bad thing is I enjoy driving at this speed! I kind of kick back, relax, put on a little Don Williams and let the good times roll. The reality of the situation is, my youth is rolling right out the window with it. So I guess that's that, I am officially the person I used to make fun of only a few short years ago. Stop laughing! This isn't funny, it is a serious matter that can only be solved with the purchase of a 2009 Chevy Camaro. I think the dealership will probably just wanna trade me straight up, my Explorer for their Camaro. (I mean that seems fair to me) Then we'll see who the old person is... I might even drive 68 mph in my new car, but at least I'll look awesome doing it!

When do you know that you are being the best "you" that you can be?

I read this quote today and it has really made me think. Hope all of you enjoy it as well.

The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.

Here I am sitting in the school library, trying to work on homework, only...THERE IS TOO MUCH NOISE!!! Keyboards clicking, sliding doors opening, non six inch voices from those in the library, the sounds of printers and copiers doing their thing and all of this is stopping me from concentrating. Oh but wait, imagine this... me sitting at a row of computers in the library with orange ear plugs I use for hunting in my ears, banging my head against the computer screen cause not only do I now look retarded but I can still hear the noise!!! I need quiet, I need solitude. I'm gonna go postal on all these people if they don't quieten down. Geez I have issues!!!