"One Fruitful Christmas!!"

And man, did my kids get a haul! A basketball hoop, 63 cans of Play-D, and everything in between! Well, maybe not 63 cans. But a lot. And I better not see any of it on the ground! Ha ha...well, I won't get too mad if it's just a little bit.



Emmy got something she had been hoping for pretty much all year:


I'm glad Santa picked one up for her...now it's up to us to make sure we get to play too ha ha. Plus, ol' Mikey got a little something too. Hint: I'm the one wearing #9:


That "Friends" episode with Brad Pitt is on right now. This is definitely one of the top five faves in my book. It's a shame that Jen and him couldn't last longer then five years, but in Hollywood that's an eternity right? Heck, me and Cari will be six years strong next April. I can't imagine what 40 years will feel like. Six seems to have come and gone pretty quick but at the same time it seems like it has taken a long time to get here. I really don't feel like my life was anything interesting until I met her. Now there are so many things to look forward to. Can't wait.

Somehow, I got my computer up and running!! It had crashed (or so I thought) so I kept at it and got it to come back to life. Very proud of myself. Hey, I'll take what I can get. And now I can play my fave game. Here's a hint:


I don't know what it is about Roller Coaster Tycoon, but it really brings out something creative in me. If I had a dollar for every hour I have spent on this in my life...well...could probably buy a Kia.

Going to have a New Years' Eve party here tomorrow night! Pizzas, poker, and maybe a Smirnoff Pomegranite Twister for me ha ha. Good to have friends in this world. Got four coming over for a pajama party! Just might break out the ol' camcorder. Never know what will happen. Wish I had a connector kit so I could upload them on here. Then we'd have some fun. Maybe I will get one one day. Christmas 2013 maybe? Eh, maybe sooner. I love those new hard drive camcorders they have now. As soon as I start working somewhere...anywhere...hopefully I can get one.

I think we had a great Christmas. Can't wait until Zach is a little older. I think boys enjoy presents more then girls. We're so me me me all the time. Wish we weren't, but some things are hard to change sometimes. We must always improve ourselves a little each day.

"I've Got To Admit...It's Getting Better..."

A little better...all the time...can't get much worse. One of my favourite Beatles' songs just might apply here. Finally, after much ballyhooing and grandstanding, the state approved my unemployment claim. What is it with these people that they have to do this at Christmas time? I'm just thankful beyond belief that I didn't get screwed over (again). I guess when prayer is basically all you have, you really see what God can do for you. During this whole time I just kept wondering why me? Why did this happen to me? This will be priority one when I get to Heaven. Not that I'm being presumptious, mind you. I have to get there first right? That's my plan anyway. I just hate not knowing why lousy things happen to (somewhat) decent people. I'd really like some insight into that. One day.

Took the kids to the "flower gardens" Thursday. One plus of not working is being able to spend some time with them during the holidays. This was starting to be like the worst Christmas ever but now that we won't be broke it just might be great. We got to look at some groovy lights too.


I like this shot due to the waterfall picking up the flash from the camera.


This one I just love. Everytime I see it I will always wonder what they were thinking.

Christmas is three days away! Still hard to believe. I did pick up some egg nog the other day. It's just not Christmas without it.

"Merry Christmas?"

Well right now I really don't know if this is going to be a Christmas I look back on with too much good memory right now. The state is hemming and hawing about approving my unemployment which means we still don't have the money we might need to finish shopping much yet make sure our bills are paid. You know...sometimes it really feels like I'm being punished...but for what? All I do these days is try and go back to something truly awful that I did to have my life end up like this and I come up empty. Plus, the position I wanted at Cari's company decided I can't do it because we'd have the same supervisor. So now every department has my resume and is trying to get me in there since they seem to think I'd be a great fit. But who knows when this will happen, so I had better look elsewhere for the time being. Still praying daily and hoping God's will be done...in any capacity.

Okay, enough depressing talk. Tis the season right?

Emily found something she really wants this Christmas. And that something is:


Now, granted, she has been very good this year in school and at home, so why shouldn't Santa bring it to her right? Now I've mentioned to her that it had better not interfere with school and keeping her room clean. If it does...outtahere! Then of course I would get hooked on it. I already know what game I would get:


I'm not sure which mode of playing is harder...with real people or with computer folks. Hard to see if computer is bluffing but then again it's harder for them to see me bluff. Sometimes beginners can really clean up since they don't know how to bluff, then the rest of the table doesn't know what they have.

Here's a game Cari might like:


We all love this show. It's amazing how people let greed cloud their judgement when they think they have a lot of money in their little case. If I ever made it onto this show (and how exactly do ya get on there anyway? Do you have to live in New York or California or something? Arggh), I already have a target amount to settle for: $250,000. I've seen people with offers more then that turn it down thinking there's more to be had only to leave with about 25% of their offer. Greed. It's a wonderful thing ya know. There's a reason it's one of the seven deadly sins people.

Emily knows she wants the DS, but as to what game she wants, I don't know if even she knows. She'd probably enjoy this one though:


She loves these movies, which is cool because I enjoy them as well. So many little things you really have to watch close for and she doesn't miss them at all.

And finally, let's not forget the boy. Zach I think his name is ha ha. What game would he want? Well, since he won't tell me, I would say this one would suit him:


Kidding.

What about this one though?


This one I wouldn't mind playing with him. We'd need two DS's though. Maybe one day.

Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have some resolution on this whole unemployment thing. But I really shouldn't let these things spoil what is usually the happiest time of the year for me. Nobody should. This is the time of year of thinking about others and trying to help those less fortunate then us. And there is always someone less fortunate if you really think about it. I'm trying to think about it a little more ya know?

"They Say It's Your Birthday!"

Well it's my birthday too yeah! 33 years old today. Up until yesterday I was still feeling quite down about the events that had unfolded the last week. And then...I got the best present I could have imagined. Cari's office called me and set me up for an interview next Wednesday at CorpHealth in Fort Worth. And the best part is, it's a job that (hopefully) won't be too much time on the phone. After what happened at lousy Aegon, I'm not too big of a fan of customer service jobs. I'm slowly moving past the grave injustice that has been thrust upon me. And if you know anything about me, you would agree it was an injustice.



Found this from Dr Smoov the other day and never have I laughed so hard. What's unfortunate is that as against swearing as I am, it's the swearing that makes this so funny.

So what do I want for this, my 33rd birthday? Mmm, to be honest with you I don't really know. I've asked for gift cards to a few places, but that's about it. We're going out tonight for a little bowling plus my free birthday meal at Taipan, can't forget about that. Then tomorrow we're going to my mom's house since mine and Keri's birthdays are so close together we'll do the two-for-one special ha ha. I hope she likes what we got her. Actually what Cari got her. I love her. She really goes out of her way to really get a great present for someone. If it were up to me I'd get everyone gift cards and call it a day ha ha. Actually, in 1999 everyone got Circuit City gift cards which I ordered online. I'm just so bad at getting everyone a specific present just for them but Cari never seems to have that problem. I try to tell her how much she means to me as much as I can but it never feels like enough.


Zach: "Dad, are we living the High Life?"
Me: "Oh we sure are! Although I am a little worried about the guy in the boat behind you."

Took Zach to the park Wednesday. It was F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G!! Zach didn't mind though.
It's been really cool spending time with just him this week. Not that I don't want Emmy with me as well. He just seems a little calmer when he's not being chased or being asked to chase someone else ha ha. He is so entertaining. And I can sense he will be compassionate and sharing to other people one of these days. Once he can talk a little better there will be no stopping him.

Wish me luck next Wednesday. If I get this then it will be just a little clearer why what happened happened.

"Ups And Downs"

Often, we find that life is about ups and downs. Sometimes we're on top of the world. Other times you just wonder if God has a personal grudge against you. Unfortunately, this week I'm feeling like the latter. Aegon decided to fire me last Friday for, now get this: using profanity while I was on the phone. Is that not the craziest bunch of crap you ever heard in your whole life? Another employee was sitting with me my first day on my own and, after muting the caller, said some choice words when he had to actually do something and help me. Well, some supervisors listened to the call and made up their mind that it was me that said those things and when I wouldn't say that it was me that said it, they decided to let me go. I don't cry very much but I did this day. It still feels like some awful dream. I still cannot believe that something I had worked so hard for and actually feel like I deserved is gone. I guess that's life eh? I can't let it ruin my holiday though. I really hope this is some part of God's path for me. He knows I would never jeopardize my job for a stupid reason like that. But He doesn't have to worry about money, does He? At least I don't think He does.

Saturday we went to Emily's Girl Scout Birdfeeder party at one of my favourite places, the botanical gardens. Here's what happened:


Emmy: "Hey Dad, why are there penguins at a birdfeeder party? Don't they eat fish?"
Me: "Well...yeah...hmm..."
Zach: "Gee Dad, the answers don't come very fast when you're dealing with penguins do they?"
Me: "Oh Zach, penguins love to eat little boys."
Zach: "I'll be good."


Me: "Hey Cari, um...we're not supposed to eat those."
Cari: "But Mike, this apple has peanut butter and birdseed all over it! It's so yummy!"
Me: "Lemme get a fork."


Zach: "Stop throwing leaves on me! My allergies! Where's my Singulair? My Allegra? My Astelin nasal spray?"
Me: "Gee man, how many allergy meds are you on?"

Good times.

Then we put up our tree yesterday.



Here are some of our prize-winning* ornaments:







Good times.

And finally, what pre-holiday period would be complete without Emmy's letter to Santa. Let's see what she asked for:


Will she get any of that? Well, we'll just have to wait and see I guess.

I'm not as bummed out right now as I was last week. Hopefully if I do enough looking and searching, something really great will present itself. I can always get the house cleaned up really nice. Might as well be useful in any capacity I can right?

"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...."

mmm, something, right? Now that Texas has caught up with the rest of the hemisphere and the temperature has dipped below 60, now I can start getting excited about this, our holiest of holidays, Christmas! People have started putting their lights up on their houses and the air smells like fireplaces and ovens baking my favourite treats. I really am a big kid sometimes. Lately though I have tried to be more responsible with some of the adult things that I need to put first. Namely parenting. For example...

Emily's room is usually a mess. Now I'm all for respecting people's personal space because that's how I like to be treated. But her room lately has been the scene of several spot tornadoes. As soon as we get it all picked up, BAM! It's a disaster again. So we tell her she cannot come out until it is cleaned up. And...an hour goes by...so I go in there and:

1)the room is no closer to being picked up then it was when she sent in there
2)Zach has marker all over the back of his neck
3)the WALL has marker all over it! Did the marker match the colour of the paint? Nope.

Then when we asked her how it happened she lied and said it was an accident. You know...it's days like that when I just take a step back and say to myself "Am I doing any of this right?" I know I'm no foremost expert on raising kids like other people, but I pride myself on listening to my kids when they have something to say. Gotta keep those channels open ya know. One bad day does not a kid make. I must remember this.

A while back I mentioned my top five favourite toys. Since I haven't put up my tree yet, thus I don't have any pics of it yet, here are my choices for six-ten:

#10. Sideswipe Machine Wars


I bought this guy in 1994 because, quite frankly, it was one of the only ones I could find. What seperates him from the other molds is that he is made out of metal, not plastic. And yes, those are real rubber tires lol.

#9. Star Wars Destroyer Droid


It was very hard to find this in the store. I think I got it at StarWars.com. One heck of a security system. Force fields plus one trick after another = awesome.

#8. Superman 8"


Nothing more classic then the Man Of Steel preserved perfectly. And I don't mean unopened. I mean the build, the face, the colour scheme...don't change a thing!

#7. Thundercracker from Transformers the Movie


What's cool about this guy is he was upposed to be in the movie (along with a host of other characters) and for some reason wasn't. Sure, it's the exact same mold as Starscream but the colours are much cooler and he may be a must-have for someone down the road.

#6. Neo from The Matrix


Watched this Saturday as it was raining plus 40 degrees plus I had four kids to hang onto. Forgot how truly groundbreaking this was. Could watch it over and over if I had to. But, I don't. Probably for the best.

When I get my tree (with all my wicked cool ornaments) up I will post again. Now that I have a better camera I can really capture its magic. I'm working on a wish list but I'm not sure what I would add to it. Sure I'll think of something though.
What do YOU want for Christmas?

"It's Thanksgiving!"

...and if some of you have been wondering where I have been lately, it hasn't been in the kitchen cooking! I will make something today though: green bean casserole. Two of them actually. Apparently we make it so good that it's all anyone requests us to bring anymore. Or maybe because it's so easy to make I can't possibly screw it up ha ha. No, the truth is, ever since Yahoo! moved all my photos to Flickr, I have been getting them organized in semi-annual sets and all-encompassing collections. And man, what a trip down memory lane it has been! But now I believe I am finished with all of that. Organizing the pictures I mean, not going down memory lane. I'll never stop doing that ha ha.

103.7 Lite FM here in Dallas started playing Christmas music about three weeks ago. Now for the last three weeks it has been about 80 degrees. Plus...Christmas was 2 months away! Very strange. But today, the high is 57 degrees and people are firing up their fireplaces, so now when you go outside it feels like Christmas. And Thanksgiving. All at the same time.

Today we are going to my grandmother's house since everyone in the family has decided to not be around this weekend for one reason or another. It's bad enough that although we all live like 30 minutes from each other we only get together three times a year. It could be more. It should be more.

So here are a few flashbacks to see where we have been and where we're going:

Zach new to the world


Zach now


Emily in 2004


Emily today


My, how they grow.

What are you thankful for?

For me, I'm very thankful this job I have started is finally out of the training phase and now we can start to feel productive. If I can make this a success it just might do something for my ego. Not that it needed to get any bigger mind you, but there's something about being in a company that is beyond generous. Pharmacare could have been like that, but they chose to skimp and cheapskate their way through life. I'm also thankful I don't have to worry about anything or anyone from there ever again.

And, I'm thankful for my family. Big surprise right? ha ha. When people...complete strangers, mind you...make a point of coming up to us and telling us how adorable our kids are, it really is neat. Now I already knew they were cute. But it's nice to have some reiteration every now and then.

"Turning A Corner..."

Is that what I'm doing? Man, I sure hope so. By this time next week we will be absolutely fantastic in the finance department. We have my 2 week check, Cari's 2 week check plus her severance check all coming in that day. Which means hopefully we can get off of this paycheck-to-paycheck "schedule" we've been on and start to move ahead. Why is this so important? Because for the last seven years we haven't been able to keep ahead of the demand for bills with the incomes we have made. Not once have we had an extra paycheck from either one of us and said "Hmm...what to spend it on...hmm". It always went towards a bill. Now we've always managed to stay on top of our bills, but just once I'd like to go to our bank website and see a savings account in the 5 figures. We had it up to 4 figures at one point but as what always happens, life comes at you and you have to do what it takes. I saw on TV a long time ago you need to have six months' worth of your monthly bills saved up at all times, just in case something were to happen. I never lost sight of that being one of the major goals in my life. So this shall be a project for us. Can we do it? Well, time will tell. One problem I always had was anytime I'd start a new job, for some reason I'd start thinking about what I can get away with. Come in late? Leave early? Do this? Do that? And man, has it made for some uncomfortable "sit-downs" with bosses over the years. But with Aegon, it's different. It has to be. No more of that. Because it's not just me who has to worry about working here. Now there is a family, a mortgage, a car payment, etc. that depend on me. Is it scary? Maybe just a bit. But the benefits far outweigh anything else. Instead of going somwehere ordinary for our vacation, now we have options! Now what those ae I don't know lol. Would love to go see New York with my own eyes instead of what tv has to offer. I must stay on the right path if I want to retire with them. And I think I do!

Okay, enough work talk. Now as some people know, I am a collector of action figures, toys, etc. But what are my five favourite? It's tough to narrow them all down to a list that short. Maybe that's what is so much fun about it ha ha. So here we go:

Number five:


The BMW Z4 (or is it Z3) my mom got me for Christmas about 10 years ago. It's very detailed, and man is it big! My camera really picked up the lines and curves. My mom has given me a lot over my life. Which means if she needs anything, all she has to do is ask. Unless it's helping her move. She can call movers for that ha ha.

Number four:


Now surely we all know what this is! My sister got me this for my birthday last year. Does she know me or what? My favourite movie (or rather one of my faves) and now I have the car to go with it.

Number three:


Oh yeah! Now we're getting into my fave faves! I absolutely love the detail on this guy. Even down to the GMC logo on his grill, if I were to open one of my items, I'd start with him. I'm very glad I got him when I did because he is nowhere to be found in stores. I might could get him online if I really wanted to. It's just there is no feeling like discovering something that everybody else missed. If I get it online, there's no real adventure. Now if it were something I had to have, that would be a different story.

Number two:


I think I knew all along if I ever saw this version of Bumblebee I would snatch it up in a heartbeat. Wasn't really a fan of the old Camaro but this one definitely caught my eye. It's a 2008 Chevolet Camaro concept car!

And the number one favourite collectible is...

(drum roll)


Speed Racer!! Hey, was there ever any doubt? I wish I knew how much this thing was worth. I know there are collectors of this guy who wouldn't mind having this. Butthat doesn't mean I'd be willing to part with it anytime soon. Plus, there's a live action movie on the way which I wouldn't mind seeing.

I might have to create a number 6-10 list in the near future as well. Believe me, it wasn't easy narrowing these down. But it sure was fun.

One more week of training, then I actually have to work. Looking forward to it though. Lately I'm not one who wants to sit idly by while life goes on. I plan to look back on my years with fondness, not regret. Too often people find themselves 80 years old and wondering if they did enough. Now I know I can't stop getting older, but I can make sure every day is something special. We only get about 30,000 of them.

"They Say It's Your Birthday..."

...well it's my birthday too yeah! Well, not mine just yet...but Zach sure had one to remember! We had his party last Saturday plus we had our Halloween block party last Wednesday! Let's go to the highlights:


Emmy: "Dad, can we go on the hayride?"

Me: "Sure! I just need $5 for gas...and some hay...and a truck..."

Zach: "Man, what a rip off..."


Me: "So Zach, how do you like the t-shirt I gave you?"

Zach: "What does this say? 'I Get My Good Looks From My Dad'? I thought you said lying was a bad thing Pop!"

Me: "Well...I didn't really think it was a lie...excuse me..." (goes off and cries)


Emmy: "Ooh, this outfit will look just smashing on you Zach!...Zach? Where are you?"

Zach: "Can't...talk...drowning...in...own...presents..."

Well, there are a few highlights of our week. Zach is now officially two and now we can start having a little fun with something called: potty training! He was really getting into it a while back and then he discovered it was more fun to keep playing and let the underwear do the work...aye carumba. He'll get there though.

Finished my 4th week of training at Aegon. Now it's all starting to make sense now that we are going through all the motions instead of just sitting there taking notes and feeling drained at 5pm each day. Everyone seems to think I'll be really good at it. That's enough for me lol.

One of my favourite movies is The Breakup with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. Cari keeps asking why I like watching how our marriage is lol. Personally I don't think I'm as bad as Gary (Vaughn). The clincher was at the beginning when the dishes needed to be done and Gary finds himself on the couch playing Grand Theft Auto which ultimately leads to them going their own ways. For a kid who was literally obsessed with Atari 2600 back in the 80's, I find myself very afraid of having any kind of game system for fear of having two kids who don't want to play outside anymore because hey, why should we when we can sit on our butts and stare blindly at pixels? Right now they love being outside doing whatever and I hope that never changes. Maybe one reason I enjoy this movie as much as I do is because I hope I never find myself as thoughtless and inconsiderate as Gary. Sometimes I feel like I am though. Always a work in progress I am.

"Memories..."

"...light the corners of my mind...misty, watercoloured memories...of the way we were..."

You know...we all have certain memories that we hold very dear in our lives. Now even though I did a few things outside of the house when I was younger, most of what I remember came from watching TV. Sad? Maybe. But the fact that I have retained most of what I did as a kid should disprove the myth that TV rots your brain. Au contraire, mon frere. While I don't like my kids sitting around on a beautiful day watching the ridiculous Saturday morning cartoons they have on these days, I know that there are some things they can watch that will come in handy later in life. But man, have you seen the shows they put on these days? They're terrible! So if you will allow me, let me take you through sort of a timeline of TV shows I enjoyed and what they mean to me now:

The Banana Splits

Age: 6
Every day after school I would rush home and watch these gigantic animals that I thought were fake but had no way to prove it run around and get into all kinds of trouble. Even though it came out in 1968 our lovely community played reruns right at 3:30 knowing kids got home around that time. There was a CD that came out about 10 years ago where recording artists covered and Juliana Hatfield covered this one. Rox!

Hulk Hogan's Rock 'N' Wrestling

Age: 12
At the time WWF was HUGE thanks to guys like the Hulkster who knew how to make fake wrestling appeal to anyone. I would have watched this show a lot more except my parents enrolled me in this karate class which happened to be the exact same time as when this came on! I was robbed! Looking back now this clip is one of the worst things I have ever seen...but then it was my favourite thing to do Saturday morning. I'll never have those days back but at least I'll always have this.
F.Y.I: No one ever used their own voice. So someone was getting paid for impersonating Hogan, Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, and so on. What a gig.

You Can't Do That On Television

Age: 15
This one you may have never heard of. It was huge in Canada though. Before Kid Nation came along, there were these kids who put on a show of their own. If you watch this clip, see if you can guess who the girl in the red shirt is. The answer a little later. When we were living in Canada (Toronto to be exact) in the late 80's it was quite a culture shock for me. So, as usual, I turned on the TV to see what was on. There was something about this show that clicked with me. Their humour was my kind of humour. Nickolodeon aired it down here for a while but it wasn't for long. Sometimes I miss the days when I would watch it because it seemed like as soon as I had found it, we moved back to Texas. Gotta love YouTube eh?

Wel, the trip down Memory Lane must divert back to the present day as today we are having Zach's birthay party! He's gonna be two...and there is just something very hard to believe about that. I still remember the day he was born...and I'll never forget how we must enjoy life in our own way. I'm sure I'll have some pictures of the festivities on here before I know it. And here's hoping thee will be some better cartoons on Saturday morning. Like...Transformers? They should totally bring that back!

Oh yeah...the answer to who's in the clip! Well, You Oughta Know who it is by now! I mean...it is so Ironic that she was in Canada while they were filing this show.

"After Dark In The Park!"

Every year the Living Science Center in Legacy Park (long name right?) has a Halloween party. We went last year and had such a great time we decided to go this year too! Something for everyone. Here's what happened:


Zach: "I see markers but no knives! How's a brother supposed to make a jack-o-lantern around here!?"
Me: "I don't think these pumpkins are for carving there..."
Zach: "Ehh...probably for the best. Kids shouldn't have knives anyway, right?"


Emmy: "Hey Dad, do you like my ghost hat?"
Me: "Um...that really looks fashionable there..."
Emmy: "Well, I didn't get it for a fashion statement! I got it to keep ghosts away!"
Me: "Hmm...yeah...that was $9.00 well spent..."


Emmy: "How do you like my ghost art Dad?"
Me: "I thought we got you that hat to keep ghosts away!"
Emmy: "Oh yeah...think we can get your $9.00 back?"


Emmy: "Okay Zach, just remember the routine we rehearsed!"
Zach: "Hey, this is a bounce house, not Soul Train!"
Emmy: "Look, dance the routine or I'll have Guy Smiley over there knock ya down."
Zach: "And a one, and a two..."


Two Coopers full of lit-up jack-o-lanterns...what else can ya say about that?


Zach: "I'm ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille!"

Finished my SECOND week at Aegon, and I would have to say it went a lot better then the first week. Now we're taking what we learned and finding it in their system. Our trainer actually told me she thinks I'd be a real asset since she has observed me picking this stuff up really well. Really makes me feel great knowing someone sees that in me. I've actually hated most every job I ever had. Either it was too much manual labour or the pay was awful...always something. But with this place it is shaping up to be the company I can see myself retiring from. We have learned a lot about just how many benefits there are with a long term care insurance policy. Who knows, I may even need some of them when I turn 80 lol. There's so many I won't list them, but every contingency has been thought of and planned for. No one wants to go into a nursing home, but wouldn't it be nice knowing the $5,000 a month bill was taken care of due to you thinking ahead and having a policy in place? And no, I don't get commission ha ha.

Monopoly is back at McDonald's. Wouldn't it be nice to get Park Place and Boardwalk and win a million dollars? Or maybe a free burger. Either one would be cool with me.

"Greatest Book Ever!"

Found this at Borders a few weeks ago. Actually Cari found it, but something told me I would want to get this book.





Unfortunately there was no mention of my favourite toy...(sigh). However, I DID find a book at local competitor Barnes & Noble that had each and every Transformer appraised including pictures. It was $25 but Cari hinted that she might get it for me for my birthday.

Finished my first week at TransAmerica, and to be honest, my brain is officially fried lol. Just a rush of information and terminology and what have you. Kind of dreading going back Monday but I'm not sure why. Self-doubt, no matter how miniscule it is, tends to stress me out. Just have to remember I belong there. I belong there.

If you were in prison, what would you choose for your last meal? No, no one I know is going to prison ha ha. But I wonder if what you chose would provide some kind of insight into one's psyche? Here's the menu:

one(1) appetizer
two(2) meats
two(2) side dishes
one(1) vegetable
one(1) fruit
one(1) drink
one(1) dessert

For me...ME...I would choose:

fried rice from Sake
chicken crispers from Chili's + prime rib from Steak 'N' Ale
hash brown casserole from Cracker Barrel + mashed potatoes from Boston Market
carrots
kiwi
Dr Pepper
strawberry shortcake from Cheesecake Factory

Man oh man would I be full when they threw the switch! But would I be in a place to complain? Really? I have no doubts where I'm going once I take my last breath. Hopefully God doesn't think I'm being arrogant. A part of me doesn't think we have the right to take someone's life via execution. However, if we don't, who's to say they won't kill again? Hard to take that chance I suppose. All I know is I don't plan on taking anyone's life anytime soon, provided I never have to defend myself of my family. If they were part of the equation, then all bets are off. You don't mess with a man's family.