Clickety-Click-Click

Horses in the Mist

2011-04-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

Foggy morning. Snapped this on the way to work. Hard to resist fog photos. And yes...I said "horses". Look closely.

Going Batty

2011-04-07T18:00:00.003-05:00

Tonight was the first game of the first tournament of the new baseball season. You can tell some of the kids got new bats this year because they're hanging up in the bat rack rather than lying on the ground.

Taking Flight

2011-01-02T21:40:00.002-06:00

There were thousands of geese sitting on the ice by the Coleman plant. That's what caught my eye. Just to see them so thick and content sitting all together on the frozen pond. As I approached to take a picture through the chain link fence surrounding the campus, they took off. So, I captured what I could.

Cold Flame

2011-01-01T22:16:00.003-06:00

Cooking salmon patties on the grill in the backyard. Trying to keep that fishy smell out of the house. It's 20º outside.

Duke

2010-10-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

Watching my BIL's and SIL's dogs while they are camping in the Canadian boundary waters. This is Duke. He moves a lot. I'm glad he knows his name because I could never catch him.

Artistic Fall

2010-10-19T22:34:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite parts of going to parent-teacher conferences is getting to see the artwork the kids have been making. I thought Amber captured the Fall season perfectly in this piece.

In the Bag

2010-10-18T22:30:00.000-05:00

Spare me your safety stories this picture might trigger. It's no different than putting a plastic mask over your face on Halloween. Except, this made me laugh. I bring home gifts from our trip and this is what entertains her.

The First Church of Basketball

2010-10-17T22:27:00.001-05:00

In our house, Sunday means church. So, why not one more picture from Late Night in the Phog?

Champions!

2010-10-16T22:19:00.001-05:00

The weekend in Lawrence continues. If you're a K-State fan, you won't know what that glass-like trophy is above, but KU fans do! That was a great year! National champions! Speaking of champions...

...this is my champion right here. Future Jayhawk answering the question "What's Your Wingspan?". He's not quite to Cole Aldrich's span yet, but the boy is just in junior high. There's still time.

Beware of the Phog

2010-10-15T22:13:00.001-05:00

Andrew and I made I first journey to Late Night in the Phog. It was everything we thought it'd be and more! We met up with my brother and his family. My mom was there, too. What a great night to watch the Kansas Jayhawk's basketball season get underway! I love this time of year!

Beginning of the Fall

2010-10-14T22:10:00.000-05:00

Car Wash

2010-10-13T21:53:00.000-05:00

The birds on the tower behind the TV station must not like my car. I walk out at lunch and my car looks like it has a bad case of acne that decide to all erupt at once. Ugh. The $5 car wash down the street does a great job of cleaning up messes like this and makes my tires look like new.

Killer Hamburgers

2010-10-12T21:50:00.000-05:00

Snapped this outside one of my favorite burger joints in town. Makes you want to eat there, doesn't it?

Beginning of Basketball

2010-10-11T21:46:00.000-05:00

Amber had a basketball clinic tonight. This is her third year in the program and she gets better every year. I like this gymnasium. It's older and has a little character to it. This place gets LOUD on game days!

Prairie Fire Marathon

2010-10-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

Somewhere in this throng of people are many friends and my brother. They're getting ready to run a half-marathon. Me? I'm standing around drinking cappuccino and taking photos. I've been training for awhile now.

Connecting the Course

2010-10-09T21:35:00.001-05:00

My brother is in town to run in the Prairie Fire Marathon tomorrow. He's actually running the half marathon. Tonight we drove the course so he'd be familiar with it during the run in the morning. Toward the end of the course, he'll be running by the Keeper of the Plains.

Heading Home

2010-10-08T21:31:00.000-05:00

Nothing special going on today. So, I snapped a picture on the drive home.

Special Visitor

2010-10-07T21:29:00.001-05:00

A co-worker and his wife just had their first baby recently and today, they brought him around for a visit. Cute kid.

Glee Package

2010-10-06T21:24:00.000-05:00

I learned that a Twitter friend was a fan of Glee so I sent her a Glee cap. I wonder if she'll scream with Glee when it arrives?

Glowing Basketball Tee

2010-10-05T21:47:00.003-05:00

In a scramble to find something to snap a picture of tonight, I went outside with a flashlight to try and find a different point of view. Andrew was out with me and as the light moved across his shirt, I saw the glow. So, I told him to stand still, I pointed the flashlight at him and clicked (well...there wasn't actually any clicking. I just pressed OK. But, the word click jives with the name of this blog). And now, I share it with the world! It's almost basketball season anyway. Just a couple more games before the end of his season.

Longneck

2010-10-04T22:28:00.002-05:00

Andrew goofing around in front of the fun mirrors at the roller skating rink. All I gotta do now is get him those silver rings to wear around his neck.

Creeper

2010-10-03T23:21:00.003-05:00

Of all masks I've ever seen, this one always creeps me out the most. We were out shopping for a costume for my daughter that wasn't all hooched out. No dice. We found one online that seemed fitting for a girl in elementary school that didn't involve fishnet stockings, a halter top, mini skirt, pumps, or suggestive phrases across the chest or backside. Seriously, costume shops...grab a clue. You didn't get my money because you want my 8 yr. old to look like a tramp. You failed. You might think about that next year.

Cold Turkey

2010-10-02T23:17:00.000-05:00

Andrew went hunting today with his Uncle Kurt. Long story short, he got two turkeys with one shot. What a sharp-shooter.

Waterline

2010-10-01T23:13:00.000-05:00

Another tough night for the high school football team. But, on another note, I like the contrast this image of water bottles against the turf provided.

Car Wash

2010-09-30T23:11:00.000-05:00

I think the birds behind my office hate my car.

Spiral Upward

2010-09-29T22:00:00.001-05:00

At a sneak peek for "The Social Network". This hangs above the lobby of the movie theater.

Glee Goods

2010-09-28T20:32:00.002-05:00

As part of a contest at work, we gave away a Glee Prize Pack to sweeten the pot a bit. This show is so popular, these items probably could have been the grand prize!

Walking It Old School

2010-09-27T22:11:00.004-05:00

I forgot to charge my Zune last night. How was I supposed to exercise this morning without music? Not possible, I say! Good thing I still have a walkman lying around. I popped in a couple of double-A batteries and fired it up. It worked great! Going retro saved me today. Thank you, antiquated technology!

Fireworks Finale

2010-09-26T22:03:00.001-05:00

Tonight wrapped up Valley Center's Fall Festival for 2010. A magic show, a concert by Of The Rescue, good food, seeing old friends and making new ones. The weather was great and the temperature was cool. Cool enough for wearing jackets. I snapped this photo of the fireworks finale. If you look at it right, it looks like a glowing dandelion, don't you think?

Fall Festival

2010-09-25T21:57:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest nights of our year! Every year, we look forward to this day. It's so much fun. The morning parade, the delicious food, the carnival, it's all great! But it's the community of people we enjoy more than anything. Still, the food is pretty darn good!

Hornet Homecoming

2010-09-24T21:53:00.002-05:00

Spotted on the sidewalk near the football stadium before tonight's homecoming football game.

Creative Corner

2010-09-23T23:05:00.003-05:00

That's what we call our area of the office. The Creative Corner, because we create creative things, videos, artwork, ideas, etc. Should we be creative and use K's? Kreative Korner. Hmmm. Not sure. Anyway, I always thought it'd be cool to have saloon doors to the entry of our production department. It was just an idea. But, all I had to do is say it out loud, and the newest members of our team made it happen! How cool is that? I need to speak out loud more often.

Fall Is Coming

2010-09-22T22:59:00.000-05:00

He lives in our front yard, just on the south side of the driveway. Every year, this guy puts on a fantastic show. Take a good look now. He's about to blow our minds with the most vibrant colors as Autumn begins tonight. He never disappoints. We should sell tickets.

Last Day of Summer

2010-09-21T22:53:00.002-05:00

Sign of the Times

2010-09-20T20:32:00.002-05:00

You should see our freezer right now. There's probably room for a couple more deer or a few turkeys. Speaking of which, Andrew tells me that turkey season opens in a couple of weeks, and they saw like 30 of them out at the hunting site. It could be a very good Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And New Year!

First Deer

2010-09-19T20:08:00.001-05:00

This week, the state of Kansas allowed youth hunters to go hunting for deer before the grow-ups take a crack at it when the season opens next week. Andrew went out with his Uncle Kurt last weekend but didn't have any luck. They saw a lot of turkeys, though. They gave it another shot yesterday and didn't see a thing until they climbed out of the blind and there were three deer standing there. Shucks! Because of that, they gave it another shot today, the last day. Lo and behold, those three deer came back! The first one was a large doe and he got it! He hit her in the shoulder and she ran off not too far away. When he fired that shot, a young buck came looking around wondering what all of the commotion was about. This was about 13 minutes after the first one. He collected himself, took aim and fired. Got it! That's the deer pictured above. He could have had the third deer, but he only had two tags. They brought them home, shared stories with all of us, and we broke for lunch and a rest. Later on, we all got together and skinned and butchered them up. (Kurt's dad was a butcher and learned this valuable art from him.) It was a lot of work but good family time. It was a great day of hunting! Not to mention, an awesome experience for Andrew and quality time spent with his uncle, who is a pretty cool guy.

Team Pictures

2010-09-18T21:35:00.002-05:00

Hornet Truck

2010-09-17T23:05:00.002-05:00

Another tough loss tonight for VCHS. I think we're improving as a team, though. We scored twice which is an improvement, but we really beat ourselves up when something goes wrong. Gotta learn to let it go and move on. I think coach seems to be doing the right things and believe we'll turn a corner eventually. Until then, I'll continue to cheer them on and support the team. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know.

Driving Home

2010-09-16T22:48:00.001-05:00

The boys suffered a loss tonight against Prairie Hills, but I was proud of A1 and the game he played. I think we could've won the game but there were a lot of things working against us. Sara and A2 didn't go because of other commitments, so I drove up and back alone. I enjoy having them along but I also enjoyed the drive home with just me and my Dakota Style Jumbo Sunflower Seeds.

Full On Single Rainbow!

2010-09-15T21:06:00.004-05:00

Whoa! It's so beautiful! What does this mean? So bright! So vivid! Single rainbow! So intense!

Just the Facts

2010-09-14T20:58:00.002-05:00

Doing 3rd grade homework. Well, not doing it. I was helping and guiding. I was rocking subtraction like a corporate bean counter slashing a budget.

Wine-Dip?

2010-09-13T22:42:00.003-05:00

What in the world is this drink? The kids and I went out to eat since it was "Dad's Night To Cook". Mom was at a meeting and we went to a restaurant that has lots of stuff to look at on their walls. We've eaten there several times but I've never seen this on the wall. I've never even heard of such a drink. Kind of looks like a Coke bottle to me. Anyone ever heard of this before?

Cole Aldrich Meets His Match

2010-09-13T21:55:00.006-05:00

The Oklahoma City Thunder had their first ever rally in Wichita today. They brought two former University of Kansas players with them that now play for the Thunder, Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich. People have always told us that Andrew looks a lot like Cole. My mom, a huge KU basketball fan, was the first one to ever point it out. We saw the resemblance so there was no question that we should go meet Cole and get a picture of the two of them. Andrew tells us that many of the kids at this mini-camp kept telling him that he looked just like Cole Aldrich and asking him if they were brothers. Even employees of the Thunder saw the resemblance. I think Kelly McKeown, their Director of Marketing & Brand Management mentioned it when we spoke with him on the playground outside of the venue while waiting for the doors to open. Then, when Cole and Nick showed up, one of the guys leading the camp grabbed Andrew from his group drills and brought him over to Cole for this picture. Pretty cool! I've never really been a fan of pro basketball, but we've all taken an interest in the Oklahoma City Thunder this year and are looking forward to the season.

Sunflower

2010-09-11T23:04:00.004-05:00

My favorite time of year breeds my favorite type of flower. There are fields of them everywhere, and today they seemed especially vibrant. Just another reason why Kansas is such a great place to live. On a side note, the KU Jayhawks won their football game today. It was a good day!

Across the Yellow Line

2010-09-10T22:53:00.000-05:00

You know when you're watching a football game on TV and you see that yellow line that marks where the first down is? This isn't it. That line on TV doesn't even exist in the real world. This yellow line is for the press on the sideline of the high school football game I was shooting video at tonight. The officials were pretty strict about making sure we stood behind that line. At one point during the game, I looked down and my foot had crossed it. REBELLION! I didn't get a penalty but the game was called due to strong storms in the area with two-seconds left in the 3rd quarter. I guess that could've been my fault. I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it, though.

Football Tapes

2010-09-09T22:10:00.003-05:00

The VCMS 8th Grade Football team beat Haysville tonight 26-0. Transferring the victory to DVD for the coaching staff.

The Funeral

2010-09-08T21:44:00.006-05:00

I dug the grave under a bush that has lots of flowers on it. Andrew made a cross out of some sticks from the tree in our backyard and some string. Amber found a pretty gold box and lined it with some tissues. She also wrote a note that read "Rest and peace Clod. I love you." She wrote her name and drew a sad face with some tears rolling down the cheeks. Sara joined us while I put Clod in the box and helped Amber wrap it up. She placed the box gently in the hole I dug and we all said a few words before shoveling dirt back in the hole. Sonny came over to see what was going on before quickly losing interest and going back to play with his plastic bucket. Dogs.

Turtle Heaven

2010-09-07T21:48:00.012-05:00

Tonight changed the way I look at this picture. I snapped it on the drive into work because of the way the sunlight broke through the patchy cloud structure. I didn't know it'd have a deeper meaning tonight.

I'm a softy. That's not breaking news. I always try to do the right thing, no matter what, because right is right even when nobody is doing it, and wrong is wrong even when everybody is doing it. Here's what happened.

After dinner, I put our turtle, Clod, into the small pool we have outside so he could swim around outside of the aquarium he lives in. That's something I do everyday. He swims around and hunts for pieces of dried shrimp we bought for him at the pet store. Tonight was no different. But somehow, I got distracted and simply forgot where he was. I also assumed the dog was in the house.

Well, you can put two and two together to figure out what happened next. Clod was missing and I couldn't find the dog. (I refuse to use his name because I'm still so mad at him.) A little frantic searching in the backyard and I see the dog and I know immediately what he's up to. After shooing him away, I inspected Clod and immediately noticed how serious the damage was. Without going into detail, this was serious damage to Clod's shell. I thought he was gone, but after watching him for a couple of minutes, trying to decide what to do, he started moving. The guy had to be in pain. Serious pain. Andrew was with me and we decided to carefully pick him up and put him back in his aquarium to rest, and hopefully just fall asleep and go to turtle heaven during the night.

I know it's just a small turtle I'm talking about here, but I'm just sick thinking about it, knowing that my absent-mindedness played a large role in this situation. I know that the dog was just doing what dogs do. But I'm still disappointed in him. Tonight, I failed in a big way. I have a heavy heart for the pain I caused to an innocent turtle and the sadness I brought into the house.

Meat My Grill

2010-09-06T21:57:00.004-05:00

Labor Day weekend. It's one of my favorites. I'm always looking go a good reason to cook outside and Labor Day is always one occasion. But this year was better. Our old hand-me-down grill finally ruined enough food with its uneven cooking antics that we put it out to pasture and brought home a slick new model. Putting it together became an afternoon activity of father/son bonding where we both learned patience and precision while I practiced "vocabulary control", which has never been a problem for me anyway. But, you never know what might sneak out when faced with an adverse situation such as this. The grill came together fairly easy and we fired the guy up tonight for an inaugural run. It performed great, it didn't ruin any food, and nothing today ruined my Labor Day holiday.

Holiday Weekend

2010-09-05T22:54:00.001-05:00

Spent some time outside enjoying the 2nd day of a 3-day weekend.

Football Weather

2010-09-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

College football started today. Well, there were a few games on Thursday, but today is Saturday and that's college football day. So, in this guy's world, it started today. Especially with all of the Big XII games being played. It was so nice outside that we sat out in the driveway to listen to the games on the radio. It was sort of like being at the game, except we had great parking, the snacks were a lot cheaper, the seats were more comfortable and our dog was sitting on the field under the tree growing in the middle of it.

Line Judge

2010-09-03T22:52:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the first VCHS football game with our new head football coach. The beginning of the game was exciting and full of electricity. The energy of the coach and the team cheering and pumping their fists really penetrated the crowd. It was great! Things took a turn, though, and we ended up losing. But you know, this is just game one of the beginning of a new era of Valley Center football. The potential this program has is great and the crowd in the stands proves that hope springs eternal and there's a community surrounding this coach and these boys that continues to believe.

Ocho Cinco 90210

2010-09-02T23:46:00.004-05:00

It was a big day today. We had the first football game of the season and it was Andrew's birthday. We were excited about both, but neither really turned out the way we had hoped. The football game was a nail-biter going into several overtimes and lasting much longer than anyone at the stadium expected. We lost in a heart-breaker 22-24, but the boys put up a good fight. Now that we have that loss out of the way, we can focus on winning. Unfortunately, when we got home, Andrew wasn't in much of a mood to celebrate his birthday, so we'll postpone it to another day. Losing a game that close and playing for nearly three hours really wears on a guy so I understand. Good thing birthdays last all week around here.

Pharmacy Phor Phido

2010-09-01T22:32:00.003-05:00

Our dog has been going darn near crazy scratching and itching. It's like the Itchy & Scratchy show over here. During the day, during the night, during a walk...he's gotta be going mad. I swear his back legs are looking more buff from the workout he's been giving them. Poor guy. It's not fleas causing the problem, we know that much. It's gotta be some sort of allergy. My wife was talking to someone about the problem and heard about a possible remedy. So, I ran to the grocery store and picked up some very human medicine to hopefully relieve the irritation. We're crossing our fingers that the jingle of his dog tags are silent tonight while he gets a decent night's sleep, and a lot of relief.

Shady Lady

2010-08-31T22:13:00.001-05:00

I attended a luncheon at The Orpheum for work today. Parking space was at a premium and my co-workers and I ended up parking a couple of blocks away at the Methodist Church. It was pretty hot outside so we walked through the alleys to take advantage of the shade provided by the buildings. I noticed this piece of art spray painted on the wall along our stroll. I didn't mean to take a black & white snap, but I think it adds to the mystery behind the message.

My Tree Son

2010-08-30T21:12:00.001-05:00

Bible Sunday

2010-08-29T22:23:00.004-05:00

Today is the day! It's the day she's been wanting to arrive for a LONG time. Today is the day she gets an honest to goodness real Bible at church. She was so excited that she was ready to go before the rest of us. She got up on her own and got herself ready. The hard part was having to wait for us to catch up to her. The girl was pumped up! It was a big day for her, and as a dad, I'm glad she was excited about it. Now, if we can get a repeat of this morning's performance on school days. Crossing my fingers.

Doin' the Hustle!

2010-08-28T21:34:00.001-05:00

Today was a fantastically busy day! It started off with the 1st Annual Hornet Hustle at the Kansas Coliseum. This was a fundraiser for my daughter's school in an effort to raise enough money that we can stop having to sell wrapping paper, cookies, candy, etc. They seemed to have a great turnout with over 300 participants so I hope it did the trick. Stephanie G. did a great job pulling it together with the help of so many others. My brother drove 2 hours to join our family for the event which was great. He's a cross country coach so he gave us some really good advice being this was our first run ever. We also were lucky enough to get to hang out with the Running Lawyer, and we also saw Oz Runner from just up the street. Good people all around us! Everyone did a great job, and I'm proud of the entire group. We're already looking forward to next year's run where we'll all be in better shape and run farther than this year.

After the Hornet Hustle, we hustled out to the farmer's market to buy some sweet corn for my son's birthday next week, but sadly, the season is over and there was none to be found. But we didn't walk away empty handed. Absolutely not! We left with a large jar of honey, a jar of apple butter, a jar of Elderberry jelly, and a jar of Pepsi jelly made with real Pepsi (bought some Diet Pepsi jelly for Mom & Dad). They had Mountain Dew jelly, Code Red jelly, and other flavors that we'll try another time. Before we left, my daughter and I were watching a magician and he gave her the honor of pulling out a LARGE nail he carefully hammered into it. That's something she won't forget, and he let her keep the nail, but only after I insisted he wipe it down first. We grabbed a quick lunch and hustled home to take an afternoon rest.

We wrapped up the day by hustling over to Applebee's then hustled to McLean Park for a free movie in the park. They were showing "The Princess and the Frog". The weather was great and you can't beat free, especially when they throw in free popcorn, free lemonade, free sno-cones, and free popsicles. What a day! One I'd hustle to do all over again.

Sidelines

2010-08-27T21:28:00.000-05:00

Friday night, and the high school team goes head to head. It's a new season with a new coach, and the crowd at tonight's scrimmage proved that hope springs eternal.

Scrimmage Tape

2010-08-26T21:17:00.001-05:00

Football season has started! Tonight was the scrimmage for the middle school football team. I ran tape on the game as usual and got it ready for coaches to review over the weekend. Here's to a great season!

Morning KISS

2010-08-25T21:23:00.004-05:00

I walked into my office this morning, and this guy's ugly mug was there to greet me. It was a 7-foot cardboard stand-up one of the new employees brought in to decorate their cubicle. That's cool!

Promise or Threat?

2010-08-24T21:16:00.000-05:00

Band teachers today have really stepped up their game. During open house the other night at the school, I saw this in the band room. Thank God I played the drums!

Temporarily Untitled

2010-08-23T22:54:00.002-05:00

I can't title this one until I have time to write the story behind it. Story coming soon...

Number 24

2010-08-22T22:49:00.000-05:00

Waiting for our food to be delivered at lunch. Haven't been here in a long time. I love Jason's Deli for two reasons: the Beefeater sandwich, and their ginormous stuffed baked potatoes.

Heaven is a Circle

2010-08-21T22:43:00.001-05:00

At least, today it is. My favorite pizza. My favorite ice cream recipe. All in circular form. Twas a good day.

Waterfall Wall

2010-08-20T22:33:00.000-05:00

From last night's jalk with Joggers & Lagers.

I Don't Like Beer

2010-08-19T21:55:00.002-05:00

It's true. Can't stand it. And tonight, I was a little nervous about this group I met up with that does two things totally foreign to me. They jog and then they drink beer. I'm really not a fan of either. But, in an effort to get moving and get healthy and get skinny and allow "Hot Mike" to make a comeback, I joined them tonight. I didn't jog, I "jalked", meaning walked and jogged. Mainly, I walked. I think it was a 2-mile stretch. After the exercise, we all met back at a favorite local establishment to cool off, eat dinner and enjoy a drink. I started with water but soon found what looked to be a beer I might enjoy. What the heck. I was out with new friends so I ordered up a Van Diest Fruli Strawberry Beer. It is blend of Belgian white beer and strawberry juice and it made my mouth very happy. None of that messy alcohol aftertaste. Why let that get in the way of flavor? So, I now have something to drink if I'm ever in a situation that calls for a beer. Since it's difficult to find in local liquor stores, hopefully I'm in Belgium when that happens.

Acoustic Goodness

2010-08-18T21:02:00.002-05:00

I didn't take this picture but I would have if was anywhere near the guy tonight. I ran across a song tonight I can't stop listening to. Its by Jeffrey East. It's called "Bein' Loved By You". I wrote about it on my other blog that you can read here.

Beware the Hook

2010-08-17T21:42:00.002-05:00

Evening Stroll

2010-08-16T21:55:00.000-05:00

Game Face

2010-08-15T21:33:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow. First day of school. First day of football practice. He's been preparing all summer and he's ready to go. He's gonna do great!

Sweet (picture of) Corn

2010-08-14T09:24:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to snag a picture of the corn fields I drive by each day. The kids and I had some extra time after haircuts, football equipment checkout, and breakfast so we stopped on a lightly travelled road to see what I could get. I took several different shots, but I walked away with this one. I think it's a real winner with the contrast in colors and the rich, blue, Kansas sky in the background. As simple as it is, I love this picture.

Hot In The Shade

2010-08-13T22:14:00.004-05:00

It was H-O-T today! Got to 109º! Over lunch, I parked my car in the shade and ate with the windows down. The wind as blowing and it felt just like a blast furnace pushing hot air into my car. Miserable. When we went out to dinner tonight, it was still over 100º. Ree-DONK-you-luss! Everyone wanted to go to Cracker Barrel. Besides the food, my favorite part of visiting the Barrel is all the great stuff to take pictures of. This was the coolest thing inside the restaurant and it immediately caught my eye. The temperature dropped 20º just looking at it. If it's hot where you are, feel free to stare at this picture as long as you like.

Rockin' with the Rockettes

2010-08-12T20:38:00.003-05:00

The world famous Radio City Rockettes were in town today to promote their Christmas Spectacular. They were also promoting their "Kick Across America" campaign. The Rockettes taught the crowd that was in attendance how to properly kick and then everyone formed a kick line and kicked. They did this at the same time as people in 7 other cities: New York, Los Angeles, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, San Diego and Fresno.

By the way, the two in the middle are radio DJ's, not actual living breathing Rockettes.

Back Road Birds

2010-08-11T22:28:00.002-05:00

In the last week, as I walk along the back road each morning, and sometimes in the evening, I've seen horses, deer, and tonight, geese. That's what I love about living on the outskirts of town. Nature is not afraid to show its face.

Behind the Scenes

2010-08-10T22:52:00.002-05:00

This is where I spend part of my day when at work. It's like being inside a giant VCR.

Huh?

Oh. Of course. It is 2010.

It's like being inside a giant DVR.

B.A.D.

2010-08-09T22:34:00.002-05:00

I asked him what he wanted to call this post. He said "Beastly Awesome Skills". The title I chose fits better. "Basketball After Dark". Well, no one can say the kid isn't confident!

First Church of Pepsi

2010-08-08T22:45:00.002-05:00

We went shopping today to pick up some last minute school supplies for the kids. It's Sunday and I'm amazed at the places you can find a good sermon. This message is courtesy of Pepsi. Found inside Walmart. I will drink a Pepsi this week just because of this display of goodness. Congratulations, Pepsi! You win!

Hello, Horses!

2010-08-07T10:40:00.000-05:00

I guess after seeing me walk by their meadow on a consistent basis, they're comfortable enough to come and say "Good Morning" to me. They would just stand there and let me pet their noses and the side of their faces. They weren't spooked at all. It was a nice way to sort of commune with nature. Very peaceful.

Meadow of Horses

2010-08-06T22:37:00.000-05:00

From the morning walk.

DQ Dessert

2010-08-05T22:37:00.003-05:00

Today was Miracle Treat Day. For every Dairy Queen Blizzard sold, $1 goes to Children's Miracle Network. So, we did our part. We even bought one for the neighbor boy. Above and beyond, that's how we roll.

I See The Sun

2010-08-04T21:11:00.001-05:00

It's Summer. It's hot. You can't escape the heat of the Sun. Not even above our table inside our favorite restaurant.

Morning Walk

2010-08-03T22:53:00.002-05:00

Morning view. Road of seclusion. Except, road construction has made this a major thoroughfare. All serenity is gone until they get that roadwork done. Let's expedite the project, huh guys?

Pole Position

2010-08-02T22:12:00.002-05:00

Racin'

2010-08-01T22:44:00.002-05:00

Sara scored some free tickets to 81 Speedway tonight. You know, growing up where I did in Con,and also living in Nashville, TN and now Wichita, I've been surrounded by racing and dudes who spend their weekends working on cars. The surprising part is I've never been to a car race in my life...ever! Not until tonight. How did I avoid it all of these years? Amber loved being there tonight. She said it's much better than watching TV. I guess I need to get her out more. She sat there and smiled and screamed all night, especially when the loud cars drove right in front of us. I gotta admit, it was pretty cool. We even went out on the track to talk to the guy who drives the pace car. He's the guy Sara knows from high school who gave us the tickets. So, thanks Matt! We had a great time.

Swim Display

2010-07-30T17:33:00.000-05:00

A left-over shot from the Vegas trip. Their window displays are amazing. This one is pretty eye catching.

Crop Circles

2010-07-29T17:30:00.000-05:00

A view from 20,000 feet on the way back from Las Vegas via Denver. What's with the circles?

Cash in my Pants

2010-07-28T01:33:00.002-05:00

I put $5 in the Wizard of Oz slot machine fully expecting to lose it all, when Glenda the Good Witch shows her cheery face on the screen and says something like, "Sometimes, good things DO happen!" She was right. I know it's not much but I feel like I won the lottery.

Blurry Picture, Clear Memory

2010-07-27T01:24:00.003-05:00

Tonight I was lucky enough to have been invited to have dinner with Dr. Oz. He's exactly the way you see him on The Dr. Oz Show...very nice, very caring, and very genuine. A great guy all around. He raised an eyebrow at the steak I was eating so I put down my fork and said, "I'm from Kansas!" He gave me an understanding look as if he knew I had no other choice. Funny! He gave the group of us his new book, autographed them for us, and then posed for pictures. All I had was my cell phone and the room was dimly lit, so the girl next to me snapped this for me. I took a picture of her picture to post here tonight.

Packed for Vegas

2010-07-26T06:12:00.003-05:00

Heading to Las Vegas for a conference. My packing skills are improving. I will have just ONE checked bag and one small carry-on. I need to pack light because they always load us up with so much swag. I packed two more empty duffel bags just in case. I'll probably be carrying at least one more bag on the way home.

Sports Town

2010-07-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

Aztec Art

2010-07-22T21:33:00.001-05:00

Guess where we ate tonight? Love that place! Wasn't feeling all that hungry tonight so only ate half and now I have a DEE-LISH meal for lunch tomorrow! Score!

Sky

2010-07-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

I entered a contest today. I had to take a picture of the sky. I sent it to the photographer holding the contest hoping for a win. Well, I didn't win but he shared all of the entries with us in this collage and I thought it was pretty cool. Can you guess which photo won? Can you find mine? Bonus points for you if you guess either!

Wire 'n' Wood

2010-07-20T21:06:00.000-05:00

From the evening walk.

New Beginning

2010-07-19T21:29:00.003-05:00

For some reason, I was looking through my junk e-mail today and ran across a newsletter from Kim Komando. It was talking about the "Cool Website of the Day". This site was a free fitness tracker. It's called www.HotCal.com and it's exactly what I've been looking for. It keeps track of my exercise and how many calories I burn as well as everything I eat during the day and how many calories I take in. I entered my current weight and my weight loss goal and how fast I'd like to lose it. The website does the rest. It lets me know how many calories I can have each day to meet my goal and so much more. It's my new favorite website and there are some changes I'm making in my life today. Not only did I find this site today, but Oprah had Dr. Oz and Bob Green on the show today to discuss the serious threat of diabetes. There was so much good information in that show and a lot of it really hit home. Lades and gentlemen, get ready and stand aside. Change starts now.

Slide Show

2010-07-18T21:52:00.003-05:00

We got together tonight with the BIL & SIL to share photos and stories from our vacation trip with the FIL & MIL. Even though it's only been a week since we were in RMNP, it was still nice to revisit the trip already. We were also fed healthy doses of summer food to top off the night: dogs, brats, beans, sweet corn, cottage cheese, cucumbers, birthday cake and ice cream (for my BIL). A good night!

Gettin' Crabby With It

2010-07-17T21:34:00.000-05:00

Glamtastic!

2010-07-16T21:25:00.000-05:00

We went to see Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta in concert tonight. We didn't know what to expect but we thought the concert was great! What an entertainer! Like I said at the show, this is probably the last time we'll see Adam Lambert playing at a venue this small. Hello, arenas!

Black & White & Read All Over

2010-07-15T20:03:00.003-05:00

I actually had time to sit down and read the weekly newspaper tonight. That, my friends, is a treat. You know what else is a treat? Getting to go to bed for the night right after I post this. Check the time of this post. Now add 5 minutes. Boom...I'm in bed. See you tomorrow!

Over Dressed

2010-07-14T22:16:00.003-05:00

I worked at a job fair today downtown. On my walk back to my car, I passed this statue and it made me a bit uncomfortable. The heat index was 114º. I'm surprised this guy didn't melt down into a shiny puddle of nothing. It had to be swampy wearing those pants in this heat.