What? WHAT?!

We're out of pie?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Snow Nose



Daisy is getting her "snow nose". The noses of some lighter colored breeds change from black to pink in the winter as the days get shorter. It's kinda funny.

My butter has been commended as being strongly vaginal which bothers some men. The word itself makes some men uncomfortable. Vagina. They don't like hearing it and find it difficult to say whereas without batting an eye a man will refer to his dick or his rod or his Johnson.

Camping Pictures

You like pictures? I know I do.

Eventually I'll do a write up for this trip, but in the meantime, enjoy some pictures from this year's trip to Allegany State Park.

Daisy Report

I do a lot of walking with our dog. We try do to *at least* an hour a day (1/2 hour in the morning, 1/2 hour at night). If Daisy doesn't get her walk in, she tends to get a little cranky. Or destructive. Or both. It's not pretty.

Sometimes, Daisy's Mom comes with us in the evening. Sometimes, the evening walk turns into the evening run (depending on the weather and how I'm feeling). Unless you've been running with a 60 pound dog in one hand and a bag of fresh poop in the other hand, you're not really getting the full cardiovascular benefits of the experience.

The evening walk is now more of a challenge than ever. It's dark out by the time I leave work. Daylight Savings Time hasn't been kind to us. We've got the reflective gear. We've got the blinky LED thing. But I'm still nervous about the cars at night. We've got a few areas by us with lousy sidewalks. And it's tough to see where the sidewalk ends and the road begins when it's dark out and everything is covered with leaves. Plus picking up a Daisy dumpling in the dark with cars whizzing by two feet from my head is a real challenge.

So, with all this bitching, is it all worth it? Yeah, it really is. Aside from feeling better and dropping my cholesterol by 50 points, spending all this time with the dog is a tremendous emotional boost. It's tough to feel too stressed or blue when there's a big yellow fur ball lookin' for some luvin'. Don't get me wrong... There are times when I want to kill her... But she's definitely part of the family now. And I'm 100% positive I wouldn't be out there walking everyday if it wasn't for her.

"Updating your computer is almost complete. You must restart your computer for the updates to take effect. Do you want to restart your computer now?"

No, not really.


START --> RUN -->

net stop wuauserv

Back to School

Before last Saturday morning, it had been 10 months since I last went to a karate class. I'm a little nervous as I pull into the parking lot. My ears feel red and hot. Will I see anyone I recognize? Will I remember what I'm supposed to do? I don't want to look lost out there. Maybe I should just turn around and head home. While I busted my ass to get my black belt, in the year since I've gotten it, I've pretty much been the worst black belt ever.

I step in through the door, and it all comes flooding back to me. The familiar scent of Febreze and sweat fills my nostrils. I find a quiet spot in the corner and start stretching out.

I get out my belt and tie it on. That feels nice. I've missed that. A few people come over and say hello. They want to know where I've been and what I've been up to. I start to feel a little more relaxed. It's good to be back.

Class begins and I feel slightly panicky again. We get through stretching and warm ups and I'm already a little sore (I REALLY need to start stretching again).

We move on to kata, and I realize I can't rely on "muscle memory" like I used to when I was taking 3 - 4 classes a week. I really have to think hard about what I'm about to do next (and occasionally take a peak out of the corner of my eye to see what everyone else is doing).

We finish up class with punching. Jab, cross. Jab, cross. Jab, cross. As hard and as fast as you can go. Then switch sides. That gets the adrenaline going. Damn. What a rush. (Although my shoulders would still be sore 2 days later.)

I miss my school, but it's almost 40 miles from where we ended up buying a house. I can't make it down there 2 - 3 times a week. And it's not like I haven't tried to find something local. I went and sat in on a kenpo class close to wear I live. But A) it's SO different that what I'm used to, and B) it's going to be almost impossible to recreate the sense of community right away that I felt with my old school after 4 plus years of going there (and, C) the place was little ghetto...)

I then end, I'm really glad I went. I haven't been able to find the feeling I get from karate anyplace else. I'm not going to wait this long before going back next time.

My New Favorite Drink

Four parts egg nog, one part Kahlua. Sprinkle in a little nutmeg (optional).

I don't know what you call it, but it tastes like Christmas.

This year's waffle party invite:



Waffles in '06

We recently received this bit of literature from one of our opponents, implying that Waffles weren't capable of being leaders. Rather than run on their own record, they've resorted to character assassination and negative ads. We here at Waffle Campaign Headquarters don't want you to think we're taking these baseless attacks without a fight.

Waffles are ready for a leadership role. It's time for a change. We want you to be a part of this historic transformation. This November, vote for the only party that actually deserves your vote:

The Waffle Party.


A vote for Waffles means a waffle for you.

(Paid for by the National Committee to Elect Waffles.)


*** Waffle Campaign '06 has picked up endorsements from the New England Maple Syrup Grower's Association, the Home Fries Local 194, and Butter. ***

Every day is a new adventure...

Today on our morning walk, Daisy discovered "frozen puddles". There was a large puddle with a thin sheet of ice on it.

She stepped on it with her front paws, then broke through. Water came gushing out around her toes. THAT was exciting. She started jumping and sniffing all over the place.

I felt bad having to drag her away, but otherwise we would have been there all day. I definitely enjoy watching her make new discoveries. It's fun to be a part of.

I can't wait for the first snowfall.