New Year's Eve: From Good to Bad to Okay

Well, Dale and I are back home after a good evening out that turned slightly bad. We followed our tradition of three years and spent New Year's Eve with our friends and neighbors Toby & Nicole Krout. We love them dearly and it is always nice to spend the last day of the year with them.

We went and saw the 3:25 PM showing of Charlie Wilson's War at Flatiron's AMC. The movie is based on the true story (and the book of the same name) featuring "Good-Time Charlie" Wilson (Tom Hanks), as a fun-loving Congressman from Texas, who works to funnel money and weapons from the US Congress to the Mujahedin of Afghanistan following the Soviet invasion of their country in late 1979. Charlie finds assistance from a renegade CIA agent, Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman); a Houston socialite, Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) who leads Wilson to the cause; his Congressional assistant, Bonnie Bach (Amy Adams); the willing Pakistani dictator fascinated by the socialite; and the Israelis who modify and manufacture Soviet weapons to maintain the illusion of American neutrality.

It was a good movie. I liked it overall. The cast is absolutely amazing and Hanks, Hoffman, Roberts and Adams are superb. My only criticism would be that the movie just starts and you get no sense of history of the characters. Why is Charlie so fun-loving? Why is Gust such a renegade? Why is Joanne so wealthy and so interested in religion and foreign politics? The movie starts with the characters already in the story, but I think it was hard to understand why the do the things they do without understanding why they are who they are. Also, I do not like Julia Roberts as a blond. It does not look good on her. I do give it a thumbs up and it is worth the ticket price. I may go back and read the book though as I think that will fill in a bit more that could not be covered in 97 minutes.

After the movie we went to Bloom at Flatirons for dinner at 5:30 PM (or the early bird special as we call it). It is Dale and my favorite restaurant and we have celebrated New Year's Eve for there for the past four years. They always do a special menu for the evening, so that is always nice. I had the ahi tuna and Dale had the prime rib. It was excellent as always. We also had our favorite waiter, Matthew, taking care of our table. We always enjoy him, as he flirts with Dale in exchange for a 30% gratuity (I am just teasing). He always remembers Dale and I and remembers what we like and do not like. It is nice to have that kind of service (plus some flirting does help too).

We headed home at 7:00 PM and faced the brutal cold, wind and drifting snow. It is amazing just how windy it is up in Arvada tonight. The wind made it hard to stay on the road and the drifting snow made it hard to see the road at times. We saw a car stranded at one of the entrances to our development, so Dale and I made a u-turn even though we were dressed in slacks and dress shoes to try to help. We tried to push the car of young lady who got stuck in the snow (they never plow our development) for about 10 minutes, but three of her four wheels were spinning. Basically, her car was sitting up to high on the snow to do much just by pushing. Even with the shovel (Dale keeps in truck under the back seat; he is always prepared), we could not get her moving. I felt bad. She said she would call friends for more help.

However, the bad part is with the cold wind, me still being a little sick/congested and having just eaten dinner, I got sick. I actually vomited in our truck into my glove covered hand. It sucked. It just hit me so quick. I think it was the combination of everything, but the end result was a very gross hand and lap of vomit (I know, not pleasant to read about either). But, I am still glad we stopped and did what we could to help. Other cars drove right by and I would hope if that was my niece, Kristin, in the same situation, someone would stop and help her. I just wish I did not get sick. As always Dale was great, helped to get me home, cleaned up and got me a glass of ginger ale (he is so good to me).

So now we are sitting on the couch with the pups and enjoying some TV. Having Dale at my side (and the dogs) is truly the best way to ring in the New Year. I know he will probably be falling asleep on the couch by 10:00 PM and I will be watching TV by myself, but that is okay. I still have him with me and that is all that matters.

Farewell 2007.

Dale & Millie

I took this picture today. I gave it a little creative treatment. I like it because it shows the bond between Dale and Millie.

Goodbye friends

There is always something sad about taking down the holiday decorations.

Although I like to see our house back to normal, I miss the twinkling lights and joy that all the decorations bring to the house.

Goodbye friends. See you next year.

Ring, Ring. Telephone.

While reading The Book of General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong, it got me thinking about the telephone and how it changed the world. Although, Alexander Grahm Bell most likely stole concepts that became the telephone from Antonio Meucci, he is still the person who was able to make it a reality.

Alexander Graham Bell said, "One day there will be a telephone in every major city in the USA."

I wonder what he would think today (if he could come back for one day) and saw that 82% of Americans have cell phones, not to mention home phones and phones at their businesses. It is amazing to think how far beyond his dream the telephone was realized and grew.

What would the world be like today if we did not have telephones for one day? Or better yet, no computers and no phones. Just imagine. It is funny to think of a world without telephone and related technology.

It is amazing (and in a way sad) that many (and probably most) people like Alexander Graham Bell died without ever knowing their true impact on the world.

Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong

Dale bought me a great book for Christmas that I just finished reading today titled The Book of General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson.

I love this book because I love random bits of trivia. The book reveals the truth for the things we know, but in reality do not. For example:

What the largest living thing? A mushroom. Yes, a mushroom. There is a mushroom in Malheur National Forest in Oregon that 2,200 acres and is between 2,000 and 8,000 years old. Most of it is underground. Who knew?

What is the most dangerous animal that has ever lived? Shark. Tiger. No. The female mosquitoes have killed 1/2 of all humans throughout history (approx. 45 billion) by carrying and spreading things like malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, encephalitis, filariasis, elephantiasis and most recently west nile virus. The second most dangerous is the marmots (prairie dog), which spread the bubonic plague.

Who invented the telephone? Not Alexander Graham Bell. He worked at the patent office where Antonio Meucci let his patent expire for the device the Alexander Graham Bell turned into the telephone.

What's three time as dangerous as war? Work. More people die at work each year than at war (finally a good reason to be unemployed).

How many states are there in the United States? 50. That is what I learned in school. Wrong. 46. Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are legally and technically commonwealths, not states according to their state constitutions.

This book is 250 pages of fun. I have about 20 pages to go, but wanted to recommend this book to anyone and everyone who loves to learn new things or learn the truth about things you thought you knew. It is also a great book to read a little bit here and a little bit there as each fact is it's own paragraph. It is a great gift.

You can borrow my copy once I am done. Just ask.

My Resolutions for 2008

It is that time of year. The time when one year comes to the close and a new year lies before us like a blank slate full of hope and opportunity. You look back on the last year with lots of could ofs and should ofs and a few I dids. You look forward to the new year with many I can, I should and I will.

It is human nature, I think, to reflect back and look forward. We are built to have closure and start things new. We are all time keepers, whether we want to be or not and time creates thought. Thoughts this time of year, for me, are usually in the form of joy that I survived another year, relief that the chaos of the holiday season is over and informal resolutions for next year.

I know what you are saying - resolutions never work. I agree. I am not a huge fan of resolutions. I have thought of them in the past and usually by January 15th they are forgotten. That is why I thought this year I would write them out. I then thought, why not go one step further and broadcast them to anyone who reads my blog. The more public you are with your resolutions, the more likely I think you are to keep them. By publishing them, you create a sense of community around them. Others see if you are sticking to them. They can support you. Your success and failure is for everyone to see.

So here goes. I have given a lot of thought to these over the past few days and started the list in Microsoft Word originally (when I was just going to print them and stick them on the fridge). I plan to refer back to this blog entry throughout the year and give little status updates on how I am doing. Some of these are much more tangible than others, with defined deliverables - so those will be easier to track. Others are more changes in overall behavior, so those will be a bit harder to track. They are not in any particular order of importance or ranked. They are just in the order of my random mind.

1. I will commit to trying my best to be healthier. I will exercise at least three times a week. I will drink 8 glasses of water each day. I will eat balanced meals that include good proteins, vegetables and fruits. I will kick my tendency to gravitate toward fast food, friend food and fatty deserts. I will make this a part of my daily life and focus on losing 50 pounds.

2. I will commit to not letting anyone bring negativity into my life. I will stay strong and positive.


3. I will commit to telling Dale that I love him every day. He is such a positive influence on my life and I need to make sure he knows how important he is to me each and every day.

4. I will commit to spending more time with my sister, nieces and nephew. They are full of life and spirit, but often the routine of every day life gets in the way and I do not make enough of an effort to spend time with them.

5. I will commit to doing more small things with our friends and family. Dale and I have a tendency of planning large events for our friends and family that overwhelm us. We need to do less large events, but rather plan smaller events like dinners, movies and small get-togethers (of less than 6 people) to enjoy time with our friends.

6. I commit to be more financially responsible. I tend to be an impulse shopper and do not save as much as I should because of my habits.

7. I commit to being more mindful of the feelings of others and not putting my own feeling first.

8. I commit to listening more and talking less. I have a tendency to want to be heard and cutting other off.

9. I will commit to spend more time in the backyard and basement. I know this sounds odd, but Dale and I have a tendency to complete a project and start the next without every truly enjoying the fruit of our labors. I will commit to enjoying the work we have done more.

10. I will commit to read more off-line. I used to read a lot of books and magazines. The internet has reduced my off-line reading.

11. I will commit to taking more pictures. I enjoy photography and have not made this a priority the past few years.

12. I will commit to work with Dale to finish the remaining, nagging, small household projects. I will commit to help paint the two upstairs guest bedrooms, paint the master bathroom and fix the pictures on the stairs.

13. I commit to making a list of every cabinet, drawer, closet or space in the house that needs to be organized and getting those spaces organized. I often focus my cleaning on the big picture and lose sight of the small details.

14. I will commit to do something unexpected and good for someone else at least once a month. I will not brag or broadcast my good deeds.

15. I commit to enjoy the wonders around me more. There is such beauty in Colorado that I take for granted. I commit to go hiking more. I commit to go to the Botanic Gardens more. I commit to travel within Colorado more.
16. I will commit to be better to the environment and start with easy, every day things that will reduce my use and abuse of nature.
17. I will be pay more attention to my tone. I have a tendency to just say stuff and not pay attention to how I am saying it. Sometimes the tone is heard more than the message. This tends to impact Dale the most, since he is with me the most.

18. I commit to turning 36. This seems like an easy one (God willing) and since most of these are on-going, I would like to be able to cross one item of half way through the year.
19. I commit to being less focused on my Blackberry (or Crackberry as Dale calls it). Work will function withwithout me and if something is urgent, someone will call me. Emails can wait and do not need to be read immediately.
20. I commit to continue to reuse, reduce and recycle un-needed items in the house like we did in 2007. We have too much stuff, so I commit to reduce the stuff in our house by reusing (regifting - is that tacky?), recycle (donate to Goodwill) or throw away (only if something is 100% garbage and cannot be reused or recycled).
So that is my list. Hopefully 2008 will be good to all of us and I will be able to make all 20 of these a reality.
Happy New Year everyone. Be safe.

I know Christmas is over...

...but you must see this this video of Marie Digby playing my favorite Christmas song this year. She is a beautiful singer.

We have all felt this way at work sometimes...

...but most do not act on our feelings.

My Dad Has Left The Building

My Dad and Colleen headed out this morning for the 6 1/2 hour drive back to her daughter Kristin's house in Nebraska. They are staying there until January 2nd and then flying back to Pennsylvania.

It was nice seeing them visit and I am glad they made the snowy journey out to see all of us. Christmas would not be the same without them.

I do however wish my Dad had spent more time with my nieces and nephew. I know they miss him a lot and I think they wanted to spend more time with their Pa. It was tough seeing them say good-bye. They miss him a lot. He and my Mom were so important to the kids. They helped to raise them, so in many ways the bond is closer than a grandparent and grandchildren. It was almost like a parent/child relationship. Losing my Mom 5 years ago truly devastated the kids. Having my Dad on the other side of the country has not helped (but that is out of my Dad's control; I understand he had to move for work; who wants to start a new career at 57 years old). I just think he needs to try to make these visits more about spending quality time with my nieces and nephew. This visit he did not get a lot of time just sitting, playing and talking with the kids. IT was one of the reasons I had my nieces and nephew stay at our house Friday night - so everyone would have more time to spend together. Hopefully he will be back soon to see them.

We Don't Want The Funk

Dale and I continue to have this horrible cough and congestion, which I refer to as "the funk". Basically, we wake up each day with our nose and throats full of gunk (gross + funk) and then we have a cough that sounds like we have been a smokers for about 40 years. It has grown very tiresome. We are tried of being sick. We have improved since we first caught this and now we are now sick enough that we function, but we are not quite ourselves energy wise because we do not feel 100%. It is exhausting.

This is Dale's 18th day with this funk and my 12th day. Hopefully, by the time we return to work on January 3rd we will be 100% and can start working out again. We were both on a great path on losing weight and being healthy until Dale caught this funk and brought it home.

I have created this handy chart to show how we have felt each day leading up to this funk through now. I am praying for a healthy, happy New Year.

Politically Correct Christmas

I stumbled across this and immediately thought of Dale. He hates that nobody says "Merry Christmas" anymore and instead goes with the safer, more PC "Happy Holidays". I feel that this as even better alternative.

Christopher Atkins is stalking me...it is true.

Yes, it is true. Christopher Atkins (you probably remember his from Blue Lagoon) is using television and my poor taste in television programming to stalk me.

First I watch him in the 80's cult favorite (and flop) The Pirate Movie and now he is #76 on VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars. Weird huh? You never hear of him at all in ages and now twice in once night. Is he hitting on me? I think he is in love with me.

I love these stupid VH1 specials. You can pretend you don't, but I doubt they air it just for me. Besides Dale is still sleeping on the couch (my family wore him out I guess), so it is my opportunity to NOT watch home shows on HGTV or TLC. Here is what I learned tonight about teen stars #100 to 61:

#100 - I loved Patrick Dempsy and the movie Can't Buy Me Love. Who didn't love when Cindy jumped on the lawn mower with Ronald Miller and drive off into the sunset.

#91 - I forgot that Melissa Joan Hart was Clarissa on Clarissa Explains It All. It was one of Nickelodeons first shows. I loved the annoying brother Ferguson.

#80 - Ralph Macchio is now 40. What the hell?

#79 - The girl (Lynn-Holly Johnson) from Ice Castles was a skater, not an actress. Also, the movie originally had her in a nude scene and she refused. Who doesn't love the finale music on that movie (I downloaded it on iTunes tonight)? What happened to Robby Benson from that movie?

#75 - Neil Patrick Harris was so damn cute on Doogie Howser. I loved that show. He was a blogger at the end of every episode. Who knew?

#74 - I found Lisa Bonnet (from the Cosby Show) creepy then and creepy now.

#73 - Soul Man featuring C. Thomas Howell was very racist when you think about it now. He makes himself black using tanning pills to get a college scholarship. Not very PC today. I always likes C. Thomas Howell's name because he just used the initial from his first name. I want to be T. William Whittaker. Also, who knew C. Thomas Howell married Rae Dawn Chong (from Soul Man, but best of all from Quest for Fire).

#70 - I loved the movie Legend of Billie Jean with Helen Slater. Fair is fair! I did not know Helen Slater was a jazz singer also and has two CDs out.

#69 - I can actually remember watching Jamie Gertz in Square Pegs when it aired in 1982. Her character's name was Muffy and I loved her. I was 10 years old. I loved her as Dr. Melissa Reeves in the movie Twister. Every time she answered her cell she would say Dr. Melissa Reeves here.

#67 - I remember being very aroused by the Last American Virgin when I watched it as a kid. Lawrence Monoson is the teen star for this number and I don't remember him in anything ever since that movie. The locker room scene where all the guys got erections and measured their penises should have confirmed my fears that I was gay because I watched it over and over and over when I was about 12 or 13.

#61 - Susan Dey has the most beautiful eyes. You remember her from the Partridge Family (Laurie Patridge) and L.A. Law (Grace Van Owen).

Okay, Dale is awake now, so I don't see myself getting the chance to watch 60 to 1. He usually does not like these shows.

Okay, I found my costume for next Halloween.

This totally rocks.

I've Got a Woody

I like this comic. Funny, yet sadly enough very true.

I Hate Cable TV

It is amazing that I have a couple hundred channels and can never find anything good to watch. Now that Dale has fallen asleep for a little nap, I have control of the remote. Here are my options:

Final Destination. Not a bad movie. I actually liked it a lot the first time (or first few times) I saw it, but I have seen it too many times now and it lost its luster I guess.

The Replacements. I think this movie is very funny and I do not like football. If football was like this movie, I would probably enjoy it a great deal...but since it is a two hour movie with just 20 minutes left, it fairly seems worthwhile.

Beaches. Again, a very good movie if you are in the mood for sad, sentimental and sappy, which I am not. I do love Bette Midler, but not enough today.

Baby Boom. This is a funny movie. The fish out of water story with Diane Keaton as a NYC power executive that ends up with a baby in Vermont in the winter. Cute, but not quite what I want.

The Pirate Movie. Okay, there are only 20 minutes left, but it is still worth watching. This is my favorite B-movie. In this case, it is more of a C-movie. If you have not seen it, I beg you to rent it, DVR or do something to find it today. It is so cheesy, it is just too funny for words. It is a musical (yes a musical) that stars Kristy McNichol (you remember her as Buddy on the show family) as a girl who hits her head and dreams she is on an island over-run by pirates. But one pirate is her dream man, played my Christopher Atkins (of Blue Lagoon fame). Now this movie is all 80's and has everything I love about 80's movies. Firstly, it is funny but not intentionally. It features an animated sequence in the middle of the film, for no apparent reason. It has Kristy McNichol pretending to be a sex symbol. It has sexy Christopher Atkins, who is a total pretty-boy pretending to be a hero. Neither Kristy McNichol or Christopher Atkins can sing. It features a song called Pirates, Police and Pizza. Whoever convinced a movie studio that this would be a good film is truly the bet salesman in the world. This movie is pure heaven. It is the type of movie that I know Kristy and Christopher cringe every time they hear it mentioned. Again, go see it today, as my description do not give it justice. When I used to work at Blockbuster Video in college, I used to make all the employees watch this when we did inventory at 2 AM in the morning. This way nobody would be distracted by a good movie on the monitors. Again, I cannot recommend this movie enough...it will make you laugh for all the wrong reasons. I personally own it on video. I made Dale watch it once. He did not last very long, but I don't care because I love it.

Okay, my choices are now Seinfeld of Stuck on You starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. Don't even get me started on Stuck on You and what deal with the devil someone made to get Matt Damon to do that movie. Not to mention Greg Kinnear or Cher. It is Sienfeld's 100th episode special so that wins.

Alvin, Simon - what a bore!

Okay, Alvin and the Chipmunks is not what I would call a great movie. It was actually pretty bad. However, my three youngest nieces, my nephew and my oldest niece's boyfriend, TJ all seemed to like it, which I guess is what is important - as we were going in order to spend time with them.

If your kids are older than 12 or you are older than 12, I do not recommend this movie.

At the end of the movie my sister commented that there will probably be a sequel featuring the Chipettes, which were the female chipmunks introduced in the 80's. However, we were all surprised we could not remember the names of the Chipettes (I know we were finally stumped on TV trivia). We remembered the leader was Brittany and thought there was a Georgette, but in reality it was actually Jeanette. The third Chipette sister was Eleanor. This information was brought to you thanks to the power of wikipedia.com (yes, wikipedia really does have everything).

The Hanleys have headed home. My Dad and his wife are out to lunch with her family, so the house seems very quiet all of a sudden. The pups are exhausted and so is Dale. He is stretched out on the couch and watching home shows. It is nice to relax. It feels like the holidays are finally wrapping up. Only New Years Eve & Day left.

Alvin, Simon, Theodore.

Yes, we are going to see Alvin and the Chipmunks today. Dale insists. He loves those crazy chipmunks. My nieces and nephew wanted to see Charlie Wilson's War, but Dale picked this. Go figure.

Don't Feed Them After Midnight

Last night was a blast. It was Wii, more Wii and (no, you are wrong - not Wii) XBox 360.

The Hanleys arrived around 6:00 PM...taking our house population from 4 to 14. It was already Dale, me, Zoe, Millie (our dogs), Tom & Colleen (my Dad and his wife)- so that was 6. My sister Rachel takes it to 7. My nieces - Kristin, Lauren, Jillan and Camryn take it to 11. My nephew Ryan to 12. My niece Kristin's boyfriend TJ takes it to 13 and the Hanley dog, Casey (a Jack Russell Terrier) takes it to 14. That is a lot since it is usually just Dale, myself and the pups. It is probably the loudest our house ever was (well, except when Barb visits).

Although it was noisy and chaotic, I loved every minute of it. We all used to live together and I miss the excitement and energy the Hanleys bring to everything. They are a family full of love, sarcasm and hysteria. I am proud that I am partly the reason for some of the love, a good portion of the sarcasm and a little of the hysteria in each of my nieces and nephew.

After some early Wii action (even my Dad played bowling), we had a nice dinner of salad and lasagna, played some more Wii (Mario & Sonic at the Olympics is one of the funniest games), had our desert (apple pie and peppermint ice cream pie), we decided we were Wii'd out. Once again, I am not sure if the Hanleys or the Gloude/Whittaker Team won. However, I have to lean toward Dale and I on the Gloude/Whittaker Team since we had matching shirts that say "Grab Your Balls, We're Going Bowling", plus bowling gloves. We got them at Steve & Berry to help in our endless mission to heckle the Hanley children at our Wii skills.

After desert and a quick trip by Kristin, TJ and I to Target (4 minutes before they closed) to get a XBox 360 remote, we played Kristin's new game (an Christmas gift from Dale and I) Scene It Movies . It comes with controllers (but you still need a master Xbox 360 controller to start the game, which TJ forgot, so we had to go to Target because he was more focused on blue jello) and you get in teams (Dale, I and Ryan were a team and WON all three rounds) to answers movie trivia questions. If you have not played movie trivia with the Hanleys - DO NOT. Do not take the bait, do not attempt this and RUN. These children have watched way too many movie and way too much television. They are movie experts. It took every bit of my movie knowledge to beat them. It is creepy that 9 year old children have this much movie knowledge. Camryn who is 9 got several Apocalypse Now questions right. That is not normal.

After some pizza rolls (which seem to excite TJ as much as blue jello), we decided midnight was enough and everyone headed to bed. Or in the Hanleys case, beds, couches, sleeping bags, you name it. They were all spread throughout the house. Waking up this morning it was funny to see so many bodies asleep all over our house. Zoe of course will be spending the next hour licking every face she can.

So in conclusion. The Hanleys are fun. You should not play trivia with them. Do not get them wet. Do not feed them after midnight. Oh wait, that is the Gremlins. I get them and the Hanleys confused.

Wii Action, 1 Night Only

Tonight we are expecting lots of Wii action as the Hanleys descend on the Gloude/Whittaker home. I am very skilled at bowling, fencing and heckling the other players. Dale is very skilled at tennis, bowling and putting band-aids on the losers. So together, we are an unstoppable team.

Brent Dilworth is a genius.

Okay, I know this will not be a popular post for Becki Dilworth (as she likes to keep Brent humble), but let it be said - Brent Dilworth is a genius.

Brent came over today and got our Wii working on our big screen TV in the basement. I was able to get it working on the family room TV (which is much simpler and does not have 10 components) but could not for the life of me get it working in the basement.

Brent was very generous to give up his time this afternoon and now everything is working perfect. The basement is now wiitastic.

If not for Brent, I was fearful I was going to have to follow this diagram.

Thanks Brent. We will have you, Becki and Lily over for dinner in the next few weeks as a thank you.

So now Dale and I can kick the Hanleys butts on Wii tonight on the big TV. Wish us luck.

Crackberry...Stay Away From Me!!!

I find it hard to separate from work, even when I am on vacation. I do not know why. I used to not be this way and I know things will be find without be. It is weird. I think it is the damn Blackberry (or as Dale fondly refers Crackberry). It makes it too easy to stay connected and you say, "Oh it will take two seconds to respond to this email." Next thing you know it is 15 minutes later and you have responded to 20 emails. Is there a 12 step problem for work addicts? I need help.

I am going to try to make the rest of today work and Blackberry free. Besides I can blog instead. :)

Blogging Whore

It is always funny having people stay in your house. Right now my Dad and his wife Colleen are staying. I get so used to it being just Dale, the pups and myself, you forget things like you need to be quiet in the morning. Or people drink coffee, even though Dale and I do not. Or nobody can ever figure how to turn on our TV.

Our dogs Millie and Zoe have the hardest time with people staying over at the house. Millie acts like she just met everyone for the first time ever time she sees them. She gets all excited and is all over them for about 2 minutes and then completely ignores them. It is like she forgot that she met them yesterday or ten minutes prior. She is not the brightest dog in the world. Or she suffers from long-term memory loss and only remembers the past five minutes. This would explain an awful lot.

Zoe is the guardian of the house (plus protector of Dale and I) and is more suspicious of guests. She knows she met Tom and Colleen yesterday, but she is very guarded. We may have let them stay in our guest room, but she does not completely trust them. She acts nice to them, but you can tell she is not her bubbly self. She'll give them a lick and a wag, but not the full love. It is like she suspects they will pull out a knife at any minute and is ready to take them down. She is a good dog.

As you can tell, Millie is Dale's dog and Zoe is mine. This is partly why Millie is always described as "special" and Zoe as the brave warrior. What can I say, Zoe loves me. Millie only tolerates me, so she does not get as good of blog entries. This is true for people too. If you love me and buy me gifts, you get nicer blog postings. I know, I am a blogging whore.

Okay, I am off to convince Dale to my pancakes for everyone. Wish me luck. I love Dale to death, but he is not a morning person.

All in all, a nice evening

Yes, my Dad and Colleen finally made it through the blizzard...their rental car almost got stuck in our development. You make it all the way from Nebraska and almost get stuck with 500 feet to go. That is the way life always is.

It is always great to see my Dad and Colleen. We gave them a quick tour of our newly remodeled basement, look at our Halloween and Christmas pictures on our Apple TV (one of my favorite inventions) and watched a little over 1/2 of the movie, Hairspray.

My Dad is wiped out from the long drive, so they are off to bed early. I think the added stress of the snow, made the ride a lot more than it usually is.

All in all, a nice evening. It will feel like home once the Hanleys arrive tomorrow.

Still Waiting for My Dad

My Dad and his wife, Colleen left Nebraska (where he was visiting her family) around 10:00 AM this morning. He has called several times and just called again to let me know he probably won't arrive until 7:30 PM due to the weather.

He said the roads are tough going and he and Colleen are going to stop in the next hour or so for dinner, as he is getting a little tired of driving. I hope he makes it okay, as there is nothing worse than driving in poor weather.

I remember one Christmas when we were very little and driving back from Connecticut to New York to visit my Grandparents. It was a very cold Christmas, close to 0 degrees and very snowy. Our car broke down and we were stuck on the side of the highway, with little to no traffic coming by. I remember my Dad having to walk to get help and us having to open my Grandmother's Christmas present (a comforter) to stay warm. It pretty much traumatized me on winter driving.

Oh well. Memories good or memories bad are what shape us as adults. We are the people we are based on the lives we have lived. I personally would change any of my experiences or memories...they have all woven me into the person I am. For the most part, I like who I am...well at least 90% of the time and I feel that is pretty darn good.

So let's hope my Dad and Colleen make it safely to Colorado.

My Dad Is Coming to Town

Yes, I have a Dad. Shocking, I know. Yes, I have parents and they are responsible in part for the man I am today. I am responsible for all the good and I give them blame for all the bad. Just kidding.

My Dad, Tom Sr., lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Colleen. My Mom passed away five years ago and my Dad married Colleen about three years ago. I am glad that he found someone. The first few months after my Mom passed were especially hard. For five years his focus was talking care of my Mom while she was sick, so when she was gone, he did not do much. Eventually he started dating again, which if you knew my Dad, you would find very funny. He found Colleen after a year or so and she makes him happy. She is active like my Dad, so it was good to see him start to live again. Most of all, my Dad is a giver. He is alot like Dale and likes to take care of people and needs to have someone in his life he can make feel safe and special. It is nice that he has Colleen. They moved this year to Pennsylvania from Colorado as the company my Dad works for, Budget Truck Rental, relocated to New Jersey.

I do not get to see him as much now that he lives on the East Coast, but we did not really see each other that much here in Colorado. We are more a talk on the phone father/son relationship, than a let's get together father/son relationship. We love each other, but we really do not have a lot in common socially. He is a Nascar and football kind of guy and for those of you who know me, know I am not interested in those things. We worked together for 10 years and that always gave us something to talk about. It is a little harder now...but thankfully he watches things like Survivor and American Idol, so reality TV gives us something to bond about.

I am glad that he is coming to town and staying with Dale and I for a few days. I look forward to it. My sister and her kids are also coming up to the house tomorrow and spending the night, so we will have nine overnight guests, but best of all everyone will be together. It will be a fun Whittaker/Hanley weekend and hopefully Dale will be able to cope, as we can be a bit of a handful when together.

I was thinking about how to describe my Dad in this blog, so everyone could get a sense of him. He is a very caring and giving man, who always wants to keep the peace. He does more to ensure everyone else is happy than himself. He worked so hard while we were growing up to ensure we were happy and had whatever we needed. I will always appreciate him for all the sacrifices he made. I tried to think of a famous cartoon Dad (what can I say, I like cartoons) to compare him, so everyone could relate. I struggled a bit.

He is much more stable and a hell of a lot smarter than Homer, but I do like that I would then be Bart. Also, from an appearance perspective Homer is out.



He is a lot more together than George Jetson. Also, Elroy was kind of a puss. However, if you gave George dark brown hair, he is very similar in appearance.



He is a lot like Fred Flintstone in that he truly strives to take care of his family. Actually, thin Fred down, they are very similar, except my Dad is not a bowler and not as blue collar.




My Dad is sort of a smart ass like Peter Griffin from Family Guy. I do love this cartoon, but sadly, my Dad is again smarter than this cartoon Dad.








He is a lot like Foghorn Leghorn oddly enough in that he gives great advice and likes to tease dogs.




So, I guess my Dad would have to be a mix of all these Dads. He has the wisdom of Foghorn Leghorn, sense of family of Fred Flintstone, the looks of George Jetson and wit of Peter Griffin. Most of all he has a heart gold and is an all-around great guy.

Snow Day (Sorry To Those Working Today)

There is nothing as satisfying waking up to a snow storm and knowing you do not need to go outside at all today. They are expecting 3-6 inches today and since Dale and I are on vacation, we get the pleasure of watching the snow through the window this morning, rather than having to rush out and drive to work in it. It feels nice, real nice.

In many ways, it feels like a snow day when I was a kid and you get to play all day rather than be in school. No obligations, just fun. Today is that for Dale and I.

It is funny how things have changed due to technology - even to snow days. I remember when I was a kid and would listen to the radio to hear school cancellations (yes, the radio). They would read the schools closed alphabetically and you would wait and pray your school was read. Of course, whenever I (or my sister) tuned on the radio, I had just missed the letter I wanted wanted by two or three (in my case "L "for Lansingburgh School District, so when I tuned in, they were always on New Lebanon Central Schools), so I would have to listen to every school, which seemed to take hours. If I would hear my school called I would be so happy. If my school wasn't named, I would assume if was a mistake and wait through the whole list again. And again. And again. Knowing that somehow they could not make me go to school, while other kids got to stay home, just seemed like an error. Unfortuantely, many times it was no error.

Today, kids and parents just log onto the school website and see if the school is open or closed. It sort of hurts that the process is so easy and simple. It ruins the surprise and magic of it in a way. I usually always welcome technology, but personally I liked the old way better.

Maybe I will make a snowman later when we go out to shovel...or maybe I will just stay in and have some chai tea (sent by our friends Matt and John in Michigan for us for Christmas). Either way, today will be a nice, relaxing day.

She is still in our hearts

I was reading some blogs tonight (Dale already headed to bed) and came across a post about Christmas lights. It got me thinking about my Mom. January 4, 2008 will be the 5 year anniversary of her passing. I miss her every day. She loved Christmas. She loved all holidays. She loved her family and she loved life. So this time of year always reminds me of her.

In August 2003, after a five year battle with ovarian cancer my Mom found out there was nothing else the doctors could do for her. Basically, the cancer had spread throughout her body. The cancer had become too aggressive. I think in many ways she was tired of fighting too. I think that after five years, she could not mentally take on the cancer anymore. She was physically and mentally exhausted from being sick. She was tired and wanted some peace (I pray she has found it).

The doctors gave her about a month to live, but my Mom lived five more months. I think part of it was her will to not pass away during the holidays. Even at her weakest point, I believe she was always thinking of her family. The holidays were so special to her and I think she refused for her family to associate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years with her death. She was an amazing woman. Her family was what she lived for, so I think that never stopped even at the end, she was so selfless. The final few months were tough as my Mom was bed ridden, very weak and would often find it hard to remember things.

A week or so before Christmas in 2002, my Mom asked if we could all take her for a car ride, so she could see the Christmas lights on our house and in the neighborhood. She loved Christmas so much and always made it so magical for my sister, Dad and I every year. I think she wanted to have one final memory of the lights and Christmas. We bundled her up and my Dad had to carry her from their bed to the car. We all piled in the car for a short drive. It was probably only 20 minutes, but it was great to see her face as she looked at all the lights. It is something I will never forget.

That night was the last time she made it out of bed. Even on Christmas Day she was too weak to come downstairs, but she was with us in our hearts as we opened presents and she still is in our hearts every year since. I know she would be happy that my sister, Rachel and I still celebrate the holidays together. It would make her proud that her love of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years lives on in us and no matter what, we are there for each other. It is probably the reason why I make such a big deal about the holidays. In many ways, I want to make her proud.

I miss her a lot, especially during the holidays, but she is always with me.

What do vacation, Pirates 3, Olive Garden and Neil Patrick Harris have in common?

I know a bit random, huh? Let me explain.

The Good: Today was the first in many days that Dale and I did not have a hectic schedule...in fact we really had no schedule at all today. Dale and I are officially on vacation, even though we did go into work for two hours today. We both had a few things to get done, so we figured we would pop in and pop out. We have been off since last Friday, December 21st and do not return until Wednesday, January 2nd. It is a nice break.

The Bad: After work, we made the rest of the day all about nothing. We hung out and watched mindless TV and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 on DVD. I did not love the second Pirates and I did not understand the third at all. It was so damn confusing. I hate movies with too many characters, too many story lines and too many twists. It is annoying. I do not recommend this DVD at all. It was quite disappointing. In fact, if you see the DVDs on shelves in Target or other stores, destroy them. Make sure others do not waste 168 minutes of their life too. I beg of you. Destroy all copies of this movie. Also, based on the ending, I have a sad feeling there could be a Pirates of the Caribbean 4 centered around the fountain of youth. For goodness sake STOP. These trilogy has run its course. Let's quit before others are hurt.

The Yummy: For an added treat we headed to Olive Garden for dinner. I love the O.G. The soup, salad and bread sticks make me very happy. I know, with so many restaurants out there, why the O.G. (I decided to start calling it the O.G. and want to see it catch on; I think it makes it sound trendy; spread the word)? I crave consistency. I know that about myself. It is also why I like Starbucks and if I had it my way, I would by 10 pairs of the same pants and 10 of the same shirt and wear them every day. When I go to the O.G., I know what I will get and I know it will taste good. The food is good, the service is reliable and I love that.

And the Funny: So that was our night. Right now I am watching Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. I love Neil Patrick Harris as himself (of sorts) in this movie. I love his line..."I've been tripping balls all night." Not to mention, "Hurry, hurry, I'm losing wood."

Did Wii Win? Did Wii Lose?

Well, it was a great Christmas afternoon and evening. We got to see our friend Sara and my family today, so it was a great holiday.

Dale and I left the house at 1:30 PM and braved the snow (we have about 9 -12 inches total). The roads were actually fairly poor today as the temperatures and wind made a nice slick combination. There were a lot of cars off the road throughout town, but Dale is an excellent driver and armed with our new Garmin C340 navigation system (which I named Martha) that was giving us turn by turn directions (I love this thing), we safely made our holiday rounds.

We stopped by Dale's Dad's house in Arvada first to drop off a little care package for Dale's brother Dean. He had already left for Dale's sister for Christmas dinner, but we wanted to drop him off something so he knew we were thinking of him and bring him some holiday cheer for later this week. He is still here in Colorado working on emptying Dale's Dad's house and getting it ready for sale in February, so we dropped off a dinner and some DVDs for him to utilize later this week. It can be hard being away from home (he lives in Oregon), so we thought these things will bring him a little relaxation this week.

Next, we stopped by our friend Sara's apartment in Littleton to bring her some holiday cheer. She was not making a fuss over Christmas today, so we wanted to make sure she knew we were thinking about her and we also dropped her off some holiday goodies. She is one of those people that truly brings joy to everybody she comes in contact with each and every day throughout the year, so we wanted to do the same for her on this special day. Seeing her smile on Christmas made my day. She even had some goodies for us (I told you she was a caring person).

The roads continued to prove icy, but we hit Aurora next to visit my sister, brother-in-law, nieces and nephew - the Hanleys. You cannot pick a more fun family to spend any holiday with and this Christmas proved no different. After some gift exchanging (thanks for the Home Depot card - Dale will have it spent in no time), we had a great dinner (thanks again Billy & Kristin!) and then it turned to Wii.

Yes, Wii. The Hanley kids challenged Dale for days now to a can of Wii whoop ass. We played several of the sports games and the Mario & Sonic Wii Olympics game, which proved to be great fun (I included some photos of the fun). Dale did very well, but I am not sure if he won or the Hanleys. It was 5, actually 7 if you count my sister, Rachel and my niece's boyfriend TJ against Dale. All I know is that I kicked ass at fencing! Dale did great at tennis and bowling, but he can't serve in ping-pong to save his life. So I do not know if Wii won or if Wii lost. I do know that we have a great time no matter what and the Hanleys are all staying over this Friday night for a re-match. Dale is probably going to make me practice all week on the Wii, so we are ready. Thank goodness we are on vacation this week.

My thanks to Rachel, Billy & the kids for always including Dale and I in their holidays. We always have a great time with them and they always do a wonderful job of making us feel welcome and loved. The are so much fun, that I could not imagine Christmas without them.

It has been a long day. We are going to watch a little TV and then off to bed. Even though we are on vacation, we plan to hit the office for a few hours tomorrow (what can I say, it I stay away too long, I get withdraw; plus Dale needs to do payroll).

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! :)

We Are Truly Blessed

All -

Dale and I are truly probably two of the most blessed people you will meet. Not only do we have each other (more of a blessing for me, as I have Dale...but Dale says I am a catch too), but we also have amazing co-workers, friends and family. We are truly loved and know that each and every day.

To everyone who made this Christmas season special - our thanks. We love each of you and appreciate all you do for us. Words can never express our gratitude.

Have a wonderful day everyone. We are off to go spread some Christmas cheer of our own.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a wonderful 2008 filled with love, friends and joy!!!

Love - Dale and Tom