Warren, you fox!

The Omaha World-Herald revealed this morning that Warren B., the second-richest man in the world and Nebraska’s only non-football celebrity, remarried this week.

That part is barely newsworthy compared to the bombshell dropped later in the article: Mr. B's new wife, Astrid, has lived with him since the 1970s. But Mr. B was actually married to his first wife, Susan, from 1952 until her death in 2004.

Say wha? The Oracle of Omaha, our humble hometown billionaire who still wears JC Penney suits, had a paramour? (I love that word, yet this is the first time I’ve had a real reason to use it.)

Wait, it gets better. Susan introduced him to Astrid and encouraged the relationship when she moved to San Francisco. The women were friends and both accompanied him to various personal and business events. Apparently, both women were supportive of this arrangement. Why Warren, you lucky dog, you!

I know it’s wrong to judge other people’s relationships because one never knows what negotiations and agreements a couple has made behind closed doors. But I cannot imagine, under any circumstances, introducing Andy to another woman and saying, “I’m moving away, my love, but let’s stay married. Let’s be friends. Let’s continue having sex. But go ahead, live with my friend and have sex with her, too!”

It’s not polygamy, but it’s awfully close. The ultra-rich are indeed different from the rest of us.

So I think my friend's girlfriend is insane

She is a chiropracter. She thinks that the power of the mind with regular chiorpractic care can cure all body ailments. From a cold, to a headache to an inflamed appendix. And that the whole medical industry exists to only drive the pharmaceutical industry and pump people full of drugs.

She has started her own office, and with all of her marketing, has decided to focus on convincing people of her opinion instead of just trying to woo people that believe in chiropractic care into her office -- despite that being the last thing she needs to spend her marketing dollars on.

She goes and gets adjusted daily by another chiropracter and has threatened to break up with my friend because he still takes asprin for a headache and doesn't agree with her.

I see this ending badly.

Strangled by my inbox

I've closed my inbox and have forbidden myself from checking any e-mail until noon.

E-mail is becoming the biggest time suck for me. I get started on a project and realize I need to refer to a message someone sent me earlier, so I open my inbox to retrieve that message. In the process, I see a bunch of new messages helpfully highlighted in red and think I need to check those too ... 90 minutes later I've abandoned the original project because I'm too busy putting out the fires started by the five new messages I just HAD to check. I can only imagine how much worse it would be if I used my work address for personal messages.

Does anyone else have e-mail ADD? Because I do, and all those wonderful time management techniques I learned in college (like setting aside specific times for e-mail checking) have fallen by the wayside. E-mail is my addiction, my distraction, my lifeline. But I need to kick the habit ASAP because a) I'm getting projects started but having a hard time completing them and b) it's becoming a procrastination tool, which contributes to A.

As I typed that last sentence, my coworker informed me that there's an office-wide e-mail argument about our messy break room. Riveting. I've been away from my inbox for all of four minutes and I'm missing a major throwdown in office politics?

Where's our Monday musings, Andy? I guess I'll make some of my own.

• Getting into the school routine has been nice for me. Catching up with old friends, meeting some new ones, and now that I live in an apartment I'm more disiplined with my studying!
• I have a quick question that is directed mainly towards Andy and Paul, since you are males and you probably have an explaination for this. When a girl FINALLY puts herself out there and gives you her number, how long will you wait around until you realize she's probably the coolest thing ever and call for a date? I'm starting to feel like a gomer for giving out the digits (which I don't normally do) but oh well, such is life.
• I'm enjoying the end of the summer weather so much. My roommate and I have been going running on some trails she found. We found one that is near a boy scout camp and it would be the perfect area to shoot a scary movie!
• What would your reaction be if your professor told you to practice your Anatomy homework on all your friends/boyfriends/etc.? To me it sounds like a hot pick-up line! (Andy this is probably where you poke your eyes out and pretend that you didn't see me write that.)
  

Ouch.

Sorry -- posted twice by mistake. See above.

Cousin Central

Monday Musings:

Do not get old. Back in the day, I could waterski and swim and party and kneeboard all day. Well, I just had a weekend out at Lake Okiboji in Iowa and it was an awesome time. Got to sit around for three days and just chill.

Waterskiing -- Good
Catching up with old college friends -- Good
Beer -- Good
Boating and swimming -- Good
All-night poker and pitch -- Good
BBQ and Steaks -- Good

The hangover of sleep deprivation and sore muscles (as sore as I've been in two or three years) as you head in to work on Monday -- NOT SO GOOD.

But man, what a killer weekend. Its also funny how our poker talk has switched from chicks and drinking stories to talk about personal finance, home equity lines, theology and child-rearing philosophy.

I'd like to throw out an official suggestion to the group. Instead of meeting in Des Moines in the mittle of winter, we should really ocnsider Okiboji each summer. It's 4 hours from Lincoln and about 5 hours from Cuba City. Just a thought -- lots more to do and we coudl get a giant cabin all togeher with seperate bedrooms and the like for much cheaper than the AmericInn and we're on a lake for the love of Pete. Parents can sit up and play cards all they want, and we can zip around on Jet Skis, swim, hit the bars, cruise for ladies to set up with Cole, etc...

Just a thought.

Peace out players -- I need Advil!

A Plethora of School Supplies

I should really just go to bed right now, but I have too much energy and excitement pulsing through me. I just got my computer today, and I just CAN'T WAIT to hook it up and try it out. I thought about doing it yet tonight, but it just seems like a project that should wait until tomorrow morning. By the way, Andy, thank you so very much for helping me out with all my computer decisions. I know we went though many ideas, but I'm pretty sure you hooked me up with a pretty awesome machine.

School shopping has been a much looked forward to event every year since Kindergarten, but this year, it has reached an all-time high. As much as college scares me right now, it also excites me, partly because of all the fun school supplies I get to pick out. This year, I am not limited to bright notebooks, character-clad folders, and sweet new pens; a whole plethora of supplies has been added to my cart. A brand new comfortor, white background splashed with pink, purple, lime, and teal polka dots; fluffy towels in a rainbow of colors -- pink, yellow, lime, and deep teal (thanks to graduation guests); new pajama shorts in a seventies-ish paisly pattern to match with an already owned rainbow cami; a TV; and to put it to maximum use, a DVD/VCR combo. Not to mention the items I haven't bought yet. A few including: a bath robe, pillows, shower caddy, desk organizers, and a fan since my dorm has NO AIR CONDITIONING (my own fault, by the way, as I could have chosen an all-girls dorm WITH air conditioning).

But like I said, college DOES scare me too. Right now I'm excited about all of the new things I'm getting, but I know as my move-in day (August 26th) draws nearer, I will probably get really nervous. I'm sure crying will be a companion for this nervousness, but I will hop over that toadstool when I come to it. Anyway, maybe I should get to bed now that I've bored you with my back-t0-school supplies.

Steadily climbing to the top of the hill ...

I turn 26 this week. I have one more year before I'm officially in my late 20s and just a hop, a skip, and a jump away from 30.

Twenty-five has been a landmark year for me. Maybe it's because I graduated from college earlier than most of my friends, but I spent my early 20s feeling like an overgrown kid who just happened to be doing grown-up things. I don't know why, but that feeling has gone away in the past year. It's nice.

I want to play hooky on the afternoon of my birthday. I have vacation days to use, so why do I feel guilty about that?

Monday Musings

First things first. Watch this video. I am not really a fan of the OK Go music, but these guys do all of their own music videos in their back yard. There are two, and they are both awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCjSwr7zYtE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEYSlut0Iuc&mode=related&search= It's pretty impressive considering that it is all one take with no editing.

I am starting to get sick.

I get to go back to school shopping this week. Yay. I need new shoes, new glasses, and lots of paste to eat.

Every wonder why you drive on a "parkway" but park on a "driveway?"

When you transport something by car, its called a "shipment" but if it is on a ship, it is called "cargo."

I have insomnia really bad this week. Not realyl sure why -- not a lot on my mind. Maybe it is the thought of Mary with her hands on my spleen or cupping a brand new pair of DD breasts -- not for herself of course, on a patient.

I like August. One of my favorite months.

Riding a tidal wave of emotions

I've had one of those weeks where I've gone from angry (monday) to sad (tuesday) to indifferent (wednesday) to smugly satisfied (thursday) to excited (today). I'm not even PMSing.

I've written several unpublished blogs this week. Only one will actually get posted someday.

I can't share all the details here because it's about some confidential work stuff, but let's just say it's been a bizarre week. I'd unwind with a glass of wine after work, but I had WAAAAAAY too much vino on Saturday night. That's another story, but I fear ya'll would think less of me if I told it. :)

Cousin Central

Ok - so, Mnday Musings follow-up.

There is doughnut of rain around us and we get none. Sad.

Big day for the asian markets. With the gas prices what they are, the fact that the Asian rim is still so strong is a good sign that the global economy will continue to expand, despite the outbreak of world war III. Also means gas will stay expensive for a long time.

I hate allergies.

I hate lawn grubs even more. Grrrrr.

Lindsay, checked on your computer and have an update for you. Not good news. But not horrible news either.

Enough heavy stuff. Stupid monday musings:

• Every wonder why you can't sneeze and pee at the same time? Smoething tells your brain to stop peeing because you have to sneeze.
• The cat has the squirts. Of course, if yo ugave me nothign but the eqivalent of fish and beef flavored oat bran for three meals a day, my bowels would be cranky too.
• I dont' know why this is so funny, but I laughed my ass off at this. it is an angry german kid waiting for his computer to load a video game. http://www.break.com/index/angry_german_kid_with_subtitles.html
• New band: The Audition. Check them out.
• Hayley -- what night do you want me to come over and hammer your picture hangers and looksie at your computer and so Ash can swim again?
• Lindzo -- what si the model number of the computer you are looking at?
• Cole -- ah, who am I kidding. Cole doesn't read this.

Well, I feel like this is the 10th time I've written this all down because stupid cousin central kept freezing every time I tried to post. Anyway, here's the abridged version.

Long story short, I feel a lot of responsibility in our family. As the oldest in the Nebraska-Wisconsin branches, I know that I have recently experienced and felt a lot of the things you are all going through or will in the next 10 years. I had a lot of not-so-hot emotional times (even if I keep it inside) and this whole college-to-real-world adventure we call life can really get off track fast.

I nearly made some mistakes that would have changed my entire life -- and I don't want you kids depressed or sad or emotionally unstable because your parents couldn't talk to you in your own terms.

What I'm getting at is that I want you all to still make mistakes and learn from them -- but with the proper mindset that will save you a lot of sleepless nights and get you through to the next steps with your mental health and happiness intact.

So this novel has two parts. Chapter 1 is Happiness. Chapter 2 is choices and destiny. Chapter 1 today.

I've been thinking a lot about choices, destiny, and the like. See, two things sparked this all -- one was an e-mail from an old college classmate that hit it big, and the other was my 10 year reunion.

You see, the old college classmate is now a marketing vice president at Verizon and has been in national commercials, been moved four times and is pulling down crazy awesome money. But for as well as she is doing, the only thing she can talk about is how sad and lonely she is to not have any friends, no man and be working 12-hour, 6-week days. She is the definition of what they tell you you can achieve in college if you work your butt off. That's the set up. See, I regularly kicked her ass in assignments and when we competed directly for clients in some advertising classes, my team was 4-1 against hers. So it makes me wonder could I have been her -- which further got me to thinking. Would I even want to be her?

The second step was the opposite direction of a gal at my 10-year reunion that was absolutely brilliant and gave up a promising academic career to marry young and be a stay-at-home mom. She had the same problem though -- regret. Regret that she gave up her career and may never get back into the field she studied. She was not happy either.

See, I've been thinking "is the grass always greener for some folks?" How do you know what success is and when you know if you've "made it?" Well, what I have come to realize is that there is no universal definition. The New York executive and the young mother have it all in completely different ways, but neither of them is happy.

Where am I going with all of this? Well, if you know me, I have always tried to define myself in my own terms and not by comparison or contrast. It breaks my heart to see people with lives that others would kill for, only to not be happy.

So I think I have reflected plenty on this in the last two weeks and concluded that success is really a mindset and an internal definition, not how others define you.

I have an awesome wife, a job I love most of the time, I get to see family and friends all of the time and I have my colleague's respect at work and in my profession. So what if I'm making a fraction of other classmates that I know I was better than. I have something far more valuable. I have found my definition of success, and I'm completely happy with who I am and my place in this world. They have money and families because somebody told them that was what success is. But since that was not their own definition, they still long for other things.

Here's where this comes full circle from what I posted to Lindsay a few weeks back....

When you have a 10-year reunion, it's easy to start playing the compare and impress game. But my 10-year reunion was nothing like. Most of us there were just happy to hook up again, and there wasn't the "I’m better than you" show that we had at the 5 year. Maybe there is an enlightenment that happens around age 28. If there is a midlife and quarter life crisis of identity, perhaps 28-ish is the grand enlightenment of self-realization

So to you youngins, let me tell you that it does get better. The uncertainty melts away, you finally discover your true self and the things that make you happy. You find your new sense of a home and to be happy, you need to find your own definition of success and pursue that -- not the definition that society, professors, parents or classmates throw on you -- or you will never feel that happiness.

For me, the simplest definition I have found for success is "knowing that one person out there sleeps better at night because you are alive." That right there, combined with the mentality to not compare myself to others has completely changed my life.

Andy, are you done with deep poo yet? I've been on the edge of my seat for a while now. By the way, how are you doing with the wifey gone? Just cuddle with Blue and it'll make it all better!

This girl should do stand-up comedy
Our darling Lindsey sent us a homemade anniversary card that brought tears to my eyes ... from laughing, that is.
The front had this lovely message: I hope your love lingers on ...
And the inside said: Like a big smelly FART! Happy Anniversary! Love, Linzo
Copyright 2006 by Arts Farts

Big props to you, sister dear. I was in a foul mood when I got home from work yesterday, but that cheered me up instantly.

Ok -- so I got some deep poo I am working through mentally.

Stand by for a blog novel.

I've had quite an eventful week thus far, and I just thought I'd share it with you all because I haven't written a blog for a long time.

So last night was my friend Chase's 22nd birthday. (He's the one that is in seminary to become a priest by the way.) I wanted him to have a good birthday so I invited him over and I was planning to make him a surprise supper. My roommate Shannon was my special helper too. So after my class in the afternoon I rushed home to play Betty Crocker before work. I wanted to make Chase a delicious chocolate-cherry two tier cake. So I mixed up my batter and popped it in my pans and let it do it's thing. Well, when they were finally done, I was pressed for time because I had to be to work in half an hour and it takes me about fifteen to get there. Anyway I went to dump cake tier #1 out and it crumbled into a hot, gooey chocolate-cherry mess. I was frazzled but decided it would be okay and I'd just have one little round cake instead. (The rest is in the freezer waiting to be used with ice cream or something.) So when I got back from work I grilled some lemon pepper chicken. This was risky because I've only grilled one other time so I was nervous. But it turned out great! We melted mozzerella cheese on top and served it on a bed of fetticini alfreado and had peas and a tossed salad on the side. All in all it was a great meal. Afterwards we were all talking and not to my surprise we all discovered that our lives are going in directions that we are unsure of or aren't aware of yet. I do feel bad for Chase though because his life decision is much more complex than Shannon and mine's are. He's not sure if seminary is what he wants to do and so in a matter of four hours we managed to consule each other and have a great birthday. Now stop Ashley and Andy. I know what you're thinking. I made him a special supper FOR HIS BIRTHDAY ONLY. And NO HE ISN'T GOING TO LEAVE THE SEMINARY FOR ME.

Today I took my first essay form test since high school. I was so nervous about it that I woke up at 6:00 this morning and studied and did practice tests until my class started at 1:00 this afternoon. That's pretty hard core. But I think I can see why people like essay tests better. At least you can get partial credit unlike all the stupid bubble-tests I take that it is either right or wrong. Anyway I hope it went well especially after all the hard work I put in.

The last thing I have to say is probably trivial but it has been building inside of me and I'd like to get it out. I really enjoy my job as a whole. Physical therapy isn't my alley exactly, but it is still interesting. Well one of my bosses is continuously cranky and basically tells people how much she hates to work. I find this funny because she has to be making quite a nice bit of dough, but from what I can evaluate I don't think she's at a happy time in her life. Sad day for her. But I worked over 12 hours this weekend at the Cornhusker State Games, which is an amateur sporting event that takes place once a year in Lincoln. Well I got volunteered by my boss to work as "medical personnel" at the youth baseball and open swimming events. I got excited until after I'd worked those 12 hours to only sit out in the 90+ degree heat and making only two ice bags. I mean I'm sure my time was appreciated but I felt that my weekend could've been spent doing something more productive. Anyway my boss that volunteered me has yet to mention or thank me for my efforts. I don't expect to get a thank you, but she hasn't once showed any sort of liking towards me. I'm starting to think I'm a bad person or something. Anyway, that is my gripe for the day.

Also, a special shout out to my lovely bride of three years today. This time three years ago, she as hustling do hair, make-up and nails and I was playing basketball. On another funny note, did you know an anagram for Andy Washburn is:

HUSBANDRY NAW.

Wonder what that means.

So --

I wrote another novel on Monday and then a faulty internet connection erased my masterpiece and I don't want to really rehash that all right now. So apologies for no monday musings. To make it up for you, please sheck out the song "the alamo is no place for dancing" by the Scene Aesthetic: http://www.purevolume.com/thesceneaesthetic

That and I have a mosquito bite on my cheek.

I went to the DMV this morning to renew my driver's license. The picture is way scary. Why didn't anyone tell me that my new haircut makes me look old? I know my 30th birthday is closer than my 20th, but still. hmph. Maybe I could use this picture instead.

Hey everybody. Listen to The Pineapple Song from the soundtrack of After the Sunset. It makes me so incredibly happy every time I listen to it. Currently, I'm no long bitter about my non-complete nights of sleep.

Why I'm never marrying a surgeon...
Mary left shortly after 2am this morning because of (what I presume) was a call to watch the liver transplant. Now, as she left in a short time, she failed to shut off her alarm. So at 5am I was woken from my dream (in which a ringing alarm fit into the setting) and had to get out of bed to shut it off. After 10 minutes of continuously sitting up then collapsing back into my pillow, I accepted defeat and got up for the day.

I made myself some ego wheat waffles that I topped with chocolate chips. While eating, I played domestic housewife and began busying myself around the kitchen. I made pumpkin bread. Then cut up the head of cauliflower (because it inevitably goes bad as even I am too lazy to cut vegetables when I'm really hungry). After I brush teeth, I'll probably do a little vacuuming then file away my finance papers I didn't get to last night.

Then I'll leave early for work so I can return Mary's library books, buy a sailing book, return my library books, and exchange the cracked juice pitcher at Target. All the while I will be praying my girls have mercy on this tired soul today - 9.5 hours with them yesterday almost did me over. I resorted to having them play a game in which the goal was to fall asleep first. No one won, but that was only because I couldn't play. Because if I played, I would refuse to wake up. Because yesterday I also had an initial 5am wakeup. Only since today I actually got up then, I know it's going to be a long day for as long as I stay awake...

Andy is out of town this week, so Monday musings are on hiatus. His absence means:
- I’m eating strange meals and watching Friends during supper.
- I’ve watched The Devil Wears Prada and two Sex and the City episodes … and it’s only Tuesday morning. :)
- I’m taking the final step in the lengthy process of transforming the hallway bathroom from Homage to the Early ‘90s to modern chic: painting the vanity and medicine cabinet white. So far, I’ve sanded everything, removed the doors and hinges, and put on the first coat of primer.
- Unfinished projects make me uneasy, especially in areas that are supposed to be my sanctuary, so I moved my grooming products into Andy’s bathroom for a few days. His shower, which normally contains a bar of Irish Spring, a bottle of shampoo, and a body wash (for really special occasions), is now littered with potions that have names like mango mandarin, raspberry almond, and green tea & ginger. Heh. It’s funny to see signs of femininity in a room that’s decidedly male.
- I’ve been journaling a lot. It’s good for my mental health; I need to do this more often.

I miss Andy. But once in awhile, it’s good to remind myself that I’m capable of unhinging doors and using power tools without help. And sometimes, it’s good for a couple to spend a week or two apart. The separation tends to make you feel like you’re falling in love all over again. The absence of our daily routine makes me appreciate our little rituals even more. To an outsider, I’m sure they seem boring and mundane. But to us, they’re evidence of the life we’ve chosen together. That’s your awwwww moment of the day.

Besides, I’m sure Andy is looking forward to nightly burrito and fish buffets when I’m in Nashville later this month.

The return of Monday Musings:

• I know it's Wednesday, but after the holiday, it feels like a Monday. Back off.
• Cole is single. And happy again might I add. She broke it off with him, but he comes out brilliantly. He didn't have to hurt her by being the jerk, he is out of a bad relationship, and as chipper as I've seen him in a long time. It sucks to lose your first love, but it is good to quit before you've put multiple years' time and emotion into it.
• Talk about following my own piece of advice -- I get an e-mail today from a fellow classmate and intern. She is massively successful and at 27 is a vice-president at Verizon and has a staff of 40, and was in a national commercial that is starting to air. Very hard not to compare myself to her, especially since I regularly kicked her ass in classes and on projects. She's making big bucks and is living just outside NYC. But I also detect some loneliness and sadness in her e-mail. Even though she has much success and money, I still consider myself much wealthier -- just in different ways and I wouldn't trade that for anything.
• Saw a cat brawl this morning. Cool.
• Emerging markets look to be where it will be as long as commodity prices stay high. I'm a little puzzled why the energy markets have not rallied despite the gas price spike.
• I like the smell of fireworks. Nothing like celebrating America by blowing a part of it up with Chinese technology.
• The North Koreans are crazy.
• Am I the only one that thinks this Ken Lay thing was suicide. You suddenly have a heart attack right before you are supposed to start serving life in prison?
• Wisconsin cousins, when Hayley turns 21, get ready to host us up there. Maybe fall of 2007?

First to direct a comment toward Andy's post - I find it unnecessary to add my opinions to topics that appear to belong only in the Nebraska circle. Some postings simply don't apply to me at all and I usually don't have any replies that contribute to the purpose of a given post. Unless I get more background for some things, they will probably remain Nebraska-only.

As for Paul - he's working back home and the dialup internet connection honestly can't handle this site well.

And a summary of what I've been up to lately:.. I'm still nannying for two girls during the week. They're so much better this year than last. We've had a lot of fun every day but maybe two so far, but those were because their parents kept them up to late over a weekend.

I sail whenever I have a free few hours. This past weekend I earned three more ratings (a rating allows you to take a given boat out in either light or heavy winds, depending on the level tested at). So I now have unlimited access to three boat fleets and the longboard windsurfers in the club. My body still hurts from 6 hours in 25 mph wind on Saturday, but it was so much fun I don't care. Plus, the latest boat I got rated on can hold 6 people, so now I can take out friends (and family) whenever I want for a little joy riding (did I mention it has room for coolers too?).

Then I used my club connections to get Mary and I a ride on one of the keelboats last night, that we sailed across the lake to watch the big "Rhythm and Booms" firework show with orchestra. Aside from the fact that we didn't get back to shore until after 1, it was an awesome evening.

In the words of Kelso:

HELLO WISCONSIN.

ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE?

Well, this post has two themes:
1) A tribute of advice to Lindsay on her 18th birthday, and
2) Advice I would give to myself as a 28 year old if I ran into myself as an 18-year-old .

Therefore, I will title this Blog: Ten Years Later -- What I wished I had known then...
Fellow bloggers, feel free to add your own advice. But Lindzo, try to carry this with you and talk to me, the cousins or any of your siblings about this stuff. You are phenominally lucky because you can learn and live better as a result of all the mistakes we have made. So off we go...

Ladie-friggin da. So you're 18, the second to last magic age before 21 when your birthdays become relatively meaningless until you start to get the senior citizen discount at restaurants and movies. So what does 18 mean legally in the state of Nebraska? Well, unless you are planning to live a hedonistic life, not too much.

• You can buy tobacco. Don't do it. All my friends that started smoking or chewing are still doing it, and the habbit has cost them about $6,500 over the last 10 years, not to mention the health problems later in life and expensive health insurance.
• You can buy lottery tickets. Don't do it. Gambling is a voluntary tax on the stupid. You have a better shot of winning American Idol than winning the lottery.
• You can vote. Do it. Register, and educate yourself on all of the issues. One vote may not mean much, but beggn an active citizen and knowing what these elected people stand for is extremely important to you rmental health.
• You are still a minor. That's right. In the State of Nebraska, you are still legally a child until you turn 19. So go out and commit some felonies, run up credit card debt, sign a lot of contracts, and then default on it all because you legally are still a child that can't sign contracts. Don't really do that stuff by the way - becuase you can still be tried as an adult and get the electric chair.
• If you have a penis, you have to register for the draft. Which is interesting on many levels socially with all of the gender equality advances over the last few decades, but I won't go there. If you were a guy, you are involuntarily registered to kill, fight and die for your country agaisnt your will, but you are not yet responsible enough to have a sip of beer according to the law. That's messed up.

Thats' the legal stuff, but here's the stuff I would really tell myself if I had it all to go back and do it over again.

1. Work less and play more. After college, you'll have to work more and play less, so live it up now. Still work to pay bills and all that jazz so you don't have a ton of debt after college, but enjoy being irresponsible for a few more years. That said, take internships. They will get you a good first job.
2. Avoid credit cards. Get one and buy gas to pay it off every month. But DO NOT use it for more than that. Ever. Unless you are trapped in Tunisia or something.
3. Don't over-program in college. Clubs and activities are fun, and I've seen it 100 times that people get too involved and can't do anything well. After a year or two, whittle it down to a small handful of things you care most about and get really involved with them. It will look better on your resume too, you'll be less stressed and happier.
4. Your high school friends will move on. With the exception of 2-3 kids, most high school friends will ditch you at college or shortly thereafter if they haven't already. Don't spend your first two years of college trying to keep that gang together. Go out and meet new people. HS friends will move on and there's nothing you can do about it. Don't get ofended. Also, at least one high school person you got along with so-so will likely become a close friend during college. I don't know why this happens, but it does.
5. Meet as diverse a group of people as you can. College firends from Chicago, Alaska and California can make weekend or spring break trips much cheaper, and it helps you realize the wonders of the world outside of Nebraska. It also helps to have diverse friends that have experienced a lot and can help you through tough times. You will make some of your best friends in college, and you will lean on these peopel more than any other friends you have had.
6. Don't get any thing perminant in the next ten years. No police records, tattoos, STDs or babies. My dad gave me that advice the day he dropped me off for college and it served me well. Piercigns are OK -- just don't go too crazy. They can always come out when you grow up.
7. Rebel. Try a stupid haircut or dressing different. Or travel to a place you've never been just because. Dye your hair or do something different than the norm. College is about counter-culture, so find yoruself. Just dont' go overboard or end up Goth.
8. You are about to go through the biggest personality and emotional change of your life in the next year. You will become independant, make your own rules, set your own curfews, manage your own time and have more freedom than you ever had before. Journal or be sure to step back from everything once a month, if not more, to evalute the person you are becomming and make sure you still like who that is. I know that after a year of college, I woke up one morning and did not like the person I had become and it took quite a bit of time for me to get my life back and be who I wanted to be.
9. Guess what. Chip is going to go through the same thing, an dprobably worse -- guys tend to mature even later so it may take even longer. Make sure you still like or love the person he becomes. You cannot change or control his growth, and he cannot change or control yours. But constantly evaluate and make note of his growth and the growth of your relationship. Year one of college is a make or break year for HS relationships. What you have now will be much different this time next year. It may be better, it may be worse. Whatever you do, don't stay with him if it starts to flounder. THIS WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I HAVE EVER MADE. Don't be afraid to take breaks (the best thing Ash and I ever did), or break it off all together. Lindzo, you are a catch and Chip is damn lucky to even have you, even if you think it is the other way around. And if he get's to college, would rather just sit in his dorm room, becomes a total jerk, and his eye starts to wander to other college babes, don't hesitate to kick his ass to the curb. There are plenty of other fish out there. I saw all the signs with my high school grilfriend and wasted two years of college trying to maintain a relationship with a girl that had become a terrible self-centered cheater who was a shadow of who I first started dating.
10. Look out for yourself. Professors don't care if you succeed or fail. Roomates don't care if you succeed or fail. Your friends can't help you with debt. Even though it's good to be selfless, college is a time to improve yourself and set things up for the rest of your life and don't lose sight of that. Look out for yourself, becuase nobody else will on that campus.
11. Learn as much about personal finance as you can. In a few years, you will have a salary, insurance, car payments, credit cards, etc. After your career training, handling of your own assets is the most important thing to learn about in the next few years. Do it well, and life seems easy at times. Make a ton of mistakes and it will haunt you personally and anybody you marry for the next 10 years.
12. Don't try to keep up with the Joneses. I lost a lot of sleep trying to be a better person, get better grades or be more involved than my academic rivals. College is the first time you learn that no matter how good at something you are, there is always someone smarter, better looking, more charming, or wealthier than you. Be happy with being your own personal best and do not compare yourself to others because you will always lose. Always. This the hardest things for me to learn, but when I was finally able to reach this level of enlightenment, it was the second best discovery of my life -- after discovering your sister at a board meeting. I have friends my age that are still trying to have the nicest car, biggest house, and that type of constant comparison is takign a toll on her marriage and her friendships -- see Ash's previous post.
13. Don't forget your family. It is very easy for you to get lost in the shuffle of self-discovery and newness that the next few years will bring. You will forget about your family support group from time to time, and may even move family down the priority list. Everybody does it and it's OK to some degree as long as it isn't long lasting. Everybody experiences this in a different manner -- but just remember these people will be your support group and help out no matter what goes right or wrong over the next 10 year. And guess what, they are all looking forward to you becoming an adult and having adult relationships with you. Your siblings will treat you differently, your parents will treat you differently. It's an interesting time, but we're all looking forward to having another lifelong adult friend.
14. This one may surprise you -- Question your faith and the existance of God. Stay up late talking about theology and question everything with your new found independence. True faith comes from accepting soemthing on your own, not because your family forced it on you. When I was able to rationalize and find my spiritual identity on my own, it took on a whole new meaning for me.
15. Make the discovery that you will learn just as much outside of class than you do in class in college. Your education lasts long after those bells ring everyday, be sure that your eyes are open at all times.
16. Read as much as you can. Yes, you will be required to read for classes. A lot. But read other stuff. Fiction, non-fiction, whatever. But keep your mind active at all times.
17. If you drink, drink responsibly. Never get to the point where you are out of control, unless you are completely surrounded by people you trust. I never drank to the point of blacking out, but still drank. Probably too much. Never get that bad -- mailnly because of the next two points.
18. Avoid peer pressure. Do something because you want to do it.
19. Do not trust guys. I could go into 1,000 reasons for this, but I know for a fact that there is one main motivation in almost every college guy and 99% of the time, this drives their actions. The cunning young lady can use this to her advantage, but this will bit you on the ass later on.
20. You will have a quarter-life crisis where everything seems to be all wrong. It's OK. It will pass.
21. You will want to change your major at least twice. That's normal. If you do, make sure it is for the right reasons.
22. Don't take yoruself too seriously.

So that's a start.

Ash and I are extremely proud of you and you are standing on the edge of a cliff right now looking out at a very big world. As you jump off, enjoy the rush -- just make sure that you realize there is a lot of life after you open your parachutte and land, but that the next few years are a hell of a ride that will have lots of ups and downs.

Have fun discovering the world outside the clutches your parents, and we'll be there if you need us.

Happy 18th Birthday.

Cousin Central has a new look. Let me know what you think.

After reading this post, in combination with what I posted Thursday, ya'll probably are going to think I'm full of gloom-and-doom. I'm really not, but this is such an excellent place to get feedback that I can't help myself from venting.

How do you know when a friendship is over for good?

I've had a friendship that's really been struggling for the last 12 to 18 months. A few weeks ago, after a particularly nice evening with this friend, I told myself that I was going to let go of the resentment I had toward her and try to resurrect our friendship. Today, I received an e-mail from her that is making me second-guess my decision to extend the olive branch. I feel like she's interested in being friends for a specific purpose only, and I'm not cool with that. I refuse to let someone use me.

Maybe having a conversation to clear the air would help. But honestly, I'm having a tough time figuring out how to be diplomatic and cool-headed when I'm pretty damn angry. My pot of anger has boiled over, so to speak. I've also come to the conclusion that maybe we don't even have a friendship to save anymore. If that's true, how sad.

I guess if I've learned anything from this mess, it's that I should've confronted her the first time she hurt me. Interestingly enough, that happened 4th of July weekend last year. I didn't do anything because I thought it was an isolated incident that was the result of poor communication. Unfortunately, that one incident has snowballed into several, and my hurt has only intensified.

In this situation, what does "being the bigger person" mean? Confronting her? Forgiving her and moving on? I'm at a loss. We have a lot of mutual friends, so I don't want to have a big, awkward falling out that makes everyone uncomfortable.

I'm confuzzled. I haven't faced a situation like this since high school. I know how immature I was then, so I don't think that's a great example of how to conduct myself. :)

I applied for grad school this morning. I haven't applied to a specific program yet; I just submitted an application so I can take classes if I want.

I'm scared s*&tless. Now that I've been out of school four years, I don't miss taking tests, writing papers, and studying. My priorities have changed a lot since graduation. Do I even have the ability to buckle down and study anymore? What happens when I get a -5,872 on the GRE because I haven't taken a math class since 1998? Could I get kicked out?

I wouldn't be considering grad school if I worked for a mainstream journalism outlet. Journalists and P.R. people tend to believe that real learning happens on the job, and people with advanced degrees use education credentials to hide behind the fact that they're not very talented. In the communications field, there is some sad truth to that statement.

Here's the dilemma, kittens. I have chosen to make a career out of working for the public sector. Government- and university-types love advanced degrees. It's difficult to advance without "M-something" or "Ph.D" behind your name. I'm not arrogant enough to believe I have nothing to learn, but I believe the skills I need to improve are best learned through experience, not studying a theory from some textbook. Am I selling out by doing something I'm not enthusiastic about, or am I being smart and realistic?

Who knows, maybe I'll love being a student again. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

Wednesday Wanderings of the mind.

• My friend just dropped $20,000 on a new car. Its an HHR and I think they are as ugly as sin. And he color is nto that great -- like a tomato red. How do I show my enthusiasm toward it, when I think it looks like a pregnant rollerskate?
• I'm really diggign some music these days.
• Listen to "Boston" by Augustana. Download it, check it out on myspace or purevolume.com -- it will make youhappy and sad at the same time.
• Also, check out Jack's Manequinn. They are fronted by one of the guys who used to be in Something Corporate. If you dig piano-punk, you'll love this. Try "Bruised" "Mixed Tape" and anything on this website: http://jacksmannequin.com/indexc.html
• The markets suck these days. I won't even go there. Volatile is an understatement.
• I ate potato salad for the first tiem in 17 years this weekend. Not bad, but it was a different type with bacon and ranch something. Good stuff
• I love the College World Series. It turns me into a 7-year old kid again. Even if I don't get to games. the opening ceremonies rocked. Literally. The fireworks were the best I've ever seen and YellowCard played a free two-hour concert. Good stuff.
• I have lots of left over beer from our BBQ. What to do.

Hi. My name is Julie and I have a problem. I've been neglecting the blog lately. With support, I will recover soon.

Thursday thoughts:

The Jazz in June festival is one of the reasons why I love summer and I love Lincoln. It's an event held every Tuesday night on the green space behind the art gallery on campus. For two hours, 7,000 people show up to listen to music, socialize, or just relax. My friends from high school started going to Jazz in June a few weeks after I graduated. Some of us are still going, and along the way, new friends have joined the tradition.

Ellie is one of my original Jazz in June buddies. I was starting to introduce Ellie to our friend Melissa, but they stopped me and told me they already knew each other from somewhere else. Ellie and I are constantly finding out that we have some of the same acquaintances, and we've never met them at the same time or place. Ellie's theory is that our overlapping social circles prove that we have a lot in common and are drawn to the same types of people. In other words, we're not friends JUST because we shared similar experiences growing up (though that's a nice aspect of our friendship.) We could've parted ways after high school, but something bigger than a shared experience holds our friendship together. I thought it was a nice theory. I don't think it holds true for all my older friendships, but I see where she's coming from.

To the 20-somethings feeling lost: Sometimes you have to figure out what you DON'T want in order to discover what you really are looking for. This lesson is very applicable to dating and career choices. :)

I just finished reading I Am Charlotte Simmons, a book about a girl who is academically brilliant but is in way over her head socially when she goes to college. It's not as fluffy as it sounds because it addresses a ton of sociological and political issues. It also took me 10 days to finish because it's 638 pages and the writing is incredibly descriptive, which meant I needed to take a break after about 45 minutes of reading. Anyhoo, has anyone else read this? I want to discuss this with someone other than reviewers at Amazon.com. I suppose it could make some thought-provoking blogging material. :)

I don't even really know what to write about. I've been back less than a week, I've had two days of work, and Nutella is my new favorite food. If I knew when I get out of work each day I could sign up for a sailing lesson or two, but I've never been that lucky. And I'm a little paranoid yet to spend money on anything but groceries until I know how much my trip cost in U.S. dollars. There's a mosaic project I'd love to start, but I guess that's just going to have to be put on hold. And I'd love membership to a fun little gym in town, but I know neither the price nor the practicality of a membership.

So I intend to stay in tonight... designing my masterpiece mosaic project that has no foreseeable future, and at the same time waiting for someone to IM or call with plans. I can no longer comfortably invite myself into activities for fear of not being wanted. But at the end of the day I just think about how berries were on sale at the grocery store yesterday, and all the world feels exactly as it should be.

So far this summer I have...

1. went to numerous baseball games to cheer on Chip and his teammates.
2. been working at the Beaver pool, putting up with obnoxious children and a lazy manager, and even though I'm right next to water all day, I still haven't swam.
3. visited/stayed with Hayley in her new apartment four or five times.
4. read three books and started on a fourth.
5. went to one of Margaret's softball games and had to sit by her dad because there was no one else there to sit with.
6. done other mundane and boring things that I won't list for fear that you may keel over and die from boredom.

After I've made this list I have to say, I sure hope some more exciting things happen to me this summer.

Deep thoughts:

So I got on MySpace last week and hooked up with a bunch of old high school friends I haven’t seen in like 9 or 10 years. Long story short, maybe its my connection back with them, marrying off all of our friends this summer, or just that I am feeling philosophical, but I started thinking about “the next step.”

Yeah, life is all about looking off into that great abyss and trying to figure out the next step. See, that was blatantly stolen from a movie called Garden State, but where I am going is all from my own head.

What I am really thinking about these days is comfort. Hear me out. Five years out of college, ten years out of school is an easy time to be comfortable. Comfortable with routine, habits, being in the real world, whatever your next step holds.

But I am starting to wonder if people get too comfortable. See, it’s easy at this point in your life to turn your back on things because you are comfortable. Forgetting your roots, ditching some of your friends, putting your faith on the back burner – all because this thing we called “life” is going well.

Well, think about what happens when you are in a really comfortable spot for too long. Something like your leg or arm falls asleep and gets all numb and tingly. And when you try and do something immediately after, it is painful pins and needles, and you can’t walk well or really use the limb.

What I am getting at is that it is easy to get comfortable in life and routines. So shake it up – it is Ok to be comfortable with things, but make sure you are adjusting and still doing something other than be comfortable, or you may start to get numb. And nobody wants to be numb. It sneaks up on you because you don’t really realize that your arm is asleep until you try to move around.

So either this metaphor is spot on and brilliant, or I lost you around the second paragraph. Either way, keep your eyes open and look for the next step.

It's been a really long time since anyone has blogged, so I have taken the liberty of "breaking the ice" and blogging. Perhaps someone will be inspired. It has now been a little over a month ago since I moved into my apartment and got a new roommate (her name is Shannon and we grew up together, for those of you who don't know already.) I am fully adjusted to apartment life and we are both enjoying cooking and baking for ourselves and whatever friends come over. I also am loving having my own bathroom and knowing that it is ONLY me making the mess in there (yucky dorm bathrooms no more!) Another perk to our lovely little apartment complex is that we have a great clubhouse with the essential workout machines and a 4 ft. deep pool. That may sound lousy but it's perfect for chickenfighting and playing ball with your sisters! (Oh and that was a really hot guy to oogle while I was cycling and lifting the other day in the clubhouse!)

Besides adjusting to the apartment I've had to adjust because this is my first summer away from home. You'd think that after living in the dorms for two years and being in school that I'd be used to not being at home, but since in past years I have so many wonderful memories of summers at home, it's been quite a time. Thankfully Lindsey comes into Lincoln quite a bit, Ashley and Andy are in Lincoln so I have workout/social buddies, and a lot of my friends stayed in Lincoln too. However, I do find myself wanting to go home quite a bit still, but I'm sure with time that'll pass.

Today I have my final for my Chemistry class and I'm looking forward to having a bit of a break from school. Oddly enough, I really liked this class though, so I might be a bit sad. I have worked hard in this class and for once it will show by my grade, which is normally not the case since I'm not a genius. I also start my new job tomorrow which is at a physical therapy clinic. I'm pretty excited even though I'll probably be doing mostly receptionist stuff, but at least it isn't 8 hours at a desk (sorry Ashley :( ) but only two hours a day. It will be nice to start making some money!

Now, I have an assignment for all of us. Let's tell each week if we did something that was extra fun or summer related so that I know that we're all taking advantage of it being summer and hot! Here's my list from the past 2 weeks:
1. Catching up with high school friends and our foreign exchange student from senior year
2. Making homemade ice cream and apple crisp with Shannon and Chase and sitting on our balcony under the stars eating it (my priest friend)
3. Having friends over to our new apartment and making lots of taco dip and playing in the pool at 10 at night. Chickenfights were DEFINITELY involved!
4. Going to baseball games with Lindsey to watch her boyfriend and my old friends from high school play.
5. Getting coffee and swinging in the park until 11:00 pm with one of my friends while talking of highly intellectual things. (Pretty impressive huh!)
6. Lastly, going for runs on the trails nearby and playing tennis with Ashley and HORSE with Ash and Andy. Exercise is the best in the summer!

I know the calendar says that summer doesn’t officially begin until Mary’s birthday (roughly). Bah. We all know it begins Memorial Day weekend.

It always seems that once school begins, everyone starts lamenting, “Where did the summer go?” Since I didn’t make any official New Year’s resolutions, I’m making some SUMMER resolutions.

1. Swim AT LEAST once a week. Preferably more.
2. Take a water-based vacation. This will probably involve tubing on the Niobrara River in Nebraska or returning to Colorado for whitewater rafting.
3. Go to Kansas City to shop and visit our lovely relatives.
4. Host a kick-butt summer BBQ. (If you’re available June 17, come to Nebraska!)
5. Do all my boring chores during the week so I can spend my weekends having fun.
6. Go camping.
7. Go to Worlds of Fun or another amusement park.
8. Spend time at the in-laws’ cabin.
9. Spend an afternoon riding horses and swimming at Mahoney State Park.
10. See the WISCONSIN cousins! (I had to save the best for last, you know.)

A note about summer fashion … I spent two hours last night shopping for the perfect summer tank top. The perfect tank is not see-through, does not cling in a way that makes a slight tummy pooch look like a pregnant belly, allows the wearer to wear a bra (or go sans bra without looking tarty), and does not require the wearer to constantly adjust the straps or tug on the neckline. A good tank will not shrink or stretch out after one washing. Kittens, thank me now for doing the research for you—head to The Limited and pick up the Favorite Tank. They’re on sale for $8.50 and are available in many lovely colors; I bought an orchid one and may go back for aquamarine. Old Navy also has nice ribbed tanks (2 for $10!) I also recommend the ProSpirit racerback tank, available at Target. It’s super soft and stretchy. Does anyone have good recommendations for a spaghetti-strap tank?

It seems that our blog site is made-up mostly of rants and personal conflicts that we are having, which is super because we can help each other out. So here is my rant.

I have found out in the past year or so that it is almost impossible to date a guy my age. Why you ask? They seem to all have the mentality that they should be wild-bar-hopping-idiots and the idea of having just ONE girl is one too few. I'm not going to say that in my young age that I don't enjoy checking out and flirting with cute boys, but lets face it, does that get you a date on Saturday night? NO! Instead I've found that on typical "date nights" I'm usually found hanging out with the girls or else my pre-Catholic priest friend that everyone thinks I should date (hmm...didn't I say he was CATHOLIC!) LOL needless to say, I'm not meeting anyone.

However, I got to thinking about that past three guys that I've been casualing dating (I use this term because it's never official it's just that we hang out when there's no one else to hang out with.) Somehow in the process I get my hopes up only to find out that I'm labeled their "back-burner" girl. Excuse me, but I believe that I'm more exciting than a simmering pot of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese dinner. No, I am a boiling pot of potatoes at the front of the stove that you need to worry about starching up your stove. I've been told on occasion that I'm a fun-loving, cool kid, but how does this personality type get dubed as a "back-burner" girl? I guess I'll just have to meet new guys that can appreciate my personality and treat me like potatoes.

Wednesday Wanderings of the Mind:

I can't wait for summer. But if we go tubing, i hope this doesn't happen: http://www.break.com/index/tubingtakeoff23.html

So I have to have a meeting with athletics today. its still somewhat intimidating because its at the stadium, and its with really powerful-like people that make like $500,000 a year. But honestly, these are some of the strangest people -- two of the guys I have been workign with forever, I really like. The others are barely competent at best, and still have these great jobs.

I know, how compenant can a guy be that misspells compatent three differet was in the last two sentences.

If you want a good laugh, throw a cat onto a wet deck and watch him wander around in total confusion.

Papercuts suck.

A quick Monday rant.

I know you may find this hard to believe, but I'm not very outgoing. Sure, I'm social around my family & my close friends because I'm comfortable with you lovely folks. However, I can be pretty darn introverted until I get to know someone well. I like to be social, but I also like being alone. I'm okay with this, so why do other people act like something must be *wrong* with me?

Some people act like being introverted is a huge character flaw, and it ticks me right off. In the last week, I've been described as "unemotional" and "a wallflower." I've been told that others wonder if I'm snobby, or just quiet. Anyone who knows me understands that I'm far from a wallflower, I'm not snotty, and I'm definitely not lacking emotion.

The people with the audacity to describe me in these terms are people I tend to avoid. They're usually the types that are so in love with themselves that they're incapable of understanding that it takes all types of personalities to make the world function. I have a very important message for those folks: I'M NOT QUIET. I JUST DON'T LIKE YOU AND THE BORING CRAP YOU TALK ABOUT.

God bless the extroverts like Julie, Hayley and Andy who can make any introvert come out of her shell.

Hooray for internet access in Spain (but not the funky keyboard)!!!! I don´t usually have much time to check email and such, but we´re in San Sebastian right now, which is a very chill place. There´s lots of serfing and sailing, and if I´m feeling crazy I just may shell out the dough for lessons. It´ll be a good break to rejuvenate ourselves before Barcelona. Madrid was awesome, and in confidence, some of you will hear of ¨that one wild night¨. Mary, you are on the top of that list. Right after you pick me up on June 7, we should have a big dinner and chat of my adventures (and yours... haha for studying!). As for the rest of you, I´ll post somewhere online the highlights of my pictures. I´ve taken nearly 100 already, and the trip is only a fifth done. There´s some fun artsy ones in there, so that´s why there´s so many. AND there´s just a lot of gorgeousness here. I miss modern architecture, but this really is beautiful.

Wednesday musings. How about that.

Well, the weekend has been survived. I think that is the busiest one we will have this summer.

I have a box of Cheerios under my desk that I use as mid-day snack food. Everybody here thinks that is strange. Wonder why.

Well, got my first A+ of my academic career. Since I am so old and all, the +/- system wasn't around when I was in high school or college at UNL. But thanks to one of Ashley's friends, it is now in place at UNL. And it pisses me off. I am penalized for every "minus" I get, including an A-. Yet, if I totally master something and score the rare A+, I don't get any extra bonus. Seems out of balance to me that if you are goign to reward me for every other plus like a B+ or C+, I want the extra love for an A+. I know -- shut the hell up -- you got an A+. And I probably never will again unless NU starts teaching the "Spirituality of Star Wars" or some other geeky class. I just want the system to be fair.

Then there is my other professor. He uhhh -- left the country for the summer and forgot to turn in grades before he left. What the hell? Yes, this is the same bastard-coated bastard that made me thake a test the night of the prayer service and all.

that's all for today. More work to be done.

Too tired to Muse.

Need sleepy. And some buffalo wings.

Today I got 9 graduation cards in the mail. All week they have been steadily flowing in. This is all fine and dandy, but it makes me begin to wonder, "Is anyone going to be at my flippin' party?" Not to sound winy, but it totally sucks.

One more post before Jules leaves us for awhile. My random thoughts on a Friday:
Did anyone besides Hayley watch The Office last night? My celebrity crush on Jim intensified by about 1000x during the last two scenes. Talk about a hot geek ... rawr!

My bod got a bit squishy over the winter, so I've been on a fitness kick lately. On Tuesday I did kickboxing, and yesterday I worked my butt & gut. I'm also in Week 3 of training for a 5k. By the end of the summer my name will be Ms. Ashley Kickass. I hope.

Graduation season makes me really nostalgic, so I looked through my high school photo albums earlier this week. Guess what I found? A picture of Paul wearing my prom dress. It appears that he used Cole's Nerf basketballs for breasts. I wanted to scan and post it, but I decided not to do so without Paulie's permission.

I can't wait for summer. I want to swim, hang out at the in-laws' cabin, and eat barbecue. My father-in-law even fixed his pontoon boat, so maybe I'll become a fisherwoman.

God bless good husbands. Not only did Andy hang a bamboo blind this week, he endured two hours of dress shopping with me on Sunday. Although he was bored, he still offered opinions. He complimented me at the appropriate times. He even helped me pick out a necklace. Honey, I know that's not your thing, but I had a super-fun time with you. Pic of my new dress


Hayley's new apartment is very cute. It also has a pool, so guess who will be having visitors at her bachelorette pad this summer?

I can't believe my baby sister is graduating on Sunday.

That's all.

I'm done! Not graduated yet, but I'll never have to go to another high school class in my life. How exciting, yet scary, is that? I just have to go back for a walk through tomorrow and the real deal on Sunday. I can't believe it. Oh yes, and crazy root beer party tonight at Smith Creek. Yay!

Not a whole lot to really muse about today.

Ever get an infected hair? I have one on the back of my head. Ouch.

This weekend will be a test in endurance. Thursday night bachelor party, followed by our highest profile event of the year for work on Friday, followed by golf of friday afternoon, followed by a wedding saturday, followed by lindzo's graduation on sunday.

Lindzo, my apologies if I drool when I nod off, but I will be there with bells on.

Off to do more spray painting and hang soem new blinds.

Ok peoples! I'm leaving for Europe on Saturday, so if you're going to post anything exciting, kindly do it by Friday night. =) But now I have four finals to prepare for before Thursday morning, so AHHHH gotta go!

Just for Andy

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YxuswKLggnw&search=soccer%20practice

fark. I have to make a career-altering decision, and I have to do it in the next 24 hours. And I really don't know which way the head and heart are leaning.

With graduation just around the corner, many of us seniors have started handing out our invites to classmates and underclassmen. This handing out just started today, but already I've gotten two invites that say "Your invited!" on the top. Anyone see anything wrong with this? Apparently after thirteen years of education, high school seniors still don't know the difference between your and you're. I find it quite hilarious, and I'm bound to see more of these spelling mistakes. However, I do kind of pitty (now did I spell that right, it doesn't look right) the people who have done this because it's going to make them look really stupid to their peers (if they even notice) but most of all, their teachers. How embarrassing!

I'd also like your input. I'm making Chip a CD for part of his graduation present. If you know of any totally awesome graduation CD appropriate songs, let me know. Did that make any sense? I hope it did.

Oscar is doing much better, which I am very glad to see. I was very concerned last Friday when I found him coughing up blood. No more blood and barely a cough. Good Oscar!

I'd just like everyone to know AP exams SUCK! I took my AP Calculus exam this morning and was pretty much beat after the first twenty minutes. Good thing it won't hurt my grade and I don't really have to have it next year. Otherwise, I might be freaking out about now.

Did anyone else hear the thunderstorm last night? It was AWESOME!

Late Monday musings due to havign to mow. Where to begin.

• Ok, a professor can not return calls or e-mails, barely speak English, make me take a test the night of a memorial service, leave town for two weeks during the semester and not tell any of us, etc – but when that bastard makes us buy $170 in textbooks that are impossible to find, and un-returnable to the bookstore and carry a $0 value, that makes me want to declare a Jihad on him.

• So, if you are the friend that is always calling around to get people together, does that make you the loser of the group? I was just thinking – if we didn’t call around to our friends all the time, we would be sitting at home all the time. Or are we just the best friends to everybody in charge of making plans?

• Looks like the bull market for the next few months is going to be in health care and the Asian-pacific rim. I’d suggest playing UNH, ANWPX and any ETF that looks at Asia or emerging markets

• There’s nothing sexier in April than getting your deck stain and sealant down and watching the water bead off of it.

• Just for Paul: http://www.break.com/index/bush9.html

• So I had an uber-productive week at work. You’ve GOT to love that. Unfortunately, the best time came at 3 p.m. on Friday, when I was thinking of leaving early.

• So Ash hung some paint chips on my bathroom wall as we are thinking of touching up some painting this weekend as it is rainy and cold outside. The funny thing is, they are all shades of brownish-green and she put them straight in front of the toilet and I couldn’t help but laugh. When I’ve had bad food or am sick, am I supposed to use the shade to tell her how I feel when I use the facilities. “Honey, I think I am feeling better. I’ve gone from evergreen to spring grass, but my pee is still ‘vineyard’”

• I am a big fan of the throwback screen in college football.

• Ok, quick advice to all you heart-breakers out there. And to nobody in particular. If you are going to break up with someone, there is never a good time. It is published and proven that legally, there are only a handful of days/times where you cannot break up with someone. Their birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s day, near a family death, or around the finale of American Idol. Well, all except for the last one. There is never ever a “good time” to do it – so once you’ve committed, dig your heels in and don’t be talked out of it. If I had been, I'd likely be married to the side of beef that the lesbian I dated for a week has become -- I didn' tknwo she was a lesbian at the time.

• Why do cats hate aluminum foil so much?

• I am quite proud. Most of my landscaping stone work has not shifted or moved the three years. Yay me. I rule.

• So I ran into the infamous lesbian ex-girlfriend at a baseball game. She most definitely saw me and realized that I spotted her. Wow, the last six years have not been kind to her. Gained weight, a bad haircut – actually, it looks like she got hit with everything that Britney Spears has had trouble with, except for the baby thing. Like total white trash. Does that make me a bad person for getting a little smile about that? I mean, her parents tried to “fix her” by making her marry a neighbor boy and go to church, and she lives in a pretty seedy part of town now. It probably makes me a bad person, but I took a little bit of joy in that -- perhaps not because of her misfortune, but because I got ou tof that quickly while I could.

• Interesting tangent from that story. The lesbian’s dad goes to the church we got married in and played Judas in the passion play this year. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

• Chris Farley was a comedy genius

• Oakland is looking pretty good so far this year. Took a few from the Yankees, but the starting pitching could be better.

• Two more buddies get married this summer. Sorry Hayley, the options I know about are dropping like flies. Hope your date with Brad went well. We want blog details.

More later. Time to go to work.

Why doesn't this dear blog seem to be posting everything?

WHERE ARE THE MONDAY MUSINGS? You promised, mister.

WHERE ARE THE MONDAY MUSINGS?

You promised, honey.

Well,

I suppose I can join in again. I was worried tha tmy posting was perhaps getting a bit stale and you all didn;t want to hear me sayign the same things over and over kindof liek Vin Diesel.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/dieselscripted.html

So anyway, I'm back and starting next monday (or perhaps before then). Cheers.

Andy - are you alive? It's been ages since you've enlightened us with your witty comments.

I just would like to inform everyone, I had an AWESOME senior prom! The night was filled with plenty of picture taking, grooving, sweating, and parched throats. The theme was "A Night In Paris," so the juniors had an eiffel (is that how you spell it?) tower in the middle of the floor. At first I thought having it in the middle of the dance floor was a dumb idea, but it just made everyone dance in a smaller area, so it was great. There were icicle lights coming from the top of the eiffel tower and Christmas lights underneath covered by quilt batting. The rest of the decorations sucked, though, but at least they had one nice detail. Me and Chip decided to dance under the tower for the last song. We were the only ones who did all night. While we were dancing, the principal came walking over. We both thought, "Crap. We're in trouble," but he just comes over there trying to be all funny and says, "Whatever happens under the tower, stays underneath the tower." What a dork. Anyway, the whole time we were dancing we could feel the Christmas lights crunching underneath our feet. We just laughed, but I bet the people who owned the lights weren't laughing when they found them. Hee hee! After prom was a lot of fun too, and Worlds of Fun was awesome. I love roller coasters! The whole weekend went by way too fast, though. It kind of made me sad. I mean, I can't wait to get out of that prison, but that's the last time I'll have a dance like that with all my friends, so it made me kind of sad. I'm not going to dwell on those thoughts, though. I had a fantastic time while it lasted and that's all that matters.

I couldn't resist posting a few cute pics from Linzo's prom.
Lindsey and the 'rents:


Lindsey and the boy:


Dog following the boy and the girl:

Life update: I joined a kickball team and at the tournament today we were rockin' the field until we lost the championship game. The prize was Sconnie (student company, think slang Wisconsin) sweat bands, so at least we didn't miss out on much. Plus there was free lunch for all. I now like kickball, even though I sucked for all but the first half of the first game. =)

Happy Easter, everybody! I unfortunately have to spend the majority of the day studying and doing laundry, but I will be sure to do something Easteresque to get into the spirit of things. Friday and Saturday were taken too relaxed to be able to have today off.

It’s the last day of the 2006 legislative session. Thanks to Nebraska’s new term limits law, this is the last day ever for 20 of our 49 senators. The past few weeks have been intense and have included 1) a controversial bill that would split the state’s largest school district into three separate ones; 2) a vote to impeach one of the university’s regents; 3) a vote that will allow people to carry concealed weapons. These are the kind of issues permanently alter the state’s political climate.

I wish I were there. Simply reading about legislation isn’t nearly as exciting (or informative) as watching it happen. Newspapers can’t communicate body language. I can’t watch negotiations evolve. I can’t overhear the conversations between two of the senior members whose desks were located about 18 inches from mine.

When I read the newspaper or watch the news, I can imagine the buzz of energy in the chamber because I’ve been part of it before. But imagination isn’t as powerful as participation, and it’s hard to be an outsider once you’ve been an insider. The closest thing I can compare it to is visiting your alma mater. The surroundings are familiar, but everything feels strange because you’re no longer part of the scene.

My former coworkers have told me that the last few weeks have been grueling. Everyone is edgy and tempers are flaring. They’ve been working until 9 or 10 p.m. most days. I remember those days – they’re mentally exhausting, but ultimately rewarding.

Times like this make me question whether leaving was the right decision. Career-wise, it was the right thing to do. On a more personal level, moving on has been more difficult.

In the next few years, all of you will be making big choices about your futures. With choice comes change, which always brings a strange mix of joy and turmoil to our lives. I’ve decided that almost every big decision – whether it’s changing jobs, picking a college, or getting married – is a huge leap of faith. There are no guarantees in life, and even the “good” or “easy” choices require us to adjust and grow up.

The good thing about difficulty is that it often changes us for the better. I’ve learned more during the dark times of life than the shiny, happy ones. Don’t be afraid to take risks and move outside your comfort zone. If something doesn’t work out the way you planned, you’ll likely gain something far greater.

This is the long-awaited APPLICATION TO DATE HAYLEY. Feel free to modify it for your own purposes.

If you answer yes to any of the following, please cease applying for the position of Hayley’s boyfriend.
1. Are you a cowboy?
2. Do you hit on younger girls because you think they’re easily manipulated?
3. Do you Febreeze your jeans instead of washing them?
4. Do you average more than one parking ticket or motor vehicle violation annually?
5. Have you been sexually intimate with anyone who wasn’t a serious girlfriend at the time of said sexual act?
If you answered no to all of the above, proceed.

Where would you take Hayley on your first date?
a) To a baseball game
b) To a movie and the emergency room
c) The Parthenon (the restaurant, not the Greek artifact)
d) A group date with your ex-girlfriend and her new man
If you answered A or C, proceed. If you answered B or D, you’re probably That Guy that our dad wants to roundhouse kick.

If the date went well, what would your next move be?
a) Call five times the next day to tell her what a great time you had
b) Decide to date your ex-girlfriend instead
c) Don’t call her at all. Let her make the next move.
d) Call her the next day, but take it slow. You believe in the philosophy “You can’t hurry love; you just have to wait.”
If you answered A, you’re a scary stalker. If you answered B or C, you’re an emotionally incapacitated twit. Cease applying immediately.

Hayley’s grandma is in the hospital. How do you react?
a) Don’t call her; let her deal with the situation on her own.
b) Complain that she’s spending too much time with her family and accuse her of not taking your relationship seriously.
c) Send her a bouquet. On the card, you write something to the effect of “Just wanted to know that I’m thinking of you. Call me if you need a shoulder to cry on.”
d) Do C, plus bring her food from Sonic when she misses dinner on campus because she was at the hospital.
Any answer other than C or D is unacceptable.

You’ve been dating Hayley for one month. How well do you know her?
a) She loves dancing, singing, and going out – and she needs a guy that can keep up with her!
b) She’s a fan of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
c) She loves going to rodeos and talking about her daddy’s farm equipment.
d) Her favorite TV shows are The Office, Sex and the City, and One Tree Hill.
e) Her idea of a great summer day is going to the lake and snuggling under the stars in your grandpa’s boat.
f) She doesn’t have hobbies. She’s so grateful that a guy is paying attention to her that she’ll be whoever you want her to be!
If you answered C or F, the relationship is doomed.

You’ve realized that you can’t dance, can’t sing, and can’t handle Hayley’s awesomeness. How do you break up with her?
a) Tell her that you’ve had a great time with her but don’t see things working out in the long run. Attempt to stay friends after the initial weirdness of the breakup wears off.
b) Lock yourself in your room and listen to kill-me music and tell everyone that you broke up with Hayley because she performed fellatio on half the baseball team.
c) Do A, but attempt to turn your newfound friendship into a booty call.
d) Act like a spineless little asshat and make Hayley so miserable that she breaks up with you … then cry whenever you see her on campus. You want her to feel REALLY GUILTY.
If you answered A, your mama raised you right. If you’ve ever done B, C, D, just give up and stop dating. You’re a bad person.

Enough about Hayley. What kind of person are you?
a) I’m the type who tries to impress girls by showing off my car, then running it into a tree, then taking my date to the emergency room. But I won’t turn in my insurance claim and I’ll hope her dad never wonders why he keeps receiving medical bills. Hmm.
b) I’m going to live in the Sandhills and raise 20,000 head of cattle. My wife will be a nurse in a town 40 miles away. Since I love Hayley oh-so-much and appreciate the sacrifices she’s made to be a rancher’s wife, I’ll take her dancing on Saturday nights.
c) I’m a law-abiding young man with no felonies or misdemeanors on my record. I am a Christian. I want a good, smart, fun-loving girl that I can treat like a princess. I like baseball. I will go dancing with Hayley, and I will enjoy it. Women tell me that I’m good-looking and wear nice cologne. I am mature, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent. I am not a manipulative little twink. I don’t have any tattoos, piercings, or weird lesions on my body. I am a virgin and will not attempt to steal Hayley’s innocence until our wedding night. If I break this promise, I understand that her brother-in-law will hunt me down and kill me. And I care so much about the love of my life that I simply wouldn’t risk The Wrath of Andy for just a few moments of pleasure.
If you answered C, congratulations. I grant you permission to date my sister.

So dissapointing.

One blog after I threaten to put Monday Musings on paid leave until some other bloggers step up.

Too bad, I had some good ones this week. The European markets ----- dynamite!

Monday Musings is on hiatus until the other bloggers share some life.

Lindzo? Mary? Paul?

Sup.

aw

Jules and Hayley -- Andy can give you a full-fledged financial lesson, but upon Hayley's request, I thought I'd share my top 10 tips for saving money on everyday stuff.

1) Pick and choose furnishings and decorations you really, truly love. I bought lots of stuff just to fill the space, and I still regret how much money I wasted. It's really worth buying one item at a time and gradually building your collection of treasures.

2) If you live with a roomie, share things like condiments, toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies. You'll save precious closet space and money.

3) Find a grocery store that has a good "store brand." I love Hy-Vee because their products are the same as the real deal. I usually buy the store brand for these items: cream cheese, juice, milk, packaged cheese, salsa, all canned goods, pudding cups, frozen fruits, chocolate chips, and ice cream bars.

4) If you have room, buy these items in bulk: light bulbs, Kleenex, toilet paper, paper towels, bar soap, Clorox clean-up wipes, cereal (if you eat as much as I do, heh heh) and pretty much anything that doesn't expire.

5) Make only one shopping trip a week, if possible. Anytime you run into the drugstore to pick up one item, you'll probably walk out with five others. :)

6) Make a shopping list and STICK TO IT! I think we eat much healthier and save money when I take a few minutes to plan a menu for the week.

7) Clip coupons and shop sales. Sounds so mom-ish, right? But it really does save a lot of money. (Sales are almost always better deals than coupons, however.)

8) Make nutritious meals that yield lots of leftovers. I really like leftovers that I can put in the freezer, then defrost on a busy day when we don't feel like cooking. Soup, lasagna, meatballs, and enchiladas freeze well.

9) Take advantage of cheap meal nights at local restaurants. Andy and I still go to Old Chicago a few times a month for the Wednesday night $1 slice deal.

10) Once you're away from the dorm meal plan, it's so tempting to go out to eat instead of staying in and cooking. Bring your lunches, prepare stuff at home whenever possible, and treat yourself to a weekly dinner out with friends.

11) Sorry, thought of another one. Bar drinks are expensive. Save your liver and your pocketbook and limit how many drinks you buy. ;)

Watch for my next installments: Quick & Cheap Meals, What to Keep in the Kitchen at All Times, and What's Worth Splurging On.

Monday musings:

• Ashley gets cool points for being the best wife ever. She watched Wayne's World with me this weekend. Great movie. Sure, she recognized half the quotes that are in my regular lexicon, but hey -- you gots to remember your roots. I suppose I owe her a night with a chick flick now.
• I am waiting for the Wierd Al parody of the "My Humps" song. Seriously.
• So I went in to ACE hardware this weekend and it is a brand new one. Well, I was just walkign around, and in liek every aisle, they kept askign me if I needed anything. Well, after about th e10th time, I started making up items. And every time they asked again, I got more absurd. For those Back to the Future geeks, out there, I think Martin is still looking for a Flux Capacitor in the electronics aisle.
• I love technology. But not as much as you, you see. Always and forever.
• If you ladies are looking for a way to turn heads: http://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/headturning.html
• I love spring
• In the last three weeks of crazy events, I have decided to really focus on three parts of my life. The first is my health. Nothing like two parents with heart conditions to scare you into eating better and staying in shape. The second is Asher, sinc eshe' scool like that. The third is my fingers. Looks liek I'm going to have a few projects coming up and I'd really liek to keep my fingers intact.
• No market news this week. Just the price of oil. Bummer.
• My milkshake brings ALL the boys to the yard.

I'm out.

I need to go to drug rehab.

I'm convinced that Easter candy is laced with crack. If it's not, why do I keep eating so much?

I polished off half a bag (maybe more?) of Starburst jellybeans in two days.

This afternoon I went to Shopko to pick up T.P. and shower cleaner. I walked out with another bag of Starburst beans, two packages of Peeps (pink and blue), five snack packs of Cadbury Mini Eggs (for portion control), and one bag of Brachs marshmallow bunnies and chicks.

I do this every year. Every spring, I think, "Ashley, you're going to be strong this time. You're not going to get within 10 yards of an aisle of Easter candy." Then the pretty colors, textures, shapes, and once-a-year tastes lure me in, and I cave. I'm already planning a trip to get speckled crunchy M&M's, Cadbury cream eggs and robin's eggs.

Easter candy is my favorite candy in the whole wide world. The Easter after Andy and I got engaged, Mama Washburn made me a pink Easter basket and filled it with my favorite treats. She told me I didn't have to share with her son. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. ;)

Gah, I have to stop. I'm on a mission to lose a few pounds because I'm becoming an obeast (obese+beast=obeast), and eating my weight in Easter candy isn't helping.

See? I really need a 12-step program.

I don't think I need to explain the rare wonderfulness of a snow day at the university. Thanks to the interstate shutting down and the kiddies not being able to drive back to Lincoln from their spring break destinations, we got another one today!

This is how yesterday went:
Read, nap, play with cat, eat a handful of Starburst jellybeans, read, talk on phone with Lindsey, read, eat jellybeans, watch Cheerleader Nation on Lifetime and eat pretzels, play with cat, eat gross leftovers, read BH&G, cat, jellybeans, shower. I hadn't felt that relaxed (and lazy!) in years, probably.

This is how today has went:
Breakfast, check work e-mail and realize my boss dropped the ball on an important project (and she's out of town for two weeks), get angry, send e-mails to mend feelings and rectify the situation, calm down, eat jellybeans, read, eat pizza, check e-mail again and realize my boss forgot several other important details before she left, send more apologetic e-mails, realize that I've become my boss's bitch (i.e., the one who does 85% of the work), watch cat cough up sock fuzz and dried funeral flowers. Don't ask. Damn cat.

I'm signing out now; it's time for more jellybeans and Cheerleader Nation.

Monday Musings:

I love my job in academia. I get snow days, just liek the kiddies, and I just saw that LPS will stay closed tomorrow which means tomorrow is optional for me. Guess who's staying hoem to watch Dawson's Creek and Saved by the Bell again!!!

Sorry for all the typos, but my back is killign me and I don't want to sit here to edit.

So what's on my mind these days? Well....

Hoping that UNL cancels classes tomorrw for two reasons. First, Asher won;t have to go to work either. And second, how much would it suck to have a snow day from work and then still have to go to class at 3:30. I know, right. Plus, if I don;t have to go to class, I may round up Cole and another and maybe start digging out Grandpa Dale -- if for no other reason to see how kick-ass his snowblower really is.

So my momma goes in for a big surgery on Thursday. A heart-cathaterization ink test for of thing for you medical types on here. BAsically, they shoot her veins full of ink and see what's blocled and where. From there, it coudl be this wicked cool angioplaity thingy with a baloon that blows open the clog, or it could be open heart surgery and a bypass on the spot. Crazy stuff. THough, old bag for my family (at least on my dad's side). Hopefully, things will all go OK and she's use this as a wake up call to make some lifestyle changes and whatnot so she can have many many happy years of enjoying grandbabies.

No -- Ash is not pregnant.

I really dig my boss. As much ass-kissing as this sounds like, I like his weather policy, I liek that he let us basically take a three hour lunch last week to watch the NCAA opening round. I liek that I get Fridays off in the summer. I like that he has no problem with employees going to baseball games in the mid-afternoon. But his whole philosophy is great. Give people time off to do the things they love, and they will work their ass off when they are in the building. I knwo I do.

I like how the domestic retial markets are coming back. Especially bood old Buckle (BKE) which has jumped 18% in 6 months. Tech is just too risky until Apple and Google start to level out, and oil -- no thanks.

My wife is addicted to some Cheerleader reality show. Sad.

I am becomming more convinced every day that I should quit my day job and open up a business that will help young people with their finances. So many people just out of school are screwed. That's not counting you doctor and pharmacy types that will be able to pay off their student loans after like a week of work and then by a mega house the second week. (I know its really not THAT great).

I smell like snowblower gas.

Ok -- back hurting. Bye.

It's hard for me to adapt to this blustery, snowy weather when I was just at the beach a mere 4 days ago. This past week I went to Texas with Cassondra, my roommate, and her cousins. It was a wonderful time of relaxation, attempts at tanning, and eating too much good food.

The area that we stayed in for the greater part of the week was near Orange, TX, which is about 12 miles west of the Texas/Lousiana border. The weather ranged from 75 to 87 degrees. Each night we'd sit outside on the back porch and it felt just like summer. Texas also had a lot of nightlife options. Every club down there is 19 and over so Cassondra and I could go have fun with her 24/25 year old cousins. Overall it was a great time and I'd love to show pictures to anyone who would like to see them!

Lastly, I have to thank my lucky stars though because a lot of the area we stayed at was still cleaning up from Hurricane Rita. Many people still don't have roofs (just bright blue tarps), many trees are still down, and people are still working on getting their lives together. It was just cool to see this all up front instead of just on CNN. But no matter how devistated their property is, everyone still has a great attitude and just deals with what they have.

So that's the overview of my Spring Break 2006! A lot of fun, food, and relaxation was just what I needed!

I'm giving Julie some serious Princess Points.

Why? Because thanks to her, I figured out that O.A.R. sings that kickass Love and Memories song. I am so hooked and can't wait to discover more.

Nebraska weather is crazy in early March. It was 60 degrees yesterday, we had thunder/lightning/hail/rain/snow this morning, and it's supposed to snow tomorrow.

The weather reminded me of one memorable birthday celebration with Grandpa Meyer. We went up to Grandpa and Grandma's house to have supper and open presents. About as soon as Grandma put away the last sliver of angel food cake, a huge, nasty thunderstorm rolled through. There were tornado warnings in the surrounding counties, and I was secretly hoping some of the excitement would come our direction (not because I wanted the house to blow down, but because I'm a screwball who loves bad weather simply because it's interesting).

The storm was powerful enough to knock out the power. Cole, Hayley and I were shrieking in the basement, so Dad came down with his flashlight and led us back upstairs. Lindsey was really little -- maybe 2? -- and she wouldn't stop crying because the thunder was scaring her. We all huddled in the living room and waited for the power to come back on. And waited. And waited some more.

Finally, Grandpa announced that he was opening his presents, electricity be damned. I can still picture him holding a flashlight in one hand and polishing off half a package of Peeps with the other. :)

It snowed the next day. (Happy birthday, Grandpa -- even if I am one day early.)

Early Monday Musings, since I'll be way slammed at work tomorrow (but that's OK).

- Still feeling good for winning my speedign ticket case. I didn't get off on a technicality, I got off on the officer's incompetance.

- This week has been an intense time of reflection. I consider myself very lucky to have such a wonderful wife, brother-in-law, and pair of sister-in-laws. Not that I don't already know you well already, but some of the conversations I had with a few of you this week were actually meaningful and had some depth to them. Good stuff.

- I really like Pastor Ed more each day.

- I now know what a Kaddish is.

- If you are bored and with an uber-high speed internet connection, check out my latest video-editing job from an event a few weeks back. I'll have another one up this week. http://www.huskeralum.com/events/redgala/video.htm IF this is too big, check out the low res link on the page. I'll be waiting for my academy award.

- Cole. No pressure, but hang on to that gal of yours. To be able to handle Uncle Jeff, Uncle Joe and the relatives in a fairly emotional time is not somethign you will find too often.

- Cole. We were sitting with some friends the other night debating on whether or not to call you up and see if the hot tub was occupiable. We may still do so some time before spring gets here. Be ready.

- Current students, after some of my other activities this week not family/funeral-related, remind me to give you all a personal finance lesson after you gaduate. There's some relatively simple stuff out there that I think you all know, but I want to be sure so you are not in the same spot as some other folks out there.

- I don't type very well.

- It's about time for me to get a new cell phone. This one is so old, Zac Morris could have used it to call Kelly or Screech at the Max.

- Don't you love how college has its spurts. Two tests and a paper all due in the same week, and then nothing for like 5 weeks. Then it all happens again. What the hell? Just Karma I guess.

Test Yourself!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~pontipak/redsquare.html

Supposedly airforce pilots can keep this up for 2 mins or more. It's very addicting :D

Bringing you some kitten cheer.

Our neighbor cat Carrot came onto the deck to invite Blue out to play.

Linzo, will you show this to Dad?

Update:

Well, I fought the law, and the law can kiss my ass. Yup, the ticket got dropped. I got to do the whole bit: opening statement, cross examination of the officer, everything. The officer admitted that it is possible he pulled the wrong vehicle over and made errors on my traffic stop. Whee.

So, I am trying to reach the Isreali-Canadian professor. Dude does not check his voice mail or e-mail. I have test scheduled for Thursday night, but would much rather be with family that evening.