Ah, ceci est ma vie!

It's not even the weekend yet and the kids are filling it up for us...Amanda and Tom need some work done to the brakes of their van so they are coming over tonight after work to do that. Then, Jeremy called me at lunch to see if I could watch the girls Saturday night....and so it begins. I need to be cleaning carpet in the living room. Bob fell asleep on the couch the night before last and when he stretched or something he knocked over his glass of tea, which scared the cat sitting by me so she jumped spilling my Pepsi. Needless to say I had a mess at both ends of couch. The girls are older now so maybe I can still get it done. Somehow, I used to be able to do that kind of stuff when I had my kids at home, of course, I was 20 years younger too! Ah, ceci est ma vie! Hopefully they won't be there all day Sunday so I can catch the race.

Speaking of racing....Jeff Gordon was fastest in practice this morning, yea!! Jimmie Johnson is 5th but Jr is down to 21st. I wore my #24 shirt to work today hoping it would bring him some luck.

In China, weather is hampering the efforts to drain the lake caused by the earthquake. They are hopeful that they can control the draining but with the rain they are getting the water is rising and it's a race against time and mother nature before it burst. They say tens of thousands children were orphaned and because of the 1 child law parents have lost their only child. Very sad situation.

I still haven't caught to much on the earthquake in Iceland but then again, I haven't had time to surf the web since it's last day of the month...invoice, invoice, invoice....

This Day In History:
My first one is about the Indy 500 which is only about a 50 minute drive for me..Check out this Hot Rod!! :)

May 30, 1911

Indy 500 sees first winner

Ray Harroun won the inaugural Indianapolis 500, averaging 74.6mph in the Marmon Wasp. The Indy 500 was the creation of Carl Fisher. In the fall of 1909, Fisher replaced the ruined, crushed-stone surface of his 2.5-mile oval with a brand-new brick one. It was the largest paved, banked oval in the United States. Fisher then made two decisions vital to the success of the Indy 500. First, he determined to hold only one race per year on his Indianapolis Motor Speedway; second, he elected to offer the richest purse in racing as a reward for competing in his annual 500-mile event. By the second year of the Indy 500, 1912, it was the highest-paying, single-day sporting event in the entire world. The purse alone guaranteed that Indy would attract the media's undivided attention. Add to Fisher's marketing tactics the fact that European racing suffered from an absence of major events due to the ban on public road racing, and you have the ingredients that made Indy instantly successful. The media attention, in turn, meant that the best drivers in the world would come to Indy to make their reputation. Manufacturers acknowledged that a car bearing their name would mean millions in free advertising. It's a simple formula by today's standards, but in Fisher's time the risk of putting so much money down was rarely taken. In the very first race at Indy, Harroun's Marmon became nationally recognized. The car was owned, built, and entered by the factory, and Harroun drove as a hired employee. Among the Marmon Wasp's novel features, it is cited as the first car fitted with a rear-view mirror. But if the Indy 500 was responsible for attracting the industry to racing, it was even more responsible for creating racing as an industry. In 1911, the typical race car was built off the chassis of a big luxury car. They had huge four-cylinder engines. Instead of the heavy body of the luxury cars, the race cars were fitted with "doghouse" bodies that just covered the car's engine and cockpit. The floorboards were wood boards, the wheels were made of ash wood, and the seats were metal buckets bolted firmly to the floorboards. The cars were equipped with rear-wheel drum brakes only. Bolster tanks, like tubular sofa bolsters, held the oil and gasoline. Due to the ill-fitting pistons, gaskets, and valves that comprised the cars' innards, the best cars dropped nearly a dozen gallons of oil on the brick racetrack over the course of the 500-mile event. So these cars, equipped with no suspension, raced at speeds near 80mph on a brick track covered in oil. Only a decade later in 1922, nearly all the cars that started the Indy 500 were purpose-built race cars. All of them carried aerodynamic bodies, with narrow grills and teardrop-shaped tails. Knock-off wire wheels made for quick, efficient tire changes, and the new straight-sided tires lasted much longer than their early pneumatic counterparts. The best cars were equipped with four-wheel hydraulic brakes and inline 3.0-liter V-8 engines made of aluminum. The cars were smaller, lighter, more efficient, and far more expensive. They resembled nothing that could be purchased in a storeroom. Ray Harroun's speed of 74.6mph would have finished him 10th at the 1922 Indy 500. It wasn't the speeds that had changed so much as the driver's control over the car. Racing, at least partly because of Indy, had become a sport rather than an exhibition. In the mid-1920s, the Miller and Duesenberg cars took racing to another level. Indy became what it is today, a high-paying event for the world's most expensive cars.

May 30, 1431

Joan of Arc martyred

At Rouen in English-controlled Normandy, Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who became the savior of France, is burned at the stake for heresy.

Long article but interesting. For more check out this site:

http://tinyurl.com/5v6vrw

May 30, 1927

Waters of Kentucky River peak

On this day in 1927, the Kentucky River peaks during a massive flood that kills 89 people and leaves thousands homeless. Torrential rains caused this unprecedented flood.

An account from the Mountain Eagle newspaper out of Whitesburg, Kentucky, in Letcher County, provides a detailed look at the disaster:

“The flood hit just after 11 o'clock Sunday night, and within a few minutes the whole camp of the Consolidated Fuel company was under water. The house in which Brent Breeding and his family were living was swept against the railroad trestle and then crushed to pieces. Not a plank of it is to be seen there now. All of the members of the family were saved except a five-year-old girl. The body has not yet been recovered.

Jimmy Higgins, superintendent, says that he heard at 11 o'clock that his sub-station was on fire and started up Smoot creek to see about it. The rain became so hard that he turned back and climbed the hill to his home overlooking the depot there. A prolonged flash of lightning showed him that the camp already flooded. He rushed back down the hill and began to direct the rescue work. They had to chop into the roofs of some of the houses to get the occupants out, for the water from below had trapped them. Swimmers went in at the risk of their own lives and carried out occupants. One home had thirteen children, all of whom were saved.”

This flood had a serious long-term impact on the communities of the region: 12,000 people were left homeless and men were out of work for months as the mines in which most worked had to be shut down. As with most floods, it was the flooding of small streams rather than a major river that caused the most deaths. Major rivers that flood can cause serious property and agricultural damage, but do not usually cause deaths because it takes more time for them to flood, usually providing ample warning to people nearby. Smaller rivers and creeks tend to flood suddenly when inundated by local storm bursts; the sudden waves of water that kill people usually come out of these smaller rivers.

Floods are the deadliest weather phenomenon in the United States, causing about 140 deaths annually.

That's all for now. Have a safe weekend!

Lots of News today...

I started off the day looking around for info on the 'lake' in China that they are attempting to release. This is the one caused by landslides from the earthquake that blocked a river. They estimate it is the size of 50,000 Olympic sizes pools! They have evacuated the area and are set to blast through to begin releasing water back into the dry riverbed BUT we all know about 'best laid plans'. Video at CNN showed the 'ghost towns' left behind and to be honest it looked surreal.

While checking up on that, a breaking news banner loaded. There was a 6.1 earthquake in Iceland today! It was located in the southern region and there are reports that roads and buildings are damage but no injuries are reported at this time. Anyone working but living in effected area was told to go home and check on family and personal property.

I did a scan of my Chaiten/volcano sites and looks like she's still puffing like a steel mill, steady. It's just amazing what you can find on the Internet. While browsing around I saw a picture of Ayers Rock in Australia. Fascinating reading, check it out:

http://www.crystalinks.com/ayersrock.html



Article says it extends 3-1/2 miles beneath the surface! It's one of those things that I will never see in real life but I can experience it vicariously through the Internet. Wish we'd had computers in school. Would have made it much more interesting!

Onto This Day In History:

May 29, 1917

John F. Kennedy is born

One of America’s best-loved presidents, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is born into a politically and socially prominent family in Brookline, Massachusetts, on this day in 1917. He was the first American president to be born in the 20th century.

May 29, 1932

Bonus Marchers arrive in Washington

At the height of the Great Depression, the so-called "Bonus Expeditionary Force," a group of 1,000 World War I veterans seeking cash payments for their veterans' bonus certificates, arrive in Washington, D.C. One month later, other veteran groups spontaneously made their way to the nation's capital, swelling the Bonus Marchers to nearly 20,000 strong, most of them unemployed veterans in desperate financial straits. Camping in vacant government buildings and in open fields made available by District of Columbia Police Chief Pelham D. Glassford, they demanded passage of the veterans' payment bill introduced by Representative Wright Patman.

While awaiting a vote on the issue, the veterans conducted themselves in an orderly and peaceful fashion, and on June 15 the Patman bill passed in the House of Representatives. However, two days later, its defeat in the Senate infuriated the marchers, who refused to return home. In an increasingly tense situation, the federal government provided money for the protesters' trip home, but 2,000 refused the offer and continued to protest. On July 28, President Herbert Hoover ordered the army, under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, to evict them forcibly. MacArthur's men set their camps on fire, and the veterans were driven from the city. Hoover, increasingly regarded as insensitive to the needs of the nation's many poor, was much criticized by the public and press for the severity of his response. (We really should treat our veterans with more respect!!)

May 29, 1942

Jews in Paris are forced to sew a yellow star on their coats

On this day in 1942, on the advice of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler orders all Jews in occupied Paris to wear an identifying yellow star on the left side of their coats.

Joseph Goebbels had made the persecution, and ultimately the extermination, of Jews a personal priority from the earliest days of the war, often recording in his diary such statements as: "They are no longer people but beasts," and "[T]he Jews ... are now being evacuated eastward. The procedure is pretty barbaric and is not to be described here more definitely. Not much will remain of the Jews."

But Goebbels was not the first to suggest this particular form of isolation. "The yellow star may make some Catholics shudder," wrote a French newspaper at the time. "It renews the most strictly Catholic tradition." Intermittently, throughout the history of the papal states, that territory in central Italy controlled by the pope, Jews were often confined to ghettos and forced to wear either yellow hats or yellow stars.

and for my Wisconsin friends... ;)

May 29, 1848

Wisconsin enters the Union

Following approval of statehood by the territory's citizens, Wisconsin enters the Union as the 30th state.

In 1634, French explorer Jean Nicolet landed at Green Bay, becoming the first European to visit the lake-heavy northern region that would later become Wisconsin. In 1763, at the conclusion of the French and Indian Wars, the region, a major center of the American fur trade, passed into British control. Two decades later, at the end of the American Revolution, the region came under U.S. rule and was governed as part of the Northwest Territory. However, British fur traders continued to dominate Wisconsin from across the Canadian border, and it was not until the end of the War of 1812 that the region fell firmly under American control.

In the first decades of the 19th century, settlers began arriving via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes to exploit Wisconsin's agricultural potential, and in 1832 the Black Hawk War ended Native American resistance to white settlement. In 1836, after several decades of governance as part of other territories, Wisconsin was made a separate entity, with Madison, located midway between Milwaukee and the western centers of population, marked as the territorial capital. By 1840, population in Wisconsin had risen above 130,000, but the people voted against statehood four times, fearing the higher taxes that would come with a stronger central government. Finally, in 1848, Wisconsin citizens, envious of the prosperity that federal programs brought to neighboring Midwestern states, voted to approve statehood. Wisconsin entered the Union the next May

That's all for now folks, thanks for stopping in! Make it a great day and catch ya on the blog...

Mother Nature and her cruel jokes!!!!

Was kind of different being woke up by the furnace kicking on this morning, geesh!! We use heaters and a wood stove to heat in the winter so the furnace very rarely comes on. It's usually the peacock I hear first thing in the morning...but even HE got cold last night and slept in the wood shed with the kitties!! Since the furnace kicked on before the alarm clock went off, I rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep. It seemed like 2 seconds but it was probably 2 minutes and CLICK, Whoa oh China Grove... Don't get me wrong, I like the Doobie Brothers but I hate it when the radio is playing songs my brother used to play. Makes for a hard start to the day. There always seems to be a little 'gut check'. But that's a long story for a different day....

I finally found out I can get some days off at end of June to help my best friend move. She is moving from Kentucky to New Jersey...(tears) Not sure what I will do next time I need a getaway :( She lived like 4-1/2 hours away but now she will be 12 hours away and with the price of gas.....Maybe that's why the song this morning bothered me so much, because things are changing and they will never be the same again. I tried to teach my kids that life is about changes but there's the 'do what I say, not what I do' line I used from time to time too....lol

Okay, on to something else before I get all blubbery at work...The news today from China sure isn't good. (over 60,000 known dead) They had 2 more aftershocks yesterday that destroyed more houses and killed another 63 people. They are also evacuating a large area where the original quake caused some landslides and blocked a river. The blockage has caused a 'lake' to form and is threatening to over flow and flood many towns in low lying areas. Pray that things calm down over there.
Latest news on the Chaiten volcano is that it is still rumbling and from time to time sending ash and gas around 4,000 feet into the air. Danger zone was lifted from 50 km to 24 km so they can get 600,000 Salmon to safety. I liked the way this was written up from the AP:

6,000 tons of salmon are moved from Chile volcano

By EDUARDO GALLARDO – 1 day ago

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — First they saved the people. Then they rescued the dogs and cats. Finally they went in for the fish — 6,000 tons of them — threatened by a volcanic eruption in southern Chile.

Some 600,000 salmon were being moved by boats Tuesday from a fish farm just eight miles from the Chaiten volcano, according to Carlos Odebret, a spokesman for Salmon Chile, the association of private salmon industries.

He said that farm was the last of several to be evacuated because officials recently reduced the size of the prohibited-entry zone around the volcano, making it accessible again to workers.

The volcano began erupting on May 2, spewing vast columns of ash and gas that spread across South America from the Pacific to the Atlantic and beyond.

All 4,500 residents of the town of Chaiten were evacuated soon after the eruption began and the future of the town is now uncertain. It has been flooded by a river that overflowed its banks, damaging scores of houses, and it has been coated in ash.

Authorities rescued hundreds of pets eight days after the eruption and removed thousands of heads of livestock. They then authorized the removal of the salmon.

Odebret told The Associated Press by telephone that small teams worked for days in the salmon operation, aided by the navy, which had speedboats on hand "in case something happened that forced a quick departure."

He said the relocated fish amount to only about 1.5 percent of the annual production of Chile's salmon industry, which has exports exceeding $2 billion a year.

Today in History:

May 28, 1916

Record set at Indy

Barney Oldfield ran a qualifying lap in his front-wheel-drive Christie at 102.6mph. It was the first time any driver had rounded the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in excess of 100mph. Oldfield ended up finishing fifth on race day, as Dario Resta beat the field in his Peugeot. Barney Oldfield is remarkable for having set so many landmarks in so many different places in so many different cars. He had a knack for creating history. It was Oldfield who first drove Ford's 888 cars to success; Oldfield who made Harry Miller famous in the Golden Submarine; Oldfield who beat Ralph DePalma in a series of match races. He somehow always managed to associate himself with the famous figures and venues of his time. He even served a ban for drag racing the African-American heavyweight champion of the world, Jack Johnson.

May 28, 1937

Golden Gate Bridge opens

The Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicular traffic on this day in 1937. One of the world's largest single-span suspension bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge was designed by Clifford Paine. Paine submitted the final blueprints for approval in 1930. With the official design completed, it took over three years for the builders to attain the approval of the military, the city financiers, and the voting public. Construction of the bridge commenced on January 5, 1933. The bridge's aesthetics were influenced greatly by an assisting architect named Irving Morrow. Morrow had no experience building bridges, but he convinced Paine to adopt many of the Golden Gate's most striking features. It was his idea for the portal bracings above the roadway to diminish in size as they climbed, thereby creating the effect of heightening the bridge. The height of the towers over the water is a breathtaking 746 feet, and the length of the suspended structure is 6,450 feet. Over 80,000 miles of wire went into the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Morrow was also the driving force behind the bridge's striking color, international orange; he believed a warm color should be used to contrast with the cold tones of the surrounding land. The Golden Gate Bridge cost the community nearly $35 million during its five-year construction. Its name is derived from the body of water over which it spans, Golden Strait. The "gold" comes from the strait's location at the mouth of the North Bay, beyond which lies the gold of California. Other have mentioned that the Golden Gate Bridge is the Gateway to the Land of the Setting Sun, but they didn't mention this until nearly 30 years after the bridge was originally erected.

May 28, 1969

U.S. troops abandon "Hamburger Hill"

U.S. troops abandon Ap Bia Mountain. A spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division said that the U.S. troops "have completed their search of the mountain and are now continuing their reconnaissance-in-force mission throughout the A Shau Valley."

This announcement came amid the public outcry about what had become known as the "Battle of Hamburger Hill." The battle was part of Operation Apache Snow in the A Shau Valley. The operation began on May 10 when paratroopers from the 101st Airborne engaged a North Vietnamese regiment on the slopes of Hill 937, known to the Vietnamese as Ap Bia Mountain. Entrenched in prepared fighting positions, the North Vietnamese 29th Regiment repulsed the initial American assault and beat back another attempt by the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry on May 14. An intense battle raged for the next 10 days as the mountain came under heavy Allied air strikes, artillery barrages, and 10 infantry assaults. On May 20, Maj. Gen. Melvin Zais, commanding general of the 101st, sent in two additional U.S. airborne battalions and a South Vietnamese battalion as reinforcements. The communist stronghold was finally captured in the 11th attack, when the American and South Vietnamese soldiers fought their way to the summit of the mountain. In the face of the four-battalion attack, the North Vietnamese retreated to sanctuary areas in Laos.

During the intense fighting, 597 North Vietnamese were reported killed and U.S. casualties were 56 killed and 420 wounded. Due to the bitter fighting and the high loss of life, the battle for Ap Bia Mountain received widespread unfavorable publicity in the United States and was dubbed "Hamburger Hill" in the U.S. media, a name evidently derived from the fact that the battle turned into a "meat grinder." The purpose of the operation was not to hold territory but rather to keep the North Vietnamese off balance so the decision was made to abandon the mountain shortly after it was captured. The North Vietnamese occupied it a month after it was abandoned.

Outrage over what appeared to be a senseless loss of American lives was exacerbated by pictures published in Life magazine of 241 U.S. soldiers killed during the week of the battle. Gen. Creighton Abrams, commander of U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam, was ordered to avoid such battles. Because of Hamburger Hill, and other battles like it, U.S. emphasis was placed on "Vietnamization"--turning the war over to the South Vietnamese forces rather than engage in direct combat operations.

Holiday weekends!!!

First I want to post this picture taken in 1918 that I received in an email. It's just too awesome:
Base to shoulder: 150 feet
Right arm: 340 feet
Widest part of arm holding torch: 12 1/2 feet
Right thumb: 35 feet
Thickest part of body: 29 feet
Left hand length: 30 feet
Tablet in left hand: 27 feet
Flame on torch: 600 feet
Flame and torch combined: 980 feet
Face: 60 feet
Nose: 21 feet
Longest spike of head piece: 70 feet
Number of men in flame: 12000
Number of men in torch: 2800
Number of men in right arm: 1200
Body, head and balance of figure only: 2000
Total: 18000

Awesome, huh? For more information and other pictures http://tinyurl.com/2wmd8c

After being sick for 2 weeks I was really looking forward to a long weekend. Figured out the Mucinex was causing my upset stomach so stopped taking that on Saturday. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Friday after work, Jeremy called to tell us that he and Tiffany were horsing around and the long and the short of it is, she jumped on him while he was lying on the couch and they both went tumbling. He had his glasses messed up but Tiffany broke her left calf bone in 5 places!!! She underwent surgery to put 2 rods in her leg and had to stay overnight at hospital. She is home and resting comfortably. There went their summer!!
Saturday Bob's dad called and his Mom wanted the TV in their bedroom brought over to nursing home, NOW!! She has always gotten what she wanted, when she wanted so this should be no different, right? Except, Vernon (dad) had just had surgery 2 weeks ago and can't lift anything. So, at 8:00am Bob heads to Richmond to help his dad get the TV over there. Of course something wouldn't go right (Murphy's Law) they couldn't get the Universal Remote to work soooo they go out and buy her a new one!!. Flat screen with DVD player!! Now, I may be a Nurse Hatchett BUT this woman needs to be doing therapy...not laying around watching TV and movies!!! Whenever the physical therapist comes in to start her on anything she just throws a fit and says she doesn't want to. (taking large step to get off my soapbox...again)He doesn't get home until after 4:00pm so that day is shot! It was about this time that I knew for sure it was the Mucinex making me sick and I was feeling at least 70% better.
Sunday we lazed around for a few hours then Bob went to help Tom finish up some roofing on their house. Amanda and the kids came over and I start some charcoal. By the time I had the hamburgers and brats. finished the guys were pulling up. We all dished up and ate while we watched the last of the Nascar race.
Monday was a stay at home day. We played games on the comp. then Bob mowed and I did a dark load of laundry. The dryer shut off early so went down to basement to see what was going on and, yep...you guessed it, the dryer is shot! At least the clothes were dry! I decided it was a Johnny night and we/I watched some 21 Jumpstreet. I even setup my laptop in the bathroom so I could watch while I was in the Jacuzzi!! LOL That's a first!!

Now, it's Tuesday and back to work and I feel 95% better except the fact that I'm at work and not at home and I have invoicing to do....

Hope anyone reading had a safe and fun holiday.

Dillinger history

Wanted to post some 'on this day' with some Dillinger connections.

May 22, 1933 - Dillinger's step-mother is dying and he is released on parole from Michigan City Prison, thanks to a petition signed by 184 Mooresville, IN residents. By the time he arrives home his step-mother is already dead.

May 23, 1934 - Evelyn "Billie' Frechette is sentenced to 2 years in Federal prison for harboring Dillinger.

May 23, 1934 - Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker are killed in an ambush on a county road in Louisiana. Texan prison officials hired a retired Texas police officer, Captain Frank Hamer, as a special investigator to track down Parker and Barrow. After a three-month search, Hamer traced the couple to Louisiana, where Henry Methvin's family lived. Before dawn, Hamer and a group of Louisiana and Texas lawmen hid in the bushes along a country road outside Sailes. When Parker and Barrow appeared, the officers opened fire, killing the couple instantly in a hail of bullets.

On a side note:

Today in 1701, Captain Kidd was hanged for piracy. At London's Execution Dock, British privateer William Kidd, popularly known as Captain Kidd, is hanged for piracy and murder. Suspicions that he had turned to piracy were apparently confirmed when he sailed to St. Mary's, Madagascar, an infamous pirate haven. From there, he traveled to the West Indies on the Quedagh Merchant, where he learned of the piracy charges against him. Intending to clear his name, he sailed to New York and delivered himself to the colonial authorities, claiming that the vessels he had attacked were lawful prizes. He was arrested and taken to London.

In 1701, he was tried on five charges of piracy and one charge of murdering a crewman. The Tories used the trial as a political opportunity to embarrass his Whig sponsors, and the latter chose to give up Kidd as a scapegoat rather than back his possibly correct claims to legitimacy. Convicted on all counts, he was executed by hanging on May 23, 1701. In later years, a colorful legend grew up around the story of William Kidd, including reports of lost buried treasure that fortune seekers have pursued for centuries.

Today in 1960, A tsunami caused by an earthquake off the coast of Chile travels across the Pacific Ocean and kills 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii. The massive 8.5-magnitude quake had killed thousands in Chile the previous day.

The earthquake, involving a severe plate shift, caused a large displacement of water off the coast of southern Chile at 3:11 p.m. Traveling at speeds in excess of 400 miles per hour, the tsunami moved west and north. On the west coast of the United States, the waves caused an estimated $1 million in damages, but were not deadly.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning System, established in 1948 in response to another deadly tsunami, worked properly and warnings were issued to Hawaiians six hours before the wave’s expected arrival. Some people ignored the warnings, however, and others actually headed to the coast in order to view the wave. Arriving only a minute after predicted, the tsunami destroyed Hilo Bay on the island of Hawaii. Thirty-five-foot waves bent parking meters to the ground and wiped away most buildings. A 10-ton tractor was swept out to sea. Reports indicate that the 20-ton boulders making up the sea wall were moved 500 feet. Sixty-one people died in Hilo, the worst-hit area of the island chain.

The tsunami continued to race further west across the Pacific. Ten thousand miles away from the earthquake’s epicenter, Japan, despite ample warning time, was not able to warn the people in harm’s way. At about 6 p.m., more than a day after the earthquake, the tsunami struck the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The crushing wave killed 180 people, left 50,000 more homeless and caused $400 million in damages. (This, I did not know nor remember anyone talking about it when Indonesia was hit by that massive tsunami in 2004)

Okay, I guess I need to actually do some work for my pay so I'll sign off for now.....

Kittens

Well, I got to work today fully intending to buzz the Internet for news and tidbits to post here (while on their time, shhh) and bam! I ended up having all kinds of work to do! Now I ask, What's up with that! Work at work!? The nerve of them. So I multi-tasked, check out a web site, do some invoicing, make notes for blog. I ended up with a whole page of things I would post about and what do I do? Leave the note at work! sigh! So guess I'll just have to wing it.

While fixing supper, I check the comments at Rod's (Public Enemies-Columbus, link at right)place and viola'...something to post. Kitty pictures! Thanks Jenny! Cracks me up that everyone over there wants a black kitty and I have 10 black ones all together! lol Ribs are in the oven so I grab my camera and run out to the wood shed to try to snap a few pictures. If they're within in eyesight! Momma keeps them tucked back in the wood where it's safer. She moved them from the barn loft just a couple days ago. When they get big enough and she's tired of nursing she will bring her brood up to the back porch to show them where their next food source is.

I grabbed a dangle toy to entice them out and tried to be quiet as I got close but Momma saw me from her guard post and began meowing. Stoolie!! The kittens were all huddled up together sleeping away. I was able to grab this shot before they scattered.

They all scrambled up and ran back behind the wood. So I started playing with Momma trying to get them used to me being there. She was chasing the toy around and scratching on the wood. She started 'talking' and looking to the corner. She wasn't meowing but making these humming noises and looking toward the corner. Sure enough, little heads started popping up. Only 4 of them ventured out to investigate but it was evident that she wanted them to come out so she could show them off. She's a good Momma and very proud.

The flash seemed to freak them out so I didn't torture them to much tonight. We try not to domesticate them to much so they hone their survival instincts for living outdoors. They, like the litters before them, get a kick out of the peacock! They've only been around it for 2 days and already they chase his feathers and play hide-and-seek with each other under his train when it's down. He came up to see what I was doing and I snapped this one of him coming up to the porch.

It's like having a rooster around only he's 10 times louder. Right around daybreak every morning he starts his honking. Each time a vehicle is coming down the road it's "Honk...Awk, Awk Awwwwk!! Like a dang watchdog! lol and this goes on most of the day until sunset. We're kind of to the point now that we just shrug and be thankful he gives us a honk to warns us he's about to get loud!

Getting late here so I better sign-off. I need to make a few Internet fly-bys before I hit the sack and await tomorrows honking lol Take care and have a safe weekend everyone!

Crawling out of the gutter....

I felt good enough today to lift my head up and look over the curb from the gutter to see what is happening. The first headline I see in the local news is that Indianapolis won the Super Bowl bid for 2012! Now the only thing that could make that sweeter is if we can get the Colts to the Super Bowl again that year!!

Heard a rumor over at Rod's blog that Universal may not be done with filming in Indiana! They possibly still have some prison filming to do. As with everything regarding the movie "Public Enemy" it's tentative and time will tell. I sure hope they do so I get another chance to see Johnny Depp. Maybe this time the camera will work WITH me and I can get some good shots of him!

After visiting other sites I added a counter and location map! I didn't think too many people were checking this place out but I've had 50 hits since the weekend. Visitor's have stopped by from Canada, Germany, Japan and from both the east coast and west coast of the US!!

Since I'm posting late today (I'm at home) I thought I'd post a few pictures of the family...hope they don't mind! he he he

Jeremy and Amanda 1982 and in 1999

This was taken at the Key West Airport in 1999. We had all gotten together to go to Key West to surprise my brother, Phil, for his big 5 0 birthday..From left to right....Mom (Pat), Alicia (sister), Amanda (peeking between Alicia and Phil), Phil, Dad (Bob, peeking over Phil's other shoulder), Kay (sister) and me. Alicia's daughter, Krista, and Krista's friend Autumn went with us too. Not sure why one or both aren't in this picture.

That's it for today....gotta run. Have a safe evening everyone and see around the blogs tomorrow!

This day in history...

I'm feeling kinda stepped on and kicked to the gutter today so instead of blathering on about how bad I still feel, I'll post some interesting (hopefully) history and news.

News today on CNN tells that:
-Sen. Ted Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor found during tests to find the cause of a seizure he had over weekend. Now, I don't wish that on anyone but Ted has always been a curiosity to me. I liked John, but was too young to know what was really going on with his presidency. At that time I was more interested in when everyone in the neighborhood would show up for a baseball game or beating the 'boys' to the neighborhood treehouse! Hey, I was only a kid! Now Bobby Kennedy was a different story. I followed his campaign and vividly remember him being shot in the hotel in California. It was 2 days before I stopped watching TV coverage on that. Had I been old enough, I would have voted for that man. But Ted always had some controversy going on and to this day I still think he left Kopechne to die in a channel on Chappaquiddick Island.
-A 60-year old woman was pulled from the earthquake in China rubble after 195 hours. She escaped with facial bruises and a minor fracture! Amazing!

Today in History

May 20, 1778

Battle of Barren Hill, Pennsylvania

On this day in 1778, British forces from Philadelphia attempt to trap 2,200 Continentals defending Valley Forge led by Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette, through skillful maneuvering, avoids the entrapment and the destruction of his forces. The encounter takes place at Barren Hill, now known as Lafayette Hill, just northwest of Philadelphia.

Washington had dispatched Lafayette and his men two days before to spy on the British in Philadelphia. The British learned of Lafayette’s mission and intended to surprise, surround and capture the encampment with a force of 7,000 to 8,000 men. Lafayette, in turn, learned of the British plan late on May 19.

Lafayette assigned 500 men and approximately 50 Oneida Indians armed with cannon to face the British onslaught and stand their ground by the local church, while the rest of Lafayette’s forces fled west over the Schuylkill River to safety. Before the Oneida warriors followed the Continental Army across the Schuylkill, they are believed to have bravely given chase to the British as they marched back to Philadelphia.

Lafayette, a Frenchman, had personally recruited the Oneida to join the Patriot cause by using the Indians’ preference for the French over the English; the Oneida arrived at Valley Forge on May 13. Lafayette promised the Oneida that they would serve under French instead of colonial Patriot commanders and that they would be given assistance in building a fort at their Mohawk Valley, New York, settlement.

These fresh Indian recruits were paired with Lafayette’s best Patriot fighters, fresh from training under European officers at Valley Forge. The Indians’ actions during the successful retreat at Barren Hill prevented disaster and allowed the Continental Army to emerge from Valley Forge as a disciplined military in June.

May 20, 1862

Lincoln signs Homestead Act

On this day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act, which opens government-owned land to small family farmers (“homesteaders”). The act gave “any person” who was the head of a family 160 acres to try his hand at farming for five years. The individual had to be at least 21 years old and was required to build a house on the property. Farmers were also offered an alternative to the five-year homesteading plan. They could opt to buy the 160 acres after only 6 months at the reasonable rate of $1.25 an acre. Many homesteaders could not handle the hardships of frontier life and gave up before completing five years of farming. If a homesteader quit or failed to make a go of farming, his or her land reverted back to the government and was offered to the public again. Ultimately, these lands often ended up as government property or in the hands of land speculators. If, after five years, the farmer could prove his (or her) homestead successful, then he paid an $18 filing fee for a “proved” certificate and received a deed to the land.

Before the Civil War, similar acts had been proposed in 1852, 1854 and 1859, but were defeated by a powerful southern lobby that feared new territories populated by homesteaders would be allowed into the Union as “free states,” thereby giving more power to the abolitionist movement. In addition, many in the northern manufacturing industries feared the Homestead Act would draw large numbers of their labor force away and into farming. In 1860, President James Buchanan vetoed an earlier homestead bill, succumbing to pressure from southern slave-holding interests. With the Civil War raging and southern slave-owning states out of the legislative picture in Washington D.C., Lincoln and pro-western expansion Republicans saw an opportunity to pass a law that opened the West to settlement.

By the end of the Civil War in 1864, 15,000 people had homestead claims in territories that now make up the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. Though some of these people were genuinely looking to begin a new life as a western farmer, others abused the program. Much of the land offered by the government was purchased by individuals acting as a “front” for land speculators who sought access to the vast untapped mining, timber and water resources of the West. The speculator would offer to pay individuals cash or a share of profits in return for submitting a Homestead Act claim. By 1900, settlers, legitimate or otherwise, had gobbled up 80 million acres of land through the Homestead Act. To make way for the homesteaders, the federal government forced Native American tribes off of their ancestral lands and onto reservations.

The first Homestead Act claim was filed by a civil war veteran and doctor named Daniel Freeman on January 1, 1863. Although the act was officially repealed by Congress in 1976, one last title for 80 acres in Alaska was given to Kenneth Deardorff in 1979.

May 20, 1922

Valentino arrested for bigamy

Heartthrob Rudolph Valentino is arrested on this day in 1922 for bigamy. A Los Angeles judge ruled that Valentino had married his second wife, Natasha Rambora, before his first marriage was legally dissolved. The charges were dropped a few weeks later.

Valentino was born in 1895 in Italy, the son of a veterinarian. He attended military school, but after he was rejected from a naval academy, he left Italy for Paris, then headed to New York in 1913. In New York, Valentino worked as a landscape gardener, dishwasher, and waiter, and often found himself in trouble with the police. Among other offenses, he was charged with petty theft and blackmail.

He began dancing in nightclubs and was soon partnered with the popular Bonnie Glass. His fortunes were improving, but his troubles with the law continued, and he left New York with the cast of a touring musical bound for Utah. He continued west to San Francisco, where he kept dancing. In 1917, he moved to Hollywood and began appearing in small roles in silent films. He got his big break in 1921, when screenwriter June Mathis chose him to star in The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse (1921). That same year, he starred in The Sheik, the movie that launched the cult of Valentino. Women began swooning in the aisles and continued to do so when Blood and Sand was released in 1922.

After his marriage to Rambora, an actress and film designer, he turned his career over to his wife to manage. He appeared in increasingly effeminate roles, and Rambora irritated studio executives so much that she was banned from the sets of her husband's movies. Despite these problems, his 1925 movie The Eagle was a hit, as was Son of the Sheik the following year.

Valentino died suddenly in August 1926, provoking a hysterical outpouring of grief among women nationwide. Crowds gathered to file past his body at his funeral. A sense of drama and mystery continued to surround Valentino's memory for years. Valentino fan clubs escalated their adoration to cult-like proportions, and a mysterious woman in black appeared at his grave for decades on the anniversary of his death.

May 20, 1927

Spirit of St. Louis departs

At 7:52 a.m., American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, on the world's first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean and the first ever nonstop flight between New York to Paris.

Lindbergh, a daring young airmail pilot, was a dark horse when he entered a competition with a $25,000 payoff to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. He ordered a small monoplane, configured it to his own design, and christened it the Spirit of St. Louis in tribute to his sponsor--the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce.

On May 20, 1927, a rainy morning, he took off from Roosevelt Field, but his monoplane was so loaded down with fuel that it barely cleared the telephone wires at the end of the runway. He flew northeast up the East Coast and as night fell left Newfoundland and headed across the North Atlantic. His greatest challenge was staying awake; he had to hold his eyelids open with his fingers and hallucinated ghosts passing through the cockpit. The next afternoon, after flying 3,610 miles in 33 1/2 hours, Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget field in Paris, becoming the first pilot to accomplish the solo, nonstop transatlantic crossing. Lindbergh's achievement made him an international celebrity and won widespread public acceptance of the airplane and commercial aviation.

Back to the Land of the Living....almost

Yep, I have a pulse....and I'm breathing....must be alive! Bronchitis is a bitch of a cold! I still have some congestion in my chest but maybe, hopefully, I'm headed in the right direction.

Spent most of the weekend surfing the web. Checking out the Blogs to keep up with any Public Enemy news. Not much happened this weekend. They are set to do some long-haul filming in Chicago. I will definitely be keeping a weathered eye on the Chicago filming in case I get the chance to drive up and see anything or Johnny. I don't see this happening simply because of it being in Chicago. Going to Crown Point was one thing, but Chicago? If I were to go by myself again everyone would be worried about my safety. I think I would be fine but at same time don't want to have everyone worrying. I would love to go check it out and maybe go by where I used to live up there. Our first apartment after we got married was a flat on S. Pulaski Blvd!

If anyone visits here that isn't familiar with some of the sites I visit you NEED to check out 'Public Enemy - Columbus Blog and the JDR links here on my page! Rod and the gang at PE- Col are hilarious and very accurate on filming information. He has interesting tidbits and off-the-wall articles that will make you stop and think or so wacky you just crack up!...depending on how HIS day is going lol Also, last week, the web mistress of JDR was interviewed by ChcagoActor. Here's a link to the article: http://chicagoactor.com/blog/blog/2008/05/16/depps-den-2/
Karen and all the Mods run a very dignified and homey site. I love reading all the interviews with the authors. Of course, both sites have had a lot of posts from people's meet-and-greet experiences. I am so looking forward to this movie. More so than the Pirates 2 & 3!

I have to show-off our newest graduate. Her daddy graduated last weekend but here's a picture of Miss Faith: She is the one standing by the balloons on the left waving at the camera. She's never been camera shy, God love her. She graduated from the Day Care School and will start all-day Kindergarten. They grow up so fast! And to think 5 years ago we thought it would be forever until we had grandkids lol and now we are up to 5!








The race last weekend had it's good moments (Kyle Busch blew an engine he he he) and some bad (Jeff finished 15th grrr) but it's not a points race so they better keep working on things! Honestly, there is something going on with the chemistry or something. Maybe Jeff just can't get a feel for this new car. Either way they seriously need to step it up if he's going to get another championship!

I saw where there were several very strong 'aftershocks' in China that has collapsed some of the already damaged buildings. News reports also show some rivers that have been blocked by landslides rising and backing up to make new lakes that are threatening to flood residential areas. Flooding seems to be the worry around the Chaiten Volcano too. The ash that has fallen has swollen the rivers to overflowing. The Chile government has pushed back the evacuation zone from 30 miles to 90 miles around volcano. Many assume the volcano isn't done since it is still rumbling and spitting.

Okay, I had better get some work done before lunch!

Wait!!! One more quick picture of our peacock that wondered into our yard on New Year's weekend. We have since found out (3 months later) that our neighbor had bought a male and female to have around. Well, the female was killed (he didn't say how) and he thought the male had taken off....uh yeah it did....to the next door neighbors who keep cat food outside 24/7 DUH!! :P

Isn't he a beauty!? We call him Big Bird...not very original but hey (shrug) lol

What day is it?

I want to wish my very, very, best and forever friend, Linda, an extra special Happy Birthday. She is the kindest and most caring person anyone would ever meet. She's fair and honest 24/7. She has always been there for me no matter the time of day or night. And believe me there were some nights I wasn't sure I would get through without someone to talk to.

You are one very special lady, Linda, and I'm proud and honored to call you friend!!! Love ya bunchesssssssssss.....

Happy Birthday!!!!

To those who know me this will be a shocker!! I actually went to the Dr.!!! On weds. I felt sooo miserable I couldn't stand it anymore. Now I'm on z-pak and some kick-ass cough med. Thought I'd be feeling better by now (only 2 pills left) but at times feel about the same as I did on weds. (sigh). Will try to rest up through the weekend and see. Everyone I know who has had bronchitis has gotten at least 5 days off work but nooooo not me....and I won't take time off to be sick unless Dr. says.

I've gotten behind on my news posts. The biggest news was the huge earthquake in China. In the past 5 days they have had over 4400 aftershocks! Mother Nature really is trying to tell us something. Too bad we didn't listen 50 years ago.

The NASCAR All-Star race in this weekend. Go Team Hendricks! Hoping for a safe race.

Will try to post more as I start feeling better...

The weather has been crazy going from chilly to hot. Now I have a head cold!! I think I will make it through the day. Only 1-1/2 hours to go so....maybe. Has been a struggle and if I feel this way in the morning, I'm not coming to work. Head feels like a 16 pound bowling ball. My face hurts, neck is stiff, queasy stomach...Gotta love Indiana weather.....not! Today will be a short post.

'The Senate voted today 97-1 against President Bush to stop filling the Reserve for 6 months in an effort to bring gas prices down.'

Sounds impressive but what happens after 6 months? Why don't they stop the tax breaks for the oil companies. They were to use that money toward alternate fuel. The oil companies don't want an alt. fuel. Their living just fine the way things are. Why upset the apple cart, right? grrrr

The racing boys didn't do too bad Saturday night. Jeff finished 3rd, Jr was 4th and Jimmie hung in there for 13th. Unfortunately Kyle Busch won. (stinks)

Ok, I'm not gonna make it to the end of the day...heading home.

Soccer, Graduation and Grandkids...

Our day started out at a soccer field in Centerville, IN. Our granddaughter was having her first soccer tournament. She is 5 and it was quite hilarious to watch. They basically let the kids take turns kicking (dribbling?) the ball for a goal. Faith did good and they are really just teaching the the funamentals and sportsmanship of the game.

Left there and went to visit father-in-law, Vernon, at hospital. He had stomach surgery friday. Was suppose the be a 2 hour surgery to straighten out his stomach but when the Dr. got in there he saw the stomach had basically rubbed a hole in the diaphram. So he had to make an incision to repair that so instead of an overnight stay it's going to be 4-6 days. We left there an when to nursing home to visist mother-in-law, Helen, at nursing home. Bob took her a BIG basket of silk flowers and we had a nice visit.

From there we went to something that at one time in my life I thought I would never see!! Our son, Jeremy, graduated from college. Not only did he graduate! He graduated Cum Laude and Honor Society!! His field is Computer Science and I alomost turned into a blubbering idiot when he crossed the stage and received his degree. We all went to Applebee's after for dinner then we were asked if the girls, Faith and Lilly, could come home with us for the night. I don't think they had any plans but sounded like Jeremy just wanted to celebrate sooo we brought them home with us to give Jeremy and Tiffany some time to 'celebrate' lol

The girls finally went to bed at 10:30 but heard them upstairs playing and talking until around midnight. When they finally quieted down I was off to slumberland myself. At 6:30am Faith knocks on our bedroom door to let us know she woke up. It had started raining was beginning to thunder so after a quick potty break I talked her into laying down again. She would go back to bed but only if I would laydown with her...bless her lol. So we went back to bed until 10:00. Then it was off and running with a diaper change for Lilly and cups of milk for both, coffee for me and PawPaw. While I fried bacon and eggs the 3 of them watched tv. Now the dishes are washed, stomachs are full and this MawMaw is signing off here to sit down and enjoy one more cup of java...hmmmm maybe two!

Woohoo It's friday and there's some racing going on!!

Well, I've been watching the leader board at the NASCAR site today. There is just something not right with the Hendrick team. Here's some practice info:

1st practice-
#24 sixteenth
#48 thirteenth
#88 third
#5 tenth
2nd practice-
#24 twenty-second
#48 fifteenth
#88 second
#5 sixteenth

3rd practice-
#24 fourth
#48 fifth
#88 thirteenth
#5 first

If they all share info and set up why can't they all run good at same time?? Then I saw that Jimmie (#48) hit the wall and had to go to a backup car.....bummer.... :( I know some people who are not going to like hearing that! (Right Linda?)

Wonder who Kyle Busch will wreck this week or if someone else will try to take him out. I would love to see someone dump Busch. The kid just gets on my nerves! He has no respect for other drivers or their teams who have to repair the damages he makes! Ohhhhh don't EVEN get me started!! :P

The Chaiten volcano is still spewing ash and gas. Thankfully the gas isn't as toxic as it could be but still bad enough, I'm sure. Chile has made arrangements and gotten approval/permission from Argentina to move livestock there. I'm sure there is some loss but this will save some.

Regarding the cyclone victims in Myanmar: Once the UN unloaded all the supplies the Myanmar government confiscated it all and it's still sitting on the tarmac rotting away!! Myanmar is a military government with their heads up their &%#!!! This 'government' is also saying the total killed is 22,000 when there are reporters from around the world who are there are saying it will easily be more than 100,000. Now that's when you want to step in and take over the country and take care of the people. Unlike the Iraq war where we went in there because Saddam didn't like our Presidents daddy. Don't get me wrong, I think Saddam was a maggot and deserved what he got. I just wish our President hadn't lied and said there were WMD's. It was the only way he could sell the war to the people.

OOPS!!! Dang! I got back on that soapbox...maybe I should have named my blog Karen's Soapbox instead of the Karen's Kafe lol. Oh well, gotta go get some work done so maybe, hopefully, crossing my fingers they will let us leave early!!

Office drama!!!

It's too bad some people take things so seriously!! The unthinkable has happened!! A co-worker and I wore look-a-like sweaters!! Well, mine is blue and hers is off-white. Geesh, too funny, or I think it is. I don't think she does but what the heck, she doesn't like me much anyway and she doesn't sign my paychecks. I have just been getting more stares than usual today from her. Besides, I was the first one here today :D If it had been anyone else in the office but me and her it would have been the joke of the day but as it is her...no one has said a word... he he he

Saw where Myanmar let the UN send some relief supplies in for the victims of the cyclone. They still won't allow any US ships or help. Sometimes I can't blame them. Our politicians don't present us very well at times. Hence, we have a bad reputation among other countries. There are some leaders I don't like either but I try to keep in mind that the people of those countries are probably no different than us.

Which brings me to our own elections. Have no clue what I will do come election day or who I will ultimately vote for. I'm registered Democrat. I look at the 2 candidates and try to see them as other leaders would. A lot of the countries that we are having trouble with don't deal well with women, period. Would they even respect Hillary Clinton as 'Leader of the Free World'? Then there is Obama, we have so much racism in our own country are we ready for a 'black' president? That leaves McCain but he's a republican and so many people are ready to get the republicans out of Washington. Hmm, decisions, decisions.

The Chaiten volcano continues to spew ash and gases. A satellite picture from NASA shows the ash cloud traveling across South America and out into the Atlantic ocean. There are ash alerts in New Zealand and Argentina has blood-red skies. There were about 30 people who just would not evacuate within the 30 miles radius so the government ask the court for permission to go in and forcibly evacuate the last few people, which the court did. I just feel so bad for the animals that had to be left behind. One report I saw said over 25000 cattle in danger. That is too many to move and nothing to do but wait and see. :(

Pictures of Chaiten volcano

The first one is from 5-2-08 when it first started to rumble. The second picture is from 5-7-08 when it sent ash and gas up to 30,000 feet. Today, after 24 hrs, the cloud is still blocking sunlight and some areas already have 5 feet of ash built up.

That's it for now. Oh my gosh! I'm such a news nerd! lol

Volcanos, Earthquakes and Movies

Has been an interesting past few days. Saturdays wedding went well. Kyle and Brittney are off on their honeymoon. They had a band at the reception and was fun to dance with Faith and Lilly! The lead singer was flirting with Faith and she with him! He didn't know just how comfortable she is around bands since her Daddy's in one! Was kind of hard at first, when the band began playing. My thoughts always turn to Phil and how much I miss having him in my life. Not going to dwell on the sad things, though. Was good to see everyone and we got to visit with Helen (mother-in-law) and after the ceremony the bride and groom went to visit her before they came to the reception. I just think that was so great of them and kudos for including Helen in the festivities!

Sunday Bob decided to do some trimming on the bushes and saplings. Around 2:00 he had a limb flip back and hit him in the eye. Finally had to take him to the Urgent Care Center to have it looked at. They told him he had scratched his cornea but they felt that he should have it checked by an MD. They gave him some ointment to use overnight and a name of a Eye Dr. that may be able to see him quick. We didn't work Monday and got into see Dr at 1:00. Doctor could already see signs of healing and gave him some eye drops to help with the inflammation. Within hours he was able to hold it open for more than a few seconds and by Tuesday morning most of the redness had faded to pink. Alls well that ends well....

Tuesday was primary voting day here in Indiana. Clinton won by a small margin. Was kind of interesting to watch the results come in. Don't know yet who is getting the job for President but I don't envy them. What a mess they will inherit! I know they are all saying we need a change but nobody can fix some of the problems we are facing in 4 years.

Just before I went to lunch Tuesday I saw on CNN that a volcano in Southern Chile erupted. It was a major event. Huge gas and ash cloud. The whole town of Chaiten (4,000) was evacuated. I have been saying for awhile that something was going on with the planet. Some areas that were active with earthquakes has quieted down whereas places that haven't had earthquakes in long time are getting them. We had an earthquake here (in Illinois but felt here) a few weeks back and has been 40 years since one that strong hit this area. There have been swarms of earthquakes in Alaska and Nevada. Reno NV has had around 400 quakes in the past 2 months. I really think Mother Nature is trying to tell us she's had it with us!

On the movie scene...things are shaking and baking (did I just tell my age!?) The 'Mann army' has been doing some covert moves on my neighbors up north. He sly as a fox and slick as a weasel! There must be thousands of people following his every move but somehow he has managed to slide in a few shooting locations under the radar. His trickery of changing the schedule has me and everyone scrambling to keep up. It's really quite exciting to follow the making of a movie to this detail even though I'm technically on the side lines now that the shooting in Crown Point is over. I love seeing all the set photos from everyone, the stories of meeting Johnny, the stories from movie extras and especially the stories of strangers meeting and making new friends. I feel like I know some of the people who post on Rod's blog and have met up with each other just by reading their posts. I envy them for being able to meet with others that are enjoying the process of movie making but glad they are having such a great time and making new friends. I know on my trip to Crown Point I talked to a lot of people and was thoroughly entertained by the kids I talked to. Nothing will surpass my moment when Johnny Depp said 'Hi' to ME! (sigh)

On that happy thought...I will leave you...until next post.

Today is a gift....have fun! Dustin age 11 (childrenshospice.org)

Bonjour!

Ok, back for day 2!! And, NO, I'm not going to continue counting the days. Been looking through the Help Center for how to post a picture. I have tried everything it said but there was a notice posted that 'they' are aware of the posting images problems and are working on them. Alrighty then! So, I guess I'll try that later.... I just saw you have to click the terms of service....geesh lol

Sure am glad it's Friday. Why, I don't know! The weekend promises to be busy. Our nephew, Kyle, is getting married in Richmond so we will make the trip down there and try to get a visit to Helen in also.

The race this week is on Sat. night so hope to still catch some of it when we get home. Qualifying is after work tonight and hoping our guys will start close to the front in the race. Jr. was fastest in practice and Jeff was 8th with Jimmie coming in 14th. All I know is Jeff needs to get things turned around...I thought he would be doing better, point-wise, than he is so far this year. I know it's still early but he already has 3...yes 3!!!! DNF's. Yikes!!! Hard to overcome that kind of loss with the competitiveness of the field now days.

On the Depp front, Universal Studios has been changing around the shooting schedule and really throwing friends and fellow bloggers for a loop. Sometimes I do wonder if it's intentional on their part with the crowds that show up to see Johnny they may be trying to thin them out by using confusing info. Johnny is so gracious with his time. Time and time again I read where he put in 16-18 hour work day just go out to the crowd once filming is over to 'meet and greet' his fans. He signs autographs, shakes hands, gives kiss and hugs (lucky, lucky people!). The crowds weren't too big at first. In Columbus WI where I first heard about the shooting and meet 'n greets. When I heard that and knew they were coming to Crown Point I knew where I would be that day! ;) Word traveled like hotcakes over the internet and soon the videos coming out on YouTube showed some pretty large crowds.Universal may have come up with a way to slim out the masses.

Looks like storms are moving in so I'm off to finish up work and play around with the layouts and settings here. Try to get it done in case we loose power. Will try to post over weekend but with wedding on Sat. it may be late that night or Sun. before I get back here.

First Day Blogging

Hello anyone!

Pull up a chair and have a cup of java.

I have no idea why I started a blog other than the fact that I visit and am a member of some internet blogs and enjoy them. I will try to post something everyday but no promises. I'm a HUGE Johnny Depp fan, did I say HUGE?! lol I also like NASCAR and Jeff Gordon in my driver. Jeff raced for years around where I live so as I followed his career it let me to the Cup Series and I fell in love with it. There are many drivers I like but Jeff is my main driver. My hubby likes Dale Earnhardt Jr. so I was reeeeally glad he changed over to Jeff's team. My best friend and one sister likes Jimmie Johnson, my parents root for Jeff, second sister and her family like Jeff. As you can imagine, on the weekends it's all about racing lol.

I recently got caught up in movie making. Michael Mann is making "Public Enemies" a movie about John Dillinger. At the end of March they did filming in Crown Point and I took the day off work and drove up to see it. Not only did I see some film making. I got to see Johnny Depp!!!! squeeeeee. He even said hi to me!! Well, let me tell you, it has made my YEAR!! It's a good thing cause my 'other guy' Jeff is letting me down. Still early in the season but man he has a way to go for now!!

Well, I have tried to insert pictures but not getting anywhere. Will have to read up on it. For now, I need to finish things up here at work so I can get home. (shhhhh, yes I'm blogging at work....keep it on the QT)
Thanks for visiting! Until next time....