Heather's project

I have taken over Mark's blog for a moment, hope you don't mind? I decided to try something that I had never done before, strip and stain a dresser. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out so I thought I would share.


As you can see this is the before shot when the dresser was Maisy's


This is the after shot and now it's Mason's.


Here's the close up. Needless to say I don't think I'll be doing a project like this again any time soon.
-Heather

1st Day of school pictures

Well here are a couple pictures of the kids. Mason didn't want to participate.




Hope you like the pictures.

Heather

I think that I'm in trouble

Man, I'm lookin' at Jeeps.

I know. But not a new one. I'm looking for an older one. Either a CJ or YJ to toy around with and put some fishing pole holders on the front and lift it and play around with the kids and Heather with.


I know I want a Jeep, but I just don't know what kind. I suppose I'll know when I see it.
Chew on that for a while.

I'm out.

Long day

Well, thought that I would come home for lunch today and get a healthy Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra Ice Cream... Mmmmm. Glad I did that. Tomorrow the kids all go back to school. First day back. Will we be taking pictures?? Doubt it. Unless Heather decides to stay home and do that before she goes to work. I gotta be at work at 6. So, that's a no go for me. Too bad, I guess. Hayden and Maisy and getting excited about going back to school, even though they really enjoyed their summer at the youth center with Movie Theater Trips, swimming at the pool, bowling, and general playing.

Anyway, I suppose that I'm back for now. Though, I just don't see me putting a bunch of pictures up here that much. We'll see how that goes.

out.

I have no. idea

Alright, alright...

I don't wanna hear it.

I got enough of the Anonymous comments. Look, I've been god damn busy.

Anyway, sorry.

I hope to change that, but go knows how I'm gonna do that.

I have no. idea

Alright, alright...

I don't wanna hear it

I'm Back


I have a picture of Heather's bike as well.

HD Style

Man..

Where have I been right?

I don't wanna hear it, Leslie.

Here's what's been going on. I've been going through some excruciating back pain lately. I have an MRI scheduled on the 14th finally, Thanks Heather. It was for a whole lot later, but Heather did some black magic and turned some B.S. around. This is sort of a reaccuring thing for me, however, this is worse than before. Anyway, I'm not going to go into great detail over that.

However, it has sort of slowed me down on this computer. I usually get up in the morning and type on this damn thing. Well, hell I can barely move, let alone, sit on my ass and type about stuff. So, I've just been avoiding the computer, in general.

New stuff. Heather bought a motorcycle. A 2004 Sportster. We go and pick it up today. It's in Northern North Carolina. Bout a couple hour drive. She's pretty excited, and hopefully she'll be serious about riding it more than she did the MZ. If not... then I guess I just bought myself a Sportster. No, I think she'll be riding quite a bit. Couple of the guys at work have their big bagger bikes, and I think she goes into work drooling over them, and plus everytime she fills up the Mazda, she must be thinking how nice a 5 gal. tank would be. Regardless... We'll be looking at some "Heather Flair" this week for her to wear while riding. It's just how it is. She's gotta coordinate with her accessories, that being the bike and her clothes. Too funny. You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take the California out of the girl. Oh well, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Still working. Still working. Right around 10-14 hours overtime a week. Looking at going into Saturday's soon. Not looking forward to that, but whatever. The Marines have created another mission. Our contract got extended another year. So, that's good. Kids' last day is Thursday, and they couldn't be any happier. Us too, quite frankly. Man, I hated homework then, and I hate it now.

Anyhow, I'll try to get on here more often.


Later, kids.

A New Momma Moved In

We have a new visitor.

The sign says, Home is where you build your nest. Kind of fitting, I suppose. This bird chose to build a nest right in this sign.

Awesome.

Time Zones

Okay, this is gonna seem a bit far reaching here, but it's true, nonetheless. First off, we're living in the Eastern Time Zone. Okay, now that that's established... Here's my problem with the Eastern Time Zone... I don't think that we have ever REALLY left the Pacific Time Zone. Even after years of living in Nebraska and now living out here. I hate the Eastern Time Zone. For one, all the really good shit to watch on TV... Comes on so damn late, that you just don't wanna watch it!! Let's take Hockey for example. In Oregon or California, I used to be able to watch a Hockey game at around 5:00 pm and be in bed by 8!!! Hell, watch a double header, and be in bed by 11:00 pm!! Now, games start at the earliest... 8:00 pm. Haven't watched a full damn Hockey game since Nebraska. Monday night football. Comes on at 9:00 pm here. No shit!! I'm in bed by 9, if I have my way. Oregon... 6:00, games over by 9.

So, if it were just a matter of watching sports, that would be pretty pathetic. But, it's not. I was contemplating getting up early each day and going for about a 3 mile run each morning. That's only a half an hour. 35 minutes at most. Well, that means I'd have to get up at 4:25 each morning taking into account peeing and getting dressed. Hell, it's hard enough getting my ass moving at 5!! I still feel like I'm getting up at 2:00 am, Pacific Time. Shit, we used to get up early every morning in NE and CA. Never really bothered us like it bothers us now. I still think my internal time clock is set to Pacific Time. Heather's too. It's like a sickness, trying to get up anymore.

So, now that it's 5:25 and I have to get moving and slide a couple cups of coffee down my throat, I should probably stop typing and get a move on. Oh, the running thing... That's because I NEED to start getting back in to shape. It's finding the time. My day starts at 5 am, and I don't get home from work till around 6pm. By then, I'm so damn pooped that I just wanna eat dinner and go to bed. But yeah. I'm getting to that breaking point of tired of looking at myself. SO, it's time to change my physical habits. Hell, I rarely drink anymore. And I'm not gonna stop eating what tastes good, so I better start running.

Damn... I wish I was in California. I'd still be sleeping for another 2.5 hours.

Later, kids.

Glens Falls, NY

So, I'm back. And I have to tell you, I had a great time. In a word... Relaxing. Glens Falls, is a little like Old Fremont, or Molalla. Small town community with a small town community way of living. I haven't been witness to that sort of thing in a long time.

I learned some new verbage while up there. First off, let me tell you, Upstate New Yorkers are a different breed then NYC New Yorkers. First off, New Yorkers HATE NYC New Yorkers. Politically, if you win NYC, you win New York. Screw the rest of em. The rest of New York is a Gun totin', country music listening, sort of hick. So, they hate NYC new yorkers. They also hate Vermonters, people from Conneticuit, Massachusettes, and even Canadians. If you're from Conn. You're a Conneticuit Princess. If you're from Mass. You're a Mass-hole. If you're from Canada, You're just a Dirty Canadian. They dispise Canadians.

So, I took about 100 pictures of the wedding and reception and all that. Took about 10 picutres of New York, and other areas. Typical me. The truth of the matter is that I left the camera in the car.

The Devine's are Great/ Amazing People. Took me in as family and treated me as one of their own (Brett and Katie and Brett's Mom and Dad, Rack'em Renny and Claudia) If anyone has ever seen my Mom's house or even where she lives, then you've seen Renny and Claudia's House. It's really creepy just how much alike the two houses are on opposite sides of the country. Claudia even has the exact same decorating tastes as my mom, even down to the Kinkade paintings throughout the house. The house is just as big, in the middle of the country in Kingsbury.

So, overall, quite enjoyable, BUT.... I'm glad to be back home. I was missing it a lot.

Now, I'm tired and gotta go back to work. I read Leslies blog, and I couldn't agree more. I suppose that comes from being from Oregon and from a "tree huggin'" state and spending a vast majority of my childhood outside watching suburbia creep up on us and slowly become big city, forcing us to get the hell out and move to the deep country. Then, we were living 1500 feet from the river, at the base of the mountains near Christmas Tree farms and miles away from big city and it's hassles. Keeping our own environment just how we liked it... Green and Clean. As we move around, I notice just how dirty America is, and just how beautiful Oregon was and still is. I have a feeling that Oregon will be the place we eventually retire in. 15 years and counting.

Leslie... I get it.

New York, New York

Well... I'm off to Glens Falls, NY today. Actually, by the time most of you read this, I'll already be in Fort Edward, NY.

If any of you remember our wedding, you will no doubt remember that I had 2 groomsmen. Jerry and Brett. (Jerry being the short one with the microphone... Ahhh, now your remember.) Well, Brett is getting married on the 5th, and asked me months ago to come up. So.. I'm going up. Most of you may know that I have known Brett since 1996. Since Ft. Leonardwood, MO. Ever since that day in Ft. Leonardwood, we have been stationed in the same place at the same time throughout each others military career. He's a great friend, and wouldn't miss this for the world.

This trip was supposed to be an accompanied flight by another good friend, Jason Lund. Well, about a week or so, Jason fell 20 feet off a rock climbing wall and landed straight down and split his tibia straight up in two pieces. So, Friday, he got a few pins, plates, and screws put in there. Needless to say, he won't be on the flight or at the wedding. He's pretty bummed out, and I don't blame him.

Anyway, I'm hoping to see a few things while I'm there. I brought the camera. We'll see if I use it. Going off my past experience (Okinawa, I took like 4 rolls of film in 1 year) I'm worried.

Anyway, I will write when I get back.

See ya...

Our April is Over, thank god

It's finally happened.

The Birthday parties are officially over. Today was Maisy's and we braved through it. 12 Kids total. Mostly little girls.

It used to be cute that all the kids were born in April. The cuteness is wearing off. As each April comes around, the more we as parents seem to frown.

No, seriously though, it's over. 7, 6, and 3. 1st, 27th, and 19th. Incase there are some family members out there that have trouble remembering the dates. Hey, even I forget sometimes. Another year older.

Had a slight tragedy today. Maisy ate it pretty good in the backyard during her party, and Hayden came to the rescue while Maisy was inside Crying. Hayden gathered all the girls up and broke out his AirHog. A toy you step on and it makes a NERF rocket fly in the air. Think of the sledgehammer at the fair trying to hit the bell at the top. So, he had all the girls lined up and orderly taking turns on the AirHog. Funny stuff. Maisy was a bit pissed that all the girls had Hayden's attention and not hers.

Couple of minutes later and a tissue, she was back in the groove and playing. Good time, overall.

Coffee and Starch

My mornings usually start pretty normal... Get up at between 4:45 and 5:00 a.m. and start the day. Shuffle off to the kitchen, start the morning's coffee and head to the shower. After that... It's time to bust out the ironing board. Sidebar....

Before I joined the Marines... I must have only ironed about 11 times in my entire life. Since joining the Marines, I may iron atleast 11 times in a week. I used to hate it, now I sort of enjoy it. Almost a form of unwinding or in my case at times, winding up in the morning.

All this and then I check my email. Type a bit, here and there, check out Leslie's blog, the news, my bank account, and then the weather. Usually in THAT ORDER!! I suppose that could show some evidence of my priorities in life, if one took the Freudian look at it. By the way... When I wake up... Everyone wakes up. Did I mention we get the kids up at around 5:15 to start getting them ready. I'm not a huge believer in TV, these days, so as soon as I wake up, I turn on the radio. No TV. Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires miserablely. Sometimes you just need your Jetsons to get your day started. So, there are exceptions to the TV rule, but very few.

So, here I am, getting ready to sign off, and head out the door, to pick up my V8, Vegan Powerbar (yeah, I know... Vegan. But, it's damn good though), and water at the C Store, and then it's off to work to get there by 6:30. Today, Heather is taking the kids to day care. She's a good girl, and I remind her of that, often. Tomorrow, it's my turn. So, the day will start about 15 minutes earlier.

See you tomorrow morning.

Mark

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

Since I started working, it seems I haven't really had time to do much.

Let's start with reading. I used to love to read books. Hell, anymore, I find myself firing up the computer just to keep up with the day's events. 5 minutes later... I'm off, and we're making dinner.

Writing... Well, that one's pretty self explanitory. As you can tell, I just haven't been keeping up with this blog lately. That should change in the very near future.

Arithmetic... Well, that's math, and math is numbers. Granted, we've been doing a bit of addition and multiplication at this house, but, the side effects are not having much free time to enjoy yourself with.

We did baseball games today. I will post that later. Funny as hell, though.

Went to Harley, saw a bunch of chrome and black paint. Nothing special. Picked up 4 bolts for my airbox and we were outta ther after we had a slice of free pizza and free beer. THAT PART KICKED ASS!!

Put some new tires on the Mazda today and finally.... after starting our day leaving the house at about 0940, we were home by 1600 (4 p.m.) Took a quick cat nap, and up for dinner.

Exhausting.

Should go riding in the morning. Looking forward to that. Weather here is getting hotter and hotter and more and more bitchin.

Monday I start class. ENV 101. Basically more HazMat classes. I love being on a Marine base, at times. Nothing like FREE Education. Plus, having a GREAT employer helps out, too. Basically, I've been told that if it's free, I can do as much as I'd like and not to worry about the time I'm not at work. Better yet... I'm still getting paid.

Awesome.

Well, I'm outta here.

I'm tired, and I wanna go to bed

(Had a little drink about an hour ago, and it's gone right to my head.) From JAWS (In the boat, drunk)

King Dork, I am so crowned

So, yeah.... 105 more days till the release of this book. I am truly a enormous Harry Potter retarded, geeky, freak about these books. Don't bother buying me any. I own them all. I read them more than once. I have all the movies. J.K. Rowling, may go down in history as the equivilant to Stephen King, Daniell Steele, and William Shakespeare as far as name / book recognition.

Speaking of Stephen King, this is another Author in which I am stupid about. I think it all started with Cujo for me. Seeing that movie as a kid scared the shit out of me. Stuck since. Anyway, the Dark Tower Series... Totally bitchin'!! My little brother, Greg, and I are friggin freaks about this series. Greg... He may have me by 1/2 a notch on this one. They started putting out the Dark Tower Series Comic books. According to my brother, they are flippin amazing. He buys 5 copies of each one for various reasons. I can't find ANY of them out here, or I'd probably do the same. I guess, they're only putting out a certain number of issues, and that may be it. Like an appendix to the series or an addition in a sense. This has been going on for a few months. I still can't find ANY out here. I'm relying on my brother (who kicks ass!!) to take care of me on this.

T.A.D.

I'll be going T.A.D. here pretty soon (next week or so.) Heading off to MCLB Albany. That would be Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany. What's there? Couple things... DS2 Headquarters and the birthing and burial place for all things Motor Transport. If it has really anything Motor T related in the Marines... it's either off to or coming from Albany. Gotta go there for some training and what not, for their version of Safety classes and what not. I really don't know what it's ALL for, but I don't really care. It's "old hat" as far as I'm concerned. Been there, done that. Have I told you how much this job RAWKS??!!

All the perks and job knowledge of the Marines, and you get to wear normal clothes and get off early. It reallly is nice working on base. I love being around the Marines. Marines are a great batch of people. Unique in their own way. Once you've worn the uniform, you get it, and they seem to get you (other Marines) Anyway.... if it weren't the Marines, it would be so easy... A caveman could do it.

Which will bring me to my next picture....


This is our MOST favorite picture. By the way.. I love the internet. I found this picture hanging up on the read board outside of some MgySgt's office in our building in which we share with the Marine contingent at our building. I took it, and brought it home to show Heather. 7 minutes later, it was on our desktop... Heather is a whiz with Google. So, some of you have recieved your Caveman email. Others that haven't... I knew you'd be looking here.

Heather and I have been laughing our asses off since yesterday afternoon with this one. Someone has to email this to Raul.. For you Browns... (that's a Heuer side relative.. he's in the Army... Used to be in the Marines) I'm sure Jim is on it.

Later, kids....

Mark

Duty

Yep... The hard charger has Barracks Duty today. ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT. Poor thing. Usually she gets lucky and has duty on the weekday... Therefore resluting in her checking in at 1630. Not this time. 0730 check in time. However, most of the kids there are gone I heard from Heather so it shouldn't be that bad. Nonetheless, around 1100 she showed up in the Gov-ster van wearing all her duty gear. She had to take a kid to the Naval Hospital (we live by it,) good way to kick off the Easter weekend, I suppose. Good Friday wasn't so great for this cat, I guess, resulting into a Shitty Saturday.

Well, all you tax payers are getting your money's worth today.

Districts

No... Hayden did not win at Districts... However, what he did win is "Classic Design Award." Not bad, it's a nice Cert. I didn't take a picture of it, I'm in a rush.

I gotta get gone in about 15 minutes to get the kids to Day Care and Youth Center, so I can get on the road and head to work. We all had a meeting of the collective former Marine Minds, and what we came up with was... A change in hours. We know that Overtime is just about a key punch or two away once Corrective Parts start coming in, so we felt that since it will be anywhere from 1-2 hours overtime a night, we'd like to come in at 7, get off by 1530, and if worse came to worse, after overtime, we're still out by 1730, giving us family time still. It was a no brainer... We bit and bit hard.

This is so far, a great job... It is comprised of Purely Former Marines and a couple of former Soldiers. So I believe that it is about 100% former military. So, nobody's late, they're all about 10-15 minutes early! We function well, we butt heads even better and most importantly, we seem to be getting the job done.

The big boss man is a former CWO5!! Yeah, so he's a god on this base and can pretty much aquire ANYTHING he wants. It funny to see Colonel's tripping over themselves to do this guy a favor for us. It's actually nice having a guy like Gunner Cooper on our side.

That's all I got for now. I'll try to get my lazy ass to post some pics soon.