Remembering Dad

Tonight on the way home from work I stopped by the cemetery to see the new headstone that we purchased for dad and mom's grave. As I stood there thinking about dad and Christmas time I remember how dad didn't like Christmas too much, I'm not saying he didn't like the real meaning of Christmas, however he didn't like the commercial side of it, the buying of presents, trees, and decorations, but he would always enjoy when we all got together as a family on Christmas. Dad I really miss you and wish you were here.

Why Santa's Asking For A Raise

10. The hours, the weather, the trend toward smaller chimneys.

9. Nike won't give him a lucrative side-contract.

8. Reindeer and elves have unionised, driving up his cost.

7. New tax on flying sleighs.

6. Insurance for flying a sleigh has tripled over the past two years.

5. Needs extra cash to cover off-season gambling losses.

4. Air traffic controllers demanding higher kickbacks.

3. Cost of living increase at the North Pole.

2. Children don't leave as many cookies as they used to.

1. The Mrs. told him to.

How to Tell if You're a Grinch

• You reuse last year's Christmas cards and send them out under your own name. (5 points)


• You steal light bulbs from you neighbor's outdoor display to replenish your own supply. (5 points, 10 if neighbor's whole light sets or lighted Santa goes out)


• You have dressed a dog or cat as Santa Claus, elf helper, or reindeer. (10 points for each; if you dressed an endangered species, 5 extra points)


• You put out last year's stale candy canes for children. (1 point for each piece of sticky candy).


• If you put out a chocolate or marzipan Santa also, add 10 points.
  You enclose a shoddy and inferior gift from Target, Walmart, or K-Mart in a Bloomingdale's or other prestige box to impress your friends. (5 points for each infraction).


• You make collect long distance phone calls to your family on Christmas day. (5 points, 10 if from a cell phone), claiming you are stuck in a phone booth.


• At the office Christmas party, you horde huge stockpiles of goodies for later consumption at home. (5 points; 15 points if you use this stuff for your own party)


• You steal the wreath from a parked car to use on your own [Southern California only, others ignore]. (5 points -- nobody but Angelenos are dumb enough to dress a car)
  After an invitation to a friend's house, you bring a commercially produced fruitcake and try to pass it off as home made. (5 points; 15 points if the fruitcake is from last year).


• Any stealing from the Toys-for-Tots collection bins is a definite no-no. (20 points)
  Evaluate your score on the "Grinch Scale" from 20 to 100.

20-30: You are just a cheeseball.
30-50: You are an apprentice in Yuletide larceny and are probably wanted by the police for overdue parking tickets.
50-100: Grinch, move over. The Meyer Lansky of Christmas crime has arrived.

White Death Is Here

As predicted the snow/freezing rain has been coming down for a few hours. I have taken a nap and had a bowl of homemade potato and bacon soup. This evening will be one of watching television and relaxing. So for now let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

New Member Of The Slark Family

Here is the newest member of the Slark family, his name is Dudley he is a 3 year old male miniature poodle, he weighs 14 pounds.

Going Back To Work

I know it seems crazy but I'm so glad I get to go back to work tomorrow after being off for a week and a half for emergency eye surgery. Woo-hoo. The doctor says that I'm 20/30 in my right eye and before the surgery I was 20/25 so I have a little way to go.

I Can See Again !!!!

After a week or so of impaired vison I can see again. On Friday evening while riding with my wife to Columbus I was able to distinguish makes and models of vehicles and license plates. I was so excited because the prognosis from the doctor really had me scared, he was saying he couldn't guarantee when or if I would regain my sight back. Thanks to my wife Rhonda who took care of me by making sure I had everything I needed and taking me to the frequent doctor appointments, and to the many individuals and churches that interceded in prayer for me, however the one who deserves all the credit is Jesus Christ, he was with me through it all. Once again this shows the faithfulness of God and with Him all things are possible. I see the doctor again tomorrow and I pray he will release me to go back to work.

Update on Tom

Hi there....this is Tom's wife, Rhonda. Just wanted to let you all know that Tom had emergency surgery Wednesday evening for a detached and torn retina. Now, most of you won't know this but Tom only has one good eye. He is legally blind in the other. Unfortunately, this happened to his good eye. The surgeons are hoping for a full recovery but cannot assure us of anything at this time. They are telling us that it could be up to a year before he regains his sight in that eye. At this time he has very limited vision and what he is able to see is extremely blurry. Please pray for him that he will make a full recovery. He is already having a tough time as all he is able to do is sit or lay.

Guns Don’t Kill People, Staplers Do

In what context is a stapler considered a weapon?A. When the guy you’re fighting pulls out a three hole punch B. When a militant Islamist terrorist group takes an Office Max hostage C. When you’re fighting an angry mob of 200-feet tall piece of loose leaf paper According to the Associated Press, a man tried to rob an ice cream store with a stapler.
The man entered the store, produced a chrome stapler and demanded money from the teller. A chrome stapler? Is Harley Davidson getting into the office supply business?
The teller gave the man the money and he fled the store before witnesses of the crime led police to the man’s house. Police recovered the money, a mask and the stapler. They also confiscated a .45 caliber label maker, a double barreled hole puncher and a sawed-off sticky note dispenser.
A police spokesman said he wasn’t sure how the man was going to use the stapler as a weapon. Investigators believe the man threatened the clerk to either open the cash register or ruin the book he was going to read on his lunch break by stapling the pages together.

The Day After Thanksgiving

After spending the day yesterday gorging on turkey, and dressing I had to keep busy today to burn off the calories that I put on so we went to the church and took down the fall decorations, and then I came home and finished decorating the outside of the house for Christmas. We are having some friends over tonight for another Thanksgiving dinner so I'm preparing myself for the food coma that will follow. Is it true that something in turkey makes you sleepy?

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Divorce

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says,"I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this,"She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way."

The Meaning Of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and be thankful for all the little things that bring happiness into our lives. It's the time to put all differences aside and mend those relationships that for whatever reason have become strained. It's time to gather with family and friends and enjoy each others company. So this Thanksgiving instead of grumbling and complaining be thankful for those who have been put in your life.

What I'm Thankful For

• God and His grace and mercy


• My wife and the way she cares about me


• Our girls and the men that they have chosen to marry


• Our parents


• Our grandchildren


• Family and Friends


• My job


• Our home

Turkey Facts

How the Turkey Got Its Name

There are a number of explanations for the origin of the name of Thanksgiving's favorite dinner guest. Some believe Christopher Columbus thought that the land he discovered was connected to India, and believed the bird he discovered (the turkey) was a type of peacock. He therefore called it 'tuka,' which is 'peacock' in Tamil, an Indian language.

Though the turkey is actually a type of pheasant, one can't blame the explorer for trying.

The Native American name for turkey is 'firkee'; some say this is how turkeys got their name. Simple facts, however, sometimes produce the best answers—when a turkey is scared, it makes a "turk, turk, turk" noise.

Turkey Facts

At one time, the turkey and the bald eagle were each considered as the national symbol of America. Benjamin Franklin was one of those who argued passionately on behalf of the turkey. Franklin felt the turkey, although "vain and silly", was a better choice than the bald eagle, whom he felt was "a coward".

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving—that's one sixth of all turkeys sold in the U.S. each year. American per capita consumption of turkeys has soared from 8.3 pounds in 1975 to 18.5 pounds last year.

Last year, 2.7 billion pounds of turkey was processed in the United States.
In 1995, retail sales of turkey reached approximately $4.4 billion. They are expected to reach $4.7 billion in 2000.
Age is a determining factor in taste. Old, large males are preferable to young toms (males) as tom meat is stringy. The opposite is true for females: old hens are tougher birds.

A turkey under sixteen weeks of age is called a fryer, while a young roaster is five to seven months old.

Turkeys are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere.

Turkeys have great hearing, but no external ears. They can also see in color, and have excellent visual acuity and a wide field of vision (about 270 degrees), which makes sneaking up on them difficult. However, turkeys have a poor sense of smell (what's cooking?), but an excellent sense of taste.

Domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys, however, can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. They can also reach speeds of 25 miles per hour on the ground.

Turkeys sometimes spend the night in trees.

Turkeys can have heart attacks: turkeys in fields near the Air Force test areas over which the sound barrier was broken were known to drop dead from the shock of passing jets.

The ballroom dance known as the Turkey Trot was named for the short, jerky steps a turkey makes.

Carr out of gas

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - Lloyd Carr alternately choked up and chuckled for nearly 40 minutes Monday as he announced his 13th season as Michigan football coach will be his last.

"I wanted to be able to walk out of here knowing that to the very last minute, I did my job to the best of my ability," Carr said with watery eyes. "And I know I'll be able to do that."
The best of Carr's ability brought Michigan a national title and five Big Ten championships. It also included an unsightly loss to Appalachian State to open this season and a fourth consecutive defeat and sixth in seven years to Jim Tressel and Ohio State to close it.

Many of those memories were very close to the surface at Monday's news conference during which the public that rarely got to see his true personality also learned what had happened behind closed doors the previous day when Carr broke the news to his players and staff.

"I cried more tears than I knew I had," said Carr, who spent 28 seasons on the Michigan coaching staff. "And I've never laughed so hard in my life because there were so many memories."

Carr will coach the Wolverines in their bowl game, likely to be either the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio or the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. Following the bowl game he will become an associate athletic director.

Stupid Criminals

Robber’s getaway falls short
Courtesy of Kansas City Star

A man who robbed the Family Dollar at 39th Street and Indiana Avenue tonight made his — short-lived — getaway on a city bus.

After hitting the store shortly after 7 p.m., the robber headed across the street and boarded the bus, a dispatcher said. The suspect made it about five blocks before Kansas City police stopped the bus and took the suspect into custody near 40th Street and Cleveland Avenue.

The man was reportedly armed, but no one was hurt in the incident.

Man Arrested After Reporting Pot Theft
Courtesy of AP

McALLEN, Texas - A man was arrested for drug possession after telling authorities that two masked gunmen had stolen 150 pounds of marijuana from his home.

Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies arrived at the home near Penitas in South Texas to find the door kicked in and nearly 15 pounds of pot lying on the floor, Sheriff Lupe Trevino said.

Jose Guadalupe Flores, 35, escaped while the men ransacked the house but returned later and told the deputies he had been wrapping the drugs for shipment when the intruders arrived.

"The guy walked right up and said the drugs were his," Trevino said. "That's not the smartest move."

Flores, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was charged with felony possession of marijuana at an arraignment hearing Monday. Because of his immigration status, Flores will be jailed until his case is heard.

Authorities were still searching for the gunmen.

The Awsome BUCKEYES

Congratulations to THE BUCKEYES !!!!! on their 14 to 3 win over "The Team Up North". Though they played very conservative the W at the end is all that matters.Way to GO BUCKS!!!

Lifes Little Things

As I was thinking this week about the purpose of life I suddenly realized that I don't take the time to stop and discover how great life really is. We as humans tend to focus on the negative instead of the positive, we like the little juicy details instead of asking ourselves what can I do to help that person in need. Life is not all about working trying to please our boss or make a name for ourselves, although we must do our jobs and do them to the best of our ability. We need to focus on God, our family, and friends. So remember when life hands you lemons make lemonade.

Vacation Is Over

Today it was back to the old grind, came back to over 300 e-mails to answer, however I still have pictures to take me back to Florida. We had great weather (low to mid 80's and no rain). It was good to see Lorrie, Bill, Wesley, Megan, and Madison (the dog). Here are some pictures

On Vacation

We arrived in Florida on Saturday around 12:00 pm. We had a nice drive. We stopped at my sisters house first and dropped off mom. We then continued on to Star Island Resort. Here's the plan for the week.

* Sunday: Rest/relax, Girls will shop, Dinner with Sis, William, and Mom

* Monday: Disney all day, Scott & Debbie arrive in the evening

* Tuesday: Universal all day, Nice dinner

* Wednesday: Go to St. Pete/beach

* Thursday: Sea World all day

* Friday: Spend time with family

* Saturday: Drop off Kimmy and Adam at the airport 4:30 am, Start the trip home

GO BUCKS!!!!!

Pumpkin Show

The signs of fall are all around, cool temps, bright sunshine, and football. In a couple of weeks people from all around will converge on Circleville for The Greatest Free Show on Earth, "The Pumpkin Show". Everything you could imagine from pumpkin pizza, pumpkin hamburgers, ice cream, and of course the worlds largest pumpkin pie. It's a great time for all.

The Weekend

What a week, a lot has happened but now it's time to relax. Saturday I'll watch the Buckeyes clean up on the Golden Gophers. and then on Sunday hopefully the Bengals will win.

It's The Weekend

Here's what happening around here this weekend

Fri Night:

* Dinner
* Practice with the family
* Get a hair cut

Sat:

* Sleep in
* Music Seminar (Am)
* Set up for concert on Sunday
* Watch OHIO STATE beat Northwestern

Sun:

* Sing/Concert Am
* Lunch with Fam
* Football, Football, Football

Do you Remember THIS????

It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were playing an old news video of Lt.Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration.
There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree, but what he said was stunning!

He was being drilled by a senator; "Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?"

Ollie replied, "Yes, I did, Sir."

The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, "Isn't that just a little excessive?"

"No, sir," continued Ollie.

"No? And why not?" the senator asked.

"Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir."

"Threatened? By whom?" the senator questioned.

"By a terrorist, sir" Ollie answered.

"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"

"His name is Osama bin Laden, sir" Ollie replied.

At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn't.

A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. Why are you so afraid of this man?" the senator asked.

"Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of" Ollie answered.



"And what do you recommend we do about him?" asked the senator.
"Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."
The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that was shown of the clip.(By the way, that senator was Al Gore !!!)





Also:
Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called "political prisoners."

However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands, The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, "insisted" that all prisoners be released.

Thus Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was reported by many of the American TV
networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified.
It was censored in the US from all later reports.

Drugs In America

Get Funny Pictures at pYzam.com

Going to a black church

Number 3

We have found out that Krista and Kyle are also expecting another bundle sometime the first of May 2008. Konner will have a playmate.

Thompson 2008

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson officially joined the 2008 presidential campaign with an announcement made just after midnight on the "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" followed by an Internet Webcast on his own campaign Web site.

Pavarotti Dead At 72

Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007

Storms

There comes a time in every ones life when they go through a rough time of it, and I guess it's my turn. It seems the harder I try the worse it gets. I don't mean to feel sorry for myself but I just wish that things would settle down and the storm would pass. I know that God is in control and He will see me through these times so I must hold onto the promise that He will never leave me or forsake me.

For A Season
For a season, there will be troubles,For the needed time, then they will go.God has a purpose for every trial;They are only for a season, you know.
Overwhelmed with sudden loss and anguish,With a heavy heart, broken in despair.Look up to Jesus for His comfort –Even for this season, He will be there.
For a season, sufferings are our portion,But – then, in a moment, they will pass away.And after the season of our sorrows Heaven’s glory will shine bright as day.

February 24th, 2002Jerry Bouey

Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Jury Selected For Michael Vick

Call Me Pappa

Kaylee and Bradney are expecting a little bundle of joy sometime in April 2008. This will be our second grandchild. I can't wait Congratulations !!!!!!!!!!

GO IN THE HOLE !!!!!!!

This past Saturday my daughter's fiance Adam and his dad Scott played a round of golf. This shot was for par. I tried to jump up and down on the green but I couldn't get it to go in the hole, I felt like Happy Gilmore.

The Declaration Of Independance

Chronology of Events

1776

June 7
Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, receives Richard Henry Lee's resolution urging Congress to declare independence.
June 11
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston appointed to a committee to draft a declaration of independence. American army retreats to Lake Champlain from Canada.
June 12-27
Jefferson, at the request of the committee, drafts a declaration, of which only a fragment exists. Jefferson's clean, or "fair" copy, the "original Rough draught," is reviewed by the committee. Both documents are in the manuscript collections of the Library of Congress.
June 28
A fair copy of the committee draft of the Declaration of Independence is read in Congress.
July 1-4
Congress debates and revises the Declaration of Independence.
July 2
Congress declares independence as the British fleet and army arrive at New York.
July 4
Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence in the morning of a bright, sunny, but cool Philadelphia day. John Dunlap prints the Declaration of Independence. These prints are now called "Dunlap Broadsides." Twenty-four copies are known to exist, two of which are in the Library of Congress. One of these was Washington's personal copy.
July 5
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, dispatches the first of Dunlap's broadsides of the Declaration of Independence to the legislatures of New Jersey and Delaware.
July 6
Pennsylvania Evening Post of July 6 prints the first newspaper rendition of the Declaration of Independence.
July 8
The first public reading of the Declaration is in Philadelphia.
July 9
Washington orders that the Declaration of Independence be read before the American army in New York
July 19
Congress orders the Declaration of Independence engrossed (officially inscribed) and signed by members.
August 2
Delegates begin to sign engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence. A large British reinforcement arrives at New York after being repelled at Charleston, S.C.

1777

January 18
Congress, now sitting in Baltimore, Maryland, orders that signed copies of the Declaration of Independence printed by Mary Katherine Goddard of Baltimore be sent to the states.

Our Special Day

Today Rhonda and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Over the 25 years we have been blessed with 3 beautiful daughters and legal custody of a 10 year old whom we love as our own. Although there have been many bumps along the way our faith in each other and our love has stood strong. I wouldn't change any of it for nothing, so on our special day I just wanted to say I LOVE YOU BABE and I look forward to another 25.

My 5 Favorite Telivision Shows

1. Seinfeld
2. Law and Order
3. Forensic Files
4. House
5. Hell's Kitchen

Kimmy's Graduation

Yesterday our youngest daughter Kimberly graduated from high school. The weather was threatening so they moved the ceremony inside, however it was very nice. After the ceremony we had an open house and had approximately 200-250 people come to celebrate Kimmy's special day. Kimmy decided last year to participate in the post secondary program offered by the state, since Kimmy had all of her hs credits at the end of her junior year she was able to forgo her senior year and attend Ohio Christian University as a freshman. This fall she will return to Ohio Christian University as a sophomore majoring in Business.

Memorial Day

I know it's a few days past memorial day but as I sat on the patio that afternoon right before the family arrived for an evening cook out I was thinking about all the memories of my childhood. About the times dad, my brothers, and I would leave right after school on Tuesdays to go fishing at my uncle's pond, we would fish until dusk and we would be so hungry by the time we were ready to leave. My dad would always tease us all the way home about how good dinner was going to be, Or the memorial days we would go on a picnic at hoover reservoir , and the cook outs at our house. It's kinda weird how these things pop in my mind, it must be because I'm getting older. I just hope that when I'm gone from this earth my kids remember the special times that we spend together.

Stairway From Heaven

Two mysteries surround the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction.
When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1898, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel.
Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, who came in answer to the sisters' prayers.
The stairway's carpenter, whoever he was, built a magnificent structure. The design was innovative for the time and some of the design considerations still perplex experts today.
The staircase has two 360 degree turns and has no visible means of support. Also, it is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. Questions also surround the number of stair risers compared to the height of the choir loft and about the types of wood and other materials used in the stairway's construction.
Over the years many have flocked to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase. The staircase has been the subject of many articles, TV specials, and movies including "Unsolved Mysteries" and the television movie titled "The Staircase."