If it ain't one thing....

If it ain't one thing it is another. Had to put the yard projects on hold this month since our AC compressor fried out and we are installing a new one today along with a new furnace as well. Last furnace was working but we upgraded it to a higher effeciency rating and getting the $1500 credit back on our taxes for the upgrade.

I will tell you if it ain't one thing it is another.

Well the garden area is installed and boxed in. This turned out to be a 3-day project for me. What may have been a 1 1/2 project for most took me longer because I spent 1 1/2 days running back and forth between the house and Home Depot! Anyway, it is in. Not trimmed out with surrounding vegetation and grass just yet but the garden is in and plantable.

Trees Installed

Here are a few pictures of the progress we are making in our back yard. In the top photo we have from left to right...Crate Myrtle (1), Butterfly Bushes (6) alternating blue and white, Palm Tree (1), Yoshino Cryptameria (7). We also installed a Red Japanese Maple up by the steps and a Blue Spruce too far to the right to see.

Back Yard Renovations

Okay. We are onto the next phase of our back yard renovations. We decided against the stack stone retaining wall as pictured previously and went with the more earthy natural look of a boulder wall. This will allow us to plant some ground cover and flowers for color and variety. Now onto the grass, plants, irrigation system, electrical, paver patio and gazebo.

For those not following facebook, I have posted some photos and a clip of the clearing of trees in our backyard. Many have asked why we are clearing our trees. Well the first photo is the before shot and the second is "similar" to what we hope to accomplish.

Atlanta Here I Come

The most recent bids are in and I have been reinstated back to Atlanta before I ever had to leave. For those that didn't know I am slated to be displaced to Salt Lake City but on the bid that just came out I have been awarded a reinstatement back to Atlanta. I will continue to fly the B737 which I have become attached too. I am sacraficing seniority for base and plane. I could be #24 of over 100 in seniority if I wanted to fly the MD88 out of NYC but I don't.

So I will continue living the life of a reserve pilot but stay here in Atlanta on the B737!

Kicking Videos

Took some video clips of Shawn kicking yesterday. This is just one of them. He is still looking forward to the 2010-2011 season. Still looking for scholorship money offers from colleges.

Went to see the grandkids a few weeks ago. These are just two of the pictures. Jayden is 3 and Andon is 1 year 2 months. These are Devan's kids. We are playing with the Play-dough that we bought for them.

Snow in Hot-lanta!

Usually we do not see much snow here. Maybe a dusting once a year...but due to "Global Warming" which I am told is an "inconvenient truth" we have had two snow falls this year alone! This one delivered about 1 1/2 inches at our house. Further south they got up to 3-4 inches. Anyway here are a few photos of something that rarely happens but seems to be happening more over the years. Even the our Meerkats were puzzled at the oddity! By the way...you can click on any of the photos to enlarge it...check out the panoramic view!

These are a few pictures of the trip we took to Barbados on Jan 10. We arrived at 3:00 pm and stayed at the Accra Beach Hotel and Resort just a few miles from Bridgetown. I had a 24 hour lay over there and so the boys came along. We hit the beaches as soon as we could get to the room. Then we explored some coast line, watched some crabs and small fish. Then we hoofed walked the streets and had dinner at a local outdoor mall. A good time was had by all.

Snow Bowl

The Woodstock, GA Snow Bowl is over! The 'Beaters beat the Black 91-63. It was a full hour long game with clock stoppage only in the last 2:00 of each half. Had a great time.

Nice Christmas

Well, I have been blessed not to be called out on reserve yesterday or today! I thought for sure that I would be called out today with all the open trips that had to be covered but I must be living right because everyone on the reserve list above me got called out and I was the next in line but all the trips got covered. Dodged a holiday bullet there!

I have however been assigned a trip for tomorrow. It is the 3-day Quito, Ecuador trip. I fly down tomorrow night and spend all day Sunday there and leave on the red-eye flight back Monday morning at 12:30 a.m. arriving in Atlanta at 6:00 a.m. I will get the chance to go down and attend church with one of the families that I baptized. Don't know if I will go with Ligia Diaz to the Colon Ward or with the Armas family to the Iñaquito Ward.

Over flying Topeka

This morning I flew directly over Topeka at 36,000' at 4:10 a.m. I was on a red-eye flight from San Diego to NYC/JFK. The flight plan originally had us south of Topeka but ATC gave us a more direct routing and I flew directly over Topeka and Forbes field. I have flown 50-100 miles north or south of Topeka several times criss-crossing the country but never directly over it. I was somewhat nestalgic as I sat there contemplating how lucky I am. I thought to myself, "If someone told me in the late 1970's as I was in high school that on Dec 21, 2009 at 4:10 a.m. I would be piloting a Delta B737-800 overhead I would have thought they were crazy."

Just thinking how lucky I am to do what I love.

Thanks, Jeanne!

Do or Die for Chiefs

After reading the GHSA rules and regulations I do not understand why it is that the Chiefs are in a do or die game tonight. As I read the rules we have already had a season that qualifies us for the state playoffs but we are told that tonights game against Sprayberry is a do or die game.

Winner goes to state playoffs and loser is done for the season. The advantage we have is that it is a home game and our three running backs are all healthy for the first time this season. We have always had to get by on just one or two at a time.

Wish us luck!

WINDOWS 7

Got Windows 7 installed on my laptop today. Also bought an external drive to back up the info on my laptop and two desktops. Got to keep better track of this stuff. Almost lost some photos of Shawn's games due to a software issue yesterday.

WINDOWS 7

Visited Johnny at Hospital

As many of you know our dog Johnny had calcified deposits in his back discs and had to have surgery. Dispite how this video looks, they say Johnny is expected to regain full use of his legs. May take up to six months though. Anyway stay tuned for his progress.

Long Kick

Shawn was asked to long kick after a fourth quarter touchdown. He kicked it out of the endzone from the 40 yard line. Notice the weather that he did this in and the praise of the coaches when he returned to the bench! If you look carefully you can see him hopping up and down after the kick while he goes back to get the tee. He knew he had done well.

So sad because we sold Dallan's Bandolero today. It is necessary so we can move on to our next adventure but it was such a great car and we had so much fun racing Bandoleros! Feels like we just closed a chapter in Dallan's life. Ironic because it is sad and we sold it to the family of a boy named Luke Sorrow!

Red Sparrows

Oh that British humor! Takes a minute or two to watch but gave me a few chuckles.