Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Foster Dog Coming!

It's a lot of work to be a foster parent to a dog, but it's a lot of work to even get the dog!
 - We work with Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue and they've been rescuing abandoned Dachshunds for many years. We've had a couple of foster dogs in the past and both were adopted. We also did transports for others (Weimaraners and Dachshunds). In one transport, we drove a Weimaraner from Virginia to Pennsylvania (Yay, Buddy!), and another took us from Maryland to Connecticut.
 - This week, we're expecting a foster dog named "Sprite" to come into our lives. Sprite is between 8 and 10 years old, and is a red smooth-haired Dachshund, like our beloved Franklin. :)  Sprite belonged to an elderly couple in Ohio. The wife passed 3 months ago, and the husband recently passed, leaving Sprite homeless (until the Rescue heard about him). - During the 3 months that Sprite's mom had passed, her elderly dad couldn't let him out, so he lost his housetraining habits (poor thing!).
- We did hear that he hasn't had any accidents with the other rescue folks and just wants affection and to burrow under a blanket. We don't even have a photo of him.
 - It also turns out that Sprite has never, ever been to a vet in all of his 8-10 years!! SO, because his teeth are rotted and his breath is rancid, he's going to need teeth removed. He's also needing all his shots, blood tests, heartworm test, etc. He also hasn't been neutered, and yes, even an older dog still has the stuff to make puppies, so neutering is also on the "To Do List."
- On Wednesday night, Rob is driving about 4+ hours to and from Frederick, Md. to get Sprite from another rescue person, who got him from an Ohio rescue person. Yes, Sprite has been on the move.
Franklin thinking,
"HEY! There's only one
male dog in this house!
What's the idea of bringing
in Sprite?"
- On Thursday, Rob is bringing Sprite to the vet for the first half of all the medical needs. The teeth removal and spaying come soon afterward.
- Another challenge was that the vet that the rescue works with is located in Gaithersburg. Anyone who knows the Wash DC/Baltimore area knows that during rush hour, to go from the east side of the DC Beltway to the west side, and then north would take about 2-3 HOURS (for a 22 mile drive). So, Rob contacted our local vet, who agreed to work with the rescue. YAY!  That saves about 12 hours of driving (2 days of back and forth). Whew! All we can say is that Dr. Varner of Family Veterinary in Gambrills, Md. is awesome. We are forever grateful.
- We'll let you know Sprite's status and update on the blog as time goes on. Meanwhile, we're looking forward to helping out this poor pup by fostering him and giving him a temporary, loving home.

Dolly's Birthday Diary

Dolly (The Weimaraner) Birthday Blog:
Dear Diary: Today (November 29, 2010) I turned 6 years old. It was a pretty neat morning.

  We all got up at 4 am as usual, because Daddy Tom goes to work early. Franklin chased a bunny out of the backyard when we went out at 4:15am and Franklin screamed like a little girl at the bunny. I don't say a word and give chase. The bunny escaped.
- We came inside and got breakfast, which had tasty tuna fish o top of our dry food. Daddy Tom ate a bagel, which we enjoy mooching after we finish breakfast. After Daddy Tom left for work we crawled into the big bed with Daddy Rob and got up at 7am. Daddy Rob took today off and it was great to stay in bed so long!
 - We played with toys with Daddy Rob for a long time, while he had coffee. Then we all went in the backyard for awhile.
- Daddy went to the dentist, so we chewed dental treats and enjoyed the radio. When daddy Rob came home, we went on a one hour long walk! The smells!! The sounds!! The scents!!
- We then went to Petsmart to pick out treats, and then played rope toss in the backyard followed by dinner with real chicken (not just dry dog food) and a nice walk all together.  What a great birthday, and I'm not even in my prime yet!

Hurricane Season Ends Today- Video of me interviewing a NASA Scientist

In September I got to do some "live shot" interviews during the peak of hurricane season for NASA. My friend and colleague, Dr. Jeff Halverson is a research meteorologist that works with NASA and uses NASA satellite data on hurricanes. I got a chance to interview Jeff after all of the national TV interviews that he and I did. This is the video, and I thought it appropriate to show you today because Nov. 30 is the end of the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Ocean Hurricane Season.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Happy 6th Birthday, Dolly!

Dolly looking at a squirrel.
 Today, our Weimaraner Dolly turns 6 years old. She was adopted from the Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue of Knoxville, TN back in March, 2005. She's an affectionate, loving, obedient girl, who loves her brother Franklin the Dachshund (who turned 6 in March of this year). Dolly and Franklin go everywhere together and can't be apart.They sleep together, play together, eat together, clean each other's ears and eyes, and obviously love each other very much. Dolly loves playing rope toss in the backyard, enjoys chomping on her nylabone Dinosaurs, and loves treats!  She likes to stand up on the side of our bed in the mornings and give us kisses to get us out of bed!
  Here are some of our favorite photos of Dolly from this year (and her
birthday party photo from a couple of years ago with Franklin).
As a Coffee cup this Halloween, and Franklin a donut.

Giving Jane a kiss, with Steve and Franklin at Ft. McHenry

Dolly Loves chewing sticks!

Playing with one of her fav. toys!

Geared up with Franklin for the Rain!

Franklin, Dolly and friend Emma walking

Waiting for dinner time!

Dolly and Franklin ready for Birthday treats (2007)

Dolly having a very tough day...

Franklin and Dolly running! 

Family Photo at Baltimore's Ft. McHenry!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Happy Birthday Hil!

 Today we celebrated our friend Hil's birthday and had a fun lunch. We enjoyed a nice afternoon with Hil (right), Richard (left) and dogs Amy and Bamba. Afterward, they surprised Tom with a birthday cake!             
Richard, Amy, Hil and Bamba!  A GREAT PICTURE!

Amy and Bamba

Bamba Looking for a treat?

Bamba posing on a stair

Richard, Tom, Amy and Hil

Christmas Concert!

Tom treated me, his parents, sister and her boyfriend to a Christmas Concert from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of Washington, D.C. yesterday. It was a very nice concert and they covered a medley of traditional songs in the beginning, followed by some Christmas songs that I had never heard before. There was a violinist who performed three songs and was incredibly talented (a young woman whose name I don't recall). There was also a curious performance of a man reading a russian story of a young girl in a small village that was killed during a conflict and her Christmas bell was a sole reminder to her surviving father. It was depressing. Anyway, overall, it was a nice concert and a nice way to get in the spirit of the season. 

Enjoyed Lisa Williams, Medium

Tom and I enjoyed an evening performance of Medium Lisa Williams. She's really an amazing woman. We first saw her on television on a show carried by Lifetime. This year she had 2 shows on the Style network, and we hope its brought back as a regular program.
   Lisa Williams is a medium that I can only hope to be as good as. She receives messages with amazing clarity and was right on target all night.
Lisa Williams. Credit: Lisa Williams.com
   One of the most astounding readings she gave was about a murder-suicide. She explained that a man had killed his wife then killed himself. Both appeared in spirit beside her with messages for their grown daughter who was in the audience. The daughter identified herself after Lisa gave more information. It was amazing. Lisa explained that the father and mother were on "different levels" in the afterlife, although they could speak with each other. The father was seeking forgiveness for taking his wife's life and then his own. The daughter in the audience had forgiven him. The details Lisa provided were just astounding.
  For more information about Lisa Williams, visit her website: http://www.lisawilliamsmedium.com/

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Green Hornet Official Movie Trailer -NOT GOOD

A new international trailer for The Green Hornet movie is now online.  Opening in theaters on January 14 it stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour and Tom Wilkinson. I watched the trailer and it's peppered with homophobic jokes, and makes the Green Hornet a goofy and bumbling playboy who looks more like a disheveled extra-large man. This is NOT a superhero movie we plan to see. How VERY disappointing.

Friday, November 26, 2010

TIME MAGAZINE ARTICLE: "Decline of Marriage" sideline: Single Parents

I read a very interesting article in this past week's TIME MAGAZINE about the "decline of marriage."  One of the alarming things that is a result of that is the HUGE percentage of children being born to one parent.  HOW do they do it?  We can't imagine the challenge of being a single parent.
Some men and women shouldn't be parents- we see them on the Metro all the time, but that makes it really hard on the one parent.  Here's the TIME Magazine Article: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2031955,00.html
  For the full Pew Report (the source of the research: http://pewsocialtrends.org/2010/11/18/the-decline-of-marriage-and-rise-of-new-families/

•The Impact on Children. The share of births to unmarried women has risen dramatically over the past half century, from 5% in 1960 to 41% in 2008. There are notable differences by race: Among black women giving birth in 2008, 72% were unmarried. This compares with 53% of Hispanic women giving birth and 29% of white women. Overall, the share of children raised by a single parent is not as high as the share born to an unwed mother, but it too has risen sharply — to 25% in 2008, up from 9% in 1960. The public believes children of single parents face more challenges than other children — 38% say “a lot more” challenges and another 40% say “a few more” challenges. Survey respondents see even more challenges for children of gay and lesbian couples (51% say they face a lot more challenges) and children of divorce (42% say they face a lot more challenges).

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Order a Dog Calendar to Benefit a Sheltie Rescue

Our friends Susan and Cary adopted a little Sheltie from the Northern Va. Sheltie Rescue (NVSR) in February 2009 and named him Bentley. They recently lost their Sheltie Sassy to heart and kidney disease. 
  They learned that NVSR.org’s 2011 calendar features Sassy and Bentley for the month of March.  Please consider buying a calendar as a gift.  Your money will go to support the hundreds of Shelties that NVSR has rescued over the years and provide them with a loving home and vet care until they are adopted!
The NVSR 2011 Calendar has 12 months of Shelties, Shelties, and more Shelties!  Each month features at least three Shelties in seasonal photos.  We still have some left, but they're going fast!  $18 each plus $1.50 for shipping.  If you want more than one, ask us to calculate the shipping for you - it will save you $$.  To order, send an e-mail to shop@nvsr.org. OR go online to: http://www.nvsr.org/

Thanksgiving Fun

It was a good Thanksgiving day. Rain in the morning, cloudy the rest of the day- but enjoyable. We got a pre-cooked turkey from the local supermarket, which made it easier to make the meal. We just had to cook it for 2 1/2 hours. Rob cooked, and Tom took care of the table - our friend Darold, Tom's parents and his sister Lisa and her boyfriend Blair. Dinner included rolls, cranberry stuffing, gravy, baked potatoes, corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, ham, cranberry, apple pie, Pumpkin pie, brownies, oatmeal cranberry cookies. We took a walk with all the dogs and played the Uno card game.   **After everyone left, our friend and neighbor Elvina stopped by for a brief visit to say hello.

Playing the Uno card game. Tom's sister won 3 out of 6 games!

Dolly snoozing during the Uno game.

Lisa and Blair's dog Joey who also came.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a doggone great Thanksgiving! (thanks to our
friend Lynn C. for sharing this) 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Cumberland Maryland Visit!


Sunset from Cumberland, Md downtown.
One of the ways we celebrated Tom's birthday this month,
was an overnight trip to western Maryland to the town of Cumberland. It's nestled in the Maryland mountains and really a quaint and beautiful little town.
- We went there for a "Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre Train ride" and it was fun. I'll post photos of those in the next blog, however, there were so many good ones of Cumberland that I thought I'd post these by themselves.
- We plan on going back to Cumberland after our brief visit. It was really enjoyable (and about 2 1/2 hours from Annapolis).
Cool building in downtown
Cumberland, Md.


Another pic of quaint downtown Cumberland, Md.

Sunset over Cumberland, Md.


Tom near the Western Md. Scenic Railway Station


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Today is Tom's Birthday! - A pictorial


On a cruise
 Today, November 23rd is Tom's birthday. I (Rob) celebrate it because it's the day that the love of my life came into the world to make my life complete. He makes me laugh every day, even if he has a bad day- we can look at each other and just laugh. He's caring, witty, super-smart, detailed, super-clean, considerate, loving and fun. We make a great team and complement each other so well. We take enjoyment in the simple things, from dog walking to getting bagel sandwich at Dunkin' Donuts. Tom makes my life complete and he's the greatest gift to me. He's the LOML and my soulmate. So today I celebrate his birthday!

  Here are some of my favorite pics of Tom (and others).


Dog Walking

Maine Coast

Wedding Cake House in Maine

The kids! Franklin and Dolly

Goofing around with Jeff


Trying to get Franklin to hear commands!

Fun in a Hammock

Margarita Fridays!

A kiss from Dolly

Memorable Christmas with Govn'r Martin
O'Malley and his Wife


Never taking everything seriously!


Sunday, November 21, 2010

Target, Afghan Hero Dog, Is Euthanized by Mistake in U.S.

This article appeared in the New York Times on Friday, Nov. 19th. It's heartbreaking that a service dog (Army) that helped servicemen in Afghanistan and was retired and brought to the U.S. to live out her life, was euthanized (murdered) by an irresponsible Animal Shelter!
**PEOPLE NEED TO BLOCK THESE SHELTERS FROM KILLING ANIMALS and HELP WITH ADOPTIONS, AND SPAYING AND NEUTERING ANIMALS. Even if an animal isn't yours, HELP pay to have it neutered. HELP to FEED animals in shelters. HELP by FOSTERING. Fostering is providing Temporary homes when shelters are over-run.
 

Target, right, and Rufus were brought to the United States in July after the dogs thwarted a suicide bomber's plan in Afghanistan.

 
  The dog, Target, survived a suicide bombing, but after she escaped from her adoptive family, a shelter mistakenly administered a lethal injection.
  To say that Target was a celebrated mutt would be an understatement. Beyond caresses from Oprah, the shepherd mix had appeared on all the major television news channels upon her move to the United States and had won a local Hero Award as dog of the year.
  Target, not used to being confined, escaped Friday afternoon from Sergeant Young’s home in the San Tan Valley area in central Arizona. After being spotted on the loose, she was reported to Pinal County’s animal control. Target was brought to the county animal shelter in Florence, where she was held just like any other run-of-the-mill stray. Because she had no tag, microchip or license with the county, her photo went up on the shelter’s Web site on Friday in hopes that her owner might respond.
  Sergeant Young spotted Target’s photo online on Friday and paid the fee by computer to recover her. He mistakenly thought the shelter was closed for the weekend.
  By the time Sergeant Young arrived at the pound on Monday, the shelter employee in charge of euthanizing animals that day had apparently picked the wrong dog out of the pen and administered a lethal injection, performing what the shelter referred to as “P.T.S.,” or put to sleep.
   “My 4-year-old keeps saying: ‘Daddy, bring Target home. Daddy, get the poison out,’ ” Sergeant Young, a father of three, said in a telephone interview, his voice choking with emotion. “Obviously, at first there was extreme anger and horror. Now that a couple of days have passed, the anger has been replaced by sorrow.”
  ***Tom and I give to many animal charities- and ONLY dog and cat charities. There are TOO many animals needlessly killed every day.
**CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTION- Give money to your local animal shelter in someone's name. THAT is the perfect gift.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

What Kind of Lab Do You Have?

Our friends Cathy and Cindy sent this "find your lab"
image (They have a Weimaraner like we do).
We thought this would make you smile!

Friday, November 19, 2010

CNN VIDEO: Inside the science of how dogs think!

They're a lot smarter than people think. In fact, read DVM Stanley Coren's book "How Dogs Think." You'll be amazed. Meanwhile, enjoy this story from CNN today.
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2010/11/18/ac.kaye.canine.intel.cnn

House Panel Recommends Censure for Rangel -

When it comes to corruption in the gov't we have NO tolerance.  The House ethics committee on Thursday recommended that Representative (Democrat) be formally censured for ethical misconduct, the most serious punishment the House can mete out to a member short of expulsion. Charles B. Rangel    WHAT WAS HE FOUND GUILTY OF? 11 counts of ethical violations, including improper fund-raising, failure to pay taxes on rental income and failure to report personal income on his Congressional financial disclosure forms. The committee also ordered him to pay thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes from rental income on a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic.

   The NY Times said: "A censure would mark a momentous downfall for Mr. Rangel, a Democrat who for 40 years has represented Harlem, where he was born. As a decorated Korean War veteran and civil rights advocate, he became a combative and irrepressible voice for liberal causes and, in 2007, snared one of the most powerful positions in Congress, the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee."
  He needs to GO. We think that censuring isn't harsh enough. This kind of Corruption has no place in running the country.  Democrat or Republican, it doesn't matter.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Green Lantern's "Computer-generated" Costume...

The filmmakers behind “Green Lantern,” due next summer from Warner Bros., approached that challenge digitally; star Ryan Reynolds will appear in a costume that was essentially “drawn” on him via CG effects and there has been considerable curiosity to see how the final product would look. On Tuesday, a new trailer for the film will premiere on ”Entertainment Tonight” and here’s a short advertisement for that anticipated reveal.


The Los Angeles Times reporter said "Well, one thing we know about the computer-painted costume — those movie fans who enjoys seeing every gym-sculpted inch of the Reynolds physique will certainly get their money’s worth." Now I'm really looking forward to it! :)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

What in the heck does "Refudiate" mean?

More stupidity from Sarah Palin. Making up more words.
It all started with this tweet from Sarah Palin: "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate."
 But refudiate is not a word. (Okay, John McCain said it in 2008, so maybe he got it from her or vice-versa. Regardless, it's NOT a WORD!)
   It is agreed that Palin was mixing the words "refute" and "repudiate" to create the never-before-heard term. Regardless, or maybe I should say "irregardless" (that would be a Palin-ism), don't you think public speakers would NOT use a word if they were unsure of what it meant, or if it was even a word?
 How embarrassing.
 - What's more embarrassing is that her reality show from Alaska on The Learning Channel (and her having a show on THAT channel is incredibly ironic, is it not?) garnered 5 million viewers for the first "episode."
  WELL... maybe I do understand the high ratings. After all, people always want to look more closely at a car wreck!
   I can't understand the fascination with this woman. She's dumb and hasn't completed an elected office. I certainly don't want this fool running the country. She probably thinks New Mexico is a foreign country.
Enough said!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Some Additional Halloween Photos

Patty and Trixie the Pixie
 I neglected to post these last three fun photos from Halloween...
The first is of our neighbors/friends Patty (dressed as Velma from Scooby Doo fame) and her daughter Trixie.
 - The others are a scarecrow that Tom and I put together and had sitting on the front chair. It did scare one little kid. -
 - Halloween only brought 10 kids, and this year Rob didn't dress up.. just handed out the candy.
Our scary Scarecrow

We even made the skeleton scarecrow a canine companion

Friday, November 12, 2010

Here's Something You Never Hear on the News... Good Budget stuff

 I just thought you should know about one of the President's challenges to federal workers, that will help with the Budget. For some reason, this is something we NEVER hear on the news, but this is a FANTASTIC idea on how to save in the Federal Budget.
  Earlier this year, President Obama launched this year’s SAVE Award contest offering every federal employee the chance to submit their ideas for how government can save money and perform better.
   The response was fantastic: many of you sent in ideas and across the entire federal government, employees submitted more than 18,000 ideas and weighed in with more than 164,000 votes to help the Administration identify the best ideas. Now, we need your help again – to pick the winner from the Final Four of finalists.
   Go to www.SAVE.gov  and choose the idea you like best. The winner will get to present his or her idea directly to President Obama at the White House.
SOME BACKGROUND ON THE PROGRAM: 
President Obama believes the best ideas usually come from outside of Washington.  That’s why in 2009 he launched the SAVE Award (Securing Americans’ Value and Efficiency), seeking ideas from frontline federal employees to make government more effective and efficient and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. In just three weeks, OMB received tens of thousands of ideas on how to make government more efficient and effective. Not only did the winner go to the White House to present her idea to the President, but 20 SAVE Award ideas made their way directly into the 2011 Budget, and others helped identify cost-savings across an array of areas.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

A Classic Song Redone! Coal Miner's Daughter

We love Loretta Lynn, and as a tribute to her 50th year in country music, there's a new CD of other artists singing her hits. One hit she joins in on is her trademark "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert. Here's the video from last night's CMA music awards. (We've ordered the CD, and looking forward to Alan Jackson and Martina McBride's version of Conway and Loretta's "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.").

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A MUST READ: "Helping Ghosts" by Louis Charles

I recently finished reading a great book called "Helping Ghosts: A guide to understanding lost spirits" by Louis Charles.
 - I actually "met" Louis through the Facebook page for my book on ghosts. Louis contacted me and we've befriended each other through our authorship and our insight into ghosts.
- Louis' book is a MUST READ. He really makes readers look at ghosts as not something so much "paranormal" as "they were once people." He really humanizes ghosts and explains that they all need our help to cross into the light, even the angry ones. 
- There are a lot more insightful things in this book, and I can't recommend it enough. Every "Ghost Hunter" group and television program should have a medium or someone like Louis who can help these wayward entities cross over. They don't belong here. 
TO ORDER THE BOOK: http://www.amazon.com/Helping-Ghosts-Understanding-Spirits-Angels/dp/145284707X
  Just as some background about Louis from his website:
http://www.angelsghosts.com/helping_ghosts_louis_charles Louis Charles was born in Canton, Ohio and raised in a small farming community nearby. While growing up, he always had a fascination with ghosts and spirits. Through various careers, Louis Charles honed his skills in sales, marketing, speaking, and invention. He never lost his passion to learn more about ghosts and haunting.
  In 2004, he launched the website Angels & Ghosts in order to better study ghosts and spirits. By using the submissions he received from around the world, Louis began comparing potential evidence shared in stories, images, videos, and audio recordings. CHECK OUT THE ANGELS AND GHOSTS WEBSITE: http://www.angelsghosts.com/
WHAT IS THE WEBSITE ABOUT?  Ghost pictures. Proof that ghosts & angels exist?  Ghost pictures, photos, web cams of ghosts; angel pictures & stories. Study paranormal & spiritual ideas about angels & ghosts. Investigate stories of ghosts & angels. Explore evidence of ghosts & angels.

America's (and my) Impatience With Politics

I looked back at what happened 2 years after Presidents Clinton and Bush were in office for 2 years. Americans thought that they weren't coming through with their campaign promises "Fast Enough" so they fired a lot of the Congressmen in the interim elections that supported those presidents. Americans just did the same STUPID thing to President Obama.
* Why are Americans so damned impatient?
* It requires ONLY common sense to know that that ANY president can't accomplish EVERYTHING they promise in 2 years.
* Now "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" will likely NOT be repealed and hatred and inequality will continue under a GOP-run House.
* Why do people who vote for Republicans think that EVERYONE should live under the Christian Bible? - A LOT of Americans aren't even Christian!  Would they like it if they were forced to live under another religion? NO.   Our forefathers outright stated religion should be "tolerated" but NOT rule the land.
--- The Democrats passed a health care bill that takes care of SO MANY that didn't have health care, people who were before denied coverage, and extends coverage to kids up to 26 for families. Yes, it will cost a little more, but they NOW can have coverage. People seem to complain about everything and expect everything for free. I have 4 words; GROW UP. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. (okay, 2 more: Shut Up!).
* SO,  Now that the GOP has more Congresspeople coming in, what's their plan? A: "Reverse everything the democrats did."   What kind of STUPID plan is that? How about doing something constructive instead of destructive?  So, that means they want more years of how it was under the Bush Administration? I don't know about you, but I thought those were 8 years of pandering to the rich, inciting Fear into the public, and rewarding a lot of bad behavior.
* I just heard "Boner" (as I call him) who is vying to be Speaker of the House, say "Republicans will NOT compromise with the President on ANYTHING. We were elected to be the ruling party." 
WHAT?!?!? People didn't elect this fool to create gridlock. The election showed that people want more of a balance in politics, NOT a takeover. How totally arrogant.  People like him are what is totally wrong with the GOP.  How disrespectful and arrogant.
    So, that's what we're in for. The President wants to meet in the middle, and the GOP says "to hell with that. We're doing things our way ONLY." Idiots.
Congratulations people, YOU brought these hateful GOP people into office. Enjoy the gridlock and hatefulness.

Monday, November 8, 2010

A Birthday Observance

This morning I'm remembering my dad, whose birthday is today. It's difficult to believe that Dad passed over 2 years ago in August 2008, because he's always still around in some way. Either through the letters I write to others (which he always did) books I read, Dunkin' coffee (he liked it black with sugar- yes, I remember) or many other things. So, today in honor of what would've been my dad's birthday I started reading a book by one of his favorite authors. I'm reading Vince Flynn's "Extreme Measures" (fiction) which is a thriller featuring Mitch Rapp, a character who works for the CIA. I think that as I read it (even through my thoughts) that dad can hear it, as if I'm reading it to him. Happy Birthday, Dad. You'll always be around. Love, Rob

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Perfect Fall Day / DVRs!

I've been lax at blogging, because I've (Rob) not been feeling well... but I'm back together, so here goes! 
DIVINE DVR - We recently got a DVR from our cable provider, and it's been nice to finally see programs that typically air too late for us, like The Mentalist, and Hawaii Five-O. Usually we try to find TV shows on off nights and Tom winds up watching HGTV while I read. Some of our other favorites include 1) The Amazing Race 2) The Big Bang Theory 3) NCIS 4) Glee (which is on the same time as NCIS, but NOW we can see 'em both!).

A PERFECT FALL DAY- We needed this day (Saturday). It's been a long week for both of us. We did grocery shopping at 6 am before everyone else, took the dogs for a short walk and a drive. Because it's mostly in the upper 40s here today, warm soup was perfect for lunch. We then put on sweatshirts and took the dogs for a long walk with hot tea and coffee in to-go cups, while we admired the beautiful fall colors. THIS is the type of day that we wait for all week. We hope yours is just as relaxing! 
A beautiful tree in our neighborhood!







Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Halloween Party at Work

Clark Kent (Rob) and Lois Lane (Lynn)
Here are some pictures from the Halloween party at Rob's office. Lynn organized the entire thing, and it was fun. Because Rob and Lynn call each other Clark  (Kent) and Lois (Lane) in the office,they dressed up that way for the party. Lynn made a Daily Planet Newspaper complete with Superman and Perry White photo (from work's Halloween party in 2006), and press badges!






































































Rob and Holly as Knave and Knight at their castle

All of the costumed people from the office.

Who I am

I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

A Classic Country Music Station to Enjoy