VOTE ROMNEY!!!

I'M GOING TO HUME LAKE FOR A FEW DAYS. SEE YA NEXT WEEK.

MORE SHADOWY BOBCAT IMAGES

I was in the Mt San Jacinto Chapel getting a projector when I glanced up and saw the Bobcat come around the side of the Tabernacle and take shelter under the Ping Pong Table. If you zoom in you can see the dark outline of the bobcat hanging out under there.



Then it came out from under there, stretched, and walked over towards the gully. If you look closely you can see the bobcat coming out from behnd the tree in the foreground (to the right of the tree).



This one is really hard to make out. It hung out for a moment at the base of the tree right smack-dab in the middle of the frame watching some birds before it disappeared. I tried following it, but it was gone.

JOURNAL 1/28/2008

Worked from 8:00 until 4:30 pm. Came home a half hour early because Sarah called to say that Jack was throwing up. We're concerned that this may be the beginning of his bout with Chicken Pox. He was very needy and clingy all day. I kept telling him that it wasn't cool, but he didn't seem to care. Snowed off and on all day- heavy at times. It was a very slushy, wet heavy snow. The snow plow blocked a drainage pipe above the Cunningham's house so all the water flowed down into their garage. Keith and I went over and helped Bill Sanborn get the water redirected. Sarah made ham for dinner, which is one of my favorites. Read "The Week" before bed. Rosie and Justin got me a subscription to The Week for Christmas, and I think I will enjoy it a lot.

JOURNAL 1/27/2008

It rained hard all night long. I woke up several times to the sound of it on my roof. As a result of the rain all of the snow was gone. It rained off and on all day long, turning to snow in the late afternoon. Nanny tried to drive home, but the roads were a mess so she turned around and stayed another night. I worked from 8:00 until 10:30am and then again from 1:00 until 5:00 pm. Our men's group left after breakfast. Began a series on the book of Daniel in church today. Lucy has Chicken Pox and it looks like Bowden does too. It hasn't affected their disposition though, which is good. When I went to bed at 9:00 the ground was covered with snow again.

Seems it never rains in southern California
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before
It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya?
It pours, man, it pours!

JOURNAL 1/26/2008

Worked from 7:45 until 4:30. Nanny came up to help Sarah with the kids. Sarah is still getting her energy back from the perfect storm of illnesses that struck our home and the sleepless nights that accompanied it. nanny is much appreciated. Sarah worked dinner down at the dfining hall. I was sad to learn today that the Redskins released Gregg Williams and Al Saunders- two of the greatest minds in football. Truly tragic in my estimation. Spoke with Umpa briefly in the evening. It began to rain as i was putting the kids to bed and rain hard all night long.

JOURNAL 2/25/2008

A little warmer today. The threat of snow overnight didn't materialize. Worked from 8:30 until 5:30 pm. A men's group of about 40 arrived in the late afternoon. Kind of an uneventful day.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THE NEWS TODAY. I CAN'T CLOSE MY EYES AND MAKE IT GO AWAY.

The Redskins released Gregg Williams and Al Saunders. This just doesn't make any sense to me. They are two of the best in the business. I will say it plainly- Williams should be the next coach of the Washington Redskins. This strikes me as a huge mistake.

JOURNAL 1/24/2008

A cold and snowy day. Out the door for work at 8:30 and came home around 5:00 pm. In light of the weather and our recent/ongoing illnesses we thought it prudent to cancel our Thursday night small group. Ordered Chinese for dinner (see pictures below). Sarah and I hung out with Lisa until around ten or so and then went to bed.

WITH EVERYONE IN MY HOUSE ON THE MEND FROM ONE ILLNESS OR ANOTHER I SUGGESTED WE ORDER SOME CHINESE, SARAH AGREED.

IT'S A COLD SNOWY DAY HERE IN IDYLLWILD

...and it is way too cold in this office.

JOURNAL 1/23/2008

Sarah felt better as the day went on. Jack showed little improvement. I took the day off to help Sarah out as she is tired and still not 100%. In the afternoon I took Bowden along to a Doctor appointment in Palm Springs to have a look at my mystery rash. he determined that it Shingles. I was surpirsed because I have always thought of Shingles as an older person's disease. I guess I am a fluke. The Doctor expressed concern that our kids might get chicken pox as a result of being exposed to Shingles. Ah well, let the good times roll! That's what I always say. This is turning into the perfect storm of maladies afflicting our home. Raise the black flag of pestilence.

JOURNAL 1/22/2008

Carolyn's birthday. I still have a rash, which is bothering me. Worked from 8:00 until 5:00 pm with an hour lunch. Sarah arrived home in the late afternoon, and was complaining of nausea. Shortly thereafter Jack and Sarah both began throwing up. They had a rough night. Someday our house will be healthy again.

JOURNAL 1/21/2008

Didn't sleep well last night. Woke up feeling better, but not great. Painful rash on the back of my neck seems to be spreading. Put away laundry and did the dishes. Puttered around the house cleaning a little, but didn't do much else with my day. Snowed off and on.

JOURNAL 1/20/2008

Worked from 8:00 am until 9:30 am. Went to church. Had a meeting for small group leaders at 3:00. Began feeling poorly so I excused myself from working dinner as my stomoach was feeling slightly nauseous. I had trouble falling asleep.

HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!

With Fred Thompson's unfortunate withdrawal yesterday my endorsement, coveted by all who aspire to the oval office, is once again up for grabs. The Ron Paul camp, desperate for new momentum, was the first to contact me after the news that Thompson would no longer be in the running, but Ron Paul's slavish adherence to libertarian principles coupled with a truly disastrous foreign policy disqualified him from any serious consideration.

I throw my enthusiastic support behind fellow New Englander, Mitt Romney.

I am once again a Romney Man!

Little Jack you're not feeling all that good,
And your tummy isn't feeling like it should,
I wish I could bring a smile to your face,
Even if it meant taking your place.

During an image search for Rutland, Vermont I came across the following image and its accompanying story. Stories like this make my heart ache. It is so spritiually dark there. How can it be that the spiritual vacuum that is Vermont is not sucking in more salt and light?

Put me in coach. I'm ready to play.

Pardon the expletives. The storyteller's words- not mine.



"This friday i was sitting on a park bench in the middle of downtown Rutland Vermont, waiting for Trin to pick me up after work for our drive down to Massachusetts.

i was sitting there, staring at the large clock across the street and listening to "The Charm of the Highway Strip".

a muscular young man in a backturned red cap and black tanktop stepped in front of me.

"you work for the railroad?" he was smirking, pupils dilated.

i shook my head 'no', assuming he was referring to my hat.

he snickered, "because i need to buy some train tickets .. "

an awkward silence.

"are you a priest?"

another no. my black suit and white collar, i guessed.

"do you want to be? because we can go down to the river and baptize you."

i shot him a disturbed glare to match his smirk, wordlessly asking something along the lines of 'are you really this bored'?

turning to walk away, he started yelling "i don't believe in GOD! fuck god! HAhaHA!"

i put my earphones back in as he scampered off, drowning out his nattering.

a moment later i heard the scattering sound of a rock skipping off the concrete in front of me.

"FAGGOT!"

i pulled out the earphones and stared over at him.

"FAG!"

another rock, this one flying past my back and hitting the park's flag pole to a loud, ironic, reverberating "gong". the american flag slumped, windless.

'this is too fucking much', i thought to myself.

i continued to look over at him incredulously. he missed with three or four more stones, then retreated over to his little brother and two cigarette smoking girls about his age.

he made one last, loud turn, arms raised "You want my number, fag!?" and laughed.

he travelled with his friends toward the nearby parking lot, then backtracked to the park and started kicking up more rocks from underneath the trees.

at this point i began to question whether or not i should leave. it was clear he couldn't throw, was probably intoxicated and was unlikely to hit me from his chosen distance. the hell if i was going to give him the satisfaction of scaring me off without hitting me first.

so i stayed.

he crept closer, missing with another four rocks through the trees and then scampered off to the parking lot yelling "Go back to New Jersey, You Faggot!"

So, Rutland Vermont .. you of the conspicuously progressive Op Ed on states' rights and gay marriage i'd read earlier in the day .. perhaps you could deal with the "Act of Disrespect" happening in the middle of your town square, onlookers either staring dumbly or going about their business while chumps yell "FAGGOT" at the top of their lungs for every passerby to hear.

.. because i'm frankly disgusted that something so juvenile and bigoted could happen in the middle of your downtown, and to the collective shrug of so many onlookers."

CAPTAIN'S LOG STAR DATE 1/19/2008

Worked from 7:30 until 6:30 with an additional half hour from 10:00-10:30 pm. Sarah left for the beach today and took all three kids with her. We had three groups in at the camp today for a total of between 150-200 campers. Keith was gone at a commission meeting in Fallbrook so I was lucky that no hairy maintenance issues arose. They kept me busy though, which I like. I find myself almost always enjoying a busy day more than a lazy one. It feels good. I had trouble going to sleep. I always seem to have trouble sleeping when Sarah and the kids are away.

JOURNAL 1/18/2008

Everybody was feeling better today. Worked from 9:00 until 6:00 pm. We had another bobcat sighting today, but no new pictures. We had Lisa over for dinner. Sarah and I played the Catan card game before bed.

JOURNAL 1/17/2008

Bowden woke up in the night feeling nauseous. Threw Up once after midnight and fell asleep on the floor next to our bed on a makeshift bed Sarah had improvised for him. Amazingly he slept the rest of the night and woke up feeling much better. Out the door at 5:30 for my Thursday morning men's bible study. Returned home at 7:30. Our hopes that the illness from the previous night would not spread were dashed as Lucy began complaining about stomach problems and then proceeded to throw up for the rest of the day. My little goose was so pathetic looking. I hate feeling that helpless. Sarah was left exhausted by the day's end. I felt awful for her. We raised the black flag of pestilence over our home and moved our Thursday night junior-high small group to the A-frame. I finally crooned Bowden and Lucy to sleep around 8:30 and then we had about an hour without the kids before I turned in myself. Amazingly Sarah stayed up for a while cleaning and enjoying time without kids. I think sarah is just amazing sometimes- it's like she has a bigger engine than mine. Thus concluded our marathon Thursday.

THAT'S RIGHT!

Last summer I posted THE TOP THREE COMEDIANS OF ALL TIME.



For my birthday Lisa Richard got me a book written by Bob Newhart about his life and career (I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!). I was reading it recently, and the following passage caught my eye:

"That was the first inkling I had that maybe I could make it as a comedic storyteller.
But it wasn’t all positive reinforcement. Early in my career, I saw Jonathan Winters perform in a comedy club in Chicago. He was hilarious. Each joke was funnier than the one before it. I was totally discouraged. I thought to myself, why bother? There’s no way you can be as funny as Jonathan Winters.
I gathered my wits and decided that being No. 2 wouldn’t be so bad.
The greatest comedian I’ve ever seen is Jack Benny."

How about that?!?! THE TOP THREE COMEDIANS OF ALL TIME!!!

JOURNAL 1/16/2008

Worked from 8:30 until 4:30 pm. Saw a bobcat as i was walking home from the office. Sarah went to Hemet for groceries and such. Lisa went with her. Bible study at night. Watched TV before bed.

BOBCAT SIGHTING

I saw a bobcat yesterday. If the existence of bobcats was in doubt I suspect that these grainy images would not settle the debate (I commiserate with all of you cryptozoologists and bigfoot enthusiasts). It was not as afraid of me as it should have been. It just sort of hung out under that pile of logs staring wide-eyed at me for five minutes or so before disappearing into the woods behind the A-Frame.

JOURNAL 1/15/2008

Worked from 8:30 until 4:30. Got a birthday package in the mail from my folks. Spoke with Mom and dad in the afternoon. The Whites came over for dinner. I have been feeling crummy, but I think I turned a corner today and am getting better now.

DESERT MAGIC- FROM PINES TO PALMS

BEST WIFE EVER

JOURNAL 1/14/2008

Day off. Went to the desert, and spent the whole day down there. The weather was beautiful down there- 73 degrees and sunny. I bought myself a new Bible with a gift card my Mother-In-Law had given me for my birthday. It was nice to get off the hill for a while.

JOURNAL 1/13/2008

Went to church in the morning. Went for a bike ride in the afternoon. Lisa had us over to her place for dinner.

JOURNAL 1/12/2008

I enjoyed my first full day as a thirty year old. Worked from 8 until 4:30 pm. Watched football in the afternoon. Hung out with the crew in the afternoon before falling asleep.

CENTURION

Using some money I received from my birthday, I took my ten-speed into the local bike shop to have some work done on it. The gears weren't shifting, the rear tire rubbed every so often, and it just needed a few other things like air in the tires and oil on the chain. So for ten dollars the Centurion is back in tip-top shape, and I plan on bicycling my way back into tip-top shape myself. I used to be a very avid runner, but I am prone to shin splints, and running would require a costly investment in a new pair of good running shoes. Bicycling strikes me as more fun. We'll see if my resolve is equal to my ambition. C'mon centurion... lets make it happen.

JOURNAL 1/11/2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Received many calls from well wishers throughout the day. Worked from 8:00 until around 12:00. I only worked a half day in honor of my birthday. Sarah arrived back home from the valley shortly after lunch, and brought birthday greetings from my Mother-In-Law as well as from Umpa and Grandma Fusano. I got a letter in the mail from my Dad, which I read before going over to Gary's Deli for lunch. I got some much needed clothes as well as a big stack of Bible commentaries for my birthday. Exciting stuff! My Mother-In-Law also gave me a gift certificate to a Christian store to get myself a new Bible. I lost my Bible this past summer when I accidentally left it on top of my van after church. It was a very thoughtful gift. In the evening Lisa watched the kids, while Sarah and I went out for dinner at Cafe Aroma. What a great birthday!!!

JOURNAL 1/10/2008

Worked from 9:00 until 6:30 pm. Sarah left for the valley to see Rosie, Justin and Selah before they fly back east tomorrow. Over the lunch break I took my bicycle in for some work at Bud Hunt's bicycle repair shop. I hope to bicycle my way back into shape in 2008. Met Dave and Lillian Lay who were in California for a math conference in San Diego. It was nice to meet old friends of my parents, and hear news about my old friend, and their nephew, Tim Lay. Cancelled my junior High Small group due to the fact that Sarah was away and I'm feeling a little ill. Went for a walk through town before bed. Had trouble sleeping which I attribute to a lack of Sarah and kids. I just doesn't seem right going to sleep in an empty house any more.

VOTE THOMPSON!!!

Huckabee is no conservative!

SOME ST ALBANS PICTURES