Starting to document a new hobby

Going to start documenting a new hobby that has got some of the kids interested as well. Biking and bicycles...

Didn't walk at the mall but we did go in and drop off Laura's diamond band at Zales for repair. It has a loose stone and needs to be sent in, should be back in a week. We went to Panera for lunch and had the pick two :) turned out Adam didn't work tonight so I met the crew at Tower for pizza night.
From WCK BB :)

Church with all four going this AM and then lunch at Wendy's. Next Caleb drove Anna and I to Sherwin Williams and then to Home Depot. We bought paint and rollers at HD and then went to Walmart for a few other items, Anna was looking for swim googles but we didn't find any there. Anna and I went to the Y in the afternoon, I worked out a bit and then went and swam with her. We stopped by Starbuck's to work on the second gift card, it was cold enough outside that we got coffee this time with lots of creamer. We came home and I opened my VDay present from Laura, it was some smell good stuff that she likes a lot. It is pretty good stuff --> now I have another oder to Me. Laura promised some cream horns to Logan so I dropped them off while on my way to Papa John's. We ate and then I painted some more, the Oscars were on so no Makeover TV. Laura went to bed early, still fighting a cold and I stayed up and read til about eleven.
From WCK BB :)

Laura & Anna had to be up early this AM to go to contest in Warsaw. I got up shortly after them and made some coffee and read for a little while. Next on my list was to get some painting done in Caleb's new room. I charged up my bluetooth headphones and found all the painting tools and painted me a green wall. I got the next wall ready and then waited for Anna to get home. Amy S called and needed me to pick up Anna at north campus so I ran out there and picked her up. We talked about her contest and she said she got a two instead of a one, we think she may have got ripped but it didn't seem to be too upseting. I dropped her off at home and then went to the Y for rball. The girls have youth choir today so Anna will wait for Laura to get back in town. We all gathered back at home and got ready for supper at Bowen's. Laura took the left over potato soup and some cream horns with us, not sure why we have to share the dessert. We had a good time eating and laughing real hard.
From WCK BB :)

Friday finally and stayed busy at work with Blackberry stuff. Got to walk with Laura today at lunch time and then grabbed a wrap at McD's. No kids at home when I got there after work. Anna at GMa's, Caleb with friends at QHS basketball and Keaton out with his buds. Laura made some potato soup from a recipe that she found in a mag in Peoria. Boy is that stuff REAL good, I had two bowls. I went and picked up Anna so she could eat at home. Laura has a touch of a cold and will plan to get to bed early tonight. She has to play for contest in Warsaw, IL tomorrow and Anna & her need to be on the road by 7am. Stayed up for a bit and read while waiting for the boys to check in. They are both staying at a friends house, hope they will be good :)
From WCK BB :)

Walked at the mall for lunch and even got some fresh baked cookies, Thank You Dear. Ate at Wendy's and went back to work. Supper at home after work and even more cookies :) Anna had piano and I read, wasn't sure I was going to get Anna out of the car because there was a raccoon in the yard. We did get it scared off and Anna ran to the front door. After piano we called Mackenzie to make sure she was home so we could drop off a gift and card, she made the dean's list and Laura put some chocolates together for her. Laura practiced at home with a few kids for contest and then we watched The Office. Kori called and talked to Laura for a bit and then I talked to her about the laptop issue.
From WCK BB :)

CPR training at work this afternoon so I will have to slip out and grab something to eat before going. Laura ate at Kelley's today with her M&D and I ran to the Shell station for some hot coffee and some crackers. I saw Steve Koetters there and talked to him for a bit before getting to class right on time. Caleb went to a JWCC basketball game with Cameran's instead of piano, he called Larry to let him know. Anna has PSR and Dede's are driving. Keaton was at home so Laura and I slipped out to take Logan his birthday present at JJ's since he is working. We got him a nice North Face jacket, and he really liked it. We ended up getting a couple of sandwiches and chips to go. Since Keaton was home we were able to leave the fireplace on so it was nice and warm in the big room. Kori called about her laptop and we talked a bit.
From WCK BB :)

Trip to Peoria today for a pacemaker check. We left before nine AM and stopped by Walmart to get HSM 3 and a couple other items, with gas being the last on the list before heading out. I think Anna watched the movie at least twice. We made it to Lincoln and found gas at $1.83 so we filled up and went to the restrooms before driving thru Wendy's for an early lunch. We stopped at another Walmart in E Peoria for some natural soap and then went to a Deal store and found some cheaters for me because my glasses weren't in the case, they were still in my car. We made it to the Dr. office in plenty of time. Anna had a good pacemaker check and we were able to visit some of our peeps. We went up to the fourth floor to see a family that Laura has been following for awhile on Caring Bridge, they live near Jen. Laura left a note and she did get a hug before we left. We saw a few more of our special people up there too. We drove back to Springfield and went to Olive Garden before heading to the mall. We wanted to look for North Face stuff in Dick's and maybe find a piece for Logan's birthday. We did get him a very nice jacket that we hope he will like. Anna and I saw Blake and Broady in Dick's as well and talked to them for a minute. They had eaten supper and were out killing time for the evening. They will be done with class on Friday and ready to start a new job I guess. We made it home about 8:30pm and had time to relax. From WCK BB :)

Busy Monday at work, it didn't help that I had to leave at 9:30 to go to the Doctor. Appointment went well and will change one med because of cost. The kids don't have school today and Caleb is watching Justin H for the day. We did lunch with Logan, Mack, Ad, Keat and Anna at Bitters Well, heard that they had some good food and prices. The burgers were good but they charge for every extra. Service slow and no heat in the building. Great company, always fun. I Love our kids... Adam's car won't start and he suspects a battery. He and Keaton went and bought one, installed it and the car still won't start. May be the starter?? Last indoor game at K&L so I will swing by after work to watch as much as possible. Supper at home so Caleb rode home with me. Watched TV and chilled the rest of the night.
From WCK BB :)

Church today, Keaton didn't make it up this AM. Ate at Wendy's and Laura had to leave early to get ready to work the concert at Jr High. It is the young artist concert and I am looking forward to hearing them play. I took Anna and Steph V with me, of course they went straight to the balcony. The young artist were both girls, one oboe and the other on the piano. They were both amazing, and did a wonderful job. I even got to see Laura on stage after half time. It was supper time when we got home and ate while watching Home Make Over, I don't think it was a new one.
From WCK BB :)

Happy Valentines Day !
I Love You Laura !!
From WCK BB :)

I have a fasting blood test scheduled for 8:30am. Showed up at SIU and was third in line and didn't take too long. I went by CoB to get my coffee on my way back to work. Planning to meet Laura at the mall but she had a meeting first so we went to JJ's for lunch. The boys had a soccer game at 5:30pm so I went straight to K&L after work to meet up with all the fans. We all went to Maya's after the game and ate together --> us, Bowens and Faler's. We got plenty of food to eat, actually I ate too much. Left Maya's and it was snowing. Found out that Keaton got the job at Casano's, good deal. He picks up his uniform next week and then could start by the end of the week or next. After eating Caleb and I went to Walmart to get Laura her VD book and the to Hy-Vee to get her and Anna some flowers. I will get a card tomorrow. Maid it back home to relax for the evening. Stayed up and waited for Keaton to get home.
From WCK BB :)

Walked at the mall during lunch today then ate at Wendy's. Busy at work today which kept things moving along. Checked to see if I could barrow Lawson's truck after work today but it was full of leaves, the dump closed early. He wasn't very happy about that. Turned out that Caleb and I used the Sonoma to pick up Honda. We had to take the cover off the back end before we could do that. Caleb crawled in and did all the wrench work and it went real easy. Laura took Anna to piano and then ran to the store. Caleb and I took off across town, got some gas and loaded up the bike and then tied it down real good. We used the wooden ramp that was there to load the bike, we didn't have to lift anything. On our way back we stopped and looked at cars on the Kia lot and R&R. I checked out the 2010 Soul and Caleb checked out the BMW's. We made it home, unloaded and put eveything back in place on the truck.
From WCK BB :)

Walked at the mall during lunch today. Laura had a Dr appointment at 2pm today so we went our seperate ways after walking. I went by Shell to get some crackers and G2 for my lunch and then went out to OP to hear the Honda bike run and visit with Steve, the mechanic who did the fine work. Alex T is flying to CO this evening to visit Kori, he will be there thru the weekend. Supper at home tonight and Laura drove to and from PSR and Caleb drove me to piano, I waited and read my book and then he drove me to JJ's to visit with Logan for a bit. We hung out for a bit and talked iPod Touch and laptops before wandering home.
From WCK BB :)

Took Caleb to school this AM because Keaton had a headache. Went and got gas across the river at BP and then stopped by CoB for a coffee refill. Laura went into work today because of a raffle coming up and we met at the mall to walk during lunch. Ate at McD's for a quick bite. Heard from Steve at Outdoor Power in the afternoon and he got the Honda engine broke lose already. Playing rball at the Y tonight at 6pm and Anna is planning to go with. Played Mark J and then worked out some while Anna was swimming. We went home for supper and had pot pie and PBJ's. I got Kori's laptop replacement ready and Caleb drove us to band practice at Vegas Music so we could drop off the laptop for Alex to deliver. We stuck around and listened to the boys practice one song several times. It was very cool to listen and see the commitment that Logan has to his music, that was the first time I had ever been to a practice. Very Cool...
From WCK BB :)

It is hard to belive that Logan 25 today. It is amazing thinking back at all the years and all the ages watching him grow up. Thank You lord for the opportunity and gift. Kori called me this AM to let me know that she had been to the ER to get 3 stitches. She cut herself with a knife while fixing her sack lunch before school. She was cutting an avacado and the knife went all the way thru and cut between her first and second fingers. I have Adam and Keaton lined up to take the Honda to Outdoor Power today. They will barrow GPa's truck to do this. It is a little rainy at the time they finally get loaded but they manage to get the bike tied down and delivered without any issues. We decided to do pizza tonight for supper and Caleb drove to an empty lot on Broadway and we switched drivers so he didn't have to mess with the Tower crowd. We followed T&K into the parking lot, they were eating inside. I drove back home and we ate and chilled the rest of the night.
From WCK BB :)

Sunday, and all four at home went to church. Got there and Carrie D asked us about two kids that didn't show up at home last night. Spent the whole mass praying and wondering where they could be and if they had been hurt. Kendall got a text at the end of church saying the parents had been contacted and the boys were alive. That was a big relief, now the parents get to deal with the why... We ate at Wendy's after church and Laura arrived late because of First Christians service time. Swung by Aldi's after lunch and Anna and I went to the Y for swim and Rball. After the Y Anna and I went to Starbucks and got a cold treat and then I dropped her off at Faler's. I went out to the garage since it was still nice out and put the muffler back on the Honda so it would be ready for Adam and Keaton to haul to Outdoor power so the guy there can take a look at it. The engine won't turn over and he will take a look at it and see if he can free it up. Anna called and went to Briana's to play and Laura made spaghetti for supper and we watched Home Makeover. I picked up Anna around 8:30pm, took out the trash and relaxed for the night.

Trip to Sam's in the AM to get paper and plastic for the surprise party tonight for Logan's 25th birthday. Mackenzie has been planning this for some time now and her & her Mom and Dad are putting it all together. Anna was with us for the errand run and we ate lunch at Applebees before going back home. The girls have kids choir today and I am playing rball with Pat at 3pm. We will plan to get to the surprise party tonight around 6pm. Laura went on a run after choir to get her workout in, I am so proud that she started her routine again. The party went real well and Logan was truly surprised. They had sandwiches, slaw, veggies, drinks and cake. --> Did I mention drinks?? They had way to much drink, that was the only down side to the fun. Laura got in some talk time with Logan, looked like they were having fun. We got to see Amber again, it has been a while, her son is 5 months old already. We had a good time and wandered home about 10:30pm.
From WCK BB :)

Friday and Anna has a CT-scan today because of some pains in her side that she has been having off and on. We decided to do this so we can make sure where all her parts are since we were told different things from the beginning. Laura will pick Anna up from Katie's and take her to the clinic. Anna has to drink some fluid for the contrast part of the scan and is not sure what to expect there. After the scan we met at Baldwin for a conference about Jr. High and then go right to music pre-contest down the hallway. Anna will play and then Laura will be accompanying twelve students. Keaton has a job interview at Casano's today and Caleb is skiing all day in Iowa and will return on Sat afternoon. I took Anna with me after pre-contest and we went to wash my car at the Shell station, we got a snack and waited in line, it is very nice out today and there are several people doing the same thing. I took Anna back to work with me for a bit while Laura stayed at Baldwin and completed her accompaniments. She called after she was done and came by work to get Anna. I came home after work, we ate supper and hung out for the night. Laura went to bed early, she was beat from running back and forth to all of her kids and her time slots. Don't know how she did it. From WCK BB :)

I took Anna to school this AM for early band, the line of cars is crazy at that time of the morning. I wonder if it is always like that or just on band day. Laura is going to STL with J&L today to meet with the surgeon that will put in the defibrillator. Jacklyn called Laura this AM for a ride to the dentist and then she called me. The time worked out fine for me to take her so I did that during my lunch. She needed to get to the old St. Mary's hospital building and then she would get a ride home or take the bus, she didn't know how long it would take. After dropping her off I met Keaton and Adam at JJ's for lunch. We ate and talked for a bit and had a nice visit. I gor home from work and it was pretty quiet. Anna is staying the night at Katie's for her birthday and Caleb will be going to Logan C's to stay before going skiing on Friday at Snowstar in Iowa, Keaton will be the only one home tonight. Laura and I dropped off some money to Caleb before going out to eat at TGIF, kind off late but not crowded. From WCK BB :)

Another cold day Wed, I think it is suposed to warm up Thurs afternoon. Laura worked today and will be off on Fri. We met at the mall at lunch to walk and then ate at Wendy's. Supper was pancakes and sausage, always good stuff. Adam came and ate as we were leaving for PSR, piano, trumpet and contest practice. I read while Caleb was at practice and then he drove us to TCBY and then home, he is doing A LOT better with driving since starting BTW at school. Just chilled the rest of the night.
From WCK BB :)

Buurr.... What the heck, 4 degrees. Anna has a fever and a headache so she went back to bed. Laura read where a couple of Keaton's friends were arrested over the weekend so I guess we will be quizing him about that. I stopped by the post office this AM to send Kori a package, she should get it in 2-3 days for $5, heck of a deal. Laura went to McD's drive thru for lunch so I went home to eat a wrap. I ordered Tower for supper and picked it up on the way home, that worked out pretty good. Keaton said he has an interview at Casano's on Friday, hopefully that will pan out. He has a couple of female friends that work there. Turned the fireplace on again and started a new book before watching home land security with Caleb and Anna. Laura had choir and practice with another junior performer tonight but made it home in time to watch The Office.
From WCK BB :)

Back to work and school today. Went by V&R this AM before work to drop off Kori's W2 forms so Sue can get Kori's return done soon. Haven't been very busy at work and not complaining. Cold today but the sun is shinning so that should make a difference. Talked to Mom&Dad just before lunch and Dad will have the oil removed from his eye on Thurs and hopefully all will be better soon. They are going to get some company next week, old friends from Dallas that they haven't seen forever. They are excited about that. No walk at lunch today just time for Panera with my best friend :) Homemade chicken noodle soup for supper with muffin bread, doesn't get any better than that. --> Thank you Honey!! Adam was doing laundry and ate before he left for his Pier Party. Keaton was at a movie and came home to eat after that, Caleb ate at Gabe's. Turned on the fireplace after we ate and Laura had to go practice with a trumpeter for competition, should be warmer by the time she returns. Laura got home and told me that Laurie D's Mom died this afternoon, she was older and has been struggling with some health issues for awhile. (Laurie works with Laura and have a good time together) We had some soup left over so Laura set some aside and made some more muffins and took them over to Laurie and Bill. Laura is not only a great wife and mother she is a GREAT friend to others as well. Read some and worked on a hard drive issue for Kori. Went to bed at 10ish so I could finish my book before going to sleep.

Church this AM, Anna and I took the car and Keaton and Caleb took the truck because they have a noon soccer game. The boys left church after communion and we went by Wendy's for a quick lunch before heading out to the game. Jan stayed home today because of an upset stomach and didn't want to take the energy to get going, she is saving it for Super Bowl parties later in the day I'm sure :) I took Thom with me to the indoor game and the girls went grocery shopping, Lawson will go to the game after finishing his lunch. Laura and Anna have kids choir today and need to bring a snack so they won't be going to the game. The boys played very good and each scored goals, lots of fun to watch especially with Uncle Thom cheering. They even won. The boys headed off to Taco Bell after the game for 43 cent tacos and I took Thom home and then went to the Y for rball with Pat H. I got there early and ended up getting to play some co-ed wall-e ball before starting racquetball, that was a good time. Didn't play great against Pat, gave too many shots away but will do better next tme. Talked to a couple of people that I haven't seen for awhile before locking my key in my locker and had to call Keaton to bring my extra one. At least they didn't have to cut the lock :) Showered there and swung by Harrison Hy-Vee to get a bottle of sweet white wine to take to Kendall just in case she doesn't want to watch the Super Bowl game. Adam and Keaton joined us at the Bowen's for some food and fun. Keaton was actually still full from the 30 tacos that he and Caleb bought. (they ate all but 6 of them and Adam helped eat a few more) Caleb went to Dede's to watch the game with Blake and Logan C. There was one Steeler fan at Bowen's so we tried to ignore him the best we could. Ate plenty had a good time and went home soon after the game so we could get Anna to bed at a reasonable time. Got to watch The Office after that so that was all good.

Saturday is fireplace burn in day. It needs to burn for at least 4 hours straght to burn off all the new-ness. I turned on the fireplace at 8:30am and ran it until 2:30pm. Laura went with Jane J to The Crossing for a women's day function so this worked out to be the perfect morning to fire it up, she didn't have to put up with the smell from the fireplace. I ran it with full fan for a while and then turned it back a little so the fan didn't seem too loud. I didn't think the smell was bad as long as the fan was moving air. It certainly warmed up that end of the house by mid day. I turned the thermostat back to 65 so the furnace wouldn't turn on. The temp in the hallway acutally went up 2-3 degrees while the fireplace was on. It was also a warmer day so it may not have been a true test. I will have to have Luara turn it on some time and see if it works OK now. I turned everything off and Anna and I went to the Y about 2:30pm. I played rball with three others and Anna swam and played in the gym. I had a real good time and a good workout too. After the Y Anna and I went to Starbucks to use our gift card. We got a couple of cold coffee drinks for the road. Good stuff but very cold, I always get a brain freeze when I drink those things. We hurried home so Laura could clean all the whip cream and carmel off the top of one of them. I showered at home and relaxed for a bit before thinking about supper. Anna went to Stephanie's for a bit and called just before 7pm so I could take her to GMa's to watch John and Kate + 8. We stayed there for an hour and then came home to eat. I talked to Caleb for a bit trying to help him and Gabe get their xbox live on line. Next Kori called with computer trouble of her own. Her's is in bad shape and won't even boot now. I will have to build and send her another hard drive. Dozed off on the couch a bit after Laura went to bed and then Caleb and I watched the Black Hawks play while waiting for Keaton to get home. It was a good game with Chicago winning.

Hot Dang it's Friday :) United Way and walking tacos at work today. (Wear your favorite team shirt too) I was asked to help with clean up so will go to the cafe at noon to give them a hand. Talked to Kori last night and transferred some grocery money over this morning. Adam went to Macomb last night with friends and will return today in time for work I'm sure. The taco lunch was kind of slow so I didn't have to work to hard. I was able to slip out after that and walk with Laura at the mall, that was a nice break. After work Laura had supper ready, sloppy joes, taters and beans, all kinds of food. Anna went to the QHS basketball game with Grandpa and we stayed at home for the evening, not a bad deal.
From WCK BB :)

Thursday and the Peter's guy showed up before Anna and I left for school. He is going to install the blower on our gas fireplace, we have had it several years and still haven't broke it in yet. I helped him identify the electric breaker before leaving for work and this made us a little late for early morning band. Plan to play rball with Mark J tonight at the Y, haven't been on the court with him yet. Anna has piano at 7pm so we are thinking she can go to the Y tomorrow while Laura and I exercise :) Rball went fine, Mark is an average player. I think I will plan to get me, Mark and Mike H together at QU for cut throat, Mark would be a good fit for Mike. Came home ate and had to try the fireplace and fan, good thing Laura baked something to off-set the firebox smell. Saturday will be the big burn in day.
From WCK BB :)

The red truck goes to Strothers this AM to get the thermostat replaced and the radiator flushed. This should bring it right up to ready and comfortable. Jim T met me there and gave me a ride to work, such a nice guy. Keaton called me after school and before my lunch to see if the truck was ready. It worked out that he came and got me and we picked it up, I got to pay though :) Went home for lunch, Laura played for a funeral and then ate at Kelly's so she brought me half a sandwich. I had an eye appointment at 5pm and all is good with just a slight change after a year. I will plan to do a change towards the end of the year with lens' and frames because of insurance. I got home after my appointment in time to grab my book and take Caleb to piano. I read while he was at lesson. Ate chili-chips-n-cheese for supper, always good stuff. Watched a bit of TV and Kori called before going to bed and reading a bit more. She has been busy with school saying this quarter is the hardest and has spent a lot of time studying. She is planning to dog sit for Koz again this weekend.

Mom called me while I was on my way to work this AM and talked all the way to the parking lot. She was on her way to Houston by her self for a check up with her cariologist. It was cold but clear weather and she was making good time. Work was steady in the AM and I had a hair cut scheduled for 1:15pm. Laura and I didn't meet for lunch because of that. I ended up swinging by Logan's place to pick up his W2 on my way back to work, we have a tax appointment tonight. I met Laura and the young ones at Tower for supper right after work. Laura left from there to choir, the boys went home first before Keaton had trumpet and I took Anna home before taxes at 7pm. We got ours, Logan's and Adam's taxes done and still waiting on a W2 from BWW for Kori. All get money back which is always fun...
From WCK BB :)

No walk at lunch today we went to Panera for eats. Very cold everywhere it seems and kept my coat on for awhile. Supper time was roast beef and mashed potatos. Adam joined us for a very fine meal, Thank You Honey for all your wonderful work. I slipped in some reading this evening and that was about it.
From WCK BB :)

Woke up to a couple of inches of snow this morning and pretty cold. Probably had a total of 3 inches after it was done. The boys had a 8am soccer game today, they lost by one. I guess Keaton had a two pointer that the ref didn't count so they could have tied. Anna and I went to church together and the boys stayed home, on their own for lunch. We did our usual Sunday meal and then went to an open house on the north end and another one near us. The one near us in Wildhorse is a guy at work that is transferring out of town. It is a very nice two story house but quite expensive. Laura and I made plans to feed everyone for supper at Faler's and then went grocery shopping, Sam's, WalMart and then Aldi's. Laura made two big dishes of lasagna with garlic bread and salad. We took ice cream for dessert with whip cream and nuts and several topping options. It was later than what we planned but OH my goodness well worth the wait. Thank You Honey for doing that, you are ssooooo wonderful. I Love You.
From WCK BB :)

Laura and Anna had kids choir this AM. I took my time getting going this morning. Caleb wanted to get his staples out today so he could play soccer tomorrow. I called Tim J to see if he was working and find out if it would take long to get the staples out. He had the day off but assured me that it wouldn't take long, just get there before they closed at 1pm. Caleb and I decided to take the truck and head in to the clinic, I needed to check the new red wheels out again. There was a line to get signed in but we didn't wait long before getting in to have the staples removed. Dr Arndt did the job and Caleb hardly flinched, what a great patient, Dr Arndt is a very good guy too. Laura laid down to read and rest, Anna went to Briana's to play for awhile and I went to the Y to play rball with Pat H. I got there a bit early to walk on the treadmill and warmup since I was late last time. I had a good time playing and did real well too. I enjoy playing against him, it is very different from the other guys and brings back some good memories. I plan to beat him as much as possible for all the times he beat on me... Laura and I went out to eat at the Tower with Pat and his wife after rball, we had a very nice time together and learned some things about Pat that I didn't know before. Got to see Mack there which is always good too. Spent the rest of the evening relaxing and trying to keep my eyes open after 9pm... From WCK BB :)

Today is the debut of the red truck to school. Keaton is supposed to get a parking spot assignment today too. He has all his paperwork and cash, I think Mr Mosley will escort him and make sure he gets one so he dosen't have to keep wrestling with Keaton trying to work the system. The boys got their midterms the other day and Caleb is doing so poorly that I shut off his cell phone and he will be spending some quality time at home until things change. I really don't like taking things away from the kids but some times you have to get their attention. Busy at work and short staffed but all good because it is Friday. Ate supper at home before going to Turner Hall for Fielder tonight, one of the few early shows that we feel we can attend. T&K met us there and we had the young kids too. Plenty loud music and they sounded good. They have some new stuff and it will be nice if they can get some recorded and on line. We went to Kelly's afterwards and had cheesecake while T&K ate supper. Very cold night with too much wind.

From WCK BB :)

Today is finally the truck trade day. Michael agreed to take delivery this evening and will drop off the money tomorrow after he goes to the bank. Met Laura around 1:30pm at the SoS to do all the license and registration stuff for the trucks. She wasn't feeling very good so we didn't do lunch together this day. I called the insurance people and made the change there so the red truck can be driven tonight. Keaton was in charge of cleaning the blue one out and when I got home I noticed that it was looking good, WELL as good as it can. Keaton cleaned the red truck out too and Adam was at the house cleaning up his ride, it had something to do with the 50 degree weather I'm sure. We figured out supper plans and Keaton and I delivered the truck to Hummel's. After that I ordered Papa John's cheese sticks, Keaton and I swung by and picked them up and then went home. Anna and I turned right around and went to piano with a small cheese stick box and a book to read while Anna practiced. Keaton and Adam took the red truck out for a test spin to make sure the license plates work :) and to pick up some food. We all got back at about the same time. Got to bed at decent time.

Laura is going to accompany J&L to Jan's Dr appointment in STL today. Jan is having a test done today that will make her heart beat faster so they can take some measurements via an echo. This will help determine if she will need any extra heart related device to stimulate functionality. The girls would just feel much better if there was one of them along for the ride. Busy night tonight with soccer, piano and trumpet. Probably try to eat after all that. Laura got home by 7pm and went with me to pick up Caleb and then Anna. Jan's test was a nuclear med test that wasn't quite as bad as they thought, better to be comfortable. We ate at JJ's and then Caleb and I went to Wal-Mart and he bought an iPod Touch with his PSP sale money, pretty cool.
From WCK BB :)

Kori turns 22 today and we have a new president. Laura said she emailed Kori 22 e-cards this AM so I decided she probably needs 22 text messages :) I will send mine throughout the day. Laura gets a hair cut today @ 1pm so I will do some banking before we try and meet for lunch. Adam joined Laura and I at Wendy's today and we had a nice visit. I plan to play rball after work probably at QU. I think Chloe may come over for a bit tonight while Jacklyn goes to a meeting with her Chis. I will give Michael a call about the truck too. Adam ate supper with us at home and then finished his laundry before leaving. Kori called me as I was leaving for QU and we talked for a bit. She was going to study and then out to eat with Koz and maybe some others. She called and talked to Anna and Caleb and then Laura talked to her after choir. Kori was having a good b-day with her new friends.
From WCK BB :)

A dusting of snow on the ground this AM. The kids don't have school today because of Martin Luther Day. I hope to hear from Michael H soon about buying the blue truck, Dave was going to check on the insurance. Peters Heating will stop by today to service the furnace. I went home for lunch and the boys and Gabe were watching a movie. Peters came and went this morning and said they cleaned some things and that should help. I expected Caleb's head to be giving him some pain but he said it wasn't really bothering him. Planning on Tower for supper right after work and some Bowen's will join us. I went out to Liberty tonight after supper to get Elmer's signature in the right spot on the red truck title, should be good to go now. Came home and watched a little TV and read in bed.
From WCK BB :)

Church this AM and the 3 youngest made it up and we got there in time. Did the Wendy's lunch and slipped by Big Lots for a heating pad and I got a couple of floor mats for the red truck. Started to relax and read when Caleb called to let me know that Blake C hit him with a rock while they were at the creek and he may need stitches. Tony brought Caleb home and we took a look to see what might need to be done. I called for Tim J but no one answered so we decided he should go to the ER. We saw Dr Arndt and he suggested a xray to make sure there is no head trauma since it was such a big rock. The cat scan came back fine and the Dr proceeded with numbing the area and putting five staples in. Caleb opted for this since it would be the easiest and quickest. We were only there for about an hour and Caleb was VERY brave. Laura washed Caleb's hair when we got home and he took some ibprophen as needed. He was feeling good enough to have a female friend over for awhile so I guess he will survive. Was able to spend some of the evening reading again.

From WCK BB :)

Played rball this AM with Pat Humphry, haven't done that in all of 25 years. Had a good time and visited some too. Keaton helped me take down the Christmas tree today and Caleb helped me get it downstairs. Michael H came by to test drive the truck and is interested. Got some reading time in this afternoon, Laura had a sore neck and a headache so she was trying to shake that with some medicine and rest. Went to Sam's and WalMart and then ate at Kelly's. Caleb and Anna went to Bowen's to watch Briana while Kendall went out. It is 1am and the kids still aren't home. The furnace here at home is not working so could be a little chilly by morning.
From WCK BB :)

I played rball for the first time since new years day, and baby'd my foot some. I was surprised that it didn't hurt after that. The boys won their soccer game. Keaton scored low in the corner and Caleb had a fancy goal, juggle up over the goalie and headed in. SWEET!! Laura had supper ready after the game and she invited Adam to join us. Adam came over to work on his car too, he bought some used fuel injectors with fuel rail on ebay from I guy in Hawaii and planned to install them tonight. He was doing real good until he got some gas in his eye and had to take a break for minor medical attention. We all ate supper to a gasoline fragrance this evening but the company was wonderful. Adam went back to his car after we ate and I went out to see what I could do to help. He was just about done when I got there and after connecting the battery he fired it up for a test start and drive. He said it is doing much better and will plan to return GPa's truck tomorrow if it stays running. I parked all the cars back where they belonged for the night and relaxed in the warmth of the house. Thank You honey for another fine meal.
From WCK BB :)

Colder than cold this AM -9, SOooo cold that the public schools don't have school today. I guess the kids can go outside and do some chores or just play in the yard :) Thank goodness for heat, my car was slugish at lunch time after setting out all morning. Took a late'r lunch today, got caught on the phone. Had some soup and saved some room for angel food cake on behalf of Larry W's retirement, 41 years of service. (Very good guy) Planning to play rball at 5pm for the second time this year, hope my foot holds up. Boys have a soccer game at 6:30 that I will be going to and then home for supper.
From WCK BB :)

Had three people interested in the blue truck yesterday down to two today and now I can't get them to return my call. Also found out that Elmer signed his name in the wrong spot on the red truck title so I will have to make another trip to Liberty. Laura had a busy morning and we met at Wendy's for lunch. Anna PSR, Caleb piano and yes Keaton trumpet tonight. I took Caleb and read my book while waiting in the truck, very cold but I have to get it done tonight. Came home and did finish it and had some hot chocolate and watched some hockey with Caleb. Keaton got home late and said he enjoyed trumpet but forgot to pay.
From WCK BB :)

I am showing the truck at 10am, 1pm and 5pm today, got some good bites. Dropped off SSB paperwork for the refi that we are going to do. In to work a bit late today and will get caught up hopefully. Laura called for Char today and ended up sending her an email. Laura is such a great person and does such a good job at that, what a gift she is!! She picked me up for lunch and we went to Panera's, it was definitely a soup day. The 5pm truck show was another offer, I will make a callback later to strike a deal. Laura made supper and had choir, I picked up Caleb and hung out at home for the evening, way too cold to get out. Rick doesn't want the truck after all so I will call the next in line and see what I get. Pretty crazy...
From WCK BB :)

Monday was travel day back home, ready for that :) I was able to leave about 1pm, weather is fine just some wind but sunny and 40'ish. While driving home I returned a phone call about the blue truck we have for sale, I parked it by Ellington while I was gone. Ended up driving straight thru and got home about 5:15pm. Anna and Laura were the only ones home at that point so got my hugs and unpacked before supper. We decided to go out for supper so we bundled up and swung by work and then headed to Applebee's. Keaton met us there and Caleb ate with Logan C. Chilled the rest of the night.
From WCK BB :)

Sunday in Springfield, Mo. I slept til about 8am and read a bit before showering. I went down to breakfast around 9am and had biscuits-gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, orange juice and coffee. I took some peach yogurt and granola back to the room for lunch. I wandered outside about noon and went to Wal Mart and got an arch band for my foot to see if that will help when I exercise and play rball. I found a gas station after that and will wander more from there. About 2pm sunny and 45 degrees. Stepped into a music store to look at electric drum sets and learned of Ion drums that will interface with xBox and also stand alone. I sent a message to Caleb for more research. I went in Best Buy next and then to Barnes and Noble. That may have been the first time I walked into their store with the intent of buying a book for myself to read. I found one, bought it and then had to get a cup of coffee for the way back to the hotel. Barb and I hit snack time at the motel and then went to Lamberts Cafe (throwed rolls) for supper. Not bad, plenty of food, would be more fun with a bigger group, BTW they don't take credit cards.
From WCK BB :)

Slept OK last night for a motel room. Showered and read a chapter before breakfast. They have a good hot selection here at the Drury. Barb and I ate and then wandered over to the ADM office for the morning. The temp yesterday was about 65 and this morning it is 25 and windy, not very pleasant at all. Things went well during the morning and we had lunch brought in so we hung out at the office until about 3:30pm. Came back to the motel and read a bit and then went downstairs and worked out for about half an hour. Went to happy hour and had a few snacks before we went to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings. Gauldin's are big Arizona Cardinal fans so we ate and watched the first half of the football game. They played well and were several good plays. That was the first time I actually watched sports at a sports bar. Wondered back to the motel and watched the rest of the game and phoned home to talk to Laura. She had a good day with the kids and took them to a movie. She also did way too much work around the house again. Thank you Dear for all the things you do, I Love You.
From WCK BB :)

Got on the road about 7am and headed south. The sunrise was pretty cool this morning and I tried to take some pictures while moving in the van. I made it to Lebanon, Mo. before stopping for a break. I found a McD's with a potty, cookies and more coffee, can't beat that. It was getting so warm in the van that I turned the air on low. I got to Springfield, Mo. at about 11:30am and the motel I am at is the same exit we have taken twice before to eat at Cracker Barrel when traveling to Texas, huummm. Checked in and was able to read a chapter before meeting Barb at the office. Spent the rest of the afternoon learning the new office and working. I got my 12 hour day in and Barb and I went back to the motel to freshen up before heading to Red Lobster for supper, always need to eat good on the company :) Made it back to the room and watched some TV and read some more.
From WCK BB :)

Finally got a text back from Logan today and he felt OK enough to work last night but he said he is not quite back to normal. I actually talked to him as well and he sounded good too. He is eating bananas and drinking orange juice.

Jan has an appointment with her cardiologist today in STL. She will have an echo and visit with the Dr right away. Hopefully all is good and she can start training soon :)

Downloaded a new free checkbook register program to my BB (very cool) so I can get rid of the Palm Pilot device finally.

I picked up the ADM fleet van that I will be taking to Springfield, Mo. Friday morning and drove it home for lunch. It is brand new with only 1500 miles on it. I am anxious to see how it does on the road. Took Anna to piano in it tonight and need to go to Staples and mail a package and get a marker for the old truck so I can write for sale on the window and park it near Ellington for the weekend. Hopefully we will get some interest so we can sell it soon.From WCK BB :)

Stayed pretty busy at work today and didn't get to leave for lunch. I did slip out to the bank to deposit and get a money order for Keaton's cap and gown order. Laura took Anna to the Dr today to make sure that her petechiae (red spots) on her arm wasn't anything more. She was running a slight temp and the cardiologist told Luara to keep a close eye on things. Anna stayed home from school to get some rest. The spots seem to be going away some now. Started snowing before I left work and I stopped by Aldi before heading home. Seems real cold and some wind, not sure if we are supposed to get any accumilation. Walked in the back door at home to the smell of chocolate chip cookies, what a wonderful Laura. Piano night for Caleb and chill for the rest of the evening.
From WCK BB :)

Boxed up some items for Kori last night and will plan to ship via UPS today so she can have what she needs for the weekend. Took the box to Staples during lunch and it should arrive at Kori's school on Friday. I met Laura at Wendy's to eat. Laura has choir tonight, not ready to go back. I tried to help Anna with some science homework but didn't have much luck. She will ask her teacher for help filling in the chart. Watched some TV and wondered to bed about ten.
From WCK BB :)

The first Monday of the New Year (2009) and the kids start back to school. Wasn't too bad getting them up and going, I think everyone made it on time. I had two 4 day weekends in a row, very nice. It didn't take too long to get back into the swing of things at work. Laura and I met for lunch today and then we met at Tower after 5 to eat pizza there with the three youngest. Logan is sick with the flu and Adam may swing by tonight for laundry and left overs. Laura and Anna went to the store for Sprite and crackers and will drop them off to Logan. Caleb and I made a Wal-Mart run after dinner to get a memory card for Kori's picture frame and then made our way home...
From WCK BB :)

Kori called to let me know that she will be needing her bolster by the weekend for clinic. I knew there was something she would forget but didn't know what it would be. I think I have everything laid out that needs to go in the big box, she added a couple other items.
From WCK BB :)

Saturday and Kori is flying back to Colorado this evening. We didn't have anything to do in the morning so it was nice to not have an alarm set. Laura made pancakes and we had a nice leisurely morning.

Lunch plans were at The Pier with J&L, Alex and everyone else except Logan, he had to work. We had a very nice lunch and get half price meals when we have Adam with us. I like taking the kids there and being able hangout, eat good food and overlook the river, bridges and eagles this time of the year. We shared desserts and I think everyone got plenty of food.

We came home after that and told Kori goodbye and saw her and Alex off. It started to get foggy so I prayed they would have safe travel. I sent her a message later in the evening and she had arrived just fine with a sprinkle of snow coming down.
From WCK BB :)

My foot is still sore and walking is slow. I setup to work from home and did in the AM. I sent my boss an email and it didn't seem like much was going on for the day, I think there are still a lot of people on vacation. Laura had to play for Greg M's funeral and I went to STL to pick up Logan from the airport. I got to the airport just after noon and Logan was waiting inside. I parked and got his attention quickly so I didn't even have to pay. We stopped for $1.32 gas at Cave Springs and grabbed a McWrap and coffee before getting back on the road. We had a very nice visit on the way back and talked about several different subjects. Dropped Logan off at his house and Adam and Zach L were dog and house sitting, and maybe playing Wii.

I got home and Kori was giving Laura a message in the piano room, she said Kori was doing a wonderful job. After they were done Laura and I had an appointment in Liberty at the bank and then to purchase a truck from Ray and Elmer. Elmer is 88 and failed the vision part of his driving exam. It was very sad as they watched me drive away in the 1995 GMC Sonoma pickup. We got home with the truck and Keaton and Caleb were ready to go for a spin around the block.

Had a pretty good time last night even though we were treated as outsiders, sat on the band side to eat, bad service, Laura got free dinner, expensive food, no heat, Laura had to eat while we watched, interesting glitter balls, terrible champagne, good music and fun band. I actually danced (or what ever you call it that I do) the whole night knowing that Laura would appreciate that :) I tried to get her over heated with her cuddle duds on so she could get a good workout. There were lots of interesting little Club parties around the dance floor to keep us entertained, we could always use more so we can joke about something. All in all we decided that it would be nice to have a place to go where there was even more people for minimal dollars, not sure what next year will bring.

I made plans to play racquetball at noon with several guys and ended up taking Anna with me, she finally found her swim suite. I played several games and ended up hurting my foot to finish the day. Limping around quite a bit and very sore.

Anna and I were late getting to the b-day party at 2 but Adam didn't get the message and Kori was feeling rough from the night before. We got a very late start and Mom was not a happy camper, we were invited to the Jacobs for supper and missed that but Laura and I were able to go over in the evening and spend some time with big people and good friends. We had fun and enjoyed great conversation.

Happy New Year to all and especially to my Wife, I Love You...