What Have You Done?

Update - 11/3/06 - For some reason if you are reading this in bloglines, the bolding isn't showing up. I have tried and tried and I am now giving up. So, if you read this in bloglines, no I haven't done all of these things, just some of them. Come to my blog and read it so you can see the bolding.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs (do cassette tapes count?)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Thank You for John Kerry

The video of his "joke". (Please come to the blog if you don't see the video)

A 2nd Blog

I have created a second blog that I will be maintaining, called Live to Shoot. As I mentioned in this post, I have applied to become a licensed firearm dealer and this new blog will support the development of this new small business I am trying to create.

I will continue to post on this blog regularly because I see the content of each blog being a little different. While they may share some content, Live To Shoot will be more focused on firearms, shooting, shooting sports and the development of the business while this blog will continue to be a collection of a variety of topics.

No TV

Yesterday Seth made some poor choices and this resulted in Shelley handing down the punishment of "No TV". When she emailed this to me my first thought was "Does that include me?" When I got home I half expected that she had capitulated and the TV would be on but to my chagrin it wasn't on and she was sticking to her guns. While I knew if I watched something, it would still serve the same purpose of "No TV" for Seth because he has no interest in The History Channel but I decided to be the adult and follow through with the punishment 100%.

Shelley went to get her hair done so it was just the three of us and I had the initial thought wondering what we would do without the diversion of the TV. But, if you ignore the 20 minute period where Seth peed in both bath tubs, Chase played in the toilet, Seth colored on the carpet and my head spun around 3 times, we had a great time.

I think we might institute a "No TV night" every week.

Texas Pursues Castle Doctrine Law

State Senator Jeff Wentworth will author a bill that will give potential crime victims more powers to protect themselves, their family and their property.

Essentially, the bill would legally establish the assumption that someone criminally entering a person's home, business or vehicle is there to cause death or great bodily harm and would allow potential victims to use any force – including deadly force – in retaliation.

The bill would also do away with the state's "duty to retreat" provision, which states that someone may not use deadly force if a reasonable person in the same situation would have retreated. And it would protect people from being sued by the criminals or relatives of criminals they injure or kill.

Read the story here.

Cowboys 35, Panthers 14

Just a few thoughts before I go to bed.

This this was a big win.

Romo looked good. He made plays and he only made 1 mistake.

The defense looked questionable in the first quarter but they really shut things down after that. I wish they had gotten more pressure on the quarterback though.

We have to do something about the penalties. If we hadn't had some key penalties this game may have even been more of a blowout.

The offensive line seemed to play better but it didn't seem like Carolina was blitzing much. I wonder why?

Washington is next...

Little Brother Helps Big Brother

Last night Seth wanted me to be a monster and put on my monster mask. I have an old rubber Halloween mask that in the past has really scared him. But, that was last year so I thought maybe he is a year older and things would be different so I went and put on the mask. Well, things weren't different and he freaked out.

Shelley and I tried to address his fears. We explained it was just a mask, asked him what he was afraid of, blah, blah, blah. Nothing worked... I even tried to give him the mask so he could hold it and see that it wasn't anything scary but he would have none of it. I then offered that he could take it and throw it away but again he didn't want anything to do with it. But, Chase then decided he would take control of the situation. He grabbed the masked, marched into the kitchen, opened the pantry, promptly threw the mask away and then shut the pantry door as if he was sealing it away .

I brought Seth into the kitchen to tell him what Chase had done and then Chase gave Seth a hug as if to tell him everything would be ok now.

Bledsoe Vs. Romo

There is a lot of controversy over the Cowboys switch to Tony Romo over Drew Bledsoe. Many feel that by switching the Cowboys are giving up on this season and beginning to build for the future. I disagree with that position because the fact is Drew Bledsoe isn't a very good quarterback. Is Romo better? I don't know. Is Romo the future quarterback for the Cowboys? I don't know. But, here are a few things I do know.

In the last 6 games of last season and the first 6 games this year the Cowboys are 5 - 7 with Bledsoe at quarterback. Also, during those games Bledsoe has completed only 54% of his passes and has thrown 18 interceptions to only 16 touchdowns. Also, over the last 4 years is quarterback ranking is 21st in 2003, 25th in 2004, 17th in 2005 and 28th in 2006.

We aren't going anywhere with Bledsoe so let's give someone else a try and Romo is all we have.

A Couple of Stories About the Boys

Story 1
Shelley is pretty low maintenance, generally preferring function over form. When Seth was born she realized carrying a purse and a diaper bag didn't make much sense so she found a child sized backpack that worked well as a diaper bag as well as a purse. Overtime I think she eventually gave away all of her purses. Well, last week she had to attend a funeral so I think she felt it would be more appropriate to carry a purse versus Chase's Texas Rangers backpack so she went out and bought a new purse.

This last weekend we went out to dinner and Chase has gotten to the point where we don't have to pack up the whole house just to check the mail so we didn't take his backpack and Shelley grabbed her new purse. When we got out of the car, Seth stopped in his tracks, stared at this strange object in his mother's hand and questioned, "Mommy, what is that?" In his long three and half years of life he had never seen his mother carry a purse.

Story 2
Last night was one of those nights that had Shelley and I questioning our decision to become parents. The boys were just a little rambunctious to say the least. One thing we have learned about Chase is that he is a very determined little boy who doesn't have any quit in him.

Well, last night he was sitting on the ottoman and somehow fell off and hit his head on the end table. After a few minutes of tears and Shelley rocking him, he got down and immediately headed back for the ottoman. Up he crawled and before we could do anything he fell off again, and again hit his head on the end table. Once again, several minutes of crying and rocking and down he got. He was not about to let this thing beat him so right back to the ottoman he headed and again off he went. This was the most violent fall because for some reason he actually chose to jump this time.

We were trying to prevent this but last night Shelley and I found ourselves overmatched by the three year old and the one year old.

This Would Be Awkward

Saw this here. We may have found our suspect. It made me giggle...

Jack Is Back

The trailer for Season 6 of 24 is now available. Click here to watch it.

Cowboys 22, Giants 36

I just have a few thoughts about this terrible loss.

First, we have found out what the Cowboys are and that is just an average team. They will be lucky to go 9-7 the way they are playing and I don't see them making the playoffs.

Second, I agree with Parcells decision to replace Bledsoe with Romo. I think he has been wanting to play Romo but didn't know how to go about replacing Bledsoe but frustration finally forced him to put Romo in. I just hope he stays with Romo because if they aren't going to win, I would rather see them lose with Romo instead of lose with Bledsoe.

Also, what happened to that great defense we are suppose to have? And, do we have the worst offensive line in the league?

BATFE

Last week I got a call from an investigator with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives saying he wanted to come by and inspect my residence. Now, this wasn't as shocking as one might think because I have applied for a Federal Firearms License (FFL). What is an FFL? An FFL is required for anyone who wants to engage in the business of manufacturing, importing, or dealing in firearms. I am wanting to be able to begin dealing in firearms so I decided to apply.

So, when the investigator called I was not surprised but I quickly got very nervous at the prospect of someone from the ATF coming to our house. I suddenly felt like the little dog chasing the car and suddenly actually catching it. "Now, what am I going to do?" I thought.

The good news is the inspection went well and I should have my FFL within 6 weeks.

Does this make me a bad dad?

Last night Shelley drove Thing 1 and Thing 2 to her mother's where they will stay for the next 3 days. As I stood in an empty house with the prospect of 3 days of quiet and not having to watch any Curious George episodes, I did a little happy dance around the house.

I will miss the little guys but I am looking forward to the next few days.

Date Night

Shelley and I have recommitted ourselves to having a date night. Tonight was our first one and you ask what we did. Well, the evening started with a wonderful dinner at the food court in the mall. Then we were off to shop for some clothes for Shelley to wear to a funeral tomorrow and we then wrapped it up at Target where we bought panty hose and dish washing detergent.

I'm sorry ladies but I'm taken. If you want a romantic evening like this you will have to talk to your own significant other.

One Man's Ingenuity

Have you ever wondered how they built Stonehenge without modern day machinery? I found this video on A Family Runs Through It. Watch and this guy will show you it might not have been as hard as you would think. I am amazed by this. (If you don't see the video, then come to my blog to view it)

Blogger Block

I've got blogger block. I am hoping that by just putting something down it will open the flood gates of creativity.

Dallas 34, Houston 6

Just a few thoughts on this weekend's Cowboy victory.

Any win is a good win but this was a game they were suppose to win. In fact, they didn't look very good in the first half and if Houston was any good they could have taken advantage of Dallas' sluggishness.

Also, I am hoping the two biggest free agent acquisitions and biggest distractions, T.O and Mike Vanderjagt, are about to settle in. T.O. caught 3 TD passes and Vanderjagt is now the only place kicker on the roster and his kickoffs have been acceptable. I did find it curious, though, that Bill went for it on 4th down during the 3rd quarter when it would have been about a 49 yard field. I wonder if Bill still doesn't have confidence in him.

Finally, it isn't often you can look at your punter as a weapon but Matt McBriar is a real weapon. He had 4 punts for an average of 56 yards with 2 inside the 20 and a long of 75 yards.

This week against the Giants will be a good test of their progress.

The Future's So Bright I have to Wear Shades

My work career has had a series of ups and downs. I have been involved in several mergers which have resulted in "down sizing", "right sizing", and the latest is called a "transformation". I wrote about one incident here.

The first experience I had was back in 1994 when I worked for a bank. Our bank was a small, texas based bank with 5 branches that had been struggling since the late 80's but a larger regional bank had decided to invest $40 million in capital to help us grow. This was exactly what we needed or at least we thought.

To kick this off a breakfast meeting was called and we were all asked to wear our sunglasses because "The future is so bright, we have to wear shades." We also got baseballs that had printed on them "It's a brand new game.". We all soon found out that it might be a brand new game but we weren't going to be on the team. As soon as the check was cashed, the "investment" became an "acquisition" and the layoff started. I have kept that baseball with me for the last 12 years as a reminder of how things can always change.

Well, now I am in the middle of what is being called the "IT Transformation Project" and there will be a lot of things changing which will include the elimination of my position. I will be writing more about this and my upcoming job search.

Darn that E. Coli

I saw this on Bag of Nothing and it made me giggle.