Brecken's Birthday Weekend.

Brecken turned one last Friday. We had a little party at the lake house for him. A few relatives, and some grilled pork loin, and cappuccinos. It was super fun to host the party.

I remember when Maxim was turning one, my job was to get the garage in Sioux Falls sheet rocked so we could have the party outside...I finished it 1 day before the party. I also built him a big toy box made out of hockey sticks.

So I wanted to do something special for Brecken as well for his number 1, something I built. So I finished the plumbing in the kitchen :20 seconds before the first guests arrived for the party. I stood up from the cabinet turned on the water, Steph welcomed Jim and Patty. I said, "Welcome to our home we have running water in the kitchen, and now I'm going to take a shower." Steph was happy. So was my mom...she was so happy that she and Patty did the first round of dishes in the sink. (I haven't hooked up the dishwasher yet...that will happen this week.)

I still felt the need to build/create something with my hands for Brecken's 1st birthday, so on Sunday, we drove to Mitchell, and bought a swing set...I think that is Saturday's project. It is actually a pretty good present for both of the boys.

Maxim also got fishing stuff...some lures and bobbers...Grandpa Roger already got him a graphite pole...I guess that's pretty cool to have at this age.

I don't know much about fishing, so when I got to Cabela's I asked this fishing department dude what I needed to catch fish, he started throwing lingo at me, and I was like...timeout...I don't know anything about fishing, so he got us some stuff, and then the best thing he did, was give me a couple of little handout guides on how to tie lures on to the line...Steph and I just knot them on, but there is a special way to tie them, and now I know how.

He asked where we would be fishing, and we explained that we live on Lake Byron, etc...and he said, "but you don't fish?". Yeah, we get that a lot.

Sunday night around 10:30 p.m. Maxim comes out of his bedroom...I told him to go back to bed, but just then Kent Hrbek's Outdoors TV show comes on. Maxim says, "I want to watch the fishing channel with you, dad."

How do you turn that down? For the record I hate most fishing shows...some redneck in a boat and his shaky Uncle Willy running the camera, The Outdoor Channel is full of programs like this.

Kent Hrbek's Outdoors on the other hand is a good program, it's not always about fishing, Hrby has a great personality, and is such a larger than life figure anyway...I love how every time he ties a lure on, they get a close up of his World Series ring.

So we are watching Hrbek fish with some MLPS guru of fishing, the Grizz or something like that, and Maxim says, "Dad, when you get home from work, we'll go to the backyard and go fishing right?"

I couldn't help but smile...and we were going to, but it was way to windy last night...I even bought my license! First fishing license I've bought since I was in Alaska.

Crazy...My 4 year old has me excited to sit on our dock, and let life pass by one cast at a time...

Before & After

It might be a little early for "Before & After" pictures, but I couldn't resist.


This picture is from one of our visit to the house prior to purchasing.

This is from the same time...this is the whole kitchen back then.

This is the construction process...that's Roger in the picture.

This is the finished...well, almost finished project.

Brecken's 1st birthday party is tonight in the kitchen, and the rest of the house.

Let the parties begin!

Almost

This was Steph last night!

I'm pretty sure she was excited. We cleaned the basement, another 10 or so boxes of stuff was unpacked, and we rolled up the temporary carpet in the sitting area so the guys could lay the carpet this morning, which Steph says looks awesome.

We are waiting on the plumber, who was supposed to be there yesterday, still isn't there today???

As you can see in the picture, Steph's crazy 8' wreath of dead trees is in place, and Maxim's Trek is in the foreground...I told him when the kitchen was finished no more driving your bike in the house. Last night, Steph took his bike out of the kitchen. Poor little guy, now he's going to have to drive outside like all the other kids in the world...if the snow would ever go away.

$58 Surround Sound System?

We had a fun weekend.

Easter activities, church, family, seeing new born calves bucking in the field, sub-10 degree temps, ice re-forming on the lake in spots...you could feel spring in the air...or at least until you went outside.

Easter weekend...the weekend we are reminded of Christ's death and Resurrection...I went through a sort of death and new life in the last few days. About 2 weeks ago I was "sick to DEATH" of working on the kitchen, and just wanted to quit. This weekend was Resurrection Weekend in a couple of ways.

We moved out of the "kitchenette" and into the somewhat fully-functional kitchen.

Steph unpacked about 20 or so boxes of cups, plates, pans, cookie sheets, kitchen utensils and the decor that defines her kitchen and "coffee house" sitting area. She felt the new life of an almost finished project.

I did the important things like, hooking up the dining table light, the electric to the main panel, and placing some speaker wire on top of the cabinets to put our speakers and kitchen sound system up. We both felt some energy about the project.

Except the sound situation in the kitchen.

I'm not a speaker-Nazi like some, but I do like my music to sound rich and full, and the JVC speakers that we have had for years do the trick...until now. "They are just to big and ugly," said my loving wife.

So I pulled them, and last night we picked up a full surround sound system with CD/DVD player for the bargain price of $58. My initial thoughts were...for 58 bucks...how bad could it sound, I mean it has a sub-woofer. I hooked it up last night, and my thoughts changed to...how could they make it sound that bad?

I'm going to try to sneak the old JVC speakers back up there...think she'll notice

Maxim and Brecken might have just inherited a surround sound system for their play room.

Good News

So the MRI came back "negative".

Which is ironic, because in all reality "negative" is "positive"...they don't think I need to have surgery.

They couldn't see any damage to the ACL, the Othropod Doc hadn't looked at it yet, but they thought the whole thing could be remedied with a little PT.

I am supposed to lift legs a little more, quit running for a few weeks and only use an elliptical machine or bike for cardio.

I am guilty of not lifting legs (if you have seen me in shorts you know this to be true...I have Grandpa Walt's Chicken Legs)...at most I do legs once a week. Wednesday is legs day, and a lot of times I skip out of the gym after running.

Oh yeah the other "solution" they gave me is Aleve Liquid Gels once a day. The surprising thing is, the last 2 days I have taken Aleve LG's the knee has felt pretty good, or not felt...however you look at it.

Last night I saw a commercial for Aleve Liquid Gels, and it has this guy kayaking, a lady rock climbing and one other guy doing some other sport. They all could do their sport after taking the wonder drug Aleve LG's...I might be starting to think the ad is correct.

Well, hope everyone has a good Good Friday and happy Easter.

Actually we've got a nice little weekend planned. Eat at grandma and grandpa's, then we're going to Home Depot to pick out some wallpaper, then maybe we'll hit Bed Bath and Beyond... I don't know! I don't know if we'll have enough time! (Will Farrell in Old School)

ACL, what happened to you???

So for the past 3 weeks, after running, my right knee has felt, for lack of a better word, sloppy. It feels like at anytime it could fall apart.

It is stiff and I feel a ton of pain when climbing steps or biking...my first thought was I must have tweaked it a little bit when I got leveled reffing hockey a few weeks ago, and the pain will pass.

It hasn't.

I had a buddy of mine who is a PT guy look at it 2 weeks ago and he said there was a lot of movement on my ACL, but nothing felt real bad to him.

So I let it roll, cause I'm a dude, right?

Well, when your knee is in pain while sitting down, you start to question your "dudeness", and "mama's boy" starts to kick in. I broke down and went to an orthopedic specialist on Tuesday...Wednesday morning I was inside a tiny tube getting an MRI on my knee to see what my ACL was doing.

I'm still waiting to hear the results of the MRI...

The doc told me the ACL is not tore, but if left alone it could develop into "junk you don't want"...that's how he put it. They must teach you that at Med School.

So for the last 48 hours all I can think about is, great I'll probably have to get my knee scoped, right before wakeboard, soccer, golf, mountain bike and climbing season, not to mention all the work around the house we have planned.

If he tells me I need surgery, I'll make him do it that instant...I've been waiting for summer to roll around again since it ended early in August last year, and I can't fathom not being able to go all-out doing whatever, because my knee won't keep up.

I sound like a whiner today, a bed-wetting mama's boy, I guess I am.

For 34 years, my body has been pretty healthy...a few jacked up ribs, jaw, chipped bones in my elbows, crooked nose, broke little toe...dislocated shoulder which keeps me out of softball, but I can live with that. I understand I'm getting old, but I am trying to do it better than most guys my age. I dropped 26 pounds since last March. (I could drop another 20)

I think it's my fault, I always used to say, I have never had knee problems, back problems and only sprained my ankle one time. Now the knee thing is going to be taken out of the list.

I'm getting old.

Taking Shape.

Thanks Skipper.

All I can say is Uncle Skip got a hug and kiss from Steph this weekend. I'm glad she did, So I didn't have to. The Great One from Garden City was all about kicking out the kitchen cabinets. The end result was level, flush, great looking cabinets. The old boy still surprises me.

The only thing I am worried about, is now that he drove 12 hours to do something super nice...the next time back will he do something...Skipperish.

The boys had fun with a bunch of family in town, the house stayed pretty busy through out the weekend with visitors, and relatives. Steph says I get a little over anxious with the house tours...I guess I didn't know almost everyone has a "flush toilet" in their homes now. I don't' think I was that over the top, but I guess showing all 4 of our master bedroom/bathroom closets is a bit over-zealous. I'll try to tone it down.

Back to the boys, Grandpa Bob is happy his older brother is gone, because, Brecken couldn't tell them apart. He kept running away from Grandpa to go to Skipper. Of course, Skipper ate that up...along with the hug and kiss from Steph and didn't let dad forget he was around!

Mom and dad brought out Godfather's last night for the First Supper, we had some pizza around the island. Eric and Jim stopped over to close the night off with some good laughs.

The weather may be cold, but our house sure felt like summer this weekend...just without the water recreation.

Paint by numbers.

Quick and dirty update to catch you up to speed.

Last week...wife and grommets were gone...I hire the tape and texture guy to come and finish the kitchen. Wife comes home and sees walls ready for paint...wife very happy with lazy husband.

Now to the story.

So today, with all of the ice of Lake Byron contained to an area of about 5 football fields because of a strong Easterly wind, my mind starts to think about the pending fun of summer. I can't help but also think about all the work that needs to be done as well.

Part of the work/fun balance equation is being taken care of today as Steph, mom and Aunt Patty are going to paint the kitchen. I learned long ago from my wise father that it is good to be real bad at painting...I mean really bad.

I couldn't do a good job painting a canvas white, let alone painting a kitchen "crested cinnamon". What the heck color is cinnamon anyway? Cinnamon to me is a taste...and right now I might drive to the Empire Mall to hit up the Cinn-a-bon store for one of their fat freshys.

My wife sees white walls and a big empty room as a blank canvas for her HG-TV inspired feng-shui style of decorating our homes. Good on her, because I would have a couple of hockey jerseys, a poster of Alyssa Milano and a Chicago Cubs flag up on the walls. And instead of a "focal point" of decor, I would hang my wakeboard, snowboard, mountain bike, climbing gear, a few big Star Wars toys and hockey equipment on some sort of "mecca to fun stuff mobile" from the ceiling.

Yeah, she balances me that way.

Isn't that why we marry in the first place?

So our couches are not had-me-downs without legs, and our end tables are not made out of recycled lumber with a bunch of marker-written funny one liners or autographs of infamous people. (yes, I meant infamous, not un-famous...watch the movie ¡Three Amigos! for the back joke on that one) My college room mates are laughing right now.

Our "bachelor pad" was a tribute to Hockey, Eric's Sega Genesis, tv and stereo, Rahn and my CD collection and Thaler and Rahn's movies. But the "focal point" was an end table, in front of the legless couch, that was a dinner table, study desk, sometime weapon in epic wrestling matches, and a pedestal for the house champion of NHL 95 to proclaim his glory.

I built the table out of scrap wood from the lumber yard where I worked during my college days...I don't remember how the whole autograph thing started, but everyone that visited signed that thing. The top, the legs, the underside where ever you could find room. Then each year we would add another layer of plywood to the top to start a new round of writings and wisdoms. I think it ended up with 3 layers.

I don't ever remember what became of it...if I gave it to some underclassmen or junked it or what...but as I look back it would be fun to have. I also know on the first or second layer, Adam Vinatieri (pre-NFL fame) autographed the table.

I guess, for men, that's what college is for, so we live like dogs in dirty houses with bad furniture with a bunch of other dawgs. For women, college is about the education and figuring out which type of dog you could best train to sit around on your classy furniture (with legs) and not put too much stupid crap on your walls. Most of us domesticated dawgs get one wall and it's in the garage.

For the record, my college roommates...

Rahny, married, successful, with children in a beautiful home, and works in the banking industry.
Thaler, married, successful, with children in a beautiful home, works in the ag industry.
Erkel, well let's say, Eric is a successful farmer, and still generating his story, he is also the leader of about 6 bachelors in Beadle County, they are on Lake Byron on most calm days ripping it up behind the Malibu.
Bozzell, married, successful, with children, in a beautiful home, and Boz also builds beautiful homes if you are in the market in Sioux Falls.
Giles, married, successful, with children on a beautiful acreage, owns his own engineering firm.
Me, married, what is successful???, with children and still acts like a child, in a home on the lake that is becoming more beautiful every day, thanks to the wife.

Yeah, we all turned out pretty good...crazy isn't it?

Jacks Win!

South Dakota State defeated Indiana 60 to 53 before a sellout crowd at Frost Arena tonight and moved to the Elite Eight of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

Senior Megan Vogel led the 24 and 5 Jacks in scoring again -- this time with 14 points on five of 17 shooting. Andrea Verdegan added 12 points and Jennifer Warkenthien ten.Indiana, 19 and 13, got 12 points from Nikki Smith and 11 each from Sarah McKay and Kim Robertson.

Neither team shot well. The Jacks were 33 percent from the field and the Hoosiers shot 32 percent.But the Jacks did out-rebound the taller Hoosiers 49 to 33. Maria Boever led SDSU with ten boards

Progress Report

The entire kitchen/dining room is now taped and mudded. Friday my drywall guy comes back to sand and prep for Saturday's super awesome day of texture! (Disclaimer: The attached picture is of Steph a couple weeks ago taping and mudding a corner...it is not my drywall guy)

We should be able to paint next week and by early April cabinets will be hung. I think I will be hiring a plumber as well. I'm just ready to get this project completed.

Did I mention that we are putting tile in the entire room...I want it to have a coastal-Florida feel, and all the homes I have ever been on the Gulf Coast have tile all over the place. It also lends itself to an easy clean up if 2 boys should ever bring dogs, frogs or snakes into the house.

About 600 square feet of tile...my knees and back are already yelling at me!

By the way, here is a catch up on the Bachelor Week Report:
I haven't made the bed in 3 days (the first nights I slept on the couch)
There is a pile of clothes in the living room for no reason
I have eaten 1 meal at home
The dogs were in the house most of the night last night
I left my shoes on in the house 2 times on Tuesday
I ate cookies and milk at 12:30 am this morning...and left the cup and bag of cookies on the coffee table
I also have the thermostat set at 67...nice and cool at night!

Yeah, I know...I'm pretty much a rebel.

The real story, I miss the heck out of my family and can't wait until Sunday.

Oh yeah, and GO JACKS!...I am headed to Brookings in about 2 hours to watch the SDSU Women's Basketball Team play Indiana in the WNIT Tournament.

Bachelor Week Has Begun!

So I had a lapse of one week between posts...I think that is the longest I have gone without a blog fix...sorry to my readers, all 3 of you...Verlie, Uncle Skip and Roger.

It has been a crazy last 3 weeks...google my name and natural gas and you will understand what I have been up to.

Anyway, I put Steph and the boys on a plane last Friday...they headed to South Bend, Indiana or Ind-Montana as Maxim would say. So for about 10 days the lake house is the bachelor pad! My plans were to completely kick out a bunch of work on the kitchen and get things all wrapped before she got back.

All I had to do was ref my last hockey games of the year and get home and work. Unfortunately during my 2nd game I got caught up in a couple players checking each other and I got decked hard on my elbow.

Through my elbow pad my elbow cut open and from the X-rays it showed I chipped a couple of flakes off the bone. This is painful, and my arm is stiff, I got whiplash and my knee is sore.

So I laid around on Saturday...did a little work around the house on Sunday, and called my drywaller from Sioux Falls, who happened to be in the area. He's coming tonight to check out the project.

It should be taped and textured by the time Steph gets home.

I should have done this like 3 months ago...but I am stubborn.

So bachelor week started kind of rough and will end with a happy wife...I hope.

Springtime Heatwave.

I like how we bust out our huge down jackets when the temperature drops below 50F in autumn, but when the weather hits 45F in spring, it's practically bikini weather.

Every once in awhile you see some guy who's way ahead of the spring curve. He's the one who can't stand to wait another day for 50F weather, so he goes out running in shorts and a T-shirt when it's still getting dark at 6p.m. Those guys are always the joggers who find the dead bodies and get interviewed on the local evening news.

For women it's flip-flop and capri time right now. They don't care if there is water to the top of all the ditches in Beadle county...they are wearing their favorite capris and those cute sandals today.

For the record, Steph wore flip-flops and capris yesterday, and I ran in a t-shirt and shorts this afternoon!

Brecken is having a rough day!

I'm in Rapid City working as talent for KSFY's coverage of the SD High School Hockey Tournament, but my heart is at home.

Brecken is sick and is going to spend the night in the hospital. Steph took him into the ER today and after about 5 attempts they finally drew blood from him.

The tough-nut even made them knock him out so they could find a vein to give him an IV.

He has a little cast on his arm so he dosen't pull the shint out of his elbow. He will stay overnight so the doctor's can monitor him. I owe Steph so much for what she has been through in the past 3 weeks! She is going to really enjoy that trip to Indiana to see her folks.

I'll pray for you Brecky!

Mountains move me.

I'm in Montana again...have been since Sunday. I really do love Montana. This week's trip has reinforced that again.

I flew into Missoula, drove to Kalispell, then drove back to Missoula and down to Butte. Kalispell/Whitehall is the farthest I have been North and West in MT, and the Northern Rockies are beautiful. Flathead Lake is EPIC.

Since the bulk of readers of this blog have some connection to South Dakota, think of the Black Hills on steroids, specifically the Sylvan Lake area.

I went to Big Mountain...not quite the vibe you get at Big Sky, but very nice indeed. I would love to come back to mountain bike and climb in this area sometime. I also would love to kayak down some of the local rivers. Every Subaru Outback that I see has either a kayak on the rack or an empty rack.

I was in Missoula on Tuesday...downtown is like a giant Starbucks. Very progressive and outdoor savvy town. Right up our family's ally.

The mountains, the rivers...the wild that is Montana is what moves me each time I come here. I think it's funny when I tell people I have to travel to Montana for work and they say..."oh, sorry about that" or "what a boring place to have to go to". I smile and say I enjoy it, knowing that they have never been to Montana or just don't like the outdoors.

Here is my plug...if you are planning a vacation this summer...head to Yellowstone National Park (yes, I know that is in Wyoming) get out of your car and walk around. Then drive North, go to Big Sky, even if you are there in the summer...get out and hike around, ride the chair lift, then hike to the top of Lone Peak. Go to Glacier National Park...along the way stop in Missoula, Butte go to Kalispell...it's a trip you won't forget. Beauty everywhere.

I sound like a travel agent.

By the way just to balance this rambling of wanders around the Big Sky State...My loving wife was stuck at home, on a frozen lake with Mr. Energy (Maxim) and a sick, puking baby. Oh yeah...today....our Anniversary...9 years ago we got married on a super snowy South Dakota day.

For our 10 year anniversary I'll take her to Montana.

Blizzard - Schmizzard.

We are in the middle of a wicked blizzard. I think we are over 20 inches of accumulation in some areas.

I’m just glad the power stayed on.

We left the lake on Thursday morning...I didn't want Steph and the boys stuck out there without me, in case our rural electric company's feeble system would collapase.

We did forget a couple of key items...the Playstation 2, my snowboard and Star Wars movies.

So I have compiled a list of things to do during a blizzard.


Shovel snow

Take lots of pictures
In fifty years your grandkids will want to know how much snow “a lot” really was. Take pictures of yourself skiing to the grocery store because, come on, nobody would believe that...I actuall think when I was younger my dad did that once.

Watch people get stuck

Help people get unstuck

Do a flip into a snow bank, then watch your son try the same thing...only it usually ends up looking more like he is diving into a swimming pool and just bounces off the hardpack.

Throw snowballs at your wife.

Throw your kids into a snowbank...this is very stress-relieving, and the kids like it.

Sled down your driveway.

Snowblow other people's driveways...the widows, orphans and in general everyone you want to love you, and proclaim you as the best neighbors ever.

Stay over night at your parents house...if this is possible...this is a great way to pass the time.

Buy a bunch of snacks, pizza and drinks and invite everyone to your house for coverage of the Ididarod 2007 which starts on Saturday....someday I will own a sled dog team.

Listen to the Beach Boys and Jack Johnson...nothing warms the soul like "surf music".

Hopefully we will get back to the lake on Saturday afternoon.

Hey family, I'll be right home after work, I just have to stop at the DQ for a cookie dough blizzard.

In like a crazy lion!

March came in like a lion...in the shape of a wicked snow storm. This is the scene outside my office at the electric factory.

Winds are picking up, so the family came to town to have a little overnight at the grandparents.

Huron got record snowfall amounts for one day...10" on Wednesday.

Maxim and I brought our snow pants along....we should have fun tonight again.

Red Bull: Ride The Sky 2.

A buddy of mine who owns Spoke - n - Sport in Sioux Falls, was lucky enough to be one of 50 participants to race in the Red Bull: Ride The Sky 2. It is a mile long mountain bike race through the sky walks of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota.

The race started on the north end of downtown in the Lowry Building and ended in the Union Depot at the south end of downtown. In between the two points were over a mile of twists, turns and obstacles.

The footage below is off of Chad's helmet cam.



The footage below is of some guy hucking himself off some stairs into a wall.



Midwesterners will find anything to break the boredom of winter!

Cabin Fever...

The boys (aka. Arctic Monkeys) will do anything and just about everything to keep themselves entertained and into mischief during this long winter.

The latest is Brecken bobsledding in one of Maxim's toy totes.

Brecken dumps out the toys and climbs in, and then waits for his "sled dog" Maxim to push him around on the wood floor.

Most moms would go insane seeing their precious wood floor being used as a psudo-Antartic playground, but in the picture you can see Steph is laughing right along with me.

It must be time for Spring, because we are all getting a little Cabin Fever, but with the big STORM OF THE YEAR on it's way, we will have a few more weeks before winter starts it's placid fading.

I'm glad I'm not the Spokesperson for Weatherford Electric.

Printing mistake -- blamed for billion dollar electric bills

WEATHERFORD, Texas — Some people in Weatherford got (B) billion-dollar scares this week when they opened their electric bills.
Richard Redden's bill said he owed more than 24 (B) billion dollars.
Pam Pearson with Weatherford Electric says the Reddens and nearly 14-hundred other customers this week received erroneous late notices.
Pearson told the Weatherford Democrat that a printing company made a mistake.
Pearson says customers who received the inaccurate bills will get the correct ones later this month -- and won't face any late fees.
Meanwhile, Redden says he guesses his family shouldn't have run the heater quite so much.
Weatherford is about 20 miles west of Fort Worth.


February 21, 2007 - 3:19 p.m. CSTCopyright 2007, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press

My Home In Montana

I spend quite a few days in Montana and the numbers will go up this year, because of a new project I am working on. When I am in Butte I stay at the Hampton Inn, and it is one of the reasons I almost always stay at Hampton Inn Hotels when I travel for business or pleasure.

Last night when I checked in, I got this feeling like...ohhhh yeah I'm home for the night. After a good workout, a buddy and I grabbed some food at a local pizza spot, was given some fresh baked cookies and milk at the front desk, and I laid down at around 9:30 pm MST, I woke up at 5:30 MST and had no idea where I was. Then I was worried that Brecken hadn't woke me up last night with his crying for "ba-ba...ma-ma, ba-ba". Then there was this noise that I was trying to figure out, which turned out to be the blower fan for the heater in my room.

Honestly, it took me a good 30 seconds to figure out I was in Butte, Montana in the Hampton!

Then I felt sorry for Steph, she most likely didn't sleep through the night and Maxim probably didn't go to bed until 11:30 pm. I felt so awake and rested this morning I didn't even go back to bed.

I promise you, Steph...when I get home I will get up with Brecken all night on Thursday night. That way you can enjoy one night of full sleep, a mommy deserves that.

Last night I ran 3 miles before I lifted...I forget how much the altitude affects your ability to process oxygen! The 65+ year old guy next to me must have thought I was going to die...right there on the treadmill. I was begging for more air...and actually had to walk for about 2 minutes to get my legs back under me.

Hopefully tonight I will have acclimated a little bit.

The Lego Translation

What would life be like if little boys didn't have Legos to play with?

I'm quite sure that every mom in America has vacuumed up a few Lego pieces. I loved and still do love playing with Legos. The little bricks might be the best toy of the modern era. I have yet to hear of any negative report that playing with Legos has some crazy side effect.

We have several sets of the blocks at our house...one is a set of "big" blocks, and surprisingly enough, Brecken can put a few together and then tear them apart quite well. Our other sets are of the Star Wars variety.

At least once a week Maxim grabs his tote that is full to the brim with Star Wars Legos and we build "awesome ships" and "super big forts". He hasn't quite figured out the whole direction following concept, so I am the one he looks to to build the things that he sees on the directions. He is a great "free builder" and on occasion he builds some super cool stuff.

He has worn out and lost several direction booklets, and a buddy of mine told me you could download the directions from the Lego Website. So I googled something like "Lego directions" and The Brick Testament was one of the things that came up.

Amazing is one of the words that would describe what Brendan Smith has put together on his website. Smith is the son of a minister and an atheist. He said he wanted to let people know about all of the violence and sex in the Bible that is left out of most pictorial versions of the Bible.

Smith didn't cut any corners on his verse for verse pictorial translation...Goliath's severed head, a nice puddle of blood when a Sabbath breaker got stoned, and a couple of bedroom scenes, one involving an animal.

One forgets how raw the Bible is in parts...even by today's standards, and even when told by a still camera, Lego people and an atheist Lego free-styler with tons of time on his hands.

The Gong Show.

Remember the Gong Show?

I was sick again yesterday afternoon, but I was stuck in a hotel in Pierre, SD. Nothing sucks more than being sick away from your own bed, except for the fact that you get the remote control and cable TV.

Anyway I start watching AMC and there is this movie about Chuck Barris who invented some game shows like The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and The Gong Show. The movie is called Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind.

The movie is based on Barris' autobiography of the same name. He claims that during the time of the Gong Show he was also a secret CIA agent...basically a hit man. Who knew? Even if it was true or not it made a great double life.

I remember watching the Gong Show as a kid and thinking he was soooo cool, with his hats and jokes, how he joked with the Unknown Comic and thinking that he was super funny as well.

Good movie, made you think about that time in American culture, and what was going on in my life...I was like 7 or so. Also made me think of TV today...I think American Idol should be cutting Mr. Barris a check every time their show airs, because that is exactly what their show is with a little different twist.

Crazy the amount of time we spend watching TV and how it shapes our lives. I'm kind of glad we got rid of cable when we moved to the lake...if it wasn't for yesterday's "all day TV bender" I wouldn't know anything of Anna Nicole Smith's death...I'm glad that I am starting to lose touch with what's on TV.

For the record, I did watch Conan The Barbarian as well...forgot how good of a movie that was.

Cable was nice to waste the day, even if I had to be sick to watch a full day of nothing.

Lake Sanford???

T. Denny Sanford dropped $400 million over the weekend to Sioux Valley Hospital....I mean Sanford Health Systems. While in Sioux Falls, Steph worked for the bank TDS owns, it is a great company and there is no wonder why he is successful.

But anyway, since Sioux Valley "requested" the gift, I thought I would give it a shot as well...

T. Denny if you can drop $4 million to me (in our First Premier Bank account) I can see about getting Lake Byron renamed Sanford Lake or Lake Sanford....After all, if Sioux Falls can try to rename Skunk Creek, I'm $ure I could influence $ome local politician$ and county government folk$ to con$ider the change.

We could even somehow incorporate Sanford Health Systems into the mix, like, by claiming that the murky, algae filled waters of the formerly known Lake Byron have some sort of healing powers that fight the evil Herpes Gladiatorum.

We could put your logo in lights in the lake East of Hogsback (which would be renamed to Sanford Ridge), and would make the logo big enough to see from any Google Earth satellite picture.

Let me know what you think Mr. T. Denny...if you aren't interested, that's o.k. I've got a rich uncle in Garden City, Kansas who should be starting his philanthropic efforts in the near future.

Mom...60??? No Way!

My mom turns 60 today. The groundhog shares a special day with my mom!

I'm not feeling very typish today, so I'll keep it short.

My mom is the most incredible person, and if I am half the person she is, I'll be happy.

She raised Sally and I with love, honesty, hard work and a strong faith.

She prays for her children and grandchildren without ceasing.

She beat cancer.

She makes the best O'Henry bars.

She let me and my sister keep our dog in the house...and she doesn't charge for babysitting!

60 seemed old when I was 20...now it's the age of young, beautiful and fun grandmas.

I completely love this picture by the way.

The Sickness.

I am sick. Nothing Earth shattering, little fever, achy, cough and sore throat. I missed my first day of work due to me being sick in over 2 years.

In fact, we were looking for some cough syrup and found some penicillin from Jan. 2004 that was prescribed to me. I had Influenza A&B and Strep Throat that time...only out for 2 days...a lesser man would have died.

Speaking of sicknesses, today a tight friend of mine is enjoying his first day of "health" after deciding to resign from his post as a youth pastor. Don't get me wrong, the position he left behind itself wasn't bad, it was the office situation surrounding him. A bad virus of non-communication, and from my view, poor choices by people in leadership positions.

.....................I just deleted like 4 paragraphs of typing...............................not sure if I wanted to publish my exact feelings on the matter, even though only about 4 people will read this, but I am reminded that as a human we all make mistakes...even humans who are in leadership positions of "regional impact churches".
Some lyrics from Roper's "Brace Yourself for the Mediocre" album come to my mind.

This wooden soul is old
It's lies are growing cold
Its knotted trunk is straightening
Its roots are loosening their hold
So cluttered with debris this inefficient melody
I'll keep waiting patiently
If this world will ever release me
You love me even though I am untrue
If I was perfect, I wouldn't need you
I'm the object of your affection
You loved me still in my imperfection

Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Not so far, not so far to go







PS-Nothing but love for you Decker...ride on.

Birthday Girl.

Today is Steph's birthday...I screwed up the past few years, and either missed it completely or when she said she didn't want any big celebration I listened. NOTE TO SELF: when wife says no party needed...it means at least do something special.

Tonight, we are going to eat at the Hangar, its a restraunt at the Huron Regional Airport...they have a limo and they will pick you up and drop you off for free. So neither of us have ever ridden in a limo, but tonight is the night.

Crazy, I had to move back to Huron to get in a limo?

Anyway, I think from past blogs you know how much I adore my bride, and without her our family would be a mess. She is the Liquid Nails that holds the Glanzer Universe together.

I got waaaaaaay lucky when I snatched this Kansas City girl. I often wonder what I would be doing now if Dana would not have "set us up". I would not be the person I am, and would not have the joy in this world that I have.

I found someone that I love to share life with. Not many people in the world get that anymore...like 50% maybe from the stats. Even then, how many people do you know that are not exactly happy about the situation they are in?

I am the luckiest man alive...JayMo who I work with constantly says that I "over-married" when I landed Steph. I agree, totally.

Happy Birthday, Steph.

PS-this picture is the look I get a lot...it means a lot of things...for the most part it means...would you give me some help around here and with the boys...other days it just says, "I'm sassy", and she is.

Fruit Stripe Gum

Brecken got some new PJ's for Christmas, and we laugh at them because he looks like a pack of Fruit Stripe Gum!

Do you remember this stuff...it was my favorite.

Tasted super good right away then like 3 minutes later it tasted like you were eating an eraser.

They had the market on cool gum for 10 year old kids.






I still love the Fruit Stripe Gum.

Visitor #1,000....Uncle Skipper?

If you visit the Living On Liquid website often you might have noticed the "hit counter" at the bottom of the page. On some computers it won't show up, but on some it will...anyway, on Jan. 21, 2007 it rolled over to 1,000.

Part of the program that logs the hits also keeps a record of the location of the server from which computer generated the hit. Meaning...I can pretty much see where people who visit my website are from. There are a handful of pretty regular visitors to the LOL blog, 2 from California, my father-in-law from Indiana who's server lists him as a visitor from MLPS, and about 3 regulars from Kansas...one of those in the Garden City area...that would be Uncle Skip.

I think he hits the site almost every day. When I checked the counter and found out that number 1,000 was from Garden City I was pretty sure that either it was Skipper or my cousin Kent that was visitor number 1,000...I gotta believe that during the time of day that it was hit it was Skipper, because most people with lives don't surf the Internet at 3:41 pm...only retired dudes who wear sweatpants all day long have the ability to hold Internet surfing hours like that!

I am pretty hard on Skipper, cause he raised me that way. You see, Uncle Skipper was the inventor of the BARN BURNER. Every birthday Uncle Skip would journey to your house to deliver your birthday spankings...the last one was the Barn Burner. Don't remember if they hurt, but I think we all remember fearing the Skipper.

He terrorized us as kids, teenagers and now as grown adults! Any visit of his to this day, I have to stay on my toes.

I have got him good a couple times, once on a camping trip I put a whole bunch of big pine cones under his sleeping bag, and the other was the best...he was a foreman at a plant in Huron and got to park his new Chevy pick-up right by the door. One morning I snuck out to the plant and put a For Sale sign on it that said, "$5,500 or best offer call Skip at ....". It worked out pretty good too, because several people came into the plant asking why he was selling his pick-up for so little.

A few years ago, Skipper turned 60, and I was going to place an ad in the Garden City newspaper to sell his truck once again, but Skipper got sick and ended up in the hospital for a few months. He is a fighter and is still alive and kicking. Lesser men would have died.

We are extremely happy to have The Skipper around every now and then in the Beadle County area, and he eats our food, messes with my boys and heads back to G.City.

If Skipper was number 1,000 it is fitting that he be honored on this website with a posting all about his influence in my life.

By the way Skip, the 4th of July is fast approaching, and I have big plans for you! You need to be on your toes!

Learning To Walk...

Our boys are almost exactly 4 years apart, and both of them are dealing with the same problem...staying on their feet.

Brecken has taken those "first steps", the ones that look like what Andy Capp might have, after another long night at the pub.

It happened a few days ago, Steph helped him stand...and weeble, wobble...gravity. He has been trying a lot lately, but yesterday we were playing on the floor while watching Da Bears, and Brecken pulled himself up next to the coffee table and took 3 solid steps to me...it didn't even dawn on me that he walked until he got to my arms.

Maxim has been picking himself up a lot more as well, but picking yourself up off the ice is way more work.

Mini-mite hockey is winding down, and I am so proud of my team...they went from not knowing how to skate, to all being able to skate forward and backwards, and some can even stop.

Maxim is one of the youngest on the ice, but is doing great. Some days he isn't as excited about going to the rink as I am, but that goes away when he gets into the locker room with his buddies. After his skating progression took away the need to skate with a chair, it was time to introduce the hockey stick/cane.

Mini-mites have a tendency to use the stick as a crutch, which is fine, but when they fall the yard sale ensues. If they only loose their stick it takes about 2 minutes for them to pick it back up, but if they loose a glove or 2, or a mouthpiece (I've even had a kid loose a shin pad!) it could take the remainder of practice to gather all the equipment and get the kid back on their feet.

Maxim was one of those kids for about 3 practices. Then last week something clicked and he started jumping back up and usually held on to his stick. It is fun to see progression in your children.

I know both of them are frustrated right now at times while learning their new skills, but to tell you the truth, I don't remember not knowing how to walk, and all I remember about skating, is that we only did it during winter, I loved it back then, and still do.

I did some quick math and I bet on average I spend between 12 to 18 hours a week at the rink or on the ice.

I guess that's why Steph is looking forward to spring...Brecken should be walking by then...she will need some help.

Superheroes.

The Superheros...we were in Sioux Falls on Sunday, and hung with the crew. Here are the Superheroes.

SuperDavy.
BatMaxim.
SpiderMeyer.

Good times...the best times. The only real thing we miss about Sioux Falls, besides Caribou Coffee, Qudoba, Johnny Carino's, Target and I-29 construction.

Friends like this only come around once in life...we were blessed, and still are blessed by them.

My 2006 Music Review.

If you have ever clicked on the red rectangles on the sidebar you have been taken to my last.fm account. The program "scrobbles" all the music I listen to while I am logged on to my computers.

A buddy of mine and fellow blogger was using it as well, and as a gatherer of statistics I wanted to know MY top 10 of musical tastes for 2006.

I understand and fully embrace that my choice of music is a bit skewed, but that's what makes me, me. Chris LeDoux right next to Blink-182 on a playlist!

So here is the top 10 artists I have played since September of 2006...

1. Nodes of Ranvier (232 songs played)
-Screamy, hard core group from Sioux Falls, super talented if you like your music this loud. they played a show at our church that was the most real (musically speaking) concert I have been to in a while. The coolest thing was that most of the band member's parents were in attendance and they introduced each of them. Great guys on top of it.

2. mewithoutYou (194 songs played)
-My best musical find of 2006, the lyrics are deep, and the style is like nothing else you have ever heard.

3. Rise Against (165 songs played)
-Straight punk one of the best to come out in the last 3 years.

4. Taking Back Sunday (115 songs played)
-It suprised me to find I listened to them as much as I do.

5. Arctic Monkeys (114 songs played)
-Brilliant new raw band from England...Good stuff.

6. Jack Johnson (109 songs played + 40 more plays from the Curious George Soundtrack that scrobbled wrong)
-Jack as we call him at our house is a family and crew favorite...any road trip or session in a boat must include Jack. Singer, songwriter, guitar player and world champion surfer. My mom even likes Jack!

7. MxPx (103 songs played)
-If my MP3 player scrobbled to the site, MxPx would be my number one band by far. Left Coast Punk. Everyone should know these guys, except my Uncle Skipper, he still thinks Roger Miller is "new" music.

8. Hawthorne Heights (99 songs played)
-On my computer alone I listened to "Ohio is for Lovers" 21 times. HH is simply a great pop-punk-alt group.

9. Showbread (96 songs played)
-RAW MUSIC ROCKS is this bands motto, and they stick to it. Energy for your ears.

10. Fall Out Boy (93 songs played)
-Dance, Dance...Sugar, we're going down...ect. Chicago band with Indie roots.

Honorable Mentions...
11. Pedro The Lion - They broke up this year, but still are one of the best emo's of all time.
12. Roper - Bear + Skull and Crossbones = Roper. The best lyrics come from Roper, sarcastic or serious, this guy is solid. His other band Brave Saint Saturn comes in at #18 on my played list.
14. Nada Surf - Another band from my college days that I can't stop listening to.
15. Beck - Beck, enough said.
19. blink-182 - Travis Barker on the drums...let's just say I idolize his skills.
20. The Spill Canvas - Sioux Falls band that is one of my favorites of all times, if I would have started scrobbling earlier in the year, they would have hands down been the number one band.
25. Kanye West - Amazingly enough this is the first hip-hop artist on my list.
33. John Denver - Me and the mountain man share of love of nature and good country music.

Not on the list, but listened to on a regular basis:
Kenny Chesney: country music's Jack Johnson without the surfing ability.
Johnny Cash: The King (elvis who?)
Dixie Chicks: Pretty standard for me...if Nashville hates them, I love 'em.
Relient K: I need a new album from you
Spoken: The remake of Time After Time was perferct.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: The name says it all.
AC/DC: A guilty pleasure of mine...truth be told I listen to these guys all winter long in hockey rinks across the Midwest. Can't start a game without Thunderstruck or You Shook Me All Night Long.

So that is the list, most of you were confused after band number 1, that's ok.

Snowbound

So during a winter of warm weather and no snow, we get snowbound on our way home from Sioux Falls.

The 50 mph wind gusts and snow made it super sketchy, so we called it a night rented a hotel and watched the Gators dominate Ohio State.

Then Maxim wanted to watch the Steve Irwin's Super Gator special on Animal Planet.

We swam in the hotel pool, Maxim did so good, he is finally putting together all the swimming lessons instruction.

I haven't been home for 4 days...I wanted to drive through anything for my own bed, but your ideas on winter weather driving changes when you are with your family.

It was an unplanned fun night at the hotel that is if Brecken goes to bed!

Jesus Camp.

I was reading a story by a friend of mine who writes the entertainment portion of the Argus Leader, and he mentioned a few movies, one of them which I had never heard of called Jesus Camp.

So I googled it and found the movie's web page. It was the brain child of the co-director team of Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady who produced the Boys of Baraka, a brilliant PBS docu that I watched one night mostly out of boredom, but was engulfed by the end of it.

Anyway, I started reading about this Jesus Camp movie, and I watched the trailer only, but I think it is no wonder why the mainstream media, and most of the world is confused about Christianity and what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't seen the movie, and I think it's great these kids are on fire, I just hope and pray it is their faith, not that of parents or that it is something that is being brain-washed into formable minds.

Also note: Rev. Ted Haggard was involved with Jesus Camp.



I have to include John Stewart's knock on Haggard, because as much as some of it hurts the feelings of "evangelicals" it is funny, and is a good check yourself test of your own lifestyle.



I will be interested to see the movie, and hope you will as well. If nothing else it brings a good discussion for all people who fall under the label Christian.

Oh, Seven

2007

Thanks to Paul Coffey my life as a non-obsessive person changed forever. I have only one real OCD and that is a strange allegiance to the number 7.

When I looked at the calendar and realized that this would be the year of '07 I was super excited. You see, when I was a Pee-Wee in hockey, which is the first real time you get to pick out a number, I chose number 7.

At the time, the early '80s, the Edmonton Oilers were the NHL's dynasty franchise, and with players like Gretzky, Kurri, Moog, Fuhr, Messier, Lowe, Huddy, Anderson and Coffey to name a few, every aspiring hockey player watched the Oilers, and had a favorite on the team.

Gretz and Mess obviously had the most fans, but as a defensemen, I was drawn to Paul Coffey. Don't ask me why, I just liked him. He was number 7, so I was number 7. From that day on.

Now some 25+ years later, I am still number 7 in everything I can be. My closet is full of adult league hockey jerseys, co-ed soccer jerseys, and my old official playing uniforms all with the same number.

You might think, "Oh I have a buddy that is the same way." I have actually met a few people with the same obsession. Only one other with the 7 obsession, and he took it as far as I do. Everything...passwords, logins, pin numbers, my youngest son's name has 7 letters, Steph and I were married on March 7th, my oldest son was born on the 17th (it has a 7 in there!!! Thanks God), my snowboard and wakeboard are both marked with my number of ownership, the bill of hats, my tools, my next tattoo, my climbing gear, in fact, Steph has bought 3 shirts that have the number 7 on them not so much because they were cool, but because she knew I would love the number thing.

Obsessive you think? I haven't told you the crazy part of this 7 obesssion. During my sophomore year at SDSU while filling up with gas I needed just a litte bit to top off the tank. I just let it run and it shut off automatically at $7.77. Since then I would always try to have a 7 somewhere in the amount when I bought gas. Be it in the amount or in the volume of gallons, it didn't matter...just had to have a 7. I'm still doing that today! Every time, but now it has to be in the actual price. Steph loves the game and encourages me to keep the streak alive everytime we fill up with gas. No, not really.

So you can see this 7 thing is a problem, or a blessing whichever way you look at it. I'm just excited that the whole year is now the year of '07.

Happy New Year.

Spreading Some Holiday Cheer.

Ok...I "advertised" it. I put the address to the blog in our family Christmas letter.

This was originally supposed to be a little private blog for the parents, sister and the crew in Sioux Falls...but in the back of my mind I knew that if you put something on the web it was for the world to see. If I wanted it private I would have e-mailed it, right?

Well, it seems that the little link drop in the letter worked. I have a "hit counter" on the website and it has been rolling up like the national debt in the last 3 weeks.

We had a great Christmas...we were a bit depressed on Friday, it didn't seem like we had any big plans and none of our family was coming into town, but that mood changed quickly.

Saturday was a great laid back day. Maxim and I went out on the ice and it was perfect weather for making snowballs and snow angels. We had an epic battle that ended with me getting a snowball shoved down my sweatshirt! Maxim won. It was cool, last night you could still see our footprints on the snow covering the ice from that battle royale.

Sunday was the church play, Maxim and I both remember our lines...I was the Mayor. After we partied with Eric and the Gross crew for a while and closed the night out up the gravel road at Steph's family's party. The boys basically passed out that night from exhaustion.

Monday, we hung around the house in the AM and went into my folks for lunch and supper. Brent, Vicky, Aaron, Sheila, Lynn and Gloria came over to join us and Grandma for supper. Brent and Aaron are the party starters! Never at a loss for stories and they keep everyone laughing.

Jim, Linda and Scott (AKA - Waldo) came over later for dessert and some cowboy quickdraw shooting. My dad is a fastdraw cowboy gunfighter, and he has this range set up in the garage...the neighbors must have

been gone, because it was a loud night! Tons of fun with Scott...he might be the only cowboy gunfighter that holds his .45 pistol like a gangsta.
The boys had a great time opening presents from family, and once again were blessed beyond what we could ever imagine.

We have no plans for New Years, so that should turn into a Festival Con Vaquaros...or something epic like that.

2007...

Merry Christmas!

For those of you that didn't get the mailed version of the Christmas letter and photo...here is the picture. We are standing on the ice on the lake behind our home.

Steph's knee scope went great, the Doctor thought she should be perfect in a few weeks. She started PT yesterday, just easy stuff. I have been juggling work and helping with the boys. Did I ever mention that being a stay at home parent is more work than going to work? It is, and I am so thankful that my wife has given up a great banking career to stay at home with the 2 chipmunks.

Maxim and I have been skating on the lake lately...it is so surreal sometimes...the quiet, the openness, the bond of 2 hockey players enjoying the ice together. Maxim loves it when I chase him and hook him with my hockey stick and then pretend to check him. In 2 more years there will be 3 of us out there.

John Denver's "Country Roads" just came up on my playlist. I think that song sums up the year. With the exception of the West Virginia thing.

It's rain/sleet/snowing outside...things seem perfect in this world.

Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth.

Here is a couple of links to consider during this time.

www.heifer.org

www.buynothingchristmas.org

Kitchen Progress

The sheetrocking of the kitchen is shaping it up nicely I am over half done and should be finished in theory by Friday. It always amazes me how sheetrock changes the look of a room. Sometimes it makes a big room feel small and a small room feel big, but our kitchen with sheetrock still looks huge.

576 square feet of kitchen/dining area. Most people in the world have about half that to call home! We are spoiled in America.

The sunrises at the lake have been super beautiful lately...I could use a blanket of snow to make things a bit more wintery, but that will come soon enough.

The boys have been great, with the exception of Maxim and I loosing our PlayStation 2 playing rights for a while. Seems when it was time to shut it off the other day, Maxim threw a bit of a fit and Steph put it away. She is a great mom...I wouldn't have the well-behaved children I do if it wasn't for her.
Brecken is doing some amazing things...standing on his own for 3 or 4 seconds, feeding himself finger food and his bottle, using a little bit of sign language, SOOOOO BIG and bye-bye are super easy now.

Last Saturday was an amazing December day...54 degrees (F)...so we were all outside, Maxim and Brecken drove around in the Jeep, I put up some Christmas lights and Steph made a star out of plywood and then put rope lights on it. Maxim wanted a star, and Steph gave it to him. It looks super cool when you are driving up to the house...you can see it from about 3 miles away! Makes you think about the real Star.


Steph has the house decorated to the hilt. I only wish we could have people over to our kitchen to enjoy some holiday cheer at our new home...maybe for NewYears Day? Or Steph's Birthday? For sure 4th of July!

Christmas Letter Season.

My writing for personal reasons has taken a backseat to work, being a husband, dad, carpenter and hockey coach. My last entry was more than a week ago. May be the newness of the blog thing has worn off.

I couldn't believe it when on November 29th we got our first Christmas Letter/Photo in the mail. It was insane. I wasn't even done with leftover turkey, and Little Miss On Top Of Things (Name Removed To Protect The Properly Planned) had already dressed the gromets up the same, gave the dog a bath and talked her husband into wearing a sweater for a picture.

I think it is funny, and I am guilty of it as well, but our lives all sound so "Leave It To Beaverish" in Christmas letters.

For example:
Joe got a promotion in his company, he is now a Facility Engineer (aka-janitor).

I (the wife speaking here) enjoy my time at home with the kids keeping the house clean, and running them to football, soccer, gymnastics, swimming and piano (aka - I watch a lot of Oprah and Dr. Phil, and then ship the kids off to activities so I don't have to put up with them for a few hours).

Johnny is an 8th grader and loves math, science and is a great athlete (aka - we held Johnny back in 5th grade, because he wasn't starting on the YMCA league basketball team).

Mary is an active sophomore and dad is doing a good job to keep the boys away (aka - Mary is on her cell phone with girl friends all the time, but the boys just aren't calling her).

You get the picture...so I thought, I need to write both versions of the Christmas Letter...I'll send the one that paints the beautiful and then Blog the one that tells the reality of some things.

I'm doing them both in the same format.

January - I worked some crazy long hours at work, and watched a lot of TV. Steph turned 30 on the 30th and I completely missed her birthday. She is still mad about that one. Maxim got into some trouble at day care for hitting and not listening.

February - Steph ran a red light and totaled her brand new Yukon, broke her ankle, banged up her knee, but thank God that her, Maxim and unborn baby were protected. My highlight was that my bonus gets deposited in February...believe me it came in handy for the hospital bills...by the way we met our deductible this year.

March - I looked at some Christmas pictures we had developed and I realized that I was a fat tub of crap, and instantly launched myself into a workout routine...I weighed 228 and had the body of a 38 year old...happy to report that now I am 202 and benching over 260 pounds. Steph was starting to be ready for the baby to be born in March...she did a lot of nesting during this month. She made me start finishing our basement. Maxim went through a spell in March where he would not sleep in his own bed, because it was "nary, nary scary". So instead of fighting it, we let him sleep with us. We are still on occasion trying to break that habit.

April - April was great...Brecken was born, Steph was at home with the boys...the month kind of flew by.

May - My little cousin got married in May...so we all (our family and my mom and dad) packed up and drove to Chi-town together. My dad at times was completely annoying. I think he wanted to punch me about 4 times during the trek. We always end up loving each other.

June - Maxim turned 4 on June 17th. Steph went back to work, and we started to contimplate a move...and on a whim we decided to move to a lake...Lake Byron north of Huron.

July - I do not remember a single thing about July...except it happened, and the 4th of July was during this time...I think we went to Pickstown and wakeboarded a ton.

August - Dad and I went to the Knoxville Nationals...great red neck fun...We put the house on the market and sold it for full asking price in 30 days. Moved our stuff to my parents house and storage in Huron and started on the extremely big project of fixing up the house at the lake we bought.

September - Wake me up when September ends. I think this is when Steph had her gall stone surgery...or was that in August. I can't recall.

October - More house work...Maxim swore 2 times this month...where he heard that from, we have no idea. It is pretty scary hearing a 4 year old use the f-word and s-word properly. (See now that's something every parent would leave out of their fantasy world Christmas letter, but it happened and it was a big deal so I included it on the blogmas letter)

November - Maxim started hockey...to my pride, but he started hockey with tears for the first 5 practices and didn't want to go, and wouldn't skate without someone helping him...he is one of the best 4 year olds on the ice now! Brecken started feeding himself, and standing up...he will be walking in early 2007.

December - Steph is having her knee scoped, and holiday cheer...stuff like that. But for real, things have been great this year, I just need to hurry up and get the kitchen done in the lake house before Steph yells at me again. I guess when you take away a woman's kitchen it's like a man losing his garage.


Happy Holidaze
The Fam



There both versions...if you were not among the people on the list of mailed letters, I apoligize for that, but you were invited to the blogmas letter.

By the way my sister rules. (There Sal, now you have been mentioned like 4 or 5 times on the blog)

Stupid Chain e-mails.

If you are like me you delete most chain e-mails, no matter who they come from...I'll wade through the jokes and funny videos, but if I have to hear one more time about the Free Mason's rule over America based on the markings on the back of a Dollar Bill, I'm gonna puke.

Anyway, my buddy Mike S. sent this one today, and for lack of sending out more crap mail, I copied and pasted.

Participate with me on this. It's actually quite interesting. Ionly sent this to folks whose answers are bound to be clever!This is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be LAME and spoil the fun! Just give in and do it. Copy, not forward, this entire e-mail and paste it into newemail. Change all the answers so that they apply to you then sendthis to a whole bunch of people you know *including* the person who sent it to you. Put your name in the subject. The theory is that you willlearn a lot of little known facts about your friends. It is funand easy questions to answer.

1. FIRST & Middle NAME : Thomas Robert
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER SOMEONE? Doubting Thomas??? I have no clue?
3. Do YOU HAVE A BEST FRIEND? Steph
4. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? During the movie "Luther" (Life of Martin Luther, great movie by the way) I got choked up...full on cry, no idea.
5. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? YUP I WRITE IN ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME, AND MRS. GROSS, MY H.S. ENGLISH TEACHER HATED IT WITH A PASSION!
7. KIDS? Maxim 4, Brecken 7mo.
8. WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? some days
9. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? www.livingonliquid.blogspot.com yes, I'm a blogger
10. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Whenever I can, I did go to rehab for it one time
11. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes
12. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? yes
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Peanut Butter Crunch and Smores...on the healthy side "Blueberry Mornings"
14. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? depends on if I tied them when I put them on...most of the time you don't have to untie flip-flops or Tevas...
15. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I can bench 250# 5 times, but I don't feel strong
16. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Rocky Road
17. SHOE SIZE? 11 in Teva/tennys and 9 in ice skates
18. RED OR PINK? Red...if you know me you know about the red and black addiction
19. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My ability to be super laid back...but ironically, at times, it's also my favorite thing about me.
20. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My sister, and her family
21. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? kind of, kind of not
22. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? old blue jeans and barefoot
23. LAST THING YOU ATE? Do you eat coffee?
24. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? a mix of Radiohead, mewithoutYou, MxPx, Roper, Beck, Nodes of Ranvier and Showbread (Pretty typical for me) http://www.last.fm/user/glanzer77/? youchartstyle=sideRed you can see for yourself
25. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? BLACK
26. FAVORITE SMELL? Campfire, coffee and when someone smokes a pipe and it is that sweet smelling tobacco...love it.
27. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Steph and Maxim...He calls to ask if he can play with the Playstation 2.
28. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? eyes
29. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Love him, just wish I could see him on the golf course more.
30.FAVORITE DRINK? HOT: any coffee COLD: Coke or room temperature water out of my Nalgene31. FAVORITE SPORT? Hockey, soccer and board sports32. HAIR COLOR? brownish with a smattering of salt
33. EYE COLOR? blue
34. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? since 1986
35. FAVORITE FOOD? Johnny Carino's Spicy Shrimp and Chicken Pasta, and Qudoba's Steak Classica...home grown Steak on my grill
36. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy endings
37. SHOWERS OR BATHS? Showers
38. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING: blue
39. WHICH CELL PHONE COMPANY DO YOU USE? Verzion
40. HUGS OR KISSES?? are we talking Hershey's little chocolate morsels here...if so, I am a hug
41. FAVORITE DESSERT? O'Henry Bars, my mom's recipe
42. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Skipper, he has way to much free time
43. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Skipper...he is a horrible typer
44. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? just finished Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
45. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Napoleon Dynamite picture, a good friend hooked me up with this one.
46. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I haven't watched TV since like Tuesday of last week.
47. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Maxim's feet running around the house, Brecken's cackle laugh, and the sound a boat makes when it pulls a wakeboarder out of the water.
48. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
49. THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME? Chezch Republic
50. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can do the back spin, and the worm...Breakdancing was big for a month or 2 in Huron.
51. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? 1972, Wessington Springs, SD