FamGuyToday by Aunty Fox

and I watch the news, with several libraries closing in the Denver area, I realize how DEEP George W Bush ravaged our economy and future. I won't go into it any more right now, BUT, that SOB changed our country, and way of life, in ways that we won't fully realize for generations. Mark my words, this recession/depression isn't even CLOSE to being over, and it's on his shoulders. Oh yeah, and the idiots who voted him in....

there was no way I could have known HOW good 'Avatar' was gonna be. No way to describe it, other than it WILL blow you away. The world of Pandora, with the Na'vi and the creatures and plants, is like NOTHING you've ever seen. Sets the bar WAY high, for any other movie. Saw it in 3-D, and would definitely recommend it that way. Won't give anything away, but it's kinda 'Dances with Wolves' meets 'Star Wars'. You just gotta see it. You WON'T be disappointed. Before we went, Carol wasn't sure about it, but WOW!, she says, too. I'm sure we're gonna see it again, and again....

after obviously 'saying that', is the lowest, weasliest way of trying to avoid being proven wrong. This morning on CNBC, Larry Kudlow, the right wing cheerleader, was interviewing Arianna Huffington, and she mentioned, as he was into another of his rants, that he had also missed, very badly, when he predicted Dow 50,000. He immediately screamed back, "I NEVER said that", and they went back and forth for awhile until she tried to get specific, and he cut her off. When she was off the air, he looked at the camera, and again said, "I NEVER said that". WELLLL, yes you did! I Googled it, and in Feb of '99, he was quoted as saying EXACTLY that. Typical rightwing crap. Get caught up being wrong, so just DENY, DENY. I hate it when they do that....

In a recent poll, Mississippi came in FIRST, as the most religious state in America. They also hold the following titles: highest illiteracy rate, lowest median income, lowest percentage of high school graduation, the most obese, AND, highest percentage of Repubs. They should be SO proud...

to a near successful bomb on a plane? Pat down more grannies, confiscate snow globes and lip gloss, AND, in the last hour, no more bathroom breaks and no one allowed to hold anything on their lap. Don't you just love it? If we can’t catch a Nigerian with a syringe full of acid, a man whose own father had alerted the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, a traveler whose ticket was paid for in cash and who didn’t check bags, whose visa renewal had been denied by the British, who had studied Arabic in Al Qaeda sanctuary Yemen, whose name was on a counterterrorism watch list, who can we catch? TSA should be called IIC, for 'Idiots in Charge'.

of 2009, or any year, I gotta say that my tankless elec water heater has to be the worst I've made in a LONG time. Have already replaced it once, with all that entails w/plumbing, elec, postage, etc, NOW, have just spent nearly the entire day buying and installing a water expansion tank to 'supposedly' fix the noise (water pipes clanging), and uneven hot water issues we have throughout the house. An anti-siphon valve, (more time, headache and expense), did nothing to fix the problem, SO I spoke w/a plumber and he said the tank would fix stuff. After the whole day, running to Home Depot, working over my head on the water line and dealing with a bunch of copper T's and unions , some bad plumbing joints, on my part, large and small leaks,I finally got the water in the house back on. Bottom line, nothing different. A hundred bucks and 8 hours, shot. If I could only get the person who sold me the piece of crap tankless unit to bend over in front of me, I would like to return

parties? I woulda said no, but we were close. Started out with a great dinner party/evening at Ted and Kari's, with the Olson/Labs clan, and all the kids/spouses on Weds evening. A beautiful, light, sparkly snow fell as we had a wonderful dinner/drinks/fun time. The next day, T&K, and Nate, Laura and Piper( who was EXTRA cute) came over for an extended Christmas Eve party, that lasted all day, into the night and until the next morning when the kids went to their spouse's parents, and Carol and I celebrated a laid back, but enjoyable Christmas day. Then, on Saturday, it was the annual Newmas Party (after Christmas, before New Years), at Paul and Kathy's. Another wonderful time had by all. By then it was Sunday, our 38th anniversary, and we were partied out. Just stayed home, and enjoyed finally seeing the sun again. A FANTASTIC Christmas, with family and friends, that went WAY too fast. I thought it was impossible to get more spoiled than last year, but it happened. Tha

http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/the-10-worst-decisions-of-americas-worst-decade/19287777/

because health care is moving forward. 'It's gonna bankrupt us!'. For them, hundreds of billions for 'oops, bad info' war, is OK. Hundreds of billions to bankers, after the Repubs crashed the entire financial system is OK. BUT, much needed health care reform, that would bring us closer to what the rest of the world takes for granted, takes a back seat to their main objective, which is to take down the Obama administration. We ALL know, they wouldn't support ANY program that would let the Dems move forward on ANYTHING that would help the Dems in the coming elections. Way too much $ involved, that could go into Repub pockets. Whatever it takes to get voted in next time. They just hope the people don't remember who crashed the system. AND, if you watch and believe FOXNews, it is ALL the Dems' fault. Obama should be able fix their mess, soon, and if not, it's HIS fault. They just hope the majority is as stupid as they are. Sorry. A lot of us actually rem

They give hundreds of billions of dollars to bankers, with no strings attached, as Wall St firms give themselves HUGE bonuses, all the while they cave in to the insurance and big drug companies, to keep us from getting the medical care the rest of the civilized world has. You thought there was gonna be CHANGE? HA! Not while we got the Repubs to block any meaningful change. Same ol' shit.

Sarah the guv: "We Alaskans are living with the changes that you are observing in Washington,” the Republican governor said. “The dramatic decreases in the extent of summer sea ice, increased coastal erosion, melting of permafrost, decrease in alpine glaciers and overall ecosystem changes are very real to us.” Sarah the Repub sheep: 'Climate warming is false science, perpetuated by the anti business liberals'. Surprise! She flip flops to parrot the official party line. Who woulda thunk?

Reprinted w/out permission, but I just couldn't resist. Tiger and GWB Have Something in Common: People Really Don't Like Them It's come to this: Tiger Woods is the George W. Bush of the sports world. But unlike the 43rd president, Woods needed less than three weeks to see his popularity plummet to 33 percent. And it's still falling. Bush, who left office with the worst ratings in history, took nearly eight years to become similarly loathed. GWB's final approval numbers? Twenty-two percent . Seriously. That's worse than Nixon and Truman, according to CBSNews.com. Tiger's 55-point falloff from his high to low point matches that of President George W. Bush from 2001-2008. Most amazing: Tiger didn't send the country into war, and as far as I know, he hasn't been responsible for thousands of deaths. And while Steve Williams can kindly be characterized as surly, I'm pretty sure he didn't shoot anybody in the face.

that 22 million e-mails from the Bush admin have just been 'found', after the Bushies tried, unsuccessfully, to lose them. It will be years until the security agencies allow them to see the light of day, but the word is that it's easy to tell the ones from W, because of all the misspelling, and a large part of them include bantering between W and Cheney involving bets as to how high they could take the price of oil. When warned that this, along with his war in Iraq could ruin our economy, he reportedly said, 'Who cairs, all o my peeple got big oil money, ha ha ha'.

saw a couple of different segments. First was Obama, doing a bunch of skipping and dodging, about the policies he ran on, and what he's actually doing. Really sad, when you think about what we voted for, and expected, and what we got. More of a typical politician, than any real change. Then, there was a part about stem cell research, and what is being done, to replace body parts, in a brand new realm of medicine. And I think about W, who fought it, for religious reasons, as he was waging war, for oil and dollars. Makes me really sad, when I think about politics and money. Some things never change. We had 'hope', but haven't seen any real 'change'. The world is 'what it is', and will not change, from what I see. Too bad...

in Copenhagen. One of the major causes of global warming? Tiger Woods. He has way too many 'hot' girlfriends. Makes sense...

for Bailey. As I said, she has been growing, and outgrew her kitty bed. There were always parts 'hanging out'. SO, we went to Petsmart and got her a new bed. She sniffed for a long time, circled and clawed at it, then finally tried it out. I think she likes it. She's gotta wait for her other present, though. Some premium catnip...

about Maine Coon cats, said they, unlike other cats, grew for 3 years. I'd kinda forgotten, BUT, there is no way I could not notice, that Bailey is definitely getting bigger. She doesn't even fit in her kitty bed, anymore. Big kitty. I think she gained at least 30%, in the last few months. Hopefully, Bella won't kick her butt, anymore...

Laura needed someone to watch Piper today, while she went shopping, SO, we volunteered, and a wonderful time was had by all. She loved the Christmas tree and the kitty, and esp her grampa. Smart girl.

to see if anyone knows of any particularly deserving charities, specific situations, (or ?), as I look to share with those who need/deserve some help, this special time of year. Lots of needs out there, and looking for a special place to help. Let me know if you have any good thoughts/ideas. Thanks.

Dear Abbey had a thing about someone whose cat drank out of the fish bowl, and the fish kept dying. They wondered if it was germs or if they were being scared to death. Bailey has been drinking out of Bob's dish for years, and loves playing with (scaring) him. It's the only place she drinks.

I know some of you are looking for that perfect gift, this time of year, and I just wanted you to know, I'm here for you. Most of you are familiar with my homemade salad tongs (foldable), and the little tongs just right for getting that olive or pickle slice, or getting toast out. Also good to use as chopsticks. I also made some jewelry, (gave most away) with the sea glass we got while we were in Positano (Italy). The pebbly beaches yield colorful pieces of glass, worn smooth by wave action over the years. Mostly green (wine bottles), but also some white, blue and brown. Different clasps available. Most on leather (or hemp) strings, with silver or black beads. Will take requests, for custom stuff. Also have some ear rings. Prices range from $10-$20. Click on to enlarge. Just a thought...

a clear split between Dem or Repub, Lib or Con, it is in "global warming". It is science vs. anti-science. Environment ve Big business. It is fact vs. propaganda. The anti science crowd would have you throw out 95% of educated opinion, because some e-mails were altered. They would have you believe that an isolated cold spell, could negate world-wide statistics. The glaciers are melting, worldwide. I'm not saying we know the truth about WHY it's happening, or how to fix it, or if it's worth the cost to fix. I'm merely saying it's real, unlike the FOXNews crowd that likes to dismiss inconvenient facts.

on national TV today. On CNBC, the Financial News Network, one of the pundits, commenting on the Repubs criticizing Obama's speech this morning, said, "It's like an arsonist complaining the fire dept didn't put out the fire, they set, soon enough." That was my quote, originally. Had no idea I am so widely read. I still think it's a great analogy. They set the fire, then bitch about the people trying to fix the damage. What a bunch of hypocrites. SO obvious, if you think about it....

but, I got nuthin else to blog about. We went to Appleby's today, for lunch, and got their 2/$20 deal. It was a great lunch, including salad, shrimp, steak, etc. Bottom line, there was SO much food, we are having leftovers, and there are STILL leftovers, as we have it for supper. Do people really eat this much for lunch? Good food, BUT, give me a break, this is crazy...

that, with all the publicity about Tiger, the word doesn't get out, about all the golf groupies out there. The courses are too crowded now, and this could make it much worse. Who can blame the women? What's sexier than a golfer? Used to be just the rock stars that got all the attention. Hope Tiger didn't ruin it for all of us...

Just when you thought it was safe to open a newspaper, there's some bad news: There could be an additional 4.8 million foreclosure sales between 2009 and 2011, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com in West Chester, Pennsylvania in an interview with Reuters.That's almost twice the 2.7 million foreclosure sales that happened between 2006 at 2008, Zandi says. Those earlier foreclosures battered our economy, almost destroyed our financial system, and cost many of us our jobs. The argument for another foreclosure spike is straightforward...There are 47.4 million U.S. homeowners with mortgages, and 23 percent of those, or 10.7 million borrowers , now owe more money to their mortgage lender than their homes are currently worth, according to the third quarter report from First American CoreLogic. Even worse, close to 10 percent of homeowners with mortgages have loans that are more the 25 percent larger than the current value of their homes, according to CoreLogic

All our 'limited time offers', on our 'bundle', of phone service, high speed internet, and cable TV expired and the monthly bill went to over $212. I freaked out, when I realized it, and went to work researching better deals. Ended up getting the same internet and phone service, and upgraded the TV substantianally. The new price? $104, plus taxes. BUT, it wasn't easy. Ran into problems with the installation, but the guy (Joe) stayed with it, and finally got everything working. Just gotta learn all the ins and outs of the new system.

on the 8th hour of our DirectTV installation. He got here a little before 8 this AM, and it's now 4:15. He's getting close, but not done yet. I had no idea. Will get back to you later, if and when it all works. Whew....

when the full moon comes thru the 'eyebrow window", high on the east side. Really cool when it happens, esp on a cold, clear mountain night. NICE...

Have decided to leave Comcast, for a better deal. Before we lose our HD-DVR, I been watchin' my favorite stuff. Gotta love Neil Young, 2006 documentary, 103 mins, Ryland Audit. Also, David Gilmore, Live at Gdansk. Amazing. SO, for those who need a Christmas list, burn those for me. Thanks, a bunch

a Neil Young concert, and realize I want the song, 'Old Man', played at my funeral. Like it ain't gonna happen, someday. Anyway, please, remember. Thanks

Tiger jokes - It was just reported that Phil Mickelson contacted Tiger's wife to pick up some tips on how to beat Tiger! Apparently the police asked Tiger's wife how many times she hit him. She said "I don't know exactly… but put me down for a 5. "Tiger Woods is so rich that he owns lots of expensive cars. Now he has a hole-in-one. What's the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards……... What were Tiger Woods and his wife doing out at 2.30 in the morning? They went clubbing. Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. He couldn’t decide between a wood and an iron

the Repub pundits will jump on, after this AMAZING speech by Obama, BUT, I guarantee they will. They will take some tiny, inconsequential part, and expound on it. These guys have one agenda, and that is to defeat Obama. No matter whether it be by defeating necessary health care reform, or fighting any change in war strategy. I was totally against more troops in Afg, but he made sense. I am ALL about logic/rationality, and that's where he hit me. The rest of you, the FOX audience, will find faults. Never mind...... Today, we found out. The Repubs jumped all over the date to BEGIN withdrawal. As if an 'end date', to begin an exit is totally unacceptable. So typical of those with such an obvious agenda...

Am posting now, before Obama is even finished with his speech. I was totally against more troops in Afg, BUT, he has won me over. I am against sending troops overseas, to further the current agenda. BUT, I can see his vision. Hopefully, it can work. We have made MANY mistakes, but, I think we are the shining beacon in the world, today, and it shown tonight, in his speech. Ain't gonna be easy, BUT, hopefully, the American ideal can blosson on the world stage. Call me idealistic, or ignorant, BUT, I believe we, as a country, can make a difference. I just know, we need leadership, in the right direction.

Silver closed at over $19/oz today, with gold right near $1200/oz. Guess I'm not the only one that sees the US dollar in trouble. Thanks, George....

to AM radio, BUT the car radio was tuned in, to the same station where I had listened to the football game, SO, I accidentally got to hear my favorite bloviating windbag. Rush was preaching about the 'universe of lies', which, according to him, is every news outlet but his. HE is the lone UNbiased source out there. He explained how the liberal news outlets STILL hate Bush with a 'purple passion', and are trying to blame Obama's economic problems on Bush. NO SHIT! I listened until I was worried I might run into a fire hydrant/tree, or puke in my car. Unbelievable, that there is a market, out there, for his kind of crap. BUT, there is. Scary...

who is REALLY disappointed in Obama? This guy is better than Bush, but not much. The Bush wars in Iraq and Afg haven't really changed. If anything, he's escalating. SO disappointing. Once they get to Washington, things change. Maybe Ron Paul???

from Mark Twain. 'Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than the things you did.' Always liked Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. Sounds like good advice to me. (Like I'm gonna be around 20 years from now)....

catching a fish that has 'human like teeth?' A pacu. Just go fishin on the Amazon. From today's Discovery Channel...

that's kinda scary. One of 8 adults in the US, and one of 4 children, relies on food stamps to eat. Throw in the fact that one in 4 mortgages is 'under water', meaning they owe more than the house is worth, and you may be able to see why I don't see any quick fix to this problem that the Bush crew left us. Wish I could, BUT, I just don't see any kind of 'fix' on the horizon. The snowball is going downhill, gaining size and speed. Look out...

and appreciated it even more knowing it was a true story. 'The Blind Side' is the story of Michael Oher, a big black guy who went on to be an All American tackle and first round draft pick in the NFL, after he was taken in by a white family in Memphis. Sandra Bullock was even better than usual, which is saying a lot. A true, feel good movie.

Tiger's wife breaks out the BACK window of his SUV, trying to save him, with a golf club she just happens to have with her, as Tiger peals out, at 2:30 in the morning, right after tabloid rumors surface that he has been having an affair with Rachael Uchitel, (pictured), during his recent 2 week trip to Australia. Yeah, right. If I was heading the investigation, I would compare his injuries to the club his wife was carrying, and check under her fingernails for his skin.

FOXNews/The Repubs, (one and the same), can't get any more hypocritical/idiotic, they manage to top themselves. This morning, within just a few minutes, they bitched about Obama running up a huge debt (trying to salvage W's mess), then bragged how patriotic they were, wanting to send troops to every war, for however long it takes, THEN bitched about a proposed 'war tax' to pay for it. This lack of rationality/intelligence, just screams at any logical mind, BUT, makes perfect sense to those who get their news at the 'trough of ignorance', masquerading as a 'news' outlet. "Twould be funny, if it weren't so sad...

tonight. The Nuggets over the Knicks, 128-125. RIght down to the wire. Chauncey with 32, Melo with 50. J.R. raining 3's. A shame either team had to lose.

BUT, I saw one of the worst calls ever in a major college football game. Fourth quarter, the CU q-back is back to pass, is hit on the arm, as he is passing, and CU recovers. The question is: Fumble or incomplete pass? CU should have another down, and can kick a medium length field goal, or go for the the first down/TD. Neither, if you are a total idiot of an official. It's intentional grounding! What?? 15 yard penalty, loss of down, loss of game. One of the worst calls EVER. Unbelievable. The only thing worse, is watching Bo Pelini, the NU coach, chew gum like a madman, and scream at his players, coaches and the officials. WHOA! As I'm here watching the last play of the game, CU scores from over 60 yards, covers the spread, and I win my bets with the Husker fans. YAHOO! Without a fluke punt return T-down, interception and run back from inside the 2o, AND some terrible calls, CU goes into overtime. Tuff one to lose...

I love living in Denver, is our sports teams. The Broncos, after being up, 6-0, have crashed. The Avalanche have been a sweet surprise, BUT, the best team in town, is the Nuggets. Kickin' ass, nearly every night. They could win it all this year. They got the talent. Really fun to watch. GO NUGS...

the new Dan Brown novel, 'The Lost Symbol'. Wow! It sure makes you think. I know some of you have made up your minds, about all that cosmic stuff. For the rest of us, this opens some interesting doors. The facts can't be changed. Our country was founded by Masons, who put their Masonic beliefs, FAR above any traditional Christianity. Believe it or not, like it or not, Washington, DC, is a tribute to age old wisdom, hidden and mysterious. Washington, Franklin, Jefferson and the rest of the founding fathers, had an agenda, that is very obvious in retrospect. Not exactly what you have been taught in Sunday school. If you don't believe it, or like it, that's too bad. Doesn't change reality. Look it up..

From today's AOL News The combined mortgage delinquency and foreclosure rates hit 14.41% on a non-seasonally adjusted basis -- the highest ever on record, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's National Delinquency Survey released Thursday. The MBA reported that in the third quarter of 2009, loans 90 days or more past due, loans in foreclosure and foreclosures started all set new records. That's 1 in 7 mortagage loans that are either IN forclosure, or 90 days past due which means they will be in foreclosure soon. This number doesn't count the homes that have ALREADY been foreclosed upon, and are bank owned. AND, the #'s are accelerating. Gonna get interesting...

into a concrete wall, while driving drunk, would you blame the mechanic because he couldn't fix it overnight? Probably not, but then you aren't the average Repub who can't figure out why the Dems can't fix the mess they left. This is SO obvious, to even those with average intelligence, which leaves out the OReilly/Beck crowd, that it shouldn't even have to be discussed. BUT, that crowd likes to blame this economic mess on the 'mechanic' who was left with the wrecked car. Duh. Probably WAY too complicated for the average Sarah Palin fan....

near her office today. A man/woman team robbed a bank, made a get away, until they had to stop for gas, then had a shoot out with the local police. Surprise, they lost the gunfight. Their car looked like Bonny and Clyde's sedan. Over 50 bullet holes visible. Don't f**k w/Broomfield cops. They know how to shoot. Just kinda sad someone got to the point they thought robbing a bank was their best option. This economy is gonna bring out more of this stuff...

The Repubs in Congress have their panties in a wad, cause the administration can't tell them exactly how many jobs have been saved or created. DUH... That is totally impossible. Any reasonable person could understand that. Unfortunately, that leaves out the 'loyal opposition', who caused the economy to tank.

Planning on serving pumpkin pie next week for Thanksgiving? You might want to find a back up -- maybe pecan pie, or some spicy gingerbread. What's wrong with pumpkin pie? Nothing -- except that there aren't any pumpkins available this year .Rainy conditions in the midwest this fall have washed out the pumpkin crop , leaving retailers at a loss for canned pie filling. This week, the LA Times reported that Nestlé, which controls 85% of the pumpkin crop for canning, was all out of pumpkins. The company issued a surprise apology, saying that the rain had destroyed the remains of an already-small crop. Nestlé plans to stop shipping canned pumpkin after Thanksgiving, and the company says that once this season's supply is gone, there won't be any more pumpkins available for canning until August 2010. Guess they haven't seen the 'Pumpkin Patch', north of Broomfield. Thousands of pumpkins...

and read a chart, you can see, that the govt expenditures are going WAY up, and the income (from taxes) is going WAY down. Thanks, George W Bush! Bottom line, it ain't turning around for a LONG time, no matter what you, and I, would like to believe. There's nothing Obama and the Dems can do. The economy is BROKEN. Do what you can do, to prepare. It ain't gonna be pretty. Sorry, but don't shoot the messenger...

decided, yesterday, to tax the medical marijuana dispensaries that have sprung up all over. What a concept! They actually listened to the voters, and are using the new amendment to the state constitution, (CO is the ONLY state to have such), to raise much needed tax revenue. The other states that have 'Legalized It', merely have laws, that can be overturned at any time. To overturn CO's current legalization would take an election, which ain't gonna happen. It's called being progressive, and facing reality. What a concept!

of the Denver Post, this morning, they had Colorado's new rankings. We had fallen to #2 in 'college educated population', but had risen to #1 in ACT/SAT scores. We remained #1 in 'lowest obesity prevalence'. Yup, educated people eat smarter. AND vote smarter, which is why we are a blue state. There's just something about that 'education thing', that helps you see through the Repub BS. Too bad the whole country isn't so well educated. The Glenn Beck's and Rush Limbaugh's of the world would have to get an honest job, instead of making a fortune preaching to the ignorant sheep who actually believe FOXNews....

interview with Oprah, and again, realized she's not a terrible person, but is definitely NOT qualified to be a heartbeat away from the job of prez of the U.S. Also, there's no doubt, that if she weren't so good looking, she would still be the 'somewhat unknown' gov of Alaska. She did probably upset her handlers and the Repub Party bigwigs when she answered a question quite honestly. Oprah asked if she was the reason the Repubs lost in '08. "No", she said, "the economy had just tanked under a Repub administration, and the American people were ready for a change." At least she admits this obvious fact. AND, the economy is STILL in the tank, because of W and his crew. On FOXNews.com, right now, they quote the question from Oprah, BUT, leave out the first sentence of her answer, and say 'the American people were ready for a change'. Typical Fox bullshit/lies. Also, the FOX idiots keep saying, "This is Obama's economy now. He has

we ever left Bailey, 'Home Alone', for over a day, cause Kari and Ted were also gone. Usually she visits Bella, as we travel. SO, after several days, with only an occasional visit from Rhonda, to feed her, we finally made it home. We thought she would be really happy to see us. NO. As we walked in, after 3 days, she didn't even get out of her bed. She ignored us. She was PISSED. She finally acknowledged us, but it took awhile. She is still training us...

we just got back from a 'journey'. Took a trip, back to our roots, and met with family members, for Carol's bother's memorial. He died too young, at 57, BUT, it was a blessing, if you know what I mean. Cancer took him quickly. Roger is in a better place. We celebrated his life, by eating at his favorite place, bowling in his name, drinking his favorite beer, eating his fav sundae and popcorn. You had to be there to understand. It may be the last time we all meet in Kearney, except for doing the same thing with my parents, (who are doing great, at this point). 'Twas a special time for my folks to meet Piper, who was a great little girl, as she giggled and smiled her way into everyone's heart. In the "Circle of Life', we lost Roger and got Piper., All in all, a very cosmic weekend. We made a decision to drive back to Colorado, into a winter storm, and we made the right choice. Made it home, to 10" of new snow, BUT, the roads were clear and dry, and w

yesterday, when we take the coolers full of boneless elk meat, kept cold by dry ice, after aging and draining for a week, trim and grind it, then add beef tallow (firm white fat), grind it again, and turn it into little white packages of elkburger. We also cut chunks for stew, from some of the best steaks. Best meat/protein there is. Quite a job, though. Took 9 of us, over 5 hours, to complete the task, even though we are all very experienced at it. Not quick, or easy, but good stuff, and a real feeling of accomplishment when you finally get it into the freezer.

and need your medical marijuana prescription filled, here is a list, in the public interest, from the paper today. New Options Wellness, 2855 Aurora Ave., No. 40 Boulder Alternative Medicine, 1325 Broadway, No. 213 Cannabis Healing Arts, 1580 Canyon Blvd. Therapeutic Compassion Center, 1501 Lee Hill, No. 22 THC Ministry of Boulder, 1221 Pearl St., No. 10 Mountain Medicine Group, 1320 Pearl St., Ste. 240 Natural Alternate Medicine, 5370 Manhattan Circle, Ste. 104 Greenleaf Farmacy, 1644 Walnut Ave. JTR Caregivers, 2714 28th St. BMMC Services, 2206 Pearl St. Vape Therapeutics, 1327 Spruce St., Ste. 300 Healing House, 1303 1/2 Broadway Boulder MMJ, 1909 Broadway, No. 100LL The Medication Company, 4483 Broadway The Greenest Green, 2034 Pearl St., Unit 102 High Grade Alternatives, 3370 Arapahoe Ave. Flower of Life Healing Arts Inc, 3970 Broadway, Ste. 201 Colorado Care and Wellness, 1000 Alpine Boulder Care and Wellness, 1000 Alpine Boulder Wellness Center, 5420 Arapahoe Ave., Unit F Boulde

but I was looking at pics, and saw this one of Bailey, that I liked, and decided to share. "Guarding the deck', is her main job, in the evening. Who was it that said, "Her feet look like she was dipped in sugar"?

where we hunt, is sorta in the middle of nowhere, and this year we had a bit of a delay, while the Basque shepherds brought the sheep down from the high country, for the winter. Seems the easiest way was right down the hiway. 'Twas shepherds, dogs and horses working together to change pastures. Pretty neat...

we didn't go skiing much, cause lift tickets are over $100, even with discounts. Yesterday, I saw that early season ski deals were expiring on Nov 15th, and mentioned to Carol that if we wanted to ski more this year we oughta get passes soon. SO, we went to REI, got our pics taken, and SURPRISE, Carol got me an early Christmas present. Yahoo! Nothing like a prepaid pass to get you out of the house and on the slopes. Won't be that many more years we can do it, so this was nice. Thanks, honey..

Described as a devout Muslim, who helped US soldiers with PTSD, after they came back from W's war in Iraq, Nidal Hasan finally snapped. He listened to all the horror stories, from returning vets, about what really goes on over there, against his Islamic brothers, then realized he was being shipped out. He wrote on a blog, about suicide bombers being heroes. He tried, unsuccessfully, to fight his deployment to Iraq, through all legal means, complaining of harrassment over his Islamic beliefs. However, the military is so short of qualified psychological personnel, they decide to retain him. SO, he buys guns, shouts 'Allah Akbar', and starts shooting. Luckily, Kimberly Munley, with the local PD, put him down, before he shot even more. Who coulda seen this coming????

Got this pic of Piper, who's ready for the snow. Little sweetheart, huh? Is that her real hair?

But that figure doesn't include those who have given up, or have not actively searched in the last 4 weeks, or those who were never officially on the lists, or those who traded a 'real' job, for minimum wage survival, or those who had their hours drastically cut, or those who took pay cuts to keep their jobs. The real figure, according to those who should know, is over 20%. Throw in the fact that those WITH jobs are cutting way back on spending, and you can see that the American economy is a snowball heading downhill, gaining speed. What's out there to stop it? I sure don't see anything...

We left Friday, elk hunting, when several roads were still closed (incl Hiway 72 and 93). Played golf this Tuesday, in shorts, no snow. You gotta love Colorado...

After 30 years, five presidents and $13 billion dollars, the Obama administration is pulling the plug on Yucca Mountain, the federal government's proposed storage facility for America's nuclear waste. I thought Obama was gonna be different. I could see W pulling the plug, to keep 'nucular' energy from actually happening, but this is a bunch of crap. What a waste. What do ya do? Start all over? It costs WAY too much money to store and guard the hundreds of tons of nuclear waste, when we have a facility in the desert that's just sitting there. I liked Obama the politician, but I'm getting real tired of Obama the prez...

about 'Obama's unemployment and economic problems, I'm gonna puke, ON whoever says it. It's like a football game, where the offense fumbles on their own one foot line, then bitches when the defense allows a score. Or, the captain of the Titanic bitching about conditions on the lifeboat he's on. Hey idiots! If you hadn't fumbled the ball, or sunk the ship, you wouldn't have that problem. Very basic common sense, BUT, a real problem for the FOXNews and Repub crowd. What a bunch of jerks...

(you can click to enlarge), you can see what a 300 Winchester Magnum will do to your nose, when you stand too close to the scope, as you squeeze the trigger. Saw the 'longest ever' string of elk walking up the valley, (over 300, and we didn't see the beginning or the end) and realized where they were gonna cross the trail in front of us. Got there before them, found a great rifle rest on a fence post, and waited for the biggest one to walk by. Was so excited I whacked my nose, as my rifle kicked back hard, and left a blood trail in the snow, dripping off the tip, until it froze over. Didn't really hurt, but swelled up pretty good...