The Ocho

Bon and I are celebrating our eight year anniversary today. Does not seem like it has been that long, honestly. Going for a nice dinner tonight and Reese gets to spend some time with her boy Blake. So it is a win-win for everyone.

Speaking of Reese, she had her 18 month check-up yesterday and passed with flying colors. She is right where she needs to be and gives the docs a good laugh when she is in there.

Join along, and celebrate the Ocho...

I am Parrothead

The last few days have been a whirlwind, the concert, Beth in town, etc.

Let me start with the Thursday tailgate. Great time, great food, plenty of adult beverages and cornhole. The rain held off for all but 15 minutes, which was not bad at all. Buffett's crew has a guy who walks around the tailgate area during the day, taping people, and putting them on the big screen during the show. Well, wouldn't you know it, Pipes and Spencer made it. They were imitating a pug with a special talent for consuming beer, classic! We all made it back to the house in one piece, the concert was a lot of fun, and Reese enjoyed the parade of boys out of the basement the next morning. She sure does like dudes. I would definitely go back to another Jimmy show, very laid back, good tunes. He even played a cover of "Brown Eyed Girl", one of my favorites for obvious reasons.

While Beth was in town she decided to take over the Reese Saturday night and give us an opportunity to hit the town. We had a cool dinner, ran into some friends from church, and then went to a movie! Ocean's 13, and it gets two thumbs up! It is tough to beat any original in a series of sequels, (although Red Dragon also comes very close to Silence of the Lambs for me), but this flick totally crushed Ocean's 12 and is definitely buyable when it comes out on DVD. Reese had a ton of fun with Grandma and gave her a ton to laugh about.

Back to work today, looking for the Benjamins...

Peace out!

In honor of Reese enjoy this clip with a little extra funk:

Margarittaville

Been a little since the last post, but the madness has just begun...

Pipes and BG are en route to the house. Guido, Spencer, Fischer, Ondrus, and Austin are hooking up with us in the morning as we head to Riverbend to start tailgating at 9am! Everyone keeps telling me that I am in for a treat, being a Jimmy virgin, I am not sure what to expect, but the hype is strong to very strong. Expect a full report on Friday.

Last night I had the honor of helping out with the 4 Corners Sports Camp. Thanks to Swartwout for letting me help. It was a great time and some of the kids had skillz! Including a girl who gave me a vision of Reese in five years, dominating boys at their game, she scored 4 TD's!

Afterwards, hooked up with some great guys at TGIF for some grub and drinks. The burger was awesome! We had the chance to talk some business and play a little name that tune with the 80's music being played. I am very blessed to have numerous solid dudes in my life.

Keep prayers up for a couple of grandparents, Bon's grandma Martha and the Godfather's grandpa. Both are having pacemaker procedures.

Peace out...

150K

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Corolla has rolled over 150,000 miles! When we bought it eight years ago it had 32K, clearly she has been a champ. My goal is to get her to at least 200K and then we will see what is happening.

Friday night had a solid dinner with the Godfather fam, and when I got home I just felt like mowing, so was able to knock that out. Saturday we did a lot of chillin' and painting, finishing up the cornhole set with a sweet Notre Dame logo. Had a short visit with Beth who is now up in C-bus with Grandma Martha preparing for surgery. We are keeping the weiner dog for a few days, so Reese is having fun with that.

Our home will be invaded in just a few days as 7 guys will be crashing with us and we will be making our way to Jimmy Buffet on Thursday night. I believe our tailgate party is starting about 9am, good times...

Peace out

Tragic

A later post today will detail our latest and greatest, but wanted to pass on this tragic story.

Former major league infielder and current Tulsa hitting coach Mike Coolbaugh died Sunday night after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach's box in a game against Arkansas.

Unbelievable. Coolbaugh was knocked unconscious and CPR was administered to him on the field after he was struck in the forehead. The 35-year-old was still alive when he was put in an ambulance, but stopped breathing before arriving at the hospital. Coolbaugh, who played in 44 games for the Brewers in 2001 and the Cardinals in 2002, hit 256 career homers in the minors before retiring after last season. He had just taken the job as Tulsa's hitting and first-base coach on July 3. He is survived by his wife and two children, with a third on the way in October.

Worldwide

One of the cool new features I have added to the blog is a stat tracker, that shows me how many visitors I get a day and where they are coming from. I have been pleasantly surprised with the popularity. The blog is getting about 20-25 unique visitors a day, and spanning from Alaska (obviously) to Boston and down to Pensacola, Florida. I would have never have dreamed that so many people either thought our life was a) interesting or b) entertaining.

Keep 'em coming, tell all your friends, as Toby would say, "Let's spread this love like dandelions"

As Hartsock and I were shooting the bull yesterday, a couple of "Kwan" references and Jerry Maguire came up. This lead me to a hilarious video clip, with one of my favorite animals...

Back to Class

I return to school tonight after playing hooky last week. Apparently I did not miss much, but we will see how it goes.

Our whirlwind tour continued last night as Clark stopped by for the evening. Bon made a rocking dinner and we got him squared away on some technical stuff for something he is working on.

It sounds like we may have another visitor this weekend as well, we love it, the house is getting plenty of play.

Thanks again to the guys from CCM who for some reason asked me back to play some softball Tuesday night, I had a good time, but still need to get some work in the cage.

For the record, if I owned the Atlanta Falcons Mike Vick would be cut yesterday. Killing dogs? Seriously, get a brain in your head.

Reese turned 18 months yesterday, (applause), we have a cool video to post here as soon as I get it downloaded. You will also get to enjoy Bon's singing skillz.

And last, but certainly not least MAJOR PROPS go out to my boy, $$$, commonly referred to as S-Braine. He has a business about to launch which is off the charts sweet. I will post more info as it goes live and have added the link to his site in our "Sponsors" listing. I hope you all will help us spread the word and support him when the time comes.

Keep it real for now...

Power Packed

Wow, a lot went on this weekend, no way I could do it justice here.

Let's hit the highlights:

• Daddy B and Aunt Krys, nuff said really, always a pleasure
• Slim possee and Grandma-ma rolled down as well
• Tossed the pigskin with the fellas, did some grilling
• Bon made kabobs
• Reese got some new kicks (Croc style)
• Aunt Krys experienced Jungle Jim's and gave her another reason to move here
• Saw a ton of family at Jamie's that I had not seen in a long time
• Daddy B cooked up some unbelievable food, as usual
• When he moves back I anticipate gaining 15 lbs.
  
• Got home wicked late last night
• I administered the Heimlich maneuver to Jase after he repeatedly choked at Cornhole
  
• Reese is re-adjusting today after 4 days of big excitement
• Great message at church on Sunday, check it out at the church's website (link to the right)

Peace out for now...

My "Special" Holiday

Many of you know that I have a special affinity with the #13, it is my favorite number. It was my football number and I use it on any other jersey or t-shirt which requires a number. Heck, if Bon would go for it, I would have 13 kids. So I always look forward to the 13th of every month, especially when it falls on Friday.

Had a great time with familia de Guido last night. (I am on a Spanish kick right now, sorry) Hayden looks like a little dude and Reese is a big Jackson fan. Always good to see them, and I swear Reese said Uncle Guid.

Today she gets Auntie Rie! This is a stellar week in Reese's early life, let me tell you.

Peace out...

7'9" of New Husband

Worlds tallest man just got hitched, awesome!

Had a great dinner last night with a group of friends at a quaint little Mexican joint. I could definitely see myself going back but I think I will try something different on the menu. Reese had a good time where she stayed and passed out on the way home. I have said it before and I will say it again, holding Reese while she sleeps is one of the coolest things I get to do.

Big excitement tonight as Hayden Grooms makes his debut to the Furniss Family. Very much looking forward to seeing the Guido clan tonight at Casa De Fuego (our house).

Keep it on the down low that I am skipping class y'all.

Two Cars in The Garage

Bon is awesome, I got to tell you. Monday night we had started a little side project, finally organizing and cleaning up the garage. We got a little over half way done I would say and left the rest for yesterday. Well, during Reese's nap yesterday Bon went out and pretty much finished it, leaving only the hoisting of materials into the storage space above the garage. So, after I mowed last night we took care of that, and then I pulled both cars in the garage. It may not seem like a big deal, but I am stoked, I ain't gonna lie.

Looking forward to dinner tonight with a group of friends at a restaurant we have heard raves about.

I registered and received the books for my mortgage class in August, so that is exciting.

Life is good...

Reese, meet Tobymac

What a weekend!

On Saturday Reese made her King's Island debut. (I am sure this was the first visit of many in her life). We rolled up, rode a couple of rides with her, and hit Spirit Song. She was less than thrilled with the rides, clearly she is ready for something more exciting. Unfortunately, at her current height her options are limited.

First band she saw was Building 429, she was OK with it, but fell asleep in the middle of their set.

Then came Tobymac...

It was like she recognized his music instantly, we play it in the house a lot. She started clapping and dancing, and eventually ended up on the bench breaking down some moves for everyone around us to witness. We had a great time.

Yesterday Squibb and I shot down to the Reds game to take some clients. We were sitting three rows behind home plate and got some major face time on the tube. But, I got to tell you, it was HOT! And we both have a tint of red to our complexions this morning. Dang bullpen blew a two run lead in the top of the ninth, or we would have been out of there an hour earlier.

A lot going on this week, including a weekend with Daddy B and Aunt Krys, yeah!

Enjoy this video from Tobymac...

Hooligans

Quick story for you. Jase and Amber had their house vandalized a few days ago. Some young hooligans decided to spray paint vulgar stuff on houses down their road and smash some mailboxes along the way. The mailbox smashing I can live with, I've been there, but spray painting houses is too much.

(Seg-way to another story) In high school we were out smashing mailboxes one night and one of my boys took a big swing with the "aluminator" and struck a concrete lined mailbox! His whole body jiggled like you would see in a Tom & Jerry cartoon.

Which all leads me to my point that was recently stated on the Herd talk show a few days ago. The comment was, "Wow, since Zach Randolph got in trouble in Portland, you know he will get in trouble in the NYC."

Colin's response, "Which two cities do NBA guy get in the most trouble in?, Portland and Indianapolis. Why is that? Cuz there is nothing to do but sit around with your entourage, guns and dogs."

Similar story to the concrete jungle known as Frankfort, OH. The reason crap like this happens unfortunately is because there is nothing else to do.

Can someone put a couple of nightclubs or at least a stop light in the thriving metropolis that I grew up in? Please, save the next generation!

I'm out...

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July everyone!

We had a phenomenal time last night, what can I say our neighbors rock! I would say there were approx. 75 people here for our block party and the fireworks display was strong, to very strong. Mad props go out to Brian.

One of the coolest things is that the family who sold us our house and the family next door who recently moved out both came back.

Reese was less than thrilled with the show, falling asleep in Bon's lap about halfway through. How she fell asleep with that noise level amazes me. We took the monitor over to the central party point and was able to hang out and chat into the wee hours this morning. I took a 2 hour nap today if that tells you anything.

Back to work tomorrow.

Keep it real...

Are you kidding me?

A-Rod's wife sports vulgar tank top
/ Associated Press
Posted: 17 hours ago

The wife of Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez wore a white tank top with foul language on the back when she attended a game against the Oakland Athletics.

A common two-word obscenity ending with "you" was clearly visible when Cynthia Rodriguez, her 2-year-old daughter and an unidentified older woman took their seats Sunday in the players' family section at Yankee Stadium.

A front-page photograph Monday in the New York Post shows the back of the tank top with the obscenity printed in Old English lettering between the shoulder blades. The first letter of the first word is visible; the three other letters are intentionally blurred. The second word is 'You.' The paper's headline read: "F-Rod."

The Yankees had no immediate comment, team spokesman Jason Zillo said Monday.

According to the Post, the team's policy prohibits banners or signs that are not in "good taste" and also warns that security guards will eject any guests "using foul language" or "making obscene gestures." Zillo would not address whether the message on the shirt violated the policy.

Picnic Fun

We had a great time on Saturday with a group of friends at Sharon Woods. Great weather, good food and fun times.

Church was rocking Sunday, Greg did a phenomenal job. It was the first time Bon and I had sat together in service in weeks.

The weekend without homework was strong, to very strong, and I am looking forward to no class on Thursday night!

Big Birthday props go out to my grandma today, the big 6-9.

Keep it real,

(But first check out this crazy story)

Chicago Woman Born With Tiny Arms Denied McDonald's Service for Using Feet

Monday , July 02, 2007

A woman has filed a lawsuit against a McDonald's franchise, claiming that employees in two suburban Chicago restaurants refused to serve her because a birth defect forces her to use her feet as hands.

Dawn Larson was born with Holt-Oram Syndrome, which left her with diminutive hands just six inches from her shoulder, according to a report Monday in the Chicago Sun-Times.

"I drank my baby bottle with my feet," she told the paper. "Nobody ever taught me how to do it, I just did it. I can ride a regular 10-speed bike. I can swim. It has not been a problem in my life at all. It didn't stop me from having four boys. I've never dropped one of them."

In her lawsuit filed last week against the Rockford, Ill., McDonald's chain, Larson claims staff refused to serve her after she paid by credit card with her left foot for $23.59 of food last November, the paper reported.

"What's the matter with you? . . . You ain't got no arms. ... Let me see your arms," an employee allegedly told Larson with a tone of disgust, withdrawing the bags of food from Larson's outstretched foot, the paper said, citing the lawsuit.

The food was eventually given to Larson's son, but she says the incident occurred again three months later at a different McDonald's in Rockford. Both are owned by McDonald's Restaurants of Illinois Inc., the Sun-Times reported.

"We care very much about our customers and take this allegation seriously," Larry Taylor, director of operations for McDonald's Restaurants of Illinois Inc., told the paper. "We do our very best to serve our customers with the utmost care and respect. We have a strict policy prohibiting any form of discrimination in our restaurants. We have not seen the lawsuit and, as such, it would be inappropriate to comment."

Oh My Goodness!

Time to celebrate my friends, my Stats class is over and the Spice Girls are back!

Have a great weekend everyone, I know I will.

Gizmo?

Bon has returned from her Walk to Emmaus weekend, and Reese and I are so excited. We missed her terribly, although, as expected, it sounds like she had a phenomenal time. Thank you to everyone who sent her a letter.

I have been working on a couple of big school projects, as this Thursday is our final class of Stats. (This has been my least favorite course in the curriculum)

Thanks to Jum, I have decided to try out a new nickname for Reese. When she giggles it sounds just like Gizmo from the Gremlins movie. I asked her if she likes the name and she said, "NAAHHHH". I swear she has a southern accent sometimes.

I been saying it all along...

Firstborn sons have higher IQs, Norway study finds

By Ishani Ganguli2 hours, 13 minutes ago

Firstborn sons have higher IQs than their younger brothers, and their social status within the family may explain why, researchers reported on Thursday.

A study that used military draft records for more than 240,000 Norwegian men found that firstborns had an edge of 2.3 IQ points on their next oldest brothers, who in turn beat brothers born third by 1.1 points on average.

Men who had been raised as the eldest, whether they were born first, second, or third, had IQs to match their first-born peers. The same was true for those raised or born second, Petter Kristensen and colleagues at the University of Oslo report in the journals Science and Intelligence.

"This study provides evidence that the relation between birth order and IQ score is dependent on the social rank in the family and not birth order as such," Kristensen's team wrote in Science.

Their studies confirmed what many scientists had suspected for more than a century -- that firstborns have an edge.

But attempts to prove the effect have been disputed, in part because the circumstances of each family are different.

To compensate for this, Kristensen's team studied brothers raised in the same families.

And some scientists argue that birth order IQ differences arise in the womb, while others point to family interactions.

Emmaus, Part II

First off, I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers for Katey's Dad Chris. It is way cool that many of you, who have never met him, continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. He is doing well, following his final surgery yesterday and all signs point to an almost full recovery.

Took Jum and Katey up to Beaver Junction this morning where my man Slim took over and transported them the rest of the way. It was great to see them, cannot wait until they are moved back here.

Reese and I are flying solo this weekend as Bon heads on her Walk to Emmaus. We will miss her terribly, but this experience will be awesome for her.

Can this be for real?

http://www.diet-water.com/index.htm

Keep it real...