Add to the Bucketlist

I have been shooting before--with the little discs--and it was pretty fun. However, this form of trap shooting is a definite must before I die.

I need one

I have two dogs. I work and go to school. I do not need another dog. However, if I ever did get another dog--if I were to live out my dream and get a big ranch or move to Alaska or something, I definitely would need one of these:

CAUCASIAN OVCHARKA

Seriously, I've always wanted a pet bear!

And you can even get bear hugs! :) Yep, I definitely need one.

Life as it is or as it should be

Saw one of the best movies of all time this past Sunday: MAN OF LA MANCHA. Wonderful message--first movie I've cried in for a very long time. Definitely worth watching at least once.



"I've been a soldier and a slave. I've seen my comrades fall in battle or die more slowly under the lash in Africa. I've held them in my arms at the final moment. These were men who saw life as it is, yet they died despairing. No glory, no brave last words, only their eyes, filled with confusion, questioning "Why?" I don't think they were wondering why they were dying, but why they had ever lived. When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? To surrender dreams - -this may be madness; to seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness! But maddest of all - -to see life as it is and not as it should be."

Tomatoes

An old Italian man lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,

I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over.. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.

Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried.

Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived with a warrant and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day the old man received another letter from his son..

Dear Pop,

Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love you, Vinnie

Pivot... PIvot... PIIIVOOOOT!!!!!!!!!

Here is a letter from Carolyn--I got a good laugh out of it:

How many PhD students does it take to move a couch?‏

Answer:

Three: two physics and one mechanical engineering, plus a dental student and a med student.

A step-by-step process for your enjoyment:

Step 1: Try moving the couch around the tight corner.

Step 2: Try moving the couch through the window (turns out the windows don't come out or move much)

Step 3: Give up trying to move it into the living room and try moving it upstairs instead

Step 4: Look at it for a long time and try to think of other options

Step 5: Decide to cut the couch in half (cringe) to get it around the corner. Call mechanical engineer's wife to bring power tools.

Step 6: Consult Carolyn before slicing through the fabric. Discover that no slicing of fabric is necessary -- just take out the staples.

Step 7: Cut through top and bottom beams in the back of the couch.

Step 8: Bend the couch around the corner and be happy when that works.

Step 9: Screw additional pieces of wood to the two cut beams to stabilize. Stable fabric back in place.

Step 10: Put your couch in the living room (finally) and heave a sigh. What we have gone through for this couch!

Apparently couches don't really fit into our apartment complex. Nor do beds (although we did manage to fit our new queen bed in -- barely). This place had a great designer...

Thought you might enjoy this. Love to all,

Carolyn

Rocky

If you haven't and have the time, I suggest watching the ROCKY series. I never was a fan; never understood the hype. However, with some coercion from my brothers, I have successfully made it through all six of the movies, and I must say, I was quite impressed. Here's a random fact that I found quite interesting: It took only $1.1 million to make the original Rocky, filmed in just 28 days--made over $100 million, won 3 Oscars, including Best Picture. Go figure. Besides, who doesn't get pumped when you hear that Rocky music???

Favorite quotes:

Mickey: You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!

Mickey: Your nose is broken.
Rocky: How does it look?
Mickey: Ah, it's an improvement.

Rocky Balboa: [looking at Thunderlips] Wow, he's awful big. Hey, Mick, how much do you think he eats?
Mickey: About 202 pounds.
LeRoy Neiman: Weighing in at 202 pounds...

Rocky Balboa: I was wonderin' if, uh, you wouldn't mind marryin' me very much.

And a lesson on life:

Rocky Balboa: Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!

---

For Ruby

Dedicated to sweet little Ruby: she will always hold a place in our hearts. <3

The Ride of Your Life

Let's face it: yesterday sucked. I don't know quite why, perhaps I offended the gods, or the elements combined against me, or I stepped in front of a black cat or something. But you know, it's those really crappy days that make you see life clearer--not the bad day, but the day after. Things are so much brighter, because you were so lost in the dark.

This is pretty awesome. Definitely a must read.

The Ride of your life

- George Carlin - worth reading every day - a keeper
Enjoy the ride; There is no return ticket
George Carlin on aging! (Absolutely Brilliant)

IF YOU DON'T READ THIS TO THE VERY END, YOU HAVE LOST A DAY IN YOUR LIFE. AND WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED, DO AS I AM DOING AND SEND IT ON.

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.


'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.


You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.


'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life ! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!


But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?


You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!


So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!


You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'


Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.


AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away..


And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!


P.S. Thanks Dad, I really needed that. :)

It's one of those days...

It's one of those days. I feel it too.

Pioneeeers

Happy Pioneer Day everyone!!!

(P.S. I won the baking contest, just in case you were curious. ;) )