Third times the charm???

Well, lets try this again.
This makes my third try
with all other efforts
completely lost.

Solomon said it best:
...All is Vanity...

Here is a pic of
"The Dads and
The Daughters".
It was taken last night at
the television studio.
From left to right: Kris Oakes, Deanna, Dave Oakes (Deanna's Dad) and
Lloyd Oakes (Kris' Dad).

I wasn't there of course, but they told me it went very well.
I pray you will forgive my earlier whining. I have had to change not only how I post to this site, but I have also had to change how I post pictures as well. Of course the new program for posting pictures insisted on also managing ALL the pictures on my computer. I love programs. They are kind of like tools. I love having new tools. I just don't want to be forced to use them. They are supposed to be there in case I need them. They are not supposed to MAKE me use them. If I want to use a 2X4 piece of wood like a hammer that should be my business. Can you imagine a hammer telling you:

"Ahem, you must use me (your hammer) for all your hammering needs. Also we have entered into an agreement with the pry bar so you will no longer use the claws (on this same claw hammer) for pulling nails. We know that is what they were designed for, but as the pry par was especially made for prying , this would include prying nails as well, and as it is made by the same corporation that makes this hammer we will no longer allow you to use the claws of this hammer for what they were made for. Of course the rule of all hammering and/or banging of any sort must be done by this hammer or your tool box will refuse to open and all tools therein will be forfeit."
????
Having said that, and this part is no joke, My computer (tool box) is having...er issues. I am praying it will last at least 6 more months but it doesn't act like it wants to. Oh well, if we stop posting here for more than a week, odds are the computer has "left" us. In which case I may have to get out my hammer....
Will

Another day filled with...Stuff!

...And "Stuff" is what it is too. Nothing real important going on just "stuff". Jacob is off to school while Jessalyn is home sick again. Poor Jessa was supposed to go on a field trip just for Honor Students (like her!) but she was just too pale and feverish to let her go. So she stayed home with me.

I walked Deanna out to her car as she was leaving for work. I'm glad I did. I guess the trips into the ditch during that last snow fall did her in. She has a huge gash in the side wall of her front tire. I mean huge too, even though it was still holding air, it was the kind of Gash that "flaps". I was not a happy camper. I don't care about the tire (or the money) but she needed that car for work today and the mini spare wasn't going to do the job either. I let her drive it with the admonition to drive slow. keep both hands on the wheel and to get that thing fixed right away. I'm much more worried about her than I am about money for Christmas. The tires are under warranty but the cheapskates at WalMart only "prorate" tires. So if the tread wears out in 30,000 miles instead of the warrantied 60,000 they only offer to give you half off the price of the next set. It's not bad I know, but personally I would rather have a free tire with only half the warranty; you know what I mean?

Dave, Deanna's Dad, came over shortly after Dea left. We have been planning on turning my Garage and Workshop back into a room like it used to be. Instead, it looks like it will be three rooms and a small tool storage area. Dea had discussed a couple of ideas before she left for work and Dave showed up with a nice drawing of what he thought. Of course I said no to both of them. I explained to Dave what I was thinking and using my sophisticated computer programs, I promptly put together a 3d virtual image of the space inside and out (no kidding). I was quite pleased with the results, which ironically looked exactly like what Dave and Deanna suggested in the first place (still not kidding). So, for the moment, that's exactly what we are going to do.

Cool thing: When Dave left, I stayed outside for a few minutes to play with Sam (the dog). As we were playing catch with his deflated soccer ball, Sam suddenly stopped and stared. He was staring up. He was watching a Bald Eagle that was flying directly over head. He was flying low enough I decided not to throw the flattened ball for fear the eagle might dive on it. (ok, I knew the eagle wouldn't really, but I still hung on to the ball until he flew away). The eagle swirled over head for about a minute and I spent the time admiring his grace and beauty and wishing Dea was here. She's the one that usually sees them and she loves them so.

The Dad's and The Daughters (Lloyd Oakes, Dave Oakes, Kris Oakes and Deanna) are scheduled to be singing on the local television station in
Eau Claire Wisconsin tonight. I'm sure they will be awesome as always, but your prayers would be helpful! It's a long trip and makes for two long days wrapped around one real short night. The kids and I will have to miss it. It's too late for the kids and someone has to be home with 'em.

Well, I have more garage to clean out, wood to chop, wood to move and more wood to stack. There is also a house to clean, lunch to make and much more of that "stuff" for me to get to. I leave you with this thought:
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the Way! Oh what fun...

Will.

The Morning After Black Friday...

...and all is quiet in the house. Deanna has left for work and I am beginning my third of four days away from my job. Both kids are still in their rooms. Jacob is sleeping and Jessalyn is either reading on her bed or playing with an old, old, laptop computer someone gave me; either way she is being quiet and I am enjoying the peace. Soon though, I will have to wake them and begin trying to alternate between forcing chores on them and giving them fun things to do so their holiday isn't a complete waste for them. You know how us "mean dads" can be right?

The temps have been unseasonably warm since our "snowfall". They have been in the upper 50's and lower 60's. This week it should be lower 50's (F). I am NOT complaining! It's nice putting Christmas lights up while it's warm. Not having to crawl around on a snow and ice covered roof is SO Much Nicer! Still, I didn't put all the effort I usually do into the holiday lights for the house. I used to "place" each and every mini light but I just don't have the time and energy. I spent hours just going through all the lights fixing the ones I could by using parts off the ones I couldn't. The pile of "Parts lights" is getting bigger and bigger. It doesn't help that I use so many different size bulbs and types of sets.
I thought I had finished the outside decorations but my wife has informed me that is not the case. I still have a couple of light-sets left and I haven't put up a lighted Cross like I usually do. I have no idea how I'm going to do that this year. Oh well, I'll come up with something but until I do, there is no point in taking pictures so you will just have to wait.

Speaking of which I have just switched to the newer version of my blog host from Blogspot to Blogspot Beta. So far that has been painless. Let me know of any issues. I have to switch my program for placing pictures in this blog (web log) as well. I hope to use the new program for the next set of pics, so we will see.

I took the wife and kids to the Tomah Holiday Parade with lighted floats including our own Warrens Cranberry Festival Float. Honestly I didn't really want to go, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Our Friends Peggy and Amanda went with us. All six of us crammed into our old Lumina and off we went; giggling all the way. We picked our spot out and sat on the curb with our blankets realizing only then that we were an hour early! Sitting on the curb in a blanket on the Main street of Tomah as the traffic drove by, it kind of had a surreal feeling to it.
Jacob, was embarrassed to be seen with us I think. He especially didn't like the fact that one of the blankets we were using was a "Nemo" blanket. He may be socially scarred for life. Well, now I can scratch off: "Mortally embarrass my own children" from the "things to do before I die:" list.
Speaking of the kids, it's time to get them up, fed, and onto the chores. I hope to have pics of the lights on the house for you soon but I don't know when. Keep checking!
Will

Pictures! Come and Get Your Pictures!

Lots of things to report. Below you will see a series of pictures but not all of them are related. At the very bottom you will find a couple of Wedding Pictures of our very good friends Seth and Claire. I know some of you have been eager to see them. With the exception of one, the rest were taken the day after our first heavy snow. We got about eight inches even though the temps were in the mid to upper 30s (f). Consequently the first two inches to actually hit the ground melted. Another two melted throughout the day. You can see the full 6 to 8 inches on the branches of the trees though. Deanna had to deliver mail through it all and spent a good portion of the day in the ditch. She wasn't stuck. She has developed a technique where she just keeps on driving regardless of whether she is on the road or not. Hey, it works! A couple of times she was simply sitting at the mail box when the car would just start to slide sideways. No big deal. If the temperatures get warm enough I'll just break out the spray paint...
In the midst of our annual snow pics, you will find a pic of Jacob and Jessalyn all dressed up for in costumes. Jessalyn as the Snow Queen and Jacob as Captain Jack Sparrow from the movie Pirates of the Carribean. I was supposed to post that pic at another time but I messed up. Surprised by that aren't you? Well, I'm off to Church. May the Lord Bless You and Keep you.

Sunrise on Veterans Day in Wisconsin.

I love the way the first heavy snow makes everything look. I love the crispness of the mornings. I love the fact that I can run back inside where its warm!

Your looking at Captain Jack Sparrow (Jake) and Snow Queen Jessalyn

We got almost eight inches of snow but the first two melted right away and the next two melted throught the day.

If you don't play "fetch" with him he hits you in the shin with the stick. Really! I'm not kidding!

I wish I had his energy so early in the morning.

Walk softly and carry a big stick!

The end of another day at our house.

You have to admit, Seth and Claire do make a lovely couple!

Sign your freedom away! You are bought and paid for now boy!

I hope you voted today

It has always been my belief that if you did not vote, you cannot complain. I hope everyone did their duty and voted, because that's what it is "a duty". We owe to those who went before us and gave their all so that we could have the privilege of voting. Anyway, that being said, I hope that you did vote.
Things have been busy here for the last couple of weeks. I had the chance to attend a "wonderful" conference this last week in Wausau. They had many pertinent subjects for me to take classes on. Things are changing in the tourism industry and we need to be able to adapt Cranfest to fit those changes. It was a great time and a great learning experience. Of course one of my favorite things was the evening that we spent at a local art museum. They had a dessert and wine tasting evening for us and we were allowed to wander all over the museum looking at some beautiful works of art. Some of them dated back to the early 1800's. It was a very nice evening and I enjoyed it after spending my afternoon with a crisis management consultant discussing terrorism and the pandemic.
I decided to get my hair cut the other day. I was tired of the headaches of all this hair. I gave Sue the go ahead to cut it like I had it when I was in college. She loved it and now so do I. I think she cut 5 or 6 inches off of it. When we were done there was this huge pile of hair on the floor. I had been trying to grow it out to donate it to locks of love for cancer patients, but just could not make it the last two inches. Too many headaches. Now people keep touching it. They all come over and have to feel it. So far everyone loves it, except I'm not so sure that Will likes it, but he has not complained.
We are cleaning out the garage. Sorting, moving and reorganizing everything. What a mess. I hate trying to decide what to keep and if I'm going to keep it what do I do with it? Then there are Will's tools. It's pretty hard to know what to do with a tool that you have no idea what it does. Does it go in the plumbing or in the electrical. Is it for working on cars or a woodworking tool? Some things are obvious, but some baffle me.
The kids are great. I think that Jake is now as tall as me. If not, he's pretty close. Jessalyn is growing fast too. Both are changing so much on the inside too. I had an empty nest moment the other day when I realized that both of my children will have graduated high school in 8 years (Hopefully). Sometimes they drive me crazy, but I don't know what we will do when they leave us. Of course with Will being my best friend and favorite companion, I imagine that I will not get bored. I'm sure that we will find plenty to do. Of course we have always planned on traveling. I would like to travel with the kids too, but until I go full time at the post office, that is not possible to a great extent.
I have a concert with the Dads and Daughters to do in Rockford IL on the 19th. We are looking forward to that, especially since we will see family down there too. I just love to hang out with my relatives. Then on the 29th the Dads and Daughters have been asked to do a television concert over in Wisconsin Rapids. I don't know many details about that one, but it should be a blast.
Thanksgiving will be at our house this year. Just a small group of us with other parts of our family heading out of town or having turkey with inlaws etc. We just will have probably about 10 or so here, not many. Then it's time to work on Christmas Eve. I have already figured out the menu pretty much and it should not be a big deal. I cut down on the number of appetizers this year and I think there will only be about 10 different kinds, but that always grows as time goes by. We also have about 16 gift baskets to make this year.
Christmas caroling is the 2nd of December and between now and then we need to put up our holiday display that Cranfest sponsors. We are thinking about setting up another line of Christmas trees this year. These will be donated and decorated by local groups. We will pay the electric and it will help to decorate our little town of less than 300 people.
Well, time to go and sort some more stuff.
God bless and have a great day.