Crocs.... shameful at best!

Andrea and I were traveling back from Arizona, we were sitting on the shuttle that was taking us back to long term parking when I heard a women telling her husband how warm it had been in Utah. She leaned over and said, "Its been so warm you could have worn your C-R-O-C-S!". I first thought it was funny that she spelled it out and then it hit me... he must be ashamed that he owns and enjoys wearing crocs. For those of you who don't know what crocs are then you have nothing to worry about. If you know first hand what crocs are... because you own a pair... pay attention. You need to burn those as quickly as possible. Consider this a public service announcement... when it gets warmer in the next few months... buy some flip flops (thongs) and put your crocs out in the trash!


I am assuming that this is a man wearing these crocs by the hair on the legs... I could be wrong but can you see what crocs lead to! Socks with sandal like shoes! Please see the light! Think twice before you wear crocs!



Here is another man wearing crocs... they're navy blue which is a slight improvement... but why in the world would you want to look like you have duck feet?

Rosie wears crocs... is that not reason enough???????

This to me is a huge red flag! If people have found ways to embellish the crocs to make them more appealing to young kids... they are not for adults anymore! Time to move on. I have an example from my childhood... I remember when the Coolio song "Gansta's paradise" was really cool... I also remember the moment when it stopped being cool... I was driving in the car with my Mom and she knew and sang every word. (We were driving in her car and were headed west on Lake Forest Blvd and Toledo Rd.) Do you understand where I am coming from now?



If croc decorating is something that young girls do at slumber parties... then maybe grown men and women should not wear these!

Um... these should be outlawed!

I don't care if you are the president of the United States of America... crocs are the worst thing ever invented. Wearing these shoes is by far the worst decision President Bush has made as President.




Ok... this is what crocs drive people to do! Why in the world would a grown man in a suit have the desire to match his shirt with his shoes. This is a mess... I would send him home to change if he worked for me! I am sure his name tag reads: "Hello my name is... I have no women in my life.. do you know what I am doing wrong?" Yes we do... its the crocs!





There just isnt anything in the world like sitting next to a warm fire place with a hideous pair of crocs on. Notice there are no man legs in this picture? There is a reason... the ugly crocs scared them away.



So in conclusion... never wear crocs! Find another alternative. If you see someone wearing crocs... helps them! If you are looking to help people that wear crocs... here are some things to look for...

1. They are usually by themselves or with small children (also wearing crocs.. they will probably be talking about how to decorate their crocs.)

2. Look for people with fanny packs on! If they are still hanging on to the fanny pack... chances are they just discovered crocs. Stop them before it gets too serious.

3. Look for people wearing tie dyed shirts with wolves and bears and indians and rainbows and stuff on them. You know the kind... we have seen these at Walmarts and truck stops all over the country.

4. Your neighbor next store may even shock you... the people you least expect who usually have some fashion sense may be guilty of wearing crocs.

5. Hospitals across the country are flooded by nurses wearing these things... make sure they put real shoes on before they work on you... for sanitation sake!

PLEASE PLEASE THINK TWICE THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE TEMPTED TO WEAR THE CROCS YOU MAY ALREADY OWN. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU AND WANT MORE FOR YOU THAN CROCS!

A Phrase A Week Mailing List

I have recently joined an email mailing list (I know who wants more junk email right?) that sends explanations for the words and phrases we use in the English language. I have always wondered why we say some of the things we say... I guess its mostly opinion based but I still think some of these explanations are interesting.

Here is one I always thought was interesting:

"I could care less!" : People have suggested that "I could care less!" is a mistake for "I couldn't care less," which it contradicts. Perhaps not. Bubble-gum English is different. The movie "Valley Girl" (1983) tried amusingly to capture the vocabulary and flavor of Valley-speak, the language of teenaged girls in the San Fernando Valley, who spoke in a sort of coded version of English (while teenaged boys prefer not to talk at all). The movie "Clueless" (1995) also dealt with teen-speak, and made "As if!" a sort of by-word. It apparently means "As if that could be true!" (said skeptically). I believe this sort of ellipsis explains "I could care less!" Just preface it with "As if" or "As though" or "Like." In this case, "like" serves as a conjunction (horrors!) rather than as the deplorable teen punctuation in which every clause begins with "like." Of course, the teen misuse of "like" is a venial sin compared to its misuse by grownups who should know better, such as those responsible for TV news and commentary, and for contributions to intellectual magazines like "Harper's" and "The Atlantic," where expressions like internecine, fortuitous, beg the question and a raft of others are routinely misused. Incidentally, if you'd like to hear young ladies REALLY talking to each other in code, watch the movie "Slums of Beverly Hills" (1998). And that's fer sher.

Dictionary Update

Fabulous: fab-yuh-luh s - This word should only used by women and homosexuals. Heterosexuals are immediately assumed homosexual with the use of this word. WARNING all "gay-dars" pick up this word when used. If you are heterosexual and wish to be portrayed as such please refrain from ever using this word. Consider the following examples:

Homo: "These potatoes are fabulous!"
Hetero: "These potatoes are great!"

Homo: "I'm doing just fabulous!"
Hetero: "I'm doing really well!"

Homo: "You look fabulous in that."
Hetero: "You look really good in that"

Homo: "We just had a fabulous time!"
Hetero: "We had a really good time!"

Homo: "Those shoes are simply fabulous!"
Hetero: "I like your shoes!"

Homo: "Thanks so much for the fabulous party!"
Hetero: "Thank you for the great party!"

Homo: "Your eyeshadow is fabulous... it really makes your eyes pop!"
Hetero: "... you look really nice!"

Hopefully the point of this lesson is fully understood. If you want your vocabulary to trigger questions on your sexual preference then continue the use of this word. If you want people to know you are heterosexual then I suggest not using this word ever again.

"Mecklaces"

Sometimes I think there are things that should go without saying. Unfortunately when something is not said I feel the need to address it on my blog. This way I can be assured that there is no confusion and then I don't have to mention it to anyone who may be an offender. If I offend anyone that is not my intent. I will apologize to every man wearing a necklace right now if you will also apologize for wearing one.

The Puka (Puke-a) shell necklace is GREAT for women... when they are within 10 miles of an ocean beach. It is NEVER ok for men to wear these. My brother Bart calls the guys that wear these "sup bros" they are usually seen driving Jettas and wearing K-Swiss shoes.

I don't know what these are called. Apparently men wear them because of this picture and it needs to spot. I think I have seem hanging things from them. Come on guys... not a good idea.

So this is what people look like when they wear gold chains... this is not a good look.

Almost like the gold but worn on the outside.

Any leather type necklace is bad for men... this is borderline Gothic.

Hemp! This was popular during the Curt Cobain era. Now you can pick them up at your local Pac Sun or Buckle. These can also be worn by "sup bros".

This is THE ONLY acceptable necklace to be worn by men. The military uses this for identification which means that it actually serves a purpose.

So remember the following are bad:

Fanny Packs
"Mecklaces"
and cell phones on belts!

Christmas Pictures

Okay I know these should have been posted earlier but better late than never right? These are in no particular order.

Here is Jake (my little brother) opening up a gift from us... look at the concentration!

This is my newest little cousin Jack. When he smiles you can't help smiling back.

Here is Jack with my uncle Kris. He loved this train.

Ok... I am aware that this picture is blurry and dark but I wanted everyone to see the moment I captured here... this is the first glance at the loot from the top of the stairs. Do you remember when you were a kid and feeling that rush of excitement?

Here is my Mom and Scott. I think this one came out awesome!

Well I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas this year... we sure did!

Happy New Year!

I know today is the 2nd day of January but I wanted to wish everybody a happy new year. We had a pretty quite new year in Idaho. We went up on new years eve and spent the night watching the ball dropping stuff. It was also freezing cold! I think it got down to the negative digits... it was supposed to be -10. The cold was also very nice to my battery in the 4Runner. The cold killed it! So that was part of the new years festivities. Other than than we had a pretty low key holiday.

Um.... You have to watch this all the way through!

Mitt Romney's Speech

I really though this was a great speech. If you have a second to find it online and watch it I recommend it.

"It is an honor to be here today. This is an inspiring place because of you and the First Lady and because of the film exhibited across the way in the Presidential library. For those who have not seen it, it shows the President as a young pilot, shot down during the Second World War, being rescued from his life-raft by the crew of an American submarine. It is a moving reminder that when America has faced challenge and peril, Americans rise to the occasion, willing to risk their very lives to defend freedom and preserve our nation. We are in your debt. Thank you, Mr. President.

"Mr. President, your generation rose to the occasion, first to defeat Fascism and then to vanquish the Soviet Union. You left us, your children, a free and strong America. It is why we call yours the greatest generation. It is now my generation's turn. How we respond to today's challenges will define our generation. And it will determine what kind of America we will leave our children, and theirs.

"America faces a new generation of challenges. Radical violent Islam seeks to destroy us. An emerging China endeavors to surpass our economic leadership. And we are troubled at home by government overspending, overuse of foreign oil, and the breakdown of the family.

"Over the last year, we have embarked on a national debate on how best to preserve American leadership. Today, I wish to address a topic which I believe is fundamental to America's greatness: our religious liberty. I will also offer perspectives on how my own faith would inform my Presidency, if I were elected.

"There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams’ words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'

"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.

"Given our grand tradition of religious tolerance and liberty, some wonder whether there are any questions regarding an aspiring candidate's religion that are appropriate. I believe there are. And I will answer them today.

"Almost 50 years ago another candidate from Massachusetts explained that he was an American running for president, not a Catholic running for president. Like him, I am an American running for president. I do not define my candidacy by my religion. A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith.

"Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin.

"As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution – and of course, I would not do so as President. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.

"As a young man, Lincoln described what he called America's 'political religion' – the commitment to defend the rule of law and the Constitution. When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.

"There are some for whom these commitments are not enough. They would prefer it if I would simply distance myself from my religion, say that it is more a tradition than my personal conviction, or disavow one or another of its precepts. That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers – I will be true to them and to my beliefs.

"Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it. But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience.

Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.

"There is one fundamental question about which I often am asked. What do I believe about Jesus Christ? I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths. Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance. Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree.

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

"I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims. As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life's blessings.

"It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it's usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'

"Nor would I separate us from our religious heritage. Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?

"They are not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They are the firm ground on which Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united.

"We believe that every single human being is a child of God – we are all part of the human family. The conviction of the inherent and inalienable worth of every life is still the most revolutionary political proposition ever advanced. John Adams put it that we are 'thrown into the world all equal and alike.'

"The consequence of our common humanity is our responsibility to one another, to our fellow Americans foremost, but also to every child of God. It is an obligation which is fulfilled by Americans every day, here and across the globe, without regard to creed or race or nationality.

"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government. No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty. The lives of hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters were laid down during the last century to preserve freedom, for us and for freedom loving people throughout the world. America took nothing from that Century's terrible wars – no land from Germany or Japan or Korea; no treasure; no oath of fealty. America's resolve in the defense of liberty has been tested time and again. It has not been found wanting, nor must it ever be. America must never falter in holding high the banner of freedom.

"These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements. I am moved by the Lord's words: 'For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me...'

"My faith is grounded on these truths. You can witness them in Ann and my marriage and in our family. We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way, but our aspirations, our values, are the self-same as those from the other faiths that stand upon this common foundation. And these convictions will indeed inform my presidency.

"Today's generations of Americans have always known religious liberty. Perhaps we forget the long and arduous path our nation's forbearers took to achieve it. They came here from England to seek freedom of religion. But upon finding it for themselves, they at first denied it to others. Because of their diverse beliefs, Ann Hutchinson was exiled from Massachusetts Bay, a banished Roger Williams founded Rhode Island, and two centuries later, Brigham Young set out for the West. Americans were unable to accommodate their commitment to their own faith with an appreciation for the convictions of others to different faiths. In this, they were very much like those of the European nations they had left.

"It was in Philadelphia that our founding fathers defined a revolutionary vision of liberty, grounded on self evident truths about the equality of all, and the inalienable rights with which each is endowed by his Creator.

"We cherish these sacred rights, and secure them in our Constitutional order. Foremost do we protect religious liberty, not as a matter of policy but as a matter of right. There will be no established church, and we are guaranteed the free exercise of our religion.

"I'm not sure that we fully appreciate the profound implications of our tradition of religious liberty. I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired … so grand … so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.

"Infinitely worse is the other extreme, the creed of conversion by conquest: violent Jihad, murder as martyrdom... killing Christians, Jews, and Muslims with equal indifference. These radical Islamists do their preaching not by reason or example, but in the coercion of minds and the shedding of blood. We face no greater danger today than theocratic tyranny, and the boundless suffering these states and groups could inflict if given the chance.

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed.

"In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion – rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith.

"Recall the early days of the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, during the fall of 1774. With Boston occupied by British troops, there were rumors of imminent hostilities and fears of an impending war. In this time of peril, someone suggested that they pray. But there were objections. 'They were too divided in religious sentiments', what with Episcopalians and Quakers, Anabaptists and Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Catholics.

"Then Sam Adams rose, and said he would hear a prayer from anyone of piety and good character, as long as they were a patriot.

"And so together they prayed, and together they fought, and together, by the grace of God ... they founded this great nation.

"In that spirit, let us give thanks to the divine 'author of liberty.' And together, let us pray that this land may always be blessed, 'with freedom's holy light.'

"God bless the United States of America."

Christmas Story

I love to hear these types of Christmas stories. I think they help us focus on being kind to others.

Christmas 1960 (Gratitude)
In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket.

Their father was gone.

The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two.

Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared.

Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds.

He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries.

Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no food either.

If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it.

I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress, loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job.

The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town.

No luck.

The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince who ever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job.

Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in t hat had been converted to a truck stop.

It was called the Big Wheel.

An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids.

She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning.

She paid 65 cents an hour, and I could start that night..

I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for people.

I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night.

She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep

This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal

That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel.

When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-- full y half of what I averaged every night.

As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage.

The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home.

One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires!

There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires.

Had angels taken up residence in Indiana ? I wondered.

I made a deal with the local service station.

In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office.

I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires.

I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough.

Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids.

I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning.

Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair.

On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. There were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe

A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine.

The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up.

When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning, to my amazement, my old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes.

I quickly opened the driver's side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat.

Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box.

Inside was whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10!

I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans.

Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes.. There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes.
There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items.

And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll.

As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude.

And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning.

Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop....

A cause I don't want to get behind... or downwind from!

I was driving to work this morning and pulled up behind a truck that had one of those magnetic ribbon support things. No offense to any of you who put these on your cars. I personally chose not to. In fact you will never see a bumper sticker or dealership license plate holder on any of my vehicles. I guess I am just not into car graffiti. Anyway this magnet I saw this morning was probably the strangest one I have ever seen. It said, "Support Farting"! Really????? Is that a cause that needs to be supported?????? Are global warming alarmists causing people to put aside their own personal CO2 emissions? Maybe this REALLY is a serious problem! Have we been blinded by good manners this whole time??? I say maybe we should all take a stand here! Just make sure I'm not around when you do!