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Happy Thanksgiving!!

(originally blogged yesterday)

Just finished watching the Macy's Parade and saw Santa, NOW it's the Christmas Season.



Before I start 'decking the halls' I wanted to note what I am thankful for:



1. My wife - with me through thick and thin, my love, my life, my everything!



2. My son - 'The Kid', at 9 he makes me a proud poppa - there is nothing he won't be able to achieve!



3. My family- parents, brothers, sister, all In-Laws: supportive, critical, carinq and pain-in-the-asses. I love them, one and all



4. My health - I need to lose 100lbs. but otherwise I'm as healthy as a horse....blood pressure, cholesterol, and I am exercising......... ( and I'm working on that 100)



5. My life - the ups and downs, good times and bad, I am thankful for every minute!



Thanks for listening!

Thanksgiving, you know, that little holiday between Halloween and Christmas!! We listened to Jazz Christmas tunes eating out one night 2 WEEKS AGO.
It is out of control, the corporate greed and commercialism is borderline disgusting. I celebrate and enjoy Christmas but this is just too much!! I know of families whose Thanksgiving evening ends with the trimming of the tree, and I always thought that was early.
Do yourself a favor, stuff yourself rotten, take a nap, enjoy the family, and don't listen to a Christmas carol till Saturday!

It's been awhile! As days go this was a rollercoaster:

Down: Wake at 3:30am to be at work
Up: Recieve e-mail that says I'm still in the running for a TV position at a college
Down: Puke up lunch......
Up: GO home early (yippee)
Down: Alternator goes on way home, now Imust bring to shop
Up: Washington DC called, says I'm still in the running for job at US Capitol Building (House of Representatives)
Down: Car fixed $350 dollars later.....
Up: Exercise update: 25 minutes yesterday will shoot for 30 today.......

I found a great photo site to place my pics online. Click on the link to the left to see some qalleries. I'll also be updating the site and linking some other stuff. Please visit the GuestMap or leave a comment.
Exercise update: 20 minutes

It's Theme Thursday so check out:

Collections

This is my Simpson's Collection (or part of it) I have several 'playsets' and about 30 more figures. Behind them are my even more precious books and of course we can't talk collections without mentioning my comic books (several thousand dating back to 1978).

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
I say that alot these days. I've been overweight for years and have tried several programs, diets, centers. I lost 50lbs about 3 years ago and put back on 60lbs. I found a new program and have been in it 40 weeks. I was doing well but fell off the wagon. Today I am done with the excuses!! I eat right (most of the time) but do not exercise! I have a bike and weight bench set up in the basement, MINIMUM 20 minutes today! Will report back tomorrow.

What a weekend!

It started Friday at 5pm when my son and I went to Camp Cutler for a Cub Scout camp out. A great time, didn't expect the 4 inches of snow! Nature hikes, archery, conservation projects, snowball fights and camp fires. The boys had fun and the adults ate like kings!!

We returned early, Saturday night, for we had a big Sunday planned. We awoke Sunday morning in our own confortable beds and got ready for THE BIG DAY!!!! Breakfast, showers, and Sunday paper behind us, we headed out to the 11:55 showing of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. Like most parents this weekend we added our $5.25 each to the 87.7 Million Box Office, althought we did it by Fandago, therefore bypassing the long lines and mad scramlbe for 3 seats together. No review here, but it was a blast!!!!! No one moved for the full 3 hours!!! A good movie and true to the book (I always like that), up next is The Two Towers.

Now here it is Monday afternoon and it's time to browse the blogs!!!!

Theme Thursday

Motion

Theme Thursday is a picture challenge, every Thursday they present a theme and you post a pic representting that theme......until I upgrade and can post pics here please click on the link above to see my pic!!!!

Thanks, comments welcome!!!!

FUNNY STUFF!!!!!!!

Fly by night away from here
Change my life again
Fly by night, goodbye my dear
My ship isn't coming and I just can't pretend
For the past several weeks my wife and I have been thinking of 'starting over'. We have a very good life, we make good money, have a nice home, friends and a son who does VERY well in life (school, sports, scouts).
Is it that I am bored of my job? Or am I looking for the family life I grew up with? Both of us work weekends, holidays, you name it but I do get home at 2pm and have the whole afternoon with my son. We have applied to several jobs near family...let's see what happens.

We took our son to Niagra Falls on Saturday. Had a great time! Took lots of pics with the new camera (will have them up soon). The Canadian side is so much nicer and more devoloped. The best thing about the US side is that it is a State Park and it's beautiful!! We spent most of the afternoon hiking Goat Island and the Falls. The evening was spent in Canada enjoying the night-life. Busy weekend, more this week!

A day late, it's the Friday Five

1. Did you vote in your last elections?

Yes, I vote in every election!


2. Do you know who your elected representatives are?

Yes, there was some confusion this year because Albany decided to redistrict Western New York and my representatives changed!


3. Have you ever contacted an elected representative? If so, what was it about?

As a matter of fact I have. I am a Local President for a national Union and have been in contact with several politicians this past year as one of my shops were negiotiatiing a contract. I have found most to be helpful and concerned and several got DIRECTLY involved by contacting the compnay and attending a rally we had in front of the business.


4. Have you ever participated in a demonstration?

Yes, several!! For both politiacians and unions......Since I am a registered Independant I never get invited to 'political rallys' yet as a Labor Leader I attend functions for politicans that have supported us locally.

5. Have you ever volunteered in an election? What was the result?

No.

We've taken care of everything

The words you hear the songs you sing

The pictures that give pleasure to you eyes.



It's one for all and all for one

We work together common sons

Never need to wonder how or why.



Today is Election Day!!! I am neither a republican or a democrat, I am a registered Independant. Does that mean I'm wishy-washy? No, my father was a republican yet I'm a union leader so I should a democrat! However I believe the person who best represents MY issues gets my vote!! I will not feel obligated to vote along party lines. I will also not vote for the candidate who uses 'mud-slinging' tactics! As a TV director I see EVERY ad from day 1 to Election Day and a candidate who doesn't present his/her issues but instead 'attacks' the opposition does not get my vote! A perfect example was last Friday. Everyday for the past 2 weeks we have given all candidates a 'Q&A' session on our AM news show. On Friday a Democratic candidate was given 3 minutes. From the start she was rude, demanding and down right mean to everyone involved with the show! She accused the camera guy of being biased and the producer of trying to set her up! I didn't care much for her attitude and immediately was pulling for her opponent. The Republican was very professional in not saying a word about the incident (he was in the newsroom the whole time), even when the crew joked about it. However, when he got his 3 minutes every comment was, 'my opponent this and my opponent that'. At one point the reporter asked 3 times his position on a specific issue and 3 times he responded with an attack on his opponent! Thankfully I am not in their distict and if I was I would vote for the 3rd Party person or not vote for that race at all!!!

So the lesson today kids is get out there and VOTE!! Vote for your issues, not along party lines. Elect the people who represent YOU!! And whether they win or lose you did your duty!!



UPDATE: I voted and found out my area was 're-districted'! The people above are in my district and I voted for neither!!!!

Got a new camera today, a Canon Powershot A40. I've always enjoyed photography and have boxes full of pics. Now it's time to explore the world of digital photography. I hope to post some pics here.

In other news, tomorrow is election day so get out and vote!!! I'll update later.

Plus the Friday Five


1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith?

Catholic


2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not?

Yes, we go to church. I didn't for a long time, and we weren't married in the church, but we sent our child to Catholic School. Now we go to church and are bringing up our son to be Catholic. Not sure why I left, just lazy I guess and saw the importance of practicing for my child.


3. What do you think happens after death?

Heaven or Hell! Heaven I hope, to be reunited with our loved ones, and have all our questions answered!


4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)?

Love Midnight Mass on Christmas!!!!!!! Plus my son says grace before dinner every night, reminds me of FAMILY.


5. Do you believe people are basically good?

It's hard to answer that one! As a news director I see the evil of people on an daily basis, 24/7.........and it saddens me that this is the world my son will live in...if only the good in people were "newsworthy", people would have more hope!

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice.
If you choose not to decide,
You still have made a choice.
You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill.
I will choose a path that's clear,
I will choose free will.

Friday was a GREAT day!!!! After 16 months of hard work, disappointment, and disaster I was able to organize the TV guys at a local race track. Now there are only 8 of them, but they are treated like CRAP (one was even fired for talking to a union, we are trying to get his job back!!). They get no benefits, no time off, no overtime pay and if the boss doesn't like them he cuts thier hours for a few weeks to punish them. However, if was taking SO LONG that several of them gave up and wanted no part in the union........until yesterday. We finally were able to set up an election with the State Labor Board and all 8 people showed up, the vote was 8-0 in favor of the union!!!! I was so happy, I could have cried!!! Now the real work begins, negotiating a contract but at least we got our foot in the door and can get these people a better work environment! As for me, what do I get out of it, well I only get $25 a month do be Local President, so I aint in it for the money. This work requires about 20 hours per week PLUS my regular full time job (40 hours + overtime) to bring home the bacon. They came to me for help and I was able to do something for them, that's good enough for me.