Picture Of The Day 10/11/10

Strange going's on at the workplace!

Picture Of The Day 09/17/10

A colorful sunrise here in West Michigan

911 - Let Us Never Forget

In the weeks after the tragedy of 911 I created a 911 Memorial Screen Saver. It should run on any version of Windows from 2000 through W7. As it did then, my heart goes out to those brave and heroic souls who gave their lives, and their families!

Let us never forget!

Download 911 Memorial Screen Saver

Visit the 911 Digital Archive

Picture Of The Day 09/10/10

Me and my Mustang

Reflections on Turning 54

So, yesterday was my birthday and I turned 54. Yesterday morning I did not really think this was noteworthy to post about. Those who I matter to sent me birthday greetings, etc. and to those I send my sincere thanks! But it turned out there was something that did make the day memorable for me after all and worthy of posting about!

I took the day off from work and was having a quiet but enjoyable day playing video games, watching TV, etc. I took a trip out to Costco with my oldest boy Chris who had lost his job, and I bought him a few weeks staple food to get him through the end of the month when his term is over and he comes home from college. I thought it ironic that I be buying for others on my birthday in fact! Chris came back to my house with me and played some video games and we were soon joined by Mike, a friend of the family.

We had plans to get out to dinner together that evening with my ex-wife, but all in all I figured it would be a quiet, uneventful birthday with nothing to distinguish it from any others I have had in the past. How wrong I was!

My 15 year old daughter Danielle came home from school around four in terrible shape! She had a fever of 103 degrees, a bad pain in her left side, and was throwing up, plus she was so upset that she felt she would be spoiling my birthday! She was in tears! It turns out she felt sick that morning and went off to school without waking me up or saying anything for the same reason! While a small part of me was annoyed that she did not say anything, and thus put herself through such an ordeal going to school, the rest of me was touched that she would do such a thing for me. Of course I would have preferred she stayed home from school yesterday so we could have gotten in touch with the doctor sooner and saved her such an ordeal, but this was certainly an expression of love for her father that made me feel very loved.

Another thing that impressed me was out of all three of my kids, she was the only one who gave me a card, and one she drew herself in fact while feeling so sick. I will treasure that card!

So, in more ways than one she really made this a birthday I will not soon forget! Hopefully she'll be fully recovered for her 16th birthday next week!

My ex also added to this day by running out and bringing in dinner for us all,, which I thought was very sweet of her though I felt bad that Danielle could not eat, as the doctor has her on fluids only until they determine what is causing her fever and pain. Plus, she had no desire for food the way she was feeling.

Picture Of The Day 08/27/10

Sunrise this morning

Picture Of The Day 08/25/10

Fog glimpsed through the trees across the street at work this morning.

Picture Of The Day 08/17/10

Sunrise by the office this morning.

Tails Tales - Up to 30 strips

Hey, Tails Tales is up to 30 strips now, so give a look, and share the link with others.

Picture Of The Day 08/14/10

One of the few, the proud, the chosen who has joined the ranks of the privileged cadre that have driven my Mustang! As she got her permit yesterday I took her out this afternoon for her first behind the wheel driving session outside of her driving class.

Not only do her and the Mustang look awesome together, they were awesome on the road.

Picture Of The Day 08/11/10

A lovely sunrise this morning.

Picture Of The Day 08/10/10

A very foggy ride into work this morning!

Picture Of The Day 08/08/10

Missing my dad today! The picture below was taken the last time I saw him back in New Jersey back in 2007. He passed away a few weeks before we were going to see him in 2008. Hard to believe last month marked the two year mark since he he boarded that last train west...

A word of advice for those of you with you parents still out there, if there's anything you wanted to ask them or tell them, do it NOW before it's too late. Two of the biggest regrets in my life was that there were so many things I wanted to talk to my folks about and say to them that I always thought there'd be time for that later. How wrong I was!

There's not always a tomorrow! Tell them now!

Tales Of Tails Comic Strips

I did not realize how much I was going to enjoy making the photo comic strips featuring my cat Tails as the main character! I had posted the first few here on my regular blog but decided today at lunchtime to create a separate "Tales Of Tails" blog that would be used solely for these strips.

You can find that blog here!

Please let me know what you think of the strips.

Tales Of Tails 08/05/10

Picture Of The Day 08/05/10

Sunrise this AM.

Tales Of Tails 08/04/10

Tails of Tails 08/04/10

Post No Bills

This is for all you advertisers of fitness centers, offshore casino's, health tonics, vitamins, improve your systems, and every other advertisement you try to sneak past my MODERATED comments.

Don't waste your time or mine, or at least try to be creative, like the only advertiser who phrased his advertisement in such a manner I felt I had to post it unedited. Now, if you can post your add like that, I'll let it go through.

In fact, in the spirit of fair play, I may let any advertisement reply posted to THIS post go through!

Have at me!

Tails of Tails 08/03/10

Created this strip completely on my iPad in about 5 minutes.

Picture Of The Day 08/01/10

Death Spank in the early morning sun! That's the way to start your day!!

Picture Of The Day 07/29/10

A glorious sunrise on a wonderful Friday morning.

Picture Of The Day 07/27/10

Shadows on the wall of my living room.

Picture Of The Day 07/26/18

Tails languishing on my bedroom dresser enjoying her view of the outside world.

Picture Of The Day 07/26/10

Escaping The Sunset

Picture Of The Day 07/23/10

My girls

Picture Of The Day

Gorgeous sunrise this morning!

Picture Of The Day 07/18/10

A picture of Tails relaxing.

Picture Of The Day 07/16/10

Here comes the sun!

Picture Of The Day 07/15/10

Tails and my daughter Danielle

Picture Of The Day 07/14/10

Picture Of The Day 07/09/10

Beware! Evil kitty IS watching you intently!!

Picture Of The Day 07/08/2010

A lovely sunrise this most humid morning!

Farewell To My Son Scott

Scott 11 years ago

Other than pictures, I've not posted on my blog in quite some time as I really haven't had anything much to say. These past couple of months I've been thinking a lot about my son Scott heading off to college. Midnight approaches and there's no way I'll be able to get to sleep as my mind is racing a mile a minute because my son Scott heads off to college tomorrow. So, I figured I'd write a little about it.

This evening his mom, his brother and sister, and I took him to the Golden Corral for a farewell dinner. We've never been there and we were all surprised how good the food was; much better than Fire Mountain up the street. We had a very nice time together and then they dropped me off here and headed over to his moms house. I wish I could have spent a little more time with him but he had friends coming over to his mom's.

It's been a busy few weeks getting everything ready for him to go but he's all packed up and will be departing tomorrow morning around nine o'clock. I procured several weeks of staple foods and bought him some new clothes, plus I gave him and his brother Chris, who is returning for his senior year, some extra money for expenses.

This will be the start of a new chapter in Scott's life and I wish him all the best. I'm very proud of him for being accepted to the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. I'll miss him more than I can possibly relate using mere words on a page.

I remember many years ago coming across my mother one evening sitting in her chair by the window crying silently. I sat down by her and asked her what was the matter. She mentioned she was missing my brother Rick who moved out of the house several weeks earlier quite a bit and it was making her very sad. Being in my teens and thinking I knew everything I mentioned I could not understand why that would make her so sad. With tears running down her cheeks she gave me a big hug and said you'll never be able to understand it unless you have children of your own one day; when they leave home for the first time you'll know exactly what I'm feeling.

I patted her hand, gave her another hug, and went off to watch TV. How many years later do I again recall this conversation with her as I did when my son Chris went off to college. And once again I am reminded of the words she spoke, and how true they were.

In closing, To my son Scott, know that your dad loves you with all his heart, cherishes the times he had with you, and wishes all the best for you. Your mom and I and will always be here if you need us. Part of me wishes you and your siblings could always stay with us, yet it's your time to go out into the world. I know this can be scary, but I have no doubts whatsoever that you'll do well! Fare thee well, my son!

Picture Og The Day 07/05/10

Scott and I at his graduation May 17th.

Picture Of The Day 07/03/10

Scott making his sister Danielle laugh at lunch yesterday.

Picture Of The Day 07/01/10

I call this shot "Sunset at Sixty"

Picture Of The Day 07/01/10

My son Scott shows his superior dexterity by eating a breadstick with one hand while texting with the other!

Picture Of The Day 06/29/10

A gorgeous sunrise on the way to work.

Picture Of The Day 06/28/10

A picture of Scott from 2000.

Picture Of The Day 06/27/10

Scott & Danielle, September 1999. This was at Danielle's and my combined birthday party. She would have just turned 5, and Scott would have been seven. And me you ask? Well, I would have been

E** A)):@

[No carrier]

Picture Of The Day 06/26/10

Scott and one of his projects back in 1999.

Picture Of The Day 06/26/10

Scott, age 7, Christmas 1999

My son Scott will be leaving home on July 7th to go off to college. Each day I will try and post one of him until he leaves.

Picture Of The Day 06/24/10

Picture of my Mustang outside my house taken with my new iPhone 4.

Picture Of The Day 06/22/10

The weather early this morning, right down the road from where I work, and about 2 miles from my house! Guess the kids will start taking the tornado warnings more seriously!

Picture Of The Day 06/08/10

Sunrise this AM on the way to the office

Picture Of The Day 06/06/10

My son Chris, age 11, in 2000

Picture Of The Day 06/06/10

Christmas 2000 - Danielle, Age 5, Scott Age 8, and Chris Age 11.
This was the last Christmas in New Jersey before moving to Michigan.

Picture Of The Day 05/27/10

Do do do lookin' out my back door......

Picture Of The Day 05/26/10

A picture I took of the clientele at a local place here in Grand Rapids

Picture Of The Day 05/21/10

My brother Rick who was visiting from New Jersey, and Scott at Max &
Irma's on Wednesday.

Picture Of The Day 05/18/10

Scott and a very disheveled looking Danielle early one morning in 2000. Danielle would have been 5 and Scott 8. This is one of those rare shots where Danielle was not earing her glasses.

Picture Of The Day 05/05/10

Sunrise Part II

Picture Of The Day 05/05/10

Sunrise!