tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82277444754401537712024-02-19T01:43:57.033-08:00The Misfit's DiaryA blog about misfits, single parenthood, and life's insanitiesJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-32896447704889103162012-08-26T06:51:00.000-07:002012-08-26T07:07:39.377-07:00Always A Day LateSee, I should have started writing this blog again when I first bought the farm, and kept it updated as I went. Now I'm 3 months behind playing catch up. That seems to be the story of my life!
<br /><br />I have lived here since May 1st, but that's not entirely true because I also spent a month in China, which then allowed the groundhogs and other critters to take over the unattended yard.
<br /><br />Here is a smattering of critters found hanging out here at the farm:
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-61744062852342176552012-08-22T19:29:00.000-07:002012-08-22T19:30:41.636-07:00The FarmSo, the farm was built in 1890. Last owners lived here since 1978. The place is in some serious need of TLC, mostly cosmetic. Since I'm not made of money, most of this work will fall to me. Good thing I like painting. Here are a few pictures of the farm.
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-20158810780172687152012-08-21T08:07:00.000-07:002012-08-22T19:31:45.119-07:00I Bought The Farm!!More than 2 years later and here I am. I've been busy, sue me. Anyway, a few months ago I bought a FARM. Yes, a farm. What was left of an old dairy. And I am now house poor and have more repair projects than money or time. Well, the good news is that I am as happy as a pig in a mud puddle. I've decided I should document my restoration (cough, cough) of this old place. I've just gotten started, but it needs quite a bit of TLC. So, bear with me while I catch you up to speed.
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Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-52555696504342514472010-06-02T17:43:00.001-07:002010-06-02T17:45:18.643-07:00Time Flies!It's been a while since I've posted. Working two jobs, hanging with the kids, trips to Cape Cod. Where does the time go? Spent most of this week combing through boxes in the basement (downsizing!) and replacing the drinking water faucet and filter in the RV. And swinging.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVWNHjd7DPr3Jd6I4rY8rfL2MiB6P2ujmJ0IX-s-t6An-VtozcEsRGvYiD7CGsieig3x0k4A2aNb5580di7Wxr6MNohy14afL7L97jBixve6yZC6B_mOvu6QsouRIsdhvp6jV0RLs24hw/s1600/Tree+Hang.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVWNHjd7DPr3Jd6I4rY8rfL2MiB6P2ujmJ0IX-s-t6An-VtozcEsRGvYiD7CGsieig3x0k4A2aNb5580di7Wxr6MNohy14afL7L97jBixve6yZC6B_mOvu6QsouRIsdhvp6jV0RLs24hw/s320/Tree+Hang.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478341966229011906" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-87382837143100759842010-02-03T07:58:00.000-08:002010-02-03T08:22:24.885-08:00Found MoneyWhen I was a kid, my mother used to say, "When you grow up, I hope you have a kid just like you!" I don't think she meant that in a good way. But as life should have it, I did. My son is exactly like me, and I can see why my mother said that. But, the positive of that is I know where he's coming from, and can take a different approach to things. But I digress. <br /><br />So the other day I was helping him clean his room. It is amazing how much stuff a kid can accumulate! Cars, Legos, Bionicles, PS2 games, cases, controllers, clothes kicked under the bed, gum wrappers, batteries, wires, chargers, backpacks, and countless wadded up dirty socks. I had asked him numerous times to put stuff away, but there it sat, virtually untouched, so I decided to help him out.<br /><br />Didn't take too long to find the floor, get stuff sorted and put away. But as I was going through a few canvas bags and random back packs, I came across five one-dollar bills wrapped around a work name tag (mine) and a bottle of Visine.<br /><br />"Hey!" my son yells. "Money!"<br /><br />"It's mine," I say. "My old bag, my name tag, my money."<br /><br />"But, but, it's in My Room!"<br /><br />"Yes, and I asked you to clean it how many times?" I laugh. "Snooze ya lose!"<br /><br />"Aw, man!"<br /><br />"Well, keep that in mind next time. You never know what you'll find in pockets, long forgotten." I reminded him I once found $140 in an envelope in my dresser drawer. Still trying to figure out where that came from.<br /><br />I stuck the bills in my wallet and went about my business.<br /><br />So last night we went to the theater to see the touring version of The Lion King. Amazing show, but that's fodder for a different post. We arrived early, and as we approached the theater, we heard a trumpet playing. Cool, I thought. They have an outdoor ensemble entertaining theater patrons. And on a cold winter evening, no less, there he was, playing Let It Snow. When we got closer, we saw that no, it wasn't a paid performance. It was a lone veteran sitting on a stool, with his trumpet case open in front of him. Everyone was enjoying the music.<br /><br />Suddenly my son says, "Hey, can we give him some money?" I thought about it for a second, and said, "Sure! Why don't we give him the five dollars we found in your room?" My son's face lit up. "Yes!" So I pulled the bills from my wallet, and we wandered back over to the lone trumpeter, and put the found money in his trumpet case.<br /><br />Lion King Tickets: $225<br />Trumpet Music: $5<br />Look on my son's face: Priceless.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-68923394525991411242010-01-29T19:26:00.000-08:002010-01-29T19:44:02.535-08:00Of Soap And ShowersI was in the shower the other morning, soaping up with the last sliver of soap that had split in half. Cheap dude that I am, can't let it go to waste. As I'm lathering up, I inadvertently bumped the wall and dropped the soap. I bend down to pick it up, and it's not there. Turn around and scan the entire tub. Not there. Stuck to the wall? Nope. Shower curtain? Nope. I move the shower curtain aside to see if it slid up the side of the tub and is hiding behind the curtain. Nope. What the heck? Okay, maybe I'm just going blind in my old age. After all, it is a white slice of soap on a white tub. I bend down and look closer. It's not there. Not even behind the shampoo bottles. Okay, I give up. Whatever. I grab the new soap that I had smartly placed in the soap dish in anticipation of needing it (my motto: Be Prepared!) and finished up.<br /><br />As I exit the tub, what do I see? The remnants of my soap parked in the middle of the bath mat. How the heck it managed to get out of the tub with the shower curtain completely closed is beyond me, though I'm sure the physics of it all would be fascinating.<br /><br />And speaking of tubs and soap, I was reminded of a time last May when I flew to California for a business trip. I was staying in the hotel, and when I went to take a shower, I noticed a heavy rubber bath mat perched on the edge of the tub. Seeing how I haven't used a bath mat since I was like, ten, I ignored it and went about my showering. After all, I'm a healthy guy, reasonable shape, and have been showering at least daily for decades without a problem, why would I expect this day be any different?<br /><br />So I'm in the middle of rinsing my hair when I realize my feet are going one way and my upper body is going the other. The importance of said bathmat is now glaringly obvious. I reach for the grab bar conveniently located on the wall, but I am too far away. No ifs, ands, or buts, I'm going down. The only thing I could think of was that they were going to find my dead naked soapy body when I didn't show up for the morning meeting. Next thing I know my feet are in the tub, my body is on the bathroom floor, and I'm looking at my reflection in the mirrored closet door. I started laughing, of course. I mean, what else could I do? It was pretty funny. <br /><br />Note to self: if a hotel provides you with a rubber bath mat, use it. They clearly know something you do not.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-71531471284500712922010-01-28T16:11:00.000-08:002010-01-28T16:26:42.840-08:00Winter Deja Vu?So last year about this time we had a nice snowstorm. That evening, I was out shoveling in the wind and blowing snow, which at that time was approximately 8 inches piled up on the sidewalks and driveways. I was just about finished when I heard a pop and a sizzle, and the sky lit up with a blue smoky haze. The transformer atop the phone pole across the street lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler, sparks flying and cascading down. Then flames erupted. I started to count down: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, POOF! A big zap and the whole neighborhood went black. Which would have been fun if it weren't for the latest episode of American Idol that was about to start.<br /><br />Cops, fire trucks, and finally the power company arrived. But not in time for AI. Enter the big rolling ugly RV and its ever-ready generator. Voila! Instant TV, heat, cooking, and lights while the rest of the neighborhood sat in darkness. Mock my RV will you? Take that!<br /><br />So being the end of January in New England, snow is pretty much a given, despite sixty-degree temperatures earlier in the week. I awoke to a couple of inches of huge fluffy flakes that made navigating to the barber shop a bit tricky. By the time I got home and shoveled, the sun was shining and snow was melting and all was good. By early evening though, as I sat at my computer finishing my work, I saw a huge flash of lightning followed by a boom of thunder, and rain pelting my house. Such is the weather here!<br /><br />About an hour later, I descend from my room with my little canine beasts to go outside. The temperature has dropped at least 15 degrees, the wind is howling, and there is now a half-inch of icy snow on the ground. Not a problem. I am about to start a fitness regimen (cough, cough!) so I'll shovel again. This time my 11-year-old son decides to help me.<br /><br />Out we go, scraping the thin layer of icy stuff from the driveway and sidewalks. Suddenly the whole sky lights up, a strange tint of bluish white. Lightning? I thought so, but no thunder followed, only a distant buzzing. Hmm. Shrug. Shovel. Scrape. Bend. Toss. Then again, flash! Buzz!<br /><br />I get the eerie feeling the power will go out at some point tonight. Either that or somehow my town has been transformed into Homer Simpson's Springfield and the local power plant is about to have a reactor meltdown. Either way, life is never dull!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-41416070912562863572010-01-26T09:29:00.000-08:002010-01-26T09:30:52.926-08:00AWOLYes, I've been awol.<br /><br />No, I have not been writing.<br /><br />But that doesn't mean I haven't been very busy!<br /><br />It's the start of a new year. Maybe I'll get my act together enough to blog regularly.<br /><br />Have a good one!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-4704392504545465852009-05-27T18:01:00.001-07:002010-01-26T09:46:42.100-08:00Of Grills and Lawn MowersAnyone know anything about lawnmower carburetors? First off, the mower is like 4 yrs old or so and has not been maintained. My bad. But it's a decent mower. Second, last year it started running poorly, but hey, I was busy and distracted and who cares about a stinkin' lawn mower? So I ignored it. A few months ago it dawned on my that gee, I'm gonna need that mower. Did I get it serviced? Um, no. Then my brother says hey, we have a lawn man. He's gonna fix the lawn and plant new grass and I thought, cool, I have a few more weeks, seeing how the lawn guy was mowing the grass as part of his overhaul. Well, lawn guy never finished the lawn, we never got the topsoil or seed, and now my grass is like a foot high, my dogs are getting lost, and I have a dead mower.<br /><br />Enter dear old dad. He's been maintaining mowers for longer than I've been alive! I'll have him help me. So I get a new spark plug, some carburetor cleaner as recommended by lawn man (see? he was good for something), some new gas, some Stabil, and we're good, right? Not quite. Mower starts and runs great! Better than last year!! For all of about 5 seconds. Then it dies. Lather, rinse, repeat. Dad says, gee, I dunno. Call a lawnmower man.<br /><br />Do I? No. Now I'm a man on a mission. Right up there with that old headlight I replaced in the winter. I'm not gonna let the lawnmower beat me!! I go online. Google is my friend. I find a guy with a blog who had this same issue. He decided just to replace his carburetor, which, fortunately, is identical to mine. He posts about it on his blog. With pictures! But he ordered his new carburetor; I just want to dismantle and clean mine. Do I dare? I guess worst thing that happens is I break it, right? But in the meantime the lawn is growing. Maybe I should charge that electric weed whacker and get busy.<br /><br />And tonight, my son wants steak. Cool I'll break out the grill. It worked about a month and a half ago when I made some steaks. Will it work tonight? No. I hear the hiss of gas, I see the spark of the igniter, but I get no poof. It's dark. Maybe the tube is disconnected, I don't know. Can't see. Tomorrow I'll fiddle with it. Maybe. Or is it time to replace the $20 grill? We'll see.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-38036679912624165862009-04-20T19:06:00.000-07:002009-04-20T19:10:44.170-07:00Teen Daughter!My 14-year-old daughter asked me to pick up an iTunes card on my recent trip to Target, and I happily complied. When I handed it to her, she said she could pay me for it next week.<br /><br />Pay me?<br /><br />Yes. Apparently she spent the weekend mucking paddocks and earned some money.<br /><br />So I told her she didn't need to pay me, that I wanted to get it for her, so I did.<br /><br />But really, I want to pay for it!<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Because I earned money and I can.<br /><br />But I'm your parent and I like buying things for you, just because. It makes me happy!<br /><br />It does?<br /><br />Yes!<br /><br />I don't want to be greedy.<br /><br />You're NOT greedy! Go enjoy shopping on iTunes! Sheesh!<br /><br />What does a guy have to do to be nice to his kids these days? I thought by 14 kids were supposed to stop talking to their parents. Glad that's not the case! Now if I could just get the neighbor's beagle to shut up, life would be golden!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-45551847301362888792009-04-16T20:36:00.000-07:002009-04-16T20:43:48.751-07:00Cape Cod EscapeAnts in my pants, can't sit still. Need to get out and about on a regular basis. So packed up the kids and the dogs and the RV and headed to Cape Cod for a spur of the moment escape. What's not to love? Blue skies, pristine beaches, and no crowds. Perfect!<br /><br />On a side note, we were having trouble with the TV and hooking up to cable. Turned out one part of the problem was our TV settings and the other part was the campground cable hook up. Anyway, in the process of troubleshooting I decided to pull the TV out of the overhead cabinet, which involved 7 screws. I wanted to check the connections on the back of the TV. Guess what I found back there? Another dead mouse, nicely mummified, likely been dead for years. Probably the sibling of the one I found in the trap (a trap that *I* did not put in the RV) under the fridge in the fall when I was having a water leak issue. <br /><br />Oh, the joys of owning an RV! Every trip brings another adventure!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVe4Olc4CbxTIf5vAlJLKk-G0CQo856LDQZxiQ_Ah371IgM_9gk71Qo7x7iaX5TZMJ5MonveDPdC_dnjbmpr3S94ki6w_wScTAtcebl-qmvN48GUrYaLz7KM37EwTU0CRMOe_ko29rpBb/s1600-h/100_2325.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVe4Olc4CbxTIf5vAlJLKk-G0CQo856LDQZxiQ_Ah371IgM_9gk71Qo7x7iaX5TZMJ5MonveDPdC_dnjbmpr3S94ki6w_wScTAtcebl-qmvN48GUrYaLz7KM37EwTU0CRMOe_ko29rpBb/s320/100_2325.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325500649816732066" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaK37Cd06z37AadEkcb2oJPQHPirqzlI_1p9d5GlwV89Rg9YrUqnWBrXW2jkjdYi0fR01iBPWDdke4anFO8HbLyl0dnSh2-IVXLZTL4X7Bqd10amYPPZImlSwzjNFdpSQ2dvfMWibmvFb/s1600-h/100_2330.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaK37Cd06z37AadEkcb2oJPQHPirqzlI_1p9d5GlwV89Rg9YrUqnWBrXW2jkjdYi0fR01iBPWDdke4anFO8HbLyl0dnSh2-IVXLZTL4X7Bqd10amYPPZImlSwzjNFdpSQ2dvfMWibmvFb/s320/100_2330.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325500125744823954" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijIUPapnpia3W_GsqmW7sN39mUf_KjEqf9Hkqms7hEuHEkzzoyCs3CpASlSJ7Uu5K3HZXYt7pBJ5DXp_kFzPGOU6ZHReIHnhKSWk7vUpM7Qzo_ImqXw7t-E7-JE7tVT4OosaN5YmU1tuS/s1600-h/100_2271.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijIUPapnpia3W_GsqmW7sN39mUf_KjEqf9Hkqms7hEuHEkzzoyCs3CpASlSJ7Uu5K3HZXYt7pBJ5DXp_kFzPGOU6ZHReIHnhKSWk7vUpM7Qzo_ImqXw7t-E7-JE7tVT4OosaN5YmU1tuS/s320/100_2271.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325499772780229106" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-84995186698215653472009-01-27T11:05:00.000-08:002009-01-27T11:06:59.140-08:00It's Been A WhileSo life got a bit crazy these past few months. Too much has happened to recount; suffice it to say that 2009 will be a far better year than 2008.<br /><br />I'll be back very soon!Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-53470489231685029142008-10-02T06:01:00.000-07:002008-10-02T06:18:43.174-07:00Basement FloodingSo this isn't the first time the basement has flooded, but the geyser shooting from the washing machine drain pipe was fairly impressive. I dismantled the trap to remove the clog, only to find no clog. Interesting. The amount of pet hair and cat hairballs that make it through our wasning machine is mind boggling. But I digress.<br /><br />I don't have a drain snake. I'm no plumber. I'm a computer nerd-turned-writer wannabe. But I've been known to wield a tool or three, but before heading to the bright orange home store I thought I'd try a homemade snake. The pipe I wanted snake was only a foot long, how bad could it be? But alas, it didn't work.<br /><br />In the plumbing aisle I was met with pipes and fittings and tubing and traps and a whole array of supplies I can only dream of using. I strike up a conversation with the guy manning the area.<br /><br />"Got any drain snakes?"<br /><br />"Yep. What size pipe?"<br /><br />"Two inch going into a four inch."<br /><br />"Washing machine?"<br /><br />"Yep."<br /><br />"Any other drains slow in the house?"<br /><br />"No."<br /><br />"You sure?"<br /><br />"Yes."<br /><br />"Hmm. Do you live in H? Or M?"<br /><br />"Yes."<br /><br />"House built in the 50s?"<br /><br />"Yes."<br /><br />"Trees in the front yard?"<br /><br />"Yes." I see where this is going. A few years ago I saw a cool show on the Roto Rooter guy.<br /><br />"It's the tree roots clogging your sewer pipe. Snake won't help you."<br /><br />"Gotcha. Time to call a plumber."<br /><br />"Yep. Or you can do it yourself. We rent the grinding tool."<br /><br />I'm not that handy, and the thought of opening up the sewer pipe in the basement -- well, we won't go there. Not happening.<br /><br />"But," he continues, "if you're going to do that I suggest you get the sewer cap off <em>before</em> you rent the tool. Sometimes it can, let's just say, take longer than you'd think, especially in those old houses."<br /><br />Point taken. Not going there.<br /><br />"Is it an emergency?"<br /><br />"Well, sort of. The laundry is stacked to the ceiling, the dogs have peed on the comforters, and --"<br /><br />But he's referring to a <em>real</em> emergency. Such as sewage backing up into the basement or overflowing the toilets. In other words, a <em>disaster</em>.<br /><br />"Thanks," I tell him. <br /><br />He's not aware of this, but he really did save me from that very disaster. If I hadn't bumped into him, I would have purchased the snake, farted around in the pipes, nothing would have changed, and I'm sure the sewage would have happened before I realized the true problem.<br /><br />RotoRooter was very helpful. "Are you home, sir?" they ask. "Like, right now? We can come right on over."<br /><br />"Of course."<br /><br />Looks like I'll be tackling that laundry mountain today. Anyone want a couple of poorly behaved dogs?Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-43240158086649027172008-07-24T07:53:00.000-07:002008-07-24T08:19:01.542-07:00Vacation, Maybe...Stick two teenaged girls in an RV with a middle aged guy...can you call that a vacation? I took my daughter and niece on an 8-day trip. It was a trip! Actually I (we) had a lot of fun, took in a lot of sights, played with horses and rainbows and waterfalls. Minor mishaps with the RV (broken steps, starting issues) but nothing insurmountable.<br /><br />Now I get to total the receipts...I wonder how many gallons per mile I got?!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQJ7ZFPBsT5jAdr2eV1ZxFVAeDXe-P1bDboNRfpoLEhNwUiXEYiOHiLv3QTlHjJnxWw2Aj1KBg1tzzDLn-obLSqFEetjxWB-QwgdMpTik5Aa4lMXtju7PZEn4pBZxEzMxmWV70HpeNPbJ/s1600-h/100_0616.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226596418380911314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQJ7ZFPBsT5jAdr2eV1ZxFVAeDXe-P1bDboNRfpoLEhNwUiXEYiOHiLv3QTlHjJnxWw2Aj1KBg1tzzDLn-obLSqFEetjxWB-QwgdMpTik5Aa4lMXtju7PZEn4pBZxEzMxmWV70HpeNPbJ/s320/100_0616.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCkOH7bEW5rFUGcBC1jcgpiWYrtebrQG39tz9WOm9GwXZkzEn4sybIpdU-Qo1sSmbXyYd0j3FCG2AY_PuXiGSWWh8fzcbyvA9VbhfBquWwobd3nubrI_WXrFAXLU2u2BtvAiKRtSBe_Ll/s1600-h/OH+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226596113645557890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCkOH7bEW5rFUGcBC1jcgpiWYrtebrQG39tz9WOm9GwXZkzEn4sybIpdU-Qo1sSmbXyYd0j3FCG2AY_PuXiGSWWh8fzcbyvA9VbhfBquWwobd3nubrI_WXrFAXLU2u2BtvAiKRtSBe_Ll/s320/OH+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIteqNfqKMxik-aDAhhEUXnLKposUmpO66R-DskJ9BNKeMnSp-GfQ6eHz5UGzfVnu1azmQuRnFhRqqC7-6iMAeAJFsyakSb3MxdVz9HKoyIJMrUYYH_yCW3FzAicIimpgZDzEQRzjI4u-J/s1600-h/PA+5.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226595884265775170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIteqNfqKMxik-aDAhhEUXnLKposUmpO66R-DskJ9BNKeMnSp-GfQ6eHz5UGzfVnu1azmQuRnFhRqqC7-6iMAeAJFsyakSb3MxdVz9HKoyIJMrUYYH_yCW3FzAicIimpgZDzEQRzjI4u-J/s320/PA+5.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpipPrtsKdCfQonN3qCpgmzuNx2TmtlnQzXHP_7aNUc3QIHEumlR-m5d75r53z1C-3whkKeVWwAYgmteod94oQBj5bBwoOmmzOzluShWmZpGtuD_Rid_O3hVfNv-CUHndUgLRKDgIw8RCq/s1600-h/100_0578.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226595608594059570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpipPrtsKdCfQonN3qCpgmzuNx2TmtlnQzXHP_7aNUc3QIHEumlR-m5d75r53z1C-3whkKeVWwAYgmteod94oQBj5bBwoOmmzOzluShWmZpGtuD_Rid_O3hVfNv-CUHndUgLRKDgIw8RCq/s320/100_0578.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPG55BKdasbxo39bu8Hu-adY7wNAs6BtPLOwVLuPBdoMVjTwGzd5PZo4Bq0PxMdz2HJd0lwO2QRJU7-7Xko5bjY-x_ORlD3BN8uZ6pZD6aHBWvnMgtPm92zSHoB44hlADApYb0pIuJHvPC/s1600-h/100_0714.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226597025510659842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPG55BKdasbxo39bu8Hu-adY7wNAs6BtPLOwVLuPBdoMVjTwGzd5PZo4Bq0PxMdz2HJd0lwO2QRJU7-7Xko5bjY-x_ORlD3BN8uZ6pZD6aHBWvnMgtPm92zSHoB44hlADApYb0pIuJHvPC/s320/100_0714.JPG" border="0" /></a>Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-63300759292513917742008-06-09T19:56:00.001-07:002008-06-09T19:58:28.932-07:00Ah, writing!I haven't written in ages. I've missed it more than I thought i would. On the other hand, my life has been filled with a lot of novel fodder which I hope will come out in one way or another in my work. It's been eye-opening to see just how much my own writing has taught me about myself these past six years.<br /><br />Probably time to get cracking on that novel again. Look! Another roller coaster! The novel can wait. Maybe.Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-74071832005284809252008-05-06T16:26:00.000-07:002008-05-06T16:30:19.827-07:00Of RV Trips and Family FunMy 2 kids and I are just back from a 6-day RV trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, and some caverns. If you travel with kids, an RV is the way to go. Food, bathrooms, and drinks all available. No more dirty men's rooms at rest areas!<br /><br />We stayed at a nice park with a pool and a fire pit for the obligatory campfire. We spent a day riding all of the roller coasters at Busch Gardens; yes, including the Griffon!<br /><br />We brought the dogs along. They're part of the family too!<br /><br />What have you guys done lately?Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8227744475440153771.post-83123215220017535902008-04-28T01:38:00.000-07:002010-01-26T09:41:32.296-08:00IntroI'm Jon and I'm just a regular guy. Except that I'm irregular. Odd. A misfit. Sort of a nerd. A geek, or rather a pseudo-geek. I have wanderlust. I like change. I'm easily bored, so I mix things up a lot.<br /><br />I'm a single parent of two intelligent articulate human beings. I like little dogs. I travel in an RV. I own a ranch in Texas.<br /><br />Who are you?Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17969794644668994847noreply@blogger.com0