Happy Valentine's Day (thank you Hallmark)

I love Valentine's Day....not just because I am a chocoholic and it gives me a good excuse to stock up on chocolate to maybe share with everyone I know...It is a day to remind those you love that you love them and are thankful for their love ...whether they want to be reminded or not...sort of a second Thanksgiving...

So here goes...I love you all....

My family...Mom and Dad, my brothers and sisters-in-law...tho we do not always see eye to eye...know I love you and do appreciate you and the good times we share...

My co-workers...those that make going to work bearable and those that make me appreciate that I do not have to put up with them outside of the office...

My long-time friends...thanks for the good times we share remembering past escapades and planning future ones..for sharing life's little (and big) ups and downs...for growing together and apart and back together and maintaining the friendship...

Those young and old who have come into my life via my children...friends, coaches, parents, teachers...the good, the bad, and the ugly..I hope we have all given each other something positive...

The friends I have met while on-line dating...for the laughs we shared and for what we have learn from each other...

The guys I met just briefly while on-line dating....I have laughed a lot and learned so much from each of you...like what I was NOT looking for...like what I THOUGHT I wanted...I have no regrets and I apologize to anyone I may have hurt...it really was unintentional...I am who I am, tho I try not to be at times...

Those guys I met on line who still keep in touch (especially Bad American)...thank you...your friendship means so much to me...

RichyB...I thank my God everyday that you have come into my life..I never thought I would meet someone with such a giving heart and who is so good to me and who is interested in and cares about my family ...you never cease to amaze me...I am not sure how we will end up but know I do love who you are and I hope I can give to you what you need...you are constantly in my thoughts and prayers...

Ames...you make G-man smile and you are so sweet...

K...you are good to and for my CareBear and I love that you are part of our family...

And most of all...for my three wonderful children...ldboy, CareBear, and G-man...each of you in your own way..you are the light of my life and an inspiration to me...you are a joy to watch as you grow through life...I learn so much from you and enjoy all the time we get to share together...

OK...enough of the mush...time to break out the chocolate...:)

LEGO to Church....

This church took about a year and a half of planning and building.

It consists of more than 75,000 LEGO pieces, is about 7 feet by 5 1/2 feet by 30 inches and seats 1,372 LEGO people....

Other design features include 3,976 windows, a balcony, a Narthex, stairs to the balcony, restrooms, coat rooms, several mosaics, a nave, a baptistery, an altar, a crucifix, a pulpit and an elaborate pipe organ. And, NO, I am not the artist....:(

Thanks to RK for this submission...

Peyton PHlaCe....Further Adventures

Back by popular (a.k.a. Bad American) demand...:)

So what is happening in the workplace....

SOS...really...

...the suck-ups are still sucking up.
...PM's are still on the dark side.
...contractors are still contracting.
...salaries will not be increased unless of course you are an executive....

Oh yes, the board of directors did a walk-through followed by a town hall meeting last week. They told us of some of the exciting things in the works for Peyton PHlace and then they opened it to Q & A....

Exec: "You sir, in the back...."
Peon: "Just a comment....those exciting things you talked about were not so exciting to you four years ago when our team proposed them..."
Exec: "I do not understand...what is he asking?"
Exec2: "He likes our proposal and is excited to work on the projects."
Exec: "Yes, there is a lot of work for all of us to do. Any other questions?"
Peon2: "You sent out a memo last week that there would be no salary increases at all this year. Does that include yourselves. And does that include your bonuses?"
Exec: "I'll let my colleague here answer that."
Exec3: "Well, as you know, bonuses are based on achievement of goals and are not blah, blah, blah, but since this part of the business exceeded expectations blah, blah, blah, blah, and keep up the good work...we are out of time...."

I unfortunately did not get a good look at peon1 and peon2 so I cannot tell you if they are still working hard at Peyton PHlaCe.

But there is light at my small end of the tunnel...I really like my new bosses (in a not-sucking up in case they are reading this kind of way)...I am getting a better handle on my expectations and responsibilities and I have been blessed with the opportunity to work from my home office two days a week....ask and you shall receive...or maybe my coworkers do not enjoy my smiling face any more than I enjoy pressing 1 for English....but I digress...

Back to the office...home office that is...

Gotta love the French....:(

Ted Nugent, rock star and avid bow hunter from Michigan, was being interviewed by a French journalist, an animal rights activist.

The discussion came around to deer hunting. The journalist asked, 'What do you think is the last thought in the head of a deer before you shoot him?

Is it, 'Are you my friend?' or is it 'Are you the one who killed my brother?'

Nugent replied, 'Deer aren't capable of that kind of thinking. All they care about is, what am I going to eat next, who am I going to screw next, and can I run fast enough to get away.

They are very much like the French.'

The interview ended.

Thanks again to my lil bro...

Are you too young?

You have to be old enough to appreciate this.
If you don't understand, it is because you are too young.

Mary had a little pig,
She kept it fat and plastered;
And when the price of pork went up,
She shot the little bastard.

Mary had a little lamb.
Her father shot it dead.
Now it goes to school with her,
Between two hunks of bread.

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To have a little fun.
Stupid Jill forgot the pill
And now they have a son.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings' horses, And all the kings' men.
Had scrambled eggs, For breakfast again.

Hey diddle, diddle, the cat took a piddle,
All over the bedside clock.
The little dog laughed to see such fun.
Then died of electric shock.

Georgie Porgy pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
And when the boys came out to play,
He kissed them too 'cause he was gay.

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good, she was very, very good.
But when she was bad.....
... She got a fur coat, jewels, a waterfront condo, and a sports car.

Thanks to my little (best looking younger) brother...