The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Gina and I went to a funeral today. The deceased was a 35 year old woman who was married with two small children. We are very good friends with her parents. Karen's Dad Len sits next to me in band and also plays the Trombone. Each week he would have some story to tell of her life. Karen's Mom Ruth was on the Board of Deacons with Gina, in the band with me and also was our Daughter Chrissy's Biology Teacher in High School.



Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer back in April. It was a very aggressive type of cancer and they tried many different treatments, radiation, chemotherapy, in an attempt to shrink the toumor enough to perform surgury without the cancer spreading. Back in September the doctors were sure that the battle was lost and she would pass away within a few days. At that time she had a rebound and things started to turn for the better. The end of November, however, the cancer grew stronger and she was moved from the hospital to a hospice. She passed away on December 22nd.



This was one of the saddest funerals I have attended. Her husband is in a state of shock, her young children don't understand where there mommy went and why she can't ever come home and her parents are devestated.



Breast cancer sucks! Please consider making a donation to help fight this disease.

Of how blessed most of us really are.



David's Boy Scout Troop had a Service Project today to help out at a Holiday dinner for a local anti-hunger group. This faith based charity distributes food daily to those in need in our community. We have been involved with them through our church, through scouts and also with projects through the school district.



I accompanied the Troop today as one of the adult leaders. This was my first time at one of their holiday meal events. We got there at 9:30 and strted helping with the set-up, putting out tables and chairs, setting tables, mixing drinks, unpacking gifts for "Santa" to hand out. The meal was served at noon. I am very happy to report that only about half the seats were filled. The person in charge said that there have been very big strides in our community to help the people who would have been there in the past. Quite a few people showed up to volunteer their help, due to the fact thet there were once helped by this organization, and attended the meals in the past. They now feel compelled to help others.



Some of the atendees have a sense of entitlement to the meal. They are rude to the volunteers and are very demanding. One Woman in particular was there. She insisted that her family sit at their own table as they don't like sitting with "those people" and that they sit in the spot they picked "Every Year". This woman was around 30 years old, her "Husband" was also around this age and they had a child around 5. I thought it, but one of the other learers said it.....Why the hell are you here EVERY YEAR? Why haven't you done something to improve your life?



Then a man came in with a wife and a daughter around 3. He said to me "Thank you so much for being here". "We just moved to town 3 months ago and the job I came here to work was eliminated a month ago when the company shut down. We are about out of money and can only afford our rent. Thanks to all of you we can get a good meal, and they also helped us with food to make at home, and some gofts for our Daughter. I don't know what we would have done if we had not found this place today!" WOW..THAT really put things into perspective.



When I was first ordained a Deacon in our church the Associate Pastor told me "People will take advantage of you. People will expect help they really don't need. People will reject the help they do need. Do not be disuaded in you efforts to help anyway!" She was a brilliant woman!

Gina and I were finishing up our Christmas shopping Friday afternoon. We were walking through the mall and Gina asked me if I was going to get my ear re-pierced while I was there.



I got my ear pierced around 10 years ago. I wore an earing for around 5 years. When we moved down South and I was in a managment position, I did not wear the earing to work. Eventually I forgot to put it in one weekend.....and then kept forgetting..and the hole grew over.



She has been bugging me for about 5 years to get my ear re-pierced. As I really didn't miss the ear ring, I resisted.



Friday I shocked the hell out of her by saying "sure". So now my ear is pierced again!

I am so happy I had today off from work today!



One of our printing presses was "down" today so that contractors could work on putting in a new video vision system. They had to install a frame for the camera systems as well as some catwalks for access. While welding on the catwalk they set a container of ink on fire, which in turn set a tank of solvent on fire....which in turn.....Well it was a BIG fire. The building was evacuated. The CO2 system in the press room was not adequate to exstinguish the fire, 3 companies of fire fighters had to be called in. Thankfully no one was injured in any way. The press is trashed, much inventory of raw material as well as work-in progress was ruined by smoke and water. $50,000.00 camera system vs about $3,000,000.00 in damaged inventory plus a $20,000,000.00 printing press. I sure hope the contractors have good insurance.



My office is right next to this press, it would have SUCKED to be there today!

It's amazing that a small piece of fabric can have such an effect on so many people. I have aprox. a bazillion Christmas ties that I have acquired over the years. I decided that this year I would wear every single one of them. In order to do this I had to plan to wear a tie to work each day this week. It is amazing what that does to people!



First I get "Oh, nice tie". Then, a minute or two later..."Why are you wearing a tie today?"



I try to explain the Christmas tie situation and wanting to wear them all...but no one believes that for some reason! All of the guys in the plant assume that some important customer has been in all week and I have been meeting with them. All of my peers and those above me in the organization assume that I have been going to job interviews at lunch or after work!



I think I may just wear a tie more often the rest of the year just to fuck with these people's heads!

OK, I know I'm not the most popular guy in the world. I also know that I am not the first to make note of this issue in a journal.



But WHY does VR have to tell me at least twice a day....

I urge everyone to check out FreeRice.com.



This is a website that quizes you on the meaning of words. For each word you get correct they donate 20 grains of rice to the U.N. food program.



You can improve your vocabulary (which is sorley needed here on VR) and help people eat! What's cooler than that?

I sort of agree with you Harpia.



It must have taken some imagination to be the first person to eat an egg. But the egg is kind of innocuous looking. I mean, while it doesn't scream "MMM I'm yummy, eat me" it also does not evoke revulsion and fear.



Now. let's look at the Lobster.







The first person to eat a lobster had to be one HUNGRY son of a bitch!

Max. = Maximum: n 1) The greatest or greatest possible number, measure, quantity or degree. 2) An upper limit



An important tip that you may take from my misfortune. MORE oil in an engine is NOT better!



My daughter was driving home from college Saturday morning. She remembered that the car used oil typically. She was instructed to check the oil each time she bought gas. She decided that since she often had to add oil she could skip the checking part and move right to the adding of oil. She decided that it would be a good idea to add 2 quarts of oil to the engine and then go on her merry way. Around 5 miles into her trip the car started making “weird noises”, so she pulled over. She opened the hood and noticed that she had left the oil filler cap off after she added the 2 quarts of oil. She replaced the cap, and figured that the problem was the missing cap. Well, the evil noise returned so she stopped again. She called home, but I wasn’t there. Gina, based on what she had been told (leaving out the part about not checking the oil before adding it) advised her to try to make it back to her dorm. On her way back, the car stopped several times and continued making a “tapping noise”.



At this point I had arrived home and we decided that we should drive out to pick her up. I would evaluate the car’s condition and decide if it could make it the 21/2 hour drive home. Concurrently, she called a friend who is somewhat knowledgeable regarding cars. HE came out to where she was stopped and looked it over. He actually checked the oil level and found it was “WAY” over full. He went and bought a drain pan and some wrenches and drained out enough oil to bring the level to “full”. He drained out over half a gallon of oil! At this point it was decided to try to drive the car back now that the oil level was correct.



When we got to her apartment parking lot, I got in the car and started it. It had the unmistakable sound of a bad connecting rod. A loud “RAP RAP RAP” as the engine idled. Not a good noise! So we loaded her stuff up in our car and left the poor Neon sitting in the deserted parking lot at school.



I always knew that too much oil is bad, I just wasn’t aware of what happens. I contacted our mechanic this morning and he told me what happens when the oil is over filled. The crankshaft of the engine is supposed to operate above the level of oil in the oil pan. If the oil is filled past the “Max” capacity, the crankshaft is in contact with the oil. It then acts like the blades of a Cuisinart and “Whips” the oil into a creamy, frothy foam. This foam can’t be pumped by the oil pump and then the important engine parts that need constant lubrication to function do not get any oil and thus, overheat, seize and cease to work.



So, now the engine is toast! A re-build of the engine would cost about $3,000.00, a rebuilt engine is about $2,600.00 plus $500.00 labor a used engine is about $1,700.00 plus the $500.00 labor. What may you ask is the “Blue Book” value of the car? $2,500.00! GRRRRR!



Do we fix it or get another car? Good question. A better question is: Where the hell are we getting the money for a new engine or another car?



Sometimes you just have to shake your head.



Next time you are getting gas remember CHECK the oil level before making any additions.



And also remember MAX really does mean MAX!

It is very good to know that even the best of us do dumb assed things once in a while.

What's worse than finding a mouse in your house?...Finding HALF a mouse!





My son went to go down the stairs to the basement and he exclaimes..."WHOA! SICK!"



So I go to investigate and 1/2 of a mouse is on the landing of the stairs by the side door. (The back half in case you are curious.) I guess one of the cats got a little midnight snack the night before. I haven't seen any signs of critters in the house, but it is getting cold and that door doesn't seal too well. I guess I need to take a trip to Home Depot for some weatherstripping!



Any rodents thinking of prowling around my house should be on the lookout for Neena and Tigger! As Jethro Tull sang..."The Mouse Police Never Sleeps!"

Mix a bunch of beer, a bunch of rednecks, some dirt and a Suzuki Sidekick...What do you get?



Drunk Redneck Jumps His Suzuki - Watch more free videos

WOOT!



I rarely have a day ALONE.



I LOVE Gina, and the kids but sometimes it's cool to have the house all to myself and no one else to worry about.



Gina is at Citizens Bank Park (The Phillie's stadium) for the Christmas Party for season ticket holders with her best friends. Dave is at an all day Boy Scout training event. The girls do not return from school for Christmas break until Thursday or Friday. So, Here I am, "Home Alone" until 6:00pm or so.



What am I to do???



Listen to NPR on the radio all day with no one asking "How can you listen to that crap?"



Set up the "Holiday Village" display I do every year.



Fix the lights on the tree display in the front yard.



Check in on VR whenever I feel like it.



Eat whatever the hell I want for lunch.



In sum..WHATEVER THE HELL I FEEL LIKE!

"December 7th, 1941....A date that will live in infamy..."

For all of the men on VR.



Wouldn't you just love to be the rose on the Rat's avatar???



*runs*

We were "Decking the Halls" this weekend. We drug all of the boxes of Christmas decorations down from the attic. While we have much more room in this house than we did in our former townhouse, We still have all of the decorations that filled the 4,000 sq ft house we had in North Carolina. So We drag down all of the boxes, take everything out and decide what to put out.



We made some good progress but didn't quite finish up on Saturday afternoon, before we had to go out.



Last night was my office Christmas party at the local country club. I ended up drinking 5 Manhattans. I was feeling no pain! The food was th eusual Christmas party fare we have every year. Salad, green beans, rice pilaf, ziti, veggie lasagna, stuffed sole, chicken in mushroom sauce, Carved Ham and Carved Prime rib. This year they gave out the door prized before the meal, which was quite unusual. I didn't win anything this year. :-(



This morning we woke up to a coating of snow. I went out and walked the dog an it was COLD! The dog enjoyed bounding around in the snow. I just love how the snow mutes the worls and muffles the sounds. We got to church just before Sunday School started. My Co-Teacher forgot his lesson book, so we just had a discussion on a film we watched last week about the "Invisable Children" in Sudan and Uganda who are kidnapped and forced to fight in the rebellions there.



After church service we had a congregational meeting and I, amongst others, was elected an Elder for a 3 year term 2008 through 2010. I was the only current Elder who agreed to serve a second term. I can't decide if I AM committed or SHOULD BE committed!



Right now I am watching the Eagles attempt to play the Seahawks. GRR