my katie fanelli corndog experience....

Yep ~ you read it correctly......... it isn't enough that Kaneke visits Katie Fanelli's blog on a daily basis ~ now I am eating Katie Fanelli food! Here's what happened.......... I am in the office on a conference call and in comes Kaneke with two corndogs, mustard, and a Pepsi. I must admit that I am a corndog fanatic and when I saw them I was delighted and woofed them down in a matter of a few minutes.

Later in the afternoon Kaneke asks me how I liked the corndogs and I tell her that they were great...... and she begins to chuckle and asks if I noticed anything different about them. Actually, I did not ~ but with a loaded question like that I said........."why"? She then proceeds to remind me that she had earlier showed me Katie's blog and that I had eaten a Morning Star Farms Corndog. All I can say is that these things are as good as the originals.....and a whole lot healthier.

Thank You Susan and Little Miss Katie Fanelli .............

55 ain't so bad ~ livin life in overdrive.....

Who would have thought that I would ever be 55 years old? Logically speaking ~ probably everyone....... but age tends to take on the added dimension of speed once you pass the threshold of 40, and each year you wonder how you got there so quickly. Not that I am complaining. Along with age comes a much deeper appreciation for family and friends. This year I received presents and phone calls from all my kids and special friends. I even received a call from my good friend Ransome Berry in Olive Branch, MS.

One of my gifts this year was a photoprinter. The printer is awesome. I hope to soon start sharing special pictures. I also received a Cincinnati Bengals Jersey and a homemade therapeutic wrap (filled with rice, nutmeg, and cinnamon). Oh ~ and I can't forget to mention the huge package of 4"x6" and 8"x10" photopaper to get me started on my photoprinting.

We finished the day by going to the Sedona Airport for their Thursday Night Special ~ all the king crab legs you can eat for $26.95. In addition, you receive a salad, baked potato, brocolli, and fresh bread. I had 3 batches of crab legs......... making sure that I got my $$$$$ worth.

Thanks again to everyone who helped make my birthday special ~ especially my Kaneke!

what is your favorite outdoor barbecue memory?

If you are reading this ~ please take the time to share your memory....

Mine took place in the year 1958 ~ or there abouts..... During that time my father was in the Air Force and we lived in Ardmore Oklahoma. It was a chicken and ribs barbecue at the base park for all the non-commissioned officers. We were relatively poor at the time (although I really never perceived it) and food was adequate but not necessarily plentiful. The day we went to the park I couldn't believe my eyes. 55 gallon drums were cut in half and made into grills. There must have been 10 or 12 of them, and every one was loaded with chicken breasts and ribs. The BBQ sauce was carmelized on every piece and you could have all you wanted......imagine that! I thought that maybe we were the richest people in the world to be able to eat all the chicken and ribs you could ever want. I also remember that there were galvanized garbage cans chocked full of RC Cola, Pepsi Cola and Falstaff Beer. The men were all throwing horseshoes and the women were socializing and playing with the kids........ I love that memory.......

home-again home-again jiggidy-jig....

I have finally made my way back home. Kaneke and Molly warmly greeted me as I pulled into the drive ~ there is nothing more comforting than the sight of your loved ones after an extended trip away from home. My trip to Houston was full of surprises but overall was a very successful trip. I am now ready to settle back into my normal routine of work and life in Arizona. March will bring warmer days and nights which makes me want to start preparing the 5th wheel for the 2006 travel season.

trains, planes, & automobiles

As Cornville Curse Week rolls into week #2 ~ Susan has it nailed. How's this? I fly into Houston for a meeting at the Marriott Hobby Airport....... only problem is ~ I arrive at Houston Intercontinental instead of Hobby. The airports are 1 hour drive apart. Realizing I flew into the wrong airport I caught a shuttle to take me to the Marriott at Hobby. Chris Rock was my driver ~ along with 6 other passengers. Every tire on the van was severly out of balance which created huge vibrations as we sped down the Interstate at speeds of 85 to 90 mph.......no exageration! Chris had a passion for his Nextel Cell Phone and talked the entire way to "others" in which I could not make out 1 intelligent voice. At 3:00 PM I hear a voice from the back of the van ask if we would be in Galveston by 4:00 because their cruise ship is scheduled to depart at that time. Chris says he wasn't aware that he had to go to Galveston but he would do the best he could to get them to their cruise ship then proceeded to criss-cross all 5 lanes weaving in, out, and around traffic. I was fortunate to be able to ride shotgun and experience a thrill more realistic than any video game I have ever seen. I just kinda resigned myself that I might be in a wreck and checked to see if the van had a passenger air bag.......it did ~ whew. I was dropped off without incident and was only left with a few anxiety scars and trying to figure out how I will get back to Houston International on Thursday for an 8:00 AM return flight........ that's another story...

week #1 ~ not the best

Fly from Arizona to Pennsylvania, get upper respiratory infection the 2nd day, return home 1 day early on airplane that doesn't equalize pressure well and blows my ears out, get on wrong bus for airport parking and walk 1/4 mile to truck ~ discover that someone liked my chrome valve stem covers and caps on my truck and relieved me of ownership, doctor going on vacation and can't see me, home for 2 days, still sick and leave for Houston tomorrow morning for 4 day meeting in which I am the facilitator and must present the entire time for 15 managers ........ Cornville Curse Week.

beginning of the two week oddysey

Allentown PA ~ then Houston TX. 2nd year in a row that I have traveled on business during "Super Bowl Sunday". I am leaving a house full of company. Kaneke's brother and wife are here (ironically) from Houston TX. Molly is loving all the action and attention. Go "Steelers"

molly on the Lookout

Our next door neighbor "Skip" brings Molly a treat every day. She wouldn't want him to forget so she stands and waits. When her patience starts to wear thin ~ she barks to let him know she's ready.....

miss molly

Miss Molly Marie

the clock

Every bathroom should have a clock ~ right? In trying to keep with the Tuscan feel of the bathroom, and filling the void between the vanity mirror and the 10 ft. ceiling....... I set out to find a clock that would not only fit the bill....... I wanted it to make a statement. The solution to my problem was found in an old-world style clock with a 24" diameter face. I backset the clock movement into the wall so that the clock has the appearance of being built in.