Christmas 2011

Note ** This entry has a LOT of images.

A few days before Christmas LaRue and I drove to Roy to visit Robin and Emily and the kids. We spent a couple of nights there before returning to Vernal.

Here's me and my buddy Joshua:



Emily was busy creating some cool boards with designs and kids names:



Here's a happy K.D.:



And Brighton:



Robin and Emily made these coverings for the kids' bunk beds. Here's the boys:



And here's K.D.'s:



Got a picture of Emily in the kitchen:



Some sort of discussion between Emily and Chris:



On Thursday Robin took us to Hill Air Force Base and we stopped near a runway and watched a jet do repeated landings and take-offs:









Robin and Emily's Christmas tree:



On Thursday night after Gary and Liz arrived we drove to Temple Square to see the lights. Here are KD, Robin and Brighton:



Now Liz and Gary:



Some shots of the lights:
















Here are Brighton, Robin, Gary and Liz (KD is with LaRue):



Me:



LaRue had to use a wheelchair and KD rode on her lap:



Now to interrupt the pictures to relate an incident that happened in Roy. We got up Thursday morning and found a parking ticket on our car! $35 for parking on the street during winter.
Well, LaRue and I went to the Roy city court and police department. We got them to lower the cost to $5 by arguing that we were visiting their city and had no idea of their regulations and ordinances. And nowhere is it posted. The next night we parked in a neighbor's driveway.

Friday LaRue and I drove back to Vernal. Gary and Liz also drove out later that day.
Here's Liz by our Christmas tree:



Gary and Liz:



Here's me and LaRue:







Some of the Christmas presents included a crib set and baby clothes for Gary and Liz's soon to be baby boy:





On Monday the 26th Andy, Laurie, Asher & Rowan came to Vernal. Then Robin and family also drove out.
While the boys were together Robin, Andy and Asher took Robin's remote control plane out for a flight:









Before Robin and company went back to Roy we managed to get everyone together at the park for a whole family group picture:



We didn't get around to opening presents for Andy, laurie, Asher and Rowan until Wednesday. Asher unwraps a new car:



Here's Andy holding Rowan and Laurie:



Andy and a happy Rowan in a silly hat:



Asher examines the pictures on the back of the Thomas the Train calendar he got:



Some clothes for Andy:



Andy gave a funny picture:



I'm getting to the point where I have to take my glasses off to read some things. We had a white elephant gift exchange and I got a bottle of Redneck Bubble Bath (it's full of beans):



Andy wound up with a package of "Ass-Kickin' Chili Popcorn":



Me and Rowan:



LaRue and Rowan:



He is a happy baby:






Since January 1st is Asher's birthday we had a little cake for him before they left on Friday:





Asher blows out the candles:



Yummy cake:





Andy and Asher getting ready to leave:



Rowan all snug in his carrier:



Me and Andy saying goodbye:



LaRue and Laurie:

Drive to Split Mountain

This afternoon LaRue and I took off for a little drive. We found ourselves heading east out of town and to drive out toward the Dinosaur Quarry and Split Mountain. We pulled down to the boat ramp and took a few pictures of the rocks and water.

Here's me down at the boat ramp:









Some shots down the river:







LaRue sitting on a rock:





Further down the river we pulled into a view area for these pictures:









The more yellowish rock in these two pictures is the one across from the boat ramp:





We got a picture of a jet flying east (maybe toward Denver):



There is a little spot along the road with some petroglyphs:





Looking east from the petroglyphs:



Just a couple of craggy rock formations as we drove to the quarry:







And here is the newly re-opened Dinosaur Quarry where you go in and see bones being excavated from the rock:



An interesting contrast of rocks on the drive out of the National Monument area:



And that was our little excursion today.

I am working on some of the Christmas pictures and hope to have them posted in the next few days.

Updating

As you have noticed I have re-designed the header image. There are now just too many people to use one image to show all.

I plan to make this site much more active in the weeks ahead with more posting of events, photos, etc.

Stay tuned.

Garfield on the Oil Crisis

YOU GOTTA LOVE GARFIELD'S EXPLANATION -- TOO TRUE!!!

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in our country.
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Well, there's a very simple answer.
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Nobody bothered to check the oil.
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We just didn't know we were getting low.
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The reason for that is purely geographical.
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Our OIL is located in:
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ALASKA
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California
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Coastal Florida
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Coastal Louisiana
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Coastal Alabama
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Coastal Mississippi
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Coastal Texas
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North Dakota
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Wyoming
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Colorado
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Kansas
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Oklahoma
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Pennsylvania

Utah

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And
Texas

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Our dipsticks are located in DC
~~~
Any Questions?

NO? Didn't think so.

Dilemma

I was just notified that the web hosting for Bailey Acres is set to expire January 1st.

They are also increasing the price. My original cost was $3.95 per month. They are now going to charge $8.95 per month. That jumps the cost from $47.40 to $107.40 per year; an increase of over 150%!!

I am seriously considering not renewing the hosting. This will affect not only Bailey Acres, but the subdomains of JohnStuff, Batwing's Beat and the TV Lounge Podcast as well.

I haven't decided what to do yet.

I Voted Democrat

1. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 43% isn't.

2. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

3. I voted Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine, as long as nobody is offended by it.

4. I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

5. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

6. I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about millions of babies being aborted, so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

7. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits.

8. I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrats see fit.

9. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe groups who would never get their agendas past the voters.

10. I voted Democrat because I think that it's better to pay billions to people who hate us for their oil, but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle or gopher.

11. I voted Democrat because while we live in the greatest, most wonderful country in the world, I was promised "HOPE AND CHANGE".

12. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass, it's unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.