hipkidd

Recitals, Programs & Parties

2011-12-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

Tis The Season! The season of Orchestra Recitals, Music Programs, and Christmas Parties. Peyton had her first Orchestra program on Tuesday and wouldn't you know they scheduled Hayden's music program for the same night. This is where you flip a coin and see which parent ends up at which program. I got Peyton's program and Kevin got Hayden's program. We both set out with recorders in hand.

Peyton's program went well! It turns out I didn't need earplugs for the sixth grade violinists. Not only that, you could ACTUALLY tell what Christmas songs they were playing. They only got to start using their bows a few months back, up until that point they were only allowed "plucking." They did a great job!

I could not wait to see Hayden's program on the video recorder. I started the video....What a Ham! Hayden's place was top row, very end, on the right. As all the other students faced the music teacher in the center, Hayden turned and faced directly toward Kevin and my mom and the CAMERA. He was the only one facing that direction, so he kind of stood out like a sore thumb. I am pretty sure he was playing it up for the camera. He did alot of smiling at the camera, eye brow raising and over exaggerating with the words to the songs. One of the songs he sang talked about Santa getting fit and ready for Christmas night. It talked about Santa running on a treadmill. Isn't that a huge contradiction to Jolly Old St Nicholas? We all know Santa is a Cookie, Binge Eater on Christmas Eve! Who wrote this? Next thing you know they will have Rudolph getting Rhinoplasty! I asked him why he didn't face his music teacher like the other kids. He said, "I don't need directing, I know all the songs."

We have had Kevin's work party and a holiday open house with a party or two to follow this week. So far, I am proud to say I am Snuggie free when it comes to White Elephant gifts! Last year I took a Snuggie and ended up with 2! (I will refer to this as "The Curse of the Snuggie 2010") Those things can multiply. I got a Chili's gift card and Kevin got a lovely candy dish.(It was a win/win.) I have high hopes for our other gatherings. The kids will be performing a Christmas play at our church this Sunday. If you are out and about, come and see it, it will be great.

Thankful

2011-11-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! What a totally American holiday! It's the only holiday that you are encouraged to wear pants with elastic waists, over eat all of the richest of foods and HAVE Dessert (You would never dream of eating that many calories the rest of the year), watch TV all day with family and take a nap! It is also the only holiday where we are Thankful for everything we have on Thursday and are trampling each other and spraying each other with pepper spray on Friday for things we want. (Trampling and pepper spray were the headlines for Black Friday shopping on the news today.)

Alot of my facebook friends have been listing things they are thankful for each day. Doesn't it just bring life in perspective when you realize all the good you have in your life. Something I am extremely thankful for is getting to have Thanksgiving dinner with my 93 yr old grandmother this year at her house. After a health scare earlier this year where she had to have an irregular heart stopped and restarted, it is really a blessing to spend time with her. When I walked in the door she was standing over the kitchen counter overseeing the food preparation. Alot of dishes she had prepared herself and she would not have had it any other way. She does not take her Matriarch role lightly when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner.

Alot of family and friends are starting their own holiday traditions this year. They are taking up the torch, so to speak, and creating new traditions for their growing families. They are finding themselves in a transition period where they will be the ones to be the keeper of the turkey! (Or enchilada in some cases) This year has been the year that I have noticed my Grandmother seems to be her age, there is a new frailness to her stance. A slowness is her getting up and a hand searching for something to hold on to as she moves from place to place. I am thankful for the time I am getting with her and all the love she has given to me throughout my life.

I am so thankful for my family.

Hallows Eve

2011-11-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

It's the day after Halloween....the day in which teachers are thankful that we send our kids to school crashing from their sugar high. The day in which you try to figure out creative ways to incorporate all your left over Halloween candy in to Thanksgiving recipes. (Won't this candy corn look adorable as decoration on top of my dressing?) The day my Jack Russell Terrorists spends hiding Tootsie Roll pops in my shoes, laundry baskets and bras. (He is great at hiding eggs at Easter too!) It's the day you realize that you only have 53 days left to get your Christmas shopping done. (Say it ain't so!)

We had a small get together Friday night with friends and family. Costumes were required! Everybody brought a ghoulish dish. Lots of good eats to be had. (Can you really call a party a party without spinach dip and sausage balls? I think not) We also set up a fog machine with strobe lights outside our front door so all of guests could cough & choke while having seizures as they rung the doorbell. We filled the bathtub with water and glow sticks and put radio active signs all around the bathroom as the tub glowed with a greenish hue.

We played scary movie charades, I know it was wrong to include the movie title "The Human Centipede" in the mix on the grounds that it is soooo wrong, but it made for a great acting out in charades. (You know you have been married a long time when your spouse gets what you are acting out from one small hand gesture!) By the way, when Kevin was trying to show us on his arm how many syllables, I yelled out, "Taking your pulse!" This is not cool in the charade world I found out.

We had a witch, a zombie WalMart associate, Troy from Swamp People, Cotex, a Convict, my sister-in-law came dressed as a WalMart shopper (dressed in her pajamas of course like all WalMart shoppers). I was Minnie Mouse, I really felt the need to rap every time I put on my big hands. (Those hands were made for over exaggerated hand gestures! Yeah, BOY!) Kevin was an Avatar, but he lacked the commitment his costume required! His full body blue suit ended up half off by the end of the night with his mask disregarded for eating!

Hope you had a great Halloween, now get to Christmas shopping!

DIY

2011-10-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well in between soccer games, football games, cheerleading, open houses at 2 schools and all the practices that go along with....I've been getting my DIY on. By the way, Hayden's football team is undefeated, if they win their game this Saturday at Ector, they get to play at Ratliff for the championship. The whole DIY thing is totally not my fault. I have been looking at Pinterest and they have got me believing I can re-upholster a chair, create a great up-do, make some wonderfully creative Halloween decorations, cook some good recipes all while putting together a fabulous outfit.

It made me feel like a DIY slacker! I was bound and determined to make something. (In between practices of course) With my limited cooking skills, I decided to tackle Fall Mix. A trail mix that includes pumpkins and candy corn (FALL). This got my confidence on a high. IT LOOKED LIKE THE PICTURE, therefore, I passed the first DIY test. On to the next one--Nutter Butter Ghosts on a stick. (Any food item on a stick gets higher DIY points by the way.) Foods on a stick are very popular in the Pinterest community. Apparently, there is a lot of eating on the run with this group and they need a stick to be able to drive and eat their cookie/cakes/apples. My ghosts did not turn out as well. Peyton said they look more like mash potato monsters than ghosts.

I decided to move on to a non-food item. Halloween Wreath, you are on my list! This DIY project cost only about $20 total. I got a wooden letter, a wire wreath, a festive bolt of ribbon and two bolts of black tulle. After painting orange and black spots on the letter "K" for Kidd, I cut squares of the tulle and tied them onto the wire wreath. I then added the ribbon and letter. After 240 feet of tulle, I DID IT! (A person needs to be willing to devote a lot of cutting time to this project.) This was probably my favorite thing in the whole DIY experience.

With Purpose

2011-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Since the last blog, I have gone to Albuquerque for a leadership conference. It was a good trip! The weather was a little cooler, I got to hang out with some great people, I got to shop. I got a white notebook full of stuff. (You can never have too many white notebooks.) We got to hear lectures from various authors for 3 days, one of which was a recently retired VP of American Airlines. After setting down and looking at the itinerary for the first day and seeing the first day meeting was going to last until 9 pm, I wrote the following words at the top of my page:

God has you here for a purpose--work your hardest to find out what that purpose is.

The funny thing is, & I can't tell you how often this happens to me, where a reoccurring theme will pop up, that "having a meaningful purpose in life" came up in the meeting throughout the weekend. Maybe if we started each day with the thought that we are purposeful in our actions we could capitalize more on our creative contributions to this world we share?

Some other good things came out of these discussions:

1)People don't care how much you know, until they
know how much you care.
2)Trust your leadership
3)In serving others, you must ask the right questions.
4)No decision is a bad decision--This means not doing anything is allowing some one else to have control over you and make the decision for you.
5)Reconstruction is harder than new construction.
6)Perfection is the enemy of good. If you strive for perfection every time, it may take away from your good work because you can never be satisfied.
7)You have to be able to do a work around, this means coming up with creative ideas work around problems that may come up. This may also mean being bold & accepting of change.

Good stuff huh? Now for the fun stuff. When I was in high school, my parents took me to Carlsbad, NM and I HAD to have a pair of white fringed ankle moccasins. So, when we went shopping in the old square and saw a sign for moccasins I HAD to go check them out. Don't worry, I didn't get white ones, don't start having an 80's flashback. I got grey ones! So comfy. Maybe 20 yrs from now I will go back to NM and get some more. The art there was truly inspiring. Of course my kids love all the odd ball, kookie souvenirs--so I got them some New Mexican jumping beans. The first night back in the hotel room, I kept hearing a ticking sound from all sacks. "Do you hear that? It sounds like a clock ticking." Was their a bomb in my sacks? OH YEAH! It's the jumping beans, you could hear them all weekend. They loved to jump around 4 o'clock in the morning! The kids loved them, they have already made the rounds at show & tell at school and the dog has not ate them yet.

I also brought Kevin some hot sauces. One is called "Colon Blow" he hasn't had the guts to try this one yet! (HaHa! Get it? Guts?)

Be PURPOSEFUL in your actions this week! What Lasting Fruit are you now bearing?

Short & Sweet

2011-09-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Okay this blog is going to be short & sweet, just like me. I jest! I am suppose to be reading right now and working on my homework. What homework you ask? (OK, I know you really didn't ask me, but I am going to tell you any way.) I got asked to go to a Leadership conference in New Mexico this week. (Yeah, this is where the panic should be setting in, I just said this WEEK.) I know, I don't see it either, I just don't feel like I fit the bill for leadership. I decided that when I turned 40 I would not say "NO" to any opportunity that came my way no matter how intimidating it might be.

So, the deal is I go with a group from my church to Albuquerque this Thursday and come back Sunday. I go to alot of meetings and I am assigned a book (this is where the homework comes in) that we are to write a little summary about. I have tried, I really have. Apparently all the SpongeBob Squarepant cartoons have given me ADD. The area in my brain that was cooperative for homework throughout college and high school has apparently departmentalized and eradicated itself to create room for 80's song lyric trivia! But look, using the words "departmentalized" and "eradicated" shows you I have tried to read this book because it contains really big words like that! It's only 150 pages and it is like swimming through Jello for me.

Oh, by the way, the one book I was truly hoping I did not get on the list is the one I was assigned. What's the book you ask? (Again, I am sure you are not asking, but I am going to tell you any way!) The book is titled, "Change the World." NO PRESSURE HERE! That is kind of a tall order and not sure if I want to be the one in my group assigned to that task. (I am such a slacker!)

One more thing. I love catalogs. They are my guilty pleasure that I get every day in the mail and visually shop. Look, this picture shows what I got in the mail today alone. (Not really!)

I have a new love, thanks to my sister-in-law, Margie. It's called Pinterest. It is virtual pin boards that you can pin items on to that have visual interest to you. You can also follow other people and check out all of their Pinned Interests. It is like catalogs on line for everything! What does this have to do with my homework you ask? (OK, OK I know you are not asking this at all--but this line of questioning is working for me tonight in my blog.) Pinterest is the other distraction that has kept me from doing my homework this week! THANKS ALOT MARGIE!

So, a blog that was going to be short & sweet just turned into a really long blog and a big distraction. I have got to get to reading! I got to go!

One more thing, look at the head band Peyton bought today for Halloween. It's really creepy, but not as creepy as my eyes when I take pics on my IPAD. I DIGRESS!

Splurge

2011-09-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to have a Splurge Party! What is a Splurge party you ask, a Splurge Party is a private shopping party at Maurice's. A while back I was in the store shopping and a sales associate asked me if I would be interested in hosting one. (Peyton said, "Mom, you know you shop at a store to much if they offer you a shopping party.") Any one can have one. The hostess gets 30% discount and all guests get 15%. They will provide invites and swag bags for your guests. You can provide snacks to munch on while your guests shop. They will close the store and let your guests shop for 2 hours. I had about 9 guests for mine. It was so much fun!

I really planned on having more pics from the party, but I got caught up in the shopping! The best thing is the store gets a new inventory every 2 weeks, so one of your friends can have a party in a few weeks with all new stuff! Maurice also does a punch card for every $10 you spend you get a punch and get $10 for each card you fill. When you have a party, you get double punches.

The haul :

I got a cute bat wing shirt, a color block shirt, military jacket and tank and a really cute print dress. They were also having a buy one get one 1/2 off on jewelry, so I got a couple of necklaces.

I have gotten the opportunity to have some really cool experiences this year! There still 3 months left in the year and I can only wonder ---What opportunity might come knocking on my door? I will keep my eyes open for blessings to come. We have a girl road trip coming next weekend to go to Lubbock and see Beth Moore!

Survey Says....

2011-08-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a lunch for "Exceeds Expectations" that the company I work for does for every one in my region who's branch rates high on client surveys. They call our clients and ask several questions and they can score exceeds expectations, meets expectations, N/A, does not meet expectations. So, in recognition, we get a lunch. I posted a comment on Facebook and said that I also "Exceed Expectations" in my marriage, right Kevin? This got me to thinking .....(this is always dangerous I know)....What if we did have a marriage survey? I looked on line and there are several marriage surveys out there actually.

I have not looked at any questions on the surveys and, to be quite honest, I don't know that I would want to take one. If you took one with your significant other, would it open up a dialogue on things to work on or would it open up a can of worms? Maybe it is dealing with a word I sometimes have trouble with.....ACCOUNTABILITY. This word to me represents the ultimate in commitment, being held to your word and called not only to action but also to the follow up.
Maybe I will be the first to say that I do not handle criticism well and it might put me on the defensive of things I do not see as a problem (yet).

I guess my thinking on this is, if it ain't broke don't fix it. That being said, if I felt that I was struggling in my marriage I would be willing to take that survey and do what ever I could to improve my relationship. What about Parent Surveys? Would you be willing to let your kids rate you? So scary right? You want to believe you would get an "Exceeds Expectations" from them. Failure is not an option when it comes to raising your kids.

So perhaps, tonight as you lay in bed, maybe an internal survey to yourself. Am I treating the ones I love as well as I could be? Am I kind to them? Do I offer them the help I know they need? Am I being the best person I could be to others? I hope we all score "Exceeds Expectations."

Back in the Saddle

2011-08-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back in the saddle, so to speak, but let me just say I am having trouble holding on! We are half way through the first week of school and the earlier time is killing me. The kids had to be at school by 7:55 last year, this year the tardy bell rings at 7:45. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like much time, but for some reason I am waking up every morning at 5 AM with paranoia that I am going to make the kids late or wake them up late! I am waking up before the alarm ever goes off with the thought, "I have to get them there on time." "I have to be awake to wake them up on time." We haven't been late, we have actually been early, but I am having this major anxiety about it! Craziness!

So far, both kids love their teachers. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this love/love relationship lasts the whole year. I have found my patience are put to the test when it comes to keeping my kiddos on task with their homework! My daughter can get off track with sharing the latest 6th grade girl drama pretty quickly. (Can't we all just get along?!?) My son is more concerned with the time it takes to be done than the quality.

Now time for a total 360 degree turn. Last blog I opened up for suggestion topics and my sister-in-law had a few. They were:
What would your dream job be?
If you could who is the ONE person you would like to have dinner with and why....this person can be dead or alive, rich or poor, fiction or real.
What is something you wish you could do?
Would you ever want to jump out of an airplane?
My dream job would be to have a little shop or boutique. I would love to go to market and buy stuff! I am trying to convince my friend Kim that I could be her stylist and personal shopper.
The who would you want to have dinner with is one of those questions you always see in people's bios. It is also one of those questions that always throws me for a loop. There are just too many ways to go with this one. I think I am more of a dinner party kinda girl. On the one hand I feel obligated to list Jesus (otherwise I might get my Christian card revoked). I would probably add my deceased grandpa to my dinner table, he passed when I was 5 but I remember being extremely close to him. One of my most vivid memories of him was flying kites in the middle of a dirt road in front of my grandma's house. Probably add some one like Oprah, just for a perspective kind of view of what it is like to be her! Can you imagine having that kind of power? Throw a Warren Buffett in to get a perspective on economy and making money. Maybe the new perspective of technology from someone like Mark Zuckerberg (although after watching the movie I am not sure I would like him). Can you imagine the Conversation at this dinner? Jesus would probably bring us all to task!
Something I wish I could do? You have got to go with travel on this one. There is a whole world out there waiting for us to see it. I hope I am going to get to do more of that in the future.

Last but not least, Would I jump out of a plane? This is actually on my bucket list. I want to say without a doubt I would do this....but my fear of heights might make this a problem! I think if you strapped me to someone and let me piggy back them and they through me out of the plane I can do this! Kevin is thinking this is not a good idea with my track record of injuries. We will see!

Party!

2011-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

This month my little ole' blog turns 1 years old! It's a toddler now. It's learning it's boundaries, growing and becoming it's own little entity. It is crawling on it's own. I know, I know, you have put a gift in the mail right?

It is time for a celebration in the life it has lived in it's short little year! It has gone on trips, gave you details of my families quirks, shared it's heart with you. The growth has been sooo encouraging in being connected to others that have the same life experiences and being asked, "Are you going to write a blog this week?" Yes, OH Yes! (This one question alone can fuel my need to be a people pleaser & hope to bring you something that will make you laugh or let you know I have gone through that too!) Empathy is always best observed by someone who is going through the same things you are and can relate in your life lessons!

I have tried to be very diligent in making sure I write at least one blog a week. (Just don't hold me to the day of the week it will come out. Life gets to busy for that.) In celebration of it's birthday, it has a new look. What do you think? Be Honest!

My sister-in-law recently opened her self up to topic suggestions for her blog. It looks fun, so, it's time for the interactive part of our show people. Is there any topic you would like to suggest for a blog? I love getting your feedback on facebook or on the bottom of the blogs! It's like finding a little piece of chocolate, I just eat it up!

Let me finish by saying THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for reading it. Thank you for letting me vent, laugh, smile, praise, share, wear goofy outfits, shop, be a proud parent and travel on life's journey with you!

As long as you are willing to still read them, I will write them.

Cast of Characters

2011-08-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, we helped out with our VBS at our church & I am exhausted. It started Wednesday night and ended on Sunday night from 6-8:30. Our VBS theme this year was Kickin' It Old School by the Go Fish Guys. The concept was all centered around music and taking old songs that every one knows and remixing them with a rock beat or a hip hop beat or a swing beat. The point was, even with Bible verses, they are relevant to your life today. Last year, they put us in charge of puppet shows....this year they put us in charge of skits. What were they thinking? We agreed to it! What were we thinking? One skit every night.

My thinking was, "Okay, let's dress as crazy and over the top as possible every night and maybe it will distract them enough that they wouldn't notice we don't know our lines." It helped that we have a bin full of Halloween costumes and a 11 year old girl to borrow all the neon you could possibly want. We wore sunglasses each night so they could not see us scanning our lines on a clipboard. All & all it worked! The kids could not wait to see what outlandish, wacky thing we would be wearing and it was all in fun for the kids. I remember going to VBS as a kid and I loved it. I hope we created a good memory for the kids this year.

So the cast of Characters we had were:

Rasta Impasta w/ My Little Pony Gotee
Neon Wannabe
Welcome to The Thunderdome or Celo Green's got nothing on me
Video Killed the Radio Star
Gun's n Noses
Big Money or Yaaaaaa Boy
Village People Indian (This doesn't have a pic)

We ended the week with a skate party at Skateland. Stick a feather in the cap for 40 year olds, I skated and I didn't fall! (Not that I didn't do the "Oh My Gosh, Help Me Shuffle" a couple of times and my friend did get taken out by a skittle and has the bruises to prove it) Kevin even managed a couple of circles. There is a whole generation of kids that don't know how to roller skate. There were kids splayed out on the skating ring floor like a Roller Boogie war zone! It definitely felt like we were kicking it old school, all I needed where my skates with the light up wheels with 50 Poms Poms attached to them and the swamp cooler blowing through my wings.

I am hoping to catch up on sleep and rest by the end of the week!

We got the Spirit, Yes we do!

2011-07-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

This week Peyton has spent at Cheer Camp with the Permian & OHS Cheerleaders and all of the girls in Odessa that are Peppettes and Cheerleaders for 5th & 6th grade in Odessa. Each day had a theme, day 1 - Team Shirts, day 2 - crazy hair (in the Odessa American newspaper), day 3 - crazy socks, day 4 - camp shirts, day 5 - uniforms.

Each day Peyton got in the car she would let me know, "We didn't win the Spirit Stick today." The ever elusive Spirit Stick. Just to hold it can unlock secrets of the Universe! The power that this stick wields for a cheerleader is more than any thing that Indiana Jones ever got his hands on in one of his adventures. Each team that won it each day got to keep it over night until it was given to the new Spirited team. The last day, the stick is awarded to the team with the most Spirit for the week and it is theirs to keep. Such an award!

She was puzzled by this. The feed back from the PHS/OHS cheerleaders was good. They were yelling as loud as they possibly could. Their hair was indeed crazy as was their socks. What could be the problem?

It all came down to the final day and the show off! This is the day that all the Odessa Elementary schools got to show their cheering and dancing that they had been learning all week. After all the performances were over and the big announcement was made .....(is the anticipation getting you or do you see where I am going with this?) The Reagan Texans Won! (Let the frenzied, girl squealing begin.) You have never seen such excited girls. The stick was held high and every one worked to get a hand on it. The Super Bowl award ceremony is awesome, but they got nothing on our girls. They jump and squeal and carry pom poms all at the same time, let me see a 250 lb linebacker do that!

The coveted stick has neon curly ribbon, the handle is zebra and it has some glitter too, of course. It is enough to make you do Spirit Fingers and Leg kicks all at once! Congratulations Reagan Texans! Cheer on!

Reluctant Pilgrim

2011-07-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

This week Kevin has had my laptop in North Carolina, so I haven't been able to write a blog. He got back last night around 10:15 and we ended up talking about his journey until about 1 am. (Yawn* so tired today at work) I came to the conclusion that it was the perfect time for a guest blogger. Kevin has seen so many interesting things this week, heard so many interesting things & done so many interesting things that it only made sense to let him write the blog this week. Besides, he actually took a writing class! Without further adue...

Tap, tap,tap... is this thing on???

This past week I spent four days at Soulfeast in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.(about 30 miles outside of Asheville) I went with five others from the leadership team from my church. It was almost like a church camp for adults filled with workshops and classes set up to give you something to take home with you and implement in your church. There was to be a morning class that I went to all three mornings and the afternoon class would be a different one each day. So,needless to say, the morning class was what I needed to really be sure on. The night before, as we sat and discussed the options we had, I came across a class that caught my attention. Reluctant Pilgrim. Wow! What a name for a class! What did it mean? What would it offer? These two words just grabbed me. Plus, it was taught by a person named Enuma Okoro. This name too peaked my interest. The only drawback, that was all of the information I had to go on. No description of the class or what it would offer. I couldn't pass on it. I didn't want to be a "Reluctant Pilgrim."

Monday morning. Time for class. I have to be honest, it was the first day of school all over again. I knew no one. Was I in the right class? Was I even in the right building?
As I made my way to an empty seat I noticed at this point and time I was the only guy. Now, in high school, I would have liked that percentage, at Soulfeast I was a little nervous.

Finally, the teacher enters the room.
A tall, slender African-American woman.
I don't know why, but for some reason, I was expecting a man.
As we got started and she began to talk about what we'd be doing, she asked everyone what book we had read that had an impact on our life.
Uhhh... what?
I'm really not a big reader. Never have been.
All these women were naming book after book of which I'd never heard and how they opened their eyes and changed their life.
As it got closer to me to share, the only thing I could think of was Sports Illustrated.
Finally, Max Lucado came to mind. I had read a couple of his books and even used some of his study guides in Sunday school.
And I did like him!
Cool! I got my author, and just in time.
As I shared with the class, I heard alot of "oh yeah. I like him too."
WHEW! That was a close one.

Next Enuma shared that she had written a book called, "Reluctant Pilgrim".
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Ok. She's the "Reluctant Pilgrim." Still a cool couple of words. I wanted to hear her story.
Then she said she was glad that we'd all signed up for her writing class.
HOLY CRAP! Did she just say writing class?
This was not good, and I was gonna have three days of it.
I guess I could have got out of the class, but I'd just be a day behind with anything I changed to.
I thought,"Oh well, it's not like I'll be graded."

First assignment: Write about your name.

She gave us ten prompts to follow.
1. In English my name means_________.
2. It is like the number___________.
3. It is like the color__________.
4. It makes the sound of __________.
5. I was named after__________.
6. The person who named me was_________.
7. My name comes from__________.
8. Some people call me__________.
9. The name of my secret self is _________.
10. One thing I'd never do is_________.

What the *&^%$ had I gotten my self into?!?!

I'M NOT A WRITER, NOR EVER WANTED TO BE!

I decided I'd just do my best to answer the questions and try to some how make it sound like a story. I wasn't looking forward to it, or the next day when we got to READ IT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!

Tuesday morning: Class started with Enuma reading what she had written about her name.
Poetry.
As a few others read theirs, some were very good. Some ok, and some, didn't understand the assignment and lacked.
I thought, "Well, mines not great, but at least I got the assignment right."
That was a comfort.
So when it came to be my turn, I took a deep breath, and officially started my writing career.

I am Kevin. I don't know why I am, but I am.
Kevin means: handsome, gentle, attractive, lovable and beautiful.(not my words...Google's)
I can't imagine being any other name.
I didn't choose my name, but I wouldn't change it.
It's who I am.
Kevin reminds me of the number seven. I suppose it's because it rhymes. Seven is suppose to be lucky so, I'll take it.
My name is like the color maroon. It's not uncommon, but you come across it every once in awhile.
My mother gave me the name "Kevin". I suppose I am named after another "Kevin" she came across somewhere along her life. I don't know.
Some people call me Kevin, Kkidd, Kman... my kids call me dad. I won't tell you what my wife calls me.
One thing I would never do is change my name. It's perfect for me. Although it was given to me by my parents, it was given to them by God. It's said, "God knew your name before anyone."
And I TRY not to ever question God.

I did it! I was proud of myself. It certainly isn't gonna get me a book deal, but it was well received by the class and one line even got a big laugh. (I owe you Lainie!)

I was the Reluctant Pilgrim.

Busy Bee

2011-07-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

I have been a busy, busy bee since the last time I wrote a blog. My kids went a way for a week to church camp. This is the lecture I gave when we were getting them ready to go:

Even though your parents aren't there, we expect you to handle yourselves like you would if we were there. Remember, you represent your family...(does this sound familiar, I'm pretty sure I heard that lecture from my mom. It's standard camp rhetoric. Now onto the part of the hygiene portion of our show) You must take a shower, wash your hair, brush your teeth, wear deodorant, brush your hair, change your socks, wear clean underwear EVERYDAY. (You gotta cover all your bases on this one, one thing left out and you have a kid who wore the same socks everyday & reeks of walking death! "What's that smell? Do you smell curdled cheese and Frito's?")

So, I pick them up Friday and Peyton is wearing the same shirt she left for camp in and has a wicked case of van head. Hayden is wearing his swim trunks that he slept in the night before! Thanks for representing kids!

Back to busy bee. Since the last time I wrote we have baked 4 cakes & 3 pans of brownies for church. Peyton got a wicked sun burn on the 4th of July just on her back because she sun screened her front very well. There is literally a line down the middle of her arm like we cooked her to long on one side and left her raw on the the other. Ouch! Not good for sleeping.

We spent the 4th at my sister-in-laws & brother-in-laws swimming and grilling out. I am so thankful to have family that I actually enjoy doing things with and look forward to spending time with them, I know that is not always the case for every one.

My kids have had rehearsal each night and last night they were there from 6:30 to 10:00, tonight it is after 11 and they are still not home. The show opens Friday and they are working out the kinks. These guys are working so hard, come and see the show. They will be performing through the month of July every weekend at 8 on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 Sundays.

Today Peyton got her molds taken for braces and we found what kind of price tag we were talking. Ouch! I could buy a really, really nice piece of jewelry for that! I had to be on my best mom behavior not to take a photo of her when she had the lip holder on. It cracked me up. She told me I was not allowed to post any embarrassing photos of her. Darn!

Last but not least, after the play begins this weekend, Kevin will be leaving for a week on Saturday to go to North Carolina. Busy time ahead! Breath in, breath out. I think this is one of the busiest summers I have ever had. Serenity Now! This to shall pass! Insert helpful saying here!

Last but not least, since the theme of this blog is "Busy Bee", I am including a picture of a dude wearing a bee hoody and leg warmers because it cracks me up! It puts questions out there for me like, " Why don't the bees want to make this a full on bee jogging suit?" & " Why wear a bee suit?" also " What do you have under your bee suit sir?" ENJOY!

Rules of the Road

2011-06-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

This week for Peyton's 11th birthday, we took her for a trip to Six Flags and a Ranger's game. As I was being herded around at Six Flags and herded around at the Ranger's game, I looked around and saw other families in similar circumstances being herded as well through gates. This made me come to realize several universal truths when it comes to travel. These are my observations:

1) If you offer a free firework show and a Continental breakfast, you could pretty much herd humans any where you want them to go. After seeing such movies as Super 8 and Transformers this summer, aliens might take note. I think Continental breakfasts and free fireworks are the key to world domination.

2) If you have children, you will never ever set by the window again during a flight.

3) If you fly, your children are guaranteed to win the hugest stuffed animal offered at the amusement games. Thus leaving you to figure out how to get a Giant Angry Bird and Bugs Bunny through Security at the airport.

4) Giant stuffed animals can be stuffed in suitcases. (Be thankful they did not win the Giant Chiquita Banana with dread locks or the electric guitar!)

5) If you are hot enough to ride the water ride first at the amusement park, you will suffer the consequences of looking like a drowned rat for the rest of the day with your hair stuck to your head and mascara running down your face. (You will notice there are no pics of me at Six Flags for that very reason.)

6) You know you are hot when you are willing to buy the giant memorabilia cup that costs $12, no matter how dorky you might look drinking out of a big red sippy cup for adults or giant boot.

7) Normal sized foods do not exist at amusement parks and baseball games. Everything is TEXAS sized with giant prices to match. (Hayden is that a good $10 hamburger)

8) Inevitably, your friend will text you that they just saw you on national TV at the baseball game when you have just began consuming a giant footlong hotdog covered in cheese and drinking out of a giant boot cup.

9) If you are asked if you would like guacamole added to that, say no. No guacamole is worth $1.75 for a small scoop. (Thanks Chili's Too)

10) Nigerian cab drivers will rip you off to go a block and 1/2 back to your hotel rather than waiting 2 hours to ride a trolley with the rest of the herd. (Be leery when he never turns on the meter)

11) Your kids will want to talk about how such products that are being shown on poster as "not allowed items" at airport security could be used to build a bomb while going through airport security. (Mom, how do you use hand sanitizer as an explosive? SHHHH!)

12) It is the luck of the draw as to what funky smell your rental car will have--this time we got a combination of old greasy french fries and feet.

I also came to the conclusion that you can tell if a trip was fun by the following:

1) Out of 46,000 people at the baseball game, your kiddos got picked out of the crowd on camera. (Pretty awesome birthday story.)

2) You got to hang out with awesome friends who had a
flashpass at the Amusement Park so you didn't have to wait in lines. (Thanks Haynes family, we had a blast with yall.)

3) You are willing to come home, even though your flight was delayed, and stay up baking items for bake sale and packing and doing laundry for your kids to go to camp until midnight.

4) Your son has an awesome collection of giant souvenir cups that you know you will never drink out of again.

4) Your daughter is coming home with a really dorky hat from six flags that you will see every time they have hat day at school. (she gets the dorkiest one every time we go)

5) Your kids can't wait to do it again.

There you go, those are some little nuggets of travel wisdom you can use or not.

What's the point?

2011-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Psss! Hey you, look over there. Yeah, where the arrow is pointing -- notice anything different?

Now look down there. What's the point you ask? Ok, I'll admit it, I am a sell out. I now have ads on my blog. I have decided to combine two things I enjoy doing ....blogging and shopping. So if you will be so kind and each time you read my blog click on one of my ads. You don't have to buy anything, just click and look around. Every time you click I get paid a few cents. (I made .04 yesterday) I have to make at least $10 to receive a check and no, I can not click on my own ads or they will kick me out! I can't decide what to do with all of my big earnings -- maybe I will use it for shopping, maybe for vacation spending money or maybe I will tithe it. I haven't decided yet.

Now for a totally random transition. Every summer I look for camps and things for my kids to do so that they won't lay around all summer like a bump on a log watching television. At the beginning of this summer I thought, "This is going to be a relatively slow summer, slow with not much to do." It is turning out to be just the opposite.
My kids have been given an opportunity at Permian Playhouse to participate in their next production. Any guesses as to which play it is? (HINT: It's a musical)

We've got trouble, right here in Odessa city, with a capital.....you get the idea. We are coming in late on rehearsals so my kids are having to play catch up. They will be performing in several song & dance numbers and Peyton will be truly stretching herself as she plays a boy. (There is more to it than scratching & spitting) Many of the other children have already had a few weeks of rehearsing, Hayden is having a bit of a challenge with the stage direction. (Left, right, dyslexics get those a little mixed up) Rehearsals are every night from 6:30-9:30 and they are getting use to this schedule. (When do ac-TORS eat and bath?) They are use to having day camps & going to bed at 9:30, so this is a change for this summer. The cast has been very helpful & offer them pointers, cross your fingers because D-day will be 6/23. They will cut those who do not know their dances and songs on that day. We are so thankful to our friend Chalace for this opportunity. They are working very hard & hoping to make the cut. Hayden told me tonight he gets a tight feeling in his chest when he goes on stage & that it is the same feeling he has when he is playing soccer or taking a test. I explained that it was anxiety & told him to take a deep breath and just relax and slow down his heart rate.

He really wants to participate in this and I am hopeful he can conquer this challenge with his normal moxy. What ever happens, we are so proud of them for taking a chance.

Body Language

2011-06-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we were lucky enough to have a power outage in 101 degree weather. I decided to run some errands and get out of my house before it got hot. I got all of my errands ran and had about 30 minutes until I had to pick up my kids and did not want to come home to my hot house. I decided to grab a burrito and park my car in my office parking lot & stay cool under my car air conditioner.

When I got there, there was a truck pulled right in the middle of the lot with a girl in the passenger seat and a guy standing outside with the door open and a major make out session going on. They did not even notice when I pulled in. I took a bite of burrito and that's when the show began. I could not hear anything being said between the two, but their body language said it all.

The girl stormed out of the truck reading a text on the phone (the other woman?) with the guy chasing after her doing his best "Baby, Baby Please!" She was so mad, she threw the phone down in the parking lot, at this point I imagine he was saying, "Hey! Don't break my phone, she's just a friend." He tried to stop her by getting in front of her, she hit him in the chest a couple of times and headed down the street. They were in the middle of the street arguing, he definitely knew I was there at that point. I tried to give him my best "I'm just eating my burrito" face. She took off down the street with him following.

A while later they came walking back and got in the truck. So much emotion in such a short amount of time. They stayed in the truck for a little while talking and then all of a sudden she bolted out the truck and started running down a side street. Of course, he followed. By this time I was done with my burrito and needed to head downtown to get my kids.

I started thinking on the way about the whole dramatic episode I had just witnessed. Did she really want to get away? If she really wanted to get away, she saw me there in my vehicle, she could have walked over and asked for a ride. Was the whole display just a ruffling of feathers just to show, "This is how mad I will get the next time you do this to me." In coming back, was that a statement of acceptance that she would allow him to treat her badly in their relationship?

This was like watching a novella, with all the drama of The Real Housewives. Stand your ground girl, don't accept anything less because it will be something you will regret in the future.

School Daze

2011-06-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of school. Most kids would be jumping for joy, but I have the saddest 8 yr old boy you have ever seen. There were tears even! Both his classroom teacher and his dyslexia teacher are retiring. (It is merely a coincidence that both of his teachers are retiring after having Hayden in their class, he's not the student that made them run for the hills! Thank goodness.) He is heart broken, he just knows he is never going to see them again.

Both of my kiddos have grown so much this year, physically, spiritually and intellectually. What a time of transition--Peyton will be a 6th grader next year and a cheerleader! (Look out 6th grade teachers) Hayden will be my big 3rd grade boy! (If his 3rd grade teacher retires after he is in their class next year I will have questions!)
This means Peyton will have her last year in elementary school. She gets to be the big fish in the little pond.

1st Day

I have posted a picture of the 1st day of school and today, do you see any difference? To think that before this year started we were so unsure of Hayden starting a new school and finding out he had dyslexia. I am so relieved that he has thrived this year, he actually seems to enjoy reading. So perhaps it is a true testament of his teachers making his transition go so easy that he is so upset they will not be there next year.

Last Day

Such a difference from 1st day to last, you have your new back pack and all your new school supplies with your new school clothes. You are combed and tidy, ready to see which friends will be in your class, a little nervous but excited too. The last day, you put on what ever you can find that's clean, your backpack has been dragged, stepped on, torn and probably has some kinda smell going on. Your hair is a little disheveled and you don't want to see any homework for a while.

Sooo, goodbye 2nd and 5th grade, hello summer time.
It is only a matter of time until I hear, "I am bored!"

The End

2011-05-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Well in case you missed it, apparently we all did, the Rapture was suppose to come last Saturday. I checked all the lawns of my neighbors, no outfits and shoes laid out like they got sucked up by a great cosmic vacuum. (I knew better than to look at the party boys' house next door) Don't people remember all the hub bub about Y2K?
You know who you are if you still have military rations, batteries and candles from then!

Matthew 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

There you go, it's not for you to know! It's in God's time, not man's. Why are people so willing to give an ear to false prophets? If you are in doubt as to whether a person is a false prophet or not, think about this, is the statement they are making to glorify God or themselves. Is it self serving to burn a Koren or predict the end of the world or disrupt the burial of a fallen soldier? Of Course it is, it brings publicity and notoriety to their cause.

All though Saturday provided a reminder to listen to Blondie's Rapture and R.E.M. End of the World as We Know It, my Saturday included my son having a stomach bug and vomiting in his sock drawer. This to shall pass, after 24 hours!

So the question is, how are you different post Rapture as compared to pre Rapture? Maybe we can use this as a reminder that you never know when it is your time to go, so live each day to the fullest. Is the Post Rapture you living or merely existing? Make the most of it!

Under the Brim

2011-05-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

This blog is a day late and a dollar short (as my grandmother likes to say) because after a two day meeting out of town for my job, Hayden's last soccer game of the season and six loads of laundry, I am playing catch up! For Mother's day, the powers that be at our church decided it would be "Hat's off to Mothers." This meant that every one was invited to wear a hat to church. I have to admit, that thanks to the Royal Wedding and the Kentucky Derby, I had the hat bug! I was very excited about the whole out of the box fashion experience.

I went out on the hunt for a hat. I found several I liked, but wasn't willing to spend to much because more than likely this was a one time thing. I didn't want to spend $50-$100 on something that may never get used again, so I decided on a $18 dollar hat. As the day approached to wear my hat, I found myself being apprehensive about wearing it. Realization set in about being conspicuous and standing out.

I decided to "carry" my hat in the car with me. I did this for a couple of reasons, one --wide, brim hats are like cat whiskers--your big old head isn't going to fit every where, like in your car. Your brim pushes your head away from the seat. Two--again with the standing out like a sore thumb in public thing, I didn't want to set next to a group of people at the red light with them staring at my big hat. "Look at that Lady trying to drive with her big hat mama! She can't put the back of her head against the seat."

On the way there, I noticed all kinds of men wearing hats and driving, there was one with a baseball hat, a cowboy hat(what do you do with your brim sir?) and one in a little Frank Sinatra looking hat. It was as if they were challenging me, "We have the guts to wear our hats in public, why don't you?" As I parked at the church, I decided to carry my hat in just in case the whole church was playing some cruel hat joke on me and I was the only one who did not know about it. "As she enters the church, every one jump up and point and laugh!"

I entered with hat in hand and stealthy ninja moves ready for any one who jumped out. I saw a lady with hat on head pass in the hallway, then I saw my Pastor with her hat on! Aww these are my peeps! (Nothing like being part of the herd.) Acceptance! There were lots of people wearing hats. For those who chose not to participate, the kiddos made "special" hats with floral ribbon and silk flowers attached.

It was worth the mild case of hathead I suffered for the rest of the day. By the way, when you wear a hat, your perspective from under the brim looks something like this:

It's always in your peripheral vision.

Cultured

2011-05-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of culture for me. Friday night, Kevin and I went to see Larry the Cable Guy and Monday night, I got to go with Lisa and Lexie to see the National Russian Ballet Company perform "Sleeping Beauty." Before you scoff, redneck culture is a type of culture. Come to one of my family reunions and you will totally see redneck culture. By the By, much like Larry the Cable Guy, my dad loves to cut all the sleeves off of his shirts! Of course he adds his own redneck couture by unbuttoning it down to his belly and adding a couple of gold chains with crosses. (Those of you who are laughing right now have seen him in this ensemble and know it's true!) So glad he pulls out the sleeved shirts for church!

People who attend a Larry the Cable Guy show are a show all in themselves. We were lucky enough to have a much older, bleached blonde, lady drunk behind us who felt the need to yell back at Larry the entire show. (We usually get the "drunk yeller" or the "repeat every joke's punch line in your loud voice" directly behind us.) This brings me to some comedy show etiquette that I feel the need to cover.

1. If you have spent $125 doll hairs on show tickets, more than likely, the people around you also paid that amount--it was not to hear you the whole show. They paid to hear the comedian. Hush up!

2. If you are going to drink to the point of vomiting on the floor next to your seat, could you do it at the beginning rather than the end so we can hear the show.

3. You are not funnier than the comedian. SHHHHH!

Common sense, I know, but yet lacking at every show we attend. Pass it on, tell all your homies who fit the bill.

Monday night at the ballet was beautiful. The costumes were so colorful and the dancers were so talented. We got there a little late, so we did not start with the best of seats, but as people got up and moved around we staked our claim and by the end of the show we could see pretty well. When the male ballet performers came out on the stage, my daughter chuckled. I asked, "What is it?" She said, "Look at the boys pants/tights?" It was pretty revealing, we were high up, so I am sure the front row people got an eye full! When the prince kissed sleeping beauty and awoke her from her sleep, Peyton whispered in my ear, "PDA on display."

I had a great time at both shows, the only thing that could have made my weekend better was if I got to go to the Willie Nelson show in Midland Sunday night too! I was not lucky enough to get tickets to that show. He is one of those performers that you need to see at least once in your lifetime and you are not sure how much longer he will be touring.

HAHA!

2011-04-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

I recently went to a baby shower for my sister's roomie. While there, I got to also visit with her mom. We do not get to see each other very often, but thanks to modern technology, we are friends on Facebook. (I don't want to embarrass them, so names are being withheld to protect the innocent.) Her mom caught me in the corridor and let me know how much she enjoys my little ol' blog. She said when she reads it, it makes her laugh and smile. Can I just say what an incredibly humbling experience this is....someone telling me that I made them smile or laugh is just about the best compliment I could get. If that is the case, this blog has served a purpose. (Not just a crazy, creative outlet for me)

My profile says that I believe that humor is the lubricant of life, it makes everything go smoother. This is so true! No matter how bad of a day you are having, how achy your body might be, how sleep deprived you are, one good laugh or smile can make it turn for the better. If the gift of children does not make you laugh at yourself, I don't know what will. They are the first ones to catch every detail of what you say and relay it at the most inappropriate times....my children are great about doing this in church.

Type "Laugh" or "Smile" on your images on your computer, you can't help but smile when you see others doing it. Offer this gift to others, one smile can be so contagious. Even if you smile at a stranger, they usually will return a smile and it didn't cost you anything to give.

Let the Games Begin!

2011-04-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been a busy one for us, we have spent the days out on the dusty, wind blown soccer fields at The West Texas Blowout Soccer Tournament. Hayden had a game Friday night at 7:30 and then two games Saturday at 11:30 and 4:40. He lost one , tied one & won his last game. He scored two goals! Of course the most important part was getting a trophy. (Little boys love trophies)

This brings me to a couple of conversations Hayden had this last week with his coach and his dad.

Coach: Hayden, did you eat some cockroaches today for lunch?

Hayden: NO

Coach: Let me see your chest, do you have any chest hair? Let me see your armpits, do you have any hair there?

Hayden: NO

Coach: We got to find a way to make you more aggressive on the field, we have to feed you some cockroaches or something. We need to make you meaner.

Fast forward to a few days and some TV watching later...Kevin had the following conversation with Hayden on his way to school.

Hayden: Dad, you know that commercial we saw yesterday that helps you grow hair?

Kevin: The Rogaine commercial?

Hayden: Yeah, that one. Do you think if I put Rogaine on my armpits it would grow hair on them?

Talk about commitment! This boy is willing to do what it takes. Can you imagine the intimidation factor to be an 8 year old boy and face a team of boys with a Donald Trump comb overs hanging out their shirts? That might call for sleeveless uniforms!

Probably one of the hardest things is to hear a coach yell at your kid when they are playing sports. When the weight of competing as a key player on a team is on their shoulders, I don't know that you could want them to do their best any more than you do at that moment. It is especially hard to keep yourself in check and stay an encourager on the side lines and not get swept up in the emotion of the game. This is particularly true when you know they are not performing at a level you know they are capable of. When they are not playing well, you so want to motivate them so they can advert the negative attention from the coach. I know that this is part of playing sports and that he will be dealing with this as long as he plays them, but I don't know that I will ever get use to it!

Secret Confessions

2011-04-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, look at you! How quickly did you click on that headline? Why is it we are always drawn to those kinds of headlines? I am as guilty as the next person to know all the dirt on someone--human nature. I want to be above it, I really do, but alas, that is not the case. You just get sucked in to think that you are going to know what that person is really like if you know their deep dark secrets.

So here you go, I am going to reveal somethings about me that you may or may not know. Deep, dark secrets not for the faint of heart. Be gentle in your judgement of me please.

1. Sometimes, when it's slow in the office at my job, I chair dance.

2. YES, I did lick the spoon!

3. I just told you I deleted that pic of you on my phone, but I really still have it.

4. I like the weird, bottom layer of bean dip in the can.(Once again, don't judge me.)

5. I do not like balled up tinfoil, straw wrappers or trash on the table when I am eating. (I am pretty phobic about it.)

6. I sometimes wear mismatched socks.

7. YES, I did eat the last one.

8. I may have volunteered you for something. (Oh come on, it will be fun! This is what I always say to talk you in to it)

9. No, it did not really look good.

10. I may be wanted in Oklahoma for unpaid toll fairs.

11. I secretly keep a stash of........WAIT A MINUTE...you didn't think I would give up all my secrets did you?

It's your turn to reveal one of your deep, dark secrets. Go on, post it on this blog or on the facebook link. Oh come on, you know it will be fun to get it off your chest!

Back in the Day.....

2011-03-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Did your parents ever tell you their hardship stories from when they were growing up? "Back in my day, we had to walk to school in the sleet and the snow and all we had to wear on our feet were gold slippers that turned up at the end like elf shoes." (You laugh, but I swear my mom told me that) I actually caught myself doing this to one of my children this weekend! Only my story was really pathetic after I thought about, being a child of the 80's, we just did not really have the hardships that our parents had.

We went to measure my daughter for her cheerleading uniform for next year when she is in 6th grade. Talk about sticker price shock, her uniform is going to cost $180 doll hairs! After it was all said and done, I ended up writing a check for $335 doll hairs to pay for cheer camp, camp shirt, dance camp, uniform and registration. I think it was the sticker shock that through me in to my, "Back in My Day" story.

Stop it Mom!

As we got in the car I said, "Back when I was a cheerleader in elementary school, our uniforms were green polyster and homemade with a green gingham shirt. They had Jets ironed on the front in a diagonal. (Don't make me ask my mom to dig out those photos of my green, gingham, polyster nightmare) We didn't get to just be cheerleaders if we were peppettes in 5th grade, we had to try out and do a cheer and jump. We had to carry huge, giant pom poms across football fields.....I think they weighed 10 lbs.....in the SNOW." (You have to add in the snow to any "Back in the Day" story)

You see what I mean, pretty pathetic hardship huh? Can you imagine what our children's "Back in the Day" stories are going to be like? "Back in the day I had to walk every where I went, we didn't have jet propelled shoes like you. We had to cut our own food and couldn't just take a pill of steak and potatoes. We had to carry our cell phones and talk on them, they were not implanted like they are now."

You never know...