So here I am in Seattle for the annual PASS Conference. It's cold and rainy. And there are a lot of panhandlers everywhere. But Seattle's brand of panhandler is unique - they are, indeed, very creative. The panhandler in the photo above held a sign that read:My father was Killed by NINJASNeed moneyFor Karate Lessons! When I passed that guy on the street, I figured "Heck, that's funny enough to be worth a buck." and gave it to him. Vive la poet!-Kev … [Read more...]

It's official. I'm now over the hill. Or, using the new nomenclature, I'm the "new 30". Either way, it ain't too bad. I feel as healthy as I've ever been and a lot healthier than at certain times in my life like when my back was at its worst in my late twenties to mid-thirties.The kids and I had a low-key evening out on the town. We enjoyed a dinner together at Longhorn and hung out for a while afterwards. They got me some fantastic and fun gifts. I also want to say thanks to my friends and family who sent cards and gifts.I also want to send a special thank you to Dr Pineapple and his … [Read more...]

Yes, I can finally park the minivan in the garage. And there's still room to maneuver. Heck, I could probably fit another car, albiet a Mini Cooper, in there to boot. It may not seem like much. But it was a chore that took me the better part of the weekend to complete. The good news is that now I can park the car in the garage. And the even better news is that we can get off to school in the morning without having to scrape ice off of the windows or sit in a chilly car. Yippee!-Kev … [Read more...]

What can I say? They take my breath away. I bought these dresses for them when I was in Munich in May of 2005. They look prettier than the edelweiss. … [Read more...]

For those of you not in the know, the "Brickyard" is a nickname for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy500.I had the pleasure of "representin' for my peeps", Quest Software, in Nashville, Tulsa, and Indy over the past couple weeks. I spoke at big user group seminars in each city and was pleased to see big crowds there. I also had the pleasure of meeting in person a number of Quest people who I'd only ever spoken to on the phone.This is a picture of me and Danielle Mann ===>. Danielle is Quests manager for field marketing. I've worked with Danielle since at least late spring of … [Read more...]

Anna Lynn does not have the good fortune to have naturally straight teeth like her mom and I. It's a painful and expensive process to get those pearly whites to come in straight. Since she's young, our orthodontist recommended that we install an "appliance" before going into braces. It's been uncomfortable for Anna, but she's finally gotten used to it - except for the really cute lisp. :^)You can see her bottom appliance in the picture. She has something very similar in the roof of her mouth. You can also see a little of the crookedness of her teeth. The teeth between her incisors and … [Read more...]

We've had a lot of health issues this week. BothKatie Jo and Anna Lynn had strep. This is tough in and of itself. But to make matters worse, we were expecting guests.When Grandma Shirley and Grandpa Chuck finally made it off of the airplane on October 5th, it turns out that Grandpa Chuck was really sick with a terrible stomach flu. On top of that, I was showing Grandma Shirley around the property over the weekend when I stepped on a big, ol' rusty nail that pierced my right foot about 1/2". Yeouch! Then I got the obligatory tetanus shot. Double yeouch!We did manage to get out and have some … [Read more...]

Please read this and tell me what you think:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2393599,00.html.Now answer me this... Iraq didn't do a fraction of the actions that North Korea has done towards the development of nuclear weapons (a.k.a. WMDs). Iraq never openly had a nuclear reactor, testified to the existence of 8-12 rods of plutonium, threatened to reactive their breeder reactors, tested ballistic missles capable of reaching US cities, nor did they actually conduct tests of nuclear weapons. And yet Bush and Rumsfeld rushed us into Iraq... Yet, here we have a viscious dictator who … [Read more...]

I've been getting more political lately, mostly because I believe we've got some of the worst political leadership of all time running the show. A recent editorial by Krugman contains a nugget of wisdom about holding the "values-party" accountable.It is this: The current Congress has shown no inclination to investigate the Bush administration. Last year The Boston Globe offered an illuminating comparison: when Bill Clinton was president, the House took 140 hours of sworn testimony into whether Mr. Clinton had used the White House Christmas list to identify possible Democratic donors. That's … [Read more...]

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drinkNor slumber nor a roof against the rain;Nor yet a floating spar to men that sinkAnd rise and sink and rise and sink again;Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;Yet many a man is making friends with deathEven as I speak, for lack of love alone.It well may be that in a difficult hour,Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,Or nagged by want past resolution's power,I might be driven to sell your love for peace,Or trade the memory of this night for food.It well may be. I do not think I … [Read more...]