So there you have it. From January 1st until May 2nd, besides wedding plans, this is what we have been up to.... "and now you know the rest of the story."
outside the tent
4 years ago
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The Rest of the Story
So, it's been a while since Jonny or I have updated this thing. You'll have to forgives us since we have been somewhat busy this year. "Busy with what?" you may ask. Well let me show you:
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Honeymooning
So, we admitted our inability to plan our own honeymoon trip and went to a travel agent, and we got some options, so vote for your favorite. (Reasoning is appreciated as well.)
In no particular order:
- Several combinations of London, Edinburgh, & Dublin
- Several combinations of Venice, Florence, & Rome
- Munich, Salzburg, & Vienna
- Paris & Normandy
- Grand Tour of Germany (Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Black Forest)
- New York & DC
(From Amber:) Vote early and vote often.
In no particular order:
- Several combinations of London, Edinburgh, & Dublin
- Several combinations of Venice, Florence, & Rome
- Munich, Salzburg, & Vienna
- Paris & Normandy
- Grand Tour of Germany (Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Black Forest)
- New York & DC
(From Amber:) Vote early and vote often.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Green Old Guys
Its tax season! I'll pause while you audibly and enthusiastically rejoice in that statement................................all done? Good.
So perhaps you have seen then H&R block or some other tax company's ads. You know, the ones where the portraits of the dead presidents come of the bills and start talking even though they still look all creepily green? Well I saw it not too long ago and I was struck when one of them said to the John Everyman in the commercial, "You know what you need? A big tax refund!"
How ludicrous!
So it got me thinking about how an actual transcript of my interaction with a newly resurrected albeit hideously green Washington, Lincoln, and Jackson would go down. Enjoy.
Me: Oh hey dead founding fathers! What's up?
Washington: What's up? My dear sir, whatever does that mean?
Me: Oh sorry, speech has a way of changing over the years. How do you do?
Lincoln: Other than our alarming skin color, quite well thank you.
Jackson: What are you doing sonny?
Me: Oh this? I'm just getting together my invoices, receipts, W-2s, 1099s, and other various deductible bills together so I can go get my taxes done.
Washington: Taxes? What kind of taxes may I ask? You look too young to be engaged in enough business to be paying taxes.
Me: Oh yeah, there's a personal federal income tax now. It was the sixteenth amendment.
(Collective gasp by the green guys)
Jackson: Hogswallop! The first fruits of what a man earns certainly doesn't belong to the federal government!
Me: Well I appreciate and heartily agree with your sentiment Old Hickory, but if I don't get this done they'll haul me off to jail. There's a whole federal agency I have to please if I don't want any trouble.
Lincoln: That's absurd. Shouldn't they have to prove your guilt rather than vice versa?
Me: Once again, you're preaching to the choir Abe, but its hard taking constitutional criticisms from Mr.-only-president-to-suspend-habeus-corpus.
Washington: Well surely its not too high a percentage right? Only a small fraction surely?
Me: Well, all told, it'll probably be about 40% of everything I took in this year since I'm self-employed.
All Three: WHAT!!! (Jackson swoons....ya know, no one swoons now, but he's old enough it still works.)
Washington: Are you the richest man in America or something son?
Me: No sir, far from it, my net worth is still depressingly far into the red.
Jackson: Well what in the world is going on? What will Congress spend all this money on pray tell?
Me: Actually, all the personal income tax together basically pays the interest on our national debt.
All Three: (Groaning in anguish)
Jackson: Balderdash!
Me: Yeah, its true. But you have to borrow a whole heap of money to maintain military bases in over a hundred nations across the world and basically subsidize the defense of all of Europe through NATO.
Washington: By Jove, I believe I'm going to be ill. What on earth is this NATO?
Me: Oh, well I know your schitck was to avoid foreign entanglements, but the world's a lot smaller now. You can fly to China in less than a day. So a generation ago, all of Western Europe and America had to form a military alliance against the Soviet Union as it was threating to overtake all its neighbors.........
Washington: ......well I suppose thats not too terrible.....
Me:...........but theres not a Soviet Union anymore.
Lincoln: Oh my stars and garters! Surely your jest!
Me: I wish I was, but instead, not only is there still a NATO, but a new nation wants to join it every week. But it gets better still. You are all green because your faces are printed on Treasury Notes that we use as money although you all hated "bills of credit" as you referred to them. And none of it is backed up by any precious metal reserves. Not only is there a central federal bank now, but its in the process of nationalizing other private banks and appropriating federal funds for other failing private institutions. And if the federal bank gets your collar hot, there's also an International Monetary Fund, a World Trade Organization, an upcoming international summit on international economic cooperation, to say nothing of the United Nations itself.
Washington: (staring with his eyes wide and jaw open) I thought we founded a free country that would be different from the central-power-heavy nations of Europe?
Me: Oh yeah, and the President can almost issue his own legislation through executive orders, enforce only what laws he wants to through signing statements, and decide to go to war without congressional approval. And if you take issue against any of this stuff, you're immediately dismissed as a radical idealouge in any political disscussion.
Washington: But I was trying to found a whole country of personal-liberty-loving idealouges! (George collapses into a chair rubbing his forehead)
(Pause)
Lincoln: You know George rebelled for far less than this, right?
So perhaps you have seen then H&R block or some other tax company's ads. You know, the ones where the portraits of the dead presidents come of the bills and start talking even though they still look all creepily green? Well I saw it not too long ago and I was struck when one of them said to the John Everyman in the commercial, "You know what you need? A big tax refund!"
How ludicrous!
So it got me thinking about how an actual transcript of my interaction with a newly resurrected albeit hideously green Washington, Lincoln, and Jackson would go down. Enjoy.
Me: Oh hey dead founding fathers! What's up?
Washington: What's up? My dear sir, whatever does that mean?
Me: Oh sorry, speech has a way of changing over the years. How do you do?
Lincoln: Other than our alarming skin color, quite well thank you.
Jackson: What are you doing sonny?
Me: Oh this? I'm just getting together my invoices, receipts, W-2s, 1099s, and other various deductible bills together so I can go get my taxes done.
Washington: Taxes? What kind of taxes may I ask? You look too young to be engaged in enough business to be paying taxes.
Me: Oh yeah, there's a personal federal income tax now. It was the sixteenth amendment.
(Collective gasp by the green guys)
Jackson: Hogswallop! The first fruits of what a man earns certainly doesn't belong to the federal government!
Me: Well I appreciate and heartily agree with your sentiment Old Hickory, but if I don't get this done they'll haul me off to jail. There's a whole federal agency I have to please if I don't want any trouble.
Lincoln: That's absurd. Shouldn't they have to prove your guilt rather than vice versa?
Me: Once again, you're preaching to the choir Abe, but its hard taking constitutional criticisms from Mr.-only-president-to-suspend-habeus-corpus.
Washington: Well surely its not too high a percentage right? Only a small fraction surely?
Me: Well, all told, it'll probably be about 40% of everything I took in this year since I'm self-employed.
All Three: WHAT!!! (Jackson swoons....ya know, no one swoons now, but he's old enough it still works.)
Washington: Are you the richest man in America or something son?
Me: No sir, far from it, my net worth is still depressingly far into the red.
Jackson: Well what in the world is going on? What will Congress spend all this money on pray tell?
Me: Actually, all the personal income tax together basically pays the interest on our national debt.
All Three: (Groaning in anguish)
Jackson: Balderdash!
Me: Yeah, its true. But you have to borrow a whole heap of money to maintain military bases in over a hundred nations across the world and basically subsidize the defense of all of Europe through NATO.
Washington: By Jove, I believe I'm going to be ill. What on earth is this NATO?
Me: Oh, well I know your schitck was to avoid foreign entanglements, but the world's a lot smaller now. You can fly to China in less than a day. So a generation ago, all of Western Europe and America had to form a military alliance against the Soviet Union as it was threating to overtake all its neighbors.........
Washington: ......well I suppose thats not too terrible.....
Me:...........but theres not a Soviet Union anymore.
Lincoln: Oh my stars and garters! Surely your jest!
Me: I wish I was, but instead, not only is there still a NATO, but a new nation wants to join it every week. But it gets better still. You are all green because your faces are printed on Treasury Notes that we use as money although you all hated "bills of credit" as you referred to them. And none of it is backed up by any precious metal reserves. Not only is there a central federal bank now, but its in the process of nationalizing other private banks and appropriating federal funds for other failing private institutions. And if the federal bank gets your collar hot, there's also an International Monetary Fund, a World Trade Organization, an upcoming international summit on international economic cooperation, to say nothing of the United Nations itself.
Washington: (staring with his eyes wide and jaw open) I thought we founded a free country that would be different from the central-power-heavy nations of Europe?
Me: Oh yeah, and the President can almost issue his own legislation through executive orders, enforce only what laws he wants to through signing statements, and decide to go to war without congressional approval. And if you take issue against any of this stuff, you're immediately dismissed as a radical idealouge in any political disscussion.
Washington: But I was trying to found a whole country of personal-liberty-loving idealouges! (George collapses into a chair rubbing his forehead)
(Pause)
Lincoln: You know George rebelled for far less than this, right?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
More Than 25 Things
So, I don't know if you've noticed this, but Facebook is COVERED with this chain-letter-type-"Notes"-challenge. In case you have missed it here is the scoop: friend 1 writes out a list of 25 random things about his or herself and tags 25 of their friends in the note. Then friends 2-26 are encouraged to repeat the process, and of course, you must tag the person who tagged you. Although I seldom engage in these sorts of things, I decided to jump on the ban wagon and participate. So I came up with my 25 facts late on Sunday night/Monday morning but since then I have thought of some other facts that should have made the first list, so here the are:
1. I want to learn how to play the cello. I came this close to buying one at a pawn shop a couple of summers ago as motivation but decided I would wait for a better time.
2. I think it would be cool to one day own a classic car. Either some 1950's car or like Model-T type will do.
3. When Jonny and I can't make a decision, we play rock/paper/scissors and let the game decide for us.
4. I have a GINORMOUS sweet tooth.
5. I am very interested in "birth order" type analysis.
6. I collect Postcards. Anytime a friend of mine is going on a trip I ask them to send me a postcard. It started because my Nana always sends each of us 7 grandkids postcards from her and my Papa's travels in their motor-home. One year she gave me a book with some old postcards from my Great Nanny and I just kept it up since then. I don't really like to just buy them for myself; I don't feel like that counts. Someone has to send it to me.
7. Althought I don't read it often, I really enjoy poetry. My favorite part is exploring all the different meanings and learning something different with each readthrough.
8. It sometimes scares me how similar I am to my Nana and Jonny is to my Papa. Seriously, it can be freaky. When we are at their house, Jonny and Papa often end up sitting the same! I don't know how that happened, but if we are lucky enough to share 51 years of marriage like they have, then I think it will be just fine.
9. When I clean, I like to make stacks. It helps me organize and prioritize. Sometimes making the stacks is as far as get though.
10. I recently started a vinyl record collection.
11. I enjoy candles but I rarely burn them or buy them and I am not sure why.
12. I realize I have developed a deep sense of loyalty to Spiderman. Thanks Jonny!
13. I like to collect witty and random T-shirts. Most of mine come from threadless.
14. I REALLY, REALLY enjoy looking at family photos and hearing family stories. I always want to learn more about who the people in family are as indivdiuals and not just who they are in thier familial role. I feel the photos and the stories help convey their personality to me.
15. I think its funny to watch Tucker and Reilly dream :)
I would love to hear some of your random facts too so consider yourself tagged once you are done reading this post! :)
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Random Ramblings
So, I don't know how many of you know this about me, but... I'm a random person. I can't tell you how many times Jonny and I are riding along in the car together and then, out of nowhere, I make a comment or ask a question, and Jonny just looks at me, with a very Jonny-esque look, which is always the same look, and states, "WHERE did THAT come from?" Believe me there is always a chain of thoughts, each one connected to the other, but often this chain occurs too rapidly to make it out in conversation, thus, when I arrive to the end statement and my mouth has caught up with my thoughts it comes, from seemingly no where. It normally happens like this: "thought x" is formed, creating a reaction which yields "thought y" which then triggers "thought z" and then "statement a" arrives in converstation. Sometimes, I will have "thoughts x-z" a think, "hmm. I'm gonna tell Jonny about this" so I'll call him or go into the next room where he is and I get the same aforementioned reaction.
So, I had one of these moments the last night, while I was in the bathroom at the Circle K in Ruston as Jonny and I were heading back from Jay and Katie Garcia's wedding reception. You know this one is gonna be good from the intro right? So here is the chain:
"Thought X" :
I am washing my hands in the very dirty, very typical public, gas station bathroom when I see the following sign:
which then triggered....
"Thought Y":
So the sign says that their "policy" is to keep the restroom clean, but this restroom is obviously NOT clean. The sign also says to notify and associate if the restroom is "unstatisfactory" so....
"Thought Z":
I wonder if anyone has ever notified the associate on duty about this. If so, what was that exchange like?? I wonder....
"Statement A":
"Hey Jonny, I was just in this REALLY nasty bathroom and I think I'm going to blog about it! I took pictures too!"
I am sure you can figure out what was next. And now you are caught up to real time. As I pondered this moment further I decided that this would make the perfect first segment of a possible reoccuring post at "Jonny on the Spot" entitled: Random Ramblings. After all, you know what they say, "If you can't say something that make sense, come sit next to me."
So, I had one of these moments the last night, while I was in the bathroom at the Circle K in Ruston as Jonny and I were heading back from Jay and Katie Garcia's wedding reception. You know this one is gonna be good from the intro right? So here is the chain:
"Thought X" :
I am washing my hands in the very dirty, very typical public, gas station bathroom when I see the following sign:
which then triggered....
"Thought Y":
So the sign says that their "policy" is to keep the restroom clean, but this restroom is obviously NOT clean. The sign also says to notify and associate if the restroom is "unstatisfactory" so....
"Thought Z":
I wonder if anyone has ever notified the associate on duty about this. If so, what was that exchange like?? I wonder....
"Statement A":
"Hey Jonny, I was just in this REALLY nasty bathroom and I think I'm going to blog about it! I took pictures too!"
I am sure you can figure out what was next. And now you are caught up to real time. As I pondered this moment further I decided that this would make the perfect first segment of a possible reoccuring post at "Jonny on the Spot" entitled: Random Ramblings. After all, you know what they say, "If you can't say something that make sense, come sit next to me."
Thursday, January 1, 2009
2009: A Year of Pictures
So today is the first of day of 2009.... like you needed me to tell you that. What you did need me to tell you was what I decided 2009 was going to mean for me. I am not one who makes New Years Resolutions, but this year I guess I jumped on the Resolution band wagon, sorta. So here is how it started, I am a gadget person. Thanks to Tom, Jonny and I have discovered woot.com which is this website that sells one item a day for a crazy deal. Recently, I "wooted" and purchased a digital frame. As I was deciding which pictures I wanted to see cycling in-and-out, day-to-day, I realized most of pictures were old, and of the dogs :) Like many times before when I review my photo collection, I realized I would enjoy it if I took more pictures. So that thought has been buzzing around my head for a while now. That's Part One of this story.
Now for Part 2: Jonny, Billy and I were in Best Buy on the 30th and I was once again bitten by the gadget bug. I decided it was time to buy a new digital camera (and it really was time, when I pulled out my old camera I found that I was the owner of a 3.2 megapixel dinasour!) I surveyed the camera section and then decided I would do some internet research. Today, I walked out of Best Buy the proud owner of a 8 megapixel Cannon PowerShot SD110 IS. So far, I love this little camera, which also takes video (plus!)
So the moral of this two-part story: I'm taking the
phrase "looking fine in 2009" to a photojournalistic level and I am going to make a strong effort to document this year's memories through photography. If I don't start off too strong, at least I know I will have a chance in July to stick to my photographic guns! So here's to many great memories that can be captured on film in 2009!
Now for Part 2: Jonny, Billy and I were in Best Buy on the 30th and I was once again bitten by the gadget bug. I decided it was time to buy a new digital camera (and it really was time, when I pulled out my old camera I found that I was the owner of a 3.2 megapixel dinasour!) I surveyed the camera section and then decided I would do some internet research. Today, I walked out of Best Buy the proud owner of a 8 megapixel Cannon PowerShot SD110 IS. So far, I love this little camera, which also takes video (plus!)
So the moral of this two-part story: I'm taking the
phrase "looking fine in 2009" to a photojournalistic level and I am going to make a strong effort to document this year's memories through photography. If I don't start off too strong, at least I know I will have a chance in July to stick to my photographic guns! So here's to many great memories that can be captured on film in 2009!
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