Okay I got tagged---so now I'm "IT"

My blogging buddy Wayne tagged me, and I don't wish to be a drag on the party, so will play the game----

First I gotta give ya the rules of the game and they are as follows. (don't get tensed up, the rules are simple and easy to follow)

1. Identify the party that tagged you, and leave a link to their blog page, and before you post your response, post these rules on your blog . (what?? you don't know how to create a link? let me know will try and teach ya how to do that)

2. Now share seven (7) random/weird facts about yourself.

3. Tag seven (7) others, and create links to each of their blogs

4. Now having complied with the three rules up above, your almost done, all thats left to be done is to go to each of the persons you tagged, and alert them that you have tagged them by leaving a comment on their blogs.

(okay I have identified who tagged me, made a link to his page, so now I gotta put up seven wierd facts about myself----hmm this could take some time---I need a few people---actually what I need is a beer----BRB)   okaaaay here we go-----

1. I get uptight with people who ask me for my opinion of something and then after I give it,

proceed to disagree with me, and argue about it.

2. Start cooking something only to find I don't have all the ingredients necessary to finish the

job. (in my case like Denny Crane---I blame it on the "mad cow")

3.  I have a propensity to view both sides of a given topic, that is to weigh the pros and cons, and in doing so end up unable to state with any sincerity my own opinions---which I think makes me come off as being a person without convictions.-----a neutral nebisher (bah humbug)

4.  I like parties, but hate crowds

5.  I like feeling my life is moving to accomplish whatever goals I have in mind---and thusly I get very uptight when I find myself faced with indecisive moments, example, right now know I will be moving in the monthes ahead, but at this point in time, do not know where, do not know what to keep, or sell or give away, and the clock is ticking------(but I know in time this will ultimately come to a conclusion----eventurally, but til then---yuk!!

6.  It irritates the hell out of me hearing advertisments promoting this is or that credit card telling you the more you spend the more you save --(for each 100 dollars you charge we will give you 2.00 back or similiar fuzzy thinking)

7.  I am not a good listener---people start to talk, and even before they are finished my mind had leaped ahead and I interrupt them with my response before they finish, only to find had I waited and listened properly that my response was incorrect, or at best merely underlining what they were saying all along.  A most annoying trait I have been unable to break.

Alright, enough about this old dude-----so who am I going to tag?? (hey where did everyone go??), and the winners are:  hmmm, I think I will not tag anyone---but (big grin on my face) anybody wanna volunteer?   I double dare ya ! (lol)

The Day After, The Day after Thanksgiving 2008

Greetings From Matilija---

My apologies for not posting sooner, but I went heavy into the turkey and was in the inevitable "Turkey Lethargic Haze" that one can not avoid from such acts of gluttony. (I plead guilty, as I don't get such great food at home!!) The gathering was terrific, and aside from eating way more than I should have, spent several most pleasant hours mingling with ALL my nieces and nephews, their wives and husbands, their children and the children's children, and a number of family friends. If this family gets much bigger, we will have to start renting out restaurants or social halls for these todo's. (lol)

I took over a dozen pics , which I had planned to bore you all to death with posting them, but a few moments ago, I loaded them into the old "puter" and alas and alack, most of them came out blurry and are not fit to be printed. The lesson the old dude here now has learned is to review each pic as taken, delete the ones not fit to be printed, and take new ones at the time (sigh).

The gathering was held at my Niece Melanie's home in Redlands. When feeding a mob of 35 or so, it was not a formal sit down, but served Buffet style, and as at all our family gatherings, it was not possible to get a portion of everything offered on one's plate, one was forced to go back for seconds to complete one's sampling of all the offerings----and this was before the desserts came forth!! (lol)----unfortunately it was all superb, and my compliments to the cook(s), and a "Hats off" to you Mel for all the effort you put forth in making it such a great day.

Here are a few of the pics that I did manage to salvage, this first one is a pic of the entrance hall to Melanie's, and gives you a modest idea of how wonderfully decorated it was for the occasion.  I just hope the click make bigger thingy works.

The rest of the pics that follow are of my family the nieces, nephews, wives and husbands etc etc etc.

Bill (Our Host) with friends

Here's my Niece Gabriel (who lives in Phoenix) and yeah thats me, hamming it up for the camera

My Niece Tish

Jennifer, my Nephew Eric's wife, and Patrick, my Niece Gabriel's husband Patrick

I'm afraid all the other pics came out badly, due to the lack of camera savvy on my part, and hope at the Christmas gathering at Edward's (my oldest Nephew) in Corona that I achieve much better results.

Turkey Day Eve

Met with mylawyer and got alot of my unknowns resolved, and I must say I am feeling alot more optomistic about what the future portends. Looking forward to spending time with my family, and eating waaay to much, but then who can say no to good cooking right? (lol) The weather even appears (at least as I write this) to be cooperating and the rains are ending , so the drive out to Redlands (about 80 miles) should be less stressful, hopefully all those leaving town for the weekend will leave today or tonight.

Tonight I will eat "light" as I wanna show up "hungry" for the good stuff (I'm thinking Onion soup, with grilled cheese sandwhich, okay maybe two sandwhiches.

Tonights evening entertainment will be the next six episodes of the continuing saga of "Its always Sunny in Philadelphia". (compliments of Netflix)

Guess thats it for now sportsfans---you all have a great Thanksgiving, and I will hope to have some pics to share with ya on Friday.

Christmas Quiz

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your blog friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do. Just copy this entire post and paste into a new post on your blog. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag 5 people to post this on their blog. How simple can it get!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?  Wrapping paper here
2. Real tree or artificial?   Real trees are of course very nice, but---artificial is less of a fire hazard, and easier to dismantle when the holidays are over.
3. When do you put up the tree?   Three weeks before Christmas
4. When do you take the tree down?   The day after New Years
5. Do you like eggnog? --Yes, but only acouple of glasses, its to rich to enjoy drinking more than that.
6. Favorite gift received as a child?   Guess looking back, would say it was a Kodac Brownie camera, which I received at the age of 9.
7. Hardest person to buy for?   Jerry, aka LP (little prince) He would never give me a hint--and no matter what I got him---he would tell me it was great.
8. Easiest person to buy for?   The Pool Man, He was always glad to get a bottle of Jack Daniels
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.   Actually have two of em, one for the living room a second one for the Den.----and also a large santa riding a tricycle which goes on the dining room table as a center piece
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail cards, cept this year may not -----not really in the mood this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?   A Soap On A Rope, from my brother when I was 10, which I saved and gave back to him the following Xmas, and he gave it back to me the following xmas, and we did that for over a half a century----(talk about family xmas traditions!!)
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?   White Christmas
13. Better to give or receive?  As a child receiving is the big deal, as an adult much more enjoy giving gifts.
14. Favorite Christmas Food?   Gosh so many, but if I have to pick one---would opt for sugar cookies cut in the shape of stars, santa clauses and elves., but then I got this thing about good chocolate fudge Brownies too.
15. Favorite Christmas tradition? My personal favorite tradition is spending Christmas day with my family, I have only missed spending xmas with them twice in my life, and those were the two most miserable xmas holidays I've had.
16. Colored lights on the tree or all clear?   Traditionalist here, has to be all colored, all one color is to trendy.
17. Favorite Christmas song?   White Christmas, the original Bing Crosby rendition, as sang in the Movie of the same name.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?   Always go to wherever the family is gathering, Last year it was at Pete & Judi's home on Shogon Mtn, ---this year its to be in Corona at the home of my eldest Nephew Edward and his lovely wife Sherri---I got high hopes of winning the family "Gil-Olympics" (lol)
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen , and of course Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?   Star.
21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning?   When the families children were little it would be Xmas morning, but as they became teenagers we, opened gifts xmas eve.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? ---The total emphasis on buying material things, stores advertising xmas even before Halloween, and clerks afraid to wish any one Merry Christmas, forced  to make it a neutral Happy Holidays.
23. Favorite Ornament theme or color?   Christmas is predominently green, red, and white
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?   Slices of Hot Hickory Smoked Ham. Mashed potatoes, and all the fixins.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Well there are a number of items----and I will be submitting my letter to Santa after Thanksgiving. (stay posted sportsfans)

     OKAY have answered with my answers and guess I need to tag a few fun souls ----okay, how about Alexi, Tish, Helene, Dots and Matt.  (you all have a nice Thanksgiving ya all)

FIRST THE FIRES---NOW THE MUDSLIDES

Every year we go through this cycle here in Los Angles. We get hit by forrest fires and we all stay glued to our TV's to watch the conflagation and worry about our family and friends who live in areas near the fire. Last year I worried about my Nephew Eric, with the fire in the Poway area, also at the same time Judi and my Nephew Peter were under evacuation orders with the fire near Fallbrook (the town of fallbrook was almost evacuated), Tish was inundated with heavy atmospheric smoke and ash from the fires near her place. So far this year have not had quite that much worry, although for a time I worried about my oldest Nephew Edward as he lives in Corona, and they had a large fire near them.

Now the fires our out, but we now get the rain, if its heavy, we will get mudslides off the burned hillsides, and much feverish sandbagging is going on in those affected areas. and once again we will be given live coverage of those disasters. It is truly not my favorite time of year here in my area. Hopefully the rain will come slow and light, and the dry ground will absorb it, without turning into walls of mud running down the hillsides . Time will tell------.