Existing In BFE

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My old high school in Aledo consolidated with Westmer and will be known as the Golden Eagles. The Green Dragons are no more. It is the march of time, but you can't help but feel a certain unsettled feeling toward progress. Not that I attended many games but how does one not feel a little disenfranchised from current high school activities? There was a certain bonding that one felt with Green Dragons regardless of age, but there is no way I could feel any connection with a Golden Eagle. Besides I keep thinking of Coach, the old TV show and the football team called the Screaming Eagles. An on-going joke referred to them as the Screaming Beagles. Now I can't shake the thought of my new alma mater, the Golden Beagles.

Back in my Mary Davis Home (late 70's and early 80's) days I used to work most Sunday mornings. We really enjoyed watching Jimmy Swaggart preach to his flock and took bets on what time during the hour he would start to let the tears flow. It was always in the last quarter hour and we always waited with "rapture" the moment it would happen. There was no better huckster/hustler for money for a while, until, of course the sex scandals. Since being in BFE I have noticed Jimmy is back and while I haven't seen the tears yet, I have noticed he usually ends his hour with an emotional religious song with him at the piano and his large chorus tugging, musically, at the heartstrings and, I suppose, the purse strings . Man, the years have flown but he is still at it. Give the man his due, he has survived and is good at what he does.

USB Missile Launcher w/ 3 foam missiles $99.99 $24.99 Free Shipping I could use one of these at my office! Watch the youtube video on Buy.com's site and you'll want one to. Features 3 foam projectiles that can be fired up to 20 feet at an extremely fast rate. Expires: Unknown Check out this toy that you plug into a USB connection on your computer. Great mix of old school missile launcher that you use via your computer. Matt and I saw this, or something similar a couple years back while surfing the net at Knox County Academy. This is cool technology. Be sure to click on the movie to see it in action.

OK, so the Oscar nominations were announced this morning. Some actors carve a nice little specialized niche for themselves. Missy, my loyal hound, has a particular acting ability called begging. This is Missy in "..give me a treat..." position: dutifully sitting quietly and alert, ever hopeful. Then, slipping into a kind of broken right foot, pathetic look, with less patience and hope. Desperation sets in. Lord. Brando never emoted like this flea-bag. She is an embarrassment to the long line of canine species.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=30682746

You really can't tell by this picture but that is blowing and drifting snow racing across the road that makes the wind every bit as scary as snow itself. This 5 mile road can drift over real fast in a strong wind. I moved this plant from a west window that did nothing to an east window and look at it bloom. I must really be great with plants. This is Henry Waxman , a longtime congressman who is making some noise for promising to help President-Elect Obama with the environment. Might I suggest house arrest, a paper bag, or Jason's hockey mask. My truck was so frozen last Thursday after work my door wouldn't shut. I had to hold the door closed all the way home. Just as I pulled in the driveway it had warmed enough to close on its own. My wrist hurt all night. Surprisingly, more completed suicides occur in the Spring and not during winter or the holidays. Funny how we get video of everything these days as events happen, but not of the Miracle on the Hudson, in the middle...

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit. The complaint: 'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated. The respons...

CHICAGO COLDEST IN DECADE... Chicago has most consecutive days of snowfall since records began in 1884... Flint, Michigan breaks 95-year-old record... Blowing snow, frigid temps pound nation... 40 BELOW ZERO... Frigid air, perhaps coldest of winter... Watches/Warnings... Live Chill Map...

Pray for us in BFE . It snowed overnight and the best (or worse) is heading this way. Cold temperatures that this area has not seen since 1996 is coming tonight and tomorrow. But before that the winds will create drifting today. Horrible driving conditions exist as most area schools are closed. If I had time off I'd bag it but if I don't show up I don't get paid, and "Papa needs new shoes." What is good in my world? The truck started today, and I got it out of the garage, and Missy is well. And I'm sure there are other pluses but too busy wallowing in my miseries. I'm heading into work an hour earlier, and hoping I get home tonight. Rest up and face tomorrows challenges. Everything seems to be uphill these days...

Friend Pat sent this to me. Kind of a nice love story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjyb0t5Jm44

Brendan flew back into Bloomington via Atlanta from England yesterday. He must report into his base by midnight tonight (Sunday). We went to Sirloin Stockade for breakfast brunch before he left. Here are a few pics of the day. He will be at base for another month while he processes out of the Army. Then back over to England with Karen (Britannia). He will, however be spending a couple of weeks here in BFE before leaving.

I especially liked the israeli kid at the 2:27 mark. He's got soul.

This article appeared recently in the Register-Mail. Phi Delta Theta fraternity has established a new chapter at Monmouth College. There has long been a chapter at Knox. This is the same fraternity that the Blythe boys pledged back in the day at Iowa Wesleyan . We prided ourselves on community projects, academics, and social interactions, with special emphasis on the latter. In fact I may have some photos of some of our events but they, however, would probably not be appropriate to view.

Dr. Liebetrau informed me this morning that Missy Marie's growth that was surgically removed last month was malignant. That is the bad news. The good news is that she may not have another occurrence , He said that if she does, it will typically form at the same area. Hers was a Type 2 level of cancer, 1 being the least worrisome, to 4 which is the worse. Right now she is fine and the fact that she will be 13 next June, the odds are good that the old girl has a lot of gas left in the tank.

Immigration to the US, 1820-2007 v2 from Ian S on Vimeo . Nothing political or controversial. Simply an interesting graphic of immigration to the US from areas around the world. Regardless of party in power, mistakes, or stumbles we are still the most desirable place for others. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Search Search for: Go HomeAboutArchiveTwitterBlogrollYouTubeSubmitFeatured Coast Guard Video of the Year Contest By cbraesch ⋅ December 16, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment Filed Under #uscgtopvideos, drug bust, facebook, homeland security, national security, Search and Rescue, top 11 videos, Twitter, video of the year, youtube YouTube Direkt Everyday, Guardians are involved in amazing rescues, national security operations and drug interdictions. Whenever possible, Guardians capture those Coast Guard operations on video. The videos truly highlight the missions and stories of America’s Guardians. Sometimes you see them on the evening news, but often you don’t. For the past several years, the Coast Guard has been recognizing the top videos of the year. We’ve narrowed it down to 11 finalists (a tribute to the Coast Guard’s 11 statutory missions), but we want your help in deciding which one is the “Coast Guard Video of the Year” for 2009. The video compilation above is a first look at the 11 finalist...

I noticed this last week as I was stopping in McDonald's in Knoxville on my way home from work. I tried both eating in and taking out and saw that we are taxed either way. (Notice the tax imposed by both "take-Out" and "eat-in" at the lower part of the receipts.) I didn't know we were taxed if you went inside or the drive-through. Sales tax is always something we deal with in Illinois, but simply sitting inside or using the convenient drive- thru was new to me. Is this in all municipalities that have McDonald's or is this unique to Knoxville? Does this also apply to Hardees ? You can bet that your fearless writer will find out and report back soon. If my math serves me correctly, it seems to be a better financial bet if you eat in. Where else but Existing In BFE can you learn stuff like this?

Yesterday morning, after noticing that I had gone way over my usual 3000 mile oil change, I went out to Farm King for my usual Super Lube for $24.95. They change the oil, check my tires, filter and replenish my fluids (I love talking dirty). As luck would have it they had some sort of technical malfunction at the shop that prevented changing the oil on trucks. Drat! OK, I could have waited another week but decided to go to one of those quickie oil change places. My impression from the past was they find everything under the sun that is wrong with your vehicle to pad the final cost. I told myself to stay firm and just go for the absolute basic change, I figured $19.99 plus tax. I pull in and no other cars so I thought, alright, this is your lucky day. Well, once I got into the office, in they came. !st trip in, my battery is in good shape. Great! Next trip, I need a new filter, they even showed me an old one, supposedly mine. Reluctantly I said OK. That couldn't add much...

Buffalo Wild Wings opens next week at the Wal-Mart and Menards complex. Nice place. Brendan and I went to the one in Bloomington and were impressed.

And so it is in Galesburg , too. Here are pictures of the old 7-11 (across from Family Video on Losey ) and then something else after that. It burned down around three weeks ago. What did you call this place Brendan, I have forgotten? Also announced today, Waldenbooks is closing up at the mall. Rumor has it the Mall is closing, too, but that rumor has been out there a while.

Hey family members in Florida: you guys aren't the only ones to have palm trees. Here is shot of what is in the front of Dave's Autobody on Grand Avenue here in Galesburg. I'm going to the next village board meeting here in BFE and see if we can't get a few dozen planted around here.