For those that are curious, I normally have a vegetable garden.  I plant tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, mint, beans and a few herbs.  Sadly I started too late last year and the tomatoes didn't have enough time to ripen.  Yes, I know you can make things with green tomatoes.  I just happened to like red ripe ones.  I hope by getting ready earlier this year I'll get everything planted just after the last frost.

I also have a few spots where I want to do some more landscaping.  I'd like to put in some box gardens outside the kitchen window and get rid of the grass there.  I'm not sure what I'll plant yet.  It doesn't get full sunlight so that limits me.  I have hostas in other parts of the yard.  I'd really like to plant flowers.  I may just plant anything I want and then see what doesn't do well because of the partial shade part of the day.  What are you all planting this year?

Have a great day Internet! 

I'm getting Spring fever.  Not the kind where you need to get outdoors.  I'm talking about the kind where you want to start planting things.  Last year I rented a rototiller to till under the weeds and grass that had grown in the vegetable garden.  The grass had gotten so tall that it would bind up the rototiller.  This year I figure I'll take the lazy way out and cover the garden with black plastic for a few months prior.  I know it probably won't kill the weeds completely.  My hope is when I rent the rototiller that it will go much easier.  I should probably just buy the weed block stuff that allows water to get through.  Black plastic is cheap and I already had some in the garage.  It's easy to fold up and reuse too. 

I would really like to expand the garden this year.  We'll see what I can get to.  :)

Have a great day Internet! 

I tried to log on this morning and there was no broadband.  Luckily I can still use my phone to login to the Internet.  I checked and it looks like my provider is having issues.  There are quite a few people that don't have access. 

I relaxed most of this weekend.  I gamed a lot too. 

I need to run.  I hope you had a great weekend.

Have a great day Internet!

I have homework to do as always.  If it's nice out, I still need to cleanup from the storm we had this winter.  I need to burn a lot of it.  It's nice to live in the country but that means the city doesn't come and clean up the winter mess. I haven't done much gaming lately so I may do some of that.  All work and no play makes John a dull boy.

What are your plans?

Today's roast.  Geeky chicken farmers named John.  Hot or not?

Have a great weekend Internet.

There's nothing like walking down the hall and discovering a dead mouse.  At least I didn't step on it.  I need to teach my cat to put it's snacks in the trash when she's done.  Of course she's a princess too and you know how they are.

I hope to do more work getting ready for my Shanghai trip today.  I must say I have an awesome boss.  Corporate policy is anything over 7 hours flight time and you can fly business class.  I asked my boss and he agreed.  The Dublin trip about killed me.  My legs started cramping up from being in such a tight space for so long.  Now I'll be able to stretch my legs.  I try and get the exit row when I can but every other Sasquatch tries for the exit row too. 

There's today's roast for today.  John's so big he...

Have a great day Internet!

Sometimes getting back in the saddle isn't as easy as I wish it was.  I had big goals for yesterday and only finished about half of them.  Hopefully I can finish them today.  I didn't get my essay finished because of the memorial service.  Luckily the teacher said I could turn it in late.  If only I had cared this much back in high school.  Of course I have a case study to do for the LAN class.  At least the reading assignments are easy this week.

It sounds like you all want to roast me now.  Sounds like a great idea.   Why waste it when I'm dead.  Need a topic?  John:  Nerd or Geek you decide.

Have a great day Internet.

Today's title is kind of fitting because the friend that died was a horseman.  He belonged to many riding clubs.  The first memorial service on Saturday was actually fun.  Most of the people that attended were his old cowboy friends.  Kenny was pretty rough around the edges but he did some really funny and crazy things.  It was neat to listen to all these people tell their stories about how Kenny had affected their lives.  They were full of funny stories.  The memorial service on Sunday was a bit more somber.  It was held at the Elks lodge.  They have a formal ceremony for a member that has passed on.  It was just a different feeling.  Much sadder.  Take note friends that live longer than me and feel like coming to a memorial service for me.  I want a party like the one on Saturday.  Celebrate my life, make fun of me.  I'm dead.  It's a good time to roast me.  So both of you that go, have a good time. 

For those that don't know, Julie had a hernia surgery on Friday.  She's doing fine and everything appears to be healing well.  No, I didn't leave her alone.  Her mom came out for a few days.  Although not the best circumstances for getting together, I think everyone enjoyed visiting with each other.

It wasn't a terrible weekend.  It was a good time to see old friends and reflect on what we have.  I hope you had a great weekend.

Have a great day Internet!

I just got back from California.  I'm tired and hungry.  It was a nice service.  I got to visit with a few people I hadn't seen in 20 years. I think I'm going to get something to eat.

May someone tell you how special you are today.  And if they don't, what do they know anyway?  :)

I know you've all been wondering when I'd have broadband.  Well I kind of have it.  I get a connection and when it's fast, it's plenty fast.  But that's the problem.  It's not always fast.  I have to give the ISP credit.  He's been trying to get my a better connection.  He put a larger antenna and that appeared to help some.  I've been using it full time lately and it's ok.  It's not reliable though so I'm not sure I'm ready to pay for it.  At least I'm closer.

Tickets are bought for my trip.  I'm going down on Saturday morning and coming back Monday.  With all the traveling I did this year, Julie was able to get my tickets discounted by half.

Have a great day Internet and Happy Valentine's Day.

One of my long time friend's birthday is today.  We met in 1990.  She blogs so please go wish her a Happy Birthday today.  She claims she doesn't have birthdays anymore but you can feel free to wish her a Happy Birthday anyway:  Weeding the Garden.

Thank you for all your kind thoughts yesterday.  I think I'm going to try and go down to California for the memorial service.  I'll probably leave Friday night and come back Sunday night.

My midterm went well I think.  It scares me when I think it goes well, because it's those times that I don't do so well. I didn't find the exam too difficult.  That's one of the nice things about taking classes in an area that I work in.  I keep telling myself only 8 more classes left.  That's only 8 midterms and 8 finals.  :)

Have a great day Internet.

I had some other things I was going to blog about, but I got a phone call a bit ago.  There was a family I spent a lot of time with in my late teenage years.  Well I found out this morning that the dad died.  There's a lot I could say about him but it's all obviously put me in a funk and I don't feel like blogging much.  I have a midterm to take today as well.  What a day.

Have a great day Internet.

The house is sooo quiet now with the princess gone.  No more get me a drink, hold my light, get me Evian, blah blah blah.  I can even hear myself think.  No more waking up in a panic wondering if I have enough Diet Coke in the fridge.  Alex keeps wandering around asking for her.  Where's Leesa's puter?  Gee, think he thought she was part of the family?

She took this neat photo of Daisy before she left. 

I know my cat misses her.  I'm not sure she's left the bed Leesa slept in. 

Have a great day Internet

Well, the Princess has reservations on a broom today so she'll be heading back home.  I've heard that some royalty kills their servants when they are done with them so that they won't reveal their secrets.  Therefore this is my last blog will and testament:

I John, being of sound mind and body do give:

1.  Marianna - My sock collection. 

2.  Stacie - My Godiva chocolate

3.  ~D~ - My big blue tractor. 

4.  Rain - All my Dora cake photos

5.  Terry - My love of everything Microsoft

6.  Silent One - All my computer books

7.  Laura - A place to hide out

8.  Michael - Because a gadget collector can not have too many.  Any of my gadgets

9.  Genevieve - My desk at work.  I don't have a roommate so you can come use mine and hide from yours

10.  Beau - My big TV so you have something to tide you over until you get your uber projector.

11.  Hardware Junkie - You can fight Michael over my gadget collection

12.  Alison - All the time on Earth I didn't use up.  I think you need some.

13.  Angela - My list of best Mexican restaurants in Washington

14.  Milan - My gaming skill.  ;)

15.  Princess - She took my life, geez she always wants more.

If you don't hear from me for the next few days, feel free to raid my stuff.

Wish me luck.  Have a great day Internet

Not much to post today.  Princess drank all of her little green bottles.  Good thing I had plenty of Diet Coke stocked up.  We'll go to Costco today and load her up. 

Princess leaves tomorrow.  I'm sure my blog statistics will go back down to the teens next week.  No more hits from Mac users.   I've been blogging for over two years and I rarely have a Mac user hit my blog.  It always seems like the same person.  I don't ever think I've had a hit from a Linux user.  And yes, most of my blog hits come from outside of Microsoft. 

Other than taking her carriage back to the rental place this morning, I'm not sure what we're up to. 

Have a great day Internet. 

I'm thinking she's been spending too much time alone in the woods.  No one to order around there.  It makes me wonder why she has cats.  They ignore pretty much everyone.  Maybe they are like her ladies in waiting.  I wonder if she dresses them up in little kitty costumes.

Want to know where she gets her power?  It's comes in a green bottle.  I'm thinking she's like Popeye and spinach.  A few chugs and her ego gets inflated like a balloon.  It's amazing some days she can even fit her head through the door.

You should hear what she has to say about you all after a few of those green bottles.  "Blah blah blah cute as a blah blah blah.  Can you believe what this freak blogged about?  OMG, did you see what they did to their hair?  blah blah if only they had red hair like me, then they could be a princess too.  It can be quite entertaining and it makes the whole servant thing worth it.

She wants to order me around more today so she requested to come in to work with me.  I'm sure I'll have lots more to blog about.

Have a great day Internet.

Sunday was Alex's birthday but we through a party for him on Saturday.  He wanted to have a Lightning McQueen birthday party for the movie Cars.  I decorated a cake and cupcakes for him:

I think everyone had a good time.  Even the princess.

Yesterday I had a few friends over for a Superbowl party.  Two were rooting for the Bears, one was non-commital.  Since both the women were rooting for the Bears you know I had to root for the Colts.  :) 

I know all my visitors want to hear more Princess stories, but more than half of you just lurk.  Don't lurk say hi.

Have a great day Internet.

I should just title this post gorgefest 2007.  I know I mentioned it before but man that girl can eat.  I guess the food prepared at my "hovel" hasn't been good enough so she made me escort her to not only lunch but dinner.  Can you say p....  Sorry, she was peering over my shoulder.   We'll just say P.... stands for ummmm Princess.  yeah, Princess.

First we went for Dim Sum along with my friend Wendy.  Note she has yet to have lunch with just me.  It's always "don't you have anyone that can go with us?"  You must be thinking that I don't think much of Wendy if I pulled her in to this so called drama.  Truth is, she works too hard and had no idea who her majesty is and no one else wanted to go.  She knows about Princess now.  I hope she'll forgive me some day. 

If you've never had Dim Sum, it's Chinese appetizers.  The way it's served at the restaurant I go to is by servers that bring carts that have plates with 3-4 of the appetizer on each plate.  You tell them what you want, they put the plate on your table and then mark off on your bill what you ate.  It's a great way to try a little bit of everything.  Apparently appetizer means main course in Montana because the Princess was a double fisting fool.  Give me this, give me that...I'm thinking someone needs to go to Princess finishing school.  I don't think I'll be allowed back to the restaurant.  I better start picking restaurants that I don't like.

After lunch she demanded I take her to the mall to get her special hair treatment.  Which reminds me.  I need to buy some more Evian for her to wash her hair.  Anyways, Wendy the hard worker needed to get back to work.  Princess wouldn't hear anything of it.  Blah blah blah, take me to the mall now you poor excuse for a man.  Little did I know she's quite colorful in her insults.  Since this is a family blog, I'll just let you imagine what words she used.  Luckily I got Wendy back before her next meeting.  She was giving me a look.  I'm thinking I need to do something nice for Wendy now.  Who knew this trip was going to be so expensive.

Later we met up with Mike of A Boy and his Bike fame.  He has some photos from our dinner.  As you can tell from the look on her face, I get the feeling she's just tolerating us.  We went to one of my favorite Italian restaurants.  Mike has great taste.  :)  Being proper peons, we let her decide on "The Italian Stallion" pizza.  Who knew she had something for Sylvester Stallone.  I tried to get to know Mike a little better but it was hard to get a word in edgewise.  Apparently she thought Mike wanted to know her life story.  Blah blah blah let them eat cake blah blah hard to find good servants these days blah blah blah.  I didn't dare nod off for fear of losing my head.  She does seem to fantasize about that time in history.  Poor Mike.  I'm thinking he's going to need some serious therapy after meeting Princess.  I'm not sure if Mike got to taste the pizza, but I was able to sneak a piece.  It was excellent.  She devoured that large pizza like she hadn't eaten in weeks.  Interestingly enough she had to use the restroom as were leaving.  Coincidence?  You decide.

She's now pestering me that I've written enough.  She claims I'm twisting everything.  Yeah, selective memory girl...whatever.

Have a great day Internet!

I've been helping Princess see how the rest of us peons live by having her watch reality tv.  She won't admit it, but I think she likes it.  She yelled at the screen more than once.  Now I know you all think I'm prone to exaggerate a bit and you think Leesa is this quiet innocent little church mouse.  But no, she was yelling.  Want to know what she's passionate about?  Blondes...yup, blondes.  She HATES them.  Sorry Stacie, but it's true.  We were watching beauty and the geek.  She quickly noticed that all the girls left have blonde hair.  Imagine this "WHAT?  DO THEY ONLY THINK THAT BEAUTIES HAVE BLONDE HAIR?"  She didn't stop ranting the whole show.  She said a few other choice words, but this is a family blog.

We watched American Idol next.  She kept asking me if there was someway I could get Panther Boy's phone number.  I guess she thinks you can find anything on the Internet.  You know how she feels about cats. 

In summary.  Give Leesa a few chocolate Martini's and a few beers and she becomes just like the rest of us.  A ranting reality tv watcher.  Who would have guessed?

We're meeting Mike today so I'm expecting he'll give a full review as well.  I'll let you know if he exaggerates the truth at all. 

Her Majesty's biographer,

John