Is this bad?

Is it bad that I've been up for a little over 2 hours now and all I've done is blog?

In honor of the 2009 PBR season starting on January 2nd

Captian Enterprise - Flint Rasmussen

Some Sean Willingham

An Austin Meier action shot

Brian Canter's butt - I could not help myself

Robson Palermo action shot

Mike Lee action shot

This would be Ashley's favorite rider Matt Bohon hung up on the side of his bull

This is my mom's favorite rider Wiley Petersen in the short round of the Omaha Classic

My 'Girl" Vacation!!

I am finally going to get to go on my “girl” vacation! My friend Ashley and I have decided that we are going to go to the PBR event in Nampa, ID in April, we actually leave the end of March though.

The original plan was to fly out there. Now I'm pretty sure the plan has changed and we are going to be taking the Amtrack out there. It'll be almost a 2 day train ride plus an 8 hour bus ride but I think it will be worth it in the end. It’s a three day event and I’ll finally be old enough to rent a rental vehicle from the PBR’s sponor Enterprise Rent A Car. Ok, so I just found out as I was writing this that you only have to be 21 to rent from Enterprise but who cares at this point. I’m soooooo excited that I’ve already ordered Idaho travel information and a road map too. Ashley’s even been looking for things that she wants to do and sent me this yesterday afternoon. So I guess if we’re going to go and do this trip we’re going BIG!

I mean who wouldn’t want to go all that way to look at that or even some of this:

But as good as the “Butt Cam” is my favorite part has to be:

The introduction pyro….I come from a long line of pyro “maniacs.”

Don’t worry between the both of us there will be PLENTY of photo’s to go around to share with all the blogging peeps out there. Plus it’s going to be one heck of a “Dear Diary” too! Oh, I guess I should tell you all what “Dear Diary” is….everytime we go to an event or on a trip we write about what goes on before, during and after the whole trip….pretty basic readers digest version of what it is but hey, it works right?!

I'll be knitting (complete with candy dish/urn photo).....

We, as in my coworkers and I, learned the other night at work that everyone's hours in the month of January and possibly February (they haven't seen the forecasted hour allottment yet) will be cut by at LEAST 1 day. This actually kind of sucks more than a little bit but with the way the economy is right now very understandable. So as a result of being in debt to the Bank of Dad, trying to save money for my trip to Nampa (which I'm still going on because I was approved the time off before my car went "boom" on me), and my hours being cut I went out and spent a little bit of money on some more yarn, knitting needles, and a book (complete with patterns) so I can learn more than the basic stitch, since I won't be going much of anywhere or doing much of anything really fun for a little while.

I was successful in my quest to find pictures of the candy dish/urn that I described in a prior post, so without further adue here is the candy dish/urn:

J

A borrowed blogging tip and a question....

I logged on to the SITS blog and found that this week they are posting blogging tips for the other "comment junkies" to ponder and try. Here is the one for today:

"Okay, so we thought it would be fun to run through some crucial blogging tips this week and then we'll resume our featured bloggers on January 2nd.

The first one is near and dear to our hearts. It's leaving a return email. It's easier than you think and takes commenting back to a whole new level.

The first thing you need to do is open an email account just for your blog. It's free to do through Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail. Easy Peasy. Why open an email account just for your blog? Well, it's kind of nice to keep it separate from your personal email account. This is your blog and if people are reading it, you need to treat it a little like a business. It's not a "have to", it's just a suggestion.

Now, go into your profile page and choose "edit your profile". Check the box that says "show my email address". Then, on that same page under Identity, type in your email where it says "Email address".

What happens is when you leave someone a comment and blogger puts your comment into THEIR email account, all they have to do is hit reply and they can send a response into YOUR email account. Sometimes it's nice to reply to someone's comment specifically instead of going to their blog and leaving them a random comment to a question they might have asked on your blog. Clear as mud?

Having a bloggy email address is nice if someone wants to ask you a specific question and this is why we say that a separate email address is nice. It ups the privacy factor just a little more. Your personal email address might contain your last name and that's risky to put out for everyone to see."

My question to you out there in bloggy land is: What are your thoughts on people responding back to your comments via e-mail? I know that I have my bloggy e-mail address set up so that you can respond to my comments via e-mail. I also like to respond to the comments on my blog via e-mail also (to those that I can anyway.)

And then there was the candy dish....

I saw this post over at Terri's blog and felt that I should share this story with you. This past Saturday night at work I spent the vast majority of my shift working out the majority of our remaining Christmas merchandise out to the sales floor with a couple of coworkers. It was all pretty unexciting stuff until we came to this box that had candy dishes in it. Now these were no ordinary candy dishes...Well really they looked like urns but that's besides the point. Well to say that the handle on the lid of these candy dishes were inapporpriate looking is being nice. To be totally honest the handle on these candy dishes/urns looked like the tip of a vibrator. And because it was near the end of the night for most of us we showed them to anyone who would look!

The moral of the story: Don't let tired overnight workers "play" with "inappropriate" holiday merchandise, if you don't want everyone to know about it.

Some more "window" shopping ~ Western Style

Most of what I found while I was "window" shopping was created by Montana Silversmiths or are Black Hills Gold....I LOVE me some Montana Silversmiths and Black Hills Gold!

I'm not really a pink kind of girl but I do like this watch, which you too can own for $135.99....The upside is that 10% of the proceeds go to Breast Cancer research!

This satute is pretty cool too. It's called "On Bended Knee" and for a mere $89.25 I could own this statue.

This is a leather tooled cross! I LOVE it! And for $25 it too can be hanging on my wall!

Isn't it pretty?! I like to wear rings but with my job they have to be more of a band type ring rather than a "regular" ring. It would upset me greatly to spend a bunch of money on something and then have it break or have something equally icky happen to it at work. This is listed as a Black Hills Gold Diamond Heart ring. $143.25

The Humanity Bracelet...it comes in Sterling Silver, Gold Plated and Pewter. $24.99

I'm at war with my alarm clock!

My Christmas was pretty good. I'm not real happy with my aunt who was nothing but mean and nasty to my dog but I'll get over it. Santa was pretty good to me too....

1. Set of tires for my car

2. A couple hundred dollars taken off of what I owe "The Bank of Dad."

3. A new Wii game....it's got 10 different sports on it and the only one I'm really any good at is the Archery.

4. A $25 Itunes card

5. Some Burt's Bee's lip balm

6. The Jim Gaffigan special on DVD

7. A sled....we've got a crap ton of snow (well we did anyway...it was warmish here yesterday and some melting took place.)

8. A new alarm clock....

Which brings me to being at war with my alarm clock. The clock that I got was one of those that you plug in and it sets itself by the satellites. It worked fine for 2 days but last night when it went off at the time for me to get out of bed and start getting ready for work it went bananna's on me. I've got no numbers, none of the buttons appear to work and the radio won't shut off unless I unplug it. I'm hoping that putting a new battery in the clock will help if not I'm going to have to get in touch with Santa about replacing it.

In response to the question of wether or not the flat tummies come with the jeans in my "window" shopping post......I really wish it did....I would LOVE to have a flat tummy!

So I was doing some "window" shopping

I was bored this morning so I logged onto the computer and decided to do some "window" shopping. Keep in mind that I am not a real big "girly" girl. I have my moments but they still pretty few and far between (but recently whenever I have a "girly" moment I seem to have them in at least pairs....are we on our way to a breakthrough? Who knows!) Anyway moving on....Here is what I found that I would LOVE to have:

I LOVE me some Skechers. I'm usually not real big on "high heels" on my boots but I do really like these. You too can purchase them here for a mere $69 a pair.

Anyone want to get me one of these?! I don't know why but I really kinda like this bag. You too can find it here for a mere $120.

I am a total blue jeans type of girl. I'm pretty parital to Silver Brand Jeans but because they are pretty pricey I only have a couple of pairs of them. I really like this design, it's called Andy and you too can go here and own a pair of these jeans for $80.

really like the distressed look of these Silver Jeans....These are called Eden and you too can have a pair for $80.

Have I ever mentioned on my blog that I LOVE horses?! I want this soooo bad! It's called "Fierce Gaze" and you too can own it for $115.

I want this one too. It's called "Spirit Horse" and it's a mere $100.

I have a slight problem with wallets....I can never find one that I actually like alot. I really like this one and might actually order this one for myself. You can find it here for $49.97 (originally $68).

I've always wanted a Montana Silversmiths watch. I may actually finally get myself the one above. It's their "Barbed Wire" watch and you too can own one for $130.

Ok so celebrities aren't ALL bad

Heat’s Dwyane Wade helps family displaced by fire

MIAMI (AP)—When Dwyane Wade heard the plight of a South Florida woman whose nephew accidentally burned down her home—and ruined all the family’s possessions—the Miami Heat star knew he had to do something.

So he helped the family move into a new home, just in time for Christmas.

Wade presented Dawn Smith with the ultimate Christmas gift on Wednesday— the keys to a her new house, along with some furnishings, clothing and gifts to make sure her family has a joyous holiday, something that didn’t seem likely just a few weeks ago.

His Wade’s World foundation will make some payments on the home, while Smith and her family get back on their feet.

“That’s what I try to teach my kids,” said Wade, whose foundation has hosted several charity events this holiday season, mostly for needy children. “It’s not about what you’re going to receive—it’s what you can give to others from what you’ve received.”

Smith couldn’t hold back happy sobs when she saw the home for the first time.

“A big-time relief,” Smith said, clearly overcome by emotion. “Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Oh, God, thank you so much.”

The NBA’s leading scorer this season had a simple message: “Hopefully, you’ll like it.”

Wade’s other holiday events this year included a party for 350 children on Monday, and hosting 100 kids at Tuesday night’s Heat game against the Golden State Warriors. He also donated $10,000 to each of three children’s organizations, but said he was particularly touched by being able to assist the Smith family.

“We can help this family have a new beginning,” Wade said.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-heat-wadesgift&prov=ap&type=lgns

Merry Christmas

Free Comments and Graphics

Tax Bill

I found this on a fellow SITS member's blog and I thought that I would share it with you all...it's pretty funny.

Dear Internal Revenue Service:

Enclosed you will find my 2005 tax return showing that I owe $3,407.00 in taxes. Please note the attached article from the USA Today newspaper, dated 12 November, wherein you will see the Pentagon (Department of Defense) is paying $171.50 per hammer and NASA has paid $600.00 per toilet seat.

I am enclosing four (4) toilet seats (valued @ $2,400) and six (6) hammers valued @ $1,029), which I secured at Home Depot, bringing my total remittance to $3,429.00.

Please apply the overpayment of $22.00 to the "Presidential Election Fund," as noted on my return. You can do this inexpensively by sending them one (1) 1.5 " Phillips Head screw (see aforementioned article from USA Today newspaper detailing how H.U.D. pays $22.00 each for 1.5" Phillips Head Screws). One screw is enclosed for your convenience.

It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and I look forward to paying it again next year.

Sincerely,
A Satisfied Taxpayer

SNOW on Christmas Eve is a BAD idea!

It's snowing here in the great state of WI again....Today we're supposed to get 4-6" and tomorrow (Christmas EVE) we're supposed to get another 4-6". Now I have no objection to a "White Christmas" (cause we're going to have one wether we want one or not) but I DO have an objection to snow on CHRISTMAS EVE!

Now I'm off that soap box....Let's talk about something fun.....I'm starting to eat solid food again (I had my wisdom teeth pulled last Wednesday for any new readers out there)....It bothered me the first couple times I tried it but it's getting easier each time. I can hardly wait to try out some of the food we've got prepared for our family Christmas tomorrow night!

Christmas is here at our house this year....Last year it was at my brother's place but since they moved into a smaller place it's back at our place again. So today is pretty much going to be spent cleaning and wrapping presents and somewhere in there I've got to get some sleep too.

I just realized that it's been almost a month since we put Shawna down. I've also realized that I can actually put Laci's food dish back down on the floor (she's spoiled and I had it up on a little table so she could lie on my bed and eat out of her bowl at the same time.) We originally put her bowl up to keep Shawna out of it....bad things happened when Shawna got in to Laci's food bowl.

"Porn" for Women

I found this on another SITS member's blog and I thought it was toooooo funny NOT to share!

A random joke ~ A little "racy"

Q: Why did Raggedy Ann keep getting thrown out of the toy box?



A: Because she kept sitting on pinochious face saying "Lie to me, lie to me!"

Caution!

Watch for the Hump in the Road!

Warm and Comfy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked, diced chicken
10 oz. frozen mixed veggies
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup Bisquick
3/4 cup milk
1 cup melted butter

Directions:

Pour cooked, diced chicken in a 13X9" pan sprayed with oil. Pour frozen veggies over chicken. Blend together in a bowl, celery soup, chicken broth and pepper until smooth and pour over chicken and veggies. In another bowl stir together Bisquick, milk and melted butter. When blended smooth, pour over the ingredients in the pan. Bake 45-50 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Some Yumminess

Fabulous 4-Bean Hot Dish

Ingredients:

8 oz. bacon, cut up
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 - 16 oz. can pork and beans
1 - 16 oz. can green beans, drained
1 - 15 1/2 oz. can butter beans, drained
1 - 15 1/2 oz. can kidney beans
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Brown bacon and onion together; add to crock-pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Impossibly Easy Cheesburger Pie

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Large onion, Chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottom of your baking pan. Brown your ground beef and add onion; drain. Stir in salt. Spread mixture into your baking pan and sprinkle with cheese. In a mixing bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients, pour into pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serves: 6

Ask and you shall receive, part 1....

I posted a post where I opened my blog up to you all to ask me almost anything you wanted and here are the responses to what I've gotten for questions so far (keep them coming, I'm having a ton of fun with this!):

1. hmmm....are you currently dating anyone? Is that inappropriate? I know you joke about the cowboys from the rodeos and such, but is there a special cowboy in your life? from Bekah

Nope, no special cowboy in my life right now....If we're taking requests, I'd love me a little bit of this:

JB Mauney...Even though he's young enough to be my younger brother.

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where? from Bekah

Italy or Greece, hands down.

3. How is the situation with your friend at work? I hope its getting better? from Bekah

The situation with my friend at work basically boiled down to this....I don't tell them anything really personal anymore and pretty much everything is on a need to know basis....most of which they don't need to know. I guess going with that frame of mind things are getting better, but they still aren't great.

4. What do you want for christmas? from Bekah

To be able to eat solid food again, to have all my debt paid off (serious wishful thinking there), a couple of games for my Wii (I'm partical to the Cabela's hunting games...I'm not that good of a gamer yet and I'm pretty ok at those games), one of these (again, serious wishful thinking):

5. Are you in college? from keeperoftheskieswife

Not at this time. I did do a semester course a couple of years ago but the instructor and I didn't see eye to eye on some things and it ended up with me not passing. I would like to go back in the future but that costs money which I don't have a lot of right now...Danged economy!

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? from keeperoftheskieswife

In 5 years I'm hoping to finally be out on my own (dang car will be paid off by then), doing my own thing in my own place. That's my biggest goal right now is to get out on my own.

7. Are you seeing anyone? from keeperoftheskieswife

Nope, wish I was but I'm not.

So keep those questions coming....I'm having a lot of fun letting my blog readers in on all that is "Jamie". Have a great weekend everyone! We're in the midst of a snowstorm yet again so it's going to be a cold and snowy weekend here in WI!

Friday Blessings

It's friday again! So it's time to post my blessings for the week. It's been pretty much a quiet week around here at my house. Monday night into Tuesday morning I get two gold stars for not killing my brother's fiancee at work....Lets just say she thought she could do whatever the heck she wanted when ever she wanted and it wasn't flying. Tuesday was pretty quiet around here...not much went on...ate my last "real food" meal and waited for Wednesday morning to get here. Wednesday I got my wisdom teeth pulled....I have no idea what I was soooo freaked out about....I'm a big time woose when it comes to needles and this one wasn't very big or very scary at all. Thursday, I recieved 2 blog awards....Which actually makes my week really.....I knowing that people are actually reading what I post and like it. We're also bracing for a big time snow storm.....close to a foot of snow and even a little more on top of that on Saturday into Sunday.

Ask me "almost" anything....

I've seen this done on a few of the blogs that I frequent where they have a post dedicated to answering people's questions about themselves, their family, etc. I've always wanted to try this so now I'm taking the leap and putting it out there. What do you want to know about me?

Here are the rules (yes, there are rules):

1. No "inappropriate" questions. I will refuse to answer a question if I feel it's inappropriate.

2. You can ask more than one question....the more the merrier.

3. Pretty much keep it clean...I'm pretty flexible but I'm going to be a stickler about this rule and rule number 1.

Hi my name is....

Jamie and I have never seen the movie A Christmas Story. Yup, apparently according to some people I know that makes me a mutant or something but I have remedied the situation....I purchased myself a copy of A Christmas Story this morning and it's now on my list of things to do today.

So what is your favorite Holiday movie? Personally, mine are National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (the squirrel scene is a classic!) and Miracle on 34th street.

An Award just for me!

Here I was sitting at the computer eating my chocolate snack pack pudding checking my blog and I found this comment in response to my "For all the Twilighters out there...." post from Heather over at This is the day... waiting to be published:

"What a coincidence...I left some Twilight love on my blog for you!"

and there was the above beauty just for me and few other of Heather's friends. Thanks Heather!

For all the Twilighters out there....

Here is a link to a store where you to can invest in your "official" Twilight apparel: http://shop.cafepress.com/twilight-movie?cmp=KNC-G-HIT-RP-EdCullen




Here are some of my favorites (for some reason I am unable to upload the actual photo, so below are the links, with a little teaser....I don't want to give too much away!):

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/30813288 (Edward is a BAD BAD boy!)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/31383989 (The Lion and the Lamb)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/31528352 (What do you live for?)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/31347778 (Don't Make Me...)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/31094884 (Be Safe..)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/31213147 (Not Real?)

http://bumperstickers.cafepress.com/item/sticker-bumper/338817305 (Shiny Volvo)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/30115059 (feathers)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/31031564 (Young, dead and Sparkly)

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/31408128 (Bella)

That's just a few...There are like 10,000+ different designs to choose from.

Bloggy Makeover....

I'm in the midst of working on a bloggy makeover for my blog (until I am able to turn it over to a professional), so if things get a little blah and weird looking around here I apologize in advance. The new blog background is called "Bella Swan" cause I be a Twilight junkie. What do you think? I'm in the process of changing the font color on my other posts so that they will be easier to read please bear with me....I'm still a bit groggy and sleepy from my surgery yesterday.

I've survived!

I survived pretty much unscathed the extraction of my wisdom teeth. Looking a little chipmunky right now and I talk real funny but their out and I'm actually feeling pretty good. The IV needle wasn't even that bad either....I was really worried about that part....more so than the rest of it.

The X-Men Origins: Wolverine Trailer

I never was a comic book fan myself but a couple of friends from work said that I should see a bunch of movies (transformers, ghost rider, x-men, etc.) that were originally comic books and now I'm hooked. I can hardly wait for this movie to come out!

The Doghouse!

Need some suggestions

I'm having my wisdom teeth taken out on Wednesday and I'm in need of some suggestions for foods that I can eat "comfortably" for a couple of days at least....I'd like to add a little more than Jello, Pudding and yogurt to my recouping time.

My friend Ashley's favorite bullrider won a pretty cool award

Wish upon a 'Star'

Coleman recognized for granting wishes

PUEBLO, Colo. (December 4, 2008) - Ross Coleman’s wish is simple.

All he hopes is that his family – wife Amy and son Cooper – remain healthy and happy, and achieve their dreams, whatever they may be.

But the 29-year-old cowboy from the Pacific Northwest is well aware that not all families are as fortunate as his. That’s exactly why – with a great deal of help from family and friends – Coleman has worked so hard to help the make dreams of the less fortunate become a reality.

Each year his professional and personal lives cross with the hosting of the Ross Coleman Invitational, a PBR-sanctioned bull riding event, in which all the proceeds are donated to charity. While the annual event is an enormous undertaking by itself, that isn’t his only charitable effort.
There’s an old saying that if you give you shall receive, and recently Coleman attended a banquet put together by the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon where, much to his surprise, Coleman was the guest of honor.

He was recognized for his continued efforts with the prestigious Katie’s Star Award.
“That was cool,” said Coleman, who shared the evening with his wife along with his parents Steve and Cathy, and his sister Bridgette Wynn. “There (were) seven or eight of us that went into the city [Portland] that night for a dinner and fundraiser they had, and the main award that night was the Katie Star Award. It was really, really cool to win that.”

“I’ve won some different awards with bull riding,” he continued, “but to win an award like that—I don’t know—it really represents a good deed. I really felt good about it.
“When I won that award it’s always going to be one of the most prestigious awards I’ve ever won.”

Coleman, one of the top professional bull riders in the world, is from Molalla, Ore., and according to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon, he has demonstrated a significant commitment to the mission of granting wishes to local children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Over the past four years, the Ross Coleman Invitational, which has been recognized as the PBR Sanctioned Event of the Year, has raised more than $127,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon.

Coleman has rallied fellow riders, the PBR and the entire Molalla community to support the organization, and more importantly, has shared the mission by hosting wish kids at the Molalla event each year.

“The people we work with work so hard and are so cool,” said Coleman, who aside from the help of his immediate family said his event wouldn’t be as successful as it is without the year-round effort of Kristy Wheeler and Lisa Banyard.

“When you work with the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon, it’s so easy because they work so hard and they put a lot of time and effort into helping us out with our event.”
Katie’s wish was to meet the Seattle Mariners and bring her little league team with her. Her story struck an emotional chord and touched the hearts of millions—in part because of ESPN’s “SportsCenter: My Wish” series.

Sadly, Katie lost her battle with cancer in 2007, but her inspirational spirit continues to influence the work of employees and volunteers of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon.
In her memory, the Foundation created Katie’s Star Award to recognize an individual that touches many lives and makes a lasting impact on the Make-a-Wish organization.

“It’s a special time,” said Coleman, who had a chance to meet Katie’s mom when he received the Star. “It was pretty emotional just talking to her. … I was pretty chocked up, at the time, to win that award.”

As it turns out, Katie, like Coleman, is from Central Oregon, and their families have many of the same friends and acquaintances. As fate would have it, Katie was laid to rest in a cemetery located across the road from Coleman’s ranch in Molalla, where he hosts the Invitational.
“It’s a small world,” he said.

Coleman’s heartfelt efforts have not only personally impacted these amazing children, but have also set an example for others—that they, too, can support this magical mission.

Originally the idea for Coleman’s own invitational came when he decided to try and help raise money for his friend Jack Peterkin, who was battling cancer at the time. The entire community pitched in any way they could, and Justin McBride, who won the Challenger event that year, donated his winnings – as did Coleman – to the fund. Even the stock contractors donated the use of their livestock.

“I think everybody that year realized it was for a good cause,” Coleman said. “Then the next year we made it for the Make-a-Wish kids and everybody showed up again ‘cause they had so much fun and it went for a good cause.”

It may have been a small community, but as Coleman pointed out they collectively made a big difference for “something that just made a lot of sense.”
In the years since, the event has served as a major fundraiser for Make-a-Wish, and when Peterkin won his battle with cancer, the following year he was steering a big Clydesdale-led wagon filled with Make-a-Wish kids in the back.

Ever the humble and gracious giver, Coleman – when not championing those who help him organize the event – even credited the weather. “It’s August and it cools off real nice at night … it’s a nice atmosphere.”

But make no mistake about it: There is something about Coleman – the intensity he displays as a bull rider aside – that simply inspires those around him to help.
Those who may not have had money to donate instead donated their time and effort by helping Coleman hang sponsor panels, put up hay for the bulls, work the grounds, set up the V.I.P. area and other jobs that required manual labor.

Just as Katie did before him, Coleman has touched the lives of many and, according to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon, “he truly models the idea of aiming to share the power of a wish with children we serve and with members of the community.”

“If we can put a smile on someone’s face,” Coleman said, “that’s what makes you sleep better at night.”

The 2009 Ross Coleman invitational is scheduled for August 21 and 22. For more information, log onto www.rosscoleman.com.
—by Keith Ryan Cartwright

REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male andfemale reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer droptheir antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November tomid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers until after theygive birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa'sreindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be agirl. We should've known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man ina red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

My dog wears clothes and a few other blessings...

Because the groomer had to shave Laci down....It's actually a pretty long story, but the reader's digest version is that Laci wouldn't let me brush her because the bristles on the brush we bought when we adopted her were to rough on her skin so she got some mats in her "Cocker" cut that the groomer was unable to get out.....She has to have a little coat now when she goes outside so she doesn't get cold.

So these are Laci's new clothes. She's so cute in them! Moving on......I've become one of the "cool" kids again.....I went out and purchased The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion to the movie Twilight. I can hardly wait to start reading! Moving on again....Friday's here at Have Inspiration.....Will Travel are the day that I post my blessings for the week. So without further adue.....My blessings for this week.

It's actually been a pretty uneventful week to be honest. We survived the first "major" snow storm of the season....The farmer's almanac was right AGAIN! My parents got their first "real" cell phones ever (no more pre-paid phones for them) and are really happy with them....they can even sort of make them work too! I got my hair cut on Wednesday.....I've actually got shape to my hair now. I renewed my cell phone contract with US Cellular and my new cell phone is in the mail...Did you know that you can activate your phone from your house? I did not know that....I learned something new!

Makes Sense To Me

An open letter to my hair

This was actually taken a few months ago. My hair is now down to my jaw level.

Dear Hair,

I have been in the process of growing you out for a little over a year now and as much as I love the progress we have made together, I really wish you would grow a little faster. I really would love to be able to do something fun, styling wise with you but right now we are in that "icky" stage where there just aren't all that many styling options.

We've come a long ways and I am not going to give up just yet, but I would soooo love it if I were actually able to style you in some way when Ashley and I go to Nampa in April to see our Cowboys. I hope I haven't upset you tooooo much with my "express myself with a new hair color" stage.....that would be really upsetting to me. Even though I'm not a real big fan of my natural hair color.....Dishwater blond is kinda blah in my opinion. I've even given that up until you get a little longer.....I hope you don't mind?

Well, I guess now that I've made my wishes known I'll keep taking my vitamins and experiment and see if I can't find a couple of different ways to style you until you get a little bit longer. So GROW, GROW like the wind!

P.S. Bangs same goes for you....Your driving me NUTS!

Jamie