My wife (girlfriend at the time) bought this for me back in 1994. I’ll probably go to my grave with this being one of the most prized possessions I have. I travel quite a bit so she had “When miles apart you’re always in my heart” engraved on a flask so I could have a drink in the evenings with her, after teaching all day and trying to relax. I haven’t used the flask in years but it still sits above my desk for me to see. Years ago I thought, what if we had to evacuate for a hurricane? What would I HAVE to take. After walking through the house and gathering up all the important things, I realized that all my treasures had a monetary value of less than $20. We have so many nice things throughout our home the things that really matter is our family and a few sentimental items. I guess I only have a few items that cannot be replaced.

I often wonder about my little “Treasure Box”

that I keep. When I pass on, my family is going to open it and wonder…why did he keep this? Why did he carry this around his entire life with him? I’m sure I’m not the only one who has my irreplaceable treasures, not worth anything, but something we would not trade or sell for any amount of money.

The eggs are now dyed, kids are getting tired, so the Easter Bunny will be coming shortly so Shannon and I can get a good night sleep. I’m sure the kids will be up bright and early looking to find some candy.

Of course we had to wait until 10pm the night before Easter to dye eggs. We always plan on getting everything ready in advance but somehow it never seems to work out like that.

Everyone have a Great Easter tomorrow!

Wow… This has been a long week for me. I’ve worked teaching this week and then I was working at home. I had to teach Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Tuesday was the day I got into work late and today was a very long day for me. I got a lot of things accomplished but it didn’t seem like it would ever end. We had a free lunch today (steak and cheese sandwiches) and it was a very stormy day.

Shannon is now out with her mother Willa doing the ol’ Easter Shopping. It’s nice for new swim suits and new saddles as well as a bunch of candy that none of us need. But it wouldn’t be Easter without a bunch of candy now would it. I guess tomorrow we’ll color eggs, and we’ll hunt them Sunday morning with the baby. It’ll be cute this year and I plan on getting a ton of photographs… or a least a lot.

Tomorrow Faith will have been with us 2 years! Yay…    it doesn’t seem that long ago but she has grown so much, both mentally and physically, in the past 2 years. She is growing up so fast. We love her as if she was one of our own children… well she is one of our children. I sometimes forget that biologically she’s not ours, she knows that. But own her own she started calling Shannon and I, Mom and Dad. Which is an honor that she thinks so my of us she started doing that. We love you Faithers’ .

Do you know anyone who just can’t seem to stay out of jail. They’re not in there for violent crimes or anything but for DUI, petite theft, drugs, public intoxication, and other stuff like that.  For someone to have absolutely nothing and are constantly in and out of jail it seems they’d learn a lesson… or at least you think they would. Do they actually become use to be confined and locked behind bars? I don’t know what the thought is but it’s extremely sad that we (tax payers) keep having to foot the bill for all this. We pay for the time spent in jail and then we pay for the rehabilitation and programs, only to be the victims once again. Does anyone else find the wrong?

The sad this is I don’t really have any type of solution to fix this, or even how to start fixing it. I was taught a long time ago when you bitch about a problem and a solution ready. I’m clueless and I don’t think any of the current solutions are working.

Why is it when you’re little you have taking naps. Even to the point will defiantly stay awake refusing to go to sleep. But when you’re an adult would give anything to be able to lay down for 1 – 2 hour during the day and take a long nap.

But isn’t that the way a lot of things are. Most of us are in such a hurry to grow up and move away from home and then once we do look back and see how great we actually had it. Cut the grass and take out the garbage, and maybe fill the ice trays. Every now and then clean up after yourself. In return you have room and board, laundry service, cloths, shoes, medical, dental, and sometimes get an allowance of some type. You have a chauffeur service to run you around to where you need to go.  You have really no responsibility other than minimum chores. But you can’t wait to be out on your own, doing whatever you want. Then you realize you would do more when you lived at home. lol

We all go through this and most kids don’t understand when I tell them….Don’t ever voluntarily leave, make them pack your bags and throw you out. Eat Mama’s breakfast for as long as you can. Once you leave, you can never go home again.

We all have them, and some we wish we didn’t have. Some we are proud of and other ashamed of. I often wonder if others remember things the same way I remember them. Unfortunately or fortunately they don’t. I’ve talked to a few different friends about things that happened years ago and we each have totally separate memories of the events. I guess it’s whatever you focused on.

I have these little vague memories of things that I’d done in the past, yes regrets. When I say past some over 40 years ago. I often wonder do the other people still remember them or is it a memory that they’ve forgotten?

I pulled a chair out from under this heavy set girl in the 5th grade. Well she had taken my chair so technically I just took it back. She fell on the floor and rolled around. She said that she had an operation a few weeks before and was hurt. I got into some trouble and felt bad for doing it, 38 years later I still feel bad.

Then I got into an accident and a lady hit the side of my car. A police report was done up and she admitted to hitting me. Then when her insurance company called she had changed her story. I sent them the police report and they paid so no big deal… but the story wasn’t over. Her insurance sent me a check and a statement of her account of what happened. She said she was driving down the road and I swerved over into her, it was me who caused the accident. Then I started retracing my steps… I’d just got out of school at noon to drive to my vo-tech school which was downtown, about 12 miles away. It was pouring rain and the run to my car got me drenched. I got in my 1976 Camaro and headed down the highway. I then remember me combing my hair and looking into the mirror… oh shit… I may have swerved into her. I was in the middle of combing my hair looking into the mirror in the rain when the accident happened. I knew I should have returned the check called her agent and explained what had happened. But being a kid and greedy for money I didn’t say anything and kept the check. I often wonder if her car got fixed, did it cause her insurance to go up, etc. Did if have some type of “Butterfly Effect” on her. I’ll never know but often wonder about something that happened 34 years ago now.

Does anyone else do this?

Here is what I get from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

“Dear Friends,

Here at DBPR, we strongly believe that Florida’s greatest investment lies in the education of our youth. The department makes it a personal goal to engage students who are pursuing a future in one of DBPR’s professions or businesses. In an effort to help ensure that the future licensed professionals of Florida are the best and the brightest, the Board of Accountancy annually provides a scholarship opportunity for minority accounting students throughout the state.

Each year, the Clay Ford Scholarship program awards scholarships to minority students studying to become certified public accountants in Florida. I’m pleased to announce that, since the program’s implementation in 1999, more than $1 million has been awarded. “

First off, they’re not my Friends… second why not to deserving students? But NO, Minority students. Again I’m white so my children wouldn’t qualify for this… But if I said up a scholarship program for WHITE students only you bet your ass the racist pricks would be all over me.

How much more racist can the Florida Government become? We’ve got to get Rick Scott out of office now. Why would he allow and encourage this type of conduct from his staff? Well bet the farm he won’t get my vote…!