Wake Up!

Have you seen this video? It was forwarded to me and certainly it has made circled the Internet globe several times over. I hope posting it is not an infringement of any rules/laws. I'm not certain of the cartoon's creator. It sure is a fun one, though. The details are fantastic. I think the pointing to the mouth is a classic gesture.

Gabrielle is much like this (minus the baseball bat) in the morning. VERY interactive and likes to do all she can to encourage me to wake up. Eponine was entirely much more independent. Very self absorbed and less food obsessed. I give Gabby some benefit of the doubt since she was a "starvin' marvin'" when she first found me.

Life's Seasonings

Heard the other day on the news that potato chips are not as salty as you might think. Comparatively, at least. If one checked labels, they'd see far fewer milligrams of sodium than in a microwave dinner or a individual-sized frozen pizza. Chips just have salt on the surface, making them taste saltier.

This news helps me to not feel so bad about my salt intake as I eat half the bag of the vinegar-and-salt variety as an appetizer while I prepare a lightly salted grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup for dinner. Throw in a can of Diet Coke (40 mg) and I'm sure I'm well below the upper limits.

The YouTube Generation

"Make a movie, Uncle Cowboy. Make a movie!" That was O and Mad's No. 1 request during our most recent visit just before Thanksgiving and then again the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I bet the two are fairly representive of this generation of young'uns that believe their every move is worth filming. There are few limits and absolutely no reason why they can't be a superstar!

There's also few limits to the crazy things O and Mad will do that their Uncle Cowboy might think warrants being posted. Including making their Uncle Cowboy's coffee mug a co-star in a documentary about a gobbling turkey and the importance of not mussing one's hairdo. Oh, and sometimes they like to call me by a pretend name.

Don't Give Up!

Click on this link to see some testimonials of folks that found love. Or at least a potential date. The second one down makes me think there still might be some hope for me still. :)

A Crazy Nephew

This dude claims to be my sister's son. I've always known him as Jr. He goes by Ramo now. Since my trip to Santa Fe this past summer, he's been making a big effort to keep in touch. An occasional text message or video on the camera phone of his dog frolicking in the snow. It's always good to hear from him.

Well .... not always.

He was born in Oklahoma. Claremore to be exact. But has lived the majority of his life, with the exception of his years in the Navy, in New Mexico. Somehow, though, he has become an OU fan. He LOVES the Sooners.

Why? I just don't get it. He's never even been to Norman. Knows nothing about the school. Couldn't even tell you any trivia or facts. By golly he knows that sorry "Boomer Sooner" song and knows they have a football team. And was the first to send a message asking "I bet your Cowboy rear is sore from that whooping" within minutes after OU beat OSU. Where was his greeting after Texas Tech whipped up on those Crimson and Cream dudes.

Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck.

He can keep in touch all he wants, but that text from this past Saturday is a sure-fire way to make sure he's fully excluded from his uncle's will. "Cowboy leaves his beloved nephew, Jr., a/k/a Ramo, zilch. Boomer Sooner that."

Birds And The Cats

Did you see this article in The New York Times about a major turf war? A bit interesting.

Very Close

Met a deadline that I mentioned in an earlier post. At least for the most part. It was Monday, Nov. 26. There are a couple items still outstanding, but that's OK. It still goes in the books as meeting the deadline. The Feds always appreciate that.

It was a total pain. I put in several hours on Thanksgiving day and tons on Friday. Enough that I started having muscle pains in my back from typing and messing with the computer mouse. I was achy enough and sad enough at my Cowboys lack of ability to play competitively against those Sooners that I decided to have a martini or two Saturday night along with a steak dinner and a dessert. Another tasty time.

Although my Pokes were dismal, it was exciting having the KU-MU game in Kansas City. Normally this game is just a blip on the radar screen for me, but this year both teams are highly ranked, it was Thanksgiving weekend and was played at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. I ran some errands just before the game and there was hardly anyone in the shops/stores.

My Cowboys are predicted to possibly receive a bowl invitation, so they'll have another opportunity to let me down. I won't be disappointing the Feds, though. Give me a deadline and I'll knock it out!

The Day After Halloween

I worked from home the morning after Halloween. Had meetings and other things at a work location closer to my home, so I decided to not trek all over town. Just about 9 a.m. exactly, the home phone rang. Almost certain it would be a telemarketer, but I couldn't resist answering it.

Tony Bennett. Seriously. It was Tony himself calling me to let me know which KC radio station had launched their holiday music extraganza. Nonstop holiday music beginning November One through Christmas Day.

So I tuned in. It's fun to sing along in the car when you know no one is listening and few are staring. I do my best to hit the high notes but have no witnesses to confirm the effort. One can only handle so much of the holiday favorites and classics, though. I'm just almost sick of them. And it's not even December yet. :)

Gabby and I had a great Halloween. There were so many monsters coming to the door I literally had perspiration rolling down my back from all my activity. Should have just sat out on the stoop. Then the Gabster would have totally been peering out the door wondering what was happening.

She enjoyed the folks stopping by. We had one very young, maybe four or five, Asian boy try to walk into the house. I said, "Hold on. Where are you going?" He said, "I like your cat." Gabby smiled.

At night's end, I counted about 183. The neighbor said there were over 200. There were tons, that's for sure. I didn't really even mind the older kids not in costume. They all were respectful and appreciative. My hope is they won't forget the home with good candy and treats. Maybe then they'll offer to rake my leaves when I'm old and feeble. In otherwords, next year. :)

The homage to turkeys has been on display the last few weeks. But now it's time for the Christmas crap. Angels and Santas and Nativities. Oh my! I'm anxious to see how Gabster will handle all the potential play things.

Gobblin' Turkey

Had some house guests Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. They made this video.

Sweepin' Down The Plain

Oklahoma is celebrating 100 years of statehood. Officially, the state entered the union on Nov. 16, 1907 as the 46th state. Celebrations started a year ago, counting down to this week.

Here's a link to one huge event happening Friday night. I wish I could attend. Reba, Garth, Carrie, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, Toby Keith, and groups The All American Rejects and The Flaming Lips. I bet there will be a former Miss America or two and likely even the reigning one.

After one hundred years, if I say so myself, I'd say the state is doing fine!

Catch A Cowboy

Want to see glimpses of this Cowboy's college campus? Then tune in to ABC Saturday night. ABC sports will air the Oklahoma State-Kansas football game. Live from Stillwater, Oklahoma. I wish I was there with all the excitement and seeing all the orange.

Oh, that is unless you're on the East Coast or West Coast. Sadly, you get Boston College-Maryland and Cal (where my niece attends)-USC. Nothing near as exciting as Stillwater. :)

My hope is that there'll be tons of Cowboys running up tons of yards, with not a sinlge 'Hawk able to stop them. Plus, maybe there really could be a posse to two creating some awesome defensive plays. In the end, the good guys wearing orange should be the victors. One can hope!

This Just In

Just received a new pic of the newest niece, Mia. She's in California. Already it's obvious that she's a California babe!

Girth Proves It

I'm known for working through lunch. Co-workers still invite me to join them on their outings and I typically reply, "I want to go, but I can't. Thanks, though."

I'm also known for a great ability to eat just about anything in sight. And if it's something I really like, I have no self restraint and can throw down until the cows come home. If I like it, everyone knows it. I can't help but make it very evident.

Completed expense reports, a time sheet and some calls over the lunch hour Friday while eating a few saltines and an extra cup of coffee. It felt sufficient.

Co-workers returned from their lunch outing presenting me Culver's butter burger, fully loaded with no cheese, an order of fries and a fantastically good pumpkin shake. More co-workers returned with four Fazoli's breadsticks wrapped up nicely in napkins.

Ate it all. Just needed a Diet Coke to top it off.

For A Third Visit, Random Thoughts

A younger veteran, single father of four kids is the newest Kansas Citian that is getting a new home compliments of Ty and his gang. It's the third time the crew from ABC's "Extreme Home Makeover" have visited the Kansas City area.

This story is another very compelling one. The dad went to Iraq, was injured, came home, wife decides to bail, he is left with the four kids (probably a blessing for him and the kids), and they all live in a tiny, worn-down home. I bet it will air in April or May.

Somehow, a crazy Cowboy with a talkative cat that has a dilated pupil and formerly was homless, and a monster that came before is just not enough of a gut-wrenching story to warrant a free, big and fancy new home. Darn. You'd think it would be good enough for Paige to stop by to say hello.

Saw Carrie Underwood on the CMA's Wednesday night. A country-music awards show has to be one of the largest gatherings of talented Oklahomans. Well, and maybe folks from Tennessee too. I was hoping Rodney Atkins would win the Horizon. I think he's great.

The company annually has an online auction that complements our United Way effort. It ended today in a flurry of activity. It was kinda fun and raised almost $5,500. Pretty cool! Unfortunately I tried to up the price on a few things thinking someone would bid higher. They didn't and now I am the proud winning bidder on some silly stuff. I wonder who'll get them for Christmas.

Halloween Night

Gabby awaiting the next trick-or-treater on Halloween night.

More Halloween pics are to come. Slowly but surely I'll catch up. Still will post pics from Denver too.

It's taking me a bit to adjust to the time change. Plus, it's Tuesday and everything already is majorly out-of-control insane at work. Just learned of a big deadline too. When? Monday after Thanksgiving. So very nice.

A Cowboy In Town

Monday night Garth Brooks started a series of nine concerts here in Kansas City. He hasn't toured in almost a decade but is doing these concerts to help Kansas City introduce its new arena, the Sprint Center. (At least that's the current name. You know how naming rights go these days.)

Garth is an Oklahoma State grad. I saw him in concert in 1990 at the Wyandotte County Fair. It was one of those flukes where he was booked before he got famous. But by the time the county fair rolled along, he was in big demand. He likely could have cancelled. The show went on!

For the around 160,000 people with a ticket to the nine concerts the next several days, I bet they are going to have a great time. They'll likely be shameless with their cheers as they hang with their friends in the arena while enjoying the dance or two in the aisle and just having fun!

Sunnin'

Needing To Catch Up

Must do some back blogging ... must do some back blogging. I figure if I keep chanting it to myself, maybe I'll actually get around to doing it.

The Artist, The Wife and her friend Robin came to this Cowboy's home this past Saturday. The Wife and friend actually arrived in KC Friday morning for their annual KC trip to knock out all of their Christmas shopping but they spent the night at a hotel near "the mall."

Their volume of shopping bags was obscenely absurd. At least they have essentially all their holiday shopping completed and the KC economy is a bit better.

Saturday I picked up The Artist from the airport and toted him to an OSU watch party with other alums. For some strange reason OSU alumni like to gather in one spot to watch us lose to Texas in football. The team especially likes to provide us with "get-way-ahead-and-then-watch-us-lose-it-all-in-the-waning-moments" type of games. Always lots of fun.

The Gabarino handled this first big round of visitors very well. Reserved at times and at other times had no problem making her presence aware. Especially around 4:30 a.m. while we were all snoring. Except for the Gabster.

Sunday all dispersed but in my errand running I treated myself with some Schramwiches. That made everything better and it included a tasty chicken salad sandwich. The kids were very proud of their basement-cleaning effort and had to show it off to me. Plus, I was given some pics and some great stories El wrote for school that mentioned visits by the Cowboy.

It all made me smile and it seemed to make the sun shine a little brighter that day.