Yesterday,

a junior in High School killed himself. NO, he was not from here, it was in a larger town, north of here. Nonetheless, the effects will ripple through the whole state. Suicide has a new meaning for me since we lost Leo last October. HIs family, friends, acquaintances will be heartbroken for a very long time. It just stirs up all the hurt that has begun to settle.

Who knew I'm getting a new OS for my puter today?

Jan 30
Date of Birth: 12/18
Take care of your home base today, ELLIE, both physically and emotionally. See that your bills are paid, and that your bedroom is picked up. Don't forget to clean out the dirt from under your bed, and the demons from inside your mind. Realize that you might be running on someone else's operating disk that got stuck in your hard drive. Make sure you replace it with your own system disk before you continue on.

So far,

so good. Well, the basketball game was predictable (we were losing by 30 when I left), but I'd done my job, the pep band played for the kids. It was snowing when I got of the school. I got home, threw my already-packed stuff into the car, grabbed a blankie, water, husband and dog and headed out the door. The snow quit at the edge of town. Halfway there, husband was too tired to drive, so I drove the rest of the way. The night was dark, lots of cars, but an easy drive, nonetheless. We got to the in-laws around midnight, hit the hay, and woke up at 8:30. After a couple hours of visiting, a wonderful shower and a handful of cashews for breakfast, we hit the road again and got to Sheridan around 3 this afternoon. Our motel room is quite nice, and Ed met us here within a half hour upon our arrival. We visited, he opened his birthday presents and out the door we went to go see mom. 34 miles later, we arrived to visit my poor, skinny mother. She has osteo really bad, no short term memory and weighs about 80 pounds (she's 6 feet tall). However, she was so happy to see us. Ed and I sat at the table with her and had a great chat for a couple of hours. We headed back to Sheridan, had a wonderful birthday dinner, a little walk around, a great visit and off he went. Husband and I hot tubbed for little while. He can't handle kid screams, so we were out within 15 minutes of so. Oh well, still relaxing for a little bit. Tomorrow morning, we will have a great breakfast with Ed, then back to Billings to have a birthday party for Scott's mom and sister. I am feeling great.

Somedays,

my hormones run a rampage!

Weekend plans?

Yes, I have weekend plans.
First, I have to teach today and give a guitar lesson after school, pep band for the girls and boys basketball game tonight. Then, I'll hit the road, Jack. Will stay this evening in Billings with my lovely in-laws. Tomorrow morning, head to ol' Wyomin' and see my son, and celebrate his birthday. We'll head further south to see my mom for a little while, too. Stay the night in a hotel so I don't have to breath smoke all day and night. Come back Sunday. It's a 6 hour drive. Good thing we have MONDAY OFF! WOOHOO! MONDAY OFF! YES!

A wonderful tune to hum, words to ponder, enough to make you smile.

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "i love you"
Birds singin’ in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me

Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me
While I’m alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I’m longin’ to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me


Stars shining up above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "i love you"
Birds singin’ in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

Yes, dream a little dream of me

My son is 23 today.

I could write so much. He's been through a lot, both from his own choices and the hand that was dealt to him. He's a great guy--caring, compassionate, loves animals, loves his family, loves the great outdoors, loves his momma. Happy birthday, son! (don't worry, I won't call you your nick name for the world to read---)

This is from Jake, my drummer at school.

1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you. 4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. If not for you, someone may not be living.
8. You are special and unique.
9. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
10. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
11. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.
13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
14. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.
15. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

Potpourri

wow.

It's friday and i haven't even written another post since last sunday. i still have no inclination as to what to write it about. Scott will be gone this weekend, pep band tomorrow night, .....maybe SOMETHING will happen in the next couple days that might be of interest. Maybe i'll be inspired to write about it. maybe i'll have my arrangement of PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC, WHITE BOY done for the pep band....just a few more things to do before I print it out.

Have a good Friday, ya'll. It's blahsville here...

We saw Teyla today!

She is 5 weeks old now and with her wonderful family. We are invited to visit little Teyla anytime we want. It is truly a win-win situation.
Then we enjoyed sky after we got home. Big BEAUTIFUL Sky, Montana.

Here are

a couple animal scenes we watched today.

I Pose, To You, One Question:

Why do people attack you PERSONALLY if you post a topic or comment on a topic they don't agree with?

BEWARE!

The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease. The disease is contracted through dangerous and high-risk behavior.

The disease is called  Gonorrhea Lectim and pronounced "gonna re-elect him." Many victims contracted it in 2004, after having been screwed for the past four years.

Cognitive characteristics of individuals infected include: anti-social personality disorders, delusions of grandeur with messianic overtones, extreme cognitive dissonance, inability to incorporate new information, pronounced xenophobia and  paranoia, inability to accept responsibility for own actions, cowardice masked by misplaced bravado, uncontrolled facial smirking, ignorance of geography and history, tendencies towards evangelical theocracy, categorical all-or-nothing behavior.

Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed at how this destructive disease originated only a few years ago from a bush found in Texas.

The wind stopped this afternoon.

Then it rained, which is quite rare weather for Montana in January. After an hour of rain, it started snowing and snowed for the rest of the day. Tonight it is clear, cold and calm. mmmmmmmm

We're used to wind, but this is ridiculous!

The Madison River Valley in known to get windy, but it has been just miserable out lately. Day after day after day, the wind has just ripped through our little town. The following is an article from the paper of another local town close to here and its wind. Unfortunately, the picture of the overturned, twisted semis were not available. However, here is a pic of Emmigrant Peak close to Livingston. It gives you a taste of the country we live in.




High winds rip through Livingston

By SCOTT McMILLION, Chronicle Staff Writer

LIVINGSTON -- Two truck drivers were comparing notes at the counter of the Yellowstone Truck Stop just west of town Tuesday afternoon.

Both said they had been pulling empty 53-foot semitrailers through a fierce wind storm. Both said they were really glad to be off the highway, safe and sound.


The man who'd been traveling eastbound said it was all he could do to keep his rig on the road. At one point, he said, the cab was on the shoulder, but the trailer was out in the middle, pushed there by the incredible gusts that whipped by at more than twice his pace of 35 mph.

"Did it lift your wheels?" asked the other driver.

"Oh yeah," he replied. "I was leaving black marks in the middle of the highway."

Other drivers weren't so lucky.

On one particularly windy knob overlooking town, two tractor-trailers and small utility trailer lay on their sides, all within about 300 yards of each other beside the eastbound lane.

A mile west of them, somebody's fifth-wheel camper suffered a similar fate.

Park County Sheriff Clark Carpenter said he knew of four wind-caused accidents, "and there may be more."

Only the first one resulted in any injuries, Carpenter said.

The biggest windstorm of the season blew in Tuesday, fraying flags and nerves, upsetting signs and fences, tossing garbage all over the place and forcing the closure of Interstate 90.

All traffic flowing in both directions was diverted through the center of Livingston by shortly after 4 p.m., forcing police officers to stand outside and direct traffic in the crushing wind until temporary stop signs could be erected.

The peak gust reached an official speed of 84 mph at 3:29 p.m., said Scott Carpenter, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Billings.

The biggest sustained wind came 10 minutes later: 63 mph for two minutes straight.

Eric Schneider, a retired federal scientist and author who lives east of Livingston, said his private wind gauge recorded a gust of 87 mph about 3 p.m.

The incredible winds result from the concurrence of a high pressure system over the Yellowstone National Park area and a low pressure system over the plains of central Montana.

As the systems attempt to equalize themselves, air rushes down mountain valleys, resulting in wind that musters itself in the Livingston area and creates muscular bursts as it leaves Paradise Valley.

"It's called the gap-flow effect," Scott Carpenter explained.

A similar phenomenon occurred Tuesday in the Nye area, where a gust reached 83 mph.

Hurricane-force winds are no stranger to this town, and most people just hunkered down and tried to avoid outdoor chores, although pedestrians were forced to lean at a considerable angle to make any upwind progress.

Cattle and horses bunched up in low places and turned their noses downwind.

The winds should abate somewhat by Wednesday morning, Scott Carpenter said, but a high-wind advisory was still possible.

Scott McMillion is at scottm@dailychronicle.

For kicks and giggles.....

quarter horse?

subservientchicken

.numa numa dance

Simply,

a beautifully written tragic love story.

While suturing a laceration on the hand of a 80-year-old Texas Rancher (whose hand had been caught in a gate while working cattle), a doctor and the old man were talking about George W. Bush being in the White House. The old Texan said, "Well, ya know, Bush is a `post turtle'."

Not knowing what the old man meant, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was. The old man said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."

The old man saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain, "You know he didn't get there by himself, he doesn't belong there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, and you just want to help the poor, stupid bastard get down."

Sometimes in the mornings

while on the way to work, it looks like this from our front deck.




Anyone jealous?

Tonight's high school basketball game

stunk, but that's okay. We still enjoyed it. Here's a few shots. And yeah, the pep band was awesome!


~Saxy

Friday's Joke

A sexy woman went up to the bar in a quiet rural pub. She gestured alluringly to the bartender who approached her immediately.

She seductively signaled that he should bring his face closer to hers. As he did, she gently caressed his full beard. "Are you the manager?" she asked, softly stroking his face with both hands. "Actually, no," he replied.

"Can you get him for me? I need to speak to him," she said, running her hands beyond his beard and into his hair. "I'm afraid I can't," breathed the bartender. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes. I need for you to give him a message," she continued, running her forefinger across the bartender's lips and slyly popping a couple of her fingers into his mouth and allowing him to suck them gently.

"What should I tell him?" the bartender managed to say.

"Tell him," she whispered, "there's no toilet paper, hand soap, or paper towels in the ladies room.

Go read Mr. Hand's

unfinished novella.

wickedtruth.blogspot.com

Make sure you start with Chapter One. It isn't edited, it isn't finished, but it is very much worth your while.

Such a tragedy.

My heart goes out to the friends and family of the miner's who lost their lives. What a tragic, horrific way to start the year. What really gets me is the fact that the New York Times, our local paper and who knows how many else came out this morning with "Their Alive!" yet only one survived. The information originally given to them was a cruel twist.

So TODAY I intend on walking to work, got woken up late, couldn't find my gloves, didn't have enough coffee and got into a fight with Scott. I basically yelled at him as I got into my car on my way. Then, 1st period, one of my 6th grade trombone players is cleaning out his horn and PUKES all over. Ick. That made me nauseous for the rest of the day. The JH band was a bit tooooo rude, choir whined and by the time pep band came around, I was mentally out of there. However, my day was nothing compared to what those poor families are going through in West Virginia.

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it's off to work I go!

And off I am...trapesing through 3 inches of snow. It's been a good vacation, now time to go back and start at it again. The semester changes next week. I've decided I need to get more guys in choir to help alleviate the girlish drama that goes on in there. We will be bombarded with pep band for the next couple of months and then music festival. I'm looking forward to it. I love my job, even on the days that I hate it, I still love it, lol. Know what I mean, Vern?

Here's the world I live in.

I live in a town of 650 people. We drive 50 miles (through a canyon) to the town that is large enough with actual shopping (aobut 24,000 people). The following is the police report for today from the Chronicles. At least there weren't any ducks crossing and stopping traffic this time. This is one of the worse ones I've seen in a long time.

Police report
By Chronicle Staff

The Bozeman Police report for Saturday included the following:

* A motorist on Interstate 90 lost control of her vehicle, struck a road sign and went off the road. She was cited for drunken driving and possession of dangerous drugs.

* Officers returned a juvenile runaway to his home and cited him for ungovernable youth.

* Two men were cited for disorderly conduct after a fight at an Ida Avenue apartment.

* Officers warned two men for snowmobiling in a park near Michael Grove Avenue.

* Two vehicles collided on North 19th Avenue when one of them attempted to back up and change lanes while stopped at a red light.

* A man on Crab Tree Street was warned for shooting off bottle rockets after one of them nearly struck a patrol car.

* A injured man was found lying on West Babcock Street. He told officers he had just been assaulted by several men. Officers then discovered the man was a suspect in a beer theft earlier in the evening and cited him for theft at the hospital.

* Officers responded to 103 calls for service Saturday.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's report for Saturday included the following:

* A deputy took a report from a health care provider of possible prescription drug abuse by a patient.

* Deputies responded to several non-injury automobile accidents around the region.

* Deputies responded to 79 calls for service Saturday.

Since I don't know the html

code for putting in a link, i can only give you this site to cut and paste and see where we went yesterday. I've been there before, but this was a candlelight tour. In the middle of it, we all blew out our candles and experienced "complete darkness". Here is the site. Please look and read about it, it's so cool. http://visitmt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=3088