It's been an

awesome visit. I don't want to go home...but I am leaving in an hour...I'll need to wake everyone up to tell them goodbye! We've had good visits and good laughs. I'll be stopping in Billings for a while to spend time with Megs. We're going to lunch and I'm going to get her (early) birthday present. Cathy is camping for her first time, and I don't know when she and Ed will be coming home today. Scott is floating the Missouri River in a canoe, with his dad. He's gone until Wednesday night. So, it looks like my home-coming party will be from George Dog the Cat and snotty, naughty TT. Who'da guessed?

I'm sad for the family of Steve Irwin, known as the "croc hunter" from Australia. He was killed this morning while shooting a film his daughter was going to star in. He dove off the boat and ended up being stabbed by a sting-ray's barb. It punctured his heart! I'm sad for the family in Chicago who's apartment caught on fire (probably from a candle) and 6 children died. No smoke alarm. I'm sad for the State Trooper's family in NY. One has been killed, the other critical, the assailant is on the run.
Okay, coffee is done and I'm going to wake up momma and my sister Pennie so we can visit before I go.

Later days.....

Headed to momma's tomorrow!

Will be home Monday. have a good labor day weekend, ya'll.

Venting about the Ripple Effect

Overall, it feels like a pretty good year, except the HS band is missing some key players. The admin. and coaches decided it is required for the kids involved in sports to take weight training. They can do it before school (ever heard of a HS student get up EARLY?), after school (which is during their sports activity) or during the day. The times offered during the day are the same times as other required classes OR band. So, I have virtually no trumpets or trombones in band this year. The admin. just sort of raised their shoulders and gave the standard reply, "that's their option". Okay. How am I supposed to build a band program when extra curricular sports affect the schedule? It has a ripple effect on everything.

2624 US FATALITIES IN IRAQ!

OVER 130,000 INNOCENT IRAQI CIVILIANS KILLED.
66,000 US TROOPS WOUNDED...

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON....