Yesterday Keri became suspicious about Morgan's behavior. Morgan was sneaking around the house and whispering to me.
I told Keri that Morgan was not into mischief, and otherwise not to worry about what was going on. Can you believe that she wasn't entirely prepared to do that? For some reason she became even more suspicious. Hmmn.
When I came home today Keri asked me what I was doing and I responded "Nothing." She looked at my right arm which was casually resting against my hip in an uncomfortable manner. When she walked past I nonchalantly moved my arm to keep it out of her sight. Shortly there after she noticed me closing a chest that we rarely get into, then a little later she saw me closing a closet door. I pretended nothing odd was going on but she wasn't falling for it.
It is Christmas time after all. In a few days I think that all mysteries will be revealed.
Mwah hah hah!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Ice Storm
I guess we got the same thing a lot of other folks did last night, an ice storm. This morning we woke up to about 1/2 inch of ice everywhere. The power lines were sagging, limbs I could easily walk under yesterday were bowed down to the ground.
Speaking of trees, our neighbor's tree looks like a bomb went off in the upper branches, limbs were (are still) lying all over the place. I watched out our window as some of them fell this morning. Occasionally one would brush the power line on its way down and our lights would flicker, but otherwise our power stayed up all day.
Beautiful to behold but not much fun otherwise, this is the first ice storm we've had here this season, but the forecast calls for more of the same.
Are there any places for sale in the Florida Keys right now?
Speaking of trees, our neighbor's tree looks like a bomb went off in the upper branches, limbs were (are still) lying all over the place. I watched out our window as some of them fell this morning. Occasionally one would brush the power line on its way down and our lights would flicker, but otherwise our power stayed up all day.
Beautiful to behold but not much fun otherwise, this is the first ice storm we've had here this season, but the forecast calls for more of the same.
Are there any places for sale in the Florida Keys right now?
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Recount is Over
The lamps are out, the pens have been set down, and the recount is officially over. The recount commission met this morning to determine the status of several ballots, and once we were satisfied that they had indeed been counted we looked over the final numbers and agreed on them.
That done, we filed a certificate of our findings with the County Clerk and it was then presented to the Judge Banina for review. Provided he approves it, he will issue a court order declaring the winner of the Recorder and Auditor offices.
Our results did not create a huge change in the previously certified election results. Although we through out 6 ballots that had improper credentials, which by the way we never looked at how they had been voted, the Democratic candidates numbers remained unchanged. Brenda Weaver lost three votes, and Jane Lilley lost two, but these two Republicans were found to be the winners of the election; voted into office by the will of the people. Congratulations to both of you.
At last it looks as though the controversy surrounding this election is at an end. I find it hard to imagine how anyone could find just cause to request an appeal of our findings; we spent a great deal of time and energy to provide results that would be incontrovertible.
Brent Davis, one of the other two commission members, told me this morning about a conversation he had had with another local attorney. As far as anyone can tell, this is the first recount in Miami County history and as such it would serve as the guideline by which any later recounts would be completed. Our work, it seems, is the precedent that later recounts will follow as their example of what to do or what not to do.
Hopefully we have set a good example to be followed.
I have to say that this has been a tedious process, but I am honored to have been included in this historic course of action. It was quite pleasurable having the opportunity to work with Brent Davis and Mary Costin, the other two commission members. Thank you both for your hard work.
I also want to thank the men and women of the Miami County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance, especially to; Sheriff Ken Roland, Captain Dave Vitek, and Sergeant Mike Rogers. I also want to thank Micro Vote’s Bill Haas and Steve Shamo for taking time to assist us with the voting machines. A heartfelt than you is also offered to everyone who came in so quickly when we called on you for answers.
That done, we filed a certificate of our findings with the County Clerk and it was then presented to the Judge Banina for review. Provided he approves it, he will issue a court order declaring the winner of the Recorder and Auditor offices.
Our results did not create a huge change in the previously certified election results. Although we through out 6 ballots that had improper credentials, which by the way we never looked at how they had been voted, the Democratic candidates numbers remained unchanged. Brenda Weaver lost three votes, and Jane Lilley lost two, but these two Republicans were found to be the winners of the election; voted into office by the will of the people. Congratulations to both of you.
At last it looks as though the controversy surrounding this election is at an end. I find it hard to imagine how anyone could find just cause to request an appeal of our findings; we spent a great deal of time and energy to provide results that would be incontrovertible.
Brent Davis, one of the other two commission members, told me this morning about a conversation he had had with another local attorney. As far as anyone can tell, this is the first recount in Miami County history and as such it would serve as the guideline by which any later recounts would be completed. Our work, it seems, is the precedent that later recounts will follow as their example of what to do or what not to do.
Hopefully we have set a good example to be followed.
I have to say that this has been a tedious process, but I am honored to have been included in this historic course of action. It was quite pleasurable having the opportunity to work with Brent Davis and Mary Costin, the other two commission members. Thank you both for your hard work.
I also want to thank the men and women of the Miami County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance, especially to; Sheriff Ken Roland, Captain Dave Vitek, and Sergeant Mike Rogers. I also want to thank Micro Vote’s Bill Haas and Steve Shamo for taking time to assist us with the voting machines. A heartfelt than you is also offered to everyone who came in so quickly when we called on you for answers.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Miami County Election Recount
Yesterday and Thursday the recount commission gathered to determine the winner of the election in Miami County for Auditor and for Recorder. This is a tedious, yet necessary process to resolve a very close election.
Thursday consisted of recounting the voting machines. These include the machines used for absentee voting, sometimes called early voting, and those machines used in the 31 precincts on election day. Since we are a small county, this only amounted to sixty-nine machines with over 13,000 votes. We started at 8:00 am and finished around 6:00 pm.
Friday we hand counted all of the paper ballots, this kept us busy from 9:00 am until 10:00 pm. On election night, these ballots were scanned into a computer, much like tests are sometimes scanned in school. The scanner broke down on election night near the end of the counting, which added fuel to the fire when there was talk of a recount.
After we counted all of the paper ballots from mail-in, overseas, military, and provisional voters which was over 900 ballots, we then came up with totals for each of the candidates. The newspaper will be printing these preliminary results on Monday. We expect to arrive at our final results sometime on Monday, but for now Jane Lilley still has the lead for Auditor and Brenda Weaver still has the lead for Recorder.
Monday morning the commission will reconvene to determine the status of several ballots that raised a question Friday evening. Once this is determined, we will come up with final numbers that we can agree on, there will be discussion, then we will certify the results and file them with the County Clerk. She will then present them to Judge Banina for final approval.
I'm glad to have been a part of this, but I definitely would NOT want to do it for a living. My eyes still feel like their bugging out of my head!
Thursday consisted of recounting the voting machines. These include the machines used for absentee voting, sometimes called early voting, and those machines used in the 31 precincts on election day. Since we are a small county, this only amounted to sixty-nine machines with over 13,000 votes. We started at 8:00 am and finished around 6:00 pm.
Friday we hand counted all of the paper ballots, this kept us busy from 9:00 am until 10:00 pm. On election night, these ballots were scanned into a computer, much like tests are sometimes scanned in school. The scanner broke down on election night near the end of the counting, which added fuel to the fire when there was talk of a recount.
After we counted all of the paper ballots from mail-in, overseas, military, and provisional voters which was over 900 ballots, we then came up with totals for each of the candidates. The newspaper will be printing these preliminary results on Monday. We expect to arrive at our final results sometime on Monday, but for now Jane Lilley still has the lead for Auditor and Brenda Weaver still has the lead for Recorder.
Monday morning the commission will reconvene to determine the status of several ballots that raised a question Friday evening. Once this is determined, we will come up with final numbers that we can agree on, there will be discussion, then we will certify the results and file them with the County Clerk. She will then present them to Judge Banina for final approval.
I'm glad to have been a part of this, but I definitely would NOT want to do it for a living. My eyes still feel like their bugging out of my head!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Seat for Sale
For sale: Slightly used Senate seat in Illinois. Recently vacated, ready to move in to. Order today and an apartment with a view of the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington D.C. will be included. Price: A steal at only $500,000. Send inquiries to Governor Rod R Blagojevich, State Capitol, 207 Statehouse, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
(Yeah, I'm bad sometimes, but I just couldn't resist!)
(Yeah, I'm bad sometimes, but I just couldn't resist!)
Back to the Y
Another day, another workout! Somehow it has taken about a week for me to get my second workout done in the Better Weigh program at the local YMCA.
My trainer said that I should keep about 48 hours between workouts, but I just couldn't seem to get in there, things just kept popping up. Grrr.
Anyway, I made it in earlier tonight, pushed myself a little harder than last time, and feel better than I did the last time.
Yippee!
My trainer said that I should keep about 48 hours between workouts, but I just couldn't seem to get in there, things just kept popping up. Grrr.
Anyway, I made it in earlier tonight, pushed myself a little harder than last time, and feel better than I did the last time.
Yippee!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Time for Change
All right my friends, I have some great news! A few minutes ago I got off the phone with Chris Spangle, the Executive Director of the Indiana Libertarian Party. There is going to be a calling-out meeting held at Harvey Hinklemeyers on Tuesday January 20 at 6 o’clock pm. Chris is planning on attending this meeting. The address is 14 east 8th Street, Peru Indiana. If there is anyone who doesn’t know where Harvey’s is at, get a hold of me and I will provide you with directions.
As most of you know, there were several close races in Miami County during this most recent election. The Recorder’s office was determined by 25 votes, the Auditor by 38 votes, the County Council had three seats up for election one of which was determined by 99 votes, and our District 2 Commissioner was settled by 408 votes. 14,341 people voted on November 4th and the numbers being this close speaks volumes.
The Republican Party has proven time and again that it is unwilling to change, on a local, state, and federal level. The Democratic Party has, locally at least, proven itself mostly unable to bring change. The votes have been cast and the people of Miami County have spoken; it is quite obvious that the voters aren’t happy with any of the choices we were offered.
This is why Miami County inarguably needs a third party.
For everyone who is fed up with the Republican Party’s refusal to change, and for everyone who is tired of the Democratic Party’s inability to change, for anyone that thinks they know a better way to run things, this meeting on January 20 is for you.
Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your neighbors, and come prepared to begin the true change that our county so desperately needs.
As most of you know, there were several close races in Miami County during this most recent election. The Recorder’s office was determined by 25 votes, the Auditor by 38 votes, the County Council had three seats up for election one of which was determined by 99 votes, and our District 2 Commissioner was settled by 408 votes. 14,341 people voted on November 4th and the numbers being this close speaks volumes.
The Republican Party has proven time and again that it is unwilling to change, on a local, state, and federal level. The Democratic Party has, locally at least, proven itself mostly unable to bring change. The votes have been cast and the people of Miami County have spoken; it is quite obvious that the voters aren’t happy with any of the choices we were offered.
This is why Miami County inarguably needs a third party.
For everyone who is fed up with the Republican Party’s refusal to change, and for everyone who is tired of the Democratic Party’s inability to change, for anyone that thinks they know a better way to run things, this meeting on January 20 is for you.
Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your neighbors, and come prepared to begin the true change that our county so desperately needs.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
A Christmas Carol
Yesterday my wife and I took our daughter to see A Christmas Carol at the Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis. We went with Keri’s sister Gail and her family, seven of us in all. This was, I believe, the thirteenth annual performance of this wonderful tale.
To make our trip down to Indy an interesting one, God allowed it to snow for us. We saw several slide-offs, and were even stopped briefly because of one that seemed to involve two vehicles. We were kept safe, and the drive only took us about four hours instead of the usually hour and a half.
Uh, we did goof off quite a bit. We made a couple of stops in Kokomo and a couple more in Westfield, so it wasn’t like we were actually driving for the whole time.
The play was excellent; the players gave a lively and emotional performance. The audience was so appreciative as to give a standing ovation at the end. I wanted to yell “Encore, Encore!” but I restrained myself since I wasn’t sure how exactly that could be done. A Christmas Carol is playing for a couple more weeks, if you have the chance you really should go see it as I know you would not be disappointed.
Speaking of disappointments, it was COLD yesterday. I would much rather walk the streets of Indianapolis when it is sunny and warm. That wind would whip between the buildings and blast us without mercy. It kind of reminded me of a scaled-down version of Chicago.
If you do make it to see the show, make sure you get dinner reservations ahead of time. We tried one restaurant during intermission, but they weren’t accepting any walk-ins or reservations until nine pm, and our show was scheduled to end at five-fifteen. We decided to try our luck with some other places nearby.
Did I mention that is was cold? Walking around the downtown area being told that a party of four (if we split our group in two) would wait thirty to ninety minutes, and a group of seven started their wait at ninety minutes, was something less than my dream evening.
We settled for the Rock Bottom, which offered a thirty minute wait, and enjoyed some very tasty food there. It was cold inside the restaurant, too.
Anyway, except for the terrible and biting cold, we had a great time. We finished our evening by shopping in the Circle Center Mall for a few hours before heading home. I think we made it back shortly before midnight and went straight to bed.
To make our trip down to Indy an interesting one, God allowed it to snow for us. We saw several slide-offs, and were even stopped briefly because of one that seemed to involve two vehicles. We were kept safe, and the drive only took us about four hours instead of the usually hour and a half.
Uh, we did goof off quite a bit. We made a couple of stops in Kokomo and a couple more in Westfield, so it wasn’t like we were actually driving for the whole time.
The play was excellent; the players gave a lively and emotional performance. The audience was so appreciative as to give a standing ovation at the end. I wanted to yell “Encore, Encore!” but I restrained myself since I wasn’t sure how exactly that could be done. A Christmas Carol is playing for a couple more weeks, if you have the chance you really should go see it as I know you would not be disappointed.
Speaking of disappointments, it was COLD yesterday. I would much rather walk the streets of Indianapolis when it is sunny and warm. That wind would whip between the buildings and blast us without mercy. It kind of reminded me of a scaled-down version of Chicago.
If you do make it to see the show, make sure you get dinner reservations ahead of time. We tried one restaurant during intermission, but they weren’t accepting any walk-ins or reservations until nine pm, and our show was scheduled to end at five-fifteen. We decided to try our luck with some other places nearby.
Did I mention that is was cold? Walking around the downtown area being told that a party of four (if we split our group in two) would wait thirty to ninety minutes, and a group of seven started their wait at ninety minutes, was something less than my dream evening.
We settled for the Rock Bottom, which offered a thirty minute wait, and enjoyed some very tasty food there. It was cold inside the restaurant, too.
Anyway, except for the terrible and biting cold, we had a great time. We finished our evening by shopping in the Circle Center Mall for a few hours before heading home. I think we made it back shortly before midnight and went straight to bed.
Friday, December 5, 2008
There is a Better Weigh
They say that the average person gains 5 to 7 pounds over the holiday season, meaning from Thanksgiving through New Years Day. That’s quite a bit if you think about it. If you do not gain or lose anything throughout the rest of the year, then in ten years you will have gained 50 to 70 pounds, in 20 years 100 to 140 pounds. Yikes!
Fortunately there is help available. Our local YMCA has a program they call ‘Better Weigh’, which is a five week program they run periodically during the year. The current rendition started on December 1 and runs to January 5 I think. The beauty of it is that it costs almost nothing to do.
How it works is you first go in and meet your trainer, who finds out where you are and helps you set goals. Then your trainer works with you to develop a routine to get to those goals. You then go in 2 or 3 times a week to workout. Pretty simple really.
So, yesterday evening I go in to meet Randy. We spent some quality time with the Nautilus equipment, free weights, and treadmill. That was great, it burned a little bit, but that’s how you know you’re actually getting something out of it. This was all well and good, but then he had me lie on a bench to do some leg lifts.
I work at the courthouse, which is three stories, and the Annex building across the street is also three stories high. The stairs are much faster than the elevator, so I take the stairs almost exclusively. The only time I don’t is if I have a cartload of computer equipment to move. I don’t just walk the stairs, I run up them taking them two at a time, and I do this several times per day. I thought my legs were the strongest part of my body. Ha!
I can’t even lift my own legs up 12 times in a row. I could only do one of the lifts 6 times and the other a mere four times. Randy said that I shouldn’t let this discourage me and I won’t, but it definitely looks like I have my work cut out for me.
They are awarding prizes at the end of this program, some for the biggest weight loss, and some for those people who maintain their weight over the five weeks. My personal goal is to lose 5 to 7 pounds. I figure if I can reach this goal, then that is prize enough for me.
Fortunately there is help available. Our local YMCA has a program they call ‘Better Weigh’, which is a five week program they run periodically during the year. The current rendition started on December 1 and runs to January 5 I think. The beauty of it is that it costs almost nothing to do.
How it works is you first go in and meet your trainer, who finds out where you are and helps you set goals. Then your trainer works with you to develop a routine to get to those goals. You then go in 2 or 3 times a week to workout. Pretty simple really.
So, yesterday evening I go in to meet Randy. We spent some quality time with the Nautilus equipment, free weights, and treadmill. That was great, it burned a little bit, but that’s how you know you’re actually getting something out of it. This was all well and good, but then he had me lie on a bench to do some leg lifts.
I work at the courthouse, which is three stories, and the Annex building across the street is also three stories high. The stairs are much faster than the elevator, so I take the stairs almost exclusively. The only time I don’t is if I have a cartload of computer equipment to move. I don’t just walk the stairs, I run up them taking them two at a time, and I do this several times per day. I thought my legs were the strongest part of my body. Ha!
I can’t even lift my own legs up 12 times in a row. I could only do one of the lifts 6 times and the other a mere four times. Randy said that I shouldn’t let this discourage me and I won’t, but it definitely looks like I have my work cut out for me.
They are awarding prizes at the end of this program, some for the biggest weight loss, and some for those people who maintain their weight over the five weeks. My personal goal is to lose 5 to 7 pounds. I figure if I can reach this goal, then that is prize enough for me.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Politics
Ok, so maybe I went brain dead for a while. During the 2008 Presidential race I was actively supporting Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate, but I didn't once write a blog about it!
Hello John, what were you thinking?!
I spoke to people all over Miami County, and in other Indiana counties encouraging people to not waste their vote on the lesser of two evils. This blog would have been a great way for me to spread the word around. Well, live and learn I guess.
But maybe I can make up for it a little now. Here's the deal...
If there is anyone out there who has given up on the Republican's ability to lead our country, listen up. If you think the Democrats are not qualified to rule our nation, pay attention. There is another way!
The United States is NOT a two-party system, contrary to what the press would lead us to believe. There are dozens of other parties out there. The largest and best informed of these are the Libertarians.
So if you are ready for change, real change, then I have some tough news for you. You are gonna have to get off your butt and do something about it!
I am looking for persons in Miami County, Indiana and the surrounding area who are ready to do something. There isn't a lot of time before the next election, but there is a lot of groundwork to get done.
If you are interested in joining a group of patriots who want to bring real change over the next several elections, contact me. If you are not from my area I will try to put you in touch with someone near you.
Any existing Libertarians from Miami County and nearby, please contact me. I would like to set up a meeting so that we can get organized here as we currently do not have a local Libertarian party.
Hello John, what were you thinking?!
I spoke to people all over Miami County, and in other Indiana counties encouraging people to not waste their vote on the lesser of two evils. This blog would have been a great way for me to spread the word around. Well, live and learn I guess.
But maybe I can make up for it a little now. Here's the deal...
If there is anyone out there who has given up on the Republican's ability to lead our country, listen up. If you think the Democrats are not qualified to rule our nation, pay attention. There is another way!
The United States is NOT a two-party system, contrary to what the press would lead us to believe. There are dozens of other parties out there. The largest and best informed of these are the Libertarians.
So if you are ready for change, real change, then I have some tough news for you. You are gonna have to get off your butt and do something about it!
I am looking for persons in Miami County, Indiana and the surrounding area who are ready to do something. There isn't a lot of time before the next election, but there is a lot of groundwork to get done.
If you are interested in joining a group of patriots who want to bring real change over the next several elections, contact me. If you are not from my area I will try to put you in touch with someone near you.
Any existing Libertarians from Miami County and nearby, please contact me. I would like to set up a meeting so that we can get organized here as we currently do not have a local Libertarian party.
I'm Back
As you can see from the dates on my previous blogs, it has been a while since I've written anything, but rest assured Big John is back on his soap box and ready to get revved up once again!
It's funny, really, how quickly time can slip past. It doesn't seem like I've been away more than a couple of weeks, but it's been over 5 months! Wow! My last entry was June 26.
Well, I will do better from here on out my friends.
Later!
It's funny, really, how quickly time can slip past. It doesn't seem like I've been away more than a couple of weeks, but it's been over 5 months! Wow! My last entry was June 26.
Well, I will do better from here on out my friends.
Later!
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