A Very Marty Christmas…

Marty's claws won't allow "Satan's Claws" to ruin Christmas...

Here’s a video of Marty playing with the gift Jill bought for him.  Its like giving a five year-old a drum set.  Thanks, dear.  Just kidding…

Does This Have Anything to Do with my Hearing Problem?

As many of you know, I do have a slight hearing problem in my left ear.  While Jill has been very accomadating and understanding about this, sometimes it does drive her nuts when I am constantly asking her to repeat things.  She is also insisting that it is getting worse.  Yet, as I read the articled linked below, I am beginning to think that perhaps my worsening hearing is Jill’s fault!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1092849/Kiss-deaf-Chinese-girl-loses-hearing-boyfriends-kiss-ruptures-eardrum.html

Odds and Ends…

Jill and I had a pretty productive day today. 

We both got up very early this morning (5:30am – on a SATURDAY…).  I attempted to drive down to Rockford for my usual men’s book study/prayer/discussion/debate/sports talk breakfast.  Unfortunately, the city of Beloit did not see fit to plow the roads at all by 6:30am.  Perhaps I should run for city council after all…

So, that didn’t work out.  Instead, we wound up heading to the Janesville Mall for some Christmas shopping with Jean and Ted.  How many Christmas gifts did we buy?  I think one.  Oh well.  I think we recieved more gifts than bought.  Ted and Jean were very kind to give us an early gift – a much needed coat rack (picture coming soon…).  

While at the mall, we both got new cell phones – another much needed items.  These phones are cool.  Now I just need a mini SD memory card so I can start listening to music on the phone.  Remember the days when phones were just phones?  Ya, those days are long gone.  Some day we’ll be telling our grandchildren that way back when we were kids, phones were only used for making and receiving calls – they had cords and no keyboards!

From there we were off to Rockford.  Our new church, Morning Star Baptist Church, was having a book sale.  I could not resist.  What made this sale especially enticing was that they were selling the new ESV study Bible for only $20!  The deal was, they only had two.   One would be sold at 10am and the other at 2pm.  Jill and I were there at 1:30.  Yes, I waited.  Of course, there really was no need – no one else was there for it.  But, I got it.  And that makes me very happy.  This was Jill’s early Christmas gift to me. 

We ate lunch at one of my favorite 5 star restaurants – Denny’s.  A man was gracious enough to hand me a buy-one-get-one free coupon while we ate.  That can in handy.  Also during our lunch we received a phone call (on the new phone) from the birthday girl – Elise, who turned 6 today.  She was all excited about her tea party.  But, I was not allowed to come, she explained.  After all, we lived too far away and boys don’t like tea parties – except if they are grandfathers.  Go figure.

By the time we got home I was ready for another Understanding Our Times broadcast.  Today’s program featured my rants about Obama’s birth certificate, Hillary’s selection for Secretary of State, and the auto-makers bailout.  I actually had a decent number of live listeners.  You can listen or download the program here.

And that pretty much brings us to this very moment as I started writing the blog piece.  I’m not sure why I wrote this – just my rambling thoughts.

Oh, by the way, pictures from our Thanksgiving trip photos can be found here.

Now, I am done.

Massachusetts Thanksgiving Trip – Day 3

Well, the eagle has landed and Jill and I are safely back in Wisconsin.  Marty is alive, the apartment is still standing, and God is still on His throne – all is well.  But, what a buisy day it was!

Our day began at 4am, getting up and waiting in the huge line of people waiting to get into Best Buy to purchase plasma tv’s and laptop computers.  I wonder if all these people realized we are in the worst economic times since the Great Depression.  It is amazing how bad things can get, and I don’t argue that the economy is bad, and yet still we feel the need to do gout and spend, spend, spend.  Just how materialistic  can Americans get?  But then again, what was I doing in line then?  (For the record, I didn’t buy anything – there…)

We had one more family breakfast with my parents and then off to the bus terminal.  Then it was planes, trains and automobiles all over again.  We took the bus to Logan airport in Boston.  As we got off the bus we stepped out into a ghost town.  We had never seen Logan so empty!  Apparently, people are too busy shopping to be flying. 

While in the airport, I thought it was interesting that Christmas music was playing throughout the terminal.  I heard “Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing” – a Christmas hymn with a clear gospel message played for all to hear.  How incredible.  But of course, then we heard a Christmas rap song about visiting the manger to come see the Stranger…

Our first flight was pretty comfortable.  The flight was not packed so we had the luxury of not having to be smushed and crammed.  We had the whole row to ourselves.  Plenty of room! 

We had a 3 and a half hour lay over in Minnesota.  This was my first time in the state.  I have to say, I was impressed by the airport.  I was like a little mini-mall – kewl!  Jill was thrilled because of their Caribou Coffee.  I was happy to see the Fox News Channel shop. 

Our flight to Milwaukee was ok.  Nothing exciting – expcept traveling with the love of my life.

Upon our return to Wisconsin, we stopped by Ted and Jean’s (Jill parent’s) house to see the newly engaged Jared and Joy.  I’d like to tell you all about this – but I was feeling increadibly sick at the time.  I don’t really remember much about it.  So, if said or did anything embarrasing, I apologize! 

Well, thats really the trip.  Perhaps tomorrow we’ll post a few pictures.

Massachusetts Thanksgiving Trip – Day Two

Day two of our big trip went well.  I don’t think I forgot too many things today – either that or I simply have not remembered what I forgot today. 

Ok, apparently, I did get into a little bit of trouble making an innocent remark about Jared being able to handle marrying a “Caucutt woman.”  What did I mean by that comment?  I’ve become too smart to begin to answer that question.

The highlight of the day for me was not the huge Thanksgiving dinner we devoured, but our trip to Plymouth.  Yes, Jill and I both feel historically enriched having visited the very spot the Pilgrims landed on while celebrated the spirit of thanksgiving they inspired.  We did see Plymouth Rock (which had been under construction for some time).  However, we made it a particular point to visit the Founders Monument.  I had never seen this monument before, as it is a little bit away from the main attractions Plymouth has to offer.  It was well worth the visit.

Jill told me to upload some pictures as well, but I don’t feel like doing that at the moment.  Apparently, I have caught some sort of cold, so I have not been feeling too engergetic.  But, rest assured, I will do some uploading upon our return to Wisconsin tomorrow (or most likely on Saturday). 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Massachusetts Thanksgiving Trip – Day One

Well, yesterday was quite the interesting day.  It all began at 2:00am – never a good way to start off the day…  I don’t think I was ever fully awake until we reached Boston.  Though I am happy to be back in my hometown, I can’t but think of those things I left behind in Wisconsin:

• A wonderful new Church (we didn’t get to go to the Thanksgiving service)…
• A great job (those kids do tend to grow on you)…
• Marty the Cat (I have constant images of the feline destroying the house)…
• My computer power cord…
• All those dvds I wanted to watch on the plane…
• My new C.J. Mahney book on worldliness (left in one of the airplanes we traveled on)…

Oh well, that’s what happens when you don’t make a list like my beautiful wife likes to remind me.  On the positive side, I am back here with my family.  Even better than that, I got the spend the whole day with the love of my life.  She even let me sit next to her on BOTH flights.  I guess she still tolerates me and my forgetfulness. 

Well, that’s a wrap of day one of our trip.  Have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Joy of Engagement

Jill and I would like to congratulate Jared and Joy (Jill’s sister for those who don’t know) on their recent engagement (today!).  Jared, welcome to the family – at last there is another male I can bond with!  Another male in the family who knows what it means to be married to a Caucutt woman.  Jared, perhaps we can compare notes and commiserate together?  Just Kidding!

In all seriousness, Jared and Joy – congrats.  Marrying Jill was by far the best thing I ever did.  Though married life is not easy, it is a thrill.  Finding the person God made for you is amazing.  Not only has God provided someone for you to spend the rest of your life getting to know, but through getting to know this person – you actually learn more about yourself (good and bad).

The Crazy Antics of Marty the Cat

For some reason, Marty simply cannot tolerate being left out of any room once the door is closed. Here is his attempt at getting in.

Our First Presidential Vote

 

This morning, Jill and I cast our first presidential votes as a married couple… I voted for McCain and Jill voted for a straight socialist ticket. Just kidding! But make sure to ask about her wardrobe malfunction while standing in line…

I Guess Sons-in-Law and Mothers-in-Laws Can Get Along Afterall…

Jeani is wearning a “Moms for McCain” hat and I am wearing a “McCain/Palin” hat.