Conspiracy theories, drug trafficking and terrorists.


What do these all ave in common with D. B. Cooper? Not much. I was watching a movie last night and they talked of the character D. B. Cooper and it sent me to the computer to learn a bit more about him. There really isn't much after he jumps from the plane except a few claims to have found his body, a parachute and a placard from the plane that fell when he jumped.
It was a short but interesting read and I learned that because of D. B. Cooper and several failed attempts to imitate his jump Boeing created the Cooper which prevent the stairs from being deployed after the plane has taken flight. I also found out that he was Dan Cooper and D. B. Cooper came from another man who was brought in solely on his initials. He was cleared but I guess the name stuck.

So you are probably wondering about the headline and what they all have to do with D.B.?
While researching the jumper I found a site that talks about information on the 9/11 hijackers. It is an eye brow raising read and it makes you wonder. I understand that sites can be biased but it was a good read non the less.

1
2
3
4

Double Shot...
I had to post twice this morning due to some "cool" facts, I will blame it and all typing errors on the double shot of espresso!


• We've now had at least an inch of snow on the ground in Lincoln for 75 days, the second-longest duration, topped only by 92 days in 1975.
• Our half-inch of snow on Friday gave us a season total of 39.3 inches of snow. That puts us in 16th place among Lincoln's snowiest winters.
• We haven't seen 50 degrees since Dec. 1; we've seen 40 on four days since Dec. 1.... See More
Enough already?

It gets worse.

There's a winter storm watch for Sunday morning through Monday morning.

The National Weather Service says a winter storm system is expected to develop over the southern Rockies on Saturday and move onto the Plains Saturday night.

Forecasters say most places in the storm watch area, including all of Southeast Nebraska, are expected to receive between 3 and 5 inches of new snow, but the potential exists for more than 6 inches in some locations.

The combination of snow and gusty north to northwest winds could cause travel problems.

Much of the rest of the state also could get 3 to 5 inches of snow.

Friday's storm brought the most snow to far southeast and west-central Nebraska. The weather service said several areas in Keith, Garden and Lincoln counties reported receiving 5 inches or more, with an unofficial total of 6.5 inches near the Sutherland Reservoir west of North Platte.

In Southeast Nebraska, Nebraska City reported 4 inches, Auburn 3.4, Tecumseh 3, and Crete 1.7.

So we are headed into another forecast of a snowy weekend and I am watching the state warnings and thankful that I am not driving anywhere! Seems of late that all we are seeing is one day of thaw and then several days of snow and it makes it hard to believe that soon there might be some green poking through the twice frozen poop soup in my back yard.

I was going through my pictures again trying to consolidate some of them and make them easier to manage (this has been a goal since I began taking pictures but I have never really accomplished it. Recently though I have managed to get them on one external hard drive now I just need to clean them up further.)

When I came upon this picture I first saw Hunter out numbered, gripping for his life, being drug to some unknown torture by his girl cousins. I remember the day this was taken and it was a good day. I know that despite the deceptive looks on the kid's faces they are all really enjoying them selves, even Hunter!
After staring at this picture I was reminded of a conversation I had a few days ago about the grand kids returning to the pit and how neat it would be. Then the full reality hit me.
This pit was built for our family but did any really know the impact this place would have on our family? A place was created that our kids and their kids could call home and always have something in common and something to come home to no matter how far they roam. This last year we saw the oldest bear cub leave home and we face the girlie Buffie leaving home soon as well and we are faced with them growing up despite our best efforts . We will start to see them dating guys we don't like and maybe a few we do, we will see their hearts break and spirits fly and we will watch them create families of their own. All I can hope for is that they to will bring their families back to the pit and they will have pictures like this to share.

*The girls in this picture are now much taller and much more grown up and the boy, well he still screams when his girl cousins gang up on him but even he has gotten a bit taller!
Here is a toast to many more memorable memories with this family that is growing even as you read this!

Heath 8 days/ Shane 22 days

When we asked Stan and Terry for pictures of Heath as a baby to compare to Shane we KNEW Shane looked like Heath but were shocked when we looked through the photos and saw Shane starring back at us! After putting these two photos together I went on a search for some old pictures I have of Hunter because I know if I were to throw him in the mix he would add to the confusion! Now like I said we knew he was half Heath and half me but there is something to be said about seeing that much of a resemblance and likeness.
There are a few differences that I could see from this photo but then it could be the lighting. Looks like Heath might have been a bigger baby with darker hair and looks as though his eyes were dark in this picture. Terry was he born with brown eyes? Heather was born with brown eyes and they always stayed that pretty brown. Hunter was also born with blue but changed to green so Shane has blue so far so I am hoping they stay that way so I will have one brown, blue and green eye kids! Anyways it was a bit of fun and proves that Harrington genetics are running strong!

Spring & Renewal

I am a big fan of Febreeze and when they came out with their air effects I was even happier. I like buying my scents according the holidays for example for Christmas we used ginger bread and fresh baked cookies smell sprays. Now that we have spring cleaned and the house is spotless I figures why not use the new spring collection.
I bought linen & sky and spring & renewal. They both smell amazing and fresh without being over powering like the air fresheners of days past that choked you out of the room recently sprayed.
As I sat this morning reading the back of the spray can (I won't mention where ;)) I started to think about the smells they have canned. The first smell linen & sky I could see them being able to bottle the sky but how do bottle renewal?
I went to the ingredients to see what the mixture was for renewal finding odor eliminator, water, fragrance, non-flammable natural propellant, quality control ingredients, no CFC's and no phosphates.
So that is chemical make up of renewal.
On to other, more important news.
I80 claimed several Nebraskan's lives over the last few days and many accidents including a 35 car pile up outside of Lincoln and a 14 car pile up near the Homestead National Monument on HWY 4 were the resilt of blowing snow and winds. Drivers not driving for the winter road conditions are also contributing factors and that low visibility and black ice have sent cars into the ditches and onto their tops. Unfortunately for a few Nebraskan's the roads conditions claimed their lives which prompted state officials to close I80. The cold temps in Lincoln are staying right about the low twenties during the days and dropping even lower at night but with the wind it feels like below zero.
Question?
How do you repair hundred year old sheet rock?
Well first you have to go online and figure out what kind of material was used. About the time our house was built (we were told the house was built in 1915) there were several types of ways to cover the walls and after working this summer with sheet rock I am glad times have changed! After reading few articles I found one I think properly describes my house so I am guessing I have lime plaster placed on wood lath. This is makes since below the windows that had air conditioners in them have water damage and after close examination the only thing keeping the plaster together anymore is the thin piece of wall paper. Lime does not handle water well. We learned another interesting thing while looking into the wall, we have no insulation! It is just an open space between the outside wall and the inside wall and when a chunk of the plaster fell we realized why our room is so cold on windy days!
I am thinking of just getting some mud and slapping it on the hole as this is not my house and I am afraid to put too much money into it and if we start to repair this then we would have to start a project I am not sure we should. As a side note the water damage was not from us. They used to keep the air conditioners in the window year round and during the winter with ice and snow its not a good idea. This winter we took them out!
Well it is time to wake the kids up and ready for school.
Question of the day.
Will Lincoln Nebraska still be colder than Alaska?

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

I could go into the history of Valentine's Day but who hasn't heard that story over and over. No, today I thought it would be interesting to look at some weird facts of Valentine's Day!

Call Me Nob"Al"


Al Gore Pictures

As our country breaks record for the most states covered with snow in one single day (the only state left out was Hawaii), I am wondering where in the world is the melt down happening because I need a vacation!

On other news I got to thinking about my post yesterday and I thought of a few good points that I am even guilty of. When I talk about music I have my favorite female performer and my favorite male performer, even our awards ceremony breaks the two genders into separate categories. I know that when I do this I do not mean to say that a women or man cannot fairly compete against the opposite gender so there for they have to be separate, but I love seeing my favorite female singers Lita Ford, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett and P!nk just to name a few!). I have always liked the fact they are women and they can rock better than most men (or could anyways ;))
I have come to the realization that we are not yet at the point in our country or world for that matter where a person's gender or race will not be considered when speaking of what they have done or will do. Its a nice goal though!

The home front has been chugging along. The report cards have been brought home and both kids are doing really well. A few improvements over last report card. Heather Really buckled down and brought her math up and I am so proud of her she fought that battle on her own! Hunter has also turned round his reading and now he out reads his older sister! He finishes a book quicker than he can get a new one so we are always on a look out for good books. He has been reading The Diary Of A Whimpy Kid and he likes it so much he has read it more than a few times! I am ordering some older books about horses and cats for Heather so we can bump up her reading again as this is the first time in forever her grade was lower than her brother's in that area. Both kids are having the twins from across the alley (Sid and Meg) and they are going to have a Valentine's party tonight! It is kind of neat having the kids friends with twins as they all do stuff together!
Both kids got bed sets for their rooms and they look so cute! Heather moved in with Shane and now she has her room covered in posters and "girly" stuff, and now poor Shane gets to wake up to several posters of Edward Cullen! Hunter has taken over his room and now can properly display his 50+ Transformers ( I know this because he told a BUNCH yesterday)!
Both kids have been put a chore chart and now get an allowance once a week and so far it is going good. I think it really helps them see what they have to accomplish and since they can go see what they can do they can do it around their schedule. Heather is like me where she likes to do her chores in the morning Hunter on the other hand is a night owl and prefers to do his in the afternoon.
Shane has been eating cereal and fruits we started him out on prunes, squash and peas then we mix cereal into his food and he gobbles it up. We started noticing that he cried when we ate and he would want to eat to so we started to feed him as well and I have come to the realization he is a hungry boy so he eats real food three times a day. We use the Bumbo chair I mentioned earlier and what a great little invention! I just set on the floor since it is wide and has a low center of gravity and he enjoys being able to look around!
He now plays with his toys and everything goes in his mouth it is kind of neat seeing him start to really interact with us and the kids. He LOVES to stare at the kids especially if they are making lots of noise and they love watching him grow. At first he was kind of fun but he cried but now he smiles and plays with them and talks to them so no he is much more fun.
Well I am having coffee this morning with the older neighborhood ladies and my Grandma so I am off to jump in the shower and get Shane dressed.
Everyone in blog land have a great day!

Too much coffee and Facebook

I am finding that I am enjoying my early mornings and there has to be something said about having the entire house to myself, even the cat does not bother me! My routine has been dishes, mocha and then computer time till the kids get up.
While doing my dishes I started thinking about a question that Glenn Beck recently asked Sarah Palin. "Do you think we as a nation are still racists?"
I would like to broaden that question a bit more.
"Do you think we as a nation are still prejudice?

I would like to feel in my heart that we are not a racist or prejudice society but I know we are still influenced by race and gender.
Let me first say that yes we have gotten better and when I say racist I do not mean the rebel flag carrying group in sheets, I mean it as whole nation. When I say racists please know I mean anyone who mentions race as an important part of one's accomplishments. Same can be said for anyone who makes a point of or brings importance to a person's gender in relevance to their achievements.
In 1848, 68 women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments which would be the official start to the Woman's Rights Movement.
"Woman's suffrage is the right for women to vote, and historically includes the economical and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage to women, on an equal basis to those men and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, taxes paid or marital status."
This is the Wikipedia definition of Women's suffrage. One section I feel is plained down and overall communicates the true definition "...aimed at extending suffrage to women on an equal basis with those men..."
What I take that to mean is that we will be equal as men and women, one is not greater than the other. Any women who wants to honestly see an equal nation believes in this line and they are called a feminist on the other hand the extreme feminist can be labeled fairly a feminazi. Do I think I am a feminist? I would say yes. I believe that we are equal and while physically I can not do all the things a man can do I know there are things I can do that a man can not. I also believe in a properly functioning family unit is where you will really see the best example of equality. It is no longer a "woman's job" or a "man's chore" but a family's responsibility. You will often find these days both parents are work it is not left to one or the other at home.
While we have worked towards making our country less gender biased I feel we have gone to the other extreme. Now we see women getting special privileges in the workforce and the home to the point of almost discriminating against men. I know this sounds weird but think about it. How many changes have you seen over just the last ten years leaning more towards women than men?
I am just wondering how far women will take it?
Will men soon have to go to the streets to rally for their rights?

Now women please do not get me wrong I do believe in women being strong and standing for our rights but I feel if we recognize gender, or race for that matter when it comes to jobs, the home and the government we are following the same ol biased path and it will lead us no where.
Stan posted "behind every successful man you will find a women" and I want to take that a little further in saying that also behind every successful women you will find a man.
This does not mean that a women must have a man to be successful but I truly believe that the values we teach our children help shape who they are going to be and who has more influence on a little girl than her daddy? The point is after all this rambling is that in this enlightened day and age we should no longer be making comments that point out one's gender or race because doing so would be like pointing out they have five toes. It is not important and who cares! Lets talk about the accomplishments made in History not whether they were made by a man or a women or black or white. Let's learn from such History the importance of equality and forgiveness.

Captain Phil

May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind ever be at your back,
May you find old friends waiting to greet you, there on the outside track
We're gathered together old times to remember, 'tis but for ourselves we would grieve,
So we'll sing you a chorus and bid you farewell - fair winds and a following sea.

We'll sing of 'The Leaf' and 'The Parting Glass', we'll raise up our voices in song,
No sadness today for the one who has passed, celebrate with a voice glad and strong.
A catch in the throat, a tear in the eye, but no funeral dirge will this be,
We'll roar 'Auld Lang Syne' as a victory song - fair winds and a following sea.

And those of us left here will miss a true friend, who shared with us good times and bad,
Raising a glass to your memory we'll say: “We've known you – why should be we sad?”
We honour a life that was lived to the full, we honour a spirit, now free.
You'll long be remembered, whenever we say: “Fair winds and a following sea!”
You'll long be remembered, whenever we say: “Fair winds and a following sea!”

Tom Lewis ^©2006

Found these gems while going through my photos. The video brought many smiles to my kid's face and hopefully yours too! *By the way I had the new up loader installed and it seems like everyone was having issues with it so the solution was to return to my old editor to upload videos?

Can not figure out how to get movies uploaded here without using you tube...I used to be able to do that???

Our Cat

I can still remember the night as we drove in our over packed rental car through a state we had never been, the feeling of adventure with an undertone a fear.  This was our first time away from home and each mile that we drove east put us even further from our family.  

As we drove through Montana the day had been a beautiful winter wonderland full with moderate temps and rock walls jutting out of the mountain side.  As we continued to drive the temps dropped with the sun and we headed into the night having to stop every once in a while to take potty breaks and smoke since the rental car was non smoking.  At one stop I went in to go potty and when I came out Heath had the door open and the car running urging me to get in the car.  Over the rumble of the sleeping semis I heard a faint meowing.  There she was crouching down hiding in the shadows of the dark pavement.  A skinny Siamese.  We loaded her up in our already packed car and headed on our way.  I know now that my husband heard the cries from the cat and knew I would too and knew what I would do, which is why I was met with a open door.  I do not hold this against him as he has always had to have his guard up against me bringing home strays especially when we are in a rental car headed to the unknown with only the totes on the roof to our name.  This cat must have known what I would do as well because she asked the right person that night.  I will never forget the way she attacked her first can of food or how skinny she was, I honestly believe she would not have made it much longer as she had no claws and the temps were very low.  

Montana

Monty

Montavious

Since then she has recovered is now a fat cat that has unfortunately never quite lost the fear of being outdoors.  She had for awhile taken to hiding behind chairs but of late has taken to sitting on the arm of Heath's chair, I think she is saving it for Stan.  She has begun to trust us after only a few short years and now roams the house as if it is her.  Christmas really seemed to bring back the kitten in her and since then she has been more frisky!

Here is to our od luck charm Monty!

You may all meet her this summer as I think she got a little attached to Stan and while Mama cat and her would not get along they would eventually learn to stay in certain parts of te home say an office?