BOO!

Happy Halloween to all of you! Jessica and I will be handing out candy to the seemingly 2 million kids in our neighborhood. I am thinking about getting something nice for the nieces and a few neighbor kids. I finally get a night off from helping on the deck. It is almost done folks. There will be a party when it is. I think that we will have the nicest deck in the 'hood when it is all done. Have a good week and a great weekend.

Pheasants and Shooter

Well, I got to go out pheasant hunting yesterday for the first time in a few years. I went with my friend Sam and his dog Morgan. We hunted state property and did not see much. We had a good time walking the fields anyway. Also, Shooter Jennings (pictured) is playing again tonight at the Cabooze. We will be there for the third time in as many years. It is a great time nd we usually run into old friends. Shooter has a new album out titled "The Wolf" and it is really awesome. I suggest you pick it up and have a listen. If you like non traditional, outlaw style country, you will like his new CD. Have a good weekend.

Hello Cello

In case you haven't seen Hank in a while, here he is with Jessica. My cute little niece Brooklyn likes to say "Hello Cello" quite frequently, so I used it as a title. Anyway, this week has been a bit strange. Jessica got to meet and talk to my Dad's Mother who was in town for the funeral of my uncle. She brought along a few other West Virginia hillbillies and we all had a few laughs. The funeral was very very sad. I have not seen so much sadness nor have I experienced it. Anyway, life has now returned to normal. Jessica and I may be going out with Joe and Michelle for dinner tonight, that will be fun (maybe Cub, Amber, Mike, and Liz will join). AND I think we may actually get my deck done finally! So, look for a deck party coming up in the near future as long as it will stop freaking raining. This state has been Seattle for a few months. Record rainfalls here has been depressing but we will get a break tomorrow. Have a good weekend.

This is just a Tribute

Last night my brother called me and told me that he had just gotten off the phone with our Dad. He told me that my Uncle Brent had just died. Uncle Brent was at dinner with some buddies at a restaurant and went to his truck to go home. Someone found him slumped over the steering wheel and called an ambulance. He made it to United hospital and passed away. I have fun memories of Uncle Brent. He was hilarious, and fun to be around. He was always cracking jokes. His wife, my Aunt Terry, relied on him due to her M.S. He has one daughter who seems to be really stepping up to help her Mom. I wanted to post this as a tribute to Uncle Brent. May he rest in peace.

Jury Duty...

Carver County has moved into a new century and in doing so they have researchers that select potential jurors for civil and criminal trials. Having said that, I was called into be a juror and was ultimately selected to sit on a 12 member jury for a criminal trial early this week. With work as hectic as it is right now, I had a bit of pressure to get in and get out but in thinking about it I decided it would be best to forget about work and do my civic duty. The case was a bit silly in that the state was charging a man with "Terroristic Threats" against his on again/off again girlfriend. The two of them have both served time in Hennepin County for various domestic issues. With that being said, we had the girlfriend and the arresting officers take the stand to testify. It was pretty interesting to be a part of the process and watch and listen to the whole story knowing it would soon by our turn to determine the fate of someone. The trial took until about 2:30 pm (with an hour lunch) and then it was handed over to the jury. The evidence was weak and the state's case was just as weak. We all determined the defendant not guilty knowing, however, that he would be back in the court system sooner or later. He was guilty of being an idiot, damn guilty actually. ANYWAY, the Vikings have a bye week to try and get their shat together. They sure have their work cut out for them. I have a low key weekend finally and I am looking forward to relaxing a little. Have a great weekend!