Three Day Weekend

Hello, welcome the Bear Cave. Friday after work before the long break is the best. You have nothing but all of your weekend ahead of you. Saturday is not bad by any means, but you have a feeling that you would be half way through if it was not for the extra day off. Sunday morning is allocated to church and getting lesson plans ready for the next week. Monday is the last day of break. It is enjoyed, but you feel like it is the last day of summer vacation. I don't want to do anything on Monday except enjoy it. After all, it is my birthday. Next year I will be 40. I know the readers of this bog have already passed that mile marker awhile ago. My friends are old bastatrds. :) Stay thirsty my firends! Yes, I stole that from DOS XXs. I like the sound of it. I also really like Captain Morgan's catch phrase, "Live, Love, and Loot."

Developments

I just heard back from the radiologist a few minutes ago. It appears that my x-rays are negative. She said that they look normal. Whew! I am glad that I don't have any spots or tumors. It goes through my mind every now and again. As a kid, I remember climbing up on the asbestoes wrapped pipes at my old church playing hid and seek or some goofey game like that. I would guess that I would have disturbed a lot of fibers doing that and I was not holding my breath as I played. We all spent time in the asbestoes filled Waterloo Community Schools growing up. I am not sure if anyone else had a bedroom inthe basement other than Gibbons and myself, but radon was sure present. Every home in Iowa has some levels unless you have it mitigated. With those variables against you I have wondered if mesotheleoma would pop up 30-40 years from the exposures. Still can, but as for now, I am clear. It is just good to know that.

As for my cough, the doctor believes that I have induced asthma. The triggers could be anything from laughing too hard to cold air. I could get an inhailer, but it really doesn't impact my life. I just cough from time to time. I can live with that.

The pain in my upper chest is probably from a basketball injury that happened to me last late spring. I remeber getting a huge elbow being slammed into my upper chest. It must have torn a muscle or something. It doesn't affect my movements, but I think that my movements affect the healing of this muscle and I feel it from time to time.

In conclussion, The Old Bear is battered but strong. He takes his beating and keeps driving onward. He is not affraid of old age or broken parts. He is a warrior and will keep fighting until he has no fight left. Stay thirsty my friends!

Iowa State Cyclones

I am figuring out grades for the end of the second quarter while listening and watching the Cyclones play on the road at Texas A&M. These guys are really developing a chemistry. They are leading the Aggies by 23 points. If they hold off the Aggies they will be 12-3. They just started the Big 12 schedule a couple days ago with a victory over Texas. Last year they were 15 and 15 under Fred's first year as head coach. Texas A&M were picked with Kansas to finish first in the Big 12. I wish you guys were still Cyclone fans so that I would have someone who shares my excitement. Go Iowa State!

New Year = Year of the Elevendusky + 1

This new year has a lot of promise. I have a new Samsung sport video camera that I plan on making a lot of short films with. Can't wait to get it under water to see what that will look like. Emily is going to be entering her final year of high school this fall, will get her driving license, and be a supervisior on a detasseling crew. Jonah will be starting 4th grade in the fall, working on being the best viedo gamer ever, and possible taking golf or karate classes.

Sarah will be striving to finish her grad paper and I will be looking to play more basketball. This is just a small part of 2012. I can't even begin to think about the stuff that will unfold throught this year. I hope you have the best year of your lives my friends!

New Look

I am getting new glasses in a week or so. They have to send them somewhere to get made. I picked out new frames too. I had the same pair of glasses for over 10 years and it is time to bust out a new look. I went to the eye doctor yesterday and my eye health is superior. My new glasses cost me half a G. I am also getting new lenses for my sunglasses as well.

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a great 2010. I had a good year and look forward to 2011. One of the highlights of 2010 is our family vacation to Wisconsin Dells. We have never been there before and we all had a blast. Visiting Duluth, Minnesota was another experience that has been long coming. It has been over ten years since I been there last and I loved reconnecting with Lake Superior and the old town of Duluth.

I am currently on Christmas Break. Sarah and I have two weeks off again this year to spend with family and to enjoy the days chilling out. Yesterday I found out that my Montero Sport is terminal. It could go for months or years yet, but the engine is suffering from high milage. In my opinion the Montero should be able to go a lot further, but enginerring and materials have shortened its lifespan. Sarah and I both need new rides, but we can't afford to get two new cars at once. Decisions will have to be made.

Anyway, 2011 will be the year of the ELEVENdusky! Peace out Amigos!

Giddy Up - Video #2

Wisconsin Dells has a lot to offer. If you are scared away by commercialism or tourist traps then stay away. We like campy and tourist things, so we found it to be a hoot. I mean, for us, we went there knowing that it is that way. We didn't go looking for solitude or natural beauty. You have to go to places like this with the right mindset.

We decided to try our hand at horseback riding. Our family has never done that together before. It was an hour long trail ride that had a few campy scenes that we rode through. There was a ghost town, a man talking from an open door outhouse. To tell you the truth, I don't know what he was saying, all I could hear was him farting and mumbling about chili.

The horses walked the entire route. That was great for us. Jonah was a little scared to ride the horses. Things that are totally new to him can get him nervous. Doesn't sound like anyone you know right? Jonah rode with a teenage girl who leads trail rides because I was too big in the saddle to fit him on with me. They seem to rotate horses and seem to take good care of the horses, but they are not the best at marketing their business.

They have a website, www.canyoncreekridingstable.com , but when I called about if we needed to bring boots and jeans they never returned the call. Also, when we bought our tickets, a mom was asking to speak to the manager about a goat that head butted her kid. the petting zoo at the end leaves nothing to be desired.