May Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made in January, I have withdrawn $200 from my poker bankroll this month. YTD=+1,200. '06-YTD=+$3,100. '05-YTD=+$1,100. My next withdrawal of $200 from my winnings is due by June 30, 2007. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

Divine Redeemer Catholic School

We were all set to enroll our children into a school for the first time in their lives. We had our applications ready for Holy Trinity. Just as we were about to submit their applications we received news that after 40 years, the school would be closing due to low enrollment.

With great reservation we accepted the news and had to make another decision: public school, continue to home school, or find another Catholic school?

We had a meeting today with the principal, Jim Rigg of Divine Redeemer. We have to admit that we were even more impressed with this school than we were with our first choice. It is a little bit further away, but we have made the decision to enroll Alex and Marisa here because of the importance of a strong Catholic education to us. God works in mysterious ways.

[On a side note: the principal screened the kids to see if they would do all right at their prospective grade levels. Alex (age 8) was screened at a 12th grade reading level, YIKES!]

I Did It!

After shopping around for over 6 months, I finally bought my first flat panel television. I cannot believe that I have gone without one for so long. What a great picture! Even Lisa likes the difference (that's big news).

I bought the Philips 42" LCD HDTV. I had been looking at a Sony, but after seeing the picture and the price of the Philips, I used part of my lifetime poker winnings that I have been saving to purchase it. I probably saved $600 over the Sony and I just did not feel like the Sony was worth the extra cash.

I got it at Costco Online for around $1150, including tax, shipping, 2-year extended warranty, and Costco's liberal 90-day return policy. I just couldn't pass this one up. Hooray!

Here it is on Amazon.com (not available at Costco anymore).

Life is a Gift

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything. Including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind, too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears and later wrote a letter to her saying, "Just take good care of my eyes, dear."

This is how the human brain changes when our status changes. Only few remember what life was before and who's always been there, even in the most painful situations.

Today, before you think of saying an unkind word, think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food, think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife, think of someone who's crying out to God for a companion.

Today, before you complain about life, think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children, think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house because someone didn't clean or sweep, think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive, think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet, and, when you are tired and complain about your job, think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

But, before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another, remember that not one of us is without sin, and we all answer to one Maker.

And, when depressing thoughts seem to get you down, put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around.

Life is a gift. Live it, enjoy it, celebrate it, and fulfill it.

--author unknown

One Reason Why...

...we love our new home. THE VIEWS.

Sunrise on Pikes Peak

April Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made in January, I have withdrawn $200 of my goal of $200 from my poker bankroll this month. I am back on track after last months loss. YTD=+1000. '06-YTD=+$2,300. '05-YTD=+$800. My next withdrawal of $200 from my winnings is due by May 31, 2007. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

Idol Gives Back - To Abortion

Please think twice about voting after tonight's show.

from LifeSiteNews.com:

In a statement released to the media on March 9, 2007, Douglas R. Scott, Jr., president of Life Decisions International (LDI), expressed his disappointment over the decision by "American Idol" to include two pro-abortion groups among the charities that will benefit from its "Idol Gives Back" project.

On April 25, several celebrities will appear on the show to promote "Idol Gives Back." Americans were invited to call a toll-free number or go online to make a donation to CPEF, which will turn the money over to UNICEF, Save the Children, and several other groups.

"It is laudable that the people involved with 'American Idol' want to help the poor," Scott said. "But it is tragic that they would choose to do so through groups like UNICEF and Save the Children. These groups have far too much deadly baggage." Scott urged Americans who do not believe killing preborn human beings is an acceptable "solution" to poverty and other "adult-created problems" to contact the corporations that own "American Idol."

The most comprehensive list of UNICEF's anti-life moves is available on LifeSite here: War on Family

In the Campaign Life Coalition pamphlet featured on the site, author Winifride Prestwich wrote: "For years UNICEF spokesmen denied promoting contraception or abortion." In "UNICEF: Guilty As Charged" she said records prove that "step by step over a 30-year period UNICEF has tied itself to the population controllers and to the anti-life, anti-family attitudes of such organizations as the International Planned Parenthood Federation."

In 2001, Save the Children worked with pro-abortion groups Planned Parenthood, the Population Action Council and the pro-abortion National Audubon Society on its five-year "Planet Campaign." Funded by the rabidly pro-abortion/population control David and Lucile Packard and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations, the purpose of the campaign was to "raise awareness of the connections between international family planning and the health of children, women and the environment."

"Ask the corporate officials to take whatever steps are necessary to drop UNICEF and Save the Children from the list of charities that will be supported through the 'Idol Gives Back' project," Scott said. "Tell them you want to participate in this admirable effort but your deeply held beliefs do not allow you to do so. Pro-family people should not be left out. We want to help, too." Pro-family Americans are also urged to include a few personal lines explaining why they want corporate officials to drop UNICEF and Save the Children.

See complete story here.

Anyway

Martina McBride was the guest on American Idol last week. She sang her song, 'Anyway' on the show. It was an incredible performance. She probably was inspired to write the song from the poem entitled, Anyway, that is attributed to Mother Teresa. It was a fitting song choice for the remaining contestants on the show, but especially for the massacre at Virginia Tech two days earlier.

Happy Birthday Marisa!

Our miracle child, Marisa turns seven today. Happy Birthday little muffin.

90 More Days?

It seems that Hugh may have to spend another 3 months in Iraq. The Army needs the extra troops there. Please continue to pray for him and his family. And that he may return home safely (and soon).

My Seventh Royal Flush

I hit my seventh royal flush today on Vegas Poker 24/7. It was on a $1/2 Limit Hold 'Em six-player table. Unfortunately (once again), it did not pay off with a large pot. I was in the small blind with [Qs Js]. Three players see the flop of [As Ks 10s]. I flopped the royal! Another spade on the turn pretty much kills all of my action. I scoop a gigantic $8.75 pot.

6/22/05-My First Royal Flush
12/01/05-My Second Royal Flush
12/22/05-My Third Royal Flush
3/14/06-My Fourth Royal Flush
4/30/06-My Fifth Royal Flush
11/19/06-My Sixth Royal Flush

The Day They Kicked God Out of the Schools

I thought you would appreciate seeing this video, produced by the American Family Association.

Click Here to watch "The Day They Kicked God out of the Schools."

Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

My 6th 'Birth Day'

On April 14, 2001, I was baptised, confirmed, and received first communion in the Catholic Church. How many of you remember and acknowledge the date of your own baptism? It is probably as important of a date, if not more, as the date that you actually celebrate as your birthday.

Two Days After

Trust me, I am not altering the date stamps.
10:00AM:
9:00AM:
7:00AM:

The Day After

24 hours later, 60 degrees, snow gone, crazy:

A White Easter!

Photos of our backyard today:

Good Friday in Iraq

"Only two have offered to die for you...Jesus Christ and the American Soldier." --Hugh (from Defending Purple Mountain Majesties)

As a way to say thanks to Hugh and the many other military personnel currently serving in Iraq, just go to the web site sponsored by the Xerox Corporation, called Let's Say Thanks, where you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. It is FREE and it only takes a second. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?

Ren

A buddy of mine, Gary and his wife Hiromi, just had their first child. Ren was born March 28, at 9:28PM weighing in at 6 lbs 15 oz and measuring 20 inches long. Gary was a big fan of the Ren & Stimpy Show. So obviously, I assumed that their child was named after Ren Hoek, the chihuahua.


Gary clarified the name this way, "We wanted a name that was easy [to say] and not too foreign sounding in English, but that used only Japanese phonetics so that it would be easily pronounced by Hiromi's family. That narrowed the list of choices down quite a bit. We didn't want a typical Japanese name like "Takamasa" or "Katsunori" or "Tomoyuki". We wanted something that fit without sounding too foreign in both languages. We hit on Ren and liked the sound of it both from the English and Japanese perspective....In Japan, it isn't really common, but seems to be growing in use. Longer forms using the same base are definitely common like "Rentaro". The Kanji for Ren is that of a lotus flower."

Congratulations! And think about Stimpy for your next child.

Our Visit to Holy Trinity Catholic School

Lisa and I are thinking about what type of school Alex and Marisa will be involved with next school year. Should we continue to homeschool, send them to public school, or to a Catholic school? While living in southern California, the only option for us as a family was to homeschool. Our move to Colorado Springs has given us a lot more options because the public schools are so much better and the cost of living is drastically lower that we can look at a private school. This morning we visited Holy Trinity Catholic School.

We were able to spend a couple of hours touring the school. There are only about 160 students with an average of about 18 students per grade. We liked the fact that it was small, because we believe that it would be an easier transition for the kids. The local elementary school near us has around 700 students. Holy Trinity seemed to be a very nice community to belong because of its size. The principal gave us the tour and knew the names and activities of all of the students he met along the way. We really liked everything that we observed. Everyone was very welcoming to us and had no problems with us being there in their classrooms. Sending them to this school is definitely an option for us. Please pray for us as we continue our discernment process.

Birth Order of Children

I received this as an email attachment. It was too funny (because it's true), that I had to post it here.

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
_____________________________________________________
Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.
______________________________________________________
The Layette :
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
______________________________________________________
Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.
______________________________________________________
Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
______________________________________________________
Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
_______________________________________________________
Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
_______________________________________________________
Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
______________________________________________________
At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children .
______________________________________________________
Swallowing Coins:
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

--author unknown

March Poker Winnings (Losings)

This is the first time in over 2 years that I have had a losing month playing online poker. I attribute this to two facts: 1) I have not been able to play as much due to our recent move. 2) Because the U.S. government has been cracking down on the companies that help players move money to and from the different poker sites, the amount of players online has drastically been reduced, causing a higher concentration of better quality players left. I lost $34 this month. So I did not withdraw any money from my poker bankroll. YTD=+$800. '06-YTD=+$1,700. '05-YTD=+$500. My next withdrawal of $200 from my winnings is due by April 30, 2007. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

More Posts Coming Soon

Have been busy in our new surroundings. I have not forgotten the blog. Come back soon for new and exciting posts.

We Are House Owners!

We got the keys today to our first house! Finally. More blog posts to come after we get settled in.

Specialized Colorado License Plates

This is the Respect Life license plate that is available here in Colorado. It actually is a commemorative plate for the tragedy at Columbine High School on 4/20/1999. Surprisingly to me, this plate was approved by the legislature here even with the inherent 'Pro-Life' message. I see this plate more than any of the other specialized Colorado License Plates (over 100) that are available. This is the one that I will probably get (a one-time $25 fee), as I need to get rid of our California tags soon. I remember a few years ago, California tried to get a respect life plate passed. It was billed as a pro-adoption message. It failed miserably. The pro-abortion advocates really got involved with the defeat.



There is also a Knights of Columbus plate that you could get. I may join the Knights just so that I can get this plate.

Mass at the Mall

I have never seen or heard of anything quite like this before. There is a 'store' at Citadel Mall here called the Catholic Center at the Citadel. They celebrate eleven Masses per week here. At the mall! You can also receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation there whenever the mall is open. What a great concept. Not only is it a convenient way for Catholics to receive Sacraments during the busy work week, but it is also an effective way to evangelize to others.

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned...I just purchased a $4000 flat panel television here at the mall without letting my wife know about it first..." (for example, not me talking, really)

February Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made last month, I have withdrawn $200 of my goal of $200 from my poker bankroll this month, plus an additional $200. YTD=+800. '06-YTD=+$1,200. '05-YTD=+$100. I am going to continue to have the lower goal of $200 per month (as opposed to $500) until there are easier ways to deposit and withdraw money from the different poker sites. My next withdrawal of $200 from my winnings is due by March 31, 2007. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

Prayers For Bupa

My 95 year old grandfather is in the hospital due to an extremely low hemoglobin count. See my sister's blog for details: Family of Aloha II. Also, prayers for my parents who are humbly and compassionately taking care of his well being.

Another Road Bump

We were initially supposed to close the sale of our home on February 9. Still not closed yet. There may be a little light at the end of the tunnel as escrow has finally received the loan documents from the buyers' lenders yesterday. They were told that they would have them 2-3 days earlier. So according to the timetable given by escrow, we should finally close on Monday or Tuesday of next week and receive our funds on Wednesday. No guarantees.

We are currently scheduled to close on the purchase of our house on Wednesday, so we may have to ask for a day or two extension. Depending on how fast things can get done from here on out.

Customer Service?

Lisa has giving me permission to get a pool table for the basement of our house. I was checking out prices of pool tables on Overstock.com. (Before reading on, please know that I like this site, and will continue to shop here in the future.) They actually had a nice selection of tables and they were reasonably priced. I was a little bit confused about the dimensions of the pool table. All it said was 4' H x 8' L. I assumed that this meant the playing area of the table and not the actual dimensions. I wanted to be sure about this, because I would hate to receive it and it turned out to be the total table dimensions (which would be too small).

So I fired off an email to their customer service. I received a response fairly quickly that the representative didn't know the answer to my question, so they would be forwarding my message to a 'specialized representative'. Cool, I will be happy to wait for the correct response rather than a guess.

A little later, I received another email saying that they did not know the answer to my question, so they have forwarded my request to the actual warehouse where the pool tables are stored. I should expect a response in 1-2 days. Great, perhaps I will get an actual measurement. Wow, what great service!

Then I received a message from customer service saying, "Thanks for your interest in shopping with us. I am sorry for the confusion regarding what the dimensions are for the Solid Hardwood Pool Table with Free Installation. I personally know how frustrating this type of thing can be. After researching this information, I have found that the dimensions are 8 inch by 4 inches. I hope this information is useful to you."

OK, that is one small table! Even if they did mean 8 feet by 4 feet, it did not address my question. I give up, you win. I probably need to actually see and touch a pool table before purchasing. I'll look elsewhere. Thanks.

House Update

We were supposed to close the sale of our home in California on February 9th. We still have not closed. The buyers had to find another lender because their first lender (allegedly) had $12,000 in undisclosed fees. They walked out at the signing of the loan documents. They have another lender who plans on funding escrow tomorrow. So according to our realtor, we should receive our funds on Friday. Hopefully this happens without another roadbump.

We are scheduled to close the purchase of our house here in beautiful Colorado Springs on February 28th.