Hi everyone.  During the past three months, we have had so many new things going on and stuff to share but not the kind of news to share over a blog.  Here is the outline in chronological order:

Melissa is pregnant after 3 years of trying.  Still trying to find out who the father is and when I do...!
October 20th 10am, I get laid off from Beazer Homes.
October 20th 2pm, I got a call from Brambleton for an interview.
October 26th?, ultrasound shows two hearts beating.
November 2nd, start new job at Brambleton making more money than at Beazer.
November 6th, I turn 33 years old.
November 11th, took Melissa to Emergency Room, everything okay.
Thanksgiving in Beaver County.
December 3rd?, doctor discovered reason for Melissa's problems, almost had triplets!   
December 19th, new septic drainfield is in.
Christmas in Rhode Island.
New Year's in Beaver County.

All in all, it's been a great past three months.  We are trying to figure out how we are going to fit twins and all their crap into this tiny house we have.  We have three showers to go to in March. 

The new job is great.  Kind of glad I got laid off. 

I am working on trying to get President Clinton to give a fund raising speech for Melissa and I.  No one can pretend to feel your pain like him and people still like him.  In case you haven't heard, I will be unemployed by the end of the month for the first time since I have had actual responsibilities in life.  I have talked to a couple recruiting agencies already and gotten one bite on a job in Lancaster, PA.  Melissa and I really want to stay in Virginia, especially if I go through with the Game and Simulation Programming degree I am signing up for.  It is so nice here with the scenery and all of the festivals and events throughout the year.  I would be disappointed if we had to leave Virginia but, we have to do what is best for us and the potential three other dependents (Shhh!)  Personally, I don't mind trying different places and living in other areas, but Melissa gets a little nervous.  I would like to thank all of you that have already helped by spreading the word and forwarding my resume to anyone you think might be interested.  I am confident that I will find something.  I also wouldn't mind taking a couple of weeks off.  I can file for unemployment in Virginia online and claim a weekly check online as well.  I can get used to that.  I also heard that Virginia may help contribute to tuition costs if you take classes while unemployed.  I may be a Mr. Mom if unemployment can cover our bills while I take classes.  That movie wouldn't be far from the truth if it were me!  I'm really not worried right now.  But is in my nature to not worry now and panic later.

Now onto more serious matters, the November elections.  I found a website, www.vote-smart.org, and it is very informative site that tells you who is up for election and what they stand for. 

I'm tired and going to bed.  Later.

 

Well, well.  I guess it's getting dark outside earlier and the leaves are starting to fall here.  At least off of one of the oak trees anyway.  And I must say that my new blower/vac/mulcher works pretty well.  Besides that, things are going pretty well.  Nothing to complain about.  I could always go into some political yap-athon, but I could do that every day.  I chose not to do that, because people wouldn't be holding their breath to read it like they do now, right?  I'm only going to say one thing political right now.  Once again our county, Culpeper County, is putting a referendum on the voting ballot this year, as it is every year, to have a food and beverage tax on all prepared foods at restaurants.  And once again everyone is up in arms against it.  Usually, I'm one of those people.  But we have an opportunity to let people that come into the area and spend money at restaurants, like my family and in-laws, to help out with the tax contribution instead of carrying the entire load ourselves.  I only say this because a tax increase is inevitable and any way to lessen the burden, especially to the many not so monetarily fortunate in this county.  Thank you for listening.

Since my last blog in late June, lots of things have happened.  But most of you know about them, so I won't bore you with them.  I would just like to congratulate Steve and Alison on the birth of their twin girls on August 22nd, I think.  One is a Pavlak and one is a Crumling.  Both look like little monkeys, only because of their dark hair.  We know I don't go around talking about people's ugly babies.  I'm much too sensitive for that ;)  That is the first time I have used one of those GAY smiley faces and I'm not proud.

The 2nd annual Labor Day Party was another success.  We were very worried about the weather because we got 2" of rain from the hurricane that was passing through.  But it got here early and Saturday and Sunday were great days.  The slip and slide was in full effect.  We added a some dish soap to the slide this year.  They were not going to down as smoothly as they were last year, so we fixed it the easiest way we could.  Just add a couple squirts of soap every once in a while.  The kids definetely didn't need baths that night.  They would run back up to the line covered in soap suds.  No dish pan hands either.

So my two year quest is about to end on Thursday.  For that long I have been trying to find a cheap and easy way to level up my huge 12' by 28' shed.  I finally talked to the right person and for $150, they will come and block it up.  They sell sheds just like mine and he said that they are made to be blocked up and hold weight on the inside without bowing the floor inside. 

I still have a job, but I am about to take some classes in computer programming.  It's actually game and simulation programming and it's all online.  I don't have to go to any classes.  As long as I can afford to pay for it, I will probably start October 30.  I don't want to have to move around the country following my work or have to worry every time the housing market takes a down turn.  I would like to stay in Virginia and create simulation programs for the military.  I think that would be really neat.  The base salary for beginners is only a little less than what I make now. 

I am throwing out a dogfight challenge to anyone to wants to take it.  A few years ago when we went to California, there was an air combat training company that would quickly train you in air combat and let you dogfight against someone with an instructor pilot in the back seat.  It was $1000 and I would have done it then, but it was far from where we were staying and the money would not have been well spent at the time.  I was on their website today, www.aircombat.com, and they go all around the country doing this a weekend at a time.  They are in Butler in early June and Virginia Beach in April.  So I'm looking for someone to go with me if they have the money and the guts.  I'm definetely going to do this before I die.  I better do it before the triplets get here. 

Speaking of the triplets, we had our third embryo transplant yesterday.  This is the best looking one we had so far.  The doctor thinks this is the one.  The acupuncture seems to be helping Melissa.  I went with her today because she doesn't feel well enough for driving.  She comes out feeling much more relaxed.  I don't know if it can do all that they claim it can do, but it seems to be helping her so I'm all for it.  Now I desperitely don't want any more than two babies, but I am mentally prepared for 3.  The Doc put in three embryos yesterday.  Twins don't run in either of our families, so I'm now worried about them splitting into more than three.  But since this cycle has gone very well, I had to be ready for the possibility of three.  I'm hoping for 2 boys and one girl.  Usually I'm all about the boys, but maybe one girl can help control all the testosteron that will be running through the house.  The house!  What to do if we have triplets.  If we have triplets, square footage will be worth it's weight in gold around here.  I have been casually looking in the papers for houses a little bigger, but even with the drop in prices lately houses are still too expensive here in Culpeper.  Melissa is up to the challenge though. 

Here is a little story from my childhood I title, "I'm in Hot Pursuit!"

So I don't have to explain in the middle of the story, the phrase I'm in hot pursuit comes from Rosco in the Dukes of Hazzard.  He would always say he was in hot pursuit when chasin' those darn Duke Boys.
One summer weekend day when my dad was home, I came in the house looking for my dad.  It was in the middle of the day and I knew he was home but I didn't see or hear him anywhere.  I was a young teenager at the time and after I looked in all the obvious places in our small house, I knew the game was on!  So naturally I thought I was ready for anything and got cocky going around the house saying "I'm in hot pursuit!" looking for him in all the not so obvious places.  Behind chairs, in closets.  With no luck, I realized there was one room I didn't check.  The bathroom light was off and the door was only cracked open.  There is also no window in the bathroom, so when the lights were out and the door was shut, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.  I quickly opened the bathroom door and didn't see anything at eye level and then...

my dad came crawling out of the bathroom darkness on his hands and knees with that all too familiar monsterous growl.  With no time to turn and run and still not sure what was coming at me, I back peddled into the hallway wall and tried to what looked like scale the wall backwards like Spider-Man. 
Man, I can't wait to have kids and show them what my dad showed me!  You know, Gabi is almost getting old enough.  I better start planning on a good hiding place when she comes running trying to find Uncle B. 

For those of you that can't read Rhode Islandese, the subject is "Let's party hardy Marty!"

The second annual Culpeper Labor Day Party grows near.  We have reserved a block of 3 or 4 rooms at the Best Western if anyone that doesn't have a room needs one.  I think it will be much like last year with the corn on the cob boil, the white trash pool, cornhole and the Super Slip N' Slide.  I am trying to come up with something to add to the slide.  Thought about ramp so kids could go airborne, but then I thought that I might get hurt.  Maybe just improve on the splash pool and something to stop us big boys from going into the jaggers.

We are going to RI this weekend for the 4th.  We leave tomorrow afternoon and hopefully all of the roads aren't flooded.  We usually go through Wilkes-Barre in PA, but since 200,000 people have been evacuated from flooding I don't think that is the way to go.  Looks like we are taking 95 all the way.  I hate going that way, but I don't want to risk it. 

Alison's shower was a success and the whole weekend in general.  Stiff and Kim came to our place Friday night.  We had some excellent beer can chicken and drank some beers around the fire.  Kind of a rememberance of my Pa-Looza parties I used to have in Beaver County.  We woke up Saturday morning and off to the shower.  The weather was nice so us guys hung around outside while the ladies do whatever they do at showers.  Although Steve got a good taste because he got stuck video recording the whole thing.  Poor Bastard!  After the shower was done and the courtesy invite guests left, Steve fired up the grill and we had a cookout.  It was like we were back at Penn State again, except for Mrs. Pavlak 's drinking, smoking and dancing!  I wish the Doctor was there.  I haven't seen him since Steve and Alison's wedding.  Since we were in no condition to drive, we stayed at the hotel just down the street from their house.

We planted the garden two weeks ago.  Everything looks good so far, except the peppers. 

Work is good.  Everyone is getting a little shakey since the housing market has slowed down a bit.  Sales are way down from 6 months ago.  I'm not worried.  I think people are finally wondering why they are paying so much for a house with a postage stamp yard.  People are still moving to the DC area, so the demand will be there.  Prices are dropping and people are waiting for it to level out before buying.

That's it in a nutshell.  Later.

Well, it's been a couple of months since I have let y'all know what has been going on here in Blogville.  We just came back from the Greene family vacation last week.  This year we went to the OBX.  If you don't know what that is, tough.  There is a OBX sticker on 25% of the cars on the whole east coast.  We got a house right on the beach.  The water was way too cold in the ocean, but that is what private heated pools are for.  We were actually in Waves, NC on Hatteras Island.  It's a little far from anything else, but nice. 

Let's see, it's after midnight and the Prince Michel wine is tasting good.  I'd say that Melissa is gone for the night and it's Blog Time!

I have to listen to my MP3 player because my computer is on the fritz and can't listen to my music on the computer.  Don't worry, because it will only take 2.5 to 3 hours to repair on the phone with the Dell Tech Geeks.  I should have done it tonight, but I felt like watching the King Kong movie I had recorded.  I got out of work at noon today, so I went to see the new X-Men movie.  It was better than the first two movies combined.  I've really been into superhero movies lately.  Maybe it's just how old I am and they never had these kind of movies when I was younger.  All they had was cartoons.  So I am eagerly awaiting Spiderman 3 in May 07.  I saw Jaws was on Pay Per View tonight, so I decided to recored it.  At least I waited until after vacation.  I think Melissa will get a kick out watching that movie with me.  For those that don't know, the movie Jaws was the beginning of the end as far as ocean swimming was concerned.  I'm sure most of you remember the blog I tried to boycott Budweiser for their radio commercial about guys that are afraid to go into the ocean.  The first time I can remember seeing that movie I was at Pap and Gramma Griffin's at card night.  I was watching it in the living room and couldn't take my eyes off of the TV.  And since, I am very afraid of getting bitten or eaten by sharks.  It doesn't make much sense because I have seen every shark documentary and I know that the odds are extremely small that that would actually happen to someone.  Let alone someone that goes into the ocean maybe once a year.  It doesn't matter.  I remember when Melissa and I went to Aruba for our honeymoon.  They had rafts and she would get me out in the ocean sharing the raft.  I was so nervous and I still get nervous just thinking about it.  We weren't very deep.  I could still touch but it doesn't matter.  And then there was the time Stiff, Steve and I went to West Palm Beach, FL to visit JD.  I didn't really know it then, but I know now that fish like to hang out around sand bars.  And where there are fish, there are sharks.  So all four of us get a "great idea" to swim out to the sand bar.  I was stressed about it, but at least there were four of us and sharks usually won't attack if there are other swimmers around.  The undertoe was kind of strong that day.  So we do what attracks sharks the most, other than actual blood, start swimming as hard and fast as we can creating lost of noise and waves like an injured fish.  Of course, it is no surprise that from the time we decided to swim out to the time we got back, I thought stressed out about sharks.  I wish there was something I could do not to worry about that crap.  I know I will do my very best to not pass this silly fear onto my kids.  Althought the fact that a new world record for Hammerhead sharks has been found at 14 feet doesn't help.  That's why I don't mind going to the ocean on vacation in May when the water is too cold. 

In two weeks, we are having a twin baby shower for Steve and Alison.  Mrs. Pavlak and Nancy will be there.  I haven't seen Mrs. Pavlak for a long time.  It will be good to see them.  Stiff and Kim will be coming for the weekend also.  Hopefully I will be able to have a fire here in good ole Culpeper, but I don't know where everyone is staying yet or when they are getting here.  I think we need to set a date sometime Melissa and I are in Pittsburgh with nothing particular to do on on a Friday or Saturday night to go out with Stiff & Kim, Nancy & Bill, and Emily & Mike.  Spread the word y'all and let's see when it we can make this happen. 

Boy Speech Episode I

I guess it's time I start with the ORIGINAL Boy Speech.  Now that Andy is going to have a boy this summer, he better know all of the Boy Speeches so he can get his right.  This is the first time I distinctly getting the Boy Speech and the first time I got the "F" word from dad.  I was either a senior or my first summer back from CalPa because I was driving the Renault.  I was driving home one night and I hit a big pothole on 51 next to Jerry's Curbside Restaurant.  The Idiot light wet on right away and it was a serious light that you can't ignore.  I told my dad and we went out and started looking at it.  Naturally, I was the one to hold the light and hand him tools.  I guess he couldn't find the problem.  He crawled out from under the Renault and said, "Boy, you better not have F___ed up this car by driving it too fast!"  So pretending that I wasn't totally shocked by what I just heard, I calmly said that I wasn't driving too fast.  Of course in the frame of reference of my idol, Bill Clinton, just kidding, "It depends on what the meaning of the word "too" is."

I think it's time for me to wrap it up.  I have to drive to Stafford tomorrow morning and pick up some trees left over from the Sales Trailor. 

Thank you and Good night!

B

I wish I had some better news to bring blog world, but Nathan was shot in Iraq about two weeks ago.  He is okay now and probably being discharged from Walter Reed Hospital today.  Here is the story as I know it:

His group was walking down a town street.  I don't know which town.  As they were walking past one of the buildings, gunfire came from it hitting one guy in the leg and grazing the neck of another.  This building was in a courtyard and kind of surrounded by walls.  The rest of the team positioned themselved around the house.  There was one guy right next to the door and Super Sarge, aka Sgt. Nathan Greene, was around the corner on the far wall.  The commander gave an order to enter the building.  The guy next to the door froze.  So Super Sarge comes around the corner and charges through the door.  As soon as he enters, he got hit with one bullet through his lower left chest and exited out his back below his shoulder blade and a couple inches from his spine.  Despite his condition, he knew he couldn't stay there.  So he got the hell out of there and out of the courtyard where the Medics were.  I don't think the bullet went through his lung, but it collapsed it.  The Medics had to put a tube in his chest to expand his lung and drain fluids with no anesthesia.  It took 5 guys to hold him down as the Medics did their stuff.  It shakes me up thinking about it.  There was a photographer taking his picture after they got him to a medical facility and his pictures were in the Pittsburgh papers and the USA Today.  If I get permission, I would like to put up a few of them.  So they first sent him to a hospital in Germany for a couple of days and he has been at Walter Reed for a little over a week. 

Melissa and I went to see him on Friday.  Doctors had removed the tube in his chest because he was doing better.  When we got there, he was in a lot of pain because the doctors were finishing putting the tube back in. 

Sorry, but it looks like I am being called off to another chore that absolutely can't wait.  Once again, sorry Nathan.

Today was my first day with the trainer and it really sucks.  It was the first time I ever had a stomach muscle cramp up.  I weighed in at 241.6 lbs.  I don't know what happened just over a week ago when I stepped on the scale and it showed 251 lbs.  Too late now, the check is cashed.  I will give an update every time I officially get weighed.  Goodbye for now.

More about the title a little later.

Melissa, Melissa, what's up with ya, how does your garden grow?

That's right, it's garden time and of course we are taking another Greene family vacation right in the middle of planting season.  Oh well.  Growing pretty much the same stuff, only a little less.  I stuffed too many plants in my 4'x8' beds last year.  But if it's as hot as it was last year, those plants can choke to death for all I care. 

I gotta say before I move on that you guys missed out on one HELL of a blog.  After I finished up Nathan's Tribute, I went on a tear about some of my unstable emotions lately.  A real inside look.  When I was done, I wanted needed to change some email addresses in the notifications.  Usually, if you do something that will delete an entry before it is published it will tell you.  This time it didn't and deleted the whole thing.  I was ticked and relieved at the same time.  It was good to get it out, but I think you would have liked reading that one.  Even if it was only to get material to make fun of me with.  I really wish Melissa would have been able to read it.  It would have answered questions about me she has like, "How come you never cry?"  I think my unstable emotions is the reason why I haven't been up to writting these regularly.  Let's stop right there before I rewrite the whole thing again.

Title Story:

I don't know how many of you are familiar with "Flex Goodbody", but he was a character on one of those kids shows that educated kids on being healthy.  All I remember was that he had skin tight suit that made him look like he didn't have skin.  You could see the muscles of the body and the heart and stuff.  I have no idea how old I was.  Probably pre-teen, but I was caught flexing my muscles in front of the bathroom mirror and got the nickname Flex.  As all of you can understand, I haven't been called that in quite some time.  Maybe I've gotten a couple of Flex Fatbody's, but that is about to change.  Melissa and I have joined a gym and actually gotten a personal trainer.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  I weigh 250 lbs., a career high.  I was a member of the YMCA near my jobsite,but I know that playing racquetball twice a week would not really help.  So Melissa and I will be working out together.  I would only do it if I went with her because Golds Gym doesn't have any racquetball or basketball.  They don't have any competitive activities.  Seriously, if there is not a winner and a loser, why bother?  Sometimes I think that that is the only thing that drives me.  I wish my job had some competitive aspects to it.  Anyway, Melissa has been doing it for 3 weeks and I just signed up yesterday.  I told the guy that I wanted to get down to 200lbs and he said I should actually try to loose 75 lbs.  I didn't say anything, but this guy had no muscle at all.  I wanted to tell him I weighed at least 180lbs in my prime in high school.  I gained about ten pounds after I started working in hell, or otherwise know as the foundry.  I did a lot of heavy and hard work.  Lifting and swinging sledge hammers.  This is the same place whare my infamous orange underwear came to be.  Foundries melt and pour metal for those who don't know.  I would work in the grinding room where we would grind off the rough spots of the casting.  Everyone knows that iron rusts fast when it gets wet.  Well Iron dust does the same thing.  The iron dust from the grinding would get all over in your clothes and on your skin.  And of course it was very hot in that building with no ventilation and I would sweat my butt off, just as my dad hoped and I quote, "I hope he sweats his butt off!"  Put those two things together and the iron dust in my clothes and on my skin would start rusting.  My forearms would turn orange and all of my clothes.  Including my tighty whitey underwear.  So I go to Cal Pa University with my orange underwear and T-shirts and the boys had a ball with it.  Working there was my first taste of working with the common man.  It was definitely an education at the school of Hard Knocks. 

For my next trick, I'm going to run down all of the "BOY!" speeches I've had in my life.  I'll start in chronological order with the FIRST EVER "BOY" speech next time.  I don't know if Andy ever got any.  Think about it Andy, because I'm going to ask next time we come up. 

Speaking of Andy, he finally put the stem on the apple.  He and Megan are due to have baby boy!  We got word last week sometime about the news.  Apparently potential names are classified because they won't tell.  Let me just say this, not too many people were huge fans of Gabi's name, but it doesn't matter one bit because we love the name now.  So don't be afraid of anyone criticising names.  As long as you don't name him the body part of a predator bird, we will love it if not now, in time.  Sorry Talan, aka SSF, that was a cheap shot.

Well I'm outta here.  I'm also putting on the agenda to put up some pictures from Penn State. 

 

Sorry about that.  That light was a real pain to fix!  So as I was saying, Nathan was around 3 years old and living in a house way off the road with no houses around.  They were literally surrounded by cornfields.  So it was natural for boys to pee wherever and whenever they had to in that kind of setting.  Kind of like college guys walking home from the bars and one of them getting frisked by the police because they though there was a theft going on.  Another great Penn State story for later, right 00-zero?.  Pap and Gramma Greene lived in the town of East Palestine, OH which is not far from Beaver County.  So one day, my family and I were in the car heading to Pap's house.  When we get to their house, there is Nathan in the front yard peeing in the hedges along their front porch.  I am pretty sure he was writing his name because it looked like he was crossing his "T".  I told you he was smart, even at 3 he could spell his name.  So there we are laughing histerically as we drove down the road into Pap's driveway.  I can't wait to talk to Nathan's wife again and tell her that one.

The other story, he was a few years older and my cousins from Tennessee were up to visit.  We decided to all sleep down in the basement on mattresses.  We were getting ready for bed and pairing up who was sleeping with who on the mattresses.  Usually not a big deal, we're all family here.  But Nathan refused to share a mattress with Jimmy.  I hate to name names, but it had to be done.  Sorry Jimmy.  So we are all confused wondering why Nathan wouldn't sleep with Jimmy.  So we asked Nathan, "What's the matter?"  Well he must have gotten a glimpse of Jimmy in his underwear.  They must have been his church underwear, because apparently they were HOLEY.  Nathan didn't want to sleep with Jimmy because he had holes in his underwear!  That must have kept us up half the night making fun of Jimmy and his underwear. 

How appropriate that Jimmy's song "I will be here" started playing. 

I am going to give his mailing address if anybody wants to send him a care package or a message.  I know that he loves beef jerky and he's probably a Steeler fan.

Sgt. Greene, Nathanial
A Co 1-68 AR BN
Unit # 51505
APO AE 09336-1505

Nathan,
Be safe.  We are all thinking about you.

Love,
Your entire family and the Good Ole US of A!!

No, I'm not talking about the 80's TV show.  I'm talking about how there is a connection between family members even though you don't know them nearly as well as a friend or even some co-workers.  My cousin, Sgt. Nathaniel Greene, is stationed in Iraq right now.  I didn't realize this until early December.  I knew that he was in Afghanastan for a while then he got shipped to Iraq this fall.  Nathan also got married within the past year.  My uncle had a reception for him in Ohio because they got married away from home.  It was the first time I saw him in about a year and if I was a towel head with any intention of doing harm to the USA, I'd set off that bomb around my chest way before he had a chance to get to me.  He is about 6'3" and his muscles were cut.  Reminds me of me in my dreams.  He actually entered the Army before he graduated.  He got enough credits to graduate high school and go into the military.  He is the third generation of Greene's to be in the military.  Pap Greene was in the Army and Navy.  Uncle Sam was in the Marines and now Nathan is in the Army.  The fact that he was able to graduate early tells you that he was pretty smart.  All of my Greene cousins are very smart.  I wonder what happened to me?  I think I will do what most people do and blame it on my parents.  Now, mom and dad, you can bare that weight for the rest of your life.  Back to Nathan.  Here is a kid that could have done anything he wanted to do.  He was a great football player and probably would be a great linebacker on most college lineups.  And despite all his gifts, he did the most honorable thing an American can do and decided to serve his country.  I remember two particular stories about Nathan when we were growing up. 

Nathan was not even in school yet and at the time they lived in a rural part of Ohio.  I know what you are thinking, what part isn't?  Well they lived in a house surrounded by acres and acres of corn fields which is now a golf course surprisingly. 

Sorry, I have to stop now and fix the kitchen sink light.  Maybe I will get to finish this some other time.  Sorry Nathan.