No sense in complaining about the 18 inches of snow that's still falling...

... So I'll talk about one of more recent trips to the "shrink" (couples counseling). Now I really don't believe that our relationship is in danger of eminent failure. I do like to go to the shink and hope to improve what we do share... HOWEVER the one thing that I pointed out at the first session in February is what I affectionately call "Goose and Gander rules"... In otherwords I think that what good for the goose is good for the gander.  The night before we went to the shrink, we were discussing reading in bed (or watching "TV"). *NOTE* this hasn't been a problem lately BUT it's an easy example. On occasions where Susie wanted to read with the light on I was expected to man up and deal with it even if I was tired and just wanted to go to sleep.  On the converse when I wanted to read I was expected to use a "reading light" or man up and get over it while I turned the light off.  My point in the discussion was that I was willing to comply with whatever rule Susan wanted regarding the light and reading, just decide and apply it to BOTH of us equally. NOW I'm not really picking on this issue but FREQUENTLY I run into what I PERCEIVE as "rules" (for the lack of a better term) that don't equally apply.  Susie did point out that I also imposed rules differently for me than her. I can live with that and I'm willing to hear and decide on a rule we can BOTH live with.

So my questions are;

1. Am I out of line? why?

2. Is the term "Goose and Gander rules" a good way of describing this annomaly? alternatives? 

BTW - I'm NOT complaining I'm just trying to get a better understanding of human behavior. Horses are easier...

Cold... Cold and Colder...Hmmm

Well not colder than a couple weeks ago but certainly windier... Now that my early retirement has abruptly ended and I have to go back to work (but for Wells Fargo now) It's been a little hectic trying to get a new laptop hooked up to the Wells network etc.  BUT at least I don't have to leave the house, at least for the time being...  Wachovia paid me for 60 days of "active work" at which time my job was to return calls if someone called and no one ever did.  Then I started "salary continuation" which is where they pay you your salary and benefits to "look" for a job.  Well I didn't have to look too far... It was like having a 3 and a half month vacation... Now I have to get up in the morning and get moving... I've been sleeping in until 7, sometimes 8 so it's back to 5AM, well I'll work my way into it...  The white (susans) truck is fixed, now BOTH need tired, one thing at a time. At least  the horses are enjoying the cold... FYI horses are especially designed for cold weather...

also see http://www.talesfromtablerock.blogspot.com/ for Susans view...

It isn't even holloween yet and....

I'm tired of winter (which according to the calendar doesn't start until the 21st of December) I can deal with the truck getting stuck. I get stuck at LEAST once every winter. I'm glad the drive shaft broke in the snow, if it had come off on I25 it would have been like a pole vault (the front U joint of the FRONT driveshaft came apart.). What I think is wrong is that we never really had a summer. I bought a telescope in April so Gabriel and I could look at the planets etc. Ican count on one hand the number of clear nights (early nights) we've had this year, It's usually the exact opposite... We are scheduled (forecast) for snow EVERY night this week except Monday and it keeps creeping that was.

BUT the absolute WORST thing is the drivers.  I just can't figure out where these people learned to drive. I think master drive should be mandatory. Lets get half way through this turn THEN we'll slow down. Or we're going 20 in a 50 with occasional patches of set snow, we come to a downgrade and we step on the brakes and try to go 15.  The best, we take our car with regular tires, no chains, no M/S tires, rear wheel drive (sometimes even  front wheel drives), we come to a stop light or stop sign and TRY to floor it to accelerate across the intersection, skidding and making the ice slicker... what geniuses...

If anyone knows albert arnold algore jr could you PLEASE have him circle his G3 (Gulfstream model 3 "private jet:) around Black Forest so we can share some of that global warming...

In this case even I have to admit the MALE perspective leaves alot to be desired.

So the first "winter storm advisory" said only a couple of inches... well I measured over 6" at 2:30PM with 30 MPH winds, it was moderately slick. We fed a friends horses then drove to the 80 where a couple of horses are closed into a stall.  When we were there earlier in the day the was a little drifting due to the grass as Susie pointed out BUT  we could still see the road.  In any case THIS time it had a drift that we plowed through pretty easy then we came to the SECOND drift.  I punched it and made it about 30 feet before we were stopped.

So here's the rub.  I backout with no effort, Susie says "gee we only had to go a few more feet". So what do I say "Don't worry we'll get through THIS time". So I take a running start, it really looked very easy, we got about 2 INCHES further the second time. Of course this time the wet cement snow coupled with the underlying mud and we were STUCK and I mean STUCK.  We dug out snow for about an hour and a half.

Called Lise (the horse vet) for a rescue tow. Dug while we waited and had almost everything out from under the truck.  Well just as she arrived I was giving it a final "Don't worry we'll get it THIS time" (testosterone pumping (and I thought I was too old))... So BAD went to WORSE when we heard this LOUD "THUMP" oh darn.... Got out and looked under the truck to find the front drive shaft haning.... DANG

here's a different perspective...

As Susan said (www.talesfromtablerock.blogspot.com/) we took the kids to the local duck pond and park... as you can see from Susies posting she found the grandkids feet quite interesting. I "rudely" asked "is that the best you can do?" and it went downhill from there. In any case while she was interested in their feet I noticed a couple of male "Wood ducks" in the pond.... talk about the "red eye" Gabriel even commented on them...

Well one has to start somewhere... I'll start with "watercolor painting"

My wife, Susie has been an artist since before I knew her (~25 years).  I had been attending the end of semester class critiques for her watercolor class for a year or two.  After a couple of "class critiques" I thought that maybe I could try this out, mostly to try and share one of my wifes passions.

I didn't really have any great expectations, BUT I've really enjoyed the class and really enjoyed painting.  I'm 56 years old and haven't drawn a picture since 5th grade any NEVER painted any. 

Train Engine in a Park

Aspen Trees starting to change