tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113422272011-04-21T13:26:17.401-05:00The life and thoughts of one Paul D. McDonald, #2 son of John and Jane.Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-19102932874258106572007-04-03T15:16:00.000-05:002007-04-03T15:19:17.956-05:00

Yes, I've been working in Little Rock for about six months now. I've enjoyed the work, but the travel has been a burden. Thanks to Dad for mowing the lawn for me!I've been working every other week on site and then remotely working from home on those off weeks. That's made the travel a lot easier. I've really racked up the frequent flier miles, that's for sure!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1164772776597067352006-11-28T21:54:00.000-06:002006-11-28T21:59:36.610-06:00

If you haven't gone to Casino Royale yet, save your dough... just take $7.50 and put it in the driveway, pour desiel on it and hit it with a match--it's more entertaining and you'll save two hours of your life.I had to keep reminding myself that this was a "James Bond" movie... They didn't even play the theme until the credits rolled.Plot was absoloutely predictable and continuity with all other

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1162482418962269902006-11-02T09:43:00.000-06:002006-11-02T09:46:58.996-06:00

Okay, so apparently November is National Novel Writing Month. People are challenged worldwide to write their own novels within the time span of one monght. So I figure, hey 1,666 words a day for 30 days, it doesn't have to be good ... right?Well, it's probably not going to be good... but I'm going to do it anyway. And there is something to be said for the sheer volume of the task.So be sure to

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1159233632558144972006-09-25T20:18:00.000-05:002006-09-25T20:20:32.570-05:00

Can you believe this one? It never fails, so many Christians work so hard to build bridges between people and then some big-shot evangelical Christian comes along and says something stupid... like this...And then it gets taken further out of context.Hey, I've said stupid stuff before myself. I'm glad I'm not on the world's stage to have my every stupid mistake printed up worldwide.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1156798836272826542006-08-28T15:59:00.000-05:002006-08-28T16:00:36.320-05:00

I pulled our squash and zuchinni plants today--they were just covered in squash bugs. I went out this morning and found probably two hundred on top of just two leaves... and we haven't gotten much squash and zuchini so I pulled them out of the ground.We're probably going to replace with a fall crop like beets or something... something that doesn't attract as many bugs.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1156364650133380362006-08-23T15:22:00.000-05:002006-08-23T15:24:10.143-05:00

I've been pickling today and yesterday: I pickled okra, pickled banana peppers, pickled pickle relish, pickled jalapenos, pickled green cherry tomatoes... I used a brown sugar brine for some of the okra... dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, hot pickles even!... and then I figured WHY NOT make some jelly too? So I made a habernero-pineapple jelly that I've had a recipe for about a year now.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1155921922844611792006-08-18T12:24:00.000-05:002006-08-18T12:25:22.853-05:00

Been too long since my last blog post... it's amazing how the drudgery of daily life can slow down the creativity that I so enjoy!Anyway, we went to Fiddler on the Roof at the New Theatre in Overland Park recently and I highly recommend it!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1146797418178286222006-05-04T21:46:00.000-05:002006-05-04T21:50:18.190-05:00

Seriously, I thought I was the only one who said this stuff... but apparently not! It turns out that there are a lot of other nerdy Star Wars fans who do the same thing every year! Star Wars searches are up like crazy on the internet!So for those that are wondering, I didn't come up with this on my own--I saw it on (of all things) a stupid Saturday morning cartoon--I think back in the 1980s or

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1142978748902776552006-03-21T15:40:00.000-06:002006-03-21T16:05:48.930-06:00

This one came from Nikki... LAST ONE FOR A WHILE, PEOPLE! :)It says "100 things" but some of them are missing... go figure...100 THINGS1: First grade teacher's name: Mrs. Beeler2. Last word you said: Septugeunarian3: Last song you sang: Wildcat Victorty4: Last person you hugged: My dear mother5: Last thing you laughed at?: I don't remember6: Last time you said "I don't remember": When I answered

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1142822610665967502006-03-19T20:26:00.000-06:002006-03-19T20:45:05.726-06:00

Okay, so my cousin Christy posted this on her blog and she likes these sort of things. Personally, I thought the fish was better, but it's been a while since I posted anything...When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? I'm a vampire, I can't see myself in the mirror.How much cash do you have on you? $33.24.What's a word that rhymes with "DOOR"?

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1141748664507589192006-03-07T10:20:00.000-06:002006-03-07T10:26:00.930-06:00

My wife's brother Alan Sutkowski (pictured) caught this monster brown trout in Lake Michigan on March 5, 2006. It weight right in at 20 pounds and is 40 inches long. Alan said, "What a way to cap off the first trip of the '06 season!!!!" Alan, his dad Jim, and their friend Andy were in the boat and it took a team effort to get it in.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1141011805079871932006-02-26T21:41:00.000-06:002006-02-26T21:45:22.033-06:00

Okay, so my friend Lael got this from my friend Bruce... both friends of mine whom I haven't actually spoken to in probably 10 years, but we read each other's blogs and emails... at least, I read their blogs... guys... guys... ???Anyway, thought it was cool...create your own personalized map of the USA or write about it on the open travel guide

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1138719262280260642006-01-31T08:54:00.000-06:002006-01-31T08:54:22.293-06:00

BBZZZZTTT!!! BBZZZZTTT!! VFFT! VFFT! VFFT!SCKT! SCKT! SCKT-SCKT-SCKT!So what is new in your life since you last came in?That tournament for your son, did he lose or did he win? This might pinch just a bit--STAB (oops) STAB (oops) STAB STAB STABWOAH! Charlie look at this one! Sure, it's bleeding but just a dab.Doesn't seem like it's been six months (open wider please)Now whatever you do-

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1138287609139656222006-01-26T08:59:00.000-06:002006-01-26T09:00:09.140-06:00

But when I post something, it all comes back!!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1138287572913666062006-01-26T08:58:00.000-06:002006-01-26T08:59:32.933-06:00

Okay, Blogger has been down... at least all of my sites... for about 12 hours now, maybe as much as 24 hours. I've contacted customer service and no answer other than the automatic e-mail... maybe they're busy working on my problem!But I can log in and at least attempt to post, so I'm doing that... just to see what happens! Oh, and other people's blogs are up...

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1135959225770232682005-12-30T10:13:00.000-06:002005-12-30T10:13:45.783-06:00

I got a jar of toothpaste for Christmas! Those of you who know me will know that I really enjoyed that gift. All others are free to remain puzzled...

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1134104170257672892005-12-08T22:55:00.000-06:002005-12-08T22:56:10.256-06:00

At least Harry Potter can celebrate "Christmas" instead of a "Holiday Season" ...

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1134104086538996692005-12-08T22:48:00.000-06:002005-12-08T22:54:46.556-06:00

The University of Colorado finally fired Gary Barnett today, as reported on ESPN.com. Now, I'm not one to wish ill well on others, and losing a job is certainly a very emotional experience. But don't worry, they gave him $3,000,000. That's three million dollars. Maybe the Colorado Attorney General will finally see his way to prosecute this guy and put him in the slammer. Too bad it took a 70

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1133931220561720252005-12-06T22:44:00.000-06:002005-12-06T22:56:35.980-06:00

CNN (the Communist News Network) in its infinite wisdom has reported half a story once again.In a recent article, CNN stated that the "megachurches" (churches with normally large attendance, usually considered around 2,000+ per service) are going to be closed on Christmas day. They painted a picture of how horrible and "consumer-driven" this makes these churches and how awful it is. "This

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1133822542771067732005-12-05T16:40:00.000-06:002005-12-05T20:56:04.806-06:00

Ron Prince has three values he wants to implant in the DNA of everybody associated with Kansas State Wildcat football: Integrity, toughness, and achievement.And he's got a mission: "We're going to be a strong, tough, disciplined team that consistently competes for championships. We're going to be relentless in our pursuit of that mission."We're going to be recognized as the best organization in

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1133789071849183382005-12-05T07:23:00.000-06:002005-12-05T07:24:31.863-06:00

Do we really want to send our kids the message "Hey, if something bad is happening, don't tell an adult and try to fix it yourself." ???

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1133495051953738762005-12-01T21:42:00.000-06:002005-12-01T21:44:11.963-06:00

So Harry Potter has all this gold in the vault, right? Why can't he buy a working wand for his friend Ronald Weasley? I'm not talking about a fancy wand, just somethign so the poor kid can do his homework.Sure, the Weasley's are a proud bunch. But it could be a birthday gift or whatever... we're not talking a Nimbus 2001 or anything, just a good, stock, working wand that doesn't have stupid

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1132633004056018462005-11-21T22:13:00.000-06:002005-11-21T22:16:44.073-06:00

Okay, so this was Christmas a few years ago, but Kristine always likes to put the trees (yes, that's plural) up early. We've got one up now, two more to go. She's been sick with a cold now, so I thought I'd post a picture... that's kind of like putting up a tree, right??

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1132547052208740182005-11-20T22:23:00.000-06:002005-11-20T22:24:12.220-06:00

In his 17 years, Snyder had 11 winning seasons, 11 bowl appearances and six bowl victories. The 14 previous K-State coaches -- over a 54-year span -- managed only five winning seasons, one bowl appearance and zero bowl wins. From a national perspective, the Wildcats finished in the top 20 in 11 of the last 14 seasons, including a six-year stretch where they ended the season in the top 10.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1132454942263766912005-11-19T20:49:00.000-06:002005-11-19T20:57:27.650-06:00

Coach Snyder retires today, what a game!Read all about it on ESPN.I have to tell you, as a K-State student in 1988-1990 when Coach Snyder came, we thought he was nuts! He was talking about creating an "athletic fee" to bring some money in to the program, it was only about 15 bucks a person. But we were so against it because we just didn't believe that he or anyone else could do it.All that talk

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1132422312578897682005-11-19T11:42:00.000-06:002005-11-19T11:45:55.690-06:00

Hey, I love Thanksgiving! It's not my favorite holiday, that's reserved for Daylight savings time when we get the extra hour of sleep...But Thanksgiving is awesome! Now that I'm married we get to have it twice! Kristine's grandmother always puts oysters in creamed corn and I actually like it but it always leads to an argument or two... well, maybe not an argument... but a few comments!Steven

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1129549809239420962005-10-17T06:47:00.000-05:002005-10-17T06:50:09.246-05:00

Okay, so it used to be if you were a "red" it meant you were a "communist" and you were opposed to free enterprise and in favor of taking money from individuals to be redistributed to the people by the state. And if you were a "true blue American" you were in favor of free enterprise.In the last Presidential election, the "red states" became the Republican Party and the "blue states" became the

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1128303527256848382005-10-02T20:37:00.000-05:002005-10-02T20:38:47.263-05:00

I have always found Sunday night to be a great time to clear my head, sit at my computer and kind of get an idea of what my week is going to look like. It really works well for me to do that--maybe make a phone call or two, send a fax that needs sent, type a letter... it really is an incredibly productive time for me.I have found that others who make Sunday night a practice really value it too!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1128004690260006322005-09-29T09:36:00.000-05:002005-09-29T09:38:10.270-05:00

Hey, just started a few new blogs. I've posted one for my efforts to pass a "911 privacy" law on the recordings of 911 calls (so they don't end up in the news) and I've got a site dedicated to my goal of going to the Electoral College in 2008!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1128004798243211882005-09-26T18:40:00.000-05:002005-09-29T09:39:58.243-05:00

Didn't get to fish on this trip--the weather from the hurricanes had kind of spread all the way up to Lake Michigan and all the fish had dove down to the bottom to hide from all the nasty weather. Can't say I blame them!It was a fun trip, just the same. It's always good to visit my in-laws in Indiana!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1128005254775656792005-09-15T23:46:00.000-05:002005-09-29T09:47:34.776-05:00

I ran some chopped jalapeno peppers through the dehydrator this weekend. They turned out great and now we'll have jalapeno to sneak into cooking year-round!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1128005061287516052005-09-09T00:40:00.000-05:002005-09-29T09:44:21.286-05:00

More Garden news: Pepper plants are now taller than me and still producing fruit! Tomatoes are going like crazy--the Roma tomatoes are piling on top of each other as they grow because we just don't have a strong enough support for them.Next year we're going to build an extra-sturdy tomato vine trellis using treated 4x4's and thick wire mesh. Not completely sure on how the design will work, but

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1125254642022481252005-08-28T13:25:00.000-05:002005-08-28T13:44:02.036-05:00

Man, has this ever been a summer!I did a one-month project in Chicago, and then took another project here in Kansas City after that. But this garden, let me tell you...We have seven-foot-tall tomato plantsWe have five-foot-tall pepper plantsWe get about 40-50 jalapenos a week, some of the jalapeno plants are 2 1/2 feet tallWe get about two bushels of tomatos a weekWe get at least a bushel of

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1117593254557945462005-05-31T21:32:00.000-05:002005-05-31T21:34:14.563-05:00

Okay, we just spent three straight days of garden work. I used to read that "gardening" was an activity that someone could do for exercise and I thought that was silly. Never again will I doubt! What a workout!We now have over 100 separate plants in the ground: herbs, tomatoes, peppers, some cabbage and lettuce, and summer squash. I'm going to make pepper jelly for the winter!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1117139650248203662005-05-26T02:32:00.000-05:002005-05-26T15:34:10.253-05:00

Sorry everyone, I've been traveling on a project! Basically I got a call that said "be in Chicago tonight" and so I went ... it's been good to be back and see some old friends and get some good, solid work done.I've been staying at a hotel with a kitchen, so I've been able to cook while I'm here and that's been good. They also have a grill outside and last night I grilled up some sweet corn

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1115864464340162702005-05-11T21:19:00.000-05:002005-05-11T21:21:04.346-05:00

My dad and I spend the afternoon taking down our old deck and got started putting up a new one. I gotta say that I am very, very, very sore and tired.Ouch.We made a lot of progress though, by the end of the day tomorrow we'll have all the deck boards down and maybe even the stairs and railing. How about that?

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1115705853250924092005-05-10T01:16:00.000-05:002005-05-10T01:17:33.256-05:00

I haven't written anything recently! It's weird, I've been at a loss for words.And that's strange for me... I guess I just don't have anything I want to share right now. Is that wrong??

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1115058172382667762005-05-02T13:22:00.000-05:002005-05-02T13:22:52.383-05:00

Hot/cold, cold, hot. Move the plants inside and cover the annuals, it's going to frost. How come it's 80?How do plants ever grow in Kansas? Heck, I'm sick of the fluctuation in weather already!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1114804183423448272005-04-29T14:48:00.000-05:002005-04-29T14:49:43.423-05:00

We've had cool weather here in Kansas City, so the lawn has stopped growing so darn much. That's been strange to see such wonderfully warm weather, and now it's regularly down to 40 again.Go figure...

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1113925200335725022005-04-19T10:38:00.000-05:002005-04-19T10:40:00.336-05:00

Weeds stink. They sprout up in the yard, make the grass look stupid. I mow, mow, I spray weed killer, I pull weeds, but they keep coming back. Weeds come back.Why do weeds come back? Survival, I guess...Do you have any weeds in your life outside your lawn?

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1113516250462242522005-04-14T17:00:00.000-05:002005-04-14T17:04:10.463-05:00

I spent the day in the kitchen today testing a recipe. The directions ended up giving me about eight times more dough than I intended, so I won't have to make dough any time soon.And that leads me to a story...Pat (my older brother) has only followed one recipe in his life. It was such a disaster that he never followed a recipe again!We were kids, and Pat had just become a Boy Scout, so I guess

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1113363502766727852005-04-12T22:29:00.000-05:002005-04-12T22:38:54.923-05:00

Officer Kurt Ford was shot and killed in the line of duty on April 9, 2005. He was attempting to rescue a hostage.I had the pleasure of speaking with Officer Ford a few years back through some volunteer work I was doing that involved another individual. He was very helpful and a total professional. One local resident of Newton, Kansas stated "Kurt Ford was the nicest guy I've ever met in law

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1113066598438705102005-04-09T12:09:00.000-05:002005-04-09T12:12:48.433-05:00

What is it with yard work in the spring? Hey, I love how stuff grows and WOW does it ever grow! Now we got more yard work.Well, it will pay off when the veggies come in!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112979689250704142005-04-08T12:00:00.000-05:002005-04-08T12:01:29.250-05:00

My Ma and Pa came to visit and Dad helped me clean a bunch of limbs out of the back yard--lots of work, that yard stuff!At the same time, we saw a county road truck come by and park for 20 minutes then get out and walk around for 5 minutes, picking up a few pieces of trash, and then got back to the truck and pulled forward50 feet to do the same thing again.Can I get a job for the county?

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112824985982484902005-04-06T17:02:00.000-05:002005-04-06T17:03:05.983-05:00

Mowed the front lawn today. Must be April, time to mow! I'll save the back yard for tomorrow morning because I've felt really lethargic today.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112751751131037602005-04-05T20:31:00.000-05:002005-04-05T20:42:31.133-05:00

The Wichita Eagle reports "With about 50,000 votes counted, 72 percent of Kansas residents have voted yes to the proposed marriage amendment, which would ban same-sex marriage. " (http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/11318902.htm)Looks like it's going to pass.What's next? A constitutional amendment that we can't call a dog a horse?"But what if the dog really wanted to be called a horse?" "what if

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112642779885190722005-04-04T14:25:00.000-05:002005-04-04T14:26:19.886-05:00

Okay, so my wife was going to point out where she wanted the herbs yesterday and watch me plant them so I can be sure to get them in the "right place" ... and she was too tired to go show me last night.SOOOO... I get to guess. Hope it's right, because I don't want to dig them back up again!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112567742903457632005-04-03T17:33:00.000-05:002005-04-03T17:35:42.903-05:00

Last year we used our neighbor's yard for our garden because we didn't have ours ready yet and they weren't using theirs. Worked out great! But here's what's cool... the chives we planted last year have come back up and are in full growth, so we've got chives to transplant for our herb garden (we're putting the herbs in another location).So tomorrow I'm planting chives and five other herbs.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112282322291663222005-03-31T09:16:00.000-06:002005-03-31T09:18:42.293-06:00

We're having a landscaper come over tomorrow night to look at helping us put together a vegetable garden. I know, it seems weird... here's the deal.Our ground just sucks--full of rocks and everything. And we thought about just building up a two to four brick wall to surround the garden and having the garden elevated. Our idea is that we could then control the dirt much more easily and keep

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112206636909607452005-03-30T12:16:00.000-06:002005-03-30T12:18:16.033-06:00

My current project is coming to a close. I have today, Thursday, and Friday to complete all my work (and I am sure I'll hit my target that's for sure!).By the way, I'll be unemployed Friday at 5:00. Anyone looking for a high-quality SAS programmer? I'm available for long-term and short-term projects, temporary or permanent.http://www.spikeware.com/paulmcdonald.pdf

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112116129483834582005-03-29T11:04:00.000-06:002005-03-29T11:08:49.486-06:00

Yeah, I'm feeling "bleh" today. A buddy of mine named Shad used to say "bleh" a lot. I think he felt that way a lot.My current project is ending on Friday, I've had my chain pulled for months by another guy for a job that doesn't exist for me, and I'm having trouble finding something to get excited about. Guess I'll have to change that!I'll try not to watch too much T.V.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112109457925183662005-03-29T09:15:00.000-06:002005-03-29T09:17:37.926-06:00

It was probably 2:00 or 2:30 this morning before I got to sleep. I don't know why I think you want to know that...

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1112020492753974582005-03-28T08:32:00.000-06:002005-03-28T08:34:52.756-06:00

Okay, so over a month ago I had a terrific job interview. I was told during the interview by the hiring manager that I was the #1 choice for the job. He was planning on having me start work between March 15 and April 1.Time passed. No offer comes. I contact him 3 weeks ago and he says he will let me know in a week. More time passes.I get a message from him today that he had another offer out

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111983589526913642005-03-27T22:18:00.000-06:002005-03-27T22:19:49.526-06:00

Well, we're back from Indiana for Easter. Just our luck, we didn't go out on Lake Michigan, but everyone we heard that went fishing limited out on salmon within 2-3 hours. Amazing! Mostly 2-3 pounders.Guess I'll have to wait.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111766103999562392005-03-25T09:51:00.000-06:002005-03-25T09:55:04.000-06:00

My wife's grandfather retired from being a pastor in the Presbyterian Church. We are all headed up to Indiana where they live to celebrate Easter. I leave today, Kristine left earlier in the week because it's spring break and she wanted to spend some time with her mother.By the way, her mom is cool! Kristine's birthday is in June, mine's in July, and she bought us a combined birthday present

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111683010559284572005-03-24T10:48:00.000-06:002005-03-24T10:50:10.560-06:00

I didn't mean for this blog to become a topic of just Terry Schiavo/Euthinasia. It's just that has been what is on my mind recently. I'm very dissapointed that the Supreme Court has decided not to hear the case and it makes me ashamed of them.SOOO... I'll work hard to come up with new thoughts!

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111615029818127382005-03-23T15:56:00.000-06:002005-03-23T16:00:21.606-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/23/schiavo/index.html"A neurologist who reviewed Schiavo's medical records for the state Department of Children and Families indicated that she is "most likely in a state of minimal consciousness," rather than the persistent vegetative state previous doctors have diagnosed." (CNN.com)These doctors should also be charged with torture, attempted murder, and (God

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111611648860090812005-03-23T14:57:00.000-06:002005-03-23T15:00:48.863-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/23/schiavo/index.html"There is no denying the absolute tragedy that has befallen Mrs. Schiavo," the ruling said. "We all have our own family, our own loved ones, and our own children. However, we are called upon to make a collective, objective decision concerning a question of law." (CNN.com)Let me translate this for you: Yeah, it's really bad that Terri's husband

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111584522009795162005-03-23T07:23:00.000-06:002005-03-23T07:28:42.010-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/23/schiavo/index.html"By a 2-1 vote, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined early Wednesday to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube." (CNN.com)Thank you, Judge Charles Wilson, for recognizing that torture and murder are wrong.As for 11th Circuit Judges Ed Carnes and Frank Hull, I sincerely hope that you never sit on

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111525418008535972005-03-22T14:48:00.000-06:002005-03-22T15:03:38.010-06:00

Look, folks. Terry Schiavo is being starved to death and dehydrated to death. The ACLU is saying this is good.http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20050322/ap_on_re_us/brain_damaged_woman"Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) of Florida, praised the ruling. 'What this judge did is protect the freedom of people to

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111518875467954162005-03-22T13:04:00.000-06:002005-03-22T13:14:35.470-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/22/schiavo/index.html"A three-judge panel at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta received the case hours after U.S. District Judge James Whittemore in Tampa, Florida, refused the request of parents Bob and Mary Schindler to reinsert the tube." (CNN.com)Well, there's another round in the attempt to stop the cold-blooded murder of Terri Schiavo. She is

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111496869197278682005-03-22T07:05:00.000-06:002005-03-22T07:07:49.196-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/22/schiavo/index.html"The ruling in Tampa by U.S. District Judge James Whittemore came after Congress and President Bush enacted legislation aimed at allowing federal courts to review Schiavo's case. " (CNN.com)U.S. District Judge James Whittermore should be impeached. Or whatever you do to judges to get them out of their chair. He is obviously not fit to

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111446362879978102005-03-21T17:00:00.000-06:002005-03-21T17:06:02.880-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/21/schiavo/index.html"Judge James Whittemore of the Middle District of Florida did not rule and didn't indicate when he might do so." (CNN.com)What, is he going to go out on his boat and go fishing, or play a round of golf? Great leaders make decisions quickly--in fact, with this being in the news so much the judge has a moral obligation to make this decision

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111437130502607352005-03-21T14:26:00.000-06:002005-03-21T14:32:10.503-06:00

Michael Schiavo should be ashamed for thinking he can murder his wife by torturous starvation and think that's a "good thing" and that "she'd want it that way."Look folks, I'm against euthinasia, no doubt about it. But the people who normally support it say that they don't want the person to "suffer" and to be "out of pain."They're STARVING this woman to death. They're DEYHDRATING her. They

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111416913006950552005-03-21T08:51:00.000-06:002005-03-21T08:55:13.006-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/21/schiavo/index.htmlSo the US Congress got together for emergency meetings and passed a law that it supposed to prevent Michael Schiavo from murdering his wife. President Bush thought it would be a good idea to stop him, too, so he signed the bill at 1:11 a.m. this morning."David Gibbs, a lawyer for Schiavo's parents, filed a lawsuit and a request for an order to

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111373222176448192005-03-20T20:41:00.000-06:002005-03-20T20:49:36.143-06:00

Y'know, all through school I was taught that the earth is "billions of years old" and that dinosaurs lived "millions of years ago" and that we "evolved" from other creatures.I just wanna say that I don't buy it, and it's not because I haven't looked at science. I actually have a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Southwestern College and I gotta say that every time I question the age of the earth

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111176059517280152005-03-18T13:49:00.000-06:002005-03-18T14:00:59.516-06:00

Yes, the subject is Terry Schiavo. For those not following the story, this woman was badly injured in 1990 and has severe brain damage. Her husband has been trying to legally murder her ever since.http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/18/schiavo.brain-damaged/index.htmlGet this, she is responsive to people, she breathes on her own, she recognizes family, and her husband wants to remove her feeding

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1111094015043893192005-03-17T15:09:00.000-06:002005-03-17T15:13:35.046-06:00

This stinks. Many Subway stores nationwide are discontinuing their "sticker" program... it was a real simple program. You get one sticker for every six-inch sandwich, two stickers for a foot long. Get eight stickers and trade them in for a free six-inch sandwich when you purchase a drink.Subway has to now discontinue this program because some idiots are making counterfeit subway stickers and

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1110988067787951412005-03-16T09:45:00.000-06:002005-03-16T09:48:43.963-06:00

Okay, so at work we've gotten new pop machines in. (I say "pop" because I'm in Kansas City. If I was in the south, I'd say "coke" machines and if I was in Michigan, I'd say "soda machines".)Anyway, these stupid things have a robotic arm that go up to the stack of drinks, capture a drink when it is ejected, and then lower it to a dispension tray. Problem is, they work about 1/3 of the time so it

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1110901092455009842005-03-15T09:30:00.000-06:002005-03-15T09:38:12.456-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/diet.fitness/03/14/rural.obesity.ap/index.htmlcnn.com (the Communist News Network) reported today that rural kids are more obese than city kids. To back this up, they chose a town in Pennsylvania.Is Pennsylvania "rural" ?? they got two pro football teams, two pro base ball teams... hey, why not check out Nebraska or Wyoming or North Dakota for what's happening in

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1110839890706575802005-03-14T16:35:00.000-06:002005-03-14T16:38:10.706-06:00

For those of you who do not travel, DFW means "Dallas-Fort Worth Airport"I've travelled through this airport six times in the last month, and each time it has taken a minimum of 30 minutes to wait for some other stupid airplane to pull out of the gate so we can pull in.Like they didn't know we were coming.Nothing worse than a plane full of people who gotta pee because they had fourteen Dr.

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11342227.post-1110838626889816262005-03-13T16:06:00.000-06:002005-03-14T16:17:06.893-06:00

So I started up a blog because, hey, everyone else has a blog right? And before I can really enter anything, I have to leave to Abilene, Texas for my grandmother's funeral. She was a great lady, that's for sure! Inez Carpenter.This was really an "expected" funeral--whatever that means. She had been in assisted living for some time and had been suffering from dementia for a while as well. Of

Paul McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02828543002128557210noreply@blogger.com0