Merry Christmas

I want to wish a Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all this year.

I do say Merry Christmas when I talk about this holiday because I was raised that way and it is my right; however I do wish the rest of you who do not believe in saying Merry Christmas a safe and happy holiday.

This time of the year can be and usually is a very stressful time of the year. Money is tight for many families and yet we do all we can to keep the spirit of Christmas alive. We help where we can and give where we can all in the spirit of Christmas. Most important we do what we can to keep the spirit alive in our kids. Our families may stress us out but that is why they are called family:)And besides, the kids love seeing everyone.

This goes out to all those who enjoy Christmas for what it is. It is a time for magic and believing, giving and receiving, and enjoying the little time we have together. It does not matter what you give or receive all that matters is being there together. Whether it is with friends or family, enjoy them all because you never know.

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends, I love you all.

Our Government, the Joke

I must tell you I am disgusted by our government. I know I have wrote about them in the past but I was just reading about them again and decided to vent a little.

So our government can’t settle on this payroll tax cut deal, you know, this deal that will have very little effect on them but a sizeable effect on millions of regular Americans. They could not come to an agreement yet they left on their holiday vacations, go figure. For those of you who think our government is working for us you must be blind. I don’t care if you are democratic or republican, this is a joke.

If you don’t know what the payroll tax cut involves then you should look it up, because it will affect you one way or another. If you work you will pay more taxes, if you are unemployed you will get no extensions, and Medicare payments to doctors would be slashed. But again this does not affect the one who are making the decisions.

I said this before and I will say it again, our government is a joke, they are supposed to be by the people for the people but all they seem to care about is which side they are on democrats or republicans. It does not matter who the president is because the other side will do everything they can to make him look bad. The other powers in the world must be laughing at us, as they should, we keep putting the same people in office and we just go along with what they say. I think they believe that if they agree on anything the world will come to an end.

Again they are home for the holidays with the job not done while millions of families like mine are struggling to make Christmas great for our kids. Why do they get to take the time off when they can’t get things accomplished? If we did that we would be unemployed!!! When was the last time they took a pay cut, or a slash in benefits? Millions of us have had to do that, and yet we work through the holidays and do what we can to survive and keep our kids blind to what is really going on, all the while they get to go home enjoy the holiday, and still get paid without finishing the job.

In my opinion we all need to write our government and let them know that we are pissed!! I know they have high paid tekies that will probably read this and I hope they pass it along. I hope the powers that be read this and many others just like it and realize that they need to change. I am proud to be an American, but our government right now is a joke. Stop fighting among party lines and actually do something to help our country!!! We deserve and expect that. At least that is my opinion.

White Christmas

Not everyone in this country likes snow or even sees snow, but here in Michigan we expect snow. And right now I would guess that most of us are asking for some.

The Christmas songs, the Christmas specials all seem to have snow involved, so why would anyone not want a white Christmas. Ok, it you don’t celebrate Christmas then you don’t care, but my family and friends want a white Christmas. Right now it is raining, in the middle of December it is raining!! We don’t want rain we want snow.

Now when I say we want snow I don’t mean we want a blizzard or anything stupid like that, just a few inches will do. My dad, TJ and I have already had the 12 plus inches at deer camp so we know better than to ask for too much. If you don’t want snow for Christmas then you must live down south in one of the states that gets none. Not that you wouldn’t like a white Christmas but a lot of you down in those states have never seen a white Christmas and a lot never will.

It is my opinion that we should always

have some snow for Christmas because it just adds that little something extra. Snow makes spending time with family in the warmth of the house fell so right. I don’t know what it is that makes Christmas just a little better with a little snow but I know I am not afraid to ask for it. I will be asking God, Mother Nature, Mother Earth or whoever I need to ask, I just want a little snow for the holiday. So if you are like me then help me wish a blanket of snow to cover our beautiful state this Christmas. But be warned, a little could end up a lot, we are in Michigan.

Ear tubes

I know many of you have had tubes in your ears or your kids have had them, but have you had to get them removed because they would not fall out? Well that’s what we had to do with Jayden Grace.

The tubes were put in when she was 15 months old and one fell out a long time ago. However the one in her right ear just did not want to come out and it ended up getting a growth over it so we had to take her in. Getting the tubes in was an easy task; in fact we talk about how cute she was in her gown and diaper. Getting the tub taken out at the age of 7¾ brings along some strong emotions.

Jayden did pretty well until we got her back in the room where the nurses were, that is where the tears and the worries started. Although she was pretty strong about it she was not are normal Jaydie Grace, and we could see the definite worry on her face. I managed to get some laughs out of her when I put on the gown, booties and the hat they give you. Of course I let Jayden take a picture and let Stacy post it on facebook.

I was able to go back to the operating room with her to help keep her somewhat relaxed. I was there until she went to sleep, and if you have never been there when your child is being put to sleep with the gas, it is a little nerve raking. They warned me that she would start to move around a little just before she went all the way out, but let me tell you it was more than a little moving. It took two nurses and I to hold her while the other kept the mask on her, it was the craziest thing I have seen. I said after words that it was a good thing I went back and not her mom.

Anyway, after just a short wait the doctor came out and told she did great and her ear was pretty goopy but all clear now. The pager went off just a few minutes later and we got to go back to see her. Needless to say she was happy to see us. She told us that she was a little scarred when she woke up and we were not there, but then she started talking about the bubble gum smelling mask she had on and then she was here. She was pretty funny after words.

So things went great and Jayden is doing fine. I know it was just a minor surgery but in my opinion any time your child is being put under anesthesia it gives you reason for concern. I tried not to worry and trust that the doctors know what they are doing but at the same time it is our jobs as parents to worry about our kids. Hopefully we will only have to worry about the small minor surgeries for our kids and not anything big but whatever live brings our kids we will be there to worry because that is our job. However, my job is too hid as much of the worry as possible because I am supposed to be Big Poppa.

Little Stinker

So my dad, TJ and I took our trip to the UP for our hunting trip, and as I have said before we camp in a tent. We had a good trip with lots of snow and some good times. Unfortunately we came home empty handed but we did come home with a fun story.

The first night up there we went into town to get our water and decided to have dinner while we there. TJ did not eat all of his chicken so he brought the rest back to camp and sat it on the cooler. That night a few minutes after dad shut the generator off and came to bed we heard something rustling around. Dad and I had our flashlights out looking all over the inside of the tent but we did not see anything and now we didn’t hear anything either, so we went to sleep.

The next morning, the day before opening day, we were talking about the noise and trying to figure out what it was. I started looking around and I saw some small tracks in the little bit of snow we had but we didn’t know what made them. I then looked and realized that the chicken was gone, Styrofoam and all!! I did find the container in the woods a little bit later by a hole in the ground but thought nothing of it. We just laughed and made jokes about it.

Fast-forward two nights, and again just a few minutes after the generator went off Dad and I heard a noise again. This time I seen the door flap to our tent moving and I told dad that something was trying to get in. We got up and smacked the flap and slowly opened it. We saw the critter going into the woods across from out tent and Dad said that it looked like a skunk. So we put some coolers and things on the flap to keep the critter out and went back to bed.

A couple hours later I heard something again but this time I am the only one that heard it. I turn on my flashlight and start shinning around the flap and under the table and then finally by the wood burner. That is when I saw it, the little stinker was in out tent!!! I said “oh s#$t its in our tent!” Needless to say dad and TJ both woke up and the reaction from TJ was priceless, I thought he might have pissed himself.

So anyway here we were, three grown men afraid to make any sudden moves because we did not want to get sprayed. I don’t know how it got in but it could not get out. After a few minutes TJ slipped out under the tent and went around to open the door and with some careful noises to scare the skunk he finally went out. The next day we put a rock on its hole and then it snowed about a foot so we did not see it again.

It is my opinion that when on a hunting trip or camping of any kind, don’t leave food out to call in nature. We escaped a what could have been a very bad, very stinky situation and now we are laughing about it.

Black Friday

This whole black Friday thing makes people stupid. I will never understand what makes a person take time away from their families to go wait in line at a store for something that you can probably find on line or will be on sale again in a week or two.

We were on our way home from my sister’s house on Thanksgiving night and I was amazed at how many cars were at Walmart. Every one we passed was full. That had me talking and going on about what I was calling dumb ass people. The kicker came when I got off the freeway in Howell by the outlets where bunches more of them people were. As I came around the curve onto 59 a car pulled out in front of me just to get in line before me. Not only did they pull out in front of me, they stopped in the middle of the road. Needless to say I was not going to the outlets and I was slightly P. Oed. about it and as I sat with my front end next to the side of his car waiting, my horn never stopped and of course my finger slipped up.

So now with me going off about these dump ass people again and getting my wife laughing at me, we drove by Target. At this time it was about 10:30p and Target did not open until midnight and people were lined up waiting to get in. This is when I really was calling these people dumb asses. I thought Thanksgiving was about spending time with our families and being thankful for what we have, not going out and waiting in lines to get in the store.

Now I am sorry if you are one of these people and you take offence to this but remember this is my opinion, and yes I would call you a dumb ass to your face. That does not mean I don’t like you it just means for this one day you are a dumb ass. I get the wanting to save a few dollars but I don’t get taking time from the family to do it. Seriously if you look at the stuff you are buying you will be able to find it latter at the same price and it is probable crap in the first place. I do get a kick out of the ones that feel it necessary to get into a fight over some stupid product that will be on sale again later.

Anyway, even after working retail for 17 years I don’t understand the mad rush right after Thanksgiving. I can live with the Friday sales but going out on Thanksgiving or in some cases before, to wait in a line to buy something will never make any since at all to me. Enjoy the holiday and your families, there is plenty of time to shop the rest of the year.

Deer Camp

On Saturday we will be heading up to deer camp, the old school deer camp, the camp that actually involves a tent and camping, the deer camp that has a family history of four generations. And yes the deer camp where we actually go out and hunt.

Deer camp may not be for everyone and it has a different meaning for some, but for my family it is a family tradition that started way back with my Great Grandpa. The thing about our deer camp is that it is in the North West side of the Upper Peninsula and it is in a tent. I have heard the stories of the guys waiting in line for the fairy to get to the U.P. before the bridge was there. I have also heard a ton of stories about a ton of snow and a ton of deer and a ton of B.S., but for the last 20 plus years I have been making and telling my own stories.

When I started going way back when, I went with my Grandpa, Dad, cousins and a couple of Great Uncles. I did not have the pleasure of going up with my Great Grandpa but by the stories told he was a fun man to go with. The last time my grandpa went was about 6 or 7 years ago, when he was 84 or 85 years old. That particular year it was me, my dad Dave, Grandpa Swann, Uncle Harold, Mark and TJ. Mark and Harold went for another year or two after that but now it’s just my dad, TJ, and me. I could go on for hours about all the stories from just the years I have been going but that is for another day.

My Gramps passed away earlier this year at the young age of 91, but he left us with some letters he had been writing for years. Most were about my Grandma but one was about hunting. My cousin Shawn and I read some of these letters at his funeral and I got to read the one about hunting. Gramps says “people don’t know what hunting is about…going to the big ranches having someone put in the spot and you get to pick the biggest buck to shoot is not hunting. Even down in southern Michigan it’s not hunting…. Go up into the big woods of the U.P. and stay in a tent, sleep on the ground in the hay and actually have to hunt for the deer is hunting.” And I will agree with him 100%. But for me it is not just about the deer.

For me it is the drive up, the setting up the tent and cutting the wood and then spending hours out in the middle of nowhere. There are other hunters up there but we don’t see them very often in the woods. You could go for miles and see some amazing things, like a beaver dam that stretches some 200 yard, or a big old porcupine, or a wood pecker that is about a foot tall, etc. We do kill some deer some times, even though I am in a long drought right now but at least I have killed deer up there, which is more then I can so for my Dad. He has been going for 40 plus years and never killed a deer, not for lack of effort but for the lack of luck. Maybe this will be his year.

Whether we bring any deer back or not this trip is something that I hope I can make for many more years. It is my opinion that until you go up and set up camp and walk the big woods on your own, you have not been deer hunting in a true deer camp. Anyway you go I will say good luck to all the hunters this year and be safe.