THE HOLIDAY CHALLENGE!

Our local YMCA set up a program prior to Thanksgiving wherein the participants put up $20 cash and then you weighed in.  This weight was recovered and held with your $20.  You would weigh in again during the first week of January.  Those who did not gain weight would get their $20 back.  Those who gained weight would lose their $20. Then all those who actually lost weight would share the funds taken from the "gainers".

Well, all during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years season, we struggled to not gain weight.  On the last weigh in, The Bride had lost 4 lbs during this period and I lost only one lb.  Anyhow, we were excited about "cashing in" until the pay-off came. Besides getting our $20 back, we each got an additional $4.50! Oh Well, I guess it does not pay to compete with a bunch of exercise freaks!

The average person gains 7 lbs during this period, so I guess we can at least be proud not to have gained. The Bride was so disappointed that I gave her my hard earned $24.50 cause she did a really good job of losing 4 lbs instead of gaining 7 lbs.

Maybe next year, I will set this program up with the local American Legion Post. These guys just love the Holiday Season cause it gives them excuses to increase their booze intake and they love to snack and drink while telling "war stories"!  I might just win myself some big bucks from them!

Well, that's it for now!  Peace Y'all!

DEER SEASON IS OVER!

Yep, I just got back from Comanche, TX, where I am on a deer lease.  This was the last day of the season and the Deer WON! This is the worst season we have ever had. The weather was lousey.  For example, the temperature Sat morning was 22 degrees and that afternoon it was 85! We went from freezing to sweating in about 8 hours. This kind of weather confuses the deer as well and they do not follow normal habits. Of course, they don't read the books were write about them either so I figure they must be emotional wrecks by now when the weather does not cooperate.

Totally, 15 members should harvest 45 deer in a season to keep the herd in balance so they do not starve from over grazed land and we only took about 9 to my knowledge. I only took one deer (a 9 point buck) whereas I normally get my limit (3) and help other members get their quota.

Oh well, there is always next year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!......and Peace Ya'll!  May this be the best year ever!

BLOG! BLOG! BLOG! UPDATE- JUSTBOB: CHRISTMAS & ETC./SANTA IS TIRED/ALSO GRAND PARENTS/OH WELL, HERE'S THE STORY: 

Christmas this year did not start until noon versus the usual or unusal eary morning wake up when I might be feeling "frisky" or something (you know what I mean if you are 9 years or older) but, unlike you young bucks & stags out there in cyber "sexland" we old folks sometimes forget what we are doing in the middle of this private activity.  A "gasp or a moan" might cause the Bride to ask, "Did I hurt you?"  Hehehe, she's gonna kill me when she reads this, but, "What the Heck, I might be close to death anyhow!"  JustKids, Y'all cover your eyes & don't read this just yet as she ain't closed the coffin on me just now.

Anyhow, let's get out of the closet and talk about the everyday world & the Holiday Season (Y'all note that I say, "Holiday" versus "Christmas" cause it just ain't right to upset a heathen or non-believer about this birthday celebration by naming the guy for which we celebrate the "holiday" for, is it?"  Well, I wonder how much fuss would be made if we did not get off from work to "celebrate" a NO-NAME or JOHN-DOE holiday?  Recon the Union would be taking Jesus into Court cause his Celebration caused the workers (you & me)  to have to work a day or two longer? Jesus Christ!  The postal workers might go balistic and who knows what will happen to our economy because of the gifts that would not be exchanged. 

The "Brown" might stain their................Oh Well, Enough Said! We all got our views, don't we?  That was not a "RANT" as some of us describe our "Clearing The Air Views", but it was a position that I felt should be expressed. OK?

Back to Christmas at JustBob's House goes like this:

We ate first as everyone was starving except the little kids (grandchildren) as the purpose of this mission was to see what Santa & Grand Parents had to contribute to their self satisfaction and instant gratification on this mosty Holy Day which is dedicated to making them "Holy Happy" and who gets the  "finger" for a less than perfect mind reading gift of their choice.

Next, came the ,"too much to know " or "let's not go there" segment of any get-together.  First, I did not need to see my 16 Yr Old GrandKid's Bra, nor did The Bride have to put a "Thong" (Non-Shoe Type) on her "Head" instead of on my, "Crotch"!  Ain't that's the place it is supposed to go? Well, the last time I wore a "Thong" it was slippers or shoe things to keep your feet from burning on hot pavement as you crossed the road to the beach in Wilmington, NC.  Then Jesse (5yr old) tooted, and when asked, "What do you say?", He thought a moment and said, "I guess I FARTED!".... That's when we guys should have said, "GOOD ONE", but their was not a courageous voice in the house.

WE INTERRUPT THIS MESSAGE TO SAY:  Merry Christmas to Twiddle & all you other fine folks in Xanga Land!  You guys are really special even though I have not kept up with all the "goings on" too much lately.  I am busy now, but I really do miss our interchange and chats . I need to be better in 2006! 

BACK TO CHRISTMAS...Story No 1 or Whatever:

Jesse (our little Farter) and Marylin got tents (small camp out in back yard type) as one of their gifts and they were  standout gifts destroyed within 30 minutes of "play" (Attack & Raid Plays, must be from some game X-Box evil deamons or something possessed by the Devil) as they were destroyed and kids crying soon after.

Margie & Hubbard (Would you really believe this nice young man's name is Michael or Mike, for short; instead of "Hub" for short?  Oh Well, he is a fine young (or getting older) man who makes my first born a "happy woman" (and that is hard to do for any man, much less  for a Vogels' sired woman, so I salute him) but he has a mission in life.  That is to keep the two of them happy and on an adventure.  It's a forts trail vacation or something like that eating as the early settlers do, etc. Anyhow, I support this effort as she is a special person in my life....if you could only see her when she was about 3 to 5 she would melt your heart without speaking. I think Hub still sees that today!

We missed her at Christmas as it is the first time in our lives that she was not with us on Christmas Morning.  That's Sad, but young people need to be allowed to grow and do their own thing.  I left home in 1957 once I graduated from High School and never went back, not that I did not care, but because I needed to do my own thing and take care of a new family.   Margie & Hubbard, have a wonderful  Christmas Season  & enjoy this first time to be alone together.  It's the most important time you can take for yourselves, so enjoy it to the fullest!  We might miss you, but we support you!

Now, you guys can see why I don't Blog  much anymore.  I get too long winded. Just to keep things in perspective, you do not say, excuse me, but "I farted" & tents are made for instant destruction, and Hub is actually Michael Hubbard aka "Hub" as in Margie's husband, Michael, ..........we love you kids!

Got To Go Now:  I'm tired, but happy to have this "CHRISTMAS" holiday season drawing to a close. PEACE Y'ALL!  You are all very special,,,Remember that, OK?

JustBob

JustBob Update:

Yep, I've been hunting (oops!, I mean harvesting deer) and I know some of you do not believe in this sort of activity so I will be less than descriptive about the event.

First, I took a 9 point Buck, then a medium Doe, then a wild Turkey Gobbler.....Then I just cooled it and watched from my deer blind.  Saw lots of Bucks in rutt (that means feeling frisky and looking for Does) but it was still considered a little slow for the first 10 days of deer season in TX because the temperature was in the high 80's to low 90's when it should be near freezing this time of year.

I have deer being processed at the local meat market and should bring home about 100 lbs of sausage, steaks, burger, etc. on my next trip which is scheduled for Thanks Giving Weekend. Perhaps I will have it in time to give Just Margie venison for her Fort trip. She wants to cook there in the style of the early settlers and that should include venison as it was a staple in their diets.  In fact, the early settlers ate it year round and did not adhere to a deer season as we have to do today.

Let's see what else have I been doing?  The YMCA, of course, as we work out five days per week. Our new construction is finished and we have a wonderful new center now.  Lots of new work out equipment.  Lots of space.  Lots of room to grow! We are just loving it, although I have to admit that I am a little sore as I write this as the 10 days hunts did not include "working out" and pumping iron kicked my butt after laying off that long.

We had our Seniors Luncheon this week in the new facility instead of a member's home. Since there was so much food, we invited the staff to make plates for their lunch as well. We had some good groceries!  Some of those old folks really know some great recipes.  For example, have you ever had "Black Eye Pea-Burger Meat Corn Bread"????  Interestingly enough, this was made by a Vegetarian who loves it since the burger meat is not strongly evident because of the corn, blackeye peas, and bread.  It was really good. Too bad I did not have venison burger to lace that sucker with!

Our weather is great here in Grand Prairie, TX.  It has finally cooled off some and we even had a near freeze this week. Mostly, it is in the low 70's now and 40's at night.  We still need rain and I had to water today as we are way behind in year-to-date inches. I have praying for a freeze prior to hunting with my grandson, Jackson, so the deer will be moving and perhaps he will harvest his first!

Well, I must run as I still have to write our YMCA monthly newsletter this weekend. Don't know how I got rooked into that, but I did. Oh Well, it is kinda fun and not too big a deal!

Peace Y'all! ...and enjoy the Season!

JustBob

IT'S ABOUT TIME I POSTED!

Yep, I can't believe how long it has been since I have been on our blog site.  Ain't been no where else except pumping iron at our local YMCA and watching all the hot chicks sweat & jiggle. I was corrected the other day when I was told that TX Gals don't sweat.....They just Glisten!!!!  Oh well, I'd say that they are at least "moist" if you know what I mean.

What's Happening?  Well, a high light was meeting some of my fellow bloggers at the Texas State Fair.  The Bride and he group from our local YMCA do some line dancing and they were asked to perform in the Cotton Bowl where the Senior Community was introducing TEXERCISE Dallas which is a campaign to get older citizens more active for health reasons.  Well, they about killed half of us old "farts" in the 90 degree heat out there, but they had good intentions anyhow.

Just-Margie, one of my baby girls, came out with Heather (her friend and fellow blogger), Twiddle & his wife (also bloggers) and "all the way from Kansas, Lucky Stars", who is my heart throb!  She gave me a hug and I just went "blank" after that!! I don't think that I had died and gone to Heaven, but it was very close. I could not believe how big Twiddle was, but Lucky Stars was everything and more than I expected.  OK, enough of this, I will survive, but it was a special pleasure meeting all of these Xanga friends.

My Birthday fell on the day our YMCA had their Grand Opening of the new 3.8 Million dollar expansion and I, of course, assumed they staged this day in honor of my Birthday which was October 17th.  I arrived early with a dozen pens and photographs to hand out to my admirers, but no one asked for a single one.

After that, I went to the Senior Center for a Flu Shot!  That was fun, but not as much fun as the Chinese Restaurant I went to following the shot. They give you a free meal on your Birthday, but the Bride invited my youngest daughter and her children to join us. Thus, my "free meal" barely covered the tip.

To top it off, I bit down on a bone and broke a tooth. I ingested the broken part and feared it would cause damage at the exit, but I was lucky there.  However, I was not so lucky when the repair of said tooth came to $958.00 without insurance.  Additionally, it took an hour plus of grinding to insure I had enough pain to appreciate the price. Oh well, you can't take it with you because it will burn up.

After that, the lights in our kitchen failed and things just sort of went downhill from there. Enough said! Just-Ben, next year I request that you celebrate for the two of us (being identical twins) as I don't think I can handle another. Perhaps, we are just not birthday kind of people! 

Anyhow, Deer Season is upon us and it is my duty as a US Citizen, Veteran, Senior Citizen, and "Provider of Food" to go into the wilds and "harvest" game for our nourishment and health during the coming year. Yep, I am just days away from escaping to the "Woods" to participate in the greatest sport known to man......."Drinking Hard & Sleeping In, while dreaming about the big deer we is gonna shoot!".  Hopefully, I will have a better year than last when I gave away the three I shot expecting to put two more on the table.  Rain and mud ended my hopes for the rest of that season. I never got a scope on another animal.

It's time to bid you farewell, so I say Peace Y'all & Sleep Well!

JustBob, ......and nothing more!