Favorite Quote of the day

"Just because you're better than me doesn't mean you can be all superior."

Busy day today. I have to do some computer workage. Then I have to unload a little pellet stove and get it upstairs (only weighs about 250 pounds) and try to install a screen/storm door. All before 6pm tonight when I have an engagement w/ some nerdly guys to play games but all the people I know are probably bailing on it. Cool huh?

But, Forrest has started school this week and is doing well.

Although, I'm worried about his hearing as well as vision. He might be color blind and seems to have poor vision in one eye (his left). He also failed a hearing test on one of his ears.


As distasteful as it is, due to the increase in medical premiums putting normal private insurance out of our grasp, we put the kids on CHIP/Medicaid. Interestingly enough, we only have to earn another $18k more before we don't qualify anymore. I don't see that as being a danger anytime soon. The good news for the kids is that they will be able to get better care now. Ironically enough, it's harder to get kids vaccinated if they have private insurance. I took Titus in a couple months ago to the local clinic to get vaccinated. They told us that they couldn't vaccinate Titus because we had private insurance. Sad huh?

weary

just keeping my head down and trudging along. these are the best years of my life so i am told.

sigh. where is a midget when you need one?

first post from my phone. we will see if it works or disappears into the annals of history that never was and never will be.

Taking Chance

I'm 35 minutes into this movie and my eyes have emitted more saline laced fluid during that time than in all of the past year.

If you ever watch this movie, make sure you can do it in one sitting in peace.

Fascinating

I was informed by my boss that there was a report/comment (not sure if plural) made that I wasn't at my desk enough. I didn't realize that I had to spend a certain percentage of time @ my desk. I work in the datacenter, the lab, with users, and occasionally take lunch and <gasp> visit the restroom.


What on earth do you do with a comment like that? My boss is happy with me, but apparently somebody higher up isn't? I need to go watch Office Space again.

Favorite quote of the day

"Man up Fargo"


I can see using this on my kids when they're crying. And my wife using it on me when I'm whining.

Life in the Grant Ballard house

Soooo, what's been going on here recently? Well, last week we took the first vacation of the year to go visit my parents. My brother Forrest was visiting with his family and I needed some mechanical help so it seemed an opportune moment. Since we had to take two vehicles, for once space wasn't a problemn. Although spending money on gas for 600 miles of travel is very distasteful. So, we embarked on the 150 mile trip to Fairfield. With road construction in Boise and in Elmore county and a lunch stop in Mt. Home, it only took four hours. Four hours. argh! Thankfully, when we got there Forrest and his wife graciously gave us two of the three bedrooms available. But Rebekah still had to sleep with the girls which wouldn't have been so bad, but Liberty woke up every few hours screaming for some odd reason. So, needless to say between that and the babies, Rebekah didn't get a lot of sleep. So, we cut our trip short and headed home on Saturday afternoon. We made it to the Gaskill reunion which will be the absolute last thing of that type we do until our children are much older.

As far as I am concerned, my big focus is on becoming less of a big fat slug. Blood tests showed that I was 60% slug and well on my way to becoming king of slugville (yes, it's a real city. It's 5 miles from Richfield). So, since I don't have any time I have parlayed (I like that word) my lunch hour into a frantic workout session at a gym. So far it's been good. I think i'm down to 59% slug easily. maybe even 58%.

Well, since our health care premiums went up so much we're not sure what to do. I think we qualify for government assistance, but that sticks in my craw. I'm trying to decide which is more important: my conservative principals or my children's health. In health related news, we took the babies to Caldwell to get immunized. A couple days and bad fevers later, they're doing well. Trinity is playing with some toys (the first time ever) and Clell is doing great. Both of them are doing fine on the growth chart.

The girls, well, are girls. screechy, whiny, cute, and adorable. All at the same time.

The boys are doing well. Forrest is excited to start school w/ the Idaho Virtual Academy. titus feels a bit left out. Titus really wants to go visit Grandpa again. It's about all he talks about sometimes. As Rebekah and I were heading back from the Dr. on thursday we went through Parma and saw they were having a double header of the Transformers. I'm pretty lazy (see slug in the dictionary) and thought that I should take Forrest. But I hate to leave Titus out. So, we went on the coldest night of the summer I think. But it went well.

Sooo, long boring blog post but I figured I should do something. I'm not sure if there's anybody who reads this blog who isn't on facebook anymore. I will keep the blog going but I may start posting the pictures on facebook exclusively. Not sure. But my phone takes pretty good pictures and I can now upload them to facebook easily. Still pondering. In the meantime, stay classy America.

Fairfield Bound

FYI, if anybody is curious Rebekah and I will be heading to Fairfield tomorrow. Oh, and we're bringing the rest of the family too. So, if anybody wants to visit just swing by. Or you could call if you want us to beat the kids into submission first. The girls usually take a nap in the early to mid afternoon. With the babies who knows. Not sure how long we'll be there though so act fast!


BTW, I don't really beat my children but since anything on the Internet can be used against me in the court of public opinion I want everybody to know that only verbal admonishments combined with positive reinforcement are applied to my children.

After our benefits meeting

Sung to the tune of "I feel pretty" from "West Side Story"

I feel bitter,
Oh so bitter,
I feel bitter, and angry, and dour...


Not really. just trying to figure out where to find an extra $120 a month.

I'm not bitter, honest!

So, we get some bad news today. They're raising our insurance premiums a chunk. I think I have an idea how bad it's going to be and it's basically going to put health insurance out of our price range. the thought of not having insurance is pretty scary, but even though insurance covered our babies births we still owe over $5k. I think I'm resigned to having medical bills forever.