Sgt Courtney Gale takes another step!

For all those that have been watching, asking, holding their breath and praying for our friend Courtney.... You will be happy to know that she is being released today from the Shepard center in Atl !

Thank you all for the well wishes, etc.... She still has a long road to recovery but this huge step is only proof of how strong she is.

The following is in the paper this morning:

An Athens-Clarke police officers is due to be released from an Atlanta rehabilitation hospital today, more than two months after she was nearly stabbed to death while working a private security job off duty.

Courtney Gale's planned discharge from the Shepherd Center is a milestone in the 31-year-old officer's recovery, said her mother, Linda Gale.

"She won't be in need of nursing care any more, but she will still be doing five days of physical, occupational and cognitive therapy," Linda Gale said.

Courtney Gale was working at the Alps Road Kroger store Dec. 11 when a man with a history of mental illness stabbed her a dozen times.

Gale will live in an apartment in Decatur while in outpatient rehab, her mother said.

Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 022908

Saying Goodbye...

A special hug goes out to my Grammie who lost another brother-in-law this week. Uncle Fog was an interesting man and although I only saw him a few times during my life, he will still be missed.

Popey has gone through all his testing and they will now reschedule his heart surgery for sometime in the next couple of weeks.....

Here are some old photos of the Aunts and Uncles that we have lost throughout the last several years....

Q and Z take on Filming Projects!

Zman came to us the other day and asked if he could use the video camera. After we discussed what he would do with it and why he wanted to use it we decided to let him. Yesterday I locked my keys in my car (yea, I know.... roll your eyes a bit more at me..) Scott had to come get me and the boys and I did a little trikking after I finished work.

On the way home I swung into CVS and picked them each up a HI8 tape so they would have their own and then came home to show them how to work the camera. Of course Scott located the camera but not the camera bag and we could not find the charger. They wanted to get started filming so they had to run up to grandpa's and get his charger. The battery on the video camera is shot but they are having a good time filming and playing around!

I have today off but I really have to clean and pick up the house a bit.... The boys are done with schoolwork and now have to read and then do "chores" that we have now instituted..... They want to save for a couple things and maybe this will be a way to get them to pick up and also save money for what they want.

Will be working Thursday and Friday and maybe Sat morning and then we are off to M's house to do some trikking and hang out with him.... I am excited about the weekend; Scott's wrist is better thankfully...

Check in May???

Ok People... Listen up! Here is the deal..... The only way you can get "Free" (that is not so free) Money in May is to file a return! So........ If you know anyone that is retired or disabled or is on SSI and does not file a return make them do it... Our company will charge you $35 to do your return for you or someone you know........ YOU MUST file your taxes in order to recieve your May rebate.

For those of us that do a return somehow we have to pay it back or it is an "advance" on next year's taxes. For those that don't normally file a return this is, in fact, "free money".......

"Normally, certain Social Security payments are not subject to income tax. However, the economic stimulus law passed in February contains a special provision allowing Social Security recipients to count those benefits toward the qualifying income requirement of $3,000 and thereby qualify for the stimulus payment.
For purposes of meeting the qualifying income requirement, the following benefit needs to be reported in any combination on Line 20a of Form 1040 or Line 14a of the Form 1040A.
Social Security benefits reported on the 2007 Form 1099-SSA, which people would have received in January 2008. People who do not have a Form 1099 may estimate their annual Social Security benefit by taking their monthly benefit, multiplying it by the number of months during the year they received the benefits, and entering the number on Line 20a of Form 1040 or Line 14a of the Form 1040A"

Boys and Grandpa take their test

The boys and Grandpa took their belt test tonight.

I took like a thousand shots with the new camera... I was very happy at how well the three of them did and that I was able to get so many great shots of them.

I could not decide what photos to use so here is a smattering of shots of the three of them.


I love the photo of Zman before his test chatting it up with all his friends. He blew me a million kisses while waiting for everyone to test.... Isn't he cute???

Of course I love this photo of Qman... I have about 4 of them, he was making faces at me and I was snapping away... then he started laughing... He is just something..

Did not get any Trikking in today... I jumped on quick at the office but did not have much time. I have Wed off so I plan on going after the kids get done with school work and then again when Scott gets home if he feels better.
Dad Looked good taking his test. It was fun to see how well he is doing and how far the boys have come since they began. I noticed some pretty good kicks and punches and they were a lot less confused about the commands than they have been in the past.

Making Memories......

In between Trikking today we hung out at Mr.X and Pam's house......

Zman was just jone'n to play with his "Alien Maker" which, I have to admit was very fun and cool to do... It was easy, did not make a lot of mess and everyone played around with it.... Just my type of family toy!

Shazz and Sin fooled around on puters and I joined in on a WOW run... signing on for the first time in months! It was great fun and I got to talk to several people that I had missed....

The boys played with the alien maker and then Zman and I went out trikking again... We had dinner and watched a movie while the boys hung out downstairs playing on puters.....

Scott is sore from his fall, I am just sore... :(:( I am making the Trikke go more and more and the boys are getting the hang of it too..... Practice and not getting frustrated is what we are trying to get across to them!

Trikke Fever.....

We have Trikke fever... No doubt about it.... Planning a trip to Atl to Trikke with Mark next weekend and go to the staff meeting.....!!!!

We sure did have fun trikking this afternoon..... UNTIL....... oops.... seems S's front bolts were not tight and he took a nasty spill....... (would show you photo but was asked not to.... :):)

Zman and I went back out to trikke this afternoon after M. left.... We had fun and I left my Trikke down at the office so that I could maybe catch a few laps around the driveway tomorrow!


Zman has really been something... wanting to do it over and over.... Makes me really wish we lived on a road he could just do it on or had a driveway we could fool around on while we are learning.... It is really good for him (and all of us) and I have been impressed how his "need for speed" has taken over his fear and he really is getting the hang of it!

New Camera!

More Zman Birthday "day" and "night" photos.......









So, in an effort to capture some of the great shots that I know I can take.... I was fooling around with my camera and got some really good photos.....

Just needed to share....

Also..... Here are a couple from the rest of our Saturday!

Happy Birthday Cousin!

A shout goes out to my cousin who is someplace in Florida (out of the snow and cold) visiting E's mom and family and Aunt J and D who are vacationing down there!!!

Just remember Cousin, you will ALWAYS be older!

Zman Turns 7.. Birthweek now over!!!

Zman celebrated the last of his birth week with a great party at Grandpa's house!

All of our company arrived Saturday afternoon in time for Cake, Cookie cake, and ice cream with lots of laughter and some great gifts!

Shazz and Sin came in on Friday night and M. arrived with Trikke in tow from A. The S's rounded out our family gathering with PopPop, MiMi, JB, Mr.X and Pam..... It was a great crew and we had a great time.


Prior to the cake everyone had their chance to win (a fictisious) 10K from Mr. X by shooting an arrow into a tin can (that at one time almost stood atop Zman's head!)... Mr. X did not have to pay anyone as he was the winner......

After cake came plenty of RockBand, pizza and the girls retired up to my bedroom to try Henna out on each other (which did not work on two of us and caused skin rash on the other two...) While the guys watched, what seemed to be, a very stupid movie and the kids played on computers and in the boys room......


All-in-all a very fun day and night and one more "making memories" event.... Our only sad part of the day was the missing of Mom who is still in CT with Grammie and Popey.....

Trikke in Spring!!!! Spring is almost here!

Thanks to dad for passing along some great shots of our spring that is almost here!

Mega Millions Baby!!!!!! Can't wait for the warmer weather to arrive so that we can trikke in the warmth... The cold was a bit much today but we toughed it out.... Of course it could be worse, we could be with Mom and Grammie in a foot of snow that fell today!!!

Cold and Wet but Trikking must go on!

Yes, it was 40 degrees, overcast and pouring all morning but eventually the clouds broke and everyone met at my office to try our Trikkes for the first time!

Enjoy the photos, we had a great first day and Zman won the most enthusiastic award today for wanting to do it longer and more than everyone else......

Planning on fooling around on the every day until we actually get good at it and then eventually trucking down to Mark's place for some time on the trail.....

Knuckletouch Band Goes All the Way!

The Great, World renowned RockBand Group went all the way last night with a great 8 song set that finished them top of the charts!

Mr. X, Scott and I played our 8 song set, finishing about 8:30pm and opening our 58 song set that we plan on doing sometime soon!!!!

Of course our groupie Pamela watched and cheered us on with the boys hanging out as well!

ROCKBAND Group Knuckeltouch was started and named by Zman and we have had a great time opening songs and playing as a group!!!

Getting on Your Own Trikke for the First time

Zman is a bit unstable but Q looks like a natural! Fun in the living room, can't imagine what it is going to be like outside.....

Mine and the boys are done.. (almost) Now time to work on the Daddy of them.... the t12 which is Scott's......

We need Mark to come and adjust with us.... Pray for sun tomorrow so we can fool around on them!!!
While we are working on the trikkes the boys decided to build a little target dummy.......

How funny they are when they work together building things!
And last but not least..... Scott's trikke is done and ready to hit the road.... Of course it is pouring out and 11pm but oh well... if we had lights I am sure we would have already hit the road!!!!