tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165109792024-03-13T14:28:46.874-05:00Kemp's BlogRants, raves, tirades and calm reflections from a father of twins...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger387125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-24236069010259535882009-07-10T11:07:00.001-05:002009-07-10T11:08:58.392-05:00It's (still) coming<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKemp%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I am still planning on a return to blogging… it’s just I haven’t had anything pop into my head that I would consider suitable enough for my first return post.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But I, along with The Wife, are taking the <i>Gemelas</i> to see the Jonas Brothers in concert tomorrow.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If that doesn’t give me fodder for writing, I don’t know what will…</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-9770341570244381072009-07-02T10:58:00.000-05:002009-07-02T10:59:15.419-05:00Re-launch #42<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKemp%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:.6in .6in .6in .6in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I know I’ve said many times that I had planned on bring this blog back to life, but with the re-design and subsequent re-launch of Draft Day Suit, I decided now was the time to bring back Kemp’s Blog.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No kidding… this time I’m serious… I’m back… for real this time.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-89979972487165001472009-02-02T11:36:00.003-06:002009-02-02T11:51:02.393-06:00I've seen this before... I can't quite place it, but I know it's here... oh yes, I HAVE seen this before. Last Groundhog Day... and the Groundhog Day before that... and the, well you get the idea.<br /><br />As I gird up for getting back into this blogging business, I thought I would take this chance to, once again, re-up my post about Groundhog Day, now with over 2% new material...so enjoy.<br /><br />Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, so that means six more weeks of winter. My question is this: considering the winter most of us have had this year (25 more inches of snow here in Chicagoland than last year), if the groundhog was to meet an "unfortunate" accident, would that cancel-out his prediction? It's something to think about...<br /><br />To help you get through the horrible news of more winter, and thus the horrible news of our new house being pushed further back, I’ve put together some random Groundhog Day trivia/Q&A/useless knowledge tidbits. Enjoy...<br /><br />TRIVIA!<br />-The groundhog is also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax) and is a member of the squirrel family eating such things as dandelions, clovers and various grasses.<br />- Did you know? That the first Groundhog Day was observed in Punxsutawney, PA in 1887.<br /><br /><div align="center">TOP 10 GROUNDHOG DAY MOVIES</div>10 - Groundhog Day<br />09 - Groundhog Day<br />08 - Groundhog Day<br />07 - Groundhog Day<br />06 - Groundhog Day<br />05 - Groundhog Day<br />04 - Groundhog Day<br />03 - Groundhog Day<br />02 - Groundhog Day<br />01 - Groundhog Day<br /><br />Nice list huh? What do you expect with what I have to work with?<br /><br /><div align="center">TOP 10 REASONS TO CELEBRATE GROUNDHOG DAY</div><div align="left">10 - It's on nearly every calendar</div><div align="left">09 - It helps relieve Cabin Fever</div><div align="left">08 - Spring or not, it's still six weeks till <a href="http://www.theminx.com/iss3vol2/sturho.htm">St. Urho's Day</a></div><div align="left">07 - It takes something to get over your possible post-Super Bowl letdown</div><div align="left">06 - At least one of them critters is bound to see things your way</div><div align="left">05 - Valentine's Day is just too damn depressing for nerds</div><div align="left">04 - Unlike the Easter Bunny, he keeps his dirty paws outside</div><div align="left">03 - Facebook's Groundhog Day application (I don't know if actually exists, but wouldn't it be fun if it did?)</div><div align="left">02 - It's fun to say “Punxsutawney”</div><div align="left">01 - If a rodent can bring us an early spring, more power to him</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center">RANDOM GROUNHOG DAY MUSINGS</div><div align="left">Allow me to get political with this next one: Q: What's the difference between Groundhog Day and President Bush's State of the Union Address? A: One is a meaningless ritual wherein we look to a creature of little intelligence to prognosticate for us... the other involves a woodchuck. [rimshot] (Thank you, I'm here all week, try the veal... or the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=16510979">Groundhog</a>)</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center">HEY KEMP, WHAT ELSE HAS HAPPENED ON FEBRUARY 2ND IN WORLD HISTORY?</div><div align="left">1653 - New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) is incorporated.</div><div align="left">1709 - Alexander Selkirk is rescued from a shipwreck on a deserted island. This would inspire the writing of the book "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel 'No Relation to Willem' Defoe.</div><div align="left">1880 - The first electric streetlight is installed in Wabash, Indiana.</div><div align="left">1940 - Frank Sinatra debuts with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra.</div><div align="left">1945 - World War II: US President Franklin D. Roosevelt & British Prime Minister Winston Churchill leave to meet with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference.</div><div align="left">1979 - Sid Vicious dies of a heroin overdose.</div><div align="left"> </div><p align="center">HERE'S A GROUNDHOG DAY DRINKING GAME</p><p align="left">This is a very simple game. Watch the movie “Groundhog's Day” and take a shot for every new ‘day’ that Bill Murray lives again. Especially fun is the multiple slapping scenes. Each slap is obviously another day, so you may have to count the number of slaps, stop the tape and catch up. This all happens when he tries killing himself over and over, and over and over and over and, well, you get the idea. (Hint: By the end of the game, each participant should have done 42 shots. Remember, as with any drinking game... know your limitations)</p><p align="center">THE STORY OF GROUNDHOG DAY</p><p align="left">That pig farmers have never done well in the United States as most Americans prefer beef to pork. Granted, hamburger is an American favorite but, in a little known secret, actually contains no ham whatsoever. The porcine raisers were hopeful to see a significant increase in their business after the health scares about beef and Upton Sinclairs novel “The Jungle”, but most of those benefits had gone to the poultry and fish industries and sales of ham and bacon remained virtually unchanged.Because of this, The National Porcine Association hired a major Madison Avenue advertising firm to boost sales of pork products and they decided on an intensive campaign to saturate magazines, television and radio with ads urging people to eat pork patties. The campaign was given an extra boost when Congress was convinced to designate the second of February as the day when every family would be urged to eat pork sausage. That day would be celebrated nationally, of course, as Ground, Hog, Day.</p><p align="left">To get a real history of the day, click <a href="http://www.stormfax.com/ghogday.htm">HERE</a>.</p><p align="left">Ask yourself this; how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.</p><p align="left">Now, go out there with his new-found treasure trove of trivial goodness and impress your friends, coworkers, significant others, and small furry animals...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-90281159411749426632009-01-28T10:22:00.002-06:002009-01-28T10:25:33.568-06:00I have EVERY intention to start writing more regularly on this blog, but in the meantime, I've entered a contest hosted by the esteemed <a href="http://twitter.com/AnissaMayhew">AnissaMayhew</a> (<a href="http://www.hope4peyton.org/">www.hope4peyton.org</a>).<br /><br />She's giving away an HP All-In-One WIRELESS printer, and I want to win it for my lovely wife, who deserves it for, not only putting up with me for the last 12 years, but for putting up with 2 6 year olds, a demanding job and our new house construction.<br /><br />Want. Want. Want.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-59858962232197407762008-11-04T09:38:00.003-06:002008-11-04T09:47:24.346-06:00GOTV!!!!<marquee><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:180%;">VOTE VOTE <span style="font-size:100%;">OBAMA</span> VOTE VOTE <span style="font-size:100%;">OBAMA</span> VOTE VOTE <span style="font-size:100%;">OBAMA </span>VOTE VOTE <span style="font-size:100%;">OBAMA</span> VOTE VOTE <span style="font-size:100%;">OBAMA</span> VOTE VOTE <span style="font-size:100%;">OBAMA</span> VOTE VOTE</span></span></marquee><br /><br />Most of you already know which way my politics lean (HERE'S A HINT: <a href="http://thebushwhackedleague.blogspot.com/">TBWA</a>) and whom I support in the election (cough cough; <strong><em><u>OBAMA</u></em></strong>, cough cough).<br /><br />While I would hope you would vote for my candidate, I'm a realist and know that not everyone will... and that is fine.<br /><br />But if you don't even vote... then you lose your right to bitch.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-48810329059340006672008-10-22T09:44:00.002-05:002008-10-22T09:45:47.203-05:00And the point is?MillerCoors LLC has ceased production of Zima...<br /><br />And I think I speak for everyone when I ask; did anyone know they still made Zima?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-34768516507510747682008-09-26T16:11:00.001-05:002008-09-26T16:11:30.053-05:00A New Day is DawningAnd I am returning...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-88386353920032828652008-09-11T08:02:00.001-05:002008-09-11T08:02:28.055-05:00We WIll Never Forget...<center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EvP97Z_bvIs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EvP97Z_bvIs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-20682066318573071832008-08-15T15:16:00.002-05:002008-08-15T15:18:29.774-05:00Here we go againThe raping of my childhood continues as it's all but "official" that there is going to be <a href="http://www.themovieblog.com/2007/12/will-smith-to-direct-karate-kid-remake-steven-chow-in-talks">a remake of "The Karate Kid"</a>.<br /><br />Will Smith is set to direct...<br /><br />His son is set to star...<br /><br />My lunch is set to come back up...<br /><br />Won't someone make it stop?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-14856364027301826282008-08-07T08:58:00.003-05:002008-08-07T08:59:19.474-05:00Sometimes the joke writes itselfThis is one of those times...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__aB_cpiivCg/SJr_h1Qa-aI/AAAAAAAAALc/qvSO1ElqBeA/s1600-h/SD.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231774873840974242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__aB_cpiivCg/SJr_h1Qa-aI/AAAAAAAAALc/qvSO1ElqBeA/s400/SD.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Anyone got a joke to go along with the picture?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-69294566531729088202008-07-24T16:50:00.001-05:002008-07-24T16:51:57.052-05:00Want to feel old?The baby on the cover of Nirvana's "Nevermind" album is <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92833535">now 17 years old</a>...<br /><br />Ouch...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-73971786407891579212008-07-15T22:26:00.002-05:002008-07-15T22:35:11.208-05:00Seriously?Entry 1 on my trip with my Dad to the Black Hills of South Dakota. We left Chicago around 1:30 and drove to Iowa and encountered this exchange in Iowa...<br /><br />We're travelling in my Dad's cherry red corvette convertible... My Dad: "So why aren't there any hotel rooms in town tonight?"<br /><br />Motel Employee: "Because it's Tuesday night in Des Moines (Iowa) silly..."<br /><br />Are you kidding me?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-72697669771871346022008-07-10T09:33:00.001-05:002008-07-10T09:33:01.194-05:00Another Music Meme...I wasn’t tagged, but it looked like a cool meme so I thought I would join in… rather than try to r<br />I was born in 1973…and my early influences in music were my parents and my brother… thankfully, my parent’s choice of music at the time didn’t stick with me (Anne Murray? Yikes!) but my brother’s did… The Beatles, and LOTS of it…<br /><br />1973: Paul McCartney & Wings - <i>Band on the Run</i><br /><br />1974: Genesis - <i>The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway</i><br /><br />1975: Fleetwood Mac - <i>Fleetwood Mac</i><br /><br />1976: Stevie Wonder - <i>Songs in the Key of Life</i><br /><br />1977: Fleetwood Mac - <i>Rumours</i><br /><br />1978: Warren Zevon - <i>Excitable Boy</i><br /><br />1979: The Clash - <i>London Calling</i><br /><br />1980: John Lennon & Yoko Ono - <i>Double Fantasy</i><br /><br />1981: Men at Work - <i>Business as Usual</i> <br /><br />1982: Donald Fagen - <i>The Nightfly</i><br /><br />1983: Yes – <i>90125</i> <br /><br />1984: U2 - <i>The Unforgettable Fire</i><br /><br />1985: Dire Straits - <i>Brothers in Arms</i><br /><br />1986: TIE: Paul Simon - <i>Graceland</i> & XTC - <i>Skylarking</i><br /><br />1987: TIE: Guns N' Roses - <i>Appetite for Destruction</i> & U2 - <i>The Joshua<br />Tree</i><br /><br />1988: Traveling Wilburys - <i>Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1</i><br /><br />1989: The Black Crowes - <i>Shake Your Moneymaker</i><br /><br />1990: They Might Be Giants - <i>Flood</i><br /><br />1991: Matthew Sweet - <i>Girlfriend</i><br /><br />1992: Arrested Development - <i>3 Years, 5 months, and 2 Days in the Life of…</i><br /><br />1993: Liz Phair - <i>Exit to Guyville</i><br /><br />1994: Green Day - <i>Dookie</i><br /><br />1995: Oasis - <i>What’s the Story Morning Glory?</i><br /><br />1996: Cake - <i>Fashion Nugget</i><br /><br />1997: Ben Folds Five - <i>Whatever and Ever, Amen</i><br /><br />1998: Elliot Smith - <i>XO</i><br /><br />1999: Wilco - <i>Summerteeth</i><br /><br />2000: Elliot Smith - <i>Figure 8</i><br /><br />2001: Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs<br /><br />2002: TIE: Wilco - <i>Yankee Hotel Foxtrot</i> & Norah Jones - <i>Come Away with Me</i><br /><br />2003: Fountains of Wayne - <i>Welcome Interstate Managers</i><br /><br />2004: Green Day - <i>American Idiot</i><br /><br />2005: Paul McCartney - <i>Chaos and Creation in the Backyard</i> & Sufjan Stevens - <i>Illinois</i><br /><br />2006: Johnny Cash - <i>American V: A Hundred Highways</i><a href="http://www.kleptones.com/pages/downloads_24h.html"></a><br /><br />2007: TIE: Paul McCartney - <i>Memory Almost Full</i> Spoon - <i>Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga</i> Fountains of Wayne - <i>Traffic and Weather</i><br /><br />2008: haven’t found anything this year that qualifiesUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-17270909211406750802008-07-09T15:15:00.001-05:002008-07-09T15:17:19.087-05:00Back Again Part 3: Back with a Vengeance<p>Yes... again, I'm back to more regular blogging. For those of you who had been sending emails asking where I was, here it is.</p><p>Let’s start from the beginning.<br /><br />Frequent readers will know we put an offer on a house a few months ago… a house we liked SO much, we put our old house on the market, by owner.<br /><br />It sold in three weeks (I swear we didn’t make a pact with the devil)…<br /><br />Things were going smoothly… we had a closing for the new house, we had a closing for the old house, and we had all our ducks in a row.<br /><br />Then came the home inspection on the house we wanted to buy… and… well… let me just say this; son of a bitch.<br /><br />The sale fell through when the home inspection revealed that there was close to $50,000 worth of needed repairs (who needs a foundation anyway?)<br /><br />Knowing we hit the mother lode in selling our old house this quickly in THIS market, we decided to move forward on the sale of our house and build on the lot we bought last year.<br /><br />So we started looking at housing options in between selling our old house and moving into the newly constructed house.<br /><br />Many ideas were floated… stay with my in-laws (eep) until we decided upon renting a small apartment… we looked at half a dozen, and each one was worse than the next…<br /><br />Until… manna from heaven…<br /><br />We found an apartment in the new school district that The PB & The J would be attending, under $750 a month with all utilities included (I imagine those of you reading this on the Coasts are shaking your hands to the sky screaming… ya gotta love the Midwest).<br /><br />We signed the lease, paid the security deposit and first months rent and were all set to move as soon as we closed on our house.<br /><br />The contract we had our attorney draw up called for the closing to happen before June 15th.<br /><br />The buyer, or more specifically, the buyer’s MOTHER, had other ideas.<br /><br />Herein lies the rub…<br /><br />When we started this endeavor and the buyer, more specifically the buyer’s mother, did everything.<br /><br />She called to express her daughter’s interest in the house…<br /><br />She called to express her daughter’s desire to see the house…<br />After seeing the house, she called to express her daughter’s desire to purchase the house…<br /><br />She called to express her daughter’s wishes to sign the contract…<br /><br />And she called to express her daughter’s agreement on a date to sign the contract…<br /><br />So we signed the contract saying that they would be out of the house by June 16th… this was around April 26th.<br /><br />Foolishly thinking that we were going to sell our house in a few weeks, we had a moving sale and unloaded The PB & The J’s playset (which they had outgrown anyway), our washer and dryer (over 10 years old and were on its last legs) and a few other large items we didn’t want to take with us…<br /><br />The Monday after the sale we were told that we would be closing the next week, so we started vigorously packing.<br /><br />The next week came, and we heard nothing from the buyer, nor had our attorney.<br /><br />This is when things started going downhill fast…<br /><br />Our attorney contacted the buyer and, when got no response from them, the buyer’s lender.<br /><br />He was then told that there was a problem… the buyer was listed on her mother’s mortgage… and we couldn’t move forward until the mother re-financed and taken her daughter’s name off.<br /><br />Problem is, the mother – who works for a title company so one would think she would know this would create havoc – decided to do some upgrades on her house at this time and had it cut up and messy.<br /><br />Lovely…<br /><br />Our attorney, being an attorney, started to push for a closing date… the mother started pushing for everyone to mind their own business.<br /><br />Then… suddenly, weeks after the initial offer sheet was signed; a glimmer of light appeared.<br /><br />The mother was having her home appraised and re-financed while taking her daughter’s name off the mortgage and the closing was slated for July 1st (2 weeks after the closing was contracted to occur). We lined up help to move us on June 28th…<br /><br />Hallelujah, we were closing!<br /><br />…<br /><br />Not so fast there chuckles…<br /><br />The Friday before the closing our attorney called us and said the lender was backing off of the closing because “they had concerns about her (the buyer’s) income.”<br /><br />WHAT!!??<br /><br />She was pre-approved… everything was falling into place… what the hell happened in that short amount of time??<br /><br />Turns out nothing… the attorney was told that by the mother, who had decided things were moving too quickly for her and decided to slow things down a bit.<br /><br />Long story short (to late)… we closed last Thursday…we (technically movers, thank GOD!) moved out Saturday… handed keys and possession over on Saturday night… and we are now, officially, apartment dwellers whilst they build our house… which is expected to start now the first part of September.<br /><br />This is a long-winded way for me to say that my life is starting to level off now and I’ll have more time to write… including a blogging first on Kemp’s Blog.<br /><br />Next week I join my Dad on a road trip… a road trip in his 2006 red corvette convertible to the Black Hills of South Dakota.<br /><br />I plan on blogging the trip… so stay tuned.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-937224764230710592008-07-08T08:33:00.002-05:002008-07-09T08:35:34.353-05:00Didn't I just have one???Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear MEEEEEEE, happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeee<br /><br />I hate birthdays...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-89457258163748679652008-06-26T16:04:00.001-05:002008-06-26T16:06:25.544-05:00Breaking NewsWe have a closing date...<br /><br />oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God...<br /><br />More details as they occur...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-88982761983325594202008-06-17T10:11:00.001-05:002008-06-17T10:12:41.475-05:00What, me worry? Yes.For the last few months I’ve been in a state of confusion.<br /><br />Not in the comedic sense… but not in the overly dramatic sense either. Kind of a middle ground…<br /><br />The writing has dried up… the ideas have vanished… and time has evaporated…<br /><br />My life is, for the most part, good… I have a steady job, I have my health (save for this damn right foot that hurts beyond belief), I have a wife and daughters who love me, I have the means to build a house, I have the time to do things I enjoy… and yet… something’s missing.<br /><br />And I have no idea what.<br /><br />I just haven’t been in, the mood, to mingle lately… in real life or in the blog life. I read posts by my blogmigos, yet I don’t comment because I can’t think of anything to say or simply don’t want to…<br /><br />I just don’t know…Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-88295429946806930642008-05-14T16:15:00.001-05:002008-05-14T16:16:47.108-05:00So Kemp, what have you been up to lately?Well…<br /><br />We found a house, made an offer, had the offer accepted, put our house on the market, saw it sell within 3 weeks (in this market), had the home inspection done on the new house which showed that there was over $50,000 worth of repairs needed including electrical, plumbing and foundation work, rescinded said offer, threatened legal action if our earnest money wasn’t returned, continued with the sale of our house, decided to build on the lot we bought last year, realized we will be homeless by June 6th, started looking for apartments to live in while the house is built, got our earnest check back, started packing, started looking at house plans, found a house plan, looked for builders, found a builder, met with builder, found out it will take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to build house, started freaking out, started to get ready for HoMu’s graduation this weekend (she finally finished her Master’s Degree), getting ready for The PB & The J’s 6th birthday, decided to have a family one at Chuck E. Cheese (eep) and another at our house with their friends from school and dance (double eep), decided to have a moving sale at the end of the month, found an apartment, realized I hadn’t gotten HoMu anything for her graduation yet and realized that we have to move by June 4th.<br /><br />What’s up with you?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-255782504481484792008-04-09T23:41:00.001-05:002008-04-09T23:43:00.128-05:00MeatLoaf (the singer, not the entree) and Tiffany (the singer, not the lamp)<center><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o5YMVO7-8ns&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o5YMVO7-8ns&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></center><br /><br />I... I have no words to describe what I feel right now...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-35118633215736104092008-04-05T15:03:00.001-05:002008-04-05T15:07:04.206-05:0011 Years of Marriage<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;">To My Darling Wife, on the Anniversary of our Marriage<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;">Seasons change…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>Years change… <o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.75in;"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>Thoughts change…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.5in; text-indent: 30pt;"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>Ideas change…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>Lives change…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>One thing that has not changed,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 2.5in;"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>and will never change,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>Is the beautiful togetherness that we share,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3in;"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>and the beautiful <span style=""> </span>love that we share,<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><o:p> </o:p>Happy 11th Anniversary My Love, I love you always…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;"><span style=""> </span></span></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Papyrus;">and forever<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-88072722929694773762008-03-17T10:08:00.002-05:002008-03-17T10:12:29.929-05:00Here we go again…<a href="http://blogofkemp.blogspot.com/2007/04/because-were-gluttons-for-punishment.html">We did it about a year ago</a>...<br /><br />Then we <a href="http://blogofkemp.blogspot.com/2007/05/rant-on-blog-that-refuses-to-die.html">rescinded it</a>...<br /><br />Then we bought something else with the goal of building...<br /><br />But then, this past week, like you would see in some un-original romantic movie starring Hugh Grant, we saw each other... there was an instant connection... a sense that this was right... this was ideal... so, we made our move...<br /><br />The wife and I put an offer on a larger house this past Saturday… again.<br /><br />This house is our dream house… it is a quad-level with 2,400 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a kitchen that would make Alton Brown proud (complete with skylights), a formal dining room, dinette, family room, living room, basement, deck…<br /><br />Did I mention it has an in-ground pool with a heater? (<i>Did I mention that that was the <b>only</b> thing The PB & The J saw?</i>)<br /><br />So we made an offer… we put the ‘For Sale’ sign in our yard… and we’re holding onto our lot for the time being.<br /><br />Now we wait… while we try and sell our house so we can buy a newer and larger one… with a pool… so we can move all of our <s>crap</s> stuff?My God… what the hell are we thinking?<br /><br />Anyone want to buy a house? 2 (possibly 3) bedrooms, kitchen and dining room recently remodeled, new windows, new roof with nice landscaping?<br /><br />Anyone?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-44894306802426913092008-03-04T10:27:00.002-06:002008-03-04T10:30:47.417-06:00Hey!Go over and wish Back to Me's Samantha Jo, and her husband, <a href="http://http://backtome.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/im-a-mama.html?cid=105842736#comment-105842736">congratulations on the birth of their first child</a>...<br /><br />Woot, woot!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-53590268129941135542008-03-03T23:52:00.003-06:002008-03-03T23:58:01.466-06:00Note to my Cardinals, aim for the crotchIt's as if thousands of men weeped in pain, and then were silenced...<br /><br /><br /><br />From the <a href="http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080302&content_id=2400416&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc">Chicago Cubs official site</a>: "Outfielder Felix Pie missed a couple of days early because of a twisted testicle."<br /><br /><br /><br />Besides the obvious statement of, 'OMFG that's got to be painful!', the more important question is; How exactly does this happen to someone?<br /><br /><br /><br />Though I don't think Cubs fans can blame Bartman for this one...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-5164822094397839502008-02-28T21:29:00.001-06:002008-02-28T21:30:39.059-06:00Wow...does this bring back memories... kinda sad really...<br /><br /><center><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i1NKoMNy5bY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i1NKoMNy5bY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16510979.post-41467441070280365842008-02-28T11:36:00.002-06:002008-02-28T11:38:42.093-06:00Things that make me wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat"Rosie O'Donnell and Fran Drescher are working together on creating a new sitcom."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3