I think that 2009 is the year of Déjà vu...

Tell me if you've heard this one before.

Creed on tour...  Check..

Liberal President pushing universal health care... Check.

Transformers popular...  Check.

No Doubt on tour...  Check.

There's a hit Star Trek movie with a crazy villain... Check.

Rising young NBA superstar wearing #23 leading team to championship... Check.

Gi Joe popular...  Check.

New Ghostbusters movie in the works... Check.

Fake Climate issues that will change life as we know it... Check.

Brad Pitt is awesome... Check.

Baseball players getting busted for 'roids... Check.

Gas prices slowly rising... Check.

Democrats control Congress & the Presidency but a Republican Revolution seems imminent... Check. 

It never ceases to amaze me how much history repeats itself.  

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10:

That which has been is that which will be,

And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun. 

 Is there anything of which one might say,
“See this, it is new”?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.

I'm in the Dollar Store with Jasmyn the other day. 

Rabbit Trail: 

Let me be clear, we were in the Dollar Store, which is different from Family Dollar.  In the Dollar Store EVERYTHING is a dollar.  In Family Dollar some things are $1 and some things are $10 (a nice retail clerk in the Dollar Store kindly took some precious time from me that I will never get back and explained the difference).  

Anywhoo, so we're in there and they have books & plates & cups & cards and on and on. All for $1.  I wouldn't have been suprised to see the Slumdog Millionaire girl there.  

But then I see something that baffles my mind. And I took a pic with my cell just so I could make this blog and ask WHAT??  Can you really buy this for $1 and trust the result???

My wife is funny.  She has biting, snarky comments.  She picks up on people's mannerisms and habits in a flash, and then can imitate them dead on.  And I never stop laughing.  Even now, after so many years, she still can make me laugh whenever she wants to.   Sometimes she makes the comments intentionally...

And sometimes it's been a long day and she says the first thing that comes to her mind...

We're sitting on the couch the other night and as we're having devotions we became sidetracked...  right now we're going through Genesis and somehow (don't ask how...because I don't know how), we started talking about High School Bible class.  In our Bible class it was usually a revolving door of teachers or pastors that taught the class.  One of our pastors was big into teaching about Redemption and how it was comprised of the three "tions".  That's alllllllllll he talked about.  It's not that it wasn't an important topic. It is and was.  But every time?

Anyway, so we start to try to remember the three "tions".  Justification.  Sanctification.  

Then we draw a blank.  Jasmyn says the first thing that comes to her mind. 

"Disqualification?"  

I love spending time with my nephews, they're funny, cute, & smart.

I can't wait until they're older and I can take them to a Celtics game. 

My youngest sis turned 18 this weekend!  Happy 18th Birthday Nessy!!!

My oldest sister, Rebekah, hasn't been home to NH for almost two years (nursing school keeps you busy!), but this past weekend she was in town for a few days.  After lunch at my dad's house we did a little bowling.  I am proud to announce that I had the second highest score of.... drum roll.... 118!!  My dad had the highest with a whopping 119!  Yes, thank you for asking, I am considering a pro bowling career.  I will keep you posted on that development.

It was nice to have the whole family together again.  It was the first time since mom passed away that we were all able to be together - and her laughter and antics were missed.  Also missed was her ability to give my dad a hard time for being soooo serious about bowling... he bowls like he thinks we're passing out trophys at the end... 

Hopefully, another two years won't go by until the next Richardson family outing! (Rebekah, that's a hint! We love you!)

And the answers:

1. Buttons on my shirt are gone.

2. My widow's peak hairline is now straight.

3. No more butt chin for me.

4. Jasmyn has fired whoever waxes her eyebrows.

5. The building is missing the numbers 217.

6. The building is missing the light.

7. Jasmyn's has botoxed all her smile lines away. 

8. My sideburn is gone.

9. The sunglasses are missing one of the middle pieces.

10. The sign behind us to the left is gone.

When I was a kid I remember seeing 'spot the difference' books.  My mom always had the newest Highlights magazine because she was a teacher, and in the Highlights magazine there was always 2 to 3 'spot the difference' puzzles.  They still sell these books on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Look-Ultimate-Spot-Difference-Picture/dp/0140548793

There are 'spot the difference' photos about celebrities in the People magazine and I know there are still 'spot the difference' comics...

Jasmyn & I upload & view all our photos with Picasa 3.  It's free and has a few simple tools like red eye reduction, cropping, lighting, etc that can fix a less than perfect photo.  The other day we realized that we could do our own 'spot the difference' photo... So here's the same photo with ten differences.  The one on the left is the original and the one on the right has 10 differences.  I'll post the answers tomorrow.

BTW, if you click on the photo it should make it larger.

Happy 26th Birthday to my wife, my best friend, my sexy wexy...

It gives me unending joy to try and surprise my wife.  Whether it's Christmas or her birthday I'm always trying to do something that she isn't expecting.  At the same time she's always trying to surprise me as well. 

What's nice is that she doesn't try to go out of her way to figure out what I am planning.  She's not a spoilsport.  She doesn't go looking through closets or cars or bags for clues or hints, she'll let me plan to try and surprise her.  I try to not be nosy when she's trying to surprise me...but sometimes I am just dying to look through the closets and drawers.

Over the years the surprises have brought us many good memories.  When we got married, Jasmyn didn't even know where we were going for our honeymoon, only that there would be lots of sun and sand.  I've made her cry for one birthday (a good cry) because she was so shocked and last Christmas it was fun seeing her jump for joy when she saw her Coach purse.  

I will tell elaborate lies & stories, and have other people lying for me to make sure the surprise works out.  Jasmyn does a better job at not telling any lies but still manages to surprise me.  For me lying is half the fun --that sounds so wrong-- but there is so much joy to make her think one thing and then it is just something totally different...

So I said all that because it is her Birthday tomorrow, and on Friday when we celebrate her Birthday I have yet another surprise planned...

The song came on...and a video had to be made...

So about a week ago we were over at my sister and brother-in-law's house.  We had just finished dinner, Travis & I are sitting on the couch, Jasmyn & Jayda are playing with Jackson & Carter on the floor, the TV isn't on, the internet isn't being used.   No distractions,  we're all laughing, talking, and just enjoying the kids antics. 

I didn't realize it then... 

But those are the moments.  Those are the memories.  

I think, and I think most of my friends would agree, that I am an easy going guy.  I love to laugh and there are very few things that get me upset.  That said... it's rant time...

SLOW DRIVERS!!  S-L-O-W  D-R-I-V-E-R-S!!!  I mean if the speed limit is 40... JUST GO 40! How hard is that?  If a driver can't maintain a simple task of 40 miles per hour they don't deserve to keep their license... it's no wonder that there are so many accidents-- PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN MAINTAIN 40 MPH!! Obviously asking them to then brake, yield, merge, or stop at a stop sign are just way too hard...

When I get behind someone going below the speed limit I find myself contemplating more illegal thoughts than at any other time-- Shall I pass in a no passing zone?  Pass on the right in the breakdown lane? Shoot their tires out? RAM THEM FROM BEHIND?!?!?!?  AGHHHHHH!

 

wow. 

That was therapeutic.  I'll do it again sometime.  

This episode of 'The Office' is a riot.  The first 14 minutes are so good it hurts.

Sooooo.... I am sitting here on my couch next to my sexy wexy and I am just realizing that I haven't written in 3 weeks.  So I decided to write this. Cool, right?

I  have nothing to say.

Most pathetic post ever?

Why bother?

I have no idea.

Jasmyn is begging me not to.

That last phrase did elicit a laugh from her though.

She is rolling her eyes and telling me that I am trying to hard.

I know that really it's just that I have writer's block.

Does a blog make me a writer?

This is the worst blog ever, for sure.

Jasmyn is doing laundry now.

I will show her the last 4 sentences and see what she says:

"Jon, erase the whole thing".

Now, that's the encouragement I am looking for.