The space shuttle returned to earth yesterday. Watch the reaction of this unsuspecting golden retriever.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I have a fun one for everybody and Ashlee and I really need your help identifying the animal in these photos. We spotted it in the park behind our house and only had our cell phones handy. We tried to get closer to figure out what it is but is scampered off. Please vote, we can’t figure out what this is.

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The good news, I finished our tax return and I get some of my own money back. The bad news is it is nearly 75% of the federal income tax that was withheld. This means that not only does the government take my money every year, but they take too much of it and then try to make me feel good by giving me a “refund.” Every year I think I change my withholding so that it will be closer to what I actually owe and every year they end up getting more of my money. Good luck to the rest of you and here’s to making sure the government gets as little of your money as is possibly legal.

On a side note, I am so glad we just spent a trillion more dollars on things that I probably won’t help “bail us out” and I don’t agree with anyway. I am really happy that the government is going to take care of my health care and retirement and it is going to be great. I am too dumb to invest my own money and plan for these things myself so I am lucky to be an American where I am entitled to everything.

Check out these photos from google maps.  I could not believe the photo of my truck just sitting there and Ashlee’s car from the satellite view.  I tried to read the license plates, but couldn’t.  The resolution is not high enough yet… but it is still a little scary.

I am sure glad this isn’t my car. That thing is not going to be able to drive until the spring thaw. It had a solid inch of ice coating it. A really mean prank.

Today is a very fitting day for the first day of winter. We started out the morning by trying to go to church and being stuck in our parking space because the snow plow blocked us in with icy snow. We eventually just decided to go get in the truck. When we got back from church, with the help of my neighbor we freed both our cars from the ice with a pick. That Ashlee calls an ice pick. Check out the pictures and video. There are wind chill advisories out and even the salt is not keeping ice from forming on the roads. It is -6 right now with wind chills in the -30 range. Pretty cold, but at the same time, I am always happy for the winter solstice. Even though I know the worst of winter weather is yet to come, the thought of the days getting longer really helps me feel like I made it through. Unfortunately at the summer solstice, the best part of summer is still to come, but I start to get depressed. Anyway happy winter and I hope it is warmer where you are.

My poor mother is flying into this tomorrow.  Hopefully, we will not get hypothermia and die.  When it is that cold here you can not even breathe outside and it feels like your eyeballs are going to freeze.  This really makes Aaron and I miss Washington and makes Hannah mad that she had to be born here.  Stay warm  and enjoy the snow in WA.  We miss you!

Issued by The National Weather Service
Chicago, IL
11:02 am CST, Sat., Dec. 20, 2008

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM CST /4 AM EST/ SUNDAY TO 12 PM CST /1 PM EST/ MONDAY.

WEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY. THE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR TO JUST ABOVE ZERO TO PRODUCE WINDS CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW ZERO

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. ONLY VENTURE OUTDOORS IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS

Gas prices are finally coming back down.  Saw this sign from the freeway.