The best challenge I have ever seen!!

Brian, Debbie, Danny and wife, thanks so very much. He was a wonderful man and is missed all the time. Lots and lots of tears, but also tons of wonderful memories and I know some day those will take over so that we're not as sad.

Chelle...that was a very good video :)

Tracie and Chris, My brother sent me this poem a while back, I hope it helps you through these difficult times:

Death is nothing at all I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you. Whatever we were to each other That we are still. Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the easy way you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed At the little jokes we always enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effort. Without the ghost of a shadow in it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute unbroken continuity. What is death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you for an interval somewhere very near just around the corner. All is well. Nothing is past; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before. How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Joe, you are simply the best. I hope you know how much we love you and appreciate your support through good times and bad. I'm going to copy that and send it to a work friend who lost her father a year ago this month, and send it to all my family members to try to ease the loss of our mom and grandma. Tell brother John thanks. I'm sure it will help a lot of us who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

jeez man, pass the tissues! I'm crying a river now.

Love you Joe!

The poem made me tear up too. It's a good one to remember. Thanks Joe for taking time out of your busy schedule to show you care. <3

Thanks Joe, that really does help so much. It's everything I believe but can't always express coherently. I hope that gave you tons of comfort too when you lost your sweet momma.

Chelle, could you please send some tissues my way too? I could use a few...and I knew you and Deb and anyone else here who has gone through loss would appreciate Joe's post. It's for everyone to share. I'm going to make sure my friends here see it as well. There have been several friends who have lost people this past year that might find comfort in this message.

Don't forget to check Politifact.com over the next few days to see if your liar lied more than my liar.

you might want to try a different fact check site. the one you use is biased to the left. they routinely state something is false or true and clearly it is an opinion. for instance, when romney said obama went on an apology tour, your site said liar, completely false. now that is their opinion. i saw the same speeches and came to the conclusion that obama thought the us was wrong and he was indeed apologizing. he even told some of the world leaders to wait until his second term and he could do 'more'.

check out these links

http://ethicsalarms.com/2012/06/12/politifact-bias-the-smoking-gun/

http://www.politifactbias.com/

it may not change your mind, but at least give it some thought.

Has it ever occurred to you that your eye may be off?

Now is not really the time to argue politics when one of my best friends is mourning the loss of her father, but thanks for thinking of me.

Cheese101, so sorry for your loss. You have Shannon and my condolences.

Freddy and Shannon, thanks so much for your kind thoughts. I know you've had your share of trials too and are finding your way through. It helps to have friends who care :)

Cheese101 - Hi T, I've been meaning to post on here for weeks now and I wish yours wasn't the reason to prompt me back quicker

I'm so sorry for your loss, and to hear the news. I know you have great support both in person and here, and I hope that carries you through until times are a little easier

Sending you & yours thoughts, wishes and a big hug - and I'll deliver it in person at some point

I will toast to a great man tonight

Here's a webcam at PSU Berks, which isn't to far from here. I don't know how long it will stay on, but you can see the weather from Hurricane Sandy that will be happening here. I'm getting reeeeeally nervous. I'm more worried about our daughter who just got a job in Baltimore and lives in Fed Hill about a mile from the Inner Harbor, and a few miles from the river on the other side. We're preparing the house outside now, and will try to do as much as we can to be prepared inside. For those of you closer to the coast, and especially my friends and their families in NJ & NY, stay safe! This isn't going to be pretty.

Prepare your pets for hurricane Sandy. Make sure they are brought inside, wearing ID tags, have plenty of provisions, microchip info up 2 date.

The weather is still calm tonight. The hubs and i took a walk around the high school and middle schools this afternoon. Today is usually practice day or game day. There wasn't ONE single person on any of the fields. I can't remember the last time we walked past there and there wasn't anyone playing. Not even one person. No one walking but us. That was weird.

Where's Waldo?

Phil, thanks so much for that, yer a dear person :) Take care of yourself and stop being such a stranger round here!!

I have a five point plan to get us through this hurricane, and I will give you all the details next week. #MittStormTips #Sandy

Songs to wait for a hurricane to:

Frankenstein

Shell Shock

Get Out Of My Yard!

Let's Go

One Step Closer

God's Gonna Cut You Down

Welcome To Planet Mother Fucker

Wind In The Trees

Fuck You

People Get Ready

The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise

Woo Boost

Im The Hell Outta Here