Back | Archive for November, 2005

We spent Thanksgiving Day at the lake with Jennifer’s Aunt Sug and Uncle Bill. We had a feast and that’s an understatement. Like every meal they prepare, it was more than filling. Especially Sug’s Ranch Mashed Potatoes and Butter Pecan Cake. Need I say more. After the big meal, we settled down by the fire to watch “Guess Who” starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher. We had seen it before, but you never can get enough of the Mac. Overall, we had a quiet Thanksgiving with more than enough to give thanks for. Although it was only the four of us, the one person that will always be in the center of our hearts each and every Thanksgiving ended up in the center of our Thanksgiving portrait, unplanned.

Jason

The official start of the Christmas Season is finally here! It, as well as today’s deals and bargains, will be gone in a flash. While I am stuck at work, everyone else is out shopping like a bunch of crazies. I’m not saying $40 video games for $9.99 and $120 cookware sets for $35 aren’t great deals. I just can’t stand the stress level, dealing with the crowds and traffic that comes with it. For me, the term “Black Friday” takes a more traditional meaning.

“Any day marked by great confusion or activity” – Dictionary.com
“Any Friday in which a public calamity occurred” – Investorwords.com

However, terming the day after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday” has nothing to do with either of these definitions. As Diddy would say, “It’s all about the Benjamins.” Simply put, retailers began referring to this day as “Black Friday” because it is largely the day in which their accountants can finally start using black ink instead of red. Isn’t it sad to think that our retail world replies upon the Christmas Season to pull itself out of the negative. I could go on forever, but I think you get the point. As for the original use of the term “Black Friday” - September 24, 1869, a Friday when stock manipulators Jay Gould and James Fisk tried to corner the gold market, causing its collapse and depression – Dictionary.com

Jason

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and do we have a lot to be thankful for. It looks like it is going to be a great day with a bright, blue sky with temperatures much warmer than the past week. It’s already in the mid-50’s. This will be nice since we are headed to Jennifer’s aunt and uncle’s at Smith Mountain Lake. However, I don’t think we’ll be jet skiing! Later this evening we will also swing by my parents’ house. Enjoy your day and don’t forget to be thankful for everything. Even the little things that most of us overlook from day to day!

Jason

I have finally set my mind to it! This past week I started a weight training routine. We purchased a nice gym system that has been very good at collecting dust over the past couple of years. However, I decided to dust it off and make the best of it. My goal is to workout at least three evenings per week and hopefully one day each weekend as well. Overall, my goal is to build a stronger heart and hopefully lower my stress. I’ll keep you posted. Until next time…

Jason

We’ve been really busy lately. I spent last weekend cleaning and staining our new ground deck that my dad and I built this past summer. It was a quick weekend job that turned out quite nicely. Soon I will have more photos of our house and the many projects I have worked on, once the website redesign is completed. Yeah, I am a design geek, but graphic design is what I love to do. I also bought a leaf blower and vac last weekend that I have only managed to play around with so far. The leaves are still all over the back yard. Jennifer spent some time in the flower bed, cutting down all our perennials. This past weekend, I worked on our website redesign and cleaned my Jeep. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I finally decided to sell it, after almost ten years. I will go into more details about this decision on a later blog entry. While I cleaned my Jeep and worked on the website, not at the same time, Jennifer spent the weekend studying for a nursing test that she had to take today. She is gone right now with my mom to some candle party. Seems a little odd to me, but at least I can say that I will be the proud owner of some really fine candles. I can’t wait to see them!

Jason