20,000 and going

I never thought I’d hit this number of visitors!  But here I am.   It’s a biggy for this humble little ranting personal blog. Thank you to all of you readers, lurkers and, of course, all of you accidental dropping-inners.  So, just for today, please leave a comment to celebrate an OakMonster’s Den milestone if that is not too much to ask. My faithful readers: thanks for being here.  I mean, my 20+ a day readership all contributed to you.  Even my faithful lurkers!  I mean, you’re here to read all the time, just never leave a comment.  But just for...
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Hell no! We won’t go!

LA Times’ Bill Plaschke reports: “Ninety-seven percent of my collective experience says the news about USC’s negotiations with the Rose Bowl — leaked in the middle of the most contentious week of the college football season — is simply a negotiating ploy. In attempting to gain control of a Coliseum that their football program has kept alive for years, USC officials have grown weary of dealing with a Coliseum Commission that works at the approximate pace of gravy, with missions as varied as stuffing.” I mean, I CANNOT even fathom USC Trojans play anywhere else less the Rose Bowl. I...
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100 Days

Tomorrow is the 100-day marker of the world without mom.  And so far, it has been full of surprises. Before I hit the road to go to the temple, I stopped by Starbucks for my breakfast latte.  This guy in scrubs looked up from his paper and called my name. Wouldn’t you know it?  It was Doc Trojan, my ophthalmologist!  (And yes, he reads my blog…so hello there, Doc!)  He had a few minutes before going in to do surgery at the medical center by my house.  So we visited for a little bit.  You know, talking about Trojan football. ...
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Pantless

You are trapped in your house on your day off because you have no pants. That’s right, kids.  Welcome to my Vacation Day 6. Yesterday, I went out and about and got me a mocha.  As I was getting out of the car at James & Aurora’s house, with just a little more left of tall hazelnut mocha slipped from my hand and “exploded” all over the car.  I had chocolate/coffee on my jeans, my car seats, my emergency brakes, and, inevitably, on the innocent bystander in the passenger seat, my new-ish Nike white sweatshirt. I KNEW the whiteness isn’t...
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Black and Geeky Friday

I didn’t go anywhere near a mall, if you were wondering. I am not THAT insane.  Thank you very much. As a matter of fact, we had Shane over for a good part of the afternoon.  We were thinking of going to the movies, but changed our minds as we figured all the bored family members from out of town would be at the theaters.  Heck, that was what I did before. Anyways, the boys played on the XBox 360 while I got my magazines and recipe folders sorted out. Later that night, we picked up Tamara and we all...
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