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No Service. That's what my phone said when I arrived at the restaurant to pick up my teenage daughter. I couldn't text her to say I'd arrived. I would have to do the unthinkable: Get out of the car, physically walk in, and risk human int ... read more

If you've ever felt the need to do it yourself when it came to one of your crafty/artsy ideas, you might try CafePress and make something exactly as you want it. Yes, we'll get a small commi ... read more

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others. -- Winston Churchill ... read more

OK, three good ones. andand, this just in, something to settle the argument... ... read more

If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. -- George Washington ... read more

That's how long before we leave Astrakhan for Moscow. Not that we're counting or anything. The bad thing about these in-country flights is that they don't use jetways, those expandable tubes that protect you from the weather as you get ... read more

Elizabeth received a birthday card from Grandpa today with $20 inside! She said, I love your dad! Tell him thank you very much! Your dad is rich! I wouldn't have thought such an old old person would have so much money! ... read more

I'll be spending all week (Spring Break) with my almost-6-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. Woo hoo! Yesterday was supposed to be my only day off, as she was supposed to be in school (snow make-up day). But she's come down with the flu, so ... read more

You can watch them here:Holmes Russian Adoption, Part 1 (updated) ... read more

I set this blog so that you can now add your comments anonymously without logging in. So, comment away! I was afraid that the requirement for a login was keeping people from participating. Now you can go crazy because you're anonymous. J ... read more

I went ahead and paid for the 24-hour internet connection from the room. It wasn't even double the cost of one hour. I also swapped out the flaky cable and that seems to have fixed the connection problem. Wrong. I had to call the techs ... read more

Time for Trees. Another worthy cause. Humankind is All organic lifeforms are facing a crisis: our ability to survive and thrive is at risk. Air and water pollution is rampant. Weathe ... read more

Elizabeth and I played tour guide to my sister ... read more

How I Spent My Summer Vacations (Portugal to Hungary) from 1992Portugal/AzoresOn Sunday, July 12th, I woke up... but while getting ready for the flight to Portugal the next morning, I never went back to sleep. In Lisboa, my 2nd cousin and ... read more

A lot of emphasis is on the 99% versus the 1% in these protests. But who are the 1% and what do they do for a living? Are they all Wilt Chamberlains and Oprahs and other people taking part in the dynamism of the new economy? Nope. It ... read more

Just 'cuz you cut off its head... don't assume it's harmless. Chef dies after spitting cobra he was cooking bit him on the hand... 20 minutes after he had cut its head off. Read, listen or watch the rest here: ... read more

The Broken Record Vol. 4, No. 5, June 25, 1992Predictable, irritating. Really, no redeeming qualities whatsoever. ... read more

Yee-Haw The only newsletter we do!Vol. 6, No. 7, December 29, 1994Belinda Has Puppies!Another one of Lucy's dogs has gone and had a litter of pups. This time the mother is Belinda, a Rottweiler, and she gave birth to a litter ... read more

The Leaky FaucetIrritating, yet soothing. Obnoxious, yet hypnoticVol. 3, No. 6, July 30, 1991Sapphire dispute settled out of co ... read more

The Wandering Eye Vol. 7 No. 1, March 19, 1995We're back! Sorry it took so long between issues, but the entire staff was frozen solid in a block of ice the past three months. We just now thawed out. You know how it is. We should have k ... read more

The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3, July, 1989Editor's Note: Due to profanity, nudity, and the mature theme of this issue, parental discretion is advised. ... read more

The Leaky Faucet Vol. 4, No. 2, February 13, 1992 The quintessential newsletter. Warning: May not be suitable for the humor impaired ... read more