CaptainBloodscalp

Slipped away from the backyard BBQ-fest to come over here and check in a bit.

BBQ'd chicken with all the trimmins.Ice cold brewski of course.{Evading the inlaws for a spell}

coffee

TOP 10 SIGNS YOUR FAMILY IS STRESSED... 10. Conversations often begin with "Put the gun down, and then we can talk". 9. The school principal has your number on speed-dial. 8. The cat is on Valium. 7. People have trouble understanding your kids, because they learned to speak through clenched teeth. 6. You are trying to get your four-year-old to switch to decaffeinated. 5. The number of jobs held down by family members exceeds the number of people in the family. 4. No one has time to wait for microwave TV dinners. 3. "Family meetings" are often mediated by law enforcement officials. 2. You have to check your kid's day-timer to see if he can take out the trash. 1. Maxwell House gives you industrial rates.

diamonds :)

Thars nothin wrong with spillin yur heart about things that bother you las.Clears out thee ol'heart and makes ye feel better.Here's a tankard ta ye las!Cheers!

Aye!Now it's mornin and I'm drinking a hot cup of java!

dreams

Loyality

Here!Here!I'll drink to that.To hard knocks and lessons well learned!Cheers!To you to Sir!

Relaxing,smoking a cigar,and enjoying a ice cold beer.Anybody want one?

honor

I hear ya there HarborMaster.I think we all have a history to tell about our backgrounds and hard knocks growing up.When me and my brother were{Brother 4years old & myself 3years old}My father and mother divorced and put us in a foster home.We spent 2 years there until my mother came back with a new husband and took us out of there .We spent two years with her until she decided it was time for my father to take care of us and she shipped us off tp San Diego to live with my father.I was a terror and was always in some kind of trouble,to the point where my father kicked me out of the house when I was 13 years of age and I spent all of my youth running around trying to find my place in life.All of my teenage life was spent in government placements like,juvenile hall,group homes and 24 hour schools. I couldn't give my parents any credit to where I'm sitting now.They were too busy trying to live their own lives instead of raising their own kids. It angered me to no end that they threw away their own flesh and blood instead of sticking it out and making things work for the best of the whole family instead of themselves.I carried that around with me for years. Whenever I was between a rock and a hard place wether I put myself there or just a turn of hard luck I was told to take it like a man and learn from it.Or"You made your bed now sleep in it."{My fathers advice}.It took a while for me to finally come to the relization that if anything was going to happen in my life that was positive it was going to have to come from me and my choices.I chose to learn from all of my hardships and become the man I am today.I may not have 6 digits on my paycheck,but I'm proud of who I am and I'm proud of my family.I don't let anyone step on my shoes or make decisions for me and mine.Especially if I can help it.I never had anyone I could turn to for help and most of the time I simply willed to do things for myself instead of inviting others into my situations.

I feel you in everything your saying LadyBarbossa.I really do.I'm against anyone or thing that takes away from my family without it being my own choice to do so.If there is a sacrifice that needs to be done,I rather have that choice to make instead of someone else making it for me and my family. I'm also a patriot of my country and think that this nation is one of the best nations in the world,even with any and all the flaws we have.Be it our nations leaders or anything or anyone else.I was raised to always put my family above all else.Shoot my family was always barely getting by when I was growing up.[40]now. :) Anything I've gained now was done through hard work and saving my bucks so we could have the nice things that we all enjoy having. I try not to complain too much,but instead I try to create my own surroundings by making the best out of what I have wether those things be from me and my wifes hard work and Gods good blessings. I think we all struggle no matter what level we're on financially.It seems to be easy for me to look at others and what they have and compare it to what I have or do not have.If I do that then yes it can be very depressing,but instead of doing that I keep my eyes on my own plate and try to make the best of all things.The best way I've found to keep my head up is to focus on the good things around me,but not ignoring the things that seem to be bad.{Balance} I appreciate that really.I don't think anyone wants to see people suffer especially their own families.Hell I give to my family first and foremost and if I can lend a hand with someone elses problems I never hesitate to do so.If I can't help them with materials they need then I simpley pray for God to supply their needs if I can not.Try not to let it bother you so much.It takes alot of courage to speak out to people they way your doing now with your personal emotions and I salute you for the steps you've made here about this.

Captain Blood

It's gotten bad I must admit and it's put a small dent in our pockets to the point where we've had to cut back and sacrifice certain things that we enjoy.{Are we tired of it?}Sure am,but as HarborMaster mentioned.It's not the governments fault.It's the private owners of the gas stations around our areas.{Price gouging}I know the government is looking into the gas gouging or at least that's what's being reported.It could get worse.Hell I have another baby coming in November and I sure would like to be able to spend the extra cash on the new addition.But what can we do but just endure it for now right?

^great for me

butter and apple jelly.

A bowl of homemade chilli and a beer.

English Muffins.

D.I.P

I walk the line...

Johnny Walker Red

Aye it may.but wott if ye's missin a tooth or two?Ye might spit on yur parrot ey?

I likes both of those! Here's one:**Rolls up sleeves** Be not ashamed of thy virtues; honor's a good brooch to wear in a man's hat at all times. Ben Jonson (1572 - 1637)