Today we went to the local park so that the kids could take part in the annual Easter egg hunt. The paper said the Elks club bought and dyed over 7,000 eggs for the event. Each of my 6 kids got about a dozen eggs apiece. Plus two of them found prize eggs and got a chocolate bunny. Not too bad!

Later in the day I went to my friends bachleor party. It sucked because he didn't show. So me and a dozen other guys played a round of golf. Actually, I didn't play because my shoulder hurt. But, I watched and had a great time. Got to drive the cart and play caddie. As you can guess, we didn't go to Oregon so no strippers. :-(

Some sad news... Another good friend and personal hero of mine called me yesterday. Apparently, his landlord hasn't been paying his mortgage so the bank is selling his house in two weeks. He called to see if I wanted some of his stuff. I agreed to take his cat and care for it until he can find another place. His problem is that he has several dogs that he's quite attached to. It's hard to find a place who will accept animals. I think it should be a law that landlords can't restrict pet ownership. Pets are important to people. Of course, every money grubbing landlord I've ever dealt with had a yard full of dogs at their own home. I guess the poor are too stupid to take care of animals.

Oh my God!! The weather was awesome today. I drove around on my various errands with my car window rolled down. The warm air was great. Girls were everywhere in their summer clothing. It was great.

We've been hurting for money lately so I was excited this morning when I saw a check in my PO box from the insurance company. Ends up it was for $14.00 dollars. Doh!!

I took some time today to explain the Armenian Massacres to my children. I showed them pictures posted on the web of Turks posing with the severed heads of Armenian men, and of starving Armenian children. Of course my kids were appalled but I feel better that they know their cultural legacy.

Tommorrow I'm headed to Oregon for a friends bachleor party. It should be a good time, but I refuse to get drunk. We'll see what happens...

Found these quotes today.

Theodore Roosevelt
May 11, 1918, letter to Cleveland Hoadley Dodge
. . . the Armenian massacre was the greatest crime of the war, and the failure to act against Turkey is to condone it . . . the failure to deal radically with the Turkish horror means that all talk of guaranteeing the future peace of the world is mischievous nonsense.

Herbert Hoover
The Memoirs of Herbert Hoover, 1952
The association of Mount Ararat and Noah, the staunch Christians who were massacred periodically by the Mohammedan Turks, and the Sunday School collections over fifty years for alleviating their miseries—all cumulate to impress the name Armenia on the front of the American mind.

Jimmy Carter
May 16, 1978, White House ceremony
It is generally not known in the world that, in the years preceding 1916, there was a concerted effort made to eliminate all the Armenian people, probably one of the greatest tragedies that ever befell any group. And there weren't any Nuremberg trials.

Ronald Reagan
April 22, 1981, proclamation
Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it, . . . the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.
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Ha ha ha ha!!! I got a phone call today from my former supervisor at the job in Morder. He said effective immediately they are suspending my termination. I asked why and he said it was a decision with personnel. They must have got word that my workman's comp claim was accepted. It's funny because he was quite civil to me. He must have realized that I was really injured and not faking like they had hoped. What a bunch of pee wits. It's good to be vindicated :-)

On to other things... I took a nice hike today with my son. We walked along the shore of Lake Siskiyou. It was so good to hear the wind in the trees and to smell the lake and the forest. I can tell that Spring is coming to this place and it is so nice. I feel so thankful to God for everything he has given me.

I heard from my old friend yesterday. He surprised me. I thought he would be opposed to meeting me face to face. But, he agreed to meet me for lunch next week. I wonder if I surprised him by knowing his address(I've been doing my homework). He did however confirm that's where he lives. :-)

Another friend of mine from way past put a bug in my ear about a project he wants to start. He wants to buy land near here and build a Iron Age style village. I've been thinking alot about it lately. We've always talked about building "SCA Land". I know it sounds a bit crazy but, the whole project could be a retreat for people who want to live like our ancient forefathers did. A sort of medieval encampment or dude ranch. We could also explore the possibility of growing "old world" crops as a study of farming techniques. Who knows, maybe we could even get a grant for the project from a local University. We'll see...

Finally, I need to repaint my Cultists. I gave them grey clothing and it looks too bright. I'm gonna repaint them a drab brown or a green. I wish I had some bits of wrenches and tools to give them as well. In the history of the Iron Warriors it says their slaves were all mechanics. Oh well...cest' la vie.

Oh, one more thing. My oldest daughter told me that her teacher has raised her grade because she turned in all her old homework. Report cards come out soon so I will see for myself. I am making her do an extra credit report on Armenia anyway. It is time that she learn about her ancestors and about the sins that the Turks have committed against us. "It is the doom of man that they forget" Merlin - Excaliber.

Well, I got the letter today from my employer in Mordor. They have decided to terminate me because I can't come back to work for them. Oh well, they will pay for it in the end and it's one less tie to Mordor. I wasn't thrilled with going back to work for them anyway because instead of sending me to a doctor for my injury last year they called in an investigator to find dirt on me. It ends up they got a brown noser co-worker to say all sorts of lies about me. Doesn't matter, if the doctor clears me next month I'll just find a job locally.

On to other things, it ends up I can't have 5 flamers in my cultist squad. I'm only allowed 1 flamer per 10 models which brings my total to two. That's all right, I found two nice looking flamers in my bits box that looks good on the zombie model. I've assembled 10 so far and will start painting them soon. They will look good. Maybe I'll win an award at Kublacon. :-)

The weather has been nice for the past few days. It's been windy in the morning but it gets nice and warm in the afternoon. It's kinda funny, but the weather we're having here in early spring is the same as what we had on the coast in mid summer. Except it's just gonna get warmer and nicer here. Man I love this place. The hell with Mordor!!!.

I finally got some stuff in the mail that I ordered from Ebay. A box of zombies and a Dark Eldar Raider. The Raider is for my wifes dark eldar army (elves yuck!) but the zombies I'm using to make cultists for my Iron Warriors army.

I put together half of the cultists this afternoon and I came the realization that 20 cultists can have 5 flamers. I had planned to only arm them with close combat weapons because of their low ballistic skill. But, with flamers that doesn't matter. Normally I don't use flamers but this seems like a good idea. Besides, 5 flamers can do some real damage to troops like tyranids who have no choice but to bum rush my lines.

I put in for my mileage reimbursement from the insurance company today. It will amount to almost $300 dollars. Hope they are quick with getting me a check, we need the money right now. Especially since I can't seem to stop bidding on stuff on ebay :-)

Had a great day today. We took the kids out to the park and played softball. Three of my daughters joined local softball teams this year so, we're trying to get them ready. Had a great time. I didn't know that my wife was such a slugger. She can really hit a ball. She scored over 10 runs by herself! Of course, the outfield was all my youngest kids and they couldn't catch worth beans :-)

We also took a trip to a local waterfall. We managed to get there despite all the snow. Last time, the road was completely blocked. Anyway, the kids had a great time. We plan to go back in the summer.

I'm starting to realize today that, in a way, I am getting younger in this place. Sounds crazy? Let me explain. Where I used to live, in Mordor, I never did anything with my wife and kids. It was always about work. In that place you had to drive so far to go anywhere warm... even in the summer. I'm such an outdoor person that it really cramped my style. I realized today that the entire 8 years I lived there was almost a waste. Now it's like I'm waking up from a bad dream and I'm alive again. I have to make up alot of lost time to my kids. I am first and foremost a father, and I swear I will carry out my sacred duty to my offspring

My wife told me today that she feels young in her heart again. That makes me feel good. I'm not the only one.