OK........................

I guess I will go back and buy one of the two they have. I tried to put it on my VISA, but they don't do that. Darn...

They'll even take my red car off my hands...and that's good news.

I didn't go to the lake b/c Ashley & Chris B. want to take me to dinner tonight...I haven't been able to go the last times they've asked...gotta go & do or people won't ask any more.

YES! YES! YES!

I think the fact that we all have not been blogging shows how much we all blog at work .... so THAT is the answer to what the worker will do when automation takes over everything! YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!! I love the idea of you in the Mer SUV!!!! Your car now (to me at least) is just not you ... and (to me) the Mer SUV is! I say go buy that baby and while you are there you can pick up a matching one of these for Nick and Brent ....

where is everybody?

Is the blog abandonment a reaction to something that I don't know about? I miss you...

It's silly, I know, b/c I've seen you-all a lot lately...but it only makes me hunger for more...didn't we have a nice Christmas? Lovely...so peaceful...and good presents. Love all my children and grandchildren so much...

By the way, thank you for my gifts. I love everything. And, I realize that there was a method to your madness...thanks for that. I got my first mailing from Netflix today...and I have chosen 45 others for the future. And, thanks to Katie, who gave me a blow-by-blow lesson on the usage of the DVD player, I will perservere...but don't surprised if I have to ask for recaps...the memory is clouded these days.

Happy New Year...I will go to the lake on Friday after Katie leaves. I'll be back for a party at Brooktowne on NY Eve...for old people...who can walk to and from...

Looking forward to a safe 2006. I can't wish for more than that b/c our lives are so full of upheaval that we don't know what will happen next. I trust we will handle all events with the same coolness and composure that we are developing daily.

BTW: K and I found some nice SUVs today at my favorite car lot. I have almost settled on a Mercedes...low mileage, good price, many features, warranty, leather seats, CD player, good resale, long future...suits me fine. Any comments? Quick b/c I may buy it tomorrow...

A Mother's Love...

precious angel:

can I offer you a gift certificate for a month of unlimited travel on this kind of dependable transport??? I have arranged for this and charged in to my VISA...........the funny thing: I will get miles for your miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Creative New York Transports.....

Katie...how's the strike? I was trying to figure out another form of transport for you and the other Penguins...look up...there may be a rescue vehicle above you............

oh yes ...

TOTALLY AGREE Katie! I think that SNL has sucked for a long time now but I happened to catch that little gem this past weekend and laughed out loud ... thaks for the link, I loved watching it again ...
peace out
ps - what does my "old lady crush Jordan" want for Christmas?

Please sir ....

That is so great Katie! You have been on my mind all morning ... I have had these images of you making your way among the hordes but somehow my imagination got away with me and somehow you turned in to Oliver and you were walking the streets of New York looking for a bowl of soup. In fact here you are now with some of your coworkers. But really, I am happy that everything turned out ok. Tell us, what is the buzz up there ... do people think that it is going to go on for awhile? How did some of your coworkers get to work that live outside the city? Are a lot of people just staying home today?

wow!

Squashpaw

that is the funniest NYC strike story I've ever heard!!!!!! How many of you Penguins were in the limo? I'm ashamed to say I didn't know there was going to be a strike this am...what a mess...wonder if this guy got lost or was he out prowling for stranded folks? What a knight in shining armour ....

um-m-m-mmm....

I't's confusing...maybe we don't have a clue...I think we need a "Former USSR Geography 101" class when Will returns...in fact, I was looking for a parlor game for our slumber party and I think we found it.........

Maybe an answer:

Squashpaw
Maybe it's possible that this little town where Megan sold the machine is off the map and b/c we are so busy (???) we didn't even consider looking for it...so, when Marco Polo McKee ventured to the other side of the world he just assumed the town would be in an ordinary place...not sure that's the way it happened...I guess we'll leave it to the intrepids to sort it out...just want to make one comment: God is in the details................

I'm where?

Yes Katie ... I would also like to know how one just shows up in Siberia. When I read Will's e-mail that said he had been there I reread it about five times scratching my head. Will either Will or Megan share the tale of the bewildered adventurer?

Don't make me mad.................

Or I might send you to Upper Mongolia next! Or Iraq. Ha ha. It's funny how we don't think about these things like where places are located before we suit up to go there.

Katie you must be absolutely jonesing for TB if you are on their website salivating over pics of Mexi Dips and Chips. We will go first thing when you arrive. Be hungry!

Will I agree with you about watching movies over again. I cannot relate to those who purchase movies becuase I never sit down to consciously watch one that I have seen already. It is always a nice surprise then when those that I love come on TV and we watch them.

Monday afternoon

I'm with Megan...what is all this about TB? Poor Katie...she is surrounded by 5-star restaurants in NYC and all she can think about is Mexie Dips and Chips...all I can think about is how wonderful it would be viewing the above sunset on an exotic southsea island. Maybe we could go far away one yr. for Christmas.

Congratulations, Will!!!!!!!

You'd be a great travel writer, Will...for the 'terror' or 'mayhem' type of travel book. There are not too many who have the stomach for what you consider typical. You and your dad are actually the only people I have known who are so gleeful when discussing hardships. As for Michelle...I think she might be a worthy travel companion. It reminds me of when dad & I went on our first HK trips. Picture us running around the dark streets of Wanchai in the early hrs. of the morning...we used to pretend we were CIA...very fun!

As for Megan's 'secret selling' of Siberia: a practical joke played on a beloved brother...you owe her one I'd say. Megan, what do you have to say for yourself? I told Baga about Will announcing he'd been sent to Siberia by his sister and she thought it was hysterical!!! First time I've heard her laugh in weeks....

From your report it sounds like, once again, we're in the wrong business...is it too late to buy into oil? I had a call from a man last week who was trying to sell me shares of oil wells...reminds me of you, Will, when you came into my office 2 yrs. ago and told me to "buy oil", and I called my friends and asked how I could do it....they were shocked that a widow would consider getting into something so risky...I told them my son had this brainy idea (I couldn't let them think it was my idea or that oil was simple compared to CC machines).

But the good news is: the russian, ukraine, siberian machines are ancient...and there seems to be an absence of safety stickers, so, they need us there....we'll have to do what we do best: updating their industry. Good luck this week...we're proud of you...aren't we McKee's and Harris'?

I just got caught up

Whoa, that was all hysterical. I'm glad I tuned in. Things are in a whirl. Um, where to begin... mom, you do need a dvd player, that you can set on repeat. Glad you're aboard Katie, and the dog thing, a lot of lobbying going on. It's all about the hair.

I can't catch up so I'll just start fresh. Here I am, in the Budapest hotel bar in Moscow. How about that. Budapest in Moscow. We're watching a reality show, I think, and tomorrow is the debut of Master and Margarita on tv in 10 segments. It's the talk of the nation. I feel very Russian because I've been talking about it with everyone as it is one of my favorite books, if not favorite. I'm going to be traveling unfortunately. Someday I want to get a subtitled version... There was a preview on tv just now and it was a long preview... I loved it. A budget of only 5 million and it's a phantasmagoric novel with a walking cat and more.
The picture to the left is a better plane than the ones I have been flying. Talk about no leg room! I get wedge in the seat and go numb. And then the person in front tries to lean back. Nope. Doesn't work. Not with my knees already pushing through. And they're made of metal and my left knee is still getting over bumping the seat. My friend Alex, (more about him below), was in glee that I was flying domestically in Russia because the planes are old and have glass noses where the navigator sits. He went online and found a few photos of some that had crashed. Just what I needed. On one flight, out of the Urals, we did have a strange false start. And the runways in Russia are short and the engines go into convulsions trying to slow the planes down. All the seats are on hinges and fly forward where there is nobody sitting. Interesting design that I doubt anywhere else has adopted. Megan, I suggest you for start up!

We signed with these guys. All very nice. The one on tthe far left, speaks english pretty well and we spent the evening with him. He's Tartar and very smart and keeps up with boxing and international finance. The one just to the right of hm is the plant manager (manager of plant 17 that is, of 25 and 14,000 people total). Then Iriana, who is nice and fun to talk to with opiniuons, but no Tatyana. Then a production guy, and then there's Tartar's boss with whom we spent most of the day with as well. Then there's their machines... this job is going to be great. 10 tons a year (possible in a day) as a maintenance machine. It's replacing 3 of the most complicated machine I've ever seen.

WHAT A TOUR. I couldn't find a tour better than this with any travel agent. I got a full tour and explanation Q&A session with an engineer at their 500,000-1,000,000 ton/yr hot rolled steel pipe plant (they have 3 more with different processes). I think I got more specific than time had been alotted for. Then I met the chief engineer, of the whole damn facility (14,000 people, down from 20,000+). He was young guy and quiet, and probably didn't even know about the machine, but he was nice. At first I was nervous and then we got on and then we summed up our meeting and I got the hell out of his hair. He has a huge unprofitable plant.

I got over my jet lag in Brighton. I'm going back through Brighton too. I should be a little more energetic on the way back. And at Christmas I'll be fine and reek havoc and terrorize poodles and kids with electric shock therapy on their minds. I got to spend a day watching England's version of a disaster: the burning fuel depot. Alex loves disasters. The way he loves them is not entirely sinister. He loves to be apart of them. I remember when Diana died. I think he wishes he were American only for the fact that we "got" 911. The last shuttle disaster was on his birthday. Magda said he was the most concerned she's ever seen him... That's it, he gets concerned and he likes to be concerned. So I sat around all day, drinking tea (10 cups through the day) (Milk and Sugar, mmm) and watching the coverage and dozing. Like old times. We had a pretense of the disaster affecting my flight. The cloud was floating over everwhere in england. And some flights got cancelled. That would have thrown everything into turmoil... My whole trip was planned to the minute it seems and any falter would jeopordize it all. The visa problem just about did me in.

In fact, I didn't realize it until I posted this photo, we're standing in front of the Brighton disaster of the burning pier. It burnt last year. It was a ballroom.

Here is a shot inside a general store with costumes. I saw it and walked in and took the shot and noticed that the camera was fogging up. This is the only shot I got before I had to go back out in the cold to remit the camera to the chill of Siberia. Oh, did everyone know that Megan sold a machine in Siberia! Yeah, I didn't realize I was going to Siberia until on the plane. The city out there is rich. It's obvious.

Currently, on tv, me and the barkeep are watching the reenactment of Chechyns taking over the theater. It is reenactment but it's frightening. The politics going on over here is a bit chaotic. Putin is starting to put the squeeze on neighboring countries. The Ukrainians said that Russia is starting to sell oil and natural gas to them at European prices... I thought to myself, well that's normal, but I've learned now that it's in the neighborhood of $250 a barrel. I don't know if my source was reliable, A German who says Schroder is selling Germany to the Russians now that he's on the board of some pipeline that's being started. And Russia is basically trying to steal a Lithuanian Refinery that was formerly Yukos'. I read the Business Pages which was more of an Entertainment Tonight of Oil Companies. I can't believe the wild west going on. In Uzbekistan, a squad of 50 police took over the telecom and are handing it over to a Russian company even though some investment group actually owns it. The supreme court of Uzbekistan ruled that the Russian company should own it even though it was just bought out. Whoa.

I am so surprise at how many times you can watch a movie mom. Michelle and I watched The Life Aquatic again, just before I left. It was more incredible for the second time. It gives me good feeling. But it's not often I'll put up with a movie twice. In fact I felt a bit jipped when Willie Wonka was showing on the plane. I usually feel like the plane is a good time to watch a movie I wouldn't pay to see. But we'd seen Willie. And it wasn't much compared to the first.

AS for marriage, I wish my wife were here. It would be more fun with her.

home alone??????????????

You don't know what home alone means till you're me..............

saw a cute move: the 40 yr. old virgin....hysterical...........I rented about 8 movies tonight and bought more......do you realize that it's impossible to rent VHS's now???? I have to get a DVD player......................

LOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I made it in...thanks to Michelle...I am a show dog with a beautiful trainer, who is in the picture with me...how do you like my haircut? Nice? It's a bear to keep up but it's worth it...and my figure?????? It's takes hrs. at the gym and I've had a few nips and tucks here and there...but fame is the game and I have it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hurt...

Squashpaw

because I am laughing at you crazy girls.............I needed a mood elevator... or escalator...or something to make me laugh, so thanks.

Is there any way we can get Poodles McPoodle for an appearance at our slumber party? She would add such a bit of "color"...does she ever visit the local branches of the NPU?

Watch Fox 23 News tonight...maybe they'll put me on...funny...I gave away the Christmas surprises...speaking of surprises: will Brent be surprised that he may not get all that desires for Christmas? I like a man who thinks big...but he's got quite an imagination...

Katie...for the record: Venice is north of Naples...quite a ways...straight up I-75; get off at the Jacaranda exit...it'll be the first Venice exit. Take a left onto Jacaranda and then a right onto Venice Ave. What a treat for Baga...it will make me as happy as her...and Tim will be there too. He's going today and Joan will join him for Christmas...so, Mom will have her little chickies around.

Just looking out for you ....

I am just tryng to save you from a strike ... you thought the subway workers could strike? Don't forget about the sleep over on Christmas Eve that includes our treasure Champ McKee and Security Officer Atticus McKee. Just saying ....
Poodles McPoodles
NPU

Dearest Katie ....

Dear Katie,
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Poodles McPoodle and I am president of the National Poodle Union. We understand that some day you will purchase a dog and were creastfallen when we saw your choice of canine. We at the NPU would like you to take a moment to ask yourself if that white fluff ball would:
1) throw temper tantrums
2) get it's feelings hurt
3) only eat 1% of what it is offered
4) ignor you until it does not feel good
5) need alone time
Go ahead ... get the white fluff ball ... or proudly BUY FRENCH! And consider a Standard Poodle!
Your friends at the NPU,
Poodles McPoodle

Christmas List

This has been such a big year for gifts for me and Jesse that we really don't need anything.

Gift certificates from:

Borders
Hobby Lobby
Container Store

would be great.

Original Artwork-always great.

For Jesse: He loves James Bond, Eddie Bauer, Lowe's, Borders. For the record he does not need a subcription to Maxim!

Also, for the boys, I'm not sure if we are going to give in and buy Brent a new drum set this year but we're thinking about it. They would also like gift certificates. Now that Brent is reading he will get better use out of the Borders gift card than in years previous. They would also like gift cards to Hobby Lobby. We seem to be spending a lot of time and money there this year. If you want to give the boys a thing and not a gift certificate they love puzzles and they want a nice dart board that we can hang in their play room. Mom, your idea of the IPods is great. They are quite the music buffs now. With a wide range of tastes.

Brently would be pleased if you would get him something from his list

Electric Bed ( You lay on it and get a shock. Do not know where this idea came from, but he is adamant that it exists)
Airplane (A real one. He being a passenger)
Trampoline
Television (his own)
Computer (his own)
Drum Set (His first one was just a toy and broke within minutes of playing. He wants a real one.)
Camera (He clarified that he wanted the disposable kind)

We told him to aim high and he did. We are going for drum set and disposable camera but we would love some takers for the other items. Anyone?

Katie when are you going to Naples? Are you going to see Baga in Venice or is it for business? That is a great idea.

ohmygosh...................

Squashpaw: Yes, yes

What a darling puppy...what is that? Is it big or little??? Are you going to Naples?

Congrats to Bloomberg for settling the transit system problem...I can only assume he took pity on his constituents and made it go away...can you imagine what would have happened? Yes, I know you can.

Will is signing a contract today in Russia!!! Yippee!!! He gets to do the fun stuff, while us girls stay behind to put out fires...is life fair??? No, it isn't...

finally....

thank goodness you're finally on, Katie...I was worried not to have an urban dweller on our blog...you keep us real...connect us to the "other world"...and make me appreciate Tulsa...not that I don't love your town....but it makes me think of the tee-shirt we bought once with the cow on it and the caption: I've seen NY ...now take me home.

Remember when you collected cows???? Thank God that phase passed...........in the meantime, I was thinking last night about you and how you will manage now that the strike is a reality...Baga said that you were going to Jordan's...what a good idea...handly placement of a boyfriend is what I call that...

Now for the final comment...Annapolis looks great, especially with you in it, but I'm pretty bummed I haven't posted a picture yet....got to work on that..... you girls are smarties........

I can't wait till we are all together for Christmas....call me a crazy romantic, but I have a vision of all of us around the fire laughing and talking and throwing paper around...and helping Will get over his jet-lag...just like the old days with dad.............he was always off selling something up until Christmas...and we welcomed him home and saw the silly little smile on his face that made all the preparations worthwhile..........is Will a reincarnation of Tom??? Seems more like it every day.......................whatcha think?

What I love about you both is that it is just a week or so before Christmas and you're still sending Christmas gift lists...you are the eternal optimists....but, how nice that you know that I haven't started my Christmas shopping.....and, how did you know???????????

Michelle's Christmas List (additional begging provided by Champ Inc.)

CD's:
Talib Kweli - Right About Now
Neil Diamond - 12 Songs
Eminem - Curtain Call: The Hits
Donation to ARF Tulsa or any dog rescue organization
Gift certificate to Ulta, Borders or Saks

Planes, trains and well you know ...

Katie - I have been thinking about you since I learned of the strike on Opie & Anthony this morning. Will it effect you? Is it a one day strike or is it on going? What do most people plan on doing? I am thinking mass chaos indeed ...

Champ & Addy...

I just saw your darling dogs after they had been groomed...just precious......love their scarves...thanks for the ideas for Will...I will probably get him...whoops...better not say...this is a public place!!! Still trying to bring in pictures...can't from my email...I have some cute ones Woody sent me but I can't copy them...bummer...I've got to get a handle on this so I can liven up my postings...visuals are so important...example: Will with the gun in the honeymoon suite...speaks 1000 words....

Get the ball rolling ...

Here are some things off of Will's Chrismas list that he came up with for my family that may be useful. I think that we can all see what happened when my family did not get him everything he wanted last yeat .... he is aiming at my brother who is fishing by the pond.

swim trunks (that are like bike shorts in large)
Body Alignment with Danielle at Body In-Line. Ph. 749-9700.
Gift Cert to Borders
stocking cap
socks
View swim googles
choc covered espresso beans
Art Books about Basquiat, David Smith, DuBuffet,

From the Desk of Champ McKee

I liked your idea, Sue, of posting our Christmas Lists on the blog ... May I have everyones?
Many thanks,
Champ McKee

what her ex-girlfriend said today...

Squashpaw

She had a long-time relationship with a girl model, who is making headlines by telling everyone that Angie won't linger long with Brad b/c she is cut from a very different piece of cloth...the odds against the relationship are so strong that whatever happens...they probably won't live out their lives together...sadly for those kids...but that's showbiz!!!

If they get involved with global politics they may have a chance...but everything I read states that Brad has the biggest ego around...so, how could he settle for global politics when he can cash in on that face in movies????

Don't know, but it is intriguing...in the meantime, I'm watching M/M S. right now...and I agree with every word you said about the day-to-day mutinae (?) of marraige...but it's a better state than widowhood I believe....Love You....you did great at CCMCO this weekend...it is sparkling!!!!!!! Love the clean windows....

What my three years of being a wife has taught me

I really agree with what you said Sue ... I think that the preacher was also correct ... I heard one time that marriage was like a dance and sometimes you are slow dancing and sometimes you are dancing together put apart. MM Smith made me think about how there are these incredibly interesting parts of every person in a marriage but sometimes the day to day aspects of marriage can make one blind to that. Here were two people that were even better suited to one another than they knew. They were attracted to one another and each was pleasant enough but then they came back to life and started getting preoccupied with themselves. I think that each felt insecure that the other would not accept the one thing that they shared in common which, I think, points out the real need for security in a relationship.
As far as Brad and Angie ... I just don't think Brad is going to be able to hold Angie's interest forever ... thoughts?

I'm slightly ashamed....

I hate to admit it but the movie intrigued me...not the silly violence which was pure fantasy...after all, how could they both be that bad at shooting at each other and then kill off the entire northern hemisphere in the last scenes...???

There was enough humanity in the story to make one pause...and, I also think that the film showed a lot of what modern day couples are faced with....sheer unuduterated boredom and then a reawakening of interest...I remember attending a wedding once and the officiating minister admitted that he and his wife had fallen in & out of love many times...and that it's a matter of human nature to do that...

So, there you go...just my opinion...

About the tatooes...you went immediately to the tatoo parlor after dropping Will off at the airport? And, you didn't invite me along as a support person? How inconsiderate!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time, I want to be there with you...if just to be a second opinion on what you have printed, is the spelling correct, the placement, the ink color, the size, shape...those are all important design decisions that would benefit from my input...not to mention whether you place Angelina or your new bf: Micholic (???) Slabovian (??) why can't I get the spelling right?

But, it looks good...nice job...

Katie, what's the deal with the test???

what I did last Friday Night ....

I guess this is as good a time as any to share my Angie Jolie tat .... I was planning on getting WILL on my back but when I got to the tat parlor something just came over me.
What do you think of MM Smith? I usually don't go in for movies like this one but I sort of liked it .... Especially when viewing in the guise of a metaphor for marriage .... I found it telling and thought provoking.

Angelina Jolie's butt flashing moment!-
Angelina Jolie was left hiding her blushes at a concert this week, after a fan showed her a little more than she was expecting. Tomb Raider star Jolie was attending a charity concert being held by Peter Gabriel when a fan approached her to ask to have a photo taken with her. Big-hearted Angelina was only too happy to oblige for the snap, but after she turned her back, the fan, Emily Sheridan, pulled down her trousers to reveal an artistic bottom. Sheridan, who is clearly a big fan of the serial adopter, revealed to Angelina that she was the proud owner of an eight-inch tattoo of the actress on one of her buttocks. However, while embarrassed, Jolie was able to see the funny side, and was even willing to take a snap of the bum-tribute on her mobile phone. Jolie is famously a fan of tattoos, having had the name of her former husband and Bad Santa star Billy Bob Thornton tattooed onto her arm. However, since splitting with him a few years ago, Jolie has finally decided to have the tat removed by laser surgery.

Family

Squashpaw

It's the age of "Create a Family"...and B & A are showing us how to do it...their past is forgotten and they are now role models for a new world...Angelina is even being proposed as a future candidate for president...after Hillary and Condy are finished...

In the meantime, I'm fresh off 2 more nights of watching M & M Smith...that's about 5 more times watching mommy & daddy get violent with one another....wicked!

If I can find a picture on www.uglychildren.com I will try to cut & paste it in here....

... but with Pitt's smile

I don't know Will ... I sort of thought he favored Mr. Pitt a little bit more ....

He has Jolie's eyes.

He looks a lot like Jolie in the eyes.

you know ... our best pals Brad and Angie?

I was thrilled to see your post. Will and I feared that the blog might be retired but perhaps it was just resting.
Sue - wondering what you thought about the whole Pitt/Joli adoption?

will's birthday celelbration: revised

Squashpaw

Will it be possible to celebrate Will's birthday at my house next week? How's the 14th?

Sorry...I forgot about Russia...even tho Megan reminded me last night...we will have to celebrate Will's birthday on Christmas...bummer...did you notice that I published something that I had to move??? Yep...just wait...I will fill up this thing with so much junk that you'll be sorry you invited me...

I'm home

Squashpaw

What's up, everyone? No blogging since I left...and I look forward to your input...come'on...

Teen Beat's Hot 100

Speaking of SH Will .... what is it about the second a world leader gets the book thrown at him for Crimes Against Humanity that I get a school girl crush? SM + MM forever!!!!!