Wood U, Inc. dba (8 Men and a Trailer, LLC)

Twelve inch tree limbs falling...Eleven Degrees Fahrenheit...Ten Foot Extension Ladder......Nine Pictures taken...Eight Guys a workin'...Seven Chainsaws present... (Six of them running)...Five Cups of Hot Cocoa...Four Piles of Firewood...Three hours later...Two people stopping (1. The Police and (2.Someone wanting to hire "the guy in the tree")....and a Partridge (Jonny) in a giant Oak Tree ...
(big finish sung to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas)

Let this be a warning to the Rest of Y'all...

OK....If you ask me to "get the pictures off your camera"...then guess what...I have a copy.
Now it appears to me that Tammy got a new camera for Christmas...that she doesn't know how to use yet (ala...can't get the pictures off this thing) and first thing...Randy and her was taking self portraits. That is MY guess as to what is going on here...

Lets have a contest...What do YOU think is happening here...best scenario that is left on the comments..will win a Guest Blog right here on Hillenblog...(yeah I know)

Now I sorta feel sorry for Randy in this whole deal, as he is totally innocent...So I only blogged the BEST of the three pictures of Randy. At any rate...I hope this doesn't get Cindy fired.

Celebrity Look-a-like Part Duex

Pastor Robert Tilton...Meet Pastor Clyde Gray

Celebrity Look-a-like

Sam Blaine...Bobby Flay...I'm telling you it's there...

In Springburg...you have to have a favorite....

The Shang...Cashew Combo #1...All White Meat...Extra Rice instead of Won Ton's...Sauce on the side. Thats the way we order it...How do you order it?

Day Eight...The Great Ice Storm of 2007

It's all a blur...the last 8 days are like...what is going on here?

I, like Jen and some others have come to feel for the victims of real natural disasters in a new way...the slight inconvenience of not having your power for a few days...has been rather surprisingly emotionally draining. It tries your nerves to not remember where your socks are...or your cell phone charger...or to walk around with batteries in your pockets for 5 days. Dark showers...in other people's bathrooms...(although using different product in my hair every day...had my hair looking stellar...all week...why does your hair like the variety so much I wonder?) wearing the same pants for 4 days in the same week...although they were washed...thanks honey.

I have been impressed in all the quick response...20 years ago in 1987...the city sold out of generators...and then was re-stocked in 2 weeks...now days... they are routing emergency supplies this direction before the storm is over. I would estimate that 20, 000 generators were sold in Greene County over the last 8 days....I'd guess that between 15-20% of them will be on sale at 50cents on the dollar...within 90 days. So...if you don't have one...and you think you want one...there you go.

My dad is working 12 hour shifts on and 12 hours off...the store room department is responsible for supplying the city with new poles, transformers, wire, gloves and everything decessary to get the city back on power. They were unloading trucks constantly from midnight to noon on Saturday......where they are serving 1100 meals a day...to the line workers that are working 16 hour days.
I think that the CU guys have done a good job at reacting to this storm...I'm not sure what they could do better...obviously they are not lead by the Mayor Ray Nagen.

First I would like to apologize to Jen...for whatever I did to hurt her feelings. I know that I had to cancel on the giant Hillenblog Taco/AI party...but we will re-schedule.

I know that this has been said...but it really is quite comforting to know that you have friends that will not only give you the shirt off their back, but also let you wear their underwear.

I learned a lot this week: Here is a few examples...
-If you pour windshield washer fluid in your drains...and toilets it will keep them from freezing.
-There are at least three different ways to wire a generator in to your house...without the aid of an electrician.
-You can't let gas sit in your Briggs & Stratton for 8 years without it causing a problem.
-it is easy to get caught up in the mass hysteria...I bought two packages of D-Cell batteries...that I apparently didn't need.
-You can have too many candles in a room...
-use Whipping Cream to make killer French Toast.
-Rachel Burch loves to do laundry...and is a mean cook. (and her food tastes pretty good too)
-The Appearance of Professionalism is key...Hard Hats make all the difference if you want to have a tree trimming business.
-A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet...and no other unit of measure is allowed by law in the state of Missouri to be used when firewood is sold.
-according to the internet there is only two dangers to avoid when using a temporary generator: 1. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 2. Electrocution.
-Most people in the Philipines do not have hot water.
-If you think you should trim your neighbors trees...or they will break you powerline to your house...go ahead and do it.
-A weatherhead is the name of the thingy that is on your house that the power lines attach to...this is yours...and if it is broken...YOU have to pay to have it fixed.
-Unfortunately Sweetgum Trees have very resiliant limbs...
-Neither Rain, Nor snow, nor Darkout...will keep the post office from it's appointed rounds.
-Maybe someone at the Gas Pipeline...should consider investing in a generator...since you serve all the gas stations in SOUTHWEST MISSOURI!
What did you learn this week...let us know?

Throw another fire on the blog...

Communal Living

1. Communal Living
2. Greg Looks on as Matt inspects the damage to the "Bonny"...
3. Rachel...and Lucykins...
4. Cin and Lisa
5. Matt pounds down the hood on the "Bonny" so he can see to drive it...after a minor accident...what we will refer to as the "Statue of Liberty Accident"
6. The CU truck...just moments after it was flagged down by my neighbor...who convinced him to turn back on the power to the 6 houses on our street that did not have it...he said...sure lets give it a try...it worked! yes! Power to the People...\
7. www.Myheritage.com
8. Matt had THAT stomach flew...either that...of the bedspread made him nautious...
9. Big Dan made the paper...
10. Snuggle Bunnies...
11. Clyde...and a floating head...presumably the heavily camoflagged Dan Craft...still eluding capture from when he broke out of Bass Pro with those coveralls.
12. Maggie May!
13. Sneak a Peak...from the Sudoko Freak...
14. Laura D...is the Power...behind the packs!
15. What is Matt thinkind about here...
16. Lisa...thanks for letting us use your washer and dryer...

Day 5...If only the Temperature was 5.

It is at times like these that you really appreciate your friends...
We have been overrun with very good friends...at times..I can't get anything done because I am too busy answering my phone from people calling to check on us...or invite us over for a hot meal or to watch AI or to sleep at their house...or whatever. A very good friend of our family had a generator that was not being used...and they offered to allow us to take it home to heat our house...I was very excited to get it all fired up. Unfortunately, it had been sitting unused for several years...and I worked for about 4 hours last night trying to get it to start but to no avail. Well, actually it would start when I poured starter fluid or gas in the carburetor...but it would not run.
The good news is that I invented a new cologne scent for the season...it reminds one of summer...it's called "Lawnboy" by Briggs & Stratton...it's expected to be in all the stores by next fall. An additional note on this point...(Cindy will be happy to know that since I was working in the garage on this project)...now the entire house has that nice fresh aroma of $2.00 a gallon, wait in line for 30 minutes, 87 Octane "Lawnboy" ...also the trunk of Skylers car smells a little that way as well...oops.
So...Back to the point...The point is, that we really have a great bunch of friends and family that we run around with...especially Gary and Lisa...they basically allowed us to have free rein of their house, while they were still living in it, which is a little crazy if you ask me. Of course...the house is considerably larger than the one hotel room that the 8 (eight) of us shared on vacation in Florida one summer. I think that trip lasted 9 weeks.
We also all shared one motel (with a capital M) room on the way back, because there was a Nascar race...and all the hotels were sold out for miles...that night...at 3:00 am...the only Nascar race we were interested was the race from Hwy exit to Hwy exit that we were doing with another car...trying to beat them to a motel with a room.
I think I know why AI had such a hard time finding any talent in Minnesota last night (thanks to the Rog & 'Dra for letting us use there internet, and television)...when its this cold all the time...I think your vocal cords get ice on them...and it takes a while for them to warm up. Or maybe your malleus, incus, and staples actually freeze up or suffer from a cold induced deterioration that that results in tone deafness. (The anatomy lesson comes freely from Dr. Michael Albritton, during a recent discussion of the "Teen Buzz" , who was also gracious enough to let us sleep in their abode, even though we successfully knocked out the power of their entire subdivision simply by showing up there. Sybil also makes the most killer French Toast, and Pulled Pork...she needs her own Food Network TV show)

Well...enough already...suffice it to say...THANK YOU!

Day four sleeping in someone elses bed...

Just a few of the sights from the past 24 hours...

The Siege Continues...Now the temp drops to 6* degrees tonight!

The Great Ice Storm of 2007

1. Our Gracious Host Jack...and his family Sybil and Mike made us all feel this comfortable...THANK YOU!!!
2. ...
3. ...More Ice...
4. The Hillenblogs house...where it was 42 degrees at last check...inside.
5. Tying to minimize the damage...
6. Our Street.
7. ...
8. ...It keeps getting worse...
9. our Neighbors
10. ...A lady...a woman......It word was 'BAGPIPES'...here's to a great game of Taboo til 2(am that is)
11. Did you think I wouldn't blog this...?
12. The view over Springburg from the other side of...Hwy 60.
13. Driving down our street...
14. Van goes dead in the driveway...can't start it...and then...a limb falls on it...in the process the limb falls on my Bow saw and breaks it...the irony!
15. Are these doors french?
16. ...and the beat goes on...

Recorded by Tex Ritter in 1948...and dedicated to Helter Shelter & Co mens bible study...2007

Friends, this is Tex Ritter with a strange story about a soldier boy and a deck of cards.
During the North African campaign, a bunch of soldier boys had been on a long hike and they arrived in a little town called Casino. The next morning being Sunday, several of the boys went to church. A sergeant commanded the boys in church and after the Chaplin had read the prayer the text was taken up next. Those of the boys who had a prayer book took them out. But this one boy only had a deck of card and so he spread them out. The sergeant saw the cards and said, Soldier, put away those cards. After the services were over the soldier was taken prisoner and was taken before the provost marshal. The marshal said sergeant, Why have you brought this man here? For playing cards in church, Sir.And what do you have to say for yourself son? Much, Sir replied the soldier. The Marshal said, I hope for if not, I shall punish you more than any man was ever punished.The soldier said, Sir, I have been on a march for six days and I had neither bible or prayer book, but I hope to satisfy you, Sir, with the purity of my intentions. With that the boy started his story.

You see sir when I see the Ace, it reminds me that there is but one God. And the deuce reminds me the bible is divided into two parts, the Old and the New Testament. And when I see the three, I think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. When I see the four, I think of the four evangelists who preached the gospel, there was Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. And when I see the five it reminds me of the five wise virgins who trimmed their lamps. There were ten of them, five were wise and were saved and five were foolish and were shut out. And when I see the six it reminds me that in six days God made this great heaven and earth. And when I see the seven it reminds me that on the seventh day God rested from his great work. And when I see the eight, I think of the eight righteous people God saved when he destroyed this earth. There was Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives. And when I think of the nine, I think of the leapers our savior cleansed and nine of the ten didnt even thank him. When I see the ten, I think of the ten commandments God handed down to Moses on a table of stone. When I see the king, it reminds me that there is but one king in heaven, God all Mighty. And when I see the queen, I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is queen of heaven. And the Jack or knave is the Devil.

When I count the number of spots of a deck of cards I find three hundred and sixty-five, the number of days in a year. There are fifty-two cards, the number of weeks in a year. Theres four suits, the number of weeks in a month. Theres twelve picture cards, the number of months in a year. There are thirteen tricks, the number of weeks in a quarter.
So you see, Sir, my deck of cards serves me as a Bible, almanac, and prayer book. And friends I know that story is true cause I knew that soldier.

Open Enrollment

OK...its as simple as this...Leave a comment with any blog that you would like to see linked here on Hillenblog...and I will link it.

It can be yours, your family, someone you don't know...but like to read...or a close friend...Remember this is a FAMILY blog. So bear that in mind when suggesting a blog.

And all you "I only blog every few months" bloggers...that got deleted a while back...looks like it's your lucky day to get back on Hillenblog...if you wanna.

Missy...any chance we could be linking your blog here? 'Drew...I would be interested in reading a blog authored by you...Chandler...you better jump on this quick...open enrollment will only last so long.

What a great New Years Eve Party (not that I can confirm or deny that I was there)

I can't confirm or deny the existence of any New Years eve party...or the attendees of any said party that may or may not have occured. What I can say for certain...is there was this incredibly photogenic chair, at this non-disclosed location....additionally if you spy the clock in the mirror...it was like time stood still at this party. Literally.
I did take a few photos of some people in attendance, just so you could see this incredible chair...but I had to blur the faces of the attendees as not to make others feel bad that were or were not there...or at another location, another party or otherwise not in attendence or possibly in attendance, just not invited...or possibly invited...but somewhere else...or not there at all. Not because the suposed hostess did not want said people there, just that they were not there...or possibly they were there, just after we left...or possibly because they were there before we got there, or possibly because there was no there at all. Which would explain the existence and then non-existence of someones mini-van.
Through studying my college physics textbook over the weekend I came to understand why everyone cannott fit into a single location, some people can..yet others can't due to there relative size of "everyone else" therefore some were at one location yet others were are others...if there are others. Not that I wish I was elsewhere, or possibly I was elsewhere. Not that I can say one way or another...because I don't want to make anyone upset with me...with the exeption of one person...I don't mind to upset...but I am hesitant to say who.

Also I can neither confirm or deny that I kissed anyone besides my wife at any suposed party that either did or did not happen. However I hope that the spouse of whoever I did kiss or not kiss just after the stroke of midnight, or before, will be coming back home soon...and not leave them alone much longer.

Lastly I would like to infer, without really saying it, that if we did do something, and go somewhere...that the food (if there was food there) was great...and that I had a good time, if any time was had at all...and further more I hope that the people that planned this non-event will include, without specifically inviting, us in any future events, or not.

However I don't want to be there, or anywhere for that matter, at the expense of someone else not being there... however if they are not going to be there anyway...then I may as well be there, as to be anywhere else. In fact, I can't think of anywhere else I would like to be...if I have to be somewhere, that is.

Who are these People?

Cindy looks like...

Lets try this again...

Are they serious?