Last Day of 2007

Hello all,

This is my last day of vacation for 2007. I can't believe that the month has passed so quickly. It doesn't seem possible that I was just leaving work on the 12th and looking forward to a nice, long vacation. I have to go back on Wednesday. Uhhh.

As for 2007, it was a good year for the Scott family. We accomplished many of the goals we set out for ourselves. Jennifer and I achieved the next level in BeauiControl as Unit Managers. Thank you to all that have been customers of ours. We appreciate your business. As for those that are consultants, thank you for being on our team. We could not have done this without you! Let's make 2008 even better!

For me, I am proud of the work I did at Embarq. I survived a layoff in March and a team switch at that time. I continue to shuffle from one supervisor to another and keep trucking on. I don't know if Embarq will be my long term employer anymore, I'll keep you posted if something comes up.

For Ali and Zac, I must say that 2007 has been a great year for them. They are both doing great in school. Zac is looking forward to starting Kindergarten in August and Ali is REALLY looking forward to being having her brother in school with her at Oakwood Manor. Ali will be in 2nd grade and is already talking about all of the things she will learn when she is eight years old. Oh, how time does fly.

For my lovely wife, I hope that she accomplishes her goals. I would speak for her, but I have long learned not to put words in her mouth. I'll keep you posted if she wants me to tell anything.

Alright, that is about it for 2007. Everyone be safe tonight.

Good night,

-Andy

Sunday at home

Hello all,

Today Jennifer and I watched the conclusion of the final Chiefs game of the season. We lost 10-13 to the Jets and closed out a very disappointing year at 4-12. I hope the Chiefs fire a lot of players that have not proved they can still play. It would also help if they dropped the ticket prices some since the poor play of this year. But that will never happen.

I made a loaf of banana bread to help ease the pain of losing another game. The kids do not think much of the funny smelling bread so they leave it alone. Great for Jennifer and I! Thanks Ali and Zac for not liking this.

Well, that is about it. I should start making dinner.

Good night,

-Andy

Family Gathering

Hello all,

Today was a busy day for the Scott family. We were all up early and headed off to bowling as normal. The kids bowled well and won their match against some mighty tough competition! Congratulations kids!

We all loaded into the van and headed North to Randolph for the Brand family gathering that my Aunt Donna and mother coordinated back in September. It was nice to see my cousins that I had not seen in years. My cousin Karen and her husband Col. Kelly made it back from Alabama. Karen and Kelly will be assigned to Ramstein Air force base where Kelly will be a group commander. I visited with them for a while about my time I spent over in the Czech Republic and the places I visited while I was there. I know they will have a great time.

I later visited with my cousins Misty and Arrow from Topeka, KS. Although we only live an hour or so away, we rarely get time to see each other. Well, Misty now lives in San Diego so it is not as easy to visit her.

The highlight of the visit was just sitting down and hearing everyone talk about things that I have never heard of before. I am one of the youngest cousins so many of the stories that were shared happened when I was much younger. I may have been present, but I had no memory of it. So, I sat and listened and laughed. Stories of the girls (my mom's sisters) were everywhere. Someone said they had a picture from 1979 where all of the girls were wearing swimming suites. Of course, no one could produce the picture, but David Bender swears it exists. I'm hoping to get a copy of it so I can post it.

It was soon time to leave and drive back to KC after a long day. We stopped in Hamburg to get a Coke to keep me awake for the trip home. Zac slept the entire drive. Ali dozed off from time to time and I watched the car move down the road on the new Garmin GPS.

I called mom to let her know we made it home safely and walked around the house for a bit to stretch my back. It was soon time for bed. What a long day...

Good night,

-Andy

Taking Down The Tree

Hello all,

Today was a sad day in my house. It is always difficult of me to take the Christmas Tree and decorations down. It is always a sad time to take the tree and garland down. I got up early this morning and started to take the ornaments off. Soon the dining room was back to normal. I continued to work on the room until it was returned to normal. I'll work on the rest of the house later. The tree was enough for me.

Good night,

-Andy

Happy Birthday Nana

Hello all,

Happy Birthday mom! I hope that you like your new grill today mom. I know that you will have hours of good cooking on it next summer! I know that it is a little cool today, but warmer weather is coming soon.

Good night,

-Andy

Busy Day

Hello all,

Good evening from KC. Today was a busy day for the Scott family. First we went bowling as a family. I was beaten handily by my wife in the first game. In the second game, Jen and Zac both beat me! Wow, what a defeat! Zac beat me by 15 pins in the 2nd game! This is the first of many defeats that Zac will give me as he grows up. I just thought I would be able to beat him a little while longer.

After bowling, we went to Nebraska Furniture to purchase our new TV. We agreed on a new Samsung for the living room. We lucked out and found a great deal on it. We also found a good deal on a replacement laptop for the BeautiControl business. It was a nice 2007 tax right-off! Anyway, I am writing this message from the new Compaq. Jennifer and I are looking forward to years of use.

Good night,

-Andy

Christmas Presents

Hello all,

I wanted to write a note about today's Christmas. We woke up early and went over to Diane's house for Christmas breakfast. Before we went over, the kids opened their stockings and found a the Pontiac Solstice under the Christmas tree! They were VERY excited by how AWESOME Santa was this year!

Jennifer was very pleased with her new winter jacket. I really surprised by how perceptive I was. And all this time she did not think I was listening...

I was blessed with a new tool box for my expanding tool collection. Thank you all very much for the wonderful gifts. We will use them for years to come.

Good night,

-Andy

Family Letter

Hello again from the Scott family. This has been an exciting year for the family. It has seen our daughter finish Kindergarten and start First grade. It has also seen our children explore the fun sport of gymnastics. While this was going on, Jennifer and I somehow managed to finish our third year of being BeautiControl consultants. It has been a banner year!

The year started off with Jennifer and I celebrating the New Year in Downtown KC at the Muhlebach with our good friends Marcy and David Reno. We enjoyed the night of dancing and talking about the Chiefs miracle trip to the playoffs. We had a blast.

The pain of the Chiefs loss to the Colts was dulled with the anticipation of the coming baseball season. Maybe this will be the Royals year… Well, we were there to watch several games at Kauffman stadium. We watched the Royals win a few. Ali and Zac are HUGE Royals fans. Ali can name every starting player by name and position. Zac loves to cheer for the Boys in Blue. Ali was David DeJesus. Zac was Alex Gordon. Jen was Mike Sweeney and I was Mark Teahen. We each had our rolls when our player was up to bat. Needless to say, we had a great time this summer!

The summer came and with it the heat and humidity. With that heat, came an unexpected expense. One of the early days of summer, our air conditioner decided to rest. Our unit of 17 years was replaced with a shiny new one. We replaced the furnace and decided to call it our contribution to the HVAC business in the area.

As August approached, Jennifer and I packed our bags for Dallas, Texas for the annual BeautiControl summer conference. We were very excited because Jennifer and I have built our business to the level of Unit Manager! It has been a great year for our business.

Soon the leaves began to fall and it was time for Alexandria to head back to school. Closets were cleaned out and new clothes were filled them. Pencils were sharpened and backpacks packed. It was time for Ali to walk into school as a new First Grader. She loves her teacher and loves to read. New this year is a fun concept called addition and subtraction. Ali is catching on fast and enjoys showing people what she can do. I’m sure that Grandpa Scott would be proud.

Both Ali and Zac started Fall gymnastics and are loving it. For the first time, Zac was in an all boys class working on boys equipment. Zac enjoys working on the rings and pommel horse. If you get him going, he will tumble all night! As for Ali, she also enjoys her all girl class. She enjoys the uneven bars and balance beam. We work on handstands and bridges in the living room. Jennifer and I could not be more proud of our two children.

As for Jennifer and I, we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary on October 17th. We celebrated by a simple dinner out without the kids and reflected on our amazing journey together.

As Winter gripped the air, we celebrated Zac’s 5th birthday and Ali’s 7th Birthday. The sound of kids laughter always makes Jennifer and I smile. Christmas is here now and the house is full of love. We were all blessed and received more than we deserved.

Merry Christmas everyone.

-Andy

Christmas Eve

Hello all,

Tonight we have Uncle David and Aunt Susie over for dinner and fellowship. I cooked steaks on the grill and made chicken nuggets for the kids. Everyone had a great meal and enjoyed each other's company. Our family went to Christmas Eve services at Good Shepherd UMC at 3:30 this afternoon. We went to the early service to make sure we would be home by the time David and Susie arrived. This year, Diane had to work at AT&T. She was missed greatly by all of us.

Well, Santa will soon be on his way to our home. I should get the kids in bed.

Good night!

-Andy

Winter Mix, again

Hello all,

It snowed all day yesterday and it is a winter wonderland out there. I got out this morning to get some parts to fix the upstairs faucet in the kids room. It has been leaking for some time and I finally got it fixed this morning. What can I say, I was looking for something to do! I have been on vacation for over a week and going NUTS sometimes!!

-Andy

Happy Birthday Alexandria

Hello all,

Happy Birthday Alexandria! You were born at 3:55 AM on December 22, 2000. Yes, you were born under duress. You had your umbilical cord wrapped around your neck. It was a very scary time for your mother and I. We prayed that God would carry you through those first hours and He did. Thank you Lord for giving Jennifer and I Alexandria. She has been a blessing!

I hope that you had a great birthday with Zac, Mom and Dad today. I enjoyed watching you and Zac bowl today. I know you had fun making Christmas cookies for with Grandma and Mom. I know you ate a LOT of cookies off of the cooling rack. I won't tell...

Happy Birthday again!

Love,

-Dad

Dorthy's Funeral

Hello all,

Good-evening all.... It has been a very long day for me. I did a lot of driving today. The trip back to KC from Glenwood was very long for me. I had a lot of time to sit there and think. I hope 2008 has some changes in it for me. I do not know if Embarq is the place for me anymore. I'll keep you posted on what I find out.

Good night,
-Andy

Going to Iowa

Hello all,

Tonight we are taking a trip to Iowa for Dorthy's funeral. It will be a long trip. I hope the kids are well behaved.

-Andy

Cleaning and shopping

Hello all,

Today I cleaned the house and shopped a little bit for Jennifer's Christmas presents. I am now sitting on the floor in the living room while Jennifer is wrapping our family's presents. I love you for all of your hard work Jennifer!

Good-night,

-Andy

Shopping for Jennifer

Hello all,

This morning I went shopping for my wife's Christmas presents. I had some luck, but I was disappointed that some of the items I truly wanted to get her were already picked over. Oh well, I guess it was not meant to be. I'll go searching again tomorrow.

-Andy

Good-bye Dorthy

Hello all,

This afternoon at 2:00 my Great Aunt Dorthy passed away quietly in Tabor, Iowa. She has been in declining health for many years and had lead a blessed life. She has worn lots of hats in her life and seen many places. I will always remember Thanksgiving dinner at Dorthy and Buck's house in Glenwood. It was a family tradition. Food and Football were always the rule in that house. I never went home hungry from that feast.

Dorthy, I know that you are in a better place tonight. Please give my best to my family. And if you could, please give my Grandfather Archie and my Dad a hug from their little guy down here. Tell them both that I think of them often.

Alright, it is time for me to close this entry.

Good-night,

-Andy

Sunday...

Hello all,

Today was dedicated to cleaning up the house after yesterday's birthday party. It seems that all of Ali's toys are on the kitchen floor. Wrapping paper and twist ties are very common. It is our plan to get the kitchen cleaned up by dinner tonight.

-Andy

Spa and Ali's Party

Hello all,

This morning Jennifer and I had a spa at a friends house and then hosted Ali's 7th Birthday Party for her school friends! It was a lot of fun to go back to AirZone. The kids had a great time and Ali enjoyed hosting everyone. We were all very tired by the end of the night and enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Good night,

-Andy

Vacation with Zac

Hello all,

Today my son and I had a father/son day. We had mom home for lunch and played all day. At 4:30, both he and Ali had their well child check-up appointments. They are both doing great. Ali is 50.5 inches all and Zac is 48 inches tall. They are well on their way to being tall like mom and dad.

Good night,

-Andy

2nd Day of Vacation

Hello all,

Today was more relaxing than yesterday. Zac and I ran some errands this morning and for Ali's birthday party tomorrow. This afternoon, Zac took a nap while I worked on connecting the new printer to the network. I had it working before I picked Ali up from school.

Tomorrow is Ali's 7th birthday party. Tomorrow morning, Jen and I have a spa and hopefully it will be a very beneficial morning for our home business.

Good night!

-Andy

1st Day of Vacation

Hello all,

Good evening from KC. I am off today. I spent the morning in Overland Park. I went to Recover Care to pick up the basket for BeautiControl. After that, I went pick up some of the kids vitamins for the kids. I then we to the Embarq campus to drop off a skin care sample.

In the afternoon I went to get a hair cut and pick Ali and Zac up from school and came home to make dinner. Needless to say, my first day of vacation has not been very relaxing...

Good night,

-Andy

Last Day of Work For 2007

Hello all,

Today is a bitter-sweet day for me. Today is Steve Brown's last day of work at Embarq. He is retiring after 14 years working on the SODS team. The weather is bad and Ali and Zac's school is closed today so I am home with them. All I can think about is how different 2008 will be without Steve.

I will miss you Steve Brown. You have taught me a lot over the last 10 years. Thank you for your patience.

-Andy Scott

Same thing, different day

Hello all,

The ice has KC in its grip today. I am working from home again and Ali did not have school today. It has been a LONG day with both kids at home and all couped up in the house. I don't know what it is about being stuck inside, but it is driving my kids crazy today!

-Andy

Working From Home

Hello all,

Today is a Monday and I was called by my supervisor yesterday and told to work from home today due to the weather. So I did and yes the weather is moving into our area. Ice is starting to form on the grass and it is starting to get slick out there. I hope you all get home safe tonight.

Good night,

-Andy

Quiet Sunday

Hello all,

It was a quiet Sunday at the Scott house today. I did some laundry and played some Monopoly with Ali and Zac. Ali has the worst luck at that game. I kept missing her property and she ALWAYS hit my property. Better luck next time Ali. You will get better!

Good night,

-Andy

Winter Mix

Hello all,

Winter weather has moved into the area and the roads are getting slick. Due to this, Jennifer and I have decided to not go to Maryville for the football game tonight. We watched it on ESPN. It looked miserable. The coach had ice on his headset. The players all had on gloves and hats. I'm very glad to not be up there tonight.

Good night,

-Andy Scott

Steve's Last Friday

Hello all,

I don't have a lot to say today. This is Steve Brown's last Friday with Embarq and I am very sad. I wish you luck with your next chapter of your life Steve.

-Andy

ER visit for Ali

Hello all,

This morning I took Ali to North Kansas City Hospital. She is having problems catching her breath from coughing. She then started to vomit. It was time to go to the hospital. We were home by 3:00 AM.

-Andy

Running errands

Hello all,

Tonight Zac and I ran to the post office to mail some Spa invitations and then run to the bank to deposit some checks.

Good night,

-Andy

Zac's first class with Richard

Hello all,

Tonight Zac had her first class with Mr. Richard. It was great! Zac had a great time at his new class. It was a great choice we made to change teachers.

Good night,

-Andy

Early 7:30 Call

Hello all,

Good morning. This morning I had to join the SEV 1 & SEV 2 outage call at 7:30 in the morning. I had to explain how a one line change in a configuration file caused the Weblogic instance to fail to correctly initialize on Friday morning. I then had to explain how the INFORMIX update statistics script locked the sysprocplan table on Saturday morning. The call took about 15 minutes to discuss settle their concerns. I made it into the office after that.

I hope the rest of the day goes better than the start of the day.

-Andy

Tulsa Server Move.

Hello all,

It was an early morning for me again today. I was paged by EDS at 6:45 to look at PDAA0207. They still did not have it right. Needless to say, I am not pleased with how the migration is going...

I joined the call at several points in the day. Each time, they stated they were making progress. They were not.

Finally at 8:50 PM I was able to accept the server and sign off on the migration. What a miserable weekend.

Good night,

-Andy Scott

Early Morning, Again

Hello all,

I was paged again this morning at 6:oo AM. PAT had problems again. This time INFORMIX was the problem. The database engine had to be bounced and then I had to bounce the Weblogic instance to make PAT work again.

I had to bounce it again at 12:22 for the same problem. It is due to the INFORMIX update statistics job is trying to connect to the Dallas server which is offline due to the server move.

I am now waiting for the PDAA0207 server to come online in Tulsa.

Good night,

-Andy