Happy Halloween!!!!

I hope everyone has a spooky day!!!!

Love, Oliver

Creative Halloween Costumes

As Halloween fast approaches, I am left perplexed about what I will be for Halloween. After careful consideration, I have narrowed my field of choices. I am reaching out to my beloved family to cast your vote:

So let's see what we have here:

1. A giant woppie cushion. It looks like a giant pepto bismol bottle. I like this costume; its creative and funny. But, I would be afraid someone would try and sit on me.

2. It took mom quite awhile to get me in this suit. But you can see I was happy once I could put my arms down. This costume is also creative. I always wanted to be genuine beer for a day. (From this angle, I could use a eyebrow wax)

3. Emma's stickers from Grandma's 90th birthday inspired this Halloween Costume idea. Does everyone have your heart on? Yeah that doesn't get old at all. But don't worry, my legs won't be that hairy.

4. My first instinct was to be the slot machine. However, when I showed up at Luther Manor with my costume on; I was thrown dollar bills and grandma tried pulling my arm down. Normally the money part wouldn't bother me. But grandma started punching my stomach when she lost and started shaking me when she thought she won.

5. When I saw this costume, I just wanted to have it! So when I decided to rent this costume for a day to test it out, people were walking up to me and kicking me. I couldn't understand why they were being so cruel! But, when I got home, the "knock first" was changed to "kick first". Silly halloween kids!

So as you can see, I have a tough decision on my hands! Start the voting now! Decide what I will be for Halloween.

Cutting Edge and New

I agree with Auntie B, we are cutting edge and Unkie's Pope comment reminded me of something.

The Pope today made changes. Now, I'm Lutheran, not Catholic, but I'd be willing to try it this way. Or maybe with a little mustard.

What's the record for most posts in a day?

Reports: Girardi offered Yankees job

In the spirit of the season, I felt it was necessary to post this breaking news on the mlb website. No, it's not about the world series. Welcome Joe Giradi!!!!!!!!!

The Yankees officially offered their managerial job to Joe Girardi on Monday morning and he is expected to accept it, a source has told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand.
"The Yankees have offered Joe the opportunity to become their next manager. Discussions are ongoing," Steve Mandell, Girardi's agent, said.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Don Mattingly and Tony Pena that they will not be getting the job.
Girardi was in Denver for the World Series. A source said he is expected to fly to New York for the announcement, which is likely to come Tuesday. Girardi's contract is expected to be in the three-year, $6 million range.
Mattingly will not accept a position on the Yankees coaching staff, Marchand and ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney are reporting.
"Don was extremely disappointed that he wasn't the organization's choice to fill the manager's vacancy," Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, said in a statement.
Hank Steinbrenner, one of owner George Steinbrenner's sons, said Monday he wasn't sure when an announcement would be made. He added there would be more discussions during the day concerning the candidates.
"These guys were put through the ringer," he said from Tampa, Fla. "I think we're ready to make an informed decision."
Howard Rubenstein, a spokesman for George Steinbrenner, said: "We have nothing to announce right now."
Girardi caught for the Yankees from 1996-99, served as a bench coach in 2005, then managed the Marlins the following year and was NL Manager of the Year. He kept a young team in contention until September, then was fired, apparently for clashing with owner Jeffrey Loria and others above him.
The 43-year-old Girardi turned down the Baltimore Orioles' managerial job last summer, choosing to spend time with his father, who had health problems.
Girardi, working as a broadcaster Sunday night for Fox Sports from the World Series in Denver, said he had nothing to announce regarding his status as a manager.
"Still former," Girardi said. "Nothing extra tonight."
Girardi was the first to interview Monday, followed by Mattingly on Tuesday and Pena on Wednesday. Pena won AL Manager of the Year in 2003 after the Kansas City Royals (83-79) posted their first winning season since 1994 -- Hank Steinbrenner told The Times that Pena was "definitely under consideration."
Mattingly has no managerial experience. He spent three seasons as New York's hitting coach before he became Joe Torre's bench coach last year. A six-time All-Star, Mattingly is among the most beloved players in Yankees history.
Torre declined a one-year offer to return at a reduced salary after leading the team to four World Series championships and 12 playoff appearances in as many seasons.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Name: Joe Girardi

Age: 43

Managing background: One season with Florida Marlins, who were 78-84. Named 2006 National League manager of year.

Playing career: Spent parts of 15 seasons in majors with Chicago Cubs, Colorado, St. Louis and New York Yankees. Won three World Series titles with Yankees (1996, 1998-99). He hit .267 and had 1,100 career hits in 1,277 career games. Retired in 2002.

Personal: Married to Kim with three children. Graduate of Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering. Three-time academic All-American.

Congratulations 2007 World Series Champions!!!

Glacier National Park, Kalispell, Montana

Below are some pictures from Glacier National Park in Northwest Montana. Even though most of the park was shut down due to the winter season, we were able to sneek a peek (without having to pay the $25 entrance fee) into what this place had to offer. The road to the sun is a 50 mile long road that goes up into the mountains. Once you are at the top of the road you can see Glaciers. Unfortunately we were only able to travel 16 miles into the park. So we could not see any glaciers. It was such a beautiful place, I know I have to go back and really experience everything this park has to offer including the gift shops, which I must add were also closed. The first time I got out of the car, you are hit with the strongest scent of pine. The whole park smelled like a Christmas tree!

Kalispell was a great little town. The airport is surrounded by snow capped mountains. And although I requested a 2-4 person intermediate rental car, I was stuck with a Chevy Suburban! Most of their roads are not paved and they have no thruways with exit ramps at least that I saw. They have a main road called Hwy 2 which is just a 4 lane road, 2 lanes in each direction. And the speed limit is 70mph.

I must admit that while I was there I had to try some Bison and Elk. Not Buster Bison though. Both were mighty tasty!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISSY!

On October 21, 1983 Jillian Elizabeth Koch entered the world weighing 8 lbs and 4oz at 1:24 pm at DeGraff Memorial Hospital. She has grown up to be a successful, intelligent, beautiful, independent woman. Jill has made her family proud with each passing day. Happy Birthday Jill!


Just in case you wanted to know some important facts about 1983: the year that Jill was born:

The Washington Redskins were the Super Bowl XVII champions defeating Miami 27-17.

The Baltimore Orioles win the World Series, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 1

The first regular U.S. cellular telephone system goes into operation.

October 25 - Microsoft Word is first released.

December 27 - A propane explosion in Buffalo, New York kills five firefighters and two civilians.

Flashdance and Return of the Jedi are box-office hits.

McDonald's introduces the McNugget.

February 28 - M*A*S*H (TV series) ends after 11 years and 251 episodes on CBS. The series finale, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, becomes the highest rated episode in TV history.




Happy Birthday Jill. I hope you have a wonderful 24th birthday.

I apologize but I was unable to post pictures as the blogsite was down for maintenance.

With all that said I am heading to McDonald's for some McNuggets.

Happy 2nd Anniversary

I know...I know...This blog is about a week early, but I felt I needed to pick up the slack and breathe some new life into our blog (and because it's pretty slow at work today). After many attempts and failures to try and get the username and password correct, Dear ol' Jff walked me through it.

Below you will find my pictorial essay on two years of blog making history:

Ahhh Floyd..He became a member of our family back in November '05. Who can forget KDH's magical cab ride with him?! "JeeeeeeeSUS", he says -- "if you're from Buffalo, you must be wanting to run around with a buck nekkid keyster on a day like today -- it must be like summer for you!".

Lou's has gotten a lot of free advertising from this blog. Gram with her favorite waitress, the quick witted, Cozy!

It always amazes me the pictures we make Grandma take for the blog

Christmas 2005... Gram and the Grandkids

Some of us from the fam became first time home owners!

And then there was Jff......

And who could forget October 12, 2006....

A new company was started. I am pretty Sure KDH received resumes and applications for future job employment from all Holtz members.

Thanksgiving 2005...The year Ruth ran out of hearing aide batteries and we all lost our voices trying to talk loud enough for her to hear.

Ahh the real reason why we get together every year at Christmas:





A couple true Yankees fans....

UC and AP are enjoying the good life.

And the phenomenon that started this whole thing off.....A Major Award!

Grandma's 90th Birthday was a blast with her friends and family!

And the newest edition to the Holtz Family Blog: Oliver

I can't go on...

It's official, I can't do it any more. The Bills have sapped every last bit strength that I posessed. Not even my wife's love can get me through another day. I turned over to the ... anonymous side (I'm going to root for every winning team , every week, I don't care who wins, that's my team). God forgive me.

Today, as soon as I got to work, I hung upside down in my office for 4 1/2 hours letting the blood rush to my head, after seven quarts pushed its way to the cap of my melon, I took a red swingline stapler and pushed down on my cranium 25 times, one time for each Cowboy point. Thus, I created a fountain of blood spirting out like a leaky hose. It's all I could think of to do after that game last night. Where's Joe Dufek? At least we knew where we stood with that team.