Letter From My Heart and Other Ramblings on a Rainy Day

It seems that there are two opposite theories on humanity that constantly fight in our society.

And I don’t mean Republican and Democrats!!!

Some believe that human nature is perfectible and that with education, cultural influences, social engineering and hard work that we can all reach utopian ideals that are articulated in theory by enlightenment, socialism and post-modern stances on traditional things such as government and religion.

Then there is the other side that believes that human nature is not even close to being perfectible and we have to depend on God. We should observe the order of things as exemplified by his teachings and through a complete understanding of our place in the world we will find the only hope we truly have for advancement and enlightenment.

Since I am what could best be described as a “compromiser”, I think I take a little of both views with me everywhere I go. I truly believe that each of us has within us the ability to be who we want to be – but that’s an over simplification if I’ve ever had one.

We are products of our upbringing. We bring to our lives our own hopes and fears and prejudices and limitations and _____________(you fill in the blank and it will be right). And with those as the basis for our beliefs, it is up to us to plod through life and try to sort it all out and make sense of it.

And if you’re like me, and you like to rely on yourself, you will be sorely disappointed over and over by your own shortcomings.

It takes someone else to help define us – someone that sees beyond all of our limitations and can look at us without all the defensive things that we feel about ourselves. It takes someone else to look past our pride and see who we “can be” and love us unconditionally.

And when we find that, we can truly start on the path of becoming who we CAN be instead of who we think we are.

While I do take personal responsibility as the "highest calling" portion of our own responsibility in our own lives – enough water has passed under my bridge that I know that I can’t do it alone. If left to my own devices, I will sit on the couch and become one with the television. If left to my own devices, I probably will do the convenient thing instead of the right thing.

So today, I am thankful that I have several influences that force me towards being a better person and a more responsible member of the human race.

The first one that I am accountable to is my wonderful, beloved girl. The one that makes everything seem like summer all the time. The one that makes me want to be better than I ever thought I could be just so she will be proud of me.

I truly am the luckiest man in the world because of her.

I am also very accountable to my children. This is one of those things that you can’t explain to someone that has no children. But they change everything. You are held to a level of responsibility that you can’t have unless you have children. Sometimes that’s a pain in the ass but normally it’s an incredible blessing. And I have been blessed with two amazing children who I love totally and unconditionally. It’s very cool.

And finally, I am accountable to my God. This may ring hollow with people who don’t have faith in the way that I do, but I don’t apologize for that anymore than I blame people who don’t have that faith and relationship. I know this is a sticky subject, and I certainly don’t hold myself as superior for my faith – but I am very grounded in my faith and am comfortable that it guides me through things I would be completely lost in without it.

So those are my three things that I find myself personally accountable to. And truly, the rest of the world can kiss my ass because I don’t care what they think (ask my girl, she’ll tell you that is the one thing that drives her crazy about me – but she loves me anyway!).

And with that I will leave the philosophy to the philosophers and live my life as fully as I can and do the things that make me happy in the context that I have – and be thankful.

So with that in mind, I have written an open letter to the three greatest influences in my life and am sharing that with the world.............

I thank you for this day and the opportunity to see and hear you this morning. I’m blessed because you are so forgiving and understanding. You have done so much for me and I am thankful because of it.

Forgive me today for everything I have said or done that has displeased you.

Thank you for allowing my love for you to keep me safe from danger and harm. Because of you, I can start this day with a great attitude and a heart full of gratitude. You let me make the most of each day and you allow me to clear my mind so that I can sense what you want.

Thanks for broadening my mind and allowing me to have the perspective to accept whatever life throws my way. Thank you for not making me believe that I have to be in charge.

Thank you for not allowing me to whine and whimper over things that I have no control over. You always remind me what needs to be done and what needs to be ignored. You allow me to confess my weaknesses to you without judging me and that allows me to confront my own demons.

When the world closes in on me I am always reminded of your example to me. Your strength and courage are available in ample amounts. You remind me to slip away and find a quiet place to reflect. You listen to my heart and know what to say and when to say it. That’s not magic, that is love.

Continue to bless me so that I may be a blessing to others because due to the fact that I love you, I am able to love others more freely. You cause me to help the weak and pray for the lost. I try to help those that are misunderstood because you understand me so well.

I believe that love changes everything and every action shows love, those we do and even those we don’t do. I believe in the mystery of life and am happy that I don’t have to have the literal answers to things but can have faith in my love to show me the way.

My prayer for you would be that you would hear the truth in your heart and know that it is good.

I Love You.

How Do You Spell "Nuyck"?

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to just hit you hard on top of the head for no reason?

Smells Like.......What???

Does anyone recall when they first heard Nirvana's first hit "Smells Like Teen Sprirt"?

Did you have any idea what the lyrics were or what the song was about?

Do you know now?

Does it make sense to you now?

This is one of those songs that when I heard it, I said "cool" - but cringed a little when I, the great musicalogist, had no idea what it was or even why it was.

I am a lyrics kind of guy - always drawn to the brilliantly written word as expressed by an artist but like all people, I am driven deep down by a beat. And the beat is great in this song even though I still don't get it.

And we all know now how "tortured" Mr. Cobain was and how his pain came through in his music - but back then, when grunge was young - this was all new and sort of exciting. It was like the second, better coming of punk for me.

So here's this song. If anyone "gets" it, please let me in on it. I still feel stupid - and contagious!

Load up your guns
Bring your friends
It's fun to lose
And to pretend
She's overboard
Myself assured
I know I know
A dirty word

Hello (x16)

Wit the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now
Entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libito
Yea

I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will be until the end

Hello (x16)

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now
Entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yea

And I forget
What it takes
And yet I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard
It's hard to find
Oh well, whatever - Nevermind!

Hello (x too many more times)

Wonder

Do you ever wonder?

It used to be when I was younger that I would “wish” stuff. You know, “I wish this could be different”, or “I wish I could be like that”………..

I don’t recall “wishing” anything lately. I guess when you grow up you come to the conclusion that your wishes are mostly within your control and you don’t fret about them so much.

So what’s left?

Well, for me, what’s left is to wonder if I did it right. Or if I did it wrong, what can I do to fix it.

I guess most of this stuff is related to being a parent.

I have great kids. I’m very proud of them. Did they turn out the way I “wished” they would? I have no idea because at the time of their birth my wishes somehow became “hopes” and those hopes are much different by definition that wishes could ever be.

Wishes are specific. Hopes are general.

And I think that the “hopes” have turned out quite well.

I always hoped that my kids would get along with people. I hoped that they would be popular and stand up for what they believed in. I hoped that there was something that they would believe in! I hoped that they would be healthy. I hoped that they would find happiness as they struggled to grow up in an increasingly complex world.

And I am very satisfied that they are fine. They are both in college so they have a long way to go in terms of defining who they want to be and the implementation process that goes along with that.

I know that I would never want to go back and do it all again. It was way too hard.

I wonder about their relationship skills. I wonder if they learned the good as well as the bad from them watching their parent’s marriage end. I wonder if they harbor any illusionary responsibility for that stuff. I hope not.

I wonder if they can find that certain someone that would make them realize their “purpose” in life like their father did.

If I could give them one bit of advice that they would take to heart it would be that they never have to “settle” for anything in life. It’s all a journey and if you don’t like where you are today that you have the opportunity and the skills to change it and move towards where you want to be. I would also tell them that the place they think they want to be will continually change and what they think is important today may not mean shit to them tomorrow.

But mostly I would tell them that the most important decision they will ever make will be the person that they choose to spend most of their time with. The choice of partner is the most important thing they can ever do. It will literally define how they view the rest of their lives. I would want them to know that it’s OK to make a mistake but don’t ever feel duty bound to continue to make that mistake.

Lord knows I did. For way too long and I know why I did it and I stand by it – I just wish that I had done something earlier……………but that’s all water under the bridge.

So I sit here and wonder at how life works out.

And I smile knowing that it’s still unfolding.

I hope that they find the happiness I have found and that each day for them becomes the joy I have come to know and count on.

And I still hope for the Powerball.

But that’s another story……………………..

Rap-Ture

Does anyone remember when rap music was a novelty and kind of fun? If not, you’re not old enough. It didn’t used to be so “dangerous”.

I was listening to Rappers Delight by the Sugarhill Gang this morning on the way to work and was taken back to my senior year in high school when this came out. I can remember listening to the radio and thinking, “What the hell is this? It’s not music, it’s not poetry – it’s something in between”.

But as a rock-n-roller, I couldn’t like it for cultural reasons – not unless no one was watching, then I could like whatever I wanted!!!

Black music was always R&B for me. It was the Isley Brothers and then it was Earth, Wind and Fire and the Commodores and all kinds of other stuff. Us white boys had our Led Zeppelin and Neil Young and the kids who didn’t know shit listened to whatever was happening on Top 40 radio. But I could always count on the black kids to bring something to the party that I didn’t have.

This was back when I knew that Ray Charles, Al Green and Marvin Gaye were cool but I just didn’t have that stuff in my collections yet. I wasn’t old enough (nor cool enough to break on through)

But as the folks in New York started this break dancing thing, the music changed and the old stereotypes were out the window. We could all see a new day coming and we just didn’t know how great the divide would be. How Hip-Hop would change the culture and not necessarily for the better.

I’m still a shallow fan of rap. Nothing hard but I can really get into the Beastie Boys and I like the old school stuff before it got too harsh and the language turned into something I didn’t recognize. Maybe that’s where the Ebonics thing came from, who knows? But I also like some angry Eminem and Kid Rock (what category is he in anyway?).

So anyway, if you’ve got any Rappers Delight around, give it a listen. And tip your hat to Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow and all those guys that started something way back when.

And then watch the guy with the clock around his neck on the MTV show and remember why the audience is so, so, so…….different.

And bless our diversity!!!

Rats!!!

I have a list of things I try to accomplish each day. It's not a formal list, just a reg-li-er one (as my tattle-tale second grade girl likes to say).

On the top of that list is checking the mouse traps for meeces.

Missed one today.

Got the call about 6:30am.

"Um, er, Eek, there's a mouse in the sticky-thing...............(silence)"

"Oh, sorry sweetie - forgot to check this morning..................(guilty silence)"

"Dead Man Walking"

Over and Out

Pray for me. All of you.

Top Ten List

My friend, The Haahnster, has posted his top ten funniest movie list. Since there are no original ideas on the blogosphere, he got it from someone else who I’m sure got it from someone else.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw in my two cents because funny movies are what makes the world go ‘round.

The problem with lists are that they are never complete and they can never capture the ethereal things that make movies funny - like smoking pot, or too much tequila or naked girls or someone next to you shooting milk out of their nose. There are way too many subjective things that go into making a movie experience funny.

The thing that defines funny movies to me is my ability to watch them over and over again without any problem. I love serious movies but once I’ve seen them, I am pretty much through with them. There are some exceptions such as the Godfather’s I & II. But once through Mystic River is enough for me.

And lists of funny movies sometimes dates us back to our formative years – but that’s OK because funny is funny. American Pie will never take the place of Animal House for me because I just happened to be starting college, living in an Animal House when that movie came out (and I’ve never fucked a pie, either!)

And like I said, there are many reasons we find movies funny but lists are finite and here is mine – and you may notice that they are not numbered and that is because I find that too daunting a task to rank something like this.

Drum roll please……………………..

O Brother, Where Art Thou? – This movie was hilarious on so many levels and I’m not even sure that it’s considered a comedy – but I loved it.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure – I know, I know, I’ve heard it all – but I LOVE this movie. The sequel was painful but the original one was good to me.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery – I thought this might have been the best parody of all time. The scene where they pitched the tent on the beach and the bad guys snuck up to them and watched their silhouettes getting stuff out of their bags which looked like they were shoving stuff up Austin’s ass was the last time I almost pee’d my pants in a theater.

Blazing Saddles – I don’t have to explain this too much. Never has Mel Brooks done a better parody than this tale of the Old West. How about when the sheriff was riding up and the old guy was trying to say that the sheriff was a nigger – and the bell rang each time he said nigger? Yea, top that.

Young Frankenstein – While we’re on the topic of Mel Brooks, I loved this black and white classic. How funny was Peter Boyle with his facial expressions as the monster?

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back – again, here’s one that I constantly have to explain to people, but jeez – I love me some Jay and Silent Bob. The outtakes on the DVD are the funniest things I have ever seen. The deleted scene where they tried to get on the bus to get to Hollywood and then got thrown off – and Jay looks at Silent Bob and says “didn’t we used to ride this for free in school” was so damn funny I don’t see how it could get cut from the final version.

There’s Something About Mary – this was funny on so many levels. Site gags such as the “cum in the hair” or verbal gymnastics with the dialog. This one is funny from top to bottom. Plus my neighbor Brett Favre had the worst acting debut ever. He says it was on purpose – but I’m not sure……….

Now for the holy trinity of funny movies. All are related through SNL and all will forever be classics.

Caddyshack – How funny can one movie be? And that boy had a beautiful golf swing as well.

Blues Brothers – The first movie I ever sat in the theater to see it again. I had to hide from the people cleaning up but I sat through it back to back. “It’s dark and we’re wearing sun glasses”………wow.

Animal House – The most successful movie ever as determined by how much it cost to make and how much it made. This movie was dead on and is so full of funny that I’m laughing right now just thinking about it. It was very funny even in the scenes where Belushi was absent. I think one problem that some people have with this movie is that it’s shown on TV so much that we forget how much they have to cut out to show it on TV and it’s just not nearly as funny as the original.

So that’s my list. I’m not ashamed of any of them and yes, there are a thousand more that could have made the list. But this is my list and I’m sticking by it.

Peace.

Things That Suck

I have a great t-shirt that says:

Every time you masturbate
God kills a kitten

I have no idea what that means.

I have no idea why I think it's funny.

I love to wear it to church functions.

Can someone help me???

A Long Summer.........

The weather turned cold last night and for the first time this year I feel like frolicking! Not quite in the mode of my Labrador Retriever, but maybe just tooling around on my motorcycle dressed in leather. I love the feel of the air and the crispness of the sun as it warms instead of HEATS.

Most people in the country love the coming of summer and it’s warmth – but down here in the oven, we all look forward to winter – even though we only get a “winter” every five years or so. I don’t think it ever froze last year so we’re hopeful that this year is the one in five!!!

We get to dig out our “winter clothes”, which basically means light sweaters and jackets. I knocked the dust off of mine this morning and have on a nice suede shirt that I forgot I even owned.

I love Fridays. Especially today.

Tomorrow will be a good day for me. We’re having Len Sweet come and do a seminar at our church tomorrow. If you don’t know who Leonard Sweet is, check him out on the web. He is an amazing author, mentor, agitator of the mainstream and many other things and it’s so cool that he is coming to see US. But what’s even cooler is that I get to cook him dinner tomorrow night. He lives on an island off the coast of Washington State, one of those isolated, incredibly beautiful places where you live a cloistered life full of blessings and not bothered by the common folks too much because you have to take a boat to get out there. But tomorrow night he will be eating a meal prepared by the mac-daddy of cuisine in South Mississippi and he may spend some quality time in the bathroom as a result, but he’ll definitely know he’s been served!!!

Still working on the menu – but whatever it is, it will be spicy and it will be alive. Wish I could share some with all of you, but alas, you’re there and the food’s all here!

Anyway, I was just listening to some Counting Crows stuff. The Adam guy that writes and sings is a bizzaro character, I think. He is very introspective and their stuff either knocks my socks off or I don’t care for it at all.

The song I am listening to now is one of them that knock the socks off.

A Long December – I can feel him mourning something. I feel his melancholy mood all through the recording. I don’t know what he’s lost – or maybe what he hasn’t found – but whatever it is, it’s very strong.

I don’t remember many “happy” songs from these guys but this one is especially sad to me for some reason. Not really sure why but since it is Friday and I’m in a great mood, I chose this one to share today.

Here goes:

A long December and there’s reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can’t remember the last thing that you said as you were leavin’
Now the days go by so fast

And it’s one more day up in the canyons
And it’s one more night in Hollywood
If you think that I should be forgiven….I wish you would

The smell of hospitals in winter
And the feeling that it’s all a lot of oysters but no pearls
All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl

And it’s one more day up in the canyon
And it’s one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California…..I think you should

Drove up to hillside manor, sometime after two a.m.
And talked a little while about the year
I guess the winder makes you laugh a little slower
Makes you talk a little lower – about the things you could not show her

And it’s been a long December and there’s reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass

And it’s one more day up in the canyon
And it’s one more night in Hollywood
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the ocean……I guess I should

So there you have it. One terribly depressing tune all wrapped up in a catchy ditty that always makes me think. Never about the same thing twice, but it always makes me think.

And isn’t that what music is all about?

And here’s to your weekend. This Bud’s for you………..

Heroes

David Bowie is odd. A very odd, androgynous man. And his career is just as odd.

Not to insinuate that odd is bad, it’s just odd.

I had the pleasure of seeing him last year and the show was amazing. He entertained me with his deep repertoire and his showmanship. Not too bad for a guy that is 143 years old.

One of my favorite Bowie stories is the one where he did the Christmas special with Bing Crosby way back in the day. They did “The Little Drummer Boy” on national T.V. When it was over, the story goes, that Bing asked someone who the hell that guy was and why was he singing with me?

I had the pleasure of sitting in first class with him on a flight from Atlanta to San Juan a few years back. I would like to say that we had an amazing conversation about all kinds of interesting stuff. But we didn’t. He just sat there pretending to be alone. Just another brush with fame for me. But then, I’m not one that goes seeking that stuff.

So today I have chosen one of my favorite Bowie songs as the Lyric of the Day.

The song is “Heroes” and it is one of the thin, white duke’s best – as far as I am concerned at least.

Like most rockers, my exposure (for the most part) was the Ziggy Stardust thing. A true glam/rock classic – but a quick review of his “greatest hits” shows that he has had many wonderful successes in the business over a very long period of time.

But I just love this song.

Check it out…………………

I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day

And you, you can be mean
And I, I’ll drink all the time
Because we’re lovers, and that is a fact
Yes, we’re lovers, and that is that

Though nothing, will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We could be heroes
Just for one day

I, I wish I could swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever
We can be heroes
Just for one day

I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can be heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day

I, I can remember
Standing, by the wall
And the guns shot above our heads
And we kissed
As though nothing could fall
And the shame was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be heroes
Just for one day

We can be heroes
We can be heroes
We can be heroes
Just for one day

We’re nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we’re lying
Then you better not stay
But we could be safer
Just for one day

Just for one day

Now, I’m not really sure what this song is about – I just like it. And isn’t that what music is all about.

I’m hoping that your day is going well and that if you don’t have a hero, that maybe you can find one tonight!!!

Elmer Fudd for President

I found an incredibly cool web site that can take what you write and turn it into a dialect other than your own – kind of like all the white kids riding around with their pants down to their knees listening to rap music – but with the English Language instead!!!

So here goes.

This one is as I wrote it originally – in my own words (not necessarily the King’s English – but it’s the best I can do).

The midterm elections are rapidly approaching and I believe that we in America have a choice to make. That choice is not quite as black and white as you may think it should be. It’s not about Republican and Democratic any more. It goes much deeper than that. It is apparent that the entire system is corrupt and not getting any better. With each scandal, the offending party promises to “clean it up” and make sure that the rules are in place so that it won’t happen again.

And yet the lobbyists are still greasing the wheels of commerce and only those connected enough can get any legislation passed. It makes me sick to my stomach.

It seems that we all know what we need to fix the system. How we need to take the entire spectrum of special interests out of the equation and we need to do something about term limits that will control the career politicians.

Do you have any idea how easy things would be if we were to limit the President to one six year term? What about 1 ten year term for a Senator? What about one five year term for a Congressman? Why can’t we take away the politics of the situation by making reelection a mute point? Why can’t we prohibit any special interest groups from giving any money to anyone for anything?

But the problem is that the very people who need to do these things are the people we are talking about. They say you have to look at how things work in the “real world” and not be so idealistic about things.

Bullshit.

All we have to do is not vote for any incumbents for a few elections cycles and we can get the message across.

So who are you voting for?

This one is in Redneck

Th' midterm eleckshuns is rapidly approachin' an' ah believe thet we in Mis’sippi haf a choice t'make. Thet choice is not quite as black an' white as yo' may reckon it sh'd be. It’s not about Republican an' Democratic enny mo'e. It goes much deeper than thet. It is apparent thet th' entire system is co'rupp an' not gittin' enny better. Wif etch scan'al, th' offendin' party promises t'“clean it up” an' make sho'nuff thet th' rules is in place so thet it won’t happen agin.

An' yet th' lobbyists is still greasin' th' wheels of commerce an' only them cornnecked inough kin git enny legislashun passed, cuss it all t' tarnation. It makes me sick t'mah stomach.

It seems thet we all knows whut we need t'fix th' system, dawgone it. How we need t'take th' entire speckrum of special interests outta th' equashun an' we need t'do sumpin about term limits thet will corntrol th' career politicians.

Do yo' haf enny idea how easy thin's'd be eff'n we were t'limit th' President t'one six year term? Whut in tarnation about 1 ten year term fo' a Senato'? Whut in tarnation about one five year term fo' a Congressman? Whuffo' kin’t we take away th' politics of th' situashun by makin' reeleckshun a mute point? Whuffo' kin’t we prohibit enny special interess groups fum givin' enny money t'ennyone fo' ennythin'?

But th' problem is thet th' mighty varmints who need t'do these thin's is th' varmints we is talkin' about. They say yo' hafta look at how thin's wawk in th' “real wo'ld” an' not be so idealistic about thin's.

Bullshit.

All we hafta does is not vote fo' enny incumbents fo' a few eleckshuns cycles an' we kin git th' message acrost.

So who is yo' votin' fo'?

This one is in jive

De midterm elecshuns is rapidly approachin' and ah' recon' dat we in America gots some choice t'make. Dat choice be not quite as brother and honky as ya' may dink it should be. It’s not about Republican and Democratic any mo'e. It goes much deepuh' dan dat. Man! It be apparent dat da damn entire system be co'rupt and not digtin' any better. Ah be baaad... Wid each scandal, de offendin' party promises t'“clean it down” and make sho' man dat da damn rules is in place so's dat it won’t happen again.

'S coo', bro. And yet da damn lobbyists is still greasin' de wheels uh commerce and only dose connected enough kin dig any legislashun passed. It makes me sick t'my stomach.

Lop some boogie. It seems dat we all know whut we need t'fix de system. WORD! How we need t'snatch de entire spectrum uh special interests out uh de equashun and we need t'do sump'n about term limits dat gots'ta control de carea' politicians.

Do ya' gots any idea how easy doodads would be if we wuz t'limit da damn Super-dude t'one six year term? Whut about 1 ten year term fo' some Senato'? Whut about one five year term fo' some Congressman? Why kin’t we snatch away de politics uh de situashun by makin' reelecshun some mute point? Why kin’t we prohibit any special interest groups fum givin' any bre'd t'any sucka fo' nuthin?

But da damn problem be dat da damn very sucka's who need t'do dese doodads is de sucka's we is talkin' about. Man! Dey say ya' gots'ta look at how doodads wo'k in de “real wo'ld” and not be so's idealistic about doodads.

Bullshit.
Man! All we gots'ta do be not vote fo' any incumbents fo' some few elecshuns cycles and we kin dig de message across.

So's who is you votin' fo'?

This one is my favorite – Elmer Fuddish!

De midtewm ewections awe wapidwy appwoaching and I bewieve that we in Amewica have a choice to make. Dat choice is not qwite as bwack and white as you may think it shouwd be. It’s not about Wepubwican and Democwatic any mowe. It goes much deepew than that. It is appawent that the entiwe system is cowwupt and not getting any bettew. Wif each scandaw, the offending pawty pwomises to “cwean it up” and make suwe that the wuwes awe in pwace so that it won’t happen again, uh-hah-hah-hah.

And yet the wobbyists awe stiww gweasing the wheews of commewce and onwy those connected enough can get any wegiswation passed. It makes me sick to my stomach.
It seems that we aww know what we need to fix the system. How we need to take the entiwe spectwum of speciaw intewests out of the eqwation and we need to do something about tewm wimits that wiww contwow the caweew powiticians. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!

Do you have any idea how easy things wouwd be if we wewe to wimit the Pwesident to one six yeaw tewm? What about 1 ten yeaw tewm fow a Senatow? What about one five yeaw tewm fow a Congwessman? Why can’t we take away the powitics of the situation by making weewection a mute point? Why can’t we pwohibit any speciaw intewest gwoups fwom giving any money to anyone fow anything?

But the pwobwem is that the vewy peopwe who need to do these things awe the peopwe we awe tawking about. Dey say you have to wook at how things wowk in the “weaw wowwd” and not be so ideawistic about things. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!

Buwwshit.

Aww we have to do is not vote fow any incumbents fow a few ewections cycwes and we can get the message acwoss. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit!

So who awe you voting fow?


And there you have it. Four exact points of view presented in different ways for your reading pleasure.

Who say’s we ain’t deeeversified?

A Mouse For Your Thoughts..........

Haven't seen any of these for quite a while. Have you seen them???

Bob's Back Pages

Bob Dylan – what can really be said about Bob that hasn’t been said. He is the most mysterious (on purpose) and talented musician of our time. His body of work is amazing and has more chapters than the “Lord of the Rings”.

But the most amazing thing about Bobby is that he has been so many different things to so many different people.

The protest folks of the 60’s tried so very hard to make him their voice. He refused and went the other direction every time they got close. He reinvented himself at the height of his powers and completely alienated his first audience. He rocked and rocked hard until he grew tired of that and he went to Nashville to add a little twang to his resume. He then fell off the map for a decade of putting out self-serving stuff that some say he did on purpose to get the spotlight off of him. Then he got reborn and put out some classics before being banished to the hinterlands again. And at age 65 he had the number one album out a month ago. Crazy, ain’t it???

It gets confusing to try to follow where he has been and as for where he is going – who knows?

The one thing that has always been amazing is that he is the hardest working man in show biz (apologies to James Brown). He tours constantly and always has. And to see him on a good night is maybe the most amazing thing you’ll ever see – but you can catch him on a bad night and wonder why you wasted the money.

So, in the end, Bob is simply Bob. He is who he wants to be and those of us who have been fans for the “long haul” are very happy when the spotlight gets turned back on him because it always brings more people out to sample the good stuff.

And Bob is like wine, he does get better with age. His early stuff still blows me away. I always have in my CD changer either “Another Side of Bob Dylan” or “Brining it all Home” or “Highway 61 Revisited”. Amazing stuff.

My girl hates him. Tries to get out of the car when she hears his voice.

I love her madly anyway!

But I understand that musically, Bob isn’t the melodic virtuoso that some wish he was. That was never his gig. He is simply the best lyricist – EVER. He turns phrases like no poet or writer ever has. His lyrics draw you in and turn you over and make you see things as images in your head. And if you’re like me, you sit in awe and wonder what he was thinking when he wrote that.

The Haahnster and I have both spoken of the majesty of “It’s Allright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” many times. That is the one song that I always take with me in printed form on my travels - and especially when I am doing things with the youth of our church I will bring it out for discussion and am proud to say that for two decades I have made converts of teenagers (at least the “cool” ones!)

But today, the one I chose was “My Back Pages”. I love the version they did on his 30th Anniversary thing at Madsion Square Garden. With Bob and Eric Clapton and Tom Petty and many other boys – what a great tribute to an amazing artist.

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
“We’ll meet on the edges, soon”, said I
Proud ‘neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull
I dreamed romantic facts of musketeers
Foundation deep, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

Girls faces formed the forward pass
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality”, I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

Wow. Oh wow.

Happy Listening!

Crazy Love!!!

I started throwing out lyrics last week.

As I was a’courtin’ my girl. I used to send her lyrics from songs all the time and tell her what they meant to me. I know that’s kind of corny – but I’m a living-breathing, old-fashioned, corny boy. Heart of a lover, soul of a poet – but just a regular boy with no talent so I rob from others!!!

Nothing wrong with that. People have been stealing stuff like this and adapting them to their own missions for all of history, so I don’t feel bad.

But today I choose me a Van Morrison song because it absolutely was dead-center of our relationship.

The song is “Crazy Love” from the album Moondance.

I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles
And the heavens open every time she smiles
And when I come to her, that’s where I belong
Yet I’m running to her like a river’s song

She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love

She’s got a fine sense of humor, when I’m feeling low down
And when I come to her when the sun goes down
Take away my trouble, take away my greief
Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief

Yes I need her in the daytime
Yes I need her in the night
Yes I want to throw my arms around her
Kiss her, hug her, kiss her, hug her tight

And when I’m returning from so far away
She gives me some sweet lovin’ to brighten up my day
Yes it makes me feel righteous, yes it makes me feel whole
Yes it makes me mellow – down to my soul

She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love


And Oh My God – does she give me crazy love.

I was reminded this weekend of, not only how much I love her and how lucky I am to have her – but of how very proud I am of her and how I love to show her off.

I swear that I feel like I have won the lottery.

And Van Morrison, that little bitter Irish troll of a man, seems to be able to express that in song so very well.

So if you haven’t listened to Van the Man sing lately, did some out and I dare you not to smile and think of someone amazing.

I hope those memories are fond for you. If not, try making some more!

Peace

Weekend Warrior

It was a great weekend. Homecoming and the State Fair!!! Now what more could a boy want in life!!!

I behaved Friday night. Had plans to go out with the frat brothers for a night of debauchery but the baby-sitter I thought we had was just a figment of my imagination.

And that’s OK because I will be wherever my beloved is and be much happier there – wherever that is. And it was at home on this night.

Saturday cranked up early with a short meeting at the frat house. Then it was the beginning of the alcoholization of the day. The game wasn’t until 6pm so we had all kinds of time to visit with folks and to see and be seen.

It was wonderful. Saw some people I hadn’t seen if a while and on the flip side of that, saw several that I never wanted to see again. Oh well, you take the good with the bad.

Ate wonderful food and drank copious amounts of rum punch that I had concocted.

We didn’t make it into the game, but who cares about football anyway!!! We did win the game (which I really didn’t think we would – but hey, it was HOMECOMING). The score was 31 to 27 over the University of Houston. Ask me next week and I will have forgotten that by then.

I remember how I used to live and die by football. How my stomach would hurt as we were engaged in a tight game……….I look back at that and wonder why in the hell I ever cared? Oh well, I guess maturity has its ups and downs. But it’s a lot less complicated when you don’t give a shit.

I wish I had some pictures to share – but I forgot my camera. I do that a lot these days. I guess having spent most of my life with camera equipment strapped around my neck has somehow scarred me - and I “forget” it a lot these days!

But anyway, it was a very nice day. I love my girl and I love sharing her with my old friends because she’s more than delightful – she’s perfect.

So we got up Sunday and I had a headache. Don’t hardly ever get those but I did ingest plenty of liquor, so I cut myself some slack. Took a handful of motrin and went on about my business. Went to get my mom some lunch and then went home to gather the troops for the 100 mile journey to the State Fair.

Haven’t been to the State Fair for at least 15 years and for some reason I just wanted to go and have some corn dogs, taffy and cotton candy.

And boy did I!!

Rode some rides, looked at some crazy people and then got so irritated at the crowds that it was time to bail.

I had really wanted to ride my motorcycle up there and had full intentions of just that but when I went to start her up, she wouldn’t budge. Battery was D-E-A-D. Which made me feel really stupid. So six of us piled into my car for a fun-filled trip.

Anyway, it was a good weekend and I’m very blessed. And I hope you are too. And if you’re not feeling it today, just start over and choose to bless yourself. That comes in handy on bad days!!!

Peace.

Beggars Banquet

My blog buddy Haahnster did a series on “creative outbursts” of artists – and did a damn good job of it, at least for my money – but I digress.

I have been listening to The Rolling Stones today. Just woke up in that kind of mood and did a quick tour through Beggers Banquet and Let it Bleed.

Wow, what a great creative outburst which continued until enough coke, heroin and blowjobs derailed the boys sometime after Exile on Main Street.

Musically and lyrically, these albums were an incredible mix of sex, drugs, and of course, rock and roll………..

I’m one of those guys that always sits and imagines what someone was thinking of when they wrote a song. I can see John Lennon writing “A Day in the Life” very easily. I have no idea where “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” could ever come from. Which is why Bob Dylan will always command the stratosphere of songwriters in my book. I sense something buried deep in Elton John’s “Burn Down the Mission” but am completely lost on some of his later fluffy stuff. And I guess to be fair, songs like “Wooly Bully” just don’t do it for me at all.

But I’m digressing again.

So many of the songs in this particular Stones time frame were actually very thought provoking. I was 12 when I first heard “Sympathy for the Devil” and can still remember the chill bumps I got while listening. I burned grooves in that vinyl.

So today I have chosen the song “Jig-Saw Puzzle” as my lyrical theme for the day. This song, kind of like “A Day in the Life”, tells a story of observation of life. I don’t think there is any deep meaning here, just stuff that came through the fog of the Glimmer Twins just hanging out at the house. It was recorded on March 25, 1968.

There’s a tramp sittin’ on my doorstep
Tryin’ to waste his time
With his mentylated sandwich
He’s a walkin’ clothesline
And here comes the bishop’s daughter
On the other side
She’s a trifle jealous
She’s been an outcast all her life

Me, I waiting so patiently
Lying on the floor
I’m just trying to do my jig-saw puzzle
Before it rains anymore

Oh the gangster looks so frightening
With his luger in his hand
But when he gets home to his children
He’s a family man
But when it comes to the nitty-gritty
He can shove in his knife
Yes he really looks quite religious
He’s been an outlaw all his life

Me, I’m waiting so patiently
Lying on the floor
I’m just trying to do my jig-saw puzzle
Before it rains anymore

Oh the singer, he looks angry
At being thrown to the lions
And the bass player, he looks nervous
About the girls outside
And the drummer, he’s so shattered
Trying to keep up time
And the guitar players look damaged
They’ve been outcasts all their lives

Me, I’m waiting so patiently
Lying on the floor
I’m just trying to do this jig-saw puzzle
Before it rains anymore

Oh, there’s twenty-thousand grandma’s
Wave their hankies in the air
All burning up their pensions
And shouting, “It’s not fair!”
There’s a regiment of soldiers
Standing, looking on
And the queen is bravely shouting
“What the hell is going on?”

With a blood-curdling “tally-ho”
She charged into the ranks
And blessed all those grandma’s who
With their dying breath screamed, “Thanks!”

Me, I’m just waiting so patiently
With my woman on the floor
We’re just trying to do this jig-saw puzzle
Before it rains anymore

So there it is – social commentary? Bored night at home? Mescaline?

Who knows????

But I do love me some Rolling Stones and wish them green lights and cool nights.

And I wish that for you too!

The Boss

I was listening to some Bruce Springsteen this morning. Not the cheesy 1984 stuff, but the Dylanesque stuff of his early albums, the ones before Born to Run, the ones that nobody bought that almost cost him his recording contract. And I still stand amazed at his brilliance.

I, like most, discovered Bruce in 1975 with the release of Born to Run – but like all good musicologists, I dug deeper and got all the ones before that. His initial album, Greeting from Asbury Park was the most amazing debut album until Nirvana came out decades later - at least it was for my money.

So, I am challenging my fellow musicologist to dig this one out and see what they think. My favorite song is Lost in the Flood but the most amazing one, lyrically, is Growin’ up. It harkens back to early Dylan in its imagery and clever turns of a phrase.

So here’s the lyrics to that one for you to chew on:

I stood stone-like at midnight, suspended in my masquerade
I combed my hair till it was just right and commanded the night brigade
I was open to pain and crossed by the rain and I walked on a crooked crutch
I strolled all alone through the fallout zone and came out with my soul untouched
I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd but when they said, “sit down” – I stood up
Ooooohhhhh Growin’ up

The flag of piracy flew from my mast, my sails were set wing to wing
I had a jukebox graduate for my first mate, she couldn’t sail but she sure could sing
I pushed B-52 and bombed ‘em with the blues with my gear set stubborn on standing
I broke all the rules, strafed my old high school and never once gave thought to landing
I hit id the clouded warmth of the crown but when they said, “come down” – I threw up
Ooooohhhhh Growin’ up

I took month long vacations in the stratosphere, you know it’s really hard to hold your breath
I swear I lost everything I ever loved or feared, I was the cosmic kid in full costume dress
Well my feet they finally took root in the earth but I got me a nice little place in the stars
I swear I found the key to the universe in the engine of an old parked car
I hid in the mothered breast of the crowd but when they said, “pull up” – I pulled down
Oooooohhhhhh Growin’ up

Perspective

Did you hear the one about the guy that hiked all the way up to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God?

He finally makes it and just so happens that God is there (behind the bush again).

“God, what does a million years mean to you”, the man asked?

The Lord replies, “a minute”.

“God, what does a million dollars mean to you”, the man asked?

The Lord replies, “a penny”.

“Can I have a penny”, the man asks?

The Lord replies, “in a minute”.

****************************************************************
Have you ever noticed how incredibly important perspective is in our lives? How what is important to us may not matter one iota to anyone else?

Well, that is key #47 to understanding how to live a happy life.

The ability to separate what is important to you from what everyone else may think is very important. But even more important may be that we be able to keep all of that in perspective.

The things most important to you, really may not matter to anyone else. And as much as you may think that sucks, that’s just the way it is.

It’s dreadfully important to be able to understand that someone that believes so fervently in something may actually hate you if you don’t believe the same thing. (See “Muslim Extremists”)

It’s nothing short of the polarization of our society.

You see it in elections, how 50.2% of the people vote one way and 49.8% of the people vote the other and the divide seems so great.

Where is the voice of reason in our world today? Where is the virtue of moderation where we all learn, not only to get along but also to respect the other person’s perspective?

It’s sad to me. Not trying to make a point here, it’s just sad that it has come to this.

I truly wake up each day expecting this to be the day where we all come to some kind of understanding, but prejudice and ignorance seem to be the watch-words of the day.

Rush Limberger preaches from a pulpit of absolute certainty and yet I listen to him from time to time and wonder where he gets his stuff from? As an intelligent person, I find it amazingly stupid that he can spout half-truths and seem to be certain that they are right. That life is truly black and white with no room for the “libs” or the “drive-by-media” in any discussion. Only the intelligent are able to grasp the truth as Rush sees it.

Bullshit.

The difference in Fox News and MSNBC is amazingly clear.

But life is truly lived in the middle somewhere.

Life is not “fair and balanced”.

I feel a rant coming on, so I’m bailing out.

I hope everyone is having a good day.

If not, please don’t let it be because other people don’t agree with your point of view. Be confident enough in yourself to tell them to kiss your ass.

Peace.

My Philosophical Hero

Nothing ever got to this guy. No matter how many times Darla said "no" Alfalpha found a way to make her say "yes". We should all have this much grit. But maybe not the hair.

More Homecoming

More homecoming 1979 pictures. I hope not to see those asses this weekend, but I'm pretty sure that a few will be forthcoming.

Homecoming

I know this is a bad picture, but it's the Homecoming '79 picture of the death mobile.

Just like the one in Animal House.

Except, instead of a new Lincoln Continental, this was a 1970 Chrysler Hotel. Not really sure of the make, but it was as big as a hotel so that's what we called it.

It belonged to Jack Warfield, a golfer from Indiana and was lovingly welded on and molded into it's beastly status by dozens of drunk frat boys.

It was our entry in the homecoming parade. We were not very "traditional" so our entry in the parade was on par with our image and upheld our reputation as the actual Animal House.

I was a Sigma Nu. And we had one hell of a fraternity. We were all jocks on a campus full of all different kinds of fraternities. I wouldn't have been in any other.

We had parties that defied logic. Back when beer was "legal" and frat parties meant something we were a "tour de force" of drunken debachary.

We were also the campus leaders in grades and in the school year of 1979-80 we won 13 of the 16 intramural sports championships.

We had swagger and that little something extra that everyone either envied or was completely repulsed by.

Our fraternity house was an old house on the edge of campus. I lived in it. It smelled of beer and piss. I can still remember everyone getting up in the morning and taking a piss in the floor furnace and trying to finish before the "steam" came up and enveloped us.

Anyway, it's homecoming this weekend and all of these memories come flowing forth like water from a hose for me. I'm sure the football game against the University of Houston will be interesting - but I'm sure I'll be in the tailgate area with 50 or so "brothers" remembering the way it used to be.

And loving every minute of it.

I hope your memories are as fond as mine, but if not, remember that you can make more every day.

God Bless.

Tommy Boy

I have a friend that is in Baghdad.

And I don't mean as a tourist.

I saw him right before he left at one of our local eating establishments with his family and that started a long conversation with my girl about life and how we live it.

When things hit closer to home it’s much different than watching things on CNN.

My girl and I have somewhat different political leanings. But we both agree that the stuff going on in Iraq is not a good thing.

Especially sad to us are the young people that are going over there sacrificing, in some cases all of their lives, but at least a part of their lives.

But my friend Tommy is my age. He is not a “young” man (note hairline). We went to high school together and he’s there too.

He has a business and a family with some cute kids and a wonderful wife. He has lots of friends and life is good.

And he was ripped out of that and sent to train and deploy to Iraq.

I remember when he and several other of my high school friends joined the National Guard right out of high school. That was 1979 – seems like yesterday sometimes and other times, like now, it seems like a lifetime ago. And I know they signed on for these things – but I don’t ever remember thinking the Mississippi National Guard would be responsible for fighting wars in other countries. I was thinking about the Russians invading and hurricanes and such.

I could write a very rambling political viewpoint here – but I’m not going to – that’s not what this post was for.

It was to let him know that I have added him to my prayer list and each day I pray for him and his.

Like most people we come in contact with, we’re not close friends - we don’t hang out. But he’s a great guy and I’ll always stop what I’m doing and go talk to him when I see him.

And it breaks my heart that he is over there for some reason. It may be because I grew up in the military. My father did Vietnam and other exotic locales as a snake-eating, ass-kicking Green Beret.

So I know what it is like to see your dad get on a plane and go away and fight for something that you don’t understand.

I know what it does to the spouses who are left behind. How they lie down at night and try to be brave but must be scared to death.

And I certainly know what it's like for the children who have to pretend that everything is "normal".

And as a Christian, it’s very hard for me to reconcile these things in my head, but it’s very easy in my heart to realize that this is far beyond what I believe we are called to do in this life.

So be safe Tommy, keep your head down. And when you get back, I promise that life will be sweeter for you – and that no matter how stupid our mission may be, the fact that you are there helping those people is a wonderful thing that I hope will make you proud of what you did there.

We’re proud of you and we do what we can – we pray. So God Bless.

Lovin' Life Largely

Thinking of love today.

Amazing subject, isn’t it?

Sometimes we are so involved with life that we don’t see what’s going on around us. We are slaves to our moods and our desires and our preconceived notions of how we think things should work in our lives and the lives of those around us.

I like to think I have risen above all of that – and for the most part, I really have. I don’t know when it happened or how it happened but at some point in my life, I realized that what I think I want doesn’t have anything to do with reality.

So I just let it go.

And I can honestly tell you that it has made all the difference in the world in my life.

To take that thought even further, I found that the frustrations that I got from things not going my way were the biggest obstacle I had in being happy.

It’s always amazing how it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference.

I am in a relationship with a wonderful girl. And I truly love her with all my heart. I promise you that I love her so much more than even she realizes, and it makes me smile – all the time.

It makes me so happy to know that no matter what happens in life, the most basic need that we all have is met in my own life.

To love and to be loved is the one thing that dictates how happy our lives are.

Some may argue that point, and I’ll listen – it’s just that in my heart and in my mind I know the truth of my convictions and I’ll stand by that until I draw my last breath.

You see, my girl is a special girl.

I know that she will say that she’s just a regular girl, full of regular girl frailties and faults and it’s only because I love her that I think she’s special.

And she’s right.

That’s the whole point, isn’t it?

I do love her, therefore she is special.

I see all of her actions, reactions, and all the stuff that goes with life through the filter of me loving her. Which softens all the hard edges and makes everything seem wonderful.

And I couldn’t ask for anything else.

Well, I guess I could ask for it, but realistically I know it would never be forthcoming.

She has moments where she doesn’t feel she treats me as well as she should. And that makes her feel bad. Well I have moments where I don’t feel I treat her as well as I think I should.

I think we all have those moments. So what?

At the end of the day, I feel like the luckiest boy in the world. I struggle to find ways to let her know that it doesn’t matter what happens, that I was born to love her and will do that to the best of my ability until the day I die. And at that point, I’m sure there will be another way for me to love her that I’m not aware of yet. And I’ll start on that road and love her for all eternity.

And on the off chance that the Buddhists and Hindu’s are right and we get to do it over and over again until we get it right, well then I will be reborn and love her even better in the next life.

And yet, it’s hard to share that with someone in a manner in which they understand. It may not be logical to understand that you are with the person you were meant to be with and nothing will ever come between you and the one you are joined at the soul with. But logic be damned, my heart leads me onward.

So maybe I just tried again and maybe she’ll read this and understand.

I love you Paige. More than you know. More than you can possibly understand. And I wish this for all the world.

And I hope your migraine goes bye-bye soon.

Peace.

Ode For Paige

The Rat Fink

Here is the tattle-tale second grader at the soccer field. Do you see how there is no way I could ever be mad at her?

She just melts me and I will eat whatever she feeds me out of her hand.

Just like her mamma!!!

Calling All Rodents

"Houston, we have a problem".

Several weeks ago we found mice signs. Little holes in the bread wrappers. Those telltale droppings that look like sprinkles for cupcakes. Simply brazen behavior which drew the attention of my beloved.

So she demanded that we "do something".

As I was at the store buying mice trapping stuff, she called, whispering in the phone (I guess so the mouse wouldn't be alerted) "I have the mouse trapped - hurry up". So I hurried home to find that she had bravely "tree-ed" the mouse behind the wine fridge and was guarding it with a broom. And as I violently shook the wine keeper to dislodge the offender, it bolted out on her side and she slapped the broom on it. It was at that point that I brought all of my weight to bear on said broom and ended the reign of terror.

It was a very happy day. Ding Dong, the mouse was dead!!!

So we brought the bread back into the break keeper on the counter and everything returned to normal.

But being a seasoned mouser, I was well aware that where there is one - there are more. Always more - I just didn't mention that.

So I set the little sticky traps out around the wine fridge (inconspiculously) and waited. Sure enough, there was a dead mouse a week or so later. I just threw it out and put down another trap.

Nothing for a while. Not even any mice signs. Then the wonderful second-grader noticed this weekend that there was a dead mouse in the trap. I played it down and said "don't tell mommy because she's scared of mice" and we both agreed and shook hands that it would be our little secret.

So how good do you think seven year-old's can keep a secret?

Yep, I got busted yesterday.

So I now hunt the mice in the open with the full knowledge of everyone around.

So pray for me my skills as a hunter and if you have any great mice trapping secrets, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Peace/Out

My Hero!

If you could be any cartoon character you wanted - who would it be?

Larger than Life

I am 6'2" and 250 lbs and my son makes me feel small.

Random Thoughts on a Wednesday

I hate mean people that are controlling and have to have everything their way.

A guy I work with – his father died Sunday of lung cancer. My father died of lung cancer on 2-14-95. I remember that. Every day.

I am in love with an amazing woman that I don’t deserve - but I’m not complaining!!!

I think people put too much energy into their jobs. It’s really not that important.

I hate to see people that think they are superior to me. I’ve always known that I was the smartest guy in the room. Does that make me one of “them”?

Riding my motorcycle is the closet thing I have ever found to complete freedom.

I love to watch the sun rise on a crisp cool day.

It hurts me to see people unhappy with their lives.

I am very proud of my children and try to tell them as often as possible.

I think my relationship with God is the key to my other relationships.

I don’t have to be right as often as I used to.

I love making love.

I think this year is the best of my life.

I wish we had a different president.

I don’t define myself by the common things others define themselves by.

I don’t drink because I have to – I only drink when I want to.

I love my life.

Love and BBQ

Do you ever think about growing old?

What will it be like?

Are we there yet?

I mean seriously, how old is old? I’m 45 years old now and I’m sure at one phase of my life I would have thought that was ancient. But in reality, except for some daily aches and pains, I don’t feel any different than I did way back when.

I’m much more confident that I used to be and that’s not really because I’m any smarter than I was, I think it’s more because I have learned that life is not so serious and that I can make it – no matter what the circumstances are.

Have you ever been to a public place and observed couples together? Normally we associate love with young people frolicking around and making fools of themselves with public displays of affection. But how do you feel when you see two “old people” doing the same thing? Does it gross you out? Do you ever thing “they’re a little too old for that”?

I don’t relegate romance as the domain of the young. As a matter of fact, in my own life I have found that as I have gotten older I am much more of a “hopeless romantic” than I ever was in my youth. Maybe it’s because I am so much more aware of how important love and romance is in my life and I just can’t ever take it for granted.

Maybe in my youth I assumed that those things were our rights. But as I found out, it’s never our right to be in love or more importantly, to be loved.

It is the greatest honor of our lives to be in a relationship that defines who we are. It is the most precious thing and nothing should ever get in the way of that. Especially not the destructive things like pride and the great “man-thing” of having to be right.

Sure, none of us are as “attractive” as we once thought we were. We sag in places that we didn’t used to. But what we lack in physical things we more than make up for in spiritual things. Our love can be much deeper now that we have passed through the time where it was all about us and getting what we thought we deserved.

Love lasts as long as we draw breath. And in reality, our options grow as we reflect on a lifetime of wisdom. Feelings deepen as we realize that they are the most important thing in our lives.

Living with our love, no matter what our age, simply means that we have learned to keep our love more vital than things like our jobs. Because jobs come and go and priorities always change, but love, love is the constant thing that actually defines not only who we are, but who we want to become.

Aged love, like aged wine, becomes more satisfying, more refreshing, more valuable, more appreciated and certainly more intoxicating.

So as I observe the trials and tribulations of young love these days, I just smile with pity and forgiveness for their incomplete knowledge of how life actually works and I pray that they will be around to realize one day that love never grows old. It just gets better.

And that is my prayer for you – because I’m already there and loving every moment of it.

Blah, blah, blah.........

Ever been too busy to have a cohesive thought in your head?

Ever had so much to do that you didn't want to do any of it?

I think that's where I am.

So I apologize for all the "non-thoughts" I've had in the past week and am working very hard to find those thoughts and get them out - but I'm just not there yet.

I did have a great musical week last week. On Tuesday I took my beloved to see Keb' Mo' and Bonnie Raitt. Wow, what a great show. Both of them were amazing - but Bonnie was absolutely amazingly fabulous. Have been a fan of hers for 30 years and that was the first time I had ever seen her. She was so comfortable and made the sold-out auditorium so very intimate. I loved the show.

Of course, there's not much bad to say about sitting next to the girl that makes your sun rise and set and holding on to her while incredibly romantic music is being performed.

On Friday, I went with the boys to see Delbert McClinton at the House of Blues in New Orleans. And except for the standing for hours, it was an amazing show. I have forgotten how much fun it is to have horns and honky tonk music together while the beer is flowing.

So, while I sit here at work, muddling through, I feel as if all my creative juices have been sqeezed out of me. But like all things, that will come back around too.

So thanks for your patience.

And it's peace and happiness that I am wishing for you.