closer to the end

We got the kids off to school this morning. Katie is starting 8th grade and Kelsey excited to be starting 1st. Summer was fast and hard. The kids spent most of their Summer days at the office. There were a handful of days where they were home - but they seemed to enjoy the office over home. We cut off the satellite dish at the first of Summer in the attempt to get on top of bills. Gina purchased season tickets to Alabama Adventure and the three of them enjoyed some adventures together while I was in massage clinic. It wasn't an eventful time for them - but they did get some exciting moments with mom.

I feel kind of strange. School is starting for everyone and I am wrapping it up at Gadsden State. There isn't much for me to do tonight other than just show up. I did my hands own final last week and will be sitting around for six hours while the students who didn't get theirs in last week do theirs this week. The instructor said that she will give us a study guide for tomorrow nights written final. Tomorrow night is my last night of school. I am in a strange mood. I've been in that environment for a year now, and it will be strange not spending most of my evenings there.

Don't get me wrong. I have anticipated this moment for quite some time now. I am very weary. The biggest hurtle is passing the National Exam. That's the next challenge. I have really felt my age this past year. The stress of constantly studying for tests, long days and nights, really put me through the ringer. I seriously don't think that I could have lived through the program if it were a two year endeavor. Not only am I 50 years old, but I've got diabetes and high blood pressure. Physically, I feel as if I am just stumbling over the finish line.

Boy, I remember those first massage clinics that I had to build up the stamina to give six massages in a day. Saturdays we were required to do six - Thursdays four. Thursdays were always the roughest because there were fewer breaks in between massages. Last Thursday was my last clinic. I only had one massage that night. I had already fulfilled the 45 massage requirement for the semester. The last two Clinicals were a piece of cake. We didn't call to confirm appointments for those who had their hours - and took only those that showed up. I was relieved because physically - I was sucking wind. I did enjoy giving that massage that evening. I can't explain it. Quietly laying on of hands, focusing on the client's needs, and a little banter and laughter here and there.

I'm not out of the woods yet - but it won't be long now. I didn't do a darn thing this weekend. Gina let me crash downstairs Saturday an Sunday. I needed it. Tonight and tomorrow night - the beginning of the end - the end of the beginning.

dissidents to official state policy must be found!

Email The White House immediately at flag@whitehouse.gov if you know of anyone sending you emails, or posting information that speak against Obama's health care plan. The White House is also urging citizens loyal to Obama to also be informants. The White House needs to know the names of those who also speak against Obama's policies in casual conversations. Washington NEEDS YOU!

boldly going where every socialist has gone before

No, I didn't PhotoShop this image. I wish that I had. I did come up with an apt title for it, "Live short and don't prosper."

Kelsey on Keaton

While at MoonSong Songwriter's Cafe' a few weeks ago, my six year old daughter discovered Buster Keaton. I watched her from across the room as she giggle and laughed at the silent movie being shown as the musician played on stage.

She came to me later and asked if I would get them to play the movie again - only turn the sound up. I told her that the movie had no sound - that it was made before people knew how to make movies talk. I told her that Buster Keaton was my favorite of the silent movie era stars. She then asked if we could find some more movies of his so we could watch them at home.

It's true. I've always liked Buster Keaton best. The world around him was a dangerous place, filled with dangerous contraptions. Buster seemed to nimbly leap from one oncoming death defying circumstance to another. Buster never used a stunt man. He told his production crew to never stop the camera until the shot was in the can or he were dead. He was a comedian that always brought nonstop laughter - yet his character rarely smiled. Buster Keaton was his own straight man - with eyes so melancholy.

Last night before going to bed, after a story, a prayer and a big hug, Kelsey asked me about him again. It had been two weeks since Kelsey had been introduced to Keaton. She remembered his name and asked me when I could find him for her. I of course will be more than happy to go looking for him.

happy birthday

Yesterday, Wednesday, was Gina's birthday. No cake, no candles, only a few presents. Gina had scheduled her patients so she could kick back. We both got a good sleep and woke up when we darn well pleased. All she asked of me was that I give her a good foot massage. I sat by the bed and gave her a good foot massage.

Katie and Kelsey spent a long time making birthday cards. I had purchased two seasons of Frasier for her. She was very happy. I wish we had time to do more.

Gina had asked me to help her pick up a small desk from storage that she used as a kid. Kelsey is starting first grade this year and Mommy wanted Kelsey to have her own little area to do her homework.

With all the running around today, we didn't have much time to celebrate. I had an evening class and the day seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, I was saying goodbye. She did take the girls to Cracker Barrel while I was in class. I really would like to do something out of the ordinary for her. Maybe we can do something special for her birthday this weekend.

Karl's Pizza

You know the guy. He's the one in every crowd that when it's time for everyone to eat - insists on everyone chipping in on a pizza. He's the guy that doesn't 'chip in' but makes sure that he gets his fair share of the pie. Usually he is more fair to himself than his enduring friends.

I remember a fellow that would be chomping on a slice with one hand while his other hand was on the pan claiming his next slice. When he finished one piece, he'd keep doing the same until he had his fill. I've known quite a few of these user types in my life. I'm sure you've had to put up with your share too.

So when it comes time to pay the bill, he always has a hard luck story or seemingly misplaced his billfold somewhere. I guess he sees all his other friends sitting around the table as more well off financially than he. His mooching has become so common that he rarely if ever says 'thank you'. For some self-serving justification he feels he's entitled to his free lunch because he sees himself as had having it harder than the rest. Their lives seem to be so much better than his, and they can afford to cover his tab. Why, they are doing so much better in life that it should be their responsibility to take care of him.   I'm sure you've met this fellow Karl before.

Do you get where I am going with this - or must I line the pepperonis up a little more for you?

there is a God, there is a Gina

I guess most people went through it - looking for a love - and hoping that love finds them. I never want to take my love for granted. I remember a time when I was a young adult - wondering if I would ever find someone that would love me as much as I loved. I didn't date around much. There weren't that many young women in my life - very few really appealed to me. The handful of women that I did date - we became great friends and I was heartbroken when each relationship ended. After the heartache subsided, I was always left to wonder if there was someone out there for me. I've always known that I am a strange fellow - a fun date - but who would want to be around me for the rest of their life? When I did date someone, I wasn't dating for dating sake, but looking for Mrs. Right.

Looking back I realized that God had led me to Gina. Many years ago I realized that God had certain young women come into my life that helped me to recognize the love of my life when it was her time to walk into it. Am I making sense? From each relationship that I experienced, I saw qualities in that particular girl friend that I admired. Again, I didn't date for dating sake. There was always something that attracted me to that particular individual. There was a beauty that lured me to each of them. One loved to laugh and enjoyed being silly for silly sake. One was independent and brave. One was all about God and serving Him. As each relationship came and went, God was showing me the traits of the woman that was to become my future spouse. Can one woman be all that?

Gina, I never want to take you for granted. I never want to take your love for granted. I have now known you half of my life and I often forget about the heartbreaks and years of loneliness I experienced before you came into my life. You are everything I ever desired in a woman - and you have shown me so much more. You are living proof that there is a God, and that that God loves me.

off the meter

People on the left these days prefer the name 'Progressives'. Oh the irony. The more apt title of 'liberal' might fade - but they will eventually soil any new moniker they give themselves. If liberals insist on the term progressives - let's tweak them a little and call Neo-progressives. They are what they always have been regardless of the name - never changing their methods and ways. The names have been changed to protect their guilt.

A socialist by any other name...

Socialist always point to the worst examples of capitalism and say, "See, we don't need to trust big oil - they are evil!" Look over there, look at the health care industry - they are dishonest and evil. They'll take on business', bankers, 'big' this and 'big' that and say we don't need to trust those capitalist - we need to trust 'BIG' government instead! Pointing out the few exceptions should give us all the reason to take capitalism down. Let's do away with big evil this and big evil that! Yesterday it was Wall Street, today it's the health industry. We need to put it into the hands of BIG government. That will solve all our woes. They are the ones in whom we can truly trust!

Baloney.

I was talking to a fellow yesterday who said rich people should be forced to sell off most of what they have because they didn't need all that surplus anyway. "If someone has three cars, let them make due with two. If some one has two homes, let them make due with one." They probably didn't get their money honestly in the first place. They don't deserve it and need it.!" I've heard it all countless times before.

The nerve.

So government is to become some kind of great social equalizer - taking away the fruits of a man's toil in order to "spread the wealth" as Obama clearly put it to the plumber. Yet another irony. There is no such thing as spreading wealth. One earns it. There IS though such a thing as spreading misery. I've had many like conversations with liberals that believe wealth should be taken from those who "don't need all that wealth" and distributed to those who are in need. They like to use the term 'greed' - but let me counter with the term 'covetousness'. Wanting and taking something that is clearly not yours. To take someones wealth is not only theft, but a sin. To covet and act upon it is an EVIL. If you want what the next person has - EARN IT! It's none of your business what your neighbor makes!

I don't care how rich a man may become. If he earns it - he should keep it without the fear of his government coming along and confiscating it. You take away a mans incentive, and you take away his initiative to produce. Why toil if the rewards are the same as if you didn't? You give to a man that doesn't earn his way, and he will never step up to meet the challenge of life.

More irony? I don't know of any poor people that are hiring these days. You see, we need people who know how to make money - know how to invest, - know how to grow wealth with the talents they've been given and the skills they've honed - to grow this economy - to generate JOBS! We need these so called evil capitalist to bring America back from the brink. Yet our BIG government is bent on taxing business' to death - breaking the back of the businesses who are struggling to survive.

Governments don't generate wealth - governments TAX! Businesses like Gina's and my business that are trying to grow - and yet cannot prosper because over-taxation is constantly robbing our capital. The irony is if businesses don't prosper - neither will government. What's going on today isn't just irony but idiocy. Well, there might be some evil big capitalist out there - but none more evil or as dangerous as that of BIG government.

Mmm Mmm Good

Crash Test Dummies 'Mmm Mmm" came out with this one in 1993. This is an unusual sounding song and yet another band that I can't recall a thing they recorded other than this song. Good music videos are very few and far between - this one being a work of art.

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Headline News

A perfect parody of Crash Test Dummies' "Mmm" by Weird Al Yankovic. Weird Al took the headlines at the times (1994) and made this music video. I consider this one of Yankovic's best.

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