Inactivity

Yesterday, I had a list of activities I wanted to accomplish. I took each one, and even though I recognized a little push back from my lazy self each time I started, I persevered and finished what I wanted to. It was a good day. I felt accomplishment at the end of the day.
Why can't I always do that? Sometimes my lazy self wins out and I don't get anything I want to do done. I'm going to have to give this some thought and figure a way to win.

Im not as good as I once was.

But I'm as good, once, as I ever was.

The problem is time. If it's something that takes a good bit of time I run out of gas. I have roofed several houses over the last 20 years and it is usually hot work, hard on your back work, hard on your feet work, and hard on your hands work. In the past I have just put my mind to it and accepted the hard part and got er done. But this past week I roofed one of our rent houses and man it worked on me. It seems like the heat, constant bending, constant standing on an angle was about too much.

I really appreciate the help from Whitney, Clay, and Mason. Clay and I got it started last week-end. We worked on it one afternoon last week and then Mason, Whitney and I finished it. Clay made it over for the last hour.

I used to be the one that hated to take breaks. I wanted to keep working and get finished. Today, I took breaks and Mason was the one that kept working in order to get finished. Way to go Mason.

Im trying to fight off getting old but more and more the reality of 58 years is beating back my effort.

Be Careful America

I have been thinking for awhile about different factions of our population "Chinking away at their Agendas". Their true agendas would not be popular with the majority of the people and full blown frontal assaults would meet stiff resistance. I believe groups such as the Humane Society of the United States, P.E.T.A., Green Peace, certain feminist groups, gun control groups and Gay Rights activists have learned to take aim at small pieces of their agendas. They target pieces of the agenda that they can approach on a small locale or regional level. They can spend a lot of money in a specific area and not call National attention to the effort. If it does get out that they have a campaign going on in California, Colorado, Road Island, or some other state or county, we in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida or three counties over don't feel it effects us so we remain quiet and calm. They win and sometimes they loose but they remain very relentless and if we really take stock of what is going on, they are winning more than the rest of us very comfortable, it wont effect me, I will do something about that tomorrow Americans realize.

The 30 second soundbite is very effective in getting out just the right message that grabs even some well intentioned, well meaning people. The piece of their agenda is well represented but not so obvious and the 30 second soundbite takes an hour of detailed information to refute and shine the light on the reality of what will happen should they achieve their goals. Too many of us will not spend the hour to really understand the consequences or results of their winning.

We need to be careful. We need to be careful.

I think of the story about Lot. When the two angels came to his house and the men of Sodom demanded Lot to give them over. "And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them." I wonder how long it took Sodom to become such a place? I bet it was slow, a little at a time. First one morale was stepped on and then trodden under. A principle was eased for some special circumstance but then forgotten. It surely became more fashionable or enjoyable or more enlightened to do these unnatural things a little at a time. Morals and ethics and principles were "Chinked" away at until they were no more.

Be careful America. BE CAREFUL.

Moody

I recognize that my mood swings from time to time. I'm not sure what causes the swings but probably a combination of physical, emotional, or external factors. Jocelyne and I have discussed at times how exercise positively effects our emotional feelings. I know things at work effect me and sometimes not bringing work home is just not and option. Especially with cell phones and computers.

Do you suppose animals have Moods? I think I am recognizing a mood in my little dog Lilly. Maybe mood is not the right terminology. She goes through phases. She can be very obedient, pleasant, and trustworthy but then that changes and she acts differently. She becomes more aggressive, gets into things, wets the floor etc.

This week she was a mess. Wednesday I was getting ready to go to bed. Prior to that I had been on the computer and the whole time she had wanted in my lap. I had the computer in my lap so there wasn't any room. She had made several attempts and finally stayed on the foot stool, with her feet on my legs, looking over and around the computer screen. About the time I was ready to get on the bed Lilly jumped up. I saw her hair coat needed brushing so I grabbed the brush off the headboard and began to brush. Guess what she did. She peed on my bed!
It got the comforter, both sheets and the mattress protector. I scolded her and put her outside as I changed and put the covers in the wash. Luckily I had other sheets but not another comforter. I found a moving blanket in the closet and used it to cover the half I slept on.

I let her back in but would not allow her on the bed. She slept in her crate. I could tell she was out of sorts the next morning but she tended to business as I left for work so assumed all was well. I had a lunch meeting so didn't go to the the apartment at noon. I stayed late that day and didn't get in until after dark. I thought she acted funny when I got there and sure enough right in front of the doggy door there was a huge pee spot. She must have held it all day to pee that much. I disciplined her ( although the people in the know would say it was too late) and made her stay outside all night. I put her crate out for her to sleep in. The temp was warm enough but not as comfortable as inside. It was damp and a little condensate had dripped on her crate blanket. When I opened the door she was standing outside the crate looking miserable.
I moved everything in and let her stay inside for the day. When I picked her up to come to Amarillo Friday evening all appeared well other than she had moved the wet blanket out of the crate. I was still a little put out with her and made her stay in the other seat all the way home.
I got a sandwich at Fritch and would usually share a little with her but because I wasn't liking her very much still I didn't. When we got home the rule is that she must take care of her biz before coming in the house. She would not go so she had to stay in the laundry room.

This morning when we got up guess what? She had peed in the laundry room. She knows better. I think she is punishing me.

FACT or FICTION:
Arlen Spector says he is switching because the republican party no longer matches up with his ideas and convictions. Is that the reason or is it because he is making deals to remain electable.
At 79 he should go HOME.

Balance

I'm telling on myself and that sometimes is a little painful but maybe helpful to understand. I don't recognize what I do as necessarily bad. It is what I do. Who I am. I'm not sure what it is called but maybe I will name it by the end of the post or maybe some Psychiatrist who reads this can leave a comment telling me the name. They may also tell me that it is really bad and leads to even worse behavior. Do I have your undivided attention yet?

What I do is go overboard. When I get interested in something I get very interested. Its almost hard to think of any thing else. I spend a lot of time thinking about the interest, researching the interest, shopping for the interest, and practicing the interest. I stay up late at night sometimes searching for whatever it takes to scratch the itch. I may even sneak a peak during work although its pretty hard between the phone and walk-ins. If it requires and item (which it usually does) it has to be just right. It has to look right and feel right. Feel right to me. Not necessarily physically right although that is required usually, but feel right emotionally and mentally.

Some of the things I recognize this behavior in are as follows;
Western Hat
Hunting dogs
A boat that morphed into a Motorcycle
exercising
exercise equipment
Shotguns
Golf
Golf equipment
Cigars
Remodeling and decorating my apartment
Numerous work related interests
etc,etc,etc.

My latest interest is handguns. I have a burning desire for the perfect 45 automatic and the expert operation of same. Its been going on for about three weeks. It started with a little interest and has now turned into "My Current Quest". I wonder how long this will last.

Problems I am encountering are finding the right one refereed to above, a lot of out of stock and back ordered prospects, a very short supply of ammunition, a place to practice, time to practice and a touch of guilt over the realization of just what I'm posting about.

I think the problem is balance or short attention span or maybe I have just never found that one thing I can get good enough at to stick with.

FACT OR FICTION....Did Nancy Pelosi learn about the interrogation methods during the briefing session she attended? She says she did not. Others say she knew and was concerned if they were doing enough.

America, Turn It Off

How can you know fact from fiction? Sometimes its easy because you know the truth. You have experienced the real thing. You saw it with your own eyes, felt it with your own hands, smelled it with your own nose(Carrrrool), or talked directly to the source. But too often we depend on what someone else tells us. And too often that is a variation of the truth or just an out and out lie.
It is really sad that we cant trust the people responsible for governing our country. We cant trust the people reporting the news. We cant trust people running the banks, corporations, non-profit organizations and on and on and on and on. They exaggerate, add to, hold back, mislead, and lie to further their agendas. They tell little white lies to protect their jobs, investments, or political parties. There are things that we don't need to know, but don't lie to me to conceal the truth or protect me from the truth or to further your interests. If you don't have a truth to tell, you got NOTHING of interest to me.
Once upon a time we could depend on most reporters of the news to tell us the truth I think. Today most will not. I'm not sure if they deliberately lie or if they just don't take the time to learn the truth. Maybe the truth is just not news worthy. Its not exciting, dynamic, attention getting. It doesn't agree with the popular opinion. It doesn't make them MONEY.

As for me, I'm going to turn them off.

So if you know the truth and think I should know, email, call, visit, fax, or send it by pony express.

Cowboys and Indians

All of the guys in the upper right hand corner would already have settled the Somali pirate hostage situation. Probably without harming the Captain. John Wayne would have had Navy Seals in the water around the Life Boat and when the Captain bailed they would have torched the "Bad Guys".

Any big City S.W.A.T. team would have resolved the situation by now. The team leaders know their jobs. They are well trained. They are results oriented. They are pretty much left alone to handle the events they encounter and they do the job. Do you think we have teams in the U.S. Navy who are trained to handle these situations? I wonder why they haven't put an end to the standoff? Must have their hands tied either by a politician who is afraid his record or approval rating may be tarnished or concern over the media portrayal of how it is handled.

I seem to remember the politician waiting on certain islamic religious periods to end before initiating an offensive in the Iraqi wars. (Not Bush) I wonder if the politician is waiting on the easter religious period to end before reacting. No wait... That cant be it because We are not a christian nation and so easter doesn't matter anyway. ( It really doesn't because Celebrating Christ and understanding what he did for his people is Everyday. The holiday is not important and meaningless to a believer, but what a slap in the face of every works based religionist.)

We have become so concerned over doing things right that we forget to do the right things. The pirates must be stopped. This cant continue. They will only understand death and injury and failure as deterrents. They have experienced the U.S. gov. lack of resolve already and probably are counting on us to blink first. We have to do the right thing. That thing that is principled, with broad based, long lasting results. As I say this however, another idea comes to mind. We might include the pirates in on the Stimulus package and then when the guy in charge of the life boat doesn't do what congress and the pres. wants they can replace the head bad guy with someone who would toe the line.

The Apartment

The search for an apartment has culminated in an application and holding fee. I don't think any of us thought this day would come. We have talked about it, thought about it, dreamed about it and now it is almost here. March 29th Mason will be 18 and the apron strings come off.
He and his friend Arron have decided to move in to an apartment. They looked at several and have decided on one near where they work. It is a two bedroom two bath. According to them its features are a great pool, and free membership to Zach's health club. They each have their own beds but not much more furniture. Carol says they can get lawn chairs for their living room. Mason was planning on the Master bedroom because he was to move in first and pay the first months rent but during a meeting we requested with Arron he had other Ideas.

Mason asked us to co-sign for him which we thought would be OK. As we thought about it however it became apparent that we were actually co-signing for both he and Arron. This threw up some red flags and sense we had not met Arron we called a meeting so we could get acquainted with him and to review some issues we felt went with our involvement in the endeavor. Arron seems like a nice young man but kids can appear one way and act totally different when un -supervised. Our son may be that way also. We told them we would require one months rent in advance for our participation. We told them they would get the money back when we were no longer responsible for the lease. We told them that they would have ups and downs living together and that they needed to sit down and lay out the ground rules before hand. That's when the master bedroom issue came up. I don't know how they plan to handle it but after a few weeks it prob. wont be much of an issue.

It will be interesting as things develop.

Life goes on.

Paul Harvey

I read an article about Paul Harvey this morning. It's funny how when you hear his name you hear his voice in your mind. Your hearing him now aren't you? "And Now--------------------The rest of the Story". How does that work? I can do that same thing with most people I know very well. You think of a person or a situation (New York City) and your mind hears that voice or those sounds. I wonder what the purpose of that mind function is? I'm not sure it diminishes with time. My Grandmothers have been gone along time but I can hear them.
What a blessing.

@#$%!scbbbtrusdkfj*&^#$%@

I Really wanted this thing on the left side of the blog to work. What is wrong? Why wont it show the whole thing? Can anyone help me?

By the way Grana and I are going to be Grandparents for a second time. November or there abouts. Its about time.

The Cowboy Hat

I have been on a Hat quest. A western Hat. I want a lite colored, 4 inch crown, 3 inch brim, and shaped just right Hat.

I had my first cowboy hat when I was too young to remember. I know I had one because I have a picture with it on at about 4 years old. I like that hat. I had cowboy hats from time to time growing up. We couldn't afford them always but if there was a special occasion I would get one. Some I liked OK, some I didn't. There is a look that is right. It's got the right crown height, the brim is the right length and its creased right.

My roommate at Alpine had one that I really liked. He had another one he liked best and would let me wear the one I liked. I kind of think it was his brothers, not sure why he had it. I liked that hat.

A friend of mine, a bull rider, showed up one time with a white hat. It had a 4 inch brim, which was big at that time. The crown was shaped kind of boxy. It cost $100.00. I had to have one. I had a job by then and money so I got it. It was always dirty. I cant remember what happened to it. I guess I didn't like that hat very much.

We were going to rodeos in Iowa and Missouri and a younger kid got in and travelled with us for awhile. He had a straw hat that he didn't like and gave it to me. It was creased right, the price was sure right and I liked that hat.

I got a hat for Christmas one time I liked and wore it out.

I bought a black felt hat some time ago. I have cut the brim down twice and carried it to the store to reshape 5 or 6 times. Its close to what I like but just not quite right. I had not worn it much untill recently. I have been looking for a new dress hat for about 6 months. I just don't find the right one. I'm willing to pay a lot more for this one if its the right one. I'm working you know, and have a little extra money, and other than the White Hat, I have never really splurged on a hat. I keep looking and talking but just not finding it. I have thought if I got my black hat right I could get that look transferred to the new one but just not sure.

I was visiting a friend yesterday and had my black hat on. I took it off and put it on a bureau in his kitchen. When I was getting ready to leave he said he had noticed my hat and that it was a size 71/4. He said he had a lite colored hat that he didn't like and asked if I might want it. Well he brought it out and I did like it. It needed some shaping but I thought it sure had potential.
He said he had tried to sell it in a garage sale but he and a guy had haggled over the price and he just wouldn't take $5.00 for it. I asked if he wanted me to give him $5.00 and he said no.

I stopped in Vernon at a western store and had a young man shape the Hat. He did a good job but it lacked just a little something. I got up this morn. and put a pot of water on to boil so I could get steam and put the finishing touches on myself. I really like this Hat. It fits good, is the right crown height, brim length, color and now shape. I will use it as a work hat. But the best part is I can now take it to a store and tell the guy I want a new one just like this.

Tricky Lilly

Glenda, Im not sure what baited breath is but if it means stanky breath I should help Rudy out and write more often. Sorry Rudy.

Its neat to get these dogs to do tricks. I tried to get her to roll over and play dead for a long time without much success. Carol pulled up a little demo one day that showed how to lure them into the trick with a treat and it was pretty easy after that. I watch other peoples dogs do tricks and its cute but when my dog does one it is really special. Kind of like your kid doing something.

Carol is folding my laundry now and has discovered 2 socks without mates. How does that happen? I always take them off together and put them in the hamper. Everything then is dumped into the washer and transfered to the dryer. How does that happen?

Sun City

I was fortunate enough to get to spend Wednesday thru Saturday last week in Phoenix.
The weather was great as you might expect this time of year. I wish I had the time and money to have played golf but not so. Lots of golf clubs at the airports though.

Before leaving I was worried I had lost my old leather jacket. I had looked in Amarillo and thought it might be in Gruver. Before coming home Tuesday I looked in Gruver but didn't find it. I was a little upset because I really liked that jacket. It was one Carol had worn a lot on the motorcycles and was developing a kind of worn look that I really liked. Before I left Wednesday I found it in Amarillo and decided to wear it to Phoenix. Well I will be darned if I didn't leave it in a cab in Phoenix and couldn't get anyone to admit finding it. I think I must have had a premonition.

I had a good time at the NCBA convention attending committee and board meetings and visiting with customers and suppliers. I ate at Morton's steak house 3 times. It was really good. George Bush Sr. was eating there the second time we went there. We sat next to the Secret Service guys.

I helped Carol this evening work on some employee documents at her office. Even though I did a very good Job She said she couldn't pay me. Maybe we can trade something for my labor.

Dad

I never recall a time when my Dad has been so down, so long. There may have been ocassions when I was younger and he was dealing with some things but I didnt recognize it. In the past 35 years or so I just don't think there has been such a time.

He normally has a can do attitude and is willing and confident about taking on just about anything. (Often that confidence displayed itself in encouraging us, his children, to tackle just about anything. Cost me some skin and a good bit of sweat at times but I am glad for the little push he provided).

He keeps saying, "the worst thing is just not knowing". I heard him say that 4 or 5 times yesterday, to 3 or 4 different people. I hope we will find out conclusivly today for him. I am probably more content to just sit around not knowing for sure. (We are so selfish).

For him it will give him something to fight and some direction. We all need that to get going.

"Ghost Rider"

I wonder what the critics are saying about this movie. I seldom go to movies any more and rarely here the reviews. I'm sure this one gets pretty good marks for the special effects. Content is so so. There really wasn't much sex,if any at all. The violence was kind of tame. All and all it was kind of boring. Cage is not a good actor in my opinion. I ask myself what he has that I didn't use to have. Must be who you know, or something like that.

The movie gives the devil a lot of publicity. He tricks Johnny Blaze (A.K.A Nicholas Cage) into selling his soul for a really quite admirable reason, curing his Dad's cancer. After the devil cures the dad he kills him. (Seems like these are things God does rather than the devil). Johnny is then relegated to a life of chasing fame and fortune with help from the devil. Oh by the way he had to ditch his girl to kind of protect her from his devil calling. More good deeds done while in the devils service.

Johnny occasionally wonders if he might have a second chance. He is ever on the watch for a SIGN. One shows up in the person of his old ex-girlfriend and things really begin to heat up. Know what I mean? You do if you saw the movie.

The devils son shows up on the scene along with some "Fallen Angels". I remember the fallen angels but I need to read the Bible again because I missed the part about the devils son. Any way the son was going to kick the hell out of his dad, no I mean kick the devil out of Hell and kind of take over. ( I wonder which book that is in? Maybe in one of those books in the Catholic or the Mormon bibles). The devil calls in Johnny and he turns into the "Ghost Rider". That is the part of the special effects that kind of wakes you up, especially if the theater has the volume turned up real loud. As you might guess, after much whaling and gnashing of teeth, Johnny wins and defeats the devils son and the three fallen angels. The devil offers Johnny "Mercy and Grace" and is going to tear up the contract on his soul. Guess what Johnny does? He refuses the devils offer and from that day forward vowes to take on EVIL and the devil all on his own.

HMMM, I wonder if there will be a sequel?

While driving home from the movie and about the time my ears began to stop ringing it struck me that this was really pretty close to main stream religion today. The devil gets more publicity and "Air Time" than the Lord. It is the enemy this and the enemy that. You will sometimes hear "Jesus said" which sort of leads into the current event the church leader is more comfortable talking about. Jesus kind of takes the supporting role. Kind of like in this movie.

The enemy has the power unless the church goer can take it away from him. That's what Johnny was successful in doing I guess. There are a lot of ways to do that. Or so it seems to be taught by main stream religion. Prayer shawls, blankets or patches are effective if the proper procedures are followed. Saying "In the name of Jesus" about a hundred times may get results. Being positive, having a grin on your face from ear to ear is good. Being a member of a mega church seems to help. Listening to sermons about marriage, stewardship, raising children, work, work, work, do, do, do, and more work will absolutely get you ready to face the enemy. Walking to Emmaus or working a prison walk is good exercise. If your still not ready though you get a second chance.

Old Johnny got his second chance. He beat the devil. He won his soul. He won grace. He is out there whipping the tar out of the devil. That's like choosing the Lord, making Jesus your saviour, getting saved, asking the Lord into your heart and so on. Man has his part to do. His will to exercise. When man is ready he can choose to be saved. Give him a little control over his destiny. He is after all, more than Gods robot. He ate the forbidden fruit which made him Gods equal.

IN HIS DREAMS!!!!

I'm so very glad I don't need a second chance. I much prefer the bible that teaches "All who were ordained to believe, believed". and "All who the Father gives me will come to me and I will in no wise cast them out". God got it right the first time.

NO SECOND CHANCES REQUIRED!!!!

Hospitals

If you have ever had family in the hospital you will relate to my story. They are amazing places. I can’t quite grasp the amount of activity that goes on in a large hospital. There is non stop coming and going. Did you ever have an ant farm? Ants going every direction. Ants for all kinds of functions and activities. Ants on every level and in every tunnel. There are working ants, guard ants, nursery ants and the QUEEN ANT. There are nurses. Many nurses. All kinds of nurses with various names and titles. There is a charge nurse, technical nurses, therapy nurses and your NURSE.

They each have different functions. They are seldom inactive. On rare occasions they sit at a computer and log their activities. (For billing purposes I suppose) They move into your room, take your blood pressure and temperature and move on. If you stand in the door to the room where you can see down the hall you will see them move into other rooms. You can imagine, pretty accurately I believe, what they are doing. They will say something like “How are you Mr. So & So or Mrs. Such & Such?” “How are you feeling?” “That’s good” or “I’m sorry”. They will hook you up, play 20 questions, fix your IV, fix your bed, and clean your room, among about 100 other things.

They want to know how much you ate, how much you drank and how much of it came out the other two openings when you were through with it. Pain level on a score of 1 to 10 is important to them. They ask that question a lot. It seems like people learn to answer in the upper two thirds if they want medication. Five doesn't get much response but seven or eight will get you a shot or a pill in about an hour.

I have decided that you don’t want to be sick when you go to the Hospital. It is much too busy and strenuous for sick people. There is no way to rest or relax with all the activities the nurses have to perform. Just about the time you go to sleep, here comes someone to give you something or hook you up to something. If you’re really sick and feeling lousy they schedule all kinds of tests. Nurses show up with wheel chairs to take you where you need to go. If you can't travel that way they just send two people to wheel your bed down to the bowels of the place, out of site of family and authorities, and prod, poke, measure, draw, x-ray, and scan. All kinds of other procedures, they sedate you for, and no one can remember what actually went on. You wake up and have more sore places and bruises than you remember, before they rolled you away.

I am simply amazed at how well every thing works. I can’t say enough good things about the nurses. They are run ragged by everyone, they are subjected to terrible acting people with all kinds of repulsive conditions and yet almost to a person they manage to respond positively and respectfully and with a seemingly genuine compassion for your condition. My hat is off to the Nurses and to hospitals.

Diversity

Consider the pickle.

Do you like pickles? Well that opens up a whole nother set of questions. Which pickle? Sour pickle? Sweet pickle? Dill pickle? Cucumber pickle? Little pickle? Big pickle?

You know, don't you, that there is the "Right Wing Pickle Packer Society" that has evolved into the driving force behind all new pickle ideas. This group was organized in the 1800's to plan, promote, and project Pickles image into the 20th century. It has been and probably always will be a secret society protecting the identity of its members.

The passion of the pickle and it's affect on pickle lovers and haters alike is so volatile that the organization could not survive if it did not maintain anonymity. Can you imagine what would have happened when pickles were first sliced? The uproar from the vertical slicers alone would have crushed the very creative essence from that forward thinking group. Much less the pressure exerted on Congress from the horizontal slicers. I can't even mention the steps taken, and won't utter a peep regarding the dastardly deeds committed by the dicer crowed. But you get my point.

I and I alone know their identity and their where abouts. This information has cost me dearly, however. I haven't slept more than eight hours a night since being made aware of this information. It was conferred on me by the RWPPS when they needed information only I could provide. Why, oh why was I the only one in the world who had that knowledge? Why?

It will go with me to my grave other than to share it with ONE of my children. Which one do I tell? Which one do I condemn to a life of Hell? Which one do I give the secrete of untold riches, but utter disparity? Fame and success that will poison even their best friends opinion of them, but cause them to be sought out by the heads of state of every kingdom in the world. I feel the weight of all time on me but I must make a decision in the next 30 years or so.

I will end this post, leaving you with two thoughts to ponder: If all products had the diversity of the pickle, where would we store it all? AND, have you had one of the New "Vlasic Tabasco Kosher Dill Spears" ?

RWPPS you have scored again!!!

(Picture courtesy of Pickle Hill Public Broadcasting)

Snowing

8:30 A.M. Sat. morning in Amarillo Texas.

This is great!!! We have been sitting around trying to come up with fun things to do. Carol suggested we get a sled and tie it on to the pick-up and pull Mason thru the "Hood". I told her I didn't think that would be too safe. He might get slung off and break his collar bone or something.
I suggested we bundle up and go for a bike ride. She didn't think the tires would roll too good. I suggested we tie a bike to the bumper and I could pull her around town.

We wont use this bike. It's the new

one. I wouldn't want to mess it up.

It was a pretty expensive bike and I might be able to ride it this Summer.

We can use this one. It's my old one and it won't matter too much if it gets messed up. It didn't cost too much. Besides I will be able to ride the other one this Summer.

This is the neighbor from across the street. She likes to shovel snow. She does a very good job. There are several old people living on our block and she shovels everyones sidewalks.

I'm going to need to go get some gum after while. Sure hopes she gets mine shoveled before I go.

If she doesn't make it maybe I can get this boy to do it.

Changing the subject.
I read a little about Ted Kennedy this morning. The story I read was about he and another Democratic Senator attempting to work with the Soviet Union in 1983. The other Senator was Tunney. It seems Kennedy had the idea that they could team up with Russia and cast doubt about President Regan by portraying him as a "Warmonger" and the Soviet's as desiring to peaceably co-exist. They were going to get media to play this up and hurt Regan's chances for re-election. Needless to say it didn't work. The story is being looked into and when there is more evidence that it is true I will share that. Interesting isn't it.

Well time to hook up the bike. I'll also bring a report on that later.

Carol, OH CAROL!

PETA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. What an organization. I always assumed they were an organization that would help animals in trouble. That they were an animals friend.
Think again. When asked to help feed and rescue the animals caught in the storms in Colorado they declined. They took the position that sense the animals were going to end up on someones plate anyway why should they help. Why should they help ease the animals suffering. Why indeed. Just another case of people with a cause that only serves there own selfish interests. They can play on peoples emotions to raise money for their so called concern over animal welfare but when it comes to parting with some of that money to really help ease the animals situation they show their true colors. The Governor of Colorado termed them a "Bunch of Losers" and then said, "don't give your money to PETA". I second that motion.

Retraction

I got a little carried away yest and expressed my opinion a little too strong. I do get very frustrated with the political rhetoric. Something is wrong when most people who run for this office are such poor leaders. I know I'm biased. But its more than that. I look at who the Democrats are bringing to the race and they just all so miss the mark. They might be OK to serve on a small town City Council but not to run this country. They are so Political. All they work for is to get on the opposite side of any issue. The republicans are not a lot better.

We have too much at stake in this Country today to be so partisan. We have troops in harms way and rather than try to make the right decisions they really are only concerned about pouring water and doubt on the other parties actions. Rather than do what it takes to win a war they are only worried about what position it takes for them to get re-elected. You would think that should reflect the so called Will of the People but don't make that mistake.
As a people we are soft in the belly, soft in the head. We want what we want and we want it now. If we can get it easy and quick it doesn't matter how we do it. If it gets hard and takes awhile we don't want to exert the effort. We will move on to something that is easy and quick.

It really is a long time to election day. Those who are serious about the state of affairs will probably be buying new televisions in the next few years. They will probably throw a brick through the one they currently have.