Baby It’s Cold Outside

Well finally we’ve got some snow on the ground and the thermometer shows a brisk 25 degrees outside with a wind chill of 12 degrees. Yes! I am sipping coffee and watching the snow fall, what a treat!

I’m hoping the white stuff sticks around for the rest of the day. I needs me some snow!

So to celebrate the cold and the snow, a little ditty…

I likes me some white stuff
Falling from the sky
It doesn’t stay long enough
For this cold weather guy.
I like to see covered trees
And crystals on the glass
As long as pipes don’t freeze
Or I have to get my car gas.
Let it snow my good fellow
We’ll toss a snowball or two
Just don’t use snow that’s yellow
Or smelly snow that sticks to shoes.

Keep warm everyone!

13 Things on my Christmas List

I know you all are just dying to get the Christmas shopping done so here is my list of 13, in no particular order, that will make me ecstatic on Christmas morning…

1. World Peace (while I doubt you can deliver on this one, I thought I would toss it in just to win some points with Santa)
2. Ruger .480
3. Longhorns winning their Bowl Game
4. Complete funding for all the Clubs
5. World Peace (oops, did I already mention that one? See how good I’m being Santa?)
6. A new banjo
7. A blue tooth for my Razor
8. A publisher for my books
9. A check that would pay off all the bills. Better yet, a winning lottery ticket, I’ll take care of the rest.
10. Oh, World Peace (why yes Santa, I’ve been very good)
11. A measure of good health for family and friends
12. All of my loved ones sitting around the tree, sipping hot chocolate or coffee, enjoying each other’s company.
13. And #1 on my list… Piece of the World (Just in case you can’t deliver on World Peace, I’ll take a piece of the world. Bavaria looks good…)

Christmas Parade of Lights

Tonight was the annual Parade of Lights downtown where 100 floats (decorated trailers) promoting nonprofits, businesses, or service clubs weave their way through the throngs of people leading the way for Santa (who arrives in a horse drawn wagon) and kick off the holiday season. I brought twelve kids from one of the clubs to ride on the trailer from my service club and I discovered some interesting truths;

• The words “No, we aren’t going to do that” increases the resolve of twelve year old ornery boys to do exactly what was forbidden.
• The fear of children’s safety rises exponentially by number of children factored with the number of wheels in motion.
• Flashlights, kids, Santa hats, and suckers are the ingredients for a nice little dish we call “bedlam”.
• Telling kids to stop sucking on the straw from the hay will never have the impact of telling them that rats, skunks, raccoons, and snakes use that hay for nests and also for their own personal porta-potties.
• Older folks stop considering kids “cute” about five minutes into the parade.
• Nothing is more fascinating to city kids than watching a horse make social commentary onto the pavement.
• Perhaps the only thing more fascinating to kids than watching horses defecate is watching people walk through the newly produced parade obstacle.
• Kids love to be in parades because it gives them another opportunity to drive adults a little closer to the edge…

It was a great parade and the kids did have a great time. I am thrilled there won’t be another one until next year…

A Visit to Al-Anon

Went to an Al-Anon meeting tonight and after an hour was impressed at the personal introspection and healing that takes place through their program. It ain’t about fixin’ the other person, it’s about fixin’ yourself.

In my case there isn’t even an alcoholic involved but there are so many involved in the lives of the kids I serve so I thought maybe they could give me some insight into how I could help them. Lo and behold, it isn’t “them” that needs the help, it is me. It was a great experience and worthy of a second glance.

Post Thanksgiving

The bird’s been ‘et
The folks have run
Lest we forget
There’s dishes to be done.

Mind Sets

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. -Henri Nouwen

After a long discussion with someone I dearly love and would gladly take a bullet for, I was reminded of several truths about relationships and the human mind.

1. The mind is a terrible thing to play games with.
2. Physical injuries heal in days, mental ones take lifetimes and even then, there is no guarantee of healing.
3. A wounded mind = a fragile life.
4. Holding the wounded in your arms while they get through a crises probably does more to sooth the holder than the holdee.
5. There is a helplessness that consumes you when you desperately want to protect/heal/deliver the person who is crying out for release of inner torments.
6. My hurts cannot begin to compare to the hurt I feel from watching a child in anguish.
7. Laying in the dark trying to find the way to help the one you love is a lonely vigil.

I also know Henri Nouwen is right but have to admit this part of the phrase saddens and frustrates me…

“…who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares”

I know it is because I want to fix it and make it better that there is such frustration and a sense of helplessness, but just because I know that to be true doesn’t make it any easier.

Iraquis Take Healing to a New Level

So we take out your dictator, remove a tyrant, his sons, and give you a chance to run the country in a democracy if you wish. Two years later we have you “healing” like a big dog… Why your Iraqui police are quite adept at keeping the peace… provided they don’t have to do more than avert their eyes while the people burn Sunnis alive, or insurgents take electric drills to people before decapitating them.

This is supposed to be a time of healing. You know, let’s all get together and put aside differences to experience a little freedom and maybe even enjoy a night or two of sleeping without the fear of Royal Guards busting in and killing your family in the middle of the night. Healing… you know, getting better, improving your lot… changing your world… healing.

Well tan our hides and mount us to a T60 tank ’cause the whole healing concept has seemed to fail to register in your minds. Are you even paying attention? Since when did killing and maiming fall under the heading of TLC? Maybe our concept of liberty and freedom doesn’t groove with your idea of the same. Perhaps we have the mistaken idea of liberty being equality distributed among citizens as they respect each other’s rights… you know, those rights that include breathing and keeping your head attached to your neck. Hey, I think even the right to keep your innards inside of you would also qualify.

So listen you morons, straighten up or tell us you are quite happy killing each other off and that we should go home. Forget summits and resolutions, get straight to thinking with some part of your body that isn’t swollen and itching in the anal region.

You know, a couple of thousand US citizens have died trying to give you freedom and a fresh start. Time for us to leave and let you folks kill each other off in you own little practice of mass insanity.

Oh, lay off the torture and decapitations… cruelty has never been cool in any setting and you just show the world just how backwards and moronic you are.

A frustrating day ends less so…

Worked all day long on Slvr’s car today. We started off to work on the master cylinder but she mentioned electrical problems which means you get to chase all sorts of rabbits to finally nail the problem down. We made numerous trips to the autoparts store but the car wouldn’t start. Just to give you an idea:

• Change out left tail-light lamp. Busted. Assembly is holding water.
• Unplug drain from light assembly.
• Light works, yeah!
• Pulled battery. Cleaned posts, cables, and box.
• Put battery back in, car won’t turn over.
• Shut hood, alarm goes off.
• Disconnect cables.
• Replace the terminal heads on the battery cables. Purchased the wrong ones first, another trip to get the right ones. Still have to modify.
• Pull Starter Relay and check five autoparts stores. No one has it in stock. Will be Monday before they can order it.
• Get to the dealer, no relay in stock but suggested I try the ignition switch instead since relays seldom if ever go out.
• Search for ignition switch after removing underdash to make sure ignition swith won’t require special tools. Nope, easily accessible.
• Get to parts store, look at universal switch. Only three wires. Bright light goes off in my thick skull… especially after conversation with sales clerk.
• Get connection splices to reconnect the auto alarm system that I cut to keep the horn from going off. Duh… auto kill switch to the starter!
• Fix splice.
• Try several methods to reset alarm system. None work.
• Slvr looks all over her car and finds a manual to the alarm system.
• Reset the system.
• Car runs perfect. A day has passed.
• Kids want to go to the drive in theatre.
• Take kids to the drive in.
• Watch Happy Feet and Flushed Away. Both excellent.
• Return home to do laundry and wash dishes.
• Ready to go to bed.

This was the first time the kids had ever been to a drive-in movie. They enjoyed the experience! Sort of a dull day, but at least Slvr’s car is up and running again. I only feel partially stupid…

I’ve been tagged

I have been tagged by a couple of folks to do the Meme thing and because it is a holiday, I’m gonna do it ’cause who wants to think on a holiday while licking their wounds? Not me…

I won’t tag anyone but feel free to do these. Tubby, still working on the song title one…

One word description- yeah, you can only use one word…for some of us that is almost impossible!

1. Yourself: Insightful
2. Your spouse: None
3. Your hair: Leaving
4. Your mother: Happy
5. Your father: Kind
6. Your favorite item: Banjos
7. Your dream last night: None
8. Your favorite drink: Fresca
9. Your dream car: Camero
10. The room you are in: bedroom
11. Your ex: Ha!
12. Your fear: Failing
13. What you want to be in 10 years: Happy
14. Who you hung out with last night: Family
15. What you’re not: Dead
16. Muffins: Blueberry
17: One of your wish list items: Funding
18: Time: Morning
19. The last thing you did: Mopped
20. What you are wearing: Smile
21. Your favorite weather: crisp
22. Your favorite book: PrayerforOwenMeany
23. The last thing you ate: Pie
24. Your life: Fun
25. Your mood: Upbeat
26. Your best friend: Fanatstic
27. What you’re thinking about right now: Showering
28. Your car: Chevy
29. What you are doing at the moment: Stretching
30. Your summer: Hot
31. Your relationship status: Hopeful
32. What is on your TV: DVD player
33. What is the weather like: Crisp
34. When was the last time you laughed: Yesterday

Whew, made it it. Have a great post Thanksgiving!

It Was Bound to Happen

I checked and all the planets were still in spinning around in orbit, following their ancient celestial paths as they fly around our sun.

Birds woke up the world this morning with their morning songs of celebration.

The sun did come up this morning.

I even checked to see if America was still a free nation, and we are.

You would’ve thought after such a cataclysmic event as the Geezers losing to the Wheezers for the first time ever….that the universe would be reeling from the shock of it all. Sigh.

It was a great game despite early injuries (Slvr had to leave the game after a pass when someone grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her to the ground as she passed by, twisting her toe, which is now an ugly shade of purple. Okay that someone was me, but seriously, it was unintentional and the simple laws of physics took over… really.) Tied up as the sun is going down and there is a quick agreement that each team gets one play. Whoever makes the most yardage in their one play wins the game. Our quarterback takes the ball and hikes it, we all take to our patterns… then the unthinkable happens. Our quarterback is sacked by Jman. All the Wheezers have to do is catch a pass for positive yardage and the game is over. A quick hike, a soft pass to Jman and history has been made.

Today I think I will sit in a dark room, lick my wounds (jammed three fingers and twisted an ankle) and dream of revenge or maybe dream of a day when the Geezers were younger, faster, and smarter. Congrats to the Wheezers for their victory and for playing an excellent game.