Time for a Change

Two events occurred last week which led me to conclude that we need new leadership - quickly.

First, we tapped our oil reserves. These are the reserves saved up for national emergencies. The emergency? Supposedly Libya, for reasons unknown. Of course, the real reason for releasing the reserves were poll numbers which showed Americans are sick of high gas prices. This is another bill we'll have to pay in the future as we must catch up on our energy program and replenish reserves at the same time.

Second, the White House unveiled its' business stimulation program. In doing so, they revealed their lack of economic aptitude. When Obama states that "we can't save our way to prosperity", he speaks of the government as if it's a wealth-producing business rather than a pure cost. Costs should be reduced, Mr. President, not increased. If the government of Mr. Edison's day had volunteered to "help", we'd still be reading by candlelight.

It matters not who opposes the president in November 2012, they have my vote now.

The Klutz Streak

A week and a half ago, I accidently tried to twist my grandson's foot off. He's a tough one, though, and is bouncing back with nary a complaint.


My streak continued a couple of days ago when I wiped out on my bicycle at 20 MPH on concrete. The fall cracked my helmet ...


... messed up my front tire ...


... and tore a lot of skin off my left side in the expected places, i.e. elbow, shoulder, hip and knee.

All in all, it wasn't that bad. Only my front tire was damaged, my helmet did it's thing and protected my large noggin, my lifetime "no broken bones" record remained intact, several good Samaritans stopped to see if I was OK, and there's plenty of time to completely heal before the upcoming hike in Colorado!

I definitely need to be more careful.

You're not playing football!

Catherine and Mary were playing dress up. Catherine was the mother and Mary was the 6 year old daughter. They had been having a dance party...



then Catherine decided to teach her "daughter" how to play football. Listen to what she says at the end of this clip.

Olivia 2 months

Cars 2

This is not a review of the new animated work from Pixar, but a tale of the family garage ...

Kim is supposedly a "stay-at-home" spouse. I work 5 days a week with frequent travel. So, explain this to me ...

Her 2008 vehicle registers 101,000 miles, better than 25,000 annually. Mine, which has been driven over 6 years, has accumulated 62,000 miles, or 10,000 miles per year. During part of that time, I was commuting 50 miles daily.

I suspect we generally spend money per similar ratios.

Any ideas?

Olivia

Uncle Tommy and Olivia.

stretching...

I always say all my grandkids look like me. This one does especially. See all her chins?

Music Man

I don't consider myself musically inclined, and marvel at the skills of my offspring in this area. But it's clear to me that music has powerful mood-altering attributes.

Louis Armstrong's "It's a Wonderful World" moves me, as does Aerosmith's "Dream On". This eclectic combination of songs both put me in a great mood.

I also have an affinity for songs about rain with "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" chief among them. The Beatles "Fixin' a Hole" is in the top rungs of this category. A special nod goes to Dylan's "Rainy Day Women" which has nothing at all to do with inclement weather, so a better choice would be his "Buckets of Rain" ditty. There's also "Bring on the Rain" by Eddie Money, "Riders of the Storm" by the Doors, and CCR's classic "Who'll Stop the Rain?".

Songs about doing absolutely nothing fascinate me. "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" (watching the tide roll away) makes one take pause from busyness. Again, Dylan scores in this category with "Watching the River Flow". Nice.

As I contemplate a retirement a few years out, it's hard not to react to the lyrics in yet another Dylan song, "Maggie's Farm":

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I aint gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake up in the morning
Fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas
That are drivin' me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
No, I aint gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well, he hands you a nickel
He hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin
If you're havin' a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother more.

It's OK if you're humming now.