Isn't that the Truth?

From Tom Tomorrow:

Remember what Kurt Vonnegut said:

There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don’t know what can be done … This is it: Only nut cases want to be president.

Party

The time is drawing near. You're all invited to a big party. I'm having my 21st Birthday Party on April 5th at the Chatham American Legion Hall. The festivities will start at 7 pm. Feel free to bring appetizers, munchies, or dips. We'll have some live entertainment. There will be a cash bar too.

There's a lot of fun Lincoln stuff here in the Springfield area if you want to make a day or weekend of it. There is also a possibility that golf might break out during the day on Saturday.

A New Perspective

Bad things sometimes turn into blessings.
You find out important things.
You've touched some lives.
People who face tough battles everday
hold you in their hearts.
All this time they've appreciated you
for the work you've done.
Maybe you never even realized
how many people
hold you in their hearts.
Bad things sometimes turn into blessings.

Some Days are Stone

Some days the sky falls right down on you.
You're lying there with pieces of sky all over you
wondering if you're going to be able to get back up.

Welcome Back to the Same Old Place that You Laughed About

Another four inches of snow dropped on Chatham today. Winter has reached farther into the calendar this year. March has always been a blustery, sunny, and rainy month with rare snowfalls. A couple in our church celebrated sixty years of marriage this week. The husband told the congregation, "It rained and snowed and sleeted and was sunny that day." If ever a day predicted the joys and calamities encountered on the marriage trek, their March wedding day would be the one.

Not too many days ago, about three inches of snow dropped on our fair city. I was at work while Jack Frost worked his magic, and I arrived home to find our driveway already cleared of snow. I knew that the girls would be home shortly after me. Grabbing a shovel I puttered around the driveway. When the van pulled in, I wearily removed my cap and wiped my brow attempting to evoke the illusion that I had cleared the drive. My wife has been married to me for almost a decade now. She did not believe for a second that I had shoveled the drive.

Today, we returned the favor. After shoveling our driveway, we shoveled a couple extra ones including the one owned by the person suspected of stealing the snow from our driveway not too many days ago. As we shoveled, the girls played in the snow pausing occasionally to fire snowballs at me. For an hour or so the edge was off my intense desire to see winter blow away on the spring breezes.

It's a Sad Day in Title Town

It's a sad, sad day for the Packer fans. Considering how well Brett played last year, it will be even harder for the fans to take. Theses legends don't usually end up on the home team. Fans must savor the moments the legends bring. These moments are treasure to sift through when the wins are few.

My wife has pushed me to start blogging again. I think it's time. With all that's going on in our world and the Cardinals preparing for another baseball season, I definitely have thoughts to share. I hope some of the folks who used to share with us will migrate back as well.

Basically, I'm restarting this blog in honor of Brett Favre and the joy he has brought my wife, her family, Packer Fans, and of course, football fans like myself who enjoy watching the great players no matter what uniform they wear.

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

Look what I got her for her birthday! I found it on clearance.

Rick The Man

Whether or not Rick Ankiel becomes a Major League star, he is definitely more fun to watch than Juan Encarnacion.

Another Important Story

Folks, Global Warming isn't a liberal scare tactic. If you ignore the corporate shills, you'll find the consensus as universal as is possible in the scientific community.

Five Big Lies

This is an important story.

Unhappy Returns

Once again I return to work to find my cubicle vandalized. In May, I went to a conference and returned to find my cube defaced. Monday I returned to find it even worse. The Cub fans had turned my cubicle into a Wrigley Stadium replica complete with brick, ivy, and the basket that catches home runs. Of course I had to rip through a bunch of Cub banners to even see the Wrigley replica.



Luckily, one of the culprits is on vacation this week. The contractor is already working on his cube.

Gone Camping

We are headed off into the woods this week. We should have another Isa Report when we return. We are headed to Door County and Peninsula State Park on the peninsula between Lake Michigan and Green Bay.

The Lastest Isa Report

After her mother's bedtime prayer, Isa said that she wanted to say her own prayer. So she said, "Hey, God! Thank you for the new toilet. Thank you for the new children at church. Thank you for our new house."

"What toilet?" said her mother, Michelle K.

"Amen." Isa said quickly. "Is God in your stomach?"

"Yes." said Michelle K. "He is everywhere."

"Does he pull hair?" said Isa. Then she said herself, "Nooooooo. He loves you. Only big sisters pull your hair when she's mad at you."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not pull her hair.

**This Isa Report has been authored by Willa.

Sometimes when I'm Falling, Flying . . .

Did you see it last night? It was fantastic. The Library of Congress honored a hero of mine. Paul Simon was given the first Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. A fantastic array of artists from numerous genres were on hand to perform versions of Paul Simon songs.

Since my youthful discovery of my parents' "Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits" cassette, Paul Simon's music has been an integral part of the soundtrack of my life. I have sung Simon and Garfunkel tunes with many of my oldest friends. I sat in the very top row of the Fox Theater with one of those old friends while the songs from "Graceland" and the smell of marijuana washed over us.

A few years later, I went to what was then called Riverport with a bigger group of friends for the "Rhythm of the Saints" tour. My favorite song that day was a fantastic version of "An American Tune."

Now, I haven't seen Paul Simon live since that day at Riverport. But his last album has a song that really speaks to me. It's called "Father and Daughter."

I'm gonna watch you shine
Gonna watch you grow
Gonna paint a sign
So you'll always know
As long as one and one is two
There could never be a father
Who loved his daughter more than I love you

That's a Winner!

While I slumbered the Birds evened the season series with the Royals. I watched the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't stay awake for extra innings.

For one day, all is again right in the universe.

Is It Wrong?

Another note about last night's game: During Juan Encarnacion's at bats last night, I was rooting against him extending his hitting streak. Is that bad?

They flashed some funny numbers on the scoreboard when he batted. His average during the streak, .288. He had exactly 21 hits in his streak. I guess that's about as bad as you can hit and still have an 18 game streak. Sounds like a lot of 1 for 4 nights.

Anyway, last night I used Karma to put an end to the anomalous streak.

Cards Even Series

I was in the eleventh row of section 155 last night. My buddy Chuck scored some awesome tickets at work. We were between the end of the home-plate screen and the Royals Dugout. A perfect angle to see Chris Duncan' eyes light up on meat ball delivered by the Royals' Scott Elarton.

Ole' Abner delivered a perfect evening for baseball. The temps were in the low eighties at the first pitch. There was a bar selling Schlafly's near our section.

The game lasted only two hours and ten minutes. I was home and in bed by 11:30 pm.

I ran my record to 2-1 on the season.

The Isa Report

June 18th, 2007 - Subject: Courage

Splinter Courage

Isa was brave (and squirmy and screamy!) when she had to get a splinter taken out of her foot last night.
Reporter Willa has all the details.
When I got there to do the weekly Isa Report, Isa was screaming.
I had to do this report on myh own, so I decided (since EVERYONE was busy) to not talk to anyone. It would bother them. I helped out too.
We FINALLY got it out. Isa refused a cookie. Was she sick?

The End

***This report has been brought to you by Willa. We are hoping this will become a regular blog feature. We encourage other young authors with siblings to write as well.

Cardinals 7, Royals 3

Looks like tonight will be the rubber match in the I-70 series. The Cards prevailed yesterday behind some solid pitching from Adam Wainwright.

Go tell Andy how it will turn out tonight!!

Check This Out

Wikipedia is the coolest!