Kiss Me Under the Beemer Keys

I don't know about you, but I've detected a recurrent theme in some holiday gift advertising.

Many ads that I've seen and heard directed at men seem to point to some subtle sexual payoff from the recipient. Jewelry especially.

The most disturbing of these is a TV commercial showing couples seeming smooching under some mistletoe. In actuality, the man is holding a set of car keys above the woman's head, and it seems as though she is providing these meaningful kisses in return for the man handing her the keys.

I guess women have changed. If my wife has given me sex in return for a gift, I'm not aware of it. I've always had to work much harder for it (hahaha, that was a joke).

The (blog) Women in My Life

frog www.betweenthelakes.blogspot.com

flea www.buggydoo.blogspot.com

mimi www.smartypants.dairyland.com

emlin www.emlin.blogspot.com

dooce www.dooce.com


If I can't get a book deal for each of them, how about one book deal for all of them?

frog and flea are at crossroads.

frog is emotionally frazzled; so many things have happened in her life this year. Yet, she has made it through, a testament to her depth of character and spirit. The older brother in me wishes I could be her older brother.

flea is financially frazzled. Business is not going well, and based on her posts over the last 2 months, the hounds are at the gates. The business savant in me wishes I could fix her business problems.

As you read the blogs of these fine writers, it is difficult to not feel sympathy, empathy, and affection for these people, these women who not only entertain me, but touch my heart.

frog especially. God, if I had a magic wand, I would wave it for her. I have faith, however, that she will find the comfort she needs. I mentioned that she has character and spirit.

(note to loyal (and probably only) reader James: to me, frog reminds me of how rae jean would be. Which is actually a positive thing to say).

Just a few thoughts about these "other women" in my life.

"Love is the answer. And you know that, for sure". John Lennon, Mind Games

The world is a poorer place without you, Mr Lennon. Not much mention of your death today, but I suppose next year (the 25th anniversary of your murder) there be all sorts of attention.

Linda and Joe 

This is the usual cornball, hopeless romantic stuff that you’ve come to expect from me. I have long since resigned from the Order of Hopeless Romantics, but every now and then I have to blow off a little steam.

Reflecting on My First Kiss

I may be off a week or so, but after 25 years, who cares. I checked the calendar, and it seems to me that this happened on a Saturday night not long after Thanksgiving when the holiday movies were in the theaters1.

I was 17, and experiencing a great deal of angst because I had still not experienced my first kiss. I had been dating Elsie (who was very stunning at our 20 year class reunion, by the way) up until the very night of my 17th birthday. After dating her for 6 months or so, I thought it was time to have a grown-up kiss. She was emphatic that it was not. I was humiliated and discouraged2. I took this as a sign that we should break up.

Linda and I were pals, so I had confided the situation to her. Lo and behold, we started dating a little while later (like the next week). More than anything, I’m guessing that she just wanted to help me past this problem. I was quite smitten with her. I had had a crush3 on her since freshman year when we rode the same bus. She wore braces at the time, and I often thought about what her smile would look like when they came off. I was a Yankee with a horrible complexion and Yankee clothes4. And absolutely no self-confidence. None. Nunca. Zip. Zero.

Perhaps a sense of humor.

Anyhow, we’d been dating for a couple of weeks. You know, going to the movies. That was the extent of my dating capabilities at that time. I really liked her. We would flirt with the idea of smooching. I was so pathetically frightened by the idea of screwing up that even though we would sit in my car in a secluded area, ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN. It was just a matter of time before she lost patience and pronounced me to be the loser that I, in fact, was.

But one night, after watching the classic Electric Horseman with Robert Redford, Jane Fonda and Willie Nelson (“My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” was the title track) she issued me an ultimatum: Kiss me or kiss me good-bye.

When faced with difficult decisions, I’ve prided myself on making the correct choice. In no time at all, she brought me up to speed on the whole kissing issue5. As it turned out, my angst was misdirected, and it turns out that Elsie was the psycho, not me.

Now, after 25 years, I’d like to thank Linda for her patience and guidance. It remains a memorable experience for me6.

1 Actually, I’m sure she has little recollection of this event because she wasn’t nearly as screwed up as I was.

2 And yes, I am such a rat bastard that when I saw Elsie at the reunion and saw that she was 8 months pregnant with her 4th or 5th child, it took every ounce of my being not to quip, “I see you must finally be French Kissing”.

3 Okay, I had a crush on every girl, but that’s my problem.

4 I mean, come on…the platform shoes and the Starsky & Hutch sweater? You know, the oversized cardigan with the sash? I loved that sweater. I got beat up the first (and last) time I wore it to school.

5 Now, I realize her husband, Joe, is probably reading this, too. For the record, let me just say that I got my first kiss at seventeen, and lost my virginity7 at twenty-three8. I didn’t move forward from kissing until I was in college, and I had to travel several counties away to accomplish that.

6 And yes, I was a complete ass9 to break up with her. I was caving in to my jealous buddies. I was 17, remember?

7 And no, I won't post a detailed account of that event in February of 2010.

8 And if you thought my first kiss was angst-ridden, you should have seen me that night. Well, maybe not.

9 After careful reflection, I stand by my use of the word “ass”. Linda and I were not destined to grow old together, but she should have dumped me when she was good and ready.

Timeline

I'm flat-out stealing this from frog. Hey, something has to spur my creative process.

25 years ago: Age 17. Started dating Linda, who at some point would grant me the pleasure of my first kiss. She was a great kisser. I was a late bloomer. She played flute. I have since learned that woodwind players are great kissers. The Iran Hostage Crisis dominated the news. Played guitar all the time. Lots of angst about girls in general (I was 17...and as I said, a late bloomer).

20 years ago: Started dating Nita. Loved her lots. She has a MA in English, and just graduated from nursing school in 2004. I haven't spoken to her in a long time. Her mom and mine passed away about the same time, but she doesn't know that. Writing songs with James (then known as Jim) nonstop. When not in class, played guitar all the time. Drank lots of beer.

15 years ago: Married Jill. Love her even more than Nita and Linda (and Lori, too). First Thanksgiving together. Probably spent at her mom's. My parents moved to Indiana. Worked a job that I hated with my very being. Not happy with that aspect of my life at all. Very happy to be married.

10 years ago: Working on starting a family with Jill. Won't have results for another 17 months. Still working in industry that I despised, but taking Real Estate classes. Jill went to Maui (paid by work, the lucky dog) and I went to Austin. Best 32nd birthday ever.

5 years ago: Jill pregnant with 2nd and last child, due in March. Live in Jill's hometown with daughter and dog. Mom has cancer. Working my favorite job ever. Lions Club, Education Foundation, lots of civic pride.

3 years ago: Mom passed away previous year. Kicking ass in Afghanistan (not me, but my country). Love my job. Rocky spots in relationships, but no one is quitting, which is a good thing. Love my daughter and son. Dog's with Mom.

1 year ago: Everyone in family is happy. Wife and I are thrilled. Work is great. I'm a flippin' success. City Council. New dog.

This year: This is a wonderful time. Kids are great. Can't live without them. The dog is wonderful. Jill is wonderful. Work is still great. My side of the family is falling apart, but if you pour just enough gas on the bridge, it burns quickly and doesn't hurt as much.

Yesterday: Not a 10, but a good day, anyway. Getting excited about the holidays for the first time in a long time.

Today: Working a light schedule, then taking my son to The Incredibles. Can't wait.

Tomorrow: Thanksgiving! I will truly be thankful. Nephews will be there. Now that they both live out of town, it is a wonderful thing to see them at family gatherings. Football, family, and hopefully a good bottle of wine. Followed by all night poker. This is truly happiness.

I know some people for whom Thanksgiving is passing by this year. I'm sorry for them, and wish I could fix all of their problems. I do know, however, that things can improve for everyone if you are just willing to reach for it.

Easy for me to say, anyway.

Scott Peterson

Yep, Guilty

The principle of Parsimony states that the simplest explanation is usually correct.

Even if there was some elaborate scheme to frame Scotty boy, he deserves jailtime, if not the death penalty, for being so goddamned stupid.

He defines Darwinism.

Auto Update

I have not been blamed for the demise of my car.

In fact, I was given my choice of colors for the new one, which arrives Friday.

It's hard to be mad at someone for not treating you right when they finally do treat you right.

This is an open apology to most of my co-workers who put up with my pointless rage about how company cars are doled out. As one said, I am better than that.

I don't apologize to the under-producer who got a new car before I did. I will continue to bury that clueless prick. So there.

And now, it's one week later

I've let the dust setttle from election day. While I'm pleased at the results from a national standpoint, I was not happy with the interpretation that it was some sort of statement about morals that the president was re-elected. Especially the Wednesday morning whining by the Democratic Party that the Gay Marriage issue killed them at the polls.

In 10 out of 11 states (Utah being the exception) the votes supporting a ban on Gay marriage (or SSM as I call it - see earlier posts supporting SSM) outnumbered votes for Bush. This would be an indication that those voting for Kerry crossed over some line to vote against SSM. Which tells me that the Presidential issue and the SSM issue were not as closely linked as the whiners would have you believe. It is not the fault of Gay Americans that John Kerry is not the president. It would be John Kerry's fault.

We still have a long way to go to improve the Equality Factor in our country.

And to re-iterate from my earlier post: If Christians, heterosexuals, etc want to keep marriage "sacred" for themselves, they need to quit divorcing, philandering, and otherwise disrespecting the institution.

From the "You can lead a horse to water but you can't kick it in the ass" Department:
For the past 3 years, my company car has had a coolant leak that usually manifested itself druing the winter months. I had brought this to the attention of the operations manager many times, as well as our company mechanic. Their solution has been to pour more coolant into the radiator. The leak had become progressively worse, and I expressed my concern that perhaps one day, in the middle of nowhere, the radiator would become empty and I would somehow ruin the engine. The response to my concern was the same as before...pour more coolant into the radiator.

This morning, I blew the engine. Dumb fuckers will probably blame me for it.

Finally, Election Day is here

Voted at 6:20am. Thanked all the poll workers, as I always do. Crossing my fingers that the results, however they end up, are decisive.

Four years is a very short long time

Four years ago today was the last time that I think my mother recognized me. It was her birthday, her 62nd, and she had been slowly dying of the lung cancer that was diagnosed 5 years before. She fought so hard. She made it through that day, and then declined precipitously and passed away three days later.

I remember sitting by her bedside on her birthday, praying an entire rosary. She could not see me, but she responded to my words by moving her eyebrows. I took that to be a sign that she knew I was there, but then again, it could have been gas.

There she lay, all 60 pounds of what was left of her. Slowly starving, barely breathing. She'd been like that since just after Labor Day, and my father was falling apart, waiting for her to die.

In the four years since her birthday, my kids have grown up to be wonderful children. My marriage is much better than it was. My father is starting to move on. The sad image of her in that bed is fading, being replaced by memories of the glorious mother I remember her to be.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Big Doin's in the Small Town

I'm putting my pre-election angst on hold for a couple of days so I can enjoy the weekend. Uber-Neighbors Tom and Wendy are hosting their second annual Pumpkin Carving party for the folks in our circle tonight. Yes, I know, no drinking until AFTER the pumpkins are carved.

After pumpkins, and after the kids go to bed, I will head over to Brother-inlaw #1's house to play poker. Normally, a poker fest lasts until well after 4am, but we're calling it quits at midnight because most of the participants (but not I, this year) will be heading off to Evanston for Family Day at Northwestern. Beloved Nephew#2 (they are all beloved nephews) has had a challenging quarter (self-inflicted, by the way), and I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing his parents, Grandpa, Uncle Dan (Brother in-law #3), etc.

(In case all my brother-inlaws are reading, your number is based on your age, not your level of favor, I've been blessed with great B-IL's)

B-IL1 and I, who work at the same company, are hoping to convince B-IL3 to join us. He'd be perfect at what we are making lots of money doing. The water is warm, so jump in.

Saturday brings haircuts for Sonny and I, followed by a football game to watch Princess do her cheerleading thing. After the game, Wifey and Wendy (of uber-neighbor fame) will visit the craft show(s) in Sycamore, home of the Pumpkin Fest.

Sunday is a luncheon for our departing priest, and then we're hosting various local relatives to watch Football until Trick or Treat time comes.

A full weekend, and I intend to enjoy it.

The following was written in full knowledge that if the Terrorists are going to do something heinous, it will be done in the next 96 hours.

One More Week!

Rhetoric is a shit sandwich.

My fervent hope is that the election results in a landslide for either candidate. I'm tired.

Vote.

And then stop your bitching. Deal with it. We're all in this together.

When inspiration hits...

I have to leave in 10 minutes to train developmentally disabled adults how to operate fire extinguishers (which is another posting entirely). I just read another wonderful post by flea at One Good Thing (www.buggydoo.blogspot.com) and am now inspired to write a quick couch-disposal story.

When my wife and I got married, 90% of the furniture we owned was hand-me-down or otherwise second (or third) hand. We did buy a new bedroom suite from Sears (not wanting to start our married life in debt, we bought a cheap set) . About a year into our marriage, we decided to take the plunge inot living room furnishings by purchasing a sofa and love seat set.

The set was blue and puffy. It was hard to move in and out of the apartment, townhouse, and two homes we've lived in since 1989. The sofa had reclining capabilities on each end, which made it great place to sit, but very heavy to move. It wore very well through 2 kids and 2 dogs, various illnesses, and all of the moves. It still was a great place to sit or lay down, but it's bulky design really overwhelmed our living room.

This year, after 14 years of service, we decided to buy a new sofa and loveseat. My small thrifty side hates to part with possessions that are still functional and in good condition, but the set was too heavy to try to take it downstairs, and we just needed a change. To dispose of "old blue", we hauled the set to my in-laws garage sale (Thanks, good neighbor Tom) and priced it to sell. I had no intention of taking it back home. In fact, I joked about hauling it into the alley and setting it ablaze if no one purchased it.

A young woman came to the garage sale and marvelled at the set. She called her husband and told him about our rock bottom price. She was so happy to get the OK to plunk down $85 for both pieces.

As she left, she said "I am so happy! My old set is falling apart, it's really junky. We've had it for FOURTEEN YEARS".

It's amazing how 14 years can be lived. Whether it be pride of ownership, or just plain overprotectiveness, we managed to keep our first sofa set in good condition throughout the years. I'll be thrilled to get 14 years out of the new set.

Yeah, Sure

Note to Dan Rather: Anyone can say "I'm sorry"; but it takes a real man (or journalist, or whatever) to say, "Mr President, I'm sorry".

I am an equal opportunity critic:

Listening to Mr Bush defend his war policies yesterday, he quoted Mr Kerry's position several times. After each quote, the audience made huge gasps, sighs, and other over-the-top groans to show their disdain of Mr Kerry's position. Enough of the groaning...it make you appear "lambish". It's like those girls at the People's Choice Awards (I wish they'd call me. Lyle Lovett should win one of those awards, and then not show up to accept it) who shriek when a cutie pie actor walks on stage.

Remember the RINO's? Republican in Name Only's? The only thing worse than that are the Knee-jerk Republicans that blindly support whoever runs as a Republican (yes this is a vailed shot at the Keyes supporters out there).

Meanwhile, our Governor just destroyed the state education board (yippee) only to replace it with his lackeys (not-so-much yippee).

Note to Al-Queda: Take the masks off and behead your captives like real men. Schmucks.

(I changed my post to read "Schmucks" instead of a more crude perjorative. My mother would not appreciate my use of the original word.)

Longtime, no hear

I received a new laptop at work, and it has taken about a month to get all the bugs out. So after a 4 weeek hiatus, I've returned to the 'blogwaves, ready to rant.

In the wake of the Jack Ryan near-sex scandal (where he didn't have any sex to be scandalous about, he only wanted to have scandalous sex), Republicans in Illinois could not find anyone with enough stones to run against the Undefeatable Barack Obama. I offered, but no one would respond to my e-mails. The state party leadership looked high and low, and higher and lower, and decided to ask Alan Keyes, erstwhile presidential candidate and radio talk show host from Maryland, if he would run for senate in Illinois. Forgetting, of course, that Alan Keyes took Hillary Clinton to task for "carpetbagging" in New York in 2000.

I guess the state party muckety mucks thought that if they ran an African-American candidate against Obama (who is an actual African American - his father was born on the continent and his mother is from the US) it might confuse all the Democratic voters--or at least take race out of the race. The strategy was simple: Expose Obama's extreme positions with a candidate with a conservative pedigree.

This strategy has failed because as it turns out, Mr. Keyes' positions on many campaign issues are even more extreme that Mr. Obama's! One of the first topics that Keyes threw out for consideration was slave reparations...I guess to challange Obama's "street cred". The problem is that Obama is not the descendant of former slaves (see note above) so he doesn't have a dog in the fight. Slavery was heinous...who can argue that? Mr. Keyes said that an income tax moritorium on slave descendants wouldn't cost the taxpayers any money. A rather short-sighted position, given that in order to make up for the taxes not paid by slave descendants, more taxes would have to be paid by others...costing something to the remaining tax payers. And who would pay the extra taxes? Probably the wealthy Republicans that Keyes is trying to represent.

Keyes has moved his campaign toward the far, far, far right--espousing theories about divine retribution against gay marriage, abortion, sidewalk spitting, and failure to use turn signals. We have yet to hear him address the issues that are important to flyover Illinoisans -- namely taxes, jobs, education, and domestic security.

It is nice to have "big thoughts" about morality and spirituality, but Maslow tells us that we need to address lower pyramid ideas first. Thanks to the economy and terrorism, our state (and our country) can no longer afford to focus on high-minded ideals. We need to work, eat, and have a safe place to live. Show me a candidate who will address these issues, and that candidate will earn my vote.

The Dog Days

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Our parish priest is retiring soon. He is a good man, and a friend to my family and to our community. He was with us for 5 years and managed to befriend many and tick off a few. Parish priests in our diocese are usually older, evidently young priests aspire to missionary work and the mean streets. We'll miss him.

Dad might be getting better, it's hard to tell. His galpal, who has done a great job of helping him during this time, seems to want to point fingers and assess blame for his condition. I'm more concerned on recovery than blame. My sister is taking him to a follow-up appointment tomorrow and she will ask many, many questions about what we are to expect with his recovery. He still isn't sharp, yet. I think it's time for the children to take control of his aftercare. Aftercare by committee.

Even if you are a big-time liberal, don't you think Michael Moore is just a bit over the top? If you are focusing on the "7 minutes" issue from the movie, you are missing the big picture. CRITICAL THINKING ALERT!! Hindsight is 20/20. Give me something I can work with that actually points to negligence.

Remember, 40-50,000 were supposed to be in those buildings. Whatever action plan that was or was not in place saved all but 4,000. Still a huge price to pay, but it could have been much worse. I don't see the point in politicizing the issue. If you'd like to, then consider this: how can the policies of a 250 day old administraition be 100% accountable after 8 or 12 or 20 years of bad policy and poor decision making? It seems that people are blaming the dutch boy for not putting enough fingers in the dike. (insert your own lame lesbian joke here) The holes were there already.

Coming soon to this blog: My rant on the Illinois Republican Party's negligence in convincing Alan Keyes to run for senate. ugh! And I'm a Republican.

Autonomy and Clint Eastwood

To some extent, we all wish for the autonomy to live life on our own terms. Achieving this comes at some cost.

About 18 months ago, my widowed father decided that it was time to move from the lake house where he and my mother lived out her last days. The nearest offspring lived about 80 miles away, and the rest of us live about 200 miles away. We were hoping that my Dad would move closer to one of the kids. There are a number of reasons for this: at least one of my siblings wanted more attention, one wanted less, one probably didn't care, and I wanted convenient access in the event of illness or emergency. I'm the pragmatic one.

Well, Dad decided that he couldn't move any closer to anyone. That is his decision. He has always isolated himself from the rest of his family (nuclear and otherwise) for reasons of his own. It gives him the independence that he craves.

Since June 23, he has managed to visit most every hospital in Northern Indiana, due to a gall bladder problem. The gall bladder itself is no longer a problem, it was removed. Sadly, he is now suffering from one of those wonderful hospital-borne infections that almost took his life last week. And this is where the desire to self-isolate and be autonomous creates a problem.

A man has to know his limitations. Autonomy is wonderful if you truly don't need anyone. Perhaps his need for emotional independence obscured the reality that his health would require some family member to be nearby to help him.

My desire to be the "good son" has been hampered by geography. I want to be there for him, but I cannot. This is the worst time of year for me work-wise, and I have a family of my own that needs me, too. I had to step in to help when my Mom was dying, and it pushed my family life to the brink.

Trying to cope with not only his illness, but the kookiness of my siblings in trying to deal with the kookiness has been difficult. The important news is that he should recover in time, and is otherwise healthy for someone with his vast array of ailments. It's tough getting old.

I'd like to think that I'm the only "normal" sibling; but I suspect that is not the case. One sibling is starved for attention, the attention she thinks (and is probably right) that she deserved as a child and never received. The other sister has given up on getting any attention. Dad just won't make the effort. I call my brother "Fredo Corleone". Fredo sat on the curb and cried while his father lay on the street after being shot.

The attention-seeker has jumped in and taken charge. She is the most capable from a logistics standpoint: she does not have a job and her children are old enough to get take care of day to day issues. Sadly, she is the least capable in dealing with crises. She told me (with a straight face) when the Dr told her that my Dad may have congestive heart failure, that she "just couldn't deal with that, it would be too much to bear". Gosh, imagine how my Dad would have to deal with it. It's all about her. Her. Her.

(yes, I know this posting is all about me, me, me. But's it's MY post.)

Anyway, she will take charge, and remind everyone at every opportunity that she has. And that she will single-handedly cure my Father of all his ailments, and that no one stepped up to help her.

Perhaps know I understand why Dad has chosen his isolated life.

Worldview

So, after the golf outing last Friday (played pretty well for me), we went over to the neighbor's for a campfire. My neighbor, Tom, was hosting some out of town guests for the evening. Tall Andy is from Germany, and not quite so tall Andy is from Switzerland.

By keeping my mouth shut, I learned a lot about how regular people from Europe think about the good ol' US of A. I'm here to tell you folks, it ain't pretty. Aside from our Gov't, Europeans appear to get most of their info about American Culture from "News of the Weird". They view us as lawsuit happy assholes, looking to get rich quick. They think that we walk lockstep behind our president. They really do think we are cowboys, and I don't mean that in a good way. I happen to like cowboys, the kind you think positively about.

They were impressed with the utter vastness of our country. All the property that we "regular" folks own. All the wealth we seem to have.

We diplomatically defended our country and culture, as much as it could be defended, anyway. I explained that Americans are generally a hard-working bunch of people, focused on raising our families and making through each week. The knuckleheads who file lawsuits instead of taking responsibility are derided by society, and as much as I supported Mr. Bush instead of Mr. Gore, I don't have a framed portrait of GWB above my fireplace that I salute each night. As a country, regardless of political affiliation, we are all concerned about the mess in Iraq, and wish it could go away without "sending the wrong message" to the bad guys (whatever that means).

I did humorously point out that my knowledge of German culture comes from "Hogan's Heroes", which would never, ever, be produced in this day and age. To their credit, both Andys got the joke.

After a few more beers (they were amazed to see St Pauli Girl beer in an American liquor store) we settled the world's problems and parted as good friends.

And they changed my life in an interesting way. In the past, I don't think I worried too much about what Europeans thought about us (and me, as a member of us). Now I do. This doesn't mean I'm capitulating to the United Nations, it just means I understand how the regular guy in Europe is affected by my government's policies (I wasn't that ignorant before, it just wasn't important to me).

So last night I listened to Mr Kerry's speech and refrained from my usual criticisms. I didn't turn off my critical thinking filter, but I did learn something by keeping my mouth shut.

Woo-Hoo! Golf Outing!

Although I stink at golf, I love to play.  I'd play everyday if I could afford it.  Heck, I'd play every week if I could afford it.  I guess I have the money, but I don't have the time.
 
Golf, pool (billiards), darts, guitar playing, 'blog writing.  These are all things I love to do, and wish I could do better...if I only had the time.

No offense meant

When I hype the wonderful blogs of frog and flea, I'm not saying that yours is not as good. I'm sure it is.  I just like their's the best.
 
Most of my blog navigation stems from visting Frogblog and One Good Thing.  From those sites, I visit the blogs that they recommend.  I am hoping to figure out how to put links in my blog.  I have the instructions, but I don't have the time. 
 
The way to find the best blogs is to start with one you like and then go visit the links.
 
Now, flea and frog are politically on the other side of the aisle from me, but that doesn't mean that I dislke them or think they are bad people.  As I read their thoughts and feelings (wonderously conveyed) I think that if I knew them as "real" people, I would like them.  Despite the politcal differences, I respect and share many of their core beliefs:  Love and respect others, love and respect yourself, do no harm, be happy.  I don't see those as political beliefs.
 
I read frog's blog from 7/19 about the timeline of her past relationship, and I know she is hurting and trying to come to terms with the end of that relationship.  Been there, done that.  And in much the same way as frog.  I wish I could reach out and give her a brotherly hug, but I don't "know" her yet.  I don't feel right offering brotherly support in a blog format unless I actually "know" the person.
 
The same with flea.  I have e-mailed her a couple of times, just to pay respects and compliments, and hopefully did it without being creepy.  In a recent post, she discussed a very bad "neighbor" who was threatening going to DCFS for no real reason, other than to hear herself fart. The neighbor also verbally assaulted flea's young son in front of his father! Her actions (or rather, flea's discription of them) evoked a very emotional response on my part (anger) and I wanted to leap to her (and her husband's) defense by delivering 2000 pounds of flaming dogshit on the neighbor's front porch.  Of course, there is no doubt that flea and her husband can handle this situation without any help from me, but I can't help but to empathize with their plight.  It's this "brotherly" thing I have.
 
This whole blog-world is interesting.  We all have something to say, and perhaps the mere act of posting to the whole world (whether it is actually read or not) is the point.  I'm all for expression.

My blog is a tree..

My blog is a tree that has fallen in the forest.  That's not your fault, it's mine.  Apparently, I'm the only sole who has viewed my profile.  Gee, it's lonely out here.  I guess it would help if I "promoted" my blog a little bit.  For instance, when I respond to someone else's well-written posting, I should write "and for another somewhat entertaining point of view, visit my blog at..."  But that isn't fair to anyone.
 
I also need to get my frequency up.  That's what she said, hahahaha!  There is no shortage of things to write about.  And if I shifted my writing time to when I'm not at work, I probably would have more time to write. 
 
Writing at work...there's a deep subject.  I work on commission, and I'm of the belief that I'm not really stealing from my company by taking time to write in my blog.  I don't take breaks and seldom take a lunch, so I feel "justified" in taking 5-10 minutes once a week or so to type out a few thoughts.  I'm only hurting myself and my family by not spending this time working. 
 
I tend to inflict a lot of guilt on myself.
 
Usually by the end of each post, I re-commit to posting more.  Hoping for more than once a week.

Still Searching for a Candid-date

Well, we won't have Mike Ditka to push around anymore. I was hoping Da' Coach would have thrown his hat into the ring, if only to short-circuit the entire election process. Even though he is to the right of me politically, I had no doubt that the power of celebrity would have defeated the power of reason.

As noted in Frogblog last night, the Constitution is safe for now. Even though I'm a straight male Catholic, I don't see the need to amend the Constitution over Same Sex Marriage (SSM). If you care, scroll down to a post from a few months ago where I go on and on and on about SSM and how it really doesn't affect me, or the institution of marriage any more than divorce already has...in fact, I state that SSM may actually bolster the concept of MARRIAGE.

I have an important bid opening in one hour. so I must leave. At least I'm up to posting weekly, although my goal is to post more often.

The best blogs in blogworld remain ONE GOOD THING and FROGBLOG! If you looking for insightful (and inciteful) writing, go there. Right now. What are still doing here?

Still have all my fingers

I am so far behind in commenting on what is going on, it stinks.

Jack Ryan: Hey buddy, I don't care about your sexual desires, just stop lying to me! Of course the allegations would be embarrassing to your son. Heck, they embarrass me. Just for the record, I asked my wife if we could go to a sex club and do the deed in front of strangers, and she said "no". That's good enough for me. No need to to fly her to exotic locales and ask the same question over and over. Jeri probably divorced you because you weren't a good listener, not because you wanted people to watch.

Dick Cheney and the "F" word: Big fuckin' deal. Like Senator Leahy hasn't heard or said fuck before. Get over it.

Bill Clinton's book: As much as I despise Bill as a man, I have admired his political skill. As a politician, he was the best that ever walked. Still, he's a bag of scum. There's no excuse for repeateded infidelity. Sure, it's between him and the Mrs. For the record, I've never respected philanderer's on a local level, either. Oh, yes, the book. Too long too read. Sorry, not interested. If he would have waited another 5-10 years, I think the perspective would have changed for the better.

Catching Up

A couple of weeks ago, as an exercise in creative blog design, I posted a photo of my Grandma and me. It's from last October when I last visited. It's not that I am a negligent grandson. I live 600 miles away. I doubt that any of my far-flung cousins make the trip with any more frequency; but that's not the point.

My Dad and I were taking our annual trip to see a football game, and I wanted to visit Grandma. She's been living in an assisted living place in northeast Nebraska for the past 6 years or so. Dad let her know that we would be coming, but only to say he did. When we arrived on a Thursday afternoon, she wasn't sure who Dad was, and she was thrilled to find out that I was her grandson. And although I was a stranger to her, she was still beloved Grandma to me.

At a time when most Nebraska farmwives were just that, my Grandma set out to be a career woman. She succeded. She eventually owned her own grocery store in a small town, and because the nearest hair salon was a town or two away, opened one of her own (operated by a daughter in law) so she and others wouldn't have to leave town to have a nice 'do. When she retired, she continued to deliver food and things to old folks who could no longer get around on their own. There's no one left to return the favor.

Life in the nursing home is not terribly exciting (for a 40 year old, anyway) but the staff does a nice job of taking care of Grandma. There's trips to the store, bingo, church services, etc. to keep her busy. She apparently has no short term memory. She asks the same questions over and over. This annoys my Dad, but not me. Perhaps it's penance for not living closeby; but I answer her questions each time with enthusiasm. She remembers childhood adventures easily, and I try to steer our conversation in that direction.

Even though she didn't recognize me, I could tell that she was thrilled to see me on that October afternoon. And because of her memory issues, she was equally thrilled to see me the next morning when we came to say good-bye.

Her overall health is pretty good, but she is 87 and life at that age is never certain. I will take a few days off of work and take my family to see her later in the summer. Oh sure, she won't know who we are, but she'll be thrilled to see us just the same.

Something so wrong

It happened again. Another Al Queda hostage has been beheaded. It makes me sick to my stomach just hearing it. Humiliation is not equal to death. If you think it is, you are too attached to this world.

This has turned into something stupid.

Can there be any real justice for this crime? Doubtful.

Reagan Weary

I turned 18 the day before election day in 1980. I was thrilled to be able to vote, and I made sure that I was all registered and ready to exercise my right and duty. I planned to cast my vote for the Governor of California, although he sure seemed like a very strict guy.

I admit that I voted for him (twice) and I thought he was above average in many respects, but this wall to wall coverage of his funeral is getting on my nerves.

Each time I hear a CBS Update on the radio, I expect to hear Chevy Chase say "Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th president of the United States, remains dead at the age of 93".

Perhaps it is simply my attention span.

In Nebraska with Grandma 

Look, my Grandma's on the Internet!

Rubble

I once had a boss who told me that whenever you go on one week's vacation, you lose three weeks of productivity. One week preparing for the vacation (getting caught up so you can leave), the actual week that you are on vacation, and a week to get caught up on the week you missed.

That would be my life right now.

In addition to being the arbiter of Midwestern Pop Culture, I am salesperson for a Fire & Safety company. The bulk of my business is in the institutional market: schools, hospitals, prisons, stadiums, etc. With summer approaching, it seems that this will be a gangbuster year for new and/or retro fitted schools. My bread and butter is the Kitchen Fire Suppression System, a mundane item that is required in every commercial kitchen. Thanks to my loyal customers, my head will be swimming until after Labor Day, trying to quote, design, sell and coordinate the installations.

Of course, the first thing I found out about the sales profession (after 10 long years in commercial credit) is that the harder you work in sales, the more money you earn. I always envied the salesmen who had the world by the ass. Now I'm one of them, and I'm not so sure that the envy was worthwhile.

After being inspired by "One Good Thing" and "Frogblog", I've decided that even when I am swamped at work, I owe it to myself (and to anyone who would ever happen to read these blogs) to invest the time and talent to write something good.

I'm not in the same league as either Flea or Frog, but I know I can be entertaining and somewhat well-written. We'll see! Thanks for stopping by.

More Tales of the Perils of Public Service...

In my small town, we have a man who hates City Hall. He owns some property on the end of the main street, and parks a truck there with a plywood sign proclaiming the latest transgressions against him by the city council and the mayor. On the last few signs, he has misspelled the mayors (very common) last name...either because he is unhinged, or because he thinks that will protect him from a defamation lawsuit.

Over the weekend, he added a swastika to the sign, with the words "Beware Nazi Tactics"

He has now crossed a line that requires a response. Here's what I'll be saying at tonight's city counciil meeting. I've removed the names and other identifying facts because although he does not hesitate to libeland slander, I do.

I had always thought that the signs posted by Mr. X were simply the mutterings of a disappointed resident with an axe to grind and a forum to do so.

I have questioned whether his messages are based in some strange sense of civic duty. Every (town) resident who has chatted with me believe that he is not doing a service to the community by posting these signs.

Although Mr. X has never directed his assaults against me, I have felt sorry for the Mayor and the City Staff who he besmirches with these misrepresentations.

I understand that Mr. X is suing the City over what he believes is a property rights issue.

I understand that Mr. X is contemplating another lawsuit over some sort of perceived discrimination that he believes he is suffering.

As we try to settle our disagreement in court, Mr. X continues to post signs on his property, spouting half-truths and innuendo about the conduct of the City Council in general, and the Mayor specifically. I admire the patience and maturity of the Mayor to suffer these slings and arrows. I do not think I would be as charitable.

But now, Mr. X has gone too far. Too cowardly to address the city council directly, he is content to continue his assault against the City Council and our community from behind his plywood sign.

Now he has decided to add a symbol of fascist oppression and hate. I do not know if he is suggesting that the Genoa City Council are nazis, or if he is proclaiming his political affiliation.

I don’t know if he had any family serve in World War II. I have. I don’t know if he understands what the swastika symbolizes. I do. Citizens have the right under the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America to express their thoughts and opinions, just as I do tonight. There is no need for me to explain at what cost this right is afforded to us.

His display of the swastika is cowardly, indecent, revolting, and just plain stupid. I ask that he remove it at once. I ask that he takes down the signs and begin to conduct himself like a man.

The swastika is a symbol that can evoke many strong emotions. I am offended by this symbol and choose to speak out against it. Others, however, may take action against it. And if that happens, and I truly hope that it will not happen, you can be sure that City Staff will be there to protect Mr. X's life and property because that is their duty.

Except for me. Mr. X It’s time for the playground bully to defend himself. As the great- grandson of man who left Poland to escape what your swastika represents, I won’t tolerate your nonsense and cowardice any longer.

Just so you get it right, my last name is spelled XXXXXX.

The Downside of Public Service-- I am a city council member for a small town in Illinois that is located squarely in the path of development. Faced with the onslaught of more homes, more homes, and more homes, our city council has undertaken to revise the UDO (unified development ordinance), so that future growth can be shaped as our community sees fit.

One of the more mundane issues is the parking of RV's, boats, trailers, etc. While some communities "to the east" ban them from residential areas (and even pick up trucks, too), we were just trying to clean up language which could be construed as allowing a resident to pave their front yard and use it as a campground or storage facility. You'd think we were doing everyone a favor, but....

A recently defeated city council member sent out an anonymous letter to RV owners claiming that the council was trying to deprive them of their right to own an RV. This led to a well attended city council meeting where the council members were vilified as being "from the east" and looking to make our town "like one of those suburbs" Which was certainly far from the truth.

i certainly appreciated their input and suggestions, though, and city staff worked to create provisions which respected the older sections of town as well as the new subdivisions. The new proposed wording was less stringent than the current ordinance, in fact. So the city hosted another meeting so residents could respond to this new proposed language.

The meeting went well, and I think most people had their concerns addressed. But it amazes me how paranoid some people are about government. When citizens address the council, they are asked to provide their names and addresses (or wards) as a courtesy (after all, they know where I live). One man was incensed at this notion, telling us in no uncertain terms that he was "offended" that he should have to give his name just to speak to us. He was very angry about the entire concept. After the meeting, a long time resident approached me and expressed that we were wasting time with the unified development ordinance; that people should just mind their own business. He said our town isn't a good place to live anymore (despite the new high school, despite the new businesses and improved services that are being provided) I asked him about a scenario in which some "neighbors for hell" might move next door, and he said he would just get in their faces and tell them to stop doing whatever it was that bothered him. I them asked about new residents to town, what rights should they have? He responded that they should wait until they lived in town for "30 years" before they could have an opinion.

At which point I just walked away from him.

I enjoy representing the folks in my Ward. I understand that they have many different ideas about how are town should grow (or not grow). I share many of their concerns. I have seen the results of poor planning in nearby communities. If anything, it is best to overplan than not plan. To our little town's credit, the city council is taking controlled growth seriously. What I don't enjoy is the elitism that exists in some of the "old timers", who just bad-mouth change and have no appreciation for dealing with growth in this century. Growth is coming, I can't stop it. Nor do I want to stop it. If it passes us by, our town will become isolated and die. You don't have to drive too far from our town to see how that happens.

I ran for office using the slogan "Building Bridges Across Neighborhoods". It is corny, but I meant it.

The company I work for claims to have Spam-block on our e-mail server. I find that highly doubtful.

Just for the record:

I have a short term mortgage at under 5% interest; I'm not interested in refinancing, and if I were, I love my bank and my banker, so I won't deal with anyone else.

I don't need any prescripton painkillers. Well, frankly, I could use all the painkillers you could spare, but I'm not interested in paying for them.

I don't need any "male enhancement". Things seem to work just fine and dandy. Oh, and although I've only shown my equipment to a very small handfull of lucky gals, they've all seemed to be suitably impressed and pleased by its length, girth, and appearance. It's a rather nice looking penis, if I do say so myself.

I'm fairly sucessful in my career, so don't bother me with the "get rich quick' schemes, either. Unless you are the child of Nigerian royalty, that is. I can't get enough of your e-mails.

Someday, when I'm sitting in hell, I will get a chance to meet those lousy sons of a bitches that sent me all this lovely spam. When I do, hell will seem to be a very nice place compared with where I will ask you to go.

Personal note to my financial planner: If I'm not returning your repeated calls requesting an "annual review" of my portfolio, it's because I don't want to have an "annual review". Just tell me what it is you are really trying to sell me that requires so many phone calls? Six phone calls and a letter are just too much.

I envisioned this blog as a creative writing opportunity, but have suffered from writer's block since it's inception. This is so me. Set up the 4-track and equipment, and I can't think of anything to play. If you are looking for really great writing in a blog setting, go visit One Good Thing. She rocks.

Yikes, no time to Blog! Random Thoughts from the Midwest:

Whitney Houston in rehab? Really? Gee, after her primetime interview last year, it was evident that she was in denial about her addiction issues.

Terrorism wins in Spain!

Leukemia scores a victory over John Henry Williams. This proves that prayers are answered. I seldom wish ill-will or evil on people, but this guy had to go.

March 16, and there's over a foot of snow on the ground in Iowa. Less than a week until Spring! Of course, we all know that we're not out of the woods until after April 21.

I'm too queasy to see "The Passion of the Christ", but I'm glad that many people are seeing it, discussing it, and responding to it.

In an earlier blog entry, I supported the concept of Same Sex Marriage. As much as I support it, I also support following the laws of one's State. Change the laws to make it legal, don't legislate from the bench.

Here's a little glimpse inside: I sent the following to everyone in my address book:

I'd like to take a moment to let everyone know that despite what you saw on TV this week, the people of Chicago are not overweight, obnoxious rubes who perform pagan rituals in order to improve the performance of various sports teams. If that worked, we would have a decent hockey tema in Chicago...believe me, I've tried everything.

Those of you who have lived in or visited this wonderful city can attest that Chicago presents may opportunities for cultural enrichment, as well as a great climate from June 15 to November 1 each year. While Deep Dish Pizza and Italian Beef Sandwiches are fantastic, people from Chicago also enjoy steak, ribs and other wonderful cuisines. Many of us are in decent physical shape, and although there is a lot more smoking here than I would like, we look and behave a lot like people in the rest of the country, including New Freakin' York City...where, if you believe what you see on HBO, is home to a lot of self-absorbed slutty women. (I, of course. can differentiate between real life and what happens on HBO...namely, there are more naked women on HBO than in my real life.)

Nowhere else in our fair country can someone take a $113,000 investment and turn it into several million dollars of media exposure.

I have great sympathy for my Houston friends who were victimized similarly in the media during the Superbowl fortnight. Based on the media coverage, I was surprised to learn that cattle freely roam the streets in Houston, posing a threat to exotic boots and truck tires.

This is an open invitation to visit my home in "rural" Illinois (just 60 miles from the Loop). I will be happy to take you to Harry Caray's for a cold Budweiser, and you can view the remnants of this media circus. Of course, I'll be having a Crown and Water.

No matter what you saw on the Today Show yesterday, and no matter what you saw reported on the news yesterday, the people that live in and around Chicago are not overweight, loudmouth rubes. No real Cub Fan believes the "curse" has been lifted...after all, the Billy Goat Curse has not been lifted yet.

Yes, the Mayor is sort of a goof, but he is the best Mayor that Chicago has ever had (yes, including his father). Yes, we seem to feel inadequate when compared to NYC, which is a result of our regional inability to see the forest for the trees.

Chicago is a very cool city. And the Chicagoland area is a good place to live.

Just a few thoughts about another institution: Reality Shows. They sure sounded like a neat idea at first, didn't they? It's one thing to capture silly and stupid things on the family camcorder and see it on America's Funniest (Home) Videos. Doing silly and potentially harmful things (not only physical harm, but emotional harm) to one's self or others on purpose is another. Let's take a look at some of these programs (keeping in mind that I haven't seen the majority of them (which no doubt qualifies me to speak authoritatively about them)).

MTV's The Real Life: The granddaddy of the modern genre. Flew under the radar screen for years before someone found a way to make a ton of money with the concept on broadcast TV.

Survivor: Can't believe that anyone still watches this. It just reinforces my belief in the gullibility of a content-starved nation. Seen one season, seen 'em all.

Big Brother: A rip-off of The Real Life and Survivor with slightly more likable cast. Gee, didn't take long before they got contestants to make whoopee.

The Bachelor: I really scratch my head about this one. The most annoying part of this show is when the girls get bumped, they get all emotional and go on and on about how they were falling in love with the Bachelor. Where were these women when I was in college? That being said:

The Bachelorette: Do I really want to compete with a bunch of guys for a woman like this? I'm too provincial (or is it old fashioned?). Call it luck, design, or just that I was a loser, but I never smooched with more than one girl at a time.

Joe Millionaire (and European Joe Millionaire): I refuse to believe that people like this exist. They set the women's movement (or whatever you want to call it) back to the Stone Age.

Average Joe: I saw the last episode of the first Average Joe, and my wife has me hooked on Average Joe in Hawaii. One thing is for sure, Larissa Meek is a babe! Considering the context of the show, she appears to be a real sweetheart. I got a real kick out of the 400 pound "Average Joe", who, when bounced from the show, griped about Larissa not looking deep enough into his personality to discover what a "good guy" he is. Now, I'm sure he is a great guy, but let's face it, the show has a short run. She doesn't have a lot of time to make a decision, and when you have to choose between the keepers and the losers, 400 pounds is a large target. Couldn't it be the case that she did look past his obesity and determined that his personality wasn't her cup of tea? How convenient for him to lay her rejection off on some perceived shallowness on her part. Maybe he was just a schmuck, and weight had nothing to do with it. I've since learned that he has used this life-changing event to motivate a large weight loss, and I'm happy for him. Yes, one shouldn't be judged based on their appearance or weight. Good-hearted people come in all shapes and sizes. Another neat thing is when we find out that some handsome, well-built men are arrogant assholes. Just knock me over with a feather!! I thought being an arrogant asshole was reserved for bitter underachievers like me. I give Larissa credit for seeing through the schmucks (both average and above average), but as of today, I'm guessing that she will pick one of the hunks, not because she is shallow or vain (which she is to some extent), but because based on the final four, the two remaining "Average Joes" aren't very desirable. Just ask my wife.

(Just as Joe Millionaire tempts shallow women with the prospect of a well-heeled boyfriend, Average Joe tempts unconfident men with the prospect of a very good-looking girlfriend. Both seem to be currency. The cynic inside of me says, "Do the math")

American Idol: If I were King of the World, Simon would be taken out back and bitch-slapped. If I wanted mean-spirited put-downs, I could just videotape myself on a good day. How dumb are we supposed to be? The contestants that Simon abuses are awful...you don't have to be a big-time record industry exec to recognize this. I know people who don't watch more than the first couple of shows. Once they get past the talent bashing, the show loses its appeal. Haven't seen it, and won't.

The Mole and bastard child Celebrity Mole: Who gives a shit?

Fear Factor: Look; I don't go through life exploring the most gruesome activities. It's amazing what things people will do in order to make some money...with the exception of getting an honest job.

The Apprentice: I've seen a couple of episodes of this show, and actually enjoyed it. Say what you will about Donald Trump (you'd think wealthy man would have a better self-image and do something about that comb-over) when he whacks a contestant, he does a great job. Of course, if this is what prestigious business schools are turning out, somebody's parents should sue for tuition refunds right away.

My summary is an indictment of television programmers: How about something original? Remember when "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" was the hot show? It started out as a weekly show, quickly went to a couple times a week, and if I remember it correctly, ABC began to preempt Monday Night Football and the rest of their schedule to show it 3 hours a night, and 6 hours on Sunday (I'm kidding). Before too long, we were all sick of it. And it won't be long before the "Reality Genre" becomes boring, too.

Stop trying to top the last show. Give us something different AND better! And you wonder why we're watching HBO. It's not because they can swear and we can see breasts, it's because the shows are better. Really.

WHAT'S ALL THIS, THEN? Let’s tackle a hot issue right off the bat: Same Sex Marriage. There are several arguments in support of and against this fledgling institution. Shouldn’t committed, loving couples be allowed to formally acknowledge their relationship as a matter of law? If “Civil Unions” are palatable for same sex partners, then why not just upgrade the vocabulary to “Marriage”? How is the concept of marriage denigrated by this evolution? After all, you don’t have to look very far to see that Marriage as an Institution has been trampled, denigrated, and marginalized by the very group of people that oppose SSM. Divorce, affairs, and general lack of respect of the institution as well as the spouses by those the institution serves is rampant.

As a Catholic, I’m not warm and tingly about SSM. But how is SSM hurting me? Does it affect my wallet? No. Does it corrupt my children? No again. It does “break the rules” when it comes to Catholicism, but Same Sex Partners aren’t asking to be married in the Church, they know better than to ask. To paraphrase Marx (Groucho, not Karl), why would SSP want to join this club?

The concept of SSM, and knowing that it is available, should make the Catholic Faith stronger. It should compel its followers to ask themselves if they are in fact walking the walk. I know many couples that were married in the Church (sorry for the provincial capital letter, but it makes sense in this application) who are not “practicing” Catholics. Heck, I know several who have since divorced (and it was a good thing they did). Many Catholics are cavalier about their faith. The feel certain entitlements because of their affiliation…but that’s all they have: an affiliation. I AM NOT THE PERFECT CATHOLIC, but I go to Mass every week, my kids are in religious education, and I am active in doing good things for my family and my community. Do I proselytize along the way? Heck no. Do I make it a point to tell people that I’m Catholic? No, it’s none of their business. Do I think less of people if they aren’t Catholic, Christian, or even practicing a “formal” religion? No, it’s none of MY business.

Which is exactly my position on SSM.

If these people are breaking “God’s Law”, it’s between them and God, they will answer for it at some point. I don’t need to get involved in a religion-based argument against SSM. It’s not in my job description. I’ve always believed (even prior to my life as a Catholic) that our Lord is an all-loving Lord, a compassionate Lord, but also a Lord who frowns on those who would make the Lord’s decisions for the Lord without face to face consultation with the Lord (notice how I avoided “Him” or “Her” distinctions!).

They don’t appear to be breaking any “Civil Law” by being in a committed, loving relationship (well, perhaps in Louisiana), so they don’t have to “answer” to society. (Don’t even try to tell me that Gays are pedophiles. Pedophiles are Pedophiles. Some pedophiles are married to women and have children, just ask Carlie Brucia).

Natural Law? Show me the Natural Law Code Book before you start…you may find your argument weakened.

Is Polygamy next? I only wish. People who trot out that argument are lightweights, and they think everyone else is stupid.

“If we let Gays marry, then we’ll have to let someone marry their dog!” Again, an argument made by someone without a firm grip on reality. We are talking about Human Beings here. Beware, however, there are some people who leave fortunes to specific cats and dogs, and the “rights” of these animals are somehow respected. Funny how that works.

My sole beef with SSM was that, as a married heterosexual, I wanted to have something to remain “mine”. I wanted Marriage to be this uncorrupted legacy that would be “mine”. And this was a selfish desire. I’ve since realized that what I my marriage is a sacrament of my faith, and its’ importance to me is solely based on the weight I give it…which is a lot. If I were to get upset with SSM treading on my turf, I would have to apply the same logic to Sunday Catholics, Sunday Christians, and those who don’t put the same weight on it that I do.

Wouldn’t it be neat if SSM had a lower divorce rate than “the rest of us”? I’m guessing that the legal profession would not be thrilled about that!

Here we are, another spot on the blog. Stay tuned for news, perspective, and various attempts at humor.