The GP called the other day and wanted to do a repeat PSA because my results were "elevated."
I had one done in November of 2006 and the result was 0.6 ng/ml. According to the lab report I got then, a "normal" range is anywhere from 0.0 to 4.0 ng/ml. Anyway, my doctor seemed concerned with the recent result, reported at 1.7. Uhhhh......isn't 1.7 less than 4.0? I don't get it!
Of course, the doctor was unavailable for comment when I went in today to get the repeat lab work done.
Also today, the dermatologist's office called and said that the recent biopsy that was done on my nose was positive for basal cell carcinoma.
Apparently, BCC is not that big a deal, but anytime you hear "cancer" it's kind of startling. Anyway, I've got to call another doctor who's going to deal with it for me.
Should be fun.
Stay tuned; more later. - Dan
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
And then there's this!
The other day, I wrote about the Obama supporters and how they would perceive an Obama defeat as racially motivated and that, as a result, cities would burn.
Now, I read this; an article in the Wall Street Journal that basically says the same thing about Hillary and HER campaign, only from the gender-bias perspective.
Apparently, a lot of women support Clinton not because of what she stands for or does NOT stand for; what she says or does not say and not because of what she has accomplished or failed to accomplish. They're voting for her simply because she is female.
So, a really despicable female President is better than the alternative just because she would be perceived as a gain for female equality? How twisted is that?
I said the other day that I'd have no problem supporting a female Presidential candidate if it was the right woman who was running. I wouldn't have any problem supporting an African-American candidate either, as long as it was the right guy. I will NOT compromise my principles of just governance, however, just to advance some cause or worse, the PERCEIVED advancement of some cause!
Look, I know there's no arguing this. A Clinton supporter who backs her for the reasons described would support her regardless of how many lies she tells, what her stand is on this topic or that, or whatever. In their case, it's almost a religious conviction that we're dealing with. However, maybe, just maybe, there's a supporter or two who will read this and go, "You know what; he's right! It's ridiculous to support a liar and a cheat for President just because she's female. We'll get another female candidate one day and she'll be a candidate that we'll be proud of before the election AND during her term of office!"
Well....one can hope, can't one?
Now, I read this; an article in the Wall Street Journal that basically says the same thing about Hillary and HER campaign, only from the gender-bias perspective.
Apparently, a lot of women support Clinton not because of what she stands for or does NOT stand for; what she says or does not say and not because of what she has accomplished or failed to accomplish. They're voting for her simply because she is female.
So, a really despicable female President is better than the alternative just because she would be perceived as a gain for female equality? How twisted is that?
I said the other day that I'd have no problem supporting a female Presidential candidate if it was the right woman who was running. I wouldn't have any problem supporting an African-American candidate either, as long as it was the right guy. I will NOT compromise my principles of just governance, however, just to advance some cause or worse, the PERCEIVED advancement of some cause!
Look, I know there's no arguing this. A Clinton supporter who backs her for the reasons described would support her regardless of how many lies she tells, what her stand is on this topic or that, or whatever. In their case, it's almost a religious conviction that we're dealing with. However, maybe, just maybe, there's a supporter or two who will read this and go, "You know what; he's right! It's ridiculous to support a liar and a cheat for President just because she's female. We'll get another female candidate one day and she'll be a candidate that we'll be proud of before the election AND during her term of office!"
Well....one can hope, can't one?
Friday, March 28, 2008
Risking credibility
According to the article I just read, Hillary Clinton is "risking credibility" with some of her recent "inflated" assertions concerning Bosnia, her role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland, the children's health care initiative, her opposition to NAFTA, and other little things.
Risking credibility?
Wouldn't someone have to HAVE some credibility in order to risk it? Hillary learned well from the master of spin-doctors and has spun some of the most incredible tales I've ever heard in an attempt to bolster the perception of her before the voters. Nice try, liar! You can tell me that the sky is green and apples are blue, but I'd have to be blind to believe it. Apparently, Hillary thinks that Americans are blind. And stupid.
Here's the scary part. Obama isn't any better and I really don't care for that pseudo Republican McCain, either. I may make a write in vote for Casper just to voice my displeasure over the complete paucity of likeable candidates in this upcoming election.
Well....maybe not.
I'm going to hold my nose and vote for McCain. After all, half a pie is better than no pie at all. Hillary or Obama either one will take all of the pie, and the plate, and the fork, and the oven it was baked in! Can you impeach and convict a candidate before the election?
Risking credibility?
Wouldn't someone have to HAVE some credibility in order to risk it? Hillary learned well from the master of spin-doctors and has spun some of the most incredible tales I've ever heard in an attempt to bolster the perception of her before the voters. Nice try, liar! You can tell me that the sky is green and apples are blue, but I'd have to be blind to believe it. Apparently, Hillary thinks that Americans are blind. And stupid.
Here's the scary part. Obama isn't any better and I really don't care for that pseudo Republican McCain, either. I may make a write in vote for Casper just to voice my displeasure over the complete paucity of likeable candidates in this upcoming election.
Well....maybe not.
I'm going to hold my nose and vote for McCain. After all, half a pie is better than no pie at all. Hillary or Obama either one will take all of the pie, and the plate, and the fork, and the oven it was baked in! Can you impeach and convict a candidate before the election?
Back in the saddle (and driving to work)...
Well, today I'm back at work, Praise the Lord, and I'm actually feeling pretty good. Yesterday I had a headache all day but I couldn't take anything for it because of the little minor surgery I did yesterday morning. Of course, my classroom looks like a bomb went off (typical sub-day arrangement), but this, too, shall pass.
When are people going to realize that driving like there's a fire in your trunk just doesn't pay off?
I have to drive a little narrow stretch of road on the way to work that goes for about a mile and a half, perhaps two miles. On either side of the road along this stretch there are fairly deep ditches and little or no shoulder; not the sort of place one would normally consider passing another vehicle (well....at least a SANE person would not normally consider it!). Despite this, I witnessed not one, but two vehicles pull off this stunt this morning on the way in! Naturally, I just toodled along, minding my own business, and then caught up with both cars (actually went ahead of one of them) at the next light (where the road widens to a four lane boulevard). Can these people not see that all their hurrying is just for nought? Do they not care that they may very well kill themselves and some poor innocent who happens to get in the way?
I guess not.
In any case, I made it safely, thank God, so here we go with the last day of the week. This evening, MDB is picking up MDGD after a trip to the doctor and we're taking her to the zoo tomorrow. It ought to be a good time! As much as I look forward to seeing MDGD, what's really a treat is watching MDB interact with MDGD! It's like watching mother and daughter! MDB's so good with her, it's just really a joy to watch!
Well, have a great day, blog-reading peoples! - Dan
When are people going to realize that driving like there's a fire in your trunk just doesn't pay off?
I have to drive a little narrow stretch of road on the way to work that goes for about a mile and a half, perhaps two miles. On either side of the road along this stretch there are fairly deep ditches and little or no shoulder; not the sort of place one would normally consider passing another vehicle (well....at least a SANE person would not normally consider it!). Despite this, I witnessed not one, but two vehicles pull off this stunt this morning on the way in! Naturally, I just toodled along, minding my own business, and then caught up with both cars (actually went ahead of one of them) at the next light (where the road widens to a four lane boulevard). Can these people not see that all their hurrying is just for nought? Do they not care that they may very well kill themselves and some poor innocent who happens to get in the way?
I guess not.
In any case, I made it safely, thank God, so here we go with the last day of the week. This evening, MDB is picking up MDGD after a trip to the doctor and we're taking her to the zoo tomorrow. It ought to be a good time! As much as I look forward to seeing MDGD, what's really a treat is watching MDB interact with MDGD! It's like watching mother and daughter! MDB's so good with her, it's just really a joy to watch!
Well, have a great day, blog-reading peoples! - Dan
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Okay...that's done!
One down, who knows how many more to go!
The colonoscopy went smoothly. They found and removed one polyp, the feeling being that it was benign. Regardless, it was sent away for analysis to be sure. However, since they did find something, I have to do it all again next year.
Pretty good one-day crash diet, actually.
I still have not heard about the biopsy that was done on my nose and the doctor's office has not called back about the PSA, so those things are still up in the air.
As usual, MDB was fantastic! She went with me to help with the driving. It was great to have her there. On the way home, she took me to JiTB for an "ultimate cheeseburger." I saw last evening that they are on sale....so I had two of them! Back to the diet later!
Our little garden is doing great! Everything has come up, even though the bell peppers were beginning to worry me. The beans and squash are doing the best, but the peas, turnips, brocolli, caulifower, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes are doing well, too. The eggplant and okra is lagging behind, but hopefully, they will catch up soon!
It's funny how things are turning out this year. In the NBA West, there's about 4 games difference between the #1 seed and the #8 seed; this is as close and exciting as I've ever seen it! In politics, things are a little less unpredictable. The 'Pubs have nominated an old "straight down party lines" candidate who promises to tweak the Bush/Cheney policies a bit but not change much of anything wholesale. Then there's the Dems, who, as usual, are trying to nominate two entirely unelectable candidates. On one hand we have a woman with a very checkered past who has little or no actual experience in governance and who cannot seem to remember anything correctly. How can you tell Hillary is lying? Her lips are moving! On the other hand, you have a young, ambitious African-American guy who had every chance of capturing the hearts of America a la JFK except for the fact that he seems to have little or no problem with racism when it's black on white racism and who seems to lack enough judgement to not hang out with and accept the support of known criminals. The Dems do it again; nominate a candidate who has no chance whatsoever in the general election! Here's the sad part; Obama will win the nomination and, when he's not elected president, there will be "Rodney King" style riots in various locations as blacks express their indignation over perceived racism. Let me set that record straight right now. Speaking for myself and I'm sure the vast majority of white voters, I'd have no problem voting for an African-American candidate who's qualified to lead. Obama is not that guy, I'm afraid. For that matter, I don't have a problem visualizing a female president. If, say....Condoleeza Rice ran for president, I could vote for an African-American AND a female all at the same time; no problem! Here's the dilemna; if we do not vote for Obama, we'll be branded a racist country because we failed to support his candidacy and that failure will be chalked up to race. As I said, race is not the issue, but that will be the perception and that surely will be what gets screamed from the podium as black leaders attempt the justify the burning cars and storefronts, the looting and rioting, and the general anarchy that will surely follow. Let's all pray that Hillary gets the nomination so that we may be spared from that eventuality.
Another weird thing this year - the Major League baseball season has begun! You know....I've been around for a few years. Traditionally, the first game of the season was always played in Cincinnatti because the Reds were the first professional baseball team formed way back when. A few years back, they decided that that tradition was arcane, so they started moving the opening day game around.
Now it's being played in Tokyo.
I have no problem with playing a game or two in Tokyo. There have been exhibition games played there for a number of years. They didn't count for anything, but they were played none-the-less. These first two games counted toward the season standings and they were home dates taken from the Oakland A's. Everyone is supposedly concerned about conserving fuel and global warming and what-not. If they HAD to play a game in Tokyo, why not send two west coast teams to play rather than an east coast team (Red Sox) and the A's? I think Anaheim would have gone with them; maybe even Seattle. For that matter, any of the NL teams would probably have agreed as well. It could have been the Giants vs. Dodgers, or perhaps the Padres. They could have even done an interleague match-up with west coast teams. I guess it doesn't matter. Global warming isn't a concern when there's deep pockets in Japan willing to line someone's coffer with lots of yen to make the trip!
I wonder how much the fuel surcharge set them back?
Oh well....enough random thoughts for now! Play ball!!!
The colonoscopy went smoothly. They found and removed one polyp, the feeling being that it was benign. Regardless, it was sent away for analysis to be sure. However, since they did find something, I have to do it all again next year.
Pretty good one-day crash diet, actually.
I still have not heard about the biopsy that was done on my nose and the doctor's office has not called back about the PSA, so those things are still up in the air.
As usual, MDB was fantastic! She went with me to help with the driving. It was great to have her there. On the way home, she took me to JiTB for an "ultimate cheeseburger." I saw last evening that they are on sale....so I had two of them! Back to the diet later!
Our little garden is doing great! Everything has come up, even though the bell peppers were beginning to worry me. The beans and squash are doing the best, but the peas, turnips, brocolli, caulifower, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes are doing well, too. The eggplant and okra is lagging behind, but hopefully, they will catch up soon!
It's funny how things are turning out this year. In the NBA West, there's about 4 games difference between the #1 seed and the #8 seed; this is as close and exciting as I've ever seen it! In politics, things are a little less unpredictable. The 'Pubs have nominated an old "straight down party lines" candidate who promises to tweak the Bush/Cheney policies a bit but not change much of anything wholesale. Then there's the Dems, who, as usual, are trying to nominate two entirely unelectable candidates. On one hand we have a woman with a very checkered past who has little or no actual experience in governance and who cannot seem to remember anything correctly. How can you tell Hillary is lying? Her lips are moving! On the other hand, you have a young, ambitious African-American guy who had every chance of capturing the hearts of America a la JFK except for the fact that he seems to have little or no problem with racism when it's black on white racism and who seems to lack enough judgement to not hang out with and accept the support of known criminals. The Dems do it again; nominate a candidate who has no chance whatsoever in the general election! Here's the sad part; Obama will win the nomination and, when he's not elected president, there will be "Rodney King" style riots in various locations as blacks express their indignation over perceived racism. Let me set that record straight right now. Speaking for myself and I'm sure the vast majority of white voters, I'd have no problem voting for an African-American candidate who's qualified to lead. Obama is not that guy, I'm afraid. For that matter, I don't have a problem visualizing a female president. If, say....Condoleeza Rice ran for president, I could vote for an African-American AND a female all at the same time; no problem! Here's the dilemna; if we do not vote for Obama, we'll be branded a racist country because we failed to support his candidacy and that failure will be chalked up to race. As I said, race is not the issue, but that will be the perception and that surely will be what gets screamed from the podium as black leaders attempt the justify the burning cars and storefronts, the looting and rioting, and the general anarchy that will surely follow. Let's all pray that Hillary gets the nomination so that we may be spared from that eventuality.
Another weird thing this year - the Major League baseball season has begun! You know....I've been around for a few years. Traditionally, the first game of the season was always played in Cincinnatti because the Reds were the first professional baseball team formed way back when. A few years back, they decided that that tradition was arcane, so they started moving the opening day game around.
Now it's being played in Tokyo.
I have no problem with playing a game or two in Tokyo. There have been exhibition games played there for a number of years. They didn't count for anything, but they were played none-the-less. These first two games counted toward the season standings and they were home dates taken from the Oakland A's. Everyone is supposedly concerned about conserving fuel and global warming and what-not. If they HAD to play a game in Tokyo, why not send two west coast teams to play rather than an east coast team (Red Sox) and the A's? I think Anaheim would have gone with them; maybe even Seattle. For that matter, any of the NL teams would probably have agreed as well. It could have been the Giants vs. Dodgers, or perhaps the Padres. They could have even done an interleague match-up with west coast teams. I guess it doesn't matter. Global warming isn't a concern when there's deep pockets in Japan willing to line someone's coffer with lots of yen to make the trip!
I wonder how much the fuel surcharge set them back?
Oh well....enough random thoughts for now! Play ball!!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Well....I thought I was pretty healthy....
...until the cadre of doctors I went to last week started poking around!
The Dermatologist took a biopsy of a spot she considered "suspicious" from the side of my nose and burned a bunch of other spots off with that little liquid nitrogen gun. People have been asking what happened, which led me into a long explanation of the trip and what they found, etc. MDB suggested that I should shorten it up a bit and just tell them "bar fight."
Actually, a bar fight would be much more believable anyway!
Then I went to the Proctologist (well...MDB says that he's a "Gastroenterologist," but I have a hard time spelling that correctly, so "Proctologist" is what he is until he gives me a clean bill!) and he decided that I needed to have a colonoscopy, so today I'm doing the liquid diet thing to prepare for THAT bit of unpleasantness tomorrow.
Monday was the day for the GP to poke around. They called yesterday and said that my PSA was a bit elevated and wanted to know if I had results from any previous PSAs. I do, indeed; a year ago November I had one done and it was normal. I guess I'll need some kind of follow-up on THAT as well. Fun times...fun times!
All that aside, praise God for His blessings! He has led me and sustained me through my whole life until this point; I know that He will continue to do so as I stumble through this uncharted territory of "health concerns." Praise God forever!
Meanwhile, if anyone feels led to pray about any of this, I do covet your prayers and I will keep you posted! - Dan
The Dermatologist took a biopsy of a spot she considered "suspicious" from the side of my nose and burned a bunch of other spots off with that little liquid nitrogen gun. People have been asking what happened, which led me into a long explanation of the trip and what they found, etc. MDB suggested that I should shorten it up a bit and just tell them "bar fight."
Actually, a bar fight would be much more believable anyway!
Then I went to the Proctologist (well...MDB says that he's a "Gastroenterologist," but I have a hard time spelling that correctly, so "Proctologist" is what he is until he gives me a clean bill!) and he decided that I needed to have a colonoscopy, so today I'm doing the liquid diet thing to prepare for THAT bit of unpleasantness tomorrow.
Monday was the day for the GP to poke around. They called yesterday and said that my PSA was a bit elevated and wanted to know if I had results from any previous PSAs. I do, indeed; a year ago November I had one done and it was normal. I guess I'll need some kind of follow-up on THAT as well. Fun times...fun times!
All that aside, praise God for His blessings! He has led me and sustained me through my whole life until this point; I know that He will continue to do so as I stumble through this uncharted territory of "health concerns." Praise God forever!
Meanwhile, if anyone feels led to pray about any of this, I do covet your prayers and I will keep you posted! - Dan
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!
I'd be remiss indeed if I did not take this opportunity today to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; His death, burial, and resurrection to life again, conquering that stronghold that the evil one had held against us and freeing us to the opportunity of everlasting life through our belief! Praise God forever!
Our Sunday school lesson this morning had to do with a personal favorite topic, the investigation of Lee Strobel into the evidence of Jesus and His claims. Strobel had been a devout atheist and an editor for one of the largest newspapers in the country, the Chicago Tribune. Strobel sought to examine the evidence and verify that the claims of Jesus and the tenets of Christianity were without merit and therefore justify his own atheism. Of course, as Strobel investigated, he came to believe in the truth of Jesus and His ministry and became a devout Christian himself. Strobel's first book that details his search, "The Case for Christ," is a compelling read that I highly recommend.
Now, it's hard to know who reads here, so it's hard to know where readers are in their own walk with God. There are many reasons I could give for my own faith in Jesus and His Holy Word, but I'll stick to a few of the ones that were addressed by Strobel. First, Jesus would have been a complete fraud if He had NOT risen from the dead! Since, as Christians, we believe that He did in fact rise from the dead and did in fact fulfil His promise, what actual evidence is there to support the claim? Here's a few:
1. No one has ever produced the body of Jesus despite the tremendous advantage of doing so if they wished to stamp out Christianity. Jewish leadership at the time realized that they must prevent Jesus' followers from stealing the body, so they had Roman guards placed at the tomb to circumvent that attempt.
2. The risen Jesus was seen by literally hundreds of witnesses after His resurrection and not all of the witnesses were disciples or necessarily even followers.
3. After His ascension, followers of Jesus were severely presecuted, many to the death, but they would not recant what they knew to be the truth. Many have died in the history of mankind to support the truth and a deep belief, but its hard to find people who will go to their deaths in support of what they know to be a lie.
4. The resurrection story if it wasn't true wasn't very well concocted. The biblical accounts have WOMEN finding the tomb of Jesus empty and then telling their story to other disciples who then verified their account. If someone was going to concoct a story about the resurrection of Jesus, women, who were basically personna non grata in the time of Jesus, would never have entered the picture!
5. Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimithea, NOT that of a disciple or a family member. Such being the case, they had little or no control over His body and were prevented by the guards from getting anywhere near, as if they themselves were not so afraid of their own potential demise that they would ever come out of hiding in any case!
Anyway, that's a taste, but it all boils down to this; you either believe or you do not. I leave you with a challenge and an assertion; if you find yourself in disbelief, read "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. If you still disbelieve, you will have at least exhausted the evidence that's there so that you may have some justification for your belief. The assertion? If you read the book and still disbelieve, your faith is much greater than mine! If you can look at incontrovertible evidence and still disbelieve in what that evidence proves, then your faith is great indeed!
May God bless your search! - Dan
Our Sunday school lesson this morning had to do with a personal favorite topic, the investigation of Lee Strobel into the evidence of Jesus and His claims. Strobel had been a devout atheist and an editor for one of the largest newspapers in the country, the Chicago Tribune. Strobel sought to examine the evidence and verify that the claims of Jesus and the tenets of Christianity were without merit and therefore justify his own atheism. Of course, as Strobel investigated, he came to believe in the truth of Jesus and His ministry and became a devout Christian himself. Strobel's first book that details his search, "The Case for Christ," is a compelling read that I highly recommend.
Now, it's hard to know who reads here, so it's hard to know where readers are in their own walk with God. There are many reasons I could give for my own faith in Jesus and His Holy Word, but I'll stick to a few of the ones that were addressed by Strobel. First, Jesus would have been a complete fraud if He had NOT risen from the dead! Since, as Christians, we believe that He did in fact rise from the dead and did in fact fulfil His promise, what actual evidence is there to support the claim? Here's a few:
1. No one has ever produced the body of Jesus despite the tremendous advantage of doing so if they wished to stamp out Christianity. Jewish leadership at the time realized that they must prevent Jesus' followers from stealing the body, so they had Roman guards placed at the tomb to circumvent that attempt.
2. The risen Jesus was seen by literally hundreds of witnesses after His resurrection and not all of the witnesses were disciples or necessarily even followers.
3. After His ascension, followers of Jesus were severely presecuted, many to the death, but they would not recant what they knew to be the truth. Many have died in the history of mankind to support the truth and a deep belief, but its hard to find people who will go to their deaths in support of what they know to be a lie.
4. The resurrection story if it wasn't true wasn't very well concocted. The biblical accounts have WOMEN finding the tomb of Jesus empty and then telling their story to other disciples who then verified their account. If someone was going to concoct a story about the resurrection of Jesus, women, who were basically personna non grata in the time of Jesus, would never have entered the picture!
5. Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimithea, NOT that of a disciple or a family member. Such being the case, they had little or no control over His body and were prevented by the guards from getting anywhere near, as if they themselves were not so afraid of their own potential demise that they would ever come out of hiding in any case!
Anyway, that's a taste, but it all boils down to this; you either believe or you do not. I leave you with a challenge and an assertion; if you find yourself in disbelief, read "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. If you still disbelieve, you will have at least exhausted the evidence that's there so that you may have some justification for your belief. The assertion? If you read the book and still disbelieve, your faith is much greater than mine! If you can look at incontrovertible evidence and still disbelieve in what that evidence proves, then your faith is great indeed!
May God bless your search! - Dan
Saturday, March 22, 2008
On the beach
Hello again, blogfans!
Well, the day before yesterday, I moved about 4 cubic yards of sand with a wheelbarrow and a shovel.
Yesterday, I moved about 5 cubic yards of sand with a......wheelbarrow and a shovel.
Today, I moved about 5 cubic yards of sand with the same tools. Now, we have our own beach in the back yard!
Uhhh...where's Richard Simmons when you need him? I could sell this exercise regimen and diet very easily! It's the "move 14 yards of sand in three days" diet! Any takers?!
I didn't think so!
MDB is working hard on the taxes. I think, together, we'll get a little money back! Woo-hoo! We may get some or all of the "economic stimulus money" back as well. That would be nice. I think I'll put mine into an air conditioning part! Maybe that's not what they had in mind, I don't know, but I do know that, when the A/C guy came out the other day, he said we have a leak in our condenser, which is a bad thing, of course. Naturally, this presents a conundrum. We could update to the new 410A system and eat around $6000 in expenses, or we could simply replace the condenser on our existing R-22 system and hope that the compressor lasts several more years. That option will go for around $1500.
Isn't home ownership a hoot?
We think we'll just replace the existing condenser and hope for the best. When the compressor and condenser together give up the ghost, we hope that the new 410A systems will have come down in price somewhat. Sort of the "new tech is always expensive tech" thing, a la "$1200 VCRs when they were new vs $200 VCRs when they'd been around awhile" mantra. We hope it actually works that way! Otherwise, we may get to find out how grandma and grandpa lived here before A/C.....NOT!
Grandma and grandpa moved to Colorado where it's cool!
Dan
Well, the day before yesterday, I moved about 4 cubic yards of sand with a wheelbarrow and a shovel.
Yesterday, I moved about 5 cubic yards of sand with a......wheelbarrow and a shovel.
Today, I moved about 5 cubic yards of sand with the same tools. Now, we have our own beach in the back yard!
Uhhh...where's Richard Simmons when you need him? I could sell this exercise regimen and diet very easily! It's the "move 14 yards of sand in three days" diet! Any takers?!
I didn't think so!
MDB is working hard on the taxes. I think, together, we'll get a little money back! Woo-hoo! We may get some or all of the "economic stimulus money" back as well. That would be nice. I think I'll put mine into an air conditioning part! Maybe that's not what they had in mind, I don't know, but I do know that, when the A/C guy came out the other day, he said we have a leak in our condenser, which is a bad thing, of course. Naturally, this presents a conundrum. We could update to the new 410A system and eat around $6000 in expenses, or we could simply replace the condenser on our existing R-22 system and hope that the compressor lasts several more years. That option will go for around $1500.
Isn't home ownership a hoot?
We think we'll just replace the existing condenser and hope for the best. When the compressor and condenser together give up the ghost, we hope that the new 410A systems will have come down in price somewhat. Sort of the "new tech is always expensive tech" thing, a la "$1200 VCRs when they were new vs $200 VCRs when they'd been around awhile" mantra. We hope it actually works that way! Otherwise, we may get to find out how grandma and grandpa lived here before A/C.....NOT!
Grandma and grandpa moved to Colorado where it's cool!
Dan
Friday, March 21, 2008
Fish on Friday
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, today was the first day in a LONG time that we were able to put the boat in the water and go fishing! woo-hoo!
A bad day fishing is a good day doing anything else (well....ALMOST anything else!)
My oldest daughter and her boyfriend came along. We had arranged to meet at the old house (where the boat is stored currently) at 6:30. MDB and I got there at about 6:00 and put whatever we needed into the truck and/or boat, hooked the boat up to the truck, pulled it out of the garage, and waited. Slightly before time for them to get there, I looked at MDB and said, "I'd bet my left lung that they're late. Lauren is going to be late for her own funeral!" No sooner than the sound of my voice stopped reverberating from the garage walls, my phone rang. "Dad...I snoozed the alarm at 5:30 and I guess I hit "off" instead of snooze. I just got up. We'll be there in half an hour!"
Uhhhhh........okay.
Anyway, the lateness of launch time aside, it wasn't a bad day. The weather forecasters at MDB's office predicted "smooth to slightly choppy" for the marine forecast. As we made our way across the confluence of the Texas City, Houston, and Galveston ship channels toward the north jetty, I looked at her and said, "I think we need to get whoever forecasted 'smooth to slightly choppy' into the boat one day on a day like this so they'll know what 'very choppy to extremely rough' looks like!" Anyway, we got there without too much fanfare, but I guess we got there after the breakfast hour had passed - nothing biting but the mosquitoes. In about 3 hours of fishing we managed two keeper pan fish; one a sand trout, the other a whiting. Oh, and a piggy perch that was almost as big as the bait shrimp!
Anyway...back at home now and relaxing before the last rodeo night for us this year.
More later!
A bad day fishing is a good day doing anything else (well....ALMOST anything else!)
My oldest daughter and her boyfriend came along. We had arranged to meet at the old house (where the boat is stored currently) at 6:30. MDB and I got there at about 6:00 and put whatever we needed into the truck and/or boat, hooked the boat up to the truck, pulled it out of the garage, and waited. Slightly before time for them to get there, I looked at MDB and said, "I'd bet my left lung that they're late. Lauren is going to be late for her own funeral!" No sooner than the sound of my voice stopped reverberating from the garage walls, my phone rang. "Dad...I snoozed the alarm at 5:30 and I guess I hit "off" instead of snooze. I just got up. We'll be there in half an hour!"
Uhhhhh........okay.
Anyway, the lateness of launch time aside, it wasn't a bad day. The weather forecasters at MDB's office predicted "smooth to slightly choppy" for the marine forecast. As we made our way across the confluence of the Texas City, Houston, and Galveston ship channels toward the north jetty, I looked at her and said, "I think we need to get whoever forecasted 'smooth to slightly choppy' into the boat one day on a day like this so they'll know what 'very choppy to extremely rough' looks like!" Anyway, we got there without too much fanfare, but I guess we got there after the breakfast hour had passed - nothing biting but the mosquitoes. In about 3 hours of fishing we managed two keeper pan fish; one a sand trout, the other a whiting. Oh, and a piggy perch that was almost as big as the bait shrimp!
Anyway...back at home now and relaxing before the last rodeo night for us this year.
More later!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Okay...so this is what's going on!
I went to the Gastroenterologist on Monday; he wants to do a colonoscopy. I went to the Dermatolgist today; she did a biopsy from a patch on my nose. I have an appointment on Monday to see the GP; she'll probably want to do a spinal tap, or some such nonsense. What is it with these people!? I mean, you turn 50 and all of a sudden, your good health and assurance thereof just go by the wayside? When I was 49 nobody wanted to go "Deliverance" on me! At 49, the funny-looking patch of skin on my nose was nothing to be concerned about! Now, at 50, all of these (and who knows what else!) are alarming and potentially life-threatening! I have to admit; I don't get it! Are symptoms less theatening at 49 than at 50? Am I more likely to develop polyps in my colon now than I was just a couple of months ago? Go figure!
All that aside, I am the most blessed man on the planet! Not only do I have GREAT insurance coverage, I have the most beautiful, understanding, compassionate, and loving wife in God's creation! Praise God forever! That said, I do covet your prayers should any of this turn out as a bad report!
Dan
All that aside, I am the most blessed man on the planet! Not only do I have GREAT insurance coverage, I have the most beautiful, understanding, compassionate, and loving wife in God's creation! Praise God forever! That said, I do covet your prayers should any of this turn out as a bad report!
Dan
Kids and cats are my new best friends!
Now I know why people used to build sand boxes in their back yards; sand, in any form, is absolutely a KID MAGNET!!!
I ordered a load of sand yesterday. MDB and I had been talking about leveling some of the low spots in the yard and there were several places where my dog ("houdini") has dug large holes in the yard and along the fenceline, so I thought, while I'm off from work, I could probably do a little work on that leveling project.
Well, no sooner than the sand arrived, so did the kids! I think a few of them rode in on the dump truck that brought it in! I've met every mom in the neighborhood twice now. They're circling like buzzards to make sure that their kids are okay I'm sure. They say, "I don't want little Johnny to get in your way!", but they mean, "I don't know you; you may be a child molester who ordered sand just to attract all the kids in the neighborhood; I'd better keep my eye on you!" Good moms! I assure them that little Johnny isn't any problem as long as he doesn't take a nose dive off the top of the pile! They usually find an excuse to relieve me of Johnny's company as soon as I say "nose dive;" I can see visions of emergency room visits dancing in their heads! LOL!
The part about a pile of sand that's disconcerting is the fact that every feline within a 100 mile radius hears the call of "cat-box!" and comes running! I must've seen 57 cats out there already, and believe me, I'm spreading as fast as I can! I'm just glad their owners aren't charging me for the fertilizer!
Anyway, MDB blogged about the sand and all I can say is, she's the awesomenest woman on planet earth and beyond!
Back to "the beach!" Dan
I ordered a load of sand yesterday. MDB and I had been talking about leveling some of the low spots in the yard and there were several places where my dog ("houdini") has dug large holes in the yard and along the fenceline, so I thought, while I'm off from work, I could probably do a little work on that leveling project.
Well, no sooner than the sand arrived, so did the kids! I think a few of them rode in on the dump truck that brought it in! I've met every mom in the neighborhood twice now. They're circling like buzzards to make sure that their kids are okay I'm sure. They say, "I don't want little Johnny to get in your way!", but they mean, "I don't know you; you may be a child molester who ordered sand just to attract all the kids in the neighborhood; I'd better keep my eye on you!" Good moms! I assure them that little Johnny isn't any problem as long as he doesn't take a nose dive off the top of the pile! They usually find an excuse to relieve me of Johnny's company as soon as I say "nose dive;" I can see visions of emergency room visits dancing in their heads! LOL!
The part about a pile of sand that's disconcerting is the fact that every feline within a 100 mile radius hears the call of "cat-box!" and comes running! I must've seen 57 cats out there already, and believe me, I'm spreading as fast as I can! I'm just glad their owners aren't charging me for the fertilizer!
Anyway, MDB blogged about the sand and all I can say is, she's the awesomenest woman on planet earth and beyond!
Back to "the beach!" Dan
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Basketball 101 (time to dispel a mistaken notion)
Since Yao Ming of the rockets went down, and since Shaquille O'Neal of the Suns (formerly of the Heat) was traded, I've heard a disturbing assertion; that teams with "slow big men" can't run a fast break. Allow me to dispel that rumor.
Regardless of the level you play on, a fast break opportunity presents itself when your team has "numbers," that is, you have more players running toward your basket than the other team has defenders protecting it. You generally have a fast break opportunity when the numbers are 4 on 3 (or fewer), 3 on 2 (or less), or 2 on 1. Please note that I never said 5 on 4! A basketball team that knows what it's doing will NEVER fast break with all 5 players; it leaves no one back on defense in the event of a turnover and it does not allow for a "trailer;" a guy who brings up the rear to attack the basket as the defense attempts to set up to play in the half-court. This is only one reason why having Shaq or Yao on your team would not hinder a fast break; they would be the fifth guy who would seldom if ever join a fast break in any case!
Fast breaks generally start in one of two ways. First, the other team misses a shot, your team rebounds the miss and starts the fast break by throwing an "outlet pass" to a man on the wing who then either passes the ball to the center of the court or dribbles to that position so he can distribute the ball to either wing as he attacks the basket. The rule being that, when the force player on the other team commits defensively to the ball-handler, he dishes a pass to either wing as he attacks the basket. Fast breaks can also start off of steals. Steals generally occur on the perimeter, but even a steal in the post will result in a fast break in transition if your team has numbers and will occur in exactly the same way as described above.
As the leading rebounders for their respective teams, Yao and/or Shaq would be the guy who starts the fast break by rebounding the ball and throwing the outlet pass. That's the guy who becomes the trailer; the last guy to transition into offensive mode! In the case of a steal, these guys would have been situated on the low post in most cases, which means that they'd be the last guy down the floor in any case, taking the job of "emergency defender" if there's a turnover or a steal that send the other team on a fast break in transition.
To put it in fewer words; Yao or Shaq, as the case may be, would seldom if ever be "running the floor" as a fast break participant in any case, so why would their presence ever hinder their team from running one? The fact is, they are the crucial cog in one of the two ways (rebounding) that their respective teams would be able to fast break in the first place! Without assurance of a defensive rebound, their teammates are more likely to hang around the basket to assist with defensive rebounding and would therefore be much less likely to "release" in transition to fill the lanes and run a fast break. Bottom line: teams are LESS likely to fast break without Shaq or Yao than they would be WITH them, which means that this whole notion of Shaq or Yao killing fast break opportunities is just pure hog-wash!
Hope that cleared that up! - Dan
Regardless of the level you play on, a fast break opportunity presents itself when your team has "numbers," that is, you have more players running toward your basket than the other team has defenders protecting it. You generally have a fast break opportunity when the numbers are 4 on 3 (or fewer), 3 on 2 (or less), or 2 on 1. Please note that I never said 5 on 4! A basketball team that knows what it's doing will NEVER fast break with all 5 players; it leaves no one back on defense in the event of a turnover and it does not allow for a "trailer;" a guy who brings up the rear to attack the basket as the defense attempts to set up to play in the half-court. This is only one reason why having Shaq or Yao on your team would not hinder a fast break; they would be the fifth guy who would seldom if ever join a fast break in any case!
Fast breaks generally start in one of two ways. First, the other team misses a shot, your team rebounds the miss and starts the fast break by throwing an "outlet pass" to a man on the wing who then either passes the ball to the center of the court or dribbles to that position so he can distribute the ball to either wing as he attacks the basket. The rule being that, when the force player on the other team commits defensively to the ball-handler, he dishes a pass to either wing as he attacks the basket. Fast breaks can also start off of steals. Steals generally occur on the perimeter, but even a steal in the post will result in a fast break in transition if your team has numbers and will occur in exactly the same way as described above.
As the leading rebounders for their respective teams, Yao and/or Shaq would be the guy who starts the fast break by rebounding the ball and throwing the outlet pass. That's the guy who becomes the trailer; the last guy to transition into offensive mode! In the case of a steal, these guys would have been situated on the low post in most cases, which means that they'd be the last guy down the floor in any case, taking the job of "emergency defender" if there's a turnover or a steal that send the other team on a fast break in transition.
To put it in fewer words; Yao or Shaq, as the case may be, would seldom if ever be "running the floor" as a fast break participant in any case, so why would their presence ever hinder their team from running one? The fact is, they are the crucial cog in one of the two ways (rebounding) that their respective teams would be able to fast break in the first place! Without assurance of a defensive rebound, their teammates are more likely to hang around the basket to assist with defensive rebounding and would therefore be much less likely to "release" in transition to fill the lanes and run a fast break. Bottom line: teams are LESS likely to fast break without Shaq or Yao than they would be WITH them, which means that this whole notion of Shaq or Yao killing fast break opportunities is just pure hog-wash!
Hope that cleared that up! - Dan
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Spring Break!
Well....here we are....Spring Break!
I'm breaking springs at home this year and trying to catch up on some of those "can't find the time" chores that just don't get done with work in the way.
Yesterday I went to the Proctologist (well, MDB says he's a Gastroenterologist, but I don't know what that is; so he's a proctolgist to me!) who says I need to have a colonoscopy done. I guess that's right; you turn 50 and all of a sudden, people want to look at things that never concerned them before and worry about things that weren't that big a concern just a couple of months ago. I'll have it done for the peace of mind, but I really don't think they'll find anything. The hard part is going to be going a whole day on a "liquid diet" and doing all of those "cleansing" drinks during a day at work. Uhh....can you say "sub?"
Today's been more of a "get-'r-done" kind of day. I had a mountain of trash to put out for the sanitation guys, so I got that done and then went into the back yard to do what I can to protect our tender garden vegatation. We've got seedlings coming up for everything we planted except the eggplant and peppers and we've got a forecast of HEAVY rain and/or hail for later, so I built some screen covers to protect the tender little plants. Then I filled in holes that the dog dug in the yard last time out and put the compost pile back together. While I was out there, I hung my big extension ladder on the kennel wall and did some leveling. When I was done with that, I backflushed the water heater (first time that's ever been done) and watched as the A/C guy did his thing. He found a $1500 dollar leak in the condenser upstairs, so now we've got that little challenge to deal with as well.
Tommorow, MDD (My Darling Daughter) is coming to borrow my flatbed trailer, so I've got to get it ready (I put the new tag on it earlier today, so that part's done!). "Getting it ready" is pretty much an exercise in checking the tire pressures, but that's about it. Thursday is the day I'm taking the cans to the can man and going to the dermatologist. The D-tologist is going to holler! The last time I saw her she told me to bathe with $5/bar soap (Uhh...I don't THINK so!!!) and wear a full-brim hat while outside. I switched to "Dove" and started wearing a ball cap, but I don't think she'll be happy about it. I guess we'll see!
Friday, weather permitting, I'm taking my oldest daughter and MDB on a fishing trip, the first in a LONG time! Woo-hoo! We'll see how that goes!
More later! - Dan
I'm breaking springs at home this year and trying to catch up on some of those "can't find the time" chores that just don't get done with work in the way.
Yesterday I went to the Proctologist (well, MDB says he's a Gastroenterologist, but I don't know what that is; so he's a proctolgist to me!) who says I need to have a colonoscopy done. I guess that's right; you turn 50 and all of a sudden, people want to look at things that never concerned them before and worry about things that weren't that big a concern just a couple of months ago. I'll have it done for the peace of mind, but I really don't think they'll find anything. The hard part is going to be going a whole day on a "liquid diet" and doing all of those "cleansing" drinks during a day at work. Uhh....can you say "sub?"
Today's been more of a "get-'r-done" kind of day. I had a mountain of trash to put out for the sanitation guys, so I got that done and then went into the back yard to do what I can to protect our tender garden vegatation. We've got seedlings coming up for everything we planted except the eggplant and peppers and we've got a forecast of HEAVY rain and/or hail for later, so I built some screen covers to protect the tender little plants. Then I filled in holes that the dog dug in the yard last time out and put the compost pile back together. While I was out there, I hung my big extension ladder on the kennel wall and did some leveling. When I was done with that, I backflushed the water heater (first time that's ever been done) and watched as the A/C guy did his thing. He found a $1500 dollar leak in the condenser upstairs, so now we've got that little challenge to deal with as well.
Tommorow, MDD (My Darling Daughter) is coming to borrow my flatbed trailer, so I've got to get it ready (I put the new tag on it earlier today, so that part's done!). "Getting it ready" is pretty much an exercise in checking the tire pressures, but that's about it. Thursday is the day I'm taking the cans to the can man and going to the dermatologist. The D-tologist is going to holler! The last time I saw her she told me to bathe with $5/bar soap (Uhh...I don't THINK so!!!) and wear a full-brim hat while outside. I switched to "Dove" and started wearing a ball cap, but I don't think she'll be happy about it. I guess we'll see!
Friday, weather permitting, I'm taking my oldest daughter and MDB on a fishing trip, the first in a LONG time! Woo-hoo! We'll see how that goes!
More later! - Dan
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Rodeo update (and other random thoughts)
Hello again, blogfans!
Well, we went to the rodeo again yesterday. My step-daughter Casey bought tickets, but the friends she invited could not attend, so she asked if we would like to go. We said "Yes!", of course!
Yesterday was Brad Paisley. As I've said before, I'm not much of a country music fan, but I'm getting the impression that, while I wasn't paying attention, someone told the country music hierarchy that "stomping on cats" wasn't selling records and they decided to go more "rock-n-roll," because, quite frankly, if the band wasn't wearing cowboy hats, I'd have thought I was at a rock concert circa 1980-85! Paisley is an excellent musician and the lyrics were funny for the most part, which was entertaining! We've got MDGD this weekend (My Darling Grand-Daughter), so we took her through the livestock show so she could see the steers and pigs (I guess all of the other livestock was hiding; back in the day, you could wander through the AstroArena and see EVERYTHING; cows, horses, pigs, goats/sheep, chickens, rabbits, emus, donkeys, mules, etc. I mean, there was even a buffalo or two, and that was thirty years ago! MDB said that they show them in stages now, so they'll move all of the cows and pigs out of the way and then bring in the other stuff later. Too bad; Lexie would have enjoyed the bunny rabbits, I'm sure. I tried to convince MDB that rabbits are not only cute, but very tasty. She said that anything that tastes like chicken may as well BE chicken, 'cause she's not having any of anything else! LOL!
Yesterday was not a good day if you don't like crowds. I'm getting ambivalent. I LOVE being with MDB and I really do like the rodeo, but I really dislike big crowds. Maybe it's not the crowd so much as it is the attitude of most PEOPLE in big crowds; the pushing and shoving, the "me first" attitude you have to deal with. Personally, I'd rather let someone else have the spot and get there a second or two later than have to live with pushing someone else aside. Apparently I'm in a minority of one! I think back to what Jesus said - "He who would be first will be last, and he who's last will be first. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If I don't like being pushed aside or trampled by someone who's generally thoughtless about anyone other than himself, why would I treat someone else that way? Anyway, that's what you get in a big crowd and I really don't like them (big crowds) very much.
People "in uniform" make me laugh! You see all kinds of uniforms at all sorts of events. People going to the Astros game dress up in all of their Astros regalia; people going to church events dress up in their "Jesus gear." People going to the rodeo dress up in cowboy gear! How the WOMEN dress really crack me up! Apparently "cowboy chic" this year is a cotton "baby-doll" style dress (REALLY short!) with cowboy boots. If the dress reveals A LOT of cleavage, so much the better! Wow! I try to think about it like this; would I wear that to a birthday party at my momma's house? Would I wear that to church? Uhh....I don't think so! I wore a pair of shorts and an oxford shirt with tennis shoes. Last time, I wore blue jeans and a button-up shirt and a pair of cowboy boots. Would I wear them any other time? Well, I've got 5 or 6 pairs of boots in the closet and I wear them all the time to almost anything; church, parties, whatever, so I didn't "dress up" just for the rodeo. I didn't wear them yesterday because yesterday it was hot and it didn't fit the weather! Anyway, I guess if it makes them happy and doesn't cause anyone else any discomfort, it's okay; it just makes me laugh, that's all.
ALL inconsiderate, boorish, idiotic people drive GM cars. That's not to say that all people who drive GM products are idiotic, inconsiderate, or boorish, but everyone who fits that description drive either a GMC truck or a Chevrolet. I'm not sure why that is, but it's just as sure as the sun rising in the east, the wetness of water or the blue hue of the sky! Yesterday we stopped at Target to buy a stroller for MDGD. I parked in a space that was one space from one of those island with a tree deals. When I parked, there was no one in the one next to the island with a tree. When we came out, a mentally-challenged motor vehicle operator had parked his Denali about two inches from my driver's side door such that I literally could not physically squeeze in to my truck. Now, if I'd been all the way to the left in my space, I would've taken partial blame, but I was dead square in the middle of my space! The idiot in the GMC had parked diagonally across his space so he didn't have to contend with that horrible curb around the tree, nevermind that he very nearly hit our truck and made it impossible for us to enter our vehicle! Inconsiderate boob! I had to enter on the passenger side and crawl across the front seat and then back out so I could open the doors and put Lexie in the back! Then, back on the road to the rodeo, a guy in a Chevy truck, going about 20 mph faster than everyone else, weaved in and out of traffic and almost ran a couple of other cars off of the road! Now, I'm sure his destination was MUCH more important than everyone else's, but does he really have to kill a bunch of people to get there? Oh...I know; there are idiots of every stripe driving every sort of vehicle made, but I've just noticed over the years that many if not most of them drive GM cars/trucks.
Well...more later. I've got to watch MDGD while MDB's in the shower! Woo-hoo! - Dan
Well, we went to the rodeo again yesterday. My step-daughter Casey bought tickets, but the friends she invited could not attend, so she asked if we would like to go. We said "Yes!", of course!
Yesterday was Brad Paisley. As I've said before, I'm not much of a country music fan, but I'm getting the impression that, while I wasn't paying attention, someone told the country music hierarchy that "stomping on cats" wasn't selling records and they decided to go more "rock-n-roll," because, quite frankly, if the band wasn't wearing cowboy hats, I'd have thought I was at a rock concert circa 1980-85! Paisley is an excellent musician and the lyrics were funny for the most part, which was entertaining! We've got MDGD this weekend (My Darling Grand-Daughter), so we took her through the livestock show so she could see the steers and pigs (I guess all of the other livestock was hiding; back in the day, you could wander through the AstroArena and see EVERYTHING; cows, horses, pigs, goats/sheep, chickens, rabbits, emus, donkeys, mules, etc. I mean, there was even a buffalo or two, and that was thirty years ago! MDB said that they show them in stages now, so they'll move all of the cows and pigs out of the way and then bring in the other stuff later. Too bad; Lexie would have enjoyed the bunny rabbits, I'm sure. I tried to convince MDB that rabbits are not only cute, but very tasty. She said that anything that tastes like chicken may as well BE chicken, 'cause she's not having any of anything else! LOL!
Yesterday was not a good day if you don't like crowds. I'm getting ambivalent. I LOVE being with MDB and I really do like the rodeo, but I really dislike big crowds. Maybe it's not the crowd so much as it is the attitude of most PEOPLE in big crowds; the pushing and shoving, the "me first" attitude you have to deal with. Personally, I'd rather let someone else have the spot and get there a second or two later than have to live with pushing someone else aside. Apparently I'm in a minority of one! I think back to what Jesus said - "He who would be first will be last, and he who's last will be first. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If I don't like being pushed aside or trampled by someone who's generally thoughtless about anyone other than himself, why would I treat someone else that way? Anyway, that's what you get in a big crowd and I really don't like them (big crowds) very much.
People "in uniform" make me laugh! You see all kinds of uniforms at all sorts of events. People going to the Astros game dress up in all of their Astros regalia; people going to church events dress up in their "Jesus gear." People going to the rodeo dress up in cowboy gear! How the WOMEN dress really crack me up! Apparently "cowboy chic" this year is a cotton "baby-doll" style dress (REALLY short!) with cowboy boots. If the dress reveals A LOT of cleavage, so much the better! Wow! I try to think about it like this; would I wear that to a birthday party at my momma's house? Would I wear that to church? Uhh....I don't think so! I wore a pair of shorts and an oxford shirt with tennis shoes. Last time, I wore blue jeans and a button-up shirt and a pair of cowboy boots. Would I wear them any other time? Well, I've got 5 or 6 pairs of boots in the closet and I wear them all the time to almost anything; church, parties, whatever, so I didn't "dress up" just for the rodeo. I didn't wear them yesterday because yesterday it was hot and it didn't fit the weather! Anyway, I guess if it makes them happy and doesn't cause anyone else any discomfort, it's okay; it just makes me laugh, that's all.
ALL inconsiderate, boorish, idiotic people drive GM cars. That's not to say that all people who drive GM products are idiotic, inconsiderate, or boorish, but everyone who fits that description drive either a GMC truck or a Chevrolet. I'm not sure why that is, but it's just as sure as the sun rising in the east, the wetness of water or the blue hue of the sky! Yesterday we stopped at Target to buy a stroller for MDGD. I parked in a space that was one space from one of those island with a tree deals. When I parked, there was no one in the one next to the island with a tree. When we came out, a mentally-challenged motor vehicle operator had parked his Denali about two inches from my driver's side door such that I literally could not physically squeeze in to my truck. Now, if I'd been all the way to the left in my space, I would've taken partial blame, but I was dead square in the middle of my space! The idiot in the GMC had parked diagonally across his space so he didn't have to contend with that horrible curb around the tree, nevermind that he very nearly hit our truck and made it impossible for us to enter our vehicle! Inconsiderate boob! I had to enter on the passenger side and crawl across the front seat and then back out so I could open the doors and put Lexie in the back! Then, back on the road to the rodeo, a guy in a Chevy truck, going about 20 mph faster than everyone else, weaved in and out of traffic and almost ran a couple of other cars off of the road! Now, I'm sure his destination was MUCH more important than everyone else's, but does he really have to kill a bunch of people to get there? Oh...I know; there are idiots of every stripe driving every sort of vehicle made, but I've just noticed over the years that many if not most of them drive GM cars/trucks.
Well...more later. I've got to watch MDGD while MDB's in the shower! Woo-hoo! - Dan
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Rodeo time!
Hello again, blog fans!
MDB and I went to the rodeo in Houston last evening and saw Rascal Flatts and some decent rodeo at the same time. Kim doesn't care too much for rodeo, but she was looking forward to the concert, so it was well worth the rodeo ahead of time to see them. I'm not much of a country music fan, but the band was pretty good and the lyrics that I could understand (I'm STILL suffering a hearing deficit today - my GOODNESS it was loud!) were poignant. MDB likes one in particular:
I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or twoWiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Now I'm just rolling homeInto my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you. - Rascal Flatts
Well...since it's the story of our lives...I kind of like this lyric, too! - Dan
MDB and I went to the rodeo in Houston last evening and saw Rascal Flatts and some decent rodeo at the same time. Kim doesn't care too much for rodeo, but she was looking forward to the concert, so it was well worth the rodeo ahead of time to see them. I'm not much of a country music fan, but the band was pretty good and the lyrics that I could understand (I'm STILL suffering a hearing deficit today - my GOODNESS it was loud!) were poignant. MDB likes one in particular:
I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or twoWiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
Now I'm just rolling homeInto my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you. - Rascal Flatts
Well...since it's the story of our lives...I kind of like this lyric, too! - Dan
Monday, March 10, 2008
Watching the Rockets
Here in Houston, we've been treated to some of the best NBA basketball that I've ever seen as of late.
I'm on record as saying that NBA ball, by and large, is unwatchable. Too much posturing, too much whining and jaw-jacking, too many calls left uncalled, and too many "favorites" played, depending on salary and reputation. However, this NBA team, made up mostly of no names (except Tracy McGrady and the injured AGAIN Yao Ming), is playing sound, unselfish offense, FANTASTIC team defense, and they're running the floor and scoring in transition early and often. It's been fun to watch to the tune of 18 straight and the third seed in the very tough Western conference.
Right now, they're up by 19 against the hapless New Jersy Nets and it doesn't look like it's going to be too hard to get number 19.
Most folks around here think that number 20 and 21 (also against weak Eastern conference opponents) won't be too tough either. Those same folks are looking to Sunday, when the Lakers are on the schedule. Frankly, aside from Kobe, are the Lakers really as tough as their record would indicate? I guess we'll see on Sunday.
Speaking of tough races...Hillary and Obama are getting after each other a bit, aren't they? Apparently, Barrack isn't too keen on Hillary's suggestion that he should bow out and accept the VP position on her ticket. Smart guy. Being Chief Mate on a ship is great; unless the ship is sinking! Hillary's ship is surely sinking, she doesn't want to tell the passengers that the ice on the bow came from that floating frozen mountain she just ran over! I think Hillary is counting on Bill to pull a few strings and shore up those "super delegates" for her. I think most of the DNC wish that Bill would find some twenty year-old to hide under for awhile so they can get Americans to forget him, blue dresses, Hillary's health care take-over fiasco, and everything else "Clinton" that left a really bad taste in their mouths.
You gotta love the Dems! Boring, they're not! - Dan
I'm on record as saying that NBA ball, by and large, is unwatchable. Too much posturing, too much whining and jaw-jacking, too many calls left uncalled, and too many "favorites" played, depending on salary and reputation. However, this NBA team, made up mostly of no names (except Tracy McGrady and the injured AGAIN Yao Ming), is playing sound, unselfish offense, FANTASTIC team defense, and they're running the floor and scoring in transition early and often. It's been fun to watch to the tune of 18 straight and the third seed in the very tough Western conference.
Right now, they're up by 19 against the hapless New Jersy Nets and it doesn't look like it's going to be too hard to get number 19.
Most folks around here think that number 20 and 21 (also against weak Eastern conference opponents) won't be too tough either. Those same folks are looking to Sunday, when the Lakers are on the schedule. Frankly, aside from Kobe, are the Lakers really as tough as their record would indicate? I guess we'll see on Sunday.
Speaking of tough races...Hillary and Obama are getting after each other a bit, aren't they? Apparently, Barrack isn't too keen on Hillary's suggestion that he should bow out and accept the VP position on her ticket. Smart guy. Being Chief Mate on a ship is great; unless the ship is sinking! Hillary's ship is surely sinking, she doesn't want to tell the passengers that the ice on the bow came from that floating frozen mountain she just ran over! I think Hillary is counting on Bill to pull a few strings and shore up those "super delegates" for her. I think most of the DNC wish that Bill would find some twenty year-old to hide under for awhile so they can get Americans to forget him, blue dresses, Hillary's health care take-over fiasco, and everything else "Clinton" that left a really bad taste in their mouths.
You gotta love the Dems! Boring, they're not! - Dan
Sunday, March 09, 2008
While I'm railing about stupid moves...
...let me throw one at Toyota.
When you think "Toyota," what comes to mind? Well, for me, and I suspect for most people, "Toyota" and "Well-built, very fuel-efficient cars and light trucks" are practically synonymous. Anyone seen a Tundra lately? My gosh! It's the biggest of the huge behemoth trucks that seem to be the trend these days and, if you want one with a little room in the cab, it comes standard with a 350 CID (5.7 Liter) engine that does not do well at the pump (14 city, 18 highway according the the US gov). Uhhh....what happened, Toyota? Did the little, fuel-efficient models that you used to build get boring or something? Maybe the lure of that full-sized American market was too much to avoid! Uhhh...Toyota? Ever here of Daryl Royal? That wise Texas sage who said "You'd better dance with who brung 'ya." Toyota, who "brung 'ya" was little, well-built, fuel-efficient cars and light trucks and frankly, in this day and age of $3/gallon gas, you'd have thought that a little foresight would have convinced y'all not to invest whatever it cost you to tool up a whole new full-sized truck manufacturing capability when there is essentially no market for them!
Maybe that thing about superior japanese business acumen is just what it appears to be; a myth. Seems the allure of the almighty dollar is too much when a company "yens" for someone else's market, regardless of whether it makes good business sense or not!
When you think "Toyota," what comes to mind? Well, for me, and I suspect for most people, "Toyota" and "Well-built, very fuel-efficient cars and light trucks" are practically synonymous. Anyone seen a Tundra lately? My gosh! It's the biggest of the huge behemoth trucks that seem to be the trend these days and, if you want one with a little room in the cab, it comes standard with a 350 CID (5.7 Liter) engine that does not do well at the pump (14 city, 18 highway according the the US gov). Uhhh....what happened, Toyota? Did the little, fuel-efficient models that you used to build get boring or something? Maybe the lure of that full-sized American market was too much to avoid! Uhhh...Toyota? Ever here of Daryl Royal? That wise Texas sage who said "You'd better dance with who brung 'ya." Toyota, who "brung 'ya" was little, well-built, fuel-efficient cars and light trucks and frankly, in this day and age of $3/gallon gas, you'd have thought that a little foresight would have convinced y'all not to invest whatever it cost you to tool up a whole new full-sized truck manufacturing capability when there is essentially no market for them!
Maybe that thing about superior japanese business acumen is just what it appears to be; a myth. Seems the allure of the almighty dollar is too much when a company "yens" for someone else's market, regardless of whether it makes good business sense or not!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Will someone tell me...
...why someone would buy a perfectly good truck and then drop all of the suspension out of it so it rides about 1/2" off the ground? Here's why you buy a truck:
* Haul a load in the box
* Tow a load on a trailer
* Sit higher than everyone else so you can see down the road better
When you drop all of the suspension out of a truck, you...
*Can't haul a load (truck bottoms out too easily)
*Can't tow a trailer (the extra weight bottoms the truck out on the axle)
* Don't sit higher than the average Civic
Uhhhh.....need I say more?
While I'm at it...I need a bumper sticker that says "Of course I'm driving slow; Daddy's not buying MY gas!"
Look, I know that petroleum is a finite resource and we should expect gas prices to escalate as time goes by. What I don't get is a couple of things.
1. Exxon/Mobil made more money over the last quarter of 2007 than any corporation in HISTORY. More than Microsoft; more than Standard Oil; More than US Steel; More than G freakin' M!!! Uhhhh....can someone tell me why I'm the one paying .75 cents a gallon in taxes when Exxon FREAKIN' Mobil is making that much per gallon apparently?
2. Experts say that gas prices are going up as they are because the dollar is falling versus the Euro. Uhhh....what's a EURO? Is that a British Pound on steroids? Is it a Franc on Estrogen? Maybe it's a Lire on caffeine! Why is the freakin' EURO pushing the dollar around? Does anyone in Europe not named Fritz even work for a living anymore? Does anyone who IS named Fritz work sober? Europe can't wash our dish-towels! I'm paying higher gas prices because some Frog from Allsaise-Loraine smoked a half-pack less last weekend? Will the economic gurus out there remove their heads from the territory of the proctologist long enough to get this gas price thing right?
Someone said the other day that the Pennsylavania primary would be a "crucial" battle-ground state for Hillary and Obama. That's probably true. Lord knows, no one up there is WORKING any more; they should have plenty of time to worry about getting to the polls and voting for whichever candidate has promised to extend their welfare for the longest. Uhhh...I have an idea; drop out of that union that has led you to ruin, find a job with an industry that's actually meeting a real-world demand at a reasonable price, and see what you can do to make an honest living, Pennsylvania! Now, I know that's a broad brush and it's extremely unfair to a lot of hard-working people there in William Penn's colony. Sadly, for a lot of those union types who still believe that Japan, China, and India are just British proctectorates in the back pocket of DC, it's a little too honest WAY too late!
Just random thoughts. - Dan
* Haul a load in the box
* Tow a load on a trailer
* Sit higher than everyone else so you can see down the road better
When you drop all of the suspension out of a truck, you...
*Can't haul a load (truck bottoms out too easily)
*Can't tow a trailer (the extra weight bottoms the truck out on the axle)
* Don't sit higher than the average Civic
Uhhhh.....need I say more?
While I'm at it...I need a bumper sticker that says "Of course I'm driving slow; Daddy's not buying MY gas!"
Look, I know that petroleum is a finite resource and we should expect gas prices to escalate as time goes by. What I don't get is a couple of things.
1. Exxon/Mobil made more money over the last quarter of 2007 than any corporation in HISTORY. More than Microsoft; more than Standard Oil; More than US Steel; More than G freakin' M!!! Uhhhh....can someone tell me why I'm the one paying .75 cents a gallon in taxes when Exxon FREAKIN' Mobil is making that much per gallon apparently?
2. Experts say that gas prices are going up as they are because the dollar is falling versus the Euro. Uhhh....what's a EURO? Is that a British Pound on steroids? Is it a Franc on Estrogen? Maybe it's a Lire on caffeine! Why is the freakin' EURO pushing the dollar around? Does anyone in Europe not named Fritz even work for a living anymore? Does anyone who IS named Fritz work sober? Europe can't wash our dish-towels! I'm paying higher gas prices because some Frog from Allsaise-Loraine smoked a half-pack less last weekend? Will the economic gurus out there remove their heads from the territory of the proctologist long enough to get this gas price thing right?
Someone said the other day that the Pennsylavania primary would be a "crucial" battle-ground state for Hillary and Obama. That's probably true. Lord knows, no one up there is WORKING any more; they should have plenty of time to worry about getting to the polls and voting for whichever candidate has promised to extend their welfare for the longest. Uhhh...I have an idea; drop out of that union that has led you to ruin, find a job with an industry that's actually meeting a real-world demand at a reasonable price, and see what you can do to make an honest living, Pennsylvania! Now, I know that's a broad brush and it's extremely unfair to a lot of hard-working people there in William Penn's colony. Sadly, for a lot of those union types who still believe that Japan, China, and India are just British proctectorates in the back pocket of DC, it's a little too honest WAY too late!
Just random thoughts. - Dan
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Well, now that my bid for President has hit a snag...
...I guess I ought to go ahead and concede as well.
After all, me and Huckabee have the same number of delegates.
You know, I shouldn't be so hard on the old Huckster! I actually like many of his ideas and it was refreshing to hear a politician referencing the Bible at a time other than when his/her right hand falls on it before testifying in self-defense at some ethics trial!
Despite misgivings, I'm throwing all of my considerable support behind McCain! Hillary never sent me the antacids I requested as a precursor to her health care scam (she makes me sick to my stomach), and Obama's politics are just slightly left of Chairman Mao from everything I've heard, so the lesser of three evils is McCain.
Speaking of McCain, did anyone see him at the White House with George W yesterday? McCain was clearly trying to solidify the conservative branch of the party and George W was apparently trying to go out backing a winner. Frankly, this is a no-brainer. As usual, the Dems have imploded and, in the tradition of McCarthy, Dukakis, Kerry, and all of the other losers they've trotted out over the years, they've painted themselves into a corner and WILL nominate another sure loser for 2008. Is it just me, or do Democrats fair a lot better when they appear to appeal to middle of the road voters instead of the left-hand fringe of the party? Uhhh...Clinton was the last Democrat to win the presidency. He appealed to middle of the road voters and got elected. Before that, Carter was the last Democrat to occupy the WH. HE had to roll in on the heals of Watergate to get elected. After four years of people holding their noses and saying "Oh, my goodness! What WERE we thinking?!", he was soundly defeated by Reagan. Starting in 1968, we went Nixon, Nixon/Ford, Carter, Reagan, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Clinton, Bush II, and Bush II. Uh....does anyone see a Democrat in there that was worth change for a dollar? Uh....Carter's a fine man; he's built some really nice houses I hear, but he was the worst president of the 20th century! Clinton was smart enough to leave what Reagan did pretty much alone and take the credit for it, but he wasn't smart enough to keep his pants on around the interns, was he? Why on earth would anyone go back to a Democrat when their party isn't smart enough to nominate someone who's electible on a regular basis? Do the 'Pubs have some work to do? Absolutely! First thing; McCain has got to appeal to Americans and admit that the war in Iraq was prosecuted under less than honest circumstances and beg America's forgiveness. He must then outline a clear and concise plan for getting us out of there and detail how we're going to find and elliminate Bin Laden and root out his organization. America does not want another 911 and we do not want to simply leave a bigger mess in Iraq than what we found when we got there, so they'll respond to an honest assessment and a clear direction on how to reach the objective.
Vote McCain! The alternative is unthinkable.
After all, me and Huckabee have the same number of delegates.
You know, I shouldn't be so hard on the old Huckster! I actually like many of his ideas and it was refreshing to hear a politician referencing the Bible at a time other than when his/her right hand falls on it before testifying in self-defense at some ethics trial!
Despite misgivings, I'm throwing all of my considerable support behind McCain! Hillary never sent me the antacids I requested as a precursor to her health care scam (she makes me sick to my stomach), and Obama's politics are just slightly left of Chairman Mao from everything I've heard, so the lesser of three evils is McCain.
Speaking of McCain, did anyone see him at the White House with George W yesterday? McCain was clearly trying to solidify the conservative branch of the party and George W was apparently trying to go out backing a winner. Frankly, this is a no-brainer. As usual, the Dems have imploded and, in the tradition of McCarthy, Dukakis, Kerry, and all of the other losers they've trotted out over the years, they've painted themselves into a corner and WILL nominate another sure loser for 2008. Is it just me, or do Democrats fair a lot better when they appear to appeal to middle of the road voters instead of the left-hand fringe of the party? Uhhh...Clinton was the last Democrat to win the presidency. He appealed to middle of the road voters and got elected. Before that, Carter was the last Democrat to occupy the WH. HE had to roll in on the heals of Watergate to get elected. After four years of people holding their noses and saying "Oh, my goodness! What WERE we thinking?!", he was soundly defeated by Reagan. Starting in 1968, we went Nixon, Nixon/Ford, Carter, Reagan, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Clinton, Bush II, and Bush II. Uh....does anyone see a Democrat in there that was worth change for a dollar? Uh....Carter's a fine man; he's built some really nice houses I hear, but he was the worst president of the 20th century! Clinton was smart enough to leave what Reagan did pretty much alone and take the credit for it, but he wasn't smart enough to keep his pants on around the interns, was he? Why on earth would anyone go back to a Democrat when their party isn't smart enough to nominate someone who's electible on a regular basis? Do the 'Pubs have some work to do? Absolutely! First thing; McCain has got to appeal to Americans and admit that the war in Iraq was prosecuted under less than honest circumstances and beg America's forgiveness. He must then outline a clear and concise plan for getting us out of there and detail how we're going to find and elliminate Bin Laden and root out his organization. America does not want another 911 and we do not want to simply leave a bigger mess in Iraq than what we found when we got there, so they'll respond to an honest assessment and a clear direction on how to reach the objective.
Vote McCain! The alternative is unthinkable.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Election Day in Texas!
Well...it's here finally; the Texas primary! Of course, the primary in Ohio is at least as important as the one here, but I don't live in Ohio anymore, so it's the Texas version I care most about.
Republican Primary
McCain has the nomination sewn up, so who cares? The only thing that's interesting here is the fact that Huckleberry won't quit and help to unify the party. What a selfish boob! Most think that Hucky is vying for the VP nod, but who on earth would consider him for that when, several months later, Mitt Romney STILL has a delegate lead over him? To quote Bugs Bunney - "What an Ultramaroon!" THIS JUST IN!!!! HUCKLEBERRY CONCEDES!! HUCKLEBERRY CONCEDES!!! About what I said earlier......nevermind!
Democratic Primary
The Dem primary is interesting because of the personalities. We've got a scandal-plagued female who, despite claims to the contrary, only has experience following her so-called husband into one office after another and, by the way, a term and a year as a US Senator from a state that she wasn't even a resident of until an opportunity for that seat arose! We have another senator, one with almost as little experience as Clinton, who likes to speak in generalities, generate as much excitement as possible by cueing up all the typical Democrat rhetoric, but doing it with such FLAIR!!! You know the rhetoric I'm talking about; "Republicans are evil because of...tax cuts for the rich; high gas prices; NAFTA; Global Warming; Inflation; the Boogie Man; The Edsel; The fact that Pluto is no longer a planet; and increased numbers of fleas on the dog. Whoever the Dems nominate, he/she is an empty suit who will have a hard time governing and an easy time talking (whining) about why nothing is getting done.
So, where does it go from here? I think Americans are tired of what we've been doing and are past ready to try something new. I think it matters not who the nominees are; Americans are going to elect a Democrat this time and hope for change. I hope I'm wrong, because I don't see anything all that promising from either Democrat candidate. Sadly, I don't like the Republcian nominee that much either. This, then, is a "lesser of two evils" race and, frankly, I haven't decided who makes me hold my nose LESS at this point.
Republican Primary
McCain has the nomination sewn up, so who cares? The only thing that's interesting here is the fact that Huckleberry won't quit and help to unify the party. What a selfish boob! Most think that Hucky is vying for the VP nod, but who on earth would consider him for that when, several months later, Mitt Romney STILL has a delegate lead over him? To quote Bugs Bunney - "What an Ultramaroon!" THIS JUST IN!!!! HUCKLEBERRY CONCEDES!! HUCKLEBERRY CONCEDES!!! About what I said earlier......nevermind!
Democratic Primary
The Dem primary is interesting because of the personalities. We've got a scandal-plagued female who, despite claims to the contrary, only has experience following her so-called husband into one office after another and, by the way, a term and a year as a US Senator from a state that she wasn't even a resident of until an opportunity for that seat arose! We have another senator, one with almost as little experience as Clinton, who likes to speak in generalities, generate as much excitement as possible by cueing up all the typical Democrat rhetoric, but doing it with such FLAIR!!! You know the rhetoric I'm talking about; "Republicans are evil because of...tax cuts for the rich; high gas prices; NAFTA; Global Warming; Inflation; the Boogie Man; The Edsel; The fact that Pluto is no longer a planet; and increased numbers of fleas on the dog. Whoever the Dems nominate, he/she is an empty suit who will have a hard time governing and an easy time talking (whining) about why nothing is getting done.
So, where does it go from here? I think Americans are tired of what we've been doing and are past ready to try something new. I think it matters not who the nominees are; Americans are going to elect a Democrat this time and hope for change. I hope I'm wrong, because I don't see anything all that promising from either Democrat candidate. Sadly, I don't like the Republcian nominee that much either. This, then, is a "lesser of two evils" race and, frankly, I haven't decided who makes me hold my nose LESS at this point.
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