America Held Hostage

I don't like to post political items, and actually, in a matter of speaking, this really isn't political, because it hits both sides of the fence.

A group of 535 bastards in Washington, DC, are holding the residents of this great nation of ours hostage.

Hostages being held because of 535 bastards political interests.

535 bastards who don't care about the common man, the working man or the senior citizen on a fixed income.

535 assholes who continue to draw their pay, even after they leave office, every year for the rest of their lives.

And to top it all off, they voted themselves a raise today for holding us hostage.

A raise that was supported by the President of the United States.

A President that I had confidence in.

Without a doubt, those 535 bastards are the worst Congress this nation of ours has ever had.

All about politcal agendas.

All about power!


To hell with them all!

Confessions Of A Confused Mind (short version)

Once again Americans are being held hostage by the antics of a partisan group of politicans in Washington. Thankfully, I can say, I didn't vote for a single member of Congress who was a part of this garbage before. Apparently that puts me in the minority of Americans, most of whom apparently enjoy the childish antics of a group of grown men and women who refuse to put the best interests of Americans first.

The life expectancy of human bodys has continued to get longer and longer. It's a shame the mind hasn't kept up. As our bodies continue to improve in stability, Alzheimers and dementia related illnesses are affecting more and more people all the time.

The media continues to bask in the violent, the deadly and the bizzare, while the beautiful and wonderful things that happen in this world take a backseat and are hardly, if at all, ever reported about.

We continually hear about how obesity is taking over our nation, and we hear it in between the commercials for fast food and sugar laden goodies.

CD sales continue to drop, online musical services continue to grow and concert tickets have risen to a totally ridiculous price. A ticket to see KISS back in 1977 cost $7, today, a similar ticket costs $130.

Write a check, stick a stamp on it and mail it and get it anywhere in the nation in three days or less for 45 cents. Use an online billpay service and read the fine print and see that it takes most online bill paying services 10 days to process the same payment for you. Yet this is the way most Americans seem to be doing business now.

Home schooling is at an all time high and young people seem to lack social skills and parents wonder why.

Communities sponsor summer activities with the generosity of sponsorship dollars and provide different types of entertainment for their residents, yet the majority of the residents ignore these activities and complain that there's nothing to do.

Crude oil prices continue to drop yet gas prices remain at an all time high and no longer reflect the price of crude per barrel and Americans have quit asking why and the oil companies continue to rake in record profits and no one seems to care anymore.

Respect has all but disappeared, violence continues to plague our world and if anyone challenges anything in this regard, we're told we are infringing on someone else's rights.

Really?

I will be 61 years old, good Lord willing, in less than two months, and I am amazed at how our world has changed in the last 40 years. I am even more amazed at how much it has changed in the last 5 years.

Can you imagine what another 5 years is going to do?

Confused? Yes, I'm confused, and I don't think it's going to get any better.

Blizzard of 2012?

We just endured what the media cast as the Blizzard of 2012.

That's what the media called it.

I called it a bunch of snow (8 to 12 inches) with strong winds for about 14 - 16 hours.

In my opinion, it didn't live up to the hype the news media was giving it.

Yes, it was bad, the roads were bad and the wind was pretty fierce.

However, it wasn't 15 and a half inches of snow partnered with 40 to 50 mile per hour winds in excess of 2 1/2 days...

That was the Blizzard of 1978, which to me has been the granddaddy of blizzards in my lifetime, and something I hope I never have to live thru again.

In 1978, nothing moved for days. Electric was out for days. Mail trucks could NOT get thru. Hell, nothing got thru!

I won't go into elaborate details about Indiana's Blizzard of '78, you can Google that yourself and see what happened. The picture heading this selection was taken in Indiana after the Blizzard of '78 went thru. The whole darned state looked like this!

I challenge anyone who went thru yesterday's "Blizzard of 2012" to show me a picture that even comes close to this...

It's a challenge that won't be met.

And in my humble opinion, that's a good thing for sure!

Christmas 2012

My wishes to each of you, my Faithful Few, for a most awesome and peaceful Christmas.

Having now been retired for a little over a year, it's rewarding to me to no longer be a part of that magical time of the year at the post office.

Last year, a part of me really missed being there and being a part of the hustle and bustle.

This year, I view it in a different light and am thankful that I no longer have to put in those long exhausting days.

The baton has been passed to a really great group of people in the office and they are doing a stellar job.

During your holiday, try to remember what the season is all about and why we celebrate the holiday itself.

I give you no Happy Holidays greetings, because I am just hard headed enough to remember what the season is truly about, and I wish each and every one of you the Merriest of Christmases ever.

May God truly bless each and everyone of you!

Forward Motion Unleashed

invading thoughts
confusing emotions
timeless feelings
mixed up
distorted
rearranged
misguided
but, nonetheless
there
continuing to maneuver
towards an unknown
destination
driving me forward
not holding me back
and never
relinquishing
its hold
upon my
life.

Uncanny

For those of you who are celebrating a birthday today, has it occurred to you that your birthday today is on 12/20/2012?

And if a birth occurs today at 12:20PM, the birth will occur at 12/20/2012 at 12:20.

Furthermore,, this post is being posted on 12/20/2012 at 12:20...making it more than I want to discuss at the moment, because I bet this scenario didn't even occur to the Mayans.

I Don't Understand

I sit with tears in my eyes and so many unanswered questions and I have to wonder just how something like this senseless tragedy in Connecticut can happen, and why?

What kind of person with what type of mind senselessly murders 27 innocent people?

What did he think he could possibly achieve with such a slaughter?

It is doubtful we will ever know.

I doubt any sane person could ever conceive the reasons this sick bastard had for what he did and what he possibly hoped the outcome would have been.

All I know is that day by day, my pacifist beliefs are put more and more to test when mindless occurences like this one happen.

God give us all the strength to come to grips with what happened.

I just don't have very peaceful thoughts running thru my brain right now.

Just Once

I found this on a piece of paper I was throwing out, which was in a book I had not looked at since high school, and unfortunately, I had not written a date on this, but I am guessing it to be somewhere in the vicinity of 1969 or 1970. I don't particularly like this, but I thought I would at least post it so I would have a copy of it in existence somewhere.

It was untitled, so the title was just added today. Hope you like it, but as I said, I don't care for it too much.

Just Once

he looked forward
he looked back
he looked sideways
he looked up
he looked down
he looked all around
it remained hidden
it remained unseen
but he knew it was somewhere
if it would only show itself
just once
in his lifetime
just one time
he wanted to see total
and complete peace

your continuing spirit

mind closed to the truth
no longer setting you
free
capturing a moment
when the smile on your face
had an actual element of
truth behind it
but now
nothing more than a hideous
lie
much like the rest
of your life
and the value
you put on truth
and the trust
you place in others
as you continue
to refuse to see
with both of your eyes
closed
open.

Thankful

A time to reflect, as always, on those things that I have to be thankful for.

Rather than list them and possibly leave something out, let me just say that I am thankful for a very abundant and rewarding life and for now having the time I need to truly enjoy it.

I am also thankful for my eyes opening up and seeing all of the bountiful blessings I have in my life. Several times over the years I almost walked away from some of these blessings, for whatever reasons, but today, I realize that what I have is more than enough to satisfy my needs.

I am loved, I am happy and I don't want for a thing.

I have a smile on my face most days and I'm not merely content, I'm truly happy and blessed!

If your eyes happen upon this blog today, I hope you and yours find much to be thankful for and that your blessings are as abundant as mine.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Broken Dreams

It's funny, but before I had a computer, I used to do a lot of writing on scraps of paper or single sheets of paper, fold them up and put them somewhere, and eventually I come across some of those things when I'm cleaning or looking for something else.

This folded up piece of paper was found by me about ten minutes ago as I was doing some fall cleaning here in my den. Wow, it's from 21 years and 2 days ago, and it was written shortly after our son decided he was too grown up for us anymore and he had moved out to be on his own, and suffice to say, it was not a popular move or one that his mother or myself ever really understood or got over.

Funny, things haven't seemed to change all that much where he is concerned, even to this day. He lives his own life with no contact with us, and he keeps his sons away from us by his choice as well.

I used to wonder what I had done wrong, but now, I realize, that it wasn't anything my wife or I had done, but it was his selfishness and his lack of love and respect for us. Funny how selfishness can take away so much from one's life.

I hold no hope for him to ever change, hell, he's going to be 40 years old on his next birthday. Selfishness and self-centeredness is much like a terminal disease, and in most cases an incurable one as well.

I can't help but wonder if he ever stops and realizes what he has not only taken away from himself but what he has deprived my grandsons of having. Somehow I doubt that is the case.

Anyway, like I said, this poem captures feelings I had over 21 years ago, and I decided to post it here so I can throw the original writing of it away in the trash, kind of like our son threw our lives away into the trash all those years ago.


Broken Dreams (written November 15, 1991)

For eighteen years he gave me reason
To get up and face each day.
But now my incentive to live my life full
Has packed up and moved away.

It's not just the fact that he's moved away
That is hurting myself and my wife,
But for some unknown reason we don't understand
We're no longer a part of his life.

Now I know we aren't perfect as all parents aren't,
Although I thought we were better than most.
And that special closeness I thought we all shared,
I imagined it all, I suppose.

I mean what do you say to a son that you love
Probably more than your own life itself?
You can't say, "You'll live here and do as I say,
And damnit, you'll love us or else."

I just hope he realizes we'll always be here
And stand behind him thru good times and bad.
And we're not the bad montsters he thinks that we are,
We're just simply, his Mom and his Dad.

Four More Years

Thankfully, and almost mercifully, the election is over and life can resume in a somewhat state of normalcy.

President Obama and Vice President Biden are secure in their jobs in the White House for four more years, and hopefully Congress can finally put aside political differences and platforms and put the interests and the well being of our nation first and foremost.

Most refreshing will be the absence of political advertisements on television and now we can see more of the things we're used to seeing: Ads for new gimmicks sold "only on tv," viagra and cialis ads, Flo prostituting for insurance and the fabulous Brookfield Lantern, just to name a few.

Congratulations to all the winners and to those who lost graciously. Ladies and gentlemen, you've got a lot of work to do in the next few years. Here's hoping you put America's best interests ahead of you.

Let the games begin!

Regarding Election Day 2012

I'm not going to post anything anyone can perceive to be political, because quite frankly, I don't think political postings are necessary, mainly because you aren't going to influence or change anyones' mind with what you think is necessary to post. What I am going to post about tomorrow's election is simply this:

I don't care who you vote for, I don't care what party you vote for or what candid
ate you vote for. What I do care about is that you simply go exercise your American voice and go vote! Follow what is in your heart, follow what is in your mind, and do so when you pull that lever, punch that button or mark your selection on your ballot. Let your voice be heard and be happy in your heart and mind that you took a few moments to vote for who you think is the right candidate.

No one party has all the right candidates, no one person can change anything by themselves, but you can make a difference when you take the time to vote.


Thanks to you all, and thanks for voting.

The future of our nation is at stake.

Let your voice be heard!

VOTE!!!

DST Fallback

Once again it's time to fall back with the clocks as DST 2012 comes along.

To some of my Faithful Few, this is old news. To those of my Faithful Few that are here in Indiana, it's been a lot of years for us as we have on been back on Daylight Savings Time a few short years now.

Personally, I love it!

Those extra hours of daylight in the summer are most welcome.

Of course, we have those rocket scientists that have since discovered that they don't like it, and they have decided that they might like it if Indiana moves to the Central Time Zone, which, in vast Indiana thinking, is another step backwards. However, they have figured out they can have their daylight hours rearranged back, even with DST, if Indiana steps back to the 20th Century again and moves to the CTZ.

Again, we get to take a giant leap forward and people are then ready to take 3 steps back. And people wonder why Indiana seems to never get ahead.

Regardless of how you feel about it or where you are this weekend, if you are on DST, don't forget to move your clocks back prior to 2AM Sunday, when it will magically become 1AM Sunday.

Seriously, how damned much energy is there to setting a few clocks back, people?

eyes

what he sees
he sees with his heart
he feels it in his soul
and it remains held within
him
never leaving him
never failing him
never departing his grasp
as within himself
his internal eyes
open
and he truly
sees

Loving The New Life

Since I retired, life has been so nice, with no set schedule and no work related responsibilities. The only schedule that has really hand any bindings on me has been Peggy's schedule.

Now, with her new job, getting off work earlier, no weekend work and a day off during the week every other week, we have even more time now to do things together that we didn't used to get to do.

A couple of days ago, on a whim, we got up at 5AM, showered and dressed and hit the road and drove an hour and half to go to breakfast. Now I know that probably sounds crazy, but each year when we go for our anniversary trip to Clifty Falls during the month of February, we enjoy the breakfast buffet at the Inn's Falls Restaurant. So, we made the drive down in the dark, sat at a table by the windows overlooking the Ohio River, and ate breakfast and watched sun come up. And we didn't have to wait until our February vacation to enjoy this!

Getting to spend that quality time together is a gift from God, and I so thank Him for it. Our waitress told us how great it was to see us, which made both of us feel exceptional.

While we were there, Peggy walks up to the check in desk and makes reservations to go back down for two nights in December, and not on a weekend, but during the week when it coincides with more time off from her new job.

We had a great day Thursday, driving home back roads, enjoying the fall colors which were actually brighter than I expected them to be after the terrible drought we had this summer. We got home mid afternoon, changed clothes and went out and raked and mulched leaves together, mowed the yard, put up the majority of the lawn furniture and prepared for the upcoming winter.

Now with the weekend here, we have another couple of days to enjoy together before Peggy heads back to work on Monday, at a new job that she totally loves.

God continues blessing us each day.

I am totally loving this new life together with the lady of my dreams.

Summer Concert Series Wrap Up Celebration

After our most successful season of concerts yet, the Riverside Park Organizing Committee travelled about an hour's drive away to Camp Atterbury and wrapped out the season with a weekend visit and couple of nights' stay in cabins on the post.

A group of fifteen participated in a fun filled weekend and pitch in dinner Saturday in an effort to close out our season of hard work with a getaway free from the responsiblities we usually each handle on a concert weekend.

After a deluge of rain on Friday evening, the sun came out Saturday morning and Mother Nature provided us with an absolutely awesome Saturday and Sunday, full of fellowship and great food, a chance to visit and talk about things other than the concerts and share a few drinks around the firepit.

As we broke up the party on Sunday morning, Peggy and I drove nearly four miles away and spent the night at the Hampton Inn in Taylorsville and enjoyed an afternoon and evening away from our responsibilities at home and kicked back at the Inn and had a super steak dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.

With the wrap up party, we closed out the 2012 concert season and set our sights on beginning to put together the Riverside Park Live At The Levee Series for 2013.

Looking forward to it, too!!!

same old song

head hanging
empty shell of existence
wallowing down
suffering but
relishing
and enjoying
the self imposed sentence
of a meaningless moment
and of
relative unimportance
savoring the suffering
enjoying the pain
clouding out reality
and those things that matter
all because
the world hasn't suffered enough
for the actions
of a fool
drawing attention
to prove
how unworthy

One Year Ago

Hard as it is for me to comprehend, one year ago today I hit the timeclock for the final time and ended my career at the Rushville Post Office at 32 years and 10 months.

The last year has not gone quite the way I had expected it to, with Peggy's Dad having had a stroke and less than a week later Peggy's Mom breaking her leg.

The past year didn't go quite the way we thought it would, and when Peggy started her two week vacation this past Monday, who would have believed that she would get a call that first morning letting her know that she had gotten the nod for a new job.

After nearly 13 years in the banking industry, Peggy closed out her days at MainSource bank and embarked on a new career with the County Clerk's Office at the courthouse. Therefore, her two week vacation lasted an entire day.

Even though our plans changed for the two weeks she would have been off, we consider the new job a total and complete blessing. No more workdays until after 4PM, no more irregular schedule week to week and no more weekends!

Peggy now has a regular schedule each and everyday, her workday ends at 4PM and she pulls no more Saturdays.

Better money, better hours, better benefits.

What an awesome God we have indeed!

Autumn Vacation

Hard to imagine but it's the first day of fall, or more properly, Autumn.

My absolute favorite time of year, and the month of October is my favorite month of the year without question.

Looking ahead to the next couple of weeks that my darling bride has off brings all sorts of posibilities to mind as to what we should do. Peggy is wanting to make a trip east to the mountains of Virginia, which are my most favorite mountains I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Of course, if we make that trip, we will swing by her sister's house for a visit. I think this is the trip Peggy wants to make more than any other one.

There's a chance we might venture down to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Beautiful scenery and about half the driving time to Gatlinburg make this one more attractive to me, but then again we could combine the two trips into one and go to Virginia and then get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive to Cherokee, NC and head back up thru Tennessee.

We could also make a trip up to Sybaris, a romantic getaway I never, ever get tired of going to. Closing the door to that suite, in its own building, makes the outside world go away and allows us to have a 17 hour romantic interlude where the world ceases to exist around us, and it's all about just the two of us, intimate and unbridled, and a chance to just spend quality time with each other with no phone, no television and our own spa, swimming pool and steam bath. Best of all, Sybaris is only a short drive from here, maybe 60 miles total. A Longhorn Steakhouse sits right down the road about two blocks, and it's a great way to escape and simply fall into each others' love all over again.

It's hard to imagine, but in eight days I will have been retired for one full year. It's so nice to be able to enjoy each day now, free of the bonds of employment.

And another fabulous and carefree vacation and month of October lies ahead of us.

I can't conceive how anyone could not enjoy this time of year, this time of renewal in the seasons and the awesome colors God uses to paint his majestic background each year for us.

So, now to decide, Virginia, Tennessee or Sybaris.

Shame I'm not independently wealthy. We could do all three.

Besides, I don't need a romantic getaway to be able to fall into the love I have for my darling wife. I could do that anywhere.

The Dreaded Two Little Snakes Story

I don't remember where I first heard this, but for over 35 years I have been reciting it, time after time, and truthfully, I do it a lot better if I'd had a whole bunch to drink before I try it.

If you don't think it's that big of a deal, try and remember, I have always done this from memory and never used anything written down to do it.

Try reading it out loud as you read it and you will see how funny it actually is and you will probably also discover that it's really not that easy to read out loud.


The Two Little Snakes

Two little snakes were hissing in their pit. Their mother came out and asked them, “What are you two little snakes doing?” To which they replied, “We’re hissing in our pit.” The mama snake told them, “Well don’t hiss in our pit, go over to Mrs Potts’ house, get in her pit, and hiss in it.” So, the two little snakes went over to Mrs Potts’ house, got in her pit, and began to hiss in it. Soon, Mrs Potts came out and asked, “What are you two little snakes doing?” And they answered her and said, “We’re hissing in your pit.” Mrs Potts asked them, “Why are you hissing in my pit? You got your own pit to hiss in, so go on home, get in your own pit, and hiss in it.” So, the two little snakes went back to their home, got in their pit, and began to hiss in it. Very shortly, Mama Snake came back out and asked the two little snakes, “What are you two little snakes doing?” And they replied, “We’re hissing in our pit!” Mama Snake told them, “I told you two little snakes not to hiss in our pit, but to go over to Mrs Potts’ house, get in her pit and hiss in it.” To which the two little snakes replied, “We did, we went over to Mrs Potts’ house, we got in her pit, and hissed in it, and Mrs Potts came out and asked us, ‘What are you two little snakes doing?’ and we told her ‘We’re hissing in your pit.’ Then she told us, ‘You don’t need to hiss in my pit, you got your own pit to hiss in, so go on home, and hiss in it.’ So we came home, we got in our pit, and we started hissing in it.” To which the Mama Snake replied, “Well if that don’t beat all. I remember Mrs Potts when she didn’t have a pit to hiss in.”

For The 18th Time

Last night, at Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville/Indianapolis, I had the distinct pleasure of attending my 18th KISS concert, which delivered everything a KISS concert usually does, which is an awesome dose of rock and adrenalin!

After a fifteen minute delay due to storms in the area(and by the way, it never rained) a group from Cambridge, England called The Treatment took to the stage for a half hour set. Not too shabby of a band, who to me, seemed to have a bit of a punk sound but really delivered a good set.

Motley Crue was next, who played a full 90 minute set. They delivered a power punch to set the tone for the rest of the evening, including Tommy Lee on a circular traveling drum set that totally went upside down several times while the drummer played his butt off! Add to that lots of flames, lasers and dry ice fog plus the occasional bomb going off, and you got a good idea of what Crue was like.

Then, about 10:10PM, the masters of the ultimate rock show took to the stage and delivered their 90 minute set as only KISS can, belting out hit after hit, including a new tune from their new album "Monster" that is slated to be released this October. And of course, pyro shooting guitars, bombs, huge flames, a fire breathing and blood spitting Gene Simmons and a totally insane show of high energy rock brought the evening to a crescendo just past 11:35PM last night.

The house was packed, the lawn was full and the rains stayed away as the rock and roll vortex kept all the clouds moving away for the evening!

The picture shows just how packed Klipsch was last night, proving that even after nearly 40 years in the business, KISS are still the masters!

Crossing

As you cross over those bridges
In your life,
Turn around,
Set fire to each one
And constantly move forward
And never look back.
The bridge is gone forever
And there's no reason
To try going back now,
Because the way is gone
And the path shall never be
Again.

Uriah Heep - Circle Of Hands - it was the year 1973 - Music high quali...

I have been a fan of Uriah Heep almost since the group's inception back all those decades ago.  This band, one of the relative few who have been able to pull it off, have only gotten better as the years have gone by. 

This is one of my favorite tunes by them, and within this song lies one of my most favorite lyrics:  "And today is only yesterday's tomorrow..."

How profound is that?

Hope you take a few moments and give "Circle Of Hands" by Uriah Heep a listen.

Epic

His journey came in parts
With turmoiled emotions
Broken hearts
He wandered out
With no clear heading
He traversed the lands
Using Mother Earth
As his bedding
His emotions ran wild
His heart ran free
He took no notice
Of you or of me
His journey started with but a single step
This is his story
Listen closely with respect.


It seemed at times, he had walked forever
The shoes on his feet, became worn out leather
He left the land he knew so well
And ventured into these wastelands he now thought of as hell
He had loosed the ball and chain that bound him
And the wearing elements of this vast land had now found him.
He bled and he sweat he hungered, he thirsted
His body fairly screamed and his head nearly burst
Yet onward he trudged
Lest a failure he be judged.


When his time had come and he felt dejected
Westward he headed as his life he rejected
A source lie ahead that he was sure would fill his heart
Of the love that he needed so he decided to depart
Yet once he was there he found not what he was seeking
Instead, what he found he dared not to be keeping
So he endured those few days which seemed an eternity
This place he had first journeyed offered nothing of serenity
He sought his escape, he sought his release
He ventured away and held onto his peace.


Out of the mist and swirling haze
He saw the road was harsh and pitted
Yet he took the first step and onward he trudged
For to his journey he remained committed.

He recalled years ago when he first touched the sound
Of the music in his heart
And the symphony in his soul
He longed to recapture that music again
With a new writing partner
He thought that he knew.

It was then he discovered the lies he'd been told.


As the blind symphony played on, the song remained the same
A new character came into being and she began to play the game
A new circle
A new break
Inuendos
A classic take
On the life that was promised
Of the truth that endured
To encompass her love
Caused his life to become impure.

His thoughts swirled about him
With each step that he took
Yet he failed to glance over his shoulder
At that which he overlooked.
His life became her game
He himself became a pawn
In the sunset of his evening
He was becoming her new dawn.



Down, down
Down
He fell
As feet began to fail him
He fought for purchase
Yet he found none ahead
As he landed in the darkness
His thoughts swirled out
And screamed.


"I want so much to just walk away
Escape the madness and skip the game
But forward I go and onward I trudge
As you decide to be my judge.

"I look for answers and I look for smiles
As I travel these many rugged miles.
Yet what I have found is simply nothing more
Than confusion and hurt, both of which I deplore.

"This decision I made was unwise and wrong
This journey I've made was tedious and long
Yet no new answers and no happiness ahead
I'd been better off had I only dropped dead.

"I discovered too late the two faces she wore
And the life that she promised was one I'd abhor.
I sought my escape, not a moment too soon
I had to move on and away from this loon.

"I'm still seeking answers and ignoring those lies
That were all just a part of her clever disguise.
I must return back to the life that I left
'cause I view it more openly and with much more respect."


But alas the wicked source that he had seeked from the east
Refused to relinquish him, she was quite the beast.
She imprisoned him with words, with threats and with anger
It was then that he realized all he had lived for was in danger.
In her mind she had mapped out the rest of his life
He would leave all behind and she would be soon be his wife.
And the love they had spoken of was nothing but lies
And to have to lay with her for eternity he knew he'd despise
He couldn't conceive making love to her forever
For she made his skin crawl and caused him to shiver.
The heaven she had promised that would only be his
Had been thru so many others and offered nothing as is.


So with great care and planning he devised such a plan
That would remove him from this hell and release him from this land.
He recalled their first walk around the mountain by the lake
It was there they would return and his escape he would make.
He summoned his courage and all the fortitude that he had
And set himself to task this wild scheme he deemed mad.
He must be crafty and sly and show her nothing but love
Then when the time was just right he would make one final shove.
He loved her, he wooed her he showed all his charm
In his effort to deceive her and cause her great harm.


If he failed then he knew that his life would be over
And forever he'd be trapped with this witch as his lover.
Behind her eyes of beauty their lived a woman without sanity
And in mind she was his only and her heart was full of vanity.
For her love was pure selfishness and greed without guilt
It was either surrender his life or let it be her blood spilt.


He took her hand
That fateful day
As they started their walk
As he had planned it that way.
On a day that was cool
On a day with no breeze
They walked like young lovers
With only each other to please.
The came to the clearing
He had remembered from before
And he dropped to one knee
As if to promise her more.
She stood facing him
Her back to the cliff
Looking down on her lover
And he suddenly moved quick.
With a leap and a lunge
He shoved her straight back
She fell head over heels
Into the dark depths
And the black.


She had uttered no cry
On her way to her death
And his descent to go find her
Left him without very much breath.
He found her broken body
Her eyes towards the sky
And he really hated the fact
That this woman had to die.


And then he remembered her evil and wicked ways
And the prison she would have had him in for the rest of his days.
He set to work quickly digging the dirt with his hands
He had truly succeeded with his dark evil plan.
He finished his task and he rose and walked away
And hoped he'd eventually forget this damned day.

He returned to his life that she had once called mundane
He found the true happiness that had been there always.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence
Sometimes you just need look and see the love so immense.
His life became richer and fuller, you see
It was all in his power, he just had to believe.


A hundred years came to pass, his life had ceased and moved on
But something of his had remained and never was gone.
Her unmarked grave lay unnoticed and on it no grass ever grew
For her wickeness and lies still lived on for a few.
Protect your heart from the lies
Protect your life from the hate
Lest you find your own destiny
Resembling this same fate.



A hundred and twenty years passed by
And one day two young lovers
Sat on a stone near the unmarked grave
Arms around each other
And as the young man prepared to drop to one knee
And request the young maiden's hand for eternity
The lightning flashed
The thunder rolled
And the rains came down
And washed the evil from this ground.


Eventually,
Love conquers all.
True, undying and unselfish
Love.

Epic.

Behind The Smile

and as his smile broadened,
he remembered what many thought
he had forgotten
and he set in motion
his plan
his revenge
and relished in knowing
that no one would be the wiser
for all involved
had thought he had forgotten
when in reality
he held onto those memories
and of the injustices
and of the evilness
of those deeds
done unto him
and he knew
the perpetual spirit
would aid him
and guide him
and help him set forth
his plan of action
which was forthcoming
and would leave someone
in awe
and
in agony

let the game begin

The Smile

The strength of those emotions
The hurt, the bite, the bitterness
That welled to the surface
Brought along with it
The Beast
That had been caged within
And was about to be set loose
Upon the unsuspecting masses.

And the Beast smiled its hungry
Smile

FINALLY!!!

At long last, after over 11 weeks with only two small rain showers that accumulated a total of three tenths of an inch of rain, yesterday morning early, a thunderstorm went thru and dumped an inch of rain on us.

Now, that's not a lot, considering we are nearly 11 inches behind where we should be, but at this point in time, an inch of rain is a blessing from God above. I don't know how much of that will make its way down into our well, but it's got to at least help a little.

Our corn crops in the state are devastated, we are in an exceptional drought condition, which is by far the worst drought we have seen in my lifetime, but at least this shows us there is a bit of hope that more will come later on this week.

We've set a record number of days with triple digit temperatures and we just had the hottest month EVER in the state of Indiana.

And August has just begun, and that is usually a very hot and dry month.

I would also like to add a totally unrelated postscript here at the end, but I have been working on something very special and near and dear to my heart, and something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Very shortly it will be appearing on here and I hope my Faithful Few enjoy it and find something very special about it.

Thanks, and thanks to God above for the inch of rain yesterday.

Now, dear Sir, could you please send us a bunch more?

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - JOE SOUTH 1969.wmv

Oh, man, oh man, is this ever the freaking truth!  Almost to the point of being laughable!  It was appropriate in 1969, and yes, it's appropriate today!

John Waite Concert

This past Saturday night at Riverside Park, the Summer Concert Series presented John Waite Live By The Levee.

Peggy's and my duties and responsibilites kept us separated during the concert, but as fate would have it, during our favorite John Waite tune, "Missing You," we both somehow managed to meet out front on the west side of the Amphitheater and we got to stand with our arms around each other while he performed this beautiful tune from back in the 80s.

It seemed magical to us both, and even more magical was the fact that he was performing it on our stage in front of a huge crowd.

It was truly a memorable evening.

A very exciting weekend lies ahead for me, with highlights coming tonight and tomorrow night.

Tomorrow night, we try to finish a concert started June 4th of last year, when Cee Cee James once again graces the stage at Riverside Park Amphitheater and attempts to finish her concert from last year which was rain shortened to only six songs. Hopefully, since we are admist this extremely serious drought, we can expect a couple of extra hours of no rain and Cee Cee can get her show in this year.

Tonight, for the first time ever, Cee Cee and her band will take the stage at the Slippery Noodle Inn in Indy for what should prove to be a four hour set of the blues from 9 until 1...we have a good number of people going tonight and several others meeting us up there for her show tonight.

I have been saving for this night for quite a while now, so we can have a few drinks and dinner at the Noodle and listen to some awesome blues jams tonight as well. The board of the Riverside Park Organizing Committee has graciously given me the night off tomorrow night so I can enjoy the show and socialize with Cee Cee when she is done.

If you have never had the pleasure of hearing this dynamic woman sing, you have no idea what you are missing. She's awesome and I can't wait to see her live this weekend, not just once, but twice!

Pretty freaking cool!!!

Are You Freaking Kidding Me?

The all time record for the highest temperature ever recorded in Indiana is 106 degrees, set back in the Summer of 1936.

Yesterday the thermometer hit 105 degrees.

Right now as I am typing this it is 104 degrees right outside this wall of the room I am sitting in.

Yes, it's freaking hot.

No, it still hasn't freaking rained.

A small 40 percent chance of rain lies in tomorrow's forecast, as well as a cooling off to 91 degrees.

Yeah, cooling off to 91.

That sounds ridiculous, and it seems even more ridiculous to consider it feeling good outside at 91 degrees, but I'll guarantee you all of us going thru this heat will be able to tell a difference.

No, I won't be turning the a/c off anytime soon, because even with temperatures forecast to be back down in the 80s this week, the humidity will still be horrid.

We've not been doing any cooking out for obvious reasons. I normally do the outside cooking, Peggy does the inside cooking. I have this huge slab of beef ribs, some really nice looking ribeyes and some awesome looking boneless pork chops, just waiting to be cooked once the temperatures make it back down to where it won't be like standing in the pits of hell when I cook them.

Until then, I have no idea what the love of my life has decided on for supper tonight, but whatever it is, it will be delicious as always.

Now to decide whether to have chilled wine, ice cold beer or a pop to go along with that evening meal.

One thing I do know: That meal will be eaten inside in the cool confines of our air conditioned living room while watching the Nascar race from Daytona.

Now, if it would just the hell rain soon!!!

Dry, Dry, Dry

We are going thru the worst drought since back in the 1930s and witnessing temperatures ranging from the mid 90s to a record high last week of 104.

My once beautiful yard is now brown and tomorrow will make four weeks since I've mowed. Hard to imagine this has happened, but alas, it has. The last time I can remember any significant rainfall was back in March.

With that in mind and 89 of Indiana's 92 counties under some kind of burn ban or advisory, it breaks my mind that neighbors of mine this evening are actually setting off fireworks.

You know, I know it's the patriotic thing to do, but let's face it, with this dryness we have right now on virtually everything, you would think common sense would tell you NOT to set of fireworks.

Many cities in Indiana either cancelled or postponed their fireworks because of the fire danger, which is so very real right now.

I stepped outside a few minutes ago and listened, and these folks are the ONLY ones I can hear in town setting them off.

The funny thing, I thought these folks would be the ones who were smart enough not to take any chances, and the ones I thought that would haven't set off that first one.

You can't predict human nature, I guess.

Home Once Again

After a first time trip to Vegas, Peggy got home this morning after spending the last 7 days in a condo out in the unreal world of the Strip along with her three sisters, a cousin and a friend.

They had a ball, including a trip to Hoover Dam, watching Cirque de Soleil, an evening with Jeff Dunham and a performance of Dancing With The Stars.

They made many memories along the way and had countless good times we haven't even had a chance to discuss yet.

I am so glad she is able to do these things with her family, and even though I was invited, I thought the time would be better enjoyed if I stayed home and let them do their own thing.

After an early morning flight out of Vegas into Cleveland and a prop plan trip back to Indianapolis from Cleveland, Peggy arrived home late this morning. She got unpacked, ate, and promptly fell asleep after being up for over 24 hours.

Late this afternoon I took her to Mezcal for an early evening meal, and, after getting out her computer, this is how I found her ten minutes after she logged on.

I would say she had a great time.

I am glad she's home, and I hate that she has to head right back to work tomorrow, because I would love to have about three straight days to spend with her.

However, the reality of the situation is that she goes back to work tomorrow and we have a family reunion we go to this coming weekend and get to spend Friday thru Sunday together non-stop at our favorite winter destination, the Clifty Inn at Clifty Falls State Park in Madison.

My time alone was busy, uneventful and I'm seriously glad she's back home now...

I would never make a good bachelor, trust me!

bogus

always the butt of the joke
always the one who suffered
yet
he took it like a man
and he faced
forward
each and everyday
he took the lumps
the blackeyes and beatings
he took the stares
the jokes
the laughter
and the lies
and
each day
he got up
he faced the day
and
he took it
again
and again
and
again
and again
and when he thought he
had no more left
to sustain him
he gathered that strength
and the wisdom
that had never failed him
and he turned the other cheek
used and abused
but all the stronger
and more admirable for it
he realized then
what truth and friendship
really and truly meant
and he realized all too well
the lies and deceit
that lie behind each
and
every
smile
and then
he found his
strength

and

he laughed

Shades Of Blue

Just when you thought it was safe
I have returned
For the soul purpose
Of
Screwing with your
Karma....

Sole?
Soul?
Purpose?
Porpoise?

Is that screw a flat head
Or,
is It a
Phillips

Is your karma
Your own
Or do you share it
Unknowingly
With someone
Quite unlike
Yourself?

Are you listening
or is it just
a
Pigment
of your
Imagination
and if it is,
Is it blue
Or indigo?

And just where did
Indy Go?

I Hate This Damned Day

Please get me thru this day.

One day each year I totally dread.

That day has arrived.

My father has been gone for over three decades now but I still miss him like it was just yesterday that he passed away.

My own son has turned his back on his family, for whatever selfish reasons he has. This isn't the first time, he did it once before the day we buried my mom and he disappeared for over three years.

Then, back into our lives he comes, albeit for only ten months or so, and then away he goes again.

So far this time it's been seven years.

He now has five sons of his own and I hope none of them ever treats him like he has treated us.

Hurt has turned to anger over the past few years.

Anyone who knows me knows that I try not to harbor ill feelings towards anyone.

My own son knows this and I guess it makes it easier for him to treat us the way he does.

He's going to be 39 years old this year.

I wonder if he's ever going to grow up and be a man and face life head on.

Somehow I doubt it.

So, as I sit back and let another Fathers Day go by, I hope he has a good day with his sons and I hope they treat him with dignity and respect and that they show him a lot of love.

Personally, I just hope Monday gets here quickly, because, quite frankly, I can't wait for this damned day to be over.

Spiritualized - Lay It Down Slow (Prison Break Finale Song)

Wow, such a beautiful tune and such awesome words!  I never tire of hearing this song...chokes me up each time I hear it!

WJOE - Pink Floyd Radio - All Day, All Night, All the Time! - Other radio on internet radio guide

WJOE - Pink Floyd Radio - All Day, All Night, All the Time! - Other radio on internet radio guide

Wishing...

He cast aside his dreams
He threw away his wishes
He became what she wanted him to be
And he discovered all too late
That as a dream girl
She was a freaking nightmare.
Then he wished for death...

The Purpose

The power of one soul
Driven forward
Embedded with the power of life
Traversing the Universe
Blindly,
Without direction
Moving at the speed of light
Focused on the now
Relinquishing nothing
Taking nothing
As well.
Forward driven,
Always forward
Searing thru atmosphere
After atmosphere
Homing in on the target
Already designated
By
The Holy One.
No repetition
No blockades
Nothing
Standing in its
Path
Bringing with it
The
Promise
Of the spark
That shall be
The creation
Of a new
One,
Whose future
Is already forecast
And
Predetermined
Until that time
When the force
Shall be collected
And set again
On a new and wondrous
Journey.

clear light

More has slipped thru my fingers than I've ever been able to hold onto. However, what I have been able to hold onto has been more than enough to sustain me and keep me smiling in this journey we call life.-

Gotta Love This

The following quote is NOT mine, but when I read it yesterday I totally fell in love with it and it was so good I had to share it.  One of the best put down lines I have ever heard:

If I had a shot of whiskey everytime I thought of you I'd be sober.

Premonitions?

I have always had the ability to "sense" certain events in my life.  Some good, some not so good.

Recently, I've been having some visions of things I would rather not see, let alone talk about.

I hope the things that are being "seen" by me right now do not transpire.

That's all I plan on saying about it.

At least, for now....

From January 18th, 1982

Due to my page just turning seven years old a few days ago, I decided to pull out my old handwritten entries from years ago, pick one out and post it here. I smile each time I read the following short entry I wrote over 30 years ago. It is indeed something quite different, but I remember how much fun I had writing it back then. Hope you enjoy it!

Barney

Barney put his glubs on and wondered what to do. He had been grazing at the television all afternoon at a restless match and decided this wasn't halfing any influenza on him, so he put his globs on and his new hooded Parkinson. Hells, the match had begun with a muchly Groided version of the Star Speckled Banana and this had really disappropriated hymn.

So, with nothing else to do, Barney despited to go out scorching for some female-type boards. He went down to the local dislocation and tried to pick up some duckies, but only receded in discotequing his sacrilegious. "Mishaps," he thought, "I should go to the drive in down on the boilermaker and adrink a boulevard or two and made some lude prepositions to some of the prosecutors that hang out there." He preceded to do this but only ended up being selected and had no contraception why.

In spite of all this, he taught maybe hge could still score some doggy somewhere, so he went cruding down by the bitch. But a lad, this puked to be of no availability ether, so he just home and read "Rustler" and masticated.

1/18/82

Seven Years

Seven years ago today I started this blogpage.

Seven years.

It's not always lived up to what I thought it would be when I started it, and other times it's far exceeded what I wanted to.

I've created controversy at times, I've had a mean spirited stalker who said he was supporting me yet found fault with everything I wrote and made sure to let me know it.

I've written a lot of poetry, some which I liked, some of which I loved and some of which I didn't much care for.

I've developed a following as such; those who I refer to as my Faithful Few and those who just happen by once in a while. I have readers who know me, those who don't and some who only think they know me.

I get e mails, phone calls, the very seldom comment and I have one reader who thinks everything I write is referring to them, which is by no means true. I guess Carly Simon's song "You're So Vain" does indeed fall into the "mundane" life of a blogger, albeit it indirectly.

There are aspects of my life that a lot of my poetry refers to. One of those things is the lack of a relationship with a certain family member, and it's a lot of those poems that people tend to think is relating to them.

Trust me, nothing could be further from the truth.

So, after seven years, I will continue to pursue my blogging, whether it be a poem, a short story, real or fiction, something that upsets me or excites me or is of interest to me.

I will continue to write some things that people will like, some they won't and some they think is about something else.

It's always up to you whether you continue to read or not.

I hope you continue, and I hope to occasionally hear from you all in some way or another.

I will continue to blog only when I feel like it or when it seems necessary to do so.

I know you won't always agree with what I write or like it, but I do hope you continue to read from time to time.

The words just beg to be set free every once in a while.

To quote myself: "Times they change as people do, but the past remains the same..."

Here's to another year of blogging!

Child of Destruction

Prejudice is the poison
That will destroy mankind.
Misplaced and unearned
Vanity,
Will begat
Prejudice,
And self induced
High esteem,
While unwarranted,
Will only end in a
Display
Of total
Ignorance.

From the book of Matthew:


In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,
came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake:
for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women,
Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;
and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy;
and did run to bring his disciples word.

28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail.
And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

28:10 Then said Jesus unto them,
Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

28:11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city,
and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

28:12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel,
they gave large money unto the soldiers,

28:13 Saying,
Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

28:14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

28:15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught:
and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee,
into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

From the book of Matthew:



17

¶ And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Gol'gotha:




18

where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.




19

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.




20

This title then read many of the Jews; for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.




21

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.




22

Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.




23

¶ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.




24

They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith,








They parted my raiment among them,



and for my vesture they did cast lots. Ps. 22.18







These things therefore the soldiers did.



25

¶ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cle'ophas, and Mary Mag'dalene.




26

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!




27

Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.




28

¶ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.




29

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. Ps. 69.21




30

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost

faze ten

hiding within
for oh so long
and now
surfacing
and
dominating
the force
held back for
so
long
now gains
control
and silently
and without notice
takes control
knowing that
now
relinquishing it
is not an option
nor a consideration
and all that was
past
is forever buried
in wasteland
that will never be
reopened
or
recovered

The new One
Is finally
Born
Long live
The new
One

Raising My Glass In A Special Toast

Back when I wrote Remembering Summer Heat Part Five, I spoke briefly of a young man we befriended that night named Val. Val was the Scout who took a liking to us and us to him as well, and he kind of attached himself to us that night.

I only recently learned Val's last name, which was Drake.

I thought of Val from time to time and memories of him always brought a smile to my face. Out of the two times we played at Greensburg High School, Val was only there the first time.

A couple of hours ago, I was reading the online edition of the Rushville Republican and came across Val's obituary.

I was dumbfounded and heartbroken, even though I had only met him the one time over 40 years ago. Val was just one of those nerdy guys that was looking for a friend back then, and that night, he had six.

Val, my long lost friend, you now have the best seat in the house for any concert you wish to see, and I hope that you and late Jay McGinnis have already met up and talked about that night down in Greensburg all those many years ago.

You were never forgotten, my friend. That I can assure you.

I now reprint Val's obituary here.

Godspeed, my long lost friend.

http://rushvillerepublican.com/obituaries/x1437240569/Val-H-Drake-59

For The Eighteenth Time!

For the eighteenth time since 1977, I have tickets to see Kiss live!

This time, it's a dual headlining tour with Motley Crue!

On Saturday night, September 1st at Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, IN, my friend Rick and I will be sitting under cover in the Pavillion to see the greatest rock show of all time!

We will also be blessed to have Legacy Parking Pass which gets us into our own private parking lot a short walking distance from the entrance and we will also be in the first lot to be emptied at the end of the evening as well. With our own exit drive and the fact that we will get out of our lot before any of the other lots are allowed to drive out, we will avoid the heavy traffic that always comes after a concert there.

The last time we went to a concert there to see them, we had the same parking pass and we were out of there and on our way home on the highway in mere minutes.

So, even though Spring has just arrived, I now have something to look forward to as Summer 2012 begins to draw to an end on Labor Day weekend.

"You wanted the best, you got the best...the hottest band in the world: KISS!"

Remarkable Spring So Far

Buds and blossoms, grass growing and getting mowed, a harvest of kindling for the firepit and the promise of many a peaceful evening overlooking the road while a fire burns and crackles and provides the atmosphere for many a nice and relaxing Spring evening.

Unbelieveable warm weather has been the order of the day for the past two weeks. Temperatures have soared into the 70s and 80s and 8 out of the last 9 days have seen record setting high temperatures here in East Central Indiana.

I've been able to get a vast amount of outside work done in preparation of the upcoming "outdoor" season. Good thing, too, as the weatherman is telling us rain is moving in for the next 24-48 hours and the possibility of up to two inches of rain, which will only promote even more Springtime growth. Temperatures should drop into the 60s and 70s for the next week or so, which is still 10 to 20 degrees above normal.

I guess a couple of days of rain won't be a bad thing since I need to be getting tax items ready to go to the accountant in another week or so. It will be a nice thing to be able to get that work done, but I have to admit, I'm looking forward to more days outside and more work getting done in the fantastic weather we are having.

The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg Is All But Laid To Rest

I've been saying for years that Nascar wouldn't be content until they killed the goose that laid the golden egg. I believe they have finally done it!

The above picture shows attendance at this past Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Considering that this race used to always be a sellout and that people NEVER gave up their tickets, and in most cases willed them to family members after their deaths, to say that attendance was down a bit would be a gross understatement.

A change in the track surfacing and a move to progressive banking has allowed for more side to side racing and less of the old "bump and run" style that Bristol used to be known for.

In consistencies in the handling of rules violators as has been evidenced against the Jimmie Johnson #48 team has also driven a lot of fans away. Chad Knaus, crew chief for the #48, has been caught cheating in various ways in Nascar at least nine times in the past. Last year at Talladega he told his driver, on camera, that if he won the race to make sure he wrecked the back end of the car. Nascar did nothing about this, of course, because this is their only "five times in a row" champion. Sorry, but as many times as this team has been caught cheating, I put no value in a single one of those championships because I truly don't believe any single one of them was won without cheating in some way, shape or form.

At Daytona this year, before the car ever made it on the track, it was found that they had altered the body area behind the C post in an effort to make the car more aerodynamic. Nascar fined, penalized points and suspended Knaus and another member of the team. Team owner Rick Hendrick filed an appeal, which they lost last week, and then filed a second and final appeal, which today resulted in no docking of points, no suspensions and the $100,000 fine against Knaus left intact.

So, basically, Nascar told Knaus and the #48 team, if you cheat, you're going to lose some money out of your pocket(right, like that's really coming out of Knaus's pocket) but you can keep your points and keep right on working and doing your best to cheat again.

Had this been any other team, I think all the penalties would have stood up. Nascar just doesn't want to take a chance away from their fair-haired boy and his team not winning more championships, regardless of how they do it.

However, I'm sure as any true fan of the sport will concur, it's costing them far more in the long run. Looking at the empty seats at a race that was always sold out should tell Nascar something. They don't even sell out their Crown Jewel race anymore, The Daytona 500.

Why would you want to sit and watch a race where certain teams are given every chance to cheat and win? Why would you, as a sponsor, want your name on the car that obviously likes to cheat to win?

The empty seats tell the tale, the slip in television ratings tells the tale and the number of diehard fans that now tell you they don't watch it all that closely anymore hasn't been enough to get Nascar to start treating everyone the same.

Until that happens, more and more people are going to quit going to races and quit watching them on television.

I, for one, along with a lot of others, will never frequent a Lowes store as long as they continue to give millions of dollars worth of sponsorship support to a team that refuses to play fairly.

I have no respect at all for Chad Knaus or the #48 team, I have no respect for Jimmie Johnson as a driver and I have no respect for any of his five championships.

I also have no respect for Nascar simply because they themselves refuse to play by the rules that they themselves have written.

And while I might watch a half dozen or so races a year from now on, I will no longer watch it week in and week out and I won't be supporting all the sponsors of the sport like I used to.

And like I previously mentioned, I will never walk into a Lowes store ever again as long as they have their name on Jimmie Johnson's vehicle.

Nascar, you took aim on that goose for a lot of years and you kept taking shots at it, and finally, after a lot of misses, you made a direct hit this year.

The only thing left to do is bury the poor animal before it starts putrifying!

Springing Into Spring

The first day of Spring 2012 has arrived, and unlike most chilly Indiana Spring's, this one feels like a day in Summer. We have been experiencing a most unlikely warm Spring so far, and several records have been broken as temperatures for the past week have been in the upper 70s and lower 80s. Today, another record should fall as we creep into the mid 80s with temperatures forecast to hit 85.

This past Saturday I mowed for the first time, and if memory serves me correctly, I have never mowed that early, ever! As green as that grass is and as quickly as it is growing, I am pretty certain either later today or tomorrow I'll be mowing yet again.

The nice thing this year, I have all the time in the world I need to keep up with the grass. I'm not locked into mowing on weekends or after work only as I can now mow whenever I take a notion to.

I have several outdoor projects in mind and all the time in the world now to do them. I can have my coffee out on the porch, build a small fire in the firepit and cook meals and I can take my Bose outside and listen to tunes while reading a favorite book.

Hopefully this will be the nicest Spring I've experienced since I graduated from high school 42 years ago. These small little things that don't seem important to many mean the world to me and these are the days of my early retirement that I have been looking most forward to.

And with those words out of the way, it's off to venture the world of Spring 2012 and the first Spring of my retirement. To each of you, my Faithful Few and those of you who may have ventured by on your first visit, I humbly wish you a wonderful first day of Spring and hope you enjoy yours as much as I'm sure I will mine.

Zayden Update

Zayden's RSV swab came back negative, so they are ruling out RSV as the cause for today's health issues. However, they still aren't certain what is causing the little 16 month old so much respiratory distress. It's quite possible it be asthma, but it's not certain as of yet.

He is slowly improving and his Dad told me that earlier while holding him Zayden managed to give his Daddy about a half a dozen little punches.

That's a good sign to me, for sure!

Get better, Zayden!

Zayden

I just received word less than a half hour ago that our 16 month old nephew, Zayden, was Lifelined by helicopter this morning from Richmond to Indianapolis with a severe case of RSV. That's all I really know at this time.

I would like to ask those of my Faithful Few who read this today to please keep him in your prayers. Hopefully those prayers will be answered and answered quickly.

Thanks so much for the prayers, the postive karma and good vibes.

He needs them all this morning.

317

Words aren't invented
Words are begat
Of feelings that are
Lived
During times without limits
And emotions awaiting
To be free
I call upon the depths
Of night's legions
To aid my heart
And compel me to cope
With unchained passion
That's depths remain
Unheralded
In days without
Number
And smiles without
Tears...

March Madness, 2012

Up until last year, I never understood the hype of college basketball.

Then, on March 2nd, 2011, I underwent shoulder surgery and began that painful recuperation period at home with absolutely nothing but therapy to do.

So, I took advantage of the March Madness broadcasts and got caught up in the frenzy of college basketball, and that hooked me!

This year, being retired, I have the ability to watch the games without the distraction of the pain I was in a year ago. I also have the ability to enjoy some cold ones and have some delicious munchies in the process.

Two hours from now, CBS begins the broadcasting, along with other games televised by TruTV, TBS and TNT.

The next few days will be busy with the games, then a few days off followed by more games next weekend as well!

Let me heartily say, "Let the games begin!"