This entry has no title. Somethings just stand by themselves. I don't know Tom well, but I would consider him a friend. There are some people in your life that you just connect with. I respect Tom...I'll let the obituary for his wife tell the story. If you don't get it, check your heart. And if you can't say this about your bride, it's not too late to start. Me - I'm starting again tonight...

"...She is survived, loved and admired by her husband of 50 years, Thomas Hussey..."

Next blogs and a few changes

This list is mostly for me...next things to write about. It's been busy, and I don't want to forget.

-Breakfast with 5 girls, a man and his father
-Breakfast with another friend
-Homefries and onions
anyone seeing a theme here?
-Buildings (with a guest image from France)
-Traveling friends
-Brookgreen - this one may be a little too personal to put in a public blog
-Refining the Audacity of Hope entry
-Yowza (wonder if I spelled that one right)
-My first 'adult' childrens book "the mouse in the corner" (don't take 'adult' wrong)
-Why I write according to Chuck (he may be right)
-Trophy wives

Oh...I have a long list of places that have visited my site. It's kind of cool, but now I realize a misrepresentation. Some come on purpose, some find my site and linger, and some show up by pure mistake and leave as quickly as they arrive. I'll be thinning the list, and then only adding those places in that remain for more than a few seconds.

Audacity of Hope

I'll throw too many cards on the table at once. I guess it fits my personality...I don't play poker. The posing and the face and the charade of it. I'd rather just throw all the cards on the table and get it out there and over. Somebody wins...somebody loses. Poker really is a game about lying isn't it. It's not who has the cards, it's about what cards everybody else thinks you have. How did I get here?!

A "presumptuous" friend (good friends can be presumptious) gave me Obama's book. So, here are my cards. I don't trust Obama. I'm still waiting for the content behind all the spin to reveal itself. But then, how many politicians do I trust? I like George Bush - a lot. I'm not so sure about his politics anymore, but I like the man that he is. Principled, decisive...George Bush is a good man. I have another good friend who will support that...but his story if for another day. Back to Obama, I don't think I like the man, but I like the things he writes about. For one, "hope." Obama writes about things that are not poker like at all. Consensus, the little people and the little things that make all the difference. He writes in a very real sense. He writes about a world that doesn't have to have winners and losers. A world without Poker. A world where we're all working together to make each other just a little better.

I'm not sure I like Obama, but I like what he has to say...

German is synonomous for "Friendly"

Let me share a dialogue with you...

To the project manager, "...this is the reminder for you to order one Kiosk from the "friendly Germans" at ADA height for the CTL kiosk..."

Interjected by the German architect, "German is synonymous for friendly and (friendly) does not have to be added or in quotation marks! From now on, if say the word German you will visualize a happy German couple dancing in traditional clothing and drinking beer." (See photo).

As for me, I have not yet met an unfriendly German, so I guess I have to agree! But more importantly, as I grow older (but not yet old), I'm blessed to have so many friends. Two of which are in the dialogue above. Life is good!!! Now, about that Belgium Beer?

A dark alley...

How would you like to run into this guy in a dark alley...or see him pull into your driveway on a quiet 4th of July. I grew up knowing the rumble of a Harley Davidson. Learned that a straight 1200 is never enough, that's why you overbore. I've observed that you don't do 80mph around curves when they're cutting silage, and that there are people who measure the calendar by the accidents that almost took their lives. But I also know that in many ways, they're an aweful lot like you and me. Problems with their kids, a little image conscious, maybe just trying to connect every once in a while. On second thought, I just might want to meet this guy on a dark night, especially if my car is broken down. He's a 1st cousin showing off his $1,700 paint job, and it was great to catch up after so many years. And I'll admit it, I really do like that rumble of of 1,560 overbored cc's of American Steel - how appropriate for the 4th of July!

A book?

Some day I'm going to write a book. It will probobally only be of interest to a couple dozen people, half of those I'm related to ; ) But it will be important to me...and to those people. I'll title it, The men in my life. Don't get it wrong - I'm not referring to anything homosexual - not that there's anything wrong with that (thank you Jerry Seinfeld). I'm thinking more along the lines of Proverbs 27:17 "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." As men, we need others to rely on, to strengthen and to gain strength from. Men to mentor, and men to mentor us. I've been blessed with those men, and someday I'd love to tell their stories. Some of those men have been with me for a lifetime...thanks Dad. Others, only days...thanks Kermet Remele. Others have remained for precisely the amount of time God has wanted them to. Thanks Gary and Chuck and Gene and Chip and Shane and... If you don't understand, you're missing out. And if you do understand, but don't open up to the "men in your life," you're worse than missing out. I know, I'm rambling!

Remembering...It's what I do

I wasn't in Vietnam, too young. Still, I feel connected to this, and any other war memorial - I take time for them. I served proudly and realize now that I was blessed to never see combat. I feel for the men who did, and I try and instill in my children a patriotism appropriate for the future. A respect for those men and women who have blessed us with our freedom at such great a cost. I don't think my youngest yet understands what the Vietnam Wall represents, but she will. What she did understand that day, is that these names are so important. I felt the photo on the left really illustrates what I want them to learn - to know. We may not be familiar with their names, but still we should honor them. Even if with just a fleeting touch of a 7 year old on a warm Memorial Day. And that guy on the right? I'll say a prayer for him tonight...for all of them.

Dance

The picture's fuzzy to protect the innocent, not because the photographer is lousy. All three of my little angels and their mother performed this night. Great coutumes, great routines, absolutely stunning. Michael Jackson has nothing on these girls...

"Green" gone just a little too far

Balloons (or Gavi, what are you doing?)

Breakfast is a tradition in our home. Sometimes in - often out. We often go to this place that after the meal, the children get a choice of a toy or a treat. Hadassah and Eli choose something good or cool, but Gavi - Gavi picked a balloon. "What are you doing? Why did you pick a balloon?" I said, "there are so many things in the box." She was insistent, the balloon. Out the door we went.

I forgot to mention, this particular day was our anniversary...and mom actually joined us. She doesn't usually. When we got home, Gavi disappeared. And like magic, reappeared - balloon in hand, heart print facing forward. "Happy Anniversary!" she said. My heart melted. My middle girly chose her prize for us. What more can I say...

Cool slow motion video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX6aerxQPOs

A blue suit faux pas

I was at a conference today. Off white pants, blue shirt (no tie) and dapper sports coat. I walked into the 'executive washroom,' and there they were. Three men, all in identical dark blue suits. 4 spots on the wall, three suits...so I stepped up, careful not to look at anyone...careful not to turn my head more than a degree either direction. But then, I always have this odd sense of humor, I couldn't resist, "Look at you guys in your matching blue suits, I feel under dressed to use the bathroom." Two of them actually laughed, and one said, "as long as you have the right tie - that's what matters." The third guy just left! I've never been one for etiquite...even in the bathroom!

Ode to a scheduled Power Outage - A Haiku

Soft rain dripping? No!
Cool spring, Generators sing
Swish, spark, click, complete

Diplomacy...A game, or a way of life?

There's a great all day game called Diplomacy. There's also a way of dealing with others...again, it's diplomacy. And sometimes it's time to take a little breather from trying to do all the right stuff for all the right reasons and working hard to keep thing on an even keel. When I'm at that point I rely on my long term hero, Captain James T. Kirk...