Three whole days

Hello three-day weekend! A chance to sleep late (or as late as the kids will allow), get some yard work done, and grill or barbeque; but more than that it’s Memorial Day.
I am fortunate enough to not have had to fight in a war – at least not yet, lets just hope dubbya behaves himself better during his lame duck period.
Thinking about it I realized that up until my generation all the males on both sides of my immediate family have served. My paternal grandfather fought in WWI and WWII, my father also served during WWII. My mother’s father was in WWII, her one brother was in Korea and her younger brother was in Vietnam. All made it home safe and sound - even the one who landed and took off in a mortar barrage and then later was shot down twice over Vietnam.
I guess we were all REALLY fortunate in one way or another. I hope the next generation is as well.
Well, have a fantastic holiday weekend, get out, enjoy the sunshine, eat whatever you want, have a drink or two, and be merry.

Get Smarter - Let Your Mind Go Blank

I drive way too much, about 70 miles a day Monday through Friday. I liked riding the train better, I had time to sleep, read, listen to music, study for a class, think, or just stare out the window and let my mind go blank. While I spend the same time driving as I did on the train, and the cost is about the same, I really miss the train – I cant let my mind go blank doing 50 merging into traffic.
I find I drive way too fast as well, not that I’m an aggressive driver, nor a reckless one either, it’s just that at 5:30 am the prevailing speed on the Turnpike is about 80-85 mph – not too bad at all. I’m comfortable with that, I like to drive fast, the sooner I get to where I’m going the better.
I still miss the train, when I got off the train I could feel more refreshed, informed, calm. I think when I stopped riding the train is when I ran out of time to read, and that’s probably the worst part of all this. I liked reading on the train, I could go through a book in no time, now I’m lucky to read cnn.com for more than a few minutes at a time, or compose an entry for this blog. Good thing I take lunch at my desk – time to surf for my own enjoyment or edification.

I guess Miller was right in Repo Man, “The more you drive the less intelligent you are.” Maybe I need to find another job in the city so I can let my mind go blank and get smart again.

Viva Cinco de Mayo!

Today is Cinco de Mayo its history is here. Given the recent flap over immigrantion perhaps it would also be a good idea to read this interpretation of the holiday’s significance as well. We may owe more of our own freedoms to Mexico than we may realize.

Either way I plan on celebrating my usual way, a margarita or three beside the chiminea under the stars. I find the timing of Cinco de Mayo perfect, ushering in the warm nights and warmer days ahead. The air is sweet, colors abound, and life is surging everywhere - perfect excuse for a fiesta. I may make my signature Blackened Shrimp with Avocado as well. You'll have to email me for that recipe.

What comes around goes around in Disney World

After a full morning of blowing kisses to Princesses, Nicholas discovers some kiss back.

Spring's fervent admirer

Spring is here. The trees are green, pink, red, and purple. Flowers are blooming, the grass is a deep green again and the air is perfumed with fresh-cut grass and flowers. Life is good. …not that it ever got bad.

Still, I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that within a week’s time a friend has passed and he will no longer see another spring, nor bee, nor snow, nothing. He’s stopped being.

It’s nothing new, it happens thousands of times a day, someone or something stops being. A deer, a teacher, a fish, a child, each had it’s life, each saw the sun, felt warm and cold, felt fear and hunger, but no more. Some die quickly, some slowly. Some live to be old, some very young - they all had a life and it was theirs alone.

Maybe I’m having trouble because it’s spring. I can recall about 25 springs that included him, talking, driving around, going to the park, listening to music, laughing, bullshitting under the stars in a warm breeze. Appreciating, no, wallowing in the fact we were alive and that life is good. Life is still good - but it has one less fervent admirer.

To the right you’ll see Runner’s Favs, contemporary music by no means, but quintessential Bill.