---Blackberry in use---
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Project 365/106
---Blackberry in use---
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Project 365/105
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Project 365/104
---Blackberry in use---
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Project 365/103
Monday, April 12, 2010
Project 365/102
Today's picture is from a cardiac monitor. If you're not medically inclined, it's not a normal cardiac rhythm. It's not even a true cardiac rhythm. It's the monitor's recording of the actions of my hands attempting to beat a few minutes, hours, or days back into someone's life after a cardiac arrest...at least enough time for this person and their family to say their goodbyes in a more peaceful way, as opposed to letting it slip away in an ambulance full of technicians and an ER full of doctors and nurses.
Today is my birthday. When I look at the wave forms on this strip of paper, I wonder about all the birthdays this person had. The joys and laughter, the sorrow and pain...what did this person experience in their many years? Were they ready for this time to come? Did they expect to have a man twice their size and half their age pounding away on their chest, hoping to give their family some few extra minutes? Or had they loved enough, given more than they could afford, and looked forward to this twilight?
I told the paramedic who was leading this call, "when I'm this age, don't do this to me." A good friend, she understood what I was saying.
I hope when that twilight comes, I will have lived the life I wanted...loved and accepted....
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Week 4 - Love is Thoughtful
How precious also are your thoughts to me...How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. ~ Psalm 139:17-18
When I read the title for this week's portion of The Love Dare, my first thought was "this will be about random acts of kindness," but I was wrong. While we do like to be thought of by our mates, and have little, unexpected things done for us, this week's lesson was more about HOW we think.
We men are very linear thinkers. We focus on one subject at a time and excel at it. While this might have been quite useful in our ancient hunter-killer days, and is still useful occasionally when we find ourselves under pressure, it can work against us. Therapist and I like to say I have my "boxes" of thought; let me have one, maybe two boxes open at any given time, and I'm fine. But I reach a point when I've got to close some boxes before I open new boxes of thought.
Women, on the other hand, are masters of multi-tasking thought. They can cook, clean, talk on the phone, and keep up with the kids, all at once! Therapist has a graduate degree in this, with four kids to corral at home, to school, back and forth between sporting events, and now getting to factor me and Mini-Me into the picture on occasion. But that's one of the things I love about her, and love to just watch and admire as an art form of its own.
About "love being thoughtful" thought, it's more about us understanding that we're genetically wired to think differently. In a relationship, we've got to learn to understand that dynamic. There's another study series that describes men and women as having "blue" and "pink" hearing aids, megaphones, and glasses. How I communicate in a "blue/guy" way, Therapist may hear, process, and understand from a "pink/woman" perspective...and miss the message. Of course this works in reverse too. Maybe we need to learn how to both speak "purple" !
Seriously though, I'm blessed with Therapist. She's shown that understands this dynamic in communication (and mis-communication!), and we do take a lot of time to make sure we both speak and understand clearly.
Love is Patient, Kind, Unselfish, and Thoughtful! And it is a LOT of FUN!!!
When I read the title for this week's portion of The Love Dare, my first thought was "this will be about random acts of kindness," but I was wrong. While we do like to be thought of by our mates, and have little, unexpected things done for us, this week's lesson was more about HOW we think.
We men are very linear thinkers. We focus on one subject at a time and excel at it. While this might have been quite useful in our ancient hunter-killer days, and is still useful occasionally when we find ourselves under pressure, it can work against us. Therapist and I like to say I have my "boxes" of thought; let me have one, maybe two boxes open at any given time, and I'm fine. But I reach a point when I've got to close some boxes before I open new boxes of thought.
Women, on the other hand, are masters of multi-tasking thought. They can cook, clean, talk on the phone, and keep up with the kids, all at once! Therapist has a graduate degree in this, with four kids to corral at home, to school, back and forth between sporting events, and now getting to factor me and Mini-Me into the picture on occasion. But that's one of the things I love about her, and love to just watch and admire as an art form of its own.
About "love being thoughtful" thought, it's more about us understanding that we're genetically wired to think differently. In a relationship, we've got to learn to understand that dynamic. There's another study series that describes men and women as having "blue" and "pink" hearing aids, megaphones, and glasses. How I communicate in a "blue/guy" way, Therapist may hear, process, and understand from a "pink/woman" perspective...and miss the message. Of course this works in reverse too. Maybe we need to learn how to both speak "purple" !
Seriously though, I'm blessed with Therapist. She's shown that understands this dynamic in communication (and mis-communication!), and we do take a lot of time to make sure we both speak and understand clearly.
Love is Patient, Kind, Unselfish, and Thoughtful! And it is a LOT of FUN!!!
Project 365/101
---Blackberry in use---
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Project 365/100
---Blackberry in use---
Friday, April 9, 2010
Project 365/99
---Blackberry in use---
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Project 365/98
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Project 365/97
Death met the sting today in my office window.
I'll walk into a burning building. I'll put on a plastic suit and walk into a cloud of deadly chemicals. I'll cut you out of your wrecked car on a busy highway. I've held anthrax and plague bacteria in my hands. But fat, buzzing, stinging insects raise the hair on my neck every time. Maybe its due to a nasty run-in with a swarm of yellow jackets when I was a kid. Who knows.
But this bee knows he won't bother me again.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Project 365/96
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Week 3 - Love is not selfish
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. ~ Romans 12:10
We are naturally selfish. We want the best for ourselves...we are the most important people we know. When I teach firefighters and emergency medical folks, I give them three safety rules to live by:
(Note: I've written and deleted several lines right here.....not sure how to get my thoughts into the proper sequence of words...I hate it when I have a writer's block!)
All I can say is the relationship I'm in with Therapist hasn't allowed me time to be selfish. It's much easier to be unselfish when the other person is also unselfish in giving to the relationship. Some may not like those words, but I really can't think of another way to say it. We put the mechanics of the relationship ahead of our own individual wants and needs. I love the way we take "time out" just to assess where we are and how we're doing. We may not be able to sit down and adequately describe what we want or expect our relationship to be, we do know we always want to make it better.
This week's dare is to do something unselfish for her. There's already several opportunities I'm aware of, but I won't be sharing them with you....(giggling a little)...because it would be selfish for me to do that!
Go do something for your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend, something unselfish and unexpected! Have a good week, too!
We are naturally selfish. We want the best for ourselves...we are the most important people we know. When I teach firefighters and emergency medical folks, I give them three safety rules to live by:
1. At the end of the day, I'm going home. (translation: I'm the most important person on the scene.)Those rules are good for working an emergency scene, but they're probably not the rules for relationships. In love, we're challenged to put the needs of our husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend ahead of our own needs. Noble, yes. Difficult....YES! If we're naturally selfish beings, it is very challenging for us to put the needs and desires of another ahead of our own.
2. If you're on my team, I'm going to do my best to make sure you go home too. (translation: I'm going to look out for you, but Rule 1 applies first.)
3. I expect you to apply these rules to yourself.
(Note: I've written and deleted several lines right here.....not sure how to get my thoughts into the proper sequence of words...I hate it when I have a writer's block!)
All I can say is the relationship I'm in with Therapist hasn't allowed me time to be selfish. It's much easier to be unselfish when the other person is also unselfish in giving to the relationship. Some may not like those words, but I really can't think of another way to say it. We put the mechanics of the relationship ahead of our own individual wants and needs. I love the way we take "time out" just to assess where we are and how we're doing. We may not be able to sit down and adequately describe what we want or expect our relationship to be, we do know we always want to make it better.
This week's dare is to do something unselfish for her. There's already several opportunities I'm aware of, but I won't be sharing them with you....(giggling a little)...because it would be selfish for me to do that!
Go do something for your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend, something unselfish and unexpected! Have a good week, too!
Project 365/94
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Project 365/92
Y'all know what? I SURE DO!!!!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
U.S. Representative Hank Johnson from Georgia's 4th Congressional District. The esteemed Congressman Johnson is questioning a US Navy Admiral about excessive troops being stationed on the island of Guam. Listen carefully, especially to his question at about 1:20 on the video timer.
All I can say is the admiral has way more "cool" than I would have had in the same circumstance. And that I'm SO glad that Mississippi didn't send this guy to Washington!
All I can say is the admiral has way more "cool" than I would have had in the same circumstance. And that I'm SO glad that Mississippi didn't send this guy to Washington!
Project 365/91
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Project 365/89
Monday, March 29, 2010
Project 365/88
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Week 2 - Love is Kind
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:32
Last week's theme was about the patience of love. This week is patience's cousin: kindness.
Patience holds your tongue when desires aren't met. Kindness jumps all over positive situations. Patience avoids, where kindness takes advantage. Patience is preventative, kindness is proactive.
Without reservation, Therapist is certainly an kind person. From knowing her parents, she gets it naturally. But I also think she's learned that working towards patience and kindness repays the effort in a relationship.
I'll admit through our time together, I've let myself slip some in actively showing kindness. But that's why I'm walking back through The Love Dare again, one week at a time... I want to give her those random acts of kindness, especially when they come as a surprise. But when you read the verse from Ephesians, you'll see that kindness isn't about "me" ... We're called to be kind because of the kindness that is shown and given to us by God.
Last week's theme was about the patience of love. This week is patience's cousin: kindness.
Patience holds your tongue when desires aren't met. Kindness jumps all over positive situations. Patience avoids, where kindness takes advantage. Patience is preventative, kindness is proactive.
Without reservation, Therapist is certainly an kind person. From knowing her parents, she gets it naturally. But I also think she's learned that working towards patience and kindness repays the effort in a relationship.
I'll admit through our time together, I've let myself slip some in actively showing kindness. But that's why I'm walking back through The Love Dare again, one week at a time... I want to give her those random acts of kindness, especially when they come as a surprise. But when you read the verse from Ephesians, you'll see that kindness isn't about "me" ... We're called to be kind because of the kindness that is shown and given to us by God.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Just thinking some...
CB gave me this passage today, and she has my thanks. I'm still letting it roll around in my head for now. Maybe in a few days I'll flesh out my thoughts and post them.
2 Corinthians 2
1-2That's why I decided not to make another visit that could only be painful to both of us. If by merely showing up I would put you in an embarrassingly painful position, how would you then be free to cheer and refresh me? 3-4That was my reason for writing a letter instead of coming—so I wouldn't have to spend a miserable time disappointing the very friends I had looked forward to cheering me up. I was convinced at the time I wrote it that what was best for me was also best for you. As it turned out, there was pain enough just in writing that letter, more tears than ink on the parchment. But I didn't write it to cause pain; I wrote it so you would know how much I care—oh, more than care—love you!
5-8Now, regarding the one who started all this—the person in question who caused all this pain—I want you to know that I am not the one injured in this as much as, with a few exceptions, all of you. So I don't want to come down too hard. What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough. Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it. My counsel now is to pour on the love.
9-11The focus of my letter wasn't on punishing the offender but on getting you to take responsibility for the health of the church. So if you forgive him, I forgive him. Don't think I'm carrying around a list of personal grudges. The fact is that I'm joining in with your forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. After all, we don't want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we're not oblivious to his sly ways!
Saturday musings...
While I recline on my couch, with "American Gangster" blasting from the surround sound and 42 inches of plasma light...random thoughts....
---
The United States Government has a form laying before me on the table, asking questions. How many people live here: 1. They want my phone number: Bellsouth white pages. They want my name: phone book or US Postal Service, or any one of the number of unsolicited advertisers that send me junk mail. My date of birth: Since you have my name, contact the Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. My race/ethnicity: AMERICAN!... with no hyphens. Oh yeah, in addition to the letter they sent me saying they would be sending the survey form, they also sent me a postcard telling me they had indeed sent the forms. Love my tax dollars at work!
---
A special thanks to CB for listening to my verbal ramblings today. They're far less filtered and less organized than what makes it to these posts. To sum up the conversation in three words, it is "grace confounds us." Confound comes to us through Middle English from Anglo-French, derived from the Latin confundere - meaning to pour together. The purity of grace poured into the sinner's life...we just can't understand or comprehend all of it.
---
I wonder if any correlation has been shown to exist between chronic health problems (cardiovascular, diabetes, kidney, etc) and populations that receive higher percentages of government social programs. Is spending more on the problem making the problem worse? Or is it politically incorrect to ask those questions?
---
All out of thoughts, the movie has captured my interest, along with a bowl of popcorn. Look forward to Love Dare Week 2 sometime soon!
---
The United States Government has a form laying before me on the table, asking questions. How many people live here: 1. They want my phone number: Bellsouth white pages. They want my name: phone book or US Postal Service, or any one of the number of unsolicited advertisers that send me junk mail. My date of birth: Since you have my name, contact the Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. My race/ethnicity: AMERICAN!... with no hyphens. Oh yeah, in addition to the letter they sent me saying they would be sending the survey form, they also sent me a postcard telling me they had indeed sent the forms. Love my tax dollars at work!
---
A special thanks to CB for listening to my verbal ramblings today. They're far less filtered and less organized than what makes it to these posts. To sum up the conversation in three words, it is "grace confounds us." Confound comes to us through Middle English from Anglo-French, derived from the Latin confundere - meaning to pour together. The purity of grace poured into the sinner's life...we just can't understand or comprehend all of it.
---
I wonder if any correlation has been shown to exist between chronic health problems (cardiovascular, diabetes, kidney, etc) and populations that receive higher percentages of government social programs. Is spending more on the problem making the problem worse? Or is it politically incorrect to ask those questions?
---
All out of thoughts, the movie has captured my interest, along with a bowl of popcorn. Look forward to Love Dare Week 2 sometime soon!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Project 365/85
Mini-Me at Delta Cotillion, waiting on a dance to start. He was sooo excited [insert sarcasm here].
The Master Plan
I could sit and watch stuff like this for hours. No matter how perfect the relationship between Nature and mathematical principles, there's just no way I can be left believing that everything we see around us was the result of pure chance (evolution)....there IS a Master Planner.
Nature by Numbers from Cristóbal Vila on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Project 365/84
---Blackberry in use---
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Project 365/83
---Blackberry in use---
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Week 1 - Love is Patient
Note: This will be the first in a series of forty weekly notes about my current walk through The Love Dare. I know, it's designed as a 40-day study, but I'm going to tackle it as a 40-week one. I want to walk through it slowly, to absorb as much of the experience as I can. I debated whether to even blog this study. But in the end, I decided to, because I've found that writing my thoughts gives me a different perspective to focus on them again, and it gives me a historical perspective at some point in the future. There's some form of therapy in writing.
Week 1 - Love is Patient
This was actually last week (March 14th - 20th), but I'm just now getting to blogging about it.
I take some pride in being what I hope is a patient person. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too patient. By that, I wonder if patience isn't sometimes viewed as being disconnected. But enough about me. I don't want this series to be about me.
I want this series to be about me and Therapist.
Thankfully, I haven't had to practice too much patience with her. I'm not sure I can say the same for her though. I'm quite positive there's been more than a few occasions where she could have lost her patience with me. But she's chosen not to. And for that, I am thankful.
Patience is a choice. It's not natural for us, because we're wired for selfish self-preservation. Therapist makes the choice for patience very well, and for that I am thankful. I'm even more thankful for the fact that I've not had my patience tested by her. I'm not foolish enough to think that it will never happen, as patience is tested when a desire is met with disappointment. Everyone fails. My test of patience isn't so much with others, but it's with myself. I know people fail. I just have to learn to accept that sometimes my desires and expectations may not be met, therefore it's a test of patience with myself.
I'm thankful for Therapist's patience. If I can ask for "patience credit" from her, then I need to start making deposits into that account, because I'm sure the day will come I'll need to swipe that card.
Week 1 - Love is Patient
This was actually last week (March 14th - 20th), but I'm just now getting to blogging about it.
I take some pride in being what I hope is a patient person. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too patient. By that, I wonder if patience isn't sometimes viewed as being disconnected. But enough about me. I don't want this series to be about me.
I want this series to be about me and Therapist.
Thankfully, I haven't had to practice too much patience with her. I'm not sure I can say the same for her though. I'm quite positive there's been more than a few occasions where she could have lost her patience with me. But she's chosen not to. And for that, I am thankful.
Patience is a choice. It's not natural for us, because we're wired for selfish self-preservation. Therapist makes the choice for patience very well, and for that I am thankful. I'm even more thankful for the fact that I've not had my patience tested by her. I'm not foolish enough to think that it will never happen, as patience is tested when a desire is met with disappointment. Everyone fails. My test of patience isn't so much with others, but it's with myself. I know people fail. I just have to learn to accept that sometimes my desires and expectations may not be met, therefore it's a test of patience with myself.
I'm thankful for Therapist's patience. If I can ask for "patience credit" from her, then I need to start making deposits into that account, because I'm sure the day will come I'll need to swipe that card.
Government
I have a set of skills, that through some negotiation, have been determined valuable to the State of Mississippi, and in trade for me supplying those skills, the state compensates me for my time, effort, and expertise. Fair trade in my book. I'm satisfied with what they pay me, and apparently they're satisfied with my work. We're both happy.
Now let's consider a smart, highly intelligent person, who decided to challenge themselves to the long months and years of medical school. They invested their own monies (borrowed probably from family, sometimes through student loans to be paid back) and sacrificed a long portion of their lives to gain a highly valuable skill - the ability to offer a healing hand to the sick and injured. As a patient, I recognize both my need for the physician's skills, and I agree to pay them for their time, their effort, and their expertise. Again, a fair trade in my book. If at any time I don't like it, I am free to find another physician. If I've chosen live my life in a manner that brings me the rewards offered in a free market environment (getting paid for what I can do for someone else), maybe I'm able to pay my physician directly. Perhaps I've also chosen to watch after my own health, monitor my diet, exercise, be proactive in being educated about my own health and limit the time I spend seeking the counsel of my doctor, I can save money over the long term. And on the outside chance that I suffer a devastating illness, I chose to enter into a private contract with a firm that is in mutual contract with other individuals, who pay a small fee to the company to invest. Should I ever need to exercise the contract (insurance) then I will be paid from those investments. I know what that insurance contract will cover, and what it will not. Again, a pre-arranged business contract; I pay for a service. Simple.
Now.....
WHAT IN THE WORLD leads ANYONE to think that because they've chosen not to gain marketable job skills, and don't give a flying darn about their own general health....WHAT DO THEY THINK gives them the RIGHT to tap into MY pocket to fund THEIR health care? WHAT DO THEY THINK gives them the RIGHT to demand the physician to GIVE them what he's worked so hard to develop into a MARKETABLE job skill????
If you chose a poor health lifestyle, you get heart disease, you get diabetes, you toast your liver from alcohol abuse, you get lung cancer from chain smoking. Those were your CHOICES.
Because of your poor choices, you're expecting me to fork over more taxes, and because you want insurance to pay for pre-existing conditions, they'll raise their rates to match the looming payouts. More money out of my pocket.
If you came to my house, broke in, and demanded money from me, you would be arrested for a crime.
But now you reach into my pocket, but with the backing of government. Without my consent!
Now let's consider a smart, highly intelligent person, who decided to challenge themselves to the long months and years of medical school. They invested their own monies (borrowed probably from family, sometimes through student loans to be paid back) and sacrificed a long portion of their lives to gain a highly valuable skill - the ability to offer a healing hand to the sick and injured. As a patient, I recognize both my need for the physician's skills, and I agree to pay them for their time, their effort, and their expertise. Again, a fair trade in my book. If at any time I don't like it, I am free to find another physician. If I've chosen live my life in a manner that brings me the rewards offered in a free market environment (getting paid for what I can do for someone else), maybe I'm able to pay my physician directly. Perhaps I've also chosen to watch after my own health, monitor my diet, exercise, be proactive in being educated about my own health and limit the time I spend seeking the counsel of my doctor, I can save money over the long term. And on the outside chance that I suffer a devastating illness, I chose to enter into a private contract with a firm that is in mutual contract with other individuals, who pay a small fee to the company to invest. Should I ever need to exercise the contract (insurance) then I will be paid from those investments. I know what that insurance contract will cover, and what it will not. Again, a pre-arranged business contract; I pay for a service. Simple.
Now.....
WHAT IN THE WORLD leads ANYONE to think that because they've chosen not to gain marketable job skills, and don't give a flying darn about their own general health....WHAT DO THEY THINK gives them the RIGHT to tap into MY pocket to fund THEIR health care? WHAT DO THEY THINK gives them the RIGHT to demand the physician to GIVE them what he's worked so hard to develop into a MARKETABLE job skill????
If you chose a poor health lifestyle, you get heart disease, you get diabetes, you toast your liver from alcohol abuse, you get lung cancer from chain smoking. Those were your CHOICES.
Because of your poor choices, you're expecting me to fork over more taxes, and because you want insurance to pay for pre-existing conditions, they'll raise their rates to match the looming payouts. More money out of my pocket.
If you came to my house, broke in, and demanded money from me, you would be arrested for a crime.
But now you reach into my pocket, but with the backing of government. Without my consent!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Project 365/78
Getting ready to enjoy the 28th Annual Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade in Jackson, MS. If you've never been, shame on you! It's reported to be the third-largest St. Patrick's parade in the United States, so get on down here tomorrow!
Think New Orleans-style Mardi Gras fun, but fit for the family! The day starts with a 5k run, children's activities, a pet parade benefiting the Mississippi Animal Rescue League, then the Parade itself, which raises funds for the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.
And no, that's not a King Cake...Carnival Season is long gone. It's a Paddy-Cake!
No Snappy Title...
Y'all know I like good music, so here's something to start your weekend off right. Enjoy!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Changing things up...
If you're a regular reader that visits the blog directly, then you've noticed a new design. Starting today, blogger.com allowed users access to highly-customizable layouts and backgrounds. I like changing things up from time to time, and since this is my personal corner of the blog-world, I figured I'd tidy it up a little. Expect to see small elements change as I tweak what I like and don't like about it. And expect the background image to change with my moods, seasons, and holidays.
If you're an email subscriber or feed-reader, then you won't notice any changes, unless you come over for a visit. And I'd love for you to. The daily run of direct visitors stays about average from day to day, but I have no way to know if you're a email subscriber or feed-reader. But it doesn't matter that much to me, I still appreciate your visits.
So bear with me as I play with the settings and get things fine tuned. And watch for some pretty interesting changes before long......
If you're an email subscriber or feed-reader, then you won't notice any changes, unless you come over for a visit. And I'd love for you to. The daily run of direct visitors stays about average from day to day, but I have no way to know if you're a email subscriber or feed-reader. But it doesn't matter that much to me, I still appreciate your visits.
So bear with me as I play with the settings and get things fine tuned. And watch for some pretty interesting changes before long......
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Project 365/75
I think it was twelve years ago, New Years, that I was standing on this corner with a host of other firemen, surveying the shell of a burned-out house that once sat where this patch of green grass is. It was one of the most tragic fires I've worked, where five souls were lost...11 months, 2 years, 8 years, 9 years and their 61 year old blind grandfather. The fire moved so quickly that the five had little chance of escaping the late-night conflagration. It took our firefighters digging through the ashes on their hands and knees to find the victims.
A tough night...
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Project 365/72
Me: "Why are you sleeping sideways in the bed?"
Mini-me: "zzzzzz, zzzzz, snort, zzzz"
Me: "Why are you sleeping sideways in the bed?"
Mini-me, from somewhere over in La-La Land, but close to the border with Reality: "I guess I slept really heavy."
Ya think?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Project 365/71
A late afternoon rain shower left us this short-lived rainbow to enjoy today....let spring come!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Project 365/69
This week, I received another letter, this time from the US Census Bureau, informing me that in a few days, I would be receiving my census packet in the mail. I have one question.....WHY??
Another blogger did some calculating, and while I cannot verify his estimates, he postulates that it cost you and I an easy $42 million to send us these advance letters.
A reader left the following comment on a news website:
Our government spends huge sums over our money on an add campaign to solicit us to fill out a census so the government can give our communities back huge sums of our money that it has taken from us at the point of a gun. They call it getting "our fair share". How about just let us keep our money.And furthermore, the letter uses the phrase "fair share" twice when talking about government funds for roads, schools, and other programs. I thought the Constitutional basis for the decennial census was for the apportionment of Representatives and direct taxes...nothing was mentioned about "helping each community get its fair share of government funds."
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Project 365/68
After proclaiming the coming of Spring with yesterday's sunshine and balmy temperature, I was greeted with this on my windshield today. At least it's not ice!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Catching up...
While it seems I've let my blog turn into a photoblog, recording a small slice of my days...I'm still here in the background. I'll admit that on some days the Project 365 can challenge my creativity, and further admit that on some days the product has been downright boring.
Otherwise, I'm just milling right on along with work and play. Therapist and I are enjoying the slow creep of springtime, and we're anxious to be able to spend more time outside. We're hoping these past few days have been a preview for the next few weeks...still cool at night, but with gorgeous days.
Back in November, I wrote about dating Therapist, and how absolutely happy I am. Since then, we've spent a lot of time together doing anything and everything imaginable...celebrating Christmas and New Year's together, Valentines, planning for Easter, etc. She's positively refreshing to me. Today we talked about how well we seem to "click"...how neither of us feel like we have to work to make the other one happy, and how we enjoy just being ourselves, not what we think the other wants us to be.
There's no way I can rank or prioritize all the things I like about her. But somewhere high up on the list is our ability to talk openly and honestly about our relationship and the assumptions and expectations we have about it. I've asked myself, and her also, "can it really be this easy? or are we missing something?" She certainly does make it easy to love.
I guess there's no real way to know that answer without the benefit of time...but I love that woman, and I love the time we share...
Otherwise, I'm just milling right on along with work and play. Therapist and I are enjoying the slow creep of springtime, and we're anxious to be able to spend more time outside. We're hoping these past few days have been a preview for the next few weeks...still cool at night, but with gorgeous days.
Back in November, I wrote about dating Therapist, and how absolutely happy I am. Since then, we've spent a lot of time together doing anything and everything imaginable...celebrating Christmas and New Year's together, Valentines, planning for Easter, etc. She's positively refreshing to me. Today we talked about how well we seem to "click"...how neither of us feel like we have to work to make the other one happy, and how we enjoy just being ourselves, not what we think the other wants us to be.
There's no way I can rank or prioritize all the things I like about her. But somewhere high up on the list is our ability to talk openly and honestly about our relationship and the assumptions and expectations we have about it. I've asked myself, and her also, "can it really be this easy? or are we missing something?" She certainly does make it easy to love.
I guess there's no real way to know that answer without the benefit of time...but I love that woman, and I love the time we share...
Project 365/66
---Blackberry in use---
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Project 365/64
One neat sideline of getting to travel around with my job is the opportunity to learn the history of my region of the state. The Jaketown Site, located near Belzoni, is a collection of Native American mounds that once constituted a center of population. The site is believed to have been occupied for almost 3000 years, ending almost 500 years ago. Indian mounds are scattered all over the Mississippi Delta, some barely visible to untrained eyes because they appear to be simple landforms.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Project 365/63
More road tripping today, through Therapist's neck of the woods... They serve good fish here too!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Project 365/62 Part 2
---Blackberry in use---
Project 365/62
A little road trip today took me through the Delta part of Carroll County, my home county. A tiny settlement called Avalon was the home of the noted blues artist "Mississippi" John Hurt. I've got a CD of his recordings in my work truck, and enjoy his unique style of playing. While I didn't have it queued up as I went through Avalon today, I was listening to two recordings by one of my uncles, who studied Hurt's style of guitar playing, and covered some of his songs. The song playing was one my uncle wrote about Hurt, and includes the following lyrics:
Here's a video of my uncle, covering one of Hurt's songs, "Pay Day". Enjoy...Sit me on the front porch,and give me that guitar,And put my woman by my side,Moonshine whiskey makes her frisky,Lord she keeps me so satisfied...Take me to the sands of the PotacocowaWe'll watch the frogs jump inWhere the kudzu's creepin,The willow's weepin,And baby's feelin' frisky againTake me back down to Mississippi,and play them Carroll County blues...I wanna hear a little of Willie on the fiddle,'Cause I'm puttin' on my dirt road shoes...
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
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