Post season

It is almost October and my team is still playing.

Rummaging through a storage bin yesterday I counted the numbers of gloves.

Nine, including one catchers mitt. Perfect.

 I wonder where they were when last used in a real game? The field at Fishpot Creek? Ballwin, Ellisville or Manchester ball parks? That information is long lost, but not the love of the game.

Go Cards!

In all things give thanks

Is the woman in this picture praying for healing, giving thanks for a coin dropped in her cup...or, might she be giving thanks for her affliction?

The Bible says Christians should give thanks for all things. A very hard command to follow.

So we thank God for things we don't understand, for the pain of a loved one, for personal hurts and crises, for being mistreated.

Too often we wait until a crisis has passed and then give thanks, a sort of "Whew, God, thanks for letting me get by that one!" Real faith is shown by the one who gives thanks in the middle of the darkness, before knowing the outcome, when at his weakest, lifts his face to heaven in thanks.

For the victories we do not see, for the work of God withheld from our eyes, for the joys that are still far away, for the purifying work of tribulation on our souls, we thank you God.

I am witnessing this true faith in the life of someone I love very much.

This headline is coming about 15 years too late to help my wallet ....

From CNBC....

Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale and American Eagle Outfitters have fallen out of fashion with fickle U.S. teen shoppers and may not win back their business anytime soon.

The retailers, known as the "3 A's," have long been popular for their cool basics like jeans, hoodies and t-shirts. But young shoppers are now less interested in their logo-centric clothes and more eager to shop for electronics or go to low-cost, fast-fashion chains like Zara, Forever 21 and H&M that offer greater variety more quickly.

They certainly cost me, and other breadwinners like me, a few bucks... But probably not as badly as I want to remember it. Knowing their Mom like I do, I'm sure they heard "no" at least twice as often as "yes".

I guess every generation of parents gets the privilege of financing some fad of their offspring.
 

The Creed at Lunch

Yesterday I stood on the sidewalk in downtown Minneapolis. Just paused for a minute after lunch to watch the crowds pass by outside Target.

I realized my ipod was in my pocket. I turned it on and for some strange reason felt compelled to listen to The Apostles Creed three or four times. You see people differently when you look in their eyes while hearing the words....

Like the hobo...
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,

And the hobo's buddy, with the bandaged hand...
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. 

The baby in the stroller
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;

The giggling girls
He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

The business man
I believe in the Holy Spirit, 

The cop
the holy Catholic Church, 

the bus driver
the communion of saints, 

the little kids
the forgiveness of sins, 

the woman in the wheelchair
the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.

and me
Amen.

Lusting after wrinkles and superheroes

We all understand that propensity for young couples in love to hold hands. It's normal, natural. It's even somewhat acceptable for them, at a certain age, to fawn over each other. Even tough guys can be coerced into baby talk and will respond to a silly or syrupy pet name from that special girl. It get it. We all do it at some point. It's part weird, part sweet, and it's part of the glue that keeps the world together and helps assure the survival of the species. But you do get to a time in life when this stuff seems a little creepy. 

From Philadelphia to Chicago yesterday I was smack dab in the middle of the creep show. Two people in their fifties who cant keep their hands off each other, all the way from Philadelphia to Chicago. Fortunately I slept some. But when I wasn't.... he's rubbing her leg, she's stroking the hair on the back of his neck, or on his arms, or playing with his whiskers. They squeeze and they hug and they kiss, along with whispers of some cutesy little banter back and forth. While he seemed to tire of it after a while, I don't think her hands were off him the whole flight. They certainly didn't notice me or any of the other passengers around them. They werent newlyweds, their wedding rings were too old. Just too old people who have tumbled into a teenage infatuation. And oblivious to the stares from the real world.

Had it not been for this episode, the Chicago to Minneapolis flight would have stood out more, for it was a bit odd as well. The guy behind me struck up a conversation with a stranger across the aisle about superheroes. This was a grown man, late 30's, early 40's. Starts out talking about his ex-wife and kids but soon he launched into fantasy land. Before we hit the tarmac the two had covered Superman, Batman (who is not really a superhero), Green Hornet (ditto),  The Torch, The Flash, the whole Justice League and the Avengers, Star Trek characters, you name it.

Would have gladly taken comic book guy for the whole flight and left the creepy lovers to someone else.

TV movies i cant stop watching

No matter how many times ive seen these weekend reruns, they always stop me from flipping channels any further....

Shawshank Redemption
Christmas Vacation
Coal Miner's Daughter
Back to the Future I, II or III
Men in Black I
RoboCop
Groundhog Day
Independence Day
Paul Blart Mall Cop

The nanny state never sleeps

 The DFW airport is always on the lookout for children on ("shudder" "shreak") stairs. Yesterday this was seen near gate D10.

There was, of course, no construction in sight, and even if there had been.....

I wonder who has this job, and how many people have had it in the last year.

The pieces are coming together

Enough about IRS witch hunts and phone intercepts.

The house, the lake, the woodchipper, the riding lawn mower, the well, the dock, the lift, the boat... the pieces of our escape out of the city are coming together.

This was the weekend I was on the boat almost everyday and caught the first fish on the Lake, a couple of small-mid size northern pike. A good start.

It was also a weekend of family gathering with my brother in town, who likes to stay off the grid and shall remain nameless. He found us breakfast in Waconia when the power went out and also was full of some sound boating advice. Power was out for about three hours, not too bad. In any event that would not have affected the smoking plans. I must admit they turned out pretty good. Ribs and pork shoulder on the smoker, its getting where I can almost do this blindfolded.

Regarding bbq, this year I began using a rack for the ribs to stand them sideways. Boy does that make a difference. Not sure what it is but i think it has to do with a more even cooking. Nice and tender. 5-6 hours at around 225. No fancy rubs on the ribs or shoulder. Just salt and pepper. 

One last note. The shoulder and ribs had been frozen for about a month. I have smoked both fresh meat and the frozen then thawed. I cannot tell the difference. I guess I'd need to have them side by side. I'll keep freezing so I dont have to run to Costco every weekend.  

Thank you, IRS

Thank you IRS for checking up on the various organizations that want non-profit status. I work with non-profits every day. The overwhelming majority are wonderful groups of caring, dedicated people committed to improving society. But every once in a while one or two of them have me scratching my head.

I always wondered if anyone checked to verify the validity of 501(C)3 applications. I'm glad to find that the IRS does. They asked the kinds of questions I would ask; when do you meet?, who are your members?, what do you discuss?, explain how this is educational, can I have a sample of your material?, your meeting minutes?, donor records? These are all legitimate questions that help verify that someone isnt carrying on a taxable enterprise under the guise of a charity.

And if conservatives were targeted more than liberals, well my gosh folks, grow up! The liberals are in charge. They own the joint. Doesnt it make sense that everything would tilt in their favor? Things will change in an election or two. Political pestering, certainly. Political persecution, hardly.

He can listen to my phone calls as much as he wants

I did not care if the last president listened, and I do not care if the new guy does. There is nothing illegal going on in my life, as far as I know. You'll find it somewhat boring. Have at it. Here's what you'll find out that you might not otherwise know. If this helps sniff out the bad guys, i'm all for it.

1) I"m not very nice to people at 800# call centers (not something i'm proud of, I'm very rude at times)
2) I call my mom every Friday.
3) I do not answer the phone.

Bring it on, Mr. President, and this goes for the next guy too.

High speed trains, convention centers, stadiums, and other fiascos

Every place I have ever lived wants to build a high speed rail somewhere. Anywhere. Pine Bluff to Little Rock, Little Rock to Memphis, St. Louis to Kansas City, Minneapolis to (giggle) Rochester. Fortunately none of them were ever built.

Just like stadiums and other centers of secular worship, these things are almost free. The logic is the same for all of them. Sure there are a few tax dollars involved but Oh the jobs they create. Follow the logic and we can eliminate every social ill by just building more stuff.


ZIP RAIL – Rochester-Twin Cities


The Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance proposes the construction of a true high-speed ZIP Rail line travelling at speeds of 150-220 mph between Rochester and the Twin Cities. Preliminary studies estimate that the construction of this corridor will cost $973 million. A study by the Rochester Area Economic Development Inc. estimated this project would inject nearly an additional $1 billion into the Minnesota economy each year.

I-40 Blues

I was in Knoxville on Tuesday. Drove up from Columbia, SC where I spent mothers day. Wonderful day. The drive through the mountains was very nice. Had a lunch that my mother packed at a rest stop in Tennessee. In your fifties you rarely get to eat a sack lunch packed by mom. They are always a treasure.

There is something about East Tennessee that just haunts me. In a good way. I just never can get it out of my head. It has a certain smell and feel that is distinctive. Whenever I am there I feel like I shouldnt leave. Like the very ground is calling out to me, reminding me that it was here that I drew my first breath and here I am bound to.

While on I-40 I had this feeling I should stay in my rental car and go either east or far west, but not go home to Minnesota. East would take me toward I-81, Johnson City, Elizabethton and other familial grounds. Go west to the end of the highway and I'd be in St. Louis, with my son and daughter in law. For a moment both seemed better than home and both seemed like home. I calculated in my head went I would arrive at either place.