RIP, Kurt Cobain

How To Be A Good Husband, Part II

Troutdale Summers Are The Best

I can hear the band playing down the street at Wink's Sports Bar, where they're having their Wednesday night cruise-in. We've been having berries for breakfast, purchased at the fruit stand down the street. The kids across the street are playing ball in the street. The guy across the street is mowing his lawn. The sun is going down, the sky has just a hint of pink, and there's a tiny cool breeze. And I'm sipping this Corona, just about ready to head off to bed after a very, very,  long day.

Troutdale summers are the best.

Fleas Leave, Now!

It seemed as if one minute, our dog was fine. Then the next minute, flea attack! After shampoos, fine tooth combing, extensive vacuuming/cleaning in the house, nothing seemed to work. And our poor dog George was miserable, scratching himself raw in a few places. So off we went to the vet, who fixed our pooch right up with some anti-flea pills, antibiotics, and some other good things that worked wonders. Our dog got relief. We got relief. And the fleas got what was coming to them.  

Lawyers Tussle on Elevator. Oh brother!

"Social Security's bureaucracy often makes disabled Americans endure bitter, years-long fights for benefits that are rightfully theirs. But that rancor seldom spills over into the kind of public spectacle seen March 31 at an elevator in Duncan Plaza." Judge Dan R. Hyatt and lawyer Dan Bernath went at it. Read the rest at Oregon Live.

Welcome Home

Excuse Me Sir, May I See Your License and Registration?

Liberal Tactics Explained

I Need To Join This 12-Step Group Immediately

Everything

(h/t to Harry Flanagan)

Things to do while you're suffering from writers block

Listen to the radio.

Have another bite of corned beef.

Have another sip of beer.

Exchange a funny quip or two with the Mrs.

High-Five the Mrs. for her fantastic corned beef.

Put an Oregon Ducks sweatshirt on the dog.

Thumb through a Toastmasters magazine.

Wonder what happened to your first car.

Read Sam's short story.

Remind yourself to fix that towel bar in the bathroom.

Stare at the laptop screen and wonder where the heck did all the pithy ideas go.

Walk the fine line between motivation and procrastination.

Cross your arms and look at your watch.

Sit up straight. Get serious. Let the fingers fly on the keyboard. That didn't last long.

Look at your watch again.

Listen to the Mrs. say, "What's this?"

Watch the Mrs. squint at me when I don't answer her.

Have another sip of beer.

Fool around with your cell phone.

Read some e-mails.

Wish it was springtime and you were taking pictures on Steens Mountain.

Visualize the Fish Lake campground on Steens Mountain, and remember a certain cold September night when you and the Mrs. sat in front of the campfire and were awed by the horizon to horizon blanket of stars.

Quit fooling around and write something, anything.

Super Sunday Thoughts

I'm finishing up some paperwork. The Mrs. is creating some nachos. The place is pretty quiet this afternoon. The dog is asleep. The TV is off (for now). And my Super Bowl Sunday thoughts are less about the BIG GAME this afternoon and more on where we are at and where we want to go. I've been pondering the end of my term on the Troutdale City Council. I can't go through the day without a look at the state of the national and local economy. But I am also thinking about more important priorities.

This weekend has been a time of reflection. How is my relationship with God? With my family? With my friends? I won't get into the details, but I believe it's important to look back regularly and see if I've made progress, or if I have been lacking in the area of relationships. It seems as if relationships are always a two steps forward, one step back proposition. With some relationships, there are no forward steps. You're still sliding backwards and you wonder how much farther you'll slide down that slipper slope.

I readily admit I came late to the "work on your relationships" game. Thanks to our church and my guys small group, I've come a long way over the last few years. But there's still a long way to go and the process will never be over with. I still put up an internal fight over the entire touchy feely aspect of this process. I keep telling myself that life was much simpler without all of this personal growth stuff. But it wasn't simpler. It was harder. Because life without the touchy feely stuff is a life lived alone. Alone. Even when you're surrounded by people.

So on this Sunday, as I do every day, I will stop worrying and continue to do my best in the real BIG GAME of the people-filled world, with a little help from the Big Guy:

The Lord's Prayer


Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen

Tuesday Nights Are Free! That's a Very Good Price.

Since my term ended on the Troutdale City Council, I've had my Tuesday nights off. It took a little time to get used to the extra free time. It's amazing how fast other projects fill in that free time. But I did take time out to watch American Idol last Tuesday night. I don't think I'll watch it again this season. It's a been there, seen that kind of show.

Yesterday afternoon our daughter sent me on invitation from Facebook, so what do you know, spent yesterday afternoon linking my sparkling new Facebook page with other friends and family. I also linked this blog to the notes section of Facebook. What the heck. And now it is time for dinner. The Mrs. is calling me from the kitchen. Turkey soup! What a great way to wrap up the weekend.

Chevrolet: The Future Right Now!

Detroit: Where The Sirens Never Sleep

"The city is so cash-strapped that firefighters have to purchase their own toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Their aging bunker gear is coated in carbon, "making them the equivalent of walking matchsticks." The firehouses' brass poles have been removed and sold off by the city."

Go read the rest of Matt Labash's article about Detroit in the December 29, 2008 Weekly Standard.

Tim Russert Tribute

I miss him on Meet The Press.

Sick: Girls Laugh While Witnessing Armed Robbery

Cold Outside Means Movietime Inside

Cold, combined with wind, brings about the urge to stay inside. Even among die-hard Troutdalians, who love their east wind. The Mrs. and I are no exception. We love our east wind, but we also love the idea of staying warm and watching movies while the wind howls outside.

What has been on our movie hit parade over the last few days? Classics. A sample:

The Best Years of Our Lives

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Full Metal Jacket

The Apartment

Detroit Automakers Get Little Sympathy From West Point, GA.

The Los Angeles Times online reports on the budding relationship between Auto maker Kia and the town of West Point, Georgia:

"Reporting from West Point, Ga. — This attractive old mill town along the Chattahoochee River, with its brick downtown and streets of cozy, unpretentious homes, could be the backdrop for a patriotic American car commercial -- lacking only the plaintive croak of a Bob Seger or John Mellencamp.

But America's Big Three automakers, which are teetering at a financial abyss, shouldn't expect much sympathy here.

Kia Motors, the South Korean automaker, is building a plant in town, promising 2,500 jobs to help replace a textile industry that has all but vanished. The locals are excited to have nonunion work that will start at about $14 per hour. They are discovering the joys of bulgogi -- a different kind of barbecue -- at the Korean restaurants popping up.

And many are wondering why Detroit still thinks it's so special that it can ask taxpayers for a $25-billion bailout."

Shock: People Actually Walk Places In Troutdale

As the Mrs. and I were taking our early morning walk the other day near SE Kerslake Rd. and Stark St., a woman driving by us actually stopped, backed up, and asked if we needed a ride. I didn't know what to say. Except, no thanks! Early morning pedestrians on that stretch of road are indeed a rare sight. It's nice to know that there are people nice enough to check up on total strangers walking out in the boondocks.

Whoever you are, ma'am, thanks for asking!