Cool things lately...

Rather than join the cacophony of voices screaming and complaining and general negative voices on the Internet, radio and tv... I am gonna just list a lot of great things happening in my life. If you think negatively, which I am guilty of, you will create negative outcomes. Like I tell my son and daughter, "You make your own hell." Life is good and here is why it is for me....

My wife got her motorcycle license and now rides (even long distance) with me and friends! It really is cool to see her riding in the two wheeled brother-(sister) hood.

I have been on two great vacations. One to the Wisconsin Dell and one to New Orleans

I actually was able to witness really good thing happening in New Orleans when people come together with a conscious effort to change a place. In turn, they are changed themselves. Also, out of the blue, I actually got a phone call from a resident of New Orleans, calling me to simply thank us for coming to her town and making a difference. Never met her and probably never will, but we talked like old friends. One of the things I learned there is to listen to people, and really hear them. You will be amazed what you will discover if you shut up and listen instead of yammering on about yourself.

I got to see the WWII D-day Museum in New Orleans.and even met some vets from Omaha beach.

I have a new puppy. What can get better than that? Her name is Astrid Gudrun von Geiken and she is a AKC German Shepard. She is a beauty and very sweet and smart.

I am almost done with repainting my entire house.

All of my bills get paid on time. (thanks to my wife)

I have been able to game about a dozen times in the last month or two. Very Cool!

My daughter has joined the Cross Country team and seems (so far) to enjoy it! That also means she is in Jr. High now... which scares me a little but is still pretty cool in my book. She works hard to get decent grades. I hope we can keep it up in 6th grade.

My son is playing the bass drum in marching band - something that he really wanted to do! This makes me happy that he was excited about getting it. All to often he takes what is left over.

I took the Concealed Carry License for the State of Florida and passed. Now to get the Concealed Carry passed in Illinois. From what I hear, it is close to happening. That makes me really happy!

My wife loves me and I love her. So many couples around me are self destructing and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Don't people talk anymore in relationships?

My wife and I are planning a wine and dine weekend. Vineyards and nice restaurants...

Speaking of wine, I made another 3 gallons of port for the church and private consumption.

And finally, as the last big blast of Summer, the family and I are heading to GENCON! Gaming and geeky heaven!!! I can't wait!



Dang, just writing this has made me feel better!

Later!

Have a great day!

Never say that again...

At a local 18th Century/American War for Independance re-enactment, some said in passing that re-enacting is the ultimate in LARPing.. (Live Action Role Playing) In a small way, maybe that is true, but simple, innocent comment was enough to almost shake to the core, mine and my wife's desire to continue re-enacting! LARPing is strictly in the realm of fantasy role playing games, and from my understanding, has nothing what-so-ever to do with education, history, or personal development and learning.

I mentioned that and I think it was enough to salve over the idea that all us re-enactors might be doing nothing more than LARPing. Knowing that LARPing has nothing to do with public education and the passing on of knowledge and history and re-enacting does, then that is good enough for me!

Otherwise, I am gonna start yelling "Fireball, Fireball, Fireball!" and throwing nerfballs and such at the 42nd Highland regiment next time I am doing a battle re-enactment. Maybe then they will fall down... cause cannon and volley fire doesn't seem to work.

I am not a LARPer...

Later

An interesting, yet unsatisfying weekend...

Let's see, I helped do cleanup on a new business starting in town, gamed with some friends, sent my wife off to a girl scout activity, went to church and Sunday school, helped my mom and dad out at home, stood in audience while my son became married,had sex and became a father in a XBOX video game, attended a Boy Scout committee meeting, and watched a movie with my wife all this weekend, but it still felt like I did nothing of much importance or quality.

I just can't lay my finger on it, but the weekend felt like a wash. All these things should have made me feel rewarded but they didn't. My wife's excursion to the Girl Scout activity was almost a disaster due to lack of planning on part of the hosts and organizers, and the game I was running just didn't turn out as fun as I would liked it to have. (And how can you not have fun with half a dozen kobolds running around trying to kill each other in order to eat babies?) Going to church on Sunday morning was good but at Sunday school I was all set to have a youth meeting with the kids, but found out it was put off until next week. So instead we went out for breakfast. We did have a very kind person pay for all of our meals without us knowing about it, so that was a reward in itself.

And helping my folks out really does make me feel good, but this time, because I know what I am doing in more in preparation for my father losing his right leg due to complications of ill health, I just was not feeling good about it.

Then my son is playing Fable II (a video game on XBOX) and he takes his character into the actions that get him married, buying a house, and having sex and making a family, which by itself was hilarious because he was so embarassed about it, but I could have turned it into something about life learning. Instead I went and made supper.

The movie was good and I always enjoy hanging out with my wife to watch a movie. It is part of what we do as a couple. But even that was kind of a let down.

I think it is because over the weekend and last week, a number of things, from friends in emotional strife, to my dad's ill health, and the ever-present gray frozen condition of Central Illinois, I just could not really enjoy this weekend, and that sucks. This was a great weekend, I just could not see it for all the downers that surrounded it.

Sorry for the complete uselessness of this blog post, but I just wanted to get it off my chest. Next weekend will be better.

later!

How happy are you?

I heard this morning while listening to the news, (I never really get to "watch" the news as I am making lunches and dancing around a very happy German Shepard at 6am) and thought I would look into it. This page: Pew Research Graphs gives you a bunch of graphs that demonstrate happiness among Americans. It has 30+ different types of American's status' , affiliations, or demographics that are graphed when they were asked, "How happy are you." It is interesting to note that Conservatives are more happy than Liberals, more money can apparently buy happiness, and the older you get, the happier you are. (I guess I will be a laughing fool by the time I am 100 years old.) What I am disappointed in is that dog owners are 1% less happy than cat owners. What is up with that?! I know this report is from 2006, but it was news today, so I pass it along to you.

Later!

Little bastards!

Com'on, com'on! Lemme at 'em! Lemme at 'em!


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Thanks to Chuck for this link!

Arrrr... I's a pirate.

AYE MATEY!!! I got's me inventoried as a pirate. Take the test fur yerself if youse think you can handle the truth! My pirate evaluation sounds too much like me arch nemesis Chuck. (www.mirisdad.blogspot.com) There can only be one CEO of the Seven Seas, and it won't be him! Prepare to have yer vessel burnt to the waterline ya scurvy dog of a dog!

You are The Cap'n!

Some men and women are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any scalawag who stands between them and unlimited power. You never met a man - or woman - you couldn't eviscerate. You are the definitive Man of Action, the CEO of the Seven Seas, Lee Iacocca in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. You're mission-oriented, and if anyone gets in the way, that's his problem, now isn't? Your buckle was swashed long ago and you have never been so sure of anything as your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off his head if he shows any sign of taking you on or backing down. If one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.




What's Yer Inner Pirate?
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