No Words... 

Summer Time Fun

Looking forward to it my Friend. How about a road trip? What do you think? Any suggestions for a route? I should check out the tour schedules, baseball schedules, all that jazz...

Falling Asleep on the Couch

There's nothing like it... It's a different kind of sleep for me. It seems that I am able to fall asleep in three different places. My bed, the passenger seat of the car and the couch. It can be hard to fall asleep and stay asleep in my bed, so I am inclined to stay on the couch or move to the couch. I hope I don't have to resort to going out to the car at some point. Besides, I think it has to be moving for me to fall asleep. And what would the neighbors say? There I would be with PJs and blanket sitting upright in the passenger seat of the car... somebody would probably think that was odd.

How about Coach Summit? 1:20 left in the game... Rutgers is tough, but Tennessee is tougher... Go Lady Vols!

All the Young Dudes

...What a great riff, huh? Well let me tell you Friend, I feel better today than I did a few days ago. I guess that's just my cycle. I guess some days I can dwell on all that is "wrong" with the world, while other days I can totally remove myself from all of that and be caught in the moment of happiness and enjoying life and all that comes with it, even the curve balls. Let's face it, you learn from the curveballs and the lessons stay with you. If I did everything right every time, I wouldn't learn anything. I can have a hard time moving on, but I am. I have a number of fund things coming up to look forward to over the next few weeks. Here's one that's coming up... Tennesse Lady Vols Basketball headed deep in the tourney... Pat Summitt crushing the old victory record and building it bigger and better!

Self Assurance

I need some. I don't feel very settled right now. I have some things to look forward to, but I am the type to let my feelings consume me. I am not usually the type to be able "move on." I am more the type to stew and fester. I guess I have inherited that. I heard a program on the radio the other day about genes and DNA. According to the experts on this show, our genes and DNA determine not only what we look like, but how we think. So, does that mean that one tick to the left or right that I would have a totally different outlook on life?

For the most part, I am a positive and optimistic person. I don't like to be around people who are negative, either intentionally or when people can only tell you what's wrong. We all have our own terrible experiences, but we all have to remember that for every terrible thing that happens to us there are people who have it far worse than we do. I try to remember that. I am truly blessed. I have a wonderful family. I have a wonderful husband. I have wonderful friends. I have great people surrounding me, 360 degrees.

Vacation -- Your suggestions?

Well, it's time to begin deciding where to spend a week in June. We'll probably stay close to the midwest. I like this part of the country and there is still much that I have to see. Right now, Cleveland seems to be in the lead, but mostly that will be a weekend visit. Is there anything within a ten hour drive west of Cleveland that any of my readerfriends can recommend? The goofier, the better. Let me know what you think.

Duran Duran

Last night I went to see Duran Duran with Jenny, my sister-in-law. It was a great time. The show was really good. I was more than a little warm, though. I had to leave the theater in right before "Save a Prayer." I wish I would have felt a little better. I did really enjoy it though. I think Jenny had a good time too. We went to eat first at Rock Bottom and enjoyed a smokin' Chipotle Chicken Pizza. It made for a late evening and now back to Milwaukee today for Riley's party. Can't wait for that, the kids get so in to it. Riley knows we are taking him on a special birthday trip... we just have to pick the date.

Mr. McGwire Goes to Washington

Reuters Photo

I had the opportunity to watch some of the Steroids in Baseball hearings live on television this evening. I know that baseball is not a pure sport. It is a business. As fans and spectators, we attach a great deal of emotion to sports. Baseball is perhaps the biggest darling in America as far as professional sports are concerned. I think it is because as a culture, it is a part of our lives. It is a sport that we played as children. We listened to it on the radio, watched it on television, play the game at family reunions, play catch with our sons and daughters and of course the greatest embodiment, we go to a stadium and watch the game with friends and family.

Those who play the game, adminster the game, run the offices, own the teams, negotiate the game, manage the game, scout the game surely do have an attachment to it, but it isn't the same as ours. We don't live it, we dream about it, we romanticize it. We don't make the millions, we only pay the millions.Certainly it seems ridiculous that the government is as involved as it is with this issue, but realisitically, who else will step in? Certainly Commissioner Selig's office hasn't been willing to police its players or its system and certainly Mr. Fehr and the MLBPA isn't willing to police their "constituents."

So here we are, Baseball goes to trial, pardon me, to investigation. Here's what I don't understand. Millions of dollars, certainly more that you or I would ever dream of making in a year, these players will make in one month. Don't forget about the owners and administrators. I am sure that they do well for themselves too. These folks have everything to lose in this, yet not one of the folks I saw on television or in news stories that I read are willing to admit that steroids are an issue and that they are ready for a zero tolerance policy on cheating the game and breaking the law. The only exceptions to the people and the policy are Jose Canseco and gambling.

At this point, I think that the fans and America will forgive Baseball if everyone comes clean. Further, for me personally it was Mark McGwire who brought me back to Baseball. It was his humility, talent and dedication to worthy causes that made me a fan of his and the game. It didn't hurt that he ended up with the St. Louis Cardinals. I know just as well as anybody that the players are human, they aren't any better or worse than anyone else. With that said, Mark McGwire is someone that I hold in high regard and respect. His silence and unwillingness to answer questions at the hearing today effected me. As I watched clips of his testimony, I could feel my eyes sag, my shoulders slump and my lungs heave a deep sigh. I do not begrudge Mr. McGwire, as there is no evidence of guilt. However the absence of his denial weighs on me. It's true that there is a "real world" that should command and deserves my attention, but it is nice to have entertainment, relief, release... and heroes.

What I Have Noticed About Myself

Here are a few things that I have noticed about myself. I don't enjoy my successes as much as I should. At the same time, I let myself dwell upon my failures, whether they are real or imagined. I need to have absolute control over small things, yet I will leave big things to fate. I tend to fall into emotional ruts, yet I cycle pretty regularly. The right thing at the wrong time can send me into downward spiral where I am convinced that there isn't much that I can do right. I have also learned to appreciate the simplicity of life and what truly matters, still I allow myself to be consumed with inconsequential details. I don't think of myself as a person who makes excuses, yet I do from time to time. Then I remember that when you point your finger at someone else, there are three fingers pointing right back at you. How about that?

More Stuff to Dig

I was originally going to call this "Stuff I Don't Dig," but I didn't want to dwell on negative things. It wasn't going to be out of hand, it's just that foresight made me think a bit. So, now we continue with "More Stuff to Dig."

Knowing that you can always be better
Wanting to better
The Nieces, Nephews and other Pals
The Number 5
Birthday Parties
White Roses
A night at HOME
Bucky Hoops
Anticipation and Realization
Fruit Juice
Sleeping as late as possible, perhaps 7:30am

Stuff That I Dig

Being at home
Cold 12 Pack of Miller High Life for $6.69
My Friends
My Family
My Husband
Hockey
Favre
iTunes
Not being on a Prop Plane
The number 5
Bucky Pucks... watch out Madison, here we come!
Not being COLD while I am indoors
Knowing that Good Things happen to Good People
Summer will get here
Birthday Parties
I Dig the Rock Music

Life and Death

Lives come to an end every day in this world and new lives enter just as often. I heard a line on TV the other day, "every family has its story." It is true. How is it that I am so blessed? I've known many women my mother's age who have lost children not that much older than me or they were my age at the time of their death. I have known people who themselves are facing life threatening illness or another of life's hardships. How is it that I have seemingly escaped that kind of sorrow or drama. Certainly I have lost people close to me and certainly the loss of my father at the age of 25 was horrible, but there are others who have and continue to suffer more. Life just wouldn't be life without a couple of curve balls, but it seems some have more than others. I know that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, it just makes me realize how fortunate I am.

Here it is...

It's Saturday. It is the weekend. Friday was a bust. Here's to Saturday. Saturday is a full on weekend day, no getting up to go to work, no rushing to get somewhere. Today we are off to the art museum in Milwaukee. I am looking forward to it. So far I have spent the morning half heartedly watching a Japanese art film, browsing ebay and now I have switched to Headline News and Mr. Banjo is awake and on the other couch.

Well, it's just about here...

By the time Thursday night comes around, it really feels like Friday night. Fridays are usually fairly easy going. I use them for catching up on what I didn't accomplish during the week. I take stock of what is done and what isn't. Hopefully we'll pick up our Girl Scout cookies at some point. Then we will get to see the 9 and under set. It's been a little bit of time since we have seen them and they really bring us a lot of happiness. What doesn't bring us happiness is the fact that Green Bay's O-line is but a memory. Bye Bye Brett... Thanks for the memories. We've had it very good for very long. Gosh.

Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

Is it wrong to look forward to the weekend when it is Tuesday? I'll name a few great weekend songs here. Of course there is the Loverboy classic "Workin' for the Weekend," and the Kings "Switchin' to Glide/This Beat Goes On" where they sing about how "Nothing matters but the weekend from a Tuesday point of view." So here we are, it's Tuesday and that's my POV, baby. I am looking forward to the weekend because we will be visiting the art museum with Rae and Diamond D. I am also just looking forward to the end of a busy week. Lots of energy expended already and certainly more to come. I like my pajamas and falling asleep on the couch on Sunday afternoon... then having a pot of coffee going too.