For Lauren & Sky

Four of the greatest physicists in the world came from a small town in Germany. Tracing their lives, someone discovered that all four were taught by the same high school physics teacher. Obviously, that teacher touched each of these men in a special way, when they were just boys.

Without knowing it, he touched the entire world.

It’s the same with you. You may not be aware of it, but you too touch the entire world. Your influence flows out from you, often imperceptibly, like waves on an ocean.

Remember that the next time you feel you’re just an average person, powerless and insignificant: there are no average people; the problem lies in thinking you’re just average.

Think back upon your life. Surely you can remember people who influenced you — caught your attention, provided you with an opportunity, or helped shape your values — without knowing the full significance of what they were doing.

There may have been a teacher who introduced you to a profound idea, or a business associate who gave your career a boost at the right time. Although unaware of it, these people changed your life, and through you, will touch the entire world.

You and others around you are the ocean on which the waves of their influence roll onward.

Likewise you may not know how, or to whom, but you are significant. Even as you read this article, another may be doing or saying something for which you were the inspiration.

Here’s what you can do: Continually remind yourself that your actions — the things you do and say — really do have an impact on the people around you. This will not only help you become more careful, but it will make your influence become a more consistently positive one. Also, remain aware of how all things in life are interrelated. This will increase your understanding of the world and your place in it, while perhaps clarifying your thinking and enabling you to take advantage of the law of cause and effect.

::This passage was taken from http://www.heartlandtechnologies.com/Newsletters/HTSNewsletters/LikeWaves_Nov09.htm

More words into the void

We are two days before Thanksgiving. The weather is supposed to begin a more “winter-like” turn. That’s cool. I like cold. I eat all summer so I can withstand the cold harsh winters by using the excess fat accumulated from the various buffets and bakeries. If I spend the next 4 months avoiding those places I might actually use the excess fat. Doubt that happens.
Found out Mike & Greg neither one will be at the homestead for the holiday. Shocking!
Gwen and her family will be there, though. Actually looking forward to playing on the Wii with the kids. Should be the highlight of the week. That’s Gwen’s kids. My kids are off other places.
Mom & Dad arrived last night. They look well. But starting to remind me more and more of the old couple in the movie National Lampoon Christmas Vacation. You know, the lady that can’t hear and recites the pledge of allegiance when asked to say grace (my Dad) and the old grumpy guy with the toupee (my Mom). Very entertaining!

Since my last post of words into the void, I have gained a new best friend. Ceasar. He is right now a 17 week old doberman pincher. He is pretty awesome. We got him with the intention of being for Lora, but it just worked out the other way. Been spending a great deal of time in training with him. I am considering search and rescue with him. We will see.

Other than that, nothing new. Hope to have a good holiday. For any of you reading this, hope your is as well.

Just Wondering

August and September came and went with very little fanfare or notice. Close relatives were visited. Relatives not so close were greeted. Briefly.

Children that once relied on our attendance and guidance now only satisfy the occasional “duty visit”.

The job stays the same. Less challenging than desired, but more demanding than needs to be.

Friends stay only as close as we allow them. Which is not as close as we would care to admit.

Our lovers are more inclined to sit opposite than nearby. But pride of man prevents reaching out.

The leaves will begin changing colors soon. An older season has exited, allowing the new season to begin.

Do we change with the season, or do we stay the same?

Movin her out!

The day has come that parents look forward to with either dread or elation, I have read. I am experiencing neither.

I will be going to get a truck to load all of Lauren’s belongings (bed, dressers, etc..) to move her into the apartment she has decided to live in.

I will be gaining a room for more of my wife’s junk. This is good because it gets it out from under foot. But I am also losing a fixture in my life that has been there for 20 years. Sure, she has theoretically been moved out for a couple of years now. But there has always been her room. her stuff. A place where I would lay her mail. That will be gone. I would always refer to this as her home when we would talk. So would she. I wonder what she will call it now?

Now, when she is here she will sleep in the quest room.

Interesting.

Twitless

So, the Assimilation experiment is over. I am neither amused or intrigued. I will not miss it. I do not consider twit a positive or a negative. It is just nothing. Who cares. These people should get out from in front of a screen and assimilate into life.

While I may not be the poster boy for living life to its fullest, I damn so sure can go a whole weekend without having to read that my friend went to a bar. He can tell me about it face to face on Monday. As I can tell him of my adventures. And if I wanted my friend to know where I was, I would call/text him (and just him, not 50 other soulless blokes) to let him know where I am and ask him to join me.

I can also go a frickin weekend without reading email, yahoo or the latest inane thoughts of Laporte. I am amazed at how important all the people who have computers and cell phones think they are. Mind boggling. Even me! Who cares?!?! Oh wait, if your reading this, then I must be important. To keep you up to date, I will be wiping my ass in about 10 minutes.

good day

Chicken kill, clean prep for eating.
Home made 2.5 points blueberry muffins.
Outlaw Cigar Company.
Cedars Cafe (greek).
O’Malleys – Tullimore, Jason, new acquaintance Kelso, drinks, cigars.
Home safe.
One of those days you keep with you.

Long Weekend is over!@%*

The last three day weekend before Labor Day has come and gone. I was so productive I just may get an award! I reloaded a couple of PCs that needed work on Friday, and then on Saturday and Sunday I did absolutely nothing. Even while reloading the computers I sat and watched movies/TV while waiting for Microsoft to do its thing.

I lay in the couch, in the recliner, on the dock, in the hammock, in the lake, on a lawn chair, on the ground and very often, in the bed.

Nothing was accomplished save putting together a $15 grill from Wal-Mart on Saturday to grill my dogs and brats at the lake. That was 15 minutes of work that sucked my soul for a bit, but I survived.

I still need to mow, weed, kill a couple of chickens, stain the front deck, clean out the car, clean out the small shed, clean out the kennel room, sweep off the decks, kill the snakes in the pond that are eating my wife’s gold fish, take a load to the dump, cut a tree limb that is dangerously close to my neighbor’s deck, and probably a hundred and fifty other things that aren’t even on the top sheet of my to do list.

But I did not do any of those things the past three days. In FACT, I almost didn’t come to work today because I enjoyed the laying around so much! But I did. I now regret it. I bet my hammock misses me.

15 Years

Saturday is July 4, 2009. Fireworks, BBQ and picnics. It will also be the 15th anniversary of my marriage to Lora.

I probably don’t say it out loud enough, but I love her, and look forward to another 15.

Assimilation

After some research and self debate, I have decided to see what the Twitter fuss is all about. I suspect the there will be as much excitement as there is in my posting of blogs! I write it. I read it. That is all. But, there is one thing about the Twitter Culture that I find interesting.

Read this excerpt:

“The ? are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the …. The ? have become a symbol in popular culture for any juggernaut against which “resistance is futile“.

The ? manifest as cybernetically enhanced humanoid drones of multiple species, organized as an interconnected collective, the decisions of which are made by a hive mind. The ? pursuit of perfection is achieved through forced assimilation, a process which transforms individuals and technology into ?, enhancing, and simultaneously controlling, individuals by implanting or appending synthetic components.”

Obviously this references the Borg from the Star Trek culture. And I may be way off base on this, but am I?

One reason for the break down and Twit experiment is the latest developments in Iran and how the use of Twitter played a vital role in getting information out of the country. Albeit, there may not be much change affected because of it, I see that it did impact how the world became aware of the happenings in Iran.

Oh well. A Twit I will be. Assimilated and ready for commands!

Oh, just please can I have more than 1 follower…..

Graduate Already!!

We have been preparing for this for 15 years. Ok really only a couple of weeks, but seriously let us move ahead to May 19. I say the 19th, because the 18th will be spent sleeping.
I am talking, of course, of Sky graduating. That is correct, I am sending another unprepared, unskilled person into the work force to bolster the unemployment numbers so the democratic party can say “Look. The people need more government programs, because they do not have jobs, they need us to take care of them!”
OK maybe I exaggerate, because Sky actually is gainfully employed. He works almost 30 hours a week now at Subway, so I imagine that number will go up once he no longer has the burden of attending school on a daily basis. They like him there, and I admit he makes a good sandwich.
So what am I rambling about? HE IS GRADUATING. Last kid out of the nest, I guess you could say. We are having parties, inviting friends, family and strangers to our house to celebrate the fact that Sky no longer needs adult supervision. He is an adult, now. Sky. No longer needs adult supervision. He makes his own choices now. Sky.
WTF!!!
And (there is always an and), I will miss him.