Light on Water

Two elements that put me at peace while simultaneously inspiring me are sunshine and water. If you mix the two, you exponentially increase the positive effect they have on me.  

Case in point, this morning I checked out of my room at Skamania Lodge and went into the conference room where our team was having breakfast and meeting for the day.  The view from the window was to die for.  The sun was streaming through some very low clouds onto the Columbia River, which was as still and calm as glass.  

It looked more like a a beautiful, glistening spotlight on a peaceful lake.  You literally just stood there and stared at it, I couldn't break myself away, it was simply awesome.  That is truly one of my favorite places when it comes to relaxation and peace, and a phenomenal view.  I hope to get back there soon.  

In the meantime, I'm truly reenergized for my final workday this week.  Of course knowing I have baby boy staying overnight with us tomorrow night will provide an incentive to get through the day as quickly as possible.

The Path to Doomdom

What are we something like 90 days into the presidency so far and the "Rightie Extremists and Fox News" are already predicting the end of the world?  

This is kind of like girls who graduate from eighth grade 

wearing formals and high heeled shoes (one who looked like Scarlett O'Hara in GTW comes to mind), where do they go from there?  What novelty and excitement will getting ready for the prom provide them three years later 

unless it's the fact that they'll actually be able to walk in spiked heels and will know by then to keep their legs together when they're sitting down.  

What do you predict a year or two later after you've already predicted the 

end of the world?Perhaps you steal the message from Wall'e and suggest we all move into a giant spaceship/station to live and become sexless, fat blobs who do nothing but eat freeze-dried milk shakes and watch propaganda while jetting around on remote controlled couches while floating aimless in space.  Of course, that's only if your domicile is strong and resilient enough to resist being bombarded by the trillions of tons of garbage floating around that we've left behind during the prior 40-50 years.

 In my most humble opinion, all they are doing is catapulting down a pat

h of no return. If the end of the world does not come and our economy actually does recover and our allies in the world do realign themselves around us and we don't lose all our jobs to India and China and we are able to dig ourselves out of this miles deep trench of debt and we do actually leave Iraq to the Iraquis and we do put the kabash on Al-Quaida, etc., etc., etc., how do these guys justify all the stupid things they have gone on record with?  

I think someone needs to create a new awards entity, The Academy of Spin.  

This award would be given to the individual or group who is able to take the truth and most grotesquely twist and "spin" it to ultimately deliver the message THEY want to convey vs. the facts.  The irony would be that they are so stupid, they'd probably celebrate receiving it and publicize that using yet another spin technique.  If they can survive breaking the law, conducting their radio program while under the influence of pain medications to which they are addicted, keeping Americans in the dark 

about eight years of the presidency, etc., I'm not sure I've thought of exactly how to finally shine the bright and brutal spotlight on their twisted and fatally false propagandaic message.  

Could somebody please figure this out? 

A Few of My Favorite Things

I love my family,

my friends, most travel but especially the Greek Islands,

music (except Country Western, Rap or Operatic), exercising, playing piano, my home, the outdoors, sunny days, reading, working in my garden,

 shopping for some things, bouquets of flowers at home and at work, playing "board" games, attending some sporting events, watching favorite

 movies, especially classics, 

anything Jane Austen and most chick flicks, taking my grandkids on outings, the beach, Sunriver, certain teas, writing poetry, having formalish teas, blogging, taking pictures, collecting artwork (paintings/art glass), animals (generally), solving picture puzzles, trivia, burning certain scented candles,

to name a few

...but NOT the Blazers!

Mouse in my House

Well, okay, maybe it's a shrew but that didn't rhyme.  Regardless, it's some kind of filthy, stinking rodent and the cat found it's entrance point, stalked it and eventually captured it.  

What is it about cats, I guess it's their cockiness about catching these things that causes them to let them go at some point and then the damn thing is running around the basement?  Even a shrew with a little pea brain is smart enough to know to fake death to get the chance to make the fast getaway from their erstwhile cat capturer.  Now I really want to go down to the basement to work out.  I keep finding myself constantly scanning the carpet, looking for scampering, filthy, gray disease-ridden rodents running underneath my weight bench. This is not a pretty picture neither in concept nor in reality.

Mike did some quick caulking where she identified the opening between the house and the door jam but something tells me I may be inviting Pete the Pesticide Guy back again soon to take care of this problem too.  If it's not one thing it's twenty more.  Ain't life grand?

Tea Parties

There are tea parties then there are tea parties.  There's the innocent version where I have family or friends over to drink all varieties of teas accompanied by assorted baked high caloric naughtiness (my personal favorite).  Then there's the version where a crowd of ne'er-do-wells (mostly retired) go to the state capitol and dangle unused tea bags in protest of taxes or some such thing.  

Of course, with the most recent national report that our state is #5 in foreclosures, #3 in unemployment and #1 in the highest combination of foreclosures, unemployment and taxat

ion it's a small wonder.

Nevertheless, my question for all these folks is do you have a better idea?  In spite of our high tax status, our schools are closing, teachers are being let go, governments are cutting back on all sorts of services and the Arts and culturally-oriented non-profits are being left by the wayside. 

So what in the hell is the answer?  I'm fine with protesting if you have a better idea.  

Simply eliminating taxes without some other way to fund all of these necessities and more is not "the" or even "an" answer.  When I protested the 

Vietnam War, it was with the intention that we would withdraw since it was a pointless exercise that was killing more and more innocent American men and women on a daily basis.

This is different, people simply insisting that taxes be cut doesn't solve any problems but their own.  If they think that's the answer to save their children's or grandchildren's future, they've got another "think" coming.  There may just be nothing left to save.

Testifying

Tomorrow will be a first, I'm going to be testifying to a legislative committee in Salem on Wellness or rather what our company has learned and how we've benefited by incenting wellness.  Should be interesting.  More on the downhill side.

Faith in Mankind

Sometimes, usually once in a blue moon (where exactly did that saying come from), something happens that begins to restore your faith in mankind.  Well in this case, it's more your faith in kidkind.  I just got this not from a friend who teaches special education at a high school in Oregon City (I think it's the high school).  Anyway, take a look.

"Wanted to share some great news about one of my students.  Tyler was nominated for Sadie

Hawkins Prince a few weeks ago, and he won!  He is the first Sadie Hawkins King from the Special Ed community in our high school!  Tyler was very excited!"

Maybe just maybe this is providing us with a glimmer of hope that this generation, in this case these kids recognize this boy's value, regardless of the fact that he doesn't fit the stereotypical "prince" mold.  This made me so happy it gave me goosebumps.  

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love.  No, not just for some, but for everyone."

Unfortunately, Dusty didn't live long enough to witness this little success but it brought her prophetic lyrics to my mind regardless.  You couple this lovely event with glorious sunshine, blue sky and my grandson taking his nap like a good boy in the other room and I'm having a decidedly good day.

As soon as he wakes up, we're going for a run cuz walking is just for babies. 

 

Big boys only run and never stop.  Therefore, Grammies just have to keep up.