Flying away....

This is the coolest thing in the world. Currently, I am 33,000 feet in the air. Delta now has that Go Go thing and it is awesome. I ain't sure it's worth $12 but for free you can't beat it.

I am headed to Hartford, CT today, Boston on Tuesday, Bishop, California on Wednesday, Reno, Nevada on Thursday, and then home Friday... now that's a lot of miles. And defying all logic my clothes all fit in one carry-on.

This past weekend Christopher and Katie Ann had a Tae Kwon Do tournament in Orange Beach. I used hotel points to get us a room and after a rocky first night with Matthew, we had a great time. I was so proud of Katie Ann getting out there and rocking her form. She had the highest score out of 7 kids. Unfortunately, she then got knocked out of the sparring portion pretty quick... the judges like to spread the awards around a little bit. Christopher got second in forms and sparring for the junior red belts. He will test for his black belt in a couple of weeks. He is awesome. Even Matthew has the kicks and punches down, and it you don't believe me-- ask Katie Ann.

Matthew turned 2 years old last Thursday. He is getting so big. Potty training is coming along (thanks to Annette) and he is so smart. He is able to communicate so well it is scary sometimes. This coming weekend, Mom is coming down from Birmingham for Matthew's party. And then we got the Cubscout Thanksgiving dinner that evening. I am frying 45 pounds of turkey on Saturday as well... GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Update

It has been a while so let me catch up. I am back in Minneapolis today (and it is blustery to say the least). Actually, I am physically in Wisconsin (so count another state for me). I am doing well at CPSI and the travel is not bad but can get a little rough at times. So far, the family is doing remarkably well with me being gone some and the perks are nice.

Annette continues to amaze me almost everyday. She is the most creative person I have ever met. Just as a little example, she made the kids Halloween costume (which saved me a bunch of cash), but she also has been saving milk jugs for months it seems and then used them as the center piece (that's the things in the middle of a table for the guys that may read this) at the cub scout Halloween party. She is the best MOM in the world. We are blessed to be in a situation where she can be at the school with the kids almost as much as they are. She has an incredible group of friends that give her an opportunity to be connected outside of just the kids. It all combines to make her very special and makes me one of the luckiest guys on earth.

Matthew is growing so fast. He is like a weed. He is starting to work on potty training. He is the most out-going of the bunch. He loves to make all the animal sounds; says "CHEESE" for the camera; gives hi-fives with a gusto; has the patented "gun and a wink" down; and has already scored his first date with a college chick (at 18months).

Katie Ann is starting the involvement circus. She is in Kindergarten at St. Dominic. She is doing dance, Daisy scouts and karate as well. She has her first tournament in a couple of weeks in Orange Beach. She is a delicate flower, I really have to check my temper with her... she will cry at the drop of a hat... and that's hard for a daddy to take. She is quite the artist though. She did a pumpkin craft yesterday (thanks Cherie) and it looked great. She did this all by herself. I was very impressed.

Christopher is growing up. He is playing football again this year and his team is doing well. He loves it. (He even takes the football to bed every night) He is in 3rd grade at St. Dominic's. I am proud of him for lots of reasons but I see him do things for others out of the kindness of his heart and he is a hard worker even when no one is watching; and that will make any parent feel good.

 

Annette at Rockefeller Center... the ice rink at Christmas becomes a patio for lunch in the Summer.

 

One of the skyline shots from the Empire State Building. Man a lot of people live here.

 

They even have supper heros that live in NYC.

 

Annette and I are here for her birthday. The big 35!!!! This is a city that truly never sleeps.

Mourning the loss of a loved one

I got a couple of pics from the Mall of the Americas coming but I have a few minutes to post something. My great uncle, Ken Howd died today. Ken was married to Lonnie Faye and helped her raise 3 children. They were my "country cousins" growing up. We would go up there to see Chuck, Tammy and Larry on weekends. Chuck had "cancer" which I now understand was AML. He fought a valiant battle but ultimately lost. It was devastating to everyone, but without Ken, Lonnie Faye would not have made it. I was young but I remember Chuck had the coolest Atari and got all the games free. He could master most of them within a couple of days. He would take the thermometer outside and set it in the sun because he could not go outside to play unless it was at least 75 degrees. Chuck showed everyone how to look death and misery in the face and love everyone and everything anyway. I believe he got that from Ken. Ken embraced life for others. He would decorate a 20' tall Christmas tree so that the kids "on the mountain" could see it, he put out enough Christmas decorations to cover most of High Rock Mountain too, and he was the first in line to help a neighbor anytime day or night. Ken and Lonnie Fay would go to different casinos and whatever they won was given to charity. What an incredible spirit he had. I can remember going to see them when Ken first started to get ill, he asked me about 100 times in a couple of hours if "I needed anything?". He always sought to serve others before himself. He is in a better place and the suffering has stopped. I pray for all of us who knew and loved him to aspire to love each other and embrace life as Ken did. I also pray for Lonnie Faye to begin to heal herself and her spirit knowing that her family and friends are here to help her.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma City Memorial

On April 19, 1995 at 9:02 AM the world change with the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. The photo of 9:01 represents the innocence of Americans prior to the explosion; and at 9:03 the explosion had ripped the building apart. The 168 people who lost their lives that day are represented by the seats arranged in the mall with a reflective pool. The fence surronding the area still has the items left to remember their lost loved ones.

Although it was hot as blue blazes, it gives a chill when you see the areas where the walls are still standing and realize how much destructive power was used to bring down this building.

Family Time

I had a great weekend with family. My mom came down from Birmingham on Friday with Dallas and Abby. On Saturday, Christopher had a soccer game which SDS won 6-3 over Corpus Christi. He played really well. He even played a little goalie. Then Katie Ann had her dance recital that night. I have to admit; I love watching her but the rest was a little on the boring side. Sunday we all went out to Gravine Island. Christopher is really getting into the tube ridin'. I was able to flip him out once or twice but it is pretty tough. The kids all love the boat and beach; Matthew is not crazy about the boat ride yet. Then when we got home, I cleaned the boat real well... I have to admit that although it is a lot work: great memories are made on that boat.

I can't wait to get back and go again....

A New Attitude

Annette and I went to see a great speaker on Friday night named Matthew Kelly ( www.matthewkelly.org ). I have read his Rediscovering Catholicism recently and was very excited that he was coming to talk. He was invited by the Men of St Joseph from St. Ignatius which is a great group of men that meet on Tuesday mornings in fellowship and purpose.

One of the concepts that Matthew Kelly brings out in his book is that Mass should be more than just a place you go to because you are supposed to go. There is wisdom in the Church for us to grasp. One suggestion he said was to look for the one statement in mass that touches your heart. It might be in the readings, response, homily or wherever; but listen for it. Now that gives 2 benefits: 1. that means I have to pay attention 2. I come out of mass with a tangible gain.

So I did that this weekend. He suggests getting a journal (of course he can't say notebook, he's from Australia after all) and writing it in there followed by some thoughts about how this thought can be put into action in the coming week. So here is my statement... "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone".

Annette was telling me about Fr. Farmer's homily from Saturday night and how "he never seemed to get the assignments he wanted but it always worked out in God's plan" Well that sounds like just about everybody that I have ever talked too. I have always been one to jump to conclusions about things. I don't know why but that is way I'm wired. I am going to focus this week on choosing to hold judgement and give God a chance to show me which is the cornerstone. Matthew Kelly has a great statement that says when you turn toward one choice you are turning away from another and every choice impacts your life. Family is my cornerstone and can't wait to get back to my carefree timelessness with them. Now that is a good choice.

Blakely Campout

The campouts for our den have been a lot of fun. I will say that the time spent around the campfire after the kids all go to bed have probably been the most interesting conversations. The kids love stomping around in the woods. The smores are always a hit and camping ain't camping without hot dogs. That's a law.

 

 

 

 

Make sure you ask about the bumper bar...if you haven't heard that one...you're missin' out...!

Sacramento, CA

I flew into Sacramento today. What beautiful scenery there is flying over the Rockies... Learn yet another travel lesson though... bring a jacket it is pretty darn cold at 35K feet. This area actually reminds me of rural Alabama kinda funny huh.

The school year is ending and it's gonna be harder to leave the kids during the week while they are at home (driving Annette crazy).

We drove north out of Sacremento to Williams, CA. Not a bad drive, but I discovered a universal truth.... all Pilot Rest Steps (like the one in Grand Bay, AL and in California) are loaded with IQ's less than 70. Stay away, stay far far away!

Minneapolis

I thought this might be a good way for me to keep up with some interesting and useful information gathered while traveling around the country. I have about 25 trips under my belt at this point; so I am not a seasoned traveler but not a newbie either. For instance, I can get through security without the body cavity search because I have learned which belts set off the detectors, got slip-on shoes, keep my 3-1-1 packing in check and whatever other stupid rules they develop that do not make me even a little safer. Also, when I get on the plane and there is already a passenger in the front seat wearing a coat... he is an armed sky marshal; that makes me feel safer. I am trying to weasel a camera phone out of the company, but thus far have been unsuccessful. Then I will be able to add some pictures as well. There are a couple of truths I have come to believe.
1. You get more flies with honey than vinegar, but sometimes you also end up just sticky.
2. Comfort trumps style any day of the week.
3. The earlier you start, the less Mr. Murphy and his law is able to get into your way.
4. Never check a bag that you can't live without; it may not make it.

I am sure there are others but that is enough for now.

As for Minneapolis (MSP), Delta flies out of the Lindberg terminal (not the Humphrey) and the GPS will mostly try to take you to the other. The Mall of the Americas is a truly amazing place. It's got a river water ride in the middle of it for God's sake. It's also got a lot of fine eatin' in there as well. Gas stations are another story all together. Fill 'er up on the way back and avoid the hassle.

We stayed the night in New Ulm, MN. It is a very pretty town with a strong German culture. Its sister city in Germany shares festivals, bands and other events throughout the year. Very nice in the spring; VERY COLD in January.

I'll try to keep this up a little more frequently and had a little flare at times.

God bless everyone.

It's politics as usual....

I hope that everyone who voted for BHO in 2008 because of their frustrations with the war in Iraq read this and regret their decision.

"A key factor in the pace of the U.S. drawdown will be making sure that there are sufficient U.S. forces in Iraq to assure that national elections scheduled for December are peaceful, officials said. Another will be the speed with which Iraqi military and security forces gain the ability to maintain order without American help.

Under Obama's plan, a force of between 35,000 and 50,000 U.S. troops would remain in Iraq after Aug. 31, 2010, to train, equip and advise Iraqi forces, help protect withdrawing forces and work on counterterrorism. They'd remain until Dec. 31, 2011, the date on which the Bush administration agreed to withdraw all troops under a pact with Iraq.

That number, too, could depend on conditions in Iraq and on the need for additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have made significant gains, and where national elections also are scheduled."

It is amazing the level of federal spending in that last 30 days. It's like Annette at Shoe Station with a No Limit credit card. I guess this is just one more campaign promise broken; but who is counting.

Fifty Funny Fellows

Annette and I had a great time at the Fifty Funny Fellows ball last night. It is a much more tame atmosphere than we'll experience tonight at the Striper's. Annette looked so beautiful in her formal gown it was hard to take my eyes off her. She is such a wonderful soul mate. I am the luckiest man alive.

I'll try to include some pictures soon.

Syracuse, NY

I have been in Syracuse, New York for a couple of days and had dinner at the coolest family restraunt called The Green Onion. An Italian place in a cobblestone house built in the mid 1800's by the masons that also built the Erie Canal. Very good food and the little Italian chef came out to the table to check on things and talked about cooking and the house. It was kinda cool b/c he and his family also go to Orange Beach every winter for a couple of weeks. Small world huh????