An AWESOME Week - CARLESS

This last week has been the most awesome of the year with only one tragedy along the way. First, the tragedy was my car. I'm now carless so if you know anyone with a cheap car that runs... Oh, but the story...

I had my "normal" weekend with my kids last week, but we got to extend it. I picked up the girls after a chiropracter appointment on Friday. We got back early since they were in Mt. Ayr and not at their Grandma's or Mom's house another 10-30 miles away. We got back about 8:30pm so we watched a movie (Are We There, Yet?) and then said our prayers and went to bed. Saturday we went swimming at a local pool and just goofed off most of the day. We also went and watched Herbie Fully Loaded, which was actually pretty decent. It wasn't as funny as the original Herbie movies that I grew up on, but it was good.

Sunday was church and then the extra time began. Instead of taking them back to their mom's, I got to take them to my parents in Missouri! We headed out about 2:20pm in the hot afternoon with no air conditioning. Paige did some napping and Brittany beat me at a game of Zip 290-190. We stopped at my brother's house and they joined us for supper at Steak & Shake. I love that place and so do the girls. We had a full meal and a great time visiting with Brad and Brenda. We then hit the road and got to my parent's house just after dark. When we pulled up we saw Dad waving to us from the pool. We went in and quickly changed and then joined him in the pool and then Mom came out to join us. Evening swims are the best. My parent's have a solar cover for the pool so it was also warm.

On Monday we slept in and then Mom took us to lunch at a great sandwich shop. We just hung around at the house mostly awaiting the arrival of both of my brothers and their families. When Brad arrived, Brittany and I were playing catch in the back yard. Brad joined us and it was just surreal playing catch with my brother and daughter in my dad's backyard. Dad even joined us for a bit. Dad was doing a little grilling, too, for dinner that night. Brian and his wife and 4 kids showed up and it wasn't long until the cookout was in full swing. After dinner we went swimming. It was great watching the 6 grandkids all playing in the pool. Even the baby had his own floater and the 2 year old was armed with squirt guns.

We decided that on Tuesday we would hit Six Flags. That was a great decision and so much fun! Batman The Ride quickly became my favorite of the 3 roller coasters I went on. The Boss was great, too, and the Screamin' Eagle brought back memories of my youth. My all-time favorite ride, The Highland Fling, was closed for the day. The most fun, though, was watching the cousins all play together and go on the various rides. Brian's two oldest and my daughters had a lot of fun bonding that day. I even got to hear the two oldest singing in the van on the way home. We topped the day off with pizza and left the park at just the right time as it started raining.

We said our goodbyes Tuesday night because the ex wanted me to have the girls home by 11AM. I'm not sure what her major deal was with this as she originally wanted us home Tuesday at 10pm. She also knew that in order to be there by 11AM, we would have to get up at 5AM. At least we got the entire day Tuesday. We said our goodbyes and tried to get as much sleep as possible before getting up at 5AM.

The trip home was uneventful. We went through Kansas City and stopped there for some breakfast. We had to make a couple of small detours that put us about 10 minutes behind and then the worst happened a half hour from having the girls home.

At a stop light in Maryville, the car died. I mean dead. A guy stopped and helped me push it to the side of the road and a woman was kind enough to offer us a ride in to the next full service gas station. The guy there towed it in and said the timing chain had gone out. He couldn't guarantee that fixing it would actually solve all the problems and that it could be a waste of money. He offered to take it off my hands for the tow charge. The ex and her hubby came and picked us up and it took a total of 3 more rides to get me back to Des Moines. Thank goodness for good friends!

The entire time was great up until that moment, but it didn't ruin it for me. I had a great time with my family and so did the girls. I can't wait to do it again!

Somebody Asked Me...

Last week I had a short chat with one of my old friends who recently got in touch. She's been through some rough spots recentlyand seems to still be asking some questions about herself, about life, about where she wants to go. She asked me a question that seemed to weigh on her.

First, she asked if I was happy because she said some of my pictures had me smiling and others don't. Of course, I'm happy. Life is what it is and I'm doing my best to make the most of it. Then she asked how I reconciled certain things in my life. She wanted to know how I balance my life with going to church and still having the parties here at the house and going to concerts. She asked if it was a struggle. My quick response was "I have few struggles. I am who I am and I like who I am." Not a bad answer, but it may sound a little simplistic.

I'm a sinner. I have certain likes and dislikes that make me unique, but completely imperfect. I also have a desire to do better and be better. Is it something I think about constantly and worry about all the time? No. I do think about it and wonder if I'm still growing. I want to be happy, though. I get to choose to be happy. In spite of my sins, I am still loved. I have many wonderful friends. I have fun things that I get to do. I'm happy. I know I am growing and changing. It may be at a snails pace, but I am. I can look back over the last dozen years and see the changes.

I'm happy being me. Life really is a good thing and I try to enjoy every moment I can. In doing so, I can't let the little things get me down. Life is too short and life is too precious to waste with worry. Be happy with who you are and what you do. I am.

Tom Petty in Des Moines

The first concert in the new Wells Fargo Arena was Tom Petty with special guests Black Crowes. What an awesome choice. The place wasn't sold out, but it was quite packed. I could see people clear up in the nose bleed section. I was fortunate to have a 14th row seat on the right side for this event.

The Black Crowes were a pure 70's jammin' revival. I have most all of their CD's, but really haven't listened to them much. I love the band and gained a new appreciation for them at this show. They only did 3 of their 5 major hits. Twice As Hard, Jealous Again, and Hard To Handle were audience favorites, but noticeably missing were She Talks To Angels and Remedy. The band had so much great dynamic interplay throughout their set twisting and winding guitars together with some great keyboard and dynamic rhythms. They directed each other in extended solos and interludes. There was only one or two times that there was even any silence between songs. It was great music by great musicians. It wasn't exactly the audience's favorite, it seemed. I think the crowd would have been more into it if they had done more songs and stayed with the familiar. I believe it was a bit challenging for this Iowa crowd. I enjoyed it for what it was, though.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were TIGHT!! They played every hit I could imagine and made it sound fresh. Breakdown, Runnin' Down A Dream, Free Fallin', and tons of others. The Heartbreakers are a crack band that had every dynamic, solo, rhythm, and harmony in place. Mike Campbell is an awesome band leader and phenomenal guitarist. Benmont Tench is the mad scientist hunched over all those keyboards. This show was almost like a religious experience. Des Moines hasn't had an artist of that magnitude for years and he lived up to and exceeded the billing. It seemed that the guys were truly having a great time and very appreciative of the crowd. The lights, the big screens, the sound, and even the temperature of the building were great. The crowd was so loud that there were moments that it was just pure adrenaline.

If you have a chance to see this show, do it. Don't walk. Run to your nearest Petty show. Also, if you happen to be in Des Moines, check out our new arena for a concert. I'm going again when Green Day is here. Oh, and hit that show, too!

Struck By Lightening

Sunday night lightening struck just outside our house. It took out my smaller PC in some manner that I hope to determine tonight. It will power on, but not boot. It took out our DSL modem, which should be replaced tomorrow. It may have also taken out the network port on my motherboard for my big PC, but we will find that out tomorrow. This is not a good time for acts of nature to occur. Fortunately, my big PC has a warranty for the motherboard, but I can't afford to be without a PC for very long. At least I can do a few things from work, such as this.

Thought I'd also make it clear on here that there are some pictures of me and my roommates at concerts that were taken by a beautiful young woman named Stephanie. I'm trying to get information from her as to how to credit the photos to her. She has been fantastic about sharing these photos. I did take down the shots that were general stage shots from both Bret Michaels shows and Waterstock. I was unaware of proper NETiquette regarding the use of those photos so when Steph gives the word, I will find a way to link you to them or post them with her permission and credit. If all else fails, please visit her site. She is the one that got me started in the blog arena and it is her that is responsible for me meeting Bret Michaels the first time and she's just been an awesome friend and concert buddy. Her site is linked on the main page and you can get there by going to www.leppardfaniowa.com and check out what she has up.

The Tom Petty/Black Crowes show was AWESOME! I will post a review later today or tomorrow about the show. I can't wait to see Green Day in that arena now!

Great White Show Soldout!

About 20 minutes before I was going to leave to get Great White tickets, I got a call saying the show was sold out. That's great for the band and all, but not so great for me and some friends who wanted to go. It seems that Keyster's has been selling out a few shows lately. They sold out Firehouse, which I had planned on seeing, too. It's not a big club, but a nice place for a small show. I'm just kind of surprised that they are selling out Great White and Firehouse and House Of Bricks isn't selling out Vixen. Of course, Vixen hasn't toured in a while. I guess I just need to order tickets much sooner.

I am going to be getting my Def Leppard/Bryan Adams tickets today. Steph, Anne, and I are going to that show on the 31st. I also need to get my roommates together to get our Rick Springfield tickets. This is a great month for shows! I just don't want to miss any more!

I Was Found!

I've been found! Apparently, I am quite easy to find, but I was finally found. I got word a couple weeks ago that two girls I haven't seen in about 17 years were trying to find me online. I went to many church functions in my youth with these two. One is a year or so older than me and the other is the same age.

It's funny how memories can be. I got a call from the one who is my age last night. I had gotten a Yahoo request and we chatted while she was at work yesterday and gave her my number to call. We talked until about 1:30AM getting caught up on all that has happened in our lives. There are quite a few parallels, too. I guess that comes from growing up with the values we did and being the rebels we were/are. It was fun to hear from her and I hope she and the other girl keep in touch.

It's always good to know what old friends are up to. I'm the type that just doesn't keep in touch much, but it's due to laziness. I have tried finding a couple of people I'd love to make contact with again, but haven't had that much success. It is nice to be on the other end of that and have it be successful. If anyone I know stumbles upon this, I'm easy to find!

Confessions At A Bret Michaels Concert In Davenport

WOW!! This was almost as good as seeing Poison live! Bret rocked! But I have to start at the beginning...

I knew I'd find a way to go, but it was up until the last few minutes that everything worked out for my greater good. My afternoon at work got hectic and I was sending a flurry of e-mails to Michelle and Steph as well as trying to reach my roommates about going to Davenport. My roommates and I had to work today so staying out late last night was quite the sacrifice.

During the course of the day, Steph called and said she couldn't go. Michelle e-mailed and said her husband found out she was going and that caused problems so she couldn't go. Derek said he wasn't going. Pete said Tuesday night that he was going, but sounded reluctant. I got a call from Pete at 5:30pm saying that he and Derek were going and on their way to meet me at work downtown. That was good news. Michelle called and said that she couldn't go, but would loan me some cash to make the trip and get tickets since I don't get paid until Friday. She said she'd meet me at work, too. Steph finally called back and said she had another sitter. It worked out great for everyone but Michelle. She will try to go another time. Talk about a close call! I took my car, which I wasn't planning on doing, but Steph said that we could meet up with her in Iowa City and she'd drive from there. It was just like it was meant to be, but really caused me some doubt!

I knew that leaving from my work would still cut things close, but we got out just shortly after 6pm. Our assumption was that Bret would hit the stage about 9:30pm. We got behind a fast moving white van and followed it all the way to Iowa City and pulled up at Steph's two minutes after 8pm. She was outside smoking and wondering impatiently if we were gonna make it. I had told her about 8pm so we were within our time limit. We tried to hurry and get switched from our car to hers and still made pretty good time until we found out that Steph needed to backtrack through town to get cigarettes from Hy-Vee and her Bret Michaels ticket. She save 25 cents getting the ticket there as opposed to the show. I didn't give her a hard time about this because we had made good time, BUT when we got to the place where she was having her daughter stay overnight, we did give her a hard time about lingering there. We were just kidding because there are usually several instructions you must leave with any sitter about your child. Of course, we also had to give Derek and Pete a hard time since they had to practically sit on each other's laps to make this part of the trip due to the car seat. Glenda was very quiet and had fallen asleep on this short ride, but I did try talking to her. I guess I scared her just by the way I look. She did look pretty excited to be at the sitter's.

We finally got out of the sitter's driveway shortly after Pete threatened to hop out of the car just so he could pee in the bushes. Steph wanted to find a gravel road that took us back to the highway and her sense of direction paid off after a short detour. It didn't take us too far off the beaten path and may have saved us a minute or two. Her sense of deja vu or direction also paid off when we arrived in Davenport as she found a shorter jaunt than I had mapped out to get to Quad City Live. We listened to her traveling music, Queen and Skid Row, on the way. Of course, we timidly reenacted the Wayne's World scene to Bohemian Rhapsody. We had fun even though we thought we were now running about 15 minutes late. I was hoping that Bret would start late because this was Pete's first time seeing him or Poison and Pete likes the song Bittersweet that Bret did on Songs Of Life.

Fortunately, we got there in plenty of time as Bret wasn't hitting the stage until 10:35pm. The first thing I did was spy someone familiar at the front of the bus parked outside. The closer I got the better I could see who it was. It was Big John, Poison's longtime security manager and Bret's tour manager. Big John is a fun guy to hang out with and always very kind. I first met him at a Poison show in KC while walking with a cane and then met him again in November at a Bret Michaels show in Cedar Rapids and then at Waterstock. We stopped to say hello and I introduced my friends to John. We went inside and saw a pretty decent local band opening up, but Steph had a migraine and so we walked outside while Derek and Pete stayed in to watch the opener.

Now, this may come as a small surprise to Steph, but I have to be honest here. She already knows that I have what could be considered a bit of a crush on her. That's not the surprising part. When Steph and I went outside so she could clear her head, we walked over to the Mississippi River and sat at a park bench. There was a half moon in the sky with a few stars that could be seen between some sparse clouds. There were lights around the bridge that goes into Illinois. There were lights up the river from casinos. There was a boat on the water anchored off to the left in front of us. The weather was at a wonderful temperature with a very light breeze coming off the river. It was a wonderfully romantic setting. I leaned back on the bench and Steph sat a foot or so away and we just visited. I know we visited about Glenda, her ex and his family, Steph's family, laughed a couple of times and just relaxed. It was very nice. BUT running through my head the whole time was that I wished I was brave enough to scoot over to her and put my arm around her and just have her lean her head on my shoulder. Sappy? Yes. Was I thinking anything at all more than that? Not in the least. It was just that type of setting. There were a few couples sitting on park benches like we were, but they were couples, not friends, and they were sitting like that. I'm not that brave, though, for a reason. Well, several reasons, but one in particular. At Waterstock there was a song played that brought Steph to tears because of a certain past event in her life that you can read about on her blog. When I see a female friend in tears, my first instinct is to offer solace through a hug. Sometimes we all just need a hug. Well, that isn't what Steph needed and I had a slightly awkward moment where I started to offer that and she just stood there with tears in her eyes trying to say something to Anne. I was embarrassed, but Steph didn't say anything and it was just a quick awkwardness. So I was a bit afraid of acting on impulse and embarrassing myself or Steph when we were visiting by the river last night. It was quite the setting, though, and Steph is quite the young woman.

After she felt better, we headed back to Quad City Live and got there in time to get a decent place in front of the stage to watch the show. Right before we walked in, we caught Pete Evick's attention through the side window and he waved hello. We started on the right side and she was up by Derek and Pete, but these two HUGE women formed a wall and were being a bit rigid in letting me stand with my friends. I talked Steph into moving with me to the other side where it seemed there was a lot less pushing.

Evick opened with a cover of Aerosmith's Walk This Way to get a quick overall soundcheck. It sounded great and had the crowd waiting with baited breath for what was about to occur.

Smoke filled the stage, the band started wtih some noise, and BOOM, Bret Michaels came out in full concert energetic mode. He knew he had a crowd to entertain and went to work like he was on an arena stage. He led off with Talk Dirty To Me and Evick sounded like they had played for Bret for years! It was evident from the very beginning that we were witnessing something special. Bret then launched in to Look What The Cat Dragged in which had me tossing my hair in time to the rhythm. That song is awesome live! Bret then played the only song of the night from one of my all-time favorite CD's, Songs Of Life. It was Pete's new favorite song, Bittersweet. That song went over very well live with many people singing along. He performed the new song New Breed Of American Cowboy from his forth coming CD and promised it would be out "this week", which I think meant next Tuesday, so I will be looking for it. He grabbed the acoustic for Something To Believe In before leading into Your Mama Don't Dance. There may have been another song in there, but for the life of me, I didn't write down the setlist, so I'm going off of a similar one that I saw and he did most of the same set. Sweet Home Alabama was up next and I was wanting to ask Pete Evick if he remembered the words, but of course, they were playing! The reason is that Bret had Pete start off a verse when they were at Waterstock and Pete started the wrong verse. Bret sang it all last night except for when the mic was pointed at the crowd to sing along. This order of songs just kept the energy level high the entire time. He launched into Driven next, which I was able to purchase after the show last night. This is the song I didn't know the title to at Waterstock. What a great song! The live version is so energetic. It has the stops and starts that I love in great rhythmic music. I will be playing that single for quite some time. Then Bret surprised me with my second favorite Poison tune, Let It Play. This song is just so laid back and fun! I'm hoping that if they choose a cover song to do sometime in the future that Poison records a cool version of Mama Let Him Play. It has a similar energy and it's a great song that needs to get back on the radio. Every Rose and Knockin' On Heaven's Door were up next with a drum solo to follow. Chuck (Evick) then put on a drum solo that was a huge improvement over Waterstock. Bret was trying to get him to use some symbols and steady beats for the solo at Waterstock, but I think Chuck was a bit surprised at that point in the tour. Last night Chuck just put on a nice double bass clinic as well as using some steady rhythms to wow the crowd. They then led right into Unskinny Bop, Fallen Angel, and instead of doing the typical encore thing, Bret went on in to Nothin' But A Good Time.

There was no drop in the energy whatsoever at this show. The band was tight. Bret was the consumate frontman and entertainer. Big John provided water and beer at Bret's request. It was just pure energy from start to finish. It was a warm club made hot by the show and everyone was glistening with sweat and matted hair and nobody cared because it was just so fun!

Afterwards, we hung out and visited with Evick, Big John, and got pictures and autographs from Bret. Derek and Pete had a blast hanging out and Steph was getting in plenty of time visiting, too.

Pete and I visited a little about a recent Metal Sludge rumor that was totally false and we thought of a way to put it to rest. Pete did say he had a response approved by Bret to post, but that they wanted to hold off to see if it blew over. I'm hoping that Steph putting a picture up of us all did the trick.

It turns out that Ray (Evick bass player) used to play in Circle Of Dust and Klank, a couple of Christian rock bands that I have heard. We talked about growing up on Christian rock and he has even made some connections over the years with guys in Living Sacrifice and DC Talk. I'm planning on seeing Tait in a couple of weeks and Ray gave me a phone number to pass on if I can. This was a conversation I didn't expect, but thouroughly.

We laughed, smuggled Ray a beer outside the club, took pictures, and had a great time until 2:30AM. Bret did sign my Songs Of Life CD and took pictures with each of us. We took a group photo with the four of us, Big John, and Evick. When we arrived back at Steph's to pick up my car we watched her post the group photo on Metal Sludge. (That thread has gotten several posts today.)

Pete fell asleep and Derek and I visited for quite a while before he dozed off, too. We got back to the house at 6AM in time for about 2 hours of sleep before I had to be to work.

I tell ya it was worth it, though. It was a great show with great friends and a great band fronted by my favorite frontman. Please go see this tour. You will not be disappointed!

So Close!

Well, technically, we were 1-1 last night in our softball games. As I reported before, we won the first game by forfeit. The second game we lost 11-9. It was tied with a couple minutes left and I went to the other team and asked if they wanted to play one more inning to decide a winner. I hate tied games. They agreed and went on to score 2 runs while we were 3 up and 3 down. I'll tell you what, though. It sure was a better game! We had lost to this team 19-3 last Thursday and this time kept it very close. We were missing one of our better players, but we just put together a strong effort and came close to beating them. It's much more fun when it's a game instead of a blowout.

Well, it looks like I'm going to see Bret Michaels tomorrow night. I'm hoping to meet the guy for a second time. I'd like to get Songs Of Life autographed. That's my favorite CD by anyone in Poison or Poison for several years. it just rocks. I love the songs Menace To Society, Raine, and It's My Party. The whole CD is great, but those are my favorites.

I received an e-mail from Pete Evick, the guitarist from Evick (the band backing Bret on this tour). He actually remembers hanging out and visiting at Waterstock. He said they are getting better and tighter every night, so I'm very anxious to see them tomorrow night. Those guys in Evick are a blast to chat with so go see them!

It looks like Steph has found a way to the show and talked me into it. Between her and the e-mail from Pete, I've got to go now. Michelle, from my church softball team, is taking me over to Davenport for the show. She hasn't been to a concert since her mid-teens and it was Poison, so she is pretty stoked about going.

I will post a review of the show later this week and hopefully have some pictures, too.

Heroes

The subject of heroes has always been a favorite of mine. I know we all have them for various reasons. I grew up having heroes like The Lone Ranger, The Fonz, Mickey Mantle, Petra, Bret Michaels and Poison, and of course, my father. These are all still heroes of mine in my ripe old age.

The first superhero cowboy I ever saw on TV was The Lone Ranger. He wore a mask, rode a horse called Silver, shot silver bullets, and had a sidekick named Tonto. I'm sure I've seen about every episode Clayton Moore and John Hart were ever in as the lead. I saw the old movie from my childhood and the newer movie a couple years ago. I even remember when John Hart was on Happy Days. He was a true good guy and still had an air of mystery to him.

The Fonz was the man when I was growing up. He could just rap his knuckles on a jukebox and it would play a rock n roll hit. He could snap his fingers and get the girl. He wore a leather jacket and rode a motorcycle and everyone thought he was the ultimate in cool. He was a daredevil jumping sharks and barrels and driving in a crashup derby. Most importantly, he had Pinkie Tuscadaro!

Mickey Mantle was the ultimate baseball player on the ultimate team. He played injured and still put up numbers that other ballplayers only dreamed of. He was also one of my dad's favorite players so I read about every book I could get my hands on about Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees. He made me want to play baseball and dream of playing for the Yankees. Being a preacher's kid, I also thought I'd be the team chaplain in the dugout and pitch on the field. I wanted to be a right handed pitcher putting up Ron Guidry numbers and then hit instead of using the DH rule so that I could be Mickey at the plate.

Petra was the first Christian rock group I really enjoyed. I'd heard Servant and heard of Fireworks, but Petra truly rocked. They had a guy that REO Speedwagon had wanted before Kevin Cronin came back to the band. Their guitar player was the only original member and he wrote some great rock tunes that I could get away with listening to as a preacher's kid. I will never forget seeing them live the first time and I will never forget meeting the lineup when John Schlitt from Head East joined up. Great guys with great music and I still follow them to this day.

As I got older, I was able to watch MTV when my parents were gone. The first video I ever saw that made me whip my head back to the TV was Poison's Talk Dirty To Me. That guitar riff just hooked me. These guys were running around in confetti and doing the craziest things while playing. I couldn't believe that rock music could look so outrageous and be that catchy. I quickly learned who these 4 crazy looking characters were and found they had the most outrageous names, too. They were rock n roll superheroes. Being a singer, I couldn't wait to be out of my parents' house and doing what Bret Michaels was doing. That guy led the party according to the videos and the interviews I read in Hit Parader, Circus, Metal Edge, and RIP magazines. I still have those old mags in my basement. He and his band got all the girls and sang the coolest tunes and had the best look of any band out at the time. I still buy everything these guys put out individually or collectively. Shoot, at Waterstock I found 3 singles of Bret's that I needed so I grabbed them up since his new CD wasn't out, yet. Last November I had done that with a VHS tape and a couple other CD's. I even grabbed a setlist to get signed and if you check out the picture gallery you can see I finally got to meet Bret. Poison rocks and Bret is still a hero to me.

My dad is my biggest hero, though, and I didn't realize just how much so until I started having my own kids. When I was young he was a hero to me, but as I entered my teens I couldn't see things more differently. Thankfully, age has taught me the error of that way of thinking and I find myself at times thinking more like my dad. He knew what he was doing in protecting me, encouraging me, and making sure I was brought up in a loving home. He set an example of how a marriage should work and how parenthood should be. He encouraged me in my love of sports and even helped my brothers and I get a sound system so we could pursue our singing. He coached my first baseball team. He sold me my first car. He encouraged my academic progression and even talked to my teachers to see what they were teaching and what I was learning. He also encouraged my study of truth and belief.

I know I'm not anywhere near what my heroes are, especially, my father, but I still look up to them all and admire the various things they do. They have all shaped my life in various avenues. I'm anxious to see who my children regard as heroes as they grow. I have two wonderful daughters and hope that I make their list.

2 Out Of 3

We only played two softball games last night, but found out that we already won one for Monday night due to a forfeit. We won the first game 17-1 when everything just went our way. We had that game a couple weeks ago when it seemed like everything went against us and this was just the opposite. It was nice to have a game like that. Our second game we lost pretty bad. We play that team again on Monday and hope to do much better. They aren't a great team, but we just made too many mistakes and we weren't hitting like we can. So between last night and Monday we have won at least 2 out of 3. Now for that 4th game...

So far, 5-9-1.

Terrorism

These attacks are just plain stupid. Losers trying to make a dent and they don't have a chance. It would be nice if they just gave up and realized that we aren't the enemy. I feel bad for all free people when idiots like Al-Qaeda do this stuff. They aren't attacking just London. This doesn't have anything to do with the Olympics. This doesn't have anything to do with the G8 Summit. This is an attack on free people.

There are actually idiots that believe that free countries are the bad guys. Supposedly, America is the bad guy. What a bunch of crap. The ideal is freedom and yet we seem to give ours away. We try to spread that freedom to oppressed people and we are bad guys for doing so. Idiots, I tell you.

Whatever happened to the proper practice of war, too? Why are our soldiers being told in most places that they can't shoot unless shot at? Why aren't they just taking everyone out and doing it quickly? Are we supposed to pussy foot around and make sure we only kill bad guys? You know what, it's war! In war bad things happen, even to good people. Sorry, it's war. In the old days of war, you wiped out the people in an entirety and even killed their livestock so that you didn't polute your people with anything from the enemy. That is how a war is to be fought. Instead, we have to worry about how it's going to play in the press and play some politically correct game. It's war. Fight it like it's a war and then you will enjoy your freedom much faster.

Of course, it's all politics. I vote for people who expect the best of this nation and hold the high values of our forefathers. Yes, that means we have to have a conservative, God-fearing leadership. It means we have to stick to our traditional values because that is what made this country great. There is nothing in our Constitution that uses the phrase "separation of church and state". There is nothing in our Constitution protecting reporters from revealing sources when a crime has been committed. Our Constitution says "We the People". That means we don't turn everything over to our government and our schools in order to raise our kids or reign in our freedom. It means that we decide what's right, not a bunch of judges making laws that our representatives haven't made law. It means we have to take on the responsibility of running our country, protecting our freedoms, and protecting the freedoms of all people. It's a big responsibility, so don't give it away!

Party Time Excellent

Last Friday was a pretty crazy party! We had just over 125 people and probably more that didn't even come inside. Crazy people! We were done by about 3:15AM, which seemed unusual, but it could be due to our first neighborly complaint.

I'm not sure why, but there are some idiots out there that think $5 is too much to pay to get into a party provided by someone else. We spend over $400 to throw these parties and are constantly upgrading our lights, the space available, and even trying to throw contests for everyone. We were unable to throw a contest at this last party since I had to deal with the complaint.

The complaint was that there were a lot of people outside making too much noise too late at night. I find this very stupid, but understandable. People have to realize that it's the weekend and people are going to have parties every now and then. We only do ours every 4-6 weeks so it's not a regular weekend event. Of course, revellers do need to realize that there are people sleeping in houses nearby and they need to keep the noise down. We always have a good bunch, but they did get carried away outside last Friday.

Two patrol cars showed up and I went out to talk to them. They said to keep in inside and keep the noise down. Pretty basic stuff and they were polite about it. It wasn't a big deal since I went in and handled it, but it could have been a huge fine if they returned. We can't afford that.

We still did Perkins afterwards, but it was just me and my two roommates. It was fun to hang out and visit. There was one reveller that Derek has a crush on back at the house sleeping in Pete's bed. She'd had a bit much and Pete looked after her. We hatched a plan to have Derek crawl in the bed next to her so she'd wonder in the morning. Good plan and we had some laughs. (They were clothed, so keep your mind free of gutter thoughts.) She even came out of the room putting her belt on so we had to exagerate that, of course. I even took a couple of pictures I hope to have online soon. Derek was proud of that prank.

We may wait 6 weeks until the next one. We actually went through all 4 kegs and part of another that was still there, so we have some cleanup to get done and deposits to get back. Good times!

Extra Time

Guess I don't have to worry after all. The Rick Springfield date is the night before the Def Leppard/Bryan Adams date so I'm doing both! That will be an awesome weekend.

I have been having so much knee trouble over the last month. It's almost like I don't have feeling between my knee and ankle, except for muscular pain. I also get a weird bone popping sensation mostly in my right knee. When I go to bend it forward it feels like the knee joint wants to take my knee sideways. I hope to see the doctor on the 15th, but I have to find out what the up front costs are. I have the best coverage at my job, but there always seems to be some initial out of pocket expense that costs a fortune. I still haven't seen a chiropractor due to that. It stinks getting old and feeling it.

It has been a wonderfully quiet weekend. I've seen a couple of movies, watched a Dead Zone marathon. Got a new battery backup so that my second PC can run now, and have done a few chores around the house. We are grilling out tonight. It might be a roommates evening hanging out.

The movies I saw were War Of The Worlds and The Longest Yard. War Of The Worlds is such a tough story to translate to the screen. I can see why the family story was done so that you have someone to cheer for. The real draw back is that humans don't defeat the aliens. The aliens just can't survive in Earth's atmosphere. That makes the end kind of dead. I expected that so the movie was pretty good, in my opinion, but I can see where others will have trouble getting it and it won't be the blockbuster that everyone expected it to be.

The Longest Yard was hilarious! I know it isn't a true remake of the original since it isn't as gritty, but this is still a very funny and entertaining movie. I was very impressed. My roommate, Derek, loves funny movies, but he doesn't usually laugh out loud. During this movie, he was laughing out loud. I'm not really a big Adam Sandler fan, but he does make some good movies. This one was hilarious!

Next weekend I have my daughters and I will take them to see either Herbie: Fully Loaded or Fantastic Four. I grew up on the Herbie movies and I love them all. I'm also a superhero fan. I will see them both, but they get to decide which one they want to see. I'm just nice like that.

Hopefuly, we will have some nice weather and get to go swimming, too. I'm actually getting tanned in a few spots!

What Do I Do?

There are two concerts I'm dying to see on July 31st. Def Leppard and Bryan Adams will be in Davenport, IA. I've seen the mighty Lep before, but haven't seen Bryan Adams live. Steph and Anne are going to that one and it's on a Sunday. It's songs like Summer Of 69 that really made me love guitar and rock music.

On the other hand, that same night in Ames, IA, will be Rick Springfield. Jesse's Girl is the first song that put me over the edge as a rocker. That guitar lick got me started so that I sought out songs like Summer Of 69, bands like AC/DC, and any other band that had great guitar riffs and rhythms. I will never forget watching some music awards show and Rick and his bnad came out to perform this song. I was glued to the TV and everything else was shut out of what I was listening to. My roommates are dying to go to this show.

I'm thinking of going to Rick on Sunday and then see Lep and Adams in Lincoln, NE. The only bad thing is that I'd have to go alone to that one. I don't like travelling alone and concerts are a great experience to share.

Oh, the decision...

The Last Two Weeks

Last week was an excellent week. I got a raise, a promotion, found out that my church is going to look into bringing my favorite Christian rock band to Des Moines, and spent some great time with my kids.

I've been at this job for over a year and got the promotion to Technical Specialist II. It came with a raise and some praise from my supervisor. That always makes a guy feel good.

The very same day, I got a message from my preacher that he would like me to get the information together on Petra's last tour. He would love to have our church associated with bringing Petra to Des Moines. This could be huge! I've gotten most all of the information together and we are going to present it to the elders next Wednesday night. I am a pretty good salesperson, but this will be the best thing I've ever sold, if it goes through. I'm already envisioning this entire event.

Last weekend was such a blast with my kids. We went to Adventureland as part of Wells Fargo Day on Saturday and saw the iCubs for free on Sunday.

At Adventureland we went on some mild to slightly wild rides. The craziest being one called The Mixer. This thing goes upside down and spins. Brittany went on it with me. I had tried to convince her all day and she finally relented. It was awesome, but she swore she'd never go again. During the day we went on the TeaCups, the Star Fling, Bumper Cars, the Log Flume, and the girls went on several together. We went to the circus and they had fun there, too. It was muggy and slightly cloudy so there wasn't much sun to be had. It wsa such a refreshing day to just walk around, ride on some fun rides together, and just laugh a good part of the day with my children. Derek went along to help out and the girls had a great time with him, too. Derek and I have a similar sense of humor and he's great with the kids. It was just a great time.

On Sunday we went to see the iCubs with tickets I had won at my church on Father's Day. We sat right by the Omaha Royals bullpen and the girls thought it was pretty cool sitting right near the players. They actually enjoyed the whole game. It was quite sunny that day and I got a nice burn. Paige caught a T-Shirt that turned out to be a Post Office shirt instead of the iCubs, but she was glad she got something that was tossed into the stands. Brittany took her glove just in case there was a foul in our direction, but she ended up sitting on it to protect her from the heat of the seat. We watched and visited and I tried to point out some things I thought they might find interesting. The iCubs got stomped 9-4. There were 3 homers in the game that they thought were pretty cool to see.

It was such a fantastic week. I hope to have many more like that!

This week has been pretty good, too, but not in the same way. My softball games got rained out on Monday, but many of us rode in a van together and that was a great time to visit with everyone. We went for some Dairy Queen since we couldn't play ball. We did have a practice last night that went well for those that were able to show up. On Tuesday, my married girlfriend :) (Anne), thought she'd take pity on this old man and get me out for some exercise. She is quite the runner and since I can't run we walk around Gray's Lake in Des Moines. It's about 3 miles around it and we do two laps. We did this on Tuesday, Wednesday, and plan to go this evening. It's been hard on the legs, but at least I'm getting a workout. I hope to build up to a jog. I did jog about 1/4 mile the first night, but had to nix that idea on night two. The knees are getting to feel like they must belong to my dad. It's good exercise and good conversation. With 6 miles of walking, you gotta talk to make the pain seem less. I'm sure Anne isn't breaking a sweat, though, as she has been able to jog up to 8 miles a day. I think she just walks with me and then goes home and gets a real workout with her running.

Oh, and I got more pictures from Waterstock! Steph is a real sweetheart, but I'm sure she'd be mad for me saying that. She was kind enough to send the pictures and my program from Waterstock to Anne with something she needed to get to Anne. Most people would just wait until the next time they see them to get stuff to them, but Steph mailed these things out. Ain't she sweet? I'm sure she is rolling her eyes as she reads this and hoping it doesn't ruin her reputation! :) I will post the pictures this weekend. She got some great shots!

Well another month, another party. Not sure how big tonight's will be, but we've had over 100 each of the last 3 and a contest each time. It's been great and the revellers are making less and less mess outside the house each time. I may post some details on the festivities this weekend as well.