My Facebook Thoughts

Monday, November 30, 2009

Grab A Tiger By The Toe


Over the weekend I saw a news alert that Tiger Woods had been seriously injured in a car accident. I, like many, who have a great deal of respect for TW was genuinely concerned for his health. As time passed, the world breathed a sigh of relief that he was going to be OK.

Now we want to know the details. TW isn't really being that open about the incident that required police and a trip to the hospital. Here is the only statement from TW.

As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.

This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.

This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.

The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.

This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.

Sure you deserve privacy, but you're a celebrity and we want to know ALL the "embarrassing" details.

Here's what we know.
  • At 2:30AM TW drives away from home.
  • Hits fire hydrant
  • Hits tree
  • Wife uses golf club to free TW
  • A 911 call was made
  • Police arrive
  • Medical assistance arrive
  • TW's privacy is now the world's #1 obsession

In light of factual evidence we are forced to fill in the blanks ourselves.

Questions
1. Why was TW leaving his home at 2:30AM?
a. to go work out
b. running away from home
c. running away from an enraged jealous wife
d. he was hypnotized to drive away when hearing code word, Zokvelt

2. Why did he hit the fire hydrant?
a. he was trying to text on his cell phone
b. he was swerving to miss a squirrel
c. he was trying to shake his wife off the hood of his car
d. he hates green fire hydrants, and think they should be red or removed

3. Why did his wife use a golf club to rescue TW?
a. she saw TW unconscious
b. she wanted to finish the jealous rage she started
c. in their neighborhood golf clubs are laying all over the ground
d. her caddy suggested that versus a rock

4. What caused TW's injuries?
a. he hit his head after pin-balling off the fire hydrant and tree
b. his wife worked him over in a jealous rage over rumors she'd heard on TV
c. he cut himself like pro wrestlers do to appear more injured
d. TW is really a vampire. (TW = TWilight, coincidence? Maybe)

5A. If he paid $2.4 million for his house shouldn't he have more space?
5B. Why is Wesley Snipes' house right on top of TW's house.

6. What type of club did his wife use, an iron, a wood or putter?

7. Why is Oprah retiring?

8. Paris Hilton?

The world is waiting Mr. Woods the world is waiting.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Gimme a T...!

Today being Thanksgiving I want to give thanks.

I am thankful I live in a country where anyone can speak freely. I hope when people do speak freely they also take the time to listen openly as well.

My Dad use to say things that only as an adult do I truly understand,

"Think before you speak."
"Don't eat with your eyes."
"Whether I'm right or wrong, I'm always right."

I'm thankful I had parents who took the time to raise me right. I could never handle being a father without their lessons. Dad died over 20 years ago. Mom still can cook like a Food Network chef. I admire her greatly and thank her for making me, me.

I'm thankful for my wife and son. They both amaze me each day. My wife doesn't have an easy life, yet she still has the cheerleader clap in her heart. I enjoy watching her be a mom, wife and teacher. All while still being a student to our life's challenges. My son is the personification of energy. He wants to do it all and I think in his lifetime he will. His life started out rocky and his beginnings continue to be a challenge for him. Those challenges have been a source of focus for us. For him to be his best we can't ignore his issues. He may not understand it all now, but he's not one to stopped.

I'm thankful for my brother and sister. My brother and I have always been each others competitor. We continue to push each other in the things we do. My sister is one of those people that's always there when you need someone. A tough as nails teddy bear kind of person.

I'm thankful for my friends. Recently, I was reminded how fragile those connections can be. I've also seen how strong friendships can be as well. A friend is so easy to make and I am so happy for all the ones I have.

I'm thankful to you. You took time out of your life to read my blog and I will always be humbled by that action.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I'm Easy

It doesn't take too much to make me happy. A good meal, great conversation, an enjoyable movie or show.

Recently, something has come into our house that I would recommend to everyone. Now don't take this as a "Favorite Things" blog, that will come later. This is just a quick shout out to something new.

New Towels.

My wife and I have been married 19 years. We probably got or bought towels when we were first married. Towels are towels, why buy new ones?

Well, my wife decided, "It was time."

I really didn't care, they're towels. They dry you off when you're wet.

I just gotta say, "Oh My Gawd!"

New towels are a little slice of heaven. I feel like I'm at a high priced resort & spa.

The face cloth feels like a baby bunny being rubbed on my face. (I'm guessing here because that has never happened to me.)

The bath towel wrapped around my shoulders felt like a hug from a soft super model. (Again I'm just guessing here.)

We don't burn candles in our house, but when your wrapped in the new towels your vision gets soft & cloudy like a Barbara Walters interview special, you can hear lite jazz playing in the background and you just want to light something that looks like a votive. I'd even settle for some old birthday candles.

Times are tough. But, if you want to get a warm fuzzy feeling each day, invest in some new towels. Not many of us can afford to go to a luxury spa, but we can buy some soft towels.

I'll be the first to admit this blog may seem a bit, shall we say, effeminate. I don't care my towels are soft. If that makes me effeminate, guilty as charged.

All I need now is to figure out how to get my wife to give me a hot stone massage.

(Gotta go, Oprah's coming on.)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Let's Pick Up The Mood

Ok, I've been blue long enough.

Here's a video my sister sent me yesterday. I don't know who the lady is, but I like her message.



And a bonus cartoon that really gave me a good chuckle.



Monday, November 16, 2009

It All Started With A Party

I've been away from my blog for awhile and I missed communicating to my handful of supporters.

Sadly, I was distracted by the sudden death of my friend Ken Jasch.

Some of my readers will know him some not. If I have I not met Ken you might not be reading this blog. A big statement, but true.

When I graduated from college I really had no specific direction. The services that were being offered to me at the time came with incomplete instructions.

I had a great girlfriend, Donna, lots of potential, but no direction. Then I went to a party.

The MDA Summer camp always had a beach party. Then a party after the party. Well one year Ken had a party after the party after the party. This is when my life came into clear focus and my direction was set.

I had been friends with Ken, but did not really know him. His party was at his apartment that he lived in alone. I had never known that Ken, a disabled man, was living on his own and engaged at the time I believe. This blew my mind. The apartment was very cool just North of Downtown Chicago. His life was "normal".

I remember telling Donna, "This is what I want."

Later I talked to Ken and found out he was an instructor for a ProgramAble that taught the disabled to be computer programmers for businesses. Nine months in the classroom and a 3 month paid internship. The program would help arrange transportation and, if possible, teach me to drive a real car.

The reason I give credit for my career is that same program he was working for was offered to me once before but under the name, El Valor. Nothing more then a name that sounded like a bull fighting school. I'm not that into bull fighting, so I passed on the program.

Ken informed me that El Valor was the parent of ProgramAble. Ken told me to buy a tie and take the test. He would take care of the rest.

I bought a tie, took the test, and Ken got me connected to transportation to and from class. I did the 9 months training, interned at Waste Management for 3 months and was hired for eight years after that.

I was a computer programmer.

That foundation had allowed me to be employed for 14 years, private consultant for seven years, married for 19 years, a father for six years, to buy three cars, two homes, 6 trips to Walt Disney World, one trip to California, one cruise and one moderately popular blog.

It all started with a party.

Thank You Ken, thank you.

Friday, November 06, 2009

We Could Use Some Funny This Friday

I understand a tragedy happened yesterday. My prayers go out to all the families involved.

I also like to see people laugh. So with that in mind I offer you a video that displays what would happen if I was a marching band instructor or cheerleader coach.


Wednesday, November 04, 2009

If Your Kid's An Einstein, I'm A Fruit Loop

When I became a parent six years ago I was both excited and scared out of my mind. My emotions are shared by all first time parents. You can read every book and watch every video and pray to the deity of your choice. But, when that first little bundle of joy shows up and looks at you for the first time seemingly to say,

"What you gonna do to raise me?",

you panic, you freak, you forget everything you had learned prior to that moment.


I believe all parents want the best for their children. We want them to be happy, safe and loved. We want them to be smart.

Let me rephrase that.

We want our kids to be smartER then THAT kid.

It doesn't matter who THAT kid is, we just want our kid to be able to do more. We're all guilty of it. We can't help but to watch and see if THAT kid is crawling yet or sitting up, rolling over, grasping, talking, teething, pooping, peeing, sleeping, signing, reading, writing, cooking, walking shedding, blogging, bathing or preparing for their dissertation.

And that is all in the first month.

We are first time parents, and we are sleep deprived neurotics.

My wife and I didn't have the 9 months to attend the first time parents boot camp. Not that we didn't want to, that's just how it worked out for us.
(If you want the whole story, send me an email.)

Because we were foster parents we had less than 24 hours to go from couple of two, to a family of three. So our pre-baby mania was concentrated. But, over time we caught to the hysteria.

We went so far as to get a Baby Einstein DVD. If you don't recall or never heard of Baby Einstein DVD's, they were designed (sold) to make your childa genius. At the least, smarter then THAT kid.

Because I was a typical first time parent I was intrigued to say the least. So when we started the DVD I was excited to see what state of the art educational baby stimuli looked like.

Would my intelligence jump as well from this infantile IQ workout?
How soon would my child be on the news displaying his amazing brain power?

We hit PLAY on the DVD.

I knew after the first twirling frog toy I had been duped. It wasn't even a good twirling frog. It was like somebody was cleaning out a toy box and they were video taping the contents for insurance purposes while classical music played on their stereo.

If you ask my wife she will tell how irritated this made me. As it turns out, I wasn't the only one. For fear of a huge class action lawsuit, the Baby Einstein people, Disney, are offering refunds if you were not happy with their product.

This is just one product out of thousands aimed at making babies better then THAT. Truth is most wont do anything more than entertain your child. And that's ok.

What I have learned in these past six years is that THAT kid's parents are trying to better then MY kid and THAT kid over there too.

OUR kids will be fine if we parents learn to follow their leads now and then. It's not the video they want to watch, but they want to watch that video with YOU.

Children will have all the pressure on then that they need. WE just need to learn from THEM.