The end draws near. . .

Insomnia! I suppose this is what I deserve for sitting in a meeting last night and tanking up on coffee. Taking a walk around the ol' 'hood doesn't work, Stephen King doesn't work, a bagel covered with cheddar doesn't work, so I suppose I think sitting in front of the glaring blue glow of a PC monitor and tap - tap - tapping upon a keyboard is going somehow to put me to sleep. Arlo Guthrie is telling me it is nighttime on the City of New Orleans, which I guess may be a fact, as it is still nighttime here in the city of Lansing at the moment. However,  if I sit up much longer screwing around with this thing that will no longer be true. The winter solstice is now past and the days are growing longer, though I believe we may have a few more weeks before it will be time to tune the mower. Blossom is sitting here begging me for another piece of cheddar, not realizing she and I have consumed the last of that brick. By golly, I think it may be time to head on back upstairs and see if I can find some rest. If a few more pages of Stephen can't do the trick, perhaps I will haul out the vacuum and do some dusting. Housework seldom fails to make me drowsy.

 

As I pass on by the front door I am going to go ahead and hang my flag on the front porch. It is close enough to daylight to put up the flag, and I would like to do something in honor of Gerald Ford. As Ford is former president and a World War II veteran it would be a good thing to do. Aside from which, I just plain like flying the flag and I think it is going to be a nice day. When I was out walking earlier there were stars all over the place. Being the ordinary, straight type of guy that he was I bet if Ford had a say he'd ask the rest of the nation to hang our national symbol in his honor and leave his family alone to mourn in peace. I had even considered a drive to Grand Rapids to pay my respects when the man finally completes his trip home and arrives here in Michigan, but I believe I am gonna skip that. Actually, I showed the guy all the respect I believe was possible when I gave him my vote during the presidential election in seventy six. I haven't kept track of who I did and did not vote for over the years, but I will be damned if I can recall another republican I have ever wasted my ballot on. I still think he would have done a good job had he remained in office, and I bet it will be a long time before we have another person from Michigan in that seat. Hopefully, it will be a very long time before we have another president in the oval office with the capability of remaining there for three terms

And so Happy Christmas. . .

And another Christmas heads on over the horizon. Not in any way a white Christmas, and I actually did some Christmas shopping on my motorcycle a couple of days ago. Michigan weather continues to become weirder. I got to spend some time today with my daughter, and a nice sized portion of the weekend with my boys. I have an improperly functioning light saber I must return to Meijer sometime today. Very difficult to have the Force be with you if your light saber is not working as it should. My daughter presented me with a Mag flashlight, just the sort of thing you would expect from a young lady working at a hardware store. This baby would make a dandy weapon if I ever had a need to use it as one. It would certainly handle any light saber. The thing is at least eighteen inches long and is very solidly constructed. And American made, to boot. A real shame you cannot find a good, American made light saber here in Michigan; perhaps it would be unnecessary for me to have to run Barry's back to the store.

 

My Christmas was quite festive this year. I whipped up my famous Chef Boyardee ravioli along with some stovetop stuffing for Christmas dinner, which delighted my sons, totally. No Christmas turkey for this crew, by golly. Rebecca demonstrated to me a digital memory device that hangs on your key chain and holds up to one gig of information, which is roughly equal to the capacity of my first PC. . .AFTER I upgraded it with a new hard drive. I was quite impressed, and proceeded to load the thing up with all kinds of photographs I have stored here on my current PC. I kept loading in photographs and waiting for it to say it was full, but it didn't happen. May have to get me one of those.

Skywatching. . .

Just back from a morning stroll around north Lansing. As I was out and about tonight I spent a bit of my time searching for meteors. Tonight the Geminid shower is supposed to be at its' peak, and in spite of the fact that I remained in town I managed to spot a few as they zipped across the sky. Walking through the grounds of the School for the Blind I found an area far enough away from street lights to enjoy some darkness. The radiance from all the city lights sometimes makes it difficult to see much of anything in the heavens overhead. 

An evening with friends. . .

Had supper tonight at a friend's house in Brighton this evening. Meat loaf, scalloped potatoes, and home made cole slaw. Nothing spectacular, everything sumptuous. Always a good time and good company at this home. After dinner we took the boys to see the movie Happy Feet. If you have ever wanted to watch a group of penguins as they sing Leader of the Pack, this movie is for you.

Oh, Christmas tree. . .

Blossom was endlessly fascinated as I assembled the Christmas tree earlier tonight. She does not yet realize that I have the talent of reading the minds of small animals, and that I know she was sitting there thinking "What a great toy! I can't believe he brought that in here just for ME!" Being her first Christmas, when the boys decorate it later today I will probably have to lock her in the basement or she will go crazy.

Heading into December. . .

All right! Just a typical Michigan day. Wednesday I am cruising around town on my motorcycle, Thursday I am checking my snowblower to make sure it is functional. The snowmover got used a grand total of one time last year, but sure as God makes green apples if that baby ain't working I will wake up some morning to find snow covering the first floor windows.

Knock, knock, knocking on winters' door. . .

Okay, I believe winter has arrived here in Michigan, my Michigan. We actually have snow out there tonight that is sticking, and along with it has blossomed the usual crew of native Michiganders that seem to think because they live in a state bordering Canada that they do not need to take the sort of precautions that someone from a southern state, such as Ohio, may need to take. There was the guy I saw walking into Meijer tonight wearing a jacket and shorts, for instance. He really would not have warranted much more than a passing glance, except for the fact that I watched him almost get mowed down in the parking lot by one of the bunch that believe they can see through a layer of snow across their back window. That dude wearing the shorts would have been awfully cold if he had wound up laying there in the parking lot waiting for an ambulance.

LIVESTRONG

Where do I begin? I am just home from the inaugural Livestrong Summit held in Austin, Texas, and in the past three days I have undergone more than it appeared possible to do in a mere seventy two hours. I have experienced inspiration and humility and awe, often in chunks that seemed too large to be swallowed in one piece. Many of the people I have met over this weekend just past made me absolutely thrilled to be a part of this group. I listened to amazing tales of strength, perseverance, and hope, all coming from everyday people very much like myself. These people and I all shared a common bond, which is that we have all experienced cancer in one of its' myriad forms. Another thing we had in common is that not one of us has surrendered to this disease.

 

During the convention I listened to accounts from other survivors which left me with a feeling of wonder, and often the sensation I experienced was incredulity. There was the man that refused to give up when told he only had months to live, ultimately consulting eight doctors before finally talking to a ninth doctor that finally offered a solution. There was the woman who practically had to beg her doctor to do a biopsy of a lump in her breast, after being told not to worry, that she was too young to have breast cancer. I had thought a biopsy was done as a matter of course, so little do I know. Then, there was the man with whom I had dinner on Saturday night, that mentioned during our conversation that he had been undergoing chemotherapy now for three years, and had in fact experienced his last chemo session just before leaving for the summit. These are only a small portion of the personal encounters with cancer shared with me in Austin, but they represent the kind of attitude and sense of purpose present in every person with whom I talked. The word 'surrender' was simply not in these people's vocabulary.

 

Even more inspiring were the experiences shared by those people that shoulder so much of the burden borne by a cancer patient, the caregivers. These are people that make room in lives already filled with families and careers, and face the physical and spiritual challenges that come from giving care and goodness to someone they love. The value of the support provided by these people is incalculable, and often their lives are forever transformed by the experience. Caregivers enable a cancer survivor to face their disease with the knowledge that they are not alone. They supply love and give of themselves so unselfishly that they provide choices when often it seems there are no choices left, and when the person in their care can no longer remain in this world, they will hold their hand and enable them to face their journey into the next world with comfort and dignity. Given a choice between being a survivor or being a caregiver, I believe I would choose to be a survivor. I am not sure I would have the strength to be a caregiver.

 

The Summit...

 

Kind of a pilgrimage for me, a chance to actually see Lance Armstrong in the flesh. This guy is the first thing I thought of when informed that I have cancer. As the summit was held in Texas, the trip alone was worth taking for a Michigan boy in mid October. Shirt sleeve weather all weekend, and I left with a knowledge that folks in Texas sure do love their air conditioning! Many people would walk to the hall in their shirts and put their jacket on upon entering the exhibition hall. Check in was a breeze. Give your name and you were handed a tote filled with information and supplies for the weekend, along with an ID badge. Then you got to wander around and introduce yourself to folks and share stories. Tables were set up with good things to drink and all kinds of munchies, which helped a great deal when you had been up since four AM and trotting through airports trying not to miss your flight. Happily, I met a lady who lived in Austin, and got the scoop on a couple of good places to eat while in town.

 

At three o'clock we all headed into the exhibition hall for the opening session, where after the opening ceremony we heard first from Lance himself. The man challenged us to actually work during the summit, to try and see just what we could accomplish. Next up were two very good speakers. Dr. Antonia Novella, our first female Surgeon General here in the U. S. Dr. Novella talked about "The Power of Cancer Survivors as Advocates."

 

 

 

 

 

Four years & counting

An anniversary for me today. I am a cancer survivor. Four years ago an oncologist looked me in the eye and gave me some unhappy news. This woman that had walked into the examination room where I waited for her weeks earlier and introduced herself to me as the Queen of Lumps informed me that I have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Not only this, but there are two different types, B and T, and it was discovered that I have both. The icing on my particular cake was that the disease had metastasized, a fancy word that pretty much means "spread". Two different bone marrow samples had both tested positive, meaning that I was at stage four of the disease. This doctor explained to me that by the time this cancer has made a home within your bones, chances are that it has spread throughout your lymphatic system, and may also be present in major organs, as well.

How completely odd that the world does not come grinding to a halt when these words are delivered. I like to envision myself as a strong person, but being told you have cancer knocks the toughness right out of you. The sense of shock should be enough to sweep your feet right off from underneath you, yet I somehow remained standing. The news itself is breathtaking, but my lungs kept on working, in and out, in and out. My reaction at the time was that a forty five year old male should not have to be thinking of writing a will. I had expected that if I ever faced death at a young age, it would be more as a result of my lifestyle, rather than my health...possibly because some knot head ran a light and nailed me on my motorcycle.

What the diagnosis meant to me was that at this stage of the game my choices were pretty limited. Surgery as a solution was out, as by the time enough had been hacked off to eliminate the cancer there would not be a lot left. Radiation was also out, as the amount required as a cure would cook me like a hotdog in a microwave, while making sure that my last few days on earth were as miserable as possible. Consequently, I walked out of the cancer center that day staring down the barrel of chemotherapy. At that time I was facing fifteen sessions, one per day, five straight days of treatment followed by a breather for the rest of that month, to give my body a chance to deal with the poisons being introducedinto it. This eventually became a total of thirty sessions stretched out over six months, and my treatment began being called "intensive." 

Really, if ever there was a "right" time to become a cancer patient, the twenty first century is that time. Advances in dealing with the disease are made almost on a minute-by-minute basis, and I believe that I am alive today specifically because knowledge of cancer as well as of treatment continue to move forward at a rapid pace. Some day soon cancer may be ranked along with polio as something you are more likely to see in a history book, but that day will only matter for those of us around to see it arrive.

Memorable dates...

The day after a date most Americans have no trouble remembering, right up there with the assassination of JFK (11-22), Pearl Harbor day (12-07), D-Day (06-06), or the Fourth of July. While I certainly have no memory of any date pertaining to World War II, I can recall Kennedy's assassination, though these memories are from the perspective of a boy in grade school. I can remember walking home from school that day and wondering why a girl walking with a group of girls behind me was crying. Aside from that, my main recollection of that time is that there were no cartoons to be found on television at all that weekend. In fact, it seemed to me that every time I turned on the TV I got yet another look at the cassion carrying the remains of our President through the streets of Washington D.C. Terribly dull stuff for a six year old boy with no real concept of what it is like to witness history.

As for September eleventh, I very well may have been one of the last people in the United States to even know that it happened. I was working third shift at the time, and after getting home from work I put in a load of clothes to be washed and made myself a snack. After I finished my washing I climbed into bed, and I did this at nine that morning, almost exactly as events were unfolding. After an eight hour shift in a factory I usually wanted only silence, as I did that day. With no television or radio going I was totally unaware of what was happening. I awakened at about four that afternoon, had a quick shower, tossed on some clothes, and headed for school, as I had a class that day. I noticed an undercurrent  of tension and anxiety as I walked across the campus, but still knew nothing until I ran into a coworker and stopped to ask what was going on. He looked at me as if I was nuts and asked "You mean you really don't know?"

Monday Labor Day Weekend

The boys and I took a Monday afternoon bike ride through Riverfront Park as far as Michigan Avenue, where we visited Oldsmobile Park to watch the Lugnuts win their last regular season game against Peoria. The victory was come from behind and quite a thriller. The day was gorgeous and almost too warm, and it turned out to be a great way to spend that last day of summer vacation. We started by sitting out on the lawn and after a couple of innings wound up moving into the bleachers, where there was some shade. A lady sitting in the next row up spotted me using my camera on the boys and offered to take a shot of all three of us, so now I have a very nice photo of father & sons at the ball park. You never quite seem to realize how often you are not in the picture when you are the guy behind the camera.

A weekend ride with David

I took a ride tonight through Riverfront Park all the way out as far as Frandor. I used to do this all the time when Jarek was young enough to fit on a kiddy seat on my bicycle. Of course, we made those trips at three in the afternoon, rather than three in the morning. I enjoy riding through the park in the morning hours because often it feels as if I have the entire park to myself. Years ago, I would take Jarek out to Kircher Park in East Lansing to watch the ball games. Taking a cruise through on a sunny afternoon is very pleasant, and I believe to reach East Lansing is at least a five mile ride. What a great idea, the day some genius thought of building a park along the banks of the river as it runs through Lansing. On the way home tonight I spotted four deer in Potter Park; what looked to be a buck, a doe, and a couple of fawns. The minute I tried to move up along side them they used the Grand River as an escape route, and made a big splash when they hit. Very pleasant spending some early morning hours where the loudest noise you encounter is wild animals leaping into a river.

A weekend with the boys...

Another weekend gone by, spent with two young lads and a slew of their young friends, most notably Brianna, who seems to have a really nice case of the hots for Barry. And, by golly, Barry reciprocates, too. As a matter of fact, it still blows me away that he painted her nails for her; I would not believe that I saw an eight year old boy doing that if I had not gotten a photograph. And Brianna actually ran over to the local QD to buy candy & bring it back to share with the boys. I was rather amazed when she returned with candy cigarettes, I did not realize those were even still being made. Talk about a politically incorrect candy. Actually, I would rather the boys did not have the things, but; their friend spent her own money and I did not have the heart to say 'no'.

And later on we all went for a bike ride over to the School for the Blind, where Jarek demonstrated his manliness after losing a couple of fair-sized patches of skin when he wiped out on his bicycle. I kidded him about suddenly deciding he was no longer interested in playing and wanting to go back home, but he got himself back with a minimum of fuss, and then sat with his mouth closed in the bathroom while I disinfected his injuries and taped on some gauze pads. He had one scrape he did not even notice until we arrived at the house. I was quite impressed.

A matter of priorities...

What a day. Two exams, one I passed with all flags flying, one that was such a crash & burn I felt like a passenger on the Hindenburg. All a matter of priority, I guess, although I would have been delighted to pass both examinations. However, the exam I failed had to do only with studies, and my great difficulties mastering algebra. I understand one side of our mind works with numbers and one side develops language and words, and I have long suspected which half of my brain is dominant. Unhappily, I have had difficulty working with numbers all of my life, and things only seem to be getting worse. Be that as it may. I read once that the number of times you are knocked down are not as important as the number of times that you get back up, and I like the philosophy.

As for the other exam, my oncologist seemed happy with me today, and if she is happy, I am happy. As a cancer survivor, I see this doctor on a regular basis to insure that the thirty sessions of chemotherapy that I underwent three years ago are still having the desired effect. Having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at stage four, I have been told that a total cure is very unlikely. However, with proper care and treatment I can live longer, perhaps much longer.

A day in David's world...

Ahhhh, summertime! Cheap tomatoes and children's laughter, plus being able to walk around covered by nothing more than a pair of swim trunks, and those primarily to satisfy the cops and keep from being mobbed by female neighbors.

Another summer day gone by, not only a productive day but quite an exciting day as well. I spent a portion of the productive part of the day turning my compost pile. Unlike many people I know, I do not just heap stuff in my back yard and then expect it to just lay there and rot. I realize that having a compost pile of your own means accepting some responsibilities, and among these is making sure that you turn that rotting mass occasionally. You can hardly expect leaves and garbage to compost properly with out a bit of effort on your part, and I do not want my compost pile to ever feel as if it is being neglected. So, early this afternoon I grabbed my rake and a hoe from the garage and did my duty as a composting citizen. I mean as a citizen that does composting, and not one that is composting. Anyway, my heap is now nicely turned, and if smell is any indication of compost quality I may very well have the mother of all compost heaps right here on Roosevelt Ave. Standing on the other side of the yard this afternoon downwind from that sucker was enough to make your eyes water. If I sound proud, it is probably just your imagination.

As to the exciting part, I did a bit of experimentation today which resulted in an educational experience for David. Early in the day I discovered that several wasps had somehow found their way onto my back porch and made themselves at home. I did not waste my breath trying to explain to them how I feel about nasty little insects invading my home, as I doubt they would have bothered listening anyway. What I did do was to open my back door and invite them to leave. This was less than successful, as the few already inside stayed inside, and one more came on in while I was holding the door for him. After closing the door, I decided to haul out the heavy artillery, and reached under my sink for a can of flying insect spray. Unfortunately, I found I had used all of the spray on my last confrontation with mean little insects, and neglected to purchase more. Searching for another solution to my problem, I noticed an aerosol can of Wizard Sunsplash air freshener, and suddenly was seized with an idea. Of course I realize that the stuff is not intended to kill wasps, but I had never heard of anyone else actually using air freshener to convince flying insects to fly elsewhere. For all I knew, the people that manufacture Raid and other such products have been living in fear of the day someone tried using this stuff for something besides making their house smell good, and discovered that it worked.

So, I armed myself with my can of air freshener, said a brief prayer to the gods for a successful hunt, and headed for my back porch to do battle. Happily, all of my unwanted guests had settled down on a warm area of the storm door and were doing a little sun bathing. I crept up just as quietly as I could, took aim with a steady hand, and fired. The results were immediate, and altogether disappointing. Within seconds I had a squadron of thoroughly pissed-off wasps flying in formation around my porch, searching for a target. However, they smelled great! I realized that discretion is the better part of valor, and beat a hasty retreat back into my kitchen, slamming closed the door between the kitchen and porch. I decided there was a reason why the stuff in the can was called air freshener and not wasp killer, and returned it underneath the sink. I then rewarded my efforts with a glass of sun tea, keeping a close eye through the window on the kitchen door to assure myself that the little SOB's had not figured out how to gain entrance into the house. After I had finished my tea and the situation had calmed down a bit, I armed myself with a more traditional weapon, probably in use long before spray cans of bug killer had been invented. I rolled up a newspaper, and spent the next half hour flattening my great smelling wasps. A good deal riskier than spray, perhaps, but much more effective. Live and learn. Perhaps next time I will try some non-stick cooking spray.

A Day at the Capitol

Today I attended a helmet protest downtown at the state capitol here in Lansing. First time in a long time I have attended one of these events, and it was quite a good time. Always enjoyable walking around and looking at row upon row of motorcycles, and it is also fun searching all the faces looking for folks I may not have seen in several years. Definately a different look and feel to the crowd than I recall from a quarter century ago. Now, instead of a mass of people standing on the lawn of the capitol screaming "Helmet Laws Suck", they chant "Let Those Who Ride Decide." A different tone altogether; however, I have the idea that most people that can afford a sixteen thousand dollar motorcycle have at least one thing in common with me, which is they are knock-knock-knocking on the door of middle age. I can recall how much my mother used to dislike my "Helmet Laws Suck" t-shirt, and I believe I am beginning to relate. And I spent enough time looking around today to realize there were quite a few down there that were closer than me to retirement.

Voluntary Electronic Tethers

Awaiting the day I become important enough for my own tether.

It's a Greek thing!

Early evening as another Decoration Day heads on over the horizon. I spent a fair sized portion of today out to Potter's Park enjoying an AA picnic. That is to say I mostly frittered away this day stuffing my face and standing around yakking with other members, which is not a bad way to spend an afternoon. I left the picnic planning on a nice, long ride through small town America. Temperatures made it to ninety the past couple of days and this is the sort of weather that makes owning a motorcycle worthwhile. The boys and I spent the weekend together and consequently, I did not get a lot of riding done. However, I instead took a ride out to Walmart, and bought some hand-made flowers. I had been out to Deepdale on Sunday evening after I took the boys back to their mom, and I found myself admiring many grave sites and wondering if I should not do a bit more in the way of 'decorating' mom and dad's plot. The local veterans group had made sure a U. S. flag was planted over dad's grave; however, I decided some flowers stuck in the little urn on their marker would be nice. So, I stopped, chose some that actually looked pretty decent for being fake, and made a second trip to Deepdale. Much to my surprise, I found that between yesterday and today someone had come along and placed flowers into the urn, and real, live growing ones at that. Saying I am surprised is sort of an understatement. Up 'til now I did not believe that other than the local VFW placing and removing flags that anyone other than myself had done anything in the way of tending that spot. Now I find at least one other person has stopped by, although I could not name who to save my life.

And, as always, I admired the spot the Thodis family has reserved for themselves. I recall hearing mom mention to the salesman that she did not care for tombstones when he was at the house selling her this spot, consequently the folks have a set of plaques mounted on a piece of marble set flush into the ground. This is difficult to spot when you are cruising through the place, and so I chose the monument of the Thodis family to help me get my bearings. The name is easy to remember and they have a nice black marble bench type marker that is easy to find. At least, I think these things are intended to be benches...I have never actually seen anybody sitting on one. These folks also have this really neat candle holder in front of their marker, and I can often tell when Mrs. Thodis has been by for a visit, as there will be a fresh candle burning at the grave. The holder protects the candle from the elements very well, and judging from the size of those candles I will bet they burn at least a week. I spoke to her one day and asked her if there was a significance to the candle left burning at the grave site, and she sort of chuckled and said "Oh, it's a Greek thing" as if that statement would explain any unusual activity that may occur in a graveyard. Now, every time I see a candle burning at their site I chuckle to myself and say "Oh, it's a Greek thing" and I wonder how Mrs. Thodis is doing. I figure as long as I only see her date of birth on that marker that she must be doing fairly well.

Kickin' & screamin' into the 21st century...

I happened upon the scene of an accident this afternoon as I was cruising from one side of Lansing to the other on my motorcycle, and felt an immediate bond with one of the people involved. Almost as immediately, that bond was severed as neatly and as completely as it is possible to do. A young woman was laying in the middle of Capitol Avenue, at the intersection of Capitol and Saginaw, next to her bicycle. I have been there and done that, personally. In fact, this lady would have to tangle with an automobile at least two more times in order to catch up to me, were we to make it a contest. Really, I would rather not. There was a car parked nearby, and a Lansing cop had his cruiser half way into the right hand lane on Saginaw, moving traffic over a lane while he stood next to the young woman laying in the road and made sure she was not run over.

I am sure at this point you are wondering to yourself "Ah, but David, what about that severed bond? What happened to the sense kinship you felt with the young woman?" By golly, that would be a valid question, too. As I made my way past the scene, I was quite happy to observe several things. First, no copious amounts of blood were pooled around the bicycle rider, which I think boded well as to her physical being. Second, she was not flopped on the pavement screaming out her agony to the world, which is more than reasonable when your 30 pound mode of transportation tangles with a 3500 pound vehicle. Also, she was fully conscious, which was also a very good thing. No limbs twisted at awkward angles, no big, ugly, missing patches of skin. In fact, not much in the way of distress at all.

"Uhh...David? That lost sense of kinship?" I was coming to that, in my own sweet time. You see, it was what this young woman WAS doing as she lay on her back at a busy intersection during afternoon rush hour, while a policeman guided traffic around the scene. As she lay in the street, on the warm pavement, what this lady was doing was chatting on her cell phone. And yes, I am aware of what wonderful devices these are in times of emergency. This young woman could very well have been giving an ambulance crew directions to the scene. Or, she may have been telling her mother that she was going to be late for supper. Or, she could even have been phoning her lawyer, and making an appointment for the following morning. What a great time to 'Call Lee Free'. God knows, I have fantasized of tapping into that third choice more than once. However, from the attitude of this young woman, the way she was behaving and the look on her face as she lay there and talked, I find it all too easy to envision a conversation with a friend that began with the words "You'll never guess what just happened to ME!" Really, you could have slipped a ruffled pillow under her head and tossed a comforter over her and I do not believe she would have looked any different than had she been all tucked away in bed for the night. I do not want to make myself sound too ancient, but darn it, when my friends and I got banged up our bicycles we at least had the decency to lay there and cry for a few minutes before we began discussing the wreck.

Cheeseburgers by lamplight

A weekend with my sons, and half the other kids in the neighborhood. My boys spent a nice sized portion of the day in the company of a girl about Barry's age named Briana. Briana is a pretty nice kid, polite and fun to talk to. She also had this idea that having supper with her pals was a very big deal, so while I was getting stuff ready I made sure to toss a couple of burgers on the grill for her, and she sat down and ate with me and the boys. While at the table she was checking out this very old oil lamp that used to belong to my mom. Evidently it was the first one she had seen, so I dug out a lighter and fired that sucker up, and we sat at the table in mid afternoon, eating our cheese burgers by lamplight. I think the word is 'quaint'.

There's something happening here...

Today was one of those days when it is exciting to live within walking distance of a state capitol. Saturday afternoon a neo-Nazi group held a rally on the capitol steps and the entire downtown area turned into an armed camp. I believe every Lansing cop was working today; in addition, we had police on loan from other cities, county cops, state cops, and National Guard troops, all patrolling the capitol grounds and much of the area around the capitol. Many of these people were outfitted with bullet-proof vests, helmets, batons, and some genuinely nasty looking firearms. Trying to drive through Lansing was an exercise in patience, as several streets in the area were blocked off, and you had an excellent chance of ending up stuck at an intersection at any time, either waiting on a group of people protesting the rally to parade by, or perhaps for a string of  emergency vehicles to come screaming through on their way to some urgent destination. I also counted at least two helicopters circling the area most of the afternoon. Anyone attending the rally (which I did not) had to pass through a metal detector and submit to a personal search. I have a handful of bearings in the pocket of my leather, and I am certain there would have been questions concerning those.

After the all the excitement had died down and things were a bit quieter, a group of students from MSU held a "Wash Away The Hate" demonstration and scrubbed down the steps of the capitol, which I thought was a great counterpoint to the Nazi group. For a little while today, with all the people marching around "singing songs and carrying signs", it almost felt as if we were living in 1968, rather than 2006. Amid all the hoo-rah, it is comforting to know that one of our nation's basic freedoms, the freedom of speech, is still very much a part of the American way of life. Even for a bunch of knuckleheads.

The weekend past

Another Easter gone by.

Chirp chirp!

I have to admit, I am impressed. The kid across the street has taught his car how to chirp.  At first I thought this meant that perhaps a Pontiac could catch the bird flu, but I have come to realize what it really means is that he has installed a car alarm in his vehicle, and that I have one more reason to leap for my telephone and punch out the number of the Lansing police with trembling fingers when I hear yet another alarm going off in the neighborhood. What a great thing these alarms are...kind of like a 21st century version of the neighbor's barking dog. I must have heard these things wailing away at least one thousand times since they were invented, and I have yet to witness anyone attemping to steal the vehicle making all the noise. If nothing else, these car alarms give me yet another reason to work for a move from the city to someplace out of town.

I wanna gripe!

Okey dokey! First and foremost, I have been made aware that people actually READ these thoughts of mine. This means I must put some care into insuring that whatever I publish onto the world wide web is not going to land my fanny in jail. Or, perhaps, cause a friend to decide they would rather not BE a friend. Hmmm...I suppose this means anything the statute of limitations has yet to run out on is off limits. Golly, the things I have to decide!

 

Now for the gripe. I was almost run over today at the MLK/Willow intersection by some color blind idiot in a pick up truck. That light had been green in my direction for a three count when this knothead came cruising on through to make a left turn. Of course, the fact that I was on my motorcycle meant he would have had the right-of-way after a 30 count, if that is what he wanted to do. None the less, it seems as if more and more people are regarding a red light as kind of a suggestion, rather than a directive to halt. Not just people in family vehicles, either. We are talking so-called professional drivers here, too.

 

Let me see, then there was the neighborhood boy that stopped by yesterday while I was working on my car and initiated a conversation with me by using the phrase "I heard a rumor..." - oh, boy! Talk about the wrong set of words to use. I explained to this young lad that life was far too short to for me to waste my time on gossip, and that if all he had to do to amuse himself was go around spreading rumors, that he needed to find someone else to pester other than me. I am not sure if I made much of an impression on this kid. In fact, I will bet I became the basis of some fresh gossip at that moment. Ah, well, life continues. Perhaps one of these days I will move into the desert and not have to listen to neighborhood chatter. Also, not be able to walk four blocks for a gallon of milk, as I need to do before the evening progresses any further. 

 

 

Friday slides on in on silken wings...

Good morning! An interesting day. Warm! A great day for riding, and not only did I return the salute to many other bikers this day, signs of spring abounded. Olds park had it's home opener with the Lugnuts this afternoon, and the place was packed. As torn up as Michigan Avenue is at this time I thought people would not bother, but evidently people are hungry for baseball. At least, hungry for baseball not rife with endless speculation concerning whether this player or that player happens to be loaded up on steroids. And, as for signs of spring, most ladies have removed a layer or two, which is not at all unpleasant. Also, I spotted my first 'Vette today, almost a sure sign that spring is in the air. I believe most 'Vette owners wait until the motorcycles have been out a month before even dusting off their vehicles. And, I spent part of today riding the bike wearing just a t-shirt under my leather.

I made a trip to Hunt's Hog Shop today with the intention of picking up a new helmet, and wound up leaving with a set of tires, thanks largely to the fact that Mark has them on sale, and that I will soon need a set, front and back. I have not replaced the front tire on the bike since I have owned it. This, however, will be tire # 4 on the back wheel, which I believe says something about my driving habits. It also pleases me to spend money elsewhere than at Capitol HD, when I possibly can. Also, I had a good time visiting with Mark, Tim, Gary, & a bunch of other folks I used to associate with on a regular basis and now seldom ever see.

Time, I believe, for a bit of a walk around the neighborhood before bed. It is very pleasant to stroll about and not have to dress for freezing weather. OF course, I am less likely to have the streets all to myself, but, I guess that is the price you have to pay.

Happy hump day

What a day. My first accomplishment was to head down to LCC and recover my student ID, which had been swallowed and kept by a card reader you have to satisfy when you exit the parking ramp. Typical of the difficulties you experience when trying to operate machines designed for automobiles while astride a motorcycle. I expected to have to surmount an endless series of obstacles in order to regain possession of this card, but the kid that returned it to me was very easy going and helpful. Turned out to be a pleasant day for a bicycle ride to campus and back home again.

The Weekend

Okay, on the topic of things David does to prove to the rest of the world that I am really not a genius. Just in case anyone becomes fooled, that is. Saturday evening we came home from the movies (Ice Age: The Meltdown, had a woolly mammoth that sounded a lot like Ray Ramono) with the knowledge that Daylight Savings Time was about to kick in, so, around the house I go resetting the clocks. I have this thing about clocks and probably have a few more than most people. Sunday afternoon rolls around, I made dinner, then we settled down on the couch and I thought I would catch the six o'clock news. I hit the remote just in time to see 60 Minutes go off the air. I told Jarek "Look at that, the networks have their times all screwed up!" and he said "Yeah, unless you turned all the clocks the wrong way." As the kids these days would say, "Duh!" I wound up getting the boys back to their mom about an hour and a half late. Good thing she & I get along. On the other hand, she was asleep on the couch when we rolled in and probably considered it a favor. I have repeated 'Spring ahead, Fall back' to myself at least 40 times over the past couple of days. Can't recall ever doing that before, but, I guess there is a first time for everything.

Now, time for my morning stroll. Guess I better get my coat out of the closet, as I heard the furnace kick on a little while ago. Still early April here in Michigan, my Michigan.

Out like a lamb

Okay, item number one: this dorky list of moods AOL allows me to put at the top of a journal entry. Unless I want to be mischievous, loopy, flirtatious, or chillin', my choices are rather limited. What happened to just plain tired, and why can I not choose my own mood? Why do I have the feeling that list was created by someone younger than my daughter? And, hey...I just realized what the 'AOL Bots' item is on my buddy list. No need to access this thing to write an entry, I can IM my journal, instead. How terribly convenient.

Again this evening I found myself being followed by a cat, only this time it was my own brainless knuckle head animal. I decided to walk to the local QD (we old people need our exercise) for some milk and buns. I was in the mood for hotdogs. About half way down the block I happened to glance behind me, and what to my wondering eyes should appear but Tommy Tomato trotting briskly about 20 feet to my rear. I had not yet fed him and his buddies, and I guess he decided to keep an eye on me until I showed with his dinner. An educational experience for Tommy! As I passed the Chinese take-out place, I noticed a guy walking his dog. About a half block further down the street, all hell broke loose. Happily Tommy noticed the dog quickly enough that by the time they had crossed the street, he had done what cats do and taken refuge in a tree. I walked back to investigate. The dog owner was allowing his animal a bit of fun. He looked at me, kind of laughed and shook his head and said "That cat ain't gonna come down until he feels way safe." I agreed with him, turned around and continued my walk to the store. Got my evening supper supplies, said hello to Terri, who happened to be working this evening, and headed home. Sure enough, the dog was gone and my cat was sitting tight, right where I left him. As he was about 12 feet up, he had to extract himself, which he managed to do. I will bet next time I get to walk to the store by myself. Or, perhaps I will just feed him first, and save him the anxiety.

I have finished my herb tea, and I guess it is time to head on up the stairs. I am going to need to face tomorrow well rested and ready to tackle algebra, as if I do not get my tail into gear I am going to be launched from this class. Chances are I will be spendingseveral hours in the math lab at LCC. My idea of a perfect day, no doubt. Hopefully I will finish in time to attend my evening meeting at ACE.

24 hours later

In again after that finest of all things, the morning stroll. Have not even removed my hat and jacket, yet. The world is so nice and quiet at this hour! And again, the snow. This time even attempting to stick, though I would wager it will be gone when I awaken.

I did have the motorcycle out for a bit, today, just long enough for a ride to the post office and across town. Oddly enough I was the only bike I saw on the road. Evidently other cyclists do not feel the hunger that gnaws at me. Or, perhaps, just too intelligent to go riding in 40 degree weather. Ah, well, warmer days are on the way...I can feel it.

And now, I realize a potential problem with my fledgling journal. This is officially an 'AOL' journal. So, what happens to all my fine thoughts if I decide to dump AOL, as I often consider doing. AOL considers their value to be much higher than do I, especially since the recent two dollar increase. Frankly, I think this server is a pain, and I am still using AOL mainly because I am too lazy to change. However, that laziness may not last forever, and then what? This journal made inaccessible, or maybe just wiped out? Egads! Perhaps I need to investigate other blogs that are not associated with wonderful AOL. Something to do another day, as now it is again time to head on upstairs. Saturday is here, and I do not have the boys with me this weekend, so, it is time to see if I can get a few things done outside. If it is not snowing, that is.

Gotta start somewhere...

Friday, March 24, 2006, at 3:05 in the morning. Just in from a 30 minute stroll around the neighborhood, watching the snow fall and taking in the night life. I found myself being followed by a curious kitten, and thought for a bit I might add another member to the growing crowd that visits my porch looking for handouts. However, this kitty had other appointments to keep, or perhaps just grew tired of stalking me. I really should be in bed, and instead here I sit tap-tap-tapping away at the urging of another blogger. Not that I needed much motivation, as I have had the idea for years that a diary of some sort would be a good idea. I must keep reminding myself that this entry is limited to 25,000 characters. My goodness, how can I possibly operate within that constraint?

It is a nice morning for a walk, and although with the snow coming down it does not feel terribly spring-like, much of this season just past did not feel very winter-like. Nevertheless, I hunger for sunshine and warmth and green grass. I want to go outside wearing a t-shirt, and do yard work. Hear the buzz of lawn mowers. I want to ride my bicycles and motorcycles and not have people think I am out of my mind for so doing. The plants do seem to be aware of the vernal equinox, as I have crocuses coming up in the yard, and a maple next to the house has sap flowing so heavily it was dripping out of a broken branch. I collected some and had a drink of maple sap today, something I have not done in years. 

Okay, it is time to head on upstairs and crawl under the covers. A peek out the window has revealed that the snow has let up. Perhaps I will roll the motorcycle out today. We shall see!