We lost a hero

Some of you may remember a dinner that was hosted in my home last May. Tami arranged for Major Tom Griffin to be our guest at a dinner in his honor. Tom Griffin was one of Doolittle's Raiders; A fearless bombing squad that ran a bombing mission on mainland Japan. This dinner gave the men of the family the opportunity to meet Major Griffin and to ask questions afterward. I heard it was an incredible evening. Unfortunately I couldn't be there. Tami mistakenly scheduled this once in a lifetime event on a night when I had to be at school to supervise my students during their spring variety show. I was bitterly disappointed, but there was nothing that could be done. It was an honest mistake and I couldn't get out of my work commitment.

Major Tom Griffin died Tuesday night at the age of 96. He and his fellow Raiders were true American heroes. This man lived an incredible life and was an ambassador of The Greatest Generation. Here's a blurb that was sent to me this morning:

February 27, 2013 - Thomas Griffin, navigator on the No. 9 B-25 bomber Whirling Dervish in the Doolittle Raid on Japan on April 18, 1942, passed away Tuesday evening in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was 96.

An announcement on the Doolittle Raiders Facebook page reads: "It is with great sadness that we inform you that Maj. Thomas C. Griffin, navigator for Crew 9, passed away last night, Tuesday, February 26, 2013. He left us peacefully with his family at his side. Funeral arrangements will be announced once they become available.

"We will all miss him dearly, his mission here is complete and he has flown west to meet his fellow Raiders who have gone before him. There are now but four surviving Doolittle Tokyo Raiders."

The four remaining Raiders include Richard E. Cole, Robert L. Hite, Edward J. Saylor, and David J. Thatcher. The 71st Doolittle Raiders Reunion, an event being billed as the final reunion of Doolittle's Raiders, is scheduled for April 17-20 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Griffin was born on July 10, 1916, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and raised in Chicago. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1939, then entered service on July 5 that year as a Second Lieutenant, Coast Artillery, but enlisted as a Flying Cadet in 1940. He was rated as a navigator, and recommissioned on July 1, 1940.

After the Tokyo raid, he was assigned to B-26s with the 319th Bomb Group in North Africa, where he served until being shot down and captured by the Germans on July 3, 1943. He remained a prisoner of war for the next 22 months in the infamous Stalag Luft III until liberated in April 1945.

Decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, First Grade.


In case you are wondering why I am in this photo, I arrived home just as the guests were leaving and posing for this farewell picture.

Check!

January 2013- Check!
February 2013- Check!

Bring on March! I am ready for spring!

Reds Opening Day is about a month away. Things are looking up :-)

Who said that?

I don't know where our sayings and adages came from, but I do know whoever came up with them was very wise. Whoever said, "Silence is Golden" was absolutely correct. I live in a noisy world and sometimes all I want is a little bit of peace and quiet. It's difficult to find. Whoever said, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb", said a mouthful too. March begins on Friday and the weather does not look nice. Cold temperatures, rain, snow and wind. YUCK! Coming in like a lion indeed! I look forward to the quick passing of March and watching it go out like a lamb. Spring is on its way!

We can't bear to look!

It's been about a month since Michael moved out. In that time, his former bedroom door has remained closed. Neither Tami nor I can bear to open it and look into the dark, cold and virtually empty room. To my knowledge Tami has never opened it. I only open it to retrieve the vacuum we store in his now empty closet. It may sound strange to hear, but it's painful to open that door. A room that was once decorated with teenage boy stuff and filled with life is now a dead zone. The day will come when that room will be transformed into a playroom for the grandchildren, but it's not time yet. Michael hasn't been gone that long. It's not as if I think he may come back. I am relatively certain he won't. It's just too soon... that's all. I miss my son. I miss my son just like I still miss Jessi and she's been gone more than ten years.

I wanna hold your hand!

I wasn't a ladies man back then. I was no Casanova. I was no Don Juan or Rudy Valentino either. To be honest I didn't have much dating experience and I'm sure it was obvious during that first date. If you had been a fly on the wall, you would have seen a guy who was very nervous and had no idea what interest Tami had in guy like me. To say I had no confidence in myself would be an understatement.

However, that first date went way better than expected (see yesterday's post). Here's the funny part. Well, funny for you, embarrassing for me :-) While watching the movie, I thought I'd make an attempt to be suave. I thought I'd try holding Tami's hand. Slowly and discretely I slid my hand across the couch cushion until I came into contact with what I THOUGHT was her hand (you can probably see where this is going). Not actually holding hands, just hands touching side by side. Well, I sat there for a while very happy with myself because she didn't pull away or resist (or so I thought). A short while later she got up to get more popcorn. When she walked away, what I thought was her hand was still in contact with my hand. I looked down to see I hadn't been touching her hand at all. It was the beading that outlined the couch cushions. I thought I was making the first move toward holding her hand when in reality I had been "holding hands" with the couch. Man, did I feel silly! I thought I was well on my way to being a studmuffin, but I was nothing but a big ol' goofball. I'm just glad she didn't know the truth :-) Although I did tell her weeks (or maybe months) later.

Little did I know that night would be the first of many dates and the path to a lifetime of happiness. We've been together 24 years and married for almost 22 of those years. I am a man who is truly, truly blessed!

Our First Date

This post will probably cause an eye roll of epic proportions from my lovely wife. She has always pointed out my knack for remembering trivial details, yet giving little or no thought to the more important things in life. This is true and I have no defense against what she says. Nevertheless, I want to recognize another milestone in my personal history. Tami scoffs at these little remembrances of mine (think back to my Valentine post when I said I was more of a romantic than she was).

February 24, 1989 is a date that is forever burned into my memory. It was 24 years ago tonight that Tami and I had our first date. It wasn't a traditional date like most couples probably had. We didn't go out to eat. We didn't go to the movies. In fact, we didn't go anywhere at all. What? How can this be? What kind of cheapskate doesn't take a beautiful woman out on the town for a first date? Well, allow me to explain. Jessi was 4 years old at the time. It wasn't as if Tami was in the habit of getting a babysitter every time she wanted to go out. She was (and still is) a wonderful mother and wasn't fond of taking off and leaving her child. Understanding this ahead of time, I agreed to come to her house for a night of popcorn and watching movies. We watched a Schwarzenegger movie and another called Young Guns. I didn't really care if the movies were awful (which they were). The popcorn was good and the company was even better. I remember everything about that night. I was thrilled to be on a date with this woman. We were having a lot of fun and it felt like we had a lot in common and were hitting it off. However, there is one thing that stands out more than any other. Jessi happened to have the chicken pox and was already in bed when I arrived that evening. Sometime during the movies, Jessi woke up crying. Tami went in and tended to her and at some point carried her out of her bedroom. It was the first time I laid eyes on Jessi and I will never forget it. Covered in chicken pox blisters and crying, she was a beautiful sight. Obviously I didn't interact with her. I was a stranger and she didn't need to deal with me on top of everything else. I also remember watching in amazement as Tami sprung into action the moment her child needed her. I was given an opportunity most men don't get. I got to see my wife being a great mom BEFORE I married her. The rest of the evening went well and there is a funny story or two that I will save for another day. I can tell you this though. When I left that night, my head was swimming. My mind was awash in feelings I couldn't identify. I just had a date with a terrific woman. We had a lot of fun and agreed to a second date. I was thrilled anybody would go on a date with me and actually agree to another. There was also the added emotion of watching Jessi with chicken pox being carried by her mother. I'm not going to say it was love instantly. It wasn't. But I knew this woman was something special and I was looking forward to spending as much time with her as possible.

Stress isn't funny

People have different ways of dealing with stress. I usually choose humor. Sometimes I'll crack a joke in a serious situation and regret it immediately. Regardless, most of the time humor is my weapon of choice when dealing with stress. As most of you know, my job is becoming increasingly stressful. Here are a few humorous school cartoons:

In another universe...

February 22nd

February 22, 1964 was the big day. Today would have been my parents' 49th wedding anniversary. However, there will be no celebration today. My dad passed away in 1990 at the much too young age of 47.

I always have mixed feelings on this day. I'm sad my parents didn't get to celebrate more anniversaries together. I'm also happy that my mom found a wonderful man to marry 13 years ago. Cliff Borges is my step-dad and I couldn't have chosen a greater guy for mom. They both lead a very active lifestyle and have a lot of fun together. I am so thankful for Cliff. 45 is too young for any woman to be a widow and to spend the rest of her years alone.

Anybody know what else happened on February 22nd? February 22nd, 1980 was the Miracle on Ice. The U.S Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 in a David and Goliath type scenario. Many people mistakenly think this game won the United States the gold medal. It was actually only the semi-final game. A few days later the U.S. secured the gold medal by defeating Finland.

Sleet -vs- Freezing Rain

I'm a weather nerd. I am fascinated by hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms and blizzards. The weather channel is one of my favorites. I don't get thrills from seeing mass destruction or people dying. However, I love anything weather related and enjoy the ever changing conditions within God's creation. Our local weather man, Tim Hedrick has a feature on the nightly news called the Thunder Quiz. It's a weather related trivia question that usually involves some obscure fact. I look forward to it every night!

With the current weather conditions, I thought it might be interesting to make the following distinction: Do you know the difference between sleet and freezing rain? Some people think they are synonymous. They're not.

Freezing Rain= Precipitation that lands as liquid and freezes after hitting the ground.


Sleet= Precipitation that forms as ice in the atmosphere and lands on the ground as ice pellets.

Not very n"ice"

You've all heard it before. I don't like snow. However, with tonight's weather forecast, I would gladly take snow over the ice that's coming. I can drive in snow. I don't like it, but at least I can drive in it. Tonight's forecast is for freezing rain and ice. There's really no driving in ice. A driver has virtually no control and is rendered helpless when driving on ice.

I'm expecting a very long and interesting commute to work tomorrow morning. My school is not known for delaying school and definitely not known for closing school. I'm not really complaining about that... snow days, while they may seem fun on the surface are actually more of a pain than they're worth. So... chances are high that I will be slipping and sliding my way to school tomorrow. It's okay though. It's Friday. I can handle just about anything :-)

A Little Better

Things were a little better today. Thanks for your prayers. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow being Friday has something to do with my improved outlook.

I am cooking up some good blog posts for the next few days. Stay tuned, folks! I'm not one to wallow in self pity.

Not a rose garden

The posts on this blog are mostly humorous and light-hearted. I prefer it that way. I've said from the beginning if you are looking for hard-hitting politics or controversial topics, this is not the blog for you. However, life is not always easy. It's not always sunshine and rainbows. Life is not always rosy. We live in a dark, sinful, fallen world. There will be troubles. We will face trials and tribulations. This week has made that abundantly clear.

A few weeks ago Michael bought a used car. This past weekend he started having a lot of trouble with it. I'll spare the details, but some significant repairs are needed. In the mean time he is using Tami's car and she is without one. We pray these inconveniences are temporary. On a more permanent note... my job gets increasingly difficult and stressful with each passing day. I don't typically whine and complain about much, so I will once again spare you the details. I will only say the difficulties with my work (and public education for that matter) have very little possibility of improving. I'm not a dooms-dayer, but I am realistic about the situation. There is very little in my job that has any chance of changing. This is a fact I must accept.

All I ask is for your prayers. There is only One who can help. There is hope for my situation in Christ alone. Christ is a solid rock foundation and I choose to build my house on that rock. Everything else is sinking sand.

Sorry to be such a downer today, folks. My blog, my thoughts and feelings. Life is not always a rose garden.

The Bachelor Part 2

Due to some specific health needs, my mother-in-law (Nancy) flew to Phoenix, Arizona last week to care for her son and daughter-in-law. This trip left my father-in-law, Frank, home alone for an extended period of time. Frank is a big boy and completely capable of caring for himself. However, that didn't stop his three daughters from checking in on him occasionally and taking him out to dinner (although there was no worry that he would starve to death). We've all had a good time ribbing Frank about his new found (albeit temporary) bachelor life. We've been joking with him saying he has been having so much fun that maybe Nancy should have stayed in Arizona a few more weeks. The truth is, Frank is very happy to have his wife back home.

Our part in keeping Frank entertained involved picking him up and taking him to Sveta's birthday party on Saturday. We were all glad he went and he said he wouldn't have missed it for the world anyway.

Nancy flew home to Indiana last night and Frank's bachelor life once again came to a screeching halt.

Welcome home, Nancy!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 5th Birthday to the best granddaughter in the whole world! We love you, Sveta!

Let's light 'em up!

Sveta's birthday party was a big success yesterday. She got lots of presents, got to eat her favorite meal (hamburgers), and of course got to blow out the candles on her birthday cake. Sveta enjoyed putting the five candles on the cake and before her daddy could get to the cake with the lighter, she exclaimed, "Let's light 'em up!". Funny! She's been here a little more than a year and she's already hip to American birthday customs and traditions.

Presents!


Favorite gift? A remote controlled car... who knew?


Putting on the candles!


Let's light 'em up!


Make a wish!


I'm 5!




We're just going to call this photo "How many Grandpas does it take?". As you can see this little toy plane had all the grown ups baffled. We were trying to open the battery compartment to install the batteries. We wanted to watch Sveta play with it. Finally Abby grabbed the plane and opened the compartment with no effort at all. What a show off!

An early birthday

Last year Sveta came home just ten days prior to her 4th birthday (which is February 18th). Today we will celebrate her 5th birthday a few days early. it's going to be a lot of fun!

A few weeks ago I had a birthday of my own. When Jessi told Sveta it was Goppa's birthday, she had only one question... ARE WE HAVING CAKE?

The Bachelor Life

As you probably know, Michael moved into a condo with a couple of buddies. He did this to be nearer to his school and workplace. Just when you think your kids are growing up, they quickly remind you how far they have to go. After his first night in his new place, I asked Michael how everything went. He said, "Great! We had an EPIC Nerf war!" Say what? I meant are you getting settled or do you guys need anything? What's next? We built a really cool fort with tinker toys? Sheesh!

Then yesterday, I had the following text message correspondence with him:

Michael: Dad, this may sound like a stupid question, but do you think you can train a beta fish to play fetch?

Me: Ummmmm, I dunno, why? (honestly I thought he was setting me up for some corny joke)

Michael:I want a beta fish and I've heard you can train goldfish to fetch, so I thought maybe it would work with beta fish.

Me: I have no idea, maybe you could Google it or something.

Michael: Okay thanks.

Me: Ummmm... shouldn't you be studying or something?


It sounds like Michael is enjoying the bachelor life. I heard next week they're making a coffee table out of Legos (just kidding).

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day! A day of celebration of love, romance and all things mushy!

Tami and I do not celebrate Valentines Day. At least not in the traditional sense of Hallmark cards, heart shaped chocolates and roses. We both find the whole "holiday" kind of ridiculous. To think that Americans spend billions (yes, that's billions with a "B") of dollars on this so-called holiday is mind boggling. Before you all start labeling me as some sort of unromantic lout, there is something you need to know. I am much more romantic than Tami is. She is a no nonsense kind of gal and that's one of the things I've always loved about her. As a matter of fact, when I try to be all romantic and mushy, it usually ends with her scoffing at me. I know mushy romance is not what makes her tick, so I generally avoid the over-the-top kind of stuff. I don't need a special day to let her know I love her (and vice versa). We both know how the other feels and it's reinforced daily. Not celebrating Valentines Day doesn't mean we don't do special things. It's quite the contrary. We love going out for a romantic dinner. But we like going out to dinner on our own terms, not just because the calendar reads February 14th. Besides, we both prefer to avoid the crowds. If you don't know what I mean, try going to a decent restaurant tonight. Let me know how that works out. Please understand... if you and your spouse celebrate Valentines Day, and it makes you happy, more power to you! It's just not something that Tami and I get all charged up about. I can't tell you how liberating it is every year on this day. Not having to worry about finding the perfect card, paying double prices for flowers or buying a piece of jewelry that will end up in a jewelry box.

I like to listen to the radio on the way to and from work. The last few days radio stations have been running Valentine contests. One station was offering prizes for the woman who called in and had the best story about the most unromantic husband. You can probably imagine some of those phone calls! Another station was offering a day of pampering at a day spa for the woman who called in with the story about the best Valentine gift she had ever received. I must admit it made for some entertaining listening, but at the same time made me happy I didn't have to worry about all that stuff.

So... Happy Valentines Day, I guess.

To God be the glory!

Since October Tami and I have hosted a weekly Bible study in our home. At first I was intimidated. Knowing I had an embarrassingly limited knowledge of the Bible, who did I think I was? Me teaching somebody else about the Bible? I must be kidding, right?

Well since that time, I have learned that what little Bible knowledge I have is being put to good use by the Holy Spirit. The real Bible scholar in the house is Tami. She does the lesson prep and also presents the lesson. My role is to fill in the gaps and to help the group understand when they are unclear about something. We are currently working our way through the book of John.

We have all learned a lot and are looking forward to learning more. It is an honor and a privilege to study the Word of God in our home. Above all we want the Truth to be spoken and God to be glorified. It's amazing that the message of the Gospel can be spread through a total schmoe like me.

Pitchers and Catchers Report!

Pitchers and catchers report! This time of year when going through the dreary doldrums of winter, those are four of my favorite words. Pitchers and catchers report! It's the beginning of spring training for baseball season and my beloved Cincinnati Reds. Pitchers and catchers report. The four words that bring the promise of better things (and warmer temperatures) to come.

February is nearly half over and Opening Day is April 1st. Spring is within reach and I can hardly wait to hear that glorious yell from the umpire... "PLAY BALL!"

Little Sinner From Day One

Anyone who thinks we are not all born little sinners needs to watch this video. This is little John and he insists he did not eat Mommy's sprinkles. The evidence on his face suggests otherwise. Smile as you watch this cute little guy trying to convince his Mommy she is falsely accusing him.

The Goppa Chair

Abby has dubbed my new recliner "The Goppa Chair". I kind of like the name. It will be a good place to have Sveta (and other grandchildren) sit on my lap. I can read to them or just cuddle a little bit. There is a new number one rule in the Meyer house. DO NOT sit in the Goppa Chair! Haha! Just teasing... any guest in my home will be welcome to sit in (and enjoy) my chair.

Too lazy to put my own feet up

I think I'll be going to sleep much earlier from now on. Tami found a really good deal on a recliner and we bought it today. It's really soft and really comfortable. Here's the thing though. Instead of a manually lifted footrest, the new chair has a motor that lifts the footrest at the touch of a button. My laziness has hit a new high (or possibly a new low, depending on how you look at it). I'm now too lazy to even lift my own feet. I have an electric motor to do it for me.

I'm guessing I'll be missing the end of many movies. I'm sure I'll start lots of them, but will fall asleep before the credits roll. I can envision this being my version of Archie Bunker's chair. I'll shoo away anybody who sits in MY chair. I may even get one of those cool TV trays and have a few meals in the chair. It's going to a really nice place to have my coffee and read my Bible too.

I can already tell this recliner and I are going to be very close. You might even say we'll be inseparable :-) I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

This is the type of power recliner we bought. Mine is a little darker though.

Could this be my new dinner table?

a GLORIOUS year

To God be the glory! One year ago today, the Lord granted our family the biggest blessing ever. One year ago today the Lord answered the prayers of many friends and loved ones. One year ago today a little girl came home forever. Our God is so good to us!

February 8th, 2012. This is a date that will forever hold a special place in my heart. One year ago today, my granddaughter, Sveta touched down at the Greater Cincinnati International Airport. It was on this date one year ago a little girl got off an airplane, walked into the terminal and changed my life forever. There are no words to describe the blessing and joy this little girl has brought me in the last 365 days. I have experienced feelings that I never knew existed. I remember the feeling of pure euphoria when I first saw her. It had been such a long, grueling adoption process and finally here was this little Russian angel walking into a world she knew nothing about. I remember the tears streaming down everyones' faces as she walked around that airport terminal. It was a night I will never forget. The last year has brought a lot of "firsts". I became a Grandpa for the first time. (Everybody knows I'm proud to be Sveta's Goppa). Sveta celebrated her first birthday as an American. She had her first Easter. She took her first swim in our pool. She celebrated her first real Christmas. There are a thousand other "firsts", but you get the idea. I just can't express the love I feel for this precious little ball of energy. There's so much to be said, but the words just won't come. Imagine that... me, speechless! I guess the best I can do is post a portion of what Jessi wrote today. Here it is...

1 year. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8,760 hours. 525,600 minutes.

"In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?"

How do you measure a year in the life of a sweet little Russian child who was adopted by her family 1 year ago today. I can't measure it. I just can't quantify all that she's learned, been through, experienced. It's too difficult.

So, instead I will rejoice in the love that she's experienced in this year...and I will pray that she will experience even more in the following years.

A year ago today she flew on an airplane halfway around the world with two strangers that she was told were her Mama and Papa. She stayed awake over the entire ocean, and colored on a little white and pink pony that she still occasionally sleeps with. She wore a little sweater dress that won't fit over her head anymore. She was so brave. She is so brave.

Last night Barry had her walk out to the car on her own and told her we were on our way to follow. It was getting dark and when we got outside she was about halfway to the car. She said, "I was a little bit scared, but I was being brave. I didn't even cry." It took me to a year ago. I imagine that she would have said the same thing if I was able to communicate with her at that point.

And now back to me (Goppa).

It has truly been an amazing, wonderful, glorious year. Sveta, my darling, I love you more than you'll ever know!

That was then: Here's Sveta and her Mama moments after landing. 14 hours on a plane obviously takes a toll on a 3 year old.

This is now: Can't you just see the life in her eyes?

The Grill Master

Throughout the Meyer family I am known as The Grill Master. I love to grill and feel like I'm pretty good at it. Any time we have a family cookout, I'm the guy who does all the grilling. I guess I came upon this title honestly. My grandpa was an expert on the grill and my dad was too. I learned by watching them and by experimenting with my own grill as an adult.

Obviously the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree. Last night I received a text from Michael. He had grilled some chicken for his buddies in the new condo and was quite pleased with the results. Here's what he said:

"Dad, I grilled some chicken for the first time. Good thing you taught me that growing up. I was worried it wouldn't come out right, but I just did what you showed me and it tastes just like yours."

It looks like the grilling tradition will go on in the Meyer family for another generation. That's my boy! He's a chip off the ol' charcoal briquette!

Barking Dogs

Yesterday I mentioned pets can sometimes be a nuisance. While this is true, I certainly don't want to come off as an animal hater. On the contrary, my friends. I love animals. They're delicious! Don't you know PETA stands for People Eating Tasty Animals? No no no... just kidding. The fact is I really do like animals. Dogs and cats are some of the cutest things going. Sometimes I look at a photo of a puppy and my heart gets all mushy. I just don't want to live with them.

Now, getting back to pets sometimes being a nuisance. Please don't take this to mean I think all pets are a nuisance or that some pets are a nuisance all of the time. It doesn't mean that at all. It just means other people's pets sometimes can be an annoyance to me.

When we lived in Finneytown we had a neighbor named Tom. Tom was a single guy and owned a big St. Bernard dog known as Boomer. Boomer was aptly named. He had the deepest sounding bark I have ever heard. Tom would leave Boomer in his back yard all the time and Boomer did nothing but bark while he was outside. When I say he barked for hours on end, I mean he barked nonstop from morning till night. Tom would leave Boomer in the yard while he was at work and Boomer would bark the whole time. Sometimes Tom would leave Boomer outside at night and he would bark incessantly. (I forgot to mention that Boomer's position near the fence was no more than twenty feet from our bedroom window). We lost count the number of times Boomer woke us up early or kept us awake at night. One particular night/morning Boomer started up about 4 A.M. Tami having had enough jumped out of bed and called Tom on the phone. She not-so-nicely told him to take Boomer in the house and to make him stop barking. Tom had the nerve to tell her Boomer wasn't barking. WHAAAAAAAAAT?????? You must be kidding! Your dog is barking at 4 A.M. disturbing the whole neighborhood and you don't know it? Sheesh! Therein the problem lies. After that phone call we usually resorted to calling the police. What choice did we have since Tom wouldn't take responsibility for his own dog? I remember another time Boomer started barking early in the morning and didn't stop all day. We tried throughout the day to call Tom, but he wasn't home. He had put Boomer in the backyard and left for the day. About 7 that evening we called the police. They responded and we told them Boomer had been barking for more than 12 hours. They did write Tom a citation, but do you know what he told the police later? He said his dog doesn't bark. That really took the cake! Boomer was a nuisance and a major annoyance to my family for many years. Fortunately Tom moved before we could do him bodily harm. At the end of this story, I don't really blame the dog. I blame the owner. Boomer wasn't properly cared for. I'd bark too if somebody threw me in the yard and left me there alone all day.

Fast forward to our current home. We now have next door neighbors with TWO dogs (Rally and Max). Oh joy! These dogs aren't outside much, but when they are... they bark. They bark at each other, they bark at squirrels and they go completely nuts when someone is walking their dog down the street. Once again these dogs are less than 20 feet from my back door. These dogs are a nuisance, but not anywhere close to what Boomer was. I have to laugh at my neighbors who own Rally and Max. When they bark, the owners scream at them to stop. They never, ever stop, but they keep yelling anyway. When Rally and Max go outside to answer nature's call, my neighbors yell at them to hurry up! I think this is hilarious! The dogs don't seem to speed up doing their business... they just mosey around sniffing everything in sight. Hurry up, indeed! And do my neighbors really think Rally and Max understand what they're saying? Sorry folks, but Rally and Max are a nuisance as well.

Not to pick on just dogs... my neighbors on the other side have cats. The cats don't make any noise, but I will tell you I often look outside and see them walking along the rail of my pool. I've also seen them walking across my pool cover in the winter. Are these cats really doing any harm to me or my pool? No, they're not. However, the point is I don't own cats and I don't want them prowling around my deck and pool. Picky? Maybe. But c'mon people! Take care of your animals.

And I won't even get started on dogs who jump up on you when you walk into their house. That's a discussion for another day.

In conclusion, I'm not saying everybody who owns pets is a nuisance. I just think I've had some bad luck and have had some bad experiences with neighbors and their pets. There are plenty of pets I like. Griffyn, my grand-dog is a very nice redbone hound. He has the softest ears ever! We have good friends with a very sweet lap dog named Chewy. I like her. In general, pets are nice... when they live with someone else :-)

Going to the dogs

Are you a dog person or a cat person? People ask me this question all the time. My answer is always the same... neither. Why does it have to be one or the other? Why is this even a question?

I never had a pet growing up and I am totally fine with that. I don't feel like I missed out on a part of my childhood or anything. I had a great home growing up. It just so happened we didn't have pets. No big deal.

In my married life, we've never had pets. I DO NOT want one. The kids always wanted a pet. Tami always wanted a cat. This is one area in my life where I've insisted on something... I did not want pets in the house, therefore there were no pets in the house. I know, I know. Marriage is about compromise. It's about give and take. But this was one thing that has always been non-negotiable. I've always jokingly told Tami she can get a cat... When I'm DEAD! In seriousness, I've always told my kids they were welcome to get pets of their own when they have their own place or get married or whatever. Jessi got married and her family has a dog. He's a good dog and I like visiting him (I just wouldn't want to live with him). There may be some of you out there who feel like I've deprived my children of something by not allowing pets in my home. I don't feel that way. As stated before, I didn't have pets growing up and I turned out fine. I think my kids turned out okay as well.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against pets. If people want pets, by all means they should have them. Puppies and kittens are absolutely adorable. I love looking at them. Dogs and cats can be fine companions. In some cases they can even serve a real purpose (watch dog, farm work etc...). I just really don't want animals living in my house. I guess you'd like me to explain. First, I'm a bit of a neat-nik. Pets are messy. They shed, they can tear up furniture and other stuff in the house, they have to answer nature's call and they smell. Some would argue the point about smell, but I'm convinced no matter how clean you are or how well you care for your pet, they're going to have an odor. I mean, they ARE animals for goodness sake. Second, they just plain gross me out (I'll leave the rest to your imagination). Third, they're expensive. Money has always been tight. I've worked a second job or summer job most of my life. When it comes to spending my hard earned money... pets are not high on my list of priorities. Last, pets can be a nuisance to the neighbors. The last thing I want to do is bother my neighbors. I've had neighborhood pets bother me before and I plan on posting about that tomorrow. Last, I guess pets just aren't that important to me. Those of you with pets probably have a hard time understanding how I could feel that way, but I do.

Not getting used to it

Even though Michael was rarely around once he started college, he was at least around every now and then. He moved out only 5 days ago and I am nowhere near used to it yet. Somehow it still seems like he'll come walking through the door late at night. As we sit around in the evenings after dinner, it seems strange that Abby is the only kid left in the house. She is usually in her room or downstairs on the computer. Tami and I sit alone in the living room. The house seems unusually cold and empty. Abby is full of life and when she decides to sit in the living room with us, keeps the conversation going (almost singlehandedly). But for the most part, the house is quiet and will only get more quiet when Abby gets her drivers license and is rarely home. I know I am only experiencing what countless parents before me have gone through... The gradual emptying of the house. I think this is why God gave us grandchildren. We can at least look forward to the times when they come to visit.

The not-so-super bowl

As a big sports fan, Super Bowl Sunday used to be a big day for me. It didn't matter who was playing in the game. It was always a good excuse to get the family together and eat appetizers until they came out your ears. Most people didn't care about the game or football at all, but it was a social event. My how things change!

Last night instead of watching the game I went to the evening service at church. I chose to do this because Abby's youth group was meeting afterward and she desperately wanted to go. In my estimation, Abby getting to spend time with her friends was more important than me getting to sit like a sloth in front of my television. Abby has a rough time at school with (so called) friends. She's an extroverted, social person who thrives on interaction with others. I had absolutely no reason to deprive her of the opportunity to be with like-minded, Christian friends (other than the selfishness of watching a football game). I did attempt to go to Buffalo Wild Wings and catch a little bit of the game while I waited for Abby. It was so crowded that getting in the door wasn't even a possibility. At that point I drove back to church and just waited in the parking lot. As I was sitting in my dark car in the church parking lot, I had a lot of time to think. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to be missing the big game. Trust me, I'm not that big of a person. But I was confident that I had made the right decision. It's sometimes a tough pill to swallow when I realize things are not always about me. Knowing Abby was inside the church having a good time helped me get over my disappointment. There will be lots of Super Bowls in the future. Abby won't be a socially struggling teenager forever. This decision was a No-Brainer. Last night it was about Abby and I'm able to live with myself this morning. If I had chosen to stay home last night, I'd be carrying around a large burden of guilt today. I'm not saying this to toot my own horn or to make everybody think I'm some great dad. I'm really not. The truth is I wrestled with the decision all afternoon. I wanted to watch the game. Abby missing her youth group meeting wouldn't have been the end of the world. But when it was all said and done I knew in my heart the right thing to do.

Incidentally, I arrived home during the power outage. I did get to see most of the second half of the game, so don't feel sorry for me.

The Season of Freezin'

Friday morning it snowed and it was cooooold! We also got snow yesterday morning. No snow today, but just more frigid temperatures. I sat in church this morning and felt cold for most of the service. Now I'm sitting in my easy chair at home and feeling cold again. I just can't seem to shake this chill. This is definitely the season of freezin'. I just want to be warm again.

Columbia

In another, "I remember where I was when..." moment, I remember where I was when Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry 10 years ago today. It was a Saturday morning and I was at my school joining a team of colleagues who had assembled to pass out literature for an upcoming tax levy. It was here I heard the news that was eerily similar to the news I heard 17 years earlier when Challenger exploded in 1986. Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart over Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Again all 7 astronauts perished. Such a sad story and heart-breakingly familiar. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years.

Another one down

As the calendar turns from January to February, my outlook on life improves just a little. Another month of winter is behind me and February is a short month. Once we get into March, spring is close enough to see on the horizon. Make no mistake though. February is cold and there's plenty of winter miserableness to endure before Jack Frost takes his annual spring hike out of town. As I type this there is a crunchy inch of snow on the ground. Temperatures are in the single digits with wind chills below zero. The traffic in the region is still recovering from last night's quick arctic blast.