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Giving Thanks

Looking back through time when I was a kid
I think about all of the stupid things that I did
And how I hurt You

I thought I had the world in the palm of my hand
But the truth be told, I really didn't understand
The way I hurt You

There's nothing I can do now, to change the past
Wishing won't make it go away I thought the die was cast
But then there's You...

So here I am all these years later and You're still here
Only You know where I've gone, feeling shame and fear
Yet that didn't matter to You

You still took me back with Your outstretched arms
And forgave the pain I inflicted and all of the harm
How can I ever thank You?

I don't know what I did to deserve a second chance at life
Never thought I'd live to be this old, much less be so alive
And it's all because of You

Thank You for giving a broken person another chance to live
I still make mistakes but You're still quick to forgive
Instead of denying, I Honor YOU

Thanks for not giving up on me when I wanted to fall apart
I don't know how else to say what's inside of my heart
I Love You

A life changing greasy cheeseburger...

Here we are on Sunday, the proverbial day of rest. I'm on the road. I'm in Cincinnati, and I really have enjoyed myself this weekend, and I'm by far, a changed person. Okay, I'm not going to shave my head and join the moonies... oops, I did shave my head but I'm not joining the moonies... okay, NO CHANTING! lol... Anyway, I had some extra time and went down over the border and I met a friend of mine down in Kentucky for lunch. She and her father were simply amazing. She suffers from a disease called Freidrich's Ataxia, which affects her speech and some of her motor skills, including having to get around in a wheelchair. But it does not dampen her spirit. That's what floored me. When the two of them popped into the restaurant, she struggled to stick her hand out to shake my hand. I didn't want shake her hand too hard. But she just went on with talking to me as if it were no big deal. That's because to her, it wasn't. Her dad was such a great guy. I hit it off with him immediately. We spent a couple of hours together and I went with them and visited a center where they do ministry outreach for some of the less fortunate. They are the most unassuming people I've ever met. I was rocked to my core. I never seen someone who has such struggles, serve as such an inspiration to others. And she considers her physical challenges an honor and a blessing from God to be able to help and serve others. I get whinny and annoyed if I can't sleep. How could I ever complain when I see people like her and know that she is able to do so much more than I ever could, and under the most difficult of circumstances and do it with such joy? Earlier this past week, I was a little complacent and complaining about what I thought were the challenges of daily life. I have learned from a little girl with cancer, and a woman with freidrich's ataxia, that what I face is so minimal and insignificant with what these girls face. Y'know, it says in the Good Book that God uses the foolish to confound the wise... I think in this case, it was the other way around. He used the wise to confound this foolish person... I sit here in awe of some amazing people. And I mean it when I say I am in awe of these people. My heroes were always people in my profession and of course the Big Man upstairs. He continues to be. But I think that the ones here on earth have been replaced by a three year old and a woman in a wheelchair who can do and say more with one incredible smile, than I could ever do working for hours and hours. I can't tell you how blessed I am...

A Matter Of Perspective...

Sometimes I must admit, when I get down on myself, I silently hope that God will give me a nudge to jumpstart my attitude. I was feeling a bit blue the other night when I was writing about my nephew heading off to camp and not saying c'ya. I had all of those thoughts that go through your head at times like that... what IF? I knew I had to let go of those thoughts and remain focused on the objective- to make sure he becomes a Marine, a man, and comes home safely (preferrably in one piece). I had those wacked out thoughts in my head but got snapped back to reality... at work of all places. I, sitting there like a bump on a log, when in stops the neice of one of my co-workers. She and her husband bring in their 3 year old daughter to get chemo and be treated for a tumor on her kidney... and she's only three freaking years old??? I stopped complaining and feeling sorry for myself right on the spot. Haley is such an adorable bundle of joy and has such an infectious smile that I can't help but smile and laugh when she starts singing and dancing around. She's quite an inquisitive little one and I gave her some candy when she was leaving and after her mom told her to 'say thank you', Haley walked over and high fived me. I couldn't believe that this little 3 year-old sweetheart could have an impact on me. I've always had a bitter anger towards cancer because of what it has done to my family. I've lost virtually all of my mom's side of the family and a number of (and including) my dad's. I lost him a year and a half ago. I've got a sister with leukemia, and another sister who is trying to recover from the ravages of ovarian... The easiest thing to do is to feel sorry for myself. But I CAN'T. Under NO circumstances can I allow myself to get down about life or the people in it. There is way too much in life to live for and look forward to. I need to appreciate and treasure life because as unexciting and lousy as it can get sometimes, there are lots of people who would give anything to trade places with me. And it took a little 3 year old girl who is fighting for her own life to bring that point home to me..
Well, I'm on the road right now... heading to Cincinnati tomorrow for a pair of games and then it's back home to start another dull week of work... and I am blessed to look forward to it...

Das Boot (camp)

I'm sitting here kind of quiet. My nephew left for the Marines. I'm sort of quiet about it because we haven't talked except when we said hello to each other in passing back at Christmas. He's been trying to live it up after high school and took some time for college but decided to enlist. I think it was because he felt he was going nowhere here. He was beginning to really give my sister a lot of lip and didn't want to listen to her or follow her rules. Part of me was surprised, but another part of me is glad because maybe he'll realize how good he had it at home. Of course the downside of this is that he'll probably end up having to go into battle. I've always admired and proudly heralded the military and especially their families for their sacrifice. I am only slightly worried about his future and where he might end up going. I was always supportive of our troops and this action. I am even more so now. My only prayer is that God keep my nephew protected and safe from all phyisical and emotional, and spiritual harm. And that the Marines help him grow up...

Who said small town life was boring? zzzz...

Can you imagine how much fun life would be if we all were exactly the same? Nah, me either. I had some fun the other day when I was wearing a tie-dye t-shirt and it was a Cherokee t-shirt but the person that noticed I was wearing it thought I was a Grateful Dead fan... aka... a 'deadhead'... depending on whom you ask, some might consider me a deadhead... as in dead from the neck on up. :) I'm still chuckling over that one. The girl that noticed it asked if I was a 'Dead fan... I said 'no' and asked why. "Because you have tie-dye on." In the infamous words of a personal hero... Bill Engvall- "Here's your sign."
Woke up this morning to freezing rain. After all the mild weather this winter in the midwest, my town turns into an outdoor skating rink. Speaking of rinks, the Cherokee took two games this weekend to move up into second place. So yes, I am in a pretty good mood...

Off and Running in '07

Sorry it's been a while since I've added an entry. I have been ridiculously busy. I have had so much going on away from the work stuff. The usual crap. Work, travel, minor emergencies, dumb things that go oops in the night. Oh, where to begin. I don't know. I just know that work right now is a pressure cooker... two people on leave (because of cancer) and another quit and we are working short handed and my schedule has gone upside down. But sometimes, it gets a little weird... and other times it can be downright humorous... exhibit A:

Me: "hi, can I help you?" (answering phone)
Caller: "yeah, I wanna talk to my mom"
Me: "um, is she a patient or does she work here?"
Caller: "yeah she's a patient!" (then mumbles under her breath... "what an idiot!")
Me: Okay...
Caller: "Okay WHAT?"
Me: "well, um, what's your mom's name?"
Caller: "Oh, uhhh, Disney"
Me: "Disney, how is that spelled please?"
Caller: (heavy sigh) "DISNEY... like Walt Disney... D-I-Z-N-Y"
Me: (trying not to laugh) "um, is that her first name or last"
Caller: Oh **** this! (hangs up)
Me: (thinking to myself) "well, now I can say that I know someone who didn't get 'Hooked On Phonics' for Christmas"

A Look Back... A Look Ahead...

So as 2006 comes to a close, I would normally do a month by month look back at what happened in the last 12 months. However, I started the year hurting pretty bad and ended it pretty happy. So instead of all the rehashing, I am going to look back at a few lows and highs and comment on the overall of where I am at these days. Of course '06 saw Tanner's suicide, Steve being killed by a drunk driver and Greeds heart giving out just before Christmas in '05. Not alot of positive stuff. It still is a bummer. The obvious low point for me was that the girl who at the time I wanted to spend my life with, bid me adieu under very 'peculiar' circumstances. In January, I went to her apartment twice in the beginning of the month to leave food at her front doorstep for her and her son. I had a key to her apartment, but since I was looked upon with disdain by her, I never did anything more than leave food there at her doorstep without trying to talk to her. It was at that point that I had to make some difficult decisions about this person. She was accusing me of some pretty nasty garbage, not realizing we still had/have mutual friends. I had to decide if all of this was worth it... Six years of trying, only to discover some lies, deceit, and drama queen behavior that I wasn't prepared for. The worst of all of this mess led to the road that gave me the highest of highs. I finally discovered a number of reasons that I HAD to let go and really stand on my faith. So last winter/ spring, I did just that. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. But it was soooo worth it. I couldn't do it alone and the help of some good friends really opened my eyes to some things and it made it so much easier to let go of that stupidity that was the waste of time the last six years posed. Since then, she has yet another guy and moved in and now is going to be getting married to him. A year ago, I probably would've been devistated. Today, I find the whole thing laughable and am so grateful that I am no longer a part of that mess. Instead of bitterness, I choose to take the high road and wish her every happiness and success in her future. And thank God that I'm not a part of it...
Since summer, I've been trying to stay focused on what is good and take a much more positive approach to life. It hasn't been easy. Watching a couple of my sisters' health start to slide has not been a lot of fun. But their attitudes have been inspirational and watching them display joy at some real low points fueled my resolve to be a better Christian and show it more by action and not by words. I guess the thing I have discovered about myself and about life, is that there will always be more questions than answers. I don't have answers to a ton of questions that I have. But that is why I have faith. I believe that even though I don't have any answers to questions about many things that have happened in my life, I have come to the point where I choose to accept that I will never know all the answers and I have to be okay with that. It allows me to let go of some things and be able to move on... more importantly, to move on and be happy. That is one of the best things to happen to me. I look forward to what 2007 will bring. I look forward to those of you who read this group of little blurbs from time to time, stopping by again and saying hello. I don't know what the new year will hold, but I am going in with child like eyes, optimism, and hope... To all of you, friend and foe alike, I wish you the very best that 2007 has to offer... God Bless...

Do You See What I See?

Some weird things I've seen in the last couple of days while out either working or going to the store shopping or a whole variety of things...
First, I saw a baby Jesus in the manger scene outside of a funeral home. It was a full sized one and it was right in front of the mortuary. Took up most of the front lawn.
Second, Someone on the other end of the phone calling their kids some four letter words and then when they realized that I had answered, changed their tone completely to that fake, over nice "oh how arrrrrrre yooooou?" Made me want to tiger-chunk...
Third, I saw a sign that said 'Jesus is the Reason for the Season'. Not out of the ordinary at this time of year. But at a Kentucky Fried Chicken???
Finally, another manger set-up. This one took the cake. It was in a bar I stopped in to get a bite to eat. I sat down, ordered some chicken, turned to my right, and did a double take as I saw the three wise men, Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus in their usual display, only this time instead of an animal barn, they were brought to us by the fine folks of Miller Lite. I sat there with my jaw agape, and didn't make heads or tails of the whole thing... they were part of a beer display??? No wonder I don't drink that watered-down, moose pee from Milwaukee. I'll never move up there because it's socialist, but when it comes to quality brew and respect for the season, I'll tip my hat to the Canadians anytime... Hope you finished your Christmas shopping... I'll begin mine tomorrow... gotta luv it!

Went to a fight and a hockey game broke out...

Trying to wake up to type this entry...
I'm just a little bit sluggish as I am home from work and having done my 3rd Cherokee game in less than 48 hours up in Taylor, MI which is just outside of Detroit. Me, I'm a little whipped from juggling my work and broadcast schedules. Plus getting church in there which I did, and that meant that I had no down time to speak of. Of course, after what happened last weekend, I had to be at the rink to see how things were going to go. Last weekend, we played Dubuque. They beat us fair and square 5-2... no big deal there. But with about 25 seconds remaining, one of their guys turned up ice with his head down and got knocked into next week on a clean hit by one of our guys. It was a clean hit, but they didn't like it. Watched the replay several times and it was the same conclusion. Clean hit. But they decided to mix things up a bit. On the ensuing face off, the Dubuque coach sent his cement head tough guy out and as the puck was dropped, his tough guy didn't even look at where the play was... he charged down the ice with the express purpose to take out our goaltender. A wild melee' ensued and there was all kinds of crap that happened. They thought that they could 'send a message' by trying to muscle us up, but one problem: Our tough guys beat the living crap out of theirs. Not because we were trying to goon it up. Not at all. But because we had to protect our goaltender and the players stood up for each other. Well this weekend was a tournament showcase where all 14 teams in the CSHL were in Taylor to play hockey against each other (each team had three games fri-sun) and were being scouted by higher level leagues and some colleges. The Dubuque guys (about 4 of them) came by but said and did nothing. Their coach was suspended for five games. He peaked out at our game, looked at me and I looked at him and nothing else came of it. He went back over to the other rink to watch his team's game from the cheap seats. I'm still pretty hacked off about the gong show that was Dubuque. The kid that tried to take out our goalie received suspensions that amounted to him being gone for the rest of the regular season. It was pretty intense there for a while... We won two of the three games we played this weekend so we head into the Christmas break on a high note.

Why? Why Not?

Sometimes, I wonder about the chaos that can go on in the world. Then I think about life in my world and while at times I question and can get a bit agitated by what can happen, I know that there is a reason and purpose behind most everything. Even when I don't understand. And that's where it can get difficult. The part about accepting that I don't understand everything that happens but knowing there's a purpose behind it... As we come up on what is for most folks, the happiest and joyful time of the year, I wonder why some of the most painful memories people experience are at this time of year. I think because at it's basic core, Christmas is supposed to represent love and a safe, secure place for us to let our guard down with those we hold dear. Anymore, we have done so much to change the face of Christmas. We have done so much to secularize Christmas. And I'm not talking about trying to make it this holier than thou religious event either. I don't think that was what God had in mind. (I'm not arrogant or smart enough to pretend that I know what God wants. I'm just opining) In my silly mind, I choose to believe that We are supposed to take stock of our lives. Despite the hard times that life can throw at us, I think we're supposed to discover what is actually right in our lives (even if it's not a lot) and be grateful. The 'love' that we're supposed to feel at this time of year can come back to bite us in the butt if we don't allow it to grow in us. If love isn't growing, it's dying inside of us. I think that is why some people get so depressed and miserable. Some to the point of wanting to end it all. My take: simple... some people realize how much they miss the love and security of their past and feel like they can't ever get that back. But it doesn't matter how awful life can be to us. Whether pain, misery, physical or emotional loss of a loved one, illness, lonliness, we all have a purpose. Even if we may not always be sure what that purpose is, rest assured, we have one. There's an old saying about enduring the hardness of life that says "let your test be your testimony". Losely translated, endure it so that you can serve as hope to others who don't know how they are going to survive their own private hell... I just hope that no matter how little, we can all find something to be grateful for... I, for one, am grateful to all the friends (and a few enemies too... lol) that I've made here in the cyber-world. I've had some that have not always appreciated my intentions in the past. But I don't think much about the past anymore. For the first time in many years, instead dwelling on past failures (believe me, there are soooo many), I choose to focus on the small successes. The little (almost insignificant) things. My life is much more enriched now because of the small things that are good. That includes people I've met and continue to meet. I am truly blessed...

Just Exactly What Is Christmas?

Just thinking about church last sunday... It was about what we remember about Christmas in the past. I don't remember a lot but I remember a few things. What were the circumstances for our parents? Were things 'really' as we recall them? Chances are not, but yet we choose to attach fond sentiments to those memories because they are Christmas. So getting a talk on how tough Christmas really was (especially that first one) really opened my eyes. If you care to see the sermon itself (even if you're not religious in nature, it gives you some things to think about) you can go to our church website and pull it up from the archives and watch it... It makes me appreciate what this season is supposed to be...

Looking Back To Take a Step Forward...

So it goes...
Hope y'all are having a good time getting ready for Christmas. Me, it's been a busy time to where I haven't had too much time to shop... At least I'm not shopping for clothes (hi Rebecca)... My weekend was a little weird. Got invited by a couple of friends of mine to go see their daughters basketball games. One with the freshman team, the other junior varsity. They both play for the same high school across town where my ex girlfriend's kids go. For about 12 seconds, my thoughts were going back to thinking the way I used to: what if she's there. Will she think that I have an agenda for being there somehow... after all, she's accused me of lots of things that weren't true... just really stupid thoughts going through my head from the past. But things have changed. I decided that when I go to those games now, I DO have an agenda: to go watch my friends' daughters play. I went to the games and when I first got there, I had an odd thought about what I'd do if I ran into her there... I started chuckling because I'd probably look at her and laugh. I think that is part of having let go... before I had been hurting... and now I am laughing when I think back about what used to be. Yikes! am I glad that I've moved on... Anyhow, I had an absolute blast watching the girls play... in fact I think I made more noise than their moms did... we were laughing and joking around and had a great time. As a matter of fact, one of the daughters called me tonight to thank me for coming out to the game and how really glad she was that I was there. I was genuinely touched. After the first 12 seconds, I didn't think about anything else but having fun with my friends... and now, instead of wondering about other useless things, I look forward to seeing the girls play hoops when my schedule allows. So yeah baby, I'm feeling pretty good...

Up In Smoke...

This week saw my favorite restaurant just down the street go up in flames. I was stunned when my wacky friend, who works there, called me at work to tell me about it. I couldn't believe it. About 5am one of the other girls who was coming in to work there arrived to see flames inside the dining room. She called 911 and it has been determined that it was a case of arson. That really whizzes. The family that owns the restaurant lives 40 minutes away. They arrived and were in a complete daze. No one could believe it... All of a sudden, the girls were temporarily out of a job. No insurance... nothing. I'm going to help my friend by putting together a care package for her. To make sure that she and her kids have a Christmas. She said her family is going to help her out too. So that's cool. But still, to see your livelyhood disappear without warning, even if only temporarily... No chance to prepare, no chance to find something else before your job is yanked... I don't know about you, but I'm counting my blessings... no matter how wacked out my life can get...

Post Turkey Turds...

Ohhhhhhhh Burp!
Hope everyone had a wonderful turkey day. Me, it was pretty neat. I woke up early and on my way to work on Thursday when I got the sudden brainstorm to stop at the Meijer's store which was open and packed on Thanksgiving morning at 6:30am. Nice to know that I wasn't alone when it came to last minute shopping. My purpose was to pick up a veggie tray and some soda to take into work for me and my co-workers. Well, as I walk right past the veggie trays and head for the soda pop aisle, I end up at the frozen food section. In that aisle, I noticed a number of boxes stacked up that didn't look like frozen food products of any sort. Instead, they were surround sound home theatre systems for $59... They were part of a two hour, Thanksgiving day only event. Thank the Good Lord that I had some money in my wallet. I snatched up that up in a hurry and grabbed some 2 liters of soda and got in line with the throng of other brainiacs that got up on a holiday morning to get things cheap... and of course after I pull into the hospital, it dawned on me that I forgot to get the veggie tray. Oops!
Anyway, after work, I went to spend time with the family. We had a pretty nice time together. Ate healthier than I normally would on turkey day. We played $100,000 Pyramid. Me and my nephew dominated on that one. Although as much as I love him, he is not the most worldly and knowledgeable person on the planet. Neither am I, for that matter. But we made it work. After leaving there and going home, I had every intention of going to bed early and going to the early sales for 'black friday'. The problem was that I remembered that I had bought the little home theatre system and I was so excited about it that I tore down my other one which was comprised of old speakers that were more accustomed to blaring out old Kiss and Led Zeppelin LPs than digital audio of dvd's, mp3's, or satellite radio. So in all my excitement and desire to install the little speakers etc, and fire up everything to make sure that it all worked, I forgot to look at the time. It was 3 o'clock in the bloody a.m!!! So trying to be the "I can do it... no problem" brainiac, I figured about 90 minutes of sleep and I could be up and at 'em and to the stores by five... That's the last thing I remembered.I woke up friday morning at 9:45 and got up for good at 10:30... ahhh such is life!

Faith, Hope, and... the 1st day of Christmas shopping

I'm currently reading a book called 'Second Guessing God'... Here's a condensed quote that got my attention and hit me like a ton o'bricks... "My faith in God is like a walk on the beach and I've taken off my shoes and am standing at the water's edge, the tide is rolling across my feet... in the last six months, doubt has begun to paralyze me. It's like when the water goes back out to the ocean. It is washing away the sand underneath me and my feet are sinking lower and lower. If this keeps up, there'll be nothing left for me to stand on... My friend's response was immediate: I have stood where you are standing. I've felt the water cascade across my feet. I know how wonderful that feels. I have also felt the water go back to sea. I've felt the water wash the sand away from my feet... listen to me when I say this: When the last grain of sand is finally gone, you're going to discover that you're standing on a ROCK..."
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours... I hope you have a safe and happy holiday... Me, I'll be working at my job at the hospital all day. I'm okay with that though, someone has to work it... Looking forward to waking up and going shopping on Friday with the throng of other cheapskates who will be out trying to pick up good deals in the stores... Let me know if you've got any good shopping stories... I'll let y'all know how it goes... God Bless...

AHHHHHHHH...

Hey y'all,
Today is a much better day than what I was feeling the other night in my last entry. I've put that little tete' a tete' behind me and I've been rejuvenated. I have more energy back in my soul and I am looking forward to a VERY MUCH needed weekend off from EVERYTHING... and I mean EVERYTHING... no hospital, no hockey, no BCSN... NOTHING! I hope and pray to have a fun and enjoyable weekend. There's a little show here locally called the sports rap on BCSN. They had a couple of guys from the Cherokee on a segment. I was the go between to make sure the guys made it there and were ready to do four minutes... I sat there and watched my associate coach and a couple of the players chat it up with the host who's a friend of mine... oh, btw, the head coach passed on being there because his son had a game. I had no problem with that. I put a high value on being a good parent and the head coach is definitely that and I am proud to say that he is... Okay, enough about him... I look forward to getting things improved on that end and look forward to the Cherokee getting the ship righted... I guess it's the optimist in me... Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better today and am looking forward to that silly little football game between Michigan and Ohio State. What's a Notre Dame fan to do??? Hey it should be a good one. Also, this weekend, is Grey Cup Sunday... What is Grey Cup Sunday you ask? Well, it is the championship game of the Canadian Football League. Or more appropriately, the Canadian national drunk... I will make a point of tipping one or two Canadian brews with my dinner and then settle in to watch the British Columbia (Vancouver) Lions battle the Montreal Alouettes at CanadInns Stadium in the fridgid cold of Winnipeg, Manitoba... brrrr... should be a beauty, eh?

Peaks and Valleys

Y'know, sometimes I wonder why I go through this self examination of concsience. I want more than anything to think about all of the positive things that happen in my life. Trust me, there are a lot... The bumper sticker that says 'God Bless America' can be a day late and a dollar short. We've been truly blessed in this nation and even though I'm poor, lumpy, annoying and too sarcastic for my own good, I have to admit that I have been very truly blessed. Even when bad things happen and I'm at a loss to try and figure out why, I know when all is said and done, The Big Man upstairs has really been good to me. I'm saying this because I've been soul searching in regards to some things that are happening in my life right now. Nothing really bad or anything, I'm just thinking that I am feeling a little quirky. No one specific reason. I guess I am feeling a little melancholy right now. I'm frustrated in my role with the Cherokee. I love my job, no question about it. The things that I do and the joy that I bring to people that listen to me online and I am so tickled when I meet families of the players from out of town who come up to me and express their gratitude for me broadcasting games online so they can keep in touch and follow their loved ones on the net. I know that they appreciate it and I feel very touched and honored to be able to do it. Working with the Toledo Cherokee, I have been so blessed to be a part of that organization... no, more like 'family' comes to mind. Until this year. Our record is up and down like last year. That stuff doesn't bother me. But right now, there is such disarray with coaches not really connecting with the players, and players who tune out the coaches because they can't stand them. I don't get along very well with my head coach. He and I are like oil and water... we don't mix. I talked to him for about 3 minutes today. That's way longer than I've talked to him in the last month. He's the head coach, I'm the broadcaster. We're supposed to work together and try to make each broadcast sound reasonably decent with each other's co-operation. But snide comments have been made in each direction and the end result is mud. We don't really do much to reach out to each other in any way, shape or form. We don't seek each other out to do anything together for a broadcast. I talk to his assistant coaches and I get along with those two just fine. Normally, I wouldn't let that stop me and I would try to be a nice guy and make peace. Not this time. This coach has already got the reputation of whining nonstop at the refs. He is constantly complaining and is even making the owners less than thrilled at the moment. The funny part is that he was originally brought on board as an assistant. But after the original coach was canned, he was made head coach. The owners were happy because the coach had name recognition, having played a couple of seasons in the National Hockey League. He also played in the minors and won a couple of championships with the Toledo Storm in the East Coast Hockey League back in the early 90's. But he tries to treat these young players as if they were in the pros. That's not what we're here for... These guys are still developing and learning. He spends more time yelling at the refs than he does getting on the players in his locker room. But he has alienated so many people in the last few months, that he may lose what little control he has over the team right now. You know its bad when the players are complaining about a lack of intensity and discipline from the coach. We lost in OT this weekend to Motor City last night and Flint spanked us today. One of our players got into a fight with a Flint player and cleaned his clock. That was the only brightspot of the game today... If we were winning, then it might not be so bad. But we're not winning much these days and the frustration is really starting to grow. Normally, you'd say that the players need to suck it up and do this and that... but right now it's the players that are frustrated with their coach, and if he's not careful, he might lose his players' respect. Even though there was a different coach last season, there were a number of returnees this season and the players that were here last year are not in tune with their new coach... at all. And you can see the results on the ice. And there are a lot of frustrated people on the Cherokee reservation. Including me...

Feeling Red and Seeing Blue

ARRRRGH!
That seems to be the only word that can come out of my mouth right now. I'm just trying to recover from a night that saw my red world turn blue... I guess I should backtrack: I took half a day off from work because I was asked last week by the TV station to do a regional playoff soccer game. There were several teams from the area that were in the playoffs and at least two of them were supposed to advance in the playoffs and could possibly win at states in their respective divisions. Only one problem: THEY ALL LOST!!! Every last one of them. So that meant my election day afternoon and evening were free... I had planned on an evening of junk food and my TV to watch the returns, but a couple of doctors at work who are good friends of mine called and invited me over to their favorite hangout to watch the results. Hey, 'why not?' I rationalized. I forgot to mention that the 'hangout' in question was a cigar bar. Yep, every asthmatic's dream.... BUT just like the guy who has a fear of heights but takes a job working as window washer on a high-rise building, or a guy who is terrified of flying but works as an air marshall, I am an asthmatic who LOVES a good cigar!!! I seldom smoke them anymore, but I love the aroma... Besides (I thought), I am in the company of a couple of doctors. If anything happens, they can treat me... until I remembered we were in a cigar bar and the only things they were equipped with were Arturo Fuente cigars and single-malt scotch... geez, what are the odds? Oh, nevermind... Anyway, we proceeded (with our humor) to make the entire bar crack up with laughter... We had to laugh because the results of the election made us want to cry... But we're big boys so we'll take our lumps as such and congratulate the Dems on a big victory. Their victory does not change who I am or what I value or believe. I remain true to my convictions and hope that the next two years go by with success and peace for our nation. I guess the only difference is going to be that I spend more money on taxes and less at cigar bars...

Weekend Roundup

Hola y'all,
survived another weekend. I'm feeling a lot better these days. I'm feeling pretty good. The Cherokee lost on Saturday night to Peoria. I got done with the game and instead of going somewhere to have a ginger ale and lament a 2-1 loss, I just went home. I got online and was looking for information about some hockey stuff and got absorbed by some stuff. I had a warped thought about something and before I knew it, I'm looking up crap on 70's and early 80's movies. As in cheeky B-movies. Yikes! that's like reeeeeally scary. I was looking up a movie that Lynda 'Wonder Woman' Carter was in... I think it was called 'Bobby Jo and The Outlaw'... just crap like that. Don't ask me why I was doing this... weird thoughts come to me when I'm eating ice cream at midnight. I think I might have been better off if I went and tipped a few as opposed to really awful movies... How the Academy could've missed these.... Anyway, I got to bed and slept like a brick. Too well. I ended up oversleeping and had to really get a move on it to get to Church on Sunday morning. Once there, my morning improved dramatically. I enjoyed watching the band play. They rock a lot harder than the bar bands I used to go watch every weekend in my younger days. And in a touch of irony, a couple of the guys in the Church band used to play in the regionally popular metal scene where I live, back then. So in the past, I payed a $5 cover charge, would drink about 50 bucks worth of booze, and sit there and yell at these guys. Now here we are all these years later, and I look up at the stage, and see the same couple of guys and shell out money in the collection basket, and go have a hot chocolate in the lobby afterwards. How lame have I become? Well, at least I don't have hangovers every weekend anymore so that's a plus. If that makes me lame, then I gladly plead guilty to that charge. I can still have blast without having to consume large quanities of 'liquid encouragement'. I don't try to 'drink someone pretty' either... I prefer a Gino's pizza over getting tanked... any day! Peace...