Monthly Archives: July 2011

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Happy Birthday Cassie!

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Today has been a great day! Today has been Cassie’s birthday, and we celebrated with a dinner tonight at Magginano’s Little Italy. It was a great time with an evening ending (at least for me) bit of ice cream cake and the giving of a few gifts.

Of course THEY are all downstairs playing Jenga. And of course I am upstairs typing away. I no longer have the patience to play a game like that, PLUS when the thing crashes down I just hate the noise. Yes, I am saying Jenga is a young person’s game I guess. I clearly need to get on my Bermuda shorts and hit the shuffleboard courts with my cronies.
But the day started with Ben and I heading to Cindy’s house for him to stay the day. What I didn’t get was his attire coming out the door. He was in a winter lacrosse hat, with a blankie, and a lunchbox. I was really not sure what to think other than I may want to have his DNA checked.
But all in all it has been a blast. Everyone is home and I am ready for bed. Ben will go quite soon as well. As for the Jenga junkies, I do not know. I am just thankful for a pretty good day!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Heat wave……..

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Although I want to complain about the heat (really the excessive humidity) I will not because I remember the 6 inches of ice on my driveway not too many month ago. My industrial strength moose-sized snow blower could not even make a dent in it, and to be honest it seems a lot more appropriate to be sweaty out on the driveway now than it did then.

But just like then, the weather makes me worry. There are tons of people out there now without air conditioning, and some with it do not have the resources to be able to pay to keep it on. AND IT IS ON A LOT LATELY. Hopefully this heat wave will let up in a bot and things will cool down. I however know that this has been a real wish of mine just about every July I have been alive and AUGUST is on its way. Even the devil would be uncomfortable in this kind of heat.
But as for me, I am getting by. I take the heat as if it is my own personal sauna that I apparently share with everyone (and I am not in a towel out walking around in). It seems to work, but unlike a regular sauna, dehydration is always a risk. Water water water is the name of the game!
So off to bed in a cool room thinking about the heat tomorrow! Even the camels get hot I am sure. But for tonight, I am glad to be out of it…..I hope you are too! Stay cool!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Almost disaster…….

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Okay, I know there is a heat advisory out for this area, but it did not stop Viper and I from taking a walk together tonight. My intention was to go about 4 miles, but the heat was getting to the boy and I thought it best to cut things short. I figured I might not be too popular if I killed the family dog.

But fortunately we got home in time. I got him upstairs and watered, and he is now downstairs snoozing on the tile floor with the kids as they watch “Lost.” Of course had we not gone out at all, Viper would have been snoozing downstairs on the tile floor with the kids as they watched “Lost.” He loves to walk, but he loves to sleep more. The life he lives cracks me up. If I could only be him!
So we have been out exercising and did our good work for the day. We will be at it again tomorrow too. This Biggest Loser thing does loom, and I do intend to be a lot lighter by August 22nd. Tonight has helped, but I do have a long way to go!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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On blogs, theology, headlocks, and blessings……

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I read all sorts of things, and at times when I think about this blog I wish that I was writing some sort of deep theological tome or insightful observation from life that would be a bit more blog-worthy in the sea of such insightfulness that we now know as the “blogusphere.”

And of course a few years back, that was exactly the intention of this blog. It started at the time when I had decided to retire from the Episcopal Church, and was going to be a forum of sorts on theology, both good and bad, that no doubt would have been read by about three people (if you counted me). But really, there are plenty of those out there, not just on theology, but politics, and they often seem to be written by writers with a lot to say, but even more of which to let go. And the very fact that they cannot leads me to that I should be very thankful for the fact that I have been able to move on from where I was.
Please do not misunderstand me. I think there IS good theology, and I KNOW I have it. But at some point we need to stop talking about it and battling about it and then just live it. People are going to go where they feel regardless. And although you can witness to them about what it is you believe, head-locking them is really (in my mind at least) not effective Evangelism.
So if there is no objection, or even if there is, I intend to still just use my time here as post-stroke therapy and to just write about what I feel like writing about. It may be deep, or it may not be. I really don’t care. I am just thankful that you my dear friends walk with me on my journey. And I hope and I pray that your lives will be every bit as blessed as mine.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Excuse me??????????

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I got home and Ben was all about talking to me……he is still hanging in my office asking a thousand questions. When you are 4 you miss things when they are out of your sight, and I have been gone for over 2 full days. He is no playing spaceships, but has played just about everything and asked me everything since I got home.

The best part was when he was playing with his “Pirates of the Caribbean” Legos that Scotty bought him for his birthday. The things are so very small that I cannot make them out, but the first thing he handed me was apparently Captain Jack’s compass. He asked, “Dad, is this Captain Jack’s compass?” And I replied, “I do not know Ben, I cannot see it. It is very small.” To which he replied, “it’s a compass, is it open?” I said, “I don’t know.” He said, “yes it is.” I said, “okay.”
A few minutes later he asked, “Are these Davey Jones’ testicles?” To which I said, “excuse me?” And he repeated himself quite clearly. So I said, “what do you mean?” And he said, “Are these Davey Jones’ testicles? You know can he see out of them?” To which I THOUGHT, “Oh my I hope not!” But then I got it……he had not clue……he was meaning TENTACLES. (see the picture)…….so I was relieved.
Of course I live with his older brother and sister whom I will QUIZ about this very story because it is a heck of a mispronunciation……but I am not anticipating any confession.
For now I will just laugh at the story and confess how it made my day. Having kids is always an adventure, and today upon my return I got one of those for sure!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless.
Tommy+
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On meeting Elvis…….at Breyerfest 2011…..

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I have been in Lexington today and will be most of tomorrow as well, and it has been a pretty productive time. I am staying in a hotel on the north side of town with approximately 10,000 little girls and their moms, along with about 1,000,000,000 plastic horses. Apparently I booked a room during the annual Breyerfest celebration in Lexington…..I just looked it up www.breyerhorses.com/blog/2011/01/28/breyerfest–2011/

But despite the fact that I didn’t fit in, it was really kind of cool. It was really neat seeing tons of little girls and their moms enjoying everything together. All their rooms seemed to be opened up to show off and even sell some of their collections, and I was actually amazed at how very into it they all seemed to be, yet it was something I had never heard of.
But what REALLY amazed me was walking down the hall and hearing a familiar voice…..ELVIS. I headed toward it, convinced they had some sort of impersonator there, but what I found instead was a hotel lounge, karaoke, and a guy who not only sounded a heck of a lot LIKE Elvis, but who LOOKED like him too (he was even in a jumpsuit)…AND HE WAS THE RIGHT AGE AS WELL! SO I did what any other red blooded American would…..I went in and snapped this picture.
As you can see like any picture taken of Elvis, it turned out just like the the ones of Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
Oh well……I am heading to bed.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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On the border……

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I am on my way to a meeting in Lexington tomorrow and I thought in the interest of getting some rest that I would head to a hotel in Louisville tonight. And for those who do not know, Louisville is right across the border from the great state of Indiana.

It has been a good decision too. The hotel is perhaps one of the nicest I have ever been in, and more that this, it is right next to the Ohio river. The picture is of the river looking east from the boardwalk (although it it cement) by my hotel. It is a beautiful site and one that makes me feel it was the right decision to come. I checked in, I walked to the restaurant (the food was LOUSY, but it was a good walk) and then I walked to the river. It was very relaxing.
Now however I am back in my room and in bed. Tomorrow I will make the short jaunt to Lexington and the meeting. It will be all day tomorrow and Saturday for a half day. I am glad I will have the stamina to get through it….particularly because I made this trip to just across the border. Thank God for the rest….now I need some more. I am off to bed!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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What???????

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I went to a work event with my wife last night that included a Josh Groban concert at Conseco Fieldhouse. And to show you how very connected I am with the current happenings of the day, from the moment I knew we were going to the point I heard him sing, I thought he was a country singer…….so much for being with it.

The larger issue for me was not my ineptitude but rather the level that my hearing has deteriorated. I qualified for hearing aids probably some 5 years ago, but have never gotten them. I will say however that an evening like that is probably better if you can understand the words. Sure he sings in Spanish and English and Italian….but it would not have mattered. I knew the words to “You Raise Me Up,” and understood those…..as well as a great song that I loved but could understand only one word….”machine.”
But in all honesty, I am okay with not hearing well. It doesn’t bother me as much as it does everyone else. And how do I know that???? Well Amanda THINKS she hears well, but really does not…..and it drives me NUTS. Of course if she needs them we will get her the hearing aids.
After all, I do not need to hear to mow the lawn!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Lucky to be alive……..

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I went to take Amanda to work early this morning, leaving 3 teenagers and Ben alone and asleep in the house. Steph was up getting ready for work, but Scott (Ben’s roommate) and Cassie were asleep as well. I wondered what would happen if Ben got up while I was gone, but figured he would probably sleep well past when I got back. Of course I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Yep, I came home about an hour later, and as I entered the kitchen it was then that it happened. Ben came into the kitchen like the SWAT team, armed with the amazing dart gun you see in the picture, and pointed it at me as if I were an intruder. I have decided he is either some type of agent for the CIA or he is watching way too many things about the police, good guys and bad guys, and things like that. He had me though….I was unarmed.
I cannot say I am surprised though. He is all about being superheros, Transformers, and SOLDIERS (capitalized because it is actually more important than the other two)! And it pleases me far more than Barbies! I am just thankful he doesn’t carry a real one!
So I am lucky to be alive I suppose. He checked my ID and let me go with a warning. I am just glad he is there to protect us. Clearly the teenagers and that sleepy dog of mine leave something to be desired!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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I want my room back…..

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All I wanted to do was to go into my room and change, and THIS was what I ran into. My wife, my daughter, and Cassie exercising in my room. Cassie is in the foreground, Steph is at 12-1 o’clock, and Amanda is just got her legs sticking out. This takes place everyday in my room apparently, and the way the encourage me to leave makes me believe it is becoming a bit “cultish.”

And JUST when I think things could not be any weirder for me, Ben just came into my office, grabbed one of my collar tabs, and put it down his pajamas. When I asked him what he was doing, he pulled it out and started using it as a sword. My family seems to need a lot of therapy…..I am just too embarrassed to send them there with these issues.
So I guess I need to just live in my little world. My office used to be my sanctuary, yet now they invade it at will. They already have my bedroom, and soon I am sure they will want me to be drinking whatever they are. I will have none of it.
I am doing fine without the insanity, and intend to win the Biggest Loser without it anyway. But for now it is off to make myself a vodka tonic. Life is stressful enough. And there is nothing like a little night cap to end the day. I will drink it as I contemplate the torturous events taking over my room.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+