Tonight we gathered together with the congregation of St. Patrick’s for a party in which we celebrated an annual tradition, “the ornament exchange.”  It is generally a pretty fun, and funny, time as we pick ornaments in order by a preselected drawing, and then when it is your turn you can either take one off the table (they are all wrapped until the end) or take one from someone ahead of you who has already picked.  It is a blast, and we all enjoy it.

This year however, Ben played…..and he drew number 8 of 16.  He was good at the start, picking the gift he wanted, but when people tried to take it away from him he growled……like a bear.  Three or four people tried to take it from him, and he growled at all of them.  At 4, he didn’t understand the rules, nor should he been expected to.  But in the end, perhaps he was brilliant.  He indeed opened the gift he picked.  Who would want to make a 4 year old cry.

Of course it was funny at the beginning, but appalling by the end.  We had all been around kids though, so everyone was good about it.  Kaleb, who is just 1, did a little better.  But the great part was that we all enjoyed good food, drink, and fellowship.  It was a real blast.

But I started crashing at about 9:30.  I apparently just did not have it today, but I was blessed that a 4 year old has an early bedtime too.  I gave my keys to Scotty and had to head home with Ben and Amanda.  Steph started at the party and then went to see some friends.  I am guessing everyone will be home soon.

Tomorrow however, is a work day and it is fast approaching, yet not as fast as my bed.  Thank God!  I am beat, and need to call it a day!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

It has been a fantastic night.  Steph got home at 4pm for her Christmas break, and at 4:30 she, Scott, and I were on our way to pick up Ben and then meet Amanda and the rest of those in our family at Macaroni Grill (a grill is something you cook on, not put over your front teeth)to celebrate her birthday.  I am sure she was nervous, if not scared, and she had every right to be.

My family has a particularly rare strain of DNA that can take humor to a level few can understand or even appreciate.  Waiter and waitresses tend to love us because we are far from haughty and draw them into our fun.  My brother Mike brought Steph a very special gift connected to a very long gag.  It cracked us all up.  The only one missing tonight was my dad’s wife Debby who is a newscaster.  She actually interviewed President Obama at the White House yesterday morning and flew back today.  But the news didn’t stop for Steph’s birthday, she had to be on air.  That was too bad for all of us.  But I am sure however had it been MY birthday, the President could have intervened……..after all, I am married to a woman who knows the 50 States Song that RHYMES, and I am fast approaching Willard Scott telling everyone it’s my birthday.   But I digress.

So we are now all home, and I am tired but happy, not just for the great evening, but to have us all home. Steph’s break seems long as it starts but I am certain it will feel all too short.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I suppose I would be concerned, had I not been certain that this is genetics and it comes from me.  Ben got a little lecture tonight from his mom about wearing pajama shorts in the winter, and so like any thinking Tirman would do, he went and put on a jacket.  It really didn’t work, as most things don’t with her, but she married me and she will just have to live with the consequences and environments of such a decision.

Of course this has not be the strangest thing he has done tonight, and although I am prone to mention a few others I need to confess that the night is not yet done.  But I will say that Captain America just made a visit to my office with his shield hanging on the back of my old phone case that was attached to his pajama shirt, now sans jacket.  The shorts are still there, and I was given a short inservice on the merits of fighting crime…..which of course has nothing to do with Captain America.  But to me it doesn’t matter.  Criminals or Nazis, neither are welcome in my home.

The good news however is that Steph is on her way home for Christmas break and will arrive tomorrow.  we will celebrate her birthday tomorrow night, with all of us, my dad, my sister, and their exchange student Yu, pronounced “you,” and confusing every time I talk to my dad.  But it should be fun.  We will all be there and Yu will be there too…..you (not Yu) can now see how that goes.  I just though my dad was heading down hill.  I am happy to report he is not.

But for now I will go see what Captain America is up to.  My guess is a little over 3 foot.  But my life is full of bad jokes.  Tonight should be no different.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tommy+

Seventy years ago today the Japanese launched an attack upon Pearl Harbor, not just taking many American lives, but drawing our nation into World War Two.

The years that followed were some of our nation’s hardest, yet greatest.  A generation of Americans stepped up and sacrificed, not just for our great country, but for the world.  Many went off to war and never returned, giving their lives like those who did 70 years ago.

As I look at our country now I am saddened by how we have changed.  “The Greatest Generation” saw this country for what it was, a land of opportunity, possibilities, and freedom.  There was a sense of common purpose and unity that unfortunately we see now in only a few.  And this land has gone from many selfless people to a lot only concerned with self.

But on this day of remembrance, let us not forget those who have gone before us and who set, by their love of God and Country, an example for us to live our lives by.  I will not lose hope, because I believe we can be that country again.

To get there however, we need to not just remember those great men and woman who gave so much for us to get here, but we need to become them in our generation as well.

I remember those who have gone before, and I am not just thankful for them on this and every day, but I will not forget them.

May God Bless them, and may He also bless these United States of America.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

My whirlwind tour is over.  And after seeing the likes of Toledo, Detroit, Novi, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, and the ever popular Livonia, I finally arrived back in good old Edgewood, Indiana just a little after 7 tonight.  AND I will declare, just as I did last month, that THIS will be my last trip of the year……I think.

Toledo of course is in Ohio, but everything else is in Michigan…..as was the snow.  It was also cloudy the entire time in Michigan and I never knew what direction was what……that unnerved me.  But the people were marvelous, and if it were not for the restraining order, I would probably go back.  I just didn’t know there was a law against wearing a Bears’ jersey up there.  Oh well.

But what was nice was to arrive home to Batman.  He lives here you know.  And I also had the pleasure of seeing both Batcat and Batdog.  (They were both called their superhero names yet neither wore a disguise.)  Surprisingly they looked a lot like our cat Puddy and our dog Viper, but what do I know?  I have been traveling.

So the big news is that I am back to the insanity………but thankfully it is still quite insane.

After all, you’ve got to go with what you know!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Oh December 5, 2011…….the day my daughter Stephanie leaves her life as a teenager (she is 20 today!) and also the day my sister-in-law Rhonda hits the big 25 (again).  They are both holding children (Steph holding her brother and Rhonda holding her daughter in a family picture from a few years ago)

And I do miss them both.  Steph will be home later in the week (as will I), and we will celebrate her birthday then.  But Rhonda moved first to Arizona and then to Utah, and I have not seen her in quite some time……and don’t know when I will.

But tonight I thank God for them both.  I could not have asked for a better daughter, and Rhonda is the very best!  Happy Birthday to them both!  I just wish we were all here celebrating together!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

On my way up to Michigan on Friday I ran across a Cabelas and went in to look around.  I had plenty of time with nothing to do other than to check in at my hotel, and it was a great break in the drive.

I took a lot of pictures too.  I am no hunter, but I am fascinated by all the animals that they have there.  Sure, they are stuffed, but what I like is that you are able to look at them closely.  In a zoo they are always either moving around our not still enough to see.  And it was a very interesting time to look at them all.

And about half way through was when I saw him, he was a large Canada moose, and it made me laugh.  After all, my grandma (my dad’s mom) was Canadian, and I am always on a diet……so there I was, a Canada moose!  It was pretty funny to me, and a JOKE, so I snapped this picture.

I had bee a rock star on my diet the entire trip too, and even on Saturday at the ordination/installation I attended, I was very good.  I only looked at the cake.  But as pictures began to appear on Facebook of the ordination, I realized that it really wasn’t a joke.  Holy Smokes, I really am a Canada Moose!  But I am working on it!

When I was a kid, I was always a skinny short little guy.  I was a hockey player and a scrapper, but I always had the desire to be big.  In college I went at it full bore……and succeeded.  I wanted to be “big” and although I was still 5’8″, I was a total monster.  I loved it as long as I was under control, but now it is not.  Moose is a great nickname, but it is not a great, or even good, description.  I intend to keep at it and win.  Keep me in your prayers.

On a side note, today is my mom’s birthday, and had she lived until today she would have been………..very old.  (She would love that joke!)  Actually, when I took over her care some years ago she actually lied to me about her age.  So I asked my grandma before confronting her.  She had a great sense of humor which you only saw bits and pieces of through the Alzheimer’s, but they were blessings.  (DON’T READ THIS:  Happy 65th mom, even though grandma told me you were really born in 1939!)

So tonight’s blog is now done.  I think I will go eat some grass and look for a lake in which I can take a swim.  The life of this moose is never done!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I believe I bought a book called “Father Joe” a couple of years ago with the best intentions of reading it, but I didn’t……fortunately for me however I now know the REAL Father Joe, and the picture proves it.   My friend Joe Mlaker was ordained a priest tonight by Bishop Doc Loomis somewhere near the North Pole (Lansing, Michigan……home of the Spartans) and it was a great time indeed.

This parish had been served by another good friend of mine, Jack Lumanog, who had recently moved to Pittsburgh (home of Big Ben – I do not think it is the clock).  Jack became the assistant to the Archbishop, and that meant that Joe could move to Lansing!  (Motto…..no cheese here).  Of course that is the problem.  Joe is from Wisconsin, and tonight in particular, Michiganers HATE people from Wisconsin.  But apparently the air was infused with ether, because they not only ordained Joe a priest, but they made him their Pastor.

But here’s the thing…..I KNOW JOE, and it was a GREAT CHOICE.  But sadly, if Wisconsin beats MSU for the Big Ten Championship tonight (in Indiana of all places) Joe will probably be fired.  But then I will pick him up and take him to Indiana, because as a Notre Dame fan I am not threatened by anything….(because we lose to everyone).

But here’s to you my friend Joe. You are a man of incredible faith and determination and I am blessed to be your friend.  Congratulations.  You were a great deacon and will make a fine priest!  I enjoyed visiting your parish!  It was a blessing to me, and you will be a blessing to them.

AND……if you live within 300, okay 500 miles of this parish, get up there and worship with Joe.  He is a great guy and he has a great deacon (Steve…..whose wife is a friend of my wife’s).  You will not be sorry!  It is a parish that is going somewhere all of us would like to go!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+  

Although my TomTom sent me all over the place, and even into some questionable areas, I finally made it to the ice rink with just about 50 minutes to go.  Their Pro Shop was closed, so I was not able to get my skates sharpened, but I felt they were good enough to give it a go.  Since I skate better than I walk I figured I ought to be safe.

So onto the ice I went with about 40 minutes to skate, and it was truly paradise!  I never stopped and skated till the very end.  I was a little stiff and rusty, but considering I was the old guy out there it didn’t really matter.

As I skated by the glass I caught my reflection.  And in my mind I went back to a practice in 1979 when I was a Senior in high school.  It was rare, but we were practicing that night by playing some team from the old man’s league (anyone out of high school or older) and at the start of the game I was getting ready to face off when this guy came up do it with me……I still think he looked like a very old Drew Carey.  He even had tape on the bridge of his glasses.  And what I remember “second most” was how I laughed inside and thought “Buddy, I am going to make you miserable all night.”  But what I remember most was how after that puck dropped he took it and I could never get it back.  I followed him hopelessly all night, and had the most significant injury of my entire sports career……my pride.

Yep, he schooled me, and in that reflection tonight I saw a bit of him there.  I learned a lot that night, not just about hockey, but about myself and life.  It was a good memory to have as I glided about the rink.  And I have decided that it’s now, with me at 50, that I would love to have a rematch of that night.

After all, that guy has got to be about 80 now……….I might just have a chance.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I remember typing this blog from a hotel in Akron, Ohio at the beginning of November where I spoke of how happy I was that it was my LAST out of town trip for the year.  I was looking forward to just staying at home.  But as they say “the best laid plans of mice and men generally get screwed up.”  Or something like that.  I was to host the meeting I will be leaving for tomorrow, because we moved it to Michigan.  And of course being a northerner myself, I know that there is generally no better time to visit Michigan than in the winter.  (Their motto:  “Snow 360 days a year!  Enjoy our beaches!”)

Of course I am not too broken up about it as I will be taking my skates and will probably get quite a bit of time on the ice while I am there.  I miss skating, and really miss hockey more, but for now I will just reunite my skates with some ice.  THAT will be one of the highlights of my year!  The picture tonight is of the LAST TIME I skated when I took Ben skating for the first time last year!  SHAME SHAME SHAME!

And I will also TRY, with my whole heart, to not think about skating while in my important meetings.  Obviously I hardly think of it at all now, so my best guess is that it will be easy.

But tomorrow I will first head to Ohio.  I have a meeting at 11 in Maumee.  (It is the Indian name for “Panera, just south of this exit.” As opposed to Toledo, which means “dirty chickens” and Sandusky that means “the beach closes at dark.”)   It should be very productive as the Churches and Clergy of our Order are presenting a Church that has lost its building in a lawsuit with some of the basic things they need just to hold a service.  We are pleased to be doing this as we consider it a part of our ministry.

So my next post tomorrow may be post a “rink-visit.”  I don’t know for sure, but maybe.  I just know I will need gloves and a hat and a coat for the next few days.

And please keep my family in your prayers………I know they hardly even get by without me.  Bwhahahaha!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+