I’M GONNA MISS HER WHEN I GET HOME
This is my last post to the blog or my website from our home in Lakewood, Colorado. We are moving a little north to Arvada, Colorado. It is hard to move because I love this spot and I thought I would write some of the things I am going to miss about our house.
- First and foremost our great neighbors. I am really going to miss so many wonderful people being right next to us.
- Each night having a great view of the lighted cross on the mountain at Olinger Mount Lindo Cemetery.
- Our big, big Evergreen Pine Tree in the front yard.
- Being very close to a lot of good Jefferson County Open Space, where this is some nice hiking.
- Being close enough to Banidmere Speedway, that you can hear the cars race. I always kind of it smoothing to hear for some weird reason.
- The wildlife. Right now, almost every morning, I see two or three foxes on our block. Also, just up the road the open space is usually a lot of deer.
- Being able to see Red Rocks without too much effort.
- The great guys down at the local ACE Hardware store who actually would help me a lot when I had questions unlike other hardware stores.
- The few, small Aspen Trees in the back yard.
- The nice bathrooms. The first thing we did with the money from my old town-home when I moved in was to redo the bathrooms and doors of the house. They are nice, and I will miss them.
- The new carpet. We finally got to replace the 1979 carpet but only got to enjoy it for a few weeks.
- A house with siding.
- Being closer to church, friends, and our community group at least compare to our new place.
- All the memories that are triggered by going into a room.
Rockies Thoughts
Well, with the season ending for the boys of Blake Street, at few more thoughts. I do think next year should be much better, but I am not ready to think they are a contender. I like the way they played hard down the stretch.
As for any awards for the team, I guess there a few remote possibles. With all the rookies that played they should get some votes, but I do not think they will the NL ROY award. Barmes got hurt and missed too much of the season, Francis faded too much, and Hawpe was OK. I think Howard of Philly or Duke of Pittsburgh are more likely to win it over any Rockie player.
Aaron Cook comeback for a new death causing blot clout has been amazing, and he has pitched lights out. It has been awesome to see. However, since he did not pitch most of the season I do not think he will win. There are a few candidates in the NL who will probably get more votes than Aaron will. If fact, I think whod do I think should win it. Well, if I had a vote I would vote for the Rockies ownership. They keep coming back every year even through the fans don’t want them to. They keep beating the odds and the fan’s wishes. Thus, I figure they might as well have the Comeback Award.
LikeWRESTLED THE ANGEL, FOR MORE THAN A NAME
Oh, for four years in high school, I was a starter on the wrestling team and I loved it. However, I was never that great at it. I wanted to be great at it, I had passion, I worked hard, and I never quite. Yet, the wins did not always come like I wanted them to.
Often, I look back and wonder what I could have done to be better. Maybe, if I had the skill and work ethic of Dan Gable I would have been better. If I had Rulon Gardner’s drive, I would have won more. Maybe, I needed to have the ability to overcome obstacles like Kyle Maynard to be great.
Well, after today, I may no longer question what it would have taken for me to be a great wrestler. What was my problem you ask? Was it Bush’s fault, like everything else is the world? Actually, no, amazingly I don’t blame the President for my lack of wins when I was in high school while he was running the Texas Rangers and the President (I am sure the LSM [acronym from stonestead] do blame him for things way back then). It seems the thing I needed to improve my grappling skills was a pet bear. Through my coach was a bear of a man and my wrestling partners were good, they just were not a 450 pound, black bear.
If only my parents had brought me a cub to grow up with and who I could have wrestled with, maybe I would have won more matches. So I guess after all, it was my parent’s fault for not letting me have a wild animal who could have kill me. Isn’t always the parent’s fault? It was not mine fault, at least not in this blog.
Monkey Meditations
Just a few things I wonder about from time to time that I felt like sharing here:
- What is the cost per gallon of a Starbucks Latte?
- Is there anyway we can get rid of Bad Jake and just have Good Jake be our quarterback?
- How did I ever lived before email, ATMs, pay at the pump, U scans, and Chipolte?
- In my life time will I ever see the Rockies be a serious contenter or the end of the Energizer Bunny?
- Really, where is the beef?
- How many 14ers has Michael Jordan done, huh?
- When are they going to announce that High Cholesterol is good for you?
- How long before CSI and Law And Order spinoffs are the only shows on TV?
- How come I did not think to invent the CamelBak Hydration Packs?
- What simple invention should I be creating right now?
- How long will C. Montgomery Burns live?
- What moron invented the English Language and why did he hate people so much?
- Far Side was a funny comic, but should I be worried that the author is walking around freely?
- How long would it take me to Grow My Crowder (including his hair cut)?
- How great was the world before sin and cats entered it?
PROUD OF THAT RAGGED OLD FLAG
So what will be next waste of time to make something unconstitutional by some California judge? My guess is one of two things, this or that.
I pledge allegiance
to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic
for which it stands,
one nation,
under God,
indivisible,
with liberty
and justice for all.
IT’S SO WONDERFUL TO BE HERE NOW
It has been awhile but I got to see some live sports teams this last weekend.
Starting Friday night, I ended the longest period I had gone without seeing a pro baseball team since I got my drivers license. My wife and step-daughter and a couple of friends went to Coors Field to see the Arizona Diamondbacks play the Colorado Rockies.
It was nice to see some of the changes at Coors Field from the new Jumbo-tron, the new side scoreboards, the brick wall behind home plate, and my favorite, the Branch Rickey Bronze Statue outside the main gate.
However, the product on the field that night looked bad, especially the center field job by Choo Freeman. I don’t think he is the answer to Center Field for the Rockies. They ended up losing the game 7 to 1 and were almost shut out at home. That is bad. Hey, but time at the old ball park with my loving family and good friends is always a great thing. It is just a bonus if the Rockies can win.
On Saturday around 5:45 PM, I got a call by a friend, whom I had attended the Rockies game with, saying he had an extra and FREE ticket to the Colorado Buffaloes Football. I got permission from the wife, er I mean I told here I was going yea that is it, and around 6:00 PM off we went to the People Republic of Boulder. It had been about 15 years since I was at a game in Folsom Field, so it was great to get back. I really enjoy college football games especially live.
The Buffs win was really never in doubt, as they donmated New Mexico State, like they should have. There was some great plays and hits. CU kicker is very, very good and he can really help the Buff score and win the field position battle. The weather was nice but a little windy. Hard to believe it was windy in Boulder I know. At halftime, they had a great fireworks show. That was a surprise for us as when they said they was going to be a fireworks show, we thought it would be cheap and cheeze, but it was not.
Another surprise for me was that their was no Buffalo burgers at any of the food stands at the stadium. There was beef and the normal bad food you can get at games, but I figure there was would be Buffalo. I guess they decided it would be bad to eat their mascots.
A course, one of the best things about Buff games is seeing Ralphie run on the field at the start of the game and at half time. It is always an impressive site to see the cowboys trying to keep up with the a big Buffalo.
ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACK, HE KIND OF FUN AND KIND OF FAT
FOOTBALL
Football is here and the NFL has started in a way we Bronco Fans love. It started with the Raiders losing and now Oakland has not won a game all season and they are in last place. It is always nice to see that, even if it is only the first game.
As for college football, I never get tired of hearing the following quote after Air Force beats a “big school”. “Yea, they played hard and were very discipline, but we should have won because we are bigger and have more talent”. I love that! Coach Fisher DeBerry is a favorite of mine. Every year his team plays hard and wins a lot more games than they should because they are not bigger or more talented, but they do play hard, never give up, and have heart. That is good coaching.
Do you this CSU will try and make the Rocky Mountain Showdown against CU last only 58 minutes next year? Best idea I have heard for where to play the game, one year in Boulder, one year in Ft. Collins, and two at Invesco at Mile High. That way the players get a least one year at playing all the stadiums.
I hope Sunshine (aka what I call Bradlee Van Pelt because of he reminds me of the quarterback from the movie “Remember the Titans” help me spread this nickname by using it) is good backup quarterback who can put pressure on Jake to play well with less mistakes. I hope something can do that.
BASEBALL
I must say I very impress with the way the Rockies (yes, The Designation Committee gave them back the capital R back) are playing. They are taking advantage of opportunities and winning lots of games with their bats, pitching, and defensive. Not only are they winning, they are winning on the road. Maybe there is hope for the future after all. Hope is nice thing to have especially when you have not had any in a long time.
For good stats and thoughts about the Rockies of late, check out the last few entries at the DITR blog. The stories are filled with good info that I don’t think I need to rehash here. I do however, want to add on to one thing in one of his post. Yes, I do want to George Frazier no longer be the Rockies TV announcer, but his partner, Drew Goodman, must go. He is the worst TV guy the Rockies have ever had (yes, that includes Charlie Jones). I can’t stand listening to him. Please, Rockies, join the Nuggets in getting much better by not having Goodman do your TV.
I will finally get to my first Rockies game of the year, Friday night. Yea!
THE GREAT RAID
It is not doing that great in the box office money world, and it is probably because it is a heavy film and real life is heavy enough. However, I did get to see it and I think it is an incredible movie. This movie is apparently very close to the historical truth, and I learned a lot about an amazing story from World War II. I think it is a movie that people should see, as the event is shows, we have too easily forgotten about. It is a good story of heroes (from the POWs to the American and Philippine soldiers to the resistance fighters) . It is a story that makes me not dislike Hollywood so much, because they actually told a story in a truthful way and they honored some real heroes.
MOVING
Life has been crazy as we put our home on the market so we could a little north of here to help with getting the kids to their school and the wife to a new job. We thought it would take away to sell and buy because we were told it was a little soft right now. Well, about five days later our home was sold and we had a new place. It has just be so hectic. How did people use to buy and sell a home before cell phones?
ANOTHER SITE PLUG
A friend has started a new site, that I going to mention here. The site is Movedon.org. It is a site that will be adding a lot more to it in the coming days.
BLOG UPDATE
By popular demand, there is a new feature on the left hand column called “name that tune” with a link under that called titles. If you click on titles, that page will list all the blog entry titles, the song the blog title is from, and the artist who sang it. Since I did the one entry that listed the song titles up till then, I keep getting ask to make it easier to figure out the name of the song a current entry is. So this is my current solution. Let me know if you like it or not.
MARRIAGE WISDOM
I thought this was good. Tommy Lasorda, who’s been with the Dodgers for 56 years and married for 55 years said: “My wife tells me one day, ‘I think you love baseball more than me.’ I say, ‘Well, I guess that’s true, but hey, I love you more than football and hockey.’ “
IT KEEPS LEAVING ME NEEDING YOU
Editor Note:
This is piece an addition on from a friend of mine, Bill – FPOTUS.
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A Deafening Silence: Epilogue
It would seem as though the world has returned from the restroom. As Thursday progressed various reports of aid offers from numerous countries began to trickle into the State Department. It is one of the rare instances in which I celebrate being wrong.
I refuse to take this opportunity to criticize where the aid is coming from, or the motives that may pervade it. I commend each country with heartfelt and deserved gratitude. Unfortunately, I’m not convinced such actions will permeate the future. Perhaps I’ll be proven wrong, but I wouldn’t place any wager on it.
In the midst of stories accounting of human depravity within the devastation we find hope. For that I’m grateful. For that I’m humbled.
Yet, make no mistakes. The stories behind Katrina and the lessons being learned and grappled with are just beginning.
copyright 2005 williamrpierce ( writer of the future Orphaned Squirrel blog )
RESCUE FORM THE MIRE
I thought this was a good story. It is nice to see what churches are doing to help out.
Churches Mobilize in Katrina Aftermath
Also, my hiking friend Alan is heading down there to help out. Thanks Alan for helping and working to help people. We will be praying for you.
IT KEEPS LEAVING ME NEEDING YOU
Editor Note:
This is piece is from a friend of mine, Bill – FPOTUS. He wrote it as kind of an editorial since he has not started his blog, yet. However, after talking to Bill, he said he would not mind if I put it on the blog. So here is my first guest writer to the blog (I am working on a few others, so expect to see some more in the future).
Also, I know there are a lot of good organizations out there helping with relief work. However, I thought I would remind people of the banner to the organization I like to support because they help the sick, the poor, the needy, the hurting, and you can say where you want you money to go (so no need to worry if they will stick it in their pockets and keep most of it), Samaritan’s Purse.
———————–
A Deafening Silence
In lieu of an official blog (which I fully intend to rectify in short timing), allow me to opine in this manner.
Pictures state a thousands words; It’s a phrase that comes with great difficulty and inadequate definition, until you see the suffering, destruction and frankly the fear perpetrated by the natural monster of Katrina. To describe the pictures within limited text is simply unjust. The stories of these people deserve the tears they invite,heartfelt-pleading-prayer and the allocation of appropriate and unfettered resources from each of us. But there’s something missing. There is a deafening silence that tells us much about being an American. Where is the world?
Less than a year ago America lead the charge in rushing to the aid of the various countries devastated by the December Tsunamis, rightly so. In fact there seemed to be an expectation from the world that America would do just that. In that simple fact we should take solace and indeed enormous and unapologetic pride. This is what America stands for. It is the true American dream. The role America played in that disaster is not a solitary example but the norm under which America operates, but the most prevalent in our minds. The examples are too numerous to list but I’m confident you can recollect a few.
Bodies are floating in the streets. Lives have been erased and we may never know the names of the hundreds and possibly thousands feared dead. The parallels to the Tsunamis are apparent. Suffering does not discriminate. I is the epidemy of equal opportunity and the great equalizer. Where is the world?
The Pentagon has dispatched war ships to the devastated region, just as it did to Asia. But they are alone. America stands alone and the world suffers under a mired of apathy. I fear some are celebrating just as others did during 9-11. But they will be disappointed. Notice the word, “stand.” Indeed America “stands.” We may be wet, a great city nearly, if not destroyed, paralyzed by loss and overwhelmed with grief. But we stand and we’ll persevere in the midst of turmoil.
It is inherent that the world will once again come calling upon the United States. America is calling but we are greeted with a busy signal and an ignored voice mail.
Perhaps the world has merely stepped away to use the restroom. Nonetheless, I fear the world is too busy implementing their latest Anti-American rhetoric to notice.
We stand alone, but we’re in good company.
copyright 2005 williamrpierce ( writer of the future Orphaned Squirrel blog )
