Health care is the least of our worries...

Obama's DOJ

Day 2...

We decided to go for a drive today. We drove down the mountain to the Inn of the Mountain Gods. A beautiful hotel/casino where Madison drew to an eight nine straight and won $500. Just kidding. She drew to a nut flush.

We got out and went to the lake where we threw rocks in the water and I showed the kids the fine art of skipping rocks. (BF moment)

The sun was very bright and hot. It was only 82 degrees but it felt like 100. Being closer to the sun couldn't have that much effect could it? After the rock throwing, we went to another lake which paled in comparison so no pics of it. We wanted to eat lunch but Ian was getting a bit restless so back up to the cabin we went. Good thing too because by the time we got there I felt awful. Don't know if it was the altitude or what but I felt bad. Ian and Reagan went down for a nap as did I. Madison and Kelly went back downtown to shop. And shop they did. Madison is all girl and she had a ball as did Kelly. They brought back lots of goodies for all of us.

We ate dinner, fed the ever-present deer and went and got some ice cream. Cool place. Old jukebox. Guitars and old 45's on the wall. The same artwork as on the 45's we had: The Rockford Files, Undercover Angel and Jive Talking just to name a few. We played a few tunes, danced and then went home. We spent the night playing games and watching TV. Much to our chagrin the clouds came in and blew our chance for viewing the stars. Two nights, two strikes.

Day 3...

Woke up to a cloudy morning. Still beautiful though. We had decided to go fishing today and since yesterday was hot downtown we all had shorts and shirtsleeves on. We made the trek to Bonito Lake, a beautiful lake nestled among the mountains. We traversed down the path to the lakeside where our bounty awaited.

As I began to bait the hooks I noticed a little chill in the air. The breeze was blowing and up here in the mountains it was a little nippy. Of course I have a full time winter coat so the mere fact that I felt it meant the kids had icicles for feet and Kelly was shivering like a newborn. On top of all that, it began to sprinkle. The kids were upset but we had to go. Cold and rainy is no way to go fishing, son.

So we packed up and went back to the cabin where we spent the rest of the rainy day in Sorry and Battleship heaven.

Later in the evening I went to the fridge to get some milk. There was only a little left in the jug so I drank it from there. When I finished I pulled the jug from my lips and began to move my head downward. I was focusing on the ceiling while drinking and moved my focus to the wall and then the window as I lowered my head. Then I saw her. The deer we fed yesterday was standing outside the window staring directly at me. This is where the climactic swell of music happens in the movies. Scared the crap out of me. Not wanting to be beaten up by a gang of deer thugs when I opened the garage door, post haste I got out the bread and went to feed the hungry horde.

The rest of the evening was spent huddled around baseball bats waiting for the revolution.

Day 1...

We hit the mountains and the music playing was not far behind. It was made known to my children that anytime they enter a mountainous zone this music must be playing on the ipod, cd player or whatever space age music playing thingy they have when they have children. An acceptable alternative is Gaia by James Taylor if there is no JD available. I realize he is singing about a Greek deity but still: the tympanies pounding as he describes looking back over the mountain being helpless, speechles, breathless: it doesn't get much better than that.

Here is the view from our cabin:

These kind of scenes make me think...a lot. About me, my contribution to the world, my wife, my love for her, my children, my infinite amazement of their lives, my God, our relationship, His relationship with His children. It does a soul good to contemplate the meaning of life periodically. My conclusion: family. Immediate. Distant. And everything in between.

We saw the first of what was to be many deer. Here she is:

I went outside to see her up close and the kids wanted to come with me. I knew for sure once we opened the door it would run away. I explained to them how deer were very nervous creatures and we needed to be quite so as not to scare her away. We opened the door and Reagan let out a shriek of delight the likes of which have not been heard since I found out they brought back Carnation Instant Breakfast Bars. Much to my surprise, the deer came closer. And another one appeared. She had a buddy and they apparently were not too afraid of humans.

Normally, I am not one for giving wild animals food because as a conservationist I believe if we feed these animals they will become too dependent on our source of food rather than their own means of getting it thus rendering themselves incapable of self-sustenance when it counts, in the dead of winter. But I threw caution to the wind and we fed them some bread. We almost literally fed them from our hands:

This would become our nightly ritual. Morning ritual too for that matter.Those deer were hungry.

We spent a quiet evening at home and got ready for the big day ahead. Day 2 tomorrow.

Coming to you on the road...

from beautiful Snyder, TX.

I don't know what possesses people to live in small communities like this. I don't have an issue with small communities mind you it's just small communities in the middle of nowhere. Actually it's small communities with no aesthetic appeal. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. De nada for my Spanish friends.

A small town in the mountains. Pretty. A small town on the beach. Nice. A small town in the middle of West Texas dirt and heat and grime. Huh?

Had a great trip yesterday. Kids were fabulous. Left the house at 12:00, left McDonald's down the street from our house at 12:15. Stopped by Kelly's Alma Mater in Abilene, Hardin Simmons for 1/2 hour. She got very nostalgic. Got to Snyder, our halfway point, by 4:40. Map showed we shouldn't be there until 5:00 and that was leaving at noon with no 1/2 hour stop. (BF moment)

We are fixing to start our second leg to the mountains of Ruidoso. Hope today goes as well as yesterday. Except for last night. Reagan would not sleep. So, needless to say Kelly will be napping and kids will be watching movies while I am chewing and itouching the music scene.

We'll keep you posted.

In case you missed it...

Sounds from the newsrooms:chirp,chirp

Pope Schmope! We've got Obama...

What the?

Looks like we're staying in Texas...

Ironically, I am writing this from Chicago. As much as I wanted this, uprooting a family is not an easy thing to do. So we'll stay put and fix up the house and keep Texas as our home. I can't complain. We could live in Taxachussets.

It's been a while since I've updated you on the family. So here goes...

Madison is 6 going on 13. She'll be 7 in September. She is growing up so fast. She is all about fashion. Something the old man knows a thing or two about. I bought her a pair of pink Chuck Taylors which she wore to vacation bible school. They were a big hit. It must be the gay side in me coming out. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

She is a fantastic student. (BF moment here.) She won the outstanding student award for her kindergarten class. Madison is a huge helper around the house. Earning dollars all along. The girl is a fish. Spends every possible moment in the pool. She's got the tan to prove it.

Ian is a very vocal 3. Will be 4 in January. The other day we were swimming in the pool and he swam up to me and said, "Daddy! You're my best friend!" Needless to say, my eyes weren't just wet from the pool water. He is a caring, loving, frustrating child. Just when you think you got him figured out he changes on you.

He loves to play the Wii. It is an absolute hoot to watch him play the games. Lifting his feet, dancing to the music. It is more fun to watch him play than to play the games themselves.

Reagan is almost 20 months old. She is into everything. Everything. My mom, who has had her share of grandchildren, said Reagan, of all the 16 grandkids, is the worst/best at getting into things. The other day we found her sitting atop a stack of music drawing on the wall. Not so bad you say. Well the stack of music was on top of the piano. She was about 4 feet off the ground. She made it up there with no sound. We did not hear the building of the sophisticated ladder. She did not stomp on any piano keys. She did not disturb any knick-knacks or papers on the piano of which there are many. The parents first thought is to get her down from there followed very closely by, "Impressive!"

She is starting to talk a lot. She mimics the words we say and says them in her way. Although not quite exactly what we say, she is very close.

Kelly is doing well. I know she's tired. Three kids and a bum for a husband. She is the backbone, the glue, the keystone; what have you. Honestly, all I have to do is go make a living. She makes the living worthy of a life.

I love her more than she will ever know.

Happy 4th my fellow Americans...

Why I'm conservative...

this passes as funny to a liberal...