Happy Birthday, Little One!...

Madison is 8 years old today. Time sure flies.

She is a voracious reader about abook a day. And not "Cat in the Hat" either. I'm talking "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", "The Babysitter Club" books. I couldn't do that.

I'm glad that is the first thought in my head today and not the other thought most people have today. Perhaps because what happened today 9 years ago and what happened today 8 years ago are so intrinsically linked in my head is the reason I still have the resolve I do to see this through. I don't know.

I do know I view the following presentation on this date every year and I stiil cry.

I remember.

If above doesn't work, try this.

Catchy tune...

This is a training video for Wendy's on serving hot drinks. It's got a Bobby Brown/R. Kelly vibe going on. It's a catchy tune. I would love to see the video for how they make the Frosty.

I'm getting there...

I new I was almost back to normal when I started yelling at other drivers again.

Felt good.

We had a fraternity reunion a few weeks ago. I was wracked with pneumonia but went anyway. I had a good time. It was great to see some faces I hadn't seen in years. There are some very good men who are fellow Texas Kappa alums and I am quite proud to call them my brothers. None more so than my two blood and fraternity brothers, Mike and Steve. I don't say it often enough gents but I love you guys and I was very proud to have the three of us there representing the Pfaffenberger name. It meant quite a bit to me.

The worst part of the evening was actually getting to the ballroom. It was on a hill in the back of the hotel property. You had to walk outside, around the pool, up some stairs and finally up to the top of a hill on what seemdd like a 45 degree walkway.

I don't know if I've ever felt so bad in my whole life. By the time we were halfway up the hill, I could hardly breathe. I was gasping for air and could not catch my breath. It was scary I tells ya. I either had to stop and go sit or start walking faster to make it to the air conditioning.

I chose the latter which might not have been the best decision but I made it. I walked right by everyone saying hi to me and found an empty table inside. I later made my way around and apologized to everyone I had snubbed. Luckily, word had gotten out that I was sick and everyone understood.

I enjoyed my college time, probably a little too much, and most of it was because of the guys in that room.

Vive Sigma Phi Epsilon!

I would like to take the time to say I have the greatest wife in the history of mankind. She took care of the kids and I with complete and utter care and love. I can't begin to express how lucky I am to have a wife who is so adept at being selfless it makes you feel as if you've done something right to deserve her.

She always goes above and beyond. For the first UCLA game she bought football plates and napkins, laid out my UCLA helmet, a UCLA football, my UCLA chip and dip plate, my UCLA pom-pom and had a football crock pot to keep the cheese dip warm. Oh yea, she had a blue table cloth as well. She also made signs for Madison's lemonade stand. Had two kinds of lemonade and rice kripy squares for the patrons. Above and beyond indeed.

I don't get sick that often but when I do I am a wimp. So, she basically took care of four children for a month. It's almost over honey. I am feeling like my old self again.

UCLA football is upon us!!

First game was last week. We lost to Kansas State. I was pretty bummed. Still am. We have better talent and should have won. It comes down to coaching. Stanford this week. We probably won't win this game either but if we show improvement I'll be happier.

I plan on posting some political stuff again. Just had to get my strength back. the Man-Child hasn't disappointed.

Pneumonia sucks...

that is the summary since I last posted.

We went on vacation to the beach. Had a fraternity reunion shindig. First day of school. All happened while I had pneumonia.

It all started on the first day of our vacation, Sunday. We drove down to San Antonio and spent the night in a hotel on the river. 16th floor. I love being high up in a hotel. It is one of my favorite things. Kids loved it too. As we got settled, I felt a little warm. I brushed it off as being in the car for 5 hours in the sun blah blah blah.

We rested for a while before dinner but I seemed to be getting warmer. Kelly, who is the greatest packer in the world, broght the thermometer so I took it. 101.1.

D'OH!

The kids and Kelly went on to dinner and called me when they were seated so I didn't have to sit in the heat.

We had a nice meal albeit the service was slow, which became somewhat of a theme for the week. We headed back upstairs and watched a movie or somesuch and all went to sleep. I took two aleve and was prepared to be my old self by morning.

Woke up, went and had breakfast at a place not too far from the hotel. Good stuff. Then went on the river boat. Hot. Not too crowded though which was nice.

Madison and Kelly went to the Alamo and I took the little ones back to the hotel so I could rest. Starting to feel a litte fatigued but no great shakes.

We drove down to the beach and found our condo. Nice place. I again had a fever of 100 but Kelly had to go get groceries and the kids wanted to go to the beach. So off we went. I found a shaded chair and the kids played in the surf for about an hour.

We went back upstairs and Kelly got home and we ate. I took two more aleve to squelch the fever, a ritual that took place every day for the next 10 days, and we eventually fell asleep.

The week was a flurry of beach, pool, aleve, aquarium, aleve, the USS Lexington, seafood and aleve.

Everybody had fun but I could feel myself losing energy as the week progressed. I am glad I was able to do most things. The only thing I didn't do was the last swim in the pool before we left.

One thing I am glad I did was the Lexington. The history of the ship and what it had done. Makes you proud to be an American.

We made it home safe and sound. I just wish healthy was part of that.

Pneumonia saps you of every ounce of energy you ever thought you could possibly have. And then some. The hacking cough. The old lady 40 year smoker voice. It's not good.

I will regail you all later with the fraternity reunion and back to school stories. Right now though I'm beat.

Take some time...

and look at these pictures. They are from the 30's and 40's. Color. Beautiful.

Here you go.

Do you remember...

the first time you saw it snow?
rotary phones?
the first time you saw your significant other?
riding bikes all day...with no supervision?
your first kiss?
your first car?
the first time you saw your favorite movie?
your first love?
barrel full o' monkeys?
how your spouse looked on your wedding day?
why you fell in love?
Asteroids?
talking all night?
baseball cards in the spokes?
your first date?
bomb pops?
push ups?
your first job?
being unselfish?
Chuck Cunningham? (long lost brother on Happy Days)
Happy Days for that matter?
Atari?
turning the channels by hand?
the last time you prayed?
reading your favorite book?
full serve gas stations?
laughing so hard you cried?


Well?...

Great question...

In watching this video two things strike me: Nancy Pelosi is not a smart woman and she is not a Catholic.

Right to Word?

I knew it I knew it...

I said to Kelly "Doesn't it seem like they are giving a lot more coverage to Chelsae Clinton's weeding than they did Jenna Bush's?" In typical wifey fashion, she says "No it seems about the same."

Steam out of ears.

Well, now I have the proof...

Did you hear Chelsea Clinton got married over the weekend? If it seems like that's all the media talked about, you're not alone.

The broadcast networks - ABC, CBS and NBC - aired 87 stories about Clinton's July 31 nuptials between July 25 and August 1. Four major newspapers - The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today - printed 21 stories during the same time period.

Coverage of Clinton's wedding was decidedly enthusiastic. The "CBS Evening News" July 31 reported it at the top of the broadcast, ahead of the oil spill. Anchor Jeff Glor announced the "wedding of the century" that "has clearly captured the nation's attention."

NBC's "Saturday Today" show brought in "celebrity wedding planner" Colin Cowie and US Weekly Editor Lindsay Powers to dish on all the gossip surrounding the event. The show mentioned Clinton's wedding in seven stories on July 31.

"Saturday Today" even brought in sometime correspondent Jenna Bush Hager - daughter of former President George W. Bush - to report on the public's supposed fascination with first children's weddings.

NBC led all coverage of Clinton's wedding with 59 stories during the period examined, almost as many as all three networks combined reported on the wedding of former first daughter Jenna Bush in 2008. ABC, CBS and NBC aired a total of 59 stories about Bush's wedding during the same time period surrounding the May 11, 2008, event.

The 48-percent increase in coverage on the networks was similar to the 52-percent increase in coverage of Clinton's wedding over Bush's in the four major newspapers. The publications ran 21 stories about Bush's wedding compared to 32 about Clinton's.

Don't tell me I'm crazy. I may very well be...just don't tell me.

What they think...

For a little background, Stark, the guy in the video, once told a constituent that he, Stark, wouldn't waste his urine on him, the constituent.

Here's a situation for you...

a new neighbor moved in next door. Nice family. Two kids about the same ages as Ian and Reagan. Could be a really good thing.

Here's the situation, their back yard butts up against our front yard. They face a street that my street T's into. If I were standing at my front door looking at the street, their house is to my right. He wants to build a fence which would hinder some of my view to the right. At least he doesn't want to build an 8 ft wood fence. It's simply a 4 ft iron fence.

He does want to build it 12 ft closer to the street than allowed. He went to the city council and asked for a permit to be able to do that. He did ask me about my feelings about this and if I had any objections. I said it was his property and he could do what he wanted. I didn't want to be a jerk.

Should I have told the city council I didn't want this fence built? At least the 12 feet closer to the street part? I didn't know how to do that without being a bad neighbor.

I don't mind him building a fence I just wish he would have done it within the guidelines put down by the city.

I don't know. I am far too concerned with what people think. I want people to like me so I don't rock the boat....believe it or not. It's true.

I write this as I hear him taking down his chain link fence.