This weekend...

was like opening your favorite cigar case only to watch them all fall out on the floor...in a public restroom. It started with great anticipation but ended sometime Saturday afternoon around 5:00. I think it was when BYU went up 52-0. Yea...that pretty much did it.

Sunday was a beautiful day outside but the events of the day before made it impossible to enjoy. My Bruins went down and went down hard. Oh I went through the motions on Sunday, went to church, chatted with the local religion and gun clingers, watched some football, went back to church for a birthday social, chatted some more about the 4000 year old dinosaurs...side note Matt Damon is simply put a moron...went home and got the kids to bed. All in all a very subdued weekend. Bummer too because it looked nice out there on Sunday.

So there I sit wallowing in my Bruins bitter defeat flicking the channels. Not feeling much of nothing, when the next scene I saw on TV put all of that out of my mind. Jesus had just fallen from the burden of the cross, and Mary had a flash back of when he was a boy and fell. She rushed to him telling him she was there and it would be OK. After initial hesitation, she did the same that day as well. Holding him and re-assuring him everything was going to be alright. Jesus said to her, See Mother, I make all things new.

I began to cry.

Just as I did in the theater when I saw it the first time. The other scene in that movie that always brings a tear is when the guy being crucified next to Jesus asks Jesus to pray for him. Jesus tells him Amen, I say to you. I promise that you will be with me this day in paradise. Could you imagine? The son of God assuring your place in heaven with his own mouth. Indescribable.

After watching The Passion of the Christ, I was able to put things in a little better perspective. I don't know why that movie happened to be on. Luck. Happenstance. Fate. I don't know. All I know is, I'm human.

For those of you who don't know...

I am fervently pro-life. That is where I give all my charity money. That is where most of my prayers go. To the unborn. Following is a commercial aimed at Catholics but if you consider yourself religious I think it can speak for all.

Powerful.

I wrote a song many years ago about this subject. I wrote it around the time of my brother Paul's wife's mis-carriage. My wife and I have been through that 3 times now. I look back on the words of the song and don't need to change anything.

I read some of the criticisms of Sarah Palin and how she just wanted Trig, her Down's syndrome son, to further her career, and am amazed that these journalist elites just don't get it. They do not understand how someone can have or love an imperfect child. At least imperfection in their eyes. I cringe at the thought of these people being the judge and jury over those of us who cherish and protect life.

Concern of a war or the ecology state
Can bring you peace of mind
But someone please explain to me
Where's the danger in an unborn child

I thank God for my brothers and sister
My parents sense of right and wrong
If there was one less thing in my life
I would not be as strong

Did you ever wonder what the child might have been
Maybe President of this place
Or maybe just a God-fearing human beaing
With your eyes and smiling face.

Happy Birthday, Madison!

Today is Madison's 6th birthday. Seems like only yesterday I was filming her in the warming table. So small. So fragile. So strong. So alert. Eyes wide open and looking right through me. You wonder how you can love someone so much without knowing anything about her. What will her voice sound like? Will she be smart? What will her personality be like? What will she look like without the cone head?

6 years down the road and the questions have been answered. She has a marvelous voice. She even has a little Broadway vibrato that kicks in when she's really getting into it. We watch her in the back of the car sing along to the music. She is good. She seems to be smart enough. She is one heck of a reader. I asked her what 3 + 6 was the other day and she said: "9. That was easy." So at least she can count too. She is a polite, gregarious, funny, normal, healthy 6 year old with a penchant for making friends. Whew! That's a relief!

All you can do is love them and make sure they know they are loved. Funny how everything usually seems to work out after that.

Something else happened today...oh yea 9/11. I am not belittling that event at all. I'm just happy that the first thing I get to think about on this day for the rest of my life is my daughters birthday not the tragic events of THAT day.

I think it is very important to remember THAT day and why we continue to battle the evil men that want us dead. That want Madison dead. I know. Not her per se but the idea of her. But then again they didn't seem to have an issue in killing innocent children on those planes they flew into the WTC.

If you have a few minutes take the time to watch this video. It takes a second to load but well worth the wait. I find it quite powerful. It will help to remind you not to forget.

It's almost here...

Autumn or Fall if you prefer.

This is without question the greatest time of the year. College Football. Pro Football. Jerseys. Sweatshirts. Colder air eventually turning to cold air. Halloween. Thanksgiving. Which inevitably leads to the highlight of any year, Christmas. My eyes are watering just thinking about it. I may be getting a little ahead of myself but what the heck...IT'S ALMOST FALL!!!!

I love the changing of this season. I love having fires in the fireplace or a good wood fire outside in the firepit or as the kids like to call it the S'more maker. There is nothing better on a cool autumn night than having a stogie and a drink out by the fire. Heaven. I'm in Heaven.

You see, I love the cold. Maybe because I'm so freakin hot all the time.I don't know. I just love it. One of my dreams is to live in New England from early December to early January and experience a White Christmas. I already have the house picked out...

I imagine that place covered with snow, going out in the woods with an axe and chopping down our own live Christmas tree and after the trip to the hospital putting it up and enjoying its beauty. Eyes again watering. I'm such a woman. But who cares..IT'S ALMOST FALL!!!!

I can't wait to go trick or treating with Reagan for the first time. I can't wait to see what princess Madison will be this year. I can't wait to see what UCLA jersey Ian will wear. I can't wait to see Kelly in the French maid outfit I bought her! Just kidding. We only have one UCLA jersey for Ian.

I love getting together with family at Thanksgiving. This time of year is just special. Putting up the decorations on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It's all good.

Did I mention...IT'S ALMOST FALL!!!!!

UPDATED: Lance Lawson knows geography...

The man is a walking encyclopedia...

Ah, that feels better...

Fixed that grammar for you, Obama.

Good weekend...

Kelly was gone on Friday night and Saturday. That's not why the weekend was good. It's just that she was gone. The stuff that came later was good. Not that time with my kids isn't good...I'll just get on with it. She went to Marshall TX. Home of the East Texas Baptist University fighting...Baptists...I don't know what they're mascot is. Her dad is the director of choral activities there and she was a clinician at an all-state clinic he has. That left me alone with the kids. I always feel a little nervous in these situations. I don't know why. I have taken care of the kids by myself a million times. Never an issue. It's just me. I had to pick up my suit from the cleaners at 4:00 on Saturday and I planned it like I was going on maneuvers in the Fallujah province:

Rendezvous will be at 3:57. We will rally in the black troop carrier (Dodge mini-van). We will embark at 3:58 which will make arrival at our destination 4:02. Upon visual confirmation of our oriental counterpart, I will leave the carrier to retrieve our booty. If the police arrive, Madison is to drive the carrier to rendezvous Delta while Ian and Chompy push the pedals. After reteieval of the booty, I will re-enter the carrier. We will then head to point Mickey D for chocolate chip cookies and milk. A reward for a job well done. Godspeed.

Madision had dance class on Saturday. She just learned some ballet but had a good time nonetheless. She has the awsomest pair of tap shoes ever. They are just cool. I have always wanted to learn how to tap. We need to learn this routine...

Saturday night we went to a wedding of a fraternity brother of mine. The reception was amazing. Fort Worth club. Open bar. Nuff said. Saw many brothers I had not seen in a while. It is always great to see those guys. Even though some of them you haven't seen for 15 years, you can fall back into the same old routine. The conversations aren't old but the comfort is there.

It's amazing where the time goes. It does only seem like yesterday we were getting ready to go out and party at 10:30 pm. Now 10:30 rolled around and we marvelled at how late it was and we all headed home to pay the sitter. Kelly and I had a good time. Everyone had an adult night out. Something we all need to keep the sanity.

Sunday was truly a day of rest. For me at least. It started with a solo at church. A good spiritual that I gave my best baritone...and I'm a tenor for criminey sakes. It went well, thankfully. Next, sitting in my chair for about...oh...8 hours. Good day.The Cowboys won and looked good doing so. Football is back. Good for me.

Latest Palin rumor: Trig could not be her husbands baby because he was at the north slope at the possible time of conception.

And this lovely post from our beloved liberals. They are horrible horrible people.

I think it's important...

to show people what mentality the right is up against.

Kelly has been getting into this campaign and it is very exciting for me. It is nice that she is getting fired up about this election because it gives us one more thing to talk about. I have been feeding her lines about the left for years and her reaction was always the same; pretty much not interested. Lately though she has been following along. The other day I told her about an article written by Alan Colmes that really got her blood boiling. He questioned whether or not Palin had taken proper pre-natal care and how that affected her baby? You know, the one with Downs syndrome? The one with a chromosomal abnormality that any amount of pre-natal care would not have prevented. Yea. That one.

You could see in her eyes she realized these people just don't get it.

I posted this entry to show you a reply to an article written by Mark Steyn, an outsatnding conservative writer. I have no idea what the article was about but here is the reply he received form an, no doubt, impeccably sensitive progressive new male: (Sorry for the language but it's his not mine)

This abortion prohibitionist hag won’t cut it among women with brains.And BTW she is a good example of reproduction run amok. 5 kids; 1 retard. I wonder if the bitch ever heard of getting spayed.

There you go.

Remind me again, I forget...

when was the last time a Democratic nomination speech was disrupted by Republicans?

Overview of the Republican convention:

Palin was phenomenal. McCain not so much. He did what he had to do. He is not a big hall speaker. He is much more comfortable in the "town hall" format. I didn't think McCain had a chance 3 months ago. I think now it is anybodys game. Works for me.

Liberals are just ugly mean-spirited people. As proven by the shenanigans last night. How did they get in there? Who gave them credentials to get into the building. As I told Kelly, I would torture the crap out of those two bozos until I found out how they got in there. Then I would expose the media because I'm sure someone at one of the news agencies gave them credentials.

It's the little things...

Little things happen everyday that make you thank God you're alive.

Whenever Madison and I are swimming we love to play the people game. You start by saying: "This person..." and give a clue so the other person can answer. e.g. This person tried to hurt the Beast? The answer is Gaston of course. Mean rotten ole Gaston. He probably smells like Ian's diapers. She loves that. I am comedy. She is growing up so fast. I hope it's the times in the pool playing the people game that she remembers. I know I will.

Ian is not quite that cerebral. He is more of a demonstrative personality. He loves to sit in my chair and say, "My chair!". To which I respond, "No, that's my chair!" He'll then proceed to laugh so hard he rolls off the chair. Again, pure comedic gold. He loves to "hop on pop". He'll come running from one side and jump on my belly and take a header onto the other side, laughing the whole time. He could literally do this for hours.

This morning I was at the bathroom sink, he came bounding around the corner fork in hand, walked up and gave me a big hug on the leg. He then looked at me and said:

"Daddy, me faht faffle for brehfist."

"You have waffles for breakfast?"

"Yes."

"That's great. Are they yummy?"

"Yes"

pause 2 seconds

Then raising his hand he said:

"Dis my fork."

On that, he ran back to his faffles.

Chompy and I have a special relationship. As long as I keep singing "Lights" by Journey to her I'm good to go. I have been singing that song to her her whole life but I didn't realize that she understood that song until a few days ago. Last week I started up, "When the lights go down in the city..." she turned to look at me and started clapping her hands together. She knew what she was doing. Then in the car the other day, that song came on the radio. I saw her hands go up and start clapping. She turned her head to look at me and smiled. Those are the moments for which you live.

Whether it's the people game or faffles for breakfast or making your daughter happy by singing, I am truly blessed.