Driven

"Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace... but we would be hollow... Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we'd be truly dead."  <Joss Whedon>

Domo Arigato

I love you - I love all of you.
Without you, I would have probably lost my mind long ago.
Knowing that you are out there, reading these words...
It makes me feel a little more connected.
It makes me feel a little less alone.

... Now I lay me down to sleep ...
so glad to have a warm bed and pillow
... I pray the Lord my soul to keep ...
maybe I'll see her in my dreams tonight
... And if I die before I wake ...
pain is always better than numbness
... I pray the Lord my soul to take ...

C'ya next time, friends!

Freedom the Dog

I had a dog in the early 90's.
Her full name was Freedom.
I just called her "Free".

I was staying in a big house with my 3-year old son, and two male roommates. We used to joke about the situation being similar to "3 Men and a Baby". I was struggling (financially and otherwise), and really needed the help. It worked at the time.

Freedom was a very spirited dog.
She loved to play in the yard.
She had black hair, green eyes, and a gleaming white smile.
She smiled - a lot.

Unfortuantely, Freedom also liked to bark.
Bark, bark, bark - bark, bark, bark - into the night.

The neighbors complained to me.
The neighbors complained to the landlord.
The neighbors complained to the police.
I tried, but I could not keep her silent.

In the end, I had to let her go.
I had to give her away.
To keep my house, I had to give away my dog.

That is how I lost my Freedom.
... in the name of comfort.
... city life is so unkind.

[True story, from the life of Doug Staubach]

Un accidente

Je me suis coupé ...

Watched the movie 'Secretary' with James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Very cute movie - nice, original storyline, and acting was superb (Maggie's facial expressions are perfect!) Good date movie, for those that haven't seen it.

More to come!

Four in the morning

"... and Jane came by with a lock of your hair,
she said that you gave it to her,
that night that you planned to go clear..."

Sincerely, L. Cohen

Fresh Start

 

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Got a feel for my automobile

Last week, I discovered that the "new" car I had picked out earlier in the week was too old to qualify for financing. Therefore, I had to take it back to the dealer and get my money back. (They were actually pretty nice about the whole affair, so no complaints here). Since I don't have an extra $4,000 in cash lying around, my choices were to try and find a really cheap car ($500 or so), or to get a newer car so I could get a bank loan to pay for it. Within a few hours, I found the perfect car for me (for now). It's quite a bit newer than the other one (this one is a 2006 model), and the price was right for my budget (about $200 per month). It's a little conservative, which is fine for business purposes, but it also has a sporty side, and more than a few "James Bond" type surprises. I've been driving it for a few days now, and I love it. I don't usually care much for cars (I use them and abuse them, and I don't care what they look like). But this is the sort of car that I could take on a date and not have the woman be afraid of riding in it. I see it as a positive step-up, despite the fact that I'm going to be making payments on it for several years (long term financial commitment = ickky thing that I usually try to avoid). In this case, I think it's worth it.

Life's Choices

 

"This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy."

Susan Polis Schutz

August was a heavy month

"These days are growing colder now
The light is growing dim
August was a heavy month
And now the nights are drawing in"

<--- Bob Geldorf - Lyrics --->

(+) My son has a job now [whoopee!]

(-) Adam moved out of the house [no more workout partner]

(+) I'm still losing weight and feeling good

(-) I blew the engine on my truck [... goodbye old girl, you served me well...]

(+) I replaced the truck with a new 'business-class' sedan

(+) My best friend from St. Louis came to town for a visit

(+) Both of my 'adopted daughters' came by for a visit [love them!]

(+) We had another (different) family reunion - in Denver

(+) My best friend in Denver got me hooked on a sci-fi series named 'Firefly' [shiny!]

(+)My company passed the Visa-PCI Audit, so I delivered results on schedule

(+) I got recognition from the company for helping them pass the audit

(+) I received notification that I passed the CISA exam [professional certification]

(-) My brilliant young apprentice left the company (to become a dancer on Broadway)

(+) My right-hand 'man', who left two months ago, is coming back to work for me again

(-) Another one of my mentors left the company (Mister V - a good leader, good man)

(+) Two of my friends got married ... to each other [live long and prosper]

(+) A noted author contacted me [my life is full of serendipity, or so it seems]

 

I'm still in touch with Angel.

We talk, we write. She makes me laugh.

All in all, life is good.

But August was a heavy month.