A Number of Unrelated Thoughts

Congratulations!
First, I want to take a moment and congratulate my beautiful wife on the release of her second book. ‘Thurston T. Turtle and the Legend of the Lemonade’  She has worked so hard on these books and as a writer she has an incredible gift. She inspires me! Please stop by and have a look and buy five of each!
Growing up?
I seem to have managed a good ‘step in the right direction’ move yesterday. Having just recently celebrated a birthday, I have become more and more aware of my age in relation to some close friends who frequently reminisce about ‘when they were my age’. At the onset of my birthday weekend, I planned to spend my Monday off hanging with one of these friends who owns a garage, and fiddle with a hot-rod he’s been working on. All weekend I looked forward to it, but when Monday rolled around, I was painfully aware of the work that needed to be done around the house. I called him and explained with some chagrin that I could not in good conscious go off and have a good time only to come home and see that the yard still needed a lot of work. He understood, and said he guessed I may be growing up. I guess so too.
Golfing again.
One of my birthday presents this year was a gift certificate for two at a ritzy golf course not far from our town. My youngest was worried that I may not be very happy to receive this gift, since after our last outing together he felt sure I was done for good. I am not. Golf, on a fairly regular basis in our town is relatively cheap and very enjoyable. I’ll get better on the long shots eventually (I’ve been working on my swing everyday, in the back yard). Mostly I just enjoy hanging out with our youngest and look forward to being able to hold my own against members of the family who golf all season, or with my brother-in-law.
Complaint Department.
I am the Safety Officer and First Responder at work. That means that when there is any kind of safety issue, I am consulted, so that we can make whatever the problem is, go away and get back into compliance. It also means that if there is an emergency, I step up and take charge, even if it means giving CPR or basic first aid until the paramedics arrive. It’s a big deal to me, and something that I take very seriously, especially coming from a family of firefighters and EMS responders. I guess I have a nose for issues that could be potentially dangerous.
So the other day, when a couple of fellas were street racing on my street (both going the same direction on a small suburban street) in the middle of the day, I thought it best to point out this safety issue to the local authorities.
The 911 dispatcher was patronizing and rather rude. First, she said, it wasn’t an emergency, since no one was hurt. Second, she could tell an on duty patrol, but she couldn’t make them come down our street or even hang out near our neighborhood. Lastly, and most frustratingly, she made me feel as though I was an old man complaining about kids riding their bikes in my yard. Her ‘kids will be kids’ attitude really frustrated me. I think we need to take better care of our streets. Solve the problem before it becomes an emergency.
THANK YOU!
Coming away from my birthday weekend, I just want to thank Micki and each and everyone of you that shared birthday greetings, hung out and spent time, for the gifts and drinks and fun. I had an AMAZING weekend, and am so grateful for each of you out there. Friends close and far; family too, and those of you who are both, I am very blessed. Thanks so much! As my nephew says when he blows kisses: “Mmwah!”
Condolences.
Everyone always says: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time”. That or some variation which invariably includes thoughts, prayers and difficulty. Although I know the feelings are genuine, I always feel that the phrase is too ‘cookie cutter’ for me. Losing someone close to you is so very painful, and the healing process never ends. Our very dear friends lost a family member only a few days ago. They are such a wonderful part of our lives, and it hurts to see them in pain. We never know why tragedy occurs, and we never know how it will effect us. That makes it hard to convey true sentiments. Our best policy in these times is to be available and understanding. We love you. Depend on us to help you through this time in whatever way you need, day by day, until the dark clouds pass. You both are in our hearts.