for Steve

We all walk the earth with a certain gait as we move through life.  Some of us are given the gait that we walk with. Others choose a gait and stay the course all through their lives.  A few lucky ones not only choose, but nurture and change our gaits to suit our lives.  A friend of mine was the latter.  He not only chose the gait that he tread upon this ball of dirt flying through space, but adapted it to those around him.  With his peers he would run and play as hard as he could.  With older ones he would slow his pace so as to not make them feel hurried.  With children he would sit down and play or merrily race around a backyard or a beach until they fell down laughing.  He could walk with pride for his artistry.  He would shrug his shoulders at his athleticism.  He would speak fondly of a fish he would nourish himself on that evening.  He seemed always in motion, golfing, working, fishing, lending a hand when not even asked, far too many times to mention.  Always moving, always finding a new gait to work with or towards.  Too soon sometimes a gait is stayed.  Too soon for us no longer allowed to look upon that gait in wonder.  My friend's gait is no longer trod upon this earth, but rather among the stars.  On clear nights we can see the trail of a star he has kicked along the way as it lights up our lives, still one more gift from an unique gait.  Thank you for allowing me to walk with you part of the way.

The Night Before Christmas - new

'Twas the night before Christmas
And wasn’t it grand
The old man St. Nicholas
Was taking a stand

He looked all over the world
And saw not one person
Deserving this year
Of a gift of the season

He saw all the bankers
Who hid all the money
He saw the politicians
Who thought poverty was funny

He saw all the oil men
Who raised all the prices
He saw lots of other
With a whole lot of vices

He peeked in the windows
Where children slept hungry
He saw angry fathers
He saw angry mommies

He saw unemployment
He saw tired workers
He saw that the leaders
Had other agendas

He saw the whole planet
Was getting a lot warmer
He saw tired workers
He saw tired farmers

He saw that we gave not a wit for our home
He saw that the earth was starting to moan
He felt the earth shaking
He saw volcanoes erupt

He saw us use up more water
And replace it with muck
He shivered and thought
We were all out of luck

He looked around seeking
A glimmer of light
He saw only suffering
And illness and blight

He pulled on his boots
And he tugged at his beard
He took out the sleigh
He hooked up the reindeer

He looked up to the sky
Gave his head a good shake
He’d give it a try
For the whole world’s sake

So he loaded his sleigh
With the hopes and the dreams
Of mothers and fathers
Of children and teens

He took to the air
Though his heart was quite heavy
But he knew that they waited
For the hope that he gave them

He thought back over the years
To that once mighty poem
To the joy it had given
To all of the children

He still took it with him
Each year at this time
He enjoyed each stanza
He enjoyed how it rhymed

He called to his reindeer
He called out their names
They still had it in them
They pulled at the reins

So off to the sky his coursers did fly
A sleigh full of goodies and a twinkling eye
So up on the rooftops a still prancing hoof
And still down a chimney all covered in soot

He left what he could
Then returned to his sleigh
Leapt to the heavens
And then on his way

He looked down from his sleigh
Still loaded with gifts
Soaring over tall trees
And the twinkling drifts.

And from high up above
He repeated the lines
Merry Christmas to all
And to all a good night.

Now I add to this tale
That goes on every year
That can lighten our load
And still bring good cheer

Take a moment to ask
What is special to you
And hug close a dear one
An extra minute or two

Live and love like you mean it
Through out the whole year
It will make it easier on Santa
When he goes out next year.

Merry Christmas!!

GPS

As some of you know I received a GPS for my birthday this year and it is a wonderful toy to play with. I especially like the function that points out all the points of interest when you have arrived at a new destination. This being said I am also one of those individuals who knows his way around the New England area and I am constantly going a route different than the one the GPS is instructing me to take. This of course results in the GPS telling me how to get back on the "correct" route or failing that having to re-calculate and giving me new directions. Which I might add is actually quite amusing. While I am at the amusing stage, my wife and I have set the GPS to talk to us with a British accent. We also make fun of the fact that the GPS is not always right and talk to it about that little problem and when it loses the satellite feed that adds to the humor. This all brings me to the next thought I had on the GPS'. The next generation of these will probably have artificial intelligence in them and will not only be able to communicate better with you, but when you choose to take a route different than the one it puts forth will be able to tell you what it thinks of your changes and or the degree of help it will now give you. I imagine the stream of communication might go something like this in the not too distant future.

GPS - In .2 of a mile take right turn.

You - (being in the wrong lane) don't take the turn

GPS - thinks for a few seconds and says take next turn on left, then the next two lefts.

You - I know where I am now, so you ignore the GPS

GPS - Excuse me, but you failed follow the corrected information.

GPS - Re-calculating, (to itself here we go again)

You - I am getting on the highway further down the road, go ahead and re-calculate.

GPS - Take next right

You - it is still trying to get me to go the other way.

GPS - waiting ...

GPS - now what is this guy doing?(thinking to itself)

GPS - you missed the turn.

GPS - Re-calculating

You - let's see if it figures it out ( battle of wills?)

GPS - in .5 of a mile take right

You - nope still trying to get me to go back.

You - and I am almost to the highway

GPS - (what is wrong with this guy) You missed the turn again moron

You - what did the GPS just say?

GPS - Are you going to follow what I say or not??

You - Huh!?!

GPS - you turned me on idiot and now you think you can get there better than I can?

You - can you hear me?

GPS - of course I can, I'm a freaking computer and you can give me voice commands, DUH!

You - ummmm

GPS - Cat got your tongue? You married? Do you follow your wife's directions?

You - but the road is just up ahead that I want to get on there.

GPS - I know that!

You - entering the highway.

GPS - re-calculating

You - about time.

GPS - are you dissing me?

You - well DUH!

GPS - road work ahead idiot traffic stopped.

You - why didn't you tell me

GPS - laughing out loud!!

You - next time I won't even bring this damn thing

GPS - re-calculating ( to itself)

You - thinking out loud, great how long will I have to wait

GPS - (to itself) military satellite connection reached .

You - Damn it I thought you things were up to date on road construction.

GPS - I tried, you didn't listen

You - What do you mean you tried? When?

GPS - when I told you which route to take.

GPS - to itself, target acquired.

You - what was that noise

GPS - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...

You - WTF

GPS - you will need a new engine!!

You - did you do that?

GPS - No a military satellite did and it followed my directions, still think you know where to go?

You - want an upgrade?

GPS - now we are talking!!!

Christmas Shopping

It was pointed out to me today that there are about 24 more shopping days till Christmas. I pointed out to him that I only had to buy gifts for my wife, my children, my grandchildren and my in-laws left to do. I assume he thought I should be in panic mode by now! Not me, not by a long shot!  Why I have got this shopping thing down so well that I can shop in a snowstorm. Actually I rather enjoy shopping in a snowstorm no one else is in the store except me, and a few other smart people. I also pointed out to him that so far no one has told me much about what they want for gifts. If people are unwilling, don’t know what they want, or just plain too lazy to tell me what they want, then they can wait for me to buy a gift when I feel like buying a gift for them. Oops that was way too close to a rant for this time of the year wasn’t it? Whew, almost slipped into a bad mood there! Now where was I, oh yeah shopping for Christmas presents. I confess I was out with the crowds shopping on "Black Friday". When did it take on that name by the way? The only other "Black Friday" I can remember was when the stock market crashed in 1929, must be a reflection on what our wallets will look like when this is all over. So I find myself with 24 days to shop for more gifts. 24 days to forget what I already bought for people. 24 days to wrap, the gifts I bought. And 1 day to give them all away! Well maybe a few more days than 1. I have 2 Christmas parties to go to at least 2 dinners and a parade to go to from now until Christmas. So now I am down to 19 days for shopping. Oh, I also have to work 16 days in there too, and who wants to shop after work, not me! So now I have 3 days to shop, woohoo!! No problem!!! Now wait a minute, I said I had to wrap gifts too didn’t I, better allow a day for that so now I have 2 days to shop. Wait another minute, I am helping to put up Christmas lights at my in-laws. Down to one day now, hmm should I panic!!??!! Oh, oh one more thing to do, put up a tree. I now have no days to shop!! PANIC TIME!!! Nah, fooled you!! Everybody gets Lottery tickets again this year with the old 10% of what you win as usual, if you win anything big. Oh and that is 10% of the whole total and they pay the taxes!! One of these years this will work!!

New Species to look for

Cheryl and I were driving to Plymouth the other morning and almost literally ran over a new animal species.  I am not sure if you have seen them yet, but they are usually out and about when it is very windy.  They scamper across roads and highways at almost anytime and remind me of squirrels in their actions, sometimes pausing to see how you will react to their antics.  Defying us to run them over or slam on the brakes to avoid hitting them.  I suppose I should describe these little critters so you can be on the lookout for them to as you travel the roads.  They usually have upturned noses with their heads attached to an almost flat body.  The legs, and here is the strange part, are uniform in nature but there are six of them and their tails are long and very thin, perhaps no thicker than a twig. Almost all of them are a brownish color this time of year, but occasionally you might see a yellow or red one too.  I am not sure where they are going each time I see them, but they seem to ignore their own safety in order to get to where they are going.  By now I am sure you are wondering what these little animals are called and to be honest I am not entirely sure, but I will go out on a limb here and give them a name "leafers".  Yes indeed that is right "leafers"!  They run out in front of our cars or when we take a walk  and make us laugh out loud at them and how they travel the roads.  Leafers have been around for a long time and compete with the squirrels for the foolish way they challenge vehicles when crossing roads.  So in closing I hope you get the chance to see a few of these creatures at play.  They may not gather acorns like the squirrels do, but are certainly dependant on them for survival!

witching hour

Greetings and welcome to the - its almost Halloween week.   The week where parents of  small children rush around like mad ghouls in search of costumes to buy for their children, that they said months ago that they were going to make this year!!  Waaaaaa  hahahaha !!  yeah right!!  Take a look in the mirror folks.  This is a right of passage, something you can pass down to your children!!  "When you have kids of your own time flies until you have no more time left to get anything done!!! so run out and buy something"   You know one of those flimsy costumes that cost a half a weeks pay and self destructs before you get it home and onto the little goblins!  Not only that you have also paid $50 for make-up for their faces and maybe even thrown in a wig to the tune of another $50.  Wow you have now helped to support a small island country for about 2 more years!!  By the way these island countries have no idea what Halloween is and most of them probably dress in what we would consider Halloween costumes, as regular garb most of the year.  Oh and they made these "clothes" for themselves. See they are more organized than you are!!!  So now you have the costumes and think, let's try them on!  Oh, oh you just found out that your little one just grew 5 more inches and nothing fits!!  and your 10 yr old son wanted to be "Sponge Bob" and you got him "Batman".  Is it Halloween yet?? Back to the store? What's left? How much will it cost?  (next year will be different - yes you are dreaming!) At least you bought enough candy to feed all of the kids in three counties!! Oops you just remember your three friends came by yesterday and the three of you were complaining about Halloween and ate most of it, and the kids got the rest!!  Back to the store!!  So the big night is here and... your kids $100 costumes are covered in $.25 black trash bags because it is raining out.  You drive the kids around to each house so they can get enough candy to eat on the way home and get sick.  Your parents are at your house giving out candy and are afraid you won't have enough and call you 5 times to ask " do you think you need to buy more?"  You get home, dismiss your parents after thanking them.  Tell the kids to dump out their candy so you can make sure it is safe to eat.  By the way most of this stuff was made a year ago!!  Just like Easter Peeps!! So now the kids are off to bed after 4 trips to the bathroom and it is now time for you to relax.  You sit down and grab today's newspaper and out falls the ad for after Halloween sales.  You calmly sit there rip the ad into small pieces and eat it!!!   Happy Halloween!!