9) And so?

26 April, 2007 -

To date, I've failed to mention what in my opinion is the finest non-human companion known to mankind; the Irish Terrier a fine example of which is pictured here. My dear Irish Terrier, Terry would have been fourteen years old now; a rare blood based tumor on his liver took him down far too young. The diva loved him, and as she used to call him, he was the true "Irish Rogue"; he loved his beer, women, and music - really! While this picture is not of Terry, it is very close to what he looked like, except Terry's tail was a wee bit shorter than the fine pooch in this example.

My ankle is getting nice and purplish, a veritable rainbow of color it is with increased mobility returning a bit at a time.

A piece in the news today says that Larry Birkhead is now free to move about the country with he and Anna Nicole's baby. Typically, I do not ingest tabloid fodder but hey, he's a single Dad! Do you think if Mr. Birkhead had passed away, Ms. Smith would have had to submit to a DNA test to determine who the father was? Or that any of the recurring hoopla would have been initiated simply because a dad passed away? Understanding that Anna Nicole was a celeb and Mr. Birkhead was/isn't; the disparity between fathers and mothers in these scenarios continues to fly under the radar of general consciousness; it's bullshit actually. Dads should count too!

8) Ouch!

25 April, 2007 -

I knew I was starting to "get up there" when last September a young guy I was working with didn't know who the gal in this picture was; Yikes!

Today, I'm hoping to get positive word on a job that I interviewed for last week; the interview was very positive as I may have alluded to previously and I can step right in and contribute which is a good feeling. The hiring manager is a recent transplant (She arrived 9/06) to So Cal from Kansas and we had some things in common. So, if she is as genuine as she appeared and sounded at the interview, in respect to wanting me there, I'm in; we shall see. Yesterday was spent trying to get my Achilles healed up ASAP. Iced it nearly all day then went to a friend's jacuzzi; this morning it does feel a bit better and more flexible. I haven't had a "real" vacation (I know, many of you out there haven't) since the mid 90's and if it weren't for the nightmare that is my ex-wife number 2, I'd be really enjoying this time off and scrutinizing my job search for the proverbial Holy Grail of employment; if such a thing exists for a fifty year old without a degree and who's line of work for most of his life has been super highly specialized aircraft work. Oh well, not to whine, things definitely could be worse.

If you have a chance, click on the link from my post on 23 April, 2007. That article has sparked a tremendous amount of debate (As all articles on child support seem to do) in the "comments" section of the publisher; I love it! Anything that raises awareness of the Divorce and Child Support Regimes I'm all for; time to vote em out............Have a good day!

7) Oops

23 April, 2007 -

Here is a piece on the WBIR website in Tennessee that is worth a look. Poor Mommy, has to pay $25.00 now: http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=44424&provider=rss

Well my 50th Birthday party was a huge success and special and heartfelt thanks to my Mom, brother, and sister-in-law for hosting an exceptional event; many old friends of mine were there, several I've known since kindergarten and hadn't seen in years. We played basketball for a time in the mid morning on Saturday as my Mom and brother rented a gym at a local park. Unfortunately for me, I ruptured my Achilles Tendon; talk about ouch! Luckily I was mobil enough to enjoy the party. I suppose it is to be taken as yet another indicator of age progression, not to mention zero stretching of ligaments and tendons prior to getting on the court. (Read - stupid!) Anyway, it is swollen and sore but thankfully not as bad as I expected it to be by now.

Twenty-one year old Australian (If you ask me, he looks more like fourteen), Casey Stoner on a Ducati won the Turkish Moto GP race in rare fashion as he was something like five seconds ahead at the finish; monstrous at this level. Usually these guys are right on top of each other, and in fact, the rest of the competition better get it figured out quick as Ducatis were 1st & 3rd. My guy, Honda rider and American Nicky Hayden continues to struggle three races into the season; he finished seventh getting nipped for sixth on the final turn for the checkered flag by fellow American John Hopkins on a Suzuki. For today, it's going to be ice on the ankle region, then tomorrow I'll start the cold/heat regimen....Peace

6) Party Day

21 April, 2007 -

Well, up early to head to San Pedro to assist with final preparations for my 50th Birthday Bash! In Moto GP, the Ducati's had been one - two in Friday's day one practice sessions. But in qualifying this morning, "The Doctor" #46 - Valentino Rossi on the Yamaha showed once more why he is the best in the world, snatching the Pole Position for tomorrow's Moto GP Gran Prix of Istanbul. His American teammate, Collin Edwards is second on the starting grid.....4/22/2007 - 2:00 PM Pacific - Speed Channel.....I love this Sport!

5) Party, Music, Family, and Friends

20 April, 2007 -

Ah, Tull back in the day, untouchable during performance!

Final preparations are underway for my big 50th Birthday Party to be held tomorrow in San Pedro, CA. I was really looking forward to Mariachis' but things change; don't they?....And so it goes.....Rain in L.A. today; hoping forecast for clear day tomorrow holds true.

4) Moto GP

19 April, 2007 -

From the proverbial for-what-it's-worth department anyone out there who is a motor racing fan but has yet to discover Moto GP you have GOT to check these guy's out; it makes TV viewing of any other form of motor sport like watching paint dry! These monster machines weigh just 350 lbs yet crank out 240 horsepower! The races are broadcast on The Speed Channel and they are a must for anyone who loves motor sport; eat your heart out NASCAR, this is real racing. These guys simply smoke! Rarely, if ever, mentioned in the American media the Moto GP Series features four Americans; defending World Champion, Nicky Hayden (pictured) is from Kentucky and was one of People Magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors for 2006. The seven-time world champion, Italian Valentino Rossi (Leading in the current season points standings as of this post), is earning in excess of $31 million dollars this year! You heard me, THIRTY ONE MILLION; rock star lifestyle personified!

3) Wind in L.A.

19 April, 2007 -

I've about had it with the wind here in the LAX area; five days straight the crap has been blowing. I lived on the high desert (Lancaster, CA.) for seventeen years and last night the news broadcast said that the wind was currently stronger here in the South Bay than it is on the high desert; trust me, that sucks!

The picture above captured the early Skyhook: The only shot in basketball history that was, and remains, unblockable. Houston won this game by 2 points snapping UCLA's win streak at 47. Later this same year, 1968, in the NCAA Semi's the teams met again: UCLA 101 Houston 69....

My twenty-one year old has been "tanning" in a tanning bed/salon for quite sometime now despite the fact that her dad (Me) has had Melanoma twice. A few weeks ago, I forwarded this particular kid of mine a very recent statistical article that was published all over the WWW about how profoundly "tanning" increases the chance of contracting that horrific disease without any family history! Spoke to her today, she was walking into the salon to "tan" I'm thinking I'll have to find out who operates the joint and threaten them with a lawsuit; I just don't know.