Vacation Week

I’ve been on vacation this week and have been enjoying it. Getting a lot of things done and having a lot of fun. It started Saturday with one hell of a Breeders’ Cup party at Doc’s place. Only about 7 people there but it was one of the best times I’ve had in a while. Numerous times throughout the day I laughed so hard there were tears coming out of my eyes, and I wasn’t the only one. Greg was on a mission to get drunk, and boy did he! By the next to last race (the Breeders’ Cup Turf) he was puking in a trash can. Mission accomplished! I said to Ed that I’ve never watched a Breeders’ Cup race while someone was getting sick. Sounds terrible, but it was actually damn funny. You could see it coming as he mixed a batch of Kamikazes around 12:45 in the afternoon and enjoyed many of them (and other drinks) during the afternoon.

And how about the new World Series champs, the Philadelphia Phillies! I’ve been a NY Mets fan for a long time, but really got on the Phillies side this year as they were an extremely exciting team to watch during the season. You could never count them out of any game. I couldn’t help but root for them. Maybe I’m just a fair weather fan, but this team was great to watch all year and made me like baseball more than ever. Congratulations to them.

On a more personal note, this was the first Breeders' Cup for me without my oldest friend in the world, Manny. He chose to stay home and watch it. We’ve had a falling out and it was a bit strange. I had kind of distanced myself from him lately as I feel he has changed a lot and a couple weeks ago we talked about it. He decided not to be my friend anymore. It got a bit ugly and he also said some things about other friends. I’m really sorry it has come to this. I listened to the song “How Many Friends” by The Who tonight remembering how many times we listened to it over the years. “How many friends have I really got, count ‘em on one hand.” In my heart and mind he’ll always be a friend. I hope he’s OK.

This Sunday is my 50th birthday. Where did the time go? Joanne is taking me out Saturday for a steak dinner to celebrate and is also coming over to make me lunch on Sunday. Can’t wait!!

Went over to Doc's on Tuesday and Ed and Jane brought a cake for my birthday. It was an angel food cake with chocolate whipped cream. My mother always made the same thing on birthdays for me and my brothers. Very nice. Also a couple of wonderful cards from everyone. Ed does homemade cards with pictures and interesting editing of us all and this year's was great. THANKS!!

Too Funny

Remember Terry Tate (Office Linebacker) from the commercials where he tackles office workers? This is a new spin.

Colin Powell On Meet The Press

Colin Powell gave his endorsement to Barack Obama for President of the United States this morning on Meet The Press. Check out the video from this link on The Washington Monthly. Mr. Powell's endorsement is exactly on point and tells it like it is. This should be mandatory viewing for every American. Forget partisanship, let's all look at reality. Mr. Powell does just that.

Go Phils!

Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen does a column every other week in Newsweek called The Last Word. I really, really enjoy reading it. George Will does it the weeks Anna doesn't. I don't enjoy his.

In the September 29th edition Anna's piece was titled "This Is Important". Please check it out. I have quoted the end of it below in italics.

"Who cares if you like Sarah Palin, if your kid plays hockey and so do hers? Here is the only thing about anyone's kids that matters now: every time you vote you make your kids a promise. It's a promise that you will look past cheap slogans and lazy alliances to try to find a way to make America worthy of a new generation. And if we keep that promise in November, we not only keep faith with our children, we keep faith with the country."

Maybe you don't have kids. Maybe your brothers or sisters do. Maybe your cousins or nephews or nieces do. Maybe your friends or their friends do. Maybe your co-workers do. Make them a promise!

VP Debate

My first impression is that Palin says "also" a lot.

I made up my mind a long time ago to vote for Obama and Biden, but Palin did better than I expected. Though there was nothing to change my belief that she should not be our next VP (or that McCain should not be our next President). Palin did avoid answering some of the questions. At one point she even said she isn't going to answer and started talking about another subject all together. To me she came across as somewhat well prepared for the debate but not ready for the VP job.

Biden "also" did well and I am certainly on board with him and Obama.

Final opinion, Biden won this debate hands down. More substance and knowledge. Less BS talking points. And no repetition of untruths.

Not Really Politically Correct...

...but I couldn't say it better myself.