Already thinking about Christmas

When I was a kid, it was always a big day when the Sears Wishbook came in the mail. For you young whipper snappers, that is the Sears Christmas Catalog (remember this was way before Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, etc.). All my friends would gather round and come up with a list of what was on their personal Christmas list, broken down by page number.
I never got to excited about that Sears Catolog though. You see, my dad used to wait outside some factory that paid their Christmas bonus in Greenstamps and pay the guys cash for the Greenstamps. Knowing my dad, he probably paid them 50 cents on the dollar ! I learned it wasn't any use putting anything on my Christmas list that wasn't found in the S& H catalog I was truly barking up the wrong Christmas tree.
You know what? Those Christmas gifts were always great! I still remember the 3 speed bike with the shifter on the bar (just like a sports car!), the banana seat, sissy bar, and tall handle bars. Man I was cool with that bike! The next year it was a slot car race car set. That was the best. It came with four cars, one was a Ford Galaxie 500. I remember like it was yesterday, racing those cars with my brother in laws, dad, and my granddad.. I gave Granddaddy the Ford to race as he had a Ford Falcon, I don't remember what the other cars were. I also don't remember at all who won those races, I just remember how fun it was to be surrounded by family. I guess you remember the important things, huh?
I guess I'm thinking about grandfathers a lot lately as I am getting ready to be a grandfather. I am not sure how that happened, I think I'm still the kid with the 3 speed bike and slot car race set. I think Lindsay was sitting at the front desk at my old Allstate office doing her homework after she got off the middle school bus yesterday. I think I'm getting excited about a new little baby girl to play with this Christmas.
Oh well, here is my Christmas list for this year:
Big Fuzzy sweater with big pockets for candy.
A Pipe.

Awesome Blog

I was working yesterday morning, getting a lot done. I do that on Fridays (that is pronounced Fri-DAYS not Fri-dees, see I am evolving) as I am so motivated to get to the week end. Fridays smell better, wonderful food is at the deli on Friday, folks you run into are better looking, so many possibilities are available for the next couple of days it just makes everything better. Therefore, I'm always very productive on Friday's. A happy worker is a productive worker. Anyway, I had this awesome thought for an earth shattering statement to develop into a short blog that would change everyone who read it's life. As I was busy getting important tasks done at work I decided I did not have time to post.

I wish I could remember what I was going to post.

TIME is a Wierd Thing

When I was young TIME moved so slowly. When would Christmas get here? When will I be old enough to do thing by myself, get a drivers license, buy a beer. Now I look back and everything just happened.

This weekend I went to my step mom's 90th birthday. While I can believe she is 90, I can't believe who I am. It was held in the church in which I grew up. Specifically in the room that I attended youth group. MYF we called it (Methodist Youth Fellowship) even though it was long after the Methodist had become United Methodists and it was supposed to be UMYF. Same room. Same Me. So I am 15, right?

Yeah, the Berlin wall has fallen, Space Shuttles have crashed, twin towers have been destroyed, two Kings of Pop have died along with two Beatles. Heck, even my parents are gone. But, I remain the same. 15. Except I have a drivers license now. Yep,even got a motorcycle. See, Mom told you I wouldn't get killed on one. Even got a car! I even race it just like wanted to every since I was 8. I am one cool 15 year old.

Sure slightly less hair, slightly bigger waste line but I was in that same room and it was the same me. It was yesterday that my parents did the supper on Sunday night for MYF. It was homemade Pimento Cheese sandwiches, man those were good. My granddad died that night. It was yesterday though. I'm still 15.


Maybe my problem is that girl I had the hots for in that room now kisses me every morning. Yep, same me, same her. I'm still 15, she is older though, 16.

How is it am getting ready to be a grandfather? How do I come to have two wonderful daughters who have turned out to be, wait for it, Amazing woman. I'm still 15.

My sisters are still around, two of them were there yesterday, there still 6, 13, and 15 years older than me. We're just orphans now. There are more people in the family now. That's good, I finally have some guys to play golf with and do car and motorcycle stuff with. 15 year olds like that stuff.

Time is just weird.

I didn't want to have just one post so here is this

Ok, I give up. I have come to the realization that I can not hold back Winter, at least not this year. While it is going to be 77 here today have determined that fall has fell ( a saying from my father in law) therefore winter is coming. How was this nugget of truth visited upon me? I was reading this morning and became very reflective. I find that is my winter mode.

Winter can only be useful if it is used as a time of study, self reflection or important life changing processes such as rebuilding a motorcycle. My daydreams in winter turn to transforming my dining room to a cherry wood and leather sanctuary for lots of books and creating a Garage Mahal for all my gearhead toys. Quite the renaissance man aren't I.

So again, what caused this switch to turn this morning? I am rereading Velvet Elvis (do you underline books or italicize, I think I got that question wrong on the test in HS about term papers, sorry Mr. Helton, Lenny and any other Engish teachers out there). Anywho, Mr. Bell says "Success doesn't fix anything" How accurate. How understandable. Yes I can read Matt 6:33 ( I hope that is correct, seek ye first... if not someone will tell me) and it pretty much says the same thing. But "success doesn't fix anything" hits me where I live. No matter how long I live, how much I achieve, how much I own, I still think just one more rung up the ladder and everything is gonna be alright (cue the music to that song).

So I am ok, at least for today, winter is here and I am going to use this winter to-well I don't know yet but its gonna be Awesome. Or not.

So

So, I have a young friend. To be specific, she is one of my daughters BFF's (shameless old guy trying to sound trendy therefore sounding hopelessly old which I find better than just being normal). Anyway, she has encouraged me (along with said daughter) to start a blog. " Who wants to hear what I've got to say" I have said to myself. Then another friend of mine said she would be my editor (I can't spell or follow basic grammar rules, result of daydreaming all through school-I think they call that ADD now). Still why would anybody want to read what I have to say.

Then!

An epiphany (awesome this has spell check, guess what the only thing I has mispelled so far? Grammar, that's funny !), back to the epiphany. I don't care if anybody likes this. Not that I don't care about people. It is just after reading above referenced friend's recent post I decided there was something on my list I had never accomplished. That is to write on a consistant basis. Not the great american novel, never had a desire for that. No, I love the little short (and have to be funny most of the time) essays from feature writers. My favorite is a guy named Peter Egan who rights for motorsports magazines. Also loved Dave Barry who I think become to rich to use a keyboard due to his popularity.

Also, stuff gets stuck in my brain. I mean stuck. You know like something between your teeth and you just can't concentrate until you get it out. Just drives you crazy, if you know what I mean. I have learned, through facebook, and something before that, old age setting in, what was it? ( I got bad grades in college for comma splices, can you tell) I want to call it Xango but I know that is that miracle drink that makes you taller and handsomer but then causes you to buy everything orange and thats not it. Anyway once I fully get it out of my head and send it into cyberspace I feel free! At least until something else gets stuck.

So, here I go.