Just Practicing My Skills

This morning while getting ready for school I was helping Carter get dressed. I took out a pair of pants that had a belt already in the loops. As Carter was putting on the pants he took the belt off the pants.
"Carter I thought you wanted the belt on the pants?" I asked.
"I do, I just want to practice my skills" was Carter's answer.
He then put on the pants and put the belt back through all the loops and lined up the buckle. I was impressed to say the least. How often in life would we all be better served if we just practiced our skills.

The list of skills we could practice is nearly endless. How about practicing our people skills. How much better would our relationships be if we practiced listening, empathy, compassion, understanding and respect. What if we practiced what we preach. How much better would the world be if we did unto others as we would have them do unto us. If we took the rest of our lives to practice the "Golden Rule" there would be less want, less hurt, more common decency, more good deeds done and less dogma. All it takes is practicing your skills.

Good Deeds vs Pointless Protest

On the news last night there was Tammi Swindell talking about leading an anti-abortion protest on the Inaugural Parade route in Washington DC so that Obama would know that there are Americans that are against abortion. At the time I thought how pointless. Then this morning as I drove by St. Mark's Catholic Church there along the roadside were numerous small white crosses. These are supposed to represent the number of children that are aborted in Idaho and again I thought how pointless. My wife tells me that the crosses are put out by the kids in the CCD classes. This is supposed to help make the kids aware of the cost in human lives of abortion and this should stop people from having abortions.

I was adopted so believe me I'm no supporter of the death by abortion method of birth control that pro-choice people expound upon but I'm also not a blind supporter of the pro-life side. My problem with them is they are just supporters of a position and rarely back up their talk with good deeds. Where are these people when a young girl says she needs help. Are they there with prenatal medical help? Are they there with help setting up an adoption? Are they there helping support a home for unwed pregnant girls? Are they there helping at the Children's Home for orphans? Are they there with the mental health consoling these girls will need? Are they there helping with daycare and diapers and formula and clothes and any of the hundreds of things that babies need or they just screaming at young confused girls while holding onto their bibles.

I guess that holding a protest sign or pounding crosses into the ground is okay if that is all you can really do to help but I thought God wanted His followers to be known by their deeds rather than their words. If your idea of helping is getting your face on TV then have at it but don't be confused your not helping.

Now That I'm Older

When I was in high school and college the idea of writing a journal was a very difficult one for me. I thought that I had nothing to say or at least anything that someone else wanted to hear. So my journal entries were short and mostly irrelevant. Letter writing was another thing that I found difficult. At least twice while I was in Europe with the USAF I was contacted by the Red Cross and told to write home. I felt that I had done nothing of note and that nobody cared what I had to say or observed.

The idea of writing in a blog would have been beyond imagination for me. The idea of sharing with total strangers would have paralyzed me. As the years have gone by I have begun to find my voice and overcome the paralysis of the unknown. I think it is partly due to the anonymity of the blogoshere and world wide web. Mostly, though, I think my age and the fact that I'm more comfortable in who I am and what I have become has given me a voice. If you like what I say, great. If you find me irrelevant, fine. Its not that I don't care its just that I now realize its okay if you find me irrelevant.

Now I blog, I'm in Facebook and on Twitter. I write comments on BBC news stories. I send comments to Rick Sanchez and the Cafferty File on CNN. When I do a Google search on my name I actually show up. It has been freeing and it is exhilarating to have become a part of a bigger world.

The State of the State

I listened to Governor Otter today give his State of the State address and was both impressed and shocked at what he thinks needs to be done to keep the State solvent. I liked the fact that the cuts varied by department but Health and Welfare was already woefully underfunded so the 7% cut there is really going to hurt. I have always believed that government exists to help those that are least able to help themselves. These people also have the weakest voice so it is understandable that Otter would cut their funding because the people hurt are the least able to speak up. The work loads for Child Protective Services are already at levels that boggle the imagination and Otter is gambling with the lives of children that nothing happens. The delivery of health services to these same children is among the lowest in the nation and those will be cut too. Is this what Otter and the Republicans mean by "Idaho Family Values".

The governor then spoke to the needs of transportation and the infrastructure of the State. The roads in Idaho have been in trouble for years and the legislature has done nothing because of the costs. They have always said that their constituents didn't want their taxes raised to fix roads on the other side of the state. So the roads have just gotten worse. The governor wants to raise the gasoline taxes at the pump and then hit us again when we register our vehicles. He uses the specious argument that the gas tax was last raised in 1996 so we are trying to meet 2009 needs with 1996 money. Using that argument then taxes and fees should raise every year. If last Summer and the $4 plus gas taught us anything it was that as the price goes up past $3.50 a gallon people will use less and less gas. So there goes his extra money. Otter sounds just lie a tax and spend Democrat on this issue.

The only good thing out of all this is there will be a statewide discussion about priorities. Hopefully those without a voice will find someone in the legislature to speak out for them. At least Idaho is not in as bad a shape as California.

Sick Dog

Harriet, the younger of my two Corgi's, has been throw up sick for the last three days. She was unable to keep anything down, food or water. Yesterday I took her to the vet in the morning after she threw up for the 6th time. $132 later I knew that she was sick and throwing up but vet was not sure why. Could be that she had a fever of 103 instead of normal temperature of 101, could be she ate something she should not have eaten. Could be she had an intestinal blockage. The real problem was other than throwing up she had no other signs or symptoms. So they shot her full of water under her skin, gave her vitamin B and antibiotics and home we went. She threw up again that afternoon so back to the vet. Another $132 and we now had x-rays and knew there was nothing metal in her stomach. More water under the skin, more vitamin B and more pills to control the vomiting. No food or water until this morning but call vet before feeding.

This morning we called the vet and are now giving her just small amounts of water and if she holds that down, which she has, we can give her several teaspoons of a very bland canned food the vet gave me yesterday. The vet has called me twice so far to see how she is doing. My doctor never calls to see how I'm doing but then the vet charges more than my doctor. Maybe the vet's calling back so often shows just how concerned we are with our pets. We do place a very high value on our dogs and cats. I think that having something that is totally dependent on you for its well being in some odd way helps us relive our child rearing days and fills that void in our life. I'm watching Harriet as closely as I ever watched our two boys when they were sick and on a certain level I'm as concerned for her as I ever was for the boys. Don't tell the boys they already think its creepy when I say the dogs are my kids.

Happy New Year

My wife and I actually went to a New Year's Eve Party. Neither of us could remember the last time we went to an all adult party. We had a good time even though they were my wife's co-workers. We ate, we drank and we played Rock Band. It was all fun that is until I had to sing. The song was Roxanne by the Police. You make points by singing the words at the right time with right inflection but not necessarily the right tone. Anyone who knows me knows I have a 3 or 4 note range in a totally unknown register. It was terrible and even the game thought so as it shut us down when we had done only about 60% of the song. 

The next assignment I got was the bass guitar. With that I had a better time and score. At least I could hit the notes at the right time. Combinations if simple were doable but fancy fret work was beyond me. Then I played the drums. I was so bad. I got to laughing so hard I fell off the chair. I'm no Ringo Starr but it was fun. I really need to take some lessons from my grandson. At least Carter has rhythm and the needed technique to be a drummer. But it was fun and now Carol thinks we should get the game and have some more fun.... Roxxxxxxanne   You don't have to put on that Red dress.........Roxxxxxxanne.. I think I can do with just a little more practice.