i love ska!

This is a great band!

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Love unconditionally

Today started with me saying something to the TV while ABC Good Morning America ran a spot on a city police office that detained a speeder in San Marcos, Texas who was driving at 100mph to get his family pet to an emergency vet clinic in New Braunfels, Texas. The officer told the driver it was just a dog and he needed to get over it.

Well it is just a dog.

And today I found out what it meant to see a dog go away to where we can not play together. We took our Kaydee to the vet this morning to allow her to die. Yeah, it is just a dog - NOT!

If you ever wondered why dog is man's best friend? Spell it backwards and what do you get...God! Dogs are like our Heavenly Father in that they love us unconditionally - like God! They lick us when we are down to show us they still care - like God! They bark in happiness when we come home - like the father in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son - love unconditionally - like God.

God blessed me for over seven years to have Kaydee as my pet. God loves me so much to give me a friend who never questions my intent. God loves me so much that he gave me a reason to live - his son, Jesus Christ.

I told Kaydee today to go to God and play with all the dogs. I will see her one day! I know it!

I miss you Lil Red Dog - Kaydee!

What a day - June 6, 2008

Mary Beth and I went to Houston yesterday to say goodbye to a former co-worker of mine who passed away on June 2, 2008 due to complications from cancer. While I attended the service Mary Beth went bargain hunting on Harwin Drive in the Chinese knock off shops. This is her find:



And the flip side:


Somewhere in my trivial mind this purse reminded me of a club dance hit from the 1990's starring the late Tammy Wynette - Justified and Ancient (Stand by the JAMS) but The KLF.



Have fun! We will see you in in Mu Mu Land!

Traveling for business or pleasure or both?

This past Tuesday I was in Boulder, Colorado on business. One of the insurance companies I represent maintains there home office on the western edge of the University of Colorado campus. Now tell me the truth, would you and could you ever tire of this view?

And last month Mary Beth and I had to attend the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Louisiana convention in Destin, Florida. We stayed at the Sandestin Hilton. So you can see what we saw there - here was our beach view:



As a very unpopular poet once said, "If the phone doesn't ring it's me!" Of course it's me, it's me! Thank you, Jimmy Buffett! I still like listening to old school Buffett!

Sunny Sunday in the south...

There are times you reflect on your life and find out you are no different than what John Prine sings about. "In spite of ourselves" describes my life with my wife after twenty five years. We ain't the big prize but we are satisfied with who we are and how we love each other just the way we are.

I love you, Mary Beth Humphreys, just like I did in 1982 as I do in 2007.

Something to talk about...

This is will be a brief entry.

I am concerned that as a nation we becoming complacent with our leadership. As a citizen I am afraid we are losing our national 'cajones', if you understand that Spanish word or term. We are losing our intestinal fortitude. If you have not noticed, the greatest generation our nation has ever produced is dying off. Our fathers - those men who were born to our nation from 1920 to 1945 are dimishing in size. Theirs was the generation that led use into battle and saved the world from despots who wanted nothing more than tyranny on our planet. We have failed to live up to their legacy and I personally think it is time we stike an acord with ourselves and elect a leader as our president. That is why I am personally supporting Fred Dalton Thompson for president.

I urge you to get involved in politics - on a local, state and national basis. Your participation is essential to our national livelihood. I urge you to find your person and support them wholeheartedly.

Saturday!

We finally made it to a house that we can call a home. We were not able to close on the house we wanted but sometimes what does not happen is what is supposed to happen. What's not meant to be just did not happen and for some reason I am content with the circumstances.

The dogs have a great yard. We are renting a home with a double lot and lots of mature Loblolly Pine trees. The trees are forty to forty five years old and about sixty feet tall. Great shade and lots of pine cones to throw around for our Mickie dog to fetch.

The week before last we had our daughter, Katie, and our friend, Linda Clark, down to help us move. We spent Good Friday at Avery Island wandering around the Jungle Garden and taking the factory tour at McIlhenny Company's Tabasco plant. It was fun.

Katie was set on seeing alligators and we saw several. This is a photo of one she coaxed to the bank. It is about four years old and approximately four feet in length. While not a man killer, if it bit you the wounds left by its teeth would require a tetanus shot.


We drove a little further down island and found a pond with four ankle biter sized alligators in it. Katie and I went as close as we could to one. When I leaned over to tease it the lizard jumped up from the water about a foot and showed its mouth and hissed. I jumped and Katie ran away. It was funny because the gator dove down to the bottom only to re-emerge closer the bank to flash his pearly whites again at me. If this was a big bull or a female gator doing this I probably would be typing this from a hospital bed as they can move pretty fast over a short distance - a lot faster than this old man can run.


Finally I just want to let you know what Grace is all