Morning meeting for “Titans On 2″ and then called in early because of flooding around Middle Tennessee. That’s lead to…. no blog entry today. (I’m cranky because I didn’t have time to get a run in either).
Allow me to burn a “get out of jail free” card today and I will post tomorrow. I will have some exciting news for Titans fans.
Stay dry.
I just don’t get it.
Why would he go there?
What’s to gain?
It’s a local issue so why is the President of the United States weighing in on a local issue?
President Obama’s comments over the weekend did nothing help the New York city mosque issue.
Nothing.
It seems all U.S. presidents feel as if they can solve everyone’s issues. The mere title has to certainly create a sense of power and entitlement. How could it not? The thing is, the U.S. president, any U.S. president should govern from 50,000 feet. The mosque issue is more like flying a kite. Yes, it’s the biggest city in the United States but the NYC mosque issue is still a local issue.
Didn't hurt that on the show the President was a Notre Dame grad.
One of my favorite TV shows of all time is West Wing. It seemed that each week President Bartlett was trying to solve someone’s problem in a remote area of the country. His staff would remind him that if he does that for one person or city, than he’ll be expected to do it for all others and that he needed to focus on the big picture. It wouldn’t be good use of his time to return every phone call and letter, no matter how passionate the plea.
I recall his staff telling him a few times that it’s important to be Presidential.
I’ve voted for Democrats and Republicans through the years. This blog entry is not, I repeat not, making a political statement. It’s simply one U.S. citizen’s opinion that the whole thing is wasted energy. The national news cycle shouldn’t be President Obama’s thoughts on the NYC mosque and reaction to it.
But it is, and will be for a few more days.
Big picture.
Unemployment.
Strategies to pay down the national debt.
Leadership in competing in an increasingly global economy.
Managing wars overseas.
Working toward a solution to illegal immigration.
Big picture.
There’s not a job in the world that prepares you to be president. I can’t imagine having every word of every speech dissected and analyzed. With all the media outlets, Internet and the white hot polarizing political climate right now, it’s a much tougher job than even 20 years ago.
Let’s hope we can all move on from this issue and let NYC duke it out for themselves.
It feels like I have been on vacation for about 3 weeks.
My two girls. Mom and Lynley. This is actually 2006 but you get the idea about the sunsets. They are spectacular.
After a wonderful downtown rooftop gathering a week ago Saturday, Lynley and I drove to Holland, Michigan (9 hours) to spend a few days with my parents and put toes in the Lake Michigan sand. We drove back Wednesday and ran errands Thursday.
Blake and his broth Brian do a great job organizing these annual golf trips. Blake injured his hand Friday on a shot and stayed with it and ended up the overall winner. He never complained about the pain but there may be a few choice words echoing in the Carolina pines.
Friday I boarded a plane for North Carolina for an incredible golf trip. 72 holes in 44 hours with 11 cool guys. Lynley visited her BFF in Denver for the weekend. Our flights arrived in Nashville about an hour apart last night. I don’t know if I’ve ever hugged her tighter.
Bud is one of a kind. I mean that in the nicest way.
Isn’t there an amazing disconnect with the world when you go on vacation? As I write this on Monday morning, Lynley and I have NPR on in the background in hopes of trying to catch up with current events.
The only negative of the last few days is the AC unit going onthe fritz in condo I rent out downtown. The new tennant moved in this weekend to a dial that read 94 degrees. Trying to track down the service company between holes Sunday wasn’t a ton of fun. The saga continues into today. I hate, HATE being a landlord but it is what it is and I need to take care of the people that rent the place, just like I would want to be treated. I’m a big fan of the market continuing to heal but it’s hard to predict when downtown will fully bounce back. The new convention center and medical trade center will create demand but they aren’t scheduled to open for another 3 years. I’m destined to be a landlord for awhile and I just have to accept that.
Off to the Y, condo and a few other places before heading to work. Bob is off today so you have to put up with me on on the shows.
Hope all had a good week. We will delve into specific issues in the coming entries.
I was just sitting on my couch with my coffee and cats, listening to NPR radio when a report came on about the 65th anniversary of the U.S. dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
Click HERE for one of the many articles filed by news services.
An estimated 140,000 people died that day.
Three days later, another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagaski killing 70,000 people.
Think about that. Other than natural disasters, nothing comes remotely close to that in modern times.
The war was over. The U.S. won.
Placing politics aside, what an extraordinary decision. The climate of war and the threat to the U.S. must have been incredible. My parents remember Pearl Harbor (they were 10 years-old) and Dad has talked through the years about what scary a time it was. Everyone dropped everything and concentrated on the war effort. Star football and baseball players gave up some of their best playing years to help the war effort.
Fast-forward to today. Not even close.
Had the U.S. not dropped the bombs, it’s difficult to predict how different the world would be like today.
Stating the obvious, I hope another one is never dropped.
Way too many variables.
I’m off next week. I will check back in on Monday, August 16th.
Have a great and safe weekend.
Make-A-Wish meetings and Election day so I’m slammed but thought this was worth posting.
Thanks to loyal blog reader Karen H. for sending it.
It’s been 100+ degrees in Nashville the last few days…
Good stuff…
Every once in a while it’s a good exercise to step out of your routine and comfort zone.
I did that this morning.
In short, I hope to heck I NEVER have to work a job where I’m caught in rush hour.
I popped out of bed early this morning and hit the road to take my car in for service south of town.
No prob. Easy cruise since it was going away from traffic.
Returning back home was another story.
People really do this on a daily basis?
Interstate 65 was a rolling parking lot for several miles. All four lanes packed.
The far right lane is an HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane. During rushing hour it’s only for vehicles with two or more people inside. As I crawled in the lane to the right of the HOV lane, I would say 95% of the cars in the HOV lane had just one person in them. While it’s against the law but rarely if ever enforced, it’s more an indictment of the character and selfishness of the person driving solo in that lane.
It screams,
“I’m more important than you.
My trip has more significance than yours.
I really can’t be bothered by obeying this silly law.
Besides, everyone else does it so it’s really not a big deal.”
I was fuming as cars (mostly SUV’s with silhouettes of cellphones to ears) were buzzing by me.
But… there IS justice after all.
Just as the bottleneck was thinning out I saw flashing lights on the left shoulder of the road.
Could it be?
Naw.
YES!
A Tennessee state trooper had a car pulled over and I suspect it was for driving in the HOV lane solo.
As I cruised by, I couldnt’ help to give the driver a little honk and nod. You know the kind. The quick toot-toot as if to say, “Hi. I see you and why you are pulled over. Hope you are enjoying this brief moment of humiliation.”
I understand that people have emergencies and have to use the HOV lane such as a woman in labor. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that thousands of babies are not going to be born in Nashville with an August 4th birthdate.
Being late for 9:00am meeting downtown because your grande skinny cinnamon dolce latte took seven minutes in the Starbucks drive-through is NOT a reason to bust it in the HOV lane by yourself. Be more responsible and leave your house earlier.
I’m sure Lynley is reading this and spewing Coke Zero out of her nose. She accuses me (I’m guilty as charged) of turning into a different person behind the wheel. Let’s just say I can be impatient at times.
I’m working on it.
A few years ago I would have just hopped in the HOV lane with all the rest of the selfish people and rationalized the decision in my mind.
Today is a step forward.
Baby steps, but a step nonetheless.
Hope your day is good and remember to chill on the way home. You’ll get there.
Comments? Questions? Rants?
On the run from the early morning until now…
I’m home between shows. A handy dandy handyman, referred to Lynley and me from a good friend of ours, is replacing our living room pendants. We are taking down glass bowl pendants that look antique and replacing them with fabric drum pendants that have an Asian feel.
Old pendants taken down and already accounted for (A friend wants them).
New pendant (Yes, VERY West Elm of us).
The house was built in 1925 and while we don’t think they are original, that can’t be far off. Some people think we are nuts, but we like what we like. Knowing our luck, we replaced pendants worth thousands with pendants worth a few hundred. Did I mention, we like what we like?
I have to scoot back to work now. Lynley is crammed with interior design work and has brought some work home. No complaints. We are both thankful we both HAVE work.
Check back with you tomorrow.
I can’t think of a more emotional weekend recently (other than that wedding thing).
Lynley and I flew to Holland, Michigan to visit my parents and then we all four to drive to South Bend, Indiana Saturday morning for a memorial service of a close family friend. Mr. Fannin was a coach, teacher and administrator at our grade school for 37 years and recently passed.
I was honored to be among the alumni asked to say a few words. The service was beautifully arranged and lasted about two hours. When we arrived, I immediately saw classmates I haven’t seen since the day we graduated 8th grade. The whole thing was very emotional and I didn’t know if I would get through my presentation. Thankfully, I wasn’t the first to speak and I was able to settle down. I cut about half my noted out because I sensed this could have gone on for hours and I didn’t want to be redundant. My style is to try to have a laugh or two, or three during a sad, emotional event and I’d like to think it went okay. I kicked things off by explaining that four Hammes kids went through Clark:
Geralyn Class of ’73
Sue Class of ’74
John Class of ’77
Jeff Class of ’84
As soon as I bellowed “Jeff, Class of ’84″… I mumbled… “Jeff wasn’t planned.”
Fortunately, this isn’t top secret family information and the crowd responded with nervous laughter.
Lynley, who sat with my parents to hear speaker after speaker after speaker eulogize a man she had never met, asked me if what everyone said was really true or was there a sense of embellishment in some of the tributes. Good question and I can see where she would skeptical that a teacher could truly have that kind of impact consistently through the generations. The answer: Yes, he was that great a teacher and person.
While driving back to Holland that afternoon, we stopped at one of my parent’s favorite “greasy spoons.” It’s called Cousins’ Restaurant in South Haven. It is a trip back in time and I mean that az a compliment.
Curtains in the window.
Waitresses with aprons.
In their front pockets, a little light green-colored pad that is labeled “CHECK” on the top.
They take the order and then clip it to a wire in front of the cook.
Only cash or personal check. No credit cards.
Great food.
We all chowed for under $30 dollars.
I half expected Richie, Potsie, Ralph and the Fonz to come through the door at any moment.
We spent Saturday night and Sunday afternoon with our toes in the sand or at the pool until we flew back last evening.
The best part of the whole thing was being able to share this experience with Lynley. While she didn’t know me growing up, it helps to give her perspective as to where/how I grew up and to have a better understanding of the influences on me that made me who I am today.
Now when she hears, “Mr. Fannin” in a conversation, she has a reference point.
The service was videotaped and I’m guessing that it will be posted online soon. For those Clarkies interested, when I find out, I’ll pass it along.
Back to the Monday grind of a running, then running errands.
Hope all had a good weekend.
Thanks Lynley for all your love and patience during ours.
I’m off today and on the way to pick Lynley up at work so we can catch up flight up north.
I wish I could say it’s all about putting toes in the sand of Lake Michigan in Holland, Michigan but it’s actually about speaking at a memorial service for a family friend who went too soon.
Check archives June 22, 2010 for details.
The good part of the trip is we
Two crazy days in a row. Hope to post Friday. Thanks for your patience.
