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The Major’s Weekend Blast-Off

WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
The 2ND weekend of the month of August of 2010 is here, and I’ve been anxiously awaiting its inevitable arrival since I awoke last Monday morning. This afternoon I conveniently extended this weekend by exactly 24 hours. I’ve decided to take the day off from work on Monday. I’ve scheduled myself for a long-overdue comprehensive eye exam with my Optometry Doctor at The Falls. My last exam was over 14 months ago on my 42ND birthday. It’s usually a birthday tradition for me to get a complete eye exam, but I put it off this year for no particular reason of great importance. I have been experiencing occasional vision problems at times – particularly reading with poor lighting. The eye exam will determine if my eyesight has indeed worsened over the past 14 months, or if it’s just my imagination. The dilation of my pupils and 3-hour recovery time thereafter will no doubt cause me to eat a MASSIVE Lunch in the dark here, and then see a hit movie in the dark here. It’ll be a rough day for me.

BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
Longhorn Steakhouse – Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Brandied Cinnamon Apples, Bread, Coke. This was a week in which I ate Lunch at Red Lobster (Monday), Portofino (Wednesday), and Longhorn (Thursday). I also picked-up Lunch from Publix (Tuesday) and Broadway Subs (Friday). Every single Lunch this week was definitely satisfying and downright scrumptious, but I can’t pick any other than Longhorn as my ‘Best Lunch Of The Week’ since one of my regular waittresses actually opened the front door for me at the joint, welcomed me back, and knew exactly what I wanted before I even sat myself down at my regular table. I feel like I’m a part-owner there. I belong.

15 WEEKEND MINI THOUGHTS:
– After about 48 hours of dark skies and persistent rains it’s been non-stop sun.
– I forecasted up to 6 inches of rain, and much of Homestead got 4-5 inches.
– I then forecasted 5-7 days of dry weather, and that’s happening now.
– My amateur weather forecasting this year has been truly impeccable.
– It’s one of my few talents, so please don’t hate on me.
– Don’t let the lack of tropical storms and hurricanes thus far deceive you.
– In just a couple of weeks I’m forecasting the oceanic action to heat up.
– Get to know Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Igor, Julia, and Karl.
– I don’t know about you, but Hurricane Igor frightens me already.
– I’m so excited on seeing my 2010 Redskins play in a preseason game tonight.
– They play LIVE at home against the Bills on NFL Network in HD.
– New coaches, new players, new schemes, new attitude, new era !
– This season could / should be the start of something SUPER !
– I’ve recently made some cool enhancements to my blog here.
– Please tell me what you like and don’t like via the comments or privately.

THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:

BLATANT PROMOTION:
During the Spring of 1988 I was a young 20-year-old USAF Airman First Class (two stripes) on the verge of becoming 21 and a Senior Airman (three stripes) at bustling Homestead Air Force Base Florida. My total annual salary was about $11,000, but I had no car, lived on-base in a dormitory, and all of the food was free. I rode my bike to and from work on-base through the heat, the wind, and the rain. I dreamed of someday owning a car and driving it all around South Florida … Be sure to check out this weekend’s hot new edition of my ‘Saturday Night Retro’ to see how this story ends. You won’t regret it pal.

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The Major’s Weekend Blast-Off

WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
TODAY – the 30TH of July – would have been my Dad’s 69TH birthday. He moved on to Heaven 12 nights ago. I’ve got wonderful pictures of him on display atop my living room entertainment center. They span four decades from the early-1970s through the late-2000s. He’s smiling in each and every one of them. One of my favourite family portraits on display was from 1985. I was 18, and proudly wearing my USAF service dress uniform. My Dad was 44 – just a single year older than I am right now. We had that picture taken during the first week of November of 1985 during my short leave after I graduated from 12 weeks of technical school in Illinois and before I moved on to my first duty station over in the U.K. I think my Dad is still smiling today as he looks down at his family that he left behind. I think that he’s proud of each of us. I’m proud of his life.

BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
Longhorn Steakhouse – Renegade Top Sirloin (8-ounce / Medium-Well), Baked Sweet Potato, Bread, Sprite.

THE FORTUNE COOKIE MESSAGE OF THE WEEK CLUB:
– You will surround yourself with warmth and riches.
– Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.

15 WEEKEND MINI THOUGHTS:
– Only one more day to go and then July 2010 is in the history books.
– I kicked-off this month on the First by flying to Dallas Texas to visit my family.
– It was a nice 4-day 4TH Of July holiday weekend out west.
– 10 days after returning from Texas I took another short vacation in seclusion.
– About 4 hours after I returned home from that trip my Dad moved on.
– It’s been a long and crazy month, and it’ll surely be a memorable one forever.
– I’ve got no vacations or trips of any kind planned for August.
– After that I’m booked solid with at least one trip every month through January.
– I plan to enjoy ‘Home Sweet Homestead‘ all month long in August.
– I just want to do normal things in August – like work and relax.
– Memo To Self: I’m long overdue for an annual eye exam.
– I look like a dude half two-thirds my age, but I’ve got the eyes of an old man.
– That reminds me I need to get my car washed, so maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.
– I know it’s dirty, but I just can’t see the dirt (because of my bad eyesight).
– This has been more of a ‘dusty season’ rather than a ‘rainy season’.

THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:

BLATANT PROMOTION:
’The Awesome ’80s In August International Dance Party’ continues this weekend on the 93RD edition of the ‘Saturday Night Retro’. I’ll share a tiny bit of my life with you as I knew it from the Fall of 1986 when I was a wild 19-year-old kid hangin’ out in the smoky concert halls of London and Oxford England. On Sunday it’s another day on ‘My Fantastic Journey’. Check back in with this blog later this weekend, and in the meantime have a wonderful time in whatever you do tonight, tomorrow, and the next day. Stay safe. Look out for one another. Spread Love. Believe.

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Annoyances God Health History Home Life People Television Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– I just returned home from my Doctor’s office.
– I was there waiting for nearly 2 hours for what amounted to a 10-minute appt.
– My Doctor told me that I’m in excellent health.
– My cholesterol levels remain within all of the optimal categories.
– She told me that I could decrease my Lipitor consumption.
– I could either go down from 10 mg. per day to 5 mg. per day.
– Or I could stay on the 10 mg. but only take it every other day.
– I choose the latter option.
– Starting today I’m taking my Lipitor on odd-numbered days only.
– Happy odd-numbered day my friends !
– Happy 43RD Birthday CNN host Anderson Cooper.
– Your hair is super gray, yet mine is not.
– But you are a TV star, and I am not.
– I’ll be joining Anderson as a 43-year-old on Saturday.
– This weekend is also the 25TH anniversary of my high school graduation.
– I’ll mark the event this Saturday night on an all-new ‘Retro’.
– Tonight’s edition of the ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ contains no MSG.
– Tomorrow morning I’ll be staying here at home.
– I’ve got plumbers arriving early in the morning to repair a water line leak.
– It’s my first such leak since the end of 2006.
– Unfortunately the leak is in a bad location.
– It’s located directly behind the wall that’s directly behind my computer.
– It’s been slow leaking for at least a week now based on the mold I now have.
– What’s it doin’ outside ?
– It was a scorcher today here in Homestead.
– We climbed into the lower-90s with humidity readings above 60%.
– Our heat indices were just above 100° F !
– Heavy downpours are drenching much of the region from Miami northward.
– Meanwhile we’ve got bright sunshine and no rain (yet) down here.
– I got word earlier today that I’m hosting the 9 AM service again at LPC.
– That means I’ll be reading and studying more Scripture starting tonight.
– I always look forward to hosting because I enjoy the learning involved.
– ‘The Truth’ be told – it’s ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’.
– I hope to enjoy a peaceful and quiet weekend here at home.
– I also hope that my living room wall begins to dry out once the leak is fixed.
– I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable weekend as well.
– Make it positively memorable.
– You won’t regret it pal.

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Animals Career Health History Home Life Music People

Saturday Night Retro

This week on the ‘Retro’ I’m remembering the Summer of 2005. It’s a Summer in which I was generally not a happy person. I was miserable at my workplace at the time, and I dreaded each new work day. I didn’t like my job, and I didn’t like the people that I worked with. I was full of hatred. Life away from work wasn’t much happier either. I had very few friends, and little to no social life. I had a cat that was showing significant signs of dying. My life was dying. It was a forgettable summer. I wondered why I even existed at the time.

I can think of two reasons why I managed to stay stable enough to not do anything dreadful – my cat Boots at home and my brother Danny over a thousand miles away. Boots totally depended on me. He carried my personality in a feline body. If I had gone away forever he would have died as well. My brother Danny is my best friend in the entire world. He’s known me longer than anyone else (aside from other family members), and he knows more about me than anyone else. He is the funniest person that I know, and he knows what makes us laugh out loud. If I had done something regrettable during that lost summer then he would have been devastated for the rest of his life. Luckily that summer was not the end for me. The following summer (of 2006) was the end for me – and the start of something brand new and miraculous – a rebirthing.

Back during that Summer of 2005 this song captured my mood, my feelings, and my life at the time. It’s in the lyrics – but it was not a ‘Fantastic Journey’.  

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