Rise and Shine --- Memorial Day Weekend

Good Morning and welcome to the start of Memorial Day Weekend!

So, as we enjoy some nice weather, take in a parade, maybe have a cookout, it's a good a weekend as ever to get off the political slide.
There are wrongs on both sides of the aisle. All we can really hope for is there isn't any real damage.
Of course, the sobering thought of 1,000 American deaths in Afghanistan takes a bit out of Memorial Day.
The best Memorial Day we can have is one free of wars and conflict.
Maybe that's the best we can hope for.

Rise and Shine --- Drill, baby, drill

Good Morning and welcome back to the heat!

So, if anybody still thinks it's a great idea to be drilling for oil in the ocean, they are seriously misguided.
All you have to do is see one photo or read one story about the mess down in the Gulf and you have to know the time for drilling has passed.
It's like we keep getting these signs that something is not right. Sure, it was an accident that's spilling all of BP's 'Black Gold' into the water (and onto our beaches), but it's also about karma.
Oil companies, and car makers and the government, have for too long simply relied on our need for oil. The only way this stuff stops is if we actually get down to finding alternative fuel sources and stop the drilling.
How much damage has to be done? How many people have to die?
Stop the drilling now and get to work on something else.

Rise and Shine --- A long day

Good Morning and welcome to yet another Wednesday in a long line of Wednesday's!

It started well before dawn. It lasted well into the night.
I remember making phone calls. I remember doctors and nurses running in and out. I remember strength like I've never seen.
I remember the ups. I remember the downs. I remember heading out to tell everybody they might as well go get lunch, then dinner, then a late-night snack.
I remember hoping (praying?) everything would be OK. I remember listening to all the options. I remember worrying.

I remember doors closing. Doors opening. People running here and there.
Mostly, though, I remember the sound when it was all over. I remember hearing a cry. I remember getting tears in my eyes (it still happens today, maybe for different reasons).
Then, I remember the smile. Who knew a newborn baby boy could smile.
I swear he did, though. I swear he smiled. It let me know everything would be OK.
Happy Birthday, Liam. How did you become 11 already?

Rise and Shine --- All those years ago

Good Morning and welcome to the sun!

So, I was sitting outside with some other people from the neighborhood (somebody was sitting in a wagon, not sure if it was me or not) talking about nothing. You know, the kind of things 8-year olds talk about. Maybe it was the latest episode of Batman or it could have been something about school.
Anyway, if I remember right, it was a Saturday afternoon and my Mom opened the window and told us the Flyers had won the Stanley Cup.
We all looked up, said "OK" and went back to our most important business.
Now, 35 years later, the Flyers are back into the Finals (OK, they've been there since, but Rise and Shine didn't exist the last time).
Not being much of a hockey fan, the revelry didn't reach the house last night. We were all in bed by the time the hooping and hollering started outside.
The dogs didn't like it. They were barking right along with the fireworks and the yelling.
Soon came the running down the halls: "Dad, why are the dogs barking?"
The Flyers just won they are going to the Stanley Cup finals.
"OH. Can you make them stop?"
Maybe we aren't so different.

Rise and Shine --- Getting Lost

Good Morning and welcome back to the clouds!

So, I remember six years ago when the show 'Lost' came on the air. The first episode was so well written and perfectly filmed, that I was hooked.
Now, I don't watch as much TV as I did before the children were born. There just isn't as much time to veg out in front of the tube.
For 'Lost,' though, I made an exception. It was the only show I made sure I caught from the first episode to the last. Sure, it was frustrating. There were a lot of false leads, crazy circumstances and a head-scratching narrative.
Maybe that's why I liked it so much.
When the show started, there were a handful of people I knew who grabbed on to it. Some of them faded away from watching, frustrated by the mysteries that never seemed to be resolved.
So, for the finale last night, I made sure everybody got to bed so I could catch the last few hours.
Sometimes the endings disappoint. Many who watched the 'Sopranos' for all those years hated the ending.
Who hasn't read a book, got caught up in the characters only to throw it down after the last page? There have been movies that were great all the way until the last act when it falls apart with a too quick, too easy finish.
I was expecting much the same with 'Lost.' After all, it's pretty tough to live up to the hype.
When the final credits rolled Sunday, I sat there, a little frustrated. What do you mean they are all dead? Wasn't that what people were saying all these years, only to be rebuffed by the writers?
Then, while mulling it over, I realized it might have been one of the more brilliant ends in the history of entertainment.
They died, but they weren't dead during the run of the show. They connected. They loved. They lost. They hurt. They cried.
Yeah, I know it's all just a made up story, but, in the end, it was a fictionalized story of all our lives.
Maybe we all need to find our island.

Rise and Shine --- Philosophy

Good Morning and welcome to another weekend!

So, you get these kinds of questions from children all the time: Daddy why do they call it the weekend?
Well, I wish I would have been asked why the sky was blue. Then I could have dazzled with my knowledge of the atmosphere.
I could have been asked why sea water is so salty. That way I could have talked about salt basins, fish and the like.
Instead, I get the philosophical question about the weekend.
Well, I said, it's called the weekend because it's the end of the week.
"How come," came the followup, "it's the weekend, but Sunday is the start of a new week."
Um, well, it's the weekend because you have a couple of days off from school. You end one week and start the next week.
"Yeah, but shouldn't it be called the end-starter."
Sure, but weekend is much quicker. Besides, it does end the week.
"But, it starts a new one."
OK, um, want to know why the sky is blue?

Rise and Shine --- Heavy eyes

Good Morning and welcome to a glorious new day!

Now, after working at nights for nearly 20 years, I never knew anything about the morning. After all, when you get home after 2 a.m., the morning was just something to sleep through.
For the past three years, I've been starting work around 4:30 a.m. Last night, I had to do a quick transition thanks to election day.
Let me tell, you, today is going to drag. Still, it's fun to be in the newsroom on election night, especially during a night of upsets.
So, now it's time to think ahead to November.
Thank goodness for coffee.

Rise and Shine --- Rain and the polls

Good Morning and welcome to a perfect day for ducks ... or political candidates!

You know, they say when it rains about half of those who were going to vote, will stay away from the polls. When it's 'just' a primary election like today, the best we can hope for is about five percent of eligible voters to hit the button.
So, is it much ado about nothing? Well, let's ask the people in Iraq if there is a 'meaningless' election.
Speaking of Iraq, the Daily Times award-winning Iraq correspondent has graciously accepted the challenge trying to follow Joe Sestak around today as he tries to unseat long-time Sen. Arlen Specter. You can follow the progress by CLICKING HERE.
She's doing all her coverage with an iphone. It should be really interesting.
On another completely different subject, I heard this song last night and thought I would put it on here. Songs don't usually bring tears to my eyes, but this one does:

Rise and Shine --- Getting out

Good Morning and welcome to the calm before the storm!

If there could be better weather for a Sunday afternoon, I want to see it.
The temperature was perfect. The humidity was gone. The sun was shining.
So, that could only mean one thing: get out the bikes.
When I mentioned it over breakfast, a big smile grew on the face of a 5-year old girl I know.
Last summer, she was just starting to really enjoy bike riding. Every time it's been sunny since, she's asked to ride her bike.
So, we pulled it out, put some air in the tires and she jumped right on. Within seconds, she was laughing and yelling. "Look, daddy, I can do it all by myself."
So, I told the boys to get their bikes out and get ready to ride. Much to their chagrin, I thought it was better to just go around the block.
"I don't want your sister crossing streets," I must have said about 4,000 times.
The retort every time was: "That's not fair. We want to ride somewhere else."
So, after a few times around the block and a quick lunch, I thought it was a good idea to keep the peace.
"OK," I said, "we're going to ride up to the cemetery."
Now, that might seem odd, but when riding with children aged 5, 8 and 10, it's good to go somewhere without cars bearing down. So, we took off for the cemetery (about a mile ride) and made it there easily. There was laughing. There was racing. There was fun.
Then, it was time to ride home. You would think I was asking them to run a marathon.
"I'm too tired." "My legs hurt." "It's too far." Were just some of the complaints.
So, we battled home with some pushing, some walking and some riding. They pulled the bikes into the driveway and immediately fell to the ground.
Five minutes later came the next request: "Can we go again?"

Rise and Shine --- Courts and games

Good Morning and welcome to the end of the week!

Ever notice how you could be doing a bunch of things during the day, feeling good, enjoying the sun, then, boom, reality hits you in the gut. At least when the wind is knocked out of you on the athletic field there is somebody there to help you.
Speaking of which, don't ever (and I mean ever) drive in Ocean City, N.J.
If you are going down there any time this summer (well, anytime throughout the year) at least make sure you don't get a traffic ticket.
There's a little game they seem to like to play in Ocean City.
Instead of just being able to pay the fine, you have to go through a dance with the judge. First you have to take a day off from work to tell a judge whether or not you want (or need) a lawyer. The judge, who must need the attention, then reprimands you if you say you want to represent yourself (mind you, we are talking traffic tickets like making an illegal left turn, not murder).
So, you then have to come back down a few weeks later to appear again when you can finally just give them a check and get the whole thing over.
It feels like some kind of game where you are the pawn because there isn't much happening (especially during the winter months).
So, just make sure you don't make the wrong turn or, heaven forbid, let the meter run out.
By the way, if you want to see the truth behind a 'resort' town's image, spend about five minutes in municipal court. Then you get the underbelly.

Rise and Shine ---- Bathroom break

Good Morning and when does it all stop?

I know we need the government to work for us. I know we need those in elected positions to make sure the country runs smoothly. I know there are some who want the government to do less, as well as those who think it should do more.
We've had the owners of Toyota pulled in front a panel. We've seen sports stars and recording artists answer inane questions.
Now, we have this to occupy Congress' time: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold hearings Wednesday on the "Potty Parity Act," a bill that seeks to address the shoddy restroom facilities for women in federal buildings, according to FoxNews.
Really?
A 'Potty Parity Act.'
This is really needed?
There aren't more pressing things going on around the country? There are problems with job growth, health care, the economy, sure, but we need to make sure toilets are in tip-top shape.
Here's an idea, flush the whole idea and get back to real work.

Rise and Shine --- Of sleep and work

Good Morning and where did that frost come from this morning!

I'm going to admit something right now, just to get it out of the way, sometimes during the day (especially when it reaches the end of the work day), my head starts to bob. I'm sure I've dozed off once in a while. Hey, it happens. My alarm goes off at 3:30 a.m. and, now that baseball season is in full swing, well, I don't go to bed as early as I should at night.
Most of the time, though, a cup of coffee will do the trick. Either that or I get up and walk around a little.
Now, comes this story from the the Tacoma News-Tribune: Ken Griffey Jr. missed a chance to pinch-hit in a game last week for the Mariners because he had fallen asleep.
That's right. He fell asleep. During a game. While his team was playing.
Now, my grandfather used to fall asleep at the dinner table sometimes, but he was like 90 years old. Babies fall asleep on the floor while playing with toys, but they are like under 2.
Ken Griffey Jr., who has made millions playing a game, is 40-years old. Sure, he's at the end of his career, but how can you fall asleep during a game?
Now, I might fall asleep during a baseball game, but I'm watching it on TV. I'm not being paid to be a member of the team.
Sure, we could all use a couple of hours of shuteye, but work probably isn't the place to do it.
You know, if you can't stay awake at work, maybe it's time to re-evaluate what you are doing.

Rise and Shine ---- Walking, singing, dancing.

Good Morning and welcome to back to the cool!

To all those who took part in the 'Race for the Cure' Sunday morning, here's a big tip of the cap. When you get that many people together for a cause, something is bound to happen. Sure, it's taking us a long time to beat cancer and it may be a long time before there is a cure, but at least it's in the front of everybody's mind.
The three in our house who got up at 4 a.m. Sunday, that was impressive. Doesn't matter the motivation, you did it and you should be proud.
While they were out walking, I spent the morning with a 5-year old girl. Sure, it was chilly outside, but there's nothing like a little singing and dancing to make everything appear bright.
Sure, the rest of the world comes crashing down eventually, but there's something sweet about listening to your daughter sing 'We're not gonna take it' over and over (and over) again.
OK, there were also plenty of princess songs and a little Lady Gaga mixed in. Still, it was fun and something that can help get through everything else.
Now, if only I can get the boys to join the group.

Rise and Shine --- Nah, it's not political

Good Morning and welcome to the weekend!

Remember back when there was all that uproar about health care reform. Then a bunch of Rebublican attorneys general from different states said they were going to file a lawsuit against the federal government to stop the reform.
The state reason, at least by our AG Tom Corbett (who just happens to be running for Governor), was: "to protect the citizens of Pennsylvania whose rights will be violated when the health care reform legislation [is] signed into law by President Obama."
Well, that might not be exactly true.
According to this story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the AGs from various states were was in communication with a consultant for the Republican State Leadership Committee prior to the lawsuits being filed.
So, are these lawsuits to 'protect the citizens' or to further push an agenda.
It kind of opens up the whole picture a bit more, doesn't it?

Rise and Shine --- Pride swells

Good Morning and welcome to another day!

When he was in second grade, Liam came home from school clutching a flier. He was excited. A Cub Scout representative came to school to talk up the organization. He showed off cars. He talked about camping.
Liam, who is a bit shy (many would say much like somebody else in his family), hadn't really asked to join anything up to that point. He wanted to join Cub Scouts, though. He asked, he begged.
So, he signed up. The whole thing was time consuming. When I was stuck at work, his mother was the trooper, taking him to meetings while making sure the little ones were also OK. She even became a den leader with a uniform and everything.
Now, after spending every Wednesday night for the past few years heading to meetings, he 'graduated' last night. There was a night for him (and him alone since all the other boys who also started in second grade had quit through the years).
He was up on the stage while they went through something called the 'Arrow of Light' ceremony. He was cheered by his friends in the crowd. He was laughed at by his brother and sister (as part of the ceremony they painted designs on his face).
He was proud. He had accomplished something that took work, time and energy.
We are proud of you, Liam.

Rise and Shine --- Away we go

Good Morning and welcome to a decidedly better feeling Tuesday!

While waiting for reports about that ride on the Osprey, I'm left wondering about excitement.
What might be exciting to some, is probably just another walk in the park for others.
My brother likes to jump out of planes. I know somebody who's not happy unless the waves are at least eight feet high. Meanwhile, there are those who prefer a quiet bike ride (of say, like 100 miles) or just sitting down with a good book.
That's the wonderful thing about the time we live in. Anything can be done (well, within reason), so why not try if you have the opportunity.
I get excitement in seeing everybody smile. If, at the end of the day, somebody says 'That was a good day.' I know things are all right. Sure, there are plenty of pressures around, but, in the end, they get pushed out by other things.
That's what we should be telling our children. Don't sweat the small stuff, we can take care of that. Jump out of the tree if it calls to you. Ride the skateboard over the wall. Run as fast as you can for as far as you can.
Just finish the homework first.

Rise and Shine --- The heat

Good Morning and welcome to a brand new week!

One think I really like to do is procrastinate. As long as I can remember, I put things off until the last minute.
Some would call it lazy. Others get frustrated (you know who you are). I, on the other hand, say it's because I like to work on deadline (sounds good, doesn't it?).
It's gotten me in trouble more than once (or more than a million times), but, you know, I would miss out on the fun.
So, after playing some baseball on the front lawn Saturday afternoon and losing the ball in the jungle-like grass, I figured it was time to pull out the lawn mower.
Then, glancing over at the hedges, saw I also needed to grab the cutters.
Of course, it's not like we could have a normal spring. So, in heat that seemed more suited for August, I was out there Sunday cutting hedges and grass. Much to the humor of the neighbor.
After spending most (the whole?) day cutting through the tundra, it was done.
Now, I can get to the kitchen. Well, at least that's the plan.
Then again, with somebody heading to Boston to take a ride in an Osprey, there are other things to worry about.