Rise and Shine --- Sublime to ridiculous

Good Morning and, man, those Phillies are getting hard to watch!

Anyway, with nothing much happening (I think we are in one of those weird world loops), I found these videos going around the Internet. Yeah, there's some foul language, but they are darn funny.

Cheech & Chong Count to 1 Minute from CheechAndChong

Michael Shannon Reads the Insane Delta Gamma Sorority Letter from Michael Shannon

Rise and Shine --- Why ruin things?

Good Morning and hope everybody is doing well today!

So, as I was watching the early coverage of the bombing at the Boston Marathon Monday, I was struck with one thought: Why do people have to ruin everything?
I mean, in the end, whoever did this is one of the most selfish people alive. The Boston Marathon (or New York or Philly or wherever) is one of the purest events around. It's just people pushing themselves to their limit, then reaching for a little more. It's about family and friends feeling a sense of pride as the one they know crosses the finish line.
Last November, I attended the Ironman competition in Arizona to cheer on my brother. We were able to wander around the course, check on him at certain points and give him a bit of a boost.
There was security around, but you could just feel a comraderie among the 10,000 people watching. There was no thought that somebody would do something to harm anybody.
Also, everybody (I mean everybody from the 2-year old to the 90-year old) were carrying backpacks. You are out there for a long time. You need water. You need snacks. To check everybody's bag (or ban them completely) would cause a bit of a problem.
Now, we have some whack-job up in Boston yet a little bit more of our innocence away. Yeah, I keep being reminded we live in a different world every day, but there should be some things we can all celebrate without fear.
I hope it's really not all gone.

Rise and Shine --- Waffles

Good Morning and let's keep this up!!

Sunday mornings in the house are a little busier than most. We don't have to get out to school or work, but its the one day a week we make the 'Big Breakfast.'
We make bacon, bread, eggs and either pancakes or waffles. Everybody chips in, whether it be setting the table, pouring the juice (OK, chocolate milk) or just keeping out of the way.
I usually make pancakes one week and waffles the next. That was, until the old waffle maker started shedding (you know, the non-stick stuff on the bottom was coming off on the waffles). So, we've been sticking with plain, old pancakes.
This weekend, though, we were given an new waffle maker.
It put an extra step in everybody's morning. Sure, it was the same, but it was different.
The 8-year old said she had a hard time sleeping, because she was looking forward to making breakfast.
 So, with that kind of kitchen help, it made things go easy. We sat down to the usual, plus some chocolate chip/banana/peanut butter waffles (yeah, we like different kinds every week).
It doesn't solve world peace, but it's the little things that make the day go smooth.

Rise and Shine --- Crack of the bat

Good Morning and finally some warm weather!

This weekend was the annual start of a busy spring. That's right, baseball/softball season officially began in our house.
We had the parade (why is it always so chilly?) and the first game.
The thing that always gets me is the enthusiasm. The players want to be out there on the field.
Here we have a group of 8 and 9-year old girls who want nothing more than to put on a glove and start playing.
Sure, there's the social aspect, but it's about getting outside. It's about breathing in some air after being stuck inside all winter.
The funny thing (at least I find it funny) is how the boys act the same way. For the most part, they would rather sit at home playing video games.
The spring, though, brings a change. Sure, they want to keep playing the video games, but they don't argue as much about going outside.
OK, they argue a little, but once they get there it's all smiles.
Yeah, it's only a couple nights a week, but it really sets things up nicely.

Rise and Shine --- It's a marathon

Good Morning and why has winter returned?

I was looking forward to the opening of the baseball season a little more this year. I don't know why. I think because it's a little bit unknown. I mean, if everything goes right the Phillies may be able to make the playoffs. I don't think they are good enough to win the World Series, but stranger things have happened.
I think it's just that the opening of the baseball season (no matter the weather) brings me thoughts of the summer and vacations and warm nights at the ballpark.
We can't afford to actually attend a game at Citizens Bank Park. The owners of baseball teams outpriced families years ago. Instead we'll hit the minor league circuit. I'm sure there will be more than a few trips to Wilmington. The plan is to get to the other stadiums within driving distance.
Now, if the Phils can win one game in Atlanta....

Rise and Shine --- The flu and the weekend

Good Morning and welcome to the beginning of baseball season!

For the first time I think ever, I got a flu show this year. The only reason I got one was because they were giving them out free during a community day.
Whatever, it seemed to work. I got a few stuffy noses and things like that during the winter, but managed to stay away from the flu.
That was until the shot wore off sometime last week. Then, I got knocked over. After a slow build up, I was knocked down by the flu. I had a sore throat, weakness in my bones, coughing, sneezing, you know, all the fun stuff.
The worst thing about it was we were on our annual trip to Ocean City for the Easter weekend. So, for the first day, instead of enjoying the beach (yeah, it was cold, but, come on, it's the beach), I was down for the count on the couch.
It's been a slow recovery though the weekend, but I might be able to see the other side.
Either that or it's time  for another shot.

Rise and Shine --- No phone?

Good Morning and welcome to the Internet!

So, I forgot my iPhone at home the other day.
I was already running late, so, instead of turning around, I figured I could survive the day. I mean, after all, I remember when there weren't any cell phones.
The first phone I got was in a bag and it only worked when connected through the cigarette lighter. I think I used it twice the whole time I had the thing.
Anyway, times change and now my phone is pretty much a little computer. I might get three calls a week, probably make about the same amount. Most of the time, I'm checking e-mail, texting, playing Words with Friends or just goofing around.
The day I didn't have the phone was actually kind of liberating. Not that it takes away from the work at hand, but do we really need every minute of every day connected?
I thought about leaving the phone at home while we went on an adventure Saturday, then thought better of it. The day I leave it home is the day I really need it (broken-down car, etc.).
Still, I think I'm going to start leaving it in the car each day. It's good to disconnect.
Now, I have to go. I have to figure out what kind of word I can make out of 'H-R-E-F-B-O-J'

Rise and Shine --- Madness?

Good Morning and don't you wish another storm would come tonight so the TV people can get all crazy?

Anyway, there used to be a time when I would study all the NCAA Tournament match-ups. I would break down the guard play of teams like Tulsa and how they could make a run through the tournament. I would recognize that a team like Butler would be poised to make some noise. I would go game-by-game all the way through.
You know what? None of it mattered. I never seemed to do any better than somebody who would pick by uniform color. Still, it was fun watching all the games.
It still is (again). I lost it for a few years. I didn't watch many games, mostly followed them through late-night highlights.
I won't watch them all this year. I find it kind of tough to be sitting inside watching games on a Saturday afternoon, but I'll catch my fair share.
Now, I have to ask my daughter which team's uniform is better.

Rise and Shine --- What schedule?

Good Morning and why did I have to turn the heat back up?
 Anyway, maybe I'm just remembering it wrong, but in year's past, didn't TV shows have new episodes every week.
Sure, there was a break in late December when everybody is busy wrapping instead of watching. Once we got into the dark or winter, though, I remember the season rolling through May.
 These days, it seems like most network shows put on a couple of new episodes, then follow with weeks of reruns, before another new one comes on. It's not like there's nothing else to watch while vegging out after a long day.
Still, I want the few shows I watch every week to keep the reruns for the summer.
Not that it's earth shattering or anything, just thought I'd share.

Rise and Shine --- Thinking

Good Morning and where was the panic for today's rain?

Just for today:

Rise and Shine --- Ice, Ice, Baby

Good Morning and it's almost here!

You know, I'm not a big fan of the snow. I really don't like being cold. Yeah, I have a pretty good winter coat that keeps me warm, but I don't usually get into running around during the winter.
Give me the spring and a baseball. Give me the summer with a Frisbee. Give me the fall with a football.
Like a bear, I'd rather just sleep through the whole winter. Wake me up when the flowers start to bloom.
A few weeks ago, I won passes to Sno Mountain in the Poconos. I asked the group if they wanted to do some snow tubing. The answer was the typical: "I don't know."
So, to me, that was a challenge. We were going to do it. We pulled out the boots, hats and gloves then made the long trip to the Poconos this past weekend (yeah, we cut it kind of close).
Luckily, the spring-like weather kept a lot of people off the mountain, so we didn't have to wait very long to get to the top and then to the top of the line.
Tell you what, it was liberating. After a winter of uncertainties, it was nice to just let loose.
Sure, it only took a couple of seconds to get down the slope, but it was awesome. Just let go, feel the air and speed.
OK, maybe it's a short thing, but I think we'll be heading back next winter.

Rise and Shine --- The problem is...

Good Morning and is Rand Paul still talking?!?

I have a fear that our government will never be fixed. The crazies on each end of the spectrum have shut it all down.
They can't even vote on a new director of the CIA, for gosh sakes. How can we have any confidence anything will get done?
We've been hijacked by special interest groups, big business and Congressman who are more worried about keeping their job instead of getting something (anything?) accomplished.
Is this why Mr. Smith wanted to go to Washington so bad?

Rise and Shine --- When new is old

Good Morning and what's that they are talking about this week?

Anyway, the house has recently discovered the joy of board games.
For years, we had games sitting around the house, everything from "Chutes & Ladders" to "Candyland" to "Operation."
We played the games maybe a couple of times a year or every other year or something like that. Somehow, the pieces have all disappeared. There are broken boards. There are missing cards, dice, whatever.
In January, we picked up "Monopoly" (actually a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer edition of the game). Since then, we've played probably ever other day.
As fun as that has become, we needed to branch out. I remember sitting around the table all those years ago playing games like "Clue" and "Life."
So, I picked up "Clue" a couple of weeks ago and now that's in the rotation.
It's actually kind of cool in this age of video games where we can gather around the table, laugh and have some fun.
Now, I have to find more games for everybody.

Rise and Shine --- Hey, Old Man Winter...

Good Morning and how about that wind?!?
Woke up this morning with a stuffed-up head. I didn't feel so bad last night. Just the normal run-down type of thing. This morning, though, the sniffles.
OK, I've officially had it. The cold, the wind, the rain, the short snowfalls.
 ENOUGH!
Bring on the spring. I guess it's always tough this time of year because we see the Phillies practicing in the Florida sunshine and we are shivering under our blankets.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it could be much worse. We could have snowflakes pelting our faces as we try to keep up with the shoveling. We could be outside scraping the windows down every morning. The heat could go out.
I'm not complaining about the winter. I actually find the cold somewhat exhilarating most days, but it's now time to go.
Old Man Winter, you've overstayed your welcome.
Bring me singing birds, growing grass and a couple of games of H-O-R-S-E in the driveway. I want to ride my bike without wearing gloves.
Bring me baseball that's played somewhere except on the television. I want to color Easter eggs. I want fresh tomatoes not grown in a hothouse in South America.
Then again, it is kind of nice to stay under the covers...

Rise and Shine --- Because we need to laugh

Good Morning and welcome to Fat Tuesday!

Sometimes, there's nothing else to say. So you just have to laugh.

Between Two Ferns: Oscar Buzz Edition Part 2 from Zach Galifianakis

Rise and Shine --- All about the music

Good Morning and I'm still trying to figure out exactly who Hunter Hayes is?

A few years ago, I watched the Grammy Awards and felt very out of touch. The voices were foreign to me, a person who thought he was keeping up with the times.
So, having dedicated myself over the past couple of years to at least give a listen to new stuff. My radio has been tuned mostly to WXPN (I slowly realized other stations were playing the same 10 songs over and over and over again).
I found some really good music being created. I knew who the Lumineers were before they hit the stage. I had listened to Halestorm before they ran up on stage. My morning routine normally includes the Alabama Shakes playing in the background.
I was glad to see Mumford & Sons win for one of the best albums put together in years.
I might not get fun., but they certainly seem to put on a good show.
In fact, the worst part of last night's show, was when Elton John took the stage. Sir Elton, yes, you are a legend, but let the new people sing.
So, maybe I'm not as out-of-touch as I used to be.
Then again, who the heck is Pitbull and how did he get up there?

Rise and Shine --- It was only a matter of time

Good Morning and how about those 76ers?!?

I got sick. My daughter got sick. I told the boys it was only a matter of time until it hits them.
That's the thing about these winter not-quite flu bugs. They spread around the house.
I sat at home yesterday with a sick 10-year old. Well, sitting maybe not, but we were home.
Usually a cast a weary eye when he says he is sick. He's been known to pull a fast one every now and again. This time, though, the temperature told me it was true.
I feel bad when it happens. I wish we could live in a house where nobody gets sick. That's just not the way it happens, though. Once the bug is introduced, it has to run through everybody.
I just hope it doesn't come back to me. The cough I came up with this morning, though, might be telling another story.

Rise and Shine --- Go away

Good Morning and it's another day of clearing off the car.

 Not that I'm complaining or anything.
It's much better to have these little snow squalls instead of those blizzards from a couple of years ago.
Remember that year, I think it was 2010 (a year I've decided to destroy from my memory), when there was one blizzard after another. We had like 20 inches one day, then less than a week later another dozen.
Yeah, that was a bad winter. This has not been a bad winter.
Sure, it's been cold and the PECO bill is out of hand, but I'll trade that for little snow.
Still, I'm sick of winter. I want it over. I want to get out and plant some flowers. I want to be able to walk around without bundling up. I am just sick of sitting around inside this winter. I'm sick of the complaints when I say 'No more video games.' I'm sick of watching bad TV because I've read all the books.
 In an attempt to just get out last weekend, we went bowling.
Now, I figured bowling was lost on this generation. I mean, do they even show bowling on ESPN any more? Little did I know that Saturday's are a big bowling birthday party day. So, after being turned away at two places, we were able to finally land a lane at the third.
A few things hit me as we tried to knock down the pins. First, the smell in the bowling alley has not changed since I was a child. Second, it's much better (cheaper) to go bowling on a Sunday morning than a Saturday afternoon. Third, it's much more fun to see an 8-year old get a strike than actually getting one yourself.
We weren't breaking any records in two games, but, for the most part, it was fun.
How do I know? Well, on the way out I was asked, "Can we go again next week?"

Rise and Shine --- Eat the rich

Good Morning and why exactly does the morning come so early?
So, it appears we are moving out of the economic funk we've been living in for the past 6 years. The stock market is rebounding (highest in like a decade). Unemployment is falling. People seem to be getting their feet back.
Then again, there's our corporate society. When the election rhetoric hinged on taxing the rich, it became obvious we only have two classes in this country. There's the rich and everybody else.
No matter what they say, the rich don't care about the rest of us.
Corporations have found out we will do more work with less people. We will take on other duties as some have been laid off. We will get it done no matter how long it takes and won't put in for overtime.
We'll keep packing the boxes until our fingers bleed.
Then, on a whim, corporate entities might just decide bleeding is not enough.
One quote out of the election was "Corporations are people too."
Uh, no they are not. Sorry. Doesn't work that way in the real world.

Rise and Shine --- Much ado...

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

OK, I have a confession to make, I lip-synced yesterday's edition. I wrote it much earlier than was posted and pulled it out when the national audience was ready.
A lot of people might think that is wrong, but, so I wouldn't look bad by making a huge mistake, I felt the lip-syncing was warranted. People expect the best out of me every day and, with the Super Bowl coming up next week, the extra pressure was just too much.
I promise it will only happen on occasion and I hope this won't sway you from reading.
In other big news, it's cold. In Pennsylvania. In January.