Kudos to Mike Kelly. I wish this guy was my Congressman!

I have long been an advocate against so called "career politicians". They are so far out of touch with the rest of us, it's no wonder things are a fu@ked up as they are.

Mike Kelly is not a career politician. He's a businessman that owns Cadillac and Chevrolet dealerships in Pennsylvania that just happened to run for Congress and get himself elected.

Now I've spent a fair amount of my working life in the car biz. It's got it's share of shysters and crooks, but for the most part, the vast majority of dealers are good honest people that are just trying to make a buck in a very competitive business.

Listen as The Hon. Mr Kelly dresses down his colleagues and gives 'em a dose of truth. It's in a committee meeting, not in front of the  entire body, but it's still golden.

Give 'em Hell, Mike!!

  

Fetch My Flying What?

There's lots of really great blogs and bloggers out there. If I'm not careful about managing my downtime, I can easily spend a whole day reading them. (I have) I've put some of my favorites on my Blog Roll over there on the right. Some, like Guffaw, Murphy, and CarteachO I try to hit every day while drinking my morning java. Others I hit at least once or twice a week.

A couple of weeks ago I saw an unusual title on someone else's roll. Fetch My Flying Monkeys. It caught my eye because those damn flying monkeys in The Wizard Of Oz scared the shit out of me when I was a kid. I had to close my eyes whenever they'd come on. It wasn't until I was about 10 or 11 that I could stand to watch them. I think it scarred me for life and I've been overcompensating ever since.

Anyway, I went on over to her blog. Laura has an incredible sense of humor that really clicks with mine. Twisted, a bit demented, and decidedly off beat. Good thing for her that I'm happily married and look nothing like George Clooney. There's just something about a woman (especially a redheaded woman) that loves Dinosaurs and goats wearing hats....

Go give her blog a look if you get the chance. You won't be disappointed (unless you get offended by the "F" word, she isn't afraid to use it)

The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

It's really been since July that I posted anything here? Damn good thing that hardly anybody reads this. I might have disappointed someone.

I have only my addiction to the new bike to blame. I forgot just how much I enjoy riding, and riding here in Southwest Texas is a biker's dream. Open roads, no traffic. and 70-75 MPH speed limits. I found a great bunch of people to ride with, and I've devoted a lot of time to that pursuit. I've averaged 2500 miles a month since buying it.

But with the inevitable approach of the "Holiday Season" comes my annual bout with the Grinch.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Christmas like he did. I just don't care anymore. I don't want to keep Christmas from coming, I just want it to be over. For me, it has become the birthday of our Saviour, and little else.

I wasn't always this way. In fact, I used to love the holiday and everything about it. It was my favorite time of the year. Even though the 18 years of Hell that was my first marriage, I always looked forward to it.

The last time I truly enjoyed Christmas for what many see it to be, was in 2002.

It couldn't have been more perfect if it was a Hollywood production. My Mom was recovering nicely from a health scare in early November. My daughter was recently married to a guy that I thought the world of. The woman of my dreams had said "yes" early that morning. A surprise 8 inch snowfall blanketed the county and prevented my adopted brother (not one of my favorite people) from attending the festivities. I remember standing in the driveway of my Mom's house, smoking a cigar after clearing the snow off and thinking how perfect that day was. It was, beyond a doubt, the BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER.

It took less than a year for it all to unravel.

In January a deranged lady decided to end it all by ramming my parked Jeep Cherokee with her piece of shit Chrysler after walking in on her husband doing the nasty in her bed with another guy.

In February my employer decided they no longer required my services. In all fairness though, I had had just about all I could take from them as well, but I did have a new vehicle to pay for as well as all my other expenses. (It worked out though. I went into business for myself and took away all the accounts I serviced while working for them.)

In March, Mom passed unexpectedly. My adopted sibling and I were co-executors of her Estate and he proved his arrogance over and over despite what Mom's Attorney advised and her final wishes were.

In October, my precious Granddaughter was beaten to death by that guy I thought the world of. That's a story I'll eventually tell, but now isn't the time.

In November, my Step Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She passed in February 2004. We cared for her in her final days, and it was a huge strain on my already frayed nerves.

Needless to say, Christmas 2003 was a non-event for us.

And we realized that we didn't need it after all.

So as a result, we changed our outlook entirely. No more do we kill a tree for Christ. No more stringing the lights and decorating the house. I'm not a total Scrooge, though. I'll smile and wish you a Merry Christmas, I'll still attend the parties, I'll still buy a special gift for those that I love, and I'll still celebrate it as the birthday of our Lord and Saviour, but I'll pass on all that other stuff, if you don't mind.