My Imaginary Travels (I think I'm doing this right (?)

Insert picture of World here. You can find one on Amel's Realm which you can click on in the right side of my column. Sorry I didn't do that part of it but I'm at work, & I've been on too long already.

• ~Begin Copy~
  Rules :
• 1. Start Copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy".
• 2. Put your blog's name and url write in which continent you live, add the country you live in. Example : My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands)
• 3. Leave your url post in here and I'll add you to the Master List.
• 4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.
• 5. Don't play unfair! If you have more than 1 blog, you can participate all your blogs for this tag. BUT you will have to post this tag to all your blogs as well. So, please. Don't cheat!
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• 7. Don't forget to use the banner at your post, you can save as or you can just copy the code in here.
• Master List :
• A. Asia : 1. Moms... Check Nyo (Philippines) 2. Aeirin's Collections (Philippines) 3. Jenny and Belle(Philippines) 4. Hailey's Beats and Bits (Philippines) 5. your turn
• B. Australia : 1. your turnC. Afrika : 1. your turnD.
• North America : 1. Simple Life, Simply Me (USA) 2. Pinaymama's Diary (USA)
• 3. 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires (United States) 4. What Happened to Vince? www.vince-s-ithaca.blogspot.com
• F. Europe : 1. My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands) 2. Juliana's Site (Netherlands) 3. Picturing of Life (Netherlands) 4. Amel's Realm (Finland) 5. your turnG.
• Antarctica : 1. your turn NOT! NOW YOU KNOW DARN WELL YOU AREN'T GOING TO FIND ANYONE IN ANTARCTICA (How many scientists do you know???)
• ~ End Copy ~

Perspective

As much as I complain about things, there are some things that remind me that things could be worse. Yes, I know that sounds cliché also. We have a client that was in 3 car accidents between February to April of 2006. 3 of them! & the response is “why is she such a poor driver?” She wasn’t! The accidents were caused by the other drivers! How do I know that? I have the car accident report and the other drivers were given traffic tickets (arrests) for slamming into our client's vehicle.

It got worse for her. She had her teaching degree delayed as a result of missing so many days from student teaching. She suffered severe neck pain, bulged vertebrae discs, back injuries, knee injuries. She ended up going to over 30 different hospitals and clinic as a result of her 3 car accidents. The lawyer told me yesterday, that at this time, 2 yrs. after the accidents, she is still treating. I’m preparing written answers to opposing attorney’s written questions. Instead of it taking less than a day to answer the questions, it’s taking me about 3 days. With so many different treaters and clinics, I've had to read 100s of pages of medical records and bills.

Also, I want to write about my cousin, Brendan Scanlon (a/k/a Solve). Brendan was born in 1983. He went to college in Chicago as an artist and had a really good job at a marketing firm applying his artistic skills. He also was in a pretty big community of street artists and was very well known. Last Saturday, he got into an argument with another man about his age. He ended up being held down by 4 men and stabbed to death. My heart goes out to him for the horror that the last minutes of his life brought to him. I was really amazed at how well known my cousin was. There were so many people writing in that paid their respects, so many memories and good times he created with/for other people. It was just staggering. My heart also goes out to his family. His family was extremely close knit. In fact, their family and my family gets together each August, and we have a great time. I wasn’t really close to him and unfortunately, didn’t keep in touch with him. I saw him every year at these family gatherings. I remember a few years ago, giving him bottle rockets which I had a large supply of and wanted to give away. He was very happy to get them.
There are a few websites to check out regarding his very untimely death:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-graffiti-artist-killedjun16,0,4570734.story

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/291765

& there is an especially good one which shows you how many people paid respects to him from the Chicago street art community and shows you a picture of the memorial built for my cousin. My kids and I saw the memorial Monday evening.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/chicagostreetart/discuss/72157605605470754/

No matter how bad it is, someone else is having it worse.

Lesson LEARNED

Sunday was Father’s Day. It’s 1 day set aside during the year to honor fathers. My day was ruined when my dear mother of my kids thought I was sleeping and told her dad something I really didn’t want to hear.

It all started Sunday morning. There was a Father’s Day card sitting on top of Maribeth’s dresser. It was just sitting there for hours during the morning. Deep in the back of my mind, I felt that I shouldn’t open it until Maribeth presented it to me. But, I couldn’t wait. So I picked it up and opened it.

It really made me feel happy. It touched my heart. The card said, “Thank you for taking such good care of our family. You are loved and appreciated more than you know”. Amid all the differences that Maribeth and I had (we’re still divorced, after all) the message felt really sweet. It seemed like the work I've done with my kids was really, sincerely appreciated.

So, that morning, I told Maribeth how much I appreciated the card. She asked, “Really?” “Yes!” I replied. I felt like asking her if she really meant it, but that would have been wrong (until I learned what happened later!).

Then she took me to breakfast (McDonalds), and I enjoyed brunch with her and our 3 kids and 2 girlfriends of Brianna. Then we went to her Dad’s place. She bought her Dad ribs from the Patio. Then I reclined, and she thought I was sleeping. So she said to her Dad, “I actually got you a card, but Vince picked it up by mistake and thought it was his.”

Then while I was writing this post I was even more upset. Because if I even had the presence mind to read the whole card, I would have noticed that Maribeth signed my name to her dad’s card. But I was too stupid. That made me even more angry then I already felt.

This is one Father’s Day I would love to forget, but won’t be able to. But the lesson is learned: never pick up and open a card that isn’t presented to you.

After reading the very nice message in the other father's card, I'm also reminded of 2 other sayings/lessons: If you feel good, don't worry, you'll get over it. If it's too good to be true, it usually is. By the way, I asked Ted (my son) later in the afternoon, "Ted, how many Father's Day cards did you sign?"

"One" (the same one I "signed").

Lately, there's a song that I have enjoyed listening to. It's by Nine Inch Nails, and it's called "Every Day Is Exactly the Same". The chorus definitely fits my mood. For the lyrics, go to www.nin.com/with_teeth

a bit of instruction about the ads

as you know, I run Google ads on my blog.
Just a little bit of instruction. You will see ads on a wide variety of subjects like car anti-theft devices, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Blues. When you see those ads, click onto them. It helps me out.
However, if you see the ad for "Barack Obama Exposed", do NOT click onto it. Give it the Finger.

Meeting a celebrity

To be honest, I did not want to put up a new post this soon. I wanted my leading post to be about Barack Obama for about a week. I was hoping to irritate at least a few conservatives and encourage a few liberals.

Then something happened Sunday, that I just had to report to all of you. I met Geddy Lee, the lead vocalist, great bass player and keyboardist for one of my favorite bands of all time, Rush. I was with my family at Millenium Park, the nice, touristy park off of Lake Michigan. We were sitting there and along came Geddy Lee who walked right in front of us with 2 older women and sat about 10 feet away from us. Then I wondered if I should even say anything to him at all. Once I realized that I should actually say something, my biggest emphasis was not to disrupt his good time. He wasn't there to be hounded by some goofy fan. No autographs, no taking pictures of me and Geddy (although my dear readers would deserve to see such photos, again, I wasn't going to put this man out while he was relaxing in Chicago).

So here's what I did. I watched him furtively. When he stopped talking (I didn't want to interrupt him while he was talking to the 2 women), I walked up to him and said, "Mr Lee?"
"Yes?"
"Hi, I just wanted to let you know I really enjoy your band's music"
"Thank you"
We shook hands. Then I walked away. For some reason, I just wasn't nervous. I still don't know why, but can only guess. I can't stop comparing it to meeting the famous Green Bay Packer, Jerry Kramer. When I was 10 yrs. old, I met this legendary offensive right guard, and when I got back to my seat, I was so awestruck my teeth were chattering. Meeting Geddy Lee was definitely a wonderful surprise, but I didn't even feel a fluttering heartbeat.

Quite frankly, I was happier with the way Maribeth reacted. We had been arguing before, because I told her before, that if we walked fast we would make the train and be able to go to church. She said no. She wasn't willing to walk fast or run. She didn't come to downtown Chicago to hurry, but to relax. We wouldn't be coming down there again for awhile. So there was no sense running to the train when the kids wanted to be at the park.

So after I met him, she had a big smile on her face. She must have said about 12 *+*times, "Now are you glad you didn't take the 4:30 train home??" She was just pleased as punch at the turn of events. She really felt vindicated. Seeing her so happy was a little like a beam of sunlight poking through the clouds, or hearing Geddy Lee singing "Dreamline" or "Tom Sawyer".

*+*Not an exaggeration!

This is what I believe

In my background part of my blog, I lightly touch on hoping that things go well in the 2008 election. It’s high time to discuss that vital subject area some more.

With Hilary Clinton now out of the race, I am going to state loudly and unequivocally that I truly hope that Barack Obama wins the U.S. Presidency on November 4, 2008 and frankly, the only person that’s going to beat Barack Obama is himself, not John McCain.
Why do I think that Obama is favored?
Very simple. When it comes to the issues, a majority of America agrees with Barack Obama.

Do a majority of Americans want American troops to stay the course and stay in Iraq?
HELL NO, AND NEITHER DOES SENATOR OBAMA!
Do a majority of Americans think that the economy is getting worse with prices high in gas and food, a nation too dependent on petroleum, and a nation too far in debt?
HELL YES AND SO DOES SENATOR OBAMA!
Does a majority of Americans think that the incompetent man holding the US presidency now has done a poor job as president? Did this same man come into office with a surplus and will retire (thankfully!!!!!!!!!) in January with a staggering deficit? Did this same man squander the good will of the rest of the world after 9/11/01 with his dreadful foreign policy? Did this same man say to the Iraqis “bring it on” to which these Iraqis did resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 American young men and women? Is this the worst president we have had since Warren Harding and can our nation do better?
HELL YES AND WE CAN DO BETTER WITH SENATOR OBAMA!

If a majority of Americans back Obama on the issues, how is he going to lose? Lots of ways, actually, but it will be because of poor, mistaken tactics leading to a disappointing loss, not because the Republicans have a better man.
Some conservatives like to talk about how Americans have, in the past, trusted Republicans more when it comes to foreign policy. That trust has led to ruin. We fight a war in Afghanistan with one hand tied behind its back, because we have to fight in Iraq. We aren’t any closer to apprehending Bin Laden fighting in Iraq. Republicans loved to talk about how Bill Clinton made the armed services weaker in his 8 years as president. Guess what most experts think of the armed services now compared to 2001?? THEY SAY WE ARE WEAKER!! Why? Because we are overextended and soldiers are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th tour of duty in Iraq when they need to be in Afghanistan fighting terrorism. & get this, don’t trust my opinion, listen to the retired generals and admirals saying the very same thing!! There was a reason why Donald Rumsfeld had to quit after the Democrats crushed Republican in the congressional races (as they will this year). There’s a reason why even McCain thought Rumsfeld was the worst Secretary of Defense this nation ever had.

I know I’m a partisan Democrat, and I won’t hesitate to say that anyone who thinks that Senator Obama is “soft on terrorism” is a stupid, ignorant redneck. Senator Obama will take the resources wasted in Iraq and put them to better use in Afghanistan. Senator Obama knows that domestically there is still a lot of work to be done in making this nation safer from terrorists. Senator Obama will repair all the relations that Bush damaged with other nations (oh wait a minute, weren’t the Republicans better in foreign policy than Democrats?) so that the free world can wage a more effective war against those who believe in totalitarianism, growing heroin and oppression of women and take a much larger step towards and take a much larger step towards beating those terrorists.
But don’t take my word for it.

Listen and read the findings of the blue ribbon commission appointed by our current president regarding terrorism and 9/11/2001. The blue ribbon commission stated that one of the things the United States needs to do is sit down with our adversaries LIKE IRAN, because they stated that, “you don’t negotiate with friends, you negotiate with adversaries”. So all those people agreeing with John McCain about how terrible it is for Obama, as president, to talk to the Iranian leader, weren’t paying much attention to the blue ribbon commission of very well respected leaders (people like Lee Daniels, Republican, long time committee member and chairman of the House Foreign Relations, James Baker, Republican, chief of staff during the Reagan administration, Secretary of State during the better Bush’s presidency {that’s the father of the current presidential joke for those not reading the papers}). Don’t trust my words, listen to a couple of Republicans on the commission with brains!

Let’s say a few things about Hilary Clinton who made news today dropping out of the 2008 campaign. Senator Clinton wasn’t my first choice on who I wanted winning the presidency. I think she would make a very good president, but I think that too much of the country, especially too much of the South hates her, and wouldn’t vote for her. Newsweek magazine said it best that Republicans aren’t very united this year because they have a hard time uniting the evangelists and religious zealots of the party with the more moderate wing of the GOP. But if there was one person who could unite both factions together it was a Hillary Clinton candidacy for president. With her out of the picture, it won’t be quite so compelling nor detrimental (in the conservatives view) for some rednecks to stay home November 4. The election thumping that Republicans will get on November 4 in the congressional battles won’t be so difficult to stomach if it’s “President Obama” rather than “President Clinton”.
I truly hope that before or after Senator Obama heard the news of Hilary Clinton dropping out he looks in the mirror and says, “I’m going to run the best presidential campaign ever, because the only person who is going to beat me is myself!”

Oh & by the way, I would recommend NOT getting the book advertised in the above Google ad. The Real Obama or whatever the hell the title is, is fiction. It's probably written by some stupid bastard who will try to convince you that Obama is a Muslim.

interesting experience

On Satuday night, something happened to Maribeth & I that hasn't happened in about 13 years. There were no kids with us overnight. Better yet, we didn't even fight. Andy was at his grandpa's place in Tinley Park, Brianna was at her friend, Bella's place. Ted was at Nate's place. Nate and his family lives downstairs from us.

So what did we do? It began uneventfully doing things we loved doing. Maribeth watched Law and Order; I read my beloved New Yorker magazine with the White Stripes playing in the background. In the morning, we had an even nicer time.

How would I describe the whole experience? Nice and sedate, good "change of pace". I wonder if it will happen again this summer?