Words of Truth

The last post was all about sports, so this one is about the stuff that all you non-sports people might care about. I am still in the same job, albeit with more responsibilities, and a little more pay. I still live in the same house with the same family ;-). My son is now a 5th grader, playing his trumpet and piano. My 2nd child is now in 2nd grade, and my third is about to turn 4, so she isn’t in school yet. She was really happy when the other two got out of school in May, but after a week, she asked my wife, “When do they go back to school?”

Angus is now almost a year old, he weighs 60 lbs, and he is generally a good dog. He still “counter surfs” whenever the kids leave food on the table, but that’s a matter of training the kids, not the dog. His other problem is that he jumps up onto the back door, which scratches the screen window. Don’t know how to break him of this other than to put a shock collar on him and shock him every time he does it. That’s one idea. Any others?

Speaking of Angus, I am watching the Cubs game, and Derrek Lee just hit a 2 run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to push the Cubs ahead of the Astros by one run. I shouted “YEAH!!!” and Angus (who had been taking a nap on the floor) came running over to me and sat at attention, as if to say, “What?? What is all the fuss about?” I didn’t know how to explain it to him. I know, I said no sports, but this was about Angus, not sports. 😉

That’s all for now.

It has been a while since I updated this blog. I wonder why I keep it sometimes, but I guess I don’t really, at least not this summer. Maybe I will have more time now that summer is over and my kids are back in school. Most of my life right now consists of church, work, family, and football.

BASEBALL: I am happy about the Cubs being in first place, but, being a lifelong Cubs fan, it is almost certain that they will choke at some point. I watched a documentary on the Cubs this week called “Wait ‘Til Next Year: The Saga of the Chicago Cubs”. In the documentary, one fan was discussing the general feeling among most clubs that if they get farther this year than they did last year, it’s a good thing. But for the Cubs, it doesn’t matter if we go to the World Series…if we don’t WIN the World Series, then we will have choked.

CHIEFS FOOTBALL: I have been watching the Chiefs’ training camp on HBO. I think picking up Bobby Sippio was a good move, but either Croyle needs to get his act together, or we need to draft a franchise QB next year. I’m still miffed that Brady Quinn went to Cleveland in a last minute trade with Dallas (details: it was Dallas’ turn to pick a player, they obviously don’t need Quinn [they have Romo], the next pick was for KC. Dallas traded their pick to Cleveland at the last minute. Quinn went to Cleveland). I know, we didn’t expect Quinn to go that low in the first place, but the possibility was there.

BEARS FOOTBALL: I went to the Colts-Bears game on 8/20. Grossman still stinks. He fumbled the ball twice, threw an interception. It wasn’t as bad as his Super Bowl performance, but he didn’t even play an entire half, so…it averages out. I was surrounded by Bears fans, and they were all pretty disgusted with Grossman. I told the guy behind me that they need to switch Griese and Grossman. It took almost an entire half for Grossman to get a touchdown, but Griese got one in just under a minute, IIRC. Then I made the comment that if Grossman doesn’t get better, and they don’t pull him, then Lovie Smith will be standing in the unemployment line behind Rex next year.

COLTS FOOTBALL: I truly believe that the Colts are going to repeat this year. Obviously anything can happen, but they stand a good chance, with the talent they have. The final round of cuts just happened yesterday, and I think they should have held onto Craphonso Thorpe, as well as John Standeford, but that’s why Bill Polian is the Manager, not me. I am glad that Bill listened to my psychic message that we needed to drop De De Dorsey and move Keith up to the #2 slot at running back. Maybe Dorsey can now go to Phoenix. I hear they need a good running back 😉

I am going to the Season Opener this Thursday with my best friend (other than my wife). He and his family are driving out from Iowa tomorrow to help us put in our new kitchen floor (wood laminate by Pergo). Neither of us much care for Rock music (or as Terry Pratchett calls it, “music with rocks in”), and there is going to be a special “concert” at 8pm by John Mellencamp in the RCA Dome. I have gotten three mailers, as well as two different e-mails “suggesting” that I be in my seat before 8PM, since there will be a concert, as well as the Super Bowl XLI banner unveiling. Anyway, I predict that the season opener (Colts over Saints) is going to be a preview of Super Bowl XLII.

This is the last year that the Colts are in the RCA Dome. The Colts are building a new stadium, called Lucas Oil Stadium, one block south of the RCA Dome. I got a letter this week telling me that I should get my finalized seat assignment for the Stadium in November. This year I wanted two or three season tickets, but I had to settle for one. But since I am now a season ticket holder, next year I should be able to get at least one more seat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not rich. I sell the tickets that I don’t use, and the 50% markup means that I am not actually paying much for the games that I do attend.

That’s about it for sports. I’ve been reading a Colts blog that is pretty good, over at stampedeblue.com.

So R.L. White of the NAACP thinks that Michael Vick should be allowed back into the NFL after he serves his jail time. He is entitled to his opinion, I guess. I did get upset, however, when I read the last part of the article, it says,

White said he does not support dogfighting and that he considers it as bad as hunting. “His crime is, it was a dog,” White said.

I am not sure if he means that if he had electrocuted and drowned deer that he wouldn’t be wrong. I’m sorry, but I take exception to the implied accusation that hunting is cruel. I am a hunter, and my objective every time I pull the trigger, is to kill the animal cleanly. I hate seeing animals suffer. That’s the problem here with Vick, not that he killed dogs, but that he treated them cruelly while alive, and killed them in tortuous ways. If he had simply owned the dogs as pets, and shot them in the head to kill them, there would be no problem. People do that all the time. But if you tied the dog down and used it for target practice, shooting each leg off before finishing the dog, that’s wrong. That is basically what Vick did, and he has no business being in the NFL.

“Interesting debate” going on now. I’m not sure where I stand.

On a personal note, I have been very busy lately, working five 12 hour shifts per week. Our unit at the hospital has had several people quit in the past few months, and the new people are not trained up yet. Enter me.

More updates to follow…