Random Bits

I feel the need to write. I have a dilemma in that there are a multitude of thoughts which I need to express. Instead of dedicating this blog to one topic, I have decided to try and limit myself to one paragraph for each of the topics on which I want to comment. Maybe I should blog more often. Maybe daily? Not going to happen.

I must start off with Obama’s Katrina. According to the mainstream media (MSM), the Gulf of Mexico is completely covered in oil. To bring levity to the situation, they are making a desperate attempt to blame it on Bush. At the same time, the MSM is working angles to make Obama seem like he is actually doing something. Stephanopoulos started his newscast with the story of Obama’s daughter asking the President while he was shaving, “Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy.” Maybe she should ask if departments under his control are issuing safety awards to future disaster sites like they did last year for the oil rig company. Or maybe she should ask him if they are going to start checking for dead batteries. They safety inspected the rig 10 days before the accident and missed a dead battery. Come on! My $39.95 carbon monoxide detector reaches the end of its life and I can’t sleep for the thing reminding me to replace the module. What’s wrong with these people?

Staying with Obama but changing subjects, I have a different take on Joe Sestak. Actually, I think Obama may be the victim here. It has come out that Bill Clinton was involved. I can’t help but wonder if this is Hillary in 2012 dirty tricks. Someone needs to tell Obama that when Vito Corleone told his son Michael to, “Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer,” that it was implied that you keep your eyes on your enemies. Maybe Obama needs to watch the film again.

Let’s move to my health, or lack thereof. I broke my right ankle at the beginning of March. I had a blood clot develop in my right calf, most probably as a result of the muscle atrophy in that leg. So now I am on a three to six month regimen of a therapeutic dosage of rat poison. I was released two weeks ago from wearing the boot which they used instead of a cast. Now all I have to deal with is the swelling. The doctors say it should lessen in about a year.

A side benefit of the broken ankle is that now I have a CPAP machine. I wasn’t allowed to drive with the boot on. To be intellectually honest, I probably wouldn’t have been able to drive safely with the clunky thing on my leg. As a result, my wife had to drive me everywhere, including the doctor’s office. I had worked so hard at keeping the two of them apart! Anyway, she proceeds to tell him how I stop breathing in my sleep. Next thing I know, I am sleeping in an office suite with electrodes attached to my scalp. So now I have this medieval torture device which attaches to my face and pumps air into my nose. I have yet to experience a good night’s sleep. That includes the night I was awakened by my wife to tell me it was leaking after she felt the exhaust stream. Being cranky from lack of sleep, I not so politely informed her that the air has to go somewhere.

A friend of our daughter moved in with us in February. The way this happened is a long story, too long to go into here. However, it is safe to say that it has been interesting going from a one teenage girl house to a two teenage girl house. The newest member of our household graduated from high school last weekend. With college starting for her next fall, we are not sure what is going to happen. We are taking it one day at a time. It has caused us to pause and reflect on our own daughter’s graduation which will occur this time next year. Our baby is becoming a young woman.

I was in Switzerland the week before last. I flew through Heathrow for the second time in my life. Unless I can’t avoid it, it will also be my last time. Heathrow is a nice airport staffed by nicer people who have no leadership. They can not handle any form of crisis. Flights were delayed due to the volcanic ash. For nearly four hours I had to resist the urge to grab personnel and tell them what they needed to do to make the airport run. My advice: Avoid Heathrow at all cost.

It was good to get back to the States. Now we are celebrating the Memorial Day weekend. Getting back to Obama, he has elected not to attend the services at Arlington this year. He will be in Chicago instead. Vice President Biden will go to Arlington to honor those men and women who sacrificed all to preserve our republic. I suspect Obama would feel uncomfortable around all those who acted counter to his efforts.

Please have a safe and happy Memorial Day. Please remember those who made it possible.