WWJD?

"A LIFE IS NOT IMPORTANT EXCEPT IN THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OTHER LIVES"-Jackie Robinson


This doesn't stand for what you would usually think. It is most commonly thought of as "What would Jesus Do?" That is fine for people who believe that, and use that as their guideline for life.
I have a harder time identifying with that, especially since I am very lapsed with my religious views. So I have decided that the guideline for me would be WWJD- What Would Jackie Do?
As in Jackie Robinson. The first African American to be allowed to play Major League Baseball. I am currently reading a book called Opening Day.
It is about Jackie Robinson's first season in the Major Leagues. The 1930's and 1940's were a rough time to be African American. An interesting fact that I learned that Jackie's older brother, Mack, finished second to Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics, winning the Silver medal. But when Mack came back to the states, while White members of the Olympics found jobs as teachers and athletic coaches, Mack had to take a job sweeping streets and sidewalks. When the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey, decided the time was right for integration, he didn't want a player that was going to roll over and let everyone walk all over him. He wanted a player that would get angry, and be offended, but be able to put the racism behind him, and do what was best for the game. In other words, Mr. Rickey wanted Jackie to take out his anger and frustations on the field. This kind of goes hand in hand with what I have been learning in Anger Management. Not learning how to bury my anger, because it is a normal, healthy emotion. Just like crying, laughing etc. But how to deal with it positively and constructively. I have found reading about Jackie's life very inspiring, although I never got to see him play. But it is more than a book about baseball, or about a baseball player. It is more about a pioneer, and a brave man. We fail to realize sometimes how bad things were then. How would you like to go to a hotel, or restaurant and be told you coluldn't eat or stay there. Or using a separate entrance. Having to use a seperate water fountain. Ride at the very back of the bus or train. Not being able to take a cab driven by a white driver. Showing up for work, knowing you are hated by everyone for no reason. These are some of the things I try to keep in mind when it comes to my relatively miniscule problems. So that's why I try to think "What Would Jackie Do?"

42.....and counting

So what's wrong with the number 42? Nothing, if you have 42 jelly beans. Or if you find 42 dollars in your pocket. It is also Jackie Robinson's uniform number. And my mother was born in 1942. What's my problem with this number? October 29 was my 42nd birthday. Bah Humbug. I tend to look at my birthday as a non-event. In reality, it is my annual "What is wrong with my life" rant.
It usually starts off with "I don't feel I've done anything worthwhile with my life. I'm (insert appropriate age here) years old......" Blah blah blah. Generally, it takes someone a lot prettier and a hell of a lot smarter than me to give me a kick in the ass.
For a long time, my career, or lack thereof, has been a main focus. I've always felt like I should be doing something of importance. It seems more and more during the last 8 or 9 years or so, that I have felt that way. I never realized that I would need a job to define me, or to feel complete. Or to feel that would make my life mean something. A good friend told me that your job is not the be all and end all of who you are. He mentioned that his job is important, but in his words "I'm a mail-room manager, not a heartsurgeon." I think the key to everything is trying to find what you can live with and what is tolerable. Very few people are working in their dream jobs. But I'm having a hard time finding what's "missing" in my life. I have two great kids with another one on the way. I have a beautiful, loving partner who puts up with my crap. My parents and grandmother are still alive. I am taking an anger management course to help me understand and deal with my anger. I have a decent place to live. I have 2 cats and dog who are available to the lowest bidder (just kidding, I think....)
I don't feel that I am lacking in religious views, although I don't think that attending an organized service is for me.....
So I'm putting it out there, what is missing from my life?

Blue People

On Saturday, the Lovely One and I, along with some friends, were very fortunate to go see the Blue Man Group. It was the last show on their 3 year tour. And one of the Blue Men (Mans?) it was his last show ever. The show itself was very interactive with the audience. Great lighting, fantastic music. Starting off the show was the opening act, David Garibaldi. I guess the best way to describe him is "performamce artist" or "performance painter". Although this guy is more than a painter. He paints portraits of famous people to music, while dancing and leaping on stage. And his paint brushes are more than just tools of his trade. They are an integral part of his act. Here is his website
http://www.garibaldiarts.com/

Then the Blue Man Group came on. It was very loud and very awesome, the show was built around the premise of how to attend a rock show, the different moves(fist pumping etc.)to be done during the show. They did a few of their own songs which was very entertaining. Then they had to "pay tribute to their Rock and Roll forebearers",
and they did great renditions of One of These Days by Pink Floyd, I Feel Love by Donna Summer, and the classic Baba O'Reilly.

Things we find amusing.....Part 1

These are some pictures from around K-W and some other locations, that have tickled our funny-bones. Feel free to make some comments, but try to keep it semi-clean. The Restaurant and Laser Hair Removal
sign really bothers me, but everything else gets us giggling like 12 year olds.

......Weird thoughts

Bloggery, bloggery, blog. My mind is in a fog. I don't know what the hell that means. I thought of this the other morning when I was trying to wake up. Just one of those weird thoughts you have when you are trying to surface from the pool of sleep. Hey, I like that.I had a second line for this, but I can't remember it exactly. Something like bloggerty, bloggerty boo. I should keep a dream journal or something. But when I come up with this stuff, I usually want to go back to sleep. I'm too lazy to actually sit up and start writing this crap down. It's probably just as well I don't. I'd probably look back at it and think to myself, "What the hell is going on in my brain?" That's about all I got for now. Live long and prosper.

Lots of Happy Greetings

Thursday October 8, Friday October 9, and Sunday October 11 are some very special days. Thursday is my parents 49th anniversary, Friday is my Dad's 74th birthday, and Sunday is the Lovely One's 37th birthday. Hallmark loves me in October. These are the people I love the most in the world. I am so happy I have these people in my life. So lots of love and best wishes to everyone, I love you all more than anything.

TNG-The Next Generation

Something to add to my Most Memorable Moments in my life. Yesterday, the Lovely One and I went to the ultrasound clinic. Well guess who is going to be a father again, boys and girls? The Lovely One is 13 weeks pregnant. Our due date is April 4, 2010. There is nothing like seeing that little heart beating on the monitor. She is really excited, and so am I, but still getting over the shock. Previously, she had a miscarriage in early June. Apparently, conception was a couple of weeks after. Hence the shock, plus some other factors that raised some eyebrows. So now we are debating baby names. I like conventional names, the Lovely One doesn't. We went for a drive in the country on Sunday, by ourselves, and we were trying to come up with the most outrageous celebrity names. Pretty funny stuff. So I have to say, excitement is more the feeling now than shock or worry. We still can't agree on names yet. We have a boy's name picked out, but the girl's name is a little tougher. She doesn't want anything on the "Top 100" or any names that a celebrity has chosen. No problem. I didn't want to name my child Audio Science, Pilot Inspektor, Moon Unit, Rumer or Scout, Speck Wildhorse, Daisy Boo or Zuma Nesta Rock. What is it with celebs anyway? The Lovely One and I were trying to come up with the most outrageous names.
Some of the better ones were Nuclear Fallout, Solar Radiation, Minor Annoyance etc. I was holding out for Nuclear Fallout (Nuke for short). Mulva was suggested numerous times, and my personal fav "Hemi" as in the musclecar. Would work for a boy or girl. C'mon!!! Ya gotta love Hemi!! And then some Indian names were suggested, but that went nowhere fast. Hmmmmm...
I'm sure we'll figure something out soon, but for right now we are pretty happy and excited and if anyone has any legit responses (note to you B. I'm sure you could come up with some weird ones!) let's hear about them.