Why Did He Not Quit?...

I subscribe to James Allens', "As A Man Thinketh," and sometimes he sends me an upper when I feel down. This is one of them. Enjoy.

Here's a quick (and true) story that really spoke to me and I thought you'd appreciate it:

Long after the crowd had left and the cameras had moved, a lone runner entered the stadium to complete the 26-mile-long marathon in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Injured earlier in the race during a fall, he stumbled along, more than an hour after the others had finished. Hurling himself to the finish line, John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania finished dead last. But before you judge him as a loser, take careful heed of the words he uttered when asked why he did not quit earlier when he had been injured:

'My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it.'

Kinda grabs ya, don't it?

Later...

I Got Tagged...

"I just might tag a friend of mine that writes quite well and enjoys talking about himselve"

That is a direct quote from my friend, Sandy, the guy who tagged me. So to lend credence to his statement (or suggestion) that I like to write a lot about my self, I added a couple extra onto the end of the 10. If I knew I'd live to be at least a hundred years old, I'd add some more but I guess I'd better not push it!

Ten (or more) Things That I Enjoy!

1. It makes me happy to share things with my wife. Just about anything I can think of.

2. Blogging makes me happy. I love to share opinions and information with others.

3. I enjoy working in my web sites and writing my life story (my journal) and my book, “A Detective Story.”

4. I enjoy panning for gold.

5. I love to fish.

6. I enjoy kicking back with my friends.

7. I love being an arm chair quarterback for all kinds of sports (except basketball), particularly professional boxing and kick-boxing.

8. I love my wife and me singing together and donating our time to entertain old people.

9. I t makes me happy to write songs and poems.

10. I thoroughly enjoy talking long distance to my kids, my sisters and spending time with my big brother.

11. And number 11, I enjoy “looking at” (talking to and listening to) Chico the Wonder Dog. (I have to “look at” him because dogs can’t talk)

12. Oh, yeah, I enjoy going out to Home Town Buffet with mi espousa (a little Spanish lingo there) for lunch.

13. Right now I am enjoying learning Castilian –Spanish. Next it’ll be German then French.

14. etc,-etc,- and, oh yes, Did I mention etc?

Sacoftomatoes, I don't know if you're into this sort of thing but, in case you are, "You've Been Tagged!"

Later...

Jam Session Time Again...

I meant to post this yesterday but lost it in 'notepad' so I'll just pretend today is yesterday.

Jam Session...

Donna is still in SF with her sister so I guess I'll go to the jam session without her.

It's not as much fun without Donna fussing at me. We usually spend time while we are driving to the session trying to figure what she'll sing when her turn comes up. This time I'll just sit quietly and listen to my Spanish lesson.

Chico the Wonder Dog is scratching on my leg. I keep telling him that I don't pick up dogs but he won't believe it.

He 'looks at' me, (he has to look at me because dogs can't talk)"Why won't you pick me up like Donna always does?"
I look at him, "I'm not Donna and I don't pick up dogs. What if you were a Great Dane instead of a Chihuahua? You'd break my back."

He looks at me, "What would you think about a nip on the ankle?"
I look at him,"...oops'...he's gone as if by magic. He's probably in his bed because he knows I can't go there. It's his sanctuary and off limits to me.

I'll sure be glad when Donna gets back home. It's been a long almost week.

(The jam session was fun but definately not the same without my best fan )

Later...

Remembering My Friends...

I'm going over my journal, the story of my life (I'm up to age 24) and I start remembering things; remembering my earliest and most eternal friends, my Guardian Angel, the Tuolumne River and its' Trees.

...I spent most of my time alone at the River. The River was my friend and I enjoyed it and my friends, the Trees.

After Mother got more used to me going to the River and staying all hours, it became easier. I don’t know if she began to believe I had a Guardian Angel watching over me (*I did-I was between the ages of eight and eleven when I spent most of my time at the River)or she just got tired of fighting the losing battle with the River over me.

I often went all the way up to the Hughson Bridge which was the upstream limit I had set for myself. Many times I would find a log and float the four or so miles down the River at a very leisurely pace, looking for mussels or just kicked back and enjoying the feeling of buoyancy and the caress of the water on my body.

I found many places in the bank, mainly the northern bank, where the tree roots came out over the water.
There was one big Oak Tree that had extremely thick roots that reached way out over the water, about six or so feet. Water had washed away much of the dirt under the Tree and the roots showing were very strong and thick.

The water at the back there was pretty deep, about five or so feet. I swam under the roots and dug out a large hole in the bank, mostly under the roots, but partly down stream, too.

I could swim under the roots and come up out of the water under the bank and breathe. I could put my feet on the bottom and stand straight up.

I didn’t tell anyone about my underwater Fort. Every time I went up to the Hughson Bridge and floated down, I’d stop and go into the Fort. It never occurred to me it might cave in.
I was in there many times the summer I made it.

That winter the water came up quite high and flooded way up onto the bank. The next spring when the weather got warm enough to swim, I went to the Fort and found it had caved in. The Oak Tree was all right and is probably still standing.

Sometimes, like now, I remember my friends, the River, the Oak Tree, the Fort and my Guardian Angel.

Later...

To Catchy To Pass Up...

I got this in an e-mail today and think it is too catchy and clever to not pass on to you. Enjoy...

FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY LANGUAGE (OR SEVERE DISTORTIONS THEREOF)

Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine.

A backward poet writes inverse.

A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments.

Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.

A person needs a lover just to break the monogamy.

A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.

Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.

Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.

When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.

A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two tired.

What's the definition of a will? (It's a dead giveaway.)

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.

A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.

With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

Local Area Network in Australia: the LAN down under.

He often broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

Every calendar's days are numbered.

A lot of money is tainted - It taint yours and it taint mine.

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

He had a photographic memory that was never developed.

A plateau is a high form of flattery.

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.

Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.

Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses. Acupuncture is a jab well done.

Later...

We're Doin' It Again...

Well, here we are, batchin' it again! Chico the Wonder Dog and I are looking after things for a few days while Donna is with her sister in San Francisco. Janice, Donnas' sister, had to have a stint inserted into one of her veins.(or arteries) She got it done yesterday and is in recovery now.

Janice has an apartment in an apartment building and she said she wanted Donna to look after the place while she is in the hospital.
Actually, though, it was because she wanted her sister there with her for support and encouragement. I can't blame her for that. I guess everyone needs someone at one time or another. Most people, anyhow.

I got word my Aunt Lola Mae died a couple of days ago. She wasn't expected to die this soon. She was only about 89 years old and that's not really old for my mothers' side of the family.

She had a series of small strokes and I guess the last one did it. It's sad.

In the photo, the first lady on the left is Aunt Dessie, the second oldest girl.
The next is my Mother, the oldest child in their family.
The next lady is Aunt Lola Mae.
Then it's my Grandmother and Grandfather Johnson.
The guy in the back is Uncle Frank. This picture was taken in about 1949 in Modesto, California.

When I was born in Hondo, Texas, my Mom and Dad lived about a mile from Grandpa and Grandma Johnson, across a river. After I was born, mother was very weak (not surprising considering who she gave birth to-Yuk) so Aunt Lola came to our house every day and got the other kids off to school and took care of me until my older sister got home from school in the evening. She was, for all intents and purposes, a surrogate mother to me for the first six or so months. She always referred to me as "Her little boy."

It's a sad thing but I know she is in a better place.

Later...

"I'm Still Waiting"...

In the words of Dawn Sears, "I'm still waiting," but not for love. I'm still waiting for the worse cold I've ever had to go away. With me, a cold usually lasts about three weeks, at the most. This one has been around for a month and (crossed fingers) seems to be getting better this morning.

However, it got better two weeks ago and the 'better' lasted for a day then the damned thing started all over again.

I've sure missed some good jam sessions because of it. I plan to get my music together when I get well (I was waiting for my new hip and have that now) and start entertaining old people again.

Donna misses it, too. As does Chico the Wonder Dog.

Just this morning Chico the Wonder Dog looked at me, (he has to 'look at me' because dogs can't talk) "When are you going to start playing music again?" I looked at him, "As soon as this bad cold goes away."
He looked at me, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
I looked at him,"Why are you so concerned?"
He hesitated for just a second then looked at me,"You can't imagine what it's like to have you in the house, 24 hours a day for a month!" I glanced at him; or rather, where he had been. He had disappeared and I knew he would magically reappear in his bed sanctuary where I am not allowed.

I fumed a bit at first then I began to understand how he must feel, being in the position he is in, never allowed to leave the house except to visit his lawn. Maybe having a bad cold isn't the worse thing that can happen to a man; or a dog.

I chuckle about it now and expect, at any time, to see him back in the living room. He knows about things.

Later...

Friendship Day...

A dear friend once gave me a cloth scroll with those words of Camus on it. I still have the scroll.

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend." Camus

"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." Elbert Hubbard

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." Robert Southey

"A friend is someone, who upon seeing another friend in immense pain, would rather be the one experiencing the pain than to have to watch their friend suffer." Amanda Grier

Later...

Just Had You On My Mind...

You don't tell me that you love me,-you only say hello,-

You don't try to keep me with you -when it's time for me to go.

You're not sorry that you missed me -when there's no answer at your door,-

But you haven't said you'd rather -never see me anymore.

When I keep on hanging 'round you,-if you care it doesn't show,

But you never try to hurt me,-you must know I love you so.

You have never said we're lovers,-no, never even called me friend,-

But I still would like to see you -when I'm back this way again!

Go figure..

Later...