Tell Barak I'm baroke.

It apparently looks worse than it feels. The first thing Pam said this morning was, "You should put ice on that" (the swelling of my jowl from yesterday's root canal).
I love the way my wife sends me out the door with all kinds of self-confidence.

The Woodworker's Source exchanged the router bit without any hesitation. Nice!

The Cardinals have several key players on both sides of the line who are hurt going into Sunday's game against the Packers. Not good.

Gilbert Arenas, suspended by the commissioner indefinitely without pay! Who does Stern think he is? President Obama?

Sandra Bullock is the first actress to star in a female-centered movie that hit the $200 million mark. Did "Blind Side" do that well because of Bullock or because of the story line? I suspect some of both, but I wonder if Hollywood is taking note of the success of a film with no sex, no violence and a positive ending.

Big doin's here. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Sun City, the first age-restricted community in the nation...in the world. Del Webb is best known for building the Flamingo, the Sahara and the Mint hotels in Las Vegas. But he began as a contractor here in AZ and had the idea to build a whole "city" for retirees, complete with shopping centers, churches, rec centers and golf courses. The opening weekend in January of 1960 over 100,000 people went through five model homes, ten times more than they expected. Sun City, AZ is now home to over 38,000 residents age 55 and older, more than 18,000 Buicks, 7,000 walkers and 3,500 dogs weighing under 5 pounds.

Sun City was such a big success that Webb built versions in California, Texas and Florida. (Imagine, none in Michigan.) Here in AZ he followed Sun City with Sun City West, Sun City Grand, and Sun City Festival. Each one is bigger, fancier and more expensive than its predecessor, but each is also age restricted (55+) and each has the same basic amenities.

Webb died in 1974, so technically he didn't build those other communities; the mega-corp that bought his construction company did. And several other builders in other places have picked up on his idea. But he had a good idea and the courage to put his money into it, the American entrepreneurial spirit at work.

Too bad he couldn't figure out a way to make them better drivers.

If you're so inclined I'd love to hear your list, but even if you only do it in your head:
Name three things you've lost - and only one of them may be a thing, an object.
Don't be satisfied with the obvious. Go a level or two deeper to things of real and lasting significance.

I'm off to an elder meeting. Figured I might not feel like writing this kind of profundity when I got home. Aren't you glad I wrote early?