"I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays." - Henny Youngman

No, it's not Photoshopped. They played for West Virginia in 2008. I don't know if they were tight ends.

It's been a hectic, ADD day. Lot's of little things flying in and out of my brain. That's good.

You may remember the story of the plane that crashed into a mountain here in Phoenix on Christmas Eve, killing a father and his three children. The kids' mother (ex-wife) lives here, he had just picked them up, and they were flying north for Christmas vacation.
A couple of days ago they reported that she's losing her home, one of thousands who are too far upside down after the bubble burst. It was a foreclosure but they're working on a short sale. It's the home she's been raising those kids in since they were born and friends say she hasn't done anything with all their things; it looks just like it did the day they left. Now she has to pack everything up and move out, leaving behind the place with all the memories of her children.
Very sad.
She's been interviewed on local TV, and shows a tremendous amount of grace and strength. No self-pity, just resolve to remember the good and move on, with her kids still in her heart.

If you follow sports at all you read the story that Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers ballplayer, had a relapse in his battle with alcohol Monday night. I'm saddened for him and for his family. But again, I'm impressed with the humility and grace he and his wife are demonstrating. This is his second relapse since foreswearing drugs and alcohol in 2005, after an extremely destructive personal history. As with the incident in 2009 he fully accepts his failure and responsibility; no excuses or self-justification.
Laudatory and exemplary.

I went to the dr. this morning and arrived 15 minutes early for my 10:30 appointment. He entered the examining room at 11:30. I really like him, both professionally and personally. And I understand that the patient he was seeing ahead of me was a very unusual case. He said he'd never seen that syndrome in all his years of practice because it's so rare. But I sure didn't plan on losing half my morning to that one item on the agenda. Oh well. At least I don't have blood coming out all my body orifices like that guy.

My younger son Josh sent me this video in response to last night's somewhat controversial comments on the game of soccer.
A Study in Contrasts

The trailer build is coming along nicely and attracting attention. Another guy who lives down the street saw me out there today and pulled over to see what was going on. He's the third in the last few days. Oddly, women don't seem that interested.

We're watching the new series on NBC, "The Firm." It's based on a John Grisham novel that I haven't read. The hour-long show is not standard TV fair. You have to keep track of things pretty closely or you get lost. It's full of flashbacks with two or three in each episode. But I like it. Because it's on across from The Mentalist, which we also like, we DVR it.

I started the week decidedly unmotivated for much of anything. As the week progressed and I learned more and more I found myself getting enthused, even exercised about Sunday.
I can't tell you how many times that's happened.