"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon." President George Washington

Greetings friends and neighbors where I send out a howdy on behalf of your observer of life as it unfolds here, there, and everywhere. It's Monday, February 17, 2014, where we find ourselves observing President's Day, the federal holiday that still bears its actual name in the statue itself, Washington's Birthday, in honor of our first President, George Washington. I'm not sure how much time is spent teaching children about our founding father but there's some evidence that many of them are somewhat unclear on things concerning our history. Here's an actual student answer given on a 6th grade history exam: "Delegates from the original 13 states formed the Contented Congress. Thomas Jefferson, a Virgin, and Benjamin Franklin were two singers of The Declaration of Independence. Franklin discovered electricity by rubbing two cats backwards and declared, 'A horse divided against itself cannot stand.' Franklin died in 1790 and is still dead." According to this 11 or 12 year old, that was likely the one and only time we had a contented Congress so maybe they were on to something. Whatever your political bent, anyone with any concept of how our nation came into being would rightly thank God for men like George Washington who served the cause of liberty. Amen.

I'm not one to be suckered in on those relentless TV commercials that run on certain channels at least 10,000 times a day. However, I did make an exception recently. I ordered me up some of those HD night vision wraparound glasses that you wear on top of your regular glasses. Why would I fall for something like that? I do have a reason. I don't see as well at night as I used to. I drive everyday forth and back into a land where the antelope play and the buffalo roam, if you know what I mean. I have been fortunate not to have had a close encounter of the worst kind in my more than seven years traversing across their territory in the wee hours of the morning. But, I have had plenty of those take your breath away near misses. So, I ordered me up some of those little 'light up your world' glasses. They help. They really do.

In fact, I like them so well I wear them as I drive around here and there during the day. And, that my friend, is where the trouble began. I had not planned on this being a comic prop but I have certainly stirred up the general population to look me over and respond with a hearty chuckle. What's wrong with people today? Haven't they ever seen an astute observer wearing his HD night vision wraparound glasses on top of his regular glasses before? My only thought was maybe they thought I was trying to do an impersonation of the late great famous Cubs broadcaster, Harry Caray. Go figure.

Even my wife. The other afternoon I came in all decked out in my new amber glow glasses and she asked me to please remove them. I asked why. She said because they made me look ridiculous. Memo to all the little critters: Please pay no mind to my critics, just be happy knowing that you will live another day to wrestle up some grub out of folks' trashcans. So. As you can tell, today just happens to be a slow news day. What's that you say? You think surely I have embellished this little story? Not on your life friend. We live in a very cruel world. I could have told the laughing folks that they actually are shooter's glasses. That may have wiped a smile or two off their faces. I, of course, didn't, and when it comes down to it, everyone needs something to smile about, and they might just be the ones I end up not hitting out on the freeway one day. My word to them: Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Bucko! Okay. Enough already. Have a great rest of the day Monday and Lord willing I'll catch back up with you on the flipside. I think I know what that means so until that time, may God bless one and all. Amen.    .....More later.