“Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways.” – Stephen Vincent Benét, American author, poet, short story writer, and novelist, (1898-1943)

Good morning everyone and welcome. It is Tuesday, October 20, 2015. This has been a pretty tough last few weeks for Houston area professional sports. The Astros baseball team had a remarkable season but a weak bullpen ended their playoff run in heartbreak. The Texans football team. Where does one begin, stay, or end? There are a lot of skunks out on the road I travel each day to get to work. When they meet their demise as a result of them taking on a motor vehicle, man oh man, what a stench. When I smell that I am reminded of the Texans. Sorry. But, I am entitled to an opinion here. My driver in Nascar is retiring after this season. (Jeff Gordon) He is in their form of a playoff but not doing that great. Plenty to feel down about but these really don't add up to a hill of beans compared to other real life challenges. I read an obituary of a local 62 year old successful entrepreneur who was killed in a bow hunting accident. Don't know the details but that sounds painful. I saw a look of desperate frustration on the face of a cement truck driver the other day. He was sitting in his cab with the door open. He had his elbows on his knees and a forlorn look on his face. The cement mixer had fallen off the back of his truck. This major thoroughfare was reduced to one lane for traffic. Two truck mounted cranes were there attempting to hoist the mixer apparatus for removal. Police were there. Fire department was there. That look on his face said it all. Maybe he was concerned for his job. Maybe he owned that truck. I felt sorry for him. Talk about having a bad day! We sometimes get upset about games but when it is all said and done the GAME of life is the one that matters and we need God and His help every second of every minute of every hour of every day! Amen.

I know. That may sound like somewhat of a discombobulated thread but I opened my brain up for business and this is what came out. It's way too late to use a disclaimer because I would need one on nearly everything I write. However, the good news is that most wonderful function that comes with the electronic medium, the Delete Key. That's right. I have the power. You have the power. All God's children have the power. We can choose to read, skip, or delete. Given the sheer volume we all are bombarded with each day I'm not sure we could get through it all without these tools. Example: Since we do not have pets that's a subject I rarely pay much attention to. We have nothing against pets. We just don't have any ourselves. I know it is one of the most important subjects people talk about and I'm perfectly fine with that. We may be missing out on all the benefits of having pets. I do take issue with folks who think people who choose not to have pets are maybe less than what they should be. I've seen some of those postings. They more or less portray folks who love pets as being better for it and those who do not have pets as maybe having some deep dark secret. Give me a break! It's nothing more than a choice. We don't have pets. Okay? Okay. Thanks.

No. Those thoughts on pets does not constitute either a tangent or a tirade. (That is, in my opinion.) It's not that often I get to use the words discombobulated, tangent, and tirade in the same blog, therefore, it makes this a good day. For me. For you? Hey keep that Delete Key handy because it can be used in a flash. Speaking of different strokes for different folks, I read some of the comments that watchers made on the website where CNN did a wrap up from the Democratic candidate debate last week. What I called malarkey others hailed as being profound, elucidating, intellectual, mesmerizing, and captivating. I sure hope they were smoking dope because if any of those attributes were present at that forum well I need to check my brain in for rehab. Yes. I am exaggerating here but it does reflect the basis underlying the great divide we have in our country. What a disconnect. But, that's what freedom is all about. I have occasion to visit with a Brit who is here working in our country. He is a 100% committed socialist. He and I go round and round every time I see him but we never do so in a disrespectful manner and we always part company as friends. He may be one of those who made some of those mind boggling comments about the Democratic Party debate. I try to understand where they are coming from. I haven't yet been able to do so. Sorry. It does tell us all that we are living in some really strange times. Strange indeed. Only God knows what the outcome will be. Amen. ....More later.