MOM holding Scott 1957

It will be 20 years ago tomorrow (Nov. 5th 1989) that my mom died. I still miss her. I wish she could have met Caitlin and Bronwyn. I saw this photo and she had that twinkle in her eye, I like to remember her like that. She is holding my brother Scott and she looks so beautiful. So here is to you Nancye Margaret Stokes, forever in my memory.

Good TV, Bad TV

It started innocently enough, it always does. An email from Joost recommended a television show to watch. It was called Jericho. It was a show I never saw, so I watched show one, season one. And I was hooked. I burned through every episode they had posted and really enjoyed the story, the cast and the plot. Problem was they did not have all the episodes up on Joost, so I went a looking. I found some streaming media sites the filled in the gaps and my online-media journey began. Now, let me tell you, I don't just stop everything to watch TV on my computer screen. I'm a expert multi-tasker. I work my aps and have a little 640x480 screen open on my desktop and as the media runs, I work. It's like having the radio on...really, really good radio, with pictures. If the story is compelling enough, I glance down and catch the gist of the scene, if it's really good, I pause and give it a look. If it rocks my world, I may stop typing and become awash in the moment.

I recently heard on NPR that employers are finding that the new generation of workers are extremely adapt at multitasking. As long as performance is strong they can twitter, Facebook and stream media to their work PCs. One article I read calls it passive distractions, another says it's a sign of depression. Only time will tell with me.

There are actually only a couple of shows that I record in HD to watch at my leisure, whatever that is. Those are LOST, Heroes, Sarah Connor Chronicles and 30 Rock...everything else I'll stream what I get to it. That being said, here is a list of TV series that I have watched in the past 12 months, every episode; Jericho, LOST, Greys Anatomy, Heroes, Life, Fringe, 24, 30 Rock, The Office, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Rescue Me, Desperate Housewives, American Idol, Entourage, Six Feet Under, The Shield, Flight of the Concords, Arrested Development, 30 Days, Web Therapy, Green Wing, Dexter, Nurse Jackie, Warehouse 13, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Firefly; Glee; Flash Forward; Community, Fringe, Sons of Anarchy.

David Garrett - Czardas (Live 2006)
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Violinist Super Model

Heard an interview with this German violinist David Garrett on NPR today. He trained with Isaac Perlman and went to Julliard. He supported himself at Julliard by modeling....go figure.

The Wedding of the Quarter Century

Before this day is lost in the memories of work, orchestra, ballet, bug bites and neck pains, I would like to take a moment to ponder the significance of being married for twenty five years.

First, it has gone by in the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday that I was sporting the mustache and dancing on the boards. Our children were babies and our concerns were simple.

Twenty five years of life together creates memories and familiarity that cannot be measured by blogs or tweets. Life rolls on like the endless waves that crash upon the beaches of our being. We merely pass through and leave a trail of love that is washed away.

I have a vivid memory about getting married. I remember that I once told Heidi that we could both walk on the same path and see totally different things and that's what I loved about her. She would tell me what she saw and I'd listen and I'd tell her what I saw and she would listen. No judgment, just the beautiful ability to expand our own vision of what we know.

So we keep walking through this crazy, wonderful life together. Not perfect by any means, but together. A four-eyed married mess making small steps together.

On our silver anniversary...we're going for the gold.

Dogs

Dogs they just listen and see what they see,
Look at the wall, look at the tree.
Look at the bird, look at the plane,
This old dogs life, stays always the same.

Sniff at the ground, turn and lay down,
With the cock of the head, you're ready for bed.
Too bored to stand, amazed at it all,
The pressures too great, to stare at the wall.

My eyes start to close, my head bobbs a little,
But my ears are awake, half way up to the middle.
I think I'll rest now, but I'll always be on guard,
For to some it's for naught, but I'm king of my yard!

_____________________


While doing a bit of cleaning in the garage, I found my old yellow notebook with this poem scribbled down. I read it to my girls who told me I should put it up on the old blog. Now, my marginal poetry is immortal. It did remind me that we did at one time have a couple of great dogs.

Is Blogging Dead? Or is it just too complicated.

Where have all the bloggers gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the bloggers gone,?
Long time ago.
Where have all the bloggers gone?
The networks have picked them ev'ry one.
Oh when will they ever learn?
Oh when will they ever learn?


My regular passers through will notice that I have succumbed to a new blogger template, only so I can have access to my archived blogs...also a shakeup was in order. Blogger has made it impossible to not use one of their 'gadgets' so my laundry list of blogging friend had to entered individually.

I last changed my blog style Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003 and lost all my previous posts...it's a shame, considering the reason I changed this time was to have access to all my tired old thoughts.

So what to do now that social networking has replaced blogging. Tweets and texts have overpowered complete thoughts. I was never really a frequent blogger, but a frequent blog reader of our community. Now most of us have changed from atrocity of MySpace to the organized splendor of Facebook. Is the blog dead? Is our community less vibrant now that we don't share as much online in blogs? I think so. I miss Cheryl's quirky look at basically everything and I loved reading Kelly Parkers random thoughts. So many great thinkers and writers have lost the time it takes to self indulge. Blogging is a discipline to say the least and it does take time to express oneself deftly. I can barely concentrate for 10 minutes let alone the time it takes to tell a story.

So long live the blog, get back in the saddle and write some prose.
Below is a list of bloggers that I have dropped. I know some of you visited my blog as merely a launching pad to find other blogs from our community. I've kept the active ones to the right ->....

I believe that Debbie Boyd has the blog with the oldest date, congratulations your secrets are safe.

Good-bye bloggers. Here's the list

Debbie Boyd
last blog ,Friday, January 16, 2004 "You ain't seen the end of me yet!!!" Perhaps we have.

Keith Bradley
Blog has been removed...what is that Keith up to now?

Dave Carder
last blog, Saturday, June 10, 2006, TRANSPLANT...Dave needs to write a book.

Cheryl Citizen
last blog, Sunday, June 15, 2008, The Lord Gives and He Has Taken Away...Cheryl come back to me...

Doug Citizen
last blog, Friday, November 16, 2007...Doug start a sketching blog....I'll hook you up...

Jules and Steven Col
last blog, Saturday, May 05, 2007, Fun in Vegas...we never seem to connect.

Tari Colbry
last blog, Wednesday, November 29, 2006, Thanksgiving...Missoula's gain is our loss...my first House Church was the Upper Room above her garage...

Sean Critchfield - Poet
last blog, Tuesday, December 04, 2007...slam poet and actor...

Sean Critchfield
last blog, 21st December 2008...world traveler

Tim Dunfield
last blog, Wednesday, September 21, 2005, september...Canadian friend...just started a new blog...yesterday there is hope

Paul Evans
last blog, Wednesday, March 17, 2004, Elijah Glenn Evans...my shoe guru

Andrew Harshman
last blog, Tuesday, August 28, 2007, Left Behind (The Rapture Song)...Andy

Tera Harshman
last blog, Thursday, June 19, 2008, My Blog has moved...and we followed

Greg Hubbard - Uncut
last blog, Tuesday, December 25, 2007, Awaiting Our King...my hero, vocation vs. avocation

Adam Hunt
last blog,
Thursday, August 18, 2005, Someone call a doctor!!!...huntlasvegas.com

Stephanie Lambert
Blog not found, Sorry, the blog you were looking for does not exist. However, the name nemo0204 is available to register!

Robb Lentz
last blog, Thursday, October 27, 2005...Land of goshen

Brad Linford
last blog, Sunday, February 22, 2009, Black Belt!...once a year doesn't cut it.

Marie Linford
last blog, Sunday, July 10, 2005, Working Mama...

John Matuszak
last blog, Saturday, September 16, 2006, Lightning...

Johnnny Miles
last blog, Friday, August 18, 2006, where have you been?...clowning around

Wayne Miles
last blog, Friday, January 06, 2006, Picture Memories...papa miles the best

Jeremy Ohl
last blog, Saturday, May 31, 2008, ?...??

Kelly Parker
last blog, Wednesday, May 17, 2006, Good News: Were All Younger Than We Thought...hugs

Kenny Parker
last blog, undetermined date, Our Last Flick, Pan's Labyrinth...great movie

Jacquie Patton
last blog, Monday, September 27, 2004, I'm back....kind of....kind of not

Joe Patton
last blog, Saturday, March 11, 2006, WHERE HAVE ALL THE MATTRESSES GONE????...downtown

Mehgann Peterson
last blog, Friday, January 18, 2008, An editorial voice I really enjoyed...she moved to facebook

Tommy Peterson
last blog, undetermined date, Chinese writing, empty space...

Gene Reinert
last blog, Wednesday, March 21, 2007, Blog Moved

Darren Relyea
Blog has been removed...very funny writer...come back to us

Carolyn Reynolds
last blog, Saturday, August 12, 2006, What you think about you bring about?...miss you

Jeremiah Smith
last blog, Monday, January 5, 2009, I'm on facebook...the oracle of truth...so has everyone else

Jim and Nik Sullivan
last blog, Monday, December 31, 2007, Recently...However they have a great launch page to all their social networking and photo sitesss

Heather Torrey
last blog, Tuesday, December 06, 2005, Dear Person Who Stole My Credit Cards...and my keyboard

Joel Vestal
last blog, Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2008, I have a new blog...

Phil Webster
This blog is open to invited readers only. It doesn't look like you have been invited to read this blog. If you think this is a mistake, you might want to contact the blog author and request an invitation. Hey Phil, I thought we were besties!

Bill Welter
last blog, Tuesday, July 24, 2007, Not Featured in the Brochure...but he's on facebook now...go figure.


That all for now...If you ever start posting again let me know and hook up up on my sidebar of shame.

Risen

"Ehyeh asher ehyeh" is literally translated as "I-shall-be that I-shall-be, a beautiful and reassuring message from God to us. May we be available to Him always.