Communicating

Have you ever started out to do something, something you think is just an awsome idea. You think to yourself that this is a great idea and everyone will love it. You might even run it by folks you work with and they pump you up telling you, that is a great idea.

Then you spill it on your loved ones, the family that you've planned to be part of this notion of yours. In fact, the idea was meant to be for them. A little something to bring the clan together. Then, your hit with a barrage of negativity. No, they say, that is not a very good idea at all. You can't seriously be thinking of doing that.

Your left thinking, how the hell could they not think this would be great. People that your suppose to know well and their suppose to know you. How could the wires get so crossed. After all, you wanted to do this out of love for the people you care about. Don't they understand!

This communication thing can be a real puzzle sometimes.

The Winter Solstice

Ok, so winter has officially begun. Isn't it a bit odd that Christmas and New Year's, a couple of holidays we associate with winter are only like in the first week of winter. It seems like they ought to be in the middle of the winter months in order to give us a little rivalry during these long cold days. I mean, what are we left with, Ground Hog's Day? Mardi gras is out there, but it really hasn't caught on outside of the Big Easy.

I think we ought to change Christmas. I'm thinking sometime in the middle of January. New Year's can stay the same, it's a given. Besides, you can keep New Year's at the end of December and it could act as a prelude to the Christmas season.

Now, we can keep the religious tie in. It's not like His birth hasn't been changed in the past. But, I really think this will help the winter flow rather nicely. We build up the Winter Solstice, this will bring in the Greenpeace types, you have New Year's, that's a no-brainer, then follow it up with the king of holidays - Christmas!

I think the retailers are going to love this!

Snow Removal

A snowstorm is definitely a nuisance. It can wreak havoc on well made plans. It lengthens travel time and puts the traveler at risk. You put several heavy snowstorms together in a winter and it certainly mucks up city and state budgets

Somehow, though, if a snowstorm hits in the middle of a weekend, it doesn't seem so bad. Yeah, its still going to take a bite ot of the budget, but the average homeowner seems a little less stressed if there's some extra time to clean up the white fluffy stuff. You can sort of watch the storm for a while, have a second cup of coffee and attack the snow on your own terms.

Another benefit to weekend storm, is that it gives us one of the few opportunities to actually mingle with our neighbors. You know, those people that live in those houses that surround yours. It's funny how something that ruins what plans you may have had can get you to know some folks that you have a lot in common with. Most of the time, we just give a friendly wave to our neighbors as we rush out to our jobs and appointments. But, a weekend snowstorm gives us a chance to slow down, you shovel your steps then you look up to see how the other guy's doing. Sometimes, you might actually team up and go after one lot at a time.

In the midst of all this snow removal, something happens. A bond can be created between folks that live in the same community. You know, there may be some reality to Global Warming, so we ought not to depend on a snowstorm to go out and meet our neighbors!

A Vanishing Breed

"Back when the West was very young,
there lived a man named Masterson.
He wore a cane and derby hat.
They called him Bat, Bat Masterson."

With those lyrics, an episode of television's "Bat Masterson" starring Gene Barry would begin. Gene Barry passed away yesterday at the age of 90. Baby Boomers growing up with television will no doubt remember Gene, his Bat Masterson show and later as millionare police captain, Amos Burke in "Burke's Law".

Gene Barry was one of many actors that brought characters to life on television throughout the 1950's and '60's. Television was relatively new then. There were only 3 major networks to choose from but American audiences were captivated.

The shows that ran on TV then, seemed to be more memorable than what has been available recently. Many dramas back then were only a half hour long but yet they were able to tell a decent story within that time frame. Today we have dramas, sitcoms and, of course, "reality" shows. Very few of them seem like they will be remembered a week after they air let alone decades later. And, the actors appearing in these shows certainly don't seem like they will be fondly remembered like Gene Barry or Hugh O'Brian, Clint Walker, Rod Serling, Robert Conrad, Jack Lord, James Arness and many more.

Rest in peace, Mr. Gene Barry you are part of a vanishing breed.