Its very interesting to me how our senses can trigger memories. If any of you out there are into neuroscience you can explain it for us. I think its cool how certain sounds or smells can trigger memories and seem to transport you back to another place and time. You know what I'm talking about, right? Like hearing a certain song can make you feel like a kid again or like a newlywed again. It comes on the radio and suddenly you feel like you are back in your childhood home or on your honeymoon, or wherever. Has that happened to you?
This time of year if I go out in the morning and the dew is still on the ground and I smell fresh cut grass it takes me back to those early season two a day workouts of high school. There, I re-live some of the sensations from so long ago. The smells of the locker room--sweat, spray disinfectant, Kramer's heat balm all come back. Feelings too. Like the feel of the ground vibrating when the o-line comes off the ball, the feel of sitting down in the dew drenched grass to do the obligatory pre-workout stretches and the moisture soaking into everything, the feeling of the sun baking you and the temperature inside your helmet going up and up and up, the feel of exhausted, sore muscles screaming for a respite.
You know, come to think of it, there are a lot of good reasons why only young people play football. Maybe the stereotype of the dumb jock isn't so off base? ;-)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Bravo for our senators
We still have not received the rain that was supposed to happen on Monday, but maybe tomorrow... On the positive side, it has been cloudy and we have not been above 100 degrees since Sunday. That's pretty sweet for late July around here.
Kudos to our Texas senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. They have both opposed Sonia Sotomayor's nomination as a supreme court justice. Their opposition is on principle. They feel she will (and has) decide cases on things other than their strict legal/constitutional merits. That alone is certainly worthy of our respect.
However, their stand goes even deeper. There are many people who are supporting Judge Sotomayor just because she is a minority; even as there were many who supported Obama simply because he is half black. This kind of support is certainly racism and therefore unfortunate. But it does exist and it is likely to cost Senators Hutchison and Cornyn politically.
You see, Texas is about 36% Hispanic. Obviously, most of that population is not racist. However, that number probably represents a lot of folks who would be upset with our senators for opposing Sotomayor since she is Latina. So this had to be a tough decision for our senators. I applaud them for doing what they feel is right without regard for the possible political consequences.
When a legislator makes decisions based on what is most likely to keep him/her in office then he/she has transitioned from public servant to self servant. I'm thankful that Hutchison and Cornyn are doing their best to act as public servants for all Texans.
Kudos to our Texas senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. They have both opposed Sonia Sotomayor's nomination as a supreme court justice. Their opposition is on principle. They feel she will (and has) decide cases on things other than their strict legal/constitutional merits. That alone is certainly worthy of our respect.
However, their stand goes even deeper. There are many people who are supporting Judge Sotomayor just because she is a minority; even as there were many who supported Obama simply because he is half black. This kind of support is certainly racism and therefore unfortunate. But it does exist and it is likely to cost Senators Hutchison and Cornyn politically.
You see, Texas is about 36% Hispanic. Obviously, most of that population is not racist. However, that number probably represents a lot of folks who would be upset with our senators for opposing Sotomayor since she is Latina. So this had to be a tough decision for our senators. I applaud them for doing what they feel is right without regard for the possible political consequences.
When a legislator makes decisions based on what is most likely to keep him/her in office then he/she has transitioned from public servant to self servant. I'm thankful that Hutchison and Cornyn are doing their best to act as public servants for all Texans.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
What's happening here
The last three weeks of June and the first couple weeks of July were incredibly hot and dry even for Central Texas. Then almost two weeks ago we had a couple of nice little showers and since then we have been below 100 degrees. In fact we have even had a couple of cloudy days that were almost comfortable. I've been really thankful for the little weather break. It is supposed to be 100 again today but then we get a little front tomorrow that cools things back to the mid 90s.
So its really becoming the dog days of summer as we brace ourselves for six or so more weeks of extreme heat. There is hope, though, that provides a little psychological boost to get through. NFL training camps start soon which is a promise of things to come (the promise of fall and all the good things that go with that). Meanwhile we make the most of summer.
I must be grumpy lately because the other day Kris told me it has been too long since I killed something. So last night when I went out to move the sprinklers and found a snake under the live oak in the front yard I figured I better kill it. Of course, that upset Jeremiah who thought it was way too cute to kill. He's a twisted little kid.
Last night Nana and the boys and I watched a good old John Wayne movie, The Cowboys. The boys had never seen it before and they loved it. I view that as comforting proof that kids are capable of enjoying something besides high tech entertainment. Now I may have to convince them that they don't need a horse, they can just use their bikes and pretend.
This morning I put on my Daffy Duck short which Jonathan laughed at. At first, Jeremiah agreed with me that they're okay because we like Daffy Duck. But a few minutes later he said, "Seriously, you're going to go out in public wearing that? Kind of tacky." I told you he's a twisted little kid.
Such is life, mid summer 2009.
So its really becoming the dog days of summer as we brace ourselves for six or so more weeks of extreme heat. There is hope, though, that provides a little psychological boost to get through. NFL training camps start soon which is a promise of things to come (the promise of fall and all the good things that go with that). Meanwhile we make the most of summer.
I must be grumpy lately because the other day Kris told me it has been too long since I killed something. So last night when I went out to move the sprinklers and found a snake under the live oak in the front yard I figured I better kill it. Of course, that upset Jeremiah who thought it was way too cute to kill. He's a twisted little kid.
Last night Nana and the boys and I watched a good old John Wayne movie, The Cowboys. The boys had never seen it before and they loved it. I view that as comforting proof that kids are capable of enjoying something besides high tech entertainment. Now I may have to convince them that they don't need a horse, they can just use their bikes and pretend.
This morning I put on my Daffy Duck short which Jonathan laughed at. At first, Jeremiah agreed with me that they're okay because we like Daffy Duck. But a few minutes later he said, "Seriously, you're going to go out in public wearing that? Kind of tacky." I told you he's a twisted little kid.
Such is life, mid summer 2009.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Inquiring minds want to know
How come they don't make vanilla syrup to put on chocolate ice cream?
Seems like rather a double standard doesn't it?
Seems like rather a double standard doesn't it?
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