Miscellaneous end of week thoughts

Just a few minor things to get out there today.

O.J. Simpson's going to jail. Did anybody not think this was coming? I was watching ESPN's Sportcenter tonight, and it was almost like they were shocked. Maybe it's just a slow news day.

Boxing - While watching the same ESPN Sportscenter, they showed a live weigh-in for a boxing match. I can honestly say that, other than all the Rocky movies, I've never watched a boxing match in my life. I just don't think any real movie can match up to Rocky, so I don't even try.

George W. Bush - This week I heard a lot on talk radio about W's legacy. I really don't think he cares that much, to be honest. I think he's looking forward to getting back to Texas and being an ex-President.

Here's what I'll remember about Bush 43. I'll remember that, domestically, he wasn't very good. For too long he let Congress have whatever they wanted. Spending ballooned and this country drifted farther left on the domestic front under George W. Bush. I'll remember that he dealt with more hate from the political left and the media of this country than any President should have to endure. I'll also remember that he was absolutely the correct man to lead our country in the days and months following 9/11. He's a good man, he loves his country, he was a bulldog on national defense, and he was a respected commander-in-chief. That's what I'll remember and that's what I'll teach my kids about our 43rd President.

Our Difficult Day

I didn't start this blog to describe what goes on in my life on a daily basis, but yesterday was especially difficult for our family. Before I go much further, I admit I will probably lose "man points" for this one.

We have an almost 3 year old dog named Toby. Toby is a Schnoodle (poodle/schnauzer mix). He weighs about 15 lbs.

Yesterday morning, Toby managed to get into each boy's advent calendar and consume 42 pieces of milk chocolate. For those who don't know, chocolate is toxic to dogs in large amounts. Forty-two pieces is a lot of chocolate for a little dog. So, my wife rushed him to the vet and they began to take care of him.

When we went to pick him up at 5 pm, he had started running a fever and was having seizures. The vet was doing everything she could for him, and did manage to get his fever down. Since our vet doesn't have an overnight person, we had to transfer Toby to the emergency vet in town. We had to wait nearly a half hour for the vet to get him ready for transfer. During that time, David (7 year old) was crying quite regularly, while Nicholas (5 year old) drew a picture of Jesus taking Toby to heaven. I guess I should mention that, at this point, there seemed to be at least a 50% chance Toby wouldn't survive.

We got him loaded into our van and we drove him down there. I kept my hand on him the entire ride. He was having tremors the entire time. It was scary and nerve wracking. When we got to the emergency vet, we had to wait again while they looked at Toby and prepared more treatment. At the emergency vet, Nicholas started crying a lot, while David tried to ignore it. Again Nicholas was talking about Jesus, so we said a prayer and I told him that if Toby died, it would be because Jesus wanted a dog. I don't know if that's true, but it's what came into my head when talking to a 5 year old. Amazing how kids try to cope.

After a while, the vet told us they were going to keep him overnight, so we could go. We went and saw Toby, and then left...all of us a bit teary (yes, even me!). Again, still probably at least a 50% chance he would die.

Around 10 pm I called the vet and they said he was doing better. The tremors had stopped and he was hungry. I could hear him barking in the background, and that really lifted my heart. We went to bed feeling a little better. I called the vet again at 7 am and we were told he had a good night and that we could bring him home today.

Toby's home now! But, we're not out of the woods yet. There's still a chance for complications. He doesn't have his energy fully back yet, and we have to give him a special diet for a few days. Mom and the kids went and bought Toby a special toy, which Nicholas appears to like more than Toby. I got a wonderful greeting from Toby when I got home from work, and probably more "kisses" than he's ever given me. It's great to have him home.

I know he's "just a dog", but he's really more than that. Toby is an important member of our family. It's amazing how a small little dog can work his way into your heart. I know one day we'll lose Toby, and that day will be a hard one for all of us. I'm just so thankful that we have him back home, relatively safe and sound. I pray that Toby will be with us for a long time to come.

Movie Review: Night at the Museum

We watched this one as a family last night after a very difficult day. I think the entire family liked this movie a lot and it brought levity to our difficult day. I gave it 4 stars on Netflix. "Night at the Museum" is a terrific movie for kids. My guess is we'll end up owning it at some point, because the kids really loved it.

Loosely based off the children's book, "Night at the Museum" follows Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) as he takes a job at the New York City Natural History Museum. Larry is the night guard, and he quickly discovers that at this museum, all the exhibits come to life at night. This makes for many funny moments, lets Larry become a hero to his son, and forces all the exhibits to get along while coming together to stop a robbery at the museum.

"Night at the Museum" costars Robin Williams and Owen Wilson. Robin Williams is very good as Teddy Roosevelt, while Owen Wilson is hilarious as miniature cowboy Jedidiah. The movie also includes Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney, both of whom are great in their roles. "Night at the Museum" is rated PG. I think it's appropriate for almost any age child.

It's called a Fedora!

I was talking with a friend today, and I used the term Fedora to describe a hat. When pressed, I said that a Fedora is the style of hat made famous by Indiana Jones. This friend then told me that he thought that style of hat was called an "Indiana Jones Hat". He also informed me that I lost "man points" for knowing the style of hat.

I was flummoxed by this. I assumed everyone in the world knew that a Fedora was the style of hat worn by Indiana Jones. However, I was proven wrong in this. In the interest of educating the public, I've borrowed a few lines from my favorite source, Wikipedia, to describe the Fedora.

"A fedora is a soft felt hat that is creased lengthwise down the crown and pinched in the front on both sides. Similar hats with a C-crown (with an indentation for the head in the top of the crown) are occasionally called fedoras. The brim goes all the way around, and often there will be a hat band as well. "

"The term fedora was in use as early as 1891. Originally a woman's fashion into the 20th century, the fedora came into use in about 1920, as a men's upper-class clothing accessory. Its popularity soared, and eventually it eclipsed the similar-looking Homburg by the 1930s. Fedoras can be found in nearly any color imaginable, but black, grey, tan/brown, and red are the most popular."

The picture included is of the Fedora made famous by Indiana Jones. Additional movie characters who have made the Fedora famous include The Blues Brothers and Freddy Krueger.

Political Apathy

I haven't been doing many political blogs. I've done far fewer than I thought I would at this point in my blogging life. I've been wondering why that is, and I think it's because I'm politically apathetic at this point. In a little over a month, the Democrats will have near total power in the Federal Government. They already have near total power where I live. I just find myself not caring very much right now.

For instance, I really should have a strong opinion about Hillary Clinton as Secretary or State, but I just don't care. I actually find myself sort of glad Obama picked her...he could have done much worse. Hillary has become sort of a sympathetic figure to me. Don't misunderstand me, I would NEVER vote for her, but I do feel a bit sorry for her. All she ever wanted to do was be President, but the media and the Obama campaign ended that dream. So, this is a good consolation prize for her. Plus, it keeps Bill in check...at least it should.

I should also be thrilled Obama decided to keep Robert Gates on. After all, Gates has been a terrific Secretary of Defense, but again, I just don't care too much. Am I supposed to rejoice that Obama demonstrated a small amount of common sense?

I hope this political malaise will end soon, but at this point, I don't see an end in sight. Maybe there will be a "hot button" issue that snaps me out of this. But until then, I guess I'll have to stick to movie ratings and Denver Broncos rants.

No News is Good News

On Friday, my 2 boys and I set out to Sioux City, IA to meet up with my parents for a quick visit. It's kind of in the middle and we had access to an apartment there, which has no Internet and no cable (very difficult for me). We had a terrific time...the boys were great and had a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa. Sioux City gets a bad reputation, it really is a pretty nice city.

So, as I said before, there was no Internet and no cable, which also meant NO NEWS whatsoever. I wasn't able to hear any bad news about the economy. I didn't hear any speculation on who Obama's next cabinet appointee is. I didn't hear anything about football, basketball, or any other sport. And, I didn't miss it...in fact, it was very nice. I was in a good mood all weekend.

I'm not advocating becoming uninformed. I am not going to completely abandon watching the news...after all what would I blog about if I did that. A guy can only write so many "I didn't watch any news blogs". But I digress. I'm advocating taking an occasional break from the world. It definitely proved to be a stress reliever from the daily dose of bad news that you find in the news and sports media. I plan to have "news free" weekends more often going forward.