Reservations Set....

Confirmed reservations for the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge kayak tour on August 10th.

Also, confirmed reservations for the last two spots on the August 21st Norfolk Botanical Garden Sunset Kayak tour.

Can't wait.

The Next Great Adventure.....

Sent in our reservation information for our next great adventure, KAYAKING ! (Is that even a word, looks weird). We are currently planning two trips. One is a tour of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The other is a sunset tour of The Botanical Gardens.

As soon as I hear back, I'll keep you posted. Below is a shot from the Back Bay tour on the Nature Tours web site.

First of Many...

Decided to christen the new cruisers tonight. Went on a short neighborhood ride. Left home, rode to the gate at Dam Neck, then back toward home to Ocean Lakes High School (the ball fields look great), then to the Little League fields, then home. Just under six miles (just 94 more to catch up with James, AS IF). We rode at an easy pace, taking about an hour to complete the trip. Hope to make this a regular occurrence.

Map of our ride........




Another thought, the Little League World Series is about to start.

Barack O-My-God-Am-I-Great-bama...

Let me preface this rant with some background information. Over the past few days I have been reading some information concerning Barack Obama's trip abroad.

The first was an opinion piece by Maureen Dowd of The New York Times, titled "Ich bin ein jet-setter". The main gist of the column was that Obama was preparing physically for his political equivalent of the "Labors of Hercules". Seems rather applicable to me, since he is the first candidate to take his campaign international, and we all know it has been a long and difficult campaign, thus far. But, what disturbed me in this atricle was the following quote: "'It's important to note that it is not our intent to make policy or to negotiate; we don't do so,' said Susan Rice, an Obama foreign policy adviser. "There's one president of the United States at any given time, and we will certainly honor and respect that.'" Well THANK YOU VERY MUCH..............If this is not the most egotistical, arrogant statement I have ever heard. Does he really think that he has already been annointed the Leader of the Entire Free World??? That only through his grace does the current elected President of The United States have any bearing on the world affairs!!!!! As far as I know, there is only one that can grant that type of permission, and HE is not running for President.

The next item was an opinion piece by Cal Thomas, titled "An American innocent abroad". In this article, Mr. Thomas states: "This week, Europe will cheer Barack Obama as if he were Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the commander of Allied troops that liberated Europe from Hitler; or John F. Kennedy before the Brandenburg Gate near the beginning of the Berlin Wall; or Ronald Resgan in the same place near its collapse. Obama is no Eisenhower, Kennedy or Reagan. He might be more like the Pied Piper, leading Europeans to their doom." The article continues to present information regarding Obama's perspectives on foreign policy and contrast some of them with John McCain's. It also cites some poll results that favor McCain. Perhaps the most telling statement comes at the end of the column. It states: "Obama has 300 foreign policy advisers, many of them veterans of the Clinton administration. Why so many? Perhaps because he is an innocent abroad and, while he may have a rosy view of the world, his worldview needs improvement."

With that as a background, I watched Obama's speech from Berlin. I could not believe what I was hearing. I honestly thought that I had misheard or misunderstood. So, I printed out a copy of the text of that speech to review, and to reassure myself that I really had misunderstood. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I had heard properly and understood the significance of what had been said. If you think that the "Liberal" Clinton Administration tried to give away the farm, just wait until or if the "Socialist" Obama policies are put into effect. What do I mean...Read On....

Take the following quote from his speech: "This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many." Does this sound like redistribution of wealth on a global scale? I know that most liberals would like to take my money/assets and distribute it over their pet projects and/or constituents, but to propose this on a global scale has not been stated publicly since Karl Marx.

Consider the following excerpts:

"I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen - a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world." Would he have had the opportunity or even considered this tour and speaking engagement if he was not the presumptive Democratic candidate?

"As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya." What about the carbon footprint resulting from this totally unnecessary trip?

"...the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change in leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more - not less." Does he really anticipate that Europe will participate more in global issues. We, The U.S., are the largest contributor to global enterprises, and we drag organizations like NATO, kicking and screaming, into action. Will Europe finally step up to their fair share just because Obama asks?

"The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down." If I know my history, these walls have been in existence for thousands of years. Many attempts have been made to correct this situation, and all have failed. Race, nationality, and religion have been responsible for more wars and deaths throughout history than any other cause. It will take more than an agreement between Europe and the USA to tear down those walls.

"Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century." Does he even know what this means? Cooperation on what? What institutions? (strong ones like NATO?????) Shared sacrifice? (Who sacrifices or gives the most in support of world disasters/issues? Europe?) Commitment to progress on what issues? Which challenges of the 21st century, there are sooo many!

"I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions." "Never let them see you sweat." "At this level of negotiation, never apologize. It is seen as a sign of weakness." I know that we are not always right, but we are usually more right than wrong. We are the world leader in personal freedom and human rights. Let us hope that the imperfect example we now apparently present will discourage the rest of the world from depending on us to save their asses when they are in trouble. After all, they wouldn't accept our help if they didn't agree with our policies, would they?

His closing needs no comment, except to say "Welcome to the New World Order".
"People of Berlin - and people of the world - the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again."

Hail Caesar !!

fini

Steph & Jake's Visit Part 2....

Steph and Jake left on Tuesday after a very full week here. Part 2 of Steph and Jake's visit includes day 2 in Washington DC, going to the new Batman movie, and a day of fishing.

The Day 2 itinerary in DC included the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Capitol Building, and the Air & Space Museum. Picture follow:

Supreme Court........

Short rest inside the Supreme Court...........
Inside the Supreme court...........
Ceiling of the Library of Congress.....
Library of Congress........
More Library of Congress ceiling............
Wise words in the Library of Congress......
More wise words.....

The next day, Friday, Steph, Jake, Chris, Courtney, and I went to see the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Turned out to be a pretty decent movie. Grandma babysat, and had a busy time keeping Greyson entertained.

Saturday, Chris brought Greyson over, so we spent most of the day just playing with him.

Jake and Greyson..........
Big Sis & Little Bro......
Aunt Steph & Greyson.............

On Sunday we went fishing at the Lessner Bridge. Truth be told, Gail was the only one who really fished. The rest of us just sat around and basically did nothing. Gail caught one flounder about 8 inches long, 11 inches short of a keeper. That was all, unless you count the crabs she pulled in.

Jake fishing ????
Steph and Jake fishing.......
The only real fisherman............
Rain falling from bridge during a quick storm.....

The remainder of the time was mostly laid back and chillin. A good time was had by all.

Steph, Jake and Washington DC

On Wednesday and Thursday we went to Washington DC. Jake had never been, so we decided to take the ten cent tour.

From these shots you can see the real travelers. Jake was asleep before we hit 264 (4 miles) and Steph crashed before we hit the tunnel (12 miles).

The "Napigator". He suffers from "Car-ca-lepsy." He gets in the car and almost immediately falls asleep.

His mother (it must be inherited)


The first stop was Arlington National Cemetery to visit Rick's grave site. First time we have been back since the funeral.


Rick's marker.
The stone in the center is his marker.

On the tour bus. We got off at the Kennedy Memorial. Jake and I walked from there. Made better time than the bus, but missed out on some of the historical background from the narrator.


The Amphitheater. Check out the throne in the center of this pic.
King Jakob on the throne.
Check out the name on the Viet Nam Memorial. Kind of eerie.


Next, we checked into our "Deluxe" accommodations (more on that to follow), the Days Inn in Arlington, right across the street from Fort Myer. After check in, we all met to decide what would be our agenda for the remainder of the day.

Jake's participation.
Some shots of the remaining first day / evening.

Lincoln Memorial.

Grandma and Jake with Mr. Lincoln.


Washington Monument from the Lincoln MemorialGrandma cooling her feet at the WW II Memorial.
The Washington Monument.
Washington Monument as we left for the day.
All and all, a busy first day. We must have walked twenty miles.

Day two in another post.

Garden Lights

Nancy sent Gail some solar powered garden lights for her birthday. This is what they look like at night. Pretty Cool!!

Thanks to Baker's Crust

James wants less politics and more food. My response was "Politics is food for the mind".

As far as food goes, here's another one to try. Although, this might not be appropriate under the VO2 MAXXED guidelines.

YUMMMMM.....................

While we were in Richmond for Beth and James' races, we had lunch one day at Baker's Crust. It seems like every time I am around James I make an attempt to eat a little healthier. So, I decided to try the BC Panini Grilled Avocado Goat Cheese Veggie. The menu description is: Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and grilled sweet balsamic marinated squash on rustic sour dough with avocado goat cheese. Sounded great, but I was somewhat disappointed. So I decided to try my hand at the same sandwich. The results follow.

Makes four sandwiches.
First, the sweet balsamic marinade.

Combine 1/4 cup of good quality Balsamic vinegar with two tablespoons of Honey (or Agave Nectar), one tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and one teaspoon Kosher salt. (Hint: If you add the olive oil first, you can use the same measuring spoon for the honey and it will all pour out of the spoon and not stick)

Thinly slice small yellow summer squash or zucchini, place in a shallow dish, cover with marinade, cover dish and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to one hour.

Peel and thinly slice one cucumber. I use a mandolin and slice them into lengthwise strips that are free of seeds. Slice two vine ripened tomatoes into approximately 1/4th inch slices. Rinse and chill prepackaged mixed baby greens or mixed spring greens..

Avocado Goat Cheese.

Combine one ripe avocado with 4 oz. of mild goat cheese and 1/2 tsp. of Goya Adobo Seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. This should be prepared just before it is needed so that it retains its green color.

Remove squash from marinade. Coat tomato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place tomatoes and squash on a HOT grill pan for about 30 to 45 seconds per side (or charcoal grill if want a smokier flavor, 1 - 1 1/2 min. per side) . Set aside and let cool slightly.

Now to build the sandwich. Coat eight slices of sour dough bread with the avocado goat cheese. Assemble four sandwiches as follows: Start by placing a small amount of baby greens on on four slices of coated bread, add slices of grilled tomato to cover each of the four slices, then add cucumbers, then grilled squash, then another small amount of baby greens. Finish by topping with remaining four slices of coated bread.

Use a Panini press if you have one, or simply use the grill pan to grill the sandwiches. If you use the grill pan, place a small weight on the sandwiches to ensure good contact with the grill (A George Forman type grill works fine). A couple minutes per side should be sufficient. If want it toastier, leave it on longer.

The result is a pretty tasty veggie sandwich. If you don't want it veggie, add some deli sliced turkey before you grill. Still healthy.(These have the turkey)

Turned out great. Much better than Baker's Crust, In my humble opinion.

The Great American Electorate....

Is this really how we select our leaders? Does this imply that BOTH candidates have "Republican Ideas" ?

One can only hope we will give it a little more consideration than this !!!!

Enough Said.....

Even some fellow Democrats are having problems with their presumptive candidate !!


Do you think this might give Hillary the opening she has been looking for?

Working the news cycle....

Sorry James, but with all the political news these days, I just have to make at least one more comment.

Barrack Obama and his "Political Machine" (he learned about politics in Chicago, where the Daly machine controls all) are really working the news cycles. Have you noticed that every time Obama does something that appears to be a change in position or promises/statements made during the primaries, someone or something comes up to divert attention from that event?

The latest is Jesse Jackson's "Hot Mike" remarks about Obama right after he reversed his position on the FISA bill. All the pundits were discussing the effect of this reversal of position until the Jackson story broke. Now Jackson's comments are all you hear about. The FISA vote is now history.

This happens with too much regularity to be just coincidence. Am I the only one who sees this? His Director of CYA is really working overtime, even if only half of these events are orchestrated.

Potential Vote....

I saw Carly Fiorina interviewed on Kudlow & Co. the other night. This woman is a bright light shining in the dimness of American politics. There are some who are suggesting that John McCain might pick her for his VP. If he does, he definitely gets my vote. She would be the best second in command I have seen in a long, long time. If she were running for Pres., she would win by a landslide, guaranteed!!

Vindication !!!

I'm not the only one having difficulty telling them apart !
(See "Rant" below.)

Politics As Usual.....

One would think that after nearly two years of campaigning that our presidential candidates would have their stuff together. Not a chance. Once again, we are being subjected to the the back pedaling, "What I really meant to say", posturing, saying whatever the group I am speaking to wants to hear, bullshit, and just plain lying that characterizes the "Politics As Usual" atmosphere of American politics.

What pisses me off more than that is these talking heads on all the news programs that are defending their candidates. How can they sit there in all their pompous righteousness and tell the lies they are spouting and not ever crack a smile? They must think that the American electorate is as dumb as rocks. They might just be Right!!! Apparently, the American people are sooooo gullible that they only believe what has been said in the last ten minutes. We suffer from a collective long term memory loss.

Obama was spouting his rhetoric about "Change" and "A New Form of Politics", and McCain was espousing his "Moderate", "Cooperative" political methodology. Now, how in the hell are you supposed to tell them apart. They are both sucking up to every special interest group they can find to try and win votes. Both are becoming more and more centrist with each passing day. So, it will come down to the lesser of two evils once again. And, in the end, we will return to the same old politics as usual that is currently in place.

Apparently, the American people have forgotten that we have a "Representative" form of Democracy. The President has only as much say as our elected representatives allow. You know, the old checks and balances defined in the Constitution. The President has only one powerful weapon in his personal arsenal, that of the VETO, and even that can be overridden by a 2/3rds majority of our representatives. So, in reality, the President, no matter who or which party or conservative/liberal, cannot accomplish a thing without the support of our representatives. I guess that means that you can't blame the President if their policies are not implemented. Ultimately, it is OUR fault. Remember, Obama said "YOU are the change YOU have been waiting for." He has already assigned the responsibility for his success or failure to ALL OF US.

Remember when Nancy Pelosi and her new congress were going to change the face of the current administration by using the Democratic majority to "Do the will of the People". What happened there. As far as I can see, the score is Bush Administration 10, Democratic Congress 0. So much for the new direction........ How soon we forget.

I'll be the first to admit that I tend to be a conservative, Republican oriented person, but, there is a sprinkling of Libertarian in there too. I tend to view everything from that perspective. However, when it comes to selecting a President, or any other political representative, mind overcomes preset views, and I tend to select the person I feel is the best for the job. I may not agree with all of their views, but I think (and hope) they will do the best possible job they can. That means representing the PEOPLE, not the lobbyist and special interest groups.

Is there any hope for that this year? My doubts are rising with each passing day.....

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.....

Life can present us with some very difficult decisions. Take the guy below. So many bottles, such a small bladder.


Seriously, I just finished reading a book titled "The Shack". It is a somewhat dark but glorious story, and it discusses the decisions we make in this life. It is also "religious" in nature (OK, it's heavy in Christian belief and direction). Please don't let that deter you if you are not religiously inclined. Some of the doctrine may be unlike any you have heard before. It is a short book, a fairly easy read, and WELL WORTH the time. Who knows, it may change your life. If not, it will definitely have an impact.

If you decide to read it, be prepared to ride an emotional roller coaster. This book will make you laugh and make you cry, sometimes at the same time.