Oil, Money and Frustration

It's the President's fault!

Which president?

Well, BP's of course?

Really, for the lack of effort on the clean up and the oil slick heading for the Florida coast?

Yeah--the President of the U.S. and BP and whomever else is involved.

Where is Congress???

Our representatives are asleep at the switch it seems. They are consumed by special interest items but are not mobilizing to put some sanity in the situation that has developed in the Gulf of Mexico.

And where are the movie stars who always seem to be campaigning for some crusade. Haven't heard a peep from them, either. Don't they care as much about the Gulf as they do polar bears in the Arctic?

And the thousands of barrels per day of oil keeps leaking and no one is doing anything except wringing their hands and watching the oil begin wash up on the beaches. We are looking at an environmental catastrophe greater than Chernobyl. And we laughed at the Russians when it happened.

Really? really!

From the Wall Street Journal here is a good explanation of the situation:

Mr. Obama's political challenges were evident in Alabama Monday, where leaders and residents said their state has been deprived of vital resources for fighting the spill. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has been vocal about his dismay with the federal effort to protect Perdido Pass, a waterway near the Florida border, and Perdido Bay, a scenic waterway central to the fishing and tourism industry in both Alabama and Northern Florida.

This is a political issue--and it should be an environmental issue.

And now for the rub, also from this article:

Mr. Obama said he has begun "constructive" talks with BP on the creation of an independently operated recovery fund to ensure "legitimate claims are dealt with fairly, justly, promptly." He said he and BP officials hoped to announce a deal on the issue Wednesday following a meeting at the White House.

As a sovereign country--there is no need for constructive talks. Give BP the bill for the clean up--and then maybe someone will get off their bloated bottoms and start fixing the damage and preventing more!

Nuff said!

Delegation--The Secret to Success

We all intuitively know that if we can keep our priorities straight and work from the most important to the least, that life will be good and we will be fulfilled, right? And if we don't have enough time or energy to get something done--well as long as it's a low priority then "no harm, no foul."

Hold it right there.

We all also know this is so totally, not true!

All of our priorities need to be completed from the most important to the least. At least that's how we feel.

If it didn't need to be done, then it wouldn't have a priority. No matter where in the schema it falls out.

That then is the problem. It all needs to be done and we all know there is never enough time to get it all done.

And then there are those conflicting appointments--and problems trying to resolve which one to attend.

The secret to success? Delegation.

This is where the priority system really works. When there are truly competing priorities--then delegate someone else to attend in your place. That way, effectively, you can be in multiple places simultaneously.

Monday Musings - June 14, 2010

1. It is Flag Day. Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777.

2. 30 days from today, we begin our trek to Florida for a couple of weeks.

3. They changed managers, but the Orioles are still as bad. Maybe there is something deeper wrong with the team. At their current pace they will finish the season at 43-119, narrowly missing the modern era record for most losses set by the 1962 NY Mets at 120, but tying the 2003 Detroit Tigers for second! It should get better next year though, the 1963 Mets only had 111 losses!

4. Despite the calendar saying it is still officially springtime, summer is here with the heat and humidity. Bring it on--it is what we wait for from October to May--summer!

5. The USA soccer (football) team did OK on Saturday--but I really hate it when people say that a tie is a win. No. A tie is not a loss--but it certainly is not a win. There we go, setting low expectations again so we can salvage a small measure of national pride from something we are just not a good as the rest of the world at. Although, the team was ranked 14th in the world at the start of the tourney.

6. Ran across the following in a CNN article about an executioner in Utah: "The death penalty," the officer says, "is nothing more than sending a defective product back to the manufacturer. Let him fix it." Not too sure how I feel about that statement.

7. And so the week begins. As weeks go--this one is special. But then every week and every second of our time is special. It is amazing how we fail to respect the power of the second in our lives. In a second--everything can change, yet we waste so much time just trying to decide--or worse, just waiting for time to pass--aimlessly.

Days to Go!

The wedding is days away. Five to be precise.

It seems that almost every available moment is consumed by wedding this or that.

And in too short a time, it will be over.

The guests will be gone and live will again begin to take on a sense of normalcy.

But until then--we must find time to enjoy our friends and family as they dutifully assemble. We must not get so caught up in the busy-ness that we fail to appreciate all of those who have traveled to celebrate this marriage with us.

So today, we washed cars (4) and shopped and watched the O's get obliterated by the Mets on TV and Germany annihilate Australia in World Cup play.

And we had some great quality time with Lucas and Jeremy and Nicole as well as the bride and groom.

In the pool--on a floatie, in the sun. Did I say hot sun? Bring it on.

Summer is really here!

Good Fences and Questionable Neighbors

Robert Frost wrote a poem titled Mending Wall which ends with the line "Good fences make good neighbors."

I never really believed his assertion--but as I stay in the same house as many years as we have recently, I am beginning to become a fan.

But even with a good fence--sometimes the neighbors can be a problem when the fence is on the wrong side.

Take for instance the scene pictured here. Garbage strewn on the ground--where it has been since before garbage day on Tuesday (and I took the image Thursday evening)--and hasn't moved. The garbage cans were taken to the street, where as I write this, they remained until Friday morning. A raccoon feasted on the trash--but here the remnants waiting for next big rainstorm to wash it into my yard. The fence behind the mess would be fine for containment, if only the trash was on the inside instead of the outside.

I have the honor of collecting a lot of their refuse from my yard after storms. Discarded water bottles that fall from the neighbors vehicles as they get out and which just lie there waiting for a storm to cleanse their drive and deposit them in my yard where I will then clean them up.

I would just pick up their trash, like I collect their paper from the street every day, or like Chris picks up the remnants of their annuals planting--the discarded pots which remained next to the newly planted flowers; but we are not making any progress with them. The mess in the yards and the lack of pride in the exterior of their home is getting worse and worse.

I remember that I hated it when they installed the fence separating their yard from ours, it made it seem as if we were surrounded by fortresses of solitude. Now I wish that they could contain themselves within the walls. It is bad enough that I can look inside the fenced yard from my bedroom window--but to have to walk and drive past the mess daily is even more difficult.

The wildlife loves the mess. We have many critters which come to visit and I worry about rabies. Our pets are all vaccinated--but what if there is rabid saliva on the garbage I'm picking up? or is that an irrational fear?

Should I just clean up the mess since it is I who cannot tolerate the sight of it? Would I be insulting them by helping them?

We live in an area without a homeowners association--I am not a fan of associations, but in this instance I'm beginning to see the benefits of having someone around to at least attempt to enforce basic standards of cleanliness.

I'm conflicted.

I want to say something to them--but what do I say?

I've considered asking if there was any way I could help them keep up with the mess. I don't think that would go over very well.

I'll probably continue to suffer in silence--paralyzed by the fear of turning peaceful neighbors who are messy into antagonistic ones. And they did give me four tickets to see the Orioles defeat the Red Sox last Sunday.

Busy, busy, busier

Life really has sped up during the past couple of weeks.

And I mean in both my personal and professional life.

It is almost like someone is trying to get everything done before I leave (in 36 days) for my Florida vacation get away.

It seems there is something to do every minute of every day--and the projects only get more and more important.

But . . .

I can smell the humid, salty air blowing off the ocean in my mind, and as I check into my happy place--the stress of the last hour melts away. And I reconnect with what really matters.

Another day--another mini-crisis, another opportunity to excel.

I think I see light at the end of the tunnel and I'm pretty sure it's not the headlamp of the on-coming train.

It's Friday party time. Yeah. And I know it's five o'clock somewhere.

A Week to Go!

The wedding is getting closer and the plans are becoming more and more specific as we move from concept to implementation.

The panic is gearing up to a high level.

It will all work out, I am sure--but the planning to make it all come together is extensive.

One of my areas of concern is logistics--the movement of people and material from multiple points to the ceremony and then back again.

And so the count down is under way.

Of course, I can take a timeout for a baseball game tonight (I hope the O's win!)

Take a deep breath--and keep my eyes open.

Let's have fun!

Jax--Another Update

Miracles do happen.

I have called Jax our miracle baby since he survived heart surgery at 6 days old.

And Jax continues to demonstrate that miracles happen--and we believe they happen as a direct result of prayer.

Jax has been undergoing a new round of health problems which proved to be extremely elusive. You can read the saga on Nicole's Blog--but most recently, he was hospitalized as many of you know, for some really deep and often uncomfortable (downright painful) tests.

Here is an excerpt from Nicole's Blog regarding some of the most recent testing:

Update 5-26-10: Jax had what I am calling the last round of blood work done last Friday, the test results should be in on the 28th. It was to test to see if his body responded to the new Prevnar vaccine. I am not holding my breath, but you never know. We did go 5 days (a new record) with no fevers, but sadly he was running one last night.

And now for the rest of the story, and the miracle.

After months of testing and looking at an under performing immune system--everything is normal. His body created the required antibodies for the Prevnar vaccine, and his levels are normal.

Every other test that has been run is negative. AND I can tell you, they were looking for some really scary things--we became experts at trying to decipher medical-speak while reading some very in depth Internet articles.

So we are claiming a victory and a miracle of the triumph of prayer!

Again!

Jax continues to be a witness to all of us of the power of prayer and how when believers pray together that prayer changes things!

We continue to ask for prayer for Jax to overcome the fevers--but the miraculous change in his immune system is something we need to celebrate and thank God for.

And so for all of you who read my blog--either in its native form at A Bob's Life, or on Facebook where I have it automatically linked; and took action by praying, Thank you!

Your prayers have been answered, as have ours.

Speak, I'm Listening

I am a terrible listener.

People who know me know that this is true. When I am in a conversation, I want to guide where we are headed and even when others speak, I am trying to complete their thoughts. Sometimes, I don't complete their thoughts correctly and I hear something they didn't intend.

It's hard. In my job I spend a lot of time filling in the blanks and figuring out how to bridge the holes in information, and so when people speak to me, I do much the same thing--my mind is racing so fast to understand that I miss nuances in the conversations. Sometimes, I miss whole conversations.

This whole idea is a carry over from church this past Sunday. One of the readings was from 1 Samuel. I know, 1 Samuel is not one of those books a lot of us spend much time studying--but i actually remembered this passage and as it was being discussed, I tuned out and had my own bit of reflection on the verse:

3:10 Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!” - NET Bible

The cool part about this is that the Lord had called Samuel three previous times and Samuel had run to his mentor, Eli, responding that he was here because he did not recognize that it was the Lord, God who was calling to him and thought it was Eli. After the third time, Eli figured out what was occurring and told Samuel to say simply, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening."

Here is the take away that I got. Even God waits for us to acknowledge Him and to tell him that we are ready to listen. It was not until Samuel was ready to listen that God proceeded to tell Samuel what he had on His mind.

When I give, even silently in my mind, the go ahead for someone to speak because I am listening then I am a better listener because I am ready to receive and process what the speaker is saying--without having my mind racing ahead and filling in holes that don't yet exist.

So to become a better listener when engaging in conversation, I need to take a breath and mentally prepare for the conversation by saying to myself: speak, I'm listening.

Monday Musings - June 7, 2010

1. Yesterday was the 66th anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy Landings of WWII.

2. I went to the Orioles-Red Sox game yesterday. A 4h20m 11-inning game in which the O's broke their 10-game losing streak by winning. Yay. Sadly, the O's are on track to tie or beat the 1961 Mets as the losing-est baseball team in MLB history. Not too sure I really want that record!

3. The hot weather has many people in the sweltering. But as a crazy that vacations in Florida in the summer, I say, bring it on!

4. I ran across this quote:

In every age 'the good old days' were a myth. No one ever thought they were good at the time. For every age has consisted of crises that seemed intolerable to the people who lived through them.

Brooks Atkinson, Once Around the Sun (1951)
(1894 - 1984)

5. Some days seem better than others, but I am convinced that those days are better because of the effort we put into them.

6. Did you ever wonder where you left your keys, only to find them where you thought you left them? Think about it.

7. Things are always in the last place we look for them--because we stop looking after we find them!