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"A birth certificate shows you were born. A death certificate shows you died. A completed scrapbook shows you lived!!!!!"



Click on Blog Photos to view them FULL SCREEN or to view a "slideshow" of images only.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr President
Dear President Obama

I am a Tea Party believer. I find it exceedingly disconcerting that your interpretation of and reaction to my concerns is "amusement." You have stated that I should be "thanking you" for the tax cut you have given me. Mr President, the tax cut you believe justifies my thanks is roughly $12.78 per week. That doesn't even buy 5 gallons of gasoline so I can continue to look for work. Thanks isn't the first thing that comes to mind, but if it makes you feel better.....thanks.

I did not vote for you, but I secretly had high hopes that if elected, you would actually come through on your promises to cease "politics as usual." I wanted to believe that your claims of transparency and bipartisanship. If you had stayed on message with your actions, the tea party would not have reason to exist!

On February 23, 2009 you told us that you would cut the deficit in half by 2012. Instead, you have more than tripled it. At that time debt was roughly 4 trillion dollars. One year in office and it is nearing 13 trillion dollars. Today our annual interest payment eats up every dollar of income tax paid by everyone living west of the Mississippi River! To quote that sweet little old lady from the Wendy's commercial, "Where's the BEEF?"

(As of 1 April 2010, the Treasury Department spent so far this year $202 Billion of our money on interest payments to the holders of the National Debt. Compare that to NASA at $19 Billion, Education at $53 Billion, and Department of Transportation at $73 Billion)

Unless substantial reforms are made soon, when my generation begins to retire and collect old age federal entitlements, the debt will explode. The majority our taxes will go to nothing but interest. Moreover, at today's taxation levels, every dollar that is collected will be gobbled up by entitlements and interest alone. Massive tax increases will be required just to pay for national security and non-entitlement programs Our children and grandchildren will be left with the bill for our excesses. This is why Tea Partiers are not amused as you are!


I could understand if you were now saying, "This is harder than I expected. This is more complex than I anticipated. I am doing the best I can with the realities as they unfold, or I am open to new ideas." You are not telling me this. You are telling me that "I AMUSE YOU?"

It seems to me that you have become the most divisive leader the country has ever had. It seems to me that you have tunnel vision seeing only your social agenda, without even the slightest concern of the real costs. It seems to me that your campaign promises were knowingly and completely disingenuous.

It saddens me that you have no respect for your promises, the office you hold or the responsibility it has to us, the citizens of the United States.

Monday, April 19, 2010

High School Graduation Party


Someone recently asked me to expand upon the story of the party I had for HS Graduation. He was a year ahead of me in school and missed the event.
A paddle wheeler that cruised The St Joseph River and where I had a graduation party for all my classmates....that got me kicked out of school and not allowed to attend the graduation ceremony!  Apparently getting the entire senior class drunk was an error in  judgement?  I don't think so...  Great rewards require risk!
*********************************************************************************
 I attended a Great Catholic High School in Mishawalka, Indiana
     This "sinful" event took place about 10 days prior to graduation.  I remember we had already been issued our cap and gowns (which I had to return!) For my graduation gift I decided upon renting The River Queen and a live band for a party.  I invited the entire senior class as well as many of the cute Junior and Sophomore girls.  When my high school became aware of this party, they contacted Dad and Ann to "clarify" the activities and of course provide a list of prohibited activities.  
    Not quite comfortable with the assurances of Dad and Ann, Monsignor (name removed to protect the anal retentive) demanded that 3 chaperones from the school were there .I selected two football coaches and I can't remember the third. 
 
     Our living room windows were some 20' tall and faced the river and our dock, where the River Queen awaited.  Dad had cocktails and hors d oeuvres for the chaperones in this room while we loaded the band and food on the boat.   Fortunately, no one noticed that the instrument cases made repeated trips back and forth to the boat and then neatly stacked behind the band stage.  They were, of course loaded with cherry vodka, a favorite back then, peppermint schnapps etc. 
     When the chaperones toured the boat prior to us leaving the dock, all they saw was food and soft drinks. As we left the dock, within minutes a flotilla of speed boats (all my Elkhart friends) tied up at the stern and began passing cases of cold beer on board, and I don't mean a few!  Then they joined the party as well.
     Well, the rock and roll blared, the booze flowed and a great time was had by all!  When we returned to the dock hours later, I think the average BAC was close to the drinkers GPA.  I remember the class genius MK, the kid that scored 1600 on his SAT's remained at my house for two days, recovering.  He had been, drunk, in the wheelhouse with the captain letting him pilot the boat!  The party lasted till dawn for most and into the next afternoon for a few. 
     For some reason, when Msgr X was made aware of some of the prohibited activities I think he summoned the devil to punish me or maybe became convinced that I WAS THE DEVIL! He went BALLISTIC!  If a student at this school, even if you were seen smoking off campus it was a major no-no and grounds for expulsion!   Well, smoking was nothing compared to Rip's celebration of Sodom and Gomorrah by The Monsignor's reckoning....My parents were informed that my diploma would be mailed to me IF Msgr X NEVER saw my sweet face again and I NEVER returned to the campus!

     Being the nice,well behaved compliant young man I was.............I walked into the graduation ceremony after it had begun when Msgr X was on the stage and powerless to wring my neck!   As I recall my appearance was "noticed" by my classmates and, shall we say..... a few may have applauded.

If Monsignor X (who was a very good man and priest) has any pull "upstairs" I will certainly spend eternity in a "warm Climate."

     
  





My Daughters..

Kelly is an attorney with Foster Pepper, The Best Law Firm in Washington State!  Her days begin at 4:30AM when she goes to the gym till about 7:30, then she comes home and WALKS to work! 
http://www.foster.com/profile.aspx?id=283              

Kelly Ann Lonergan
 =========================================================================

Nicole Marie Lonergan is a CMA (Certified Medical Asst) and Phlebotimist at a Oncology office, going to school to get her RNNursing License AND GETTING MARRIED on The Summer Solstice, 2011!  She recently WON a photoshoot by a San Francisco Photog with her essay....


The response I received from my giveaway was totally amazing. I had emails that made me smile all the way down to my toes & lots of emails that literally made tears stream down my face when I heard of things that are happening in people’s lives. I am grateful that I can do something soooooooo small for people who really deserve it. Seriously, you guys rule.
Let’s get to the winner pronto, shall we? Serious warning, though. This post is long.
Here’s the story of our winner. It should be pretty darn obvious why I’m choosing her not only to be the winner, but why I want to BE HER. She is strong, incredible & supportive.
Luke and I met right after my junior year at Reno High had ended. From the moment I flirted with him, I fell in love. He was seriously the sweetest person I’ve ever met in my entire life. We dated all summer,and half way through my senior year we were blind sided with a medical emergency. Luke had a seizure while at work, and we found out he had an arteriovenous malformation–simply put, a bad connection between veins and arteries in the brain..the emergency doctor informed us that AVMs are rarely found in live patients because most rupture, cause internal bleeding and result in death. He emphasized how lucky Luke was and told us he would have to undergo emergency brain surgery in San Francisco. He also informed us that there was a very high chance of death, paralysis, mental retardation etc., but that if Luke made it through the surgery, we shouldn’t have any more problems in the future. For the week before his surgery, I was paralyzed with fear. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that I might not spend the rest of my life with him. Yet, while I was being so selfish worrying about myself, Luke was the strongest person I’ve ever met in my entire life. I took a few weeks off from school and flew down to UCSF to stay with him through it all..needless to say, he made it out, strong as ever! We had to stay in the ICU & recovery unit for two weeks after his surgery. I remember, they didn’t have any rooms big enough for a rollaway bed, so I slept on the tile floor next to him for fourteen days–which is a HUGE accomplishment for this high maintenance girl : / It didn’t matter though, because even though we had only been together for ten months, I knew this was the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with, and I was SO grateful that God had still granted me that opportunity.
Luke and I wanted to get married as soon as I graduated from high school, but because of massive medical bills, we couldn’t afford it. So, we’ve lived each day together, working as a team to pay the bills while we waited….and finally!!–Luke proposed on December 31st, 2009 at midnight. We are newly engaged, and this June we will be celebrating our seven year anniversary, and the one year mark before our wedding! This gives me the greatest joy I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to be able to have a second chance to spend my life with my Prince Charming. So, even if we aren’t granted with the opportunity to have you capture this time in our lives, I still consider us victorious. :]
Seriously. Nicole. I LOVE you. I LOVE your story. I LOVE that you slept on a nasty hospital floor for 2 whole weeks to be there with Luke. Your story is such a true love story & I am beyond excited to be able to document you guys in all your fabulousness together!

To View her engagement photos.....


http://www.mariellehayes.com/2010/03/photographer/engagements/nicole-luke-engagements/

Monday, April 12, 2010

Live Web Cam From Apartment in Monaco

This cam is LIVE and is mounted on the fourth floor of Le Meridian Hotel next door to our Apartment.  We are just 19 floors higher.

Have a live look!

/http://www.lemeridienbeachplazaview.com/

http://www.lemeridienbeachplazaview.com/

Friday, March 5, 2010








To paraphrase W.C. Fields, "I don't drink water, because fish screw in it."
    

       
To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine... and those who don't…

As Ben Franklin said:
 In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials,
 scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop…

However,
 we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember:
 
Water = Poop,
Wine  = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid,
than to drink water and be full of shit
.

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service!
 

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Greatest Men I have witnessed

     When I was about 13, we moved to Hemet California.  I was attending the Catholic grade school in San Jacinto, on the other side of this soup bowl of a valley.  I will never understand why, but the time changed between Hemet and San Jacinto.  I could get on my bike at 8AM and ride to school (probably 5 miles) and arrive at 7:45.  This was certainly my first living example of "nothing is absolute, even time," a huge revelation to a youngster.  It taught me it's acceptable to question everything that was deemed "just the way it is." I met someone that year that not only challenged, but changed the status quo in our world forever...

     Cassius Marcellus Clay was training at Reds Meadows Training Camp, in Hemet at the time.  Boppa (my grandfather) and I would often go sit in the old wood bleachers with 6 to 10 others and watch him spar.  After his workout he would dance a little and with arms raised tell us, "I AM The Greatest!"  Boppa told me to watch him because he could just become the greatest.  We were there often enough that one afternoon he took us inside, talked and toyed with us and then let me hit the heavy bag.  When he hit it, it flew so easily, I assumed it was full of cotton and....damn near broke my fist.  It's full of sand!   

     Well, Ali provided Boppa and me many a fun night.  Whenever he fought, I would pick Boppa up @ La Costa and drive into San Diego to The Sports Arena and watch the fight on big screen.  If I was in college in Menlo Park I would fly home to watch Ali with Boppa, it was "our thing." I don't think we missed a fight. We would have a few (ya right) beers and watch Ali.  I am so very thankful for those times.  Believe it or not, Boppa was a chick magnet for me and we were Ali's biggest fans!  We would always leave the fight either hoarse or voiceless from our "instructions" to our friend during the fight. All of his fights were an incredible emotional roller coaster for both of us!

     I have owned and displayed this poster of Ali, standing over Sonny Liston with the caption. "IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING"  for over 30 years.  This man changed me and changed the world.  Boppa WAS RIGHT, HE DID TURN OUT TO BE THE GREATEST!



     Thank you Muhammad Ali. You gave Boppa and me so much.