What a Wonderful World!

UFO Sighting Spooks Colorado Town

2011-03-28T11:52:00.002-05:00

Integrity, Honor, Commitment

2010-11-20T11:46:00.007-06:00

I don't think people have much integrity these days...mostly, I suppose, with the younger generation; but really in general. There are a lot of things that go into having integrity: commitment, morals, truthfulness, honor, reliability.

I had an argument with my daughter this morning. She texted me to to say that she could not eat dinner with us for her grandfather's birthday tonight, even though she had told me twice (as late as yesterday) that she would be there. She said she had a date with her boyfriend and that she was also on a diet and couldn't eat at that particular steakhouse due to her diet. In my opinion, she was making excuses so she could spend more time with her boyfriend. She said she would "stop by" for a few minutes to say hi. She thought I was making a big deal out of nothing. I told her that commitment WAS a big deal and that she had to learn that when you commit to something, you follow through. She could always eat a salad if it was only because of her diet; I knew better, because I know my daughter.

This is just one example in a long line of examples of people who have made commitments to me and others I know, only to back out at the last minute.

It has only been in the past couple of years that I felt I was ready to start seriously considering dating again. After my most recent relationship dissolved, it was hard for me to get back up in the saddle and trust again. Not only that, my kids were now grown and son was off to college. It was time to start thinking about my own future. In the last year alone, I have personally experienced women who have backed out of dates (casual get-togethers as well as formal) the day of or day before we were to get together. This has happened about 5 times in the past year alone! (It happened twice this week by the same woman friend when we were supposed to go to a movie together.) When my daughter backed out on her commitment today, it just got me to wondering where integrity and commitment had gone. I want to teach my daughter to NOT be one of those people who think it's okay to back out on commitments. Ironically, she was backing out IN ORDER to spend time with a boy; but in my mind, that's even worse. Family should ALWAYS come before boyfriends or girlfriends, especially at her age and level of commitment to a relationship. It's hard to teach a girl at her age to put family before boys, however.

People look at my past record with women (16 years divorced and not yet married) and think it's due to my inability to make a commitment. On the contrary, it's because I have NOT felt the same level of commitment in the women I have dated! I can't tell you how tired I get of people making jokes about my inability to make a commitment, when I know that's never been the issue. In fact, in all my years of dating women going back to high school, I don't believe I have EVER had an extra-curricular relationship when I was involved in a serious relationship with a woman. Now...I have dated more than one woman at a time on occasion; but that is normally when I am still in the dating process and not serious with any particular one. In fact, before my last 3 years relationship I was dating two women fairly regularly. When it became obvious that I was ready to make a commitment to one over the other, I called the other to let her know. You know...she was very kind and appreciated that I called to tell her and was honest with her rather than just stop calling, as so many others do today. I also told both of them that I was seeing the other while I was dating them both. I wanted them to know where I was in terms of commitment.

I get asked to give of my time to projects, committees, events, etc all the time. Each time I am asked, I give serious consideration as to how much time I have to give and what level of commitment is being asked of me. I never agree to anything that I don't feel I can give 100% to. I want others to never doubt my level of commitment. Integrity, commitment and honor are a lost art...an art I hope my children will learn and appreciate.

Political Ramblings

2010-06-30T21:09:00.006-05:00

I haven't written much lately. I guess life sometimes gets so busy you forget to stop and think.

One thing has been bothering me a lot. I haven't talked much about politics here lately. But there is so much going on in this world that has me upset, it's never too far from my mind. Specifically, I am becoming very disturbed by Republicans (especially the far right) for things that are happening since Obama took office.

If you've been on another planet or locked inside a closet for a couple of months, there was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that continues to spew thousands and thousands of gallons into the ocean every day. Now...most democrats have been against drilling in the ocean forever. Last year, the ban was lifted by President Obama and drilling has started back up on in some areas off the U.S. coast. In the meantime, Sarah Palin and other Republicans have been shouting "Drill Baby, Drill!" in an effort to allow for more drilling in the ocean and around the U.S. Most Democrats have continued to believe that we should spend more money and energy looking at alternative clean fuels. Then came the disaster in the Gulf. Now Obama is being blamed for the disaster by Republicans who for years have been fighting to start the drilling while Obama and other Democrats have resisted. How dare they! Much of the finger pointing is not necessarily coming from Republican leaders, but from the Republican citizens of the U.S. The other day, I even had a trucker tell me that it's all liberal media hype and that there is no more oil in the Gulf now then there ever was...that there is always that much oil washing up on shore in the Gulf and that the Democrats and the liberal media are using it as a way of stopping the drilling. (Which, by the way, Obama did immediately after the disaster, and which the oil companies are fighting.)

When Obama took office, he was challenged to overcome eight years of disastrous economic and foreign policy by the previous administration. Even with that tremendous challenge, he pledged to try to reach out to the other side of the aisle in an effort to change the politics of the past. He was even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize specifically for what he HOPED to achieve to bring America and the world together! Unlike what the Republicans would have you believe, President Obama's entire career has been spent trying to compromise and reach out to others in order to reach common goals. His record speaks for itself. He's not a left-wing president. In fact, he's much more centrist than many of our great Democratic presidents of the past, including FDR and JFK. But, in an effort to damage Obama's credibility and record, the Republicans have adopted a strategy of ZERO COMPROMISE; which is to say that they refuse to vote with the Democrats on anything the Obama Administration tries to pass through Congress, even if what they are doing may very well be in the best interest of the American people. Any Republican congressman who votes with the Democrats is ostracized and jeopardizes his political future. The Republicans in Congress will stop at nothing to gain back a majority in Congress and get another Republican president in office, even if it means going back to the failed policies of the past eight years that brought our country to the brink of disaster, both economically and though the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Republicans talk about changing politics in Washington, but they continue to show us by their actions what is so terribly wrong with politics in Washington! Can you say "Hypocrites"?

Letter to our President

2010-04-11T03:41:00.009-05:00

The following is a letter from a Procter and Gamble executive to President Obama, followed by a letter from me to him. His name is Lou Pritchett.

Subject: A LETTER FROM A PROCTER AND GAMBLE EXECUTIVE TO THE PRESIDENT

Lou Pritchett is one of corporate America 's true living legends- an acclaimed author, dynamic teacher and one of the world's highest rated speakers. Successful corporate executives everywhere recognize him as the foremost leader in change management.. Lou changed the way America does business by creating an audacious concept that came to be known as "partnering." Pritchett rose from soap salesman to Vice-President, Sales and Customer Development for Procter and Gamble and over the course of 36 years, made corporate history.

AN OPEN LETTER TO
PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail..

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America '
crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaugh's, Hannitys, O'Reillys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

Response by Alex Lankhorst

AN OPEN LETTER TO LOU PRITCHETT

Dear Lou Pritchett,

You're an idiot.

Is it mandatory for a person to have corporate management experience in order to know how to run a country? If our country was run by corporate CEO's, who would bail us out when the country fails?

Do you have to know how to kill in war to understand that peace is always the best option?

Does the American public have to know more about you than that you were born an American without a silver spoon in your mouth; and worked and studied hard on your own (without help from your parent's friends and associates) to dig yourself out of poverty in order to give yourself every advantage you could possibly have in order to be successful?

Do you understand that intelligent people can actually EARN an Ivy League education by getting good grades and earning scholarships, and not by having a rich Ivy League alumni give you a recommendation in order to gain your admission?

Do you understand that President Obama spent ALL THE YEARS of his formative youth in American high schools and colleges and because he actually LIVED in another country besides America, he has actually experienced other cultures besides American culture which gives him a better GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE than someone who has never lived outside of the U.S.? And because he was born in America and lived most of his life in America, he is as much an American as you are? And he DOES NOT make others feel less an American than he is, just because that person may not have a white-European background?

Do you understand that because others oppose what you believe in does not make them anti-American or a terrorist or someone that hates America? It just means that they have a difference in opinion from you and different ideals than you. It also doesn't mean that they want America to fail. It means that have a different opinion in how to make America successful.

Do you understand that because we are now a global society, that we might actually LEARN SOMETHING from other countries in this world...including European countries? That what works there might actually work here too? Some conservatives seem to think that because democracy works here that it must work in all other countries. So, with that in mind, why shouldn't using what works for other countries actually work here?

Do you understand that the health care system in America is actually flawed? Does it not make sense then to actually want to change it in order to make it better for all Americans, not just the rich Americans who can afford good health care? If the American public continues to want to improve the health care system in America, and it comes up every few years, don't you think that there might actually be something to it? That maybe, just maybe, the American public understands that it needs to be fixed?

Do you understand that we are stewards of the one earth God has given us? Do you understand that in order to be good stewards of this earth that it is our responsibility to look for any possible ways to lessen our dependency on things like oil and coal that harm the environment. Wind mills and other renewable energy sources are the only way to be good energy stewards of our planet.

Do you understand that "the goose that lay the golden egg" has been taking advantage of the middle and lower classes since the beginning of time? Do you understand that these elite have been feeding of the middle and lower classes, when it's the middle and lower classes that keep the goose laying his golden eggs? These working class Americans are who drive the American economy. Taxing the rich (who can afford it) more than the middle and lower classes (who can't and who actually drive the economy) actually makes sense. (To everyone but the rich.)

Do you see that it's not just the democrats or President Obama in particular that are unwilling to listen to opposing points of view? When 100% of all Republicans vote against a health care bill, that should tell you who is NOT listening to opposing points of view. Both parties can be blamed for not being open-minded. President Obama has shown himself to be the most open-minded, bi-partisan President to come along in decades by actually holding formal meetings with the Republicans to listen to them and hear their concerns. Name one Republican president in the last 30 years who has done that.

Do you not actually listen to the news media? Between Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Fox News, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and new Fox News commentator, Sarah Palin, where is the liberal media you keep talking about? Because the REAL news channels actually report the real news, and it happens to NOT be a biased conservative point of view, does that actually mean it's a liberal media that's being easy on Obama?

Are you seriously talking about Obama "demonizing" the news media? Seriously? This is coming from someone whose party actually has posters made of Obama with devil horns and a Hitler mustache trying to portray our President as an evil person? This from a party who tried unsuccessfully to align Obama with Muslim terrorists and say that he wasn't even a U.S. citizen, even though any intelligent person would know that NO candidate could pass the scrutiny of our government in determining who may be eligible to even run for President of the United States.

Finally, you can't seriously talk about Obama "controlling" over "governing". This is an ideological difference between Republicans and Democrats. You see it as "controlling" whereas Democrats understand that some government intervention is necessary in providing for it's citizens.

Mr. Pritchett, your "open letter" to our President is nothing more than Republican scare tactics and propaganda. You believe that most Americans are ignorant and unable to see through your half-truths and outright lies. You simply have a difference in opinion on how our country needs to be governed. That's okay. As an American citizen you have the right to have your own opinion. However, that does not, I believe, give you the right to smear our President and say things about him that are outright lies. It does not give you the right to be Un-American.

Special Friendships

2010-02-20T15:48:00.002-06:00

"I am Wind in His Hair. Dances with Wolves, do you not see that I will always be your friend?"

I just watched the movie Dances with Wolves. I have seen the movie countless times and the last scene always brings tears to my eyes. Witnessing the friendship between two men is such a special thing to see.

.. ..

They say….

.. ..

“A man who has many friends is the wealthiest man in the world.” I have never been wealthy in monetary terms, but in my lifetime I have accumulated many good friends, and that has made me wealthy. Many are friends I don’t see or talk to daily, weekly or even monthly. When I do see them, it's as if time has stood still. I know that they will always be here for me should I ever need them; and they know the same thing of me. They are people who I laugh with, cry with; share my most intimate experiences with. They know me and what makes me tick. They know my failings as a man as well as those things that make me a special man, and they don’t judge me for those things that make me less than perfect.

.. ..

Although many of my good friends are men, I have also been blessed with many female friends whom I care for like family and would do anything for. But there is something special about the bond between two men. Men are supposed to have tough exteriors and not show emotion like women do. I think that’s why when two men care for each other so deeply as friends, and are able to show that emotion towards each other, it makes it all the more special.

.. ..

My friends mean everything to me. I am the person I am largely due to their friendship. I want to thank each of them for their friendship and even though we may not have spoken for a while, I want them to know how important their friendship is to me.

Dating at Forty

2009-12-25T23:17:00.005-06:00

Dating at Forty

Current mood: hopeful
Category: Romance and Relationships

Dating at forty-something is so hard for me. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it just feels so awkward; nothing like twenty- or thirty-something. Meeting new people. Awkward conversation. Asking her out. Where do you take her? How do you read her? What is she looking for in a man? Is she someone you could like enough to keep dating? The first kiss. That's one of the hardest things for me. Do you kiss on the first date? If you don't, what will they think? If you do, what will they think? Tongue....no tongue? When (or if) sex should come into the picture. Do they want the same things I want? On and on and on....

You see, forty-somethings are more experienced at life than a twenty-something and usually more independent and know what they want out of life. But you never quite know what stage the other is in and what kind of experiences he or she has had and how that affects the way he or she thinks about dating or the opposite sex in general. Those things above were pretty simple at 25 or even 35. Most of that stuff you didn't really think too much about. You just did it if it felt right. You pretty much just took things as they come. At forty-something, time becomes more of a factor. How much time do I put into a relationship before I can tell if it's going to go anywhere? You want to be fair to yourself and to the person you're dating to give it a fair chance at success. However, my last serious girlfriend went about 2 years longer than it should have. That time could've been spent dating other women. Who knows? Maybe I would've met someone else in that time and been married by now!

I guess with me, it's about not being single anymore. I've been single for the much better part of 16 years. With the exception of the three year relationship and a few relationships that lasted a few months each, I've been single. But for most of that time, I didn't really think too much about being single because I was raising my kids and they were my focus. I didn't feel any pressure to meet anyone for the most part. I knew I'd be okay as long as I had them and could spend time with them. Now that they are grown (for the most part) I'm alone and find that I am more ready than ever to meet someone that I might eventually want to spend the rest of my life with. Part of it could be attributed to loneliness; part of it is simply the need for closeness. All I know is it's time....I think.

I've actually had the opportunity to date a little lately. It's been fun meeting new people and getting reacquainted with people I've known, but not dated before. I'm trying to be open-minded about everything and just take things as they come without thinking too much. I think that's been a problem for me in past relationships....I think too much and it makes it difficult for me to enjoy dating or the relationship. Perhaps this blog entry IS me thinking too much! All I know is I hope I don't continue to blow things by thinking too much or being stupid or whatever. At my age, it's hard to know how many more chances I might have to get it right!

What is a father?

2009-06-21T23:57:00.002-05:00

What makes a father? At church today, the childrens sermon was about fathers; and the lady giving the sermon asked the children what their fathers do with them. She mentioned things like providing for them, playing ball with them . One kid mentioned going on rattlesnake hunts with them (which got a good laugh!). It got me to thinking about what a father really is. It struck me that the things mentioned weren't very nurturing types of things. Being a father to me has meant so many things; much more than providing for and playing ball with them. But I guess the modern day father really must be much, much more than that!

First of all, let me make this one point very clear. Providing sperm for a child does not make you a father. Putting your work before your family does not necessarily make you a father (or at least a good father). Putting things like golf ahead of your family does not make you a good father either. This is something that too many men don't understand until their kids are off to college and they realize that they really don't know them that well. When I went through my divorce, I promised myself I would never be just a "weekend dad". Being a good father has always been the most important thing in the entire world to me. It meant more to me than my job. It even meant more to me than playing golf, meeting women or getting re-married. That wasn't even close! I have not always been a good father, but I was always present in the lives of my children, and they always knew that I would drop anything to be with them if they needed me. But I have made bad decisions in parenting as all parents have. At times when I was lonely and decided it would be okay to introduce a woman into the lives of my kids (and therefore put my own happiness above theirs) it was (at times) a bad decision. But, my children never doubted that they were the most important thing in my life.

I've dated a few women in 15 years, and one disturbing thing came up far too often. (Read my blog about rescuers.) Many of the men these women dated (or were married to) are men you might call "sperm donors". Far too often, it seemed that the "fathers" of the children of the women I dated never saw their children or only saw them occasionally. In fact, if I had to venture a guess, I'd say that nearly 80% of these men saw their kids less than once or twice a month! Most of them saw their kids much less than that if at all! No wonder these women have a hard time trusting men! Another point I want to make clear is that you can not make a man a good father. They either get it or they don't. Look at a good father and oftentimes you see his own father (and sometimes his mother). But more often than not, being a father is a choice. It's a choice you make when you first hold your newborn baby in the hospital. It's a choice you make the first time you wake up at 3 a.m. to a crying baby and get up to give him or her a bottle and rock them gently back to sleep. It's a choice you make when a friend asks you to go out for a beer and you're supposed to take your daughter to her first dance recital. Being a father is all of these choices and many, many more!

Now, my son is off to college and my daughter is close behind; and I often look at them and question whether or not I was a good dad or whether or not I spent enough time with them. I think it's easy to doubt yourself. But I think I did do one thing right. I made a commitment not to be a "weekend dad" and I stuck to it. My kids know how much I love them (I tell them every single day I see them or each day I talk to them). But whenever I start to doubt myself, I simply think of my two kids and what good young adults they've become, and I realize that I must have done something right. I couldn't have asked for two better kids. I'm so lucky to be their father.

Rescuers

2009-05-27T22:41:00.002-05:00

Rescuers. It makes us feel better to be with others we feel need our help. It makes us feel better about ourselves. At times, we may succeed in our rescue attempts, even if in small ways. But for the most part, we fail. For these people don't realize they need rescuing; and even if they do, they may not want it. They are used to who they've become and it's always easier to stay with what feels comfortable than to grow and change. What happens when one rescuer meets another rescuer. What happens then? Can they save one another?

A Son's Graduation

2009-05-19T12:04:00.001-05:00

Well...last weekend was high school graduation weekend for Salina high schools. That meant that my son, Jordan, would finally achieve his goal of graduating from high school and heading for college.

I'm so proud of my son! Not only did he graduate, but he was at or near the top 10% of his graduating class! He's not always the best at doing homework and studying, but when he has a project to do, he puts a lot of time and energy into making it perfect! Now, he'll be putting that time and energy into studying Architectural Engineering at K-State.

But as for last weekend...what a thrill! It was so emotional for me watching my son walk into the arena with his cap and gown. I really thought I would lose it. A father goes through so many emotions watching his son graduate and become a man. Pride is probably the most dominant emotion. But there's also the emotion of thinking back to when your son was a little boy and you were teaching him to ride a bike, catch a baseball or shoot a basket. I did those things with Jordan, but some of my favorite moments involved the theater. Jordan's first experience with the theater came back in 1996 when he and I were in the musical Oliver together. He was the youngest orphan in the cast at age 5. We also were in The Music Man together twice--once with me as the lead and the second time with him as the lead! He and I were theater buddies. Although I never pushed him into doing theater or music, he very quickly found his love for the same things I haved loved most of my life. Only he's so much better than I ever was! That's what makes me so proud! He's exceeded all my expectations in those areas, but mostly in being the best son a man could ever hope for!

Good luck Jordan! I love you and can't wait to see all the great things you'll accomplish in your life!

45 going on 40

2009-04-28T23:27:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow's my birthday. I don't really care much for birthdays anymore. It'll be 45 years for me, and my mind still thinks I'm 35. (I was gonna say 25, but then I just erased all the awesome years I've had with my kids!) Time sure is funny, isn't it? I still remember laying in bed one night when I was 14 and thinking about going to high school next year. I was so nervous about going to school with all the big kids my sister Carola's age! I just remember thinking how four years of high school seemed like an eternity at that time! It's also funny how your perspective on time changes as you grow older!

The last few years haven't been very good for me unfortunately. I think in my mind the thought of growing old and my kids leaving home started creeping into my subconsious. It may have even contributed to many of the arguments my former girlfriend and I had over that time (not "may have"..."did") which eventually led to our separation. I was unhappy; unhappy thinking about growing older and unhappy thinking about losing my kids who have been my life the past 18 years. I finally realized this year that I was dealing with a major mid-life crisis. I had always heard about it, but just thought it was men in their 40s who bought Corvettes and had affairs. I guess that's just how some men deal with it.

Recently, however, I've started coming to grips with where I am in my life. Although it still saddens me terribly to think of my little kids moving away from dad soon, I've realized that the old expression that "you're only as old as you feel" is really true. I decided that if I was going to feel better about where I was in life, it was up to me, and me alone. I lost weight and started working out consistently. I'm trying to start a band again, which I've always wanted to do. I'm dating a real nice girl who I think really likes me regardless of my age and I really like her too (even though she's still just a kid at 33!) Now, I feel so much better, I look better, and realize that it's true...you ARE only as old as you feel. Forty-five's not so bad! I feel better than I did 5 years ago anyway, and that's a good start! Hello 45....look out 50!

2009-04-09T08:46:00.007-05:00

My daughter, Shelbi, turns 16 on Monday. That's right, "Sweet 16 and never..." oh well, I guess she's at least sweet 16, even if I know for a fact she HAS been kissed! Shelbi is my youngest. Jordan is now 18 and leaving home soon for the Little Apple in Manhattan to go to K-State. Shelbi is not far behind. When I think of these things happening I sometimes feel a rush of emotion build up that I can't help. My two wonderful little kids have grown up right before my eyes and there's nothing I can do to stop it! But if I could, would I? There's a question for you! Sometimes I long so much to see my little 8 year-old Shelbi again. That little girl with the glint in her eye everytime she looks at her dad. Oh how I loved that look in her eye! Now, she's got a boyfriend that gives her that glint and she rarely has time to spend with good 'ol dad anymore. Jordan is so busy with his senior year in school that dad isn't much more than the housekeeper that washes his clothes and sometimes feeds him when he has time to stop and eat. But if I could turn back the hands of time, would I? I so enjoy watching my kids turn into adults! I'm always amazed at what wonderful young adults they've become! I guess it just seems to all have flown by so fast that I realize how much of their youth I missed and wish I could have some of it back.

Random Things About Me

2009-01-31T18:38:00.002-06:00

The following are Random Things About Me that I posted on MySpace and Facebook. I thought I'd share it here too.

1. My friends and family are the most important thing in the world to me. Once you are in my inner circle of friends, you are my family and will always be.
2. I love my kids so much it hurts. They continue to do things every single day that make me proud to be their dad.
3. My son turns 18 in a little more than a week. Watching him grow up has been like watching myself grow up all over again only much, much better. He's so much smarter than I ever was!
4. My daughter is the prettiest girl I know and is much smarter than she thinks she is or maybe wants to be. She has a heart of gold!
5. I've never been one to hang out in cliques. I have just a few close friends, but I have no doubt that they are all friends for life.
6. My personal philosophy is "Work to live and not the other way around." I work hard when I work but I always take time for my family.
7. Although I love working as an insurance agent, I never in a million years thought that's what I would be doing at this age.
8. My brother is my best friend, but sometimes he drives me absolutely nuts!
9. My mom is the most generous, loving, dependable person I know. Period.
10. I have always dreamed of singing with an orchestra. If I ever have a terminal illness and am granted one final wish, that's what I want to do.
11. I'm really very introverted, but try to make people believe that I'm not.
12. My brother is doing with his life what I've always wanted to do. I'm not envious, but proud. He's really good!
13. By the way...after 26 years, I am finally starting my own band! Yeah!
14. I have been fortunate enough to have been in love four times in my life (once married). Unfortunately, non of them stuck. Hopefully the next will be my last!
15. I can't seem to make up my mind which school I love the most...KU or K-State. I let my brother think it's KU so he can have fun making fun of me when I go to K-State games.
16. I got my teaching license from K-State but don't teach anymore. Did I mention I used to teach computer and business classes at South High School?
17. I'm pretty liberal in my political beliefs. If you get me started on politics it's hard to get me to shut up.
18. I'm trying real hard to remember that just because others have differing views it doesn't mean that they're wrong...just that they differ from me.
19. I hate being single, but I know there is someone out there just waiting for me. I just don't get out enough to find her.
20. I have been very blessed in this life! Sometimes I forget how blessed I am.
21. I love everything about the theater, but don't think I'm a very good actor. I get typecast as a leading actor in musicals because I can sing, but have always wanted to do more plays so I could become a better actor. I also want to direct someday.
22. I love dogs. My dog Maggie Mae has been with me for 14 years...throughout many trying times in my life. She always loves me unconditionally regardless of my moods or if I fed her 2 hours late. She's always there for me when others may not have been.
23. I want to learn how to swing dance and ballroom dance.
24. I often allow people to walk all over me in order to keep the peace and not argue. I hate arguing!
25. I have two blogs that I write in on a regular basis. www.myspace.com/alexlankhorst and http://alexlankhorst.blogspot.com.

More on Obama...

2009-01-20T21:18:00.001-06:00

I got to thinking about my previous blog I wrote today (read below) and realized that, although I feel all those things I said, it was pretty much the same feelings I'm sure many of you feel at this time. I guess I feel like I should be a little more candid about my real, individual feelings about the new administration.

Those of you who know me, know that I am a democrat and that I disliked the Bush Administration fiercly. But this isn't just about my dislike for what George W. and his administration was. Eight years ago when Bush took office, I was very disappointed as many fellow democrats were. I felt (as did Gore) robbed by the election. I felt like the American people were robbed. Then after we invaded Iraq and were lied to by the Bush administration for why we went into Iraq, I felt betrayed. Then after Bush was elected for a second term I felt like the American people were just plain stupid for giving this man a second chance! I felt like Bush used fear tactics to win the election over Kerry and falsely accused a true war hero of being less than what he was. For the next four years I felt like we, the American people, got what we deserved for electing this administration for a second term. I was jaded. I was not only disappointed in the American people, I was disappointed in our government. I believe many Americans felt let down by our government as evidenced by the fact that a good majority of incumbents lost their jobs. I never thought I'd feel so negatively about the country I love so much and the leaders of this country.

Watching the inauguration today, I must admit I got a little teary-eyed. After eight years of feeling betrayed and let down by our government and the American people, I feel hope. I feel optimistic about what we as Americans can accomplish. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading Republican Senator, said it best when he mentioned (I'm not quoting here) that maybe, just maybe, it will now become popular for politicians in Washington to work together to make things happen in Washington. President Obama in such a short time has already shown his ability to reach out to the members of the Republican party. He has shown his willingness to work together with them for a common purpose. And (by estimates) well over 2 million people showed up in Washington to celebrate this new hope we have in America. I believe that Graham and other politicians in Washington will have to take notice. They can't help but see that the American people want our leaders in Washington to solve our problems together and not work to discredit the other side of the aisle. Maybe, just maybe, the American people will reward them for doing their job rather than for the old politics of fear, hate, and negativity towards the other party.

Today, more so than at any other time in my life, I felt proud to be an American and hopeful that our government will begin to work FOR the American people and not for their own political interests. I felt like we really have a chance to be an example to the world of what you can do as a country if you all come together for the common good. That's something those terrorists who hope to bring us down will never be able to defeat. If we all, as a country, come together we can be an example to even those terrorists that wish us harm, that good conquers evil every time.

I'm PROUD to be an American!

2009-01-20T14:02:00.007-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about our new president and the new era we are entering as a country. I don't know about you, but I am so proud to be an American today. Not that I haven't been proud to be an American before, but I'm so proud of what we have done by not only electing our first black president, but by choosing a candidate for president that represents hope for our future. He's not only our 44th president, he's a symbol of how far we as a country have come in terms of civil rights and tolerance and equality. Yes, we still have a ways to go for sure. But to many of my generation and the generation before me, it would have seemed impossible that we would have lived to see a black man or woman be sworn in as President of the United States in our lifetime. I can only imagine the hope that brings to so many children of not only black ancestry, but children of all minorities, that anything is possible. Children whose own parents may have discouraged them from dreaming big are now saying with complete confidence to their children that "you can be anything you want to be!" I believe the events of this day give us as a country more credibility around the world to people and countries who may have judged us as a people unjustly. They may not have given us the credit we deserve for being people of compassion and fairness; of tolerance and righteousness. I believe President Obama exudes and represents these qualities. By electing this man by such a clear margin, we have told the world that this is the type of country we are and want to be. We are that country. I'm proud to be a citizen of that type of country. I'm proud to be an American.

Allen Fieldhouse

2008-12-07T18:54:00.006-06:00

James Naismith, Phog Allen, Wilt Chamberlain, Bud Stallworth, Jo Jo White, Roy Williams...the list goes on and on like a Who's Who of college basketball. University of Kansas basketball. No program in the world has a richer tradition. For me, it all started back around 1974 when I went to Allen Fieldhouse (the legendary home of KU basketball since March 1, 1955) with my dad to watch my first college basketball game. It was against Notre Dame and Coach Digger Phelps, which at the time was a national powerhouse basketball program. Rick Suttle, Danny Knight, Tom Kivisto, Donnie Von Moore, Norm Cook...names I will always remember from that team. I actually played high school basketball with Danny Knight's younger brothers, Kelly and James, who both played Division I basketball...Kelly with KU from 1979-1983. We went to another game a couple of years later to see KU beat Colorado. On that team was one of my favorites, Roger Morningstar. Roger Morningstar's son, Brady, is now a starter for KU.

At last, some 30 years later I walked into the hallowed halls of Allen Fieldhouse. I gotta tell ya...I got chills. I've always been a huge fan of KU and rarely miss a game on TV; but I've just never been back to a game there mostly due to the high price and availability of tickets. This year I decided that it had been long enough. Jackson State is no Notre Dame or even Colorado, but it was still a fun game to watch and mostly just great being in that field house and listening to the "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk" echo throughout the arena when the game's outcome had all but been decided. Just absorbing the atmosphere was worth the $55 ticket price. We literally sat IN the rafters as I bumped my head into one on several occasions as I was getting up to use the restroom or take a picture. But the seats were still at mid-court and had an awesome view of everything!

I only hope it won't be another 30 years before I return again.

President Obama!

2008-11-05T22:25:00.003-06:00

I am so happy for America!!! Last night was a historic night whether you are Republican or Democrat. Electing Barack Obama as our first black president gives me hope that maybe...finally Americans are looking past a persons skin color and voting for him because of the person and what he hopes to accomplish for this country. It gives me hope that we are finally getting to the point where the younger generation is no longer looking at color as a way of judging who a person is inside. Children don't see color as an indication of a person's worth until an adult tells them that there's a difference. Hopefully this will lead to our next woman president or our first Hispanic president or (dare I say it!)....GAY president!

Twisting the Truth: Obama's Tax Plan

2008-10-23T21:35:00.004-05:00

With election day drawing nearer (thank God!), there is just so much misinformation out there and headline breaking news that I'm not sure where to start. I guess I'll start with taxes, since it's such a hot button with Republicans.

A Republican friend of a friend on Facebook was arguing with my friend over Obama's tax plan. She stated what McCain and the other Republicans have been saying for a year. They are purposely twisting what Obama has said to make it seem like we are all being fooled and lied to by Obama. Just ask Joe the Plumber...McCain used him as an example to skew the truth and downright lie about Obama's plans to tax him.

What they (Republicans) are saying about Obama's tax plan is this: Everyone, businesses included, that make over $250K per year will be taxed more heavily than those making less than $250K. Their argument is that a good percentage of small business makes over $250K per year, which is true. However, when asked point blank on Larry King Live a while back, and also clarified during the debates and on http://www.barackobama.com/, Obama made it clear that he only plans on taxing the PERSONAL INCOME of individuals and families that make over $250K per year. In other words, a business can make over $250K per year and be taxed the same as other small businesses. However, if the owner or CEO or anyone else working for that small business takes home a PERSONAL income of over $250K per year, he or she will be taxed higher.

Now...I would bet that over 80% of Americans make less than $250K per year. Obama's plan is that no one making under $250K per year in PERSONAL INCOME will pay ANY federal income tax! The richest of the rich have been getting off easy under Republican rule due to Republican's belief in trickle down economics, which has been proven not to work. Can anyone who listens to the news and knows what has been happening with Enron, Lehman Bros, AIG, Fannie Mae, etc., etc., etc., say with a straight face that they believe that CEOs and other executives at large wealthy corporations will be thinking about their employees first if they have a banner year probably due to not paying any taxes? Not a chance! They are going to give themselves a huge bonus including free trips, homes, cash, cars, executive vacations at 5 star resorts (known as business trips by AIG execs), etc., etc., etc. Obama believes that the middle class (those with a personal income of less than $250K) deserve a break for a change! I think he's right!

Baby Christian

2008-10-21T21:01:00.003-05:00

Well...we just got back from a long weekend with baby Christian, my sister Christel and her family in St. Paul, Minnesota. Let me just say that Christian is the most beautiful baby I've seen since Shelbi was born! (See pictures) He's only two months old, so he is just starting to recognize people other than his parents and doesn't do much but sleep and poop, but he is starting to develop his own personality already. And he just LOVES his Uncle Alex! Just when I thought I would never want more kids of my own, holding Christian and seeing him respond to me (oh so slightly) makes me wish for another little one around! Hopefully, the feeling will go away when I don't see him for a while! LOL Having a girlfriend first could be an important step, however!

Let's see...other than spending time with Christian and the rest of the family, we went to the Mall of America for an afternoon. I bought a new pair of jeans that were size 34 waist! My size a month ago was 38! I also bought a large shirt which is a size smaller than before! So, that pretty much made my day and gave me even more incentive to continue watching my diet and exercising every day. We also went scootering around town with Christel's scooter and Paul cooked us an awesome meal of roasted pork one evening. They bought a new home when Christel was pregnant, and it is really beautiful in a nice neighborhood in South Saint Paul.

That's about it! Enjoy the pics!

Jealousy

2008-10-14T22:19:00.005-05:00

What is it about jealousy that makes us so crazy? Why are so many people jealous and what makes us feel that way? I know jealousy is not considered one of the "Seven Deadly Sins" in the bible, but maybe it should be. It can be such a destructive thing.

I am not normally a jealous person, or at least I try not to let it show. I have tried to not let it destroy my relationships like it does so many people. Jealousy leads to possessiveness which can destroy relationships. I just hate it when the person you care for uses jealousy as a weapon to either hurt you or find out how much you care for them. I experienced some jealousy tonight and I just hated it! But I think the person that made me jealous did so on purpose, and that I dislike even more. Do people do that because of their own insecurities? I'm quite sure that you become jealous because you have insecurities either about yourself or about your relationship with that person or both. In my case, it has more to do with my insecurities with the relationship because I know the relationship is still very fragile. But I've decided not to let it bother me...or at least to not let that person know that it bothers me. Because (believe me) I am bothered by it! I had such a hard time getting what was said out of my mind that I started calling people to see if they could get me out of the house and take my mind off of it. But, alas, none was available. I did, at least, speak to a friend for awhile and that helped. But I've decided to try my best to not let it get to me. I was planning on texting or emailing that person who made me jealous to let them know how I felt, but I decided to not give them the satisfaction of knowing. But, sooner or later, if this topic continues to come up when we talk I'll have no choice but to let them know that I think it's innappropriate.

Jo Jo

2008-10-09T22:41:00.006-05:00

We lost our dog Jo Jo today. He had been very sick lately and had spent the past few days at the veterinary hospital. It became evident that he was only getting worse and so my mother and father made the decision to put him to sleep. I know how hard of a decision that was for both of them as I know they loved him very much. We all did. He was as much my dog as he was theirs. Twelve years ago, Jo Jo came walking up to me in my front yard without a collar, without a home. We had recently lost our last dog, Nina, (whom I also found as a stray), and Mom wasn't ready for another dog. But Jo Jo melted her heart immediately and he's been part of our family ever since; as much a part as any one of us. It still hasn't sunk in. I have yet to shed a tear. I think I'm in a state of shock and denial, really. I'm sure when I come over on Sunday for lunch and he's not there to great me at the door or by running to my car to say Hi, it'll become real to me. We love you Jo Jo and will miss you so much!

The following was a tribute to Jo Jo written by my father.

He was with us for fourteen years. They were

wonderful years and wonderful memories of walks

in the neighborhood, frolicking on a Florida

beach, or just sitting near us as he looked at

the world outside our glass front door. He was a

wonderful and close companion who gave us

unconditional love and trust, even during the

difficult last few days of his life. With deep

sadness we had to let him go. As difficult as

it was for us make the decision, it was not fair

to him to let him suffer any longer.

His name was JoJo. We will miss him terribly, for

he was more than a pet--he was our beloved friend.

Forgiveness

2008-10-07T22:52:00.000-05:00

Forgiveness. We've heard about it since we were little kids. We've been taught forgiveness at church, from our parents, from our teachers, and yet it's still such a hard thing for people to do. To TRULY forgive someone (to me) means that we are able to stop feeling resentment or anger towards someone for something we feel the other has done to harm them and to FORGET about what happened and go on with your life. To truly put aside any feelings of illwill towards the other person for that offense. To forget about that wrong and go on without feeling that resentment.

That's the hard part, isn't it? To forget. I'll admit, it's been very hard for me to forgive some people in my life. Many people say they have forgiven others, but have they forgotten enough to be able to go on with their lives as if the offense didn't happen? When they see that person again, do they still have those lingering feelings of anger or resentment? Do they still bring it up occasionally when something happens that reminds them of the incident? I can be accused of that and I was wrong each time I did it. But why do some people have such a hard time moving past those things and going forward with their life? Life is hard enough without harboring old resentments and anger.

I don't know the answer of how to forgive and forget. But I know that Jesus forgave his persecutors that hung him on the cross. I will try my best to truly forgive all those who have hurt me. I hope those who feel I have hurt them will let me know how they feel, and then try their best to forgive me.

One week to go!

2008-10-05T20:13:00.001-05:00

Well...one week to go on my purification diet! Woo Hoooo! I'm not sure exactly how much I've lost to date because I haven't checked since last Wednesday. As of last Wednesday, I was down to 190 which means that I had lost 9 pounds after 10 days on the diet. My hopeful guess is that I am at about 186 now, but that may be a little optimistic. I've cheated a few times this weekend...mostly by drinking alcohol. But I still feel great and am getting a lot of complements on my weight loss. Even Shelbi's friend told her today that she didn't realize what a good-lookin' dad she had! She told me when I came out to her car that she thought I was Jordan! Funny!

The downside is that I've started smoking a little. I've been a little down lately regarding some issues with my ex-girlfriend and that evening she just happened to call and we got into an argument. As I was already feeling pretty crappy, that made me even more depressed and I bought a pack. Well...one cigarette led to another and I'm smoking about 5 a day now....more when I go out. I'll tackle quitting smoking as soon as this diet is over. One goal at a time!

Chili Cook-off

2008-09-29T11:15:00.005-05:00

I forgot to post this the other day, so I thought I'd do it now. My family, minus Shelbi :( , went to the chili cook-off at (what used to be called-and not sure what it's called now) Santa Fe Days on Saturday. The weather was perfect! It has turned into a very well-attended Salina event that lasts most of the day beginning with a downtown parade first thing in the morning. But the chili cook-off has become a tradition for me each year. We just LOVE tasting all the different varieties of homemade chili! I did miss having Shelbi, Angelina and Marquix with us this year, but it was still a good time. The only thing I hated about it this year, is that I couldn't taste any of the chili!!! I am on my purification diet, so all I could do was smell the glorious aroma of that wonderful chili! Also, The New Dawn Singers (Jordan's high school singing group) performed and did a wonderful job! I think they are as good or better than last year, and last year's group was the best I'd ever heard! Peace!

The Producers Final Curtain

2008-09-28T23:27:00.006-05:00

Today, we did our last show of The Producers at SCT. The experience was bittersweet for me and most everyone involved. You're glad to finally have some free time in the evenings and weekends, but you hate to say goodbye to all your new friends.

What a great experience it was! Although the audiences weren't as large as everyone hoped, the experience for everyone involved was one we will not soon forget. Of all the shows I've done in the past, this one was probably the best. My only regret is that more people didn't come to see it. It was a very veteran and close knit cast of people from all walks of life that came together each evening and just had a great time! It was the first play that my friend Gary Demuth and I have done together for several years. But I also made several new friends that I hope to call my friends for many years to come. I want to thank everyone who had a part in putting this production together and especially the other cast members for being so amazingly positive and fun throughout the entire run from rehearsals until the final curtain. I love you all and hope to see you again real soon!

Dating in your 40s

2008-09-23T21:41:00.003-05:00

I'm a divorced, father of two teenagers and have been divorced for 14 years. When I first got divorced I thought it was very important for me to spend as much quality time with my kids as possible, especially since I only saw them part-time. When it was my weekend with my kids, I rarely ever did anything with anyone but them. Occasionally I would be in a relationship and we would get a babysitter, but that was so seldom I could probably count those times on one hand. My friend John is the same way. He has been divorced probably 10 years now and is just like me about spending time with other people on his weekend with the kids. I basically sacrificed being single in my 30's for time with my kids. Not that I didn't have any relationships because I did. But none of them ever panned out for me. That wasn't my priority. But I wouldn't change that at all. I loved watching my kids grow up and trying to be a good dad for them. My entire identity for as long as I can remember was about how good a father I am/was. John is still single as well and has probably dated less than I have. Our focus was definitely on making sure our kids knew they had loving fathers, and that's a good thing.

Now that we're both in our 40s and our kids are in high school, we find ourselves alone a lot. Is it possible that we could've been good fathers and still maintained strong relationships with our kids? Our kids are awesome and I attribute much of that to them having strong fathers who gave them the love they needed while they were growing up. But now that I don't see them very much I find myself in an awkward state of mind. I no longer know how to date. It's much easier for me to just go out with a buddy or stay home than it is for me to call a girl and ask her out. I'm not sure if that's even how it's done these days. I met my last girlfriend on the internet, but it's such an impersonal, sterile environment to meet someone. We were together for 3 years and called it quits almost a year ago. I haven't been on a date since then (except for an occasional lunch date with a friend of mine who is also divorced and spends all her free time with her kids). That's a year, folks! And a year (at my age) is a precious thing!

When I talk to my kids, it seems as though kids don't "date" anymore. They "hook up" or "hang out". (I hope "hook up" doesn't mean the same thing it meant when I was in high school!) In other words, they go out with friends and meet other friends out. They hang out in groups until they gradually separate themselves from the group with someone else from the group and become a couple. What if you're 44 and don't have a group anymore?? What is it that women in their 30s and 40s are looking for? (I'd say 20s, but at my age that may be pushing my limits a little!) How do you meet them? Part of the problem is that there aren't many places to meet women in their 30s and 40s in Salina. I refuse to "hook up" with a girl I've met at a bar. My church doesn't have many single women around that age, and that's kind of awkward for me too. I try to be involved in the Community Theater as often as possible, but most of the women who do that are also married or just too young.

Any ideas? Please comment...I'd really like to know!

Day One Down

2008-09-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

Well...Day 1 of my purification diet is almost history. My friend Dean, who told me about the diet and lost 25 pounds on it, recommended I start today or even after the play ended because he said my stomach may not take it to well for the first few days. I was originally planning on Saturday.

For those of you who aren't aware of what a purification diet does, it completely rids your body of toxins that have built up over time, completely cleansing your liver, kidneys, skin, etc., and best of all losing weight! It can even cure certain ailments such as headaches, bone and muscle aches and pains, etc. You end up tasting your food better, having more energy, feeling like you're 25 again! (Or so I've been told.) Basically, you eat nothing but fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits for 21 days. After 10 days, you can eat a little meat, but only minimal. The shakes you drink and nutritional supplements give you the nutrients you may be missing and help to flush your system.

I got pretty hungry this afternoon. I had an egg and vegetable omelette for lunch (you can eat egg periodically for protein) and a banana and shake for breakfast. But I didn't eat at all until 7:30 and was starved by then! (I ate steamed brocholi, onions and brussel sprouts.) Plus, Anne Hokestra had her 30th birthday today at the theater, and there were two cakes. Everyone was eating away, and I had to just sit and imagine what it might taste like! LOL

I was proud of myself though. It really is a "one day at a time" thing for me. I love eating meat and fast food. That's part of the problem. I had actually lost 10 pounds over the past month by cutting back on fast food, working out daily, and eating more fruits and veges. I was trying to prepare my body for this diet. Hopefully, I can lost another 10-20 pounds. Dean said I can expect to lose a pound a day on this diet. We'll see! Wish me luck!

Times Change

2008-09-17T11:19:00.007-05:00

Times change and you adapt. My life is changing by the minute. Some good...some bad. But you live, learn, adapt, and make your life better. Most of you who dare to read this blog know that I have been struggling with the loss of a loved one. A woman I loved dearly has chosen to go on with her life without me. I'm saddened by it, but also know that people must do what they feel they need to do for themselves in order to survive this strange and wonderful world we live in. It will be tough for me, but I will support her as her friend.

My kids are in high school now, and that means I'm alone A LOT! Shelbi has a new job, cheerleading and a new boyfriend (that's a whole other conversation!) so she spends a lot of time with him and Jordan has work, theater, and his music to occupy his time. Dad just isn't as important as he was when they were in grade school. But I will continue to try to spend what time I can with them and go to as many of their activities as I can. I'm just so thankful that my kids have a good head on their shoulders and do their best to make good decisions.

Another change going on in my life is I am starting a purification diet this week. It will help me to rid my body of all its toxins and allow me to lose some weight in the process. Now, I'm not fat, but I could stand to lose a few pounds. It's that middle age, middle section 20. I've actually lost about 10 pounds over the past few weeks just eating right and exercising. But this will allow me to lose as many as 20-25 pounds in 3 weeks and purify my body at the same time. It's going to be tough at times, but I figure it's only 3 weeks out of my life. Hopefully, through proper diet and exercise, I can keep the weight off permenantly.
As always...I welcome your comments!

Fashion Show

2008-09-17T11:19:00.005-05:00

I thought I'd post a few photos of my son, Jordan, at the Central Mall Fall Fashion Show yesterday. He sure takes after his old man, doesn't he?

Choices

2008-09-15T22:13:00.001-05:00

Do you ever yearn so much for something that you can't have? Do you ever feel that you know what you need to do, but it's just so hard because doing it means you're giving up something you yourself desire for the sake of another person's needs. Do you ever feel like the choices before you aren't very good? You can choose to satisfy your own selfish needs and cause unhappiness for another or you can sacrifice your own happiness in order to give someone theirs. I know what Jesus would say. But doing it is so much harder than being selfish. I guess I should just be happy for the other person and try to remember all the things I have that God has blessed me with and be thankful. Sometimes I feel my whole life just slipping through my fingers as if all I once had was just an illusion: the girl, the happy family, the life you always wanted. I just feel at such a loss these days. I want to hold on to that life as long as I can, but doing it is only alienating the one person I want to hold onto. The hardest part is letting go of the friendship. But maybe by letting go I might someday have the friendship. Let her go Alex. Let that life go. Show your love by making her happiness more important than your own.

Cast Party

2008-09-13T17:39:00.007-05:00

We had our first cast party for "The Producers" last night at my house and it turned out to be a lot of fun. I'm still recovering, I think. We ended up partying until about 3 a.m. Bill Brown (aka. Max Bialystock) turned out to be the life of the party, as we all knew he would. Thanks to all who came and to Mom and Jordan for helping to get the party ready for my guests.

Opening Night!!!

2008-09-11T22:38:00.005-05:00

Tonight was Sponsor's Night at The Salina Community Theater (SCT) for the Mel Brook's comedy "The Producers". We've been in rehearsals 5 nights a week for 6 weeks getting ready for this show, and if tonight is any indication, it'll be a smashing success! The audience was about two-thirds to three-forths full, but really seemed to enjoy it. You know a crowd enjoys a show when you get an immediate standing ovation, which we received tonight. Most shows get "standing O's", but some are somewhat obligatory where everyone waits to see if someone will be the first to stand...you know, you've been to one of those before. Mom and Dad came tonight and really seemed to love the show. They were still laughing at my costume as Roger Debris' Costume Designer, Kevin. The cast still laughs at me when they see me in it! It's hilarious! The cast is as tight a cast as I've ever worked with. In fact, we probably could have opened last weekend we were so far ahead of where most casts are for their first show.

Tomorrow is the official "Opening Night" of the show. If you read this and haven't got your tickets yet, you'd better not wait too long. When word of how good this show is gets out, tickets will sell quickly. To get tickets, call the theater at 785-827-3033 or order online at www.salinatheatre.com.

Losing a Friend

2008-09-10T01:02:00.003-05:00

I lost my best friend today. She may not have always thought of me as her best friend, but I always thought of her that way. It's like a death really. We didn't always see eye to eye on things, but I could always count on her to be my eyes when I couldn't see...my ears when I couldn't hear...my heart when I couldn't feel. If only there was a way to turn back time and let her know exactly what that meant to me...how much her friendship meant to me. Life won't be the same without her.

Obama vs. McCain

2008-09-08T23:48:00.012-05:00

I know my blogs recently have been more focused on relationships, but today I want to talk about politics.

I heard on NPR today, that most polls have John McCain even with Barack Obama. One even had him 10 points AHEAD of Obama! Now, I've never considered myself necessarily brilliant or even terribly smart, although I'm not stupid. Here's our choice (as I see it). We've got an extremely intelligent, articulate young senator who has worked his whole life trying to help improve our society from the grassroots level on up. He runs on a platform of change and has articulated his ideas in a way that show he has the what it takes to give America the positive change we're seeking.

Then we have John McCain...a senator who has spent most of his adult life as a Washington insider who also is running on a platform of change (or so he says). Now, how can an aging Senator who has spent so many years as an insider in Washington and who has voted WITH President Bush 90% of the time say he's serious about changing Washington? His economic policy is nearly identical to that of the current president...giving tax relief to the highest income Americans hoping that the money he saves them will trickle down to the middle and lower classes. He wants to continue spending billions of dollars in a failed war in Iraq while our own schools and streets crumble and unemployment is at a 6 year high. Then he brings in a young, attractive woman as a running mate hoping that he will somehow manage to buffoon people into thinking she's going to help him bring about change in Washington. Seriously? How much power do you really think the vice president has anyway? And with the age of McCain (he's over 70 and the oldest nominated presidential candidate in U.S. history), and the stress involved in being President of the United States, it is likely he may not live long enough to see the end of his FIRST term.

It doesn't make sense, does it? McCain spent the past 6 months talking about Obama's lack of experience as a reason NOT to vote for him and then he picks a VP candidate with MUCH less experience (not to speak of ZERO foreign policy experience) just because he thinks the American people will be taken in with her beauty and charm. He's grasping at straws hoping for any possible way of winning this election. Have we all forgotten how a Republican Congress and President failed so miserably the past 8 years? Have we forgotten how we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars in a war that we shouldn't have started in the first place? Have we forgotten how people are making less money today than they made 8 years ago? Have we forgotten how our poor don't receive proper healthcare because most are uninsured? Are we willing to risk another four years on a man who says he wants change, but everything he says shows us it's really just more of the same old Washington?

Now think about that bright, young senator from Illinois and his optimistic ideas for change in Washington. Think about how articulate he is and how hard he has always worked for the common man throughout his life. Think about how he is a self-made man from very humble beginnings.

Now....imagine that he's white.

I still believe that, unfortunately, far too many Americans are still unwilling to vote for an African-American candidate for President. It's not an experience issue for them; if it was, then they wouldn't be willing to vote for a ticket with a VP candidate who's no more prepared than, say, Salina's 3-term Mayor, Alan Jilka, to serve as President of the U.S., and who is just a heartbeat away from doing just that.

The Beach Museum Show

2008-09-07T21:47:00.009-05:00

What a weekend! Les had his Beach Museum fund-raiser show at the KSU Alumni Center on Friday. Last year's event was so successful that they asked him back again. In attendance were many well-known K-Staters such as President and Mrs. Wefald, Coach Bill and Sharon Snyder (who, I believe, is primarily responsible for the event), Mr. K-State himself...Ernie Barrett and his wife, and many, many others. Everyone was so very nice and seemed to really like the show. I must say, Les really has done a nice job at this event. Both of his shows are some of the best I've seen him do. I think he feels at home there.

What was nice too, was that along with Mom, Dad, and Jordan being there, Les's friends Harvey Hubert, Stasha Case, Shaun Culley and Dave Harris came to see him. Harvey is a friend of Les's from his days at Worlds of Fun, and Stasha and Dave were in the K-State Singers with Les. I haven't seen Dave for 20 years! Shaun is Les's long time friend from grade school but didn't stick around for the after party. Karen Hight was also supposed to come, but got sick. :( After the show, we all went out for a few too many drinks and stayed at the hotel across the street from the Alumni Center. I love the dress up events where you get dressed up, have a nice dinner and drinks, and get to dance with your honey. It made me miss having a honey to dance with! :(

Up the Ying Yang!

2008-09-05T00:16:00.003-05:00

Okay...I'm trying to be friends with my ex-girlfriend because I still love her like family and probably always will. She really is a wonderful, caring, and thoughtful person and I've always thought we would have made great friends had we not become intimate first. However, she has a new boyfriend that's 11 years younger than her and 20 years younger than me! Anyway...she says that as her friend I should be willing and able to listen to her talk about her boyfriend and even meet him. The problem I'm having is (first of all) I'm not ready to meet him. (Duh! He's probably having sex with the woman I thought I'd marry someday!) Secondly, she's always talking about him as if he's the greatest thing since Tony Bennett and is perfect for her. I feel the insinuation is that I was not good enough and all these specific things he does are things I should've done. Is it just me, or is she asking a little much of me at this point. I just asked her a few weeks ago whether or not she thought we should try again, and she said she was happy where she is now. I really do want her to be happy. I guess I just wanted her to be happy with me! I'm just having a very difficult time listening to her talk about what a great guy he is all the time. I guess the wound is still a little fresh for me. Let me stress this one thing...I do really want to be a friend to her and really do consider her part of my family. But does she expect too much of me right now? Am I wrong? Am I just being jealous? Am I being selfish? I don't know if anyone reads this thing, but I really want to know! Help!

PS. With my luck...she will be the only one to read this and will reply "Anonymously" and say I should just take it up the ying yang like a good little boy! Ha!

Reflective moments...

2008-08-27T21:51:00.002-05:00

Okay...I admit, I'm a forty-something probably in the middle of some sort of mid-life crisis or something of the sort. But I've been unusually reflective these days. Could it be because I've been having trouble with my teenage daughter recently or the fact that my son graduates from high school at the end of this year? Maybe it's just the stage of life I'm in. Whether you're a man or a woman, you've probably had reflective moments in your life where you've wondered if you've been a good parent or spouse or provider. You may have wondered what you could have done differently to save your relationship with a spouse or child or friend. All I know, is I'm smack-dab in the middle of a very reflective moment in my life. A life-altering moment, really. I lost a woman I loved with all my heart and feel like I'm about to lose a daughter who is the world to me. And for all I know, I've already lost a son who shows no signs of it, but who may someday come to me and say, "Dad, why were you always so critical?" or "Dad, why weren't you more loving with me?" All I know, is that I want the people in my life whom I love the most to know that it is of no fault of their own that they feel the way they do about their relationship with me. Although I have loved them with every fiber of my being, I didn't always know the proper way to show them that. I wasn't always the positive, life-affirming man that I wanted to be. But that I have always loved them with all that I am and will continue to try to be the best father, friend, partner that I can be. And that I WANT to know when it is I have strayed from being that person that they want me to be. When I'm sixty-something, I don't want anymore regrets for not being the kind of man God expected me to be. I want to be all that anyone could ever expect me to be.

It was a tough week...

2008-08-25T09:11:00.002-05:00

This past week was one of the toughest I can remember in awhile. Without getting too personal, there are just a lot of things on my mind...family, work, relationships, and life in general. Somedays it's just hard to get out of bed. Then you wind up in a downward spiral that can lead to depression, but it's hard to stop the momentum. Let's see if I can work my way out of it this week! I do have a goal of getting back into shape. I actually had someone ask me if I'd lost some weight. I think they were just being nice. But I'm determined to get my mind and body back into shape!

On a positive note...my sister, Christel, and her husband, Paul, had a baby boy last week. His name is Christian Gunter Brosi. I can't wait to go to Minnesota to see him! Below is a picture. Have a great week!

GREASE is the word!

2008-07-28T21:19:00.003-05:00

My son, Jordan, is in the musical "Grease" which opens this weekend at The Salina Community Theatre. It's part of Summer Stage theater for young people and stars the most talented group of teenagers in Salina. Jordan plays the part of Doody which is the young, naive, greaser in the T-Birds. Most of you know that I had the opportunity to play in Grease twice in my life. I played Kenicke in college and Danny Zuko in 1999 at SCT. It's the most fun I've ever had on stage, and I can tell Jordan's having a lot of fun with it as well. What's kind of funny, is that Jordan is going to also be involved in the musical "The Music Man" at South High this year. The Music Man was the first leading role I ever had when I was a junior at South and I've also played the same role of Harold Hill in 2001 at SCT. So, Jordan's kind of getting the opportunity to do some of the same plays I have done. I think he has a good chance at playing Harold Hill at South as well.

All Alone...

2008-06-11T16:57:00.002-05:00

Well...I feel all alone right now. My son just left for LALA land with his uncle and my parents left for Holland a week ago. Shelbi's in town still, but at her mom's house. I am watching Mom's dog Jojo, and there's always Maggie (my dog)...but it's not quite the same as having my son around. What the heck am I gonna do when he goes off to school! Thank God for the Smoky Hill River Festival starting tomorrow! At least I'll be able to spend some time with friends. But I'm sure I'll miss my family being around at the festival though. Oh well.

Play del Carmen Pictures

2008-05-04T23:15:00.003-05:00

Well...I said I would post some pictures of my trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico and I finally got them from Les. Check them out!

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

2008-04-26T21:14:00.005-05:00

Well...I just returned from Play del Carmen, Mexico with my brother, Les. It was a trip that I won with Aflac. With the exception of Les partially tearing his calf muscle and not being able to walk for 4 days, it was a pretty good trip. (You can read about Les's accident in his blog leslankhorst.blogspot.com) I felt terrible for him as he was really looking forward to going...probably more than I was. I always hate leaving my kids to go on vacation. It would have been much more fun if they could've gone too. But it was an "adults only" trip...meaning that they wanted to be able to drink without making a fool of themselves in front of children. We did do quite a lot of drinking and eating as it was an all-inclusive resort. I don't drink nearly as much as some of them, but I guess I did partake more than usual because it was (afterall) free. I did, however, EAT quite a bit. I just love a good breakfast! So, rather than eat my usual bowl of cereal, I filled up on the eggs, bacon, sausage, crossants, pork, french toast, mixed juices, whatever they had! It was all good!

Probably the best day for me was when I went to Cozumel with some Aflac friends and some new friends (Nick and Lindsay) from Seattle that I met. We just kept running into this couple everywhere. I figured we must have been destined to meet, so I'd better hang with them. Besides...they were way cooler than me so they made me look good! :) Nick was very much a biker-looking dude with lots of tats and wore a bandana over his short mohawk so he wouldn't burn his head. He looked much tougher than he acted! He was so funny and real nice! Lindsay was a very cute blonde with very beautiful, blue eyes and a real sweetheart. What a great couple! They were both in their mid to upper 20s, I'd guess. Anyway, we ran into them at the ferry to Cozumel so I asked them if they'd like to rent some scooters with Clark, Mary Beth and I. (Clark is an agent with Aflac and Mary Beth is his wife.) They thought that was a great idea. We ended up riding our scooters around the entire island of Cozumel enjoying the beautiful scenery. The ocean was the clearest blue I'd ever seen! The beaches (for the most part) were gorgeous as well. We stopped at a great restaurant called "The Beach Club" and had great food. It had an awesome view of the ocean and beach.

Anyway...back to reality (as the pilot on Frontier Airlines said when we arrived in K.C.)! I'll put some pictures on here as soon as Les sends them to me from his camera.

Peace.

KU WINS!

2008-04-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

I hate to say "I told you so!", but "I told you so!!!"

What a game! This game will go down in history as one of the greatest NCAA championship games of all time! What a win! What a shot to put the game into overtime! Mario Chalmers has time and time again proven to be the go to man when they really needed a bucket. But to throw up a fade away 3-pointer going to his left and hit nothing but net was nothing short of extraordinary! No one gave KU the credit they deserved going into the Final Four. They won the game as I knew they would...with defense and balance.

Coach Self is to be commended for doing an amazing job with this talented group of players and also for doing such a great job of coaching the final two minutes bringing them from a 9-point deficit to tying the game and then overwhelming Memphis in overtime to win the game. Let's all just hope and pray that Coach Bill Self will stay put for a long time to come.

KU vs. Memphis

2008-04-07T08:09:00.000-05:00

It seems as if the Memphis Tigers basketball team has been using the "We get no respect" motto to encourage them to beat team after team all season long. All in all, they've won 39 games (an NCAA record) and been ranked in the top 5 pretty much all season long. For a team that doesn't get any respect, that sounds like someone thinks they're pretty darn good! And they've proven their worth by beating up on some of the best teams in NCAA Men's Basketball during the NCAA tournament.

I've been watching some of CNN's coverage of the Final Four in San Antonio today (during breaks from work, of course!) and all they talk about is how good this Memphis team is...especially their two guards that most expect to be in the NBA this time next year. Very little has been said about KU although many prognosticators predict that as many as five or six of KU's players may end up on NBA rosters next season. It seems that the Memphis Tigers are all of a sudden everyone's little darlings of the tournament. No doubt they are a terrific team. But KU is no slouch this year. Three years ago, when many of KU's players were heralded freshman, everyone seemed to expect them to make it to the Final Four. So why is it such a stretch for people to really believe that with three years under their belts they can't win it all? Yes, we KU fans have grown accustomed to the disappointment of believing the team will make it year after year only to lose to teams like Bucknell in the first round. But I believe this team is much different. This team has something that I haven't seen in any other team this year. Balance. They have the most balanced team I've seen in years. They are loaded with unselfish talent. In each game during the tournament, it seems that a different player has stepped up and given the team the boost they needed to win the game. And Coach Bill Self has sold this incredibly talented group of players on the importance of defense. Ever hear the old saying "Offense wins games, but defense wins championships"? Saturday night, KU played a North Carolina team that was blowing away everyone in this tournament. By playing tenacious defense, KU built up a 40-12 lead in the first half! Is it so hard to think that they can do that again? Now, the North Carolina game was a game that isn't going to be duplicated very often. But I've often seen KU win big games by creating turnovers on defense. I believe they can do it one more time. This time tomorrow I may be eating my words, but for now I have to believe. It seems that this KU team should be using the "No Repect" motto this time around.

Meet Michelle and Barack Obama

2008-03-09T17:25:00.001-05:00

What's wrong with Hillary?

2008-02-19T23:02:00.008-06:00

I was watching Fox News this morning (sorry Mom and Dad...I thought I was watching CNN!) and they have this guy traveling across the country talking to people about the election. He asks this lady in Arkansas who she plans to vote for. Her response was, "You wanna know who I'm not voting for? I'm NOT voting for Hillary Clinton!" After the first sentence, I knew already who she was going to mention. Why is it that people are so angry at Hillary? She only had to put up with Bill's affairs in office, overcame all of that and became a U.S. Senator, and is now running for President. I often hear people say that Hillary is a B**ch. Why do they say that? I've never seen that side of her at all. I'm going to give you my answer to that question, but I would love to hear what others think about that. Why do YOU think some people are so angry at Hillary and dislike her so much?

Well...my opinion is that the right-wing, conservative talk show hosts and media have painted this picture of Hillary from when Bill was president, and people that listen to those shows have a hard time picturing her any other way. Ask them why they dislike her, and most would not be able to tell you; or they will regurgitate what Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity said about Hillary 10 years ago. Don't get me wrong...I'm definitely an Obama man. I just don't understand why people are so repelled by Hillary.

Now the right-wing, conservative talk-show host, Rush Limbaugh, is attacking John McCain for being too liberal, among other things. And now Rush, Ann Coulter, and others have said that if John McCain is the Republican nominee, they will vote for Hillary. Are they serious? They think John McCain is too liberal because he tries to reach across the aisle occasionally and try to reach some common ground for the betterment of our country. Believe me, Hillary is FAR more liberal than John McCain will ever be! That just goes to show you. Any EXTREME group (whether it's right OR left) seem to say "You're either WITH us or AGAINST us." There's absolutely no middleground with them.

I think the American people are speaking out loud and clear that they are tired of the same old "My way or the highway" attitudes of the current adminstration as well as the right-wing media. They have chosen two democratic candidates and one republican candidate that are all known for taking chances and trying to work with those who sit on the other side of the aisle. Why do you think there are so many registered Independents these days? Things aren't always either RED or BLUE to the average American. The average American doesn't HATE others who don't agree with what they believe. Like Barack Obama says, "There is no red state. There is no blue state. There is only the UNITED States of America."

Valentine's Day

2008-02-13T23:16:00.002-06:00

Well...here we go again. Valentine's Day. For many years after my divorce I grew to hate this holiday. I was usually single when it came around and was probably jealous of all the "lovers" out there having such a nice time going out to dinner, exchanging thoughtful gifts, and just generally being in love. Then Angelina came into my life a few years ago, just before Valentine's Day. Our first Valentine's Day was so nice! I drove up to Colby to see her and take her to see the move "Hitch". We just had such a nice time and I was so happy to finally be able to be with someone I loved on this holiday! And the following two Valentine's Days were also pretty good as far as I can remember, but not as memorable as the first. Now, here I sit...alone again. Back to hating Valentine's Day. I guess when I was younger it was always fun exchanging cards with all your friends and classmates. Too bad so many Valentine's Days have gone wasted since then. But then, I never thought I'd still be a single father at the age of 43.

Super Duper Tuesday!

2008-02-06T11:47:00.000-06:00

I went to caucus for Obama in Salina on Super Duper Tuesday (as Obama referred to it as) and what great way to experience true democracy in action! I called my friends Gary and Angelina to go with me and both were sick, but nontheless decided to come along and support Obama. I really appreciated their willingness to come! Not only were they sick, but we had a bad winter snow storm that started up just as people were leaving to go. When we got there, there was a line of Democrats waiting to caucus for their candidate (Gary called them "Closet Democrats" as being a Democrat in Saline County or Kansas, for that matter, is not a popular thing to be!). What was so exciting was that their were so many people there that we were waiting in lines outside and in the hallway for a good 45 minutes just to get in the multi-purpose room of the grade school. I was told that they expected maybe 100-200 people there, but the total count came to nearly 700! I was also told that at the last democratic caucus that was held, only 30 or so people showed up. (Thus, the "Closet Democrat" comment.) Obama supporters at our caucus outnumbered the Hillary supporters 3 to 1 and we got 7 delegates to Hillary's 2 from our precinct. We were all stuffed into that multi-purpose rooms like sardines and the organizers were definitely having a difficult time deciding how to manage and count all the people; but they did, and Obama won a landslide!

Barack Obama in Kansas!

2008-01-30T23:42:00.000-06:00

Okay...most of you who may venture to this blog from time to time know me and know that I am a Democrat. I wouldn't say I'm extremely liberal, but more so than most of the people from this part of the country.

I went to hear Barack Obama speak in El Dorado, Kansas yesterday. There were probably 5000 people standing in a long line outside of Barton Community College in below freezing temperatures in a RED STATE! (I understand he had 10,000 plus in Denver today standing outside in long lines.) My father, brother, brother's friend Shawna and I all went to hear what this junior Senator from Illinois had to say that was causing so many people around the country to get so excited. I wanted to feel the energy of a young, Democratic presidential candidate speaking to people in a mostly Republican state.

I must say that I have admired him ever since his speech at the Democratic Convention 4 years ago when he was just a newly elected junior senator from Illinois. Even then, the democrats recognized him as one of the rising stars in the democratic party. I was impressed...so impressed that I bought his book "The Audacity of Hope" which was the theme of his speech that evening. I've been reading it the past few weeks, and have been more and more impressed with him all the time. But yesterday was the topper.

There were so many people that about one-third of the people who where there in line had to go to an overflow room in the training center to sit on the ground and watch Senator Obama from a large video screen. Yes, we were in that group! At first there were many grumblings from people (including my brother) that "we didn't come all the way here to watch him on a video screen!" Yet I didn't see one person leave. There was this feeling in the air. This feeling that you just didn't want to miss out on history. After around 2000 of us packed in to this overflow room, suddenly there he was! He was coming to see us first! Of course! He came simply to tell us that he was so appreciative of our willingness to brave the cold and then sit on the floor in front of this video screen to see him. He was so gracious and genuine! It wasn't the stuffiness or pompousness you've come to expect from our politicians. And it wasn't the feeling that "yeah...he'll say anything to get elected." He wasn't fake or pompous or stuffy or anything like that. He was GENUINE. Best of all...after speaking to us for a few minutes, he stayed to shake some hands. While he was busy shaking hands to my right, I quietly made my way to the left by the exit as I knew he would have to go by me on his way out. Sure enough...he stopped right in front of me! As I was waiving my book he looked right at me and said, "Put your name in it and give it to my security agent and I will sign it out back. Without hesitation, I scribbled my name in it and handed it to one of his secret service agents, not even thinking how I was going to get it back. Sure enough, within minutes, prior to even beginning his speech, that same agent came back in the room with my book....SIGNED! I was ecstatic! There were people around me wanting and taking pictures of me with my signed copy of his book! It was the feeling that people understood that this guy was going to be our next President of the United States! It was a great feeling. But more than being happy that he signed my book, I was feeling very optimistic about our future as a country for the first time in a long, long time. I listened intently as he spoke with so much passion about what he wanted for our country. He had so many great, no...AMAZING, ideas about how to change things in Washington and around the world. It was as if a light bulb went off, and you just think "why didn't anyone else ever think to do these things?" It's because he's not tainted by years in Washington and all the "business as usual" nay-sayers that are too worried about getting re-elected that they are afraid to go out on a limb for their beliefs. They don't think outside of the box. His "inexperience" in Washington may be his biggest asset!!! But make no mistake, he is SO INTELLIGENT! This guy knows what he's talking about! He's no rookie!

Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, I'm going to ask one thing of you. PLEASE (with an open mind) listen to what Barack Obama wants to do for this country! PLEASE! For the sake of this country, your children or grandchildren, and their future...just listen to him. Listen with an open mind to what he has to say...what he wants to accomplish as President of the United States. I'm not asking you to change political parties or anything...just listen with an open mind. He wants to UNIFY the people of this country and the people of this WORLD regardless of whether you're Black, White, Asian, or Latino...not matter what religion you are or whether you are Democrat or Republican. He knows that we are a much stronger country working TOGETHER than we are fighting about our differences!

Here's a link you can go to to hear him speaking at Martin Luther King's old church this past week. I think this speech really gets across what his hopes for this country are....his "Audicity of Hope".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf0x_TpDris

SiCKO

2008-01-16T23:30:00.000-06:00

I just finished watching the movie "SICKO" with my son, Jordan, and I'm "sicko" to my stomach! Not sick to my stomach as in being a terrible movie. On the contrary, sick to my stomach as in being an excellent movie that made me literally feel sick at how corrupt our country has become! So corrupt, in fact, that the wealthy insurance companies, hospitals, and even politicians (imagine that!) can continue to rake in the money while the middle class and poor who can't afford health insurance literally die in their wake. Seeing how countries like Canada (Michael Moore brought this little fact up in his movie "Bowling for Columbine"), England, France, and even Cuba live with free, universal healthcare. That's right...FREE! For EVERYONE! And the drugs that we pay hundreds of dollars for are FREE or (in one instance with a 9/11 worker) only 5 cents for a drug in Cuba that she pays over $100 for every month in America! In fact, the United States is the ONLY western country that DOESN'T have free, universal healthcare! It's absolutely sickening! If you haven't seen this movie, you MUST see it. And I am well aware of some of you who may be leary of believing what Michael Moore has to say and who may not watch this movie because of him. You really must watch this movie. Don't live in denial any longer. Just because this is the United States and we are Americans, it doesn't mean that our healthcare system can't be seriously broken and in need of repair. Our healthcare system is not based on helping and healing people, it's based on money pure and simple.

Listen....I work for a large health insurance company. Not the same kind of health insurance company that this movie refers to, but I'm sure universal healthcare would adversely affect my career. I don't care. There's a better way to do things. I don't know what it is, but the next time you turn on the T.V. and see the presidential candidates debate, listen to what they say about healthcare. Ask yourself "Why" they believe what they believe. If they are against universal healthcare, ask yourself why! Better yet...ask THEM why! If they are for some type of universal healthcare, listen to them. Find out what they believe...how they plan to fix it. It can happen and it will be better for EVERYONE! Okay, maybe the CEO's for the large insurance and pharmaceutical companies will have to find new jobs, but I think they've been living off the rest of us long enough.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T11:25:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! It has been some time since I wrote anything here. To put it mildly, the holiday season is a very busy time in my business since many companies have end-of-year benefits enrollments, and that is what Aflac does the best. This year, not only did I have my regular end-of-year enrollments, but the City of Salina also became an Aflac customer so I had to throw in a week of meeting with firefighters, police officers, and street workers. Hopefully, things will slow down just a little to give me some time to myself and my family that has been unavailable lately.

This past year has been a good year, but in some ways a hard year. Good because I quit smoking (although I still slip up occasionally) and my business is growing, but hard because Angelina and I ended a 3 year relationship which was a constant struggle and also because I am experiencing some challenges with my daughter. You see, she is a high schooler now, but she is still only 14. Unfortunately, she seems to think she is 18 and wants the freedom an 18 year old gets. The problem is that as a divorced parent, it's difficult when your ex doesn't feel the same way about parenting a 14 year old girl as I do. Hopefully we won't have to wait until something bad happens before we get on the same page.

The years go by so quickly as you grow older. This year I will turn 44. I'm not sure how middle age affects most women, but I thought I had already gone through a brief bout with mid-life crisis. I was wrong. I'm going through it now. No...I'm not going to go out and buy a Corvette or something (I would if I had the money...although not because of any type of mid-life crisis). It's just that I find myself thinking about my own mortality and longing for the simpler times. I find myself wishing I had made different decisions in my life and wondering why I'm where I am today. I wish I was happy like I was when I was 21. Not that I'm unhappy...it's just that I haven't felt happy with my life and who I am for quite some time. I'm not doing the things with my life that I wanted to do when I was a kid. I wonder when I'm finally going to be able to support my family the way I always wanted to. I'm tired of explaining to Jordan that I can't afford this or that. I always wanted to be able to give my kids more than my parents were able to give me. That has not happened. I guess that's why it has always been so important for me to give my kids all the love I could. Love is free and easy to give to your kids. If they feel loved, they will never feel short-changed in life.

What's my New Year's resolution? Hmmm..... I guess to become more secure in my job financially. I'm doing well in terms of numbers, but the money is still hard to come by. I'm making as much or a little more as I did teaching, but that doesn't say much. As a single parent...that doesn't say much at all. Here's wishing everyone I know a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Calling it Quits....

2007-11-21T00:07:00.001-06:00

It's been awhile since I've taken the time to write anything. But a lot has happened. First of all, I went to my little sister's wedding in Minnesota with Angelina, her son Marquix, and my kids. It was such a nice wedding and we had a real nice time. Minnesota was beautiful and the weather was perfect. I'll spare you all the details, but I'd love for you to check out my brother's blog. He was the official photographer (one of his many talents) and put a lot about the wedding in his blog. Go to: http://www.leslankhorst.blogspot.com/.

Last week, Angelina and I called it quits. I think that's why I haven't written anything recently. I had to wait until I was ready to talk about it, I guess. I'm not sure if I am, but since I've already started I might as well go on. We'd been going through some counseling with our pastor Barry (who is great, by the way!) and both came to the conclusion (after several meetings) that it's in the best interest of our children and ourselves to end the relationship while we're still friends. For the better part of 3 years, Angelina and I have had a very hot and cold relationship. At times we were so happy it was unbelievable. At other times we were at each other's throats. Unfortunately, the latter seemed to happen much too frequently. I think after trying for 2 1/2 years, you just end up with too much bad stuff to overcome. We still care for each other deeply, but I think it was just that we didn't bring out the best in one another.

Angelina is such a great person. She's so loving and generous. I miss her. I wish her nothing but the best.

Peace.
Alex

Mexico City, Mexico

2007-10-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

Just got back from another trip. This time my brother and I went to Mexico City, Mexico for a show he was doing for this travel company. In attendance were some of the CEOs (and wives) of some of the biggest companies in Mexico including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Bayer, and many others. Also, the Mexican Ambassador and his wife were there. The picture you see is of a Mercedes SL500 Gullwing. I believe it's about a 1955. It's the most beautiful car I've ever seen up close! This car looked like it had never been driven! The lifted it up the side of the hotel to the 4th floor (where Les's show was) and set up the display just outside the entrance to the room. The theme of the night was "Back to the Classics".

I love traveling, especially outside of the United States. It really gives me some perspective, you know? I love seeing how different other people live outside of the U.S. Especially in third world countries like Mexico and some of the islands I've visited, you notice how poor many people in this world are. It makes you really appreciate how blessed you are to have been born here. If my parents would have stayed in Holland or even Indonesia (when they were young), my life would have been much different.

Probably the thing that sticks out the most about my trip is how many people there are in Mexico City. Our driver, Jonathan, told us that 22 million people live there. By contrast, I believe the entire metropolitan KC area is about 1.5 million. For that reason, unemployment is very high. Also, Les and I both had terrible headaches while we were there, and we feel like it must have been the pollution. The air in parts of the city was as brown as if there were a dust storm. I mean it was dark! Darker than even I've ever seen in Los Angeles or Denver.

This is a picture of what I witnessed the first day in Mexico City. There were hundreds of naked men with signs strapped around there waist and in there hands, protesting some senator or government official who they say has taken away all their land.

The Presidential Palace

Some kind of Center for the Arts

A beautiful, old church

Now, I'm off to my sister Christel's wedding in Minneapolis, Minnesota! I can't believe she's getting married! Paul is such a nice guy. They're both very lucky to have each other!

Peace.

Alex

Atlanta Pics

2007-10-14T19:16:00.001-05:00

I just got the pictures back from my Atlanta trip. Here they are! Those with flowers are from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Then the Coke tour, CNN logo at

The Omni Hotel at CNN Tower, The High Museum of Art, and the Awards Banquet.

New Car!

2007-10-08T22:57:00.001-05:00

Oh yeah...I bought a new car the day before I left for Atlanta! It's a Silver 2005 Mazda 6S, and I love it! Marquix thinks it's way too cool for a guy like me! What do you think?

Triple Crown in Atlanta

2007-10-08T18:58:00.000-05:00

Hello again! I just returned from 4 days and 3 nights in beautiful Atlanta, Georgia. I forgot how many trees there are and how beautiful the south is! As we were driving through the city towards the hotel, I kept commenting to Angelina how beautiful all the trees were in the city. I remember going to Charleston, South Carolina and flying over Savanna, Georgia and thinking how beautiful the south was when I was working for Kansas Wesleyan back in the 90s. I'd live down there if I didn't have such an aversion to humidity.

We left Thursday morning from the Salina Airport (my first time!) on a small jet (my first time!) and it was such a nice, short flight to Kansas City! Actually, both the flights to and from Atlanta were excellent. We had great weather and nice flying conditions. I don't care much for flying anymore, but on this trip the flights couldn't have been better! Our luggage even arrived with the plane both times even though we changed airlines in Kansas City!

I tell you...Aflac spent a wad of money on this trip for all of us! I won the trip by being a Triple Crown winner. The Triple Crown is an exclusive award that first-year agents can win if they meet all the sales criteria. Everything on the trip was paid for by Aflac, including travel accommodations for two, hotel for three nights at The Omni Hotel at CNN Center (4 diamond rated), group tours for all on Saturday, and three meals a day along with entertainment and dancing each night. I estimate that there were a couple hundred agents who won the trip from all over the U.S., and they all brought a guest.

Some of the highlights of the trip include the day Angelina and I just walked around for awhile, then took a train through the city. The weather was a perfect 70 something and cloudy with very little humidity. Perfect conditions for a stroll through Atlanta! We went to the Lennox Mall, The Underground (which is an underground mall and party district), and all around downtown. We also took a tour of the High Museum of Art and Atlanta Botanical Garden along with the Coca-Cola Museum tour where we got to see how Coke is bottled, view old Coke memorabilia and commercials, and even taste test various drinks Coke sells throughout the world. Our hotel was right downtown across from Centennial Park and next to Phillips Arena. The 1996 Olympics were held in facilities all over this area. In fact, Centennial Park is where they had that bomb scare and the security guard Richard Jewell was falsely accused. It really was a beautiful area! Oh...we also got to watch a performance by the vocal group Toxic Audio. They did a Take 6 type of vocal performance where they do all the sounds of a band without using any instruments...only the human voice and body. They were extremely talented and even added a lot of humor.

We did so much in a few days, it's hard to remember everything. Needless to say, we missed our kids a lot, but had a very nice trip and spent some good, quality time together. All couples need to do that at times.

Peace.

Alex

Georgia On My Mind

2007-10-02T23:06:00.000-05:00

Well...I'm off to Georgia on Thursday. I won an all-expense paid trip from Aflac by winning the Triple Crown and get to take my girlfriend, Angelina, with me. I hope she can put up with me for 4 days! It's supposed to be a pretty cool trip. They fly us from Salina which will be a new experience for me. I've flown all over the place, but never from my hometown airport on one of those small jets. We are staying at the Omni CNN Towers Hotel in Atlanta. One day we will be taking a tour of the Aflac Headquarters in Columbus and one evening we have a nice formal event where they recognize the award winners and have entertainment and such. The rest of the time is on our own. I really need a vacation too. I'll take some pictures and post them on my blog next week.

Peace.

Alex

One Month Down

2007-09-24T22:43:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I've written anything...I guess I've been kind of busy or nothing interesting has happened lately. More likely than not, the latter is true.

I guess the biggest story is that I've gone one month now since I quit smoking. It has been a tough road at times. Last weekend I went out for a beer with my buddy Gary Demuth, and it was pretty tough not asking someone for a cigarette. That was always kind of my thing with Gary. He only smoked when we went out for a beer, and we'd sit there and talk sports and theater while we drank and smoked. That's probably the occasion I'll miss smoking the most.

I've always loved my nights out with Gary. We used to go out every single Wednesday (used to be Thursdays for several years) night unless I was out of town on business or I had to stay home with one of the kids. That went on for almost ten straight years! Then Gary met Marcia and I met Angelina. Things changed after that. Not that Marcia or Angelina really mind that much if Gary and I go out for a beer together. But I guess we were both a little cautious about pushing our luck with the "once a week" thing. It's funny. When you're in a relationship is really when you NEED that one night a week refuge. Sunday was Gary's birthday, so we were kind of celebrating. I won't tell you how old he is now because he wouldn't like it if he reads this! He doesn't really "celebrate" birthdays anymore. He's so funny about that! Ever since he turned forty (nine years ago or so...uh hmmm) he's never straight with me about his age until I press the issue. I think he was forty some four years in a row! Anyway, Nathan Tysen and Ryan McCall were playing at The Paramount Bar with their band. They're always fun to listen to.

Earlier that night, Gary and I went to see Jordan's play "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940". Jordan played a New York cop trying to solve the murders of some musical dancers which turns out to be several others before the night ends. It was very funny! Jordan is really starting to look so much like me on stage these days. His hair seemed darker on stage. I'll post some pictures when I get them. It was interesting because I played a cop trying to solve a murder in the comedy play "The Butler Did It" when I was also a junior in high school. It's funny how much Jordan's life has imitated mine at times. He's into his rock music and plays in a band....I was the lead singer of 3 bands. He works at a clothing store....I worked in the clothing industry for many years. The girls love him....well...you know. (Just kidding!) He's such a better kid than I was at his age though! I was pretty ornery and got into drinking and smoking at his age. He wouldn't think of it! I hope Shelbi has the same morals throughout high school.

Well...back to fixing the toilet! I hate plumbing work! Randy....where are you!!!

Peace.
Alex

Manhattan Weekend

2007-09-10T23:16:00.001-05:00

What a fun weekend I had! Friday night Les had his show for the Beach Museum of Art on the KSU campus. The show was at the beautiful alumni center and the attendees mostly notable and wealthy KSU alums. The most notable was the legendary Coach Bill Snyder. Also in attendance was KSU president, Jon Wefald. My understanding is that these two men are invited to countless KSU events and rarely stay for the entire event (as you can imagine!) However, this night not only did they stay the entire dinner and concert, they stuck around for quite awhile afterwards to visit with Les, my parents and me. They were absolutely the nicest men and said they were in awe of Les's performance! I thought Les put on his best show yet! I was real proud of my little brother.

The next day, we were invited by Tim and Susan Weiser to watch the K-State football game in their private box on the 50-yard line. They were also such very nice, genuine people. I must say I was very impressed with everyone I met during the weekend! Les also made a nice connection at a tailgating party. We were invited to attend the Coco Bolos tailgate party and at the party Les and I were introduced to a group of people including a gentleman (forgot his name) who is the President? (not sure of his exact title) of the International Society of Jazz Musicians? (not sure of the name of the society either!). Anyway...they put on an annual jazz convention where international performers such as Diana Krall and Herbie Hancock will be present, and he wants Les to go with him and hang out with these people. I believe it's in Toronto this year. They were all very impressed with Les's credentials and actually called themselves "Rat Packers". What a great opportunity for him!

Peace.

Alex

Beach Museum Fundraiser

2007-09-06T20:56:00.000-05:00

Well...tomorrow I'm off to Manhattan for Les's show at the KSU Alumni Center. Les has asked me to sing "Me and My Shadow" with him at the show. It's a fundraiser for the Beach Museum at KSU. Les went up today and had lunch with President Wefald at the President's house on campus. I used to walk by it every day on my way to class. Guess who else was at the luncheon. You guessed it. Bill Snyder and his wife! What a lucky guy. I thought they might be there. They're gonna be at the show tomorrow night as well. Mrs. Snyder is a big supporter of the Beach Museum. Hopefully I'll get to meet him as well. On Saturday, Les and I will be sitting with Athletic Director Tim Weiser in his cozy private box for the football game. I can't wait!

Until next time.....

Peace.
Alex

One Week Down

2007-09-01T14:56:00.000-05:00

Well....I finished my first full week of not smoking! Whew! It seems like a month! But it is getting easier each day. But, I know that at any time I could fall back if I give in to temptation. It's happened before....too often. I can't let it happen this time. I must stay strong at all times. I've thought about going on the patch as well, but it's too late now, I think. I haven't smoked in a week, and starting on the patch would get me back to my nicotine addiction. What I'm battling now, is the psychological addiction. And that's when it gets hard.

K-State lost a nail-bitter to Auburn tonight. It was terrible! I was proud of how well they played though. If it hadn't been for the 15+ penalties for about 150 yards, we would've won, no doubt. We beat ourselves. KU smacked Central Michigan. I don't know the final score, but KU scored in the 50s. I hope we have two real good Big 12 teams in Kansas this year. It looks promising!

Les and I go to Manhattan tomorrow to practice our number for his show next weekend. He's playing at the KSU Alumni Center. It's a benefit for the Beach Museum at K-State. We are doing "Me and My Shadow" again. Then on Saturday, Les and I are going to watch the K-State football game from Tim Weiser's box! Tim Weiser is the Athletic Director at KSU. Should be a blast. Les warned me not to say anything or make any reference to my affection for KU athletics. What can I say...I'm a little confused. I just love any team from Kansas! But lets not talk about my beloved Chiefs....Uuuuugh!

Go Teams!

Alex

Day Six - Thursday 8-30-07

2007-08-31T00:35:00.000-05:00

I'm surprised how easy it seems to have been these past few days. Sure...I've had many cigarette cravings, but they don't seem to last very long and are far between. Maybe it's because I've tried to stay busy. I did drive to Junction City today. Driving has always been a major trigger for me. Let's just say I chewed nearly a whole bag of sunflower seeds! I don't know if it's the medicine that's helping so much or what, but this time has seemed much easier. I can't tell you how badly I've wanted to go buy a pack of cigarettes on an occasion or two, but I didn't. The mornings are tough too. I so love going out on the porch with a cup of coffee and a cigarette. It's so relaxing! Ahhhhh...... I will miss my old friend. But he really is the devil!

I hope Angelina doesn't get mad at me for saying this, but yesterday Angelina and I went to a couples counseling session. I think most of you know it has been a tough relationship for both 0f us for a long time. But we really do love each other. I tell ya though....after meeting with the counselor and seeing the look in her eyes, I could tell she didn't see much hope for us. I think Angelina saw it too. She was real quiet afterwards....after listening to what the counselor told us. I must admit, it made me think too. Is it really worth all the frustration, unhappiness, arguments? Maybe we're just incompatible. I hate that word. That was Shelly's grounds for divorce. Incompatibility. I've always thought of that as a cop-out people use to refer to marriages when they're just too lazy to work things out and don't realize that in your vows, it doesn't say "through thick and thin (unless you realize that you're incompatible)." I guess that's why I've really wanted this relationship to work for us. Even though we're not married, I wanted to give it everything I've got. I saw that Angelina was willing to keep trying too, even when things got really bad. There was commitment on both sides to make it work. I like that. I think that's something that really makes a difference to me. It's hard to find that level of commitment from people these days. I think we'll continue to seek counseling. We owe it to ourselves to really give it a good effort this time. I don't think we can do it on our own at this point. We've tried and we just seem to get closer to breaking up than staying together. Hopefully, an outside perspective will help us. I pray it does.

Peace.
Alex

Day Three - Monday 8-27-07

2007-08-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

I've made it through three days in a row now, but it hasn't been easy. The key has been to keep myself busy. When I have cravings at trigger points during the day (with coffee, in my car, after dinner, etc) I've just tried to occupy my time and mind with other things and the craving generally goes away pretty quickly. I have a card in my wallet that says "Remember...the craving will go away whether you have a cigarette or not." The craving goes away. Sometimes it seems to come back more often, but it does go away just by taking my mind off of it.

Angelina's been doing well at quitting too. She's a much stronger person than I am. She seems to be able to quit cold-turkey all the time, but has always gone back to smoking in times of stress. Stress is her big trigger, and unfortunately she has a lot of stress in her life. But I'm proud of her! She quit on August 23rd, so is two days ahead of me. It's so much nicer to kiss her now! I guess it must be nicer for her as well. That's the thing about smoking that bothers me the most....the smell. It's in your clothes, your hair, your breath...everything!

Three Days down....a lifetime to go!

Peace.
Alex

Day One - Quit Day Saturday 8-25-07

2007-08-28T09:44:00.000-05:00

Okay...I'm writing this after-the-fact, but I felt it was important to document my struggles/successes with quitting smoking. If you have any comments or suggestions on things that might help, please feel free to leave a comment.

Well...day one started out bad. I had a few drags from a cigarette in the morning. One of the hardest things for me is to not smoke in the morning with my cup of coffee. I felt terrible and didn't have any for the rest of the day. The medication I'm taking does actually seem to help. For some reason I don't seem to have as many regular cravings. However, when I do get a craving it's a doosy! I was proud of myself for sticking to it the rest of the day. For the first several weeks, it really is "One Day at a Time".

Hallowed Grounds

2007-08-24T00:53:00.000-05:00

Well...we did it! Les and I sang the National Anthem at Arrowhead Stadium yesterday, and it went great! It really was so much fun for us both, but me especially. Those who really know me know that there aren't very many Chiefs fans who are any bigger fans than I am. I have stuck by the Chiefs all through the hard times in the 70s and early 80s when being a Chiefs fan wasn't very cool. Back then you had to be a Steelers, Cowboys, or 49ers fan to be cool. Okay, it wasn't a Chiefs game (hopefully the exposure will help us get a Chiefs game sometime!) but it was the "hallowed ground" of Arrowhead. Most NFL fans recognize the "hallowed ground of Lambeau Field" in Green Bay as kind of the storied and historic stadium in the NFL, but Arrowhead is no less important to me.

Walking through Gate E into the main entrance to Arrowhead I began to feel like a little kid again. With bronze busts of Neil Smith and Jack Steadman greeting us as we walked in, I began to feel giddy. This was it! We're goin' in! What do you mean? No bust of Derrick Thomas or Len Dawson (two of my most favorite Chiefs). Well....that was just the beginning!

We waited for a while in the lobby after Marty (not Schottenheimer, but the nice lady at the front desk) called Les's friend Shaun who is the Assistant Box Office Manager for the KC Wizards and got us the gig. Soon thereafter, Suzanne (I think her name was?) came to get us and escort us to the field. (Les tells this story on his blog at leslankhorst.blogspot.com too. It's better.) Les went with her and I stayed behind as I thought she had said she would be right back. Soon Les calls back to me, "Alex....you GOTTA SEE THIS!" So I walked around the corner and Les points to his right as Melissa moves back. There it was. THE LOMBARDI TROPHY!!!! Right there in front of me. "That can't be the real thing", I thought. It was so long ago, and before even MY Chiefs days. But, yes, the Chiefs had won a Super Bowl....Super Bowl IV to be exact. But there was no glass case. Nothing. It was standing right there in front of me next to bronze busts of so many of the Chief's players of the past. Suzanne and Les both started laughing as I was standing there with my jaw literally on the floor. I was in shock! My mind was racing so fast I didn't realize for a second that it really was the real thing. I'm still giddy thinking about it! It didn't even say "Super Bowl" it sayed something like "The National Football Championship Trophy".

A little bit of trivia....
Do you know who actually named "The Super Bowl"? Why none other than the founder of the AFC and one of the most influential figures of modern-day football, as well as the recently deceased owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, Lamar Hunt.

Oh...I almost forgot about the National Anthem and the soccer game. We stood near the 50 yard marker and faced the crowd with a camera in our face as we stood and sang the National Anthem to a crowd filled with mostly Spanish-speaking Mexicans. I joked to Les later that we should have sang the Mexican National Anthem as well! You see, most Americans who pay attention to sports news may know the name David Beckham as he was the most heralded European Soccer player of his generation and he recently signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS and is married to Posh Spice of The Spice Girls. But most of us NON-Hispanics don't know the name Cuauhtemoc Blanco. To put it this way...he is the David Beckham of Mexican soccer. He is the Michael Jordan of the NBA. He is the star and hero to millions of Mexican soccer fans and he plays for the Chicago Fire who was our rival team that night. There were as many (if not more) fans there rooting for Chicago simply because he was on their team. It was an extremely exciting game with Blanco getting 2 yellow cards and getting into a heated argument with an official. The Wizards finally came out ahead 3-2 in close match. Another great part of the night was that we got to share it with our dad. Dad's been a soccer fan all his life having grown up in Holland and played soccer all through his youth. He even coached me in junior high. It was fun going to our first major league soccer match together.

It was a night to remember. Thanks Shaun!

Peace.
Alex

Chantix

2007-08-19T22:24:00.000-05:00

Well...I've started taking a prescription medication called Chantix, which is a pill that is designed to help you stop smoking. As many of you know, I've tried to quit smoking on dozens of ocassions but have never been successful. I've smoked on and off since I was 16 (27 years!), but have yet to find the power to quit for good. I've taken the stop smoking class in Salina twice, tried the patch, Zyban (a different pill to help you quit), cutting back gradually, cold turkey, and even hypnosis (which is really a bunch of crap). I've heard good things about Chantix, so we'll see if it helps. I started taking it Saturday, because you're supposed to be on it for a week before your quit day. I've selected next Saturday as my quit day. Angelina has selected Thursday (her birthday) as her quit day. Chantix apparently works by blocking nicotine from attaching itself to receptors in the brain that give you the feeling of pleasure from smoking. It doesn't have the nicotine in it like the patch. The problem is that it costs over $100 a month and you're supposed to be on it for 12 weeks! Hopefully I won't have to take it that long! Oh well...you gotta do what you gotta do. Thanks to everyone who have been supportive of our efforts to quit!

Peace,
Alex

2007-08-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

This is laugh out loud funny! Thanks to my friend Stasha for posting this on My Space.

ONLY A GUY WOULD DO THIS!

Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife. A guy who purchased his lovely wife a "pocket Taser" for their anniversary submitted this... Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 22nd anniversary and I was looking for a little "something extra" for my wife Toni. What I came across was a 100,000-vo lt, pocket/purse-sized Taser. The effects of the Taser were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety.... WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two triple-a batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against flesh or a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arch of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. Awesome!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Toni what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.

Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-a batteries, right?!!! There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?

So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and taser in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really (and loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-a batteries) thinking to myself, "no possible way!"

What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best... I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, "don't do it master," reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad.. I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and HOLY MOTHER, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION! (&# %&) (# %) (&#*#*)!!!

I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner and then body slammed us both on the carpet over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs. The cat was standing over me making meowing sounds I had never heard before, licking my face, undoubtedly thinking to herself, "Do it again, do it again!"

Note: If you ever feel compelled to "mug" yourself with a taser, one note of caution: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A ONE-SECOND BURST when you zap yourself!!! &nb sp; You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered conservative. That hurt like hell!!!

A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they up get there??? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I'm still looking for my testicles and offering a significant reward for their safe return.

Back to School!

2007-08-13T01:15:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's that time of year again! Each year my kids get one year older and closer to high school graduation, and time just seems to be slipping away from me. Shelbi is entering 9th grade at South High and Jordan will be a Junior! Shelbi will be a cheerleader and Jordan will be in New Dawn. Wow! That doesn't seem possible! I still remember laying in bed at night when I was about to enter my freshman year in school, nervous about entering high school and thinking about how 4 years seemed like such a long time before I would graduate. That 4 years now seem like 4 minutes. I have vivid memories of Shelbi in 1st grade at Franklin Elementary at Halloween doing the costume parade around the school grounds. She was dressed as a princess and to me seemed like the most beautiful princess ever! Then a bird pooped on my head right in front of my ex-wife Shelly and she laughed while I flushed with embarrassment. That seemed like yesterday to me. I remember Jordan's first day of kindergarten. He was all dressed up with his new Batman book bag. Isn't it funny how fast time goes by when you get older and how long a year seems when you're in school?

I have mixed feelings now when school starts up again. It was a year ago that I left teaching after only teaching two years. When I got the call from South's principal, Myron Graber, offering me the job at my alma mater, it was the first time I ever cried with joy at the news that I was offered a job! I was a mess. I was so happy that all my efforts at K-State School of Education was going to pay off. I was offered the job that I dreamed of when I decided to go back to school at the age of 38. I remember my first year being full of excitement with all the possibilities for my new career that I thought would be my last. I wish they would have given us a more realistic idea of what high school teachers have to go through on a daily basis. I wish someone....anyone....would have explained to me how parents have changed since I was a kid. You heard me right. PARENTS have changed....not kids. Kids have the same pressures we had. It's just that I didn't count on having to be a parent to so many kids on a daily basis. Anyone who knows me knows how good my kids are. They were easy to parent growing up! It wasn't fun at all for me to have to be a disciplinarian to so many kids each day. I wanted to TEACH! Every now and then you felt like you were getting through to someone and may have made a difference to them; but not nearly enough. I always had a lot of respect for teachers, but I have so much more now after witnessing first hand what they deal with on a daily basis for so little money and respect, and so much scrutiny by the public.

Here's to another school year! May it last a long, long time!

Peace.

Alex

Singing at Arrowhead!!!

2007-08-09T19:51:00.000-05:00

My brother, Les, and I will be singing the National Anthem at Arrowhead Stadium! Okay....so we're not singing at a Chief's game, but we are singing at Arrowhead Stadium for the major league soccer team, the KC Wizards. Les actually sang the National Anthem by himself at a Chiefs game (back in the late 80s when he was a performer at Worlds of Fun) but this will be my first opportunity to sing there. What a thrill! Maybe it'll go so well, they'll book us for a Chiefs or Royals game sometime. You never know!

Speaking of the Chiefs...don't miss the HBO Special "Hard Knocks..Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs". It started yesterday and runs each Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. I believe. I can't believe it's football season again!! My favorite time of year! With the Chiefs, Wildcats, Jayhawks, and even a good KWU Coyotes team playing around here, we have so many good teams to watch! Not to speak of some excellent high school teams! If only baseball season was that good! (I miss the good 'ol days of the Royals!)

Peace,
Alex

Smoking

2007-08-07T14:08:00.000-05:00

My girlfriend, Angelina, had a wake-up call yesterday.

I was at a district meeting with Aflac in Smith Center all day, and got a call from Angelina around 4 p.m. on my way home. She said she was just getting home from Lindsborg (where she works) because she had spent the day in the Emergency room at the hospital and under observation for high blood pressure. She had been feeling weird and had known that her blood pressure was a little high lately, but it all came to a head yesterday. Luckily, she is feeling better but she had an awakening of sorts as a result. She has decided she must quit smoking immediately.

Those of you who know me know that I have battled with the smoking addiction for many, many years and have quit on several occasions only to start up again later. It has been the one thing in my life that I am the least proud of and the hardest thing to conquer. Angelina has asked that I support her and try to quit as well. Of course I agreed. It's very important for her to quit, but not any less important for me. I have had respiratory problems for years as a result of my smoking, yet I still smoke. I don't want a wake-up call like Angelina had. I hope that's not what it will take for me to finally say goodbye to smoking for good.

The most important part my friends and family can play in helping us both to quit is for them to be supportive instead of critical. Criticism will only make things worse for both of us. Rather, love and support is so very helpful. Those who have never smoked can never understand how difficult it is and what Angelina and I are about to go through. Saying "just quit" is like telling a high-jumper to "just jump over the bar". It can happen, but not without a lot of hard work and support from everyone.

I hope those of you who read this will be understanding and supportive of both of us while we go through this battle together.

Peace,

Alex

Friday!!!

2007-08-03T18:25:00.000-05:00

I love Fridays! Friday has to be the favorite day of 90% of Americans. Why is that? Is it that people love the weekend or just dislike their work? I love my job! But I do go through periods where I get in a rut and wonder if I'll ever get out. I may be entering one of those periods now, come to think about it. Hopefully it won't last long.

It has been a long week. It was a productive week, work-wise, but I didn't sell a lot. I did make progress on some accounts I've been trying to nail down, just not a lot of business. I know things will turn around there soon though.

Yesterday, my mom's art class had their "end of class dinner" with parents and loved ones of the people who took the class. It is an annual affair at the completion of the art class she has at our church. The students show their art work they've been working on and then serve their loved ones dinner at the church. They design and make the menus and cook the dinner. I really enjoy it because my kids get to serve me dinner for a change! What a treat that is! This year my girlfriend Angelina came because her son Marquix was in the class. My ex-wife Shelly also came because Shelbi was in the class. They sat across from each other and ganged up on me the whole dinner! That was fun...... I wonder who did THAT seating arrangement!

I also went to see the movie "Chalk" this past week. I didn't know how well I would be able to handle it, but I did okay. The movie is about a first-year high school teacher named Mr. Lowery (played by Troy Schremmer) and other young teachers and first-year assistant principal. Some of the scenes with Mr. Lowery were very painful to watch because they hit so close to home for me having taught for two years and enduring many of the nearly identical situations he goes through. Like me, he is divorced and began teaching after being in professional business for several years. Like me, he contemplates quitting after his first year. I actually quit after my second year, and you never find out if he does indeed quit. I recommend it as a movie to watch, but if you are a teacher, some of the scenes do hit pretty close to home. Troy and his co-star and wife Janelle (Hottman) Schremmer came to Salina last week to show the movie and answer questions about it. Janelle is a former high school classmate of my sister, Christel, and were in many plays together.

Have a great weekend!

Peace,
Alex

How To Stay Young

2007-08-03T18:06:00.000-05:00

I got this forward awhile back, and just found it under some papers on my desk. I thought it was right on. Here's to staying young!

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. Smiles are contageous!
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop. And the devil's name is Alzheimer."
4. Enjoy the simple things...the sound of laughter, the sound of raindrops on the leaves, the smell of home cooking, the beauty of nature.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath!
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive!
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity!

If I haven't told you lately...thanks for being my friend!

Peace,
Alex

Welcome Back Alex!!!!

2007-08-03T01:56:00.000-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been 2 years since my last posting! To be honest, once school started that year, I was focused on doing my daily lesson plans. My blog was the last thing on my mind!

Starting today, I'm going to try to make this a regular part of my day. I want to put some thoughts down each day (or at least on a regular basis). Life goes by too fast! I was just telling Marquix last night that I wished I had written in a journal when I was his age. Boy what reading that would make today! Do you remember the stuff you went through as a middle-schooler? What times those were! Now I'm 43 and my life is not nearly as facinating as it was then. Nontheless, I want to share my daily thoughts and experiences with you and with myself. Who knows? Maybe it'll make for some good reading some day!

Until next time...

What's going on....

2005-08-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

Well...school is up and running once again. I've started my second year of teaching at South High School, and am real excited about the possibilities this year! I've got a year of teaching under my belt, and feel much better about what I'm doing. The best part of it all is that my son, Jordan, is now a freshman at South and I get to see him at school every day! I've always wanted to be an integral part of my son's life, and now I not only have him with me at school, but he lives with me now. After being a "part-time dad" for 10 years, I finally get to watch my son grow into a young man. Another awesome thing that has happened in my life lately, is that my girlfriend and her son, Angelina and Marquix, have moved in with me. It has been an adjustment for all of us, but after living 3 hours apart it is definitely a nice change to get to see her daily as well. Life is good!

Me and the kids

2005-08-22T14:50:00.000-05:00

This pic was taken last summer at Jumpin' Joes