Play ball!

Okay, so I'm a bit behind the times here. This is a picture of Connor and I at the Ranger game sometime in ... April, I think. Maybe May. It was the night his school honored him and all of the kids that excelled last year. It was part of the rewards he got for being a great kid with a good attitude, excellent grades and superior citizenry. Gosh, I just love that.

Words to live by?

Just my own way of looking at life, family, friends and the pursuit of happiness, but here goes. These are original thoughts, btw :) Yes, Christopher, I sometimes have those .

Don't always say what you're thinking. Sometimes the most innocuous thing could lead to disaster.

Appreciate what you have, but aspire to what you want.

Music is the soul of the universe.

Strong and true friendships are built on trust and passion, honesty and acceptance.

There is no shame in showing emotion, be it happiness, anger, sadness or love.

Resistance may be futile, but sometimes it is absolutely necessary.

Taking the initiative can lead to great things, but sitting back and waiting for something to come to you can sometimes be far more rewarding.

Don't take your friends for granted. You picked them for a reason. Stay in touch, stay close, be there when you're needed, need them when they offer.

Contentment is a dangerous, apatethtic state of mind, however blissful. If you don't have something to look forward to, what's the damn point?

Only you can stand up for yourself.

Teach your children to use their brains, their mouths and their backbones. Don't smother them in a blanket of your views, let them form their own, however far from yours.

Be proud of what you've done and who you are.

Take risks. Apathy sucks and not in a good way.

Sharks don't really live in lakes, but I'm still not swimming in one.

It's a wonderful life

Funny thing happened the other night - I realized I was pretty darn happy. It all started when Connor asked me if I had a time machine and could go back to any time at all, when would it be. I thought about it for a minute, cycling through all of the events - good and bad - that have occured in my life. The times when I was a teenager and running free and wild in Germany (boy were those freakin' awesome days!) The years between teenager and mostly adulthood when responsibility just meant making sure mom and dad knew I was okay and hanging out at Denny's at 7 in the morning after a raucous night out. Can you say carefree? The happy years of my marriage. When I was 6 and cute as a button . Then it hit me. While all those periods of my life were wonderful, filled with great memories and warm fuzzies it's RIGHT NOW that I am the happiest. Everything is going my way. I am the person I want to be (okay, minor fine tuning which is an every day battle between me and the gym, but that's a different blog). My son is the most awesome kid in the universe - intelligent, articulate, considerate, tyrant-in-training. He is everything to me. A nice little package that I can still whip in Worms2 but not Disney Trivia. I feel great. My health is good, my emotions are clear and happy. My parents and brother are hale and hearty, full of piss and vinegar. (I call mom and dad my little bunnies!) They are supportive and happy with each other and life. They call it the life of Riley. My friends are the support I lean on and find comfort and joy in. I'm starting to enjoy writing again. Heck, I even love my job.
So, when Connor asked me when I would go back to, I finally just smiled and said I wouldn't. I don't want to relive my past and try to change things. I want to know what my tomorrow is going to be like, because it's new and fresh and exciting. I'm impatient to live forward. Not to grow up or old (I'm plenty old, thank you) but I want to live. I'm happy. Very, very happy.
Ain't that just a kick in the pants? :)