IT'S FINALLY WINTER IN UTAH

Well, it officially became winter on December 21st and we've been hit by it. We finally got some snow. Out the front door, you can see our beautiful white yard and the gorgeous white leaves on the tree and the white blacktop on Columbia Lane.



The side yard and driveway are buried and the pyracantha bushes are white, with no orange berries showing.



The back stairs are buried. It's good we don't use them. I think our Rosemary might get frozen this year.



I don't see much feeding or bird bathing going on in the back yard, but then I don't see the grandkids swinging or sliding, either.




Last evening, Karen and the cats enjoyed the heat from our wood-burning stove, which keeps our house, especially the Living Room, very comfortable. Just ask the cats.



MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS...ALL OF THEM!

I love this time of year. For me, it starts at Halloween and ends after the first of the next year. I love the costumes and the kids on Halloween. I enjoy putting on a costume and being an idiot. I don't take much stock in this being an evil holiday. For me, it's just a day to have some fun.



Thanksgiving is really a special holiday for me. This misunderstood holiday is one in which we thank our Maker for our bounteous blessings. In keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks, Native American groups, like the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek, and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans, who accepted these ceremonies of thanks and began their own. Thanksgiving is a great time to get together with family and friends, which we always do. This year was made extra special since we had our Phil Martin Family Reunion in Mesa, AZ. Talk about a real reason to be thankful.



Then, Christmas comes next, when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Again, what a great time to get together with family and friends and give and receive gifts, as well. Karen and I always have a Christmas Day Brunch, which we'll have this year. Family and friends come over and we feed them until they start sweating butter. A great time is had by all.



Finally, the New Year's celebration. Although we sometimes (usually) go to be before midnight, it's fun to stay up and welcome in the new year. I can't help but make New Year's Resolutions, most of which I break within the first 15 days of the new year. There are some, however, that stick throughout the year. I'll have a couple of those this year.



Well, I'm enjoying the Holidays and I hope you are, too.

THE BIG, HAPPY PARTY

In my last blog, I talked a little about the amount of money Mr. Obama spent to get elected and marveled that no one was accusing him of buying the presidency, as they would a Republican.

I want to go just a titch farther in discussion about reaction to something Mr. Obama is doing versus the reaction to Mr. Bush doing pretty much the same thing...especially if your definition of "pretty much" is "exactly'"

Remember in 2004 how much heat the media and the Dems gave President bush, telling him to "tone down" his re-election parties because we were at war (dammit!!) and, of course, complaining about the fact the the donations for his wingdings bought access? Here's just one New York Times article, in case you've forgotten:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/10/politics/10inaugural.html?_r=1&fta=y

Well, that was then and this, as they say, is now:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081207/D94TPTPO0.html

So, to recap, when Republicans are being inaugurated in hard times, they have to be sensitive so the inauguration parties don't offend the American folks. Mr. Obama's inauguration parties, however, are a much needed balm for our shattered national psyche. It's a wonderful time to come together and heal.

And you wonder why many of us don't believe a word the big-time media say? You wonder why we don't get too upset when the Democrats get on the Republicans for our misbehavior? This is just one more example of left-wing hypocrisy.

SOME ELECTION THOUGHTS

I've said it many times and I'm sure I'll say it many more times: I am so excited that our country has reached past it's horrible, racist history and elected a black President. I always thought my party would have the first black President, but I got that one wrong. (Although, there is a funny email going around that says that Bush should resign and Cheney would take over. He would then choose Condolessa Rice as his VP. He would then resign and the Republicans would have the first black, woman President. That would be great!!)

Anyway, I will support Mr. Obama as my President. I'll cheer the things he does right and challenge him on the things he does wrong, obviously based on my politics and prejudices.

So, my thoughts on the election:

- Mr. McCain was outspent by Mr. Obama, by some accounts, upwards of a quarter of a billion dollars! That tells me a few things.

One - no Presidential candidate will every risk being outspent again by taking public financing...the campaign finance system is dead.

Two - Democrats have always complained the Republicans "buy" elections, because Republicans have always outspent Democrats. That's no longer a valid argument. It's strange, however, that no one has accused Mr. Obama of buying this election.

Three - Mr. McCain was hoisted with his own petard. Most Republicans were against the McCain-Feingold Act. Mr. McCain was hurt by this foolish amendment to the law.

Four - Mr. Obama spent more money in this election than Bush and Kerry combined in the last election.

- Despite all the money spent, Mr. McCain was ahead of Mr. Obama until September 15th, when the roof fell in at Lehman Brothers. He actually made a race of it right up until the last few weeks, but with the economy in the tank, he could never regain his lead.

- President Bush had/has the lowest approval ratings of any President. That will always hurt the candidate from the same party. Mr. McCain had to not only explain his own politics, he had to show how that was different from President Bush. He was never able to get past that issue.

- Although I personally think Sarah Palin will be a force in the Republican Party in the future, she was a poor choice as a running mate for one primary reason. By choosing her, Mr. McCain took away his principal case against Mr. Obama: his inexperience and unreadiness to lead. It shifted the attention to Palin's fitness and experience and away from Mr. Obama's.

- Although I voted for George W. Bush twice and still think he's an honorable man who I praise daily because my family and my country has been safe from harm for all these years since September 11, 2001, I think he has done a number of things that were wrong.

He spent like a drunken sailor, which has been said, is an insult to drunken sailors.

He didn't protect our borders as much as he should have. He's too lenient on illegals. Please don't accuse me of being racist or Mexicanist. I love immigrants, except those who come here illegally. I want more immigrants fro all countries. They make us a more interesting and diverse country. I want them. But, they have to come here legally.

He has made Mr. Obama's Socialist leanings seem not so bad, because of his own Socialist issues. I dont' like Socialism/Marxism. If we continue in that direction, our country will fail. We will become Europe Junior.

Well, I've rambled on long enough. Suffice it to say, I'm not excited that Barrack Obama is our President, but I'm excited that we've elected a black man. I pray for him and pray that he will lead our country in an honorable way.

PEOPLE I LOVE

I've spent some time since the recent election thinking about people who have differing opinions and beliefs from mine. (Is it "from" mine or "than" mine? I don't know...you know what I mean!!) People with whom I could get into a really massive discussion or even argument and we'd disagree on virtually everything, yet I love them dearly.

I'm not going to name any names, but there are people in my family and my extended family that don't like, or maybe they even hate my church; don't like, or maybe even hate my politics; don't like, or maybe even hate my philosophies.

Although those differences might seem like they mean a lot to us right now, in the (dare I say it?) eternal scheme of things (or if you like it better, I could just say, "In the long run...") what really matters is our family, our friends, and those we love.

I hope we don't let those differences get in the way of the love we have for one another.

I love my family, every last one of them, and my friends, regardless of our differences.

YIKES!!!

I weighed in today for the Martin Family Biggest Loser Contest.




This is my weight with my camera.

and...



this is my weight without my camera.

I'm going with the nekkid and no camera weight, which is 251.2 lbs.

Remember: The winner is the one who loses the greatest percentage of their body weight. Not total pounds.

Good luck to all.

NO MO TRAVELIN'

I'm finished traveling for the year!! That noise you hear is me cheering and Karen moaning. Actually, I love to travel and Karen loves me to travel, as well.

But, as much as I enjoy traveling, it's always nice when it's over for the year.

We are going to Mesa, AZ this weekend for the Martin Family Reunion, but that's fun traveling, not work traveling.

I look forward to seeing more of Karen and the Utah kids and grandkids over the next few weeks.

Now, that's something for me to be thankful for.

NICODEMUS IS DEAD

When I walked out the back door this morning, I discovered that Nicodemus was dead. He was lying beside one of the Rat Traps. Not in the Rat Trap...next to the Rat Trap.

I gave him a proper burial, which as everyone knows, is a hook-shot into the trash can.

I've watched the other Rat Traps today, to see if another rat wants to step up and challenge me, but they are either cowering under the dog house or he was the only one.

I'll keep the 3 Rat Traps loaded and cocked and ready to do battle and I will keep you updated.

Don't mourn for Nicodemus. He had a good life and died full of sunflower seeds, cheese, and water.

RATS OF NIHM

Earlier this summer, we moved our dog house and dog kennel out from under the carport to a place in the back yard. Our intention is to pour a cement slab for the dog house and kennel to sit on, but we haven't done that yet.



Over the last couple of days, I've noticed our dogs sniffing around the outside of the dog house, but I couldn't see what they were looking for.

Today at lunch, Karen and I were looking out the kitchen window and saw a rat strolling out from under the dog house, getting several sunflower seeds which had dropped from the bird feeders, and taking them, leisurely back under the dog house.

We watched for several minutes and laughed at how bold this big old rat was. Karen had to go back to work, but when she went out the back door, we expected the rat to scurry back under the dog house. Nope. He sat there chewing on a sunflower seed, watching her. She walked towards him and got to within about 15' before he ran under the dog house.

When she was gone, I grabbed a couple of rat traps and decided to go on a rat hunt. I set one rat trap, loaded with a nice, sharp Chedder Cheese, and started walking towards the dog house. Again, the rat simply sat there munching and watching my approach. When I was about 6' away, he turned and disappeared under the dog house. I placed the rat trap right by the opening the rat had been using as his entrance.

I went back in the house, expecting the rat to lay low for awhile, but by the time I got back to the kitchen window, he was sticking his head out from under the dog house, sniffing the cheese.

Finally, he boldly walked out to the rat trap, grabbed the wood part with his teeth, and dragged it back into his domicile, under the dog house!

It was then I realized that I had a Rat of Nihm.

So, I set a couple more rat traps and the waiting game is on. He hasn't shown his beady eyes for about 20 minutes.



When I've conquered the Rat of Nihm, I'll give you an update.

Until then...wish me luck.

IT'S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE WINTER!

Brrrr!

It seems like winter today. It's dark outside. This is the view out our front door.



The dark clouds are thick. We're getting some rain. It's noon and it seems like it's barely sunup.

Oh, we've had a couple of quick snows already this year. It would be 60+ degrees outside, then it would get cold, dump a smidgen of snow on the ground, melt, then get back up to 60 - 70 degrees the next day.

The mountains surrounding Utah Valley have had snow on them for awhile, but nothing in the valley. It's been the most beautiful fall I've seen since I moved to Utah in 1971. The colors have been fantastic. They've overlapped each other. Meaning, usually the red leaves show up, then drop. Then the orange leaves show up, then drop. Then the yellow leaves show up, then drop.

This year we've had all the colors at the same time and it's lasted for weeks. It's been incredible.

I've put up the fence around the wood-burning stove in the Living Room and have a fire going today. The cats love that. They hang out in the Living Room where it's warm.


It's dark outside and following the election, my spirits are a bit dark. But, there's always the spring. Things will get bright and beautiful again.

PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA

Having the first black President is a good thing. However, I wish it were a different person.

Black folks can now honestly say to their little ones that anything is possible for them to attain in America. We've had 2 black Supreme Court Justices (although leftist blacks - I guess that's kind of an oxymoron - don't think much of Justice Clarence Thomas, but they loved Justice Thurgood Marshall).

President Bush chose Condoleezza Rice to be the first female African-American secretary of State, the Cabinet's senior position, and Colin Powell as the nation's first black Secretary of State.

Lieut. Gen. Colin Powell was also President Reagan's national security adviser.

Numerous blacks have been elected to the House and a much smaller number have been in the Senate. Governors, Mayors, and all other positions in City, County, State, and Federal Government have been filled by blacks.

So, now they can say they've held every position possible in US government.

For that, I'm grateful.

Forty-some years ago, we were hosing down blacks with fire hoses for being "uppity." In my lifetime, blacks have been relegated to the back of the bus, their own drinking fountains, restrooms, and dining facilities. Brown vs. Board of Education was only 50 some years ago.

All Americans, not just blacks, need to be very proud and excited that we've reached this point in race relations in the US.

So, President-elect Obama has the right to pick his Cabinet, get into office, enjoy the honeymoon, and then we'll see how he wants to govern.

If he governs from a centrist position, I'll get along with him, just fine.

If he governs from his natural position of the extreme left, I hope to challenge him at every LEFT turn.

Amazingly, 62+million people, liberals, independents, conservatives, etc., voted to push the Democrat party way to the left.

The 55+million folks who either voted against Mr. Obama or in some cases (a few), for Mr. McCain, said they didn't want the country to go any farther to the left.

My greatest hope and prayer (politically), is that we won't run any more non-conservatives for the Republican nomination for President. After Gg Bush, GHW Bush, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, and Dwight Eisenhower (with Ronald Reagan being the only exception in the last 50 years), we've had nothing but moderate Republicans. We need to run a Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Jeff Sessions, or Tim Pawlenty (and I'm sure there are others I'm leaving out).

Anyway, if President Obama pushes Socialism/Marxism on us, we need to fight like crazy. America's young men and women think Socialism is cool. They don't understand the dangers it presents. Some of us older Americans need to keep reminding them that it's a bad thing.

MORE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

Well, hopefully my last blog didn't make you too ill. I'll get back to either "Senator Obama is a Marxist and will kill us with tax increases or President Obama is a Marxist and will kill us with tax increases" in the next day or two, but I want to finish my list of things that make me happy and that I'm so grateful for.

First, I spent a little time with Jeff, Paula, David, and Michele last week in Dallas which reminded, again, why I'm so grateful for family. It also reminds me that I'm not the only weird one in the family.

• Good health. I know that sounds strange coming from someone who is obese and has Diabetes, Hypertension, Arthritis, and Cholesterol problems, but other than those things, which are magnificently controlled through the wonders of modern medicine, I'm in great health. I haven't puked for years. I haven't had a real cold for years. I'm not allergic to anything. I can breathe the air around me without having allergic reactions. I haven't had a headache for 20 years. I...I can still...let me see...I don't need Viagra. At all!!! I heal quickly from scrapes and scratches and sprains. I feel great. And fortunately, my family's health is as good as mine. We're a pretty healthy bunch. That can't be by accident. That's got to be a blessing! And it makes me very happy.
  

• Many of the things that make me happy are possible because I live in America. For example, I can practice the religion of my choice, without interference from the Government. My religion gives me such comfort, and joy, and satisfaction. My very best friends in the world are from my church. I'm grateful for the Gospel. I believe, with all my heart, that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. Through him, I can approach the Father. Through him, I can enjoy Eternal Life. I firmly believe that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and restored the Gospel to the earth.
  

• We live in a beautiful, old, home. I love it. I'm grateful for it. Karen makes it a home and I make it a challenge for Karen to keep clean and tidy. But, I do love our home.
  

• Karen and I both have absolutely fantastic employment. She calls her job "Employment Heaven." I call mine "Employment Celestial Kingdom." Our jobs are perfectly suited for each of us.
  

• And, finally, I'm so grateful for Mexican food. It makes me extremely happy.

WHY I'M SO HAPPY

I pray pretty regularly. I pray "officially" morning and night, in personal prayers, but I pray pretty much all the time in my mind and in my heart.

Lately, I find myself thanking my Father in Heaven for many things that make my life so enjoyable. Here's just a short list:

• I have such a wonderful family. Starting with my wife, Karen. She is such a good wife and mother. No matter where we've lived, she has made our house a home. As I wandered through the house this morning, I was struck at the beauty (and scariness) of our home. Scariness? Yep! Typical of Karen, our home is decorated to the max with Halloweenie things. Magically, when Halloween is over, I'll notice the scary stuff is gone and the Thanksgiving and fall stuff will take its place. Then, as if while I'm asleep, those decorations will disappear and our home will take on a Christmas/winter theme. I love what she does for our home. She keeps it beautiful. She keeps it clean...surprisingly and amazingly clean, considering we have 6 cats and me living here, along with having our local grandkids visiting regularly. And, despite her aversion to mornings, she starts my day with a beautiful smile, even when her hair is sticking up all over and her eyes are a bit puffy and she's whining that she wants to get back in bed and sleep for the day.
  

• My kids. I have 6 wonderful and diverse kids. All are successful in their own right. All married well. The boys married UP, which is the only reason they are successful. The girls married down, but I still love Mitch and Jared. Of course, no boys or men could ever be good enough for Joni and Jenna!! My kids are all talented, beautiful, strong, and as far as I know, still love me. They must love me, because they bring me such joy.

• My kids spouses are absolutely perfect for my kids. Each of those six wonderful men and women add so much to our family. Each of them complete our kids and make our family better.
  

• Grandkids are the weirdest things. They somehow make me soft and squishy. I love to be gruff with them, but they melt my heart. I like them to think I'm a troll or an ogre or a monster. And I think they pretty much do, but they also weasel their way into my heart and make me feel tender and weepy.

• My other family members, like parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, and in-laws and other people who are family add to my joy. Though distant in miles or relationship, they have an impact on my life, as if they were living by my side. My Mother, the saint, is still with me, as I'm sure she his with her other family members and friends. I'm finding that the longer she's gone, the better she was.
  

• And, lastly, for this blog, I'm so thrilled and grateful that I live in America, where we can have completely differing ideas as to who should run our country, yet when the person and/or party is elected, regardless of the side they represent or the distaste we might have for their politics, we can say without a doubt that we still live in the most wonderful country in the world. Nowhere else do you find the freedoms that we enjoy (and sometimes take for granted) here in the United State of America. I promise to all that whether we have a President McCain (my hope) or a President Obama (my fear), I will still love, honor, and respect the Office of the President and I will still be a proud American. And I will still be grateful that I am an American. Too many of our brave brothers and sisters have given their lives or their health, fighting for our freedoms, for me to ever turn against this great country.
  

So, that's it for now. My next blog will be a continuation of the things that I love and that make my life so full and rewarding.

THE RACE RACE

I don't usually let the left-leaning media get me down, but they are so in the tank for Senator Obama for President that I'm finding myself somewhat discouraged. This morning I read two ariticles. One said "socialist" is a codeword for "black." Are you kidding me? How about Sweden and France and Italy, just to name a few. There certainly aren't many blacks living in those countries, which are admittedly socialist. I've never said the word "socialist" and meant "black"in my life, nor have I ever heard it used to mean "black."

Another article said that a Congresswoman who said that she felt that Senator Obama had some anti-American beliefs (on Hardball with Chris Mathews) is now being targeted by the DNC for defeat in the next election, just because she gave her opinion on Mr. Obama's relationships with so many anti-American activists and groups.

Unfortunately, altogether too many unread, illiterate, and people who get most of their news from The Daily Show, MTV, and the nightly talk shows, suck this stuff up and believe it.

Every election, we're told through the mainstream media and through polls, that the Republican nominee is going to be defeated. That, alone, is an attempt to discourage people from voting for the Republican nominee. "Why vote? Your guy is going to lose!" Even the landslide that Reagan had over Carter was predicted to be a loss by Reagan, right up until the day of the election.

If you can't see that the media and most of the pollsters are in the tank for Mr. Obama, you've got your eyes closed.

So, the message for today is, if you criticize Mr. Obama, you're a racist and need to be defeated.

I predicted early on that this election would boil down to nothing but race.

It has.

And I'm still discouraged and disgusted.

PS - After I finished this blog, I went back to the Internet to read miscellaneous articles about McCain, Obama, and the media, etc. I came across this article that really rang true to me:

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_smears_fact_check/2008/10/20/142379.html?s=al&promo_code=6DC3-1

Oh, yes! It's definitely a right-wing source, but after all the "We love Obama" nonsense that one sees in the mainstream media, ad nauseam, it's a breath of fresh air for this right-winger.

"SPREAD THE WEALTH AROUND??"

In my last blog, I mentioned Joe the Plumber and his conversation with Senator Obama, last Sunday. Read this, to refresh your memory, and then I'll comment on it:

"Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" the blue-collar worker [Joe the Plumber] asked.

After Obama responded that it would, Wurzelbacher continued: "I've worked hard...I work 10 to 12 hours a day and I'm buying this company and I'm going to continue working that way. I'm getting taxed more and more while fulfilling the American Dream."

"It's not that I want to punish your success," Obama told him. "I want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success, too."

Then, Obama explained his trickle-up theory of economics.

"My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody. I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

As I mentioned before, that's Marxism, pure and simple. An article at http://www.fundamentalfinance.com/blogs/socialism-vs-capitalism.php discusses the problems with Marxism. in clearer and more concise language than I can. Please take a moment to read the paragraph:

"The idea of a Marxist society is very alluring. In today's world of freedom and fairness, the notion of everyone being completely equal, even if this means taking from the rich and giving to the poor, seems just; however, the defect in Marxism is obvious. It is dependent on a type of human nature that is hard to come by. For Marxism to work, very little greed and jealousy can exist and people must have a general feeling of charity and a willingness to work their hardest for the good of everyone. These are obviously jot common traits. Marxism could also work if those who have the greatest abilities and those who work the hardest are satisfied with rewards equivalent to those whith lesser abilities and those who don't work hard at all. This is also very unlikely. Marxism undoubtedly leads to free riding and slacking."

I don't think Senator Obama is an evil man, but I do think that Marxism is an evil social and economic system. I'm probably preaching mainly to the choir, since most people who read this agree with my assessment. But, I feel that I have to say it anyway. If you disagree, please, please feel free to comment and tell my why you feel that Marxism is acceptable in the United States of America.

Remember these words if you don't think Mr. Obama is a Marxist:

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

MY CONCERNS WITH A "PRESIDENT" OBAMA

As the election season winds down and with the last Presidential Debate scheduled for tonight, I'd like to express my concerns about a "President" Obama.

1 - Mr. Obama hasn't answered my questions about his involvement with so many anti-American people and groups. He brushes those relationships off as unimportant or non-existent, and challenges anyone who brings them up as "trying to get off the topics that the Americans want to hear about." I disagree. I want to know who our President gets his advice from; who he learned his politics from; and where he honed his political skills. He is well-liked by, tutored by, friends with, or in organizations with this partial list of scary people:

Ali Abunimah, Greg Craig, Bill Ayers, Bernarding Dohrn, Marilyn Katz, Dorothy Tillman, Louis Farrakhan, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Rev. James Meeks, Rev. Michael Pfleger, Rev. Joseph Lowery, David Axelrod, the law firm of Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C., Robert Blackwell, Jr., Saul Alinsky, ACORN, Project Vote, Cornel West, Rashid Khalidi, Mohamed Salim Al-Churbaji, Jim Johnson, Robert Malley, George Soros, Franklin Marshall Davis, Jim Wallis, Joyce Wheeler, Tim Wheeler, Democratic Socialists of America, the New Party, and the Socialist Scholars Conference.

I want Senator Obama to explain why he's so comfortable with people who hate America and work for its demise. If you don't recognize all the names listed here, Google them. You'll be shocked. And remember, this is only a partial list.

2 - His Tax Plan is right out of the Karl Marx Handbook - "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism

He told an Ohio plumber that he intends to take the profits of small-business owners and "spread the wealth around" to those with lesser incomes. Go to this link for the complete story: http://www.nypost.com/seven/10152008/news/politics/obama_fires_a_robin_hood_warning_shot_133685.htm

I don't want a Marxist for President. Can Mr. Obama explain himself a little better on this one?

3 - Senator Obama's vision for the economy is wrong. He wants to raise taxes during an economic crisis. That's been proven several times to affect the economy in a very negative way. It would push a recession into a depression. His ideology places income redistribution above economic growth. That's an ideology that sunk Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry. It simply doesn't work. I'm not convinced that he has a grasp of the American economy and, again, I fear that the advisers he'll choose will be from the same Marxist/Socialist school.

4 - Mr. Obama supports abortion. Given that Supreme Court Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsberg are 88 years old and 75 years old, respectively, there's a very good chance
that the next President will choose their replacements. The next four Justices are 72, 71, 69, and 68 years old. A two-term President will very likely choose their replacements. That's 6 of the 9 Justices that an extremely pro-abortion President could possibly choose. Remember: In 2002, Mr. Obama voted against the Induced Infant Liability Act, which would have protected babies that survived late-term abortions.

5 - He's unaccomplished on the national stage. He took office in the Senate in Jan of 2005 and announced his candidacy for the presidency in Feb of 2007. Soon he will have campaigned for almost as long as he has been in the Senate. His list of accomplishments is extremely thin. In fact, one of the humorous things seen many times on TV is a "Man on the Street" host asking strident Obama supporters to name one accomplishment of Mr. Obama and there was never an answer. He has no real accomplishments that he can point to.

6 - He has never reached across the aisle to work with Republicans for anything. How can he be a uniter if his history proves that he's not one. He is a hard-core, left-wing idealogue.


That's all I have time for, right now. I wish I lived in a state where the outcome of the election was in doubt. In Utah, McCain will win hands down. I might be able to have an impact on neighbors and friends if I lived elsewhere, but I don't, so all I can do is hope that enough people in the other 49 states think the same way I do.


I don't hate Mr. Obama. I just distrust his politics. I fear that an Obama Presidency, along with a majority of Democrats in the House and Senate will be disasterous for the Untied States.


If you disagree with me and are a relative or friend, I do still love you.

HURRICANE IKE

I worked in Houston and Galveston, TX this week. I saw the affects of Hurricane Ike. I'll explain the photos, as much as I can, but I think the visuals say more than I can.


There were boats washed up against the freeway.




Trash and stuff hadn't been cleaned up yet, but came from the water surge pushing it up against any immovable surface, where it came to rest.




Yep...boats in the freeway.




More boats. By the way, we're not even close to the water here.




Trash pushed up all over.




When the City was able to finally get to some of the piles of stuff that was all over Galveston, they would bring it to this field, where it was stacked until they could move it to a permanent location.




Crap in the front yard.




Pushed by the force of rushing water, this fence was covered with trash and tipped over.




We were unable to get gas or a Diet Coke at this Gas Station/Food Mart.




Piles o' stuff.


For a better view of the devastation, click on each photo and it will enlarge to allow you to get a good look.

What a mess...and a miracle that more people weren't killed.

COMPUTER GEEK, LIKE DAD

Boydie and I were hanging out today in my Office. He said he wanted to play a game on the computer. I told him that I only had Solitare on my computer and no kids' games. He said he wanted to play.

So, I Googled "Kids Computer Games" and got a few to choose from. I closed my eyes and clicked on one of them. Boydie said, "Wanna play the blocks game."

I saw the blocks game, clicked on it, and wasn't sure what to do next. Boydie took the mouse away from me and began clicking and moving the mouse until he was playing a game.

He's 3. I'm 61.

He's going to be a computer geek, like his Dad, his Aunt Cheli, his Uncle Jeff, his Great Aunt Linda, and others in our family.

GREAT VACATION!!

Karen and I had a ball on our quickie vacation to Jackson Hole. The drive was great. The hotel was comfortable and nice, with a room for me to stay up late and read in while she went into the bedroom to get to sleep. The shopping was fantastic. (I didn't really find anything that I wanted, but Karen found lots of stuff.) The food was awesome. The live theater was cool, with really good singers, dancers, and actors in Cat Ballou. The scenery in Jackson Hole and Teton National Park was spectacular. The river run was great with, again, great scenery. And, on the ride home, we found a really neat antique store that, again, Karen found some things she couldn't live without.

All in all, one of our best short trips ever.

GOIN' TO JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

Karen and I are taking a few days off and going to Jackson Hole, WY. I've been there numerous times, mainly with my work, but this will be a new adventure for Karen.

We're excited to get away and also to spend some time together. We both enjoy home, but we really like travelling, as well. We like to plan trips well in advance, so we can talk about them, think about them, make plans for where we'll eat and where we'll shop and what we'll see. There's something about the anticipation of a trip that is really fun. Then we get to experience the trip and do all the things we planned...or not. Whatever we do decide to do, we always have a good time.

Then, as the day of our departure for home gets nearer, we start looking forward to getting back home, seeing our house and pets, playing with our kids and grandkids, and getting back into our normal, everyday lives, which we both enjoy.

So, I guess it's thank goodness for vacations and thank goodness for home.

WE MISS YOU, DAD

My Dad, who reminds me of Jenna's favorite Songwriter/Singer, Sting (except my Dad has more hair), went back to Dallas on August 16th, about 3 weeks ago. We surely do miss him. For the first few days after he was gone, the little Great Grand Kids would look into his room to see if he was there. Boydie, who had a great time with Grampy, sneaking into his room and unplugging his light, then running away before Grampy could hook him with his cane, looked in Grampy's room and decided that he'd have to find a new game to play, since his playmate was gone. Now he's sneaking all of our keys out of our pockets and pushing the "Panic" button, making our car horns honk out in the driveway.

Anyway, we're looking forward to seeing my Dad in November at the Martin Family Get-Together in Mesa.

I'm an old man at 61 years of age, so I haven't lived in my Dad's home for lots and lots of years. Yet, after having him in our home for one short month, it seems empty without him here. I hope anyone who reads this immediately calls their parents and tells them that they love them, like I did today (on his Birthday). I didn't tell my Mother the last time I saw her, which was 3 days before she passed away. She knew then, and knows now, that I do, but I wish I would have told her one more time.

We miss you, Dad...and Mother, too.

Now, go on and tell you parents you love them.

THOUGHTS ON THE ELECTION

Here are some thoughts about America, Republicans, Democrats, and more, based on what I've heard from the major players (both parties) in the upcoming election and picked up on my own from other sources:

• According to the Democrat Leadership the United States is a Soup Kitchen country and no one can "make it" without the government's help.
  

• Only Democrats can provide that help, according to them, as well..

• They also insist that America is a racist country.
  

• Michelle Obama was born in 1964. Barack Obama was born in 1961. During their lifetime she's lived under a Democrat President for 18 years and a Republican President for 27 years and he's lived under a Democrat President for 20 years and a Republican President for 27 years. They were born in very humble circumstances. Yet, by 2006, she was earning $275,000 and he was earning $725,000. In 2007, they earned $4 million. How could they make it while laboring for so many years under Republican Presidents? How could they make it while living in such a racist country?

• We are all victims of something or someone, according to the Dems.

• They also think that all solutions must come from the Government. We're incapable of doing anything for ourselves.
  

• The Biden VP nomination didn't give Mr. Obama a bump in the polls. Senator Biden had zero impact on the polls.
  

• Mr. Biden has too many negatives and will drag down the Obama candidacy. Had Mr. Obama selected Hillary Clinton, I think it would have been a cakewalk to the Presidency for him.

• The Democrat Convention has been the most negative convention I've ever witnessed. If you believed what has been coming out of Colorado, you'd assume that no one in America is happy; or able to pay their bills; or loves their country; or thinks President Bush has done anything right; or thinks that America is on the right track, nor has it ever been on the right track...hence, we need change!!

• We don't normally hire people just recently out of Law School to be CEOs of major corporations. Why would we do that for the Presidency of the United State?

• If there is one thing that every election of every kind is about, it's change!! We want to change from one President to another. We want to change from one Mayor to another. We want to change from one Dog Catcher to another. How can "Change" be a serious slogan for a campaign, when change is what elections cause?

• I'm a Conservative first and a Republican second. I don't like John McCain. I never have. I do so appreciate his sacrifice for America in Vietnam and while serving as a public servant in Congress, but he's not a person I feel comfortable calling a Conservative Republican. A Republican, sure...but not a Conservative one.
  

• The 4 most Liberal Senators in the Senate are #1 Barack Obama, #2 Sheldon Whitehouse, #3 Joseph Biden, and #4 Bernie Sanders the "Independent" who proudly admits that he's a Socialist. So, the Democrats are offering us the #1 and #3 most Liberal Senators in the Senate, even more Liberal than a Socialist, as their nominees for President/VP.

• America is Center/Right politically. Will a Center/Right electorate vote for an extremely Liberal person for President, along with his extremely Liberal runningmate?
  

• It won't happen, not in a thousand years, but I'd love it if the Republicans put on a convention that was positive, upbeat, and spoke only of the good in America. We hear so little about those things lately, though I think they're still who and what we are. Instead of finding all the sad stories of people who can't make their mortgage payments, find stories of people, like the Obama's, who have made it. Who have worked hard and made it. Who lost their jobs and still plugged away and made it, in this great country. Like I said, it won't happen, but I'd love it.

Thanks for reading my political stuff.

COME JOIN THE FUN!!

The offspring of Phil & Enid Martin, along with other family members, are going to have a Martin Family Get-Together. It will be in Mesa, AZ on Friday and Saturday, November 28th & 29th, 2008. That's the day after Thanksgiving. We'll start around noon on Friday, November 28th and end in the afternoon on Saturday, November 29th.

We've scheduled it as such for a few reasons:

1. Kids should all be out of school
2. There should be time to drive/fly to Mesa on Friday morning and drive/fly home on Saturday evening, for those who are on a tight schedule. For those who aren't, you can come earlier and leave later.
3. It will only require one overnighter in a hotel or wherever you happen to flop.
4. It should only require most of us to take one day off work.
5. We're having it soon, instead of next summer, because my Dad, your Grampy, wants to have it as soon as possible. He feels that he's here on earth instead of with his Sweetheart, because he has more to do in bringing his family together. Linda, Melvin, Jeff, Cheli, and I all agree. We'd like to do all we can to begin an annual or biennial reunion or get-together, which will last long after Mother and Dad have "shuffled off this mortal coil."

We will try to keep expenses to a minimum, but we'll most likely need some help with food. Whether that's money or donated, prepared food, I'm not sure, but we just don't have everything etched in granite, yet.

Put this even on your calendar and start making plans.

There will certainly be more information to come.

TRIP TO ARIZONA

I just got back from a trip to Arizona for work. While there, I spent several hours with Melvin and Nancy and also with Eric, Amy, Ben, Abby, and Alex. I drove from Tempe to Duncan, which took about 3 1/2 hours. Melvin, Nancy, and I then toured the mines and had dinner at a Hotel in Morenci. About 10:00 PM or so, (probably more of the "or so" than the 10:00 PM), I headed back to Tempe. It also took about 3 1/2 hours, so I got to bed late that night.

I had a nice visit with Melvin and Nancy and we talked about Dad, family, old home sites, the upcoming family get-together, and lots more. We made tentative plans to visit again.

Eric and family and I met at a Mexican restaurant and ate...duh!! What else are you going to do when Eric and Bob get together?

Chubby Ben is now Svelte Ben. I recognized his smile and his face, but the rest of him was way different. He's lost about 50 lbs. For a 15 year old, that's like losing a ton. He looked good. The ladies will be discovering Ben this year at his new school.

While in AZ I also worked, but it was uneventful, other than I did get upgraded to First Class going both ways, so it was a good trip.

I had a ball with the Bowmans and Warners. Ain't family great?

GRAMPY'S GONE BACK TO TEXAS

My Dad, my kids' Grampy, has left Utah and is back in Texas. We all miss him very much already. In a few short weeks he became a fixture in our home, on our front porch, and in our neighborhood.

My friends in the neighborhood would say, "I saw your Dad out on the front porch counting cars today." Even though that's just what we called sitting out on the front porch, he actually did count cars one day. He was curious how many sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks drove by in a period of time. SUVs and pickups won, hands down. He was surprised, however, at how many motorcycles and scooters drove by on Columbia Lane.

We're planning a family reunion this year, after Thanksgiving, on Friday & Saturday, November 28th and 29th. Our plan is to have everyone arrive by about noon on Friday and we'll party until early afternoon on Saturday. That should give us plenty of time to have fun together, but only require one night in a hotel and a return home prior to Sunday, for those who need to be there for Church. I'm really excited for my kids and grandkids to get to know their aunts, uncles, cousins, and whatever else there is out there that might show up at the reunion, just like they got to know my Dad this last few weeks.

Dad wonders why he's still here and his Sweetheart is gone. He says the only thing he can think of is that he's to try to get our family to be more united. That sounds like a mission I'd love to help him with.

We miss you, Dad. We need to start planning your next visit!!

MORE OF GRAMPY'S VISIT

We're really enjoying my Dad's visit to Provo. He and I have spent hours sitting in the adirondack chairs on the front porch, talking about everything from his childhood, to mine, his Army experiences, to mine, and the weather, his health, how much he misses my Mother, his Sweetheart, and a little bit of everything else.

He's also had the opportunity to get to know Karen a lot better. She's a quiet person and sometimes comes off as if she thinks she's better than those around her. She's actually quite like Dad and he's finally realized that. She's just quiet and shy like him, but they've had lots of nice, long talks, as well.

The kids and grandkids come over and visit, but the noise and confusion and rowdiness of the little ones makes him nervous. He likes it, but it makes him nervous. Above is a photo Jenna took of him bribing Owen and Lucy to come sit on his lap. Owen took the sucker and ran and Lucy wouldn't get within an arms-length of Dad. That's the top of her head and hand you can see in the foreground and that's as close as she got to him.

I'm so glad we've had this opportunity. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

GRAMPY'S VISIT

My Dad is visiting with us from Dallas for a few weeks. Since my Mother passed away in March, he's been very lonely, as you can imagine. Towards the end of her life, she wasn't able to travel much, at all. His health is somewhat better, so many of us in the family are taking advantage of that and having him visit us. It's such a great opportunity for the "far-away" kids, grandkids, and great grandkids, to get to know their Dad and Grampy a lot better.

We've had lots of opportunities to just sit and visit, which we've really enjoyed. Little Lucy is still somewhat shy around him, but he was able to bribe her with a sucker a couple of days ago. He let her pick the one she wanted out of his hand. She was a bit nervous, but did pick one out. I'm sure by the time he's ready to leave for home, she'll be much more relaxed around him.

He's going to help me cook a Beef Brisket this Sunday. I've cooked one before, using his recipe, but this time he'll be able to oversee the project. We're all excited to have a Grampy Brisket.

Feel free to call him on his cell phone at (214) 868-8243. He does enjoy talking to family.

PAPA'S PANTS

Karen and I were watching Mia and Owen, our Grand Kids, on Saturday while their Mom did a Photo Shoot. Owen was playing at his usual speed, full bore, when he had an "accident." He was concentrating on playing and forgot about the bathroom. I told him it was no big deal. He went into the bathroom and took off his shorts and undies. I looked in the drawer where we ususally keep some extra kid clothes, but there weren't any.

Not wanting him to have to walk around with no pants on, I quickly went into action. I got some of my hugest, size XL, baggy shorts and told him this would work. He said, "Papa, these are awfully large. They're huge." I said I would make them work, just fine.

The whole time I was putting them on him, he kept saying they were too big. I finally got his little legs in my huge shorts and figured out that I could take the waistband ties, put them over his shoulders, and tie them in the back to a belt loop. They worked perfectly.

He walked around a little bit, kind of like a kitten with a rubber band on it's tail...awkward and on his tiptoes, and said, "Papa, I don't want my Mom to see me dressed like this."

I told him all would be fine. He got back into his playing mode and forgot all about his big pants. The photo above shows him wearning some "safety" goggles and his big pants, dressed for some serious rock breaking.

What a funny boy.

SIDEWALK, ROCK WALL, AND ROUNDABOUT

We now have a side walk, our rock wall is being built, and the roundabout down the street is almost complete. We really like the way the rock wall is shaping up. We're not excited to have a sidewalk. The jury is still out on the roundabout. Here's why:

The Roundabout. If you look all the way down our sidewalk, you'll see some construction going on. That's the roundabout. It might be a good thing. Or not. Our street, Columbia Lane, gets pretty icy in the winter. Cars frequently slide down Columbia Lane. If they slow down enough, they might make it around the roundabout. If they make it around the roundabout and then speed back up, they'll crash at the bottom of the hill. We'll just have to see how that goes this winter.

The Rock Wall isn't really a wall, at all. We specifically instructed the contractor not to stack the rocks like a wall, but spread them out so there is a gradual slope up our yard. He's doing a great job of that.

Between when I started writing this blog and now, Boulder Boy had to remove all the boulders and dirt from the street because they wanted to start re-blacktopping the street.

So, now the Rock Wall is on hold until the street is paved.

More to come.? Hopefully.