That's a RAP!

We had such a big weekend this past weekend. Cha Cha and I drove down to Carbondale for Splenda's graduation. Jill and I both spent time there as undergrads and now we have another college graduate in the Helser gene-pool. Noah took the train to Carbondale (through a transfer at Chicago's Union Station where part of the film The Untouchables was filmed) down and we picked him up at the train station down there in town, That was quite an adventure (his trip) as it turns-out but I am sure he learned a lot of valuable life lessons. Yesterday he rode home with us to the Aurora Transportation Center to pick up the 4Runner he had parked there to hop the train (Metra) to Chicago before getting on the Amtrack to take the long ride down south. My parents drove down too and we stayed at a rental cabin in dueling banjo country. It was a very nice cabin. We have rented homes and cabins several time when we visited there and this was the best one. It figures we'd find the best one the last time we will go there for, at the very least, a long time. If you're headed down there and are looking for a cabin rather than a hotel send me a message and I will hook you up with the information.

Last night, after getting to the train station and Fabio switching vehicles, we headed through downtown Aurora to get fuel. I had spend a lot of time downtown there as a youngster when I was in the Fox Valley Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps and when I played American Legion baseball and man, of man, has that town changed in the past 40 years. Not that I have changed much in the past 40. Anyway, we stopped and got fuel and while there we did something that would have made Sir Richard Gere very proud. I don't believe he is actually knighted but he did play Lancelot in First Knight. If you have read the blog for awhile you will probably make the basic connection as to what I am referring to. If you wish to know more about that send me a message and I will let you know but, we did not do it for the glory or praise or to get into the clouds in the sky or whatever happens later which is why I will just leave it at that. Just remember that these seasonal feelings should last all year long in actions and thoughts. And, sometimes, opportunists will literally be staring you in the face and maybe that face you are looking back at is karma in disguise.

Jeff really is Matt's best friend (but I have many besties)

I picked-up Jeff at Daisy Hill Puppy Farm where he spent the past few days making new friends. He is a lot like me in that he gets along with most and talks barks to just about anyone. He is almost always happy and smiley but, when he is not, he can be quite a turd. I wish he was more like Cha Cha in that way. Since we got home he has spent most of the time next door at his girlfriend Kona's house. It was so fun to watch them running around our backyard together once they were reunited after those few days. They truly are best friends. I feel sorry for the one that outlives the other because they are like an old married couple even though they are young and not (officially) married. A wedding would be fun bit I don;t think either of them can say, "I do." At least they don't talk when we are around.

I cannot believe that Christmas is only four days away and now at 14:59 it is 51 degrees outside. We have only had one snow this season and that was gone withing a few days. I am not complaining but I do not see how people can still dispute climate change when we are getting rain and California is getting snow.

I received my Union's newsletter and a 2016 calendar in the mail today. I am a member of MAP (Metropolitan Alliance of Police) so, of course, our newsletter contains various police-related stories and news items. I know a lot more about "body cameras" and the "changes in the death penalty" this month. The newsletter is called "The Rap Sheet" which is kind of clever I suppose. One of the headlines of the stories in this Winter 2015 edition read, "The Biggest Douche in the Galaxy*" - I am not sure what the asterisk is about but that was included in the story's title or headline (since it is called a NEWSletter). I found that title in very poor taste. That judgement probably comes from my many years as a news writer and newspaper editor but I thought this really amateurish for a professional organization like this. The story was about the officer that dumped that school girl in the desk over in her classroom from a few months ago. I do not care who it was about and whether the person you are referring to deserves to be demonized or judged or ridiculed that is not an appropriate word to be used in something that many people read. It also demeans and discounts the story itself. I use that word from time-to-time among friends when we are referring to one of many current Presidential candidates but that is not in a public forum nor in print. I find that word humorous in most cases. I can be a word-snob sometimes and perhaps, though I doubt it, I may be off-the-mark (up and to the left) on this one but that is my opinion and it is correct which makes it fact to me. I am tempted to write to them and voice my distaste but I may have just gotten it off of my chest with your help - thank you. I did see that my department has hired a new dispatcher so there are many good things in this blotter too (I would personally call it a blotter rather than a rap sheet).

I should be able to blog again tomorrow. I hope you have a great rest of your day and night and, as always, I thank you for stopping-in. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!