2008 Blog Archives

I found a copy of some old blogs on a hard drive. Note that the links do not work.

23Oct2008 Finally posting some pictures from the trip to Omaha with Bill, Fay, Mikki, Aimee, Debbie and me to see Katie and the kids in September

The Lucinda Williams concert was a big disappointment. She made a few rambling political statements and seemed to think better of it and then only made things worse. Many people felt insulted and started to leave early and Debbie and I were among them. It ruins her music for me.

2007 Blog Archives

Here are some old blogs from 2007:

31Dec07 We went with Mike and Linda to the New Years Eve event at Hilton Garden Inn. It appeared to be similar to past Val Air events. The modal attendee was a 25 - 35-year old that drinks too much – very sad to watch.

30Dec07 We are back from the road trip to Kearney NE. Mikki and Aimee went with us and with apologies to Janice Joplin, “we sang every song that driver knew”. It was great to see Chris, Katie, Jackson, and Allison. They are adapting well to their new surroundings.

25Dec07 It was a strange Christmas without little ones around. The Lanes went to Sioux City the weekend before Christmas and then spent Christmas Day together in Kearney.

2006 Blog Archives

Here are some old blogs from the archives. A note that might help make more sense of these posts: The primary audience was my mother. She was living in Arizona and this was before she was on Facebook.  My sister Deb or Mom’s neighbors would print the posts for her to read.  Also, note that none of the links from the original posts are active.

December 2006

Debbie and I volunteered to help at the “Jolly Holiday Lights” display. It is a fundraising event for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. I ended up doing two shifts collecting money while Debbie handed out programs and encouraged them to enjoy the lights. I collected money from about 180 cars.

The difference in how people interacted with their cars was a fascinating study in human nature. Out of this group of 180 drivers most handled the money transaction as a routine unworthy of any significance. It was as if they were in a foggy dream at a Walmart checkout counter.

Several others seemed confused, one was obnoxious, and less than ten actually “connected”. By connected I mean they made a conscious effort to establish a “personal” connection with Debbie and me. These people turned the money transaction, which most others deemed unworthy of any significance, into an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow. What is it that separates them from the people going through the motions or the confused and the obnoxious?