The Day After...

Happy Boxing Day!!! The "Day After". Christmas has come, the goose is no more. But, yet, it's still a holiday.

Chelsea plays today. Go Blues!!!

The CBJ play tomorrow against the Philly Flyers. We need a win in a bad way. They need to show that they can come together in the face of adversity.

I'm leaving to pick-up the kids in a few hours. DEFINATELY looking forward to that! We'll also celebrate Christmas this evening.

My wife got me a very nice leather Columbus Blue Jackets coat & my mother got me a Chelsea FC jersey (3rd jersey from 2007).

That's all for now. I'll have pics to post in a few days.

Ciao.

'Tis the season...

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope that you are enjoying the holiday with family & friends. If, by chance, you are having eggnog, please have some with me in mind. I'm working a thirty-six hour shift at the firehouse so that the guys with kids can spend the 25th with their families. My kids will be here on the 26th, so that's when we'll celebrate christmas. We're taking the kids to see the Harlem Globetrotters on Monday at Nationwide Arena. It should be fun! I'll be posting pictures of the holidays and my youngest daughter Paiges' birthday after the holidays.

So here's to you... Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ciao.

Let it snow...let it snow...let it snow...Not so much!

I'm really not liking the weather right now. YUK!!! Snow & cold is great when you're younger, but it wreaks havoc on your bones & joints when you get older. It's time to move to a tropical island... I wish!

Chelsea FC played to draw on Sunday to keep them in 2nd place in the premiership.

Last Friday, we had our annual Christmas party at Pleasant Twp Fire Dept. It was a nice affair with a catered meal that I thought was so/so.

I also was asked to give the prayer before the meal. Here it is:

"O Lord, we thank you for this opportunity to share in this gathering for a time of refreshment and fellowship. Help us to work, think and pray together; that we may be more perfectly fitted to serve you and those with whom we work, in the task in which we have been called.

Help us God to look wise, fill us with high ideals, inspire us with love and good will to all; that we may rightly lead in the paths of chivalry and honor. All this, we ask in your name. Amen."

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

On December 9th, 1854, Alfred Lord Tennyson graced us with arguably his most well known poem about the honor and horrors of war. Remember your history.



The Charge of the Light Brigade



Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.


Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.


Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.


Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.


Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.


When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!


Alfred, Lord Tennyson
6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892

Monday...again.

It's Monday...again. Two weeks (and a couple of days) till christmas. Sometimes I think that Ireally do need a strait-jacket. Not for the holidays, mind you. Just in general. Just kindding, of course!... or am I? (Hint ~ yes, I'm just kidding!).

Somehow, I feel a bit melancholy today. Listening to Tom Waits probably doesn't help matters much. But I have always really liked his music. There are no pretensions to his songs. He lays it bare, for all of us to see. And it's not always pleasant, but it is real. I'm sure, for some people, that the truths he sings about, they'd rather not acknowledge. He just seems to put a face on the reality of life.

Anyway, on to more pleasant things. The Kidz will be here on the 26th of December... Yea!!! Although they seem to be smarter than I ever was at their age. Oh well... that's good news for them. I can only hope they have an easier time going through life than I've had. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I've got great kids, a great wife & a great family!!!

I'll be forty-one December 29th. I guess that means I've officially reached middle-age. Really, what are you gonna do? Keep on keepin' on.

Ciao.

It's the weekend...

It's "silly" time here at Gas as Cheap as Thrills. Saturdaze are made for absolutly no thinking on my part, unless of course I'm working (which I'm not today). Working on the "honey-do list in between making music mixes for my other blog. The CBJ are playing a late game in LA tonight.

It's snowing right at this moment in time. I've come to realize that I really don't like the cold anymore. I used to live for the winter time. But now, no, I don't like it.

Anyway, tomorrow is my mothers birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! It's also the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, in case you've forgotten your history.

Thought for the day:

" As a rule, there is no surer way to the dislike of men than to behave well where they have behaved badly "

- Lew Wallace (American author) 1827-1905

Ciao.

Monday...

Steve Mason is the single, biggest reason our team has not got down on themselves after tough losses. This kid plays the way someone whos' been in the league for a few years does. He kept them in the game tonight, which they went on to win 3-2 over the Canucks. Kudos !!!

Chelsea is still at the top of the table in the Premier League. Go Blues !!!

I'm working quite a bit this week, so posts might be slow in coming. If you haven't already done so, check out my music blog (Cheap Gas Music - it's on the left side of the page in the link section).

The kidz will be here 12/26 for a week. Xmas, birthdays, New Years party all rolled into one.

Ciao.