Make A Life

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

Lecture Of A Lifetime

I found this online and spent close to an hour and a half watching it. It was well worth the time. I forwarded it to my two boys. I hope they watch it.

Dying Professor's Lecture of a Lifetime
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/PersonOfWeek/story?id=3633945&page=1

Homecoming Victory

My youngest son's freshman football team won their homecoming game against Hinsdale South 30 to 14. One of their running backs broke his collarbone. The referees were pretty bad. Their offense has really been playing well and scoring points. He played the whole game at offensive tackle. It was another beautiful morning for football. Both boys went to the homecoming dance at school and then hung out with their friends.

Somewhere

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan

Turtlehead Lake

My oldest son came in 32nd place against over 300 runners from over 30 schools at his cross country meet at Turtlehead Lake in Tinley Park. The beginning of the race was wild with all the runners and sounded like a stampede. He got off to a good start and on his first lap around the lake he was in 23rd place. It was a beautiful afternoon and the ran 2.875 miles twice around the lake and got a medal as a top finisher.

Demolition Angel

I finished reading "Demolition Angel" by Robert Crais

ABOUT THE BOOK

Carol Starkey is a survivor - a Los Angeles bomb squad veteran now doing time as a Detective-2 with LAPD’s Criminal Conspiracy Section. It has been three years since the detonation that killed her partner and lover, “Sugar” Boudreaux. Sugar saved Carol’s life, but couldn’t stop two bomb fragments that sliced through her protective Kevlar, leaving her permanently scarred. The emotional fallout from the trauma can only be tempered by a steady diet of Tagamet and gin. When a seemingly innocuous bomb call takes the life of another colleague, Carol embarks on an investigation of a series of explosions that reveal intentions far more disturbing than one-shot acts of anarchy. They are designed expressly to kill bomb technicians, and as the one tech who got away, Carol is in the fight for her life.

Get Over It

I watched the DVD "Get Over It."

Synopsis



After being dumped by his girlfriend (Melissa Sagemiller), Berke Lawrence (Ben Foster) Desperately tries to get her back, going as far as quitting the basketball team and trying out for the school play. But no matter what he does, she won't have him back. Depressed and frustrated, Berke decides to move on. But when his best friends little sister (Kirsten Dunst) arrives, it seems Cupid has struck his arrow again. "Keep iceing your front bum!" great quote from Dr. Desmond Forrest Oates (Martin Short) the fine arts director.

3rd Blogiversary

Today is my three year blogiversary. Amazing. Another year of filing up my internet filing cabinet. My cyber legacy to my family. I pretty much only post on the weekends now. It's usually too busy during the week. My posts may be dated during the week if that's when I finished a book, watched a movie or did some family thing. My posts have been mainly to keep track of various family events, movies I've seen or books I've read and a lot of inspirational quotes I've found. I still haven't figured out how to post pictures. Eventually I'd like to add a clock, links and favorite blogs. One of these days I'll figure it out. Since I added my counter there have been over 2,600 visits to my blog. Only a few people have my blog address and the rest must have just stumbled on it. I still enjoy doing it but there's always distractions like a good book or movie or other interesting stuff on the internet. To another year of blogging.

Tomorrow

"Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." — Spanish Proverb

Resilient

"Man has never made any material as resilient as the human spirit." - Bern Williams

Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector

I watched the DVD "Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector."

Synopsis

A big city health inspector (Larry the Cable Guy) is happy with his usual beat of greasy spoon diners and low-rent restaurants, but his easygoing life is turned upside-down when he’s saddled with a straight arrow rookie partner (Iris Bahr) and assigned the biggest case of his career: investigating an outbreak of mysterious food poisonings at the city’s swankiest restaurants. Infuriating restaurateurs with his bad manners, Larry still manages to charm a sweet, shy waitress (Megyn Price) into a budding romance. But when his unorthodox methods cost him his job, Larry has to go undercover to bring the conspirators to justice and ‘Git-R-Done!’

The Wisdom of Larry The Cable Guy

1. A day without sunshine is like night.
2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?
21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?'
22. Just remember if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.
23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.

Another Victory

My youngest son's freshman football team won their second conference game 12 to 6 against Proviso East at home. He played the whole game at offensive tackle. The team was helped by penalties against Proviso East. It was a beautiful morning.

Perfect Miracle

"To me every hour of the day and night is an unspeakable perfect miracle." - Walt Whitman

Hostage

I finished reading "Hostage" by Robert Crais.

ABOUT THE BOOK

An ex-con with delusions of grandeur and his tagalong brother unwittingly team up with a psychopath one wrong word away from meltdown. When their late afternoon joyride turns into a random act of violence, they take a family hostage in the affluent bedroom community of Bristo Camino. Enter Chief of Police Jeff Talley, a stressed-out former LAPD SWAT negotiator who is hiding from his past. Plunged back into the high-pressure world that he desperately wants to forget, Talley soon learns that his nightmare has only begun. The hostages are not who they seem, and the home contains secrets that even L.A.’ s most lethal and volatile crime lord, Sonny Benza, fears. As Talley tries to hold himself together and save the people inside, the full weight of Benza’ s wrath descends on him, putting the police chief and his own family at risk. Soon, all involved are held hostage by the exigencies of fate and the only one capable of diffusing the standoff is the least stable of them all.

Giving

"There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving." - Henry Drummond

One's Courage

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." — Anais Nin

The Longest Yard

I watched the DVD "The Longest Yard" with Adam Sandler.

Synopsis

When former NFL player Paul Crewe (Adam Sandler) is sent to prison, the warden forces him to transform a diverse group of inmates into a football team. Unlikely teammates, the convicts unite when they find out who they are playing: the guards. With the help of fellow inmates Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds) and Caretaker (Chris Rock), Crewe promises the cons a chance to exact revenge in a bone-crushing showdown where anything goes.

Predict The Future

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." — Alan Kay

The Architect

I watched the DVD "The Architect." A lot of it was filmed in Chicago.

Synopsis

Tonya Neely (Viola Davis) is a neighborhood activist on the south side of Chicago, trying to get her community to rally to tear down Eden Court, the dangerous housing project where she lives. After a family tragedy, she sent her youngest daughter, Cammie (Serena Reeder), off to live with friends in a middle-class neighborhood, where she could go to a better school. Leo Waters (Anthony LaPaglia), the architect who designed Eden Court many years ago, lives a seemingly idyllic life with his wife, Julia (Isabella Rossellini), his teenage daughter, Christina (Hayden Panettiere), and his son, Martin (Sebastian Stan), who has just returned home after dropping out of college. Leo's family is on the verge of a crisis. Julia's unhappiness with their marriage leads her to clean the house obsessively. Christina is only 15, but she is eager to explore her budding sexuality. Martin is understandably cynical about his home life, and confused about his own desires. When Tonya contacts Leo, hoping to convince him to sign the petition to tear down Eden Court, it sets a chain of events in motion that will force both families to confront the issues that they've tried so hard to avoid.

Big Victory

My youngest son's freshman football team clobbered Willowbrook 62 to 14 at Willowbrook, my alma mater. Their very first play was an onside kick they recovered and then they threw a trick pass play that went for a long touchdown. He played the whole game on the offensive line at tackle and center. It was a beautiful crisp cool clear morning. Grandma and Papa, Grandma Nash and Aunt Nancy came to watch. The previous night the varsity and sophmores also beat Willowbrook. The family celebrated with dinner at Downer's Delight. It was a great day.

Start Over

If you've started out in pursuit of your goal
And you've really tried with your heart and soul,
But somehow things got out of control---
START OVER.
When you've tried your best to do what you should
And you thought this time that you surely would,
But once again, you didn't do good---
START OVER.
When you've worked so hard to follow WW's way
And you fought to win a victory each day,
But one more time you went astray---
START OVER.
When you've tried so hard to yourself to be true
And do the things you know you should do,
But once again you failed to come through--
START OVER.
When the road to success seemed much too long
And each temptation was oh so strong,
And once again you gave in to wrong---
START OVER.
When you've told your friends what you planned to do
And trusted them to help you through,
But soon discovered it's up to you---
START OVER.
When you know you must be physically fit,
But your hope seems gone and you're stuck in a pit,
That's not the time for you to quit---
START OVER.
When the week seems long and successes few
And at weigh-in time you're feeling blue,
Remember tomorrow is just for you---
START OVER.
To start again means a victory's been won.
And starting over again means a race well-run.
And starting over again proves it can be done.
So don't just sit there...

I just saw this on the message board on the Weight Watcher's website.
I've been doing Weight Watcher's now for 8 months and have lost 80 pounds. I've learn lot's of helpful things about lossing weight and keeping it off. It's been hard but well worth it.

Cross Country Meet

After dropping him off at 8:15 a.m. my oldest son ran an excellent race in their home cross country meet at O'Brien Park in Downer's Grove. It was a nice cool morning and his race times keep getting better and better. He knew the course because that is where they have a lot of their practices.

Silly

"Silly is you in a natural state, and serious is something you have to do until you can get silly again." - Mike Myers

What Do We Live For?

"What do we live for; if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" — George Eliot

Get In The Game

I finished reading "Get in the Game - 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make the Difference" by Cal Ripken, Jr. and Donald T. Phillips.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Baseball’s all-time Iron Man, Cal Ripken, Jr., retired from baseball in 2001 after breaking countless records, including Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played (Ripken played 2,632). Ripken is admired by thousands of fans not only for his relentless perseverance, but also for his unparalleled integrity. Now, in a stirring book that draws on his exhilarating career as well as the wisdom of his legendary father, Ripken shares rousing advice centered around his proven 8 Elements of Perseverance:

• The Right Values: hard work, excellence, honesty, and integrity
• A Strong Will to Succeed: advice for those who inadvertently “bench” themselves in life
• Love What You Do: tips for discovering where your true passion lies
• Preparation: ways to continually envision your next position and prepare for it as if it were already yours
• Anticipation: strategies for creating your own opportunities
• Trusting Relationships: how to build them in even the most turbulent environments
• Life Management: making time to enjoy the journey
• The Courage of Your Convictions: insight into how Ripken not only broke but far exceeded numerous records Cal Ripken is a sought-after advisor to fans from all walks of life.

From his numerous public-speaking engagements each year to his weekly “Ask Cal” column for the Baltimore Sun, he always brings a winning combination of compassion and motivation to each topic. Get in the Game gives all of us access to legendary advice from a legendary achiever.

I waited in line at Border's Books in Oakbrook to get an autographed copy and almost finished reading the book in line. I finished reading it this week.

A Busy Life

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life." - Socrates

Roger D. Meryett

Roger D. Meryett, 51, of Newbury Park, Calif., formerly of Lombard, died Tuesday, Sept. 4, in California.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Sept. 11, at Knollcrest Funeral Home, 1500 S. Meyers Road, Lombard, with the Rev. Dave Armstrong of Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church officiating. Interment was private.

Mr. Meryett is survived by his mother, Virginia Meryett; wife, Carolann; children, Benjamin, Jacob and Emily; sisters, Debbie (Ed) Lawrence and Diana (Steve) Bell; and many nieces and nephews; brother-in-law to the "Hudeceks". He was preceded in death by his father, Roger H. Meryett.

Mr. Meryett had worked as a props maker for motion pictures.

One of my closest friends from high school passed away in his sleep Tuesday, September 4th, 2007. Another close friend called me up to let me know. Roger had been living in California for over 20 years and it's been a long time since I last saw him. We had many great memories driving around Villa Park. I saw some of our cardplaying friends at his visitation. After his service we all went to Aurelio's Pizza to catch up and remember Roger. I met his kids - Benjamin, Jacob and Emily at the visitation. This is from the card from his visitation service.

"Bring comfort to my heart I pray,
I've lost a dear, dear friend.
He understood and loved me,
with a love that will not end.
I'll carry it within me,
and give it all away,
to each of my own children
as I live with them each day.
And when my years
have been fulfilled,
my time on eart is gone,
the love he richly gave me,
will still be living on."

I met Roger at Calvary Church. He taught me how to play poker at one of the youth group sleep-overs. Roger taught me how to drive when I was 15 in his sister's 1965 white Camaro. Hanging out with Roger I had my first drink of alcohol at a Willowbrook High School basketball game. We hung out at Tony's on Ardmore in Villa Park and he introduced me to a group of guys I still keep in touch with. He followed his dream and went to California to work in the movies and actually has his name in the credits for some well-known movies - Major League and Ed Wood. I'll miss you Rog.

Care For Somebody Else

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." — Maya Angelou

Kissing

"Kissing is a means of getting two people so close together that they can't see anything wrong with each other." — Rene Yasenek

Third Game

My youngest son played his third football game against Downers Grove North. They got to play their first game on the varsity field. He played the whole game at center and almost recovered a fumble. They lost 38 to 0. They had a tough time stopping their running back who was a powerhouse. The had some penalty trouble on defense, had a punt blocked and just couldn't get the offense moving. I worked the chain gang and had an excellent view of the game. It was a beautiful night. We stayed around and watched the first half of the other freshman game.

Create It

"Some pursue happiness, others create it." - Anonymous

Children

"Children make you want to start life over." - Muhammad Ali

People Will Never Forget

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Million Dollar Baby

I watched the DVD "Million Dollar Baby."

Synopsis

In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time - then Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into his gym. In a life of constant struggle, Maggie's gotten herself this far on raw talent, unshakable focus and a tremendous force of will. But more than anything, she wants someone to believe in her. The last thing Frankie needs is that kind of responsibility - let alone that kind of risk - but won over by Maggie's sheer determination, he begrudgingly agrees to take her on. In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, the two come to discover that they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and loss of their pasts, and they find in each other a sense of family they lost long ago. Yet, they both will face a battle that will demand more heart and courage than any they've ever known.

Labor Day

I woke up early to drive my youngest son to football practice. Around 11:00 a.m. I took my oldest son over to Oldfield Oaks and he ran about three miles while I walked the trail. I saw one deer and it made the walk worthwhile. I took my oldest son around the neighborhood for more driving practice. Around 5:00 p.m. I got the grill going and cooked some chicken breasts and hot dogs and we had a picnic in the backyard. It was a great Labor Day Weekend.

Three Steps

"If you're headed in a negative direction, getting back on track may seem hopelessly out of reach. Yet by taking just three steps you can completely change your prospects for the better.

Take one positive step, and you'll stop moving backwards. Take a second positive step, and you'll begin moving forward.

Then take the third step in a positive direction, and suddenly you've established real momentum. From that point, each successive positive effort comes more naturally and easily.

No matter how low you may be, at any point you are just three steps away from a whole different outlook. Just three small, positive actions can get you headed solidly in a new, empowering direction.

In addition, taking three positive steps will give you a real sense of commitment. These actions will get you quickly and firmly invested in your own success.

Wherever you are now, you are just three steps away from being well on your way to whatever goal you choose. Now is indeed the best time to act."

- Ralph Marston

Driving Practice

I took my oldest son out for driving practice this morning in my old Buick LeSabre. That's probably the car he will be driving when he starts driving. He has his learning permit and is taking driver's education at school. The driver's Ed teacher took him out on the road last week and he didn't think he was ready. He really had only driven once before in a parking lot at the high school in Saugatuck and that time he didn't use the accelerator. I asked him last night if he wanted to go out early (6:30 a.m.) this morning. On Sunday mornings the roads are empty. He wanted to sleep in. When I got home from Mass at 10:00 a.m. I asked him again. The third time I asked him he agreed. He has to have 50 hours practice before he can get his license. We drove around our neighborhood for an hour. He practiced his turning and backing up. He did a great job the first time out. He was getting more and more comfortable and confident as we drove.

The Good Shepherd

I watched the DVD "The Good Shepherd."

Synopsis

Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) understands the value of secrecy discretion and commitment to honor have been embedded in him since childhood. As an eager, optimistic student at Yale, he is recruited to join the secret society Skull and Bones, a brotherhood and breeding ground for future world leaders. Wilson's acute mind, spotless reputation and sincere belief in American values render him a prime candidate for a career in intelligence, and he is soon recruited to work for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during WWII. As one of the covert founders of the CIA, working in the heart of an organization where duplicity is required and nothing is taken at face value, Edward's idealism is steadily eroded by a growing suspicious nature, reflective of a world settling into the long paranoia of the Cold War. As his methods are adopted as standard operating procedure, Wilson develops into one of the Agency's veteran operatives, all the while combating his KGB counterpart. However, his steely dedication to his country comes at an ever-increasing price. Not even his wife Clover (Angelina Jolie) or his beloved son can divert Wilson from a path that will force him to sacrifice everything in pursuit of this job.

First Cross Country Meet

My oldest son ran in his first cross country meet at Lyons Township High School in Western Springs. His race started at 11:30 a.m. Out of 200 runners he came in 42nd. The race was three miles. He konked out when he got home. He didn't even eat the tacos I got him from Taco Bell until he woke up.

First Away Game

My youngest son played his first away game against York High School in Elmhurst. The game started at 9:00 a.m. Grandma and Papa and Aunt Nancy and Kelly came to watch. It was a beautiful morning. He played the whole game at center and did a good job. They lost 19 to 0. The team bus got back to school about 11:30 a.m. We stopped at Taco Bell on the way home for lunch. He got two crunch wrap supremes.