'Senor Freez'

The Wyfe, trying to be nice, bought me Mexican Free-Z-Pops. Awful.

The Reverend Al Sharpton

at a cigar club in midtown. Had a meeting there & there he was.

Mama-to-be in the Pool!

'James Joyce'

Name of the bar. My response? "I don't care for a place where there is no room for subtlety."

Kitty Glitter

I just won $70 on my 2nd throw on the Kitty Glitter slot. Naturally.

The Sport of Queens

"I'll show you a post time..."

Yonkers Raceway

Went to visit Eddie P. at Yonkers Raceway / Empire City casino as Milo Z was supposed to be playing. Unfortunately Milo had to cancel at the last minute and so we went on walkabout with Eddie. A very strange evening...

More classy tees

Hers reads "I'd trade my boyfriend for a Coors Light." his reads, "Coors Light." Classy.

The Return of Schumi

Wow.... Absolutely incredible. The retired 7 time World Champion comes out of retirement and jumps back in an F1 car. It is tough to put this in proper perspective for those of you who don't follow F1, but it's less Favre's dithering with the Vikings and more as if Michael Jordan decided to jump on the court again, except that the court was going 200 miles per hour and he hadn't touched a basketball for several years. Easily one of the biggest news items in the history of Formula One. (And, unfortunately, follows right on the heels of my favorite team BMW's announcement they are withdrawing from the sport.)

Article HERE.

You know my thoughts

And so the beach house ends...

This was an accidental picture as I was trying to blow beach sand off the lens. But yet... Somehow fitting.

Patrick!

SAS friend & pilot Patrick came over to visit us!

Two-Gun Charity

Outa Missoula...

GATORGRAM!

"Please... No paparazzi!"

Proud Parents

Mom-to-be

On beach

BABY!

and speaking of Polish triumphs... WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!

The Wyfe and I are positively thrilled about it - absolutely over the moon. As this is the first granchild for both of our families, the grandparents-to-be are beside themselves as well. As are the terrific future uncles, Chris & Grant.

we know he / she (not going to find out) was conceived Easter weekend and we found out about him / her at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. so we've been calling the larval offspring "Li'l Gator."

due date is January 6th which of course is preceded by Twelfth Night and is, itself, The Epiphany. and the official kickoff to Mardi Gras season. Perfect. A perfect New Orleans baby... And a Polish amphibian. Amphibianski.

I was emailing with our friend Marie yesterday and I noted that given how much The Wyfe & I love costumes, I have to assume Li'l Gator will descend from the womb with a full orchestra, laser light show, several big cats, and sequined jumpsuit...

"Ladies & gentleman! Direct from the amneotic sac to you!! Zygote-ll it on the mountain! Placenta give a warm Starlight Womb welcome to.... LI'L GATOR!!!"

"Thank you, thank you... You're beautiful. Nice to be here. It's a little cold & dry, but hey, let's have some fun..."

"How are you? Where ya from? ... Never heard of it."

"And you? What's with the mask & gloves? Oh, I see. Well, glad you're here Doctor! Next time, maybe a few kind words before all the touchy-feely! Yeesh - I've seen more gentle hands at a boxing match."

"How about you, sir? Really? DAD? Hmm... Not exactly what I pictured, but thanks for coming!"

"Anyway, you guys have been great. Tip your servers. I'll be here for the next 8-10 decades depending on modern medicine & some luck!"

And got a nice note today from childhood friend Marc who pointed out...

"This is a very special time for you. Charity can't drink and thus has to act as your designated driver. Cherish these moments."

So that's nice... A special time indeed.

HOORAY!!

A Polish Triumph!

Jerzy Buzek Elected EU Assembly President, Becoming A First From Former Communist Nation

"Once upon a time I hoped to be a member of the Polish parliament, in a free Poland," the center-right politician said. "Today I have become the president of the European Parliament, something I could never have dreamed of."

Buzek, 69, drew a standing ovation from an assembly he will lead for two-and-a-half years.

Full article HERE

Precisely

An American Hero

A painful reminder of the true cost of freedom...

Killed in action the week before, the body of Staff Sergeant First Class John C. Beale was returned to Falcon Field in Peachtree City, Georgia, just south of Atlanta, on June 11, 2009.

The Henry County Police Department escorted the procession to the funeral home in McDonough, Georgia. A simple notice in local papers indicated the road route to be taken and the approximate time. This was filmed during the procession by a State Trooper.

Nowadays one can be led to believe that America no longer respects honor and no longer honors sacrifice outside the military. Be it known that there are many places in this land where people still recognize the courage and impact of total self-sacrifice.