"Vote. For God's sake, vote."

An Army Ranger on two-week leave from Iraq said those words to me on Metro North today. In his pocket, he had a sheath of counterfeit Iraqi money (Saddam-style money, not the new stuff.) He kept it as a momento... even peeled off a bill and handed it to the woman sitting next to me on the train.

He said to me: "Two of my friends from college have been killed."

He said to me: "I don't even have a platoon. They deployed me with no assignment."

He said to me: "Vote. For God's sake, vote."

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus loves a sinner, my friends.

It's all we can do to find a few people who have opinions we trust, and then do our best to listen to advice well given. I'm fortunate to have a few people in my life who are a little farther along than I am, and who are wiling to tell me where they think I'm going wrong. And right.

The car in front of us had a big sign in the windshield: "Kerry approves of killing babies." I mean: even if you're anti-choice, what a stupid, stupid way to try and make your point. I'd posit that the only candidate out there who is actively killing people (men, women and children alike) is our President, with his stupid and personal war.

So, seeing this sign, especially parked in front of church, and especially when Jesus himself preached love for those with whom you disagree... welll... It took everything I had not to slash his tires, and affix the extra Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers I have in the van to his front windshield.

You see, I'm a sinner, too. But I'm working on it.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Man. Since I got sick a few weeks ago, I've really slipped off the beam. I haven't been running (much), I've been slacking a bit on church, not attending to my own sprititual condition, and my work vibe has been off. I've also haven't been writing much on this here blog.

What's up?

Since most of my negative behavior is generated by fear, I have to figure out exactly what it is that's at work, here.

Love, lice, and small claims court.

What a couple of weeks!

As happens to most families, one of my kids got lice. We've spend the last few days combing, combing, combing. All the boys in my family also got #2 haircuts, just to be totally certain. We look awesome.

I spent four hours in small claims court tonight. Insanity. But honor won in the end.

Dick Cheney hates you.

Man. Cheney just RADIATED evil the entire time he spoke about Iraq. What a scumbag. If you're American, and reading this, I have news: Dick Cheney hates you.

Couldn't you feel it? He just HATES you. And you. And you, too.

BIB Number: 26277

Pride. Arrogance. Shame. It's the same thing, from a generatiive standpoint.

I've been training for the Chicago Marathon for about six months. It's been amazing. I've never focused on something so physically taxing for so long, and it's made such a difference in my life. As a person who's often too focused on the RIGHT NOW, a slow-building schedule of increased mileage was antithetical to my personality. And it was exactly what I needed.

Sadly, I got whomped with a serious case of bronchitis, which triggered a really gross asthmatic reaction.

I've been out of training for almost two weeks. I'm still out out of work. And it doesn't look lilke I'll be able to run 2 miles until next week at least, let alone 26.2. If I was advising anyone else, I'd tell them that running the race would be a grave disservice to work and family.

Part of me thinks I should do it anyway, but that's pride. And arrogance.
Part of me feels like I'm wimping out: but that's just shame.

Theree's always next year. And the year after that.