tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31934457947880965832024-02-07T16:59:06.045-08:00...the most significant thing“Family First” is a charge into battle. Less a simple conviction than a governing belief system. Less a passing hobby than an all-consuming passion. It is altogether an endeavor to health and happiness. Family is why you work, what you make, and what you go on living for. It’s what you leave in the end.
It’s the most significant thing.SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-76919242517715015882018-11-08T16:15:00.002-08:002018-11-08T17:33:04.150-08:00Another day. A day. A day where everything went wrong, and everyone was to blame.
Okay, so not everyone and everything, but you know what I mean. Woke up to the notification on my phone of another mass shooting at a club, many killed. Went down and got coffee, checked Instagram. A friend was supposed to be there last night, but didn't go. The kids were wrangled off to school and I didn't mentionSeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-36790744079125694452018-11-06T11:46:00.002-08:002018-11-06T11:49:14.025-08:00Election Day. I jogged past my polling place this morning, just to see the turnout (mild) and confirm the location. Then I went back later all sweaty, wearing red (my gang colors) and stinking up the neighbor's garage with my bad self, like a good republican. This is California, where you can't get a republican on the ballot, since there's only ten of us and since those spaces go to the top two SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-90812485693622514672018-11-05T06:55:00.000-08:002018-11-05T11:49:04.965-08:00Up early again, after a night of heady dreams. Went downstairs to find the youngest on the couch, under a blanket, watching highlights of an MLB all star game on YouTube. The cat wanted treats, but wasn't satisfied in the amount I gave him. I wanted coffee, but wasn't satisfied that the timer hadn't clicked on, and here I had to wait, while the world slowly turned it self to face the sun again.
SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-28694003342967969822018-11-03T07:04:00.004-07:002018-11-05T11:47:09.151-08:00The cats are racing about the house at 5AM. It's just kerflumpuh-kerflumpuh-kerflumpuh up and down the hardwood stairs in the dark, and then scritchety-scritchety-scritchety on the base of all the doors. What do they want? I don't speak cat. Approach one, and he runs in the opposite direction. He's meroarwing in the other room now, clawing the forbidden ottoman. I got up and gave him a kitty SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-29196146694178098312018-11-02T09:28:00.002-07:002018-11-05T07:09:16.988-08:00Up early again. Fell asleep on the couch late afternoon yesterday sitting straight up, Xbox controller firmly in my grip. Awoke to find the sun going down on the first day of November, and Mrs. Ditchman looking over from the sink, "Game not exciting enough for you?" And then I felt nautious and congested. I took a Sudafed, and ended up awake all night.
At one point I heard the unforgettable SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-79027968824528969082018-11-01T08:04:00.002-07:002018-11-01T14:33:06.063-07:00Thursday. And the first Thursday of the month. Streetsweeper Day.
Seems appropriate, this being the day after a particularly raucous Halloween scene in our neighborhood. I went full-bore yesterday on the house decorating. Boarded up the windows and dumped trash on our lawn. Neighbors drove by with raised eyebrows, and I got a solid approving smirk from the recycling truck driver, who was temptedSeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-23974110840564343812010-10-18T12:00:00.000-07:002010-10-24T22:36:59.111-07:00I was the favorite.It's an in-joke with my brothers and sisters. I'm not sure I get the joke. It's possible I was favored somewhat because I was the quiet one. When you have six kids, the quiet one is the favorite.It was nice to be back at the old church, though it's changed somewhat -as we all have. But when I was young, the place was like a second home to me. I remember my mom trying to get me SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-12785291276143859002010-01-01T13:43:00.000-08:002019-05-16T13:46:30.587-07:00Family will fail you, but only after you have failed them first. People like to say, “Family first!” but it’s more often than not an exaggeration of the truth: that 99 percent of the time we put our actual selves first. “Family first” is really the motto of a small nation, a band of mismatched but blood-knit folks always the first ones standing there looking down at you when you’re trying to get SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-65895157114732968242009-12-31T12:29:00.000-08:002010-02-25T09:05:51.118-08:00Last PostBecause it's time. Because CHANGE is in order! Well, ain't it? Oh, it's a new year. I resolve to redirect these energies elsewhere. Not that I abhor the blog, or anything like that, but I think the effort has been fulfilled. The title feels used, the opinions, redundant. There's no further need to clarify things. You know where I stand. I've done enough damage to my reputation. And now's as good SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-41624114126445613332009-12-30T07:32:00.000-08:002010-01-20T20:11:17.064-08:00The past few days have been a diverting series of misadventures, unlike life back home only in the sense that we are surrounded by some life-affirming, invigorating, astounding beauty. We hiked a bit, explored various gift shops, and sampled local dining fare, leaving a wake of broken crumbly crackers, drinking straw wrappers, and shattered tree ornaments wherever we go. Restaurant servers SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-55629746317644438472009-12-29T07:21:00.000-08:002009-12-30T08:53:39.066-08:00Year-end salutes and salutations from Zion National Park!~SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-52846952967520143332009-12-28T07:33:00.000-08:002010-01-03T18:55:11.462-08:00Greetings from behind the Zion Curtain! I ordered two large beers at a restaurant last night and all I got out of it was a series of trips to the men's room. It was a nice men's room. Tidy and fresh. They must give them extra attention here from all the extended use, since 3.2 percent is the maximum alcohol content legally allowed in the beer, if you didn't know. This amounts to little more than SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-74469237772329975442009-12-26T13:55:00.000-08:002009-12-27T09:21:54.711-08:00A terrific Christmas -the first one we've celebrated at home since we were married, since we usually party down in Vegas. But our Little Ditchman is at that wondrous age where The Magic Man will actually, expectedly, slide down her chimney and dispense the annual reward for twelve long, hard months of niceness. She spread reindeer food on the grass (ingredients: oats, glitter, etc.) and when SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-87772523835045022492009-12-25T09:12:00.000-08:002009-12-25T09:15:19.203-08:00When the song of the angels is stilled,When the star in the sky is gone,When the kings and princes are home,When the shepherds are back with their flocks,The work of Christmas begins:To find the lost,To heal the broken,To feed the hungry,To release the prisoner,To rebuild the nations,To bring peace among brothers,To make music in the heart,And to radiate the light of Christ,Every day,In every waySeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-88621101745703088002009-12-24T09:50:00.000-08:002009-12-25T09:53:58.698-08:00In case you're wondering about our ongoing neighborhood saga, tonight my neighbor found a baby on his doorstep. No note. Just a simple, friendly little Christmas miracle. Merry Christmas.~SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-49760465752534726602009-12-23T16:47:00.000-08:002009-12-23T18:28:28.048-08:00Other influences:Star Wars.I only mention it because I spent my blogging time today watching this, which is SPOT-ON BRILLIANT:When you have the time, check it all out. Parts 2-7 are here, every second of which illuminates, enlightens, and gives you the closure you have longed for. The analysis of light sabre duels in Part 6 alone is worth [what I'm still spending on] a USC film school tuition (SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-8380281732318341142009-12-22T17:44:00.001-08:002009-12-22T19:52:20.165-08:00Here's something you might not know about me.Influences:Garrison Keillor. Yes, I'm a fan. And yes, I listen to NPR from time to time (though I admit nowadays it's mostly Car Talk and Prairie Home Companion.) I like writing that sounds like it's being read to you. I like it when I'm reading a book and I feel as though I can hear the author telling me the story. Now, I know a lot of people don't SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-697644748027395152009-12-21T17:40:00.000-08:002009-12-21T22:37:23.040-08:00First day of Winter. (The Winter Solstice! It's the reason for the season!)I suppose it's possible that the miscreant who stole my neighbor's baby Jesus was just too poor to afford his own baby Jesus, but in my mind it still ain't right. (See here.) I'm as saddened by that priest as I am by my local cul-de-sac shoplifter, but maybe I'm just Old School Religious, like where, hey man, stealing is SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-69279866022547253732009-12-18T07:57:00.000-08:002009-12-21T22:32:53.551-08:00Here it is folks. Every year I cart it out and prop it up, and every year I laugh:Still can't imagine what went into the making of that album cover. "Stand right there, Ray. Now hold this. You look great!" (**snicker, snicker**) The thought of those horses getting suddenly frightened by the likes of the Ghost of Christmas Past and then just racing off into the snow with a blind musician at the SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-9937856892533942592009-12-17T17:08:00.000-08:002009-12-23T17:55:57.112-08:00Christmas beer! Yes, Virginia, there is such a noble thing.I'm drinking the Jubelale from Deschutes Brewery. Last year it was horrid, undrinkable. Tree sap hopped with the pine needle nests of four calling birds. This year, mmm not so bad... Actually hoppy, with a very nice color.I'm behind on my tour of the Christmas beers this year. For one, they all seem to have gone up in price. This is suckySeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-382278255308228472009-12-15T08:24:00.000-08:002009-12-18T09:00:13.021-08:00Beer and coffee may prevent prostrate cancer. Assuming that this research hasn't been done by climatologists or the Beverage Marketing Board, this is good news! Especially since it specifically lists hoppy beer, my favorite kind. Stick with me kids, we'll live forever!Did I mention we got a new car? We got a new car! This was supposed to be last Wednesday's news, but somehow that day never made SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-58840853511223239572009-12-14T16:22:00.000-08:002009-12-15T07:21:53.628-08:00WHAT A WEEKEND! Okay, I exaggerate. I humbly admit my unqualifiable enthusiasm. It was ho-hum, a December weekend like most other December weekends. One filled with the high hopes of year-end accomplishments, and yet only a paltry few were fulfilled. I made a list. There were eleven tasks. As of right now, only four are crossed off, and two of those were crossed off on the hasty side, as minor SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-20275524297444309682009-12-11T15:57:00.000-08:002009-12-12T07:52:48.894-08:00I can't take it anymore so I'm making a list. Will check it twice. Not going to be nice about it, but things need to get done around here, as it's all just piling up. I can see on the calendar that next week has me fully occupied, so now's the time to get everything else done. It's raining. You're stuck in the house for the weekend. Take advantage of it.I don't think I've ever been more worn out SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-12918449549795849852009-12-10T07:24:00.000-08:002009-12-10T20:28:55.351-08:00Have you been following this story? It broke yesterday.That's an actual, unretouched photo, by the way, and I find it supremely cool. There are more on the link, as well as video. So: aliens? Yes, yes, aliens, yes of course! Obviously! Either that, or the twelfth imam or Jesus or [your deity here] has returned from the heavens, arriving in Norway. Who cares that the Russian military denies any SeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193445794788096583.post-5112047661656385752009-12-08T09:03:00.000-08:002009-12-08T19:25:28.477-08:00Can it be repeated? I kept asking myself, out there on the run this morning. I ran my own little 5K around the suburbs, the one I contrived years ago, the one where it all really started. "My 5k", I call it on my little running calendar. It goes out across the mighty intersection and tours the suburbs. Past the elementary school where the kids will go in a few years, up and over some hills, pastSeanHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060867976078244800noreply@blogger.com