I will go back to Ireland

I just woke up and am sitting here flipping through the TV channels, here is what I have watched so far...





Today Show


That Thing You Do


Michael


A Tree Grows in Brooklyn


Lord Of The Flies


WALL-E


Bring It On


Dan In Real Life


Rick Steves' Europe: South Ireland







That is a pretty good example of how my mind works...

When I return to Ireland I would like to do a Castle Tour








My Family took a trip to the UK after Mary and I ended our engagement, and Mark divorced from his first wife. I think my Parents were trying to distract us. We were in Dublin and were supposed to be meeting some friends of my Parents for Dinner later in the day. Our tour stayed 2 days in Dublin so we had some time to walk around and see things. So after an afternoon of wandering around we were heading back to The Gresham, the Hotel where we were staying. Mom and Mark were way ahead of Dad and I because we were strolling VERY slowly talking about History or Politics or something. As we passed a restaurant an Irish Lady hearing us speak asked my Dad if we were American. My Father being as polite as he always was answered, "Yes I am". She then proceeds to launch into this 5 minute long rant about how her father was really JFK and the CIA was out to kill her. She had this whole fantasy built up in her head and Dad kept nodding at her and being polite and I'm standing there thinking how the heck am I going to get us away from this Crazy Irish Lady. Out of the corner of my eye I see a man leave the restaurant we were standing in front of and zip behind the woman and come in behind Dad WAY TO CLOSE. So I think, this woman is part of a pickpocket team and her job is to distract us while her male partner assaults my Dad and takes his wallet. I switch my weight to my back foot and I start cocking my arm back to punch this guy in his face. From behind he takes my Dad by both of this shoulders and puts his face right next to my Dad's face. But then he does something that pickpockets don't usually do, he winks at me. So I don't hit him. Dad turns to look at him and laughs and luckily I didn't punch him, this is my Dad's friend Jerry Carson that we were going to meet later for Dinner. Jerry looks at the Crazy Irish Lady and says "Excuse me" and whisks my Dad and I into the restaurant where he and his wife were having lunch waiting for the time to come see us at the Hotel. He introduces me to his wife (Carmen I think) and as we chat he looks at me and asks, "You were going to hit me weren't you?" "Yes I was", I replied. That is how I met the Carsons of Belfast. ::shrugs:: We all caught up to Mom and Mark and ate Dinner that evening together and the next day the Carsons took us on a walking tour of Dublin to see the sights. It was a LONG walk that drug on and on a little bit too long. During the walk I'm taking pictures of things I like. Mom and Carmen are up front and Dad and Jerry are walking behind Mark and I when I notice a little detail on the bottom of a lamp post on the curb. The lamp post was old fashioned looking, cast iron, and had been painted over and over again to keep it looking good. At the bottom of this pitch black lamp post was the colorful coat of arms of the City of Dublin. So I squat down and try to get close enough to the coat of arms to make it fill the view finder of my camera. I'm trying to keep my balance, center the picture, keep my hands from shaking and take this picture. This was before digital cameras so I'm sweating all the details because I can't just take 30 pictures and later pick the best one. I'm finally satisfied and I'm taking the picture when Mark sticks his hand into the picture and I end up taking a picture of the peace sign. Not even looking up I snap "Asshole", then look up from my camera to glare at my brother only to discover my Dad passing me instead & grinning his head off. Great, I just cussed my Dad. The morning we left Dublin I saw the Crazy Irish Lady pass by on a commuter bus, I guess she was trying to throw off CIA pursuit...


There are lots of stories about my Dad, telling them make me feel close to him...

TOMBSTONE is my favorite Cowboy Movie...

Some quotes from the movie...

Johnny Tyler ~ "I swear, it's like I'm playin' cards with my brother's kids or somethin'. You nerve-wrackin' sons-a-bitches. "

Doc Holliday ~ "You're no daisy! You're no daisy at all. Poor soul, you were just too high strung."

Turkey Creek Jack Johnson ~ "Nobody move!"
Doc Holliday ~ "Nonsense. By all means, move."

Texas Jack ~ "You ever seen somethin' like that before?"
Turkey Creek Jack Johnson ~ "Hell, I never even heard of something like that."

Sherman McMasters ~ "Where is he?"
Doc Holliday ~ "Down by the creek, walking on water."

Doc Holliday ~ "It appears my hypocrisy knows no bounds."

Wyatt Earp to Ringo ~ "He's drunk."
Doc Holliday ~ "In vino veritas." (translation: In wine is truth)
Johnny Ringo to Doc Holliday ~ "Age quod agis." (translation: Do what you do)
Doc Holliday to Ringo ~ "Credat Judaeus apella, non ego." (translation: The Jew Apella may believe it, not I)
Johnny Ringo to Doc Holliday while patting his gun ~ "Eventus stultorum magister." (translation: Events are the teachers of fools)
Doc Holliday smiling at Ringo ~ "In pace requiescat." (translation: Rest in peace)
Fred White ~ "Come on boys. We don't want any trouble in here. Not in any language."
Doc Holliday ~ "Evidently Mr. Ringo's an educated man. Now I really hate him."

Wyatt Earp ~ "Are you gonna do something? Or just stand there and bleed?"

Turkey Creek Jack Johnson ~ "Why you doin' this, Doc?"
Doc Holliday ~ "Because Wyatt Earp is my friend."
Turkey Creek Jack Johnson "Friend? Hell, I got lots of friends."
Doc Holliday "...I don't."

Going into work early to pick up some books for a special order for a Teacher

I'm driving all over town this morning to pick up enough books to fill a HUGE special order for a Teacher. We have a Summer Reading program where if you read enough books you get a book for free. Two Teachers are using our program to motivate their Summer School Students to read more. One of the books 15 kids chose as their book is out of stock so I scoured the District and found enough for those kids. 15 out of 173 books is not that big of a deal but I didn't want to have to tell the Teacher to have her students chose a different book, so I'm mobile...


David<~~~~~~~~bragging not complaining!

Every day has the potential to be better than the one before...

...and I seriousily hope today is better than yesterday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYZ78FXTdiY&feature=topvideos

David<~~~~~~~sick of being SICK!

(one of my claims to fame is that Fergie once sweated on me)

In my head, I think I'm a combination of these three characters...

DUCKIE


FARMER TED



FERRIS BUELLER




(But in my defense, I never did wear a vest)





David<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~child of the 80's















(and in my head I am always dancing)

from our trip to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland...

I love Games Workshop and Forgeworld...

Seriousily...

If they are able to prove the existence of God it will have something to do with peanut encrusted caramel covered apples...

(I'm just saying)


David<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~even ate the stem!

(it was caramel covered and so fair game)

Snooky likes what I eat better...

I was going to be one of those dog owners that never fed table scraps to their dog (strike one). I was going to be one of those dog owners that never puts clothes on their dog (strike two). In my defense, Boston's do get cold in the Winter, and the red 'hoodie' that had AMERICA printed on the back really looks good on her. I was going to be one of those dog owners that never talks baby talk to their dog..."Who's a good girl?" "Who's a good girl" "Snook-Snook that's who!" "Yes that's you, Snooky-Wooky Doo!" (OK I made up that last part, but reality is pretty close). I am so sedate compared to the life Snooky led in TX. We go on walks but Snooky is used to MUCH more fun and I feel bad. This is my excuse for wanting another dog. I would love to have a French Bulldog or another Boston. Snooky LOVES dogs and people. Since I can't buy a person for her to play with (silly laws), I should be the responsible dog owner and buy her a dog to play with. ::sly grin:: If I get a boy dog I will name him Spartacus. If I get another girl dog I will name her Scout. I'm not planning anything drastic soon but I am always on the look out...

(When Snooky jumps up on the sofa to come see me she always drapes herself across my chest and smells my breath, she's convinced that I eat better things than she does)


David<~~~~~~~does buy dog treats for his dog!

Did I ever mention that my Dad was mentioned in a Tom Clancy book?

The name of the book is INTO THE STORM (A Study In Command) written with Gen. Fred Franks Jr. (Ret). Page 227, 6th paragraph down, second line and it reads: "On 6 December, Franks made a three-day return trip to Saudi Arabia with Corps staff Don Holder and 3rd AD chief Jerry Smith to personally greet the first arriving units from the 2nd ACR." I have it marked with a bookmark and it sits on my self with my other Military books. I once googled my Dad's name and I discovered he had been quoted in the NYT, here is the link to that article...

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/18/world/mideast-tensions-troops-in-germany-pack-up-kit-bags-and-tanks.html


Dad didn't remember talking to the reporter, I sent him the link about a year ago when I found it...

GO BIG BLUE

That was what was lettered across my baseball cap. Manhattan KS was the Indians and the team color was blue. I wore that cap everywhere. I was in Boy Scouts and I always helped out on the Scout Projects of the other Scouts in the Troop. In Manhattan KS if you weren't born there you were the 'new guy'. If your Dad was a Soldier you were looked down on. Manhattan KS is full of snobs (I suspect till this very day that is probably still true). At some point while working on the Scouting Project at Paul's house, someone (I believe it was Bruce) took my cap. Standard game of pick on 'The New Guy'. In all honesty, I was tired of taking their crap. Not understanding how vulnerable they were to retaliation I took Bruce's bike. "Give me back my cap". 'Give me back my bike first'. That was the general conversation (with a liberal dosage of cuss words, we WERE Boy Scouts after all and we all cussed). Impasse. David leaves with Bruce's Bike. Bruce is red faced mad. Peddle off, circle block. Come back to Paul's house. "Give me back my cap". 'Give me back my bike first'. Various threats, more cussing. Peddle off, circle block. Come back to Paul's house. "Give me back my cap". 'Give me back my bike first'. Specific threats to burn my cap. Specific threat to push Bruce's bike into oncoming traffic. Peddle off, circle block. Come back to Paul's house. They are dousing my cap with lighter fluid. Hopping mad I peddle off in search of a busy intersection. Dean follows me on his bike. How do you spell HYPOCRITE? D-E-A-N. Dean was the ringleader in orginally snatching my cap off of my head. 'David you can't push Bruce's bike into Traffic' 'Dave you have to be a better person' (did I mention that Dean later went on to be a Minister?) I come back to Paul's house, they light my cap on fire. I tear off so mad I can't even see straight. Long story short, I didn't push his bike in front of traffic. I wouldn't want to hurt someone or their car. And I wouldn't want to damage a bike that costs a lot more than a baseball cap. I bring the bike back and I get my baseball cap back. They are cussing a lot and they think they forced me to bring back the bike. My baseball cap has a hole burned thru the back of it and it smells like lighter fluid. I wore that cap everywhere until it wore out. I don't try and explain to them my reasons for not damaging the bike, they wouldn't understand. I see some of them online on Classmates.com and on Facebook. I don't contact them, and I don't answer their requests. They are not my friends. They are just people that I knew in High School and they taught me something about myself. It's OK to stand on your own, and always do the right thing, even if it's hard, and even if you're hopping mad...


David<~~~~~~~~~~~Army Brat!

A little comment on temper tantrums...

Yesterday I spent more time in Airports than most people spend in them all year long. Ate breakfast, lunch AND dinner in Airports. They had diverted 60+ Flights at the Killeen Airport and had cancelled MOST of the Flights at the Dallas Airport. I made it out of Killeen to Dallas on one of only two Flights that went that day (I am a LUCKY guy, and I have a secret weapon...TIF!). AnyWHO...arriving in Dallas I was reminded of how small people become when they are inconvenienced. I know some people missed work, vacations, weddings, anniversaries, the bedside of a sick relative, and other tragic personal events, and that is hard on people. BUT! I was embarrassed to be a Human Being yesterday watching all the Temper Tantrums people were throwing at ticket counters in the Airport. I wanted to walk up and straighten the little sailor hats they were wearing with their Little Lord Faulteroy outfits and hand them a lollipop. Cussing the rain makes you a fool, lots of fools in the Airport in Dallas yesterday. People were rescued by boats in Dallas due to the Thunderstorms. The Airport had put out COTS for travelers in the hallways! It was a sea of humanity at every Airport Gate. Every time I encountered an Airport worker behind the counter I reminded them of how many people they had helped today and thanked them for their hard work. Because I work in Management and have to handle large crowds in my job I sympathize with other people that have to work with logistics and make hard decisions like closing an Airport for half of a day and cancelling flights. Travel Workers of the World, I SALUTE YOU!

David<~~~~~~~~~~~~glad to be back in STL!

We Like To Party, We Like, WE LIKE TO PARTY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze72uyZfY5Q

I'm taking Tif to the Wentzville Ren Faire this Sunday

Geoff, Dawn and their two kids are going also. Should be fun...

Another Blast From The Past...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B9zHgutVrQ&feature=related

Mom & Dad are being honored at Ft. Hood next Wednesday

Mom & Dad have been picked to be "Good Neighbors" at Ft. Hood. Twice a year they pick a couple that goes above and beyond to support the Military and their Families at Ft. Hood. I am flying down to Texas to attend the 'Coat & Tie' Function with my Mom. I just read a newspaper article about my Father's death that I had missed before: http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=643

I miss my Dad...

It tears me up

Mom is trying to clean out the cupboard in the Kitchen. Dad was on a health kick and had lost a lot of weight before he died and had done all the recent Grocery Shopping. Mom found 7 of everything Dad liked stacked in the cupboard and it is hard on her cleaning up and organizing it. I just got off of the phone with her and it's very sad.

Wednesday Evening they honored by Father

My Mom attended a dinner where they Honored my Father on Wednesday evening. She said it was a nice event, but a little sad. The people that work with my Mom at the Chamber of Commerce suprised her and dedicated this year's Rabbit Fest to my Dad also. They printed "In Memory of Jerry A. Smith" across the bottom of the back of the Rabbit Fest tee shirt.

(the picture is of Mom and Dad walking on the beach ahead of me at Cayo Costa in Florida)

I'm on a Frankie kick...

In college there wasn't many groups cooler than FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD...

The world is my oyster...

The animals are winding me up...

Shooting stars never stop even when they reach the top...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jb9LMtySNs&feature=related

Make LOVE your goal...

I'll protect you from the hooded claw...

Keep the vampires from your door...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAgnArCSDis&feature=related

(in my heart I'm always dancing)

Here is a picture of the flowers I put on my Father's grave in TX...

it's been like 10 years...

...since I have received a speeding ticket. The last two happened a year apart at about 3am driving back from the same Toy Works Inventory on the same road in the same speed trap. There is a small township on Manchester Road that lowers the speed limit on the road so they can give me a ticket in the middle of the night when I'm half asleep and defenseless...

Tif and I were zipping down the Interstate in Tarrant County TX (Tiffany's birthplace no less) and I got a speeding ticket. 75 in a 60. I usually set my cruise control at 9 miles over the speed limit and go. I forgot to reset my cruise control and rolled thru a lower speed limit stretch of road. I wasn't paying attention and now I have to pay the price (literally)!


"CAUSE TRAMPS LIKE US, BABY WE WERE BORN TO RUN!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baxG0d1glJo&feature=related

David<~~~~~~~~~singing!

Easy as Pie. No problemo...

Years ago I was the District Manager for KB Toys and my first District covered Nebraska, part of Iowa and part of S. Dakota. So you kinda have a pattern you fall into doing your visits of your stores. You know what you can get done in one day. So I figure I can pop over to Des Moines, visit some stores and then leave early and get back to Omaha in time to see some TV show I was following at the time. Easy as pie. No problemo. I have 'Search Images' that run in my head and I pay attention. I look for certain things that I like or think are important. Example = turtles on the road. I stop and move them to safety. Birds of prey sitting on power lines, I always notice them and then look for the next one when the first one's territory ends. So...I'm heading home, roaring down the Interstate, singing along with the radio when I see it. I rush right past it in my Company Van and I think to myself, no that can't be right. But I don't really second guess myself, I saw what I saw. I pull over, put the car into reverse and back down the shoulder to the spot. I get out and sure enough. There is a piglet standing on the edge of the paved shoulder, half in the weeds and half on the asphalt. I think I'm going to be late to see my TV show. I walk back to my Van. I'm a big ol' Boy Scout at heart, "Be Prepared" was our motto and I'm still pretty anal retentive. So I have an old red plaid blanket and some other 'roadside' emergency items stuffed in a book bag in the Van. I think I'll throw the blanket over the piglet and catch it. Easy as pie. No problemo. Can't have a piglet getting hit on the Interstate if I can do something about it, the Farmer will want his piglet back. So I head back to the spot and HELLO, a State Patrol Car! A State Trooper has stopped to see what I'm doing on the side of the Interstate. HA-funny situation. I think I'm going to be late to see my TV show. I explain to the Trooper the whole piglet/blanket story and I promise that I will NOT chase the piglet out onto the Interstate, if Porky chooses to hoof it into the fast lane then he IS bacon. I will not risk my life to save a pig. The Trooper gets on his radio and I turn back to the piglet to discover that Porky has decided that discretion is the better part of valor. The piglet had fled further down the embankment into the weeds away from the Interstate. I can't even see him the weeds are so tall, but I can tell he's there. He can't push himself through the weeds any further but he's easy to spot because he's making the tall grass quiver. All I have to do it throw the blanket over him. Easy as pie. No problemo. I have one shot at this, I don't want the piglet to get away and maybe get run over on the Interstate. Wade thru weeds. Breath deep. Throw blanket. Pig squeals. Pounce on piglet. Crotch of pants rips. I catch the pig. I think I'm going to be late to see my TV show. Pigs wiggle a lot and make a lot of noise. I truss the pig up tight in the blanket, wrap him up with NO chance to get away. Cool, now I can give the piglet to the Trooper and he can get Porky back to his rightful owner. Easy as Pie. No problemo. Proudly and feeling a slight breeze I haul my prize back up to the Interstate. Lo and behold, no State Patrol Car, no State Trooper. I think I'm going to be late to see my TV show. OK re-access situation. I can still find someone to tell me who owns the piglet, turn over the pig and then make it back home in time to see my TV show. Easy as Pie. No problemo. Haul the piglet back to my Company Van, now what to do with the pig? I don't want him to go running all over my Van while I'm driving. Hmmm? Then I notice the stuff I have dumped onto the floorboard of my Van. Happily I stuff the blanket wrapped piglet into the book bag. He barely fits, blanket and everything, but he will NOT be getting out of this book bag. I prop him up against the passenger seat on the floorboard of my Company Van and I hop behind the steering wheel. I take some time to check the damage to my work pants, they are a goner. The whole crotch is ripped out zipper to back pockets. More like a long legged loin cloth at this point. I stare at the pig in a blanket...Me Tarzan, you Porky. So I merge back onto the Interstate and think I'll stop at the first exit and find a local and figure out which Farmer this piglet belongs to. The next exit is just up the road. Turn signal. Gas Station. Cool, things are looking up. I'm NOT going to be getting out of the car in my condition. I pull underneath the overhang of the Gas Station and honk at the girl behind the registers. She waves back at me. I honk again. She waves and smiles some more, really friendly girl. I motion for her to come out to the car, she's perplexed but she comes on out anyway. I explain the whole piglet/blanket/split crotch/State Trooper story and ask her if she knows anyone around here that might be missing a pig. She laughs, looks at the pig sleeping in the book bag and tells me that there was an accident involving a Telephone Pole earlier and all the phone lines are down. She can't call anyone for me. I think I'm going to be late to see my TV show. She happily points out a house about a mile further down the road that might be able to help me. Not much else around on this exit of the Interstate. I thank her and head out to that house. I pull into the driveway and there is the house and to the left of it a large barn/outbuilding. I can hear a lawn mower so I know someone is home. I honk my horn. Nothing. I honk my horn. Nothing. I see an older lady riding a lawn mower pass from behind the house towards the back of the barn/outbuilding, right to left. I honk my horn and wave my arms at her. She's kinda far away. She sees me and ignores me. She disappears behind the barn/outbuilding. After a bit the lady comes back the other way on her riding lawn mower moving from left to right. I honk my horn and wave my arms at her. She sees me and ignores me. She disappears behind the house. I think I'm going to be late to see my TV Show. I am NOT going to abandon this piglet, and I'm NOT taking Porky back with me to Omaha. I doubt he likes watching TV anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound. I'm going to drive further down the road and find someone who might want this piglet. Easy as pie. No problemo. Back out of driveway. Turn down the road away from the Interstate. Should be another house soon. Five minutes no house. Not worried. Ten minutes no house. I think I've gone about 5 miles. Fifteen minutes no house. I'm pretty far from the Interstate. Twenty minutes no house. I think I'm going to be late to see my TV show. Twenty five minutes no house. Porky is still sleeping in the book bag. Thirty minutes no house. I'm about to give into despair. Thirty five minutes EUREKA! There is a mobile home on cinder blocks with a nice horse barn just a bit further down the road. I cross my fingers. I pull into the yard and honk my horn. An older man and his wife come out onto the little metal store bought front steps from inside their mobile home. I wave at them and they come on over to the van. They are in their late 70's or so and look to be just barely getting by. He's wearing glasses taped on the side, three days worth of beard growth, a wife beater undershirt, old blue jeans and a Dekalb Corn baseball cap. She's overweight and wearing a shift dress and men's tennis shoes and squints at me like she's supposed to be wearing glasses. I understand these people. I introduce myself and he introduces himself and his wife. I am embarrassed to tell you I cannot remember their names. I explain the whole piglet/blanket/split crotch/State Trooper/Gas Station/Lady riding lawn mower story to them and he just looks at me. He goes around to the passenger side of the Van and looks at the pig and then comes back around. Hand me your pants he tells me and his wife will fix them for me. I take off my pants, dump out everything in my pockets and hand them to him. I don't have much to lose in that department, dignity left about three stops ago. He hands the pants to his wife and without saying a word she disappears into the mobile home. He tells me about his son in the Army and we talk about the Military. He tells me about his Championship Horses and how much money he gets in stud fees. Not 5 minutes later his wife comes back out with my pants. You cannot tell anything bad ever happened to them. I put them on and get out of the Van. I thank the wife and she smiles a toothless grin at me. I ask him if he knows anyone who had lost a piglet. He doesn't. I ask him if he wants a piglet. He informs me that just last year they did have pigs on the place and they still have all the things that you need to take care of a piglet. He wants to pay me for the pig. I tell him no thanks but I would be grateful for him to take the pig off my hands for me. He says OK and we take the piglet out to the horse barn. He sets the piglet up in an old pig stall and all the barn cats come and smell the new addition to their home. They look like a wagon wheel with the piglet standing stock still in the center and about 11 cats with their noses on the piglet radiating out like spokes. Good-bye Porky. I thank the man again and he invites me to have dinner with them. They are having pork chops. I imagine they are probably the best pork chops I will ever eat, but I tell him no thank you. I have to get back to Omaha. He wants me to stop back by the next time I'm driving back from Des Moines and check in on the pig. Really nice people. I drive away, and I think I will still be able to catch my TV show. Easy as pie. No problemo...and I did!

David<~~~~~~~story teller (and it's all true)!

Going to see Mama-San this weekend...

Tif and I pack up on Wednesday evening and after work Thursday we hightail it down to Joplin to sleep in a strange bed on our way to Texas. Then on Friday we cross the border into the Free State of Texas and spend Memorial Day with my Mom. My cousin Angie and her family (they live in Dallas) will also be there. My Father's tombstone has been set in place so I will have pictures of the Veteran's Cementary to put on Webshots and my Journal. Snooky gets to go too...

Just another Monday Night!

Sitting here with the D O G watching Cable waiting for Tif to get off from work, tonight we're eating Spaghetti!