I read the story below about Clay Aiken on the internet today.  People all over the world are in pretend shock.

I’ve been thinking about this for the last few minutes and kidding aside, it is probably such a relief for him to finally be able to say that he is gay so that he doesn’t have to attempt to hide this fact any longer.

It can be difficult in everyday life to come out to people we know. I can’t imagine how this must feel multiplied many, many times over.    

Kudos to Clay for making a grown up decision. I admire a quote of his in the story: “I cannot raise a child to lie to hide things.”  I hope he means it and sticks to it. 

I do have one request of Clay, please fire your hair stylist and find a better one–gay or straight!

Clay Aiken Coming Out

Clay Aiken

Natalie Finn, eonline
Seconds ago 
Must Read?Yes     265

Clay Aiken is joining the ranks of the out and proud.

The unlikely heartthrob, whose Southern gentlemanliness has made the young’uns love him and their moms want to pinch his cheeks, has revealed that he is gay in an upcoming cover story for People magazine, on newsstands Wednesday.

So whether you’re saying “Huh?!” or “About time!” this is the new state of the Claynation.

“We can confirm that Clay Aiken and his son are featured on the next issue of People” is all the magazine would say in response to questions about its leaked cover, which boasts the pullout quote: “Yes, I’m gay.”

“I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things,” he says.

The 29-year-old pop star’s sexuality came under increased scrutiny when he admitted to fathering a child with fiftysomething Jaymes Foster, sister of famed music producer David Foster.

Parker Foster Aiken was born Aug. 8 in North Carolina, with Aiken writing on his blog that all families involved were “thrilled.”

LOWELL, Mass. — Missing: an eight-foot-tall green man wearing ripped purple pants and missing his feet.

Police in Lowell, Mass., say a promotional statue for the movie “The Incredible Hulk” disappeared from its spot in front of a local theater this week.

Police Capt. James McPadden says the statue is probably some kid’s bedroom. But he thinks more than one person was involved and that a car or pickup truck was needed to whisk it away.

The statue is missing its feet because it was bolted to a platform and whoever took it snapped it off at the ankles.

My editorial: Not only does this devalue the statue but The IH is surely eligible for disability…….

When I read Friday that Tim Russert had died of an apparent heart attack, I felt very sad. I didn’t know him personally but of course I had seen Meet the Press many times over his years at the helm, saw him cover elections, interview politicians and news makers of our time.

I was drawn over the weekend to read stories about him and watch a couple of shows about his life–one was Friday night with Tom Brokaw. Cheryl recorded the Meet the Press for June 14 which was a televised celebration for it’s deceased moderator.  Both shows were excellent and very heartfelt. It amazes me how a network can pull together these kinds of shows in such a short time. 

Several times during both shows, I thought the normally stoic Brokaw was nearly brought to tears. He was not only speaking of a co-worker that died but the loss of a man that he considered to be a good friend.

From the multiple interviews that I saw and the articles I read, these are the things that I have learned about Tim Russert-some new and some I knew: He loved his family dearly, he believed faithfully in God, he was always prepared for his interviews, his questions were tough but fair, he was extremely smart without making others feel inadequate, he took the time to be a real friend to many, he always tried to build othes up, he championed the underdog–in sports and in life, he was from Buffalo and never forgot his humble roots, he was a man of integrity and strength.

A co-worker of and I were discussing the weekend and naturally the Russert topic came up. I said that I thought it was wonderful how so many people had such great things to say about him. Her response with a cynical tone was that of course no one was going to say he was a bad guy during an interview about him dying.

I thought about this for a moment. At first I inclined to agree but then I realized how genuine all of the people interviewed seemed to be and how each interview resounded with the same theme; Tim Russert loved his life, the people in it, he loved his job, was very good at it, he wasn’t anything close to a saint but he was truly a good person. 

I wonder how many of us will be able to have these kinds of things said and meant about our life, of how we lived and treated the other guy when we die? In retrospect seems like Tim might have been a guy most of us would like to have called a friend. 

Friday, June 6 is Jackson’s birthday. He will be 7. June 6 is not really the day he was born but the day I adopted him. To celebrate his big day we will go to PetSmart to purchase some Beggin’ Strips and a new toy. Of course, that means that one of his old ratty toys has to go away.

I am so excited to see my boy have another birthday. I was very afraid last October there might not be any more birthdays for him. He woke up sick one morning and ended up having emergency surgery the next day. He had ingested some discarded chicken bones while outside and they became lodged in his intestines. He had surgery on Saturday and couldn’t come home until Monday. I know being in the hospital was the best place for him but I wanted him to be near me so I could be sure he was ok—maternal instincts or as close as I will ever have I suppose.

After he was discharged from the hospital, he had go to the vet’s office during the first severals days to be monitored while I worked. At least he got to go home with me in the evenings. He had to have a port for about 3 days after surgery so he could be fed intravenously. He didn’t like that very much. He would pull at the tape a little even in his weakness.

I was very cautious about him jumping on or off the bed. Once I started leaving him at home alone, I would prepare him a really nice comfy bed in the living room with water and a pee pee pad close by. The pad was more for when he was sick at his stomach then for potty. Poor little guy, I felt so sorry for him. He could barely eat anything and he was sick almost every time he ate. For almost two weeks I had to cook him plain rice and hamburger to eat in very small portions. When he had to go out, I would carry him down the stairs and back up again so he would tear his stitches.

Finally he started getting back to his old self. He was able to go back on his regular food in small amounts. He could take longer walks and eased off his paid medication. Life was getting back to normal and I was so thankful. I swear that a few times if I had to scold him for some reason, he would lie on his back, show his surgery site trying to make me feel sorry for him. Yes, of course it worked.

His recuperation was a little difficult and even though I never want to go through it again, I would. It was a payback to him. After I had surgery several years ago, I was home for 7 weeks recuperating. When I started feeling a little better, we would go for walks. I really believe that Jackson knew I was healing. When we began our walks they were very short at first, maybe only down the street a house or two. He would walk very slowly and never once pulled on his leash. He would walk a few steps, stop and sometimes look back at me with an understanding face. When inside, I spent a lot of time on the couch. He was careful to never jump on me. He would lay on the couch as close to me as he could and put a paw or his head on me. He was so sweet.

Today you wouldn’t guess that he had been as sick as he was in the fall. I’m so glad that he made it thought a horrible time and is around to have this birthday and hopefully many, many more!!!

Cheryl and I have started the “couch to 5k” program. We have dubbed the program “wogging”. I just completed my first week of walking/jogging interval sets tonight. I feel pretty good about it so far. I told Cheryl that I plan to do week one again. I’ve been able to do the intervals ok but I feel like I am pushing it a little to go on to the second week.

The first week is several intervals of briskly walking for 90 seconds and jogging for 60 seconds for a total of 20 minutes. I can handle the brisk walk pretty well but when it comes time for the 60 seconds of jogging—I didn’t realize that 60 seconds was soooooo long!

Thanks to Carmen’s comment that she downloaded the program onto her Ipod, I did the same. I always enjoyed listening to music when exercising. It really seems to help the time go by quicker.

After I went through the first session, I was very sure that my thighs were going to fall off my body anytime during the next couple of days. The soreness has almost completely disappeared. It feels really good to be actually running instead of just thinking about it.

Running is something that I always wanted to get into. I tried running a little several years ago but found it very difficult for me so I didn’t keep up with it long enough to be successful. I promised myself after my reduction that I would get into running. Now it’s been a little more than 3 years since surgery and I’m an finally making good on my promise to myself.

I so appreciate Cheryl encouraging me to start this program. While we seldom may “wog” at the same time, it is so helpful to be doing this program “with” someone else. I plan to wog on Friday, Sunday and Tuesday, while Cheryl will do Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

I am looking forward to have the stamina to run more than 60 seconds at a time. The program is set so that it takes 9 weeks to get to the “5K” run level. Whether it takes me 10 or 20 weeks, I plan to reach my goal!

Tuesday night Cheryl went to tennis practice so that meant I was on my own for dinner. I didn’t really feel like cooking. My logic is why mess up the kitchen just to cook for myself?? So Jackson and I hopped in the car to hunt for food. It was a lovely evening, we had the windows down and the radio up…life is good.

We pasted several fast food places then I saw the sign for Taco Bell and knew I had found a winner for the evening. Waited patiently in line for my turn to place an order at the speaker. The guy on the other end of the faceless speaker was different from most drive thru employees. He sounded so happy when he spoke. He said “Good evening, welcome to Taco Bell and how may I help you tonight? This wasn’t like most times at drive thrus where you can hardly understand what the person is saying. You know what I’m talking about—they sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher—Wha, Wha, Wha. Anyway I listed the items I wanted. He gave me the total and said he would see me at the window.

When I got to the window, his niceness continued. He asked how I was doing and told me how cute my dog is. It was taking a minute for my food and he stood at the window with me. He asked if I was having a good evening and he seemed so geniune when he asked. I told him I was having a very nice evening and that he was making it even better. I commented to him that he was one of the friendliest and happiest person I had encounted in some time, especially at a drive thru. He said he was very happy, excited that he had a job to come to each day and he wanted to make the most out of each day. We exchanged money and food. As I started to drive off, he wished me a good rest of the evening.

This guy really made me think. This was not some kid working his first job. This was a man early to mid 30’s working at a fast food place. I really wonder what his story is….has he been laid off and this was all he could find?….Does he get the concept of love what you do and do something you love?…Did he get jaded at his last job and just decide to go off the deep end and do something completely different? We don’t know what we don’t know……

Later, I wished that I had gotten his name so I could contact Taco Bell and comment on what a great job he did. I am quick to contact a business when someone screws up but miss some opportunites to let them know someone is doing something right. Hopefully he will be there next time. I promise to find out his name and contact Taco Bell with a glowing comment about him.

This guy helped me remember that Life is great!!

This was the weekend for buying sporting equipment for us. As you read on Cheryl’s blog, she bought herself a new bowling ball. I bought myself new bowling shoes. The ones I had were over 10 years old and rather ratty looking. They were some of the first bowling shoes I’d ever had that didn’t look like bowling shoes. They looked more like canvas tennis shoes. But the slide was pretty much gone. Much better now!

But the big news is that Cheryl bought me a bicycle for my birthday. Side note: Just in case any of you are not aware, my birthday (a.k.a. as National Jane Day) is this Friday 4/04 and I will be celebrating my 29th birthday for the 17th time. I love celebrating birthdays (mine or anyone else’s) I think each year is a milestone and thank God that He has allowed us to live on this great earth!

Back to the secular part of my entry…..my new bike. It is a beautiful Trek Womens 7200 hybrid bike. It is black with a comfy leather seat and handgrips. Hopefully I can get a picture of me riding on here son. For now, it looks lovely in the garage because since we got it on Saturday, it has naturally been raining off and on and has been colder than Cooter Brown (who is CB anyway?).

We were in Cheryl’s car when the purchase was made so I came home to get my car. The moment I pulled back into Cycleworks, the rain picked up to the hardest I had seen all day. So the helpful sales guy showed me how to attach the bike rack to my car trunk in the pouring rain. This is the first bike rack I’ve ever needed. I always just put my bike in the back of the van or truck that I drove.

When I got home, the rain had let up enough that I got the bike off the car and into the garage. I couldn’t believe how light the bike is. I know I have had 10 and 12 speed bikes that weighed 100 lbs…..or at least seemed like it. I was able to get the bike rack off the trunk without any problem. The trick is; will I be able to get it back on the truck with as much ease???

I just looked at the weather for the next few days…..I should get to ride by the middle of summer…LOL
Once I get out there and get used to riding, I won’t mind the weather too much; except for the rain, you know rain, eye glasses and bike riding usually don’t mix well. I rode a little last summer and before that it had probably been 5 or 6 years since I had a bike. I’ve missed it and Cheryl was so sweet to get this one for me.

This is my plan–I want to rebuild up my endurance/skill enough to be able to ride to and from work. Work is less than 3 miles from home so that shouldn’t be too difficult. The drive way to our building is kinda steep but I think I’ll be able to master it. What I have to do is rebuild my confidence to ride in and around traffic. The only areas that concern me traffic wise right now will be the small amount I would have to be on Buford Hwy and then on Peachtree Industrial. But just to be on the side of caution, I promise not to even attempt riding to work until I have been riding and practicing. At least the bike came with a bell as standard equipment so when cars do get in my way…Riiiinnnngggg, Riiiiinnnnggg!!

I will be more than happy to support C in her quest to become vegetarian. I’ll cook any veggie she would like. I’m even willing to learn to prepare tofu if she wants it. But as far as me, I can’t give up beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc. I love meat, pure and simple.

When I was young, my mom decided we were going full steam into Seventh Day Adventist beliefs. That meant lots of stuff was gone from life as we knew it….meat, movies, card games, makeup for my (at the time) teenaged sister, jewelry, etc. The rules of SDA are strict and exhausting. (I’ll be glad to share some of these side-splitting stories in future blogs.)

The days of hamburgers on the grill, KFC, cold cuts, steaks and such were things of the past…or so we thought. While in my mind it seemed like forever, it was on and off for about a year or so that we “practiced” this meatless existence. Fortunately my mother became obsessed with something else in life and soon dropped this crazy idea.

One unforgettable meatless meal was a pretend meatloaf that a friend from church brought to us. It appeared to have a crunchy topping like bread crumbs on it and looked pretty normal but it was anything but normal. It was made out of nuts and some type of meat substitute–can’t think of what it is caled. This was mid 70’s and I promise meat substitutes have come a long way baby. A couple of bites was more than enough. The dog wouldn’t even consume it!

So back to C’s endeavor….like I said I’ll be happy to cook all the veggies she wants. I just hope she won’t mind my continued consumption of animal flesh.

Eric–Can’t wait to try that barbeque!

I saw this and laughed till I cried……I asked C if we could get a hedgehog…..No response yet.

How many have you achieved?
Click on the boxes and find out how you’re doing. I couldn’t get the boxes to copy either so I put an X by the ones I’ve done.

X Attend at least one major sporting event: the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the U.S. Open.
X Throw a huge party and invite every one of your friends.
X Swim with a dolphin.
X Skydive.
Have your portrait painted.
Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure you use it.
Go skinny-dipping at midnight in the South of France.
Watch the launch of the space shuttle.
X Spend a whole day eating junk food without feeling guilty.
X Be an extra in a film.
Tell someone the story of your life, sparing no details.
Make love on a forest floor.
Make love on a train.
Learn to rollerblade.
Own a room with a view.
Brew your own beer.
X Learn how to take a compliment.
Buy a round-the-world air ticket and a rucksack, and run away.
Grow a beard and leave it for at least a month.
X Give your mother a dozen red roses and tell her you love her. (It was actually daisies–she loved those more)
X Be a member of the audience in a TV show.
Put your name down to be a passenger on the first tourist shuttle to the moon.
X Send a message in a bottle.
Ride a camel into the desert.
X Get to know your neighbors.
X Plant a tree.
X Learn not to say yes when you really mean no.
X Write a fan letter to your all-time favorite hero or heroine.
Visit the Senate and the House of Representatives to see how Congress really works.
Learn to ballroom dance properly.
Eat jellied eels from a stall in London.
X Be the boss.
X Fall deeply in love — helplessly and unconditionally.
Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia.
Sit on a jury.
Write the novel you know you have inside you.
Go to Walden Pond and read Thoreau while drifting in a canoe.
X Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home (just once).
Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich.
X Be someone’s mentor.
Shower in a waterfall.
X Ask for a raise.
Learn to play a musical instrument with some degree of skill.
X Teach someone illiterate to read.
Be one of the first to take a flight on the new Airbus A380.
Spend a night in a haunted house — by yourself.
Write down your personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time.
X See a lunar eclipse.
Spend New Year’s in an exotic location.
X Get passionate about a cause and spend time helping it, instead of just thinking about it.
Experience weightlessness.
Sing a great song in front of an audience.
X Ask someone you’ve only just met to go on a date.
Drive across America from coast to coast.
X Make a complete and utter fool of yourself.
X Own one very expensive but absolutely wonderful business suit.
Write your will.
X Sleep under the stars.
Take a ride on the highest roller coaster in the country.
X Learn how to complain effectively — and do it!
Go wild in Rio during Carnival.
X Spend a whole day reading a great novel.
X Forgive your parents.
Learn to juggle with three balls.
Drive the Autobahn.
X Find a job you love.
Spend Christmas on the beach drinking pina coladas.
Overcome your fear of failure.
Raft through the Grand Canyon.
Donate money and put your name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
X Buy your own house and then spend time making it into exactly what you want.
X Grow a garden.
Spend three months getting your body into optimum shape.
X Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring.
Accept yourself for who you are.
X Learn to use a microphone and give a speech in public.
Scuba dive off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
X Go up in a hot-air balloon.
X Attend one really huge rock concert.
X Kiss someone you’ve just met on a blind date.
X Be able to handle: your tax forms, Jehovah’s Witnesses, your banker, telephone solicitors.
X Give to a charity — anonymously.
Lose more money than you can afford at roulette in Vegas.
Let someone feed you peeled, seedless grapes.
Kiss the Blarney stone and develop the gift of gab.
X Fart in a crowded space.
X Make love on the kitchen floor.
X Go deep sea fishing and eat your catch.
X Create your own web site.
Visit the Holy Land.
Make yourself spend a half-day at a concentration camp and swear never to forget.
Run to the top of the Statue of Liberty. (does it count that I wanted to but the stairs were closed for repair?)
Create your Family Tree.
Catch a ball in the stands of a major league baseball stadium.
Make a hole-in-one.
Ski a double-black diamond run.
Learn to bartend.
Run a marathon.
Look into your child’s eyes, see yourself, and smile.
Reflect on your greatest weakness, and realize how it is your greatest strength.