Thanksgiving Night

There's only one thing that can beat Thanksgiving Day. And that's Thanksgiving Night. Hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends. Sit down by the fire and get warm. The holidays are upon us.

Dad was right

When I was eight years old my dad bought a used Suzuki 250 dirt bike. I think it was partly because he wanted to hang out with his friends. But it was also because of what he got in return - freedom. A little time for just him that no one could take away. Shortly after his purchase, I got a Yamaha 80. We used to ride together on the weekends. We had tons of fun. We were as close then as ever. It was a great time in our lives. My dad taught me a lot about riding when I was a kid, but the bike taught me about freedom.

A Day Like Today

Today was beautiful. Truly one of those really special days you hear about in Kansas. There's only about 27 of them every year, each dodging oppressive heat, tornados and ice storms to get here. But they get here. And we had one today. Jeans and a flannel shirt will do the trick. You do a little yardwork. At some point in the day you wear some leather work gloves. You generally get some stuff accomplished, and at the end of the day, you eventually find yourself out on the patio. The flannel shirt is still hanging in there, but you throw on a knit hat and kick back with a beer. Life is good. You look around. The yard looks good. Your yard. Your house. You think back a little bit and remember your father, or his father. on a similar day. You remember they looked proud, with their chests stuck out a bit. You remember being small and how they seemed like giants then. You take a swig of your beer. And smile.