Father's Day Tribute - Revisited

Today is Father's Day.

Its still a day that I honor in my heart, although my own father has been gone for quite some time now.

In honor of my Dad, and ALL things Dad, I am reposting my Father's Day Tribute from 2006:

Ode to Father's Day 2006

Its been three years since I had a reason to celebrate Father's Day...but gratefully, the celebration of all things "Daddy" is still with me...for some reason or another this week caught me pulling down the box of items that contains all the cards I received from people when my Dad passed. I kept them because many of them contained amazing wisdom and I felt that by keeping that wisdom with me - it would somehow be contained within me (you decide) but all of the cards contained exceptional kindness. If you sent me a card during that time - its still with me...and I cried as I re-read it this week. Also in the box are the cards that I gave my Dad over the last couple of years (yes, rat-packness runs in the family) which HE kept. There were Father's Day cards, and "just because" cards and truly grateful "thank you" cards. They all said the same thing: I admire you, I love you. And, I still do.Tonight I went past the house. The house where we were most a family - laughed the most, cried the most, celebrated the most...the house on Helena..its also the house my Dad passed away in. I sat there - I talked with my Dad-I asked him to be thankful for all the beautiful things in my life. I thanked him for his spirit which is still with me. I wished he were here to send me off on the next journey of my life: marriage with my soul mate.

I miss my Dad. Terribly. Everyday.

I rejoice that I still miss him. I pick the scab once in awhile to remind myself of my incredible good fortune. My Dad would be proud of my life today. He would say " I never thought it would be any different." But that's the thing: he knew it even when I didn't. He would be proud and excited for me that my future Father-in-Law is a man who I am honored to call "Dad" and would have been thrilled to share that title with a man who so wonderfully deserved such an honorific title. And he would have loved Jeff. He would have known why I love Jeff.My Dad would have reveled in being a Grandfather..and Piper would have followed in a line of "his ladies" in which his world revolved.All things beautiful are remembered once a year: love. parents. life. If we are really fortunate, we remember them more than once a year...and we celebrate them when we have them. My good fate has allowed me so much joy in my life, how can I NOT celebrate Father's Day. I hope you will all have the same joy in your hearts on Sunday -whether you are celebrating your father, a father figure or your own fatherhood.Love,-T.

You don't have WHAT?!!

There are some parts of island living that are awesome, there are some things that are laughable...and then there are things that seriously make you want to bang your head against a volcanic rock.

I have gotten used to going to the grocery store and seeing bare shelves. I am talking bare shelves like you see on TV right before a hurricane, that is a daily occurance here. On any given day, there is a pretty good chance that what I need at the store is not in stock (today, there were out of Yogurt and Asparagus). These leads to stock piling. HOWEVER, the problem with stockpiling is that you really can't do it with fresh food and produce. Alternately, there is ALWAYS fresh fish, and rice, so we make do.

Today, though there was a moment where I wondered what planet (not island) I live on. We needed to change our air filter. Now, this involves the typical drama of "what size" is it? But, in an effort to think ahead, we had already looked at the size when we went to Home Depot 2 weekends ago, and purchased replacements. Home Depot is about 25 minutes away (this little tidbit of knowledge will come in handy later). SO - Jeff climbed up the ladder today, took out the 12-3 inch screws, and pulled out the airfilter, which was...THE WRONG SIZE - the previous tenant had jammed one that was too large in there. NIIIIIIIIIICE. No biggie - just go to City Mill (the Ace Hardware/Target hybrid that is in the nieghborhood). Well, as with all "small" home projects, its not that easy. City Mill doesn't carry them - they told Jeff to look at Long's Drug. Long's Drug doesn't carry them. I looked at Safeway - Safeway doesn't carry them. I mean, are you freaking KIDDING ME? The closest place for airfilters is HOME DEPOT? Wholly cow!! THAT is craziness. THIS is when I miss living in a place where there are 3 Home Depots, 2 Lowes, 2 Ace Hardwares and 2 Wal-Marts within a 10 mile radius.

Well, at least the beach is within a 10 mile radius. I got that going for me.

Newstainment 2008

Well, if you haven't been watching the cable news channels, because of the now "official" Presidential campaign, you are probably destined to do so now. Because of our time difference, we get the "normal" post-work news analysis starting around 1pm. We obviously don't catch much of it. But by 6pm HST, its midnight EST and the quality of news is pretty pathetic, but local news is worse, and we now into reruns on most channels..thus we watch. Jeff calls it "Newstainment" - frankly, its a little sad. First of all, not everyone can be Jon Stewart. Second of all, if you are on MSNBC or CNN, you should not even try.

Let me give you my totally biased run-down on what's available in the Newstainment category.

MSNBC

Countdown with Kieth Oberman

I happen to like Kieth Oberman - but let's be clear, its his show that kicks off the on screen graphic and quick "ESPN-esque" commentary. I mean - the man throws a wadded up piece of paper at the screen each night and the TV "shatters". Its every 12 year old boy's own TV show and Keith Oberman is going to make the most of it, damn it. He even has a countdown that feels eerily similar to David Letterman. Stay tuned for more political commentary from your favorite graphics fanantic, Keith Oberman. He'll probably roll out some real doozies for the Presidential Campaign.

Up late with Dan Abrams

First all, how did this guy go from being a court room analyst on prime-time, to having his own show in the wee-hours (midnight EST)? Who did he piss off?! At this point in the evening, we no longer simply have news scrolling across the bottom of the screen - oh, no - a full 1/3rd of the screen is jammed up with the show's title, the topic, the unchanging updates regarding who has the most delegates (is THIS neccessary?! It isn't even NEWS 6 hours after the polls in SD closed and the Super Delegates have spoken). And to highlight how much the execs at MSNBC hate him: he has a jazz band, a REAL jazz band, as in Jay Leno, that starts before he finishes talking. AND - to further his humilation - his panelists have no respect for him either. Tonight's show had a "Democratic Strategist" (read: unemployed wonkette) who had on black eyeliner, a leather jacket+T-shirt. Jeff said she looked like a Vegas stripper...SHE DID! I mean, I think she looked like a Vegas stripper with clothes on...if you can wrap your brain around that visual. ANYWHO - the OTHER woman (I didn't see her title, there wasn't enough room on the screen), she wore a gold necklace that looked like a SM Dog Collar. An expensive one, but I was kind of wondering where she was headed after this "after hours" gig.

CNN

I must admit - I had to turn off CNN earlier today. I mean, yah, I feel for the guy that has to talk for 6 hours straight, but he doesn't have to make UP the news - he just has to read it. However, the early morning guy is such a bobble-headed idiot, I can no longer even have a cup of coffee with him in the morning. He NEVER, NEVER asks a smart question. He says things like "yah, uh, huh, I planted a tree this weekend too" I mean, I wish he would just shut up - I don't care about his weekend plans or his incredibly stupid commentary about the benefits of planting a tree on the environment or whether it will actually produce any oranges. I did wonder however, why he chose to plant an orange tree when he lives in the PEACH state? Do you think he maybe missed the connection? On this show - they use alot of props. That is their ratings boost technique.

Later on in the day at CNN:

Anderson Cooper360

Here we have the ultimate news biscuit. This guy got a job because he is a babe and can wear an Armani suit while standing in New Orleans reporting on Katrina without looking smug. (Ironically though, the intro into "360" shows him in out door gear looking very much in control of his Ipod earphones). But as much as I like him - and ooooh, do I Eva! - I have to ask WHY he is asking questions like "Is this even news?!" to his panelist. I want to scream "DIPSHIT, if it wasn't SOMEBODY'S idea of news, you would be out of a job!!" Again, we didn't ask you to MAKE the news, just talk about it.

Larry King

I do not like Larry King. At all. HOWEVER - to his credit, he doesn't have any flashy graphics or pretend to be the news analyst. Which begs the question: why is he on a news channel? I mean they replayed that American Idol Winners and Talent show at least 50 times. That, my friends is the final word in Newstainment.

Now you know, you have a couple of choices. I suggest easing into it and starting with Anderson Cooper. At least while you scratch your head and wonder about whether "this is even news?" your eyes can rest on all the gloriousness of the hottest man in Newstainment.