Sunny

Yesterday was to be full of stormy weather...turned out hot and humid...what?...we got to enjoy the pool and spa...doesn't take much to brown me up...anyhoo....

Did see that Trader AJ of the Padres got caught doing the dirty...ha ha...hiding stuff on his trade bait...and MLB did the unthinkable...suspended the dude for 30 days...without pay...too bad...he's a piece of work...well, outta work!  

The Donald said Prez O was indeed born in the USA...okay, now we all can vote for him...and...he kind of released his health report...needs to shed a few lbs...okay, now we can vote for him...how about his tax results?...oops, have to hold out on the vote...

Thursday night football...the Jets beat their old coach...hmmm, I wonder how many of them actually played for the bloke?....the life of a NFL guy is not too long, right?...

My FF team is already deemed as awful!...geez...looking for a rebound...or should that be doomed?....

You PNW peops  are quiet about the upcoming Duck at Nebraska game...Riley's Huskers are fav by 3...really?...kind of think the same...bad, very bad, D....but...Riley is coaching that evens the score...what say you?...

Always weird to be 3 hours behind the west coast...and 6 off the east...fuggit about "live!"...

Hope for sun today...the weather quacks are never right...

Happiness is...

Having good weather on an island...

Swimming morning noon and night...

Hot tubbing equally...

Cruising into Lahaina, rocking 70's music...

Top down...

Slappy cakes in the am...

Getting a call from your son at 5:30 in the am...

Actually, anytime...

Pictures of Sammi....sent by her 2nd mother, BJ...

A Krispy Kreme to take the edge off...

AC...

Piña Colada, Lava Flow, or Mai Tai...

Sporting new sunglasses...

Snorkeling at Napili Bay...

Golfing at TBD, once the rain stops...

Being here, with the same gal...

On our 42nd anniversary...

Stormy Weather

Aloha, kids!   We are here in Maui.  Flight was good but long.  Into headwinds rather than with.  So.  All was as planned, the car was ready...stopped at Krispy Kremes....headed to Kaanapali...

Weather is quite muggy...88*...get to the hotel we have stayed at for 12+ years...and met up with a guest service gal from HELL!...she told me we had NO room...what?  I explained to her I paid for an extra day, so we could get immediate access..."nope, you do not have a reservation "...

I further told her, that I called last week and was reassured that all was in line..."aloha!" ....nope...

Another service gal overheard, and said "Aloha, Mr Shepard!"...promptly got my paper work out and gave it to the one who was "helping" me...she threw the papers on the table and yelled at me.  What?...then she bolted out of the area into the back room...nice service...

Ok...did get our room...it is beautiful...the weather is not!...big storm last eve...lightning and thunder...paradise?....more of same today...things will get better after this....patience, Horse, patience...

Aloha...

Ice Ice Baby

Morning kids...set to fly outta here in a few hours...but have to talk about the latest version of DWTS....Dancing With The Stars...who, really, are the Pro Dancers...now...Derek, Macks, Val, Whitney, Cheryl...and on and on...they have earned the top billing in Horse's book...

The funnest one of last night's first nite...was Vanilla Ice...doing "Ice Ice Baby"...with Whitney...so much fun, it almost got me off the couch...well, almost...the Oly gal with Val, were heads and shoulders above most others...Jana Kramer, the country sanger, was damn good...do not know her pro...and the terrible part of the eve....was when the much embattled Oly swimmer, Bryan Lochte, paired with my gal Cheryl...got heckled from the crowd...and then rushed by a couple of thugs...alarming...should be a great season...trust Horse...

Couple of NFL games last eve...Pitt over the Skins...Big Ben is a stud...doesn't panic like you know who...very similar games...the 49ers over the Rams...stomp really...good for Chip...as the sitter, the backup QB...did just that during the game, too...sat...good...oops, showing where I stand on the issue...

That's it...off to get ready...have a terrific Tuesday!...

White Choc Mocha

Non-fat, extra hot...no whip please...top of the morning to ya"ll, kids...what's a poppin'?...it is the day of days for us...packing...making sure all the tees are crossed...something like that...got a book...real live one...about Mike Love, of them Beach Boys...that will keep me in the reading mode...along with the latest tour guide book on Maui...already got this humongous Sudoku one...spiral bound, if you will...let's talk about yesterday...fruitful one it was...

Probably, no not probably...the biggest topic of the day...was the near collapse of Ms Clinton as she was leaving the 9/11 Memorial in NYC...the clip was real...and...it took a good part of the day to get a release from the DNC Camp...she is sick...like really...has pneumonia...I can't imagine running for Prez, kids...the pressure of it all...being on demand and constant scrutiny has to wear you down...it takes special people to weather it all...let's hope for a speedy recovery...let's just leave it at that...

The NFL...seemed to me, that the quality programs found ways to win...and the upstarts found ways to lose...I still can't get over the absurd refereeing in the Thursday niter, as Cam Newton got drilled in the head, at least 4 times...and no penalties...I'll go over the ones that caught me eyes...

KC beat the Bolts...total collapse by SD...leading by 21 in the 2nd half...inept play calling, panic by QB Rivers yet again, and a defense that would have trouble stopping SDSU...

NE over the highly heralded Arizona Cards in Phoenix...the program wins this one...with the NE best players not suited up...the Pats dominated...yet, Arizona had a chance to win it at the buzzer by the bloody FG...which went wide left...

Seattle in a nile biter over Miami...low scoring one...the Hawks have a great D...and now...their QB tweaked his ankle...hmmm, the system will have to prevail for a couple of weeks...as he mends up...if it is only a sprain,,,

Minnesota over Tennessee...damn...it was going the Titans way for many of the downs...didn't happen and it will be a long, slow process for the Nashville Cats...damn...

Da Raiders win a donnybrook in the Big Easy...going for a 2 point conversion at the buzzer to get the W...I gots this feeling about them Oakland guys...

And...the copy cat dudes who sat or knelt during the National Anthem...on a day that has significance to the country for us all...9/11...I would give a big fine to 'em...get a life...have no, and I mean NO sympathy for their selfish act...

And...for all the time that these blokes have played the game of football...with all the coaching that they have had...it is absolutely incredible to me, that so many of them have no clue to how to use the clock at the end of the games....the frustrations of the QB's toward their teammates is incredulous....

BTW...my Fantasy Football team...came down to the FG attempt by Arizona...he nails it and I win...he didn't and I lost...to Dr Cris...NOOOOOOOO!....

The Collegiate Polls...the Ducks moved up a couple of spots...you ever heard of the Massey Poll?...they are number 11 in that one...?...the significant drop is Clemson...out to number 5...they are not worthy...ha ha...

The best golfer in the land...is Dustin Johnson...he finally is finishing...and needs to keep it going to win the $10 million in the Fed EX...and lead the US over the US living Euros in the Ryder Cup, next month...

I have this check list I use for all trips...adjust for the place we are going...some might say I am manic...nope...just organized...don't like surprises...did find some old noodles that we brought back last time...looks like I'm gonna have to pack a rain jacket, too...boo....

I will try to post while there...gonna try...have this little iPad...mini...so...just in case...don't leave me...I will be back...have a super 2 weeks and give your whole world a bunch of smiles...people will wonder just what you are up to....

Remembrance

How could we forget?...the unthinkable act upon the USA by cowards of the worst kind...9/11...this is the day that we have etched in our minds...it's one of those times, that we all can remember where we were and what we were doing...if we were fortunate enough to not be on one of those planes, at the Pentagon, or in the twin towers in NYC...I'm not going to get into the whys and what fors...it is a space of our lives that needs to always be held in our deepest thoughts...pictured here is from the new skyline of the City...Peace...

OK...

The collegiate football season is well underway...2nd week is over...one of many easy games for the better teams...one may call them "patsies"...blow outs...money makers for the teams that have the "privilege" to go visit a power house, get stomped and get a huge payment for the right...egads...character building, the coaches say...right...

The Ducks had an interesting one, hosting the ACC Virginia Cavaliers...who are now coached by the former BYU dude, Bronco Mendenhall...really?...and get this...he took all 14 of his assistants with him there...says a lot about him, in my mind...anyhoo...V played hard...ran the ball well...to the very end...yet, got beat by UO...who has a dandy O...and a less than decent D...it is going to be a weird season for them Ducks...gonna have to outscore peops for wins...wait, isn't that the mantra for the team?...usually...no diff this time around...next up?...Mike Riley's Nebraska...there...hmmm....

Lost in the discussion of better teams throughout the land...you know, your Alabama, Ohio St, Michigan, and Florida St's...is an upstart program...that just so happens to be riding a 12 game win streak that NO ONE knows about...the San Diego St Aztecs, that's who...yup, they got another last night against a Pac 12 brute...well, the Bears of Cal...almost lost it on an onside kick...took an interception to stop the "upset"...hey...SDSU has a powerful run game with a dynamite RB...trust Horse...

And...

The opening weekend for the NFL continues today...you have a fav?...well...I mostly check and follow my FF blokes...really hoping for a Pack big game...as I have 2 of them in my lineup...but...I do want the Titans to start with a bang versus the Vikings...and...I do hope for a miracle in KC for the Bolts...and that will be what it will take...sorry, SD, but it's the truth as the Horse sees it...

Get this...

The dude who shot at and hit the President...Reagan...his actions pushed the country into a "Brady Bill"...well...he has been released out into the public...I don't get this...anyone who shoots at the Prez, should be locked up FOREVER...no questions...no ifs ands or buts...no never....didn't he have this thing for Jodie Foster, too?...imagine her fears...Hinckley...let's get real...what is our judicial system thinking?...

Sure...

Blistering article on the demise of the AAA Padres...from the Trib's Canepa...who has been a positive believer (redundant?) in the GM, Trader AJ...well now...he listed countless reasons for the futility of the franchise...let's just say the Horse has been saying this for some time...maybe he has been reading my blog...

My gang...

Talks about the golfers teams...in the Ryder Cup...us versus the Euros...er, the guys who were born over the pond...who almost all are now living in the USA...what?...these dudes go back and put on the European paraphernalia...for a week...and take on their buddies who they live by now....and we buy into it...well, my golf gang does...USA!...geez, how can we lose?...

BTW....how long does it take before you have to leave the USA...if you are not a citizen...???...I think about this when I was referring to these golfer dudes...who now live in the US...are they all US Citizens now?...I have some investigating to do...ha ha...

Well, we are off to Barnes and Noble to find a book or two for the trip....any recommendations?...

Never forget...