Friday Wrap-Up

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“The true meaning of America, you ask? It's in a Texas rodeo, in a policeman's badge, in the sound of laughing children, in a political rally, in a newspaper... In all these things, and many more, you'll find America. In all these things, you'll find freedom. And freedom is what America means to the world. And to me.”

~ Audie Murphy

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On Monday, Vinny over at the Big Leather Couch reviewed John Mayer's new CD, Where the Light Is, and hosted a give-away of that very CD. All that it required was a creative comment describing why the blogger was deserving of such a gift. Well, I decided to throw creativity aside and go with the pity angle instead ... and it worked! I wrote:

John Mayer is one of my son's favorite musicians, and since he won't be riding his bike in the month of July (Can you say bike helmet attached to handlebars of bike - instead of on his head - and a crash that resulted in a 3-hour visit to the ER which included x-rays of his skull and elbow?) I was thinking maybe listening to John Mayer might just offer him a little entertainment. I'm thinking "Gravity", in particular, might be a great one for him to listen to over and over again!

I even managed a couple of sympathy votes from fellow commentors. Who new a visit to the ER could reap such benefits? Thanks Vinny!!

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It was a good week for prizes and awards! Jeff, over at A Word in Edgewise does a weekly "What Is It?" photo contest. He posts portions of pictures and asks you to identify them. Now, in all honesty he was quite kind to his readers this week - sometimes I have no clue what anything is - but this week I got in early and guessed them all correctly. And for my efforts I got this cool image that will proudly be displayed on my blog for ever and ever. He hosts this game every Friday during the summer so be sure to stop by today and take a crack (hehehe - I said "crack") at this week's contest. Thanks Jeff!

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On a more somber note, I want to say goodbye to a friend who likely touched my heart more than he knew.

Dan, your carefree and welcoming personality always made me feel more at ease at the monthly poker parties. I'm certain you had no idea just how much anxiety I felt at these events, and yet you were always one to give me a warm smile and friendly conversation, putting me at ease in a socially difficult situation. I cannot imagine the pain your family and close friends must be feeling, especially knowing that the person who took your life didn't even have the decency to stop, or to call 9-1-1, to alert them to the situation. At 32 you had so much more to give this world, but know that you gave me, and likely many others, much more than you ever knew.

Peace to you, my friend.

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