Firt Nap...

I picked Jane up this morning at 10:00. We played in the back yard for a couple of hours. I'm trying to start training early, so we've already pactices "Sit," and "Go Potty." I put some toys in her crate to get her to walk in and out of it. When she started to look sleepy I coaxed her into it, closed the gate, then left the room. The most difficult thing was to not go save her when she started crying. It didn't take too long, however, for her to calm down and take her first nap. She was so tired!

Yep, I feel like a parent already.

Peace...

I'm at the Texas Tea & Coffee House in McGregor. I came here while Robert is taking a test at Dell. Several minutes ago a group of ladies took their place a couple of tables behind me. I paid them no attention. I just got out of my seat to empty my bladder (in the restroom.) On the way back I noticed one of the ladies at the table is none other than than the world's most famous war protester, Cindy Sheehan.

I want to go up to her and tell her I'm sorry for the loss of her son. Sad thing is, she probably has people say that all the time to her from both ends of the political spectrum. Some are sorry for her loss because they believe it a horrible war. Some are sorry for her loss because they believe it a just war. As I'm listening to her speak to her friends about average everyday things, I wonder if anyone shares her pain for any other reason than to further their politial position.

I sure hope so.

It's a Girl!...

I grew up surrounded by animals. My mom is that "cat lady" that existed in every town any of you have ever lived in. We had dogs as well, but the house swarmed with cats. People in and out of town knew that 513 Neches Street was a place they could drop their unwanted animlas and have assurance they would be treated well. My mom would open the door to grab the morning paper and, oh, what do we have hear? She would pick it up and have it named before she turned around to bring it back into the house. We were animal people.

I've never lived in a place since I moved away from home that is conducive to raising a pet. Until now.

I've made about a half-dozen trips to the Waco Humane Society over the past few days and I've bit the bullet. I'm the proud papa of a little black labrador retriever. I can't pick her up until tomorrow or Thursday, as she has to get spaid and vaccinated, but I already feel different, like a new person.

I gave the Lake kids the responsibility of naming the puppy. If I got a boy puppy the boys could name it, and they decided on "Sharky." If it was a girl, Avery got the honors. A girl it is and Avery has christened her "Jane."

Pictures of Craig and Jane will be up within the week.

We're all we've got...

If you found yourself in a town where 100 degree temperatures are the norm, what would you do? If there are no places to find high culture and live music that puts the masses to shame, what would you do? How would you deal living in a town that has tons of corporate chains but few places in which the owners go to bed fretting over how to make their customers, their neighbors, happy? When every place is baked with the sterility of pre-fab walls and drowning in religious pretension and piety, what do you do?

You find yourself surrounded by friends. The salt of the earth. Top-shelf personalities who know the power of a Friday afternoon happy hour and the joy that comes from deliberately choosing to be with each other. You raise your glasses to the fact that you have chosen this place. This place that others find repulsive and worthy of passing by. You tell yourself this place is just fine, thank you very much, and that the people in this place are people sung about in the most profound songs sung by people independent of anyone wishing to place chains on creative energy.

You raise your glasses and celebrate each other.

Here's to us.

Some Party...

I was attending a party held in my junior high cafeteria celebrating the impending nuptials of Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock. It was during lunchtime of a school day and I was hanging out with my friends and also the members of Rascal Flatts. The server came to our table to offer food, water, and cocaine. I chose the cocaine and asked Pamela (we were on a first name basis, so I called her Pam) if she had a dollar bill I could use. She rolled her eyes in a manner which suggested her words would be "Silly Craig," then nodded to the tray in her hand which had tightly rolled twenty dollar bills in a nice spread, like they were cold cuts. The entire table laughed, myself included, while I took one of the bills and started snorting away.

Several people from my past came by to hang out and I wanted to act as if I had not been snorting cocaine, and I think I fooled them, even though my speech was slurred.

What a crazy dream.

(Disclaimer: The was just a dream. I have never met any of the aforementioned celebrities, nor has any amount of cocaine ever entered my body.)

Like It's 1999...

I had an office in 1999. It was located in the BSM office at ETBU in Marshall, TX. Danael, Jessica, and I were hanging out doing I can't remember what. The radio was on and placed on one of those 80's, 90's, and Today stations. (Although, it was probably a 70's, 80's, and Today station at the time.)

A song began and we all three recognized the tune. It was Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five's "ABC." We all looked at each other simultaneously. There was no pause. Not a moment of hesitation nor of second guessing. We knew what needed to be done and we did it. We jumped out of our seats and danced like we hadn't danced since we were kids.

To this day it goes down as one of the top five holiest moments of my life. It was vitality defined.

These are the moments I long for. The nod across the room to someone who knows what I'm going through. The raising of the glass and hugging of the neck. The deep breath in the midst of depressing daily life situations. The dance and the wink. This is the ground Jesus treads on, and the ground I hope to find more and more.

My Space...

I've been told it's addicting, and have found it to be true. I finally have a MySpace up and running. However, fret not my dear friends. This is still my blog home and will be my central operating place. MySpace is http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=61462111