Flying High

I sat down at the bar at Griff's. It was still a couple of hours before we were going to take a bar-sponsored bustrip to the Astros baseball game. Griff's did this several times every season.

There were only a couple of guys at the bar and I didn't know either one. I started talking to the guy sitting on the stool next to me. He said he was going to the game too and we talked baseball for a few minutes. After some generic chit-chat, I mentioned that I was retired and just enjoying life (this was in 1994, the first time I retired and 9 years before I would eventually stop drinking).

I asked him what he did for a living (he looked like an office geek). He said, "I work for NASA. I'm an astronaut." I tried not to look too shocked and probably didn't do a very good job of it. Griff's was/is famous for supporting NASA and there are still many plaques adorning the walls there donated by a number of astronauts. He said he'd been in space 3 times and I asked him what his favorite memory was from those experiences. He said that his 14 year-old son asked him the same thing once. He told his kid, "Son. You know how you young people use the word awesome all the time? Well, that's the closest word I can think of and it doesn't come close to the reality of it."

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I've done the research and now I'm doing the development

for a meeting with my sponsor at 6:30am and a meeting with a sponsee at 6pm

that today is my sister's birthday - she's 54 (damn!!)

that since getting my first gray hair at age 27, I've always been comfortable with their progression

that a sober life is a progressive life

for the freedom to do as my HP wishes

** reminder - that we'd love to have more participation in hAAlf nAAked thusdAAy - start thinking of tomorrow's picture that you can post there; for access to the dashboard page, contact JJ because I don't know how to help you

** reminder - everyone is encouraged to read and comment on this week's topic over at Sobriety Society -- it's our week-long AA meeting, but we don't pass a basket. If you feel the need to donate money, contact me for the address.

Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.
-Italian Proverb