Not perfect, just excellent

todAAy i AAM grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I got to hear a good discussion about one of my plethora of defects -- Perfectionism.
I have learned that it's one of most selfish and self-centered defects I can have because it sets me apart from others as I try to be special. It can be my attempt to be superior to you.
Today, I don't have to be perfect. But I can be excellent.

that I occasionally get to experience sanity.

that yesterday our high temperature (in Houston) was only 92. It was the first day this August that the high temp was under 95. Wheeeeeeeee!!


It is always a good day to be grateful for all of life - grateful for large blessings and small. Especially to be grateful for the symbolic blessings - the rainbows and butterflies that come into our lives what we least expect and most need them.

beginning this week...

Irony.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the things I so often take for granted ...

my health
my friends
my home
my cars
my income
my abilities

that I DON'T take these things for granted ...

my sobriety / recovery
my serenity



We come this way but once. We can either tiptoe through life and hope we get to death without being badly bruised or we can live a full, complete life achieving our goals and realizing our wildest dreams.
- Bob Proctor

Foreign Commercials

Which one is your favorite?

Oh, no -- more bad puns ...

1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

17. A backward poet writes inverse.

18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.

21. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.'

22. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says 'Dam!'

23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'

25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

26. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

over the hump

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful for some things I've learned ...

how to get sober and how to stay sober

to never say never

that I'd rather be happy than right

that I'm absolutely powerless over all living things (and most other stuff as well)

that I can't do moderation with moderation

that things almost always work out the way they should

that advanced mathematics is not for me

The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves.
- Bob Proctor

rocky road

Do you see the road? Nice view, huh?


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I'm aware of so many more of my character defects -- mostly, these things went unnoticed during my drinking years

that there are ways to deal with those defects; I just have to be willing

for Maggie. A very cute, 1-year old brown Labrador Retriever that a friend just adopted from the SPCA this week. She's so damn cute!

that I have always been interested in sports -- my likes and dislike have changed over the years, but I am still a fan of most sports

Whatever you do, do with kindness.
Whatever you say, say with kindness.
Wherever you go, radiate kindness.
~ unknown

a few quips, here and there

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

A.A. is not a plan for recovery that can be finished and done with. It is a way of life. page 275*

in return for a bottle and a hangover, I have been given the Keys of the Kingdom. page 276*

that the alcoholic has to continue to take inventory every day if he expects to get well and stay well. page 265*

a complete change takes place in our approach to life. page 275*

* The previous statements are from ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 4th edition.


Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?"
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

a peaceful journey

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for consecutive days of serenity

that my serenity comes second, just behind my sobriety

to see examples of guys and gals who do the right thing - they are some of my greatest teachers and they never know it

for opportunities to be of service

As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

ups & downs

This week, I'll post a few pictures of some cool and unusual streets and roads.







todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that AA accepts anyone who wants to stop drinking.

to know that I'm so powerless over other people, especially others in the program who want to blame their problems on me -- LOL

that most of the people I know seem to like me or at least accept me for what I am

that I had the honor of emceeing a fundraiser Saturday night. It was a spoof on the old Newlywed Game, which we renamed The Gaylywed Game. Lotsa fun and recovery.

that I usually volunteer to participate in my own recovery

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
- Maya Angelou

Glue commercial

Best Glue Commercial

The good old days

I don't know how accurate this is, but it makes for interesting reading.

The year is 1910
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1910:
*********************************

The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.
Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !
The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.
The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year ..
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

The Five Leading Causes of Death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars ....
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.'
( Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help ....

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

a few simple facts ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I'm not just sober, but I'm in recovery

that recovery allows me to handle the difficult times without wanting or needing to drink alcohol

that I found a Higher Power just by being willing and open-minded

for some friends I haven't met yet


Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day, saying,
"I will try again tomorrow."
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Steps 4 and 5

Cereal junkie...........

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that by writing out Step 4 (of AA's twelve steps) I could visualize on paper some patterns to my faulty thinking; I learned a few things aobut myself I would never have imagined

that Step 5 gave me the opportunity to trust another human with my deepest and darkest secrets; by doing this, the negative power of some of that knowledge was removed

that my 8 years relationship with my other half is, at times, the most difficult thing I've ever tried.

I keep trying.

that my bronchitis is a little better, but the cough remains deep within me at times


In all things and in all ways, choice impacts virtually every element of our life. It bears repeating that even those things which seem out of reach of our choice are governed by how we choose to perceive them.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Steps 1, 2 & 3

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to know that I'm powerless over just about everything that happens

that my faith and trust in a HP brings me comfort, which in turn offers me some serenity and sanity

that I don't have to control anything except my behavior

I think you'll enjoy THIS.

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.
- Leo Buscaglia

doormat, no more

my favorite doormat!!!


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my recovery seems to be a life of lesser addictions; some new, some are just now blossoming

that I hope to never finish working the steps

that I haven't missed any of my regular AA meetings since I've been on bronchitis medication -- however, it's really difficult to stay awake and I've gone home and slept after a few of those meetings

that it will be really nice to get back to the gym -- I think I'm gonna have to wait another day or two though


If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?
- Confucius

Back to Gratitude!

great doormat!

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that nothing is more important to me than my sobriety

for the wisdom and experience I hear in the rooms of A.A.

that I have the rest of my life to practice recovery and the knowledge that I'll get a little better at it as the days pass by

for a peaceful weekend in which I got almost enough rest


Forgiveness ... is the finishing of old business that allows us to experience the present, free of contamination from the past.
~~ unknown

Amazing Grace

Rhema Marvanne - 'Amazing Grace' REVISED 6/11 from Black Olive Media.com on Vimeo.

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.

This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing..

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years, just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Friday the 13th

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I get to be sober again all day

for the unity that's spelled out in Tradition One of the 12/12. Without it, I, along with countless others, would not still be here.

that my illness is a mild case of bronchitis. The headaches that accompany the heavy coughing are not caused by a brain tumor which I thought might end my life at any moment.

that I'm gonna have to rest all weekend -- doctor's orders! I am not going to like this.

Self-care is critical to having a strong inner foundation. Taking good care of YOU means the people in your life will receive the best of you rather than what is left of you.
- Lorraine Cohen

Thursday RANT!

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that a California judge said that my constitutional right to marry the human being that I want to marry should not be up to the voters

that I seem to be the only person who thinks Steven Slater (ex-flight attendant) is a friggin' fool. He caused a hundred passengers to miss connections and meetings due to his selfishness.

that I think it's some kind of karma that former Senator Ted Stevens (the $450M bridge to nowhere) died when his small airplane flew into the side of a mountain. There ain't no bridge/mountain high enough?

that it will all work out in the end. If it hasn't worked out, it isn't the end!

You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
- Rabindranath Tagore

good thangs come-a-knockin'

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I didn't really have a nervous breakdown 7 years ago; I was just on my way to my alcoholic bottom

for the many things I have accomplished during my 56 years on this little planet; it's a very long list when I really think about it and I bet your list would be just as long or longer!

that I'm no longer a living hell for/to my partner

for the concept of detachment that I've learned in Al Anon, although sometimes I think I may detach too much (Syd?)


A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.
- Ralph Nader

8-10-10

I used to have a sign at my door that said, "No Solicitors" but I like this doormat too.



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that, even though my memory isn't very good, I can remember what I did last night

that, even though my memory isn't very good, I can remember what I did last night

that, even though my memory isn't very good, I can remember what I did last night

and I don't plan on drinking today

I'm up really early today, so I'm off to the gym


Where there is no vision, there is no hope.
- George Washington Carver

Walking through the door

This week, I'll post some pictures of doormats you probably haven't seen before.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that if I stay sober today (and I think I will) I'll have a real good chance of practicing and experiencing some recovery

for recovery fellowship - without it, I'd be drinking. No if's, and's or but's.

that I am a little better at adjusting to life when things don't go the way I want them to

for a free ticket to see comedian Kathy Griffin with a group of friends in recovery this past Saturday (I'm glad I didn't pay for it!)


It is our choices ... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
- J. K. Rowling

Understanding Engineers part 2

Understanding Engineers Four

The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?"

The graduate with an engineering degree asks, "How does it work?"

The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?"

The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"



Understanding Engineers Five

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.



Understanding Engineers Six

An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess."

He bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn back into a beautiful princess and stay with you for one week."

The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want."

Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"

The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool."

Understanding Engineers part 1

Understanding Engineers One

Two engineering students were biking across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"

The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."

The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway."



Understanding Engineers Two

To the optimist, the glass is half-full.
To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty.
To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.



Understanding Engineers Three

A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with those guys? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!"

The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!"

The priest said, "Here comes the green-keeper. Let's have a word with him." He said, "Hello George, what's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?"

The green-keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firemen. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."

The group fell silent for a moment.

The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."

The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything he can do for them.

The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?"

The Promises

This is YOUR lucky day!! click here



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful for The Promises ...

... If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through (step 9).
... We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
... We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
... We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know a new peace.
... No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
... That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
... We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
... Self-seeking will slip away.
... Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
... Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
... We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
... We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.
- Brian Tracy

feelin' it

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that we had 20 persons at our Eyes Wide Shut meeting yesterday (6:30am). Traditionally, it averages about 10-12 souls. We have been having 15-16 lately, but 20 looked huge!

that some of the most wonderful AA meetings I've attended have had less than 10 attendees

for the absolutely incredible effect that the practice of Step 3 has on my day-to-day life. Being able to just let go and allow life to happen, without fighting it or anybody, is the best way to serenity that I've found. Thanks, y'all.

that I understand almost enough new technology to get by

Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.
- Marianne Williamson

not much new, but I'm here as always

redneck baby chair AND teething ring

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that it was what it was, but more importantly, it is what it is

that I found a Higher Power even though I thought the idea was rubbish
that I'm rough around the edges and I'll always be that way

for the aging process (I may not be grateful for this in a few years, so I thought I'd mention it now)

A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain.
- Samuel Johnson

room for two

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I woke up sober this morning, no hangover or anything

that I don't have to wonder about how much of a fool I made of myself last night. I remember everything.

that my less than pure thoughts don't turn into actions or bad behavior (usually)

that I am more open about sharing about my sarcasm and smart-ass-ness than I used to be. That doesn't mean I have any intention of curtailing such behavior. I believe this is covered in the steps.


No man who is occupied in doing a very difficult thing, and doing it very well, ever loses his self-respect.
- George Bernard Shaw

Step this way ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for a very pleasant weekend, although it's hot as hell here (like many places)

for the things I've learned from Step 4 -- "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves." It teaches me to continuously look at my part in everything that happens in my life.

in a meeting about Step 4, someone shared, "I am waiting for the day when I don't have a part in something that happens in my life." Love it!!

for end-of-the-month birthday nights at Lambda Center. For July, we had 24 celebrants with 290 years of sobriety.

that I got to participate in another Lambda fundraiser -- our own version of The Gong Show. It was a lot of fun. Later this month, I'll be hosting/emceeing our own version of The Newlywed Game, which we've renamed The Gaylywed Game.


Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.
- Conrad Hilton

By any other name ...

Take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are some examples ...

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3. Intaxicaton : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation : Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

6. Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

7. Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8. Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte : To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Osteopornosis : A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon : It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido : All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

And the winners are:

1. Coffee, n.. The person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3.. Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4 esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6.. Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph, v.. To walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.