Recently, some towns in my area have installed speed bumps on certain roads in an attempt to curtail speeding. I think that this is an excellent idea. I live on a residential street; several times a day cars go by at speeds well in excess of 25 miles per hour. As a parent of young children, this definitely concerns me. I try to make a point of driving within the speed limit and carefully in other residential areas, and I would like to see others do the same.
About a year ago, my town's mayor and a councilwoman were walking through my neighborhood in advance of the '08 election. I had the chance to talk to them for a few minutes and I brought up this very point. I specifically said that my street was one that would benefit from a speed bump. So far, this has not been done, but a couple of speed bumps have been installed in other parts of town. I'm optimistic that some day this will change. In the mean time, I ask everyone to slow down and pay attention, especially in residential areas. I promise to do so as well.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sticking Up For An Old Man
I've never been a big fan of Brett Favre. He obviously is a gifted quarterback who has had a long and successful career; but I never thought very highly of him. In each of the last 3 or 4 offseasons, he has engaged in a protracted process of deciding whether or not to retire from the NFL. Each season, his team (the Packers, then the Jets), has put their plans on hold while waiting for Favre to make up his mind. At the last minute, he decides to come back, and all seems to be forgiven.
Although he certainly has the right to make careful decisions about his future, he also manages to create a media circus that dominates the sports news for weeks at a time each spring. Make no mistake about it, he is the one responsible for keeping himself in the headlines.
This year, after saying that he was retired for good, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings. At the time, I read an article (I can't remember where) that presented an interesting theory. It stated that after all his years in the league, Favre was merely tired of going to training camp each summer, so he orchestrates the charade of fake retirements in order to dealy his reporting to camp as long as possible. The more I thought about it, the more I think there might be something to this. (Not that Favre or anyone else cares what I think).
This afternoon, I turned on the TV at about 4:00 PM to check on the scores. The Giants game ended early, so the network was showing the end of the Vikings-49ers game. The Vikings were trailing by four with about two minutes left. Favre led the team down the field and threw the game-winning touchdown pass with two seconds remaining. It was a good throw, and the receiver made a great catch. But what really struck me was Favre's reaction. He seemed genuinely overjoyed at having helped the team win. This is a man who has won a Super Bowl, yet he was thrilled to win a regular season game with teammates whom he has only known for a couple of months. I thought "there's a player who really loves the game. He takes all the pain that comes with being an NFL player, and just wants to win."
Brett Favre will turn 40 soon. Since I just celebrated my 40th birthday, I find myself rooting more for the "old" guys, who are still out there, teaching those young punks in their 20s a lesson.
So a tip of the hat to you, Brett Favre, you have a new fan today.
Although he certainly has the right to make careful decisions about his future, he also manages to create a media circus that dominates the sports news for weeks at a time each spring. Make no mistake about it, he is the one responsible for keeping himself in the headlines.
This year, after saying that he was retired for good, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings. At the time, I read an article (I can't remember where) that presented an interesting theory. It stated that after all his years in the league, Favre was merely tired of going to training camp each summer, so he orchestrates the charade of fake retirements in order to dealy his reporting to camp as long as possible. The more I thought about it, the more I think there might be something to this. (Not that Favre or anyone else cares what I think).
This afternoon, I turned on the TV at about 4:00 PM to check on the scores. The Giants game ended early, so the network was showing the end of the Vikings-49ers game. The Vikings were trailing by four with about two minutes left. Favre led the team down the field and threw the game-winning touchdown pass with two seconds remaining. It was a good throw, and the receiver made a great catch. But what really struck me was Favre's reaction. He seemed genuinely overjoyed at having helped the team win. This is a man who has won a Super Bowl, yet he was thrilled to win a regular season game with teammates whom he has only known for a couple of months. I thought "there's a player who really loves the game. He takes all the pain that comes with being an NFL player, and just wants to win."
Brett Favre will turn 40 soon. Since I just celebrated my 40th birthday, I find myself rooting more for the "old" guys, who are still out there, teaching those young punks in their 20s a lesson.
So a tip of the hat to you, Brett Favre, you have a new fan today.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Four Seasons
Today is the first day of autumn. Since summer is my favorite season, this day brings a touch of sadness each year. However, with age I've hopefully gained a bit of wisdom and perspective. I can now more easily see the good in each season. For example:
Summer: Warm weather and daylight that lasts well into the evening makes for an ideal scenario to get outside and play! We often take the kids outside to either walk around the block or run around in the backyard. Summer also means shorts and Hawaiian shirts, fun times at the Shore, and swimming.
Autumn: I used to be one of those who rolled his eyes at the idea of observing the fall foliage. But it can truly be a breathtaking sight. Having the kids jump into the leaf piles can make leaf raking a much more enjoyable chore.
Winter: I'll confess: I don't like shoveling snow. Fortunately, here in New Jersey we usually only get a few signicant snowfalls each year. (Also, having a snow blower makes it considerably more tolerable). The sight of a freshly-fallen snow, especially on a day when we don't need to go anywhere, is incredibly serene.
Spring: What's not to love? Sunshine, warmer weather, flowers and baseball. And of course, more playing outside.
Maybe I'm just becoming a sentimental fool in middle age, but I really feel grateful and appreciative for everything that comes my way, all year long.
Summer: Warm weather and daylight that lasts well into the evening makes for an ideal scenario to get outside and play! We often take the kids outside to either walk around the block or run around in the backyard. Summer also means shorts and Hawaiian shirts, fun times at the Shore, and swimming.
Autumn: I used to be one of those who rolled his eyes at the idea of observing the fall foliage. But it can truly be a breathtaking sight. Having the kids jump into the leaf piles can make leaf raking a much more enjoyable chore.
Winter: I'll confess: I don't like shoveling snow. Fortunately, here in New Jersey we usually only get a few signicant snowfalls each year. (Also, having a snow blower makes it considerably more tolerable). The sight of a freshly-fallen snow, especially on a day when we don't need to go anywhere, is incredibly serene.
Spring: What's not to love? Sunshine, warmer weather, flowers and baseball. And of course, more playing outside.
Maybe I'm just becoming a sentimental fool in middle age, but I really feel grateful and appreciative for everything that comes my way, all year long.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy it. Here goes:
I have a 2-year-old son. One of his favorite things is playing with toy cars and trucks. Among his collection are green and white trucks bought from Hess gas stations the last 2 years. These are clearly sold as toys, and yet many adults buy them to collect. This means never opening the box, and keeping the truck in a closet somewhere, hoping it will increase in value. Frankly, I can't decide if this is sad or pathetic. IT'S A TOY! Even if it doubles in value, I'm sure you're not getting as much enjoyment from it as my son does by rolling the truck across the living room. If you feel the need to hoard things, try coins or stamps, not things that are meant for playing.
I have a 2-year-old son. One of his favorite things is playing with toy cars and trucks. Among his collection are green and white trucks bought from Hess gas stations the last 2 years. These are clearly sold as toys, and yet many adults buy them to collect. This means never opening the box, and keeping the truck in a closet somewhere, hoping it will increase in value. Frankly, I can't decide if this is sad or pathetic. IT'S A TOY! Even if it doubles in value, I'm sure you're not getting as much enjoyment from it as my son does by rolling the truck across the living room. If you feel the need to hoard things, try coins or stamps, not things that are meant for playing.
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