A Christmas Visitor

(Originally posted for Christmas 2004)

4:00 am 12/24/04

There was a knock on my front door which startled me awake. My dogs were barking which required my dire threats to quieten them as I answered the door.

Maybe you have heard of our weather and the unusually cold temperatures and large amount of snow that has fallen in the last 24 hours. I live just south of Interstate 64 in Southern Indiana and you may have seen the news about the closed Interstate and stranded motorists on the national news.

A man in his early fifties, about my own age, stood at the door. He was wearing tennis shoes, jeans, a field jacket and sock hat. His glasses were frosted and his pale white hands and reddened knuckles attested to the fact that he wore no gloves.

He told me he was lost and asked for directions to a certain address. I told him that he missed his mark by a mile and a half and asked him where his car was. He said he was walking.

I invited him in and sat a chair for him by the warm air from the furnace vent. He was shivering uncontrollably, a faint whiff of alcohol was on his breath. I asked if I could fix him something to eat and he refused but accepted a cup of coffee.

My wife talked to him as he warmed himself and I could hear him speak as I prepared his fresh coffee.

My son heard his voice and came into the living room to sit and listen, and to watch, just in case.

His story unfolded.

He was homeless, he had been sleeping under a bridge over the river several miles to the West. He had decided that it was too cold and he might freeze to death if he didn't find safe shelter with more than cardboard boxes to keep him warm. About midnight, he had left his meager possessions and headed for his sisters home, a mile or so from my own home. He had walked past in the blowing snow, wind and the dark but continued forward. He was lost, confused and probably somewhat drunk. Hypothermia can add confusion to even the sober mind.

As he spoke, I realized that he had mental problems as do many of the homeless.

There are places that provide refuge for the indignant, I'm sure he knew, but they don't accept anyone who is intoxicated; which I'm also sure he knew.

He drank his coffee then asked me if I would drive him to his sisters house. He then offered me two dollars. Of course I refused the money but offered to take him where he wanted to go.

I intended to take measures to see after him and he seemed anxious to leave.

As I drove, he told me that his sister was out of town but he had permission to use her house in an emergency. I was worried that he was just lying for reasons of his own but I was determined to see the thing through, even if I had to call the police to ensure his well-being through this cold weather.

As we drove up to the house, there was a porch light on and smoke coming from the chimney vent. Even so, it was apparent that there was no one home, the snow around the house was undisturbed.

I asked him if he was sure he could get in, he said, "Yes, she (his sister) told me where the key is." He reached out his hand, as if for a hand shake, and when I offered mine, pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it saying, "God bless you".

I was profoundly embarrassed but stayed long enough to see him dig around in the snow and find a key, unlock the door and wave goodbye.

I drove home, my thoughts disturbed, by the events that had taken place.

My wife was relieved as I returned and I started preparing food, (very early,) for Christmas Eve. As I cut up fruit for salad and prepared the turkey for baking, my son came up behind me, hugged me and kissing my head, said, "Dad, you did a good thing."

Again, I was embarrassed, not by my son's hug and kiss but by his praise.

It was the right thing to do.

My son told me that he tries to help the homeless ones that hang around his place of employment. We spoke of how little we can actually do for them and I was proud of my son for being a good man and doing the right thing.

As I continued to prepare food for Christmas Eve, my thoughts drifted to a couple seeking shelter in Bethlehem and the birth of the Lamb of the New Covenant, and I felt God's Peace.

May God's Peace and blessings be with you all!
Merry Christmas.


Warren

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

The Rats Begin The Breaststroke

It begain in July with, Peter Orszag, the White House budget director. Now we have an exodus, which is normal (sure it is,) just before the fall elections.

If you ask me, there seems to be a sense of urgency as these bad actors run to cover their collective asses and salvage their careers.

Christina Romer, the chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisors becomes the first high-profile rodent to leave the foundering economic ship that is Obama's "fundamentally transformed" America.

Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who apparently has a severe case of short man syndrome, leaves to run for the mayor of Chicago (like its not corrupt enough already.)

Senior advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, (who both lie so much their tongues have turned black,) are both leaving.

The dumbest press secretary in history Robert Gibbs is leaving.

Delusional Joe Biden the Vice President was stupid enough to promise,“I guarantee you we’re going to have a majority in the House and a majority in the Senate. I absolutely believe that,”. I believe he will be forced to, "Retire and spend more time with his family." instead of running for office again.

Larry Summers will be stepping down as director of President Obama’s National Economic Council and looking for a job elsewhere, (if anyone will hire him.) Looks like Obama is running out of economists. Maybe Paul Krugman will step in, (that would be funny. He could propose something then blast himself the next day!)

It appears that some Democrat insiders are hoping Obama will take advantage of the departures to bring in outsiders, (read, someone who's sane) to challenge the president’s current team.

“They miscalculated where people were out in the country on jobs, on spending, on the deficit, on debt,” said a longtime Democratic strategist who works with the White House on a variety of issues. “They have not been able to get ahead of any of it. And it’s all about the insularity. Otherwise how do you explain how a group who came in with more goodwill in decades squandered it?”

The strategist asked not to be identified in order to speak freely about the president and his staff.

(chickencrap!)

This is not an uncommon view among Democratic political professionals, many of whom share the goals of the White House but have grown frustrated with a staff they see as unapproachable and set in their ways.

Yea, sure, Obama's policies are terrific, the problem is with his staff! So we need to move those deck chairs around.

Whoda thunk?

The President Speaks!

Over and over and over.....




Doc Zero at Hot Air said:

Let me put this bluntly: virtually no one in America gives a damn what Barack Obama says about anything at this point. What could be more predictable, and less interesting, than Obama’s opinion on any given subject? Who wants to contemplate the economic wisdom of a guy who looted the Treasury for a trillion dollars, with less benefit than we could have achieved by stuffing hundred dollar bills into random cereal boxes? Who’s excited to hear about the next plan to convert taxpayer dollars into Democrat campaign funds? Who’s hungry for another hour of tedious excuses about permanently broken markets and the titanic dead hand of George W. Bush? Who wants a lecture on ethical business practices from the titular head of the party that gave us Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters? What use is another hollow foreign-policy speech from a man who sees no global adversary to rival the menace of Arizona? Even Obama’s supporters don’t hear anything he says any more. There’s nothing left to hear.

Can I get an AMEN?

Capitalism vrs...... what?

Milton Friedman schools Phil Donohue.

Just a political message

The finished product

The long promised pictures of the finished Cobra.



I live in fear he will want to change colors...




Or have a wreck...



After the paint job came several hours of color sanding (wet sanding) to remove orange peel and give the surface a flat glassy surface.




Then buffing with a cloth pad and final buffing compound.



The last step involved a foam pad and machine glaze, a type of super fine polishing compound.



The Cobra has won "Best of Class" at a local car show. My friend believes it would have won best of show with a little more attention to the shock absorbers and some other suspension parts that could have had their looks improved with a little paint and polish.