Here's the first in a series of photos of Nabor Dan and friends from the Big Meadow trip.
On my left is Mike on his horse Raider. I'm riding Pine. - ND
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Nabor Dan Returns...
I have returned from my week of horse camping with a slew of new content for you. I know I have been remiss in posting over the last couple of months, but I intend on getting lots of new posts out to you over the next several weeks so keep your browsers refreshed and stay tuned...
Here's the first in a series of photos of Nabor Dan and friends from the Big Meadow trip.
On my left is Mike on his horse Raider. I'm riding Pine.
Here's the first in a series of photos of Nabor Dan and friends from the Big Meadow trip.
On my left is Mike on his horse Raider. I'm riding Pine. 
Monday, August 18, 2008
Great photo...
I'm rarely happy about the photos that are taken of me. Anyone who knows me will have at least one picture of me making "crazy eyes" or just looking in general like I'm suffering from a huge gas bubble. I'm convinced ( and let's hope that I'm right about this) that I look better in person then on film. I'm comfortable with the fact that I'm not really very photogenic...
A friend of mine had this picture of me in her album, and was nice enough to forward it along. I think that it's one of the best pic's I've seen of me in a long time.
Thanks to Jamie for the forward... Thanks to Jamie and Shanon for helping make me look this good.
- ND
PS - this was taken at Topsiders at Lake of The Ozarks after the Rocklahoma trip.
A friend of mine had this picture of me in her album, and was nice enough to forward it along. I think that it's one of the best pic's I've seen of me in a long time.
Thanks to Jamie for the forward... Thanks to Jamie and Shanon for helping make me look this good.
- ND
PS - this was taken at Topsiders at Lake of The Ozarks after the Rocklahoma trip.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Rain-la-homa...
The heavens have opened and dropped a good deal of rain on the town of Prior Oklahoma. We have the good providence to have an RV to sit in and wait out the rain. Here is a video from the RV.
We are 5 hours from showtime. If the rains stop... we should be fine. If the rain continues. A nice day in the RV will be had by all.
- ND
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Headway...
I'm sure that it has become a running gag with my friends and co-workers, that at any time if asked, I would be headed to a homeowners meeting. Unfortunately, the process has been anything but a joke. It has been the meeting equivalent of the Bataan Death March. Finally however, it seemed like we are getting somewhere, and perhaps the light at the proverbial "end of the tunnel" might be flickering in the distance.
Last Friday was a turning point for me. I had a special meeting scheduled to finally put to rest an issue that has been dividing the assembly for months. I thought that I had sufficient votes rallied to pass the motion, and was looking forward to moving on after literally months of contentious meetings over the issue. As it turned out, the meeting devolved into a yelling match (of which I did not partake) between some trustees and a few homeowners. I was appalled by the whole scene, and walked away totally dejected. I told myself that I couldn't be part of an organization so dysfunctional. I'd have to resign from this mess and let someone who had a higher pain tolerance take it from there. Then I remembered a quote I'd once heard...
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing."
After some soul searching I decided that it would be better to fight then flee. So I got on the phone with some of the other trustees and helped arrange a meeting. Those that are like minded sensible people were invited, and those who thrive on chaos and disorder were excluded. A total of seven of the 11 sitting trustees were present. Enough to create a quorum and pass any resolution or motion that comes in front of the board. You might characterize it as a voting block that intends to create an orderly transition to some sort of effectiveness of the board.
The last thing I wanted to be when I started this was a politician. I didn't have a clue how difficult it would be to constantly deal with irrational people who have secret agendas, and how much of my time would be dedicated to disproving their take on rules and laws. If we can simply achieve a few of the goals that we set out to achieve, then the initial nightmare will have been worth the effort. If the coalition that has been formed can stand together then all things are possible. If the coalition falls apart then all of the efforts to date will have accomplished exactly nothing.
We will see if my diplomatic skills are enough to keep things on track, or if they wilt in the onslaught that is sure to develop when the "outsiders" find out they have been out maneuvered. The coalition intends to be fair and honest, but that might not prove to be enough to move our agenda. Those who favor doing things "their way" always tend to have the loudest voices and the largest banners. Those who attempt to maintain a dignified and contemplative approach are drowned out by the shrill voices of the dissenters. Only time will tell if the outsiders will fall in line.
Wish me luck.
- ND
Last Friday was a turning point for me. I had a special meeting scheduled to finally put to rest an issue that has been dividing the assembly for months. I thought that I had sufficient votes rallied to pass the motion, and was looking forward to moving on after literally months of contentious meetings over the issue. As it turned out, the meeting devolved into a yelling match (of which I did not partake) between some trustees and a few homeowners. I was appalled by the whole scene, and walked away totally dejected. I told myself that I couldn't be part of an organization so dysfunctional. I'd have to resign from this mess and let someone who had a higher pain tolerance take it from there. Then I remembered a quote I'd once heard...
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing."
After some soul searching I decided that it would be better to fight then flee. So I got on the phone with some of the other trustees and helped arrange a meeting. Those that are like minded sensible people were invited, and those who thrive on chaos and disorder were excluded. A total of seven of the 11 sitting trustees were present. Enough to create a quorum and pass any resolution or motion that comes in front of the board. You might characterize it as a voting block that intends to create an orderly transition to some sort of effectiveness of the board.
The last thing I wanted to be when I started this was a politician. I didn't have a clue how difficult it would be to constantly deal with irrational people who have secret agendas, and how much of my time would be dedicated to disproving their take on rules and laws. If we can simply achieve a few of the goals that we set out to achieve, then the initial nightmare will have been worth the effort. If the coalition that has been formed can stand together then all things are possible. If the coalition falls apart then all of the efforts to date will have accomplished exactly nothing.
We will see if my diplomatic skills are enough to keep things on track, or if they wilt in the onslaught that is sure to develop when the "outsiders" find out they have been out maneuvered. The coalition intends to be fair and honest, but that might not prove to be enough to move our agenda. Those who favor doing things "their way" always tend to have the loudest voices and the largest banners. Those who attempt to maintain a dignified and contemplative approach are drowned out by the shrill voices of the dissenters. Only time will tell if the outsiders will fall in line.
Wish me luck.
- ND
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
It's hard to argue...
This is an apparent press release from the McCain camp. It's hard not to hear the echo of another great prognosticator, yours truly, in these very words... read for yourself.
MCCAIN: THE LEXINGTON PROJECT
Wed June 25, 2008 12:50:11 ET
In recent days I have set before the American people an energy plan, the Lexington Project, named for the town where Americans asserted their independence once before. And let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025.
This pledge is addressed to all concerned -- to those abroad whose power flows from an accident of geology, and to you, my fellow Americans, whose strength proceeds from unity of purpose. Together, we will break the power of OPEC over the United States. And never again will we leave our vital interests at the mercy of any foreign power.
Some will say this goal is unattainable within that relatively short span of years -- it's too hard and we need more time. Let me remind them that in the space of half that time -- about eight years -- this nation conceived and carried out a plan to take three Americans to the Moon and bring them safely home. In less than a third of that time, the gathered energies of my father's generation built the industrial might that overcame Nazi Germany and imperial Japan. That is the scale of our achievement when we set our minds to a task. That is what this country can do when we see a danger, and declare a purpose, and find the will to act.
As president, I will turn all the apparatus of government in the direction of energy independence for our country -- authorizing new production, building nuclear plants, perfecting clean coal, improving our electricity grid, and supporting all the new technologies that one day will put the age of fossil fuels behind us. Much will be asked of industry as well, as automakers and others adapt to this great turn toward new sources of power. And a great deal will depend on each one of us, as we learn to make smarter use of energy, and also to draw on the best ideas of both parties, and work together for the common good.
This Project is not a plan calibrated to please every interest group or to meet every objection. That is how we arrived to our present predicament. That is how energy policy in Washington became a long list of subjects avoided, options ruled out, and possibilities foreclosed. Nor can I promise you that the long-term success of this Project will bring instant relief. In the mission of energy security, some tasks are the work of decades and some the work of years. And they will take all the will and resolve of which we are capable. But I can promise you this. Unless we begin this mission now, nothing will change at all, except for the worse. And when we succeed in the hard reform ahead, your children will live in a more prosperous country, in a more peaceful world.
- ND
MCCAIN: THE LEXINGTON PROJECT
Wed June 25, 2008 12:50:11 ET
In recent days I have set before the American people an energy plan, the Lexington Project, named for the town where Americans asserted their independence once before. And let it begin today with this commitment: In a world of hostile and unstable suppliers of oil, this nation will achieve strategic independence by 2025.
This pledge is addressed to all concerned -- to those abroad whose power flows from an accident of geology, and to you, my fellow Americans, whose strength proceeds from unity of purpose. Together, we will break the power of OPEC over the United States. And never again will we leave our vital interests at the mercy of any foreign power.
Some will say this goal is unattainable within that relatively short span of years -- it's too hard and we need more time. Let me remind them that in the space of half that time -- about eight years -- this nation conceived and carried out a plan to take three Americans to the Moon and bring them safely home. In less than a third of that time, the gathered energies of my father's generation built the industrial might that overcame Nazi Germany and imperial Japan. That is the scale of our achievement when we set our minds to a task. That is what this country can do when we see a danger, and declare a purpose, and find the will to act.
As president, I will turn all the apparatus of government in the direction of energy independence for our country -- authorizing new production, building nuclear plants, perfecting clean coal, improving our electricity grid, and supporting all the new technologies that one day will put the age of fossil fuels behind us. Much will be asked of industry as well, as automakers and others adapt to this great turn toward new sources of power. And a great deal will depend on each one of us, as we learn to make smarter use of energy, and also to draw on the best ideas of both parties, and work together for the common good.
This Project is not a plan calibrated to please every interest group or to meet every objection. That is how we arrived to our present predicament. That is how energy policy in Washington became a long list of subjects avoided, options ruled out, and possibilities foreclosed. Nor can I promise you that the long-term success of this Project will bring instant relief. In the mission of energy security, some tasks are the work of decades and some the work of years. And they will take all the will and resolve of which we are capable. But I can promise you this. Unless we begin this mission now, nothing will change at all, except for the worse. And when we succeed in the hard reform ahead, your children will live in a more prosperous country, in a more peaceful world.
- ND
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Milestone...
I noticed today that the counter on the blog had turned 180 days since my hypnosis session and formal quit time. I almost missed that I had reached the milestone all ex smokers eventually reach... 6 months and counting.
The last 6 months have not been without temptation and some degree of failure. I wouldn't be truthful with you if I told you that I hadn't touched as a single smoke in the last 6 months. Honestly, that would be a total fabrication. I have, on occasion... and usually under the influence of legal intoxicants, succumbed to the temptation to smoke a cigarette. Please understand that this has not made me a smoker, but just continued to reinforce that quitting was a good idea. I still consider myself a non-smoker, and I don't intend to restart the habit.
That being said, I'm glad that the process of quitting has been as easy as it has been. I am still using replacement therapy including either a patch or nicotine lozenge daily. I really don't know if I need them or if they are just a crutch. I don't really care at this point as long as I continue not smoking. As the doctor said... the patch is a whole lot better for your health then smoking.
Well... that's it for now. I hope that in another 180 days I can write about the next major milestone being as unremarkable as the first. I assume that at some point it won't be about counting anymore. It will just be something that I look back at and wonder why I ever smoked in the first place.
- ND
PS - The $680ish saved so far is helping to finance my petroleum addiction.
The last 6 months have not been without temptation and some degree of failure. I wouldn't be truthful with you if I told you that I hadn't touched as a single smoke in the last 6 months. Honestly, that would be a total fabrication. I have, on occasion... and usually under the influence of legal intoxicants, succumbed to the temptation to smoke a cigarette. Please understand that this has not made me a smoker, but just continued to reinforce that quitting was a good idea. I still consider myself a non-smoker, and I don't intend to restart the habit.
That being said, I'm glad that the process of quitting has been as easy as it has been. I am still using replacement therapy including either a patch or nicotine lozenge daily. I really don't know if I need them or if they are just a crutch. I don't really care at this point as long as I continue not smoking. As the doctor said... the patch is a whole lot better for your health then smoking.
Well... that's it for now. I hope that in another 180 days I can write about the next major milestone being as unremarkable as the first. I assume that at some point it won't be about counting anymore. It will just be something that I look back at and wonder why I ever smoked in the first place.
- ND
PS - The $680ish saved so far is helping to finance my petroleum addiction.
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