Good morning all:

Wisdom of the Week:

“The difference between an itch and a pollen allergy is about one hundred bucks.” — Anonymous

” People often need to suspend their self-promotion; someone in their lives they do not need to impress. This explains dog ownership.” — Nassim N Taleb

Drinking my morning coffee with a bit of reflection. This month, in our larger family, we lost two pets; Pegasi and Shangri-La. Their days with us are short and it amazes me how, in this short time, deep-rooted into our lives these faithful friends grow. I guess that it’s the “faithful” part that is the key.

Like many of you this is also the time of year many of us have surrounded ourselves with a mega-supply of tissue boxes; hence the need for the two quotations.

Shang’s passing does bring reminisces of times past, like this recollection. While Adrianne was serving in the Peace Corps Marcia and I took care of Shang. Since he spent two years at Hotel Pastoor it also meant that a vet checkup had to take place during his stay. Shang, normally an absolutely docile dog would panic the second he entered the examination room. I discovered that fact when he flattened himself on the table and sprayed. A skunk would have been proud of that dog’s effort. In fact, the drive home was a mile beyond just being unpleasant.

All would have ended there had it not been for the fact that that very afternoon I had to pick up the CEO, VP, and CFO of one of my customers. They were coming into town in the corporate jet. I raced home and dropped Shang off, drove my car through a full service car wash—two passes no less, and loaded up on pine scented deodorizers; to little avail. I drove with the a/c on full blast; to little avail. I parked the car at our local general aviation airport with sunroof and every window wide open; to little avail. What I remember vividly were the six bulging eyes as we began our 20-minute trek to the office.

Tunes & Blooms is a concert series held at the Zoo. With Tevita out of town and Marcia in Spanish class Adrianne suggested we take Vai and go. Let me just say that Vai was not the only one who had a great time. That was a week ago Thursday. Sunday Adrianne noticed that Vaioleti had a bit of a nose drip. Monday morning I took her and Vai to the doctor’s office. Two nebulizer treatments later a decision was made to send her to Children’s Hospital.

Children’s Hospital confirmed Brochiolitis and Pneumonia and treatments were started. The staff also confirmed that they had not seen a 19-month old patient so full of good cheer and cooperation. Needle in? OK, and her little arm went out. Replacement oxygen sensor on the big toe? OK, and she’d lift her leg to accommodate. Monday morning she was totally back to her bouncy self. By five p.m. we were all heading home.

This past Thursday Tevita, Adrianne, Vaioleti, and I were all back at the zoo for Tunes & Blooms (Marcia being back in class). While listening to two wonderful local bands we had a picnic dinner that can best be described as great culinary fare—thanks Adrianne. Vai danced up a storm and discovered the joys of grabbing mulch. If great harmonies and lyrics are of interest Google around on a band calling themselves the Newbees, Ten members strong, I thoroughly enjoyed them.

A span of exactly one week had gone by. I am amazed that a little person went from being perfectly healthy to being very sick, and then bounce right back again. Their little bodies are amazing; I’d still be moaning in bed.

Tax Day came and went—and as a nation we’re still standing. However, what is plain is that since Tax Day 2009 Libertarian sentiment has finally gone mainstream—especially among independents. A conservative “flash-mob” has emerged and is targeting the likes of the special interests that pull Washington’s strings. Special interests, made up of treasury draining vampires such as Goldman Sachs, the United Auto Workers, public employee unions, and the horde of other leeches whose push for “earmarks” are perceived as payback for dollars. They have created a ruling leadership class. Rather than Obama being the popular, transformative president of hope, his agenda has put into place a morphine-drip pushing an overarching big government agenda that mimics a European-style oversized intrusive government; and it is causing a backlash with both the extreme left and right reacting.

Somehow it seems just a bit more American to not indebt my kids with an unfathomable future tax burden, for you and I to control which charities to give our hard-earned money to, and to have enough of my money left to stick some into my grandkids pockets. I like to think that this was at least part of the dream my parents had when they brought me to this nation; a dream of living life independent of government edict and oversight, a dream begun when James Madison authored the Bill of Rights. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

Make it a great week everyone. Marlena, my prayers are with you on both fronts with hope that the two of you be healthy and able to be a joy to one another.

Cheers,

Dirk