Life in the CASE Lane

Credit where credit is due....

2009-04-14T00:16:00.003-06:00

All right. So it has been over 2 months since I left a post on my blog. I thought it was time to give some credit where it is due.

Most of you know that I am a pretty conservative Republican, with my views being heavily influenced by my deep religious beliefs and some personal Libertarian view points. I think it would be reasonable to say that a person with strong Mormon beliefs who votes Republican and has some Libertarian leanings is not very likely to give good marks to President Obama. But I feel that in order to be honest, I need to say that in at least one area I am very pleased with some recent actions of the President.

As you all know, recently the ship Maersk Alabama was assaulted by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The under-armed crew fought back and disabled the functionality of the ship before surrendering to the pirates. The captain of the ship, Richard Phillips, offered to go with the pirates to their ship to free his crew. The pirates took the captain as hostage and went to their ship, freeing the Captain's crew to receive the aid they needed.

The pirates made a dash for land but were intercepted before they were able to reach land by US Navy Ships. As negotiations for the safe release of Captain Phillips continued on, President "Obama said yes to a Pentagon request for standing authority to use appropriate force to save the life of the captain". (source). (Of course, nobody outside the appropriate people knew this authority had been given at the time).

As negotiations faltered, the local military authority felt that the captain's life was in jeopardy and approved 3 simultaneous shots which killed 3 of the 4 pirates. (I believe the 3 killed pirates were pointing their weapons at the captain, and the 4th was on the phone doing the negotiations).

Bravo the the bravery of the ship's captain who willingly made himself a hostage, and put himself in harms way, to provide for the safety of others.

Bravo for the skill of the Navy Seals who complied with their orders and were thus able to help return an American home safely. I believe some news reports said the the seas were choppy and getting worse, but the marksmen did their job flawlessly.

Bravo for the guts of the local military authority who made the call to rescue the captain.

And a GIANT BRAVO for President Obama and his willingness to give standing authority to the military to save the life of the captain.

I do not believe in President Obama's economic policies. I do not believe that President Obama has the experience necessary to lead this country to safety in these trying times (either economically or against the terrorist threat we have been under for the last decade). But today I have much more confidence in a President who was willing to give his military commanders standing authority in a grave situation to save the life the that ship's captain. The potential "political" fallout would have been very severe for President Obama if the rescue had failed and the captain had lost his life. But, in my opinion the President evaluated the situation at hand and made the correct call, the "right" call, the "just" call. This gives me more hope for the future.

Don't expect me to agree with everything President Obama proposes. Do expect me to give him credit as he makes the tough decisions in a way that I can support.

Dave

Hawaii Photo Album

2009-02-17T21:12:00.002-07:00

By far the most feed back I have received has been from the photos from Hawaii we posted. I have uploaded all of the photos from Sue's camera to a site that you can review. All you have to do is click on this link and you can see all 75 photos from this year's trip.

There are additional flower photos from Sue, some additional whale watching photos, and some more photos of the trip to Haleakala as well as other interesting (at least to me) shots.

I hope you have as much fun looking at the photos as we had taking them!

Dave

Change. (And I'm not talking about nickels and dimes).

2009-02-08T19:48:00.002-07:00

I am, I think, at a point of significant change in my life. So, today being Sunday, I have spent some time thinking about "change" and the significance it has.

First: a warning. This will be a pretty weird post by me. Feel free to skip it. If you decide to disregard this warning and read it, you will end up with a view into my thoughts and musings, and that can be pretty scary!

I do some pretty weird things when I am considering some of my feelings. Sometimes I like to Google the subject and while doing this tonight I came up with a couple of interesting (to me) observations.

The first is a Wikipedia entry about Greek philosopher named Heraclitus. I think that everyone is acquainted with the saying that "There is nothing as constant as change". I guess that Heraclitus is the person credited with originally coming up with that saying. According to Wikipedia he actually said "Nothing endures but change", but it has also been translated as "There is nothing permanent except change" or "The only constant is change".

The second is a quote by an unknown person. I looked and looked for the author but was never able to find who originally said it. There were lots of websites that made reference to the quote, but when it was attributed, it was always "Author Unknown". The quote is: "If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies". I thought that was pretty profound.

There are several things that have caused me to think about change today. Jason may or may not be looking to change his employment in the next month or so. Dan & Janelle and their family will be leaving us in about 2 months to live for 4 months in Gary, Indiana as he tries his hand at selling security systems. Matt & Kathie and their family are considering (as I understand it, no decision has been made YET) going with Dan & Janelle. And today I was released as the membership clerk in the YSA Ward that I have served in for the last 3.5 years.

The last change I mentioned has probably made me look at hardest at the changes occurring in my life. I served for about 1.5 years as the financial clerk to Bishop Woolley. I then served almost 9 years as a clerk in the Stake, first as financial clerk and then as Stake Computer Specialist. I had a year away from clerking, serving as the 2nd assistant in the Ward High Priest Group leadership, and then I received the call that I was released from today. So I can say that for pretty much 14 of the last 15 years I have been serving as a clerk.

I don't anticipate serving soon again in a clerking capacity (of course, nobody knows Heavenly Father's plans for them). I do want to serve where the Lord wants me to serve, but the last 3 months were pretty hard for me. I feel like I did not finish the race at a full sprint, but that I barely stumbled across the finish line. I was burnt out from being a clerk. I am embarrassed to say that. I feel like I did not "magnify" the calling for the last 3 months. I've known Bishop Arnell for probably 18 years and I felt that I let him down, too.

I am excited about the new Bishop. It is my best friend, Tom. He struggled a bit as the Spirit whispered to him that he would receive this call, but was able to put his trust in the Lord and is now looking forward to serving in this capacity.

So, as this is a season of change for me, maybe I can turn this into a positive and serve valiantly. If I had my choice, I would like to teach a youth Sunday School class, so that I could attend High Priest group meeting during priesthood time. But I will serve where Bishop Rascon and his counselors feel impressed to call me to serve.

Maybe I can also do some work on getting into better shape, losing some weight, and being a better grandpa, father, husband and person.

And maybe, just maybe, when you read this blog a year from now, you will see the change that started today was the beginning of my metamorphosis!

Whale Pictures!

2009-01-31T14:15:00.006-07:00

While I have not received any comments on the last few postings, I am continuing to post because it serves as sort of a journal.

We went on a whale watch cruise yesterday. We chose the sunset cruise, which left at around 3:45 pm and got back to the harbor shortly before six. (The sun sets around 6:20 here in the Islands at this time of the year). While on the cruise Sue took a ton of pics and we were able to get some of the whales. We spent the entire cruise circling a mother whale, her baby, and the male escort. All of the pics you see here are the baby. Thanks to Sue's 10 megapixel camera we were able to crop some of the photos down enough so that you can see the whale close-up.

Sue and I are having an argument right now. She says that since she took the pictures she should get to post them. I say that since I brought the laptop to Hawaii and manipulated the photos I get to post them. After a knock-down confrontation, we agreed that I would post 3 and she would post the best 2. So here are the 3 that I get to post - you will have to go to Sue's blog to see the other 2.

Here is the baby whale, breaching out of the water.

This baby (they tell us he was male) was funny. He liked to poke his head up with his mouth open. We didn't get any shots with his mouth opening, but here is one with him poking his head out of the ocean. If you look closely, you can see the 2 holes that form his blow-hole.

This is the baby popping up away from us.

We spent the entire cruise circling this trio of whales and really enjoyed it. It would have been a little nicer if we had left them after about 1/2 the cruise and gone in search of a competition pod, but all in all we really enjoyed the cruise.

The company we went out with, Ultimate Whale Watch, is the same company we went with last year. We have gone out with 4-6 different companies, but I like this company best. We are in a 24 passenger zodiac boat that has a steel bottom. The buoyancy of the boat comes from the air-filled tubes that I sit on. There are also chairs (bench seats) for about 10-12 people, but I prefer to sit on the side. We are scheduled to go with them again on Monday and I will try to get Sue to take a photo of the "Wiki Wahine" (which in Hawaiian means "fast woman"). In the meantime, this image is from their home page:

Aloha!

Hawaiian Weather

2009-01-30T00:46:00.005-07:00

I love Hawaii. I love being on an Island. I love the green plants that live everywhere. I love the lava rocks. I love the ocean. I love driving a convertible. I love being warm all the time. I love knowing Maui well enough that I don't have to refer to maps to determine where to go.

But, just as the rose has thorns, so too Hawaii has something to remind you that beauty must pay a price. In my opinion, it is the weather.

In my prior post I mentioned that we drove to the top of Haleakala and really enjoyed the day. That was Monday. When we left Kihei the temperature was 82 degrees. When we reached the summit it had dropped to 56 degrees. This I believe is a normal range for going from sea level to 10,023 feet above sea level. However, as we started down the mountain, the clouds rolled in.

Tuesday it rained all day. We were prepared for rain and spent most of the day in Ka'anapali. We had lunch at Leilani's and also did some shopping. We had a great dinner at Roy's in Kihei and made arrangements to meet at Stella Blue's for breakfast on Wednesday, dressed in swimming suits because we were going to hit the beach.

You guessed it. It rained all day on Wednesday. We hit Stella Blue's for breakfast, in our swimsuits, but went back to the condos and changed into regular clothes. We then spent some more time in Lahaina, doing some shopping, and went to dinner at Kimo's. While in Lahaina Sue found some ocean glass that she bought for a very reasonable price. She got a piece for her necklace, and a set of earrings. Here are some photos from Kimo's:

Tom & Lani

Wally & Beth

Sue & I

We made arrangements to meet at Mekena Beach today (Thursday). Each couple rented a beach umbrella and 2 lounge chairs (cost per couple: $35/day) and had a great morning at the beach. We went to lunch at the pool area at the Maui Prince hotel, which is right on Makena Beach. While we were at lunch the winds came up and blew a bunch of clouds in, so we lost the sun! We spent a couple more hours at the beach but it was frustrating to me because we lost the sun again! I'm sure that tomorrow will be better.

We have a whale watch scheduled tomorrow with Ultimate Whale Watch out of Lahaina. It is a late afternoon trip, and we will get back to the harbor at dusk. We went out with them last year and really liked it. They have a zodiac boat that holds about 20 people and gets you close to the water. We are really looking forward to it. We are also scheduled to go with them again on Monday.

Aloha!

Vacation!

2009-01-26T22:33:00.012-07:00

It's VACATION time!

Every year since 1995 (except for 2) we have taken a trip to Hawaii with our good friends Tom & Lani. Some of the years we have also had the pleasure of Wally & Beth's company. For 2009, it is all 6 of us and that time has arrived!

Sue and I flew to Hawaii last Saturday (the 24th). Tom & Lani flew in this afternoon (Monday), and Wally & Beth flew in tonight. We had dinner with Tom & Lani at Fred's Mexican Cantina but we have not yet seen Wally & Beth.

We have a few simple rules on our vacations. Each couple gets their own condo and car. We usually decide where we are going to eat our next meal at the time of the current meal. If a couple decides they don't want to do what the group wants to do they have the time to themselves and nobodies feelings are hurt. We also try to limit the amount of time that we talk about our families so that we focus on spending time together.

With the fact that we were on our own today, Sue and I decided to drive to the top of Haleakala. Haleakala is in impressive part of the island of Maui. Maui is called "The Valley Isle" because it is basically 2 large mountains (extinct/dormant volcanos) with a valley between them. The island can be thought of as the west side (where Lahaina and Kaanapali and Kapalua are located) and the south side (where Kihei and Waimea and Makena are located). Haleakala makes up the southern portion of the island, and rises from the sea to a summit that is 10,023 feet above sea level. Starting in Kihei, where we stay, it is a nice day's activity to drive 37 miles to the summit of Mount Haleakala. It is a real curvy road with lots of blind turns and steep dropoffs.

We were lucky (or blessed) in that the mountain on the drive up was cloud-free and we could see all the way down. We could see the port of Kahului and we could see Maalaea Bay and lots of other interesting views. On the way down the clouds drew in and we could not see anything.

Here are some photos we have taken to this point on our vacation:

1) Sue works for Worldmark. Every day at work, above her desk, is a poster of the swimming pool at the Worldmark location in Kihei. Sue decided to do her pose of the girl in the poster, but in her normal clothes and not her swimsuit. She then shared it with her boss and coworkers to prove to them that this is where she is staying!

2) Me at breakfast Sunday morning at Stella Blue's restaurant. The place is named after a song performed by the Grateful Dead. I think I am already looking pretty relaxed!

3) My sweetheart at breakfast. Looking good, Sue!

4) Sue, with the city of Kahului behind her. I think we are at about 7500 feet above sea level where this photo was taken.

5) Me, at the same location, but with Kihei and Maalaea Bay in the background.

6) Me, in our rental car. It is so fun to drive a convertible that we pretty much always try to rent one.

7) The first time we came to Hawaii was probably in 1991 or 1992. As we got off the airplane in Honolulu we were amazed at the tropical setting and the flowers that are ALWAYS blooming. On this trip Sue wanted to get some photos of the different flowers to share with the friends back home. Here are the first few she took:

We are really pleased with the photos and how they turned out. These were taken with the camera that Sue bought right after Christmas from an infomercial on TV. It has been fun.

Please leave any comments if you want more info on the Hawaiian activities!

Dave

Time

2009-01-14T01:00:00.003-07:00

Where does it go?

I just can't believe it has been over a month since my last post. We are already 2 weeks into the new year, and in 10 days Sue and I will be leaving for our annual trip to Hawaii.

It seems incredible to me that time goes by so quickly. As a young boy, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas took FOREVER to pass. Now, as a grandpa, it feels like you have Thanksgiving dinner, then go to the family room to open Christmas presents.

I have discovered that at least one thing, however, can make time seem to stand still. That thing is missing someone. Right now Sue and I have just passed the first week of 4 weeks without Janelle, Bailee, or Afton. Yes, Janelle stole our two precious granddaughters from us and went to visit her sister and family in Boston. (Can you imagine she would be so mean?) They are going to be gone for almost three weeks, but get back 2 days after we leave for Hawaii. So, while I am looking forward to spending 11 days in Hawaii, I'm also already looking forward to coming home so I can see them again.

And for those of you who know me, that is a MAJOR change to how I view our annual Hawaii vacation!

Being a Grandpa is so AWESOME!

2008-12-11T23:10:00.007-07:00

I love being a grandpa!

There. I've said it. And it is published on the Internet for everyone to know forever.

Being a grandpa is so much better than being a parent. As a parent, you are always putting what is best for the child first, and sometimes that means being strict or being the bad guy. As a grandpa, I take my solemn duty of spoiling my grandkids seriously. I figure that their parents are better parents than I ever was, and so I don't have to worry about what is best for my grandchild. I just spoil 'em rotten and leave the worry to their parents!

There are a couple of very funny but true sayings about grandparents and grandchildren. They are related to each other, but are a little different. The one attributed to Sam Levenson states "The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy." The one attributed to Claudette Colbert states "Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? They have the same enemy - the mother."

Now, before I get my daughters feeling bad and thinking that I view them as my enemy, let me state categorically that I do NOT consider my daughters to be my enemies. That being said, the truth is that my grandchildren and I will sometimes want to do things that their moms or dads will not exactly "approve" of. And that is part of the fun of being a grandpa! For example, I try to remember to ask permission to give my grandkids a treat, but sometimes....well.... Let's just say that sometimes they end up going home on a sugar high from the treats grandpa has given them!

I love it when my oldest grandchild, Bailee, comes to me and asks if she can do something. As a parent I almost looked for reasons to say "no", but as grandpa I want to say "yes" whenever I can. There have been times when we have conspired together to do something and that is so fun. I am probably closer to Bailee than any of the other grandchildren, because she is oldest and is most easy to have a conversation with. She is spending the night with Sue and me tonight, which is something not easily accomplished by her cousins.

Bailee's younger sister, Afton (who just turned 1 year old), is so funny. We went to dinner tonight with Dan & Janelle and their family. I was the last one to arrive at the table because I had dropped Sue off at the door and then parked the car. Afton didn't see me come to the table and when I sat down she got the biggest grin on her face and pointed at me and said "pa-pa". (I am pa-pa Dave to my grandkids, with pa-pa meaning Grandpa, not Dad). It made me feel so neat.

Janie, our second oldest grandchild, is a special bundle of joy. She will have to face some special issues in life that I never had to overcome, but I am at peace knowing the Gosple Plan for her. I love to pick her up and cuddle with her. And whenever I do (and I don't do it often enough), she quiets right down and seems to enjoy looking me in the eye. I don't enjoy singing in front of others, but I love to sing to Janie because she really loves it, and she makes me feel special when I sing for her.

Ammon, our youngest grandchild, is also our only grandson. He is so funny to watch and play with. I predict that he is going to be a schemer as he gets older. He gets this look in his eye like he is plotting the end of the world (not that he is being evil, it is just that he has great plans). He loves to examine new things and he is all BOY. He is so fun, and I have to say, so significantly different from his Case family cousins.

I'm sure that you have all seen the copies of our family portrait, but I am including it here below so that you can see who I am talking about:

Left to right, standing, is Andy, Sue, and Me.
Left to right, sitting in family groups, are:

Matt & Kathie, with their son Ammon
Dan & Janelle, with their daughters Bailee and Afton
Jason & Meg, with their daughter Janie

With a family like this, life is wonderful!

Dave

P.S. If any of my cousins read this I would be very interested in hearing from them and knowing how close they are to being a grandparent!

Google is going to take over the world.....

2008-12-11T02:42:00.003-07:00

Alright.

I admit it.

I am a BIG FAN of Google.

I am really impressed with their company culture and the products they come out with. I have been using Gmail for many, many years, and I love their search results.

Anytime I need directions, I turn to Google Maps. And I love street view in Google Maps.

I love Google Earth.

Of course, this blog is done with Google software.

I have used Google Calendar for years, and love the SMS (Text) message alerts it sends to me when I need a reminder about a meeting.

I've played around with Google Docs & Spreadsheets, and am pretty impressed with that product.

Google Groups helps me do a lot of research in my employment.

So why am I telling you about everything I like about Google? Well, I've just started using another product called Google Alerts. Basically, I have selected 3 or 4 search phrases and whenever Google finds something new that meets the search phrase, it sends me a daily e-mail to let me know so that I can read further up on it.

I got this idea from Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert cartoon. He has Google Alerts send him e-mail about a medical condition that has afflicted him for many years.

With the recent news about Wyndham Resorts, and seeing how dependent my family is on that company, I have decided to get e-mails about Wyndham. I have been able to read about the layoffs and get a better feeling for what the company is attempting to do. It has helped calm me a little about the company.

So my suggestion to you is to give it a try. Go to Google Alerts and give it a try. If there is a subject that interests you, you might find it quite interesting to see new items on the Internet about that subject.

Dave

P.S. For those of you who want to know, beginning with this post my blog is now public for all to read.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T07:35:00.004-07:00

I would suppose that being the day before Thanksgiving it would be appropriate to write a post expanding on the things that I am thankful for. Maybe by so doing I can avoid falling under the condemnation of D&C 59:21 which states:

And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.

I am so very thankful to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I am thankful for the Church organization and those who teach me more about the Gospel. The Gospel gives me direction in my life, shows me the value and importance of my family relationships, and, perhaps most importantly, teaches me who I really am and who I can become.

I am grateful for the selfless sacrifice of my eldest brother. Without Him, and His willingness to do everything for me, I would have no chance to return to my Heavenly Parents and partake of Salvation and Exaltation.

I am grateful for a wife, companion, and sweetheart who loves me and is constantly doing things to make things better for me. Her efforts often go on without any comments or spoken thanks, but they are never unnoticed. Next month marks 30 years that we have spent together, which is a long time for her to put up with me! I am thankful she has done so, and hope she continues to do so!

I am grateful for four wonderful sons and the joy they have brought into my life for the past 21-28 years.

I am grateful for three wonderful daughters (I hate the word combination daughters-in-law) who by choice joined this family and in so doing improved our family in ways that cannot be measured. They have improved my sons and shown them their potentials. They have also helped me see things from a kinder, gentler side or point of view.

I am grateful for four grandchildren. They really are the light of my life. As a grandfather, I understand better the meaning of Psalms 127:5 than I ever did as a father, and I hope that my quiver continues to grow. :) There is a saying that you are always happy to see your grandkids, and sometimes you are happy to see them go home. While that is true, it is always awesome to hold them and give them loves.

I am grateful for parents who are the epitome of the phrase from "I am a Child of God" that states "has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear". To this day they still inspire me and provide an example for me that I am unable to replicate. When I consider the tireless service that I see my dad offer to the Lord as he serves in his 7th Bishopric at the age of 74 (almost 75) or the immense love that my mother has for my father, proven by her actions that she left the country of her birth and her family and immigrated to America to raise a family, I get very emotional. I am in awe of my parents and feel that I have the best parents on earth.

I am grateful for my employment with Wavelink. I am grateful for the opportunity to earn a wage to provide for our needs.

I am grateful for friends, and the support they are. Sometimes friends are able to fill a need that nobody else can meet.

I am grateful to each of you.

God bless you.

Dave

Economic Recovery and President-Elect Obama

2008-11-23T00:39:00.005-07:00

Well, as I stated in the Blog title, this blog is about things that interest me. Right now I am very concerned about the economy, so I decided to put some of my feelings into a blog entry. I probably wont get any comments because it is such a boring subject, but it's my blog and I can write about the economy if I want to!

As I write this, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is at just over 8000 points. The only reason it is that high is that on Friday of this week it rallied for almost 500 points, meaning that Thursday the DJIA closed at about 7550. While the DJIA is not the economy, I believe that is a gauge of the people's belief in their economic futures, and I believe that the relatively low level of the DJIA is telling America that we are concerned about the future. But what worries me even more is that I don't see things changing for a while. Let me explain.

Just under a year ago, on December 6, 2007, the DJIA closed at 13,727. Since that time we have had bailouts of the Insurance companies, of Mortgage companies, of Banks and now the Automobile industry. All of these have contributed, along with concerns for our financial future, to drive the DJIA to the area it is at today. In my opinion, the way to get the market moving again (and thus, to get the DJIA back to where it was a year ago) is to encourage people to invest. But, with the change of administration, I don't see that happening. Here are my reasons that this is not going to happen.

President-Elect Obama has expressed his opinion that business needs to pay their fair share of the taxes, and feels that taxes on business need to be raised. He has specifically mentioned small businesses and big businesses as being subject to tax increases. There are, in my opinion, at least 2 reasons that his opinion is incorrect: First of all, businesses don't really pay taxes, customers of businesses pay taxes. Secondly, raising taxes on small businesses, where most of America's new jobs are created, will make the small business owner think twice about expanding payroll, so that the additional taxes can be paid. This will cause fewer jobs to be created which pushes the economy in the exact direction we do not want it to go. Also, that small business owner is less likely to invest in the small market as he is looking for sources of funds for the additional taxes he has to pay.
President-Elect Obama would like to raise the capital gains tax from 15% to 20% for those who are in the highest tax bracket. In my opinion, during financially troubled times, a tax increase rates as an impediment to encouraging investment, while a tax decrease rates as an incentive for encouraging investment. People who are in the highest tax bracket are the very people that should be encouraged to be investing in America. With the uncertainty of a possible capital gains tax increase, I believe that many will adopt a "wait and see" attitude, thus affecting our economic recovery.
President-Elect Obama has expressed the opinion that business needs to have tighter regulations and oversight. By so doing, he has again struck at the very segment of society, those who are in the highest tax bracket, who we need to be "betting on America" by invtesting in America. If he is successful, businesses will move more jobs overseas to locations where the regulations will not be as harsh, and we will suffer through additional loss of "American Jobs", and its corresponding tax revenue shortfalls.

Because of these reasons, I believe that many people are going to sit on the sidelines, waiting to get into the game, before returning to the financial markets. I think it will probably take at lease 3 months after being sworn into office, and maybe longer, for people to believe that President-Elect Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid will not screw up the country.

So, in my opinion, don't expect an economic recovery to begin before about May 1, 2009. And it may be later, depending on the decisions that this Democratic White House and Congress make in the meantime.

Dave

Not much point in having a Blog if you don't have readers.....

2008-11-21T05:02:00.003-07:00

Meg asked:

Wow... am I legal to see this?

And the answer is: Yes

This is a closed blog (i.e. only those who I invite can read it). However, after making my first post, I added each of you 7 (Jason, Meg, Dan, Janelle, Matt, Kathie and Andy). You should have received an e-mail inviting you to read the blog.

Now I have a question for you (and everyone else who reads this blog):

Can you read the blog without undue hardship?

As you have noticed, I have gone for a very "clean" look. My blog will never be as professional looking or as decorated as the rest of you (Meg, Janelle, Kathie, Sue), but I want it to have a personality of its own. And it is important that it be legible.

Please leave a note letting me know if you can or cannot read the blog easily.

Thanks!

Dave

P.S.

While it is a closed blog right now, there are no guarantees that it will remain that way forever. Please make sure to not post identifying information as you leave comments.

:)

First Post!

2008-11-20T23:36:00.004-07:00

Wow! I am finally getting it started.

This blog, believe it or not, is about 3 or 4 years in the making. About a year or 2 after Google acquired Blogger (in 2003), I looked into setting up my own blog. I doubted that I would ever have anything important to say, and so it fell by the wayside. Then, when Meg started her blog about Janie, I revisited the idea, but didn't get anywhere. And, as Janelle and Kathie have entered the blogsphere I have looked at it again, but I was too lazy (or, more likely, spending too much time playing WoW) to get a blog going. BUT......when my technology challenged sweetheart, Sue, had the audacity to get one started, I decided I had to jump in.

I guess I never really liked the layouts that were offered. I looked at probably hundreds of templates but was never able to find the "one" that I wanted for my blog. So, I did what I do when I am programming......I stole ideas! I found a template that I liked, and I stripped it of a lot of "fluff". Then I changed colors and positions and widths and layouts and made it my own. So, I am open for suggestions if you have trouble reading my blog. However, one point that is not likely to change is the "width" of the blog. I tried to make my blog readable in 1024x768 screen resolution, and if you are at that resolution and cannot read my blog, or if there are "slider bars", please let me know and I will try to make some adjustments. However, if your screen resolution is less than 1024x768 and so you cannot see the entire blog (side-to-side) on your monitor, I don't think there will be much that I will be willing to change to make it better for you. (If you have questions, let me know, and I will look at it).

Anyway, thanks for reading!