http://youtu.be/FlcxEDy-lr0

by David Budbill

I'm glad to see our friends come:
talk, laughter, food, wine.
I'm glad to see our friends go:
solitude, emptiness, gardens,
autumn wind.

http://youtu.be/9Ra0DsbiNs0

by Louise Erdrich

The father pours the milk from his glass
into the cup of the child,
and as the child drinks
the whiteness, opening
her throat to the good taste
eagerly, the father is filled.
He closes the refrigerator
on its light, he walks out
under the bowl of frozen darkness
and nothing seems withheld from him.
Overhead, the burst ropes of stars,
the buckets of craters,
the chaos of heaven, absence
of refuge in the design.
Yet down here, his daughter
in her quilts, under patterns
of diamonds and novas,
full of rich milk,
sleeping.

Seeing these drying on our back deck just brings me all kinds of joy!

http://youtu.be/1iSlok6muY0

And while you are at it, you can stop and think a moment before you use the word "Lame".

When we bring up the topic of Annie surfing with Life Rolls On, most people cock their heads and say, "Wha?". Well here is how it all went down last weekend!

First off, we arrived at LRO-Central at La Jolla Shores Beach (they had plywood laid down on the sand to accommodate wheelchairs):


This is a professional operation!:


We saw our friend Patrick (the person who first told us about LRO):


We saw our friend Hunter:


We all received free t-shirts compliments of Citizens of Humanity clothing (the image on the front is both subtle and remarkable - very well done!):


Uncle Day came out sporting his "Go Annabelle" shirt for support (Uncle Day has a great post of his own describing the event from his perspective):


Checking out the action:


Our friend Hunter is suited up and heading out!:


Hunter catching his first wave of many:


Minutes before she was scheduled to go out, Annie (in typical fashion) fell asleep:


So they rescheduled us after lunch (Breakfast and lunch compliments of The Rock Church Surf Ministry):


During lunch we were entertained by Hula dancers:


Free Massages were offered to the surfers compliments of Shrader Massage Therapy:


Suited up and checking out the water:


Watching Angelo, the surfer ahead of us, showing how it's done:



Meeting Surf-Instructor Corey:


The Hand-off:


"Paddling Out":


Annie riding her first wave with surf-instructor Grant:


Again! (Annie's second wave with Grant):


Then it was Daddy's turn!:





Green Team!:


The event got a nice write-up in the local paper: They Will Surf Again at La Jolla Shores

It was an extraordinary day meeting extraordinary people and I am absolutely addicted. Life Rolls On's West Coast season is done for this year but they will start up again next spring and we hope to not only participate but volunteer as well!

We heard of another local disabled surf program called Wheels to Water. Naturally, Annie is scheduled to surf with them on October 22nd!


http://youtu.be/U1NtrwAOhwM

http://youtu.be/7k8HHfJe828



http://youtu.be/QgGQAr5hmRI



http://youtu.be/yfWa9gI-Bks

But wait, There's more . . . .

9/11: Seeking Faith Amid Ruins

Me (to wife): I bought
and
at
Now before you go all


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw

I bought them so we could compare the

to
because I don't drink the
That says they are always cheaper.

After all, it's not like they are


or anything . . .

Wife: -----------

Me: Honey?

Okay, I know this is late but I still like the pic. Taken this past Monday evening after ringing out the end of "summer" with good friends. We ate, we drank, we laughed until the tears rolled down our faces and the sun finally set.

Great googly moogly this is funny



http://youtu.be/ZJp98hoqy5I

http://youtu.be/tcXU7G6zhjU

I was just thinking that my friend M.is amazing, but she can’t see anything other than her flaws. I wish I could make her see all the awesomeness inside of her. She’s like a magnificent pinata filled with such beauty, and all I want to do is just smash her in the face with a stick. But in a good way.

- The Bloggess

by Jim Daniels

An average joe comes in
and orders thirty cheeseburgers and thirty fries.

I wait for him to pay before I start cooking.
He pays.
He ain't no average joe.

The grill is just big enough for ten rows of three.
I slap the burgers down
throw two buckets of fries in the deep frier
and they pop pop spit spit...
psss...
The counter girls laugh.
I concentrate.
It is the crucial point—
they are ready for the cheese:
my fingers shake as I tear off slices
toss them on the burgers/fries done/dump/
refill buckets/burgers ready/flip into buns/
beat that melting cheese/wrap burgers in plastic/
into paper bags/fries done/dump/fill thirty bags/
bring them to the counter/wipe sweat on sleeve
and smile at the counter girls.
I puff my chest out and bellow:
"Thirty cheeseburgers, thirty fries!"
They look at me funny.
I grab a handful of ice, toss it in my mouth
do a little dance and walk back to the grill.
Pressure, responsibility, success,
thirty cheeseburgers, thirty fries.

This is the kiddie train at Balboa Park - And YES! they let Buckley ride too!

I can't tell you how much my kid loves water. If we are out and about and she hears the trickle of a fountain her head will whip around and she will start shoving her wheelchair in that direction.

We actually have to alter our route in certain parks to avoid fountains when we don't have time to stop. The only way to get Annie away from a fountain she loves is to pick her up out of her wheelchair and carry her because she will yell and grip her tires so tightly that her wc will come to a screeching halt.

But more often than not we stop on our way to somewhere else to enjoy an unscheduled fountain and when we do, her face lights up and you wonder once again, "What's the rush?".