Dad was watching

I was blessed with the chance to visit Islamorada in the Florida Keys twice this year with family for fishing, visiting, and generally having a ball.  My siblings have been doing this for close to 20 years!  It's always a mishmash of assorted siblings (I have 6) with in-laws, out-laws, nephews, etc. mixed in.   Distance, money and work frequently prevented me from joining them.  I just returned from a trip there, and the strangest thing happened this time.

We were hours into our second day on the water, in a lull from successfully landing a few fish, and lazily trolling on the way to another favorite waypoint on the GPS.   I was gazing at the cloud-filled sky as it was spitting rain on us, but noting how warm the air felt.  Suddenly I got the funniest tingling down my spine, and the hairs stood up on my neck like a cool breeze had blown, and an image popped into my head of my Dad - with a big grin on  his face.   That image made me smile as I got a very clear feeling that Dad was happy to see me on the water with two of my brothers, one sister and a nephew.  I didn't say anything to anyone, but later that day one of my siblings commented, "I hope Dad's watching us and is happy."

You see, Dad died in 1988, but our love of the water, boats and fishing was started with him.   I can imagine he would be happy to see us together, doing something he enjoyed and had planned to pursue full time until his heart gave out on him just days short of his retirement.

Here's the pics of the trip.   It's very cool to feel he was with us, no matter how crazy it sounds.

Tight lines.

Paying attention

When the Bailout bill failed to pass the House vote on Monday 9/29/08, I was so proud of my fellow citizens.  I'm not debating the ins-and-outs of this incredibly complicated credit market mess, as I simply do not have the expertise.

What I do have is a logical mind with a very simplistic, basic understanding of how our world works.  Even if I'm not completely clear on that, or may have a principle here and there confused, I am clear on when something smells fishy.  Apparently, so are many of my fellow Americans.  The power of the people - and I don't mean a few loud-mouthed, nothing-better-to-do-but-clog-the-airwaves types - was exhibited thru pressure on their elected representatives to think twice about their vote on the Bailout because their re-election is up in just over a month.   

The Bailout plan - 110 pages!  Yikes.  Who can read all that - and not end up with mushy brains?  I've been on vacation, but was barely able to keep up with events with limited internet access, and considerable distraction from Florida blue skies and catching blackfin tuna and dolphin (mahi mahi to you Hawaiians).   I'm doing my best not to become addicted to CNN or C-Span or MSNBC or any of the rest of the news services, but things are so complicated and changing so lightning fast, that I may have to spend more time than usual being "tuned in."  Hey - whatever happens will have a direct impact on me, and if I have a chance to voice my opinion/vote, I don't want to miss it.

Plus - I don't want my diehard Republican brother who supports John McCain to get a leg up on me (the mostly Democratic-sometimes-Independent supporter of Barack Obama) in our philosophical "discussions" on politics and the economy. 

Heaven help us all as the future unfolds.