10 years ago today a broken leg changes my life

Who knew a major bodily injury would be the best thing that ever happened to me. The whole course of my life was forever changed after it. I met my wife Jenny during that time, helped my Daughter get through HS and went onto a career change.

It was 10 years ago today I slipped on a patch of ice in Cody, WY twisted my left leg behind me and on the way to the ground snapped both my tibia and fibula in half and also broke my left ankle. After going to the ER, getting emergency surgery, a 7 inch plate with 8 screws, 3 months of a cast and then a boot and over 2 years of rehab I finally recovered.

  

Once I did recover, I lost 50 pounds, took up running, at the peak of my running stint I was running 27 miles a week, I run in 9 5K’s 3 10k’s in one year. In 2004 I went through the Police Academy in Marysville, CA at the age of 44 (oldest in my class) and 6 months later I was wearing a badge and a gun. And so a whole new life started for me after the age of 40.

People who say life is over after 40 have no idea. The best years of my life have been the last 10 and even though arthritis has taken over my left leg now the pain is actually a good reminder of just how blessed I was to have broken it. I wouldn’t be where I am today, I wouldn’t change a thing.  

Pier Pressure Productions: Almost, Maine

Jenny and I went to Pier Pressure Productions Theater in Astoria to see Almost, Maine tonight and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. If you live in Astoria and are looking to give an extraordinary gift to you better half for Valentine’s Day this small Theater Company does an outstanding job touching your heart and soul with funny, poignant and sentimental loves stories. Below is more info on show times.





PIER PRESSURE PRODUCTIONS (260 10th St, Astoria)

Almost, Maine by John Cariani, directed by Susi Brown

8:00pm on Friday and Saturday, February 11, 12,
and 6:00pm on Sunday, February 13.

This poignant comedy played for large, delighted audiences last spring at the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach and aims to please again - a tiny space with a huge heart, and a huge cast of favorites.

On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend in this delightful midwinter night's dream.

Brown brings three of her Coaster production's cast members to PPP, but rather than having six actors play all the town’s characters, she has cast one actor per part, allowing for many favorite players to walk PPP’s boards.

Long-time locals Walt Plummer, Rhonda and Mick Alderman, Toni Ihander, Bill and Lori Wilson Honl, Brandy and Jason Hussa, Ben Van Osdol, and Dave Gager. 3 Cups Coffee House and their roaster offer up the following actors: Carly & T.J. Lackner, Melissa Raines, Elizabeth Daniels and Nancy Montgomery. Fairly new on this regional scene: Bill Ham and Sky Gager, and The Daily Astorian’s beloved Brad Bolchunos and Clatsop County native Alicia Dedmon Bolchunos come in from Portland! Bobbi Brice runs tech, Dan Reiley’s designed set pieces, and Larry Bryant is on lighting design to round out the show.

According to the critics Almost, Maine is “a whimsical approach to the joys and perils of romance.” Magical happenings bloom beneath the snowdrifts." NY Times. "A charming unexpected magic lingers in the air like someone's breath on a cold winter's night. John Cariani aims for the heart by way of the funny bone." Star-Ledger. "Utterly endearing, it's hard not to warm up to ALMOST, MAINE. A crowd-pleaser." Broadway .com "Sweet, poignant and witty."NY Daily News. “A snowy charmer! These nine tales of love in the time of frostbite have a winning glow that proves surprisingly contagious." NY Sun.

Cariani has given us a magical valentine full of surprises, tears, and laughter that kicks winter to the curb.

Tickets (2 hrs. before curtain) at the door only - $15.00, concessions by Jessica Creager available.

2ND SATURDAY ART WALK

Pier Pressure Productions (260 10^th Street) features Charlotte Bruhn and her most recent endeavor, “Seek Within”, the search for identity through the looking glass; reflections of the tarot major arcane during February’s 2nd Saturday Art Walk, from 5 to 7pm only on February 12.

"Seek Within" is a collection of 21 mirror/mosaic and mixed media pieces that encourage the viewer to identify with archetypes, myth and religious tradition while seeing, simultaneously, one’s own image.

Each mirror contains messages both literal and figurative, as represented by "The Fool", "The Moon", "Death", or any of the other major arcana cards of the Tarot. Each card is a step in a journey, the journey of spiritual development, and karmic destiny.

Bruhn works primarily with clay, specifically tiles of her own making for mosaic. Recently, she has incorporated found objects and collected ephemera into her mosaics, employing a resin binding rather than grout. The result is a mosaic with an added depth and multi-leveled clarity, a play on negative (formerly grouted) space.

A longtime local resident, Bruhn lives in Warrenton with her husband, 2 dogs and 3 cats.

ONE NIGHT ONLY VALENTINE

On Valentine's evening, February 14, at 8:00pm, Pier Pressure Productions (260 10th Street) presents Edward James and Diane Borcyckowski in A.R. Gurney's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Love Letters. This is the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, both born to wealth and position. As childhood friends, their lifelong correspondence begins with birthday party thank-you notes and summer camp postcards. The characters sit side by side at tables and read the notes, letters and cards - in which over nearly 50 years, they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats - that have passed between them throughout their separated lives.

Seats for the one-night-only performance will go on sale two hours before curtain. The tickets, $15, include Valentine sweets and coffee.

Energy Independence CAN and MUST be attained...

Here's an astonishing read.  Click on the following link to verify : America's Oil Supply
 

About 6 months ago, the writer was watching a news program on oil and one of the Forbes Bros. was the guest. The host said to Forbes, "I am going to ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil does the U.S. have in the ground?"  Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, "more than all the Middle East put together."  Please read below.

The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big.  It was a revised report (hadn't been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota, and extreme eastern Montana ... check THIS out:

The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable at $107 a barrel, we're looking at a resource base worth more than $5.3 trillion.

"When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea...” says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature's financial analyst.

"This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found in the past 56 years," reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette.  It's a formation known as the Williston Basin, but is more commonly referred to as the 'Bakken.'  It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and into Canada.  For years, U. S. oil exploration has been considered a dead end.  Even the 'Big Oil' companies gave up searching for major oil wells decades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakker’s massive reserves. And we now have access of up to 500 billion barrels.  And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!

That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years straight.  And if THAT didn't throw you on the floor, then this next one should - because it's from 2006! 

U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World 

Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006

Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lay the largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels.  On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this mother lode of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?

They reported this stunning news:  We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates: 

- 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia 

- 18-times as much oil as Iraq

- 21-times as much oil as Kuwait

 - 22-times as much oil as Iran

- 500-times as much oil as Yemen

- And it's all right here in the Western United States.

HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of people dictate our lives and our economy, WHY?

James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we've got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION barrels untapped.  That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.

Don't think 'OPEC' will drop its price - even with this find?  Think again!  It's all about the competitive marketplace, - it has to. Think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists?

Got your attention yet?  Now, while you're thinking about it, do this:

Pass this along.   If you don't take a little time to do this, then you should stifle yourself the next time you complain about gas prices - by doing NOTHING, you forfeit your right to complain.

Now I just wonder what would happen in this country if you sent this to everyone in your address book.

Wallmart Should Run The Federal Government

1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart every hour of every day.

2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.

5. Wal-Mart employs 16 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.

7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.

8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.

9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.

11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)

12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.

You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the economy.

This should be read and understood by all Americans Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!

To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature:

It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:

A. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.

B. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.

C. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.

 D. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.

E. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.

F. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.

G. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.

You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars.

AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM??

MAYBE WE OUGHT TO KICK YOUR EGG-HEAD BUDDY BUMS OUT OF OFFICE AND HIRE WAL-MART TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT???

WAL-MART SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS.... WHY DON'T YOU GUYS JUST ADMIT ITS WAY BEYOND YOUR PAY GRADE, AND QUIT?

 

Ok I give up, I can't defend Jay Cutler

Cutler mopes and pouts on the sidelines.

Since Elway’s retirement the Broncos have been in a futile search for that QB who could lead them back to the promise land. So far it’s been an 11 year curse that has damned the team and the fans to mediocrity and worse. The Broncos have had one playoff game win since he retired, ONE. There are various reasons for it but lets’ just examine the QB position alone for the moment. Would Cutler have broken the curse if he’d of stayed with the Broncos? I’ll address this question in a minute but first…

You never blame losses totally on the QB because it is a team game but having said that a great one can make the difference when the chips are on the line in any game. Defense wins championships but even a good defensive unit can a make a few bad plays in a big game. It then is up to the offensive to score and the focus turns to the talent of the most important leader on the field, the Quarterback.

I researched all the starting QB’s from every Super Bowl and this is what I found out factually but already knew. There have been exceptions don’t get me wrong were a below average QB has been at the helm of Super Bowl winning teams but very few, only four in fact. Four times in 44 games not very good odds is it?

The 4 worst QB’s to ever win a Super Bowl

The single most glaring example is Trent Dilfer of the Ravens team from SB XXV. I think he stands alone as the single worst QB to ever win a Super Bowl period. He had a good college career at Fresno State but was a total bum in the NFL. It cracks me up now that today he’s an analyst on ESPN passing judgment on QB’s when he couldn’t carry most of their jocks including even the beguiled Cutler.

I’d have to put Jeff Hostetler on the list from the Giants team that won SB XLV over the Jim Kelly lead Bills team. Hostetler was far from being a consistent pro and was only put in the starting spot because Phil Simms had been injured. If not for a gimme FG that Scott Norwood missed Hostetler doesn’t even enter into this conversation.

Personally the most painful example of a lousy QB winning a SB was Doug Williams of the Redskins in SB XXII against my beloved Broncos. I remember the 1987 NFL season just like it was yesterday. The Broncos had a great season and I was thrilled that they drew the Skins because in every aspect of the game coming in they were better. Williams was a lucky bum, he was far from a great QB and that season it was the D that helped the Skins win it, not his superior talent. That and one of the all-time worst defensive collapses in Broncos team history.

Next up for some critics would be Brad Johnson of the Buccaneers in SB  XXXVII. Yeah, maybe at that point in his career but before the Super Bowl and early in his career he was one of the best in the game when he played for the Vikings. If not for the multiple injuries he suffered from he was talented enough to be on the list of great QB’s in his era.  He was just one of those unlucky players who spent more time in the training room than on the field. So I’m not sure he truly belongs in this group but for the sake of argument I know others will so I will include him here.

The 4 worst QB’s to ever lose a Super Bowl

Now that we’ve established who the worst QB’s lucky enough to have a team carry them to Super Bowl wins let’s look at some of losing QB’s in the SB’s. Could these teams have pulled out a win with a better QB? Debatable yes, but in my opinion they probably do win instead of lose.

David Woodley of the Dolphins who lost to the Redskins in SB XVII

Neil O'Donnell of the Steelers who lost to the Cowboys in SB XXX.

Matt Hasselbeck of the Seahawks who lost to the Steelers in SB XL.

Rex Grossman of the Bears who lost to the Colts in SB XLI. 

Simple put Woodley wouldn’t have started on a bad Division II College team.

O’Donnell could throw but was a total slug if he had no protection in the pocket.

Some would argue that Hasselbeck doesn’t belong on that list but he does. He’s one of those QB’s that gives then takes away. One week he’ll throw 5 TD’s looking like an All-Pro and the next week throw 5 Interceptions and play like a confused Rookie. Sorry Seahawks Fans, it was his crappy play in the 2nd half of that Super Bowl game that lost it for the Seahawks not the bad ref calls.

Why Grossman was even drafted by an NFL team is still a mystery to me.

By the numbers there have been 44 SB’s played, of those in only 4 cases did a team with a mediocre or a below average QB win. In 4 other SB’s it could be easily argued that if the teams had an above average QB’s they win but who knows for sure.

Now to the bottom line, hard to admit since I’m never wrong

I totally bought the idea that Jay Cutler was in line to be one of the great NFL QB’s. I honestly believed that of all the QB’s that had been on the Broncos post Elway he gave them the best chance to win a Super Bowl.  I’ve defended him throughout, in almost every case I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Why? Because he does have a better than average physical skill set and he’s also a very cerebral smart player.

It’s hard for me to admit a mistake but after the Packers game on Sunday Cutler has been permanently removed from my list as a “potential” great QB. Everybody was right I was wrong.

I read today were Cutler has a Grade II MCL tear in his knee, something that can take up to four weeks to properly heel. Hmmm?

Some people may not agree I still think he should have come back in the game.  It seems very clear to anybody watching that Cutler quit on the Bears, knee injury or not. I watched the replays over and over and just can’t see how the injury to his knee was so bad that he was unable to return. The proof was there for all to see when he stood on the sidelines and watched the game. If his knee hurt as bad as he claimed why the hell was he standing on it and even riding a stationary bike? If he was done for the day he should been in the locker room. Cutler is no rah, rah type personality; his whole body posture and that whining baby look did nothing to inspire the Bears that he was really hurt bad enough not to play. He had no business being on the sidelines with the true warriors who were still trying to salvage the game with that attitude.

Cutler does his best impression of a pathetic crybaby quitter on the sidelines of the NFC Championship game.

The other problem I had with Cutler was he couldn’t even say which play it was he got hurt on. Really? If I had a severe knee injury one bad enough to take me out of a game I’d sure as hell know what play it happened on. I believe he got roughed up a little in first half of a very cold game in which he didn’t play well and used the knee to quit on the Bears. There I said it.

Did you think John Elway or Brett Favre would have set on the sidelines under the same set of circumstances? How about old warriors like Joe Namath or even old Broncos QB Craig Morton do you think they’d of pulled themselves out? Not a chance, not a chance in hell I should say.

I was willing to defend almost every red flag that Cutlers career had generated up into this game but I will never ever defend a quitter. Cutler needed to be out on the field and play in the game and show some respect for the fans and his other teammates who were just 30 minutes away from a Super Bowl. I'd bet the bank that he'd give anything to go back and finish out the second half of the game. To late Cutler, my guess your Super Bowl opportunity is done and over with forever and rightfully so.

I “quit” on Cutler, thank God he didn’t stay in Denver. For all the criticism and doubters out there about Tim Tebow I bet even he would have toughed it out. I’ll take a rough around the edges warrior over a talent quitter every time.

Side note: Packers beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl. That is all….

Late add on watch this video below. Point made in bold colors, thanks Paul.

Tebow's 20 Yard TD Run on a Broken Leg

Why are we still debating Global Warming?

When are we going to put a stop to letting the Greenies destroy our economy and our national security with this insane climate change hoax?

It drives me berserk that the EPA and Obama have no problem with us paying $100 a barrel for imported oil from the Venezuelans, the Saudis', the Russians, the Iranians and even the United Arab Emirates whose rear ends we saved in the first gulf war. Especially since we have abundant supplies of cheap oil, natural gas and coal right in our own backyard.

We must end the drilling bans in Alaska and offshore. We need to let the coal industry continue to mine to help provide inexpensive electricity. We must also refine more of our own natural gas. Every resource should be used until the day the alternative energy sources make economic sense. Right now all this wind, solar and bio-fuel shame can produce is maybe 10% of our total energy needs. The bio-fuel fiasco is doing more to spurn food shortages than producing cheap energy. And how well is solar and wind energy going to work in Astoria? Answer: it isn’t.

What do we do starve ourselves of cheap oil to make a point? What is the point? Do we go back to horse and buggy, walk or ride bikes until the miracle renewable energy source is fully developed? Answer: No.

Fossil Fuels are still the most inexpensive energy source in the world and by not exploring domestically we are committing national suicide.

We risk an economic and as well as a national security collapse by being dependent on the people who would love more than anything to see us go totally bankrupt all in the name of worshiping Mother Gaya. They must be laughing their collective butts off at us.

Why are we still debating Global Warming/Climate Change? The science used to say it was legitimate has proven to be nothing but fraudulent junk science. Americans need to shake this nonsense out their heads so our nation can recover, prosper, be less dependent and more secure. That is all!

There’s a new Sheriff in Town, his name is Tim Tebow

I’m sure, like many of you Die Hard Broncos Fans out there, getting swept by the Raiders would have been the big Hurt Locker story not just of the week but maybe the entire 2010 season. Am I right?

I know for me personally the loss, in combination with the sweep, any other year would have really ticked me off. It would have set me off on a long and very angry nuclear rant. Despite forcing 2 first quarter turnovers the defensive effort the Broncos gave in this one was another of the all time worst I’ve seen against the Raiders.

Don’t get me wrong “any” loss to the Raiders is a devastating ass kicker.  The truth is had Orton started this game, the Broncos still would have lost and by a wider margin.

Rather than reviewing all the boring, crappy plays by maybe the worst defensive unit (the tackling was horrendous) in Broncos team history, let’s deal with Tebow’s first start and his future with the Broncos.

From the opening snap of the game his sheer presence and demeanor alone made you know something different was in the air. Was I the only one to notice the difference in the intensity of the offense? Granted that change wasn’t going to be enough to help the Broncos beat the Raiders, especially since Studsville called an unbelievably predictable conservative game; but the intensity was at a higher level because Tebow’s was.

First and foremost Tebow is a warrior who has no fear. What he lacks in polish he makes up for in heart, blood and guts. Despite being rough around the edges and inexperienced, he exhibits confidence.  I think people forget how important an intangible self confidence is in the game of football. It’s part of the reason he was a winner in college. He’s no quitter and I’ll bet we’ll never see him give up on a game in a Broncos uniform either.

Tebow ran for a 40 yard TD, his first as a starter. No worries Broncos Fans they'll be many more.

Too many talking heads say Tebow’s college career is irrelevant. Really? He’s played in 2 National Title games and he’s a Heisman Trophy winner, but that’s irrelevant? This doesn’t mean his great college career will automatically translate to success in the NFL but having a resume like that is very impressive.

He has a better arm than people give him credit for. His scrambling and running ability is a tremendous asset, which the Broncos will need with this young OL and terrible running game going forward. Those two aspects of his game combined with his other qualities certainly demands that he replace the cloddish clunker that is the lame duck Kyle Orton.  

Here’s how Tebow has described himself, “I’m a football player who happens to play QB.” Can anyone disagree after watching the game yesterday?  I can’t wait to see him play this week against the Texans lousy pass defense. He should have a big day if Studs will use that bean on the top of his neck and let Tebow throw the ball.

Tebow starting has renewed my dying Broncos spirit. My ashes lie in a heap, just like so many Broncos Fans a week ago, but Tebow begs to make it a whole new day, a whole new week and whole new season next year. I was actually back to screaming and yelling at the TV yesterday, something I haven’t done in a long time. For 2 years I’ve sat in angry silence mainly muttering obscenitie

and when the moment was right yelling a loud one but this game was different. Change is coming and the orange and blue blood transfusion is flowing through my veins again. 

I’ve never been a blind homer, and I know it’s just one game but I have a feeling Tebow with a little help on D next year is going to bring back the pride and glory of our beloved Broncos.