A New Year lies ahead and I feel the need to take the lessons I learned over the last year and shove them in a closet. Sometimes you learn lessons that you don't wan to to learn but need to. OK so I learned them, what next. Of all the self help smidgens I have read over the years I have learned this one lesson. Achieving goals is best done in writing. I'm not good at goals because I have a tendency to throw away the paper my goal was writen on. Not that I'm a neat freak I just have a hard time keeping track of paper. I think you should have a few "Un-Realistic"goals as well as realistic ones, that way when you utterly fail at the Un-Realistic goals any failure on the realistic goal will seem minor and won't throw you into a bought of depression lasting until a few days after Christmas 2009 when you have forgotten your 2009 failures and look forward to 2010.

2009 Goals (Un-Realistic)

• Take over Sweeden and Liberate the opressed Sweedes
• Run 10 miles non stop, ok just 1
• Circulate a rumor about our Newly elected President and have it make the evening news
• Become a hand model for Big Gaudy Men's Rings
• Fly to the Antarctic and ride an Iceberg all the way to Bermuda(note to self:take a coat)
• Discover a way for cars to run on salt water (thanks Lil' Smeag)...
• And finally my last 2009 Un-realistic goal: Give a homeless a guy $5 bucks for lunch have him turn out to be a multi-billionaire who has been looking for good in people and wants to reward me with a fortune(undisclosed amount) and I really give it to the poor because I'm just that type of guy and then another rich guys hears about it on the News and sends me a life long pass to Disneyland for the family.

2009 Realistic Goal:

• Find Waldo in the "Where's Waldo Books"
• Write a Book
• Stop drinking caffinated soda
• Read my scriptures more
• Smoke a Brisket
• Shoot Archery more
• Not Turn into a Vampire
• Losse 20 lbs ( and never find it again)
• Finally the last 2009 realistic goal:Be Happy

Despite what National ,International and armature economist say about the economy Santa Claus is coming to town , and with a vengeance. I was at the store the other night and I had to marvel at how shelve were being cleaned out. Either stores did not order as much this year or people are spending like drunken sailors on a binge.I'm pretty sure that in the Great Depression GI Joe and Barbie ( if they had been around) would have been gathering dust in a corner while little kids begged Mom and Dad for food instead of toys. I hope this Christmas you all will simply forget about any financial woes and focus on your family and friend. After all no one can reposes them.

Yesterday was my birthday and since the inevitable question is "How old are you ?" , I will tell you now unless you know me I won't answer other than to say I'm in my late thirties. I know some of you stalkers out there say well that's not very old, but I guarantee every male in there late thirties does some soul searching because around the corner is early forties. recently I have thought allot of my Grandfather who lied about his age at 17 to join the Marines soon and during World War II was at the Battle of Midway.
He never told stories about the Battle it self or about being injured, but about the good men he knew and counted as friends. I often think about him raising his family on a horse ranch outside of Dallas in the 50's and 60's and then in Redondo Beach in the late 60's. I remember Christmas was his favorite time of year he always went out for the grand kids. He even loved tech toys. He had wonderful stereo system that we listened to for hours. Old 45's of Elvis and every other legend of rock & roll. The best thing he had was a old T.V. with a remote control. When I was about 10 Slinky's were big and I would move the Slinky back forth from hand to hand. I figured out I could turn the T.V. off with it. The remote worked on sound frequency instead of light. He also worked nights at a steel factory and would come home early in the morning to Chicken Fried Steak and fresh biscuits and he always had ajar of his favorite cookies. Mothers Brand cookies. We used to sit and sip watered down Folgers (black) coffee and eat cookies while he told us stories. he's been gone 24 or 25 years now and I still can remember him watering his tomatoes and all his plants. He has a great green thumb for a Steel Man.

Today being Pearl Harbor Day I just want to thank all the Grandpa's (Great Great Grandpas now) out there who took time to tell their grandkids stories about the War and their great friends. I don't remember any of the stories but I think there was a greater lesson to learn. It's not what a Hero does that is impotant but what he is remembered for that is.