2011, Oh what a year!!

Well hello everyone. Hope that the Holidays bring's pleasantries to everyone's families. Personally I miss the changing houses every year to visit with family but times a changing and the winds are a blowing different directions forcing us to adjust. I wanted to give ya'll a tad about 2011 that really wasn't anything to shall we say write home to Mom about. Starting in Feb. when Beth and I became Independent contractors for the News-Gazette is where this story starts. Now keeping in mind my wife and I are strong people and are driven to do the right thing and make a living albeit has been pretty hard this year. I wouldn't want to guess how much we've shelled out in car repair bills. Having lost our 2 prize cars because circumstances beyond our control and the repairs on older cars were to follow. Then having moved twice in a 6 month period and if your like me it's the pits. Turmoil has followed us around like a dark cloud no matter which turn we took. On top for me having yet another herniated disc and not having insurance to have surgery forced me to go through Therapy. I've gotta tell ya I wasn't very optimistic about therapy being able to accomplish anything but count me wrong. I feel so much better. Just need to strengthen my left arm up and wouldn't hurt if I got in better shape as I'm now................46. Stop laughing!! On the positive side of things I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel or at least glimpses would be more appropriate. My wife's put in for a promotion which will help pave the way for Insurance which as most of you know is worth it's weight in Gold. Never do I want to go without for a single day again. I'm expecting bigger and better things from myself as 2012 is right around the corner. I was able to bowl with my son for the 1st time in 2 years and must say, was very enjoyable. Now that it's back to recreational bowling for me looks like March for the Youth/Adult tournament will see my son entered yet again to see if we can recapture the magic which saw us take 2nd ..3 years ago. On a Sports front unheard of in my generation My Cardinals claimed the World Series while my Boston Bruins after 39 long years took home Lord Stanley. 2012 figures to be a better year. Our family I'm blessed to say has there health and everyone's getting along well so that's great news there. Nothing materialistic from us. We work for everything we have and probably more than we want but the day will come when we can so no complaints here. My son is learning drivers Ed and doing well as a Sophomore in H.S. . Looking forward to watching him play baseball again this year. He's so gifted as a baseball player not to mention bowling. Everything comes natural to him and that's good. It will be nice to see my Mom coming up from Arkansas to spend time with us here in the town of Rantucky. I hope and pray everybody that 2012 brings a renewed optimism and continued health. God Bless from my family to yours wherever you are.  The Dawdy's 

Greatest time of year

To me this is the greatest time of the year. Kids up to no good going back to school. Temps start to ease up a bit,multiple sporting events starting to kick in gear or winding down in the case of baseball. With the World Wide Web ya never have to leave home so ya don't waist gas and still can catch up all  the happenings around town or across the country where loved ones stay.Granted as I get older the aches and pains seem to flair up more and more but for the most part at age 46 I have my health and family so I'm blessed. I continue to Love sports and root for my teams like never before. Also the Love I have umpiring and watch the younger generations grow up right before me is also wonderful. If your like me you know you'll be able to do everything that's on your so called bucket list and I'm fine by that. Being the best possible person and living life to it's fullest is what it's all about. Because I haven't had a chance to take my wife on a Honeymoon and haven't taken a vacation in quite sometime I feel a bit cheated but such is life right. People generally start to slow down this time of year and hibernate but I'm here to tell ya the fun is is yet to come and I'll be ready for it when it does. Also having a job that allows me to do daytime activities has worked out well like Coach and Umpire,but the drawback being no days off until Christmas Eve. Am I complaining? Certainly not. I Love life and all it has to offer and the friends that fit that description as well never knowing what to expect. Hopefully everyone of my friends and family whether it be on Facebook or elsewhere is doing well in life as well and able to spend as much time with family as possible. If you should find yourself separated by family due to the distance let 'em know how much you Love them. Ok enough of that. C'mon Fall and Football. Kinda rimes ha?

Honesty @ all costs right?...You decide.

Took my son on the paper route the other day which takes me on rural and in the town of Monticello to deliver 240 papers. Well what better time than to let my son experience driving for the 1st time? It was a good moment for both of us as we cruised the back roads stopping and starting and navigating the twists and turns that are after all my paper route. Because I don't have a brake pedal on my side of the car and reminding my son my life insurance isn't paid up which brought about a chuckle. Hope for the best and expect the worst thought came into play just down the road around a right only turn. Somehow the brake and gas got mixed up and we wound up in the ditch with a back left left wheel propped up in the air. No problem. No damage. After a brief stint there it was time to move on. Decided to try yet again about 5 miles down the road after a stop @ the nursing home. What could possibly go wrong next right? Ahhh I'm sure that's the dreaded question parent's have asked themselves many a times. In our case however the old Brake pedal and gas would be our worst enemy. Actually I was supposed to put the paper in the tube on my side which was a 1st and that's when the mailbox leaped out and us and we had no choice but to run it over. Saturn 1 Mailbox 0. Ok fast forward to righting a wrong by leaving a note with the homeowner explaining what happened and offering to pay for it and of course apologizing for the damage. Not only was I shocked by having to pay but the whole attitude of the lady who called me to explain. She was glad I was honest but that I would be receiving a bill from the contractor to put another mailbox up. When I asked her how much she wasn't sure but replied it could be between $3-300. Got the bill the other day and it was $225. Good grief Charlie Brown. This is a story of an accident but a memory of the 1st time I took my son out driving. Will be a chuckle in years to come but not right now. Now where's that YouTube video of kids in the back of a truck going Batter up as that go down the street destroying mailboxes. Need a good laugh.

What's new in the Dawdy household?

Today marks July 4th. Yet another birthday for this great country of ours. This being our 3rd year together my wonderful wife and I are on the verge of moving for the 2nd time in as many months. The uncertainty that goes with everyday life continues to amaze me and not like I always like, trust me when I say that. This being the case were looking to downsize and continue living a productive life and reinventing ourselves if you will. The 1 thing that has changed is the way we live life and we need to get out and be more active and have get together's and so on. This time of year were just winding down the season that is umpiring and with another 80 games or so under my belt it'll be nice spending some nice quiet time with my family and of course when my son comes to visit is always nice as well.During these tough times it's always a case of WHY ME but we don't quite look @ it that way. As we get older we tend to appreciate what we have more and more and that includes support groups like friends and family and we are a close knit family so we pick each other up quite frequently. We will pick up the pieces and move on yet another situation is out of our control. Our rental property is being sold right out from underneath us so with no notice only here say of it happenings from some unlikely sources it was time to find somewhere else to live. Things happen for a reason in our lives and we may not always understand why such as this but it'll all work out. Looking forward to a cookout next weekend with friends and family before we move. Anyone that would like to join us that would be AWESOME!! Just inquire through Facebook please!!

Decisions....a way of life.

Having spent my 1st- 45 years on this earth I can say with a smile I'm pretty happy. Having said that we come across people who constantly make the wrong choices in life and want to help. Life today is nowhere near what it was 5-10-15 years ago. Unless it's family were hesitant as to help someone out of our circle of friends or family for that matter. Why is that. When was the last time you helped someone you didn't know and feeling good you did a good deed? Many of us have the resources to help someone and I'm not always talking $$$ because in all honesty that's the 1 asset that's in short supply..I know it is around here. Simply making a decision to maybe leave some change in a vending machine, maybe buying someone lunch,offering a ride,donating some food for someone less fortunate,etc. Ok so you get my drift. It's more of a mindset than anything. You always hear about not forget about where you've been and giving back,that's kinda what I had in mind. Maybe striking up conversation with someone you think is like you,maybe at a car wash,laundry mat. Once you start opening up your mind and your heart anything's possible. Notice I didn't say wallet or purse because like I said it's not always about cash. I've been burned plenty to know that,trust me. It's hard in todays world to always smile but for most of us were fortunate to have one another whereas some people have no one. Heard an advertisement on the radio the other day. Smile and the world will smile with you. We have a lot to be thankful for so try an act of kindness and see how it feels. Remember there's always someone worse off.