Ale for the Soul

In addition to having two wonderful days off, I was surprised to have a dear friend visit over the weekend.  Due to my weird work schedule and sleep routine, we weren't able to spend a whole lot of time together; however, the fellowship was refreshing.  On Saturday, we met for lunch at Twin Peaks, and then we took to the Trinity Trails on bicycle.  Beginning in Trinity Park, we headed north on the Trinity Trails and looped back around after an hour's ride.  On Sunday, we took advantage of the free admission at the Modern Art Museum in the Cultural District.  Right across the street is the Kimbell Museum.  Their permanent exhibit offers free admission, so we visited and viewed their collection as well.  Once we finished touring the museums, my friend headed back for home in Austin.  As I continue living in exile in Fort Worth, I am thankful to have friends who come visit from time to time.  One day soon, I will need to travel to Austin t...

On Friday morning, President Trump gave the commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy’s graduation ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland. Among his messages to the 1,042 graduates, the president said that the country has begun “the great rebuilding of the United States military,” and argued that “we are witnessing the great reawakening of the American spirit and of American might.” This was his second time addressing graduates from one of the nation’s military schools: Last year, he gave a speech at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s ceremony. Here, a full transcript of his remarks, as delivered. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, midshipmen, hello. Let me say to the entire brigade—please be at ease—enjoy yourselves, because we are all here to celebrate the amazing class of 2018. Amazing job. Thank you. Really something. Admiral Carter, thank you for that wonderful introduction and for your leadership, an incredible job you have done at this storied academy. And thank you, Captain Chadwick, for...

On the last of this week's days off, I took to the streets on the bicycle.  I'm trying to get back in to the habit of riding on a regular basis.  The months long hiatus from doing so has been due to the muscle spasms I experience on a near hourly basis.  Most of the time, the pain is bearable, but formerly they they were excruciating.  Maybe getting back in to some sort of regular occurring physical activity will help minimize the spasms.  Today I felt well enough to attempt an outdoor adventure.  Usually I try to stay away from the primary thoroughfares, mainly for my own safety.  Bicycle laws allow for full use of the road just as if I was any other slow-moving vehicle, but most people don't realize that.  (Yes, I just indirectly called these people ignorant.)  At one point, I rode on the sidewalk, which I can't stand to do.  Since I took the chance of riding without a helmet, I felt this was the best course of action.  The ...

                    For the second week in a row, I have had two back-to-back days off.  Really, it's two-and-a-half days off if you count the afternoon of the day before.  (I get off early enough to count the remaining part of the morning and rest of the afternoon as a half-day off.)  I'm not sure if this trend of more time off will continue, but I sure can grow accustomed to this.  The time off has been nice, as one day off per week really wasn't enough to mentally and emotionally unhinge from the job.  Yesterday I felt like going for a drive.  For those who know me well enough, this can be a recipe for daring adventure.  In years gone by, finding the urge to "go for a drive" usually found yours truly hours and hundreds of miles away from the origination point.  In two instances, I found myself in a completely different state of the union other than Texas.  (Santa Fe, New Mexico and Sa...

Today is the last of several days off I had this week.  Mainly, I wanted to spend today recouping my energies and to rest in preparation for work tomorrow.  Yes, yours truly must return to working for a living like most people.  Ugh!  To cap off the time away from work, I spent an hour-and-a-quarter bicycling around Fort Worth.  All of the travels stayed very local, cutting a path through the neighborhoods taking plenty of pictures.  I even found a book box in front of someone's house.  If you've never seen one of these, they look like a birdhouse but for books.  Not wanting to pass on such an opportunity, I found Harper Lee's Go Set A Watchman .  (Later on, maybe tomorrow, I'll return to the mini-library to deposit a few books I will probably never read.  This will be my way of paying it forward.)  With book in hand, I finished up the morning's outing with one last stop on Elizabeth Boulevard.  Now I am back at the apart...

Vacations can come in any size as long as the goal of truly getting away from the rat race is accomplished.  I had such a vacation Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning.  Yes, it was a whirlwind trip out-of-town, but I did indeed escape the monotonous routine of work and then home.  Such an seemingly endless cycle can grind on a person till insanity sets in.  Once off work Wednesday morning, I immediately got cleaned up and packed at the apartment only to leave less than an hour later.  By Noon, I was trying to get checked in to the hotel.  (Great time considering I spent about twenty minutes at the Czech Bakery in West, Texas.)  Turns out, I couldn't claim my room, even though a reservation had been made, until 2 p.m.  This set me free to see the sites of the local community.  First on the list was the Dr. Pepper Museum.  Even though I hardly ever drink sodas anymore, Dr. Pepper is by far my favorite.  There is a lo...

Monday's day off technically began at Noon on Sunday, and it couldn't get here any faster.  What a stressful and exhausting week!  I am so glad it is now over, and I can start to rest and relax.  Trust me, I didn't think about work at all.  Sunday afternoons are usually spent performing chores around the apartment, and this Sunday wasn't any different.  By the time church rolled around, which is the last event before calling it a day, I could barely stay awake in order to pay attention to the sermon.  As soon as it was over, I crawled in to bed and immediately succumbed to oblivion.  Monday was a very good day as I had some much-needed sleep.  The day began at 3 a.m., and I accomplished quite a bit of reading before heading out.  I wanted to revisit the Black History Memorial on Evans Avenue near the intersection of Rosedale and Interstate 35.  Yes, I have been there before, but I wanted to recoup some pictures I had lost a few mon...

The week started off rather mundanely as I enjoyed an afternoon off from work on Sunday and a full day off on Monday.  Rather humorously, I took one of the new muscle relaxers the doctor prescribed, and it knocked me out.  Good thing I took it Sunday afternoon and not while I was at work.  I ended up taking a full three-hour nap.  Wow!  The new "pain pill" is supposed to be milder than the previous batch of pills I had been prescribed.  Anyway, I won't be taking any more of them for a long while.  On Monday's day off, I donated blood at Carter Blood Care and promptly signed up for my next appointment on Monday, July 2nd.  For the next time, I plan on donating platelets instead of whole blood.  My "juicy" blood, as the doctor described it, will be more effective and life-saving if I donate either plasma or platelets.  The only drawback is the procedure takes several hours.  At least it will be performed on a day off when I don't have...

                                       These are the places I was so sure I'd find Him I looked in the pages and I looked down on my knees I lifted my eyes in expectation To see the sun still refusing to shine But sometimes He comes in the clouds Sometimes His face cannot be found Sometimes the sky is dark and gray But some things can only be known And sometimes are faith can only grow When we can't see So sometimes He comes in the clouds Sometimes I see me a sailor out on the ocean So brave and so sure as long as the skies are clear But when the clouds to gather I watch my faith turn to fear But sometimes He comes in the clouds Sometimes His face cannot be found Sometimes the sky is dark and gray But some things can only be known And sometimes are faith can only grow When we can't see So sometimes He comes in the clouds Sometimes He comes in the rain And we question the pain And wonder...

If you ever leave me  Life will go on  Stars will still be  Bright as diamonds in the sky now  Even if you said goodbye now  Oh the clock wouldn't stop no  That sun would keep shinning down  If you weren't here with me  This world would still be spinnin' 'round  But baby there would be Just no living without loving you  How could I ever survive  Just no living without loving you  It would be like living without being alive without you If you ever walk out this door  What would I have left to live for  What would there be left to do now  What would I be without you now  Oh, the clock wouldn't stop, no  Each day would go on just the same  There would still be air to breath  It wouldn't stop the sun and rain  But baby there would be Just no living without loving you  How could I ever survive  Just no living without loving you  It would be like living without being alive...