I can’t say no to cinnamon rolls once I start… When I was growing up my Grandma Esta used to make cinnamon rolls for us. She grew up in Arkansas and it was a family recipe that she learned from her Mom. Grandma Esta made them 3-4 times a month. She could have been a millionaire if she had started a business. They were by FAR the best cinnamon rolls that I have ever tasted. I think it was because she used lots of real butter. Once I started eating I couldn’t stop. Grandma died in 1999 when she was 99 and I always thought she lived that long because she ate her own cooking. Now around the country there are Cinnamon Bun stops in airports and shopping malls. I’ve never had one because I knew that they wouldn’t be a good as Grandma Esta’s rolls. They always bring back the memory of my grandmother and when I smell them I can see her making them in her kitchen. Along with butter I know that she added lots of love. A few years ago our manager from work would go to breakfast at a local restaurant. He would bring back cinnamon rolls. Several times I would eat one and end up eating 5 or 6 and once I ate 8. I rationalized that even though they were not as good I must still be emotional about Grandma’s death and it seems that once I start eating cinnamon rolls I can’t seem to stop…

Writing a blog sometimes feels an albatross (a. a constant worrisome burden. b. web-footed bird). I especially have trouble thinking of topics to write about. My friend Jill suggested that I peruse (to read or examine typically with great care) the dictionary for ideas. I have an American Heritage Dictionary that has 2134 pages. I’m still in the A’s. I like the dictionary because it seems to have every word in the English language. It also has pictures of famous people. My 3 favorite A’s are Bud Abbott of Abbott & Costello. I loved their “Whose on First” routine. Hank Aaron is listed as the all time home run leader as it should be. Kareem Abdul Jabbar is listed as the all time leading scorer in the NBA. I admire (to regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval) all three. I have to admit (to permit to enter) that finding topics can to tough even in the dictionary. I don’t want to seem airy fairy (as speculative, visionary, and flimsy as to lack all substance, purpose, and practicality) about all this. I always hope that my next blog will be the best yet. Next time I should write about the web-footed bird instead of the burden.

Changing the Calendar—I don’t know if you’ve heard but there is talk about changing the calendar so that holidays would be on the same day every year. It seems pretty boring and rote to me. I think that we need a more radical change. It seems to me that most people are trying to avoid work as much as possible. They take off two to three days on both sides of a holiday. When they are working they come in late and leave early. The country’s work ethic seems to be quickly dissolving. I’m very codependent so if I was in charge of changing the calendar I would change all the days to Saturdays and Sundays with one Friday a week thrown in for work. Every week would be Saturday, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday, then Friday, Saturday, Sunday. People could then have most of their time off and be able to sleep in almost every day. Churches would prosper because they would have 3 days to collect. On Friday people would get lots done. They would be focused, rested, and creative. This is my proposal when I’m put in charge of changing the calendar.

Sharing—I think of myself as somewhat generous. I try to do some volunteer work, think good thoughts about others, and donate money to “good” causes. There is one area of my life that I struggle with in being generous and that is sharing my popcorn. I love popcorn. It is one of my favorite foods. My selfishness started when I was in high school and I would make popcorn nearly every night. I would keep the large bowl for myself and give the other four members of my family a small cereal sized bowl to share. I rationalized this action by using the “Story of the Little Red Hen”. As you may remember Little Red was trying to get help in making bread. She asked all the other animals on the farm for assistance. All refused so she ended up making the bread all by herself. When the bread was finished all of a sudden the other farm animals wanted bread. I didn’t even know that farm animals liked bread. Little Red said, “Nay, nay, I made the bread so I get to eat it all.” This is the rationalization that I used in keeping most of the popcorn and unlike the Little Red Hen at least I shared some of the popcorn. When I left home and was living alone I got to eat all the popcorn that I made guilt free. I never thought much about it but several years later I was at a family gathering and the subject of popcorn came up and my nephews and nieces all started calling me, “Uncle Jim the Popcorn Hog”. I was stunned. What had my brother and sister had been telling them? It was very humbling and embarrassing and even after telling them “The Story of the Little Red Hen” story I decided that I had to start sharing my popcorn. Now when I make popcorn I share half of it with my wife but she also helps me make it.

Patience is a virtue. I tend to be very impatient. I hate grocery lines, crowded freeways, or lines at the bank. I plan to never go back to Disneyland again, its way too crowded. It drives me crazy when I’m playing golf and people line up their drives or fairway shots or their putts. Just get up there and hit it. Why take so long? You’re not Tiger Woods. All these things are VERY annoying. Maybe I’m a control freak or an irrational snob who thinks that some people are getting in my way and going way to slow. I think that God is trying to teach me patience by putting all the people who have coupons at the store or eight transactions at the bank IN MY LINE. It always happens when I move from a longer line to a shorter line. The only people I have a little patience with are old people. They are slow and many of them are unstable walking. You can’t really yell at George Burns or Grandma Esta for not moving fast enough but sometimes I feel like it. I know that this is a huge character defect that I have. I know that I need to “stop and smell the roses” and that “all good things come to those that wait.” My motto on most days is the “impatience is a virtue” and please move faster.

Baby Boomers—we had huge potential to change the world but we mostly settled for buying stuff. I’m sorry that we spent all the money. Most Boomers in Congress seem to argue all the time and don’t seem to be willing to compromise about anything. We made progress in social acceptance and that is big but overall most baby boomers seem to be greedy and arrogant except me of course. I’m a loving, accepting, open minded baby boomer. There are about 25 in the state and less than 2000 in the country. Most live in Wisconsin where it is not polite to be greedy or arrogant. They were mostly raised by packs of wolves and it was hard to replicate that experiment. If only I was born 5 years earlier I would not have to put up with this baby boomer burden. I would be happily collecting my social security check by now and playing golf every day.

“On Writing” Lately I have been listening to “On Writing-A memoir of the Craft” on CD by Stephen King. I have never read one of his novels or seen any of the movies based on his books. The previews for his movies scare me and I hate to be scared. I know that this ruins my macho image but most of my friends ask, “What macho image”? Mr. King knows his stuff and is a former Maine English teacher. He seems very down to earth for a guy with a $400 million net worth (according to one online website.) He is an excellent storyteller and I can see why he is a best selling author. I liked his stories about growing up in Maine. His advice for writers is to read and write every day. He said that much of his success is from having two different ideas come together and then asking “What if?” I would recommend Stephen King’s book or audio book to any aspiring writer. I liked him and think he would be an interesting neighbor or uncle to someone as long as you didn’t mind being scared.