Disappointment and Dreams Realized

As I posted yesterday, I took two out of three cherubs to Steelers training camp. While I was probably more excited than they were, the realization of the world that comes with adulthood hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought the magic was gone.

Our experience started off great. Though it was a little too humid for my taste, the weather was cooperating. We walked from the parking area behind the dorms on the hill that overlook Chuck Noll Field. Each step heightened our excitement.

The Steelers have a very family-oriented type of training camp. They have what is called The Steeler Experience, and, free of charge, kids can enjoy activities ranging from testing your throwing accuracy to jumping on the inflatable moonwalk. Airbrush tattoos, seeing an exact replica of a locker room space, and having your picture taken behind a life-size Steelers uniform are also some of the things available.

Before going to The Steeler Experience, we happened upon the autograph waiting area. Players normally wait until after practice to sign autographs, and it isn't mandatory they do so. First autograph: Steely McBeam, the Steelers' mascot. Not exactly the autograph I was looking for, but Cheyenne (my 9-year-old daughter) REALLY got into the mojo of training camp right away. Following closely behind Steely was FS Ryan Clark (#25). He was absolutely wonderful about an autograph. Of course, I always had my kids thank them. Ryan signed A LOT of autographs in the time he had leading up to practice.

We headed over to The Steeler Experience to appease the little diva. Much to my surprise, Noah (my 14-year-old) was starting to realize the magic. He relished testing his football skills, and even helped Cheyenne work on hers. My first thought? These aren't the same children I came with. There was no bickering, no snide remarks, and I could almost hear "Kumbaya" playing. Nothing but peace and love.

Our next stop was to the merchandise store. Noah wanted (are you ready for this?) a foam finger. Not wanting to discourage his budding interest in the experience of training camp, I agreed. Then, he wanted to get one for Cheyenne. Okay. Next, Daddy, Grandma, and Pap all needed SOMETHING Steelers. Thinking of others...this is good. Okay. I spent a small fortune before we left the store. Of course, Mommy needed a new Steeler purse... (only my 4th one; yes, they're all different). Back to camp.

Along the way, we ran into Steely again [I swear he's like herpes; you never get rid of him.], and Cheyenne asked for a picture with Steely and her brother. Picture taken despite a miniscule amount of protesting from Noah because he was afraid of looking "uncool."

The whole time, I'm snapping pictures. Then, it was time. The players were about to exit the athletic building and walk to the field. We jockeyed for position to get a good view of the players as they descended the steps leading to the field. Using a complex mathematical formula to calculate the slope of the hill, the position of the sun, and wind speed [Not really; just sounded good.], we found our place. It was perfect.

The players made the walk to the practice field amidst cheers and applause. At some time during this, the magic started. Noah said not one word; he was in awe. Cheyenne cheered and clapped, but she was holding something back. When Ben Roethlisberger came into view, she went wild. Yes, it was a clean kiddie version of "Girls Gone Wild." No longer containing her excitement, she screamed, "I love you, Ben!" Priceless. Dream number one realized.

About an hour and a half before practice was to end, we decided to stake our claim on a position against the fence to await post-practice autograph hounding while the skies darkened. Anyone who has been to training camp knows that you don't wait until practice is over before getting your spot because you won't get one. This is when my dream of the perfect day started to disappear.

It will never cease to amaze me the grown men who will shove a kid out of the way just to have their football signed so they can sell it on ebay. Un-frickin'-real. This massive, smelly, turd of a piece of white trash decided he was going to stand next to Cheyenne and Noah...at first. Slowly but surely, Cheyenne got squeezed out from against the fence. She came to me half-crying. The prick acted like he was an expert, correcting comments from people around him having conversations with each other. Then, he had the BALLS to ask me for a cig. Being nice and thinking if I could lure him away Cheyenne could get her place back, I said, "Sure!" Wouldn't you know the SOB went right back when he was done and put his stinky ass up against my daughter??? C'mon kids...new spot.

By this time, the heavens had opened up. Never fear, dear reader...Mom came prepared. We donned our emergency rain ponchos and waited for practice to end. Spying another opening down the fence from Sphincter Boy, Noah made his move. All of a sudden, I hear this screeching coming from the woman next to him.

"My sons are in the bathroom, and this is THEIR spot!" Having been taught to respect adults, Noah apologized and left. Did you know that when a mother's instinct goes into overdrive things get ugly? I marched right up to this snob and her evil spawn (They returned just in time for the festivities about to take place.) and told her how rude I thought she was in talking to Noah that way. She started with the "My kids" spiel, and my mouth started running away from my brain. Noah later told me he was wishing I'd have popped her a good one. A good samaritan, who had witnessed this whole incident, offered their spot to my kids. Faith in humanity restored. We chatted while we waited. Life was good.

Practice ended at its scheduled time despite the torrential downpour we were now in the middle of. Here come the players. Blank note cards? Check. Sharpie? Check. We're ready. Then, the crash. Two players signed minimal autographs. Alex Stepanovich, a backup center, and Piotr Czech, a kicker, started signing in the rain while the rest of the team walked by. Unfortunately, Alex was stopped by Medusa and her imps. They must have had him sign at least ten items. Guess what? That was the end of his autographing. And Piotr? Maybe three autographs to three lucky fans. My kids and I shared our disappointment.

We started the approximately one-half mile walk back to the car. Then, the magic returned.

Despite torrents running through our route and rain pelting our ponchos so hard we had a hard time hearing each other, our disappointment soon turned to glee. Puddle jumping became our pastime. Not trying to jump OVER the puddles, but jumping directly INTO the puddles for the whole walk. We pretty much had a contest to see who could get the muddiest and the most wet. There was no clear winner. The sound of my children's laughs and their delight in seeing Mom make the biggest splashes was pure sunshine on a dreary afternoon.

Soaking wet and filthy, we finally made it back to the car. This is when my entire day was made perfect.

Cheyenne immediately got into the car, but Noah lingered outside with me for a moment. He comes over, puts an arm around my shoulders, and says, "We made some great memories today." Dream number two realized.

To Noah and Cheyenne: Thanks for the wonderful memories. I love you both with all my heart and soul. -- Mom

My Hadj: A Journey

Before yinz get all jumping ugly, no, I haven't converted to Islam. I would hope yinz would know better.

My hadj, or pilgrimage, will take place today as I load up the fruit of my loins and head to St. Vincent's College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It's one I've made before, but the sanctity of it all never fades as we go to see my beloved Steelers at training camp.

My first pilgrimage was when I was about eight. Back then, it was so much different. I stood face-to-face with some of the greats of the game. Their names read like a who's who of NFL royalty: Bradshaw, Harris, Bleier, Cole, Greenwood, Ham, Furness, Webster, and Blount. There were no fences to keep fans from their heroes like there are today. It was magical.

Over the years, the players have changed, but the excitement and magic still remain. Autographs can be obtained if the players choose to sign, and that's half the fun. Tonight, my kids and I will sit down and see whose signatures we got. I'll go through the pictures I take and replay the precious time with my kids and my team over and over in my head. We'll make memories that will never fade, and THAT'S what I want for my kids.

I want my kids to be able to look back at all of the hoopla and say, "I remember Mom taking us to training camp. Damn, that was great!" I also want them to have stories to one day tell my grandchildren and be able to pass on the magic to them.

I hope to keep them grounded with admiring those who play for the love of the game and not the money. Too many of today's youth glorify those who feel they are above the law: Vick, Burress, Holmes (that one kills me as a Steeler fan), and Ray Lewis to name a few. Players with character like Warner, Polamalu, Marino, Kelly, and Flutie are a dying breed. When did it all change?

Today's hadj will not involve praying five times or blowing up innocent infidels. It will, however, most likely involve fervor and the laying on of hands.

I hope I don't embarrass my kids.

$2 Billion Loan for Oil Exploration

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Obama administration is poised to spend $2 billion of OUR money for oil exploration and drilling...off the coast of Brazil. Wonderful, ain't it? Nothing like using our money to possibly create another Hugo Chavez.

We're going to lend Brazil's largest state-owned oil company, Petrobras, money for exploration of a huge offshore discovery in the country's Tupi oil field in the Santos Basin near Rio de Janeiro. White House National Security Adviser James Jones met this month with Brazilian officials to talk about the loan.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank has given Petrobras a "preliminary commitment" of two billion of our hard-earned dollars, and that figure could go even higher. It's not clear whether it will be a direct loan or a loan guarantee, but, either way, if Petrobras defaults, guess who's stuck eating the loss? Hint: It's not Brazil. And to do this at a time when the U.S. Treasury can't pay our own bills is beyond me.

If Dear Leader is so gung ho on drilling, why not do it here? After all, the ban on offshore drilling in this country was allowed to expire to allow the market to go after our own reserves and reduce our dependence on those countries who want us dead. Instead, Chairman Barry has decided to sell oil leases to other countries and allow THEM to drill for OUR oil. The sale of those leases starts today. I've been busy, so tell me: Did the MSM cover any of this? I bet not.

I'm assuming part of the reason BHO is funding Brazil's exploration but not our own is due to the wailing and gnashing of teeth from groups like the Sierra Club and Earth First. After all, they DID help him get elected. How are they going to react when they realize he's funding global warming and CO2 emissions? Oops...it's okay for other countries to do it so long as the evil corporate giants here at home don't benefit. Bunch of screwballs!!!

The question of what Barry's stake in all of this is remains a mystery to me. I mean, c'mon...he doesn't do ANYTHING without strings attached. Is it political pandering once again to apologize for just how rotten this country is? Maybe he's planning on visiting Rio during Carnival on our dime. What ever the case, we should be telling the environmental crowd to shove it and open up OUR reserves to exploration. The rest of the world can get their own frickin' oil.

Bit by bit, this president is selling this country's sovereignty to foreign lands. Why does the word "treason" come to mind???

A Message to the White House

Veterans Take a Back Seat to Illegals

Chad Groening, writing for OneNewsNow.com, has posted an article about how illegal immigrants in this country are put ahead of U.S. citizens, even veterans, in Medicaid programs around the country. Have we heard anything from the MSM on this issue, kids? For our citizens, ESPECIALLY veterans, to be bumped for healthcare because an illegal immigrant needs it is un-American.

Dean Heller (R-NV) proposed an amendment to the Obamacare legislation that would've prevented illegal immigrants from accessing government-subsidized healthcare. The Dems defeated the measure handily.

Susan Tully, national field director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, says not only are illegal aliens not excluded from the healthcare proposals, but they are already getting benefits before American citizens. She cites the example of a disabled woman in Wisconsin.

"She has to go to what they call a Title 19 dentist -- somebody who takes this government [dental] plan," Tully notes. "She cannot get in to see a dentist because illegal aliens and migrant workers fill the waiting rooms because they're all eligible under Title 19 for dentist care."

Tully says that clinic is not taking any more patients, adding that even veterans are being pushed aside when it comes to access to benefits.

"I've had up in Minnesota a veteran who's having to wait 18 months to get in to see a doctor at a VA hospital, but refugees from Somalia can walk into any clinic at any time and get seen by a doctor immediately," she points out. "We have this crazy, inverted system that people who are less deserving have the first slice at everything."

The first thought that springs into my caffeine-deprived brain right now is probably the same one yinz have: How the hell do ILLEGAL immigrants get to access American taxpayer money??? God forbid you not have proof of residency to enroll your kids in school, but if you want the American taxpayers to support you, it's overlooked. For crying out loud, I don't favor Americans accessing taxpayer money to relieve themselves of the responsibility of providing for their families. I'm sorry...how frickin' insensitive of me to even bring it up. Looks like "re-education" is in my future.

Secondly, if ANYONE should be bumped to the front of the line, it should be those who have served their country proudly and with honor. What, in God's name, has happened in this society when we put veterans behind someone who shouldn't even be in this country? That is a total disgrace and makes all the sacrifices our soldiers have made seem in vain. What a crying shame.

I look for immigration reform to be the next hot-button issue in light of Dear Leader calling us "demagogues" on his trip to Mexico last week. Whether it comes to the forefront or not, this is definitely something we need to let our representatives in Congress know is just flat-out wrong. Our veterans deserve a hell of a lot more out of the country they've defended.

To each and every brave man or woman who has served this great nation: Thank you. You will always have a special place in my heart and my undying gratitude and respect.

*saluting*

Beware the Constitutional Convention

I got an email from the United States Justice Foundation via newsmax.com warning of what could be the scariest thing we've seen yet: a Constitutional Convention. If this information is true, we may be on the verge of a total takeover.

The only Constitutional Convention ever held was in 1787. The Founding Fathers met to give us a representative republic, as they felt (and rightfully so) that a pure democracy gave too much power to the masses. The Electoral College and checks and balances were put in place to evenly distribute power among the three branches of government and to guard against tyranny by mob rule.

According to Article V of the Constitution, it takes three-quarters of the states to approve any changes to the most precious document written next to the Bible. In those days, it was 9 out of the 13 original colonies. Today, 34 states would have to sign on to convening a Constitutional Convention. Many have the number of states in agreement at 32.

Should a Con Con be called, delegates from each state would be sent to the convention with the purpose of scrapping the Constitution of 1787 and starting over. Imagine the ramifications that would have considering the current occupant of the White House.

The First Amendment: gone. No more free speech for you. It would be touted as necessary to guard against viscious, hateful words coming from those who dare disagree with policy. And freedom of religion? HAH! You will be able to choose only from those religions the government would approve of. We'd all be sitting either in the front pew at Reverend Wright's church or in a mosque.

The Second Amendment: gone. We couldn't have an armed citizenry, now, could we? They might use them against those who wish to bring peace and harmony to this land. And how could the law be enforced if officers have to worry about being met with a firearm? No need for self-defense when the only ones with guns are the government, eh?

The Fourth and Fifth Amendments: gone. Your rights against illegal search and seizure and your rights against self-incrimination would cease to exist. They could take what they want when they want, and a warrant would not be required to search your property for whatever reason they deem worthy.

The Tenth Amendment: gone. States would no longer be allowed to declare their sovereignty over those issues not spelled out as Federal Powers in the Constitution. States would only be lines on a map.

Make no mistake about it. If a Con Con were held today, abortion, euthanasia, affirmative action and gay marriage would all become constitutional rights. The left would guarantee it. Also, no need to worry about that pesky 22nd Amendment that limits a president to two terms. It would vanish like cockroaches in the light.

I plan on keeping an eye on this, and I advise everyone else to keep an ear to the ground. Given this administration's track record, it would not surprise me if this is being considered. Please pray that this never happens. Stay vigilant.

Specter in Trouble

Politico.com has reported that a Netroots Nation straw poll shows Specter behind Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA) by a large margin.

Netroots Nation, a group of progressive and liberal bloggers and activists, is showing overwhelming support for Sestak with 48 percent of the 252 votes submitted. Specter got 10 percent. One third of the votes were undecided, and seven percent voted 'neither.' This could be Specter's Waterloo.

Specter stunned absolutely no one when he announced his switch to the Democratic Party earlier this year. We knew for years that he definitely was not a Republican. Speculation was that the switch was made out of fear of losing the Republican primary to Pat Toomey. Well, that just didn't pan out very well, did it? In fact, a recent poll pitting Specter as the Democratic candidate against Republican Toomey showed that Snarlin' Arlen would lose...big time.

While I definitely would not support Sestak, I do find it ironic karma has come around to bite Specter in the butt. Sestak, former Rear Admiral in the Navy, has received a 100% rating from NARAL, a group that would die before letting Roe v. Wade be overturned. Joe has also been quoted as saying that he was “150 percent behind a public option” when it comes to Obamacare.

Netroots Nation, in their poll, also had 95% of their voters give Dear Leader a very favorable rating in job performance. Of course they did. They represent the sort of mindless simps that Dear Leader would like everyone to be. Blind followers; nothing more.

It's going to be interesting to watch this play out. Pennsylvania law prohibits the loser of a primary from running as an independent in the general election.

Bye Arlen! You should've been gone long, long ago.

BHO in Mexico: He Called Us What???

dem⋅a⋅gogue--a person, esp. an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people.

During his visit to Mexico, Dear Leader was asked about amnesty for those illegal immigrants who are already in this country. Here is his response. Keep in mind the above definition for the word "demagogue."



In other words, he is saying that when we speak out against what we don't believe in, we are preying on peoples fears and emotions.

No, you twit from 1600. We are appealing to the common sense of the American people. When people realize the con game you and your posse are trying to run by us, THEN we get emotional. When that happens, there's no stopping us. Just ask look at what the voices of the American people have done to your precious "public option" you tried to run by us. And I will make a bet that the rest of that hideous legislation will follow.

A lot of us out here have not trusted anything you've said from day one. Since then, our numbers have grown, Dear Leader. We will no longer be silent, for we see what can happen when we unify our voices into a crescendo that even ACORN can't drown out. You will lose every time.

I hope you and your cronies enjoy your stay in DC, Mr. Obamarx. Yours will most likely be a lot shorter than those in Congress, but make no mistake: You wanted change? It's coming.