Honey you really tempt me you know the way you look so kind.

And I guess that's why

They call it the blues

Time on my hands

Could be time spent with you

Elton John

Greetings:

We spent most of the past week celebrating the 40th anniversary of my lovely wife, Jacky, entering this world. I am pretty proud that I was able to pull off a surprise party without her having a clue, well at least no clue until she started seeing her friends cars in the parking lot as we were heading into the High Noon Saloon. A lot of Jacky's friends made the effort on a work night( for them not me) to come out and party even though we didn't get the party started til around 9 pm and didn't wrap it up until they were turning on the lights and stacking the chairs on the tables. And just for the record even though I was pulling back the covers at 3 am I was in the gym at 8:30 the following morning.

We had 40 red velvet cupcakes for the occasion. Well I guess the actual number that made it in the door was 39 as it was a fairly sizable 2 mile drive from the bakery to the bar and I thought it was only right that I taste the cupcakes to insure that my guests were getting something tasty. :)

Here was my chance to be a rock star and the bar featured live band karaoke by the band The Gomers. These guys are ridiculously talented and have well over a 1000 songs at their disposal for you to sing. And they can make even a clown like me sound okay because I'm fairly certain I didn't see anyone running from the building like their ears were on fire during my song.

Hard to imagine me looking goofier than this. So I can imagine you want to know what song I sang. It was a little Jackson Browne 'Running on Empty'. Can be much of shock to anyone that reads this. I believe there is a video copy of it running around which I promise to share with you guys if I get a copy of it.

It was really hot in Madison last week. Creeping into the 90's with a ton of humidity. Now I can sweat in just about any temperature but I can really sweat in warm and humid. I was having to switch shirts and hats midway through volleyball matches, and then sweating through a third shirt just sitting around after the games. It was a little disgusting for sure, and the locals were happy to bitch about the heat. But not me I remember winter all too well and I don't care how hot it is give scorching over snow and cold 8 days a week.

My scale at home has not been happy with my cupcake eating, summer shandy drinking, the last week so I am putting off an official weigh-in as long as possible. I am hoping to avoid the little "hey we miss you, get your fat ass back into a meeting" card I get from weight watchers when I have been delinquent in my weekly weigh in. I have had a really awesome summer as far as working out goes. I was in the gym every morning last week, on the path multiple times as well. I'm lifting weights, doing 100's of sit ups a week, and jogging further and further both on the treadmill and on the path. It doesn't mean I don't sweat walking from the car into the movie theater but at least I don't pant as well. :) I saw Transformers last week and it is a steaming pile of crap. Perhaps the worst movie I have seen this year. I also saw a really cute movie with n excellent soundtrack called Away We Go. Not spectacular but easily more than a handful of laughs. I, like most everyone else, was shocked by the passing of Michael Jackson last week. Flawed in many ways, and the product of an extremely tainted childhood, he still brought joy to millions and his musical talent is unquestioned. Rest in peace MJ Peace and ABC,123,DoReMi, jim