Flag Ship Electrolab

What a week in Belleville, ON. It's funny, I am listening to the Rent Soundtrack and "Would You Light My Candle" is playing in my iPod. This is a cool strange metaphor. As Safestart celebrated it's tenth year of existence and Larry's provincial hair flick, there were many good feelings I experienced this week.

I think lighting candles are important and I do hope that Safestart lights a thousand more candles. Upon the lighting of the tenth, I found myself in the middle of REAL family event.

I know I live in Arizona, and I know I travel all the time, and well, I only go to Canada really only 2-3 times a year. This time was the most incredible.

I laughed, cried, hollered, partied, slept, but most of all, the one emotion that I wish could be canned is the way I felt like I belonged. I thought it was mostly hypnotic because everyone was giddy. I don't think the liquor had anything to do with it either, well wait! This is Electrolab! Ha....just kidding, but really, if you weren't drunk, you knew what the feeling was especially if you work for or around Electrolab. To the folks at Electrolab! You are truly remarkable. I hope the ship sets sail forever and you all are around to light many candles and celebrate many birthdays. Because, Barb said it best, you are preventing 5,000,000 injuries each year! Thank you for letting me be a part of it!

Knee This

Well, I suppose it is the end of a very active summer for me. Last week we went to Illinois for a 20 year class reunion at my old high school in Mattoon. I had loads of fun, but it was a precursor for things to come. After we returned from Illinois, we immediately had to pack to go to Las Vegas for my brother's 21st birthday. We partied, we walked, we danced and oh yes, we gambled. But still, a hidden devastating injury lurks. After we returned from Vegas, I had to pack to do my monthly JoshuCasey trip in Anaheim. I left on Monday after returning from Vegas on Sunday. My week went spectacular, and I managed to play three days of tennis with Eric, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I got home on Friday and had a baseball game on Friday night. I felt out of sorts on Friday and made some mental mistakes on the field. Sheila and I went to a wedding on Saturday morning and had a great time! I was gonna stay home with the girls Saturday night while Sheila had a night out with the girls. Her friends from high school were getting together, but she talked me into going with them. We went to Cadilac Ranch at the Tempe Marketplace and had a good time, drinks and dancing. Got to bed around 1am Sunday morning, and had another baseball game at 9am. It is the 7th inning and I was catching my good friend Mike Mcloughlin and we were playing Dan Marjele's baseball team. The batter hit a 1-2 pitch foul behind the plate towards third base by the dugout. I jumped out of the catcher's croutch and ran over to field the ball. The ball was playable, but the wind brought the ball back towards the field and I miss-judged the ball and planted my leg on the fringe to catch the ball, that is when I heard a snap and my knee buckled. I didn't feel any pain but felt some discomfort. I had previously tore my ACL in 1997 playing basketball at Motorola. I got up and tried to warm up with Mike but my knee buckled again, and this time made three crackling sounds. This time it was very uncomfortable. I think I tore my ACL again.

Ground Zero No More

As the Wife, Kids and I approached Liberty St. in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, we were taken aback by the construction cranes, fences and workers. We knew why we went to this location but did not have any expectations. This is where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood.

The new foot print was just about complete with upwards progress nearing street level. There was still a great deal of work to be done, and the promise of something new going in its place was immanent. Then, there was the visitors center. With Ladder Station 39 next to it. It ALL came rushing back in my spine and an instant feeling of horror. I was terrified. I instantly remembered that fateful moment.

FLASHBCAK! I got a phone call at 5:35 am in California on September 11, 2001. I was getting ready to teach an Emergency Response class for the City of Escondido and Sheila was on the phone asking, if I had seen the news about an airplane crashing into Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. Then two minutes later, I saw the other airplane slam into Tower 2. Did my Uncle get out? What about all those people above the crash areas? Should I teach class? How am I going to get home? What about all those people? The towers fell..... What about all those people? What about the Emergency Responders. I literally did not know what to do.

Flights were cancelled. Rental cars were scarce.

FLASHBACK! I was standing in front of the memorial. There were 2752 names enblazed on the tablet in front of me. I was absorbed in overwhelming sorrow. Sobbing with Sheila and my kids, I was just so happy for what I had. And I still could not answer one question. What would I do if I lost either one of my family members? I could not stand it at all. In the room where the names were listed, one of the twisted bits of metal from Tower 1 was encased in a glass box with pictures of the old standing tower behind it. Next to that room was a wall that resembeled the walls with missing people pictures.....it was a wall that never ended. I saw a name on the memorial, then I saw the missing person picture that the family must of put together on their home computer. Al Claxo was his name. It was at this moment that I had moved from sorrow to just pure anger.

FLASHBACK! I was on my way home in a Lincoln Navigator. I had to drive from San Diego to Phoenix because all the flights were cancelled. Once I got home I hugged both my kids and my wife. I got news that my uncle was okay and he got away from the tumbling wreckage. I shook my head and was in complete awe, and wondered who could have done this? Was it the same group that tried to take it down in 1993? It was! Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda....Anger Anger

FLASHBACK! I walked out of the memorial and saw the Ladder Station that belonged to Ladder 39 of the FDNY. No more anger, now I fealt releaved that there were men and women that walked up many flights of stairs, that tried to evacuate most people, that followed some emergency plan...that did so much to uplift the spirits of all that needed help. I fealt that these people will always be remembered as Heros! It was at this point I walked by a construction fence that had a hole in it and I saw Ground Zero, where the towers once stood. There was new construction there and an explanation of what to expect. http://www.national911memorial.org/site/PageServer?pagename=New_Memorial_Page

I was happy to see that the pools with silent water falls were going into the foot prints of the old towers. Then, it was at this point......I thought, This is Ground Zero No More, but the New World Trade Center.

It was Ironic. Two blocks away, the US Airways flight 1549 where ALL the passengers survived, and I happened to get pictures of the wreckage, was being rigged and preped for transportation to a marina across the Hudson. The Irony reminds me of a statement that George W. Bush said, "You can knock our buildings down, and we can rebuild, but you cannot knock our resolve down." This was evident in the air around the construction site once referred to as Ground Zero. More importantly, it has shown me how resiliant we are as Americans. Like the pilot that guided that plane to safety and allowing everyone to survive.

I have learned so much growing up, but it is these last 9-10 years where I have learned the most. Since 9-11 we have stood up to tyrany, we have rebuilt, we have elected a black president, we have failed, we have prospered, but we never say, we are still at Ground Zero. We knew the level of destruction, but what we knew more of is how much more we are capable of, in others words, it is the Phoenix that makes me think this deaply. Out of the Ashes comes something newer, and yes there will be a memorial, but 9-11 will still be remembered, and something new will be in its place. IT WILL BE GOUND ZERO NO MORE!

No First Quarter Blues

It is a happy New Year, and things are progressing absolutely wonderful. At the end of the year I was fortunate enough to get to teach some wonderful folks in the village of South Lake Tahoe. The snow, the blue water, the mountains and old friends. It was all terrific! It was a sign for things to come in the new year.

2009 has already started, and I have been busy. I have been to Portland, Oregon to do some Safestart overview sessions and am packing for Calexico and El Centro. Of course, I leave tomorrow, but I wanted to write about my (if any) resolutions and what I am thankful for in 2008.

2008 was not like our usuall installment of every four years. This year we had a crazy Olympics, we had an historical election, and the economy is at its worst in 65 years (so the TV says). You all remember my opinion about the sluggish economy, and it still baffles me. I also wanted to add, that I had some wonderful personal stuff happen to me as well! Other than becoming the National Water Environment Federation Safety Committee Chair, and becoming the first Non-Public person to be the Program Chair for Tri-State I have actually made some time to spend at home with the wife and kids which I am very happy about that. I also got to see Tommy Adams and Kelly Dempsey, after a two and a half year hiatus.

So, lets see......do I have any resolutions??? Get Eric to join Facebook, Negotiate a more beneficial salary for JoshuaCasey. Make Sheila Happier! Treat her with respect....watch her in Carnegie Hall. Go to Disney World and New York City. Consider a potential stock market collapse with a "more-government" president in the white house. Wonder why businesses have the first quarter blues.

We do have the savior in the office come January 20th and the big three auto makers are considering bankruptcy. We have a majority of the Fortune 100 companies struggling and shrinking and...well I am going to stop there.

Is the first quarter blues going to cripple the market? Time can only tell. Ronald Reagan said, "The economy needs less government to rebound." I think that is profound. We saw the economy rebound fully. Barrack Obama said, "The economy needs more government." Wow, I hope his vision is right. There is a proven track record for the other to work. So, maybe this is the injection we need, of course, the long lines at Costco, and the sold out Mario Cart for Wii, and the American Girl Doll accessories will be more abundant too if the economy gets stronger. Right? Oh yeah, I forgot the economy sucks. Maybe we all have the first quarter blues, especially if everything is sold out and there are long lines at all the retail stores. Remember people, profit is different than total sales. If total sales are down then, that doesn't automatically mean that profit is affected.

Exit 44 and the Voice of Reason

Today I was traveling across the overpass of I-80 in Oakland. When I got onto the 880 freeway going to the Oakland Airport, I passed Exit Number 44. As I approached that exit, it suddenly dawned on me that the 44th president was going to be someone that I did not vote for and this was an exit I had to take whether I liked it or not. (How Ironic)

After watching the concession speach delivered by John McCain, I was stricken by a sad situation that the stigma of George W. Bush has put into the minds of everyone. I watched a war hero turned-Bush fall guy deliver the most impactful speach of the year. He moved me in such a way that I had no other choice but to believe in Barrack Obama. John McCain is truly a professional nice guy, and I will always remember the fight he had to battle. For every step he took forward, there was always some sand pit, or swamp, or hot dessert, or deep pit, or aligators pulling him back. It was a cliche of a campaign-in that McCain already lost before the election. For every step forward he took two steps back. Mostly, the two steps back were directly related to the dogma/stigma of being so close to the adminstration that over 69% of America did not approve of.

Shame on you America for not deciding for a man who could have provided change. The change we needed.

I will not leave you on a negative note, because like you, I was truly uplifted by the presence of hope that the elated faces looking upon Barrack Obama had. I told my cousin, who attended the Grant Park historic event that I fealt overwhelmed with feelings of being Patriotic after the announcement of the President Elect on Fox News. The sole reason, I think, is because of the barriers it breaks for a great number of people. American People! The People of the United States have spoken. I may not agree, but nevertheless, I feel patriotic about what happened.

I hope that Barrack Obama can live up to his Tiger Woods-esque expectations for his, our's and our children's sake. We do not need a let down, after so much uplifting hope has filled over 57% of all America. I hope the 57% is the Voice of Reason because exit 44 is a road we ALL have to take now. Let's support our President and serve our country to the best of our ability. I know McCain has, I know my dad has, and I know I have. Have you?

The Economy Sucks When.....

...you go to Las Vegas and you can barely move around because there is no room. Why is there no room? Everyone is spending money on drinks, gambling, smoking, dancing, sporting events, concerts....

...you go to Olive Garden and there is a two hour wait. But as you walk up to the bar...you can sit down and eat right away....

....the Suns Season tickets are sold out, even before the season starts.

...people keep using all the fuel but complain about conservation and global warming.

...people blame government for their mistakes.

...when people want more government when they are still on welfare.

...people go out and spend their tax return check, but then complain about taxes.

...the Dark Knight makes a record $155 million dollars in its first weekend.

...Hollywood makes more money in the three day weekend the Dark Knight opens...ever...

I have really been trying to stay away from the political unrest that is the Media of our upside down 2008. The democrats have really condescended the idea that an outsider cannot bring in new ideas(Speaking of Palin). I watched Bill Maher last night on HBO and his panel were really inserting feet into mouths. Janeane Garofalo was the epitome of backfire. I think that the democratic party is shooting themselves in the foot by belittling the candidates of the republican party. The media feeds fuel to the fire, by showing and asking all that they want to here for their audience. Show the whole story, not just the stuff you want to here. I can't stand the editorial-isms from the liberal media.

It has been this way for democrats for a long time. Bring somebody down to bring themselves up. When Garofalo said that Bush did not win either election...hmmm I think he is in office now...I know that she is just a liberal hippy that looks for the first weed machine in downtown L.A. when her depression kicks in, of course, it was the federal government that was responsible for her depression in the first place. Damn the federal government for not creating a psychological disorder for what she has...she may need it when she files for federal reimbursement. Of course, which needs federal oversite to make sure that the money is being appropriated to people that actually filled out the right applications.

I am definitely being sarcastic but I am just sick and tired of people complaining. It is not the people making a case about the issues, it is the people that take things to a personal level. Like, Garofalo. She needs others to make sure her low self esteem can be picked up once and awhile. The economy sucks when people like Garofalo are concerned that there isn't enough government to make the economy better. Sorry, Janeane IT IS THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE ECONOMY GREAT, NOT GOVERNMENT!

17 Years of Bliss

In case you might be wondering, I have not traveled for a week and am home for another week. I have decided to skip talking about traveling and talk about my wonderful wife who, I met 17 years ago August 31.

As I relax today; Sheila and I went on a long awaited date lastnight and we had a great time. We went to a restuarant/bar called Barcelonas in Scottsdale. We ate, drank and danced. But, neither of us figured out it was our 17 year meeting aniversary. You see, we met 17 years ago.....Here is the story:

There was this Maroon 1985 Ford Escort driving in circles on Camp Pendelton, California Marine Base. We happened to intercept the car. What's more, there were three ladies in the car. Funny thing was, you could not see the driver over the seat. But for me and my buddies, there were some chics in the car.....so.....lets.......follow......them! As we followed them, they get lost, we get frustrated, and we continue on. But now, they make a u-turn, and they start following us.

Our final destination was the Del-Mar E-club. You see, the term E-club means, enlisted Marines club, so we knew there would be a lot of horny drunk marines there, but what the hell. I liked to dance, and there were women to be had! Until......

These three young women came up to me and my friends and asked us to sign them in. Civilians cannot get into the club unless they have an escort. Here is the irony, these three ladies were the ones in the Maroon Ford Escort. One of them was Sheila. My wife. We drank, we danced but we did not eat. Sheila had to get home with her sister and cousin. We invited them to Dennys but we got denied. I thought that would be the end of it. Sheila went to work the next day, and I hung out with my friends. I call Sheila that evening, and she thought my name was TOM???!!!?? So I corrected her. Of course, she didn't tell me this until 16-17 years later.

As you can see in this picture, this is 17 years ago. Damn we look good. I have had the most memorable 17 years of bliss. We have two wonderful girls Courtney, 14 and Camryn, 10. We have a gourgeous house in Mesa, AZ and we both love what we do. What more could you ask for? I would ask for, 200 more years just like the 17 years of Bliss we just had.