Packy got a trampoline for his birthday. Karen kept him all night Friday night so Steve and Kim could prepare for his party today. His actual birthday is next Wednesday. I made a birthday banner for him & Kim colored it, it looked really nice on the front of the house.

He told Karen last night that he had gotten a trampoline. He found it in the garage when he was "looking for something else", he said. He has been wanting a trampoline for quite a while, and Kim had told him that she would have to save her money up to get one, because they cost a lot of money. Since then, he has been on her constantly to save money. He told Karen that he would really act surprised to see the trampoline, and that she should not tell Kim that he knew that it was there. "Don't tell mom!"

The party started at 14:00 for the little kids, and none of them wanted to go home when it was time for the "big kids" party to start (the beer-drinking parents & friends). I woke up about 18:45 & took a shower and went over; the "big kids" party was well under way. Karen had made potato salad and deviled eggs and Steve grilled chicken breasts. Good July picnic food. Love them deviled eggs! Karen had spent some time on the trampoline, even after I had repeatedly warned her about it. She loves it as much as the little kids. I guess everybody had a turn before I got there. I missed my turn...darn!

I got about ten hours of sleep today, feeling excellent! The doc on the ED tonight is really usually pretty easy on me so I'll probably get a chance to do a lot of extra stuff, like this. We have been really busy at the hospital for months, it seems, so a little break is well-deserved, I think. My boss might feel differently about it though! Can't make any money just sitting around, y'know!

I've been thinking about following some good examples and taking the counters off of my pages. Sometimes I get too fixated on the numbers, and, frankly, the numbers are disappointing. In a way. I have to remember that I have a quality audience, and that quantity isn't important unless you're selling something. And I've never been a salesman. And if I were, I couldn't sell anything anyway.

So, anyway, the numbers will be gone soon.

It's really nice getting feedback, a lot more satisfying than looking at the numbers of people who are just cruising through. I got some yesterday saying that the people who are screwing up the change are really probably that dumb. I guess I live in a different world... most of the people that I know are medical and/or computer-oriented, and probably above-average intelligence. I don't personally know anyone who I would consider stupid, but I guess there are a lot of them out there. There's an old saying, "god must love poor people, since he made so many of them.". That probably applies to stupid people, too. Damn, there's god again, why did he make us atheists? Oh, right, to test the true xians...

Just got into a conversation with two of our security guards, both stalwart republicans... we were outside smoking when one of them saw a teamster's union tag on one of the cars parked in the parking lot. He used a few expletives, referring to the left-wing pinko unions and their using union money to support Clinton against the wishes of 58% of the union members. I mildly disagreed with him (all of my disagreements with people wearing guns is mild) and questioned his figures and his attitude in general. Eventually, I made some very good points. Wasted them, is more like it. I do believe that there was once a place for unions, and that they have abused that power that the people have vested in them. I also believe that there is becoming more and more need for unions again; the corporations that run America are again into abusing workers in all walks, not just the truckers or the machinists. Corporate profits are at an all-time high and there is more of a difference between the rich and the poor than there has been in the last 2/3rds of this century. These are the things that make for revolutions and unions.

There have been great abuses by unions, just as there have been great abuses by the federal government. And, in each entity, the people get what they deserve. If we are willing to put up with the scoundrels, they will stay there and get worse. If we throw them out, and that can be done in both unions and in government, we may make a better deal for ourselves. Or maybe not.

But the unions excessive use of force that got their members $30/hour jobs putting together automobiles should not be tolerated. Abuse of power in the union hierarchy should be just as punishable as abuse in the government is. And it probably is, the problem is just catching the bastards, and producing live witnesses...

This is really off the subject, but I sure do love Karen...