I'm Back!!!

Been away from SG for several months going through some things and clearing my head, but I came back, and hopefully to stay. thanks for keeping a seat warm for me.

Here in Illinois, we are mourning the latest victims of gun violence on campus...this happened today at Northern Illinois University, about 65 miles northwest of Chicago, if you haven't heard...long story short, a guy dressed in black came into a classroom and opened fire...he has a shotgun and two handguns...six people, including him are dead and about a couple dozen are injured.

It suddenly seems like Virginia Tech was just yesterday.

I won't go into a rant about guns in American society, that's another diatribe for another day...instead, I just feel sad for all the young people at that campus ,who have had their innocence shattered by yet another episode of violence on our campuses...it took the university about an hour to get the word out by official e-mail, yet the kids were ahead of that, texting and phoning each other.

We have an orgy of guns here in America and I don't know where it will all end.

Some notes since my last post:

Good to see the Patriots suffer the same fate that my Rams did six years ago: heavily favored and knocked on your ass...How sweet it is!!

Even though I get tired of all the bullshit surrounding the elections, there is no way to describe the feeling of stepping into a voting booth, and casting my vote...it is exillerating, even if I get frustrated with the process and feel that all politicians are basically full of shit...it IS nice, every now and again to see someone that you really wanted to win, actually do so.

After the first week rush of being on SG, it has slowed down a bit, as I have been so busy with various things...I do check in several times a day, even if I don't get to update this blog or post to my groups...I wanted to keep the number of groups to which I belong to a manageable number, so as to get to know the people in them and regularly contribute...I have 16 now, which feels like too much, but they are things I am very interested in, so I don't want to cut any of them out.

more later

For those of you watching the Super Bowl, have a great time. As a Ram's fan, I am still reeling from the news that the beloved Patriots may have cheated their way to a win in SB 36. No matter what happens today, their legacy will be tainted...just my opinion.

TGIF!!! Celebrating the end of my first week at SG with a Ketel One martini, and it's pretty good if I do say so myself! This is a wonderful community of people. The beautiful SG are a nice backdrop to the great discussion that is available here. The groups I have found range from masturbation to brewpubs to NHL Hockey. Where else can you find a line up like that. Thanks to all of you for helping make my first week here a memorable one. I look forward to making friends here.

I just joined the "Kitties" group, and I was amazed to see how many cat fans we have...there is truly something about cats and their people...ours is an old girl (about 18) and she is slowing down a lot, but we love her and we spoil her...we are preparing for the day when she isn't around any more.

What a weather day we are having here in Chicago...there was snow on the ground over the weekend, and it was so warm yesterday and today, all the snow melted...it got up to 45 today...by tonight, the temperature will drop to -1 or so...I never remember seeing a forty-some-odd drop in the temp in one day...it's been that kind of winter...the 50's one day, sub zero temps the next...I'm fortunate I haven't been sick with all the temp changes.

My First Day!!!

So much here, it stretches my brain...pictures, groups, chat, boards, friends to meet...it's gonna take awhile to wrap my arms around it all...glad to be here/