Stories's Log
This log represents the Life and Times of the Las Vegas Dude.
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Sun 
05/17/2009 13:20:10
 jim  Beautiful Words
While creating a log called Obits, I came across a letter that is very special.
This letter was written by my Mom after my Grandfather died.
Good Night, Dad.
This message will live in my heart forever.
Thank you, dear God, for my father and for those words Dad never failed to speak each night - to me.
"I love you with all of my heart.
I want us to live together for the good of each other and to work together in peace.
And when I get too old to take care of myself I want you to take care of me
".
On his last night,
Dad smiled, always a sweet smile, and said
"I hate to let you go" (holding my hand)
And he let go and smiled again, and left.

My Mom was a beautiful person.
I remember leaving her hours before she passed on. I kissed her, told her I loved her so much. She waved at me with one of those red, glowing sensors on her finger and smiled so big.
I never thought she was going to die in her sleep hours later. My wife (Ruth) and I had prepared a room for her at my house, for when she got out. Mom seemed to get around just fine.
But I was so busy in those days. I had to reinstall almost all of the applications at Caesars that month.
Maybe I saw, but I didn't notice that my Mom, my best friend in this life, was slipping away.
Mom died 10 years to the day, after her husband (Dave Leblanc) died. Dave, Mom, and my Grandfather died just before their insurance ran out.
Dave was my step-dad, and what a great guy he was.
Almost all of the people I loved from that period are gone now. Only my brother and I are left to honor their memories.
Sat 
05/16/2009 09:33:18
 jim  Wexford Rain
Fri 
05/15/2009 20:58:40
 jim  Rochester Inn
Fri 
05/15/2009 19:33:50
 jim  Pittsburgh Walkin
Fri 
05/15/2009 18:11:48
 jim  Downtown Pittsburgh
Fri 
05/15/2009 14:49:16
 jim  the American Dream - Property Decisions?

Address:
 
City St or Zip:

(The example's 2006 appraisal was $260k. It's loan is $190k and it's under water $110k).
Calculator: Pay or Go
San Franscisco Examiner:
Only an idiot would pay their mortgage
Keep in mind my story,
my last sale cost 20% in negotiations. Realtors want to close a deal, not dicker.
Its what I didn't know that bit me.
MillionSaverHomes.com  Login
702-212-3513.

Sat 
05/09/2009 03:41:13
 jim  So, what is reality?
Is reality what we experience?
If others don't experience what we do, is our perception real or imagined?
All of those voices in our head, what are they? Do our dreams tell us what to do in our daily lives?
I've seen things that I rarely get a chance to talk about.
Because this blog offers mostly my perspective of life, through pictures and words, I feel I can voice freely some of what I've seen.
I know that there is much more to this life than I can imagine.
I see an intelligent force around me every day. It must be millions, if not billions of years old.
And I know that our brain holds the knowledge of how are body was built as well, and this knowledge is denied to our consciousness.
I've seen animals that learn to walk much faster than humans after being born. Do they dream about walking before being born?
We aren't given the tools to understand reality.
Why? I will never know using this brain with its senses. We are severily limited in our thinking.
Sometimes I think our brain is like a 20 year old PC. We can't do a lot with it. One person is gifted with math, another is gifted with music, but nobody has it all.
Its nice to know others have gifts, and I'm not just talking about people. I'm talking about every living thing I see.
Perhaps, nothing I do in this life really matters to anyone here today, including myself, but it will matter millions of years from now.
It seems sad that eternity simply can't exist for this brain. Its amazing how much this body has changed forms since I was born.
It makes sense to me that I've been here, changing and having many different forms for a very long time, long before my body and mind existed. 
It always amazes me that I was once a small fertilized egg. Logic tells me that when I was born, everything in the universe worked its way up to my creation.
If everything hadn't happened exactly the way it did, I wouldn't be here.
If my Mom hadn't met my Dad, if my grandparents didn't ride a trolley together in New York...and so on, if anything had been different, I wouldn't exist in this form.
That seems clear to me.
And I believe we die every day. Our skin dies, our memories die, our body is constantly replenishing dead cells with new cells everyday.
We host over 30 trillion living cells in our body. Our perspective changes all of the time. We aren't any single thing. We are part of the universe, and we are many.
But if someone sees life as being something different than what I see, who am I to say they are wrong.
All I have is my perspective on life.
I like this article.
Almost everyone writes better than I do.

Anyway, click here to read something a little more eliquent than what I've wrote.
Its comforting to know that after 100s of years, few things that were said today will be remembered. However, everything we do today is part of a chain of events that will create a different kind of future. Everything we did, will matter.
Fri 
05/08/2009 18:28:58
 jim  Richmand-Tilts Pub
Fri 
05/08/2009 16:25:45
 jim  Beaver Falls
Wed 
05/06/2009 19:48:11
 jim  Counting the Days
I hear rain falling. Cars are treading their way through the flooded roadways. It takes me back to a timeless place in my mind and its a good feeling. I feel young again.
A friend has layed down for her last time. She's counting the hours. 
All of the old times in our past, the partying with the gang, picking each other up from the floor and falling down again, us laughing at ourselves.
We had crazy times of constant fun, with never a bad word to say.
Almost all of the old gang is gone now. They came and went like an afternoon dream.
And I'm left here, listening to the rain fall, remembering with a smile...
while counting the days.
 
Wed 
04/29/2009 07:07:42
 jim  Last Weeks Events - Pittsburgh turns Green
Last week was HOT! It got up to the high 80's. All of the trees that were brown the week before, are now green. Where do the bushes that looked like sticks the week before get all of that green stuff! I'm awed by the event. Plants are full of action. All you have to do is notice them.
Magoos Bar and Restaurant
Magoos is just up the hill from our apartment on Old Perry Highway.The food was excellent and they have live bands every Tuesday and Saturday.
Near there, was an ancient bowling alley hidden in the back of a small, self deteriating mall. It was full of leaguers.
Walnut Grove
Wednesday, we rendevoused with a coworker at Walnut Grove in Cranberry They have live jazz at 9 pm on Wednesdays. The food, music and company were GREAT.
Mt Pleasant Drive-In
Friday, we ended up at a drive-in 65 miles south of Pittsburgh. You wouldn't believe it. There were three screens surrounding a grassy field. The burgers were hand shaped (old fashioned style), and the ambience was festive. We caught the tail end of Hannah Montana (which was surprisingly good). People clapped at the ending! We came to see Witch Mountain with the Rock.
Rita's Ice Cream
We swung by and tried some of Pittsburgh's famed ice cream. I figured it must be good if people are lined up there in the winter time. I had my first Gellato. I don't know why I was thinking it would have Jello in it, but it was delicious. One of Pittsburgh's various surprisings is its Ice Cream College! Strange, but true.
New Glasses for Becky
Let's see, what else did we do? Oh, I bought Becky a new pair of glasses (expensive little boogers). She was in tears, she was so happy. I didn't expect that.
It was beautiful.
IBM Thinkpad for work
Yesterday, I finally got my laptop for support work. Its old, but does the job. I like Thinkpads. I especially like the mouse stick they put on the keyboard. Its light, has a docking station for work, and now I have two monitors!!! Now I have an excuse to stay at home on the weekends...and not wander the country aimlessly, looking for new and exciting places.
Tue 
04/28/2009 09:13:33
 jim  Wexford Apt-Spring is here
Sat 
04/18/2009 23:59:18
 jim  Louisville Thunder Crowds
Sat 
04/18/2009 21:32:21
 jim  Thunder Over Louisville - Fireworks
Sat 
04/18/2009 18:48:12
 jim  Louisville-The Friedrichs Clan
Sat 
04/18/2009 17:59:46
 jim  Louisville-The Camp
From Saturday to Sunday
We cherished the festivities. Becky and I drove 6 hours from Pittsburgh. Most of the Fredrichs clan drove 12 hours from Wisconsin. The partying, fireworks, variety of people, airshow, and just being in Louisville made this occasion a very special event. Even the guy who came by and broke my truck added a special spice when he said "I fixed your truck". I loved it, and the Fredrichs have become sort of a family to me.
WE HAD GREAT TIMES YA'LL !!
Sat 
04/18/2009 17:00:44
 jim  Louisville Thunder Bldgs
Sat 
04/18/2009 14:26:20
 jim  Louisville Thunder Baseball
Sat 
04/18/2009 11:54:52
 jim  Louisville Air Show-20090418
Sat 
04/18/2009 08:22:50
 jim  Louisville Trip
Sat 
04/18/2009 08:22:50
 jim   (Reply).Louisville Trip
Sorry I haven't gotten more pictures out yet. They will come.
Sat 
04/18/2009 08:22:50
 chez2199   (Reply).Louisville Trip
Thunder was the deal.. Perfect weather for the day of the event!!!  Out in the beatiful sun all day game of baseball, airshow and ooh by the way.. the best fireworks show in the nation!!!
Sat 
04/18/2009 02:59:40
 jim  More Louisville Pix - From Rod
Fri 
04/17/2009 01:01:01
 jim  Thunder Over Louisville
Thunder Over Louisville kicks off the Kentucky Derby on 4/18/2009. It is one of the top 10 events to see in the US.
Over 500,000 thrill seeking people are expected to show up for the event.
This calendared Stories is here to remind me to plan on going to the events.
Rod's family is coming, and I'm pretty sure everyone sets up on a camping area near the river.

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