As happy as I am with the Democrats re-taking the House of Representatives in yesterday’s mid-term elections… The “real” election I was on the edge of MY chair for was my daughter running for her first elected office – to be a member of the Contra Costa Community College Board… And, with 100% of the precincts reporting, the results are in (drum roll please)…..
Victory!! 59.39% of the vote!
County election data breakdown of votes
Congratulations to the “Honorable” Miss Rebecca Barrett!! (Needless to say, her mum and I were especially happy and proud parents last night.)
LOL!!! Isn’t it amazing how they go from being introduced as your kids, to you being introduced as their parents.
My soul is rooted deeply in the soil on which I stand,
for these are mine, my own United States!
This is my country
Land of my birth
This is my country
Grandest on Earth
This is my country!
Land of my choice!
This is my country!
Hear my proud voice!
I pledge thee my allegiance,
America, the bold,
For this is my country!
To have and to hold.
Lyrics by: Don Raye
Music by: Al Jacobs
[I am a first generation American. My father was born in Ireland and came to America as a teen. My mother was born in Mexico, but came here within a year of birth and was raised here in America. My parents were divorced and I have no idea if my dad ever became a U.S. citizen or not. My mother did not. She is still a Mexican national. I was born here in the United States, as were my sister and brother. I volunteered for four years of active duty in the Army near the end of the Vietnam Era. I also served in the Army Reserves when my active duty was completed. Including my civilian time as a Federal employee, I have over 26 years in service to my country.
All I can say to President Trump and any other Republican who would claim I’m not a “REAL” American “just” because I was born here is: “This is MY country! And I ain’t goin’ anywhere…!!” — KMAB]
Two days ago, on Halloween, the world lost one of the true gentlemen of sports history: Willie Lee McCovey. Nicknamed “Mac”, “Big Mac”, and (my personal favorite) “Stretch”, McCovey was a first baseman who defined the position for me as a child. He played for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball for 19 of his 22 seasons in the majors.
My earliest memory of ANY sports event was attending a baseball game as a youth at Candlestick Park and seeing McCovey, Willie Mays, and Juan Marichal in person. My mom and I sat high in the upper deck, underneath the shell which used to line the stadium. I don’t recall if the Giants won the game or much else about the game except – Marichal’s high-kick pitching delivery style, Mays hit a home run and “Stretch” made a terrific catch at first base. It wasn’t a high catch (as shown in the image above). It was low, near the ground and McCovey had to practically do the splits to make the catch.
It seems “funny” to think of this, but imagine you are Willie Mays – arguably the greatest baseball player of all time and in the top five career home run hitters in history and you bat third in the order because the guy (Willie McCovey) batting fourth, behind you, has more power…
None of the above speaks to the true greatness of the man, himself. It is better to think of Willie McCovey this way: his last active year was 1980. That same year, the Giants retired his jersey number (44) and began awarding “The Willie Mac Award” which is given to the team’s most inspirational player that year, as voted on by the team’s players, coaches, training staff, and (just recently included) fans. Finally, in 1986, in his first year of eligibility, Willie McCovey was voted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
R.I.P “Stretch”. And thanks for the childhood memories…
[A few night’s ago, I awoke in the middle of the night and the second half of the above prayer / poem flashed through my thoughts. In its entirety, this was the “formal / regular” prayer I used to say when I was a child and going to bed. For whatever reason, I recalled the entire prayer and said it earnestly. It’s “funny” the things you remember – for no particular reason – as you get older. They just spring to mind… — KMAB]
