Pappa Hardy’s Musings on Life.

Today has been a good day. I am sitting at my computer, counting my many blessings, most of which have been yelling and carrying on in the other room. As we march through life, we go through a lot of different phases.

We have that phase where we are scrambling to obtain an education and we wonder if we are ever going to be through school. We start families, and wonder how we are ever going to support these children that we have helped to procreate. We must care for them every day, making sure they eat all the food on their plates, clothing them, making sure they go to school, and then we watch them grow up.

We go to their baseball games, their programs, their school activities, and the most challenging, we have to help them build race cars for the pinewood derby. While all of this is happening, they grow up and become moms and dads themselves. They start family units of their own.

Family Picnic on 5/28/05 in Pleasant Grove

My dear wife and I have sat in our computer room this evening, listening to our kids and their spouses bantering back and forth, carrying on, using funny voices, and joking with each other. This is what makes all of the days at work, the reports we must write, the presentations we must make, the dollars we must earn, makes it all worth it. I am so proud of my family. I love my wife and kids. What a present for Memorial Day. It does make me miss my dad Mel Cox. I visited his grave the other day, and it was a privilege to have known such a wonderful father.

Grandpa Mel’s Gravesite-Pleasant Grove

I wish he was here today to enjoy my children. I did enjoy having my mom and dad here so they could enjoy their family.

Mom and Dad Hardy in Cheyenne-2004 at Brian and Crystals Wedding

I have been thinking about Revenge of the Sith. My bet is it won’t make more than $150MM. It ain’t got no legs. I think this was a bad movie.

Well, we went and saw Star Wars-Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith last night. I guess after having seen it, I have had two reactions. The first is, it was as bad as I had feared it would be. I am glad I went, but George Lucas is not a screen writer and while the graphics were good, they were not so good that they could overcome the shortfalls of the rest of the movie. A lot of cool computer graphics and special effects don�t make up for a poorly written and directed movie. I think with the exception of Ewan McGregor and Ian McDiarmid, that the acting was atrocious. It wasn�t because the actors were bad, but because they were not well directed. I did like the movie better though than the first two movies in the newer triad of Star Wars movies. If he makes anymore, he should have someone else write and direct them. Having said this, I still may go and see it again. As I always say, give a terrific franchise the benefit of the doubt and some more of my money..

The second thing that occurred was that I had a Star Wars nightmare. How do you ask did I have a nightmare? I never thought this would happen, but last night I kept dreaming over and over again that Anakin was my son. I knew that he was going over to the dark side, and yet I couldn�t persuade him to turn away from it. I guess for a father to see his son go bad would be a nightmare in and of itself. I am glad that I don�t have a Darth Vader for a son.

I love the oncoming summer. I love to be able to see the sun stay up so late. It makes me feel like I am alive again. I am not a winter person. I haven�t been that way for many years, at least since I stopped snow skiing. I get depressed much more easily in the winter when the sun goes down early and comes up late. I love seeing the bright influence of the sun.

Well, tonight the last Star Wars movie opens. I have mixed feelings. I remember when I first saw Star Wars. I was straight back from a year long stint in Taiwan as an Exchange Student and came home to hear everyone talking about this great new movie Star Wars. Being the Science Fiction buff that I am, I decided I just had to see this movie.

I went with a good friend of mine, along with my wife. While I thought the movie was fun, with some nice effects, I wasn’t quite sure what all the excitement was about. However, upon viewing it a second and third time, I grew more excited about what I was seeing. It looked like good, clean, entertainment. I went on to see the rest of the original three, which was capped by the Return of the Jedi.

Well, here we are, almost 30 years later. We have experienced “The Empire Strikes Back” (in my opinion the best of the 5 so far), The Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, and lastly, The Attack of the Clones. Certain of my close associates, an un-named blogger with an evil twin that sees things he shouldn’t as decreed by the person in control, has indicated that George Lucas would be better off doing dog food commercials. Well, I haven’t found that the most recent instalments of this six part story are intellectually challenging, but they are good “escapest” entertainment, ala Flash Gordon of the good old TV seriel days.

I think that point is lost on some of my contemporary bloggers, or at least they are trying to hide their deep but hidden admiration for George Lucas. I am sure that it isn’t going to be the best movie that was ever made, but it may be fun to watch. I noticed that a certain bloggers evil twin was urging him to go get in line, and be there for the first showing at midnight. As for me, it will be days, maybe even a week, before this blogger will get to see the movie. It should be fun to watch.

One thing I have noticed as I have traveled through this life is the graying of the population. I find that more and more people my age are getting gray. I find that hard to believe, because I am barely out of my youth.

Of course, I have noticed that more and more of the people that walk this good earth are younger than I am. I find that hard to believe, because it wasn’t that long ago that anyone who was 40 was ancient.

I guess my eyes must be getting worse with my advancing years, because I just can’t believe that I am now getting close to being a Senior Citizen. Impossible!!!

Another sure sign that I am getting older is the number of pills that I take, both morning and night.

It seems like the number of pills that I take has grown by leaps and bounds. When I was a kid, pills for various and sundry ailments were a rarity. Now, as an older, more “Senior” citizen, I have ailments which are now my daily pals. They require me to take more pills than I thought existed. It is another sign that Time Marches On.

First it is here, then it’s not. There goes the weekend. More tonight at 5

The day was so nice outside today that I could hardly stand to be in the bank. I wanted to be outside. You might have said that it was a day dream of mine, which made me think of this son be John Sebastian of the Lovin Spoonful (Remember Michael, this is the group that you really love)

Sebastian

What a day for a daydream
What a day for a draydreamin’ boy
And I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin’ ’bout my bundle of joy

And even if time is really on my side
It’s one of those days to takin’ a walk outside
I’m blowin’ the day to take a walk in the sun
And follow my face, so somebody’s new mowed lawn

I’ve been havin’ a sweet dream
I’ve been dreaming since I woke up today
It started me in my sweet dream
‘Cause she’s the one that makes me feel this way

And even if time is pass me by alive
I couldn’t care less about to do if they say I die
Tomorrow I pay the dues for droppin’ my low
Upon the eye for being a sleeppy boy Joe

And you can be sure that if you feelin’ right
A daydream will last a long into the night
Tomorrow at breakfast, yeah, you may pick up your ears
Oh, you may be daydreamin’ for a thousand years

What a day for a daydream
Custom made for a daydreamin’ boy
And I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin’ ’bout my bundle of Joy

And even if time is really on my side
It’s one of those days to takin’ a walk outside
I’m blowin’ the day to take a walk in the sun
And follow my face, so somebody’s new mowed lawn

And even if time is passin’ me by alive
I couldn’t care less about to do if they say I die
Tomorrow I pay the dues for droppin’ my low
Upon the eye for being a sleepy boy Joe

Have I ever mentioned that my oldesnt son has been a bad influence on the rest of his siblings. That is the truth. How can he be a good example when he has become addicted to watching questionable TV programs.

What kind of things has he done. Has he showed pornography to his siblins. Has he taught them bad language. What kind of things has he done.

Well, my son, my eldest, has tried to addict his siblings to a show called HR Puffingstuff. He has had so much influence that he has got his next youngest sibling, Gordon, to keep tabs on the web for news concerning these really weird shows. I am at a loss for what to do to help these children recover from this bad influence. Has anyone got an idea? These kids need help, and now.