Fat Guy in a Little Coat

This video cracks me up everytime I see it. I have always loved the "Saturday Night Live" humor. So whenever I need a smile, I watch this video of Chris Farley (RIP) doing his Fat guy in a little coat song and it turns me around. It makes me laugh so hard, guys, you don't even know. So if you enjoy this kind of humor also-- Enjoy! The blog entries can't be so serious all of the time. :-)

Video of "Last Lecture" Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture

I don't know if any of you have followed the remarkable story of Randy Pausch, Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last September with 10 tumors and was given 3-6 months to live. His story has captivated me for the last 10 months. I have followed his progess on his own website that he posted on a regular basis of how he felt and he's always give certain stats about his health. About a week and half ago I commented to J that there hadn't been any update for him and I was worried that he'd taken a turn for the worst. I have been so impressed by his courage to face his biggest challenge and I have also been moved by his "The Last Lecture", which he gave one month after he had been diagnosed. His message is simple and inspiring about achieving your childhood dreams and how to lead your life. In the face of forthcoming death, he was so positive and encouraged others to be also. I recommend his message, posted on youtube to anyone who feels sort of blue or depressed and I promise you at the end of his remarks, you will feel uplifted and blessed for all that you have in your life.

Randy's battle with cancer ended last Friday, July 25th, almost six months later than what the doctors said he'd survive. He left a beautiful wife, Jai and three children, Logan, Dylan, and Chloe all under the age of 6. I believe in the power of prayer- always have, and I ask all of you that believe also to pray for this widow and her children as they face the future without this great man and father in their lives. This is the stuff that life is all about not your work or travels or pressures or anything else, but family.

Life is too short...

I love you all, by the way, and you know who you are.

A Campbell and occassionally a Casper

Senga told me that if I didn't post something, she was going to change the name of our blog... can't let that happen, now can I?

I've been traveling a lot lately and this past week I was in California. It's always a 3:30AM wake up to catch a 6:00AM flight, then travel 7.5 hours to arrive at 10:30AM. Meetings with the client, then dinner with some of our executive staff that were in town and its 10:30PM, but my body clock thinks it's 1:30AM the next day. As I was trying to sleep (left that morning without my toiletries bag and thus no sleeping aide) that first night, I couldn't help but wonder what I was doing in this cold and lonely hotel room, not able to sleep, but most importantly, why was I doing this in the first place? Is there a benefit to me and my family in all of this? Besides the paycheck every week, I'm pressed to figure out much more. So as I lie there counting the hours that I spend in a plane sitting next to total strangers it has become crystal clear that I spend far too much time in a tube jetting across this planet and not enough time doing what matters most to me. Then when I do get home, I'm exhausting from a lack of sleep that I all I want to do is go to bed and sleep. It's just crazy.

I guess I need to focus my energy on what I want and where I want to be…maybe then travel will become a matter of jumping from spot to spot and being home in time for dinner and sleeping in my own bed every night. Captain Kirk could do that 40 years ago, you would think that we should be able to figure out how he did that.

WNBA Brawl

Did any of you hear about this shocking brawl that took place Tuesday night between the Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Sparks WNBA game?

Les than 5 seconds before the end of the game one of Detroit's players, Plenette Pierson got tangled up with Candace Parker after a free throw and they both went down and the other player jumped up and ran toward Parker all cocky and neck bouncing forward and all and stepped right over Parker, who then pulled her down and the big old brawl emerged emptying both benches. I guess I'd be mad too if my parents named me Plenette.

The league announced today that 11 suspensions were given out including one to Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn, who apparently shoved Lisa Leslie (which I actually don't mind because I don't like her) in the middle of it.

Is this what the WNBA has come to? What a crying shame that they all acted this way. and Cheryl Ford, of the Shock (A.K.A. Karl Malone's daughter) got the worst of it while she was trying to restrain teammate Plenette Pierson during the confrontation, is out for the season because of an anterior cruciate ligament tear in her right knee.

So it gets worse because today (24th) the Shock announced that 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman would be added to the roster on a seven-day contract to fill in.
Lieberman, who was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996, served as the Shock's general manager and head coach for three seasons starting in 1998. She previously held the distinction as the WNBA's oldest player while playing with the Phoenix Mercury at the age of 39 during the league's inaugural season in 1997.

Are you telling me that 50 year old Nancy is the next best player they could sign? What an insult to these top notch younger athletes looking for an opportunity. I almost hope Nancy gets schooled during these seven days. What the hell is Detroit and the WNBA thinking with this choice. Give me a break! Maybe they'll get more attention and attendance will go up now as a result, who knows.

It's a Rat! It's a Husky!

My entries have been rather heavy and such so I decided to upload a photo that brings me great joy and always makes me smile. This is mostly an inside joke with one of my dearest friends and she knows who she is. We would be watching UConn play and occasionally it shows the mascot. And so we always used to make fun of the mascot because it's supposed to be a Husky, but we'd say, "It's a Rat!" And the other would say, "It's a Husky!" So whenever I see this character as I did last April at the final four, that is the first thing that pops into my head is this little twisted chant we used to say back and forth. So what do you think it looks like? I think the designer forgot the "Husky" part myself.

My Poor Abby!

Bad news for the U.S. women's soccer team. They will have to try to defend its Olympic title without leading scorer Abby Wambach (my girl). The star forward had surgery to insert a titanium rod in her left leg Thursday. Wambach, 28, broke the tibia and fibula in the first half of a 1-0 exhibition win over Brazil after a collision with a defender Wednesday night in San Diego. The Americans were playing their final tune-up match for the Olympics. The U.S. begins defense of its gold medal Aug. 6 against Norway. Wambach will be on crutches for about two weeks and then is expected to face 12 weeks of rehabilitation.

"I want to thank all the fans, the doctors, the players on the team and Tasha Kai for scoring the winning goal," Wambach said from the emergency room Wednesday night. "Obviously, it's devastating, but above everything else, I'm only one player, and you can never win a championship with just one player."

Sad ending to this player's career. Will she be back for 2012?