Joe Pa!

I have been sitting on this story for a week now since this has been a very crazy few weeks. So I had this one ready for a time that I needed to post something but no time to write what is all goin on. I will fill ya in a little later of the craziness that is our life.

I have always admired Joe Pa, the great football couch from Penn State. He is 80 years old and still wants to coach even after his leg broke during a game on the sidelines when a tackle cut his legs out from under him. He did not want to leave the sideline until the game was over. Even at 80 he is a tough guy.

This story I have to give him KUDOS since it is an awesome example of how a couch should be. I have highlighted a few lines in blue.

Kudo's Joe Pa, Kudo's!!

Taking out the trash
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! SportsMay 22, 2007

This spring, six Penn State football players were arrested and charged for crimes stemming from an off-campus fight in which at least 15 Nittany Lions were present. The charged included a couple of star players, although what apparently bothered coach Joe Paterno the most was how many of his kids were willing to be involved.

And so Paterno, 80 now but no less tough, no less disciplined, hatched a plan to set things right within his program. He'll let the local legal and student judicial process play out, but regardless he decided that to keep people from thinking his team was trash, it'll spend the fall cleaning it up.

According to Paterno, the Penn State football team will clean Beaver Stadium after each home football game this fall. It'll gather garbage, sweep stairs and maybe even hose parts down.
It'll be Notre Dame on Saturday, nacho spills on Sunday.

It's a job that usually goes to members of club sports on campus – say, rugby or crew – which do it to raise money so they can compete. Paterno said the clubs still will get the $5,000 for the job, but his guys, fresh off playing 60 minutes of major college football the day before, will do all the work starting Sunday morning.

"We're all going to do it, everybody," Paterno told the Harrisburg Patriot-News after a banquet in suburban Philadelphia. "Not just the kids that were involved. 'Cause we're all in it together. This is a team embarrassment. I wouldn't call it anything much other than that."

In a coaching business so full of phonies who talk character only to bend the rules, who consider the definition of discipline a player's weight-room attendance, who wouldn't dare pull something like this because it might hurt recruiting, here's Joe Pa, four decades on the job and not giving a damn.

Except about what's right.

Who was right and who was wrong still is being sorted out by the judicial system. Not by Paterno, of course. The details don't seem to matter to him. Rather than figure out which individuals did what, who arrived when, he decided to hammer the entire team, if for nothing less than lacking the leadership to stop the incident from getting out of hand.

On college campuses where football stars often are treated to a lower standard, Paterno is going, once again, for a higher one.

"I just thought that, hey, we had 14, 15 kids – I don't even know how many – that were involved in something embarrassing, and I think that we need to prove to people that we're not a bunch of hoodlums," he said.

The entire team also will have to build a house for Habitat for Humanity and volunteer for the Special Olympics this summer. But the worst punishment no doubt will be cleaning up Penn State's mammoth 107,282-seat stadium.

A job usually left for others now will be done by Penn State's multimillion-dollar football team. Paterno can't see how this is any different. All the kids on campus are the same, so if the rugby team can find the energy to clean the stadium, so can his guys.

"I don't condone (the fight)," Paterno said. "Our kids were wrong."

And across the nation college football coaches faint.

Most coaches have spent their offseason complaining about not being able to text butt-kissing messages to recruits. They no sooner would wear out their players on an off-day with garbage picking than give up their country club memberships.

At too many places in college football, the kids never are wrong. Punishments often are things that actually help the team: more running, early-morning weightlifting. It is rarely public, rarely embarrassing and never, at least to my knowledge, a blanket shot across the entire team, a true call for leadership and shared values.

But this is why Joe Paterno is Joe Paterno

He isn't worried about hurt feelings. He isn't worried about potential recruits. He isn't worried about guys sacking garbage on Sunday morning.

He's worried about the reputation of his players, his program and his school. He's worried about cleaning things up immediately, starting with the stadium.

Happy Anniversary

Well after being accepted to SIM this past weekend it has been a stressful week. It should have been a joyous week due to being accepted to SIM and our 2nd Anniversary on Monday. But thoughts of a joyous week are as far as the joy went for us.

Alycia left earlier than normal Monday morning since she missed two days of work last week and being a teacher this is her last week of school. So to get a few things done, packed and such she left early.

Well I was in the shower, I know information you did not need to know about, when I heard the phone and the mumblings of someone leaving a message. Thankfully she left the volume on Max otherwise I would not have heard it and then listened to it.

After drying off I went to listen to the message that was left. It was some guy telling me that my wife was just in an accident but she is alright. Of course you still hear in your ear that “she is alright” but your thought immediately turns to the worst possible picture. If that was not a terrifying thought in itself then the thought of our unborn kiddo Caden crossed my mind.

When I drove up her car was there teetering, OK more leaning than teetering, to one side. Did I mention that she took on a School Bus? Yikes, is she OK? Is Caden OK? Well as far as we know Caden is still bouncing in his little house and on momma’s bladder. Our first task after leaving the scene was to visit the Doc and have an Ultrasound done to see the little feller moving around and laughin away. Ok I am going for the dramatics here but he is fine from what we saw and how Alycia feels. Alycia on the other hand is OK as well. So both OK, maybe a little frazzled on my wife’s side but she shall over come.

The Car on the other hand has just been deemed “Totaled” by the body shop. This past December bought a “new” car for my sorry butt and now six months later we are now searching for another vehicle. Do you know the headache in searching for a “new” car? No wonder I tend to hold onto them for as long as I can.

If it was not for the angle she took it would have been far worse that what it was. Thank the Lord she had just enough time to

Well our two year Anniversary day was this past Monday. We are actually celebrating this fact this weekend in Houston at my wife’s fav restaurant. We had this dinner date planned for a few weeks now, since we decided to visit the K&R WILSON RESORT (my in-laws, past picture posted of their backyard) in the Houston Area.

I will post a pick or two possibly later of the “totaled car”.

Peace out

Abts-tra, Abts-tra read all about it

Where have I been? Well I am so glad that you asked, even if you did not ask I am so glad that you did.

This past weekend (Thursday afternoon thru Sunday evening) my wife and I made a trip to Charlotte, NC for some interviews. As those of you who know us and have been reading my blog for a while know we are looking at being Missionaries in Nigeria. This weekend was one that would let us know whether or not we are taking a step forward towards that path or are taking a step back and starting the search for a sending agency once again.

SIM (Serving in Missions) is the agency that we visited and is just outside of Charlotte near the border with S.C.
We had a few meetings with various people throughout SIM from people that work in the office (which by the way are people who have been missionaries throughout the world before), also met with their placement guy along with a Psychologist. A lot of wisdom was to be had by everyone of the past missionaries now working in Charlotte at their Headquarters.

It was a great process and yet challenging for both of us at the same time. We both walked away with things that were hard to learn about ourselves but yet encouraged at the same time.

We also met some great people while we were there as well. The greatest aspect of that is that we are encouraged to know that the Lord has picked some great people to go to the ends of the earth. Places like Niger, Ethiopia, Thailand, Nigeria, Namibia, Sudan, and Ecuador along with other S. American and African countries were represented by those in attendance.

Alycia did not find it hard to relate to couple of ladies that were there during our weekend. They were pregnant as well. It was great for her to have a couple of ladies that she could relate too and speak preggo topics. But the similarities do not end there. All three of them are due the same week in September. How cool is that that there were 25 people there, 3 are pregnant and all of them are due the same week. Pretty cool I tell ya.

Well as I stated earlier we are now in the process of becoming missionaries in Nigeria. We have a long way to go before we can go so we do ask for your prayers for us in the process especially with our first kiddo on his way out in September.

We are thinking, at least I am, about setting up a separate BLOG for this aspect of our life. This way y’all can follow along easier with our progress and what prayer requests we have. I will make an announcement on this site once that is up and running.

Never thought I would give kudos to this man...

As most of you know the Reverend Jerry Falwell has passed on to be with his maker. Also we all know that with his stance on things he has angered many people in the process. While tooling around news sites this morning I read many of the same things expressed on many of them especially if they allowed comments by readers. Complete joy that he is dead and for him to now take his place in hell at Satan's side.

I do have to give kudos to someone I never thought I would ever be giving kudos too. But he has surprised me in his statement and not many people are aware of what his comments are.

First I will give the quote and then let you know who it is.

"My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find characteristics about them that you like. Jerry Falwell was a perfect example of that. I hated everything he stood for, but after meeting him in person, years after the trial, Jerry Falwell and I became good friends. ... I always appreciated his sincerity even though I knew what he was selling and he knew what I was selling."

The man for whom my kudos goes to is Larry Flynt the founder of Hustler Magazine. The two where polar opposites in their belief system and after being sued by Falwell for something Larry still had the humanity not to blast him for opposing him at every turn.

I just do not understand the hatred people have for people they had never met and are not afraid to share this sheer hatred for these people. Even if we do not have the opportunity to ever meet those that we disagree with we should still look for the good within that person. Just as Larry's mother stated we should "find characteristics about them that you like" even if you dislike the person.

I just do not understand the sheer hatred for someone and then to express joy when something tragic happens to that person.

There was a recent story where a top radio talk show host in Milwaukee whose mother perished in a condo fire. A competitor on the air made statements such as "It couldn't have happened to a better man" and sharing with his audience his happiness over the lose of his mother and making fun of it. He is now off the air by the way only to be replaced by his son who

Ya have to appreciate that after everything the two fought over in the press, in court and in life Larry still had understood humanity and shared appreciation for Jerry and not wishing ill will to him or his family.

Even though I do not care for what Mr. Flynt stands for I can appreciate him and respect him for this aspect of his personality and give him a kudo!

Last night I was stoked when I was sitting down with my wife to watch Heroes. I think I am understanding about 57% of what is going on in the show. I am one that usually does not like too many things happening at once in a show or movie. For me if there is way to much goin on in a show or movie I tend to shut down and stop watching.

Anyway that is not why I am writing about today. Friday and last night I got a treat of a lifetime, well at least up until this point in my life. I got to feel the little guy move around in there. OK, it was not much but I got to feel some movement from him. I am looking to feeling him move around more and then ultimately see him move around in his tight "bouncy house" as we have started calling his womb. By that time my wife will be hoping that he stops moving around most likely but I will look forward to seeing him move more. Sorry dear!!

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Also I know why I seemed to have hated Texas so much in the past. OK I am still not sold on Texas as my life long home. I am still a Wisconsonite and will always love to move back there someday in the future.

Recently we have had thunderstorms each week for the last month. After being in a drought for the last 2 years the rain has been great and refreshing. Most of the lakes around north Texas are at regular levels and in some cases feet over their regular levels.

Things are alive with all of the rain. Life is all around us. Life is green around us. I guess I never realized how much lifes happiness is dictated by the earth. With the drought everything was brown and just had that dead feeling about it. But with the green grass, trees and flowers abounding things are alive.

Life is good and the life around me makes me happy! What makes me happiest is the life of my wife and the life that is growing within her.

Crazy thoughts by Toebee

I was listening to the Radio the other day and the guy mentioned two different topics at different times during his program. When I heard the second one it made me think so I put the two together to make one thought. Again it seems to be my “Hey you got your peanut butter in my Chocolate, Well you got your chocolate in my peanut butter” thinking I have had recently.

Follow along here and see if you can put the two together or am I stretching pretty far to put them together?

Topic #1: People getting what they are worth if they win. 1st place recognition and such.

Topic #2: Darwin saying that it is a survival of the fittest. The strong will survive.

So in sports now a days there is a push to stop games if they get out of hand in scoring. I know this first hand since the Softball team that I play on has been run ruled plenty of times. Even though that bothers me since I would rather keep playing even if loosing by 32 points what does is this whole thing the young kiddos are being taught. That "everyone is a winner" mentality is. Sorry not everyone wins in sports, life, religion (some do die and go to hell, sorry to tell ya), at work, on the roads and in life in general.

So my silly question is: can you be an atheist and believe in Darwin’s theory and then want everyone to win at the same time?

Gettin political on ya!

I have a very small portion of an article that I found online. Click here for the entire article if you want to read. I have left a few remarks under it. I am hoping that the brief snippet below gives you a good idea of what is going on so I did not want to include the whole article.

The article title tells ya what the article is about "Putin likens U.S. foreign policy to that of Third Reich".

The comments (Putin's) marked the latest in a series of sharply worded Russian criticisms of the foreign policy of the Untied States - on Iraq, missile defense, NATO expansion and, broadly, the accusation that the United States has striven to single-handedly dominate world affairs.

I do agree with him that we have our hands in way to many cookie jars at this time along with ones we should have nothing to do with. But what is it for him to tell us that? Glad that he has free speech within Russia since he is slowly taking that away from his fello comrades. He has been steering his country back to communism recently. But secretly would he love to have the power the U.S. has over the world but does not? Is he just jealous that Russia never became what the U.S. has become after breaking free from Britain many moons ago?

My main fume with good ol' Putin is the fact that we are the world right now. Not to take the a title from a horrible song, way back when, led by mr. michael jackson with a host of other singers and musicians. I do not want that statement above about we are the world to sound smug or that America is all that and a big ol' bag of chips with a 44oz of Dr. Pepper included. It, to me, seems to be a fact of life right now so I will try to explain.

I understand there are parts of the world where American involvement is not welcomed by the common folk. Yet their governments want us involved. I also agree that in some places and issues we should have left alone and but did not.

I do have an important question for you: What country, typically speaking, do most countries in the world turn to when there is a major problem or tragedy within their borders? Of course the United States is called.

What if we choose not to get involved? Then we are shamed for not helping out diplomatically or in most cases financially from the rest of the world.

We are kinda tied here by everyone wanting it both ways. They do not want us involved but yet when we do not get involved we are ridiculed for not caring for the rest of the world.

My explanation and thoughts ever so brief but I do hope it makes sense to you since it makes sense to me.

Who dat inside dar?

Just thought I would write a quick note to let you in on my little family that my wife and I are starting here in Dallas. We found out yesterday afternoon that our first member of the exclusive club has a little "thingy" as my wife so nicely put it. So "it" has turned into a little boy weighing in at a pound or so, or at least a good estimate from their measurements they took.

Caden Wilson is our first official member, now we just have to wait a few more months until we can officially meet him and welcome him to the fam.

Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packer outfits are strongly recommended by me as gifts for the little boy!! Just thought I would let you know if you were wondering!!

Bro and the family visit

Hey there as promised I have a few pics from when my bro and his fam were here in Texas to visit. They are Missionaries in the Country of Nigeria and home on furlough for a few months and had a week to visit us here in Texas.

This first pic is of my Bro who is 2 years older than myself.

Funny thing is that he and I are nothing alike.

OK, some of you may be asking "What, nothing alike?"

If ya do hear us talk or see our facial expressions you will know that we are bros.

I have been on the phone with his 5 year old daughter and I asked who this is and she has said "daddy" a few times.

Nope only your Uncle Toby

Bro and his fam!
My wife and I visited this family while we were in Houston with my bro and his fam.

My wife has been friends with her for years,

ever since their mission work together in Bolivia.

While I was out enjoying the ballgame Alycia spent the afternoon by the pool with her friend.

My bro and his oldest kiddo at the Houston Astros and your league leading Milwaukee BREWERS game in Houston Texas. Of course the brew crew won, 4-1.
We went on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and they had the roof open.

This is the Wilson Resort in Houston, TX. Well it is actually my in-laws backyard.

Very relaxing! Thanks for letting us stay while you were out of town.

It was a great and relaxing time with them while they were here in the US. Now they are off to tour more parts of the US after visiting us here in Texas and my parents in Orlando.

Thanks for visiting, it was a great time. Can't wait to possibly join you in Nigeria.

Where have I been lately?

Glad you asked. This past weekend my wife had my brother and his family in town. We do not get to see them all too often so this was a great opportunity to connect with them again. They are missionaries in the country of Nigeria, in Africa for those who do not know their geography all to well.

They are here in the U.S. for 3 months and for them to spend a little bit of that time with us here in Dallas is great. Also it was awesome for my wife to get to know them a bit more as well. She really enjoyed the times she had to chat with my SIL (sister-in-law).

I have a bit more to say but I will do that with some pics that I took while they were here. I just have not had time to download them from my camera and then post them. Once I do get them off the camera I will post.

One last thing that I want to ask you.

Are you looking for a band wagon to jump on? Well the Milwaukee Brewers bandwagon is pretty empty right now but with the way they are playing it will fill up faster. So Jump on board and enjoy the ride!! While in Houston during my Bro's stay we did get too Minute Maid Park to watch the BREW CREW beat the Astros 4-1. They won that series 2-1 and are now on the verge of beating the World Champs in a 3 game series!

The Brew Crew will be here at the Ballpark in Arlington to play the Texas Rangers the weekend of June 8th thru the 10th!! Anyone wanting to go with me let me know I am going to try to make all three of them!