Clean Up

-Hello everyone and good morning … it is Thursday, the 2nd day of July and just two days away from one of the biggest holidays of our nation – Independence Day.

-Out in our back yard this morning we have cloudy skies with 58 degrees … not exactly a barn burner of a morning with that temperature.

Today’s north land weather forecast is calling for: Cloudy. Highs 65 to 70. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.  Just kind of a ho hum day in the weather department.

-I just finished cleaning up our blog just a bit. Gone are the current adult photo, simply as a measure to bring our photo selection up out of the “gutter” section to the curb level.  I am sure this will “disturb” some guys – but I’ve decided for the sake of decency to clean the blogs’ photos up and bring other very attractive men (without their genitals showing) to the blogs daily posts.  In the days to come the remainder of the blog will be “scrubbed up”.

If your upset … I understand, but like with all good things – we will all get over it.  We’d like to make this a “safe for work” blog instead of the alternative. Thanks for your understanding.

-I hope your Wednesday wasn’t bad…mine was relatively quiet – until Steve asked me to come and see his softball game last night.  I did some work around the house yesterday, went to the post office and mailed out a payment … and spent the balance of the day – just relaxing and enjoying some of the quiet of the house.

I did drive into the big city last night and watched Steve’s game. We got back home about 7:45 p.m., after watching Steve’s softball game at Wheeler Field in Duluth. For most of the game, his team was ahead 9 to 7, except in the last inning when the opposing team came ahead – and the final score was 10 to 9. Steve was 3 for 3 when he batted – as I recall!

-Yesterday, the Federal Recognition Board of the National Guard ruled to discharge First Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate who served in Iraq with the New York National Guard, for violating the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy.

After Choi cam out on public television in March of this year, he received a notice of dismissal from the Army in May.

The panel’s ruling still has to be approved by General Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, before it’s official.

Choi, who was an infantry platoon leader, submitted a petition of support with 162,741 signatures to the board during the hearing as part of his defense. In his statements to the panel, he spoke about “Army values of integrity.”

According to one of his post on the website for Knights Out, an organization Choi founded for OUT LGBT West Point Alumni:

“I also said I am gay. I refused to lie, and told them I refuse to stay silent, particularly since the soldiers in my unit respect honesty above personal gain.”

Regardless of what many are saying, the White House is working towards resolving this issue. Also earlier today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters the Pentagon is searching for ways to make “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” less rigid while President Obama’s administration works to repeal the law.

-He lost the race for U. S. Senator in Minnesota earlier this week … but Norm Coleman is seen by gubernatorial contenders as someone with big pluses and minuses.

-In yet another blow to our economy … locally Duluth-based Monson Trucking is shutting down operations Aug. 31, putting 200 people out of work.

Michael Monson is one of the owners. He said Wednesday that the 100 employees in Duluth were told of the shutdown plans in multiple meetings.

Another 100 additional employees at its terminals in Virginia and Red Wing in Minnesota and at Mauston, Wis., were told via video conferencing.

Monson said the Duluth employees will work until Aug. 31, but those at the other terminals were being terminated immediately.

He blamed the economic downturn, decline of the paper industry and bankruptcy of two major customers for prompting the decision to close the 94-year-old trucking business.

-Steve goes back to work this morning … his last day for this work week.  Unfortunately, being Thursday he also has to work his second job this evening from 5:00 p.m. to midnight.

That means my partner won’t be back home until after midnight … what a stinking long day for him.

Hopefully his primary job will allow him to come back to full employment along with all the other employees soon – but I’m not holding my breath for that to happen either.

Steve’s company is doing alright, but business is down from last year at this time – but then that is true with many companies around the nation.

Hopefully our economic woes, will cure themselves by the end of this year and we can all see an upswing to the over national economy.

-Times are changing even here in the northern part of Minnesota … Jackie MacMillan is introduced Wednesday as St. Scholastica’s first women’s hockey coach.

-Finally this morning, check out this excellent post over at dumpbachmann.com ( Michelle Bachmann, U. S. Congresswoman) on the MSM’s years of silence on Minnesota’s #1 whack-job  here.

Now there’s a woman who is not to tightly wrapped!

Nut case, would be a better term for her.

-Steve will be up and moving in a few minutes … I’m going to head to the bathroom and check out the scale.  It’s weigh in day for me.  So far I’ve lost 14 pounds in the past three weeks – let’s see where the scale takes me today.

I’ll give you an update on the number of pounds lost tomorrow.

Hang in there .. have a great day .. thanks for being so faithful to reading us daily.  You are loved by Steve and I.