Five Fabulous Things

OK this will most likely make me sound OOOOLD yet these are the things I think of most often.

• My Wife Diane of course
• My Kids: Kim, Mark & Josh
• U.S. of A.: wouldn't want to live anywhere else!
• Sunrises and Sunsets: can't have one without the other.
• A good rum drink on a quiet beach anywhere

What Really Scares Me

My world is changing at a rapid pace these days. The U.S. economy is whacked. Barack is an unproven player facing more serious challenges (in my opinion) than any president before. The global economy, banking system reforms, nuclear programs in third world countries, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Illinois governor auctioning a Senate seat, government bailouts, the lack of a U.S. Energy Policy (which was a hot issue when gasoline was at $140/bbl) are some of the issues headlining lately.

Despite all these news headlines, which could cause anyone to think our world was collapsing, there are only a few things that really scare me.

• Ignorant People

These people can ruin the lives of Innocent bystanders. They kill people. They are the ones you see weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds because they are in a hurry and your in their way. They vote without knowing why. They blame others for their troubles. "Ignorance is Bliss". I don't necessarily agree. If you are ignorant, hopefully; you will receive enough criticism and negative feedback so that eventually you will begin to feel like crap no matter how ignorant you are. Ignorance is a condition or a state which can be corrected. The difficulty is that most people choose to be ignorant probably because being ignorant is expedient and less trouble than understanding facts or they are just plain selfish.

• Politicians

What motivates a politician? Usually it's power. How does a politician gain power? Often by giving someone else what they want. Is a politician likely to act in the long term best interest of the nation? Not if they have an option that will provide them with more power in the short term. That is exactly why the U.S. does not have an energy policy.

There are some very good leaders in Washington yet I am afraid there are not enough.

• Flying Monkeys

Those guys are completely out of control.

It Doesn't Make Sense

I was listening to the O'Reilly Factor which I don't often do. I thought he was a reasonable thinking pundit yet I was wrong again. A pundit by definition has some level of expertise on which to base their statements. I looked it up. The premise he stated which set me off was the OPEC nations hate the U.S. and their goal is to destroy the America economy with high crude oil prices. Today it was something over $130/barrel.

"That's what America needs"; he said sarcastically, "another talking head spouting off stupid theories that will be reiterated by others who are to lazy to ask themselves if what they are hearing is reasonable".

To qoute Marisa Tomei from the movie My Cousin Vinny,

"No...No..., it doesn't, that statement dosen't hold wata"

True, many of the OPEC nations do not love or even like the U.S. yet they do need us as much as we need them. All the other factors that affect the price of oil on the open market aside, they are not dumb. We need their oil and they need our money. Why would any oil producer want to destroy their largest market? How or who would replace us as a customer, China? Not even China can replace our demand.

You may be surprised to see diversity and ranking of the U.S. crude oil import sources for March of 2008 (thousands of barrels/day)

1. CANADA...............2,542
2. SAUDI ARABIA ...1,542
3. MEXICO ..............1,358
4. NIGERIA..............1,174
5. VENEZUELA .......1,033
6. IRAQ .....................773
7. ALGERIA ..............441
8. RUSSIA .................402
9. ANGOLA ................388
10. VIRGIN ISLANDS......290
11. ECUADOR...................238
12. UNITED KINGDOM...218
13. KUWAIT.....................203
14. BRAZIL.......................191
15. COLOMBIA................165
    

Planning on a New Home

We've been planning on making a change and if everything works out we will close on the sale of our current home 5/30/2008 and close on the purchase of a new home in League City, Texas on 7/7/2008. It doesn't really matter where we live but this location is 20 closer to my office and only 25 minutes to the fishing on Galveston. Best of all it is 0.8 miles to the golf course. We are excited. Here are a few pics.

28th Anniversary Trip

Diane and my 28th Anniversary found us traveling back to Spring from Lubbock. While moving Josh out of the house we just sold and into his new digs, we found some things that Kim had left in Lubbock. We decided to swing through Austin and drop them off to her. Luckily we found Mark and Kim at home.

They claimed they weren't hiding from us yet I am not so certain.

We dropped of Kim's bike, some games, a lamp, a ladder for Mark and some other items that will help fill up their home. The landscaping they are working on looks great.

After riding in the car for 7 hours it was a good opportunity for a anniversary photo sessession. I was tired but Diane was still full of "it".

Mark Fairbanks just sent some pictures he took during our trip to the BVI last year

Diane and I outside the Tortola airport

A fish.

We dropped anchor and had a fine dinner at Sydney's Peace & Love in Little Harbour, Jost Van Dyke.

(Craig, Diane, Albert & Laurie Davis, Mark Fairbanks)

Craig swimming thru "The Chimmey's"




Craig on the wreck of the RMS Rhone. She sank in a hurricane in 1867. 124 men lost their lives. Check out the visibility even though this is 75 to 80 feet deep.

Lubbock House is Sold

We closed on the Lubbock house today. Now the only thing Diane and I have left in Lubbock is Josh. And guess what? Tomorrow is May 24th and we will be celebrating our 28th anniversary in the La Quinta in Lubbock Texas.
But anywhere with Diane is good!

Starting Up

After viewing Kim's blog I thought I would give it a try. Maybe I will like it and maybe I will find time to keep it updated. We will see!