[Tales of an adventure… …a…ROCKY adventure... :)]

It seems as though my good friend CP11 had what is called a "once in a lifetime" vacation....a well deserved vacation!! I envisioned myself all the way through Kansas and on the Arkansas River.

I am a huge whitewater rafting fan. I bet you were a little let down that the river was down, but it sounded like a fantastic time.

I would have loved to see the ghost town. It would be my luck it would not have been Casper, but some mean old ghost. HA HA!

Looking for some pictures of your Rocky Mountain high vacation!! Super blog!!!

Indeed my friend, this was a once in a lifetime experience! I do assure you that I am going to do my best to recreate it in my future, lol!

I was let down when we got to the river and the current was kinda lazy and the river was down, but being the eternal optimist I found the good things that came from it. Because the river wasn't as challenging this time I had the opportunity to observe and see some awesome landscapes and sights. Since my camera wasn't water proof, I didn't take it with me, so those sights will have to live in my mind. But as you know, when you are on a river there are places and things you cannot see from the road or trails. So, that made the experience pretty cool. As I told SW above, I will go again and hopefully the next time will be what we all imagined.

!! I can see it now, my good buddy Brent being chased by a big scary ghost...definitely makes me chuckle ...Casper was no where to be found, but chipmunks were--lots and lots of chipmunks. Did you know that they like sunflower seeds? I got to sit (with others) and feed these little creatures out of the palm of my hands. A pretty cool experience. I am convinced though that I had Theodore on my lap because that little suckers cheeks couldn't have been more packed!!

I'll work on figuring out how to get my pictures on here so you guys can see them. If I had them on a digital camera then I could have them up in no time, but all my pictures are on my phone...I'll figure it out, it just may take some time.

[Tales of an adventure… …a…ROCKY adventure... :)]

Wow, I feel like I just read a journal for a reporter on the Travel Channel. The trees, the grass, the rolling hills, & the mighty & majestic Colorado River. I was transported from 2012 to the 1920's & back again. No phones, no internet, no modern day technology just rugged individualism, breathtaking scenery, & tranquil sunset backdrops. Our experiences of a simpler less complex time color of memories & remind us all not to be clouded by possessions & materialism.

I understand this is only a fraction of your adventure, which is told in crisp & vivid detail documenting the sights, sounds, & smells on your trip. You touched on it, but I wanted to know the fear & exhileration [sic] of the cold water as it splashed in your raft, the thrill of not capsizing the boat, your anxieties of not slamming against the rock formations, & the thrill & adreneline rush of surviving a trip down the Colorado River.

Beautifully written piece CP11!!! I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you. Nice work buddy!!!

Thanks buddy! It's amazing that in the 8 days I was gone I didn't watch one lick of tv and quite honestly I didn't miss it one bit! Funny how here in the "real world" we feel like we have to have it...ah, I could expound upon such issues of our culture, but I will not

I so wish that my rafting experience this time had been more c and exciting, but quite honestly since the river was down it was not that treacherous. No, honestly (I never thought I would say the next string of words together in my life) it was kind of a lazy experience on the river. Due to the river being down, the current wasn't all that fast and therefore it was not as exhilerating as you think when you saw white water rafting. But, then this is always a possibility when dealing with any nature element--we are at it's mercy.

So, while my rafting experience wasn't the kind of experience I had imagined, it was still quite fun and cool. 8 fellow rafters in my vessel, some of who where jokesters and would "fall" out of the raft just for fun. Nah, this time my friend wasn't as exciting, but I assure you there will be a next time for me

[Tales of an adventure… …a…ROCKY adventure... :)]

Thanks for reading Coltssouth! I really didn't do it justice, but I tried

[Completely non-football related subject...]

Jay,

Thanks for reading, and thank you for serving so I can be free. I truly mean that when I say it. You have my respect and are counted among heros in my book.

[CTE, Player Toughness, & the Fate Of The NFL]

You are a deep & provocative thinker my friend & I really admire that character trait in you & all my forum friends. Yes, personal responsibility is crucial to a player's financial security after their NFL career is over.

However, anyone can fall prey to fraud & deception even among their most trusted advisors & consultants. Also, what if repeated concussions or head trauma makes a retired player susceptible to easy manipulation, influence, & coercion? There is a huge difference between reckless, lavish spending & diminished mental capacity & overall awareness. Often times, players with brain trauma are taken advantage of, broke, & can't get access to the real help that they need. Yes, you can't save everybody & some people do indeed fall through the cracks I know, but does any safety net exist for these broken down players?

I don't have any concrete answers, but I am fond of asking questions. Nice discussion as always CP11.

My friend you have a very valid point. In some situations said individuals are slightly diminished in capacity and are taken advantage of. And I do agree with you that there should be a "safety net" of sorts for these individuals. The problem will lie in if such a safety net is created there will be individuals who abuse it...it always happens (ex: welfare and social security disability). So, the trick would be to create a program that helps those who need to be helped but does not allow others to abuse it...and of course it would have to use NFL funds and not the public's.

I always like discussing with you my friend

[Completely non-football related subject...]

so many thoughts running through my head as I read.

My father served 2 tours of duty in Vietnam. This year, a few months ago they finally acknowledged the medical conditions related to agent orange poisoning and he is under going tests to determine if he is owed medical care for his many illnesses. He has a severe heart and artery condition as well as COPD. Long story, but it's very odd and he is a walking miracle having had 11 stents, a double bypass, a piece of artery replaced and 8 heart attacks. He was in Danang, where AO was 300X's more than anywhere else during the war. He is still the hardest working person I know and will choose to do things himself (sand and refinish the deck, clean out the gutters, chop down a tree, etc,etc) before he would considering hiring anyone. He started working at age 15 setting pins in a bowling alley and has been employed since then. He is my hero. We know how the Vietnam vets were treated when they returned home. It was and is dispicable. I don't care what politics created any war or right or wrong, the fact is, these brave solidiers still commited to honoring the request of their country to serve and many died for it. My brother is a Veteran of the Iraq war. This is another war many Veterans are disrepected for being involved in, as if the politics of the war is their choosing. I could go on and on, but I won't.

I have also noticed with my children the lack of American history education and it is troubling. In some cases they are even taught incorrectly. For example one teacher is teaching that the Black Panthers were a peaceful organization just trying to earn some civil liberties. Say what? My current 6th grader and 8th grader have learned more about Asia and Europe than they have American history. I hope this is improved in high school. I live in an area with a very good school system, so it makes you wonder. I know the current focus is math, math and more math. They are starting long division in kindergarten now. And also foreign language is a new requirement for graduation and is also being started in the elementaries. This takes away class time for other subjects. Writing is completely out. No cursive at all and very little time spent on printing in grades 1 and 2. They go to the computer lab and do not teach key boarding, they just start typing with hunt and peck at first and they eventually the kids know the keyboard, there is no purposeful focus on learning the keyboard. I digress, sorry.

Allow me one more digression... Isaw some 20 somethings talking and giggling during the playing of our national anthem at a graduation ceremony recently. It is just sad to see such disrespect. I'm sure they are fine people, but they just don't get it.

Thanks for the great blog and I whole heartedly agree that we should honor and take care of our Vets! Thank you to all who serve!

MICF,

God bless your father!

Dispicible is just the tip of the iceberg on how wrongly Vietnam vets were treated when they came home. I watched a documentary on the Vietnam War with interviews of vets, and I was so angry and mad and saddened to tears when one of the vets said that he was so excited to come home and to be appreciated and to see his family and be assured by the pulic that what they had done was indeed worth it. He said that when he got home there were no parades. No instead he was spit on and made to feel like an outsider. He said he sat in an auditorium in his home town and not a soul would look at him or talk to him. He felt shunned. He felt like he was less than dirt. HOW DARE WE???? I want to go on a rant of how so very wrong this was but I will refrain. Instead, I will just say that I agree whole heartedly with you my friend--all veterans deserve honor. No matter the war served.

I too could go into a long rant about what is so terribly wrong with our education system and what we are teaching--no cursive, really???? Computers in kindergarden, really??? etc...but again I will refrain. Instead, I will say that you are completely right that not enough time is spent on AMERICAN history, and as you stated, it isn't accurately taught much of the time. AMERICAN history is something to be proud of, it is something we should not take lightly, and it is something we should engrain in our children's minds. If we don't teach them to take pride in our country, then who will? And if there is no national pride, just how long will our great country last? I am all for teaching about world history, but I value American history a whole lot more and deem it more important...and I don't think it is wrong to feel that way...need we ask Russian schools what histroy is taught there? Or German, or Japanese, or Chinese, or French, or Spanish, or English... ...I think--no I know you would find they spend a whole heck of a lot of time on their own before they do ours or anyone elses. COME ON PEOPLE! We are too focused on being "politically correct" and honoring people's heritage that we forget that people's heritage is AMERICAN history. Time to get our FOCUS right....but I digress, I'm sorry.

The last point on the giggling during the national Anthem...this does more than upset me. Shoot, it makes me mad when someone does not put their hand over their heart during the playing of the Anthem. This goes back to respect. Where does our younger generations respect lie? And do they even know what respect is anymore? I have begun to wonder, but if we don't teach them and raise them up right, who will? They are our future...and I have begun to worry about our future... ...

Thanks for the post MICF!

[Completely non-football related subject...]

I no longer wear the uniform but I will forever keep it.

urusai,

THANK YOU for your service. THANK YOU for my freedoms I enjoy daily. THANK YOU for your sacrifices. I can never repay the debt I owe you, but I will not forget.

[Completely non-football related subject...]

To me, honoring veterans is more than a parade or salute of gratitude. When our men women come home from duty without limbs & brain trauma, does our citizenry & federal government cut through the red tape & get these men & women the surgeries, medical attention, & psychological assistance they need? When Humpty Dumpty comes back broken & weak, what do we do as a society to make them whole again? Once the crowds & fanfare does down, who comforts the sick, the ill, & the lame? Who quiets the voices of fear, pain, & nightmares? Who counteracts the images of death & decay that time can not completely erase? Who reminds these noble men & women that they matter & have value? Who can step in listen, let them cry, & prevent a suicide?

Another point: Veterans of Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, & Afghanistan really resent the implication that only WWII Vets fought in the only "noble war" & that any wartime experience beyond 1945 does mean anything. WWII vets got parades, national respect, & the GI Bill to attend college & rise in terms of social & income mobility. Beyond WWII, media appreciation for veterans sacrifices has significantly diminished. VFW Posts will crumble unless WWII veterans loosen the misconception that theirs was the only war that really mattered. Also, the public isn't asked to ration sugar & other products for troops overseas anymore. So public awareness is almost completely unknown which is so sad.

SW,

I was reading your comment and nodding my head the whole time and at some points I even verbally said "Exactly" or "That's right." You couldn't be more right when you say honoring veterans extends past the fanfare. Honoring them is taking care of them, making sure they never want for anything the rest of their lives...treating them truly as heros.

You also couldn't be more right when you say ALL veterans deserve respect and honor including Vietnam vets, Korea vets, Irag vets, and Afganistan vets. To me it should not matter what time period or war or type of defense they fought in or participated in. No, ALL of them should be honored and respected because ALL of them sacrificed and served for me...for you...for all of us. They did as they were called and commanded, so RESPECT them no matter what.

Thanks for the post SW, very true, every word!

[CTE, Player Toughness, & the Fate Of The NFL]

Ahhh I like the points you bring up regarding health care for retired pros.

My thought and feeling on this leans to the second option you stated. Again, if I have to pay for mine, they should have to pay for theirs.

In regards to if they are bankrupt...well this is going to sound harsh, but they should have managed their money better shouldn't they? If I was injured and I was bankrupt isn't that what people would tell me? I believe the thing to remember is this: they are still ordinary people just like us. They too have to be responsible adults and be able to figure out hard situations such as this...it's part of life isn't it?

Thoughts?

[Completely non-football related subject...]

I agree with you Maureen. For the most part your average American citizen does appreciate our veterans. But then we have those that do not. I am a firm believer that no matter what, you support the service people. Many times it is forgotten that they are just executing what their Commander and Chief (the President) tells them to do. Many times if someone disagrees with a war or what ever our military may be doing, they take it out on the soliders themselves. This to me is completely and utterly wrong on top of being disrespectful to them.

As I said in my post, I needed to vent a bit.

I too was dismayed when he told me that the high schoolers seemed to not have a good grasp of WWII. It took me aback actually. I guess the argument could be made that maybe it was a student that has yet to have US History or even World HIstory, but still, should a 15, 16, 17 year old kid not have knowledge of our history? Maybe this should be taught at younger ages...I remember learning about things such as this in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.

All in all, we should be proud of our countries history and we (even at home) should teach it to the younger generations. And likewise, we need to make sure we pass down that service men and women are to be respected and honored for their service for us.

Thanks for reading Maureen

[The Fundamental Weakness Of Director George Lucas]

I like this blog a lot. I am not a Star Wars guru like you my friend, but I did grow up loving and watching the trilogy. I won't forget watching it for the first time. Shoot, this series is (IMO) what made Harrison Ford...of course other would say Indiana Jones...to which I would probably admit it was a combo of the two series. Anyways, I digress.

Lucas seems to be a typical once what an idealist who fought for what was right and against 'the man' but once he achieved success and became wealthy he sold out all his ideals for things that only benefit him and make him money. I think perfect evidence of this is the prequels released not so long ago. I too agree these movies where horrible and could not even make it through the first one let alone watching all of them. They sickened me because they (to me) where not anywhere near what Star Wars is or should be. Poorly written (IMO).

[CTE, Player Toughness, & the Fate Of The NFL]

Nice blog SW! This is a pattern and a condition that has bothered me for a while now, and I'm glad someone finally brought it up. Brandon Marshall brings up a good point (which you highlighted and I think that was so important)--men are taught from a very young age that they are not to show emotion of any kind because if you do you are considered weak. How sad is our society that we put that pressure on our kids? Crying is not weakness. Admitting you are injured or something hurts is not a weakness. (sometimes) Being cautious is not a weakness. [*Granted, there is a difference between a woosie (sp?) and being strong enough to show emotion. Most all of us know where that line is.]

I also agree that help should be available to retired pro NFL players who struggle from this condition and other conditions caused from their playing days...by the same token, they should have to pay for the service just like any other normal citizen should...just my opinion. I don't make millions of dollars each year and if I get injured and my insurance doesn't cover the entire medical expenses, I have to pay the rest. So should our pro atheletes...fiscal management is big in my book. Now someone could use the argument that if I get injured at work, then workman's comp covers me. True, but then I am not in a profession where I know that I am risking my health each time I go to work. Injury and possible medical conditions are part of the contract when a football player chooses to play (esp in the NFL)...

Just my two cents buddy!! Like I said, nicely written!

Thanks!

[And the hits keep coming...if you're a Saint.]

"but in my defense you posted the article on my birthday so that has to qualify for a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card" right? HA! HA!"

You definitely get a free pass on this one buddy! (How did I miss that it was your bday??? Happy Belated Bday there friend! I hope it was great!)

[A Few More Lucky Nuggets]

Great read NWGirl227. I (along with many other Colts fans) am excited about our future with Andrew. I was skeptical during this past season (mostly because I was loyally fighting for Peyton) but the more research I did (and still do) on Andrew, the more I like him.

Gonna be a good ride!

Here's one more connection for you: the Indiana state bird is the Cardinal... ...

[With Luck, the Colts Have the Chance to Do Something That Hasn't been Done In 20 Years.]

Well written, and I do agree that we need to improve our defense. That said, Luck has the potential to be a great QB, but let's remember that he is still a rookie and still has to learn. We can't expect him to take medicore and have greatness right out of the gate. I, like Brian, defer to Grigs, Pags, and Telesco's team of scouts on this years draft. I'm fine that we got Luck weapons in the draft b/c of the FA pick ups that we made on the defensive side. To me, we have to make sure that our new franchise QB is protected and has help--we don't want him injured and we want him to excel.

I do fully expect next year's draft to be a heavily defensive drafted year, I'm not worried that our defense will lack any longer with Chuck Pagano as coach and Ryan Grigson as our GM. Our D will finally become an effective defense.

[And the hits keep coming...if you're a Saint.]

Thanks Brent!

[And the hits keep coming...if you're a Saint.]

Exactly Maureen! That's probably what irritates me the most by these players throughout the league complaining about the punishments--they think that they can excuse their way out of doing something wrong. It just doesn't work that way here in the real world.

[Colts 2012 Draft picks]

Good post!

[One armed Monster?]

I agree! I too think that it's ok we drafted heavy on the offensive side of the ball. Luck has to have protection and targets--his talent alone cannot win football games. He has to have targets and time to execute plays.

Thanks for pointing out that while our D isn't the huge monster I would like it to be, it also isn't in dire straights as some would like us all to believe. We have plenty of studs on the D side, we just need to round it out in next year's draft to make it the feared beast we all want it to be.

[A Very Special Day]

I too find myself at times having a little bit of a negative outlook on some things...and then something unexpected and humbling comes along to remind me how blessed I truly am.

What special and inspiring young men and women you were surrounded by on Saturday!

Thanks for sharing Gramz!

[What will 2012 be like for the Saints?]

Brent, you know how much I admire Drew, and if anyone can do it (other than Peyton) it's him...but how much of the current Saints D is going to be gone (at least for a period of time) due to the Bounty? And if it is far reaching, you might as well say that the Saints won't have a D to speak of this year...while Drew is good, is he good enough to over compensate for the lack of D? I lean toward yes (again, I love Drew), but time will tell...I'm anxious to see what kind of player penalties will be handed down by good ole Commish Goodell...

[What will 2012 be like for the Saints?]

Hmmm...interesting. Honestly I haven't given much thought to the Falcons, but i will admit that I when I went to the Colts/Falcons game at LOS last year Ryan kind of impressed me a tad. I had underrated him and his ability.

[What will 2012 be like for the Saints?]

I'm with you Coltsense4. How did some fines or suspensions not come about when some of these hits were made? Especially the Warner hit and the Farve hit. I guess we'll never know.

I take nothing away from the Saints on the win over the Colts except that if Freney would have been 100% he would have RIPPED BREES HEAD OFF!!!!

You are right, if Freeney would have been 100%, I believe the outcome of that game would have been different. One of those things we can speculate but never know.

Whether the Saints fall apart or not does solely rest upon the shoulders of Brees (IMO). He'll be the glue that keeps them together as time goes on.

[What will 2012 be like for the Saints?]

"Hopefully not just the Saints but the league as a whole, will learn that they should not hurt people just for the sake of it."

I completely agree JPPT1974.

And as you say, Drew is one of the most classy guys in the NFL.

[What will 2012 be like for the Saints?]

I agree whole heartedly. Player punishments are going to be the other big key in how the Saints fair this season...

I figured he would be saying something along those lines. Really, what else would he say? It's not like he could say "Yeah we had a bounty scheme going on and those guys really need to be punished." Goes back to his credibility w/ his teammates and being able to be an effective leader.

Thanks for your input.

I've been thinking and trying to figure out which players are involved...got any ideas?