Before heading out this morning, I thought I would take a quick peek at the ol’ blogroll, and my first stop was over at BlackFive. Down the page a bit was a link to a NewYorkSlimes piece whining about the common sense that prevailed over the king’s ransom being handed out to failures. Story here.

This part of the story is what caught my eye, and is triggering a bit of a common sense rant:

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., appearing at the White House late Monday afternoon, warned that the failure of the rescue plan could dry up credit for businesses big and small, making them unable to make payrolls or buy inventory.

Maybe I’ve been going about this “business owner” thing all wrong – I thought you bought inventory and paid wages out of the money you made from the service and/or product you provided? You know, collect on the invoice, turn around and pay your employees, buy more inventory, pay the utilities, and the leftover goes in the owner’s pocket or, if he’s smart, into a CONTINGENCY FUND for when someone doesn’t pay the invoice right away…

Obviously, I need to rethink my business model. I need to start “leveraging” my “receivables” and “monetizing” my “books” so I, too, can show false profits and qualify for a government handout.

It is obvious that I am involved in the wrong end of the business world. I need to get into the money supplying end of it, instead of the money using end of it.

Then again, what do I know? I’m just a red necked, bog dwelling hick with no formal ed-uh-muh-cay-shun. The fact that my business runs without a debt probably disqualifies me from belonging to the great herd at the public trough, anyway.

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

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Friday evening I got a cab out of dispatch kind of late – a little after 1900 hours, so I had it until about 0700 Saturday morning. I slept most of Saturday, and picked up the Saturday PM cab about 1630. I turned it in Sunday about 0430, went home, took a three hour nap, went to church, went back home, and laid back down about noon. At 1445, my cousin called.

About 25 years ago, my sister LeaAnn (who is seven years older than I am), fought breast cancer to a draw – she survived, but had a mastectomy. About 17 years ago she started an on-again, off-again battle with recurrence. Last April the cancer resurfaced, this time metastasized in her liver, brain, and bones. Friday was her “last” oncology appointment; they did not schedule any more after that.

My cousin (CT) had called to let me know that LeaAnn was at home, on oxygen and pain meds, and resting. I had not planned to go up to Flagstaff to see her before 1445 Sunday afternoon, but ended up going. TMBWitW and MEG stayed home; TMBWitW has month-end closing this week. MEG spent this morning at a friend’s house, and will be there tomorrow and Wednesday. I was at LeaAnn’s house by 1730 Sunday evening. Mom greeted me by looking up at my face (her vision is failing), down at my belly, back up at my face, poking me in the belly and said “Who’s this fat kid?” “Good to see you, too, Mom.”

Another of my sisters (LC) was there with her daughter (ME); I had just missed a niece (CY) and a brother (BK) by an hour or two (they left Flagstaff about the time I left Phoenix), another brother (RC) was still there with his wife (SC) and their daughter (ST), and LeaAnn’s husband (MH) and son (SH) were there. Mom, RC and his family left shortly after I got there. I went in and said hi to LeaAnn, and talked briefly – just long enough to realize that she was in and out of lucidity and the pain meds weren’t keeping her 100% free of pain yet.

I spent the night at her house. This morning LC and ME headed to Tucson to pick up a few things; LC is picking up my third sister, AW, at the airport tonight (flying in from Ohio) and then heading back to Tucson. They will be going back up to Flagstaff Tuesday morning, I will be catching a ride with them. ME is headed back to school and midterms and may rejoin the group later. My older brother, DC, lives in Salt Lake City and may not be able to get down here; he’s been out of work and eating up the savings for a few months now. LC and AW will be coming back through Phoenix late Wednesday evening, and will be dropping me off then. For those keeping track, I may not be active this week until Thursday’s Round Up and Update.

LeaAnn is a fighter. She beat cancer before, and she has not quit fighting. The treatments are not affecting the cancer anymore, but she is still fighting. Right now, cancer has the upper hand, but with God all things are possible. I’m not saying she will be healed, but I’m not saying she won’t. It is His will, not ours. After all the treatments, she looks so tiny.

This morning I talked to LeaAnn again before coming home. She asked what day it was, and I told her it was Monday, September 29, 2008. She said she needed to get up soon because she had to get to work tomorrow. Then she told me that if she said she was tired and needed a nap, it was because she was tired and needed a nap. She wanted to make sure of the date, because she thought it was Tuesday, sometime in June.

I said “No, it’s Monday, September 29.”

“Oh” she said. She seemed puzzled at the date.

I kissed her forehead. “I love you, LeaAnn.”

LeaAnn said, “I love you, too, Cary.”

I got to see my sister today.

Yes, a whole week (plus!) without putting thought to keyboard (because pen to paper doesn’t work in this setup) and my mind is whirling with thousands of things to write about.

Unfortunately, they are all dated and of no consequence, so they won’t see the light of day.

I will say this: We (the United States) have enough untapped oil deposits to be free from foreign energy, when combined with alternative forms of energy. Like, walking and riding bikes and sharing the rides you do have to make. Selfish buggers. I’m talking to you, Phoenix. Hundreds of miles of freeways and surface streets, and still we have more people driving solo than sharing rides. Oh, and whining about fuel costs. Here, in one of the few areas of the country that was not affected by Ike’s price increases. Selfish buggers.

I will also say that Obama has finally seen the light, and is trying to slam Palin’s door shut. Tough noogies, Barry. There are still a few things you haven’t shared with the US as a whole that need to be cleared up. Like, a paper copy of your birth certificate. Records from your college time. Lists of clients, cases, and whatnot from your time as a lawyer. What, exactly, a community organizer in Chicago does. Why ACORN plays such a big part in your life. Why Bill Ayers, an unrepentant domestic terrorist, is one of your biggest fans. And, why does the entire muslim world want you to be our next president, if you aren’t muslim?

On with updates of a personal nature:
Custom woodworking isn’t paying the bills. I’ve actually lost money this year. So, I’m driving a cab two nights a week to help make ends meet.
Speaking of custom woodworking, I have a project to do. I need to make a storage case for an item that measures 8 3/8″ long by 6 1/4″ deep by 4 1/4″ high. It will incorporate a picture frame, a brass plaque, fancy footwork and a hinged lid. It will hold Logan’s ashes.
MEG still misses Logan, as do the other dogs. All five of them (MEG and the four dogs) wander around at times; MEG calling for Logey Ogey, the dogs sniffing the places he normally laid. Sara seems to be especially lonely, since the two of them would often lay together at night.

Life, however, goes on. I need to go run some errands. I will swing through the blogroll later today, and drop comments where appropriate. It’s good to be back, and I will try to keep all three of my regular readers entertained whilst I continue to ramble. With the cab, I should have some good stories. Like Saturday evening, when ASU got handed their butts on their home field, and I was sitting in Tempe traffic when they got their one and only touchdown, and I had forgotten that they tend to celebrate those things with fireworks…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

This coming week (the 15th through the 19th, inclusive) TMBWitW is on vacation.

This may or may not be interesting to you, depending on how my wife’s vacation will affect your life. Since I will be wanting to spend as much time with her as possible, I am canceling the Friday airing of The O Word on Blogtalkradio.

I will also not be on the net, answering e-mail, or anything else.

We are just going to spend the week together, alone, with MEG, and enjoy some family time.

I’ll see you in a week or so. At that point in time, I will be starting a little wood project, and I will take you guys along step by step.

Take care of yourselves, and may God watch over you.

Yes, very quiet indeed.

With Logan’s passing, even the house seems to be depressed. We are all working through the grief at our own pace, and we would like to thank everyone who has taken the time, either here or in e-mail, or by calling, to offer condolences and support.

I normally run a round-up on Thursdays, I don’t have the desire today. Well, that’s not quite accurate. I want to run the round-up, because my regular reads are so darned impressive with their entries, but just making this entry is kind of anti-climatic, in a weird sort of way.

SO – I will still be doing the show, but I may not be blogging as much in the near future. Of course, having said that, I will be inspired to write thirty five entries over the next three days, and overwhelm you all with the all-or-nothingness of my posting.

To those of you with whom I share editorial responsibilities, my normal output of outside articles (which, so far, has been zero) may be further reduced. That means you may all owe me an entry or two before this is all over.

I am, actually, deeply examining my blogging habits. Right now I am leaning toward allowing this to go full circle and go back to being a blog about the Cartter family, and relegating The O Word to page status. Prayers, good thoughts, whatever, would be appreciated.

I really do appreciate you all. Thank you for stopping by.