Baby Baby We've Got a Date! Baby Baby Don't you be Late!!

We're gonna rock it baby rock baby, tonight, rock it baby rock it baby, tonight. Look that one up on You Tube and turn it up LOUD -- ideally while you get ready for that Friday night or Saturday night date. That would be the great rastafarian and purveyor of love and peace and soulfulness -- Bob Marley -- bringing you that lilting calypso gallop that will stick in your head for a while.

When Bruce Springsteen would hit the stage for his Tunnel of Love shows, he would have a dozen roses, and that great western, sharp-cut black suit with that string tie, crisp white shirt, black boots. He'd come up to the front of the stage, peer out across the audience, step up to the mic at center stage and ask a question... actually he would throw down a challenge to the audience.... he would ask a deep meaningful question that is all about relationships, and love, and how people "deal" as they say, not alone, but together in some fashion... by connecting your heart to mine little girl..... The Boss would stare out into the crowd before one more night of holy communion E Street style, and ask, implore, "ARE YOU READY FOR A DATE?"

We went on a date last night. I love dates, always have. I am a hopeless romantic, although many would not guess that or see it ostentatiously dripping off my skin. But that may depend on how close they look (into my heart that is), and what they really define as or know about romanticism. I am a hopeless idealist. I am all about people, and if you are all about people, you are all about relationships and feelings and connected-ness. You are all about trying to enrich your life and the lives of others by searching for deeper meaning, and you like to do that with some conversation, and nice wine, some nice craft beers, some good food, a sunset or some general ambiance is real helpful. And a beautiful early spring night in Mpls (I do mean Mpls, the city, not some aseptic, blandified suburb with no soul, I mean a city with a bit of personality, character, some grit, people milling about in neighborhoods, sidewalk cafes, music eminating from open 2nd story windows, that kind of Mpls) and a little adventure provides the perfect backdrop for date night.

Hit up (my kids talk this way, when they were 2 I started talking how they talked, now that they're a bit older, I'm still talking like them, ridiculous) a place called Buster's in South Mpls. Recommended by the Vin Man, even though his kidneys would not allow him to be here on this given night. Lots of craft beers, and owners who come sit at your table and taste test great beers, and learn your tastes, and make great, spot-on recommendations that go like this... "oh, if you like that, you will really love this..." And by God they are right, more right than that damn Lonely Planet that lies once in a while and say's banana pancakes right around the corner in the southern tip of Colombia, yea right. Next time maybe just stick with Axel Rose and not Lonely Planet. What is this Europe, where they really understand how to slow life down and enjoy good wine, good drink, good food, and good conversation with proprietors of small cafes and bars and bistros coming to sit at your table and chat and make great recommendations about life in general? I knew this would happen in America with a Democrat in the White House.

Food was great, beer was superb, complete with breaking new ground with this Fulton's Sweet Child of the Vine, brewed right in Mpls. Then another I will have to get the name of, that of course comes from the great state of Oregon. We will be back.

If you are going to be in love, if you are going to have successful date nights, if you are forever planning out little adventures and outings but often times don't plan every little thing, but leave some air for the date to breath, leave some flexible leeway for things to kind of unfold, let the spirit move you, let the music take you... well then you are going to call some audibles. Parents of young children - these kind of audibles depend on things like "well, how late did the baby sitter say she could stay?" Husband's typical reply, "ahhhh, ummmm, ahhhhh like until 3am I think she said, yea about 3". Responsible parent (read: typically the female in nature), "what? excuse me? 3am, yea right. Did you happen to get confused honey? She is a friggin' 8th grader, and she has a father who will kill you and come over and pick his daughter up at the stroke of midnight and leave our children home alone..."

So anyway, I'm rambling a bit, whoops, first time that's happened in my writing (not). Called that audible as we approached the stop light at Hiawatha Ave - left to the sparkling lights of downtown Mpls on a Sat night, or right and back to the burb's and maybe some bad tv and/or the local news? Just so happens, my research told me there would be some soul singing, some blues playin', some gospel-y jazz folks down at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Mpls. Took Daughter #1 there back a few months ago to enlighten her about the great healing powers of Dr John and that New Orleans sound. This time around we had Debbie Duncan and Fred Steele and some pretty cool players laying in some pretty soulful stuff. ... and the music will fill your soul. You give a guy like me a beautiful woman by my side (oh and by the way important to note here if you are keeping score at home: that would be my first wife, the woman I'm still madly in love with a few years and a few children later...), and some soulful music and throw in some nice weather, there's not much else you really need.

So take it from me kids, life kind of stressing you out of late? Little tension in that kitchen as you get the kids breakfast, do the laundry, go to work, blah blah blah everday tedious tasks of life? Not enough zip or spice in your life? Looking across that table at that person you shacked up with way back when, hitched your wagon to theirs, and sayin to yourself, "who is this person? I feel a bit distant, removed, not as connected..." Need a shot of rhythm and blues? Need a pure shot of adrenaline? Need to go out tonight and find out if love's real? Need to connect your heart and your soul one more time to the person you need more than you need air and water? Then take my advice, call her up, stop by her house, hell in these days go ahead and text or skype or blackberry or send a carrier pigeon, and sing out, "Baby Baby We Got a Date.... Baby Baby Don't you be Late..." And for God's sake people if you are going to go on a date, rock it baby rock it baby, tonight. Turn the music up, open up that sun roof, take the T-top off that old Camaro, let the wind blow back your hair, and you too, that's you two I mean, can fill your hearts and souls with the great sounds of LOVE in the Springtime in the Northland as you hear that rock n' roll music blastin' off the T-top.

So Much Has Happened To Me, That I Don't Understand

... I remember being 5 years old, following your footsteps on the beach as I tried to learn to Walk Like a Man

Thanks Bruce, for that little snippet of father/son growing up thoughts off the great record Tunnel of Love. Named after one of those great rides in all those old amusement parks that used to dot the Jersey Shore.... or wait, is it instead a reference to his own life? "c'mon baby cuddle up, it's just the three of us - you, me and all those things were so scared of." In short order, very short order, our dear friend Bruce went from getting married for the first time to getting divorced, there's that roller coaster tunnel of love ride for you. I bought that record in 1987, I was living out in Denver, Colorado. Had me a new wife so I was entering into that marriage thang. Bought the record (that's right, they still came in black vinyl WAY back then people), came home to that fine apt at Fox Ridge, and put that record on. Laid on the living room floor and listened and thought a little bit. Hmmmmmm...., either old Bruce's marriage is coming apart, or he is writing completely in the 3rd person. It was the former, not the latter.

Life, life, the crazy ride of life. You may want to hold on tight, and you may want to put a seat belt on, and that's just for the relationships part of your life. You didn't really think life travels in a mostly linear, predictable path did you? The great Winston Churchill they say jay-walked through life, taking a rather circuitous path that did not always seem to make sense to the nay-sayers. Neil Young (kind of different than Winston Churchill, kind of different from a lot of folks) wrote "Heart of Gold", got some big radio airplay, folks thought it was kind of popular and mainstream. Old Neil said, "I had come on out to the highway for a while, where most everyone else was at, but I soon headed back to the ditch, where I belonged and the people I met were much more interesting." All the real learning and all the real fun may very well happen when you are off the beaten path, and kind of weaving and wandering. You can do this by reading books and physically never leaving your house, you can do this by getting married and having kids (you will learn a lot and see places you never dreamed you'd see), or you can also do it by heading to places like the Amazon over spring break and go on zip lines that are about 8 zillion stories above the canopy of the Amazon. Take your pick.

This blog post is a riddle, it's a metaphor, it's a similie. It may seem to travel in a circle, or not even that predictable a path. What does it mean? What is the hidden meaning? What is the point? Like most of Bob Dylan's songs, it means whatever you think it means -- to you and your life at any given time. Those songs are like perpetual or virtual maps to your soul. They will serve you well forever, no matter where you are on the journey. Because as you change, and your life changes, how you access the song, how you access the maps, will also bend and twist and turn and change. Who would want to follow a static map anyway? You'd always be in the same place, and you wouldn't be able to tell if you were at the beginning or the end. That map of 20 years ago that say's baseball on it could lead you right to the front door of the friggin' Metrodome, when instead starting Monday at 3pm, all the action is down a few blocks at Target Field. That map of 20 years ago may have led you to give up on love, to become cynical, to never put yourself or your heart out there again, but then you would not have had that beautiful, rich part of your life known as the 2nd wife and those 3 kids that fill your soul (Bruce) with love and happiness, just like Al Green said.

Because the new map, the vibrant, fully alive map say's - "keep trying, keep pushing on, keep living, keep looking around the corner for the next challenge, move toward the light, lift your spirits higher and higher, love will take you there, peace will take you there." And oh hey p.s. there sometimes weary travelers, have a big, loving, thankful heart as you go for all the blessings in your life, and oh one other thing please. Keep your eyes and ears open, you just may learn something along the way, and then you won't have to double back on the path you already traveled to relearn the same old lessons. Instead, you will be fully capable of getting to HIGHER GROUND. And Mama, that's where all the fun is, out where she was blinded by the light......

This just in: Baseball to bring Peace to the Mideast

Baseball's in the air, can you feel it? Can you just taste it? Twins Fest going on in here, one big love fest at the old hump in downtown Mpls known as the Metrodome. Lots of autographs, jerseys for sale, bats and balls, and chatter about the upcoming season and the Twins chances. Hope Springs Eternal for baseball fans each spring, as embodied by the ubiquitous Cubs fan chant as they end each season, "wait until next year...". When your team is 0-0 come April, you're dead even with all those other teams, including the guys who won the World Series last year.

Mauer, Mauer, Mauer -- lots of chatter about when will the Twins sign him, will he stay in Minnesota? This kid now has Rock Star status, an unbelievable amount of what is now national attention from the old and young, male and female. And he handles it all with aplomb and grace and style, kudo's to him for that public persona that matches the private persona. Nice guys can finish first, I knew it.

Jim Thome now a Twin, more power from the left side of the plate - consummate professional and all-around good guy. Very well a future hall of famer, he's hit 564 that landed on the other side of the fence (I'm going out on a limb here and assuming he's never had an inside-the-parker, but that's just me...). Gonna have to see what we got from the mound, both the starters and the relievers. Last time I checked pitching really matters in this game. See what Liriano looks like after wintering down in the Dominican. See if Pavano and Baker and Slowey can eat up innings and put up quality starts.

The Hot Stove League is alive and well in chilly Mpls/St Paul. God Bless Baseball. Oh and buy that new bio on Willie Mays I just read about in the NY Times. That will keep you warm through February.

We're Goin' Out West Where the Sand's Turnin' to Gold

He slid inside the door quietly, flat-brimmed hat pulled down hard over his eyes, if they can't see your eyes, they can't see your heart. He bumped along the back row, feeling for chairs and people with his feet. His eyes were still squinting from the quick move from brilliant Wyoming sunshine outside to darkness all around inside the bar. After a few more shuffles, some muffled, " 'scuse me.. thanks... sorry man.." he found a high-table in the back with a lone chair and slid on down into the chair. As the waitress stepped toward him and smiled and with every ounce of kindness ever embodied in a woman who had spent most of her lifetime being beaten down by life and another man that treated her poorly, she said lovingly, "how are you? You look tired. Can i get ya' somethin' from the bar sir?" Sir. Hell, it had been 20 years since anyone man, woman or child had addressed him as sir. "yea, thanks, just a tap beer and some of those good peanuts in the shell, thanks alot."

As he took the first sip from the tall glass he could feel himself exhale deeply, almost as if he was feeling the deep sadness and loss of the past few months leave his body, at least for a little while. A rather small man up in the front of the room, with long stringy hair and a beat-up old panama hat, a red and black checked plaid shirt and scuffed up black cowboy boots took one last sip from his drink, kissed a dirty-blonde girl next to him that was wearing one of those flour-sack sun dresses that the sun shone right through, and grabbed his acoustic guitar and stepped back up on the stage for his next set. With the harmonica rack around his neck he led into a slow, rhythmic lament, struming along in a strong, sturdy way while he quietly picked his way through the harmonica. When he finally moved his head toward the mic to sing, you could see a deep, reddish scar moving from his right ear down a couple inches toward the corner of his mouth. He looked to be about 40 or so, with a face that seemed to hold every mile of bad road that he had ever run down. His raspy voice started in a low register as he sang about a woman he had met and left in the high country of Mexico -- the Sierra Madre's, Cortelon, Azetal. He sang about how he spent years trying to find her, once he got out of jail in Ponchetula. He never found her, and now he longs to sleep, because he can only find her and see her face in his dreams.

Free At Last, Free At Last... Thank God A'Mighty, We're Free At Last!!!

I guess you're not really a Blogger, or a Baller for that matter, unless you ACTUALLY blog once in a while. Oop's. I never intended to go away for so long, I got so enamored with finally getting a blog site cranked up around Christmas, I then somehow got busy doing everything else, and have not had a post since. Embarassing, and ridiculous.

So now it's mid January, the Vikings are currently playing Dallas in playoff football, Dodgeball mania comes to the 'View tonight and we have turned the calendar from the 00's decade to the '10's decade. Ain't it funny how time slips away, I think Al Green had a song by that name.

We recently celebrated Martin Luther King's birthday, and the kids and others have this coming Monday off for the national holiday. There are not many public figures that are bigger in my book than King. If I show my hand, my heart, I'm a big non-violence guy, I'm a big anti-war guy, I'm a big peace and love guy. You would think most people would be about non-violence, peace and love, wouldn't you? Essentially, all of these ways and methods are the teachings and the ways of Christ. Ghandi used them, King used them, St Paul and the other key writers in the bible preached them. I guess it essentially starts with your philosophy as to what life is all about - what is important, what is the deeper meaning of life, and your basic outlook on people and how to treat people and how to effect change and improvement in people and in societies.

King knew how to build coalitions, how to mobilize people for a cause, he knew how to inspire people to work for the cause and to commit for the long haul. To not let set-back's and hardships crush the spirit and the will to march on and always work for a better day. You hear people talk about whether we as a nation have realized King's dream or not, some will lament that we should be much farther along the road of social justice and how we treat people both within America and without. That there's still too much hatred, racism, exclusionary thinking. I think the answer is in many ways we are at a better place because of the amazing leadership and commitment and tireless efforts King and the thousands of freedom fighters that stood shoulder to shoulder with him in the streets. Absolutely. We also have miles to go before we sleep, as Robert Frost reminded us. The fight is never over, the work of justice and freedom is never over. Don't despair if we are not as far along as we should be, just work harder to improve things going forward.

shHHHHHH! I think I hear Santa out in the living room!

I love getting up early on Christmas morning. Been doing it since I was an excited little kid, anxious to come out into the living room at the 6109 and see the Christmas tree all lit up, the manger scene all lit up, and everything else real quiet.

I have especially loved the peaceful quiet couple hours in my 20-something years as a Dad. There is a deep feeling of comfort and gratitude when you are a parent and the rest of your family is sound asleep in warm beds on a cold, snowy winter morning and you are sipping coffee and staring out the window at the fresh falling snow and just thinking about life in general.

I guess you morph and change and go through a bit of a progression in your life as to how you view Christmas. As a kid, it is just brilliant color - lights and presents, jingle bells ringing, church all lit up and festive and decorated. Red and green dresses, bright ribbons in your hair, starched white shirts, blue slacks, sweaters, shiny black shoes. As a teenager, a lot of those presents turn into clothes, money, in this day and age lots of ipod downloadable music, dvd's with the first 87 seasons of your favorite tv shows (note to parents: kids don't watch tv on tv's anymore, they watch it on computers, dvd's, hand held devices - weird, I know).

Then many of us come out the other side of childhood and teenager- on into young adulthood. Some of us come out kicking and screaming, trying to hold onto those days and those memories as a kid growing up as long as we can. The importance and focus of me, me, me, hey what about me? What did you get me for Christmas? kind of fades for many, and something inside you turns a bit. You start heading a bit more toward the true north of pondering and reflecting on what the spirit of the season really is all about.

Giving? Is it the season of giving? You see such inner kindness come out in people as they tromp out to the MOA's in their lives, the e-retailers, the little shops along Grand Ave (Tavern on Grand, Dixie's, Billy's, oop's sorry, I'll stay focused on shops on Grand that actually sell trinkets and Christmas presents and such, sorry), and of course the street vendors in Cali to find the perfect gift for the perfect someone in their life. You see people ringing bells in the cold outside the grocery stores for the Salvation Army, you see people singing Christmas carols at the nursing homes, you see people dishing up food for folks at the Dorothy Day Center.

And then for the grand finale, there is the human giving of oneself to another person, or for another person, or for a cause. We are an Easter people as we celebrate Christmas each year. As we morph into teens and young adults and not-so-young-adults (that's me folks!), and we have the true spirit of Christ and of Christmas stamped deep into our hearts from all those family moments and family gatherings, we look into the eyes and the souls of those same folks who raised us and gave us all those presents and all those brightly lit memories, and we give back the best and only gift we've ever had to give -- ourselves. We look into their eyes, and sit with them on the couch or out on the porch, or take a little walk, or write a little letter, and share a little laugh, and we ask them "how are you doing? What have you been up to? How is life treating you?" And we tell them a bit about our own lives, they love to hear how we are doing and what we are interested in, how things are going.

So I realize that Christmas day is only one day, and it's all over in a hurry... or is it? Can't you bottle it and pull it forward into the rest of the year? Into the rest of your life? I would think based on the natural laws that govern the heart and the soul that if the Christmas spirit has moved deep inside your heart that you could not help but carry it with you throughout the year.

Daughter located, right where we thought we left her

Daughter #1, the first lady of all things righteous in the world of math, sex in the city, John Mayer and Joe Mauer, is spending her first Christmas away from the homestead. Always a significant event in one's life, a key inflection point as children orbit out into a world and life of their own over time, usually takes place at some point in the 20's. I remember when I did it myself a few moons ago - 24 yrs young in the hills of Colorado, did a little skiing with a nice family that was kind enough to adopt me over the holidays.

So where did K go you ask? She matriculated down the left-hand coast line of Colombia, down along the Andes Mountains, stolen mango and all to a quaint little town called Pasto, she's almost to Ecuador for goodness sake. This girl has wings, literally. She has been to more countries already in 22 yrs of living than I've been in well, let's just say in math terms more than 2x that there 22. Like that's more than double to put it another way; like that's more than 22 plus 22 if you will. Sorry, trying my hand at teaching math there for a minute.

Wait a minute - she's going even farther away from the epicenter of Rad's Nation? Wasn't Cali far enough? Where next, the south pole to check on the penguins (no, not the hockey team in Pittsburgh Mario)? You would think that she would be traveling home at Christmas time. You would think that she would be with loved one's at Christmas time. Well my little Bethlehem friends, watch closely, because the hand is faster than the mind -- actually what I mean to say is the heart is faster than the mind. Some believe that a miracle actually happened on this day long ago - that somehow, someway, a savior was born, to a human being, to a beautiful young, incredibly brave woman named Mary (p.s. and please bookmark this - the Virgin Mary is one of my hero's and one of my most favorite people EVER - think Magnificat and you are there with me NOW). Do you believe in miracles? Really? No sense gettin' up tomorrow unless you believe. Cuz over here on Rad's street, just one street over from E Street - we will let you in on our little secret WE BELIEVE. We do, don't mean to get to heavy with ya' all, but Christ is kind of a big deal around here, he lives with us, in our hearts.

So who is Kristin with at Christmas time? Who are these pilgrims, these 3 kings on the road to see the newborn baby that were so gracious and so kind to take this traveling little girl in to their homes and into their hearts? We have never met them in our lives, but we know them. They are our brothers and sisters, they are pilgrims on the same journey we are - to live in peace, let me say that again, think LOUD - TO LIVE IN PEACE. Not war, not a police action, not a border skirmish, not arguing, not fighting, not bickering, no across-the-aisle yelling and screaming out there in Wash D.C. Isn't that why HE came? Wasn't that a big part of the message? Wasn't it something about do unto others...? Take care of your brother... where there are but 2 or 3 gathered in my name... there I will be. There but for the grace of God go I. If you want justice you have to fight for peace. Peace starts at home, in your own family. If you can't do it there, you can't do it in foreign countries with strangers. You can have Peace, BUT YOU HAVE TO WORK AT IT. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. And you can't DO IT BY YOURSELF - YOU GOTTA HAVE HELP.

So that little geographic piece of magic I was talkin' about a few hundred paragraphs ago - Kristin is home for Christmas!!! Yep, right before your very eyes. If she can show up unannounced in NYC, she sure as heck can show up here for Christmas. See "here" is our hearts, see "here" is with other people, no matter who they are, no matter where they are, that are people tryin' to live a decent life, tryin' to help others along, tryin' to live the way Christ taught us. Being taken by that same Christmas miracle that little up the mideast a few thousands years ago a whole heckuva lot better than any darn missile or rocket or bomb could light it up today. He lit it up with PEACE, he lit it up with LOVE, he lit it up with HOPE. And that flame hasn't burned out yet, and here at Rad's Nation, we always keep the home fires burning (that's usually because Terese has a candle burning somewhere in the house....), and home is where the heart is. And in our hearts is our dear, dear, brave daughter Kristin. Guess what? She NEVER LEFT! She's been right here in our hearts all the time, she's just out being a disciple, doing her job, brining a little love to the people down south.

I'm going to close with a bang, forgive me if this brings a tear to your eye, but please know my intent is to put joy in your hearts at this very special time of the year. If you think that was something in the way of geographic slight of hand and magic tricks, there's one more that you should be aware of as you lay your heads down on your pillows tonight, as you say your prayers, and tuck your kids in, and squeeze them just a bit tighter than you usually do, and stare out into the beautiful, starlit night and all that fresh snow -- and you will realize that if you have the Christ child in your hearts, our dear and beloved friend, and one of the most spiritual, loving, caring beings I have ever been blessed to know -- Grandma Liz never left either. Yea she changed zip codes, I get that. But she never, ever ever left our hearts. Why would she? She was there already, helping us along everyday, making our way closer to God. And she's still doing that same work. Honor her, honor her memory by living in peace, and working for peace every day of your life. Don't you ever forget that. God Bless all of, and to all a good night.