It is hard to believe it has been a week and a half since my last post. How sad that I am unable to schedule time to add a few lines to a blog.

We went to my Dad's house this weekend. My brother, his wife and two rugrats were there. I think my wife misses having babies. His two kids are cute at 1 1/2, but they are a lot of work. I am glad my kids are grown (most of the time).

I was amazed to have several requests for reviews this week. I turned down all but one. That one is on the very sensitive subject of pedophilia, which I classify under the bigger heading of child abuse. I told the author that I would do my best to read it and review it carefully. That will be difficult because I have a hard time reading about abuse of any kind to children. I also have very strong beliefs about child abusers (they should received the same treatment they gave, only twice as long, and even then that is not enough - the evil you do to a child can never be undone).

I now have 5,273 helpful votes on Amazon and 749 reviews. My upward progress in the ranks has slowed after getting under 200, but I seem to move upward a couple of points a month, so perhaps some time next year I will be nearing the top 100. My goal is to get into the top 100, and then I will decide whether I want to continue to review or begin writing fiction. I have a good habit for writing reviews now, posting nearly 300 this year. Can I move that habit to writing fiction? We'll see.

Anyway, everyone have fun!

Well, here it is, Friday. The end of one of the worst weeks in my life. The entire company is in shock over Shawn Peterson's death, but we are carrying on. I hear "Shawn would have wanted us to carry on" a lot. I know Shawn actually would have wanted us to. Okay, before I get teary eyed (again), I have to change subjects.

Unfortunately, my son is in town and I haven't gotten a lot done. That does not mean he has come to visit, but all my wife talks about is whether he is going to call or visit.

Anyway, I have posted a few new reviews to Amazon, in my quest to move up in the rankings. If you are interested in reading even more drivel, you can find my reviews at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A2AOZQ3WTNVVOK/103-9661474-9609466

I keep hoping that one of these days I will cross the line into the top 100. In the meantime, I just keep plugging away. I have about four or five reviews that are waiting to be written, or finished, which would help my monthly average.

Well, enough for now. Until the next time!

I went to Shawn Peterson's visitation last night. It was about as sad as I thought it would be. When I saw Shawn in the casket I noticed what appeared to be marks on his arms that may have been where medical professionals worked on him. I am not sure. I heard that Shawn was on his way to pick up relatives in his brother's van and he somehow got lost. Likely he was driving too fast, lost control and hit a tree. Such a waste of a wonderful person's life. Shawn Peterson, 24 September 1965 - 8 October 2005. Go with God Shawn.

I was shocked to learn this weekend that a young man (he just turned 40) that I had worked with for more than a decade was killed in a car accident. There are no words. A feeling of unreality dogged me the whole weekend and will probably follow me for the next few weeks. I suppose somewhere in there is grief, but I think it has yet to hit me.

I keep wondering whether there was something I could have done. Of course, there was not. It was an accident. Accidents happen. What a marvelous thing to say. Try telling his parents that. Try telling his bride that on the next day, when he was supposed to be married. Try telling his two children that. We rely so much on our oral communications, but sometimes words just fail us.

Everyone is walking around work today stunned. How long will it take us to recover?

You will be missed Shawn Peterson. Go with God.

I wonder whether anyone actually cares about all the blogs and all the stuff written in blogs. I guess I will give a shot at finding out by putting some of my own drivel in a blog from time to time to see what happens.

This weekend the wife and I went to Herman, Missouri for their annual Oktoberfest. We went to a couple of wineries, a school museum, a microbrewery (Herman Brewing - their beer was excellent), and listened to live music. My favorite part of the trip was going through the underground facilities at Stone Hill Winery. The wine caves under the winery date back to the era when Stone Hill Winery was one of the largest wineries in the country, before prohibition forced the destruction of all the wine making equipment. We purchased a reasonable amount of wine of a various range of varieties to restock our dwindling supply.

Herman is a great place to visit at any time of the year, but I will recommend the first four weekends in October (Oktoberfest) and Maifest (in May, of course!). Herman is located just south of the Missouri River on Highway 19, about 15 miles south of Highway 70 at exit 175.