Morning Calm Ones,
Ken-Dogger: Morning Yuri, you’re looking a little frazzled.
Yuri: Dude, It’s Friday the 13th…
KD: No, it isn’t.
Y: This year couldn’t get any more weird, it’s startin’ to wear.
KD: Um, Yuri…
Y: I’m getting more frazzled by the day…
KD: Would you stop, It’s not Friday, it’s Saturday, the 13th.
Y: Whew, guess I was on a roll…
KD: Good to know when you are…
WHERE WE FOCUS...
Ken-Dogger: Morning Bronco, now you remind me?
Bronco: Okay, what did I do now?
KD: You’re reminding me of the Championship game the day after it happened?
B: Did someone miss THE game?
KD: Shoosh, had other things on my mind.
B: It has been trying times, but you love Football.
KD: Bronco, I love my country more…It needs my attention.
B: Dude, we all need to focus on country and lessen the focus on man.
KD: I hear that Bronco, I hear that.
CONTAINMENT...It's how you deal with it
Ken-Dogger: Trixie, what are you doing?
Trixie: Well, right now, paws are stuck, help me…
KD: Sheesh, do I need to make the pen bigger?
T: Nope, I’m not diggin’ the penning phase.
KD: You need a pen now, it contains you and your follies.
T: Containment, the bane of puppies everywhere.
KD: Get used to it, we’re all contained.
T: Okay, if all of us are doing it, I can too.
KD: Wow, a societal perspective…
HOMAGE...
Ken-Dogger: Hey Bernie, tryin' to catch a Tumbleweed Connection today?
Bernie: I've Come Down In Time for some ol' Country Comfort in my bones...
KD: You're the Son of the Father, you're supposed to be looking for My Father's Gun...
B: Well then, Where to Now St. Peter? Getting ready to write a Love Song to Amoreena...
KD: I'm still talking to Old Soldiers who want to Burn Down the Mission
B: Funny, I'm just avoiding thinking about the Madman Across the Water...
SOMETIMES, FOOLS DO RUSH IN...
Ken-Dogger: Hey Teddie, you stretching?
Teddie: Always Bro, it gets me ready for action.
KD: IKR, I stretch before I work out. I should stretch more after too.
T: I really don’t know how you do anything without preppin’ for it?
KD: A lot of peeps like rushing into stuff…
T: Dude, I’m going to prep, it keeps me grounded and ready for the day.
KD: You’re right Teddie, let’s not play where fools rush in.
Ken-Dogger: Morning Chauncey…oops, I’ll be quiet
Chauncey: ZZ
KD: You’re probably very tired, the events of the last few days have caused all of us stress. It’s time to take a breather.
C: ZZ
KD: Maybe this is the strategic pause we need to recalibrate things, maybe it’s our opportunity to stop all this bellicose behavior?
C: ZZ
KD: Naw, each side is just reloading, they don’t seem to know another way to coexist
C: ZZ
KD: Crickets? Funny, that’s the same response I’ll get from them
YOU JUST TURN YOUR PRETTY HEAD AND WALK AWAY
Ken-Dogger: Morning Snoop
Snoop: Morning, got a question about yesterday…Did you see Method Dog and me playing?
KD: Yes I did, looked like it was good fun
S: It was until MD started upping the ante…He started hitting me harder
KD: That doesn’t seem right
S: IKR, jeez…so I hit him harder back, he hit me harder, so I hit him harder back
KD: When did it stop?
S: When I walked away
KD: Did you declare victory?
S: Mission Accomplished
SMELLING DECEIT
Warning Signs...
Ken-Dogger: Hey Charlie, be careful.
Charlie: Wha…?
KD: There was a briar right there, didn’t want you to step on it.
C: Thanks for the warning Bro…
KD: Thanks for knowing how to respond to a warning.
C: IKR, when you tell me what to do, I believe.
KD: Yep, and when peeps tell you in words and deeds who they are, believe them.
C: Dude, I know this, I can smell deceit.
KD: Could you teach the rest of us?
WE JUST STOP ACCEPTING CHALLENGES
Ken-Dogger: Hey Butkus, you stretchin’?
Butkus: Hey, morning routine, you know…Didn’t see you in garage much yesterday.
KD: Well, I worked some and then I hit my driver on the range.
B: Ate up with it aren’t you?
KD: I’m in a fun phase, it’s all new, it’s fresh learnin’…
B: Great motivation there…
KD: I’m likin’ the challenge, it’s invigorating.
B: Maybe peeps don’t get old, they just stop accepting challenges…
WRITING...IT'S A PROCESS
Ken-Dogger: Hey Wolfie, you singing?
Wolfie: In 1814, we took a little trip, we took some bacon, we took some beans…
KD: Oh, Battle of New Orleans this morning?
W: Yep, brushing up on it…
KD: You considering a rewrite?
W: We fired our guns and the British kept a-coming…
KD: Wait, you’re gonna need a rewrite there…They just let them in.
W: We fired our guns but they were already in the lines?
KD: Keep writing, you’re not there yet.
Morning Again Peeps, I went back to sleep...
Ken-Dogger: Hey Yvette, you just hangin' out?
Yvette: Nope, I'm preppin' the camper...
KD: You are, and where do you think you're headed?
Y: Headed to America's National Parks...
KD: Hate to tell you but ANP's campgrounds are closed.
Y: Trump again?
KD: Yep...
Y: Well, we're still goin', someone needs to protect these national treasures...
KD: You're right, let's roll...
DO ME A FAVOR...OPEN THE DOOR AND LET IT IN
Morning Peeps,
Ken-Dogger: Hey Chester
Chester: Hey Bro…What we gonna do today?
KD: Well Buddy, I’m not sure…A special walk?
C: I’d be cool with that.
KD: You seem really happy this morning.
C: I am Dogger, just being alive, having my family here, and a special walk. What more could I ask for?
KD: Glad you’re good with the simple things…
C: Bro, you can find JOY anywhere, you just gotta be willing to let it in.
SHAKING, NOT STIRRING
Ken-Dogger: Hey there Hans, you playing?
Hans: Not really, I’m avoiding…
KD: Wha…?
H: Yeah, some bad karma in the world in the Middle East, we’re gonna need to be careful where we play for a while
KD: So right Hans, we’re going to need to look out for each other
H: Yep, tensions high right now, KD, you got my back?
KD: I do Hans…I always do, taking care of each other…it’s our bond
H: You’re right Bro…Bond, Ja…naw Dude, just shakin’ ya, not stirring…
WHERE ARE WE ALL THE SAME?
Ken-Dogger: Morning Salvatore Dalimation
Salvatore D: Hey Bro, got a question.
KD: And?
SD: Why do some peeps pick on others?
KD: Usually, it’s to demean, or it is a way to make the pickers feel superior.
SD: Wow, why does one feel like they need to be better than others?
KD: Some kind of shortcoming they feel…
SD: I thought we were all the same in God’s eyes…
KD: Salvi, that’s just the commercial.
BONDING...IT DOES A BODY GOOD
Ken-Dogger: Morning Scruffy, what is up?
Scruffy: Dude, I was just thinkin’ about Taxi Driver.
KD: The what?
S: You know, that Scorsese thing about relationships.
KD: About bizarre relationships, where you going with this?
S: No, I was more thinking about Travis feeling so alone in a populated city.
KD: Lots of peeps feel lonely, even in crowds.
S: Well, we need to build connections, they bond.
KD: Bond away Scruffy, Bond away…
Ken-Dogger: Hey Clyde, what has your interest?
Clyde: America Bro…Such beauty
KD: It is spectacular, there is so much to appreciate
Clyde: No matter where you are, you can find beauty in the land.
KD: So true, hopefully we can protect it.
C: Why wouldn’t we do that? Why wouldn’t we save this beauty for all Americans?
KD: All Americans? Not sure that’s the goal anymore.
C: That’s sad, all this beauty, all this country…
KD: Yes, and we seem to want to trade it for one hollow man.
MOVING TO BETTER FILTERS
Ken-Dogger: Hey Alfie, you look like you have some Pet Sounds on this morning.
Alfie: Naw, bro, jammin' to some Earth, Wind and Fire...
KD: Reasons?
A: I'm gonna listen to music in 2019, gettin' away from the cacophonous voices...
Oh, you meant the song Reasons
KD: What's it all about Alfie? Is it just for the moment you live?
A: Naw, more simple...puttin' in better filters.
Morning Peeps,
From 2021...Much better games yesterday
Ken-Dogger: Hey Lucky, you ready for more football?
Lucky: Yep, some awesome games yesterday.
KD: Yes they were, two teams got spanked.
L: You would think there wouldn’t be that much disparity at this level.
KD: Does seem odd, but…
L: But what? Reflective of the growing disparity in America?
KD: Yep, The Haves get more while the Nots get chores…
L: College Football meets Trickle Down…
KD: It ain’t working here either.
IN 2024, I RESOLVE TO...
Ken-Dogger: Hey guys, you working on your Resolutions?
Mike: Yea, look at Ike's list...
Ike: Yea, got some good ones but I'm not sharing...
KD: C'mon Ike, don't you want to share with us so you can guide us to success too?
I: Nope...Can't...BIG DATA, don't ya know.
KD: Big Data?
M: Yea, Ike's right, as soon as we tell ya where we're headed, we're tracked...
KD: Okay, just whisper...we'll keep them secret
CUTE DOESN'T GET YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING
Ken-Dogger: Hey Bucho, what up?
Bucho: Just about got this…
KD: Got what?
B: This rolling over thing…I can get my front rolling, but my back seems to lag behind.
KD: Keep working it, it will come.
B: It’s frustrating going through this development.
KD: Yep, can be…but it’s part of life.
B: So cute isn’t going to get me through, I’m going to have to do stuff on my own?
KD: Welcome to the Way of the World.
Retired educator / military officer(Army Colonel) - Current Ops Div Chief (G333), HQDA / married / political progressive / ED.D. and Army War College Grad. 3277