Maddie's Mission

Get your motor running'
 Head out on the highway
 Looking' for adventure
 And whatever comes our way
 Yeah! darling', gonna make it happen
 Take the world in a love embrace
 Fire all of your guns at once
 And explode into space Born to be wild
 Born to be wild When it comes to being cool, I used to think I fell somewhere between Richie Cunningham and Ralph Malph.  Sure, Richie was not the coolest guy on the TV show  Happy Days  because of his all American, Howdy Doody face and need to always be nice, but I had to be honest with myself.  I recognized long ago that I would never be Fonzie cool, but at least I knew I would never be mistaken for Potsie.  That was until I stood in front of a group of men and women motorcycle riders at Smaltz's Harley Davidson.  Over the past 23 years the MDA has teamed up with Harley Davidson to raise millions of dollars through the Ride for Life campaign.  The campaign starts at the local dealerships by bui...

I love the colorful clothes she wears 
 And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair 
 I hear the sound of a gentle word 
 On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air 

 I'm pickin' up good vibrations 
 She's giving me excitations 
 I'm pickin' up good vibrations 
 She's giving me excitations Good, good, good, good vibrations   She's giving me excitations Good, good, good, good vibrations   She's giving me excitations 

 I began to notice it the night before as Maddie and her friend sat at the kitchen island with Donna making signs.  They filled board after board with sayings like "Go Team Crowley", "Make A Muscle, Make A Heart", and "Pompe Power".  It continued the next morning as soon as Emma and Carter's friends began walking through the door.  The mood was clearly upbeat, in fact, a bit festive.  Within minutes the house was filled, filled with the excitement that frequently comes along with voices of youn...

Love, Love, Love. Love, Love, Love.
 Love, Love, Love.

 There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
 Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
 Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.
 It's easy.

 Nothing you can make that can't be made.
 No one you can save that can't be saved.
 Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
 It's easy.

 All you need is love.
 All you need is love.
 All you need is love, love.
 Love is all you need. In 1975 Valentines Day was simple for this six-year-old boy.  My job was straightforward.  With a little construction paper, a little glue, a few crayons, and a little love, the perfect Valentines card was created.  Like most boys my age, passing that Valentine to the girl at the next desk just didn't seem right.  First of all, girls were still alien creatures at that time and secondly, it had to be saved for that special someone.  That special someone who had waited all day for...

Caroline laughs and it’s raining all day She loves to be one of the girls She lives in the place In the side of our lives
 Where nothing is ever put straight She turns herself round And she smiles and she says “This is it. That's the end of the joke” And loses herself in her dreaming and sleep
 And her lovers walk through in their coats

 Pretty in pink
 Isn't she? 
 Pretty in pink
 Isn't she? 

 A funny thing happens after you graduate from high school and get busy building your career, signing up for mortgages, and starting families.  Somehow the words your parents said, "I just don't understand kids today" come out of your mouth. Somehow your favorite radio station is no longer the one playing the top 40, but one that plays a mix of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  Somehow the movies and songs you loved as a teenager find their way into your kids lives as "retro".  And, then suddenly, out of nowhere, your baby turns 16. Last weekend, we celebrated Emm...

I saw her today at the reception A glass of wine in her hand I knew she was gonna meet her connection At her feet was footloose man You can't always get what you want You can't always get what you want You can't always get what you want But if you try sometimes well you might find You get what you need 
 If you were to ask five people the difference between the words "want" and "need" you are likely to get five different answers.  For many people, these two words are synonymous.  As children, we all pleaded with our parents for the latest toy saying, "But I need it!" and usually heard some boring lecture explaining that we didn't "need" the toy, but "wanted" the toy.  Blah, Blah, Blah.  Over time, we mature, see a few things, experience a few hardships, have a few successes, and come to realize the two words are truly different.  We learn that while you can't always get want, if you try sometimes you just migh...

Have you seen her? So fine and pretty Fooled me with her style and ease And I feel her from across the room Yes, it's love in the third degree Ooh, baby, baby Won't-cha turn your head my way? Ooh, baby, baby Ah come on! Take a chance You're old enough to Dance the night away Whoa-oh, Come on girl, dance the night away It is a well-documented fact that the Crowley men are not dancers.  From Grandpa Tim, down to yours truly, we all must have been distracted when the good Lord handed out the dancing gene because we surely missed out.  Now I'm not saying we can't dance.  I'm saying we can't dance well.  OK, not even fairly well.  Sure, we can pull out rare moves at a family wedding, but in the end, video evidence verifies these were only haunting attempts at greatness. Curiously, the Crowley wives have not been impacted by the same genetic disorder. They glide from one end of the dance floor to the other and shift from one dance style to the next without...

Walk, walk, walk, walk... He said just Walk like a man Talk like a man Walk like a man my son No one's worth Crawling on the earth So walk like a man my son I am traveling this week with a colleague from Europe. He's in his 30's, full of energy and ambition, and was always the first one to jump at the late night dinners, the after party, and the paparazzi (kidding). However, since the last time I saw him he's changed a bit. The change is subtle and unless you've known him for a while you may not notice, but I saw it immediately. He now has a 5 month old daughter. A daughter, who has unexpectedly captured his heart and changed a person from one who loved to travel the world for business to one who can't wait to get home and be a Daddy. Depending on who you listen to, becoming a man has many definitions. They may be graduating from a university, moving out on your own, starting your career, getting married, etc. There is no doubt that all of these are ...