Real American Stories... Continues

I got an email from Brad, the producer at Fox News who spearheaded the entire Real American Stories promotion. He had sent Dea and I a DVD of our promos as a thank you. In his letter he was very funny, thanking me for "almost single-handedly getting me a promotion."

Ah, when America speaks, people listen :)

In subsequent communication he informed me that the Real American Stories promo was just being kicked off on the Fourth of July week, but it will continue on for many more months to come. Fox wants it to be a positive place for America to voice how proud they are to be an American. They want to keep it going as long as they can.

Brad wanted me to ask all of you to visit the site and submit your story to them via the Your Story link on the page. They really want feedback from everyone. So, stop by and check it out.

He also mentioned there was some talk about expanding the promotion into some sort of show and joked that perhaps he would bring a crew down to the Tampa Bay area and talk to us again.

Now wouldn't THAT be a trip.

Anyway, stop by the Real American Stories website and participate in the promotion. Who knows, maybe one day you too can speak for all America.

If so, my wife would be very grateful.

Fun at the Beach

I haven't taken my shirt off in public since 1995... the year I had my first intestinal surgery.

1) No one wants to see a foot long scar down my stomach. Ask my wife.
2) To quote my brother Paul, my German/Irish skin is now so white it reflects pure light.

I always tell people that, being both Irish and German means I like to get drunk and then try to take over the world. Okay, that's not true, I don't get drunk... the taking over the world part... well, I'm working on it.

So, to spare the world and especially my extended family the retinal damage that would be inflicted by appearing shirtless in any form of natural light, I stayed away from the beach when my wife and kids went out there to visit her sister's family. To be honest, I had to go to the office so it worked out best for everyone.

Gabe body surfing.

Little Noah at the beach.

Rachel, Sarah Jo and Gabe.

Kelsey and DC

I think the next time I get a tan will be when I own a private island and there are no satellites or air craft directly overhead that could be impacted from my ultra-bright skin tone reflection. Until then, you'll be stuck seeing pics of my family.

And you'll be grateful. Trust me.

Genetics - God's Sense of Humor

Why do I look more and more like my father every day? Because God has a sense of humor.

Why do my brothers and I laugh alike? Because God thinks its funny.

Being the last of eight kids, why do I always remind people of an older sibling and, thereby, have no identity of my own?

Because God knows gene pools do not have a deep ends.

And so it is. Besides marriage, I believe genetics give God a more consistent form of entertainment than anything else.

Case and point... the Koehlers.

If it weren't mean to be funny, why does my niece Kelsey look more like wife's daughter than our own daughter?

Three generations... Poppy,
Kelsey (Dawn's daughter) and Dea.

And why does my daughter look more like my sister-in-law Dawn's daughter than my daughter?

Dawn and our daughter, Dorothea.

And why does Dawn's three children look like they come from vastly different roots in the same family tree? Cause God's a kidder.

Dawn's husband, Patrick, and his
look-a-like daughter, Rachel.

Dawn's daughter Sarah Jo and
her look-a-like Grammie.

So the next time your belly looks like your parent's or your skin spots look like your grandparent's or you smile looks like the mailman, remember, it's genetics...

God's non-stop punchline.