Badges? We don't need no stinking badges! Not At This Price.

A sometimes associate, embarassingly for him, no doubt sometimes, reminded me tonight that I can and do sometimes take things to seriously and get people mad at me when it could have easily been avoided. I heard you, Terry. More than just heard you. I took it to heart.

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So, sometimes friend...

I'll start by trying a little humor, but also not only "taking to heart" your words to me tonight that showed you are upset with me for being an A$$ myself lately, I'll accept that criticism.I had it coming, I earned it, I deserved it. I'll do better. I realized the last few days in fact, that I owe Y'all better than I have been doing.

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Hell, I am capable of being a good mayor! Why the hell haven't I been showing it? I will in the future. I believe I began that today when the Acting Chief of Police came up to my house and we had a little talk and he was able to show me that I was making more out of something than I probably would want to if I'd just stop and think. And on the Chief's advice, I did think it out, and I will not only "try" to do things a litle different in the future.

I will cut the "try" and just get it done!

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I thought I'd bring a little humor into the picture from tonight's city council meeting. If I may?

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One of my opponents in the race for Mayor of Toledo was sitting next to the only front row empty chair tonight, so I sat next to him. Eddie Johnston. At times Eddie, like me, can make people pretty mad himself, like I can make people so mad at me.

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Tonight Eddie got the Mayor down on him early on in Visitor's Comments Session by making some allegations about some things straight out of the Twilight Zone... I do not have a clue as to what... I was not hearing, because I turned away, as I was embarrassed for Eddie.

Mayor Cross shut Eddie down by challenging his statements right from the get-go.

I was a good job the mayor did of getting Eddie back in line and not letting him make allegations he cannot prove up.

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It made me laugh a little. Just before the meeting Eddie was asking me how I liked my new Springfield Arms 9mm Semi-Automatic XD-9 which is mostly made of a composite plastic material that makes it light enough to carry 16 round full clips and a round in the chamber, and including carrying the extra or spare clip and still be able to handle that extra weight as the gun hangs holstered strapped to my right leg, or shouldered under, or in my left arm pit. What a pistol! It reminds me of the old U.S. army .45 Cal ACP hand gun almost every soldier had some experience with!

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I said I had not fired it yet. Then we were talking about the informal shooting range and the controversy about it down in Seal Rock, I think it is. My experiences with shooting ranges have all been at very well controlled and disciplined military of N.R.A.. gun ranges. I am no sure, but I'm a little standoffish about "informal
gun ranges."

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So, we were talking about shooting sports and then Eddie said something about the handgun training course at the Timbers Restaurant at 8:00 am this Saturday morning, and it turns out Eddie and I are both signed up for that class. I didn't know Eddie was signing up, but when I purchased the new gun a couple of weeks ago and could not find the Safety device right away, and it turned out to be a new Passive Safety Device, like a Dead Man's Switch, operated by keeping the web of skin between yur thumb and forefnger tight against it, I knew that after 30 years since my last class, that it is time for a new class anyway, let alone to quaify for a License to Carry a Concealed Firearm.

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So what's so funny? Funny is as funny does... it's funny because Mark Camara has been talking about Eddie making statements at a city council meeting that he, Councilman Camara, found to be threatening about the use of firearms.

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I was just trying to imagine someone, anyone, who is a danger to us because he has handguns signing up for a basic, tune up, and advanced firearms handling shooting and safety course.

To me, that was funny!

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Also funny, really funny, funi-funi, Eddie heard me trying to get a couple of different people to go with me Friday to the Port of Toledo offices on appointment to see the electronic files of the Wooden Boat Show Committee minutes as the port has been ordered to show me by the District Attorney.

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Because of the hostility there last week and the near catastophe that could hae occurred, I would not think of going again this Friday under the new order from the Ditrict Attorney.

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Of course, since I gave away the secret that I was video and audio taping the whole thing last week, I doubt that there will be anything but strict business taken care of this coming Friday.

because of the low quality of my video feed last week, I have been practicin, including at the city council meeting last night. It's a small pink Vado recorder that I only paid $39.95 for when I reached a certain dollar amount in credits when I was building online last October my youngest sister-in-law's computer.

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This video/audio recorder is 2 1/16" wide X 3 7/8" tall X 5/8" thick. It easily fits into a pocket and last week at the Port ffices I had it in my shirt pocket with a camera lens hole pushed through my shirt pocket. teh video I rtrieved was not the best, I have improved now this week, but the audio was damning, and when I say damning, I do not mean to me.

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So far, Eddie Johnston is my only volunteer to ride shotgun for me.

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Won't that be a hoot!

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On a serios note, folks, Friday might be a good time for me to make at least a small gesture or offer towards reconcilliation wtih Bud Shoemake. We used to get along. I suppose he did have a point and maybe even a good reason for being really mad at me, as I have been really-really mad at him for what I took as unaceptable and ungentlemanly treatment of my friend, Barb Fredric after she and her crew worked so hard to get his First Annual Wooden Boat Show's food service off to a good start. I do not recall any certificates of appreciation, and no one even botheredt o tell Barb that Celeste Matthews and the Chamber of Commerce would be doing the food srvice the following year. It was hard seeing my precious friend, Barb, treaded so badly.

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Oh Well... No use talking about that again if I am going to try and let it go and try to make a gesture towards reconcilliation to Bud.

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I'll be there, video/audio recorder in hand. You might get a kick out of it, Bud, you did not see it last week, I had it, and it is pink in color!

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I am a big ugly, feo, pangit guy and I can get away with pink!