My Ramblings

Today, I want to confess what some people might call a character flaw... I like to play practical jokes. I’m not one who likes to scare people, although I have done this on occasion. I just like to joke around and sometimes come up with some pretty good pranks. I also like it when others prank me which indicates I can dish it out AND take it. Sometimes, I suppose my joking is just weird, but it usually gets a laugh and, to me, that makes it all worth it. For instance, when I worked in the Juvenile Probation Department (JPD), I’d get into an empty elevator and stand facing the corner, my back to the door. I would ride it up and down the four floors of the building, waiting for people to get in. I did not acknowledge them or look around. Most everyone did not say anything or ask me if I was okay or not. Since I did not look at them, I didn’t know who was in the elevator with me. I surmise that, on at least a few of those occasions, there were some management types or even the Chief

A few days ago, I found the below story on my computer which I wrote in 2006 and decided tho post it here today:  Twenty-five years ago today, on August 15, 1981, my baby brother, Kevin Dean Faddis, died in a car wreck. He was 18 years old. He would now be 43 and I often wonder what kind of a man that kid would have grown to be had he survived the crash. Not surprisingly, I am in a funk today as I remember that tragic day long ago. I am writing this to help me deal with the blue mood I’m in.  “Little Dog” as I called him was a funny, sometimes rowdy, often gentle young man. He called me “Big Dog.” The two of us, along with our middle brother, Jeff, (aka: Jethro Bodeen) did a lot of things together when we were kids. Bodeen has also died (February 2006 at age 46) and thinking about the loss of both my little brothers is hurting me a lot right now.  Most of our adventures centered on hunting and fishing. Our mom often drove us down to the Tuolumne River and dropped us off to fi

Understandably, I have a lot on my mind today and that causes me to want to write stuff down. But I don’t want to write about the obvious today, so I won’t.  Right now I am listening to an album by DeGarmo and Key titled “Straight On” which my good friend, Darren Briggs sent to me. D&G is my favorite band of all time, Christian or secular. Dana Key, who has since gone to be with the Lord, had a great rock and roll voice which I have coveted since the first time I heard it. “Straight On” was the second album they recorded by the band. I first heard it in 1980 when it was shared with me by two cousins, Darryl Starn and Ron Johnson. The three of us started up a Christian concert ministry in Stanislaus County in 1980. Our first show was with Randy Stonehill in April 1980. In May 1980 we had Mark Heard come. Both these shows were at the Downey High School Auditorium and I think we charged $5.00 admission. Another show we did was with Sweet Comfort Band and after that I went bac

On Thursday, June 20, 2013, our family and friends will mark the one year anniversary of the death of Daniel Kevin Faddis. Having lost other members of my family over the years, I think I have some idea of what the day will bring, thoughts I may have and the emotions it will elicit. However, I cannot know for sure as I have never marked the anniversary of the death of my own child until now. Linda and I talked about what we will do that day. This week Linda is helping out at our church vacation Bible school, but she asked if she could have the day off. She doesn’t want to have any responsibilities to fulfill that day. She said she might go to the cemetery, but she is not certain. I told her I plan to have no plan and I don’t want to go out there. My youngest daughter, Meagan called last night and asked if we would gather the family that day to remember him and I told her that I don’t want that. I just want to be alone as much as possible. June 23 will mark the eighth annivers