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A National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation

In his first official act since taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation, calling on Americans to serve one another and our common purpose on this National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. Check it out below, or read it on the WhiteHouse.gov proclamations page.

NATIONAL DAY OF RENEWAL AND RECONCILIATION, 2009

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As I take the sacred oath of the highest office in the land, I am humbled by the responsibility placed upon my shoulders, renewed by the courage and decency of the American people, and fortified by my faith in an awesome God.

We are in the midst of a season of trial. Our Nation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty. Yet the story of America is one of renewal in the face of adversity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven.

On this Inauguration Day, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not simply a birthright — it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come together as a people to carry it forward once more.

So in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, let us remember that: “The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citizens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

Lou’s hometown team, beats Baltimore to advance to the Super Bowl! Polamalu Rules!!!

It’s soccer time!

The Houston Dynamo professional soccer team is based in Houston, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons.

Houston Dynamo’s home is the 32,000 capacity Robertson Stadium, located on the University of Houston campus in southeast Houston, where they have played since their creation. A three-year lease was signed to play at the stadium while plans for a soccer-specific stadium are finalized. The team is owned by majority owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in partnership with Brener International Group (headed by Gabriel Brener), and multiple world and Olympic boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya.

On Sunday I took a trip up 290 to go check out my favorite “convenience store,” if you can call Buc-ee’s that. With the friendly staff, wide selection of delicious road trip snack foods, fresh sandwiches, big 44oz fountain drinks, all the Jerky you can stand, and some of the cleanest bathrooms around, you can hardly put it in the same category as some of the “other guys,” i.e., dirty gas stations that you stop at on the long trips because you don’t have a choice.

So as we are approaching the Meuschke Road exit, I can’t help but notice the huge red and yellow balloon atop the gas pumps area and the huge smiling face of the Buc-ee’s logo. We pull in and I am amazed at the bustle – people getting gas, people coming in and out of the store, vacuuming their cars, cars entering and exiting the car wash (which I hear is one of the biggest in Texas), and yes, numerous customers stopping to take pictures with the 6-foot tall Buc-ee’s mascot at the door. (It wasn’t just me!)

Inside, I was like a kid in a candy shop, checking out all the delectable treats and wound up settling on a few bags of jerky (sweet and spicy is my favorite) and Sweet Energy (which I think must include some sort of addictive drug, because I can’t get enough of it!). For lunch, I ordered a BBQ sliced pork sandwich and Dr. Pepper Chiller – the perfect Texan meal!
The last adventure on this trip was the car wash.

My car is usually pretty dirty. I can’t seem to keep it clean. I don’t think this photo does the dirt justice. Well, luckily, I got to try out the ultimate car wash experience, and I am sure my car thanks me for it.

Since it is hands-free, I even got to eat my lunch inside while I got my car washed. Some kind of awesome multi-tasking, right? Also included was a free vacuum token, so I was able to clean my car, inside and out! It came out so shiny, even the tires look brand new. I was so impressed.

All in all, I can say that it was a delightful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I only wish I live a little closer so I could visit more often.

Buc-ee’s Facebook Link

Buc-ee’s Flickr Link

Olive trees, mouth-watering food, over 1,000 islands to visit, amazing nature and a surprisingly beautiful coast are just a few things I can tell you if you ask me about Croatia. The Republika Hrvatska has nothing to envy to other places around Europe, except that people are just now starting to discover what this overlooked paradise has to offer.