Friday, February 28, 2014

Friday's Dispatch


  • A fave song Local H performing Bound For The Floor. A great, great song that has been at various times in my pitiful life autobiographical. An always cool song- especially loud on a good system.
  • Bonus from back in the day- Siverchair playing Tomorrow.
  • Rubberband Man by the Spinners- what I'm listening to right now.
  • We leave for the Mineral wells State Park outback in a few minutes. The staff there literally, unofficially and tongue in cheek call the primitive area The Outback.
  • Camping pro tip: Consider forgoing department store brand (Coleman too) sleeping bags and watch Campmor for Kelty, The North Face and Mountain Hardwear brands down filled bags on sale. With care it will keep you warmer longer and easily last 10 years or more. Bonus: keep it in your closet instead of garage or shed. Bonus to the bonus: When checking the rating consider how you sleep- hot or cold. I sleep cold. I am always colder than others around me and it takes more insulation to keep me warm. If you sleep cold, get the next lower rating than you ever expect to encounter. If you sleep hot, get the lowest rating you expect to encounter.
  • The weather is perfect outside today (02/22/2014). 
  • Earlier I saw an article about how ridiculous the name, Hummer was for a vehicle as it denotes a sex act. Funny, military guys never call a HUMWV a Hummer it was always pronounced Humvee or was simply called a truck or vehicle and I have never, ever heard a guy conversationally refer to that sex act as a, hummer.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Thursday's Thoughts



  • Another to add to my birthday bash list The Killers peforming Mr. Brightside.
  • I have this bit which is kind of funny: when I do something pretty smart at work I tap my temple and say, just using the old kidneys It gets a few chuckles. I did it once in front of some new people and poked myself in the eye as I spontaneously sneezed at the same time I pulled the bit- not a graze my eye that kind of hurt, but I can suck it up until I can get back in my office kind of poke- in a nearly drive me to the ground, Oh my God I'm going to lose my eye! kind of way.
  • One more reason they call me Mr Smooth.
  • For the size of town we have a crazy number or parks- I love that. they suffer from maintenance problems and some poor design elements, but they're great overall and some people who live around here are luckier than they know.
  • The CBO has recently released a report the proposed minimum wage hike to 10+ bucks an hour will cost the economy 500K jobs. I have no doubt that is true.
  • The most effective things to improve your health and well being are often the simplest and cheapest. I'm looking at you increased water and fiber intake.
  • The TICKET played an interview this morning of Kevin Von Erich telling a story of wrestling an orangutan in a small private zoo back in the day. It was literally hilarious. Am I the only one who wondered if that poor orang is still alive and is OK and hoping both are true?
  • I have a strong loyalty to Playa Maya and cannot recall a single time the service was less than excellent and food was not at least very good.
  • Often was spelled so horrendously up there, " footnote " was offered as an alternative by my spell check.
  • Multiple people have entered nursing school with my encouragement and that is an awesome and humbling thought.
  • My new tent hasn't arrived yet and it is getting on my nerves- gear withdrawal is tough.
  • The first inclination the jacked up chick who claims to have killed 22 people across multiple states is lying is the fact she claims to belong to a Satanic cult- exactly what she believes people want or expect to believe.
  • Update: the tent  arrived. Oh Emgee- its heavy. I have to rethink things. If I'm with somebody of course they would carry half the tentage and cooking equipment but schnikees- my back is hurting from testing it last night.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Wednesday's Digressions

Good idea. I couldn't find a copyright so I'm totally jacking the idea


  • Glassgiant.com for miracle pics of yourself etc.
  • Down with Dino? Great classic television appearance- he cracks wise while stoned on Scotch then sings Everybody Loves Somebody and knocks it out of the park!
  • Flea- one of the few bass bass players who is so good you don't have to be a musician to know who he is.
  • I have been killing myself with work and play lately- almost literally as I couldn't go to sleep last night and tossed and turned.  Not only did I hurt terribly-I was too tired to sleep and I feel great this morning and I wish I new the secret. I would bottle it up and sell it.
  • Matthew McCounahey's voice is creepy on those Reliant commercials if you hear them too often or listen too closely.
  • I think I misspelled his last name but I'm not going to think about it and put anymore effort into that sentence.
  • Sometimes it is best to remind ourselves that some things are none of our business.
  • When I was doing contract nursing I would spend a lot of time at the pool. It was a quick, close way to socialize, get sun ( I worked nights ) and exercise. It was my hydration time and coincided with an interest in oddball sodas so I always had a drink in my hand and often in a brown glass bottle. I had not had a drink in years at that point but oddly got a reputation as an alky. People I didn't even know would offer me alcohol if they saw me without a drink in my hand as they must have assumed I was broke and they didn't want to see me go into the DTs.
  • My nursing buddy is going to buy my Army sleep system as I'm moving toward a lighter down bag and I'm going to burn another office friend with a goofy looking polar bear cookie jar by putting it on his desk before he gets to work. So, yeah I'm going to be walking across our huge parking lot carrying a sleeping bag and a ceramic polar bear.
  • That is how I troll for babes.

Wednesday's Digressions


My baby son Zac trying to be scary- "Ooooooooo, ahwoooooo- I'm a ghost!"


My toes- good grief, how long has that been there?




My middle, ginger haired offspring Chloe on crazy hair day. 




  • Everything you could ever need to know about that classic childhood rite of passage- plastic army men. Well made, inexpensive source for same along with plastic cowboys and Indians, astronauts and medieval period characters. Coolio- I know where my Christmas stocking money is going this year. A childhood jealousy that crosses my mind from time to time: a kid I was friends with in grade school had two grocery sacks (paper- of course) literally full of plastic army men. Although he really was my friend, inside I secretly hated him for this sign of obvious wealth and privilege.

  • Zac- get ready for some fun with tiny choking hazards!

  • I always misspell privilege.

  • Yes, even that time.

  • The recent lunar probe discovered water in a crater at the south pole. Don't get too excited, quit your job and sell your house and buy in to some scam property sale on spec. on our nearest celestial relative just yet though- it found about 48 gallons on the south pole- in a crater.

  • At no point in the article I read on the subject was critical thinking like this encouraged and that bugs me to no end. It's just slam dunk- let's spend a gazillion dollars (we don't have) on a totally unnecessary, nearly useless scientifically moon base and woosh, zoom, blast off and forget all our problems!

  • Anyway, how will we ever combat the Nazi SS units that you know went to the back side of the moon after the war on rocket ships and have been reproducing and developing their technologies for the past 70 years?

  • Answer that one- Mr. Smarty Pants NASA scientist man!

  • Chloe just found a millipede in the living room and brought it to me- very cool a big healthy looking one. He is being transported to his new home in the flowerbed as I write this. Good luck, our squiggly, little multi legged friend of the woodland realm.

Friday, February 21, 2014

We assault the outback of Mineral Wells State Park at dawn Saturday morning. I am now fully geared up and have everything I need for a life outdoors and am only lacking for a few things I want. Included on my packing list and your next must read- if you know what is good for you is, River Of Doubt a history of TRs expedition to the Amazon River. It is a great- great book. I woke up early to resume it after staying up way late and crashing out with it in the bed.

Friday's Dispatch





  • The king of Bhutan is known as the Dragon King, his dynasty- Wangchuck.
  • Cooool.
  • I have had a Limp Bizkit song stuck in my mind for 14 hours now.
  • Uncool.
  • Our president is many things but, politically naive in international affairs while dealing other countries sadly, is very near top of the list. Watch this video if you don't believe me but, you may want a throw up bucket near by- it's pretty bad. Don't find that such a big deal? It's tied to the virtually worthless deal the administration is so happy about that allows overflights of Russian territory to resupply our forces in Afghanistan- an agreement that's allowed exactly one flight.
  • Lou Diamond Phillips used to get on my nerves like no other actor on the planet but, he's done some pretty OK stuff recently.
  • Zac informed me the other day, Be nice to me- I'm a baby!
  • Why is the question mark on a keyboard with the letters field and the exclamation up with the numbers?
  • So glad a recent patients family wasn't there for his death and I don't think I've ever said that. He vomited blood and cancerous material out of his mouth and his trach. hole in projectile globs that travelled 3+ feet as he gulped for air and urinated an impossible amount of foul smelling urine all over himself and the bed. It was not peaceful, nor beautiful.
  • I confide in my nieces and nephews they're my favorites- each and every one of them.
  • The above from continued old draft cleanup effort.




Thursday, February 20, 2014

Thursday's Thoughts



  • Fort Worth's own Toadies performing Possum Kingdom. This song isn't about vampires or a night of rape in a lake house- it was inspired by a murder near the lake and the subsequent dumping of the body in the lake.
  • Possum Kingdom- what a name huh? Absolutely beautiful lake though- in another life I scuba dived there often.
  • Bonus if you have a couple of extra minutes: Backslider.
  • Due to space restrictions instead of opening new plots of land up to expansion by cemeteries they are planning on burials being stacked on top of each other and also vertically. People have protested this- I just can't imagine daddy having to look up at a stranger for eternity or He (or she) will be standing up forever! Ridiculous, they are dead and gone and the favor to people who think like this would be to remind them of that fact and not coddle their senseless/irrational concerns. 
  • I like Metal music. To be more clear I like Metal music with discernible vocals and music that each song doesn't sound exactly like the song preceding it but often wonder- I am dangerously close to 50. how much longer will I like music like that? Will I be rocking back and forth in the old folks home to the musical stylings of Mushroomhead and Slipknot at 88 years old?
  • What they're doing with figure skating these days is awesome- literally awe inspiring. Gymnastics and figure skating are odd choices for the Olympics though. I mean come on- really it is ballet judged with some arbitrary guidelines by flawed and prejudiced judges. They are what barrel racing is to rodeo.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Wednesday's Digressions

                                                   Bhutan's Kingdom Of The Thunder Dragon flag- probably the most interesting flag and motto on the planet.




  • When you have the time check SuperNews! out on hulu. President Obama, Hilary and Biden performing surgery on the Health Care Reform Act. When shocking it back to life fails VP Biden of course offers to take it behind the barn and blast it with a shotgun. Take a few whiffs of some Whiteout beforehand for max effect.
  • I get between 6 and 10 of those ridiculous Viagra type ads a day in my email however if I don't check it for several days it will only grow by a few more- how and why? Unless it's my imagination which I'm pretty sure it is not.
  • A favorite toy as a child for me was Lincoln Logs- same goes for my children.
  • When people say to the the effect, Abraham Lincoln wouldn't recognize the Republican party today! I'm more than pretty sure they know nothing about him other than they heard someone else make that claim first and they assumed it would make them sound as smart and knowledgeable about political history as they themselves viewed the first person whom they heard utter the phrase although they're both dumb as a bag of hammers.
  • If you do know anything about what he accomplished as President, his beliefs and personal trials you'll agree: he is the one who should be called Father Of Our Country, he was compassionate and pragmatic and to accomplish anything with the obstacles placed before him by life and his enemies- you'd know he was a giant of a human being and a good man before all else.
  • Car shopping is a beating but, man it feels good when you feel like you did all you could, chose a good car and made a good deal- doesn't it?
  • Hopefully will know that feeling again soon- the search continues.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Monday's Missives





  • Once while watching the documentary series Hunter And Hunted about mankiller tigers in the Sunderbans region of India with my two youngest, Zac just killed me when sister commented on the crocodile shown in one scene, No, it's not about crocktadiles- it's about tigers. And he could not have had a more haughty, condescending tone about it had he tried.
  • People who survive catastrophes often report a history of avidly reading survivor accounts from previous disasters and this is considered a factor in their survival.
  • I watch I Survived every chance I get- maybe that will count for something. With the aid bag I carry in my vehicles I can treat at least four major life threatening wounds (or four people with a single serious wound etc.) plus fractures and gunshot wounds.
  • So, yeah- you want me as your buddy if the impending apocalypse occurs while we're carpooling.
  • I appreciate the flexibility of hospice but, get bummed when work gets hit or miss. Everybody needs a job they sorely miss when absent from their lives for whatever reason.
  • If the music of the 80s and 90s wasn't so great- why is it so pervasive? Even progressive alt/rock stations invariably play the hits from the early 90s frequently.
  • Prediction: 50 years from now they'll still be listening.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Friday's Dispatch

FG is quite a bit younger than me.


All this packs down 

to this and will serve 4 people well for camping cookery. Get the Texsport set and Glacier stainless bowls from Campmor. Fill voids with a microfiber towel or two, soap impregnated scrub pads in zip bags and spices and you're good to hook. The cups are a dollar or less each and are from Wally World.




  • There was a supposed UFO sighting in Arizona a few years ago involving some lights at night and witnesses numbering in the I believe I read and heard- hundreds. The only problem with this event? It involved some lights moving at night- some lights that I assure you were flares being fired from a military aircraft and filmed at fairly long range. What makes me so sure? I've witnessed these flares fired in daylight, at night, in the desert, over wooded areas, over urban areas, in war time, in peace time, from a distance and so close I could feel the heat coming off the flares and had to put out the resultant fire to keep my vehicle from burning and in all these conditions from both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. I have seen them fired by everything from cargo aircraft to fighter-bombers to helicopters including Blackhawks, UH1s, Cobras and Apaches in temps ranging from below freezing to 130 degrees.. If you know the incident to which I'm referring- I promise you I'm correct and our government is not hiding anything.
  • I have 556 posts built up to publish in the future.
  • The ghost shrimps swim around in the aquarium being creepy using their creepy little legs instead of their flapper tail.
  • Marcy Playground has been on the playlist a lot recently.
  • It is 1019 in the morning and a nap sounds really good right now but their are a couple of shows I want to watch while I have the house to myself and I need to go to the bank to get some money. My first world nightmare.
  • Also, I tore a hangnail off my little finger and it hurts.
  • I do not get Bo Burnham although I have tried and would have been sure I would have loved his stuff based on what I had read about him.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Thursday's Thoughts

Name the movie.




  • If you've heard of Roky Erikson- you're cool. If not- get that way! Click here, well- there to see him perform Cold Night For Alligators sometime back in the 80s.
  • I have no idea what Greys Anatomy is about.
  • I'm not sure I've ever watched a reality show other than Cops- does that count?
  • Recently I met someone who was in a movie starring Gary Coleman.
  • I've lived in three towns with lame mascot names: Blizzards, Kangaroos and Greyhounds.
  • After gymnastics this morning I asked Zac if he wanted lunch at Pasta Finas. He said, Yes, will they feed us at Pasta Feedus?
  • Wonder if any cities have dinosaur mascots?
  • As I'm writing this unless you're eating grilled unicorn with a rainbow glaze- let me assure you what I'm eating is better- Breyers Coffee ice cream with chocolate syrup all over it.
  • Yesterday (12/24/2013) I saw a picture of Brad Pitt and his family on vacation in Australia. How/why would anybody care about what actors do when they're not making movies? Why would they ever cross anybodies minds- ever for any reason other than discussing a movie or television show they're associated with? The pics were obviously taken at long range and from an aerial perspective. I literally cannot grasp the fascination.
  • You could not keep a cleaner house than I do without being a sad obsessive compulsive, so imagine my surprise when I cleaned the not that old toaster out. Bleeeack!
    It is hard to imagine the, Time Before Multi Tools. We leave this one on the counter. No, we don't even bother to place it in a drawer as it may be used multiple time- in a single day.
  • The neighbors dog is cool.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Wednesday's Digressions

My idea of a perfect hot rod. The paint color, wheels, tint and ride stance - it is perfect in my book.  Drop a lightly cammed, otherwise stock-ish big block in it with a stout tranny and give me a pocketful of cash for gas and I'd be good to go. Eeeew- I said, "stout tranny."


  • The Syrian Civil War a 5 minute primer.
  • Like nailing jelly to kittens- my newest expression I use every chance I get when I need to express an impossibility.
  • I heard some newer Steven Wright the other day. It was terrible. He got a rousing ovation when some of his previous genius tried to shine through. It was purely polite applause- the audience was embarrassed for him and felt uncomfortable.
  • The lovely Lady O reminded me of the turkey drop episode on WKRP In Cincinnati titled Turkeys Away. Interestingly, although the details have been lost in time, ( Was  it a shopping mall in Atlanta or was it a church in Dallas? Were they dropped from a truck or yes, a helicopter? ) it supposedly really happened in real life.
    Interesting factoid-  I jacked this from Lady O. If it is true I had no idea.
  • On a Saturday in 2060- my Death Clock day of death which at 96 years of age sounds very ambitious and highly unlikely.
  • The oldest known joke goes back 2000 years to the Sumerians, "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap."
  • Potty humor never goes out of style as it has apparently- always been in style.
    Found hanging from my office door handle with an Xmas card. 

    An owl pellet. They regurgitate all non digestible matter into this pellet called fittingly an owl pellet so yeah, it is basically mouth poop.
  • For some time I have had this idea of making a hammock out of nylon using climbing rope for suspension. I offhandedly mentioned this to a friend having no idea she works part time at Joann Fabrics, meaning an employee discount and access to coupons. She also likes to sew and has a decent machine. She wants to help make some of them (one for each of my children, FG and myself) and doesn't want any  money for the work. If I had to judge that situation from the outside, it obviously would look like I was fishing but honestly I had no idea she worked there on the weekends and some evenings. There is no way I'll let her do it for free but I look forward to seeing if my idea works. It will have a built in shelter and bug net and be cooler than anything you have ever seen in your whole life.
    An iconic scene from one of my favorite movies From Here To Eternity. Think of how many times you have seen this still used to prove or illustrate a hundred different things.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Warfighter Pro Tips- Personal Weapon













  • Every war fighter should be an expert with their weapon. I really cannot understand at all a lackadaisical attitude toward ones weapon- your life will at some point depend on it.
  • Learn the 5 point oiling system of lubing an M4. Lube those points lightly, but faithfully at every cleaning. Leaders that think they're hard will demand once a day cleaning of weapons. A soldier who does say, perimeter duty and then a patrol should have done a pretty decent cleaning of his weapon at least 3 times in a day.
  • Worn out magazines are the number one cause of malfunctions- buy your own if issued rotten ones.
  • Dry lubes- I never had any luck with the authorized type I tried and I tried it by the book.
  • Consider carrying a magazine that is full tracer for your ready mag. (although have the first one or two rounds ball ammo). Yes- I know tracers work both ways, but in those seconds after an IED explodes or an ambush is popped it may be the edge you need to get some rounds off quickly and accurately. Then switch to ball ammo if concerned the enemy may locate you by the trace of your ammo.
  • As a gunner on a vehicle I would have my personal weapon on top of the truck locked and loaded with tracer and the weapon would be tethered to me in a way that promoted quick release, but would not allow it be separated from me in a rollover or a blast.
  • Have a quick release way to tether your weapon to your body armor to prevent separation in a fall, wreck or blast. This will also allow hands free operation during searches and casualty treatments.
  • In combat too many guys take too much time lining up a target too perfectly- like they've done a thousand times on a range. For close human targets at the moment of truth in battle it's better to look across your sights (rather than through them) and start shooting as you come up through the target (as you bring the weapon up from the carry/ready position). After the first time you'll know better how much time you have.
  • You can shoot an enemy soldier all you want while you face him- even if he goes down, he may be a threat and you won't be second guessed unless you turn your back on him and come back while he doesn't appear to be a legitimate threat. If you come back and shoot him eleventy more times just to be safe- you're on shaky legal ground if someone has it in for you and witnesses the shooting.
  • Even if the enemy drops like a sack of potatoes on your first shot always, always (unless afraid of betraying your position) shoot him at least 2 more times.
  • Become familar with the AK family of weapons- know how to detach the magazine and memorize the positioning of the selector lever. If it all possible get range time with it. As a leader, if setting up a familiarization range with the AK have multiple mags with varying amounts of rounds in each to force surprise reloads. This can't be overstated enough- if you only have 40 rounds for each guy have 10 rounds in one mag. 4 in another...
  • If your unit doesn't buy you a scope buy your own low power red dot or ACOG. They are very useful for scanning and then you're ready to shoot when you locate a target.
  • No one would have to tell me to carry double the combat load of ammo if working from a vehicle and least 50% extra if working full leg from my base.
  • Always save the last round...

It Is Only A Tuesday

  • Earlier I glanced at a news report about a man who after he, " suffered a head injury realized he had a unique skill it normally takes years to hone ! ". Impossible. Impossible but people swallow crap like that hook, line and sinker. Why would he lie?
  • People lie.
  • The new Kelty daypack is great- a wonderful investment I'm sure will last for years. Next up will be a cold weather bag- maybe a down filled if I can get it on sale.
  • I love sleeping bags and think of them as one of my favorite inventions. If we all thought practically and with comfort in mind we'd use them daily I suppose. My nursing buddy is going to buy one of my Army sleep systems ( another favorite invention). When clean and dressed properly they will keep you alive down to -20 ( at least ) and comfortable most of the way down that far. You can find them on C List as new for about 100 bucks.
  • We still haven't done truly primitive camping- launching out without a prepared campsite to the outback but it is tentatively on the list for this weekend.
  • Both of my young'uns are getting so smart and maybe best of all for the most part they are enjoying the journey.
  • It will be a sad day when camping with dad is no longer cool. Honestly, I don't think I'll take that well and continue trying to be super good when we are out to make it a pleasant experience.
  • If a  headline refers to a criminal as a "19 year old man" you can bet the offender is white, if he is black "youth" or "teenager" will get worked into the equation somehow.
  • If Wendy Davis were a Republican she would be walking the streets with a Wil Work for Fud sign by now and you know that is a natural fact.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Super Person Profile

"miss aubrey
I'm a Californian born and raised. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon (where I was trained in classical voice) I came home and fell in love with an old friend. Now we're hitched. His name is Phil and he's my best friend. I'm an opera singer, a supernanny, a friend, a cook in training. I love old photographs, chocolate in all forms, afternoons at museums, and funny people. My family is my world and my universe revolves around them. "


Some people seem to have it all and then- there's me.

Monday's Missives




    Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn pic from Holiday- an awesome movie and easily in the top 20 favorite movie in my life.



  • Follow The IED Hunter on his latest adventure!
  • I've talked about interventions before as they relate to that show of the same name. It really bothers me still and I still can't stress this enough- that concept would be great for people with chemical addiction problems- it's just a shame interventions essentially never work. A person has to hit their own self defined bottom and I'm sorry that's just the way it is- interference with that process will only drag the agony out. Normally, the only thing accomplished is the person will be further alienated.
  • A subjective observation: when I happen across that show the people rarely seem anywhere near the bottom in any way.
  • Why would a show like that be so successful? What's the draw?
  • Me and my best friend covet each others cool stuff and remind the other what we want when our demise becomes apparently imminent by a doctors visit scare or a near death case of man flu.
  • What are friends for?
  • Recently had to call the bank over something with my finances. The girl dutifully asked for my password- I gave it she then said in a sweet voice, Nooo- try again. I said, That's what it has to be. even though she made me honestly doubt myself since hadn't used it a good while. She nudged me with a hint which caused an old one to pop in my mind. No, sorry want to try again? No, enough guessing games for one day- I'll drive in to the bank.
  • However- I knoooow I was right the first time.
  • Odd.




My Dog Cloud The Best Dog That Ever Lived





The greatest dog ever lived with my family for about three years. My three year old son named him Black Cloud - he was a black Lab. He was crazy smart and seemed to understand what you were asking of him right away. Tell him to sit and point- he would walk to that spot sit down and be there when you came back. If you tossed him a ball and it was lost in high grass he would look back for your arm signals to go for the ball and retrieve to you. If the baby started crying he would come tell you. People would say, Look at his eyes- it's like he understands every word and is processing everything we're saying.

One Saturday he got a cough. The intent was if it didn't get better by Monday take him to the vet. By Sunday morning though his belly was twice the normal size and he was miserable. The news from the emergency clinic vet was dreadful- heart worms, too advanced to treat- the treatment would literally kill him. I got the equipment to drain his abdomen myself so we could have a few more days with him if he didn't begin to suffer. The vet offered to put him down but, I declined. I knew I would have to do it when the time came. For now he was wagging his tail and appeared to feel very well- even the cough was gone.

It was only in the early afternoon though, of the same day before I had to drain his abdomen of the fluid that was killing him. We sat up that night watching old movies. I told him to get up on the couch to sit with me- normally a big no- no in our house and he knew it so was a little confused until I reassured him, then he couldn't climb up on his own and looked to me for help. After being assisted up he lay his head in my lap and sighed real big, then for grins sighed once more real big and stretched his legs out out, groaned and went to sleep in less than a minute his head still in my lap. I rubbed that silky soft, clean coat and rubbed behind his ears for hours and he would occasionally look up at me and grin then sigh real big and go back to sleep.

In the morning I awoke with my neck bent back over the couch with an instantly thunderous headache. Cloud woke up, groaned a little, stretched and went to the door to ask to go outside to relieve himself. After breakfast we left and went to our place in the country where  he, my boy and I had tramped all over countless times up and down the creek and through every inch of the woods that must have held a thousand trees where owls and hawks roosted and and deer were waiting to be chased where we had lived- before we lost our minds and moved to town.

Under the stand of live oak trees I gave him a chocolate bar and as he looked way swallowing the last bite I killed him. There wasn't a sound for the longest time after the shot- like every animal and even the wind was at first trying to figure out what happened and then was too sad to say anything when they figured out the truth.

Finally, I heard a little bird flit around above me as I dug the grave into this part of the earth he had loved so much. It sat on a branch above my head and watched while craning it's head side to side looking at me and making me feel it was being more accusative than curious. Then the wind picked up and sent a chill down my sweaty back as I dug in the 100 degree heat, then the cicadas started singing again. Then finally I could hear the sound of the shovel as it dug in and I could smell that rich, dark earth of my land mixed with the metallic smell of Cloud's blood I had spilled.

I wrapped the body in a blanket, covered it with earth and then stacked rocks over the top and wondered while doing it when someone found it would they have any idea what a great dog lay there and how much I had loved him?

I haven't had another dog since.















Saturday, February 8, 2014

Saturday's Situation

  • “There’s no way I would ever not try,” Couples said to ESPN.com. “So I’ll watch it on TV, that’s the next best thing.”  From an ESPN article about Fred Couples having to miss the Super Bowl because he made the final round cut in a golf tournament.
  •  "I have to slay a dragon and then Barbara Bush is mine... America is finished. Obama, Etc." From a letter written by some goober who threatened to kill President Bush.
  • Enough weird things from the news- although I do find it a bit odd the Today Show has started using gifs for their online content.
  • Would the Russians have made their downhill skiing and bobsled courses so fast and difficult that if you hadn't practiced on them or a duplicate, it would be dangerous and hard to compete? Of course they would- they're Russkies.
  • Because there should still be at least one person who calls them Russkies and yes- the Chinese are Chi-coms.
  • To be clear though, I mean the governments of China and Russia. The people are well- people as I have always found people to be people as I travel the highways and byways of life.
    I found this pic while perusing CL for a new bike. I'm not saying a word.
  • If life is a competition it is more of a self paced thing and in the end, once you figure out all the rules it is often to late to use them for your benefit.
  • I made that one up- feel free to use it if you want.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Friday's Dispatch

What you get when you'r my GF and you say, Will you cook tonight- something simple?

  • A very good, short article on the making of a Jihadi with some good reminders of how all of us think to an extent.
  • I can do alright I guess in a crisis but, I do not thrive on chaos and conflict- in any way.
  • Key and Peale do some pretty funny and original stuff but yeah, they can be crude.
    I tried to gut myself while cutting open a box at work- I just nearly succeeded

    At FG's work for XMas somebody brings in things in  bags and hands out Legos to the staff who then use them as currency to bid in an auction. FG snagged this potato.
    I don't own one single store bought drinking glass.
  • I am about to go to the store on my bike.
  • I intend to spend the rest of the day soaking in a hot tub, followed by icing my back and knee down and taking copious amounts of ibuprofen.
  • Somehow I missed The Kroll Show but I bet I would like it although a little bit may go a long way.
  • One of the few advertisements I can fall for are ads for TV shows or movies that interest me otherwise when an ad is on for a product or service, I have an instinctive reaction to consciously reject whatever they're trying to manipulate me into buying.
  • Life is all about making memories and one day those are all we'll have.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Thursday's Thoughts

I forget this pups name but he is cool. Guess where this pic was taken  and I'll give ya a dollar.

  • An old, odd flashback just came to mind by a random, circuitous route. In another life life I owned a little land. One day while driving into my palatial estate I glanced over and saw a man, his wife and 3 kids calmly cooking hot dogs over an open fire- in basically the dead center of my land. Now, call me narrow minded but it just struck me as odd having 5 people I have never seen before cooking over a roaring fire on the land I had intentionally purchased in the middle of nowhere to not be bothered- by people I knew and loved. On approaching them the wife was terrified- I think she was used to him doing idiotic things and knew that he knew they had strayed off the neighboring land where they did have permission. It got sorted out- he was a cool guy ( I think he knew he could smooth a situation over beforehand though, which kind of got on my nerves) and they actually came back a time or two and picnicked under my live oak park area.
    Solar powered  fan caps. Lots of commentary and lessons available there for the philosophically bent- the observer of the human condition if you will but I'll stay quiet.
  • When I call somebody back to my office and they don't want to give up that oh, so important phone call they seem lost in, it is most often fine by me. I just open another application and chart on another patient or work on my stats or send FG an Email or send my nursing buddy a note, "Hey, this guy won't get off the phone. I'm charting on other patients and doing my day-sheets. Lets see how long I can keep this up!" Eventually, they will say on the phone, Wait a minute let me see whats going on. Then they say to me, Are we ever gonna get started? Which will earn my slightly passive/aggressive/passive reply of, I have been waiting on you. We can start whenever you are ready. I believe my official record stands at 29 minutes but one untimed engagement may have been longer.
  • Cops will always be the best or worst neighbors you could ever have.
  • I often forget how old I am and the last time I was asked gave my age as a year older than I am.
  • If I am feeling tired and beat down in the morning I have a pair of underwear I can reach for that always perk me right up. 
  • Yeah,  I get it-  when I want to feel pretty, I have some fancy red panties I can pull on.
  • Earlier I watched a clip that used the theme from Love Boat. It is going to be a long next 24 hours.
    Imperial Japan's war flag- maybe the coolest flag in the history of ever.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Wednesday's Digressions


My inner 12 year old giggled
  • In multiple cultures there are efforts to suppress the fact cannibalism was a widespread practice in the past. Present day people seem appalled and assume the practice reflects on the modern day ancestors. First of all the cannibals in most cases wouldn't recognize their modern day counterparts and secondly, what else will we deny that we don't like? And also, is no one afraid that with enough denial and misinformation today people in our future literally won't know what to believe about those who proceeded us?
  • As a typical kid with typical macabre tastes I loved reading about cannibalism- modern day and ancient. I have seen the understanding go from; it happened and always happened everywhere at times but was mostly ceremonial to, it hardly ever happened and all associated stories of it happening were the white man's lie to, Holy smokes, everybody was eatin' everybody else- everywhere and it was happening until way too recently for our comfort. The truth is people have almost always and everywhere eaten other folks for food, fun, profit and ceremony and the only thing that quashed it was the spread of Christianity.
  • The truth is OK.
    William Sadler stole the show as the Grim Reaper in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.
  • Yikes- reaper came out," raper " first back there.
  • When you read about a school having 3, 30 or 300 kids testing positive for TB after a so called outbreak that means only slightly more than nothing. Especially in certain schools unless a child had recently tested negative, if your life depended on it you couldn't determine they had been infected in the school by the source case. Regardless, for the most part and very simply put they would have had needed close, prolonged contact for their body to react. You don't get infected and have a positive test the next day- it may take some weeks to 3 months. When you hear about those stories ask yourself, Did they really let that kid hang around in class coughing his head off for weeks or months?! Of course not- most of the time the positive reactors were already infected by sick family members.
  • FG gives me the stink eye when we go somewhere and we hear, Omigosh. Where have you been? We haven't seen you in forever!
  • I feel flattered when after attending a party or gathering with somebody I later hear that the hosts have asked about me or are asking me to come back like no other compliment I can receive.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Zacism

Can we go to the big fruit store without any doors? Translation: Can we go to the Farmers Market?

Monday's Missives



They were all pretty funny so I thought, It doesn't cost anything extra to use all three- go for it! I'm wild and crazy that way- wacky if you will.
I

  • Noteworthy folks who left this mortal coil in 2010- In Memoriam.
  • File this under this could only happen to me and as hard as it may be to believe- I promise you, I'm being truthful: a guy I knew from the Army out of the blue started sending me pornographic pics and racist jokes. I said something about it- he quit sending anything. He sent something recently though. It was mild-ish so I tried to forward to someone I'd told about it- and as you've guessed I somehow managed to send it twice to someone I don't even know who then of course immediately texted me back asking who I was, why I sent it and all that.
  • Made me feel sick
  • Another thought- I actually pulled the addresses of two people and forwarded it saying to the effect: "Here is type of pics I told you about R--- sending me." How did it forward to one person- somebody I do not even know?
  • We spent the night 06/22/2013 in our hammocks at MWSP last night.  Consequently, I just awoke from sleeping all day trying to catch up. 
  • I never got in my sleeping bag. As a matter of fact my next purchase will be some satin sheets for use in those forays.
  • I'm thinking zebra stripe pattern.
  • An armadillo wandered through camp foraging. We were on dry land- 2 or even 300 meters from the water and he was soaking wet and covered in mud. I think he scored a leaky faucet and resultant mud hole.
  • I have heard the lady who T Boned me while I was in Littlecar has caused another wreck recently.
  • Getting really, really pumped at the idea of getting a motor home and travelling some with my children. I hope it helps us get closer and make some memories.