Friday's Dispatch

Thermostat in the middle of Honey Creek

• How do we know Ron Johnson personally destroyed JC Penneys and that all the decisions he made to turn the retail brand around were horrible? because even a know nothing dolt like me can see that he did and that they were. I nearly fell over when they announced no more discounted price sales and was in fact getting out of my car to walk into a sale at Kohls when I heard the news on the radio. This is no exaggeration and I was literally only going into Kohls that day because I got a sale paper in the mail with a sweet scan card for an extra 20% off.
  
  
  
  
• It is 0419 and I am drinking hot chocolate for the first time in years.
• The Bike only needs the chain replaced and a good cleaning to be complete. The pedals I found at Wal Mart are mountain bike Wellgo brand. They're light, have sealed bearings and look really good- all for 10 bucks. I wasn't ready for the difference the new pedals made and was pleasantly surprised by the fit and finish of them for that price. Next, will be bags and bottles. Wally World also has some nice insulated 24 oz bottles with racks for 15 bucks.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• If we don't make it FG will be the one future GFs will obsess over.
• She still hasn't looked at this blog since I asked her to not. Don't ask me why I would trust that to be true at all but I give that belief an 80% accuracy rating.
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  This pool is in a tributary to Honey Creek in TF. It was interesting because of the amount of wildlife in it. There were water bugs, tadpoles, crayfish, fish... I am sure plenty of predators have lusted over those tasty morsels- the sheer walls and the little alcove in the back protect the prey pretty well.

  
  
  
• Hot chocolate backed by hot tea will break you into a sweat if the house is a little warm.
• Years ago when I heard the Republicans ragging on the President about being a community organizer my first thought was, OmiGod- that is all they got? and then I thought, If I were President Obama I would own that and come out and say, There has been a lot of talking disparaging me for my time as a community organizer. I was trying to help my community. I was trying to help build a better America by building a better city. I was trying to help my fellow Americans in need. I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do. When he broached the subject some time later there wasn't a nickels worth of difference between his speech and my inner world one (although mine might have been a bit better). Regardless, he destroyed his opposition with their own hatefulness and lack of imagination and vision.

Wednesday's Digressions

I found it! Pizarro you are vindicated my friend- rest in peace.

• Sooner Or Later by Breaking Benjamin. I hate to sound like a fan boy, but they really are way underrated.
• Sometimes I have to get away from everything and sort things out. The last time I did that I ended up in Big Spring TX after saying,"I think I need to point the car west, put the cruise on 100 mph and stop wherever the sun finds me while it's setting."

  

  This pond in KCMOs zoo is like a million other exhibits in zoos across the country- somebody with about  enough construction skills and knowledge to be dangerous slaps a structure together and its called good. What an ugly mess.

• My buddy won't answer my text messages and that worries me.
• When I was coming up everybody cruised to meet people. Denton was a big hangout, but we were just as likely to go to Bridgeport TX as kids from Bridgeport were as likely to go to Decatur. A weird coincidence that I'll have to be vague about: I thought a former in law was familiar to me when we met officially, but could not place how until the first time I went to one of her side of the families house for the first time- it was not the first time I'd been there. She did not remember me and I kept my mouth shut, but I'd been there before.
• I don't know if the preceding thought made any sense. I don't want to be rude or ugly and a couple of people who may read this will think it is them and it is not and another may think they know who I'm talking about but they may not.
• I just made it worse. 
• My air mattress popped. The flocked side will make a nice rug for Big Agnes (our tent) and the bottom will work for a footprint to save the floor. 

  

  This guy almost gave us all a chance to see what God thinks about us freaks- he pulled out in front of us like we were invisible. He had probably been drinking Keystone Light since he left Arkansas.

  
  

  

  Kansas cows. I thought they would look more wind blown and  aireborney. 

  

Sharkarosa After Action Report

• It was OK- not great as I assumed it would be. Alright- it was very OK. The kids loved it and it didn't break the bank so I'm not going to complain.
• Noticed a lot of people with children whom it appeared obvious were foster children. There were multiple families and none of them seemed to interact, so I don't think it was a group thing.
  
  
  

  

  Zac gets high fived by a Joey.

  
  

  

  This guy got smashed in the face by a car when he was a baby. Sheesh, I thought I had it hard.

  
  

  

  Mom was not impressed with this red tailed boa's antics but she seemed like a good sport overall about it.

  
  
  
  
  

  

  I asked the kid where this type of snake was from. From Peruvian was his reply.

  
  

  

  Two cel phone just laying around- not in their natural habitat.  I'm sure a kid ditched them out of a stroller.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  I hear people talking about camel toes all the time. I don't get it- but here is some if that is your thing.

  
  

  

  Smooch!

  
  
  
• African crested porcupines are one of my favorite animals. They get eaten by humans in their native land.
• They have an albino spectacled cobra. The handler said it had been defanged.
• There are probably 10-12 camels there. All are dromedary and all but 1 female. 
• There were only a couple of birds on display and no reptiles.
• One of those teacup pigs got aggravated at me and snapped at me in the petting zoo- right after I commented on him looking delicious and saying something about bacon.. Everybody laughed at me.
• The driver of the safari tram was named TJ.
• I noted very few wild birds flying around. It would have been a logical assumption I thought that they would be everywhere snagging the dropped feed.
• Mike Rowe did an episode of Dirty Jobs there. He fed baby kangaroos and stimulated them to poop with a wet wipe into his hand.
• Every animal there appeared to be healthy and happy.
• The snack stand was pretty good, especially their hot dogs and the lady running it was a sweety. She and her husband were working it together. They have been married for 25 years.
• I was surprised there wasn't a sign prominently placed telling the story of how they arrived at the name Sharkarosa.
• The US flag was displayed incorrectly. It was to the right of the state flag as you enter the grounds.
• They have 2 Pere Davids deer there- a male and a female. Sadly there are none left wild in their native China. The species is sometimes nicknamed sibuxiang (Chinese: 四不像, pinyin: sì bú xiàng), literally meaning "four not alike", which could mean "the four unlikes" or "like none of the four"; it is variously said that the four are cow, deer, donkey, horse (or) camel, and that the expression means in detail:
  • "the hooves of a cow but not a cow, the neck of a camel but not a camel, antlers of a deer but not a deer, the tail of a donkey but not a donkey."
  • "the nose of a cow but not a cow, the antlers of a deer but not a deer, the body of a donkey but not a donkey, tail of a horse but not a horse"
  • "the tail of a donkey, the head of a horse, the hoofs of a cow, the antlers of a deer"
  • "the neck of a camel, the hoofs of a cow, the tail of a donkey, the antlers of a deer"
  • "the antlers of a deer, the head of a horse and the body of a cow"^[4]

Friday's Dispatch

Eew

Does this look infected to you? The skin over my first knuckle is red, warm and hurts.

I found this in my glove box. It is at least 2 years old and hard as a rock.

• Takabisha roller coater in Japan. The big drop is 140 ft and 121 degrees. 121 degrees- is that even possible?  Regardless, it looks like the devil.
• Today (0218/2013) Zac and I built a pirate ship kit from Lowes and I got a new watch- what a day. Except for the wind- yikes it was windy. We didn't stay out any longer than we had to and came in and lazed around and watched nature shows. That kid loves Bear Grylls. I spend the whole time watching his show trying not roll my eyes and sigh too much and then being sad for the animals he wastes by killing them.
• We head out for KCMO this weekend. I intend to nap after work Thursday and leave about midnight. I say intend because you know as well as I'll sleepily say, Lets just leave first thing in the morning- pwease, I seepy boy.
• We're going to Merrimac Caverns, KCMO Zoo and the aquarium and visit Stell KS where one of the the world's two portals to Hell are (the other is in India). There is evidently a haunted cemetery there as well.
• It has been nice knowing you.
• 02222013 edit: The Midwest is a disaster zone- we're heading south to Pedernales State Park and then to multiple attractions within about a 100 mile radius. Travis' letter from the Alamo is back there for the first time since 1836 and will be on display for 13 days. Confidence is fairly high we'll make it there. We're kinda wingin' it- I just chunked everything out on the dining room table and friend-girl is packing and sorting. 
• Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head... Come with me and walk the longest mile... Here is what I'm listening to 
• The road calls. Later world- I love you in spite of yourself.

Zac And The Zoo

• He could say bison fine but, pronounced buffalo,"rubbalo."
• Said,"turtle!" as soon as he saw the African leopard tortoise.
• "Are they sleeping?" when he saw the African porcupines in their den.
• A lot of things were,"dogs" in his initial assessment.
• Including a Syrian brown bear.
• After telling him a red kangaroo was a kangaroo in a gentle but, slightly condescending tone he corrected me-"sheep".
• Called out,"goat!" when he saw the aoudad sheep.
• That one was pretty good I thought.
• Called the cottontail rabbits,"puppies".
• When he saw the train said,"bus".
• Spotted birds throughout wherever they were before me and called out,"wook- birds!"
• Right now he's carrying his little potty around which is full of golfballs saying,"Mine! mine!"
• And I'm ready to fall over dead.
• Got to shower him and then we'll both collapse and dream of our first zoo trip.