Happy New Yearrrrrrz

• I had a wonderful time for New Years Eve and in fact went to two parties with wonderful, amazing people.
• A lot of the talk centered around one woman's big fake boobs. The talk, woman and presumably boobs were the same as last year. It was funny though.
• Bewbs.
• We played Mexican Train dominoes. I don't know how/why Mexican figured in there- it seemed maybe a way to be vaguely and/or humorously racist but I could be wrong. It was complicated enough to be fun and challenging without being overwhelming or ridiculous.



So yeah- it involved a tiny locomotive and what could wrong with that?.

• An odd flashback: In nursing school a nursing home patient was a tough nut to crack. One of the guys in my class drew him for direct care and making care plans etc. To try and reach him he would play dominoes with him after he discovered it was something the patient really missed. The patient was a machine at the game. It was awe inspiring. I recall after just a few moves the patient would say, We might as well quit and start a new hand.  Why? my classmate would ask genuinely puzzled. With what I'm seeing in play, have in my hand and knowing the way you play and guessing what you have and what is in the bone pile- no matter what I'll win this hand.
• The female host's dog hates men and the neurotic beast would gnaw at my ankle if it sensed my foot getting too close to her mistress.



Not the ankle biter. I called this one George Jones as it looked like a possum.



Another canine in the house- also not the ankle biter. A terrible pic but a good dog. He is old and fat and cool. His name is Shooter. He digs ear scratches, eating tasty people food and sleeping by the fire. All you lady dogs he is available. Just click on the pic to contact him (just kidding- he is a confirmed bachelor).

• My lack of commitment is rubbing off on FG's friends: they serious-teased me about us getting married.
• There were recently deceased deer in the garages of both homes. They both died of a very fast acting lead poisoning.
• One mounted deer head I saw was a big whitetail buck that was shot out of a herd of 10 doe mule deer. The guesstimate is he was 6 years old at the time of his demise. I wonder what was making him shack up with the mule deer? It may be a common thing, I have no idea but I have never heard of it happening and wonder if the company he was keeping played into his longevity. He was ranged at 300 yards by my friend and taken down by a .300 Winchester Magnum. I know 300 yards?! Come on- it was probably more like 80- maybe. Nah, I believe him. After the jolt of the recoil all he could see was the does kicking up rooster tails as they split the scene. He was afraid he missed and the buck was heading for the next county with the does. The guy he was with said, Nah, he didn't move an inch. and handing the shooter his spotting scope said, See his feet up in the air? When they made their way to him he was lying on his back with his legs straight up in the air with Xs across his eyes as his spirit floated upward towards the clouds while playing a harp like a cartoon dead animal.
• Well, the last couple of things may not have been true to the scene but you get the idea.



FG's crunk cup.

• As it also happened last year we watched bad weather roll in and strategized about how to get home alive while still milking the evening for all  it was worth.                                .
• We ate pizza at one house and then at the next there was the hugest ham I have ever seen in my life. I mean really- I don't know why I didn't take a picture but wish I had. It was ginormagantuan.
• The second home had the largest television I guess I have ever seen in a private residence. I have no idea how large it is as every time the subject of it came up the guy host would add a few (or several) inches to the size.
• I sang and danced to this in front of FG. She laughed.



Not New Years but looks fun




Whoa, that is some big air



• Well, welcome to the new year. I'll assure you- this one will be both better and worse than the old.
• Good luck.

Monday's Missives

That is a long way down, isn't it dad? Yes, it is. Please be careful I said with my heart in my throat when I turned to see him looking into that yawning chasm of death instead of walking right behind me like I thought he was.

Life In The Balance

Hey, want a nice bottle of urine some arrogant rock climber left behind?

Amtrac drive sprocket

Guy being towed was having a bad day but was good humored about it

Gama Goat. I have driven untold miles in various examples of this weird old utility vehicle.  It was a 6 wheel drive and would float with a swim kit mounted. You can mount an infinite number trailers to each other making it look like a giant centipede. It had a 3 cylinder Cummins? diesel mounted right behind the driver that was loud as thunder. It would literally make you want to vomit to drive one for a couple of hours at highway speed- with  hearing protectors on. It will be on my short list for my dream shopping spree when my ship comes in.

When I put something made of meat and tube shaped in my mouth called Lil Chub... well, lets just assume that will never happen.

The rare and elusive Canada goose

Wall of legends of Mineral Wells State Park

Shadows

I imagined this elder gentleman helping the Hispanic man rig his fishing gear up as being somebody who without any malice whatsoever would pronounce Mexican as Messican.

I asked the concession operator what his number one seller was in this after hours bait machine. Butterfinger bars was his surprise answer. I correctly guessed number 2 as being Mtn Dew. He said the machine cost 8 thousand dollars. 

Her name was Dixie according to the calls of the people she abandoned with glee to come explore near us. Another light colored Lab was named Cracker. They were comical and smart - kinda in the job description of Labs I suppose.

This says I'm right here

Ancient Indian pottery shard

• The madness that is Afghanistan
• I like Walmart, good prices,quality merchandise and local assability." From a comments section on Walmart. "Assability"? Huh?!
• A couple of days ago I saw woman driving erratically and 5 mph under the speed limit in the passing lane. As I and the other 10 people she had stacked up behind her for miles passed her she looked up, took a look around and with a grin on her face looked back down to her phone and resumed texting. That same afternoon I saw a guy sharpening his pocket knife while driving and talking on a Bluetooth headset.
• Tomorrows planned trip to Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch may be postponed due to thunderstorms.
• I had that very rare headache yesterday. It caused me to be nauseated and light sensitive. Even more rare for me- it forced me to leave work early.
• Barry mentioned once being known for having quick reflexes. On the same day I had the same observation scheduled to post on myself. When I saw his I took mine down so I wouldn't look like a copycat. That is a weird coincidence though for such a random thought isn't it? Anyway, yes I'm known for the same thing by people I'm around. I'll catch papers in mid air that somebody drops or a coffee cup a waitress drops etc. A few days ago a nurse missed the counter with her coffee cup as she tried to place it on the counter I was standing near. Reflexively, my foot went out catching the cup in midair, then in almost the same motion my foot went down to ease it to the floor. My nursing buddy said,"How did you do that? That isn't right- nobody should know how to do that." It's just another one of my superpowers.
• All my dreams were just a jumble of randomocity last night.
• Relationship pro tip: If your significant other wants some space be the second person in the history of the world to give it to them. Don't try to take control of the situation and find out whats going on or try to get physical to let them know what they're missing or whatever- let them go.
• It seems ignorant at least and maybe slightly racist for TV shows to subtitle a persons dialogue when they speak perfect English but with an accent that may be strong to Western ears.