Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Wednesday's Road Trip Missives-Turner Falls Edition June 2010

There's a castle in the park built by a college professor in the 1920's. It ambles up and across a very steep hillside. It detoriates more every time I see it- a shame.


A few years ago I saw the biggest centipede I've ever seen in the cave in the upper mid right of the above pic.


77 feet of spring fed icy goodness. In the post apocalyptic world- here is where I'll make my home after I clear out all the zombie partiers.






  • Of the hundreds of people in the park 95% were Mexican. A friend said this trend exploded about 3 years ago, but did not know why.




  • I stepped on a Chihuahua turd in my new, awesome (expensive) Nikes.




  • I was not impressed.




  • Would drop everything and move there in about a second if a cabin in the park became available and I could even nearly afford it.




  • Prairie Kitchen in Ardmore is very good.




  • The Motel 6 is very bad, they haven't gotten around to a remodel there after Accor bought them so it's like stepping back in time- with lots of flies, broken down beds, nondescript odors and an over taxed air conditioner and way too many dirty, stoned transients.




  • Isn't there an old joke about the housefly being the state bird of Oklahoma?




  • Oklahoma is one of our more under appreciated states in my opinion. It's absolutely beautiful, the people are friendly and when extremes are discounted there's good, long periods of temperate weather. Also, it seems like every little town as a museum, music festival or even a performance theater of some type.




  • The roads are always in good shape- even I35 gets better where Texas stops.




  • Saw a billboard out of the corner of my minds eye: Your luck improves the minute you leave Oklahoma's casinos.




  • I'm pretty sure that's what it said and I guess I get what it meant. Anyway, that's right- casinos- what a disease. What an absolute waste of mans time and resources- very sad.




  • Back to the weather thoughts: the weather there absolutely turns on a dime this time of year. Although we didn't see any this year, in previous years we always saw storm chasers well, chasing storms.




  • Zac had a blast when we were busy, but during down times and especially when he was a little tired he wasn't too sure about the whole away from home thing and let his concerns be known frequently.




  • The pools at TF are spring fed and consequently ice cold- in late season. Early summer/spring? Fugheddaboutit! I got in up to my knees and splashed some water on me to cool off from the billion degree heat and 1000% humidity and called it good.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Next Blog Button Foray

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どういうことなんだろ
周りのみんな服着てるのに
自分だけ裸
周りのみんなと違うっていうのは
ちょっと気恥ずかしいけど
それも個性かな

Monday, June 7, 2010

Monday's Missives









  • There used to be an Irish lady I worked with and when she would relieve me in an absolutely horrendous Irish accent I'd meet her and say,"Ah, me darlin- begorrah, how are you this fine Ahrish mornin?"




  • To which she would reply in her fine Irish lilt,"Oh, Kevin shut up before I crack you over the head with me shillelagh- you idiot!"




  • My teenager can still tell me he loves me- when I'm dropping him off to work at a rodeo.




  • I have a no fault policy when it comes to rides for him and friends both to keep them from getting killed if they're doing something they're not supposed to, but to keep them happy and productive without driving for a while longer.




  • He's raising two animals this year for his ag. project. One will be a feeder for slaughter the other a sale animal.




  • I'll need to start an extra job to make up for the money we'll save.

  • Shinedown: Save Me.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

A Sunny Sunday's Spiritual Summary



  • Pearl Jam Just Breath- what a pretty song.

  • Something I just read a minute ago: If you tell the truth it becomes part of your past. If you tell a lie it becomes part of your future.

  • In the past 15 years I've told exactly one lie and it's weighing on me right now.

  • And I promise you it wasn't that big of one.

  • Saw an old best bud from my Army days yesterday. It couldn't have been more random and we both blurted out truthfully,"I was just talking about you!" We saw each other at a restaurant he'd never been to before and was only there because the person he sold a truck to lived in the town and wanted to buy his lunch. I needed to feed Zac and although I'd just about given up on the place- if nothing else they always get your food to you quick and the air is always ice cold.

  • He leaves for Japan in a couple of days for a 3 year tour of duty.

  • I'm sure it will be grueling.
  • I never ever spell restaurant correctly the first time.
  • No, not even then.

  • When I got to Iraq a couple of soldiers who had been in one of my old platoons as privates and were then team and squad leaders said to me,"I think about how you and SGT Foreman in the treated us in the old scout platoon and all the classes and encouragement you gave us all the time. You really took care of us and we try to be like you to the young guys in our squads."

  • It was one of the few times I wanted to cry over there.

  • If all goes as planned when this publishes I will be watching the sunrise while camping with my boys.
  • The oldest has a deficit in his jawbone with a cyst that was discovered yesterday. It is of a type that is essentially never cancer, but didn't stop me from looking at him a little differently after hearing about it and the word biopsy being used in the same sentence as his name.

Some Brave Soldier Alone Against The Enemy And A Desert Wilderness

Click to enlargenate



Saturday, June 5, 2010