Weekend Fishing Delayed

The weekend fishing trip was a bust. It was too hot Saturday and Sunday for any type of fishing. We were all disappointed as we'd been so busy, this was the first weekend we actually had a scheduled fishing time. Talking with some others that ventured out, they had little to no success. So it was probably a good thing we stayed inside sipping iced tea and enjoying the air conditioning.

The only time we really ventured outside was to grill. We grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and sweet corn. Talk about some good eating folks, even on a hot day there's nothing like grilled sweet corn. We had some family over Saturday and we spent the day/night playing cards and watching a movie. Sunday we spent the day inside as well. Although we did venture over to the sister-in-law's place. She has a place not far from us and she was cooking lunch. So naturally I didn't want any food to be wasted. lol She made italian sausages with grilled onion/peppers, a pasta salad with homegrown tomatoes/cucumbers and potato chips. I'm gonna tell you something folks, I was actually happy it was so damn hot outside. I ate well this weekend! lol

The only excitement we had was the Uncle and I being bombarded by yellow jackets when we tried fixing one of the windows. Nasty lil buggers those are...those stingers hurt! I got nailed 5 times and he got nailed 3 times. Nothing we put on seemed to take away the sting. We were itching and complaining the whole evening Saturday. So for now the window was left unattended until cooler weather prevails. We may try next weekend killing off the yellow jackets but I'm not real anxious to venture back into battle. And besides, those yellow jackets help keep the fly population down. Kind of a double-edged sword...kill off the attackers or suffer with flies. Hmmmmm....

How to End a War

Throughout history and mythology, women have incited wars. Homer's lliad details how Helen of Troy (formerly of Sparta) launched 1,000 ships. Helen was so beautiful that Greek men went to Troy to win Helen back from Paris. Thus we have the Trojan War that lasted 10 years.

Cleopatra and Mark Anthony were lovers during the Roman Empire. Mark Anthony was giving away parts of the Roman Empire to Cleopatra and her children. The Roman Empire finally declared war on her. When Octavian declared war on Cleopatra, off the coast of Greece in the Adriatic Sea they met in one of the most famous battles in history: Actium. The Egyptian defeat was often attributed to the early withdrawal of a coward Cleopatra from the battle scene. Realizing that her end is close, she decided to put an end to her life. With the death of Cleopatra, a whole era in Egyptian history was closed.

I've taken the liberty to shorten today's history lesson. Today's events in the Middle East has been a tragedy on all fronts. Recently the violence has spread outside the Afghan and Iraq borders. We now have the Israelis fighting to maintain their freedom. We have the Syrians, Iranians and Lebanese silently waiting to see what unfolds with the fight of Hezbollah. Yes, I realize they are instigating and funding this fight, but militarily speaking, they've been silent. I think Tammi speaks volumes when she states the obvious in her post titled "I Figured It Out".

I can't help but wonder how in the hell we got to this place in time. So many fighting, planning on fighting and feeling their way is the ONLY way.

How did it get to this?

Then it hit me.

Lack of sex.

The world is not having enough sex. If you're busy doin' the wakawaka you don't have time to be worryin' about what your neighbors are doin' or not doin'. Your hands would be too busy to push folks around (well, unless you're into that sort of thing).

Yep. That's got to be it. Lack of sex.

So - my solution to all the anger and hatred in the world today is have more sex.

Simple and straight forward.

This statement has me thinking too. Why not start an organization for World Peace? It would have to be simple, because we all work, yet diplomatically efficient. An organization with a Mission Statement that speaks in volumes with few words. A hierarchy thats easily distinguishable yet very appealing.

So I'm doing my patriotic duty and organizing this World Peace organization. I'm proud to be an American and feel its my civic duty. We need to bury the hatchet and bring this violence to an end. So I am taking applications for such an organization. I'll gladly sift through all the applications submitted with photos and hand pick each member. This is a way to show my patriotism and make a difference. The name of the World Peace organization you ask?


Boobs For Peace


I strongly believe as this organization evolves our ways of venting our frustrations will quickly dissolve. I mean think about it guys...would you rather kill someone or look at boobs?

Gone for the Weekend

I'm hopeful I'll catch a few fish and maybe have a good story or two.

A Good Chuckle

Her Diary

Tonight I thought he was acting weird. We had made plans to meet
at a bar to have a drink.

I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was
upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment.

Conversation wasn't flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere
quiet so we could talk. He agreed but he kept quiet and absent.

I asked him what was wrong; he said no thing. I asked him if it
was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry.

On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and
kept driving. When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he
wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there and watched T.V.

Finally, I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later he came
to bed, and to my surprise he responded to my caress and we made love, but I still felt that he was distracted and his thoughts were somewhere else.

He fell asleep - I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost
sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.


His Journal

I shot the worst round of golf in my life today, but at least I got laid.

*****************

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods.

What majestic trees!

What powerful rivers!

What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river he heard a
rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7 foot grizzly charge towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over
his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out: "Oh my God!..."

Time stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky! : "You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don't exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?" The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps could you make the BEAR a Christian?"

"Very well," said the voice.

The light went out.

The sounds of the forest resumed.

And then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both
paws together and bowed his head and spoke:

"Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive
from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen."

Weekly Tongue Twister 7-26-06

Mr. See owned a saw.
And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.
Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw
Before Soar saw See,
Which made Soar sore.
Had Soar seen See's saw
Before See sawed Soar's seesaw,
See's saw would not have sawed
Soar's seesaw.
So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw.
But it was sad to see Soar so sore
Just because See's saw sawed
Soar's seesaw!

I Need a New Source of Income

Associated Press

With gasoline pump prices climbing above $3 a gallon across the U.S., oil giant BP PLC reported a $7.3 billion second-quarter profit, a 30 percent increase from last year despite reduced output and rising costs.


BP's record performance exceeded the expectations of Wall Street analysts, who anticipate second-quarter profits from the world's six largest publicly traded oil companies to surpass $36 billion. ConocoPhillips will release quarterly results today. John Browne also announced he will step down as BP's chief executive at the end of 2008.

Browne, widely credited with improving BP's fortunes at a time of uncertainty for the industry, said strong oil prices are likely to continue. "The near-term global outlook appears resilient," he said.

BP has been plagued by operational problems and it vowed to spend an additional $1 billion over next four years to upgrade safety at its facilities.
The impact of damaged platforms following last year's big Gulf of Mexico hurricane season showed in the slowing of oil and natural-gas production to 4.018 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, compared with 4.112 million in the same quarter of 2005.

In spite of operational snags, BP's revenue surged 24 percent to $73.5 billion as its global sale price for crude oil averaged $65.96 a barrel, compared with $47.79 a year earlier.
BP said the second quarter included a charge of $500 million to settle claims arising from the 2005 Texas refinery explosion in which 15 workers died.

**************************

Anyone else see a disturbing trend? Normally I wouldn't squawk about another company's profit margin. Every business is entitled to turn a profit. But Jebus...we are all suffering the ill-effects of oil prices and these companies are wallowing in money. Oh the stated they are going to spend $1 billion dollars over the next 4 years to improve refinery safety. Wha? Over 4 years?

I think it's time for the big oil conglomerates to start donating a large majority of their profits to worthy charity organizations. We still need a cure for cancer, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimers, etc...

And if all else fails, they can donate to my favorite charity...The Dazed and Confuzed Charity!

It's Tuesday right?

I've noticed a very disturbing trend in todays youth. Call me cynical, but I'm really afraid teenagers today have less ability for simple calculations. For example:

"Sir, that will be $5.22." I hand them a $20.00 bill and get $5.22 in change. Normally I'd be really happy if I would've paid with $6.00. "I believe I gave you a $20 bill!?!." "No sir, you gave me a $10 bill." And so the fun begins..."Ok, if I gave you a $10 bill and my total was $5.22, why would I receive $5.22 back?" Uh...Blink. Me..."So what would my change be for a $10 bill with a $5.22 total?" Uh...Blink. Me..."get the manager". Now normally, this would be in my favor. The cashier was approximately 16-18 years old. What astounded me was the manager couldn't have been more then 21. lol I could see this was heading nowhere faster then a speeding locomotive. Manager..."Sir, what seems to be the issue. The cashier claims you gave them a $10 bill and your claiming you gave a $20 bill." "That's sorta right...If I gave them a $10 bill and my total was $5.22, why would I receive $5.22 back?" Manager...Blink. Manager..."I'll have to balance the cash drawer in order for you to receive the correct change." Me...Blink. "Ok...I'm sitting in a drive-thru and you want to balance the cash drawer while 1. my food goes cold and 2. all these people become highly agitated. I can wait..." Manager...Blink. Finally, the manager concedes within minutes to me giving them a $20 bill and not a $10 bill. He said, and I quote, "Sir, next time please take this kind of issue to the front cashier area. You have caused an extremely long back-up at our drive-thru." So I drive to the next window, got my food and proceeded to park and honor the managers request. heh

Now mind you, here where I work, there is little to choose from for partaking of fast food for lunch. This place happens to be a regular haunt for me and most of the people inside know me by my ugly mug. As I walk in, I'm greeted at the front cashier by the self-proclaimed manager. I think he was shocked...a kodak moment. I now had an unobstructed view of his name tag...Assistant Manager. "I want to see the Manager...not an ASSistant Manager this time." Yes, I emphasized that part. "Sir, she's busy right now and I'll be more then happy to answer any of your questions or concerns." Me..."That would be great except you are the question and concern." Assistant Manager...Blink. Off he goes...with a look of disbelief and utter contempt. lol

So here comes the Manager around the corner with a scowl on her face and Assistant Manager trailing behind. She's not looking real happy about the interruption and I'm hoping this doesn't go sour real quick. She sees me, smiles and says, "Well how are you today? I just saw you yesterday (and I was)...what can I do for you?" I explained my side of the story and a blank look comes across her face with a Blink. lol She apologizes and tells me she's sorry for my inconvenience and promises to make sure nothing like this occurs again on any future visits. Normally I would've heard Blah Blah Blah...but since I've been frequenting this establishment for some 3 years now, I took it as genuine. I thanked her for her courteous manner and professional approach to my situation. As I turned to walk away, I heard her tell the Assistant Manager what every business establishment should have as their Golden Rule: The customer is always right.

Monday's Laugh

Traveling Sniper Show

Indiana Sniper

Well folks, looks like Indiana has a roaming sniper. After reading this article, I found some rather disturbing conflicts of information.

"A semi was fired on about two hours later near Muncie. That crime scene is about a two-hour drive from the first." Now I'm not sure about exact mileage. I can however state, for the record, that it's physically IMPOSSIBLE to make this trip via Interstate in TWO hours. Even going thru rural Indiana Highways this is absolutely impossible. Seymour to the south-side of Indy takes anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic congestion, highway patrol, etc. And that's not doing the speed limit of 70...or so I've been told. *cough* It's a 90 to 110 drive time from the south-side of Indy to Muncie. Here again, *cough* lol

Another disturbing comment: "Gov. Mitch Daniels put the National Guard and state Homeland Security on standby in case police need more help." Now, hold on there one second. Just exactly what, if anything, can the military do about this? I can see it now...troops deployed from Camp Atterbury in their humvees and tanks. I can see deploying the blackhawks from Shelbyville Armory but other then that, until a more detailed search sector is defined, it's a waste of taxpayers dollars. And this could also be a random drive-thru shootings. I-65 and I-69 are major corridors of travel with plenty of "get-away routes" in Louisville and Fort Wayne area.

I'm going now to practice my Y2K drills of preparedness in case this random sniper bunkers down.

Summertime Fun

One of my favorite summertime activities is going to the County Fair. I grew up in a farming community and my family raised 4-H livestock. So many summers were spent at the cattle and sheep barns. This is how I learned to appreciate and respect the farmers, not only as people, but how they are an intregal part of our daily lives. 4-H Website

Carnival rides, carnival food, livestock judging, 4-H projects, fair queen contest (heh)...helping shape and mold generations. The most memorable experience was the annual sleep-over the night before the livestock auction. Yes...us kids slept over at the fair in the livestock barns. Of course not until we cleaned them of the obvious waste. lol But it was something that made us boys into men, even if for one night. Staying up until sunrise, eating all the carnival food we could and playing general pranks on one another. This is where, instead of 500 rummy, we played 10,000 rummy. lol

Carnival food...yum! Roasted ears of corn, elephants ears, fried ice cream, lemon shake-ups, fresh made kettle corn...ok, you get the idea. (wipes a bit of drool) My son is old enough to ride all the carnival rides now. Amazing because he's shaping into a daredevil. There is only one ride he stays clear of, I'm not sure of the name but swings you in a loop and rolls you at the same time. I think maybe seeing other people toss their carnival food might have deterred him.

The demolition derby and the tractor pulls are highlights for me now. The demolition derby allows me to visualize me taking out my frustrations on aggressive drivers during my daily commute. lol The tractor pulls is nothing more than man against physics. The smoke bellowing from the exhaust, the engine roaring, the dirt flying...the anticipation of whether or not they'll make the line. Of course I still watch the livestock judging. Nothing is as memorable as winning first place! To see the pride swell in each kid is worth sweating it out on a hot summer day inside a pole barn.

I cannot wait until we visit the County Fair. We may even venture to the State Fair again this year. It was unbearablly hot last year as the temp broke 96 degrees that day. Slowed us down from seeing everything we wanted but an enjoyable time in all. And naturally, I couldn't leave the fair without my elephant ear and lemon shake-up.

Where's my Mower

Here is a picture of my yard. lol Well, not really but one can have an active imagination, right? It finally stopped raining here and the oppressive heat has currently subsided. I'm 2 weeks behind in mowing and trimming. So today I venture into the labyrinth of tall grass and weeds. I have the pushmower gased, weedeater primed and plenty of leaf bags. I am also carrying a weapon in case these two creatures reappear. Morning Serenity

I have a HUGE to-do-list this weekend. Oil needs changed in the car, I need a haircut, dishes, laundry and too many items to list without boring you. HEY!!! Wake up...the list wasn't that long. I should've changed the oil Wednesday when I changed the brakes on my car. But with a heat index of 101, I wasn't going to spend more time then necessary outside. Yes, I was driving to my weekly Tuesday event when my brakes went haywire. I heard this rattling sound and thought something was dragging. Luckily I was only a block from home and made it safely back. After a lengthy struggle with obtaining the correct parts (apparent dyslexic parts attendant) my brother-in-law and I got the car mobile again. Twice, the parts attendant gave us part number 566 instead of 599. The second time tho we caught the mistake at the counter and after 30 minutes we obtained the correct parts. We only changed the rear brakes and will work on the front brakes this coming week. And yes, we are NOT returning to the same parts store. lol

I'm currently enjoying peace and quiet here at the Dazd domicile. The missus and Lil Dazd went to our lake get-away this weekend. I don't mind the solitude as it gives me time to work on the to-do-list without interruption. The only thing is I must cook for myself. I don't mind cooking but when I'm busy it just adds another item. I'm thinking on cooking a steak with baked tater tonight. I may even drive to the local Dairy Queen for a Blizzard as a reward for my exhausting efforts.

*******Update*******


I got my yard done! I moved the rocks outta the stream and what a beautiful sight. Of course its apparent I need to sharpen my mower blades. Some of it is rough cut but it's allot shorter now. I didn't find any creatures either so I'll consider that another win for a patrol without any enemy engagements. I'm thinking maybe I cut some of the grass too short as it's barren in places. I really need to learn how to use that weedeater properly. My canine companion was patrolling the area as I revitalized my yard. The Calvary is now resting comfortably next to my desk.

I didn't get a haircut or get the oil changed in my car. But everything else is scratched off the to-do list now. I even had a great steak dinner with a baked tater. I opted for a bowl of ice cream instead of a Blizzard. Felt it was best to rest these weary muscles and enjoy the solitude.

Friday What Nots

Having solved all other known issues, scientists are mapping the DNA of Neanderthals...still no cure for cancer: Money Well Spent

Local Urban Legend takes a dive...literally:It's Raining Rocks

I need one of these to mow my yard tonight: Oh Yea!

I wonder why bait shops have "Live Bait" signs...as opposed to Dead Bait? Geesh

Why don't fast food drive-thru's have awnings? My car still smells from yesterdays interior washing.

Why do bank tellers "scratch" their nose prior to handing you cash and receipt? I really need to carry Lysol spray with me in the future.

And why does it gradually stop raining? So the clouds don't slam shut. heh

Carnival of the Vanities #200 - Acidman Memorial Edition

Accidental Verbosity is hosting this weeks Carnival of the Vanities. This 200th Edition is a special conglomeration of memorial posts dedicated to Acidman. This is some fine reading folks, whether you knew the man or not, please take the time. I didn't know Acidman at all, only from reading his site. But as you will see he was one-of-a-kind. For 2 months I read his site and was never disappointed.

Also, the normal round-up of Carnival of the Vanities submissions are published towards the lower portion. Some wonderful submissions there as well...including yours truly.

Carnival of the Vanities #200 - Acidman Memorial Edition

Weekly Tongue Twister 7-19-06

I am not the pheasant plucker,
I'm the pheasant plucker's mate.
I am only plucking pheasants
'cause the pheasant plucker's running late.

Grrrr

I'm not one to speak openly about politics and the current situations. But frankly, I'm getting tired of the open-ended threats made by such rascals. We do these so-called "Party of God" people keep getting publicity? These little Chihuahua's need to take a chill pill. 2,000 of them...pfffft.
When are we, as a Nation who serves to protect and defend democracy, finally have the guts to make a stand? Lets just git'r'done.

"They have been trained and they can become fully armed. We are ready to dispatch them to every corner of the world to jeopardise Israel and America's interests. We are only waiting for the Supreme Leader's green light to take action. If America wants to ignite World War Three ... we welcome it," he said.


Full article here:Toy Soldiers

Amusing

Morning Serenity

This morning while sitting outside enjoying the morning serenity, having coffee, watching the neighborhood come alive...my dog apparently had her own agenda. She typically has her own agenda especially first thing in the morning. She was yapping and prancing over by the Snowball bush. I recalled her a couple of times to tell her hush but her ADHD kicked in after a few minutes and off she went. So naturally, I HAD to go investigate. I gulped the last of my coffee and meandered towards my excited canine. I didn't see anything at first and rather assumed it to be a psychotic episode of my canine companion. As I turned to walk away, I saw something strange in my primeval jungle I call my yard. Let's just say with the hot weather lately, I've neglected my yard mowing duties. I let the cat out last night and he disappeared into the undergrowth with the stealth of a lion. I'm certain the U.S. Forestry Service will come by soon and proclaim my yard a Wildlife Preserve. Which is fine by me...means I can't mow the yard or face rather stiff Federal penalties.

I investigated further the mysterious object and noticed it had strange colorations. Kind of a green and yellow striped object resembling a fancy garden hose. OMG...it was a garter snake. This snake was huge, slimy and moving! It had to be 10 feet in length. Teeth as long as my fingers with it's evil tongue sensing all the movement and it was quickly honing in on my position. Evil eyes this snake had...evil, pure evil. Was I mistaken, could it be a python had escaped from the comforts of someones house? Living in the city affords me not to generally have to deal with snakes. What to do...what to do. I could kill it, which is within my very nature, or I could remove it from my primeval forest to find refuge elsewhere. I decided evasive action was the first portion of my hasty deployment. I didn't want a battle where I would have to call in the National Guard for reinforcements. I had my canine companion for support but by this time she was in high overdrive. Not much use with Calvary support if the Calvary is off on it's own mission assignment. We quickly retreated into our bunker. We needed time to assess the situation and enact a battle plan accordingly. I quickly went in my command office and looked for Jeff Corwin's phone number. Darn it, forgot to get his new number last time he was here for dinner. I didn't have time to watch Animal Plant channel to see if he listed a phone number. IT Central was down from the previous evening and it would take waaaay too long to boot up. I could call the Department of Natural Resources but I didn't want to take a gamble on the Wilderness Preserve scenario. Awwww crap!

I left the Calvary inside, much to her dismay, and headed back outside into the shattered serenity I was earlier relishing. I had taken the time to outfit myself with appropriate attire and weapons of various abilities. Living in the city, I decided it was best to leave the double-barrel 12 ga. shotgun inside. That was my last resort...a Custer-like stand if needed. I cautiously forged a trail (to make a hasty retreat) with my handy machete. As I arrived at the Snowball bush, my senses were on heightened alert. My saber was drawn to defend myself and I took a defensive stance. Every noise, smell, sight and movement were detected. But my adversary was obviously very skilled in the art of camouflage. I saw not a trace of him. I cautiously moved the foilage aside hoping to find him. Nothing...he had disappeared without a trace. He had slithered into the abyss of my primeval forest to find refuge. He obviously had surmised that he was dealing with a far superior opponent skilled in the art of battle tactics and his defiance of giving ground would prove futile, if not fatal. As I wiped the sweat from my brow, I backtracked through my cleared path, I placed the saber within the scabbard and considered this a win. Another sucessful patrol without any enemy engagements.

I had just made it to the sidewalk, back to urbanization, when I saw movement in the tangled underbrush. The movement was slow and deliberate worthy of ninjitsu techiques. I heard a hissing/growling sound that sent chills up my spine. I froze, unable to move while my thoughts raced widly. Had the snake called for reinforcements...had I under-estimated the strength of the garter snake scout...was I going to be severely wounded right outside my door? Where was my Calvary!?!?! Then it happened...it attacked with lightning speed...it was charging right towards me...a gray and white blur! It pounced as I drew my saber and prepared to defend myself without mercy!

Damn cat!!!!!!! He wandered away with a prominent Chesire Cat grin.

Go Check it Out

I took a major step in the world of blogging.(For me anyways) I entered one of my posts Family Reunion Memories in a Carnival. Please visit The Pink Diary for this weeks Carnival of Family Life #10.

Days of Summer

Tomorrow I am taking my son to watch the local Triple A Minor league team. It's the Indians vs. Buffalo Bisons. Right now the Indians are in second place (1/2 game) in the West Division. Should be a good game as the Indians have played well all season. Our seats are the last of two sections on the left field line. Hopefully we'll get a chance for a foul ball.

Victory Field where the Indians play is a unique design. In place of outfield seating, they have a grassy area that is elevated. Makes it really nice because if you want, you can get lawn seats. Talk about a time to remember...years ago we went to our first game there. We packed a picnic, loaded a blanket and headed off. Sitting my ermmm butt on the ground wasn't my idea of being comfortable. But the view was amazing. As the fly balls were heading out, it really looked like they were coming into the grassy area. Was a sight for my son who was 4 years old at the time. Good times can be had by anyone participating. Regardless if you love, like or tolerate baseball.

For stadium food and prices, it's been very reasonable in the past. Of course I'm having a hot dog with chili and a hot pretzel. lol Might even wash it all down with a beer if the missus goes along. It's supposed to be 95 tomorrow and sunny. I hope I don't melt!

And yes I'll be yelling at the batters....hey batter batter batter SWING!

"What is both surprising and delightful is that spectators are allowed, and even expected, to join in the vocal part of the game.... There is no reason why the field should not try to put the batsman off his stroke at the critical moment by neatly timed disparagements of his wife's fidelity and his mother's respectability." ~George Bernard Shaw

Fox News Crew shot at in Israel

Ok...I wish I knew how todo the video thing. Make sure to check out the news link with video. Here is a partial transcript: MILLER: ".... Pierre, are we going to get in the vehicle here and very slowly but deliberately leave the area. Ok, that said... We still hear shots... We're going to take our camera down, guys, and we're going to talk to you from a safer position. We're going to go."

Now if you read their transcript, you'll see these intelligent (cough cough)reporters stay around. Ummm...I'm thinking RUN LIKE HELL!

The Raw Story

TGIF

Posted Comments

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

If and when I find the old comments, I'll set them in their respective post. lol Ugh

Interesting Scenario

Froggy at BlackFive has an interesting scenario. This is by far the most detailed scenario of the tensions in the Middle East. Hopefully, a peaceful resolution takes shape very soon.
Worst Case Scenario

Let us all hope this is mere rattling of the sabres.

A Priceless Lunch

Yesterday turned out to be a rather gloomy day. It was overcast, intermittent rain and humid all day. One of those "I just wanna curl up and nap" sorta days. But as usually is the case, work had other ideas for me. So I was left wondering how I could turn this day around. I sat there a few minutes before lunchtime thinking what kind of lunch could turn this around. And then I remembered the local China Buffet. Oh man...having missed dinner last night and only having a granola bar (bleh) for breakfast, this could be it.

Whenever I go near a buffet of any sorts, my mind always takes me back to the Simpsons episode of years ago. The one where Homer takes the wole family to the local buffet. $3.99 all you can eat. To paraphrase, the owner comes up to Homer, who is still feasting, and tells him, "You go home now, you been here 4 hour."(in an oriental accent) So when Homer and family finally leave, the owner locks the door and hangs an Out of Business sign in the window. Priceless!

So as I enter the buffet, my nose is bombarded with a bouquet of aromas. My taste buds and saliva glands immediately start working in overdrive.(Yes, I'm sure drool was involved) I paid my fare to board the Oriental Dining Express and made my way to the buffet bar. I loaded the plate and headed for the nearest table. A feast of General Tso's chicken, fried rice, crab rangoon, string beans, baked crab meat cassarole, hot and sour soup and a spring roll. Man I was set...

As I contemplated going back for more, I decided that maybe something a little healthier was needed to counter-act my hearty intake. I wondered over to the salad/fruit bar. I found the watermelon cubes, cantaloupe, orange slices and banana jello. As I was filling my plate, for some odd reason, this little girl had drawn a blip on my curiousity radar. She and her brother were making plates of salad. They both had generous portions of salad with allot of goodies. What intrigued me about her was the difficulty she had keeping the cherry tomatoes on her plate. As she started to walk away with plate in hand, two of them rolled off onto the floor. I almost gasped in horror at the demise of those cherry tomatoes.(I love cherry tomatoes) I caught myself tho and stifled the laughter. She turned around and sheepishly picked them up and wondered how she was going to dispose of them. What came next? Yep, you guessed it...she put them in her pocket. My sides were hurting and I felt the contortion comes across my face as I tried to stifle the laughter again. She once again placed two cherry tomatoes on her plate and attempted the same manuever. Yep...two more cherry tomatoes hit the floor. Well this time, she left them because they rolled under the buffet bar. She paused for a minute and you could see the gears of her mind working. She walked over to the salad dressing area, made a center portion in her salad and filled it with Ranch dressing. I figured she'd just given up on the cherry tomatoes and the rest would be sparred a merciless demise. She promptly placed two more cherry tomatoes in the salad dressing and manuevered ever so carefully away from the salads. Yes! Mission accomplished. When she was out of earshot, I broke out in laughter.

As I was heading back to my table, I was proud of myself from feasting at the healthy organic bar second time around. I passed the two young children sitting with their grandparents. As I passed by, the little girl broke into a devilish grin and looked at her brother, "Here, I got you some cherry tomatoes" and placed them on his plate. I could hear that buffet owner telling Homer, "You go home now, you been here four hour."

Weekly Tongue Twister 7-12-06

Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter,
in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,
thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb.

Now.....if Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter,
in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,
thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb,
see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,
thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy thumb.

Success to the successful thistle-sifter!

Life's Wrinkles

Life is like a hot bath. It feels good while you're in it, but the longer you stay in, the more wrinkled you get. Robert Oustin

So what's a few wrinkles? I know I know...stop right there. Yes I know that question comes from a man. I know most of the ladies out there think wrinkles are the tell-tale sign of the beginning of the end. Actually, it's the beginning of life. Wha? Shhhh...let me try and explain.

Have you ever looked back on your life and think, "Self, what were you thinking?". Come on now...don't be shy. Let's see a show of hands. Good...now I do this from time to time but not very often. I usually get caught up in the past and totally forget the present. There have been many things in life I wish would have been different. But I have no regrets in life overall. Frankly, I'm glad I made them. A few decisions I regret but thats between me, myself and I.

But there are times I see people I'm close with, especially younger family or friends, that need an Uncle Dazed motivational speech. I usually don my grumpy bear hat, gruff voice and inane stare. I speak straight truths with no holds barred. And I usually end that conversation with, "Don't make the mistakes I've made" type comment. I usually get the "your off your rocker again" look and its left at that.

That's where the wrinkles are ladies and gentlemen. Our experience and wisdom of living life is priceless to those that listen. We help shape and mold our younger generation. Is that not how we learned? Not only did we learn of lifes lesson through mom and dad but sometimes from relatives or close family friends. Think back .... I learned how to tune up my first car from an Uncle I'd only see once every 5 years. I learned how to cook (stop laughing) from my Grandma. I learned how to play golf from an Uncle I barely knew. I learned...well, you get the idea. And whenever I had issues I usually turned to family or close friends of the family.

Ok...I got caught up in the past again, my apologies. Wrinkles aren't about growing old. Wrinkles are life's way of providing medals of honor. The honor to have made life's journey and fulfilling that dream or destination. Why should we deny the younger generation of our experience and wisdom? Next time someone hints at wanting a conversation... take the time to sit, listen and explain.

Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves. Hubert Humphrey

Too Funny

Warning

Deer Tick Warning

I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, but this one is real, and it's important. So please send this warning to everyone on your e-mail list:

If someone comes to your front door saying they are conducting a survey on deer ticks and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!

IT IS A SCAM; they only want to see you naked.

I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid now.

France Loses World Cup

Weekend sports update...France didn't surrender but showed a prime example of disrespect within the soccer world. For anyone who watched the World Cup 2006 Finale yesterday, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Zidane, who is arguablly the best French International team player, showed signs of ill-content towards the soccer community. Yesterday, my respect for him dropped a few notches after the intentional headbutt into the chest of Italy's defender Marco Materazzi late in the match. More here: Zidane

I have refereed and coached soccer at the youth level. I am hoping that youth soccer coaches around the world use this event as an example of poor sportmanship. How could Zidane, supposedly retiring after this year, stoop to levels of childishness? What was he thinking? Revenge has no place during any kind of sport. I remember my first season of coaching the Under 12 (U-12) recreational youth soccer. We had a match against one of the local clubs. In all fairness, they had us beat fair and square during the match. They out played us, out ran us and were playing like a U-14 team. Half-way through the third quarter (four 7 minute quarters) we made an offensive play on their goal. They were leading 3-0 at thiis time and frankly, we posed no threat to winning the match. As our striker proceeded towards their goal uncontested, the goalie came out in what looked like a legit challenge for the ball. All-of-a-sudden, the goalie brutally tackled my player and laid him out flat. It was a tackle worthy of a linebacker tackling a wide receiver in the open field. The referee allowed play to continue until the ball was played out-of-bounds. I rushed onto the field to check on my player as did his father. The referee red-carded the player, called the quarter and allowed a 10 minute suspension of the match. Good call by the referee although I, as a referee, wouldn't have let play continue. Needless to say, the other team had to put someone in goal that wasn't capable of contesting our challenges and shots. And playing a man sort to boot. We ended up winning the match 5-3 (one goal from the penalty shot from the tackle). The following week the tackling goalie was suspended for the rest of the season and their coach was suspended for 2 games by their club. Why the coach was suspended is a total mystery but I was informed there were considerations surrounding the event that lead to his demise.

So what does this story prove? It proves that no matter what level of sports you are playing, a senseless attack of another player can ultimately cost you the game. Now the world will wonder (well me at least) what would've happened if Zidane hadn't been red carded. Would France have prevailed in the second half and subsequent overtime periods relentless attacks on goal? Would Zidane have retired from World Cup with a championship? Or will he forever be remembered for that childish headbutt into the chest?

Family Reunion Memories

Yesterday was the annual family reunion. Due to scheduling conflicts of the last 3 years, this was my first year of attendance. I know...I can hear you all..."Oh sure there were scheduling conflicts". Stop thinking that...you're gonna jinx me writing this post.

So when I finally had enough energy to drive the 90 minutes to the reunion, I arrived fashionably late. Met the missus and son at our picnic table and quickly scampered to say hello to everyone. After that task was completed, I was just in time to be one of the last one thru the food line. Man was I not disappointed. Grilled burgers and hotdogs, all kinds of varities of potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, baked beans, etc... You know the menu line-up. More food then I could possibly eat going thru once. lol There ya go again...stop saying "oink oink". Hey, when your sick you need all the vitamins and nutrients you can handle. And I behaved myself, I only washed all that food down with one beer. Yes just one...well, erm, we weren't supposed to have alcohol there but thats another story. I was to plump to even eye the dessert table, right after eating. I could see the missus rolling her eyes when I mentioned I should "just check out the desserts". So I decided that I'd wait until Uncle Dazed played with all the kids. I'd either pass-out from my system being physically overloaded after that huge meal and playing with the kids or I'd work up enough appetite to visit the dessert table. heh

Water balloons...nothing like kids having a water balloon fight along with super-soakers on an 85 degree day. I filled and tied off what seemed like 1,000 water balloons. Man that's a tedious task. I had just gotten the basket full and carried it outside when WHAM, nailed by 5 or 6 super-soakers. I laughed, kids ran and the older ones yelled to the younger ones, "You're gonna pay for soaking Uncle Dazed." Maybe it was the full stomach, the lack of oxygen from my severely cramping for space lungs, maybe it's old age creeping in on me...but whatever the case, I laughed it off. I went back to the shelter house and toweled off. Yea Yea...I heard the inevitable, "Uncle Dazed peed himself" remarks. I smiled a sheepish smile only to have those who remarked sink lower into the lawn chairs. I would enact my vengance...all in due time.

After the water balloon fight had ceased due to lack of ammunition, I forgot to mention I went on strike for being soaked, the kids all wanted to go swimming. Off they went with enough adults to constitute adequate supervision. All the other adults were just sitting around...the women cackling like hens and the guys just wondering, "Why the hell do we do this every year?" When out of the blue a new contest for the adults was announced. What!?!?! Not the usual Bingo? Not the horseshoes? Not the "whatever else they played the last 3 years"? lol But a fishing contest. YES! Men aganist the women...teams of 2, man and woman fishing together, and the most fish at the end won. YES! So I put my name in the hat. I, along with my Uncle, were the only ones stupid enough ermmm brave enough. Two female relatives were chosen to show us men how to fish. Perfect! This was going to be a glorious day...I get to go fishing and a prize for the winners (me) to boot.

Well the fishing was not great and I was sucking major pond scum for the first 2 hours. I had only one fish...but the lady I was fishing with only had 2. So we were kinda even, in my mind, after 2 hours. I walked over to where the other lady and the Uncle were fishing and man it was a dead heat. Both had 4 fish and if looks coulda killed, I'm thinking both of them would've been fatally wounded. I didn't dare ask how the fishing was going...I knew better. But nonetheless, us men were gonna win regardless. After 3 hours, the women decided that 3 hours was long enough. It was tied...7 fish for both sides. So it was decided that one kid for each side would be chosen for a fish-off. First kid to catch a fish and that team wins. YES! I began frantically digging thru the tackle box looking for the smallest hook I had. Found a damn small one too...one I thought I was gonna need a microscope to thread the line. When my fishing partner was presented to me...I knew immediately us guys had been set-up. A 7 year old...scared of water and definitely not looking forward to fishing. MAN! Not until Uncle Dazed passed along his secret for the day...more on that later. Well he was a bundle of unfocused energy. But he managed to get his line cast off the bank. (12 times to even hit the water lol) I had baited with bits-o-worm and a beemoth larva. Sure fire catch-all bait. And we were not disappointed...he caught a fish! 5 minutes into fishing and he caught one! The men won! So we hurriedly took our prize catch to the shelter house for pics. All 5 inches of fish. lol WOW! hahahaha But it was a fish! And for the prize...for the greatest fishing team ever assembled. We got to clean all the fish. UGH We'd been set-up again. But the moment on that childs face...of catching his first ever fish was priceless. No money, no award, no winning of a tournament (of sorts) could ever replace that moment. I proudly procalimed that I'd be happy to clean all 14 fish. And to my amazement, the little boy stated he'd be happy to assist. I won't go into details, but lets say half way thru the first fish, the boy was looking a little green around the gills. (Pun intended)

So after cleaning 14 fish of various sizes, it was time to hit the dessert table. I'd worked up quite an appetite and was faminshed from all that fishing. I gorged myself on pie, brownies, cookies and all kinds of desserts. Man, talk about a sugar rush. lol And eveything was homemade...nothing store bought except the ingredients. I'll admit it's my favorite part of a family cook-out. As with the main course, I was not disappointed when I finally loosened my belt a little and left the table.

And now it was time for Uncle Dazed to extract his vengance upon those poor unsuspecting children. Horrible little creatures...how dare they become traitors to the one who supplied them with all their ammunition. Vengance was mine and it was gonna be sweet. Please Please..spare the eyerolls and comments of "oh how horrible...poor little children." Now mind you, it had been over 4 hours since the ambush. And all the kids had been swimming. And they'd all changed out of their wet clothes into something more presentable. So they were a little slower then when I first got there. I called them all together in mass and told them I'd brought more goodies for them. Follow me thru the kitchen door at the shelter and I'd hand them out.

They all followed me like I was the Pied Piper. All in mass...hurrying to get the goodies Uncle Dazed had brought for them. They had all entered the room....with anticipation showing on all their faces. And I unleashed my vengance! I grabbed the sink hose and slammed open the sink valve and got my vengance. Not a one of the 6 kids who betrayed me left that room without a good soaking on the front of their britches. I left the room...kids screaming...with a huge smile on my face. I high-fived the little boy (my prized fishing partner) who I had told my secret of the day too. He was sparred the wrath of Uncle Dazed bringing forth his vengance. A task of vengance completed that left me feeling whole again. When the adults started scurrying for the door asking me what all the commotion was...I simply replied....

They all peed their britches...

Summer Cold Remedies

I woke yesterday morning only to hear hacking, coughing, wheezing and sneezing. Good grief, who is up this early I thought. Then I realized I was the only one home this week and the dog was snoring in her crate. Great...I have a summer cold. Right before the weekend too...and I'm busy all weekend. Man, it was gonna be one of those days again. I usually have coffee in the morning but opted for hot tea. I even mixed a little bit of honey and added just a dash of lemon. The honey soothed the sore throat and the tea helped loosen things up. I shoulda bought stock in Kleenex. lol

So for lunch...what to have, what to have. Pizza didn't sound appealing nor did a hamburger. Wasn't allot choices left unless I wanted to pay mega bucks for the local buffet only to have soup/salad. I headed to McDonalds as I remembered they have these new salads. I ordered the Asian Salad and it seemed to hit the spot. Nothing like fresh veggies when your sick. Or even a fruit salad. All those natural vitamins is what the body is craving. After that salad, I was still a bit hungry but not hungry enough to eat something filling, like french fries. lol

I was cruising back to the office and I suddenly hit the brakes, made it into the turn lane (just barely) and I knew this was gonna hit the spot. It was gonna fill the little bit of void left and make me feel allot better. No doctor will ever prescribe this, AMA will likely frown upon it and McDonalds, well I apologize. I shoulda become a backwoods doctor...handing out my secret prescription for a summer cold. Bringing a smile to my patients faces.

That's right...I made a quick stop for a Frosty. Man it sure hit the spot!

I want that Salary

I stumbled across this article and I'm left utterly perplexed.

My Dream Salary

How can any school system justify spending this kind of money? A special computer, desk and what-nots? I know some valuable school teachers and they definitely don't make anything near that amount. I would like to think that you could pay 5 teachers a yearly salary that would amount to this kind of spending. Lets spend some of that money to reinstate the music and arts programs. Or maybe spend it for those kids that can't necessarily afford book fees. Or maybe help upgrade existing libraries/reading programs. Oh I know...donate it to my favorite charity....ME!

Anyone else have links or similar stories about this?

For Microsoft Users

Teresa posted a very interesting article worthy of reading for Microsoft OS users.
Here

Here is a link I found recently that has the communication timeline by the author and Microsoft.
Here

Invasion of privacy? Spyware? You be the judge.

Blog Blog Blog

Friends, family and fellow bloggers...why is blogging useful? I'm sure this thought had been pondered by all of us at one time or another. I won't lose sleep over it but when you have a 30 minute one-way commute to work, you have time to reflect. So it was yesterday that I drove home thinking of something to blog today. Nothing really caught my fancy and nothing came to mind that was so imperative that the world would cease to exist if I stumbled. But lo and behold...here I am with a blog post.

I decided after reading allot of really good blogs out on the internets that I'd give it a whirl. Why not....couldn't hurt anything. I have my moments of literary greatness within chat forums and with friends I regularly converse with via IM, email or other programs. And some poems I've even created that I find absolutely amazing I even have the ability to write. I'm no Robert Frost but as long as I find satisfaction, then its all worthwhile. And who knows, venturing into the unknown, I may even inspire a kind thought or gesture to some unsuspecting stranger who happens to stumble in here. And I've let a few people know of my ramblings here that I consider close enough friends that I'll get truthful and unbiased feedback. Or who will enjoy my ramblings.

But what is really a friend on the internet? Someone whom you've never met face to face is considered a friend? But yet somehow, you find solitude chatting or emailing with them on almost a daily basis. I've not had the pleasure of talking with many of my internet buddies via telephone nor have I had the pleasure of meeting anyone in person. Why? Because I'm an introvert and don't fancy meeting "strangers" as a regular habit. However, I do celebrate and commiserate life with each one. And they reciprocate in kind. Sometimes its not about seeing or touching someone that brings about a feeling of peace and comfort when your emotional tank is depleted. Or having to hear the laughter or feel the pat on the back when life is treating you like royalty. We can have vehement opposing viewpoints with each other one day and challenge anyone who dares step between us the next. It's all about the virtual world we've created here. Using our imagination once again as if we were children with imaginary friends. Using our words to express our feelings, triumphs and tribulations. Creating a bond reminiscent of a penpal before the telephone or internet was ever a figment of someones imagination. We all remember the days of long ago when a card or letter brought us joy. Even when that letter contained sorrow, it brought us joy that someone cared enough to actually mail us.

And so it comes to pass that I, the Dazed and Confuzed one, have started laying the foundation of hopefully many blogging friendships to come. And hopefully solidifying those already established friendships I already consider true. A ways and means to converse with my family and friends some inner thoughts that necessarily wouldn't be discussed. An outlet for all those thoughts that take up valuable cerebral space clanking around inside. An avenue to further my knowledge and experience in an area I've struggled with all my life. That is why I am here posting daily...satisfying my own personal needs and desires. And hopefully along the way, forging friendships through literary means that these ramblings become an essential daily reading.

I'm sure some doctor with a Psychology background will describe this unique behavior with an acronym. Some of us (me) will be diagnosed with ICD...Internet Chat Disorder. And most of us will be diagnosed with another variation from the original BPD and will affectionately be called...Blog Posting Disorder.

Weekly Tongue Twister

A Tudor who tooted a flute
tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to their tutor,
"Is it harder to toot
or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

What? lol

I'll post a new tongue twister weekly. Enjoy!

What a Glorious Day

Ever have one of those days? You know the one...where everything seems to run behind by 10 minutes. The day even started for me before the alarm went off at 6:15 this morning. I was awake by 6:00 am and already had 1/2 pot of coffee brewing by 6:05. Seemed like today was going to be a "get'er all done" sorta day. I was looking forward to that because yesterday was a lazy day. I let the dog out for her morning romp through the yard. I then found the cat, yelled at him and we played chase for a bit. Grabbed a cup of coffee and outside I went to play a round of fetch with the canine companion. Wow...6:20 and back inside to watch the news before a shower. Grand start of a "get'er all done" sorta day.

Well, I'm here to tell you it was all downhill from there. My romp outside flared my sinuses and I spent the next 15 minutes sneezing and blowing my nose. I took some OTC meds to counter-act my flare-up and drank what seemed like a gallon of water. Took a hot shower and seemed to be feeling much better. 6:55 and plenty of time before I had, and I repeat had, to leave for work. Made a travel cup of coffee and was all set. Got out the door and on the road 5 minutes ahead of schedule. CRAP! Forgot my coffee. Stopped at the local VP and guess what...coffee was being made. So I wait 5 minutes and its done...head to the cashier. CRAP! Their not taking plastic this morning as the machine was down. Scrambled to the car for loose change (I hadn't been to the ATM yet) and got that paid. Oh now I'm 5 minutes behind. lol Wonderful...

On down the road I go for my daily 30 minute commute. Normally it wouldn't be a big ordeal except I heard on the radio of a traffic accident. So I take the next exit and decided to go the back route to avoid the traffic congestion. Of course I hit every stop light and feel my blood presuure rising. I have a good commute as I'm heading the opposite direction of the in-bound traffic. My commute is all highway and Interstate so it flows fairly well. Then I remembered the train tracks on my back route. As I got past the point of no return (the last side street) I heard the ominous train whistle. Lucky for me it was a short freight train and was on my way. Now I'm 10 minutes behind schedule.

The rest of my commute was uneventful and without any traffic tie-ups to contend with. Just as I was pulling into work, 10 minutes late, I heard the radio traffic report. And yes, the traffic accident was not reported correctly. BAH! So I've now decided that I'm waiting until 6:30 tomorrow before even contemplating getting out of bed. Maybe I can counteract todays events and balance out the remainder of my week.

Now I'm wondering if I turned the coffee pot off....

Lazy or what?

Writing something today is escaping me at the moment. I've cruised through the news sites and nothing seems appealing today. Maybe having the day off has consumed my entire being or maybe its just plain feeling lazy. Rain has a way of doing that...especially when its hot. The yard work won't get started/finished today because of the rain. A nap sounds really good right now...although there's nothing on TV that is just interesting enough to watch yet boring enough to induce an afternoon nap. If a show is too boring, I find myself just surfing the channels. If its too interesting then I watch the entire show and forget about napping.

Whatever the case may be, hopefully something inspires me to post a blog today.

***Update***

I didn't get a nap today. I got interested in the show called 48 Hours on the A&E channel. And of course its a marathon today. However, I did do the dishes and a load of laundry. So I guess its not a total waste of a day. But being lazy sure was nice while it has lasted. Sometimes a person just needs this kind of day. Time to relax, recoup and reflect on the past weeks events. With the family being gone all week on vacation, it'll be quiet here in the evenings. One quiet night is nice but having 5 nights of them will make this house seem empty. So I just run around every now and then and yell at the cat. Makes for some excitement to break the boredom. lol The cat enjoys this because he thinks we're playing chase. It's the small things in life that amuse me.

And in case you're wondering, they went without me because I couldn't get the time off work. Of course I tell everyone else it's because they need a break from me. heh

4th of July

4th of July is a special day for any American. Allot of meaning is derived from all who participate, whether it's quietly or festively. A family gathering of sorts with everyone partaking of a grilled burger or a slice of delicious watermelon. Some prefer the 4th as an excuse to get paid time off from work. Whatever your meaning of the 4th entails, it is a special day for all of us.

My 4th of July usually comes and goes quietly for me. There is no fanfare, great cookouts or family picnics in the park. But this year was quite remarkably a special day as a father. Yes, I have seen many firework displays with my son since he was born. But this weekend we shared a father/son moment that undoubtedly will remain apart of his memory as well as mine. A common bond for the love of fireworks as well as the mutual respect for their meaning. My BH always asks me what I want to be when I grow up. lol I always tell her I want to marry a woman just like her. So needless to say, I might be turning 41 this year but I'm the biggest kid at heart.

My son and I embark upon our firework adventure late as usual. Yes, late as in the fireworks start at 10 pm and we left for a 15 minute drive at 9:15. Not bad unless your going into a State Park. But thankfully the crowd was relatively light as compared to previous years. I even let my son pick the area we were to sit this glorious night. This made him feel like he wasn't just tagging along but rather helping make the decisions. Very important step for a 10 year old. Within 25 minutes after departing, we both were comfortably seated and enjoying a Pepsi. Of course Dad here forgot the bug spray but thankfully the bugs seemed to realize there was going to be allot of smoke and loud booms. As the sun began to set behind us, the lake from which we were going to watch became illuminated with the boat lights. We even had some pre-fireworks from boats on the water. It helped build the anticipation from what was to come.

"Dad, its 9:55...5 minutes left." Of course I received the countdown every minute until 10 pm. We both became restless in our seats, looking around nervously waiting for the booms to commence. We had never been at this park and he had randomly chosen a place to seat ourselves. We had no idea if the fireworks were shooting over the water or over us. lol We seemed to be placed in a sparsely populated portion of the clearing. Odd, I thought to myself, but nonetheless we stayed put. "Dad, 10:01 and they haven't started, what gives?" My thoughts exactly but through my wisdom and experience I've grown accustomed to being patient.

I had just started to reply when the first thunderous "thump" came from our right. You could see the stream of propellent going into the night sky. A big smile came across my face, not only from my anticipated enjoyment, but from the look of shock upon my sons. KABOOM! The night sky light up with a dazzling display of the colors red, white and blue! An awesome beginning...I was not going to be disappointed. We both were startled by the boom although we both could clearly see the flight. I looked over at my son and he was grinning from ear-to-ear...just like Dad.

For the next 30-40 minutes we were awarded a fireworks display like none I've ever encountered. We quickly learned why the area we were sitting was sparesly populated. It was like sitting front row at a movie theater. Our heads were cranked back and after it was all over our necks were stiff. The most spectacular thing for me, my son has other opinions, was the fireworks being so close. You had the brilliant display going off with the "kaboom" rattling through your body. Some of them even looked like they were exploding right at us. "Great pick of seats son!" Afterall, it was his decision that made the whole evening a cherished memory. An amazing display I've never witnessed especially with my son. We both left the fireworks display fully content and wanting more. As any fireworks display should be...

Snow in July

It's hot today, muggy and typical for an Indiana July. So here is something I wrote a few years back to help cool you off.

Snowy Daydream

So beautiful yet so concise
Always unique and never two alike
Free to travel with the wind
Finding one another in the end
Swirls of wind give them flight
Well into the day and through the night
Continually they fall from the heaven above
Gently floating as if on wings of a dove
Sunlight through the clouds at last
Radiant perceptions the sun has cast
Creating a wonderland from the barren and cold
A beautiful scene before my eyes does unfold
Millions have arrived covertly with the night
Seemingly nonchalant with their impending plight
The sun warms the surrounding air
Forthwith delivering destiny without a care
Memories of this morning will appease my fears
Wondrous joys the snow yields each year.

Copyright © 2006 Dazdnconfzd

Bland Look

Many years ago I challenged myself to creating websites. I did alright for the first couple of years. Just a little side venture, mind you, but enough to help pay for home repairs and what nots. And as is my trait, I had missed the boat by a couple of years. I ran into allot of "I want this and thats" that were technically beyond my abilities. Flash and JAVA scripting were fastly becoming the mainstream. I couldn't keep up and eventually ceased creating websites. Sad, because I loved the challenge.

So when I started this blog, I had no idea how this all worked. I figured "plug-n-play" and off to the world of blogging. And rightfully so, posting a blog is easy. It's when I went to add the linky goodness that I stumbled. I found it eventually, where to add the links, I even read the help section. And what I found made me feel stupid. I wanted the links to pop a new window. How could I have forgotten such an easy command? 8 years ago it was common place, second nature, typed it in my sleep kinda command. And I had to read the HELP SECTION. ugh

So during my adventures thru the blog world, I found many an intersting site designs. Some I liked, some I disliked and some I will strive for the look. But what look do I want? Do I even want to create a theme? What colors do I want? Add any pictures in the sidebars? Mouse-overs? Backgrounds? Bland..BLAND BLAND BLAND

Bland is all for now. Easy to read, easy on the eyes and easy on the mind. I'll mess around with colors for the text features. I may even add a background that may or may not have something of a theme.

Bland is good except if your starving. Speaking of which, its almost lunch time.