My August Stars: Blog Day 2008

Well I find it very interesting that this month’s episode of my starred blog posts coincides with Blog Day 2008. What the heck is Blog Day? According to their site it was created “with the belief that bloggers should have one day dedicated to getting to know other bloggers…” and I for one think it is a great idea. Apparently I am supposed to write a blurb about these blogs I choose but I am way too lazy (uhh, I’m on vacation!) and I am only supposed to pick 5, well I am picking more so **raspberry**!

Bunch Of Thievin Bastards – The Coyote Chronicles

How To Select Your Final Resting Place – …And The Pursuit Of Happiness

Full Of Shit And Smelling Like Roses – Shadows Of Love

Lessons In Kindness – The Ride Home

Secrets & Lies And The Art Of Liking Oneself – Solid Gone

I’ve Got Another Stalker – @ The Library

Marriage In Real Life – Live.Laugh.Love

Tonight I Am Restless And Cannot Sleep – The First Word Blog

Oh and I cannot forget to let you know that if you are not reading Pastor Thomas’ blog then you are just missing out. For some reason I am mesmerized by a lot of what he has to say. Here is another great video blog from this past month:

No More Shackles On His Feet – iHajj

Okay everybody, go out and read new blogs and give them some love. Be sure to comment to let them know that you enjoy what they have to say or at least so that they know that they are being heard.

Evidence That My Vacation Will Go Well

So my vacation started at 11:30am yesterday morning. I picked The School Girl up at her job and headed to the house. After a quick trip to renew my car tags it was decided that a fast lunch at the local Subway restaurant would hit the spot. Apparently they are currently in the middle of a Scrabble game promotion. When we sat down someone had left one of their game pieces that had the letter “E“. After removing our own game pieces (there were three of them) we were only able to spell one word:

Yep, it spelled “beer“. That can only be a sign from the Heavens of a great vacation!

Feel Good Friday: I Want It All

Oh my goodness I can’t believe that Friday is finally here. Sure I am excited for the normal reasons but this Friday is extra special. Not only am I only working a half day and not only is Little Harry playing in his first official high school football game but I also start my vacation!

The wife and I are not going anywhere special but are thinking of partaking of the local sites here in the Nash-vegas area. If you have any suggestions please feel free to let me know.

The song that I present to you for this fine Friday is a pumped up rocker from the later years of Queen’s career. This tune always gets my blood pumping with only a twinge of sadness at having lost such a great singer in Freddie Mercury:

Have a top notch Friday and weekend everybody!

Mam-opoly

There is a large-chested young lady in our building today that has on a shirt that made me giggle to myself. Sprawled across her ample chest is a photo of the symbol Community Chest from the board game Monopoly.

It makes me think that EVERYONE gets to stick their hands in…

Okay, yes that was bad but it is getting so darned close to vacation. I deserve a pass. Hurry up Friday!

Bug Graveyard

I have several pretty large trees in my front yard. They are great for shade and blocking the rain and stuff like that. I noticed recently that they are also great places for cicadas to leave their exoskeletons…

Just for the record, I hate all kinds of bugs/insects minus maybe ladybugs and lightning bugs. Even those aren’t to be trusted. Oh, and it makes it worse when people (let’s call them SueBoo) grab the bug carcasses and toss them onto you when you least expect it. **shiver**

Menu Fail

I went to a local Mexican restaurant last evening. I always tend to waffle on my choice of menu items but this particular list made it even more difficult:

I mean should I go with the number 13 and get the one burrito, one enchilada and one tamale or should I be daring and get the number 14 with the one burrito, one enchilada and one tamale? I am sure you can see my dilemma.

Melancholy Monday: Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye

This is the last Monday before I go on vacation…hooray!!! Until then, it is still a crappy Monday and we must show it the respect it deserves. Yep, here comes another sad song. This is one of my all-time favorites from The Black Crowes called “Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye“:

Stay strong and let’s get through this week. There’s a holiday on the other side!

I Was Beer Blocked

I ran out this morning, about 11-ish, to the local Wal-Mart to grab a few items. You know what I’m talking about: eggs, bread, milk, smokes, brewskies, the necessities.

I was lucky enough to get my stuff in no time flat and jump into the cigarette line with no waiting. Generally I do not get into town to do some shopping before noon but today was the exception as Uncle Grizz and his brood were going to be making a trip to the boondocks this afternoon.

The line was being worked by two women this morning, a young white girl and a middle aged black woman. All of my items had been scanned when the young girl got to the beer. A message popped up like a military alert on the screen. The young girl turns to the older woman and asks what is the matter:

Older Woman: Uhh, it isn’t noon yet.

me: **rolls eyes** **sighs audibly**

Young Girl: Oh, you can’t buy beer before noon?

At this point the older woman looks me dead in the face and we have our fun exchange:

Older Woman: Are you not from around here?

me: **sarcasticly** Yeah, I’m a f%#cking foreigner.

Old Woman: Well, it’s a law in Tennessee that you can’t buy beer before noon.

me: Yeah, I know the law, I am just not used to co-mingling with the peasants before 1pm.

So I walked off paying for everything except my Miller Chill. Luckily, I had my legally purchased smokes but I really could have used a beer right about then.

Images From Birthdays

Last weekend we pulled a double birthday. Saturday we celebrated SueBoo’s and on Sunday it was Pops’.

Saturday we went to a Mexican restaurant and had so much fun that the other patrons looked at us funny:

Here I am at the restaurant looking like I am mouthing dirty words (good and bad ones!):

Later on in the evening I successfully defended (in the 80s edition) my Trivial Pursuit championship. We really should get a title belt made up for me the champ. Anyway, Little Harry had no idea what the television show The Greatest American Hero was so the G-Man decided to sing part of the theme song:

The next day at Pops’ celebration we were pretty low key. We did manage to get this picture of Little Harry in a staredown with my parents’ pooch, Goldie, that for some reason really cracks me up. Somebody should really come up with a good caption for it.

Also, Fandango managed to score a rogue weiner:

Eventually, the long weekend took its toll on everyone, especially the pooch. He crashed within 5 minutes of being in the car.

I wasn’t too long behind him. I hope everyone had a great birthday.

The Possible Return Of Boo

Some of you may know a little bit about the old ghost lady that lives in my house. If you have no clue what I am talking about or would like a refresher course you can click here, here and here.

Over the last several months our other-worldly guest has been dormant and quite silent. I had almost forgotten about her past visits. Oddly, the wife mentioned just yesterday to me about how the paranormal lady has not been bothering us.

Well, obviously just the mention has set something off with her. This afternoon while lounging in front of VH1’s 40 Greatest Metal Songs (yeah, I am kind of into the classics on TV) something very bizarre and somewhat familiar occurred.

It was about the time that either a video by the band Slayer (who in my opinion play the soundtrack to Hell itself) came on or during the appropriately named “Number Of The Beast” by Iron Maiden that I jumped out of my skin. It started low as if an emergency vehicle was about to drive past, then built to an ear piercing crescendo. It was an evil, female-like, blood curdling scream. My eyes widened and my heart leaped into my throat. I immediately peered over towards super pooch Fandango to see if maybe he had heard something. It appeared that he did as he had been awakened from his afternoon nap with his ears pricked up staring directly at me.

I got up and slowly waltzed through the dining room and kitchen which is from where the sound seemed to emanate. I made my way into the guest bedroom where my wife was typing away diligently on the computer. I wondered if maybe she had also heard this terrible noise. She had not, leaving her to question my state of consciousness: “Were you asleep?“

Well, I hadn’t been asleep, I was rocking out to some demonic tunes on the television. I wonder if it was the music that got our ghostly guest up and about or if it was just the imaginations of myself and the dog? Yeah, I doubt it was BOTH of our imaginations.

I’ll leave with this song as a memento to my most recent ghostly visitation.

Time To Punt?

It had been many months, I believe six to be exact, since I had last seen this friend of mine. The last time we were together there was anger and disappointment. My heart rate had been raised to almost unsafe levels and the saltiness of tears had begun to well up in my eyes. I had been crushed and needed to walk away.

At the moment that I left I tried to tell myself that it was over forever. What had happened was almost more than I could deal with and I wanted to wash my hands of this 30 or so year relationship. As I shuffled my feet in dispair I knew deep in my heart that I would return. Last weekend as I prepared to dress to head out to celebrate SueBoo’s birthday, I made the initial steps towards a reconciliation.

I asked The School Girl if maybe it was too soon. Truly my heart had been stomped on and ground into pulp. With a sparkle in her eye she assured me that it was okay and I was making the right decision. The grieving process was ending. With a bit of hesitation I engulfed myself fully into the healing. It was time to move forward especially since our prime months of friendship were quicly approaching.

I was afraid of the potential ridicule by others but I shunned the thought and ran straight forward with my heart, and my friend, firmly on my sleeve. As I slipped on my now retro jersey I knew that I was ready to begin anew.

The pain I felt has almost fully subsided and I am prepared to help my friend exact a level of retribution to the best of my abilities. So I ask you, are you ready? I know that I am. I wear my Patriots jersey with pride and raise my middle finger into the air towards any and all of you that may scoff or roll your eyes in contempt.

Sure my boys from New England embarrassed themselves by not closing the deal last year, but that was last year. This year brings renewed hope and with a little bit of hard work and dedication maybe, just maybe, we can bring home yet another Super Bowl victory.

Feel Good Friday: Fishin’ In The Dark

My Friday song this week reminds me of all of the fun times on Friday nights back in the day when I would head out with a few of my buddies to The Tin Roof to hear local band The Seagulls rock us and they would always play some great cover tunes. I had two favorites that they would do: 1) “Sweet Caroline” and 2) this great tune by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, “Fishin’ In The Dark“:

Man is this song a toe-tapper for me. I hope everyone has a top notch Friday!

My Maximum Rock & Roll Experience Has Been Temporarily Muted

I got home this afternoon early only to have my cellphone start blowing up with calls. First it was the G-Man, then La Hermana. They each had a question and they were both the same: “Have you heard the news?“

To answer, no, I hadn’t. Due to hitting the hay early last night I have been in a self-imposed media blackout. I didn’t want to find out about what happened at the Olympics, more specifically about the May-Treanor/Walsh beach volleyball gold medal game. (As I type this I still don’t know.)

The only bit of news that I did see was the Lelan Statom weather report this morning and a quick blurb about some poor guy on a scooter getting into an accident. Come to find out the scooter accident was of big interest to me.

Some of you by now have probably heard that the poor guy on that scooter was Nashville’s premier rocker, Will Hoge. If you have read this blog for any length of time you know that I am a huge fan of Will’s and push his music whenever I can. Actually, in my house we are on a first name basis with him. When we talk about “Will” we are referring to Will Hoge.

It was a bit sad to hear that he is in critical condition. Knowing a little about the man who is around my own age, and having met him and his bandmates on more than one occassion, he is one of those guys that you like to be around. It makes it a bit sadder knowing that this happens at a time of a potential musical breakout, added to him being a newlywed and a new father.

The news reports say that Will is expected to make a full recovery which raises spirits. My prayers go out to one of my favorite artists and his family. I know that his extended rock & roll family also send their well-wishes.

I can’t wait until he has recovered so that he can rock my socks off once again. Get well Will!

Here is Will performing one of his newer, more bluesy tunes live, “Silver Or Gold“:

That Sinking Feeling

It wasn’t until I got to work this morning that I realized it would be a bad day.

I hate when I grab that old pair of socks that have lost all of their elasticity. I am so ready to head home now.

Riding In Cars With Wives

This morning as The School Girl and I cruised into work we were listening to some local radio station that plays what is now considered oldies (80s music!). A song pops onto the airwaves that I thought I knew after 2 notes. (They need to bring back Name That Tune). The following exchange took place:

me: “A-ha!…Yeah!…I’m so good!”

The School Girl: ”Are you having sex over there or something?”

In actuality no sex was being had by any party, I was just naming the band (A-Ha), getting excited at my proficiency of recognition in regards to pop music (Yeah!) and then letting the world, in this case only my wife, know how great I am at this supposed skill (I’m so good!).

I guess in the future I should be more articulate.