MEME

Taken from the glowing Nadine:

1. The book nearest me:
Telephone Book

2. Stretch your left arm, what do you touch?
A radiator cover.

3. Last thing watched on television?
Rerun of “Cheers” when Shelley Long was still there and John Cleese was the guest.

4. Without looking, what time is it?
2:20 am EST

5. What is the actual time?
2:29 am

6. With the exception of the computer what can you hear?
The dishwasher, a fan, and as always, 24/7, my tinnitus.

7. When did you last step outside?
Around 10:30 pm. Family had been here for my birthday. I cooked out and we had a gut-busting amount of my favorite birthday dessert item, Bisquick strawberry shortcake.

8. Before this survey what did you look at?
My ever empty email box. Which is my own fault because I’m tardy when it comes to writing back.

9. What are you wearing?
Shorts and a shirt.

10. Did you dream last night?
Yes. It was something about doing meme’s.

11. When did you last laugh?
Couple of nights ago watching Kevin Pollak doing an amazing impression of Christopher Walken on Conan O’Brien.

12. What is on the walls in the room?
The room is the dining room and between to corner hutches is a wall mirror giving the room the illusion of size. And on another wall a painting of stream in the woods in Fall by a family friend.

13. Seen anything weird lately?
A few days ago while I was passing the hospital on my way to work I saw a 2 to 3 foot snake crossing the road. Not a common occurrence in the middle of a city. I managed to avoid the snake. The snake however, did not fair so well with oncoming traffic.

14. What do you think of this quiz?
It would be better if you got a car or something after you successfully complete it.

15. What is the last film you saw?
Band of Brothers. Just watched it over the last two days.

16. Tell us something we don’t know.
I saw Benigno Aquino assassinated.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, what would you do?
Get rid of gnats.

18. Do you like to dance?
Not so much. Technically, I have a condition known as, Udanzlikeafuknidiot

19. George Bush?
No comment...cheater

20. Imagine your first child is a girl…And?
First off, we’d have to rename him.

21. Imagine your first child is a boy.
I guess we weren’t paying attention to question 20, were we...

22. Would you consider living abroad?
If I was independently wealthy, I might like keeping a house in Austria.

23. What would God say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
Gotcha!

24. List 6 bloggers to carry on this meme.
I never have the strength for this part. Take it if you wish

more

Mike and the Mechanic's Can you hear me?

love that tune

Wine & Cheese Party, unless I think of something better

Wine and Cheese Party Time!

...and bitching about things? No, we don’t want to be negative, however the loosening of the tongue through fine $7 Pepperwood Cabernet Sauvignon and .535 lbs of delicious LOL (Land O’Lakes, not Laugh Out Loud) cheese from Stop & Shop (It’s time to Stop & Shop!, sing the jingle amongst yourselves) Oh! And I got my XM80’s PC satellite radio on low to get the right ambience for a truly stellar Friday night. This Friday being the first day o’my vacation. A vacation which will include Cleveland.
Rick James’ Superfreak is playing, making me chuckle. I do like to chuckle, kids. Cheap wine, cheap cheese, and a good chuckle. Yes, that’s me, a cheap date. Tada. Wine kicking in thankyouverymuch.
Where was I., ah yes, Cleveland, my Cleveland. A friend’s child is getting married there, so that makes Cleveland a little better. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, so that helps. Drew Carey loves Cleveland. That really doesn’t help, but I do like Drew Carey.
Oh MY GOSH! I just remembered. Ohio is the land of Bob Evans Family Restaurants. For those who don’t know Bob Evans is the shit, man! Mouth is watering just thinking about it now. Sausage gravy and biscuits. Life can get no better. OK, trip worthwhile now.
I’ll apologize now for my mental state is just going free-form now because the wine has me off and running. If you’ve read this far, then Thank you, but it’s going pretty downhill from here. I think I will just write now right now (oooh clever to a drunk) about things esoteric to me.
I want to be younger (my birthday is Sunday), but I can’t decide when younger. I say it that way because when you say you want to be younger it’s not because you really want to be younger now, its that you want to go back to a happier time.
Today I was thinking about my thirteenth birthday, and I can’t figure out why. The only thing I really got out of it was that, oh, now I’m a teenager, which is cool. But there are a lot of rides you can’t ride at the church carnival now because you look like an asshole [laughs].
I toyed with doing a post about (author’s note: the fucking cheese is gone, but Loverboy’s Working for the Weekend came on.)
I have to write something here about the Loverboy song because it is one of my most solid memories of the being stationed in the PI (Philippines). I knew I would miss those days someday, and I hate that, because you can’t dwell in the past, but it was such an exciting time.
OH My Gosh! The Eurythmics’ Would I lie to You? is on now. Annie Lennox. Hot. Period.
The best you can do is close your eyes and imagine a different time. A time before you lost friends. When you didn’t give a fuck about the weather, when you just went out.
Terence Trent Darby’s Wishing Well. Korea. Osan AB 1988. Yes, attended the Olympics and was able to get tickets to events for $5. Can you imagine? Olympic Events. I tried not to waste time in Korea, but I hated it, which had a good and a bad side. The bad side was that as a Native New Englander I didn't appreciate that they are a stoic, hearty, hardworking people. I really believed they were just like me, except they spoke a different language. [keyboarding is getting difficult][laughs] I had personal reasons for disliking it
Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield. I can’t take this. I can’t share it with anyone.
The Korean food was great. The Korea alcohol was a joy.
The good out of Korea, if you can call it that, was where I ran six miles a day. Sometimes twice and occasionally three times. I hated Korea so much I ran. Not their fault really. Interestiong culture as well. Did you know Koreans are pretty much Height wise the same as Americans? The small Asian concept is pretty wrong.
I was an extra in two movies while I was there in the PI, not in Korea. Missing in Action and Opposing Force. Both more fun than humans could stand. Chuck Norris is a very cool guy. It is tragic because in real life, he is completely different. He sucks as an actor, BUT, it’s ok because his coolness makes up for it. Honestly, if you met him in real life you’d want to be friends with him. It’s just that when the cameras start rolling, he puts on his actor hat and it’s all over. I miss working with Chuck, he’s a very cool guy, and a good soul.
Wine is working well.
I have to put an honorable mention in for Tom Skerritt with whom I got a chance to see on
Taking a moment to got IMDB.
Well as it turns out, he ahs no official site, so I can’t send him an email saying, “haey! It was a treat to work with a great actor.
Do you like the woods? I do. I hate the ocean, which is ironic, because I grew up near the beach. Always hated vacations on Cape Cod. Always loved when we did cabins in the woods on a lake. Fishing. I love fishing. I don’t think of it as a sport at all. To me it’s a concept. You go out and you cast your line and you wait. And you think. And you get calm. And nothing really matters.
Mental faculty’s are waning. Should/should not upload this?

Heading for Work

But, I stopped to post this. So I guess there is progress.

What'd I Do?

For the past couple of weeks I've been in physical danger. I'm pretty sure I know who's behind it. I'm afraid it's, well...me.

It began when I saw "Unbreakable" on TV. I enjoy the movie quite a bit, so I also recorded it, and watched various parts later. Yes, I think it's a good one. Since that initial airing though, there have been a series of events that all seem to test the idea that I myself am "Breakable". For your consideration:

Shortly after the first viewing, for the first time since I was four years old I fell out of bed. You may think "Rick" (or you can insert a name you prefer, just please not 'Scooter' or 'Todd'), what's the big deal? You fell out of bed. No big whoop. Well friends, let me tell ya, the top of my mattress is a little over 3 and a half feet above floor level (I like it that way, fuck off) and that would not be a problem. Oh, except that I also just happen to have one of them hard plastic milk crates on the floor next to the bed, filled with papers and books and such. I will never really know how it went down, so to speak, it was more like I was thrown overboard because the force with which my left leg hit the milk crate was enough to shatter the crate. That sharp son of a bitch cut actual discernable patterns in my leg as the crate disintergrated. That hurt big time, but on the upside it was basic scratching and no gashing wounds.

The second incident, if you will, involves the traditional homeowner practice of cleaning gutters. No, there were no ladders involved. I did not slip and go careening towards the Earth as some might prefer the imagery of flailing arms and girl-level screaming. No, not that day. It was about a week later and everything went pretty well. I can access the roof of my porch from a second floor window. The trouble began with negotiating re-entry into the house. Without the brutal contortionist-like recreation and an indepth explanation of the magic of non-twenty year old physiology, suffice to say I opted for an incorrect decision at a critical juncture and overextended the credit line of my left knee.

Recovery of the knee one gets better every day, but still, "son-of-a-bitch!"

I'm not trying to kid anyone. I know I'm "Breakable".

Diversion

As taken from Counting Sheep

GRUB-OLOGY

• What is your salad dressing of choice? Bleu Cheese.

• What is your favorite fast food restaurant? I list Wendy’s as my health club.

• What is your favorite sit down restaurant? On the Border.

• On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant? 20%.

• What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Chex Party Mix.

• Name three foods you detest above all others. Lobster, Granola bars, and orange juice.

• What is your favorite dish to order in a Chinese restaurant? Lo mein.

• What are your pizza toppings of choice? Tomato, basil, garlic, and bacon (with extra cheese).

• What do you like to put on your toast? Butter. And not that pantywaist ‘lite’ crap, either.

• What is your favorite type of gum? I hate gum.

BI-OLOGY

• What do you consider to be your best physical attribute? Hair.

• Are you right handed or left handed? Right.

• Do you like your smile? No.

• Have you ever had anything removed from your body? An ex-girlfriend.

• Would you like to? To what?

• Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? Smell always provokes the biggest reaction.

• When was the last time you had a cavity? Long ago and far away.

• What is the heaviest item you lift regularly? Wine glass.

• Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No.

MISC-OLOGY

• If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No.

• If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? Spanky.

• How do you express your artistic side? Sense of humor, which too often becomes unintentional drama.

• What color do you think you look best in? blue.

• How long do you think you could last in a medium security prison? Till the first ‘lights out’.

• Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? no.

• If we weren't’t bound by society’s conventions, do you have a relative you would make a pass at? secret.

• How often do you go to church? Spiritually never, but I do grace the building on occasion for other reasons.

• Have you ever saved someone’s life? Yes.

• Has someone ever saved yours? Yes.

DARE-OLOGY

For this last section, if you would do it for less or more money, indicate how much.

• Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? Wish I had known some fool was willing to pay $100,000 to have seen it.

• Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? Yes.

• Would you have sex with a member of the same sex for $10,000? Cost of samesex sex: $10,000. Cost of memory you could never get rid of: Priceless.

• Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000? No.

• Would you never blog again for $50,000? Stop. That’s just a ridiculous question. No one even reads me.

• Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000? Sure. Just need to make sure that it has a foldout section “if you know what I mean”.

• Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Yes.

• Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000? There is always punishment.

• Would you shave your head and get your entire body waxed for $5,000? No, but I would for a tax-free $1,000,000.

• Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? There is not enough money in the world.

Saying Goodbye to Old Friends

I’m writing this now based on this post by So the Fish Said... It is a wonderful monologue to a friend gone by, questioning not so much why the friendship faded but more to let’s get past it and be friend’s again.
Most of my life has been about watching people fade in and out with many friendships based on situations. There was the guy when I was stationed in the Philippines who worked in the same as me (I worked radios and radar for F4 jet fighters, and yes it was a cool job). We became fast and steady friends. Our wives were amenable to each other. Well time went by and I was sent back to the states, then he was sent someplace else and we spoke on the phone a few times but that’s 20 years ago now.
I do confess while writing this I took a look at White Pages to see what the odds were for getting in touch with him and 300 listings for his name came back, and well, I’m not that aggressive. I would like to talk to him again, though. He was a lot of fun to be around.
I have actively searched Classmates.com for kids (Ha! They’re in there late forties now) that I went to school with. I went to a private high school for boys, so I really focus on my elementary school because those were the kids I grew up with in my neighborhood. I have had success in at least connecting via email with one of the girls (that I haven’t seen since we were thirteen) so that is kind of a rush. I think the desire to connect with the past in that way is really driven by a want to have someone who was there. Someone who knows what you were going through because they were there too. It really is reconnecting with childhood.
Of course, they’re grown now and have a lifetime of different experience that makes them who they are now, but if you can just get a flash of recognition of that common experience then you’ve achieved a goal.
The hardest thing about friend’s that have drifted away is when it happened because of some ‘thing’. An incident where a grudge has formed. From my own experience, I never forget. Ever. It is such a crippling thing and I truly marvel at the folks who can let things go. I know intellectually that is the way to handle it. One will be healthier and live a long fantastic life, but that is not my way.
I suppose it only fair to mention here that I periodically look back over different slices of my life and realize, oh, yeah, I certainly was a major asshole at that particular juncture. This is important in that it figures in greatly when I am going to put myself out there for someone to contact. I wonder why would they want to?

Litany for Thanksgiving by The Rev. Max Coots

Let me say that there is as much thanks to be given
for the gift of people as there is for the harvest
of fields. We ought to count friends more gratefully
than the images of gardens, pantries, and cellar
shelves. We ought to savor friendships and loves
as much or more than we do shapes, tastes, and
textures, of all the fruits of the fall...

So instead of the usual, let me say: Let us give
thanks for a bounty of people. For children, who are
our second planting, and though they grow like weeds
and the wind too soon blows them away, may they
forgive us our cultivation and remember fondly where
their roots are.

I just can't help it. When it comes this time of
year, I just can't help it. Maybe it's the harvest
moon.

So let us give thanks:

For generous friends...with hearts as big as hubbards
and smiles as bright as their blossoms;

For fiesty friends as tart as apples;

For continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers,
keep reminding us that we've had them;

For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb, and as
indestructible;

For handsome friends who are as gorgeous as eggplants
and as elegant as a row of corn, and the others, as plain
as potatoes, and so good for you;

For funny friends, who are as silly as Brussel Sprouts
and amusing as Jerusalem artichokes, and serious friends,
as complex as cauliflowers and as intricate as onions;

For friends as unpretentious as cabbages, as subtle as
summer squash, as persistent as parsley, as delightful
as dill, as endless as zucchini, and who, like parsnips,
can be counted on to see you through the long winter;

For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening
time, and young friends, coming on as fast as radishes;

For loving friends, who wind around us like tendrils, and
hold us despite our blights, wilts, and witherings;

And, finally, for those friends, now gone, like gardens
past, that have been harvested, but who fed us in their
times that we might have life thereafter;

For all these we give our thanks.

Amen.

The photos are here

I'm still working out the kinks.

Pictures

I need to add pictures. Then this would be more festive.

Guilty pleasure this past weekend. Failure to Launch, I thought it was hysterical. Also saw Wedding Crashers. Very Funny. ...and also saw The Family Stone, which I thought was good, but the real treat in it was Craig T. Nelson (Coach Hadyn Fox on Coach, one of my all time favorite shows).

I'm Headin'

fer Wendy's. No mercy is expected. And there will be cheese...

I Know...

That it is not aesthetically pleasing yet, but I'm working on it.