WE WILL NEVER LOSE OUR REMOTE AGAIN



L-R: New remote,remote we used to lose all the time.

Other than our land of the giants remote,today was an exercise in frustration-mostly for Irene.I got up early for a planned hike and discovered the leash was in Ann's car.
In the parking lot where she works.Needless to say,Irene was bummed...nay...distressed that there was no hike in store.She laid expectantly by the door making the occasional grunty sound and giving me the stink eye.
She did get a ride to the store for bbq fixin's which means she will get her porch time later tonight.And there will be a extra long hike tomorrow.As much for me as for her.
later...

UMMMMMMM...CORN NUTS

Giant roasted corn kernals.Who'd have thought they could taste so awesome?

CONNECTION

I know this man who I met about 4 years ago when I first started working as an electrician.He worked at the supply house we went to almost every day and we would make small talk.We soon found out we had an affinity to the blues and guitars and just saw eye to eye on a number of things.Turns out he moonlights at the HEB I shop at to make ends meet.So,even after I left the job where he was I still got to see him and visit almost every time I went shopping.He is one of the coolest older black dudes I've ever met.He is warm and genuine,and there is an ease to our chats at the grocery that always bring a smile to my face.No matter what kind of shitty day I've had,if I get to shoot the shit with him at the HEB I always feel better.
I saw him tonight,and we spent a good 30 minutes talking about life in Austin in the 60's and the 70's.He grew up in Buda,about 20-25 miles south of Austin when it was nothing but farms and rural homesteads.When me and my family landed here in 1968,he was in his second year in the military.But we shared some common memories.Even in 1968,the nasty head of racism was still prevalent,and he experienced it first hand.From being the only black kid on his high school football team to working in a restaurant where the black employees weren't allowed to eat in the dining area.I related stories of being chased into the woods by rednecks determined to cut my hair off during that time.A different kind of hate to be sure,but still hate.
He related about hanging out at the armadillo world headquarters (where I spent my entire adolescence )and how cool it was that they (black folks) were accepted and welcomed in a world where most of the white people around rejected them.He thought that was cool.And he said despite the racial tension of the times,he had mostly happy memories of his early days.He learned about how and when Ann and I met,he shared his family history and we ended our chat telling stories about our children and bragging on our grand children.
I walked out of that HEB in awe.What a wonderful human being.Of course,I knew that already...but tonight it was underlined,in bold.
And just think,my original plan was to write about my new addiction to corn nuts...all flavors.
Go figure.

HOW WE FIGHT

So...100 nations got together in Ireland and signed an agreement to stop using cluster bombs...really awesome ordinance that can can kill the fuck out of your enemy in short order (isn't that the point of war?)by sending all manner of explosive shrapnel screaming across a large area and well,killing the fuck out of your enemy.
Of course the powers that be were not in attendance and have no intention of signing such a ridiculous measure that limits us and them in kicking some serious ass.
I think the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have drug on for so long because everyone is concerned with sanitizing war and limiting collateral damage.Fuck that.If it's worth fighting,it's worth fighting to win.There are too many rules of engagement and protocols that hamper our ability to win or lose.Sure,it's horrible,war is meant to be horrible,and I believe that that horribleness is an integral part of what brings war to an end.
There should be one protocol only in war if you have to have one...win.
But now we have to deal with a bunch of pussy countries wringing their collective hands over the use of cluster bombs that the so called "super powers" still intend to use,further protracting the outcome of any given conflict.
If I get into a fight,rest assured that I am going to do everything in my power to kick your ass,by any means I can avail myself.I suggest you do the same.And it will be over quickly,one of us will be overwhelmed and give up.That's war.
It's not some old Star Trek episode where people willingly go into disintegration chambers when their number is up.

NICKED FROM CROOKS AND LIARS

If you follow the links from there,you can take the quiz to see if you can tell the difference between Bush and McCain,and the bonus round is a quiz to see if you can tell the difference between McCain and a slightly moldy carrot.Spoiler: The carrot wins.

No apparent blockage
At least none of the coronary kind. I had my treadmill stress test today and it revealed that although I am definitely a couch potato in terms of overall fitness, my heart is just fine and dandy. My prescription is to do light exercise two times a week and eat more fiber. In order to pull this off though, I am going to have to spend more money at the grocery store. For example, I love carrots, but only when they are fresh so I generally don't buy carrots unless I just happen to hit the store after a fresh batch has come in. However, even when the regular bin of carrots are long past their prime, HEB usually has a small selection of fresh organic carrots. I never buy them because they are so expensive. But today I realized that I was spared the $100/month or more cost of prescriptions or something worse like an angioplasty and the smart thing to do was to start investing money in better food so I don't have to spend it on doctors and drugs. So the next time I buy that expensive loaf of good fresh-baked whole grain bread instead of the tasteless 79 cent loaf of white bread, I can just tell myself "doctor's orders" and stop feeling guilty for splurging on foods that I love.

KNOCK KNOCK

Whose there?Just that guy who had to see you,and of course,I woke you up.But I had to see you,something told me and it told you too,cause you'd been thinking about me and Ann lately.
Irene and I imposed,and you were so cool about it.Sitting on your couch disheveled and foggy.But still,you had that twinkle in your eye.You played me a new song,about Mark.Very cool...it made me cry,but they were good tears.I needed to reconnect.
Good luck on your road trip,I hope it gives you what you need.Little sister.
thanks Ashleigh.

GUS FRUH TWO...EH,THREE IF YOU COUNT TWIN FALLS



This boulder has been here in this spot since I was a teenager.



It smells like flowers...



Beenz had a good time...



Cactus just pouring off a cliff.I remember when that was just one small growth,and now it's everywhere.I guess there's something to be said about growing up in one place.I've known that cactus for over 30 years.

MY GIRLS...

NASA Spacecraft Appears to Have Landed on Mars

Woo-hoo! It's one of those weird things I care about, what with being sat in front of the TV as a child to watch the moon landing. Story here .

Purpose
Some people are born knowing what they want to do with their life, others find it early on, some find it later and I suspect many of us never figure it out at all. For me it's been more of a process of weeding things out and doing what was right at the time, ever subject to change as time progressed. For example, I was a very talented pianist as a child. Everyone around me was pushing for me to be a concert pianist. But while I loved playing piano, I enjoyed it most when I was playing for myself. I never enjoyed performances and I knew instinctively that was not the road to follow. I gave up playing piano completely in my teenage years, but much later on in my life I ended up as the bass player for Wolves@th'Door and that's something that would have not have happened if I had not played piano as a child. And that's pretty much the story of my life so far - all the different things I have done, all the various jobs I have held, it all builds to where I am right now without any clear picture of where I'm heading. There's no single purpose there, yet I know it's all connected somehow. Those two years working fast-food at Wendy's were great preparation for my current job in a call center some 30 years later. Somewhere in all that chaos is an order and purpose, but unfortunately it's nothing I can put my finger on and say, "Ah-hah! This is why I'm here!" And maybe it's just that those of us who aren't called to any grand endeavor have a hard time recognizing that the little day to day things can be just as important. After all, the person that was stuck in the parking lot that you let cut in front of you isn't going to call you 20 years later to thank you for letting them be on time for the job interview that let them get the job that allowed them to come up with some world changing concept. They might remember the event and even mention it in their biography, but you'll never know that you were the one that changed the outcome of possibilities.

There's a bumper sticker that's popular around here that says, "Practice Random Acts of Kindness." Rob and I practice a similar philosophy in that we let people cut in front of us in traffic, give a bum a dollar or a cigarette when it feels right, open a door for someone or help a stranger out in some way; little things that we call getting karma points because we know that what comes around goes around. Does any of that make a difference in the long run? Are we changing the world? Maybe not, but who's to say our little action today doesn't positively affect someone that does manage to change the world later. I think that too many of us, myself included at times, wander around in life thinking that our lives don't matter, that we haven't made a difference and our existence is pointless if we haven't reached some pinnacle of fame or fortune. But I know there are people out there who have no clue that they had a life-changing effect on my life, nor would I ever be able to find them to tell them that. And I have to assume that somewhere along the line, I have done the same. And I would bet that you have too.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I posted this at the online Austin Chronicle after my showdown at auditorium shores a couple of weeks ago.The comments are interesting.

Leash-Free Is Okay but Control Your Dog | open postmark
Dear Editor, There are many leash-free areas in Austin's parks, and I'm cool with that, providing you have control of your dog(s). This morning at Auditorium Shores my dog (leashed) was harassed by this chick's two dogs (loose). They were nipping at my dog and she made no effort to call them off. This encounter eroded to name-calling and screaming … yes, I am an asshole when you don't control your dogs. I am sick and tired of people who don't control their dogs in a public setting, ruining my walks with my dogs. You want to let them run free? Fine. Just make sure you have them under control and they don't terrorize other dogs. I've lived here all my life and I have to say this town sucks more and more every day. I can't walk my dog without the apprehension of being messed with by some entitled moron and their dogs. I'm buying some pepper spray for the next walk.

Rob Clattenburg


12 Comments | Collapse comments
Comments are listed in order posted

guest said... | hide/show
I partially agree with you...but why take your dog on a leash to a leash free area? I mean, usually dogs are in those areas to run around and play with other dogs. I suppose that you could teach a dog that its ok to approach dogs that are not on a leash and not ok to approach leashed dogs.

I've run into the same situation with my unleashed dog going up to a dog on a leash. I call her away if the person doesn't look like she wants them to sniff.

All i'm saying, is avoid the problem and walk on the other side of the lake. TRUST me there are many more leash required areas than leash free areas.
05-16-2008

leash or none by guest | hide/show
though there are leash free areas, sometimes you pass those areas while on the trail(s) with your on-leash dog. i think it makes more sense for someone to control their dog than to ask someone to walk out of their way and off trail to avoid a section that may or may not have an aggresive off-leash dog running around. i run into this problem often, especially when i first started training my dog. most people would respond with "he's friendly" but who is to say my dog is friendly? i have him on a leash. and not only that but if i am working and trying to train my dog, it's kind of difficult with dogs running up to him and trying to mount him or nipping at his feet when we're running. ask the pomeranian's owner how that went down. off-leash doesn't mean off the hook, responsibility is the owner's task, leash or no leash. 05-21-2008

guest said... | hide/show
So what you are saying....is that with miles and miles of trail around town lake, it is unreasonable to ask someone to avoid the 2 hundred yards that makes up the leash free area? I've never seen a dog there out of control in all the years I've been going. Sure they run around and PLAY with each other...but thats the point! I am so sick of you people that feel we need more regulations and more rules and more laws. 05-21-2008

Way to miss the point. by guest | hide/show
What he was saying is that even if a dog is off leash, in a leash free area, it should still be controllable by the pet owner. Anyone that can't control their dog through commands has absolutely no business taking that dog off leash no matter how friendly that damn dog is. 05-21-2008

What I meant to say by guest | hide/show
I meant to say off leash in a public area since any number of incidents could occur where the dog needs to be told to stop what he's doing immediately. 05-21-2008

guest said... | hide/show
Oh, so what he is saying is that I need to be near my dog at the park. So that if she approaches a dog that the owner doesn't want to mingle, I can call her away. Mind you, this is an owner that is taking his dog to an area set aside by the city for dogs to do just that.

Lastly, Rob, If you are in a leash free area and you pepper spray my dog when she comes up to meet your dog...we would have a problem.
05-22-2008

Rob must be a JRT owner or somthing. by entitled owner named rob. | hide/show
Dogs act strange when they're on a leash, it's un-natural when 2 dogs meet and start sniffing ea. other. When the owner pulls back on the leash because a strange dog approaches, don't be surprised when that leashed dog starts acting as nervous as the owner.

My mutt is far more behaved off-leash, they're dogs and they should be able to run around. If your dog doesn't respond to calls then it will probably just run away..

Dogs act like dogs, don't act surprised. If you are, maybe you should consider becomeing a cat owner.
05-22-2008

exactly what si wrong with people. by guest | hide/show
respect. ever heard of it? it's not your trail or park. and the point in it being a trail is so people can be on it. it's not the "avoid certain sections due to idiots" trail. you are what is wrong with the dog park, you have no idea how to own a dog or anything for that matter, you can't even control yourself. you act like it's your trail to do whatever you want. it's public, learn how to respect other people and maybe someday you'll get it back. 05-22-2008

lol by They suck! | hide/show
JRT (owners) are a special breed unto themselves. 05-22-2008

exactly what si wrong with people by guest | hide/show
How about respecting the VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF LAND that people are allowed to let thier dogs off their leashes to play. Here's your respect...you are fucking moron. 05-22-2008

Th'Rev said... | hide/show
To turn 100 yards of auditorium shores into a leash free zone while the rest of the park is leash on is the most asinine retarded thing the city could do.That's just fucking stupid.

My dog is well disciplined on or off leash,that's how she was raised.

And what kind of problem are we gonna have?If you can't control your dog I'm gonna spray it and if you get all asshole about it,I'll spray you as well.

Bottom line...control your dog-or I will.
05-24-2008

Preach Brother! by I.B.McGinty | hide/show
You got an Amen from me Rev. Irresponsible pet owners will never control their dogs ..hence the term "irresponsible". Pepper spray away to keep vicious dogs at bay. If the owner suddenly gets the urge to control you instead of his dog, he should remember that there is a concealed carry law that allows Joe Citizen to carry more than just pepper spray.

..bringin'in th'sheaves.

-I.B.McGinty
05-24-2008

BULL CREEK

One of the more popular (and populated) greenbelts in the city because of it's swimming hole appeal,Bull Creek is still a primitive place once you get about a mile in and go off the beaten path.We got a late start this morning and as a result there were more people there,we'll go earlier next time.



Irene as usual,had a good time.



Limestone and lichen everywhere...



The trails are solid limestone in lots of places...



Bull Creek,west of MoPac.



A nice waterfall.It's a bit farther from the house but still worth the drive.Irene is conked out,dreaming of woods and trails no doubt.

Odds and Ends
Those who have read this blog over the years know I'm constantly trying to come to terms with my job. I've tried a couple of different things over the last few months. First I tried to just ignore stuff and not make any effort to correct problems. That didn't work so I then tried to just notify the powers that be about problems without pushing for a solution. That didn't work either. Last week I decided to not try anything and just do what came naturally. This resulted in my volunteering to come in on my day off to handle some stuff that carried over from the day before and noticing a schedule snafu next week where no one was scheduled in the Austin office so I volunteered to trade a cushy shift on a day that we were over staffed for a day that's sure to be miserable because I will be the only one working. Yeah, maybe I'm an idiot, but my heart said it was the right thing to do. I know I won't get any appreciation for it, but that wasn't why I did it. I did it because it needed to be done and it felt "right". And I came to realize the conflict I feel over doing things like that comes from all the people around me that tell me it isn't the right thing to do and that I'm letting my employer take advantage of me and any number of other negative comments. And maybe all I need to do to be happier in my job is to stop listening to all that stuff and just do what comes naturally. Or maybe not. Who knows, but I figure if I ever manage to learn whatever lesson I'm supposed to learn at this job then it will be over and I'll move on to other things. For now, perhaps I should just make the best of this swamp that I'm in. Because even swamps have orchids; you just have to look hard to find them.

Last week we had a pretty bad storm during the night that kept me awake from the tree branches hitting the roof. It was pretty scary, what with being woke up in the middle of the night and all and I found myself praying that a big branch or tree didn't come crashing down and crush the roof/house. Now I'm a fairly spiritual person, but not by conventional means and while I have my own version of prayer, it's rare that it ever is about me personally. I might "pray" for other people or about my concerns for the world, but I'd be hard pressed to remember a recent time when I actually asked for something for myself. Which is pretty damn stupid. Much like a lottery where you can't win if you don't play, it's a bit hard to receive if you don't ask in the first place.

Well, that's enough navel gazing for the night. Here's hoping that everyone who has a holiday weekend has a fantastic one.

My dad's back home and I try the 5-hour energy drink
The hospital was able to bring my dad's fever down and they sent him back home early this morning with a prescription for some mega-antibiotic. So he's home resting, albeit not comfortably, but at least he's back at home. And he's been referred to another kidney specialist since this episode was kidney related and he needs to get a second opinion on that kidney cancer anyway.

Now I could have used a heck of a lot more sleep before heading off to work today, but as one of the few people scheduled on Saturdays I couldn't really justify calling in. Unfortunately my ration of two cups of half-strength coffee didn't do much to help me get moving and I wasn't going to drink more than that and send my blood pressure any higher than it already was from lack of sleep and worry. So I decided to stop at 7-11 on the way into work and give the 5-hour energy drink a try. I've looked at it before and it seemed like an interesting formula that's now available with no caffeine, but it's pretty expensive so I've never tried it. This morning though, I was feeling a little desperate seeing how Saturdays are always hectic and I really needed a boost of some sort. With more caffeine off-limits, it seemed like the logical choice. Now I don't know if it was a coincidence, but I was actually laughing and smiling at work this morning, and on a Saturday no less! The only downside was that it had the usual side effect that B vitamins have on me so I was STARVING long before lunch time. And any extra boost I might have had is now gone so it's definitely nap time. But I think I'll get some more and experiment with it next week. If it continues to have that sort of effect on me on mornings when I'm dragging then it will be well worth the cost.

TWIN FALLS

This is the west half of the Gus Fruh access,the creek is wider and deeper.Irene and I were on the trail around 7 am.So quiet,just us and the woods.I really like going early on these hikes.



Barton creek...



I like how you can see the bottom of this creek,a look into another world altogether.




Irene was off leash all the way in and half way out.When we started to encounter others on the trail she was leashed up.But she was particularly feisty this morning.It was fun to watch her race around and at the same time cool that she stayed close in her racing.She is an awesome friend.




We didn't make it all the way to the falls,but we still covered about 4 miles...I like to go off roading :)What an awesome way to kick off the weekend...

Up too late
My dad's in the emergency room right now and I'm at home waiting to hear what's up. As I was sitting here waiting, I realized how much times have changed. In the past, the long ago distant past, my brother and I would head up to the hospital and hang out in the waiting room for hours while mom was off somewhere in the bowels of the hospital with my dad. We might get an update once and a while if we were lucky, but for the most part we just sat there for hours until he was either released to go home or admitted. That could take all all night or all day. Eventually we got wise to the process and realized we were providing no real benefit to my mom or my dad by cooling our heels in the waiting room so we'd just stay home until mom could give us a call from a pay phone. The problem with pay phones though is you gotta have change and who remembers to grab change when rushing off to the emergency room? And on the receiving end of the call you have to stay parked by the phone at home to grab the call because you can't call back if you miss it. Keep in mind this is the emergency room part of the process. Once someone is admitted in a regular room, there's phone access to the room or if they get put in ICU then you can call the nurses desk. But the emergency room part of it is always a no-man's land. However, this time, thanks to the convenience of cell phones, my mom can call me from that no-man's land and give me updates. And if I miss the call because I'm in the restroom or I dozed off then I can call her back. It's an awesome convenience, but you know what? I still can't seem to let myself drift off to sleep and here I sit waiting...

277 VOLTS MEANS BUSINESS

One of my brothers got electrocuted today...he's a journeyman and had never been seriously bit before.He joined the club today,I heard his scream because we were less than 10 feet away...it's a creepy fucking scream.Unlike my experience last year,277 will blow you off-provided you have somewhere to be blown off to.He was wedged into a ceiling grid,somehow it let him go and he made it down the ladder.
And I am glad he did.We all laughed it off,but I god damn guarantee you we were all more vigilant as a result.
As we should be.This is dangerous work.
On a lighter note...Ann had me pick up the new Death Cab for Cutie CD this evening...it rules.
Get it...now.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE"!

When operating a ramset,you are required to say this aloud each time before you fire it.A ramset is a powder actuated tool-meaning it uses a blank bullet to propel a fastener into the concrete ceiling.You also have to be licensed to operate one,Clark and I are the only electricians on this crew with the proper papers,so it falls on us to operate the "viper".Pictured below...



So,the main safety guy for the general contractor was talking to my foreman right next to me while I was using this thing and he says to my foreman and I after reading the back of my hard hat(it has REV in sharpie marker across the back)..."You mean to tell me that we have a reverend on this job site"? I respond with "As a matter of fact,yes,you do".My foreman just looks bewildered and the safety guy asks incredulously,"Ordained reverend"??? To which I respond,"Yes,I'm an ordained reverend".He chews on that for a second,then smiles and says"Far out".
It was very amusing to me.
Any way,I said I would post some pics the other day of the mess of the ceiling were dealing with,but first....I give you Capt. Fred and his chopped ocean clams.



This is the funniest canned good I've seen in a very long time.




It's very tight in some spots...



Navigating our pipe runs around all these vertical supports is a challenge.




Clark and I called that mass of expandable foam around that water line the brain...It was in our way,requiring me to perform surgery.When I cut into it with my saw,it shot out a spray of water!Some bonehead maintainance guy actually used this shit to patch a leak!We decided we were not brain surgeons and changed our path a bit to the left.
Never a dull moment people....:)

Morning chuckle
Some mornings I check my work's announcement board before I head off to work. It's not unusual to see a surprise or two and this morning was no exception. Apparently there has been some abuse of the dress code and it has been updated and put into effect immediately. Any employee violating the code will be sent home. Well, I'm glad I checked before I set off to work in my pajama pants and house shoes (two of the new items on the list.) Not that I ever actually wear that to work, but still - it was good for a chuckle.

Summer Time and the grillin's easy
(sung to Sublime's Summer Time)

We tried a new recipe tonight that we nicked somewhere off the internet.

Pork and Apple Kebabs

1/2 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds (about 1 1/2 inches each) pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise and cut into 16 cubes
1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

1. Heat grill to medium-high. Make the sauce: In a large bowl, combine jam, vinegar, tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Assemble 4 long skewers, alternating 4 pork cubes with 2 onion wedges and 2 apple wedges on each (begin with pork and end with apple). Roll skewers in remaining tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Lightly oil grates. Place skewers on grill; cover grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until grill marks are visible, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Open grill; baste skewers with some sauce, and cook, turning skewers and basting occasionally with more sauce, until pork is no longer pink in the center and is nicely glazed, 4 to 8 minutes more.

Serves 4.

Rob didn't follow this exactly. He couldn't find apricot jam so he bought apricot preserves. He also used apple cider vinegar instead of just cider vinegar. And he put the sauce on right away, cooked it over lower heat for a longer time (grill lid closed) and used twice the sauce amount. It worked out fine and they were very, very tasty.




Ready for grillin'









Sauced around the coals









Ready to eat - yum!

OUR DOGS ARE FUNNY LIKE THAT

Ann went to bed around 9:30 tonight,and Theo made a b-line to the bed ahead of her.And for the next 30 minutes or so kept coming out in the hall staring at me expectantly,only to turn around and go get back on the bed.I think he has to have us both in the bed to go to sleep,and I was totally jamming him up.Irene in the meantime was contentedly curled up just behind my chair waiting patiently for the moon to loosen it's grip on me and allow me to go to bed.
It was too hot for Irene to have a ride tonight,almost too hot for porch time,but she got a short one.It was miserably hot,even after 8pm.
Work was pretty cool today,Clark and I got to work together all day,and that's a good thing.We did these home run conduits in that impossibly crowded ceiling,requiring lots of creative bending,what started out as a total rat job actually turned out to look pretty good.We've come a long way since our time together with Rusty,and it shows.
I think I got my pipe bending mojo back today.
You would be amazed at how fucked up these ceilings are,This building is old and has been re-piped and re-wired several times...in fact,I'll take some pictures tomorrow to show you what kind of challenges we are dealing with.And the cool thing is,we are making it work.
I'm not particularly enjoying this job,but overall I still love my job and the challenges presented.
Theo just popped out into the hall again and gave me that look and a little "boof",so I guess I should go to bed.Ha!:)

The Deathchair 2000

So named for it's propensity to try and kill you. Notoriously unstable, all manner of interesting things can happen when you first sit down in it, or when you are successfully sitting and shift your position a bit, or when you attempt to get up. Large quantities of adult beverages increase your hazards, though they make up for it in the long run by causing you to become amused rather than irritated by the damn chair (and they also help ease the pain of being dumped on your ass by the thing.) Just make sure your drinking buddy has one as well so you can laugh at him too and not just at yourself.

It was so hot today

How hot was it? Hot enough for me to stop at Wal-Mart on the way home just to cool off between work and home. My car has no air-conditioning, the driver's side window doesn't roll down and it sat in the direct sun from 8 am to 3 pm so it was pretty toasty inside. I left the other windows down several inches since there was no rain in the forecast and nothing in the car that anyone would want to steal, but that didn't seem to help much. Anyway, I normally won't set foot in Wal-Mart unless there's something specific I need that I can't get it anywhere else for less than twice the price. But today stop wasn't really a shopping trip, just a chance to cool down a bit. I checked prices on things like birdseed (not cheaper) and bird feeders (not cheaper) and BBQ grills (not cheaper) and plus size clothing (nothing I wanted to wear, but definitely cheaper) and I was going to even grab a few things for dinner but once again they were not cheaper. I did leave with one item, one of those folding lounge chairs that we call the "Deathchair 2000". I've been looking for one of these for for a couple of years now, never finding one for the $9.99 I was willing to spend. It was $10.43, but I was willing to pay a bit more due to today's higher fuel prices. They also had the model we call the "Deathchair 5000" which is a little better and $5 more. I was seriously considering that one (has a cloth seat instead of vinyl) but they were boxed up and sitting high up on a shelf and they wouldn't get them down and sell me one. Oh well, the cheaper model happens to be a bright green (my favorite color), so I guess it was meant to be. Once the temp drops a bit this evening, I plan to try it out on the front porch. I'll get Rob to take a picture later so you know what I'm talking about; for now it's just too hot to bother getting it out of the trunk.

P.S. It's gotten hotter since I took that picture. The themometer at 4:30 pm reads just a tad over 100 degrees!

FUCKING MOON

It's 100% full,so that means I'm officially 100% crazy for at least 24 hours And I miss my mom too.Funny how she comes up whenever theres a full moon...ha!I wish I could talk to her and tell her about my life,I suppose I could,but it would be like talking to the ceiling And god dammit...sleep escapes me.
I hate the fucking full moon

POCKET STUFF AGAIN

Overalls have many deep pockets,lots of room for lots of stuff...




We have 3 different sizes of wire nuts,some knock out seals,assorted screws,2 different allen wrenches,some change,a receipt,and my beloved gypsy.A gravity knife I've had for 25 years.That came out of the shorts pocket I wore to the park(s) this weekend.It's not a work knife,it's a "just in case" knife,if you know what I mean.


I've never had occasion to use it in 25 years...knock on wood.


I watched a very disturbing movie called Frontier(s) tonight,it's a French film with sub titles and very,very violent.It puts Hostel to shame,comparatively,Hostel is light comedy.Now,that's an over statement to be sure,but Frontier(s) is some brutal shit,plus,it's in French...the language of love.Ewww.It's enough to give me nightmares I'm afraid.And those are the only kind of dreams I have.Business as usual,right?
Speaking of business...some electrician on another job got crushed to death the other day when he hit a wall on a snorkel lift and the wall fell in on him,overturning his lift.Brick sandwich.One of the guys on our crew knew him.Bummer...



SNORKEL LIFT,IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING...

I know when I leave the house every morning that I might not come home in one piece,or at all for that matter.You can only be careful and have your tool buddies back and hope he has yours.

There's this other guy on the crew who is kind of odd,but in a good way.Obviously very intelligent,in fact,I'm kind of surprised he's an electrician.(But hey,I am too,so go figure).He asks some off the wall questions.He's about Kyles age and I don't think he knows quite what to make of me.I'm old enough to be his father,but,while I am all long haired and tattooed,His Dad (who also works for the company)is a typical 40 something redneck electrician (not that there's anything wrong with that...I like him just fine,after all,I'm just a redneck too,I just don't like barbers and I like skin illustrations). So he throws this out to me,out of the blue,this morning...paraphrased...because I can't remember exactly how he said it...
"Hey Rob,let me ask you a question...if it was the end of the world and you were to survive and you had your choice of one book what would that book be?"Meaning that the book I chose would be my guidepost to the future.
I was stumped.And I told him I needed to think about that one and I'd get back with him.
I'm thinking Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter Thompson,or,the king James version of the bible...just kidding,it would totally be Jonathan livingston seagull.No...A Prayer for Owen Meany...
Oh alright,MAD magazine.
:)

Man, Kini would have a field day in the woods.We really need to introduce our dogs:P
bsd | 05.18.08 - 12:19 pm | #

And we did...Beenz was delighted to go for 2 walks in one day,and I wasn't going to pass up the chance to hang out with my son.The dogs got on famously and a good time was had by all at searight park,we even got some stoners to take our picture,man...gotta love those pot heads.



DOG,SON,DOG (L TO R)


WATER DOGS...


WATER DOGS x 2...


HAPPY TRAILS...


THANKS STONERS!REALLY...


PEBBLES...CAN YOU SEE IT?





THE GOOD GRANDSON,SEAN...MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

WEST BOULDIN CREEK

Just a few blocks from the house,never been there...


Just a trail along bouldin creek and the tracks that run behind our house.



Irene had a good time...


Graffiti in the woods...odd,but there are railroad tracks nearby...


Spider webs in the morning are cool...


Train...train!Take me on out of this town...


Creepy hollow.
A nice Sunday morning walk I think...

GUS FRUH ACCESS IS THE SHIT




Irene was off leash the whole time...early bird percs...we ran into other dogs but it was all good.



Gus Fruh is a jungle...



These chains have been here for years...something to hang onto,Buddy hated this spot,but Irene rolled right through.






What a wonderful place...









Another one within 2 miles of the house,I spent many years on this greenbelt...it's my favorite place.