Views From the Back Row: November 2005

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Observations

Just a few minor observations from the past couple of days--

HNT

Shumpy

Half-Nekkid Thursday

HNT

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Football, Post Finishing, and More Pics

Well, my Griz lost. Mightily. To Cal Poly. The good thing is that they've got a freshman quarterback who's got experience, and will probably be the starter for the next 3 years. The downfall of the Griz shouldn't rest on his shoulders, but I'm sure there's some finger pointing. I predict that next year should be a better year.

On the other hand, Carroll College is rolling on to it's anticipated 4th national championship in NAIA. They are one of four remaining teams. They'll host one more playoff game next week, and, assuming they'll win, they go on to the chapmionship game in Savannah, TN. GO SAINTS!

To finish off my post from last night--the only subject I didn't get to was the new good friend. A particular blogger got home late Thursday night and emailed me to see if I was up or not. Well, I had 2 hours time difference on her, so I replied back. We decided to chat, and ended up spending about 2 and a half hours with her. Maybe more. Just about everything was chatted about. The good and the bad. We both had plenty to share. It was a wonderful evening, and I look forward to more chats like that in the future (hopefully not so late into the night during the week, but who knows?). So to M.-- thank you for a wonderful evening!!

I figured now that I've got this very nice camera, I should take some pictures with it and start posting them on the other site. So I've posted some more pics from Thanksgiving. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to come back for more! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Football Heaven!

Well, I drank too many beers last night with just.a.girl without the food to balance it. Oops! I really do like drinking beer with her! We were joined by another former student of mine who was up from Phoenix to visit family over Thanksgiving. So the talk and the beer flowed freely. I had planned on finishing my post below last night--I've got some thoughts I need to finish. But that got pushed to this morning, and now to this afternoon. But it will be sporadic. I've got both of my football teams on TV!! Damn, I love the playoffs! Those of you whose teams are bigtime and play in a system that never chooses a true champion--you have no idea what you're missing out on! So anyway, it's alot of football, a little beer, maybe a turkey sammie and a little bit o' blogging.

GO SAINTS! GO GRIZ!!

Friday, November 25, 2005

Turkey Hangover Musings

If you haven't done it yet, go get yourself placed on the Frappr map over there in the sidebar! That goes for the numerous Texans and Tennesseeans, in particular!!!

Well, I'm feelin' just a little full--of turkey, of myself, of blogworld losers, and a new real good friend. Please follow along....

Kneeling: S2, N3
Middle: Nephew, Mom, S3
Back: N2, N1, BIL1, BIL2, Dad, Os

That's the family, except for S1 and her hubby. They're in OR. Note the card table to the right. The kiddie table. Except in this family it means the 4 youngest males. Grunt, grunt. In this family that means everyone but Dad. Forty-eight years old, and I'm still at the kiddie table. We gorged, as usual. It's really quite obscene. Even at that, there were still plenty of leftovers, so being the poor bachelor son in the family--I'll be eating well for awhile! Alot of beer and wine. Lots of conversation. It was nice, but it's always nice to get away from them too!

In my post-turkey delirium, I started to feel a little down. Then I came to a realization. I am very possessive about my blogfriends. I don't like sharing them. I don't like that I have to share them with some other of my blogfriends, or worse--bloggers I don't know! I don't want to share them with their real lives. I want to have them at my beck and call. All the time. I've been feeling this way about a few of you guys. I'm not getting the phone calls or emails or chats (well, I guess I'd have to have a chat program running...) that I realized I need/want. Of course, I'm hardly the most dependable person to return emails/phone calls/whatever, but that's "different". Some of you might recognize yourselves here, some won't. Don't worry about it. Part of this is still my funk, part of it is my turkey hangover. But I never realized how much I value you guys!

I was out and about, checking out HNTs, and came across a disturbing trend. Some very fine sites are shutting down or altering their sites due to the rude comments of others. Seems that there's a new crop of assholes out there. (BTW--for as much as I hate the FLAG up there in the corner, let's use it on some of these guys. I suggest this asshole first. Just click on the FLAG on his blog!) We've all seen how it's been creeping in. There have been a couple of "editorials" about this as well, and as soon as I have permission to steal them, I'll post them here. They need to be read.

The other thing that I've noticed about our HNT community is that there are some definite neighborhoods that have formed. Certain bloggers have developed a kinship with others, and regularly visit each other. I have found a couple of these neighborhoods that I didn't know existed, and continue to add them to the Nekkid roll. It's actually quite fascinating!

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Blue & Gold HNT

If you haven't done it yet, go get yourself placed on the Frappr map over there in the sidebar! That goes for the numerous Texans and Tennesseeans, in particular!!!
I cannot tell you how much it pains me to be posting this particular HNT. This weekend was the 105th "Brawl of the Wild" here in Montana. The UM Grizzlies (8-2) from Missoula invading the turf of the MSU Bobcats (6-4) in Bozeman. This was actually a no-brainer. The Cats were lucky to win many of their games--mostly in the last minute. The Griz on the other hand, were headed to the NCAA 1-AA playoffs for a record 16th time (13 in a row!). So in my oh, so cocky manner, I challenged my oldest and dearest bloggerbuddy Lizabeth, who lives in Bozeman, to a bet. Even though she didn't attend MSU, by law, if you live in Bozeman, you MUST root for the Cats, even though they were clearly the lesser team. So the bet was made--the loser would have to post themselves in the colors/gear of the winning team for their next HNT. I even had a cute little boxer shorts/tank top combo picked out for her. I would have gone with the thong, guys, but I couldn't find any Griz thongs...

Well, hell. The short story--the Griz sucked, the Cats played very well, and their QB, Travis Lulay (one of the best QBs in the country), ended his collegiate career by beating the Griz. So now I have to do the whole blue & gold thing. But, I sort of have an out...

What I don't think she realized is that I, Osbasso, supporter of all that is Griz, actually got my first degree from MSU. I didn't learn anything really from MSU, other than how to party. And I was a very good student in that area! At one time I despised the Grizzly Nation. I bled blue & gold. Thank God those days are long past. Unfortunately, there's plenty of documentation of my time there, so I can't just wish it away. These were the 70s. The time of disco, too. I firmly believe that the 70s were nothing more than a Commie plot to bring down the country, but I digress... I present to you, in all its glory (be sure to click the pics--you don't want to miss these!), my MSU days...

There's the picture of me knee-deep in the Gallatin River, pouring beer into the river from the keg at my feet, with wisps of my long, blow-dried hair wafting in the gentle breeze (recognize the locale, L.?); and there's me with a couple of my pep band buddies (flute players--yes, we're squeezing each other's butts) at a basketball game, with my now uncut hippie hair scaring all the locals;

me at the top of Hungry Horse Dam in northwestern MT with my hippie hair gone, replaced by the hip, disco/afro-like hair; and finally with Kathy, and my hair doing its own thing, and me with a smile that means only one thing--I'm gettin' laid tonight! God, how I miss those days!

In looking at these, a few things stand out. Yes, that's the same yellow shirt in three of the pictures. Yes, at one time I was actually SKINNY (though I seem to remember that I thought I was overweight at the time--who knew?)! Yes, that's probably the only picture you'll ever see of me without facial hair. Yes, all four pictures were taken at different stages of the last year of my teenage years.

Knowing that you guys would probably cry "foul" if I left it at this, I scrounged around and found the sweater (yes, the same one from up above). It doesn't fit quite the way it used to, but I found the alumni newsletter, complete with an order form for new MSU gear (like I'll really order any), and I've got the website of the Missoulian with the story of the loss, even though you can't read it very well. I even added a special bonus for Lizabeth only--can you spot it, L.? The rest of you don't need to bother--you don't know what you're looking for. And no, it's not the picture of my nieces on the all, perverts! Back off!

No one took me up on my offer to host their pics, but a number of them let me know that they had posted early on their sites for travel reasons or whatever. Be sure to check these sites out: Damasta, VirgoJen, Zulu, Rachel, katehopeeden, Ann and Robyn. In addition, these people living east of the US east coast posted in their own Thursdays: Paul, Wenchy and Mistress Dirtbag. Don't ignore them!!

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope you have alot to be thankful for! Personally, I'm thankful for the friends and community that HNT has brought to me. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this to become what it has! So I thank each and every one of you! Even you heathens who aren't celebrating Thanksgiving today!!If you're traveling, be safe. If you're with family, enjoy your time together. If for some reason you're alone, remember that you really aren't--we're all here with you! I'll be eating an extra slice of turkey for all of you!

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Carroll College

As previously mentioned, Carroll College is favored to win its 4th consecutive NAIA Football Championship next month. The picture in the header is of QB Tyler Emmert. His completion percentage is now just over 70.5 percent as he stands with 977 completions in 1,385 attempts. The NAIA record is 66.2 percent and no college quarterback has ever completed 70 percent with a minimum of 1,000 attempts. I believe that is also better than any other level of collegiate or professional football. Emmert is 48-3 as the starting quarterback of the Saints. He was 24-0 as quarterback for Capital High.

PeeMan is peeing on Montana Tech, home of the Orediggers. They are Carroll's next opponent in the playoffs. They are located in Butte, which is less than an hour south of Helena on I-15. Should be a good crowd!

HNT Holiday Hosting

Well, no one took me up on my offer, so expect HNT to be "business as usual"!

I've had a number of people question me about whether or not we'd have HNT next week or not, since about 90% or more of us will be celebrating Thankgiving. In my omniscient manner, I have decided that YES!, we'll still run HNT next week! And I offer an option--knowing that many of you will be traveling on Wednesday (or earlier), I will host any HNT pictures for you in case you won't be near a computer. You will be posted with just your website address to identify you. No commentary from you, no comments from us.

"But Os," I hear you all gasp. "I'm a comment whore. I NEED my comments!!" I've thought about this, too! I will link your website address back to your site, where you'll put up a one-time post called "Thanksgiving HNT Comments". Then everyone can comment to you on that post! You can set that up now and keep it as a draft until you leave for your Thanksgiving obligations. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than nothing at all? Absolutely. Is this going to be an incredible pain in the ass? Not for anyone but me, but since we all know that I do whatever it takes to make you, the loyal HNTers, happy, I'll make the sacrifice! It's not like I'll be doing anything else anyway!

So email me your pics. I'm going to set up a new email account for this. Anyone have a gmail invite they need to get rid of?
EDIT!!! I have a gmail account! Thank you Serra! Send the above-mentioned HNT pictures to: osbasso@gmail.com
Yeah, you know me--Mr. Originality with the name!

Monday, November 21, 2005

Announcement!

Hey, everybody. You need to go check out Ty's blog. Go. Now.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

25 Questions Answered! (v2.0--this is a honkin' long one!)

You asked, I'll answer! Though some of you were sneaky and got in 2 or 3 questions at once! That's OK, I'll deal with it! Some very good questions--even a couple of real tough ones. All my answers are all true, without anything witty, unless, of course, I couldn't come up with anything else. Without further ado:

Sasha asks: In your "funk" post you said you're tired of feeling alone... you're tired of being alone. My question is this: WHY are you alone?
Sasha starts it out tough! By lonely, I'm speaking of coming home to an empty apartment, eating alone, etc. I have friends--I'm not pathetic. Perhaps, when it comes down to it, I tend to be shy. Those who know me might find that laughable. But the truth is, I am very shy. I no longer feel comfortable making the "first move". I don't have an interest trolling the bars for a woman--just not my type. I tend to find that I become very good friends with females who are involved in the same things that I am--music. And beer drinking. However, I find that they tend to be much younger than me, which means that they're there for my company and fun. Not with the thought that anything else is going to happen. I've grown comfortable with that scenario. But someday, I'd like to come home and have someone waiting there for me...
TechyMike asks: So what's your favorite instrumental joke?
There's so many of them, and so many variations on them, it's hard to pick just one. And most of them would mean absolutly nothing to a non-musician. But probably my most favorite trombone one: What do you call a guy who knows how to play the trombone, but doesn't? A gentleman. ba-dum-bump
Monkey asks: When are you coming to Cali?
I've never been to California. Most every other state in the west, but not there. Perhaps OsTour can take a look at that in the future, but no definite plans right now. Sorry!
Minta asks: Has anyone been honest enough to cry when you've played solo for them?? ...and who was it?
I've played lots of solos that have brought tears to people's eyes! Just that bad! Actually, I've never serenaded an object of my affections. Mostly because I'm not really a soloist. While I can improvise (some) during a gig, or play a solo passage in an orchestral piece, or warming up by myself before a gig while others are around, I rarely play something totally alone for someone's consumption. On the other end of the scale, about two or three summers ago, I showed up at our "Alive @ 5" party (see archives for description) a little tipsy from just coming off the golf course. Ran into a 19 y.o. acquaintance who dragged me into the middle of the street to dance. A nice slow dance, even though the music was rockin' out. And while we're dancing, she starts singing "I've Got You Under My Skin". She's singing Sinatra to me! Totally oblivious to our surroundings. That brought a tear to my eye. I'd never had Sinatra sung to me. And by a 19 y.o. at that!
Jo asks: What is your favorite (and happy) kid memory?
In the early 60's, my birthday fell on Easter Sunday. That was way cool. I was 6, maybe 7. Not only did I score with birthday presents, but I got one of the special eggs at the Easter Egg Hunt. The prize was a shiny, new JFK half-dollar. As an impressionable kid, JFK was like an equal to the Pope. And I remember, in my little kid way, that JFK wasn't around, but there was still this fascination with him. And now I've got this half-dollar! We go to my grandparent's house for an Easter/birthday dinner, and my present from my grandfather was a shiny, new JFK half-dollar!!! I scored two of them in one day!!!
Sherry W. asks:If you could magically get rid of one of your bad habits (presuming you have bad habits *grin*), what would it be?
I don't have the standard "vices" (smoking, drinking, drugs, criminal behavior). So I guess I'd say my sense of timing. In years past, I usually would show up for things fairly early. "On time" meant "late". I've gotten into a bad habit of walking in at the last second, or even late. I hate that in others, yet I'm doing it myself more and more. I'd like to take care of that.
Addict asks: If you could ask three blog people any question, what would you ask to whom?
Bug's Butt--How do you come up with your material?
Binsk--How do you come up with your poses?
?????--May I take your next 6 months worth of HNT pics?
Susie asks: On what criteria do you base your decision on commenting on an HNT, for example, if it's a woman, does she have to show her boobies or butt to peak your interest?
As Kalani answered right after this question, I don't even comment on all the boobie shots! I've taken alot of flak about this over the past few months. When this all first started, I used to comment on everyone's HNT. Used to stay up until midnight before I got through them. NOW, I can (and often have) stayed up until 4 AM, and still not get to everyone who's posted on Wed. night! And that's with leaving few, if any comments. I should note that I check EVERY post that is mentioned in my comments. All 300+ comments. On the weekends, I'll go through the sidebar and check on people that I don't remember seeing earlier. But by the time the next HNT rolls around, I will have visited just about everybody's site. Yes, some sites slip through the cracks, but that's just do to the popularity of the thing--not because I have a "blacklist" of sites! I tend to find that I'll comment early, and I'll comment on the weekends. In between, it's just impossible to do anymore. Besides, you guys are doing a great job of it anyway.

I don't mean to imply that there are bad ones--I think every HNT is revealing in one way or another, depending on the person posting it. So what DO I comment on? I try to say something to the newbies, but that's falling by the wayside. If it's something spectacular, I'll comment. If it's something that is out of the ordinary that we've come to expect from a certain person, I'll comment. If someone posts a "tame" shot and apologizes for it, I'll usually comment. While I applaud and encourage the direction HNT has gone for some people, it's not a contest, and some people just are not going to do the boobie or ass shot. NOR SHOULD THEY FEEL THEY HAVE TO!! Lastly, there's a group of us who have done this almost everytime from Day 1. I do feel a connection to the charter members, if you will, and often will comment on theirs, simply because commenting is a regular mode of communication with them. It's too late for this now, but the short answer--If it's outstanding, I'll probably comment.
Chickie asks: What is your least favorite food?
I've never been one to pass up food, but a general class would be veggies. Tomatos, for sure. Yes, I can eat them in salsa or spaghetti sauce, but put a slice on my hamburger, and I'll puke! Brussel sprouts, canned spinach, canned asparagus, artichokes, avocados. Don't get on my case about designations here. If it ain't meat, it's a veggie. I regret not having grown up around seafood. Oysters, clams, mussels, squid, etc. Just seems unnatural. I'm sure I'd like it if I'd grown up near the coast, but it just make more sense to chop up and eat an ugly mammal that chews grass, squirts milk and makes cowpies.
Tracey asks: Have you ever wanted to post a blog about someone you know in real life, but didn't because you know they read your blog (and would know you're talking about them) and you didn't want to hurt their feelings or piss a lot of people off?
I guess that, by choice, I don't attack individuals. I tend to avoid confrontation. I don't like to be at the center of it. None of my family reads this, and other than a couple of fellow bloggers, I can only think of a half dozen acquaintances (not even friends) who read it. So there's very few who would object to anything I'd say.

I think that if a group of friends (such as yourselves) or family (such as Addict's) are reading one other, then there needs to be some ground rules developed amongst you as to what you will and won't post about. Or if someone posts something controversial, how you'll respond to one another. It could be quite destructive. By the same token, it can be a wonderful thing to share, too. Again--the short answer is "No."
Jayne asks: What happened with Laurie in 1981?
Jayne is referring to the previous "25 Questions"--I believe it was along the lines of "If you could change one thing in the past, what would it be?" I answered with Laurie in 1981, with no more explanation. You're still not going to get an explanation. I will say that it was ill-advised, it would disappoint many of you, and it's something I'm not terribly proud of. To clarify though--I'm not talking about sexual assault, physical assault, drugs, alcohol or anything like that, and that until after I moved for grad school, we were, and remained, friends. That should keep you busy wondering for awhile!
Jessica/Redneck Eskimo asks: Boxers or Briefs?
Briefs. White. Sorry.
Freiya asks: Some big shot director in Hollywood has decided to make a film of your life, so which actor would play the part of you ? or more importantly which actor would you like to play you?
Well, that would have to be John Belushi, somewhere between his "Animal House" role and his role in "Continental Divide" (which was a semi-serious role). Since that's going to be a little difficult, I'd have to say Russell Crowe (I'm not sure why, but I thought he looked good in "Gladiator", in that non-gay, male bonding sort of way....).
Deadly Female asks: Do you believe in reincarnation and why do you believe or not believe (as the case may be...)?
I don't think that I do. Why bother with reincarnation if you don't know about it when it happens? Why don't I feel like the reincarnated soul of a 13th century peasant from Italy? Or anything else? Or why would I come back as a cow? To be honest, I've never read up on any literature on the belief--I'm thinking along a common sense route. I've just never contemplated the concept.
Kat asks: Is there any reason that you can think of that would cause you to stop blogging altogether?
If the internet fell apart--that would be one reason. Also, if something I wrote caused something horrible to happen to somebody or something like that. I might decide to chuck the whole thing. Or if I was arrested and put in prison. I don't think they allow you to blog in prison. It WON'T be because I've got nothing to say!!
Femi-mommy asks: Who was your first love? (we need the backup story too =)
I refer you to the post about "Volcano Girl" from 5/18/05.
Binsk asks: Where would you most like to visit?
I'd like to hit the British Isles at some time in my life. Or New Zealand. Or explore the castles of Bavaria. Or Toronto...
kb asks: If you were stuck on an island what three blogger buddies would you want to be stuck with and why?
Well, I hate this sort of question, so I'll give it my humorous (?) answer. Firefly, Mona, and Kalani--all three are intelligent, all three would take care of me, and all three would look good half-nekkid on the island. (Lord, I hope I didn't screw up anything here.....)
Lee Ann asks: What are some of the bunches of other stuff besides Symphony and In Cahoots?
This is in reference to my profile, where I say I do other things. I am a part owner in a CD store that's close its retail doors, but continues with a contract to furnish prisoners at the state prisons with new CDs at a cost between wholesale and retail. Up until this year, I taught on a part time basis at Carroll College here in town. I do alot of music arranging, and am currently transcribing (writing the parts from the composer's score) a piece for the Symphony. I play in a brass quartet from time to time, and play bass guitar in a couple of part-time jazz combos. I distribute a free monthly state-wide entertainment newspaper in the Helena area (I'm a paperboy). I golf. I photograph. I travel more than I should. I spend money that I might not necessarily have. I blog.
Erik Axdahl asks: What's the most unappealing thing that has slid out of your (trom)bone while cleaning it?
Gotta love a question from a fellow brass player! The grossest thing happened just a couple of months ago. We played an outdoor gig, where we were attacked by a zillion and a half moths. They were squished, they were swallowed, they were washed down with beer. Click on the pics for a bigger one:

About two weeks later, at a rehearsal, I noticed that there was a nasty smell from the slide. I figure it just needs to be washed. With all the beer I drink at gigs, it was probably fermenting in there. For those of you who have never witnessed it, a dirty brass instrument is fairly gross anyway, with little green things growing inside. You just basically use a snake brush to clean it out, wash it, and watch these globs of green go down the drain. Oh, no. This time was a special treat! One of the moths from over two weeks earlier came out too. In its own little bits and pieces. Having fermented in the beer and other green stuff that was in there. Truly gross!
Lightning Bug's Butt asks: Who's your favorite Backstreet Boy?
Well, I really used to like A.J., but recently I've turned towards Howie. He's just SOOOOO hawt, don't you think??? *muahs*
Gnomey G asks: Why aren't there 75 trombones, or 77? Why not just 12 in the big parade?
When this was first done, it was actually 72 trombones, which worked very well, since you could have 9 rows of 8 trombones in a row. This was just perfect for various marching formations, blend and balance with the rest of the band (wouldn't have to hear the damned flutes or clarinets), and there's nothing quite as stirring as seeing 8 trombones in a row marching and moving their slides in unison. From a vocal point, "72" flowed better in the song, too. Well, the producer's nephews and a couple of their friends talked him into letting them play too, so everything had to be rewritten to what it's known as today. As for only 12 trombones?--I won't even dignify that with an answer!
karendhr asks: If there were 25 hours in a day, what would you do with the extra hour besides sleep?
Well, since you took away the sleep option, I think I'd probably end up surfing the internet longer. Certainly nothing noble like helping my fellow man, or using the time to meditate, or (GASP!) work out!
Bob the Goat asks: "That's it. Twenty-five questions. It took me 2 and a half hours to answer these. Please remind me of this the next time I decide to do another one!" Any regrets on tackling the next 25?
This, too, is taken from the original "25 Questions". No, I don't have any regrets. I find it interesting what people want to know--both the serious and the less-than-serious. And in spite of what it says in my profile, I DO sorta like talking about myself!

Saturday, November 19, 2005

"Half-Nekkid Thursday!" Is 6 Months Old!

On May 19th, 2005, a small idea was brought to fruition. "Half-Nekkid Thursday!", a small brainstorm of Osbasso hit the internet. Originally thought of as a 3-5 week project to involve maybe 5 or 6 blogger friends sort of got out of control. To celebrate, I offer the very first, original HNT! May there be many, many others!

Just a little reminder to all that today is our first "Half-Nekkid Thursday". This is renamed from the "Half-Naked Thursday" found on another blog--wanted to avoid that whole messy copyright infringement issue.

This is my first offering--a ripped open blister on the back of my heel.
DSCF0401

Now, while this might be a bit more graphic than intended, it is an appropriate submission for "Half-Nekkid Thursday".

So be sure to post your personal entry on your own site. Be sure to mention that it's your "Half-Nekkid Thursday" contribution. If you need a refresher of the whole concept, scroll down to the "Mini-Rants and Observations" on this page for details and expectations.

iTunes: Rock the Boat, Hues Corporation

Brawl of the Wild

***EDIT: OH, WELL SHIT.....***

The big game kicks off in less than an hour. University of Montana (8-2) vs. Montana State University (6-4). 105th meeting. Grizzlies vs. Bobcats. Longest rivalry west of the Mississippi. The Griz/'Cat Game (unless you're rooting for MSU--then it's the Cat/Griz game). If the Griz win, they win the conference championship and most likely will host all playoff games up the championship itself in Chatanooga, TN. If the Cats win, then many deserving teams on the "bubble" will be eliminated from the playoffs.

The game is played in Bozeman this year (MSU's home turf), which is where the lovely Lizabeth lives. As a Bozemanite, she is a defacto Bobcat supporter. The economy depends upon that. So even though she didn't go to MSU, she's deluded herself into thinking that the Cats will beat the Griz. In everything. Not just football. I, on the other hand, know better! Anyway--I emailed her to set up the bet, and like a bobcat cowering in the shadows, I have not gotten a response from her. So that indicates to me that she's cool with it (yeah, I know. I'm stretching things here). This is similar to the bet that Chuck and Mel had for the Tennessee/Georgia game earlier this season. The loser has to post themselves wearing the colors/gear of the winning team for the next HNT. Lizabeth, you can't back out now! It's up on the internet, so you're bound by international law to participate! I'd like the picture of you wearing the Grizzly boxers and tank top!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

HNT with Amy

Before introducing Amy--some business to take care of.

Be sure to check in on the Frappr map to let us know where you're at! I've got a button over there in the sidebar, below the HNT and BoobieThon buttons. It doesn't cost you anything, and it's fun to see where we are! Hopefully we can conquer every state!

Tomorrow is Crystal's birthday! Be sure to check her out. She is one of the funniest writers out there! I'm sure with enough encouragement, she could do a special birthday HNT! Or not. Go check her out anyway!

You'll notice that PeeMan has a new target today! This Saturday marks the 105th meeting between the Grizzlies of the University of Montana and the Bobcats of Montana State University. This has been deemed the biggest game of the week in NCAA 1-AA ranks, not because it's the Griz/'Cats, but because of the playoff implications. With a Griz win, they will probably be seeded #2 in the playoffs, and host home games up to the championship. If they lose, they're good enough that they'll get an at-large bid, and probably host one, if not two, games. If the Bobcats win, then they set up a huge tidal wave of teams on the bubble who should be in the playoff, but won't make it. In other words, most everyone in the country is rooting for the Griz. Including yours truly! I've got degrees from both institutions, but I'm a Griz through and through. Their colors are maroon and silver (hence the background page change). GO GRIZ!! (Any bets there, Lizabeth??)

Many of you remember my post about two months ago about me and Michelle, and her loyalty to me, even when there were others. And I posted a picture of the two of us in the tub together. Well, here is one of the others. This would be her little half-sister Amy. And how she sees me--

Since this is my triumph personal return to HNT, I had to make sure that the camera got in there too! These aren't the shots I was going for, but the way that the inner bell of the horn distorted things was crazy! I must have taken about 100 shots last night! So anyway, a double treat in honor of my return! Now it's time to post and enable the comments! Have a great HNT!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Dad Update/Questions/Blogger Shutdown/Zubbles!

I should have posted this earlier, I suppose. My ISP just went down all over town. Customer service says it won't be up for at least an hour. Well, I suppose I can finish this then go to bed...

Dad was scheduled for 11:00 AM surgery. He was #5 in line. He didn't get in until around 3:00. Apparently someone ahead of him had complications. So everyone had to wait. Sorta like this....

Mom called me at around 5:30. Apparently things went well. But there's good news and less-than-good news. The stents that were there already are fine. And there's no real blockage of any of the arteries. But they still don't know why his heart is weak. There's some portion of a test (help me here Moose) that should be at least 60%. His last test (the reason he had to go in today) he was at 44%, and on the table he had fallen to 37%. So he gets a pacemaker. But he has to go to Billings to get it (very good heart center there), and they're booked until sometime in December. Hope he makes it! At least this will give me time to butter him up about the whole will thing!!

I will answer the 25 Questions (see post above) as soon as I get the full 25. Right now I'm at 21. Remember that I won't answer previously-answered questions! See the link for those questions in the post! I can tell you now that there's a couple of questions that are going to be tough for me to answer!

I'd like to thank Blogger for announcing their 2-hour "shutdown" last night. I announced it so that anyone who needed to finish up a post or whatever could do it. Well, I was blogging through the entire time that they were supposed to be down. Thanks, Blogger, for making me look like a jackass! (like I need their help to do that!)

Some fun news! We've all blown soap bubbles as kids at some point in our lives. Some of us have probably dabbled in the art of the really huge bubbles, too! Well, somebody decided that the world needed now were COLORED bubbles! Not the boring, but beautiful clear ones. COLORED ones! And the result of this decision? Zubbles!

"For the first time, children will be able to choose their favorite Zubbles from a range of rich, vibrant colors, and experience the magic of watching colored bubbles float through the air. And, using a new class of patent pending specialty dyes developed by C2C Technologies, the color in Zubbles® magically disappears when exposed to air, water or pressure."So that's pretty cool! I think they'll be available in February...

Well, my internet's back up, and within 15 minutes! Guess I'd better apologize. Yeah, right! Go get your pics ready--don't forget that my comments will be disabled this afternoon!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Questions again...

LAST EDIT: I have my 25 questions. Look for the answers this weekend!

I was browsing through my archives yesterday. I'd forgotten most of what I'd ever written! It was all quite interesting! Well, relatively interesting, anyway. One that caught my eye was from August. It's where, in a fit of being uninspired, I opened up the floor to questions. I answered the first 25 questions that were asked of me. This is how I worded it:

Go ahead and ask me a question--any question. I'll answer it as truthfully as I can. Hints--don't ask me about philosophy, politics, books, art or movies. I don't do any of them. And sex questions will get you painfully dull answers, trust me! Anything else is fair game. I will answer the first 25 questions asked. Limit--one question per person.I suppose it's time to do it again! I'll answer the first 25 questions received. There's enough new readers since August that it should be fun! If you had a question answered the first time around, wait for a couple of days to allow new people to ask! And if you want to see what the 25 questions were the last time, go here. Seriously, I like doing this!!

Ewwww.....

Not much grosses me out anymore, but this is just wrong....

Monday, November 14, 2005

Blogger PSA

Hey, I kinda like that. Other than the tag on it... Thanks Tracey!

A couple of things before she shuts down tonight--

Dad goes to the hospital tomorrow at 11 AM. Thanks all for your good wishes. I think everything's going to be fine.

After everyone made a comment on my mother, I went back and took a look--she IS a good looking woman! I always new that growing up, but I haven't really taken a hard look at her recently. Not bad for 70! Thanks for making me look!

Addict had a good idea to move the "questions" post up higher. Many of my might have missed it. Be sure to check my prior 25 questions (there's a link)--I won't answer a repeat. Jenny, if you see this--pick a different question! Roselly--books are off limit, only because I don't read. You can ask a different question, too. This is your chance to get into the head of Os! A couple of you have already asked some toughies. I plan to answer these seriously (or as seriously as I can!). Fun questions are acceptable too!

According to my calculations, Blogger goes dark in 30 minutes! Catch you on the other side!

EDIT--It's 25 minutes after the time it's supposed to shut down (for 2 hours). So who knows when things will happen??

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Dad Update/Mom's B-Day

(If you haven't read the previous post yet, do it. This one will make so much more sense!)

Well, I went down to visit my parents this afternoon. That makes it sound like it's a rare ocassion that I do so. Far from it! But I hadn't seen them since before the Portland trip. So I asked my dad what exactly was going on. For as glib as he was yesterday (and the transcript of the phone call is pretty close to verbatim), he didn't seem that way today. He was still his old self, but there was a sense of nervousness about him. For the first time, I think he's beginning to think about things. As Kalani commented on the last post--it's "just" a catheter and stent. And I think that's the way we've all been thinking about it. In talking about things, he said that his heart just isn't pumping as hard as it should, and they don't know why. That's why they're going to go poking around there on Tuesday. And he fully expects to be sporting a pacemaker in the near future.

But the thing that got me to thinking that they're both a bit hesitant (and really, who wouldn't be?), is that they're making noises about not going to Hawaii in January (they usually spend the first three months of the year down there). That's when I knew that the joking was masking something deeper. I'm still thinking about this as "just" a catheter sort of procedure, but he's nervous. Granted, this will be nothing like his heart attacks from 10 years ago--he saw "the light" a couple of times back then. He may be thinking about that though. I'm sure everything's going to be just fine. I'm so confident, I didn't even ask about the will....

While I was there, I did a little housecleaning on Mom's iBook. Files scattered all over the place.... Anyway, she emailed me this picture from the birthday gathering we had last month.

That's Mom, with Sister2, me and Sister3. What a damned fine looking family! Other that the big gravy stain on S3's right boob. She'd kill me if she knew I pointed that out to you, so don't tell her! Sorry--no pics of Dad this time. He was the photographer for the day!

Postin' Fool!

Damn, I'm a postin' fool tonight! There's alot of new ones, so be sure to check them all out! Some final things before I call it a night...

I'm going to keep bugging you guys to get posted on the Frappr map! The link's over there in the sidebar. It's simple, free, and it's fun to see where everyone's from. Like someone commented over there--we need to get HNT in every state!!

Some other blog things I'm going to do that everyone else has done at one point or another:

I'm going to do that "100 Things About Me". I know that when I start it, I won't be able to think of 20 things, but I'll end up dropping about 50, just to keep it at 100!
I'm going to make a list of every big concert I've ever attended (in other words, not the Central School 6th grade band concert). This will be an ongoing project. I'm going to really have to do some serious memory work for this....
With Christmas coming, I'm going to put up a wish list. I don't really expect anyone to get me anything, but you never know!

My mother emailed me this afternoon (yeah, they live 3 blocks away, and she knows my phone #, but she's determined to be a computer geek at 70!). Anyway, this is the full message:

Dad had his stress test today and things aren't all that good. He goes in for a heart catheterization on Tuesday and possibly another stent. They do that here now. After that look see they'll decide, but he'll probably have to go to Billings for a pacemaker. Later, MomWTF?? Do you sense any urgency here that my Dad's going to have heart surgery next week??? And she signs it "Later, Mom"?? Not, "Love, Mom". Huh??? So I called right away, and Dad answers the phone--

In reality, he has been feeling good, so this took him by surprise. But he's looking at all this as routine maintenance. Yes, there's always some risk, but things have come a long ways over the years.

I'm still going down to see him tomorrow.

Christmas is coming!

I am a Christmas junkie. Not the crazy, Christmas lights up all year junkie (not to be confused with the redneck leave-'em-up-all-year types). I haven't had a Christmas tree in over 8 years, and that one was the first in about 5. That part would be nice, but I'm rarely home to enjoy one. I refuse to get a fake tree. I live in Montana, dammit! If I'm getting a tree, I'm going to get it myself!! No way am I paying the Boy Scouts for a tree! But I don't do the tree.

I love the spirit of Christmas. Yes, all the religious parts. One of the finest things of the season is watching Linus walk out on stage and recite the Biblical passage about the birth of Jesus. But I like the secular stuff too. I LOVE Christmas music. When I managed a CD store a few years ago, it was all Christmas music, from opening to closing, from the day after Thanksgiving right up to 6:00 PM on Christmas Eve. Mannheim Steamroller, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Crosby & Bowie, Bob Rivers, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sinatra, SheDaisy, Nutcracker, Herb Alpert, Alvin & the Chipmunks, the Singing Dogs, Burl Ives, Singers Unlimited, holiday TV soundtracks. The list goes on forever. I own probably 100 Christmas CDs. I'll be getting more this season (already bought my first one--Diana Krall's first full Christmas album--go buy it!).

I love the hustle and bustle of the pressures of Christmas--the parties, the food, the booze, the presents. I love the Christmas classic movies. Not so much the crap that Lifetime or Hallmark will show, but the classics. And the new classics. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is excellent! "Scrooged!" isn't bad. I really like the two "Santa Clause" movies. And I think that running "A Christmas Story" for 24 hours on TBS is a stroke of genius!

I like snow on the ground for Christmas, but will be just as happy if it's not there. Just keep the wind away! I like getting together with my parents and sisters and their families to eat like there's no tomorrow, drink beer like it was water, and then lay around afterwards with our belts and pants undone and just relaxing. I love performing during the season. Whether it's the Symphony, In Cahoots, or a little brass group to play carols around town.

I like the introspection that I usually go through at Christmas time. While my life isn't currently what I might have expected it to be, it's not too bad. There's alot of people who are envious. And there's alot of sad people out there who are far worse off than I am. And they have the fancy life, the social life and the money to pay for both. I have my family here, my friends in the internet and outernet. I have some semblence of health. Things could be far worse!

So I now give you fair warning. I plan to do some Christmas-y stuff to my blog. Not until December, but I will do some things. Don't know what, yet, but the template might take a beating. If you are equally thrilled about Christmas, I urge you to try some things too! Think of it as decorating your house! But please wait for December!! Clark Griswald, watch out!

Funkytown!

Many thanks to all who were concerned about my funk earlier in the week. I got 70+ comments from you guys. Something I wasn't really looking for, but do appreciate! I wasn't trying to make it a pity party. I was just funky and needed to vent. Actually, still am, but not as bad as I was. A long, late-night talk with a someone in particular brought me a long ways out of it. But not completely. And apparently, I'm not alone! Many of you mentioned the seasons--winter's coming, Christmas comes earlier every year, shorter days, dark nights. Actually, I like all of those things!

No, my funk has roots in events of many years past that occurred around this time of year. Life-altering events. Life-altering in a negative way. And every year, I go through this. But I'll tell ya--those things that I wrote flowed so easily from my fingers....

I'm OK. I will survive (cue Gloria Gaynor). Besides, I have you guys to look out for me! And Christmas is coming!!

3....2....1....I'm up!

Since none of you complained (not that I would have really cared), I will be turning off comments on Wednesdays until around 9:30-10:00 PM MST. It was absolutely amazing! I post, I go back to edit something, I republish, ALL IN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES, and I check my comments--I've got 18 of them in the two minutes that it was posted!! Eighteen!! It's like you guys are lurking on eBay and sniping at the last minute to get an autographed copy of the Bay City Rollers' first album for $50!

What do you people do at home??? I have visions of dozens of computers in dark rooms across the continent with you guys huddled over them, cigarettes hanging out of your mouths, waiting for the bell to ring. Constantly refreshing your screens. Wondering if he's ever going to change that stupid Pee-guy thing. Your nerves on edge.

Post-HNT Stuff

We grow by leaps and bounds! Passed the 300 comment mark this time. There's over 400 listed in the Nekkid roll, though it needs to be cleaned up. A few dead links, a few former participants, and a bunch of newbies from this week that I haven't gotten to. My guess would be around 400 active links right now. Nice job, people!

There's still a couple of assholes (outsiders) who have nothing better to do with themselves than spew forth their own vile brand of "commentary". Kudos to the women who continue to HNT in the face of this crap. You have the backing of just about every one of us. Don't know what we can do about it, but I think ignoring them is the best thing to do. If they can't get a rise out of us, they'll move on. On the other hand, if any of you know how to infect them with a particularly nasty virus, I'm all for that!

To the girls of Klineapalooza (and their men who manned the cameras!). You certainly know how to throw a party! While I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't some sort of group HNT picture taken (or was there...?), you weren't shy about posting pics of the fun! As I commented on one of your sites last week--I wish I had a group of friends like yours who will get together and enjoy life as much as you guys do! Thanks for sharing it with poor slobs like me!! Feel free to send me the CD when you get everything together! Please. No, really, seriously....

I've noticed that some of you are urging newbies to comment so that we know about them. I had about 5 this week who emailed me directly to ask what to do. But there's still alot out there who are by themselves out there in the ocean of Blogworld and nobody knows it! Do what you can to bring them in!

A final thanks to my HNT Mystery Guests! And to the individual who suggested it in the first place. It was a great idea, and popular amongst the masses! Now I have to do it on my own--back to the boring ones....

An idea brought forth by Kalani, and used in one form or another by some others, including Femi-mommy and Sasha, is to have some sort of way to check out your prior HNT pics. Some will link back to the original posts, others to just the pictures. I have done the latter--there's a button in the sidebar to send you off to my prior pics. Cleverly titled "MY HNT PICS". Just an idea to share with all of you--you should all do it!

Are you all turning off word verification for the day? What's the feedback there? Has there been a noticeable difference?

Thursday, November 10, 2005

HNT Mystery Guest Grand Finale!!

Well, now that my name has been taken in vain by all of you, did you like the way I turned off comments so that we didn't turn into "Half-Nekkid Wednesday Afternoon"??

Well, this is it. After today, I have to do my own HNT pictures. I can no longer be the slacker that I've been. My deepest thanks to all that contributed pictures. They were all worthy of posting--we just ran out of weeks. And thanks to all that liked the idea! It wasn't mine, but when it was suggested to me, it definitely sounded like a winner!

Below are the submissions. Not all of them--some people sent in multiple samples. You only get to see one from each person. Click on the picture to get the larger size. A couple of them have some detail that you'll need to check out. The list of participants can be found below.....

And the participants (in alphabetical order):

Aughra
Bricotrout
Bsoholic/Thomcat_13
Femi-mommy
Gigi (Goobergrl)
Kalani
Rachel
Roselly
TechyMike
Warcrygirl

Again--many thanks to all of you! Now let's get half-nekkid!

Oh, yeah. Go to the sidebar over there and click on the Frappr map link. It's interesting to see where we're all coming from!

And don't forget to turn off word verification for the day!!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

BEWARE!!! I'm in a funk...

I'm giving you fair warning here--I'm in a funk. I'm in the dumps. I'm not crabby--more exasperated, I think. Maybe it's coming down from a post-Portland high, but I think there's alot of other things doing it to me.

I'm tired of some of the BS that's been happening with/to other blogs.
I'm tired of seeing alot of my friends making some huge mistakes, and I have to hold my tongue.
I'm tired of people whose sense of commitment is non-existent.
I'm tired of world politics.
I'm tired of the general lack of common sense that permeates the world.
I'm tired of having certain feelings for someone that I shouldn't have (no, someone else).
I'm tired of what passes as "entertainment" these days.
I'm tired of my financial situation.
I'm tired of everyone assuming that my lifestyle allows unlimited time to cater to their every whim.
I'm getting tired of the whining of certain bloggers (I'll pause while everyone runs to check and see if they fit in that category....).
I'm tired of a variety of people's sense of superiority.
I'm tired of people who get paid FAR more than me expecting to put in the same number of hours.
I'm tired of reading about everyone's sex lives, and knowing that I can't even enter the discussion.
I'm tired of feeling alone.
I'm tired of being alone (OK, there, I've said it).
I'm tired, as in lack of sleep--which might be the catalyst here.

Wow. Now I'm really tired. But I'm glad I got that out. And how easily it flowed from my fingers! And how fairly ambiguous some of those really are! Here's the disclaimer--I'm in a funk. If you possibly see yourself in one of these statements, don't fret about it. I'm not directly aiming them at anyone in particular. I am very glad and fortunate to have made the friends that I have over the past year. I always tend to get into this funk at this time of year--there are some sordid stories that I could tell. But won't. This is just one of those posts that you question whether you should publish or not. Obviously, I have.

Now the important part--DO NOT COMMENT OR EMAIL ME ASKING IF YOU ARE SOMEHOW MENTIONED ABOVE!!! I'm really tired of that!

Last Chance (again)!

This is the final call for HNT Mystery Guest submissions! Get them emailed to me by tonight, or forever wonder what it would be like to be a Mystery Guest! I'll be posting all entries (only 1 per person for those who sent multiples) that I received, whether they were used or not. Any submissions that come in by tonight will also be added! And to keep the mystery--I'll post an alphabetical list of the players involved. You can decide on your own who is who. (whom?) Last chance for those of you who said you wanted to do this!!! (no names, but her initials are E.D.--you promised me one!)

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Unsure What To Do

This is an oddball one. I got this email yesterday. I'm copy/pasting it exactly as I received it:

UPDATE !!--Well, it appears to be legitimate! We've emailed back and forth a couple of times tonight, and I've responded to her questions in that rambling style that some of you guys know too well! She's going to be getting in touch with me when it gets published (and sending me a copy!). I'll let you know!

Friday, November 04, 2005

The Trip (by the numbers) and Lost Virginities

I'm back home. Here's some numbers for the trip:

691.54--Miles from my door to Just.A.Girl's door (according to Mapquest).
128--(or more) Ounces of Diet Coke w/Lime consumed.
100--or more (alot more) Dollars spent on tickets, shirts, and other concert specific stuff.
90--Minutes spent at Addict's shop.
84--Hours from start to finish.
40--(and counting) Hours since I last slept.
30--Floors up is where the Portland City Grill is located. Best view in town!
24.55--Approximate MPG during the full trip.
11.5--Hours to get home (2 more than anticipated) due to morning rush hour and construction.
6--Cans of Red Bull (why does that stuff taste so bad?).
5--Wardrobe changes for Mick Jagger (might have been 6).
3--Major traffic delays on the way home.
2--McDonald's Breakfast Burritos on the way home.
1--Bag of bite-sized Snickers (half-priced post-Halloween @ Target!).
0--Speeding tickets (yay!).

There were also a number of personal firsts on this trip. My virginity was torn to shreds in a number of areas:

The Pacific Ocean. I touched the Pacific Ocean! I've never been out to the coast in any of my trips to Seattle (Puget Sound is NOT the ocean!) or Portland. I could live there without much problem!
The "infamous" Northwest rains. I thought they were a myth. I have since learned! My windshield wipers were used more in these 4 days than in the total life of the car.
Sushi. Montana boys don't have much chance to eat sushi, therefore balk when given the opportunity. I could like it, given time.
Chopsticks. You can't eat sushi without chopsticks. Actually, I've used them, but that was about 30 years ago. But like sex, if you don't use them, you can regain your viriginity status!
Watermelon martini. Actually, I think if you put any drink in a martini glass these days, it becomes a "martini"--I don't understand. I don't know why this didn't come in some other type of glass. Regardless, I can see that could easily knock back too many of these!
The Rolling Stones. Unlike many at the concert, I'd never seen them. Well worth the big bucks I paid out!
Ferrets. She has two ferrets. Very cute. She lets them out of their cage for about a half hour before going to bed so they can run around, play, and stretch. With me, they sensed something new, so I was a great source of exploration. Little wet noses poking around all over, their little paws crawling all over you, it was sort of relaxing. Then again, I'm a born-again virgin in that sex area too, so maybe I was liking it just a little too much. Anyway, out of the blue, one of these little skinny rats bit the back "knuckle" of my right big toe! The little shit drew blood!! J.A.G. grabbed him and sent him to bed without dinner or something (what can you do to an animal that just sleeps all day in a cage?). The next night, she lets them out, and without bothering with the "play" time, the little shit went right for the LEFT big toe. Two honkin' fangs embedded behind my toe! I sort of kick him off, but again--he drew blood! Rabies treatment starts for me this weekend (just kidding!). I've got a picture up on my other blog if you want to check out the damage.

There were some other things that did or didn't happen. I didn't get to see my sister who lives in Portland, or any other longtime friends. There were some questionable HNT pictures taken involving another woman, angel's wings, the ferrets, and a red silky thing. My guess is that you'll never see those pictures.

Due to alot of people who wanted to do a HNT Mystery Guest picture, I'll still take them for next week. So this is the absolute last chance!! Get them in to me by late Tuesday night. Any new submissions, and ones that weren't used during the Mystery Guest run, will all be posted. As well as the names of all who entered.

There's been alot of response to the Frappr map. The link button is over there in the sidebar. Go check it out, and if you haven't left your mark, please do so!

I was tickled to see the number of you who want to meet me! If I could do it without worrying about the financial end of things, I'd start setting up "OsTour '06" right now! I, too, would love to meet many of you! And if you have the chance to do such a thing, I highly recommend it (with someone you "know").

I'll be spending time over the weekend checking out your comments to my HNT. I made it through the comments of my earlier post. Now it's time to hit the actual HNT post. Looks like alot of newbies!

Those of you at Klineapalooza--wish I were there!

Many of my Oregon pics are up at the other blog. Be sure to check them out! And check out the rest of them if you've never been there!! Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 03, 2005

HNT Mystery Guest VI

Not much to say, since my computer time is limited. I've done minimal browsing this week, and quite frankly, I feel way out of the loop. And it's not going to get better. HNT is going to kick my ass this week as far as keeping up. But I'll have the weekend to try to catch up. But some individual comments--

I don't have time to do anything for you Kalani, other than wish you a very Happy Birthday now. Wish I could do more...

To the girls at Klineapalooza--I would kill to be there! You know what you need to do to keep me happy! If you want to send some "private" ones over this way, you're highly encouraged to do so!

Moose--while the excitement of moving you into your new house doesn't quite match the fun of Klineapalooza, you know that if this trip hadn't happened, I would have been there! Hope it goes smoothly!

Fine Halloween costumes to those who posted them! I need to find a group of friends in the outernet who get crazy like you guys!

Rachel--I'm coming home tomorrow. We need to do a beer or two over the weekend. I have alot to teach you in the next couple of days (get your heads out of the gutter, people!).

Finally--the last Mystery Guest--it's a bit different, but should be instantly recognizable if you've checked out the site before!

Have a great HNT without me! I'll start commenting on Friday night, I think!

OH YEAH!! If you have Word Verification turned on, PLEASE TURN IT OFF FOR THE ONE DAY!! It won't hurt you for one day, and it will make it easier on the rest of us!!!

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

So Much To Say! (Part II-The Surprise!)

Damn Blogger! It was being pissy, so now I'm cramped for time... By now, many of you have read from Addict's site that I stopped in to see her at her shop yesterday.

So yes, while the Stones were the main reason for coming to Portland, and taking j.a.g was a fringe benefit (plus the free room!), a thought occurred to me about a month ago. Salem, OR is just down I-5 from Portland. Addict, who has long been one of my favorite bloggers since she started, lives in Salem! Maybe I should plan to go down for a visit since I'm in the "neighborhood". Well, my mind rushes at this thought, and in true Os form, I decide that I wouldn't tell her I was coming--that I'd surprise her. She would certainly not be the first to be the recipient of a surprise visit (go ask Moose all about that)! So in my best cyber-stalking mode, I determined that she probably would be taking care of her grandson in the morning, then showing up to work in the afternoon. When you're the owner, you can get away with doing things like that!

I still wasn't positive about doing it, until about 2 weeks ago, when she happened to be my 50,000th visitor! I think I promised a prize or something, but wasn't sure how I'd get it to her. Of course, I knew I'd be hand-delivering it! I couldn't keep this one to myself any longer! Rachel suggested the Montana huckleberry chocolate (a standard "Made in Montana" gift). Moose knew, as did Lizabeth, j.a.g and Kalani. I think Kalani almost wet herself when I told her. She insisted that she get a phone call from us when I got there. So everything was set up for her surprise.

I get to Salem yesterday after driving through rain, the like of which this hick from Montana has never seen. I can drive for hours in a blizzard with limited visibility, but this was something I'd never done before! Anyway, I find her shop (complete with two cop cars with their lights flashing out in front--they were actually next door though), and find a parking spot on the street nearby. I wander in, only to find out from the girl behind the counter that Addict won't be in for about another half hour. Fine. I can drive around Salem and check out the sights. Well, that bored me fairly quickly, so I get back downtown, and decide to wait for her. She calls in to tell them that she's going to be late getting in. The girl tells her that there are people waiting to see her (me and some local woman). The woman leaves, I'm getting anxious. I talk the girl into letting me sit in her studio to wait. I'm looking around at various instruments of torture, all nicely sterilized, thank you! I start to worry--will she recognize me? Will she call the cops? Will she scream and go nuts? What have I gotten myself into??? I have the NEW CAMERA in hand, waiting to catch the initial horror on her face (for Kalani's benefit--she preferred video, but I didn't get that set in time). Then it happened....

Around the door comes in this person. This goddess. This Addict. I snapped a quick picture of the shock and horror on her face. I put the camera down and look at her. Apparently I look pretty much the same as I do on my site, because there was no question that she knew it was me! Big hugs, followed by the presentation of the prizes (I had to have a "real" reason to be there!). And then we started talking. We called Kalani. She was jacked! Addict had never spoken to her so they spent some good time on the phone. I have a picture of Addict and Kalani on the phone. From our end, anyway. She made customers wait while we talked. I spent about an hour and a half there. Her grandson came in with a different daughter. Very cute kid--he's learning all sorts of new words! Her husband came by, so I got to meet him. Finally, I had to get out of there so that j.a.g and I wouldn't be late for the concert. But I could have stayed there for hours. We clicked immediately. She looks about 10 years younger than I had expected. She looks VERY much like Audra (or vice-versa, I guess). She is a little shy about posting her face on the internet, so this is a treat--Addict & Os:

She is exactly what you'd expect her to be like. Witty, charming, caring, somewhat maternal (OK, very maternal), and I can't believe that we actually got together like this! This was a huge highlight of the past couple of months!

Finally, to dispel the rumors any further--at no time was I poked, pierced or prodded! Just a few great hugs. Thanks E for a wonderful, if brief, encounter. I hope that sometime down the road there will be another!

So Much To Say! (Part I)

Yesterday was one of the best days I've had in a long, long time!

First off, I have to thank Just.A.Girl for letting me crash here. We've been friends for a long time, but it's a whole new level when you have to share your home for a few days! I'd buy her a thank you gift, BUT I BOUGHT HER A TICKET TO SEE THE ROLLING FRIGGIN' STONES!!!

OK--The concert was the main purpose to come out here. We got there in plenty of time, drank some overpriced microbrews, ate some overpriced sandwiches, and bought an overpriced t-shirt for j.a.g. With any luck at all, there will be a HNT pic with that shirt. Anyway--we get inside the Rose Garden (where the Trailblazers play. Basketball, for the uninformed.). I was somewhat surprised at how small the place was in comparison to where I usually see concerts. It was bigger, but not as big as I anticipated. We had floor seats in row 35. In a bigger place, those wouldn't be too bad. In a place like this, I think there were only 45 rows total. So we were in back. But hey, it's the Stones! Of course, Mona had front row seats, but this is my story--just not in as much detail!

Mötley Crüe opens the show. To maybe a half to 2/3 full house. Tommy Lee has a HUGE.... well, we know that, but an enormous bass drum. Bigger than a marching band bass drum. Must be compensating for something..... Lots of fire, a midget, half-nekkid women, and an overly gratuitous use of the word fuck and all its derivations. Most people sat during the entire set, which included all their big hits. It just wasn't much of a Crüe crowd. All the empty seats belonged to people sipping wine out in the lobby, and reminscing about the previous 10 Stones' shows they've seen. All in all, they were a bit of a letdown. And I think that they know it too. While lots of fire is always good (thanks, KISS), midgets and half-nekkid women are nothing more than gimmicks to divert your attention away from the subpar music. I'm glad I got to see them. I'd never pay money to see them again.

The Rolling Stones. Anyone who thinks that these guys are dead/over-the-hill/boring can go fuck themselves. From the opening chords to "Start Me Up", to the confetti and streamers flying from the rafters at the end of "Jumpin' Jack Flash", these guys showed what rock & roll is all about. I wish I looked as good at 30 as Mick Jagger looks at 60-something. The man doesn't stop dancing! Always on the move. Always with the attitude. And as many wardrobe changes as Britney Spears! Charlie Watts plays drums with his usual blue-collar work ethic. Where Tommy Lee (and most other) drummers beat the hell out of dozens of drums on stage. Watts plays the drums. All 4 of them. Yes, the drummer for the greatest rock band of all time plays on FOUR drums. Again--any more than that is a gimmick. The Stones don't need gimmicks. Keith Richards is looking better than he has in years. In other words, he still looks dead. Or should be. But he plays the hell out of the guitar. And is still spry enough to be falling to his knees when he plays, and springing back up and dancing from one end of the stage to the other. It's just odd to see a corpse doing that. Ronnie Wood--very obviously the youngster of the group. Also plays a mean guitar. Also still sporting a fashionable 80's hair style. Along with backup singers, keyboards and horns. And great visuals. But the best part of the show?

The center part of the stage was on a hydraulic dolly. Just over halfway into the show, the entire dolly is slowly wheeled to the back of the arena floor. Back to row 31. In other words, we were 4 rows away from the Rolling Stones! Close enough to see that these guys have been doing this thing for a long, long time. It was a clusterfuck, as far as security was concerned. They finally gave up trying to keep people by their seats. No cameras were allowed, but j.a.g was able to get some camera phone shots before security told her not to. They aren't great shots--it's an old camera phone, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what things looked like to us:

Needless to say, the back half of the arena went nuts (as did we). Very cool concept. These guys definitely play to the fans--no question about it! They have so many hits that they can't possibly do them all, but the did the really big biggies--Satisfaction, Brown Sugar, Angie, Wild Horses, Jumpin' Jack Flash--not much of anything that I didn't get to hear. I'm not sure that it was the best concert I've ever been to, but certainly the most satisfying!

After the show we stopped off for a quick beer, then realized that we hadn't really had any dinner, so we stopped off at Taco Bell. It doesn't get any better than that!

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Road Trip Continues

Well, I'm here. It's raining. In Portland. Who'da thunk it? Actually, this is the first time I've visited either Portland or Seattle in the rain. I've been quite fortunate.

Nothing exciting to tell about the trip out. Had to follow both a Washington and an Oregon highway patrol for about 200-250 miles total. Coming from Montana, where 80+ MPH is standard, this was tough. Oregon's speed limit varies from 60-65. Consequently, I arrived in Portland at the height of rush hour traffic, in the dark, in the rain. I was able to put some of my Montana crazy driver skills to use, so that was fun.

Concert is tonight. We're jacked! Working on a surprise for all of you this afternoon. Probably won't be able to document it until tomorrow, but if I can do it this afternoon, I will.

Still waiting for your last HNT Mystery Guest submissions!! Email them to me by tonight so I can get them out to the committee!!

Happy November to all!

BTW--The orange background was a Halloween thing only....

Pages