A Good Weekend

I had to make a quick run up to Great Falls (90 miles north) to make a delivery for the symphony. It was a perfect day--sunny, but sort of hazy, so it wasn't beating down in all its heat. IPod cranked, windows down, no real hurry so the cruise control was set at the speed limit (which proved to be a good thing...). I was to meet a guy at St*rbux and just turn around to go back. Everything made for a great drive to do some thinking. I don't recall who did it (NYDiva? Dana?), but a couple of weeks ago someone wrote a post listing the good things in their life. That pretty much goes against my nature, but here's the results after my drive (in no particular order, and no, they aren't life-changing things...)--GOOD THINGS IN MY LIFE:

• I'm a guy, which means that when I have to pee, I can pretty much pull over wherever and go and not have to worry about embankments, ditches, or broken glass. A good thing.
  
• Football season has started, and my teams are 2-0 so far (one team starts next week). Hopefully this will continue, and that's a good thing.
  
• Slowly but surely, a dear friend who has drifted away from me seems to be making their way back, and that's a VERY good thing!
• I live in a state where you can find scenery like this:

Click it to big it to see the bug splatters. Had to take this one from inside my car.

• I finalized the details regarding being the production manager for our opera performance this season. Not as much pay as I had anticipated, but it will be a nice chunk of change to my total earnings, which aren't a great deal in the first place. Certainly a good thing.
  
• Starting with a simple email on Saturday afternoon, I spent about 8 1/2 hours emailing back and forth (137 total!) with a friend, getting to know them better (chat wasn't working well). This was a very good thing.
• Name recognition is a good thing. As I was backing out of my spot at St*rbux, a guy yelled at me by name. Not MY name, but Osbasso. I figured that's because that's on my personalized license plates, and that he was going to accuse me of backing into his car or something. I had the window down, so he came up to talk.

Is your name Osbasso?
Are you from Helena?
Are you the blogger?

It was David from Greater Falls! At this point, I should say that in Montana, there's a few recognizable blogs as being from Montana. It's a loose-knit group of people who have a knowledge of who's out here. We gotta stick together! Within that group (from my perspective) are a few individuals that keep track of who's new, or who's disappeared, or general information. I believe David's one of them. He writes a blog that is mostly a "what's happening in Great Falls" blog. But I've heard of him, and been to his site! So when he told me who he was, and that it wasn't because I backed into his car, I didn't have to sit there with that dumbass look on my face. And as always, that's a good thing! If I was thinking AT ALL, I would have gotten the picture, and he'd have been #46 over there -----> It was good to meet you Dave, and I'm sorry I had to run off!

That's about it for the good things I thought about. There were more, but I've forgotten them. Next time, I'm bringing a pencil.

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I wanted to share two more pictures that I took in my point and shoot and pray method I've been using. Since I had nothing at home that needed attention, I decided to take the frontage road home. For the most part, that road is between the I-90 and the Missouri River. Fly fishermen were out. Rafters were out. Families were out. It was nice. In some of the more scenic parts of the river, there are some great family homes on the banks of the river, with plenty of trees to seclude them from the traffic just a few hundred feet away. Not many of them are fancy, though there's a few... Frankly, who would need a mansion on the river anyway? The river in this shot is at the base of the cliffs.

Click to big!

This bridge is the one that was used in the movie "The Untouchables", with Costner, Connery and DeNiro. Where they intercept a shipment of Canadian whiskey. You remember! I could never quite figure out how they could think of this as anything near Chicago, or near the Canadian border. But there were Mounties there! Anyhoo.... this is the bridge! "Canadian" side.

Click this one to big it too!

Friday Fill-Ins: #139 and other stuff...

There's alot of comment around the blogs this week about the Glamour magazine article with what they call a "plus-sized" model/actress (I have no idea who she is...) with pictures show her belly. Not so much about the pictures, but the reaction from readers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't we been doing that around here for over four years??

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Ummm... I got nothin' tonight, so....

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And...here we go!

1. He was a putz.

2. FOOTBALL is what I look forward to most this time of year.

3. My best friend and I, the band geeks, picked up two of the hottest cheerleaders one night and went driving around, eating ice cream, having fun, and didn't get beat up by the two biggest jocks in the school (he came out of the closet years later).

4. I don't understand why it's so hard for so many to be honest with you.

5. Appearances can be worth bonus points, but only up to a certain degree.

6. The last person I gave a hug to was either Kathy or Debbie.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to my old high school's first football game of the season, tomorrow my plans include going to the local college's first football game of the season and Sunday, I want to bungee-jump!

Your Best Friend HNT

In case you missed it on my last post, I had an "incident" Monday after an afternoon of mindless power drinking. Honestly, only the 5th time I've ever done that due to an excess of alcohol. Fortunately, only witnessed by others on two occasions. Not too bad for 36 years of drinking time. But who is your best friend when your tummy's upset? For me, it's always been the pink...

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Fantasy and reality.
Kink and vanilla.
Boys and girls.
These are the things that arouse this week's Mystery Guest.

She'll be revealed Thursday afternoon.
If you already have an idea, be sure to stop by to say hi!

Our Mystery Guest this week is our friend Little Minx! Be sure you stop by to say hi if you haven't already!

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Some new participants over at "...the Other HNT" this week. Stop by and check them out. Lots of boobies this week!

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I didn't respond to any comments to my "Facebook, Friends and Etiquette" post, but I was happy to see them all! I'd still love to see more comments if you're interested in leaving one!

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Football season starts up this weekend around here, and I hope to actually get out to see some of them this year. To start out this season's boasting about Montana football... In a ranking of all college teams in ALL divisions of NCAA and NAIA, based on the number of overall wins since 2000, Carroll College ranks #2 with a record of 112-13. The University of Montana ranks #4 at 105-22. Those are both better than the top FSB team, Oklahoma, which ranks #5 at 102-19. Hopefully I can brag all season!

I'll be back shortly...

The world has crashed down on me.

Well, it's really not that bad, but this week has gotten unexpectedly busy. Or I'm scheduled to do things during my normal nap time.

Started yesterday afternoon. Remember the "ring" thing at work? Well, we had another ring ceremony at the taproom of one of the local breweries. Montana state law says that a brewery can sell no more than 48 oz. of beer to a customer per day. So I figured I was safe. Oh, no. Not with this crew. We just move on down to the next brewery. Short story...I drank WAY too much, including two chugging contests with two guys half my age (I won, btw!), tacos from Taco Johns, home by 7:00, in a fuzzy state for about 3 hours (some texting and emails may have gone out--I apologize), in bed at 10:00, and then the massive puke at around 10:30. I figured I could say that, since it's TMI Tuesday. Slept in a bit longer than usual, but feel just fine today!

Which brings up the rest of the week...two freshly scheduled staff meetings, beer and food with some HS friends, a quickie weekend road trip, and doing all the HNT stuff. PLUS--the bosses who got me drunk yesterday are on a house-cleaning kick, so they're buzzing around all over the place. Which means my normal surfing/chatting/email answering is suffering.

Don't worry. I'll get caught up! But I think I'm drinking water tonight...

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By the way...I don't have a Mystery Guest lined up for this week. Anyone interested? Just email me today! osbasso at gmail . com :-)

Facebook, Friends and Etiquette

I've been working this post around in my head for awhile, trying to keep everything I wanted to say in some sort of order. (Hey! There's a new concept!) Beware, I might offend some of you, but it doesn't mean that I don't love you!

Facebook. What is it exactly? These days, I find that it's not much more than a bigger version of Twitter. For some, the status updates are constant. And frankly, boring. Once, maybe twice a day is all I really need to see. The games--don't want to get into those, other than that they seem like a major time suck. And FarmVille and YoVille and Mafia Wars?? Are you kidding me? I mean, I have no life myself, but I'm not going to spend hours online trying to find out whose cow has wandered into my pasture. And don't expect me to send flowers or gifts or drinks or whathaveyou. I'm not going to get sucked in!

I think we've all pretty much found out that FB is sort of the "real-life" side of ourselves online. We include our names, our schools, our relative's names, our phone numbers, and pictures that we'd never dare put up on our blogs. Frankly, I like that. While some people still tie FB to their blogs, I prefer to keep mine separate. As do most, I believe. One particular HNTer went into panic mode on Friday because there were six people who landed on her HNT this week, referred from FB! While I think that particular situation was found to be harmless and accidental, can you imagine the freak-out if you found links to your blog from your hometown, referred from FB??

Which brings up a point...who do you allow to be friends on FB? Do you avoid friending those you know from blogging? Or those who do HNTs? I find myself in an odd position at the moment. I have sent out friend requests to a number of HNTers, and don't get okay'ed. And actually, I'm fine with that. I understand that they might think there's a risk of a mention about HNT, or Osbasso, and that theoretically, as in the case above, 2+2-3+7±5=you've been found out. At least that's the way I'm calling it, because I don't want to think that someone doesn't want to be my FB friend.

HOWEVER...I currently have 20 requests waiting for me to add as friends. Of those 20:

• SEVEN are from people I don't know. Actually 8, because one guy has requested twice!
• TWO are from people who are related in some way to current friends, but I don't know.
• SEVEN are from people I recognize as bloggers, but don't interact with through my blogs--why would I add them here?
• TWO are real life contacts, one of whom I'll probably add.
• ONE is someone who was a student where I first taught, but not one of my students.

Am I keeping these people in limbo? Isn't there a statute of limitations for how long a friend request stays attached? Actually, of the seven I don't know, a few of them list some of you as common friends. I suppose I could ask you about them. And there's a couple that look like they could be HNTers, but I don't recognize their real names or faces. So if you recognize yourselves in my description, let me know who you are!

Finally, what is the etiquette for "un-friending"? This was more of a problem on MySpace, where my friends count yo-yo'ed on a weekly basis. Shouldn't you or FB tell you that so-and-so has un-friended you? It's a bugger trying to go through and figure out who dumped you, and then try to figure out why! I know that recently, some people have done the un-friending thing because their real-life/blogger-life/FB-life were getting dangerously close to colliding. And for the most part, I believe that they had the courtesy to let the un-friends know about it and why. But shouldn't that be the norm in a polite society??

I'll keep on using FB, as I find that it does satisfy that need to know the other side of a person.
And because I do have four relatives as friends.
As well as eight former students from my first teaching job.
And one former student from the last high school I taught at.
And eleven former students from my college teaching days.
And three musicians I play with in the symphony (well, two now, because one was killed--do I un-friend him??).
And because someday I might really want to know "What Pin-Up Girl" I am!

Friday Fill-Ins: #138 and other stuff...

I got some questions regarding the squirrel in my HNT yesterday. If you haven't heard about it yet, you can check out an article about the squirrel here. Go ahead and check it out, I'll wait.

Cute story, huh? Apparently they took multiple pictures as proof that it wasn't staged or photoshopped. Well, now there's a site where you can do exactly that! Not surprisingly, it's called "The Squirrelizer"! You have no idea how close I came to squirrelizing all of yesterday's OHNTs!

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This weekend is the last one before the college and high school football teams around here hit the ground running. My three favorite teams are all expected to repeat the success of last season (a combined record of about 33-4, or something ridiculous like that). I'll be putting the chart in the sidebar again this year so you can follow along yourselves!

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Here's a great CNN article regarding Facebook users, though some of it could easily be reflective of bloggers and Tweeters. It categorizes Facebook updaters into one of 12 categories. Which one do YOU belong to?

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And...here we go!

1. I remember, I remember, I rememb....what was the question?

2. Dear Psycho Bitch from Hell, I want you to know that I shall never forgive you for what you did to me, and I hope you die as the lonely fat hag your daughters will always remember you as.

3. Is that my winning lottery ticket!!???

4. I'm trying to resist the temptation of jumping on a plane to someplace different.

5. I'm saving a seat on the last train to Clarksville just for you!

6. If I made a birthday list you would definitely be on it!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to grilling, tomorrow my plans include steam cleaning my carpets and Sunday, I want to drink beer at the lake!

Windy HNT

Apparently, a tutorial is needed for the comment box. There's two main ways to do this so that you don't have to include your URL as part of your comment. First off, replace the word "Guest" with your own blogname. Seems obvious, but there were 5-6 "guests" last week! Secondly, click the word "From". You are given a list of options, and this is where you need to make a decision. Ignore all but two of the options. Trust me on this!

• Your first option: "My Blogger Account". If you choose this, you'll be taken to a new window, and it will need to confirm who you are, login info to Blogger, etc. Obviously, if you use Wordpress, this isn't your option. If this option is chosen, then when you leave a comment, others will have to click your name, another box will open, and invite you to come to your Blogger site. Why it doesn't just go there...? I don't know.
• Your other option: "My Other Site". If this option is chosen, then when you leave a comment, others will have to click the arrow-like icon next to your blogname, and it will jump directly to your site.

Obviously, the second option is much easier. I recommend it. Does this information remain every time you come to visit? I don't know. I hope it does. And why don't I just revert back to Blogger's comment options? I've tried. I've eliminated all Haloscan/J-S Kit code, but Blogger's code is either missing, or tied in with the other code. Of course, I could move everything over to the "new" Blogger (I just realized that most of you don't even realize there is an "old" Blogger!). If there's still alot of problems next week, I might have to bite the bullet...

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"Wind blowing in my hair
I feel like a millionaire
Radio is blasting strong
We're breaking out in song
Blazing trails both near and far
Park my car behind a star
Life is full of possibilities..."
excerpt from "In My Car" - Beach Boys

I do love the feel of the wind in my hair.
I lov.....Oh! Wait! What's that??
AAAAaaaccccckkkkk......!

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Boy, I searched all over the internet to find some sort of poem or lyrics that would weave the cute pink hearts and skulls together for a nice clue as to who our Mystery Guest would be. Almost everything I found had to do with Myspace layouts for Emo girls. So I checked the Urban Dictionary, and the first definition said this: "Genre of softcore punk music that integrates unenthusiastic melodramatic 17 year olds who dont smile, high pitched overwrought lyrics and inaudible guitar rifts with tight wool sweaters, tighter jeans, itchy scarfs (even in the summer), ripped chucks with favorite bands signature, black square rimmed glasses, and ebony greasy unwashed hair that is required to cover at least 3/5 ths of the face at an angle."

That made this easier! Our MG is more into hard rock, isn't 17 years old, she does smile, doesn't wear black square rimmed glasses, nor have ebony greasy unwashed hair! Hope that helps! Come back Thursday afternoon to find out who it is!
Our definitely NON-emo, NON-17 year old MG is Jobthingy! Be sure to check out her HNT!

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A nice group of submissions for "...the Other HNT", as always! Be sure to stop by and check out your fellow HNTers! Balanced mix of guys and gals this week, too! As always, NSFW.

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Since I'm in a bit of a pimping mood this week, I should mention that Bad Bad Girl is running a contest over on her site to celebrate her upcoming blog anniversary. Lots of prizes from some of the best toy stores online. And since this is BBG, you can pretty much figure we're not talking Slinkys or puzzles or games. Easy to enter, easy to win! Stop by and see what you need to do!

Pimpin', and some other stuff

M, over at Rumblings and Bumblings, is celebrating her 1,000th post today! She's decided to do a question and answer post, answering questions in real time and updating her post throughout the day. Stop over and congratulate her and ask her a question! I think she's prepared to answer just about anything. If she's not up yet, come back! Congrats, M!

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Here's a random video from my balcony during one of our nasty 10-minute rainstorms last week. Enjoy.

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I may have mentioned this before, but homemade jam on warm English muffins just can't be beat! Thanks, Leesa!

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I'd pay someone, anyone, five bucks American to clean out and toss half the stuff in my apartment. Seriously. Five bucks. Takers??

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Stuff, and TMI Tuesday #200 (Happy Anniversary!!)

Have you noticed the somewhat new commercials for Fruit of the the Loom? The Apple playing guitar down the school hallway. The Apple crooning at the piano. The Apple singing in some sort of world music ballet. And of course, the old one where the Apple is singing a duet with Vince Gill. Do you think the other fruits get jealous playing second banana? So to speak?

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TMI ALERT! Had a very strange weekend. I simply could not quench my thirst. My total intake for the weekend, from Friday afternoon through Sunday night: 8 quart bottles of Gatorade (various flavors), 2 gallons of chocolate milk, and close to another 8 quarts of water. I just could not get enough, whether it was during the day or the middle of the night. Of course, then, I peed close to once an hour for the weekend. Once every 75 minutes during the night. Which means I didn't get any decent sleep. And lots of bizarre dreams... Yes, I know I should go to the doctor. Lord knows I'm at that age when certain exams should be routine. However, I'm one of the 47 million uninsured, so I won't be doing that any time soon. At least not before Obama's paying for it! On a side note--things have been "normal" since I woke this morning. Just thought you'd like to know.

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In spite of my troubles this weekend, I was able to do a couple of nice things for a couple of different people, thanks to some help from some other peoples. I like it when things come together!

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Before I answer--congrats for reaching #200! It's not an easy thing to continue a weekly meme for almost four years (I should know!). And if one were to explore the world of memes, there's not too many that have made it this long. Yay for us!

1. What is the longest you have been in a monogamous sexual relationship? [For the purpose of this question monogamous is defined as no sexual partners that your significant other does (did) not know about.] - It was a long time ago, but maybe three years?
2. If your current relationship would fail, do you have a back-up for physical or emotional comfort? - Not in a current relationship, nor do I have a physical back-up. Emotionally, there's one or two who I can dump on, though I don't do that too often.
3. Can you be "just friends" with someone when there is an unrequited sexual attraction? - Since this has pretty much been the story of my life, I can definitely say yes. In some cases it's pretty hard to do, but it can be done. Doing it now, as we speak!
4. In a assumed monogamous sexual relationship have you ever cheated, been cheated upon or been a knowing third party to the infidelity? [For the purpose of this question monogamous is defined as no sexual partners that a significant other does (did) not know about.] - Never, to any of the above. Oops...that's not true. I have been the third party at one time.
5. Historically, what has caused the most arguments in your relationships? - Honestly, I can't ever remember having been in a relationship where there were arguments. Perhaps it's old age that's set in, but I really don't. Perhaps that's why it's difficult for me to get into an argument with some of my online friends. I have a lack of experience with it.
Bonus (as in optional):What do you want from a partner in a long term relationship? - Trust, commitment, acceptance, communication, flexibility, love, and a trust fund. Not necessarily in that order.

Be sure to check out the other TMIers!

Friday Fill-Ins: #137 and other stuff...

Apparently, a tutorial is needed for the comment box. I'll include this again next Wednesday, as many won't see it before then. There's two main ways to do this so that you don't have to include your URL as part of your comment. First off, replace the word "Guest" with your own blogname. Seems obvious, but there were 5-6 "guests" this week! Secondly, click the word "From". You are given a list of options, and this is where you need to make a decision. Ignore all but two of the options. Trust me on this!

• Your first option: "My Blogger Account". If you choose this, you'll be taken to a new window, and it will need to confirm who you are, login info to Blogger, etc. Obviously, if you use Wordpress, this isn't your option. If this option is chosen, then when you leave a comment, others will have to click your name, another box will open, and invite you to come to your Blogger site. Why it doesn't just go there...? I don't know.
• Your other option: "My Other Site". If this option is chosen, then when you leave a comment, others will have to click the arrow-like icon next to your blogname, and it will jump directly to your site.

Obviously, the second option is much easier. I recommend it. Does this information remain every time you come to visit? I don't know. I hope it does. And why don't I just revert back to Blogger's comment options? I've tried. I've eliminated all Haloscan/J-S Kit code, but Blogger's code is either missing, or tied in with the other code. Of course, I could move everything over to the "new" Blogger (I just realized that most of you don't even realize there is an "old" Blogger!). If there's still alot of problems next week, I might have to bite the bullet...

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I was pretty much ticked off all Thursday night. We had a 10 minute hail/rainstorm pass through town at around 5:30 (that's how it happens here--buckets upon buckets for a short amount of time, then the sun comes out...). I'm assuming it screwed something up because my ISP was down all night, finally coming back online after midnight. Hate it when that happens! So did I accomplish anything all night? Of course not!

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We're set to lose a major piece of history this morning. We, meaning Helena. About three miles east of Helena is a small community called East Helena (we're a simple kinda folk here in Montana...), home to the last custom lead smelter in the U.S. Or, at least, used to be. It's been mothballed for years, and at 7:30 AM, the three remaining stacks are going to be simultaneously toppled. While East Helena can't be considered a smelter town anymore, it is actually growing as more people move to the Helena area. The impact of the smelter will be around for decades. Not only as "the company" to the families who have lived there for generations, but also the decades of lead poisoning affecting the kids who played in their contaminated front yards! The E.P.A.'s Superfund list had East Helena at the top of their list for years. While most people won't understand the passing of history in front of their faces, it's going to bring a bit of a tear to my eye. Just hope I'm upwind...

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1. When will it begin to make sense?

2. I can't even recall what was the last good book I read or movie I saw or tv show I watched.

3. Everything has its beauty but too often it hides behind the beast.

4. Taco Bell is what I had for dinner.

5. I'd like your comments, no matter if you really know me or not.

6. Bed is where I want to be right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to uninterrupted internet service, tomorrow my plans include staying inside out of the rain and Sunday, I want to watch the PGA Championship with my dad!

Itchy, Scratchy HNT

A strange, bizarre landscape.
(click it to big it for better effect!)

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"Flower of the early dawn
Springing into life;
What a lovely way to wake—
A vision without strife.

Jewel-like in the emerald grass,
Shining in the sun,
Mesmerizing in its light—
A beauty not outdone.

Such loveliness is rarely viewed;
My awestruck eyes may see
God's most amazing gift of all
Is this he gave to me."

"Morning Glory" - Amanda

Come back Thursday afternoon to find out who our Mystery Guest might be!
Sometimes the hints are just staring you in the eye! This is Morning Glory! You can stop by her place to see what she looks like without the sweater!

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A few new people have joined in at "...the Other HNT" this week! Still NSFW, but worth checking out! Leave some comment loving over there!

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Nothing really interesting to blog about this week. More boring than usual! Hope yours is more exciting!

I got schooled today...

...by the state of Montana. Not the State of Montana (as in the government), but the roads, mountains and general landscape.

Until about last night, I was considering a week-long road trip. With no particular destination in mind. Anyone/anywhere west of the Mississippi, north of Las Vegas and south of Edmonton was a possibility. I was going to just point the car, flip a coin, and head out. Honestly, the only thing keeping me from doing it was questioning the ability of my car to stay in one piece. And the responsible Os telling me that there's a better way to spend the money in the future.

But I needed to quench my wanderlust, so I tossed my iPod, my camera and a MT road map into the car and headed out. Now, one of the things I NEVER do is drive around Montana with a map. I've lived about 85% of my 50+ years in this state. I know much of it like the back of my hand. Particularly western MT. A map just isn't needed. But today, I was headed towards central Montana. Lots of flat, lots of nothingness, and lots of little county roads and state highways to nowhere. I tossed in the map, hoping I didn't end up in North Dakota or something. All that flatness is disorienting! And this is where I got schooled...

Much of the drive I planned on are roads that I traveled on at some point while in college (30+ years ago). Holy shit! I just realized I graduated from college 30 years ago!! Anyhoo, I found out today that I really didn't learn anything back then. All the "flat" land I was expecting to run into didn't exist! I drove through/around mountain ranges with names I'd never heard of. I went past little communities that I'd heard of, but never seen. Most of all, I found out that I didn't need to do a week-long road trip to see places I'd never been!

A few pictures that I took are below. I didn't take near as many as I should have, but it's been hazy around the state, and the great mountain shots wouldn't have come through. Then the batteries died. As did the phone. Still, the car ran fine. And I didn't even use the map!

This is the standard view of Bozeman, MT, with the campus of MSU in the foreground, and the Bridger Mountains in the back (not my picture). My plan was to drive around the backside of the Bridgers.


These are from the backside, and farther north. I had no idea it was so beautiful up there! It's almost Glacier-like! And because there's no real reason for most Montanan's to be up this road, most of them don't know it either!


Ten minutes later, it's prairie country! And about the time that the batteries were just about dead. The last two pictures are of Ringling, MT. Not much there anymore. There's a schoolhouse to the left (out of picture) in the left shot, and the church that looks down on all that's left. Jimmy Buffett spent some time there when he was living here for a brief time in the mid-70s. Wrote a song titled, "Ringling, Ringling". Take a listen!


Ringling, Ringling
Slippin' away
Only forty people, livin' there today
Streets are dusty and the bank has been torn down
It's a dyin' little town

Church windows broken
That place ain't been used in years
Jail don't have a sheriff or a cell
And electric trains they run by maybe once or twice a month
Easin' it on down to Musselshell

Ringling, Ringling
Slippin' away
Only forty people livin' there today
`Cause the streets are dusty and the bank had been torn down
It's a dyin' little town

And across from the bar there's a pile of beer cans
Been there twenty-seven years
Imagine all the heart aches and tears
In twenty-seven years of beer

So we hopped back in the rental car
and we hit the cruise control
Pretty soon the town was out of sight
Though we left behind a fat barmaid, a cowboy and a dog
Racin' for a Ringling Friday night

Ringling, Ringling
Your just slippin' away
I wonder how many people will be there a year from today
`Cause the streets are dusty and the bank has been torn down
It's a dyin' little town
It's a dyin' little town

Friday Fill-Ins: #136 and other stuff...

My apologies to everyone who came by Thursday and were faced with the new comment box. Trust me, it was as much a surprise to me as it was to you! Remember how Haloscan was bought out by someone who had no clue what they were doing? Well, they've now been replaced by someone who might. I've poked around a bit, and it seems like this new service should be ok, just in need of getting acquainted with it. Most of you came through with flying colors, but some of you didn't get your URL added. Don't be afraid of it. It really does want to play nice!

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OK, I had to laugh Thursday as I'm reading the reports of Twitter being down! And how none of the Tweeters could twit each other that it was down (forgive me if I'm using the wrong terms)! And the next "best" thing, Facebook, was experiencing problems. What did these poor people do all day? Did they actually have to...WORK? Did they actually have to eat lunch without letting everyone else know? Has our society degraded to the point that losing Twitter for a day was looked upon as an internet catastrophe??

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Remember the sunburn HNT from last week? Well, I've been peeling. Badly. I could sell 1" squares of my skin on eBay. I have to wipe down the top of my desk at work to get rid of the flakes. Interestingly, just my right arm. OK. I think I'm through being disgusting for this post.

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And...here we go!

1. Gin & tonic is my favorite summertime drink, after beer.

2. My favorite John Hughes movies is a toss-up between Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller.

3. My newly shaved head is something I love to touch.

4. The full moon makes me feel refreshed.

5. Left then, right now.

6. When daylight fades, I think of all the things I didn't actually get done.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to grilling some steaks, tomorrow my plans include watching the rain/lightning and Sunday, I want to make a decision on whether I'll be making a road trip next week or not!

Life Lines HNT

Once again, another HNT picture that went in a different direction than intended. Suffering from a great lack of inspiration this week, I decided to go back to look at some long-lost HNTers from 3-4 years ago. Two things I discovered. I need to get a "real" camera soon. I have not taken to the whole digital thing as well as I had hoped. Oh, sure, the basics are there, but back in the day, I liked being able to do things more manually. If film and processing were free, I'd still be using it.

The other thing I found is that I'm not very good at mimicking others' pictures. I found something like this shot (sorry, I can't remember who did it), but I certainly didn't do it justice. But, since I have the attention span of a three-year-old, I went off on a tangent and noticed my life lines in my hand, as well as all the other creases and wrinkles. No real calluses, blisters, or anything like that. Just alot of lines. Hands that have played the bass, conducted an orchestra, and caressed the handle of a putter. Hands that haven't done a great deal of baby-picking-upping, gardening, or recent breast fondling. These hands have been held, wrung, clapped and injured. They're a bit on the short and stubby side, but they're mine. Hands...the internet. Internet...my hands!

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I see you, your tool as hard as forged steel.

I want you to nail me...hammer inside me.

I love the feeling of your wood drilling me.

Riveted together, fitting like a bolt in a nut.

The pleasure is building.

Like a vice I squeeze you, tighter and tighter.

The ecstasy is without measure.

When its over I thank you for a job well done.....

Come back after Thursday afternoon to find out who our willing apprentice is!
Some MGs are impossible to guess. Others make it impossible not to. In case you haven't been by her place yet (and shame on you!), stop by and say hi to Barefoot Dreaming!

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"...the Other HNT" is NSFW, as usual, but with a couple of newbies. Be sure to stop by and leave a comment for them. I know they do appreciate that!

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Looks like the old man of HNT (not me, thank you...) is going to be hosting a pool party, and we're all invited! BTExpress has finally gotten his pool put in with a grill that will make you drool! Best part, we have a YEAR to plan for this! In fact, one year from this weekend! Stop by his place, check it out, and start saving your pennies! Flights to NY shouldn't be too expensive! You know I'm going to be there!

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Still taking suggestions for an upcoming HNT there. Not ruling out the ones I've gotten, but I'll still take others!

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Also, a reminder that if you're interested in being the Mystery Guest, just let me know!

I'm so confused...

ALL the guys on the Weather Channel are referring to the town that got the flash floods yesterday as "Loo'-ee-vill". Discuss amongst yourselves...

Some stuff, and TMI Tuesday #198 - Relationships

All of a sudden, it got smoky today. Not quite sure where it's coming from, as there's no major fires in MT or ID. A couple from western WA, but not big enough to really put out the smoke that we have. Maybe down from AK? In any case, hot, muggy and smoky isn't any fun.

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I've found a new gig I want...I got an email this afternoon from a woman who works for the online community team for Travel Channel. She caught my mention of my new favorite TV show (see last post), and sent me a form letter to join a list of fans. Must be rough to do nothing but surf blogs all day and get paid for it!

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I'm thinking of coming up with a theme for HNT sometime soon. It's been awhile, hasn't it? Anyone have any ideas?

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The high school where I spent my first years as a teacher recently had an all-class reunion. I apparently was talked about, because I've gotten about 8 Facebook friend requests from former students within the past week. Not quite sure how I feel about that...

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Speaking of friend requests, I'm working on a post about that very subject. I'll be curious to see your responses.

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Did you see that they're coming out with "Halloween II"? So will this be a remake of the original one, or a sequel to a remake?? Has there ever been a sequel to a remake??

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1. Family is who I know I can turn to at anytime, anywhere, for any reason.

2. Friends are spread across the country these days.

3. Exes are good to remain friends with.

4. Strangers are an opportunity waiting to happen.

5. Relationships work best when communication is free-flowing.

Bonus: Tell us about your first love: Unless you mean Sheila Fitzgerald when we were both 5, it would be Volcano Girl. You can click her name to read what I've got to say about her...

Mish-Mash

Accomplished absolutely nothing this weekend, other than laundry. Which gave me all sorts of time to allow all sorts of weird thoughts to invade...

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I've been on a yogurt kick recently. Q (btw--her bday was Sunday. She's still taking bday wishes!) mentioned in a comment that you don't hear much about guys eating yogurt. Why is that? Is it a chick food? Are there girly hormones that will make me sprout breasts (that might have already started...)? Guys--do none of you eat yogurt?

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I've never been a fan of 'LOL' or 'ROFLMAO' or any of those other cutesy acronyms. I can honestly say that I've never used them in any chats/texts/comments I've ever sent. Hell, I won't even use HHNT! But I can accept them, as everyone else uses them to some degree. What I really hate seeing though, is when a guy uses '*gigglesnort*'. Really?? *Gigglesnort*? Just seems a tad effeminate, don'tcha think? The only good example of *gigglesnort* is in that online snowball fight game that shows up every winter. When the green team wins. Please, guys. Go back to 'lol'!

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I have a new favorite TV show. "Man V. Food" Hosted by Adam Richman on the Travel Channel. The guy isn't a competitive food eater, but he'll take on any local challenges that may come his way. And it's not always quantity. He'll take on a 72 oz. steak, or 6 "Nuclear Wings". Obviously, if six wings is a big deal, you can bet they're coated in something that would rip out most people's guts. I think that's what I like about the guy--I can live vicariously through him. I would never even attempt some of these things that use the hottest chili peppers on earth, but I appreciate his efforts! And you have to like a guy who isn't afraid to cry on national TV. Not tears of sorrow or joy, but of extremely spicy pain! Some of the challenges seem easy, yet he was only two bites away from finishing the 12-egg Southwest omelet. He puked before he could finish 120 oz. of milkshakes. Obviously, there must be more than meets the eye. And because this is on the Travel Channel, and not the Food Network, there's a bit more touring around towns and neighborhoods. And he doesn't do it for the money. He won a bumper sticker for eating the six wings. He got his picture up on the wall for eating something else. And he doesn't always win, which is nice to see. And he's not eating really weird stuff from exotic countries, but actual menu items we could find any day of the week. New season starts this week--I can't wait!

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Still looking to find some sort of non-alcoholic watermelon drink, without resorting to making it myself (this is a decades-long search). Anyone know of any?

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Watched "The Shining" over the weekend for shits n' giggles. Wanted to check something so I IMDB/Googled it. I got confirmation that the opening title sequence of the Volkswagen bug driving up the mountain roads was filmed by a helicopter following the car as it went up the Going To the Sun Road (same road Rachel and I were on last week, but the eastern half of the road--we were on the western side). Very cool.

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My reason for looking was to find out what happened to the kid who played "Danny" ("REDRUM! REDRUM!). Click here to see what he looks like now (he's a high school teacher--how cool would that be?). Then I had to check out the creepy twins. You can see here what they look like now.

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Finally, I found what they call a retrailer (making new trailers for previously released movies). This one was the winner at a film competition. A somewhat different take on the movie...