Sunday, May 16, 2010

Random list

Performers I've seen in concert
(no particular order, multiples shown with - *, and probably not complete):
*-Chicago
Earth, Wind & Fire
*-Tower of Power
Nickel Creek
Wailin' Jennys
Britney Spears
Norah Jones
Kansas
Doobie Brothers
Shania Twain
Cowsills
Pure Prairie League
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen
WAR
Paul Winter Group
Dizzie Gillespie
Peter Schickele (P.D.Q. Bach)
Stan Kenton
Woody Herman
*-Buddy Rich
Harry Connick, Jr.
Sara Evans
Martina McBride
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
*-Chuck Mangione
The Carpenters
Dave Matthews Band
Jazon Mraz
Diana Krall
Ella Fitzgerald
James Taylor
Blue Man Group
Willie Nelson
Rascal Flatts
Alan Jackson
Uncle Kracker
Elton John/Billy Joel
Elton John
Bob Dylan
*-Asleep At the Wheel
Cher
*-Alison Krauss & Union Station
*-John Hartford
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Jonny Lang
America
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Jethro Tull
Aaron Carter
A-Teens
*-Béla Fleck & the Flecktones
Spro Gyra
*-Maynard Ferguson
*-Richie Cole
*-Mission Mountain Wood Band
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Seals & Crofts
Shaun Cassidy
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Rolling Stones
Mötley Crüe
Pearl Jam
Neil Diamond
Manhattan Transfer
The Nylons
Marshall Tucker Band
*-Allen Vizzutti
Huey Lewis & the News
Let's Go Bowling
Leahy
YES
Doc Severinsen
Head East
Average White Band
Deborah Henson-Conant
Four Freshmen
Leann Rimes
Santana
Los Lobos
Mel Tormé
Temptations
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Boston Pops Orchestra
Count Basie
Louie Bellson
Gary Burton
Chick Corea
Edgar Winter Group
The Moody Blues
Mannheim Steamroller
Reckless Kelly
Sugarland

Thursday, May 13, 2010

A Letdown HNT

THEME ALERT! - Next week, on May 19/20, we'll celebrate the 5th Anniversary of this thing we call HNT! I solicited ideas for what we could do, and a number of people came up with the same idea. For that week, post your very first HNT photo. May take some research on your part to find out what that one was. ALSO, post a second picture re-creating the same shot to the best of your ability! No fair using an outtake from that photoshoot! Post them both for your HNT of that week. Even if you're a newbie! Be sure to mention it on your sites too! Got a question? Shoot me an email.
I had a doctor's appointment this morning. My three-month look under the hood. I've been feeling pretty good. A bit more active than I've been in years. Eating the right foods. Keeping my blood sugar levels in a good range. This should have been a great checkup, right?

Things started on a low note as soon as I was called back. I got weighed. About six pounds heavier than the last time, and maybe 15 pounds more than I though I was at. I blame the faulty scales. The nurse then sits me down and tells me she needs a urine sample. Wish I'd known that before I left home. I wasn't expecting the need to pee. I politely asked if I could wait to the end of the appointment so I could get something worked up. Then I asked for a glass of water. Things got worse, as she took my blood pressure. While it wasn't high enough to sound the alarms, and not anywhere near as high as I've had in the past, my delicate condition doesn't like the higher blood pressure. Then she left. At which point, I snuck in my HNT with that "now what?" face...


I'm the first one to admit that my first checkup in February was quite remarkable. Especially considering how close to death I was. Unfortunately, the bar was set high, and I thought I was keeping close to it. Apparently not. For the past three months, I've been living off the glow of that checkup. This one tells me that I have to continue working on it. On the positive side, there were no alterations to my meds, other than the blood pressure one. And while I didn't get the full labs to get my blood chemicals this time around, there's no reason to think they've changed a great deal. The one blood test (A1c) that was taken showed a result that was identical to my last visit, and that was excellent. So all is good, though not stellar. Something for me to work on over the summer...

Oh, at the end of the appointment, I did get to pee into a cup so they could check for proteins in my urine. Only after drinking one more glass of water, running the water in the sink, and flushing the toilet a couple of times. The pressure was phenomenal! Performance anxiety struck to some degree, but apparently not before I squeezed out enough for them to test. Good news--my kidneys apparently work just fine too!
This week's Mystery Guest almost passed us by! Not too terribly long ago, she shut down her blog. But as suddenly as she shut it, she opened it back up with a new outlook on her life and relationships. What she's showing here is almost more than she's ever shown on her own site! For those who like geography, she's looking forward to wearing stockings again. Both for keeping her legs warm, and for those moments when she might need to tie someone up... But she's quite a vision. Like the petals of a flower. Always a thing of beauty!
If you think you know who she is, be sure to leave a comment on her site! She'll be revealed on Thursday afternoon, so be sure to stop by and check her out!
The MG this week that yummy mummy Petal! Be sure to stop by and say hi!

There's some great contributions this week over at "...the Other HNT". Be sure to stop by and check out your fellow HNTers over there! They do appreciate the comment love, too! Of course, it's NSFW.
Speaking of OHNT, you'll be able to find the OsShirt over there this week! And as I understand it, there was a hijacking of the OsShirt today. It was about to leave the Dallas area when another HNTer wormed his way into getting it. And is wearing it, as I'm typing this, on www.spindatmusic.com! His show is over by the time this post goes up, but you should check out his show in the future! I don't know his schedule, but I'm sure he'll comment here and be happy to give it to you! A great mix of rock, both old and new! EDITED TO ADD: I should probably mention that the fiend is the lovable Shumpy!

Got questions? Something not covered in the two "100 Things About Me" tabs up there at the top? A math problem? Go use that formspring box over there in the sidebar and ask me! Anonymously! So far I've answered every question asked of me. Some silly, some not. Go give it a shot!
Last bit of unexpected news today--I don't want to jinx anything, so all I'll say is that it involves a soul band, gigs solidly booked, some of the top musicians in town, and a limited shelf life. More details when everything is firmed up!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Dad Update and Mother's Day

Well, Mother's Day didn't turn out quite like planned. Which is an awkward segue into my dad. So that's where I'll start. Dad has been doing better since the last time I did a Dad Update. He's playing cribbage with the boys. He's been doing physical therapy. HE TOOK CARE OF MY MOM WHEN SHE WAS LAID UP AFTER KNEE SURGERY (oops...that would be a Mom Update--she was scoped and scooped, but wasn't really up and around for a few days). A year ago at this time, he was pretty much stuck at home with a vacuum pump sucking all sorts of nasty infection and stuff from his lower abdomen. Really quite gross. That has essentially taken care of itself, though he's still retaining fluids, and the doctors don't know why, or where it's all coming from. So he's had to go in a couple of times to get it sucked out.

The latest time was last Thursday afternoon. How much are we talking about? Two and a quarter GALLONS. I'll let the picture to the left help you with the visual. Two of those milk jugs, plus well on the way to filling the third. Eighteen pounds worth of liquid. 8400 cc's. The doctor was so kind as to describe the fluid's color in beer terms. The first color described as being a stout, then to an amber, and eventually as Coors. They sucked him dry and sent him home. The short story after that--he's leaking from where they stuck the sucky thing in him, and he's also developed a bulge. Spent 4 hours in ER Friday night trying to figure out why, and to be sure it wasn't blood (it wasn't). He showed up for brunch on Sunday morning and noticed he'd started leaking again. So Mom stayed for brunch (they drove separately), but opted out of the golf with her children and grandchildren. So I don't have the pictures of Mom at the golf course like I had hoped to get.

After golf, we all met at S2's house and had a fabulous buffet of take-out Chinese. Dad made it there, and was in good spirits. Still leaking a little bit, but not as badly (He looks fat and jolly like Santa here, but that's the towels that are bandaged to his sides. He's actually nothing but skin and bones!) Tales were told of the golfing adventures of the afternoon, as most of us haven't played in awhile. My nephew (8th grader) consistently outdrove both his dad and I (and we can both hit the ball). He can't putt worth a darn though! N2 and N3 both outplayed their mothers (which isn't much of a surprise). Here's the dog, Mom and N3 (I'll let you figure out who is who). BTW--N3 informed me that this is a "horrible" picture of her. Uh-huh...


And after three years of not touching a golf club, I shot a 90. Mostly because I couldn't putt worth a darn either. Up until about three years ago, I'd play at least twice a week or more, and at my prime, would be upset if I didn't break 80. So after three years, the 90 I shot was quite respectable. But if I decide to play alot this summer (and I should, just for the exercise), I need to reacquaint myself with my putter (and who among us couldn't use that one-on-one time with their putter?). And to bring this around full circle, back to Mother's Day, here's me and Mom. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!


I was going to do some sort of long-winded tribute to my mom for today, but it dawned on me that I've done that numerous times in the past. Not that she's not deserving today too, but what more can I say about her that hasn't been said in these pages so many times before? Plus, I don't have a recent picture of her. Hope to take care of that today, as the whole damned family is doing the brunch thing, then golf, then dinner at S2's house.

So rather than dote on my mom this year, I'd just like to wish all of the moms who read this a Happy Mother's Day! Especially those of you who are celebrating being a mom for the very first time! I hope you all have a wonderful day! Pizza's on me!

OK, here's a picture from Mother's Day last year. Might be the latest one of Mom and all her kids.
And yes, her camera is set for European time stamps...

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Lemur Eyes HNT

THEME ALERT! - On May 19/20, we'll celebrate the 5th Anniversary of this thing we call HNT! I solicited ideas for what we could do, and a number of people came up with the same idea. For that week, post your very first HNT photo. May take some research on your part to find out what that one was! ALSO, post a second picture re-creating the same shot to the best of your ability! No fair using an outtake from that photoshoot! Post them both for your HNT of that week. Even if you're a newbie! Got a question? Shoot me an email.
A virtual plethora of possibilities for HNT pics this week! I thought about going with a Kentucky Derby thing, but after watching it, the only thing I could think of was getting covered in mud and holding a rose in my teeth. Ummm...no.

Tuesday brought a couple of ideas. Of course, it was Star Wars Day, but for as much as I love Star Wars, I'm not an ubergeek about it (with apologies to Summer, Shumpy and others who might take offense...). I thought about taking a picture playing with my light sabre, or wearing only my Jar Jar Binks mask, but I certainly don't need people laughing at me. Tuesday was also Election Day. Primary elections for many states. We had school elections here. Just not a big enough deal to use. Besides, they didn't even have the "I VOTED" stickers for this.

Wednesday is Cinco de Mayo. It celebrates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Of course, it's only really celebrated in the United States and the Mexican state of Puebla. Since José and I parted ways decades ago, I don't celebrate it. Though I do have a sombrero and used to eat a lot of food at Taco John's. Besides, I've done the half-nekkid sombrero thing every other year.

Mother's Day came to mind, but that's sorta sacrilegious, don't ya think? I'll do some sort of Mom tribute this weekend.

So I ended up with something that has no significance to anyone other than me. I had my first eye exam since leaving the hospital on Tuesday. With the same doctor who asked me the last time I saw him (about 6-7 years ago) if S3 was my sister, and how she was blind as a bat before Lasik. But I digress. I have, for over 50 years, had the best eyesight in the family. No glasses or contacts in all that time. I used reading glasses in front of a computer, simply because that just makes good sense. After leaving the hospital in October, you may remember that I had severe vision problems for a couple of weeks. Diabetes can actually blind a person if not treated and controlled. It cleared up considerably by the new year, but I'm to the point now where I can't read without using glasses. Distance is fine. Anything within six feet is generally fuzzy, to some point.

So I go to my appointment. And they run their tests. And the verdict? My eyesight is quite on par with "someone my age". Ugh. The good news--there appears to be no damage due to the diabetes. But I now have to schedule yearly exams, just to keep tabs. Not sure which part of the exam I hated more--the glaucoma test (that damned puff of air to the eye...ugh!) or the pupil dilation thing. I had to work the rest of the day with the lights out.


"Twenty-nine pearls in your kiss, a singing smile,
Coffee smell and lilac skin, your flame in me.
Twenty-nine pearls in your kiss, a singing smile,
Coffee smell and lilac skin, your flame in me.
I'm only here for this moment.
I know everybody here wants you.
I know everybody here thinks he needs you
I'll be waiting right here just to show you
How our love will blow it all away."

"Everybody Here Wants You"--Jeff Buckley

An historic first for this week's MG. Come back Thursday afternoon to find out the details!
So what's the historic first? We have our first 'couples' MG (I do hope you clicked...)! Brought to you by those crazy kids at "29 Pearls In Your Kiss...", Frances and Daniel. Stop by and see their companion pictures to these!

Be sure to check out your fellow HNTers over at "...the Other HNT"! You won't be terribly disappointed! Be sure to leave some comment lovin' too! And yes, it's NSFW.
Most of you don't know her, but Lindsey, over at Spinster War Diaries recently got married. Which no longer makes her a spinster, but anywhoo... Her wedding photographer has posted a 'Sneak Peek' of their wedding pictures on her blog this week. The catch...she said that for every 10 comments that get posted to their pictures, they'll get a free picture. The pictures are some of the best wedding pictures I've ever seen, so do Lindsey and Jess a favor and go take a look and leave a comment! If it helps at all, here's a link to one of Lindsey's OHNTs from awhile back...
I was surprised by the number of comments that my last post got. Perhaps I should vent and cleanse more often! And many thanks to those who came out of the woodwork, too! Feel free to comment more often!
I was going to post some links to the devastation in Nashville, but instead I urge you to Google for Nashville flood pics. I find it so sad that the places that I just visited at the first of the year are underwater. The Big River Grille, where we drank ourselves silly? Underwater. The riverfront park area where I took pictures of downtown? Underwater. The field of the freakin' football stadium where the Tennessee Titans play? Underwater. Opryland--home of the Grand Ole Opry? Underwater. The US media has pretty much ignored this story in favor of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico, yet this flood is going to be the costliest non-hurricane flood in American history. Our HNT/blogger friends from the area seem to be safe and relatively dry, but I'm sure they've all got friends who are in a world of hurt. I don't know what Red Cross or other relief efforts are taking donations, but I urge you to give. Even if it's just $10. Your half-nekkid Tennesseans will appreciate it!

Monday, May 03, 2010

Unsettled

That's where I'm at right now. Unsettled. All sorts of things happening in the blogworld and real life. I know I'm not alone in this...a couple of others I've chatted with recently have said the same thing. Are we just anxious for summer to finally get here? Or is there something more? The various things on my mind--some substantial, some just irritating:
  • The flooding in Tennessee, and the number of bloggiefriends having to deal with it all...
  • The failed bombing attempt in Times Square. This shit's getting old...
  • A close friendship or two online that seem to be fading away, as well as one or two that have totally died. My fault, or a natural progression?
  • I would never begrudge someone their shot at popularity because of their blogs (lord knows I've benefited from that), but recently, with some of them, I have to question...why?
  • My rent goes up by 17% starting this month. Still some of the cheapest rent in town for the size, but not sure how to adjust my budget. Something's got to happen...
  • I am quite irritated by the horrid mangling of the English language from many bloggers. Typos and misspellings are one thing, but using the wrong words consistently shows a lack of knowledge. Current peeves: then/than, loose/lose, and using "text speak". My own weaknesses--exclamation points, parentheses, ellipses and commas. Really, I'm trying to cut down! (oops...)
  • There's a blog post coming about a specific FB message I got that was written almost entirely in text-speak...
  • Eye appointment on Tuesday. Finally. My vision seems to have improved as far as it's going to. Now I get to find out how bad it really is, and how much of it is old age vs. diabetes...
  • I'm frustrated by the performance of my Powerbook. Or maybe it's my wireless router. Or both. I just know that there's days where I'd like to wipe my hard drive clean and start from scratch. It shouldn't take as long as it does to work online...
  • Some days I wonder what would happen if I just deleted the whole damned thing here. Part of that sounds like suicide...
  • I see that Sage has once again come up with another unoriginal idea to get boobies. And I'm sure he'll get them...
  • I'm frustrated in the way that one particular blogger friendship is progressing (regressing?), though if I were to look at it objectively, there's no other way for it to go...
  • I read that some of my blogger friends are making some questionable decisions. I've been asked for my opinions and advice, but it's never followed. And almost every instance turns out as badly as I warned. This is an ongoing dilemma...
  • I'm tired of depending upon others to do their job in a timely manner, so that I can efficiently do mine...
  • This routine of medication and diet control has lost its novelty. Is there such a thing as a pancreatic transplant...cheap? Or a do-over?
To be sure, this is just a sampling. And sure, there's plenty of positive things going on too. But this is the mood I'm in--venting and stewing. Looking for a nice balance. That's all. Carry on.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

April Showers HNT

Don't really have much to say. It's the end of April. I always like April. Spring springs in April. Lots of friends have birthdays in April. April was always music festival time in the school districts I taught in. Easter is generally in April. The Masters is always in April. The doldrums of winter seem to fade away in April. Even April snow storms don't seem as bad.

As the month comes to a close, the chance to take an April shower is quickly passing by, so here you go. I haven't done a shower picture in awhile. And it answers last week's question, too!


There's supposed to be an incredibly hot Mystery Guest here who is also celebrating her birthday today. The fact that you're reading this means that there was some sort of mix-up. She might get something to me late, so be sure to check back. I don't think you'll be disappointed, based on prior pictures from her!

This one's for the old-timers out there!

I usually get Mystery Guest pictures ahead of time so that I have a chance to go look for a song lyric or poem or quotation that's somehow appropriate for the picture or the MG or their blog. I don't have time to do that this week, since she was late getting it to me (that damned real life always screws things up). So, off the cuff, let me say this about our birthday girl--it's been a pleasure to be able to stay in touch with her for at least four years now. One of the benefits of being around HNT for its almost-five year existence is getting to "meet" literally hundreds of bloggers. A vast majority of them have gone on to other things--either dropping HNT or the entire blogging experience along the way. But every once in awhile, someone from the old days will pop in to be the MG, or they'll send something for OHNT. This MG is one of those. She's a fascinating woman, even though she's gained a reputation as being "the cat lady". During her heyday in the blogs, she wrote about horses and her hubby and sex and cars. She still is passionate about all four! I don't believe that more than a handful of you could possibly know who she is, but I'll reveal her later today (Thursday), along with a hint about where to find more of her! Happy Birthday to one of my all-time favorites! Don't be working too hard today!
This week's birthday girl/MG is the lovely Leela Lamore! Any of you remember her? You can find her over the previous three weeks of OHNT, too (look for the blades of grass)! And if you can't get enough, she was one of the HNTers featured during the HNT 3rd Anniversary Bash (find the button over there in the sidebar). She will probably be the last of the birthday MGs for awhile.

Be sure to check out "...the Other HNT" this week. A lot of submissions this week! As usual...NSFW!
I won't make an official theme alert until next week, but be aware that the 5th anniversary of HNT will be coming up in mid-May. Look for details about what's planned!
Be sure to ask me some questions in my formspring box over there in the sidebar. You can even ask anonymously if you'd like!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Recap, Boobquake, R.I.P., Spring and My Hip Mom

Well, I suppose an opera recap is due, since I've pretty much been away for the past 10 days or so...

All in all, the production came off swimmingly. But not without much tension and anxiety. Which is generally the norm. The only major glitch was with the subtitles (the English text was projected on a screen above the singers). We made a Powerpoint slideshow with over 1300 slides. About halfway through the second act, the woman who was running the slideshow must have slipped on a button or something, because instead of dialogue, we got the Powerpoint edit page. The woman was oblivious to this until another staff person came to help out. All in all, there was a five minute gap in the subtitles. It was all a bit Keystone Kops-ish. But those onstage continued on without knowing what had happened, and nothing important to the plot was missed, so all was good.

A long 10 days, and quite exhausting, but well worth the effort. Next year we'll do "Madame Butterfly"!
I was too busy to promote it, but I'm sure that most of you heard about "Boobquake" that happened yesterday. The first thing I'd heard about it was on Rush Limbaugh, of all places! Then it showed up amongst the Facebook crowd. If you're interested in finding out the results of the great experiment, you can find them here, from the woman who came up with the idea!
I just read that Sony will discontinue the production of the floppy disc. I'm sure that many of you have never had the enjoyment of having to sit at your computer, waiting to switch floppys just to load a little 3MB application. Or needing to use a handful of floppys to store your meager photo collection. Or using floppys as currency. R.I.P., oh mighty discs. Good thing I have a USB floppy drive!
Among the many things I missed over the past week and a half was the arrival of Spring in Montana. Many of the trees are blooming and most of the lawns are at least beginning to turn green. All just in time for the snow & rain that's expected tonight through the weekend...
I don't think I shared this on my birthday, but the following is the exact text (including the lack of capitalization) I received from my mom that morning:
happy bday luv u m n d
My mom is so hip...
I've gotten some interesting questions over there in the formspring box. Feel free to ask anything. Anonymously, even!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

What's Opera, Doc? HNT

Short and sweet...
No time to play this week.

Going along with the theme of the opera...but without the straight edged razor. The question remains...did he or didn't he?

Wish I could still drink like a fish.
Someone feel free to shoot me and put me out of my misery...
No bday MG this week (but Happy Birthday to two three of you out there!).
Happy Earth Day, too! Go plant a tree...

OHNT is up.
Ask me a question over there in the Formspring box.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

I'm at the barber...

Having just gone through the weekend's rehearsals for the opera, I can pretty much guarantee that you won't see much of me until after next weekend. Something will go up for HNT, but I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that... And it looks like I'll have to hand over the keys to OHNT to someone else, but hopefully you won't even notice a difference.

As for me, my title for this little opera (Barber of Seville) is production manager. However, insert any/all of the following, and you get a better idea of what I have to do:
Fireman - putting out fires before they get out of control. We've already had to deal with three.
Slave Driver - we're putting the singers through more rehearsals than they are used to, because we're putting it together in a week.
Supreme Court Justice - technically, all complaints/problems have to come to me, and I get to use my Solomon-like wisdom to make a decision. We'll see how well that goes.
Cat Herder - I have 7 guest artists, 12 chorus singers, about 46 orchestra members, 1 conductor and 5 production staff members to keep on task.
Security Guard - all visitors, press, and others not directly involved with the show have to check in with me. Unfortunately, I don't get to strap on a sidearm.
Timekeeper - I get to be the hardass to pull the plug when rehearsals hit their scheduled end time. Not everyone is going to like that.
Truck Driver - still get to drive the truck, but that's not so bad. Loading and unloading and making deliveries is still a pain in the butt.
Administrative Assistant - self-explanatory. Unfortunately, the administrator I'm assisting is myself. On the up side--I'll have my computer with me at all times, and there's a rumor that there's wifi I can pick up, so if there's any chance at all for me to get online, I will!
There's bound to be more job titles to be added as the week gets under way. I'm anticipating Diplomat, Gofer, and Janitor at the very least. I refuse to be Chauffeur though!

Hope you all have a good week! Click on the YouTube links a couple of posts below this one to listen to what I get to live and breathe for the next 8 days!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Old School HNTs HNT

I got a pile of pictures from my mom earlier this week. She must be cleaning things out of the credenza. Not just pictures of me, but going back to her parents as kids. And my sisters. And general 'back in the day' pictures.

I love going through old pictures. I always have. I spent countless Sunday afternoons pulling out old picture albums from that same credenza when I was growing up and getting utterly lost in them. Remembering the events of the pictures I was in, or imagining what it was like to be in a picture that had my grandparents as youngsters. I've always had a curiosity about things like that.

So as I went looking through this new collection of pics that she gave me (most of which I was quite familiar with), I started looking for half-nekkid ones, because I knew full well that I wouldn't have time to come up with a picture for this week. So here I am in my half-nekkid glory, all before 1965! Enjoy!


If you haven't noticed, the Mystery Guests since mid-March have all been birthday girls. This week isn't any different, and the trend should extend through April! This week's MG has gotten a much bigger birthday tribute from me in the past, and if it weren't for the lack of time to put something fresh and new together, she would have gotten one again this year. She's a much different person than she was at this time last year, and unrecognizable from the woman she was two years ago. Not physically, of course, but her personal growth. She's grabbed the bull by the horns and is beginning to live the life she deserves. Is everything peachy? Of course not. But she's able to face them in a much better manner than in years past. She's sort of been absent on the internets over the past few months, though she said she'd probably have something up tomorrow so you can leave birthday wishes, in case you know who this might be! If you don't, she'll be revealed on Thursday afternoon and you can do it then! Happy Birthday, babe! Wish I could have done more...


Not a big mystery for most of you. The Mystery Guest this week is my very favoritest birthday buddy M. She didn't get a post up for you to leave birthday wishes, but I imagine that most of you have found a way to do it anyway!
There always seems to be a letdown after a "big" event for OHNT (like last week's anniversary celebration). While the numbers aren't as big, the quality is still great! Lots of comments left last week, too! Keep it up! I know that they appreciate it over there! As usual, NSFW!
Go check out the adventures of the OsShirt! The last sighting of OsShirt v2.0 is up now. OsShirt v3.0 should be making its appearance by the weekend over there. And you might be able to find it out amongst the HNTs today, too!
Got a question for me that you're just dying to ask? Go to that box over there in the side bar and ask anonymously! You might get a surprising answer!
'Tis the season. When 3 of the 4 major US sports leagues overlap their seasons. I cannot begin to express how completely apathetic I am to that. When does football start again?
OOH! Speaking of football, I just heard that former NFL QB Ryan Leaf (aka the biggest washout in the history of the NFL) was sentenced to 10 years probation and fined $20K as a plea agreement to a handful of drug charges in TX. I only mention this because he grew up playing high school football just an hour north of here in Great Falls. The Unabomber, the Freemen kooks, the U.S. Capitol shooter and now Mr. Leaf. Yes, the state of Montana is once again proud.
Oh, yeah. It's my birthday today, too.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

It's mid-April. How did that happen??

I think I'm going to keep my template like it is for now. I really like that background shot and don't want to clutter it. It's the view from the tee of the 16th hole at Augusta National. And the hole that so many championships have been decided on. (If your screen resolution doesn't allow you to see the full picture of the pond, do a "view background image". It's almost surreal!)
Rehearsals for the opera have started, and the tension is beginning to mount. We're over-budget, the full rehearsal schedule has not yet been determined, and I face 14-hour days at the theater for all of next week. But that's about par for the course. We're doing Rossini's "Barber of Seville". Much of the music would be familiar to most of you. Clips of the music (thanks to Warner Bros.) can be enjoyed below (at 4:54 in the second clip).




More opera stories to come later, assuming I can get to my computer at all...
April 13th, and it snowed ALL DAY. The really wet sort of snow, and temperatures that couldn't tell if it should be snow or a really cold rain. I'll bet things get really green around here this weekend!
I pulled an all-nighter Saturday night for no good reason. I got into doing some paperwork for symphony, then checked YouTube once or twice, and next thing you know, it was almost 4 AM. Decided at that point to just make a full night of it. Maintained fairly well on Sunday, but my ass was a-draggin' on Monday! Haven't pulled an all-nighter since driving non-stop to see Moose in Minnesota about 5 years ago! I'm too old for this anymore!
Anyone have a winning lottery ticket they'd like to give me?

Friday, April 09, 2010

Fra-jee-lay: A Major Award and other things, including bullets!

This is how busy it's been for me this week...I spaced out that the Masters is this week! So the quick thoughts on that:
  • Good for Tiger! With all the crap focused on him over the past few months, and the golf media's messianic coverage of his return, he showed that he is still the #1 guy on the course.
  • Still don't like him though.
  • Freddie Couples, Tom Watson and Phil Mickelson at the top of the leaderboard after Day 1? Priceless!
  • CBS rolled out it's first live 3D broadcast coverage for this weekend. Wish I could see what that's got to look like!
  • Check out the Masters website. Pretty impressive this year.

Thanks to all of those who participated over at "...the Other HNT" yesterday. We had 31 posts. Not the 40 I had hoped for, but pretty darned impressive! A wonderful mix of photos, and some great starts for some newbies. Four years--who'da thunk it?!?
I got an email yesterday afternoon that I was going to just ignore, but then I got chatting with a friend about it, who encouraged me to write about it. But that got me to thinking. Which is often a dangerous thing. So I'll write about the thinking part first.

I may piss some people off with this, but I haven't done that in awhile, and it seems that it's currently in vogue. It has to do with sexblogs. And sexbloggers. I'll just come right out and say it. A vast majority of you who think you're sexbloggers--you aren't. Regardless of how many people think that you are. There is a big difference between blogging about sex, and being a sexblogger. I find that I'm not alone in this view, though not many people would rock the boat over labels. So here, with a nod to Jeff Foxworthy, are my views:
  • If all you do is post naked pictures pulled from various sites off the internet--you are not a sexblogger.
  • If all you do is post naked pictures of yourself, particularly in some sort of weird fetish or kinky situation--you are not a sexblogger. (But they can be interesting.)
  • If most of your posts are about you having sex, whether real or fantasy or erotica--you are not a sexblogger.
  • If you occasionally write some sort of "review" for some sex toy you've received for free--you are not a sexblogger.
  • If your site only updates for your HNTs--you are not a sexblogger. (But we do appreciate the direct access to them.)
  • If your site mentions your sexual conquests of the weekend, whether it's with or without your spouse, and then you write about your kid getting an "A" on his/her spelling test in the next day's post--you are not a sexblogger.
  • If your site makes an incestuous "Top Sex Bloggers" list (which is more of a popularity contest) in which 90% of the sites listed fit in the above statements--you are not a sexblogger.
"So Os", you might ask. "What constitutes a 'sexblog' to you?" Glad you asked:
  • A good sexblog is much less personal (though not totally devoid of a personal touch).
  • A good sexblog is written with some research prior to writing.
  • A good sexblog presents current discussions about sex and sex-related topics.
  • A good sexblog is someplace I'd turn to if I were looking for discussion or answers.
  • A good sexblog will give many links to supporting and dissenting views and opinions.
  • A good sexblog will often link to advertisers, but rarely will review for those advertisers.
  • A good sexblog will often promote sex-friendly events on local and/or national levels. And many times with personal insights.
  • A good sexblog will often times be quite devoid of any sort of naked pictures.
"OK, Mr. High and Mighty. Who do you think among us is a sexblogger?" Well, I'm not so dumb as to actually list those who I think are and especially who aren't, but I would make special mention of Figleaf. For my money, the best sexblogger amongst "us". Edited to add Shay over at The S Spot. Great place to get questions answered. And contests! A couple of what I would call the New York sexbloggers would make the list. Two or three others, maybe, but that's about it. It's not to say that I don't enjoy reading everyone who thinks they're a sexblogger. Nor do I think those people should change what they do. But I just have to snicker when I see someone refer to themselves as a "sexblogger" just because they fuck a lot then write about it.

And what brought all this on? I received an email Thursday afternoon, excerpts of which are:
"I have some good news for you: your site Views from the Back Row has been chosen by Í´≈Ïø®µß.com Editors (not really their site's name) as a 2010 Best Pick! I'm the Editor-in-Chief of Í´≈Ïø®µß, which since 1998 has been one of the world's largest online adult communities."

"We began scouring the web for the best, finest, funniest, and most informative adult sites and blogs. I'm happy to inform you that your site Views from the Back Row was chosen by our Editors to represent the very Best the Web has to offer."
*Eye-blink*
*And again*

Have these people ever read my blog?? In almost 5 years of blogging, the closest I've come to discussing sex are the posts about my slut girlfriend bird fornicating with any bird that comes calling out on my balcony (more to write about there, too!). Unless talking about symphony moves, diabetes and whatever other drivel I type out here constitutes sex.
"You may claim a recognition badge for your site. Our badges are a mark of distinction..."
Uh-huh.

Apparently, if I put up their badge, I'll be recognized as having a Sexblog (an award winning one, too!). I'll be the place where tens of thousands of others will come to read my wisdom and such on such thought-provoking sex topics as Grizzly football, OsTour trips and my medical condition. Well, you know what? I don't want it! I am not a sexblogger. This is not a sexblog. I am fully aware of that. The friend I mentioned at the top made the comment that there's plenty of people out here that would kill for such recognition. Which is probably true. And which is what got me to thinking about "sexblogs". I figure there's plenty of you out there that think you have a real sexblog. At least as much so as mine is. So my badge is up for bid. It's a commodity I'm willing to sell to the highest bidder. Just be sure to send a nekkid picture with your bid.

If I want to reject my inclusion (which implies I'm already included), I'm supposed to email directly to the Editor-in-Chief. I think I'll just let them come by and read it here themselves.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Tired, Tired, Tired HNT

I've not been sleeping much recently. Like, over the past few months. Not insomnia, but because I just haven't been going to bed at a decent hour. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been to bed before midnight since the new year. And probably on two hands the number of times before 1:00AM. It seems like 1:30 is the time where I decide it's time to hit the sack. But deciding, and actually getting there are two different things. I've seen the digital clock hit 2:00 far more than I should.

So what's keeping me up? Not really sure, but I do know that many of you are up at that time of night too. Which is worse for you, as most of you are in an earlier time zone! Sometimes I'll get a chat or two in with you which will keep me up. Sometimes it's that "one more round" of favorite blogs/sites, or one last check of email. Because, Lord knows, it can't possibly wait until the morning!

I'm not sure how some of you do it. In my case, I get to sleep in later than most, as I don't need to be at work until 10:30-ish. But since my hospital adventure, I'm up before 8 so that I can take my meds and eat breakfast. A necessary evil that I have to keep on track. Fortunately, I no longer have to worry about hangovers to interfere with my mornings! I also have the opportunity to sneak in a nap before dinner, but not always. So I put it back on you guys...how do you last day after day on so little sleep?

I have to do something about it, I know. I had one of my sisters, her mother-in-law, and my mom each separately make a comment over Easter that I looked tired. Apparently, it's showing. Our last concert of the season is in a couple of weeks. We're doing a full opera. I'm the production manager, meaning I'm "the" guy. I have to keep schedules on track, find props, coordinate everything, and be the guy to take the blame when something goes south. A role I do and will enjoy, but I'm going to have to buckle down and get my sleep in the next 10 days, because I won't be able to function without it.

So here I am, in all my tired glory, and in the place where it's most notable. I'd take a nap right now, but I have OHNTs to get posted...


April 7th

Posh Spice - b. 1975
Jack Black - b. 1969
Russell Crowe - b. 1964
David Frost - b. 1939
Ravi Shankar - b. 1920
Billie Holiday - b. 1915
Kurt Cobain - d. 1994
Henry Ford - d. 1947
P. T. Barnum - d. 1891
Farm Aid IV concert - 1990
Willem Klein mentally extracts 13th root of a 100-digit # in 29 sec - 1981
Today's MG born - 1972
Supreme Court strikes down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material - 1969
Oklahoma ends prohibition, after 51 years - 1959
Mussolini's Irish wife breaks his nose - 1926
Nebraska introduces 8 hr. work day - 1891
France declares war on Venice - 1509
Attila's Hun's plunder Metz - 451

As you can see, April 7th has been an important day in history, but none moreso than in 1972! Come back on Thursday to find out who/why!
This week's birthday girl/MG is the lovely Carnalis! Her bday was actually yesterday, but she's still taking bday wishes. And you can see more of her knickers!

Four years ago this week, eight ladies took a plunge and sent in the very first pictures for "...the Other HNT". My, what a far way we've come! Of those original 8, only one still does HNT (and is doing OHNT this week!), and that's only occasionally. One has presumably died, a couple do Facebook now, and one or two still blog to some degree. It's an evolution in both HNT and OHNT. People drop out, others take their place.

Those first ones took a huge leap at the time. HNT was still fairly tame, though some had ventured into exposing a breast or a bare behind. OHNT was started because, as people had outtakes from their regular HNT pictures, they had some more risqué ones that had no place to go. Today, the reasons that people do OHNT have changed. Some look at it as a place to do a series of pictures from their regular pictures. Others take an extra "naughty" picture just for OHNT. Yet others will submit only once in their life, sending in something so "unlike" themselves that no one could possibly believe they would do it. But I think the majority of them do it because it's fun, safe, and anonymous. Is it for everybody? Certainly not. But it's an outlet that is available.

Some numbers/facts:
-Prior to tonight's posting, there have been 2,o23 OHNT posts.
-The most hits in one day: 12,000+ (20,000+ if you include the next day).
-Most individual OHNT posts: can't say for sure, but it's either the young lady who sent one in every week of 2008 as her New Year's resolution, or the other one (what? you expected names?).
-Number of photos I've censored: 2 (see the 'no fluids' rule down below).

Have there been problems? Of course. There were some particularly nasty comments awhile back. There are still guys who send in some gross shots who don't even know what HNT is, but happened to run across the site somehow and decide they needed to display themselves (Polt--I might send them all to you for a bday present someday...). I eventually had to institute the "no fluids" rule. I think that one speaks for itself. And of course, the over-the-top comments from a few. But in general, people have been pretty respectful over there.

As of this writing, I don't think I'll hit the 40 submissions I had hoped to get for the 4th anniversary. But that's OK. What we miss out on in quantity has been made up for with quality. A number of people notched things up a level for this OHNT. And a couple of newbies stepped to the plate for the first time. I won't be adding captions for most of them this week, as there's still quite a few of them, and I've got no time to be witty today. Be sure to stop by and support and thank your fellow HNTers! They'll appreciate it! Hopefully we'll get to do this again in a year!

Oh, yeah...it's NSFW!
The latest adventure of the OsShirt is posted. Almost to the end of the adventures of OsShirt v2.0. Look for OsShirt v3.0 to be coming soon! NOTE: The OsShirt just got back from a vacation in Vegas and Hollywood! Check out the pics here!

And make use of that Formspring box over there in the sidebar. Ask me anything! Anonymously even!

Monday, April 05, 2010

Weak post today...

Gee... NCAA championship, WWE Raw, or TNA Impact! So many choices tonight! I doubt I'll watch any TV last night. I will make my official prediction that Butler doesn't stand a chance against Duke, though it will be a surprisingly close game. Duke will win by at least 10 points, though. Remember--you heard it here first!
Did the family thing for Easter. That was nice. Hope you all had a nice weekend too!
Found myself possibly involved in a pissing match with someone online. No one that any of you know. I didn't want to do it, but I got a FB message from this person, and it just couldn't be ignored. Hopefully it's over, but I have a feeling that I might have opened up a can of worms...
I hope you enjoyed my April Fool's post! It was interesting to see what the reverse translation was when I moved it back to English! Many thanks to those of you who commmented in a different language!
One of the things you might have missed was the PROGRAMMING ALERT! This week marks the 4th anniversary of OHNT (are you KIDDING me??). Last year, for the third anniversary, we had 30 people submit something. I'd love to get it to 40 this year! So if you've ever thought about it, this week would be a great time to do so!
Go leave me a question over there in the white box in the sidebar.
New adventure of the OsShirt goes up tonight. Be sure to check it out!

Thursday, April 01, 2010

April Fool's HNT!





It is time for this April Fool to do what he can on April Fool's Day ... learn from the best! Hopefully none of you gets pranked too hard!







"There are moments to indulge and enjoy, but I always know when it's time to go home and wash my knickers."
--Kate Winslet

"I have loads of underwear, but only wear the bras because I never wear knickers."
--Katie Price

"I'm always the girl at the party who, within five minutes, has taken my heels off, hitched up my dress in my knickers, and probably spilt drink down my cleavage."
--Sadie Frost

"A little of this. A little of that. It usually ends up with something about my knickers.... A sometimes cheery, sometimes cranky, sometimes amusing, sometimes absurd, sometimes clever, sometimes dramatic, sometimes intense, sometimes bitchy, but always Sassy kinda gal."
--Mystery Guest, 03/30/10

Look for the reveal of this week's MG on Thursday! She celebrated her birthday (which seems to be the new trend for MGs at the moment) on Tuesday. If you know her, stop by and wish her a belated Happy Birthday!
This week's MG/Birthday Girl is Sassy, over at "Knick-Knacks and Knickers". Stop by and wish her a belated Happy Birthday! And tell her how good she looks in the OsShirt!

Some great pictures at the "... Other HNT", despite the fact that it's smack dab in the middle of several spring breaks and just before Easter. PROGRAMMING NOTE ... - Next week will be the 4th anniversary of OHNT! If you've always thought about sending something a little more risque over there, or it has been awhile since you have, feel free to do it! Last year there were over 30 participants to celebrate the 3 year anniversary. Let's try for 40 next week! As always, it's NSFW!
New post on the continuing adventures of the OsShirt. I'm almost caught up, up to disappearance of OsShirt v2.0. Mid-May is my target date for getting everything . Be sure to check it out!
See white box over there in the sidebar? Use it to ask me anything! Anonymously, if you want! There's been some good questions so far ... keep them coming!
For those of you who celebrate... have a Happy Easter!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Interesting times here this past weekend.

Two days into spring break, five area teens were killed in an early morning (1 AM) single-vehicle wreck. Four of the five were 18 years old, and the 15 year old sister of one of the boys was also killed. According to the coroner, speed was a factor, alcohol was a probable factor, and drug paraphernalia was found in the truck.

Most of me is terribly sad for the families involved. But there's a part of me that doesn't feel quite so badly, considering how they died, and the time of night that it happened. What's happened to parental responsibility?
There was a rally at the State Capitol on Saturday. This is why I love living in Montana:

Seriously, I would not be surprised if there was a vendor nearby selling beer...
Symphony concert was quite wonderful, but not without tension. Not at the concert, but for the three days before. Without boring you with the details, suffice it to say that boards of directors of non-profits (particularly arts non-profits) need to keep their noses out of the operations. In my case, the concert. There was a great deal of bad blood being spewed, with the Board trying to bully their way. Ultimately, a compromise was reached, with the Board actually backing down, but it was like pulling teeth. I'm afraid we haven't heard the end of it all.
Did you know that Easter Sunday is next weekend? And April? How did that happen?

Friday, March 26, 2010

Jen & Larry

I hate to disappoint some of you, but there's no huge secret to the "8". But there is a story!

I've been doing this blogging thing for over five years, and HNT almost that long. There's been hundreds of people who come and go through this whole interwebz thing. Some pass through HNT literally unnoticed. Some have been around almost from the beginning. And some make a brief appearance, yet make lasting impressions.

Back in the old days, one such person made that impression. She went by the name of "VirgoJen". We followed her on her runs (that race up the skyscraper still sticks in my mind--40 flights of stairs!), her family, her divorce, and just about anything else she could come up with. And her HNT pictures were always quite sexy, without giving away the goods. And her smile--oh, that smile!

She closed down her blog a couple of years ago, though she had pretty much neglected it most of the year before that. She got heavily involved in photography, and started showing us her life over at Flickr. She got involved with the "365" project over there, which allowed us to see even more of her life than blogging did. She used Flickr as her pseudo-blog. So it was like she hadn't left at all. Then an unexpected thing happened. She met a guy...

I honestly can't say that I know the precise history, but I think they "met" on Flickr. He, too, has a thing for photography. They clicked (pun intended). She sort of introduced him to us in May, 2007. Now, almost 3 years later, they're getting married today (Friday) after a variety of twists and turns. Through it all, they've been able to keep their focus on this day.

As for the significance of the "8", it's better in her own words...
"Okay Facebook and Flickr friends...you all know (well those that "know" us) what "8" means to L and I. I would personally love if you could post an "8" photo of some sort on Friday. It would mean alot to me (us!). I want to make a slideshow!"
and another quote, when not everyone knew the significance...
"It's actually infinity, and it's quite a sweet and long story, but basically when we first met we would type it by using 8. We both got infinity tattoos as well. We still use it to this day... It's our "thing." :)"
So to Jen and Larry: Congratulations on this day! May the Force of "8" be with you!

Click for my "8"

Thursday, March 25, 2010

"8" HNT

This week's picture may not make sense to many of you (if any), but it's by request. I won't go into details here, but I'll write about it on Friday. But it's got to do something with keeping your life in focus...


3-26-1959

It is not how old you are, but how you are old. ~ Marie Dressler ~

The age of a woman doesn't mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles. ~ Sigmund Z. Engel

One of the many things nobody ever tells you about middle age is that it's such a nice change from being young. ~ Dorothy Canfield Fisher ~


You're only young once, but you can be immature forever. ~ John Greier ~


Forty is the old age of youth, fifty is the youth of old age. ~ Victor Hugo ~


The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball. ~ Doug Larson ~


Live your life and forget your age. ~ Norman Vincent Peale ~


The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. ~ Muhammad Ali
~

It's important to have a twinkle in your wrinkle. ~ Author Unknown ~


The process of maturing is an art to be learned, an effort to be sustained. By the age of fifty you have made yourself what you are, and if it is good, it is better than your youth. ~ Marya Mannes, More in Anger, 1958 ~

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~ Chili Davis ~

This week's Mystery Guest/birthday girl will be revealed late Thursday afternoon.

My apologies for not getting around to reveal the MG earlier...work/symphony caught me off-guard. Of course, the MG is Evening. Her blog is private, but you could probably leave a comment here requesting an invite. I'm sure she'd see it! Happy Birthday, young lady!

Still continuing to get some great submissions from your fellow HNTers over at "...the Other HNT". You should go check them out. Be sure to leave some comment love over there, too. And as usual...NSFW.
A new stop on the OsShirt tour has been documented. Be sure to check it out! Only a couple of more posts and it'll be almost current!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Blog Pimping and Other Selected Shorts

Stop by and check the blog that Cher started for the family chihuahua. If you've got a pet, or just love animals, this blog should tug at your heartstrings. Go down to the first post to read all about what's been going on. And then do what you can...
Got some sad news on Polt's site yesterday. For those of you who don't know him, he's one of the longest-running HNTers among us. He's hanging up his HNT camera after 4 full years (200+) of HNT. He rarely missed a week in all that time, and rewarded us with 2 HNTs the next week when he did. And not once did he show his privates. Very definitely one of the old-skool HNTers. Go check out his final regular HNT.
Did you see the OsShirt's appearance yesterday? Go visit Chickie to see it! I really do wish I had that shirt's life...
The University of Montana lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament tonight. The 14th-seeded Griz lost by 5 points to the third-seeded New Mexico Lobos, though the the lead was back and forth most of the night, and they were only down by one in the last two minutes. Well played, boys. Now I don't care about the rest of the tourney.
Speaking of tourneys...the Masters starts up in a few weeks. Despite my negative feelings towards him (long before his current tribulations), I'll go out on a limb right now and predict that Tiger's gonna win again this year. And I sorta hope he does.
The symphony played a youth concert this afternoon (which is the reason for my general absence here for the past couple of days). "Peter vs. the Wolf"--getting the Wolf's version of what happened in Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf". It's educational, and the kids love it, but I am totally beat. Quick set-ups/tear-downs and numerous changes to the stage. I should be in bed right now...
One of the best things about this concert is that the stage director (this was a stage show--the courtroom trial of the Wolf) was one of our lead singers from the band! We "retired" in Sept. of '07, and we both realized that we hadn't seen each other since then! She'd never seen me with the shaved head (and wasting away), and I hadn't seen her since she went from blond back to her natural brunette. We've promised that we won't go that long before seeing each other again. We even broached the subject of starting up a new band. Something to think about...
The "Great Formspring Experiment" seems to be a fizzle. The box is right over there in my sidebar. Ask me anything. Anonymously, even!
I miss my Irish-themed template already. I sort of liked the color scheme with the shades of green.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

St. Patrick's Day HNT

I've always been one to celebrate my Irish heritage on St. Patrick's Day. In spite of not having that outward indication that I've got any Irish blood in me. No O'Hara or Flanagan or Faherty as my surname. The Irish part of my family comes from my mother's mother's family, so the surnames have gotten buried. The Milligans and the O'Hearns.

Sadly, I've never really dug into my heritage. Mom started years ago, and was able to go back a couple of generations, plus some references to being related to "John, the Warrior" from the 11th century. No one famous, that we could tell, but there were a couple of ministers that popped up.

I've always wanted to go to Ireland, though I'd have to do some real studying of my ancestors, so that I could really enjoy the history of my lineage. I'm hoping that, somehow, that lineage includes the Guinness family. To that end, I celebrate each year with my favorite Irish drink. And while I don't quite do the presentation as well as last year's SPD Mystery Guest, the sentiment's the same!

I hope that you all had a great St. Patrick's Day!




The Aries:

"Aries is the first sign of the western zodiac - untested, unsophisticated and genuine to a fault. Aries charges through life, bumping into obstacle after obstacle then getting bravely up, only to wonder where the lumps and scrapes and bruises came from."

This week's Mystery Guest will be revealed Thursday afternoon. It's her birthday this weekend too!

The birthday girl this weekend is Stealth, who's come back after a long time away. Stop by and wish her a happy birthday (Saturday)!



Something had to give way today amongst all the things going on (see my previous post), and "...the Other HNT" is it. It'll still be going up, but not until later tonight, and possibly not until after midnight sometime. But be sure to check it out! Your fellow HNTers would appreciate it! Definitely NSFW this week.

Another adventure of the OsShirt has been posted. It's slowly getting caught up over there!
I've got that "ask me a question" thingie over there in my sidebar. So much easier than coming up with a new meme! Try it out--it's anonymous, too!
As a special Irish treat, we've got a second Mystery Guest! Enjoy!




"St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time --
a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic."
~~Adrienne Cook

This week's second Mystery Guest will also be revealed on Thursday afternoon. But if you know her, you might be able to see her with even a little less green!

This Irish lass is Minority Report! Be sure you stop by her place too!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If all goes as planned, I'll be sitting at O'Toole's at 8:00 this morning. Continuing my nearly 20 year (with only a couple of misses) tradition of getting the first green beer out of the tap. In years past, that's also meant that I was really in no condition to go to work, but my bosses are cool that way. Of course, they put the beer down pretty well themselves! But this year, I'll have a limit of 2 green beers. No shots of Jameson or Bushmills. No Guinness or Killian's Red. Damned new lifestyle puts a crimp in that.

Just as well, since I've got a symphony move, including loading the truck before heading to O'Toole's. And heading back to set things up after work. And rehearsing until about 10:30 into the night. No reason to go through the day in an alcoholic haze (though that hasn't stopped me in the past).

But I'll be wearin' the green. My Irish heritage allows me to do that. I'll have Pandora tuned to "Irish Pub Favorites". I'll try to sneak in some corned beef and cabbage. I love St. Patrick's Day! May the luck of the Irish be with all of you!
Had a great link emailed to me from my boss yesterday. For those of you with iPhones, be sure to check this out. "Thirty Super Secret iPhone Features and Shortcuts". There's some great stuff here that I'd never known about. Some of them are fairly popular. But most of them were new to me, and based on the comments on the site, new to most people. Why doesn't Apple publish these things?
Got a different email yesterday from Cher (remember her?--and no, not that Cher...). There's been a terrible thing that's happened to her sister's dog. A cute little chihuahua. Yeah, it's a request for a donation, but when you go to the site she's set up, you can hardly say no. At least stop by to check it out.
As mentioned above, it's a busy day in the land of O'sbasso (like the Irishness of that? geez...it must be late). I won't have computer access for most of the day, but HNT will be scheduled at its regular time. OHNT, however, will not go up until sometime after midnight, since I get so many submissions on Wednesdays. But fear not! It'll be there!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Random stuff

I suppose I should write something... As mentioned before, inspiration has been lacking over the past few weeks. Anyone know exactly what an "ides" is??
My week is shot to hell this week due to symphony duties. Enjoying the St. Patrick's Day festivities will be curtailed this year because of it (and some due to the diabetes). But I do plan on being at O'Toole's to get the first green beer out of the tap again! Just have to limit myself to two beers and NO whiskey shots. Then I have to load in for a rehearsal. We're performing a youth concert for all the 4th/5th graders in town on Thursday. Then I have to pack the whole production up an move to a local church for rehearsals for next week's concert. Like I said, the week's shot to hell.
My Grizzlies made it to the Dance! They won the conference playoffs to earn an automatic bid. Unfortunately, my interest in the basketball team is fairly low. I couldn't even tell you what their record is. But they have a somewhat easier bracket this year than in previous years that they've made it (no Duke or KY or any of the powerhouse teams in the first round). Unlikely that they'll make it to the Sweet Sixteen, but I'll be sure to brag if they do!
I finally broke down and bought my plane ticket to NYC last week! That's for BTExpress' pool party in August. All the travel sites said that deals could be had through the end of the weekend, so I figured I'd better jump on them. Still pricey, as anything out of MT is, but better price than if I'd bought them last fall. So it's on, boys and girls!
Speaking of Irish...the pictures in the header are from the most Irish movie ever made, "The Quiet Man". Starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, and directed by John Ford. Must be watched every March.
Have you checked out the new adventures of the OsShirt?