The second one I feel like writing today.

Mary Anne was someone I used to go visit on my Big Wheel for treats. I was so small that I don't remember, but, in my new appreciation of life since becoming a retired cripple/full-time beach bum, I am really stoked by the idea of sitting next to a woman, who is far from old and decrepit, who was all growed up when I was a punk kid and now here I am a growed up man. Her and her husband, Carl, are both really cool. I really enjoyed talking to them both, until I exceeded my capacity to function and had to go make a sleepytime, until I woke up at 2:30 to drink water, eat a banana, and watch a movie before going back to sleepyland.
As I mentioned in the previous post, about the same evening, this picture's fuzzyness is because of my own. The guy right here is Maria's dad. He looks just like an older Fonzie. The couple at center stage is Maria and Erv the newly engaged couple. She stood up to mention her happiness, in general, because of Erv, and the gathering of lots of family. It was quite cool.
I am constantly enthralled with the way God blesses me far beyond my comprehension. I am a stoopid speck, scurrying around trying to find my way, despite my own selfish desires, through this intimidating unknown that is life as a human. I mentioned in the last one how it just kept getting better, and this is just another iteration of the beach bum paradise I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit. First thing in the morning, I was forced to lounge in the hot tub. I stayed until everyone else had their fill and basked in the awesome moment as the jets massaged my sore neck.
Happy feet. After the hot tub and before the morning coffee, which was served to me even. I am the perfect example of how God blesses those beyond what they deserve. 
And there it comes. The morning coffee bringed to me by Maria. So, I gots to sit and enjoy this cup and watch Faith Hill, who only seems to get better looking, I'm so glad she doesn't get rid of the wrinkles, on The Morning Show, before meandering out to help put leftovers in the truck before a departure for home to gits my scrub on, yo, before taking a ride up here to the libaree to borree their awesome wireless signal.

Ok, I'm feeling I's had enough of this writing stuff fer now.

Listening to: End of the world is coming, by David Hilder.

Just two today, still not feeling it.

The usual crap, I put these pictures on my computer from my phone, and noticed the 20 or so that I also have for life-tracking blog purposes. Just like the last batch that I still have yet to write about, these, again, will wait. I am only feeling like two today. On a separate note, I thought of supm while in a pleasant thinking beach bum environment. It was done wrong, which is a very big disappointment, ugh, regret hurts. 

Anyway, here is me in my first moments at my sister's new fiance's house. I sat and gazed across the pool, with the Rum and Coke he made me before joining him for an ice run. This is just another opportunity I am thankful for. I feel like such a stoopid speck, yet God continues to bless me far beyond my comprehension. I, once again, got to be in a beach bum paradise.
Yes, it just kept getting better. Holy cow, a full, full I say, bar, yum. She also recently got one of my top-5 favorite cars, a frickin TL. I am now officially jealous of my sister.
This is the reason, most of my pictures were fuzzy, they just matched me. Holy crap, I got more inebriated last night than I have been in a while, whew. 150 proof German schnapps stuff. I was doing just fine until I went ahead and jumped in front of this German semi. 
Like I said, fuzzy. This is Maria blowing out her birhtday candles. I think she's like 83 now or supm.
This was my last foolish idea of the evening before I was down for the count. One more shot, whew. This is why I don't buy liquor-type stuff anymore. I drink too much. It makes me. It's not my fault.

Listening to: That cool gay bar dance music song (I don't remember the name) that's in my iTunes.

The usual

Ok, a couple things are 'the usual'. First, very typical, I finally pulled the memory card out of my phone to put the pictures on my computer so I could update my blog and I saw all the many pictures that I have yet to write about. However, I am not feeling it today, so I will just stick to the one I had in mind. I'll do the rest later.

The other 'the usual' is an entry about sitting somewhere, particularly a beach. This was the first day I was down in Sarasota. I had to, of course, visit the beach at my first opportunity. I unloaded necessities and decided to assume the position at the beach. The beach right down the road was really amazing, white sands, and a huge expanse of beautiful maintained sand.

I decided to read The Tao of Pooh again. I love this book. I sat for a few minutes, but didn't even read, actually. I mostly just looked around and took a couple pictures, but the cool weather coupled with my nagging responsibilities forced me to remove myself from my comfortable beach bum surroundings.

I was heading out of the huge parking lot at the Siesta Key Public Beach Access and I noticed some kind of collection of canopies, like a craft fair or something. As I was walking over to investigate, I was taken aback by this awesome old Corvette that had obviously been given lots of love.

I can't remember now, but I took a picture of these cool door hanging things  because of one that said something about housework making you old and ugly. It was very funny, whatever it said, and yes, this was indeed a craft fair, which was the perfect place to get some Christmas gifts.

This is a wider view.

After I left there, I went back to the heezy to do some works. Then, I don't think it was the first night, actually, but supm I just thought of, I had a dream about Emily. Damn it. A while back I emailed her dad about something Christmas related and he asked what happened to us. At the time, I told him I would rather discuss it in person, mostly because I didn't really have a good answer. Then, my dream happened like a lightning bolt. I woke, that morning, feeling the overwhelming urge to write it down. A little while later, I had to email her dad and tell him how I finally had an answer. The dream was amazing, it was a wedding that Emily was a participant in, like her sister's wedding, and I was an outsider, not a bad thing just true, like her sister's wedding. Also like her sisters wedding, Emily was breathtaking and she loved me, wow. The dream was a glimpse of what used to be so special to me. I felt so loved. Anyway, nice dream.

Listening to: the pleasantly quiet, decent mix they are 'frickin finally' playing here at Starbucks.

My ever-changing life is at a scary point

I am at the libaree down in Venice, fl. I went looking fer a libaree this morning and, after asking at a couple SunTrust banks, I finded it. It wasn't really that hard, or that far even. The first SunTrust I stopped at was motivated mostly by the awesomness of the building. It was unlike any branch I've seen before, super cool. Anyway, I taked a picture, of course, I even taked a picture of this libaree when I got here, not necessarily because it was too cool, just to document life, ya know. 

Then, my phone said, hey charge me. So, it stayed in the truck to feed. This is why I used a picture from the computer instead of life, so I won't be writing about my first day in Sarasota, yet. It's a bummer, though, that I didn't gets to take a picture of the waterless urinal they had in the bathroom. I've only seen one other one, at a Mcdonalds on the way back from picking up the truck. They are so cool, and surprisingly, better smelling than the regular, water-kind.

I spent a while on my usual mindless entertainment. Then, I looked up the local libarees and saved it to the desktop. I need to go back and unload the rest of my stuff from me madre's truck. I has been procrastinating, because of the obvious tiredness, then the inquisitive nature that drives me and prolly most peeps in new surroundings, and finally, I'm just afraid of the unknown. I am ok with being at my mom's. My sister did her turn. I'm just scared of the challenges I will be required to face. As I always say, I welcome God's will, whatever it may be, even if it sucks and the challenges are hard, but, as I said, I welcome it. I am, as always, just scared of what giant I may hasta slay.

I dunno, I may just go eat lunch, finish unloading, then go back to the beach. One thing I is happy about, I can be the beach bum that has been out of his element for so long.

Listening to: Run Through The Jungle, by CCR

My life dream has evolved

Since Emily breaked up with me, I started thinking about my life dream again, living on a sailboat. Supm has just been feeling not quite right. I was thinking it was that maybe it was because it was not the dream for me. Then, this morning, when I was talking to me madre about our holiday plans, she said supm that made awoke my brainpan to an idea I hadn't really considered. She mentioned the idea of a house boat. I said, hmm, idea. This, of course, would rule out the idea of living in the Gulf of Mexico, which, I think was what didn't feel right. I hadn't allowed myself to consider the idea of living on a lake, but, after really thinking about it, maybe it is the best idea.

I like the idea of being able to visit all the states in the GoM, but I would also be able to go to Mexico, Nicaragua, wherever, which I would likely do. I don't like this idea because of frickin pirates and criminals. I plan to be alone, so I don't think I would be in a position to defend much.

I would rather be in NE GA anyway. That's why I retired there. Lake Lanier and Lake Hartwell are both huge, so I would not be in any kinda cramped space fo sho. I would also feel a bit more comfortable in fresh water. There aren't so many people damagers like sharks and jellyfish. The water's also not quite as corrosive. I would also be where I wanna be, NE GA and, even cooler, near Butch. I would love to be able to hang out with him again. This is still a bit far off in the future since I am down here in purgatory until the kids are growed-up. However, I feel a bit more comfortable about my plan and now have a little more clarity on what to work toward.

The houseboat idea seemed cool for a second, but after a bit of deliberation, I think not. It seems like it might be about the same startup cost, but insurance would likely (I'm assuming) be more and the fuel costs are not attractive to me since it would be a powered vessel. I think I would be happier still on a sailboat, but now I'm thinking up there will be the place.

Listening to: my thoughts pestering me about going to talk to that redhead.

The weekend before RPG's birfday

Emily decided to burn some weeds, etc. After I poured some gas on it, I put the can backda shed and turned around as I was heading back to the house because I was initially overwhelmed by the smell of burning cedar (some old logs in there still) and hadta take a picture of the billowing smoke created by the weeds, I guess. It was just starting here, but soon became a gargantuan thing that filled the sky.

I was feeling a bit tired of know-it-allness so I took the kids to Taco Bell. We never really went with Emily, because she doesn't like it. However, that is one of the affinities we share. We love us some Taco Bell. They had already grabbed a buncha sauce packets before I arrived with several more. While we were sitting there, after we had eaten, waiting because the firetruck was parked behind my truck, Neriah made this interesting patterned thing out of the exhorbitant amount of packets we had.

Neriah marveling at his creation. He was actually only two packets short. He had to go grab one and make a trade and finished his creation.

Rhianna played with her new addiction, a cell phone. Some of us had to wait until we were growed up to have that addiction, dammit, grumble, grumble.

As we leaved, the fire truck was still there. Apparently someone gotted hurt back in the kitchen or supm. An ambulance taked them away. This picture is blurry, but I caught it with all the lights flahing on at the same split second moment, cool.

After this, we went across the parking lot to Wally World. Shalane called and asked if I could get Neriah some shoes for the Phantom of the Opera tomorrow night. Shooah. So, after we gots some shoes, we walked around looking at stuff. I looked at a sweet, all black 30-06. Then, I aksed the man at the counter to show us a box of 30-06 rounds so I could show them to the yungins, mostly Neriah. I just wanted to show hime the bigness. We looked at different stuff in between shoes and fishing stuff. They had a wonderful creation. It's a video game, I don't remember the name. It was a drumset that the player could beat on to try and match the rhythm. It wasn't long before I left Neriah to beat on them while I drifted over to something else.

Listening to: the loud, obnoxious, rude, teenage girls that just sat down near me to obliterate my tranquility. Oooh, they left. It's queit again, nothing more than the rustling and mumbling filling the acceptable noise bubble of considerate-libaree-world.

Halloween 2008

The usual awestruck moment as I walked out the door and was faced with the sky over the back yard.

We were going to do a few things and then, because both the front tires were lower than usual, again, Emily wanted to go to Costco, where the tires came from, and take advantage of the road hazard warranty. As we walked over to Starbucks to sit and sip while looking at this awesome sky, tensions escalated. When we were sitting outside in this awesome spot, Emily said that maybe we shouldn't try anymore. It wasn't out of the blue, I am leaving out the details. It was basically a feeling that further adjustment to each other is not possible. Right on. Such is life. At this point, I was halfway to the point of making a new resolution, to be single for a year before I try being with anyone else.
As I lazily looked around, I finally noticed this guy's tag said something. I got closer to take a picture. The guy came out to investigate why this person was getting close to his very sweet car. I gave him the thumbs up to let him know I dug his tag. It did happen to be on one of my favorite cars. It's really pretty high up on my list. Prolly top 5, with the Corvette, the 9th generation 2-door Tahoe (full-size Blazer), the El Camino, and the full-size 9th Generation crew cab Chevy truck.

We went back to their neighborhood after trying our neighborhood only to find two houses participating, one of which was the neighbors' house. After eliminating prolly frickin half after my inspection, she made a very neat 'store' as she called it to facilitate trading with her brother.

This picture sucks, but as with the rest of the sucky pictures, I know what they were so, for my intended purposes of life-tracking, they work. Rhianna found some tree while walking with Gram Cracker (my mom) that had these little things that looked just like mini punkins. So, she picked a bunch and painted faces on them to give to peeps. Mine was a goblin guy. He had a long green nose. It was really cool.

Listening to: A baby professing it's frustration with the growing pains it is experiencing.

Pre-Halloween ketchin up

The weekend before Halloween, the kids got to ride Kashmir before their mother picked them up. Emily did her usual pre-ride brief. She’s very good at the kid lessons thing. 

Neriah joined her on her final lap, before he went inside to borrow my boots, ‘cause flippers just don’t cut it. He’s never been told that before, though. Negligent me.

Rhianna seems very in-place on a horse. I hope her interest in them grows and fills the void that other time-wasters clamor to fill. She has on her Halloween nail polish. She got one more year of use out of a vampire costume her grandmother made for her. She’s the beautiful vampire type. Other of her friends did the ugly goth-looking vampire thing.

Horse riding also seems to fill a void for Neriah, too. It is an awesome place for him to invest all his excess energies and make him feel knowledgeable and important at the same time. Like his sister, I hope the interest continues to grow. A boy’s time wasters are wholly different than a girl’s, but dangerous nonetheless.

Their mom got here in time to watch them both ride for a minute. The weather was perfect for everyone involved. It has gotten to that point where I actually like it down here. I can definitely see the appeal of being a snowbird. I love the idea of experiencing the seasons and the beauty in the North, but coming down here where it is considerably more temperate when the weather becomes insanely, uncomfortably cold up there. Down here it gets all the way down to 40 or 50, then right back up to, where it was today, frickin 91, November 91, yeah. It’s too damn hot here all the damn time. However, I can’t imagine enduring the frigid North again, which is why I decided NE GA was the perfect place to retire. Grumble, grumble.

Listening to: Whispering and rustling papers at the libaree.