A new blog is born

I recently decided that I am an aspiring writer and therefore I would start writing my blog to an audience instead of to myself with the possibility of an audience. My new blog is at mundanethankfulspirit.blogspot.com

I invite anyone who has read my ramblings to go see the new blog and tell your friends. I actually want an audience now.

Ok, what I need to do now is figure out what happened to my ability to put a video on here. This new-fangled editor is hiding that operation from me, if there indeed is one anymore. If not, I will just cry. I guess I may just change my new blog to sad bastard is crying, or supm like that.

Listening to: Boogie with Stu, by Led Zeppelin.

I don't feel like going out to the car to gits my camera.

So, I'll just use an old picture. I'm sitting over here at Shalane's doing my Friday laundry a bit early. Neriah tried to be sickly even though he's not allowed. Fortunately, it was just a momentary digestive discomfort, complete with puking out of both ends. This was actually the rare day when I was actually in bed at 10:20. Ok, so a reason to get motivated a bit earlier than my lazy arse was ready to. I am just glad that it was over quickly. It was a good excuse for him to scam outta school and enjoy a Friday of video gaming. I guess, if I was a mom, I might manage the situation differently, but, eh.

Hopefully, the guy will call soon and I can go pick up Shalane's computer, so Neriah and I can have the gaming computer back. Hopefully, Rhianna's computer will be prop'ly exracted, so I can pick up the disk of her saved docs, etc. I dropped it off while the other one was being revived. She decided she didn't like her laptop, so she stepped on it and broke the h*** out of the screen. Supm was broked good 'cause I was unable to use an external monitor so I could get her vital files off thar. So, the computer guy said he could do it and put it on a disk for a nominal fee.

Ok, you guessed right. I usually use an old picture when I don't feel like getting my camera out of the car because I have thunks that I am compelled to write about. So, what the h*** are my thunks? Ok, I'll tell ya'. Get off my back, geez!

I am an affection junky, an often professed fact. This has historically made me rush things and force my foolish 'physical' will. Sex, of course, being the primary relationship killer of choice. It is so nice. If you are trying to form any significant relationship, however, the 'physical' focus seriously clouds your mind and subjugates the other two parts of the triune of mind, body, spirit.

Ok, so? Why is this significant? I recently met someone that is the first person in a long time that has been interesting to me, very interesting. My concern is, being rushed by my affection junky-ness. Now, this is not just a desire for sex. That is nice, indeed, however it is just the affection in general that appeals to me, every bit as much, or more even, the kissing, hugging, looking at each other, feeling the skin on her fingers, walking hand-in-hand, sitting and talking and enjoying each other's company even if you aren't talking.

So, I don't have an interest in 'playing the field', but I'm thinking maybe I need to throttle back and not rush to fulfill my desire for love and affection. I have also included sex, but I have rushed into every relationship, ever. I don't wish to do that anymore, especially since I am finally considering other concerns, such as the kids' college and how I can best use my skills and abilities to better the world around me.

Ok, I am done writing. I think I is gonna go check on my laundry.

Listening to: Ride on, by AC/DC.

The Search May Be Over.

Headings:

• Another way to say the same ol' shite.

• The 4rd quarter.

• Another way to say the same ol' shite pt. 2.

• Sunroof drain tracks.

Another way to say the same ol' shite.

How many ways can you express your thankfulness for this life experience? I dunno. I don't believe there is a limit. Every day I am blown away at how the sky, just one tiny piece of this awesome life experience, is like a painting that is constantly changing. There is an endless supply of awesome paintings. So, the idea of getting bored with it really is an absurd idea. It's not like seeing your favorite painting every day for a month, even. Your favorite can become boring. The sky, however, is ever-changing, just like this awesome life experience is, or should be, I guess.

The 4rd quarter.

I really believe that it was a simple cut-and-paste typo. I know she goes to an exceptional school. However, it is the funny everyday crap that I just hafta laugh at.

Another way to say the same ol' shite pt. 2.

How many ways can you express your thankfulness for this life experience? I dunno. I don't believe there is a limit. Wait, didn't I just say that? Every day, just like the sky or any one of the myriad other things, I am amazed and thankful for the awesome car I have. I really love it.

Sunroof drain tracks.

Ok, continuing along on the subject of the car, I think I may use these industrious fixer skills I have been blessed with and am thankful for constantly, to go clean out the sunroof tracks in my sweet, baby car. They used to be fine. The sunroof could be left vented and the rain would not intrude upon the interior. Recently, however, the rain has intruded, a few times actually, but other things in the mid-range of Maslow's heirarchy of needs have retained a position of prominence over other things such as my sunroof drain tracks. So, anyway, I was reminded of it this morning when Snickers and I went for our morning pee, poop, sniff. I left the sunroof vented last night. I was thankful it hadn't rained as it so often does down hyah in Florida. I also thought to myself, especially since I feel released from the selfish concerns of late, hopefully for good reason, that I need to go ahead and get my wrenchin' on, yo. ;-p So, this is where I will end this entry so that I may get off me arse and get to it.

Listening to: Rotten Apple, by Alice in Chains.

68 points!

I took some pictures of Neriah launching the latest rocket with my phone. I had to use my phone because I forgot the camera. This gave me an excuse to upload all the pictures I have been accumulating on the card in my phone for the past few months. It's not as easy to remove as the last phone, requiring me to remove the back cover, so I never do. I just hardly ever use it.

I'm not going to bother with headings on this one because the pictures are too sporadic.

This collection starts with dinner at Olive Garden with an ex-girlfriend and her daughter.

Then, a wild hair omelette. I usually eat like a bachelor when the kids aren't around. Ya' know, simple stuff like sammidges, ramen noodles and peanut butter. My taste in food is about as eclectic as my taste in music or movies. I balance my ridiculous junk-eating with super healthy stuff like whole grains, green tea and plenty of water. Like I said, I usually eat like a bachelor. Every once in a while, however, I get a wild hair to cook something, maybe a marinara sauce or an awesome chili recipe I got from Men's Health magazine or, as evidenced by some phone pictures, an omelette. One day I need to make some of the energy/health bars I created several years ago. I would forget about them if it weren't for the constant reminding by my kids who really like them. I guess, I should live up to this damn self-proclaimed desire to do what makes the kids happy and make some. Ok, ok, get off my own back already!

There are only a few of the typical pictures of mundane crap that I am always so thankful for. Going to Publix, Starbucks and laying on the grass downtown by lake Morton. The rest are more significant because I hardly ever use it, so they are more intentional. Of course, my childish sense of humor kicked in when I was at the scratch-n-dent grocery and saw 'cock' flavored soup. Then, I took my mom down to the state park I used to go to when I first moved down here. She fell in love. It really is an awesome park. I used to go for the beach, but she liked the appeal of the many fishing spots there. I can see the appeal, but it has been many moons since I fished and I really don't have enough desire to do it. She wanted to stop at Sonny's for lunch and, since I want to make people happy, I obliged her. I am so nice that way.

Wow, there are some really varied pictures in here across quite a span of time. There are some pictures of Snickers holding me down and some pictures from a kite flying expedition the kids and I went on, to include a nice shot I took across my beautiful little car as I flew my kite. When I was borrowing my sister's TL, it also has the temp display just in a different spot, I was wow'ed by 109. That was of course 'after' I came out of the library, so it cooled down once I started driving, to less than a hundred. Yay! At some point, I dunno when exactly, I went on down there and, of course, had to visit Siesta Key. I love that beach. Oh yeah, these pictures are clearly out of order for some reason. I am wearing pants and boots at Siesta Key. It is a year-round average of 75 degrees down here, which is awesome, but it does get cool, especially down by the water. It just more awesomeness, actually. I still love to walk down the beach with the water on my bare feet, even if I am wearing pants.

One picture I forgot to take out of this collection is the one of the program I loaded on Shalane's computer to scan it for all the crap that slowed it down quite a bit. I just took the picture to remind me of what the program was. I took a picture while I walked down the road up there at my best friend's house (my ex-father-in-law). Rhianna made herself first place at Scrabble, even though I dominated as usual. -insert applause and back patting-

Snickers is the best, most beautiful girlfriend I have ever had. And, the picture where Rhianna is holding her, she is really not a fat, lazy dog. It just looks that way.

Retarded. The pictures from today are evidence of how out of order these pictures are. Neriah's rocket launch from today is right in the middle of stuff from a couple months ago like the awesome rib bbq'ing after raiding the freezer in the garage when we were down at the Beach Bum Paradise when Erv and Maria were up in Michigan. There are some of a routine trip to lake Mirror with Snickers and the kids. I, being my childish self, had to mess with poor, passive Snickers by pulling her lip up to make her look vicious, damn funny.

Oooh, here's a big one. The kids and I love to play Scrabble. There is a picture of the board when I got a '68!' point word for my first word. Woot! Frickin awesome. If you don't play Scrabble, then you're dumb, oh, uh, I mean, you probably won't know how significant that is. For those who don't know, most words are 10-20 points, at best. I got a double word score and a 50-point bonus for using all seven of my letters at once. Whoa! Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Yeah, ok, just like my appreciation for the mundane crap I'm thankful for every day, I also marvel at the simple crap, like Scrabble games. I am a simpleton, I guess.

One time, just Neriah and I went down to the Beach Bum Paradise. There is a picture of our very simple 'man-meal' of just steak.

Listening to: That super-annoying but OMFG cute insurance girl commercial as Seinfeld breaks.

Slow-start video game morning

Oh crap. I almost forgot. My new format, highlights/headings:

Headings:

• The same ol' mundane.
• The tripod pictures.
• Slow-start video game morning.
• Planning to acquire new engines and launch a rocket.

The same ol' mundane.

There are, of course, the usual assortment of mundane sky pictures that I am amazed by and thankful for every day, the sky, ---damn, my dog stinks. I need to give her a bath before we leave.---being able to take pictures of it, being able to upload those pictures so easily and have access to them on my computer, being able to write, being able to write a blog about my mundane sky pictures and---OMfrickinG, she needs a bath.---being able to see the sky in the first damn place.

The tripod pictures.

I got a wild hair to use this tripod and take a picture of Neriah and I. I forgot that I had my camera set on 3 pictures at a time. I was wondering why it kept click-click-clicking. After uploading the pictures, I see. It's kinda funny when I viewed them. I actually haven't watched this video yet, so I don't know if it was as funny. I was going to just take one or two of them, but together they were funny, so I just stuck 'em all in there. One set showed us both looking at the detestable ice cream truck as its obnoxiousness drove by, nice and slow, of course.

Ok, I just watched it. It's far from amazing, but it's funny to me, so eh.

Slow-start video game morning.

I have spent most of the morning watching Neriah play video games. I had a yummy bagel and a cup of tea and now am about to go take the best girlfriend for a pee, poop, sniff so I can give her a bath. Holy crap, she stinks. I dunno why. She doesn't run loose outside anywhere. She didn't roll in anything this morning. I guess her running around earlier when I was playing with her accentuated the fact that it's been a couple weeks since I did last.

Planning to acquire new engines and launch a rocket.

So, I guess I will go walk. I plan to give her a bath when we get back before Neriah and I plan to go get some replacement engines for a rocket that is anxious to get a raise. I have lost my desire to right. So, Good day. I said Goodday!

Listening to: supm else I am so thankful for, my iPod playing Ain't no fun waitin' round to be a millionaire, by AC/DC.

Wow, I waited a long time again

Ok, it's longer, but I sped it up so each picture only gets one second. If'n you wanna, you can pause it and/or go back. I think I'm gonna do supm new, too. I'm gonna put headings throughout my ramblings to make it more entertaining for others so maybe I can have an audience. Oooh, I just gots me an idea. In addition to the headings, I is gonna list the headings, or highlights at the beginning hyah.

Highlights:

• Why do I wait so long?
• I really love this car.
• Lake Mirror at sunset.
• Meeting Shalane for coffee.
• More than just the usual sky picture.
• Wow, a Suburban just like my old one.
• My little Badger Hunter, cool leash ay?, I made it. ;-)
• Ducks by the hundreds.
• 5 turtles even.
• Snickers' is done with the heartworm treatments, yay!

Why Do I Wait So Long?

I am really envious, nah more like in awe, of the people who have a blog which gets an entry every day. I am not really envious. I am happy with my blog and my life. I just notice that I always have reasons to make an entry. I just don't feel like it every day. I won't try to be puffed up as people so often are and say that it's because I am so busy. I have a full life indeed, but just like exercise, there is never a day without a few minutes for a blog entry. It's just what we choose to make important enough to invest our time in. So, often, it isn't anything in particular, it may just be sitting and drinking a beer as I watch people walk by and listen to the birds. There are so many times that I think, "wow, this would be a good blog entry. I would love to share this experience with the world." but I just don't feel like writing about it, which is why I am thankful, at least, to have this awesome camera, thanks again Emily, to capture a piece of the experience even if I don't end up writing about it.

I guess the difference between me and the daily bloggers and, I'm ASSuming here, is that I'm writing primarily for selfish reasons while they write for an audience, which is not a bad thing. I think I just have lots of white-trash upbrangin to make it hard for me to imagine having an audience and I really think I am missing a crucial entertaining topic with nothing more to offer than details of my own mundane life and thankfullness for crap that most people prolly don't feel and relatedly don't want to read about.

I really love this car.

I feel this is one of the many times when I repeat myself. When, I was with Emily and this was still her car, I hated it. It was uncomfortable and no fun to drive, which I did all the time. This was mainly due to her TBI-related sensitivities to acceleration and noise, which meant the windows were always up and the radio was always very quiet or off. I don't resent that experience. It was what it was. It was a worthy price to pay for someone you love.

Now, however, I frickin love this car. I open the sunroof and the windows and play my iPod loudly on the very awesome stereo it has. It is the only coupe available that has the suicide doors, actually, a unique bonus that makes this cheaper car competitive. Well, crap, it doesn't do nutn anymore. They quit making this damn car after just a few years. Dammit! That's a whole nutha topic about the business affairs and politics in major car companies to include GM.

Lake Mirror at sunset.

I love that lake. It is like living a vacation to have Lakeland nearby.

Meeting Shalane for coffee.

One morning, I went to meet Shalane for coffee on her way to work. I wanted to discuss my life plans and goals. I wanted us to be on the same page. I recently decided, just a few days ago as a mattafack, that my life dream of living on a sailboat was a selfish waste of my skills and abilities and not conducive to my primary desire in life, which is to better the world outside my own selfish life bubble. Furthermore, I decided that I wanted to go back to school and possibly, after the kids finish school, relocate to Thailand to teach English in Bangkok. I don't feel like getting into the details. My arrogance was squished when her reaction to me leaving was very much like something an ex-wife-creature do. It was a good, enlightening talk however and it actually made me think of some obvious concerns that I hadn't thought about before.

More than just the usual sky picture.

As I was sitting at a light somewhere, I don't remember where honestly, I looked over and saw the truck that was right above eye-level. The sky in the background was awesome, of course, but it was not the focal point of this shot. It was a stake truck without the stakes, so it was basically just a big 5-ton flatbed truck. What caught my attention was the building materials on the truck. It gave me fond memories of grunt work as a construction laborer working with my hands and using all the muscles in my body. It also appealed to the fixer in me. It gave me thoughts of building something somewhere.

Wow, a Suburban just like my old one.

When I went down to lake Mirror the other day, I was taken aback by an old Suburban like the one I had was actually being used as a Public Works truck. It was a big ol' three-quarter ton like mine even. That is a beautiful old truck.

My little Badger Hunter, cool leash ay?, I made it. ;-)

I took Snickers down to my favorite lake for a pee, poop, sniff. One of the many things I love about this lake is that they have dog water fountains connected to the people water fountains.

Ducks by the hundreds.

As we walked around the lake one the nice sidewalk, we stopped to visit the big wide steps down to the water on this side over hyah. A procession of many, many ducks came on over, to get some human handout I'm sure. People do lots of bird feeding here and the other lakes downtown, which is why there are so many awesome birds here. I am glad of it, actually, with the exception of the g**d*** flying rats, of course. I frickin hate 'em. A seagull is the only bird I've ever seen that is obnoxious enough to swoop down and take a bite of your sammidge right out of your hand. Grrr, I hate 'em. They just squawk and poop and are as obnoxious about begging as a puppy dog, but without the redeeming qualities.

5 turtles even.

I didn't capture them. Even though they were a bit away, they sensed me apparently and ducked. I caught three of them. I had to get a picture because I had never seen five all together like that before. I mean, a solitary turtle head, eh, prolly wouldn't even make me unsheath my camera, but 5, cool.

Snickers' is done with the heartworm treatments, yay!

I took Snickers for her follow-up check to ensure the heartworm treatment was effective and she indeed checked good-to-go, yay! The SPCA paying for the treatment, because she had them when I adopted her, was nice, but it was still a pain to keep her calm and endure the extra shedding and fleas because the damn flea drugs just quit working for a couple months.

Listening to: She Hates Me, by Puddle of Mudd.

Yay!

Ok, I don't have my camera with me, but I am excited to post. I just got a phone call, finally, from my doctor's office, about the results of a routine STD test I took on Monday. I had to worry, even though I knew I had no reason to. I had had protected sex twice since the last check in December. My stoopid brain imagines all the damn worse case scenarios, though. Grumble, grumble, stoopid brain. Anyway, yay! Now, I can get back to thinking about life things.

Listening to: the faint country music they have playing over here at the office/communtiy center place.

That was one of the bestest movies I ever sawed

I had heard from a few people, including my mom, that Gran Torino was just an eh movie. Holy crap, it's been a while since I've laughed so hard at a movie. It was also an intriguing look at social issues, such as neighborhood degradation, the relation between crime and poverty and social acceptance, the ability to adapt and overcome, the life of a long-term significant other after the other has died and how some people in this world make death necessary, whether you like it or not, whether you hold hands across the world or not, well try to or, more likely, not.

Today's collection is really just phenomenal sky pictures, mostly, I think, with the exception of the last one, which is setting up the brain sucker over here at Shalane's before doing laundry. I came on over here to go ahead and do laundry because my usual laundry day is tomorrow, when I would be picking up the kids. We have switched back to the school routine, which is me getting the kids on the weekend. Since, Shalane and the kids are over at her girlfriend's, it's the perfect opportunity for me to do it to it.

The sky pictures started with my post-library adventure yesterday. I went to an Acura dealership to see if they had any of my dream car. Then, I went to the mall to purchase some undergarments. I have been relying on my spares, boxers, prior to laundry days too often. I hate boxers. They are too hot and not restrictive enough.

There isn't much of a clear transition between yesterday's awesome frickin sky and today's. This morning it was quite impressive as I headed on over here. Ok, I think I am brain suckered out. I believe I will go do what I do best, get horizontal for a nap on the couch while I wait for the dryer buzzer.

Listening to: #1 Crush, by Garbage.

I love this new leash deisgn

Once again, mostly the awesome sky. The sky pictures today, were taken on my trip here to the libaree. From here I plan to go to the mall, which I may picturize. Anyway, the trip here was noteworthy, yet prolly mundane to most. I went past Munn park downtown and through downtown, which I love.

The real significant thing in today's life-tracking entry, is the first picture, a new leash design. I am really diggin this new design. It's much easier than the ones I made before and I like the rope better anyway. I plan to sell them for just over my cost and donate 100% of the profits to the Polk county Animal Control, or something like that. My instinct, would be to just give it to the SPCA. However, I think the SPCA here, in my opinion, of course, is wasteful. They just built a new building that is as big or bigger than the old one. If this building was to accomodate more animals, at least some, I would be more understaning, but, no, it's just for the staff and training rooms, from what I see. Whatever it is, it's not for the animals, which already fill the meager kennels. I volunteered at The Virginia Beach SPCA and I loved it. They had more space for the animals than the people, as it should be. They had room for prolly twice the dogs, same cats, rabbits, and any other wildlife that someone would bring in, like the baby bird and nest that fell out of some lady's tree.

I think I will continue my journey now. I have had my fill of the brain sucker right now.

Listening to: Dragula, by Rob Zombie.

I got my car back, yay!

I am sitting over here at Shalane's, hangin out with the kids after bringing them home. I am reading about what may be the answer to my life purpose that I have been seeking. I uploaded the usual gob of pictures of life-tracking and the sky. I am loving this Windows Movie Maker. It has made uploading way more pictures to my blog hyah easier and much quicker than much less were before.

First, something I thought of this morning while listening to the 'soft rock, listen-while-you-work' station, which I rarely do because I hate the radio and have an ipod thankfully. One more thing I am very thankful for, very, similar to this metabolism that allows me to eat whatever and not work-out yet remain not only slim but tone, is the fact that there is apparently some inherent thing in humans that transcends environmental factors. What the heck am I talking about? This, I am thankful that, despite the best efforts of my mom and the 80's, I am not a metrosexual. I am close and had to claw my way out of the pit. I love to decorate, design, sew, shop, dress nicely, be clean, read, listen to people and consider other people in my actions, but, BUT, I also like to wrench on greasy things, get dirty, sweat, sleep wherever, fix things and feel the roughness of hemp rope. So, anyway, I am just thankful again. I have thought about it several times, but, like the sky, it is worthy of constant reverence. I am thankful for my spine, the sky, food, the ability to fix and better things, music, creativity, ability to see, ability to write, ability to drive, an awesome car to drive, the best girlfriend ever who licks my face anytime...

As this pictorial begins, the sky is showcased, once again. The sky then surrenders the spotlight for Neriah's Open House pictures. At first, I was annoyed that he was being moved from his school, which is about a mile away across the street to a few miles the other way to some new school. After seeing the school, I was pleasantly surprised. It is a brand new school, this will be its first year, that they built to eliminate the need for the trailer classes they just removed from their campus. It is very nice and really a hair further than his old school. It's still in this nice area so I feel confident it will be a good school. Hopefully, it will rival the Fishhawk schools, which are among the best in Florida. After we went to his open house, we went on down to Rhianna's new school. Her's is new because she's going to the next level. She is going to be a high school kid. Woot! Yeah, be excited or die of fear. ;-p This night was a New Student Indoc. It just offered the lowdown for all the freshmen and others moving into the area. Her Open House would be the next night.

From there, we went on down to the beach bum paradise in Sarasota to spend the night with my sister and retrieve her for our trip down to get my car in the morning, leaving her's with her. I really dug borrowing her car for a while. A TL is a sweet-ass car. Ironically, I actually prefer my car. The TL is much more car, but not only do I prefer the better gas mileage and ability to use regular unleaded gas, my little Saturn Ion is more comfy, which is really ironic. When, it was still Emily's car and she rode in it with me I hated it. It was so uncomfortable. I was uptight whenever I drove because of her sensitivity to noise and acceleration. Not complaining, it just is what it is.

On the way, down there, the sky was phenomenal, even wow'er than usual.

Maria, went to bed early because she's old. Erv was still awake and is an excellent host. He served up the dinner they had earlier and then some brownies with ice cream after. Wow. I love that guy. Neriah decided that the hot tub was quite the inviting after-dinner treat. I had to agree with him. We enjoyed a couple trips between the pool and the hot tub in the nice cool evening before retiring to watch a movie before a reasonable-hour-gotta-get-up-and-go-gits-my-car-in-the-morning bedtime. The next morning Maria, Rhianna, Neriah and I began our car retrieval adventure. We went across the Sunshine Skyway and into the heart of 'traffic hell'.

Upon getting my car back, yay, we headed on back under awesome skies to prepare for our departure to Rhianna's open house. Just Rhianna and I went. It was quite different, setup like going to the classes on her schedule, including a six minute travel time in between, which is really tough when you haven't much of a clue about where yer going. It was cool, though. I like the school and her teachers are pretty cool.

Listening to: Mouth for War, by Pantera.

Another boring collection of mostly awesome sky pictures

This one starts off with the best girlfriend ever, once again. The rest is mostly the usual boring pictures of the sky that continues to amaze me every frickin day since I've been down here. There are also some general life-tracking-type pictures interspersed throughout. There are some of my sister's TL that I am still borrowing until I, hopefully, get my car back tomorrow. There are also a few of Neriah and I's adventure for goods. The end is setting up our work area at a table at the libaree and then noticing the woman I told had cool hair was in the background of the picture I took across at Rhianna.

Listening to: Flippers passing by, books and magazines shuffling and rustling.

This awesome life experience...

Ok, I actually have a lotsta write this time AND I actually feel compelled to do so. I am sitting in the libaree with the punk darlings and have had my fill of nosing through single people's profiles.

This collection of life-tracking pictures begins with the most beautifullest girlfriend I ever had. I love her. Then, just my usual gob of boring ol' sky pictures that I am so retardedly enamored by on a daily basis.

I met a new friend, that I was kinda excited about for a minute, at a sports bar that I had never been to, Barnacles. It was quite neat. Since I am not concerned about seeing her there, I may just go again. I was reminded of how enjoyable Happy Hour can be. This place was unlike any sports bar I had seen. The pictures, as they often do, fail to capture the unbelievable amount of TVs in this place. Whoa. So, yes, it was not a long-term friend. She was just outside my target age range of 5-10 years older than me, 47, and that really bothered her. There were, honestly other things. There was no real connection. She was looking for more of a peer. As a full-time beach bum, I was not a match for her White-collar executive-ness. It was another cool experience.

I am less disheartened as the attempts pile up. Fortunately, I am in no real hurry to be in a relationship, prolly thanks to Snickers and her being a affection junky equal to me in intensity. I have looked online, so those attempts are not surprising me in their failed attempts. However, I also am looking everywhere in the real world, too, the libaree, the lakes downtown, the grocery stores, downtown, malls, beaches. It is really hard to find a nice balance between attractive and intelligent with some integrity, leaning more toward the intelligent side. Obviously, my description of what I am actually looking for would make pages, prolly why it's so dern hard. If I was shallow enough, I could just hook up with some hot 20 supm year-old. grumble, grumble.

I also have to restrain myself from acting like a stoopid boy, which is ironically half of what attracts me to someone. The other half is much more than the hot round parts. I am actually more attracted to skin and life experience. Anyway, so I even entertained the idea of being a 'friend with benefits'. Just as I was coming to the decision that that is not who I choose to be, I had an affair as 'the other man'. I again decided, after the fact obviously, this is also not who I choose to be. And again, I decide this.

My sister, Maria, came back from their trip up to Michigan. They had applied sufficient paint and done enough cleaning to the home they just bought up there. So, I ran on down to the Beach Bum Paradise to retrieve my car and return her's, or so I planned, well hoped. I went to the grocery sto with Erv to grab some items and to the hardware sto to get some screws for mounting the new TV. He's working on fixing the old one. It is like three times the size of the new one, whew. They told him it would cost like $600 to fix it. He is shopping around. In the meantime, however, they hasta have a TV on the back porch, pshaw!

Hey, there were some nice melons, 5.99 hmm. Then, my eyes drifted to the end of the aisle, the future, ahhhh, beer. Erv was buying some replacement beers for Maria and forced me to get some Bud Light Lime. Hey, I was a guest, didn't wanna be rude. Upon returning we mounted the new TV, which was a third the size, but still easily visible from over on the hot tub cover, where I had to go to get a wireless signal. Two feet to the right, at the table, I couldn't get that signal. Wow, I was indeed on the fringe of the signal I was borrowing.

This morning, she followed me, in her car, to the place that had recently replaced my catalytic converter. I tried to capture the awesomeness of the trip across the Sunshine Skyway and the other awesomeness on the way to the very helpful repair guys at Ice Cold Air. Yeah, I figure they have earned a plug. ;-p I stayed to verify their verification that it was indeed bad and, thus a warranty repair. It didn't/doesn't take much to check one for bad-ness. I wanted him to share my confidence. After he bumped the side of it with his hand and it rattled, he confirmed it and checked on a replacement. They did not have one in stock, so he said it would take a couple days, but my car could stay inside at night, nice and safe, until then. So, Maria and I returned to her heezy, yo. She said I could drop her off and borrow her sweet-ass TL again until I picked her up to return to retrieve my car. Cool. This life experience is frickin awesome. It was actually nice to drive my car, if only for a bit. I love that car.

Listening to: the quite rustling and shuffling throughout the libaree just before closin time.

Every day is Sunday, oh wait, it really is Sunday...I think.

Wow, I sure am an ugly bastard. I keep trying anyway, thinking maybe I can take a good picture, but it seems pretty hopeless, indeed. Anyway, I decided, the other day actually, that I was going to use this tripod that I've had for years and never used. Today, after sitting it against the wall behind my desk last week, I finally worked up the gumption to actually use it. I was playing with it the other day and finally used the video cable the camera came with. I showed Rhianna and I how this awesome camera would take videos and then display them and the pictures on a tv with the quick and easy RCA cable hooked-up.

Ok, I must insert an intermission here...

...ok, wow, that was quite a nice intermission, no not sex, just a conversation. ;-p

I am not in a writing mood anymore. I think I will go shave this goatee that has kind of developed due to laziness.

Listening to: Mourning Air, by Portishead.

I love this awesome frickin life experience

Ok, this is much easier to upload, but I'm still not feeling like writing, maybe later.

Listening to: The Fan.

I am really diggin this new picture display method

Ok, I am really diggin this, oh wait, I put that in the title. It is cool, though. I set the frame duration quicker, too, so now it doesn't take so dern long. I thought about putting my writings about the pictures in the movie, but then I thought it wouldn't work, so I'll just write down here, which is actually very convenient because now I can write while I wait for it to upload, unlike before when uploading umpteen pictures was a long, painful process.

Anyway, here starts the next step in the life-tracking blog evolution. The collection of pictures starts with the usual full-time beach bum admiration of the awesome spectacle that is the sky, taken to and from getting the kids.

Then, the day finally came. I knew it was close. Neriah beat me at chess. It was the closest game ever...an end of an era.

As I was rounding the street on the home-stretch of our morning pee, poop, sniff, I was taken aback by the awesomeness of my sister's car that I am borrowing. It's one of my top 5 favorites. I have decided I want an RSX, not the TL, for having, but it is nice to borrow. I just filled up yesterday, and Premium is not as easy on the wallet as my little Saturn's regular, but the gas mileage, considering the bigger engine with gobs more power and the roominess is pretty oooook. I just made a trip which required me to go through Orlando, which is already a frickin nightmare, but it was also raining the whole way through, which not only made it stop and go, but also required the use of A/C. I still got 25.6 mpg, frickin Woot! My Saturn averages between 27 and 29! Damn, like I said, the roominess and gobs of extra power make it well worth a mere couple mpg. However, that was in heavy traffic. I think my normal driving, which is pretty mild, could/would get what the Saturn gets or better. Wow. I'm thinking a little RSX, like I want, would be even better, with it's little four-banger.

Ok, enough of my long-winded fantasy. I took a before and after the cream cheese frosting picture. Uuuuuuuuuuh. Rhianna made ho-made, wait, she's my daughter, can't say that, home-made cinnamon rolls with home-made cream cheese frosting. Oh damn. I give her crap about only liking to cook the sweet stuff and being so picky about food. However, I am sure diggin her aspirations of being a pastry chef and subsequent related practicings. Oh yeah, fat boy likes. (for those who don't know, fat boy is my inner child).

I sat on the porch with a coffee before going to the bank. I hadta see if my check for 20k had shown up so I could go gits me that thar RSX.

Ok, I put the Listening to: thing in the movie, so I guess I'll just write...

The End ;-p

I's got an idea

I need some devil horns to go with the new red daytona beach-inspired hue.

Ok, I'm sitting here wallowing in the fullness as Led Zeppelin's Lemon Song plays gently on the surround sound, filling the room in a non-obtrusive manner. I hads me a thunk just now. I needta write a book, The Navy John Diet. The one-meal-a-day-average resulting from laziness and/or a spiritually-focused/dominated mind works well for streamlining the body, but another perq is that it's very cost-effective. Yer beer goes much further. Woot!

Listening to: Heresy, by Nine Inch Nails.

Daytona wow.

I don't feel like writing, right now. I'm drinking and making cornbread. So, I'll just highlight: Beach, beer, boobs, burn. Woot! I am diggin this new posting of pictures method. It will assuredly develop into supm cool.

Listening to: My Own Summer (Shove It), by the Deftones.

testing

***Update: I had to come back and edit this one. I fixed the frame advance speed, so it went from 30 mins. to 3, pshew. Anyway, much more viewable now, besides just being uploadable.

***

I don't feel like writing about this one because I have this past weekend's load of pictures to write about now, but I just wannid to go ahead and use these to test supm new. Ok, this is long, like 30 mins, so you may wanna fast-forward this one. The future ones shouldn't be anywhere near as long, primarily because of less pictures due to the ease of it and also I hope to figure out how to speed up the frame-advance time. I'm just now familiarizing myself with Windows Movie Maker.

Ok, this is seeming not too possible, maybe there are too many pictures. I may just do the next one.

Listening to: Vampires, by Godsmack.

I don't feel like uploading pictures right now

...so I'll just use an old one. No, it doesn't mean I'm still not over my ex. I have been talking to my best friend, who is dressed as a Bud Light Lime tonight, and he talked me into it. I am single, so there is no significant other to offend, and she is still nice to look at.

Anyway, I has a buncha pictures to upload, as usual, but, like I said, I'm just talking to my best friend and listening to music, so I doesn't feel like it. I just wannid to write about a few things. Damn, she sure was easy on the eyes... bah! I was just sitting here listening to music and thinking about how sometimes you don't even realize something has been missing in yer life until you experience it. Then, you say, Hey, I was really missing out. It's really funny when it's something you just forgot about, which is strange when it's something so substantial. Ok, what the hell is this drunk idiot talking about? My mom stumbled on a great deal. Her next door neighbor was having a yard sale and sold their surround sound system for a fraction of it's value, so being the generous mom she is, bought it and gifted it to me.

I hooked it up. I had learned to live without such a 'luxury' so it was just a cool gift, eh, ya know. I tested it with Full Metal Jacket and was reminded how much it makes for an awesome movie experience. Ooh, had to grab the remote. A cool song came on and required me to increase the volumage. What song? I dunno. I have been wondering for a while. It's some cool gay/club/dance/house song on some mix given to the ex-wife-creature by one of her gay friends once upon a time. Frickin awesome, whatever it is. Anyway, after verifying its movie enhancing qualities, I did my usual 'fixer' inquisitive nosing. I like the way ya do that right thur...oh yeah, stay on track...Ok, so I discovered this surround system also plays FM radio, which I really have no use for, but it also plays the cable sound or, the really cool part, my iPod. So, I have been sitting here, for the past hour, doing nothing more than just listening to music. I haven't done that in so long. Going out to the car to retrieve my iPod to hook it up to the speakers in here, which are just eh, has just been an unattractive hassle. Now, however, I am reminded of what it is like to just sit and listen to music when it sounds good, a subwoofer and the surround speakers that fill the room with sound are really an awesome addition. uhhh, like I said, it's been so long. I can, indeed, make it loud, but the cool thing is, it sounds so good very low as just background music. ...and I can't take it anymore..yeah...I love Godsmack. This is one of the loud times. ;-)

Another thing I was thinking today, I know I've thought it before and prolly even wrote about it, so please excuse if I am repeatedly amused by things that most take for granted. This one is cool, though. It's so fitting. Since my right index finger was smeared in the 'slowing down', I have a different peace sign to offer, which more accurately portrays my idea of peace anyway. ahahaha. Yeah, maybe I am childish, but I crack me up, so that's all that really matters to me. Fortunately, my sense of humor is not dependent on acceptance or even understanding by others. Damn, why couldn't I be this way in school, all the m***erf***ers that wasted my time by causing me to act for them and try to be like them. grumble, grumble, ok, time for a refill...

Ok, more than a refill. Snickers de Mayo informed me that it was time for a pee, poop, sniff. So, now it's time for another refill, but I'm eating Triscuits now, so in a minute. Anyway, where was I? Blah, blah, oh yeah peace sign, haha. Oh, I will give you more...Harry Connick jr. is the man....Ok, the last thing I felt compelled to write before I continue talking to my best friend, is about the leash. Today, I was taking the best girlfriend on our walk around the block and some lady stopped me and said wait right here. Ok, sure, hmm, hmm, hmm. Her neighbor was out there in her absence, so I had supm nice to look at, uh, I mean talk to. I had to tell her that she was doing grey very well. mmm, refill..ok, so, when she returned, she had a cool pink harness that was for a dog she no longer had. I got the impression she didn't have it long. The brand new harness testified to that possibility. This is another supm that would benefit from me uploading a damn picture, but, like I said, I don't feel like it. pssht! This made the use of a leash I made a while back possible again. I didn't use it before because it was green, made for a boy dog. At the time, Snickers had a pink collar, but too narrow to really scream girl dog. Her black and tan hairs make her appear boy-lish, to coin a phrase my kids came up with, so a green leash wouldn't help. Now, however, this cool harness is lotsa pink, so the leash goes well with it. It is an awesome leash anyway. I'm glad to use it again.

Ok, I'm done. I'm ready to get off this brain sucker...for whom the bell tolls, time marches on...and listen to music with my best friend who is eager to make me pee again.

Listening to: Nutshell, by Alice in Chains.

Travis' wedding and my over-dressment

Ok, I'll start with today. It was Travis', my ex-brother-in-law's, wedding. One of the things I am thankful for. I am still welcome at most of her family functions. The sky, as usual, was frickin amazing this morning when I left.
It was just the everyday non-stop onslought of amazing beautifullness.
Yeah, it's the usual crap that's boring, I imagine, to most peeps, but I am still wow'd by it every day.
wow.
wow some more.
Ok, this was kinda funny. Well, other than the super cool pose Neriah is caught in as he's running up behind me. I finally had an excuse to justify having some nice clothes. It had been so long since I had worn real clothes that I couldn't remember what to do with those strings in my shoes. I had a tie and a jacket to complete my attire. As I was walking in the door, the kids ran in and told me I was wayyy over dressed. Humph, nice to know. This usual FL temperature of about 150 degrees is really intense when you are wearing long sleeves and a t-shirt, even after removing the jacket and tie. I so often fail to grab all the photo ops. It was hot enough, I didn't feel like putting anything back on, even in the A/C, so here is me casual dressy.
I am technically just, that guy, since I am no relation anymore, so i just sat back hyah. Actually, to be honest. I could've sat much closer. However, I decided that I would have a much better vantage point for pictures back here, and, honestly, I was certainly not averse to observing cute females, which is much harder to do from further up front. You have to crane yer neck around and be an obvious gawker.
I tried about nine damn times to take a picture of the kids and I. One of my miss-fails caught a good shot of Neriah offering his typical excessive cheesiness.
Ok, finally, aimed right, at least.
Ok, I was discussing my thunk with Rhianna about how churches feel a lot like some event at a mafia house er supm. You gots people standing by the doors, as if they are observing everyone, ready to regulate, if they need to.
Ah, the kiss. I dunno if I'll ever get married again, but weddings are still a beautiful thing. I still have this damn sappy romantic fool inside me that tries to assert his opinion all the time, makes for quite the strange ecclectic taste in movies.
The reception was at this lake front bar down the street.

Neriah has been gifted with my unique sense of humor, so as I take a picture across him, I get an awesome face, which turned out to be the worthy experience of this shot, the rest was just an 'eh' shot. Damn, he's a good-looking kid.

After we partaked of the yummy foodstuffs, which I, once again, failed to capture picturitically, the cupcakes, which were in place of the traditional wedding cake, came out and taunted us with their yumminess. Justin is in this shot again, seems like every shot I got he was in, getting more Sangria. Shameful, what a drunk.
Dori and her new beau, crap I am drawing a blank, that guy right there, came on down from GA. He seems to be a pretty good guy, worthy of the overachieving hottie. I am glad for Butch.
I love having a great parking spot. The board, which I thought I should include in the wedding pictures collection that I took for the ex-in-law types, gives dem props, yo. I love Shrek. 'Not the buttons, not the gum drop buttons'.
Bobby and his girlyfriend. I know her name, but I just brainfarted right now. He prefers to be recognized for looking like Jesus. He isn't fond of the comparison that has stuck with me, which I just keep to myself now, Charles Manson. It frickin cracks me up. The last time I saw him, he was kinda rough looking and shaggy from working at his mom's house up in GA.
Travis and his new bride, busted out the geetars and entertained us for a few.
Yes, driving home was the same ol' boring picture, but can't you see what I see? Look at that frickin awesome sky.
I am ready to gits home and get outta these full-length pant things.

I'm gonna go take my beautiful darling girlfriend for a pee, poop, sniff and then I plan to actually finish that other blog entry.

Listening to: Shrek.

My words and your imagination will hafta fill the gaps in pictures I failed to take, as usual, I guess.