Don't Do It.....

...you really can't take me anywhere. That's the truth. I mean you caaan... if you don't get uptight about a grown person acting not quite so grown.

Tonight Nicci and I went out for dinner. She insisted, I really wasn't in the mood. We get inside and the boy at the front asks "Smoking or Non-smoking?" Well, Nicci is allergic to cigarette smoke, so we asked to be as far from the smoking section as possible. He smiles and says no problem, then proceeds to take us to a table right next to the smoking section. This was one of those places where a little wall just tall enough to reach above the tables separates the smoking and non-smoking section. (Who designs these places anyway?) He turns to us and starts to ask if this table is OK, but all he gets from me is *hack*hack*cough*cough*. He looked startled but he got the message when I started grabbing at my throat like I couldn't breathe and started doing my best Darth Vader impression.

We got a table out on the enclosed porch area. The farthest you can get from the smoking section.

That was fun.

Luckily for us there were several small kids seated right next to our table in the cool people who don't smoke area. When I say "lucky for us", I mean for me and the 2 kids nearby. They were a bit shy at first but when I did the 'rolling eyes' trick a few times, I got their attention quick. (For those of you who don't remember, I can roll my eyes in strange ways when I want to. I save it for special occasions.) Soon we had 2 adopted kids visiting us begging for me to amuse them and a couple annoyed parents apologizing for their kids rudeness at coming over to play. I did finally fess up to the eye trick and when their food came, the kids settled down OK. I was glad. Sometimes kids don't chill out quick enough for their parents and I feel a little responsible. ;)

Funny thing about where we were seated, we were next to a window and outside the window was the parking lot. Now, there wasn't any sidewalk right next to the window, but people would inexplicably get out of their cars and walk behind the bushes and go right up against the wall where we would almost be nose to nose with them when they went by. I was weirded out by their strange routs, mostly because there were a lot of them doing that and the perfectly good sidewalk to the front door was going to waste. Naturally, I had to correct this situaton for others who would be subjected to it once we were gone. So I decided that every time someone came by that close and looked in to see what I was having for dinner, I would show them.

I scored big almost immediately. A couple got out of their car and the woman, being the sensible person she was, used the sidewalk. The man walked around the bushes, against the wall and when he got to where we were, he looked in at me. I knew he wanted to see what I was having for dinner, so I showed him. I opened my mouth real wide to show him the big chunk of well chewed steak I had been working on, just for this occasion. The look on his face was priceless. He stopped walking for a second and did a double take. He then hurried to his woman and turned to point at me. (I just pretended that nothing was happening.)

Nicci gave me a kick under the table, but she was also laughing pretty hard. Before the meal was done, I managed to allow 2 other people to see what my partially digested steak looked like just before being swallowed. I know 2 things for sure; First, those 3 people will think twice before taking the 'stupid people route' at that restaurant again and second, I'll bet they didn't have steak.

Nothing much else happened tonight. I did have a little fun even though I didn't want to go out. Oh well, another chapter in the life of "you can't take YB anywhere". At least not safely. ;)

Today's Helpful Tip

From your helpful friend, Helpie Helperson.

Tip: Never use the electronic pencil sharpener for manicures. It may trim a bit too much from the tips of your fingers and then you wouldn't be able to type on your blog.

Remember, Helpie says any help is good help. :)

El Sid Makes An Appearance

El Sid made a cameo appearance and left this quiz for us. I had to post it, for old times sake anyway. Plus, I kinda like quizzes.

Funny thing is, my favorite color is really orange and this description does fit. Whadda ya know 'bout that?



Your Heart is Orange


What Color is Your Heart?
brought to you by Quizilla

Saved By Blogger Buds

I got up this morning feeling grumpy and irritable. I got to work and still felt the same way. I was really afraid for those who had to deal with me today because anyone who knows my moods can tell you that I can be quite unpleasant when I want to be. Today I wanted to be.

Then I started to catch up with my blog friends and after about 30 minutes (of company time) I realized that I was smiling and laughing and felt much better. Now I feel like my old self again.

Thanks blogger buds. You've totally changed my mood this morning.

American Idol

I managed to watch American Idol all the way through. Personally I think Carrie whipped Bo's butt, even though I also thought Bo was awesome.

I hope she wins. (And I don't even like country music.)

Update: (1.5 hours later) It took a while but I actually made it through to vote. Now I'm an official AI geek.

Tagged

I was tagged by Egghe to do this.


1) Total of film's I own on DVD/video: Somewhere near to 300 I think.

2) The last film I bought: I got Sky Captain And The World of Tomorrow and Blade 3 at the same time.

3) The last film I watched: Sky Captain And The World of Tomorrow.

4) Five film's that mean alot to me: This is hard. I probably could make a very long list.


A) While You Were Sleeping - This was the movie that helped me realize I was smitten with Sandy.

B) It's a Wonderful Life - Can't have Christmas without it.

C) The Jerk - Makes me laugh hard every time I see it.

D) Austin Powers, International Man Of Mystery (The first one) - Pure genius. The 2nd and 3rd ones kind of suck, but this one is awesome.

E) Anne of Green Gables - Don't laugh. If you haven't seen it, give it a watch. It's awesome and Anne Megan Follows) will make you love her.

5) Tag five people people and have them put this in their journal: I'm not tagging anyone. If you want to do this, I'd love to see it. I suck at the tagging back stuff.


That's it for this exercise. I hope someone else does this one (Grace) I love to see recommendations from others for movies and music I may never hear about normally.

Flashback

Lately I've been slowly working on cleaning out all these storage bins I have in my basement storage area. Recently I came across one that had old life stuff in it. Stuff like my cap & gown from graduation, souveniers from my teenage years and at the bottom was a pile of pictures that I had forgotten about. They range from 1981 through somewhere into the very early 1990's. I decided that these things were kinda cool to look through and that they shouldn't be buried like that.

So now for 2 days I've been going through them and organizing them into some cheap photo albums. I keep getting sidetracked. So many memories lost have now been found. People and places I wouldn't have remembered without the photo assist. Amazing how different I look now compared to then. The cool thing is, when I look at the pics, I remember what the feeling of being that guy was like too, so it amazes me how different a person I am now also, not just how different I look.

There are pics of my graduation and my first wedding. A really small gathering for sure, maybe 10 people. It's fun to see my first wife after all this time. She was pretty cool. Pretty too. Believe it or not, her name was Bobbie. :) Sad that that relationship was doomed before it even began. We just didn't know any better. There are many, many pics from my years at the Humane Society. Geez, what a slut I tried to be. Pics of friends I made in the 80's who are still close friends. (Egghe, you really looked that young?) I even found a pic of my old Pinto and some of my 1963 Chevy Impala SS. Sweet!

The pics of all the pets I had are ridiculous! Work at the Humane Society for 6 years and see how many you accumulate. Lots of them, trust me.

Some of the most touching are of people I genuinely loved. I had a very serious relationship with someone who had a child. He was born when I was getting to know her and as we became closer, he and I became buds. From the womb until he was about 5-6, we shared time together. I screwed up that relationship. Nothing much to do with her. I was pretty much totally responsible. I hear the boy is now in college and is a biker type. I'm sure he's pretty cool. The pics remind me of some awesome fun times we shared though. I still miss him sometimes. Her too. She was a good friend before anything else.

There are also reminders of friends who are gone. One in particular that died a few years ago. We had a Thanksgiving/Christmas party one year where everyone showed up. Those photos are so funny. Priceless really since they are of a time and an innocence that is long lost. Back then the world revolved around all of us getting together, some boozing, some other partying, but mostly because we wanted to hang together. Now that friend is gone, some of the couples are no longer couples and some have moved far away. The feelings are the same though. When I look at those pictures, I still feel what it was like to be there.

Sometimes it's fun to take a trip down memory lane. All these things I've lived have combined to make me what I am today. There are some regrets along the way. We all have those. But I can't complain. I'm OK right now and those experiences have brought me here.

I sure am glad I kept all those old photos. I love looking through them again. I wrote a song back then that had this as its last line: ".....after all, we are all just products of our past". Ain't that the truth?

Blah!

This is a Monday. Nothing much more I can say about it. It's a Monday.



If you've tuned in for something special, check back later, after I've found a way to shake off the blah feeling.

Horrible Sight For A Sober Man

Nicci and I were sitting in the front room this morning talking and I saw something out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to look out the window to see what it was, I saw one of our neighbors doing something in her front garden.

Normally this isn't a blog-worthy event, but this woman was bending over with her butt aimed right at our window. Now, let's just say she's not a small woman. Truthfully, she has quite the big butt and she was wearing tiny short shorts. To make matters worse, she was bending down without bending her knees so the big butt was straight up into the air and the short shorts were riding way high, showing all the cottage cheese too. Gross. A horrible sight for a sober man indeed.

So naturally I had to share. I told Nicci to look outside quick because there was something very interesting out there. After she got a gander, I got a smack in the head. Didn't matter, it was fun.

Quite the fun start to my morning anyway. :)

Jack Handy

Here's a picture of my newly installed lights.








I put these in between being the laundry bitch and doing some other odd jobs. (Also during the Yankee game where they were busy losing. Blah!) I like them even though I'm not a 'lights on' kinda guy. Behind that wall is the water heater and the furnace. There was no room for moving back there. Also, above the one on the left there really was no room. It sucked getting that one in. I had to pre-wire it with about 3' too much wire, put it up into place while trying to direct the excess to the right, hoping it would reach far enough that I could squirm up there and grab it. It worked.

Sometimes I like being a handyman. Not often, but sometimes. Beats the heck outta being the un-handyman and paying someone.

Today, I'm Jack Handy. ;)

“It’s Another Pleasant Valley Sunday”

That’s how I feel today even though it’s Saturday. Remember that song? How everything in life seems like it’s just routine and the same all the time? That’s how I see life most times. Routine.

I look down our street in the morning and I see the neighbors adhering to their routines too. Inside all those houses that “all look the same” I know they are enduring their routines and going through the motions just like me.

I think that’s how places like Starbuck’s get so successful. People like their coffee about the same time every day and they like it mostly the same way. I do. I’ll get something different in the afternoon visit (if there is one) but mostly the morning has to stay the same. I also think that’s how computer games and video games have become so popular. They help break routine and take your imagination away from the every day reality of life.

Funny thing about routines, we all like them. Even though sometimes we say we don’t, it’s what we all need to get through the day. When our routine is interrupted, then things get screwed up, annoying, irritating.

The best times are when your routine is changed and it’s either for something planned or something spontaneous that turns out to be fun, like an unplanned trip to the beach, just for the heck of it. I used to do those a lot. A whole lot actually. I miss that.

But today is just another day. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing special happening. I had my Grande Latte and now I’m the laundry bitch. I will be installing some really cool lights in my basement fortress of solitude today. That will be out of the ordinary, so maybe a little fun is on the schedule.

I wonder what’s it’s like to live “A life less ordinary?”

Tickling Is Scary

Peachy just told me that tickling is scary. She said she is afraid of it. Her point is that people laugh but it doesn't make them happy.

Laughing from tickling isn't a happy thing? Is this how everyone feels about it? I don't mind it. I've never heard of this opinion before. How do the blogger buds feel about tickling and/or being tickled?

This Morning I'm Wondering:

If people mind being referred to as a 'Son of a Bitch' when they really are?

If some people who find out they don't really like their kids just lie and tell them they are adopted?

Why does anyone become a politician? Do they wake up one day and decide they like kissing ass and never telling the truth and making promises they never intend to keep?

Was Disco ever really cool?

Who was that masked man? And was it really a man?

What is the proper way to tell the sexy babe at the grocery store that she is quite appealing and that you'd love to paint her portrait? (Not in the veggie aisle, I'm sure.)

Where did anyone get the idea that soccer was fun?

When will Linda Ronstadt be loved?

Why didn't the cereal people ever let the Rabbit have some Trix?

How do I ever get through a day with all the squirrley thoughts in my head?

It's Gibberish O'clock

I got a spam e-mail with this in it:


"In the middle of the night, I was walking by the sea, and baby baluga jumped out from amongst the bushes. SO one day Mr. Gregor exclaimed "Why do skater normals have no preppy either?!?!?!" So I wanted to watched. or Maybe if I wanted to watch it then I had a dream that countless historian lost their credit but i dont Remember what it was. I don't like you but can I have your autograph. No one wants your autograph so I started to cry in the pizza shop. Where did Ryan go? He must have moved to Ohio."


I usually don't read these things but this one is kinda cool. Something about it is freaky. Maybe the thought that someone actually moved to Ohio voluntarily?

This Has Got To Be A Magical Day

This morning I saw not one, but two Chevy Chevettes on the road! I know! You can sit back down now. Breathe. They were actually on the road and running! Anyone remember these freaks of the car industry? Anyone ever drive one?

I had a girlfriend who had one, bought it brand new, and when I drove it I just laughed so hard. First, it let me know what a sardine must feel like in that can they are squashed into. Second, the thing just wouldn't go uphill. Going up a hill was the funniest part of those cars. They had no oomph at all. I believe the Fred Flintstone car would have been better going uphill. What a strange thing for a manufacturer to market.

Makes me thing of all the other winners from the past. Like the Vega, another GM jem. The Pinto, the Yugo, the K Car, the Fuego, the Le Car, the Fiesta. There have been quite a few eyebrow raisers.

I had a Pinto. It was one of the ones that 'could' explode if it was hit in the rear. I hated that car. It wouldn't go uphill either, but that wasn't as big a problem as the Chevette since it only ran every other day. Literally. Something was always wrong with it. I used to get so mad at that piece of junk that I'd kick it and beat it with a wrench. I even kicked a hole in the side of it once. That did make me feel better.

I sold it to a guy I worked with. He knew all the troubles I had with it but still wanted it. I never figured out why. One day he came to work late and I noticed a big dent in the top. Apparently it didn't want to start again (for no apparent reason) and he got so frustrated that he hit the top with a tire iron. It was a big dent too.

So I've decided this must be a magical day since the only way I can see that those Chevettes could be running still has to be magic. Plus, two in one morning? Something special is happening today. Mark my words!!!

BTW, everyone go visit Peachy and wish her a happy birthday. Today's the big day! See, I told you it was already a special day. :)

Honesty Sometimes Isn't The Best Policy

I was talking to this guy the other day that I really don't like very much. I don't really dislike him either, I just would prefer not to ever run into him again. I felt this way even before this meeting. We were talking casually for a few minutes (yes, I can be nice even when I don't want to) when he mentioned that he 'was told' that I really didn't like him much. Great, someone has a big mouth somewhere.

Well, rather than BS through the situation, I just said the truth, that I didn't dislike him, I just thought our personalities clashed a bit.

Well, you could have thought that I had called him a big jerk or something. He went off and started telling me how many more people hated me more than him and how I'm a big jerk etc....

I was stunned a bit. I didn't say anything insulting to the dork plus I really didn't totally dislike him. (Notice the 'didn't?') Then I made matters worse. He said something about how the women would always prefer him over me (wtf?) and how he didn't understand how I kept a woman. I remember wondering "Where did that come from?" Apparently this was a major issue for him? So of course.... I laughed. Typical me, when faced with something absurd, just laugh.

You would have thought I had insulted his Mother and the Pope and his ugly assed uni-brow too. Geez! Naturally when he started getting more irritated, I found it even funnier. That just doesn't help things at all. He finally walked away muttering about how much of an asshole I was (which can be true). I still think it was a pretty funny scene. I'm just not clear as to what had brought on this tirade of his. I always suspected he was a mental midget anyway. This just proved it to me.

The moral of the story: It's not always a good idea to be honest. Sometimes you should just let sleeping dogs lie. (Unless of course, you can laugh at the morons of the world and not feel offended, like me.)

Shiny Head

We work with this guy that has a really shiny head. I think he shaves it because there is never a shadow of a hair on it. He has to shave it every day to keep it that hairless. Plus, he must polish it. Do head shavers polish their heads? For real?

I get this image of him standing there in the morning after shaving, a big ol pair of boxers on, a towel over his head, one end in each hand, pulling it back and forth over his head to polish it. The squeaking sounds rattling the windows and fine china.

I see why some people make chrome dome jokes and jokes about baldies blinding them when the sun hits their heads. This guy could zap you good if he stood just the right way and aimed the reflected sunlight at you.

Now, I'm not making fun of the guy. He obviously wants to be a glistening crystal ball head and that's OK. Me, being a person who is losing hair due to Mother Nature's cruel sense of humor, I am amazed by the chromus domus idea. Personally, I'd sooner see a guy leave some 5:00 shadow than to be a walking reflecto-ray.

At least he's not doing the old comb-over, pretending that nothing is happening. I guess that is worse. :)

Question Of The Day

Is it OK to be annoyed when someone you really don't like (or respect) is laughing and sounds happy?

Latest Poll Results

I'm not sure what to make of these Polls. Maybe they told us nothing with the exception of most babies are born to the 25-30 year olds of the world. Oh well. It was an interesting idea. Interesting that the second Poll was nearly 50/50.

The new Poll is posted. A bit less serious this time. Remember, you can choose more than one and you can vote daily.


What age was your Mother when you were born?

Selection Votes
15-16 0% 0
17-18 14% 5
19-20 19% 7
21-22 11% 4
23-24 8% 3
25-30 39% 14
31-35 6% 2
36-40 3% 1
40+ 0% 0

36 votes total



Do you think your parent(s) age/maturity has influenced your attitude (good or bad) toward having children?

Selection Votes
Yes 48% 15
No 52% 16

31 votes total

The Natural?

I saw a license plate this morning from Arkansas that had their state motto on it. It said 'The Natural State'. That's kinda funny to me. I started wondering just which states were not natural? How come that one is natural and no others are? Seems to me that they all have been naturally formed, doesn't it?

Maybe they mean natural, as in au natural? I don't think I want to visit a place where everyone is au natural. I'm sure there are lots of people I wouldn't mind being around in that state (pun unintentional) but for the most part, that's not a good idea.

Now I'm wondering about what the other states mottos are. I know Pennsylvania is called "The Keystone State". I'm from there, so I should remember that one. There's one for ya. How hard was that one to think up?

Some do make sense though. Here are a few:

Florida - Sunshine State Makes sense.
Georgia - Peach State Eat a Peach
Hawaii - Aloha State Hello or goodbye?
Kentucky - Bluegrass State Grass cool, music, not so cool
Michigan - Wolverine State, Great Lakes State Obvious
Minnesota - North Star State, Land of 10,000 Lakes Obvious again
Nebraska - Cornhusker State Corn is good
Nevada - The Silver State, Sage State, Sagebrush State Yep
Washington - The Evergreen State Green forever
West Virginia - Mountain State Beware of mountain people
Wisconsin - Badger State They won't leave you alone

Some of them don't make sense to me at all:

Alabama - Yellowhammer State Makes me think of Thor
Connecticut - Constitution State, Nutmeg State, Provisions State, Land of Steady Habits I guess they couldn't pick just one? What's up with the 'steady habits' thing?
Idaho - Gem State, Gem of the Mountains I thought they were the potato state?
Indiana - Hoosier State I still don't know what a Hoosier is
Iowa - Hawkeye State Wasn't Hawkeye from Maine?
North Carolina - Old North State, Tar Heel State When were they ever north? And wouldn't tar on your heel hurt a bit?
North Dakota - Peace Garden State, Flickertail State, Roughrider State Roughrider? Isn't that a condom?
Oklahoma - Sooner State Sooner than what? Later, I guess.
Oregon - Beaver State I want to make a beaver joke, but.....
South Dakota - Mount Rushmore State,Under God the People Rule, Coyote State I get most of this but that middle part seems to be a contradiction.
Tennessee - Volunteer State, Big Bend State, Hog & Hominy State, the Mother of Southwestern Statesmen Again with the indecision! Hog and Hominy?

Then there's the king of them all:

Missouri - Show Me State They either don't trust you very much or they are really, really friendly! I should go and find out.

Well, I was going to stop here but I didn't want to offend anyone. Here's the rest of them:

Alaska - The Last Frontier, Land of the Midnight Sun
Arizona - The Grand Canyon State, Copper State
California - Golden State
Colorado - Centennial State, Colorful Colorado
Delaware - First State, Diamond State, Blue Hen State, Small Wonder
Illinois - Prairie State
Kansas - Sunflower State
Louisiana - Pelican State
Maine - Pine Tree State
Maryland - Old Line State
Massachusetts - Bay State, Old Colony State
Mississippi - Magnolia State
Montana - Treasure State
New Hampshire - Granite State
New Jersey - Garden State
New Mexico - Land of Enchantment
New York - Empire State
Ohio - Buckeye State
Rhode Island - The Ocean State, Plantation State
South Carolina - Palmetto State
Texas Lone - Star State
Utah - The Beehive State
Vermont - Green Mountain State
Virginia - Old Dominion State, Mother State
Wyoming - Equality State

You can draw your own conclusions from the list. I wonder how often these things are up for review? I also wonder if countries around the world do this kind of thing? Curiouser and curiouser.....

Garden Pics

Front yard with new lights.







Part of the back yard with arbor.







Nicci's arbor.







Different view of the front.








I just thought this was neat.

Whew!

I've had enough. I've been working around the house 4 of the last 5 days and I'm done. No more for me. It isn't something I find all that rewarding. Some people do, but not me. The only reward (besides being done) is the newest treat that Starbuck's has; a mint mocha chip frappucino. Damn, that thing is good!

Funny thing about odd jobs, the one that seems like it should be the easiest usually isn't. Today I thought I had easy stuff I wanted to accomplish. The one that got me was putting a simple brass door knocker with peep hole on the front door. Simple. Drill 3 holes, making sure they are level, screw the thing to the door. Sounds easy, right? Nope. First, it's a metal door. Second, the screws included were way too long. Third, the peep hole thing didn't have a large enough back to cover the hole drilled for it. Sheesh! They went to a lot of trouble to make a template for drilling the perfect size and pattern but didn't include enough stuff to make the finishing look good. So, after some inventive thinking and a trip to Home Depot, the simple job got done after 4 hours. It did come out nice though. Gotta watch out for the so-called simple jobs.

I'm tired from all this stuff. Can you tell I'm not the 'home improvement' type? I do like some stuff, but rarely will I volunteer for homey fixer-upper jobs.

Anyway, this past week has left me way behind with blogland. It's going to take me a while to get totally caught up. Someone let me know if I've missed anything really important. Otherwise, I'll be seeing you for myself eventually.

Today's Helpful Tip

From your helpful friend, Helpie Helperson.

Tip: When opening a beer bottle with your teeth make sure not to bite the glass hard enough to chip it into your mouth. Swallowing glass is bad for your system.

Remember, Helpie says any help is good help. :)

Welcome Home

That's how I feel right now. I've basically had a 2 day hiatus from the blogger world and it will take a long time to catch up. I've been off work for some home stuff and ended up working much harder than I ever do at work. Funny how that happens. I've heard people before saying how when you own a house there is always something that needs to be done. That seems to be true. And I only have a townhouse. It must suck having a big house. It's a bad thing for me too since I hate working around the home. Well, mostly I hate it. I like building stuff, but gardening and painting and all that blows.

So yesterday I replaced all the wooden boxes aroung the gardens. I say gardens because the way our place is layed out, Nicci has basically made 5 gardens out of the available space. (I'll have to post some pics. It really is nice.) I started at 7:30 A.M. and only took a break @ 2:00 to take a Starbuck's to Nicci at work. BTW, thanks again Meritt for the caramel macchaito recommendation. I think I love those. Then I came back and finished the garden stuff and put some cool lights along our front walk. They look sweet. Finally at about 6:30 I decided that food was becoming a necessity.

That's how I get when I'm engrossed in something. Especially if I set a goal for myself at the beginning. When I do an art project, it's worse. I'm pretty much unreachable and if my concentration is actually broken, it's really hard to become focused again. It was worth it though. Now, if I can just get through the damn painting of the bay windows this weekend without my head exploding, I'm home free for the year.

Question Of The Day

Today will be another really busy day for me. I won't be able to check in much at all. It's going to take me so long to catch up with everyone when I finally get the chance. (Probably tonight.)

Here's a haiku about this day (inspired by Cindy's butterfly haiku):

Everyone's heading to work
But not me
I feel bad for them

So just for fun, I leave you with this very important Question Of The Day. The answers may be earth shattering. :)

QOTD:

If blue is the color when you're bummed and red is the color when you're pissed, what is the color when you are just mildly interested?

Well, I Think It's Funny

Do you ever listen to yourself? I mean really listen to what you say and how you say it. Not just verbally, but how your reactions effect those around you. I've been forced to see myself in a different light recently.

I've been told that I laugh easily. Lately, I've been told that a lot. It's true too. I laugh at almost anything. I like to laugh. With someone, about someone at someone or something. No matter what, I find humor in almost every situation.

That sounds good, but it's not necessarily always good. Sometimes it's downright rotten, because I will laugh at something I think is stupid without thinking that someone else may have a totally different take on it. I just react. A lot. Mostly without any thought at all. No cruel intent when it happens. It just happens.

One thing I've really been noticing a lot lately is that my first answer to almost any question is a joke. Usually something quick and stupid. Doesn't matter who it is or what the situation is, at least 99% of the time I'll make some quip without thinking. After being asked a second time, I may answer sensibly.

A lot of the time, I don't even know what I'm saying either. It's like my mouth has this amazing ability to speak and still be disconnected from my brain. I've had a few instances recently where someone has said something to me and I've replied with some silly answer and then been embarassed shortly after. Not just because of what my stupid answer was, more because I spoke and couldn't even repeat what I'd said. I had no idea what it was. It just popped out. Maybe I just don't have it in me to take others very seriously? Could be. That's a bit rude, but it is me.

But the truth is everything is better with a little humor added. I make no apologies for joking around all the time. It's better than being too serious. I don't like being serious at all. It's too, well, serious. And that is boring, most of the time. To me. I can be serious, a good listener and even have been known to be quite sympathetic and helpful in times of stress. I prefer not to be, but I am capable.

I guess this personality trait is just another chapter in the book of "YB Doesn't Make A Good Grown-Up". Of course, the "Rules Of Being A Grown-Up" were written by some pretty serious minded individuals that most likely needed a good chuckle. I really believe that people like me were put here to balance out the other types who can't find anything to laugh about. Those are the ones who need people like me the most. Either to help them chuckle a bit or just so they have another reason to grumble. Legitimate reason to grumble are hard to come by. I'm glad to be able to fill that need for them. Even if they are poop heads. :)

Stuff On My Mind

I have been really busy at work again and my blog time is limited. (How annoying!) So I thought I'd write a few things that are on my mind this past 2 days.

First, has anybody noticed lately that when Basketball players are interviewed after a game, they talk about "taking care of the ball"? I hear them interviewed on the radio and that's what a lot of them say, they need to "take care of the ball".

Isn't that a sweet idea? Those big strong men taking care of that innocent little ball. I bet it feels loved and protected. Is this a standard term for Basketball? I don't follow the sport nor even like it, but I think for any sport, that's a funny term.

I found myself agreeing with Donald Trump again this morning. He was talking about this study that was done proving that men respond better to beautiful women than to older or less attractive women. They used a group of beautiful women with one group of men and a group of older, retired women with another. The ones who were checking out the advertising using hot babes were very enthusiastic and even lied about their incomes trying to impress the babes. The second group was a bit less enthusiastic. His point was (and I agree), why did they need to waste time and money to prove the obvious? Anyone should already know the results of this thing even before it is done. Maybe the 'scientists' just wanted to check out the hot babes? I really can't think of a better reason than that to waste the effort on something so glaringly obvious. Duh!

I find it sad that GM and Ford have now been downgraded to the 'junk bonds' catagory. I believe it's just another step toward American auto manufacturers folding. The demands put on them by the greedy unions have pushed them toward not being able to effectively keep the business running. Soon we'll all be driving foreign cars because there isn't any choice. That or all manufacturing will be moved out of the country and even 'American' cars will be imported after being built elsewhere. We reap what we sow.

The Yankees won again last night. (Everyone, give yourself a high five.) The first time this season they've managed to win 3 in a row. I hope it continues.

I'm dreading the coming weekend. I have to scrape and paint our bay windows and the woodwork around the front door. I hate painting. Capital H and capital ATE! I keep thinking that maybe it will rain and I'll get a reprieve, but I really hope against that. I'd sooner just get it done. Have I mentioned how much I hate painting?

The story that Meritt posted about over the weekend is now a really big issue in Baltimore. The one where a Principal hired a convicted murderer and he ended up raping a student and molesting a few others. The whole state is in an uproar now. You can bet that the over-reactive government types will have their fingers into everything now, even though it was a private school. The principal and founder of the school said she just wanted to give the guy a second chance. She's african american and so is the rapist/murderer. Now the race card is being brought out, in a bit of a reverse from the usual way. She also said that his crime didn't have anything to do with children. I wonder what one has to do at this school to discredit themselves from working with kids? If murder doesn't count, what does?

I guess that's enough thinking for a while. Go ask Peachy who she had lunch with (again) today. :)

Help.

I've tried what I know to try but my sidebar likes it where it is. I even eliminated all picture posts. Didn't work. It looks like the sidebar is now wider than before. I don't know how that could have happened.

I think I broke it. Anyone got any ideas? I have asked blogger support but my experience with them has been like having a bra with a bad strap or a hand-me down jock from John Holmes; kinda loose support.

Help.

Maybe I Should Offer A Reward?

Has anyone seen my sidebar? It went for a hike this afternoon and hasn't returned yet. I asked the nice neighbors over at blogger support, but I guess they haven't seen it either.

If anyone sees my little sidebar, could you point it in the right direction home? I'd really like to see it come back soon.

Thanks.

Peachy?.....Peachy?

You have to say that with Ferris Bueller's teachers voice: Peachy?...Peachy?...Peachy?...

In case you are wondering wtf is wrong with me, go over to Peachy's place and ask her where she went for lunch. Remember her post a few weeks back about the co-worker that seemed to have a crush on her? Well, it was obvious that he did (or at least really seemed like it). Anyway, she's been spending a lot of time with him lately, including some weekend time and lunches in the park. I'm starting to wonder.....

We apparently no longer have CG and CGRL to have fun with so this could be the next best thing. Although I know she wouldn't allow anything uhmmm, unsavory to occur, I still wonder a bit.....

I also wonder how big a smack in the head she'll give me when she reads this... :)

Hectic Weekend

It's been quite a hectic weekend here. I don't know about anyone else but I'm a little worn out.

Yesterday I spent the day with all my best buds. A friend had come to visit from Tennessee. He moved there several years ago and when he gets back to visit, it can be an event. We played golf (well, I don't know that what I was doing was golf anyway) and went back to town where we hung out, played some poker, scarfed pizza and reminisced. It was great. The poker part was OK. Not that I lost, which I did, but that it was my first time playing Texas Hold-em. (Is that how it's spelled?) Maybe I missed something but I thought it was very boring. Much more so than playing dealers choice. I didn't see any reason that the world should be so enthralled with the game. But that's just me.

My friend wants me to come visit in Tennessee this Summer, so I'm planning to do so. All you Tennessee blogger buds get ready, I'll be in your neck of the woods sometime soon. I expect you to drop everything and show me around, at least for one night.

OK, maybe not 'drop everything', but I would love to meet up with you. First beer is on me.

Today I had my Mom and 2 Aunts over for their Mother's day dinner. We always have them over and get them something nice just because they really appreciate it. They're not getting any younger so I like to let them know sometimes that they are appreciated.

Doesn't sound like much, but it has been busy. Now I'm chillin, waiting for Baseball Tonight to come on, afraid to see the Yankees score. Yankee losses are hard to take and there have been plenty of those so far this year. Blah!

Time to try to catch up.

Break Time

I need to take a break from blogging. I'm burnt out. Tired. Uninspired. I hope you will all remember me when I get back. Take care.....










OK, that was 1 minute by my clock. Whew! That was a hard thing to do, taking a break like that. Did it seem longer to you guys too? I won't be doing that again anytime soon. I got the shakes.

Actually, the reason for this post is that I think I'm going to have difficulty blogging this weekend. Tomorrow I'll be away almost the whole day and Sunday I'll have a house filled with oldies. Might be a light blog weekend for YB. I'll bet I'm not the only one either. I know Yoj has a similar problem.

Oh well. I survived that earlier break (see above) so I think I can survive having to squeeze in time as allowed.

Happy Mother's Day all you Mothers!

Happy weekend all you other mothers. ;)

For Your Viewing Pleasure

I've noticed that some provocative pics have been showing up lately. I decided to post a couple myself. Ladies, try to stay calm.....


Here is Spacebrain flying into adventure at the Stockholm Airport.






Here I am test flying the same super sonic flying machine.






Yes my friends, we saved the world that day. You probably thought the movie "The Last Starfighter" was a crock, didn't you? Well, know this, the attempted invasion was made and only a cowboy called Spacebrain and a humble artist wannabe known as Yankeebob were all that stood in the way of total annihilation that day. (Notice the Marvin the Martian logo on my shirt?)

Enjoy. Autographs are available fo a small price.

How Kinky Are You?

Bummed this from Summer. I guess I'm a kinky one.



Congratulations!
Your Hotlanta Kink Test score was 605!

Here is the chart so that you can see how you are rated:

100 or less You need to lighten up and live a little!
101 to 200 You have an average sex life in need of kink.
201 to 300 You have sweet hints of a kinky nature.
301 to 400 You are definitely a kinky player.
401 to 500 You are a major league kinkster!
501 to 600 Wow! You're too kinky for most!!!
601 or more SUPER FREAK ALERT! You da BOMB!
The maximum score for this test is 700.

Too Bad There Aren't Any Real Superheroes

Recently Spacebrain and I were talking about how crime in the city of Baltimore is scary. Real scary. There is a new Police Commissioner that ‘has a plan’. He’s the 3rd one in the last 4-5 years. I don’t have a lot of faith that his plan will be any better than the previous ones. So we came up with a plan for the city; we decided Baltimore needs a superhero. That is the only way we can see them making any headway.

Imagine if there really was a Superhero around. That would be really cool! When someone is attacked by a mugger and they call out for help, suddenly a stolid caped figure appears from seemingly out of no where, renders the attacker unconscious, rescuing the poor victim and returning their stolen property. All while some really intense sounding music sounds from somewhere. (Probably form an IPOD in his belt.)

Shortly after that, the victim begins laughing. Not with joy. Laughing hysterically at the heroes outfit. Calling him rude names. Telling him he needs to see Queer Eye for the Straight Guy so that he can learn to dress better when in public. Next the victim looks over her pocketbook and notices some damage, probably occurring when the hero grabbed it from the thief. Now she’s pissed and makes immediate plans to bring him before Judge Judy for compensation.

Next the Police arrive. They arrest the would be thief, listen to his complaint and then attempt to place the Superhero into custody also. Not for trying to help out, but for assaulting the robber. Then the lawsuits pile up, one on top of the other.

Being a Superhero would not be a profitable thing to try. Especially in this city. I think it would end up exactly like in The Incredibles and the heroes would become the victims of the lawyers and the media saturated idiots that can’t appreciate them for what they are.

I guess the new guy better have a good plan. Better than the last 2 guys. He’s not getting any help from Superheroes in this town. Too bad. I think it would be really cool if they did exist. Although I don’t think a guy wearing a cape and leotards is the best way to go around the city.

Now if it was a female Superhero, that’s a different story.

New Polls Are Posted

Could be interesting.

Blasted Busy Day

I haven't blogged at all today. It's been too darn busy here. Peachy said she's been too busy too. Stupid work. I'll have to do some catching up later tonight.

I like the idea Beergirl had for the new Poll. Apparently there may be some relationship between the age of a parent and how their child views being a parent. My Mom was 18 when I was born, but I was second. She was 16 when my Sister was born. This one will be interesting, once I get it posted. First, I'm outta here!

Latest Poll Results

Here are the latest Poll results. Overwhelmingly we all want to see Peachy in her sexy leathers and Grace in her sexy new tiny bikini. So now, it's up to them. Peachy, Grace, what do you say? Gonna hook us up?

Check out the pic below. Peachy was nice enough to let me post this pic of her. She isn't even in all the leather I've seen, but it is a cool pic. It most likely will be the only one we'll actually see.








I'll do a new Poll today sometime. If anyone has any suggestions of Polls they would like to see, let me know. I'll do it just for you. :)




Do you think Peachy should take provocative pics in her biker leather? (Sharing with us, of course.)


Votes
Yes 90% 36
No 10% 4

40 votes total


Do you think Grace should take provocative pics in her sexy new tiny bikini? (Sharing with us, of course.)


Votes
Yes 82% 32
No 18% 7

39 votes total


Do you think Peachy & Grace should take provocative pics together? (Sharing with us, of course.)


Votes
Yes 79% 30
No 21% 8

38 votes total

Question Of The Day

How does someone decide they want to have children?


This is brought about by a discussion I had with Peachy this morning. I'd like to better understand 'the other side'.

Faux Politeness

I just went into our little lunch area and noticed that the last piece of cake was getting smaller and smaller. The cake was leftover from last week's kiddies day and it does look good. It was several pieces larger yesterday but that last piece is shrinking. It's one of those things where no one wants to appear rude and scarf the last of it so it keeps getting cut in half. Soon all the halving will make it a mere microscopic conglomeration of a few atoms. Then we'll need Bill Nye The Science Guy to come in and show us how to divide the microscopic molecules in half so no one will have to be the one tagged with eating the last piece of cake.

Sometimes being 'polite' gets taken too far. I'm going to put a sign on the last, tiny little chunk that says, "Someone, eat the damn sliver please!" That would be funny to me. I'll bet it wouldn't be seen as 'polite' though. ;)

(BTW, before you ask, I don't like cake much so I'm not interested in putting the little guy out of my misery.)

For Ian

I got these jokes in an e-mail and they immediately reminded me of Ian. I could see him coming up with these. So for the King of puns, here ya go:



Here are the 10 first place winners in the International Pun Contest:

1. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess
looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per
passenger."

2. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says,
"Dam!"

3. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the
craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your
kayak and heat it too.

4. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says "I've lost my electron." The other says
"Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."

5. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal?
His goal: transcend dental medication.

6. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in
the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour,
the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?",
they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said, " I can't stand
chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."

7. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a
family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain;
they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his
birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she
wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're
twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

8. These friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a
small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from
the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was
unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went
back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist
hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to
"persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store,
saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop.

Terrified, they did so, --- thereby proving that only Hugh, can prevent
florist friars.

9. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which
produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little,
which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad
breath. This made him ..(Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)..... A super
calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

10. And finally, there was the person who sent ten different puns to
friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh.
No pun in ten did.

For The Record.....

I think marriage is a wonderful thing. When the right 2 people find each other and decide to go for it, I think it’s great.

I don’t think it’s so great for those of us (myself especially) who suck at picking out the right partners. This makes it a difficult proposition in every aspect of living. Not impossible, just difficult.

I am not anti-marriage, anti-relationship or anti-romantic anything. Pay attention to what I really say and not what you feel like I’m trying to say. Listen, learn and then leave me alone! Thanks, and have a nice day. :)


We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.....

Proof Positive

I went out for Sushi tonight and this is the message I got in my fortune cookie (click the pic to enlarge):








I consider it proof positive that I deserve the affection of all the babes and the respect of all the wimpy geeks.

Well, I gotta hang on to some hope anyway, right?

Saturday

It's been a busy day here. I even went to Starbuck's twice. My regular morning Latte then one of those caramel macchiato things. (Thanks for introducing me to them Meritt.) Not much to talk about though. Just a lot of boring errands and stuff.

One thing I have noticed lately is that there must be one of those ribbon things for every occasion now. The kind you see stuck on almost every vehicle on the road. I have seen so many variations that it's impossible to give a crap about anything they are trying to say. I think the "Support Our Troops" one was the first I had seen and then came the pink one. Now there are so many that I just ignore them. I saw a black one for POW/MIA's today. Personally, I think it's gotten ridiculous. Enough is enough.

I also wonder what geek invented those "My kid is an honor student" stickers. I always wonder how the kid in question really feels about those. It's cool to be proud of your kid and all, but do the kids like those? I dunno.

I'm watching one of those cool cheesy Sci-Fi movies right now. It's ManThing. I remember that comic when I was a kid. I love these cheesy B movies. They are pretty entertaining.Usually on Saturday night they have a new one on. Tune in all you Sci-Fi geeks. Those of us who actually have no other fun stuff to do that is. Those of you out there having fun, you better write something good so I can live vicariously through you tomorrow

Another New York Minute

So the show was great. It actually ended earlier than expected because it was the last day. We got time to walk around for a while then we headed back to the station, thinking that we shouldn't miss the train. (Duh!) Funny thing about walking around New York, you notice things you normally wouldn't think much of. Like all the black circles on the sidewalks that once were someone's gum. The sidewalk is covered with them. It's like a Dalmatians butt looking at the sidewalk. You know there had to be a lot of pissed off people walking around stepping in some pigs gum that they just spit onto the sidewalk.

Also, no parents walked with their kids without holding their hands. If they were with more than 1, they were holding onto both. I saw one woman walking with 4 kids, all holding hands. There's a good practice. I was glad to see it.

I also noticed that when a younger person was walking with an older person (presumably a Grandkid or kid of the older person) they would be holding their hand too. I wouldn't think much of it normally, but I saw about 10 different people doing this.

Inside the train station there was this irate woman getting on the Customer Service guy because she wanted to use her ticket for an earlier train. He nicely told her that she would have to stand in line and exchange it for another one. She started getting on him about how absurd that was and how it made coming to New York less attractive. She was insinuating that if he didn't do something maybe she wouldn't come back again. Like the guy could give a crap if she never returned. A few million other people would visit. Plus, he couldn't do anything about it anyway. She really thought she was going to get some special kind of treatment somehow. Maybe she was special?

Then there was Inspector Gadget in line. A mini version though. The guy couldn’t have been more than 4’ 10” tall, but he was dressed like Inspector Gadget. The hat and trench coat, everything. It was cool.

On the train home there was this guy sitting in the ‘Reserved for groups of 3 or more’ section. That’s the section where two seats are turned facing another two. He was sitting with his feet stretched across to the seat in front of him and the ticket guy came by and told him he had to take off his shoes if he was going to prop his feet on the other chair. So the guy takes his shoes off and puts them on the seat beside him. So now, not only is the seat in front of him dirty from his shoes and his stinky feet but the seat beside him is dirty from his shoes sitting there. Makes sense, no?

There are lots of other people things to discuss but I’m really busy today. I’m sure they’ll come out over the next couple of days. I actually started writing this post over 2 hours ago. I’ve been adding bits and pieces in between taking care of work stuff. It’s kinda hard doing that. I need time alone just to catch up, darn it!

Hoo Boy!

I just had a bunch of Green M & M's. ;)

A New York Minute

OK, here's a brief account of my New York trip yesterday. I apologize for the weird sounding audio-posts. It was really hard to concentrate on the one sided phine thing with a million distractions/distractors around.

Speaking of phones, I was once again reminded of the amazing impact that cell phones have had on society. Immediately. On the train going to New York we were surrounded by people jabbering away on cell phones. It was constant. No breaks. A lot of business calls and personal stuff too. Mostly business. There were a pair of guys one seat back and to the left that stayed on their phones the entire trip. If I were a thief I could have written down the one guys phone number, business address, his credit card number, including the extra numbers on the back, almost everything about him. It's no wonder people get their identities ripped off. When we were getting off in New York, the one guy looked at the other and said "Well, that trip wasn't too long." I guess not since you were busy on the phone the whole time.

One of the first things you notice when leaving Penn Station is the traffic in the city. Not the volume so much as the content. The street was fairly busty but there were maybe 2-3 personal vehicles in it. The rest were Taxi Cabs. There were maybe a hundred in sight. It was like a sea of Yellow Cabs out there. Cracked me up. Luckily we already knew where we were going so we walked to the show. It was just 4 blocks. 4 city blocks, but I need the excersize anyway.

I won't bore you with too many details about the show itself. Just suffice it to say that everything and every service available for the BioTech & Pharmaceutical Industry was represented there. Old friends too, like the guys I made say hi on the audioblog. I've worked on projects with them several times and it's always sweet to know someone in the business when you're in the city. (They thought I was nuts doing that, btw.)

The guy that I referred to with the bow tie was a trip. He had a big bow tie with suspenders over a white shirt and dark pants. The pants were several inches above his ankles. Floods or high waters they were called when I was a kid. At first I thought the guy was just one of the side show types, but he was dead serious. He got to the booth I was standing at and butted right in. Seemingly unaware that anyone else was talking to the reps there, he started out with a big "I'm sooo glad I found you guys!" He then monopolized the 2 guys there with some project he was working on. I found him amusing. I think he had to be an R&D guy. Had to be.

Then there were the babes I mentioned. This booth had some kind of demonstration of their rubber rpoducts tensile strength going on and they were stretching the stuff out to it's limits. They had two sexy women in skin tight, shiny blue outfits doing a stretching routine at the same time. I wondered how many people were paying attention to the product demo. I wasn't. Only in New York!

There was a really cool booth where the company was a Mechanical Contracting group. These usually are the best ones to visit. They had one of their circulating chillers set up with this blue liquid flowing through it. It looked really cool. Turns out the blue liquid was a blue martini mix. They had the real thing flowing through their machine and were giving out free shots. You got to keep the shot glass after the shot too. There's a tip for you, the best places to visit are the mechanical and industrial contractors. They always give out free booze. (Actually the equipment manufacturers also do that. They had big coolers of beer to hand out.)

I have a lot of people stuff to talk about later. This is long now and I do need to get caught up on some work. I'll post more later. (Damn work. Interfering with blogging again.)

I'll Miss You All

Just an FYI, I'll be hanging out in New York all day tomorrow so I won't be blogging at all. Yeah, it's tough getting paid to play in The City, but someone has to do it.

I wanted to post this now because I'll be tied up tonight for most of the evening. (No, not the good kind of tied up either.) I may get to blog tonight, but if not, everyone have a great day without me. :)

Today's Helpful Tip

From your helpful friend, Helpie Helperson.

Tip: When you go bowling, roll the ball in such a way that it knocks down all the pins. This makes for a very enjoyable time and you get a better score.

Remember, Helpie says any help is good help. :)

Weddings

I just got a mini-lesson about how big weddings have lists of invitees. A lists, B lists and even sometimes C lists. Apparently there can be people on any list you do want to come, but priorities must be set. I wonder if I was ever one of the B or C listers? It's really not an insult because for various reasons some people are alternates, but I still wonder.

I wonder more than that just how a Wedding got to be such a huge enterprise. It seems like a waste to have 250 people come to a wedding. Just how many times do you really see most of a group of 250 people? And really, how many of them come for the romance of it? It's probably a lot of people feeling obligated and others are there for the reception. (Party!)

The expense has to be huge. A newlywed couple can't possibly afford that, can they? Unless they are already rich or the family is paying for it. I guess it makes sense to invite lots of people for the gifts you get though. Lots of gifts are welcome for a newlywed couple. Still, it's a lot of money spent for a moment that really should mean a lot to only 2 people. (Maybe 6 people, including parents.)

It also seems like a huge expense for something that has a 50/50 chance of success.

Whaddaya Think Of This Guy?

Nicci stopped at the ATM this morning before work. Early, before 7:00 a.m. Nothing open. No one around. When she gets to the ATM there is a guy in a pick-up. He does his thing, rolls his window up and moves forward about 1 foot. Then he stays there.

Now, Nicci isn't known for being patient, but she waited several minutes for the guy to move. When it was obvious that he wasn't going to, she tapped the horn once, real quick, just to let him know someone was behind. She was thinking that he didn't notice her. When she did that the guy turns around and starts yelling at her through his window. Of course she can't hear him but he was apparently pretty irate. He then peels out and goes around the corner out of sight.

Nicci pulls up to the ATM and the next thing she notices is the same guy pulling up into the lane next to her. He had driven all the way around the bank to come back and cuss her out. He did a lot of swearing at her, nasty name calling and foul things usually reserved for a sworn enemy and then peeled out again and finally left.

What would drive a person to act like that? That's a lot of effort to prove yourself to be a king sized a-hole. Sometimes you have to wonder about people.

Latest Poll Results

Here are the latest Poll results. Ian has won as the Hottie-est. We need to get him elected as the new Pope. He even beat Johnny Depp by 2 votes. Peachy in her biker leather was third. (Trust me, I voted for that one too.)

Which brings me to this weeks Poll(s). Inspired by Peachy's leather attire and requested by Grace, (yeah Grace, I know you only suggested the Peachy vote) this week we are voting for 2 of our own. This time you can vote as many times as you want, so keep em coming.



Which Hottie is the Hottie-est in the given role?


Votes
Kelly Hu in Scorpion King 2% 1
Brad Pitt in Interview w/ Vampire 5% 3
Patricia Velasquez in The Mummy 3% 2
Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean 12% 7
Angeline Jolie in Tomb Raider 9% 5
Orlando Bloom in LOTR 5% 3
Kate Beckinsale in Underworld 5% 3
Vin Diesel in XXX 2% 1
Salma Hayek in Desperado 7% 4
Russell Crowe in Gladiator 7% 4
Martha Stewart in Jail 2% 1
Colin Farrell in Alexander 0% 0
Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge 3% 2
George W. in The White house 2% 1
Sandra Bullock in Anything 3% 2
Ian as the Pope (soon) 16% 9
Janet Reno in Playboy 2% 1
Justin Timberlake in gay porn 5% 3
Peachy in her Biker Leather 10% 6
John Kerry in his long face 0% 0

58 votes total

30 Things About Me?

I've seen some of these thingys popping up in places. Can you tell by reading this what kind of mood I'm in tonight? Some are true. Which ones???


- You can't screw up my name. Forward = bob, backwards = bob
- I think Bugs Bunny is hot when he's disguised as a girl bunny.
- I've been camping.
- If people yell my name, I say "huh?"
- I wish I would lose a tooth so the Tooth Fairy would come by.
- I got a black eye from a bounced check.
- I once liked dogs best. Now I like cats better.
- I like doing laundry.
- I like women who are smarter than me.
- I laugh at everything.
- I would like to meet the person who invented Jell-O.
- I believe the Bee Gees were married... to each other.
- I wonder why sometimes.
- I hate camping.
- I would like to soak in a tub of melted cheese.
- I like to give massages with wine.
- I believe that all hot babes should wear thongs.
- I believe that bird names for sports teams sound wimpy.
- I wouldn't want to be known as a Packer. (A la Green Bay)
- I think that Carmen Garcia is sheer perfection.
- I remember when being a porn star wasn't cool.
- I feel that Charles Schultz was a genius.
- I think bumper stickers are stupid.
- I like the word Groovy.
- I won't go camping without guaranteed sex.
- I think having fun is fun.
- I invented balled up tin foil and the left footed limp.
- I sang a song once and almost remembered all the words.
- I remember life before cell phones.
- My underwear always matches my shirt.

Is This For Real?

Smashlee had a link to this on her last post and like a sucker for these things, I checked it out. A Turd Twister? I just can't believe something like this is real. It has to be a joke.

Right?

Lame Weekend

For blogging, that is. Myself included. I guess everyone was preoccupied. I just haven't felt too much inspiration. It's been a good weekend otherwise.

The Yankees are beating me down. Geez, they look lame themselves. Hopefully soon they'll get going.

Meritt is back from her vacation thingy. That made me happy. There is coffee-talking again. Funny how you can get into a routine and not realize it. I miss it when bloggers are away. It breaks up my personal routine. Weird.

I did have a couple of posts at Stream Of Consciousness. It's easy to be inspired over there since the previous post gives you your first line. I think I like that blog a lot.

Well, here's my lame post for the weekend. Was it good for you?

I Want This For My Birthday

This is the original Elaine Mannequin from Seinfeld. I found it at an auction site. I would love to have this in my place. Yes, I would display it... Proudly.








Anyone with a few thousand to spare, be a pal eh?

More Stuff I Just Don't Get

Another addition to the ever growing list.....

- Guys wearing sweat pants to dinner

Last night we took one of my Aunts out for her birthday. We went to a nice restaurant (her choice) and it was a pretty normal evening. Then a group of 6 were seated nearby and I couldn't help but notice that one guy was wearing maroon sweatpants. Of course this got me looking around and I noticed that his group were all well dressed and looked nice. The women wore dresses and heels, the men wore dress pants and polos. He looked like a slob. Later, when he stood up to leave I also noticed that his t-shirt didn't reach down over his belly and part of his gut was hanging out from underneath. Now, I like that look when women do it with little t-shirts that don't cover the whole boob, but a big fat gut peeking out from an old t-shirt over dirty sweats? No thanks. As he walked by he slapped this old ratty looking baseball-type hat on his head and quickly turned it backwards. I'm not sure I understand wearing sweat pants out to dinner at any time in life but this guy easily takes the prize for ‘Worst Dressed Diner”. Can you say “black sheep”?

- Cell Phone Fakers

I heard a story this morning about people who fake cell phone calls just to impress people. Apparently this is a big enough occurrence that they are doing some kind of study of the phenomena. I just think it's pretty stupid. Why fake a cell phone call? They are annoying enough in many instances. Are these people that desperate for attention or acceptance? I'll tell you where their cell phones should be shoved.....

- Fear This

I keep seeing pick up trucks with the logo "Fear This" in large enough letters that it covers the whole back window. Why? What am I to fear from a doofus in a truck that has to advertise such a thing? Go back to the hills of West Virginia pal. I'd be afraid if I met you there, I think.

- Fish Tremble At My Name

Along the lines of the last item, I've seen a lot of stickers and bumper stickers that say "Fish tremble at the sound of my name". Must be fishing season or something because I’ve seen a lot of them lately. Can you advertise that you are a big dork any louder than that? I don't think so.

- Bennifer II

I sure don't like hearing that term when it comes to Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. The first edition of 'Bennifer' was a circus (to say the very least) and I think these two are keeping things low profile and decent. The media just likes to stir things up I guess. I saw a story where the paparazzi were hounding them so much that they even hired helicopters to hover above an outdoor party they hosted just to spy on them. What does it take to be a paparazzi or a writer for a tabloid anyway? Getting rid of your soul and all decency, I think. They should just be left alone.

A New Quiz

I bummed this one from LZ. I don't know about that Dixie part....

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

20% Dixie

10% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Maybe It Was A Sex Change

We just had a consultant come into the lobby and I heard her say her name was Dawn Henley. I thought this was amusing for some reason.

I wonder if she sings.

I should go back over and ask her if she’s staying at the Hotel California.

Latest Poll Results

Seems like we all have a thing for people falling down and someone else getting a ticket. (I voted for both of them too.)

Check out the new Poll on the right sidebar. I tried to make it with some variety. If I missed your favorite, say so in the comments section. ***Remember, you can choose multiple answers.



Which of these gives you a private, evil laugh?


Votes
Seeing someone fall down. 19% 15
Seeing someone *secretly* picking their nose. 6% 5
Seeing someone *secretly* picking their butt. 3% 2
Seeing someone *secretly* kissing someone they shouldn't. 4% 3
Farting in public (SBD of course) 6% 5
Witnessing an enemy getting screwed. (Not the good kind) 10% 8
Seeing and 'old friend' and looking better than them. 18% 14
Getting away scott free! 8% 6
Having the guy in front of you get the speeding ticket. 21% 17
Having a cooler blog than anyone else. 6% 5

80 votes total

I'm Back

I haven't been able to blog at all today. I took the day off and went with some of the guys from work to play golf. I love to play, but it is a bit frustrating at times. It's not an easy thing to learn.

Sometimes I wonder why. It was much easier for me to learn to hit a baseball than to hit a golf ball. The baseball is moving too. It moves fast with motion in several different possible directions and I could hit pretty well. That damn golf ball just sits there and it is very hard to hit and make it go where you want it to go.

Worst is when it is sitting on a tee. The ball is elevated to whatever 'perfect' height you want it to be. It has no possible interferences with the club face, like grass or dirt. It still isn't easy to hit it properly.

You would think that somewhere over the years someone would have invented a fool proof method or fool proof equipment that would make it easy to hit the ball correctly. But no, it's still hard. And we fools still try to perfect some kind of method somehow. Ah, the joys of good weather activities. Whoever invented the game sure had a good sense of humor, that's for sure.

Well, time to do some catching up.

Just A Quick Note.....

.....to all of you who are expecting some questions from me. I haven't forgotten. I'll try to get them to you soon. I've been really busy and so far I've only managed to send Quyen hers. (She was the first to volunteer.) Soon, I hope, we'll be checking out her answers.

I don't just ask any old thing. I try to think of questions that will tell me more about you. I'm crafty like that. That's why I haven't sent them yet. I want them to be good. So expect them soon, in the order that you volunteered in my comments section. And don't forget to check in with Quyen to see how it went for her.

Question Of The Day

How come I can't have a hunk of the cheese?

Bitch Ass Night

Last night was a bitch. Yes, that's a heck of a way to start this post, but I just didn't have it in me to post anything last night. Here's why.

I already had a tough day at work. Not hard, just busy. My car was in the shop for something simple and when I called to make sure it was ready before I left work, it wasn't. It was going to be another 1 1/2 hours. I was bummed. That would put me right into the heart of rush hour on the beltway. Not something to look forward to. So I hung out at work longer than usual (which always sucks), finishing some paperwork and then decided that I'd be better off crossing the city and waiting at the dealership, at least missing that part of rush hour. Good thought. Too bad it didn't work out.

I got to the beltway without incident and right after the entrance ramp, I found myself in a parking lot. Yep, there was an accident ahead and all but 1 lane was closed. A 6 car bumper bender. As I crawled along I once again was reminded how these things are usually caused by some dork not paying attention to changing traffic ahead of them. One bumps the rear of another and it just snowballs. It really disrupts a bunch of people's lives just because one person is negligent.

Well, I finally get past and get to the dealership. A 10-15 minute trip turned into a 50 minute one. Naturally I'm now a bit irritable. I get my car, no problems there. It's running perfectly and looks beautiful, just having had it detailed. I leave the dealer all happy, ready to face the rush hour traffic. I get 2 blocks and I'm sitting at a stop light when suddenly, without warning, my car moves forward without my permission. Yep, you guessed it, some a-hole not paying attention just hit me from behind.

I see the guy get out of his truck and come to my window. I'm still a little stunned, but I roll the window down and the genius says to me "Did I hit you?" I know the look on my face had to scare the crap out of him because he took a step back and I just said "What the f$@# do you think? Who else do you see in front of you?" (Or something along those lines at least. I'm still not too clear on the exact phrasing.)

Anyway, we pull over into a parking area and exchange info. I call the Police because I know better than to let Einstein leave without having a report in my hands. We end up waiting there 40 minutes for the Police to show up. Apparently there are quite a few dorks like this one running into people tonight. While we're waiting the guy calls home and tells his wife that he just hit me. I hear her going off over the phone. It makes me smile. Then the idiot says "Yeah, it had to be a BMW. I couldn't hit a piece of shit car." I stare at the guy wondering how that makes any difference at all. First, hitting any car will piss off it's owner, no matter what kind it is. Second, hitting a car that is completely stopped and is in plain sight means you're an idiot. What a stupid thing to say.

Well, the Police Officer shows up and here is the only bright spot to the evening. It's a really attractive lady cop. (At this point, I needed a positive, thank you.) I didn't know they made pretty cops outside of television shows. She handled everything and we were finally on our way.

I finally got home some 5 1/2 hours after I left work. A normally 1 hour commute turned into a nightmare. Now we get to go through all the pain in the ass stuff with insurance people and getting the car fixed. The damage is not really too bad, but it shouldn't have happened. We shouldn't have to go through all the crap because some idiot couldn't pay attention. Sometimes you have to wonder how some people survive.

Questions From Yoj

This has been a hard day. I've had almost no blog time. Stupid work! I just got this from Yoj. I guess I've been tagged.

OK...so here is how this works. Yoj got interviewed by a fellow blogger, and now I'm being interviewed by Yoj. The interviewer gives you 5 questions that you post on your blog and answer. Then you extend the invitation to other blogging buddies to be interviewed. So, if you would like to be interviewed by me let me know in the comments and leave your email and I will send YOU 5 questions to post on YOUR blog and answer... whaddya say?



#1. What was the most memorable expierence to date in your life? I'm talking about the one, that while it was happening, hit you and you thought, "Man, I'm never going to forget this."

I'm not mentioning any sexual escapades here. I could probably make you blush with the thoughts in my mind right now. But I won't.

I'll instead tell you that when I walked into Yankee Stadium the first time (it was 1997) and got to the end of that tunnel and saw the field, it was like I was stunned with an electric zapper. It was the most breathtaking sight I'd ever seen. A dream come true for a lifelong Yankee. I closed my eyes and I saw the Babe calling his shot, I heard Lou letting the world know how lucky he felt, I watched Joe gracefully glide and catch the fly he shouldn't have been able to catch up to, I saw Roger hit #61, I felt the raw emotion of Billy kicking dirt onto the Umpires shoes, I rolled in the dirt celebrating when the last out was caught by Charlie Hayes. I really had all those things go through me just as I stepped out and saw that Baseball field. There is nothing like it anywhere. Only a Yankee could understand.



#2. How did you come about to eat Speghetti O's? Do you eat them with the meatballs?

I started my SpaghettiOs addiction right after I got my first job. I didn't have to eat the disgusting 'healthy' crap my Mom would make anymore because I bought my own stuff. I knew I loved SpaghettiOs before hand, but I think the freedom added to the experience. I went to the Cannery Store and bought cases of them. All my life since that first teen job I've had Os of all kinds. With hot dogs, with meatballs, plain, made into some crazy self invented recipe, it doesn't matter. They are all great to me. My favorite way is to simply pop the top and eat them right out of the can. Yum!


#3. What is your greatest accomplishment in your life so far and why?

I guess I have to consider the best accomplishment is quitting being a drunk. It was a lifestyle and I loved it. I thought I was living the 'Rock Star' life and I didn't have any reason to stop. It was hard to quit because I really didn't want to. It was necessary. I really liked the action and everything that went with partying as often and as hard as I could. I would have been a complete burnout by now if I hadn't quit when I did. I got tired of the cops kicking me around. I wonder if they miss me?

This May Be My Longest Post Ever

On one of my earlier posts a mini-discussion happened about kids in school being labeled ‘freaks’ and ‘odd’ and the possible results of trying to control their ‘creativity’. I got to thinking about how about the stages of acceptance and rejection in early life can be so different.

When I was young I remember being labeled as ‘creative’. ‘A future artist’, ‘imaginative’. I remember being in 1st grade and doing some kind of sculpture thing with clay that just kept growing and growing until it was taking over an entire section of table. I didn’t notice that the teacher was moving other kids away from my table, letting me go with my creation. Later, when I stopped to take a break, I had 5 teachers hanging around talking to me about it and praising me for what I was doing. It was then that I realized something odd had happened. It was then that I also realized I liked the recognition.

A similar thing happened to me in 2nd grade. I was working on a giant mural during art class that wouldn’t stop growing. I kept adding bigger chunks of poster board to the thing and it got to be huge. It was a scene from prehistoric times with dinosaurs and jungles and all that stuff. Kinda like Calvin when he does his dino drawings. I never noticed how big it got nor did I notice the deference paid to me while I was creating. At break time, once again I had a bunch of teachers oohing and ahhing over the thing. Funny thing was this was a different city and school. Same result.

These types of things kept happening to me all through grade school. Everyone loved when I’d get engrossed with a project. That dino mural was kept hanging for weeks in the back of the classroom. Other kids would come to me asking for drawings. It was great. Then came Middle School.

This was a different world. Boys my age were expected to start being mini-studs. I was into Baseball (duh!) and the Tennis bug was just starting to get me too. But I was still all over the creativity thing. Kids my age were just starting to think it wasn’t quite so cool anymore. The teachers knew who the few of us were who were ‘creatively inclined’ though and they would always draft me and 2 others to do special projects. One was this giant mural that covered the entire wall of the hall outside the offices. It was literally about 50 yards long and floor to ceiling. We did it and from what I understand it was still there for years.

Then came Junior High. This is where kids learn to be assholes. It’s just a natural progression of development, I think. Anyone who was an ‘artist’ (which became an insult suddenly) and was a brain (I was in advanced college prep classes) and who belonged to the chess club (still love the game) was branded a loser and a weirdo. Suddenly, I became a social outcast. Not totally like some of the others since I was on the Baseball team and the Tennis team, but for the most part I was.

This was a new thing for me. It definitely changed me. It served to create in me a feeling of distain and negativity toward the cliques in the school. The jocks were friends, but I still thought they were jerks, especially toward girls. They were disgusting. I still have few real guy friends after hearing all the crap from Jr. High boys toward girls. The egg-heads accepted me, but at arms length. I was as smart as them but I was also a jock (of a sort). I was also an ‘artist’ and that wasn’t something they wanted to be a part of. Nor did they want the added negative tag next to their names. They had enough social trouble being the eggheads.

The rich kid cliques acted the worst. They were the ones who decided I wasn’t socially acceptable at all. Until they needed something, of course. Like tutoring for a class or help with their Tennis game (which I got pretty good at). They really learned to kiss my butt when it came to the social gatherings for the school though. They didn’t want me there, but they needed the decorations to be the best. That’s when I was cool. When it was time to draw and paint decorations for dances and stuff. They also kissed my ass when they wanted to impress someone with something ‘artsy’. I remember I invented this style of writing that was kind of Victorian (???) maybe and many teenage girls just “Had to have their boyfriends name” done in that script. Girls in Jr. High go through some boyfriends so that kept me busy. Also, they found out I could do a lot of cartoon characters. That was a popular request too, as long as it was understood they were doing me a favor by talking to me at all.

I never went to a prom when I was in school. Not with a date anyway. I was always there, but I went because I was one of the creators of the decorations and artwork that made the proms awesome. I didn’t really care back then either. I knew the thing went great because of me so I was cool with it. Jr. High is easily the weirdest, hardest time for a kid. Transitions are hard. Then came Senior High.

The first year of Senior High was nearly the same as the last in Jr. High. But as the year ended I noticed that people weren’t quite as big on the a-hole stuff. Eventually by the time I was a junior, it was almost back to the way it was in grade school. The creative people weren’t considered cool, just ‘different’. Once again I was somewhere in the middle. I had 3 art classes, but I also had elective Phys Ed daily. I was still a chess team guy, but I was second baseman on the school Baseball team and a good player on the tennis team. I was also part of the Stage & Lighting crew, a member of Glee Club, a member of the Yearbook Committee and as usual, a chief with the decorating committees for social events. I think it was hard to stick me into any cliques so I fared better than others.

Some of my friends weren’t so lucky. The ones who were strictly artsy and into the drama club stuff, they were considered the ‘freaks’. Not by me, but by a lot of people. Some of them handled it just fine, others didn’t. I can think of 2 friends in particular that didn’t handle the rejection well. They chose to become more anti-social and it hurt them. One overdosed and one blew his brains out with his Dad’s gun. It’s sad when that happens, but teens just aren’t able to handle stress as well as older people are, I guess.

Now things seem to have come full circle. When people come by my house they tend to ooh and ahh over the artwork. Sometimes I feel like its 1st grade all over again. Truthfully, I still like it.

These days I like to think things are different. The schools seem to be more geared toward developing creativity and individuality. I may be wrong, but there sure are more classes that weren’t available when I was in school. Like Guitar class for example.

No matter what, I guess there will always be the cliques and the in-crowds and the freaks. It’s a shame really. I have to believe that the so called ‘freaks’ wouldn’t be as anti-social without the help of negative peers or worse, parents that are no help. I hope the kid I was talking about in the earlier post has the strength to handle the scene he’s decided to make himself a part of. It’s not a fun way to try to get through school.

I have a little experience with this type of treatment. I guess my use of the term ‘Freak’ was not quite what I had intended. Perhaps I forgot what it was like back then. That’s what blogging is for. Reminders like this are invaluable.

Making Calvin Faces Day

Today I've been making a lot of Calvin faces. (Calvin & Hobbes) Almost everytime someone says something to me I find myself making a Calvin type face, mostly because everyone seems to be a little more stupid or something today. This was even more fun to do back in the clean area where I have a mask on and I don't even have to wait until they are past me or looking the other direction. I just make a Calvin face right at them and they don't even see it.

Everyone, when someone says something stupid, make a Calvin, you are so stupid, face today. It's good for the soul. :)

This Is Funny

I just went to see a guy we work with who is openly gay. He's not shy about it. He's a great guy and most everyone likes him.

When I went into his office area I didn't see him anywhere. When I asked the group of people standing there if he was out, one of them pointed to the back of the room and said "No, he's right back there in the closet."

As soon as she said that he popped up from behind a file cabinet and said "Oh no I'm not! I came out of that years ago and I'm not going back! Been there, done that!"

I just cracked up. To me it was pretty funny.

Maybe you had to be there.

A Few Things Going Through My Mind This Morning

Maybe it's too much coffee or something but I have the urge to post quite a few personal opinions here for your reading pleasure (or not):



I think the way the Post Office stays open extra hours for negligent people sucks.

I think the modern day liberal is mentally unbalanced.

I think Latina babes are sexy.

I don’t understand why anyone cares about wtf Britney Spears is up to.

I think Dean Martin was a better singer but Frank Sinatra had better songs.

I think people who believe ‘in the power of love’ are in for a lot of rude awakenings.

I think Crash Davis was a genius. ("I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.")

I think Unions are destroying the economy.

I think marriage is over-rated.

I think romance is under-rated.

I think Blogger babes are sexy.

I think the lack of personal grooming by the red sux is an insult to the game.

I think the new Pope should be Latvian Orthodox. (Then George Costanza could be Pope.)

I think Charles and his gross new wife should be exiled for what they did to Diana.

I think gun control nuts are committing treason.

I think anyone displaying the confederate flag is committing treason.

I think Congress passing a bill so fast during the Schaivo thing told everyone that they suck at their jobs normally. (Since they normally take forever to do stuff that really is their job.)

I think the state of Maryland sucks.

I think the modern day 'athlete' is a spoiled, overpaid, over-rated cry-baby. (Most of them anyway.)

I can’t understand why anyone likes “The Sound Of Music”.

I think all schools should have uniforms and a strict dress code. (Then the freaks would blend in and not get their asses kicked as much.)

I think people with too many opinions are annoying (at best). ;)

Yucky!

Some old guy just came stumbling by our building with a big bottle of booze of some kind. He stopped and puked, took a swig and kept on going.

I guess the puking was to make room for more booze?

Bleech!

Explanation

The previous post was all about cg (cheater guy) and the way he's pissing everybody off lately. This guy is one of those who knows everything, can do anything and no one else is as good as he is nor ever right compared to him. He's a bona-fide dick!

Work stuff usually isn't something I'll post about but lately this is getting so out of hand. How do you work with someone who is a terminal fuck-up and doesn't even have an inkling that he just may be slightly less perfect than he thinks he is? Pity Peachy. She's been drafted to work directly with him this weekend. Sounds like a lot of booze will be in order for her.

This guy makes simple projects hard. He usually has to repeat eveything twice. Most times it's a third round for him. He always needs help but when he gets it, he gets offended if the help doesn't bow down to his genius. He also will not help when asked. (Which is very rare anymore.) He's always too busy. Uh huh. That's what happens when you keep repeating everything several times until it's 'good enough' to get by.

This week we discovered a problem that he was in part directly responsible for. Something he tried to explain away. Then once we went behind him to fix it before it got really out of hand, he's sending e-mails about how it "should be fixed", confusing some people. Here's a clue, stay the fuck out of it and let those of us who know what we're doing fix it permanently. Dork. He's pretty pissed about the fact that we fixed it so he can't mess it up again. Deliberately cutting his ass out of the loop was pretty fun, I have to say.

He's a no talent, no intelligence, little experienced, always annoying, big headed, butt-kissing bucket of pecker sweat.

Whew! I feel better now.

(Sorry to be so vague with details but I'm not comfortable broadcasting company stuff.)

That Guy

Peachy, he makes me sick!!!

I Fell In Love Again

Yep, I fell in love again last night. It was when I was at the dealership to pick up my car. She was a beautiful 2005 BMW 645 Ci Convertible. I don't know if I've ever seen a more amazing car anywhere. It was silver with black leather interior and a black top. It wasn't even an automatic, which is super cool. 6 gears and lots of power to boot. It was sweet!

What was really funny was that a sales guy came up to me like I was someone who could actually afford the thing. He gave me the full treatment, trying to sell it, but was he ever barking up the wrong tree. I told him I'd be back after I won the lottery. Then we could talk. Besides, BMW is coming out with an M6 Convertible next year so, if I were to spend more on a car than most houses cost, that's what I would get.

It's a cruel world where all the best toys cost too much. For those of us who would appreciate them the most, they are just out of reach. Oh well, maybe the Lottery Fairies will visit me this week. If so, I'll get the M6 and drive it all over the country until I can't stand being in it anymore. That may take a while.