Day Oh, Day aaaaaaa oooooo......

Well the time is near where we are Otta Here!! yep time for that tried and true tradition of the "Family Vacation" We are off to parts down under and have loaded up on the latest miracle cures, insect repellents, been poked, prodded, injected, inspected and probably rejected!!!! but no worries we are off to vacate the homestead and fly away to the jungle.

So why is it that its sooo much work getting ready to go relax??

Why do we have to go out and buy new clothes to go get dirty in the rainforest?

Why is my luggage so heavy

All I wanted is a little R andR and some prompt room service. Actually I cut a deal with the wife I get to lay out on the veranda and read my books sip some mint juleps and she can go where ever she wants hike all the way up to the tip of the highest mountain or swim in the closest lake I don't care I just want to relax.
Now the clowns they are another matter, you see the generation gap has definitely grown in our family and we, the parents, are on the other side. Here again I brokered a deal. They get to go anywhere and do whatever they want so long as they don't run afoul with the locals, law enforcement, Religious leaders, or me.

So the Ipods are loaded, Batteries are charged, the laptop is packed, my ATM card is ready and my cell phone is set to international roaming. Christ do I really need this stuff? Wasn't travel much simpler in the old days? Heck Travelers checks are not even used anymore, too easy to counterfeit.

Now all we need to do is wait for the taxi and were off........Hmmmm....... Are we there yet??

Kids, Gotta love me... or... I should have used a condom

Why is it that you love em, you hate em, you love em you hate em?????? Actually I love all my kids all 4 of them well that really means the 3 knuckleheads and my lovely daughter-in-law. When do they quit costing you?? All I want to know is when do children cease being children? when they graduate from High School? College? move out ?


Maybe its when they get a job, get married and move out of town....

Yep thats it then and mind you only then do they truly become INDEPENDENT!!!

Ok Ok enough with the woe is me I love being a parent and I love having the clowns around It brings me joy and purpose. I hate letting go but thats what you have to do , Like the birds do just shove them out the nest and hope they can fly well enough to stay out of harms way.

I admit it I am a worry wart but thats cool because I am old and I can do what ever the heck I want to
HA!
Just wish it wouldn't cost so much...
Doesn't leave me enough to do what I want to do like
plant more trees or buy that new John Deere.

Well I think we did a good job Hope so because the Buzzards are out there waiting to pick the bones clean. You know the ones,,, Cigna that insensitive insurance company that refused a dying teenager a liver transplant or the IRS who cares not if you have enough to eat or to pay your rent they just want all of your money and more, or cell phone, gas, oil and cable industries who are making obscene profits in this time of declining salaries and incomes.

yep this is a fine time to quit smoking. Or yo quiero Taco Bell

Fly me to the moon.........

Ahhh sing it Frankie.. yep nothing like the old crooners to set the mood for some traditional holiday fare. Why is it that the Rat pack did it so well?? or is it just me? I love the sounds of Dino and Sammy during the holidays and I can listen to the Chairman any time!

Wow I must be getting old.
Who cares? anyways Look the way I see it its individual choice,. I got this Kid that well he isn't a kid anymore rather a full grown adult and he listens to this head banging stuff that creates instant migraines in anyone within 100 feet of his stereo. They ought to source this stuff to the Military for use in interrogating uncooperative citizens imprisoned under the Patriot act. It would make me spill my guts just to not listen to this stuff.... Seems to me my dad used to say the same thing about my listening to the Stones or Led Zepplin.... Man I am OLD... So I ask the Wife, Am I old yet??? and you know her reply..... God bless her soul was an honest reply... "Yeah you are... Why?" Gee wiz I thought I would always stay young and vibrant like I was in the 60's. I need some positive reassurances that

I am still worthy and capable so I ask the kids and you know the reply, Daddy I need this or that or I don't like this or that and can you do this or that.......



I guess there are still things I need to tidy up, its true, i'm still needed around, just not in the way I thought It would be. Life goes on and in those marvelous words of Morgan Freeman AKA Red "...You can either get busy livin or get busy dying...." I think I will get on being the best that I can be!

True Story....

One beautiful December evening Pedro and his girlfriend Rosita were sitting by the side of the ocean. It was a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita. Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." replied Rosita. Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me." Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang..... "Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Just a closing shot of us driving through Baja last year when it snowed for the first time in 30 years!!! Great way to end the year

Cheers!

Come listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed.......

Wow this Banjo thin has really got some legs.. I tuned it up and it plays real nice. Visions of the Civil Way and the Beverly Hillbillies all kinda come together when you pluck the strings. I can't help it it just cracks me up to think that this is the only true American instrument. I did a search on UTUBE for banjo music and found that there are 2 basic songs that everyone who is a fanatic posts on the web. at number 1 is the Jed Clampet/Beverly Hillbillies theme and a strong number 2 is Man of Constant Sorrow from Brother where art thou? of course the Dueling Banjos number is everywhere but not a lot of people can play it. I gotta stop this and get a real life......NO Way, this is too much fun!!!

A Hard Rains Gonna Fall...........

As Bob Dylan once said "semzyba pains mesabzah" or something to that effect yes its raining outside and we need it.... Sitting here in the rain I was thinking about this banjo that I have been restoring and I proceeded to download a version of the banjo classic dueling banjos (as heard in the movie Deliverance) and was so taken by the energy of the players and the song that I beckoned the wife over to listen to it (read mistake #6901) of course we all have those Its a small world moments when you hear something and can't seem to get it out of your head as it plays over and over again. Well that is exactly what happened here as she proceeded to replay the tune vocally and kept mixing in a plethora of other banjo song notables like Jimmy crack corn and Oh Susanna with the song totally destroying and mind you not enhancing the experience one bit.... now where was that umbrella???

Above is Lonnie as played by 16 year old Billy Redden. Below is a picture of Billy Redden Today

...I love the smell of napalm in the morning......

... and with a whoosh just like that the sky became an raging inferno the heat from the blast so intense that my skin turned red and beads of sweat rained forth from my brow.... Yeah RIGHT I never had the opportunity to serve in Viet Nam or any other military engagement and that being said I am not sure I would have wanted to. I spent some time in post war Viet Nam and saw a country rich in history, culture and met some of the nicest people even though they were on the "Other" side of the conflict. I mention this fact as I was crusing the net looking for parts for an old banjo that I am restoring and I came across a renowned artisan who does inlay work on musical instruments and yep his shop is right there on Le Loi street in downtown Saigon.

Time marches on.....

Rolling on the riv v v v v v v er........

Yeah poor old Ike Turner.. Drug addict, wife beater, thug, thief, failed businessman and oh yeah pie ano player. Died way too late in life and that is that. Tina would have no comment on the passing of her ex as if she would say anything other than good riddance!!!

Gosh its a great day to be alive! I thank the Lord for my time here on this planet and for the blessings of my life. Now up next the weather....

Time has come today.......

What I have done

This has been floating around the internet for a while. I have no idea the origin or what the criteria was for making the list was but the idea is to make a copy of this list and highlight via boldface or underlining all the things you have done.

Ok, So check this out, here is my list what is yours like?

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree I was drunk and trying to keep from falling down but I think it still counts.
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office (Student Body President counts right?)
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

eight six seven five three oh nieeeenine 8675309........

Funny how music can resurrect memories. I was listening to this little tune and a flood of memories came washing over me that really brightened up my day. I like to listen to the hard pulsating beat of rock music mostly of the late 60 or early 70's. Driving music yeah thats it. Sometimes it seams that time fades away and it puts you in another place so you really don't notice the nut that cut you off or that truck that won't let you move over. Christ I hate traffic.....
Its friday and I'm goin home to be with my baby.. Toodles!

The weather outside is frightful.......

Wow Just started this thing and taking it for a test run. I always use automotive references it makes me feel connected to the automotive scene. So I work and live in So Cal I am an entrepreneur?? of sorts, I run a small consulting firm, Off road race team and have an olive ranch in central california. Life is good.

This blog is just a place for me to download my thoughts and rants on the topics of the day and to raise questions that probably don't need to be answered.

Be well my friends