Sure, I'm late, you're always on time, right?
The past few days leading up to this full moon tonight have been anything but dull.
Got to bed early Sunday, going to get up real early on Monday and get a good start to the week.
Which worked out OK, except that I overdid it out in the sun. I have a couple of projects that I want to paint this week, since the rains have stopped and the humidity is lower. I dehydrated myself and wound up going back to the house and working on a request for a writing project.
At about supper time, I decided that going to the store would be a good idea. Get all the necessary things, be able to stay at the farm for the rest of the week and just work. Did the mad dash into town, got most of the things that I needed to sustain life on this planet and came home. Pretty exciting, huh?
Read a few pages of "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. Award winning book, but I've had problems with reading it through. I'll get to that in a later post. Decided to hit the hay earlier than usual and get a really good start on Tuesday.
A couple of ticks found their way into my bed and latched onto me. Let's say that they chose a very intimate part of my anatomy to drill into. The pain woke me up abruptly, just after midnight. Being half asleep, I immediately itched the area and made things worse.
I've had to deal with more ticks, chiggers, fleas, spiders and snakes down here in the past few years than I've seen in all my life, prior to moving here. It almost makes me want to move back to the city. Then I talk with friends of mine who live on farms in other locales and they don't have half the problem that we have around here. I'm convinced it's living in the swampy bottoms of this area.
Since these two ticks had attached themselves on the inside of my thigh, right next to those private parts every man considers to be his jewels, I immediately dug out the first aid stuff. Then spent the next two hours cleaning, disinfecting and taking all the preventive measures that can be taken at home. Most of you out there would go to the doctor or run to the hospital. That's your option, it's not for me. I won't go into how to take care of a tick bite, you can find plenty of info about that on the web. It's the way it heals that's important.
I stayed up until almost 5AM, put hydrogen peroxide on the bites and working on writing, doing research on the Internet. Until I wasn't able to keep going and finally had to head for bed and a nap. No more dogs in the house after this incident.
Tuesday? Tuesday was such a fiasco that it's not even going to be written about. Let's just say that every woman I talked to, it didn't go well. I even managed to make some people mad using email. I stayed at the house and worked on my writing, including the now later than usual next installment for the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series.
Even when I write, I still want more time to write more.
No matter what, I'm going to walking funny for the next couple of days.
I wonder if anyone buys ticks on eBay?
I could make a fortune.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
It's NOT On The List
You ever make a list of things to do?
Recommended by people who 'get things done', for those of us who are constantly getting interrupted by other events.
Had a list made out, sure I was going to mark off each and every one of those items before the end of the weekend rolled around.
Wrote a post for the blog, didn't post it, needs work. Saturday, worked up at the tractor shed, trying to get a project ready to paint. My father shows up with a truckload of appliances. Nice day, sunny day, few clouds, 20% chance of rain.
Except those clouds weren't told about it. After getting the washer and dryer unloaded, I find myself in the middle of a thunderstorm. Rain hammering down on me as we try to wrestle a large refrigerator from the back of one truck onto another, without an appliance dolly. Don't ask.
Drove the truck and the now soaking wet refrigerator into the tractor shed. Parked it to let it dry. The fridge has got to be moved again anyway, so why unload it? Stood in the door and watched the 100% downpour soak everything in sight, including my painting project. Oh well, there's always next week, when it dries out. Which will be about the same time that I dry out.
Mom would never let me play in the rain, but I seem to spend a lot of time working in it.
Then I got a phone call about another project...
Which put everything planned for Sunday on the back burner.
The first thing that I'm going to do on Monday is burn last week's list.
If I can find it.
Recommended by people who 'get things done', for those of us who are constantly getting interrupted by other events.
Had a list made out, sure I was going to mark off each and every one of those items before the end of the weekend rolled around.
Wrote a post for the blog, didn't post it, needs work. Saturday, worked up at the tractor shed, trying to get a project ready to paint. My father shows up with a truckload of appliances. Nice day, sunny day, few clouds, 20% chance of rain.
Except those clouds weren't told about it. After getting the washer and dryer unloaded, I find myself in the middle of a thunderstorm. Rain hammering down on me as we try to wrestle a large refrigerator from the back of one truck onto another, without an appliance dolly. Don't ask.
Drove the truck and the now soaking wet refrigerator into the tractor shed. Parked it to let it dry. The fridge has got to be moved again anyway, so why unload it? Stood in the door and watched the 100% downpour soak everything in sight, including my painting project. Oh well, there's always next week, when it dries out. Which will be about the same time that I dry out.
Mom would never let me play in the rain, but I seem to spend a lot of time working in it.
Then I got a phone call about another project...
Which put everything planned for Sunday on the back burner.
The first thing that I'm going to do on Monday is burn last week's list.
If I can find it.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
You Wanna Be In Movies, Part Six
Tell me that you don't wanna be a star. Tell me all about how you're ready for a life of obscurity. Tell me that deep inside you don't nurture the faintest hope of one day seeing your own smiling face looking down on you from a billboard as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard.
OK, maybe you'd rather be a politician instead and follow in the hallowed footsteps of our great leaders. We are currently a bit short of great leaders. Most of whom have passed from this plane of existence. You can do either act, all you need is drive, ego and maybe a bit of luck.
The one thing that you'll have to do in either case is sell yourself. This might require a bit of soul-searching, if you' re the reflective type or just the willingness to sell your soul, if you're the me-first type.
No problem in either case, just bring plenty of ego. Lots will be used up, if not crushed in some cases, but fans will resupply you with heaping helpings of adoration. Always an ego booster. Did I mention all that free nookie? Ask Bill.
After arriving on the set Sunday afternoon, I began to meet my fellow actors. We eyeballed each other as we sat under the off-white canvas of the large tent, scattered amongst the tables, filling in our paperwork for the casting company. Everyone a bit nervous, an undercurrent of tension vibrated in the tent.
It was a small cast, only 18 of us. Which raised the hopes of everyone. With that limited number, the possibility of being in a scene with one of the stars went up, astronomically. We ranged in age from young college studs and lovely coeds to retired teachers and your dissipated scribe. In general, a cross-section of middle America, Southern style. Which was a good thing that none of us had speaking roles. Since we were in a movie that was supposed to represent a time and place a bit further north, like around Chicago.
Although there were many from the south, a good portion of us had moved back or relocated here from other parts of America. I didn't get to know everyone, so there will be some who won't be covered. My apologies to all concerned.
The retiree from California, the retired teacher from right up the road, but who has travelled the world, the young mother who left her babies at home, but still had that star-struck gleam in her eyes. A young couple, married for just over a year, excited that they were going to be in a film.
A middle-thirties actor, back home after a stint as a struggling actor, but reticent about himself, acting totally bored by the entire ordeal. An ex-military man, who could have made a career of the service, but got out, now working in a hospital. Just the edge of doubt about him, as if he questioned whether he had done the right thing. He always talked about how exciting the military life had been, when it wasn't full of crushing boredom, sitting around the base.
A smattering of college/post-college boys, all unbounded energy and studly attitude. A business yuppie, briefcase, cellphone, trying to be Wall St. while located about 500 miles too far south of the real deal.
The politician, as I dubbed him, who really is a waiter in life at a local restaurant. When he isn't strumming his guitar, crooning for the ladies. Never leave your props behind. Somehow he managed to drag his guitar onto the set. He played it while we got our haircuts. He played it while we ate. He played it standing in the middle of the parking lot. The ladies loved it, the men just wanted to kill him.
So, we have our basic cast of characters. The 'background extras'.
Tomorrow, the stars.
All the world's a stage, as the great bard, William Shakespeare tells us.
Just don't trip up when you walk out upon it.
A pratfall could ruin your makeup.
Not to mention what it'll do to your ego.
OK, maybe you'd rather be a politician instead and follow in the hallowed footsteps of our great leaders. We are currently a bit short of great leaders. Most of whom have passed from this plane of existence. You can do either act, all you need is drive, ego and maybe a bit of luck.
The one thing that you'll have to do in either case is sell yourself. This might require a bit of soul-searching, if you' re the reflective type or just the willingness to sell your soul, if you're the me-first type.
No problem in either case, just bring plenty of ego. Lots will be used up, if not crushed in some cases, but fans will resupply you with heaping helpings of adoration. Always an ego booster. Did I mention all that free nookie? Ask Bill.
After arriving on the set Sunday afternoon, I began to meet my fellow actors. We eyeballed each other as we sat under the off-white canvas of the large tent, scattered amongst the tables, filling in our paperwork for the casting company. Everyone a bit nervous, an undercurrent of tension vibrated in the tent.
It was a small cast, only 18 of us. Which raised the hopes of everyone. With that limited number, the possibility of being in a scene with one of the stars went up, astronomically. We ranged in age from young college studs and lovely coeds to retired teachers and your dissipated scribe. In general, a cross-section of middle America, Southern style. Which was a good thing that none of us had speaking roles. Since we were in a movie that was supposed to represent a time and place a bit further north, like around Chicago.
Although there were many from the south, a good portion of us had moved back or relocated here from other parts of America. I didn't get to know everyone, so there will be some who won't be covered. My apologies to all concerned.
The retiree from California, the retired teacher from right up the road, but who has travelled the world, the young mother who left her babies at home, but still had that star-struck gleam in her eyes. A young couple, married for just over a year, excited that they were going to be in a film.
A middle-thirties actor, back home after a stint as a struggling actor, but reticent about himself, acting totally bored by the entire ordeal. An ex-military man, who could have made a career of the service, but got out, now working in a hospital. Just the edge of doubt about him, as if he questioned whether he had done the right thing. He always talked about how exciting the military life had been, when it wasn't full of crushing boredom, sitting around the base.
A smattering of college/post-college boys, all unbounded energy and studly attitude. A business yuppie, briefcase, cellphone, trying to be Wall St. while located about 500 miles too far south of the real deal.
The politician, as I dubbed him, who really is a waiter in life at a local restaurant. When he isn't strumming his guitar, crooning for the ladies. Never leave your props behind. Somehow he managed to drag his guitar onto the set. He played it while we got our haircuts. He played it while we ate. He played it standing in the middle of the parking lot. The ladies loved it, the men just wanted to kill him.
So, we have our basic cast of characters. The 'background extras'.
Tomorrow, the stars.
All the world's a stage, as the great bard, William Shakespeare tells us.
Just don't trip up when you walk out upon it.
A pratfall could ruin your makeup.
Not to mention what it'll do to your ego.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sex, Love, Intercourse? Hexed or Not
Let's not confuse the issue by discussing it.
I'm going to teach myself how to get the links thing working on this blog, so that I can direct you to the specific news item. I know that it's fairly easy, just hasn't been a priority until now.
While checking the New York Times today, I see that there are two new books out about how married couples decided to have sex every day for a specific number of days.
In reading the article, it's mentioned that married people sometimes don't have sex for weeks and even months! What? You mean they don't do it a couple of times a day?
Now I understand why I'm still single. Too bad that there's no way to explain this to the people who I know around here. They can't understand why I'm not married/divorced/remarried. Which is the status of about 85% of the people in this county. Hey, it's the Bible Belt. If you ain't married, then any sex is sin. If you're married, then it's either OK or just adultery.
Men get married to have sex without the time consuming mating dance, posing and preening that's necessary to snag the available female. Who's going to do all the deciding anyway.
I think women get married for the security. Don't quote me on it, I'm just hazarding an opinion here.
In rereading the article, I noticed that one word was missing. Different sex therapists were interviewed and mentioned important relationships aspects; financial, career, etc. No one mentioned that really scary word; love.
One of the most powerful words in the world and one that's guaranteed to kick start either a tirade of scorn or a paean to the ideal relationship. Ideal relationships don't exist, you have to work at any relationship, no matter what it's based on. The idea being to improve your understanding of each other.
That's what intercourse is about, isn't it? Communication between people.
My own situation has been slightly different than most. An ex-girlfriend got angry at me over a misunderstanding. Which I tried to explain, but she wasn't interested in hearing it.
So, she had her mother put a 'hex' on me. Her mom being a practicing witch and all. She told me that I wouldn't have sex for seven years. Hey, that's what she told me.
I didn't believe it at the time and still don't.
One thing I do know.
Don't ever let a woman cut off a lock of your hair.
You don't even want to know how long it's been for me.
I'm going to teach myself how to get the links thing working on this blog, so that I can direct you to the specific news item. I know that it's fairly easy, just hasn't been a priority until now.
While checking the New York Times today, I see that there are two new books out about how married couples decided to have sex every day for a specific number of days.
In reading the article, it's mentioned that married people sometimes don't have sex for weeks and even months! What? You mean they don't do it a couple of times a day?
Now I understand why I'm still single. Too bad that there's no way to explain this to the people who I know around here. They can't understand why I'm not married/divorced/remarried. Which is the status of about 85% of the people in this county. Hey, it's the Bible Belt. If you ain't married, then any sex is sin. If you're married, then it's either OK or just adultery.
Men get married to have sex without the time consuming mating dance, posing and preening that's necessary to snag the available female. Who's going to do all the deciding anyway.
I think women get married for the security. Don't quote me on it, I'm just hazarding an opinion here.
In rereading the article, I noticed that one word was missing. Different sex therapists were interviewed and mentioned important relationships aspects; financial, career, etc. No one mentioned that really scary word; love.
One of the most powerful words in the world and one that's guaranteed to kick start either a tirade of scorn or a paean to the ideal relationship. Ideal relationships don't exist, you have to work at any relationship, no matter what it's based on. The idea being to improve your understanding of each other.
That's what intercourse is about, isn't it? Communication between people.
My own situation has been slightly different than most. An ex-girlfriend got angry at me over a misunderstanding. Which I tried to explain, but she wasn't interested in hearing it.
So, she had her mother put a 'hex' on me. Her mom being a practicing witch and all. She told me that I wouldn't have sex for seven years. Hey, that's what she told me.
I didn't believe it at the time and still don't.
One thing I do know.
Don't ever let a woman cut off a lock of your hair.
You don't even want to know how long it's been for me.
Monday, June 9, 2008
You Can Sleep When You're Dead
Oh yeah, but to blog, you have to be awake enough to hit the right keys.
I was going to post every day this month. Which doesn't seem to be happening. My fault.
After the great deluge of 2008, when we got about 7 inches of rain in 4 hours, everything has rocketed out of the ground. I've cut the grass more times this year than usual, while letting it grow taller between trimmings. Which I hate, because it gives the snakes a good place to hide.
Snakes love tall grass. When it rains and drives them out of the bottoms and away from the creeks and rivers, they tend to visit those warm, dry places. Like your backyard or mine.
Other than the increased reptile activity, the more I work, the less I seem to sleep. Must have something to do with the the heat and off the charts humidity. Is anyone out there wondering about global warming?
The results? I got into a sleep less, nap more, get less done cycle. Take on jobs that I shouldn't have, get even less done. Don't write as much. Read other peoples' stuff to see how they do their blogs.
I could just claim that it's all research. A large part of it is. Now it's time to apply it.
When is someone going to come up with a human battery pack?
Just plug me in and keep on going. 24 hours a day.
After all, who needs sleep?
Don't lose any sleep over the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series. I'm doing that for you. The next episode will cover some of my fellow actors. Some background on their aspirations.
I know that they had high hopes for the film.
At least it didn't wind up going straight to DVD.
I'll go into what it didn't do later.
The director/writer/leading man is losing sleep over that.
Happens to all of us.
I was going to post every day this month. Which doesn't seem to be happening. My fault.
After the great deluge of 2008, when we got about 7 inches of rain in 4 hours, everything has rocketed out of the ground. I've cut the grass more times this year than usual, while letting it grow taller between trimmings. Which I hate, because it gives the snakes a good place to hide.
Snakes love tall grass. When it rains and drives them out of the bottoms and away from the creeks and rivers, they tend to visit those warm, dry places. Like your backyard or mine.
Other than the increased reptile activity, the more I work, the less I seem to sleep. Must have something to do with the the heat and off the charts humidity. Is anyone out there wondering about global warming?
The results? I got into a sleep less, nap more, get less done cycle. Take on jobs that I shouldn't have, get even less done. Don't write as much. Read other peoples' stuff to see how they do their blogs.
I could just claim that it's all research. A large part of it is. Now it's time to apply it.
When is someone going to come up with a human battery pack?
Just plug me in and keep on going. 24 hours a day.
After all, who needs sleep?
Don't lose any sleep over the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series. I'm doing that for you. The next episode will cover some of my fellow actors. Some background on their aspirations.
I know that they had high hopes for the film.
At least it didn't wind up going straight to DVD.
I'll go into what it didn't do later.
The director/writer/leading man is losing sleep over that.
Happens to all of us.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Just Keep to the Schedule
One of those days.
Plan everything out, doesn't turn out that way.
Most people barely make it on time, when you schedule to meet. Doesn't matter whether you're buying or selling. Went up to the shop early, had a dude driving over to see a rototiller. Gardens are a big thing this year. Go figure. You looked at the price of food lately?
Instead of being on time or late, he drives up an hour early! Didn't bother me a bit. Had an interesting conversation, found out we had more than a few things in common, besides putting in bigger gardens this year. Good start to the day.
Then the parade started. Neighbor wanted her hoe sharpened, brought me three. Then the Wisconsin Wildman showed up, with the latest political comedy. Who writes all that stuff that they do in Washington? After he left, I gave up. Too hot to work, it was over 90 outside and about 95F in the shop. No aircon here and a fan can't follow you around, so it's just a waste of electricity.
Went on into to town for my semi-monthly shopping excursion. Which I hate. Shopping bores me. That was the high point of the day.
I would love to have time to expound on various other things, get back to the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series and comment on the Universal Studios film vault fire.
It will all have to wait.
I need to do something basic.
Catch some sleep.
So I can be a functional, semi-literate.
Plan everything out, doesn't turn out that way.
Most people barely make it on time, when you schedule to meet. Doesn't matter whether you're buying or selling. Went up to the shop early, had a dude driving over to see a rototiller. Gardens are a big thing this year. Go figure. You looked at the price of food lately?
Instead of being on time or late, he drives up an hour early! Didn't bother me a bit. Had an interesting conversation, found out we had more than a few things in common, besides putting in bigger gardens this year. Good start to the day.
Then the parade started. Neighbor wanted her hoe sharpened, brought me three. Then the Wisconsin Wildman showed up, with the latest political comedy. Who writes all that stuff that they do in Washington? After he left, I gave up. Too hot to work, it was over 90 outside and about 95F in the shop. No aircon here and a fan can't follow you around, so it's just a waste of electricity.
Went on into to town for my semi-monthly shopping excursion. Which I hate. Shopping bores me. That was the high point of the day.
I would love to have time to expound on various other things, get back to the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series and comment on the Universal Studios film vault fire.
It will all have to wait.
I need to do something basic.
Catch some sleep.
So I can be a functional, semi-literate.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Soggy Bottom Sightseers
Slow start to the month.
Was going to post every day, of course, starting with the first....
Sunday morning. Worked up at the shop for a while, predictions of rain.
When the rumbles of thunder got too close, I packed up and headed to the old homestead. Can't paint in the rain.
I figured that I would get the next instalment done on the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series, but then it started to rain. Which led to a downpour. A couple of hours later, after dealing with the leak in the kitchen roof again and a couple of power surges and a hour long power outage, the rain really started to come down.
By the middle of the afternoon the front yard was under water by an inch. Which is more impressive when you consider that it slopes downhill from the house to the road. After a couple of more hours, there was three inches of water running down the road. The fields next to the house were under water, as the creek was now about 200 yards wide, instead of 15 feet. My neighbor's house across the road had water within 20 feet of the front door, then a 'creek' about 60 feet wide that spanned both ditches and came up my driveway about 3 feet. It made a nice video.
People were trying to get down the road, attempting to drive through rushing water over two feet deep, it was probably deeper up by the bridge. Even if you have a big, old SUV or some 4X4 truck, it doesn't make you indestructible. I watched as fools, morons and idiots attempted to play Noah with their auto-arks. They all backed up, turned around and went back to the main road.
Some of the locals started to come around. All the old timers said they had never seen it this bad. Everyone had heard how deep the water was getting and they just had to see for themselves. My driveway was busy all afternoon and evening. Which kept me from getting any work done. I came out here to get away from crowds and they show up at my door!
When the Fire Department Chief showed up to block off the road, he brought some 'Fire Line' tape. You know that yellow ribbon stuff that they use to keep people from getting to close. Which made for the evening entertainment.
Sitting on the front porch in the dark, as the power was off, again, some hotfoot would come roaring up the road, only to slam on their brakes to keep from hitting the yellow tape. Then they would turn around either in my driveway or my neighbor's. Sometimes, Scoundrel would be there to greet them.
He's your un-average, weird looking, muscular multi-breed. Has a good eye and one that's, well, spooky looking. It's kinda albino, but it works. At night, being a white dog, he looks more like a ghost. Scoundrel likes to race around, hyper-kinetic and all, so even in broad daylight, he freaks people out. You can imagine what it's like to have him come charging at your car in the dark.
The Fire Department tape didn't make it, about midnight some local with a noisy pickup truck blasted through it, headed up the hill. Probably too wasted to even see what he drove through.
I heard him motor through the deeper water up by the bridge, then he was gone.
By this time, we had a couple of more surges and another power outage. Every time it would kick out my surge protector and throw me off the computer. I gave up around 1AM and went to bed.
Never a dull moment.
Was going to post every day, of course, starting with the first....
Sunday morning. Worked up at the shop for a while, predictions of rain.
When the rumbles of thunder got too close, I packed up and headed to the old homestead. Can't paint in the rain.
I figured that I would get the next instalment done on the "You Wanna Be In Movies" series, but then it started to rain. Which led to a downpour. A couple of hours later, after dealing with the leak in the kitchen roof again and a couple of power surges and a hour long power outage, the rain really started to come down.
By the middle of the afternoon the front yard was under water by an inch. Which is more impressive when you consider that it slopes downhill from the house to the road. After a couple of more hours, there was three inches of water running down the road. The fields next to the house were under water, as the creek was now about 200 yards wide, instead of 15 feet. My neighbor's house across the road had water within 20 feet of the front door, then a 'creek' about 60 feet wide that spanned both ditches and came up my driveway about 3 feet. It made a nice video.
People were trying to get down the road, attempting to drive through rushing water over two feet deep, it was probably deeper up by the bridge. Even if you have a big, old SUV or some 4X4 truck, it doesn't make you indestructible. I watched as fools, morons and idiots attempted to play Noah with their auto-arks. They all backed up, turned around and went back to the main road.
Some of the locals started to come around. All the old timers said they had never seen it this bad. Everyone had heard how deep the water was getting and they just had to see for themselves. My driveway was busy all afternoon and evening. Which kept me from getting any work done. I came out here to get away from crowds and they show up at my door!
When the Fire Department Chief showed up to block off the road, he brought some 'Fire Line' tape. You know that yellow ribbon stuff that they use to keep people from getting to close. Which made for the evening entertainment.
Sitting on the front porch in the dark, as the power was off, again, some hotfoot would come roaring up the road, only to slam on their brakes to keep from hitting the yellow tape. Then they would turn around either in my driveway or my neighbor's. Sometimes, Scoundrel would be there to greet them.
He's your un-average, weird looking, muscular multi-breed. Has a good eye and one that's, well, spooky looking. It's kinda albino, but it works. At night, being a white dog, he looks more like a ghost. Scoundrel likes to race around, hyper-kinetic and all, so even in broad daylight, he freaks people out. You can imagine what it's like to have him come charging at your car in the dark.
The Fire Department tape didn't make it, about midnight some local with a noisy pickup truck blasted through it, headed up the hill. Probably too wasted to even see what he drove through.
I heard him motor through the deeper water up by the bridge, then he was gone.
By this time, we had a couple of more surges and another power outage. Every time it would kick out my surge protector and throw me off the computer. I gave up around 1AM and went to bed.
Never a dull moment.
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