Wanda entered the clearing at the end of the path today. She was our 17 year old Maine Coon cat. Wanda was so named because her markings reminded my sister-in-law of a fish, and "A Fish Called Wanda" was out at the time. It just stood to reason to have "A Cat Called Wanda".
She fell to a degenerative spinal disease that was making it harder and harder for her to get around. When she was unable to stand this morning, I knew her time had come. She was put to rest at 1:00 p.m., and by 2:30, she was resting comfortably next to Bob Barker the dog, under a tree at the farm.
She will be missed.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wii...Whopeee...Yahoo...etc.
Yesterday, I went to Best Buy to get a cable connection to help the wife transfer files from the old laptop to the new. Foolish me, I thought it would be a quick visit to purchase a $40 cord. That was, until I spied the wife with a death grip on a Wii game console. They only had three and the wife was convinced no more would ever be arriving. "Screw it", said I...get the damn thing, and let's take the next step towards technology damnation.
It began with Atari 2600, and Intellivision, and I see no end in sight. We now have three versions of Nintendo game systems and four versions of Game Boy. Tack onto that, the two versions of SLR film cameras, the two digital cameras and the latest addition of an SLR digital camera, and I have assured Japan's GDP will continue to grow at a pace far exceeding that of the USA. I am convinced the next round of technology will simply require you to wink at someone then crap out a 10 X 7 glossy.
As I was swirling through this sucking cesspool of technological advancement, I floated past the new, "must have" HD televisions. Now, godammit...I have already wrongly chased the Betamax rainbow...switched to VHS...bought all of the albums, 8-tracks, cassettes and CD's of my favorite bands, and actually invested in two DVD players.
Now, I understand that in 2009, the "industry" is going to require me to buy a digital TV. OK, I can live with that, but who decided we had to go with this asinine "flat screen" technology???? These damn, fancy new TV's are squashed into flat and wide formats, making everybody on the screen look like a bunch of eggheads. What's worse is...none of these TV's will fit in the previous entertainment centers.
I measured the opening in the $2500 piece of furniture I bought two years ago, and discovered a tiny 32 inch "new TV" will fit. But a reasonably viewable 37 inch TV is 1/4 inch too wide!!!! Clearly, the TV people and the furniture people conspired many years ago to force us to buy a bunch of crap we really don't need.
That's it!!! I refuse to play any more. No I-pods...no MP3 players...no skinny-ass HDTV's. Give me a giant, fat-ass TV with a clothes hangar antenna...AM radio...and two cans on a string...I'm calling my Congressman!
It began with Atari 2600, and Intellivision, and I see no end in sight. We now have three versions of Nintendo game systems and four versions of Game Boy. Tack onto that, the two versions of SLR film cameras, the two digital cameras and the latest addition of an SLR digital camera, and I have assured Japan's GDP will continue to grow at a pace far exceeding that of the USA. I am convinced the next round of technology will simply require you to wink at someone then crap out a 10 X 7 glossy.
As I was swirling through this sucking cesspool of technological advancement, I floated past the new, "must have" HD televisions. Now, godammit...I have already wrongly chased the Betamax rainbow...switched to VHS...bought all of the albums, 8-tracks, cassettes and CD's of my favorite bands, and actually invested in two DVD players.
Now, I understand that in 2009, the "industry" is going to require me to buy a digital TV. OK, I can live with that, but who decided we had to go with this asinine "flat screen" technology???? These damn, fancy new TV's are squashed into flat and wide formats, making everybody on the screen look like a bunch of eggheads. What's worse is...none of these TV's will fit in the previous entertainment centers.
I measured the opening in the $2500 piece of furniture I bought two years ago, and discovered a tiny 32 inch "new TV" will fit. But a reasonably viewable 37 inch TV is 1/4 inch too wide!!!! Clearly, the TV people and the furniture people conspired many years ago to force us to buy a bunch of crap we really don't need.
That's it!!! I refuse to play any more. No I-pods...no MP3 players...no skinny-ass HDTV's. Give me a giant, fat-ass TV with a clothes hangar antenna...AM radio...and two cans on a string...I'm calling my Congressman!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Have a Great Summer
Yesterday was officially the first day of summer. As the shortest day of the year passes, and the days begin to get longer, it is the first day of summer as far as I am concerned. Today was a great example.
Twenty four degrees at sunrise...worked on setting up an agility course in the back yard...cleaned up the Elm tree detritus in the front yard...had some lunch and realized what a beautiful day December 23rd had become.
Made the long 1 minute drive to the golf course and played a leisurely 18 holes in shirt sleeves. Shot a nice 85 (Yes Al, I shot a 42 on the back nine). Thanked the good Lord above for putting me in this place at this time.
Happy summer everyone...it only gets better from here on in. (Until June 21st anyway.)
Twenty four degrees at sunrise...worked on setting up an agility course in the back yard...cleaned up the Elm tree detritus in the front yard...had some lunch and realized what a beautiful day December 23rd had become.
Made the long 1 minute drive to the golf course and played a leisurely 18 holes in shirt sleeves. Shot a nice 85 (Yes Al, I shot a 42 on the back nine). Thanked the good Lord above for putting me in this place at this time.
Happy summer everyone...it only gets better from here on in. (Until June 21st anyway.)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Countdown From 21...
21 days till Christmas, and I don't think I will make it this time. I have armored myself to the unending Christmas music in Wal Mart beginning sometime in September. I just remind myself that the worker bees have no recourse, so it could be worse.
The U-Can Share food drive on Channel 11 news has made me resort to watching re-runs of Saved by the Bell at 10:00. Those I can adjust to.
It is the onslaught of Christmas commercials that even my vintage Betamax can't escape.
If Rudolph is sick, is the Aflac duck REALLY going to guide Santa's sleigh? How many people are actually buying these curvy looking diamond pendants that every seller seems to be pushing? And, honestly I don't give a fuck if he went to Jerod's! But the worst are these goddamn Lexus and Lincoln commercials. Who in the hell is giving someone a fucking Lexus for Christmas? And, what kind of gay man wants a goddamn Lincoln instead of power tools? How much are these dipshits spending to target the 12 people in the country that can afford to give these kind of gifts? Every time the wife looks at me after one of the ads. I dangle her keys in front of her and say..."Enjoy your minivan darlin'!"
Sweet Jesus, in defense of your birthday, please make it stop and bring back Santa riding the Norelco razor down the snowy slope.
The U-Can Share food drive on Channel 11 news has made me resort to watching re-runs of Saved by the Bell at 10:00. Those I can adjust to.
It is the onslaught of Christmas commercials that even my vintage Betamax can't escape.
If Rudolph is sick, is the Aflac duck REALLY going to guide Santa's sleigh? How many people are actually buying these curvy looking diamond pendants that every seller seems to be pushing? And, honestly I don't give a fuck if he went to Jerod's! But the worst are these goddamn Lexus and Lincoln commercials. Who in the hell is giving someone a fucking Lexus for Christmas? And, what kind of gay man wants a goddamn Lincoln instead of power tools? How much are these dipshits spending to target the 12 people in the country that can afford to give these kind of gifts? Every time the wife looks at me after one of the ads. I dangle her keys in front of her and say..."Enjoy your minivan darlin'!"
Sweet Jesus, in defense of your birthday, please make it stop and bring back Santa riding the Norelco razor down the snowy slope.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Greetings From the Other Side
Made a little trip to death's door this weekend. Got home from Thursday Night's meeting, and things just didn't feel right. Went to bed, and at 12:30, I got the first of what would be an entire night's reminders of why things didn't feel right. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the sluices were flowing freely from both ends all night. Now, I don't remember the last time I threw up (I am sure it was alcohol induced at that time), but I now remember why I am not bulimic. I don't know about you, but I don't view the act of vomiting to be a very pleasant one.
Anyway, went ahead and got up Friday to go to work. Hoping against hope it was just something I had eaten. After sitting through a two hour video conference in a daze, the boss told me to either go home or to the morgue...my choice. I felt, and apparently looked, like death warmed over.
I went home and spent the next 36 hours in one of three places...asleep in bed...asleep on the couch...or asleep on the bathroom floor. I kinda preferred the latter, as the tile and porcelain were cool on my forehead.
I emerged from the fog Sunday, and was able to get dressed and actually do a few chores for the wife. That is two weekends in a row with no golf. Starting to piss me off. It's sad when the highlight of your weekend is a grilled chicken sandwich from Whataburger that actually stays where you put it.
Anyway, went ahead and got up Friday to go to work. Hoping against hope it was just something I had eaten. After sitting through a two hour video conference in a daze, the boss told me to either go home or to the morgue...my choice. I felt, and apparently looked, like death warmed over.
I went home and spent the next 36 hours in one of three places...asleep in bed...asleep on the couch...or asleep on the bathroom floor. I kinda preferred the latter, as the tile and porcelain were cool on my forehead.
I emerged from the fog Sunday, and was able to get dressed and actually do a few chores for the wife. That is two weekends in a row with no golf. Starting to piss me off. It's sad when the highlight of your weekend is a grilled chicken sandwich from Whataburger that actually stays where you put it.
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