Thursday, August 31, 2006

Behind Blue Eyes

Sunday.
I just need to make it to Sunday.
August has been rough. This summer has been rough. This whole year has been rough. I can see the light. Financial woes are fading. Sleepless nights and stress filled days are coming to an end. I am not completely out of the woods yet, but to quote the Beatles, "I've got to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time."
I am still on the wagon, with a brief hiatus for my birthday. I still seem to be losing weight, but I am afraid to check because my idea of eating healthy is that I will only go to McDonald's once a day. I have an opportunity to join 24 hour fitness gym for free, and am debating being healthy versus being lazy.
If the money situation gets right I will head back to Carolina to see Ma in September, but I won't jinx that by talking about it. I have been working 6 and sometimes 7 days a week for over a year now. My last vacation was before I started this blog... A month before.
Sunday. Sunday I will sleep in. I will listen to Hank Williams Sr. while I cook a breakfast of fresh eggs, Virginia ham my sister sent me and a couple of biscuits with homemade preserves (also from my big sister). After that I don't know. Maybe dominoes at the pub, maybe I'll wander around Zilker Park. Don't know, don't care.
I just need to make it to Sunday.

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Thursday, August 24, 2006

Reel Lines (2)

Dragline: Knock it off, Luke. You can't talk about Him that way.
Luke: Are you still believin' in that big bearded Boss up there? You think he's watchin' us?
Dragline: Get in here. Ain't ya scared? Ain't ya scared of dyin'?
Luke: Dyin'? Boy, he can have this little life any time he wants to. Do ya hear that? Are ya hearin' it? Come on. You're welcome to it, ol' timer. Let me know you're up there. Come on. Love me, hate me, kill me, anything. Just let me know it. [He looks around] I'm just standin' in the rain talkin' to myself.


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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Mama Tried


I came along late in life for my mother. She had a married daughter (with a child of her own) and a son in the Air Force already out of the house, a teenager and a six year old. I came screaming into the world about three days before her 45th birthday. That's gotta be rough on anyone. A lot of people have said that having a child to chase at that age kept her young. I wonder that I didn't make her really old really quickly.
Actually Ma had been an acting mother for a lot longer than our family. Her father died when she was young, and she helped raise and take care her siblings. She told them stories, and took care of them. Even after she was married, she and Pop helped them out.
On top of everything else she was a teacher and motherfigure to a lot of other children.
I can't even pretend that I was a perfect child... I was lazy about schoolwork. I procrastinated, I still do. I would look for the easy way out. I still do. I am a thinker, but I never seem to think things all the way through. Ma has bailed me out of multiple jams, more than I care to think about.
I don't know if she ever had to do the same for my brothers and sisters... Don't care, truth be told. Everybody needs a helping hand sometimes. I just know what she did for me. I never seem to learn. I also know how lucky I've been to have what I have.
Happy Birthday, Ma. It's not enough to pay you back. It's never enough. It'll never be enough. Just know I love you, and I know how much you tried. I promise I'll keep trying too.

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Saturday, August 19, 2006

A Dog's Life

Well, here it is, my birthday again. Thirty-seven and counting. My mother told me that she didn't care much for the posts where I complain about hollidays, birthdays and the like, so this year I'm doing it different. I suppose that I can be a negative nellie sometimes. Ma sent me this wonderful package of pictures as part of my present this year, so I thought I'd give you, my loyal readers, a glimpse into the making of the man... Or dog, or K-nine, or whatever.

I was around 9-10 months old here. Ma said that I was running by 7 1/2 months old... And I haven't stopped yet. Hmmm... I see I already have the hairline here, so I guess I can stop worrying about going bald.

My profile also seems to be the same now as it was then. That may be a bad thing.


I'm too sexy for my shirt...

You know, I still love a good bubble bath.

That is one of those horses on springs, you know, bounce, bounce, bounce. According to all reports, I would make it bounce till the bottom of the horse would hit the floor, and then launch myself off of it and onto the couch behind me. Side note, that sofa was in my first apartment.

Not sure what to title this one, "I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby" or "Send in the Clowns" Look at me, I was so sincere. Who knew back then That thirty years later I'd really end up in Texas. Woo-hooo.

This is me and my youngest sister, Pooh in one of those magical moments just before we tried to kill each other. Good God Ma, did I ever wear clothes?

Still too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts. This was labled Aug 19, 1976, so I was turning seven here.

Man, oh man, would you look at that '80's helmet hair. I was 16 in the spring of '86. I was just about the only one of my friends to still ride a motorcycle. I could keep the front tire off the ground for a quarter mile. I was NOT a Teen-age father, that is Middle Brother's son, and my youngest nephew. Oddly this is one of the few pictures where he grew up to resemble me at the same age.


Note the difference between spring '86 above and fall '86 When I played ball. That kind of change will freak anyone out. OK, so maybe "played" ball wasn't the right term, but I was on the team and I practiced with the best of them till I busted my knee.

Not only was I on the Football team, but here I am in the local paper recieving an award for my writing. I wore a tie to school my whole senior year. I really can't remember why. Maybe for girl repellent. It worked for that.

I recently showed this picture to a friend of mine, and she said, and I quote, "I always knew you used to be good-looking." Sad to say, I really used to be.

Mama's Boys. From the left is Intrepid Middle Brother, Big Brother, Ma, Me and The Man Himself: Pop. Odd note about this picture, I had just changed shirts a few minutes before, but the three brothers had all gotten up at different times, one was staying at a different house, and we all lived in different cities. We all put on that same color t-shirt.

This had to be an Easter when I was around 21 or 22. I was living in Greenville then and not going to classes at ECU. It was around this time that I had women dripping off me. That's all over now.



Well, isn't that a smarmy look. Purple sweater, dangling earing, 5:00 shadow. Raleigh, NC somewhere around '94. I didn't own a car I rode a motorcycle everywhere I went. This is around the time I got the now famous horsehide biker jacket, and slept with a gun under my pillow.

Here I am with my best buddy Margi. Man was she a doll. Still is. We were a terrible twosome. Some stories are just better left untold. Some not so much.


This was the year before I moved to the Carribean. It was the summer before I got married. Still no car, just the bike, but the ex was slowly domesticating me. In fact this was a social setting, a "couples party" in other words I was not allowed to get drunk and fight with the other guests. As you can see, I was pleased. Or not.


If you ever get a chance to live in the Islands, I say go for it. See the small line between my shoulder and the storm to the right of the picture? That is a water spout. Yes sir, a tornado on the ocean. It rained fish. kinda cool.



Right after I came back to the states, (1996) I started wearing a goatee full time. In eleven years I may have gone a total of two months without it. I feel naked when I shave it off.

This was about four years ago. I had been in Texas for a year or so. The wife was gone, but the dog was still with me then. I was bitter, and angry at the world... But I got better over time. Every little bit helps.


And... last, but not least here I am today. This was last month at the pub. I'd quit drinking a month before and dropped 10lbs. I have the wonderful Jeep tan... Just my face and forearms, and it's 100+ degrees out.

So, Happy Birthday to Me. Hope you got a kick out of it. I have to admit, this was one of the most fun posts I've done yet. Thanks for the pictures Ma, I love you very much. I wouldn't be here without you.

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Monday, August 14, 2006

It's My Party...

It's almost my birthday again. I don't think I'll ever get comfortable with my birthday. I've tried hiding, I've tried running, I've even tried just letting it happen and celebrating. The last few years have been OK. Mornings I do something fun, evenings I drink, nights I stay at a nice hotel. Not this year. Saturday morning I'll work. I am currently on the wagon. (Close your mouth, you look foolish) I have only had three or four beers over the last four months, and I have lost 15-20 pounds and no, I have not quit for good, just for now. Since I only live two miles from the hotel where I normally stay, I will probably just go home. No need to hide this year, it's hiding from me.

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Sunday, August 13, 2006

Reel Lines


Tuco: (reading) "See you soon, id... idd..."
Blondie: (taking the note) "Idiots. It's for you."

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Spare Change

Some of you may have noticed a new look to my little page here. Some of you may not. Most of you don't care. I started playing around with the template, and got carried away. (At one point it was purple and gold - Go East Carolina Pirates) I really only have one question. Can everyone read this new format OK? Font, background, color... Any problems or suggestions? To be honest, there is NO WAY that I can ever make it look like it was before, but I can lighten, darken and change colors and fonts if necessary. I can even enbiggen or resmallen stuff. Input appreciated. Thanks.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

We All Need Someone To Link On


My good pal Austin (from Austin) has created his own little blog site. Not tons there yet, and it will probably be a slow building process for him (as it is based on plane trips), But there are some beautiful pics there. Stop by, check him out and say "Howdy".

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Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Brotherly Love

My big brother suggested in the comments of the last post that I need a bigger Jeep. He's the oldest boy in the family and as such is even more retro-sexual than me. He may be a neander-sexual, I'm not sure. Here's a picture of HIS Jeep. Notice that it's still in the parking lot, he hasn't even made it to the big rocks yet. Notice also that the cooler of beer is up-right and intact.
Your's may be bigger, but mine's vertical.
Ha!