Sign Language

A friend of mine came back into town for the Austin City Limits Festival. I picked her and her mother up from the San Antonio airport Thursday and took them to the pub to meet up with the friends they were staying with.

I love a girl who knows how to show her appreciation. Woo-hoo!

Sunday Ink #4

Last Sunday I went to the Pecan Street Festival here in ATX. It's a kind of vendor fair all along 6th street (Which used to be Pecan Street).

Lots of people, lots of women, some with tattoos. In fact, I have the next few weeks covered.

This is "M". She was quite striking from the front with red highlights in her hair, cute little pony tails and a white babydoll dress... Then she turned and I saw the celtic knot on her back and I knew I had to have her... In my Sunday Ink post.

Absolutely stunning.

Cougar Hunt

Game Day, Maties!

Today, back in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

It's our very own Pirates

Against U of Houston's Cougars

3:30 eastern

3 and 1 Last week is behind us

This week it'll be a

First Down...

PIRATES!

Unreal

21-10 Houston at the half

Since I can't actually see the game

I have to assume we SUCK!

What happened to the team that beat Va Tech?

Where are the guys that beat WVU?

Skip needs to be kicking someone's ass

RIGHT NOW!

I

Am

Speechless

41-24 Houston

Final

Won't get to see this one since I refuse to give CBS's little rip off scam any money. I'll have to use game tracker and watch little purple and red stick men march up and down a cartoon field.

Island Cuisine, A 100 Word Story

God, it had been so long. This was excellent. So wrong, but so right.
He touched the corners of his mouth with the cloth he had been using as a napkin as he chewed methodically. He savored that bite and then cut another small piece.
He could feel the strength returning to his body as the protein hit his system.
His diet had left much to be desired for so long. Coconut milk, coconut pie, coconut everything… Even the radio was made out of coconuts.
“Three hour tour my ass” thought Gilligan as he carved another slice of Mr. Howell.

When...

...You can't afford the A-Team,

who do you turn to?

The B-Team baby!

Sunday Ink #3

Man, I'm starting to love the groundwork for these posts. Let me introduce you to "E". An absolute baby doll with short black hair and a look that just oozed attitude. She had huge... Uh... Assets... And great stems, which is where I noticed her ink.

Both legs, and I could see some on the top of her feet as well. I asked which was her favorite and she picked this one. It seems her dad was in the Navy and this one was for him.
Dad, you did good work.

Cry Wolf

Arghhhh!

Game Day, Powder Monkeys!*

Today in Raleigh North Carolina

at high noon (eastern)

It's the Backyard Brawl

As our very own #15 (AP poll)

East Carolina Pirates

Face down North Carolina State's Wolfpack

Last year they came into our house and beat us

They lead the series 14-10

This year it's different.. This year it's a...

First Down...

PIRATES!

14-7 Pirates at the half

They need to crank up the heat

24-24 and into overtime

30-24 NC State

So much for a BCS bowl bid

*A Powder Monkey is a gunner's mate on a pirate ship that brings gun powder and shot to the men loading and firing the cannon.

Daylight

She's got me tied in a knot. That's what
I thought she'd do.
Don't ask me what's on my mind. I'm fine.
I'll push on through.
Not much to see on this angry street,
so I'll sleep the day away.
Look past my barnacled mind and in time
I'll roll the stone away.

While we still have the daylight,I might
look these lessons in the eye.
While we still have the daylight, I might
become some brand-new kinda guy.

Brass knuckles and birds on a wire retire
but no one gets free.
I'd pay to tear these chains away,
this steel sympathy.
Cut bait and cold black forty weight,
no one can sing for me.
They fall down with grease in their eyes and cry.
How could this come to be?

While we still have the daylight, I might
look these lessons in the eye.
While we still have the daylight, I might
become some brand-new kinda guy.

-The Drive By Truckers

Apples And Trees

My mother once told me the difference between faith and knowledge was that she had knowledge I was hers, Pop had faith that I was his.

Nothing like a little boost in your faith, huh? I'm 17 years older than he was when that picture was taken. Still...

Old Dog, New Tricks

I used to wake up every morning and think to myself "I am the alpha dog". Whatever was going on in my life was secondary. Somehow over the last couple of years I lost that. I wasn't the alpha... And everyone knows that if you aren't the lead dog the scenery never changes. This is what I got used to seeing in the mirror (except as my friends will tell you the t-shirt was usually black).

Granted, I lost a bunch of weight, but I was the same inside, there was just less of it. I needed a mojo boost. So... I promised change and here it be.

Pinstripes aren't just for the NY Yankees anymore.

I've always been more comfortable in black...
with a little purple for my pirates.

And of course one for the ladies...

We all know you like those pensive brooding types.

I am the alpha dog.

Teaser

Now, I'm sure we're all familiar with some of the changes I've been making in my life.

The day after tomorrow, there will be more. Curious? Me too. You'll just have to wait and see.

Hurrican't

Well. That was unpleasant. Hurricane Ike made a brief appearance here in Austin. Saturday the wind blew a little. I put the top up on the Jeep.

No rain.

By the time I got home on Saturday evening the sun was shining. I took the top off.

I took Jack to the park and then went to M's house for a few drinks.

A couple of hours later we opened the front door to see my Jeep filling with water in his driveway. Damn.

I crashed there that night and put garbage bags on the seat to drive home in the morning.

We got it easy. Galveston, not so much. It's hard to feel bad for people who chose to stay, but face it, I probably would have been one of them. Worse yet the folks who came to Austin and elsewhere and don't know if they even have homes anymore.

Rumor has it that the shelters have started turning out people who have no where to go yet. Rumor continues that said people are faking breakdowns on the interstate and robbing those who stop to help. So much for being a good Samaritan. I would advise these would be thieves (if they indeed even exist) that I am not safe to try to rob. You will get to stay inside (inside a hospital, that is) for a while though.

On top of which I had no takers on my free shelter deal. Some people are so picky.

All The Same

Well I know
It won't last long
It's all the same to me

'cause when you try and make it stay
That's when it surely slips away

From the start
It came from my heart
It's all the same to me
From the start
It fell apart
It's all the same to me

'cause when you try and make it stay
That's when it surely slips away

-Lucero

Sunday Ink #2

This week we have "L". She is a is a waitress on west 6th St. She says the design came from the wall of a bar she used to frequent down in Mexico. Thank ya, sweetheart.

Not Easy Being Green

I can't see where it's been postponed, so...

Game Day, Swabbies!

Today in Nawlins

The badass bucs face off with

Tulane's Green Wave

at 2pm central time

ECU is 2-0 against two ranked teams

This is the first conference game of the season

If we don't get overconfident it should be a

First Down...

PIRATES!

Apparently it's 7-7 at the half

I just don't know why.

Good God, we tried to give it away, but...

Paint this conference game PURPLE!

28 -24 Pirates!

UPDATE:

It seems the legacy of CSTV (Cock Suckers Television) is not dead. They went bankrupt and were bought out by CBS (Chunk of Bull Shit) I can't watch the game because I can't log in using my old CSTV password. They have an error message that says they can't send my new password to me. They want me to pay $14.95 for one game (Or 79.95 for the season of 6 games)... A minor game in the series at best, and even if I was going to pay, I still can't log in. So, I have a new name on my list of theiving worthless bastards. Pretty fucking shitty for an "all access" deal. Fuck you CBS. I hope you go bankrupt too.

Refuge

It looks as though the main force of Ike is going to miss Austin. We should get some wind and a little rain, but that's about it. Houston and Galveston look like they're going to get hammered.
I'd like to offer shelter to any hot single women from the ages of 21-40 who had to evacuate that area. Redheads prefered. No cat owners. Email on the right.

Sunshine, Lollipops and...

Yesterday at the dog park.

I splashed around for twenty minutes looking for that damned pot o' gold until the Austin PD asked Jack and me to leave.

Vetted Interest

Jack got a clean bill of health from the vet yesterday. No heartworms, no abnormalities, just a healthy blue pup.

He has lost a couple of pounds since I got him and the doc said I could increase his volume of food. He should be happy about that. I guess it's all that exercise.

Because he got a rabies shot yesterday I was told to skip the walk, so instead we went to the dog park and let him play free. We shared an icecream sandwich and went home early.

It was a good end to a rotten day.

Impending Doom

Today is one of those days when I wouldn't mind so much if the Hadron Super-Collider did open up a black hole that destroyed the earth. Just sayin'.

Sneaky Bastard

Jack is not allowed on the furniture. I have on occasion let him up in my recliner while watching a movie. Once or twice when I wasn't feeling well I let him on the bed with me. Big mistake.

When I go to bed, Jack lays down on his blanket and waits. When I'm asleep, he jumps up on the bed. I have a king size memory foam mattress set... No energy transfer... So, when I awake I open my eyes to this. I don't know why he gets in bed. I still haven't seen him sleep more than once or twice.

More Than Meets The Eye

CHANGE

IS

COMING.

Sun Day Redux

This weekend was pretty nice. I worked Saturday of course, I always do... and spent Saturday night puttering around the house. I accomplished nothing, but who cares.

Sunday morning Jack and I had a nice 7.5 mile stroll. The weather was beautiful. My friend M decided to play turtle and hang around his house all day yesterday, so I stopped over there for a few beers and various sporting events on TV before venturing out on my own.

Jack and I hit various bars with decks sitting in the fresh air having a beer or two then moving on. I even got next week's tatoo picture.

We ended the night sitting with two lovely ladies at the Key Bar on west 6th getting nicely squiffed. All in all a very pleasant Sunday.

Sunday Ink #1

This is the first of a new weekly feature. Since I rarely post on Sunday I thought some of you might enjoy this instead.This young lady, we'll call her "J", was down at town lake with her dog. A smokin' hot brunette, you just gotta love a girl who can pull off wearing Ray Ban aviators and will show you the bird! Thanks darlin'.

Country Roads

Game Day, Ye scurvy dogs!

Today our boys face off with

#8 West Virginia's Mountaineers

4:30PM eastern

At Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

Hopefully the hurricain won't rain it out

WV has handed us our asses six straight times

Including a 48-7 loss last year

we're 2 and 17 for the series

The line this year is only 7.5 points

Payback is a bitch

And it'll be a

First Down...

PIRATES!

17-3 ECU at the half. Woo-Hoo!

PAINT THIS ONE PURPLE!

24-3 Pirates, Baby!

I would not want to be the next team to play WV.

Hellava Game!

Excerpt

The life of a dog is a dog's life.
It is pain. It is suffering and grief.
The life of a dog is a dog's life.
Full of fear and gnashing of teeth.

-David SmithWhite

Aye I Eye i

I broke down and did it. I got tired of everyone making fun of my caveman phone. Yesterday I stopped by the AT&T store to pay my bill. I asked one too many questions. The girl showed me an iphone, lowered my rate plan, got me unlimited internet and took a bunch of my money.

Must have been the green eyes... and hair. Really. She had green hair. Well not all of it was green, just green highlights in the back. Damn these good looking young women and their colorful wiley ways.

OK, back on subject. I bought an iphone. It took me almost four hours to get bored with it... Well that's not strictly true. I was still loading pictures and music on it this morning. It holds a little over six times as many songs as my KIX ipod knockoff. I haven't figured out the dynamics of if I'm using it in the Jeep as an ipod and get a phone call. I suppose I could take the call through the speakers, but I think the mic gets turned off. I'll figure it out eventually.

UPDATE:

Yes, that really is my wallpaper. Thanks for asking.

Wine Makes Us Princes...

...Love makes us beggars. -Wycherly

Last night I loaded Jack in the Jeep and we made a return to Uncorked.

The back deck was deserted on this Labor Day night, but the hostess had Jack a bowl of water before I could sit down.

I gave her my order, not realizing she was the hostess. She took it and off she went. I didn't realize my mistake until my waiter showed up with my wine. Most places the hostess will say "Your waiter will be right with you."

Nope, she took good care of me.

At the end of my visit, I gave her a rose that I just happened to have with me (Long Story).

The weather was cool and there was a nice breeze.

I had a few glasses of Educated Guess Cabernet and the meat platter. The platter was a lazy susan with prosciutto, Genoa salami, chorizo, Gouda cheese, Italian bread and some melon slices.

Perfect for munching along with Kipling's Just So Stories which I just happened to have with me (Different long story).

The platter was very filling and I even shared quite a bit with Jack.

After I was just about full I asked about ports. I am a big fan of good port. Our waiter brought me samples of a Spanish and an Australian port type wine. The Australian stuff was quite good, so I finished up the night with a glass of Dustchke (pronounced Dootch-key). It was a little sweet, but I survived nicely.

All in all a pleasant evening. Just about what I expected.

A Rose By Any Other Name...

Yesterday, as my friend M and I sat out on the deck at Little Woodrow's on 6th St. sipping beer, the hot little blonde barmaid came outside and was making Jack's acquaintance.

I introduced Jack and asked her name. She responded, extended her hand and asked mine. I shook her hand and with a smile I replied "K-Nine".

"Your name is K-Nine?" she asked.

I explained it was a nickname from college. She seemed satisfied with said explanation.

She asked about Jack and I told her his main job was to attract pretty girls.

"Does it work?"

With my most charming boyish grin I replied, "It sure does."

She left us then, giving me one last backward glance and a little smile.

I turned to find M scowling at me.

It seems M finds it undignified that a man of my advancing maturity would introduce himself with, not only a nickname, but such a bad one. Dignitas has never exactly been one of my strong suits. He also feels it lowers my chances with the opposite sex, should I ever consider to bring another such lovely but dangerous creature into my life.

So... I'm going to turn this one over to the masses.

What say ye, loyal readers? Should I relegate my nickname solely to protecting my anonymity here on the intertubes and retire it in my personal life, or should I continue flaunting my assumed identity in the face of worldly convention?

What Did You Expect?

I just wrote an e-mail in which I posited that I had zero expectations for something.

I'm not sure that's true.

Is it possible to have no expectations?

I can say that I have no real knowledge of any given outcome, as the possibilities are nigh on infinite and reliant on the myriad of choices made by two people moment to moment.

I can say that I have a preferred outcome, or indeed several preferred outcomes as opposed to any negative ending.

Perhaps I should have said that I don't know what to expect in the stead of saying that I don't have any.

Perhaps I should really stop overthinking things like this.