Now isn't this a pair to draw to?Here's "The Grandson" and "The Granddaughter" decked out in their Seattle Seahawk clothes in October.
GO 'HAWKS!!!!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
a pair to draw to...
Now isn't this a pair to draw to?Here's "The Grandson" and "The Granddaughter" decked out in their Seattle Seahawk clothes in October.
GO 'HAWKS!!!!
Sunday, January 29, 2006
from the mouth's of babes...
Our lovely granddaughter had quite the summer in '05. She's shown here at a ranch in the Spokane, Washington area where she spent some time with friends of the family. Although she looks angelic she's known to sometimes wander from an angel's path... from time to time, not often... you can tell by the hint of a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. I know this is coming from her loving "papa" but... well... I seek truth therefore I often have to speak truth even when it's awkward for me to do so.
Her brother, two years older than her is quite the big brother. He watches over her, plays well with her, shares with her... in short he's a very good boy who will grow up to be a very positive, productive and active member of our society. However, he does let his younger sister "set him up" quite a bit.
She too will be a very positive, productive and active member of society and she's also very well intended... 99% of the time. There's always that little 1% though... that 1% where she just can't seem to resist those opportunities that present themselves to her... those moments where she can torment her brother and get away with it. Those moments where she can turn the tables on him after their spat of the day is "found out" by one of us overseeing adults.
Yesterday, in particular their adult second cousin interrupted a spat between the two and told our grandson to "quit tormenting your sister!".
Our 7 years old grandson promptly replied "First of all, I'm not tormenting her and second of all I don't even know what that word means!"
Now, how can anyone keep a straight face and stern attitude after that comeback? Needless to say, the truth was found out... granddaughter's manipulative, mischievous moment was exposed and our grandson learned the meaning of a new word.
You gotta love it! Life and learning at it's best!
GO 'HAWKS!!!
a SEAHAWKS post...
Just some of the year's past 'game day' clothing. The shirts and lounge pants shown here didn't really help the 'Hawks out this year. Obviously, the white NFC Championship shirt was a recent purchase. I have one shirt in particular that is worn on gameday under an unbuttoned "hickory" shirt. I started wearing it on game days AFTER the 'Hawks lost their second regular season game... seems to me it's been working pretty dad-gummed good. I won't count the Green Bay game... although both teams "officially" played that day Seattle really didn't seem to care.
So, the winning shirt... I can't break tradition now. The winning shirt stays in the drawer until game day. Then I'll get dressed in it, one of my hickory shirts and a well worn pair of Carrhart jeans to watch that Super Bowl XL coming up... soon.
GO 'HAWKS!!!
Saturday, January 28, 2006
What type of car am I???
Thanks to Sue at Sunshine On Your Shoulders this Ford fan has taken the quiz and....
I'm a friggin' Chevrolet Corvette!
You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.
As my son would say... "How poetic!"
Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.
A blip on the screen...
GO SEAHAWKS!!!
Yeah!
Oh, I lied a bit. I know I said I’m going to post daily until February 07, 2006… two days after Super Bowl XL is written in the history books, but there’s those days when my life just gets too busy at work, at home and at other places doing other things, making it difficult, at best to get a post in.
Yesterday was one of those days so today’s post will have to serve as an overlapping contribution… being as it was written (well, started) prior to midnight and posted after midnight (well noon).
When I have the time I write everything I can in MS Word then copy and paste it to the blog. I’ve lost too many pieces in blogspot that I worked very hard on… never saw them again and never able to post them after spending a mess of time writing them… simply because of some blogspot glitch or something.
Either way, this blog’s primary theme for the next week (plus three days) is our SEATTLE SEAHAWKS!
We’re tucked away up here in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It's a region though... Idaho, Oregon, British Columbia... a region... a proud region. Most people think of Washington D.C. when they hear talk about “Washington”. Few seem to associate the state with the name… at least in the northeast, on the eastern seaboard and down south. But when “Seattle” is brought into the conversation everybody you talk to has a “general” idea of where Seattle’s at… and most know it’s not a D.C. suburb.
People associate salmon, rain, tall trees, hills, mountains, water (a lot of water) and Microsoft with Seattle. Heck, some even associate the Seattle Mariners with the state because of their great season a couple of years back. But the Seahawks? Well, aren’t they that (at best) mediocre team that started out as an NFL team, moved to the AFL then back to the NFC? Aren’t they that team that’s never been to the super bowl in their 29 year history? Aren’t they that team that used to play in a big, old, leaking concrete wart of a building down by the mudflats? That building south of downtown Seattle... "SoDo" as we say around here.
Yup, they’re that same NFC team who just happened to stumble along during the NFL 2005 football season, somehow beat 15 teams on those teams worst days. They’re that team that somehow managed to get one of two available slots to play in the Super Bowl. They’re that mediocre team who won 15 out of 18 games against less than mediocre opponents like the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelpia Eagles and the Washington Redskins to name a few…
Somehow they got the number 1 seed in the NFC… snuck in and got it they did. Somehow they won those “critical” games and went oh-so-much-further than they ever “should have”. Somehow… somehow they made it into the NFL Championship Game and are once again expected to lose… to regain their crown of mediocrity when they play that “smash mouth, finely tuned, oh-so-talented” AFC team from the burg called Pittsburgh in that blue collar state of Pennsylvania.
I, for one don’t think the Seahawk’s season is a “fluke”. I don’t think they’re as mediocre as some would have us believe. I don’t think their schedule was “soft” or their opponents had “bad days”. I understand Pittsburgh is now the team to beat in the Super Bowl. I understand Pittsburgh soundly thrashed Denver and Indianapolis (among many others) to get there. I understand Jerome Bettis is a big, hard hitting back that seems to be the “go to” guy for the team… their mascot and most recent rally towel. I understand that their quarterback… with a name sounding something like Rothschilds, Rothenburger, Rosenbloom or the likes… is a second year player that has an outstanding knack for the game of North American football. I understand that Bill Cowher is one mighty fine coach, has an uncanny ability to rally his players and isn’t afraid to “mix it up” a bit.
I understand all of these things and more. I really do but I also understand Seattle’s a mighty fine team… one that has always been the underdog, if for no other reason than simply for where they’re physically located. I know Seattle’s running back Shaun Alexander is the league’s Most Valuable Player for 2006. I know Seattle’s quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck is one premier player out there… calm under pressure and quite the field general. I know Seattle’s defense has really “stepped up” in the playoffs and totally kicked some butt. I also know that head coach Mike Holmgren has “been there, done that” in this dance of dances and is going to be there, doing it again.
In our little world up here… in our little corner of this world we know what it’s like to be overlooked. We expect and accept being overlooked… in fact, some of us (like me) even appreciate it. We use other’s ignorance and complacency to our advantage. When people don’t care… don’t believe… don’t really know and pass judgment on us “northwesterners” well, when we see that happening to us we smile and know we’re halfway there.
Slipping under the radar again…
“GO SEAHAWKS!!!”
Yeah!
Oh, I lied a bit. I know I said I’m going to post daily until February 07, 2006… two days after Super Bowl XL is written in the history books, but there’s those days when my life just gets too busy at work, at home and at other places doing other things, making it difficult, at best to get a post in.
Yesterday was one of those days so today’s post will have to serve as an overlapping contribution… being as it was written (well, started) prior to midnight and posted after midnight (well noon).
When I have the time I write everything I can in MS Word then copy and paste it to the blog. I’ve lost too many pieces in blogspot that I worked very hard on… never saw them again and never able to post them after spending a mess of time writing them… simply because of some blogspot glitch or something.
Either way, this blog’s primary theme for the next week (plus three days) is our SEATTLE SEAHAWKS!
We’re tucked away up here in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It's a region though... Idaho, Oregon, British Columbia... a region... a proud region. Most people think of Washington D.C. when they hear talk about “Washington”. Few seem to associate the state with the name… at least in the northeast, on the eastern seaboard and down south. But when “Seattle” is brought into the conversation everybody you talk to has a “general” idea of where Seattle’s at… and most know it’s not a D.C. suburb.
People associate salmon, rain, tall trees, hills, mountains, water (a lot of water) and Microsoft with Seattle. Heck, some even associate the Seattle Mariners with the state because of their great season a couple of years back. But the Seahawks? Well, aren’t they that (at best) mediocre team that started out as an NFL team, moved to the AFL then back to the NFC? Aren’t they that team that’s never been to the super bowl in their 29 year history? Aren’t they that team that used to play in a big, old, leaking concrete wart of a building down by the mudflats? That building south of downtown Seattle... "SoDo" as we say around here.
Yup, they’re that same NFC team who just happened to stumble along during the NFL 2005 football season, somehow beat 15 teams on those teams worst days. They’re that team that somehow managed to get one of two available slots to play in the Super Bowl. They’re that mediocre team who won 15 out of 18 games against less than mediocre opponents like the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelpia Eagles and the Washington Redskins to name a few…
Somehow they got the number 1 seed in the NFC… snuck in and got it they did. Somehow they won those “critical” games and went oh-so-much-further than they ever “should have”. Somehow… somehow they made it into the NFL Championship Game and are once again expected to lose… to regain their crown of mediocrity when they play that “smash mouth, finely tuned, oh-so-talented” AFC team from the burg called Pittsburgh in that blue collar state of Pennsylvania.
I, for one don’t think the Seahawk’s season is a “fluke”. I don’t think they’re as mediocre as some would have us believe. I don’t think their schedule was “soft” or their opponents had “bad days”. I understand Pittsburgh is now the team to beat in the Super Bowl. I understand Pittsburgh soundly thrashed Denver and Indianapolis (among many others) to get there. I understand Jerome Bettis is a big, hard hitting back that seems to be the “go to” guy for the team… their mascot and most recent rally towel. I understand that their quarterback… with a name sounding something like Rothschilds, Rothenburger, Rosenbloom or the likes… is a second year player that has an outstanding knack for the game of North American football. I understand that Bill Cowher is one mighty fine coach, has an uncanny ability to rally his players and isn’t afraid to “mix it up” a bit.
I understand all of these things and more. I really do but I also understand Seattle’s a mighty fine team… one that has always been the underdog, if for no other reason than simply for where they’re physically located. I know Seattle’s running back Shaun Alexander is the league’s Most Valuable Player for 2006. I know Seattle’s quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck is one premier player out there… calm under pressure and quite the field general. I know Seattle’s defense has really “stepped up” in the playoffs and totally kicked some butt. I also know that head coach Mike Holmgren has “been there, done that” in this dance of dances and is going to be there, doing it again.
In our little world up here… in our little corner of this world we know what it’s like to be overlooked. We expect and accept being overlooked… in fact, some of us (like me) even appreciate it. We use other’s ignorance and complacency to our advantage. When people don’t care… don’t believe… don’t really know and pass judgment on us “northwesterners” well, when we see that happening to us we smile and know we’re halfway there.
Slipping under the radar again…
“GO SEAHAWKS!!!”
Thursday, January 26, 2006
From one of the "Twelfth" men...
A bit of an introduction and a bit of a disclaimer;
At the risk of boring some of you I'm going to post one of several posts about a subject that is very dear to me... North American Football. I'm stepping back in time a bit to give some identity to my passion. I apologize in advance to those who might not really give a crap about this stuff but, then again it's my blog and you're here on your own volition. You're always welcome to return once the hype and circumstance ends.
So, in short....
GO ‘HAWKS!!!!
It’s been a long time coming… three decades! Three decades of waiting and wanting to see our Seahawks in the Super Bowl!
It’s happened, it’s here, it’s for real and it’ll be next weekend, February 05, 2006… twenty nine years after the Seattle Seahawk’s 1976 season of inauguration. The days of Jim Zorn and Steve Largent.
I was a big football fan… strike that… HUGE football fan when I was a kid growing up in a small town in Washington State. In the late 50’s through the mid 70’s we didn’t have any real sports teams to cheer about other than our University of Washington Huskies and our Washington State University Cougars. The professional football teams were housed in states oh-so-far-away. We could only watch them on television when they happened to be televised and picking a favorite team usually meant you had very rare opportunities to watch them on the television.
I had a favorite team at the time though. I remember watching … the Dallas Cowboys. I watched them lose to the Green Bay Packers in the Ice Bowl before any super bowl was ever played. I remember Jethro Pugh and Bob Lilly warming their frozen finger tips in their mouths. I remember Don Meredith going nuts on the field… playing like there was no tomorrow. I remember Bart Starr dashing every Cowboy fan’s hopes in the end. Needless to say, I was crushed. I’d taped the entire audio of the game on cassette tapes. I still have them somewhere around here… in the attic probably. I imagine they’re not the same anymore, those tapes. I just don’t think they'd conjure up those feelings I had back then as I lay on the living room floor of our home, chin propped in my hands, eyes glued to the big black and white Phillips console television watching the shadowy images of a frozen, nightmarish football game play out on the frozen, arctic like tundra of Green Bay's Lambeau Field. I was thirteen years old then and I was beyond words. I watched as Bart Starr followed Jerry Kramer's block and stepped 1 yard into the south end zone for the game winning touchdown... I watched in agony as Chandler kicked the extra point... together they sealed Dallas’ fate that bitter cold new year’s eve day in 1967. I always felt like I had adopted the Cowboys or they had adopted me… whichever fit. I also felt that this "adoption" was never quite right... never quite full... that I was “left out” of their “family” a bit. I was never really "comfortable" with it… this distant relationship. I mean, I rarely was able to see any of their football games. There were just so many other games to be televised over the years and the Cowboys were further removed from my neck of the woods than most of the other teams.
So, when I did get a chance to watch their games I expected them to win, dammit!!
And when they didn’t. When they just couldn’t get over that hump of victory on that rarely televised game… well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
Finally I realized that although I loved my Cowboys I wanted a team in Washington State. One that I could watch every weekend. One that I could root for each season… one I could watch grow. So, I began to pray... I hoped... I prayed and I hoped. Oh lord did I pray and hope. I soon realized that timing was everything.
I remember the AFL… a rebel league of “wannabe” NFL players form up and take on the smashmouth NFL head on. A bunch of scrambling, passing, trick playing renegades taunting the mighty NFL from season to season until finally earning a smidgen of respect for, if nothing else, persistence and annoyance. The NFL and the AFL… what a clash. Each league trying to win over the other’s fan base. What started as an all out bitter league to league rivalry ended up becoming a season of league “crossover games”. The battle was on to prove which league was best… which league truly belonged and which league didn’t. In the end, the Super Bowl was created and the great tradition of championship playoff football followed. I thought that the AFL might be Seattle’s best hope for getting a “professional” team… as professional as the AFL was considered to be at the time. Besides… I kind of liked the AFL’s scrappy style.
In the end, the NFL finally came to their senses.
I left the comforts of my native state, going off to serve my country in the Army. Several years later I first heard then read about Seattle “landing an NFL franchise”. It was a bittersweet moment for me… a time for decision. I’d been a Dallas Cowboys fan for over a decade yet in my heart I’d always hoped Washington State would acquire an NFL club. Before I’d left I’d convinced myself that any thought of acquiring an NFL or AFL team for Seattle was, quite frankly a “pipe dream”. We’re tucked away up here in the upper left corner of the continental United States, completely across the continent from most of the other football teams... a visiting team manager's logistical nightmare. We're south of Alaska, south of Canada but north of Oregon (pronounced "oar-gone" to the lesser informed). We're west of the Idaho frontier (D.G.'s neck of the woods) and really, really, really west of those Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio teams... to put it bluntly we're so far away from anything else that no one really thought about or cared about who we were or what we did... until... UNTIL we scored a franchise! I mean, those California teams were the closest to us and they... the L.A. Rams, S.F. 49ers, Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers... were still over a thousand miles away. None of us up here ever thought it’d happen but we always hoped it would. In 1975 it did!
In 1976 Jack Patera got the ball rolling. He took a bunch of no-name players and "coached" them through their first season. The team played admirably and the rest is history… save when that fat Californian guy… oh yeah, Ken Behring… tried to sneak them out of town in the middle of the night. Seems he and Dennis Erickson (yah, that double talking, “trust me” sad excuse for a coach) tried to move them to some obscure pile of garbage down along the California coast somewhere. Thank you NFL and “thanks” to all of those other influential Seahawks fans for putting up money and filing the injunctions to put the brakes on the move. Thank you Mr. Paul Allen for stepping up to the plate, holding firm on the “new stadium” idea and keeping the Seahawks home! Not only do we keep our Seahawks but we have a fantastic “outdoor” stadium for them to play in… affording our Seahawks visiting opposition every opportunity to experience the wonders of the Pacific Northwest while getting their arses pummeled by the ‘Hawks on the field… at least in 2005.
So, as you can see I’m passionate about our Seahawks… very passionate.
I’m going to try to post a Seahawk piece every day until February 7th, 2006.
And to you Steelers fans… your Steelers, they’re a pretty good team…
Enough said for today… stay tuned.
At the risk of boring some of you I'm going to post one of several posts about a subject that is very dear to me... North American Football. I'm stepping back in time a bit to give some identity to my passion. I apologize in advance to those who might not really give a crap about this stuff but, then again it's my blog and you're here on your own volition. You're always welcome to return once the hype and circumstance ends.
So, in short....
GO ‘HAWKS!!!!
It’s been a long time coming… three decades! Three decades of waiting and wanting to see our Seahawks in the Super Bowl!
It’s happened, it’s here, it’s for real and it’ll be next weekend, February 05, 2006… twenty nine years after the Seattle Seahawk’s 1976 season of inauguration. The days of Jim Zorn and Steve Largent.
I was a big football fan… strike that… HUGE football fan when I was a kid growing up in a small town in Washington State. In the late 50’s through the mid 70’s we didn’t have any real sports teams to cheer about other than our University of Washington Huskies and our Washington State University Cougars. The professional football teams were housed in states oh-so-far-away. We could only watch them on television when they happened to be televised and picking a favorite team usually meant you had very rare opportunities to watch them on the television.
I had a favorite team at the time though. I remember watching … the Dallas Cowboys. I watched them lose to the Green Bay Packers in the Ice Bowl before any super bowl was ever played. I remember Jethro Pugh and Bob Lilly warming their frozen finger tips in their mouths. I remember Don Meredith going nuts on the field… playing like there was no tomorrow. I remember Bart Starr dashing every Cowboy fan’s hopes in the end. Needless to say, I was crushed. I’d taped the entire audio of the game on cassette tapes. I still have them somewhere around here… in the attic probably. I imagine they’re not the same anymore, those tapes. I just don’t think they'd conjure up those feelings I had back then as I lay on the living room floor of our home, chin propped in my hands, eyes glued to the big black and white Phillips console television watching the shadowy images of a frozen, nightmarish football game play out on the frozen, arctic like tundra of Green Bay's Lambeau Field. I was thirteen years old then and I was beyond words. I watched as Bart Starr followed Jerry Kramer's block and stepped 1 yard into the south end zone for the game winning touchdown... I watched in agony as Chandler kicked the extra point... together they sealed Dallas’ fate that bitter cold new year’s eve day in 1967. I always felt like I had adopted the Cowboys or they had adopted me… whichever fit. I also felt that this "adoption" was never quite right... never quite full... that I was “left out” of their “family” a bit. I was never really "comfortable" with it… this distant relationship. I mean, I rarely was able to see any of their football games. There were just so many other games to be televised over the years and the Cowboys were further removed from my neck of the woods than most of the other teams.
So, when I did get a chance to watch their games I expected them to win, dammit!!
And when they didn’t. When they just couldn’t get over that hump of victory on that rarely televised game… well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
Finally I realized that although I loved my Cowboys I wanted a team in Washington State. One that I could watch every weekend. One that I could root for each season… one I could watch grow. So, I began to pray... I hoped... I prayed and I hoped. Oh lord did I pray and hope. I soon realized that timing was everything.
I remember the AFL… a rebel league of “wannabe” NFL players form up and take on the smashmouth NFL head on. A bunch of scrambling, passing, trick playing renegades taunting the mighty NFL from season to season until finally earning a smidgen of respect for, if nothing else, persistence and annoyance. The NFL and the AFL… what a clash. Each league trying to win over the other’s fan base. What started as an all out bitter league to league rivalry ended up becoming a season of league “crossover games”. The battle was on to prove which league was best… which league truly belonged and which league didn’t. In the end, the Super Bowl was created and the great tradition of championship playoff football followed. I thought that the AFL might be Seattle’s best hope for getting a “professional” team… as professional as the AFL was considered to be at the time. Besides… I kind of liked the AFL’s scrappy style.
In the end, the NFL finally came to their senses.
I left the comforts of my native state, going off to serve my country in the Army. Several years later I first heard then read about Seattle “landing an NFL franchise”. It was a bittersweet moment for me… a time for decision. I’d been a Dallas Cowboys fan for over a decade yet in my heart I’d always hoped Washington State would acquire an NFL club. Before I’d left I’d convinced myself that any thought of acquiring an NFL or AFL team for Seattle was, quite frankly a “pipe dream”. We’re tucked away up here in the upper left corner of the continental United States, completely across the continent from most of the other football teams... a visiting team manager's logistical nightmare. We're south of Alaska, south of Canada but north of Oregon (pronounced "oar-gone" to the lesser informed). We're west of the Idaho frontier (D.G.'s neck of the woods) and really, really, really west of those Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio teams... to put it bluntly we're so far away from anything else that no one really thought about or cared about who we were or what we did... until... UNTIL we scored a franchise! I mean, those California teams were the closest to us and they... the L.A. Rams, S.F. 49ers, Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers... were still over a thousand miles away. None of us up here ever thought it’d happen but we always hoped it would. In 1975 it did!
In 1976 Jack Patera got the ball rolling. He took a bunch of no-name players and "coached" them through their first season. The team played admirably and the rest is history… save when that fat Californian guy… oh yeah, Ken Behring… tried to sneak them out of town in the middle of the night. Seems he and Dennis Erickson (yah, that double talking, “trust me” sad excuse for a coach) tried to move them to some obscure pile of garbage down along the California coast somewhere. Thank you NFL and “thanks” to all of those other influential Seahawks fans for putting up money and filing the injunctions to put the brakes on the move. Thank you Mr. Paul Allen for stepping up to the plate, holding firm on the “new stadium” idea and keeping the Seahawks home! Not only do we keep our Seahawks but we have a fantastic “outdoor” stadium for them to play in… affording our Seahawks visiting opposition every opportunity to experience the wonders of the Pacific Northwest while getting their arses pummeled by the ‘Hawks on the field… at least in 2005.
So, as you can see I’m passionate about our Seahawks… very passionate.
I’m going to try to post a Seahawk piece every day until February 7th, 2006.
And to you Steelers fans… your Steelers, they’re a pretty good team…
Enough said for today… stay tuned.
Four Things...
I want to thank Ed for this idea. He got tagged and followed through on it like a good trooper.
Four Jobs You've Had
1) Since I was 10 yrs. old I had been involved in the “construction” industry. I started out policing building sites and taking the scrap wood to the “bone” pile, running errands for the carpenters and cleaning the job sites. As time progressed and I got older I started framing walls, setting trusses and generally building houses… well, roughing them in… shells. When I reached 18 years of age and in my Senior Year in from High School I was promised a job as a carpenter so long as I kept my grades above a 3.2 average and continued to participate in sports. Little did I know how much my world would change by the middle of my Senior year.
2) In the middle of my senior year in high school I rebelled against all that “made sense” in my life and ended up tossing away the promises of full ride scholarships to some pretty good colleges and universities, took up smoking cigarettes and pretty much quit sports altogether… after completing my football season, of course… I used to love playing football.
No, what I did instead of all of those promising opportunities was join the U.S. Army on their 6 month “delayed entry” program. Which simply meant that when I graduated from High School I was compelled to attend basic military training in Ft. Polk, Louisiana… June through August… how sweet! Yeah, right.
By the time I had completed my army commitment I’d been in several foreign countries (who really didn’t like the idea of me being there), had parachuted out of all kinds of aircraft to include helicopters, transport jets and planes, had been bitten by insects in swamps and jungles all over the place and had rolled up probably ten years of “growing up” experiences in a scant three year commitment.
When I finally got out of the Army I was a much more mature young man than I was when I went in. My carpenter job was still available if I wanted it…
3) This part’s going to shock some of you who know me. A month after I got out of the Army I became a Police Officer for a small Washington State burg. I worked the law enforcement field as a city cop and then as a deputy sheriff… not moving around much… satisfied with my duties and patrols for about 5 years. I also married my very lovely wife. We’re still together and will forever be together…
4) After the uniformed police officer/deputy gig I became a detective and started putting puzzles together. That became my forte. I’ve been solving puzzles all over the place for over 25 years now and still enjoy the challenge of each “test”. Oh, over the years as I gained experience in the profession I’ve had to accept a managerial role as well but my heart and soul is still so much in the puzzle solving arena. I’m not fond of supervising others but realize it needs to occur… especially in a rather regimented profession where there exists all kinds of rules and regulations that need to be applied and adhered to.
Four Movies You Could watch over and over
1) The Bridge over the River Kwai- My Dad loved it when I was younger. We watched it together several times. I can still sit down and watch it from start to finish without a break. Dad’s 84 years old now… we really haven’t watched it together for quite awhile. This brings up an idea…
2) Predator- I don’t know why… perhaps because the fictional setting was in one of those areas where I “visited” as an “ambassador” of the United States Army… see number 2 in the job thingy. (For those of you who saw this post earlier I screwed up and wrote Alien here... I now realize Predator was the actual title. I knew in my heart just not in my mind).
3) Life As A House- Gut wrenching, funny, awkward, emotional, real, mentoring. It’s one of those movies where everything starts in chaos, seems to come together then, in the end… ah, never mind. If you haven’t seen it yet you should.
4) The Beast- An overwhelming movie that depicts the cruelty of war. A ruthless Russian tank commander and his not so loyal crew trying to survive in a harsh, thankless, seemingly endless environment.
Four Places You've Lived
1) Washington State (Several places… no large cities though. I grew up here, left and came back.)
2) New Mexico (Crown Point… a brief mining stint… not mentioned in the “jobs”.)
3) A couple of distant “forests”… part of that “ambassador” thing again. Not for any extended periods though.
4) North Carolina (I still love that state… I just love Washington more!)
Four TV Shows You Love to Watch
Though not much of a television show “watcher”…
1) Survivor- I think it’s just the competitive thing that gets me.
2) CSI- The original one… in Vegas. Although some of the stuff is impractical it’s fun to watch.
3) Lost- The challenge, the plot twists… simple “out and out” adventure and drama.
4) The O’Reilly Factor- “The No-Spin Zone”. I don’t always agree but a lot of stuff happens on this show and there are times he does make a difference.
Four Favorite Books
1) Of Primal Minds – Jamake Highwater. Fantastic collection of history, prose, poetry and native american folklore. Philosophical and so damned insightful!
2) Cannery Row- John Steinbeck. I saw this one on Ed’s list and agree it’s one of my all time favorites too.
3) The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy – J.R.R. Tolkien. When I first read them I was in 7th or 8th grade. I remember being “taken away” to Middle Earth… I don’t think I’ve ever fully returned.
4) Of Mice And Men- John Steinbeck. Simply a fantastic book of the study of human character. One of my all time favorites.
Four Places You Have Been on Vacation
1) Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2) Arizona (Several areas in Arizona… Globe, Tonto Basin, Snowflake, Payson)
3) Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada
4) The Oregon and Washington coasts (Cannon Beach, Copalis, Ocean Shores, etc.)
Four Websites You Visit Daily
1) Yahoo home page- (then off to news, sports, etc.)
2) NFL.com- (http://www.nfl.com)- GO SEAHAWKS!!!!
3) Weather Underground- (http://www.wunderground.com)- pretty ‘dad-gummed” accurate weather info. I subscribe to it.
4) All of those (and a couple of more) on my “blog” list shown on the left, here.
Four Favorite Foods
1) Asian- All types
2) Cajun
3) Good old down to earth American home cooking
4) Mexican
Four Places You'd Rather Be Right Now
1) On a hammock tied between two palm trees on a white sand, tropical beach with J, “The Wife” laying right beside me. Drinks nearby, warm, gentle breeze, crashing waves… mmmmm. (pinch)
2) Out in the dense forest of our foothills and mountains on an azimuth walking through areas that haven’t experienced human footfalls in decades, if at all.
3) In a hot-tub with J, “The Wife” somewhere away from here on a well planned and very accomodating, “nothing to worry about” vacation.
4) Having a good, loud, happy dinner with all of our friends and our entire family somewhere fun... exciting.
Okay, there’s a bit about me and my life… a “snapshot” so to speak. I don’t tag folks so Give It A Try on your blog if you feel the urge.
Four Jobs You've Had
1) Since I was 10 yrs. old I had been involved in the “construction” industry. I started out policing building sites and taking the scrap wood to the “bone” pile, running errands for the carpenters and cleaning the job sites. As time progressed and I got older I started framing walls, setting trusses and generally building houses… well, roughing them in… shells. When I reached 18 years of age and in my Senior Year in from High School I was promised a job as a carpenter so long as I kept my grades above a 3.2 average and continued to participate in sports. Little did I know how much my world would change by the middle of my Senior year.
2) In the middle of my senior year in high school I rebelled against all that “made sense” in my life and ended up tossing away the promises of full ride scholarships to some pretty good colleges and universities, took up smoking cigarettes and pretty much quit sports altogether… after completing my football season, of course… I used to love playing football.
No, what I did instead of all of those promising opportunities was join the U.S. Army on their 6 month “delayed entry” program. Which simply meant that when I graduated from High School I was compelled to attend basic military training in Ft. Polk, Louisiana… June through August… how sweet! Yeah, right.
By the time I had completed my army commitment I’d been in several foreign countries (who really didn’t like the idea of me being there), had parachuted out of all kinds of aircraft to include helicopters, transport jets and planes, had been bitten by insects in swamps and jungles all over the place and had rolled up probably ten years of “growing up” experiences in a scant three year commitment.
When I finally got out of the Army I was a much more mature young man than I was when I went in. My carpenter job was still available if I wanted it…
3) This part’s going to shock some of you who know me. A month after I got out of the Army I became a Police Officer for a small Washington State burg. I worked the law enforcement field as a city cop and then as a deputy sheriff… not moving around much… satisfied with my duties and patrols for about 5 years. I also married my very lovely wife. We’re still together and will forever be together…
4) After the uniformed police officer/deputy gig I became a detective and started putting puzzles together. That became my forte. I’ve been solving puzzles all over the place for over 25 years now and still enjoy the challenge of each “test”. Oh, over the years as I gained experience in the profession I’ve had to accept a managerial role as well but my heart and soul is still so much in the puzzle solving arena. I’m not fond of supervising others but realize it needs to occur… especially in a rather regimented profession where there exists all kinds of rules and regulations that need to be applied and adhered to.
Four Movies You Could watch over and over
1) The Bridge over the River Kwai- My Dad loved it when I was younger. We watched it together several times. I can still sit down and watch it from start to finish without a break. Dad’s 84 years old now… we really haven’t watched it together for quite awhile. This brings up an idea…
2) Predator- I don’t know why… perhaps because the fictional setting was in one of those areas where I “visited” as an “ambassador” of the United States Army… see number 2 in the job thingy. (For those of you who saw this post earlier I screwed up and wrote Alien here... I now realize Predator was the actual title. I knew in my heart just not in my mind).
3) Life As A House- Gut wrenching, funny, awkward, emotional, real, mentoring. It’s one of those movies where everything starts in chaos, seems to come together then, in the end… ah, never mind. If you haven’t seen it yet you should.
4) The Beast- An overwhelming movie that depicts the cruelty of war. A ruthless Russian tank commander and his not so loyal crew trying to survive in a harsh, thankless, seemingly endless environment.
Four Places You've Lived
1) Washington State (Several places… no large cities though. I grew up here, left and came back.)
2) New Mexico (Crown Point… a brief mining stint… not mentioned in the “jobs”.)
3) A couple of distant “forests”… part of that “ambassador” thing again. Not for any extended periods though.
4) North Carolina (I still love that state… I just love Washington more!)
Four TV Shows You Love to Watch
Though not much of a television show “watcher”…
1) Survivor- I think it’s just the competitive thing that gets me.
2) CSI- The original one… in Vegas. Although some of the stuff is impractical it’s fun to watch.
3) Lost- The challenge, the plot twists… simple “out and out” adventure and drama.
4) The O’Reilly Factor- “The No-Spin Zone”. I don’t always agree but a lot of stuff happens on this show and there are times he does make a difference.
Four Favorite Books
1) Of Primal Minds – Jamake Highwater. Fantastic collection of history, prose, poetry and native american folklore. Philosophical and so damned insightful!
2) Cannery Row- John Steinbeck. I saw this one on Ed’s list and agree it’s one of my all time favorites too.
3) The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy – J.R.R. Tolkien. When I first read them I was in 7th or 8th grade. I remember being “taken away” to Middle Earth… I don’t think I’ve ever fully returned.
4) Of Mice And Men- John Steinbeck. Simply a fantastic book of the study of human character. One of my all time favorites.
Four Places You Have Been on Vacation
1) Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2) Arizona (Several areas in Arizona… Globe, Tonto Basin, Snowflake, Payson)
3) Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada
4) The Oregon and Washington coasts (Cannon Beach, Copalis, Ocean Shores, etc.)
Four Websites You Visit Daily
1) Yahoo home page- (then off to news, sports, etc.)
2) NFL.com- (http://www.nfl.com)- GO SEAHAWKS!!!!
3) Weather Underground- (http://www.wunderground.com)- pretty ‘dad-gummed” accurate weather info. I subscribe to it.
4) All of those (and a couple of more) on my “blog” list shown on the left, here.
Four Favorite Foods
1) Asian- All types
2) Cajun
3) Good old down to earth American home cooking
4) Mexican
Four Places You'd Rather Be Right Now
1) On a hammock tied between two palm trees on a white sand, tropical beach with J, “The Wife” laying right beside me. Drinks nearby, warm, gentle breeze, crashing waves… mmmmm. (pinch)
2) Out in the dense forest of our foothills and mountains on an azimuth walking through areas that haven’t experienced human footfalls in decades, if at all.
3) In a hot-tub with J, “The Wife” somewhere away from here on a well planned and very accomodating, “nothing to worry about” vacation.
4) Having a good, loud, happy dinner with all of our friends and our entire family somewhere fun... exciting.
Okay, there’s a bit about me and my life… a “snapshot” so to speak. I don’t tag folks so Give It A Try on your blog if you feel the urge.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Some questions answered...
Here’s a questionnaire from out there in blogland that I was asked to complete awhile ago, during an experiment (of sorts)...
1. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at?
My receding gray and brown hair.
2. How much cash do you have on you?
$52.04 in my right front pocket.
3. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST":
Pest. I’ve got a pesty little problem under the house I have to take care of.
4. Favorite planet?
Mars.
5. Who's the 4th person on your missed call list?
Rick, my oldest brother.
6. What's your main ring tone on your cell phone?
T-Mobile tone (I’m not creative with Cell Phones)
7. What shirt are you wearing?
A gray pocket Tee. I just took off the Levi Denim work shirt.
8. Do you "label" yourself?
As in “USA, Born and Bred”? Other than that, no.
9. Name the brand of your shoes you're currently wearing?
Some knock off, no name, low quarter, quilt lined, made in China low heel house shoe.
10. Bright or Dark Room?
Depends on what's going to happen... Bright right now so nothing's going to happen.
11. What do you think of the person who posted this?
The person who posted this on their blog is rowdy, raw (sometimes) and extremely interesting.
12. When did you last drink alcohol?
Last night. Merlot. The wife won $1,200.00 at the casino. I had a drink or two.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping. Sad, isn’t it. Monday night and J and I were sleeping at midnight. Must have been the Merlot
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say?
Incoming… “Okay, love you.”
Outgoing… (deleted) -None of your business-!
15. Do you click on "Pop-Ups" or Banners?
Nope. Unless I want to spend the rest of the week getting malware off of the computer.
16. What's a saying that you say a lot?
”Oh, for crap’s sake” (one of my favorites) or “Want in one hand and crap in the other. I’ll bet I can tell you which one fills up first” another one of my favorites.
17. Who told you they loved you last?
J, "The Wife".
18. Last furry thing you touched?
”Cat” our cat. Creative with her name too.
19. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
Probably 3-4... not counting what's in the boxes in the attic.
20. How Many Times Have You Done It In The Past Three Days?
I'm assuming we're talking about getting intimate here... Getting personal now… 2. (If we're talking about bowel movements or stuff like that then you'll need to clarify and I'll reanswer).
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
Probably late 30’s early 40’s. Let’s say 42. I was (and still am) madly in love with "the wife", J, we had "the kids" still hanging around quite a bit so we did a lot as a family. Besides, I had far fewer aches and pains back "then" when I could care less about hurting myself... you know, those days where "stitches are simply trophies for the intense"?
22. Your worst enemy?
Procrastination.
23. What's your current desktop picture?
Mountains and a valley with a sunrise.
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
”I just finished talking to him”.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or change a regret what would it be?
The money. No doubt. I'm just being practical. There's a whole bunch of regrets out there that would be candidates for a change. I'd have a helluva problem picking one... so I'll take the money.
26. Do you love/like someone?
Of course. Several. A bunch.
27. Have you done anything illegal?
Incriminating. Hmmmm. Statute of limitations is up so yeah.
Okay, I answered these questions. I've had them hanging around for quite awhile. Now... if you feel up to it answer them on your blog. Only if you feel up to it... I wouldn't do an annoying tag or anything like that.
Have Fun!!!
D
1. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at?
My receding gray and brown hair.
2. How much cash do you have on you?
$52.04 in my right front pocket.
3. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST":
Pest. I’ve got a pesty little problem under the house I have to take care of.
4. Favorite planet?
Mars.
5. Who's the 4th person on your missed call list?
Rick, my oldest brother.
6. What's your main ring tone on your cell phone?
T-Mobile tone (I’m not creative with Cell Phones)
7. What shirt are you wearing?
A gray pocket Tee. I just took off the Levi Denim work shirt.
8. Do you "label" yourself?
As in “USA, Born and Bred”? Other than that, no.
9. Name the brand of your shoes you're currently wearing?
Some knock off, no name, low quarter, quilt lined, made in China low heel house shoe.
10. Bright or Dark Room?
Depends on what's going to happen... Bright right now so nothing's going to happen.
11. What do you think of the person who posted this?
The person who posted this on their blog is rowdy, raw (sometimes) and extremely interesting.
12. When did you last drink alcohol?
Last night. Merlot. The wife won $1,200.00 at the casino. I had a drink or two.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping. Sad, isn’t it. Monday night and J and I were sleeping at midnight. Must have been the Merlot
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say?
Incoming… “Okay, love you.”
Outgoing… (deleted) -None of your business-!
15. Do you click on "Pop-Ups" or Banners?
Nope. Unless I want to spend the rest of the week getting malware off of the computer.
16. What's a saying that you say a lot?
”Oh, for crap’s sake” (one of my favorites) or “Want in one hand and crap in the other. I’ll bet I can tell you which one fills up first” another one of my favorites.
17. Who told you they loved you last?
J, "The Wife".
18. Last furry thing you touched?
”Cat” our cat. Creative with her name too.
19. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
Probably 3-4... not counting what's in the boxes in the attic.
20. How Many Times Have You Done It In The Past Three Days?
I'm assuming we're talking about getting intimate here... Getting personal now… 2. (If we're talking about bowel movements or stuff like that then you'll need to clarify and I'll reanswer).
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
Probably late 30’s early 40’s. Let’s say 42. I was (and still am) madly in love with "the wife", J, we had "the kids" still hanging around quite a bit so we did a lot as a family. Besides, I had far fewer aches and pains back "then" when I could care less about hurting myself... you know, those days where "stitches are simply trophies for the intense"?
22. Your worst enemy?
Procrastination.
23. What's your current desktop picture?
Mountains and a valley with a sunrise.
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
”I just finished talking to him”.
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or change a regret what would it be?
The money. No doubt. I'm just being practical. There's a whole bunch of regrets out there that would be candidates for a change. I'd have a helluva problem picking one... so I'll take the money.
26. Do you love/like someone?
Of course. Several. A bunch.
27. Have you done anything illegal?
Incriminating. Hmmmm. Statute of limitations is up so yeah.
Okay, I answered these questions. I've had them hanging around for quite awhile. Now... if you feel up to it answer them on your blog. Only if you feel up to it... I wouldn't do an annoying tag or anything like that.
Have Fun!!!
D
Thursday, January 19, 2006
new perspectives...
Porter Pass, Capitol Forest. Just west of Olympia, Washington. This picture was taken facing west. To my visiting friends, welcome. I've posted to this blog since February of 2005, a month after my mom passed away. They've been sporadic posts at best but nonetheless they're posts.
I've discussed topics from changing jobs to finding Elvis (yes... even a picture to prove it). I only hope no one walks away totally bored by my rants, my raves, my simple expressions.
And for those of you who have known me in a different "life"... well, I've changed. Actually I was changed then. It would be more accurate for me to say that this is truly me.
Thanks for being here.
eating raw oysters...
RAW OYSTERS
(Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book, 1884)
Open the oysters;
look them over carefully;
remove any fine pieces of shell which may adhere to them;
then season slightly with salt and pepper, and let them stand half an hour in the ice chest.
Serve on fancy oyster plates, or on the deep half-shell with slices of lemon.
Serve with small squares of buttered brown bread.
Simple as that, eh? Mrs. Lincoln (Abe's wife) made the preparation of raw oysters a rather simple task. But then again, why wouldn't it be? I mean, think about it. You have a couple dozen fresh oysters in the shell, you're planning a raw oyster feast and the only real trick is to get them out of the closed shell and into a half shell... preferably half of the shell they've been harvested in.
Anyone who's grown up around bays, sounds, inlets that have seafood like oysters, clams, shrimp, crabs and the likes know how to get those rugged little shell fish to open their shells.
Some steam them, others simply plop them on the grill of the barby while others do it the manly-man way and use a "shucker-knife" designed to slip between the two shell halves and slice the muscle that holds the shell closed. A drawback to this way of getting the little critters to "open up" is that sometimes... well, actually quite often the knife doesn't know exactly where to stop and slips right out the other side of the shell or glances off the shell and stabs the would be oyster shucker/eater in the holding hand... I know from experience.
Therefore, my preferred method of getting the shellfish to open widely is to plop them on the barbeque grate and let them warm a bit. By the time they're opened they're also a bit steamed.
But then, enough of this preparation chatter. The real art is eating raw oysters, not preparing them.
How would you go about it? Do you chew? Do you swallow? Do you bite them? Do you cut them up first and eat them in pieces?
It's all a matter of preference, isn't it? I mean, if you want the full flavor of an oyster (and are actually ready for the FULL flavor) then you'll probably want to chew it, savoring every grinding, cutting bite you make before swallowing the oyster mush and plopping in another one. I guarantee you'll get the full oyster flavor by chewing it. That's my preference. I consider myself somewhat of an oyster connoisseur'... having worked my way up in the oyster eating world by selfishly promising to eat as many oysters as I can before I "move on".
Now, if you're more of a "texture" person then you might want to simply plop one in your mouth and let it slide down your throat... somewhat whole. That way you get the slimy, smooth texture of the oyster as it passes across your tongue then slips down your throat and splashes into your stomach juices. Oh, you get a hint of flavor but not the full, sometimes overwhelming taste of oyster goo... a taste that some just can't get used to. Also, some say this method is a bit sensuous... I'm not altogether convinced of that but hey, everyone has their opinions. And besides, should the oyster rebel in your stomach and decide to come back up it's too big to pass through your nostrils so would most likely projectile from your opened mouth... a bit more trendy than sniffing oyster snot for the next three days.
The other methods... the cutting, dicing, biting... well, those are actually "transitional" methods. I look at them as the point in between swallowing the oyster whole and chewing it. Biting, dicing, cutting the oyster not only prepares the accomplished swallower for that full oyster flavor but also preps the swallower for what an oyster's innards looks like... which can be a bit frightening to a novice chewer. Especially if they're in competition with someone else and happen to see inside the other chewer's mouth. That view is not for the squeamish or ill of heart.
Either way, unless you shuck the puppies they're all a bit cooked anyways... steamed or grilled... aren't they?
However you decide to eat raw oysters... however you prefer, just make sure they're clean, healthy oysters. There's some pretty rugged toxins out there that are sometimes associated with the oyster family. Steer clear of them. They can kill you.
Finally, in the end... while at your oyster feast make sure you serve them with copious amounts of beer, whiskey, vodka or whatever your pleasure.
Enjoy!
(Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book, 1884)
Open the oysters;
look them over carefully;
remove any fine pieces of shell which may adhere to them;
then season slightly with salt and pepper, and let them stand half an hour in the ice chest.
Serve on fancy oyster plates, or on the deep half-shell with slices of lemon.
Serve with small squares of buttered brown bread.
Simple as that, eh? Mrs. Lincoln (Abe's wife) made the preparation of raw oysters a rather simple task. But then again, why wouldn't it be? I mean, think about it. You have a couple dozen fresh oysters in the shell, you're planning a raw oyster feast and the only real trick is to get them out of the closed shell and into a half shell... preferably half of the shell they've been harvested in.
Anyone who's grown up around bays, sounds, inlets that have seafood like oysters, clams, shrimp, crabs and the likes know how to get those rugged little shell fish to open their shells.
Some steam them, others simply plop them on the grill of the barby while others do it the manly-man way and use a "shucker-knife" designed to slip between the two shell halves and slice the muscle that holds the shell closed. A drawback to this way of getting the little critters to "open up" is that sometimes... well, actually quite often the knife doesn't know exactly where to stop and slips right out the other side of the shell or glances off the shell and stabs the would be oyster shucker/eater in the holding hand... I know from experience.
Therefore, my preferred method of getting the shellfish to open widely is to plop them on the barbeque grate and let them warm a bit. By the time they're opened they're also a bit steamed.
But then, enough of this preparation chatter. The real art is eating raw oysters, not preparing them.
How would you go about it? Do you chew? Do you swallow? Do you bite them? Do you cut them up first and eat them in pieces?
It's all a matter of preference, isn't it? I mean, if you want the full flavor of an oyster (and are actually ready for the FULL flavor) then you'll probably want to chew it, savoring every grinding, cutting bite you make before swallowing the oyster mush and plopping in another one. I guarantee you'll get the full oyster flavor by chewing it. That's my preference. I consider myself somewhat of an oyster connoisseur'... having worked my way up in the oyster eating world by selfishly promising to eat as many oysters as I can before I "move on".
Now, if you're more of a "texture" person then you might want to simply plop one in your mouth and let it slide down your throat... somewhat whole. That way you get the slimy, smooth texture of the oyster as it passes across your tongue then slips down your throat and splashes into your stomach juices. Oh, you get a hint of flavor but not the full, sometimes overwhelming taste of oyster goo... a taste that some just can't get used to. Also, some say this method is a bit sensuous... I'm not altogether convinced of that but hey, everyone has their opinions. And besides, should the oyster rebel in your stomach and decide to come back up it's too big to pass through your nostrils so would most likely projectile from your opened mouth... a bit more trendy than sniffing oyster snot for the next three days.
The other methods... the cutting, dicing, biting... well, those are actually "transitional" methods. I look at them as the point in between swallowing the oyster whole and chewing it. Biting, dicing, cutting the oyster not only prepares the accomplished swallower for that full oyster flavor but also preps the swallower for what an oyster's innards looks like... which can be a bit frightening to a novice chewer. Especially if they're in competition with someone else and happen to see inside the other chewer's mouth. That view is not for the squeamish or ill of heart.
Either way, unless you shuck the puppies they're all a bit cooked anyways... steamed or grilled... aren't they?
However you decide to eat raw oysters... however you prefer, just make sure they're clean, healthy oysters. There's some pretty rugged toxins out there that are sometimes associated with the oyster family. Steer clear of them. They can kill you.
Finally, in the end... while at your oyster feast make sure you serve them with copious amounts of beer, whiskey, vodka or whatever your pleasure.
Enjoy!
Monday, January 16, 2006
It's been awhile...
It's been awhile since I posted to this blog. I've been pretty consumed with work, the holidays, our SEAHAWKS football and just plain, old everyday simple life. Either way, I've realized a lot has happened between my last serious post on November 12th. and now. The other posts in between were just "filler" posts... something to keep the blog alive, nothing major.
Our incessant rain in Western Washington has kept up now for over 27 days. I'm getting to the point of drafting up some ark plans just in case.
Awhile back I mentioned stumling around the blog world just "blogging". You know, going out and reading other blogs no matter what the content might be. Over the past several months I've probably visited in excess of 2,000 blogs. I've enrolled in StumbleUpon, a website that is free and takes you to blogs of various interests, affording you an opportunity to visit random blogs, evaluate them and "rate" them, so to speak. Believe me, I've been everywhere!
I've visited "how to" sites where low carb cooking is featured to sites where 1950's vintage vehicles rule. I've learned new sexual positions and terms (I never claimed to being totally versed here) and found sites where husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends openly display their sex lives online. I've traveled to distant lands and learned about other cultures, I've learned more about our own demographics here in the grand U.S.A.
Yeah, it's been quite a journey. I'm feeling a bit like Ponce de Leon of the northwest. Traveling through the internet world in search of new, undiscovered or little known wonders.
Either way, I've been thinking about posting some of the gems to this blog... gems that will take folks to some of the more outlandish and challenging sites I've seen out there in blogland. In all, the bulk of the blogs I've visited have been well established, well managed and involved a lot of good, down to earth creativity. Some sites have only been visited twenty to thirty times but have been out there for over seven months... just a matter of what interests the reader and how active the blog actually is. Others have been visited hundreds of times daily. I've found most of the sex blogs fit into this category. That says a bunch for our (global) social norms, eh? It seems that even though we say sex is tabooish regarding public display and sharing we tend to think and act differently (far more tolerant of it) when we're by ourselves, wandering the internet and discovering them. I know I tend to read what they say on their blogs much like I tend to read what is said on a "fishing" or "recreational" blog... I just clear the cookies, history and temporary internet files after a sex blog visit. I will say I don't bookmark them and am rarely taken back to one I've visited in the past... which I find amazing in and of itself. That just tells me there must be thousands, if not millions of them out there... men and women on display... amateurs and pros alike.
So, I guess the point is if you're thinking about stepping out into that blogland out there and cruising around from blog to blog you'd better be prepared for introduction to some "adult" related blogs while you surf. It's going to happen if it hasn't already.
Well, I guess I've said enough on this for now. I do encourage folks to blog around though... have some fun and look around if you aren't already. There's a huge variety of blogs out there and they're interesting (in their own ways) as hell.
Have fun!
Our incessant rain in Western Washington has kept up now for over 27 days. I'm getting to the point of drafting up some ark plans just in case.
Awhile back I mentioned stumling around the blog world just "blogging". You know, going out and reading other blogs no matter what the content might be. Over the past several months I've probably visited in excess of 2,000 blogs. I've enrolled in StumbleUpon, a website that is free and takes you to blogs of various interests, affording you an opportunity to visit random blogs, evaluate them and "rate" them, so to speak. Believe me, I've been everywhere!
I've visited "how to" sites where low carb cooking is featured to sites where 1950's vintage vehicles rule. I've learned new sexual positions and terms (I never claimed to being totally versed here) and found sites where husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends openly display their sex lives online. I've traveled to distant lands and learned about other cultures, I've learned more about our own demographics here in the grand U.S.A.
Yeah, it's been quite a journey. I'm feeling a bit like Ponce de Leon of the northwest. Traveling through the internet world in search of new, undiscovered or little known wonders.
Either way, I've been thinking about posting some of the gems to this blog... gems that will take folks to some of the more outlandish and challenging sites I've seen out there in blogland. In all, the bulk of the blogs I've visited have been well established, well managed and involved a lot of good, down to earth creativity. Some sites have only been visited twenty to thirty times but have been out there for over seven months... just a matter of what interests the reader and how active the blog actually is. Others have been visited hundreds of times daily. I've found most of the sex blogs fit into this category. That says a bunch for our (global) social norms, eh? It seems that even though we say sex is tabooish regarding public display and sharing we tend to think and act differently (far more tolerant of it) when we're by ourselves, wandering the internet and discovering them. I know I tend to read what they say on their blogs much like I tend to read what is said on a "fishing" or "recreational" blog... I just clear the cookies, history and temporary internet files after a sex blog visit. I will say I don't bookmark them and am rarely taken back to one I've visited in the past... which I find amazing in and of itself. That just tells me there must be thousands, if not millions of them out there... men and women on display... amateurs and pros alike.
So, I guess the point is if you're thinking about stepping out into that blogland out there and cruising around from blog to blog you'd better be prepared for introduction to some "adult" related blogs while you surf. It's going to happen if it hasn't already.
Well, I guess I've said enough on this for now. I do encourage folks to blog around though... have some fun and look around if you aren't already. There's a huge variety of blogs out there and they're interesting (in their own ways) as hell.
Have fun!
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