Okay , a happy song to offset the sad song

I’m a huge Muppet fan and thought their music was always fun and sometimes even a bit insightful. My favorite all time song is Rainbow Connection for two reasons, 1) the banjo is the main instrument and 2) you have Kermit playing the said banjo and singing. Perfection! So here are the words to Rainbow Connection… just to bring happy thoughts to you.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what’s on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it
I know they’re wrong, wait and see.
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it’s done so far.
What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell,
We know that it’s probably magic…
… Have you been half asleep?
And have you heard voices?
I’ve heard them calling my name…. I
s this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same
I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it
It’s something that I’m s’posed to be…
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.
Laa, da daa dee da daa daa,La laa la la laa dee daa doo…

A song of regret

I was listening to the ol’ IPod on the way home from watching Michael play baseball (his team won by the 10 point mercy rule!), just cruising, listening to ABBA when this song came on. What a sad song! I guess any song about regret would be a sad song but this one just rips at the heart. Made me wonder what inspired it…

They passed me by
All of those great romances
You were, I felt, robbing me
Of my rightful chances
My picture clear
Everything seemed so easy
And so I dealt you the blow
One of us had to go
Now it’s differentI want you to know

One of us is crying, one of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all

I saw myself
As a concealed attraction
I felt you kept me away
From the heat and the action
Just like a child
Stubborn and misconceiving
That’s how I started the show
One of us had to go
Now I’ve changed and I want you to know

One of us is crying, one of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all
Never left at all
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small

I guess what makes this song really sad is that she could’ve made the call… why wait? Okay, that is my downer song for the month.

Hope everyone had a great Thursday!

Sllvr’s Back!

What joy a simple phone call brings.

“Hey dad, I’m home. Standing here in the student center waiting for my ride.”

“Bet you are ready for a shower, some sleep, and chilling.”

“Yeah, can’t sleep on a plane and we spent our last night in New Zealand with our host families. Talked until 4 in the morning with them. I’m ready for bed and hours of sleep.”

“Glad you’re back home safe. Won’t keep you up. Love you.”

“Love you too dad.”

A simple conversation. A joyful heart. Life is pretty good.

Pico Purging

I chop my jalepenos fine
I mince the garlic too
Cilantro added for divine
Flavor among a tomato crew.

Eyes filled with tears
Sweat running free
I know there is no fear
Of my pico taken mildly.

Eyes are swollen
Tongue on fire
Pray for my colon
Before its a flaming pyre.

Is the pico too hot?
Should I make it mild?
Nope I thjnk I’ve got
To keep it scalding wild.

I think it’s worth the pain
To colon, eyes, and finger
As I’ve never had the mange
Or worms in my gut to linger.

Yuppers, it is always a fun time making the real stuff and then enjoying the fresh taste of nature’s own de-worming device, pico de gallo. Hope you all had a great Tuesday.

Tuesday Tidbits 06/27/06

“Dedicated to providing irrelevent information that is partially accurate”
International News
Japan to Get Patriot Missles
In an attempt to protect the Japanese from a possible North Korean Missle attack, the US is sending Patriot missle batteries to be placed on Japanese soil. The missles are designed to intercept ballistic missles, planes, or kamakaze ducks with an attitude before they can reach their targets. They first made history when they were seen intercepting SCUDs fired at Israel during the Gulf War. Since then they have been improved, made into a leaner, meaner, missle eating machine.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense was thrilled with the acquisition of the Patriot missles and stated emphatically in a press release, “Oh, so big. We should make them smaller. North Korea will know we mean business now, and not the kind of business taken care of at a saki or sushi bar.”
President Bush concurred. “We can’t be letting those Korean guys strut around like a bunch of banshee chickens, no, we have to let them know we won’t consolidate such behavior. We’ll smack ‘em real good with our Patriots and don’t worry Japan, I’m not going to let Dick Cheney do the launching.”
North Korea insists they have a right to launch the test missle and have even taken the position of perceiving any attempts to shoot their test missle down as an act of aggression. “Patriots, smatriots! We’re not afraid of a few little missles, not when we have this big honking one here.”
The drama continues as the time nears for the launch leaving many questions unanswered;
Will North Korea back down?
Will the US attack if North Korea launches?
Will Japan develop a smaller Patriot?
Will Steve find out Betty’s baby really isn’t his but belongs to a travelling Hungarian poodle salesman from Greece?
The suspense is getting thick…
National News
Teen Pregnancy Declines
Officials are cheering the latest report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation which has found fewer teens are getting pregnant. High fives were rampant upon the Hill as Congress and the Senate took immediate credit for this dramatic decrease.
Researcher Dawn Brak was quick to report the reasons behind the decrease were as bad as the problem of teenage pregnancy. “Kids are poorer and there is more malnutrition among our teenagers so in essence they are too hungry and to poor to have sex.”
“Exactly! trumpeted Utah Senator Bob Maloney, “It proves our social programs are working. We have successfully reduced the amount of hormone production in our youth so they don’t have the energy or the desire to make whoopee out in the school parking lot. Oh sure they are hungry and maybe on the brink of starvation, but look at it this way, they aren’t obese so we have successfully addressed that issue as well. It is a win, win, win, win situation.”
Brak argues it isn’t a win, win, win, win situation and would be shakey at best to consider it a win, win, win situation although in reality it is more like a win, lose, lose situation. Or possibly even a lose, win, lose, lose situation. Anyway, when your teens are too hungry and too malnourished to be engaging in premarital sex, then we think there is a problem afoot that should be addressed.”
Immediately after that remark a fist fight broke out among the researchers and elected officials which this rag considers a win, win, win, win, and yes, win situation.
State News

Kinky Gets on the Ballot

Musician, columnist, novelist, and weed tokin’ gubenatorial candidate Kinky Freedman is officially on the ballot after getting enough signatures to rate a spot in the upcoming election. Kinky fans are already printing signs to be placed in yards, bumper stickers, and one innovative entrepreneur has even come out with Kinky rolling papers that states, “When you want a mellow ride, roll with Kinky.”
Governor Rick Perry has stated there is no fear from Kinky running as Texas is an uptight state. “There is no way Texans are going to vote for some brain fried musician whose band is called the Texas Jewboys. They won’t stand for it as we are a conservative state and hold our heros and elected officials to a higher standard.”

Willie Nelson, unofficial hero of Texas, has countered Governor Perry’s statements with his endorsement of Kinky. “I’ve rolled with Kinky for years. Rolled some fat ones, skinny ones, dusted ones, and one night when we were really stoned, we even rolled some with ten dollar bills. If you want to party Texas, vote Kinky.”

Non-Profit Corner
Order of Unitarian Children Huggers to Host Great Hug-Off
The local Order of Unitarian Children Huggers has announced this weekend will be full of Unitarian Children Huggers walking through grocery stores and malls, randomly grabbing children and giving them a big hug to let them know the Unitarians love them. This will be the second year for the Great Hug Off and the OUCH chairperson, Gladys Pernsipal, is hoping the public will be more receptive this year.
“Last year some folks just didn’t grasp the concept of the children hugging. We had several of our members hit with purses and I was hit a couple of times with pepper spray and once with a Taser by some totally mental behometh who was convinced I was trying to harm her child. We are not trying to harm your children, we just want to hug them and let them know they are being loved by a Unitarian.”
Anti-Hug protestor, Molly Tucker, doesn’t see the need for Unitarians to be grabbing children at random, hugging them, and telling them that they are being loved by a Unitarian. “Last year they almost frightened my little Billy to death. Why some mad woman grabbed and squeezed him so tight I thought his eyes were going to pop out. Why it took three sprays to get that cow to let go of my poor little Billy and even then I had to zap her one with my trusty Taser.”
For more information about the Great Hug Off you can contact your local OUCH chapter and they will provide you with information of possible hugging stations if you would like to join in on the fun. For parents who are a little freaked out about this, Joe’s Better Weapons Barn is offering a 20% discount on all cans of pepper spray and reloads for Tasers.
Editorial
Please Release Me, Let Me Go
Last Saturday I was pulled over by one of Abilene’s finest for doing 41 in a 30. He was pleasant and polite, taking my liscence and asking for insurance proof, he quietly informed me of my infraction. I didn’t get a ticket and he did such a good job of informing and correcting me, I had to smile at the thought of all the excuses I was thinking of to give this guy when he pulled me over. I could have gone with the standards;
“I have to go to the bathroom really bad. Follow me!”
“My wife is having a baby! I need to get to the hospital now!”
Or something more conventional such as;
“There is a sale on asparagus at United and they only have one flat of them… if we move quickly we can get our fair share!”
“They’re premiering a new donut at Jack and Jill’s and I wanted to be there to see you guys enjoy yourselves!”
“What? 41? My speedometer only showed 21… are you sure you read that speed thinga-ma-whopper correctly?”
“I’ll show you my liscense and insurance if you’ll show me yours…”
“I told my friends you were a maverick and wouldn’t give someone like me a ticket, just on principle’s sake, and so I had to get you to pull me over. I was starting to sweat it because I wasn’t sure I was going fast enough to get your attention.”
My point is I told the man the truth. I was late to an interview but there really wasn’t any emergency. I was in violation of the law and wouldn’t deny it. I am not sure honesty is why he didn’t give a ticket but I am sure he appreciated not hearing a smart remark from the guilty.
Perhaps we should all try a little honesty with our law officers and then perhaps our experiences with them will be better. Or not… I’ll will have to contemplate that tonight while I’m out toilet papering the neighbor’s trees…
Movie Review
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
Can you say, Miss Miss, Lame, Lame? The potential for the movie was tremendous but I fear Robert Downy Jr. was still trying to get the drugs out of his system when he made this flick as his acting was horrible. Val Kilmer was great, as always, and the actress in the lead role was good too. However, the storyline sagged and waned, the dialogue was cute at times but mostly sucked, and ending is too weak for such a promising storyline. I give this movie 1 1/2 quills for some sort of intelligence being portrayed through an absolutely horrid film.
Disclaimer: Some of the facts in the Tuesday Tidbits are true… most aren’t… so quote at your own risk.

Let me push the button…no, let me push the button

North Korea has been able to garner another “friendly” watcher for their soon to launch missle test. There neighbor and not so kind friend, Japan, is more than a little interested in this test with many Japanese calling for the destruction of the missle and perhaps a small little nuclear explosion in North Korea too.

They have a right to be anxious as the last test North Korea conducted was over the Sea of Japan so I would think the pucker factor is extremely high for them. Today I listened to an interview on the radio where some Japanese were even suggesting they have the right to nuke the North Koreans because they are the only country to have been nuked so the next time a button is pushed, they should be the ones doing the pushing. Hmm, interesting logic but a bit farfetched.

I am a bit concerned with everyone wanting to push the button. Egad man, aren’t there enough worries in this world without a bunch of button-pushing, brain-dead, blockheaded boobs brashly brandishing their buttons? Sheesh, world leaders and their toys…

My secret hope is the missle loses control and lands in China somewhere. I think North Korea would find out what Chinese barbecue is all about. Oh well, the world isn’t a safe place and as long as you have a finer strain of idiot running the countries, it never will be.

Excuse me, I am going to see if there is some button pushing that I can do…

Countdown to SL contest

So I sitting here thinking I should at least make a vain attempt at getting my legs presentable for the Mr. Sexy Legs Contest on the 4th. I’ve heard a few suggestions and even thought of a few of my own to try to make them worthy of at least 1 vote. Here are a few I’ve had given to me…

  1. Tan them or at least get some of that rub on tan. (No thanks. Orange legs would really scream “Hook ‘Em” and while I’m into that, I just don’t want to be walking around with a sickly looking fake tan so I’ll dispense with that notion.)
  2. Tan them #2 – Actually get some sun on them. (Hmm, that would be getting outside during the heat of the day, right? Nope…)
  3. Hire a stand-in for the photo and let them think his legs are your legs. (While this is tempting, I fear I will be walking around in shorts and it wouldn’t take anyone long to realize my legs weren’t the muscular svelte limbs on the picture. Oh the scandel!)
  4. Wax my legs for effect. (Effect for what? I think I could do some effective screaming during the waxing but wouldn’t smooth legs conjur up a more questions than answers? Such as; What? Shave legs? Is that guy gay? (nope…) Why would anyone want smooth white legs for? Is he competing against the next lunar eclipse? (see, too many questions and besides, I’m allergic to pain.))
  5. Wrap legs up in bandages while claiming you were in a bad motorcycle accident where they were treated to severe road rash. (This idea actually sounds pretty good to me except a) I don’t ride motorcycles and b) I’m afraid someone would want to look)
  6. Stuff the ballot boxes with my own money. (Hey I am desperate but not that desperate. Okay, maybe just $20 worth of votes…)
  7. Go Muslim for a day. Tell everyone they can just try to guess what my legs look like beneath the robe… (This sounds kind of sweaty to me…)
  8. Walk around with my brilliantly white legs hoping the reflection from the sun off of them will blind folks so they can’t really see what they look like. (This is probably my plan and I can only hope the humiliation won’t last a life time.)

Sigh.

Egad.

I wonder if it is too late to get a tanning booth.

Building Pitching Boards

Spent yesterday morning cutting out and building washer pitching boards for the 4th of July family festival. The good thing is these boards can be taken to the clubs afterward and used for games there too.

Best part of this activity was getting to hang with my good friend Mike and his son, Michael. There is just something great about having a chance to chat, work, and complete a project with friends.

My dad understood that better than anyone as he would take his boys to places where someone needed a helping hand and there in a pea patch, or in the middle of thousands of pigs, or in a hayfield, you worked together, joked together, had great conversations together, and at the end of the day, celebrated a project completed together. Those were great times and some of the few times we were able to spend quality time with him as he was always at the office trying to provide for six boys and our mom.

Days like yesterday are days to savor. Okay, maybe not someone siphoning gas out of my tank… but still, for the most part a most excellent day.

Selling Soul Speedily, Silly Sam Siphons Sinfully

Somebody siphoned gas from my tank. Not much because there were only about 5 gallons in it, but still it is a nuisance since my fuel gage works half the time and I go by miles travelled. So here I sit in a car with a 400 mile range, out of gas at 290 miles. I’m telling you, my calculations remain constant and I can tell you within a half a gallon how much it will take to fill the tank, so imagine how thrilled I was when the ol’ car sputters to a stop, in the middle of a hot Texas day, and I am now walking for a ride.

Whoever siphoned the gas, I hope you needed it for something worthwhile. If it was an emergency, I wish you would’ve knocked on my door, let me give you cash for gas, instead of having me walk in the heat for mine.

Luckily I was rescued by a sweet angel who took me for a gas container, then for gas, and then back to my car. Such sweetness and compassion is treasured, especially on such a hot and humid day and besides, she was cute to boot.

So maybe I should be thanking the siphoner of gas… it did break up my day and I did get extra excercise plus was rescued by a pretty Good Samaritan. Life gives you lemons, make lemonaide, right? However, my first offer stands… if you need the gas, let me help you out with cash. I may not always be so fortunate when it comes to walking for help.

Oh great, a contest I’ll definitely lose

My organization is responsible for the 4th of July activities this year. That’s right, if you want something fun to do on Independence Day in this town you will need to come to Nelson Park where we will be offering free games, contests, fun activities and much more for kids and their families. Events such as pitching washers, punt/pass/kick competitions, three legged races, water balloon toss contest, whiffle ball chipping, frisbee golf, frog hopping, basketball toss competition, watermelon eating contest, and a cool run (a chance for kids to get wet) will be available, free of charge, with prizes given out to winners.

I’m excited about all of it but have to admit I’m nervous too… it needs to be a success so we can build on it for next year. Hours have been and are being spent in hunting down sponsors, working through the red tape of municipal, county, and state governments just to get permission to have a professional fireworks team ignite the show for the big event. Volunteers are a concern too as I need bunches of them on a holiday no less. Guess who has a bit of stress in his life?

There is one contest that will be fun and won’t take any effort on my part and that is the Mr. Sexy Legs contest. A picture of me, a picture of my legs, a five gallon jug, and a table where I will be placed next to five other candidates is all that is required. Votes are counted by the amount of money dropped into the jug. At the end of the day, the person with the most money is crowned Mr. Sexy Legs.

Egad.

I have the most un-sexy legs in this town. I can only hope for the sympathy vote or perhaps the humiliation vote. Oh the horror, the horror… So here are 10 quick reasons I shouldn’t be in this contest;

  1. My legs haven’t seen sunshine in a decade.
  2. Funny looking knees
  3. My legs have been used at the hardware store for folks to find just the right “bright white” color of paint to paint the walls of their rooms with.
  4. My legs have been used to fish for crappie at night. They are attracted to bright white objects…
  5. My legs have enough scars on them to make a road map for Texas.
  6. My legs were once mistaken for a lunar eclipse.
  7. My legs are so white I don’t have to use reflective gadgets when I walk at night.
  8. Moths keep bumping into my legs at night…
  9. On years that Rudolph is sick, Santa uses my legs to guide his sleigh
  10. When I visit my son in Wisconsin, they won’t let me walk around in shorts at night as their brightness blocks out the Northern Lights.

Yup, this is one contest I am going to totally bomb in. Sigh. Egad.