Damn, Lisa went to Reno and left me.alone. Craaap

               Death twitches my ear.  "Live" he says, I am coming.                                                              

                                                    Virgil


       I find myself falling into a bit of a rut.   I have a restlessness that needs to be assuaged.  Normally going somewhere fixes it.  But that's not so much in the cards for me right about now.  I didn't so much notice it until Lisa took off yesterday to fly to Reno to see the girls

     When she's around she's such pleasant company that time slips by.  We fall into the usual morning til night routines that are so wonderfully comfortable.  But god, when she leaves, even if it's just for a little while like now, brother those same activities just don't fit the bill and I sense the walls begin to close in on me.

   So I dust off all those things I've been trying to accomplish.  I'm gloriously ADD so I add things usually weekly.  Acquire books that need to be read.  Do something with the four short stories that I have spent so many hours writing and well, still suck as a harmonica player. An activity that I've spent far more hours than writing.  But once in a while, a long time between whiles, that little tinny sound comes out just right.  Enough to float hope anyways.

    Have we lost any weight, I don't think so.  Have we completely revamped out eating.  Wonderfully so.  And over the course of a month my gosh the changes in the way I feel, marvelous.

    So tonight, I'm setting back, making a Martini.  Oh I'll still read all the political stuff that tends to fill some pocket of me.  But I'm going to listen to some good music and later, talk with my girls.  Yep, and that's plenty good enough. 



.

Missed it by that much

 

      It's not the hair on your head that matters.  It's the kind of Hair you have inside.   

                            Garry Shandling

Wrote the stuff after this paragraph a few days ago.  So obivously had not  lived through a monster storm alert unscathed.  A scant 200 miles away I heard some parts of Houston received "16 inches.  But it's another knock on wood incident. 

   I go to a gym.  An old guy gym, or so it seems.  Really I seldom see young people there.  Unless you don't count me.  I suspect I'm more or less the youngest of the old guy class.  But along with the anti progressive and Democrat bashing that goes on in Texas, amidst old guys, one particular conversation stood out.  In drawling Texas slang I heard Old guy #1 say to Old guy #2.   "This weather's crazy"  "There hasn't ever been this much water dropped around here is such a short time."   Then they resumed the bashing.   They're getting something for sure anyhow.

     



   Another slow day in the slow south.  Temp is going to be mid eighties here.  Funny, Lisa and I must be getting a little acclimated.  She keeps yelling at me she's freezing over the AC.  I get to sit here and make big plans but that's about it, as we are in full hanging out mode. Seems like we do that a lot.   At least I got my passport renewed.  I'm not even all that interested in fishing these days although that will all change when I get a boat.   Got an invite couple of days ago for next week. Damn nice boat. Certainly will see how that turns out.


   I think I already mentioned Lisa is a Delegate to the Texas Democratic convention in San Antonio this mid June. Now we leaned that my first retirement check isn't coming in until late July,  Consequently looks like our trip North will be cut short, ie probably not going to make it as far as Alaska,  But as I said to Lisa this morning, frankly I am looking forward to some frosty fall mornings in the mountains before we high tail it back here next winter.

    So I'm working on one o the rigs the other day.  A gentleman drives up and asks me if I know a particular individual or where a certain spot is.  He looks official but I can't help him.  Turns out I knew the guy he was looking for but I'd only known him by a nickname, intentional misdirection I suppose.  Also turns out he was a PO looking for a parolee.  He didn't even climb out of his car.  Apparently thinks the guy is low risk.  Knowing what I know not sure I'd agree, but wow sure activated old memories of the place it has been damn near nine years since I left, and the often subject of some pretty wild dreams of late. 

   Celebrating about a month of our diet.  We've both lost weight but the trip will be slow. No, I'm sure of it.  Gained over forty pounds the last nine years.  After the initial weight loss I doubt if I have lost an ounce. Not a problem, such as the way we have been eating is the manner we always should have been. However even eating with the new menu, we have resumed with the gusto that, well, I guess we could say we are known for. Eating pasta that has been added to twelve cloves of ground fresh garlic simmering in olive oil, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and crawdads is absolutely amazing.  Won't even talk about the salmon.  Nevertheless, wow I'd forgotten how much energy and other problems are fixed with an improved diet.  Ummmm less calories too.  With the help of a couple of handy dandy apps on my Android.

                           Random Pics

 Come across this pic the other day, pre fat and full head of hair.  Early thirties.  Stupid pic though.  

   

    Came across this.  Now here's a pretty lady.  That's right she's mine.

    Course we're both a little nutty.  I just resemble it a bit more.




   This was in Roswell, New Mexico by the way


    I've been remiss not to appreciate each and every day I wake up, particularly in a place and day such as this.  Gentle breezes wafting oak and palm trees and the endless chirping of birds.   Yeah, I think things need to happen in this country.  I personally don't feel insecure, but I do have some worries  for my children.  It really has been an amazing experience to be so privileged to grow up here.  Think of all the places one could find themselves living, say North Korea for one.

    I've come to rather dislike tele-radiovangelists however.  As much as I dislike intolerance. (Thanks Ayn Rand).   My view is that they exploit the elderly for a portion of their social security checks.   So does the state but that is a conversation for another day.  And tax free to boot.  I suspect that really, St. (whomever), minding the gates of heaven really isn't there working an adding machine giving out attaboys for bilking money and then waving em right on in.  Course I'm not sure those guys are believer's either.  Certainly they'd know this I suspect.  

   This Texas time has really proved to be a benefit getting to know the children as they fiiiiiiinaly become adults.   

     

       We just seem to be happiest in places like this     (Key West, Fla.)



 Fun fact:  Youporn got over twenty one billion, that's "billion" hits last year.  (Not mine, course there was that one time)  # Thatsalottaporn.

        Sometimes when I do this, I feel a bit like a vampire, stealing the minutes of the life whoever gets this far.