Blog Honest "Award"

A couple of days ago, my daughter-in-law "honored" me with the Honest Scrap Blogger's Award. The rules are only 2. First list ten true and entertaining things about yourself. Second, forward this to 7 bloggers who you think deserving. (Note, I make it a practice not to spam people with chain letters and the like, so I'm going to violate the second rule and leave the "forwarding" up to any blogger who reads this. Feel free to copy the picture and consider yourself "Awarded".)

That said, here's the list.

1. I have been blessed for 40+ years to be friend and husband to Marilyn. She is a rock, a delight to be around, a wonderful mother and grandmother, and a blessing to everybody who knows her.

2. I met her in the middle of Main Street in Concordia, Missouri on September 19, 1967, and have been in love with her ever since. Concordia had a population of 1,871 in 1967 (it was on the city limit sign), and she was in a crowd of 5,000 people who were attending the Concordia Fall festival. Details here.

3. I've worked for the same company for nearly 37 years, all of it in IT. Well, to be perfectly honest, the company has morphed into something other than the one that hired me as a computer operator, changed names a couple of times, and replaced all but a few of the people I knew when I started, but I've been driving to the same building for 36 years, 10 months, and 11 days. Call me a slow learner.

4. I tolerate cats and love dogs. Dogs would be perfect if they purred, but I can be content with a smile and wagging tail when I come come.

5. I'm an aspiring fly fisherman. I don't think anybody ever gets really good at fly fishing. Believe it or not, there is a real challenge in trying to fool something with a brain the size of an English pea with feathers wrapped around a hook. A trout's brain may be half the size of its eyes, but it's good at what it was designed for, watching out for food and predators.

6. I thank God daily for the gift of his Son. I don't know (or want to know) what kind of person I would be if it were not for Cheap Grace. The "problem" with this gift is that it makes you want to share it. Read Ephesians 2.

7. I'm a tool junkie, part time mechanic, and a lousy welder (but I'm working on that). I could open a Lowe's Tool World from my garage. I've got tools that I've forgotten what I bought them for, tools I inherited, and tools that I've made for a specific job and will probably never use again.

8. My children and grandchildren are all from Lake Wobegone (where all the children are exceptional). They're all a source of constant delight and wonder. My kids are all exceedingly intelligent since they've all chosen spouses who are a compliment to their own personalities and smarter than they are. :) I'm grateful that all of them are a part of my family.

9. I'm a fair pistol shot. If I'm ever attacked by a guy dressed like my favorite target in a white shirt with an orange block in the middle, standing perfectly still against a black background, between 7 and 15 yards away, he's in deep trouble. :)

10. I've been truly blessed with a great wife, wonderful children, delightful grandchildren, good friends, and a God who gave me the beautiful outdoors to play in, a place to work to provide for my family, enough money to live comfortably and indulge my whims, and health good enough to enjoy life. Thank you.

I could go on, but I sense your interest is disappearing, and I've listed my 10 things.

Like I said at the beginning, I try not to forward stuff, so if you read this and are up to the challenge, knock yourself out.

Stay well and keep moving.

Some days....

...I feel like this:



Other days, I feel like this:



Keep smiling.

Loopy

Just a quick observation: Homer Formby had a chemical dependency. His Furniture Refinisher performs as advertised, but should have the warning "Use with adequate ventilation" In BOLD red letters emblazoned on the front of the can! I think I see pink birdies, but the old chair in the garage is looking great!. :)

Stay well and warm.

The Oxygen Tent

Back when mastodons still roamed the tundra, Marilyn and I lived in Seward Nebraska. I was attempting to attend school at Concordia Teachers College, and we lived in an apartment converted from the part of the second floor of an old house. We had been blessed about a year earlier with the gift of a son.

One day, Marilyn was working in the kitchen, and Bobby was "helping". There was a bottle of spot remover on the table, and Bobby managed to grab it, twist the cap off, and spill it all over his face. It rapidly became obvious that he was not doing well.

We rushed him to the hospital where the diagnosis was chemical pneumonitis, and the treatment was to put the obviously sick little tyke in a crib with an oxygen tent over it. The treatment worked, Bobby recovered (mostly) and we learned to secure the chemicals in our house.

While he was recovering in the plastic covered crib, he exhibited a behavior that in retrospect should have scared the hell out of me. As he began to feel better, he would stand up in the crib, put his face directly in front of the oxygen inlet, and suck in pure 02 until he hyperventilated, got dizzy and fell down. He'd sit on the mattress until his head started to clear and then do it all over again. Who knows, maybe this hastened his recovery.

The reason for relating this tale is to introduce you to another blog. The Legion of Doom has it's own blog, created and managed by my firstborn. Check out The Adventures of the Legion of Doom and you will understand why I said earlier that he had mostly recovered.

Stay warm and laugh often.

January 20 - A Day for Celebration

Despite the circus going on in our nation's capital, January 20 is a day that needs to be celebrated. It's Marilyn's birthday. She's been my rock and strong right arm for almost 40 years, and I love her more each day we're together.

Marilyn, thank you for sticking with me. I wish you many happy returns of the day.

Love,

Bob

Things Eagerly Awaited

Since my muse is still trout fishing in Argentina, I offer a list of the things I'm looking forward to this year.

Celebrations:

40 years Married to Marilyn. What can I say? You've been patient and loving for more years than a lot of the people who read this have been breathing. There's not a day that goes by that I don't love you more.

Birthdays. Missy, Marilyn, me, Sandy, Slade, Bob, Gretchen, Sara, Laura, Tyler, Sam, Violet, and Jon.

Anniversaries. Marilyn and me, Bob and Laura, Sandy and Slade, and Jon and Missy.

Holiday family gatherings. Pick a holiday, we will probably be together as a family, searing mammal flesh, eating, and generally getting along with each other. I'm blessed with a family mostly without rivalries and conflicts.

Activities:

Camping with the Legion of Doom. They're good people, even if they are a little beyond the pale. The spring thing and fall freak-out are high points on my calendar, fitting tributes to the philosophy that "Nothing Exceeds like Excess". :)

Fishing with my sons. We've got to arrange a trip with just the 3 of us to spend a weekend in the mountains chasing trout. We talked about this last year. This year we need to do it.

Yard work. I'm ready for the weather to warm up enough to start dealing with the winter trash, wild onions in the lawn, azaleas, fallen limbs, fence painting, shed building and poop scooping. The good (?) thing about where I live is that this is typically only a month away.

Montana. I'm ready to go back. I might even fly this time...or not. The Lap of America was fun. Maybe I should get a new truck for the trip.

Truck and tractor restoration. It's about time to get back into rehabilitating the truck. 20 years in the weather, and a couple of traffic-related Oh-Craps have taken a toll on the paint. With a little luck and once I overcome my inertia, it should be ready for Tyler to inherit it. Fergie needs some TLC, too. The TO-30 needs to be in shape to break up the stream of green in the local parades.

Jeep. I've got half a garage full of stuff that needs to go on the Jeep. Come on warm weather! Note: Warning to Sons - some of this is going to need an extra set of hands. :)

Finding a new walking companion. I miss the walks with Ruby. I think it's closing in on time for a new dog. Maybe something slightly smaller and less frantic than she was (I know, she does not look real frantic in the picture), but I need somebody to ride shotgun in the Jeep.


Just thinking about all this stuff has made me tired. The antidote for tired is activity, so it's time to get up and start moving.


Y'all stay warm.

Brain Static

I've been suffering from a serious case of Don't-feel-entertaining-itis lately. Being creative on a regular basis is sometimes a strain.

Strain or no, here are some random thoughts:

I dislike cats less than I hate cat-sicles. Last night, the temp dropped to 14 here in the sunny South, and I let our "the world is my litter box" outside cat into the house. She's currently asleep on the back of a chair here in the den. Her parole is up when I head out later this morning, but I'll probably relent and let her back in tonight.

Speaking of cats, Gracie is learning some social skills. She no longer feels compelled to use her claws for everything. When she ambushes your ankles on the dark stairs, it's more of a "Tag-You're-It" attack than a "You're Lunch" thing. Did I mention that I dislike cats?

Sara is a delight. Yesterday, she was having conniptions over the computer. She was in some online game and was banging her head against the desk trying to find a map. After a while the grumbling ceased, and she announced that she was done with the game for today. She's certainly learned to deal well with frustration.

Did I mention that it's COLD!!! Last night at about 3 AM I heard a clanking sound on the front porch. We no longer have to worry about a herd of brass monkeys around here. I expect a further gelding of the monkey herd tonight. It's predicted that the temperature will drop to 9.

My blood has thinned considerably since I left Cleveland 40-some-odd years ago.

Cleveland is a great place to be from. Far from. I don't think I've quite gone far enough. Costa Rica?

Wally the Weather Dog has predicted further cold, and is looking at me with his "Open the darn door so I can harass the kitten" look, so I guess I better get off my butt and follow orders.

Pray for our Nation, and stay warm.

Sunday

Today dawned cold and gray...and pretty much stayed that way.

Marilyn had worked the last 2 days, and yesterday had tweaked her back/neck/shoulder while caring for a land whale. The woman somehow fell, and Marilyn, two doctors, and another nurse had to get her 450 pounds back onto the exam table. Something had to give, and it was Marilyn's back. Fortunately it seems to be muscle strain, nothing skeletal, and Advil and rest seem to be helping.

Around 9 Marilyn started to stir, and Wally came down stairs to be let out of the house. He went into the back yard, and picked a fight with one of the outside cats. Gretchen ran out to referee, and Wally spent a couple of hours in the cold thinking about revenge on the cat.

I made my usual newspaper run to Wal-Mart around 11, and when I got home, let Wally in. Marilyn took some more Advil and went to lie down. Wally went along to make sure none of the cats attacked her while she was sleeping.

He's gotten really disgusting lately with all the rain, mud, and cat slashes, so we decided he needed a bath. Wally may be the weather dog, but he does not take kindly to having water sprayed on him. After what seemed like about 3 hours, but was probably more like 20 minutes, the bath was done, and though he will never be beautiful, Wally now looks considerably better, and smells a lot more like something you would want to let into your house.

Marilyn seems to be feeling better, there are old movies on the Old Movie Channel, and all's right with the world.

Just another sleepy Sunday in Monroe.

Stay well, and stay warm.

Happy Birthday, Missy

I hope this birthday is as happy as you and your family make Marilyn and myself.

Many Happy Returns.

Darn Computer!

I've been sitting here for 4 days wondering why there's not a new post on my blog, so I guess I'll either have to write something or get a new computer that reads my mind. Herewith, some random thoughts.

******

So far, it's been a good year. I've escaped serious injury from the nutsoid cat, Wally has not predicted any seriously inclement weather, the Christmas decorations are down and packed, I've made a couple of trips to the Firing Lane, and have not heard word one from work. :) I expect the last one will be slightly modified tomorrow when I have to return to the old grindstone. The prospect of an entire 40 hour work week seems depressing. Christmas week, we worked 1 day, and the boss threw us out 3 hours early. New year's week, we worked 2 days, and the boss threw us out 3 hours early on Tuesday. I may need to be retrained starting tomorrow.

******

We're only 16 days away from having a new President. Pray for him. Pray he has the patience to make haste slowly. Pray he will be safe. Pray he will lead wisely. My fear is that whatever Washington does will be half thought-out and will make things worse than they already are. Like P. J. O'Rourke said, "The problem is not getting Washington to do something. The problem is getting them to stop!"

******

Find your passion and share it with someone. They may not accept it with the same enthusiasm you have, but they will appreciate that you thought enough of them to share. If they do take it to be their own, they will share it with others, and you will have the satisfaction of spreading your fun.

******

Live long and prosper. :)