Monday, June 30, 2008

June 30 2008

The year is half over at midnight.

Anyone over the age of 30 is probably asking themselves, "Where the heck did the time go?".

It seems that Christmas past has just shown us the error of our ways. As usual we weren't paying attention.

Having just packed the evenings medications down with a banana sandwich and tall glass of milk, I, at least in the wanting food category, am sated for the moment. Other categories ..........not so much, maybe.

I guess it is more usual to reflect back on a full year the day before New Years Eve. Mostly Dec. 31st is getting ready to ring in the coming year with new resolutions...
... that all too frequently we don't keep anyway.

Perhaps if I start now I'll have some idea of how it's really going by the end of the year.

One thing I'll be glad of by then will be the end of possibly the longest campaigns for president in memory (mine, not yours). There must be some sort of conspiracy afoot to so numb us by these long campaigns that no matter who is placed behind the desk in the oval office the American people just wipe their collective brow and sigh, "Whew, glad that's over with". Then another 4 years of pissing and moaning about how the wrong guy to lead us is in there.

Personally, I'll stick to my habit of keeping my head down and my powder dry. I figure that if I keep wearing a tin foil hat and wrapping my wallet in lead they can't see what I'm doing.........maybe.

In tribute to our chosen gobberment offals in DC, I'll end with a Jimmy Buffet song that I found by following a Link to a dead guy. I wish I'd read him sooner.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sunday Evening Coming Down

Yeah, I know that's not right......but it is evening here and the clouds have finally rubbed up against each other for so long that something had to give.
I had debated leaving my truck windows down just to tempt nature to give us a little drink. Probably a good thing I didn't because She seems determined to throw her weight around anyway.

Sorta like the 300 # WalMartian in those tight spandex pants. You just know that something has got to give..

Anyhoo, the lightning is flashing, and the thunder is booming, and occasionally cracking loud enough to make one jump.
The trees are heaving to and fro like a drunk on a sailboat and there are sure to be green leaves in the road come morning.
The pooch, as usual, is hiding under the bed. Maybe he has more sense than he's given credit for.
But there is something awe inspiring about a storm. Especially when you see it coming and realize that you are but a bug on the sidewalk if it really decides to let loose on you.

You can look out the window and see the trees across Smokey Road but it's gray as if a very solid fog was settling in.

I've read that the average time a thunder storm cell lasts is 26 minutes. This one will probably be even shorter in duration. Kinda like you are when someone calls you and idiot and 20 seconds later, just before you really go off on them, you realize that you are. Even now it begins to abate a bit.

'Til now it has been rather a quite Sunday. I woke to the smell of fresh baked biscuits.......but upon finding that there was only lard gravy to go with them decided to pass. I never thought I'd do that........and wouldn't have if there had been chunks of sausage in the gravy.......but, I'm not going to clog the arteries further for no good meat to go with it. Of course I could have put a little apple butter on the biscuit but I'd already become a bit peckish about the gravy and acting on my pique, cut off my nose to spite my face (as my mother used to say).

I guess I'll get back to watching the train wreck of my life and try to figure out what move I'll make tomorrow.

Meanwhile you can listen to Johnny and Kris and contemplate your day.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Dusk at the Kudzu Grotto

Five minutes to 9 pm (2055 hours to those still on military time)(0255 Zulu for the aviators).

The sun has been down for a while, things are cooling off. Birds have settled into their night lauger mostly......a few seem to like the cooler temps and are flitting around after mosquitoes or other bugs. In the distance (unlike our previous abode) we can hear the whippoorwills begin to call, taking the memory back to earlier times.

Things winding down.

My self.......I'm enjoying spoonfuls of heaven ( peach cobbler) washed down with some sweet cows milk, with just an inch of crushed ice in the bottom of the glass. Were I still a child the cobbler would be hot with fresh skimmed cream poured over it.
It's a comfort thing........I've had a coolish shower and crawled into my Bull Moose PJ's.

They're watching ghost hunters on the boob tube in the other room. Can there be a greater waste of 60 minutes than watching and listening to the announcer natter on about how they are in Lizzie Borden's old home trying to talk to her ghost.

Today was kinda slow. I went and bought a little scrap to refine. Got back and discovered a half carat diamond in one of the rings. Didn't catch it earlier since it was caked with dirt. Not a very good diamond.......that's why I won't feel so bad taking it back to the young lady. Probably from her disastrous former marriage. Can't blame her for wanting to get rid of it. Maybe next time around someone will consider her worthy of a higher quality stone.........or simply won't be such a cheapskate.

Darkness is deepening as is the calm feeling washing over me. May be the meds kicking in.......or it might be result of finally taking the first tentative steps toward new life...............well, really it's more like I jumped in the deep end again. Wonder if I still know how to swim.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Into the wild......

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........Well, at least as wild as NE Georgia gets.

Up 5 miles of gravel washboard one lane road, then turn off on another 3 miles of even more narrow and rutted road where you have to dodge the occasional downed tree, and at one point try to squeeze a Dodge Ram 1500 under one that has bridged over the road. I haven't looked at the top of the cab, but there is a reason I'm afraid to. Scrapping noises make you look up like submariners listening for the next depth charge.

Eventually we made it to our destination.......The end of the Road, as far as you can go in a wheeled conveyance. Anything past the huge pile of dirt across the path has to be done on your hind legs.

Fortunately we wanted to go no further. We were happy right where we were to play in the cool creek, look at the rushing waterfall, sit on a damp moss covered rock and let the sand trickle over our toes, while at times an inquisitive crayfish would come to nibble on the white meat of our feet.

No sounds of civilization, no radios, no engines, no hum of a florescent light or a running computer. Since my watch is battery powered....no tick of the tock to tell us when to come or go.

No breezes to stir the leaves of the tall oaks, populars, hemlocks and beech trees. Nothing to bring the scent of wildflowers to us, but, at approximately 80 degrees and the water probably around 60 degrees......our time was most pleasurably spent.

Pork sandwiches with hot sauce from the Barbecue Shack poured liberally over them. Crisp ruffled potato chips to provide a vegetable portion washed down with cool Sprite.

Thus passed a day where the only bother was the occasional inch worm, hunching his or her way from my shoulder up my neck to his or her doom.

It's better on the upper end of the food chain

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Good Morning Sunshine

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A quite morning here in the neighborhood. Of course because it is, in part, a hood....
I'm quite certain that before too long the loud thumping of 200 watt amplifiers sitting in the back of a 20 year old Oldsmobile will be heard from either near or far.

A quiet gentle rain woke me this morning......well, that and the fact that the pooch was telling me he had to go out. Then, seeing the rain as I opened the door, he attempted to pull back. Having none of that, I dragged him out and told him to get to his business.......which, reluctantly, he did. The look of relief on his face when done was almost human.

The rain has stopped for now, though the clouds persist. I've been in and out getting a few things settled. In a little while I'm crank up the laptop and put in the instructional DVD on the new White metal detector my Grandson and I traveled to Dahlonega yesterday to buy. Will be finding nails and cans this afternoon no doubt.
He was all excited yesterday to put it together and make our first uneducated foray into the wilds of the kudzu grotto. We found a piece of diet pepsi can, and digging a little deeper, (which he moaned and groaned about) the top of an old tin can.

After all a fellow has to plan ahead on how he intends to spend his retirement years.
You may spot me along the beaches, burnt by the sun, knobby knees flashing as I search for whatever may find me, or perhaps down in a sunny meadow where long ago Gray and Blue lines of men sought to slay their brothers in volleys of smoke, fire and lead.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Figures

.
It the night of the full moon. For just a minute neither waxing nor waning gibbous.

A pure white light in the sky, bright enough to cast shadows here below............
below, where walk we poor pitiful creatures.....some say created just a little below angles........others.....just a little above.

Who knows? That's above my pay grade.......beyond my kin.......

Hearken back to a simpler time, a more mellow time, and just enjoy

Are they smarter.......

.
.......than a 2nd grader in South Africa?

Apparently NOT.

Perhaps all the banging on drums went to their heads.

As Expected

As we have come to expect from the congress critters in the Asylum-on-the-Potomac, the leading dumb-o-crat in the senate harry reid (lack of capitals representing the authors disdain) has reacted negatively to President Bush's speech requesting the Congress act to allow drilling in the OCS (outer continental shelf) and ANWR (arctic national wildlife refuge) actually on .0001% of ANWR.

Showing once again that they will fight anything George W. Bush proposes simply because they don't like the fact that he won the 2000 presidential race fair and square.

What arrogance these asshats have. Despite a financial and energy crisis that will cause untold financial suffering to the people they are elected to represent, and shows the rest of the world that Americans have the spine of a jellyfish, they choose to play party politics as usual.

I rather suspect that the Founding Fathers of this once great country are spinning around on their eyebrows. Although they had not a clue about petroleum in their day, they knew that a nation truly was only as strong as the unity (in spite of differences) that it's leaders showed to the rest of the world.

I can only imagine how the OPEC nations must have felt to hear harry reid's comments, after a speech which made them, at first, sit up and take notice. But, then they knew that their flunkies in our congress were well and truly paid for.


The finest politicians money can buy

Sunday, June 15, 2008

To all Fathers children

.
Just a reminder that we fathers don't always have malice towards you with some of the things we do........that maybe at the time you don't understand.



And we hurt when you're not around.



But we're grateful to you and your mothers for allowing us to be Fathers.

And I'm thankful for........Hope Lane, Diana Joy, Edward Lee, and Nicole Michelle.

Friday, June 13, 2008

We're all going to die.......

........as the earth turns in to one huge fireball because of global warming.

At least that is what the great High Priest of The Church of GWWAGD (global warming, we're all gonna die), Albert (load a little more pot on the boat, boys) Gore claims.
And of course we must listen to him because he is so smart and was vice president to a rapist and sex addict.....and he invented the internet, don't you know. Besides he was cheated out of his rightful role as president of all the democrits (pig piss be upon them), by a crooked Supreme Court which was bought and paid for by Big Oil.

But there is another Voice out there. John Coleman, Founder of The Weather Channel, has given a speech and pledged his commitment to fighting this Big Lie (tell it loud enough, long enough, and get hollywood (pig piss be upon them also) to support you, and the world will believe the moon is made of green cheese and only looks yellow because you're holding your mouth wrong)Crap.

Anyway, you ought to go HERE to read the speech and print it out so the next time any of your STUPID relatives or friends start spouting off about global warming, you can shove it in their pig-nosed faces and make them read it, while your punctuate the salient points by boxing their ears, right before you call them STUPID shits and smack them with a snow shovel.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Albert Einstein

reputedly was a fairly smart ol' jew boy. Certainly smart enough to leave Germany before the Nazi's had it locked up tighter'n Scrooge McDuck's grasp on his coin purse.

Anyway ol' Al is supposed to have defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting to get a different result. That seems to be what all the politicians in this country are doing.....with the willing acquiescence of the American people. Of course they know that Taxing and Spending as they have always done, will get the same result as before, but the seem to consider it a choice between the devil they know and the devil they don't. The devil they don't know is how they'll survive if they don't get elected again.
We voters are the same if not worse, because we keep going into that voting booth and marking down the same old thing, while expecting the politicians to really do something different.

I wonder if insanity is a curable disease?

Just wondering........

I finally got the dribble washed off my leg last night in time to get a few hours of restless sleep. I was up a little early 'cause I had some refining to do. The morning was nice and cool for a change and for just a little while I held out hope that the grass might have enough life in it to respond to the little rain we had.

It got bright and hot again though......just like the weather faces said it would. There was a small chance of rain this evening......and I actually felt about 4 drops along about dark, but so far nothing has come of it. I don't wish those people along the gulf coast any bad luck or anything but we could do with a few tropical storms to push some moisture our way. About one more day of chances of thundershowers and then right back to the drought. I'm sure glad that I'm not farming anymore, Without irrigation it would be a chancy thing to do. We here in the south may have to do like the people in AZ do and plant gravel and cacti for lawns. At least we wouldn't have to mow the grass if it did rain.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Wahoo!1

It has rained.


I'm so happy I may have dribbled a little down my leg.

TMI??

Monday, June 09, 2008

Federal Reserve Borrowings this year

Well ladies and gentlemen, some of you know me personally and most (thank your lucky stars) have never had to meet me face to face.

I'm afraid that for the last 30 some odd years I've run off most people I meet sooner or later.

That's the good thing about family.........they have to let you in when you come knocking. They generally let me know gently that there are several subject that are totally verboten if the do let me in however. If I forget I notice that after only a short while, their eyes start to roll back in their sockets and they begin to weave back and forth like a drunk after a 2 week binge..

I really don't mean any harm.......but I am old enough to remember how great this nation was and in large part still is......and I've read enough to learn how great it started out and why. That is why I can't help but notice that there are things I notice and comment on that apparently people don't want to hear.

One of these (one of many) is the continuing assault on what was at one time the best monetary systems in the world. I could go in to much of what I know about the system we have now under the Federal Reserve, but if you want to know you have only to click your keyboard a few times to get enough information to keep you busy for years and after only a couple of hours you'll throw up your hands and start pretending you never read any of it.

I've just got one little question for you.

Have you looked at the history of bank borrowings from the Federal Reserve over it's almost 100 year history lately?

If not you might scratch you head over this Graph I ran across.

Click Here

If you will notice most recessions (the shaded areas) take place when there is a little spike up in borrowing (not all, but most).

I wonder what this means for the near future?

Sunday, June 08, 2008

I'm from the Gov't and I'm here to help you!

Thank God for Gov't. I'm sure most people are too stupid to do THIS on their own.
And even if they're not...........it's their money and they should be able to burn it in an engine if they want to.

More of our wonderful Nanny state at work.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

There and back again

Wow! Welcome back kdzu.

It's been a week and a half since last we heard from the intrepid Boy Sky Commander.
What wonders has he seen and what exotic locales have been visited.

Oh! you don't mean the trips in his head? Sorry. The actual going and comings, the physical happenings are not so exotic and exciting as might have been imagined.

Let's see........well, first and most important after a 2 week stay in the Howell Auto Hospital, lit'l Red was released with a transplanted transmission. No junk yard throw-away for her but a new, shiny aluminum hulled model freshly put together from parts no doubt made in China......as are most things these days. A welcome and joy filled reunion.......but, alas.........not in time to make the long anticipated trip to the wilds of West, by God, Virginia. There to commune with most of the estrogen driven clan members. Probably a good thing as aged testosterone does not mix well with chemically supplemented levels of hormones of the feminine kind.

Although I did miss out on the view from the porch.

But, I was able to travel to Monroe, NC to visit the daughter and her family, especially the two grandchildren whose birthdays we celebrated...one a little late....and the other a little early.



Here is Miss Rose primping with her new set of antique sterling silver mirror and brush. Circa; 1956......and Grandpa-and-Larry showing Sebastian the important things to look for on his 123 year old MS 63 graded Morgan silver dollar. Which item he designated part of his pirate's treasure, since he loves The Pirates of the Caribbean .

Other than that not much going on. The garden is putting up some new bean and squash sprouts. The two tomato plants continue to enjoy a cooling drink of stored rain water ever day or so.

I finally gave in to the entreaties of the spousal unit and put the yard swing up between the cherry tree and the white oak tree. With a white petunia on one end and purple on the other it's a nice place to swing in the shade of an afternoon and allow your senses to dissolve down to only the scent.

Hotter than I'd personally like to see it in the day time.......but, after all this is the south. The kudzu is growing.....albeit a little slower due to the drought.....but surely soon there will be purple blossoms there also.

So........I'm back.......if anybody cares.