The Latest
Let me know if links don't work. I'm not sure how long some of these things stay on various websites.
Past ramblings...5/29-9/29/5, 9/30-12/22/5, 12/22/5-3/23/6, 3/23/6-5/13/6, 5/13/6-8/31/6
8/30/6
Got that dad? Doyle, not Dorsey...hopefully that removes a few dollars from the price.
It doesn't happen often as I tend to smile a lot more than laugh out loud, but occasionally something breaks through that barrier. I wish I knew why.
I'm switching from mornings to afternoons today and still have the habit of waking up at 4 am, like it or not, so I was watching the Mariners game via the web. I usually have the Yahoo stat feed up and read USS Mariner at the same time because I like smartass commentary over the standard kind. I knew something was up when the USS Mariner site went down. Sure enough, I checked the Yahoo feed and Doyle had hit his second home run of the game. When it comes back up I'll probably have to suffer through about 30 or forty posts of DOYLE!!!, but it's worth it.
Here's my version of the legend of Doyle. Chris Snelling, from Australia, by the way, has been in the Mariners' minor league system for quite awhile, always showing a great bat and early in his career, superior fielding abilities. His trouble is that he can't make it through a, heck, half a season without getting hurt. In an effort to remove this jinx the guys at USS Mariner began referring to him by his middle name, Doyle. It wasn't completely effective, but much in the same way they coined the nickname "King Felix", the nickname stuck. Also, dad, I was serious about that jersey. Time to go suffer through the "DOYLE!!!" posts. I don't mind.
8/28/6
Honest, I wasn't looking for stories like this one. I really, really wasn't!
Best of Craigslist has been updated again. It's always good for a few laughs.
In the "only in Texas" category, courtesy of deadspin, and, don't forget to read the smartass comment section with a profanity filter.
8/27/6
Robert's back from several places in Europe and is posting his observations.
I have to say that I agree with this man's method of celebration after making two hole in ones during a single round of golf.
8/26/6
The truth about fantasy football...
8/25/6
It's my birthday tomorrow, as well as my uncle Larry's. At the age of 45 I almost feel like I should be dispensing wisdom or something. If you've been reading, you'll know not to expect it. I'm happy that I'm not gray, reasonably healthy, listening to awesome music and single. Why does single merit a mention? Think about it.
Interesting...and another so obvious it shouldn't have to be stated. I don't mind that the French are wimps or sympathizers, but I do mind that they back out on promises. I agree with the commenter that regretted that Howard couldn't run for President here. Most of our politicians are such blatant cocksuckers that it's hard to figure out where their mouths are. He calls it like he sees it. Personally, I'm leaning toward several cruise missiles sent to the Iranian and Syrian parliament buildings while in session. I'm weird that way though.
8/24/6
Another Darwin award...and more perils of bingo.
8/23/6
Somebody's happy...a couple hundred balloons just flew across the sky.
8/22/6
One thing I do that I don't talk much about is give away money. Youth rugby and good writers that like to travel to interesting places are the main recipients. Here's one example, his main website is here, and here's another except he's traveling and the articles won't be online for awhile. There should be enough there to keep you occupied until he gets back. These guys write about places that don't immediately come to mind, but are still important to the big picture.
Glimmers of hope on the horizon...but not in a lot of news agencies. This site is presently down, but they have more on some new fake(?) photos from one of the terrorist organizations the UN supports. I don't understand it. Mainstream media has been burned more and more frequently with their efforts to paint false pictures of events and still they persist. I didn't read the articles, but have seen several headlines talking about job cuts at newspapers due to reduced advertising. Why read them if they're lies? The sports page and local news from areas I like are my only reasons.
Here's an interesting overview/preview of the Seahawks. The comments are likely to be hilarious(I haven't read them, but these guys are funny) although you should expect a few */%^72#@/$'s.
I doubt this will make the news. The gall of some people.
8/20/6
One thing I forgot to mention about the goulash is that it goes very well with a slice of buttered Russian black bread, if you can find some. It's not bad the next day. Not as good and needs a bit of water added, but still tasty. I think my mom's influence is coming into play with this, but I also think it needs some tomato sauce or peeled and canned tomatoes. Maybe more tomato paste, but I think I'll go with the sauce first. It still has a nice flavor, but isn't what I consider goulash. I know. Like that matters...
8/19/6
Also, the perils of bingo in Vegas, or bunco, wherever it is Gayle plays...
The goulash referenced below turned out pretty good. A lot of subtle flavors and definitely a recipe you could play around with easily. It's got a little spice and might be completely different had I used the paprika the recipe recommends, but I have no reference as to how they taste. Maybe a little cayenne and a bit more sugar...? I do think I used a bit to much beef broth, but that's hard to guess when pouring directly from the can and it can be boiled off and even if not, doesn't hurt the flavor. I do wonder how veal broth would differ in taste, but I'd probably have to make my own as I've never seen it. Plus, it makes the house smell a whole lot better than when I get the urge to fry fish. There's nothing special about its appearance so no photo and so far it hasn't caused much gas. I'll let you know how it works the day after in the microwave but I'm not going to freeze any.
I squeaked over 20k in the games linked to a few days ago. It gets pretty tough after awhile. The past two days have been pretty busy, so busy that I missed my fantasy football draft because I actually had work to do. The computer didn't screw me up too badly, but I do have some research to do on a few players.
I'm trying a goulash recipe today. It's quite a bit different from the recipe my mom used and should probably taste better even though the memories made by mom's will skew my opinion in her direction. I didn't have a bay leaf and used standard paprika instead of what they called for, but it still smells pretty good even before it's cooked long. I just grabbed some white wine off the shelf, but I have no idea whether the quality of the wine matters. Its smell is pretty prominent in the early stages of cooking though. I'm debating whether to cook what I think is rigatoni in the sauce or separate but will probably wait and see how much the sauce thickens. Then, I get to eat it for a week! I may post a photo if it looks and tastes good...and my camera battery is recharged.
8/16/6
I made it up to 16 but it gets pretty quick the higher you get.
Just what everyone needs...another way to waste time. I'm only up to 13k so far and it's basically a glorified version of pong with the twist of making the ball curve, but I have a couple of beers left and will hopefully top that score soon.
8/14/6
It's not updated very often, but this site is worth checking occasionally. Do you fart in your sleep?
A thread on the Tucker Max message board reminded me of one of the cooler bosses I've ever had. We went TDY to England and he was telling women in pubs that I was a virgin to help me get laid. I wasn't, but it worked. I bought him a lot of beer after he told me.
8/12/6
I've never heard, nor can I imagine, a more beautiful sound than "Surf's Up", by the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson. I'm also easy.
8/11/6
Excellent commentary on Publius Pundit, particularly on the Middle East, but soon on other areas as well. Publius is on a European tour. If you keep scrolling down you'll find discussion about a lot of different areas that don't often make the news.
8/10/6
There's some interesting commentary on Joseph Lieberman's recent defeat at this link. I haven't thoroughly explored his political views but at least he used to be a Democrat I could respect.
Good job by the Brits catching the latest attempt by members of the Religion of Peace to commit mass murder. I'm sure it's all over the news so no links. I will offer this though...I would analyze the welfare rolls in the UK, hell, every EU country, and determine whether, citizen or not, Muslims are productive members of society or not. If they've been on the dole since their arrival, or since becoming eligible for employment, send them back. Screw their claims of political persecution. I just don't care any more and would rather have them all in known locations. Targeting is easier that way. One complaint about this is that I can no longer carry on a plastic bottle to spit in. They make you taste any liquid you carry on now. Oh well...
8/6/6
Be careful what you believe. Another example if you think about it.
8/5/6
Sorry I've been so reticent lately, but the urge to write comes and goes. I'm very happy kicking back and listening to tunes most of the times. Dad, Klaus comes back from Germany on the 14th and will ship the stuff then. Make sure you find several CD's you can listen to over and over because it needs to be played constantly for a few hundred hours to sound its best. I think you'll like it right out of the box, aside from lugging it around, but it will improve in sound the more it's played. Also, if you have problems, I'd prefer you call him than me. It's both cheaper and you'll learn more. I'll answer the phone of course, but Klaus is a better bet.
8/1/6
If you find tropical weather interesting you should enjoy this site. There are a few childish commenters, but I've learned quite a bit over the past few days and there are some excellent links.
7/28/6
Let's see, where to start?
The Mariners actually made some decent moves this week, getting rid of Carl Everett and trading Choo for Broussard. They should now have something productive at designated hitter, which is kind a prerequisite, at least I thought so.
We've rekindled our fantasy football league, complete with all the lame gay and hair band jokes. I may provide commentary...depending on how well I do.
Kofi Annan needs to shove his farther up his ass so we can't hear him.
7/27/6
Stolen from a football message board I frequent...no idea whether it's true but it does sound like something Ted would say.
Ted Nugent, a heavy metal guitar legend and devoted bow hunter,
was interviewed by a French journalist. Eventually the conversation turned to
his love of outdoor pursuits. The journalist asked, "What do you think the
last thought is in the head of a deer before you shoot it? Is it, 'Are you my
friend?' or maybe 'Are you the one who killed my brother?'"
Nugent replied, "They aren't capable of that kind of thinking.
All they care about is, 'What am I going to eat next?
Who am I going to screw next, and can I run fast enough to get away?'
They're pretty much like the French in that way.
7/26/6
The car has been running fine, in fact, the gas mileage has improved since they likely tuned it when they replaced the coil.
Yesterday morning was kind of interesting. I've been learning a different part of the work we do here for the past few months. It's mainly watching and remembering which programs to start and activate at particular times, but I rarely actually do it. I normally go out and check out the jet and then go upstairs to make sure we're connected to the people who use what we produce.
I'm sitting there yesterday waiting for Jeff, who actually knows what he's doing up there, and trying not to take a nap, when I'm jerked from my slumber by engine start. It was only 20 minutes early, but Jeff still wasn't there. Oh shit! I got everything up and running and checked out when they shut the engines down. I went outside to figure out what was up and gave Jeff a call. I asked if he was on his way in and he said that now he was. He thought the other guys were flying and wasn't planning on being in until later. They fixed the jet and got things underway and Jeff made it in with enough time to log me out and log himself in. It was nice to know that provided nothing breaks I can get things going. If something breaks, there's always the power switches.
7/22/6
Not a fun drive to work today. The car was sputtering from the start and about halfway to work, died. I was thinking it might be bad gas as I had just filled it the previous day, but it turned out to be a bad ignition coil and high voltage lead. 55 pounds for a tow and repair...not too bad.
7/21/6
I used to think I'd like to visit South Africa someday.
Here's another Lion of Islam. Oops, can't forget this one either. I wonder if the virgins these guys get for suicide are supposed to be men or women.
The drive home was fun today, actually it was yesterday too, but I didn't write about it. Yesterday, at a place that normally isn't a choke point for traffic, but is a three way intersection that is pretty heavy with traffic, they had a cop directing traffic. I have no idea why and have never seen it before, but he had traffic backed up on all three streets.
Today's adventure when I cashed a check and converted it to Cypriot pounds. I got about 700 for 1500 US and was carrying close to 1000 pounds in my wallet. I felt rich. It's already earmarked though, for rent and other stuff associated with this apartment. Security has been increased at the base and they are checking IDs both upon entry and exit, but I haven't quite committed that to memory yet so my wallet is usually in my pocket. It's always a pain to get out but as thick as it was today, it was especially difficult. After showing my ID, I set them and the wallet on the passenger seat, not for even a second imagining what was about to happen.
I've been taking the lakebed route home to avoid construction on my usual route and it's pretty bumpy. Once you've driven it though, the washboarded sports can be avoided....but....not before my wallet slides over to the edge of the space between the seats. So, since I'm driving fairly fast, around 40 mph, quick for this road, and have both wing windows open, I now have 1000 pounds fluttering around in the wind. For some reason the dollars didn't fall out. Fortunately the passenger window wasn't open and everything stayed inside. I did have to fish a couple out from under the seat.
7/20/6
There's a new Husky site out there that's worth a visit if you're a fan. Right now it's football, but he says he'll keep it going year-round, so stop by for some info and intelligent discussion of the Dawgs...well...except for mine.
You probably know already that I'm not impressed with the French government, but there are some very attractive women that live there and parts of the country are beautiful. I also enjoy escargot. Anyway, I also enjoy the tour de France, mainly because Americans have been winning. I've seen Lance do some amazing things but today, after Landis lost about nine minutes yesterday, Landis' ride is completely amazing. I hope it lasts. It's worth checking the news for.
7/18/6
More from Yellowstone...her 7/17 posts.
I became a legend this morning, at least to four drunk Brits that got a ride from me. I usually don't pick them up because first, I drive a VW bug, and second, it would probably do them good to walk off some of the booze. These guys, though, had just paid the taxi as I drove up and although I didn't really want to I told them that if they could squeeze in, they were welcome. They were too drunk to operate the lever that moves the passenger seat forward and eventually climbed over it. They made it in. It was kind of funny because the gate guards came out to watch and were laughing along with me. I've never driven the bug with more than one additional person, let alone four, and it's really quite a different experience, especially going over the speed bumps. I'm used to going over them at a fairly quick speed by myself, but the extra weight really made a difference. I then remember that they'd likely been drinking pretty heavily...it was 5 am...and was now worried about projectile vomiting coming over my shoulder so I slowed down. They struggled out, shook my hand and called me a legend, but not before asking if the funnel I use to add oil to the car was a sex toy. I did get a strange look from Jerry when I entered the office and told him I was a legend...until I explained it. He's had similar experiences, although had never been anointed a legend.
7/17/6
A sad day...I may have to go ogle tourists in memory of him.
7/12/6
Sometimes I just want to puke. I had a bunch more written, but it really served no purpose other than to keep me from screaming. I can't imagine ever wanting to iron a woman's breasts. I should shut up.
7/10/6
Another update from that girl who claims to "working" at Yellowstone...7/9. Not much new with me. I've been trying to fry mozzarella with varying results. I tend to cook it too long and end up with tasty batter shells that have little cheese inside. They're still good with salsa.
7/9/6
One of my favorite baseball teams of all time, and, at the time I was hardly, if at all, aware they existed. They were immortalized in Jim Bouton's book "Ball Four". I'd highly recommend buying a copy and reading it. It's evolved into a bit more than a chronicle of that particular season as Bouton has added to the story. I get a little teary at a few points. Just be prepared to ignore, or not, the sh****cks and fu****its. It is about a bunch of pro athletes after all. You'll likely laugh, cry and learn quite a bit about the game of baseball.
7/8/6
And it's about time that Kami shares some more info about her stressful job riding horses in Yellowstone. Another place to visit...almost enough to make me not want the Seahawks to make the playoffs next year so I won't feel compelled to make it to the games. I like the way the guy writes too so bookmark it if you like it and check back because he's headed to Europe next.
7/7/6
I had something to say, but I forgot....back to tunes.
7/3/6
This isn't very healthy, but even though I didn't do it quite right and experienced some of the same problems the author of this post did, I'm having another one in a few hours.
Like I need another reason to like beer...
7/1/6
For fans of non-flopping sports...
One of the few reasons I still enjoy baseball. I can't count the number of times I read his book and can't imagine how many more times I will. It was fun!!!!
Monica's pregnant, Fiona's pregnant, not mine, must be something in the water. Nikos is off doing his weekend in the Cypriot army so the women have control of Franx. Linke's butt is a little bigger when not encased in jeans but not displeasingly so. Germany/Argentina was fun to watch last night with Germany winning 4-2 on penalty kicks. Not fun because the Germans won, just because it was close. Soccer fans are fun to watch.
6/29/6
Here's another one along a similar vein as the one from the 27th, not in good taste, but very funny.
6/27/6
Some of these are kind of sick, but a few made me laugh out loud!
6/26/6
Sometimes I think I should change the title of this to The Latest Dumb Moment.
I've been chewing tobacco for quite awhile and in general have mastered most of its intricacies without embarrassing myself too badly. There is the one time I bet someone that I could swallow a chew. I did, and got 10 bucks, but threw up nearly immediately, but other than nearly grabbing the wrong can on occasion(check the temperature) I've done fairly well.
Every time I grow a mustache though, I've had a problem when it gets long. I'm currently trying to find out how long it has to get to cover the bald spots on my cheeks so it's pretty long. When I spit in the can on occasion a hair gets caught on the pop-top. Sometimes I can wiggle it out but just as often I have to suck it up and rip it out. I don't always have a mustache but I've experienced this for quite a few years when letting it grow. All I had to do was break the damn thing off...problem solved.
Strange that it's warmer in WA than here in Cyprus. Jerry couldn't believe it.
6/25/6
A kitten learned a valuable lesson this morning. Kittens are cute, but they do grow up to become cats so, I won't apologize. I've seen these two for a few weeks at the top of the stairs where someone's feeding them. They are cute and I sort of enjoy watching them grow and explore the world, at least until they discover the top of my car. The other morning one was stationed halfway down the stairs and I almost stepped on it because it was dark and I was still halfway asleep. The other was standing watch at the top of the stairs. This morning, they were both at the bottom of the stairs in a little dirt patch that doesn't make sense because it gets no light. It was getting light and they seemed to be practicing stalking, creeping lowly across the ground. The bolder of the two made a rush for my leg so I stuck my foot out and it ran into the steel toe of my boot. I hope it has learned to choose smaller prey.
This post has caused quite a bit of discussion here. They're both worth reading.
6/24/6
One fast food I overlooked, and, although it's not Cyprus-specific, is available here, is the schwarma. These are pretty damned good. It's kind of like a burrito but with tahini or tzatziki sauce and seasoned pork, beef or chicken chunks. I once ate one that I didn't bother to remove the tomatoes from, which, if you know my dislike of non-processed tomatoes, is kind of an amazing thing.
I felt kind of stupid last night. Franx has a new waitress in addition to Monica and she's very attractive. Young, blond, from Slovakia and her name's Linke, not sure on the spelling. She looks especially good when stretching and bending over to do the windows and perhaps most importantly she's armed with a thong and knows how to use it. I called a couple of friends to let them know this bit of intel and on one of the calls, after a couple of minutes I detected Roger's slight drawl instead of Scott's voice, the guy I had intended to call. I apologized and he said he didn't mind and if he was ever out this way he'd be sure to make use of the info. I had clicked one too many times on my phone's autodialer. A few minutes later I interrupted Scott in his scuba class to give him my distracting information.
6/23/6
My response to ABC's request for global warming stories...
It's cooler so far this summer in Cyprus which is a little disappointing because the tourists aren't as scantily clad. I suppose you could say I'm doing my part because I haven't cooked my famous baked beans in awhile, thus decreasing my normal level of flatulence. Good luck with your attempt to justify your relevance with this cause.
cheers,
Dick
The US pretty much sucked this world cup. Except for a few fleeting moments of good play, they seemed uninspired and weren't a joy to watch. Rarely is soccer a joy to watch for the most part, but there are moments...like some of the female fans. I sometimes wish I cared more, and yes, I'm trying to put off washing dishes.
6/22/6
More from Kami's summer vaca....uh job! And finally, apparently this method of securing a pet is more widespread than I thought. I used a similar one on my defunct hairofthedawg site. Other than that, not much going on. I'll probably venture out tonight to see if the US makes it into the second round and ogle the tourists but that's about it.
6/20/6
More on fast food...hot dogs...tough call, but I have to go with something I try to do every time I'm home. Ballpark franks, or whatever's available that looks least healthy, a trip to the South Fork where the pea viners used to cross, a fire, a thin branch from like a young alder tree, some buns, mustard and charred meat...usually with a Mariner game on the radio and a six-pack somewhere nearby. Over here I tend to go overboard because the dogs I find are pretty bland. They require chili, salsa, cheese and whatever else I can find to provide flavor. Dodger dogs are also a fond memory.
German? Ein Rolle mit Kase, basically a brotchen(bread, round and crusty, a slice of pork with some sort of cheese. Beer makes them delicious. Potato pancakes with applesauce...and another favorite were these kebab we used to get at the end of an evening in Sachsenhausen that had this delicious green garlic sauce that ruined your breath for a few days but was perfect after a night of drinking.
Korea? Not sure on the spelling but yakimandu...another breath killer and just like the aforementioned, great after a night of drinking. They had chicken kebabs with sauce that were good as well and it was often a difficult decision between them and giving the deep fry lady 10000 won(8$ then) and letting her fill up a couple of bags with all kinds of unhealthy deep-fried stuff.
Cyprus? Pretty much fish and chips or calamari other than the usual US chains. Nothing I've found yet that has a national identity and can be considered fast food.
Panama? They had what we call monkey meat, beef on sticks with whatever sauce the guy had that day. Usually good but one night the guy had special sauce that caused me to race to the Ancon Inn and slam three beers very quickly...like I needed an excuse.
Greece? Not sure it's fast food, but souvlaki pancakes were regularly eaten and very good. Seasoned meat served, kind of like a taco in pita bread except the meat isn't ground. Choose your toppings from among onions, tomato, feta, cucumber and lettuce, and as always over here...vinegar and oil.
6/19/6
I just read a fairly long thread on favorite fast foods and am so hungry, and envious, that I figured I'd share mine. There were quite a few categories mentioned, and I'll probably forget a few but the idea was that they have to be chains, none, or minimal, service and generally unhealthy. Most of my favorites aren't from the NW so if you feel like taking a few minutes off your lifespan while traveling, these recommendations will likely do so.
Best burger: In'n'Out's Double-Double with cheese and grilled onions. Here's a larger version of it. No tomatoes for me though.
Best fries: Also In'n'Out. Fresh, a little skin and nice and salty, perfect for dipping in a chocolate shake.
Best shake: Although I mentioned the chocolate shake above, and it is one of my favorites, my true favorite goes way back into my youth. There was an A&W near where my dad worked that had quite a shake menu. Among the flavors was peanut butter and I loved it. Maybe I should have tried some chocolate in it...
Fish: Filet o' Fish...if only they had them ready so I don't have to pull over and wait at the drive-thru.
Fried Chicken: Popeye's spicy, although my favorite from there was chicken breast strips with a spicy cajun gravy. I only found that in San Antonio though.
Breakfast: They're terribly dry and likely boring to others but I always like McDonald's sausage biscuits.
Pizza: Although it doesn't really fit the category of fast food...Numero Uno's.
Tacos: Taco John's Taco Bravo. When I lived in Florida one of our neighbors had opened the first franchise there so we went there pretty regularly. Nothing special, just a regular hard shell taco inside a soft tortilla generously spread with refried beans. The enchiladas were also pretty good, especially with the green(hot) sauce.
A lot of people on the thread I read swore by Chick-fil-a for chicken stuff, but I haven't eaten there much, if at all. I can't recall eating many chicken sandwiches from other than my grill either.
Most of this food works better with alcohol, something I realized when I went with Suzi to Michigan and she had to take me to a White Castle after a night of enjoying some fine blues. Apparently we hadn't drank enough as we were both disappointed. Pretty dry and boring stuff...
I hope stuff like this works...
6/17/6
Those crazy Germans....not politically correct....or morally, depending on your viewpoint. I would like to be in a similar position when the Seahawks win the Super Bowl next year though. The US is playing in both rugby and soccer tonight. Too bad I'll be sleeping, but being on mornings has its advantages as well.
6/16/6
Not much going on...sweating...world cup, that's about it, but at least I'm back on mornings again. I almost did "something" a little bit ago, but I'm not sure what would have happened. I was shredding some bills and to do that I turn on my transformer to get 115. I didn't think about the cord of the shredder going over the grill that was between it and the outlet until, a few minutes later I reached over it to unplug it and felt the heat. I had left the grill on at 400. Fortunately there wasn't any contact so nothing bad happened.
I like this guys fiction and need to remember to read his other stuff more often.
Now, onto the dishes and bathrooms...sometimes days off suck.
6/11/6
Rugby in San Antonio...probably the best 8 months of my life and not solely due to April or another young cutie named Brandi Alexander. I still haven't tried that drink. It was just a great group of guys and where I finally learned what I was doing on the field. It's quite a revelation when it happens. What was probably best is that I was in a job where my hours were regular and travel wasn't an issue. I could regularly make practices and did so. A guy I had played with but not really known from Okaloosa was there and it was nice to reminisce. It was kind of funny, at a 7's tournament later in the year I was walking to a different pitch and kind of did a double-take. I know those guys...wracking my brain to figure out from where...it was two other guys from Okaloosa and their remarking that I had filled out pretty well brought a smile. I ended up going back for a reunion match later that summer and had a great time.
I mainly played in B-side matches because they were getting ready for the championship tourney and I was a new guy. One thing that sucked was that Jim, the guy I knew from Okaloosa blew his knee at the Austin tournament a week or two before the tourney. He was pretty valuable as our fullback and I think it's why we lost to the Kohlfield Scorpions. One of my most vivid memories of that weekend is Matt's girlfriend. I was there with April but was down by the ropes for a better view and also in case they needed a sub, but this chick was hot, wonderfully petite, light brown hair and big blue eyes and flirting furiously. As usual, I pretty much was clueless until after the fact and never saw her again, but it's a nice memory. We played in the consolation game(or hangover game) the next day. I got to play in this one...like I said the main guys were hungover, but it was the best game I've ever played, at least most of the time. Once, someone asked, "Where was our wing?" "Probably at the bottom of the ruck", was the accurate reply. I wasn't supposed to be there, but often there's not a quick way out. My moment of glory, and what earned me man of the match was a play where the ball made it out to me and the center looped around outside. I found him and Mike, the fullback came up outside of him. Mike got the ball and made it to 3 or 4 yds. from the tryline. I ran up as he presented the ball and tried to take it, seeing a gap I could zip through before the opponents had a good defense set up. Mike thought I was them and pulled the ball back out of my hands. "Mike, it's me, give me the fucking ball"! "Shit, sorry." I picked up the ball and ran about 6 inches above the ground for a try. It got us back into the game although we still lost.
The rest of the summer was spent traveling to 7's tournaments, not playing all that much, and practicing. I didn't really like 7's anyway, but it was fun hanging out with a good bunch of guys. A few years later in Korea, I ran into Rob, who I eventually helped get hired. It turned out that he was there at the same time I was and we didn't remember one another. He remembered April though. Called me a lucky bastard...
A future Seahawk fan, or maybe current, if her dad's ardor is any indication.
Kind of a perfect evening...in a perverted sort of way. I saw the perfect ass...at the end of a lovely set of long, but not excessively so, legs, beautiful eyes and some chick at Franx decided she'd let me and any other guy along my sightline enjoy her panties. The way to Monica's heart is through black cherries. It was crowded because England was playing Paraguay in the World Cup. It was surprisingly muted, probably because they weren't very impressive. Other than that, work lasted about a half hour...tough day. Sometimes I feel guilty, but not usually.
6/10/6
The dough's not rising like it normally does so I'm not sure I'm going to use it. Craigslist has been updated again...
6/9/6
Just started some pizza dough...bacon and pineapple, trying for a thick crust this time. Photos if it deserves it.
Back to rugby...practices were weird until I played a game. Why all this kicking? There didn't seem to be a purpose to it, again, until I played a game, or watched a team that played well. I got stuck in one tackling drill against Kevin, the huge bouncer from the Hog's Breath. It was good to get to know him by the way. I'm like..."oh shit", this dude's big, but good technique worked and he went down much to everyone's, including my own, surprise. There's not much else memorable about my Okaloosa rugby experience except that Tom(fastest white guy a black guy had ever seen) required a couple of beers and a few Motrin to play. I soon found out why. I did come back from a TDY to Panama and play a match. Out of shape, it wasn't fun, well it was, but I ended up dislocating a rib and stretching a nerve in my left arm. The doc popped the rib back into place with minor lasting effects, but the nerve still bugs me.
My next assignment took me to Edwards AFB and eventually I saw an ad for rugby players in the base paper. Of course, I answered it and soon found myself in the middle of a maul with the ball...and I knew who had joined it when we started moving forward...Hub. He was a huge cop, pretty powerful guy. Another of my favorite things about rugby at Edwards was Carol. She was married to a coworker but we both had huge crushes on one another. Her husband knew it and caught her once pinning me against the refrigerator at OJ's house. I shouldn't have but I couldn't and wouldn't resist. She used to bring her kids out and watch us play. I hated being called Mr. Richard though and don't think I ever talked Kelly into just calling me Richard. Trevor was too young to talk, but would undoubtedly have been raised in the same respectful manner. Let's just say she never lost her figure and is still one my fonder regrets.
Our team pretty much sucked though. Mostly new guys, although I had a bit of experience. It was fun being told that I really had wheels when I turned them on, something that happened again later with a slow pitch teammate. I didn't realize it, but looking back it's true. There was a touchdown I caught on the opening play against the Deaf School where my dad said he'd never seen me run so fast. I finally figured out how to consciously do it but it's very easy for me to trip when doing so. I got knocked out once, actually twice when playing against one of the Marine teams. I bent down to pick up the ball and got my head slammed into the ground. I went out for the rest of the half and tried to come back but the first time I got tackled, the field started to spin so I retired to the beer tent. Probably not wise, but...
I did get Don to come out for the team; he said, "as long as it doesn't hurt my golf game...". I also took a guy out by accident. He was running and I was about to tackle him when he kicked it. I tucked my arms and slowed but ended up hitting him anyway. I'm not sure what actually happened but he was done. The coach told me I had played like a world class winger, which was nice to hear, although I had no idea what a world class winger played like at the time. I left the AF around then and ended up hooking up with the Eagle Rock rugby club because the neighbor chick's ex played with them. I didn't play much, mainly because after a few practices I nearly ripped my right index finger off. It has a lot of scar tissue due to a burn suffered when I was young and when it got caught in someone's belt loop, it ripped. Jon took me to the local hospital where I watched them stitch it up and rode my bike home. I didn't play again until I moved to San Antonio.
6/8/6
Zarqawi is dead. Good. If it bums you out offer up your own ass to give him one of his supposed virgins, at least if your ass is virginal. I doubt he'd know the difference. And personally, I don't care.
Me and rugby...it all started in Sicily, or rather at Hurlburt Field, kind of a strange weekend. Hurricane warnings and such and we had a hurricane party and it turned out that Scott left his wallet at our place. The hurricane veered away so we decided to go to a retirement party at some park but left a note on the door for Scott so he'd know where we were. It was pretty early to start drinking but the previous night's festivities removed our inhibitions and we were soon introducing the elder members of the celebration to upside down margaritas.
Unfortunately, the hurricane headed back toward us and since we had left our note on the door, our boss knew where to find us, so, partially drunk, we proceeded to work with our mobility bags. You're supposed to keep a few days worth of both civilian and military clothes in them, but I didn't. I kept the required military but minimal civilian.
So we end up at work putting together Q-4 pods for the afternoon and carrying an INS with Rodney to the C-130 we were evacuating on. It "was" windy. We ended up in South Carolina, four of us, me, Stanley, Steve and Don. They had evacuated gunships as well and once the hurricane threat subsided we had to split up, because the helicopters were going somewhere else. Namely, inside C-5's. Basically we had to tear them down, stuff them in the C-5, then rebuild them when we got to where we were going. It sucked because I didn't have a clue what I was doing and ruined several uniforms, mainly because I changed....I shouldn't have.
We eventually got the choppers in the C-5's and made our way to NAS Sigonella where we had to put them back together. They offered to take us up on the test rides. I declined. My biggest memory is using a huge breaker bar to torque the rotor to the mainframe. It was long and took several people to get the proper torque.
So, we're at Sigonella, eating pasta and waiting for whatever was supposed to happen to happen. The hotel we stayed at had a small soccer field, very small and teams actually played there. We were drinking and watching and decided to play ourselves after they were done. They weren't impressive, but neither were we. It soon became apparent that Tom and I were two of the quicker individuals on the teams and over a beer after the match he mentioned that he played rugby. I had heard about it, but never seen it played, and agreed to check it out when we got back.
This was also my first incident of flag stealing....we were drinking Sambuca and decided to steal the flags, multiple countries, from the roof of the hotel. We were leaving the next morning and figured we'd get away with it, but didn't...no questions asked...turn them in...so we did. More later.
So eventually I found myself at rugby practice, trying to overcome my football habits. Some of my habits were good, tackling, but it's a difficult game to learn, or adapt to. I grasped a few things and in my first match impressed some people, weighing about 140 lbs. and planting a 200 lb. lardass on his ass, but the game takes a lot more to really be effective. It took a few years before I knew what I was doing....more later.
6/6/6
Since I'm boring...I'll just follow Kami for awhile.
6/2/6
Latest addictive game...thanks Teresa...like I needed another way to waste time. ;) 701 so far but the day is young. 851. 969...haven't figured out a method to the madness, but luck out every once in awhile. 1020 43 degrees and close to max power...then again, I get 3 in the 100's...1203
If you happen to find yourself in Yellowstone this summer, make sure that you take a horse ride. Kami's got what sounds like a pretty cool job!
5/31/6
If you're ever in Tacoma and hungry, here's a bakery I hope you'll find a way to visit. He's the type of immigrant I welcome. The address is shortly after the photograph of Jessica, his wife.
5/29/6
Go get a kleenex.
5/28/6
Yeah, another wasted afternoon of music, briefly interrupted by a couple of looks at a young lady who will never be in danger of drowning. I think they were real.
5/27/6
It's worth a read, agree or disagree.
Wow! I like the days when my ftp upload to this site is fast. I wish I had more to say, or at least something useful.
More memories...spent a lot of weekends with the grandparents when young and remember Saturday nights fondly....All in the Family, but at the time I didn't realize that meathead really was one and watching pro wrestling. They had an antenna rotor but still watched Portland stations. My grandfather would be disgusted at the jailblazers if he were still around. It's kind of weird comparing the two teams Paul Allen owns...at least to me. Totally different characters.
Anyway wrestling came on after All in the Family....so did the neapolitan ice cream...I leaned toward chocolate...Bob liked strawberry...and Lonnie Maine over Tony Born, although my mom told me they ate dinner together at whatever the restaurant at the Napavine(Rush Rd.) exit used to be.
Sometimes it sucks being addicted to music. I can have the best intentions of being productive for a day and...well...it's history. Here I am watching rugby and listening to tunes. Maybe I shouldn't have bought this stereo system. I'm still glad I did though, mainly for moments like these, when I can feel the sound and listen in wonder...how did they come up with a method to make these sounds? I understand how they come up with them, that's the easy part. Making them real has always been the difficult part for me. Some things sound so perfect...best comparison is a moan of pleasure from a woman you're with. Not quite that good..but you get the drift........then again
5/26/6
It's official. Franx has a plot against my waistline. The food is generally good and Monica's cute, but today, after I didn't finish all they served me, kleftiko, or lamb, they told me that I was a good customer and they tried to feed me well. I asked Nikos not to.
Monica is also now a tourist attraction. She was pretty happy telling me that two Adams and Stanley had stopped by the other night, after I'm in bed, just because it's a necessary indoctrination of being based here. She's cute, and gets cuter as the weather gets warmer, but...
Plus, her husband is a Dypriot...my term for Cypriots that haven't been in the modern age long enough to learn that the world doesn't revolve around their need to park in the middle of the left lane while they go take care of whatever trivial crap a waiter and his wife absolutely must take care of while she's working. Maybe blocking traffic is an ego booster. It's never done a thing for me although I don't put money in the meter most of the time when I park. I just don't get it.
5/25/6
I enjoy a wank as much as the next guy or gal, but except for this post, try to maintain a certain amount of decorum about it.
They always serve me too much, but that was some pretty good calamari. Normally it's served like onion rings, breaded heavily and still pretty tasty, but these were like 4" long parts of tentacles, still fried, but fresh, or at least as much as my palate can judge. I'm not sure that the little ones were...maybe baby squid, but deep-fried, pretty damn good, at least with lime juice and tartar sauce.
Man, dog, the bounty hunter's wife must have a lot of steel in her bra. Those are some large tracts of land that almost look perky.
It's getting scary to do laundry and I should probably call my landlord, but I need to see what's happening for myself first. I got shocked again when I touched the metal on the inside of the washing machine, not badly, just enough to notice. About a month ago the microwave that came with the place went "pop" and the way it was wired was rigged, they had the microwave and washer twisted into using one connector. I took the microwave wires out and am absolutely positive I put them back in in the right spots. It doesn't happen all the time so maybe it's something else that isn't wired right. I just use other laundry to grab the clothes for now
5/22/6
This is interesting as well.
I just about said "either one of your asses are big enough to block a sidewalk so could you walk single file?". It wouldn't have done any good.
And then there's this...you can see what's coming...I don't like religion period, but...read for yourself.
A place I always wanted to go to...I like long legs and red hair...but it's becoming more unlikely I'll make it.
Why would I post about table tennis...? Scroll down.
5/21/6
Maybe I'm weird..some songs make me want to listen to them over and over. Maybe I shouldn't care.
Leftover kebab's were delicious...sauce doesn't last as well..still stuck on the same songs....
Had a dream that I saw her standing there...running from the boy side of the man...smart woman.
5/20/6
Let's see, what embarrassing memories can I post today? None, at this particular moment. Kieran Chetry(sp?) is as cute as ever. Tom Cochrane's on the stereo. I absolutely love some of his songs...Boy Inside the Man...some chicks never get this and some guys never give it up. Some want to kill him once they think they have control. I laugh at them. One reason I'm still single. There are many others. Up soon is the "Lasting Song". I need to tell Klaus to thank Rolf again and send him some more coffee....as I sit here and hit repeat on the CD player...pretty stuff...or maybe it's my mood. Oh yeah, the dipping sauce was pretty damn good...even with oyster instead of fish sauce.
Won't be the first time you sit alone
Won't be the first time you wait by the phone
Won't be the last time you drift away
To some place we were such a long time ago
We would move like ghosts in the night
Always looking for some cause to fight
You'd always look for some cool James Dean type
We tried to make it
Like it was up on the screen
You know, only fools believe
What they cannot see
And only fools put their hands in the fire
Again and again
To see how it feels back in
CHORUS
No, I don't want to hear you say
That it won't happen like this anymore
And while the radio plays
I'll sing that lasting song again
And again
We're shadows dancing from a fires embrace
Where time is passing in a wild nights race
You are the moon and I'll be the sun
Forget about who has lost and who's won tonight
You know, only fools believe
What they want to see
And only fools put their hands in the fire
Again and again
To see how it feels back in
CHORUS
Though I'm miles away
I can still hear her say
Play that song for me
Once again she said
The one thing that gets me high
The one that keeps me strong
Through another day
Into the lonely night
Again and again
Won't be the last time I sing you that song
Under these lights so far from home again
See her by the corner
Then she walks on by
Heads turn to meet her
Steely eyed
She's her own girl
Her own design
She holds her head high
Hides her scars just fine
CHORUS
She makes it work out
Makes me feel
Makes me see
The untouchable one
Look and see
She's on the outside
She's with me
She's been through a lot
You can tell
As hard as it gets baby
She holds it well
Don't try to change her
No, she will not bend
But if you get close to her
She'll be your special friend
CHORUS
She walks on by
You know she's walking with me
The untouchable one
Look and see
She's on the outside
She's with me
Make me feel
Make me see
The untouchable one
The untouchable one
She hides her scars real fine
She's her own design
The untouchable one
The untouchable one
5/18/6
And I thought I was weird...and I set out to prove it, thinking, heck, even I can get laid with all the tramps here for a good time...but I wasn't too far into the drink to remember what I had just read. Where has this girl been? Is she smiling at me the same way she'd smile at a donkey? Or, if possible, worse? Not that there aren't some pervs in the US...but it's likely that in terroristic societies that only the males are able to seek their heart's desires. I could be wrong. Please correct me if so.
I tried this recipe this afternoon. His blog wouldn't accept a comment and I couldn't find his email address, smart guy, so here is my opinion.
Thanks Bill. I couldn't find the peanut butter, fish sauce or curry paste on my foray of the local markets so I tried them bare. Very good! I'm looking forward to my next trip to a major market so I can try the dipping sauce, but am already looking forward to trying some pineapple and/or sweet pepper to the skewer. A Walla Walla or Vidalia might also work well, but I don't think there's a European equivalent. Thanks again.
I never thought rabbits had this problem.
It's not that I really want to see the commercials, or listen to them, but I wish the people putting producing satellite broadcasts would realize the audio level of one part of their programming can differ from another.
The best explanation of Mt. St. Helens' behavior I've read in awhile.
Strange mornings this week. Flooded the car and it didn't want to unflood one day and this morning when I switched on the light to make my way upstairs to shower I heard the bulb go. Oh well...reached around the corner for the next switch...hmm...it's out too. It's dark, where's the breaker box? I know in general but being half asleep I'm a little leery in searching for it. The TV was on and depending on which color was prevalent, it helped a bit, but fortunately, the refrigerator's on a different breaker and the light in it worked. I thought it strange that a light bulb burning out would pop a breaker, mainly because I figured they would have some slo-blo built in, but this one didn't require much to pop. Good and bad at the same time...
5/17/6
I've read several pieces on probably my favorite UW football player. He was just voted into the college Hall of Fame. Of them, the one that best collected the jangled thoughts that rattle through my brain about him...this one did best.
5/16/6
Probably my biggest mistake was Kelly. I met her in Tucson and it's possible I've never met a better combination of looks, brains and humor. She was married though and her husband was a pretty cool guy. My favorite memory of her was probably one of the first times I met her. The unit I was working with had just moved from San Antonio to Tucson and we were setting the trucks up and had just been informed that Shane had been promoted to Staff Sergeant. It turned out that Kelly hadn't worn a bra that day, or at a minimum, had worn a very sheer one. Shane told her that she didn't have to stand at attention....
My mistake was a couple of years later after she and Mike had divorced. We'd always been friendly and slightly flirty but that was mostly it. I asked Mike how long I should wait for him to be comfortable with my possibly hitting on her and he asked for a few months, but understood where I was coming from. Not much happened for awhile until I gave her a ride home from Tim's one night and got a kiss on the cheek. I'm clueless at times and still didn't pick up on it when she called me late one night, turns out it was Valentine's Day, which I didn't realize, and didn't get the hint. It turns out I ran into her in Korea awhile later but she was already involved. Yep...an idiot!
5/15/6
Some instances of particular actions are memorable. I eventually got better at kissing but I must apologize to Sharon for my ineffectual first attempt. You surprised me with the request and I hadn't a clue. There have been numerous other memorable ones over the years, at least to me. The first is the one with Punalei that lasted most of the way from Puyallup back to Rainier...I finally understood partially what a tongue was for. There was also the time that Debbie interrupted me doing some kind of chemistry experiment when Mr. Gordon got called to the phone...a pleasant surprise. Two others that were very pleasantly surprising happened at my graduation ceremony...one of them said "I always wanted to do this", or maybe both of them did, but Lorraine and Robin both added to the joy of that moment. Another woman once told me that "I'd kissed her like she'd never been kissed before", and since it did lead to skinny dipping, maybe that's true.
Then again, my favorite is Grandma's.
That's kind of strange...I forgot about(blew off) a load of laundry yesterday and in what's normally a successful effort to avoid having it smell funky after it dries, I ran it through again without soap. I just glanced at it and there were quite a few suds in the window.
5/14/6
More internet pollution....in reply to " I can't help myself. I laugh at that gag nearly every time", I replied, "I'm usually smiling when someone's gagging on me as well." I kill myself. Sometimes I should.
That sucked...walked down to the store to get some munchies and nearly fell on my ass. One of my, new, sandals broke. The piece that wraps around the heel just came apart...no signs of trauma, aside from my likely stupid look as I nearly slipped out of it.
As usual, Wretchard rings true.
5/13/6
1804. 2035
Something about this song just gets me.
one too many times I fell over you
once in a shadow I finally grew
and once in a night I dreamed you were there
I canceled my flight from going nowhere
it's all I can do
to keep waiting for you
it's all I can do
it's all I can do
(it's all I can do)
one too many times I twisted the gate
when I was crazy I thought you were great
I kept my renditions of you on the wall
where holiday romance is nothing at all
it's all I can do
to keep waiting for you
it's all I can do
it's all I can do
(it's all I can do)
you wait in the wing like a Saturday flirt
protecting the judge you don't want to get hurt
once in a moment it all comes to you
as soon as you get it you want something new
it's all I can do
to keep waiting for you
it's all I can do
it's all I can...you get the picture.
The rest of the album's not bad in a sort of anorexic, minimalist bubblegum sense, but I can listen to this one over and over. I do. I can make up things that fit the words.
I like making up things that fit the words. I'm not waiting for anything...or anyone...maybe it's the music.
There's another song that says "I really like the way you sit...it doesn't bother you much". I doubt it would me either. Maybe it's the clarity of the drums...Teresa would know about that...a failed drummer...couldn't tap-tap....tap consistently. Was the guy before Mr. Nelson's name Adams? I took up trombone a few years later and did fairly well
Mr. Nelson...band instructor...pretty cool guy. He lived across the street at the house that had huge delicious apples...young, hip, played guitar in the band that played for some HS dances...name had something to do with bitter. He had us write song lyrics in a class, or maybe it was study hall. I was very surprised when you read "Hey baby, I ain't feelin' well, I wish everyone would go to hell" from my submission. I think I was 14. He thought it was good, along with the other terrible poetry that followed.
Later, I took some private music lessons from him, mainly learning about the 1-4-5 progression of chords in blues, but also learning how shy I was about expressing talent. I had to compose a few little ditties on the piano, which I could play right-handed and even though I thought they were good...so did he, I just couldn't perform. I played them for my mom a time or two but she made the mistake of...at a tupperware party, asking me to play it. It really was pretty good, but NO WAY!.
I kept it to myself, but there was always music running through my head...still is, and it sort of manifested itself in later years when some friends formed a band. I had to be completely wasted to sing like I could but when I was it didn't come out right. Sorry Lee and Kulani....so, I've all these sounds in my brain and finally a stereo system to drown them out.
I never quit writing lyrics...you just won't hear them. That's a good thing. My sense of humor is warped.
