True Life and Fiction

Well, you know the rest. It seems Spring has Sprung! I'm certainly ready for some warmer weather. I'm still waiting for that last push of cold we always seem to get right before Summer hits (we don't really have a spring here) but the weeds, and bushes, and postapocalyptic wasteland of my back yard are not waiting around for the official announcement of Spring. Spent the last weekend cleaning and weeding, but would hardly notice the difference. The one difference I've noticed is that my body hurts in places I've never felt before, and I realize that yardwork is not the healthy and relaxing chore I was to believe. I'd like to find the person who propagated that myth and ... well, you know. Now that I've worn myself down I can get back to some writing.

Well folks, I know that I am Yankee by birth, but since I will probably live in the South for the rest of my life, I must adapt. I do believe that I am making progress in the department of "Redneckification," and today for the first time, I saw some of that progress. As some of you may already know, this time of year is hurricane and tornado season in the South. Today, I was out and about taking care of some business when the tornado sirens began wailing. We all made our way to the center of the building and took up positions along a long cement-walled corrider on the first floor. We spent about an hour waiting, while notifications of tornado touchdowns in the local area were broadcast through the loudspeaker system. Of course, I thought of my two grandchildren and wondered if they were doing okay, if they were scared, or if the daycare they go to was taking proper care of them. But I thought of two other things that truly show (progress?) toward my ultimate redneckificat...

What's the difference between a rant and just plain bitching? I've studied this much (most because I get accused of the later while trying the former. I suppose it's all about attitude. My hero in the ranting department is Clark W. Griswold. Yes, I know he's a fictional character but I've yet to find anyone capable of ranting, or bitching like he does in the movie "Christmas Vacation" Clark Griswold Goes Off! If anyone knows of a better rant, please post a response here. Until then, Clark, you da' man.

Yep, with the weather getting warmer and Spring on the way, my thoughts have, once again, turned to those forlorn memories of camping in the Olympic mountains. And then I shutter, and realize how great life is now. I suppose I once enjoyed camping because it was all I knew. Sure, I trekked into Seattle once in awhile to rendezvous with a girlfriend or visit Seattle Center, but most of my earlier family memories revolve around camping at some lake, sleeping in a tent, or under the stars. Oh, those bygone days of waking up in a freezing wet sleeping bag and running barefoot through muddy rocky dirt to find an appropriate bush to seek relief from my over-stressed bladder. Good times. The mornings were often filled with discoveries of new life forms cohabitating with me in my sleeping bag, melted sneakers found too close to the fire pit, and the mushy feeling between my toes derived from stepping on marshmallows dropped the night before. Yes, I remember days spent wearin...

First off, let me apologize for my recent absence in the blogosphere. We took a short vacation this weekend and went south of the border. No, we did not splurge, and eat dinner at our local Taco Bell, We drove to South Florida to attend the wedding of a relative. I must give proper thanks to my cousin for inviting us to this wonderful wedding. We had a great time celebrating the union of two great people, danced like we were young again (I'm tellin' ya, we were "crunk" dancing and everything) and learned much about our extended families, and ourselves. I will not post pictures of the wedding as I have not asked permission to do so, but suffice it to say, I was a truly fabulous wedding. My personal thanks go out to the Bride's family for doing such a great job with the preparations. I would like to report that I found, what might arguably be, the best Cuban sandwich in Miami. One can find many reviews for this place on the web, but I will add my own. Our mid-...