Current mood:
Found some early Harry pics, so thought I would share...
Here is what I believe to be my earliest pic...
And, proving further I have always been about the wheels, as I posted in my "car blog":
Looks like lots more where these came from, but this is all for now!
Current mood:
Lori had her van in the shop and had been driving my spare. We were planning to go pick her van up from the shop Saturday morning. Since she was driving the spare Dodge van, which Foster feels is his, he was chomping at the bit to get to the van. I didnt see any reason not to have him tag along, so away the 3 of us went.
We got to the mechanic's shop and I parked in the shade, but Foster wasn't hearing about sitting in the van, so I let him out with me, and he obediently stayed nearby, which had me very happy that he was becoming such a responsible lad. I paid for the repairs and was preparing to send Lori on her way, when we got involved with more talks about her car. Meanwhile Foster had gotten out of sight for a couple of minutes.
Out the back door of the shop, there is a white clay driveway, with a puddle in it that was full of grease, oil and solvents where apparantly some parts had been being cleaned, combined with recent rainwater. Either way, it was something you definitely would not want to step in.
Unless you're Foster, in which case you dive in head first and roll in it. I called for him, and he came in the back door dripping oily water, and black to the sight. Sailors should not have heard what I was saying, and somehow his new name became "Asshole".
So, I had to take him to the car wash area to get him clean enough to transport, then after he dried a bit, loaded him into the van, and took him home to the front yard. He was banished there until we could prepare to bathe him with Dawn dishwashing liquid. If it was good enough for the animals from the Valdez spill, it is good enough for Foster...and quite effective. Two washes later, with a good high pressure hosing down, he seems good as new.
I was fit to be tied. Today I am starting to see the humor in it...when he walked in dirty, it was like a movie scene...just unbelievable. He knew he pissed me off, but he killed me with kindness for the rest of the day, do I guess we are OK now, LOL. How can you not like him for long?
Current mood:
Wow, it has been a while since I have written a blog…a lot has been happening, but either much of it has not been newsworthy, or I have been too busy at the time to write. No news generally means no drama, so that can be a good thing...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Home life has been status quo, although I am happy to say I took a few Saturdays off this month and was able to have some recreational time with Lori and friends. Jacky is off living with her latest beau, Andy is working and living with roommates, and Samantha and Ashton are back with us for the time being again…the house was empty for a little while! I am amazed at how good Foster and Tiny are around Ashton…particularly Foster, who plays very well with him, and more importantly is very tolerant.
Speaking of the house, things are looking good on that front. All the areas where the excavations took place because of the felled trees are starting to look normal again. We had been getting some decent rains that were helping us along on that front, but alas the heat and drought have arrived and all is burning away and dehydrating. My landscape skills are a bit Darwinian in that I do not water or preen over the lawn, rather just let things happen, LOL.
And here is a shot of the overview of the front...we live in the house on the right (4br 2ba) and the house on the left is the spare "guest house". It is a 2br 1 ba, but the second bedroom has been converted to a dining room. The driveway on that lot leads to the rear where I park the work van and the truck, the spare van is parked out front, and Lori uses the front driveway to park her car. As seen in my previous blog, this was a much bushier, messier area not long ago, but it also had far more trees and fences, LOL!
Just as I feel like I am getting ahead on that front, another neighbors tree falls…this time on my "guest house". I kept thinking one day a big tree would fall and destroy the house, and the insurance company would step up and pay for my remodeling, but alas, the trunk of the tree flattened my fence, and only a side branch struck the house, apparently doing only minor, if any damage to the house so far…but it is far more project than my little chainsaw will handle, and the neighbor who owns the property isn't exactly rushing over here to cut it up, so I feel like I have my work cut out for me in the next few weeks. The view has changed in the backyard there as they have just built a brand new duplex on the lot adjacent to my back yard.
Been working on ideas for improvements that need to be done around my property, such as new fencing to replace the hurricane damaged fences, new windows to replace some of my older, less energy efficient panes and the possibilities of adding a deck and French doors to the rear of the house and a fixed carport to the front of the main house. These get put to the back burner though, because the process of securing permits and a contractor can be a bit daunting. Secondly, I want to wait until my cash flow is a little more secure.
What will secure my cash flow will be getting rid of my medical debt. For those who may not know, I had a severe accident in Sept 2004 that resulted in a broken neck, along with other injuries, and a STAGGERING medical bill that I was solely responsible for. I own property, so the hospital had no interest in lowering my debt to make it manageable, they were more interested in putting a lien on my property and taking me to court to obtain a judgement against me. Rather than declare bankruptcy or use other devious means to make the debt go away, I opted to pay it…so since getting back in the saddle, I have been sending Halifax Hospital every spare penny I can afford. I have been living a very austere lifestyle; all my purchases have been for the business or to survive, and I spend no money on recreation to speak of. I have kept a pretty intense schedule as well. This is resulting in great success in my goal of eliminating this albatross around my neck. It would have been easy to go to my attorney and make it go away, but I think taking the higher road, although harder, makes me a better person at the end of the day. Sometimes the right thing to do is not the easiest. I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and I have my eye on the prize…so maybe by 2008, I will actually be able to keep what I earn and spend it on improving my life, rather than paying off this plate in my neck.
I did get to splurge on one indulgence for myself recently. I had no vehicle to drive on my day off…my only vehicles were my work van, and a Dodge Cargo Van I kept for a spare in case the main van broke down, and also to use on my days off, or to transport the dogs. On the days when I would want to travel to see friends, I had to drive one of them…and the Dodge is no gas miser. I had been looking for a car or truck, but the parameters were that whatever I bought had to be enough vehicle to pull a trailer, in case I needed to use it for work. I found out my friend Joanne was selling her truck. Joanne is battling MS and has not been able to drive for some time. Even as she recovers, she cannot drive a stick shift, so she put her beloved truck up for sale. She bought it brand new after moving here. It is a 2000 Toyota Tacoma. I have always fancied her truck, and when I heard it was for sale, I called her right away and agreed to buy it. It suits my needs for a fuel efficient day off vehicle, and it will pull my trailer with no problem…it just will not accommodate passengers, unless they want to ride in the back, LOL. This worked out well for me, and JoJo, and I think there is some solace to her knowing that her truck is being cared for by a friend. I know that selling the truck was not an easy thing for her to do. I set up a nice little covered parking area in the backyard so that the truck stays dry and shaded.
Work has been going really well…shows are staying pretty busy, and no real drama occurring. I am trying to go digital again, so I am scoping out laptop deals, determining what software to use, and on the learning curve of doing things right this time. I went digital once before, but I only use that rig for private parties and weddings…it does not really do what I need it to do in the bars, so I am rethinking it all now. Hopefully, very soon I will be fully digital and carrying a little less weight with me to the venues, and being a lot more efficient as well.
So, how are things in your world?Current mood:
Next month marks the 15th anniversary of a local event many people do not know about or remember. It is amazing when I bring it up, people think I am kidding with them...hard to believe it was 15 years ago!!
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July 3, 1992…around 10:30 pm, I was in my 66 Ford Fairlane convertible, cruising the beachside with the top down. Stopped and parked by the boardwalk, walked around, then got back in the car, up the Main Street ramp, and off to US-1 to visit Taco Bell in South Daytona. Ordered up Tacos, then parked in the lot at the Outlet Mall across the street to consume them while watching the cars go by, listening to the radio under the stars of a clear sky.
The announcer came on the radio and announced that an 18 ft tidal wave had just swept over the boardwalk. I really thought it was a hoax. After a few more reports, I turned to AM news and verified an event had just occurred. I returned to the beach to find all the parked cars had been overwhelmed by a wave of seawater crashing into and swamping hundreds of cars parked that evening on the beach in front of the boardwalk. We all knew people who lost their cars that night...many were not insured.
To this day, there is no explanation for the "rogue wave" that struck. There was no warning, and it has not occurred since. The most rational and accepted cause was that there was an underwater landslide or shift which created the wave. Other theories involve methane gas burps, to nuclear subs. (President Bush Sr was in town for the races…AND Daytona does have a history of submarine activity off the coast dating back to WW2). Other less likely theory involved meteors and flying saucers.
If you are curious, intrigued or otherwise calling Bravo Sierra on me, just Google "Daytona Rogue Wave" for more info.
Keep those windows up beachgoers, LOL!
Current mood:
Heard this idea, and was skeptical, but I tested it and it appears to genuinely work!
I sprayed the front of my van with a hose to loosen the dead carcasses as much as possible, leaving just the juice, random parts and stains behind. I then cleaned half the hood with a sponge and soap to see how difficult it would be to remove the bugs...and it was nearly impossible, and required a tremendous amount of scrubbing and effort.
I used a Bounce dryer sheet to clean the other half. Everything was removed instantly!
Spray the front of the car and wet it thoroughly, then take a dry Bounce dryer sheet and start rubbing the stains lightly, then add pressure as necessary. I would recommend rinsing immediately, especially on black plastic pieces, then washing with clean soap and water to remove the fabric softener residue.
I got every spot off the front of my van in minutes with no effort.
Have fun!
Current mood:
May 19 (Saturday) marks the anniversary of my professional career as HARRYOKE! I landed on Flagler Beach with my trailer full of goodies on May 19, 1999, and have not left yet, 2180 shows later!
Hard to believe! Was going over my calendar and realized that this week marks my 8th year serving Flagler with the Harryoke show. It seems like yesterday that I started at Finnegans and Mothers. I have worked at both of those venues continuously since 1999!!
I also had the privelege to work at the old Damn Yankee (now Fishermans Net), Peggys Place (now JTs), Henrys at the Harborside Resort, The former Ocean Deck Cafe (now the Iron Boot), The Shark House and Smiles...along with other venues in the Daytona, DeLand and Orlando areas.
I always laugh about my time at the Iron Boot, because I worked Fridays there for a long time, and went thru like 4 owners and multiple renovations... The only common denominator was that I was there on Friday night at 8...regardless of who worked, owned the building or where the doors or windows moved to, LOL! Anyone who spent anytime at the old Peggys shows has some stories to tell as well.
The only time I ever left a job was either because it was sold and closed, closed for other reasons, or to take a better position! Not a bad record!
My thanks to all of you who have supported me and my show since 99, and allowed me to conduct business full time and make a living. I could not do it without you!
I have made some very close and wonderful friends thru this life path who have changed my life in many ways, and I am looking forward to meeting more and more as the next years go by!
THANKS FRIENDS!!!
Harry
www.myspace.com/harryokeCurrent mood:
I am not gonna bore anyone by getting too political or technical, so I will speak simply and without great detail.
HR1592 is a piece of legislation on the table that would make a "hate crime" out of causing someone physical harm based on their sexual preference, as well as other parameters. The bill is designed merely to help punish more severely anyone who inflicts bodily harm or death to another human.
There is a controversy that Christian leaders are not supporting this bill because they feel it is a greasing of the slope toward religious persecution...that they will not be able to preach against homosexuality without penalty.
This is just not so. There is no wording in the bill to limit free speech. The only people who need fear this bill are those who plan on causing bodily harm or death to another, or plan to incite others to do the same.
To see the actual wording of the bill for yourself click here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1592
My sister is an evangelical Christian (Pentecostal) who had brought this issue to my mind via a blog encouraging people to not support the bill. I responded by pointing out the wording of the bill did not limit the free speech, and further countering that if preachers WERE inciting congregations to inflict bodily injury on gays, that they should be reigned or or made accountable for inciting such an action.
My sister and I had a dialog about this at her blog, but then I noticed her blogs were removed...I am not sure if she removed them because she had rethought her position or what the reason was, but was surprised to see them gone.
Then, I turned on the TV and on the Colbert Report, there was Steven Colbert echoing my sentiment, in his usual sarcastic way. I wanted to share that clip here in a blog for those who had any interest in it. It is only about 3 minutes long. I ws originally just going to send it to my sister, but figured a blog was a good way to have any dialog about the subject.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKYgsOCcZHw
