Atrocious day of eating, LOL...

Atrocious day of eating, LOL...

Current mood:fermented

My food intake today has been notable, and very atypical...noted as thus:
Morning:  Lime Michelob Ultra, Liverwurst Sub with onions, mustard, pickles and swiss cheese...
Afternoon...more lime beer...
Evening...Country Fried Steak and 3 eggs and pancakes at I-hop, with 5 cups of coffee...topped with Cholula hot sauce of course...
Then, home for more lime beer...then off to ConeHeads for a Banana Split, featuring 2 scoops of cow tracks and one scoop of mint chocochip, and strawberries, pineapple, whipped cream, nuts and bananas...then home for more lime beer.
Be very afraid...LOL!

Interesting Coinkydink

Our dogs Tiny and Foster have different personalities, but are each uniquely wonderful. One thing about Tiny, is that she is not particularly affectionate all the time...that is, she has her moments, but she has never been one to be cuddly or snuggly, like Foster is.
One night not long ago, I plunked on the couch and Tiny joined me, and snuggled up to my lap. Foster joined us, so I suggested that Lori take a picture.

Then, since I was impressed that Tiny was hangin out, I got Lori to shoot another pic of Tiny and I...

My kneejerk reaction to seeing the photos was that they were cool, but my pose was not the most flattering to me, LOL! But, it was a rare, candid shot.
Later, I found this pic of me from when I was maybe 12, with my dog Scosh



...
I guess I always have been a dog on the couch guy, and always will be, LOL. Just loved the coincidence and the equally unflattering pose, LOL!

This is an initial run at blogging on this site, so here is a test blog, about my Leg Lamp.

I got this lamp for my girlfriend, as she has a sense of humor, and an appreciation for the Christmas Spirit that this lamp embodies, provided you HAVE seen the movie "A Christmas Story"

She is very pleased with her major award, as it has been displayed for all the world to see, LOL!

"Before" Pics of the House

My House...before pics from 1998

Current mood:amused

I had an insurance rep come to the house this week to take pics of my house for my insurance coverage. This made me appreciate how far along my house has come in the last 10 years, so I searched for some pics of when I first bought it. Those of you who have seen current pics, or have been to my home will appreciate the laughs here...

The hurricanes and storms made a great impact on the property by knocking down trees, and fences, LOL! The whole yard was overgrown, but when I bought the house, no sun hit the roof, so the AC costs were so minimal. When the oak trees started falling down, the AC bill went thru the roof, and the look of the property has changed dramatically!

This was the shot when I put the contract on it...it had been sitting vacant for awhile after the owner, who lived in Vermont, had her renters leave and put it up for sale. They did not clean it out, pretty much just got their things and left. I bought it as is, warts and all...

The paint was a worn white finish, with a blue trim. All the accent colors looked as though they had been from left over gas station paint...deep blue and industrial grey.

This is a shot from the back porch toward the greenhouse and workshop. You cannot see them thru the brush. The entire backyard was a jungle with paths cut thru it. When I bought the house, I removed 7 trees from the back yard in order to accomodate the septic tank and drainfield I installed. The house had been here since 1949 with no septic...only cesspools. We excavated the entire back yard pretty much and opened it up...as those who have been to my bonfires know, LOL!

Shot from the orange tree to the back door...we have the bonfires where this tree is. The stone patio at the back door did not reveal itself for several months. Digging in the back yard, I found it under all the overgrowth.

The living room, in tasteful pink and teal.

Here is the kitchen, with the original victorian wall paper, pink shag carpet, and sliding glass doors installed backwards...

Here is the room that became my office...it was a nursery before. It has since been redecorated, and new sash windows installed, LOL!

The bathroom was atrocious! Black, grey and blue, with oil base sponge paint around the vanity. Shag carpet, sagging floors and no toilet. The plaster on the wall was so sharp that grabbing toilet paper too quickly could cause you to cut your knuckle. It has since been gutted, replastered, replumbed and redone completely.

This was the "great room" in the rear of the house. The renters used it for a living room, but it was better suited for me as a master bedroom, as it also has a master bath attached...so I build a new wall just a few feet on the other side of the columns you see here, creating another room/hallway that leads to the other bedrooms on the other side of the house. The color does not look horrible in the pics, but it was an overwhelming terra cotta blend, and the ceiling was painted the same color. Aargh.

Big difference from before and after! Just thought I would post these and share! More changes coming, but what a LONG WAY it has already come!!

To see current pics, try this link:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=29282324&albumId=1787358

The TV that wont die...

The TV that wouldnt die...

Current mood:impressed

So, it was back circa 1987 or so, that I was asked to help a friend move. She was breaking up with her boyfriend, and moving out. I loaded my truck with all her stuff, and after checking to make sure we had it all I noticed the TV. She said she had no room for it, but I could have it if I wanted it. It was an old Gold Star color TV, with the two knobs on the front...for you kiddies that have never seen one, LOL!

I used it as my bedroom TV for years...moved it to the living room for awhile when I got a nicer bedroom TV. Kept it in use even until I moved to DeLand in 97...having had it myself now for 10 years in constant use.

I retired it just in time for my buddy Tom to tell me his TV had taken a crap. I gave him the GoldStar which he put into service. He got a really nice large screen TV for Christmas a bit later, so he moved the GoldStar to his bedroom.

I went over to his house on Saturday night, to see the GoldStar in place in the living room...picture crisp as ever. The big screen lost a tube, so I manhandled it to the garbage for Tom...but it was way too heavy to get into the dumpster myself. LOL!

Twenty one years after I rescued this GoldStar from an uncertain fate, it is still showing it's gratitude. Simply amazing!!

I'VE BEEN FLOCKED!

I’ve Been Flocked...(thats a good thing)...and my ’mingo history

Current mood:amused

Well, I left for work last night, and Lori called to ask if I knew about what was in the yard. I of course did not, and she would not elaborate. I asked, "what is it, a pink flamingo or something?", given my history with pink flamingoes, and the sense of humor of my friends. She would not elaborate, and told me to wait until I got home. I pulled up at 3 am to this sight...in the dark of course (this aint Alaska!):

This was the work of my friends, Delores, Chris, Sandy, Dennis and Nilsson. The "flocking" is sponsored by Florida Hospital, and is a fund raiser for Breast Cancer Research/American Cancer Society. For 30-40 dollars, they will flock someones yard, and you can have them removed by calling and paying $20...or just live with them for 3 days, and promote the awareness. I am opting to keep them for 3 days, but I have a feeling others may get flocked, LOL.

For more info, contact Katie at 386.898.0299 to flock someone in the greater Halifax area.

A bit about my 'mingo history. Many of my friends already know this story, but I will tell it for the uninitiated. Before I moved where I live now, I lived in a neighborhood that was family oriented, but aspired to be better than it was...and in this effort, sent people around to inspect houses and write up those who were in violation of any homeowners rules. Each tenant had a prospectus and rule book as to what was allowed and what was a violation.

I got wrote up a few times, justifiably, for issues such as grass, peeling paint or similar. I got wrote up once for having an ugly vehicle in the driveway, LOL. I disagreed...it was a classic 64 Ford Fleetside...sure it had a few different colors on it...but ugly is in the eye of the beholder.

The final straw was when I got wrote up for having a sign in my yard for having a burglar alarm. They told me I had to take it out of the yard and put it on the house. Nowhere in writing did that appear, so I appealed the complaint. They said a sign fell in the same category as a for sale sign. This did not appear in writing and I disagreed, so I asked them about campaign signs. They said those were temporary, so it did not matter. I then asked about lawn ornaments. They said there was no provision for lawn ornaments. Seeing my loophole, I left and aquiesced to their demand to move my sign. I then also added 50 pink lawn flamingos to my front yard.

The mingos adorned the border of my property, my trees, my driveway...and generally just made themselves at home. I became known as the flamingo guy. They would get "stolen" then reappear at my work place, and at friends houses, usually to return unharmed, LOL. Several nights were spent with friends and family on...uh....hunts....for mates for my mingos.

Eventually, after several years the interest waned, and since I moved I have not really had any mingos...that is until I did a party that had a tacky Hawaiian theme, and there were a pair in attendance. I took one, and my friend Elizabeth took the other. Hers has since passed away, but years later, mine is still grazing in my front yard as a harkening back to my past. Just this week, I removed the leis from the mingos neck, LOL.

It will be fun living with these birds over the weekend and remembering the past. Hopefully I will also create some awareness for the Breast Cancer cause.

A BIG THANKS TO MY FRIENDS FOR THE LAUGH!!!

Of Bonfires and Guy Fawkes

Of Bonfires and Guy Fawkes

Current mood:satisfied

Well, the time came again for another bonfire. This one was not on the large attendance scale like the last one, as I was having it as a party for my friend Nilsson and his son Aaron, who are visiting here from England. The weather was a concern, as it rained the day before, and the day after, but for the day of the party, I could not have asked for a nicer day. We had about 25 people over, close friends and family who knew Nilsson. THAT is why the signal did not go out for everyone to come over. THAT will be next time, LOL!

BEFORE SHOT:

As we were having some Brits in attendance, they suggested burning a "Guy" for Guy Fawkes day. I wont go into the whole explanation, but if you are curious, I would just google Guy Fawkes, and look at the Wikipedia entry for all details on him, and Guy Fawkes day, which is observed in England and Rhode Island. In short, it is customary to have bonfires, fireworks and destroy an effigy of Guy Fawkes by firework or fire. As fireworks are banned here, the bonfire worked well.

The birth of Guy...created by Nilsson, Dennis and Aaron...

And, the death of Guy....

Guy gave off a nice glow, LOL.

Of course, if there is a fire, and Randy and I are there, what kind of fire is it without first some fire jumping, and fire walking? Keep in mind, the flash erases some of the flames in the pictures, but the heat is on, LOL!!

Aaron and Foster share a drink after playing "chase the ball"

All in all, a great evening. We sat out in the yard with the music and fire until about 1/4 to 3, but the time change bought us an extra hour of sleep. Woke up and cleared the back yard just in time for the rain to come, LOL!

See you all at the next bonfire! Hopefully it will be before it gets hot again.