On The Road Again

Yep, that's me riding. What you can't see the smile on my face?
Oh yes it really was long overdue but last week my FatBoy was finally serviced and is now back on the road. When I received the first phone call from the dealership and they asked me how long it had been out of service I told them a little bit over three years. Well Mr. Joe Cool the bike won't start, and it's not because your battery is dead but due to it being parked for so long... And so it started, the long list of things that needed to be replaced. Brittle hoses, blown lamps, dead battery, fluids and on and on and on.

On Saturday I received another call this one was bitter sweet. Bitter because I knew the big hole that my pocked was about to acquire, but sweet because finally the FatBoy would be on the road. "Mr. Joe Cool, your bike is ready, you may pick it up at your convenience". I drafted my daughter Nikki to give me a ride to go pick it up. "So dad how long has it been since you last rode it?" Nikki asked. "Well baby, I can tell you exactly the last day I rode it. It was a Friday, I rode it to work, then rode back home, parked it, got on my car, picked junior up, and we were on our way to California for your wedding". "Dad, that was FIVE years ago!".

Poser? I think not. But I did pose for this picture. lol
So while at the counter going through all the damage Nikki says. Dad are you going to come out clean and tell them the truth. She tells the guy at the counter it had been five years since I started it. The guy at the counter laughs and says, we figured on five to six years. lol

How did I go without riding for that long is beyond me. But boy I mounted that thing and got it on the freeway and it felt as if I had just ridden it recently. I added the insurance, got it through emissions, renew my tags, and now I am legal to ride it again. Needless to say I already rode it to work once.

Arizona Bike Week is about to begin and I intend to do a ride or two. I deserve it for being so patient. Who knows maybe even do Laughlin and Sturgis this year, yep I'm going all out, got lots of ground to recover and ride.


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Perra del día

Here's Winnie, an eight-week old puppy fostered by the daughter of my friend M. from the cooking club. Winnie could be part Dalmatian from the look of the spots beginning to show under her fur, and maybe part Jack Russell terrier. M. says she's adorable, very intelligent and ready for a good home.

"J" is for Jikes!

JIKES!

Jikes! But Sexy.
Jikes! is what I say everytime I see this image.

And "J" is also for... Well me! Jose.
Joe Cool.

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The Choirboy Saga Continues...

Well as you all know by now "Little Joe" is out the crock pot is bravely facing this world. The first of three to come this year. Numero ocho as I affectionately called him before. Nine and ten are soon to follow, and when it's all said and done it will be ten for 2010.

I couldn't be at church on Friday's mass to sing with the choir but I was told that they (the choir) dedicated the performance first to God and then to Ramon Jose. How awesome is that? Mass was at 7:00 pm and he was born at 7:15 pm on St. Joseph's day.

This coming Thursday we will be having a mass and it's dedicated to all moms but specially to all pregnant women. I have invited my daughters to go at leas one has confirmed she will be there. Staying busy obviously has not been an issue with me.

This last two weeks will be our busiest. And for Good Friday we will sing mass completely a Capella, now that will really be interesting but I can't think it will go wrong, the music is inside all of us anyway, so I am really looking forward to it.

Being in the choir is not as much a challenge as I first thought as it is a pleasure just being able to serve and to be a part of it. My sister did tell me I would feel something like that. She wasn't wrong.

He's never led the Benediction
He never sang in the choir
But he's an angel with no halo
And one wing in the fire.

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I scare myself

 Boo! Scary kitty from the blog Thinning the Herd

Today the Spanish-word-for-the-day (a Google gadget) tickled me: asustarse, a reflexive verb* which literally means "to scare oneself."  When I think of all the times I get myself spooked, I think this could be one of my most useful words.

It's also the name of a favorite song, and I'm starting to learn it now, so I might have it down really well by Halloween. It's originally a Dan Hicks tune, but here's a version I like by Thomas Dolby. Note the chanted refrain at the end: "It's me I'm scared of..." ¡Por cierto, la verdad!

Underbed monster, from a photo gallery inspired by childhood fears, on the Geekologie blog

*Reflexive:  (of a verb or clause) having a reflexive pronoun as its object, e.g., wash oneself.

What a Saturday!

Ah, my FatBoy is so ready to hit the road with his master.
Well, the FatBoy still did not make it to the shop but it's getting closer. Maybe by Monday at the latest it should be on it's way to being road worthy again. Too many cool rides coming up, bike nights are just popping up everywhere and I am so itching to ride.

So this morning as a warm up we drove to Arrowhead Harley Davidson just to window shop and dream a little. It is my hobby to try for size all the bikes I like but in the end I opt that my 94 FatBoy is still a great looking bike.

We got hungry so a quick stop at Hooters for hot wings was required. My oh my, what great looking wings (wink, wink) yep, can't eat just one. Spring training has started so there was a lot of traffic and add to that an Chili Cook off at Arrowhead HD and yes, there was plenty so see. But did I mentioned what great looking wings they had there?

Here's the proper way on how to eat wings, sauce all over the cheeks.
When I returned home my youngest daughter was here and she volunteer for us to go out and do something. But first I had to take a nap. lol Couple of hours and a shower later we were on our way. I chose to go to Target as I needed some things and we just totally made an outing out of it.

Nikki just being... well Nikki.
We came back home and we were on our lap tops listening to music and what not, when I decided I was hungry. Technology being as advance as it is I sent her a Facebook comment asking her if she was hungry, never mind she was only four feet away from me. She quickly replied and in a matter of minutes we were on our way. There's this place that has the best tortas around and if I was not going to have tacos it had to be those tortas. I opted for a torta de milanesa, she opted for the same except while mine was beef hers was chicken. I'm telling you these tortas are to die for. To wash them down they also sell the best aguas frescas I had a fruit punch and Nikki the melon flavor, both ummm ummm good.

So I had my cheese smile and she said it looked creepy. Ummm I just don't see it. lol
After that we said goodbye and were on our way home. What a nice Saturday filled with family and friends time.

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Saturday morning play dates

It all started with a dog about the size of a kitten, with a voice the size of three dogs. Akira, like most Mexican dogs, is allowed to run free in the parking lot chasing cats, and when I spotted her I fretted, gringo-style, about her safety. Soon I was talking with her owner M.,  a ten-year-old angel , daughter of my schoolteacher neighbors. Then one evening her mom and I had a backyard chat. There are four kids in the family, the youngest only five, and they all spend the entire day at the school, year-round except for holidays. Mom has no maid to clean the house, and though Dad does pitch in with the cooking and laundry, she has very little free time.

So last Saturday M. came over while the parents were at work, and we spent the morning brushing our dogs, and walking rescue dogs at the nearby kennel. I bought Akira a real dog collar and we found that she takes to the leash very well.

While I was fixing lunch, I could tell M. was shyly trying to make a request, so I stopped and asked her, "What would you like to do?" And she knocked my socks off with her reply: "Can I check my email?"


This Saturday she came over to join me for a grocery shopping expedition and her first guitar lesson on a little pink guitar. We covered tuning and the chords A, E and D, which I assured her would be all she'd need for many songs. She wants to bake lasagna, make clay sculpture, learn to sew, play American rock and roll songs... she brings out my inner ten-year-old.


Best of all, I'm getting to know my neighbors. M's mom speaks English and has already offered to help me with my Spanish.


So maybe it won't be quite such a loss when the snowbirds fly away over the next couple of weeks. I'll just invite M. over for a guitar-and-lasagna session.

Blessings

Isn't she lovely?
Oh yes, today is the day. My little numero ocho should be here soon. I just got word from my son that they just got to the hospital, ummmm I wonder is they made a pit stop to stop for some food, that seems to be popular with him. "What? Me,having a kid on an empty stomach, never!" of course that was Juan talking and not Jennifer. lol

So I'll be doing this post in pieces and bits so make sure to catch up with any addendum to it, for now suffice to say that I am overjoyed to know that my grandson is almost here. Oh and by the way I believe if it's a boy he will have my name... I think! So I am crossing my fingers and cheering for a boy, je je je but if it's a girl I'll thank God just the same, after all it is the girls that are my little magnets.

Two of my three crock pots.

From where you are baby, I know your hand will be there holding Jeniffer's legs and telling her to push and breathe and push again. Send your blessing to us and pray all goes smoothly as in the previous times. We miss you but I know you are with us.

Ja,ja, ja, I was right they stopped to eat at a restaurant before checking in. I left the house at around 11:00 am and almost made it to the hospital when I realized I too was starving so I stopped at a McDonalds and got me a Fillet-O-Fish, and a coffee. When I finally got to the hospital Linda and Fred were already there. Kika showed up half an hour later and so we all went to the cafeteria to eat.

There were no delivery rooms available so we were in this small but cozy room waiting, and waiting, and waiting, finally hours later two rooms became available, so we all went to this room which happened to be the very same room where Juanito was born. Linda right away said, "Yes, indeed Sylvia is with us today". So how cool is that Juanito and "Little Joe" (je, je, je, I'll call him that, you all can call him Ramon) were born in the same room.

Kika stepped up to the plate and did exactly what Sylvia would have done. I believe she said it was an experience for her too. When we were finally allowed to come back into the room we just took that opportunity to introduce ourselves to the new little bundle of joy whom by the way is a mini Brianna/Juanito. These kids cannot deny eachother, they all look alike.

Calm and collected she waited for the moment when "Little Joe" would come.
Waiting is for the birds, we'll just text the whole world in the meantime.
I was going to say the happy couple but Juan's face...

World may I present to you my grandson Ramon Jose Melo. "Little Joe" the world.

Grandpa, "Little Joe", and daddy.
The other grandpa, the better looking grandpa, "Little Joe", and daddy again.
Hi tia Kika, thanks for helping my momma.
Tia Kika, grandma Linda, and "Little Joe".
Tia Kika and "Little Joe".
Hello son!

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Just Bare With Me

I know I have been absent from blogging, trust me it's not laziness as many times I open up the page but when I stare at the text square my mind is blank. I continue to do the things I love and family gatherings happen almost every weekend but then again what else is new. Exactly, nothing is new and that is just the point, life kindda becomes a routine where friends and family almost predict what the next move is going to be. I found out today that I am that predictable and it got me thinking that something has to change.

Realizing that 50 isn't really old is cool then bam all of a sudden you think darn I am 50 and that isn't really young either. I have my beard which actually has been with me almost like forever, OK that is an exaggeration, but at least since I was sixteen or so. I can count with one hand the times I shaved it. Now the mustache is another thing I think that one only came off once many moons ago and quickly found it's way out and stay there forever. So why I am talking about this nonsense of beards and mustaches, well my mom seems to think if I take it off I would look so much younger. I just laughed and asked her, "Mama, what for?". Then again she has been asking me since I was 30 years old or so. She just doesn't give up. I keep hearing that 50 is just a number, a state of mind, but darn it, it's getting heavy.

Well, I know I still have a young mind, how can I not when I am surrounded by nothing but youth. My kids, my grand kids, my friends. So I will continue to do what I do best which is adapt to the environment around me, and absorb as much as I can so that I don't fall in the trap of not knowing what in the heck they are talking about. You gotta keep up with their lingo, their codes, their everything.

A long time ago I was asked this question: "Why are you getting married so young", and I remember answering that I really wanted to be able to meet and play with my grandchildren. Well, that wish was fulfilled seven fold and three on the way. By the way, God willing this coming Friday grand kid numero ocho will be among us. My daughter in law is going to be induced and I can't wait to meet this little new bundle of joy.

So, please bare with me during this period of adaptation, in the meantime I continue to be involved in the choir that by the way is keeping me very busy. Although very fulfilling it is such a huge commitment and it seems we will be very busy over the next couple of weeks. I promise if I find my way to the computer I may try to go beyond just staring at the text block and actually write something.

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My Weekend

What a weekend, from Happy Hour, to Happy Birthday Carne Asada, to my continued new career as a choirboy, to a free concert/spiritual hour after the six o'clock mass, not a dull moment in this kids life.

It was Junior's birthday last week and my father in law's birthday today so last Saturday we decided to have a Carne Asada to celebrate. As always we had plenty of of food. My sister in law made the rice, my daughter in law brought beans with chorizo, (uuum they were good too), her mom baked the cake, and I blended a couple of my very tasty salsas. We had a really good time and I think everyone left on a full stomach. I for one am still paying the price for overeating but if you know me then you know I can't say no to the Carne Asada. I may be biased but I trully think our family gatherings are the best.

Sunday we had a special guest singer at church. His name is Michael John Poirier and along with his wife, three kids, and a dog, he travels throughout the United States visiting one church after another while spreading his message through some very impressive music which he composes.

As he sang one of his songs, my niece and I picked up the chorus which was very repetitive and started singing with him, we were soon joined by most of our choir members and just sang along with him. It was moving and inspiring as most of what he does is improvised. He has the ability of just putting words to the sweet melodic music he played. Talented individual indeed. When I paid him a compliment on his voice instead of just saying thanks he told me so do you. To say a big smile came out of my face would be an understatement. That was one of two major compliments I received yesterday. Ummmm, I think I'm sticking around this choir. It's nice to know that if your fellow parishioners like the music, then God must also be happy.

A huge feast at my sisters followed. More carne asada, mole verde, rice, beans, etc. etc. etc. I'm telling you I'm liking this Sundays more and more. lol Party in my tummy is definitely so yummy.

In the afternoon my sister and I went back to church. Michael was going to have a sort of motivational mini concert and we were all invited. It was free of charge and totally worth the hour and a half we were there. Again this guy just motivates with his stories and his music. And even though he is not bilingual as he does not understand Spanish, he sang many songs he composed in Spanish (Go figure) of course it was all phonetically but he still sounded awesome as his enunciation was really good.

Spending all that time at church has been really good for me. As I told my sister, right now I have nothing but time so if they call me I'm there. We are heading towards two very busy weeks as holy week approaches, and I am totally looking forward to it.

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Coming out to play

Funny how things just snowball sometimes. Top of the annual wish list was a circle of friends to make music with, and suddenly it's happening. I put out the word on the local internet forum that I wanted to have a guitar workshop. Some people started getting in touch and it eventually evolved into a jam at my house today, and got me invited to play dates at a beautiful, funky beach house every Thursday afternoon. And then I found out about another one on Fridays. So far we've had a good mix of beginners with one or two very patient and more advanced musicians. I get to sing, and if someone else joins in, I can harmonize. And today,  some icing on the already yummy cake: we had a mandolin player!

Last year I learned some songs with my friend Francisco but his repertoire was mostly out of my range of ability. He considered uncool the old AED and CFG-chord tunes that most of us novices cut our teeth on. Then he moved to Guadalajara, and the Capt and I went sailing. When we came home, the Capt started playing my guitar and that was that. But now I'm plunking away on a new one, sounding horrible but everyone assures me I'll improve if I practice enough. The calluses on my fingertips tell me I'm working hard.

One of the songs my friend Diana introduced me to is KD Lang's "Constant Craving," about the mysterious urge we all seem to be born with, that drives us to do great things, or make great mistakes.

"Maybe a great magnet pulls

All souls towards truth 

        Or maybe it is life itself  

        That feeds wisdom to its youth"

My playing may never be up to my expectations, I may always be dissatisfied with it, but as KD says, "...this is a human condition."

The bittersweet part is that everybody who's come out to play with me is leaving soon. Maybe we'll swap songs through the summer over the Internet and get back to it in October. Meanwhile I'm hoping to start learning more Spanish songs so I can still fit in somewhere, when the snowbirds have all flown north.

Oops!

Oops, I'm sorry, Jomamma and MX Sailor, I somehow deleted your comments and don't know how to get them back again. How rude!

Feliz Dia De La Mujer, Girlfriends!

Lisa Henderling

I'd never have known about it if I hadn't made a trip today with Jan to feed dogs in the wilds of La Manga, where the only two-legged soul around was Simon, an elderly, toothless gent, possibly the caretaker, who despite his solitude is a very with-it fellow. Last time we saw him he was lounging in front of his battered RV reading a Dan Brown novel in Spanish. This time he greeted us with the news, gleaned from the radio, that today is "Dia De La Mujer!" Otherwise known as International Women's Day. We should go celebrate, he advised.


Is there a "Dia del Hombre?" we asked, and then answered our own question. Every day is a Dia del Hombre. He concurred.

Inseparable

Better get out your hankies, dog lovers.

When our friend Tim was hospitalized with cancer, one great worry among his friends was his dog Podin, who was elderly and big as a Shetland pony.  A couple of people tried to foster him, but when he finally was taken back to the land where Tim had lived in his RV, Podin finally seemed satisfied. Then I got this email today from my friend Kris who lives on the same land:
"I just got word that Podin left us a few days ago to be with Tim.  He never went far from the house here at Renacimiento, and was found out on the highway.  They dug a big hole, as you can imagine, and when I get details will probably mark it with a stone of some sort.

"He did well here and will be missed by all.  I remember Tim telling me last year that he thought it would be Podin's last summer; so now they can be together."

¡Esfumarse!

Is the universe trying to tell me something about my spending habits? Am I unconsciously trying to halt the hemorrhaging of money? Have I not been showing enough gratitude for my abundance?

A month ago I had two ATM cards, one for our business account, one for my personal account. Somehow in the last two weeks I have lost them both.


Each time, the cards disappeared after I drew cash from one particular machine at an Oxxo. I know I didn't leave the card there, I've gotten very paranoid about machines eating my cards, after it happened once in Obregon. Yet somehow while I was putting pesos and card away in my wallet, the card vanished. Vaporized! Disappeared into a black hole! ¡Esfumarse! (I love that comforting Spanish expression, it means it made itself disappear, in a puff of smoke.) Poof!


This time, just to reinforce with a little extra pain the lesson that I must become more mindful, I will to have to pay my US bank $45 to wire funds to my Mexican bank.


From now on, when I go to the ATM, I will make believe I'm going to a shrine. Well, isn't it, in a way?  Before sticking in my card, I will say a prayer that the machine works, has the funds and will part with them. I will carefully watch each phase of the transaction on the screen, while also checking that I (and my PIN#) am not being observed. When/if the cash comes out I will say a prayer of thanks. I will then put the pesos in my wallet, take deep breaths (good in, evil out) while waiting for the card, and then if/when it pops out, I will kiss that #%@& little piece of plastic reverently, and carefully slip it into its designated slot in my wallet, with another gratitude prayer.  Just in case, I will look at the floor around me to make sure it hasn't somehow escaped.

If that doesn't work, I'll try flowers, incense, a candle and an appeal to St. Anthony, Patron Saint of Lost Items. "Tony, Tony, turn around, something's lost and must be found."

Update on Joe the Choirboy.

I know you are all waiting to hear how it went at the church with the solo. Well, wait no more, I believe yesterday I pulled it off just fine, my voice was still hoarse so I still got a little help from one of the other members but as soon as it warmed up I was fine.

So we are supposed to also do the six o'clock mass once a month, our turn is not due for another two weeks, however I received a text from my niece where she asked me if I could sing with her and my sister as the six o'clock had no choir. Somehow they found a lady that plays the piano during the English nine o'clock mass and that was going to be all the music we would have. No practice, no nothing, basically just show up and go for it. Wow!

Well, we did have a chance to go over the songs and I felt comfortable with the piano and the lady was comfortable knowing what tempo to play the music in. Keep in mind she is Anglo and sings the English mass, now she has to adapt to Spanish which she probably didn't even understood.

In the morning I still shook a little as I did my solo but somehow in the afternoon with the added pressure I had not time for that. I could be wrong but I think we did a really good job and I could hear the congregation singing with us, that in itself is the OK we need as choir members.

So my sister and niece tell me I do good but of course they will tell me that every time because they are my family and they love me, but when the pianist told me she enjoyed playing while I sang was an unexpected complement.

So, the bottom line is that my sister has a good chance of still making a choir boy out of me. As for me, just like Wanda, ChrisJ, Beth, Pennie and many other wonderful friends I have told me I would do, I want to thank you all for the vote of confidence and to let you know that I am really enjoying it. Make no mistake, it is a big commitment and I am spending more time at church. But that can never be a bad thing.



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Dreams, Dogs, Oldies and Omelets

Dreams are coming true, and wishes fulfilled.  There's a little frisson of fear at how fast things are happening, as though I'm being carried along on a rapid current of events I only imagined weeks ago.

The little Mexican Army Corps of Engineers is transforming the entire back of the condo, going considerably beyond the modest original plans, and I only hope the final bill won't send me into shock. But I'm determined to get the exterior done, meeting the initial goal of protecting the condo from rainfall off the roof and from the parking lot, by redirecting it into a channel out to the arroyo. It's a mess right now, but one day all those broken eggs are going to produce a pretty good omelet.

Finishing the interior of the new space (previously a patio that turned into a wading pool when it rained), will be an ongoing project, but an idea is taking shape:  a music room, where friends can come and practice. I'm told the structure should offer very good acoustics. For now it could be a storeroom.

Meanwhile, we're having a jam for the 13th, so some of the self-taught guitar players in the area have a chance to learn and share a few new techniques and songs. Response wasn't overwhelming, so instead of renting space for it, we'll use my living room. Kristin's son Tony, who plays at various venues in town, promised to come work with us.

And... a bonus!  A novice guitarist named Art invited me to come jam at his house with another friend last Thursday, so I went, full of trepidation that these guys would lose patience with me. But it turned out to be fantastic fun! There were three of us, two singing in harmony, doing all the old moldies from the sixties and seventies: Eagles, James Taylor, Johnny Cash… And we get to do it again next Thursday!


Meanwhile, Diana from the cooking club has been bringing her guitar over twice a week for almost a month now. Like me, she's pretty much self-taught, doesn't get a lot of encouragement at home and finds practice time hard to come by. Unlike me, she's played with other guitarists a lot more, and sounds a lot better. We're working on songs in both English and Spanish, and next Thursday she's coming with me to Art's house so we'll have a foursome. Could be awesome. Or not...

Kristin operates the Canine Center locally known as Wagmore, but she's going to be out of commission for as much as eight weeks after major surgery, so she put out a call for dog-walkers. She takes in boarders, but the majority of the dogs at Wagmore are rescues waiting for adoption, or unadoptables that she has committed to taking care of the rest of their lives. She has a son and daughter and a helper who take shifts at the center, but there are never enough people to adequately exercise the dogs. The ones shown here are a little too young to walk, but they're growing fast.

So I've been doing some dog-walking… I need some exercise too. (Yes, I do have two of my own, and I promise I'm not neglecting them.) The first one they assigned me was a baby mastiff as big as I am! Quite an experience, just having that much dog at the end of the leash, but Ricco turned out to be a pussycat, plodding along at my side or even behind me instead of pulling me off the sidewalk. I'm working on teaching him to sit. Ricco is being boarded, so one day he won't be there anymore and I already know I'll miss him.

Yesterday morning the cooking club celebrated our victory at the Chili Cook-off with a free breakfast at Barracuda Bob's. Then last night the next-door neighbors invited me over for grilled yellow-tail tuna and we had a very pleasant evening getting better acquainted. Their renovation and mine are all part of the flood diversion plan so we've been working together for six weeks, but it was a pleasure to spend some time sharing our stories and ideas.

Temperatures here in San Carlos are now cool in the mornings and evenings, and hot in the afternoons, just the way I like it. Life is sweet.
P.S. Sorry I had to post all the photos at the top, but for some reason today Blogspot wouldn't let me put them elsewhere.)

Rounders: Livin’ Large at the Houston Rodeo

Too much work and not enough play means this girl has a lot less time to exercise than I would like. While I used to roam the athletic fields, tracks, and gyms with speed, prowess, and agility, my spare time these days generally finds me at the computer. Or on the couch. Or deeply engaged in nap. That is, when I have spare time at all.

But 2010 is a new year, a big year. A round year in which I will get less round. I will rise from the couch to strengthen, tighten, and tone. I will make smoothies, veggies, and purees -- or healthy dinners like this one. My muscles will grow, my spare tire will shrink. Small children will fear me. And I can do it, too.

But then? I take my students to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and see dastardly attractions like this. Oh, holy hell.


Curiosity 1, Will Power 0. Was that deep-fried Snickers bar worth it? Prolly not, but it sure was fun, an indiscretion I can overcome. The bad news is there’s danger lurking around every corner at the rodeo, shark-like bucking broncos ready to pounce on unsuspecting patrons who lack the discipline to turn down lovers like fried cheesecake and a side of beef on a stick. Because then we found the Frito Pie stand. Ahhhh, Frito Pie. I haven’t had one of those since my youthful days on swim team, when we used to nosh on Frito Pie, Fun Dip, and Pixie Stix before totally rocking the 400-meter medley. Are they still as tasty as they once were? Absolutely. Curiosity 2, Will Power 0. [Sigh]


Yes, that’s a funnel cake in the background. And what. I hadn’t realized that this year’s event is sponsored by the devil: A few moments of ecstasy in exchange for an evening of regret. Thank you, Houston Rodeo, for limiting your your temptress delights to a mere two weeks per year. My glut and gut are in your debt.

Asian Babe Alert

I do love comments, and couldn't resist putting that flashing "I Love Comments" button on my page, but it's the old story of "Be careful what you wish for." The button's now history.

Not to be picky, but I'd like the comments to be somewhat relevant to my post, not just sales pitches. Lately I'm getting an awful lot of spam comments, much of it in Asian and possibly Indian script. The Capt advised me those were for porn sites, so I finally decided to confirm that info for myself (praying I wouldn't end up just inviting an avalanche of them) and sure enough, half-dressed Asian girls who looked about 12. Consider yourself warned.

"G" is for God

So today is ABC Wednesday and we get to the letter "G". My first thought was God and because I don't have any pictures of Him I will have to let Him manifest Himself through these other pictures.

A granpa is someone you never outgrow your need for...

"Do you know why children are so full of energy? Because they suck it out of their grandparents"
~Gene Perret

Here are a couple of Great quotes:

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell

Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when you listen to God. ~Duiana Robinson

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Tidbit Day

No I haven't been lazy but there really hasn't been much to write about these days. Today I was greeted by one of the most gorgeous sunrises I have seen in a long time, and as luck would have it I left my camera at home. Actually my camera is in it's last days, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, it has been a loyal camera for the past four years and considering that I used it and abused it I am surprised it didn't break sooner. As I said it still works but I really need to replace it and keep this one as a souvenir. If you are wondering why my Photo Blog hasn't been getting new posts, that's the reason why.

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Today is my computer black out day, I visit my mom and stay with her so no computer at all. I also visit my sister and she takes the time to give me a Bible lesson. Our bible studies are still going pretty good. Add to that the fact that our new priest is terrific and a great orator, I think I am finally learning. Hopefully I will go to bed early too because I really need to catch up on my zzzzzzzzz's.

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God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy is how the song goes. Even though I partially lost my voice over the weekend I was still able to sing during mass. Of course my solo became a duet as I could only sing the soft part of the song but when the time came to let the voice out it would sound like I was a teenager in the middle of puberty. lol So I had to let another member finish the verse and in the end it all sounded really nice. Yeah, God works in mysterious ways.

Beer is good, ummmm!!! I am not a drinker but Friday I was invited out by my coworkers and I did have a couple. OK, more than a couple, this place we went to brews all the beer they sell in house so even tho I ordered light beer, I found out it wasn't that light. Needless to say I got a little too drunk but I had a fantastic time.

***Disclaimer*** For those of you wondering, I was not driving so all was good.

And people are crazy. I think if we weren't at least a little crazy we would totally be insane. Crazy is good and I love associating myself with a crowd that is crazy enough to have fun and enjoy life.

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Well, two baby showers out of three are in the books. Only my little baby is left but hers won't happen until next month. In the meantime we patiently wait for my first grand kid to be born, the first out of the three we soon expect. The phrase is "10 for 2010". Yes, pretty soon I will have ten grand kids running around my legs screaming "Grandpa, grandpa". I love it. I think I mentioned this before but I'll say it again. Back in the day I was asked why I married so young. I don't think I was that young as I was already 21. Anyway I always told them that it was because I wanted to have a chance to meet my grand kids. Thank you God for granted wishes. I know I am blessed when I see them running around and being happy.

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And now here is a picture of the past. My niece posted it on her facebook page and I quickly lifted it and put it on my files.

Can you find Waldo on this one?
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