A (final) thought from 2002 on flying (Part 3 of 3)

Another (and final) standout was the 92-pound woman who "looked" for all the outward appearances like she was in her "mid" 20s. I do say that she looked good till I noticed the age in her hands. You can disguise the face pretty good and even take 10 to 15 years off your noticeable age, but the hands are a true way to tell if their playing you for a sucker. What confused the age of the person was more about the skin tight jeans (with the boyish waist), tight pullover shirt (that showed her midriff when she put the bags in the overhead compartment), the new amazingly white sneakers and the brand new laces. Not to mention the dangly gold jewelry and gold waist chain. This woman was one of those people who posed for "Fitness" or "Womans Health" magazine. Until I saw her hands, I genuinely thought she was 28. Once I spied those hands, it defiantly showed she was really 45. She had her hair down in a Farrah Fawcet mane till we started to board the plane. Then as she was walking by, the line stopped in front of me. I was in the back of the plane so I had to be in the last group to board. Well, she pulled her big fluffy mane back while standing there and put on one of those "scrunchie" things. Upon further examination, I saw the tiny little lines from a face lift. It was pretty good but since she had been in Florida, the scares did not tan like the rest of her face. Dead giveaway. Then once I saw the young man with here and put two and two together, I determined that the two men posing as sudo-bodyguards, were actually her husband and son. Not the boyfriend and older brother as I first thought. I was wondering what type of son would hover around their mother (he looked just like her) like a teenage boyfriend in hormonal imbalance? I saw the woman as someone who made it a point to have her husband (and son for that matter) worship her like a movie star or someone with a Madonna styled ego. What a freaky group.

WIENER DOG SUMMER NATIONALS @ River Downs

The races will be held Saturday, August 9, 2003 at River Downs Race Track following the live thoroughbred races. Races will begin at approximately 6:00pm with the championship race to take place around 7:00pm. Anyone want to go? I do. Lets go Racing!!!

A thought from 2002 on flying (Part 2)

The description: A woman, Midwestern, Caucasian, yuppie, tanned, with a voluptuous, but "Gold's Gym" tight body. The view: Standing over on the other side of the isle, there is a woman. She sports the casual shorts and golf shirt she apparently purchased at Sears or JCPennys. She has several toe rings on each toe (toes numbered 2, 3, & 4) of both feet, and the heavy and identical ankle bracelets, which have a large number of dangly brass beads or chain work. They jingle as she walks about on the unforgiving airport carpet if you can actually call it a carpet. If you can imagine the bracelets and anklets worn by Thai women in their heavy brass and gold accoutrements. That is what I am seeing here. First impressions: She automatically gives you the impression that she has a fairly detailed area of henna tattoos on her belly & around her navel,........... and after thinking about it for a moment, she probably has them across her lower back in a traditional Kama Sutra inspired pattern. The first thing I thought of is that she is a very self-confidant woman. This impression is not of someone who is a businessperson and is sure of their work ethics, but the type that does a very exotic dance for her husband in the nude. Even her body motions and movements highly suggest that she dances around the house naked with all her spangles and jewels shimmering for her to be noticed and worshiped by her suitor. Her "look": She has a short blonde quaff, (described as a French scissors cut I think) and several larger loop earrings in each ear. She has the outward appearance of modesty, but the attitude that she rules the home and all she comes in contact with (whether they like it or not) poke fun at her serious external appearance. Her (apparent) husband follows around like a well-trained dog with his constant attention to the kids and their belongings, where she sits back and assures discipline within the family pod. As we were boarding, she is the one who took charge and rustled her husband and two kids down the gateway like a pit bull. The Husband: You can also see that he was probably a very hansom young man. The thought that she must keep her husband rather a bit overweight as a control measure quickly comes to mind. You perceive that she can assure his complete attention will be directed at her, since no other high maintenance woman would want him anymore. She is extremely fit and trim and the kids look like they consume nothing but things that are good for them (and even the snacks she brought for the kids on the flight were what I would call expensive packaged items for the standard yuppie larva children they were). Where her husband appears to be constantly fed, as if he is being deliberately fattened up like a "Christmas goose". I watched them for about 20 minutes while they did the little rituals of the family. Man, What I would give to know what they were really like and not what they outwardly appear to be. What a strange combination is flying on this flight?!? 05%

A thought from 2002 on flying (Part 1)

My thoughs before takeoff: I wanted to tell you about my last flight. As I am staring across the boarding area before boarding the plane, It was amazing to see the women who was dressed to kill with her 4 (and 5) inch stiletto heals, leather pants, and tight silk or chamois shirt. It was very confusing to see, considering even her hair was the Perfect Cosmopolitan style and the makeup only a movie star could get. (Bridget and I know a Chiropractor who has this type of look. She pops my back into place once every 6 months. This is not a bad thing, everyone has to have his or her own priorities) What is all the commotion?: The most interesting part about this woman was her composure while obtaining her seat from the gate counter. the more interesting part was her look mild panic and mannerisms which burst with true fear once on the plane. While in line and waiting for the Airline rep to fix what ever mundane problem was with her ticket, she was cool, large, and incharge. The "I am beautiful and I will get what I want because of it", attitude was a little much. If you consider the man who was helping her. He was more concerned with the 400 pound man behind her (with the really sweat stained jacket) than he was concerned with her. But from the commotion that ensued, I imagine she received all the perks she so despiratly wanted (and in her mind, deserved). While boarding: while making my way back to the "normal people" section of the plane, I walked by her "first class” seat. I instantly saw her for what she was. You could see the suave sophistication disappear and see the fear that developed in her stare while looking at every passenger that came aboard. It was like she was some self proclaimed personality analyst who was attempting to determine if the 90 year old man with the walker was a terrorist preparing to take over the aircraft. This proved to me that people like that are not worth getting near. They attract trouble like flies on dog poop. Remember, in 2002, people were still terrified of flying. 05%

Feeding the animals

I had the elders over tonight for dinner. They were fairly ravinous. We had hotdogs from the grill and cole slaw from Krogers. 05%

the meadow and the pipe from hell

I dug out the pipe that (used to) carry the water away from the lower meadow. It is clogged. Nice this is a wet season, it is easier to find the clog since there is a boatload of water waiting to get out. I have to go get a 20' piece of PVC to jam up the end of the drain to unclog it. Yes, this is the smart way. Otherwise I have to dig out about 10' of pipe and trace the clog. 20%

I was wondering, what is it that makes a movie a "Favorite"?

I think that right now, one of the best movies I have seen to date is "In Harm's Way". It stars John Wayne, Patricia Neal, Burgess Meredith, & so on & so forth. There is a certain feel to the movie that really tries to make you understand where the characters point of view (POV) is. The scenario: The Second World War is in full swing now and people have come made it their purpose in life to "play their part" or "do their duty for the country". In the movie there are several subplots, but the two I focus on are the two different characters in the Torrie family. The Father and the Son, which are both Naval Officers at this point in the picture. The older man played by John Wayne, is the Captain of a ship that plays his part in the way we all hope ship Captains are, fair to his men, doing 110% of the "Above and beyond" theory. He always puts his command (ship and men) in front of everything else. The younger of the two is an Ensign, green to the ways of the world and still driven by personal issues. Things like hormones and money are the main forces, which drive his life. The Contrast: There is a point in the movie where both Torrie's come to pickup their dates at the same residence. The pair living in the small apartment is an older Lieutenant played by Patricia Neal. She is a woman who is wise to the world and it's ups and downs. The woman, who was divorced due to a cheating husband, originally grew up on military bases as an Army brat. She sees things as they were, from a "life is not necessarily a wonderful thing" point of view. This has hardened her to the more flowery means of normal existence and placed her into a more humble view, where "the best things in life are free" if you can see them. The point is driven home numerous times when interaction between her and other characters are basic, blunt, rather cold, and to the point. The second is a much younger woman nurse. She is about 21 or so (I can't remember if they say it exactly but you get the jest of the situation). She grew up in a well-isolated place, the real quiet world of Vermont. The picture doesn't come out and say the word "naive", but should have somewhere used the actual description since I truly feel it would have fit in numerous places where you can't tell if she is being gullible or playing hard to get. (But that is just my opinion) Her interaction with others in the film could be characterized as free, fun loving, open, and what I term as ambiguous. The differences don't really hit home till the director started switching scenes back and forth more quickly and the contrasts became quite clear. Let me contrast of the younger of the two men (Ensign Torrie) against (Captain Rockwell "Rock" Torrie played by John Wayne) The young couple: We start with Ensign Torrie and the young nurse. He is the impetuous, flagrant money tosser who is trying to compensate for his lack of life experience with an overabundance of glitzy and overindulgence. He is trying wow the young woman nurse into his arms (or bed as you know later on. Well you can put 2 and 2 together). Everything points to his inexperience with life in general. He does not yet know what things are truly important to people in their lives. In the scene where the two of them are eating a private dinner together, the lighting for their meal was tall candles, soft lighting, and light jazz. Candles like they used were very expensive and an affectation for ambiance in that time (as told by the director). The dinner was "served" by the house servant who wore the typical white shirt, white jacket and black tie. The fact of opening a bottle of wine was the older couple, (John Wayne & Patricia Neal) are "old salts". Both are older, more seasoned and capable of "bottom line emotions". You have to remember that these characters are literally looking towards the idea of "Live today for tomorrow we shall die". They're cemented in the fact that if you take the long way, you might miss the present by planning the future or life truly is short and you have to put silly affectations in the trash and live while you can. I can't decide which is a better description but there you go. The simple act of cooking for someone, or good one-on-one conversation about what has been a changing factor in their lives are the real things that make the times and memories that are meaningful. I.E., The table light for their dinner, a small stubby dime store candle that was stuck in the middle of a cut out tin can. The area lighting was a bare light bulb, posing as a porch door light. The two made an entire evening out of making their own dinner. Instead of a horde or servants to make and serve their dinner, they made the whole thing themselves. The preparation was considered an entertainment to them. At one point She hands the Captain a tin can of vegetables to open and he opens it with his pocketknife. Even the simple knife was a shining example of American ingenuity and resourcefulness. He made the point of showing her the fact that it not only had two blades (a straight blade and a "skinning blade") but it also contained a can opener, screwdriver and a punch. You get the impression that to him, it was a work of art "and" a piece that could revolutionize the world, as we know it. These were people who are used to "making do with what they have" and "making the most of what was around". Did you get it?: If you watch the movie, the parts where the two separate pairs catch you off guard (if your not looking for a subplot). If you have time, do see it. I can't really say much more than what I have. The situation crosses into "how do you view life" and "what makes you happy"? Is it the flamboyant luxuries that make people happy, the simple things in life like sunrises and sunsets, or is it somewhere in-between where you find happiness in your life? My view: The things that work for me? Things like watching a fire in the fireplace with Bree or an evening listening to some classical music with the kids, lying on the living room floor, everyone’s head on the same big fluffy pillow (with one of those big crisp white pillow cases fresh from the dryer).

My Monty Python impression

I was down talking to the guys rebuilding the creek yesterday. I stepped down off the dozer track, stepped on a precariously slippery rock and proceeded to fall down into the creek. Not that I was embarrassed, but I did plop face down into about 18 inches of very muddy water. The bad part was, my hand (The part that is near the wrist and sits down on a table when you write) smacked down on a rock and now it hurts pretty good. It is not broken, but it is painful. "Say no more, say no more...DOH!

the "NEW" advertising campaign for the Mormons

Come worship with us, Were not gay!

The CDC and West Nile

Here are the link to the CDC's Home page and the page on the West Nile Virus. Even though they are way too "nice" or "Touchie-Feelie in their approach, the info is good anyway. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases - West Nile Virus