Bruno's Warped Mind

Cousins Reunion

2011-10-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

On my mother's side of the family, there were 26 cousins. Aunt Phyllis & Uncle Ray lived in Washington so we didn't get to see them much, but the rest of us were pretty close growing up. It seems like we always hit Thatcher together. Well, it had been a long time since we got together. Attempts have been made, but nothing ever came of them. So finally Paul took control. He picked a time and arranged for a place (Mark's) for us to meet. There are 23 of us cousins left, and 10 of us made it to the reunion. A splendid time was had by all. It was great to see those that made it. We missed the ones that didn't make it. We talked about them.

I'm baaack...

2011-10-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been as long as I thought since I last was here. Anyway, I got disgusted with Facebook so I deactivated my account there. That, along with being in Thatcher, should give me plenty of time to keep up with the blog. So I will try to do better. I already have some requests, so I will get to those soon.

Life in Thatcher is...different. Much different than what I have been used to for the last 20 or 30 years. And much different than it was when I was a kid and would come and visit. It will be interesting to see how things go.

Bread!

2011-03-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

The place where I work was kind enough to give us 12 days off. Unpaid. So I thought I would go to Thatcher for a visit. I have been doing all sorts of fun projects that needed doing.

I also brought along my sewing machine but discovered when I got here that what I thought was my current project in the case was just a piece of the fabric. That will have to wait until next time.

I talked my mother into showing me how to shape loaves for bread. We all know what disasters my first attempts on my own were. I am happy to report that I learned well. My bread actually looks like bread should. And it tastes pretty yummy to boot. There may be hope after all!

Turn The Page

2010-09-12T09:38:00.002-07:00

There are a lot of changes coming in my mostly peaceful existence. I think that most of them will be good.

First, I am moving. I love the place where I live, but I was making quite a bit more money when I moved here than I am now. It is a struggle to make ends meet and any unexpected expenses can wreak havoc. So with the help of my cousin Paul, I have found a place that is not quite as big, not quite as nice but is 25% cheaper. That will help.

Second, my employment is winding down to its demise. I took a job as a temporary worker about 14 months or so ago. At the time they said the job would probably last 2 to 3 months. The factory where I work is moving their operations to Malaysia. There have been many difficulties with the move and it has been postponed several times. Thus the 14 or so months rather than 2 or 3 months of employment. Now they are saying January is it.

Third, and as a consequence of #2, I will be going back to school. The government has a program called "Trade Adjustment Allowance" that will pay for my retraining since my job is going overseas. I have just started the process of jumping through all of the bureaucratic hoops required. I'm leaning towards a webmaster certification. I hope that it is a growing field and that I will be able to stay employed once I complete the training. Actually, I hope to prosper rather than just get by. We shall see.

I Love Public Transit

2010-06-19T06:33:00.003-07:00

I love public transit! You get to see so many interesting things and meet so many fascinating people. The other day, there was a couple sitting waiting for the bus when I got to the stop. He was kind of jumpy, maybe a little hyperactive. Perhaps in an altered state of consciousness. Anyway, he was explaining to his girlfriend that the rate of acceleration when you fall is 32 feet per second (Close, but no cigar.) and the speed of light is 186,000 miles per hour (Not even close.). Then he started trying to figure out how far you would have to fall to attain the speed of light. Guess he's never heard of terminal velocity. She got up and went to the Quick Trip.

The Good Son

2010-05-08T10:54:00.003-07:00

In the breakroom at work the other night, one of the ladies was eating a bag of CornNuts Chips Salsa y Limón. They left a reddish, powdery residue on her fingers, much like Cheetos dust. She complained about them staining her fingers. One of the young men got up and cranked out some paper towels for her. She thanked him and proceeded to clean up her hands as best she could. She noted that while better, her fingers still just weren't clean. The same young man got up again, got her some more paper towels, grabbed one of the styrofoam cups next to the coffee machine and filled it with hot water from the spigot on the coffee maker. She gushed about it. She told him "Your mother raised a fine, caring, considerate, polite son!"

In a loud, strident voice I said "So did mine!"

Everybody stopped what they were doing and looked at me.

I said "He lives in Colorado."

Old Friends

2010-04-25T11:43:00.004-07:00

I had the privilege of spending a couple of days with three beautiful women. It was fantastic, a lot of fun! They talked a lot while I mostly listened and laughed. There was some cigar smoking, some guitar playing, a few serious discussions. But mostly there was love and laughter.

Susan, Lisa, some lucky guy, Karen.

Karen

Susan

Lisa

Funny how they are all still vibrant and beautiful and I look like an old guy.

Thank you, lovely ladies, for allowing me to tag along. I had the bestest time. Those of you from far away should come and see us more often. You that lives here should see me more often. Old friends are the best!

Renaissance Fair 2010

2010-03-17T18:27:00.003-07:00

I went to the annual Arizona Renaissance Fair last weekend with my friend Maria. As always, it was a lot of fun. We ate roasted turkey legs. We watched people. I always enjoy looking at the costumes and seeing what some people think is appropriate medieval attire. There are always lots of pirates, and as we all know the golden age of pirates didn't come until a couple of centuries after the renaissance. There's always some bare arms, shoulders, and midriffs on the ladies which wouldn't have happened in those days either. But why nitpick? Enjoy it for what it is: An opportunity to dress up and be somebody you aren't.

There were belly dancers.

There were pipers.

I tried my hand at a didgederoo.

There was harp music.

There was Patrice Ruane, spinet player. I think she has a crush on me.

All in all, a pleasant time was had. Come on down next year and go with us!

Bread? Part II

2010-02-07T20:09:00.002-07:00

I thought I would give the ol' bread baking another try yesterday. It went pretty well. I was nearing the end of the process. I had divided my dough into two loaves. One was slightly bigger than the other, but they both looked like loaves. I placed the two pans on the oven rack. As I was sliding the rack in, I saw that the rack above was close to touching the bread pans. I thought "I should lower this rack." So I stopped pushing the rack in and reversed its direction. The bread pans continued in their original direction. They slid off the end of the rack, landing with a resounding "thud" on the oven floor. The loaves collapsed. I thought I can either wait a couple of hours for the dough to rise again or I can just bake these bad boys as they are. I baked them. The loaves were about 2 inches thick. I sliced them lengthwise into three pieces, then cut each crosssection into two pieces. They turned out about the right size for sandwiches. Tasty.

One of these days, I'll get it right.

Random Acts of Kindness

2010-01-28T18:26:00.002-07:00

No, not by me. I thought you all knew me better than that. I went shopping today, taking along the little pull cart that I use to bring the groceries home. I let some impulses take control and ended up buying a little bit more than would fit in my cart. About 2 plastic grocery bags worth. So I'm high steppin' through the parking lot to catch the bus that will bring me home. A nice lady stops her truck and asks if I live close. I tell her about a mile, she says let's put your stuff in the pickup and I'll take you home. And she did. Thanks, nice lady.

Bread?

2010-01-20T10:22:00.002-07:00

My sister sent me our grandmother's bread recipe. So I made some bread last week. It tasted really, really good but I think I need to work on the "shaping loaves" part.

A New Year

2009-12-31T16:45:00.002-07:00

I think I've been spending way too much time on Facebook and not nearly enough time blogging. Although I'm not really one for resolutions, here's mine: More blogs, less Facebook.

You will hardly notice the difference.

December 25

2009-12-25T15:50:00.003-07:00

So here it is, December 25th again.

In spite of my generally Scrooged attitude, I hope all of my loved ones had the merriest Christmas ever. I love you.

Fun At Work

2009-12-10T12:00:00.003-07:00

There are a couple of people that I work with that abuse the break/lunch policy. I don't mind people taking a few extra minutes. Heck, I'll even put up with 10 extra minutes most of the time. But these guys were doubling their allowed times. So it came to a small head. Somebody (not me) complained to the supervisor about it, and he mentioned it to the group as a whole: Watch your break times, because if you don't I will! So one of the guilty parties responded by not covering for others when they went to break. Including me. I got refused when I asked. I have not asked since. I got the silent treatment for a couple of weeks. Boo hoo. Last week she came in and was sweet as pie. It was like nothing happened. I was polite to her, but not friendly as I have been in the past. She brought me in a home-made tamal. If you know me, you know how much I love tamales. I told her it was good and was polite to her, but not as friendly as I have been in the past. Later that day she told me she was sorry she only brought me one and would bring me a dozen this coming week. I think I like having her trying to get back in my good graces. I love my job!

Halloween - Sorta

2009-11-10T22:18:00.002-07:00

So in early October this nice lady I work with was talking about Halloween. She said she wanted to be a black cat. I immediately got a vision in my head of what her costume should be. I said "I can help you with that." So she gave me her measurements, and I made her a black cat costume. I tried to get it to her early so she could try it on and I could make adjustments if necessary. She had elbow surgery and missed some work. We were supposed to meet at a local car show that some guys from work were participating in but failed to connect. So, she called me the 30th and said let's get together for breakfast. I showed her the costume and she loved it. She was thrilled beyond belief. I said go home and try it on. If it's not right call me right away and I will fix it! She didn't call so I thought all was well. I asked her about it Sunday morning at work. It didn't fit. Some places worse than others. So she ended up going to a costume shop at the last minute and buying a cheap cat costume.

I didn't get any pictures of the costume.

Warning Labels

2009-09-24T18:06:00.002-07:00

At work there are rotating red lights mounted to the walls and ceiling throughout the facility. In safety training we were told that in case of fire the lights would go on so we would all know to get out of there. Every morning we have a short meeting to get updates and talk about issues. I usually stand right under one of these red lights for the meeting. So there I was the other day, a few minutes early for the meeting. I looked up at the light and saw the warning label.

"This device is not to be used as an indoor evacuation signal or for the hearing impaired."

Why else would you make a rotating red light?

Happy Birthday, Natalie!

2009-09-16T23:45:00.003-07:00

It's Natalie's 21st birthday. I hope she doesn't get too crazy! She has always been one that knows what she wants and works to get it. Like being a hammer for Halloween.

How could you not love this face?

Natalie if fun to be around and very talented. She is also very smart. Even though one of her sisters called her a "super dork" I think she is more of a super geek. That's not necessarily a bad thing! Keep working towards your goals.

I love you and miss you.

Happy Birthday, Jason!

2009-09-14T19:57:00.003-07:00

Tomorrow is Jason's birthday! And he gets to share it with his best friend, Cindy Lou. So happy birthday to both of you. I'm kinda surprised Jason has made it this far. But I'm glad to have him around.

Happy birthday. I love you and miss you.

Which Is Better?

2009-09-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Peace of mind, or a piece of pie?

Who Thinks Of This Stuff?

2009-08-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

Good news?

2009-08-19T12:59:00.002-07:00

While I was unemployed for 7 months I spent a lot of time just sitting around. A lot of time. Because of that I had to loosen my belt 2 notches. Well, after about a month of working and being on my feet more I am happy to report that I got one of them back. Now I'm thinking about eating better and perhaps some actual exercise to get the other one back.

Miranda

2009-08-08T14:00:00.002-07:00

Miranda is having a birthday. Since I probably won't have time to post on her actual birthday, here it is now.

She's my blonde daughter in more ways than one.

She's always willing to do something goofy and make people laugh. She is a talented young lady and can keep a group amused for hours. Kids love her, because she is one of them.

And she has blessed me with a beautiful granddaughter.

Happy Birthday, Miranda.

I love you and miss you.

Sad News

2009-07-19T18:53:00.002-07:00

The music world lost another giant. Clyde Forsman, long-time frontman for Those Darn Accordians passed away last month.

I Like It!

2009-07-18T09:22:00.002-07:00

Employment

2009-07-09T21:35:00.002-07:00

It's official. About 3:00 this afternoon I got a call telling me I had passed my drug test and background check. I will be officially employed again starting Monday morning. It's a temp job that will last until the end of the year (at best) but it pays more than unemployment.

Yippee.

Farmer's Market

2009-06-22T18:57:00.007-07:00

Bet you didn't know Phoenix has a Farmer's Market. Yep. Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning. It's not as big or nearly as weird as the Saturday Market in Eugene, OR but it is fun. You can get free range chicken eggs for only $5/dozen! I'm sorry, but the hens can sit in little cages before I'll pay that much for eggs. I did get some really tasty tomatillo salsa though. Had samples of organic chocolate, ate a tamal, picked up a book at the book exchange. Had more samples, but not the granola.

This is Shannon. She makes "hand-crafted ice cream and seasonal sorbets" using as many local ingredients as possible. Yummy! And the ice cream is pretty good, too.

Fresh, expensive veggies!

Handmade soap!

Organic chocolate!

Salsa! When this guy says hot, he means it.

http://www.gagetheheat.com/

Random farm babe.

Around town

2009-06-18T18:00:00.002-07:00

I live about a half a mile from the new Mesa Riverview shopping center. It's not really a mall because the stores are all outside. It's too big for me to think of it as a strip mall. So I guess it's just a shopping center. Anyway, they have some interesting public art there.

Here's a cute little statue of a game of leap frog.

Why statues of frogs in Mesa? I don't know either.

But it is interesting.

Plus there's Humpty Dumpty. I suspect his nose has been rubbed a few times for luck or something. It's too shiny!

Riley Elden Warner

2009-06-06T23:50:00.004-07:00

The largest influence in my life left this veil of tears today. In the words of David Gates:

"I would give anything I own,

I'd give up my life, my heart, my home,

Yes I would give everything I own,

Just to have you back again."

Goodbye, Dad. We will meet again.

Happy Birthday!

2009-06-05T14:50:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow the youngest of my brood turns 19. My how time flies. I regret that I don't know him better than I do. My fault, and my loss. Anyway, happy birthday, Curtis! I hope you are doing well. I love you and miss you.

Success! Well, sort of...

2009-05-31T21:07:00.003-07:00

After a change of strategy we joined in battle with the stump once more. The new plan was to cut it off as close to the ground as feasible then burn the rest. So Andrea's husband Josh has been attacking it a little bit at a time. I went back last Wednesday. Thursday I spent 3 hours in the hot, hot Arizona sun hacking at the big ol' stump. When I was teetering on the edge of heat exhaustion I decided to call it a day and to start early the next morning when it was under 100 degrees. When I went in, Grandpa asked me how close it was to being done. So I went back out to measure it and discovered it was only held up by a strip of wood about 3" wide x 10" long. I broke out the chainsaw again. I figured I was already about as hot and sweat as I could get so why not finish the job? After another half hour, the top of the stump finally slid off the bottom portion. My arms, shoulders, and back were not happy.

I don't want to be a lumberjack when I grow up.

Then I spent about a half hour Thursday morning cutting the smaller stump in front of the house. Thanks to Uncle Seth for the loan of his truck, Paul for helping load the wood in the back of said pickup, and Anna for the round trip. The wood has been delivered to my friend Jerry and we have high hopes of seeing something beautiful come out of all this!

Stumped

2009-05-11T11:38:00.003-07:00

GG and Grandpa had the mulberry trees in their yard taken down, leaving stumps. I have a friend that makes things out of wood that wants the stump from the back. So Jerry and I drove over to Thatcher to pull the stump out of the ground. It was hot! And Jerry burned up his electric chainsaw. We went to Home Depot and he bought another. We dug. We sawed. We backed a truck up to the stump and pushed on it. All to no avail. Round 1 goes to the stump, but we will be back! And better prepared!

At least we got fed. Yummy tomatoes!

Out & About

2009-05-02T13:57:00.003-07:00

So if you go by Phoenix Civic Plaza on the light rail, you see these 3 statues around Washington & 5th St. They're pretty good size. Just some whimsical public art!

This is a grasshopper. I think it would be hard to hop in high heels. And I'm not sure what the coins under her hands are.

A big ol' centipede.

A nice scorpion. You can kind of see some smaller critters that he's holding in his claws and looking at. There are some more on the other side of the statue.

Thatcher

2009-04-29T12:46:00.003-07:00

I took the opportunity to spend a few days in Thatcher. Took some mending and got it done. The snow is melting on Mt. Graham, so Anna and I drove up there one afternoon. It is one of my favorite places.

Happy Eastern Orthodox Easter, Birthday!

2009-04-18T20:42:00.003-07:00

Today the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter. Their date differs from "ours" because they use the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian to calculate the date. So Happy Easter again! It's not New Year anywhere that I know of.

28 years ago, on Easter Sunday lovely little Leah was born. I remember it like it was only 28 years ago.

I couldn't comment on this pic when she posted it on her blog. I think she looks like Wolverine's little sister in this shot.

Here we are comparing big pink bellies. Mine's just big. Hers has Nash inside. Gage makes this picture better. Gotta love him.

Happy Birthday, Leah. I love you and miss you.

Ro Ho En

2009-04-16T18:35:00.003-07:00

I've been lax in posting. I have no excuse. But I've been traveling through the city of my birth looking for interesting things to share. A couple of weeks ago, I visited Ro Ho En. It is a Japanese garden, built by gardeners from Phoenix's sister city in Japan: Himeji. Ro is Japanese for Heron, a symbol of Himeji Castle. Ho is Japanese for the legendary Phoenix bird. And En is garden. It's in downtown Phoenix but has a very peaceful atmosphere. I liked it. I'll go back.

A stone lantern is typical in Japanese gardens.

I have never figured out why carp are so revered, even if they are called Koi.

This is a Shachi. A mythical fish with a tiger's face, they are traditionally placed on the roofs of important buildings as a charm against fire.

One of the smaller waterfalls in the park.

The big waterfall, focal point of the park.

It's only a short light rail ride away. There is a lot of other cool stuff there, like an offset bridge to ward off evil spirits. It seems demons can only travel in straight lines.

www.japanesefriendshipgarden.org

Happy Easter, Birthday, New Year!

2009-04-13T08:34:00.007-07:00

Yesterday was Chris' 29th birthday, Easter, and Thai New Year all rolled together. I went with my friend Nok out to the Buddhist temple in Waddell, AZ to celebrate. I like going to the Thai and Buddhist festivities because I always learn something new about them. But mostly, there is always a lot of really good food! If you ever find yourself in a Thai restaurant, have the fried bananas for dessert!

Some of the stuff available.

The monks eating.

Second from the left is the new Miss Thai New Year. On the right is last year's Miss Thai New Year. I figured this out all by meself when the new one led the procession around the grounds.

Thai New Year involves water. A lot of water.

You pour water over the monks' hands and they bless you.

I usually just go through the food line and grab stuff that looks good. I don't know what a lot of it is, but the really tasty stuff I ask what it is. Just before we left, Nok had me sample some chile sauce. I could tell that the good people on the other side of the table were afraid it would be too hot for my puny white guy taste buds. I tasted it and it was good! They were surprised I didn't burst into flames. I brought a little container of it home, as well as some crispy rice cakes with a caramel-like substance dribbled over them.

And Happy Birthday, Chris. I love you and miss you.

I've Been Here!

2009-03-04T23:57:00.005-07:00

This is Yguazú Falls, just outside of Paraguay on the border between Brazil and Argentina. In Guaraní, "y" means "water" and "guazú" means "big." So it is literally named Big Water. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

I Enjoy Life

2009-02-26T17:45:00.006-07:00

I had an appointment downtown to take a test in order to qualify to be an interpreter for the Maricopa County Superior Court. So I hopped on the light rail and headed to downtown Phoenix. As you know, winter in the Valley of the Sun is delightful and we are inundated by visitors from out-of-state. On the way in, as we passed Tovrea Castle (which is close by the rail line) a tourist asked a helpful "local" what that building was. He replied that it is where the first Governor of Arizona is buried. It isn't.

http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/tovrea.html

Now I'm sitting waiting for my test, having arrived 15 minutes or so early. I can hear somebody with a horrible accent speaking Spanish in a room just off the lobby where I'm sitting. I can only hear one side of the conversation. (Turns out the test is given orally over the phone.) I listen as the guy says "No sé si voy a pedar." and I cracked up. I think he meant "No sé si voy a poder." If you know Spanish and are slightly twisted, you will laugh, too.

I finish my test, and head back home. As we pass Tovrea Castle again, a different tourist asks a different "local" what the building is. He replies that it's the Wrigley Mansion, as in chewing gum. It isn't.

Visit Done

2009-02-19T10:21:00.002-07:00

Two of my beautiful daughters, one of my son-in-laws, and four of my magnificent grandchildren came to visit. We visited GG and Grandpa in Thatcher, as well as my two wonderful sisters and assorted nieces that either live there or dropped by on their way from one place to another and one I talked to on the phone. It was good to see everybody again. I just wish we could have had more time. And that I had taken more pictures. I had my camera, but didn't unsheath it but once. Sigh. Thanks, Mom & Dad, Anna, Kathy (especially for the mending!), Hank, Andrea, Emily, Beth, Julia and Paul.

Random Thoughts

2009-02-09T19:18:00.002-07:00

If it weren't for the whole no income being unemployed thingie, I think I could get used to being a man of leisure.

I am looking forward to a visit from my two eldest daughters and assorted family members this week. It has been too long since I have seen them. Dress warm, my dears. It's only going to be in the upper 50's and low 60's in Thatcher. Brrrr!

I Feel Better About Myself Now

2009-01-18T21:08:00.001-07:00

This is truly, truly awful. What were they thinking?

Congratulations, Wally and Becky

2009-01-17T09:22:00.005-07:00

My cousin Paul called me in the middle of last week. When I asked him what was going on, he replied "I'm getting married next Friday!" I was not expecting that to be what was going on, even though I knew he and Becky had been talking marriage. He called me yesterday morning and said "I keep forgetting to ask. Do you want to come to this thing tonight?" So I went. Congratulations to the happy couple. Welcome, Becky, Ann and Sara, to our madcap extended family.

Who Doesn't Like A Good Parody?

2009-01-06T18:35:00.002-07:00

This cracked me up. The original has been completely overexposed. I like this one better anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0UT2MpdWnc

Hiking, Anyone?

2009-01-02T10:06:00.001-07:00

I just saw this and knew immediately that I don't want to hike this trail.

http://www.break.com/index/scariest-hiking-trail-in-world.html

I would try to have the presence of mind to make Wile E. Coyote sounds on the way down. You know, that warbling scream in all the old Roadrunner cartoons.

"Eeeyah-hoo-hoo-hoo!"

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T23:12:00.004-07:00

I went to a New Year's Eve dinner in honor of Jerry and Leanna Pries, who got married earlier in the day. There were 16 of us there, including the bride and groom. A good meal, and good company.

Best wishes for happiness and success in 2009 to you all.

The Happy Couple

Mr. & Mrs. Coats

Mr. & Mrs. Maki

Mr. & Mrs. Boblett

Jerry's Kids

Leanna's Mom & Sister

"I Guess You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!" - Leah

2008-12-20T08:22:00.011-07:00

I bought this nice sewing machine a few months back but haven't done anything with it. Since I've got some time on my hands now, I went over to Thatcher and had my sister Kathy teach me how to sew. When I e-mailed the picture of the first shirt I made to Leah, she called me back and gave me the title for this post.

My wonderful new Singer.

Here I am in action.

My first creation.

My second attempt.

We spent a lot of time aligning the pattern on the pocket. I'm very proud of my pocket.

So I still need to find a new job, but at least I have a new skill I can use! I have some ideas in mind for my next project.

'Tis The Season

2008-12-05T23:39:00.004-07:00

This is killer! I mean, this is The Killers.

A timeless classic.

Noli Nothis Perittere Te Terere

2008-11-30T10:32:00.003-07:00

Today is officially my second day of unemployment. I got laid off for Thanksgiving, so I get to start over again tomorrow morning. The job wasn't as much fun the last couple of months as it had been, but it paid the bills. I'm not looking forward to having to go out looking again, especially in this economy. Maybe I can get a government bailout...

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T22:09:00.004-07:00

I would be remiss if I let the day pass without counting my blessings. Mostly I am grateful for my amazing family and quirky friends. Sometimes they are one and the same. My life would be much poorer without them. Thanks to you all for just being you.

I spent Thanksgiving with my friend Maria. Her ex-husband Russ and their son Falcon joined us. A good time was had by all.

This is my new electric turkey fryer.

Only 40 minutes to cook!

Looks mighty tasty, eh?

Maria made everything but the turkey. It was great! Thanks, Maria.

Since the temperature had dropped way down into the upper 60's or lower 70's we had to build a fire to ward off the chill.

Winter Wonderland

2008-11-16T02:26:00.002-07:00

I live in the Valley of the Sun. Sometimes known as the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Temperatures have been in the mid-70's to low 80's during the day, dipping down into the

mid-60's overnight. So I'm bicyling home after work the other night in my polo shirt and jeans. It's probably in the low 70's or upper 60's. Coming the other way is a guy on a bicycle in a parka. With the hood up. Blowing into his cupped hands at the red light.

Halloween

2008-11-08T11:05:00.004-07:00

I went to a Halloween party a couple of weeks ago. I was in the minority there. I'm straight.

Maria and I were The Spider and The Fly

Jennifer was a French Maid. Her girlfriend was a Fire Fighter, but the pictures of her aren't suitable for a family blog. Jennifer's mother kept lifting Jennifer's skirt to show everybody how cute Jennifer's butt is. This struck me as more than a little strange.

There was a lot of speculation about Rose. The final consensus was a Dominatrix Disguised As A Librarian. I have a crush on Rose, too.

Chris and Steven were a Banana Gone Bad and Slim Jim.

It's Been A While

2008-11-03T22:29:00.002-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything. It's been kind of crazy for the last 3 weeks and I haven't taken the time I should have to keep up on this thing. I've even been lax in the snarky comment department on my family's blogs.

Part of it is that I don't have an internet connection at my new place yet. I hope to have that remedied soonest. Part of it has been trying to make sure that Dan's missus, Nok, has been looked after properly. Part of it I have no excuse for.

I'll try and do more better in the future.

Requiescat In Pace

2008-10-10T21:56:00.005-07:00

When I went to work in Oregon in 1996 I gained a good friend. We've kept up on each other over the years, no matter where our seperate paths took us. For the last 3 years or so we've both been in Arizona. For the last 2+ we've been working together again.

My boy Dan, the dude in the Cowboys jersey in the Rocky Point pictures, took his life about seven hours or so ago. I don't know why.

Dan was a good and true friend. He had a good nature and would do anything for a friend. On a trip to Las Vegas for a wedding a couple had a wreck in Wickenburg, AZ. They called Dan, who was already in Las Vegas. Without hesitation he said "We're coming to get you." About an hour into the rescue he asked "So how far is Wickenburg, anyway?" That's the kind of guy Dan was.

Goodbye, my friend. You will be missed.

My Sweet New Digs

2008-10-06T04:12:00.003-07:00

A friend offered me a smokin' deal on his place. 3x the room for just a little bit more than I was paying before. Now I'll have room if somebody comes to visit me!

More Derby Dames

2008-09-25T18:10:00.005-07:00

The playoffs were last week. Emotions ran high and tempers flared. Mayhem ensued. Don't worry, I'm all right! I'll get some better vids next month at the championship.

Oh, and did I mention that I have a crush on Gabby?

Save The Boobs!

2008-09-18T06:44:00.001-07:00

Everybody knows somebody that has been affected by breast cancer. I'm walking on November 8th to raise money and awareness. If you can find it in your heart (and pocketbook) to donate to this worthy cause, please go to: www.main.acsevents.org/goto/bww and give what you can! The boobs thank you.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer - 2008-2009

Happy Birfdays!

2008-09-15T16:06:00.003-07:00

Today both Jason and Lou celebrate. Wednesday, it's Natalie's turn. Happy Birfday, one and all!

A Blast From The Past

2008-09-12T21:55:00.004-07:00

When Natalie went away to Texas, I signed up on FaceBook to keep up with her antics. I haven't used it very much since. I'm too old (and grumpy) for these social networking sites. So I was goofing off at work today and I had an e-mail from a girl I knew on my mission lo these many years ago. She saw my Simpsonized avatar on FaceBook and just knew it had to be me. After 30 years? Do I really look like this? I was surprised, and now we have some catching up to do.

My Sweet New Ride

2008-09-02T01:15:00.002-07:00

I picked this up cheap at Tempe Bike because it's last year's model. Last year's model? For a bike? This is like the Schwinn I had when I was 12! Last year's model?

More Rocky Point!

2008-08-28T11:20:00.007-07:00

There's nothing like the sand and the surf coming together. Even for a desert rat like me!

Roller Derby!

2008-08-26T02:24:00.005-07:00

I'm a volunteer security guy for the Arizona Derby Dames at their bouts once a month. Speed, mayhem, and women who kind of scare me. What could be better?

Roller Derby draws an interesting crowd.

This is Gabrihella Gauntlet. I have a crush on her. I think that makes her nervous. No restraining order yet.
It's always a good time.

Cancer, anyone? Anyone?

2008-08-18T11:06:00.002-07:00

I was in Safeway one day and they had posters all over for a "Prostate Cancer Raffle" drawing. I asked the checker "Why would I want to win cancer?"

Rocky Point

2008-08-15T00:58:00.001-07:00

My boy Dan and I found this custom ride in Rocky Point, Mexico. You can't buy them like that off the showroom floor, people.