North South East West Morning Noon and Night

"Didn't we go to your mother's on Christmas Eve last year?"

"No, we went down to my mother's last year on Christmas Eve last year."

"We went at Christmas Eve night...right?"

"Christmas Eve lasts all day, but yes it was Christmas eve night."

"Shouldn't we say Christmas Eve eve?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Whatever!, if you make the distinction between up and down according to the direction of travel we should be precise about eve and night."

"She lives south of us, so we go down to mother's. That's just logical."

"That's not logical. up and down do not follow a north or south axis, up follows from the earth's center to the sky, and down follows in the opposite direction." Your mother doesn't live below us underground.

"I'm not going to say, "Hey Barry, we're going south to mother's on Christmas Eve eve this year."

"Just leave out the word south and say "Hey Barry, we're going to mother's on Christmas Eve eve this year."

"I'll tell ya what, I'll leave out north, south, east, west, and the eve at the end of Christmas Eve."

"Ok, but I'll still wonder what time of day on Christmas Eve we'll be leaving. I might not be ready to go on time. I guess I'll get up, shower and dress in my Christmas finery Christmas Eve morning so I'll be ready to go at a moments notice."

The ubiquitous second grade paper plate turkey effect. It reminds me of a muppet character somehow.

Doppleganger

She kinda reminds me of wife.

This is real country music ... not the crap they play on those country music radio stations

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings "The Way It Goes"

Pics

Better late than never. I downloaded the Google Chrome browser and the photos upload slick as snot.

 Tristan carved the pumpkin himself.

Little Red and the Big Bad.

Last June Susan's (left) daughter was married at Locust Grove, the house where George Rogers Clark spent his last years. (see below). The woman on the right is no woman, it's my wife.














                                                                                    Locust Grove.

The site was founded in 1790 by William Croghan and his wife Lucy Clark Croghan. Lucy was the sister of the younger William Clark and the older George Rogers Clark, former surveying partner of William Croghan.

On November 8, 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, tracing their way back from the Pacific Ocean, arrived at Locust Grove to a homecoming where Lucy Clark Croghan and her family welcomed them back from their journey. Locust Grove became the only residence still in existence west of the Appalachian Mountains to have sheltered Lewis and Clark. In the Fall of 2006, Locust Grove commemorated the 200th anniversary of Lewis and Clark's return.George Rogers Clark lived at the site in the final years of his life, from 1809 to 1818.

Hailee hard at it.

Abby's birthday

Bad News Every Night

I don't want to watch the news anymore, but I do. I'll sit there and watch it every night and it's worrisome as hell. I lock my doors and windows every night and think about having a security system installed. Petraeus' problems are the least of my worries.

Paul Thorn "What the Hell is Goin' On?"

Absent Pics and Paper Tiger

I was going to post some Halloween pics but my computer freezes up when I try to upload them. I don't have the time to f... around to fix it. Let's just say Hailee was Little Red Riding Hood and Tristan was the Big Bad Wolf.

Here's a scary song from Beck...kinda fits my mood lately.

Beck "Paper Tiger" 2002...gosh has it been that long ago?

Pre Halloween Painting Fun

I've been working alot around the old homestead lately. In September I killed the lawn and power seeded front and back with a blend of fescue called Trifecta. I've been wanting to do this for years and finally got around to it. It's now 100 percent lush grass instead of 98 percent wild onion, wild violet, and other various and assorted weeds. There was this particular weed that I couldn't kill and had to pull out by hand. This could probably grow on Mars. The rover will find it soon.

I've painted the front porch railing and the external wood of the back porch. Yesterday was when it got surreal. Many years ago I cut corbels to put in each corner where the wide porch facia board met the vertical boards. Looks nice but they're a pain in the neck to paint. I had the screen door slid open on the south side to paint the inside of the corbel and I saw what appeared to be an old wasp nest in the inside corner. There wasn't much light and I couldn't see it well. I slid the screen door shut and thought I heard a buzz sound. I thought crap, I'll have to stop and kill these wasps and clean out the nest before I can finish.

I slid the screen slightly open to see if I could determine about how many wasps I was dealing with. I thought I saw some movement and then THE WHOLE NEST WAS MOVING. I tried to shut the screen real quick and it was catching on something and I heard a squeaking sound. Watching the thing move it dawned on me IT WAS A BAT! One wing came out and then it dropped a little and out it flew. Then another bat came out and flew off....there were two of them! I must've been standing there with my mouth open. I was stunned. They haven't returned.....yet. 

Divine Fits

My latest favorite song I've been hearing on the radio lately Divine Fits "Would That Not Be Nice" A very good live performance in Austin, Texas last August.

Itchycoo Park

Remember this?

Small Faces "Itchycoo Park" 1967

All Wrong

I know a little girl sitting in her class room today who wishes that her daddy would say in divorce court that he's sorry, he takes it all back, and still loves her Mommy. He would hug her Mommy and her Mimi and they would walk our of the court room arm in arm leaving the attorneys to count their money. I wish the same.

Homeland

The season two opener for the Showtime series starts September 30th. Excellent show. The first season is out on DVD. I highly recommend.

Like a Rolling Stone

It all started July fifth. Wife had a pain in her side, then slight nausea, then the pain got worse, and she got sick. We went to the ER. after a dose of morphine, anti-nausea meds, and a CT scan the verdict was a kidney stone. We finally got home in the wee hours with the name of a urologist we were supposed to call.

After four weeks wife had another episode and another CT scan. The stone was lodged and the only way to get it out was surgery. My wife always does things the hard way. I thought that since it was a minor surgery things would go fine...wrongo.

My wife happens to have spring water for blood and doesn't tolerate anesthesia very well. Despite anti-nausea meds we were there for nine hours for a twenty minute surgery. A few days later she had to got back to the urologist to get the stent taken out and afterwards she had very painful spasms for two days. She's been through the mill. She wants to go to the gym tonight...we'll see.

I Got Guns

Wife bought me some time with a personal trainer at the gym for my birthday. I was in a rut with my exercise routine and was going through the motions not getting much done. Phil Bloyd, the owner of the gym, was my trainer. He's also a former Marine drill instructor. I would've preferred a female trainer who worked as part time as a stripper.

For six weeks, three times a weeks I worked every single muscle on every machine, hand weight, and bar bell. I've lost a little weight and gained alot of muscle mass. After the end of the second week I was so sore one morning I thought the only way out of bed was to roll over and fall to the floor. The last session fell on my birthday. I'm keeping it up almost every day and adding weight and reps to my routines.

It was one of the best birthday gifts I've received...even if it wasn't a part time stripper.

Lush Rain

I can't remember the last time it rained around here. The meteorologists tease us and say an inch or two of rain is coming. I'll believe it when I see it. Days and days of triple digits is making me loopy. I walk up the driveway to the house and the air smothers me. I walk out the door and the heat smacks you in the face. How did we ever live without A/C? We're so A/C whipped.

I remember playing tennis in this shit. I was much younger and could handle it. I'd take a cooler full of ice water and some towels and I was fine. It'd probably kill me now.

The rain is coming, driving to the bank and back, the banks of dark gray clouds moving in. It relaxes me just to know it will rain at 5:15pm....at least that's what weather.com says.

Lawn Mower Cupcakes

Since Daniel and I've been mowing Noelle's lawn lately, on Father's Day Noelle & Abby made lawn mower cupcakes.

Gordon Lightfoot

In my previous life a roomie of mine had just about all of Gordon Lightfoot's albums. I heard one of his more famous songs on Sirius the other day and damn it sounded good. Lightfoot was quoted as saying that this was his finest work. I'd have to agree.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was a freight ship which sank in November of 1975 in Lake Superior. The whole crew of 29 men died.

Gordon Lightfoot "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" 1976.

Garden Time

Bloom Dammit

We planted a climbing hydrangea and somebody said it took seven years for the first blooms to appear. I guess it's been seven years since we planted it since we've got our first one. It's about damn time.

I built a lattice triptych for it and it started growing nicely, weaving around the lattice..the foliage consists of dark shiny leaves. It's a nice addition to the garden but you gotta have patience for the blooms.

Justice

The day didn't turn out very well for Thomas Kessinger. He was found guilty of murder, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse. He's 68 years old now and he won't be eligible for parole until he's 88. If he serves out his full sentence he'll be let out of prison when he's 92 if he lives that long.

We all had our worries that jury would have reasonable doubt of the murder but thanks to Erin Wright, the lead prosecutor,  her fabulous summation to the jury truly made the difference.

Jessica & Emily...Diane Tanselle's daughters.

 Julia Lane....raised Diane. She's was there all four days of the trial. She'll be 91 this June.

 Larry and Rodney...Diane's brothers. That's no woman, that's my wife.

 Noelle and Rodney

 The Hall of Justice on Jefferson Street.

The Humana Building on left designed by Michael Graves. People have said it looks like a cash register on top of a lego tile.

King Louis the Sixteenth who Louisville is named after. He looks kinda pale to me.

It was mind numbing. They're up to 170 pieces of evidence, every piece of evidence is numbered and the Judge has to give his verbal assent to admit these pieces as official court evidence.

Prosecutor: Judge, I'd like to admit these four photographs into evidence, numbers 141 through 145.

Judge: It's so ordered into evidence.

In the courtroom of my wishes I'd move things on a little faster.

Prosecutor: Judge, I'd like the jurors to see a few pics.

Judge: Cool.

Prosecutor: (Speaking to jurors) As you can see from these pics the defendant grew some pot in his home. As you can see the finished product is some righteous weed. Some of the buds are as big as a large Maglite.

Juror # 8: Duuude.

It was a BIG marijuana growing operation in his home...over 100 plants in various stages of growth, A charcoal scrubbing ventilation system, and grow lights out the butt. He had to have been making some big bucks...but taking big risks. He's been arrested and spent time in prison for this before. You would think he learned a lesson or two.

The final arguments for prosecution and defense are tomorrow and then it will go to the jury to debate.
The charges are:

The murder of Diane Tanselle.
Abuse of a corpse
Hiding evidence
Marijuana grow operation
Persistent Felony Offender

I'm going to the trial tomorrow. Here's is what happened today.

There, I Feel Better Now

This is a ubiquitous Thomas Kinkade painting. Loved by his fans and loathed by critics. He died last April 6th in his sleep.

He swindled many art dealers and was arrested once for urinating on a Disney World statue while drunk, saying "This is for you Walt."

Dry as Dust

I was supposed to go to the murder trial today. It turns out fate has other boring plans for me. Yesterday after mowing our lawn, and then Noelle's, I came home feeling like a sucked lemon. Chills and fever

Wife left for the trial and here I am knocking around the house for the day. I'm aleady bored to tears. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

Firesign Theater

I read in the paper Peter Bergman died. He was the founder of Firesign Theater who I used to listen to a looong time ago, used to have most of their albums.

Show Biz Afterlife

Lying on the couch I flipped to the classic movie channel I've been watching alot of lately. "An American in Paris" was just starting. Ten minutes into it I could feel myself slipping away into unconsiousness as Kelly was dancing around with the French children. I wondered if the stars watched their movies in their old age. I tried to think if Gene Kelly was still amongst the living and dozed off into a Sunday slumber.

"It's a funny feeling watching the living watching me and it's still novel to me. . It's not a bad afterlife especially if you were involved in film. They were running a film I did in '52, An American in Paris. They allow us to re-live ourselves doing films"

"There's some guy lying on a couch wondering if I'm still alive or not, and he's falling asleep. Better be careful buddy, That how I bit the big one...died in my sleep."

I woke up during the dream sequence and Kelly was dancing with Leslie Caron. I could have sworn Gene Kelly was giving me this look from the TV, like he knew me.

Peepers, Teavana, and Nirvana

I could see perfectly well this morning after putting my glasses on. I went to the eye doc to be evaluated for LASIK. A friend of mine who works as a sales rep for an eye care company recommended this doc. They dilated my pupils, measured my corneas, and tested my vision. After speaking with the doc I've decided against it and go back to contact lenses.

I met wife at the local mall and sitting at the corner of Teavana and Soma (where do they get the names of these stores?) I watched the hazy flow of people walking past. I was drinking a cup of Starbucks while eating a chocolate chip cookie. It was almost nirvana. Having your pupils dilated is similar to being tranquilized. You feel as though you're somewhat invisible as though you are a little kid again and when your eyes are closed no one can see you.

Back to LASIK, they slice the outer skin of your cornea, fold it back, and laser your cornea to reshape it. It takes about fifteen minutes and, bada-bing!, your eyes are eighteen years old again. It's not 100 percent risk free and that's the main reason I decided not to go that route. The cost is anywhere between $1,300 and $2,000 per peeper which isn't too bad considering the cost of eyewear and contacts over your lifetime. 

Pins and Needles

It was December I put my hat in the ring for a Network Analyst position at the central office of the Department of Corrections. A secretary in the Information Systems department called me last week and left the message, Call me if you'd like to set up a time for an interview for the Network Analyst position.

I called her the next morning at 8:30 and set up an interview for Wednesday at 1:00. The next day at work this secretary calls me and says she needs to push back the interview 24 hours to Thursday at 1:00. Okay, no problem, I'll be there.

All the while I'm skimming over my MCSE tombs, refamiliarizing myself with DHCP, DNS, MMC,  and all other complex esoteric networking thingies that make a network run.

I get home and a message is on the phone. It's her again leaving a message saying that the interview is postponed until a later date. I call her the next day and ask what's going on. She doesn't know but she'll call me with another date in the near future.

I'm stoked for this interview, I want this job, it's what I've done, it's what I do, it's what I'm good at, it's what I haven't done in over two years since that terrible day I was laid off. On that day I didn't remember driving home.

I found out there's only six or seven other candidates interviewing for this position. I'm gonna get this job...I feel it in my bones. I'm gonna dazzle 'em in this interview...whenever it happens.