Reunions and Other Ramblings

So...part II

I made it to the HS reunion Saturday night after all. And mighty glad that I did. Saw some more old friends, had a few laughs and remembered some great times. Once again, I thought most everyone looked pretty darn good - not too much worse for the wear after quite a few summers had passed.

I guess the best part was knowing that we all had made it through a lifetime of different experiences up until now. We all started as the same place and had ended up here on this night. The sense of community (at least for me) was very evident and still very strong. Good stuff...

On another front, I went back to Quizno's for another try at the Black-N-Bleu salad. The place was locked up at noon on Saturday. Guess the beef truck never came. Oh well...

I know Jon & Liz Wagner are headed back to Vegas for the Stewart/Crosland wedding this weekend. It'll be good to see them and I hear Jon is preaching at FPC on Sunday. Let's see what a year of seminary does for your pulpit chops.

Finally, Wifey and #1 get home from Honduras on Friday night. It's been a long haul without 'em for the past week. In fact, I called Wifey's cell phone just to hear her voice mail message...

Whaddya think?

All Hail the Adopted Alma Mater

As if going back to high school via the reunion circuit isn't hard enough for those of us in the MLC (mid-life crisis) stage, how 'bout for a school you never went to? Weird?

Three classes from S.D. Lee High in Columbus are having a joint reunion this weekend. I didn't go to S.D. Lee High, but a bunch of my closest friends did. There's a sad tale here about separation due to critical geography and school district lines, but that's for some other time. Nevertheless, I received a few emails inviting me to attend the festivities. Seemed like a good chance to catch up with some of my old chums.

The starter was an informal pre-party last night at Steve & Kay Ellis' home. How equally weird is it that neither Steve nor Kay graduated from Lee High, but like me hung out with all those Lee High folks? Better weekend parties with that gang as I recall...

Anyway, about 30 folks showed up. Saw a few that are still in the area like me. The exotically located returnees included my old friends Clint (now an attorney in Houston), Mark (an architect in Miami who does historical renovations) and Lamar (who holds the coolest job of all as Billy Joel's stage construction manager - no kiddin'). All in all, the group looked pretty good - everyone weighed in a little bigger than high school days and some sporting more than a few gray hairs, but no walking corpses or Macy's parade balloon-sized people. We should be proud, I guess.

The main deal is tonight at the Columbus Country Club. The head count is only projected at 60 or so according to the main organizers. A pitiful turnout for three years worth of classes (almost 600 altogether). At this point, I'm still a bit on the fence about attending. After all, I ain't my school. But I did fork over the $40 a few weeks ago.

Stay tuned for Part II...

Early to Rise

Some days start earlier than others...

I managed to crawl out of the sack at 4:15 this AM to provide chauffeur service to GTR Airport for two missionaries. Dear Wifey and #1 son Cam are headed to Quimistan, Honduras for ten days with a group primarily from FPC. In fact, they should be well into the first day's actvities as I write this. If they're reading my stuff - BIG SHOUT OUT FROM HOME!!

I'm not exactly sure how this ten day family mini-separation will work out. Wifey and I have not been apart this long ever since we married back in the days of Disco. Cam is the family world traveler, so him being gone is pretty much a regular occurence. Of course, DDM (Darling Daughter Meredith) stayed in country to take care of good ole Dad - although here on the first night she's at the movies w/ friends and I'm eating a Stromboli's sub and watching "Raymond" reruns on TBS. Party boy.

The sub was actually my second pick for dinner. I went first to Quizno's for the healthier option of a Black-n-Bleu salad - an amazing creation with steak bits and bleu cheese crumbles (plus salad, of course). They were out of steak. Also out of roast beef. The server chick offered to substitute ham, but Pork-n-Bleu didn't seem edible. So I passed and went across the street to Stromboli's instead. There I opted for my usual meatball sub - easily the best in StarkVegas. Haven't eaten one in quite a while and it seemed like a good pick for the evening, even if it was a second pick.

Predictably, I'll fill up and then pass out with the TV blaring - but as I mentioned earlier, it has been a long day, y'all.

Multipurpose

OK...

I've decided to go with a completely vagabond photo of a misshapen snowman taken in Glasgow, Scotland as the header pic for the blog. Works for me on several levels.

1) When it's July in Mississippi, it's time for the heat advisory blues. Reached 100 on Monday. A bit better today (maybe 97?). A snowman knocks a little of the edge off.

2) I can't live with any text color other than black. It needs a white background. Snowman. I could've opted for a pile of baking soda, an albino gorilla, or maybe a close up of my stomach.

3) The snowman is simultaneously smiling, winking and melting. Plus he's a little smudged. I see a lot of myself here.

Anyway, this will do for a while. As I've mentioned in previous posts - I am a serious creature of habit and will probably let this one slide for quite some time. At least until November gets here...

Rising From the Ashes

Ta da...

After a very lengthy vacation from the ole' blog, I've decided to get back to it. Somehow, it came up in a few conversations. And believe it or not, I actually think I'm developing a tiny fan base...

Not tiny fans - just a very small # of readers. For them I'll forge on.

Time for dropping the standard lead pic of Scott A sleeping on a dirty couch in the warehouse. Most of you don't know Scott anyway, and my dear wifey thinks the reference is totally unclear. To tell the truth, I don't remember why that pic made the blog in the first place. But I do think photos of people sleeping inappropriately are always funny - even if it's sort of random. I'll get a new header pic later. Submissions are being accepted now.

Maybe my blogging renaissance will inspire the incomparable Rex L. Camino to get back to blogging as well. He's been on sabbatical for 9 months now. In fact, as I roamed around Blogland today, I noticed big gaps in most everyone's regular writings. Maybe me coming back will push their buttons too.

Writing a better blog entry than I can is easy. Just do it...

Train Kept A Rollin'

Me and the wifey took a fine excursion up the country to visit my dear sister in Appomattox, Virginia a few weeks back. I'd never been to her new digs nestled covetously up in the picturesque hill country - unbelievably gorgeous terrain, y'all. Especially in autumn with Mother Nature's annual color splash.

It was an excellent visit and time well spent with family. The memorable journey on Amtrak was a hoot as well. Hence...

TEN THINGS ABOUT TRAINS

10. The food on Amtrak is amazing - not just OK.
09. You can ride the train from Clemson to Charlotte for $15.00. Insane.
08. It takes six hours to get from Tuscaloosa to Atlanta by train. Also insane.
07. Bring something to read, but don't get too buried in the book. Observe.
06. Porters aren't amused when you break into "Chattanooga Choo Choo".
05. Peeing in train bathrooms is an adventure unto itself.
04. Bring a few beverages in a small cooler or drink $6 beers. Your choice.
03. Enjoy the train stations - very retro experience. Trippy employees, too.
02. The average speed on Amtrak is 48 MPH.
01. I read (in a train station) that the damn things can actually do 150 MPH.

So the next time you're planning an A to B outing, I highly suggest looking into rail travel. Everybody should give it a whirl at least once. ..unless you're in a big hurry to get somewhere or have bladder control issues.

Blurb...

I fully realize that I haven't posted for exactly a month. Lots going on, just no real motivational material. That will soon change since I seem to be picking up a few readers. It's only fair for them to get some new stuff every now and then.

There was an Amtrak trip to Virginia (quite the adventure), several odd gigs, and the MSU win over the mighty red elephants from Tuscaloosa to discuss. Plus, I think I have developed fatty liver disease. The Walter Payton reference from my earlier post might have been an omen.

Stay tuned...

Oww

I'm quite sure that I have a big aversion to painful things. Not that most non-sadists don't. It's just that I don't really go around each day needing to dodge a boo-boo. Occasionally, however, one finds you anyway...

Anybody out there familiar with a skin tag? It's like a wart, but a little more fleshy. And it pops up out of nowhere. A tiny bump becomes a small 3D flap which then grows into something worthy of its own zip code. And not in a good location, I might add. It rhymes with troin.

I decided to take action...

Somewhere I read that one should tie a string around the base of the sucker and it would eventually sluff off. It's the eventually part I had problems with. Plus, the thought of a piece of me sluffing was disconcerting as well. The last time I tried Compound W for a foot wart was a complete disaster - not EVEN gonna try it down there. Maybe I should have a professional deal with this thing.

I had an appointment scheduled with my personal Medicine Man to go over some lab stuff from an insurance physical a few weeks earlier. Some liver enzyme spike had my wife concerned (just what I need - to go out like Walter Payton), but he assured me it was no big deal. Now's my chance for the tagectomy...

Me: "What about skin tags"

Doc: "What about 'em?"

Me: "If I wanted to lose one, is that a big deal?"

Doc: "Nah - we just chop 'em off right here in the office"

Great - quick and painless - or so I thought. I dropped my drawers and assumed the position as Medicine Man grabbed up a fresh hypodermic.

Doc: "You're not allergic to Lydocane, are you?"

Me: "Not that I'm aware of"

Doc: "Good. You'll feel a little stick then a burn."

O.K. Here's the stick...then

GREATGOOGLYMOOGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SWEETMARYANDJOSEPH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Doc:"You OK?"

Me: "Oh yeah...I'm good. Was that the Lydocane?"

Doc: "Yeah. Did it burn?"

Like downtown Chicago when O'Leary's cow knocked over the lantern!!

Me:"No big deal"

Doc: "Liar"

As if I weren't debased enough sitting pantsless in Exam 3, Medicine Man was waving around his scalpel like a majorette doing a baton act and had given the skin tag a name - Dirk the Dangler. He then with great ceremony whacked the unwelcomed intruder from my loins and offered it up in a plastic baggie.

Doc: "You want this for a souvenir?"

Me: "Uh, no thanks. Can I put my pants back on now?"

Doc: " Wait a minute. Let me find the damn Band-Aids."

Seems I bleed a lot, too. It just keeps getting better...

Doc: "OK - You're good to go"

Me: "Thanks, I guess"

Doc: "Let me know if some more crop up - we'll get 'em."

Not if I can find a remedy on the internet...

Mr. Brown Around Town

I got some new brown slacks. I guess every man needs a pair of brown slacks in his closet. I did have a nice pair, but somehow they shrank over the last few years...

Anyway, when I bought the brown slacks I also grabbed up a new brown belt. It's not exactly the same color brown, but I heard a little shade contrast is good.

So yesterday seemed like a good time to bust out the new brown slacks/brown belt combo. I even found some brown socks - although they were a bit different brown than my trusty brown dress shoes. Same goes for the slacks and belt. The shirt was white - I really didn't trust myself with anything else.

A quick glance in the mirror started my self-consciousness roiling about the four shades of brown. I then remembered that I was genetically predisposed to bad color matching - my Pop often sported maroon pants with a red shirt (or some such wicked pairing). I tried not think about my festival of brown too much more. My wife wasn't around for an opinion, so I braved the public appearance.

No fashion police came to arrest me...

One lump or two?

So the wife buys a small container of buttermilk a few weeks ago because a recipe called for some. I'm sure it was good eatin'...whatever it was she made.

It is unfortunate, however, that Kroger puts their buttermilk and half & half in very similar containers differentiated only by a splash of color (yellow vs. purple). This ever so slight variance of packaging can possibly slip by the early morning sleepy-eyed coffee drinker hunting for a dollop.

I don't recommend Folgers with curds....

Grill Thrills - Part 2

So after raving about L. Mullins fabulous ribs in my last post, I come back with a story of fear and loathing from my own backyard at Casa Jimmy...

Me and the wifey decided to simply grill a couple of burgers for dinner one evening last week. Cam calls and says he's coming over (fine by us). He's bringing a couple of friends as well.

Problem - we have only one small package of ground beef.

Solution A - go to the store for more meat

Solution B - smash out the patties really thin and flat to make 5 burgers.

Of course we chose B...

Anyway, soon dinner is on the table as we all prepare to chow down. My burger tastes like crud - really chalky and gross. Maybe we smushed them too much resulting in overcooking and subsequently crappy tasting burgers. Any respectable cook yearns for a compliment on their offering, but I knew one wasn't forthcoming on this night. Burgers that taste like feet for Cam and his buddies. Great. Time for a full confession.

Me: "Guys, sorry the burgers are so bad. Must've overcooked them."

Wife: "Mine's great."

Cam and friends: "Mmpphff..."

They were just being kind,I'm sure. At least that what I think mmpphff means.

I continued to choke down the lousy excuse for a burger when it popped ever so slightly out of the edge of the bun - the piece of wax paper stuck to the slice of cheese that I had been slowly devouring throughout the meal. I quietly removed the gnarled portion of the remaining sheet in time to have the last bite of an untainted burger. It tasted just fine.

There's a moral here - but I'm not quite sure what it is...

Lest Not We Forget

This has been haunting me all week...

Darling daughter Meredith was hanging out for a long weekend with the blood family while Big Willie was embroiled in the opening of dove season in the Delta. We (me, wifey and Meredith) got a cordial invite to join some friends at Chez Mullins for a pre-Labor Day rib fest.

Not sure if you people know this but Larry Mullins' ribs make Dreamland's suck by comparison. Simply amazing grillmaster - but I digress...

We enjoyed some chat and adult beverages whilst the meat was being prepared. Upon the appropriate signal, we all gathered in the kitchen to stack our plates and wear out some hot ribs. Janet asked that we return thanks - always correct in my book.

She offered up a nice blessing of the food and then asked that God help us all to "remember the true meaning of Labor Day."

What exactly is that and why don't I know about it????