I've Seen It All!

Yesterday I took some time out of my personal chaos, and went to Lincoln to see my Husker team taken advantage of by Texas Tech and the officiating crew. Sometimes I wonder why I even get emotionally involved. On to the real reason for blogging today. The friends I happen to be with are a very even keeled bunch, who don't let petty things get in the way of life. That's one quality I try to incorporate in my life. They also seem very grounded, and when a crisis, or seeming crisis arises, they just deal with it and move on. Once again, my philosophy. Well, after the game, we sat and had beer and pizza at a joint called Yia Yia's. Check it out, it's a great place. So my buddy and I are talking about getting older, because that's what you're supposed to do when you get older, and one perception we've both had is, nothing really seems to rattle us anymore. We feel like we've seen it all. For instance, the other day I had to enter the Walmart zone. Now if you're going to Walmart be sure to bring your Walmart bingo card. So as we walk into the store, one of the first people I see in the checkout line, is a transvestite. My reaction was, "Huh, he sure makes for an ugly woman". Then I went on with my shopping. Apparently, over the years I've become desensitized. I don't know if that's good or bad. So I'm in my forties now. I wonder how my view on things will change in my fifties and sixties? I guess if I look at my relatives older than myself, that's probably indicative of my future. There'll come a time when I'm going to complain about the cost of living, the weather, and health care, and wonder if the money I'll receive in my golden years will allow me to exist. These are legitimate concerns. I can't wait until the age, where my internal editor retires, and I start blurting out what other people are thinking, but too afraid to say. Of course it will embarrass those who are closest to me, but the nice thing is, they'll just blame it on my age:)

Hand Made

If you look on the bottom and its say, 'Made in China', chances are, it's NOT hand made. On the other hand, if you happen to know an artisan of some sorts, and have had the privilege of watching them in action, you know first hand what 'hand made' means. I've worked around quite a few skilled craftsmen over the years, to recognize true talent when I see it. When a carpenter chooses to use a hand coping saw rather than an electric jigsaw, or he opts for the block plane as opposed to the belt sander, you know at that moment you're going to witness a type of 'old world' way of creating things. The older gentleman who nursed me through my apprenticeship, happened to be such a person, even though he considered his trade as a means to an end - just a job. One day, while sitting at lunch (we used to bring our lunch everyday), he picked up his tile nippers, a piece of tile, and started to play around. Keep in mind, tile nippers are for chipping away bits of tile until you get close to the shape you need. There are certain aspects of the nippers you figure out after multiple upon multiple uses. The tool does have limitations, and if you push it too far, or use it incorrectly, you will inevitably have to start over with another piece. Well back to the story. So after a couple of minutes nipping away at a piece of tile, he holds up a horse head silhouette. And from a distance it looked like a horse head! It was remarkable! It was fun to watch and see the finished product. I have an acquaintance who happens to be building his own house as we speak. He happens to be somewhat of a perfectionist. He is also an accomplished artist. I've had the pleasure of working with this fellow over the last 3 - 4 years, and have been involved in some incredible projects. I feel a little flattered, because he recently asked me to help him do a concrete vanity in his house. He's quickly ran some ideas by me, and he wants, not only a functional sink, but a piece of art. We're going to collaborate on the project, so it won't be all me, but just to be asked was pretty cool. I'll definitely have to bring my 'A' game. We will employ power tools for the sake of convenience and time, but a good portion of this is going to have to be done by hand. There's nothing quite like creating something by hand, and having it turn out better than expected. I hope this is a success and I'll have pics on my website. All of us have a creative side to us whether we realize it or not. You won't realize it unless you try it. Failure just gives you the excuse to try it again. So don't be afraid to pick up that paint brush and paint, or that carving knife and whittle. It beats sitting in front of a computer!

Odoriferous

As parents, we instill a moral responsibility in our children to be kind and considerate to people of all walks of life. The color of their skin and gender do not mean we have superiority over another. The way a person dresses is a personal choice, and should not be treated differently because they don't fit into our ideology. But how about the way a person smells? They too should not be treated with disrespect, but its hard to start up a conversation with the guy, whose breath smells of stale coffee, and who insists on putting his face within three inches of yours, and taking a deep breath, to then exhale a long 'hello', into your supply of oxygen. Then there's the person who feels bathing is an option, and smoking is a necessity. Some try to cover body funk with a splash or twelve of perfume, others feel the lingering stench of the cheapest cigarette on the market, is actually an attractive scent. Next is the little old lady wearing her winter coat in July, with the stash of moth balls in her pockets. Or, perhaps the same little old lady who happens to live with 46 cats, 7 dogs, and a guinea pig, covered in pet hair, and smells like a kennel. The human race sure is a smelly bunch. But we're not alone on this earth. Walk through the zoo sometime, and stop to take a deep breath near the gorillas, or the elephants. Go fishing for a day and see how your hands smell afterwards. That scent doesn't easily wash off. So even though we're a funky bunch, every other living species has to put up with the stale waft of each other also. All I'm saying is, try to love them for who they are, and not for what they've been rolling in.

All Is Right Once Again

The outcome of the Misery vs. Nebraska game was as it should be. Once again, the Huskers had to battle two teams, the Tigers and the Zebras. Officiating was lousy, but the better team won. I was thrilled to see the BLACKSHIRTS (pay attention Bo), were extremely stingy and dominate. They needed to rise to the challenge since our offense couldn't seem to get there wheels on for three quarters. But when they finally found a crack in the dam, the flood waters came (in more ways than one). I hope this is the start of a long streak of check marks in the 'L' column for Mizzou. I enjoy watching the hard hitting battle, but they are such a dirty playing team, and their coach is something else! They've humiliated us for the last couple of years, so this was a little payback. The way this game played out was so unexpected, especially if you're a Tiger fan. It's like a skunk crossing the interstate. He passes through the first three lanes with not much excitement, then steps into the fourth lane and WHAM! The semi truck won. This unexpected victory couldn't have happened against a more despised rival. And what a blow to the ego of a coach who thinks 'he's too sexy' for the Big 12 North. Good job boys for hanging in there and spanking the tiger!

Collage

I had an interesting thought while in my truck last week, driving to Sydney, NE. Believe me, 6 hours at the wheel is plenty of time to think about random, useless, thoughts. Here's my thought. As I'm zooming down I-80, various insects are sacrificing themselves upon my windshield. Are some of these insects endangered? Did that one splatter in the middle of my vision, just bring a species into extinction? These are living creatures and I'm responsible for ending their tiny little lives. Is God going to hold me accountable? After reasoning awhile on it, I decided that He would probably forgive me since I was going to volunteer my time for the betterment of mankind. And then I got to thinking about how annoying it is for an insect, the size of a marshmallow, to play 'chicken' with you, and lose, and coat half of your windshield with juicy bug entrails. Turn on the wipers, spray some windshield washer fluid, and finish smearing all over the rest of your windshield. Perfect! I just cut my vision down to about 50 feet! Of course, when you stop for gas, it's time to clean the collage off your windshield. Then, my mind switched gears again, and wondered how cool my collage of insects would be, if I traveled all the way across the country without cleaning my windshield. I would have quite the bug collection! I don't really lose sleep over dead flying things on the windshield. If you happen to notice, there is never short supply of insects to pollute your windshield, and multiply that by how many drivers on the road?

6 Year Olds

Hopefully all of us out there have friends. We may have had some friends for a really long time, others may be fairly recent. Regardless, friends are a must to make it through life with your sanity intact. Sometimes friends move away, and you end up losing touch with them. Occasionally, friends change, and even though you still may be friends, the relationship is different and maybe not as close as it once was. I'm sure all of us have our intimate circle of friends, those to whom we are closest and do everything with. There are some friends who bring out the best, and others who bring out the worst in you. I happen to have both. When I say 'worst', I don't mean 'law breaking' or 'immoral' actions. I mean, we get together, start joking around, playing off of each others comments and, at times, laughing uncontrollably! I don't necessarily consider this behavior my 'worst', on the contrary, I view it as my 'best'. Everyone around me considers it my 'worst'. Many times we revert back to being 6 years old, whether we knew each other then, or not, at the age of 6. Six year olds in action, with the vocabulary of an adult, spells for a good time! Plus, how many 6 year olds do you know who can hold their liquor? What's amazing is when you happen to be apart for some time, and then reunite, you can usually pick up from right where you left off. That's how you know you have a good friend... when he can lower himself to your standards:)

Cookie Cutter

Let me first say, "I am sick, but I DO NOT have the H1N1! I did eat bacon today though. On to the real subject. I recently went on a quick shopping spree with my wife. Work was a little sparse, there was no football on at 10 AM, Friday morning, I wasn't hungover or anything like that, so really no excuse to 'not' go. She was interested in finding a pair of black boots for winter, and we were out of dog food. If the dog were solid black, I could have just made her a pair. So off to DSW, since her boots had to be solid black. I like DSW, especially the clearance items. The problem with shopping for clothes or shoes for myself is, I must have the most common size on earth. From my shirt to my shoes, I NEVER find anything on sale. I've been to Marshall's and TJ Maxx a few times, and not only are they out of sale items my size, but their full price rack has only two items my size, and mentally disturbed escapees from the insane asylum wouldn't be caught dead in these fashions. Today we happened to wander into the Gap store. Once again, sale items in Kevin's size - non existent. Full price merchandise - two. There are times I wish I had a huge back porch, just so I could buy something cool on sale. Or my feet were the size of children's feet, just to be able to wear the latest footwear, yet at a discounted price. I suppose if I were twice as big as I am now, was able to find the 'deal of the century' on a pair of wicked cool jeans, folks would point me out of a crowd just to criticize how much denim had to be killed in order to clad my fanny in jeans. I suppose if I were willing to spend more for my clothing, I might be able to be more selective, and actually have a choice. Another reason for my lack of 'landing the good buy', is the fact I go shopping about once or twice a year. If I were more in touch with my feminine side, I would shop more often and maybe I would have a halfway decent wardrobe that possibly didn't clash, and hurt your teeth to look at. Honestly, this isn't a huge concern for me, being the 'fashionista' that I am. Of course my wardrobe is on the cutting edge..... of homelessness. I just feel sorry for my family when they have to be seen in public with me. I tell them to explain to people that I'm just out for the weekends with adult supervision. Everyone seems to understand.