My Blog

My watergarden

Corvus_Corax — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:45:02 GMT

First, Jeannie is doing quite well, making progress and feeling better every day. Yee haaa! Okay on to the post for today. I have often used my blog just to talk about the crappy or tragic things that have happened, and have said that I really ought to talk about some of the positive things in my life. My pond is my pride and joy on the property. It is two ponds with a stream connecting them. I built it in stages 1999-2000. I did almost 100% of the work myself and it was bloody hard work! I dug both ponds by hand, went through three or four busted shovels and killed a wheelbarrow too. I had the stone delivered, but had to wheelbarrow it the last 75 feet, figure out how to place it (really not easy, I don't have an eye for stonework) and cement it all in place. I even mixed the cement by hand, no machines. There was also all the PVC plumbing, pumps, and pond liner to install. Every bit of work was worth it, it has been a source of relaxation and enjoyment for me and Jeannie, along with many of the neighbors, for almost ten years now. Not to mention Dudley and Minnie's private watering hole and yummy frog bistro. They haven't caught many frogs, but when they do... what can I say, they are hound dogs! I would never get a Labrador, my pond would be trashed, but Bassets are notorious non swimmers who stay out and just hunt the edges. When I first put the pond in, I bought all kinds of exotic and pretty plants for it, stuff from all over the world. But over the last five years or so, I have been changing it out and going for as much local vegetation as possible, only kept a couple of things with stunning flowers that I just could not part with. I won't list my plants, that's kinda boring even for me. But I think I will try to list all the animals that visit and/or live there. Fish. I started with cheap-o feeder goldfish, just to make sure the pond was fit for fishies when it was brand new. There are a few of their descendants still living there. Later, along with changing the plants, I went for local fish. Being a life-long splasher in puddles, streams, creeks, ponds, lakes, and rivers, I chose to catch some wild fishies in the local waterways. I now have several types of local minnows and sunfishes living pretty much happily in there. Considering I haven't stocked anything for over 2 years now, I guess they must be happy, and some have multiplied, breeding is the ultimate sign that fish are pleased with their living space. Frogs. All moved in of their own accord, I didn't catch any and bring them here. Bullfrogs, of course! Leopard frogs Wood Frogs Gray Tree Frogs Green Tree Frogs (both types visit the pond to breed but stay in the trees around all summer. THEY ARE VERY LOUD!) Toads, never held enough interest for me to look up, but I think two species. Other Amphibians seen from time to time, not sure if residents or visitors. Mudpuppies Spotted Salamander Tiger Salamander (Endangered Species!) Red-backed Salamander Red-spotted Newt. Turtles, visitors only Eastern Box Turtle (Dudley has a thing for catching these, but they hide in their shell and he doesn't hurt them.) Red-eared Slider (would likely stay, but has a taste for my water lillies, removed to local pond) Snakes, visitors only as best I can tell Eastern Garter Snake (One year I got to witness a breeding dance, soo cool!) Eastern Worm Snake (tiniest snakes I've ever seen, I think they top out under a foot long) Northern Black Racer Common Ribbonsnake Watersnake, not properly ID'd I know I'm leaving out at least two more that are not in my pond journal. Birds, some few nest in my trees and bushes but most just visit for various reasons. The dogs have made the pond less bird-friendly, oh well. Uncountable songbirds of many species, the stream has a little basin I designed for a birdbath, worked like a charm! Fishing birds: Great Blue Heron (They stand over three feet tall, which looks gigantic in the backyard) Green Heron (Much smaller and far more secretive than their gigantic cousins) Kingfisher of some type, never properly ID'd About this time of year almost every year, some very frazzled looking racing pigeons, obviously not the winners of whatever race they are in. They have bands on their legs and do not look like city pigeons. I always hope they get home okay. Side note, West Nile Virus has taken a Serious toll on the Crows and Blue Jays here, same as many areas of the country. Very sad, they are my fellow Corvids! (Family of birds that includes Corvus Corax, the Raven, where my handle comes from.) Mammals, also much reduced since the hounds came to live here. If the yard wasn't fenced, there would likely be deer and fox too, maybe others. Opossums Raccoons Rabbits Squirrels Chipmunks Considering the entire property is one-third of an acre, I have quite a cool little place for the wild critters to live in or visit! The fact that we back up to the woods helps a lot too, there's maybe 15 - 20 acres of undeveloped (and undevelopABLE) wild land there. That is a precious thing in this day and age. Obviously, the wildlife is a major part of why I enjoy the pond so much, but that's far from all of it. Evenings and weekends you can often find Jeannie and I out on the deck just looking at everything, sometimes talking end of day talk, other times just sitting in the companionable silence only two long-term partners can share. There is no value I can place on that, it is precious beyond any words I can find. Peace my friends.

Feral catty-kit

Corvus_Corax — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:23:51 GMT

We have had a cat hangin' around the place lately, sleeping in the front shrubbery many mornings. We thought it belonged to a neighbour who lets her cats roam. Turns out it's likely just a feral cat. This morning it was next door in the side yard, hunched up in the grass. The hounds raised caine as expected, cat would not move other than to hiss at them, weakly. So a feral cat is sick, beat up, quite possibly dieing over there, me and neighbor had no choice but to call Animal Control. Of course when the Officer arrived, the cat got enough energy to run off into the woods. Understandably, the Officer does not chase the cat. The only option we have is to have a trap left in hopes of catching it. I am not here 24/7, Jeannie would freak if faced with a trapped cat so I said no, for now. I know this is terrible, but I hope that cat just kicks the bucket off in the woods. I don't want the thing around my house or grounds, who knows what disease & parasites it's carrying! Still, it really sucks when a creature is suffering. If it returns I will get the trap from Animal Control. Poor cat, what a sucky life...

Could someone please explain tatoos to me?

Corvus_Corax — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:18:24 GMT

I do not get it, and I never have. I have seen many upon many a tat, from prison-quality to artwork that must have cost thousands and was done by true masters. And yet, in the end, I never can understand why people get the things! What I am today, I may likely not be in five years, little say 10 or 20. Why would I want to put something on my skin that may turn out to be really embarrassing x number of years down the road? I suppose my main personal objection is in the way I see myself. I am an ever-learning, changing and evolving person. If I choose to permanently mark myself, even with a really great piece of art, do I not in some fashion say "I am finished, change is no longer needed or desired, and it's just time to decorate the premises." I know this has gotta be quite different from what others think and feel, but I have never really asked anyone "Why do you want to do that?" If anyone can really explain, and cares to take a shot at this, please, be my guest! Any takers?

I'm doing okay

Corvus_Corax — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:30:35 GMT

I just thought I'd throw an update out here, keep my friends informed. I'm doing alright these days. I wouldn't say everything is back to normal, as I suspect 'normal' will not be quite the same as it used to be. That makes sense to me, sorry if it doesn't translate. :) i bought my dad's Honda CRV from mom, it's practically brand new. She didn't need or want it, my old Saturn was turning into a rattling death-trap money pit, so this worked for all of us. My dad left a travel case of CDs in there, I've been listening to some of his music. Lots of Irish or Celtic-inspired stuff, some bluegrass, along with some more mainstream tunes. I feel a connection with dad on occasion when I'm listening to his tunes, it's a pleasant and peaceful feeling. Just the other day I came across a tune I hadn't heard in a long time. It's bluegrass, written by an aunt of mine. Aunt by marriage to my father's brother Bud. They wrote, recorded, and performed from the 50s to the 80s. I've Endured, written by Ola Belle Reed. It has been recorded by a bunch of people over the years, the recording I've been listening to is by Tim O'Brien. I've Endured "Born in the mountains, many years ago Climbed these hills and valleys through the rain and snow I've seen the lightning flashin', heard the thunder roll I've endured, I've endured, how long must one endure Barefoot in the summer, on into the fall Too many mouths to feed, they couldn't clothe us all Sent to church on Sunday to learn the golden rule I've endured, I've endured, how long must one endure I've worked for the rich, I've lived with the poor I've seen many heartaches and I'll see many more I've lived loved and sorrowed, been through success's door I've endured, I've endured, how long must one endure" Take care my friends, Paul

All went well!

Corvus_Corax — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:35:30 GMT

My dad's memorial service went off without a hitch! I surely didn't count heads, but the place was packed. I saw all kinds of people that I knew but hadn't seen in years, and met a whole lot more that my dad knew from many aspects of his life. Neighbors, colleagues from his teaching days, people he volunteered with (at Habitat for Humanity, Sharing Table, Food Pantry, Homeless Org. Just4Peace, Estuary Ctr. and others), friends from all stages of his life, and of course Family. Again and again I am left in awe of the man. All the immediate family spoke, my brother, sister, me, and mom (in that order). We all did a great job! I got through my part with not more than a tiny choke here and there, I know dad would be proud. I'm happy and relieved.

I've been very busy

Corvus_Corax — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:59:54 GMT

The family have all been very busy preparing for my father's memorial service. It's tomorrow, Sunday, March 16, 2008. A lot of the original plans had to be scrapped once we figured out how many people want to attend. We first thought 75 - 100, but once word of his passing spread further we had to increase it to 175 - 200. My dad was a teacher in his main career, then spent his retirement working for non-profits and/or volunteering. He touched a lot of lives, far more than I ever knew. Once again, I'm in awe of the man. It's amazing how many different feelings I have about the service. Mainly, I want it to go well, and to honor and celebrate my dad's life as he deserves. Part of me is pretty apprehensive, I'm speaking!!! I very much want to do this, I want people to know how I feel. But speaking in front of that many people...I've never done that, it's pretty scary. I think I can get through my part without breaking down, I've had it finished for a couple days now, and have practiced. But the real deal, also pretty scary. If that weren't enough, I have also had a feeling of just wanting to get it over with for most of the past week. I feel like it's a milestone in my grieving process, and I need to have it over with before I can move on. At first I thought this was a selfish way to feel, but as I thought about it more, I think it's only natural. I want so much for this to go well, it just HAS to! Wish me luck, Paul

If I said shitty, I didn't mean Literally...

Corvus_Corax — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:47:48 GMT

At least until yesterday. On Sunday I was trying to deal with a slow-draining laundry sink in the basement, thought it was partly clogged with lint. The enzyme stuff I have always worked before, but by Monday the clog was no better. But I happened to be right there when a toilet was flushed upstairs, blub, blub, blub, water now rising in the laundry sink... Oh nooooooo.... The main drain line out of the house was clogged, "stuff" was backing up in the house, very not good. Fortunately I have a friend who is a plumber, called him for advice (he's a construction plumber, only does new installation). He told me where to check to find out if it was my problem or the county's. It was the county's problem to unclog! I called like 5 different places before I got the right people, but they then came right out this morning and took care of the clog. Didn't cost me a dime. We were also lucky that we discovered it when we did, not much backup, and not much cleanup needed. Whew!!! Things have gotten to the point where it felt like my choices were have a nervous breakdown or laugh my ass off. I chose to laugh about this! :-) People close to me dieing, that's a tragedy. A little backed-up sewage, thats a hoot!!! All will be well, Paul

rambling thoughts for now

Corvus_Corax — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:56:26 GMT

We had thunderstorms last evening, followed by serious howling winds for hours. Lost power at mebee 10. A couple hours later, cops and ambulance go to neighbors. J suspected Rick may have died when all kinda people started showing up next door, I refused to believe that, guess just didn't wanna. power out for 10 hours or so. This morning J. saw other neighbor who confirmed that Rick died in his sleep last night. I went over to say I'm sorry, came home and lost it completely. I hate feeling sorry for myself, it really irks me to be at a point where I can't help but think "Why me?" I was supposed to be at Mom's today, planning Dad's memorial service. I had to back out for the day, nobody needed me over there blubbering away and not helping. Luckily the service is next Sunday, I still have time to help. J and i have lived here for 11 years now, Rick has been an interesting and good person to have next door. During that time, he has gone away at least twice, once for about 3 years. He spent most of that time in VA hospitals dealing with his PTSD from Vietnam. He told me a couple stories that horrified me, but I can't tell how true they were. Rick was a very entertaining storyteller, but I know for a fact that some were just that, stories. I never called him on it, they weren't the kind of tales that cut anyone down, and they were damn good tales! He specialized in funny and racy stories, endlessly fascinating! I hope he wrote some of them down, they were that good. He was on disability from his Army stuff, so spent most of his time helping friends, relatives, and neighbors. He helped me build a deck, and cleaned away snow for my wife back when I used to travel more for work. During the times he was away, I did what I could for his wife Carolyn, shovel snow, rake leaves, cleanup after hurricane Isabel a couple years back. A lot of the time lately I feel like an angst-ridden teenager, with all these indignant "Why Me?" type questions. I'm 45 for pete's sake, feel I ought to be more mature than this... In time, I will be okay. I'd like to send a very sincere thanks to Lynn, Melissa, and BFG. What great ladies to have as friends, I sure feel lucky!

What the hell is going on?!?!?!?!???

Corvus_Corax — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:55:11 GMT

I cannot take this. My dad died. Two days later my coworker JF loses his brother. Last night, my friend and next-door neighbor Rick, died in his sleep. He was such a good guy.. Vietnam vet, had some problems because of that, but would do anything to help friends and neighbors. The timing could not be worse, I'm just a freakin' puddle of goo..

test post, please ignore

Corvus_Corax — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:05:39 GMT

I'm frustrated because I cannot post in any of my tribes!! So I'm trying a test post here to see if this works. Devil Dudley pixtur.

Very sorry...

Corvus_Corax — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:35:41 GMT

Lemme explain here. First, I’m very sorry for the nasty blog entry I made last night. I didn’t really mean...hell I don’t know what I meant, I just lashed out. I was also very very drunk at the time. Anyone who read that, I’m sorry. I’m not actually upset with any of my tribe friends. You are all good people. I AM upset with my friends in the real world. What the hell is the reason they can’t pick up the fucking phone and just SAY SOMETHING, ANYTHING to let me know the actually give a damn. I can only draw two conclusions. One, they have no idea what to say. I don’t buy this one, none of us are kids anymore, most all of us have suffered some kind of loss by now and should have a bloody clue. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s not what my gut says. Two, they just don’t care enough to bother. In which case, I guess they really aren’t my friends after all. Or at least not very good ones. Let’s add a third, WTF. I’m a mess right now and shouldn’t be trying to apply logic to anything. Upon further review, I think I’ll go with reason # 3.

New perspective

Corvus_Corax — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:41:27 GMT

I always thought there could be nothing but horror for people who had to attend the actual death of a loved one. I was very very wrong. Of course it was traumatic and very difficult to watch my dad die. But there was so much more to it than that. Honestly, if there are words to describe what I felt, they are beyond the likes of me. I felt honored and privileged to be there while he breathed his last. But that really doesn't begin to describe it. It was sacred.

My Dad

Corvus_Corax — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:57:04 GMT

My father lost his battle today, he passed away this morning. My entire family was by his side, I will always be grateful for that. In time we will all be okay. Paul

Minnie is injured

Corvus_Corax — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:09:58 GMT

Minnie threw her back out sometime earlier this week, we don't know how. Poor girl must have been suffering for a few days before we noticed, animals instinctively try to hide when things are wrong, and they surely can't tell you. We finally noticed Thursday, when she was actually acting sick and down. Took her to the vet, $300 later we have a hound with an inflamed vertebrae disk, a cortisone shot, an enema cuz she hadn't pooped for days, prolly hurt too much to squat & push, and a bunch of pills to give her. On top of that, she's on restricted activity for two weeks. No stairs, no jumping on the furniture, no playing with Dudley. How the hell can I manage that?! I now have to build a handicapped ramp FOR MY BLOODY DOG!!! To get out to the backyard, there are 4 steps down from the deck. I have the tools and the lumber left over from another project, but I'm not Mr. handyman, this will be a pain in the ass. Just goes to show, I'll do damn near anything for my houndie "children"! Did I mention that this is on top of massive amounts of home care for my Dad? He should be in a care facility, but he's home. We (mostly mom, who is old and getting frail herself) have to feed him via a machine and stomach tube, plus do dam near everything else you can think of for him. I'm exhausted!

writing just because

Corvus_Corax — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 19:33:53 GMT

My father is back in the hospital, third time in four months. His pancreas is not working right ever since his horrible bout of pancreatitis a few months ago. He was home for a good while, but got progressively weaker til he landed back in hosp. a couple weeks back. They finally figured out that he is now diabetic, his digestive tract isn't working, he has a fungal infection too. They have him on a feeding tube thru his nose, feeding him some kinda nutrients to try and get his strength back to the point where they can do surgery and hopefully fix some of the pancreas issues. I hope I'm wrong, but I think he's just fading away. I can't say any of this to anybody. My brother believes the docs can fix anything. My mom, quite understandably, refuses to think about the possibility of her husband dying. My sister, as usual, is too self-absorbed to really care. She pretends to, but I can see right through her. I often wish I didn't know her so well. I wish I could feel more positive about his chances of survival and recovery but every time I see him... I just can't shake feeling this way. I don't really even feel guilty for thinking he won't make it, it just feels like the truth. This time in my life sucks worse than I ever thought it would.

Video games/my nutty wife.

Corvus_Corax — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:06:19 GMT

I haven't been into video gaming for several years now, partly due to the fact that the consoles change every 2 years or so, and my wife doesn't dig me "wasting money as well as time" on the consoles and games. So what happens this year? For my birthday she buys me an Xbox360, cool! I think that was mostly so I can attempt to keep up with my nephews, who regularly kick my ass at any game I try to play with them. Fun fun fun, world cup soccer (I played Brazil, beat England for that ugly-ass trophy, but it was at the 'semi-pro' game level) Call of Duty 2, blasting Nazis never goes out of style, and Need For speed Most Wanted, street racing at it's finest. I'm perfectly happy with this. A couple days after christmas, she comes home with a Wii! What the hell is this about??? J says she wanted the Wii, I still don't really get it. If you suddenly popped into our TV room, you would swear we have several teenagers living here, consoles, game boxes, and controllers litter the landscape. I'm also rapidly developing video game calluses on my thumbs! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, particularly since winter is prime time for vegging out and developing useless skills, but I'm still quite puzzled by J's sudden about-face in this regard. Random question that has bugged me for years, but I've never bothered to research it: There are tons of games rated M (mature) for violence and gore, why aren't there any Sex Games made for these consoles??? Sex TreXXX: travel through the galaxy, find new civilizations and screw the hell out of 'em! Naval Warfare: Shore Leave. Travel to far-flung cities around the globe collect points for all the whorehouses you discover! Dungeon Mistress: Our lovely L can design this one! The potential is virtually endless, and they could easily be designed for couple, group, or one-handed play! I think I missed my calling somewhere along the line, this is a billion dollar idea...

A damn lousy start to 2008

Corvus_Corax — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 03:32:35 GMT

J and I have a long-standing tradition for NYE: Get alcohol of choice, some decent seafood, and stay home and watch some movies. Avoid the drunks on the road, relax, get nekkid if we want, generally just have some "us" time. Whether it was the crab meat or the shrimp I don't know, but we both ended up with food poisoning. It had been a long time since I had any nasty gastro-type illness, forgot just how sucky it is to be [nasty details removed] for almost 48 hours now. J recovered in about a day, but I still feel like my innards went thru the blender. There was quite a crowd buying various shellfish at the market that day, I wonder how many of them ended up as sick as us...? Well, nowhere but up from here! 2008 has GOT to be better than this! Happy new year my friends...

Damn dog, strike one...

Corvus_Corax — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:48:18 GMT

Dudley bit the neighbor, dammit. These neighbors are good people, hve never been anything but very nice to all in our home. They like Duds and Minnie a lot. Rick likes to pet the dogs over the fence, Dudley usually just barks and puts on his "I'm a bad-ass Basset" show. I wasn't here but Rick tells me he reached over the back fence, not the side like usual, and Duds chomped down on his hand. Drew blood on one of his knuckles, through work gloves! Fuck me... Rick could not possibly be cooler about it, only told me to make sure Duds is up to date on shots, which he is. I can't have a dog that bites people, this is Dudley's strike one. Three strikes and yer out He damn well better stop now, I love him tons, but will do what I have to if he keeps biting people. I do NOT NEED THIS SHIT!!!!

Why did I do it?

Corvus_Corax — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:20:45 GMT

I paid the extorsio... err... subscription money to Tribe Almighty. Hey! "The premium subscribers will automatically have a gold star instead of the orange bubble when they’re online. " I still have the stupid orange bubble, WHERE'S MY FUCKING STAR!!! :-) I suppose they will get that done sooner or later... Oh yeah, my hotdamn brand-new very pricey dental work fell apart. I now have some temporary filling holding it together, perhaps for the next MONTH!! Happy December everyone!

Tribe Name Change

Corvus_Corax — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:49:43 GMT

I've been Corvus (or Corvus_Corax or Corvuscorax) on various & sundry message boards/forums since 1999 or so. I'll write up my reasons here sometime, but not now it's late and I've been indulging... Anyway, Paul will try being Corvus here on Tribe, see how it feels...

Thanksgiving: Amphibian Update

Corvus_Corax — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:30:34 GMT

The tadpoles have gotten huge. Legs are forming. (Dinner anyone??? :-0 ) Now I have to construct a frog habitat...or let the frogs hop out of the tank whereupon I'm certain one of the hounds would EAT THEM. I will update this and get a couple pics up. Too weird not to. Paul's frog palace, heh. Oh yeah, Happy Thanksgiving! We only had to go two places this year instead of the usual three, thank goodness for the occasional sisterly feud. (Past exp. indicates J & sisters will patch things up by Yule...) Dudley and Minnie had a feast too!

Kicked in the teeth again...

Corvus_Corax — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:58:17 GMT

...or at least that’s what it feels like. I just had a damn root canal on one of my upper left bicuspids. In dental speak, it’s tooth 13. On 11/13, goody goody. At least I’m pretty much whacked out on Vicodin, so it isn’t that bad. My theory of opiate-based pain killers: They don’t actually kill the pain that much, they mostly distract you with the buzz. Ah well, peace my friends.

A Blog entry from me, WTF???

Corvus_Corax — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:09:55 GMT

Random facts and thoughts: I’m an aqua-geek, have 5 aquariums running, plus a water garden/pond outdoors. I have tadpoles in at least 3 of my aquariums, possibly 4. They are developing into frogs, as tadpoles are wont to do. In my estimation, they will be completely transformed just in time for…winter. Why do I do things like that? Set myself up for an inevitable problem. Of late I seem to be transitioning from a homebody to a full-fledged recluse. Can’t say why, don’t know. Total family health crises: In August, my mom fractured a couple vertebrae. They injected some kinda concrete stuff into the bones to heal them up. She came this close to being paralyzed. She is 74 years old, nothing but skin and bones, I fear for her very much. Then comes September, and my dad goes down hard. Acute Pancreatitis, major attack. His pancreas swelled to about 4 times its normal size, he was in hospital for close to 3 weeks, ICU for 10 days. I thought we were going to lose him. He hovered on the edge of death for most of the time in the ICU. He went through a lot more shit before he got home, were he is still on the mend. Did I mention that my wife has Multiple Sclerosis, and battles it daily? As she will for the rest of her life. I have now spent the past several months in an almost-constant state of worry to downright panic. That now seems to be changing to a combination of: feeling sorry for myself, which rapidly changes to feeling major guilt. Hell, I’m not sick, those around me are! What right do I have to feel sorry for myself? (I know, it’s probably a natural reaction, but knowing that does not help much.) Work: My job has become a freakin’ three-ring circus, and I highly suspect I’m the Chief Clown. Over the past year I’ve gone from being a total expert at what I do to only having a vague and foggy idea of what I’m supposed to accomplish. It’s actually rather funny, primarily due to the fact that no one else seems to have noticed. I think it helps a lot that the rest of my department is fairly clueless also. Ah well, keep paying me boss man, eventually I’ll figure it all out. Likely before most of the rest of the clowns, acrobats, and sword-swallower's do. The influence of Tribe led me to buy a couple of kilts (American-style) over the summer. I’ve sporadically worn them, they don’t seem to go over quite so well here in the east coast. I do wish kilt- wearing were a bit more accepted, I get tired of answering all the fucking questions. I’m also growing my hair out, I want it long again. It’s at that awkward stage where it appears rather mullet-ish, not a good thing. Growing my hair long, wearing kilts, I think I smell a midlife crisis. Hell, there are far worse ways to have one, this is cheap and doesn’t involve sports cars or cheating on my wife (who, by the way, is handling this fairly well). Well my friends, I think that’s quite enough for now. I need to do this more often, writing about my goofy-ass life makes me feel better. Later, FoodslaveDad, aka Paul