a dog's life for me

As I reclined on the patio this morning enjoying the cooler temps and fresh air, as usual, the dogs were outside enjoying it too. Working on the crossword is relaxing to me, the world's problems temporarily disappear. Then I noticed the dogs. What can they worry about? Do they even worry? By this time of the day, they'd been fed & they've done their business. Roxy seemed content to stretch out on the grass, blinking in the bright sun, Bruster is still a pup and can't seem to sit still too long, finding bugs or other things in the grass for him to pounce on and sniff at. Buzz finds comfort in laying on the hard concrete in the sun, trying to ignore Bruster and another dog barking in the distance. He'd open one eye, squint into the sun, then go back to his peaceful place. Although I don't want to be a dog, I could take a lesson from them. Find ways to relax where ever I am. Stress Management. Just two words. Dog's Life, also two words. Maybe we aren't too far removed from our dogs (and some are spoiled). Think I'll go stretch out and bury my thoughts in a good book, another peaceful place of mine. Just thinking out loud.

Christmas gift orders

Some of you may know, I've taken on the family Christmas gift shopping responsibilities this year. I take this on with all seriousness afforded me and am humbled by the solemn opportunity. In lieu of waiting to see what's left at Walgreen's on Christmas Eve, I've done some scouting and pre-shopping. These are a few T-shirts that are available and within my budget. (man, there are some real weird ones out there, the first amendment proudly exposed!!) Family members wishing one, provide me your choice (one size fits all; the quality of these tees is that good). Non-family members are welcome to indicate those they feel my family would prefer.......... please reference them numerically, as #1, bottom right. #2, top center. # 3 'the blue one'. etc, etc, in this easy to follow pattern of identification. You get the picture?

Spanglish ~ a new language?

I see a new language has emerged with the Hispanics coming to America. One we take for granted now and hear almost daily: Spanglish. (For the record, NO, this isn't negative bashing about this influx of folks. For instance, according to National Public Radio: Some kids as young as 9 years old, traveling alone, can take up to a month to travel here from South American countries, facing numerous hazards - gangs, falling off trains and loosing limbs, being cut in half or decapitated, being kidnapped, robbed and other heinous crimes, dishonest Mexican local police taking money/items of value and then days of walking across deserts hoping they are getting helped and not left alone to finally die just south of the US border?) Just hoping for a better life. Any way..... Carol & I dined at a fine restaurant tonight before heading over to hang curtain rods for Andrea.
At El Pollo Loco chicken:
Me: I'd like the two piece meal, white meat, with slaw and mac n cheese as side dishes.
Clerk: Okay, You waan leg n tie or weeng and breas? waa side deeshes you wan?
Me: White meat. Wing and breast, mac and cheese and slaw for side dishes.
Clerk: Okay, you waan drank weeth thees?
Me: Just a water glass please.
Clerk: Okay, you waan eat here or waan to-go?
Me: Eat here.
Clerk: Nam?
Me: Ron
Clerk: Juan?
Me: R O N
As I write this I think of how hard it would be for me to learn another language at my age, especially. I haven't always considered the honest Hispanics who come here with nothing but dreams and faith to make a better life. They aren't always the ones hanging at day labor spots or seen in the news committing crimes. Maybe Marion Webster needs to write a Spanglish Dictionary. There's no doubt many words that could go in it. (PS one of my favorite foods is Mexican - so I guess I'm no racist. But, then again, I'm not fond of soul food. Hmmmm?)

Dealing with lesser intillegence

I came to work Friday morning with the below craigslist ad taped to my computer. The boss had found it, "Good job Ron!" This happens almost every time after we do a sting operation aimed at unlicensed, unscrupulous guys who buy tools and call themselves contractors. It doesn't last and nothing becomes of it. The idiot gets his venting out in print and feels vindicated, I suppose, warning other unlicensed wanna-be-contractors. They must not read, 'cause we keep having success at it. I never use my real name on initial contact...duh...not that stupid. At least this wasn't derogatory like the last one who aimed his verbal abuse at another co-worker. *To clarify things, I never said, "money is no object" and painting was not discussed. I know who did this. (he only got my real name when I contacted him after he emailed me a job bid on my clandestine gmail account) He's ignored my polite and professional to-the-point-this-is-how-it-is email explaining the state laws he's violated and had asked him to contact me. My real email inbox and telephone voice mail are both void of any communication from him. I already have him legally identified. He has no where to hide. No way to win this one in. Handymen are the worst offenders, touting & feigning experience and job skills they generally lack to sometimes a comical, if not dangerous, degree. This guy had advertised as an "experienced handyman" with the usual home repair/remodel trades listed and the disclaimer of "No Job Too Big." ________________________________________________

contractors sting operation (las vegas/nlv/henderson)
Date: 2009-08-20, 6:19PM PDTReply to: serv-fzhmv-1333968007@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

be careful if you get a call from a man named Ron Swift he is conducting a sting operation in las vegas/n las vegas/ henderson he is targeting all persons on craigslist he will call you for an estimate on painting, electrical be very careful, the adress he used is in nlv...... 2304 Lone Ridge ct beware he has 2 other men with him, and gives a story of money is no object. be careful
Location: las vegas/nlv/henderson
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
License info: Unlicensed

PostingID: 1333968007

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/sks/1333968007.html

The best of?

(Thurzdayz Thotz) Yes, I'm glad I don't live here, but I'm a little tired of seeing advertisements: "the best place to retire" "the best place to live" "the best home buys" "the best dog breed" "the best golf courses" "the best SUV's" "the best hamburger" "the best car rental" "the best beach cities" (Okay, I gotta drool about this one, Santa Cruz, CA, vote the best beach city to live in...) "the best road bikes" "the best flat-screen TV's" etc etc etc blah blah blah. I'd decided I need to quit drooling over these "bests" and make what I have the best for me, now, today in the present tense. I'm not facing the worst time in my life (hopefully, that was my Army basic training & Vietnam experiences.) I already know I have the best wife, the best kids, the best grand kids, the best job, the best SUV, the best flip flops, the best son in laws, the best blogger pals and now I'm best friends with numerous others now because of facebook. . . . . and none of us are living in a county plagued by famine, Talaban, war and lack of freedoms. I guess I already have the best of everything ~ even if I don't live here...

Mama Eggs - sunny side up

I got this picture off Jason's face book album page....some breakfast he ate, somewhere, sometime, somehow he was served these eggs...... I didn't know there is a difference ~ look closeley at the yolks :-)

Golf Day with Mark

This is the 18th hole at Sky Mountain, Hurricane, UT. I had to miss the homes on the left and the rough,out of bounds desert, on the right. Approx four hours earlier, we'd Tee'd off at 0648 hours and we weren't even the first out there! Not a Tiger-Woods-type-swing, not the best form, but it went straight down the middle, 225-235 yards... felt great to to end with my best drive of the day.
And, look at the gorgeous views (Carol and Linda need to come along some day, Carol could get some much better pictures with her super-camera) I'd love to live along here. . .our golf partner who joined us today, Von, does. He plays 3-4 days a week here, and at 76 years old plays very well. I think he was wearing his first pair of golf shoes. I guess retired physiology university professors can live this life :)

Here's my mentor, my coach-playing panther, my favorite bro-in-law Mark, on the same T shot.

Here we are, all done, ready for the club house to scarf down our free lunch, grilled bratwurst, before getting a bucket of balls for a little follow-up practice before leaving this paradise. I'm smiling in above picture only because, late in life, (not too late I hope) I've realized what I'd missed out on. Great to be out doors, healthy enough to enjoy it, no siren, barking dogs, police helicopters, smog, graffiti or low-life's. Now, as I blog on my lap-top, reclining in my lazy-boy pull out section of our sectional couch, my back a little achy, I realize how blessed I truly am; golf seems to be a catalyst for this feeling. I had been lead to believe golf was a worthless activity because of what I'd heard Dad say about this game: "I can't see the joy in spending money to hit and then chase a little ball around. . . " I love my dad. Too bad we couldn't have gotten out on a golf course, but then again, he did teach me how to fish & hunt, two very important aspects of life from his generation.

I've been tagged

What is your favorite movie? Planes, Trains & Automobiles - (one of my favs anyway)
What is your pet(s) name, if you have any?RoxyBuzzBrusterPhoebe
Have you ever met a famous person(s)? If so, who?Thomas S Monson, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Hulk Hogan, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, 'Mini-me', George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Oscar de la Hoya, Joe Cocker, Santana, Danny Glover, Mel Gibson, Shaq O’Neal, Cher, Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Dan Akroyd, Jim Belushi, Joan Lunden, Patrick Swaze and numerous ‘what’s his names’
Where were you born? Henderson, NV
Do you have any phobias? Afraid I can’t think of any
What was the first car you ever owned? 1963 Ford Fairlane, 2-door coupe, 260 V8, Hurst floor shift 3 speed
Who is/was your favorite cartoon character or superhero? Haggar the Horrible
Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies? reading, cycling, golf & grandsons
What do you like to collect? vintage vehicle license plates, coca cola memorabilia & $$
How many siblings do you have? none that I claim
What was the first concert you ever attended? Can’t remember, but it was 'on duty' as a cop and sniffed out dopers :)
NOW THAT YOU'VE READ THIS, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TAGGED PRIOR, NOW YOU ARE.

We've gone to the dogs.

I recently saw this book advertised ~ Dogology: What Your Relationship with Your Dog Reveals about You. Excerpt ~ "Dogology includes a section on what your choice of dog breed reveals about you and the qualities you'd be attracted to in a (human) mate. Thus people who own Terriers are typically "fun-loving, funny, determined, focused, and more than a bit active." Those with Draft/Rescue dogs such as Newfoundlands or Bernese Mountain dogs are sturdy (physically, mentally and emotionally), thoughtful, and rarely make quick decisions." I wonder: When I met Carol, she had two dogs; a Basset Hound and a wire haired little mutt. Which one was I? And, what about those cultures who eat dogs? Does one's astrological sign effect the results? How accurate is this book? Really..... it's not on my summer reading list.

"Trained Driver" Explanation

My recent post with roadside pictures prompted this response to explain the"trained driver" comments. (I've often used this rationale in my quick come-backs to back seat drivers in my car.) Although I was never trained to take pictures while driving, I did have to "multi-task" while engaged in this training which is called Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) It's initially a 40-hour driver training program that provides rookie cops with the special driving skills required to operate a vehicle under very demanding police patrol conditions and normal street driving. It includes visual acuity, glare recovery and reaction time, then receive classroom and hands-on driver training. A refresher course was mandatory for me every two years. This course was modified over the years to include high speed backing, emergency 180 degree turn-arounds using the parking brake, talking on the police radio while eating a hamburger and other fun stuff. I can't give you the details, it's much too complicated for the laymen to comprehend. (The hamburger part was unofficial, thrown in one day so we could all leave earlier than scheduled.) I will never forget hitting a straight speed away and being yelled at by the instructor "No brake until I tell you!!" with a turn quickly approaching. I learned what I could do with a car. I had to transition the knowledge that a family car is not like a police car :) but the training stayed with me...

Hear that? See that?

Body language can speak volumes to us. Look at this picture after the famous "beer conference." Sergeant Crowley, the sole class act in this trio, helps the handicapped Professor Gates down the stairs, while Barrack Obama, heedless of the infirmities of his friend and fellow victim of self-defined racial profiling, strides ahead on his own, strutting with success and arrogance; without sport coat and rolled up sleeves to maybe suggest he was "working?" So who is compassionate? Who acted stupidly this time? Sorry if I'm critical of our president, but that's the way I see it. I am a trained observer, after all :)

Road trip to the middle of no-where

Passed through this little town (no, it's not Bethlehem). Name this town and win a free trip there :)

"... 58 miles from Vegas, 3/4 tank of gas, almost to my location...

But, not in a hurry to get there, fortunately.....

Sing along, "On the Road Again.........."

Almost doing the posted limit.....

This was for 18 miles of it........

And this is what I was behind. . . notice the brake lights....

So, I took a short cut . . . . what does NDOT know about roads, I know these roads in So Nevada like the back of my hand.
This was actually at my destination...... I was parked on the side of the road. Unlicensed contractor cleaning up diesel soaked dirt caused by semi-truck rollover.... guys were out of AZ. Him: "This is how we do it in Arizona." Me: "Arizona is over that hill about 20 miles away, buckaroo."

Food to go tipping...$Why$ How much?

How come? Why? How much?

How come and how much % of a bill are we suppose to tip for curbside take-away, pick-up, take-out, to-go, or what ever it's called at a particular restaurant? No one fills my water glass, brings more lemons, salad dressing, clean forks, desert menus, extra barbecue sauce, etc etc, yet we're expected to tip these "food runners" anyway? They just bag it and bring it out to us. Don't they? I'm not opposed to tipping, really, honest (even though I've been called cheap). Do they have a "tip rating" by our name and phone number they have in their computer when we call in our order? Will they spit in our food and forget the soup if our tip ratings are low? Do we get better service if it's high? I'd just like others' opinions on this matter. Where's Dear Abby when I need her? I've lost sleep over it. My tummy hurts worrying I've not left enough or too much... And do we tip the same amount or less if we go inside to pick it up ourselves; where no one brings it out to us? And why don't we tip at regular fast food drive thru's? Don't these minimum wage employees still bag our food.... good grief.

Interesting thought

An interesting letter in the Australian Shooter Magazine from 2007, (I know, not timeley but I just came across it.) http://www.ssaa.org.au/australianshooter.html "If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the past 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers. The firearm death rate in Washington, DC is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same period. That means you are about 25 per cent more likely to be shot and killed in the US capital, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US, than you are in Iraq. "Washington DC is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there." (me, 8/4/09)

A Wake-up call

Last Friday when I left work, I had word that a colleague had been admitted to the hospital with heart problems and tests. Supposedly, no big deal. (He's a few years younger than I, and we even lived three houses away from each other in North Las Vegas as kids. We used to get in rock fights, ride bikes, chase little girls, play street ball, etc etc. We lived parallel lives. He joined the Army but went to Germany instead of Vietnam. His wife's name is also Carol. His first house was near Tropicana and Bldr Highway (as was ours) He completed a 25 yr career with NHP.) Scan forward now to Monday morning. He had open heart surgery Sunday, five-by-passes.... He'd been fortunate enough, to have had "symptoms" about two weeks ago and already had initial tests with a heart doctor. So, when he had another serious "symptom" on Friday, the blood work had already come back which enabled the doctors to make a more accurate diagnosis. Then more tests Saturday and the surgery Sunday. He's now in induced coma with anticipated recovery. He's said to have stepped back and taken a second look at why he's still working....

As a commentary on this, I can't say I'm surprised. He didn't eat healthy, didn't exercise or do those other things we all know we should be doing. It's another one of those events, that happens to others, that we should learn from. (I just remembered me eating Marv's burger and fries Saturday and feeling guilty.....why should "comfort food" make me feel guilty?)