Ahoy! A few September holidays

September marks several not-so-well-known holidays. Here's a sampling of just Sept 19th. (I wonder if Big Whopper Liar Day and Wife appreciation day are suppose to share this day? ) Fact:

Boys’ and Girls’ club day for kids, National POW/MIA recognition day, Talk like a Pirate Day, (http://www.talklikeapirate.com/sounds/TLAPD_smith.html) Big Whopper Liar Day, International Eat an Apple Day, International coastal cleanup day, National child seat check Saturday ~ good idea!(http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_viewID=detail_view&itemID=ce45e2542a964110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&viewType=standard), Responsible dog ownership day (http://www.akc.org/clubs/rdod/index.cfm) , Rosh Hashanah, and finally: Wife Appreciation Day~sources conflict on exact date, but it's still this month!

At any rate, anyway you want to say it, believe it or not, I agree with the saying, "Behind every successful man is a good wife." I consider myself successful even without the BMW, yacht, French Riviera summer home and six figure savings account. Factoid: At Carol's insistence, we bought our first home, rather than rent as I suspected we'd do, to move into after we were married, returning from our honeymoon early just to get a start on playing house. And, we're still playing house thanks to Carol. I'm all for coastal clean up and recognition of POW/MIAs but I think Liar Recognition Day should be changed to Election Day...what say ye, mateys?

Just a thought

IF only this could really happen; Cartoon Network, et al, dispose of, toss in the alley, (like this picture) eradicate, or otherwise cancel, Sponge Bob Square Pants and lessen my anguish ~ (as Shayla's - worse than fingernails on a chalk board agony over a few songs) To me, this cartoon is soooo non-entertaining, mind-numbing & brainless; worse than "one call does it all" (no offense to any attorney friends - if they read this), more unpleasant than a wet toilet seat, worse than a carpet burn, a pine needle between your toes in a tennis shoe, a neighbor's poodle yapping, a soggy grilled cheese sandwich, the wrong camera position during sumo wrestling when you're channel surfing, seeing OJ go free (the first time), . . . It is just tasteless televised entertainment! Maybe watching it, snuggled with a monkey-boy helps. . . Just a thought.

B.S. and historical message - Rated PG13

I made the picture as small as possible not to offend any 'over-the-shoulder-blog-viewers' This is a real book. The First Amendment in action. Nuff said...well....... maybe not. Aaacheeewww. McCrazy! It won't be on my Shelfari.

Quick change of thought ~ On 9/11/1776, the Continental Congress decided to change our country's name to the United States from the United Congress. We coulda been the UCA. (we'd sound like some college!) Strange what simple changes can do. Let's hope any BO's changes currently will turn out as well for us, and that no one I know buys that book shown above. . . .

A day for us old folks...

Sunday, 9/13/09, is National Grandparents Day. Does this mean we get presents? Have a special cake? Served a phenomenal dinner? Naw, everyday for me is Grandparents Day. I don't need that stuff. Everyday I experience the joy of hugs, laughter, love, being down on the floor building imaginary towers with blocks, drawing monsters on an etch-a-sketch, getting good night kisses and "good morning doo-dah's," diaper changing (okay, not really a joy) being a living trampoline for the Monkey boys, teaching them life's "little lessons" and a myriad of other life-fulfilling events I never imagined it would be like; things I have no memories of experiencing with my own grandparents. (although, some may have occurred, I'm sure) Becoming a grandparent is a strange & natural transition from being 'just a parent,' no longer being too busy with day to day life, seeing your heritage in yet another generation, one you aren't totally responsible for, where you can re-live those moments of your own kids early years and try to do better at, taking time to more fully enjoy the little things and not see them become problems. It's much harder to say "no" to a grandson with tears in his eyes. I heard it said, "Don't kill your kids, you'll miss the joy of being a grandparent." or "If I'd known being a grandparent would have been this much fun, I'd have just had grand kids." (I know I know, impossible) I have a new saying:, "Enjoying your grand kids is a privilege God only gives us older folks. These joys offset all the aches & pains we never had and weird sounds we never used to make." Ron Swift, circa 2009.

I CAN'T SAY THIS ANYMORE?

I heard this blurb on the radio today (KNPR). It seems there's one more word I have to erase from my vocabulary. Although it was never my favorite word to describe an idea I didn't agree with, an item, person or subject I thought was stoopid, it never bothered me when I heard it used by others. After all, it's not like the N word. Not like the G word. Not like the F word. Not like the S word. Not like calling some one a Dumb Pollock. (just a sampling of the words that were common that I used without giving them a second thought in my younger years before politically correctness became buzz words) The R word is to be banned ~ Retarded used to be a run-of-the-mill slang word, with no particular slam to anyone (in my opinion), but it may be the next candidate for prime-time bleeping. Some activists are campaigning against the word "retard." To them, it's not a hilarious put-down; it's hate speech. (one such activist has a daughter with down syndrome - I can see his point!) The word has been retired by medical and social service organizations, which prefer the term "intellectual disabilities" instead. So now we can say, "She/He/That's so Intellectually Disabled." (Hmmmm, looses any effectiveness, not sure this will work.) The activists petition TV networks and comedians, and organize against movies like last summer's hit film Tropic Thunder, which coined the term "full retard" hoping to keep them off the Oscar selection list, just because of their use of the R word...

To be safe, I'll stick with "That's sooo dumb...or That's sooo blond..." :-)

PS. I used the "G" word while in and immediately after Vietnam - so you can probably guess this one. The "S" word I learned in Jr High School before I learned it was a slam against our South American friends - another hint to my abbreviations. The others I'm sure you know already.

SOURCE: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112479383&ps=cprs

My bike ride

The rain storm had just passed & the sun was beginning to break through the clouds. Cool temp.

Several miles down the road I come down into Hurricane.

My first rest stop, refill water bottle and take a carb fuel gel, @ 1/3 of ride behind me. (no, I never tried the conti breakfast)

Hurricane city street, heading out towards the mountain in the distance where road turns in behind Sand Hollow Reservoir, past farms and peace and quiet.

Country road heading out of Hurricane.

Donkey gawking at me in the farm country. The only living thing I'd seen in awhile.

View from the top above Sand Hollow.

Down hill on the back side of Sand Hollow. (No, I wasn't gonna crash, just held camera wrong.)

Here's proof I'm a contender for Tour de France...........naw, I was back with traffic...yuck.

My nemesis; @2-mile Purgatory Hill and 29 miles into the ride. I vary from 8 to 12 mph up this.

I'm relaxing now, ride almost over. (car hood visible as camera didn't take last pictures ~ user error ~ but wanted to complete the ride with pictures.)

Right turn here and a few minutes from home. No longer cool temps and 31 miles later.

It's unfortunate that some pictures didn't take and the views I actually saw, aren't as scenic via the camera as naked eye, but you get the picture....

Found it....

...the perfect Christmas gift. Vibram Five Fingers. (but, they're toes) Sizes everyone?