Remembering Summer Heat, Part Nine

After the fiasco at the Lincoln Center for Franklin College, we returned to our home turf, namely the Rush County Fairgrounds Community Building, and we continued with what we were most comfortable with, which was playing to our hometown fans. Although most of those next hometown shows proved to be fun but uneventful, we had a chance to return to Greensburg and play for the High School once again.

This time, the dance was without a theme, a different crowd seemed to be in attendance that night, and for some reason a large number of boring and show off types seemed to be there. Our buddy Val was nowhere to be seen this time around, which came as a forewarning to me that this was NOT going to be the same type of show we had played last time here.

I can't remember the reason why, but Jim was not going to be able to play this show. We decided that Bill would be a great fit, since he came to most of our hometown dances and pretty much knew our repetoire. Bill filling in for Jim would work out just fine and we were sure he would have no problem drumming to our music. This proved totally right and more than once that evening I recall Jay telling Bill how much BETTER a drummer he was than Jim.

I was without my fake long hair this particular night, even though I had showed up at Mike's with it on. A vote was taken by 3 fathers that I should leave the hair at home and not show up with it on that night. Ah, what the hell, at least we were going to be going back to where the crowd really loved us last time.

From the get go when we started setting up, we had a small group of "locals" who seemed intent on making us feel uncomfortable. Not a single one of these guys made an attempt to even ask if they could help us carry any of our equipment in. They stood back, watched us, made snide remarks quietly that they all laughed loudly at while we brought in our equipment and set it up.

Flip had left Rushville by this time, so we knew we would be minus our plate smasher that night, but we had no idea how lucky he was that he wouldn't be there for what lie ahead of us for the next three hours or so.

We actually started playing before a large crowd got there, more as a sound check for us than an actual start, but once we got to playing those first couple of songs, things just seemed to fall into place and we entertained the small group of students that had decided to forego going to the game.

Little by little the crowd started getting bigger, but it wasn't as large a crowd as the first time we had played there. The first time we had played there it was to an after basketball game crowd, and if memory serves me correctly, this time it was an after football game crowd. What difference that might have possibly made is beyond me, but it did indeed make a difference on this particular night.

We hadn't even gotten thru our first set when the first requests of the evening started coming in. Requests for top 40 tunes, bubble-gum music, and the dreaded request for something by the Cowsills.

People we yelling at us to play something off current radio, and I'm not talking rock radio, I'm talking off of AM rock stations, which mostly consisted of boring music that we simply didn't play.

We took our first break and a couple of the "locals" who had been there while we were setting up asked us if we knew any GOOD music, and could we stop playing that hard rock crap we were playing. It felt like someone was pouring acid on top of our heads, and no, not the LSD kind, either.

During break, Denny and I started trying to figure out just what the hell was going on with the crowd tonight. How could a crowd that had been so into our thing a few months ago mutate into something like a top 40 bubble gum crowd?

We started off set two with something by either Zeppelin or Hendrix, and the tension in the crowd grew. We could feel the resentment in the eyes of those in the crowd. It didn't feel like we had one person in that audience that was enjoying anything we were playing. During the last ten minutes of that second set, after we had delivered some killer rock songs, a lot of the crowd simply stood or sat down and quit dancing.

Denny walked over to mike and looked out at the crowd and asked them if anyone wanted to hear any Steppenwolf. A few mumbles came back at him, to which he turned and looked at us and said,"Let's give 'em The Pusher."

We did, but this time we added nothing extra, no smashing guitars, no attempt at crowd shocking, just a really damned good delivery of a great rock tune. As soon as it was over, we took our final break of the evening and started our plan of attack during our third and final set.

Bill had brought along with him a spiral notebook of poems he had written. I still don't know why he had brought it along, but I'm ever so glad to this day that he did. It would prove to be the accelerant we needed to push this group of "fans" over their collective edges.

We started our third set off with something totally bizarre, which I can't remember now, but it was more or less the type of song this crowd had been wanting all night. During the instrumental part of the song Denny once again walked over to his mic and looked over at me and asked me over the mic, "Charlie, did you know Greensburg had such a plastic group of people in it like the ones who are here tonight?"

I walked over to an open mic and answered him back." No, Denny, I didn't, but these folks seem to have a monopoly on the plastic industry tonight."

Jay walked back over to his mic and finished up the last verse of this really intensely rotten song and laughed most of the way thru it until the end.

As soon as that song was over, Denny grabbed Bill's book of poetry and started reading a poem to the crowd. No background music, no explanation as to what he was doing, just started reading a poem over the PA. Mouths dropped open in the audience, people started hollering for music, but Denny kept right on reading.

When he finished, Bill took the book and started reading a poem. That was followed by Jay reading one. Boos started coming up from the crowd, and despite the fact that this was a school sponsored dance, a barrage of cuss words came from the crowd and pretty much told us how much they loved our show and what we were doing. You could not only hear the anger and the hatred in those words, you could see it on the faces of a lot of those close to the stage.

We jumped into "Communication Breakdown" by Zeppelin and it was a totally rocking performance. It didn't seem to matter though, because most of our dancing audience had exited already. During the next 3 or 4 songs our crowd of over 200 had shrunk to probably about 30, and most of those were guys.

This didn't look pretty at this moment in time.

I can't remember what song we finished that final set with, but I do remember Jay telling the crowd that this would be our last song and he hoped if we ever came back to play there again that we had a totally different audience in attendance.

Thankfully for us, a number of teachers and chaperones remained after we finished. We carried our equipment out to the van, not taking our time, because a large number of the local jerks positioned themselves along the corridor to our exit. As we carried our equipment out, low spoken threats were made to us, pretty much assuring us that once we left the school we wouldn't make it out of Greensburg alive.

I'm not sure if any of the teachers or chaperones would have stopped any violence or not that night, because you could tell by the disgusted looks on their faces that they weren't Summer Heat fans either. They did come down to where the van was parked and more or less supervised us loading up, and when a couple of the "locals" stepped closer to the van, they were escorted on out of the building.

I watched as they left and watched as they got into automobiles in the parking lot and started them up, but a few of those vehicles stayed, appartently waiting on us.

As we finished loading up, one of the adults present shut the doors to the school behind us and locked them, leaving us outside to face whatever fate lie ahead for us.

I'm not sure if was merely by coincidence or if someone had made a call, but as we were getting into the van, a police car pulled into the parking lot and stopped. We started up the van and the car we had brought and slowly pulled out towards the exit to the street. Luckily, the police car followed us out of the parking lot.

The locals in their cars apparently decided not to follow us out and "take care" of us as we left Greensburg, probably because we had an officer of the law right behind us.

As we pulled out of town right before the SR3 and I74 interchange, the police car pulled into a business lot and headed back to town.

As great as our first show was in Greensburg a few months before, this one had been a total opposite.

Needless to say, we never played Greensburg High School again.

to be continued.....

Keep Mowin', Mowin', Mowin'...

My brother in law came out Thursday evening and replaced a $4.50 primer bulb on the John Deere push mower and it started on the very first crank.

Friday after work I was able to push mow my entire yard, including my "oh, hell!" hill. The yard looks great and it will probably need another trim by Tuesday.

The extra excercise I'm giving myself by NOT using the John Deere rider is probably doing me a world of good.

Spring had definitely sprung!

All Revved Up

I came home from work last night, had been talking all day about how excited I was that it's time to start mowing. I decided last night was the night.

I came home from work last night, changed clothes, opened up the garage, filled up the mower and headed out to the yard.

A half hour later the damned mower still wouldn't start.

Tonight, same scenario.

Tomorrow, my brother in law the lawnmower mechanic specialist.

"sigh!"

Poison

A few weeks ago I watched the most ridiculous display of disrespect I have ever witnessed when the Republican members of Congress sat like bumps on a log during President Obama's State Of The Union Address. To see these grown men act like elementary school kids who aren't getting their way embarrassed me to the point of anger.

Firstly, I'm not a politically motivated person. I always try and vote for the person I feel is best qualified for the job. I don't vote straight ticket, never have, can't say I never will, but I don't vote for any particular party.

I'm neither liberal nor conservative. I'm about as middle of the road as you can get.

To see elected officials act this way in public, and to have watched the recent fiasco on health care in the House, I can honestly wonder how any of these "jerks" got elected in the first place.

A Democrat could have one of the most wonderful ideas going right now, but the Republicans would shun it, tear it down and rip it apart, simply because it was the idea of a Democrat.

To hear John McCain talk about having the new healthcare bill repealed and using it as a political campaign tool reminds me of a little kid who doesn't get his way and picks up his toys and refuses to share and play.

The two party system of politics in our great nation has become a total sham and an embarrassment to our nation as a whole.

President Obama has been labelled as a Socialist, and I have to wonder how much of that has to do with the fact that he is a black man?

I would have hoped that prejudice had gone its way decades ago, but of course, it hasn't.

It's not just racial issues that create prejudice, but it's also politcal affiliation, whether you are of the same religion or not, whether you're fat, thin or normal, if you're Mexican, Puerto Rican, Indian, Caucasian or Middle Eastern.

The Bible teaches us that we are ALL created in the image of God, yet we fail to recognize this in our daily lives.

I listen to so-called holy men of God speak of "taking our nation back." Excuse me, but when did our nation go away? I read comments by so-called Christians about changing our world to better suit what they perceive to be their way of thinking, but they condemn other religions for attempting to do the same thing.

I thank God I was raised in a home where prejudice wasn't taught and that I was raised to recognize that all men are created equal.

I had hoped in my lifetime I would have lived to see an end to ALL types of prejudice, but that simply isn't going to happen, considering the age I am now and the current state of thinking in our country.

When the political leaders of our land act as they do, simply for the good of their party, it's a sure bet that they don't have the best interests of our nation at heart.

Will this archaic type of thinking ever truly come to an end?

Poll Results

For now, the poll remains as I had a total landslide of 100% to keep it. The hurtful problem was, the poll vote was the smallest vote yet. So, trying to keep my totally Faithful Few happy, the poll will remain, but it's taking a few days off until Spring Break is over.

We're Almost There, Folks!

Continuing to improve from the "sneezing" injury, and hoping that within the next day or two I will be able to come in here, sit down for a few minutes, and do some serious catching up.

Again, to those of you who have waited patiently, I thank you and hope we don't have a long spell between posts again unless it's for vacation reasons.

Peace!

And Things Are Like This Now

Continuing to heal from my sneezing injury, busy working on taxes and the death of a friends wife this week. Getting a little easier to sit in front of the computer, not comfortably yet, but getting there.

Obviously from the voting results either my readership is down this week or folks are deciding to not vote in this poll.

Hopefully in the next week things will be better all the way around.

For those of my Faithful Few who are hanging in there with me, I thank you.

For those of you who are also voting, I thank you as well.

Hopefully things will be back to normal very, very soon.

And, OH, to be able to get back in the bed again soon...I enjoy my recliner but it certainly does suck as a bed.

Oooops!

One week ago this past Thursday a really strange thing happened to me. I was up and out of bed, grabbing some meds out of the cabinet, and I sneezed.

Next thing I know, I'm on the floor, on my knees, holding my left side, seeing stars and unable to breathe of talk.

Yeah, it was one hell of a sneeze, gang!

After struggling thru the day at work on that Thursday and discovering that night that I was unable to lie down in bed to sleep, I went to see the doc on Friday morning and discovered I had either pulled a muscle in my ribcage or ruptured it. The doc gave me some meds to help with the pain and discomfort and put me off work that day which allowed me three days in a row to take care of myself.

I'm sad to report that we are now a week and two days past said incident and the pain is still present and I am still unable to lie down to sleep. I have spent the past nine nights sitting in the recliner in an effort to sleep.

It hurts to sit, it hurts to stand, but it's impossible to lie down without it feeling like I'm ripping my insides out. It's painful to sit here in front of the computer, which is why I have had but one brief update in the past week.

With a couple of days lying (pun intended) before me, I'm hoping a couple of more days of taking it easy will do the trick and I'll feel better by Monday morning. If not, I would imagine another trip to the doctor will be in order. This has been a very strange incident indeed caused by one stinking sneeze.

Anyway, please hang in there with me, I haven't given up writing, have some great ideas I'm ready to work with, just can't sit here long enough to get them done.

Just remember to be careful the next time you feel a sneeze coming on.

Old Friends

I've managed to make it past my 58th birthday, and when I stop and think about that, it truly boggles my mind. In my youth, I never believed I would have lived to see 30, but as the time grew closer, I decided I wouldn't live to see 40. Of course, as I got into my late 30's, I knew I would never live to see 50. I'm pretty sure that was when I got out of that mode of thinking altogether.

In the Stephen King short story "The Body," which became the basis of the movie "Stand By Me," it is summed up at the end of the movie that we never have any friends any truer than the ones we had when we were twelve years old. While I don't necessarily agree with that statement totally, it does indeed have a large basis of fact that one certainly can't disagree with.

I believe as we get older, we are exposed more to the insincerities of the world, we see the falsehoods people tend to learn to live with, and "true" friendship mutates away from those friends we have when we are younger.

A lot of friends I had when I was younger have moved on in their own lives as I have my own, and some of those folks I haven't seen in nearly forty years. Some of my classmates from the Class of 1970 that I spend all twelve years of school with, I haven't seen since graduation night. Agreed, some of them I'm glad I haven't seen since grad night, but that's only a couple. I hope some of those folks I do get to see again before it's too late.

I had friends my age, younger than me, older than me and some that were years older than me that to me were still very good friends. Some have passed on, others are still around, but we just don't see each other any more.

The sad thing is, the friends that I had all those years ago and that I spent so much of my time with are no longer a part of my life.

How did that happen?

Why did that happen?

As often as they cross my mind, I can't help but wonder, do I ever cross theirs?

I'll probably never know.

Coming Soon....

My apologies to those of you who frequent this page. I've not done any significant posting as of late. There have been several reasons which I won't go into right now, but I assure you, I've several things planned to add very soon.

I appreciate your loyalty and your patience and hope that what I will be publishing in the near future will more than make up for my recent inactivity.

Poll Results

Once again the latest poll results did not have a great deal of votes cast. Number of hits tells me either folks don't care to vote on some of the polls or else they don't see the poll on the right side. Whatever, here are the latest results of the past week's poll.


Do you believe our economy is improving as compared to one year ago.

Yes 40%
No 40%
Maybe 20%

Please take a moment and vote in this week's poll. It will only take a moment to do so. Thanks!

This week's poll results had no surprises and maybe one small one. No one at all picked winter as their favorite season, but autumn actually beat out summer, which did surprise me a bit, even though that is our favorite season as well.

In light of the recent weather and how it has affected everyone, what is YOUR favorite season of the year?

Spring 18%
Summer 31%
Autumn 50%
Winter 0%

Regarding Comments

I've been receiving some really nice comments lately, and if you don't see your comment posted, there's probably a reason I chose not to. Sometimes, there are things written that I will indeed try and address, but some of the comments tend to be of a more personal nature to me and some involve others. One thing I try and never do is tread on someone else's territory and put their feelings on the line. I never have been one to hurt someone, especially by name, so again, if you have left a comment for me and I've not printed it, that's probably why.

That doesn't mean I didn't get it or that I won't try and address the issue or issues you brought up, it's just my way of trying to spare someone else's feelings or trying not to invade their privacy.

I hope that has some semblance of sense.

And by all means, please continue to contact me either by leaving a comment or by hitting me up at my e-mail link.

Thanks!

Another Day Closer

Spring is one day closer now.

I keep telling myself that. Being someone who is "sunshine dependent" as I am, I'm glad to know that for each day that passes we get one day closer to Spring. I also keep hoping that maybe this year we might have a real Spring, instead of what we seem to have gotten accustomed to, which is a later Winter, taking forever to pass, and Spring showing up sometime around the end of April or the first part of May.

I know Winter serves its purposes, but again, when we get into the January and February "Dark Days" as I like to call them, the sun seems to either hide entirely or only come out a few minutes before sunset.

It's that sunshine that I miss and that takes its toll on me each year at this time.

Honestly, I would love to see early October weather year round. I love the coolness of the air in the morning and evenings, and I love the warmth we feel during the day. The Autumn colors add such a beautiful hue to life each day, and it's something that tends to make me wonder in awe at the process that it takes to produce those colors each year.

I'm a person who normally bypasses "Spring Fever" but tends to have "Fall Fever" instead.

This year, however, I do believe I'll be like so many others that I talk to and I have a feeling I'll be right there with them this year when my own case of "Spring Fever" hits me.

I also have a feeling I'll be smiling a lot more, too.

A Re-Welcoming, Of Sorts

If you're here for the first time, welcome!

And if you're a regular reader of my not so regular posts, welcome back!

Someone decided I needed a little publicity and mentioned this site in our local newspaper and gave the url so my readership would grow. I think I'm flattered, and also was caught a little off guard. I really wasn't prepared for that type of exposure, but I'm assuming one of my Faithful Few, namely RG, decided I needed a little promo for my site. To whoever it was, I think I thank you...and yes, I'm laughing as I type that.

I also thank Kevin Green at the Rushville Republican for going ahead and giving me a pitch from that submission to his column, Rants, Raves and Random Thoughts.

Obviously, I am getting some new readers, and I hope you like what you see here and I hope you'll come back from time to time. Most of what I write here is for my own benefit, but it's nice to know others are reading and that some of those readers and enjoying what they are reading.

If you want to leave a comment, please do so. If you want to leave me an e-mail, there's a link for that as well. I've been told it doesn't always work, but most of the time it seems like it does.

If you find something that offends you, let me know. If you see something you really like, let me know that as well. And please, take a moment from time to time and participate in my weekly poll. I'd love to see those votes increase each week, if possible.

Anyway, once again, thanks for stopping by and I hope you will become a part of my Faithful Few.

Poll Results

How much Olympic coverage do you think you'll be watching this year?

None 11%
Less than an hour 11%
Less than five hours 0%
More than five hours 77%


Very low vote this week, so hopefully next week we'll see a few more votes hitting the poll. Thanks to everyone who took a moment and voted.

Vacation Update

After a 3 1/2 drive to go 77 miles, Peggy and I succeeded in arriving at our destination at Clifty Falls and enjoyed four wonderful days at the Clifty Inn. We had some much needed rest time, some great meals and got to visit with our good friend Scott, who took us to dinner at a new pub called the Boneyard Grill.

I must admit the drive down had a few harrowing moments, once we got out of Decatur county and hit the Jennings county line and farther down into Jefferson county, the highways were really pretty nasty, and we drove thru a couple of white outs as well. All in all, though, after a slippery descent down Hanging Rock Hill, we did arrive safe and sound and only left the park once during our four days.

It was a truly nice relaxing visit, and we're looking forward to it again next year, just hoping for much better weather.

A Long Drive Into Daylight

Heading south to the Ohio River today for part of our vacation. With the snow coming down and the promise of winds increasing as the day goes on, I can only hope the Lord blesses us with a safe and uneventful trip. Could be interesting, however.

This is normally a two hour drive. I might be in for a marathon driving session today since they are saying the weather is worse down south than it is here at home, and here at this moment, it's downright horrible.

We shall see what we shall see.

Poll Results

Interesting poll results this week. A higher percentage are actually uncertain about watching than saying they won't be watching. Anyway, here's the results:

Will you be watching or otherwise be following the Daytona 500 on Valentine's Day?

Yes 68%
No 13%
Uncertain 18%
Huh? 0%

At least no one who read didn't know about the Daytona 500.

Time Is Healing

You disappeared without a word,
You've reappeared much the same.
I won't be the one to break this silence
I'm much too bored to play your game.
I've moved on and beyond all that we shared
Scattered words and smiles, such a sham.
My life has new direction and purpose, you see,
And about you, I don't give a damn.
I don't wish you bad, I won't wish you good
We'll both move on, and time will tell
That I really don't need your crap in my life
And you can simply, go straight to hell.

Vacation Looming

Each year as we pass thru the holidays and into the new year, things begin to pick up at work in different areas that have no resemblance to the holidays at all. That, Faitfhful Few, is the dreaded TAX SEASON!!! Christmas hits us for about 3 1/2 weeks, while taxes envelope(pun intended) 3 1/2 months. Luckily for me, during this time of year, I have a wedding anniversary my wife and I celebrate each year with a vacation. Thankfully that time is nearly here.

As football seasons draws to its end and as Nascar season begins, usually the weekend of the Daytona 500 signals that first vacation of the year. Being within just a few days of that vacation allows anticipation to grow.

The Duels at Daytona are Thursday, and I decided this year to take off Thursday for the Duels, and decided to just forego work altogether on Friday and take that day off as well, turning my week vacation into a week and a half one. The best part of that is that as of right now, that leaves me 16 hours of work between me and that first vacation of the year.

As much as I love my job, I do love vacation and I do love getting away with my lovely bride of nearly 32 years. I'm hoping the snow decides to be over in the next couple of days and that the inclement weather does nothing to impede us getting away for some much needed time alone.

Hopefully Mother Nature provides us with good weather in Florida for the Duels and great weather next week here in good old Indiana.

I not only want this vacation, I truly NEED this vacation.

I'm Back...Well, Sorta

To say this past week has not be a good one would be a total understatement. Something got hold of me over the weekend and put me out of action for the week.

Flu like symptoms, and I have to stress "flu-like," because I had my annual flu shot and an H1N1 shot, and still managed to get something that really knocked me on my ass.

A trip to the doc and four prescriptions later and I'm now experiencing all the fun drainage of the sinuses and the coughing up of all sorts of colorful corruption from my lungs. The chest and throat are sore from all the coughing and I'm ready for all this to be over.

I've not managed things well this week, haven't made out any checks to pay bills, haven't been able to work, haven't been online until around Friday, and am way behind of everything in general. Thankfully, this is going to be a short work week for me, as I start a vacation after Wednesday and can forget about work responsibilities for a week and a half.

Anyway, this hopefully explains my absence from here this past week and I am hoping to do better in the coming week or so.

Super Bowl Poll Results

Not a scientific poll, but the results are nice to see, especially when you figure the Saints are the sentimental favorites.

Colts 95%
Saints 4%

And with that being said: Go Colts!

Poll Results

The results for the second poll are in.

In your opinion, who contributed most to the development of rock and roll?

Jimi Hendrix 33%
Janis Joplin 33%
Jim Morrison 33%


I am glad to see a three way tie, personally, because I think they each one contributed an equal share to how rock and roll developed. Sad they were never around to see what their contributions effects were.

Winter Continues To Suck!!!

Winter continues to bring my mood down. The lack of sunshine, the cold, which I truly hate because it drives me inside so much this time of year.

Things seem to bother me more this time of year, and I get sick of all the drama people seem to thrive on when they try to push their own misery on you.

I hate feeling this way, because I'm really not the type of person who gets this far down, and believe me, I'm down right now.

Less than two weeks away from the first vacation of the year.

Hopefully I will get the mood enhancement I need when that vacation finally gets here, and hopefully, the weather will improve, the Colts will win the Superbowl, and Tony Stewart will win the Daytona 500.

That would be a great start!

Speed IQ (The Daytona 500)

I love this explanation about how the 43 positions are chosen for the Daytona 500. Someone had a very creative mind coming up with this(almost as creative as the geniuses that came up with the way the field is actually set for the Daytona 500.

First Poll Results

The results are in for the first poll I ran on my page.

What is your favorite type of music.

Classic Rock 42%
Country 0%
Alternative 0%
Blues 14%
Other 42%



Please check out the new poll and be sure to cast your vote.
Thanks!

Come Back Ole Sol

Where has the sun gone?

I know, living in Indiana, that the sun hiding in the dead of winter can sometimes go on for a few weeks at a time. And I know it really hasn't been THAT long since it last came out, but it sure seems like it to someone who is "sunshine dependent" like myself.

I have a hard time staying motivated. I have a hard time staying energized. I seem to lose interest in most things I normally enjoy. My mood becomes down, depressed and pretty much rotten most of the time.

From the sound of the weather forecast for the next week, it looks like more of the same. I suppose that means the barometer of my body is probably going to be much the same as well.

The good news, Nascar season is fast approaching. When the Daytona 500 arrives, so does my first vacation of the year, and it usually, not always, but usually is a nice week with lots of sunshine.

Hope it is sunny and warmer this year.

Sunny, anyhow.

Ch Ch Ch Changes

I've been trying to decide for the past few weeks if it was time for a change in design for my blog page, and as you can see, I decided it was indeed time. I hope you like the new look. I have had the other look for nearly 5 years now, and I decided I have changed appearance in the past five years, mostly not because I wanted to, but because Mother Nature decided I needed to. Therefore, it surely was time for a change to my page as well.

Other changes will be forthcoming, but for now, let's start here.

I've added a poll on the upper right, and would really appreciate you taking time and participating in it each week. If the response is good, it stays. If the response is not so good, I'll remove it in the near future.

Anyhow, Faithful Few, let me know what you think.

Why?

One of the things I have noticed most in my life about being a pacifist is that I try not to offend others or hurt their feelings. I have a tendency of keeping my opinions to myself sometimes and just sitting and nodding my head in agreement with someone, when in reality I don't agree with what they are saying. It avoids confrontation and it spares hurt feelings on their part.

It amazes me, though, and the number of people in my life that seem to enjoy tearing down what they know I believe in or support. If their political views are opposite of mine and they know it, they will run my views into the ground and wait for the reaction I try not to give them.

When it comes to sports and who I am a fan of, I have several family members that do their level best to tear down my favorites and try to engage me in a battle of words. Again, I try hard not to give them the satisfaction of letting the know they are truly pissing me off.

Is their life so uneventful that the only enjoyment they get out of it is trying desparately to tear others down and try to set up arguments with them? Do they enjoy hurting the feelings of others as a self serving means of satisfaction?

Am I just being overly sensitive? Probably, I do tend to wear my feelings on my shirt sleeves and expose them to all, but I still don't understand the enjoyment people get out of deliberately trying to hurt others.

Life continues to be a mystery.

I Can Do This

Four little words that are probably going to become a mantra.

Got my H1N1 shot today, and for some reason, I have been ravenously hungry ever since. I know the two are not related, believe me, I know. I've done the diet thing before and it seems like days 3 4 and 5 are really hard.

However, that doesn't change the fact that I am STARVING today.

So, four little words are being spoken, aloud today, most of the day.

I can do this.

I can do this.

And so far, folks, it's working.

But damn, am I hungry!

Realistic Expectations For 2010

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions, mainly because I think most of the time they are either broken or never even attempted once they are made. I do, however, like to try and set some goals for myself, because I would rather fail at meeting a goal than to break a resolution that I made to myself.

Popular ones that are made are quitting smoking, which I no longer do. I stopped smoking almost 26 years ago. Another one would be to give up caffeine, and no, I'm not doing that. I love my coffee but I don't abuse it. I'm not quitting alcohol because alcohol is not a problem of abuse either.

Then there is weight loss. Very popular, maybe number one, I'm not sure. This one I truly need to take a look at, and a serious look at that. I love eating, and I love eating lots of unhealthy foods. I'm not a sweet eater, but I love cheeses, red meat and I can't seem to live without potatoes of any kind.

I have therefore set a goal to lose weight this year, by controlling my diet and by becoming more active. I plan on starting this next week, about a month before my vacation starts, which could prove to be a real challenge, but we shall see. I've not particular diet in mind, it will be trial and error, no doubt, but I do plan on making some major changes in what I eat and how much. I also plan or developing an exercise program that not only will suit my needs immediately, but one that I can adjust and add onto without fear of overdoing it in the beginning.

I'll be weighing in, measuring and taking pictures, so I can track my progress. I owe this to myself more than I do to anyone else, but I do hope my wife will be happy with what I accomplish.

Yes, I have a target weight already in mind, a realistic time frame to achieve it in, and hopefully I can also develop a maintenance program to keep where I end up.

Will I succeed? I'd like to think so, but I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't see into the future and guarantee I'll meet my preset goal, but I have every intention of giving it my best shot.

And yes, I will be updating my progress within the pages of my blogsite as well.

The ball is truly in my court.

Let's see if I can run with it and score or if I'll fumble.

No Silver Lining

I'm usually one who can find something good in the worst of situations. You know, like we hate Mondays, but the good thing to look at is that we only have one a week.

With today's snow, cold and blowing winds, I've decided that there's a limit to everything, and I believe that did it for me.

More Of The Same Chit

Listening to the news this morning around 5:30AM and heard this little tidbit of news you might find strange.

Price of crude oil continues to fall.

Price of gasoline JUMPED again last night, is supposed to make a big jump before this weekend, and reports continue to say that gasoline prices should exceed the high we paid in 2009.

WHAT????

Winter, 2010

Winter sucks,
It awgs,
It bites.
It causes friends
To fuss and fight.
The snow
The ice
The damned cold wind
Makes me wish
For spring again.
Sniffles, chills
Fevers galore.
Brings dreams of warmth
And so much more.
Wind chill factors
Just kiss my ass
I just wish to hell
Winter would pass.

And With A New Year Having Begun

Several things have happened over the past year that seem to have taken me away from my postings to this site. I won't go into them, doesn't really seem to me to be important as to reveal these things to you all, it just seems that I let other things get in the way of my postings, and I hope I can rectify that this coming year.

I did lose a very important "friend" of mine this year, and because we shared a lot of our writings together, I think maybe that might have been one of the largest contributing factors in my absence from these pages. It's always nice to have someone to "connect" with when you are writing.

However, it wasn't just one thing or a couple of things, it was several, and most of them are totally unconnected to my love of writing. They were simply things that got in the way.

I'm hoping now that I can shake them all off and get on with the real reason I started this blogpage several years ago.

I ask you all to still bear with me, as getting back into this will not be a headlong venture but one with which I will take my time until I can get back into a somewhat regular routine.

Let's see where 2010 takes us and if I still have what it takes to plunder on!

Scary

For some reason this year, emotions are running so high and out of kilter that I sometimes feel like I'm ready to explode. I can't put a finger on it, I can't explain it any better than that.

I just wish to hell the feeling would go away.

Always and forever.

What's It Going To Take?

It used to sadden me to see someone with so much good going on in their life that they refuse to see it because of the condition they allow alcohol to put them in.

Now it only pisses me off.

When someone has family that loves and cares about them and they only want to stay trashed and wallow in self pity there is indeed a problem.

When legalities arise, this person can tow the line, stay on the straight and narrow and be pleasant to be around.

When there are no legalities, the same person drinks themselves into a never ending oblivion and not only stays mired down in that self pity but they try and make everyone else feel sorry for them too.

Is attention really that important when family is there and gives that person all the attention they really need?

When someone, day in, day out, starts the day off with a drink and spends every available moment drinking and continues to do that drinking along with driving, something needs to be done.

When someone no longer takes care of themselves hygenicaly, when they can no longer control their waste elimination habits and they no longer possess common sense or good judgement, enough is enough.

If they can stay off the drinking for fear of prison time for an entire year but falls right back into the same pattern the moment that year is up, it only proves to me it's a problem of choice, not a medical or addiction problem.

When you drink so much you can no longer put your sentences together and all you do is annoy people and stay mean all the time, the problem isn't the alcohol, the problem is YOU!

Why is it more fun to stay trashed, lose all your friends, alienate your family and put lives at risk each day when you climb behind the wheel of your car? Are you that damned starved for attention?

I've tried to tell you, your family has tried to tell you and your friends have tried to tell you.

Why do you enjoy being the drunken asshole?

Ahead I Am Going

Time changes things.

It changes opinions, it changes emotions, it changes interests and it changes perceptions.

Time moves on with or without us.

As time goes on, we can either decide to move with it or stay stuck behind in the mire that we call existence.

I'm not the same person I was 40 years ago, but in many ways I'm still the same.

I'm still a pacifist, I'm still a realist and not an idealist.

I am a very emotional individual and my emotions tend to drive me moreso than my thoughts do.

I have learned to accept things and I have learned over the years that life is not an "Ozzie and Harriet" existence.

It would be so much easier to live if it were.

I've made a mountain of mistakes over the years, more than I care to remember that I've made, but I admit that I made them.

I've been wrong in so many ways, but I've learned to accept the fact that you learn from being wrong and you move on.

And you move on sometimes by leaving others behind.

For now, I choose to move forward and not look back any more than I have to.

Tragic Semi-Loss

I learned a couple of weeks ago that someone I had known years ago but hadn't seen in quite a few years had passed away, and they passed away alone and were not found for several days. I found about their passing six months after it had happened.

No, we weren't close, we may not have even been considered friends anymore, but I still feel a loss here, and it has bothered me a lot since I learned of her passing.

She had had some personal problems over the years. She had some health issues, some mental issues, but she was still a human being and she had feelings and it bothers me that she died all alone and that it took three days for someone to realize something was wrong.

She was probably the first true love in my life, and was a very important part of my latter teenage years for the better part of a year and a half, and to know that she's gone, frankly bothers me in ways I can't begin to describe.

I probably hadn't crossed her mind in a lot of years, but I thought of her occasionally and wondered how she was, where she was and if she had ever found her happiness she was seeking.

I hope she has now.

Oh, You Again?

sandpapering my brain,
icepick thru my heart,
flood of tears held back,
burning and choking in my throat.

Yep, you crossed my mind today!

Identity

Empty emotions,
Meaningless words,
All in a tangle
Weaving the web of the game that you play.
Your heart turning cold
All without warning
Those spoken words of praise
Which meant absolutely
Nothing.

Create your world,
But do it without me
I no longer wish to play
A part in your game.

You are not the person I
Believed you to be.

You're someone else.

Entirely.

Over It

When you try to solve a situation involving someone else and they totally ignore your attempt, that should tell you that the problem doesn't lie within you but in the one you have tried to make amends with.

It's a total waste of time to worry about such trivialities and is in your best interest to move on and cast the so-called problem to the side. There are too many important things left in life that require your attention.

It's time to move on.

They Call Us Working Class, but we ain't working anymore

Check out the latest from a true modern blues legend, Walter Trout!

From The Bent Mind, Part Four

This was written the day before The Third Day Reckoning, or day number two post op. This poem pretty much sums up my fears of the worst and the terribly down state of mind I was at that time. Funny how cancer can do that to you.


Reflections November 7, 1982

Laying here a-thinkin' in my hospital bed
Knowin' I'd rather be here that I would be dead.
Friends and family visit, especially my wife,
And they help to make me know, that I've led a good life.

The fears that I've had, have been morbid and real
As I wait looking forward to yet another liquid meal.
The visits calm my nerves, the shots ease my pain,
Yet the fears and the worry keep invading my brain.

I'm afraid that this cancer might shorten my years,
And could my smoking have caused this, or was it just too many beers?
My life seems too valuable to just smoke it all away
And I believe I'll just kick this nasty habit someday.

Dear Lord, help me I ask, help me as you please
And rid my young body of this malignant disease.
All my life lies ahead and I'm going to grab it
And to hell with this cancer, 'cause the doctor done stabbed it!

From The Bent Mind, Part Three

Back in November of 1982 I had cancer surgery, actually I underwent surgery to remove testicular cancer. While in the hospital, I wrote the following poem to try and cope with the mental and physical pain I was going thru. Hope it got the point across.

The Third Day Reckoning

This horrid pain is killing me
And I wish to hell it'd stop.
I'm jump right off this stinking chair
And onto my bed I'd flop.

I've heard it said that day number three
Is the worst for post-operative pain.
This could be true, for day three is here
And the pain is driving me insane.

It feels like my guts want to rush forward
And burst right out of my skin.
And if that would happen, with all of this pain
I'd no doubt forget to shove them back in.

All I need is one more shot
To help me thru the day
And then tomorrow when I wake up
I'll try and face the fourth day.

Written November 8, 1982

No Answers

Unbridled confusion
Abounding,
Thoughtless answers to required
Questions
Seeking finality,
Finding none,
Becoming one with
Anonymity,
Useless apathy
Gaining strength
And like a spreading cancer,
Overtaking,
Devouring,
Winning.

MIA

I have a friend who is missing in action.

I don't know what has happened to her, where she has gone or even if she all right or not. I only know I haven't heard from her since October of last year.

She's a writer and a damned talented one at that. She writes some unbelievable poetry and she amazes me with her wit in her writing.

We met on blogger by chance, and we both became followers of the other ones writing. We commented back and forth on different entries that the two of us did and we occasinally e mailed each other.

She's a vibrant woman, a single mom, or the last I knew she was. She had gone thru a big move in her life and it was one that took away from writing for quite a while. When she finally came back I felt like a father feels when his daughter has been out of touch for quite some time and all of a sudden there she is again.

I've written her a few times but have heard nothing back. She's not posted, at least not on her usual page, and if she has another one, I don't know what it is or where it is.

I don't know if she's well. I don't know if things are going well in her life or not.

I only know I miss her, I miss hearing from her and I miss reading her poetry.

Not knowing how she is bothers me because she had become such a good friend to me and there is a loss in my life not knowing that she's okay.

If any of you who follow her know anything about her, please get in touch with me and let me know. For that matter, if she reads this, let me know you're okay. I just need to know that you are okay and I'll feel a lot better.

Hope to find out something good, hope to find out all is well, and I hope you start writing again, too. You far too talented not to keep it going.

I miss you, Autumn!

Pondering, Pondering

With all your infinite wisdom
How can you be so damned
Stupid?

Rest In Peace, Flatrock Grill

Not all friends that leave our lives much too early are people. Sometimes they can be places, such as businesses and such.

That's the case with the recently closed Flatrock Grill.

The Grill was my friend, my safe haven, my place to go and feel cared about and needed and appreciated.

Now it's gone, but will never, ever be forgotten.

Economic times and a lack of local support of this fine establishment contributed to its recent demise. Hard to imagine when a place such as this, with its fine food and awesome atmosphere, is gone now.

The owners, Brian and Alli Rodgers had a first class, top notch eatery here, folks. Great steaks, pasta and seafood, a really nice bar,a beautiful atrium which overlooked Riverside Park, plus a staff that was second to none were there all the time, each day they were open for business, but in these times, it unfortunately wasn't enough.

Bartender Walt, his wife Cassidy who was a server, Granny, as Alli's mom wished to be called, Megan, Greg, Rick, Shea, Christian(hope I spelled it right) and Ronnie, as well as others who had come and gone, were always ready with a smile to help make your visit a pleasant one.

In the past two years that my wife and I were regular customers, these folks all became an addition to our family. Whether we made reservations or just walked in off the street, whether they were moderately busy, slow, or packed in like sardines, we always received the best service and best food possible.

The Grill was a valuable sponsor to our Summer Concert Series at Riverside Park. They not only fed the daytime concert volunteers and sound technicians, but they always served a high class meal to both the opening bands and the headlining bands as well. They even fed the 85 member Carmel Symphony Orchestra two years ago, a mammoth undertaking, no doubt. They always wanted to do more for us, including providing us with ice backstage for our performers water and soft drinks.

Easter Sunday proved to be our final meal at the Grill, as Alli and Brian made the very hard decision to close that day. I can't imagine the emotions behind such a decision, and I can't imagine what it felt like to have your dream fall apart after trying so hard and investing so much time, emotion, hardwork and money into a business.

I'm going to miss going in for a cold beer, a nice steak or burger, and those awesome deep fried green beans that they served. I'm going to miss the visits and conversation with all those folks who worked there, and I'm going to miss celebrating our wedding anniversary and birthdays there, as well.

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." The words from that song sing out to me each time I think of losing the Flatrock Grill, and I'm sure our community is going to feel the loss as well for a very long time to come.

Thanks to you all for the memories, the fun, the friendship and the great food.

I'm mourning the loss as well.

From The Bent Mind, Part Two

Political protest song I wrote from 1982. Had such a great tune worked out for this one, very reminscent of the 80's hair band type music and such, wish I could recall what it sounded like in my head. Anyway, doesn't matter, I loved the words when I wrote it then, and as I read them now, I still enjoy what I wrote over 27 years ago.


To Ronnie, While On Vacation

The winds of change are blowin',
We're tired of playin' their game
Stick to our battle, pick up your arms
'cause things can't stay the same.

We've taken the establishment shit for so long
They've blinded us so we can't see.
The rich man continues to rule this land
And they've stuck it up you and me.

Can't you see where it's headed?
Can't you see where we've been?
It's time to get down and boogie
This is one we've got to win.

They disguise their ruse so carefully
Enticing us with pleasures we taste
They take all our emotions to suit all their needs
And motivational resources become as waste.

Our money is spent on their wishes
They control us as we do what they please.
Wake up you damn fools, and get ready to fight,
We must wipe out this malignant disease.

Can't you see where we're headed?
Can't you see where we've been?
It's time to motivate in our direction,
Get down, we've got to win.

We need our soldiers to have perception
So they can see who we've got to fight.
It's the political disguise of the capitalist pigs
Making laws to their own delight.

If this cancerous condition keeps a movin'
In the direction we presently see,
There'll be no bill of rights, no constitution or declaration
And no longer a land of the free.

Can't you see how it's goin'?
Can't you see where it's been?
So tell me, motherfucker,
Don't you really want to win?

Stand up, take arms and be counted
Be ready to fight for a true cause.
This country of ours, is dying, my friends,
Let's fight troops and show them our balls.


Conceived January 2, 1982

Some Blasts From The Past/From The Bent Mind, Part One

During a recent spell of spring cleaning, my ever industrious and hard working better half happened upon a spiral notebook of mine from back in the early 1980's which was a collection of short stories and poems of mine cleverly entitled "Windy Feathers and Chicken Lips." Her finding this was like a reunion with an old friend you haven't seen in over twenty years. I thought it would be kind of fun to add a few of these ditties from years ago onto my page and let my Faithful Few see what I was up to all those many years ago. As luck would have it, I dated everything I wrote back then and I am really happy to be able to throw a few of these entries onto my page here from time to time. I used to sign everything at the end "from the bent mind of one...", then my name, and then the date. I will entitle each of these entries from time to time "From The Bent Mind" and add the date of the entry. Hope some of you will take the time and add some comments and let me know what you think of my bent mind from many, many years ago.

With that said, let's proceed with this first entry.


My "Good" Friend

You call yourself my good friend
A special one amongst the others
I placed so much of my trust in you
And then too late discovered.

As friends we should share good times and bad
The good outweighing the bad.
I've stood up for you, and too late I've found
That I've been cleverly had.

We laughed, we cried, we drank we smoked
And closer I felt we grew,
But your affection for deceit bore its fruit
And apparently our friendship is through.

I wasn't aware until too late
Of both the faces you wore.
And now that I know you, I can't help but say
That you're really one hell of a bore.

So take your lies on up the street
And go on deceiving someone else.
My advise to you, is direct, yet it's cool,
And that is simply, "Go fuck yourself!"

Conceived July 10, 1982

View Thru The Crown (Royal)

I've been so very pessimistic as of late. I try to find the positive, to remain upbeat, but pessimism keeps taking its reigns and leading me right back down the negative path.

Maybe I spend too much time watching the news or reading news or blogs that talk about the shape of our world today, but let's face it, our economic picture is affecting us all, each and everyday.

I talk to people while I'm working that are losing everything, their jobs, their life savings, their hope and their faith. Moods seem to be so down as lives take on new hardships never before encountered.

Businesses are closing, filing bankruptcy or simply disappearing at an alarming rate. The auto industry and all affliliated suppliers are in a quandry. The U S Postal Service is losing money at an alarming rate and talk of layoffs and eliminating one day of delivery a week is being discussed in front of Congress.

Businesses are relying on the government and the taxpayers to bail them out because of their dire financial straights and piss poor decisions, yet these same businesses that have taken bailout dollars to the tune of billions and billions are rewarding the idiots that ran their businesses down the tubes, stating they give them bonuses to keep them employed. Is it just me or is that the biggest crock of shit they've come up with yet?

I'm worried, I'm scared and I'm pissed! I stay with these same three day in, day out, and I wonder each day what the hell else is going to go wrong. Where is all this madness going to end?

I hear people already slandering our new president because he hasn't turned our economy around in the less than ninety days he's been in office. Amazing that it took years to get here but our new president is being judged because he hasn't solved this crisis in mere days.

Personally, I applaud the efforts President Obama has made so far and that I believe he will continue to make. I find it commendable that he is not hiding anything from the American people as did the president we had the previous eight years.

I applaud our nation for looking past race and electing a president based solely on his plans and his accomplishments and his ideals and for giving a man of his limited experience the chance to turn our nation back into the great and prosperous nation it was a decade ago.

I sit, I wait, I wonder, I worry and I get pissed, and I will for sometime to come and I hope very soon we see changes for the better occuring.

For now, another sip of Crown might make things look a little better.

And only for short time.

As Scarlet O'Hara once said, "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Syko

I would love to design a T shirt that says in large block letters:

I'm not schizophrenic
And neither am I!


OR:

Being schizophrenic isn't so bad.
Just ask me,
Or, if you'd like,
Ask me!

Joe

One of the hardest parts of life to me is having to say goodbye to those who you have grown close to and care for. Such a case has happened once again this week.

Ten days ago I received a phone call at work from a friend of mine, who was calling me in a business capacity. What the call was about is irrelevant but what this friend told me really shook me up.

Joe told me the reason I hadn't seen him the past couple of weeks was that he was in the hospital. I asked him if it was anything serious and he told me he had been diagnosed with cancer, pretty much throughout his body. I was in disbelief when I heard this, because for anyone who knew Joe, he was a very physically strong and active individual who had a very rough exterior but a heart as big as all outdoors. If you were a friend, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for you. If you were an enemy, at least a recent one, you had best keep an eye behind you.

I met Joe nearly 40 years ago and I took an instant liking to him. I saw him frequently and we always had a great time together and we were good friends, to say the least.

If Joe knew someone had done you wrong, they best keep an eye out as well because he didn't take kindly to his friends being screwed over. More than once he came to my aid and as far as I know nothing ever got to the point of being physical; hell, it didn't need to. No one wanted to feel Joe's wrath.

Once I got my full time job I saw Joe even more frequently, and as the years went by his rough exterior and demeanor became a bit more subtle, but he tried to keep that same personna about him. The old saying of his bark is worse than his bite was certainly true. He had too kind of a nature about him and the number of people he helped out was a testimony to the realness of his actual self.

Joe truly cared about people and he helped a lot of them out.

I think a few might have taken advantage of him, but that didn't stop him from taking care of them anyway.

During all the years I knew Joe, his friendship with me never waivered one bit. He was the same friend throughout all the years. The past ten years or so he took to calling me Mr Charlie, and it never once failed to bring a smile to my face.

Some of our conversations revealed a lot about how he had changed over the years. People that he had feuded with in years past he now had buried those grudges, whether they knew it or not. He certainly wouldn't have told them directly, that wasn't Joe's style and it didn't fit the facade of the man. He had become a Christian man and had forgiven those of his past and had settled his score quietly with his savior. After all, who did he really need to settle the score with other than the good Lord above?

I learned day before yesterday while I was paying for gasoline I had just put in my truck that the Lord had called Joe home. Even though I knew he was bad, I guess I wasn't ready to hear that my friend had died the day before.

There will be those, I'm quite sure, who will feel a bit of revenge has now been settled. After all, like I said, Joe did have his enemies, or at least those enemies who didn't know that they were no longer his enemies. For them, I feel a bit of sorrow in my heart, because they never got to know the Joe he had become the past few years.

In his heart he had forgiven them, and I guess somehow I'll have to find that acceptance myself and forgive them for their feelings as well.

Eventually, that is. I won't be able to do that just yet, however.

For right now, I'm grieving for the loss of a friend of mine, a constant friend and one whom I will miss very much until I come to terms with the fact that he is gone for now.

Because of this grieving, my heart will tend to be cold to some degree as well.

Rest in peace, Joe! I know how you were years ago and how you had grown these past few years. I am honored beyond words, to have been your friend.

Thanks for remaining my constant friend all these years.

You'll be missed by far many more than you would have ever imagined.

I'll be one of them right there at the top.

Mired In Deep Winter Again

It would be an understatement to say that my new year started off not so great. Not that I like complaining about it, but it has to get better, trust me.

First of all, I hate winter tremendously. I tend to become a hermit of sorts, preferring not to get out in the inclement weather and cold winds of January. I don't like snow, I hate sleet and freezing rain, and I miss the sunshine which seems to evade us a lot during the winter.

This winter, however, I have been saddled with probably the second worst ear infection of my life. Not only has it been extremely painful and slow in healing, it has temporarily cost me most of the hearing out of my left ear.

My devoted wife and myself tried to doctor it on our own, but after a couple of weeks of no improvement, it took a trip to the family doctor and his prescribing antibiotics and steroids to get things on the road to improvement.

We also discovered during my visit to the doc that my ear canal is mostly blocked with ear wax, which sounds disgusting, but is actually not all that uncommon. The bad thing about it is that it has robbed me of a lot of my hearing, even without an infection. The infection just compounded the problem somewhat.

Anyway, now that the infection is pretty much gone, phase two will begin as we start softening up the wax blockage and prepare to flush it out, hopefully here at home and not at the doc's office.

Maybe then I'll start hearing better and start feeling like doing more outside the home. I can only imagine how much of a drag I have been to be around.

In two weeks we celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary with a trip away for a few days, and I'm looking forward to being with my wife, reading a couple of books or so, walking and sight seeing and of course the snuggling that goes along with any trip away from home.

Our suite we have reserved overlooks the Ohio River and the food at the restaurant at the inn is excellent. Five days away should be just what the doctor ordered to get out of the deep winter funk I've fallen into once again this year.

Hopefully within the next two weeks I can have all of my hearing back once again.

And one final note: In my humble opinion, winter SUCKS!!!

Thirty Years And Counting

Amazingly enough, yesterday, January 2nd, I completed thirty years of employment with the US Postal Service. I always said when that day arrived, I would hang it up, retire, and move on to something else.

However, now that the time has arrived and that day has passed, I'm still at my job, still going to work each and everyday, and at present, I can't seem to think of what date I might eventually hang it up.

I love my job, my customers are very important to me, and I know as sure as I'm sitting here, that when the day does come and I do decide to retire, there's a lot of those customers, who over the years are more than customers to me, I know that I'll probably never see a lot of them ever again.

I'm not ready for that to happen.

At least not yet.

Someone once told me that my life was pretty much a Mayberry sort of existence, and even though that was meant as a put down, I considered it one of the greatest compliments I have ever received. I think we all need a little bit of Mayberry in our lives, each and everyday. If that is what my life has been perceived to be by someone, so be it.

I'm happy here, I'm content here, and I don't ever plan on being anywhere else.

So for now, I'm staying with my job, I'm going to continue to try and give my customers the best service I possibly can each and everyday, and I'm going to continue to love clocking in and doing what I've been doing for the past three decades.

I'm going to continue being right here in Mayberry.

My Wish To You

Thanks to all who have hung by me this year. Sporadic postings, some quite grim have kind of been the norm for the past few months, but hopefully next year things will be a bit different when you come here. I appreciate each and everyone of you, my Faithful Few.
Merry Christmas and may you all be blessed with peace and happiness this holiday season.

The Final Purge

I have no wishes for you this holiday season.
No good wishes, but no bad ones, either.
You see, you no longer exist to me.
You left my heart and the place you held there years ago.
I feel no remorse over these feelings, but I feel no happiness to be having them for that matter.
You are not really dead to me, but are no longer real to me as well.
Memories of you are fading, and they are fading fast.
The memories that were good now seem like distant dreams.
The memories of you which were bad are similar to nightmares from long ago, and you can't quite remember what it was about them that scared you so.
I know it wasn't meant to be this way, but you left me no choice.
A heart can only stand so much pain that it finally either has to break, or it has to defend itself in the best way possible so it can avoid the hurt, the pain and, of course, the eventual breaking that comes along with it.
There is nowhere that you stand within the confines of my heart.
You're actually now on the outside and you hold no true place there anymore.
I know you'll never read these words, that doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Part of my healing is to put these words down and purge that last little bit of you out of my soul, and that has now been done.
I can't wish you good.
I won't wish you bad.
How can I?
You aren't really real anymore, are you?
I don't care if you're happy.
I don't care if you're sad.
I don't care if you are alive.
I don't care if you are dead.
You are, after all, no longer real, so what does it matter?
I'm so much better off without the unrealness of you in my life.
Who were you, really, anyway?

3 1/2 And Counting

The holiest of holidays approaches
And what I wouldn't give
To spend that time
With loved ones
Who departed this life
Years ago

As I sit dreaming of such a reunion
Alive and well
I can't understand
The apathy
Of those who seek
To rob the gift of love
From those who fantasize
Of sharing the love
From those too selfish
And who don't even
Care.

There are those
Who do relish
A sharing
A caring
With no strings attached
And it is with those
Whom I now
Let into my heart
For they seek not to hurt
But to give.

abandonment

They were all right here

Can someone please tell me

Where they have
Now

All
Gone
?

stature

He
Stands
Amongst
So
Very Many

Yet
Has never
Felt
So
All alone

Salvation?

Crying out, no one heard him
His mouth shut
They heard from mountains away

His smile, heartfelt that it was
Beckoned to no one

His frown
Was seen by all

To himself
He was an
Enigma

To those around him
He was a well read
Book

Could he find himself
Amongst those who mattered?

Only if he was trying to hide

A New Path?

A few weeks ago a good friend of mine started a new blogpage and made an entry that really spoke to my heart. For whatever reasons, he decided to delete the entire page, something I wish he hadn't done. He's a damned good writer and he feels better each time he writes, but again, he has his reasons, so I have to support him on his decision.

He had made an entry regarding his health and his weight and what he needed to do to get both under control. This particular entry tugged at my heart because I am now facing similar circumstances in my life.

After my vacation a few weeks ago, actually, the first day back to work, I went to the family doctor for routine bloodwork and a flu shot. After the nurse weighed me, and me discovering that I now weigh more than I ever have in my life, she took me to the examination room and took my vitals. The first thing the doctor did when he came in the room was to take my blood pressure for a second time.

This had never happened before except on one other occasion, which was when they discovered I had developed high blood pressure.

This time, they discovered my blood pressure was the highest it had ever been. The bottom number had moved into the three digit category, which isn't a good thing, especially considering I already take two different blood pressure meds.

He informed me I need to lose a minimum of 25 pounds, and more desirably around 40 to 45 pounds. I need to lose that first 25 before my next appointment in February.

He explained to me that I am placing a strong amount of strain on my heart, and because of the increase in my blood pressure, I'm flirting with having a stroke.

Maybe I had too much on my mind during vacation and was letting some things worry me more than I should have. That would probably make a few of my enemies happy to know that, but to me, having that type of a burden added to my already hectic life isn't something I'm all that keen on.

So, in the last three weeks I've had only one beer, maybe two, which isn't all that big of a deal, but I do enjoy a cold one occasionally, but I enjoy living more.

I've cut out my snacking, or at least the size of those snacks, and I'm leaving candy entirely out of the picture. I'm eating smaller portions at mealtime, and I'm doing my best to walk more and be more physically active.

A few pounds have gone away, but I need a lot more to go the same way.

With the onset of cooler temperatures, I'm going to have to force myself to do more activities outside and ignore the fact that I totally abhor colder weather.

It's not going to be easy for me, because frankly, at my age, I have developed a lot of bad habits and it's harder to change now than it used to be.

I can only hope I can make these changes and make them before it is, indeed too late.

So, if you see me out and I seem to be a bit preoccupied, trust me, I am. I'm in a battle here that I truly desire to win, and win big. I need to eliminate as much stress from my life as I can, and for anyone who knows me, THIS is going to be my biggest challenge.

If you see me, encourage me, support me and let me know that can and will do it.

After all, it appears as if my life does indeed depend on me making it work.

Seizure

Pockets full of sins
Waging wars
Purple saga
Foaming waves,
Sodom and Gomorrah
Beasts loosed upon the unsuspecting.
Spittle flying from lips
Heat consuming
Flames indulgent
Spoken fragmented lies
New York Transit
Breath coming in short gasps
Hushed moanings
Surging pressure
System overload
Inevitable breakdown.
Lying compass
Misdirection
Lost and searching
Destination
Nowhere.
Loaded weapon
Seeking solace
Melting snow
Desert sands as strong wind blows
Intersection
Crossroads
No navigation.

Quite A Monday We Have Had

Quite a day today for myself and darling bride Peggy.

Thru the efforts of one of our board members on the Riverside Park Summer Concert Series, we have secured our stage sponsor for the 2009 season. This will give our sponsor the naming rights for the stage during the entire 2009 season.

While we are awaiting official word to be given, I would like to at least post pictures of the partner of this sponsor on my page. Indeed, this man is Rupert Bonham of CBS' Survivor fame.

Today, he and his partner were in Rushville to present their sponsorship check and to have their photos taken to publicly announce their sponsorship for the 2009 season.

Not only was Rupert the perfect gentleman and quite the conversationalist, he was also very polite and allowed all of us there to have our picture taken with him. This was a very thrilling moment for Peggy and myself because Rupert has always been our favorite from all the seasons of Survivor and it was grand to finally get to meet this million dollar winner, shake his hand and have our picture taken with him.

Yes, indeed, quite a moment for us on our vacation!

Also, it occurred to me that up until now I had never posted a picture of my wife of over thirty years, Peggy, until today. So, yes, indeed, this is the woman who blessed my life all those many years ago when she said yes when I asked her to marry me.

Remembering Summer Heat- Part Nine

Creative ideas often sprang forth from us collectively as a band. Oft times as we were performing, an idea would occur to one of us and we would simply spring it on our audiences as well as ourselves, sometimes without discussion.

We had written a few original tunes as well. As the years have gone by, I've forgotten a few of those tunes, but I do remember two of them. One was "Quicksand Mother," which I always thought would have been a killer of a name for a band. The other one, which Jay and I wrote together was "Sounds From 46,000 B.C." Jay had worked out the melody, I wrote the lyrics. It was basically a Viet-Nam war protest song and a nuclear bomb war protest song at the same time. Funny thing about that tune, I spent a large amount of time picking out just the right words to get our message across in just three verses, and I felt I had done quite well. Jay did as well, but when it came time to perform the song, Jay pretty much winged the verses because he never quite got a grip on my lyrics. He had the chorus down pat, no problem, but he never did get the verses down, so to speak. Hell, it didn't matter, the band performed our song at each dance we played, so that was good enough for me, just to hear it playing each time we took the stage.

We had a great night going one particular evening, the audience was huge, truly one of the biggest ones that had ever played at the Community Building, and they were a truly receptive audience as well. The crowd hadn't thinned at all as we made it into our final one hour set. The band was so tight this particular night, the sounds we were playing were awesome. Jay's vocals were so good that night; I'm not sure he ever sounded better. I felt like I was right on it with the lighting effects that night as well. The guitars were melded together, the keyboards sounded awesome, and Jim's drumming was excellent. Denny was enjoying the night, smiling more than I think I had ever seen him. Mike seemed to have been transformed to a higher plane, his guitar work was mesmerizing.

As the magic hour of the end, 11 PM approached, I had a very creative idea that I thought would prove to be awesome. I walked over to Jay as we finished a song and told him my idea. "When the vocals are done in this next song, have the band keep playing, and let's start tearing down while the song is still going on, and tear down one instrument at a time. What do you think?"

Jay started laughing and looked at me and said, "Charlie, you crazy son of a bitch, I love it! Let's do it, man!" He walked over and gave the instructions to Mike and Denny and I walked over and told Jim.

I told Jim, "We'll tear everyone else down and leave you playing drums at the end, all by yourself." Jim, while a bit apprehensive, picked up on the groove we were in and agreed.

As the years have gone by, I don't remember how we did it, where we started or who we started with, but I remember Jay and I opened up the doors while the band played on, and we pulled the van up to one of those huge overhead garage doors, opened up the van doors, and began tearing down the stage and loading things up in the van.

The audience again crammed the stage to see just what the hell Summer Heat was up to this time, and several times during our teardown, we received approval in the form of applause from a large number of those in attendance.

As each part of the band was removed from the stage and their instruments and amps were loaded up, a few more of our audience walked out the doors, realizing the show was ending. This entire scene took place as our strobe light flashed away, and it was an electrical feeling, doing what we were doing, because it had never been done before, and it never would again, we knew. It had to have been one of the coolest things we had ever done to end our show, and again, it was purely a spur of the moment idea that came about and that we acted on collectively.

When Jim finished his impromptu drum solo, around 60 or so people remained in the audience, and the majority of them clapped and hollered out encouragement to us, although I have to admit we did have that usual handful of smart asses in attendance that had to make their rude comments, although they were pretty much silenced by the approval of everyone else in attendance.

It was such a magical time, such a great time to be alive and performing for people, and it seemed the longer we played together and worked together, the more our ideas grew and the creative forces just seemed to blossom for us.

Our second Greensburg High School dance was in the near future, and on that particular night, even though our creative forces would be in full bloom, the audience this particular night would not be quite so receptive.

to be continued.....

One Week Gone

The worst part of a two week vacation is watching one week go by and realizing that the vacation is half over. One week ago, Peggy and I left for Talladega, AL for the Nascar race this past Sunday. We spent two nights in Birmingham with our good friends Al and Tammy, who provided us with the ride down and the tickets for the race.

Al did a marathon job of driving after the race was over, and instead of stopping after a few hours of driving after leaving the track, he managed to drive straight thru all those miles and brought us safely back home at 4:45AM Monday. Needless to say, after being up well over 27 hours without sleep, Peg and I spent the day in bed resting up.

We've had a few mini trips, spent last night at the Argosy Casino and Hotel in Lawrenceburg (no, not a profitable trip, either) and we've got another week to go yet. Will we get to do everything we planned on? Hard to say at this point. All I know it's been a great vacation so far and hopefully next week will exceed all expectations for us as well.

We do have another overnighter to the Argosy coming up, this time including a free trip to the Prime Rib Buffet. Anyone who knows me knows that I dearly love prime rib.

Also, a dear friend of mine started his own blog this week, and here's hoping he gets it right this time. JBE, aka ems, aka Kingfish, has once again started blogging with a new page. I'm hoping he sticks with it this time around because he really is talented when he sits in front of a keyboard and shares his words.

Okay, with those words out, it's time for me to embark on week two of this glorious fall vacation.

Peace!

America's got Talent 2008 Winner (Final) Results

As promised, here is the final results from AGT, October 1, 2008. It's rather lengthy, but it's worth watching. Congrats again to all who finished in the top five and to these two who have done such a great job.

America's Got Talent Finale Results

After months of shows, over 200,000 auditions, tonight, the top five became one, as Neal E Boyd took the honor of being voted the best new act in America. He won by the closest margin in the shows short history, 1/2 of one percent. The act finishing in second place was none other than Eli Mattson.

I hope to find a video to post showing the final result being announced, and I'm sure I will, and it will be posted here when I find it.

Congratulations to Neal E Boyd, a truly remarkable talent.

Also congrats to Eli Mattson, who will no doubt be picked up by a major recording company and no doubt soon to be doing a tour of his own.

It's That Wonderful Time Of Year Again

It's great to hear from folks when it's been a while since I've done any postings. Actually, it's just about that time of year again when the temps are cooler, the leaves are getting ready to change and the air simply just breathes better.

Yep, it's fall again and this one seems to be off to a great start.

As many of you know, my wonderful wife of over 30 years and myself love to vacation in the fall. This year is no exception. We are about to embark on our annual two week vacation.

This year we're starting off with a much anticipated trip to Talladega, Alabama and a Sunday attendance at the Talladega Superspeedway and the Talladega 500. We were invited to go with friends and that will make the trip an adventure with them as well. We leave Friday morning for Birmingham where we will be staying both Friday and Saturday nights. After the race Sunday, we start back and our driver tells me he'll drive until he's too tired to drive anymore and we'll stay wherever on Sunday night.

After we arrive back home Monday, we've got the remainder of two glorious fall weeks to enjoy as we see fit. There will be trip to the Argosy Casino down by the Ohio River and an overnight stay along with a trip to their prime rib buffet.

We usually make a trip to Nashville, Indiana and a visit to the Moonshine Leather shop and a visit with the owner Mike. We'll work in a trip over to the Brown County Winery and of course a sampling of their array of wines. That morning will start with breakfast at the Daily Grind and a cup of their fabulous Sledgehammer, which is not for the weak at heart because it is smack dab loaded with caffeine and in bunches to boot. It features a mug of dark roast coffee with a double shot of espresso in it. YUMMO!!!!

We'll make an annual pilgrimage to buy pumpkins and gourds from a lady that sells these items at her farm in Union County. A trip thru Whitewater Memorial State Park, a trip to Mounds State Recreational Area and Mounds State Recreational Area will also be done probably that same day.

A trip down to the Ohio River for a second time, but this time instead of going to a Casino, our trip will take us to Clifty Falls State Park for a dinner and a walk in the woods. Clifty Falls is where we stay each year for our anniversary, so a nice day visit there before our trip in late winter will be much anticipated as well.

Other than that, there will be other day trips, cookouts, bonfires and trips to our hottub as well as a Completion Party for those of us on the board for Riverside Park and our volunteers as well.

It will a time of love, renewal and fun, and it will be spent together in our favorite season of the year.

That two weeks will simply fly by, too.

Anyway, preparation for that vacation has kept me busy and away from postings, but I assure you, more is coming and I hope to keep these interesting, and for those of you who have been asking for another installment of "Remembering Summer Heat, I assure you part nine is indeed coming shortly.

Again, thanks for the interest, the questions, the comments and most of all, I thank all of you who are in my Faithful Few.

Peace!

Finally Awake

casting off the extra baggage,
he realized how much he had lightened his load
and his journey became much easier.
he found himself smiling more
and liking himself more
and he realized
before it was too late
that the sunshine he was seeking
was right in front of him

Eli Mattson

Here is the final performance of Eli Mattson on AGT from September 24, 2008. Will he win? Won't know until next Wednesday night, October 1st. He is up against some truly fabulous talent, but from day one, this has been the talent I have been hoping wins. That hasn't changed for me one itota.

Good luck, Eli! You're the champ for a lot of us out here. One way or the other, this young man has such a great future ahead of him, win or lose!

From A Canadian View

I wish I knew who had written the following, but I don't. It was received by a friend of mine in his e mail from a friend of his from Canada. I'm leaving it as it was originally sent, typos and all, just so you can get the full effect of it. Quite an amazing group of comparisons indeed.

Hope you enjoy!


I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

* If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents, you're
'exotic, different.'
* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential
American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* N ame your kids Willow , Trig and Track, you're a maver ick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well
grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become
the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a
voter registration drivethat registers 150,000 new voters, spend
12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a
State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people,
become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services
committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing
a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and
serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and
Veteran's Affairs committ ees, you don't have any real leadership
experience.
* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city
council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000
people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000
people, then you're qualified to become the country's second
highest ranking executive and next in line behind a man in his
eighth decade.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while
raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches,
you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and then
left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month,&n bsp;
you're a true Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropria te sex education,
including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the
fiber of society.
* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with
no other option in sex education in your state's school system
while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very
responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate laywer who gave up a position
in aprestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner
city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's
values don't representAmerica 's.
* If you're husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one
DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to
vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated
the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely
admirable.


OK, much clearer now.

LET'S GET BACK TO THE REAL ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN!!

This Just In

During the half hour results show tonight of America's Got Talent it was announced at the very end of the show that Eli Mattson has indeed made the top five for the finale next week.

Way to go Eli!!!

Eli Mattson - Top 10 America's Got Talent

Top ten performance by Eli on America's Got Talent, September 17, 2008. To me, he just seems to get better with each performance. Voting results tonight to see if he made it to the top 5!

An Absolute Must Read

The following is a link regarding an interview conducted by ABC News with Sarah Palin. What an eye opener this interview was!


http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5789483&page=1

Eli Mattson - If I ain't got you - Top 20 AGT 2008

Another update to Eli Mattson on AGT. This performance from September 10, 2008. Another stellar and amazing performance from him. Such power in his voice, such power in his delivery, and such powerful piano playing. Regardless if Eli wins this competition or not, he will be a national recording star, very, very soon!

This Is Totally Mind-Boggling

The following is a must read for anyone who wants to continue to live in a free country whose forefathers bestowed upon us certain rights in our Consititution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. If you aren't aware of this shocking story about John McCain's questionable running mate, it would do you well to read the following:

The TIME magazine article
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1837918,00.html

The list can be found below, and at this link
http://www.librarian.net/stax/2366/sarah-palin-vp-nominee/


Let's spend a few moments browsing the list of books Mayor Sarah

Palin tried to get town librarian Mary Ellen Baker to ban in the

lovely, all-American town of Wasilla, Alaska. When Baker refused to

remove the books from the shelves, Palin threatened to fire

her. The story was reported in Time Magazine and the list comes

from the librarian.net website.

I'm sure you'll find your own personal favorites among the classics

Palin wanted to protect the good people of Wasilla from, but the

ones that jumped out at me were the four Stephen King novels (way to

go Stephen, John Steinbeck only got three titles on the list), that

notorious piece of communist pornography "My Friend Flicka," the

usual assortment of Harry Potter books, works by Shakespeare, Walt

Whitman, Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain (always fun to see those two

names together), Arthur Miller, and Aristophanes, as well as "Our

Bodies, Ourselves" (insert your own Bristol Palin joke here), and

the infamous one-two punch of depravity: "To Kill a Mockingbird"

and "Little Red Riding Hood." But the cherry on the sundae, the

topper, is Sarah Palin's passionate, religious mission to clear the

shelves of the Wasilia Public Library of that ultimate evil

tome: "Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary." That's the one

with "equality," "free speech" and "justice" in it.



Go over to your book case and take down one of the books you'll find

on the list (I know you've got a couple) and give it a read in honor

of the founding fathers. Then tell me I'm not the only voter who

doesn't want this woman within thirty feet of the United States Con

stitution.



Sarah Palin's Book Club

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Blubber by Judy Blume

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Canterbury Tales by Chaucer

Carrie by Stephen King

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Christine by Stephen King

Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Cujo by Stephen King

Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen

Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite

Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Decameron by Boccaccio

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Fallen Angels by Walter Myers

Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland

Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Forever by Judy Blume

Grendel by John Champlin Gardner

Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter20and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Have to Go by Robert Munsch

Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Impressions edited by Jack Booth

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

It's Okay if You Don't Love Me by Norma Klein

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein

Lysistrata by Aristophanes

More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

My House by Nikki Giovanni

M y Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara

Night Chills by Dean Koontz

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer

One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Ordinary People by Judith Guest

Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women's Health Collective

Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl

Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz

Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

Separate Peace by John Knowles

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Slaughte rhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The Bastard by John Jakes

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth

The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs

The Grapes of Wrath by John20Steinbeck

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder

The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks

The Living Bible by William C. Bower

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman

The Pigman by Paul Zindel

The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders

The Shining by Stephen King

The Witches by Roald Dahl

The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder

Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster

Editorial Staff

Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween

Symbols by Edna Barth

Eli Mattson (Semi) - America's Got Talent

This is a follow up to my posting on Eli Mattson a few weeks ago. This is semi final performance from September 3, 2008. The judges comments at the end really say it much better than I can. All I know is he is tremendous and I certainly hope this young man wins the competition this year.

Wrong Road?

I tire, sometimes,
Of this road I walk,
And wonder,
At times,
Is it time to change
Roads
Or simply
Change direction?

5647

Ages apart,
Souls
Eternally joined
As
One,
Breathing as
Two,
Living as one,
Knowing,
Loving,
Being.
One.

Mythical

quiet
silent movement
deadly stealth
manic state
motion detected
still so
quiet