Cee Cee James ~ House Of The Blues

This Saturday night, our kick off concert of the 2011 season takes place at Riverside Park when Cee Cee James headlines a night of smoking hot blues. At 7PM, Gordon Bonham and Jes Richmond take the stage for an opening set before Cee Cee takes the stage at 8PM. Plan on being there for a great night of blues. Trust me, this gal delivers with 110% of her soul.

Raceday, 2011

After a breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes and hot ham off the grill and a bottle of Asti Spumante, we are now watching news coverage from the Speedway and awaiting the start of the Indianapolis 500, which we'll listen to on XM radio, since the 500 is blacked out in Indiana.

After the 500, we'll be grilling out and awaiting the start of the Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte.

The beer is iced down, and in an hour or so I'll be making a pitcher of Sangria for Peggy.

All in all, I totally love Raceday each year. We started the morning off with the Grand Prix of Monaco as we finished up our breakfast, and now we await the start of the 500 on the Speedway's 100th anniversary.

Temporary Peace

There is now a space of about two hours before the next huge area of thunderstorms passes thru. This next area of storms has, on the leading edge of it, lightning strikes, 70 - 80 MPH winds and hail. When it passes thru, it's supposed to pass thru very quickly but it could leave behind some really devastating damage.

Hopefully sleep will come quickly tonight and I can sleep thru the worst of it.

It's been quite a night to say the least.

Approaching

Tornado siren is going off two blocks from my house.

A storm that is producing tornados in its path will be in Arlington in less than fifteen minutes.

This is certainly one wild ass night!

Whoa!

A ver brief, but very intense storm just passed thru Arlington...counterclockwise rotation in the clouds and a very quick half inch of rain(mere minutes, folks) and looking at the weather radar right now, there's more behind it, heading this way and the state of Illinois looks like it is 75% covered with intense storms heading this way.

I hope and pray this night we stay safe and aren't added to that list of areas devastated by this spring's storms and tornados.

I got one picture taken of a huge area of clouds rotating counterclockwise as it passed over our house which I will try and post tomorrow. For now, I'm going to grab a cold can of Coke Zero and try and stay up for few more hours.

This very well could be a long, long night.

Luck Running Out?

I certainly don't want to bring on the bad, but all this strange tornadic weather has made it to Indiana this evening. There are warnings all around us and our sky is turning black right now.

Hoping we make it thru the night.

This looks like one of our worst storms yet...

Getting To Next Weekend

Therapy continues, improvement each day, finally able to sleep in a bed again after many, many weeks, and less than a week away from the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The Grand Prix of Monaco is next Sunday morning, the Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag at noon on Sunday, and that evening the Coca Cola 600 takes place in Charlotte, NC at Loew's Motor Speedway.

I see grilled steaks, homemade potato salad and other annual favorites on the table for Sunday, and this year, we're going to forego our annual get together with family and friends and spend the entire day on Sunday at home alone, and just unwind for a day and enjoy each other's company as well as the three races that day.

I'll be glad to get the next five days behind me and get to that three day holiday weekend.

Sometimes...

...when I write, I write as I feel someone else in different circumstances from my life might be thinking...

I've confused a few people with my "Highway" post.

My mind wanders when I mow, I tend to do some of my "writing" when I mow, and what I posted at that point was not referring to me, so to speak, but how I think "people" sometimes tend to feel when emotions run rampant.

If this was misconstrued by any of my Faithful Few, I sincerely apologize.

Bottle Of Wine was posted to assure you all that the crazy old bald fart known as the Rainbow Demon is still fine, alive and well, never quite sane, but not quite over the edge....

yet...

I appreciate the concern, but I am truly okay...

I guess this means I should not even begin to discuss my feelings regarding the Rapture, once again being predicted by the same false prophet who predicted this same event back in 1994...

I know, I know...

My bad!

But shame on ANYONE who believes such tripe!

The end days may be near, but they have also been preached for the last 2,000 years. I tend to believe that when the time is right, it's going to happen, whether you believe in it or not.

But I also believe that NO man will EVER be able to predict the time, the date, or otherwise...

There, I've said more than I meant to say on the subject, but again, false prophets are so damned conniving and they sucker so many people!

Hope you aren't one of them!

The Fireballs - Bottle of Wine (1967).wmv

Ahead

Up ahead
I do believe I see
An exit sign
On this highway
Of life.
Hope the ramp
Isn't closed.

One

holding on to her so tightly
that the very air she did
breathe
was for them both
and his heart
which beat so loudly in his chest
beat for them both
two bodies
yet one,
two minds
working as one
the life within them both
was the lifeforce
with which they both retained
existence.

Solitary

Out of the depths of despair
Out of the trenches of loneliness
He rises and stands
Alone.
No victory at hand,
No battle to win,
No conflict to settle.
Despair washes him over
And he falls to his knees
And beckons to the heavens above
For an
Answer,
Yet receives
No reply.

Progressing

Well, I got praise from Dr Kollias yesterday informing me that I am about two weeks ahead of schedule on my healing, range of motion and of course, pain management.

He asked me what I was doing, and I told him I was busting my ass doing therapy at home and he told me he could tell.

So, I then asked him if he was going to change my restrictions, which brought a smile to his lips and a definite "No!"

He told me that what we are doing is working, so it's time to mess it up. One more month with a two pound weight restriction on my right arm, no overhead work and in two weeks we start adding weights to my therapy exercises.

I can live with that!

Tracy Byrd - The Keeper Of The Stars

the planting

seeds sown
continue to grow
take root
branching out
as they nourish themselves
on the nutrients
provided

perennials
continue
to blossom and grow
as they years go by
and they grow bigger
taller and with more
strength
than ever before

Down For The Count Tonight

Back to see the Doc tomorrow and find out how he thinks I'm progressing.

I think I'm doing quite well, got a long way to go yet, but considering it's been ten weeks today and I'm continuing with home therapy and therapy sessions are now down to one a week, I would hope that is a good indication that I'm progressing quite well.

So, early into work tomorrow and then off the rest of the day for the appointment.

On a sad note, my sister's Mother-In Law passed away Monday and the visitation is tomorrow evening, so I'm heading to the funeral home tomorrow and pay my respects to a woman I've known for 53 years.

Rest in peace, Jean Hawkins Tanner. You were indeed quite a lady!

Parachute?

Sometimes reaching the top isn't enough.

Staying there for period of time and then falling back a bit is disheartening.

Sometimes the way down is like falling into an abyss, with no one there to catch you.

It's even worse when you reached the top and didn't even realize it until that fall begins.

Then you suddenly come awake and realize it on the way down.

As the old song goes:"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone..."

Future

I'm adrift in a world
Lost at sea,
And,
There is no land in sight,
Because
There is
No Land.

Survived!

Well, after a very LONG and tiring and painful week, I can honestly say I made it thru the first week back to work.

I'm exhausted, in pain, but smiling a big smile because I am back in my element and so happy to be seeing my customers again. I am humbled by all the folks who missed me and welcomed me back.

And now, to go snuggle with my new lover, ICE!!! She, and she alone right now, can relieve the pain in my right shoulder.

And I do believe a White Russian or two just might be in my future as well as some fried fresh morel mushrooms!

Peace!

Whadda Day!

Well, the first day back was pretty much what I thought it would be, plus a bit more, but I don't even want to go into that.

After work today, I drove to a physical therapy session and while at this session, my therapist told me that I went back to work about 2 to 4 weeks sooner than is normal. Do I think I'm pushing it a bit too much? Probably, but I still think it was the right thing to do.

I am totally wiped out tonight, but someone special thought of me today and let me know it...

What more can one ask for?

I just hope tomorrow is a much better day than today was.

But, I'm still smiling, and a lot more now than I was ten minutes ago!

always and forever

always there
in no small way
invisible
out of touch
but
always there
and
always felt
in the heart
in the soul
forever
and
ever

Untitled

With spent wisdom
And disappearing hope
He moved, slowly towards
His inevitable return
Feeling shunned, downtrodden
And lost.