Blog hits

One of the features of this blog site I enjoy is seeing the places where my blog is attracting hits. I know the persons at most locales but several I wonder about. Last week I had a hit from some place in India. I don't believe I know anyone there and I've never been there.
The hit I really enjoyed seeing was from Auckland, New Zealand. I was in Auckland in July on the day that John Walker of Auckland won the metric mile at the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal. We had just flown in from Tahiti and it was like going from summer to late fall or winter (southern hemisphere). Auckland is a large city but you could have fired a canon down any street and not hit any moving thing, not even a wooly. After the race horns blared in the streets. We watched part of the closing ceremonies in a pub on our way to Wellington. Kathy, our friend Mike, and I went into a pub, had a beer, and watched the telly. We kept getting strange stares. Apparently women (the Sheilas) don't go into pubs. I guess they wrote us off as Americans because they served us but kept one eye on us in case we did something else strange. Here's at you, mate, in Auckland. Return if you wish.

The polls are still open. Thanks to everyone who has voted to either save the Whales or the Cowboys. Current totals:
Whales 3
Cowboys 0

OK one from the calendar.
July 28 "You might be a Redneck if.... Your answering machine greeting begins 'If yer callin about the money I owe you....."

What is going on?

The high temp in Casper yesterday was 60. It wasn't much better in Denver. The high temperature in Seattle was 100; Portland about the same; those people don't even have air conditioning. What's happening? Is it global warming or nuclear testing in the atmosphere? Very peculiar.
This week a group of British scientists reported that tanning spas are as dangerous as smoking. This is a chance to cut back on skin cancers and other forms of the disease by banning tanning beds. An alternative is to tax them as highly as cigarettes with the excise tax going to a federal health plan and discouraging indoor tanners at the same time.
Since the Ghosts were rained out yesterday, the only score I have to report is:
WHALES 2
COWBOYS 0 or is it nil?
From the calendar-one of my top ten favorites:
July 21-"You might be a Redneck if....Your neighbors chipped in for your vasectomy."

Whales vs Cowboys

Since I posted about the bumper sticker I saw yesterday, I've given quite a bit of thought to its content-saving whales or cowboys. After due consideration I'm reminded that I've never had a whale pass me going 80-85 pulling a swaying horse trailer. I've had a cowboy/girl do that several times. I've never had a whale approach me going way too fast while pulling a horse trailer on a freshly oiled highway with small sealing rocks and pitting or cracking my windshield. That too has happened to me-too often. I've never seen a whale driving a gas-guzzling pick-up at least ten miles over the speed limit trying to pass me and almost running into an approaching vehicle. In Wyoming I've had several cowpersons do that. Right now I'm favoring saving the whales.
The Ghosts were ahead 4-0 when I left in the top of the 7th. They lost 8-5. I,m starting to get discouraged. Several of the Ghosts were working out at my health club this morning. I didn't ask what happened.
More calendar:
July 18-19 "You might be a Redneck if... "You're smoking in your driver's license photo."

Blah day

Rained last night and early this morning. Ruined my desire to do yard work. Went to the dentist (no problemas) which ruined my desire to do anything. Watched an episode of Ice Road Truckers which inspired me to go to the Ghosts game (I don't see the connection either but I went). Ghosts were ahead 4-0 when I left in the 7th.

BUMPER STICKER OF THE DAY on the back of a horse trailer:
"The hell with whales, save the cowboy"

From the calendar:
"You might be a Redneck if....You've ever been trapped in a crossfire at a family reunion."

Set in our sitting ways

Took the van to an auto hospital today to get some paint scratches repaired-nothing serious. Since it involves paint, the vehicle will be in the shop for two or three days. This means the wife and I must share a car; namely her Subaru, which tends to be a bit small for me. The problem isn't the sharing; it's the seat, steering wheel, mirrors, air conditioning, etc., adjustments made each time there is a change of driver. My old van had seat memory which was nice when switching drivers. Neither of our present vehicles has this feature. I shouldn't be such a whiner, but some things are just tough.
PREDICTION: Sarah Palin will become an overpaid, sometimes "political consultant" for Fox News and will make more money than she was making as governor. I wouldn't be surprised if the deal is already done.
From the calendar:
July 11/12 "You might be a Redneck if.....All of your kids are named after Dallas Cowboy football players."

Up, Up, but no way

6:00 Advertised launch time for second day of Casper balloon fest. No balloons. 6:25 See a couple of balloon go up and then go back down-NO WIND. Can you imagine Casper with no wind.
6:30 A couple more balloons go up. This time there is a slight drift toward the west. This is bad news for both balloonists and chase crews because the balloons are drifting toward the airport and there is nothing but trees, residences, and industry between their present locations and the airport. A few years ago a balloon went down in the parking lot of an apartment complex while another flirted with trees and the river when there was a western drift. If you think birds can cause problems for planes, think about what a hot air balloon could do. Ideal is a slow drift to the east.
6:58 Check the "Local on the 8's" on the weather channel. Winds reported as calm (these reports come from the weather bureau at the airport.).
7:15 Several more balloons in the air but not going anywhere. Most come down. 7:25 There is a slight drift to the east. I watch a balloon go down on what I assume is the local municipal golf course. Several golfers and a few grazing antelope may take umbrage at this.
7:40 No balloons in the sky.

CRIME NEWS: A guy on the "FBI 10 most wanted list" is captured in the Big Horn Mountains northwest of Casper. He was employed as a sheepherder. Talk about illegals in the work force.

Balloons

PICTURESQUE: This weekend is the annual Casper Balloon Fest. They headquarter out of a park about 2 to 3 blocks from our house. They were supposed to launch at 6:00 this morning but I think they were running late. Anyway I watched them rise above the tree line in the front of our house (north) and flow southeast toward the mountain. I watched from our backyard looking east. The rising sun made the silhouettes look spectacular. I know it's not as large as similar events in Iowa and Albuquerque and even the one we watched a couple of years ago in Littleton. Still it's a great way to greet the morning.
PATHETIC: I read that another evangelist by the alias of "Alamo" was convicted of transporting young girls across state lines to engage in sex. His defense-God wanted and commanded him to do this. This is just another example of deeds done in the name of God that I'm sure God wouldn't condone.
Calendar:
July 8th: "You might be a Redneck if......You've ever shot a deer from inside your house."

Death of a favorite icon

SAD: This week I learned of the death of the Taco Bell chihuahua. He (actually was a she) was one of my favorite fast-food establishment's speakers (Want Taco Bell?). I miss those commercials. I actually bought one of the stuffed animals and we still have it.
PATHETIC: The Casper Ghosts are now 8-18.
My daughter out blogged me today. The wedding procession is one of the funniest things I've seen on the Internet.
From the calendar:
July 7 "You might be a Redneck if ......... Your home and automobile are both on blocks."

Hogwarts and health insurance

Went to see Harry Potter yesterday. I won't review it as people are either a HP fan or they're not. I also have been reading everything I can about the proposals for National Health Insurance plans. From what I've read and heard, even Harry and the rest of the Hogwarts couldn't perform enough magic to make any of these ideas work. It's time to step back and do things right rather than pushing through another program as complicated as Bush's Part D drug plan for senior citizens.
Drank coffee (hot chocolate for me) with the homies this morning. One guy said he knew he was dead when he woke up this morning. When asked how he knew he was dead, he replied that he didn't hurt any place so he must have died. When you're older, you'll understand.

Poll

I received a phone call today. The pollster wanted to know if I favor "President Obama's nominating someone to the Supreme Court who favors 'strong traditional family values'?" I asked what that meant and the the only acceptable reply could be "Yes, No, or repeat the question." When I didn't answer the question, the call ended. Wonder who's doing that polling?
From the calendar:
June 12 "You might be a Redneck if.....You've tampered with a bar clock during happy hour."

Black 14

Just finished a book about one of the least positive occurrences in Univ. of Wyoming history. The worst was the Matthew Shepherd killing, but this one also made UW look bad. This is the 40th anniversary of that happening.
In the fall of 1969 the 14 black players on the UW football team went to the head UW football coach and asked to wear black armbands at the next football game which was against Brigham Young Univ. BYU is a Mormon supported university and at that time they wouldn't allow blacks to become priests in the church. This is a big deal for Mormons. Rather than listen to the players the coach took them to the field house and told them they were off the team. The national media and civil rights groups had a field day with that one and it was years before the FB team recovered. Since then the head of the Mormon church had a revelation (as they often do under pressure) and blacks can now hold the position of priests.
The book just confirms what we all knew and that is the coach was a jerk and the situation could have been handled so much better. Another problem is that most of the people who had inside knowledge are now dead or wouldn't comment. Those who commented didn't know much more than I already knew. The black players who were interviewed still claim the problem was the coach and not the university but that didn't matter for years.
Don't buy the book. The best thing is someone loaned me his copy which was given to him.
From the calendar: "You might be a redneck if......Your wife's fur coat has bullet holes in it."

July 20, 1969

We were in Fort Collins, Colorado. We had been married about 6 weeks and we were attending summer school. We lived in an apartment complex on the west edge of the Colorado State Univ. campus. There was a combination washing area/recreation center with a black and white TV. I don't think we owned a TV at that time so I watched, along with several other students, in the rec area. At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I remember when President Kennedy proclaimed space as the next frontier. I watched as President Nixon hailed the NASA accomplishments. Most of us couldn't express the pride we felt on that day. In the next forty years, we have taken space exploration for granted and consider it expensive. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next forty years.
1969 was a good year: I got married, finished my Master's Degree, and man walked on the moon.

Jim & Stooey- Ice Road Truckers

(My imagination got the best of me... and Photoshop.
Love, The Daughter)

Male points-Gains/losses

Male points are best described as those actions/habits which define one's masculinity.
Last night I passed up a baseball game (loss) to attend a play (loss)-Peter Pan. It was a special performance for patrons of Casper College's theatre. We are patrons for the college; Stage III, a local theatre group, and have season tickets for the Broadway plays at the Events Center (big loss). The Ghosts [5-14] actually won and I missed it (loss). At the play, which is also a fund raiser, they served sausages, lemon bars, brownies (neutral) prior to the performance and chocolate coated strawberries (also neutral since all these foods are basics) at intermission.
To make up for my loss of male points I worked in the yard (gain), worked out (gain), serviced the car (gain) and this afternoon I plan to watch more episodes of Ice Road Truckers (gain) while I'm washing clothes (loss). I like football and baseball (gain). I like soccer (neutral at this time) and I watch Sports Center (big gain).
To really earn male points I might listen to a Country/Western radio station (gain) except I can't stand Country/Western music (loss). I like 60's and 70's music (neutral). I may also need to rent a dog with hound, pit bull, or German Shepherd in its blood line (gain). A dog of uncertain pedigree might also do (gain).
I like to read newspapers, mysteries, and sports magazines (gain) but not Readers' Digest or the New Yorker {except for the cartoon} (loss).
I think I'm on top of it but I guy can't be too careful. BTW I'm going to a ballgame tonight.
Blogging? (indeterminate at this time.)

Late life crisis

I watched the first couple of episodes of Ice Road Truckers, a History Channel series. These episodes dealt with truckers hauling supplies to diamond mines in Canada's Northwest Territory. I'm really getting into it. Too many more shows listening to the Canadians speak I might start saying "oot" rather than "out."
What I worry most about is watching this type of macho programming is I'm afraid I may trade in my van for a pick-up with poaching lights and Stooey riding shotgun in the front seat. It's a scary thought.
Ghosts lost again last night-WTNY, WTNY....

Identity crisis?

I just received a new disc from Netflix call Ice Road Truckers. It's a series about guys who drive rigs in Canada to oil platforms or just haul supplies to rural northern Canada and Alaska in the winter and there is no pavement-just ice. My problem is: does this make me a redneck?
Ghosts are at home tonight.
More from the calendar:
June 17-18th "You might be a Redneck if ..............You've bought your own car back at a police auction."

Lookin' good

When I told the lady whom I was seated next to at the play Saturday night that I had had one of the actors in class over 40 years ago, her first reaction made my day-"But he's older than you; how can that be?" I told her I had at least 6 or 7 years on Mike, the actor, but she still wasn't totally buying it. I guess I aged better than Mike or Mike didn't age well at all. I took it as a compliment, however. Now if she had just said something positive about my progressive lack of hair, it would have been a perfect evening.
Hold off on the drug testing: The Casper Ghosts went back to their losing ways last night.
More from the calendar:
May 29: " You might be a Redneck if........... you've ever run a business from a pay phone."

Good Guys Bad Guys

That's the name of the play presented at the dinner theatre I went to last night. The background of the play is a supposed Wyoming Law Enforcement convention in Last Whiskey, Wyoming. It started with cocktails in the lobby where members of the cast would come by the tables and drop hints of possible crimes. We then moved to a dining room where a banquet dinner (prime rib no less) for the attendees of the convention ate and awards were presented. A member of the cast sat at each table and we all had to pretend to be in law enforcement types. I was a juvenile probation officer. Our table cast member was supposedly the chief of police. They talked about work shops (fictitious) which we all supposedly attended such as "assuming the positions (not well liked),"Tazing Technique Workshop (everyone supposedly was tazed)," and "Body Cavity Searches (a big favorite)." Awards were presented. A friend of mine won the "best fish flopping after being tazed" award. I won the "The Quickest Draw" from the Tazing Technique Workshop (one of the cast members knows me and saw my name on the reservation list). It concluded with a couple of murders, solving some crimes and then dessert. A fun evening.
The cast of eight included four people from either the local police department or the local sheriff's office. The "chief" is actually a police sargeant. They knew what they were talking about at the tables. One actor I had in class over 40 years ago and another went to CY and graduated with the son.

The Casper Ghosts (4-12) have now won two games in a row. Steroids? Drug testing may be in the future.

One-eyed Jack's

Last night I watched my favorite movie Giant, all 202 minutes starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, et. al. The first time I watched Giant was in 1956 at the Tepee Theatre in Thermopolis, WY. I think I paid 50 or 75 cents. When the theatre closed years later, a friend named Jack, who graduated with me, bought the building and opened a bar. Jack had lost an eye in a construction accident and named his bar One-eyed Jack's Saloon. I think I was in there only once but I liked the name. Jack sold the place later and retired like the rest of us.
The Casper Ghosts are now 2-12 (WTNY, WTNY.....)

All in the family

I realized that when I talked to David after he returned to the Twin Cities that the second question after "You're home?" was "How's Stooey?" After I handed the phone to the wife, that was her second question. Stooey is a year old dachshund. Webster defines a dachshund as a long dog with short legs and droopy ears. Stooey matches the definition except for the droopy ears. While the son and D-I-L were out-of-town, we went to the Doggie Daycare website in the Twin Cities to see how he was doing. He likes to run with the big dogs which means he is difficult to spot at times on the Doggiecam if he gets in a crowd. It's amazing the attachment we formed for him although I'm not sure he even likes us unless we're feeding him.
VERY GOOD: there is a gas war in Wheatland so we bought $2.13.9 gas going to Denver and $2.09.9 gas on the way back.
GOOD: hopefully the Michael Jackson hoopla will end today. A question: Why should the City of Los Angeles be paying for all this? No wonder people keep voting down tax hikes for "basic" services.
More from the favorite calendar:
July 4th/5th "You might be a Redneck if.......your yard is covered with empty shell casings on July 5th."

I'm baaaack

Took some time to spend the 4th in Denver with our daughter, son, and daughter-in law (now known as the D-I-L). Son-in-Law (S-I-L) Eric had to work as a pilot over the weekend. We made a trip to Cheyenne on Saturday to visit their grandmother. It really made her day.
Saturday night the rains stopped at game time and we watched the Rockies lose to the Diamondbacks. We did, however, have the best seats in the house in the third deck on the first base side for the fireworks. We had a great unobstructed view of the show. This was part of my Father's Day gift and so we actually ordered the seat location for the display rather than the game. It was a fireworks crowd with lots of little kids who grew restless by the seventh inning and had to made several trips to the concessions and restroom. So did the rest of us-just not as often. The seats were so high that at a non-fireworks game, people in the Federal Witness Protection Program are located there as no one could find them that high and far away from the plate. Actually there were good seats for the game.
Saturday afternoon we learned they had had a terrific rainstorm with considerable water damage in Casper so I called a couple neighbors to see if there had been any flooding in the hood. They thought our house was fine and when we got back last night, everything was dry.
A great weekend.

Hostage exchange

I finally got the correct tickets for my reserved seat at the baseball games. It reminded me of of a hostage exchange. I put down the incorrect set of tickets and was handed an envelope with the correct tickets.
GOOD: The Ghosts (2-8) split their double-header last night. In the first game they blow a lead with three passed balls with runners on third. They lost it in the last two innings. I left after the first game so I had to look up the score of the second game on the Internet.
GOOD & BAD: There was a 50 minute rain delay in the first game. Luckily I had my rain gear although I was wearing sandals. We need the moisture so the rain was OK.
SOMETHING BORROWED: I've decided we Ghost fans need to borrow the mantra of most Chicago Cubs fans on opening day-"Wait til next year; Wait til next year; Wait til ............"
More from the favorite calendar"
You Might Be a Redneck If...........you've launched fireworks off a propane tank.

Wrong ticket

BAD: Sixty minutes before the Casper Ghosts (now 1-6: don't ask if they won) were to open their home season, I finally took my tickets out of the envelope and discovered they had sent the tickets for the wrong seat. What I got was in an entirely different section and was a handicapped accompaniment seat-in other words I was supposed to have a wheelchair or something similar next to me as I was responsible for that person. Do I really look that bad? DON'T ANSWER! Defiantly I sat in my old seat. This morning I headed for the Ghosts office and spent forty minutes trying to get the ticket situation resolved. Hopefully, by tonight I will have tickets for the seat I have held for years. They did give me an extra $10 worth of Ghost bucks so I can buy more beer, soft drinks, and other unhealthy items. I suppose I could buy something in the souvenir shop. Naw!
May get rain for the game tonight.
From my favorite calendar:
May 30/31, 2009 You might be a redneck if.........."You've ever requested 'Seventeen cents on pump four.'"
June 30, 2009 "Babysitters never work for you more than once."