Living in Stereo

My holiday gift from 710, other than some Hanukkah Harry gifts - was a bluetooth Bose SoundLink Mini.

I have played with it, although not enough.

First off, the sound is really great. And while it looks large in the image, it really isn't. It is very portable, which actually is the problem.

I'm so used to having stationery sound systems, I haven't moved it around where I might be and where I could possibly be using it. So it sits in our main living area.

Actually, truth be told, I'm not sure to having any sound system - stationery or otherwise.

With the advent of the iPod / iPhone, I don't listen to music the way I used to. At all.

I haven't heard music the way it was supposed to be played in a decade. Earbuds do no song justice - save maybe something like Rebecca Black's "Friday". And even though the iPod is an inanimate object, a song like that has to hurt its feelings. Certainly the ones of the folks who created and manufactured the device.

But anymore it is the car or the iPhone. Sometimes the laptop. Either way,  it is limiting in terms of sonic pleasure.

Ok. We do have the Bose radio in the kitchen which 710 rigged to play an iPod. But it's his old iPhone, since mine got stolen 3+ years ago. So more his music than mine, but that's ok, as it is our kitchen - not mine.

And the new Bose can be linked to five bluetooth items: so right now it's my laptop, 710's iPad and my iPhone. I just need to move the device around so I can play with it more.

And lately, I've been going to folk's house who are using their stereos more. I mean, receiver, tuner, and turntable. All of which we still have - though I don't think we have actual speakers anymore. Nor do we have most of our albums, as we ditched them on one of our moves - as who thought those would be making a comeback?

But either at Becky's or David's the LP is making it's way back into the mainstream. Even B&N are selling classic albums like Dark Side of the Mood and Rumours. They're not issued via the normal record company, so I'm not sure how that part is working, but I really miss vinyl.

I mean, not enough to go out and repurchase all my old records. And let's face it, these 51.8 year old ears can't really hear the nuances they once could. Yes, compressed music isn't all it could be via .mp3s but I'm not ready to set up a new stereo system somewhere in the house, that we wont' use that often.

Until then - I'll play with the new Bose.

Now, I can guess that 710 did not purchase this at the Apple store - which sells many of these types of devices. Since Apple bought Beats, their store has done away with Bose, especially since the latter is the official affiliate of the NFL.

Poor Colin Kaepernick got fined $10k for wearing his Beats at an NFL event. Seriously.

Of all the domestic violence, brain damage and substance abuse things going on in the NFL, wearing the wrong headphones is the fineable offense???

While he can afford the fine, it's widely known that Beats probably ended up ponying up the dough for him.

Of course, I just mention all of this so I can post a picture of Mr. Kaepernick. He's nice to look at, though he's allegedly hyper-religious (along with biblical phrases tatted on his body). But I'm not looking to hear him talk.

Moan maybe, but not talk.



Song by: the Cars

Moon Rocks

If you've read this blog for any amount of time, I have a recurring question.

Usually it pops up when the possibility of having to do something adventurous in unfamiliar places? Or unpopulated places. Or worse - over populated places.

"Where do you poop?"

The lack of answer is what would keep me away from music festivals that have a half-million people in attendance. Granted, I'm sure they have port-a-potties, but before you even get to those massive lines, you have to get through 431,744 of the masses to even make it to those lines. And then it is still a port-a-potty where one is likely to drop their keys or phone into that blue and turd liquid.

Or on my drive from Oklahoma City to Lawton. Not a rest area or exit to be had in those 76 miles, if one indeed needed "a break".

And then there are those who hike Europe.

I get there are fields and woods and such. But the funniest part of the movie Up, for me, was the Wilderness Scout kid who wasn't sure if he was supposed to dig the hole before or after. And then you hear him say, after the fact, "it was supposed to be before!"

This is also why I don't camp. But roughing it for me is a Red Roof Inn.

Don't even start me on Everest. I get Base Camp I and maybe even II, but once you get up to IV - WTF? And From IV to the summit is 10-12 hours up and the same down. Your butthole would freeze off, so I'm guessing you just poop your pants?

Oh the humiliation. It's all I can do to survive when I have to use one-ply.

I'm still unsure - and unwilling to look it up - as to how one poops in space. Not so much the International Space Station, but you know, Neil Armstrong in a capsule for three days up and three days back.

So, since this is an ever eternal question for me, 710 thought it would be funny informative to send me an article on pooping in space.

Well, to be more specific - poop on the moon.

96 bags of it. Well, #1, #2 and some barf.

This of course, brings up a few more questions - one being: if the moon's gravity is 83% less than Earth, why are there 96 bags of waste there at all? Why doesn't that shit (pun totally intended!) just float away?

I'm not sure why that place wasn't treated like runners in the Antarctic marathon. They have to bag their pee and poop and take back with them. Sure, it might re-entry a little messy, should a bag break as they hit the ocean.

So space travel: another thing I can cross of my list of what not to do. Well, that and running a marathon in Antarctica.  Honestly, a trip to the moon had better odds for me.



Song by: Talking Heads

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 59th 12 of 12. 

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore. Now it's just Erik (and sometimes Jim) and myself - that I know of. 

I still continue to do this, because of all my consistent post topics, I actually like this one the most.

06:30. Checking Petey's humidifier. Water level seems to be fine for now. 

07:45.  Yes, I'm awake. Just resting my eyes. 

Downstairs, but still sleepy after weird-ass dreams that lasted all night. Well, dream. Singular. 

 09:00.  New neighbors having two of their three (!!!!) grand pianos being delivered. 

09:08.  Second pee of the days. His. Not mine. 

 11:30. Had enough snow that it had be cleared at lunch. 

11:45. The snowblower throw chute was facing the wrong way, I guess.  

12:15. As seen in the grocery store parking lot. 

Sir Mix-a-Lot probably doesn't have a case.

12:30. Oh Giant Eagle. Do you think we're morons?
$3.69 for 50 quart sized bags
or
$5.00 for quantify of two 25 each quart sized bags?

14:45.  Well, this warning can't be good. 

 15:50. Miss Attitude. 

16:30. Close up of the burning bushes. Snow was covering everything.

22:15. Ugh.  I'll get 'em tomorrow. 

My Music Monday

While eating lunch at a Cosi (which is not the same as COSI), while in DC, they had a very eclectic playlist going - for the four customers (including us) on a Saturday afternoon.

Maybe it was the timing, or my mood, or both, but I was just digging "a Night Like This" by Caro Emerald.

Since she is Dutch, I'll assume Brett (the other one) know of her. This was my first exposure. And my only.

If Wikipedia is to be believed - and the internet is never wrong - "Night" dates back to 2009. Still, it was all new to me.

The song is Brazilian in nature, but not quite Bossa Nova - though it has those qualities.

I don't have a lot of background info on the song and honestly, I don't even own it. I just heard it and liked it.

That's all I got.

Breakfast Can Wait

If it's freezing out - possibly the coldest day of the year - you know it is time to attend our annual "men's breakfast".

One of our neighbors has a few (allegedly) per Winter. If there are multiple, you only get invited to one per annum. That seems fair.

I'm still not a fan of steel cut oats, but once a year, I can handle it - especially when there are sour cherries, cranberries and raisins in it to sweeten it a little.

The maple syrup you can drizzle atop doesn't hurt.

The five minute walk over was frickin' freezing, as we were in negative digits (not including the wind chill). So cold in fact, that I had three half cups of coffee. I have never really been a coffee drinker - as one cannot "drink" coffee ice cream.

Looking around the table of 11 men, I was the youngest (or second youngest) at the table - and not by a little.

Like always, it was good conversation - though much of it focused on our newest neighbor who was in attendance. He and his wife have only been there for two weeks. It seems much of the convo revolved around hip and knee replacements, as a few of the gentlemen will be having those shortly. And then one other attendee is an ortho surgeon (which is maybe how he got his invite?).

Oddly, we also had dinner plans a few doors down too. As it would come to pass, all of the men in attendance were also at the breakfast. So only the women were "new" to the mix. Again, the new couple were invited, so much of the convo, again, focused on where they were, what they did, why are they here.....kind of stuff.

The conversation touched on neighborhood history, a little 'hood gossip. But once again, I really enjoy so many of our neighbors, it off-sets all those issues I have with the border towns and not getting responses as I need / want.

All that said, we had a great time with both events - and not entirely due to a LOT of red wine of which I might have had. As it is, I'm finishing this post somewhere between being buzzed and full-on drunk....skewing to the latter.

Go figure.

Song by: Prince

Indoor

It's animal day.

Still too cold for doggies to go out - and well, the kitties too, be it ours, my mother's or sister's, they are indoor cats anyways.

the nose of Space Shuttle Atlantis

Buddy - being somewhat still for all of 0.03 seconds. 

My nephew is in the background

Awww.....Dad!!!!!!

I suppose he can stay, says Soph

My sister, who cleans her entire house at least once per day, somehow allows her daughter's cat, Pippa, to lounge on the counters. Ick. 

No peace. It used to be only Sophie bothered me when I was in the bathroom. Now.....Petey is in on the action. They are a needy bunch. 

Song by: Clannad

Sharkey's Day

Though we are three weeks into it, Winter has finally arrived.

I'm not sad or disappointed. Personally, I'm happy we held it at bay this long. But at least for cold, we dove in, feet first.

Our "balmy" days of the mid-30s went right down to single digits.

Yesterday morning - after the sun rose - it was -3F. Oddly, that was two degrees colder than before the sun was coming' up, like a big bald head.

Of course, if you figure in the windchill, allegedly it was -19.

I say allegedly, because except for opening the door to let the dog out, Blobby didn't go outside.

Actually, I feel a little cooped up.

It was much much much too cold for Petey to go on walks, so he's not happy and a little stumped at why not. But I know he can't deal with that kind of cold, nor should he have to. Nor should I.

So for the last two days, he's just gone out, performed #1 and #2 and made a beeline right back for the front door, where I was waiting to let him in. Honestly, I don't want him out there waiting for me a second longer than he needs. It's that cold.

Per usual, the weather folks got the snow all wrong. 4-6" in some places. 10-20" in others.

I'm not sure we got a full 2". Not even enough to fire up the new snow blower....which I used once...in November!  I'm going to need another tutorial on it once the time comes to use her again.

I more worry about my mother. She claims not to be going out in this weather, but I don't really believe her. There are now daily calls to "check" on her. All I need her to do is answer the phone, but it's never that simple......then there is a 35 minute conversation about mostly nothing. Still it's the least I can do for her.

I know my father probably only heard 50% of what she had to say, and that's when he could hear it. But at least she felt she had someone to talk to.

I don't think Buddy is listening to her at all. Well, that's not true, she runs to my mother whenever she is called. She just doesn't know things like "off" and "no" and "stop biting me!".

Allegedly we are going back into 30s next week. We'll see.

But if Farmer's Almanac prediction of this being a colder and snowier Winter than last is true, then the rest of this month, February and March are going to SUCK. We'd have a lot of catching up to do to make it worse than 2014.



Song by:  Laurie Anderson

Monument

Oh yeah, we went to DC for a few days before the xmas holiday. I said I was going to write about it.....and then holidays and other stuff got in the way.

No worries. Better late than never.

Part of the trip was to just get away, but part was to visit 710's parents who don't live all that far from WDC.

As you know, or probably know, I love DC. I'd live there in a heartbeat if the stars aligned. But it is an expensive place to live - and I have no desire to live in the 'burbs of Maryland or northern Virginia - neither of which are that much cheaper anyways. I was reading the average time on the market for a house / apartment is less than 45 days. Often in the single digits, for the right place. Many times a place may never get an official listing.

We had no agenda. Nothing we had to see, per se, though we wanted to do a few things. Some you saw in my year-end wrap-up of photos. Some you did not.

Now I'll show some more.

The title image was taken on the Mall at sunset. The plan was to go to the Washington Monument to see DC at night. Alas, it was not meant to be - as the tickets were long gone for the last viewing, although no one was actually there to use them. Bastards.

The next morning we got our tickets by 08:30. We couldn't get in until 11:00, so off to breakfast and wandering we went.

I loved this pic. The geese in bad formation going around the monument itself.

All of the geese seemed to be imprisoned here. I don't think they were Jewish geese, but their fenced in camp was right behind the Holocaust museum. Here many were ready for take-off.

For the 228 times I've been to DC, I have never been in the Washington Monument. Nor had I any desire. But after the seed got planted for a night time view, I kind of wanted to see it. But we got day time tickets and that was fine. There were good shots of the entire city to be had, even though it was cold and pretty grey. Had we taken later times, it would have been sunny and blue out.

Below, at the Ellipse, you see the National Christmas tree. We did go at night to see them light the fifth candle on the menorah  - but it was a sad state. The entire thing. It ended up being like the worst county fair imaginable - though seemingly without the funnel cakes. But they did have clogging.....to "Frosty the Snowman". I couldn't get out of there quick enough.

But the monument itself was not bad at all.

As we headed to other memorial sites, we walked past a couple getting married at the District of Columbia War Memorial. It was a really nice setting.

After that it was on to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (I'll use those images for MLK day in a week or so). Then onto the FDR Memorial - which I think we were the only people there. Then onto the Lincoln Memorial (I'll use those images for President's Day).

As always, we went to the Wall. Like Arlington, the Vietnam Memorial is one of my favourite places in DC. It's quiet. It's reverent. Honestly, unless there are little kids, there is almost no talking at all. It's such a different experience from the other memorials. 

I love a lot of Maya Lin's work, but it must be so hard having your legacy solidified at 21 years of age, as she did with this design. 

The next day we took the Metro to the Pentagon. You saw one of my pics for their 9/11 Memorial. I'll do a separate post on that some time. But from the Pentagon, I took a similar pic of the Air Force Memorial.

I totally got busted taking a pic like the above one from the parking lot of the Pentagon. That was a big no-no and their police force busted me. Taking pics anywhere but the memorial is a no-no, which I don't exactly get.

You can almost not take a pic of anything in the memorial without getting the Pentagon itself. But apparently the parking lot is off limits because you can capture a car with a worker's plates there (that I kind of get). But I was taking a pic of something off grounds.....but apparently that didn't matter.

So as a big 'fuck you', I "accidentally" snapped this.  Sue me.

From there it was a big long walk to Pentagon City to catch the Metro to Arlington. 

View from the Custis-Lee Mansion. 

I always go to JFK's grave. And now Teddy is just down the way from RFK.  

I only hit the Custis-Lee Mansion, which sits just about that site, one every few years. 

I always watch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
It never ceases to captivate me. Even if just watching the guarding of it, and not the changing, it is still very impressive.


Oddly, right past the Tomb of the Unknowns, is without a doubt the ugliest plaque ever erected. So much so, that I'm making it extra-large so you can see, though feel free to click on to make bigger.

The folks on the Challenger deserved better. NASA has a great memorial to all astronauts who have died in duty. This is Arlington's one big fail. The ghoulish grins and gums on these guys is enough to scare the crap out of any of the dead in this cemetery.

I think I go here each time too hoping to see a new / better memorial to those seven folks. But I don't think that is going to happen.

The one bad thing of using your iPhone as your camera anymore, is that at night, things don't always focus. Certainly not easily. I can easily say I took a dozen and a half pics of the Capitol dome that is under construction. NONE of them came out.

This image is one 710 captured. Even then he took as many as I. It is a neat site - and ruckiry (not Jon's boss), the 113th Congress had just vacated for the term, so getting close to it didn't give me that creepy feeling.

Oh - and one last pic. I think we were at our second day at the hotel when the husband had to point out our room number.

Song by: Depeche Mode

Hanging Around

The new year started out right - at least in terms of yoga. Three classes in four days.

Sometimes with yoga, I go all or nothing. I try for three classes per week, four if I'm motivated. But usually it is not three in four days.

The first class, on NYD was a 90 minute one. And 90 degrees.

Granted, when I signed up for it, I noticed the instructor and I'd only been in his 75 minute class, so I assumed it was only 75 minutes. I know you're thinking that another 15 minutes isn't that big of a deal, but it kind of is.

Geoff is a wicked instructor. He pushes a bit, and not hard on the eyes. Mostly because of his form. While your practice is your own - and allegedly no wrong way of doing it (though they always readjust me, basically to tell me I'm not doing it correctly). Geoff has the most perfect form in most poses. I've actually stopped my own practice to watch in awe.

Still - we made it through that class and were back two days later. Saturday is normally our Geoff day, but I think I also speak for David when I say, I couldn't walk into his practice space again so soon after that last one.

So on Saturday, we did a ropes class. Or jungle class.

It is about three-quarters of a normal flow and stretching class and the last quarter you pretty much hang from ropes.

I thought it was all very Inception-y, but David hit the nail on the head that it is more like the original  movie, Coma (I didn't even know there was a remake). 

Oddly, here it looks like I'm grimacing, but I'm laughing - mostly at / for David - it's just that I'm upside down. The actuality is, inside I was grimacing. The ropes are thick and I have boney hips and the rope digs into them. 

While you can't really see it, I have a blanket on my backside and over my hips, and that still doesn't relieve the pain. The studio owner told me the next day that I probably need to use two blankets. Bother. 

The point of the ropes is to get one deeper into their stretch. This last time we worked on our upper back, which are not as pliable as the lower. At one point, there were folding chairs under our shoulder blades and we hung over the chairs. I don't think either David or I enjoyed that, mostly because the exercise - dare I say it - was built more for the stature of a women and not people who stand 6'2" - 6'4". Neither of us could get our leg placement right, and if we did, the chair was then unstable.

Still, it was something different.

At least I can say that.


Song by: the Cardigans

Dream Police

I lamented a week or two ago about living where we live and why it frustrates me. That lack of response from our municipalities just drives me nuts.

Again, we live literally on the border of two jurisdictions, and while oddly enough I know the demarcation - city officials do not.

So Sunday night, it wasn't an accident, but a stalled minivan. Dark grey - at that, on a snowy, sleety night. Right around a curve, blind to most on-coming cars.

Oh - and no hazard lights.

It was literally an accident waiting to happen.

I was about to call 9-1-1 when 7-1-0 told me to just call the police department. I did - but clearly the wrong one. But I knew it was the wrong one, they're just usually more responsive. They responded all right - they basically told me it wasn't their problem.

So I called Cleveland's number. I was reprimanded for calling the 'emergency line', and I was to call for non-emergent response. Mind you, nothing in the listing said it was the 'emergency' line....and you think they could have transferred me or past on a message?

Well yes, you would think that. But you'd be wrong.

And I'd say third time is a charm, but jebus - it was a TEN MINUTE phone call.

Of course, as I knew they would, I was told that wasn't in Cleveland. I told them it was. I told them where I lived. I told them how my property line was set up. He looked and agreed, but since there is no address on the street of the stalled car, he didn't know how to dispatch an officer.

Well honest to g-d, first he said he didn't know about any traffic instances and that he'd - wait for it - check Channel 3.  Maybe he meant a radio band, but I have a feeling he meant WKYC news.

He's asking me about addresses on this street - I said there are no residences or businesses on this stretch of road - which totally confounded him. I ended up giving him two streets on either end of the vehicle - all the time watching to see if this car would get hit. Not a thing against the driver, but I almost wished it would have while I was on the phone with this dork.....and maybe a lesson would be learned.

The guy is asking how many people are in the car. "I don't know, I'm 300 feet away, on top of a hill and it's dark and snowing out".  So are they still in the car?   "I don't know, I'm 300 feet away, on top of a hill and it's dark and snowing out".  What do the plates say?  "I don't know, I'm 300 feet away, on top of a hill and it's dark and snowing out".

....and so it went.

Pause. Pause. Pause.

"Wait.....it's snowing out?"

I just gave him my info, hung up and we went back to watching Downton Abby.

As you can see, police finally did show up. Two of them. And lots and lots of flares. They must have lit 15 of them.

At some point between Mr. Mosely dying his hair and Lady Edith starting a fire in her bedroom, the moved the car, picked up the flares and left. All thanks to me.

But 710 and I had the discussion of why I'd rather call 9-1-1. His point was that I'd still have to go through that rig-a-marole. Maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn't.

My point was - that 9-1-1 can figure out who to dispatch. No more ping-ponging back on my part just to get the right police station. Sure it wasn't a true emergency, but I could argue that I was 300 feet away, on top of a hill and that it was dark and snowing and that I couldn't tell how bad it might be down there.



Song by: Cheap Trick

My Music Monday

New year, new MMM image. It's the law.

Mark Ronson can say that "Uptown Funk" is his song, and he might have wrote it. He might have produced it. He might have even played every instrument on it - but I'm not sure that makes it his.

At its worst, it's a Bruno Mars song. Not that that is a bad thing.

In reality, it is Ronson / Mars stealing from the Time, who was riding on Prince's coattails (if Mr. Nelson weren't already pulling their marionette strings) while ripping off James Brown at the same time. Not that that is a bad thing.

The horns are quintessential Brown. But the bass, the guitar strums and the keyboards are all from the Purple One.

Mars' vocals are his, but with touches of both Prince and Brown. It's a good lead vocal arrangement though the backing vocal style seems to be pulled right from the Time. And I'm almost 100% sure that this is the first song that has ever included Michelle Pfeiffer's name in a lyric.

Mr. Ronson is possibly most famous for producing Amy Winehouse's Back in Black. So he's not completely unfamiliar with pulling nostalgic sounds and placing them into current music. I don't know his work enough to know if that is his shtick or not. If it is, it works. If it's not, he revisits that stream to fetch his water.

It's very 60's meets late 80's meets now.

As for the video, Mars' and friends evokes some of Morris Day & Co's moves, albeit not as slick. Ronson, the lanky white guy, has a face for producing though he has those head movements from left to right down like nobodies business - and it drives me to distraction. White boy can't really move.

I haven't looked to see if "Uptown Funk" is going to be on an upcoming Ronson disk or a Mars one (or both) - or if their collaboration is a one-song shot. I'm not sure I care either, but the song is kind of fun.

Letting the Cable Sleep

A few days before xmas, our cable partially went out - and then fully.

Time Warner, specifically.

I'm not a fan....but like most cities, you have your choice of one cable provider or satellite - which might be two providers.

One of my sisters has satellite, and while it seems challenging to keep a picture in inclement weather, she still likes it better than cable.

TWC is seemingly no fan of their customers either, if their interactions with us are any indication.

To paraphrase Lily Tomlin's character, Ernestine, "we're the cable company, we don't care. we don't have to."

710 placed any number of calls each and every day for the better part of a week. First they said there was no outage. Then there was an outage. Then there was a small outage but not big enough to send out a technician.  Huh??????

So there has to be critical mass to get your fucking cable fixed? And what is that number?

{crickets}  {crickets}  {crickets}

No, there was no escalation process - or so they said. No, they couldn't credit us for days we were without cable (except for any premium stations), because we could get an antenna and get our stations that way.

Well of course we could. But then I don't need TWC, do I?

I think my favourite TWC call was them saying there were no technicians in our area to help us. Five minutes later I was walking the dog and lo and behold there was TWC truck across the street. Good to know they have a good tracking system.

Stupid fucks.

Oddly, we were trying to make a go of having no cable. My cousin cut the cord. My friend Stuart did the same thing. Becky was doing something similar.

With the likes of Netflix (which we don't have), HuluPlus (which we don't have), YouTube (which we DO have), and the antenna, could we make this work?

I think I was liking the idea more than 710, though he tried to get on board. As I saw at Becky's and at our house, it was not an easy task to search for things. There is a lot of toggling to type shit in. And yes, you have to get into the mode of more on demand than DVR'ing stuff.

To watch things, there is planning involved. And consensus. After all, we are guys, and as Seinfeld once said, we don't care about what's on TV, just about what else is on.

And as for such network shows via the antenna - there is no pause function. The HORROR!!!!!

#firstworldproblems.

Yeah, I totally get that.

Still.........what if I have to poop in the middle of a Law & Order Criminal Intent episode of which I've only seen 128 times?

As time went on though, I kind of liked just looking for things we might not come across that TWC shows. I mean, if I never come across another episode of Property Brothers (ewwww-weee, those boys are f'ugly), I would be just fine.

Of course my cousin and his wife have been watching a lot of BBC programs, soooo very high-brow. Or at least, so it sounds.

Naturally, TWC finally came out on day six, fixing a block they put on our line, as they installed cable across the street.

First show that came on?  Syfy's Independence Daysaster.

Oh yes, it was as bad as it sounds.

And yes, we watched it. {sigh}

I'd say 'we watched it ironically', but I don't think one can actually watch tv that way. It just sounds better to say that when someone tries to pass off watching total crap.

So our non-cable experiment lasted six days. I at least liked dipping our foot into the water, but I'm not sure we're there at cutting the cord.....though I don't think I'd mind that much if we did.




Song by: Bush

Kiss Me

I won't say today's Petey Porn is uninspired, but with the holidays {and drinking most of this last week} and travel and not knowing exactly what day is what {oddly, not due to the drinking.....entirely}, I just have been bad about taking new pics of the kids.

Still, we'll make a go of it, but I'm not thinking they'll be off the charts cute.

Petey with his holiday bone.  He devoured it in 7 minutes. Tops. 

Getting some Sophie love. 

710 playing 'string' with Buddy. 

Wanting to give Teddy love. Teddy hoping I had food. I didn't. Just pets and kisses. 

He wasn't so interested in that. Story of my life

Song by: the Lovemeakers

Cheers Darlin'

I'd like to say I had a better planned out post.

I started one a day or so ago, but New Years Day got in the way. Or the bar at an open house did, to be more specific. 

I did have plans for a post, but that is now probably for next week. 

Alcohol - the cause of and solution to all of life's problems. 

Our NYD open house, which we've attended now maybe four years in a row, is by far our favourite neighborhood gathering. Steve & Laura do it up right. Casual, but well executed. Servers (ooh) and a bartender (oooooooh). And a lady to take your coat. It seems much more less casual than it is, but it is very welcoming and easy. 

We got there an hour after it started, and still were one of the early arrivers. 

After saying hello to the hosts, it was a stop at the bar. José was a very attentive and generous bartender. Glasses we're very full of wine. Probably too full for the Granthams, but for me, I was fine with putting a head on it.

Their featured cocktail was kir royale but I stuck with a dry white wine. Fully filled glasses. Oh yes, multiple. José wasn't one to stay behind the bar. He was proactive in getting you a new glass as he saw fit.

José was an enabler.

José practically scoffed at me when, near the end of the party, I refused a refill. But Blobby was
d-runk. ...and he was the help! Carson would have dismissed him with no reference.

I kid. José was great.

So were our neighbors. I really do like most of them. And all of the ones who actually showed. I'm always surprised how few take these guys up on this open house. We're not the most social of creatures, but comparatively, we do pretty well.

While they had food, I would have been wise to partake in more of it than I did - at least within the ratio of alcohol.

We had great conversations with folks.

When 710 and I were in separate groups, I was talking with two men, one of whom is a great guy, and the other I've exchanged nods and waves to while walking the dog, but whom has never uttered a syllable my way.

However, John and I were talking about his blow up, full size yard snow globes.....that light up and rotate. This is out of character for him and the 'hood. But it was kind of a joke to his wife, but now they are purchased, so I suspect we will see them in upcoming years.

Somehow, he mentioned they were very Pee-Wee Herman-esque. Which began a conversation between the three of us on Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and Pee-Wee's Playhouse.

BTW, we are 50+ year old men.

But as I said, men (myself included) never progress past 14. Or 12, if I'm being honest.

Peter, John and I then just stood there throwing out random Pee-Wee quotes......and laughing. Everyone agreed it was Morgan Fairchild's best role ever.

John was super excited when I told him they just released the Playhouse on Blu-Ray. He hopes his wife will now get it for his upcoming birthday.

Both John and Peter were completely stoked when I told them Pee-Wee had a Christmas special. In my haze, I may have offered to host a viewing.

That's not weird, right?


So, we went home, drunk-walked the dog and then I passed out took a nap for 40 minutes.

Not a bad way to end a holiday season.



Song by: Damien Rice

Play for Today

So 2015 did come!

I mean, not for the folks on AirAsia 8501 or some victims of the flu......but for most of us, we made it into another year.

Yipeee.

Again, no big goals. Yoga will remain one of them - mostly because I enjoy it. I'm actually (probably) going to class today even.

Career is another. That's always in the back - or front - of my mind.

....and that's about it. Family probably falls in there somewhere.


Like I did last year, for the blog we have a few pieces of info you might (or might not) find interesting - 2014 specific *:

• Number of posts: 396. 365+31 for the Pic a Day in May. 
• Number of unique page views: 199,523.  Up 14.9% from 2013.
• Month w most page views: March 2014 w 23,550 
• Number of comments: 1,354 (an increase of 4.6%) ( comments always appreciated)
• Top post for 2014: Theme for a Nude Beach w 217 views. After that the next four top posts were 
• the Treason of Isengard
• Hot for Teacher
• Hateful Hate 
• ...and a Shopping with Blobby segment
• My top post of all times is still a 2010 post on Camel Toe which now has almost 104,000 (!!!) views. That is like 56,000 more hits since last year. (search terms: camel toe, cameltoe, yoga pants camel toe, girls in tight pants......yes, how well they know me)
• Top Five Referring Sources (in order that is non-search engine related) are very different than before - by user and by order:  BosGuy. I Should be Laughing, Just a Jeep Guy (though somewhat defunct), Closet Professor and Jim's Stuff. Congrats to all. 
• Viewing Audience Top Five Countries (in order): U.S., Germany, France, Ukraine, Russia.

*I'm not 100%convinced that Goooooogle Analytics are accurate. Or they might be, but their reporting methodology is sub par. The counts are actual posts clicked, I believe, not my general site. So I get a tick for you going to say, "Hot for Teacher", but not just scrolling through all of blobbysblog.com, which is a continual feed. I could be wrong.


As for rest of 2014 - we didn't make our movie goal. No big shock. We were one away. We almost hit a movie yesterday afternoon, but neither one of us could commit to sitting in a theater in the middle of the afternoon on a sunny (but freezing day). Still 11 movies wasn't bad considering we didn't start until mid-May.

Well, that's it for my first 2015 post.




Song by: the Cure