Picture me Meme

What is your current relationship status?

What is your current mood?

Who is your favorite band/singer?

What is your favorite movie?

What kind of pets do you have?


Where do you live?

Where do you work?

What do you drive?

What did you do on Saturday?

What did you do on Sunday?

What is your favorite Network TV show?

Describe yourself.

What is your favorite candy?

Who do you look like?

They're Here!

A cicada is a large "fly-like" insect with large membranous wings. The males make loud shrill sounds in tree-tops during the summer and early fall months. These sounds are used to attract female cicadas for mating. These sounds can sometimes exceed 100 decibels. Other common names for Cicadas are "Harvest Fly", "Locust" or "Heat Bug".

We get the 17 year Periodical Cicada..... quite the "looker"


YUK!

Tourist Season

The Memorial Day weekend is the official start of the tourist season on Cape Cod. All bets are off. Residents hunker down, and prepare for the invasion. We share our beaches, our roads, our stores, our restaurants. Most visitors come down just for the weekend and leave on Memorial Day. We know the back roads, most of the tourists do not.

Their exodus creates a mess. There are only two bridges connecting the Cape with the mainland. At one point, traffic backed up approximately 14 miles. Luckily, all those leaving the Cape did so without causing any accidents. Things have quieted down now, but they'll be back! Every weekend, every vacation, or even all summer long, they will be our "pain in the neck" but an ever so necessary one (a stimulus to our economy!)

A Memorial Day Tribute

Dedicated to my father; a Navy veteran, a milkman, a fisherman, a great dad, and a truly strong-willed individual.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Tony Stewart Broke My Heart

2 laps to go... Tony's in the lead.... come on baby... make mamma some spending money!



Nooooooooo!!!!!!




NASCAR

Media Out of Control

Anyone think the media might have gone just a wee bit too far when they FOLLOWED TED KENNEDY HOME IN A FREAKING HELICOPTER?

Where have common decency and respect for privacy gone? Some will say he is a public figure and therefore it justifies the circus the media has provided.

I disagree. In fact, I'm ashamed that our media chose to act as they did.

Political persuasion aside, we are all human beings. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Kennedy and his family.

Utah

There are some beautiful pictures of Utah posted at Sharon is Sharing! Her son drives for Corsa Motorsports, and just recently was in the Utah Grand Prix.
Sharon has a talent for photography and I'm sure you'll agree... This is my favorite....

I'm a Mazda RX-8!

You're sporty, yet practical, and you have a style of your own. You like to have fun, and you like to bring friends along for the ride, but when it comes time for everyday chores, you're willing to do your part.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

A Wave for Horie

If you have a moment, check out this site Suntory ~ Mermaid II about a boat that uses Wave Propulsion to sail the seas. While you're there, check out Horie's diary. Horie is sailing this boat from Hawaii to Japan. He has an online diary that provides his daily progress. I've been checking on him since his journey began back in March. Have to give this guy credit for sticking it out this long!

I think the boat's design is unique, and with the high cost of fuel these days, I'm hoping they are able to make this work!

An Irish Ghost Story

This story happened a while ago in Dublin and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it's true.

John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a storm. The night was rolling on and no cars went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly, he saw a car slowly come toward him and stop. John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door... only to realize there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't on!!

The car started moving slowly, John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror, watched as the hand repeatedly came through the window, but never touched or harmed him.

Shortly thereafter John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, so gathering strength, he jumped out of the car and ran to it. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he had just had. A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying and ... wasn't drunk.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two other people walked in from the stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other....

"Look Paddy.... there's that f...ing idiot that got in the car while we were pushing!"

Beautiful Pics of Hawaii

Check out Skybag who has some absolutely stunning photographs from her trip to Hawaii...
I especially liked the hammock picture!

Sorry I haven't been posting much these past few days... just busy with the "spring cleaning" at home and living the life!
My daughter had her art work displayed at the local Museum of Art this week. She is involved in their internship program, and has been working with a local graphic designer for the past few months. The culmination of the program was the display of art work and an "opening exhibition" for all the parents and teachers to attend. I can tell you I was very proud of her, as well as all her peers that participated. These kids have a lot of talent and it's great to see the local community support and encourage them. Some of their artwork will eventually be displayed in the state house. (A big feather in the cap, if you ask me!)
We've had a couple of changes occur at work; nothing we can't adapt to and recover from, but nonetheless we as humans all seem to balk against changes. I will say this: I've seen some inspiring actions taking place from my fellow co-workers (stepping up to the plate) and because of those actions I have a renewed sense of pride in my team. They are a great bunch of people!
I've also started working on an online independent study program through FEMA; a ten hour course to start with, on Emergency Management then on to Hazardous Materials, Incident Command and so on... all of which will enhance my abilities to understand and communicate orders, obtain appropriate resources and increase my knowledge of resource coordination on the local, state and federal levels. It also never hurts to know what the other hand is doing!
I've been popping in on all of my usual reads, very much enjoying the posts, sometimes commenting, sometimes just lurking... but want you all to know that I truly appreciate the sharing of your lives, thoughts and day to day musings. I need to update my blog roll desperately... it's grown to enormous proportions, each and every one of the blogs I read - well worth the link. It's on the to-do-list...!
I am unable to provide you with any political inspiration as mine has hit an all time low and may need CPR before November... For some politics of a different nature check out Exile in Portales and his post Politics of Dancing. Much more thought inspiring (and fun) than the current events at campaign headquarters!
I'm just finishing up the last few hours of a double shift... and then it's home to grab a few hours of sleep. While most of you are beginning your day... I will be dreaming of being here.
Have a great day!

A Stop On the Way To Work

Twilight falls,
bringing a silence
that seeps deep into
the core of my being.
Preparing for what lies ahead,
breathing in the night air,
gently letting go of the sun's final rays,
the moon waits for darker skies.

Fishless but fun!

Well the weather didn't cooperate much on my days off, but I did get to use the fishing pole on Mother's Day when the sun finally decided to break through... Still cold and a bit windy, but it sure was nice to be able do some casting. The Daiwa reel is working great, the seaworms are plentiful and all we need is some warm weather to bring in the bass. I had a great time with my friends (see pic---->)
but all we caught was mung (seaweed).
I had planned on doing a lot more around house but the weather was just too wet, cold and nasty to inspire me to clean out the garage and basement, nor was it dry enough to mow the back forty. I have 22 windows in the house that still have a layer of plastic on them to keep out the cold drafts, another project that remains to be done, due to the lack of warmth in the air! (The furnace is still kicking on in the mornings).
Went down to the harbor to read the newspaper and sip on coffee for awhile (a daily routine) and snapped this picture with the cell phone camera...
This isn't a fishing spot but it's a great place to watch the boats going in and out of the harbor. The whale watch boats leave from here in the summer and there's a great clam shack just down the road that serves the best seafood around. The marina has a fancy shmancy restaurant for those who enjoy that sort of thing and one can sit with cocktails overlooking the marina's hustle and bustle of fishing boats and pleasure crafts.
Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day... best wishes to all!

Why am I single in 100 words or less.

Prepare for Addiction

Roofdrop

Yes I am hooked.

Stop in and say hello...

I laughed out loud at work over this one!

9-1-1 Half baked had a Fight!


Always in search of laugh out loud humor for my readers....!

Almost time.....

Fishing pole restrung? Check
Fishing reel oiled? Check
Tackle box resupplied? Check
Fish biting? Not yet....

Hoping to get a little practice in this coming weekend. Sun has been shining for two days and the fever is hitting hard! Let's just hope the fish are too!

Test Your Knowledge

Cary from List of the Day has a great post about addictive websites he likes to visit. I found one that I couldn't get enough of: Free Rice.

Check it out! You can test your vocabulary and help out a good cause!

Unbelievably Funny!

Everyone's had bad days at the office. This is one of the funniest video's I've watched in a long time! I was HOWLING!

click here to watch

You Can't Eat Ice Cream When You're Mad!

I've discovered that it is almost impossible to eat ice cream while you are mad. Well, you can't stay mad when you eat ice cream. Something about that gentle coolness, the creamy texture, maybe a chocolate chip or two, that just deflates that anger in moments! We become children again, on a hot summer day, perhaps with a cone of our favorite flavor. Lapping up the drizzle as it melts before it hits our hand. Savoring the delicious taste, sometimes with just a hint of a different flavor from the previous scoop....
Ice cream was a big treat for us when I was growing up. It was an after dinner/before bedtime treat at home. Once or twice a month in the summer, we would all pile into the back of my grandfathers pick-up truck and take the ride to Four Seas Ice Cream shop. (No, we never fell out, nor got hurt by riding back there. Of course he didn't drive much over 25mph) Back in those days, my favorite was Butter Crunch, my mothers was Peppermint, my grandmothers was Pistacchio. My brother always got something different, and you never knew if he was going to like it or not. We would have ice cream licking contests and contests to see who could make their cone the smallest without destroying it. It was a time for stories, laughter, and a time for connecting with family. For a few years, my mother made ice cream in an old churn style maker, it was the sweetest vanilla ice cream I've ever eaten. Now I'm partial to Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Whenever the stresses of the day weigh too heavily or perhaps I'm a bit bent out of shape over some minor upset; you can be sure to find me with my bowl and spoon, peering into the depths of my freezer, in search of a scoop of medicine for the soul!