It Boggles the Mind

In a little over 9 weeks, I will do something I've only done one other time in my entire life. I will marry the love of my life. I've been reflecting a lot during the past few weeks on my life. At the age of 21 I married for the first time and spent the next 29 years with the same woman. If not for a tragic accident in 2005, I am confident that we would still be together. However, nothing in this life is certain. After a lonely 3+ years (I love my kids - but its not the same), I met DKB. I knew after the first meeting, that we would be together, but wanted to take it slow because I didn't want to scare her away. Even at that, it didn't take long, after a couple of months I asked her to marry me and she said yes. It wasn't long before we set the date, October 31st.

I was asked by a few folks if we weren't moving too fast. I suppose by most standards we were, but take this under advisement. I asked my first wife to marry me after we had been dating for one (1) month and we were married 2 months later (total of 3 months and we were together 29+ years). The time from DKB & I met until our planned nuptials is over 10 months. If you extend the math and I was able to live that long (but I'm not holding my breath) we should be together for the next 104 or so years. So there.

I will admit that there are times when I wonder what my life would be like if my first wife were still with me and DKB knows this. Its only natural human curiosity. I was very happy with my first wife and after a period of lonliness, I am happy again. I only hope that all our friends and family can share the happiness as our wedding day rapidly approaches.

Everyone have a great day!!!!

Do Yourself A Favor......

.....Find a copy of the the original Edgar Rice Burrough's "Tarzan of the Apes" (written in 1912, published in 1914) and read it. If you are like most folks and only know of Tarzan from the movies and/or TV shows, you are missing out. The "Tarzan" that ERB wrote about is a brutal tale and other than the basic premise of a human baby raised by apes, bears very little resemblance to the Hollywood version of Tarzan. ERB actually wrote 24 Tarzan novels (although the character has been written in stories by other authors) and I plan on reading them all. I am currently reading the 2nd one called (appropriately) "The Return of Tarzan" (1915).

I will confess it took me 50 to 60 pages to become accustomed to ERB's writing style, but it fits the story. Again - Give ERB's Tarzan a try - you won't regret it.

Rambling and Musing

My middle daughter & her husband have been visiting and staying with DKB & I this week. It has been nice having her around. Her husband just got out of the Air Force and once they leave us they will be going to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a while to visit with his mom. Then they will depart for Portland, Oregon, where they will make their new home. So, except for a couple of days around DKB & I's wedding in October, I probably won't get to see her much during the next couple of years. Yesterday, my daughter & I went out fishing for a few hours together, didn't catch anything, but it was nice just visiting and talking together. I know I will miss her when she leaves.

When I'm not near a computer, I always think of things that I would like to put in my blog, but when I actually set down to put in an entry, I have a "brain fart"and can't remember what I wanted to put in, but I keep trying. Hence the rambling today.

I am a huge football fan. Tomorrow my high school starts their 2009 season and according to the Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger they have the toughest schedule of any team in the state. May be a rough season, but I'm hoping for the best. The NFL will be interesting this year too with Brett Favre now with the Vikings and Michael Vick with the Eagles.

Rode my motorcycle to work today. Despite the fact there is a 60% chance of rain at the time I get off today. May get wet going home, but that's okay. Doesn't happen often and the weather is warm.

I've noticed negative people having an effect on me lately and have decided to make a real effort not to let that happen. I'm tired of the sourpusses that only see the bad or potential bad in a person or a situation. Look for the good! Thats going to be my new motto. Try to be happy in the moment, but plan for the future. My sweetie (though she may not realize it) brings that point home to me. The other day, for example, reminding me to spend some more time with my middle daughter. So all you people that only see the worst in people - f*** off! I don't want or need your negativity. To quote an 80's anthem - "Don't Worry - Be Happy!" Words to live by.

Everyone have a great day!

Motorcycles, Family & Da Boyz

I'm gonna start with me and da boyz. This picture was taken Saturday of my 3 youngest granchildren and I. Top (L-R) Dylan (11 mos), me, Jonas (8 mos.) and on the floor Caleb (3 years).

This past weekend was the Little Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, MS, and I had all my children in town at the same time. We spent some nice quality time together (my 2 sons & I all ride), had a nice family cookout and Saturday night had a big bonfire in the field near my house. We talked and generally had a good time until about 1 AM Sunday morning.

Yesterday (Monday) afternoon my upper back started bothering me at work. By the time I got home it was extremely painful. I took a very hot shower followed by one of the muscle relaxants that my doctor had given me. After a very tasty supper of stir fry (thanks to my sweetie, DKB), I sat in my recliner to watch the Monday Night Football game between the Carolina Panthers and NY Giants. I kind of drifted through the first quarter, but when my sweetie woke me up at 8:15 and suggested I go to bed I was sleeping hard. So I got up, as my back twinged to let me know it still was happy, took a Lortab and went to bed. I vaguely remember getting up around 2:30 for a potty break and then right back to bed. Next thing I knew, the alarm was going off at 5:30. My back feels much better, but I'm still dragging - from the medication I guess. Anyway, onward and upward. Everyone have a great day!!!

Time flies like an arrow.....

....but fruit flies like a banana. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I have a mind like lightning - never hits the same place twice. I was thinking about how close DKB and I's impending nuptials are (80 days) which led to one of my favorite Groucho Marx quotes. And he had quite a lot of funny ones. Do yourself a favor and read a bunch of them sometime. You''ll laugh your A** off.

So many details left in a short time. I know we'll get it done, but DUDE!

The motorcycle rally is this weekend at Sturgis, MS - just up the road from me. All of my children will be in town. We're going to grill some chicken and have some home-made tater salad Saturday evening and watch the bikes roar up and down the highway. Of course we plan to do a little roaring of our own Friday and earlier Saturday since I (and all my sons) ride bikes. So cue up Steppenwolf and ..."Get your motor running, Head out on the highway".

Everyone have a great day!

I'mm Meltinggggg!!

Well, not really. But I didn't have the car to drive to work since DKB has gone out of town. Well - that excuse doesn't work either. I had planned on taking my motorcycle into the bike shop & drop it off while I'm at work to get a new rear tire put on it. Well, I had gotten about a mile down the road from my house and the bottom dropped out. By the time I got to the cycle shop (where my boss was waiting on me) I was soaked from the knees down and the chest up. My windscreen kept the middle part of me pretty dry. I got to work. Took off my wet tennis shoes, wrung out my socks, and draped them over the little space heater I have. At this time my socks are dry and I've put them back on. My shoes have been leaning on my heater since I got here (about 3 hours ago) and I've periodically rotated them - and they are nearly dry. So by the time my work day ends I should be ready to go. Thankfully, it looks like the rain is done for the day - so I should be good going home. Where only my doggies wait for me today. DKB won't be back until Friday - but to celebrate her return I'm going to grill a couple of steaks & bake a couple of potatoes - plus I've already picked up a nice wine for us. So, everybody together now - "Awwwww!"

I'm feeling a little scruffy at the moment. I let the three amigos (Harley, Pearl & Shaddow) sleep on the bed with me last night. Well, I was amused with their bedtime rituals (general sniffing of each other, circling, scratching at the covers to fluff their bed) and forgot to set my alarm clock. When I woke up this morning it was 7:22. Well, I told my boss I would meet him when the cycle shop opened at 8 - so I dressed quickly, fed the animals and hit the door. I didn't have time to shave and you already know what happened to me on the road. (If not -shame on you - go back and read the first paragraph.)

Anyway, I'm here! I'm healthy! But I miss my honey! Everyone have a great day!

I've got to get better at this

Its been almost 2 weeks since my last blog. No excuses. I just don't make time to do my posts. I enjoy reading my fiance's blog on a regular basis though. She is a very glib and funny author. I'd much rather read her's than post my own, but a few things have happened since my last post. The biggest being that DKB and I have purchased a new car. We got a 2009 Toyota Yaris. A spiffy little car that gets great gas mileage. Plus my insurance rates came down. The down side is that I have payments for a bit longer, but its more than offset by the up-side, which includes the big smile on my precious DKB's face. She had never, in her entire life, had a new car. It just tickles me to death to see how happy she is with the car. I told her today, that's okay, cause now I'm going to start telling everyone that the car is my wedding gift to her. Said wedding to take place 88 days from now (don't tax your brain - its 10/31/09). We traded in my 2005 Dodge Ram pickup for the car. Nice, big truck and you could haul a bunch of stuff, but 16 mpg/highway was killing my budget. The Yaris get 35 mpg/highway - much better. There are a couple of pictures of the new car on DKB's blog if you are interested.

DKB's taking the new toy and going to visit her friend, F***h in Birmingham for a couple of days. Gonna seem a little weird being on my own again. I've gotten so used to having her around. Just me and the doggies and TV for a couple of nights. Oh well, guess I'll let Harley, Pearl and Shaddow sleep on the bed tonight. Not quite the same though. DKB came by my place of work to have lunch with me before she hit the road. I told her I was already planning something nice for when she comes back on Friday. Picture this, a couple of nice steaks on my grill (mine - rare), baked potatoes, and a nice wine & maybe a candle on the table. (And 3 little doggie sitting around with the "woe, pitiful me - I'm starving" faces on).

The big motorcycle rally at Sturgis (Mississippi) takes place August 14-16 and all (5) of my children are supposed to make it home that weekend. It promises to be an interesting and entertaining couple of weeks coming up. If not before, I know I'll blog after that weekend. Anyway - everyone have a great day! OOHH! I ALMOST FORGOT: Today is Coast Guard Day. The U. S. Coast Guard was founded on this day in 1790 in its original incarnation of the "U.S. Revenue Cutter Service". A big "Semper Paratus" from one retired "Coastie" to all, past & present, "Coasties" around the world.