Garden Update: Week 18

Well another week gone, and man is it ever hot. But the plants seem to love it all the same. Everything is growing well, and even the pepper plants are starting to get full of blossoms. It's a great time to be a plant. :o)

Travel Agent

Ok, if you don't mind, I'm going to rant a little about my ex-wife. You see, this is the second time she has paid a travel agent to fly my daughter over summer vacation. And the second time, it has been completely screwed up. The first time it was the wrong flight, which put us getting there a few hours too early, not that bad, but when you think you are a little late, well your worried about missing the flight.

But anyway, this time a completely different screw up. My daughter is an unaccompanied minor, and there is a little bit more we must do to make sure she gets on the right plane and such. The flight she was booked on doesn't allow unaccompanied minors on connecting flights... which means they only offer this service for non-stop flights. There really isn't any non stop flights unless you're going to Atlanta or Charlotte.

I think the travel agent should have known this, I mean, it is her job right? So what was a noon flight out of Savannah turned into a 7 am flight out of Hilton Head. And the travel agent didn't help with any of it. I will have to thank all of the airport people, because it really wasn't their fault, and they offered us a new flight, which they really didn't have to do. I can't get mad at my daughter, she is just a bystander. I can get mad at the travel agent and my stupid ex for using the dang travel agent in the first place. Who uses a travel agent anymore? People with no credit, and no bank accounts. Like my Ex....

Celebrity

Well then, I don't have the celebrity even close to the death of Michael Jackson or Farrah Fawcett nor do I possess the political prowess of say... Mark Sanford, but I am not without trouble.

I was reminded of a story by a long time friend who was passing though the area, I haven't seen him in 10-15 years, but anyway here goes...

We were in Korea together, he was my boss, we lived in the same barracks. Basically, we had our barracks on the top of a hill and we walked (daily) to the PX (a kind of store on post) and they had a Dodge Viper there. They had some kind of deal, where you could pay for your car and have it waiting for you, paid up a full year (because nobody could drive in Korea, civilian cars anyway) in advance. I really don't think the Viper was there for that though, I think it was considered "moral support" basically to make troops feel good.

Anyway, further along up the road was the Main Post Club. We went there regularly. And it was after a night of drinking and carousing that we stopped by the Viper (like 2 or 3 in the morning) and got in. It didn't even have handles (that we could see... though it might be from the liquor) on the outside. We got in by opening it from the inside and sat down.

It was then that my friend decides that he is going to "pop start this baby"and has me get out and push. It lasted all of 3 feet, we hit a pole (the car never started), and were too drunk to care. It was funny, at least to us. I can't for the life of me understand why they had that thing out there.

After that, they put some chock blocks on all four wheels. We never again tried to take the Viper on a cruise but the story lives on...

Once, Twice, Three Times

I was just thinking, this video kind sums it up. Just add maker, and you've got me. You know, you're once, twice, three time a lady- maker. A little humor that only myself finds funny but oh well.

You Know it's Summer When...

If you turn on the TV at all during the summer, it seems all you can find is some kind of "reality" show. I am so over this. I mean, Jesus H. Christ, stop it already. Each one tries to do something different, something more over the top, so that you will stop, and watch. I just turn the TV off. And you wonder why I post on Classic Movies? Are we still in a writers strike?

If not, please tell me why we can't have something with a story. I'm just sayin' I think this whole reality thing has run it's course. I know it is cheaper to get some schmoes together and make them fight or whatever... but dang I want something better than that. I mean, sure I watch Maury for maybe 10-15 minutes a week, just to see somebody go crazy over the paternity test. But I can only take so much.

So what do I do? Read? Play a game? Blog more? I don't know, I mean there is something kind of crazy about vegging out with the TV remote in your hand. The problem is I can't stop flipping channels, because there really isn't anything to watch. Unless it's "news" "reality" or a movie you already saw 30 times, plus it takes twice as long to watch because of all the commercials... yeah maybe I do need to do something else with that time.

Not so Classic Film Friday: Kung Fu Hustle

Yes I know, this movie is from all the way back in 2004... not classic by any means, but it is funny, and it kind of plays into the Kung Fu of old. And for the connoisseur of Kung Fu, there are parodies in almost everything this movie.

A small time thief turns into one of the greatest masters of Kung Fu ever has known. But before any of that can happen he has to learn humility and that being evil, is not very good. It also contains a landlady that is down right hilarious. The special effects and choreography in this film is absolutely amazing, and the movie is funny too. My wife hate it, but I always smile whenever this movie comes on, you owe it to yourself to see it at least once.

Garden Update: Week 18

So here we go again (late I know) but we can see a little something...

There is definitely see some tomatoes and we have 1 pepper, but still no cucumbers. Still, we will have something, all for less than 20 bucks. The only thing that bothers me is the yellowing of the peppers and cucumbers... just sayin...

Splash

We decided to take a little trip. It will be the last with my daughter (the oldest) as she goes to spend the summer with her mother. Where did we go? Splash in the 'Boro of course. Which is a part of Mill Creek Regional Park in Statesboro, GA.


Here you can see the family leaving and this is the only picture I have from the trip, as I do not own a waterproof camera, and my wife didn't want to lug it around anyway. We had a fun day of fountains, slides, and a lazy river... and it was relatively cheap too. About $80, that includes lunch, a snack, and all day tickets for a family of 4.

Outside

And It Is...

Ok, so this is the day I've sort of been waiting for, it's the day the whole family finds out what the sex of the baby is. Now I know, that it really doesn't matter, but still. I'm hoping for a boy, but if I get another girl it won't be that bad. We won't have to shop quite so much, as I already have two girls. But I sure would like for it to be a boy.

But I am not going to dwell on it. We'll see and that is that.

Ok I went, and first I'd like to say that the baby is healthy and that the baby is a girl. Yikes, so that makes three girls, plus my wife, and just one me. I'm not really sure how I'm going handle that, but you can only play the cards you were dealt... and it just was that I am father to 3 girls. I need some time for that to sink in. I'm also the last male hope that had any chance of furthering my last name. Sorry dad, I don't know what else I can do about that.

Still I'll be surrounded by beautiful women, all related to me. And I have that to worry about too, but one thing at a time I think.

Buggies

So I am going to tell the story of how I got the bugs... sorta. You see there were these flowers that I have been driving past for days, I thought they were looking pretty good as far as flowers go, so I get my camera, and I lode up my daughters (for why... I don't know) and I drive out to the flowers specifically. The flower is from the plant called Spanish Bayonet.

I drive off road a ways (because it was really hot) and I send my oldest to take some pictures of the flowers while I turn the car around/keep my other daughter happy. She snaps some pics and then takes one of the flowers off the plant, and gives it to me.

Unbeknownest to any of us, there are white bugs (remarkably the same color of the flower), kind of like moths, and I throw the flower out. Because they were creepy, and they were on me by God. My daughter picks up the flower (all the bugs are gone now) and gives it back to me. And all is good again.

Father's Day

You know I'm always happy to see this day, not only is it a a day in which I enjoy, it also marks a lull in the gift giving and well wishing, for 3 months anyway. So here is to dads, young and not so young, and here's to a semi-quiet next three months...

Saturday Morning

I been on youtube too much, I mean you can find just about anything there. Here are two of the cartoons I grew up with... there are more, but I went with these two:

Classic Film Friday: Dial M for Murder

Today is a guest blogger of sorts, it is that of my daughter, the 13-year-old... below is the opinion of her alone...

The story starts off with Mark (Robert Commings) and Margot (Grace Kelly) talking about tennis and the secret letters they have writing over the past year. Margo tells Mark that she burned all of them but one, and that one got lost at a train station. Mark And Margot set off to go to the movies while Tony (Ray Milland), Margot‘s husband stays home to do some “work”. He calls an old friend from college to come by to discuss the price of his car that was for sale. Tony wants Swan (Anthony Dawson) to murder his wife because he was jealous of her relationship with Mark.

To me it seems like Tony has some issues with his wife. Tony and Swan plan for the murder while Tony and Mark were out. Margot was home alone putting together a memory book of when Tony played tennis. She went to sleep not knowing that an intruder was going to pay her a visit. She woke up to a phone ring, that’s when her intruder attacked. He tried to strangle her but had no success.

I have been waiting to see this movie since Halloween but haven’t because my father thought it was boring (not true, the opportunity just didn’t present itself). I thought the movie was funny because the audience and most of the cast knew what was going to happen to Margot. The movie to me had an uncanny twist to it. Almost like Karma. If you like to know what might possibly happens in the movie, but doesn’t, you will like this movie.

Edisto

Just a day after my birthday we decided that it would be much more fun to go to the beach, than do laundry, and be responsible people. So we hurriedly cleaned up from the day before, and set out on our way. Well we could have gone to Hilton Head, or even Hunting Island, but we wanted to make a "trip of it" as it were, and instead opted for Edisto Beach. It is a haul to go there, about 2 hours one way. But getting there is half the fun right?




So we get there, via Beaufort a la Charleston. And I wonder why. Not in a bad way... it just seems not all that different from say a hundred other small towns along the East and Gulf coasts. Again, there is nothing wrong with that, but I was somehow expecting more... more of something though I don't even know what that something is.


They had shells, shells and more shells, and that was a let down, (unless you were looking for some shells) I mean it hurt our feet because there was more shells than sand. Maybe we just went on a bad day, but seriously there were shells a plenty.




The ocean was kind of rough and the shore was a little steep. It was not at all like the beaches around here, that could be from the replenishment projects here and none there, or it could just be the way it is there. And the ocean, I mean, we would try to place ourselves so that the waves would just come to our feet, but here it would be all or nothing. We could wait 5-10 minutes without any part of our body getting wet. And then, we would be hit by a tsunami, and stuff would be scattered all over the place. Making us have to get up and chase it all down before it went out to sea. Which is not really relaxing.




All in all, I'm glad we went, but we like our beaches here, a little better than the waves and shells at Edisto. Maybe we really are in paradise, or what I can afford anyway.



The only other thing that happened on the trip was we were looking at the rental cabins within the state park, did you know that you cannot do that? We had a nice ranger lady shew us away. Ah well... Finally as we were going home, it started to rain as we got back into Beaufort County. So maybe it was a good thing we drove elsewhere to go to the beach?

Stuper-hero

Our Vistor... is Back

So you might remember I had some people come fishing (without permission) and mother nature has presented a solution of sorts. This alligator showed up about a week ago, and he seems very... 'peppy'. He doesn't mind you getting in his grill, that's how I got so close to him. Now I don't know if those fishermen will come back, but if they run into this guy, maybe, just maybe they'll go some place else.

Garden Update: Week 17

Yes, I know, I missed a whole week of updating the garden (there is no Sunday post either, which up until now, could be a personal record). It was a busy week for me. Things are growing like crazy, the best has to be tomatoes, I didn't even think they would make it when we put them outside. Some have green tomatoes on them now. The cucumbers are growing too, if you remember I had to start over with them because of torrential rain killed this first batch. They were the star performers, until the rains came. Anyway, even with the 4-6 week delay, because I had to replant, they are looking good, with blossoms a plenty. Finally the peppers, well they were what I called the best after the rains killed the cucumbers, and the tomatoes were too 'stringy' to make it (or so I thought, if you look real close you can see, the 'maters have a 'curve to them) these were going to be my pride and joy... I don't think so now. I'm still going to hold out hope, because the peppers did pretty good last year, but compared to the other two, they have a long way to go.

Class Dismissed

So my wife was told about a day before school let out for the year that what she thought was going to be moved by the district was in fact her responsibility. That really isn't the problem, though there was quite a bit of "holy shit, where am I going to put everything?"... anyway, in the past the district has always come to the aid of the teacher and help move things at the end of the year... especially if the teacher is moving, and even more so if the teacher is moving to a new school (within district of course).

Well the thing is this year, we have this economy and we have cutbacks, which is forcing even more people to move... that they just can't afford to move everyone. And that is fine, if they would just let those that are moving have access to their old room until their new one becomes available... hence the "holy shit, where am I going to put everything?" mantra. Instead they have to turn in their key on the last day, have everything out of their room before then, which causes... stress.

So I came to my wife/teacher's aid when nobody else would. packed all of her stuff, which was a lot (30-40 boxes/tubs) and I feel it now. Because on top of everything else, my wife is pregnant, and can't lift anything too heavy. Luckily for me, I had my daughter, the 13-year-old to help. But oh my God! First we had to straighten up the garage, which we needed to do anyway, then we made a phone call to Salvation Army or Goodwill, or something and had the old bedroom donated, then the book getting began. I don't think you really know how heavy books can be, that is until you try to move them.

So now we are stress free-ish, and summer can commence well, my wife has Summer Institute, but that is only for a week, then summer vacation can officially begin, though I will still be coming to work...

Birthday

So the time has come... yet again. It seems like it just happens once a year. Ok that was a bad joke, but you get the gist of it. From my 6 year old birthday... the one in Brechtel Park in which I had a pinata, but the pinata was empty... because my mom forgot to fill it. (I still give her shit about that...Imagine putting a home rum strike into the pinata and nothing comes out) To a party at Showbiz Pizza, before the whole Chuckie Cheese thing took off, to a backyard party, in which I got a small swimming pool, or to later when my wife orchestrated my mom coming out (with no pinata) without me even knowing about it, and giving me the nicest party ever.

I'm having another party, it's not really a birthday party, just some folks over for some BBQ, cold drinks, and good friends. The reason we are not having a "birthday party" is because we don't want it to be that kind of party. It is just good friends getting together. The fact that it is on my birthday just makes it special to me. No gifts, just friendship. It doesn't get better than that.

Classic Film Friday: Popeye

If anyone knows me, they know I really like this movie. I tried to review another movie... Cabaret, but I couldn't get into that movie at all. I think it was Liza Minelli, but that is just me. On a similar note... Sweeney Todd (2007) was also highly acclaimed, but revolting to my tastes. We finished neither (who wants a singing barber that kills people?) and put them back in the mail for some other person to watch.

Popeye on the other hand, is a completely different story. Robin Williams plays Popeye, the sailor man. Shelly Duvall plays Olive Oyl and is set to be engaged to Bluto (Paul L. Smith). Popeye is looking for his father (Ray Walston), estranged since he was a infant. Will Popeye find his pap? Will he find his true love via Sweet Pea? Does Popeye eat his spinach and show Bluto who the real man is? Will Wimpy ever get a hamburger with somebody else paying for it?

And I must say, this movie has it all, singing, dancing, fighting and comedy... there is something for everyone.

My Summer

Ok, so what did or am I going to do with my summer? Sounds like a bad cliche doesn't it? Well we don't really have any concrete plans... yet. I do need to visit with my father, and in doing so visit New Orleans. Perhaps, but we still have to plan, and the plan may not include that.

I am a child of summer, as were my parents... all three of us were born in June. Why is that special? It probably isn't. I have tried, and failed to have a child born in the month of June too. It just worked out that way. So it is for me, to be warm, and sun burnt, and well buggy. Because that seems the way of things this time of year.

We are having my wife's side of the family come down for the 4th of July. I will take her brother and father out golfing, where? I haven't a clue. I'm no golfer, but it is all in good fun. We are "tasked" with finding some good seafood, which means cook it up yourself. I think I'm ready for that.

Other than that, we may have some trips to the beach or pool or maybe a short road trip to Charleston or Atlanta but no more, I mean unless you got a bag full of money just for me. It is my birthday after all. Just make a check out to cash. lol

A Coupl’a Old Birds Go to Hilton Head...

Made by the Missus...

A Bit of Comedy

We was just flipping channels the other day, and we came across this:

Klump Family Dinner


You've probably seen this before. It is The Nutty Professor, if you don't know. It makes me roll on the floor laughing every time. My wife doesn't think it is at all funny, but I'm here to tell you... it is genius. At least I think so.

The Master

So by the time you read this, my wife will be a master naturalist. Saying that here in my own blog has a special meaning to me. You see she started this two years ago... and stopped half way through because I had a stroke. Well, that is all behind me now and now she can put this behind her too.

It is just one more thing we can put "away" as it were. There is no extra money for her, maybe prestige, but that is about it. She has learned more about the area, and in turn taught me a few things too. And I guess she can take me on trips now as well, but I will never have the master naturalist in my name.

I really would like to kayak around here (I've never ever been) just to see if I like it... and that is something my wife has done as well, but children are preventing us from trying that any time soon. I know, this is what I wanted, but still, I can't help but wonder... If one of our parents lived nearby and would watch the kids... just for a few hours... ah well, I guess we just have to play the cards we're dealt.

So this will be behind us, a year delayed, and I can't tell you how awful I feel about it all, but it isn't like you can wait a couple of months or year to have a stroke, hell I really didn't even know I had one until I got out of bed... and even then I was in denial.

I'm proud of my wife, who completed this pregnant, which just adds to the good deeds she did. All hail... the Master.....

Another Video

Speaking of videos... I have another and it is from 1993-94 time frame. It got taken off of the air because at the time it was considered "too graphic and offensive". I don't think it is, and really it makes you think about it, you might feel uncomfortable with it, but that doesn't mean you should just not talk about it... and it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. So without further a due Tool 'Prison Sex'

Rambo...Three Little Pigs

I was watching Rambo, which was ok, for a Rambo movie, I mean there is going to be explosions, blood, that sort of thing and I was reminded of the three little pigs... Huh you say. See below.

Classic Film Friday: MASH

You know I had to review this movie, I mean I've been to Korea, I feel I have a connection there. And whether it is just like that, or the movie made it like that, I had similar experiences or worse. Now I don't know about the betting on a football game part, but the promiscuity is all there and I had a house boy, who for a dollar a day cleaned my uniforms, shined my boots, and generally kept things nice. I was one of the most screwed up people in my unit, but the 1st sergeant thought I was the most squared away. It is all in how one perceives you, not what you really do.

Anyway this is a story about 2 surgeons who were drafted and went to Korea during the war there. It was originally released in 1970, during the Vietnam War, so its anti-war, anti-establishment message was well received when it came out. It stars Donald Sutherland (Hawkeye) and Elliott Gould (Trapper), along with Robert Duvall as Major Frank Burns, Sally Kellerman as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, Tom Skerritt as Capt. Augustus Bedford "Duke" Forrest and a long list of others.

It is a "day in the life" sort of movie, but it is a lot of days and a lot of weird situations. They are on the front line and they see lots of death, they try to compensate with crazy. It works, as it is very funny, and on a personal note it helps to stay a little crazy when you are in strange surroundings. I could tell you some stories, but I'll save that for another time. This movie can be seen on the Roku.

New Bedroom Set (part II)

So I have some pictures of the bedroom. We may have to make a few changes to our original plan. We still have to put up the crown molding. The fan, well I don't think it will fit (the long posts are in the way). But anyway, all is done, or mostly done.

Here you see our dresser, it is huge, I mean really, really big, which is what my wife wanted, and got.

This is the TV stand/entertainment center, (you can also see the TV) It is also huge.

Finally we have the bed, being modeled by my three-year-old. Also pictured are the nightstands and the gentleman's chest. We have probably increased our storage capacity 5 fold. And like I was saying earlier, it is for us, which is so rare. And coincidentally it is our wedding anniversary today. So happy anniversary baby, (I had to put that in... just had to) Hopefully with many more to come.

Yeah, She's Thinking That

Garden Update: Week 15

Well, I'm on schedule for this week, wonders never cease with me. Anyway, the tomatoes have rocketed up, the cucumbers have blossoms and the pepper plants have gotten stronger. I guess they could use the +90 degree days we've had. The weeds seem to outgrow all of it, but alas they have no value whatsoever. See you next week for another garden update...

Korea...

So, things over in the Korean peninsula are heating up. I was there in 94-95 and they were heating up then too. I don't know if this time is any different, but right about this time of year, the north gets kind of antsy. The year I was there, a building collapsed, a bridge fell into the water,


and one of our helicopters (and pilots) was caught north of the DMZ.

Now I realize that isn't exactly nuclear testing, but the north has once again thrown down the gauntlet. So what happens now? I think everyone would like to know. But you have to know odishee and he is a very short man.


Very, very, very short... but he knows where to go to get just about anything. I wonder if anyone thought to ask him about the conflict.

"Suicidal"

My 13-year-old has a project that's due and it is on the 80's. We filled out everything almost without looking anything up. I'm a child of the late 70's and 80's after all. Then my daughter asked me about suicide and heavy metal.

I referred her to this video. Though not exactly from the 80's, it still stands as a good reference.




Don't you think? I'm talking on all kinds of levels. The labeling of heavy metal as "bad" or "satanic", the record companies willing to allow that image to make more money on heavy metal acts because of it, And others as well. This is a good song, if for nothing else to remind us that not so long ago, everybody had their fingers in our pie...