Just Bill Me!
Darn, heck, woe is me and alas. It's happening again. I'm having trouble paying my bills. No, not that kind of trouble, I've got way enough money. It's just that I'm having a hard time...Paying My Bills, as in getting them where they're supposed to go. After yesterday's travails, here they come again. While checking the mail at lunch today, what should appear in my mailbox, but the cable bill I mailed yesterday, and not returned for a bad address, but because it was mailed to me by, apparently.....Me. I could make excuses and say that the cable company sent me the wrong return envelope, but I won't blame others that I'll have to make amends to later. I apparently put the cable bill in the wrong envelope, sending it to myself. As we say in a self improvement organization that I belong to, "You are looking at the problem in the mirror".
So, if anyone in BlogLand would like to take over the job of paying my bills, please step forward. All the better if you use your own money.

Spontaneous Remission
And on the computer scene there has been a miracle! For weeks this very Blog...Streams has been generating an Error 503 "Template Screwed Up". But just last night without any changes, additions, or alterations by me, it cured itself and is now fully functioning, unlike it's human counterpart.

An Amends
An organization I belong to, recommends that we acknowledge our mistakes and make amends to those we have harmed. This is it in writing. Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from Tracy, my friendly bankerette at Pioneer Savings in Roswell, New Mexico......my mortgage holder. Tracy politely asked, "where the hell is your mortgage check?". I replied not to worry, I had not run off with the house, and that I had mailed the check the previous week. I consulted my checkbook and sure enough, I had paid most of my bills earlier in the month. I did, however, send another check post haste. Then several days ago I checked my bank statement online, only to discover that several other bill payments had not yet cleared. HHHhhm, thought I. I mailed all those bills the same day. My conclusion was that, obviously, some pyscho postal employee had run off with them to buy arms and ammo to shoot up a postal facility. I was P.O.'ed today. I was going to get to the bottom of this.
And strangely I did.....God works in mysterious ways. While straightening up the credenza where I keep my We Were Soldiers photos, I lifted up a stack of images and there I found.....a whole stack of bills, addressed, stamped and ready to be sent. Including the mortgage payment and the city water bill.
So here I offer my profound appologies to the Postal Dept. and it's fine staff. I make amends for my thoughts. If one of their fine employees shoots up a facility it won't be with my money. And I did immediately rush over to pay my water bill, which was three weeks late. They are not nearly as understanding over there as Tracy in Roswell. They informed me that they were ready to shut the H2O off. This is a friendly city, but one with no sense of humor about not paying for water. And now I'm worried, thinking you paid your bills, only to find them in your office three weeks later is, I believe, one of the first signs of Oldheimers Disease

No wonder I'm tired!
Well here I sit [which I do a considerable amount of the time, unless I'm lying down], but I always feel tired. Why? Well now I know the reason!
I have recently read some startling facts. As I sit here, the earth is turning at a rate of 1041 m.p.h. Ok, kid's stuff, but also the earth is traveling around the Sun at a rate of 60,000 m.p.h. I'm gaining some speed here, but our Universe is moving thru the Milky Way Galaxy at the astronomically amazing rate of 530,000 m.p.h. All told just settin' here in my chair I'm zipping along at an incredible combined speed of 591,041 m.p.h. Man o' man.....I need some more rest, I really believe I deserve it and need it to keep up this pace.
And now some good news for the economy in West Texas. The Onion Ring Manufacturing Plant in Pecos, Texas has been rescued from closure. No small potatoes this.....they employ 700 souls down there. And you always wondered where onion rings came from......now you know. [I wonder if they have a wholesale window.......I like onion rings]

Ten, that's what it is!

Yup ten weeks that Julie and I have been an item, coming up soon on three [3] months, which is one quarter of a year. Pretty nice. No, real darned wonderful!

Jumpin' Geejosephat.....it's hot
I just got thru mowing the lawn in 100° heat. Now most people of my ilk wonder about me, "Why don't you get a yard person", I hear. I've thought of that, but really I don't for two reasons. One is rather personal, almost spiritual if you will. I think that in this modern world, in western society, we all really have too much stuff and that unless we take personal care of our stuff we tend not to appreciate it. It wasn't too long ago that thru my own actions, I didn't have any, zippo, nada....stuff, especially a grand estate to call my own. So, I don't mind a little hard work, to remind me to appreciate what I have.

The second reason is that, 2.5 hours of yard work in 100° heat is damned good excercise. And spending way too much time bringing mirth, frivolity and wonderment to my cyber-clients, I need some damned good excercise. It really gets me, those same people who ask me, "Why don't you get a yard guy". Their reason for having a yard guy is that doing the lawn themselves takes up too much of their valuable time, and that it's too hot and hard to do it. The same people who pay $50 a week to spend 2 hours a day in the gym, sweating and lifting. Go figger!

It's summer and I know that many of you from many lands will be wanting to visit West Texas. But be forewarned, don't go down the 100 or so miles from here to Ft. Stockton, Texas. Why you ask?
I'll tell you. Animals are attacking humans. Now personally I don't see anything wrong with this for I like animals more than most humans. But some people differ from this opinion. And for those, Ft. Stockton Texas is a living nightmare. Just this week a boy was attacked by a Fox, his father having to strangle the fox to get it to let go of the boys leg. And now, today, the report that a javelina was in town sowing havoc. And, a javelina is nothing to be triffled with. Mean, they are just plain mean, and have the equipment to back this mean streak up. Teeth, or rather tusks, really, really sharp tusks. So stay away from Ft. Stockton. You might be wise to chose Wink or Notrees as your destination. The animals are more placid there.

Wow man o'man this redesign is making me work! For some reason my CSS editor doesn't like the format and keeps putting new -DIV- tags at the bottom of the page making the element appear in that little "Archive" Box. So.....Pedro gets to hand code, rearrange and make the dinguses go where they're supposed to. But it's what keeps me sharp as a tack, Jack!

Dear Bloggers and Bloggettes. Because of my vast array of computing skills I have been selected by YACCS commenting systems to "Beta Test" their newest upgrade to their fine product. They explain it as.....

FTP/SCP is a new feature of YACCS. It allows you to have YACCS upload the comment counts to your server, instead of loading them from the YACCS server. This means that the loading of your page can never be slowed down by YACCS, even if the server is down.

With this great honor I have taken the opportunity to redesign "Streams" my sometimes almost daily journal of daily life in a smallish West Texas town, and my wildly exciting adventures therein. And hopefully more stories of interest, such as.

Just the other day, the US Air Forces' most super sensitive weapon the F-117 Stealth fighter made a stunning "kill" in a practice bomb run in our area. The top secret Stealth fighter practices in our clear skies quite often to hone their razor sharp skills. Using laser guided smart munitions the F-117 lined up it's target and in perfect precision let go the 25lb. practice bomb and hit within inches of it's intended target. Unfortuneatly that target was a small home in the town of Monahans. The bomb penetrated all the way thru the foundation of the house, scaring the BeJesus out of the occupants. Luckily no one was hurt, and the Air Force quickly offered to pay all damages. They did, however, have quite alot of explaining to do........and as it turns out, the pilot thought he was making only a "photo bomb run". He didn't know he actually had any ordnance on board. But as we learn, we should always check our vehicle before leaving home!

S'Wonderful.....S' Marvelous!

Yes indeed, listening to the Diana Krall CD Julie gave me for our Nine [9] Week anniversary this song says it all. It is marvelous and wonderful with Julie. The evening started off with a romantic dinner for two at a chic local bistro.....Murray's Deli, where Julie had the Reuben and I had a marinated grill chicken sandwich. It was the height of haute cuisine in Midland and perfect for such an anniversary occasion. The romance continued when we returned home to Pedro Manor and walked Tres, the Big Gold Dog. A splendid walk on a moonlit evening, along the starlit way we call our alley.

Then upon our return home we had our customary pastry prepared by pastry genius, Little Debbie. A memorable moment diminished only slightly when the combined heat of the candles melted them all down causing a fulisade of smoke and wax which melted all the icing. No mind, there was magic in the air.......!

Family Reunion!

My brother, his wife and my two darling nieces were in town for several days, not long enough however as they live in Mississippi and I have not seen them in two years or so. In fact, I have never met Claire, the youngest. Life is too short to see family and close friends so seldom. So many of my close friends are in environs far flung...email, digital pictures and websites help but are not the same all told.
But we made somewhat the most of the time we had on this visit. Dinner Monday and lunch with my Dad and Brother [male bonding] today. The family all came over to the Pedro Estate this evening, and Julie prepared a nice after dinner assortment ranging from the healthiness of fresh fruit to the king of calories......eclairs and fresh homemade whipped cream. Devine. The girls got to feed my turtles and after getting over the fact that the Big Gold Dog is twice as big as they are.....yet sublimely gentle, had a great time with him.
The picture above is the moment when niece Katie discovered that among her many talents, Julie had been a tap dancer! A tap dancer......I didn't know this, but I should have suspected it, she had also been a cheerleader. And in Texas cheerleading and tap dancing go hand in hand.
Julie and I must have made a good impression on the girls. As they were driving away, Katie said "Why couldn't we live with them--forever?" Why not indeed.

Weary Travelers Return Home!

Yes, Julie and Jack returned late Sunday evening from a whirlwind world tour. Well, maybe not "world"........they went to Houston. After a trying storm delayed trip they are welcomed at Midland International Airport by a joyous crowd. OK maybe not a real crowd.......but I was sure joyous. The Big Gold Dog and I missed them.

The trip was worth the missing though as they had a grand time attending a Houston Astros game, visiting with family and friends and eating at Hooters. [Hooters??]. Well they wanted to get me a "T" shirt. I'm glad they had a good time, but am even more glad that they're home!

Seventh Anniversary!

That's right.......Lucky Number Seven. And I'm the lucky one to have someone as kind, nice, sweet, smart, affectionate and beautiful as Julie. And I know it. And it was a very special day to boot, as we had over an inch of rain in just several hours. Sorely needed rain. It was the first big rain we've had in .........well honestly I can't remember, but definetly the most moisture since a big snow last November. A perfect romantic evening capped off by a photographic expedition outside to capture some rain shots.

Next week, the Big Number 2......Two Months. {note: we did have the customary Little Debbie Anniversary Cake, and have the customary Little Debbie photo.....available upon request}.

Independence Day *The 4th of July*

It's Independence Day in the United States, and a day to have extreme gratitude for all the freedoms bestowed upon us. The freedom to say most anything we want no matter how trivial or even hateful. The freedom to come and go as we please, even if that means going to Wal-Mart and buying yet something else we don't need. The freedom to read what we want no matter how perverse or even moronic. The freedom to elect the officials that we chose, even though we love to comment on how bad our choices are or even openly critize our government. The freedom to worship...or not, as we see fit and in our own way.

The freedom to assemble whenever we chose, dressed as we wish. The picture above with Julie, Jack and Amanda and dog Daphne, is at the Courthouse Square for our annual childrens 4th of July parade. We have assembled with people from all cultures, races, creeds and religious beliefs to show our gratitude for being able to live in a free society. So Mr. Jefferson, Gen. Washington, Mr. Adams, Mr. Hamilton and all the other founding fathers we salute you and thank you for this gift!
And I ask you to remember that freedom is not free, and hope you will remember those who have perished to help us to stay free!

Oil of Ole...!

The climate is very dry here in West Texas, and Julie was good enough to bring over "Oil of Olay©" for me, that rich French Moisturizing Body Wash. It is fragrant and reeks of the Gallic touch and secret romance, of Paris, of culture and refinement. Even the packaging is seductive......"Gel Hydratant Pour Le Corps, utilisez tous les jours avec la douce eponge nettoyante Olay©". Wow, I love it when they talk that French talk!
I can see myself on the left bank, near the Sorbonne, with echoes of Toulouse Lautrec and the Moulin Rouge dancing in my soul. I will be transformed into a great impressionist, the next Cezanne. I will be refreshed with the Gel Hydratant. I will be the sophisticate out on the town á la rivè gauche.
As I prepare for this new life, I look further at the package and see.........
Oil of Olay© Le Gel Hydratant made in MEXICO.

Mexico! My thoughts run wild, is Le Gel Hydratante made of petroleum products, of used tamales, of goat cheese, or of menudo by products. Ah globalization, it has condemned me to be just plain Ol' Bubba. Tres Mal!.....OLE!