Not All the Bees are Gone

Look but Don’t Touch

It is that time of the year again when a lonely cactus’s mind turns to –well, sex. Normally not a showy plant this all changes as the cacti flower in hopes of reproducing. Below are a couple of pictures…

A variety of Prickly Pear (Opuntia)

Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

The Thrill of the Grill

Big picnic this afternoon and I volunteered to cook. I don’t often get a chance to cook on such a massive scale so it is a nice change of pace burgers and dogs were on the menu, simple fare, but a picnic mainstay. There was a nice grill already built in so no worries, there. I had a lot of help from Mrs. Phos and used an old trick where as the burgers near completion I toss them into an aluminum pan to simmer in beer. They finish cooking in the brew and the beer adds a little flavor.

The Wx was very cooperative, it was supposed to be scraping the bottom side of 100 today, but it only made it up into the low 90s – a real plus when standing in front of a hot grill. I wore welder’s gloves to protect my hands, but have to see about finding some that come further up my arm. I have a bit of a burn where unprotected flesh met the heat.

I had a lot of fun, the grilling was a hoot and the people were great; it was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Rain Today

Thought I would just sit back and let the sky tell the story.

Dead Bees Smoke Lucky Strikes

There is a scourge that may be more calamitous then the Asteroid hitting Earth scenario. The Cursed tongue gives an excellent summary of the problem.

Another thing I got out of her article is something that I have noticed about the medical community – your disease ain’t shit if it doesn’t have a three letter acronym, such as “HAS” (Huge Ass Syndrome). Even diseases have to have designer labels nowadays. I wonder if the AMA had publicists working on the new designators?

I had the Maitre De at Coco’s, a chain eatery, ask me a question I haven’t heard in quite some time – did I want the smoking or non-smoking section? I was so stunned I had to ask her to repeat the question . “You allow smoking here?” "Yes, until May 1^st”. I don’t know what is so magical about May first, but I wish it would hurry and get here so Coco’s can join the rest of us in the year 2007. The seating hostess led Mrs. Phos and I to our seats in the Non-smoking section, which of course had a half wall separating it from the smoking section. The wall wasn’t exactly a smoke proof barrier and it wasn’t long before my eyes were stinging. Look, if you want to smoke, go on ahead and kill yourself, but please don’t take me with you.

I watched Glenn Beck for the last time Thursday. He is a conservative radio talk show host that has migrated to TV with an hour spot on CNN every night. I was already starting to weary of him advertising TV shows and movies – I tuned in for news analysis not to find out what Simon was up to on American Idol. I was also appalled at the amount of time he gave Anna Nichole-Sluts demise and the circus that followed. The final straw, however, was him castigating the other networks for airing Cho Nutjob’s manifesto and then turning right around and playing the footage himself. The he accused the other networks of doing it just for the ratings – like he wasn’t.

Thanks to Wally Crawler for posting the Banana Splits theme!!

Saturdays Far Away and Long Ago

Saturday mornings were just for us when my brother and I were kids. We’d whiffle loose change from around the house, then my brother would bike up to Mulder’s Red Bell market. Once there he would exchange the loot for candy and lots of it. Maybe a giant Hersey bar, an entire bag of malted milk balls, or six boxes of brand named candy for a quarter (milkduds cost a nickel a box). We’d gorge ourselves while watching the Banana Splits show. When mom got home from work she’d ask if we wanted lunch, but somehow we were never hungry

My favorite Saturday morning treat were Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. When you got tired of them you could go out in the front yard and wing ‘em out into the neighborhood. Get the right spin on the cookie and it flew a country mile.

Sometimes I miss those Saturday mornings.

Bits n' Bobs

The Korean community is worried about backlash over the V-Tech killing spree. I don’t see any problem – Koreans didn’t kill the students, a lunatic who happened to be of Korean descent killed the students. To blame all Koreans for the murders would be like blaming all Scots for bagpipe music. Of course, in this country anything is possible.

Really windy here and looks to be so for the next day or two. I hoped it was a foreshadowing of storms to come, but the Wx radar looks pretty blank off to our West. It is tough taking pictures on two types of days. The first is a really still day where the gunk that puts the “smudge” in “Valley of the Smudge” accumulates to the point where it is like trying to take a picture through a glass full of weak iced tea. The other day that is not conducive to picture taking is a windy day. The wind kicks up a lot of dust and really restricts the visibility.

I’m looking forward to a quiet evening. Yukon will let me know when it is time for his dinner, ‘Strella Dog’s medicine (we use peanut butter to get her to take the pill and Yukon gets to lick the spoon), our dinner, and Jalapeño popcorn. You can’t get him to sit, stay, or fetch, but have jalapeño popcorn two nights in arrow and now it is part of the routine. Dog experts say Malamutants are food driven and they are correct.

What a Difference a Day Makes...

Nice day all together. Got the grill fired up and am roasting a tri-tip that has been marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Should be great if all goes well. The Tao of the grill makes everything all right.

Lunatic goes on a rampage at Virgina Tech

The Republicans deleted all the e-mail pertaining to the attorney general firings

More killed in Iraq

I really need someone to explain this loving father god shit to me again, because if we are his children, Child Protective Services needs to step in and take us away from him. And justice, show me where he's come down on wrongdoers. I think you have a better chance of receiving a kick in the ass from the tooth fairy.

Worse yet you get to hear the newsies shoot their mouths off. Particularly about the Virgina Tech massacre - there's a body count and every news jackal on the face of the earth is tearing at the carcasses. What have we become? I am truly saddened and ashamed to call myself a human being. Thank the god of humor for huskies. I actually do prefer their company.

The thought of all the young lives snuffed out for no reason whatsoever has made me so very sad. I feel even worse thinking about the families who raised them and sent them off to college or the service, only to have a promising future nipped before they even get out the gate. Crap, just crap.

The Quiet Life o' Phos

This has been a nice weekend - I haven't done a thing. Mrs. Phos and I did get out a bit yesterday and had lunch at "Thee Pits Again" a most excellent BBQ joint, but beyond that I have been just chilling. I have managed to catchup on some reading, play with some photos and annoy Mrs Phos (Do what you do best!). Kind of like fuff, I am caught in the doldrums, which means the kitchen is still a disaster area. As soon as my music CD has been created I will put it on and do the scullery thing.

Hope you had a nice a weekend as I...

The Rain is Gone...

Weather here at Tiny House has been changeable the past few days. It had been comfortable and sunny but we were hit by a squall that seemed to come from out of nowhere. The Weather Jackass missed this one in his broadcast, anyway.

It was nice to have the rain expected or not. If some scientists have the right of things we may be seeing less and less as the years go by, whether the climate change is induced by man or a normal cycle it may be time to start taking some precautions. That means putting the brakes on our overeager developers and builders, something that is unlikely to happen. Ecological conscience is always trumped by money.

A Day of Mourning

Run For Your Life - He's got Vacation Photos!!!

I got a little carried away with the pictures it seems. I don’t want to be like some folks who trap their guests and force them to watch an unending slide-show of every move they made on vacation, so I am just posting a few shots.

Grandpuppy Cashew

Grandbaby in "Scream Off" mode

Cake cones - frosting just ruins 'em

Granny and grandson

They Still have Hotrods in California

Phos Mk2

Gnat of Glass is a Genius!!

First off, thanks Gnat! What a beautiful piece! I have a great spot for it in my curio, right up front. It is wonderful, thank you so much!!

Second, Thanks to all for dropping by, I have been playing catch-up with work, stuff left undone before vacation, et al. It was tough to go back to work, vacation was very nice, though it flew by. Wish work went by that fast!!

California Dreaming

I am still hanging out with the new grandson and family. Thanks to all for stopping by, I will try to visit you as I can get time on my son’s computer - don’t; want to bogrt the machine....
The baby is cute and I had forgotten how tiny and delicate babies are. I haven’t been out much and most of my pictures are of the baby, oddly enough. I have a few of our grandpuppy as well. I have just been trying to help around the house a bit.
You all take care and I will check in when I can...

The Trickey part is making it through the Line

Mr. Richard Reid, terrorist wanna be and jackass extraordinaire didn’t realize he was creating a dance craze. He invented the dance known as the "911 Hop" and much to my delight it is still popular in airports around the world, long lines of people hopping up and down trying to remove their shoes. I guess we are lucky Reid wasn’t trying to light his pants, though I suspect it is only a matter of time where one of those bastards figures out the "nuclear pants bomb".

Aside from playing a quick round of twister in he security line and having my privacy rights pushed to the max, the flight was really great. Ol’ Phos isn’t a big flier, ironic considering the 20 years in the Air Force. I had a good time, even made a hand puppet (Mr. McPukesalot) so I could amuse Mrs. Phos with an in-flight puppet show. I think she enjoyed the show despite the fact she took my puppet away and wouldn’t give it back. I told the flight attendant that Mrs. Phos wouldn’t give my puppet back and to make her, but the attendant just told me she would get me some more puppet making materials - but she was lying ‘cause she never did.
You all have a friendly skies kind of day!!