Twinkle twinkle smiling stars......... Playing favorites......

Oh where to begin........

We all need smiles.  The longer we stick around, the more we 'go back', think about life... our 'collection' of all who entered our lives...

Sit there for a moment.  Close your eyes.  Think about........ VICTOR.  TIME OUT!  Just HOW, can I close my eyes, then read whatintheheck you are about to say?

Very, very good question.  Let's try again.  I'm going to ask you to think about, in all of your years, to go back through as many individuals as you can think of in your dealings here on the planet....   And pick a few that, when you think back to the times you were together - your life was simply enhanced by your ability to be around a certain person.

People that brought/bring you joy.  Make you smile.   Of course, if you are lucky enough to still share the same planet together, RUN, don't walk, to see 'em, visit, rehash, hug, love, cry, together, again. 

Of course family will pop up immediately.  For the sake of this blog and our thoughts today - let's concentrate on those, not family, but, you've gained such an appreciation for the fact of the wonderful times you had together - no matter how fleeting, again, the recall will ALWAYS bring smile to you.

I bet your are gonna tell us of yours, eh Victor?

Perceptive you are, yes, I am.

Thankfully, it's not a short list, but, in effort to keep you from going to sleep while reading, I'll share a few..... but in the end focus on one specifically...

My boss when I worked at the Park Department as a kid...  and, for quite a few summers after, when I shoulda been more mature, but, a goal in life has always been to "Have work at fun" so, I (lovingly) pushed his envelope a time or fifty. Others did too, but, I know that doesn't get me off the hook!

His name was Tommy. Pressed by family need, Tommy had to leave school, work at an early age to help the family.  As such, his readin' and writin' were even worse than my stated C-/M- demonstrated 'average or below' academically.  Tommy, fifteen or twenty years our senior, still knew how to have fun in life, and in work.  His demonstrated goal was to keep us busy, working, thereby, keeping his boss's eyeballs off of him.  Not just me, but we, pressed that a bit too much at times.

What was it about Tommy then that made him 'exceptional' in life per your earlier 'essay'.  He was tremendous in 'learning us' right from wrong.  'You can't, shouldn't do that." Without saying as much, he pretty much demonstrated, "this is how a boy would do it... this is how a man would do it."  A father, so to speak, that wasn't blood.  To me, it gave me a great, long look (and belief) there's more to being a man than 'book smart'.  Tommy was smart in life.  Very.  I cried at his funeral some years back.

Ronnie.  Ronnie's folks owned the main grocery store in town. The very first time I ever saw him was pushing someone's groceries out to the parking lot.  He was barely as tall as the cart itself - but his smile was wider than the cart, and it stayed that way for as long as I knew him, which, thankfully was a long time as he became our mailman after the grocery store, AND, we played softball together (and he managed our team) for years and years.  Before you close those eyes... can you think of anyone in your past that you NEVER EVER heard anyone say a bad thing about them?  That was Ronnie.  Truly a nice, fun, man. I cried at his funeral.

Brownie.  Brownie was one of my favorite people ALL TIME.  For several years when I was in college - I was fortunate enough that Title IX happened (colleges must offer an equal amount of sports for women as they do for men.)  I got to be assistant women's basketball coach for one year, then 4 or 5 as head coach after.  I think maybe I thought I was somebody, HA.

Then, marriage, a need for dough ($1500 for the coaching job didn't buy a lot of groceries, pay much rent, etc) so, sought, obtained work elsewhere.  Then, it worked out a few years later, I was able to go back to William Jewell as coach again for a couple years.  Turns out, I WASN'T somebody, but the guy who had taken my place was as he recruited some really really good talent.  About all I did was roll the ball out, say, "Here, go play."

Among them. Brownie, as in Laurie.  She maybe had a smile even wider than Ronnies, and uh huh, like Ronnie - it-was-always-there. People like Tommy, Ronnie, Brownie, make life easier, funner, and, what is better than eternal optimism, positiveness?

Brownie was a good player, so, it fer sure wasn't playing favorites.  She was a favorite, but her playing time was warranted. THEN, she hurt her knee, BAD. Surgery, done with the season bad.  Her Senior season. Not fair, but, ya wouldn't have known that in watching her.  She came to every practice.  Sat on the bench every home, away game.  Was the bestest 'one-legged' cheerleader you ever did see.

She came from 'really good stock.'  I didn't know her mom as well but her father, his name was Leroy Brown, uh huh, was.  He was the Principal at a large suburban high school... a smiler, BIG TIME, in his own right.  In fact, he delighted when he'd walk into the gym for his school's basketball games and the pep band would play Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown...  uh huh, big smile like his daughters.

Don't these smiling people in life have flat tires?  More month than money?  Belly aches?  Bad moods?  Itchy itchy rashes?

Brownie did not play another minute that year, but, I really really feel, had she not accompanied our team, given us via OSSYMOSIS, good, fun, positive vibes, we never woulda had the season we had.

Thanks to the gang of wunnerful players/people I/we inherited, along with some perty darn good (All State even) players we brought in...... we managed to beat a team we'd never beaten, for the Missouri Small College Championship that year.  Not only Laurie was there of course, but there in the bleachers, was Mrs Brown, and yep, bad bad Leroy Brown - the smiles that day were many.  I was still a nervous wreck after the game.. Leroy hollered, 'Coach, the game's over, you can smile now" and did I ever, thanks in large part to folks like he, his daughter and all the good players we had.

I was fortunate to message Laurie online a few times over the years... always positive...  She laughed about, one time, band camp, in a written evaluation after one season, I'd thanked her for passing the ball to Brocko (our, we need a bucket, pass to Brocko lady.)  I couldn't believe I'd written that but I guess I had, and she laughed about it....  She was very positive, we traded positive thoughts about each other...  a wonderful person and I will NEVER forget her smile.

Laurie taught Special Education for years after college.  Lucky kiddos as I know she rubbed off on them.  Sadly, I read she passed awhile back. I did not see until after her funeral, but, yes, i cried when i read it.

Only the good die young they say.  For sure not fair - but oh how nice it is to have the ability to recall, bring them all back to life as I often do.  Their smiles help me smile, often.  I hope, and am sure, you've run across some Tommy, Ronnie, Brownie types in your life.

Twinkle twinkle smiling stars......... favorites.

Love, Victurd 

Today...........

Well, on this day... 

Ben-Hur published... 1880...

1966. Buzz Aldrin takes the first 'selfie' in Space...

Trotsky expelled paving way for Stalin, 1927...

1990.... The World Wide Web is first proposed by CERN computer scientists Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cilliau..   Boy Howdy........

1912, British explorer Robert Falcon Scott's body (and diary) are found in Antarctica.

They say it's your Birthday........ Neil Young...  Nadia Comaneci ... Sammy Sosa...  Tonya Harding (OUCH)).   Ryan Gosling...  Anne Hathaway...  

First possible movie stunt: A man jumps into the Hudson River from a burning balloon, 1910..

Happy National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day

National French Dip day...

National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

National Happy Hour Day

World Quality Day

World Usability Day whatever that means........

On this day, a blogger woke up bored, clueless... very cold... mebbe grumpy (Bite me Pup).. and did this in lieu of any feeble attempt to try to be clever.

In rain, sleet or snow... Prime Drivers, Ballroom Constructon workers, hackers, corner of the intersection cardboard sign guys, and bloggers must press on. 

Did you say National Happy Hour Day?   Uh huh, did.  YIPPEE! I feel better already.

Good Day,

Victurd 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Apps.......

 Scroll back (in your brain if you'd be so kind) to recall previous blogs where I've admitted, 'simpleton'.. C+/M+ student.. (What's an Honor Roll?}  Yeah, that.

Electronics, if we must.  Long about the time beepers, bag phones, then that hideous AOL fingernail-blackboard startup thingy happened - we (fellow old farts who sometimes come here) were of the age I HATE CHANGE, I LIKE MY LIFE JUST AS IT IS, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.......... then,

We joined in.  I have noticed, as we've aged, we are patients sitting in Doctors offices a helluva lot more than we useta be... and added to that, our patience has a short wick, quick fuse, fly off the handle, however you wanna describe it, we got it, are it, demonstrate it, especially with electronics.

I remember how proud (to the point of puffing my non sixpack chest out) when I got a cargo sales job with Braniff Airlines that included........... a beeper AND a bag phone.  "LOOK AT ME" I thought, acted, youda thunk I was the President of the US, oops.  Well, you know.  I was Country (Sarah, fetch me up a call to my boss wouldya) when Country wasn't cool.

Karma hit allofasudden.  Hosting a golf tournament to show appreciation for all the freight folks put on our planes....... I was "beeped" on hole #12.  "Call such-and-sucha-number STAT."  Traded my pitching wedge for my bag phone, "Whatsup Boss?".. "They're flying all the planes to Orlando, we're going belly up. Followed closely by my profanity laced blurt.  Now what?.......... customers were actually nice to me about it, realizing I was losing my job... prizes were free flights on Braniff wherever they go (welcome to Orlando eh?).. Anyways, they came back for a brief moment, customers got their free vacation.

The Piggly Wiggly.  Electronics, part two.  I had long been envious of those who had the car key thingy when they pressed a button, the car lights would flash, doors would unlock, or, when they pressed 'stop', the doors would lock and if they continued pressing an alarm would go off. It was perfect for after Chief's games, you could sit in the upper deck, SCREAM YELL CUSS at the refs for missing boo koo penalties... then, retreat to the parking lot not knowing whereinthehell you parked. CLICK, HONK, our problems are solved.

Victor?  The Piggly Wiggly?  Oh yeah.  My first time to traverse across Liberty in my new(er) car that, YEAH BUDDY, had a trusty electronic wizard thing hanging from the car keys........ I went in.... bought groceries..  hopefully made it look obvious as I walked to the door, and without saying "AHEM, I'M SOMEBODY, WATCH ME PRESS MY BUTTON TO HAVE MY CAR UNLOCKED FOR ME"....... Did that.........  walked out......  Car was still locked but the trunk was open.  Did I mention simpleton, C+/M+/Ne'er on the Honor Roll?

Sitting here today.  Fatter, older, none the wiser.  Like all, addicted to electronics.  Living alone, my living room is just howthehell I like it.  Easy chair, NO SOFA, and, my desk.  Upon my desk, a perty big computer screen.  To the left of that, just enough space to peek at my (two hunnerd dolla) Big Screen...to the left of that, my cell phone.  Mark, set, rotate eyeballs from one to the other, and back again.

There's a new damn app my phone which, then rearranged all the other apps so now I gotta squint, scroll to find.  I pressed this new app to hopefully uninstall.  It wasn't an option.  I pressed it, clicked 'remove', it momentarily did, then it Schwarzenegger came back.  Same place it crowded in at.  Pressed it AGAIN, oh sh*t, now there's TWO of em!.  I Googled (I HATE Google) "What is that app".. described it.. turns out it's a browser from my Samsung phone.  "How do I get ridda it?"  Turns out........

You can't.  I CALL BS, IT WASN'T HERE BEFORE, I GOTTA BE ABLE TO REMOVE IT.

Couldn't.  I pressed it, try to remove it from my homescreen.  DAMNIT, now there were TWO of em on there.  I went to app settings, 'force stop'ped it (this could cause your system errors) DON'T CARE I JUST WANNA GET RIDDA THE DAMN THING.  Anyways, it's still there.  Like a damn wart I got in 9th grade that I finally got ridda a couple years ago.

So.................................

I recently joined the streaming world, caving in and getting YouTube's Sports thingy.  I can watch sports, bet, lose money all day now.

But then..........

I like to watch the Local News.  So I clicked what I thought was the local news.. up popped some damn Google Free thing.. I tried going back, nope.  Like the wart, that sonofagun wasn't going anywhere. So I clicked it.  National News goes to Local News every morning at 4:30am.  Yes, I'm always up by then. At 4:31am, clicked, nope, still National News (which did continue, but, before I 'upgraded' it always switched to Local News at 4:30. Nope, not today.

ToOk My BlOoD pReSsUrE mEdIcInE... tried again.  Nope.  Turned the tv off, back on. Nope. Tried every which way, NOPE.  GOOGLE, ELECTRONICS, I HATE YOU!  GIMME ABC, CBS, NBC and that damn pattern at midnight........it's easy at 1, 2, 3, right Michael?  NOPE.

Finally got it... 17 minutes into my local news.

I'd better go... because that's about all I got to bitch about today.. 

Good day, Victurd 

Well, that's different........

Baby you can drive my car............ No thanks, we're Amish....   

Ahm, our family employs Stan.  Stan always drives our vehicles.  And, our kids love him.  Cooks a mean breakfast too.

We take the bus everywhere, well, we do walk to school.  Mom said though, if she does get that second job at Aldi's we could get a car sometime in January.

Our family has a second generation Honda Accord.  It's amazingly clean, garaged every night, never smoked in, oil changed every 3,000 miles..  Dad has ALL the receipts on ALL things mechanically ever done on it.

Ahm, I drive a 2002 Buick Century...  Smoke like a fiend, on the passenger side floor I've got empty sacks from Mickey D's, Burger King, Wendy's, even Smaks. SMAKS?  They ain't been in business in 20 years?  I guess it IS time I should clean it out.  Prolly oughta wash it too... park under a walnut tree.  We're supposed to change the oil? 

Innie or an outie? Outie.  Innie, I collect lint.  To be frank (again, I'd have to change my name) but, I've never checked.  "I don't have one," Super Mario.. "Play a game?"

Sure, whadda you like?  As a kid, wiffle ball... now, I prefer the company of me, myself and I, so it's Sudoku.....  I played that once, boring.  I prefer gin, spades, hearts, 5 card poker.  Gimme Cards Against Humanity any ole day.  DANG, you still watch a lotta MeTV?  No, if we ain't playing CAH then it's Trivial Pursuit. 

I'm hungry.  Mickey D's?  Did  you just get here? Ahm,, no, I've been here since Ike was in office.  So, are you Republican or Democrat?

How 'bout those Chiefs!  THEY SUCK.  Get ALL the calls.  QB sounds like Kermit.  I happen TO LIKE Kermit.  Oh, Frog-went-a-courtin' eh?

No, I haven't had a date in.......... well, I think Obama was in office. Kiss on the first date? 5th.  Hug?  5th.  Take your clothes off?  5th.  YOU'RE no fun, you choose not to answer anything.  I DID TOO, I toldya, it depends on how much of the 5th has been consumed.  YOU'RE DISGUSTING!

No, oysters are disgusting. I LOVE oysters. That book 'Fitty Shades' is disgusting. Really? I read it four times, but, I enjoyed the movie better.  So, do you like them big ole big screen theaters? Or, are you a 'take the family to the Drive In kinda person?

Neither.  She likes to go honky tonkin' at 'down home' bars, listening to beginners play some covers, dancing all the while.  I just sit there, eat peanuts, throw the shells on the floor and play Keno. Won $63 back in ought-six. ........... Ahm, Stan drives us to the Piano Bar, then, after our fill of hors d'oerves we Uber home.

What's your favorite season?  Summer, the hotter the better.  Has absolutely nothing to do with women wearing less.  Your nose is growing..........  I like Winter, we drive to Phoenix for three months.  CHRISTMAS, of course!... I kinda like Lent, I lose 20 pounds every year.  We've already discussed lint.  Ahm, different kind. 

Ever Karaoke?  NEVER......... Hand me the mike then....... Yeah, she sings "Crazy"... and "They're coming to take me away".. Fits her.   My hubby sings Clapton's Promises, ain't sure if he's trying to send a message....  We usedta Karaoke, but, the bar we go to stopped having it the night the DJ sang Take This Job and Shove It......... then left. 

Hey?  Whadda you do to kill time?  Well, I dont.  I took the batteries outta the clock years ago.. I still wear clothes that were in 40 yrs ago..  I watch MeTV all day, and yes, I'm still in love with Elizabeth Montgomery. Thinkin' about getting a mullet.  You?

Well, I play Sudoku.  Took second place recently in an online contest.  Wow, bet your family was proud eh?  Bite me.  I take naps. I watch sports and gamble.  I talk on the phone all day to my besties. YUCK.  I bet you like Oysters too.  Stan and I play Gin Rummy while the kids are at school.

What do you do when you're really bored?  Well, I get out all my meds, and reread the fine print literature.  Nap, of course.  I play Pong.  I do that Tai Chi sit in the chair crap, wears me out, then a nap.

Me? I read this weirdo's blog. Puts me to sleep EVERY time.

Love, Victurd 

*BLOGGER NOTE:  After I finished, I reread this.. and told myself.."Victor, people are  gonna think you're actually nuts.  Are you comfy with that?"  At this point in my life, yes, don't care, but I love you! 

BOO!

Ahm Victor... i know you keep track of the day of the week by your pillbox...you need to figure out something along the same line for months... you see, Halloween was last month, gobble gobble, we've moved on to November.

Hey, leaf me alone, I recently passed that insulting cognitive test in the Doctor's office.  I'll be, fine and dandy, and i know I know, with apologies (and love) to Dolly, I recognize that's next month. 

That ain't what this is about, kinda.

Facebook. Sorry, not sorry.

 One of my favorite "BOO!" things is, the recording of the beginning of James Brown's "WOW! I feel good"....  Hubbys, wives, use it.. .sneak up behind... scares the watoosie outta their spouse, pet, kid, whatever.... the element of surprise is, to me, fun.

Sport's and boos.

Bob Uecker, may he RIP, lived, made quite a living off of being boo'ed.  He joked, "I knew my career was over in 1965 when my baseball card came out with no picture."  Bob was a career .200 hitter, but, beloved by ALL around him..  A light humor glue that kept teams together.

Of his contribution to the 1964 Pennant, World Series winning St. Louis Cardinals.........."People don't know this but I helped the Cardinals win the pennant," Uecker said during an appearance on "The Johnny Carson Show" in 1982. "I came down with hepatitis. The trainer injected me with it."  

Fast forward to yesterday, Chiefs game... Our kicker, second all-time in field goal accuracy, has, the last two years, developed "the yips"... (The yips is where you putt like me, TERRIBLE)... 

It's gotten so bad, they signed another dude to the practice squad, which, drew BOO's because he's had 16 or so massage parlor workers claim sexual misconduct by him........ Not popular here, but, fans are fickle.... back to our present kicker.

Yesterday, he missed a 55 yarder... Jets were offsides, so, reprieve from five yards closer.  MISSED it too.  After the game, as he walked to the locker room he was showered with boo's.  "I understand, it's part of it."

Si, it's cruel, but it is what it is.  Can you imagine though, you're at work, 'fans' are sitting all about, watching you... if you goof... or don't give it your all.. THEY'D BOO?

Or, what if........... what if they followed, watching you on the golf course?  Oh me oh my, I'd quit. One of my good buddies said I have a L-O-F-T problem.  Uh huh, Lack Of Friggin Talent.  Boo away, I don't care, I work there, I know I suck, BUT, I get free golf balls from the guys that mow the grass so it ain't so painful when one of my drives goes to visit where the deer and the antelope play.  (But, if there were fans watching, following, it would be "WHERE OFTEN IS HEARD, A DISCOURAGING WORD"...

Ya feel for the kicker.............. then again....... there's the CHA-CHING part.  Still, human, takes toll.... Until that is, he's dressed and drives home in his 2026 Maserati, passing me and my 2002 Buick Century.  BOO!

 That's about all I got.  YES, I know it's November, in fact, I'm hip to it, as... eleven more days I get a new hip.  I won't blog about that though.  (I know, I'm an idiot, you know I probably will too.)  Parts is parts, but it's hard to leggo of body parts!

 BOOOOOOOO!

 Happy happy, Love, Victurd 

Teeter.................................. totter.........

"All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten."  Robert Fulghum.

Eh mebbe.  That's the title of a book written in 1986 by Fulgham.  Wiki, or Google, of some dayum AI tells me "The core premise is that the basic rules for living a good meaningful life are the simple lessons we are taught as young children."  

Eh, mebbe.  Readin', writin', rithmatic, Big Chief tablets, carrying a full tray of food across the room... lining up... saying the Pledge...  Brylcreem.. a little dab of all that'll doya.

Or will it?

The times they are'a changin'.  "Why, back in my day............."  Give it up Grandpa... Taint no one listening.

Well, mebbe they should.  In our day, we didn't cross our teacher... we walked in straight lines... came in from recess when they blew the whistle...  kept our classroom neat, helped teach clean the blackboard... helped coach put up folding chairs after lunch..  much, all, without complaint.

Victor, are you suggesting kids then are better people than kids now?

Well, inspitea the fact...people try to put us d-down... talkin' bout my generation...  Who?  EXACTLY!

I do think it was more deathly fear (up to and including, nearly peeing in our saddle shoes/Keds, bleeding fingers due to the nails chewed off so low, and the thought of "Oh NO! You ain't gonna make me do 1st grade allover are ya?)..... where was I? Oh yeah, deathly fear of the Principal's hard maple padddle.... hearing "Wait until your father gets home!" (Twigs, sticks, belts, big ole strong hands, yeah, that stuff.)

It was a differnt day.

In PE, climbing the rope to the ceiling to ring the bell.  Taught us ALL ABOUT onward and upward, be, all that you can be... nothing to worry about... if you fall 40 feet that 2 inch mat will saveya.  Don't be a chicken.  But I forgot to wear shorts under!  YOU'RE A BOY, now get going! 

The teeter totter, hella educational.  Early EMT/Paramedic training getting out 2 inch long splinters on the inside of your thighs... All kinds'a lessons on trust, as in who ya can, can't, and if you get hurt, fall, REALLY bad, mom'll fetch you up to the Doc, he'll say "We're gonna X-ray your coccyx" and you worried you'd mebbe never be able to have a family.

Teeter totters taught us all about size, lack thereof.  I was a skinny little kid, I can remember Big'ns in our class getting on and I'd fly up durn near a foot in the air off'a the board. Today, thanks for processed food, hella carbs, sugar (YUM), and lack'a exercise, I could be All-Conference in the Teeter Totter. Mebbe even All State.

Seriously though, we learned all about bullies, both ends of it.  Ultimately, those situations were remedied.  Karate Kid style, or, a hella big group of friends who got yer back... or, that Principal's paddle we referred to earlier.

Today, everyone has a Chromebook. Back in our day, we had weirdos that ate glue and erasers on the end'a the pencil.  It was a simple(ton) time.

Our wagons were made of steel, not the wimpy cloth ones of today.  Today's trees are neatly pruned.  We'd climb to the top back then and get way too many mulberries in our belly. We built strong legs pedaling Schwinn's uphill (none'a that ten-speed easy peasy crap they got  today where ya barely gotta sweat.

We umpired our own games, got shiners to prove it. We didn't take a copy of GQ or Cosmo into the barber, hairdresser to show "Do this"... we followed mom in, jumped in the chair when they called.. BUZZ BUZZ, and it was either a crewcut or a pixie cut.  Status, back in the day, was owning a 64 crayon box (with built in sharpener)... today, status is having your hair look like a peacock.

We wore hand me down jeans with patches in the knees, no one made fun 'cause they knew they originally belonged to your big brother, and he'd beat the crap outta ya if ya did.

We got our exercise getting up changing the channel...mowing the grass...raking leaves, and in our free time, riding our bikes to the park to hunt for pop bottles (early entrepreneur training.)

We didn't live in our rooms.  We knew, first name basis, the mailman, trash guy, street/water department folks, meter readers., the neighbors on each side, all the way to the enda the block.

We didn't have Ring cameras, cameras on phones, GoPros, that crap to capture our wrongdoings.. ... but...back then,  if one mom found us going astray, there was 'circular speed dial' to all the other moms of the kids we were gathered with. If there was a strange dude with us and she only knew him by "Dewey", she forced us to give her his name, she had a phone book with everybody in town's number.... we were doomed.. so we rarely misbehaved.  Right?

We rode in backa the station wagon... pickup trucks.. bike helmet?  The heck is that? We had progressed enough to have hard plastic football helmets, but, looked nothing like the oversize Jetson things they wear today.

We loved Sky King, Mighty Mouse. Captain Kangaroo (and Mr. Green Jeans). Andy taught us morals, Hee Haw taught us fun, Bonanza, inspitea being hella popular, learnt us, ya gotta have a woman in your life.

We knew Pinocchio and Goofus (remember Goofus and Gallant?), Otis and Mr. Haney could never be President of the United States.

Mom's spaghetti (and mercurochrome) could fix everything perfectly.

Street lights came on, I gotta go.................

Fancy for (Now it's time to say goodbye... all that crap)...

M I C (seeya real soon)

K E Y (why? Because we don't get out much any more so we meet here.)

M O U S E............ (use Victor traps)

Love, Victurd  

That and this........

Ahm, Victor........ most would say "This and that."

Very true coffee breath, but, there's difference in a world of harmony. (We could only hope.)

Thanks to the (damn) DMV for making me go to eye doctor.. he say, "NO WAY you should be driving on the roads"... ordered me up some glasses... I can see  clearly now the the rain is gone, glasses came in.... so........ things I see........ or, that and this.

Little things are big. That time of year, mums the word (the flower) but, it's also football season, playoffs. Little towns, BIG. Friday nights a burglar in a small town would have free rein as durn near everyone will be at the game.  Well, or, at Casey's.

Big town, little care.  Oh sure, stands will be packed, but a very small percentage of the big ole town cares.  Most will be home watching Dancing With The Stars. darning/knitting (people still do that?") or, sitting in the garage drinking beer with Ernie from next door.

A loved one just told me "The excitement to my day is, it's 'clean sheet day'.  Mebbe little to her, or, I guess she said big - BUT, what i would give for one more night's sleep on sheets that mom just brought in from the clothesline.  Funny how things seem to change when ya think they never well. Chiefs won the Super Bowl our Senior year in HS ("they'll ALWAYS be good" HA).. "the newbie Royal's suck". they'll never be good. Don Denkinger TYVM. And....... I'll always be able to sleep on mom's fresh sheets.... won't I? (was never thought or asked, but oh baby, little was big.)

Absence. Seems we all of a sudden realize how BIG something is in our lives.... when it's gone.  Don't make no sense.

I'll never figure out teenagers.  Ahm, Victor?  Yeah?  You can't skip/switch topics just like that.  Hold my beer.  Boy teenagers.  The struggle is real.  Play with little plastic army guys, or, chase chicks?  And, seems if they ever did chase 'em, catch em, and somehow took a pic together... it always looks like Danny De Vito and Geena Davis (she's 6' tall).  Skip around's ass... THAT's little big, HA!  Sorry, kinda.  

The older I get, the more I hate driving during Rush Hour.  THERE'S MORE AND MORE PEOPLE!  That's not true Victor... since Covid, SO SO MANY now work from home. Yeah, mebbe.  On second thought.. I do see many of them sumb*tches on Facebook all day. 

Day/Night.  Big, little differences.  Living near a Ford plant... it seems every other dang vehicle is a Ford F-1-Fitty truck.  It never fails, nighttime, I get em right behind me.  I can't see anyways, but, when they're behind their lights are like a foot and a half higher than most... you can't see the rear view mirror, you fling down the middle mirror in disgust, and then you drive on and continue to look for the white lines (I SWEAR there are some... somewhar.)

Then, ya got the smart car.  I was in Mehico, dude had one.  He was bragging "Has the same safety rating as a Mercedes Benz."  Sure buddy, one wrong move and you'll look like a tortilla.  Maybe his braggadocios behavior gave cause to buying the Smart Car so he could fit all his friends in there.  VICTOR!  Oh, I was funnin'.

MADE YA LOOK.......or, things that do...... a rainbow.  Deer.  Car wrecks in the other direction. Yoga pants.  Sorry, not really.  OK, equal opportunity here, tight Wranglers for you chicks. 

MADE YA MAD........ name callers.   Arrogant ones.  A twelve dolla meal, ya hand the server a fitty and they ask "Change?"...  Gas pumps.....   Bullies, big that prey on little.  "OK,. I understand you want to speak to a representative, but, there are many things I can do, so before I connect you, what can i help you with today?" REPRESENTATIVE!  Old that prey on young.  Loud phone dings, you check all three things that can generate them dings.. and nada, nuttin'.  Paying a stupid amount for Prime, and seeing "Sorry, two weeks and $6.99 for shipping, that one ain't Prime."

Victor? Yeah?  Wrong side'a bed? Au' contraire.... I love me some life.

Little things............. children...  miniature Schnauzers, Yorkies...  little old ladies... littie old men...  happy tears..  kindness exhibited by someone ya never met.  kindness exhibited by a good friend, loved one... smiles that meet, greet.

Big things... Good friends. LOVED ONES. Shaq... Andre... Lincoln Continentals... 747's...  An entire box of thin mint Girl Scout cookies... uh huh, one sitting.  Tenderloins...  'typing' back and forth with what teeth I got left, right/left/right down a big ole ear of sweet corn.   

Learning to not be overly annoyed by things that really annoy you....... loud people (ty earplugs).. the month before election day... mosquitos.. yap dogs..  Wanna buy ten yellow trash bags for twenty bucks so me and my honey can get a Motel 6 to see our kid's outta town little league game?  Thanks, but no thanks. Wee-ing in the wee hours. Often. Dr. Laura's "Go take on the day."

Bloggers that go on.............. and on................... sorry, kinda. 

Go, take on the day.  Sorry bebbe, come what may.  A little diddy, bout that and this.....

Love, Victurd