Teach your children well.......

Or........ do as I say not as I do?

Or......   the rabbit died... the hell do we do now?

“Teach Your Children Well” is a song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young about the importance of generations teaching and learning from each other. 

Parenting, my take, is among the most rewarding and challenging aspects of life. We are the training wheels of the child's path.  Sure, once we 'take 'em off' (the training wheels, they graduate (or don't), move out (or don't), obtain employment (or not).. you know... 

Once those wheels are off, there is no predictor of path, skill, want, willingness... Methods vary.  Hardcore... 'wheels are off, you're on your own.'..   Doters... 'get a  boo boo, I'll be there... you fall over.. don't worry, I'll be there to help you get up (so you may never learn how to do so on your own, or something like that.) And many, many, versions in between.

The song's message is relevant today, and can be interpreted in a number of ways, including:    

Teaching values: Parents are their children's first and most influential teachers, and teach them values like kindness, tolerance, honesty and love. Or not.

Parents have much to learn from their children as well.  "The song's message is about breaking prejudice and ageism."  Or not.

We walk around in life...... we're all alike ain't we?  They, those mingling, raising kids, are just like us, yeah?  

Sometimes in life....... like, in football where they throw the challenge flag... or, baseball, the manager sits in the dugout.. checks with his 'people' (those with magnifying, replay instruments in a room somewhere unknown) for upon further review.

Upon further review is us sitting on a park bench. On a plane. In a bus. On a deck after golf. Out. Among. People. Other people. Closer inspection reveals (and I kinda short apologize for the profanity, but, for impact purpose) "holy shit, I can't believe you were raised like that... survived that... carry on, as if (and you are) normal." 

Or, your child did what?  Said what? 

Parenting, my take, is difficult enough, and then, as the song relates, you got the societal implications and messages given your children about war and other issues.  Fine line.  Wavy line. Interrupted line.  What line?

Victor, there is a saying about "Beating around a bush."  The hell you trying to say?

I ain't real sure.  The 'laboratory' of our parenting (or not) yields diverse results.  We've all seen 'perfect, with perfect children' - and, I don't mean that enviously, rudely, crudely - I mean that - for some, the results are so good, there may never be any understanding of any way besides "easy peasy, what's the big deal?" 

I guess if there's any message - it's that, parenting is like life..... try as we may (or not).. good intent that might be had (or not)..... we can not necessarily take 100% responsibility, break our arms patting ourselves on the back. (And, BY ALL MEANS, it's absolutely perfect and OK to be proud, know you've contributed, led well, 'done good mom, dad.').... just as..... we cannot, once those training wheels are off, lay at night with sleeplessness, or any time there's no music, our attention is undivided, and forever raise our shield to fend off those (perhaps, self thrown) arrows, day in, night out.

The song was written by Graham Nash in 1968 while he was a member of the Hollies. Nash was inspired to write the song after seeing a famous 1962 photo by Diane Arbus, Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park.

One can do what one can do.  Or not.

Love, Victurd

The Old Lady that Swallowed the Fly.......

I know an old lady
She swallowed a fly
But I don't know why
She swallow the fly

I guess she'll die

Victor...... why do you put us thru this?  It's annoying.  Non-nonsensical.  EXACTLY.  And that's why. 

Life.  Life is non-nonsensical.  MY life especially mebbe.  TMI.  Turn left here Snagglepuss if you wanna..... Hanna-Barbara would appreciate it. Victor, that's ain't how you spell Babera. Right you are AND very perceptive.  You win an all expense paid trip to........ QuickTrip.  Have a free 'the Big Q' on them (use the side door.)

Who swallow a spider
It wiggled and jiggled
And tickled inside her

She swallowed a spider
To catch the fly
But I don't know why
She swallowed the fly

Alarm, 1:50am. Snooze button, TWICE.  Coffee.  Ain't real sure why, but did.  "Son" (who doesn't drive, age 39, works at 2:45am at FedEx.) "I'll be in the car."  Walked outside.  Someone stole my car.

To catch the spider
Who wiggled and jiggled
And tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider
To catch the fly
But I don't know why
She swallowed a fly

False alarm.  It's Fall Festival time in our fine City.  Folks drive from allover to see our trees which are changing colors, buy a funnel cake... put Junior on a $3 two-minute carny ride... eat two pounds of kennel corn, warsh it down with a 2-dolla-fitty cent Pepsi. Come one, you can find leather earrings, soap for your beard and candles, come all. They do.  I live by our town Square, no place to park last night.  Pulled down the alley, into my backyard, forgot.  False alarm.  Car not stolen.

I guess she'll die

I know an old lady
Who swallowed a cat
Just imagine that
She swallowed a cat
She swallowed the cat
To catch the bird
She swallowed the bird
To catch the spider
Who wiggled and jiggled
And tickled inside her
And she swallowed the spider
To catch the fly
But I don't know why
She swallowed the fly

- I guess she'll die!

Facebook next. (That's a lie.)  Of course pee was first.  Warsh face. Looked in mirror. DAMNIT why'd I do that?  Looked just like me!  Then Facebook.  "Why are all the sirens going off on 291 Highway?" (6 hours ago, 129 comments).. Ahm, two folks stole an Amazon Prime vehicle.  I guess that's the Master's Degree version of the BS'ing Porch Pirate. Pray all is well.  Forced the driver out.  Shot at police, chased across town, now stopped on Interstate.  Again, pray all is well - but too, what a weird twist to "Click here to track your package."

I know an old lady who swallowed a dog
Ooh, what a hog
She swallowed the dog
She swallowed the dog
To catch the the cat
She swallowed the cat
To catch the bird
And she swallowed the bird
Who wiggled and jiggled
And tickled inside her
And she swallowed the spider
To catch the fly
But I don't know why
She swallowed the fly

- I guess she'll die

I'm kinda mad. You're not paying attention. After "And tickled inside her" I 'cut' To catch the spider  and it went right over your head.  Bugs. Mowed at golf course yesterday. SKADS of bugs. In eye. Went to Mickey D's for lunch. Me, and a grasshopper on the inside of my windshield. Saw a walkiing stick, a bee, deer, squirrels aplenty, a heron, and on the way home from FedEx, a possom tried to play that in the road, I had to swerve.

Who swallowed a goat
She just opened her throat
And swallowed a goat
She swallowed the goat
To catch the dog
She swallowed the dog
To catch the cat
She swallowed the cat
To catch the bird
And she swallowed the bird
To catch the spider
Who wiggled and jiggled
And tickled inside her
And she swallowed the spider
To catch the fly
But I don't know why
She swallowed the fly

- I guess she'll die

Watching Sports Center, awaiting local news.  Top Ten plays, which, reminds me of mad parents counting to ten, warning their child. I remember, kinda sorta learning Spanish... Uno thru diez was cinchy, 11 thru 20 not-so-much as they had all them 'ce's' and 'dieci's.'  I remember Partick Mahomes throwing a TD against the Bears.. he stopped on National TV, counted purposely to ten with his fingers.. The Bears had the #9 pick (I think), they passed on Mahomes (he went #10 to KC). Reckon you can't blame him. Or, canya?

And I knew an old lady
Who swallowed a minister
Is'nt that sinister?
To swallow a minister
She swallowed a minister
To catch the goat
And she swallowed a goat
To catch the dog
And she swallowed a dog
To catch the cat
She swallowed the cat
To catch the bird
And she swallowed the bird
To catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled
And tickled inside her
And she swallowed th spider
To catch the fly
But I don't know why
She swallowed the fly.

- I guess she'll die

When I went to bed last night, the magic number for our hometown team, the Kansas City Royals, was one.  Any combination of them winning, or, the Twins losing, presto - in the playoffs.  I went to bed early, knew the Royals were losing. Damnit darnit, they did.  BUT, the Twins lost.  Royals backed into playoffs.  I once heard "Folks who back into parking spots are anal, egotistical," all that. Ya think?  Fire trucks do so. Ambulances.  Police at Dunkin Donuts.  Gotta buddy who always does it,.Patrick Mahomes, if you lived here, you'd know he doesn't normally flaunt.  He's a good egg.  Ya think he backs into a parking place though?

I know an old lady
Who swallowed a rhinosaurus
Isn't that preposterous!
To swallow a rhinosaurus
She swallowed a rhinosaurus
To catch the minister
She swallowed the minister
To catch the goat
She swallowed the goat
To catch the dog
She swallowed the dog
To catch the cat
She swallowed the cat
To catch the bird
And she swallowed a bird
To catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled
Andtickled inside her
And she swallowed the spider
To catch the fly
But I don't know why
She swallowed the fly

- I guess she'll die!

I'm trying to envision how a lady swallowed a rhinoceros and lived to tell about it. Whoever I copied the lyrics from couldn't spell the rhino word.

I know an old lady
Who swallowed a horse... she choked!

Wonder if her name was Nelly, as in "Wooaaahhhh Nelly!"

Victor, you're crazy.  Mebbe.  I do love when friends (or nosy 39 yr old son) ask "Where ya going?".. I ALWAYS answer, "Crazy.. I'm going crazy."

Aren't we all?

Did I really just waste 7 minutes of my life on this blog Victor? Mebbe. Let's see.. I'm right at 20,000 blogs, times 7 minutes, that's 140,000 minutes.  There are 1,440 minutes in a day.  That's 97.22 days. I've wasted 97.22 days of your life. Sorry, kinda.  I know an old reader who swallowed a blog.  Perhaps you'll die. I am maybe going crazy, but I done think you arrived at the depot.

Love, Victurd

It was the 3rd of June........

My pappy said, "Son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin' if ya don't stop drivin' that, Hot, Rod, Lincoln."

"Honey?  Ya seen Fido?  Daisy?  Rocky?  Sadie?".... "Nuh uh.... OH CRAP........ "WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO"

I was working in the lab late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster, from his slab, began to rise
And suddenly, to my surprise

he did the Monster Mash
(The Monster Mash) it was a graveyard smash
(He did the Mash) it caught on in a flash
(He did the Mash) he did the Monster Mash

BEST BLOG EVER!  Victor, ahm, don't break your arm patting your back.  NO!  That ain't the way I meant it....  Today, September 25 is National One Hit Wonder Day!

All I wanna do is zoom-zoom-zoom-zoom and a boom-boom.. Just shake your rump..All I wanna do is zoom-zoom-zoom-zoom and a boom-boom.. Just shake your rump....  NO, CRAP, that ain't.

All I wanna do is post stupid lyrics from One Hit Wonder songs, then, fetch my little booty (ok, you're right.. my BIG booty), back to bed.

And....... it SO falls in line with the expressed purpose, intent of this blog.  Because, ya know, I get knocked down, but I get up again ,You are never gonna keep me down, I get knocked down, but I get up again, You are never gonna keep me down,  I get knocked down, but I get up again,  You are never gonna keep me down...

BRB, got a sudden urge for some Mac and Cheese..... Give a little lovin' to your body, Macarena 'Cause your body's made to give it joy and good things Give a little lovin' to your body, Macarena...Hey, Macarena (Ay!)..  Give a little lovin' to your body, Macarena.. 'Cause your body's made to give it joy and good things.. Give a little lovin' to your body, Macarena..Hey, Macarena (Ay!)

VICTOR?  Huh?  All you're doing is copying lyrics.  I know, ain't it great?  NO.  It ain't.  They're gonna leave in droves...  you know, 96 Tears.... Achy Breaky Heart.. They're gonna get mad....... We're Not Gonna Take It....  Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting...

WAIT!  Don't they know You Light Up My Life, You Give Me Hope...  Don't Worry, BE HAPPY!... Ya put the lime in the Coconut ya drink it all up......

Wait, again..  we have an important message from Principal Seymout Skinner...  "It's been brought to my attention.. there has been Smoking In The Boys Room... Everybody knows that smokin' ain't allowed in school."

I'm too sexy for my shirt
Too sexy for my shirt
So sexy it hurts
And I'm too sexy for Milan
Too sexy for Milan
New York, and Japan
And I'm too sexy for your party
Too sexy for your party
No way I'm disco dancing

And good old Norman Greenbaum....... of course, he sang...............

Spirit In The Sky........

Sugar, Sugar..... Brandy, You're A Fine Girl..... Hey, I thought this blog would be really tough.. kinda started out that way, then I learned O-o-h Child, things are gonna get easier....

This one kinda makes me wanna get up and dance... (I know, I saw the visual too, EWW!).. Ooh, my little pretty one, pretty one, When you gonna give me some time, Sharona? Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run Gun it coming off of the line, Sharona......   

Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind, I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind, My, my, my, I, yi, woo!, M-m-m-my Sharona

VICTOR?  Huh?  Did you get up too early again?  Mebbe.  Sorry..  Kinda.  

Bang a gong.  The Book of Love.   Dancin' in the Moonlight....  then........  Fooled Around and Fell in Love...... Mr. Big Stuff  

I got the runs.........  no, that ain't it.  I got to run.

You out there, dare to Take A Walk On The Wild Side...... Mambo No. 5.

This day, National One Hit Wonder Day... is almost like a second Birthday ain't it?  It's like them Edwin Hawkins Singers sang............

Oh Happy Day......

Love, Victurd

By Henry Gibson.......

Dearest friends......

Thanks for being that, 

in spite of me being fat.

My take, life needs some levity,

with a pinch of bloggers with brevity....

When your name pops up, it does bring me a smile.......

Even when separated by many a mile....

Life should be friends, kindness, smiles, hands held, laughs, mebbe even a snort.....

Impossible to imagine, no friends to report..... would be like a booby, without any support

We love dogs (or not), interests diverse, vote this way or that, 

Don't seem to really matter - the age that we're at...

We've tippy-toed out on the diving board of life, no going back to rehash...

Might as well bounce. have some fun...... go out with big splash.

Along yellow brick road of life, gump happens, woes, aches, pains, family fued, punch kin?

Hells to the no, we're happy and thankful, bigger than that, giddy, singy, dancy, much like a munchkin...

Music does seem to be a common thread... country (old and new), Classic rock, mebbe even rap.....

Damn near as good as our daily rap.......

Fine wine, boxed or even Winking Owl, our easel of life, however we wanna paint it....

Affliction, squeaky joints, market up, market down, still, life is perty darn good, ain't it?

It's too bad there ain't a remote - for all we emote.......

Crying in the Chapel, I'm so lonesome I could cry, As tears go by, While my guitar gently weeps.....

That didn't rhyme, this poem is poopy, you're too kind to point it all out, my version - GOOD PEEPS....

I'm going to go golf now..... I'll hit a fairway, an Oak, a green, some sand, and a lake......

It too is like life - just how we envision it to happen, NOPE, for goodness sake....

Have a spiffy day... truly glad you are here.......

I had to find something that would rhyme with beer...

Sorry, kinda....

Walter said and that's the way it is.....

Paul Harvey gave us the rest of the story....

Oh Lord, won't you buy me's Janis ended with "That's it."

Henry always ended it plainly, with simply, By Henry Gibson

Love, Victurd

Dark-thirty

You know the nighttime, darling (night and day)
Is the right time (night and day)
To be (night and day)
With the one you love, now (night and day)

Eh mebbe....

We are all different.  (Gotta mirror?  See what I mean?).. I mean, we are.  Night owls, early to bed... late sleeper... up at the crack of dawn...

This blog has kinda sorta been veritable collective blurt about DO THIS (laugh, love, smile, be nice, get up and go, text/call/write/go see whilst ya can) DON'T DO THAT (argue, grump, groan, worry, fret, stop 'doing/going'.. CAN'T YOU READ THE (warning) SIGN(s)... ie, we're old. Hella old, days are precious.

What about Sony? (I think mebbe I'm the only one in the World that remembers that commercial.)..... No, that (what about Sony) ain't what I meant.

WHAT ABOUT DARK?

We old people, generally, don't do dark no more.  When doya go to bed?  Oh, I dunno, 8:30 or so...... you?...  So, you say we don't do dark... if you go to bed at 8:30, ain't it dark when you awaken?

Sure... but, whointheheck goes outside then?  Nobody takes the paper any longer.. (Because it's cheaper to do the E-version thing?) No, well ok, sure, but mainly because it's dark out, there's cracks in them sidewalks, my skivvies got holes in 'em, we can't see, slip and fall, the batteries in the flashlight are from 1968.

Last night (Imagine that) I was actually out and about with friends.  Old friends. We (old folks) don't do dat.  But, our local football team was on Sunday Night Football.  I 'splurged', forced my body to stay awake for the entire game...  When the game clock ticked zero, I headed home........ walked in the door at like 10:24pm.  Late for me.  Very late.

My son had orientation last week for Fedex employment... Said "My first day is the 23rd." I remembered that as I walked in at 10:24pm it was the 22nd. 

"So, what time to you start tomorrow?"  (My son doesn't presently drive.) "2am."  Holy guacamole.

40 winks, I learn, means, a short nap. I did that. Alarm set for 1:15am.  That's dark-thirty.  I slept thru midnight.  I ain't seen midnight on NYE or otherwise since I was mebbe 46.  You?  BEEP, BEEP, get up Victor.  I hit the snooze for 5 minuters.  BEEP BEEP, get up Victor.  5 more.  BEEP BEEP, ok, ok, enter curse word here.

"I'll be in the car waiting."  Holy crap it's dark. 2nd day of Fall, 1:30am, HEATER/DEFROST on.  Brrrrr, kinda a feel good.  Whereintheheck is the interior light?  I never use it. I gotta clean junk offa the passenger seat so my son can get in.  Found the light.  Dayum it's dark.

'Kid' in, rolling.  Wondered (to myself) am I the oldest person in Missouri presently out driving at this moment? Thought, "probably".. Then I thought, holy crap, I can't see the white lines, I (think) I am going the right direction, in the right lane... every oncoming, passing car HAS TO BE being driven by a snotnose don't it?  We old, we don't do dark.

Starry starry night....   flaming flowers that brightly blaze... 

Swirling clouds in violet haze.. Reflect in Vinceturd's eyes of China blue.....

Daytime, I go the speed limit, folks fly by me.  Nighttime, I'm moving 5-10 miles under the speed limit (hey, there are deer, curbs, guard rails, geezers driving the wrong way, yada)..  snotnoses fly right by me.

Are you afraid of the dark?  When's the last time you went to the Awful Waffle at 2am?  Hayes Hamburgers?  Helens? (whatinthehell is Helens?)  It's a 3am bar, or, so I heard. Uh huh.

Howabout the Drive-in?  Last time?  Road trip outta town?  What would be your motel check in time?  Victurd, we push it... we usually don't pull over for sleep until 10pm or so.

Your pants are on fire. You're old too.  We old don't do dark.

Night cap.  Late night.  Night shift.  Night watch.  Night train.  Midsummer night.  Night terrors.  Night sweat.  

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Hells to the No's.

I USEDTA enjoy nightlife.  The Methodist Church on toppa the hill overlooking our town, we (snotnoses) would get between the spotlights and the wall and make HUGE scary shadows.  There wasn't trunk-or-treat but there was in-the-trunk at the Twin Drive-In.  Fireworks when the ball dropped on NYE.  1am rasslin' in the living room of our frat house. Bonfires.  Fire pits. Camping, swapping stories long in the night. We generally didn't leave for a night out until night, dark.

Huh uh.  No more.

I do like dark chocolate.  Not a great fan of dark beer but Modelo Negra is THE BOMB.  Dark shades on a boat ride.  Dark humor. 

Keep calm and release the bats.  Are you afraid of the dark?  Don't keep calm, I'm under your bed.  The creepier the better.  Come to the dark side, we have cookies. 

ARE YOU CRAZY? A VAMPIRE?  A ZOMBIE?

“I would not, could not, in the rain. Not in the dark. Not on a train. Not in a car. Not in a tree. I do not like them, Sam, you see.”

I need to rest. I think I'll go to Motel 6. Uh huh, of course, they'll leave the light on. Besides, it's gonna be light soon. Then what will I do? My body is all messed up. But, aren't all old people's?

Night night. I mean, er, morning morning.

Sweet (day) dreams......

Starry starry night.......

Love, Vinceturd

When your baby leaves you all alone

And nobody calls you on the phone
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
Don't you feel like cryin'?
Well, here I am, a-honey
A-come on, well, cry to me

Heck I figured this tune was kinda fitting for the day...... First day of "Fall", as in weather... but too, fall as in love, then,  ruh roh, which way did she go? (or he).   For some strange reason, this song, in spite of it sounding like the end of a romance... it kinda makes ya wanna get up and dance......

When you're all alone in your lonely room
And there's nothing but the smell of her perfume
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
A-don't you feel like cryin'?
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
A-come on, come on, cry to me

I ain't sure how old you are, but I can tellya I was 10 when this song came out.  Weirdly, divorce was considered, almost up to this point, as taboo.  Sure, not by all.   Today, the here and now, divorce, yes, is roughly fitty percent.  Ain't always been like that.

Whoa
Nothing can be sadder than a glass of wine alone
Loneliness, loneliness, such a waste of your time, oh yes
You don't ever have to walk alone, you see
A-come on, take my hand, and baby, won't you walk with me? Whoa yeah

Much has contributed to divorce 'growing', becoming more socially acceptable, easier to obtain.  Victor, whothehell picked you as an expert. I ain't.  I simply plagiarize.  Google relates "In the 19th and early 20th century, people often married to gain property rights or to move social class.  All that changed by the mid to late 1800's with the ideas of love and romance becoming the main reasons to wed."  Oh mercy.

You're in the Army now..... WWI happened.  Men marched off, women went to work.  Hey, mebbe I don't need a man for security.  Ruh roh.  

When you're waitin' for a voice to come
In the night, but there's no one
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'? (Cry to me)
Don't you feel like cryin'? (Cry to me)
A-don't you feel like a-c-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry (cry to me)
Cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry, cryin'? (Cry to me)
A-don't you feel like a-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry (cry to me)
C-cry, c-cry, c-cry-cry, cryin'? (Cry to me)

The roaring 20;'s.  women continued the gain on their independence, embraced the life of a flapper.. started dating publicly, many chose to stay single longer.

The Depression.  Whoops, back to dependency.  Divorce rates dropped.

Hup two three four, there they go marching out the door. (WWII)... Rosie riveted, divorce went from two per 1000 people, to 3.4 per thousand in 1947. And....... as I briefly reread alla the above, it sounds like "uh huh, it's all her fault."  Nope, not what I mean, meant.

The fitties were reserved for Ward, June..... Ricky, Lucy... Fred, Ethel. Andy and Bea, oops, scratch that last one. Divorce rate stabilized.

Strobe lights beam, creates a dream - and all hell to break loose in the late 60's.  Free love, hippies, math and all the sets, subsets of Bob, Carol, Ted and Alice, holy crap, divorce now up to 5 per thou, shacking happened... For grins, Google Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson some day

Don't you feel like cryin'?

Well...... ahm, no, I guess not.  RR signed the very first no-fault divorce. Katy (or Evan, Charlie, Susie) didn't bar the door, they fled from it.

Well, here I am, a-honey
A-come on, well, cry to me

Victor, bloggers ALWAYS input their opine  How come you ain't?  OK, mebbe I will.  I personally am not a fan of divorce.  VICTOR, you hypocrite, TWICE?   Yeah, yeah, I know.  Yes, I truly believe there are times when it's necessary........ but, me thinks all too often, it's akin to checking into the hospital with a hangnail.  Packing all your bags over a simple argument, or, a string of them.

From experience, there is emotion aplenty before, during, after, divorce.  "What's wrong with me?.. What's wrong with her/he?"  Embarassment... Children in the middle.  Thanksgiving at your sidea the fam. Christmas, mine. Vice versa next year.  Hurt, blurt can happen. Some, attempt to 'paint' their ex to the children. Not all, some. It can be like a glassa Alka-Seltzer if ya hates Alka-Seltxer. 

I, my take only, believe, like boards, there are two sides to everything, marriage (and divorce) included.  Rare is the "completely because of him/her.' Sure, happens, but I think normally both sides should share fault. I think all too often, folks jump, dive out - when, instead, they should dive into their probs.  ie, a "grab 'em by the collar' to make sure they're listening, really listening.  Of course that sounds physical and that ain't what I meant should happen - I just hope you get the point.  Somehow, the message has to be communicated as to how severe the situation is, are you really listening?.  Then, see if it can be worked out, up to and perhaps including outside help.

Like always, I'm perfect, and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites.  Ha.  I jest.  (I'm kidding!) Justa tad, but I jest.

We've all seen extremes post divorce.  Wonderful beginnings anew, all the way to forever lonely. 

Still......... when i listen to the song, it makes me wanna dance.  You know, kinda like the Gentry's.. (A keep on dancin.)

When you're all alone in your lonely room
And there's nothing but the smell of her perfume
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
A-don't you feel like cryin'?
A-don't you feel like a-cryin'?
A-come on, come on, cry to me

I gotta run.  My check engine light is on...... again.

Love, Victurd

The eyes have it...

Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.

She's got Bette Davis eyes. She’s not just captivating in her looks, she’s got the chutzpah to back it up. She’s bold, confident, and definitely skilled in the art of seduction. She seems to know what she wants and goes after it, but no partner is safe when under her spell.

And she’ll tease you
She’ll unease you

Good eye. Keep your eye on the ball. Catch someone's eye.  I know this ain't what that meant, but, Fred Arbanas was a highly successful tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Age 26, Fred was brutally attacked by two men, lost eyesight in one eye. Did not stop him from playing football. TBC

Fred then had a glass eye put in. After a hard hit the next year... the eye popped out. Game was halted whilst players got on knees to search for the eye.

Found, handed back to Fred.  He placed the eye in his mouth to clean it, lube it up, then popped it back in the socket.  A ref was left amazed. He went to him, said "Man you are one tough SOB....have you thought about what you'd do if you got your good eye poked out?"  Without missing a beat, Fred said "Oh that's easy. I'll just become an NFL ref."

I might mention, and have before, I have one friend totally blind, eyesight progressively worsened over the years... a 2nd friend, legally blind. They are, simply, amazing humans.  One goes fishing often, the other goes snow skiing, annually, and that's not a typo. 

This morning, when thinking about a topic, the word pizzazz surfaced... I was thinking of a certain person, a relative actually. This person lights up the room, the mood, life in general... that pizzazz shines through the eyes and the smile.  My two buddies above, each, hands down, full of pizzazz.

The apple of one's eye. Bird's eye. Eagle eye. Stars in one's eye. Catch someone's eye. Eyes bigger than stomach.  The teacher had eyes in back of her head.

Blog, X, Instagram, yada, in the public eye. Without batting an eye (mebbe 'cause she had Bette Davis eyes.) 

Can't take my eyes off of you.... Behind blue eyes.... I only have eyes for you...   Smoke gets in your eyes...  Blue eyes cryin' in the rain (sing it Willie!)... These eyes.. 

I heard an expression the other day.  A friend described one as having smiling eyes.  I LIKE THAT.  I really LIKE that.

Smiling eyes...

Pizzazz

Life, aging, edjumacates us to filter out the yuck we see, hear, focusing instead on positive, light, fun...

All while having smiling eyes with a pinch of pizzazz tossed in.

Yum.

Love, Victud

I can't wait until tomorrow.

One young, brash Joe Willie Namath usedta say that, then add "Because I get better looking each day."

Ahm, no, no, and again quoting my stepson "hells to the nos."

Do re me.  Victor, you misspelled 'mi'.  Huh uh, 'me' with intent. I really really wish I could write about someone, something else (and thankfully I do occasionally!), every time I look in the mirror, it's ME!

Every time I look down at my shoes, they're MINE, so, you're stuck with reading what happens while I'm in em. Sorry, kinda, but, you could Snagglepuss here and I wouldn't get mad.

I can't wait until tomorrow.  Victor, you already said that, and yeah yeah yeah,  according to that little redheaded snotnose, we're aware the sun will undoubtedly come out. So, why do you say that?

Well...  I suppose out of fear. Unknown.  Huh?  You basically said 'Kool-aid Kool-aid, tastes great, wish I had some, can't wait" for tomorrow. 

Yep. Tomorrow is scary. It ain't like being a kid and "next year, I'm gonna do 10 more pull ups." 

Contrary to how many millions Clairol sells, "you're not getting older, you're getting better" is funny ha ha. Makes me wanna run to Dicks Sporting Goods and buy a can of tennis balls

For my walker. I mean look around..  sometimes older ain't pretty.

Me, me, me.

Just yesterday morning (Victor? James Taylor ain't it? Fire and Rain?).. well no. I mean yes, kinda.

Just yesterday morning I drove to the golf course.  Victor, it's like one of your former "you knows" said, "Not everyone is as excited as you about your ideas, interests", ahm, like golf.  Hell I ain't even sure if either of your two readers have ever played.

Where was I? Oh yeah, golf course, Kearney, MO. We (old farts) gather at 9-ish, for the daily 'scramble'. That's where we put colored chips in a hat, we draw for teams. 

Most days 12 or so guys, sometimes,  a perty lady or three, and we play 18 holes, bet a whopping $4... hope like heck the new hips, knees, teeth all function.

We care, but we don't, who wins.  I drew a red chip.   Four to a team today, hey, Charlie got red too! Charlie is 85, a damn good golfer, fun, and even better, from Liberty like me!

Ron M got a red chip too.  He's 79, if you can picture Tim Conway, uh huh, that's him. Dry, dry (wonderful) wit. I hollered to Charlie (loud enough for Ron M (Tim Conway) to hear, "Aw crap, now we gotta have fun."

Add Ron S (77 I think), good dude. Glory Days, Little All American Running back.

So...two Ron's and Liberty (Charlie and I.) 85, 79, 77, and me, the pup, 71.

And there I was. I was taken to a place (VICTOR, I know that one, Spill the Wine, War!) Well, yes, and no.

The place I was taken to was what I've feared... tomorrow... living, being... 75... 77... 79..  80... 83.. 85.

Between laughter, jokes, bantering, talk of wives, more laughter....we'd occasionally hit a golf ball straight..  in the woods..   not very far..  too far...  and on rare occasions, perfectly.

The older guys, honest, better golfers than I.  We were, by far, the oldest of our three groups.

Yesterday's blog was home on the range, where, seldom is heard a discouraging word. Golf with two Ron's and Liberty (Charlie and I) there was NEVER a discouraging word.

Tim Conway (ie, Ron M, 79) was awesome. Par three course, I think he hit (landed on, first shot) 16 outta 18 greens.  I complimented him after. True to Conway form, "hey, will you tell Bo I played good?  They wanted to kick me off the team yesterday!" (They hadn't, and didn't.... Bo, 'Tim', were simply funning.

I wish I could relate every humorous line, take, moment, but. .. that (fun, humor, light) was nonstop.

Now, I can't wait for tomorrow.   Why Victor?  Is that because Charlie (85) and 'Tim' (79) and Ron S. (77) hit em so straight so you think there's future hope for you to do so too?

Well, perhaps. We all, at least I do, fear the unknown. None of us have ever been older.  

If, being blessed to be older, and to resemble the fun, leisure, levity, good nature like my teammates displayed, I can't wait.

We finished 2nd, outta three groups. Won a dollar.

Leaving now to go play again this morning. Be there or be talked about.  It's more than the coffee, donuts, pars, bogey, birdies.

It's life. I can't wait.

Love, Victurd

I ain't never seen an antelope...

 Home on The Range

Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

In 1862, for a small fee, The Homesread Act afforded one to claim 160 acres as long it was agreed to build a house and farm the land. The intent, Go West Horace.

Home, home on the Range;
Where the deer and the antelope play;
Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Horace did, and so did Dr. Brewster Higley.  He and horse hoofed it to Smith County, Kansas. Long about 1872, after many nights of starlit skies, the peace, quiet...beauty of the environment, he wrote a poem entitled My Western Home - contained the lyrics here, I can't get the 'type' to switch from italic to regular because my laptop went kapooey and I'm using my crappy Android phone to blog.

Where the air is so pure and the zephyrs so free
And the breezes so balmy and light
That I would not exchange my home on the range
For all of the cities so bright

A tad later someone added music to the poem. Wagons rolled across America..as they circled for an overnight, made stew, the guitars would come out, all would sing the song. Lo and behold in 1947 it became the State song of Kansas. Victor, being from Missoui, you hate Kansas?  

Hate is a strong word, but I do wonder whatintheheck was in that stew if they was seein' antelope. Maybe it made em see that bird in the sky too...you know, that big beak Jayhawk.

Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Bing sang the most popular version, FDR coined it "My favorite song". America in transition, again.

How often at night when the heavens are bright
With the light of the glittering stars
I stand there amazed and I ask as I gaze
Does their glory exceed that of ours?

It really is amazing (to me anyways), no matter our skin color, language, religion (or not), no matter where/what type of abode we live - all of us have in common the light of the glittering stars.  Makes ya not wanna utter a discouraging word, even about Kansas.

Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.

Sometimes I like cloudy skies. Kids in the street playing stick ball, hollerin' "Car coming!" for a brief stymie halt. Cul-de-sacs, Gravel roads, Interstates, houses so close together (like Chicago) there aint room for a driveway tween em.. a good ole rain, follow by Sol and a rainbow. Rainbows are unique, different, like us. All of us, beneath the glittering stars.

Getting a tad sappy mebbe, we are lucky to live here. We can go anywhere, any time, do anything (within reason/law) we wanna.Even in/to Topeka or Smith Center. Even Cawker Center, Kansas, home to The Biggest Ball of Twine in the entire US of A.

OK, truth is, I like Kansas.  Their fans are probably nicer to me than I am to them. Did I mention how wonderful Free Speech is?

Cheers to Bing... FDR... ole Brewster... Frank Stoeber... WHO?  Frank, he created that ball of twine...Deer.  Zephyrs... kids who write on sidewalks across the land with rock chalk. Antelopes.  Rainbows, that perty Fruit Loops bird, all that.

Home. Home on the range. 

Paul Harvey, good day.