Farewell My Friend

   I am losing a good friend. My beloved cat Denali has been battling cancer for quite some time. Vet visits, surgery, and long nights have taken their toll on him. His time has come and I hope he knows that he will be missed. Denali has been a part of my family for nearly 14 years and saying goodbye is not easy. I vowed early on that I wouldn't let him suffer and today I intend to honor that vow.

 I have heard it said that a good friend doesn't judge you or expect anything from you...not true. My friend expected a lot from me and if ever I failed or came up short on his expectations he was quick to let me know. He demanded attention and sulked whenever he didn't get his way. He did pretty much what he wanted to do and on his own time schedule. He would stand and whine for as long as it took to get whatever it was he wanted. He decided for a while that he needed to be watched while he was eating, and so would whine until someone followed him to his food bowl. He would decide when he wanted to play and when he wanted to be left alone regardless of what I or anyone else may have going on at the time. When he was young he would often hide and grab at me from his secret locations.  Sometimes the hide and grab game would end up with me in the bathroom cleaning a wound. I don't think he really intend to hurt anyone but those claws were sharp.

When I got a dog, instead of being jealous and petty, Denali decided that he would claim his title of King of the house. Sometimes I referred to him as "His Majesty the Cat", a fitting moniker that stuck with him for years. At 75 lbs the dog was much larger than Denali but that didn't seem to even enter into the mind of the King. Sometimes he would deliberately agitate the dog to start a confrontation. Ultimately the dog would get bit on the ear and cry while Denali casually strolled away the clear victor. I believe they liked each other though, because when they thought no one was watching they would occasionally lie down together for a nap.

   He first came to me as little more than a ball of blonde fluff that easily fit in my palm. He grew up to be a very large and dominating fellow. At one point he weighed in at around 26 lbs which I understand is quite large for a regular cat He had long blonde hair that I was constantly cleaning off of the furniture. He loved to sleep in my bed. He would get nervous during thunderstorms and needed to be very close to me...I always told him it would be okay and that he was safe and sound then we were both off to sleep. He snored like a bear but instead of an annoyance I chose to think of it as sort of soothing.

Despite all his demands and whining, he was a good friend. He was always around to listen when I spoke to him and he seemed like he understood some of what I was telling him. If he thought I was lonely or not feeling well, he would come sit with me and try to "pet" my face. Yes, the claws were a problem sometimes but he meant well so I never got upset.

   He won't be with me here in this place much longer, but I will carry him in my heart and in my thoughts until it's time for me to go. Who knows, maybe sometime I will see him again in a better place with more secret hiding places and no scary weather.

   Goodbye my friend, I love you.   

Candy is Dandy

Hey blogbuds...it's really me! I have missed you all and I had an idea for a post so here I am!

I LOVE Smarties. You know the little candies popular around Halloween? Small round things wrapped in plastic? Not to be confused with the Canadian Smarties which are more like a Skittles and come in a box. I may be addicted to Smarties. They are my crack, or heroin, or whatever the latest kick is. I love their look, their ease of packing into my grip (a grip is a bag carried by railroad types) and I even love the crinkly sound the empty wrappers make, but I have to admit it also means there are none left so it's kind of sad too.

There are a lot of reasons to love Smarties. The way they crunch in my mouth and the deliciousness of their processed sugary selves...mmm! And they are multi colored but pretty much all taste the same...good! There are exactly 15 Smarties in each little wrapper and to my surprise there are 15 Smarties pictured on each little wrapper.(truth in advertising) Because there are always 15 in a wrapper, I have found that there are a number of ways to enjoy my Smarties. I can have them 1 at a time, I can have them in 5 groups of 3, I can have them in 3 groups of 5 or, what has become my very favorite way to eat them, I can have them 1...2...3...4...5! Delicious and fun to eat! (I do recall a guy eating the whole package at once but I cant recommend it) I suppose there are several more ways to group the Smarties for eating but I don't want to do math tonight.

 I saw a package of giant Smarties at a candy store once and decided to give them a try but sadly they just weren't the same. The size was off as was the flavor. They tasted more like a Sweet-Tart but in a giant size. Boring! I'm not exactly sure about the calories and carbs and other nutritional info of a package of Smarties but I am pretty sure you can eat all of them you want and not die or get super fat. I hope not anyway because I eat the hell out of them.

 Thats my post...I love Smarties and I am not ashamed to admit it. In other news, I am still in Kansas and still work on the railroad. His Majesty the cat is alive and well after a bout with cancer and a 900 dollar vet bill. My girlfriend has moved in with her 2 cats who do not get along with His Majesty. Her cats are females and young like teenagers. Full of energy,cute, playful and curious. My cat is a grumpy old man who has very little interest in anything that involves him getting off the sofa. Wow our pets really do become like us!! I hope to start putting my nonsense on here for you all to yawn at again and I look forward to catching up on all of your posts as well. Glad to be back (maybe) and hugs to you all!

 Okay, I previewed this post and there are no margins or paragraphs or anything...wtf?

My New Tattoo

New tattoo that I got today. The inspiration for the tattoo was a photo titled "Weathered". (Thank you Tim and Jessica)

This tree has seen a lot during it's time here on Earth. It has seen scorching heat and bitter cold. It has been ravaged by time, floods, drought, and wind. This tree has seen much and it still stands strong. I have endured my fair share of "weather". Time, death, and divorce among others. I find myself today, still standing despite these setbacks. Weathered but still here. With any luck perhaps this old tree and I will have a few more years here on this rock we call Earth. Years to spend pondering one anothers existence and enjoying the company of someone or something that through our similar experiences are somehow connected in the grand scheme of things.

This tree is located about an hour North of my home. It stands very close to a river just off the highway in a protected parkland area. I was told by a park sevice officer who stopped me as I was leaving the area, that under no circumstances was I allowed in the area and that I was not allowed to park along a limited access hiway for the purpose of taking pictures of trees. He was pretty cool though and didn't write me a crap load of tickets. I got my shot and my tattoo artist, (Thank You Johnny T. at Flesh Art Tattoo) was able to create a beautiful work of art. I am positive that the tree would approve.

The pain? Excruciating! 3 hours in the chair and about a gazillion needle pokes...yeah it was painful. I love the tat and I hope you like it too! See ya!!

Catch Up...or Ketchup...Catsup?

Yeah this post has nothing to do with condiments.

Hi to anyone who still reads this blog. I realize I have been slacking, I would love to tell you it isn't my fault, my computer broke, my fingers went missing, or something else, but that would be a lie. I totally knew where my fingers were at the whole time. I have been lazy, and quite busy, and really not feeling very bloggy lately.

The truth is I still don't feel much like writing but I felt obligated to post something since I do in fact take up space on your internet. I realize that pretty much everything is taking up space on the internet but still I was feeling guilty.

What has been keeping me so busy? Well, nothing...that was a lie too. I dont think a lie inside of the truth is as bad as an outright lie though. Example: I didnt come in to work today(truth)because I was stricken temporarily blind(lie)and couldnt find any clean socks to wear(truth). This story also illustrates how laundry will not do itself, science is cool.

"You're fired", illustrates how a boss might sound if he had no sense of humor and was missing an important member of his team due to the science of laundry and or temporary blindness.

I really haven't got any good excuse for my absence in blogville other than I just wasn't feeling it lately. I do want to say hello to my blogbuds though and let them know I think of them often. So, if any of you reading this would be so kind as to pass along a message for me....yeah I kind of thought not. Had to try it.

Anyway I love you all, take care of one another and I will write when I can. Did someone just mumble "Dude you never could"? Not nice...not nice at all.

PS I'm not really fired...I hope :)

My Letter To Blatz Beer

Ok I recently sent an e-mail letter to the Blatz Brewery and my friend thought it was funny....yep, they have yet to respond...


To: Blatz Brewery,
I'm writing this letter to request a tour of your brewing facility and purchase 2 cases of your fine beer for a
nostalgic fishing trip with an old and dear friend.

First a little history:
My good friend Mike and I graduated from Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Kansas in 1983. Mike and I were
great friends and partners in crime. (The fact is we never committed any real crimes but the cliche seems appropriate)
As is too often the case, shortly after graduation life started happening and Mike and I lost touch for several years. He
moved to Arkansas, and I relocated to Missouri. Sometime around 1989 I had returned to Pittsburg and Mike and I crossed
paths once again and discovered we still had a strong friendship and many similar interests. 2 of our favorite things in life
were fishing and drinking Blatz beer. Mike would show up ringing my doorbell most weekends with a tackle box and a case
or 2 of Blatz longnecks. Life truly was good and we savored our afternoons fishing, drinking, and telling lies. We had a saying
back then that if the fish weren't biting...the beer certainly would be. We stayed loyal to your brand for our expeditions and
endured many a painful hangover thanks to your brewing expertise. We introduced many of our friends to Blatz and I like to
think that they are better people for having sampled your beer.

In 1991 I again relocated, this time to Anchorage Alaska and what was, as far as I could see, a Blatz free zone. I couldn't buy
it anywhere and often longed for its unique deliciousness. Mike and I again lost touch for a number of years, however our legendary
fishing trips were never forgotten. Flat tires, swamped boats, mosquitoes, rain and the blazing heat of an August afternoon were
never a problem as long as we had our sense of humor and a few bottles of Blatz beer.

Recently Mike and I ran into one another and our friendship is as strong as ever. We have resumed our fishing and lie telling trips,
sans one key element, that key element is Blatz beer. I have searched high and low for Blatz even enlisting the help of a friend who
owns a liquor store but sadly according to your website there are no distributors in Kansas or in any adjacent neighboring states
who can provide us with that which eludes us...we need Blatz beer, and we are willing to go the extra mile to get some.

Our thinking, skewed as it may be, is that a journey of a couple thousand miles for 2 cases of beer will not only satisfy our
thirst for Blatz, but, may also rocket us up the coolness scale like 100%. (I am recently divorced and a coolness bump can't hurt my
dating game right?) We figure as long as we are making the trip anyway we may as well try to tour the brewery where the beer that
got us through some otherwise useless fishing trips, is made. Our plan is to purchase the 2 cases of beer, and then sneak out to what
is now private property, (our old fishing hole) and re-live a piece of our youth. All the while ignoring the "no trespassing" signs,and evading
whatever sort of law enforcement may be present that day.You hold the key to recapturing our youth. Turn that key...unlock the door to the past.

In closing I wish to thank you for taking the time to read this rather lengthy letter and for considering our request for a brewery tour. In
any case we will make the trip, get the beer, and enjoy a fishing trip and a brief glance into our colorful past...fishing, drinking, telling lies
and remembering the good old days.

Warmest regards,
Mark Price

Carnival, You're Running a Circus

Has it been a month since i posted anything? WOW. Heres the deal, I got separated from lovely and have been seeing someone else and have been working and blah blah blah...sue me. I really didn't have much to say until I went on a cruise recently. Some time back I wrote a post or two called "Grind My Gears" based loosely on a Family Guy episode that I thought was pretty damn funny. The thing is this was going to be a "Grind My Gears" post as well but I felt the seriousness of the gear grinding warranted a more direct approach.

My cruise with Carnival was how shall we say, less than perfect. Prior to cruising on the Fun Ship I had been exposed to cruising with Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Carribbean Cruise Lines so the bar was set pretty high.

I believe there are 2 sides to almost every story so I will begin with the good stuff...
Number 1...The ports of call were really nice. (Montego Bay Jamaica, Grand Cayman C.I., and Cozumel Mexico)
Number 2...My stateroom steward was the SHIZ!! Lovin ya Tio!
Number 3...Ariel in the dining room you really went above and beyond!

Now that those 3 things are out of the way lets get down to the crappy stuff.
Number 1, the food...Really a cruise is supposed to be about eating way too much rich food and basically making a complete pig of onesself right? 7 days 7 pounds is the generally accepted weight gain for a trip. OK did the website mention that between the hours of like 3pm to 6pm that the only food available is pizza(unimaginably greasy), Hamburgers hotdogs or chicken strips (am I on a cruise or at a county fair?), or a deli sammich (really? I have lunch meat at home.)? No the website didnt mention that little tidbit and it was an unpleasant surprise.

Number 2, service...OK The 2 persons mentioned above are not included in this section of my review. YOU ALL SUCK! There are about 2000 people to serve food and drinks to on a cruise ship, thats a lot but didnt they tell you that when you hired on? A smile or a friendly excuse me would have likely killed the service staff on this trip. Angry, bitter servers, pissed off bartenders (when you could get them to take your order at all) and grumpy ass cleaning persons do not make me feel like coming back with a huge pile of money next vacation.

Number 3, revenue...I realize that cruise lines need to make money to survive in todays world. I went on the trip expecting to get ass raped every time i pulled out my sign and sail card...but HELLOOOOO Everything shouldnt be about fleecing the guests, its irritating. We did pony up some money to be here.

Number 4, photographers...I get it, photos are a money maker for a cruise line. People want to take the memories home and rub their friends noses in it but I think I counted 22 different photographers on the ship. Each one acting like a fool trying to take a photo that you just had taken 3 feet away. Different background screens yes, but all the same poses. It was like running the gauntlet to get through them all. Hey, NO MEANS NO!

Number 5, entertainment...The magician was OK, the comedians were funny, and thats all I have to say about that. World class? no. (I saw the acrobats from China perform on a different cruise...thats world class entertainment)

I dont want you all to think that I am one of those people who is never satisfied and just loves to bitch about stuff, it really was a dissappointment. I think maybe the persons in charge of training the crews mentioned above should go on a trip with a different cruise line and see how the guests like to be treated. Go enjoy the trip, take notes, and bring back something worthwhile to teach the next bunch of servers and bartenders and photographers, etc... I thought perhaps I was being too picky so I asked around to see if anyone else shared my views of Carnival...guess what, I wasnt alone, not by a long shot!

The trip was fun, I got to spend time with a lovely young lady, we did some fun things in port and got hammered at least once. (yep Mexico) So I don't count the trip as a complete waste of time and money. Thanks for listening to me whine...

Back to you Tom!

About Last Night

OK the trip to Dallas was a huge success. Both bands were amazing. I actually was unfamiliar with 30 Seconds To Mars but they did an awesome job keeping us entertained. The opening act was called Middle Class Rut. They are a 2 piece band and I really couldnt believe the amount of rock they produced. (I had to get their CD) OUTSTANDING!

The venue was the House Of Blues and everything about it is cool. Spent some time there after the show and had a few beers. Super nice people, good food and a huge beer selection.

The hotel I stayed at was nice. We had a room on the 12th floor looking out over downtown Dallas. Yes but would you stay there again?? NO. Way over priced, not that I mind paying for good service and accomodations but 80 bucks for breakfast room service is a little stupid. No free wifi in the rooms, and for 500 bucks a night I think wifi should be a given. Wealthy people probably like it there because they never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. LOL...ya, it Was nice to be only 2 blocks from the venue but Im positive a cab ride wouldnt have set me back the extra 300 bucks.

Another successful trip under my belt, logged just over 1000 miles round trip and finished in less than 48 hours. Yay, gotta love a midlife crisis right? Cousin had a good time too. Nobody got killed or arrested so everybody wins!

Have a good day bleeps!