My favorite place on earth....

Well, the trip to see Mom and Dad for Mother's Day went quite well, considering the short duration I would be able to spend there with them. I couldn't get Mom to stop cooking....she was even bringing me coffee. Doesn't seem right.

It is my favorite place in the world, going to see them. The pic here is from the small lake on which they live...there are homes all around the lake, but on mornings when the fog is rolling off the lake like this you wouldn't know. Then, all you can hear is the song of the loon, the occasiounal lap of the water on shore, the chattering of your teeth....the world is at peace. It is a chance to believe in God, to rest in His creation. I spent a lot of my youth there.....it is sad that I only go up there now when it is not going to be crowded, which means early spring and late fall. I may just have to change that this year.

My puppy was not really all that happy about the truck ride. She made the entire trip with her head on my chest or lap, pressed into me for everything she was able. I had to physically remove her from my lap twice as I couldn't drive like that....we will need to make more trips and get her feeling more comfortable. Besides, it's really hard to snack when the dog's yap is less than 4 inches from one's own. But, she so enjoyed all the new smells and SQUIRREL!!!!! there. That dog about turned herself inside out when she saw the geese come in for a landing.

Mom enjoyed the dog....Dad was a bit less enthused. He's grumpy. But, I took up flowers and beer...covered all the bases, and really enjoyed spending time with them. They are good people, I must admit.

As an aside......speaking of good people.....my many and sincere thanks to Scottie (especially) and also to JR for all your encouragement. Also, thanks to Ty....who I understand is trying to get through the complexity of blogger and leave me comments. Keep trying, Ty....and I'll keep trying from this end to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

-randy.

some nice pics...

Let me pull a page from Scottie's book....

Ya know, I just don't have anything earth shattering to share with you.....so I thought I would take a page from Scottie's book and tell you about my day. Yep, this is your cue to leave...

I took a night off work, don't know why as I didn't accomplish much more than a full night's sleep. But, that was nice in of itself. Pooch woke me up at 7:00 to go pee, or at least I assumed that was the reason she was chewing on my arm, and pitched her outside. She seemed happy enough to go, but that might just be to get the bad taste out of her mouth.

I watched the end of Avatar....I was too sleepy to watch the whole thing last night....and enjoyed it. Am I crazy or did it seem to be a remake of Dances With Wolves? I don't know, got a definite flavor of that type of movie there. But, in the end the bad guys lost and the good guys won, and all is right with the world....just don't look to the Persian gulf, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Aegean Sea, Nashville......is it my imagination or is there a theme developing around water here?

So, did the obligatory Walmart run today. Had to get the dog a new bowl.....I've been using plastic bowls, but she ate those. Yes, my dog won't bite the hand that feeds her, but the bowl is fair game. Did you know that a dog dish is roughly $12, but you can buy a ceramic bowl in the dishes area for $1. She got 2. Difference? No paw print on the side.

Bought Mom some flowers....again, obligatory but traditional. I buy her a couple hanging baskets every year. She oohs and aahs...but seems to like them anyway. I'm heading on up to see them after work on Saturday. Going to stay the night and let them mee the dog.....God, I hope she doesn't poop on thier floor. It would be just my luck. - - My aunt wanted to ride up with me and visit, but when I told her she was welcome as long as she didn't mind a 58 pound dog in her lap she realized she had other commitments and would need to stay in town.

Last.....heading off to bed soon. I made my current favorite: box mac & cheese with tuna. Ok, sounds gross, but I like it. The dog was walking around with her nose in the air, so I gave her a few ice cubes.....much cheaper than treats and she seems tickled to get them.

And there was my day....the highlilghts. Yep, my days are that boring. Sorry. I told you to run.

Trying to Give a Helping Hand....

Somehow, the concept of helping out, of not just making the effort but actually bleeding for fellow man, has become immersed in hypocrisy and prejudice.....

Well, I have tried to be a helping soul...a person who will give a hand up to anyone who is ready to ask and receive ....we all know those few people who are definitely in need but have no desire for help. But, there are organizations, people standing up and calling out to the rest of us to help our fellow man. How can we refuse? How can I say no.....

I'm beginning to learn the merits of that little word.

Oh, the tease, the tease....get to your dang point! Sorry...I'm trying to be dramatic. So, my point: Did you know that giving blood is such an incredibly safe and secure procedure, and that the donation you make today can help dozens of people? Did you know that the blood donated is screened for drugs, disease, general health of the donor, and even stale dated? It is cared for like the individual golden life supporting gift it is. I am so proud that the donations I am making are so useful and needful. It seems something simple I can manage...bleed in a bag. I may be pee shy, but I can bleed on command - provided you have a needle or something. I'm so proud that I even have managed to get my first gallon pin recently.

But, my pride and desire to help become compromised by the prejudice of the very folks who ask me to come bleed for them. Did you know that Black Americans are prone to Scicle Cell Anemia and heart disease? Well, we don't want blood that is a potentially sick persons! Did you know that Native Americans are prone to alcoholism? Well, we don't want blood that is potentially from a drunk person! Hey, did you know that Caucasian Americans are prone to obesity? Well, we don't want blood with a high fatty content! Did you know that persons of a homosexual orientation are prone to AIDS? Well, we don't want to get blood from someone who has AIDS!

Did you know that only one of those statements is true?

Yep, my pride and joy, my sincere gratitude to a loved person who requires blood transfusions and so compells me to give blood, is done with an organizations that has no problem with prejudice.....they don't seem to mind it at all. If you have homosexual relations, if you do the wild thing with a man, no matter how careful, how clean, how loving...do not give blood. They won't take it. We're sickies.

There would be an outcry of racial prejudice if a so-called Black man were to be denied based on his ethnicity. Same for the Native American. The Caucasian American would create a cry of protest running all the way to Fox News... But the Gay man? Eh, we can live with that. After all, the white, red, black, yellow, blue, purple, aquamarine, etc., man or woman, despite humping like bunnies, n-e-v-e-r contract aids. Nope....that's just for the rainbow man. See what happens when you align yourself with more than one color?

So, I comfort myself with the knowledge that giving blood is necessary and needful. I don't lie on the questionaire.......I have a really big closet and I am really lonely! But, I don't feel right about it.

Alone.....

For a number of years now I have lived alone...of choice. Some of those choices are so that I can care for some important people in my life as they need me, others are because I am not ready to share my life so intimately.....but then, it wasn't long ago I would have been physically ill at the thougth of being so open so publicly, so who knows....... Nonetheless, my point is to the right....and pun intended. This is a public image of a german short hair pointer...one that looks very like my new friend and room mate. I can't tell you how desolate things felt sometimes as I came home from work to an empty house. Even when I had room-mates it was rare that I was happy to come home to them or they happy to see me come home. My new companion is simply beside herself to see me come through that door. She makes me laugh to see her butt trying to overcome the momentum of her tail, only to create an uncontrolled wiggle of pure joyful excitement. She makes me laugh, and occasionally cry when she gets too excited and lands in a bad spot....something she seems to do a lot, and is making me wonder if she just likes to see me cringe. I talk to her....a grown man talking in high-pitched voice repeatedly telling her she is a good girl...and it was once common for me to go days without saying a word if I wasn't working. Oh, we've had our issues.....chewed work boots, toys scattered everywhere and even shredded, the occasional present to be found with a sleepy walk to the bathroom by my bare foot (say ewwww here). I have holes in my yard, flowers dug up and tossed to the side, and hair everywhere....Every Where! Folks, i just wanted to tell you how abundantly happy I am to have a place in this one's heart...to see the joy in her eyes and physical expression. I only wish I could find such in a partner a touch less fuzzy and who walks upright...at least most of the time.