This old A&J from five years ago reminds me: I need to make an appointment with my dermatologist for a look/see. Which further reminds me, I need to get a dermatologist. I’m afraid of what I’ll hear; when I think of the hours I spent lying on a blanket in the broiling sun, I marvel I’m still around. Of course, for most of us guys the object was to drink beer all day and be around scantily clad women, who were the serious sun worshippers. Now, I get my vitamin D in reasonable doses, working in the garden, messing about with boats and always covering up responsibly—as do the women around me. I don’t drink beer all day anymore, either. *sigh*
300 responses to “The Golden Years”
My name has been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty). 🙂
But no, your point is well-taken, Jackie. I would be very surprised if I’ve ever posted anything here that I would not have attached my real name to. Believe it or not.
Actually I have been fascinated and curious as how you arrived at Ghost Rider 6 as a “name”. Was it your name as a pilot, like “Maverick” or “Goose” or “Iceman”?
OK, so I have a thing about Tom Cruise and Top Gun! And pilots.
Love, Jackie Monies
There are a lot of good people here. Makes it fun to hang out. (Debbe- thanks!)
Llee, could you post a link to your artwork so that those challenged by technology like me could see it? I love pencil, pen and ink, lithography, just about anything in black and white. Which I think is harder than using color, personal opinion.
Love, Jackie Monies
Jackie, if you look closely at our names above our posts you’ll see that some of them are not black but have some other color. On my screen they are what I perceive as olive-green. Those names are actually links to websites. Mine is to a little blog; Llee’s is to her artwork at the Deviant Art website. Clicking on them takes you to those websites (and away from A&J!); you may want to right-click in order to open them in a new tab or window.
Jackie, my eyes don’t see a difference in color, but if you look at their names, there is a dashed line underneath. Hover over their name and you should get the pointy finger that lets you know it is clickable.
TruckerRon- well, well! Read first page of your blog. You are a good and thoughtful writer! Now I have another friend to read, especially if I get insomnia back and roam around in the dark, like a house ghost.
You guys will have me checking out all the names to see where they lead. More treasure hunting.
Love, Jackie Monies
Llee, beautiful botanicals and birds, two of most favorite things.
Colored pencil is wonderful too, forget what I said about black and white!
Love, Jackie Monies
^°^°^°^°^°^ is the builder of silicon architecture, no big secret.
I will let Loon explain her handle, if she wants too.
Sandcastler, I noticed you have yours trademarked. Are you by any chance one of the beautiful artists who do the huge sand sculptures on beaches? I knew a kayaker in South Texas who did that, entered competitions and taught said skills. I consider these beautiful ephemeral works of art.
Love, Jackie Monies
My designs are algorithmic thoughts wrought in a silicon chip set. Their beauty,while not directly visual, allow others to see beauty in data. Loon is the one who creates both strategic and visually pleasing works. She builds from my foundation. 😉
I get home from work yesterday, only to discover a large cement truck blocking my path right before the entrance to my parking lot. Okay, the road around my apartment complex needs severe help. However, this means turning around and going all the way around the complex to get to my parking space. (Imagine being on Boardwalk in Monopoly and having to turn around and go all the way back to pass Go. thisclose to home.)
Anyhow, after a crappy night of sleep that ended at 2:30a, I leave for work only to discover BOTH exits to the parking lot almost completely blocked. I threaded my way through the maze of heavy machinery, buckets, cones, and whatever junk they were using to protect all of the various patches of fresh cement – in the gloom and fog, at ten of six in the morning, on way too little sleep.
They are back again today. Note to self: leave early for work tomorrow. I’d go point out the error of their ways, but they are outside working with cement in this weather and it’s just too hot for all of that.
eMb – You’ve bragged about her before and every time you do, I feel sad for not knowing her.
sandcastlerâ„¢ – I don’t remember you mentioning your profession, but oddly enough, it’s what I expected from your screen name.
Jackie – How much does “nocturnal garden gnome” offer? I think I want to go live in your backyard.
Debbe – The downfall of corporate business will be the sudden and permanent loss of climate control.
Mindy, going the wrong way will get you a ticket. But, since you live on Boardwalk, guessing a ticket is only a minor irritant. Here’s hoping the repairs are more permanent than those done here in Bayou City.
Lady Mindy, I suspect few of us could find the simple act of trying to get to work so fraught with misadventures as do you. 🙂
Just remembered it’s been a while since you gave a “hair report”. What’s “the mop” up to these days?
Lilyblack, Ghost Rider 6; SITREP.
Thanks, Jackie. I hope the art makes you smile. 🙂 Your garden sounds nice already and will be great when you’re done. Indy Mindy might have a good idea there…
sandcastlerâ„¢ – This lease can’t end soon enough. Suppose I *should* start packing.
Ghost – The “mop” is having a blast with the humidity. It’s too short to pull all the way up, yet long enough to be really annoying. It’s getting to be that time again – cut or grin and bear it. If they don’t get that air at work fixed soon – it’s curtains for the mop.
Jerry in FL – Cantore says there is something that might possibly bear watching in the next few days. How do you handle such precision forecasts? Battery levels still good?
Dear Mindy from Indy, Please take great care when navigating this road construction site! We Villagers are very fond of you and want you to be safe. Driving through all this, in the half dark, while sleep deprived … well, you obviously know it’s dangerous. Hope the dump trucks finish up and go away soon.
When I moved here 20 years ago I did my Houston style landscape with about 50 azaleas, dogwoods, rhododendrons, lilies, iris, mass plantings of tulips. It was pretty spectacular. The cars slowed down and looked, although we weren’t sure if they were admiring gardens or casing for robberies.
Oh and the giant hostas that got rustled! Everyone says who digs up hostas? But they were huge.
Anyway, drought, neglect and poisons in all the flash flood waters ended up destroying that. So when the rock walls get done we clean up what might be left, then I plant more hardy things like weeping willows, day lilies, liriope, more cypress trees, more crepe myrtles, knockout roses, simple stuff. Wildflowers too.
I have been watching what survives in the Oklahoma severe weather and that’s going to be what I plant, ignoring the pleas from the plants in the nursery.
Love, Jackie Monies
Charlotte – Don’t worry about me: Herbie, my trusty car, knows the way. (And it really wasn’t too long a stretch. More annoyed I was late for work after being up and about so long before I left.) Although I wonder how some of those huge SUVs got out this morning. There sure wasn’t much room.
Hosta rustling? What a shady deal.
And Llee? I call dibs on the hammock and the pirate tree house.
EMB
I have a relative in NC who is quite the joker. He and his lady friend (both in their 90’s) have nicknamed the GPS voice Hyacinth.
mike in 96
Both my name and where I live.
Google 96 South Carolina (big city)
We had a small earthquake (4 something) centered about 15 miles from us. Wife and I were in bed asleep. It woke both of us up I ran outside looking for the aircraft wreckage. It was that loud and shook us up pretty good.
OK enough chatting for this year, back to lurking.
I hope to never be in a REAL earthquake, so far they have just been rumbling or a little shaking, although the one when I was in elevator scared me to death, I was afraid we’d be trapped. The huge one in Mexico City was still having aftershocks when I got sent down there on job and I was afraid the whole time I was there. The buildings were still collapsing, they had police yellow tape everywhere, they were still tearing down stuff looking for I think bodies. My Mexican coordinator said to just don’t go into buildings and stay in streets away from buildings.
I did no sightseeing, just went to work and back to hotel. Oh wait, I never sightsee when I work anyway!
Love, Jackie Monies
mike in 96 – I went. I googled. My sleep-deprived brain overloaded. The zip! The history. Being so close to a “96” number in the last census. And a great year to graduate. Must come visit.
And what a way to wake up!
Okay, I’m babbling. Bedtime.
Come back soon mike!
Re earthquakes, a word to the wise: A number of years ago my insurance agent explained to me that, like flood insurance, earthquake coverage is not included as part of homeowner policies. About ten years ago, when I took and passed a state test for insurance agent, it still was the case, and I suppose that it still is. (I am not an insurance agent; I have never been an insurance agent; and I have no plans to ever be an insurance agent…long story, don’t bother to ask.) The good news, at least then, was that you could get a rider for earthquake coverage at very low rates, since the actuaries didn’t consider a quake a high probability.