Wmcmanus

Happy birthday, guys! (And thanks, Al, for your ongoing vigilance as the #1 birthday greeter around this place.)

You ponied up for the Pono but did not give it a ride? No soup for you!

Hit the friggin' jackpot today (so to speak). Long story short, I finally (after 4+ years) found my JH-13. They were in one of the front lower pockets on the pair of cargo pants that I must have been wearing on that infamous night when I got caught in a torrential downpour while driving across Alligator Alley from Ft. Lauderdale to Tampa in September 2010... in my Atom! There were about 6 inches (no exaggeration) of rain water in the seat wells when I was finally able to find shelter. I remember going inside a convenience/grocery store bathroom and proceeding to wring out every article of clothing I was wearing only to put them all right back on and drive another couple of hours with chattering teeth only to arrive at the storage place at 2am and of course being locked out of the gate, then going to the Waffle House until 6am when the manager got to work. Said cargo shorts must have then survived a trip to the laundry mat and got placed on the bottom shelf of a closet inside the rig. Meanwhile, I gained and have subsequently lost 90 pounds. I know, seems impossible, but entirely true. So this morning at 6am, I found myself looking for something with a smaller waist when the 44 shorts fell from my hips to the floor the minute I put them on. Hmmm, what about these? 40, perfect. Put them on, went to the airport, went through security, and beep! "Sir, there is something in your lower right pocket." "Nope, I don't think so... must just be the buttons..." Doh!!! They sound great, and machine washable too, although I wouldn't recommend it.

It would be fun to try something like this at one of those beer douche events... or for that matter, at a Head-Fi event. http://www.nextstopmagazine.com/Article/2014/1/7/Asking-Hipsters-About-Bands-that-Dont-Exist

"Drum roll, please..."

Happy birthday, hope you enjoyed it!

Might be time to go on a long journey in the motorhome. Alaska maybe.

I did that not too long ago with Andy Griffith, who had been dead for a couple of years... so nevermind... But now it's Elly May Clampett... always thought she was the bomb. RIP Donna Douglas. http://www.tmz.com/2015/01/02/donna-douglas-dead-beverly-hillbillies-elly-may-clampett/

Great cause, and awesome that you got to enjoy it yourself for so many years. In and done, enjoy!

Happy new year to everyone! But you fuckers never taught me to solder and stuff!

RIP, Shirley Temple. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/shirley-temple-dead-legendary-child-677643

Merry (belated) Christmas, everyone. You're a bunch of good people, if that makes any sense... As others have wished as well, I'm sending out warm thoughts and positive vibes for all who had rough years in 2014. It's going to get better.

Another birthday that I missed! Hope it was a good one, Ric!

Happy belated birthday, Ken. Hope it was a good one!

Not huge savings off the every day prices, but still... if you're looking for Pelican cases, they're the Amazon Deal of the Day: http://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox/ref=pe_837390_129857520_dotd_h_t

One run and Coke gave me 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Now need 8 more (hours of sleep) and I'll be human again. Time to shake off the elf in me for a while. 106 events is way too many, and 22 events in a 30 hour day will never happen again. My body just isn't made for it, although it sure was fun. Found some pics on Facebook from one of my home visit clients. Their boys also attend a day care that I visited earlier in the season. My neighbor's mom who was filling in for my mom who couldn't make it this year to perform her usual Mrs. Claus duties (she slipped on ice last month and broke her knee, poor thing). The home visit pics were taken this morning during my early morning "sneak a peek" appearance.

For CJ, some recommended reading: http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034

Thanks for keeping us posted, Larry. We're all pulling for you and your daughter. You both will remain in my thoughts and prayers. I know it must be an awful feeling not to be able to help your child or being able to tell her that she'll be alright, let alone to manage your own pain and emotions. But just know that the fact that you are there with her right by her side for every step along the way will mean the world to her.

Larry, my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your daughter. Thank God, above all else, that you both survived and will have more time together and with the rest of your family in this life. Nothing could be more precious than life itself, but now the focus for everyone in your family will have to be to shift into the "new normal" (whatever that might entail) and allow your recovery process to proceed at its own pace. In that sense, I agree totally with the Crap Meister... he offers such sage advice. I'm sure it will be quite difficult for both you and your daughter to do so, Larry, but do try as best you can to "turn off your brains" concerning all of the immediate implications for her education and such. Try to focus as best you can on the health and recovery related issues. That's your job now, and her's as well. Please don't risk anything concerning her long term recovery process in favor of any short term impulses she may have to attempt to brave the storm by carrying on as usual. Neither of you has to be a hero. I do understand that it's hard for smart and ambitious young people to not be actively pursuing their dreams, but for now she may have to put some of her plans on hold. I'm actually amazed that you're already made so much progress in terms of so many logistical matters, but I sincerely hope that you'll make as many of those tough decisions as soon as possible to relieve your minds of those added stresses.

Events #46-48 today, with 43 to go, 19 of which are for multiple hours. Still a wee bit of room on the schedule, but not much. As Warren Zevon once sang, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

Congrats about passing the CPA exam! Yeah!

From Saturday night. Found it on Facebook.

Happy birthday, Gene!

I had a similar experience today. Digging through stuff in my closet looking for a pair of elf green Crocs beach slippers that I wore last year for some of my Caribbean Santa events, I was surprised at how heavy one of my (Headcase certified) Red Oxx bags was, and sure enough there were the expensive Cannon binoculars I was looking for this summer when I was leaving for my baseball stadium tour. Knew they were in this house somewhere!