Yes, I am still around and the blog lives; I just took a little unscheduled break.  One reason for the break may be because I really haven’t done anything “blog worthy”.

The past few days I have had an urge to pound the keyboard.  I could always write one of those “from the heart” deals like I once did but I don’t think you or I benefit from those so if it is OK I will share some of those non blog worthy thoughts and experiences with you.

Of the four seasons, winter is my least favorite and it isn’t even close.  I don’t like all those cold grey days and the daylight to dark ratio is way out of proportion.  I had a couple of things kind of break up the wintertime blues this year.  One was the gray whale watching excursion I shared with you last time I was here.

The other was some age and gender related physical issues. I was up and down, actually more down than up, from mid-December until early February.  I will do you a favor and won’t share the details other than to say the ordeal included a New Year’s Eve visit to the ER and a few days later a twenty four hour stay at Norman Regional for some minor surgery.  About the only positives to come from that is it kept my mind off the cold grey days of winter for a few weeks and the procedure was successful.  Thanks to the good doctor and medical staff I am almost back to normal.

I will share one little detail.  If the nurse says “take a deep breath” she means it: the one I took wasn’t nearly deep enough.

We lost one of Country Music’s legends a couple months ago. “Rainbow Stew”, not one of his biggest hits, happens to be my favorite Merle Haggard song.

Probably an indication that sometimes old men have too much time on their hands but I decided I would pay a personal tribute to Merle and make a pot of Rainbow stew and try to find some Bubble Up to wash it down. Thanks to Google I found the stew recipe and figured out what Bubble Up is.

I almost didn’t proceed as the stuff had way more than my normal limit of four ingredients and called for a lot of chopping, dicing and mincing (those things are synonymous in my kitchen) and some other processes I normally avoid. One of the ingredients was Jicama, I didn’t know what that was, I did a little research and about five grocery stores and a half tank of gas later I had some Jicama.  I found the Bubble UP the first place I looked, Pops in Arcadia, about an eighty mile round trip.

I probably had twenty hours and a hundred bucks in that little pot of stew and the six pack of Bubble Up. The stuff had some kick and was actually pretty good. Bubble Up is a citrus flavored soft drink similar to 7up or Sprite, I could have substituted but the song says “we’ll all be drinking that free Bubble Up and eating that Rainbow stew.  It doesn’t say drinking free 7up.

Rest in Peace Merle, we miss you.

I think some people should not have pets; I also think some people should not have flowerbeds.  I think I belong in both those groups.  I don’t have a pet, however I do have flowerbeds. When flowerbed maintenance became my responsibility there were four of them all very well maintained. Two of them have survived but well maintained wouldn’t be words used to describe them.

The only desirable things growing in them are the things that were there when I became in charge; everything I planted didn’t survive, that is strange because the grass and weeds seem to thrive. I have started using rocks where plants don’t make it.  I think I am going to like this approach; I don’t need to water or fertilize them and they are Weedeater and Roundup resistant.  The rocks previously served as a border around one of the flowerbeds that didn’t survive and leftovers from some old landscaping.

I did one of these about a year ago on my life experience with haircuts and how pleased I was with the way Brandi “took a little off the top”.  I followed her to three different shops here in Norman but she has decided the grass is greener on the east coast; that is a little too far to drive trip each month for a haircut.  I am back on the streets in search of a new barber. Actually I don’t know for sure but I may have got lucky this time; I got a good haircut if she will just stay in town.

They just don’t make them like they used to.  Talking about gas grills, I like to cook on the patio pretty much year-round, weather permitting.  I have had this grill several years and, like me, it has certainly seen better days; maybe all that red meat is taking a toll on both of us.  I started shopping for a replacement this week, I checked Lowes, Wal Mart and Academy.  I wanted to see what Target had to offer but I really needed to go to the bathroom.  I wasn’t sure about their new rules and I sure didn’t want to offend anyone so I just came on home.  I think I will just get the one at Lowes.

I probably should have quit a few paragraphs ago but I didn’t so I will provide a brief houseboat update.  Partially because of the previously mentioned physical issues I pretty much let the old girl fend for herself this winter. She was just a little bit huffy and refused to start, sometimes just the right gift will make a lady happy, she wanted not one but three new batteries.  Those things are expensive and somewhat difficult to install.  She started and seemed to be happy again but last week she threw another little fit. This time refusing to dispose of the bathroom waste; hope I don’t have to buy her a new commode.  Just some minor bumps in the road or maybe I should say waves on the water; I still love the old gal and plan to spend a lot of time with her the next few months.

I promise to stay away from the keyboard until I have something that, at least I think, is blog worthy.

Good Night and God Bless.

Dave