I've Got A Bad Feeling About This...

I took the Star Wars Personality Test as seen on Dee's blog - here's my results. I really thought I was more of a Vader/Emperor person.


You are Boba Fett

Boba Fett 75% Darth Maul 70% R2-D2 70% Yoda 69% Luke Skywalker 68% Darth Vader 67% Han Solo 66% Qui-Gon Jinn 63% Emperor Palpatine 62% Chewbacca 62%

Because of your dark past you don't say much, and you don't have many close friends, but man do you look cool!

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)


Click here to take the Star Wars Personality Test

Fireworks and the Fourth

Although the annual fireworks show put on by the Paris Rotary Club (what is a rotary, anyway? Dale Martin has the answer, but I can't mention it here) was canceled due to -- guess what? -- RAIN!!!!---- I was still able to see some cool fireworks at the Hutchison-Killingsworth Annual Fireworks Show, featuring Robert Dyer as the whiring dervish of blackcats (see the picture).

Robert tied a pack of Black Cats to about 6 ft of string - lit the cats, then whirled them around and around like a crazy man. I captured it in a long exposure - I just wish I'd brought my video camera!!

Don't forget to check out my other fireworks pics here.

In other news, the next great vacation has already been planned - this time, not westward, but north! An incredible journey or perilous proportions, northward through Colorado, Wyoming, and ultimately to South Dakota (and perhaps further into North Dakota if I feel like it). Things to see: Mt. Rushmore, of course, but my personal favorite thing to see right now seems to be Devil's Tower in Wyoming - I'd like to have a Close Encounter with it (pun definitely intended - if you don't get it, well, explaining it would simply devalue the joke more than it already is). Launch date is set at July 27th as of yesterday - already counting down the days. I could just travel for the rest of my life - go see things, come back for a bit, then head out and see some more. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Hope to get some great pics, even to rival my Grand Canyon series from earlier this summer.

Something Different

Among all the usual editorial topics - people complaining about whatever - I found this gem.

From The Paris News, July 3, 2007.

To the Editor:

This is an apology to the lady I went ahead of (Friday, June 22) at the Paris Family Physicians Clinic to have blood work. I am so sorry and didn't realize that I had gotten ahead of you. Even though I was 85 April 1, that is no excuse for my rudeness. It has really bothered me and I get very emotional when I hurt someone or when I've been hurt. If you had just spoke up I would have gladly waited. I didn't realize you was upset with me until I was told after we left. There's to much sadness and hatred in the world. I wish we could all love one another and be happy. Please forgive me.

Fay Lancaster

Cooper

Just thought I'd share this with everyone - thought it was kinda cool.

Rain, Rain, Go Away, and All Cracked Up

So I left the walking track last night, and on the drive home, I saw a guy building an ark - well, perhaps I am exaggerating a tad, but the fact remains that we are having one of the wettest summers I can ever recall. It's almost July and the temperature has barely reached 90 all summer long. No 100 degree days yet - this is a GOOD THING!! I keep hearing people bemoaning (my new favorite word) all the rain we're getting - yes, okay, flooding is bad, but I hope they remember all the whining when we hit August and it's over 100 day after day after day - then, they'll be bemoaning the lack of rain! People are so hard to please.

I received a pleasant surprise yesterday. A former coworker (Darwin) came by work to say hello and discuss the photo shoot I did at his church. It's been 2 months since I saw him - and it showed when he walked in, extended his hand and started to say "What up, B Jizzle?" (That's his name for me) - but he stopped and just stared for a moment, then asked me if I was "on the crack?" The weight loss is showing, very much so, apparently. I see myself everyday (well, duh) so it isn't that obvious. There are external signs, such as going down 10 pant sizes (yikes!), working all day and STILL having the energy to go walking afterwards, having the -- dare I say it-- desire to get up early on weekends and go walking, and so on. And of course the impartial judge, the scales. But still, it was really nice to get that kind of a reaction from Darwin. And no, I'm not "on the crack" - I'll just keep walking, thank you very much.

Fish Fry and other things

Last Saturday I went to a fish fry at Woody's, along with several others from work. I took Snickers along for some reason (!). When I pulled up at his house, I let her out, and she bounded out of the car with her usual gleeful abandon. Until she noticed Woody's three dogs - and her hair shot straight up. She refused to play with any of them - what a rude girl!
I caught only one fish - in all, we only caught about 4, but Woody had plenty of frozen catfish, so we ate quite well.
Then came Father's Day - which I spent outside with Dad grilling in the rain. Heavy rain. Anyway, we fixed pork chops, grilled squash, grilled peaches, grilled corn on the cob, and the awesome baked macaroni and cheese recipe - mmmm.
In other news, I am now down 65 pounds from when I started in February. Still going down, but somewhat slower than before. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though.

Mr. Wizard, Dead!

According to this Fox News article, Mr. Wizard (Don Herbert) died Tuesday at age 89. I wasn't around to watch his first TV show back in the 50s and 60s, but I remember Mr. Wizard's World that aired on Nickelodeon waaaaay back in the 1980s. He did cool science experiments and made them fun - it's kinda sad, really.

Rescue 911

Yesterday, I was out at Mom and Dad's for the usual NCIS Tuesday night. We noticed the martins (birds,not Dee and Dale) were flying around where they usually don't. One of the little ones had fallen out of the nest. Dad said he'd already had to rescue a martin chick, and there were two others that had fallen from the bird house and died. Apparently, these aren't the smartest birds, ha ha. Anyway, I tried to grab the bird but it ran into a bush, and I got Snickers to gently grab the bird in her mouth without hurting it. I was surprised she just didn't eat it, of course. Anyway, I got the bird on a broom and Dad and I lifted it up back to the birdhouse. Bird rescue is tough work!
So a little bit later, I went out to check on the bird, and it was fine - but another one had fallen from the birdhouse. Stupid, stupid birds.

I'm back!

I made it back last night - driving a total of 3550 miles since last Wednesday. Sunday was a fun day - started the day in Hurricane, Utah (at 48 degrees), drove through Nevada to see Las Vegas and Hoover Dam (don't worry, I didn't stop at any casinos), then down US 95 through the Mojave Desert and California (where it topped out at 106), then back into Arizona, then into New Mexico, where I stopped for the night in Grants. Then yesterday, I drove from Grants back home = according to Googlemaps, it should have been a 12 hour drive, but it was really about 11. But it was still very long.
The weird thing is how being somewhere different makes you notice things where you live more. I noticed yesterday just how much more grass and trees there are here - in the Mojave desert, there was very little grass and no trees where I was. There was also no humidity - something I DEFINTELY noticed on the way back. The air feels wet right now - it feels like i am breathing in thicker air or something. Now that's something I could do without.
Anyway, I'm glad to be back - I slept in until 10 AM this morning. I think I'll walk the dog later - haven't done that in a while.

Day 4

Funny, the days are all running together. I didn't realize it was Saturday until just now. In fact, all the highways, gas stations, motels and whatever are all blending together in my mind - where the heck am I right now, anyway? Oh yeah - Hurricane, Utah. The people here (locals) speak with a weird Germanish accent - at first I thought I driven a little out of the way and missed Utah and wound up in Europe - never noticed the Atlantic, though.
I saw the North Rim of the Grand Canyon - scouted the Bright Angel Trail, got some great pics, even one of a condor! Several people commented on Gary's walking stick - one man wanted to know where he could get one. I was sorry to disappoint him, ha ha.
Tomorrow I think I will check out Hoover Dam, and maybe drive into California just to say I've been there. Then I guess it's tie to turn around and head back - still cool things to see, though. You know, part of me is glad I came by myself - this journey has become more about proving to myself that I can do this. Normally, I would NEVER have done a cross country drive on my own - I just don't do things like that by myself. But it turned out great - and yet I'm glad it's coming to an end in the next few days.
Anyway, that's all for now - more to come tomorrow

live from Hurricane, Utah

Tired

I'm too tired to bother photoblogging - just a quick update. Today i saw Shiprock, the Four Corners, Page AZ, Horseshoe Bend, LOTS of scenic stops along the way, and ended up in Flagstaff. I'm tired, dehydrated, and sunburned (high altitude means less atmosphere to block UV rays - must get suncreen tomorrow). The Grand Canyon is on tomorrow's agenda - we'll see how tired i am after that!

You can see some pics at www.flickr.com/photos/homer4k