Zona

Song of the last few days

Pat Metheny Group: The Way Up, part one

over and over and over and over and over and over

Postcards from out there and beyond were printed today.

They're ON THE WAY boys and girls. My xmas cards should be at work by now. IF they are, they will be mailed out on the 5th.

UPDATE: They are here and go out tomorrow since I'm making the work mail run.

I'm contemplating a Valentine's Day card this year. Could be fun.

I know I said that I was retired from concert going but I would consider going to see.....

Joe Jackson
The Isley Brothers
Pat Metheny Group (again)
Steely Dan (again)
Prince (again)
Gwen Stefani
The Black Crows

Hell, LOTS of people have UNretired but trust me. It's a very short list that would get me out again. Then the venue has a lot to do with it. Steely Dan and The Black Crows were in the area lately but they played the Gorge at George in Washington State and I aint driving 5 hours to the middle of nowhere for ANYTHING (except Miss September).

My scanner got the entire picture but my family reads the blog. And don't bother looking for it son because it's been deleted off the disc.

Okay kids, here's the xmas list.

DVD's

Stalag 17
Midnight Run
Sea of Love
Live and Die in L.A.

CD's

Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Voodoo
Joe Krown: Livin Large
Ann Hampton Callaway: Blues in the Night
Gladys Knight: Before Me
Ray Charles and the Count Basie Orchestra: Ray Sings, Basie Swings

Stolen from somebody I really should get off my ass and go meet.

Vesper

1. Yourself: myself
2. Your spouse: life
3. Your hair: graying
4. Your mother: better
5. Your Father: gone
6. Your Favorite Item: camera
7. Your dream last night: forgotten
8. Your favorite drink: coke
9. Your Dream Car: jag
10. The room you are in: misshaped
11. Your Ex: question
12. Your fear: death (of my kids, not mine)
13. What you want to be in 10 years: millionaire
14. Who you hung out with last night: granddaughter
15. What You're Not: young
16. Muffins: blueberry
17: One of Your Wish List Items: printer
18: Time: lacking
19. The Last Thing You Did: ate
20. What You Are Wearing: sweats
21. Your Favorite Weather: warm
22. Your Favorite Book: Harpo Speaks
23. The Last Thing You Ate: leftovers
24. Your Life: eh
25. Your Mood: content
26. Your best friend: Paul
27. What you're thinking about right now: shhh
28. Your car: stratus
29. What you are doing at the moment: limewire
30. Your summer: work
31. Your relationship status: married
32. What is on your tv: news
33. What is the weather like: cold
34. When is the last time you laughed: today when wife asked what I wanted for xmas. Then I laughed louder because I wouldn't tell her and she said, "then it must be dirty". (is that more than one word?)

November is coming to an end and it has been one of the more interesting months of 2006 for me. Sabrina, my second grandchild, was born on the first. My third child turned the magical age of 18 and reaches for independence. It's an independence, that only us old folks realize is actually the dawning of real responsibility. A step away from childhood and into many years of adulthood and the beginning of having to provide.

I traveled home again and to Vegas which was wonderful because I have not seen my mother in such good spirits since the passing of my father. She loved the trip and a woman who did not want to travel for fear of returning to an empty house is now in a dilemma because she now wants to travel but can't decide between London and Amsterdam.

The election results showed once again that when the rest of the world thinks of Americans as complacent and not caring, we jump up and surprise them. We're the best bounce backers on the planet. Never count us out.

Thanksgiving always proves to be a lot of work for a big meal that I don't enjoy fully until it's the next day's leftovers reheated with little effort in the microwave.

Then it snowed.

I grew up in Arizona where we counted the days of winter on the fingers of one hand. What makes me laugh about it now, is that every year winter catches Canada completely of guard and chases it up on a chair much like a mouse chases a timid woman in a cartoon kitchen.

Monday Night Football update:

My son didn't make it down to the game in Seattle. The highway was closed due to heavy snow. I wonder how loud he'll laugh when I ask for the $20 back that I gave him for food and crap at the stadium.

ACTUALLY I found out the road wasn't closed. It was just in such bad shape that the speed was limited to about 20mph and they decided to turn back rather than risking an accident going to a game they were more than likely going to miss anyway.

HELL NO I don't shop today.

My left hand smells like turkey stuffing because I make it and snack on it all day while the turkey cooks. The smell lasts a couple of days.

My Christmas cards are being printed as we speak. Eighteen lucky winners will receive them.

I'm giving myself a lap top for Christmas but I won't order it until mid January.

The family will all be together again for Christmas and we're hoping my mom will accept our invitation to fly up.

Saturday is the day when all of the MO RONS travel.

I was just on The Laist and saw a band named "Lost Books of the Bible". What a lame name. So I thought I'd come up with better punk rock band names for y'all.

Shiite Love Song
Irish Winter
Caca Poopoo
The Condom Leaks
Fudge Swirl
Bagdad Boogie
Loonar
Donut
Bag of Bullets
Shovel

It's snowing here in Vancouver. That SUCKS

I have a headache.

My son fell flat on his back in the street last night ducking a snowball I threw at him. The snowball would have hurt way less if he would have taken it like a man. He nicked me once and I nailed him twice.

http://www.candacemeyer.com/ Just cleared this lady.

Well, my headache WAS going away. Then some guy came up to my booth. One of those people who not only smoke but if you stand next to them you would swear they only exhale into plastic bags full of the clothes they wear.

Thirty days hath.......HEY. Where's September?

It's that time of the year kids. I'm calendar shopping for my Bolivian family. I buy 10 or 12 of the things every year. They really look forward to getting them and it's funny to hear that they tell the wife when she calls, "tell him not to forget about mine".

They tell her that because I don't send them all down at the same time.

Many of you regular readers know of this tradition I have and you know that every year I buy Playboy calendars for my brothers-in-law. That number has dwindled to one this year as one of them has become a devout christian.

So anywho, I only have one Playboy calendar this year and I selected the College Girl edition. Oh boy. As always, and much to the chagrin of my wife, I must open the Playboy calendar to make sure that all twelve months are there. Maybe she gets upset because it's the only calendar that I inspect.

I'm telling you boys and girls that my brother-in-law will be lucky if he gets the month of September this year.

My son walked in during my last post and wanted me to tell you all that he's going down to Seattle on Monday to watch Green Bay (his team) play Seattle on Monday Night Football and that I'm not.

Little shithead

Minge said that Michele said that somebody else said that today is "thank your blog's first commenter day".

Thank you Tony Pierce

That's right. One of the premier bloggers on the planet, as far as I am concerned, was my first commenter. He was also one of the people who inspired me to blog.

I've flowed him some dough re mi from time to time when I thought he could use a good meal or a twelve pack of beer or condoms or a night's stay in a motel on the road. I bought two of his books and have yet to see my copy of Stiff since the day my daughter snatched it out of my hand.

We met in Vancouver some time ago and I've sent him stuff in the mail on his birthday. He sent me a Playboy after we were talking about a fine babe that was on Real World Miami and he had the issue she posed in. My goodness she's fine.

Thanks bro!

When most think of Las Vegas they only think of one street that's lit up like Christmas. Las Vegas is a drug dealer that shows you the high and ignores the low. It knows that when you hit the low you will do anything to find the high again. Drug dealers rely on the "come back" and will smile as long as you pay. It turns it's back to you when your hand is empty and you longing is fullest.

I've never felt such a rush as cool as walking away from a table with 200, 300, or 500 dollars in chips. I then run around spending the house money on tee shirts and stuffed animals. I know that I can step up to a table and walk away from more. But when I put money down again and walk away with nothing I know I can wait until midnight when the ATM will ring in the new day by giving me more money.

Some people don't have gambling problems. Gambling problems have THEM.

So when I roll into Vegas I'm always stoked. I'm also ready to spend a certain amount of money and stop. Vegas tables may have taken $150 from me this trip but as I leave and I hear it laughing at me I flip the tables on it. Vegas is like a beggar with a hat on the sidewalk. I tossed some money at it but it's never enough for Vegas. It wants more. To me, Vegas is the junkie.

Vegas. You've destroyed many many people. Familes have split, banks have forclosed, car titles have been cashed in. Too many see you as the answer to their dreams. They see you as the fairy godmother with the stardust wand.

Not me.

I see you as the whore you are. You're money's on the dresser babe. I'm through with you for this go around. I used you again and it was a cheap trick. 

I was walking in from the parking lot to the airport this morning when a bus driver stopped (a bus that doesn't normally stop) and asked if I wanted a ride. I replied that I enjoy the walk but thanked him. He drove on.

Silly man. Doesn't he know that I only accept rides from strangers when candy is involved?

Which celebrity are you most likely to have sex with? Your Result: The Rock You like your men to be attractive but you also want them to be able to kick some ass. You like the big, strong, athletic types with that chisled look.
Tommy Lee
Keira Knightley
Nick Lachey
Pamela Anderson
Jennifer Anniston
Matthew McConaughey
Gwen Stefani
Which celebrity are you most likely to have sex with?

hmmm. Well I probably DO have a better shot at him then Gwen. And for the record I answered that I'm straight and that the athletic thing doesn't matter. I think it got mad when I said that I thought quizzes were gay.

Near downtown Tucson. The bottom pic is the entrance to my favorite Mexican restaurant on the planet. El Minuto.

Dontcha just LOVE that top house?

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

I think I'm gonna be sick

If You Were Born in 2893...

Your Name Would Be: Cho Laif And You Would Be: A Space Explorer

Your Hair Should Be White

Classy, stylish, and eloquent. You've got a way about you that floors everyone you meet.

It's getting there

Me mum and I had such a fun time on this Vegas trip. I thought I was walking her too much but she insisted that she was fine and the next day was ready for more. Good quality time on the drive to and from.

She loves to travel as do I, and she's talking about a possible trip to London and how she wants so badly to return to Amsterdam where she enjoyed a layover on this past trip to Israel.

I'm debating if Ill go with her in April and if it will be England or Amsterdam. Amsterdam has the red light district. Where are the good hotels cheaper?

I'm home everybody. I'm liking what I'm seeing of the 400 pictures I took. I got things to do so these will have to hold you until tomorrow.

Two pictures you WON'T be seeing. The "ones that got away" as it were.

We were driving into Vegas from Boulder City (where we're staying) and I see a cop pulling over a VW bug. The VW is painted black and white in the old cop car style. As I pass the two cars I see that the VW has a logo with "Geek squad" on the side. I was driving and we were going 65 mph so it was kinda impossible to get the shot.

The other also involved to police. I was driving into one of the seedy sides of Vegas to get some of the interesting shots I love. I round a corner and see a mexican gang banger handcuffed and bent over the hood of a police cruiser with the cop just standing there.

Vegas has been a scream as it always is.

I highly recommend it.

I'm still in Vegas but I'm EXAUSTED!

Stories on Wednesday

UPDATE: I'm in Tucson right now and we're leaving for Vegas in an hour. The weather is absolutely fabulous as always and my enchilada style chile relleno chimichanga was to die for yesterday.

I love how this camera makes my gray hair disappear. Now, if it could do something with that second chin! 

Today is my baby sister's birthday. She's 40 and I wish I was 40 again. I'm sure that wouldn't make her feel any better.

She is the spiritual member of the family. I would be very surprised to hear her say she had sent an angry word god's way but if anybody was deserving of doing so it would be her.

If I die first I will want some questions answered as to why some of the things that happened in her life happened. She's not that way though. When my sister kicks loose this mortal coil she will be expecting to be greeted by two people who have left us so far. Our dad, and the son she lost as an infant. Nothing will make her happier.

Blow out the candles Sarah Jane. I'll be there in three days.

Love you babe,

Danny

My daughter turned 18 on the third. I was in Portland, Oregon on my 18th. I was in Alabama at the Border Patrol Academy when my daughter was born. I got the call during the night. I would not see her until I went home for Christmas. Like my other two kids before her I smile and remember the significance of this birthday. At least it was significant at the time.

The kid's alright. She's a photographer like me. Grades are good and she's pretty balanced on her feet. Although every woman dreads that big three zero I can hardly wait for my daughter to turn 30. When I watch her celebrate her 30th birthday I will be retired.

I love you baby.

 

My dearest grandaughter,

Welcome to this world. It is currently filled with turmoil and naysayers and doomsdayers but some of us have hope. Some of us aren't like those who question why a child should be brought into this place. Maybe you'll be one of the warriors who makes it better. Maybe you'll just be content to enjoy life and run through it playing with friends and laughing and marveling at many of the things that this world has to offer. Even the latter will make you a good person if you heed my advice and allow everyone to enjoy this place without setting conditions on others.

Right now your world is far from perfect but you have my promise that I will do my best to make it as right as I can. I will be there to guide you through many things because I have a lot of experience and have fallen in enough pitfalls to be able to point many of them out to you. Believe me, many are not so easy to spot and many appear as roses with thorns hidden.

There is a storm about to rush in and I will do everything I can to protect you from the wind and the rain and when you are older I will tell you that love is a beautiful thing. Perhaps the most beautiful of all. I will tell you that love by itself is fleeting. Only strong commitment can sustain it. Love changes. Love challenges. Love hurts, and love comforts. Sometimes it goes away and all that is left is the commitment until it seeps back in and it fills your soul again. If there is no commitment it does not return and leaves what was once beautiful in ruins.

So for now sleep and cry and eat and poop and pee and throw up and relax.

I'll be there waiting for you to start smiling and laughing and crying and cooing and talking and crawling and walking and falling down.

Then when you're ready to start asking the tough questions, come see me and I will answer them.

Love,

Bah Bah

 

Introducing my grandaughter, Sabrina Isabel Anderson. 7 pounds 8 ounces. 11/01/06, 11:30 AM Vancouver time. Both baby and mother are fine.