Happy Halloween !

Candy bought- Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups (and backup York Peppermint Patties in case the kid is allergic to peanut butter!)
Weather- 55 F @ 6am, expected to drop 15 degrees w/wind by dusk.
Costume- Normal-looking suburbanite, except for theatrical quality vampire fangs ( got to remember to get some Poligrip on way home tonight!)
Expected visitors- 60-100.
Security Precautions- None beyond normal. Paintball guns have made eggs, toliet paper, soap and wax obsolete!(I hope!)
Hope you all have a safe, fun time tonight!
I used to run large Halloween Parties for the club I belong to.
I thought I'd list some of the costumes and funny moments for entertainments' sake.
Went as Caesar- Women kept trying to ck out what I was wearing under the toga!(jogging shorts-skimpy though!)
Went as Dracula- slicked my hair straight back ala Bela -people thought I looked better than normal hairdo!
Went as Vampire-Fangs kept falling out(and when they were in, I lisped like the biggest flaming gay in the building-and I was bartending!). On break, went down to Walgreens, went thru checkout as vampire w/Polygrip-and the night clerk didn't make comment one. Who goes into these places at night? I wonder!
Went as a "Parrothead"(Jimmy Buffett fan) Woman yelled "I know what your costume is-You're one of those peckerheads!"
Rest of night, got many compilments on my beak(Nice Pecker!)

A Planned Weekend of Nothing!

Did you ever make sure that a weekend had no planned activities? No "Wannas" and no "Gottas"! You may choose small jobs that require little time and no big effort to do, or maybe a spur of the moment "break" like breakfast out, or shopping for a little something you don't need- but want! Every waking moment of our lives does not have to be about acomplishments, or feeling guilty about lack of forward progress. If you ever see me in a Lowes or Home Depot on a weekend, it's because something broke- not because I can't wait for my next project! Enjoy your week end too!

My Halloween Rant

Every year, some person or group decides Halloween is from the DEVIL!!! At one time the roots of modern Halloween might have been based on something wicked, but not anymore. It is a time to dress up, be an alter ego, party(kids and adults!) and revel in being scared in an entertaining way. I don't like people who are zealots. They are generally humourless, and if anything is needed in this world we live in, it's more fun and laughter. Large teenage kids yelling Trick or Treat bother you? Laugh when they come to the door and give them a treat! Intimidated by little strangers using extortion to get candy? This is the tradition-please support it as we are losing traditions to the politically correct every day. The key to enjoying any Holiday is to anticipate the fun, not the hassle!

Sell My Clothes, I'm Goin To Heaven!

In the short span of a weekend, the Tigers are going to the World Series, U of M ranked No. 2, and the Lions won their first game! This is the equivilent to 5 planets in alignment! On a bummer note, we didn't place in the last chil contest, and last year 4 of 5 awards(We took 1st in White Chili!) went to experienced cooks. They went "local yokel" on us, with no team from anywhere else other than "hometown" won. For some of us with participation in many cook offs, this usually means we don't come back. If these organizers don't want the best , they shouldn't let us in the contest . Oh well, if that's the worst news I got, things ain't so bad!

A Meeting With The President!

Of our company, that is! I work for a corporation that has about 45 locations, and sells about 900+million a year. The last time we had a lengthy talk was the day I was hired-about 6-1/2 yrs ago. They are interviewing random sales folk on various subjects in hopes of improving the situation for both company and us. I was not selected. I was anonomously nomitated to him by either someone who knows my big mouth gets me into trouble every time, or by someone who knew I would be honest in my comments. It lasted 2hrs and was not as bad as I thought it would be! The Pres & V.P. were cordial and listened more than I thought possible. I got a chance to let them know I used to be (with another co.) a person that was consulted regularly and had a more active role in the decision-making process. We will see what happens. As they didn't fire me on the spot, I'm hopeful! It's Friday in Michigan and time to buy my Lotto ticket! I call it retirement plan "B". You wouldn't think matching 6 crappy numbers would be that hard, would you?!

God, I Hate The First Snowfall!

It comes every year- you think you'd be ready. Nope. Unless you're a little kid, it reminds you of all the sh*t you haven't finished from Summer & Fall. I'm in Sales, drive quite a bit and watching all the amateurs relearn to drive isn't fun. Defensive driving goes to paranoid driving. The permanent puddle on the drivers side begins to form, as you jump in and out of the car with wet, cold shoes.
I know this first snowfall won't stay, but it reminds you what is coming. To all you warm weather bloggers, have a nice day! To all you cold weather bloggers- May God have mercy on your souls!

BIG Sports Day In Michigan Today!

I have never written about sports on my blog, but I am a fan of two teams- University of Michigan football, and Detroit Tiger baseball! I would add the Lions, but the last time they won a championship, I was 5 and we watched it on a black&white TV! Today a big interstate rivalry-U of M vs Mich St. Also today the Tigers playing the Yankees at Detroit in what could be the next step to the World Series! I have a picture-in-picture TV (which I never use that feature!) and that's good because the games are starting at the same time. My bets are placed, and we'll see what happens! Oh yeah-I do yell at the TV, which scares the sh*t out of the dog.

Morale In The Workplace

Recently, another blogger (Liz with the lit devil horns) remarked on a workplace change in policy that probably resulted in a negative reaction on morale in the workplace. My company has lost some good people recently, because of increased expectations with no reward beyond "You're lucky to work here, things are worse everywhere else" mentality. When it became obvious there will always be alternatives for good workers, top management started asking the departing "What can we do differently?" We will see the result of this imput in the next three months. I am skeptical, but you never know. I do not work in a growth industry, and much of our customer base is gone, lost to overseas competition. We as a company are doing way better than most, but as humans we would like to see a carrot once in awhile!

Disfunctional Birthdays

Saturday, I will be "celebrating" my birthday. As events surrounding us have made a 1 day, read the cards,blow out the candles, open your presents, birthday impossible-this is how it is going. Last night my son came over with a cake, his girlfriend would show up later. He hadn't eaten so I rustled up a meal for him. My wife can't stay, dog hair cut at 6pm, her hair cut at 7pm. Girlfriend shows up, had not eaten and was cranky. Made her dinner after already doing this once. UPS shows up with my present(they treated me best, and don't even know me!), which was cool. Friday I must go into work REALLY early to drop off treat for office, then P.U. sister and hubby and run them to the airport. Tonight, we have to do dinner and theater with customers (dressed up) and I do not like to dress up on Fridays! Saturday is a Wedding, with reception I must attend. I don't know these people, and right now don't want to. If it sounds like I'm whining I'm sorry. I don't care if anyone does anything FOR my birthday, I mind when they do things TO me on my birthday!

The 2 Day Getaway-Needed It!

Sometimes you just need a change of routine, a change of scenery. We decided to pack lightly and head up north. We hit a couple of Indian Casinos- the one in Petosky kicked our ass, so we headed down to Traverse City to visit another one. Glad we went, as something took place that I really never thought I'd witness- My wife actually hit a jackpot! With $1250 of their money we headed for a hunting lodge we and 10 other couples own joinly to stay overnight. It was quiet but last month the water heater decided to crap, leaving a mess and no hot water. This is a pretty nice place, but doesn't get used as much as it should, so things like this happen. Next day, we went east to another casino, held our own and left to go further east to Linwood. What is in Linwood? A cheese factory I've always wanted to see. I am an addict, probably with 10 kinds of cheese in the house at all times. Pinconning is a favorite, and was invented here in Mich. On a whim I asked how much a whole wheel would weigh, and how much it would cost. I bought a 20lb wheel of cheese! Came home cut it up, vacuumed packed it, and plan to constipate all my friends and relatives with gifts of cheese. People who know me have come to expect this kind of insane behavior, leaving them puzzled but not displeased!

We Met Blackie Dammett!!

Who the hell is Blackie Dammett you ask? I will start at the beginning of this chance encounter, as I prefer straight time line stories. My wife occasionally works for our township(elections,etc.) and she had signed up to work the 5 year census- where you go door to door and get a headcount of residents. She was getting behind on it, so I drove her around to help. The area she has is somewhat rural, hilly and some areas are quite secluded (rich!). At the end of a private enclave, we came to a place, where upon knocking, an older guy in mismatched jammies (715pm) comes out and answers the questions. My wife jumps in the car and says "He gave his name as Blackie Dammett!). I had heard the name before-but where? Got home and got on the Internet, and up it came. The guy was a booking agent for some major talent, and a character actor in the 80s- in numerous movies and TV shows. He was also listed as the President of The Red Hot Chili Peppers Fan Club (at over 65!??). Turns out his kid is the lead singer! Whoda Thunk?

Chili Cook off For Gildas' Club

Saturday a friend and I participated in our 12th cookoff here(This year was 25th). It is the largest chili cookoff in this part of the world(43 teams) And for a number of years now the procedes goes to Gildas' Club. The weather was lovely, crowd was huge! Now for the rough spots- The Health Inspector was easier than normal, which was a 1st, but for the first time ever, the Fire Marshal showed up. What a dip shit! He made everybody move their prep/serve tables out from under the awning/tent we have cooked under forever. Imagine 100 people cooking, and in the middle of it, have to move everything. Our 4 Gal of chili sold out in 15 min (as usual) with plenty of comeback customers, and many" best here today" comments. The judging at this contest is done by a combo of local celebrities, and other non qualified people that makes your chances of winning on merit less than drawing names from a hat. We did not win anything, but a good time was had by all. Oh yeah- and my ex friends who said I cheated last cookoff? they looked like fools to all the people I talked to about it.

Bearing False Witness-Beyond Sunday School

You may have read my post about winning a chili cookoff 2 weeks ago. I have found out good friends(ex) later accused me of tampering with their entry. This was so ludicrous, I thought they were playing a joke, but I found out they were dead serious. These are people I started in the contests, helping them with learning the ropes. They have been very successful, and have won or placed many times. I have been about 40 contests, and have gone on record as offering any ingredient to any competitor if they forgot something. My statement was "I want to beat you fair and square, so there is no whining!" They tend to drink alot at these affairs, but most drunks are either forgetful or remorseful the next day. No witness to this alledged attack, just that their chili didn't win. This is about the only way someone can lose my friendship- lying about me.

If You Live Long Enough..Never Say Never!

My youngest son has been driving a POS car on its' last legs(tires). We told him when it died, we would sell him my wifes' car at a really low price. This was fueled by two desires on my wifes part- helping her kid AND getting a new car! FLASHBACK (20+ yrs) We were making fun of everybody our age with kids that ran out and bought a minivan. Every little league, soccer match,etc. were packed with these boxy underpowered vehicles, plastered with bumper stickers proclaiming "My kid was student of the month at BlahBlah Elementary" or whatever cause/group they made the poor kid belong to. Being an obtuse human being, I swore you would never see me in one of those yard ape haulers. FASTFORWARD TO PRESENT DAY- The world changed. The soccer moms went to SUVs that cost 3 times a minivan. The damn bumper stickers have gotten classier(but still annoying). And the minivans got cooler. After much research and a little shopping, the empty nesters bought a minivan! The current incentives, coupled with the fact that these transports are so flexible, economical, and really kind of fun to drive- sold us on what I swore I would never be seen in. Lesson of the day-DON'T SAY NEVER!!

Jeez, There's Alot Of Ranting And Venting Going On!

It seems everywhere I look lately on Blogs, someone is Ranting or Venting. This is an excellent place to get some of your frustrations off your chest/mind, but somebody out there has to have a good day once in awhile! People LIKE to hear good news -Share some!

Our Dog- The Airdale Named Clara..

Our current resident Airdale Terrier is Clara (No,we didn't name her that!). She is our third Airdale, but the first we adopted from ATRA. M.O. of Airdales as a breed: Hyperactive, brain size of walnut (sorry to any sentient Walnuts out there), loyal, attention span of the common ferret, size ranging from 55-110lbs., extended adolecence (puppy until about 2-1/2yrs), WILLFUL. These dogs are a load! But the love, and joy of life they can project makes YOU feel younger! We drove 80 miles to look at her, and she was beautiful. The foster mom seemed to want us to take her pretty bad (she'd been in about 6 different homes in 3 yrs.) So we did. We got to know her quirks-guarding food, not liking resident cats, and wanting to kick the ass of any dog bigger than her. She snapped my arm tendon(for real!) while on a walk, trying to go after a dog the size of Godzilla. But as she realized she was really HOME for good, many issues got smaller/better. There are many "diamonds in the rough" in this world-look a little harder and you'll be amazed what you might find.

Craigo' Birthday- My Perspective!

This tale actually starts last spring, when a radio station(listener sponsored) had their semi annual fund drive. A "Day Sponsor" gets to have an announcement read on the hour for 8 hrs. It's tax deductable and affordable, plus I really enjoy listening to a station (WYCE 88.1FM) that doesn't play the same stuff over and over. You can even get them on the internet! Anyway, they screwed up 1st request (Anniversary) so we went with my youngest sons' birthday (8/28/). I noticed about noon they had not done the deal, so I called. Screwed up again-but would do for rest of day, AND give me another date! Listen 9/15 for my wifes' birthday message!
My sons' message went like this;" Happy birthday Craig from Buffalo Dick and the Goob! I am sure you had more fun that day than your Mom did". Later I thought about it, and he did NOT have a good day. They found out at the last minute he had turned and was now planning on coming out feet first(like a paratrooper). The Qu*ck who was our doctor started talking about Gods' Will. I started talking like he'd better have a better plan than that-like maybe a C section? Next thing, we're all in emerency mode, and C section it was. They handed me my son and told me to go sit with him while they finished up. I started counting fingers & toes (all there) when I noticed on his butt cheek there was aBand Aid.Knowing he was not born with this, I peeled it back. When they cut my wife open, they had stabbed him in the ass! Had a scar from that for years. We were so weirded out by that, my wife and I both got fixed!

Saturday Victory!

Simply put, I won the chili cook off today! To be honest, it was a very small group of competitors- but some of the best in the area. The trophy was really cool (we love to win the "iron") and I immediately bought drinks for all the contestants with the prize money. A good day. I don't care who you are, or what you do-winning once in awhile is good feeling. Unless you are Tiger Woods, well, the rest of us have to take turns winning!

Friday Nite Oddities

Our normal friday night usually consists of; Fixing a dinner that will either be exotic or simple (but never health conscious), then going down to a private club we belong to (kind of an upscale Polish hall) and hang out with friends for a few hours and discuss/bitch about our week. BUT NOT TONIGHT! My wife (who is of AARP qualified age) is going to a Bachelorette Party, with a woman a little bit older than her. A co-worker is getting married, so the party should be a mixed bag of ages/color/religions/etc. I will be premaking chili for a contest tomorrow (which isn't normally allowed), and hanging out with my Airdale Clara. She is a real joy to work with in the kitchen, as she weighs about 80lbs and can take up more space laying down than any dog on planet Earth. She also likes to wait for you to step over her before getting up and throwing your balance into chaos. I will also make sure my wife remembers to get a gross/obscene/suggestive gift for the lucky bride-to-be. Oh yeah, and last but not least, I know what i'm doing on my birthday in September-Sponsoring these people to rent the hall I belong to for their reception, which attendance is mandatory for the member. I hope I get to meet them before the wedding (Yeah, right!). Enjoy your weekend- Vent to the world on your Blog!

Golf... My Observations And Participations

Today was an annual golfing by a club I belong to that has nothing to do (officially) with golf. I play in this event mainly because I get to see about 128 members-60 or so of them I know pretty well and like, in a generally amiable contest (4 man scramble format). There is betting. "skins", "closest to the pin", "1st Place", etc. The skill level varies from people who virtually play every day to me-!st time this year. I was a "load" to my team. No practice, out of shape, and generally wishing I was really somewhere else. My car died at the gas station prior to picking up one of my team. Forgot cell phone for the 1st time in years. Arranged tow to shop, got friend to come get me, arrived in cloud of dust(rain actually) just in time to get to tee off.
Thought I was having a crappy day, when my friend of 38yrs tells me HIS bad news. His house was broken into and virtually everything of value (monetary or sentimental) had been taken or destroyed. About 40K worth, in addition to knowing his beautiful home was not immune from this kind of invasion. My problems were not worthy of discussion. We spent our round of golf trying to enjoy a moment with friends, out in fresh (damp,humid) air. EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE-So enjoy your enjoyable moments-reality will be back soon enough.