When ever things get me all Jammed up™ I can always count on friends to snap me back into the glass is 1/2 full kinda' guy I know I need to be. So after yesterday's, "I'm all down from the corporate ass kicking" post, my e-mail was all Jammed up™ with things that made me smile, laugh and out right howl for several hours. I can't say thanks enough!
I even got something I could play with a little bit, and since I'm such a big kid, I know how important play can be for the soul. So I played around with it and came up with this :
A few of the smiles came from a string of pictures that were sent from several friends, one picture at a time....... one e-mail at a time....... all throughout the day. You guy's crack me up!!
Here's a few samples. ( I don't think you need to see all 80 to 100 of them! )
So this one pretty much sums up the entire day for me.
Corporate Bedrock is kicking my ass hard right now. So hard in fact, that I was originally planning to skip a day or four here to get caught up. But I'd miss it too much to be honest and for me, this writing and reading is the small bit of respite I need daily, to try and clear a few cobwebs off the edges of the mush stuffed up in between my ears. So on I plod.
Today's thoughts were actually quite simple to come up with.
See that list of Blogs over to the right there -->
It holds all of the places that help take me away from what ever it is that's trying to bring me down. A couple in particular have really grabbed my attention of late, and today I thought I'd suggest that you take the time to check them out.
A friend spent November writing like a fiend, for some NaNaNaNa boo-boo thingy that I know nothing about and will probably never have the skill, style or determination to participate in. But if the very first read from her effort is any indication, I'm damn glad she's taking the time to share her work with us! I suggest you read Kat's latest piece! For when I read it yesterday, I was transported to a stretch of open road where the image felt so real to me, I thought about getting a towel to pat down the rain on my arms, while I enjoyed the aroma of the freshly brewed Coffee.
Kat can be quite flippant about her writing at times and it almost always drives me crazy, but her self deprecating ways will never work on yours truly! She's a damn fine writer!
The first of what I know will be a bunch of great reads, can be found HERE.
Secondly, a newer blog to me has managed to become a bit of a must read every day. Ken Provo's Poker Perambulation is often thought provoking, humourous, honest and entertaining reading. It also frequently reads in a very familiar style that I enjoy, that of perspective without being over bearing, or too soft either. A straight shooting style that becomes increasingly more enjoyable for me to sit down to every day I get the chance.
If that sounds interesting to you too, I suggest you check Ken out HERE.
Well, I guess that little breaks over! Time to grind out another session at the workplace. With any luck at all, maybe I'll pull a Waffles and actually manage to break even when the day is done. Who knows! It could happen.
***EDIT*** MAKE THAT THREE !!! The December Truckin' just came out too!
Truckin' - December 2008, Vol. 7, Issue 12
1. The Last Christmas by Paul McGuire I adore the way you look. But your mother disapproves. It's that black shoe polish you have on your lips. When I was your age, the only people who dressed like that were the whores who stood on corners down in the Mission.... More
2. I Remember Christmas by May B. Yesno I looked down at my cup, lifted a hand to the waitress for another coffee and started looking around the joint, noting the yellow brown walls a glass could stick to, if you placed a glass on it, and listened to the Christmas music being piped in... More
3. American Half-Breed by David Peterson It is bitter cold and everywhere around me is ice and dirty snow. At my side is one of my prized possessions, an American Standard Fender Precision Bass Guitar. I don't want to do what I'm about to do, but I've run out of options. I open the pawn shop door and feel a blast of heat and the smell of tobacco smoke and desperation... More
4. Of All The Bars In NYC by Betty Underground You know when you see someone and maybe it is the job you do or the frequency you travel to the same places, but you sort of recognize them and for some reason you can't put them in the context of where you are right then... More
5. Corner of Hopelessness by Paul McGuire I have this odd fear that I'm going to get shanked by a gangbanger with a spork or mugged by one of the homeless people who live behind the dumpster and feast on half-eaten Jumbo Jacks and pieces of raggedly yellow leaves that they pass off as lettuce... More
What a Long Strange Trip It's Been... From the Editor's Laptop:
Thanks again for wasting your precious time with Truckin'. We have a special year-end issue with a couple of Christmas themed stories including a submission from David Peterson, who is making his Truckin' debut. Veteran writers Betty Underground and May B. Yesno returned with a couple of standouts. And I contributed two stories this issue; a piece of fiction I wrote about my neighborhood in L.A. and the other is a dramatic Christmas story about a dysfunctional family.
Truckin' needs your help with some grassroots promotion. Please tell your friends about your favorite Truckin' stories. The writers definitely appreciate your support, as do I. Spread the word on your blogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and whatever social networking sites that you are addicted to.
Also, please let me know if anyone is interested in being added to the mailing list.
Thanks to the writers for writing for free. They expose their guts, blood, and soul to the universe. For that, I'm eternally grateful. The dedication to their art inspires me and I hope it inspires you too.
Be good, McG
"It is difficult to keep quiet if you have nothing to do." - Arthur Schopenhauer
* * * * * Tao of Pauly -- http://mcgrupp.blogspot.com Tao of Poker -- http://www.taopoker.com Truckin' -- http://mcgtruckin.blogspot.com Coventry - http://phish-coventry.com Twitter - http://twitter.com/taopauly FSL - http://www.fantasysportslive.com Las Vegas Blog -- http://www.lasvegasvegas.com
First and foremost, the "body count" was WAY tipped in the favour of yours truly! It's about bloody time too! Typically as you approach the topless or clothing optional areas of any Caribbean resort, the odds are stacked hugely in the favour of the Lady of the House. Young 20 somethings running around with 6 packs yet to truly discover that, "round" .... IS a shape. You know the drill everyone! Beach Volleyball is a constant repetition of the scene with Maverick, Iceman, Goose and as Peb's would say, "The yummilicious, but way too dressed wingman for Ice, Rick Rossovich as, Lt. JG Ron 'Slider' Kerner."
For those few ladies that may forget that scene, here are a few of Peb's favorite parts.
That is not how it went down this time my friends !
As anyone fortunate enough to run across a Caribbean prize of a beach can surely confirm, the size 40 DD's thrown out for all to see, typically stand for, "Definitely Droopy" or "Dangerously Dangling." Those that should NOT be topless, will surely come out in droves. While those that could get away with it, AND SHOULD!!!!! Have the one piece, squish the girls back athletic Speedos on and then spend their entire week face down in a towel, working on the tan of their backs!
This time however, while Peb's was treated to the constant barrage of 70 something hairy beasts in Speedos or quite possibly, (and most regrettably) WORSE !!! this week provided your humble host here in Bedrock, with some fine Grade "A" quality 36 & 38, C's & D's.! ( Which as anyone should know, stand for Curvaceous and Delicious!!!!)
Yes indeedy!! The view and the tide, seemed to have turned for the better. When you get to the point that your Wife is gripping your hand tighter and saying things like, "uh hun... 12 O'Clock!" and you're NOT as impressed as the last time she did it.... It's like total breast overload! But I went along with it anyhow. It's just how I roll!
= = = = = =
There were the typical shows at night, dancing, audience participation games etc..etc.. None of these were of any real interest to the two of us. But the Friday night show was to be a live band. We immediately thought of Salsa and Meringue and were ready to dance the night away. The twist to this band was, they were a Cuban, "Rock" band. We sat down and anticipated the interesting potential of that great Latin beat and some driving Rock & Roll. What we got was something completely different.
They came out a six piece cover band, playing mostly safe and fairly correct classic rock from the 70's and 80's. But there were a couple of hilarious issues with the group, right from the start. The Drummer, Keyboardist and Bass player knew how to rock! The guitarist was right out of The Tubes era, (and mentality) and of course, was the real weak link in an otherwise tight little unit. For some reason, ( I have to assume the Latin heritage?) the band also had a guy playing the Bongo's. You could never actually hear them, but he tapped away during every single song. Then there was the Singer. I'll give him an A- for the vocals, as he could clearly mix it up with the sometimes larger than life vocals required, for some of the greatest hits of all time. It was the fact that he just couldn't seem to remember the lyrics themselves, that put a bit of a damper on the whole shebang. No need to worry, he had Bam-Bam's lyrics.com to help him out along the way! As he wandered around throughout the crowd singing and bopping to the tune at hand, he always seemed to come by at that moment when the words eluded him. Holding the microphone between the two of us as if to say, "just start it, and then I'll be fine." And so I did.
Moving ahead in the evening, they started to play a few tunes from a slightly more recent era. One in particular really caught my attention. It was a very hard driving Bass guitar rendition of Zombie. A perfect song actually, for the make up of this eclectic mix of Rocker's and Posers. All the Drive was coming from the Bass and Drums, while the Keyboard not only kept the amazing tune and character of the original version, but helped to drive it along as a great rockin' rendition of a truly amazing song. Again, there was only one issue! No vocals.
Now these three guy's were playing their hearts out and making some incredible music as a three piece band, who in their right mind could let that go to waste? OK... "right mind" may not be the exact way to put it, as compared to maybe.... what bombed ex-rocker who doesn't give a crap what anyone there at the time thinks, I'll never see them again anyway's, is a more accurate descriptive. So sing I did, and it seemed to drive the boy's even harder. Right where the song should have come to an end, there was a shift to the same driving beat that also sounded familiar, yet just a little different again. "Sweet Emotions?" I think I actually said out loud.
I'll tell you, these three cats really had it going on. So.... I just couldn't waste that one either.
:)
= = = = =
Now one of the real key highlights of the trip was Peb's Birthday on Thursday. We spent the afternoon in one of the most unusual manners imaginable. With 13 complete strangers and a storm.... well a storm that would make even the strongest of weather prognosticators, run for the sturdiest shelter around!
My Girl didn't give a ratz azz! Peb's just looked over from the safety of our table in the beer garden and said, " Hey hun, you wanna' go for a swim?"
So off we went dammit !
After getting a bottle of Cristal Champagne as a Birthday gift from the fine folks at the hotel, Peb's and I headed off towards the beach. While everyone else was passing us in the opposite direction like Lemmings headed AWAY from the Sea, we were headed right for it!
After a short swim in the warm tropical Sea, we found refuge from the wind and rain at the Beach Bar. ( A very temporary structure, after Hurricane Ike did his best to demolish everything in a 38 square mile radius! ) The Beach bar consists of a tarp, a cooler for the keg of beer, a few bottles of some fine Rum in the well and a BBQ. It was damn near perfect, for the party that was about to break out!
The small group of warm, friendly but very damp folks under the tarp, were told that it was Peb's Birthday. That was all it took! A rousing rendition of Happy Birthday and a few incredibly special gifts of whatever the hell was available, and the party had truly started in earnest!
"Hey Miguel! Any chance you have 14 glasses back there?" I asked.
13 complete strangers, a bartender that had treated us like the King and Queen of all things Havana and a bottle of Champagne! Funny enough, my baby was in Heaven!
Each glass had been filled with the utmost of care. I poured and filled each one as equally as the weather would permit. We raised the glasses high and toasted to the one I love. A special and very unique moment, for a very special and unique individual. Her smile made me melt, as the glasses were tossed back with reckless abandon. My baby was on top of the world!
"Senor Bam!" I heard from the center of our little group. "This is a very special occasion, and your love is a very special thing. Please let me make this more special than it has been! Senor Bam...... Senorita Pebbles, you have what we all want in life. Mucho Gracias for sharing it with those of us so lucky to be here." said Miguel, in the way only a Latino accent can truly add the romance.
And with that, came a bottle of BRUT Champagne from Miguel. A present given to him as a tip from a wedding earlier in the day. He wanted to share with this group of idiots, having some fun and weathering the storm. All the while, making it one of the best day's that this beach had ever seen.
The Sun shone bright about 40 minutes after the storm had settled. And at the center of that light, stood my Peb's. I'll never profess to have the skill nore the talent to tell you how full my heart was at that very moment, but if you know anything about me at all, you may be able to imagine how wonderful it was for me to be alive right there, right then.
There may be more to come on our trip I don't exactly know. But for now, allow me the indulgence of letting that memory soak deep within my soul. For times such as that, are what truly make my world go round.
- Phenomenal trip, with several amazing highlights to come. - No pics involved, sorry! Didn't even take a camera. - Walking in the Sea every morning with the one that you love, might just be the single greatest soother of the soul available to mankind. - Tropical fish wild in the Sea, can learn where and when you'll be with some Banana and Bread each morning. (at least that's how we saw it! No way they could've been smart enough to have us trained that well right?) - The Cuban people can smile and live like no others. Thankfully, it became infectious for the two of us as well. When after only the second full day our cheekbones actually started to hurt from the stretch of the grins, permanently plastered upon our faces. - Oh and yes of course, there were multiple episodes of other types of "plastering" going on throughout the week as well. :)
It was time away that we both truly needed. Time to reflect on not only the past and all that has gone on in our lives as of late. But over the last week that was, we found far more time to focus on the choices that need to be made in the many years to come.
There was much time to discuss real friendships and where we want them to go, how we want them to blossom and where we'll seek out our next great life adventure.
There was time to reflect on what we've meant to each other as partners, lovers, friends and family. This was time that only grew the stretching of our facial skin, as together we realized once again just how amazingly lucky we truly are, to have found exactly what we needed in each other on the whole.
Time to acknowledge on one more occasion, that I truly am the luckiest kid to walk this great green Earth of ours.
And one last moment to share a thought with each of my real friends out there, as I sat and pondered what is really important in all of our lives.
I took just a little time to wish each of you, the same kind of joy and love that I have been so fortunate to have found in my life. For trust me, I could wish for nothing greater for you from my personal perspective.
