Does anyone still read these?

Does anyone still have time to write these?

I feel like I no longer have anything worth saying. I'd much prefer to sit with headphones on and listen to Pink Floyd's Divison Bell. I sometimes think maybe if I sit here and just keep typing some wondrous enlighting thought will spring forth from my fingers...

Hasn't happened yet.

Closing in on 41. No one told me that 40 isn't just an age but a waist size.

Time

So much time gone by, so little time to reflect on the things in my life that slip by:

My kids getting older, gone back to school as the summer fades into autumn.

My first anniversary with the woman of my dreams.

A promotion.

Making new friends, finally meeting old ones.


Time is cruel and heartless, not giving a minute to catch up, indifferent to the moments we lose. Steal all that you can, seconds at a time.

Poor Lonely Neglected Little Blog

I need to make some time for you - so much has happened.

I AM married now.

:)

You Know When You Have Chosen The Right Partner

When you can have discussions like this, me engaging CoffeeGirl in a ridiculous conversation that started out this way:

RG:You know what the down side of being with someone for a long time is?

CG:No – what?

RG:That someone has to be left behind when one of us dies first.

CG:rolls eyes: No – probably we’ll go together?

RG:How?

CG:Something ridiculous, like we get some bad sushi and shit ourselves to death - you downstairs and me in the upstairs bathroom.

:long pause:


RG: I love you.

Tick Tick Tick

I'm getting married. SOON!


I have this stupid smile I can't get rid of. I don't want to. Is it July yet??

Easter? Meh - I'm Waiting For Dyngus Day!

WHAT IS DYNGUS DAY?

Historically a Polish-American tradition, Dyngus Day celebrates the end of the often restrictive observance of lent and the joy of Easter. Over the decades, Dyngus Day has become a wonderful holiday to celebrate Polish-American culture, heritage and traditions.

The custom of pouring water is an ancient spring rite of cleansing, purification, and fertility. The same is true of the complimentary practice of switching with pussy willow branches. Since 966 A.D., Dyngus Day has been associated with the baptism of Prince Mieszko I. Tradition states that Prince Mieszko I along with his court were baptized on Easter Monday. Thus, Dyngus Day and its rites of sprinkling with water have become a folk celebration in thanksgiving for the fact that the first king of Poland was baptized into Christianity, bringing Catholicism to Poland. In more modern times, the tradition continued when farm boys in Poland wanted to attract notice from the girls of their choice. It was custom to throw water and hit the girls on their legs with twigs or pussywillows. Cologne was used instead of water by the more gallant lads. The ladies would reciprocate by throwing dishes & crockery and Tuesday was their day of revenge, imitating the same tactics.


As the popular polka anthem explains, “Everybody’s Polish On Dyngus Day!” Many parties begin during the mid-morning on the Monday after Easter with a large buffet of traditional Easter foods (kielbasa, ham, fresh breads, eggs). It is common to hear polka music on Dyngus Day with the mandatory dancing of at least one polka. Many parties continue well into daylight on Tuesday. (A tip to the first time Dyngus participant….take Tuesday off from work.)

WHY PUSSY WILLOWS?

Pussy willows play a big part in Buffalo’s Dyngus Day celebrations as men and women flirt with playful “taps.” Branches of the plant are used as the pussy willow is one of the first “budding” plants of spring. But how did the pussy willow get its name? According to Polish legend, many springs ago, baby kittens fell into a raging river while chasing butterflies. The mother cat sadly wept at the river’s edge, pleading for help for her drowning kittens. The willows heard her mournful cries and swept their long graceful branches into the water. The kittens grabbed the branches, held on tightly and were safely brought to shore. Every spring, from that day on, the willows sprouted fur-like buds where the tiny kittens once clung.

Beer, dancing, and a story about drowning kittens. What's not to love?

Such Great Irony

Anyone else catch this?



UPS using a Postal Service song? Probably the band's way of thumbing their noses at USPS.com. Heh.

What? Who? Seuss? Dylan?

Well, yes it's a spoof, but a damn funny one. Spot-on Dylan here doing Green Eggs & Ham and more. What a larf!

Hear it here.

A Plea for Internet Radio

A place that has meant a lot to me over the past few years is facing a crisis. Maybe you aren't aware, but music isn't really free - whether you listen over the radio or on the Internet. Sure, you don't have to pay, but for the stations that broadcast, they have to pay.

Up until now, there were formulas or agreements between these stations and the various groups (i.e. the RIAA) that allowed the recorded music to be broadcast. A recent decision by the U.S. Copyright Office has dramatically changed the landscape of this process for Internet Radio.

This unfair playing field seriously changes the way that music reaches the Consumer, and moves back towards an oligopoly of the large, bland providers determinig what we hear. I believe artists shouold be compensated, but I also believe that any medium that delivers their work to us should be treated similary, and that's not happening. Internet broadcasters may soon be facing extinction as their schedule of royalties could be equal to 125% of their income in some cases.

If you love music, Please Read and Sign This Petition. Take another moment and Write Your Elected Officials. Every voice counts.

Thanks.~

RG

Sock It To Me

I didn't want my obituary to read "he died in a bizarre footwear incident." Damn if it didn't almost.

Let me preface this by saying all parties involved were clothed.

It is winter still, and yes it can get cold. But die Bücherstutze still likes being barefoot, as she was last night while working on the laptop while sitting on the bed. Coming over to her with the laundry I was folding, I placed a hand on one of her feet and apparently, I had nice warm hands. So after a little footrub to help warm the tootsies, I suggested a pair of socks from the basket.

I was about to pop one on her foot when I stopped and decided to pre-warm the sock by breathing into it. I know you've all done this with gloves - so have I. But never before with a sock. Never again.

Big hot breath into the sock, wind up for the second with a quick inhale and apparently I pulled a sock fuzzy right into my windpipe. Gak. Hork. Uh oh. Not good.

Took about 5 minutes trying to clear it before I could catch a breath. Kinda scary. A lot stupid. Embarrasing yes, but my first words once the tears cleared: "boy this will make a heck of a blog entry"

Few & Far Between...

...are the times when I get a minute to sit and think succinctly about what I want to say here AND have the time to write it.

You may have noticed the countdown clock over there to the right. It is official - I am engaged. I asked, she said yes, I slipped the ring on her finger. There were tears and smiles and the guiding hands of two people that are probably yucking it up at the biggest bar in heaven, throwing back Black Labels and smoking Old Golds. Keep the date open folks: 07/07/07. More to follow, maybe even a wedding website.

Work has been hammering me with mandatory OT every week. More $$, less time at home. It's a tradeoff we all make I suppose.

Speaking of home, I am officially fulltimedly cohabitating with Die Bücherstutze. As long as the kids keep the peace and make nice happy-happies for the most part. I mean, I AM a realist and know there will be times when they'll be all cats & dogs. I was the youngest of 3 boys, so I get it. Or should I say I got it - good and hard.

New Music picks: The Bravery, and Rodrigo y Gabriela

Show me some love.

Birthday Hellions

My Rats are 737 days apart. 2 years and 6 days.

We have New Years', then Big Rat B-Day, then Little Rat B-Day. Their mom decided that this past weekend would be good to have BOTH parties. On successive days.

I have somewhat recovered.

The Sunday party at the bowling alley was OK - really nothing horrible, and low-key. Especially when compared to Saturday, when all attendees were immersed into the deepest pits of hell: Chuck E. Cheese.

I'm not sure what they do with the money they charge for the parties. It isn't spent on the food, which can be called pizza only in that it is round and flat and red with a yellowy substance on top. It sure isn't spent on staff development or training - I'm sorry if this offends anyone (don't worry, I'll be sure to offend more later) but unmotivated, clueless, and unresponsive would be kind words for them.

Thankfully, the kids all seemed blissfully unaware of all this, stuffing themselves with the foodish substances, running around like banshees, and getting a super stim high from sugar and flashing lights.

The final crushing blow? The music. As most of you who know me will testify, I am a music junkie, super music geek. Mostly, it was all KidzBop-like crap. All of a sudden, a riff jumped out at me. Unmistakable to a once-upon-a-time 80's goth kid. Ministry - Every Day is Halloween - but (gulp) ChuckECheesified. Oh the horror of it. I swear, some CEC corporate suit who spun college radio in 1983 is having a good laugh about getting that done.

After I had the chance to clear my head and look around at everything that happened, and the rest of the people in there, I had a thought: (remember what I said about offending more later? here it comes) What were we thinking? We just aren't white trash enough for Chuck E. Cheese. Seriously.

No Matter How They Try...

Knitting just isn't this cool. Give them a "Learn to Knit" DVD, make the girl look all hot & hip; it's still knitting for crying out loud.

Whaleless

Neat art, and a goal to help save whales. What's not to like? Go HERE to help and see all the pictures