Existing In BFE

Brendan and I stopped by to see Holly and Mark on the 21st. Brendan left for Birmingham England on Sunday from Peoria. He was here for a month and we had a great time. Sorry to see him leave but happy for him and hoping he will thrive and prosper. Glad he was here to help me with Missy.

You just never know what you'll read about in the paper. Here are a couple of clippings I found while going through my file of some stuff I saved. You might have to click on the clipping to enlarge it.

Missy wasn't much of a dog. She was ungainly when running. It wasn't so much a run as a lopsided chugging. She also wasn't much of a looker. She had these tufts of hair coming out of her paws that made her look like some kind of canine leprechaun and her coat was a sprinkling of gray on black mixed with brown. Her tail and butt had a wispy mane that had to be cut every so often that made her look downright ridiculous. Her character also had some flaws. Her idea of adventure was a long nap. If asked to do something outside the routine she would handle the stress by relieving herself. Riding in the truck was a major emotional pull from her normalcy that evoked shivers and nervous salivating. She was a veritable spigot. I always used a towel for her to ride on, not to catch the hair but to sop all the drool. 12 years ago or so, did I mention she was a mutt of unknown origin or species, she wormed her way into our lives. And I mean literally. But I digress. Nanc...

1996 - 2009 Today at 8:45 am Missy Marie, beloved member of the Blythe family for almost 13 years, passed away quietly in the loving arms of her buddy, Mike. Brendan also accompanied her for her last visit to the vet's. While not particularly graceful, pretty or adventurous, Missy made up for these shortcomings by being loyal, loving, great company and eager to please. She enjoyed our attentions, walks, naps, supper and snacks. She supervised the raising of two kids while providing comfort, protection and committed companionship to us all. Indeed, she will be very sorely missed. I will be forever grateful she and Mackenzie locked eyes and hearts at the Shelter. "She has had a fantastic life, with a friend who adores her. No dog could have been luckier with fate." Nancy Blythe March 18

Charles Manson is now just an old 74 year old who looks a bit like Albert Finney . Seems strange looking at him today how demonic, weird and murderous his short stay on the world scene was. Movies, books and the cultural lexicon was imbued with his image and words for a generation. Went to Wal -Mart and Menards last weekend. Both have "greeters" when you come in who get paid for saying in a monotone "good morning, welcome to (insert store name)", and then another person saying, "thank you for shopping (insert store name)" when you leave. All the while I had to wait an average of 15 minutes to check out of the single check-out lane. Why not put these people at a register and actually do something useful? Missy got a reprieve from the governor this morning. After a tough start to her week she is feeling better and actually played fetch with Mr. Humperdink yesterday. She seems to be smiling again. My fantasy league is holding a draft next Wednesday...

I have been living a life of somewhat forced frugality lately. Watching the dimes and making sure I don't every dollar counts. This is due in part to the economy and a current financial situation that calls for maximum awareness and minimal extravagance. That is why I cannot explain my recent purchase of the Amazon Kindle. It is an amazing devise that downloads books. Reasons for purchase: 1. Lack of space for library 2. Books at half price 3. Library card from Galesburg is expiring soon 4. Great for traveling or times when waiting is unavoidable 5. Just plain "cool" factor Batteries last for a week before needing recharged, downloading takes a minute, you can also get magazines and newspapers. I also did the requisite "wait-a-month-before-buying" routine and decided I still wanted it. It is obscenely expensive, so frugality goes into high gear from here on out.

Last Sunday was cold and rainy so Brendan and I had a Lonesome Dove marathon. I love that flick and although i couldn't find my copy, Neighbor Tim had one. First time Brendan had seen it and liked it. Today was warm and sunshiny so we slipped over to Burlington to Catfish Bend Casino. I came out about even with the slots and Brendan lost at Blackjack. It was fun, since I hadn't been to one in years. It had been so long I didn't know you fed the machines with cash and cashed out with paper slips that you feed into machines. No more buckets of coins.

Found this in the Peoria paper yesterday. This guy sure gave it a good legal try. Inventive, clever and original, but alas, doomed.

Have a look at this lone Belgian boy, who obviously has more respect and appreciation for our men and women in uniform than many adults, waiting to salute the Canadian contingent returning from a memorial service. His smart snap to attention, his crisp salute, as the troops return the gesture with an 'Eyes Right', normally reserved as a show of respect for high-ranking officers and dignitaries in the reviewing stand.

Your Yearly Dementia Test It's that time of year to take our annual senior citizen test. Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, it's important to keep mentally alert. If you don't use it, you lose it! Below is a very private way to gauge your loss or non loss of intelligence. Take the test presented here to determine if you're losing it or not. The spaces below are so you don't see the answers until you've made your answer. OK, relax, clear your mind and begin. 1. What do you put in a toaster? Answer: 'bread.' If you said 'toast,' give up now and do something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, bread, go to Question 2. 2. Say 'silk ' five times. Now spell 'silk.' What do cows drink? Answer: Cows drink water. If you said 'milk,' don't attempt the next question. Your brain is over stressed and may even overheat. Content yourself with reading a more appropriate li...

A guy was driving around the back woods of Tennessee and he saw a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog for Sale ' He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the back yard and sees a nice looking Beagle sitting there. 'You talk?' he asks. 'Yep,' the Beagle replies. After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?' The Beagle looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA and they had me sworn into the toughest branch of the armed services...the United States Marines You know one of their nicknames is 'The Devil Dogs.' In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders; because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight yea...

Please kids, business owners and editors: Stay in school.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor .

Chris, BFE resident, deer hunter and wrangler of wayward women (state correctional officer), yesterday purchased a new Harley-Davidson cycle. I am not that free with my praise of Harleys since I am a Kawasaki guy, but it really is a good looking bike. It is a non-chromed black and pewter looking cycle that simply looks mean and menacing. He will be able to join the BFE Wild Bunch this summer during our weekend cruises.

Yesterday I went to Victoria to get my boat from Lake Littlejohn. I will try to sell it and the motor. After having been a member for some 10-12 years, I have decided to quit my membership at the Littlejohn Conservation Club south of Victoria. It was a great area for fishing, and became my place of solitude. With some 20 some individual lakes, a hiking path, beach and swimming area, and shooting range it was a great place to go. I usually went early in the morning as the sun came up and hardly ever caught anything. I had a boat and cool trolling motor and just spent time cruising on Long Lake. Sure I'd throw a worm in or some other twinkling, swirling, brightly colored gizmo, but it was the ambiance, not the number of fish caught that was the allure. This was the place where little Bustle-Butt and I went to have fun. He drove my boat there once, and we went swimming and allowed Grandma to join us another time. The quiet, the serenity, the nature was every bit as fulfilli...