Existing In BFE

My daughter's SO, father of Norah, and all around great guy, Drew is a personal trainer.  He hates this time of year because every Tom Dick and Harry has been given a gift card for a workout session, or every Tom Dick And Harry has made a New Year's resolution to lose weight and look buff for the beach.  So, in essence, he has to work harder for a few weeks until Tom Dick and Harry lose motivation and drop out.   Like I said in the last entry I see a value in making resolutions, New Year's day marks my 11th anniversary for smoking cessation.  Except for a cigar now and again, I have not puffed one cigarette since that day.  It's something I'm proud of and the impetus was born from a resolution.  I believe people can change, but it starts from goal setting, a recognition of one's flaws and a desire to correct it. One of my new joys is a blog by my friend Jeff Sutor called Bodine-DILLIGAF.  I don't know if he wants me to discuss it here or not, but I...

January rolls around quickly and with it, resolutions, diets, exercise, frugality and other forms of personal denial.  Until then finish up the pumpkin pie, the rice crispy treats, the puppy chow, peanut clusters, and cherry pie. Along with a New Year comes hope of continued health, and general contentment.  For me friends and happy family are the greatest gift.  This past year we welcomed Norah Grace  and dang if she hasn't swept through our lives like Sherman's March.  Just a note of thanks for the people in BFE, Galesburg, Aledo, Peoria, Bushnell, Seaton, Port Byron, Rio, Knoxville, and Saint Petersburg who inhabit my mind and heart. My resolutions for the New Year shall remain, at this time, hidden.   I concede not all have been successful, but New Years Day marks the 11th year of no cigarettes, so successful projects are possible. So with hope for the future I predict 2012 will be one of the best yet for Team Blythe.  We are going to tackle ...

This picture has one of Marj's flocked trees.   She would hoist them by rope over one of the rafters in the garage and use several cans of spray flock to get just the right look.  Green and blue balls with blue lights. Everything in this picture is well remembered,  even the items on the mantel.  It wouldn't be too much later the the parents would put a gas fireplace in and the shutters would be a thing of the past. Looks like I was in mid-wrestle with Phil while Mark looks too angelic.  My guess is he did something to instigate things or he is about to.    I remember one Christmas morning being awakened by bells. Mark and I went out to the living room and saw 2 new Schwinn bikes that had push-button bells. Red bigger Schwinns and Grandpa Dick and Herb were pushing the bells to wake us up. I remember one Christmas after a show at the church we toddlers put on and getting a stuffed bear. I remember many Christmas where I'd c...

  

Might be the best 9 minutes you spend today. In honor of my friend Jeff Sutor.

View Larger Map I decided to take a bold step, get out and do something different so I arose at 6:30 and went down the interstate to Gandy Boulevard and met up with the Bayside Biker's Club who, on their website, invite bikers to join them for trips around the area.  A nice long led bike ride was just the thing to put me into a better frame of mind than the one I have dipped into for a few weeks (months?).  I got off the bike at Barney's of St. Petersburg (a dealership, who also happen to sell Yamahas) and was immediately greeted by a couple of guys who shook my hand and welcomed me.  So far so good.  Nice guys, even if a lot of them were riding Goldwings.  I guess technically they're cycles, too. A few more bikes pulled in and before not too long a row of bikes numbering 12 or 13 were lined up.  After we received our trip briefing, riding instructions, and a 50/50 we all took off.  The bikes were mostly touring Goldwing types, a BMW, a little Hon...

Once again, our criminal cavalcade of St. Pete mugshots.  Wonder what this guy scored on his SAT's? Failure to register as a sex offender. Exposed his sexual organs.  Ewwww. A black eye on a lady is so sexy. Spread 'em. The ayes have it.                                   Oh, poor thing.  It'll be alright, really it will. This angelic looking young man is up for murder. Arrested for prostitution.  Gee, I'd rather put my money under my pillow. Looks like that nose has been broken a few times. Poor thing.   Creepy Boris Karloff eyes.

We take weather for granted. It's always too cold, or too hot, or too wet, or too windy or any number of things that don't sit well with us. It's a lightening rod of conversation, a topic we all rally around when into chit-chat mode with anyone. Weather gets a bum rap. I am convinced of this since I am into my 2nd year in the blandest, serially chronic nothing weather capitol of the world. I may be exaggerating, but not by much. Saint Petersburg suffers from a meteorological void that at one time, as I hear, this city suffered through 768 straight sunny days. Imagine that. Everyday for over 2 1/3 years it was blue sky and warm weather. Before you consign me to the padded room, look out your window, and imagine not having whatever you are having now and how it will change in 4 months. The following is a collection of shots taken when there was weather happening. I miss it. Now I am looking out my window and the sky is blue, and no rain is forecast for the at le...

This is one of the culverts here at Shawshank.  The dark object in the center is a head, and that head belongs to a gator.  Saw this in St. Pete.  Made me long for the World's Best pizza, Jerry's in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.    Saw these nests or cocoons or whatever they are recently.  What the Hell are they?  Norah chillin'. Saw this on NatGeo; picture of a tree in India which was in a flooded area and the spiders went to the highest structures.  Yep, that's all spider webs in those trees.   Spotted this lady at the library.  You can't read, but that tattoo says "Sweet'.  The other leg has on it "Heart".  I can tell you she certainly wasn't from what I could see.  An absolutely massive man also spotted at the library.  He's the one on the far right. Gearing up for Bear's Sunday (Drew, Michael and Mackenzie).  Norah, also present, had on her Bear's cheerleader outfit. Saw the spires on this church hea...