Existing In BFE

While waiting to get a new tire put on my bike the other week I grabbed a magazine about riding that had this guy on the cover.  He is country singer David Allen Coe and has had a long career.  I noticed that he no longer has his hair so he wears a wig the same color he used 40 years ago.  Once upon a time, Mr. Coe was a handsome man. And I suppose he was successful with his music.  I don't follow country music so I'm not sure if he was "big" or not, but he did have a famous writing credit with "Take This Job and Shove It", sung by Johnny Paycheck.  It seems, however, that Mr. Coe has not adapted to his age.  At 75, most guys don't have flowing golden colored locks,  but do have the noticeable hearing aids.   Maybe there simply comes a time at which you should begin to age gracefully.  Be as mischievous as you want; be hell-bent on eccentricity, but for God's sake, don't look foolish.     Grant...

1.  Don't be surprised if we take a few days off here real soon.  The staff has been getting itchy and they all want to go to the beach after a long winter.  It's been awhile since we have had some time off so in the interest of team morale I just may oblige my overworked and underpaid staff.   2.  Unoriginal Thought Of The Day:  Everyone who ever lived, lived in modern times. 3.  Under the "Real Floridians Suck" category,  this doesn't change my opinion of Floridians, it only reaffirms it.  We Northerners give the place a little class. 4.  Go to Bodine-DILLIGAF on my home page to read an interesting tale set in 1957 when Florida dropped a nuclear bomb on Georgia.      5. Mainsail Art Festival was held at the Vinoy on the 19th and 20th of April, and I am sorry to say I did not see anything that dazzled my eyes and was in my price range.  I was smitten by Jane Slivka and her acrylics...

Traveling somewhere the other day I spotted this fellow (?) by a bench at the corner of 34th Street and 22nd Avenue.  He was waving, sashaying, and provocatively dancing at cars driving by.  Perhaps showing off his latest Spring fashion he was wearing a tight blouse (?) or top with equally tight jean short-shorts.  Rounding out the ensemble were white sneakers and wristband.  There are sights in all cities; many are there to promote a happy and harmonious living standard.  The Vinoy comes to mind, as do the beaches, and the nature reserves scattered all over the place.  There are also things not so happy, such as this man (?) who felt compelled to harass drivers along 34th and 22nd.    This seductive "come-hither" pose was directed toward me as I was driving by having circled back to get more for my loyal readers.  I like to think this is a Springtime gift (?) to all of you, readers of EIB from our Ambassador of Wackoville...

Word has filtered down from the North that was kind of sad.  Tweety's in Keithsburg, a bar and restaurant is closing.  OK, so what is the big deal?  The big deal is this is the same place that was also known as Blackie's Hi-Way Tap back when I was a younger man.  And by younger man, I mean a younger drinking man.    Keithsburg for dry town Seaton residences was kind of sin city.  Several bars, a Tastee-Freez and watching the Mississippi amble down South made the place, and the 7 miles, well worth the trip.     Helen and Blackie ran the bar and with a cold beer and Blackie's skills in the kitchen made the Hiway the go-to spot.   The Wombie and I used to go down and play pinball on machines that are considered obsolete now.  A fine cast of characters inhabited the place and it was always friendly.  Blackie for a time would fix smelt and serve it free for patrons, then he switched over to chicken wings.   It was whe...

My latest painting was based on a photograph I took at the Gulfport pier sometime last year.  It was a night scene with some people scattered about the railing.  Some were fishing, some were just taking in the summer evening.  I wanted my rendition to have some fog to bring out the community isolation of all of us there that night.  Well, here goes.  First step was do a quick wash over the new canvas.  I used a turpentine wash with some cobalt and then painted the whole thing a a combination of ivory black, Payne's gray and a bit of ultramarine blue. Next, I drew the general design onto the virtually black canvas with a pencil.   The next step was nothing more than painting on the pier, and the figures.  It isn't important to get it right at this point, its just important to get the structures and general figures in so you can make sure the placement is OK.   Above you can see the floor of the ...

I had a buddy in high school named Ed Johnson.  He and I used to ride around in his 62 Chevy and do a little country road drinking and Quad City cruising.   There is always a lot of jockeying between activities and people and groups in school days but Fast Eddie was always a good friend and has remained so through the decades since graduation.  I was in G-Burg and he was in Peoria; families to raise and careers to establish.  I've talked about Ed in the past on this blog and longtime readers will remember the great story of him finding his Dad's old truck in a junkyard near Aledo a few years ago, and restoring a door.  His son, Michael, a Floridian living not too far from St. Pete, and my name is not just a coincidence.  Michael also had me and Brendan on his boat for a fishing trip last year, too.   When I was up North I got a call from Eddie asking where I was.  In an ironic twist of fate I happened to be in G-Burg and he was in Florida. ...

1.  I love Meryl Streep.   In August: Osage County  she gives the best acting performance I may have ever seen.  It's a tough film regarding family dysfunction, but she chews the scenery like like a herd of beavers in Yosemite.  I was left stunned after I saw it.  Amazing actress.   2.  Spotted on April 16th in mid-morning in St. Petersburg was this  ring around the sun.  Also called the 22nd Degree Halo, these are fairly common and happen when sunlight filters through ice crystals in cirrus clouds.   It didn't last long but was a sure sign from the gods that a cat must be sacrificed in order to insure a good harvest…oh, sorry, I drifted there.  Anyway, like I said, this happens with ice crystals and a 22 degree bend of the light.  Here Kitty, Kitty……… 3.  I don't post on Facebook very often.  I'm not fond of the site but I'll throw something up every few weeks just to let folks know I'm still alive. ...

On the last evening (Sunday) of my stay up North I struck out finding anywhere to eat. Rib Shack was closed as was LaGondola and my last try was the Brickyard.  Thank God St. Pete is open all the time.  The only place closed on Sunday around here is Chic-Fil-A, for religious reasons.  But a guy can starve up North.   As I was leaving East G-Burg to head back to Pat's I came across this herd of deer on either side of the highway.  I naturally stopped to take in the beauty of it all.  The sun was setting, I was in a quiet area and heard nothing but nature.  My camera was handy so I started taking pictures.  Unfortunately many were blurred; my need to snap under pressure no doubt.    These guys were on the right side of the road and after gazing at me for awhile, then took off back to the forested area on across the field.  It was only after I got home and previewed the pics did I see this unusual sight.  ...

I wasn't too bad at what I did.  The first part of my Mary Davis Home career consisted of counseling kids.  The second part was in administering a rehabilitation program.  The first part was more enjoyable, but the second had its perks as well.  It is true that we are only as good as those around us,  and I had some great people on my side as I ended my tenure at program Coordinator at the Mary.  War Room You've seen pictures of my office before, but not this one.  There are two cups of coffee on the desk and looks like work is happening.  Good thing we took a picture of that.  Since I had staff reporting in to me on a weekly basis it was important to make it as inviting as possible.   This fellow is Atilla Nemeth.  He worked at MDH as a transportation officer who drove to counties to pick up offenders.  Atilla was riotously funny - and still is.  I stopped to see him at his C & I Embroider...

We are almost done with posts relating to my trip back North in February.  Then you all can go back to your Spring worshipping and trying to forget the winter that held you in its embrace for far too long.  But not yet.  Today is a look back to some fun winter driving videos that I took on a particularly snowy day heading tint G-Burg from Knoxville.  It had been some time since I drove in it, but my cat-like snow reflexes returned like I'd never left.   This is County 10, I think they call it, just south of G-Burg.  I always referred to it as Thirwell Road.  Whatever it is, it was a fun trip and falls under the "Be careful what you wish for" category.  Kind of scary and when out, immediately wanted back in, but I stuck with it like the old pro I am.    The Wombie, AKA Aquaman, and I were just running around near Keithsburg and New Boston one day and ran into a flooded road.  I told him to gun it and that God hates a c...

My Sis-In-Law, Holly, told me about a soft Teddy bear for sale at a store in Aledo when I was up there.  I thought it would be great to send to Norah for Valentine's Day.    Thanks to Kenzie's thoughtful picture taking, I was able to see step-by-step Norah's first package she ever received through the mail.   This isn't the same as being there, but almost. The instant she realizes she has another stuffed friend. And the smile I was counting on. Valentine's Day has never been high on my list; sadly, in the past, I have seen it as a Hallmark holiday.  A superficial Madison Avenue exercise in consumerism.  I've changed my mind.  It was the smile that did it.  I can't wait for next Valentines Day, I've got a lot of catching up to do.

INTRODUCING,  MISS NORAH. SINGING LET IT GO, FROM THE   AWARD-WINNING MOTION PICTURE , FROZEN. (Any similarity between this video and Susan Kane, wife of Charles Foster Kane, is purely unintentional.)  2.  Speaking of movies:  last week I stumbled again on a classic that you may have missed when it came out 33 years ago.  No love scenes, no English (unless you can find the dubbed copy), and a whopping 209 minutes (even longer in the uncut version).  Yeah, you'll have to read the subtitles.  But there may be no better movie portraying the dangers, hazards and claustrophobia of submarine warfare.  I speak, of course, of the german production of  Das Boot .  It is on Netflix streaming if you have that service, or you can rent it from them, too.  And the ending is as heartbreaking as any ever on film.  In early production talks when it was considered by an American company, both Robert Redford and Pa...