My Many Interests

Monday, June 16, 2014

Plastic Bag Tax Makes No Sense

This is what chaps my behind about the plastic bag ban in Dallas. They've voted in a new ordinance that makes you pay 5 cents a bag at the check-out beginning in January. The city's complaint was about how many of these single-use grocery bags get thrown away and end up in water ways and the streets. I never knew how making you pay for a bag was going to keep anyone from throwing it away, but I don't guess I'm as smart as they are. Then, I saw the latest little flyer from the city that was included in my water and trash bill. It was a friendly looking piece of paper that asking if I recycled the right items.

Recycle Flyer For the most part, I was. Until I saw what you couldn't recycle and topping the list was the same plastic bags that they were griping about littering the city! Am I wrong for thinking that if they recycled these items, there might now be so many floating around? Probably. Because, if a person isn't going to stop throwing them away after they've paid a nickel for one, they're probably not going to put it in the recycle bin, either. BUT, now I, the man who recycles, can't recycle the number one big trash item! So, now it goes into the main dumpster, where it “might” make it into the back of a garbage truck and go to a landfill to sit and wait for a 1,000 years. I don't know about ya'll, but my garbage men have very low accuracy for getting things into the back of a truck. I find more trash in my back alley on trash day than I do any other day of the week. So, much for going green Dallas. If you ask me, it’s just another way to add money to the coffers while not solving the problem it was supposed to fix.

My two cents, thanks for reading.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Amazing Skidboot

I've mentioned to several people over the years about Skidboot. Smartest dog that you'd ever meet. Unfortunately, he's in Heaven now, but his owner has trained several of his offspring and they are just as smart. This is the original Texas Country Reporter video from about 10 years ago, but it’s still fun to watch.

 

Does your dog, or any other animal for that matter, do cool tricks? Show photos/videos or it didn’t happen!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Choosing Your Battles

2014-04-08 11.01.25 ***WARNING*** GRAPHIC IMAGE OF FINGERNAIL BRUTALIZED BY LAUNDRY BASKET! Not a lot has gone right in my life as of late. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very thankful for the time that I had with my wife and my little brother and I am so very thankful for the beautiful daughter that I’ve been gifted with. It tends to be the little things that stress me out. Lawyers taking their sweet time, rude people in traffic, trash can too big and bags too small, and the laundry basket just not wanting to cooperate while you fill it with three weeks worth of laundry. It’s those little moments when you wish you had a sledge hammer and a quarry to wail on. Me? I just tried to slam the basked through the tile. It paid me back in a bent fingernail. You can’t really see it in the photo, so I don’t expect you to feel my pain, but trust me, I do. I’m gonna go get one of those squishy stress relievers and see if I can squeeze the poop out of it!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Christopher Walken Dances Right Into Your Heart

Christopher Walken already rates pretty high in my book, but this moved him up a few notches. Makes me want to sit down and marathon his entire catalog!

Christopher Walken Dance Now - YouTube

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A Voice From My Childhood

I was surfing the internet killing time when I came across an article on the most watched Super Bowl ads of all time. One of them was the Ram Truck ad called “Farmer.” It was narrated by the late Paul Harvey and it talks about God creating a caretaker for the Earth. It’s a very poignant portrayal of the American farmer and it almost makes you want to go out and start busting some sod.

But, then again, Paul Harvey’s voice does that to you. I was first introduced to his voice when I was little boy. My grandfather, Thurston Adcock, would listen to him every day at the same time and if you happen to be visiting during that time, well, you just had to listen to. For the duration of the show, time stopped, no sound other than the resonance of his tone and the stories that sucked you in and made you feel warm all over. It’s no wonder that when I think of my grandpa who passed away in 1987, I also think of Paul Harvey. Take a listen to the ad, and then do yourself a favor and track down some of his shows and treat yourself.

"So God Made A Farmer"

Here is a link that will take you to archives for THE REST OF THE STORY. You can also go to his website, run by his son, Paul Harvey, Jr.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

2013 In Review

You know, I’m gonna cut to the chase. 2013 sucked. That’s as blue as I’ll get with it, because one day my Grandma or daughter might read this and I respect them enough to leave it at that. But, 2013 did suck, so 2014 shouldn’t have too many problems outperforming it.

P1010202-001We knew it was going to be that way when Carroll’s oncologist gave us the news that there was nothing left to do in December of 2013. Worst case scenario gave Carroll only three months to live, so we knew that it would be soon, but we always thought that she would degrade slowly. Carroll went from looking as if she were in perfect health to gone in less than twenty-four hours. We expected a slow decline with family having time to come see her and pay final respects, but instead, she passed in agony from excruciating headaches. In a way, that was better than the long, slow process. Though her death certificate says February 4th, she passed at around 11:20 pm on February 3rd. It was within a thirty minute time frame of when her dad passed a year and a half before on the same night of the week and in the same spot on the bedroom floor that he passed. My mother says that it is why Lilly kept seeing Grandpa Jim’s spectre around the house. He was waiting to take his daughter home. Over the last year, I’ve heard things. Whether they are Carroll or not, I don’t know, but we talk to her nonetheless. We say our prayers, we yell “I love you, Mama” to the ceiling, and we tell each other how much we miss her.

I moped for a good few months, entertaining myself by going to conventions and staying active on my blogs. Some days, I would just sit in front of the computer and stare and then there were days that I would sleep. Some days were amazing. Lots of energy, lots of ideas, then the next day would leave me lethargic and not wanting to do anything.

As the holidays approached, I spent more time with family and less time on the computer. I’d still hop on Facebook and say something, but most of the time just lurk. Both Lilly and I took the holidays rather well. No breakdowns, no collapses. Yet, we still haven’t reached the one year mark.

DSC03874croppedLilly has been doing well in her day school and she loves it. She has friends that she loves and talks about on a regular basis. I’m hoping to put together a play date when the weather warms up. She’s precocious, quick witted, a tom boy and a princess at the same time. I know her mother smiles down on her with a smile from one side of the universe to the next.

I am gearing up to make 2014 a knockout. I won’t give details, but I am starting my own business. Carroll always told me to do what I love. She was my biggest supporter and I miss her so much for that. So, within the next few months, I’ll have huge news on that front.

Last, but not least, we raised over $6000 for the National Brain Tumor Society in November. I plan on becoming a big part of the event to honor Carroll’s name and giving spirit, so be prepared to get sick of me.

If you have not heard from us personally in the last year, please do not take it to heart. We have been fighting daily with our emotions and sometimes forget the little things. Know that we do love you and you are still a part of mine and Lilly’s lives.

So, here’s to a 2014 that won’t suck!