Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Yesterday I managed a very productive morning in the office and took the afternoon off. I then distributed enough defoliant to clear an air strip in Vietnam.

Conditions were perfect for these nasty chemicals, sunny, warm and no change of rain.

I have been fighting a two year battle to eradicate honey suckle and those wild rose bushes. Both choke out my electric fence in short order. Oh and I got zapped a few times while working near the fence. Nothing quite like touching an electric fence.

The effort is similar to fight the Taliban however I think my recent surge will help this summer.

We then installed more lights at the barn and the darn thing lights up like a cruise ship.

More work in the office today and I will be golfing tomorrow which I have technically construed as work since I am taking out a client.

It's The Thought That Counts

My dogs were so happy to see me come home last night. They wiggled and screamed and made fools of themselves. I loved it.

This morning as I stumbled in the dark making coffee (I prefer not straining my eyeballs and making that eyeball muscle hurt with bright lights) my dogs were insistent that I join them for their morning routine and peeing and barking.

Generally every morning four out of five go out in the dark for about 30 minutes. They run in twos. Cedie stays back and sleeps in.

This morning Tanner and Haley came back in 5 minutes and attempt to get me to join them. I was flattered. I opted not to trot around the neighborhood and pee and sniff but it was nice just to be asked.

Mamma Told Me Not to Come

I am in Las Vegas. While I have technically been to Las Vegas 3 times previously this is my first trip in the trenches on the strip.

The other trips involved me staying at The Green Valley Ranch just out of town with limited limo visits or well orchestrated dinners in high end casinos.

But now I’m at Harrah’s in the thick of it and it is like no other place I have seen.

What I have noticed so far:

You would not know there is a recession.

People drink a lot.

People gamble a lot.

People loose a lot of money and enjoy it.

I miss my wife.

I miss my dogs.

People walk a lot. The streets are full of people walking somewhere else.

It appears most folks do all this in shifts between naps because no one seems to get in 8 hours sleep here.

Casinos all smell the same. Like stale cigarettes and beer. Newer casinos attempt to neutralize this smell with a sickening cover-up smell.

I saw a guy take a swig of beer and projectile barf on a bar near me. Didn’t he feel that coming on?

My skin is so dry here in the desert.

A 16 oz bottle of Diet Pepsi costs $2.50.

I have watched more ESPN and horse races than I ever thought I would see in a lifetime.

A lot people take on gambling like a job.

I get lost in hotel lobbies.

Every attempt is made to recreate beauty already naturally found where you live if you just look for it. I have a beautiful running creek on my property and I am going to spend more time looking at it with my dogs. I estimate this creek would be worth $800,000 in a hotel lobby.

Things Around Real Farmville

I have used some stimulus money to build a few things around the farm. A nice 36X12 shelter for the three stall barn.

A hot water shower to wash horses, dogs and anyone willing to wash outdoors.

And a soon to be chicken coop made from a prefab dog pen. My trusty chicken herder Tanner looks on.

Breaking News!

We have spring chickens! Eggs in the fall. I hope they will all fit in this box come fall.

Back to the Sea

Yesterday I made arrangements to get my diver certifications before I return to St Croix in May.

It it now force me into a schedule to complete the online written part. Otherwise I would just sit around and heap guilt on myself.

Then on late April I have two days of in water pool training before I do my open water dives down on the island.

Then I will be an underwater breathing mammy jamma. Down to 60 feet.

09/09/09 at 9AM

This is the eastern most point of The United States of America. This is a view of a monument on the Eastern shore of St Croix. On 9/9/09 at 9 AM I peed on that monument. This has to be lucky.

Two days earlier I was there in a tropical storm.

Both days I was the most eastern American on American soil.

What I left Behind in St Croix

This is all my snorkel stuff for Gigi and I. I bought that inflatable vest for when I skim over shallow reefs. And if I get 300 yards out in the ocean and get tired.

I brought home one flashlight and that beer token front and center. Yes that is a router and yes there are red clown noses in that white bag.

Wr0n

I know this guy named Wr0n. He asked me to change his name so no one would know who he is.

Anyway Wr0n is going to Las Vegas next week and Wr0n really isn’t much of a gambler. Oh maybe a few hands of black jack or a slots now and them but basically Wr0n doesn’t get a thrill from gaming.

Well it seems Wr0n has been practicing online and went for real money last night. Wr0n won big. Call it beginners luck but Wr0n was excited.

Enough to buy a chicken coup if Wr0n is into that sort of thing.

Breakfast...here it is

The other day I went to a breakfast place in Myrtle Beach and watched the crowd. It was the type of restaurant where the waitress calls me sugar or darling, and men go to eat solo, smoke cigarettes, read the paper, and eat breakfast.

My observation was why in the hell do people stare and study at breakfast menus so long. It is embarrassing to watch.

People here is what you will find at most any place that serves breakfast. Memorize it.

Eggs (universal how ever you want them cooked) Omelets are a subcategory of eggs.

Meat (bacon, ham, sausage and regional favorites like liver pudding and spam)

Bread (toast, biscuits) whatever kind of bread your heart desires

Starch (potatoes, rice, grits, or some regional favorite)

Pancakes and waffles with syrup.

Coffee. Yes and they have decaf for people that drink that swill.

Juice (usually orange, grapefruit)

This is the universal breakfast menu. This is what you will find for breakfast in 99% of the continental US and most US territories.

Decide what you want on the way there and order. Check for a special omelet board on the way in if they are getting fancy that day.

You just show your ignorance at the attempt of rediscovery on a breakfast menu. There are no new breakfast foods. Someone would have told you.

Two Work Days

The past couple of days have been fantastic. I am really concentrating on living in the present moment and I am getting more enjoyment out of this. I like especially that living in the moment keeps better tabs on my body and what it needs and feels. I think this can only help me in excercise and nutrition.

Tuesday morning at 7 AM I loaded in the Jeep and drove to the coast of North Carolina for a scheduled appointment with long time clients in Ocean Isle, NC. I had three appointments scheduled with long time clients so the Jeep and casual apparel was appropriate.

The drive down was fantastic. Mostly the drive was on two lane uncrowded country roads. The sunrise was spectacular.

I just settled in at 55 MPH and cruised arriving at 10:45 for my 11 AM.

We had a great meeting and lunch. We solved some problems and calmed some fears. There were equally successfule meetings at 3 and 5.

At near sunset the human instinct to find food and shelter kicked in.

I took out my trusty iPhone and fired up the Priceline App. It told me there was a fancy smancy hotel nearby with empty rooms and it suggested I bid $60 a night for the room. I did and got it. Turns out it was a super nice full service luxury Sheratan Hotel in Myrtle Beach. Nice.

In the room it wanted $10 a night for Internet. Not to worry...I again broke out my trusty iPhone and tethered it to my computer and fed 3G and connected to the Internet. Another $10 saved.

Turns out this iPhone is handy as a pocket knife.

The next morning I took about an hour walk on the beach, had breakfast and slowly drove back home a different route.

I relaxed the body and mind and made some money. How nice was that?

My MIL

My MIL is here.

She spends every waking hour as near to Gigi as she can possibly be. This interrupts my normal daily functions like dressing, naps, going to the toilet, thinking, relaxing, etc. I can't have a conversation with my wife without repeating statements and explaining all the meaning and nuances that go along with a relationship that has lasted 34 years.

Yesterday...and I am not making this up she decided that she would "help" by cleaning out the cat box at the guest house. She saw the Roomba in the kitchen and took that opportunity to weigh herself on the damn vacuum cleaner. She said it lit up and yelled. I haven't had the nerve to go visit it yet.

The highlight of my day was when I decided I would buck up and eat a pickled egg. I have had this jar of pickled eggs from tailgating last football season. I was bored. I was curious.

It tasted kind of like a rubber egg with vinegar and Comet.

If she hold's something up in my face again and asks, "What's this?" I swear.....

Here and Now

This week I have struggled to remain in focus, on task to the present moment. Far too often, in fact most of my waking hours are consumed with what if or what should have been.

It is not that I am consumed by fears and regrets. My mind tends to lead me away from reality at hand and this causes me to loose focus on the present. It causes stress. It makes my blood pressure high. It makes me waste time.

You see, I can control the here and now but changing what was and what might be is impossible to control. Seems simple but for me it is not simple.

Some of you may not get this and I applaud you. You live in the present like a dog and I envy you. For me it is a struggle but I am enjoying this new place. If just for this week.

Now I am going to post this and walk to the bedroom, put on my pants and get Gigi some Cokes at the store.

Happy weekend everyone.

Crap(s)

Major expansion is going on up at our barn. 20 years ago I built 3, 10X12 stalls. The building is 36X10 and it is built from pine lumber cut from our property. It has a metal roof, electricity and water. Frankly I thought it be rotten by now and Gigi would be over horses. But neither happened.

Gigi decide she had to expand so we are adding a 12X36 shed to the front. This will be nice especially in the winter and during rainy spells.

I ordered a on demand water heater for washing digs, horses and humans up there and it came in yesterday. I'm going to install it up at the barn and I sure hope it works as it says. It will be nice having endless hot water without the cost of a water tank that constantly heats water whether I use it or not.

I guess I need to build a modesty shower stall and place top bathe the dogs. I love taking showers outdoors.

I am going to Las Vegas in a few weeks with a friend to watch college basketball and gamble. I do neither here but thought the trip would be fun. I have been practicing Craps online because that is my friends game of choice.

Gigi has a friend coming to visit her that same weekend and I think she is happy that I will be gone so she can have some girly time.

Da 1989 Jeep

I just spent 2 days detailing my Jeep for the upcoming season.

During this time I stripped out the interior and washed the tub (interior floor) with bleach and a scrub brush. I disassembled the seats, shifter and instrument panel and painted everything. Last weekend I painted the interior doors and put on new pull knobs.

Once dried I reassembled everything but left out the back seat. This year I will be a two seater and will use the back space for dogs, coolers and other fun stuff like boat motors.

Now everything looks and smells new.

On the outside I painted some of the roof rack that showed rust. Then I cleaned throughly the Jeep and tires. Then I too a heat gun to the plastic wheel flairs to bring out the color again. I added "Back to Black" to finish them.

Then I coated the Jeep exterior paint with 2 coats of Liquid Glass.

I treated the plastic windows with a cleaner and wax.

Then I drove proudly to a local gas station and bought a 6 pack to celebrate.

I love spring.

Ass Vitamins

Is your ass getting the vitamins it needs? How about aloe?

Let me give you a hint....I'm guessing it's not.

The Wreggie household uses single ply tissue because we have a septic system. We reasoned years ago that single ply has to be better that double ply for the septic tank and drain field. We use the same toilet tissue in our RV for the same reasons.

It was getting to the point where single ply was difficult to find except for one brand, Charmin with Aloe and Vitamin E.

Let me tell you, one swipe with this stuff and your ass will be spoiled for life.

I get the Aloe but the vitamins? Is E enough? Does my butt need C, B and D?

Run to your store and buy this stuff. Your ass will thank you.

A Good Day Planned

The "warm" weather hit yesterday and I was out in it. Honestly it was a bit chilly and windy but a welcome relief from the bitter cold winter. Today and tomorrows high's have been revised up to high 60's.

Yesterday I picked up my tickets to The Masters. They go for $200 each and honestly I could sell them for thousands now on ebay. But I wouldn't.

My Miss Anna's Hot Sauce arrived via parcel post. 17 days it took coming from the island. The box looked like it had reentered from space but all the contents were fine.

Contrary to Terri, I painted the undercarriage of my passenger Jeep seat yesterday and pulled the gear boot and plate and painted the plate black. It will look nice when I get it all back together.

Today will provide me perfect conditions for more Jeep tinkering and temperatures for a lettering on the windshield. Year one I had "Shore Patrol". Year two "Wreggie Legend". Now I am lettering "Carolina Panthers" with their unique cat scratch font in white.

Look Out Summer...here I come

Man I have a busy travel season coming up and I like that.

First things first...Monday high looks to be in the mid to upper 60's. This is sweltering by this past winter's standards and I have declared Monday a day off. I'll do some yard work, tinker with the Jeep and may get started on the Chicken coop.

In about three weeks we dust off the RV and head to Augusta, GA for 5 days of camping by the lake and The Master's.

Then a few weeks later in May it is back to St Croix for a week at The Buccaneer Resort that I bought very cheaply on skyauction.com.

Later in May I have a trip to Boston. It is a short business trip but fun none the less.

Then comes the coveted 10 day RV trip to Jekyll Island, GA in late June and early July. This is always fun with lots of family.

My pal Thomas is trying to get me to buzz off the Vegas for a few days late this month. And I am lobbying heavily to take my nephew back to St Croix before school starts.

Between trips I plan to do a bunch of topless Jeep rides with border collies and play as much golf as I can afford.

Stuff that pisses me off

I LOVE my seats in Bank of America Stadium. They are second level 35 yard line. It is a perfect vantage point to watch the entire game and I am surrounded by familiar faces. Please don't try and "upgrade" me with lower bowl tickets that suck. If I wanted to sit in front of the Top Cat cheerleaders and watch the actual game on the scoreboard I would have made a move to that end years ago. Second deck fans are just fine and we really don't envy you lower deck people. We do feel sorry for you in the fact that most of you have a shitty view and you paid more for your tickets.

Tax season is the bane of my existence. It takes a lot of time find the 1099 that was sent to you and you misplaced. God doesn't make your 1099 so it is not always perfect and correct. I don't make it or mail your damn 1099 either so don't bitch at me unless you want to get bitched back. I can help you as a nice person but I can be an equal ass hole too.