Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Only In Texas

The picture isn't the best but I think it still captures the spirit pretty well.  (And no, I'm not the photographer.)

https://twitter.com/sh130toll/status/588462691741618177/photo/1

Monday, April 20, 2015

Telling on myself...

Sometimes the material for this blog can come from the most unlikely, and most unsuspecting places.  

For example, I was looking for a particular key for at least three weeks.  

It's the key to the local fitness center.  Here in our small town U.S.A. the city runs the fitness center and to rent a key costs only $5 a year.  While the equipment isn't exactly the best or newest (no surprise for that price) it still is a useful alternative particularly when the temp outside is near zero.  

For some time I kept the fitness center key on the kitchen counter, next to the TV and phone.  Until  one day when I couldn't find it.  Then I looked.  And looked.  And kept on looking.  

This past Saturday I tried experimenting with keys I found on a couple of key rings.  No go.  Or rather, no open.  However the lack of a key didn't keep me from exercise for the past few days as I could still go the hours the center was staffed.  

But I was determined to find our key.  

Then....

Early Saturday evening, after working out, I see my own keys on the table.  The top key glinted at me and I had to pause.  

There it was.  On my own keychain the whole time.  

I must have put it on there some weeks ago when I decided that the other household members weren't likely to go if I wasn't going.  (I tried to write that last sentence without sounding like I'm loaded with hubris but the bottom line, it's true.)  

Brings to mind an old saying:  Sometimes the answer to a problem is right in front of your face.  

Or right on your keychain alongside your house and truck keys.  

But despite the wisdom I still couldn't help feeling a bit foolish.  What is happening to my memory?

Monday, April 06, 2015

Bonddom, cont.

I left off with the novels.  Regarding the movies I still was limited to what ABC was showing on the occasional weekend.  

But then, home video finally made its way into the childhood house of Geoguy.  The addition of a VCR led to me finding a video store which carried most all of the Bond flicks.  

It began with "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," to be followed by "You Only Live Twice."  Then, slowly but surely I got familiar with the movies I never got to see at the cinema.  

By the time I left for college I was well-hooked.  However studies and other growing-up items eventually pushed the world Ian Fleming created aside.  

But only for a time.  

It probably wasn't coincidental that during this time the film series went into something of a hiatus.  I was married by the time "Goldeneye" hit the screens.  

By then I had relegated the Bond series to something I watched only every-now-and-then.  It usually was associated with a marathon courtesy of a cable channel.  

Until I decided to build up my DVD collection with you-know-who.  

Right now I have several DVD's plus a couple of Blu-Rays.  And who knows what else my collection will feature in the future?  Why?  

The answer is simple:  The movies (most of them, anyway) are fun to watch.  And given the quality of "Skyfall" I have plenty of hope for the future.  

My favorite Bond?  Tempted to say Connery but my answer is Daniel Craig.  The man truly looks like a secret agent and has the type of glare that can lead one to believe he will kill you in a heartbeat and not give it a second thought.  

My favorite movie?  Gotta be a tossup between "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," "For Your Eyes Only," "From Russia With Love," and possibly "Skyfall."  The latter will need to pass the test of years.  

Favorite gadget?  The ejector seat in the Aston Martin DB 5, introduced in "Goldfinger."  Many times I wished I had one of those....

Sunday, April 05, 2015

Happy Easter!

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!!

Hope all of you have a blessed Easter.  I attended the early church service this morning, now I'm tending the ham currently sitting in the oven.  

Smoked ham.  Processed from half a hog we bought a couple of months ago.  Basement freezer is now full of meat from "the wonderful magical animal."  

We expect a nice day here weather-wise.  Right now we're in that odd season in which I can leave the house without a jacket one morning and have to scrape slushy snow off my truck the next.  

Which actually did happen last week.  

Speaking of Easter the celebration is an obvious reminder of my arrival here in Kansas, now seven years ago.  My, how time flies....