I'll Drink Microbrews This Summer for Safety....

"Thank you"

"Thanks"

I hate e-mails that just say "thanks." Sure. I'm guilty. I send them too. Sometimes it seems like the polite thing to do. But at least if there are 10 people on copy, I just reply to the person I'm thanking. Why do 9 other people need to see me say "thanks?"

Apparently, however, most people feel the need to show they're being courteous to their neighbor. I'd almost bet that some of these people add additional people on reply just to say, "look at me, I say 'Thank you'."

Now don't go thinking that I lack all manners or courtesy. I'll say thank you to a waitress twice when she re-fills my water. Once when she picks it up. Once when she puts it down re-filled. I'll shoot-out out a "please" after listening to my boss bark orders at people in our factory. Sure, I come off as a smart ass, but just because you have power, doesn't give you the right to eschew courtesy.

Speaking of being a smart ass, I want to coin the phrase "Insightful turds." Is there a better way to describe the drivel spewing from a Smart Ass? Maybe I could change my blog name "Insightful Turds; Thoughts and Discourse of a Smart Ass." (Besides, judging from the comments, nothing brings in readers like poop)

Anyhow, despite courtesy, "thanks" e-mails, after a chain of 15 e-mails, only 3 of which likely had anything worthwhile to say, just seem to be the epitome of inefficiency. Then again, most all e-mail seems to get more and more inefficient by the day, as we copy more and more people, and then ask specific questions to specific people, while adding more and more people to make ourselves appear as though we're accomplishing. Or, sometimes you know that people would even provide you a response if they don't feel like others are watching.

But we can't fix all the ills of e-mail or the human psyche in a day. We can however, stop doing the little things that annoy me, so that I'm more relaxed. I'm selfish like that.

So, in advance of you all not copying me on e-mails thanking someone else for actually doing their job, which you likely shouldn't have been following up to begin with, let me just say, "Thanks."

Clean-up on Aisle 5

I guess with all the poop being flung about I should do some housekeeping.

I did have a very nice weekend with Kari. Saturday night we ate at Koi, a Japanese Steakhouse where they cook in front of you. We had a lot of fun with Kari's friends Danielle, Byron, Kristy and Andy. Our waitress bordered on horrible, but fortunately, the chef was very personable and enjoyed doing his show, and catered it to us as opposed to running the standard play book so to speak. He really made it worthwhile.

After that, we went Cosmic Bowling. If you don't like glow in the dark bowling in tune with crappy music, then I doubt you know what fun is.

Sunday we just ran a couple of errands and took it easy. Kari's three brothers stopped through on their way home from a wedding, so we ate a nice spaghetti dinner with them, and then we both were ready to hit the sack pretty early.

We finished the weekend with a nice walk on the beach and then breakfast Monday morning before I hit the road back north. Little did I know that those fateful deceased armadillos would spawn.

Oh, and while I'm back on the ride home, is South Carolina the Mary Kay Cosmetics capitol of the South. Two straight trips down to Florida I've seen a pink Cadillac on the road. Anyhow, I know the first one was a Mary Kay car. If this last one wasn't, well, just why?

Back on track....of course, I'm always thankful for the hospitality that Craig and Wendy show me while I'm in PVB as well.

Switching gears, I haven't been very good about responding to comments, but I'd like to thank all those who dropped well wishes.

No, I don't have my instrument rating yet, but flying is definitely on the list of things I'd like to become proficient at again. I successfully dodged all six numbers on two Powerball tickets this weekend, which means I must be due for a huge turnaround next week, and then a plane of course when I win.

As for anything else, I'm a bit tired and my brain is failing me at the moment. I'm looking forward to heading back to Chicago this weekend though for Mother's Day.

Be well, all.

Armadillos Aren't Just in Texas

When I saw two distinctly deceased armadillos on the side of the road just north of the Georgia border passing into South Carolina, I text Kari to ask if they had them in Florida, too. She of course responded "yes."

I knew that response was coming since after I sent the text, I'd remembered Craig making a remark a couple of days earlier about the alligator turd, or maybe it could be opossum or armadillo turd, that we passed as we walked around the pond, since clearly it wasn't left by either of the two dogs or horses that reside on the property.

Myself, I was wondering why it might be alligator turd, since I'd think it would be more comfortable for the resident alligator to pinch it off while in the pond. Apparently I'm not really attuned with alligator defecation.

Hunters always seem to have a knack for spotting turds as they're walking around. One would think it's because it's probably not pleasant to sit in the woods for hours with boots that reek of fresh dung all day. More practically, it's because if you can identify said dung and its "freshness," you'll get a better idea of what's happening around you, and if the species you're after has passed through.

But I digress. I guess I always just associated armadillos with Texas, since in the movie Necessary Roughness, the fictional university football team was the Texas State Fighting Armadillos.

Obviously, though, I should know better than to form a generalization based on a single crappy movie association. It'd be just like generalizing that Kathy Ireland was just an incredibly hot chick with no acting ability based on her performance in that movie.

Oh, wait.....

Hello, Mr. Dipladenia,

Nice to meet you, Mr. Dipladenia.

Look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Dipladenia.

There are those who can seemingly meet all sorts of people, talk to them for a bit, and then the next day recall every person's face and name. I've never been one of those people. Most of the time, I'll be able to recognize the face as familiar, but I have difficulty putting a name with that face.

Well, since Kari's father Keith re-opened his Bent Oak Nursery in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, I've had a chance to spend some time there on the weekends that I've been down to visit. Often, some of the different flowers and bushes will grab my attention, and I'll ask what they're called.

I'll listen to the exotic names, sometimes even read the tags as well, and without fail, a few hours later "Hey, what did you say the name of that was again?"

I've thought about trying to come up with some word associations to keep them stored in my head, like I did for the "Sister Ride Your Bike" bushes that now grace my front yard. Somenoe who knows might call them Loropetalum (or "Laura pedal 'em" as they're now ingrained in my head). But I'm not sure how all those Latin genus names will work with that approach.

So I've decided I'm going to have to turn to the old standby that I read in an article about meeting business contacts a few years ago. Repeat the person's name to them as you're shaking their hand, looking them right in the eye. Then, make sure to call them by name as you're speaking to them at least twice more in the conversation. At that point, you should be able to commit the face and name to memory.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. That's what I'll do. And hopefully no one will wonder who the nut job shaking the plants is.

Once...A Fluke. Twice.....

I guess means confirmation.

Pearl Jam is "classic rock?" Really?

I remember my dad saying the same things driving around when I was 7 or 8 about The Beatles, Rolling Stones and the like.

Now, the music of my high school years is turning up as "classic rock." I'm a bit at a loss.

Fighting through....

....the rather uninspiring day. Just not much to report.

Rec league softball game. We lost. Again. I think we're perfect in that respect through 4 games. We're just not very good. C'est la vie.

I'm heading to Ponte Vedra Beach after work tomorrow night, and going to take Monday off so that I can spend a bit extra time there. Hopefully some productive work will be completed on my house while I'm gone.

Robin at Deep Creek Kennel is going to take Whiskey and Snoopy for some shots over the weekend for me. "I'll take them....they're so well behaved." I told my carpet, baseboards and door frames what Robin said and they chuckled at me mockingly.

Speaking of Robins, the bird in my tree was working hard again today to feed her youngins when I stopped home after work.. I actually just got back home, grabbed a flashlight to go take a look, and she's dutifully guarding her nest and keeping her babies warm.

I think I've stretched this out as long as I can. Just tryin' to stay in the groove.

Hopefully those who are reading find this a little interesting. And hey, if you know anyone else who might find it enjoyable reading, I hope you pass it on. Hell, if you don't like it, pass it on to someone you don't like as punishment.

Any reader is a good reader. Let's parlay this into a job doing reviews and photos for a fishing magazine or something one day, where they force me to go to exotic places and write about them. Yeah, that's the ticket.

A boy's gotta dream.