... anither b-day. that's 66 now.

What a wild ride it's been!

Today is my birthday. What I'd like to have for dinner is a nice BIG steak and a baked potato, a nice cold beer and German Chocolate cake for dessert. Since I have to work, I'll get what I packed for myself: a chicken sandwich, granola bar, raisins and milk. As The Rolling Stones once sang:

You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.

~

I always thought the Everly Brothers were goody-two-shoes until I heard this:


A darkerside, maybe?

~

Over 6,000 views of my little blog. I'm most proud of the fact that my thoughts and words have remained mostly anonymouse.

Proving that one can state his own mind without rankling anyone.

~

... for a classic:


Grab the popcorn!

Driving to work the other day, a young man ran a stop sign, pulling right out in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding hitting him. In his own way, I suppose he thanked me.

He flashed me the international sign that told me to go forth and multiply, then drove away.

Upon reflection, I've thought that maybe he was tired of driving his rusty relic and was seeking my help on his way to obtaining a newer vehicle.

Sorry I couldn't help, buddy, I wasn't thinking.

~

The local fieldhouse in town was damaged by a tornado last November. The Fieldhouse (as it was named) opened in 1928 and was once the biggest high school gymnasium in the United States. Originally it had a seating capacity of 10,000, now just under 7,000. During the local Sectional of the State Tournament every year, people would sit in the aisles and they would sell standing room tickets, which would boost the attendance back up around 10,000. For high school basketball. Yes, it was a part of Hoosier Hysteria ( One year they held the State Finals in Indianapolis in the domed football stadium and had over 60,000 people there for the Championship game). Locally, my old high school has had eight State Champions play there.

Over the years, there have been rock concerts by big name groups there and every year it was where the annual Christmas Sing was performed by local school's choirs (I sung there myself in the sixth grade). As I stated before, a tornado damaged the roof at one of the entrances. No local high school sports there this past year and no Christmas sing (the Sing was moved to the local college). Everyone here has been on pins and needles over what was to become of this historical palace until today.

An article on the front page of our local newspaper confirmed that repairs are to be done and should be finished in time for the start of basketball season. You might not think much of the news, might even wonder why the city would want to repair this old building. In a state where basketball is king, history matters. We here are proud of the fact that our alma mater leads all time in championships. Generations have attended games there. For me, it's where I had my first date. My high school graduation took place there as well. Had you ever attended a game in this shrine at Sectional time, where the game is either tied or a one point difference with seconds ticking away on the clock, you'd know what I've felt on numerous occasions.

It's history. It's memories. It's a grand old palace that should be saved for generations to come. And now, thank God, it will be.

Oh, happy day!

~

I've been a fan of Westerns since I started watching them with my Dad as a kid.

A few of my favorites:

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Wild Bunch
The Magnificent Seven
Dances With Wolves
The Unforgiven
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Open Range

and many more.

T.V. shows include:

Maverick
Rawhide
Gunsmoke
Alias Smith and Jones
The Wild, Wild West

and more.

An American genre that only the Italians have ever given a run for the money (the Clint Eastwood movies he filmed there).

I feel a movie marathon coming on in the near future.

~

For the first time since I've been keeping a dream journal (over 31 years), I retained the memory of five different dreams last night. My previous record, accomplished several times, was four.

Ah, the power of the subconscious!

~

Four hot dogs left, so I'm going to cut them up and put them in with some pork and beans. Of course they'll be spiced up a bit.

No one will want to be in the same room with me later.