Journal Archive: Oct - Dec 2011

10/22/11  11:21am

Here we go!  All writers are supposed to keep a journal.  I'm not going to spill a fancy introduction here though or try to pontificate or intellectually showoff, (like I even could).  Read it if you want, or don't.  I have no secret life, as many do.  What I have, is an habitual personal conundrum.  I don't want advice, I know how to solve these 'problems.'  No, my difficulty is kinetic in nature.  I am the object at rest right now, and no amount of outside forces can seem to make me move.  The doctors call this mild bipolar syndrome... except there is no pattern to it (discernible) and since when do they actually measure brain chemistry anyway...whatever.  I've got this mountain in front of me again and I don't know where to begin and I don't want to begin...so I don't.  Soon, it all falls behind, chores, school, relationships, hygiene, etc.  When I actually do 'fix' these situations, I am always shocked inside that they took so little effort compared to the anguish I imagined them to be or the amount of time I procrastinated it.  I know this is my (excuse) imagination right from the start, but I allow this to happen to myself anyway.  I make weird excuses to people like "I work best under pressure," or crack some kind of joke to distract from the obvious:  there are times when I truly do not give a shit.  

Basically (completely) a selfish person, I struggle continually to overcome this part of my nature, while also continually stroking it.  The cognitive dissonance that results from this can 'shut me down.'  It's like over editing life until you have become ineffective.  My mother wisely notes this as a 'curse' of the intelligent, and it doesn't escape me that historically those who fixate on the things that I do normally go insane, take their own lives, or both.  NO THAT WAS NOT A WARNING SIGN or CRY FOR HELP.  Lighten up readers, I'm a complex guy :).  

But Dave, you still haven't said what the problem really is, have you?  Sorry, but this particular post isn't written for education, it's written for me.  I learned long ago that rambling prose dissuades the ignorant and fulfills the need to bury the dog deeper.  Re-translated:  If you don't get it already, I'm writing it in a way that you won't.

See, even now, there are things I NEED to be doing, I mean really 'important' things, but I'm writing this instead.  Mainly, in hopes that somewhere in here I will find the necessary outside force to act upon me and place me back in motion.  I need to make lists, set new goals, accomplish something, catch up...but I'm blowing it and don't even feel the need to let it bother me.

I find that historically when I get in this 'state' it is normally a portent that a large change in my life is coming, inevitably like a tsunami that will consume me.  I feel the overwhelming sensation that my illusion of control has evaporated and I am simply passively waiting for the new paradigm to arrive.  Waiting for my download to arrive if you will.  Hmm-mm, I'll be damned.  That's it.

So, I'll end this one here, because looking around, I find that there are some things I'm ready to begin now.  That's all I ever need, just to begin.  Because it takes just as many outside forces to stop me once I'm in motion as it does to make me move when I am not.  See I had these plans (the selfish guy) and I almost made it, then life happened again, like life always does.  So, I'm pouting a bit yes, but it's not that simple.  The realization that the plans I had may still come to fruition, just not in the manner I outlined originally, shouldn't come as a surprise.  Things rarely go the way they look on paper.  Yet I am surprised, so much so that it was a powerful enough outside force to make me the object at rest again.  Once again, I have weaved an illusion.  It's not reality I am dissatisfied with, it is that it did not meet my expectation.  Thus, the problem appears to be the variable I can control:  my expectations.  I'm going to try to catch up then on the schoolwork, honey-do's, promises to kids and friends, and myself that I am so far behind on.  And wait patiently (not anticipate or try to out-think or out-maneuver) for the change whose ripples I feel coming like the vibrations on a train track.  I can't see the light from the train or hear the whistle yet, but I know it's coming.  It's coming in my life...in everyone's?  I can't be the only one who's noticed.  Can I? 

So if this felt negative, forgive me.  It has been positive for me, and I am ready to begin, instead of ready to get ready, like I was an hour ago.   Possibly future entries will be less personally based, perhaps not.  This is an experiment for me.  I love the world, and I'd like to help it be a better place.  I have 24 hours in each day and responsibilities.  The older I get the more I wonder what is truly worth our time, dedication, and energy. Loving one another is all I ever manage to come up with.  I love all of you and I already hurt for those who aren't ready for the things that sadly I 'know' are coming.  Most of them will be almost unnoticeable, like the frog in the pot whose temp is slowly raised, except for those for us who have lived long enough to see the patterns.  Until they stop you...ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth.



10/23/2011 2:15 am


I don't sleep much, so I thought I'd count some blessings:  Just a few of the reasons I'm incredibly happy every day.


Two of my three sons have recently re-entered my life several months ago.  They are fine young men.  Their names are Michael Everett Davis and Brian Darrell Davis.  They are twin brothers newly turned 16, and I am an overwhelmingly proud father which doesn't have the words to describe that pride adequately yet.  Let me introduce you to my sons:

This is my son Brian.  He plays the trumpet, speaks 2 languages, yet has an astoundingly logical mind.  He's got big plans and challenges are his cup of tea.

This is my son Michael.  He sings, writes his own music, blogs, and is currently also learning a second language.  He's a dreamer, confident, well mannered, and charming.

Here's a shot from a day on the beach this summer with my lovely 3 year old daughter Ayden along as well.  We were learning to be a family. Of course, Ayden's no newbie at the beach herself

Yeah me and Aydie have been beach bum pals for a few years now:

Father and sons (and our excellent Uncle Tophie), sharing, learning, discussing, bonding, teaching one another....LOVING.

Not going any further without counting my biggest blessing:  My lovely (fantastically gorgeous, unbelievably talented, wonderfully mysterious...kinda my dream girl you see) wife Cassandra Mary Davis.  She is the jam on my jelly roll and I couldn't find my socks without her.  Not only that, she knows it and loves me anyway.  She's the kind of person who loves everyone before she ever meets them.  

God I Love This Woman!!!!

I'm blessed all right.

If you've gotten this far, you've probably had enough for now, and it's after 3 am now, so maybe I'll read :).  More to come though.  Counting my blessings takes a whole bunch more to show you than this.  

Dave.

10/26/2011 9:04 pm

After a couple sleepless nights due to deadlines and midterms at school, personal projects, and worrying about the virus running around my house taking my kids down like pop-up targets at a shooting range I spent my evening studying death and mourning rituals of several cultures ancient and modern.  Tomorrow I can look forward to about 6 rainy hours in a couple different cemeteries for a cross-cultural project I’m working on…going to contrast the differences in layout, plot sizes, offerings, symbolism, shapes/sizes of tombstones, images on tombstones, writings on tombstones, male/female, child/adult, socioeconomic factors, specific areas (vets, babies), what each cemetery and its images and symbols say concerning tacit cultural meanings and on and on and on at a tribal cemetery; specifically the Suquamish cemetery, burial place of Chief Seattle, and a cemetery here in Bremerton which houses a lot of American war veterans, including Civil War heroes.  Ahhh, so many cool things to learn and so little daylight J

Ivy Green Cemetery, Bremerton, WA

Chief Seattle’s Grave site at the Suquamish Cemetery

But that’s not what I’m the most excited about right now.  Right now I’m really thrilled at the way that my three year old daughter Ayden is integrating with her two ‘new’ 16 year old brothers.  Have a look:

Yeah, it’s only my suspicion so far…but I think we’re going to be just fine J

Dave 

10/27/2011 7:28 pm

YEP!  We’ve all had them…one of those days.

I didn’t hear the alarm, and neither did anyone else.  I missed a tutoring session, Cassi was two hours late, Michael still has a fever, my academic advisor no-showed me after I hung around for an hour (or I got the appointment day wrong), car finally died for good on the way to research project work, so my cemetery trips were cancelled…rapidly running out of time to meet research deadline, dinner’s late, homework hasn’t started, midterm in American Sign Language class tomorrow, so forced to study instead of work on cemetery project…and I’m doing what I want right now (writing this) instead of what I should probably be doing…online research or studying for said exam.

 

Had to shell out some $$$ for a car to get me there and back for a while, gave Mike more Dayquil, sold my junk car, had a snack to tide me over, and I’ll get around to that exam and project…I always do.

Yeah, it was one of those days.  But I didn’t get stressed out and I’m not frustrated…in fact I’m pretty darned please with the outcomes so far.  Oh, I didn’t get my dream car that’s for sure:

Heck, I didn’t even get my wife’s dream car:

But it’s really okay.  See, life and death taught me long ago that worry is wasted and panic causes poor decision making which may lead to…explosive consequences:

I much prefer to take a slightly different route these days:

Some don’t believe that about me, because they don’t understand, that I’ve discovered that the natural state of the human mind is one of pure unadulterated joy, uncluttered and free from worry and stress.  They see me take on ‘hopeless’ causes or become passionate about something they lack the ability to understand, or are too lazy to do enough research, or are just repeaters as most have become, believing me angry or subjective…so, in reality they are actually seeing themselves. I find most people don’t understand that it is the unencumbered mind, which is free to pursue knowledge for its own sake.  It is the confident mind that absorbs and integrates chaos effectively.  I found this out my way; you need to find it your way, if you haven’t already.  But, we all need to find it…in order to…become.  Count your blessings and remember you really are unique in the universe.  Maybe you’re not a perfect snowflake, and your bank account, wardrobe, or the car you drive aren’t impressing your neighbors, BUT there has never been, is not now, and will never be…another quite like YOU…or me J

If you can’t see how beautiful you all are…look harder…because you’re so, so perfectly lovely to me.

Dave

10/29/2011 10:59 pm

We didn’t set the alarm today…something to be cherished, and still woke up in plenty of time to meet Mel Swingham as he arrived for work at Ivy Green Cemetery:  

Spending their Saturday morning analyzing cemeteries and grave imagery for cross-cultural comparison and eventual publication isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s just our kind of thing.  Then again, so is this: 

Not only was Mel a wealth of information:  He knew everything there was to know about that cemetery and he turned out to be a heckuva guy too. 

What a terrific representative the City of Bremerton Parks and Recreation Department have in this gentleman.  We helped each other solve some personal mysteries with some serious info trading!  

I could write for days about all the cool stuff in this one cemetery alone....actually ....I have to :) :(.  But you have to check this out:

On April 22, 1864, the U.S.S. Petrel was captured in action on the Yazoo River in Mississippi. Quartermaster John Nibbe was awarded the Medal of Honor for standing his ground when a shot came through the stern, raking the gundeck and entering and exploding the boilers. When all his comrades had deserted the flag, Quartermaster Nibbe assisted in getting the wounded off the guard and proceeded to get ready to fire the ship despite the escaping steam from the boilers during which time he was surrounded on all sides by the rebels and forced to surrender.

After a few hours of learning all we could we headed home for lunch and a warm up. Then it was off theSuquamish Memorial Cemetery in the town of the same name on the Port Madison Indian Reservation.  Yep, finally made it to analyze Chief Seattle’s burial site:

and had all the time in the world to do it…one of my recent goals accomplished(dreams come true). 

It was awesome.

But the best part of the day was about another dream:  …a much older one.

Analyzing a Suquamish grave site with my son Brian

He's got a sharp eye for detail, an excellent assistant!

When I got home, I got the best news of the week:

My son Michael is no longer sick!!!!  Try and keep him away from the next field trip, I dare you.

  Sometimes dreams come true, even on normal days.

Dave

11/02/2011 12:37 am

Through the Eyes of a Child

"Life is like walking on a razor blade; sooner or later, everybody slips."  I'm pretty sure I heard that in a Lonesome Dove movie.  The Streets of Laredo, with James Garner as Texas Ranger Captain Woodrow Call:

My own friend Rick was a little more to the point, if somewhat less eloquent:  "Sooner or later Dave," he said "everybody has their struggle."

Before I begin this next part, let me just say that I make no claims to have the answers to anyone's problems.

  I mean....hey what the hell do I know?

But, what I do know how to do is study humans.  I decided my best course of action, to know how best to act and react should a real time of crisis ever emerge, was to observe and consult an expert on happiness:

Happiness Expert:  Ayden:  Learning the Trade Early

After years of honing her craft, Ayden has become a true Master of Happiness, lecturing frequently:

Ayden: Explaining the Tao of Happiness :)

Maintaining a low profile, while pretending to be engaged in a shamelessly self-promoting event and pretending to be my normal, selfishly, self-obsessed, selfisherton self....

Happiness Researcher:  Selfy Selferton

I wisely took advantage of the situation to observe the behavior of the happiness expert.  She was very much wanting to be somewhere else, so technically in an unhappy situation.  How would she handle it?

She considered her surroundings and situation carefully

Her behavior seemed strange, random, who was she speaking with?

Her disappointment with me was clear.  Her disdain entreated me to look closer...

Suddenly, I began to see....

...through the eyes of happiness.

It was magnificent.

So we stayed a little longer to play some catch.

11/03/2011 7:56 pm

Bilingualism

Working hard at my quest to better understand Deaf culture and to learn American Sign Language (ASL), I diligently worked on my vocabulary list earlier this evening.  My sons Michael and Brian are both taking ASL at Olympic High School, and Brian can finger-spell so fast my eyes get blisters trying to follow him.  I'm having a bit of difficulty....in fact, I attend tutoring regularly, already have learned other languages, but...it just isn't clicking for me like it is for the kids.  I mean...come on now...this guy can do it:

Oh, I'm exaggerating...a little...I'm practicing hard and getting the hang of it...but not like my kids do, and not as fast as the kids in classes with me, and not as fast as I remember picking up this kind of thing...hmmmm. So I did what I always do and consulted some experts.  I spoke with a Deaf PhD; my ASL professor to be precise, a PhD in Linguistics, a PhD in Anthropology, a PhD in Biology, and my buddy in nursing school.  They all told me the same thing! Apparently I'm experiencing a common problem when it comes to assimilating new languages:

Just as I thought:  This guy again.

I've unfortunately been assured by each of these experts that my condition is...irreversible.  I know, I know, it came as a bit of a shock to me too.  But apparently, with proper practice and linguistic therapy, my feeble neurons will still be able to attain proper fluency...so all is not lost.  Resolved to look on the bright side I got busy.  The boys and I decided that little sister Ayden needs to learn ASL too(whether she likes it or not hehehehehehe....sorry.. couple too many there):

ASL Ninjas on Mom and Dad's bed!

I think it went pretty well.  Ayden was patient with us and she really got into it:

Ayden spelling her name in ASL!

We didn't go at it too heavy though, because before I knew it, we were speaking another language:

11/05/2011 5:59 pm

Giving Back

Just another normal Saturday around here:  Ayden is with her biological father Justin, Brian slept til 1 pm, Cassi, Michael and I were up at 7:30 am...sleeping in sadly.  Cassi and Michael were off to take him to his girlfriend Kierah's house.  Momma came home and Michael and Kierah were later to sing at Moon Dog's open mic.  I diligently studied for several hours by reading:

Come the noon hour it was time for a little something else:  Community Service.  I'm not talking about the court ordered kind:

No thanks, I'll just do the time :)

I'm talking about this kind:

All of my life it seems, I've considered myself something of a woodsman:

The woods have always held a fascination for me.  Growing up in rural Indiana, I really learned to appreciate the outdoors.  When I moved farther west, I found another love:

  

The great Pacific Northwest Coastline

Unlike many, I like to go to the beach in the winter.  I personally prefer the solitude over the crowds and nice weather.  As I've gotten older...I've begun to think more aboutgiving back.  Giving back to the outdoors that I so love, for it's own sake, above and beyond larger environmental concerns.  The short story:  Cassi and I joined the Ocean Conservancy folks (first Saturday of every month) for some coastal shoreline cleanup and garbage analysis at Old Mill Park in Silverdale, WA on the Dyes, Inlet:

Doesn't look so bad...

Then again...

Even wearing the 'happy' hat, she's not thrilled about this.

I'm really having fun...the sun's just in my eyes :)  Man, we found some...unmentionable things

Garbage Pickup and Sorting:  All ages Welcome!!!

A little fresh air, and we made a small difference today in our community in a short time.  Oh I know it's only a drop in the bucket....but if everyone takes a drop out once in a while....the bucket might just have a little less in it by the end of the day.  Speaking of end of the day...I believe that's all the good deeds I have to do today...a little more homework...and then some serious research, followed by a wind down with some SCI-FI...Seems like I'm forgetting something I was supposed to do today....maybe Brian remembers:

Oh CRAP! :)

11/12/2011 7:03 am

Behind This Man

It's been said that "behind every great man, stands a great woman."  Although I don't subscribe to greatness in myself, without question a great woman stands next to me:

My Lovely Wife Cassandra Davis

BUT....There's more...you see, If I were to be honest...I get by with a lot of help from my "friends."

My 'brother' Tophie Wood...We've gone down a couple dark alleys together, and he's pulled my fat out of the fire more than once, yet remains my friend.  He's taught me true friendship.

Brian and Joanne Engman - Married for over 31 years...World's Best Grandparents, In-laws, and Damn Good Friends.  I'm never afraid to talk to them...they want and can always handle the truth.  Take them at my back anytime, anywhere.  I love them dearly.

Stephanie Miller - Super 'Auntie' and my wise, confidant...she cares...trys her best to understand me at all times...accepts me and loves me despite my faults...my excellent friend

Brianna Engman - Sister, Sister - in - law, Aunt, positive influence, family oriented.  I love her very much.

And I won't ever forget everyone else who has allowed me to continue to excel and pursue happiness.:

Everyone who has helped cause this smile:  you're all angels to me.

11/23/2011 713 pm

This Hump Day

Well it's Wednesday.  But, it's the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so it's kind of like a Friday I suppose.  It's been a pretty good day so far.  The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was this:

Sweet Little Meeka Meekster

I did the sociable thing and invited her to stick around for some morning coffee:

Meekers just keepin' it warm!

Eight o'clock and Cassi drops me on campus for an hour of ASL tutoring, and then I took an exam on Deaf Culture.  I feel like I did well.  Next I scooted over to registration and signed up for yet another full quarter of education and got all the classes I wanted:  Biological Anthropology, American Sign Language 2, and How to Start a Non-Profit Organization.  

Education Junkie (Homo studentia)

Cassi and I got home from school and received a phone call I'd been waiting for.  It was the brand-new Silverdale, WA YMCA informing me that they had processed my new membership application and I locked in a full family membership for Me, Cassi, and all 3 kids for only $77/month at this cool place:

Which means there will be a lot more of this action this winter:

Ayden is not afraid of (anything) water!

Next I did some reading.  I read this:

Recently Popular, good read, story of great fire of 1910, Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, the beginnings of forestry and conservation in America.

I read a little of this:

Jared Diamond:  'Nuff Said

I read some of this too, but was mostly studying imagery on Jewish coins of the Persian and Greek Periods...it's a long story.

Real good stuff for OT scholars :)

Which, as usual, led me into the deeper end of my head on this type of subject (if you dare):

http://members.westnet.com.au/gary-david-thompson/page9e.html

http://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/babylon/babybibl.htm

http://www.pyramidcode.com/DenderaCeilingGallery/index.htm  Gotta see these!

http://www.archive.org/details/nightofgodsinqui02onei

You get the idea.  And maybe somewhere in here I'll get to the point.  After all it was my Wednesday...or did the Earth just rotate again on its axis...or both...and does it matter?  I surfed the net, I chatted on my favorite facebook page, I painted watercolors with Ayden, and had a nice discussion with Michael.  I ate a couple terrific meals.  Then, after supper, it happened.  For some reason, I got very introspective.  I mean I really thought about my life:

Think, Think....think, think, think.

And I came to a decision.  Today, and just for today I am going to change.....

Absolutely nothing :)

11/25/2011

Black Friday

Well, for the most part, I avoided the dreaded Black Friday.  I admit that my son Brian and I combat rolled from our '95 Ford Tempo at 10 pm last night and jammed our way into the Bremerton :Wal-Mart...I couldn't resist a glimpse of that crowd:

So, for the most part, today has been spent hanging around the house and napping off last night's fantastic meal:

Thanks Sis!  That gravy was droolmazing!

Cassi had fun:

Sisters

Michael had fun:

Look Honey!  I think he's actually full ;)

Brian had fun:

Handsome (camera shy) Young Men!

Ayden played hard with her cousins:

There's a party going on down here!

Three Amigos!

Hi Sydney!!!!

After sleeping it off, as usual, I buried my head into my own pursuits:

"What is it you busybody? Can't you see my busily busy business?

Look! I found this anamoly:  pictures from the film Raising Arizona with Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter on the cover of Foreign Biology Textbooks!

I admit to a small amount of self indulgence, I mean, I'm not the first guy to have unusual ideas and an impeccable fashion sense:

Wooooooonnnnnnnnkkkkkkkkkkkk!  Work it Willie!!!!

I'm enlightened enough to admit that I may even get slightly moody, but only slightly:

Who Am I Today?? Hehehehehe!!!!

For the most part though, I think I'm fairly level headed:

Can't read my, can't read my, Puh Poker Face

I mean, I've got real responsibilities again these days.  I've got a family to think of:

"Michael...Bring me another glass of wine."

But, I'm also a seeker:

  I search for something that is sometimes easy to find, sometimes difficult:

Who's holding the smoking gun?

Sometimes I win my little game:

That's right!  Oh yeah!

Other times I run into this, over and over:

It's to be expected though, I crawl down some preeetttyyy strange rabbit holes sometimes:

Wucking Fierdos down in he-yah! :)

Yep, that's me alright, always watching, 7 days a week:

It's cool though, like I said, I can take it!!!!!

:)

12/10/2011

Tis The Season

Oh yeah!  It's Saturday, and even better, it has arrived during that most glorious of times:

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin laid an egg!

I need this time for a recharge.  So many things seem to be converging in my mind, and being on my mind these days.  I'm not complaining AT ALL.  But it was literally starting to feel like I might explode, you just never know what the straw will be that breaks that camel's back:

Ketchup...on Lobster....WHAT!!!!!

Sometimes it's only the normal noises:

At least I don't have a pink car

Other considerations are upsetting me tremendously:

Drones cleared for Domestic Use Across Entire USA 

It's messed up: http://exposingthetruth.info/drones-cleared-for-domestic-use-across-the-us/

Along with certain trends I'm seeing:

Americans Leaving the US in Record Numbers 

http://presstv.com/usdetail/214794.html

I could go on, and on, and on, and you know I will, but that's for another post...coming soon on the main blog page.  Nope, I'm on vacation and I intend to act like it for at least a little while (hour or so):

Ahh...Sometimes...It's good to be the frog

Gonna watch one of my all time favorite movies:

Gonna have long meaningful conversations with my best friend:

Did I mention it's good to be the frog?   ;)

Sigh...I suppose I'll have to clean the house up a little:

Maybe not....Looks fine to me

I'm definitely going to read.  IMO, a reading habit is indispensable in life.  My most excellent professor Christopher Knowles ( a great place to read some of Christopher's work here): http://secretsun.blogspot.com/ , turned me on to this book, which I'm about halfway through for the....I don't know how many times, but I recommend it for all humans to read.

Highly Recommended.  Seriously!!! READ IT!!!

More fun stuff from the rascal-sage Alan Watts here: http://thedeconstructionzone.blogspot.com/2011/08/alan-watts-on-conforming-to-society.html 

Hmmmm....I just got the feeling that I am going to do a post or spot on the blog ofDeconstruction Zone Recommended Reading,  maybe weekly...link as many to free pdf downloads as possible.   That would be an ongoing project too...and I really want to expand my links page...make it special.

Definitely going to play with my pals for awhile today:

Romulus and Remus Hogging the Bed

Although I handle snakes, I am not a SNAKEHANDLER: http://stopbaptistpredators.org/index.htm

But that's an upcoming post as well sadly.

I also sure owe lots of back emails and got a ton of specimen packages to make up and mail, research papers to have mailed and reviewed and others mailed for hopeful publication. Heck I have not even bought Christmas presents....sigh...Science marches on.  As I'm writing this, I'm noticing that my kids are quickly filling up my day, hahaha, suppose all the above will be on the back burner after all. 

Random thought:  Stephani Miller, if you are reading this:  I love you, thank you for being my friend.

So I'll stop now, because I really want to write another entry or three about Christmas and about my Christmas shopping experience so far this year.  Some of the upcoming blog posts will be political in nature...some won't, but the blog research and the writing will be better.  I'm committed to doing a proper job...and personally...I feel a storm brewing and I won't stay silent.  If I'm wrong...TERRIFIC!!!!

Personal Notes:

I Love and Miss you my lovely Amanda, you were the first one to teach me how to love someone more than I love myself.  I think about you every day.  You have always been my happy thought.

Matthew David Davis:  I love you son.  Anytime you need, anything you need, for five minutes or fifty years, my house is yours.

Nicole:  I love you and I'm proud of you.  You have my respect and my sword.

Jessica:  Be careful out there special one.  I love you so.

And let's all remember the words of Kurt Vonnegut today: 'A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.'

12/15/2011

Tis Still The Season

My 16 year old son Brian is an accomplished trumpet player.  Last night he played in the Wind Ensemble Christmas Concert at Olympic High School.  Grandma Engman (Thank you dear lady) bought him some spiffy new duds.  He seemed pretty pleased with the results when he was getting ready:

How did I manage to have such a handsome son???

'Every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.'

A good time was had by all and we got some cheeseburgers on the way home:

As you can see, Michael and I got all dressed up for the occasion!

Then we went home...yeah...home.  See, I've got this little issue...it's a small thing really....probably...maybe..not.  Many know, and many do not...but some years back, on what became a quest for personal knowledge, I gave up ALL possessions and for a period of some years accepted injury and poverty from myself and others until I felt I had learned all I could from the experience.  Since my return from 'my stay on the moon' I have become something of a ....packrat...recycler...collector...hoarder?  I don't think it's so bad but....:

I know precisely where everything is...honest :)

12/17/2011 4:00 pm

Commitment

First things first, I've gotta give a nod to my pal Randy Marcus.  He was making a quick stop (didn't even take his coat off), but he ended up spending almost 2 hours showing me how nice my guitar could sound.  We sang all the old stuff!  Thanks bro, come back soon, we really enjoyed ourselves:

Rockin' Randy!

My most excellent friend Stephanie Miller gave me this guitar.  This beautiful 12-String Framus belonged to her father and has a special spot in my heart along with its former owner.

He's smirking because I'm singing completely off key :)

I've long considered the possibility that too much 'FOCUS' on any one thing logically results in REDUCTION OF OVERALL PERCEPTION.  I still believe this to be so, and I've always been the guy who doesn't want to miss a thing, the first to come, the last to leave.  The downside to having many interests is that you do not ever really COMPLETELY master one.  The upside is that life is always exciting and new and never boring or 'rut-like.'  Another benefit is that if you stick with a few things or FOCUS in a balanced manner, you can become extremely competent in many areas...more than a jack of all trades...but still a master of none.  As has become my usual habit, I spent much of my day looking into ALL KINDS of things that I find interesting for various reasons, some I won't EVER discuss here:      

Not because they are Naughty or Taboo (Sorry to disappoint you)...but because the good hunter does not alert his prey...EVER.  That aside, some of the things I was dwelling on when I had the revelation I'm eventually going to get to :) looked like this:

Funny, but it won't prepare you for this:

Sorry for the shock, understand that I study humans in all times and places

Of course the Holidays are on my mind

Personally, I'm easy to buy for.  I want the same thing every year:

These things have always intrigued me immensely, not that I want one for Christmas (unless you can somehow get me one):

Olmec Head 

 (good looks here: http://micahwright.com/olmec/colossal.html)

As has this place:

Baalbek

And this one:

Gobekli Tepe

mindblower article here:http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/gobekli-tepe.html 

Anywho, during this normal point-click-read-think a little-write a little process,  I realized that I possess a deeply held belief that I have not properly addressed/pursued because it is not publicly or academically accepted.  I paced, smoked, paced, smoked and paced a little more.  Then it happened.  It happened with certainty.  I made a commitment...a commitment to keep doing my fun fluffy stuff, but to begin a much more SERIOUS work that explores my belief to an exhaustive level...a commitment to MASTER IT.  Already I have begun to feel the effects of my decision:

What Fence Are You Sitting On?

12/20/2011 6:00 pm

Toys Will Be Toys

Only four days left until the toy shopping for Christmas is over.  About ten years ago I kind of "stopped doing" Christmas:

I ain't afraid of no snow!

  Actually,  I "stopped" doing a lot of things...This will be the first year since then that I have bought anyone a Christmas present, I think:

Membership has its privileges

I'm nervous about the whole process, horribly behind, too broke to comment on, etc.  This year, the adults drew names for 'Secret Santa.'  Of course, we all told each other 'who had who' immediately after the names were drawn. That part handled, I started to think about the dreaded toys for the kids.  Enter Davey Daydream for the moment, I indulged in a quick flashback down memory lane to some of the old standby's that I used to love:

A Good Set of Cap Guns: A Necessary Accessory for all 2nd grade boys in 1971!

The Big Wheel: Man I Loved It!!!

Socker Boppers:  My brother and I beat each other senseless for hours.  I'm pretty sure that I still have bone chips in my left elbow from that Christmas day!

Let's Face It!  Any of us could do this for hours and hours, from EZ Bake Ovens toTwister.  But, my all time, most favorite ever, greatest toy ever made in the universe:

The Thingmaker!!!!!  A hot plate for children to bake liquid plastic on to create cool MULTI-COLORED BUGS!!!!  We had hundreds of bugs.  I loved them like they were precious gemstones.  It was truly to the point of obsession.

Surprisingly enough, I noticed while shopping this year that almost all of the toys of my childhood are still around to be had, albeit in more modern forms:

Creepy Crawlers:  The Goop is now heated with a light bulb.

But, I tried doing that kind of thing before...you know what I mean...you bought it for the kid....but you want to play with it as much or more than they do.  It irks me that corporations have repackaged our childhood, and I find that particular type of giving sometimes also backfires.  It can be unwise to buy a child something that you really want for yourself:

Too Late Now!

At least my three cats are easy to please:

"Dave's not here, man."

My good girl Ayden is really starting to like Barbie.  The smart ladies in my family have made sure to expose her to these types of dolls that are 'realistic barbies', not so much the 'sex kitten' Barbie of tradition.  Still though, I've seen what can happen to girls who get into this too much:

Where's the Kid?

Barbie should be cool like this:

Instead you risk ending up with this kind of situation:

Which many experts have directly linked to this type of situation:

I remember having a G.I. Joe astronaut with space capsule, as the Sun God moon missions were still in recent memory and some weird erotic deal about BIG JIM with the Kung-Fu grip being popular.  When I was 17, I got in a fight with a guy named Big Jim who had some kind of grip, all I know is that he beat the living crap out of me!  Needless to say, I'm not a big action-figure believer:

UHHHHH...NO

What was that old joke about action figures again?  Oh yeah I remember:

"And GI Joe got stuck, and GI Joe got stuck..."

"To Infinity...And Beyond!!!"

I checked out some foreign toys online and just got even more freaked out:

Really?

???

My Little Pony, soft pretty...Twisted meme trivia question of the day:  Do you know what a "Brony" is? You will laugh when you find out!

Maybe I should go with a classic after all!?

Whoa!  I just checked the clock and this took me longer than I thought.  AARRGH!  3 days to go!

Journal Oct 22 - Dec 2011

12/26/2011 10:36 pm

The Day After

For starters, the season of giving has ended and the season of giving has begun:

Thanks to all the awesome folks who have already donated to our clothing drive effort for the homeless; you know who you are.  Cassi had to take a solo mission on the first run because she was packed to the gills with YOUR generosity:

She's so cute, she belts in the bag of clothes for safety :)

I asked her if she wanted me to take the stuff, but she wouldn't hear of it:

She took the donations down to this nice lady:

Tyna Munger

A lot of good clothes!!!  Tyna is one of the founding members of this place:

You can check out the link on the main blog page entitled "Kitsap County Homeless Resource Guide", or you can check out the organization here: http://abrahamshouse.org/.  As you can see from the photos above, these folks keep a lot of people warm every week! 

Christmas was absolutely wonderful.  My in-laws put on the roast beast, the kids had a blast, no drama at all, prepare to be bombarded with fun:

"Drowning....."

"...In a Sea of Love..."

"...Where Everyone..."

"....Would Love to Drown."

Zelda and guys named Brian: The Legend Continues

  

Two of my favorite Brians!!!

Can you say Bingo!!! (And TGIB...Thank God I'm Bald) :)

Christmas Hams!

Who totally need haircuts!  LOOK CASSI!!!!

Mrs. Claus' helper Olivia!

DieHard: "...and then you take the Communist by the neck..."   :)

Okay, say "Geeeeeeeeks"  

Now we're stylin'

"I love it when a plan comes together."

Thanks to everyone again, I love you all very much!!!!