Thursday, February 26, 2009

Haircut in Key West

I was just reading a friends blog from Cape Cod the wonderful"Trout Towers" and there was mention in todays post and replies of a Parrot in a gilded cage. I'd link it but I never manage to do it right.I think if you click on my moniker it's under blogs I follow.But I googled it and it shows up easily.Ironically when I typed in Trout Towers it didn't show up on the top ten list that pops up.Trout Tickling seemed to be most popular though I have no idea what that entails and Trout Trucking also jumped out.Anyhoo to get back on topic I was reminded of some years ago when friends and I rented a house from a friend of a friend smack in the middle of a Key West August.The house had a small pool but the system was broken,the owner was out of town and the pool guy was always coming the next day to fix it.We just kept dumping chlorine in each day and after several days of Key West summer heat the chlorine smell in my hair and looking for an air conditioned hangout I wanderd down a little alley to a barbershop and thought I might as well cut it short for relief.I entered the place and it was a bit dark for a Barbershop.As I walked in I saw an older woman under a dryer and then glancing right an old guy asleep in a wheelchair.He opened one eye gave me a sneering look like Barrymore does to Johnny Rocco in "Key Largo" and went back to sleep.Then the lady who owned the place came out of a back room and I told her I would like a haircut.She started in on the haircut and we were chatting when I noticed a rather large Parrot on the windowsill.I said that's a beautiful Parrot and right away the Parrot starts bobbing it's head.Then it gives the wolf whistle and says"What the Hell"It says that a few more times then flys onto the Barbers shoulder with me right there.She tells me not to worry that he doesn't bite but now the Parrot is doing the whistle and What the Hell right near my ear.The bird then grew bored and flew off to a table where it started walking in circles.I'm thinking what have I gotten myself into here.Finally we are done and it was a pretty good haircut.I pay her and as the register dings Barrymore opens one eye again briefly.I exit the shop and one of the"locals" accosts me with a demonic grin on his face."Excuse me sir would you like some free shampoo?It's Free"I tell him no and he wanders across the street to a drug store as I'm standing there waiting for my friends a few minutes later I hear yelling from the drug store,A police car pulls up and my shampoo friend is shoved in the back of the car yelling his head off.Seems he was loading up on various items without paying and had done it before.Since this haircut other Barbers just don't give me a thrill.I long to go back for another one someday.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Autumn Mist Lake George by Alfred T. Bricher(1871)

Shadowbrook

I was looking at some of the old mansions tonight in the Berkshires and came across this one again.It was built in 1893 and burned to the ground in 1956.At one time it was the largest house in the US at 100 rooms on 9oo acres.I forget the gent who built it but the second owner not soon after was Andrew Carnegie and he lived there until his death.I think I may have posted the pic of Shadowbrook in this blog way back but I don't feel like going back and looking.Let sleeping dogs lie is my motto for 2009.

Shadowbrook,Lenox,MA

Monday, February 16, 2009

Ex Presidents

I was thinking last night that we really haven't heard anything about GW Bush since he left office and I think he's one of those ex Presidents that won't get much attention even in this media age.I think the last ex President who received so little attention was LBJ another Texan.I recall reading little about LBJ after he left office and in my high school days was a faithful reader of the print NYTimes back in the day when the news digest was printed on the bottom of the front page.I recall around 1973 seeing a B&W photo of LBJ in the NYTimes with pretty long hair and thinking to myself I haven't heard about this dude in awhile.For some reason Jimmy Carter who one would think would have drawn little press attention after he left office did.

First pic of ex president Bush on his ranch

Family Time

So I'm watching the Daytona 500 on Sunday and Nascar is all about family but yesterdays race was like Kentucky where everyone is first cousin to someone else.First off Tom Cruise was the grand marshall or something and rode around in the pace car before the race started.The live from the track music show before the race was done by Keith Urban.Keith Urban is married to Nicole Kidman.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Uro Club

Just when I think I've seen it all I came across this gem last night.The Uro Club is a hollow club that you relieve yourself on the golf course in so you don't have to stop your game.The towel comes with it and they claim it cleans easily and there is enough storage for you and your partner to share.EEEWWWW!!!.Now I'm going to look more closely when I see guys leaning against their club with a towel over their waist on the course.I think it might be handy for storing Gin&Tonics on the course though or some pre-rolled Herb.

The Uro Club pic

Monday, February 9, 2009

The Beanpot

Oh what could have been for Northeastern tonight.It was a classic game with lots of drama and with NU down 2-3 with a bit less than 7 minutes left to Boston University the Huskies go on a power play and GIVE UP TWO SHORTHANDED GOALS!.This after not scoring on a 5-3 advantage early in the third.BU scored three shorthanded goals and wins 5-2 for their 29th Beanpot title with BC edging Harvard 4-3 for third.If you don't live in New England you don't realise how big the Beanpot is.It's been played since 1952 and has been played the first two monday's in Feb for many years because nothing else is going on then.It sells out the Boston Garden every year and tonight there were over 17,000 fans there.I just looked at one blog and as always there were many clever chants between the Fans of the Huskies and the Terriers.Now in real life everyone knows a Huskie would kick a Terriers ass but not in Boston.Oh well we still lead BU by a point in the Hockey East Standings(BeanPot games are non-conf) with a home and home series at NU/BU the weekend of Feb 20th.There really is a trophy shaped like a Beanpot by the way.To top it off BU came into the game ranked #1 in college hockey with Northeastern #3(amazing for an NU team) the highest rankings between two teams in the Beanpot final ever which gave it even more of a big playoff game feeling.Hopefully this is the year my Huskies make their second ever trip to the Frozen Four which is in Wash D.C. this year.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Nice Haul

So for my birthday some of the things I received were the two things below.The Indictments are I think Libby,Rove,Dick and DeLay.The nuns are cool and move really well.I already have a windup Nunzilla so maybe I should start collecting things Nun.Sort of get even for all those years of Catholic School.I also got a South Park desk calender,a nice hardcover history of the Boston Red Sox, a package of Sticky Fingers Apple Cinnamon scones(just add water) and a 25 cigar sampler pack from Thompson cigars.

Racing Nuns

Indictmints

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Dave's not here Man

My muse has been on vacation somewhere and didn't tell me where he was going but a few things to offer.First off the streetlight near our bldg has now been out since Dec 23,2008.I called it in on Dec 26th and was told 5 to 6 buisness days.A return call only got the cryptic well we have many streetlights out around Los Angeles.So the state money woes have trickled down to the lower levels.Never been more than a week before.On the local ABC news tonight I saw a quaint story about the feds making a big pot bust when they found ceramic donkey statues full of pot.Literally Drug Mules!Finally I was out around dusk tonight to see Venus come out to play and my 5 year old neighbor Sweet Pea joined me.She blew bubbles which I tried to catch without breaking to no avail and then she ripped up some of last years corn stalks and we taped them together for decorations.Then she started ripping up a small husk when I told her that's where grits come from at which point like a wise guy simpleton I said we should grind some which led her to tell me I should get my grinder or Food Processor out so we could try it.I pointed out we needed power at which she said there was a power cord for the outdoor lights right around the corner on the patio.Smart girl......