Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Noooooooooooooooooooooo!

Looks like my favorite television show might have just bit the bullet. No I'm not talking about The Simpsons or Family Guy...................or Bob's Burgers. I'm talking about BBC's Top Gear. Sounds like Jeremy went bazooka (worked in another dinkism) and made a mess at the taping of one of this season's episodes. Not only has taping ceased, they might not show what they have in the can. Racist comments, fisticuffs, allegations, threats, hell, throw in some homophobia and it sounds like a typical family reunion to me. I've enjoyed your shows boys, TAR is beside herself with grief.

But we go on. Speaking of silliness, Terri took an excellent picture of me last month and I just have to share it. Never heard me say I liked a picture of myself have you? There is one that Floyd Brown took of me many many years ago that I like...................know why? You can't see my face! Because when I pose for a picture it kinda looks like I just had a stroke and crapped my pants. Sorry, I didn't get that smile purdy for the camera gene like SWMBO did. So enjoy:

Saw this today and it reminded me why I do not, repeat do not want to go camping. I laugh at the RV camping commercials on the air, it never shows the kids projectile vomiting in a wet sleeping bag while it rains; au contraire they're always roasting marshmallows and smiling while pensively thinking these are the best days of my life.

My rep called me last week and told me I needed to be in northern VA in time for an 8:00 AM meeting Monday. I told him I was a little pissed that I had to drive up Sunday afternoon, that is one concession I will give to science of growing old, I don't like having to leave town on Sundays. Anyway, I also told him on Tuesday that I was happy I did that; otherwise I would have been in that AMTRAK crash Monday. While in around DC this week I noticed there are more than a few government-type people there. Did you know that? Interesting to read in The Washington Post how much "we" hate Hillary. I guess they haven't figured out that she might eventually be the Democrat Party candidate, anyway, saw this picture of what liars sometime look like:

And one more Dink joke, really I'll stop at some point, but a couple of years ago the Roman Catholic church elected a new Pope about this time of the year. He looks like Jack Roush but that is another story. Dink said she was glad they elected someone early that week because she did not want the media coverage to interrupt her scheduled viewing of the ACC tournament.

Louisiana again next week.

I'm Not Loaded

.......with any extra time this morning so this will be done quickly. I've been in GA this week and have a morning meeting then hit the road for home. Since I have to be in DC Monday morning I'm squeezing a little time. We're making preparations to sell Dinkus Maximus' condo so if you like to live at the beach (near the beach) and have a famous neighbor (Billy Joe Royal) you should contact me. Yes, lifestyles of the rich and famous are at your fingertips.

And speaking of Fingertips, surprisingly no obscene comments about Stevie's sight issues, hmmmm, is this part of the conspiracy?

Saturday we said good bye to Dan Kassick in Sanford. Not only did he hire me and give me a chance, but he also re-hired me and gave me a second chance. Many of my business practices and philosphies were shaped by him, even down to the no alcohol during Lent thing (make sure you can do this every year) I'll miss him, and I know his family is hurting. 

Recognize the knotheads?

Yes, that was a few years ago; I think it was at Annapolis at Bancroft Hall, or maybe at the Jones' crypt. The stairs look very dark. Or maybe it was in ...........................

Recognize this lady? Saw her picture recently, I'd have never known her

Take a guess.

Last but not least I often offend someone with this lunacy I call my blog. With the Duke-tarbabies game this weekend, and in the sense of fair play and sportsmanship I give you a recap of the last game at Durham. unc had a sizeable lead at the end of the game and then..............well I'll let Pablo tell you the rest of the story. Thank you to Sanford's Jerry Stephens for sending me this, no matter what side of the struggle you're on it's funny.

Good luck to all, 7:00 AM and I gotta go!

I'm Late, I'm Late

It's been a busy week at the Roofing and Rental shows in New Orleans. The rental show is big, everything from chocolate fountains to self-contained rental chair cleaning machines. They don't like it when you put your head under the chocolate fountain and make YUMMY noises, or run your hand into the washer. I'm not sure what happened in my brain years ago but I've just never been a big fan of that city. Don't care for Cajun food or music, and stumbling down Bourbon Street isn't my idea of a good time. Not that I haven't done it mind you, but as a driver said it's a good thing it rained so much the week after Mardi Gras because it rinsed the streets of ..................well, you know. Honestly the entire party area is (not unlike Key West and Times Square) very hygienic, if you're a fan of the culture please go!

Had dinner with the Ventamatic crew Tuesday and ran into an old friend from Alabama for Wednesday night; somewhere out there I need to get into a gym, or better yet a sauna. 

My definition of New Orleans these days:

Yeah, kinda like that. 

Good trip

Went to Nashville NC today for some estate work, and got to tour a little bit of Rocky Mount and Nash County. It has changed so much.

I found this video in my phone this week, it came from a couple of Saturdays ago when I got a few gasoline powered products out of the shop to see if they would crank and/or run. Like music to my nearly deaf ears:

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Let's see, what else did we learn this week? Oh yes, Stevie ain't not be blind! Seems as though Stevie be pulling your collective legs for some time, and yes, there are websites which are devoted to dispelling that horrible horrible lie. I don't know for sure....................but I do know I saw him on television recently and he appeared (notice how I stayed away from the term looked?) blind. 

See? Oops, sorry, understand? No wait, he caught that mike stand! He must be a physic (dinkism).

I got in late last night and was able to stay awake long enough for monologues, and Jimmy Kimmel rocked on the anti-vaccination movement:

When I am able to stay awake long enough to watch the late shows I often get confused as to which I should watch. Kimmel is probably the most imaginative, Letterman is still very polished and funny, and Fallon is a barrel of laughs. This popped up while looking for something else:

At about 1:15 it gets really funny.  Wait a second, what? A swing and a miss, sorry Jimmy.  No wait, not a swing and a miss, more like a called third strike.

GA next week, ready for some sunshine. 

Let's Play Jeopardy!

And the correct answer is Frozhisassof, Frozhissassof. Back to the board contestants.............

My DC trip was cancelled and that ended up being a very good thing, lots of paper to push and travel each week from now through the last week in March.

Saw this picture on Facebook last week; that is my uncle's old hot dog stand on Falls Road and the boat was built by our neighbor Wiley Curtis Ezzell, or "Goog" as we knew him. Yes, another Rocky Mount nickname. We had a 14' Carolina boat made around Lumberton NC like that, then a 16' with a 33 HP engine. Goog built a side console for the 16' boat; using a steering wheel seemed like mighty high cotton. Another Goog story: when Goog died Daddy called me and said something like "the bass in Chowan River are breathing a lot easier today knowing he's gone." Goog didn't practice catch and release, he added "filet" in the middle. Pretty boat although I really liked the white and dark green color that we had a little bit better.

Ahhhhhh the Hot Dog Stand. Now I'm getting hungry. We went to see 50 SOG this evening and dinner was late. 

Last week on the Texas trip I read NC Wildlife, even though they only publish every other month it is still one of my favorite reads. Jim Dean is a great writer for the magazine and had an interesting article about spinning reels that took me back. Since it was Dean's I read it first, OK I see here's an article about Lake Mattamuskeet. I only remember fishing there once or twice with Daddy and they aren't good memories for whatever reason. I fished off the bank down there a couple of times, and there's a picture of some old guy using a spin-caster reel like he used to use..........hey wait a second!

Sweet fancy Moses who is that? I don't think it's Daddy but it sure does look like him, as in just like him and his rod and reel. 

The end of the winter is in sight, this weekend three words: Daytona. Was that three words? It is if you're from eastern NC, even ends in an "errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" And without Kurt Busch, big step there NASCAR, good for you. You can't hit a woman.

Tomorrow I have a board meeting at 10:00 then to Sanford for Cooper's blue and gold banquet. Sorry I can't help Elizabeth with her move but we'll try to get there next weekend.........with Jackson's microwave. 

And my grand-dog can talk, we knew she was going to before it was all over (Dinkism)

Next week is New Orleans, and remember contestants, your answer must be phrased in the form of a question. The correct response was what did John do this morning? What did John do this morning? You were thinking Romanian literature, weren't you? Now back to the board

All of That and More

Thank you for your thoughts over the past few weeks, the send-off was nice last Friday, other than the fact that the minister didn't read her favorite Psalm like I asked........................It's a good day when you hear that much laughter at a funeral. And someone sent a vanilla folder of poems to the family care of the church with segments of her obituary on the envelope, sweet, and yes, there was a little Dinkism in there, please add your own. So long Dink!

Still talking................
Got to see this youngin in Rocky Mount, deployments get tougher and tougher

Everything is bigger in Texas! TAR accompanied me this week to Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Mineral Wells. We'll get home tomorrow night. 

Everything is indeed bigger in Texas, everything except for this:

Hope I didn't alienate too many readers with that comment. It is much smaller in appearance when you think back to the movie scenes from your childhood. We got there at 5:00 so we weren't able to see very much of the Alamo, but I did buy a book about those revolutionary days, and I will read it.

SWMBO captured the essence of San Antonio's RiverWalk

Someone posted this on Facebook this week, see if you can find Waldo (that would be me) from the second grade

I remembered nearly all of the names, can't remember breakfast though.................

And now for that wacky humor which keeps me amused:

Well I can't go now.......I'd been swimming, they know about the shrinkage don't they?

                                      

I'll just slip into the deuce hole stall for a single, no wait! I hear cello music

Great, I'll never go again, but go I must, off to DC/MD/VA next week

Yes

Mama died today. Wednesday February 4 early in the morning. I saw her at lunch yesterday and she seemed very sad and in some pain. I held her hand and as she seemed to drift off I went back to my smart phone.........yes, I've thought about that, not too smart was I? Although it was hard to hear her communicate she kept saying "back." I thought her back hurt, as I held her hand I realized she want my hand "back." No, contrary to popular belief I am not that smart.

The nurses moved her into a completely different position and with her trusted friend Lib by her side she went to sleep. TAR visited her late in the afternoon and saw the same type of distress; she was moved again and given some morphine. She went to sleep. When I visited her about 7:00 PM she was asleep and although breathing heavily, at peace. I told TAR when I got home that when I kissed her she smelled good, kind of rare in these circumstances. 

This morning TAR and I both missed the alarm, got a call before 7:00 from Hospice who told us that she was modeling towards death. As I got in the shower I thought 48 hours....................as I was in the shower they called and said she was dead.

Looking back I wish I had got there sooner but then thought of my last visit with her. I'm OK, she's better than OK, we're all OK. Her funeral will be Friday at 2:00 in Rocky Mount. A good retrospective on my mother's life was this morning as she laid in her bed with a blue gown and a red rose and a beautiful red blanket around her, I stepped into the bathroom for a call.....it's one of the saddest days in my life, right? From her room I heard laughter, so when you think of Dink as you read this, think about something she said or did, it will not make you sad, and I'll bet it makes you smile or even laugh. 

And that was my mama, so laugh, it's OK.

We can't remember all of the funny stuff she said so please share if you can remember better than I can remember.................gosh I wish John Taylor was here! Or if you remember a funny anecdote please share.

I'll start: beach apartments were called "condom-things" Yes, go ahead.....................it's OK

Funnier stuff next week, I promise, I got a bunch too!

Guess Who I Saw Today?

Think about how I would answer that question if you asked me, look at the title again.........

At this writing Dink is still among us, so we'll continue to laugh. Very productive trip(s) this week to the AHR Expo in Chicago, then to San Diego for the NEMRA meeting. It was good to reunite with a lot of old friends and foes in Chicago, we got a lot done in two short days and nights. The NEMRA meeting is.....................different. I misjudged the angle I planned but had several good interviews with potential new representatives. If you're familiar with how HARDI meetings work, NEMRA takes it to a new level. This has been my station from Wednesday afternoon through tonight

That might appear as slightly depressing, like I said, it's different. I've heard from some reps that my predecessor preferred to meet with reps in the lobby, bar, restaurant, pool, etc., anywhere but here. I understand completely.

I met Elizabeth's mother last night and enjoyed her company. We traded a lot of stories about our children, perhaps we will write a book. I am glad she took the time to come downtown and meet, we had lots of fun and laughs.No pictures from Thursday night, but one from Wednesday night at a Hawaiian restaurant, might have to hit that again tonight.

San Diego is one of my favorite cities, we brought Jay here when he was little and had a great vacation, although above his protests and arguments we did not take him to a bullfight in Tijuana. The weather is ideal and there is so much to do in this area. Although the sun hasn't appeared this week it is still beautiful.

Those are a couple of big boats, the sailboat especially.......huge. As in 247 feet long, the world's largest sloop rigged sailboat. In the world, the world.......

NASCAR has a sense of humor, lets go racing

Now here's a little diddy about Jack and Diane.....................

Yeah, I don't know how that got in here. I needed the giggle.

On Wednesday evening I walked down the waterfront and saw our old friend the HMS Rose, now called the Surprise after she was used in Master and Commander, they never did a sequel, guess the audiences are still asleep. I guess that little Captain Dick never got her back. Last time I was here I was able to talk my way on since I was crew a couple of decades ago, this time they were closing her down so I didn't board her. Looking like she could use a coat of paint these days, and it is funny to see cannon hanging out of what was our galley. I am still amazed that while piloting that ship with all of her sails up you could still fall off on the wheel, ease back in and feel the acceleration, just as if you were on a Sunfish, Hobie, or Precision. The principles of sailing still apply in tall ships too.

Those guys who won WW II were big guys in so many ways, and the women were too, but I guess I never knew just how big they were until I saw this in San Diego

Lastly go back and look at this week's title, if you, or anyone were to ever ask me that question how would I answer it? Go ahead, think for a couple of seconds I have plenty of time. For any trivial question asked I usually have a standard, pat, smart-ass answer. Got it yet? Well guess what? Guess who I saw in San Diego?

Thanks for the memories Bob, and thank you for what you did for millions of US service personnel for a very long time.

Home Saturday night  and probably all week, will update the Dink story-line as we go along.Thank you for your thoughts and prayers on her behalf.