Back To School

Its hard for me to believe that the kids are all back or going back to school already. Here in Florida the kids started going back three weeks ago! Some counties went back last week. Here in Lake county, where I live, the kids went back this past Monday. A lot of schools outside of Florida are returning back this coming Monday. Wow! Where does the time go? To me it seems like it was just the other day when all the kids were celebrating their last day of school before summer vacation. Why is our perception of time, as a adult, so much different then that of a kids. I remember when I was young and in school summer vacation seemed like it lasted forever! Especially during my elementary and middle school years. Those last days of school back then were a mixture of happiness and sadness. We were happy, ecstatic, to be finishing the school year but at the same time we were sad to be saying goodbye to our classmates. We knew it would be a long time ( there's that kids perception of time thing again ) before we saw them again and after all, we had spent almost everyday of the week with them since that school year had started and that school year had seemed like it had dragged on for two years at least! We would always end the school year sometime around the second week of June and we NEVER went back before Labor day. So honestly, we did get a couple more weeks back then then the kids do now but it still seemed like we had forever before we had to think of school again. My sister Kimberly and I had it pretty good growing up. Our long summer breaks always started off with a day or two at the beach. My Aunt Ev and her sister would rent a beach house for two weeks every year as soon as school ended and my mom would always take Kim and I down there for a day visit or two. My cousin Carol would be there and we would spend all day swimming and digging in the sand and making sand castles using a plastic pail that my mom would always get us on the way down there at one of those 5 and dime beach shops. She would usually get us one of those cheap inflatable rafts as well and I don't think we ever bought one that lasted the whole day without getting a hole in it and getting trashed. I remember thinking that my cousin was so lucky to be able to stay there in that rented house right on the beach for TWO whole weeks and do whatever she felt like doing. Then there were the countless sleepovers with other cousins. My cousin Tony Collins and his parents, my Aunt Doris and Uncle Jim. They had a swimming pool and we would always beg to go see them and yes, we always made sure we took our bathing suits. We'd be in that pool the whole time we would be there, coming out only to eat lunch and then do our customary wait for a half hour before going back in lest we develop severe cramps and possibly drown due to our inability to move our arms and legs. Whatever cruel parent came up with that torturous idea that was told to every kid back in that era. Occasionally we would get to visit my Aunt Melissa and Uncle Pete and their two kids, my cousins Candi and Shawn Short. They lived far away, about a hour and a half north of my family. Or it seemed far away to travel for two young kids like my sister and myself. Those summers back then were full of fun times for us young ins. As Kim and I got a little older chores were mixed into the fun times. We lived on a farm and my parents always had a huge garden that produced enough vegetables to feed half the town we lived in if there was ever a crisis of some sort to come up. Me and Kim would have to hoe and work that garden and we complained because it wasn't fair that since we ate nothing that came from it then why did we have to work and keep it up. The usual answer was hush up and do it cause I said you HAVE to do it so we did. Then a year or two after that grass cutting was added to the list. Then helping to feed and tend the forty or fifty head of cattle or the one or two hundred pigs we also raised. So as we got older going back to school was a relief of some sorts. We were spared the bulk of the hard labor we had to endure but even with that summer rolled along slowly and the fall took it's good old time arriving. When we were young we knew it was getting close when mom would start talking about needing to take us to look for some new clothes for school or coming home with new book bags that were stocked with wooden pencils and notebook paper for us. When we were older and being used for slave labor we of course knew the dates and we would start to actually anticipate the first day back to school. It always seemed to come right about the time that Kim and I would start swearing that we would NEVER have a farm and perform this kind of back breaking labor. And guess what. Kim and her husband Nick have a big garden every year and I fantasize about having and living on a farm. Now, all these years later and with two kids of my own, I'm shocked with the way the summers start and before you blink twice it's time for the kids to go back. I wonder if it feels like a long time to them like it did to me and my old classmates back then. Back when the years rolled along slowly and in no hurry at all. Like back when we had the world by it's tail and time was on our side. I sure hope so.

Zombies

What is going on with all these disturbing reports of people attacking and munching down on other people? The most famous one happened here in Miami a few weeks ago. The one where the naked, crazy guy attacked the homeless man and was chowing down on his face?? How deranged is that? Pretty sick and scary! I've read that some new drug out there is responsible for those sickos that are doing this. Bath salts they are calling it. Bath salts? Was the guy who comes up with names for new drugs on vacation that week when this one came out? Can you score a ounce of "Salt" at Bath and Body works? Anyway, supposedly people that ingest the drug become violent and apparently very hungry. But my daughter has a different theory. She, and apparently lots of other young people, are saying we are on the verge of a zombie apocalypse. Some kind of virus has been released into the air that will soon turn the human race into flesh craving zombies. Don't believe me? Google zombie apocalypse and see what comes up. The CDC even issued a warning and gave instructions on what to do in case of a zombie onslaught. Read it for yourself if you don't believe me. Now I have watched all the George Romeo zombie movies and enjoyed them actually BUT, do I believe this could happen? NO, I don't. But then the other day I got to thinking, what if Emily and all the other zombie apocalypse theory people were right? What if I caught the virus and turned into one of those night/day/ morning/ noon of the living dead zombies? Being the somewhat picky eater that I am I can't see myself running down the street and grabbing the first non zombie person I could get my hands on and just start throwing down. Would my victim pause and stop fighting with me as I said a blessing? Then continue to resist again when I was done? Also I obsess sometimes about cleanliness and germs. I would never attack a homeless person out of fear of food poisoning of some kind. It would definitely have to be a recently showered or bathed person. Which then brings the question of what kind of person to eat? Couldn't be a Hispanic. They are all very fiery and spicy and spicy foods can give me heartburn and indigestion. A Asian? I'm sure if I attacked and ate one of them I'd be hungry again a hour later. A white guy? Nah, to bland and would probably taste like chicken anyway. And that brings up another thing. Definitely would have to be a woman. Attacking and eating a man would just be to gross. How about a black woman? Really, I shouldn't. Too much brown sugar and I'm trying to cut back on sweets plus I wouldn't want to get older and be a insulin dependent zombie later on in life. Indians? Shouldn't eat over 8 ounces of red meat a week so I would have to be careful there. Moderation is definitely key here. Then there's the decision to make on WHERE to attack. Definite no no's would be at the Walmart. Victims there would have to much body fat and my cholesterol would skyrocket, plus there's my arteries to consider. Also would probably come down with ink poisoning from eating all the tattoo covered flesh. The one upside would be that they would be easy to catch as they rode around on half dead battery operated scooters while slamming and banging into isles and other people. Outside in the complex where I live? Nope. They have a zero tolerance policy on rowdiness and harassment so I'd end up evicted AND would forfeit my deposit. How about at Disney where I work. No way! First off, all the foods I was trying to avoid work there. Second, attacking a guest would result in automatic termination and then I couldn't pay the rent for my place at the complex that I don't want to get kicked out of to begin with! Having to think of all these different scenarios of what I would do makes my head hurt so bad that I'm beginning to think I might just be coming down with the zombie virus. And if I am, maybe I'll just do like I've always done with my fingernails and just chew on myself!

Old Memories

I had a real rush of old memories the other day. It was a wet and rainy afternoon and Elizabeth and I were tired of being penned up inside. We decided to take a leisurely ride in the old pickup truck. Elizabeth is not that familiar with the Clermont area, the REAL Clermont area, and I thought it would be a good day to show her around. Of course, there's Highway 27, which runs up to town from my place. Scattered along the way are several subdivisions, different really in name only. Houses side by side, all looking the same. But I wanted to show Elizabeth the real Clermont. The one you only see when you venture off the major highway. We started off taking county road 474 which runs west for about 12 miles before ending at highway 33. Highway 33 runs north and south. South takes you to Lakeland and Auburndale. Head north and your going the "back way" up to Clermont. Now this "back way" is the rural version of highway 27. Definitely no subdivisions along this road. Mobile homes and old cracker style homes rule this area. Soon we come up on the old gas station/convenience store that used to also have a small restaurant attached called Beaches Barbecue. Me and the kids used to go there occasionally back when we first moved to Clermont. Beaches was not a fancy place. A basic menu. Food served on paper plates but they had some of the best barbecue you ever tasted. Unfortunately, the restaurant part closed seven or eight years ago but I was surprised to see a new eatery had just opened up that week called The Cast Iron Skillet. Definitely going to try that out as both Elizabeth and I love those out of the way mom and pop places. Further up the road I pointed out the privately owned grass strip airport where you could go up in a hang glider (with a instructor) and the owner would tow you up in his cessna airplane and release you to float around in the sky for a hour or two. I have never done it but I had been there with my parents and I remember my Dad, who also had his pilots license and owned a cessna plane, hitting it off with the owner and we just relaxing there watching those gliders soar through the sky. We passed the old dried up mud pit where they used to host mudding competitions every Saturday afternoon. People would come from all over to see who had the tallest and meanest 4x4 vehicle that could make it across the mud bog. Rarely did I ever see anyone do it and after getting buried up to the doors and waving the flag of surrender the old boy driving the contraption that looked like something from a sci fi movie would ride out and hook on to them and snatch them out. I took Joel Wharton out there one time and he was sure he was back somewhere around Gumboro Delaware. There was a old hay wagon that was used as a stage and a bluegrass band was up there just a picking and a grinning away. Alas, that fell to the wayside several years ago after the state and the county determined that all that driving in and out of the dirty, thick mud was bad for the environment. Pleeeze, whatever! The guys and the landowner put up a good fight but after the state started issuing fines they had no choice but to stop. We cut over and headed up to Groveland from there. Groveland is the next town over west of Clermont. After a short tour of Groveland we headed back towards the town part of Clermont and made a turn to take the back way through town to head back home. That's when we passed the entrance to Palatlakaha Park, aka Park Pals for short. We rode right by it and the memories immediately started coming back. I had not thought of this place in years. "I'm going to turn around and show you something neat. You have to see this" I told Elizabeth. I had forgotten about taking my kids to this place years ago when they were little tykes. The park consists of sports fields, a pavilion and some picnic tables. Huge, towering oak trees that have to be over a hundred years old sit scattered around the park providing shade from Florida's bright sun. I had forgot about the boardwalk that the town built that starts at the edge of the woods and meanders through the forest until it ends at Lake Palatlakaha. The heavy rain had turned to a light shower by this time and I grabbed my umbrella and Elizabeth's hand. "Come on, I want to show you this." We started walking on the boardwalk and when we got further into the forest we were able to close the umbrella. The tall cedar trees, covered with spanish moss, caught and shielded us from the rain. The forest seemed to be teeming with life as nature does after a good soaking rain. The undergrowth and the wildflowers soaked up the rain and enjoyed the relief it provided from the stifling heat. Elizabeth was amazed at the beauty of the place. I noticed the planks we were walking on. I also had forgotten about the town raising money to help pay for this boardwalk. Businesses or individuals were able to purchase a plank in turn helping the town raise enough money to pay for the project. The boards were engraved with the business's name or the persons. A lot of the boards had been purchased in memory of someone who had passed on. I saw business's that were still in business and some that were closed and just memories now. Like Quincys Steakhouse out on RT 50. Then there was one for The Clock Restaurant. "The Clock" was one of those places where the same people hung out there at the same time every day drinking endless cups of coffee and telling the same old stories they had been telling for years. Although the place had a full menu this place was more of a meeting place where people went to find comfort. Comfort in the familiarness of old friends and knowing that they had somewhere to be that day. It was a sad day indeed when it closed down. We finally made it to the end where the walkway turns into a raised pier above the lake. Three guys were out there fishing and we had a few minutes of friendly conversation. They pointed out a alligator that was slowly floating along a few feet out in front of the pier. We bid them farewell and turned and made our way back to the park. When we got back and we walked over to the giant play area is when the biggest memories started to flood back to me. At the same time the town had installed the forest trail they had also built this huge play area that was a kids paradise. A giant fort like structure that was filled with ladders to climb, tunnels to crawl through and slides to climb up to and slide down. Seeing that place again after all these years made me remember all the times I had brought Lorenzo and Emily to play here. The two of them joining all the other kids playing in the fort. Me, on edge and ready to spring in a instant, ready to save one of my kids if they happened to climb to high or get pushed around by one of the older or bigger kids. They would always call out to me, "Daddy, come play with us!" I would go to them and they would laugh as I tried to squeeze through that tunnel or get through that space between walls but this place had been built for children. I would leave them to explore the places that only those small kids could and rejoin the other parents back out on the benches. Later on I would give them notice that it was time to leave. "Please Dad, five more minutes" they would beg. I would always say okay, knowing full well that five more minutes meant a minimum of fifteen more, maybe even twenty. After that I would have to say more firmly come on! It's time to go! I usually would throw some kind of false threat in there such as this will be the last time we ever come if you don't come NOW. They knew I was serious then and they would begrudgingly come. Wow. Seems like a lifetime ago and really it was. Now that little boy will be eighteen in a couple months and is on the verge of becoming a adult. My little girl is now as tall if not taller then me and will be starting high school this fall. Makeup and boys has replaced climbing and playing. Even I'm different. Married back then, then divorced and single, now married to a wonderful woman that I love and am blessed to be with. It took that park that's out on the outskirts of Clermont to remind me how life goes. Always moving forward. Our lives constantly changing. Older loved ones, just like those old businesses that people loved, closing down and passing on. It makes me determined to live today in a way that I don't look back and regret tomorrow. Maybe I'll ride back to that park again soon and try once more to get through that tunnel or squeeze through that space. And I bet if I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough I'll still be able to hear my son and daughter, little kids once again, laughing and calling out to me "Come on Daddy, you can do it!"

The Fix

~Happy Valentine's Day~


Robert Whitlock's eyes slowly started to open. After a few blinks they were but his mind hadn't caught up yet. He rubbed a hand across his forehead, trying to clear the fog that engulfed his brain. While he was waiting for it to catch up he looked around to take in his surroundings. Another decaying room in another abandoned building. Empty liquor bottles littered the floor. Old dirty rags that had served as clothes for people that slept here before Robert lay scattered around. This is what his life had become. Robert was a addict, a junkie. His life, if one could even consider it a life, consisted of roaming the streets at night and sleeping it off during the day. He had no money so he had to resort to conning and taking what he needed from the drug dealers. He usually went after the prostitutes that were also dealing first though. They were women and put up less of a fight. He would always pretend to be interested in buying and after they showed him the stuff he grabbed it and ran into the darkness of the night. Sure, he had been chased. Shot at, stabbed once but he always managed to get away. Hence the constant moving around. He always tried to avoid a area he had hit for awhile. One thing about drug dealing, it was usually a short lived profession. The lucky ones got arrested and sent to jail. The unlucky ones ended up dead. But one thing about that line of work, when one seller left, three more were waiting in the wings to take over. And when the new ones arrived they never recognized him because they had never seen him before. And this was his existence. He felt dead inside. Nothing of his old self remained. How long had he been existing in this state? The days had turned to months, the months into years. It had been so long ago that he wasn't this person. He had been a productive member of society at one time. The drug had destroyed most of his mind and with that his memory as well but he did remember her, his dear Katherine. She had been his wife and he loved her more then life itself. When he lost her is when he fell apart. Most of his memories had faded with time but he remembered her. And he remembered their last night together. It had been Feb 14th, Valentines day. The year escaped him. How long ago had it been? Five years? Ten, fifteen, twenty even? He just didn't know. They had been out that evening. He had taken her to dine at the fanciest restaurant in the city. After that he had tickets to see a movie. Or was it a musical? Maybe a play? He wasn't sure which but they had watched something. And they were in love, in love on the day that celebrated love. After the show Robert and Katherine set off towards their home. It was only a few city blocks away and the weather had been mild so they had decided to walk. On the way back they held hands and pulled each other close as they made their way home. The mood was light and they were laughing and enjoying each others company when the man attacked them. Robert hated himself for not doing more at the time but the man took them totally by surprise. They never saw him coming out from the dark alley until he was right on top of them. With the strength of a dozen men the man swung his arm back and brought it back up into Roberts face. Robert went reeling. His eyes lost focus from the blow and as he staggered backwards he started to trip over his own feet. Kathrine let out a scream that was part terror, part surprise. The last thing Robert remembered seeing before he fell back and hit his head on the cold, hard concrete was the man, the monster, dragging his darling bride back into the dark alley that he had sprung from. As he slipped into unconsciousness her screams filled his head. And that was the last time he ever saw her, his beloved bride. After that his memories became blurry. He remembered the man coming back to him, presumably to finish him off. He had a faint memory of sirens and people shouting as they came running to see what was going on. And that was it. Nothing else after that. Today, he assumed that he had been so grief stricken over the lost of his dear wife that he had slipped into this nightmare of a existence. Probably started off drinking. Then moved on to harder things, things to help him forget. And they had worked. Other then those few memories, he had forgot. Now his days, or more so his nights, consisted of finding and using his drug of choice. Nothing else mattered to him. He had given up his life for it, he craved it, he needed it. It was the last reason he had to cling to whatever life he had left. And just like every night after waking he hurt. He hurt bad. His body was screaming for a fix. He couldn't think of food, he needed his fix. Robert slowly pulled himself up. His legs felt unsure. His balance was off. He knew he looked horrible but that was the last thing on his mind. Right now his first priority was to get what he needed and then he would decide his next course of action. He ducked back down and crawled out of the hole in the wall that had been made by vandals sometime ago. He had chosen a old abandoned electrical supply warehouse for his sleeping arrangements last night. He had chose this area because MOST of the houses and businesses were abandoned and boarded up. A area that was certain to attract the kind of people he needed to do business with. As he made his way out of the building he saw that he had chose wisely. A dozen or so men were conducting business already this evening. Several customers were walking. Some were driving on the almost deserted streets. Dealers made their way over when the cars would pull up. He could see them sticking their heads down next to the open windows. After a minute or two of talk the dealer would reach into one of his pockets and give the driver whatever they were interested in. The driver would hand over some cash and then take off. This was a place where people could come and get anything they were looking for. If it was addicting a person could find it here. Didn't even have to be drugs. Robert saw several ladies of the night walking around the area as well. Plying their trades, selling their product as well. "Good", he thought to himself. It would be easy tonight. Most prostitutes not only sold themselves but they offered all the other goodies as well. Like a walking one stop market he thought to himself, smiling as he did. So he would sneak down and around and come up by the east side and pretend to be a paying customer. He would do it like always. He would get the person away from the main traffic area, then grab his drug and take off. And he would run and run and not stop until he new it was safe. After he got his fix then the pain would stop and he would be able to think clearly. Think about who he was, where he was going and think about Katherine. And how must he missed her. Oh why oh why hadn't that beast killed him instead and let wife go? He wished, like he did every night, that the man HAD been able to finish and kill him as well. Then he would have been free of this life. This shell of a man living as a hopeless addict. Sleeping in filth all day and wandering the streets at night. Even though the man hadn't killed him, Robert Whitlock was for the most part dead. But right now he needed a fix. The aches were getting worse. He felt screams building up inside him. "Time to get a move on it," he told himself. He moved quickly towards the back of the building that was directly across the street from him. He sneaked around to the far side making sure the whole time that he stayed in the shadows and stayed well hidden. The sky was clear this night and the half moon shone bright and cast tall and dark shadows all around him. Most of the city street lights were out, a fitting tribute to the boarded up houses and closed down stores. Robert made his way up to the sidewalk from along the back side of the building. Even living the hard lifestyle he had been living for the past several years, he still had a handsome boyish look to him. Sure, his clothes were in total disarray. He looked like a junkie but he was still a somewhat handsome guy. He didn't have to stand there in the open for long when one of the street ladies noticed him and approached him to see what he was looking for. "Hi there darling," said the prostitute with a raspy, cigarette scarred voice. "What are you in the market for tonight?' Robert looked the lady up and down and decided she would be a easy hit. She wouldn't be able to run. She was wearing heels that looked to be at least four inches tall. Black stockings came up to her thighs and almost met the bottom of her shorts. Even though it was cold out she wore a silky top that was cut very low to reveal her assets up top. A cheap imitation fur coat rounded out her outfit. Robert had seen dozens, if not hundreds of these women before. The only reason she wore the coat at all was to hide the drugs she was selling on the side. Dealing drugs, after all, was her side hustle. The lady came closer to him. "Hi there baby, which ya need? I'm pretty sure I have it and if I don't then give me five minutes and I can get it". As she talked she kept walking. " I have coke, meth, weed, I have other stuff to if your not looking to get high, if you know what I mean." A slight smile started to form on his face and the lady now knew what he was wanting. Then it was her turn to start smiling. Her basic fee was one hundred dollars. Any extras beyond that was billed at twenty dollars each. "Its going to be a pretty good night," she thought to herself. "Come closer, so I can see you better," asked Robert. The women approached him, proudly, as if to offer him a preview. And just like that man did so many years ago, on Valentines day, Robert was on the woman in a instant. Even as the scream was starting to form in her throat he had her pulled backwards into the dark alleyway. His eyes glowed yellow as he snatched the woman's hair backwards to pull her head back so that her throat was exposed to him. And just as the scream was leaving her lungs, exploding to the top to shout out her fear, he tore into her neck. The scream evaporated as its passage way was torn apart. The thing/man spit out the flesh. He had no desire for it. He was after his drug. He was about to get his fix. The man bit into her neck again, this time severing her jugular. And he feed. Each pump of the woman's fading heartbeat filled his mouth with his drug, the stuff that he needed so badly. As he filled himself he could feel the aches subsiding, his strength returning, his head clearing. As he grew stronger the woman grew weaker. Finally, when he was full and he could take no more he released his hold on the woman's neck and soaked in the feeling of fullness. His body was quiet. No more cravings, no more pains. He looked down at the limp, almost lifeless woman in his arms. She was looking up at him, barely alive. He knew what he must do before it was to late. He had to do what the man that had attacked him wasn't able to do to him. He had taken care of Katherine but had been chased off before he could finish him. So Robert grasped the woman's head tightly and gave it a sharp twist to the right, snapping her neck and mercifully killing her so she wouldn't return like he did. He was addicted to something that he could never get enough of and would do anything to get. Robert dropped the woman to the ground and turned and fled into the night. And for the first time since waking up that night he felt alive.

Coming soon

Coming soon, my longest short story yet, titled "Bus Stop 6691" Wrote for Elizabeth Vargas who told me months ago that I should write a story about a bus stop ( not sure where that idea came from but I obliged ) It's almost done and I look forward to your thoughts on it. It's gonna be a good one :)
~Ren~

2012

Well its here. 2012. The new year. A new beginning and start. I don't do new year resolutions. I used to but after breaking all of them about a week into the new year I gave up. At my age Ive already given up most of my bad habits. I'm pretty much the weight I'm probably always going to be. So I don't worry about it. But its 2012!! Didn't 2011 just start not too long ago? And thinking like that, didn't the new millennium just roll around? Remember everyone panicking about Y2K? That was when the calendars were going to roll over to 2000 from 1999 and not one machine or computer was going to be able to do that and everything was going to shut down. Electric plants would shut down. Nuclear reactors would melt. All the banks would close. A dark, horrible apocalypse would follow. People stocked up on food supplies. Men of the households stocked up on guns and ammo to keep the starving masses from attacking them and their families. Doom and gloom was predicting and nothing happened. Most people REALLY watched the new years eve countdown that year expecting the worst and nothing happened. Now we have 11 months to panic about the end of the world coming. Am I nervous about that? Nah, I'm not getting too excited about what some ancient civilization predicted when they couldn't even predict their own demise. A lot of "experts" are even weighing in saying the Mayans never even mentioned 2012. But rest assured people will be worrying, talking heads will be yapping about it and lots of people will do lots of stupid stuff. Stuff that sane people like us will hear and read about and we will just shake our heads in amazement. Before we know it we will be celebrating 2013 and 2012 will be a memory. And we can add the end of the world to the "it never happened category".

Christmas List

Wow. It's December 1st already. Hard to believe 2011 is one month away from ending. Christmas is right around the corner and I was thinking back the other day to when I was a kid and how excited I was when the Christmas catalogs would arrive in the mail. You remember them, unless your a lot younger then I am. Sears and JCPennys were the big ones. Those things would arrive in November I believe and I would spend hours looking over each item on each page in the toy section towards the back, trying to decide if and what item deserved to be on my Christmas list. I would usually write that list up. Then erase items I had wrote and penciled in something else until the sheet of paper was a blur of erased pencil marks. I would tear that one up and start fresh. The finished paper had to look professional, I couldn't take a chance on turning in a sloppy Christmas list to Santa and then later on my parents. I put more effort into that wish list then I did most homework assignments at the time. I tried to have the right balance of things that weren't too big and extravagant and things I thought would be fun to have. But what if I were to write a Christmas list today? As a 44 year old male, what items would I want on that list. Here's a few things that I thought would be nice.

-A new tube of Preparation H that comes in a commemorative 2011 Christmas tin

-A new pair of 4.00X magnifying reading glasses so I could WRITE my Christmas list and then proof read it.

-A stylish new pair of orthopedic shoes that's designed to alleviate pain from falling arches.

-A Atari gaming system (that was a annual wish list item when I was a kid and I never got one and I'm still traumatized by that)

-A gift card from Hess for a months worth of free gas. I know, WAY to expensive to ask for but this is a "wish" list, right?

-A new President with conservative valves in 2012.

-One of those miracle dumb looking exercise gadgets that will change my 2 liter abs to six pack ones with just 5 minutes of use per day.

-A risque pair of new flannel pajama for nights when the mood is right with that special someone.

-A brand new Hybrid gas sipping car would be nice. It would certainly eliminate the need for the Hess gas card. Maybe I could jazz it up with some custom painted pinstripes, a air scoop on the hood and a great stereo system.

-One of those new fancy Blu-ray DVD players would be nice. First though I would have to make sure it would be compatible with my 18 year old 27 inch Magnavox.

-Speaking of DVD's, the complete second season of Hee Haw would be nice. That was the season Grandpa Jones moved to Kornfield County from neighboring Hillbilly Hollow and Junior Sample was introduced.

Of course, this is a early list. Items on here are subject to change as Christmas approaches. Keep checking back for my revised list.

Dad

Most of my friends that read this know that I recently lost my Dad. He had just celebrated his 79th birthday on Nov 2nd. He left this world on Nov 11th in the wee hours of the morning. My dad had been ill for about two years and just grew weary and tired of his fight. And what a fight he put up. He had emergency surgery almost two years ago to the day. Back then, no doctor gave him a chance to ever leave the hospital. He was to sick, to ill to recover. But he did. Doctors and nurses were amazed. He was a strong man. And that's the way I remember him. When I was a little boy I thought nothing was impossible for my dad. He could fix anything. He knew everything. When I would have a bad dream in the middle of the night I would go in his and mom's room and try to quietly climb into bed with them. I remember thinking how nothing could harm me as I was laying against his back. As I grew up I remember thinking that dad was to hard on me, making me work around the farm. The list of chores got longer as I got older and I was envious of my friends who lived in town that didn't have the chores that I did. Thank you dad for making me get up and get to it. My dad loved people and always had a smile for and a story to tell someone. He could and would strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere. We never ate in a restaurant without dad harassing the help. I would feel so bad for the poor waitresses who ended up with our table. Dad did it all in good nature of course and by the end of the meal most of the women were laughing right along with him and us. Most of them would. I do remember a few that looked like they were about ready to explode and I would whisper to him that he better back off a little cause the poor woman's top was about to blow. Dad loved to travel and him and my mom did a lot of it. First they did it with my three older siblings, then 10 years later it was me and my younger sister Kimberly's turn. Dad had a slide in camper and we took more trips in that thing then we can remember. We always seemed to squeeze in a trip to Florida during the summer while me and my sis were out of school and me and Kim would always beg for a day at Disney. I have fond memories of being at the Magic Kingdom with my parents and Kim. Dad worked hard and made us work hard to but he always made sure we had time together to play as well. He instilled a strong work ethic in all 5 of his children and he always provided for us, placing our needs above his own. He and my mother were married for 57 years. 57 years! Sadly, that's a rarity now a days. He loved his wife and my mother with a passion. But above all of this, my dad loved his lord and savior. He never hesitated to tell whoever he could about Gods love for us and he sending his one and only son down here from heaven to die for us so that we could spend eternity with him. Many lives were touched by dads kindness and his testimony of Gods love for us. One of the things that used to really amaze me about dad was his ability to forgive. Long ago, my dads parents were brutally murdered by someone who lived down the road from them. They all knew the person that did it and that person is still serving his sentence in jail. I remember talking about it with dad several years back and I asked dad how could he deal with the trauma of what that man did to his parents. He just simply said he had come to forgive the guy for what he did. I didn't understand then how anyone could forgive someone of something like that but I understand it now. If we hold hatred and anger in our hearts and don't forgive then it destroys us from the inside out. Plus Jesus tells us that if he is to forgive us then we must likewise forgive. I now understand what dad meant. We don't have to like it or say it was okay what that person did, we just have to release it and let it go. I get it now Dad. Dad was at home when he passed away. My sister Kimberly and my niece Rachel Cartwright were there that night and they were awakened by dad coughing and gasping. He told them that his time was almost up and the fight was about over. Kimberly told him that it was okay and he should just go and join his mother who was waiting for him in heaven. They asked him if they could pray with him and dad said yes and about thirty seconds later he smiled and he was gone. Gone only from this world though. We know he is with his mom and dad and his two brothers and two sisters who had gone on before him. His faith was unshakable and he's receiving his rewards. He ran the race and he finished it in full stride. I only hope I can turn out to be half the man he was. I love you Dad and you are missed dearly but I'll see you again one day. And what a glorious day that will be.

HHN 2011

Some pictures of Lorenzo, Emily and myself at Halloween Horror Nights 2011. Emily's first time attending. Can't believe how their growing up!

October

It's October. Summer is over and fighting its demise but its a futile effort. The days are getting shorter. Darkness is coming sooner and earlier. Leaves are giving us their last farewell of show and color before they wither away and drop off having fulfilled their obligation for the season. We start to put away those T-shirts and shorts and bring out the pants and sweaters. Hopefully, they still fit and we can squeeze one more season out of them. The warm, balmy nights and sunny days are replaced with chilly evenings and cool fall days. October is a month of transition. We call it fall but anything can happen. A string of warm days when we are teased and reminded of the summer that just ended or a cold snap when we are reminded of what awaits us right around the corner. Our thoughts turn to pumpkins and cornstalks and mums and scarecrows to decorate our yards. If your a football fan your in your glory as both the college and professional seasons are in full stride. The season is early and every fan hopes for a championship for his or her team. Fall festivals abound, every town has one. Our busy lives are a little less hectic. Things start to slow down and we can catch our breath. Kids are back in school, at least back on some kind of schedule. Our jobs slow down and we can finally start to get caught up on the things we have been putting off due to the fast pace of summer and trying to cram all we can into those glorious months when we are all together and we are carefree. The full moon for this month occurs on the 12th. Make sure you go out to look at it and see if it isn't a little bigger and brighter then normal. The fall full moons seem to blaze with a orange glow that makes even the darkest hour of the night seem like dusk. Soon our kids will start to think about costumes and candy and trick or treating. Who will they be this year? We would always decorate the house up for trick or treat night to give those kids that ventured up for candy a good scare and to make them earn that treat. I always tried to carve a few jack o lanterns with my kids around Halloween time when they were young. I was the one who always had to scoop out the "guts". No way would they touch something that gross but I always let them do the cutting and the carving. "Be careful," I would warn. "Don't slice your finger open with that knife" and they never did. Hopefully, they'll remember how and will carve one this year and when they get older they can show their kids how to carve one. Then THEY will have to clean the thing out and they will remember whining to me how gross it is and they'll laugh to themselves and tell their kids not to be so silly. This is what October means to me.

No Friday Nite Video ;(

Folks the first Friday Nite Video I did on this blog was last September. I've been doing one every Friday night since then. It's been fun and I've shared a lot of my favorite groups and songs but after a year I think it's time for a change. I'm gonna start doing more of what I love doing and that's sharing my memories and writing stories. Keep stopping by and I'll keep writing. Love to you all!

~Ren~

Friday Nite Video (Willie Nelson)

The rain theme continues here at FNV. Tonight I thought I would feature a music legend, Mr Willie Nelson. What hasn't Willie done? He's a accomplished songwriter and performer. He's been in some movies. I could ramble on and on about all that he has done over the life of his career. The part I like about Willie is he's rough and ragged. He doesn't fit into that "star" mode. He's a rebel, a outlaw of sorts. He's fought with the IRS. He makes no bones about the fact he likes to smoke pot ( I don't agree with that or condone it but he doesn't back down). He throws a huge 4th of July bash every year at his ranch in Austin Texas and opens it up to whoever wants to come. He found early success writing songs that other people became famous for including Crazy sung by Patsy Cline. He released his first album in 1962 and is still performing today. Is he country, folk, rock or what? I'm not sure but I know you can't put old Willie in just one category. He's a little bit of all of them. Here is Willie with Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, tonight's wet video. Enjoy!

Friday Nite Video (Oran "Juice" Jones)

Hey all. It's Friday Nite. Remember last week when I was talking about the rainy season in Florida and how I thought it would be fun to do some video's dealing with rain? Well I guess that couldn't have come at a better time. Right after that Irene traveled up the east coast and millions of people experienced rain. Sadly, thousands of homes were flooded and destroyed because of her rains and winds. My thoughts and prayers go out to those people affected by the storm. Since last week I've thought of so many different songs that deal and talk about rain. There are obvious ones. Famous ones. Not so famous ones. On MY blog I like to highlight the songs that make you say oh yeah, I remember that. Such is the case with tonight's video. Remember Oran "Juice" Jones song The Rain? It was a song about this guy (Juice) following his girl one night and discovering that she is cheating on him. The last part of the song sees Juice confronting her and dissing her while she just sits there taking it all in. She knows shes "Stone Cold Busted" Not to much to tell about Juice. He signed with OBR records, the released The Rain in 1986. It was a big hit. His follow up song was not. After that Juice said bye bye to the recording business. But in 1986 everyone was singing along to The Rain. So here it is in all it's soaking wet glory. Enjoy!