I'll tell ya how old I am,but it'll take both hands now...

Little Newt has successfully circumnavigated the Sun SIX times!


No small feat for a lad in this day and age,I assure you.

In honor of this most auspicious occasion,Lizzard King hosted a celebration over at the park,directly across from the homestead.


The centerpiece of the festivities,was this terrific 'Cars' bounce house!


What you don't see in the pic below,is all of the adults standing around,awaiting their turn.

..all the really cool kids were there.
The open bar was a popular attraction!


Lizzard King supervises the cotton candy production..
..and Aunt Christine,Josh,and Little Newt are responsible for quality control.

When you've got a bounce house babysitter,things can get a little more relaxed.

Okay,..We're talkin' chock full o' strawberry and cream filling ambrosia!

Now that he's come of age,Little Newt prefers to be called 'Marshal'..
Tuff,..He's Little Newt to me.

Awesome!..We were all able to consume our maximum recommended lifetime requirements of sugar in one sitting!..follows,the bonanza!

The weather was perfect,the company genial,and the party a resounding success..

It's Monday,and life is all frosted-cotton candy-bounce houses in Sling's Domain..
Have a great week kids!

Friday serendipity

I was rummaging around in my giant stainless steel vault for something obscure to play for Friday Jukebox,and re-discovered this,sitting next to my beloved LP (what the hell is this 'LP' thing of which he speaks??...) of Rosemary Clooney (yeah,..George's Aunt) singing 'come on'na my house'...
I forget how I acquired it,and I have no idea what it's about 'cause it's all in French and shit.
I did a Wikipedia search,and it seems her entire bio consists of the fact that she has a twin.
Hey!..Babes in stereo!..I digress.
Anywhiz,
Maybe someone can enlighten me.
In any case,I liked it at first listen,which is pretty rare for me.



'Un ange qui passe'..(a passing angel?..just guessin') ..

It's been a long week,and I have much catching up to do in bloggertown,I know,but that's what weekends are for.
Speaking of which,y'all have a good one!

Katz

Hey!..I used to work for a guy named Stan Katz!
He got scratched by a cat one day,and died...No shit.

But this isn't about Stan.
It's about a new addition to the homestead.
This handsome fellow has deigned to adopt us!
..He's friendly,and well mannered,so it's fine with me.
Still,he needs to be accepted by the two indigenous felines.
Gizzy is fine with anything that doesn't interrupt her nap..

...and Drooly is so happy,he could squirt!

Okay,it's Wednesday,and I got nothin'..
New Cat needs a name.

Four Play..

'There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
The way of an eagle in the air;
the way of a serpent upon a rock;
the way of a ship in the midst of the sea;
and the way of a man with a maid'.
Proverbs 30:18-19
..But I do know this!..
I have been tagged by the gracile and gracious Doralong to reveal 4 facts about myself,in a number of categories,which the Department of Homeland Security probably already has in my dossier anyway.

Four Jobs I have had in my life:
1)Recovery and Evacuation Specialist (pulling M60 tanks out of the mud).
2)Carpet Layer
3)Bartender
4)Drug Dealer.

Four Movies I would watch/have watched over and over:
1)The Ten Commandments
2)Apollo 13
3)A Fish Called Wanda
4)Turk 182...apparently,I have a thing for movies with numbers in the title.


Four Places I have lived:
1)Redondo Beach,Ca.
2)Junction City,Ks.
3)Delta,Co.
4)Aberdeen,Md.

Four people I want to bitch-slap right into the middle of next week!:
1)Dr. Phil
2)Rush Limbaugh
3)The idiot over at The Discovery Channel that decided we need 3 different shows in which psycho-pyro-technicians blow shit up!..As if there is some academic enlightenment to be had from watching a cadre of giddy morons shoving a pound of C-4 up a motor home's ass,and pushing a button.
4)..and then I'd like to wait patiently for the middle of next week to arrive,and slap Dr. Phil again.


Four people that E-mail me regularly:
Yellowdog Granny e-mails me regularly,and lorraine and Hat correspond from time to time.
PLUS!..I get comment updates from several of my blog buddies.

Four places I have visited:
1)Washington,DC.
2)Munich,Germany
3)Ensenada,Mx.
4)Vancouver,British Columbia

Four TV Shows that I watch:
1)AMERICAN IDOL!
2)Deal or no Deal
3)Whatever is on The History Channel from Saturday morning,'till Sunday eve.
4)Re-runs of The West Wing.

Four favorite foods:
1)Cheese..any kind
2)Spaghetti
3)Jalapenos
4)Lobster
5)Fried Chicken
6)Frosted Flakes
7)Jelly Beans
8)Sweet 'n Sour Pork
9)APPLESAUCE CAKE!
10)Chili Dogs
11)Anything with the prefix,'Gummi'..

Four places I'd like to be right now:
1)The Black Forest,Germany
2)The Grand Mesa,Colorado
3)Fogerty's Pub on the night of June 23rd,1989
4)Costa Rica.

Four things I'm looking forward to this year:
1)Meeting some dear friends for the first time
2)My annual raise
3)Summer
4)Turning 55,so I can finally get the senior citizen discount!

I would,at this point,tag four unsuspecting Bloglodites.
But last time I did that,I very nearly had to summon the O-Town Constabulary to quell the uprising.

Have a great week kids!

Spring Break & Friday Jukebox

Monday morning,as we sat around the break room getting ready to start the work week,Mr.K walked in and made an announcement.

'Good news fellas,we're taking Friday off..With pay!'

This isn't one of our regular paid holidays,and it's not like he'd have to twist our arms over it,but we wondered out loud,'How come?'

'It's Good Friday,and Mrs. K wants you guys to have time off to contemplate you're salvation'.

He was grinning,of course.

We knew it was just another example of how these wonderful people show their appreciation for our labors.

..Bosses that actually sit around thinking up ways to make their employees happy!...I'll just never get over the concept.

I love these guys!

Anyquinox,

Spring has finally arrived,it's a balmy 70 degrees here in O-Town,and I'm in a hella good mood.

I almost want to burst into song!

..but it's probably best if I let Anne Murray do it for me.

'Snowbird'

Slinglets..A Daddy Blog

Every other week,sometimes once a month,occasionally three days in a row,but almost always on holidays,..like clockwork,my daughter Jessica calls to fill me in on the state of my progeny.
She's my eldest...That's her job.
Last night was just such an occasion!

You see,I live here,and they live there,and while we may not have seen each other for a time,the familial connection runs deep.

Turns out,she is loving her new job managing an apartment complex down in So.Cal.
She's been doing this kind of work for the last ten years or so,and enjoys the freedom of working at home,as it were,not to mention the two-story townhouse that comes with the position.
My oldest granddaughter Tyler has her own MySpace page!
So,quite naturally,I will be keeping a close eye on that in an effort to insure that she's not having too much fun.
That's my job.
Little Jackson is,apparently,getting bigger.
No doubt the result of feeding him three times a day.
Jessica assures me that he is developing into quite the handsome lad!
My middle granddaughter,Erin, is stubborn,willful,contrary,argumentative,and
opinionated.
I couldn't be more pleased!

My son Matthew is doing a fine job taking care of my youngest granddaughter Olivia,working hard for a construction outfit,building homes.
I don't think it's too bold an assumption to say that he comes by his skill naturally.
Did I mention he's also written music for the accoustic guitar?
Seems he's fond of finger pickin'.
He and I did a pretty fair duet last time I was down there.-------> :)

It occurs to me that sometimes,no matter what you do,your children turn out okay in spite of it.

Do what your Mom says!

Period.The End.

That's how it was when I was growing up.
No doubt,there were occasions when I must have balked.
Surely there was an instance of righteous defiance,wherein my burgeoning sense of social injustice spurred me on to firmly plant my feet,and shout to the heavens,'NO!..It's not fair!'..
..but I can't for the life of me,remember one.

So,when I was tagged by the gentle and sweet tempered mom of Bloggertown...


Follows the requisite rules;
1. Write your own six-word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!


I grew up the quintessential 'middle child',among a number of siblings perfectly divisible by five.
An older brother and sister,and a younger brother and sister.
You know all those trials and torments that quite naturally follow a lad with even one of these possible permutations??


Do the math.


It was like being Peter Brady,(or Jan if that helps you better relate),only,..you know,..without a script.


Don't get me wrong a'tall.I wasn't neglected or anything,but face it,my parents pretty much had their hands full dealing with all the childhood angst that is bound to occur amongst offspring whose ages are separated,oldest to youngest,by fifteen years!
In actual fact,I learned early on that if I just kept a low profile,odds were that any drama that eventually ensued would be focused on someone,any one,that wasn't me!
..and I was free to just observe.


I credit any insight I may have into the human condition to this fortuitous perspective.
Thus,my six-word memoir must easily,and succinctly read;


'I'm on the outside,looking in'.


Comes now,the time to tag five of my fellow Bloglodites..Hey!..Because mom said so!..that's why.


Serena Joy...Loves to have fun with words!


Booda Baby...It will be fun to follow the breadcrumbs.


Grish..because he's back!


JP..I mean,he's JP fer chrissake!..I rest my case.


Citizen of the World...Never fails to impress me with her understanding of the things that make people tick..Plus!..Pretty pictures.

Pre-emptive Friday Jukebox Video!

Well Hell and Damnation...
My dear friend JP has recently posted a brilliant satire,an update if you will,on the seven deadly sins.
Follow the link before you read on.
I'll wait...

Here's the Thing,(is life a marvelous circle?..or what?).
I've read the Bible my entire life.
Cover to cover...many times.
Each and every time I peruse the wisdom that is bound between the dog-eared,and yellow highlited pages of my beloved King James version,I ask the Lord;
'Let me know the truth'...
He knows what I mean...He promised that to me.

..and then I hear this person,and that person's estimation,proclamation,and otherwise spin-doctored interperatation of The Word,mangled and twisted to suit their own agenda.

It pisses me straight the fuck off!

I've been saving this tune for a while now.



The truth will set you free!..
End of pontification.

Coming Soon To A Venue Near You!..

**The Amazing Drooly! **


Watch Drooly perform death defying stunts..




Order your tickets Online.
But hurry!..


..box seats are limited.

Music and Moonshine..

In my ever continuing quest to capitalize on the efforts of some few of my favorite bloggers,I offer this little tune.
lorraine has suggested,quite correctly I hasten to add,that very many songs are composed of three chords...C,D,and G.

I love these chords!

In this case,the chord progression is D,C,and G,..with an E minor thrown in as an embellishment.

I don't know the actual names of the chords created by my own hammers-on,slides,and pull-offs.
They come as they will,and change from one day to the next.
..that's for real musicians to describe.



'Sling's Breakdown'

The Main Squeeze..

I think that,as bloggers,we may possibly be in a position to do something truly historic.
From time to time,in the event of something new and different,the very brief opportunity arises to coin a new phrase!

Like that pilot that first described UFO's as 'flying saucers',or that DJ whose name I can't remember right now,that labeled a new genre of music as 'rock and roll'.
More often than not,it seems like the honor of coining a new phrase is snatched up by some best selling author,or well respected journalist who makes a casual reference that immediately becomes part of the national lexicon.

Well not this time dammit!

I'm talking about how we should refer to Bill Clinton,in the event that Hillary is elected President.
After two centuries of addressing the presidential spouse as 'first lady',I guess it might naturally follow that 'first gentleman' would seem appropriate.
Sorry ladies..Too bland.

Besides,It's a matter of custom to continue calling an ex-president,'President'
How much confusion will that cause?
I mean,..'Today President Clinton was accompanied by President Clinton to the Yada-Yada conference'..

There's a place for everyone,and everyone should be in their place.

I just think this is our opportunity to get in on the ground floor,and come up with something better!
Here are just a few of my recommendations;

• Mr. Bill


• The First Husband,(in the long run,I think Hillary may already have this one in mind)


• Gentleman William,(I kinda like that!)


• '..and her escort du jur'


• That lying,cheating,son-of-a-bitch!


• Sparky..

Seriously,someone is gonna set precedent.
It may as well be bloggers!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

**In other,Friday Video News**

This has absolutely nothing to do with my post.
I just wanted it my archives.



'Me and Julio'

This looks more like me than I do!..

..I think I'll use this picture to shave by.



Oh yes,..the plagairism continues.

Tuesday Plagiarism..

Well,I really don't have anything to blog about.
So,I did what I always do in these situations.
I went over to lorraine's house to steal some blog ideas.
Turns out,she doesn't have anything to blog about either!

Great,her paucity (I love that word!) of bloggerage has come at a really inconvenient time for me.
BUT!..She does have a messy desk.
Okay,I can work with that.

Here is my messy desk!

Unlike lorraine however,I won't be cleaning it anytime soon.

I need all this stuff.Or at least I might need some of this stuff eventually,and if I cleaned it,I'd just have to get up and go get it.

..It's a vicious circle I choose to avoid.

Have I told you guys lately how much The Hat TOTALLY ROCKS!?

..well then it's about time I did.

I've been wanting to change my template for a while now.
I wanted it to be absolutely unique.
I wanted it to be warm,and inviting.
I wanted it to reflect my personality.
I want,I want,I want!!...'Cause I'm selfish like that.

So,I shot off an e-mail to the amazingly talented,delightfully effervescent,and entirely BRILLIANT! Ms. Hat,which basically said,'..I don't know what I want,..but I want you to figure it out,and do it for me'.


Well don't ya know that after just a few phone calls,wherein I offered vague descriptions,asked an abundance of stupid questions,(she never once called me an incredible idiot btw..thanx Sunshine ;),and was essentially no help whatsoever,she came up with this marvelous new template!

I felt immediately at home.

Welcome to Sling's Domain my friends!..

In the event that the Feds raid the joint,there is a trapdoor behind the bar for your escaping convenience..

EDIT: I love this blog thing of ours.
It's where I go to connect with people,and places,outside of my daily encounters.
It's personal,and I just wanted my blog to reflect that.
Maybe you feel like that,maybe not.
In any case,The Hat can be contacted here.