Hey! Snug! Hand Over Your Man Card!

I'll have to remind the groomer next time: no powder blue ribbons on Snug's manly ears. ;)

Sunday Scribblings: Jesse Ventura Dreamin'

Jesse Ventura

This week's Sunday Scribblings topic is "Ask". For more ask posts, go here.

Somewhere deep in the mildewed cobwebs of the pickle jar-lined earthen wall cellar of my unconscious mind, Jesse Ventura has been lurking like a rogue Carpathian boar enraged for months by the throbbing of an abscessed tusk.

I have to ask, how did Jesse Ventura get into my head?

Moreover, why did I dream about him just before waking up this morning?

In my dream, Jesse was a washed up former action movie star. His unsuccessful plastic surgery left his face looking like a third grade girl playing Little Miss Muffet in a school pageant. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Sylvester Stallone, Randy Savage, Steven Seagal, The Rock, Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenagger, and Kimbo Slice circled around him, taunted him, and pushed him around, taking turns humiliating him, calling him names, tripping him, forearming him under the chin, and punching him in the face.

Suddenly, then, Jesse was in a situation similar to one I'd seen on YouTube this past week when members of the Christian motorcycle gang the Set Free Soldiers were providing security at some event and had rushed in and were tossing trouble makers aside.

Jesse Ventura tried to do the same, but was impotent, feeble, unable to stop any violence. The troublemakers laughed at his bravado and ineptitude. Jesse was irrelevant.

Then, suddenly a huge truck from a rental place like "Party City" hauled all this huge stuff for a big party Jesse wanted to throw that Jesse had rented and couldn't pay for and backed it into the bottom of the building housing Jesse's condo and violently smashed the building's foundations and thanks to Jesse's acting like he could pay for all this stuff he had no money for, the whole building was brought to the ground.

Mocked, humiliated, girl-faced, weak, homeless, and broke, Jesse tunnelled his way underneath a hospital and emerged at the side of a dying woman and heroically was able to quickly, miraculously transplant blood from his own system to hers, saving her life.

I woke up.

So I ask, what's this dream about? Why Jesse Ventura? Why the humiliation? Why the heroic ending?

I haven't a clue, but since the topic of the weekend is what it is, I thought I'd ask.

Three Beautiful Things 08/08/08: Prize Dog, Prized Photo, Breaded Fish

1. Snug's groomer praised Snug for being a very good dog, even when she took grass seeds out of his paws. I am very proud of Snug for behaving so well with his wonderful and lovely groomer. I'll post a picture or two tomorrow.

2. Over at Photo Hunt, tnchick highlights one photograph from the previous week and urges Photo Hunt participants to go see it. She chose my "cloud" picture, here, as the feature photo of the week. I'm honored!

3. I went to the seafood buffet at Three Rivers Casino this evening and as I ate breaded shrimp, razor clams, and scallops with red sauce, I had the delicious feeling of being back at the Friday fish feed at the Sunshine Inn in Kellogg in my youth.

Photo Hunt: Dark

Thursday morning, hiking in the dark shadows of the forest, this treed flip flop arrested my attention:


For other dark photos, go here.

Three Beautiful Things 08/07/08: Eugene Wealth, Snug's Burrs, Deke's Work

1. I get stuck going the same old routes between the same old places in Eugene and I've decided to get better acquainted with unfamiliar parts of Eugene...like today..Spring Blvd....see where (and how) some of the moneyed people around here live...the people on the hill...but the best part was the hike on the Ridgeline Trail: see pictures here.

2. Snug's fur was burry after our hike and he patiently trusted me as I pulled burr after burr after burr off of his ears, back fur, legs, and paws.

3. I enjoyed learning more about the Deke's fellow fourth grade teacher after they spent time together this afternoon.

Ducks Trump Scrape in Sheriff Race

On Wednesday, August 6th, Kellogg's almost daily newspaper ran a letter to the editor written by current Shoshone County sheriff Chuck Reynalds. Reynalds was defeated in the primary election for sheriff in May by Gary Yergler, who ran on a platform of honesty and integrity. Reynalds accused Yergler of having lied in a campaign brochure about earning a degree at North Idaho College and having submitted inaccurate or dishonest information on his Campaign Finanacial Disclocsure Report. You can read Reynalds' letter, here.

Pretty juicy stuff. I thought the Shoshone News Press might follow up on this letter and look into these allegations and at least ask Gary Yergler to comment. I thought it might be the top story in today's online edition of the Shoshone News Press.

But, no, it's just different in Kellogg.

Today's top story was headlined Students Learn About Duck Tagging. The picture accompanying the story is really sweet:

So far, though, nothing about Reynalds' accusations.

Hiking the Urban Forest

Skirting Eugene's south city boundary, the Ridgeline Trail cuts through forested hills easily accessed from several trail heads in or just outside the city limits. Snug and I entered the Ridgeline today from the Spring Blvd. trail head.

Being an urban forest, looking to the right, early on in our hike, the forest stretched up the mountain:

Looking to the left, stood the last of several houses, reflecting the affluence of many of the residents of Spring Blvd.:


Moss hanging on trees is plentiful on the Ridgeline Trail:

Snug loved this hike!

Three Beautiful Things 08/06/08: Juniper Pizza, Coffee at Theo's, Juicy Huckleberry

1. Juniper delivers pizza for Eugene's Cozmic Pizza and I ran into her as she was heading out for a delivery and we hadn't seen each other for a while and embraced and did some shorthand getting caught up.

2. Jeff and Margaret and I had coffee at Theo's Coffeehouse and discussed the virtues and failings of "No Country for Old Men" among other things. Our conversation was riveting. Time flew.

3. I am happy to learn that DFO at HBO will be using what I wrote about visiting Kellogg, Oregon, here, in his Huckleberries column in the Handle Extra in the Spokesman Review.

Missin' Crusin' with the Commancheros in Pinehurst

Crap.

I won't be in the Silver Valley for Pinehurst Days this coming weekend.

That means I won't see the Commanchero's car show where over 150 shiny and classy cars will be on display.

But, a week or so ago, Antonette at Jottings from Jersey kindly sent me photos of this 1960 Pontiac Bonneville and it helped fill the inward void formed by my not being able to attend Pinehurst Days this year.

Three Beautiful Things 08/05/08: Moving Mountains, Joshing Katrina, Family Joke

1. I was about to give up on reading "Moving Mountains", a story about small town West Virginian citizens in Logan County working to win justice against Big Coal. I didn't feel well yesterday, so I gave it another go today and with a better mindset and better energy, the book is not only really picking up, it's got me surfing all over the World Wide Web researching people, events, and institutions associated with West Virginia.

2. I enjoyed giving Katrina some good-hearted ribbing over at Notes on a Napkin, here (in the comments...you can also see her response!).

3. I wrote an imagined conversation between my dad, Aunt Ruth (rip) and Cousin Sharon (rip) and sent it to InlandEmpireGirl and my dream came true: she thought it was really funny.

I'd post that made up dialogue here, but it's totally inside the family joking and wouldn't really register for those of you didn't know all the parties involved.

Three Beautiful Things 08/04/08: Law and Order, Madison Middle School, Summer of '93 Obsession

1. The Deke loves watching crime shows. Usually she watches on her computer. Tonight she was watching Law and Order in the living room and I watched an episode and enjoyed watching Jack McCoy figure out that the murdered publishing heiress's working class house painting second husband was having an affair with her seventeen year daughter and that the tender words he whispered in her ears while making love with her were the very same words he used when making love with the rich woman he met on a job, tender, flattering words that made both his stepdaughter and his client feel loved and wanted and special, something both women longed for. The case hinged on McCoy figuring this out.

2. Walking Snug up by Madison Middle School brought back enjoyable memories of when I umpired for youth baseball on the field near the school.

3. InlandEmpireGirl and I are sharing an obsession with the summer of 1993. IEG, Silver Valley Girl, her husband and daughter, all met at the Oregon Coast in the summer of '93, but Mom and Dad didn't come. We are trying to figure out what Mom and Dad were doing. If you are reading this and happen to know why Mom and Dad didn't come to Oregon that summer, please leave a comment. It will help me and my sister sleep much better.

Three Beautiful Things 08/03/08: Happy Visitors, Kellogg Sausages (Ha Ha), Dramatic Birth

1. Out of the blue, Chris and Melissa rapped on the door and dropped in for a wonderful visit. The Deke married Chris and Melissa. We don't see them often enough and it was vitalizing to get caught up and talk about some fun days from the past.

2. Mary came over for dinner and we had chicken and basil sausages and ate 'em like hot dogs. I tried to get a laugh by saying how eating these sausages took me back to the good old days in Kellogg when my dad used to fire up the bbq and grill chicken and basil sausages. I thought it was funny.....

3. One of my very favorite bloggers is Momma Gone Mad and she wrote a dramatic and moving post remembering the day her daughter Zoe was born on the eve of Zoe's fifth birthday. Go here and read it. It's unforgettable.

Have I Mentioned I Love Middle-Aged Women in Movies?

Well, I do.

In my previous listings, I forgot Allison Janney. Nice pre-Juno interview with her here.

Cheers,
RP

Kellogg Crazy Days!!

The Shoshone News Press captures in one image just what a nutty, zany, off the wall, no holds barred event Kellogg Crazy Days really is:

Three Beautiful Things 08/02/08: Free Meal, Tennessee Chick, Affection

1. I had a free steak and eggs and hash browns and sourdough toast at the Trio Restaurant at the Three Rivers Casino and it had been ages since I'd had steak and eggs and I loved it.

2. I enjoyed very much hearing from tnchick, the woman who runs Photo Hunt(er). I was especially gratified that she enjoyed my take on the prompt "Clouds".

3. I had one of those moments I love with the Deke. A joke passed between us. We extended left hands, shook; I said, "You're a good kid, Deke" and she said, "So are you."

Photo Hunt: Clouds

I almost never drink alcohol anymore.

Booze clouds my vision.

And my judgment



For other photos featuring clouds, go here.

Sunday Scribblings: Do I Have To?

Do I have to write on this week's prompt?

NO!

I'm gonna watch a movie.



For other Sunday Scribblings on the topic "Do I have to?" go here.

Three Beautiful Things 08/01/08: Morning Paper, Oreo Shake, Chocolate Milk

1. We are receiving two weeks worth of the Register Guard for free. The company is seducing us to subscribe to the paper again. I'm gonna. I really enjoy a newspaper with coffee in the morning and I enjoy finding out about the nutty things happening in this silly town.

2. I snuck out to Carl's Jr. this evening and along with a burger and fries I had an Oreo shake and it hit the spot. I wish I'd asked them to hold the whipped cream, though.

3. Just minutes ago I remembered that we have a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup in the ice box and an unopened jug of milk. So I had some chocolate milk before heading to bed. It was chocorious!

Oregon's Taylor Dune Trail: 15 Photographs

Not far south down Hwy 101 from Florence, OR is the Carter Lake Campground and the trail head for a short hike that skirts Taylor Lake, arrives at a viewpoint where a hiker can look out over the dunes and the ocean, and leads through the dunes to the beach itself.

Although not paved, the width, track, and pitch of the trail has been constructed to accommodate wheelchaired hikers.

Wednesday, I hiked along the small lake, to the viewpoint, and through the dunes to the beach Here are some of the pictures I snapped.

May I Say....

just for the record:

I won't be attending this weekend's Faerieworlds 2008.

You might understand why, here.