Zen and a Fairy Tale
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Fall Floater
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The haunted forest?
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Thursday, January 22, 2009
Originally Posted 12/15/2008
More Crazy Memories
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Now that I have spilled the beans on my bizarre childhood, some of the memories of it make a whole lot more sense. For example, one of my most vivid memories is of my bedroom at my grandparent's house. It now makes very good sense that it would be right off my grandparent's bedroom, since they were the ones taking care of me. For the longest time, I couldn't grasp the concept of why my bedroom would have been connected to their room.
I also have lots of memories of traveling around with my grandfather from a very young age. I guess since I was living with them, it would only make sense. I always felt like such a lucky kid...because my grandparents took me to all kinds of interesting places, to see all kinds of interesting things. One of my favorite memories were the Sunday afternoon drives, which always included a stop somewhere to look at trains. I don't know who was the bigger kid when it came to the railroad, Grandpa or me.
We often traveled to Corning to visit with Uncle Ralph (my grandmother's brother) and Aunt Clara....for some reason my memories of their house are usually very dark...dark in the sense that the inside of the house seemed to have a lot of dark colors and woodwork. They had a less than sociable Cocker Spaniel named Checkers. I seem to recall being told repeatedly that Checkers was going blind and to not bother him....but I also have a pretty vivid memory of sitting on the stairs with the dog with his head in my lap...
Uncle Ralph worked for the railroad...as a engineer. He knew of my love for trains and had promised that when I was big enough, that I would have a ride in the locomotive...unfortunately, he died before that wish was fulfilled. Some would think that might be classed as a bad memory, but I know he had every intention of getting me that ride. Two years ago, I finally got my ride...it was hard to hold back the tears...tears of joy. I know Uncle Ralph smiled that day....and so did I.
Our travels often took us to Pennsylvania. We would either go to Forkston, where my Aunt Arlene and Uncle Shorty (my grandmother's brother) had a summer home on Aunt Arlene's family plot, or to Harrisburg, where they actually lived. Uncle Shorty was anything but short...he was a fairly big character, retired from the Pennsylvania State Police as the head of the Governor's security detail. When you shook hands with him, you knew your hand had been shook. He had a grip like a vice and he expected you to have one too. It was always a contest to see if I could give him a shake that he would be proud of. Dad, Grandpa and I often joked about shaking hands and who would have a sore hand for the longest time afterwards.
Sometimes the travels weren't nearly as far, Uncle Will (yet another of Gram's brothers) and Aunt Hazel only lived five houses down the street. I liked to go there to visit...because Aunt Hazel had fish. I believe that is where the fish that my mother killed off came from...a gift from Uncle Will and Aunt Hazel. But we won't dwell on that...today is about happy memories. I remember going for a ride with Uncle Will on a couple of different occasions...and thinking...wow...we never go this fast when others are driving. Guess he had a bit of a lead foot.
There is one other memory of my grandfather that I need to share. I can remember anxiously awaiting him to get home from work, so that I could hop up in his lap and we could read the newspaper every day. Grandpa often had a cigar or his pipe while we read the paper, waiting for Grandma to rustle up supper for us. The big memory though, was Grandpa's thumbs...I still remember them as being huge...huge thumbs with huge thumbnails. I suppose to a kid three, four or five years old, that anyone's thumbs would seem huge...but I don't have that kind of memory of my dad...just Grandpa. Below is a photo of a smoker's stand similar to the one my grandfather had....except his rack was full of pipes and there was a large gold ashtray.
Time to stop for the day, before this gets much more disjointed. Thanks for tuning in.
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from The Daily Scream by Dan
Now that I have spilled the beans on my bizarre childhood, some of the memories of it make a whole lot more sense. For example, one of my most vivid memories is of my bedroom at my grandparent's house. It now makes very good sense that it would be right off my grandparent's bedroom, since they were the ones taking care of me. For the longest time, I couldn't grasp the concept of why my bedroom would have been connected to their room.
I also have lots of memories of traveling around with my grandfather from a very young age. I guess since I was living with them, it would only make sense. I always felt like such a lucky kid...because my grandparents took me to all kinds of interesting places, to see all kinds of interesting things. One of my favorite memories were the Sunday afternoon drives, which always included a stop somewhere to look at trains. I don't know who was the bigger kid when it came to the railroad, Grandpa or me.
We often traveled to Corning to visit with Uncle Ralph (my grandmother's brother) and Aunt Clara....for some reason my memories of their house are usually very dark...dark in the sense that the inside of the house seemed to have a lot of dark colors and woodwork. They had a less than sociable Cocker Spaniel named Checkers. I seem to recall being told repeatedly that Checkers was going blind and to not bother him....but I also have a pretty vivid memory of sitting on the stairs with the dog with his head in my lap...
Uncle Ralph worked for the railroad...as a engineer. He knew of my love for trains and had promised that when I was big enough, that I would have a ride in the locomotive...unfortunately, he died before that wish was fulfilled. Some would think that might be classed as a bad memory, but I know he had every intention of getting me that ride. Two years ago, I finally got my ride...it was hard to hold back the tears...tears of joy. I know Uncle Ralph smiled that day....and so did I.
Our travels often took us to Pennsylvania. We would either go to Forkston, where my Aunt Arlene and Uncle Shorty (my grandmother's brother) had a summer home on Aunt Arlene's family plot, or to Harrisburg, where they actually lived. Uncle Shorty was anything but short...he was a fairly big character, retired from the Pennsylvania State Police as the head of the Governor's security detail. When you shook hands with him, you knew your hand had been shook. He had a grip like a vice and he expected you to have one too. It was always a contest to see if I could give him a shake that he would be proud of. Dad, Grandpa and I often joked about shaking hands and who would have a sore hand for the longest time afterwards.
Sometimes the travels weren't nearly as far, Uncle Will (yet another of Gram's brothers) and Aunt Hazel only lived five houses down the street. I liked to go there to visit...because Aunt Hazel had fish. I believe that is where the fish that my mother killed off came from...a gift from Uncle Will and Aunt Hazel. But we won't dwell on that...today is about happy memories. I remember going for a ride with Uncle Will on a couple of different occasions...and thinking...wow...we never go this fast when others are driving. Guess he had a bit of a lead foot.
There is one other memory of my grandfather that I need to share. I can remember anxiously awaiting him to get home from work, so that I could hop up in his lap and we could read the newspaper every day. Grandpa often had a cigar or his pipe while we read the paper, waiting for Grandma to rustle up supper for us. The big memory though, was Grandpa's thumbs...I still remember them as being huge...huge thumbs with huge thumbnails. I suppose to a kid three, four or five years old, that anyone's thumbs would seem huge...but I don't have that kind of memory of my dad...just Grandpa. Below is a photo of a smoker's stand similar to the one my grandfather had....except his rack was full of pipes and there was a large gold ashtray.
Time to stop for the day, before this gets much more disjointed. Thanks for tuning in.
Add starShareShare with noteEmail
Originally Posted 12/17/2008
2009 Calendars
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Looking for a great calendar for your home or office? If you like flowers, then check out my 2009 Gallery Calendars. CLICK Frogdawg Fotografix CLICK
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Looking for a great calendar for your home or office? If you like flowers, then check out my 2009 Gallery Calendars. CLICK Frogdawg Fotografix CLICK
Originally Posted 12/20/2008
Closer to Christmas
from The Daily Scream by Dan
We are now another day closer to Christmas and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of holiday cheer this year. The economy is in the toilet, family is so far away and even the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating with enhancing the festive mood.
It seems like someone is trying to take Christmas away from us. Screw the politically correct and their lame happy holiday greetings....Merry Christmas! Peace on earth, good will toward men. If your religion doesn't believe in God or Jesus...you are granted the right here in the United States to not believe....but I am also granted the same right to believe. I am also granted the right to believe in Santa Claus or any other mythical, mystical, magical or otherwise figure that I so choose to accept as real. If I want to believe that reindeer can fly and have glowing red noses...so be it.
Someone decided to make up a holiday called Kwanzaa. If folks wish to celebrate it, it certainly is within their rights to do so...if I don't care to participate in that particular celebration, I also have a right to do so. The key element here is that while I might not choose to celebrate Kwanzaa, I have no right to expect others to not want to participate. Somewhere along the line we lost track of that concept. When the United States was founded, nearly the entire population was Christian and accepted the Christian tenets. Today, our cultural make-up is far more diverse, but the same laws, rules and regulations still apply. If someone wants to set up a Nativity scene, they have the right to do so...they are under no obligation to hide such a thing from view because it doesn't correspond to your beliefs, you right is your ability to simply walk away and not view or interact. Same thing applies if someone wishes to display a Menorah. That is their right, your right is again to walk away should you not find that display in line with your personal beliefs.
Whatever you decide to do this year, take a moment and slip a buck or two in the kettle for the Salvation Army. They don't ask victims of circumstance their religious beliefs prior to giving aid and comfort, they simply give in times of need. I spent nearly 30 years of my life working in emergency services and when the chips were down and people needed a hand...the Salvation Army delivered!
Don't waste your money making cash donations to the Red Cross, they spend more time attempting to sell comfort and trying to profit from the misfortunes of others than they do providing the aid they claim to dispense. Two huge events come to mind...during a major flood in NY, my father's cousin and her family lost everything to the flood waters, their house dislodged from the foundation and moved downriver. The Red Cross arrived on scene and tried to sell them a sample tube of toothpaste and a child's toothbrush for $3. Similar prices applied to any number of other trial and sample sized products. The Salvation Army arrived and handed the same stuff out for free. Several years later, northern NY State was hammered with an ice storm...power was lost and temperatures were hovering in the brutal cold range. Once again the Red Cross showed up and tried to sell relief...while the Salvation Army quickly set up their mobile canteens and began providing free hot meals to those that needed.
If you want to give to the Red Cross, give them the gift of blood, the gift of life. That is one area where they manage to excel and have yet to contaminate. Donations of blood are typically low this time of year and the need increases. This is a great gift to give, as it truly is a gift straight from the heart...with no strings attached and no expense involved!
from The Daily Scream by Dan
We are now another day closer to Christmas and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of holiday cheer this year. The economy is in the toilet, family is so far away and even the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating with enhancing the festive mood.
It seems like someone is trying to take Christmas away from us. Screw the politically correct and their lame happy holiday greetings....Merry Christmas! Peace on earth, good will toward men. If your religion doesn't believe in God or Jesus...you are granted the right here in the United States to not believe....but I am also granted the same right to believe. I am also granted the right to believe in Santa Claus or any other mythical, mystical, magical or otherwise figure that I so choose to accept as real. If I want to believe that reindeer can fly and have glowing red noses...so be it.
Someone decided to make up a holiday called Kwanzaa. If folks wish to celebrate it, it certainly is within their rights to do so...if I don't care to participate in that particular celebration, I also have a right to do so. The key element here is that while I might not choose to celebrate Kwanzaa, I have no right to expect others to not want to participate. Somewhere along the line we lost track of that concept. When the United States was founded, nearly the entire population was Christian and accepted the Christian tenets. Today, our cultural make-up is far more diverse, but the same laws, rules and regulations still apply. If someone wants to set up a Nativity scene, they have the right to do so...they are under no obligation to hide such a thing from view because it doesn't correspond to your beliefs, you right is your ability to simply walk away and not view or interact. Same thing applies if someone wishes to display a Menorah. That is their right, your right is again to walk away should you not find that display in line with your personal beliefs.
Whatever you decide to do this year, take a moment and slip a buck or two in the kettle for the Salvation Army. They don't ask victims of circumstance their religious beliefs prior to giving aid and comfort, they simply give in times of need. I spent nearly 30 years of my life working in emergency services and when the chips were down and people needed a hand...the Salvation Army delivered!
Don't waste your money making cash donations to the Red Cross, they spend more time attempting to sell comfort and trying to profit from the misfortunes of others than they do providing the aid they claim to dispense. Two huge events come to mind...during a major flood in NY, my father's cousin and her family lost everything to the flood waters, their house dislodged from the foundation and moved downriver. The Red Cross arrived on scene and tried to sell them a sample tube of toothpaste and a child's toothbrush for $3. Similar prices applied to any number of other trial and sample sized products. The Salvation Army arrived and handed the same stuff out for free. Several years later, northern NY State was hammered with an ice storm...power was lost and temperatures were hovering in the brutal cold range. Once again the Red Cross showed up and tried to sell relief...while the Salvation Army quickly set up their mobile canteens and began providing free hot meals to those that needed.
If you want to give to the Red Cross, give them the gift of blood, the gift of life. That is one area where they manage to excel and have yet to contaminate. Donations of blood are typically low this time of year and the need increases. This is a great gift to give, as it truly is a gift straight from the heart...with no strings attached and no expense involved!
Originally Posted 12/24/2008
APD Gives a Christmas Gift to the Parking Public
from The Daily Scream by Dan
It has only taken 8+ years for something to be done, but finally the Asheville Police Department has given an early Christmas gift to folks that park in downtown. After years of complaints of predatory towing, APD finally decided to attempt a sting operation...it didn't take long.
How sad is it that these sleaze balls would rig payment boxes to make it appear that customers hadn't paid...all so they could haul off the car and then charge exorbitant fees for the (questionably) safe return of the vehicle. How many visitors and even locals have been scammed? This gives the whole city a black eye.
APD...don't stop now. Based on the complaints, you have only touched the tip of the iceberg...it is time to put a stop to this nonsense and regain a small measure of justice for those folks that have been ripped off.
from The Daily Scream by Dan
It has only taken 8+ years for something to be done, but finally the Asheville Police Department has given an early Christmas gift to folks that park in downtown. After years of complaints of predatory towing, APD finally decided to attempt a sting operation...it didn't take long.
How sad is it that these sleaze balls would rig payment boxes to make it appear that customers hadn't paid...all so they could haul off the car and then charge exorbitant fees for the (questionably) safe return of the vehicle. How many visitors and even locals have been scammed? This gives the whole city a black eye.
APD...don't stop now. Based on the complaints, you have only touched the tip of the iceberg...it is time to put a stop to this nonsense and regain a small measure of justice for those folks that have been ripped off.
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