What's on my Desktop

Today, I'll be starting a new series.... What's on my Desktop. Enjoy!

Amazing Praying Mantis Eats Cicada

Izzy and I were in the front yard, getting ready to load up the trailer. We hear the familiar zzzzxxxzzzzzzxxxzzzzxxxxzzzzzxxxx signaling a cicada was close - very close. We found the source, and it appeared to be upside down. Now, coming in for a closer look, I see one of the largest praying mantis I have ever witnessed! Normally, they are maybe an inch in length. This one had to be at least 4 inches, maybe 5. Hanging upside down, with the cicada in its massive grip. The head was busy sucking out what appeared to be the brains of the cicada who was dying what had to be a painful death being eaten alive. But hey, watching Wild Kingdom with my dad all of those years ago must have paid off, as this was truely an act of the survival of the fittest.
This shows off the praying mantis. I am pretty sure the other bug was a cicada, but I'm no entomologist.

Better shot - Next to the red leaf is the head.

Looking closly, you can see the huge wings of the cicada.

Izzy thought it was huge, and the thing had long wings. The thing that was trapped.


Other cool praying mantis links:

And I thought my Cicada was impressive

Haiii-ya!

Rock On

Not for the squeamish

Pool Photos

Loved the way the ripples moved in this one.


Notice the constellation on the lower right. (unlike the pic below, this color is unaltered!)


Phun with Photostudio


My pool, just after Brendan Frasier got out.
(I swear!)


The tiles


What my pool would look like if Green Jello when through the skimmer.

Look What's New at Tim Hortons!

Yes folks, the people at the new Tim Horton's in Ashland are Smok Free. This photo was taken from inside the restaurant while at my writer's group (See C's previous post.)

Stop feeling sorry for yourself Flanagan!

I just ran across an old journal I wrote in from the time I first met Lisa.  I wrote in it off and on (mostly off) from 1994 to 2002.  Most of it is me whining and complaining about missing Lisa and other various b.s.  

I wasn’t a very happy person.  I don’t know why either.  I had absolutely no responsibilities.  I worked two part time jobs and did whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.  I didn’t realize how good I had it.  I wrote about a trip to Vegas with my parents and Dickie and Karen Marshall.  

Most of it was just me being me and complaining about my non-existent life.  The people I called friends at that time I don’t really see anymore.  It’s a shame, I really like most of them but I guess you just kind of grow apart from people.  Tim, D.J., Kevin, Steph, Craig, Alisha I don’t see any of them anymore.  They all have my number but none of them ever call anymore.  Tony has moved to Lexington so I probably won’t see much of him.

I have my family but I don’t really have any friends anymore.  I have Paul C. Jim  but if we didn’t talk about poker I don’t know what we would talk about.  It seems I know a lot of people but I’m close to none of them.  I’m probably just feeling sorry for myself because I’ve put Izzy to bed and Lisa is out with her writing group. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself Flanagan.”  (Tom Cruise in Cocktail) (Elizabeth Shue is smoking hot)

I downloaded this new blogger tool for MS word.  You type in your blog in word and then click publish and it logs you in.  I don’t know what the purpose is but for some reason I can come up with a lot more ideas when I’m in MS word than I can staring at a blank blogger page.  It’s amazing how the internet has changed in the last 10 years.  I remember being on AOL thinking it was the be all and end all of the net.  You know I invented the internet, right?  “Well tell me who is President in 1985 future boy.  Ronald Reagan?  The actor?  I suppose Jane Wyman is the first lady?”
I just checked with IMDB to make sure I spelled her name correctly.  What an amazing invention of the internet.  The internet movie database is INCREDIBLE.  I could look up crap for hours on end.  

OK that’s it I’m done stick a fork in me.  Just that quickly I’ve run out of things to say.  Oh and by the way Lisa, what I write it’s not “stream of consciousness.”  That was a very nice thing for you to say to try to make me feel better, but let’s call it what it is.  

CRAP

Two interesting conversations

This weekend, the fam went RVing... very nice place just south of Louisville, KY. On the way there, we stopped at a Taco Bell (Izzy's choice). After dining, I get up to use the restroom. It's locked. A few minutes later, Chad sees someone walk out, and I get up to go. The bathroom is in between the two doorways to enter and/or exit the building (DesignGoddess help me out on what those are called.) . An older lady is waiting for her ride - she had her walker, and I was waiting to see which way she was going so I'd know which door to hold for her. Out of the blue she states, and this is the exact quote: "That commode isn't working." I paused, and nodded, halting Izzy from going in case there is a potential problem. She continued: "I couldn't get my diarrhea to go down." I ask of you, gentle reader, HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT????

Second conversation. I'm driving home from aforementioned RV trip. "Almost" by Bowling for Soup is on the radio. Chad and I are talking about how catchy their songs are, and how we want to download the songs from iTunes. As the song comes to a close, it comes up that the song "1985" is, I think, on the same album as "Ohio (come back to Texas)" I take a swig of my pop, and say, "You know, it may be just like Hysteria." (The Def Leppard album popular from 1986-89 or so, lots of hits for a long time.) Right before I speak the word "Hysteria" the radio blurts out "Step inside, walk this way/ you and me babe, hey HEY" and then the radio switched to another song. Man, talk about freaky shit!

(PS.. I was going to title this blog Diarrhea and DefLeppard, but I wanted you to be as surprised as I was about the lady's comments.)

Back to school!

She's back to school! Whoo hoo! This morning, due to our "Tranny Crisis" - the truck, not Cleo the transvestite - I had to take Chad to work... before DayLight! Then I took Izzy to School. She just went in. All I saw was her Eeyore shirt and denim skirt walking down the steps. Well, what wasn't covered by her new Bratz** Backpack*** They won't let the Pre-school parents down to the classroom - too traumatic, I think (for the parents, not the kids) She just marches on down, like I'm not going to miss her! I do, but it's nice having a little bit of "me time."

I did go to our local Fazoli's this morning. They do have free wireless and good coffee, so I know where I'll be working from now on 3 mornings a week!

** Is is just me, or do the Bratz dolls look a little "hootchie-ish"?

*** Her backpack is so big on her -- I swear she could fit in her backpack!

Hmmm....

When the sign says: No Shoes No Shirt No Service, do you think that means pants are optional?

Smile!

Is it just me, or does Diane Keaton have a lot of teeth in this photo?

Socks anyone??

Found this last night (I was doing an image search for men in black socks - don't ask) Pretty cool web store, and yes... they have leg warmers. The pics are pretty intriguing, and yes, they have leg warmers. I'll be ordering from this store!

http://www.sock-dreams.com/_shop/edit/index.php

Also - if you want to view my swanky pics in your Mozilla Firefox browswer, change your settings to allow pop-ups from blogger.com and www.blogger.com.


Later.....

How to pee on an island

OK -- you'll have to read M's Blog for the full details of the evening... and since I was there, I'll add in my own 2 cents (why isn't there a cents symbol on the standard keyboard!!!!)

This story picks up after we were asked to "kick it" with some stoner.

We made our way to the car, in a hurry, which isn't easy to do when you are in chunky heeled sandals, which is why I stumbled. (NOT because of the beer, white russian, or other assorted drinks, but because it was rocky and I had chunky heels and I was getting into Jen's new car. - my knee still smarts.)

So, with our plans to stay at the Harbor Inn cut short, we head over to Dave's house. (Dave, by the way, makes really good drinks with chocolate and other assorted liquers- thanks Dave.) The guys were fishing out on Portage Lakes (dont' know which one - sorry) . We made our way down a steep slope to the lakefront (again, not easy to do in big chunky sandals - but I didn't fall) and wait for the boat.

We boarded the luxury cruising pontoon (equipped with several fishing thingys to hold your poles) and sat back for the ride. It was dark, very dark, and this was a lake, big lake. All that was going through my head - cheesy Up All Night movies that started exactly the same way. I kept thinking some wacky was going to rise from the still water, one had clutching a rapier ready to attack. Anyway - We cruised around an island a few times, dropped anchor, and some fished... I don't think they caught anything. It was very plesant after all, and the breeze was cool. It appeared that the only "restroom" was on the island. I have a feeling that if ladies were not present, the lake would become a giant urinal.

Anyway - the boat pulls up to the sandy shore, ducks scatter, and the dog (a big brute who ate my knitting) hops off. Rae - bless her heart, came with me in flippy heeled sandals no less. I wanted some company because no one ever gets offed by some crazy one clawed rapist when there are two together... at least not in the really cheesy movies. Using my cell phone as a phlashlight, I followed a path just out of sight of the boat. Stumbled (It was a root! - they don't mix well with chunky sandals) and about lost it there (by lost it, I mean control of my bladder - must keep up with the Kegals!) Whispy skirts look cool because they cover up big calves and thick ankles. They don't work well when you are hiking them up, squatting and pissing. I had to wear a slip with this skirt, which had two layers. Trying to pee on rocky ground is hard enough for women, but with a skirt, I forgot how bad it was. Hint: don't laugh with your friend over how silly it is. And take some toilet paper.

As soon as we boarded again, we headed off to our next location: Dave's house, about 2 minutes away. Grrr.... but man I really had to pee.

Note to self: practice peeing standing up

Later did I find out that Dave purposely went to the Island -probably to see if I'd actually use it. Hah! I've been known to do some crazy things at crazy times, but when I gotta pee - I gotta pee!

Overall, the evening was fun! I'm glad we went out - despite all of the creeps along the way (By the way - no creeps on the boat!)