In Estes Park, Colorado, there is a river walk that includes a tunnel. The entrance and exit of this tunnel are lined with ceramic tiles decorated by local school children.  This one is particularly amusing:

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As you can see, the kid in the middle just wants ‘Whirled Peas’.

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Random Thoughts for Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

/begin Random Thoughts

The Supernatural Favorite Quotes Of Dean Winchester Edition

Dean Winchester:

“Well, if it’s isn’t the Ghost of  Christmas Screw You.”

“You stink like sex.”

“Snow White? Ah, I saw that movie. Oh, the porn version anyway.”

“What do you want me to do, Sam, huh? Sit around all day writing sad poems about how I’m going to die? You know what, I’ve got one. Let’s see, what rhymes with “Shut up, Sam”?”

“Every complaint called in this week about anything big, black or doglike. There’s 19 calls in all. And, uh, I don’t know what this is.” “You mean Carly’s MySpace address?” “Yeah, MySpace, what the hell is that? Seriously, is that like some sort of porn site?”

“I’m gonna go stop the big bad wolf. Which is the weirdest thing I’ve ever said.”

“It’s like we got a contract on us. You think it’s ’cause we’re so awesome? I think it’s ’cause it’s we’re so awesome.”

“House rules Sammy. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole.”

“Sammy, wherever you are, Mom is a babe. I’m going to Hell. Again.”

“That fabric softener teddy bear… Oh want to hunt that little bitch down.”

“Look at me, I came back from the furnace without any of my old scars, right?  You know bullet wounds, knife cuts, none of the off angled fingers from all the breaks, I mean my hide is as smooth as a baby bottom, which leads me to conclude, sadly,… that my virginity is intact.”

“Oh, I’m sure he has, its just your standard haunted campus, alien abduction, alligator in a sewer gig.”

“Is that Gandhi?” “Yeah.” “Dude is squirrely.”

“Dude, I full on Swayze-d that mother.”

“Dear Castiel, who art maybe running his ass away from Heaven, we pray that you have your ears on. Breaker… breaker.”

“They were grabby incandescent douche bags.”

“Holy! UFO! UFO!” “Whoah, dude, stop yelling. I didn’t catch that last part.” “Close encounter! Close encounter!” “Close encounter? What kind, first, second?” “They’re after me!” “Third kind already? You better run man. I think the third kind’s a butt thing.” “Empathy, Sam! Empathy!”

/end random thoughts

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No, sorry – that’s not Treebeard.  What that is, I can’t say.  Other than weird.  Pucker up?

I snapped this photo at a tourist attraction in Manitou Springs, Colorado – the Cliff Dwellings.  Cool place.  Weird tree.

The sign hanging from it reads as:

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The Ponderosa Pine!

…with Mister Potato Head features…

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Random Thoughts for Thursday, January 26th, 2012

/begin random thoughts

I went and got a haircut this week. I was overdue.  The lady said, “I see in your notes that you like a scissor clip.” (wait – they have notes on me?  So, the friggin hair cut place HAS NOTES ON ME?  DOES EVERYONE HAVE NOTES NOW?)

“Welcome to Olive Garden! Oh, I see you’re a shitty tipper.  We’ll be seating you by the kitchen door tonight.” “Wait, what?  I TIP 18%!  SOMETIMES 20!  I SWEAR!”

* * *

Tips are earned.  People in food service work their butts off – I was one of them.  So I reward good service.  I also can be a bastard when I don’t get it…

* * *

*Fresno, CA. The 90′s.  DiCiccio’s Italian Restaurant*

Me: I can’t believe we’ve been sitting here with empty glasses for so long.

Friend: Oh, no!  You’re not going to say somethig, are you?  DO NOT SAY ANYTHING! I DON’T WANT THESE FRIGGIN PEOPLE SPITTING IN MY FOOD!

Me: >_>

* * *

Because I’ve been working on the book exclusively, and it’s a 1st draft, I have nothing to take to writers group this week.  This makes me sad.

* * *

“…and Tebow has the ball, he’s scrambling in the pocket, he’s throwing, OH! Interception!  Wait… wait… there’s a bright white light shining down from the sky, it’s enveloping Tebow!  Yes, the light has completely surrounded him!  He’s rising up off the ground!  Now he is shooting up into the heavens!  Proof that God exists!  Proof that God exists!”

*onboard the alien spacecraft*

“…probe the hell out of this guy.  I lost $50 cuz he can’t throw worth a damn.”

* * *

I often wonder if a barrier to my working out at a gym might be some repressed high school trauma.

* * *

“…and this is the weight room.”

“Wow!  Pretty cool!  What’s that?”

“Dead rat.”

“AAIIIEEE!”

“…did you just scream like a little girl?”

“…no?”

* * *

(there wasn’t really a dead rat)

* * *

2 years of pulling Coach Herzog, the CROSS COUNTRY COACH, for P.E. might have something to do with it.

* * *

“Okay, boys, today we are going to run.”

*loud groans*

“The more you groan, the more you run.  Once around the school, please.”

* * *

In HS, I took a computer programming class.  We were working on TRS-80′s (TRASH EIGHTIES!) and had to create a custom animation (monochrome, low resolution by today’s standards).  People did things like a football going through the goal posts, cars racing down a road.

I had a dog walk up and take a piss on a fire hydrant.

So.

Yeah.

/end random thoughts

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This photo was taken with the same point and click camera I mentioned in last week’s Photo Friday.

In this case, I was further south near Colorado Springs.  Yes, I was on a mountain, and I was looking down from a decent overhang when I decided to snap this shot.

Click to view the full image

I keep trying to take this shots, but they don’t give the right sense of scale that I’m looking for.  I still like it, though.

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This is an oldie but a goodie.  I took this photo years ago using a point and click camera that I can’t find today.  No idea what happened to it after we moved into the house.  It’s just gone.  I suppose it could be in a box that I marked ‘storage’ or something.  Oh well.

Anyway, a large group of friends had descended on Denver for a little R&R and one of our day trips was up I-70 past the Eisenhower Tunnel, up near the Vail / Breckenridge area.  We saw this little body of water that looked unusual, like it was either human made or the result of a sudden snow melt.  We pulled off to investigate and I kept trying to take a photo, but my point and shoot camera couldn’t adjust for the brightness of the sun.  The results was this photo:

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A very small @Tybarbary can just be made out in the lower left corner of the photo.  Yes, it was beginning to rain.

This accidental photo remains one of my favorites.

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Random thoughts for Thursday, January 12th, 2012

/begin random thoughts

It’s depressing to ask the question, “Whatever happened to…” that actor/actress/kid who starred in that movie/tv show you used to love only to find out the answer is: Drugs, alcohol and porn.

* * *

Can you imagine being a ‘Picaso’ and not having any artistic talent whatsoever?  I mean, say you’re name is Jim or Julie Picaso and you’re a jackhammer operator.  All your coworkers are all, “Yo – Picaso!  That hole ain’t no work of art!”

That would suck.

* * * subliminal hugo fancast nomination hint* * *

“Geoffrey Hawking!  Those burgers aren’t going to flip themselves!  Quit thinking about the fundamental building blocks of the universe and slap on that cheese!”

* * *

“You do a podcast?”

“A couple, actually.”

“Would I like them?”

“Do you like science fiction and fantasy books, video games, television or movies?”

“No.”

“I hate you.”

“Go Tebow?”

* * *

“Did you know that Dakota the cat is a Himalayan?”

“No.  Does that mean we have to get him a green card?”

* * * subliminal hugo fancast nomination hint* * *

I am now a fan of the shows Whitney and Raising Hope.

* * *

See, now I want to say, “Whatever happened to…?” but I’m afraid to learn the answers.

* * *

“People in glass houses should not throw stones…or sleep naked.” #RaisingHope

/end random thoughts

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Random Thoughts for Friday, January 6th, 2012

/begin random thoughts

A random list of people who annoy me.

* * *

People who answer the phone by saying their name.  As a question.

*ring-ring* “John Smith?”

* * *

The person driving 35 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.

* * *

The person who said aloud, “Hey – how about Seth Rogen for the Green Hornet movie?!”

* * *

That person who, when you are in a restaurant like Chipotle or Tokyo Joe’s, coughs (or sneezes) on the soda machine (or the little plastic knives and forks) without covering their mouth (or nose). (GROSS!)

* * *

Enya.

* * *

The inventor of blister packaging.

* * *

Anyone who uses ‘synergy’ in a sentence and doesn’t mean it sarcastically.

* * *

Bothan spies.

* * *

Coupon Suzy. She just freaks me out. I think she’s a Stepford Wife or something. Like, any minute, she’s gonna flip out and start killing people.

/end random thoughts.

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Here’s hoping 2012 will be a good one for everyone!

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Random Thoughts for Friday, December 30th 2011

/begin random thoughts

I wonder why the sky is blue.  I wonder why the grass is green.  But most of all I wonder why, no one stops to notice these things.

* * *

If I had a hammer, I’d try to trade it for something with blue tooth.

* * *

This floor is sticky.  Reminds me of a movie theater.  Also – ewww.

* * *

“Get down on the floor and find me some evidence.”

“But, Boss, it’s a public restroom.”

“It could be worse.”

“How?”

“It could be the mensroom.”

#NCIS #IAMAMUSED

* * *

Also – ewww.

* * *

Have you ever sorted your iTunes music by ‘Plays’?  Ever then say, “I will play all the stuff with only 1 play and discover new things I didn’t even know I had!”?  After an hour, ever go, “What the F is this crap and why is it in my iTunes?”

* * *

I was talking to someone about space exploration and they said that we would never find life outside of our own planet despite the vast size of space.  That’s silly, I mean, with the technology we have today growing in leaps and bounds, and scientists finding new planets every day, I am sure anything is possible!

Except flying cars.

BASTARDS!

* * *

AND WHERE THE HELL IS MY FREAKING JET PACK!

* * *

Mom: Hand me the pen you have there on the table.

Me: *looks* No pen on the table.

Mom: I just used it!  Look again.

Me: *looks again*  Nope.  No pen on the table.

Mom: What did I do with it?

*flash forward to Christmas day, at my cousins house opening presents.*

Ashton: *opens gift bag*  Thank you Aunt Sue!  *digs around in the bottom, pulls out a pen*  And thanks for the pen – I love these JetStreams!

Me: Found the pen, Ma.

/end random thoughts

~P

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