Shit Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Last week I was having a visit with a friend of mine and we began talking abouty our past. It seems that he and his first wife were from a very small town somewhere in Texas. He went on to relate that they got married in the winter of 1966 and continued to live there while he looked for a perminent job. In March of 1967 he found a job in California. Both of their families warned them of the dangers of California. There were "crazy people" living out there that just weren't right. Be very carefull they were told. They packed up their few belongings and headed of to San Francisco, California. When they arrived, they rented a room at a boarding house accross the street from Golden Gate Park. Honestly, In 1967, could there be a better place to be living. The story continues... He told me that a few nights after they moved in, there was a knock on their door. Upon opening the door they found one of the hippies that lived next to them, inviting them over to his apartment to join him in smoking some "really good shit" that he had just recieved. He looked at his wife who was staring at him in disbelief. They both thought that they had been invited over to smoke some manure. They immediately declined the gracious offer. The people back home were right! These people just weren't right. With the passage of time and a little street-wise education, they discovered what "good shit" really was. Peace and love 'til later.

Barack Brings Woodstock To Washington

Yesterday while watching the inauguration of the 44th President of these United States I could not help but think of Woodstock when during the swearing in of the president, the camera panned out to show a view of the mall showing a crowd of a reported 1.9 million people. The scene immediately brought back images of the crowd scenes of Woodstock forty years earlier. The people present possessed the same hope for a better future as did the Woodstock attendees. The only differences were the music, drugs, sex and degree of nudity. Of course,the temperature was in the twenties which may have had something to do with this. In fact, some of the people may well have been at both activities. I can only hope and pray that President Obama can bring about the changes that the country desperately needs. Of course if he can do all of this, he will also be found jogging on the Potomac River. I sincerely hope that our politicians with the guidance of our new President can fix the many problems that face our country. I wish you peace and love until later.

A Rough Way to Loose Weight

While I have been on quest to loose weight. I cannot reccommend the method that I followed. On October 12th, 2008 I suffered a stroke due to a cerebral hemmorage. I was making my wife some granola when the stroke hit my left arm and I thought to myself that this isn't good, washed my hands and walked over to the kitchen table and called for my wife. She called an ambulance and off to the hospital I went. The stroke left me paralyzed on my left side. After almost seven weeks in the hospital I returned home to find that I had lost almost 110 pounds since starting my diet in March. A hell of a way to loose weight. I am currently undergoing physical therapy a couple times a week and am slowly regaining use of my left side. Still having to type with only my right hand witch is a real bitch. Anyway, I hope you are all doing well and peace and love till later.

Across The Universe

It is a very gray day outside, Hurricane Ike is passing about seventy miles to the east of me and it is the perfect day to be thoughtful and introspective. I just finished watching the movie "Across The Universe", a different type of movie. It is the type that makes you turn inside yourself and your memories and make you think. It is placed in the U.S. in the late sixties during the Viet Nam war and forces you to remember and relive the memories of that time in our country. The movie masterfully uses the music of the Beatles to great effect where the music becomes the movie. I love movies that make you think, and this one certainly did. As I watched the movie unfold in front of me I could not help but think fondly of two young women that came into my life last year. They are the embodiment of Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and her spirit. Jaymi and Alex are two individuals who will most likely make a change in our world for the better in our future. If reincarnation exists, they are definitely two souls that have come back from the sixties to help us find our way through the future. It is my wish that everyone be lucky enough to know people such as these women. There are a handful of women in my life that I am blessed to have as part of my life and these two are definitely part of that group along with my wife, my daughters, my California girl and my San Antonio lady. Damn, I am lucky. Peace and love till later.

Still on a Loosing Streak

Just dropped in to say that I have now lost 51 pounds so far. Everything is going well adn I am comtinuing to loose. I have collected one more offer to go skinny dipping. This diet is really worth it. ;-) Check out my newest blog online at www.Thefatoldfartsdigest.blogspot.com . Peace and love til later.

The Hidden Hippie Goes On The Skinny

Well I guess it is time for the hidden hippie to regain his hips of all those many years ago as I have become a little too hippy as it were. I looked more like the bouncing Buddha rather than the hidden hippie. The years fly by and the pounds add on. I have decided to strip myself of all those years of unwanted pounds. I started this quest about seven weeks ago and have lost around 34 pounds so far. My goal is way out in front of me but I have the desire and motivation to get to my slender destination. I am walking at least 5 miles a day and am eating sensibly in order to shed my couch potato visage. As if health were not a large enough motivator, I have two younger hippie chicks that wish to go skinny dipping with me when I reach my goal. Now that is motivation. Peace and love until later.

Fully Refreshed

The trial of the Dude Commune was an unmitigated success. Saturday was a long time coming but once it arrived, it was worth the wait. The day was beautiful, warm sun, blue skies, birds chirping, very few insects. The group of participants were a perfect match of personalities and profiles. We had young and old liberals, older conservatives, and at least one libertarian. We all enjoyed hiking when we felt like it, cooling off in the creek when the necessity arose, and napping when that seemed like the thing to do. For a while, sitting under a tree watching the green meadow grow seemed like the right thing to do. All cell phones were turned off on arrival, some of the participants even made a ceremony out of turning them off as they entered the property. After a wonderful dinner and with the approaching darkness, we gathered around a campfire to discuss life, love, marriage, politics and whatever else seeped into our consciences. At one point, probably around 11, some of us took one more opportunity to take a dunk in a stock tank and then returned to the camp fire. About 1 am we all toddled off to our tents and slept the sleep of innocent children until it began to rain around 4 am. Even the rain was comforting, although there were one or two thunder claps that probably could have been eliminated. Around 7:30 I awoke and started cooking breakfast for the rest of the party. It was still raining but not very hard. It was very peaceful and quiet this Sunday morning in the country. Rain tends to muffle all of the unpleasant sounds of our society. No distant cars could be heard, only the gentle falling rain. As I prepared breakfast, the rest of the group began to appear out of their tents. Breakfast was enjoyed under a canvas shelter, I am not that in love with the rain. After breakfast, everyone loaded up their essentials and we headed back to civilization. From the comments made by the participants in this weekends' activities, it was the most relaxed all of us had been in some time. Civilization and society are a necessary evil in our lives but the lack of them for a few days is heaven on earth. Peace and love till later.