Some of you noticed I’ve been away for a bit. Okay, two of you noticed. And one of them was Frank. And that was only because I owe him some money. I forget why. I think I lost a bet. But I’ll get that back on September 3rd in Athens.
Anyway, I’ve been away. I took vacation from work the week of Sarah K’s birthday. I’ve taken that day, or the whole week if possible, off work every year for 17 years in a row. The last time I worked on her birthday was in 1993, and that’s because I was stationed in Korea.
During the week of July 19 (Sarah’s birthday), I went to Valdosta and spent some time with my son. That was fun. Wife and I then spent some time in Montgomery. And, yes, that was just as much fun as it sounds.
Spent some time adding an Xbox to the Internet TV setup. For ESPN 3. Not for gaming. Because video games are stupid and dumb. And I won’t be playing games on it. Or adding a 250 GB drive to it. Or buying a second controller. Or adding Microsoft points to my account. Or customizing an avatar. Or playing Peggle. Or customizing a Game Room. Or several rooms in Game Room. Or any of those other stupid things that people with Xboxes do. Nope. Not me. ESPN3 only for my Xbox.
Also spent some time worrying about my grandson, who broke his arm at football practice. He’ll be okay. Other grandson is still playing, so we’ll be attending some of those games.
All this doesn’t take all that much time or interfere with much. But there’s this one other thing going on: work.
I don’t blog about work. So, when I don’t blog, it’s about work.
So, while I was away, what did I miss?
Gold was 1,596.95/ounce the last time I posted something here. It’s 1,852.10/ounce now.
The Dow was 12,479.73 when I last posted. It’s 10,817.65 now.
The last time you heard from me, Obama was doing a piss-poor job as president and the economy was tanking. Today, Obama is doing a piss-poor job as president and the economy is tanking.
I’m not sure if my being away made things worse. But, just in case, you’ll be putting up with me some more now.
You have been warned.
Yeah, don’t play that Peggle. Or Peggle Nights. It’s like crack. With pegs.
Mxymaster:
Oh, my. If Wife finds out about Peggle Nights, she’ll spend 24 hours in front of the Xbox and I’ll never see a college football game.
Hey Basil, welcome back! I enjoyed reading about the stuff you did on your vacation, but not the stuff you reminded us of thats tanking over here.
island girl:
Thanks. And don’t worry so much about the economy. I have it on good authority that things’ll improve in the spring. Of 2013.
Welcome back. Your time away sounds lovely. Sorry to hear about your grandson’s broken arm. It must be wonderful for your grandsons to have such a young (at heart) and engaged grandfather.
straght Zero talk:
Thanks. I don’t know how much they enjoy it, but I have a great time.
Hey, next time lemme know before you go on vacation so I can stock up on gold.
I didn’t even know I was going on vacation … and I planned it!
I’m jealous. I had no vacation this year. Couldn’t afford it. I blame Obama.
I know I’m fortunate. Not everyone can say they got to spend time in Valdosta and Montgomery. Yep. I sure know how to live!
😉
Not that I begrudge you that excitement, Basil. At least I have the comfort of knowing that you worked dang hard for that vacation!
Basil,
A bunch of us noticed a while ago. FrankJ told us to have at it with our own post, and when I announced I was pregnant we were also noticing that you had been gone a while. You were missed, so welcome back!
Also, I’ve taken to writing my own IMAO lyrics to established songs (though I went away for a few days and seem to be uninspired as of late). So, more of that to come.
I told my husband to buy gold over 2 years ago. Did he listen to me? NOOoooooooOOOooooOOO. Harumph.
Actually, I did see that when I finally started catching up on things recently. Congratulations, by the way.
As for the gold, you’re not the only woman who has a husband that doesn’t listen to her. Men! What good are they? Well, other than that one thing.
I got laid off for my summer vacation. You’ll be hearing from me a lot more too. That’s a promise not a threat. Sorry in advance.
The only thing I hate more than Boise State’s completely idiotic and asinine uniforms (Praise be to God for the actual football uniforms worn by the blessed Nittany Lions) are people who hate this country.
With all due respect to Frank, perhaps Boise State’s uniforms are much like Obama and his ilk. Once one looks past the flash, there’s very little (nothing in the case of Obama and his ilk).
Pardon me, I must have been thinking of Oregon when I complained about uniforms. Boise State’s the school with the completely idiotic and asinine blue turf.
MarkoMancuso:
I’m not going to criticize anyone’s uniforms this year. UGA is once again screwing with theirs. When they take on the boys from Smurf Village, the Dawgs will be wearing some Nike uniform that looks like something a SWAC team would wear.
Hmmmmmm, Basil on vacation, obsama on vacation (again), just sayin.
College football. How many jobs are there for guys with degrees in PE? What kind of classes do a degree in PE have? Other than Rocks for Jocks and Clapping for Credit?
So apparently there is going to be nfl football this year. This means that Sundays will be a great time to do other things.
plentyobailouts :
What is this “NFL” of which you speak? Is it like football? There used to be something called “professional football” several years ago, but that was football played by professionals, not by jackasses who couldn’t build a Big Mac if their lives depended on it.
We all missed you Basil.
However, should we find it weird that you take Frank’s wife’s birthday off from work?
Son of Bob:
No, not at all. I think everyone should have that day off work.
I know not this Peggle of which you speak!
(oh heck, I feel another google search coming on, and it’s already late!)
Welcome back, Basil!
Plentyofbailouts, when I misspent a few years of my youth in the USAF (later going Navy and on to submarines to finish 21 years) I met a lot of pilots that were PE majors. They didn’t like me I told them that know about volleyball really prepared them for flying a F4. Okay that dated me.
“KNOWING” about volleyball, sorry. Read, then post.
Who’s Basil?
Marco…that’s Smurf Turf!!! Their team plays like Alaska State Metro Online University and such and they want to play for a BCS Bowl every year. Yea…K!
Welcome back Basil. When you disappeared I assumed it was because
Frank had adjusted his meds.
Montgomery in August – you know how to pick ’em, Basil!
I hope you gave your grandson the speech that goes “No dumb SOB ever won a football game by getting his arm broken. He won the football game by breaking some other dumb SOB’s arm.”
Good God! I didn’t know you were such an OLD Fart. Having a grandson who can play football makes you almost as old as me. I saw Buttercup photos here and just assumed you a wippersnapper like Frank. Boy, now I’ll give you more respect!
Voters: “We wish to register a complaint”
Obama: “I am just closing for vacation at Martha’s Vinyard”
Voters: “Never mind that, Mr President, we wish to complain about the economy, that you inherited not three years ago.”
Obama: “Ah yes, the AAA-economy, what’s wrong with it?”
Voters: “It’s dead, that’s what’s wrong with it.”
Obama: “No, no, no, it’s, er, resting.”
Voters: “Look, we know a dead economy when we see one.”
Obama: “No, no, it is not dead, it is just resting, remarkable economy this, it’s really AAA you know, beautiful recovery”
Voters: “It’s stone dead!”
Obama (Spends trillions of tax-dollars on stimulus): “There! It moved!”
Voters: “No, it didn’t! That was you wasting our money.”
Obama: “It’s stunned, you stunned it, just as it was waking up!”
etc
Basil – Where in Korea? I got there in January of ’94, at Camp Castle.
Heck, you were just on the other side of Camp Casey, weren’t you? I was at Camp Hovey with my year ending 13 January 94. You might have been at the Turtle Farm while I was at Hovey.
Castle is the one to the left when you go out the main gate at Casey into Tongduchon, correct? And the Engineers were at Castle, if I remember. Or was it elements from 5th Regiment? Been so long and I’m so old, I can’t be sure of anything any more.
GO DAWGS!!!!!…sorry abut that…just getting a little ansy being in the heat and all of that mess up north in DC……Glad to see ya back and that ya survived the heat down near the swamps and all…its was near 100 up here on the nw side of ole GA..cant imagine what it was like down south..lol..
Basil, you touched on a couple of my favorite things: (1) BULLdog bashing! Are they still in the SEC? Go GATORS!!!! (2) Youth sports. Praying for a full and speedy recovery for your grandson. My youngest daughter recently worked through 3 months of physical therapy to recover from a softball pitching injury. I was in more pain than her, but she’s recovered fully and making me proud. But that brings me back to item (1): Are the Gators still in the SEC? With 2 daughters on a combined 4 softball teams I hardly have time for a beer on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Makes it hard to keep up with the “grownups” playing ball. I sure hope the economy recovers before my kids are grown. I’ll have a lot more time to pay attention and be angry.
Ah, a college football thread! I can’t wait til the season starts. I’ll be continuing my tradition of wearing a different Michigan shirt every day of the week leading up to the first game of the season. And every day the week before the Notre Dame game, and you’d better believe every day the week before the Ohio State game.
If anyone asks me about the Dick Rod era, I’ll just plead memory loss, and pretend to not know what you’re talking about. Go Brady Hoke, and Go Blue!!
Castle was the 2nd Engineer Battalion. We were north of Casey – if you were walking out the Casey front gate, it was to the right. You pogues on Hovey were further south.
I probably was at the Turtle Farm when you left. Small world.
Penultimatum:
I was thinking that was Camp Mobile towards the right and Camp Castle towards the left. Maybe they were both to the right. Anyway, I remember the Burger King being straight ahead, so you know where my head was.
And, yes, it is a small world.
Basil, I’m afraid that most SEC teams qualify as professional teams, at least in terms of pay.
MarkoMancuso:
Really? Someone from the B1G talking about another conference’s teams playing for pay? Really?
Your State College boys never should’ve hooked up with those Ten/Eleven/Twelvers. Coulda ruled the roost in the Big East and had a BCS invite for the last 14 years.