Unleash da Beast

Not gonna lie … I am dreading going back to a 9-to-5 in a couple weeks; make that a 4p-12a, as I could only get 2nd or 3rd shift.  I think those hours will work well for me though.  We shall see.  I dunno if I am doing the right thing by working from home again, but bills must be paid.  Ya reckon I could “gift” my house back to the bank?!  Nah, jus’ kidding.

Gonna take off in da BeastMobile on Monday.  Thought of going today, but then I remembered I have a dental cleaning Monday morning.  I wouldn’t miss that for the world … it’s been 7 years since I’ve worshipped the dental chair.  Can’t wait for all that gum poking … woo wee!  At least I’ve already had the initial exam … no cabbities – yippee!  Flossing really pays off, as much of a PITA it is (pain in the ass, Henry, in case you didn’t know what that meant).

Oh … I got some more hate mail from the president of my “fan club.”  I wasn’t gonna share it, but I don’t have much else to write about.  And I really want to address a couple of points made in the message because as hurtful as the message is, I still found it helpful.  At least if I take off for a couple weeks, I might have more fodder for writing.  So here it is:

“Thank you for the proper spelling. Conceited not like ‘stuck up’ its like you think you are all that. Like the world evolves around you. Like you are the only one that has struggles in life. You don’t know the half of it. Why don’t you tell your five followers the true person you are. You are right karma is hell, I know. One day it will truly ring true for you.”

First off, and this is pure semantics, to me “stuck up” means you think you are all that, like this person said, i.e. conceited.  I dunno if that is a northern term or what, but it’s certainly plausible that this person has never heard the term before.

I can also see why some might perceive that I think too highly of myself.  I work hard to look the way I do, and I am proud of it.  I try to encourage others to exercise because not only does it make one look good, much more importantly, it makes one feel good as well.  Looks certainly are not everything.  I lack in many other areas, which should be obvious by now.  ‘Nuff said.

Secondly:

Ha ha ha!  OMG I am KIDDING.  I do, however, have a tendency to look at situations only on how I affected them.  I automatically assume when something bad happens to someone I love, it is somehow my fault.  I blame myself for a lot of stuff and project that guilt on others.  Make any sense?  It’s definitely not a good trait, but it is what it is.

Thirdly, I darn well know I’m not the only person that has struggles in life.  The whole point of setting up this blog was to let others know that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, that we ALL suffer in some way, and that we are not alone!  Also, that I have found the power of positive thinking to help me tremendously, but it ain’t foolproof, and I thought maybe … just maybe … it might help others.  I realize now and understand that my blog might be perceived as me looking for folks to feel sorry for me.  I promise you … that is not it at all.  I am trying to relate to others.  Maybe I need to take another approach, which is sumpn I will think about when my adventure begins in two days.

I think this little Twitter bird is so cute!

Oh … I always get off track.  And just know, I signed up on Twitter … I have a big fat ZERO followers … can’t figure out how da blasted thing works!  So da Prez is 100% accurate; I don’t have a bunch of followers yet.  I can handle that.

Lastly, why don’t I tell my FIVE followers the true person I am?!  Wait just a dang minute here foo’ … I have more than five followers.  I have SIX … when I count you!  I’ve said many times I consider myself a painfully honest person.  I don’t claim to be perfect, and I try to make that clear.  Perhaps I have failed.  I have done some awful things in my life … nothing to go to jail for, but I’ve hurt people (oh gosh, not physically and not particularly intentionally).  So do me a favor:

Time to Google NC campgrounds … I don’t wanna venture all that far from home.  Gas is way too expensive for my thirsty 6-mile-a-gallon BeastMobile!

Meantime, hope y’all have a fabulous weekend, and if you are alone … remember this:

Imagine this … I am at a loss for words or ideas of what to write about today.  That’s unusual.  My mind is usually racing with stuff.  This is my front porch, which I set up like a campsite cuz I miss being in a campground already.  Nobody is more surprised than I am about just how much I enjoyed that lifestyle.

So I thought about doing a photo montage, sort of a recap of the trip through pictures.  However, with my laptop down, I’ve lost a ton of pics.  I need to get that thing to the ‘puter fixer man to see if he can save anything.  Thankfully, some of the images were still on the li’l disk thingy (SD card), not sure why cuz I told the ‘puter to erase upon upload.

Like a dummy, I opened an e-mail from my real estate agent, even though the title was very bizarre.  The e-mail, supposedly from my agent, said that his family had come over from the Philippines or something and were mugged and lost everything so please send money.  I knew it was a buncha BS and that he’d been hacked, but I felt safe, as I didn’t download anything.  A day or 2 later, though, da BeastTop froze up on me.  Opening that e-mail will end up being a $100 mistake, but it will be worth it if my pics and files are saved.  I’ll let ya know!

I took this of myself while sitting in a Cracker-Barrel-style rocking chair at the campground in Nashville waiting for a bus to come get me and take me to the infamous Grand Ole Opry.  I was just a li’l excited!  As it turned out, taking a cab would’ve been more fruitful.  The bus made what seemed like 85 stops, and the 2-mile trip took at least 45 minutes, perhaps a full hour.  The cab ride back was cheaper.  Live and learn … I took a cab to the Elvis show.  The driver was not from the U.S.  He said, “I drive 8 miles to take you 1 mile.  Why you no go to Memphis?  I keel you if you call for a ride back to da BeastSite!”  Yikes.

SSE was so happy to get home she shunned her usual method of exit from da Beastmobile, which is the back door, and jumped over from her seat and out as quickly as she could.

Not sure who is cuter here, neighbor Julia or her dog, Ragamuffin (Folly):

This goofy mutt has gum stuck in her fur, among other things.  I think I even saw a gecko tangled up in that furry mess who had a “please save me” look in his eyes.  I recommended a total body shave and an anti-anxiolytic for the gecko, hehe.

I miss all the sights I saw while traveling:

The above is some marsh in the low country, South Carolina.

This is Lake Ocoee in Georgia.  So close to where I live, but I never even knew it existed.  The 1996 Olympics held some white water events here.

Sambone misses her boytoy, Buddy … it truly was love at first sight, as evidenced by this photo:

They are staring longingly at each other, whimpering … too funny.

We both miss the beach on Hunting Island, SC:

This was the 1st place on the trip that SSE got excited and started running and barking like a puppy dawg.

I took this image during the backstage tour at the Grand Ole Opry:

This guy is from Riders in the Sky.  They were great, and he was particularly funny.  You can tell by the way he posed for this pic what a great sense of humor he has.

And, here is the GOO (Grand Ole Opry) stage:

I got an e-mail from the GOO today stating they still have 3-day packages for the 2012 CMA Music Festival, June 8-11.  I would so go if I could afford it … anyone wanna take me?!

It was a blast.  Here’s where I stayed in Nashville—Two Rivers Campground.  Never did see even one river, but that’s ok.  Every Memorial Day weekend here is customer appreciation weekend, so I reaped some benefits, like live entertainment every night and free Dunkin’ Donuts in the morn.  As a Yankee, Dunkin’ Donuts brought back a lotta memories.  As a kid, I would work all day cleaning up a jobsite (construction) for my dad.  He then would pay me 50 cents and take me to DD, where he would tell me I can order whatever I wanted, and he would pay.  Instead, I took the 50 cents he paid me and put it towards my chocolate cruller and chocolate milk.  I don’t want any handouts … that’s just how I roll.

Nashville was terribly hot … at least 95 degrees each day with oppressive humidity, but I made the best of it:  Managed to figure out the canvas:

Might not seem exciting to y’all, but I was happy.  It’s not perfect yet, but I saved my windows from the pitting of blowing sand … cuz there’s a lot of that in the Music City … NOT!

So on Saturday night, I went to the Grand Ole Opry; I had a standing room only ticket.  The odd thing about that was that in the standing room only area, there was plenty of room for seats for us all.  The ticket price was just as much as regular seating.  I wanted to see the show badly enough to pay for standing room only, but after standing for only 15 minutes, I realized my age … my back started hurting.  Ok, suck it up, girl … this is a once in a lifetime thang.  I did and here I am:

Hey, hey … my back is killing me, but look at me in front of this screen … Li’l Jimmy Dickens made it worth my while:

He was so funny, that 4’11” dude.  He said, “I’m 91 years old.  My wife asked me to take her someplace she hasn’t been in a long, long time, so I took her to our kitchen.  She said, ‘NO!  I mean someplace expensive,’ so I took her to the gas station.”  He also made a joke about swallowing Viagra properly … cuz last time he took it, the li’l blue pill got stuck in his esophagus, and he developed a stiff neck … poor dude.

Oh … I did the backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry after the concert, and look who I ran into:

This is Jay Demarcus from Rascal Flatts.  I ain’t gonna lie … I wouldn’t know him if I ran into him at Wal-Mart.  Some guy standing behind me on the backstage tour said, “Gimme your camera and get a pic with him.”  Well, OK … who am I to complain?  I’m really not a “star struck” kinda chick, but what the hell … Jay is kinda cute, so I gave him my phone number; it’s in his left hand.  Jus’ joshin’ ya.

Monday night, I went to see an Elvis impersonator … was told if you closed your eyes, you would think it was the real Elvis.  Ok … no insult intended, but not so much, although he was quite amazing.

The music was great, and I got to try on this cool hat before the show … I wanted it, but I refused to pay
$17.99 for it.  I would’ve paid $5.  I’m a cheapskate:

I think I wear it well; it says Nashville on it.  I wish I bought it, cuz it would’ve made this pic look cooler, hehe:

Not a spitting image of Elvis, but with all due respect, he has researched the man thoroughly, and his theatrics were incredible.

Life is short … be happy y’all!

Here’s what makes me happy … knowing SSE is glad to be home:

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I yam what I yam.  Nice to be able to post again!  More to come later.  Thanks a bunch for following me!

If you are fishing for alligators!  I wasn’t but the first thing I saw when I got to the dock was this baby alligator.  The pics make him look huge, but he was actually only about 2’ long.  Before I started fishing, I went back and got my gun just in case Mommy or Daddy gator tried to make da Samster an appetizer.  Can you see me now … on the news for shooting a gator?  I never did see Mommy or Daddy, but a guy walked by and said there was an 8’ reptile sauntering by the same dock last night … yikes!

I was bummed I didn’t get a picture of BabyGator cuz he swam off too quickly.  Then I just forgot about him … that is til my second cast of da BeastRod.  Look what da BR, baited with a piece of a Nathan’s hotdoggy, dragged in:

Scared me half to death.  I thought the hook was IN him.  He kept playing with the bobber, and I texted someone asking WTFrick do I do now?!  I realized I could just cut the line, but I tried reeling it in and discovered the hook was not in the gator; it was just tangled up in weeds … Amen!  I was shaking so hard that I can’t believe I was able to get such good pictures!  I also kept looking back at Sammie to make sure MommyGator wasn’t making a trade … her kid for mine … cuz you better believe if she ate mine, I would be frying up some gator nuggets as I type this AND making a nice gator-skin purse or a pair of gator-skin shoes for my big seester!

I never did catch a fish.  Hotdogs don’t stay on the hook very long, so I tried a rubber worm … no luck.  It wasn’t meant to be.

So Sammie Sad Eyes and I hoofed it to the laundry room to “warsh” a load.  From there, we walked all the way to the store to throw out a bag of trash.  I feel like I abided by the “Pets must remain on a leash at all times” rule:

She was on this leash every step of the way.  I just wasn’t holding it.  Pretty sneaky, huh?  Ancient Chinese secret!  It was very hot during the walk whenever we were in the sun.  On the way back, Sammie-dawg looked up at me and said, “I’m hot.”  I looked down and replied, “I’m thirsty,” and we both hollered out in unison … “HEY KOOLAID!”  We heard something coming and prayed for that pitcher of iced grapy goodness to surface.  Instead it was this guy, and he didn’t even stop, let alone offer us a cold drink:

Nice ride, Sucka.

They’ve got a couple of cute signs coming into and out of the store area.  I’m not sure I actually get ‘em, but here is the one showing when you enter the store parking lot:

And here is what is on the back to be seen when leaving the parking lot:

Ok fine.  ???  Fishermen’s lingo I reckon.

So anyway, Sambone is sound asleep in the air-conditioned Beastmobile right now, exhausted from our walk in the heat.  I just snuck down to the lake to see if I could find Mommy or Daddy Gator.  No luck, but look how cute this is:

Mama must be hunting cuz she’s all camouflaged out with weeds … clever turtle, eh?

Gonna pack up tonight and hit the road early tomorrow, so unless anything extremely newsworthy happens, like Sasquatch stops by for a hotdog or the Loch Ness Monster asks us to go swim with him, I won’t be making another post until I hit the luxurious Super 8 Motel in Athens, AL, tomorrow.  Livin’ large, baby … nothing but the best for this lioness and her cub.  Actually, it was the only place that allows muttz.  Whassup widdat?!

What I saw was the sun setting over a beautiful cloud, but by the time I got the camera going and got a li’l closer, the above is what was left.  Still very pretty, but I thought, “Dang, well at least I have one more night here.  I’ll capture that beautiful sunset tomorrow.”  Then I fired up the grill to cook up a steak I had been marinating all day and viola:

Da BeastSite is very close to the water’s edge, but I ran closer to get this pic.  I even risked cooking my steak too much just to capture this beauty, cuz I lika my red meat rare.  A couple pulled up in a golf cart and said they want a copy of da pic, said they had been trying to capture this for awhile.  Amazing.

And I did attempt to fish today.   It was extremely fun but just as unfruitful.  I have lotsa pics, but I’m too ashamed to show them now … maybe tomorrow, hehe.  Here is a clue as to how it went:

Hey, a bad day of fishing is better than … well anything really, right?!  It would have been fantastic if I was a vegetarian, but green stuff?  Yuck … look at that rod bend:

Every time I cast that Ugly Stick, I thought I had the biggest Bass ever caught in Georgia, but this is all I caught:

Weeds.  A for effort … F for production … A for fun, which is all that truly matters.

So tell me what made these tracks I found while walking Sammie Sad Eyes this morn:

I’m talking about the ones going sideways in this pic.  I found them quite interesting and then found this a few feet away:

Same tracks on each side but sorta like this thing was draggin’ sumpn.  Any ideas?

For a quiet setting, it’s very noisy right now, but it’s all nature.  I shut off the A/C last night and opened all the windows.  So nice.  Every time I woke up, though, Sammie was sitting up looking out the window, like she was on guard.  The sounds were new to her.

This is no doubt my favorite place thus far.  Wish I was gonna be here longer.  I will come back.  In fact, if my house sells, I think I will move in.