My hope for the future of the country has been restored.

Events of the past 4-5 years have not been that positive for this country and so my attitude toward the future has not the best...Until Thursday morning.

I awoke and while waiting to leave for work I turned on the TV.

I was amazed to learn that right here and now, I (and every other American-and anyone watching that channel) can get $500.00 worth of kitchen knives for ONLY $39.95!

With a deal like that, how can I not be optimistic? Only in America could we be that fortunate!

Now I feel so much better...Is that the UPS truck I hear?

Something I really miss and may never see again.

I love reading. I always have. I remember browsing Gibson's Discount Center (the "WalMart" of my youth)and poring over their several racks of books.(On a related note. Will there ever be a publisher to rival the glory days of Bantam Books?).

I was very selective in my reading, so it might take several visits before I found a title that interested me enough to spend a couple bucks to make it mine. Many of them were read and forgotten but some became like old friends and found a permanent place on my bookshelf.

One of my favorite experiences was when I would be browsing the racks and find just the book I was looking for!

I couldn't wait to take it home and get started on it. The smell, the feel and look of unwrinkled pages and an unbroken spine!

Over the years, publishing has changed and the number of new non-fiction titles has dwindled. Most of the new books are published in trade size and no longer in the beloved paperback size I love so much.

The worst thing is that now everything is available on e-books or whatever they call the electronic versions that you have to download or whatever and then read on the screen of some electronic gadget. Sure it is handy, but it is not the same and never will be.

Sometimes just browsing my bookshelf brings fond memories and smiles, and each book has its own character.

I'll check back in 20 years and see who has fond memories of their Kindle...

Just thinking out loud

Why would Detroit produce, much less the public buy, a flesh colored car?

I had forgotten about them, but I saw one from the late 70s early 80s the other day.

If you don't remember, the color can only be described as "flesh". Look at your crayolas (64 count box, I think) and the cars were the same color as the flesh color crayola.

What were they thinking?

A good kind of tired.

Drove 400+ miles Friday afternoon and evening to go quail hunting. Got to bed around 10:00 pm. Up and out by 7:30 Saturday morning. Hunted 8 hrs behind two bird dogs and walked several miles through pretty rough country. Got back to the motel and was in bed by 9:00 pm. Exhausted. Up and on the road home by 9:00 am Sunday. Arrived home at 4:00 pm.

Tired and sore but oddly refreshed. Spent time in some beautiful(to me)country, enjoying the wonder of God's creation in the company of my 16 year old son. Even took a 30 minute nap in the truck Saturday afternoon with no sound but the wind.

Physically tiring but spiritually refreshing. I will take it any time it is offered.

what are the odds?

Just got back from a weekend hunting trip. Over 800 miles roundtrip.

Much to my surprise I passed the home of the both the "world's best hamburger" (15 miles away)AND the "world's best barbeque"(75 miles away)...I won't mention the names of these august establishments as I think they probably would appreciate it, but since I have not eaten at either place I have to say that all the votes are not yet in...

I guess both restaurants must use a good measure of hyperbole in their recipes...

Dreams

I dream alot. Usually a number of times every night. I seldom remember more that a little of this one or a little of that one. Very seldom are the dreams scary or even unsettling. I actually enjoy most of them and in some I am actually aware that it is a dream. Weird.

Last night I finally dreamed about zombies...Full fledged zombie attack. Bottom line we survived and I guess destroyed all the zombies.

The next dream was work related. It was weird. It had elements of the job from over 10 years ago but with some current and some former co-workers. Things were not going well in the work dream but it ended before there was any resolution.

All in all, I prefer the zombie dream.

Habits

think it is easy to break a habit?

Try wearing a pair of pants with a hole in the pocket where you carry your keys and coins...