Sneak Mustache Attack

Ok, I am disguising my mustache with a full goatee, to deceive those that have somehow discovered that I am growing one.... Also, I'm not crazy about the half-grown look. Somehow, a goatee looks ok while it's growing in, but a 'stache just seems creepy....

Return of the Centipede

For some reason I am growing a mustache... Felt like it was time for some facial hair but didn't feel like the usual goatee. I may also add a soul patch. But having just gotten my summer haircut (buzzed to about 3/8 inch) I feel like I need some balance on my head! And not really having much of an upper lip, a 'stache balances things off nicely!

Fun Day....

Well, today I get to prep for my 5-year colonoscopy. I picked a bad day for it, being Mother's Day. I made Kathleen some eggs this morning, and couldn't eat them. And she and the kids will be on their own for dinner tonight! But I DO get to have all the Jello I want! As long as it's not red.

One would think that if we could put a man on the moon and find Osama Bin laden's hide-out, we could figure out a simple way to cleanse the system for this procedure. Other than having to ingest copious amounts of a thick viscous liquid that turns you inside out. The key is to pick something to mix with the nasty stuff that you NEVER want to drink again, as you will lose all liking for it. My choice today is orange Gatorade. I've never had it to this point, and never will again.

Dan's 2010 Reading List

Ok, I know everyone out in cyber-blog land has been anxiously awaiting the 2010 reading list, so here it goes. Some thoughts after the list....

1) Stephen King – Under the Dome – Jan

2) Paul Doherty – The Treason of the Ghosts – Jan

3) Michael Crichton – Pirate Latitudes – Jan

4) Paul Doherty – Corpse Candle – Jan

5) Charles Todd – A Cold Treachery – Feb

6) Victor Sebestyen – Revolution 1989 - Feb

7) Paul Doherty – The Magician’s Death – Feb

8) Charles Todd – A Long Shadow – Feb

9) Aimee & David Thurlo – Blackening Song – Feb

10) Charles Todd – A False Mirror – Mar

11) James O’Donnell – The Ruin of the Roman Empire – Mar

12) Dan Brown – The Lost Symbol – Mar

13) Charles Todd – A Pale Horse – Mar

14) Aimee & David Thurlo – Death Walker – Mar

15) Will Thomas – The Hellfire Conspiracy – Mar

16) Charles Todd – A Matter of Justice – Mar

17) Charles Todd – The Red Door – Mar

18) Tony Hillerman – The Great Taos Bank Robbery – Mar

19) Woody Holton – Abigail Adams – Apr

20) Douglas Preston – Impact – Apr

21) Aimee & David Thurlo – Bad Medicine – Apr

22) Patrick O’Brian – Post Captain – Apr

23) Travis Ayres – The Bomber Boys – Apr

24) Barbara Tuchman – The Guns of August – Apr

25) Joseph Kanon – Los Alamos – Apr

26) Sontag/Drew – Blind Man’s Bluff – Apr

27) Mark Stein – How The States Got Their Shapes – May

28) Joseph Kanon – The Prodigal Spy – May

29) Will Thomas – The Black Hand – May

30) Patrick O’Brian – HMS Surprise – May

31) Preston/Child – Fever Dream – May

32) Greg Grandin – Fordlandia – May

33) Lou Manfredo – Rizzo’s War – May

34) Paul Doherty – The Waxman Murders – Jun

35) Paul Doherty – The Spies of Sobeck – Jun

36) Robert Masello – Vigil – Jun

37) Michael Robertson – The Baker Street Letters – Jun

38) Dan Fesperman – Lie In The Dark – Jun

39) Dan Fesperman – The Small Boat of Great Sorrows – Jun

40) Charles Mann – 1491 – Jul

41) Eric Harry – Society of the Mind – Jul

42) Rick Reilly – Who’s Your Caddy? – Jul

43) Paul Doherty – The Mysterium – Jul

44) Justin Cronin – The Passage – Jul

45) Lee Miller – Roanoke: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony – Aug

46) John Verdon - Think Of A Number – Aug

47) Paul Doherty – Nightshade – Aug

48) Keith Thomas – Once A Spy – Aug

49) Richard Snow – A Measureless Peril – Aug

50) Jason Turbow/Michael Duce – The Baseball Codes – Aug

51) John Connolly – The Whisperers – Aug

52) Ronald Kessler – In The President’s Secret Service – Aug

53) Charles Brokaw – The Atlantis Code – Aug

54) Bruce Henderson – Hero Found – Sept

55) Paul Doherty – The Templar – Sept

56) Seth Grahame-Smith – Abraham Lincoln – Vampire Hunter – Sept

57) William Trotter – A Frozen Hell – The Russo-Finnish Winter War of

1939-1940 – Sept

58) Patrick O’Brian – The Mauritius Command – Sept

59) Aimee’ and David Turlo – Enemy Way - Sept

60) Scott Siegler – Infected – Sept

61) William R Trotter – The Sands of Pride – Oct

62) Joseph Kanon – The Good German – Oct

63) Patrick O’Brian – Desolation Island – Oct

64) Diana Preston – Lusitania – Oct

65) Hew Strachan – The First World War – Oct

66) Steven Saylor – Empire – Nov

67) Richard Hough – Man O’War – Nov

68) Steve Berry – The Paris Vendetta – Nov

69) Paul Nagel – Descent from Glory: Four Generations of the Adams Family –

Nov

70) David Stone – The Echelon Vendetta – Nov

71) John Lawton – A Lily Of The Field – Dec

72) William Trotter – The Fires of Pride – Dec

73) Brian Haig – Secret Sanction – Dec

74) David Stone – The Orpheus Deception - Dec

75) David Stone – The Venetian Judgment – Dec

76) Daniel Silva – The Rembrandt Affair – Dec

77) Martin Cruz Smith – Three Stations - Dec

X) Henry Kissinger – The White House Years, Volume 1 – left off @ page 573

So the total of 77+ (including Kissinger) is a little less than my record of 82 read in 2009, but starting off with a 1,000 page tome from Stephen King is going to hamstring you from the start... And I spent a lot of time plowing through Kissinger's book, which is only volume 1 of 3 1,000+ page volumes - and very tough reading. Interesting, mostly, but tough. I mean how many ways can Kissinger praise himself?? Very many, apparently.....

Found a couple new authors, too. Aimee and David Thurlo have a series that take place on the Navajo Reservation, with a female investigator on the Navajo Tribal police - very Hillerman-like (although Hillerman-lite would be a better description). Still, they are entertaining, as I do have a strong interest in the area. Joseph Kanon is another good author, writing mysteries in famous places/eras with lots of historical figures that make it fun. And David Stone writes similarly to Daniel Silva, who I like.

I also read some good non-fiction items, several of which I had been looking to read for a while. Paul Nagel's 'Descent from Glory' is about the four generations of the Adams family starting with john, and how they basically drove themselves away from the greatness of the John/John Quincy generation with character traits that really started with John. Fascinating stuff, and a little sad. Also read quite a bit of war-related stuff, both ancient and more contemporary, including the classic 'The Guns of August' by Barbara Tuchman. A fun non-fiction selection was 'How The States Got Their Shapes' by Mark Stein.

For 2011, I am thinking that I would really like to re-read all of Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police books, as they are so evocative of that region and culture - and darn good mysteries as well. Also looking forward to the newest Ian Rutledge books from Charles Todd, which was due out in January (hasn't arrived at the library yet). I'm thinking I will get through at least 75 books - need to also pick a theme for my non-fiction reading. So a fun year is ahead, reading wise!

I Need a New Wardrobe

I was dressing for a concert Saturday evening (what do you wear to a concert these days, anyways? At least, not to a Skidrow/Metallica concert...) and realized that my clothes suck. I mean, I have never been a clothes horse in the sense of buying all of the newest fashions, and frankly, have never really paid attention to the newest fashions. In fact, I don't think I understand the newest fashions. I've always considered myself kind of a 'classic dress' guy - which I think means that all of my clothes are old enough to qualify for antique status.... I mean, I mostly tend to buy cheap stuff. I wear Wrangler jeans from Target - hard to beat $12 for a pair of jeans! I but cheap footwear - Champion sneakers, in lovely grey, again from Target, for $29.... I DO have some standards - I typically only wear Ralph Lauren Polo polo shirts - the rougher texture only, and bought - of course - on sale! But those shirts last forever... And I do have both black and brown belts, as I learned early on in life that your belt and shoes must always match. So the black belt gets worn with the black Adidas Samba sneakers, and brown with most everything else...

But I have shirts going back to the last millennium. Some of my shoes are on their second set of soles - and need a third. Most of my sweatshirts say Cape Cod on them. So something needs to be done for sure. TJ Maxx and Marshalls, here I come!

Another Edition of 'Funny Freecycle Items'!

I've been scanning a couple of local Freecycle sites lately, looking for items for AJ's house. As always, there are entertaining things that people put on there, and some are actually taken! My pithy comments are in '**'....

1 -
OFFER: Peanut butter & misc kitchen stuff - pls read (Plainsboro)
Wed Sep 1, 2010 6:07 am (PDT)

I have a opened jar (approx half used) for Shop Rite brand of chunky
peanut butter.

** Ok, now really, would you take an opened jar of food from a total stranger?? **

2 -
OFFER: Blank checkbook register, Lawrenceville
Tue Aug 31, 2010 6:33 am (PDT)

** Yeah, let me drive 5 miles to pick up THIS item...**

3 -
Offered Queen size Serta mattress (7 years old, in decent condition)
Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:41 pm (PDT)

**I wonder if it includes bedbugs.**

4 -
Offered manual push lawn mower (no engine),
Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:42 pm (PDT)

**As opposed to the kind WITH an engine.**

5 -
Wanted: breast pump
Thu Sep 2, 2010 10:55 am (PDT)

i am due in about a week and i am looking for a breast pump. my old one is not working right... so i am in need of a new one

**In a few weeks she'll be looking for some used baby food as well**

6 -
OFFER: Floppy Eared Bunny 19720
Thu Sep 2, 2010 10:55 am (PDT)

I have a very large floppy eared bunny..Free to good home. He is friendly and love kids and other pets...he needs more time to run and we just do not have it to give right now. Comes with cage,food.hay ect...

**I think I would show up with a big pot of water, with some sliced carrots and celery,
and say 'Let's just pop him right in here, he'll make a nice stew!'**

Car Search

I've been looking for a car for Rob, and am about to get serious, as money has magically appeared for it! I'm primarily looking via Craigslist, but also dealer-related sites like cars.com, vehix.com and the Star-Ledger's on-line site. Also occasionally trolling local dealer's inventories. I have found that many people have no freakin' idea of how to advertise a car!

For example, take a look at this ad from Craigslist -

*************************************************
02 VW Jetta grey/blk - $4800 (Iselin)
Date: 2010-06-07, 4:00PM EDT
Reply to: ************

runs great, rides great,great on gas, ice cold A/C , pwdl, pw/windows

* Location: Iselin
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

**************************************************

Included is a low front 3/4 shot. So, no info on engine (there are 4 different types available in the Jetta) or trans (auto or manual??). No indication of the number of miles! No model (again, there are several different models available). No contact info other than going through the Craigslist contact (which can be slow). But at least they note the location, many ads will say 'New Jersey' or 'North Jersey', which isn't much help, considering it takes me an hour in either direction to reach the borders of the state!

This guy is advertising his services as a mechanic -

**************************************************
MG Triumph British Car Mechanic (Windham, NY)
Date: 2010-04-28, 5:04PM EDT
Reply to: sale-eb8ev-1715034096@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

MG Triumph, British Car Mechanic available to help complete your restoration project or repairs to British Cars.

The shop is located in Windham NY area, reasonable rates by the hour or the job. Many MGB parts available!

Jack
*************************************************

So what is missing? How about a telephone number of e-mail? Or an address? Geez....

And why can't people take 10 minutes and give the car a quick cleaning before they take pictures? I mean, really....