Thursday, June 30, 2005

Three Hundred Miles Away

And before the morning comes
I am three hundred miles away
You promised not to leave me
I promised not to stay

You thought that you could hold me
But I get restless when things get ‘same’
And though I know you love me
I had to change pace anyway

I’m driving into the sunrise
Leaving the clouds behind
Never looking backwards
Seeking only why I find

I thought to leave a note
But then I thought again
There’s so much I want to say
That you wouldn’t understand

So maybe I’ll stop by
If I happen back this way
To let you know I still love you
Even though I slipped away

I’m running headlong into tomorrow
Chasing the new day
And all I’m really looking for
Is whatever comes my way


-Jn 06-20-05
San Pedro Sula Airport

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

once again a gringo

So we are stateside again, have been for at least 24 hours. I dont actually know. Yesterday was a long day. We might have been back 2 days but i think only one. Don't actually know. I dream in Spanish. I do a lot of things in Spanish. Including order breakfast in the states because the waitress gave us the wrong menus. I wont type here in spanish. Not tonight. I talk in my head faster than my fingers can type the unfamiliar words. Plus I can't spell worth a 5 centavo piece and spell check will just freak out on me. And I am tired. I would go to bed if I could remember how I intended to end this or really why I felt the need to write in the first place. I have pictures but I can't post them till I have a good connection again. I have words in organized interesting coherrant* fashion written in the magic book of words. I will share those when i get around to it. I turned my cell phone on today because i felt like i should do it because I was in the states and could use it but it was kind of a forced repatriation. I would have turned it back off but it took about 5 minutes for me to leave it in the house. So I am writing here. Wishing I was there. Damn for five more minutes in that ocean or a SalvoVida at the Gringo Bar. So expect mango trees and an old gringo and nastly little plants and big lizards and William Walker and poetry and whatever rambling musing probing thoughts come to mind before I patriate fully.


*It is something caguely like these three at any rate

Monday, June 20, 2005

Shark bait oo-ha-ha

Today we are being terribly efficient. At least it feels like we are. Judging from the fact that we are driving all over God's good creation and stopping at some places more than once I don't think thats true. We are busy though. Busy and efficient feel like the same thing. Sometime tonight (or maybe the wee hours of the morning depending on how efficient we really are) we are gonna start driving south. When we hit the water our car is either gonna turn into a plane or a boat (depending on who is driving- I prefer the submarine action, mom gets claustriphobic but she does like the standard jet-boat feature, Dad will choose the plane-he always does) Anyways we are gonna motivate our little selves over the water somehow and head to Honduras for a few days. For kicks and giggles and maybe something more important but all that matters to me at this moment is figuring out how I will be the driver when we fall off the Keys into the big blue wet thing and do I get to go snorkling? And if we make it back through the shark encrusted ocean* alive we may get the fine opportunity to swing hammers at a dock (and maybe some fish if we catch any). This is me excited. This is me pausing to be ineffient and unbusy to share. Cheers - Jn


* I know its infested right? But do you ever go to a restaurant and they have like something-encrusted salmon or ish-encrusted chicken? Does anyone really ever order that stuff? To me encrusted is not an appetizing word. Its like saying we are gonna stick a chicken in the ocean and wait for all the little barnacles and worms to attatch themselves to it then deep fry it and serve it up with a sweet honey sauce. No thanks. I will take my oysters on the halfshell and my chicken not crusted- unless of course it is a chicken-pot-pie. That is a different matter completely unrelated to the subject at hand and I'm not sure why you even brought it up.

Sunday, June 19, 2005


The most exciting thing that happened all day!!! (I'm so excited I am stuttering but you can't tell cause I proof-read) Posted by Hello

Saturday, June 18, 2005

Yay organic!

This is to strange not to post.

On and unrelated note-I am really tired

I spent last night sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent with one of my very best friends and a dog to protect us. It just so happens we were also sleeping in a living room and the tent was made out of sheets propped up on chairs. (It was raining out and dark when we got back ok? we will pull the real tent out next time) We also spent a good deal of time at another really good friends icecream/burger place pretending we were helpful . It just makes me wonder though what do other people do when they get together after not seening each other for ages. More importantly what will we do in 10 or 20 years when we find time to visit.





(My kids are gonna be real confused when they stumble into the living room with sheets hanging everywhere.)

Wednesday, June 15, 2005


I think I like this one the best Posted by Hello

more porch Posted by Hello

These pictures were taken for Kt because the railing was painted for Kt because I looked at the railing and said that would be fun Kt would love it. If you are not Kt and you enjoy these pictures then that is just bonus for you and me both. If you don't have the 'vision' then just pretend I didnt post pictures of a half painted porch and you will be fine. Posted by Hello

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

By request

Ok yeah I guess it is time for something from me. The problem is that anything I write lately I just keep going back and fixin things. I can't make it all just right. So yeah you are reading something thats maybe not done yet

And true to my word I have changed it. If you didn't it before thats ok with me. If you did, well I like this one better.

In This Hour I Miss You

In this hour I miss you
As I watch the sun slip down
And I hold the thought for a moment
That maybe you'll come round

You loved me when the snow fell deep
And when the flowers grew
But in the summer heat they've wilted
And it seems your love has too

In this night I miss you
While the moon shines orange and low
I wonder if I called your name
Baby, would you know?

You loved me in the winter
And when the spring brought rain
But now the sun shines bold and bright
And you've moved on again

In this life I miss you
As the world spins to pass the time
There was a once when I was yours
I wish you still were mine

Jn- 6-9-05

Music for the ride home

Counting Crows- Round Here

Step out the front door like a ghost
into the fog where no one notices
the contrast of white on white.
And in between the moon and you
the angels get a better view
of the crumbling difference between wrong and right.
I walk in the air between the rain
through myself and back again
Where? I don't know
Maria says she's dying
through the door I hear her crying
Why? I don't know
[Chorus]
Round here we always stand up straight
Round here something radiates
Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand
she said she'd like to meet a boy who looks like Elvis
she walks along the edge of where the ocean meets the land
just like she's walking on a wire in the circus
she parks her car outside of my house
takes her clothes off
says she's close to understanding Jesus
she knows she's just a little misunderstood
she has trouble acting normal when she's nervous
[Chorus:]
Round here we're carving out our names
Round here we all look the same
Round here we talk just like lions
But we sacrifice like lambs
Round here she's slipping through my hands
Sleeping children better run like the wind
out of the lightning dream
Mama's little baby better get herself in
out of the lightning
She says It's only in my head
She says Shhh I know it's only in my head
But the girl in car in the parking lot
says "Man you should try to take a shot
can't you see my walls are crumbling?"
Then she looks up at the building
and says she's thinking of jumping
She says she's tired of life
she must be tired of something
Round here she's always on my mind
Round here hey man got lots of time
Round here we're never sent to bed early
And nobody makes us wait
Round here we stay up very, very, very, very late

Saturday, June 11, 2005

What's in a word

I had many revelations and interesting finds today but at this point I am only willing to share the first one. Call me selfish- I don't care. It hit me about, oh, ten minutes after I woke up when I was still shrugging off morning trying to get ready for a day of work.

"Suppository is a funny word. "

Stick that one in your pipe and smoke it.

Laughing all the way to bed - Jn

Friday, June 10, 2005

A duel without the death

So over the past few days going round and round (If you havent figured this out yet you cannot just go round. If you go round once you ARE going to go round again) I connected some pretty interesting dots. I figured I would share so you can connect them too.

I have a cat. His name is Jazz and I have had him since I was like 3. Consequently he also has 3 legs. This allows him to mark his territory with easy, agility, and speed that most cats and only dream of. He worked out a system very early of how to work his way around the yard making only right turns so that everything got properly identified as his.

We have a garden. Unlike past years it has a fence. Not unlike past years everything comes in and eats our little plants. I'm not sure but I think part of it may stem from the fact that the fence doesnt go the whole way around the garden. Just a hunch. The fence doesnt really bother the baby rabbits anyway. Not much bothers them in fact. They can squeeze right through the holes in the fence and like to show off this trick while we are weeding right beside them. Mom can even throw rocks at them and they just kinda twitch their nose. Last time we were up there Jazz came by on his rounds. We addressed the problem of the rabbits to him and asked ever so politely if he would mind disposing of the baby bunnies. He didnt think the situation was so drastic that brute force was needed (and he is lazy) but he offered up another suggestion. He merely peed all over the fence where the rabbits were coming and going. We have no clue if this gesture will actually help in the fight to save our beans and corn but we are very greatful for his efforts on our behalf.

On one of the various routes to work there is a bridge covered in some pretty sad graffiti. If nothing else it serves to amuse me and I suppose it proves that they can spell 4-letter words. (Recently I saw a pair of the notorious "Brew Crew" in the grocery store. I was rather unimpressed.) It turns out that some people are so bothered by this ragtag band of renegades that they will actually dig up some spraypaint of their own and paint over the various "brew crew" insignias all over the bridge. Just so yuns know basically all it says is either Brew Crew or BC in large black print but apparently this is important enought to inscribe on every scribable surface of the bridge. I doubt covering over one or two brew crews did little more than spur them on to scribble more. If I cared enough to do some real ego damage I would just paint something worthwhile and more interesting. Not even paint over, just beside so that everyone could properly compare. I might even use color. Anyways It got me to thinking. Painting stuff with your name can pretty much be reduced to peeing on a fence. You mark it as yours, I will mark over it with mine and if we ever meet we might actually have to battle. Maybe if I take my cat down to the bridge he could. . .

I have been pretty busy lately. This is not a bad thing and I am not complaining. A lot of my friends are busy this summer too. I dont really know anyone without a job or something important to do. I also often times know just how busy they are and just what they are doing and just how long it takes and the limited amount of sleep and relax time they get in great detail. This does not surprise me. When at school it is not unlikely to have a converstation that goes along the lines of "I am so busy. I have a paper to write, two problem sets do by monday, and and exam to study for" "Oh yeah well I have two papers due on Friday that I havent started research for and the library doesnt have the books I need PLUS I have to work the next 3 days and somehow find time to study for and exam and a quiz." You get the idea. I do this sorta thing too. There is something satisfying when you place the emphasis on just the right words in a sentence to make you pile of work apparently double in size or importance. (Are yah seeing the picture with the dots yet?) The problem with verbally doubling your work load is that you also do it mentally and the problem really does get bigger. When yah detail out all you have to do generally it does seem to grow and you start to wonder just a bit whether you actually can make it through all you have to do. The problem with heading in to a contest like this is what happens if you really do meet. You will have to prove that you are as good as your mark and what happens if you cant.

In my experience, when you can't live up to your mark in college you drop a few classes, ask for a lot of grace, and end up with impressive amounts of free time. But I'm not so sure what happens when a bunch of highschool dropouts with cans of black spraypaint meet up under the bridge and Heaven help us when the bunnies corner my cat in the garden.

So like I said I am busy lately but I will spare you the boring details. If I don't you may not spare me yours and I dont really want to find out who wins.

This one is going to bed-Jn

Thursday, June 09, 2005

For the rabble


This would be the Jessie Tree in full bloom in our front yard. If you can't tell it is a pretty little dogwood. I took this picture more for sk but then I figured some of yuns would prefer flora to fauna so I tossed it in. Gotta keep the masses happy right? Posted by Hello

MR Ducks


These would be our happy ducks. They are ours because they choose to spend a good deal or time on our pond but they come and go as they please. They are happy because there are tadpoles and dad feeds them my organic cereal that he doesn't like. They are ducks because that is the way the Good Lord made them. If you have a problem with it take it up with him. Posted by Hello

Fixer-upper with lovely in ground pool


This would be the 'nest'. If you are going through the pictures in time order you know what I am taking about. If you are going through them in scroll-down-the-page order then maybe you shouldnt be. Regardless, it is like a fiddy-cent piece sized muddy hole with standing water in the bottom. Interesting if nothing else. Posted by Hello

Caspian . . .a?


This is the turtle who lives in the pond. His name is Caspian. Sept he's a she. Dad figured this out cause when he was feeding the ducks (there is a duck picture in here somewhere) he almost tripped over Caspian building a nest. (see above picture for nest reference) Dad still references Caspian as he regardless of nest building activity so I guess he/she can still be Caspian if he/she wants to. But I don't think Caspiana would work because that sounds too must like my car and people might get confused. Posted by Hello

Let's play a game


This was gonna be a cool picture and then it wasn't but now you can play a game. See if you can spot: 2 chillin iguanas in their new setup and 2 happy turtles. Posted by Hello

Mrs. James Also


This is my other dog. I realize now that these pictures will be in backwards order. You will just have to deal with it. Posted by Hello

Yay Puppy!!!


This is my new dog. His name is James Also. He eats the scraps under our dinner table. He is pretty good as dogs go. Posted by Hello

GAH!

I keep trying to post and the internet keeps telling me no. At this point I am angry and I would beat Sprinte DSL with a stick if I could fit myself and my stick into the wires.

FINE!

I will try pictures instead.

Monday, June 06, 2005

Beware of Grape with Wooden Mallet

I was at work by 8 this morning. We quit at 9. (That would not be 9 am.) I only mention this to explain the brevity of the post and to say we ate Chineese tonight because every other place was closed, we have no more food in the house and we were almost too tired to eat let along make food out of nothing. And I only mention that to share my fortune.

"Today it's up to you to created the peacefulness you long for."

Which amused me, but tense aside I pretty much managed to do that all day. There is something very rewarding about painting because you can see your work progress and yah know how good a job you are doing. . . at least if you actually know how to paint. And you can spend a lot of time thinking which I do anyways but it doesnt interupt you when you are painting so much as when you are measuring stuff and doing figures in your head. Though I have discovered that sawing boards with the hand saw is pretty mellow too so long as you dont go assovertincups onto the cement and the saw from leaning over the horse too far. But I digress. . .

I mentioned the fortune to refer you to this site which my fortune reminded me of and well after working 13 hours everything is funny but I seem to remember finding this to be pretty special some other time also. Of course that may have been on a DPS shift or during finals but hey if you dont like it now then just stay up for 48 hours and read it again. Maybe things will change.

Break a fortune cookie. -Jn

Sunday, June 05, 2005


 Posted by Hello

 Posted by Hello

They are so cute. . . just don't look up mom's nose. :) Posted by Hello

Welcome to the Zoo

So I figured out pretty quick after I got home that there was gonna be a reptile expo round here and I was gonna be around so I made sure to get myself good and excited. As most of you (should) know I have been on a random animal search since I got back. No particular reason but it gave me something to do and something to look forward to. The Mother and I went to the show today. Apparently the Father had given her explicit instructions not to buy anything at all. I received no such warnings before we left so I was all set. The place was pretty sketchy in my opinion but it was a good time. Lots of vendors. Mostly snakes. I enjoy snakes but ending up with a 9 ft boa is not my idea of a good time.

There was a guy up from Kansas with mostly creepy crawlies. He had hissing cockroaches so I could show the Mother since she missed them at school some random scorpions and a crap load of tarantulas. Apparently the one I tried to bring back from Haiti was a Haitian Brown. Apparently they also get BIG. Maybe it is ok that he died but their babies are blue. Whats not to like about blue babies? He also had tail-less whip scorpions. I came very close to buying one of these little buggers (and no one would have enjoyed her but me).

I spent a good deal of time at the turtle table. He had snappers of all kinds and bite sized sliders. I am so much a fan on the prehistoric look of the snappers. When yah watch um hunt they are like dinosaurs pounding around the tank. The 'only' problem is they get big and mean and hard to handle, that and they live forever, and you have to feed them, and keep them away from chidren. But I really did like mine when I had him and I still miss him sometimes. I also appriciate the smooth lines on the sliders- its like the look of a fast car. Basically I wanted them all but they take a good deal of work. I still went back to the table 3 times.

I also almost got a bearded dragon. These guys are crazy cute. Pretty perky and personable as lizards go. Pretty easy to take care of and they get sorta fatish but not too long. They also don't live forever like the turtles. I also dont think they would have as much of a personality as some of the other critters we saw. I may still head that direction but not any time soon.

See we went to this other table and there was this random crap for crap vendor with some kinda sad looking critters in my opinion. He was the only one who had iguanas but man did he have a bunch. So mom being the smart one she is, sticks her arm into the cage and one crawls right up and basically claims her. I hate how cute baby iguanas are. So I remove the little guy and set him back in the tank. He looked very disapointed.

In the end I went round and round once more and decided on the iguanas. Iguanas meaning two. They are cheap so its like a bonus- two for half the price of anything else. Mom and I stuck our arms in and a coupla frisky gusy climbed up. I checked um all over and they both looked good and they were friendly so why not get two? I was hoping for a male-female pair but yah can't tell at all until they get big. I don't know that I actually want to breed iguanas but hey it would be nice to have the option right? We will see.

We found out later that mom won a door prize which included a real nice custom made tank. They are chillin in there now. Doing their best to look cute and happy. I will post pics soon I am sure- probly within the hour because I am that bored. Oh yeah and the little guys need names still. Let me know if you have suggestions.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Catfish and Coal Dust

So I havent posted in a while which means that I have a lot to say but I am probly too bored to say half of it. Here goes anyways.

We were watching TV a few nights ago (By We I mean my family and I and by watching I mean dad fell asleep on the couch with the TV on, I was on the computer, and mom was in the other room) and this program comes on. I have no clue what it is about or if it had a point but one of the little snippets was about Catfish Noodling. Apparently this is supposed to be a 'good ole boys' sport. That is what the TV tells me anyways. I am wondering if anyone has ever done this. You may win a prize of dubious value if you have. The way it works is this. You get your buddies (and probly some beer but they didint show that i am just assuming and hoping) and head out to a lake. If you have any supplies you might have gloves and maybe a stick. Yah jump in the water with all of your clothes on (I didnt understand that part but i guess its important) and yah swim around under the water until you find a hole. You then procede to stick your hand in the hole. If nothing bites you it is actually a bad thing. If a snake or a turtle bites you will thats not so great either. And I tell you what if it is a muskrat you might as well just write yourselvers off the planet because 'those little buggers are like chiuauas with teeth and they will chew you to pieces' But if it happens to be a Catfish well you are in luck. Yah grab it by something internal but not the gills casue they are sharp as razor blades and then you haul the floppy slimy very unhappy fish back to the boat. They were catching like 27 pounders. Damn. Some of them fish could fit your head in their head. Not good. Apparently it is illegal in many states because it is dangerous. It doesnt strike me as a very effective or effecient way to fish either. But well now I am wondering, how on earth did someone figure out "Hey if i stick my hand in this hole I can catch a catfish" You know it had to be an accident and you know it scared the shit out of the guy but he acted all macho anyways and hauled the fish back to shore because he 'knew' he probly got glowing praise from his buddies too but he still had to clean it himself. I donno just a hunch.

In other news we have started painting the outside of the office. (We being me and SK and sometimes Jen and whoever else comes to fix our broken equpiment or helps us find things. and by painting I mean we have nailed in some loose boards, found missing boards, bought supplies, cursed the pressure washer, taped some windows and decided to rent a paint sprayer and this only took 2 days.) Anyways the pressure washer comes tomorrow and we might get some stuff primed. It is really starting to bother me because it is the type of job that you can't actually do the 'right way' anything we do will have some element of half assed to it even if we do our best. And see I have this idea in my head that if it is worth doing it is worth doing right but that translates directly into if it isnt worth doing right then you might as well not bother. Sept I can't do it right and I have no choice about doing it. . . so therefore I am unhappy. So I will build/fix/caulk/tape/scrape/paint anyways. But yeah, have you guys seen the new GE comercials for the ecomagination specifically the one with the coal miners. Well that is me now when I come home, dirt and all. . .Well ok maybe I am not quite that dirty but I'm close.

And at this point I have run out of interest with sitting and typing so I am gonna take my boredness elsewhere.

-Jn