Buddy's Myth

And We're Back!

2011-07-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

Howdy Cats and Kittens! Did ya miss me? After a couple of years of mayhem and all manners of bizarre haps, I'm back to the blog again. Actually, after a couple of comupter moves and snafus, I've just FOUND my blogs again. I'm not a smart man but I mean well. I'm intending to get back to posting so that friends and family can keep up. Don't look for continuity or a clear dialogue path, just strap in and come along for the ride! A lot of craziness, good and bad, has gone down in the last four or so years since I've posted, and I got it all on digital, so get set. Here we go!

Hey kids, I'm back...

2006-01-20T18:03:00.000-05:00

for more! I got a new computer for Christmas from the folks (yeah, I know, it's awesome), so I'm ready to blog out with you all once again. I am not going to make any promises as to my dedication to task, but stop in periodically to check out the pics. As usual, the nature of the project will be a rambling reconstruction of years past and an update on what's going on now. I'll start off the year with some pics from the olden days. These are shots I recovered from damaged negatives using my new scanner. The shots are circa 1992.

2006-01-20T18:01:00.000-05:00

This is Joe B. and I on top of Mount Pisgah in North Carolina. We were going to a wedding and borrowed my dad's van. And having all of that room, we decided to take the gear. Several tourists and Park rangers stopped by to catch a tune or two, and one lady got out of her car to put a dollar in my boot, which I had removed just so that I could play the bass better. Hey, a buck's a buck.

2006-01-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

This is my corner of the Fishing Hole, the basement of the Trout House, where Kilgore Trout, the world's premiere science fiction power trio, was based.

2006-01-20T17:55:00.000-05:00

Ahh, the old drum kit. I had a kit that looked great. I gave the illusion of talent if not the reality.

I Know This Sounds Like A Load...

2005-02-15T19:37:00.000-05:00

...of crap, but I am innocent of lying to you about blogging yesterday. The Toner was on the computer till he left at 13:00 and he turned it off when he left. When I got on a half hour later the server was down so I couldn't get on line. I'm a victim. Sorry to let you down. I'm gonna show you some pics of one of my favorite places on the planet-southern Utah. I have thousands of photos I've taken over the years of going there, but none of them are digitized, so I can't put them on for you. Any of you who want to send me a scanner will be rewarded with more photos than you ever cared to see, as I can scan the past twenty years of my life in pictures.
Anyway, Patrick and the Toner went to Arizona and Utah last year and Patrick took some great shots, a lot of which are the same ones I've taken over the years from the same places. And away we go...

2005-02-15T19:36:00.000-05:00

This is Checkerboard Mesa in Zion National Park. Go there now. You'd hate to die tomorrow and regret having missed it. It's Yosemite in pink and white.

2005-02-15T19:35:00.000-05:00

This is just a cool shot. Well done, Patrick.

2005-02-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

This is a view of the Zion Valley from the lower section of the Angel's Landing Trail--the most amazing trail on earth. I know it's a bold statement, but dang, check out the next few shots.

2005-02-15T19:31:00.000-05:00

To give you an idea how steep parts of the trail are. Certain sections have these chains to hold on to. I always make it my mission not to use the chains, but it's really tempting in spots.

2005-02-15T19:30:00.000-05:00

Don't look down.

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The trail goes along this ridge of rock that sticks out into the valley. It's a long way down either way you choose to fall.

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Views like this make this one of the top trails in the world according to yours truly.

2005-02-15T19:26:00.000-05:00

Toner at The end of the trail. I have lots of pictures of this scene.

2005-02-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

This is Bryce Canyon. It's like God was playing with Silly Sand. Incredible formations of sandstone.

2005-02-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

Thor's Hammer in Bryce Canyon.

2005-02-15T19:22:00.000-05:00

More Bryce. I know this looks like a balance from my other blog, but I didn't do that one.

I'm Gonna Prove You Wrong...

2005-02-14T01:28:00.000-05:00

...all of you detractors (Dave, I'm looking at you) who have pointed out that I haven't posted on this blog in two weeks, while the rock blog is updated almost hourly. More disturbing, (I'm told) is that the rock blog requires taking, downloading, and transferring photos. This seems to indicate a deeper commitment of time and energy. For this I must apologize to you, the dedicated reader, for my lack of attention to his forum of pertinent Budman life data.
I admit this rock thing has taken hold, but I promise that tomorrow I will be back to thrill you further with harrowing tales of daring-do from the wild and wooly past of yours truly.

Under The Weather...

2005-01-31T17:37:00.000-05:00

...in more ways than one. I've been sick and the weather's been lousy. Still had to work, though, and that's a drag when you feel crappy.
The Suz has been in hospital of late with a gut full of woe, but she's home now and was back at work today against doctors' orders. The mom went to help her recoup last week.
On Wednesday I'll be driving to Asheville, NC to visit my friends Dave and Anne Russell. Check my Rock Blog on Friday for all the pictures you can stand. I'll have a few here, too, but not with rocks.

A Final Word On Rocks ( on this blog)...

2005-01-25T01:17:00.000-05:00

The whole rock stacking thing is a natural offshoot of my love for rock climbing. I love the feel of the rock, warmed by the sun, the shapes, the possiblities. I have an enormous respect for the rock. You never beat it, you just get to enjoy it in different ways at different times if it finds you worthy. You can't force it, you can't make it do what you want, you just hope to find a place where you are existing together in harmony and happiness at the same time. Like some other great things in this world. Here are some pics from a trip that the Toner, Mike (aka Jumbo Mug, aka Fruit Pie--see the nickname discourse in a previous post), and I took to Moab, Utah in May of 2002 to climb a tower in Castleton Valley.

2005-01-24T23:59:00.000-05:00

This is Owl Rock in Arches National Park. Arches is my favorite. It's an amazing place. Owl Rock is 120 feet and goes about a 5.8 on a scale of 5.0 to 5.14 in difficulty of climbing. Read on...

2005-01-24T23:56:00.000-05:00

Me leading Owl Rock. Note that my belayer seems to have no hands on the rope. My pal.

2005-01-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

This is our first view of Castleton Tower as we drove into the valley. I mean really, don't you want to climb that sucker? We camped at the bottom ( where the bushes are) and then it's a 1000 foot elevation change to the bottom of the tower. the tower itself is 400 feet.

2005-01-24T23:52:00.000-05:00

Me at the base of Castleton Tower. We spent four hours at the base of this climb (after a hellish hike up the talus cone) with sustained winds of forty miles per hour and gusts up to sixty. We finally had to bail and then go to Wall Street. Wall Street is a mile long stretch of cliffs along the Colorado River right outside of Moab.

2005-01-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

Climbing at Wall Street. This is a route coalled the Snake. Slippery but fun. Like a snake, I guess.

I'm Letting You Off The Hook...

2005-01-21T01:01:00.000-05:00

by starting a new blog for all of this crazy rock stacking stuff. Use the link on the left to get there. It'll just be rock stuff so you won't have to look at it here every day. Those of you who wish to can rock with me all you want on the rock blog. I'm leaving the links up here, though, because they're still great. I'll start back tommorrow catching you up with the regular real life stuff, so stay tuned.

My Job Is Finally Good For Something...

2005-01-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

Picked up some rocks at the restaurant last night. Just did a couple of quickies this afternoon before heading off to work.

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One of two new ones today. Tough balance.

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One of the new ones.

2005-01-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

The garden is a healthy one. There is no need for a claim.

Chicks dig me...

2005-01-19T01:28:00.000-05:00

because I rarely wear underwear, and when I do it's usually something exciting. LeAnn Rimes is no exception. She was in the restaurant tonight and I served her and her party. She was great. So were her friends. A class act all the way. She loves a man in a tuxedo. Not this man, but I'm sure she loves some man in a tuxedo.

2005-01-19T01:22:00.000-05:00

Dang, she was neat. I mean dang. A girl like this could potentially make me tolerate country music. Her hand is on my butt. Grrrrrrrooowww.

Cold Rocks, Warm Heart...

2005-01-17T16:55:00.000-05:00

Man, rocks get cold! I mean I'm no greenhorn in the arena of weather and its effects on, well, stuff, but I'm gonna need some better gloves to stack with if this cold keeps up. The high winds of yesterday and last night took care of the stack I posted yesterday (I have a feeling that gravity lent a hand as well). Got out a little today and played. Learning a little more every day.
The top picture is how it looks as I type this. The guy in front is the same in both pics, but the guy in back is different. Gravity, maybe you've heard of it. I picked up a couple of rocks at work the other night and brought them home, but one of them turned out to be concrete, which my geo-guru tells me the real rocks mock. They consider concrete (and bricks) to be "backfill." That one's going back from whence it came. I don't need dissention in the ranks during the learning curve.

2005-01-17T16:52:00.000-05:00

This is how the day ended. Now we'll see how they fare through the night.

2005-01-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

These guys were first.

I'm All Right Jack, Keep Your Hands Off Of My Stack...

2005-01-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

So here's the first of the new stacks with the gift rocks from Ol' Stacky. Just a quickie while having the morning (afternoon) coffee.

Stacky McStackster...

2005-01-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

Here's Dave now. He's at the exhibit of Chihuly glass art at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. We went there in November and had a cool time, even though they wouldn't let Dave stack any of the sculptures.
The Bond house in Palm Springs (see below) had twenty-four Chihulys in it.

I Got a Rock...

2005-01-15T15:07:00.000-05:00

Dave Russell came into town a few moments ago to see the Falcons whoop up on the Rams, and brought me some rocks! Now I'm sitting here looking out the window at my new cache and debating whether I should call in sick to stay home and stack 'em. Nah, I need the dough and the rocks will be here tomorrow. Can't wait to get going, though. He brought some from South Carolina and some from Georgia, so I'll have a little trial and error to see how different states' rocks play together. Click on the link at left to check Dave's Avant Garden, a real stacker's playground. He has a link to another guy in San Francisco who's pretty amazing. Check it out, and come back soon for pics of my endeavors with the new toys (the rocks, I'm talking about the rocks).

I'm Not An Angry Man...

2005-01-15T11:37:00.000-05:00

Okay, so maybe last night's blog was a little aggressive. I had just been at work and had a little pent-up frustration to vent. At least I turned to the blog and not to my vast stores of semi-automatic weaponry. Here's a couple of happy pics to let you know I am not about to go postal on anyone and have to do my bloggin' from the big house.

2005-01-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

Golf in Los Cabos Mexico. The Toner and I were there in February last year (more later...). I was supremely happy here.

2005-01-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

(l-r) Mike "Gutbucket" Schulte, The Myth, and the Toner at Turner field. Man I was happy that day. The Braves lost, so I was slightly less happy, but still happy.

Where I Work...

2005-01-15T01:38:00.000-05:00

So here's the whole work deal. I work at Anthony's Fine Dining in Atlanta, technically in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. If you live in Atlanta and you want to tell people you live somewhere cool, you tell them you live in Buckhead.
When I moved back to Alanta after my divorce (more later...) I got a job here until I "found something else." After a couple of months, I was offered the job of Banquet Captain. This meant that I would be in charge of the banquet room and all of the large parties therein. They offered me this job because they recognized my dedication to customer service (from my years of retail--more later--this is an update of a lot of years, remember) and knew I could take them to the next level. I did a great job, and made a lot of people LOVE Anthony's. In February of 2004 they offered me the position of Banquet Director, after the old banquet director quit with one week notice. I accepted, after assuring them that I would dedicate the next couple of years to them . Well, after seven months at that job, where I did my best to promote the restaurant as well as humanly possible, I was KICKED OUT OF MY JOB when the old guy (best friends of the owner) decided to waltz back in and ask for his old job back...WHICH THEY GAVE HIM %&#@!! No "Whaddayathinkbuddy" or any of that, just "See Ya, wouldn't want to be ya," so I was out. I had to stay and wait tables because I had just moved in with The Toner, and he needs the rent. So Dang. So I have a lot of pent up aggression, anger, angst, call it what you will. I really want to let loose my full force of revenge tactics, but I have learned, among so little else in my life, not to burn bridges too quickly. Believe me, when the time comes to burn this one you'll be able to see it from the third moon of Pluto, but "The Dude Abides."

2005-01-15T01:36:00.000-05:00

This is Anthony's, a 200 year old restaurant in Buckhead. It's a great restaurant, but, well you read it already. Still, though, it's a great place to go if you are from out of town.

2005-01-15T00:34:00.000-05:00

This is me at Anthony's in the monkey suit. I've never actually seen a monkey in a tuxedo, but God, I'd pay like ten bucks to see that.

More Palm Springs...

2005-01-12T01:03:00.000-05:00

Due to popular demand (through email, not postings...see below, grrrr) I have included a few more shots of the Palm Springs trip. I'm not too proud, people, just tell me what you want and I'll put it on. Don't ask me for Paris and Nikki, though, you get enough of that crap in "People" every week. Here's what you really want.

2005-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

That's me luxuriating ( a real word meaning to enjoy great luxury) in the pool at the James Bond House. The pool is half indoors and half out when the wall is closed. I, of course, preferred open, but weather and the cold-natured propensity of the rest of the fam conspired to keep it closed most of the time we were there. That meant that the walk from my bedroom to the main house was far more arduous than most vacationers prefer. I had to make sure I had everything I needed before leaving my bedroom (which was sweeeeet).

2005-01-11T23:52:00.000-05:00

View of the Bond house from the living room (from the far left of the living room) to the patio. The glass wall has been retracted to reveal the pool and patio and beyond to the veranda. Actually, no one in Palm Springs says "veranda," but I injected a little southern into their otherwise cloistered little fantasy world. It was still way cool.

2005-01-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

The living room at the Jack Benny House. My new pal Mike lives here. You can see his tennis courts in the background. I call him my new friend Mike in hopes that he will feel the same and let me use his house to crash in while climbing in Joshua Tree for the rest of my "gonna-be-short-if-I-don't-change" life. Hope springs eternal.

2005-01-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

This is me at Skull Rock in Joshua Tree. We hiked up to a sign that said Skull Rock, which, of course, meant I had to go looking for a skull shaped rock, which I did for about fifteen minutes. Turns out it was right by the road. Trust the signs people, unless they say the trail is .25 miles long (see below-the posting titled The Smith Family Christmas).

2005-01-11T23:41:00.000-05:00

I am standing on the fairway of a par five on the Indian Wells course. Zoom in and note that the grass is alll the way up to the trunk of every tree. This means no pine straw and no bad lies. That also means no excuses for the monster score I put up. The course record is still safe. Go beat it.

So what, nothin' ?!?...

2005-01-11T23:27:00.000-05:00

So what, I haven't put one thing on here worth commenting on? Someone post a comment on this danged thing so I'll know that the comment feature is working. If not I'll adjust the settings accordingly. If it's the content not being "Comment Worthy" then I'll pep it up with inuendo and hearsay and really get this blog a'bloggin'. Don't dare me. I'll do it. argggggghhh. Blog blog blog blog blog. Say it. SAY IT!

Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY...

2005-01-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

That means football, golf, coffee, sleeping till noon, pizza delivery, all the things that make America great. Didn't blog at all yesterday because I had to work. Easy day, good money. I still hate it, though.
On Sunday Johnny Cat meanders between eating, napping, trying to escape from the house, and looking for the best lap to relax in. It's an enviable lifestyle. I, on the other hand, need to work on resumes and clean up small messes around the house. Below are some pics of Johnny Cat. Envy her and her cushy lifestyle. Every day is Sunday to Johnny Cat.

2005-01-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

You can throw a football to Johnny and she will catch it in her paws. Not this football, however.

2005-01-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

Eat or nap, eat or nap. Johnny has to make the tough decisions all day long.

2005-01-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

The night vigil. Ever hopeful that a kindly stranger will come and set her free. Not bloody likely.

2005-01-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

Johnny is well aware of irony. We only let her out when it rains. She hates rain.

The Return of the Native...

2005-01-07T17:34:00.000-05:00

I was right. They did have a blast.
Picked up The Toner and Patrick at the airport this afternoon. Mary Dean was in line behind me to pick up Sergio and his gal. They were all tired from flying all night but excited from the adventure.
Among the early tales I got was the story of Patrick experiencing his first sneaker wave, a monster that drenched his knapsack (which, unfortunately contained all of his favorite things, like his camera, movie camera, journal, etc.).
There will be many more tales to come after Toner gets up from his post-vacation nap. A couple of pics below to show the rest of the cast.

2005-01-07T17:32:00.000-05:00

Team America at the rented condo. A good time was had by all.

2005-01-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

Team America on the way to snorkle around an old volcano crater.

2005-01-07T17:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, they played a little golf.

Coming Home in a Bodybag...

2005-01-07T13:04:00.000-05:00

I'm about to go pick Tony and Patrick up at the airport. They have been in Maui for about a week. A whole gang went and got a house. There was Toner, Patrick, Tony's sister Holly and her boyfriend Mike, Tony's brother Sergio and his cousin Silvana, Diane, the Magician, Serge's girlfriend, and a couple of others I don't know. I blew my money and my time off in Palm Springs, so had to let this trip go, but I'm sure they had a blast. I'll find out soon enough. Below are some of the cast members.

2005-01-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

Toner and Patrick in Cozumel last year.

2005-01-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Holly and Mike at the Braves/Dodgers game last March. Dodgers won. Mike was happy.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...

2005-01-06T13:33:00.000-05:00

In October the Suz and I went to Washington D.C. She had a seminar in Bethesda and she invited me to tag along. The premise was that she would need some help with luggage and stuff, as she had just come off of a surgery. As it turned out, she was feeling pretty good, and I didn't really give her much real help.
We had a blast. Every chance I got I was on the subway down to the mall (that's the National Mall, where all of the Smithsonian buildings and the cool monuments are). It was a quick train ride and it dumped you right in the middle of everything. I walked more in that three days than I had in the prior year. There was a great moon each night that made for some awesome photo ops of the Lincoln, Washington, Viet Nam, and WWII memorials.
One night the Suz and I were walking to the White House and were stopped by a guard on the sidewalk leading in front of the building. He said we had to wait because Air Force One was about to fly in and land at the White House. I think the guard was a democrat, as he gave us far more tactical information than he probably should have concerning the President's scheduled whereabouts over the course of the night. He practically pointed out a grassy knoll that the Pres would be jogging by later. I don't like the guy but it was cool to have the President fly over your head and land a few hundred feet away.
I spent a lot of time in the National Gallery of Art. I was able to revisit some of my favorite paintings that I hadn't seen in about ten years. I also managed to squeeze in trips to the new Museum of the American Indian, The Hirschhorn, the Museum of American History, Museum of Natural History, Air and Space Museum, and the National Archives.
All in all it was a grand trip, and I only took about three hundred photos in three days. Here are a few.

2005-01-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

The Budman on the Mall. My hillbilly dance is always a hit with japanese and european tourists alike.

2005-01-06T13:28:00.000-05:00

The Lincoln Memorial

2005-01-06T13:27:00.000-05:00

The Rotunda of The National Archives building. The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independance are behind me.

2005-01-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

The Suz at the National Gallery of Art. That's art she's looking at.

The Big Four-O

2005-01-06T13:11:00.000-05:00

For my birthday last year, the fortieth, the Toner and I went to play golf at Brasstown Valley. It's up in Young Harris, GA. The course and the surrounding landscape are beautiful. You can see Brasstown Bald--the highest point in Georgia--from many of the holes. We did the same course last year for his birthday. There's a great lodge and we played the course two days in a row. The greens at Brasstown Valley are among the toughest I have played; very fast and some tricky breaks. The dad says that you can start each hole with your ball at the edge of the green and still have a tough time parring the hole. It's true. I did manage to beat Toner both days, though. Great birthday.

2005-01-06T13:09:00.000-05:00

Toner on a par three.

Christmas Party 2004

2005-01-05T19:19:00.000-05:00

On December 18th, The Toner and I had a Christmas party, as is the tradition. The Floating Coats (sans Dave) played, people sang, danced, gambled, drank, and seemed to enjoy themselves immensely while reveling in the spirit of the season. I was only able to attend because I twisted my ankle the night before and it swelled up so that I was gimped out (couldn't walk) all night, so therefore could not attend my job (which I hate and can't wait to quit--more later). I like to think of it as my Christmas miracle.
The heavies started a poker game at about four a.m that I quit at 6:30 so I could get up to go to Palm Springs. I was up twenty-five bucks in a five dollar buy-in game. God bless us every one.

2005-01-05T19:12:00.000-05:00

(left-right) Jennifer, Joe B., The Toner, Victoria, and Matt enjoying a round of Close the Box--a non-violent party game.

2005-01-05T19:09:00.000-05:00

Oh, Tennenbaum.

2005-01-05T19:08:00.000-05:00

Some of our ornaments. Pretty standard.

2005-01-05T19:07:00.000-05:00

Sergio (left), BJ (seated), and I.

My Links Explained

2005-01-05T17:44:00.000-05:00

The links on the left are some of my most visited. Here's what they're about.
The Grateful Dead homepage is kind of self explanatory.
The Dark Star Orchestra is a Dead cover band that is amazing to see. They choose an old show (example: 02/23/68 at King's Beach Bowl in Lake Tahoe, CA) and do the entire set list from that show. The band is incredible and they are the next best thing to seeing the Dead. Check their site for upcoming dates and venues, past show setlists, and other cool stuff.
Lebowskifest.com is a website for the annual (or semi-annual) Lebowskifest--a festival celebrating the Coen brothers' movie "The Big Lebowski." These guys started it a couple of years ago and it has been growing ever since. Check it out, it's a blast.
Dave's Avant Garden is a blog by my pal Dave Russell. He lives in Asheville, NC and he got me hooked on rock stacking. Yes, I said rock stacking. Just check it out. He's really good and his work is beautiful.
The google news link is one that was on my original template for this blog. It may be in the user's agreement that I have to keep it on, or it may not; have you ever really read one of those things?Neither have I. In any case I will leave it on in hopes that if they start trying to charge me for the blog I can just say, "But think of all the great advertising I'm doing for you. Can you really put a price on that kind of publicity?"
Angry Alien is a terrific site that has movies redone in thirty seconds and performed by bunnies. No, really. It's great. My favorite is "Jaws." When you click on one, put the cursor over the word begin. Some of them have great audio clips attached. Also on the word replay at the end of the clip.
Bill Dan is a stacker in California. He's pretty amazing. Check his links for even more maniacs.

Why Crushed Hat?

2005-01-05T15:37:00.000-05:00

Crushed Hat is a nickname that Tony gave me in 1994. I have it engraved on my bowling ball (yes, I have a bowling ball), written on my camera case for i.d., and included in many of my sign-ins and passwords (don't try it, it won't work for much).
It is a misquote from an episode of the Simpsons in which Homer drops an oversized foam cowby hat with a camera in it (a sting operation concerning spoiled food) and runs from Apu's store. Apu drops a hot dog, which rolls to the camera lens. He picks it up, saying, "Oh, my, It's encrusted with filth. Oh well, I'll sell it anyway. But that's just between you and me, eh smashed hat?"
While preparing for a camping trip, Tony stashed a bottle of scotch in my van, saying,"I'm gonna put the scotch in here. But that's just between you and me, eh, Crushed Hat?" Misquoted, but not immediately recognized as such, the name stuck for the rest of the trip and beyond. Such is the way with nicknames. When we watched the same episode later and realized the mistake, it was far too late to do anything about it, as you can't go changing a nickname that has achieved common usage. It's like a rule. So, another in my long list of explanations of funny things that don't turn out to be as funny when explained. But there you have it.

The Smith Family Christmas...

2005-01-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

This year for Christmas the family decided to go to Palm Springs, CA. to celebrate the season. This way no one had to clean their house either before or after the holidays and the Dad wouldn't have to bring every single Christmas decoration out of the attic to decorate for a holiday we wouldn't be in town for. It worked for mom, dad, and me last year when we went to Suzanne's place, but it didn't work out as easily for Suzanne. So the Suz (my sister Dr. Suzanne R. Smith) got us Deluxe accomodations through a friend of hers. She knows a guy who owns two homes in Palm Springs. He was kind enough to let us stay and make ourselves at home. One is on a ridge overlooking the city. They filmed part of the James Bond movie "Diamonds are Forever" at this house. The other is the former home of Jack Benny. Both homes were built with entertaining large numbers of wealthy visitors in mind, so the four of us had a little room to move around in each. The trip was a blast. The Dad and I played golf three times while the Mom and the Suz played tennis (see below).
We enjoyed fine acomodations, fine dining, and fine weather (until the day we tried to leave, when rain and fog socked in the airport so that no airplanes could get in or out, forcing us to stay another day in the Jack Benny house--rats). We hit the casinos several times, and while I started out on the up, I soon lost my winnings and left them some of my hard earned female deer. The rest of the gang did well, especially the Dad, who won big on most days. I skipped the last two trips to the casino, having learned my lesson. The gods of probability were not smiling on me.
On Christmas Eve we took a tram ride to the top of a mountain overlooking the city. We ascended 5873 feet (that's over a mile to you and me) to an elevation of 8516'. It was sixty degrees in the city and thirty at the top. The tram car rotates 360 degrees as it rises, so you get incredible views on the way up and down.
The day after Christmas we went to Joshua Tree National Park. The Dad had never been to true desert before, and it was awesome for me to be there for his first excursion into the terrain that I love. I did a little bouldering and we all did some hiking, including a .25 mile hike that was an incredible one mile long. Nature is an odd thing at times. Some photos of Joshua Tree are below in yesterday's postings.
Mucho appreciado to Mike Kilroy, who owns the houses; to the Suz, who worked hard to set it all up; to the mom, who spent months downloading pertinent information and guides; and to the dad, who bankrolled the food and fun and expertly guided our rented monster SUV through the sea of palm trees and Lexuses (Lexi?). I helped out with humerous quips, jocular asides, and photographic prowess.

2005-01-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

We're at the Marriot in Palm Desert, a super-posh hotel where the Mom and the Suz played tennis while the Dad and I golfed elsewhere.

2005-01-05T14:49:00.000-05:00

Season's Greetings from Palm Springs. This is an old tram car at the bottom of the new tram ride.

Where I live...

2005-01-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

I live in Atlanta with my pal Tony Aguirre. We've been friends since first grade (that's thirty-four years to you and me, 238 to your dog). I stay at his house in East Atlanta in an area called Ormewood Park. It's a great neighborhood with easy access to everything in the world. The house is a veritable museum of forty years of collecting crap that has no value outside of sentiment. It's fun to stroll through, however. We frustrate children by having a million toys that they are not allowed to play with. I believe that toys should be played with, but I'm not going to let an eighteen month old break my Speed Racer Mach Five model. They can play with the stuffed dinosaur.
Tony is a Delta flight attendant so he is gone for three days per week (four if he's going international) and I have the place to myself to walk around in my underwear and rearrange things (read as "clean up") so he can't find them. This way, he can't kick me out because he won't know where any of his stuff is.
We have a cat named Johnny Cat. It's a girl. Don't ask. She's the single coolest cat in the world. I love Johnny Cat, but I probably wouldn't like your cat. Nothing personal.
The house is decorated with lots of Tony's paintings (to be posted later) and some of mine. Tony's a great painter when he does it, and I'm slowly improving (when I do it).
I moved in here in September of 2003, when his old roommate Pavel ( a silent Czech who stayed in his room all the time) moved out. I was living with Tony's step-sister (about a mile away) from May of 2002 until I moved in here. It's a good roomie situation, as he and I like most of the same stuff and can communicate mostly through movie and tv lines. It annoys some people to no end, but we know what we're talking about.
Oh, and we're not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But really we're not.

2005-01-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

Toner's place lit up for the holidays.

2005-01-05T14:18:00.000-05:00

The Toner and I at our 2003 Christmas party. He's in a smoking jacket, but I'm smokin' in any jacket.

An explanation of this thing...

2005-01-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

I think that in order to make navigation through this blog easier on everyone, I am going to assign titles to my entries that will identify the content. When you go to the archives (after I've done it long enough to have archives), you should be able to find what you want by the titles that are listed. Again, this is a work in progress, so forgive the gaps in continuity.
You should be able to post a comment by clicking on the word "comments" under each posting. We'll see if they appear online or not. I'm still messing with the various settings.
My pal Dave asked me via email if I would be offended if he noted spelling corrections. He was kind enough to point out that he knows that I know how to spell. I welcome any spelling or grammatical corrections, as I want to be correct, but please send them to my email at buddysmyth@hotmail.com as opposed to posting them for the world to see. I am a little sensitive, and I often hit the enter button before I review my typing carefully, so please be kind.
For the time being, I am going to use this blog, as stated earlier, to catch people up with me through pictures and words. I will not be journaling or philosophizing...yet. There will be time for that once I've got you up to speed. Then you can see what weirdo I really am. I'm not promising that I won't interject a dart here or there, but that's neither here or there.
One thing about the posting on this blog (or any blog, I guess) is that they are listed in order with the most recent first. That means that if I am correcting something or responding to something it will appear before the thing to which I am responding. So... the most logical way to view is to start at the bottom and scroll up. Well, maybe not logical, but well, you get the idea.
Now to put on some more photos. Self-indulgent? You bet! But then it's my danged blog! I will update you in coming days as to some past history and current living conditions, including work situation, relationships, etc.
Again, I'm learning, so forgive. That's my last apology.

My Second Stack

2005-01-04T22:48:00.000-05:00

After seeing my friend Dave's recent blogs and photos of his avant garden, I got inspired to do a small stack in the front yard of the house. It's just a baby one, but I was pleased with my first try at some delicate balances.
If you want to see what a real stacker can do, check out his site by clicking the link on the left side of the page (under LINKS).

Livin' The Life

2005-01-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

The Fam and I in the Bond house in Palm Springs. They filmed part of "Diamonds Are Forever" here.The Suz got us hooked up with these deluxe digs through a friend of hers. This guy owns this house and the Jack Benny house. Our neighbors at this house were Arnold Schwartzenwhatever, Pete Sampras, Bob Hope, and others. I wanted to go around to the different houses and try to borrow a cup of vodka, but the Suz wasn't having any of that.

Christmas in the Desert

2005-01-04T22:44:00.000-05:00

The Fam and I at Joshua Tree. This was the day after Christmas. It drives them crazy when I try to set up weird timer shots like this, but in the long run I think they really like them when they come out well.

Wahoo!

2005-01-04T21:23:00.000-05:00

Joshua Tree National Park is a truly amazing place. This is the Cholla cactus garden. I am jumping, not plummeting.

The Dad at Indian Wells

2005-01-04T21:21:00.000-05:00

The dad and I played golf three times on vacation, twice at Indian Wells. This course rivals any I have played anywhere in the world. That's the moon in the sky over his head. His ball can be seen at just about the one o'clock position right over his club head. Yes, it's heading right for the green. He beat me. I admit it. I hate it.

Jack Benny Poolside

2005-01-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

By the pool at the Jack Benny house. We stayed here for the second half of the Christmas vacation. Jack Benny had this house built in Palm Springs. It has a great "rat pack" feel to it.

Palm Springs Stack

2005-01-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

I did this rock stack in honor of my pal Ravin' Dave Russell. He is a superior stacker and I have caught his bug. I, however, am a sub-novice. This is my first stack. It's on a ridge overlooking Palm Springs.

Bond...James Bond. With slippers

2005-01-04T21:10:00.000-05:00

The interior of the Bond house. The slippers make the man.

The Bond House

2005-01-04T21:09:00.000-05:00

This is the house we (the fam and I) stayed in for the first half of our Christmas holiday. The movie "Diamonds are Forever" was filmed here. Part of it, anyway.

Cactus Bud

2005-01-04T20:49:00.000-05:00

That's me in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park.

This could be the beginning of something...

2005-01-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

good. With a new year comes new hope of finally getting my act together and keeping in touch with those I love. I have family members and friends who have no idea what I've been up to or where I've been spending my time and emotion. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up this blog and let those who care to know anything fill in the blanks when they want to. Plus I just love the word blog. Say it five times. Blog, blog, blog, blog, blog. Great word.
I've not been diligent in recent years about writing, calling, or answering email. Sorry about that. If you know of someone who knows me or knew me, have them take a peek at this site and drop me a line. For now, I'm gonna sign off and try to figure out the rest of this site publishing crap and put some photos and stuff on. Hope to hear from you soon.