What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[the King]

Smile: I'll have the entire house to myself tomorrow until mid afternoon. Plenty of time o catch on BioInfinite.

Frown: A/C guys haven't called back with an estimate. I'm requesting free freon until they fix this mess.

Frown: The reason I'll have the house to myself is that my wife will be going to the beach with friends and not listening to John Phillips Sousa with me. I'll also have to hear "Why didn't you go to the beach with us?" from several people over again and then hear "I don't know why Luke doesn't like the beach?".

Well, it's simple: I don't like being uncomfortably hot nor do I like to swim in God's cesspool.

Everything is so damned hot at the beach and I don't feel like breaking a sweat by just sitting around qualifies as relaxation. Sand gets everywhere including in your drinks, on your food, in your handhelds (which doesn't really matter because it will be too hot to hold the handheld and to glaring to se the screen).

"Take a dip in the ocean, it will get the sand off and it is refreshing!". No it doesn't and no it isn't. You come off more sandy and smelly but with a new respect for jellyfish.

I'd much rather go fishing on a lake, or scuba diving, or something other sitting around sweating. I'll never understand how being scorched can be relaxing.

I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.

[dsheinem]

I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.

+1

[Luke]

I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.

I knew sooner or later someone would pick up on that.

Frown: Called my Pops at home: no answer.

Called Pops at work: he answered.

We're a very Patriotic family (besides the fact we think the movie THE PATRIOT is dumb, and we only root for the Patriots if we have coin on 'em), and 7/4 is like Christmas to my Father. Saddens me he doesn't have the entire day (and tomorrow) off to celebrate.


edit* Smile and Gloating: I always wait until the last minute to purchase fireworks, unless I'm in SC where the real good stuff is, as you get better deals. Just got back from a fireworks tent with a pretty good haul at a great price.

As soon as I walked into the tent an attractive and heavily pierced woman in her late twenties (guessing) asked if she could help. I asked if they had Cuckoos and Killer Bees, as they are loud as s#it and I love 'em loud. Lucked out and bought the rest they had. Also picked up a few cones, repeaters, and fountains. Pretty Lady asked "Anything else I can help you with?", and I told her "What's the loudest firework you have here? I'm all about the screamers". Hand to Buddha she said "You've got a screamer right here...I'm sorry, that must have been awkward". We both laughed, but I don't know if she was coming on to me or making a joke. Anyway, when checking out I asked if they would be open tomorrow and having clearance, she told me they would be basically be giving them away.

I asked "Any way I could get tomorrow prices today?" and *bam* my total went from $60 to $24 and change.

[mjmjr25]

Kids are really excited for the 4th, we have been developing some really nice traditions, to blend w/our existing (ie, w/my parents) traditions.

We'll head to my folks house around noon where i'm usually grillmaster, but until my parents upgrade the grill - I told my mom i'm done. Uneven heat, doesn't get above 325, miserable grill. One of those grills that looks gorgeous, stainless steel, big, lots o fancy knobs - it does it all, except cook your food. I have a Weber Silver Genesis B grill, the most unassuming plain looking grill you'd ever see. Got it as a wedding gift (13 years ago). Gets a ton of use, next to zero maintenance, never even put a cover on it through our winters. Starts up every single time, even after 4-5 months off during winter, and gives fast even heat. But, I digress...

So we'll eat and then play games. I design new games each year and we tally place points and assign prizes. Some games are new entirely, some will be takes on existing games, and some are just fun outside games that most folks have never heard of. They'll be about 40 of us playing, so it will def. be competitive. Minor bummer, my brother in law who is just an amazing guy has to work until 530, so he'll miss most of it.

A couple games we'll play:

3 man skis - (2) 2x4's, each w/3 shoe loops and you have to walk a course together in the best time.

Poison Stump - A treated 4x4x4' board is stood on end, everyone gathers around the board and locks hands. Two rules, you can't touch the board and you can't let go of either hand you're holding. If you do either of these, you're out. It's tatamount to tug of war with 40 people and it wittles down to two people.

4-way tug of war - take an old hose (or rope), cut into 2 20' sections, tie them together at the center so you have (4) 10' foot sections coming out, one in each direction, then it's 4-team tug of war. Good strategy is to identify the strongest team, and all 3 teams pull agains that team, then 2 on 1, then the two weakest teams fight for the prize.

Egg Relay - 3 person teams take an uncooked egg. The game is simple. You have to get your egg from point A to point B (150' away). Fastest team wins. Only rule is - the person holding the egg can not move their feet.

Corner Game - Identify 4 corners on the property - each corner represents numbers on a die. Two of the corners represent a single number (1) and (2). You get to these corners by running backwards. Two of the corners represent (2) numbers (3/4 and 5/6), you get their by running straight. Roll the die, whatever comes up, the people at the corner w/that number are out. Two rules, you must switch corners each round. The last person in the group to get to their corner is automatically out (before shaking the die). This creates a decision - do I go to the corner w/more safety (only 1 chance to be eliminated instead of 2) but also I have to take a risk in getting their too slow (by running backwards).

There are another half a dozen games designed, but i'm sure you're bored by now.

[Luke]

There are another half a dozen games designed, but i'm sure you're bored by now.

Sounds great Mike.

I'll stick with catch (frisbee, baseball, 16" softball), badminton, cornhole, croquet, and avoid the dog poop I missed.

My friends are driving around a two hour round trip drive to see fireworks in a nearby town. If they think I'm going, tough noogies. We have a pretty good show here in Greenville, but unfortunately the crowd is usually full of drunk and stoned college kids. And my buddy Pringles has dozens of mortars and rockets, but is afraid to shoot them off (he's had them for three years now) unless he's in BFE. I told him, set them off at my house, I'll invite the neighbors and no one is going to call the cops on you.

But no. "If I shoot one off and we get caught the cops will take them". BS, put them in my shed or outdoor storage closet and they'll never see them. Hell, my yard is fenced and he could leave them outside and not even worry. But no. I think the real issue is that if he comes over here, he'll have to drive, and will probably be drunk within hours. I told him I'd be happy to give him a ride, but no. He went from casual drinker, skipped being a drunk, and went straight to being an alcoholic. He and I will be having a talk over the weekend.

[fastbilly1]

Ticked - we are in the middle of that terrible rain/flooding that is hitting the southeast. Thankfully it is just heavy rain, not a thunderhead, but I really gotta cut my grass today or tomorrow (tomorrow is the more likely right now). Per the weather soothsayers it looks like its going to rain until next weekend though.

Smiled - Picking up an Astro City on Saturday morning for a great price. I have only been ogling them since the late 90s, they were just always out of my price point.

[Forlorn Drifter]

: Normally, 4th of July plans revolve around my grandpa, because his birthday is the 4th. However, he has emphysema and other breathing issues, and he had to be put back in the hospital this week, so that's not exactly going to work.

[MrPopo]

Smile: Going to lunch at the smokehouse later, followed by our annual viewing of 1776 (we watch that movie almost every year on the 4th. If you've never seen it, you really should 'cause it's excellent).

I'm confused. Normally you like terrible movies; what's with you liking something awesome?

[Retrodude]

Smile: Going to lunch at the smokehouse later, followed by our annual viewing of 1776 (we watch that movie almost every year on the 4th. If you've never seen it, you really should 'cause it's excellent).

I'm confused. Normally you like terrible movies; what's with you liking something awesome?

Nobody's perfect.

[indecks]

Smiled - Picking up an Astro City on Saturday morning for a great price. I have only been ogling them since the late 90s, they were just always out of my price point.

Are you in Georgia, and was it for $300?

I saw someone post about one like that (looked like it was at a pawn shop no less!) in GA for $300.