Spaghetti Head, Scarfed Neck and a Biiiig Baby

We are sneaking up on Halloween. For many of us, that means making sure we have a costume for this year, or getting the kids ready for trick-or-treat. For some, it means going to a Halloween-themed event such as a corn maze. Check out this drone footage (not mine) of an Alice In Wonderland-themed corn maze. It was designed and created using a GPS-controlled mower and a drone to identify exactly which stalks to cut. Pretty amazing.

To help get you ready for the holiday, Sunday's Bad Jokes and Puns calendar entry was a Halloweenish one.
Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?
No, they eat the fingers separately.

And how about this for a Halloween costume?

Have you been wondering what the next big thing in hair accessories might be? If so, check out this photo from the Japanese shop Fake Food Hatanaka and wonder no more.

Did you hear that Bob Dylan has been awarded a Nobel Prize for Literature? Is it for his songs? His writing? I don't know, but it is an unusual choice, at least in my mind.

This looks like something my NLTD (No Longer Teacher Daughter) would do, and something that her cat would like.

Did anyone notice that there were no blog entries last week? I was on vacation with MBH, my parents, and Preacher Bro and his better half. In honor of that trip, here is a preacher-related calendar entry from Sunday's 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar.
Please welcome Pastor Don, a caring individual who loves hurting people.
in a church bulletin

Did you notice there was no blog post for yesterday, either? That's because I forgot because I was anxious to turn in my resignation letter to my current employer. That's right. It is time for a change of venue. I'll tell you more soon.

This is not my filing cabinet at work, but I wish it was.

Did I mention that I was away this past week? Yes, I did. Here is the first photo of our trip at a park in Dolores, CO.

And next is this nice photo of my folks walking in the park.

And I caught them looking out over the Dolores River before we got back in the car and finished our drive.

The thing about vacations is that they always come to an end. So, it's back to work How about you? I hope you had a chance to have a vacation sometime this year. They do marvelous things for your perspectives. Let's get started.

Headlines and Cookies and Dire Predictions

OK, let's say you wonder which of several choices of store-bought cookies was the best. "You wonder which of several choices of store-bought cookies was the best." Good, now let's say you'd rather someone else d the investigation and just let you know their opinion. "You'd rather someone else d the investigation and just let you know their opinion." What am I talking about. I came across just such a rating of cookies last night. They reviewed Chips Ahoy, Keebler, Entenmann's, and Pepperidge Farm. This is one of those times that I will tell you to read the article rather than reveal the winner.

I hope you've been saving some money because you are going to want one of these next items. How about a full-size flight simulator in your spare bedroom?

Today's 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar page:
Radio newscaster: Overall speeding on Ohio roads has decreased, but one group of speeders has had an overall increase in incidents: speeders going over one hundred miles per hour.
DJ: Just how fast do you have to be going to go over one hundred?
Second DJ: At least one hundred.
during a news segment on WNCI-FM (Columbus, Ohio)

Keep praying for those families in Florida impacted by Hurricane Matthew. That would include us, since SS and family are at Walt Disney World. Today, they are supposed to stay in their room all day. They've already been given box lunches. And the parks are all closed. Hopefully, they will not have problems with water or power. And we hope this prediction by Shepard Smith will not be true.

I did not read the story about the hurricane prediction by Shep Smith. I just thought the headline panel in Yahoo was funny. Once I saw that one, I found a few others that I also didn't look up, but thought they were intriguing. Here's one whose headline made me think, "Doesn't that mean you would just be watching your wall if the TV is invisible and the display is transparent?"

And here's one I wondered about, but not enough to read it. After all, couldn't articles be written about almost anything if the premise is "What if...."?

This headline could be controversial, but you must admit that, even if you do not think Stairway is the best guitar solo, you should acknowledge that it is the most ubiquitous.

This next one is a sad but not entirely surprising commentary on modern society.

Here's a photographic style question. Which composition is more interesting for you? First, let's look at one where the background is in focus and the foreground is blurred.

As you might imagine, there is also one where the foreground looks sharp and the background is blurred.

I think that I prefer the second (Well, maybe my choice might differ depending on the subject of the shot). To me, the background out of focus makes it more like a bokeh choice, while the foreground out of focus seems a bit more distracting. I really like this second photo, though.

Do you think this is a set-up photo or is the neon really broken this way? Seems suspicious.

Well, the old 'get to work ya bum' alarm just went off, so let's ride off into the 'It's Friday' sunset. We made it through the week, so let's celebrate that. Have a good one.

There's Nothing to See Here

No. I mean that literally. There is nothing to share today. For one thing, I worked late yesterday, and then we had our weekly Survivor Night with the folks and ITSis. I surfed a little last night and did not find anything fun. And nothing this morning either.

I will note that SS and family are at Walt Disney World right now. That sounds fun, you say? Normally, yes, but there is a little thing called Hurricane Matthew pass by right now. Yeah, it sounds like all of Disney is closed today and they need to stay in their room. Keep them in your prayers, both for safety and for being cooped up with kids for a day.

OK, that's it. Thanks for stopping by.

Celebrating that New Mac Smell on a Useless Slide

We had a concert last night, and the director told a joke that I thought you would appreciate. A husband takes his wife to a disco. There’s a guy on the dance floor dancing like a king; moonwalking, break dancing, head spins, the works. The wife turns to her husband and sighs: "You see that man? Twenty-five years ago, he asked me to marry him and I said no." Her husband turns to her and says: "Yep, it looks like he’s still celebrating!!"

I came across some photos that a father took recreating modeling photos that his daughter was in. They were staying the same hotel, so here are some examples. Which do you prefer?

And laying near the pool.

Posing on a couch.

This might make meetings more fun.

"No, really. There was a big stone in front of it on Saturday, and when I came back today, it was rolled away."

"Red rover. Red rover. Let someone come over by jumping off the rocks. We'll catch you. If not, you win."

"No, it's not really a half of a worm. It's just a brown spot. Uh, no, luckily, I have my own apple, so I won't bite yours."

How was the debate last night? Did you watch or listen? I watched for a few minutes and it was pretty lively. I haven't seen much on who the pundits think won.

Are any of you readers candle people? I think I've found the perfect Christmas gift for you. It's kind of like that 'new car smell', but this is 'new Mac smell'. More correctly, it is a creative director's interpretation of the new Mac smell. $24 for about 50 hours worth of smell.

I saw this next image while surfing this morning. A fight among parents at Check E Cheese in Florida. Personally, I think it was inevitable. I mean, have you ever eaten their pizza. It's enough to drive anyone crazy. We used to take the kids there back in the day, and I cannot imagine it has gotten any better.

I am not finding anything else, so I will publish today's post earlier than normal. Of course, I cannot control if you will read it any earlier, but it does let me get to work. Have a Wonderful Wednesday.

Happy 59th Anniversary!

Yep, who doesn't like a good anniversary? So, I wish Happy Anniversary to... Sputnik. 59 years ago today, the first man-made device was launched into orbit around the Earth. It only lasted 92 days in orbit, but it launched the Space Race. Just think of those who went out into their yards and could see the satellite flying overhead. It must have been awe-inspiring.

I liked this image.

Now this is a sign I think would be fun to find posted on the company bulletin board.

They were on sale, so I went ahead about bought this year's Christmas cards.

Do you watch The Voice? We don't normally, but we know someone who has made it past the first round and is on Blake's team. Truthfully, I cannot remember his name right now, but his son is in MBH's class at school.

See the overhang of the rocks over the road down below? I had a dream of us 4-wheeling through this stretch and having the drone fly along beside us. I don't remember why I didn't do this. Maybe I had a low battery? Maybe I was just too much of a newbie then and got nervous? Perhaps next time, OK?

This is rush hour, Ouray-style. Actually, there was road work ahead and we all got stuck waiting our time to pass by. I'm guessing it was 15-20 minutes that we waited.

"It'll work. I've got on my green footie shoes, so no one can see my feet. I'm wearing camo shorts, so it'll look like I've got no butt. And my shirt will blend into the tree trunks. People will only see arms, legs, and my magnificent beard. No need to try and take a photograph. I blend in too much."

Vice presidential candidate debate tonight. Who's excited to watch and participate in this year's political excitement? What're their names again?

Today's 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said entry:
Tide comes in, tide goes out. You can’t explain that.
TV host Bill O’Reilly

Today's Bad Jokes and Puns entry:
Patient: Doctor, every morning when I get up I feel dizzy for about half an hour.
Doctor: Try getting up half an hour later.

As the Rolling Stones famously sang, "Time is on my side." No, that's not true. Time is NOT on my side when I am writing a blog post. I'm looking for content. I am sifting through family photos. I am considering what personal things to share. And I have a self-imposed time limit of one hour in the morning to finish it up. As you might suspect, that time has passed, so I need to wrap this up. Thanks for sticking with today's post all the way to the end, which is here --->.

Miniatures and Mountains on a Monday

Do any of you still eat cereal for breakfast? Maybe that's what you feed your kids? I'm not sure what my kids eat, but I still have cereal for breakfast, at lest during the workweek. Mine is a mix of 4-5 different cereals, all with 6 grams of sugar or less. That's not my point in raising this question. I came across a survey where people logged onto Mrbreakfast.com and ranked their favorites. After 570,000 votes, Quisp came out on top. Have you even ever heard of it? It was released in 1965 and discontinued in the 1970s. As you might guess now, the survey skewed towards older cereals. It seems millennials are less inclined to cereals than older respondents. Read the article. It is interesting. See if you agree with the rankings.

Ron Maxfield is building a scale model of his hometown, Corsicana, TX, in the early 1900s. He posted a bunch of photos on Facebook. Check them out. I posted one below that caught my eye because he is even including dead patches in the lawn. Pretty cool. BTW, it is also the hometown of MBH.

And while I was surfing, I came across this photo still from The Godfather. Have you heard of that movie? It turns out that, in the scene depicted below, James Caan is on the phone and a tin from Collin Street Bakery in there in the corner. So what? That is still a thriving business based in Corsicana and we have had their fruit cake more than once.

If you think of the South, which states come to mind? Mississippi? Georgia? Louisiana? Florida? What about Texas? 42,000 on vox.com felt Mississippi is the most Southern state. You can read about the actual votes in the article.

Check out this photo. Yes, it is the same mat, just turned upside down.

Here is a cool photo taken on top of a mountain at about 14,000 ft. I don't think I've ever been that high. I was not part of the crew that climbed Mt. Sneffels.

Here is a shot of a couple of our Jeeps coming down from Ophir Pass. It is less than 12,000ft. That's practically sea level, right?

I cannot remember exactly what was going on in this next photo, but I think this dude was talking about the mouth pain he was feeling in the lower left and upper right of his mouth. Or maybe this is his technique for this year's Jack-O-Lantern?

Today's 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar entry. I included their header info.
ON EX-SOCCER STARS, CONTORTIONAL ABILITIES OF:
"In his interviews, Beckham manages to sit on the fence very well and keeps both ears on the ground."
Soccer manager Brian Kerr

People, I am not finding anything else for today. And I do have a lot of stuff to do, so I am outta here. Well, by that, I mean I will be publishing today's post and beginning my work day. I am not actually 'outta here'. See you soon.

Droning and Droning On

Fun Disney World fact: Most of the buildings on Main Street were built using 'forced perspective. which was used in most multi-story buildings in the park. The first floors are built to regular size, but the additional floor facades are built to 5/8 and 1/2 scale, giving the illusion that the building is taller than it actually is.

No pie? That makes me sad.

Plan Ahea
d

"What? Somebody brought a drone?"

"Well, I heard that one was buzzing around near here, but I haven't seen it yet."

"What's that noise? A giant fly buzzing around my head?"

"I didn't hear anything."

"Oh, that's cool."

I found both of my daily calendar entries to be clever today. First, the Bad Jokes and Puns one.
9-1-1 dispatcher: Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?
Man on the line: Please send the fire department—my house is on fire!
Dispatcher: How should we get there?
Man: Don't you still have those big red trucks?

And next, the Stupidest Things Ever Said entry. Today, I am including the calendars heading. I don't usually do that, but it helps set up the oddly-phrased newspaper column:
ON MOUNTAIN LIONS, EXCESSIVELY BUREAUCRATIC
LOS ANGELES—A mountain lion suspected of killing at least two suburban dogs was shot to death after a state warden spotted it taking a report near the scene of the latest attack.
from the San Bernardino County Sun

I think I will end today's post with an inspirational message I came across last week. It is from Joe Sabah, a consultant and motivational speaker (I don't know the name, but maybe some of you are big fans). He said "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

OK, Friday is busting out around me, and I am going to join in. Have a Fabulous Friday, a Wonderful Weekend, and I will be back next week.

Coffee, Cats, and Cascade Falls

Today is National Coffee Day. If you are a coffee drinker, I know there are some deals and/or free coffees available. Check with your favorite purveyor and see what offers they have.

It's cooler weather (that's relative in the desert Southwest, of course), but it means that trees are starting to change color. However, the timing of Fall colors differs depending on where you live. Luckily, this article gives you an idea of when the peak colors will be in each region of the US of A. This is a photo (not mine) of Walden Pond in the Fall.

I had to do a double-take to figure this one out. I'm sure you got it deciphered quicker than I did.

Here's part of our crew playing a customized version of Monopoly at the reunion. I did notice that the Jail square seems to have been altered to be a slight on one of the family members, namely Yours Truly. Hmm. That's OK. It was a clever gift for dad by Ex-NZ Accountant and her better half.

This was supposed to be a nice evening photo of the waterfall you can vaguely see behind this youngster's head. However, it was photobombed by these two yahoos and you can't even see the waterfall. OK, you caught me. It is not one of my photos and it was probably always a selfie-style shot that happened to have the waterfall behind it.

I think this shot should be entitled, "Exploring". I wonder if there would be ominous music in the background if this were in a movie since he is heading off towards an old, abandoned house? I really like the photo, though.

I had to reboot my computer twice this morning to get it to respond correctly. That ate up a lot of my blog-building time. So, we will end today's post earlier than usual. By that, I mean with less content. It is not any earlier on the clock since I have already reached my allotted time for blogging. I'll be back tomorrow, though, with more fun stuff.