Tawanka Found This Funny

So do I. I'd seen it before, so it's not original nor can I attribute this to her, as I can for so many other things that she sent me while she was alive, but the email that comes next in the series doesn't apply right now. Guess that means someone reading this really needs to laugh, because this one's appropriate now.

Enjoy.
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(November 22, 1998)

John invited his mother over for dinner. During the meal, Mom couldn't help noticing how attractive and shapely the housekeeper was. She wondered if there was more going on than met the eye.

John told her, "I know what you must be thinking, Mom, but I assure you, my relationship with my housekeeper is purely professional."

A week later the housekeeper told John, "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don't think your mother took it, do you?"

So John sent a letter to his mother that read, "Dear Mother: I'm not saying you did take the gravy ladle, and I'm not saying you didn't, but the fact remains that it has been missing ever since you were here for dinner."

Several days later, John received a letter from his mother that said, "Dear Son: I'm not saying you sleep with your housekeeper, nor am I saying you don't. But the fact remains that if she were sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now. Love, Mom."

Four Second Blog Post

Still exhausted from tournament, but wanted to share this:


Yep, that's me and 2008 Wyndham Championship winner Carl Pettersson.
(No, the date's not correct at all and no, I'm not going to spend the time taking it off.)

But I'm Already Tired!

So, the madness has begun for tourney and continues tomorrow evening with the Green Coat Club Reception. Luckily, the dress was in the mail when I got home and I was able to squeeze a pedicure in between work and the meeting at Natty's tonight.

All that to say: the craziness has begun, I've got A LOT left to do at the office before I leave, oh, and I need to turn in my paper for my boards on Tuesday. I'm thinking that there may be no feasible way to get it done.

Of course, had I worked on it instead of emailed and blogged for the last 30 minutes, I'd at least be 30 minutes closer to done.

Ahh, c'est la vie.

Here Fishy, Fishy

It's been over 10 years since I learned how to fly fish, and I've not been nearly enough. But that might change soon.

Part of the reason I've not been nearly enough is that I haven't had waders to go fishing. It means I'm restricted to wading in ice cold mountain streams in jeans and sneakers(not fun). I've off and on seriously thought about just laying out the money to get, well, almost everything except a handful of flies, my rod and my reel. However, if you know anything at all about fly fishing, you know it's (a) beautiful to watch and (b) it's *&^% expensive.

So, now I have waders. I got them Friday evening. And they're probably not the best in the world, but for $20, given the amount of fishing I'm doing these days, I don't feel like I've just sunk way too much money into this hobby.

Trout are fickle little buggers, you see, and fly fishing just takes that challenge to an even higher level. We don't cheat like the spin fishers. We don't tempt our fish with stuff they wouldn't eat in the wild, like corn or baloney or worms. Nope. Fly fishers like a challenge.

Our challenge is to convince a very intelligent fish (as fishes go) to eat something that LOOKS like something they might normally eat. It has to move the way it normally would; it has to fall in places it normally would. It has to sink and float the way a bug normally would.

I mean, really: would you believe that this caddis fly:

Is the same thing as this caddis?

No?

Well, this brown trout did:

Imagery and Sybolism

Imagery and symbolism is on my mind these days, as I have to admit that I'm considering another tattoo. I've thought for years about getting another, but had to answer two questions before that could happen: "Where?" and "What?"

I've recently been able to answer the last of those two questions, with the help of an artist on Etsy, and the second one will involve quite a few symbols. Aside from being thrilled that I'd finally found the 'base' of my second (because I feel it represents a lot about who I am now), I decided to look into the symbolism of those images in both my current and my future tattoo.

I did and here's what I've found out (courtesy of VanishingTattoo.com):

Star: As a light shining in the darkness, the star is often considered a symbol of truth, of the spirit and of hope. The symbol of the star embodies the concept of the divine spark within each of us. Their nocturnal nature leads stars to represent the struggle against the forces of darkness and the unknown.

Turtle: The spirit of the turtle is one of protection, healing and inner knowledge. The Turtle is considered by some Indigenous North Americans to be one of their the oldest, most sacred symbols. They believed that North America was created on the back of a turtle. Turtle is also courageous because it makes progress only when it sticks its neck out, and moves forward with patient, steady flow in order to achieve the desired results.

Mermaid: Mermaids are a symbol of subtle feminine power and mystery. The long flowing hair of the Mermaid (symbolizing an abundant love potential) can also be seen in the representations of the Goddesses Aphrodite and Venus. Mermaid symbolism includes: beauty, elusiveness, mystery, allure, privacy, persuasiveness, sensuality, and love. The song of the Sirens (also mermaids) call men to abandon themselves, to transform, to die to self and emerge into a new form with new knowledge and understanding.

Heart: The heart is the eternal symbol of love, romance, and the very life force within all of humankind. Getting to the "heart of the matter" suggests that the heart rules the source of truth and love.

Crown: The crown has long been used as a symbol of royal power and authority. The crown is a visible badge of office, granting the wearer the absolute right to rule. That authority to rule was often held to be divinely inspired. As a symbol, the crown also symbolizes leadership, and the rightful authority which comes from being elected by a group to serve as their leader. It symbolizes an individual's sovereignty over their own life, feelings, thoughts, and actions. The crown symbolizes self-control, and is a reminder to use power and authority wisely and justly.

After finding that information, it's pretty obvious to me why I decided on that design. If you know me at all, I'm pretty sure you'd agree.

Saturday Evening Peace

. . . during my very impromptu trip to Topsail Island, NC.

This is Not The Post I Want to Write

But I've determined that what I want to write should not be written here. So, on that note . . .
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(March 20, 1999)

Someone said the test of courage is not to give up but to rise up and take command of our moods. When talking to someone we trust doesn't ease the stress, then writing it down can make a world of difference.

Writing to ourselves can bring out many causes of sadness or anger that we didn't know we were harboring. A daily journal has been the source of help in learning what we have hidden away unconsciously, only to come out and whip us at the most unlikely times. It is a way of "cleaning house" and making corrections in the privacy of our own minds without having to tell the world.

Do not hurt your neighbor, for it is not him you wrong, but yourself.

Peace,
Tawanka