Free Housing

Only slightly Used


For those following the adventures of our little Wren's, I just realized that I failed to mention that Winkin', Blinkin, and Nod flew the coop away last Thursday afternoon sometime between 12 and 3 PM.

When I walked by going to my lunchtime pool expedition they were there, and when I came back the nest was empty.



I'ts sorta sad, but at least we managed to get them grown up and out on their own, all the while hatching out in a mailbox four feet off the ground in a high traffic area of our condos.

Here's the sign I had posted on the bulletin board over their nest.




Bye bye little birdies, If you can't write...please call...

More "Business Center" Blogging

Fast, But Expensive...


So here I am again, in a rented chair, in a rented room, in front of a rented computer, getting my daily fix of the internet.

The good news is that the computer and it's internet connection is really fast...DSL phase II or something like 6 G bits so Dallas, the owner, says.

So I've checked E-mail and the President isn't looking for me, I took a peek at a few other blogs, enjoyed reading about Israel kicking some Lebanese butts, an now I guess that it's time to head back to the beach for another stumble stroll.

Hopefully I'll have Pat's computer back in town tomorrow night, and until then.

Regards Y'all...

The Weather Is Here

Wish You Were Beautiful...


I'm sitting here in a local "business center" paying $5 for 20 minutes on a DSL line so I'll make this brief.

Still no response from the newspaper regarding a job or their crappy reporting of my "K Street Tree Project."

I'm on my way to the beach for a brisk stumble walk. I haven't been down there in a while, and I'm taking my camera.

If I find anything interesting (500 pound men in tanktops or 300 pound women in G-String Bathing Suits) I'll be sure to save your eyes by NOT taking any pictures.

Click on some of my links or go see what Steve over at Hog On Ice is doing in my absence.

I sure miss y'all...

Signing Off The Air

For A Short Time...


Well ladies and gentlemen, I have to admit that I'm guilty.

My notebook PC crapped out a couple of months ago and, instead of getting it fixed, it's been setting in our office closet being neglected.

Now Pat has to travel back to her Chicago office this week, taking her little Dell PC with her, and I'll be forced to spend the next four days with infinite network capability, but no functioning computer.

I guess that this situation may force me to look into what ails the machine and buy a new cooling fan and a couple of other critical pieces--wishfully hoping that the hard disk is intact.

I hope to steal some surfing time and possibly do a little blogging from the public library, because all of our neighbors are computer challenged and/or don't have internet connections.

I guess that's a result of being nearly 100 years old or something.

Any hoooooooo...y'all take care 'O yourselves this week and think about me while I thrash around in my latest adventures.

Send out a search party if you don't hear back from me by Friday night.

Our Birds Are Growing

Winkin', Blinkin', And Nod Say Hello...


We held our breath for three and one half days worrying about our little Wren family in our absence, but I'm proud to say that their mom did a perfect job of feeding and defending them while we were gone.

They're starting to look like birds rather than dinosaurs.

Here...take a peek after my camera's flash woke them up early this morning...

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

My Own Personal Trial By Fire


People that are bloggers or otherwise are serious blog readers are already aware of this reality, but if you’re not, let me tell you something that might or might not surprise you.

Being a blogger can cost you a great deal, even if the actual service supporting your blog is free.

I know of a number of fellow bloggers that have lost their jobs because of things that they said on their personal Blogs, even though their blogging was done in their own private homes, on their own personal computers, on their own time.

Thus is the case with my situation here on this blog and over at my Redneck Gourmet cooking blog—both websites currently being graciously hosted for free by Google’s Blogger.com.

All my blogging has cost me thus far is my time and intellectual effort.

Apparently, this status quo is about to change.

You see, right now I am faced with two very serious situations in my private and professional life which might ultimately end up impairing my ability to keep blogging, else they could end up affecting a job opportunity that I have not as yet mentioned in public. My ongoing efforts doing community service may also be substantially affected, depending on the final outcome.

I have a number of different ways I can respond to these situations but, in the end, when it is all said and done, it basically comes down to selling out my own loudly proclaimed convictions (what I call going with the flow) for a small financial gain and a little glory, else calling a Spade a Spade and letting the chips fall where they may.

I think that I hear some chips clinking around my feet right now…

You see, I have an opportunity to realize my dream of actually working for a local Newspaper in their newsroom, and I’m supposed to respond to our negotiations today...BUT…

Ironically, this very same newspaper happens to be one that I have a problem with the way they’ve handled their reporting of a story in which I am personally involved.

I wrote about the situation yesterday afternoon in my previous posting called Being Ignorant…Or Being Ignored.

Those that know me in person know where this thing is probably going.

I just can’t keep my loud mouth shut.

Maybe I’m just stupid hard headed.

I’m calling them on the situation, and getting to the bottom of where things are going so that I can decide NOW about how much additional effort I should expend and if I can actually survive in the employment environment into which I’m thinking of injecting myself.

Actually I’m not calling, I’m writing.

Later today I’m hand delivering a package of written documentation (e-mail correspondence and my original proposal to the city) of my efforts and involvement to the offending Newspaper reporter addressing my perceived “issues”, then I’m going to wait and see what happens.

Either I’ll learn that there is some as yet identified “vast conspiracy” attempting to usurp my “K Street Tree Project” for the political benefit of others, else there has just been a bit of sloppy, lazy reporting that resulted in the TOTAL OMISSION of mention of MY involvement in conceiving of the project and moving it forward to date.

The bad news is that by being forced to challenge the very organization with which I’m seeking employment (at a pay rate far, far below that at which I am qualified to receive in engineering), I may be jeopardizing my journalistic job prospects.

The other thing that bothers me is that I’ve recently been tempted to just sit back and let the city pay for the project with local and federal funding from various grants and financial sources.

I’ve spent hours on the telephone and in meetings in person attempting to pry some money out of some of the local philanthropic organizations, but since there are over 80 non-profit organizations in our county clamoring and competing for funding, let’s just say that “the pickin’s is slim…”

The thing is, I have to admit that I’ve written extensively about my opposition to “public funding” of “the arts” for arts’ sake, but thus far to date I’ve assuaged my conscience with the knowledge that the city already has a financial liability on this project because the city ripped the old tree out of the ground by it’s roots in order to save money on a sewer pipe project.

I think that it would be quite reasonable to require them to pay some of that savings back by restoring the tree to the place where it grew up, even if it is in a somewhat altered form.

Any way, am I crazy to end up with no job due to my adherence to my values and philosophy?

What about possibly getting kicked out of my own art project due to my adherence to values and philosophy?

If so, then I say so be it—I’m putting my money where my mouth is. At least nobody can say I’m a hypocrite.

Would someone please explain to me how I always end up getting myself into these situations?

Being Ignorant…Or Being Ignored

I’m Not Certain Which Is Worse


OK, I had been back in town for less than an hour today when I managed to find something that caused me to be EXTREMELY PISSED OFF.

You remember me posting about MY so called K-Street Tree Project?

You know, the project that I conceived of last February and wrote about here.

You know, the project that I first met with the mayor and the city administrator last February and wrote about here.

You know, the project that I met with the mayor, the city administrator, the County Arts Director, made a conference call with an artist in Pennsylvania last Thursday afternoon, and wrote about here.

You know, the project that I’ve spent over forty hours developing from scratch and putting the team together to implement it.

YES, THAT K-STREET TREE PROJECT.

That said, look at this article in today’s Brunswick News:

Massive oak may live anew

By KEITH LAING
The Brunswick News

The city of Brunswick is contemplating giving an oak tree felled during a K Street sewer repair project new life.

Mayor Bryan Thompson said the city is considering hiring a professional sculptor to carve the fully grown tree that had once shaded K Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Amherst Street into a community landmark that celebrates the lives of prominent Georgians.

The tree weighs more than 180,000 pounds.

Among those being considered to be commemorated are Georgia founder James Oglethorpe, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and poet Sidney Lanier. The project is expected to cost about $35,000.

Neighborhood residents expressed displeasure when the tree was removed late last year.

Thompson said the sculpture would be the city's way of apologizing to them.

"That tree should have never come down, but we now have the opportunity to bring it back in an altered form, re-done in a way that should last indefinitely," he said.

He added that the sculpture would be a welcome addition to the city landscape.
"There would be nothing else like it in the community," Thompson said. "We think it's going to be embraced."

A former artist himself, Thompson said that the key to making the project successful would be allowing the effected neighborhood to participate in the tree's renaissance.

He said he hopes Pennslyvania-based artist Joe King will be able to do more than carve the tree while he is here.

"I like the idea of being able to use the artist to teach wood carving classes so that it's more than somebody coming in, carving the tree up and there it is," he said.

King agreed to offer his expertise to the community during a teleconference with Thompson and City Manager Roosevelt Harris last week. He also expressed an enthusiasm for the project.

"It's a very exciting project," King said. "It's nice to be able to salvage something that's almost like a piece of history."


Notice anything missing?

Some little something like MY NAME, perhaps?

I don’t know if it is a case of political intrigue on the part of the Mayor’s office, editorial/journalistic ineptitude, or a little of both, but for some silly reason I feel that I most definitely have cause to feel wronged in this presentation of MY IDEA to the public of Glynn county.

Somebody...

Anybody...

Please tell me...

Why do I keep on putting up with this crap?

I'm Being Watched

Roof Clean, Pork Butt Consumed, Cat Happy I'm Going Home


Well Folks...I managed to survive my working vacation long weekend in Lower Alabama, not much worse for the wear.

This little guy is a great fellow, but I think that he's jealous of me and my relationship with my lovely mother:



We're heading back home to our little island tomorrow morning. Do you think that a cat can dance and sing?

That one probably will.

Help Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I'm Melting


Just three words describe my priorities today

Roof
Boston Butt


Wish me luck...