Boo

You never know when an impromptu game of Chicks or Sticks might break out. For my plan to work...I'm gonna need to teach a black lab and two miniature donkeys how to count to 20. The devil is in the details.

Top-shelf quit BKP. You put in the miles. Now you get to enjoy the view.

You're doing great Kate. Congratulations.

Great job Mona. Seven-months of freedom is cause for celebration.

Two. The family Boo is now the proud owner of two miniature donkeys. Here's the thing, miniature donkeys are very sociable animals and like to have barnyard friends. The farmer we bought the donkeys from was quick to point this out right before he generously offered a special price if we bought more than one. He introduced us to two young geldings named Peanut and Shorty. They were born within two weeks of each other and are pretty much inseparable at this point. Well...you don't want your miniature donkey to get lonely and it would have been a shame to split up a couple of lifelong friends. And the rest is history. We haven't brought Peanut and Shorty home yet. I've got a little bit of prep work to do before they can set up house. I need to put up some new fencing and build a shelter for them. Those are fairly simple jobs that I can knock out over the next three or four weekends. Peanut. Shorty. Welcome to the family boys.

If you had a miniature donkey, what would you name him? The reason I ask is, it's beginning to look like I may be the owner of miniature donkey in the very near future. A guy down the road from us has miniature donkeys and is looking to sell a few. Sugar Britches is enamored with these little donkeys and is using the whole "Maddie would love a baby donkey" angle to sell me on the idea of buying one. I'm a stubborn man, but Sugar Britches knows where I'm vulnerable to cave. Still not sure what use we have for a little donkey, but they are cute...

Way to go Joe.

"Sow" would be the correct term, but that seems a bit disrespectful. Birthday wishes going out to Rec's mother. One-hundred years is quite the milestone.

I was talking in another thread about my baby daughter's blossoming drumming career (banging on pots and pans with a wooden spoon). Reminded me of this song, when I was a kid this was the official Friday theme song of the Morning Zoo Crew in Chattanooga...

Not only has the little gal found her voice, she has also discovered percussion instruments. One of her favorite things to do now is bang on a stainless steel pot with a wooden spoon. If she ever gets her hands on a pair of cymbals and a bass drum, everybody in the county will be able to hear her.

Salute the Sarge.

Congratulations on ten-months of freedom. Great job Angeleek.

Great job Steven. Congratulations. That's awful news. Sorry to hear about your family's loss.

I grew up going to church with a bunch of "tambourine shaking Baptists." There was a split in the family between Southern Baptists and The Church of Christ. Those on the Church of Christ side of the family thought we were a bunch of heathens. Meanwhile, the Southern Baptist side of the family was too busy enjoying sing-a-longs and covered dish dinners to care what they thought.

Great job Johnny. You built a great quit for yourself and have blazed a trail for those following your lead. Top shelf!

We took care of Saturday night. Now it's time for a little Sunday morning.

I do like the tempo of the washing machine version better. If you listen to Mel McDaniel's version at 1.5 playback speed it closely resembles the washing machine version. Makes it more of a hand-clapping, foot-stomping, hootenanny kind of song. And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

What's this? We got a "Saturday" theme going here? And thanks to the internet, I'll never hear the song "Louisiana Saturday Night" without thinking of a washing machine that is out of balance...

I was still working as a raft guide on the Ocoee and Nantahala Rivers when that movie came out. All of us in the business agreed that we needed a Hollywood movie that depicted whitewater trips in a better light. We had "Deliverance" and "The River Wild." Not only did I never have a client get seriously injured during my guiding days there were also no kidnappings. I also never observed anyone with a "pretty mouth" being forced to "squeal like a pig." Didn't happen on my watch and what folks did once they left the outpost was none of my business.

Talked for a little while with a guy who started out as a professional acquaintance but has become a friend. He is a mechanic and shop owner. We send any company trucks that need repaired to him. He's a good mechanic and a great guy. He's also a smoker, a heavy smoker. Every time he would take a drag off of his cigarette, he would cough and clear his throat. Then he had a terrible coughing fit that went on for a while. He was out of breath. His face turned red. His eyes watered-up from coughing so hard. I have noticed a change in his demeanor lately. He seems tired all the time. He doesn't laugh as much as he used to and when he does laugh it sets off a coughing spell. The cigarettes are beginning to take a toll on him. He has asked me about quitting before and I was more than happy to tell him about my experience. Unfortunately, it never really took with him. His "quits" would start in the morning and be over before noon. It's a damn shame. He could quit right now, but I seriously doubt he ever will. He is beginning to feel the heavy burden of smoking and that load only gets heavier going forward. I quit four years-ago. Smoking is a distant memory and I am a bit complacent about my quit most days. However, today was a reminder of how grateful I am to have quit smoking.

There is no reason to hide. Other folks will make their decisions, you have no control over that. You have made your decision, you have full control over that. Be relentless with your commitment. Do that and you can stay the course regardless of what happens in the periphery. Is having a few drinks now worth throwing away your quit? Priorities.

Don't forget to thank the good folks over at the Jiffy Lube for sponsoring the five-day forecast.

The goat abides.