http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:phrostie&section=today deviantART RSS for by:phrostie en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:21:27 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/28585056/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/28585056/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:43:10 PST
]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/28352131/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/28352131/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:38:49 PST
we went to a school that was run by nuns. we cursed them at the time and were certain that they cursed us as well. later when seeing them on the street(older and grayer) they would find the energy to run up to us just for a hug.

kind of funny how now years after that we've become the old farts. yes the tables have turned.

back in those days when asked by a potential girlfriend if i liked kids i would respond with something like, of course BBQed. now that i have 3 and they are mostly grown i can't imagine life with out them. Dave seems to have made the change later than me, but with far more conviction. his passsion for his "Girls" is inspiring.

if asked who became the better man i'll have to tip my hat to him.
as my dad would say, he's a keeper.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/25601777/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/25601777/ Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:15:04 PDT
on one trip while passing thru one of my favorite valleys I couldn’t help but stop and take a picture of this really cool granite plateau that was sticking up out of the center of the valley. I’d seen it many times, but for some reason it caught my eye differently than it ever had before. It was almost magical. The only thing it was missing was some sort of castle or fortress built on top of it. My picture taken, I got back on the bike and headed on. The rest of the trip and to be honest up until a few weeks ago, I’ve tossed around the idea of who those people would be that lived in that fortress. What would their story be.

Every fortress has something it protects, I figured a princess or a magical artifact have already been done. It has to be something that gives the people who live there a purpose. Something that would be coveted by others. Who hasn’t heard of the expression, knowledge is power.

A library would be protected within the great keep and those that protected it would be guildsmen who have sworn to preserve knowledge and skills so that they are not lost to time.

Ok, so maybe only a book worm like myself would find the idea of a university in a medeval setting noble or romantic. But there had to be something I could do with this. Who would be the protagonists, the counter culture that feared or envied this wealth of knowledge that the Guildsmen protected. I was at a blank.

A few weeks ago we were at a convention and I kept noticing a large turnout of what I guess is called steampunk type characters. They were really cool, but I couldn’t help but think that everything from the cloth to the hardware of their costumes looked recycled. That was it.

Two cultures living side by side with opposing views on what technology should be. One culture that believes that a person should learn how everything is done from the bottom up and looks on the other culture as scavengers. The other culture believes in holding onto and reusing what ever they can find but looks on the first group as extremist even cultist.

They live side by side each on separate sides of a great river and connected by their love for the land on which they live and an old metal bridge built in a previous era.

So it is that i introduce you to a magical land where the only magic is knowledge.

The Guildsmen of Marble

Chapter 1 [link]

Chapter 2 [link]

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/25129204/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/25129204/ Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:53:30 PDT
I'm not looking to swap out for a new camera, but I'm not some zealot who only buys products from one company either. Those who do make excuses saying they are "loyal" or some other B.S.

I'd like to hear from others what their current or past favorite cameras were/are and why.
what made them work for you?

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/24715941/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/24715941/ Tue, 12 May 2009 06:35:01 PDT
Sunday driving back from San Antonio we were on the last stretch from Glen Rose to Cleburne when we passed this old barn I’d seen a thousand times.
In north Texas most barns are all wood. This one was all rock on the front and back with a half rock/half wood on the sides. The roof was tin, but curved with an arch that ran the length. Not pointed like most you would see. The style of stone work is very common in the hill country and can be traced back to Bavaria Germany but it’s the only one I’ve seen in this part of the state. The curved roof made it look more like a WWI aircraft hangar. I could easily picture old biplanes sitting out on the grassy field beside it.

I’ve always wanted to stop and take pictures of it because it’s so unique but never taken the time. After 4 hours of a 5 hour trip you get tunnel vision and all you think about is getting home. That was the case this past Sunday, I had the whole family with me and everyone was tired. As we passed I looked up to see that it had collapsed. One of the recent wind storms was too much for the old wood beams supporting the curved roof.

Disappointed that it had fallen but, I got to thinking that it had lasted longer than any other barns it’s age. I have to wonder why the builder chose that design. Why he mixed features others hadn’t. why when his design stood for decades longer than his contemporaries no one else copied his work.

Now rather than missing the barn, I can’t help but think how much I would have like to have met the man that built it.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/24071822/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/24071822/ Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:47:07 PDT
my problem was that the percentage of shots i could use compared to what i was taking was just way too low. i've been getting better, but all too often i get exactly what i wanted only to end up with a little blur hear or there.

i'll be the first to admit some of it was me. i need to spend more time learning the camera instead of falling back on the same modes that i'm comfortable with.

For my birthday [link] got me one of the greatest gifts(second only to the engineering drawings for a piper cub) ever.

a new, very nice 18-200mm Sigma.

now it's all up to me.

i'm working on it.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/23606215/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/23606215/ Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:26:32 PDT Although the really old ones like fire and the wheel were so far back that no one will be given proper credit, the great ideas from the last 4-500 years are all well documented.
The people who came up with them were proud of what they’ve come up with.

15th century

Leonardo De Vinci is revered for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualised a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a calculator, the double hull and outlined a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics.

16th century

Nicolaus Copernicus was the first astronomer to formulate a scientifically-based heliocentric cosmology that displaced the Earth from the center of the universe.

Johannes Kepler discovered that the paths planets follow are elliptical.

I could go on and on.
I guess my point is, was anyone ever proud of thinking up Daylight Savings Time?
How many people know who came up with it, let alone the real reason why?

I want to suggestsomething new.
I'll call it Mean Split Time.
Rather than switching our clocks forward and back every few months. lets move it forward 30 minutes and leave it there.
take the mean average and split the difference.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/23428458/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/23428458/ Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:43:42 PST
]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/22562491/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/22562491/ Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:20:12 PST which was taken from Spiderguile's journal.....

is a uber-talented digital artist but she is right now in a hospital, intubated, sedated and stabilized. Her temperature is 105 and her heart rate is 168. The CT scan showed bi-lateral pneumonia, and possible brain damage.
Buffy needs everyones thoughts and prayers. Please spread the word.

updates can be found here [link]

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/22197814/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/22197814/ Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:06:19 PST
y'all take care.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/22071878/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/22071878/ Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:33:26 PST


I would never come here to shill my original art sales, but Rich Faber needs some help. Rich is an inker and all around good guy and his wife happens to have a pretty serious case of cancer that's eating up the family budget. The link below leads you to an auction where all you fine Darkness fans can bid on both the pencils and inks for the Wizardworld Texas HERO Initiative variant cover of Darkness #7. Every penny goes to Rich and family. Come on, folks. Let's show them how Top Cow fans do it!

[link]

Thanks!
-P

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/20948512/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/20948512/ Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:38:06 PDT if you can't find something to pass the time i recomend it.

parts were a bit predictable.
i saw david coming a mile away.
on the other hand, things like the ending just totally caught me off guard.

yeah, i was wondering how she was going to pull that off.


anyway, my favorite quote from the book,

"Don't treat me like i'm dying. I'm not dying. I'm just living till i don't"

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/20847037/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/20847037/ Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:49:31 PDT Currently reading a book called, Ill Wind by Rachel Caine.
the style is very similar to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series.
the main Character is a Girl named Joanne or just Jo for short and is written from her point of view.
a very fast paced style that keeps you from losing interest.
it was suggested to me from a friend at the Topcow board.

if you're a Dresden fan i highly recommend it.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19488677/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19488677/ Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:37:23 PDT
Dresden:
"Caring about someone isn't complicated. It isn't easy. but it isn't complicated, either. Kinda like lifting the engine block out of a car."

Murphy:
"Leave it to a man to describe intimate relationships in terms of automotive mechanics"



i'm sure everyone can relate to that in one way or another. having dropped engine blocks(real and metaphorical) on my own toes a few times, i'm still laughing.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19397827/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19397827/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:55:31 PDT
]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19368329/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19368329/ Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:33:21 PDT
when you get to the top a voice comes over a speaker saying, "ok to go" at which point it's up to you to pull a small release cable. while tugging on the release your brain is saying, "is this really something we want to do, maybe we should stop and think about it".
but you pull it anyway.

the first 30 to 40 feet you are in complete free fall. at this point your brain is saying, "oh no, what have i done, i thought we were going to discuss this?". when the free fall is over the giant cable swing catches you and hurls you out over the crowds and the park. kinetic energy is converted back into potential energy and the thing reverses. it's like flying. it's the greatest rush you can imagine.

for me every time i start a new job it feels the same way. as i'm putting in my notice at my old job, my brain is saying, "is this really something we want to do, maybe we should stop and think about it". what if something goes wrong. what if the new place fills the slot with someone else,,,,,. then the first day of the new job starts and it's that feeling when the cable catches me from the free fall and i'm back in the familiar pull of gravity that i know so well. the uncertainty is gone and i'm back doing what i know how to do.

call it bitter sweet, love hate, or what ever your favorite terms is for it, but changing jobs always drives me nuts. if only it was as fun as the sky coaster.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19220535/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/19220535/ Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:34:58 PDT
WTF!

anyway, Will Smith delivered again, and the story was good too.

if you haven't seen it, i recommend it

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/17901941/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/17901941/ Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:06:48 PDT
148/147 Bagheera

the best either have been in a long time

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/17548022/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/17548022/ Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:53:45 PDT
7 17 20 24 26 33

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/16509523/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/16509523/ Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:51:11 PST
i thought it was a funny fortune.

anyway, on the back it says,

good temper - pe che haou

lucky numbers 14,25,37,48,36,34

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/16124050/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/16124050/ Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:02:48 PST
for the last few weeks i've been having nothing but trouble with MSN. 3/4 of of what i type returns with an error message saying that the message could not be delivered due to an error.
i'm not sure what the problem is, but the only solution seems to be to log out and log in every 5 minutes.

it gets old.

i'm still online.
you can still find me on yahoo/google/irc,,,,but until i figure out what is wrong with my MSN you won't find me there much. eventually i'm sure i'll get it fixed. maybe one of the newer version will like me more. who knows.

y'all take care.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/16073800/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/16073800/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:28:27 PST
According to the gospel of Jack, "a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for".

the other day i stopped by my older brothers place on my way home from work. my mom was down visiting and wanted me to swing by. we talked for a while and then before i left she gave me a bag with stuff to bring home. one of them was a gift wrapped box to me and my family. when i got home my wife kept going on and on about how we should go ahead and open it right away and not wait for Christmas like we did with all the other gifts. i did my best to hold my ground and kept saying no. eventually she quit pestering me so i assumed that it was over.

several days passed, we were going through our Christmas routine and on the morning of Christmas eve we opened the gifts from the kids. after they were all done, the box from my mother was still sitting under the tree. so they asked if we could open it then and handed me the box. i said sure, why not. i opened the box very slowly trying to build a little anticipation and sure enough everyone seemed to be on the edges of their seats with big smiles on their faces.

when i opened the box there was a smaller box addressed to me and my wife and several cards addressed to each of the kids. i handed the cards to the kids and proceeded to open the second box. there was a receipt and a note saying that she gave each of the kids a gift card. sure enough my oldest son held his up proudly and my younger son held his up as well.

my wife, shocked and confused, turned to my son and said" how did those get in there?",

What i didn't know.
At one point my wife gave up on me and took matters into her own hands. several days before, while i was in the other room she careful unwrapped the present and removed the gift cards.

What my wife didn't know.
After watching his mother remove the gift cards from the box, my son decided to do the honest thing. he went around and found as many of the cards as he could and one morning while everyone was still asleep, unwrapped the box yet again and put the cards back in.

My wife is in shock that someone was sneakier than her.


Merry Christmas to all

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15768266/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15768266/ Sun, 02 Dec 2007 16:56:19 PST
]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15665573/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15665573/ Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:40:19 PST
]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15653567/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15653567/ Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:30:40 PST
]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15426630/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15426630/ Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:42:37 PST think. if there was any one that understood it would have to be Bob Seger.
so forgive me a Seger moment.




It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely, she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio playlng low
And the secrets that we shared
The mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
Till there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove

And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh so tight
Wish I didnt know now what I didnt know then

Against the wind
We were runnin against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin
Against the wind

And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded bv stranners I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home
And I guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searchin
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind

Well those drifters days are past me now
Ive got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out

Against the wind
Im still runnin against the wind
Well Im older now and still
Against the wind

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15426246/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15426246/ Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:05:08 PST (22:02:34) Phrost: ROTFLMFAO
(22:02:34) wordnerd: syndrome
(22:02:46) wordnerd: (our daughter made that up)
(22:02:50) Phrost: so what are the symtomes?
(22:03:02) Phrost: that is too cool
(22:03:18) wordnerd: I keep disappearing into the fabric of the denim couch
(22:03:28) wordnerd: and when I stand up, I want to sit back down
(22:03:30) Phrost: *laughing too hard to breath

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15288619/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/15288619/ Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:00:07 PDT
i've been reading The Fata Morgana for forever it seems. don't get me wrong, it's a great book. atleast every other page he says soemthing that cracks me up. right when i think i know how it's going to end he pulls a switch.
i've just been having a hard time sitting still or relaxing enough to read(or draw).

on another note, i should have some new pics up soon. they are a few weeks old, but have never seen the light of day.

Y'all take care.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/14340392/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/14340392/ Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:03:41 PDT [link]

[i]"Tuesday morning, Aug. 28 brings us the second total lunar eclipse of 2007. Those living in the Western Hemisphere and eastern Asia will be able to partake in at least some of this sky show.

The very best viewing region for viewing this eclipse will fall across the Pacific Rim, including the West Coast of the United States and Canada, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, New Zealand and eastern Australia. All these places will be able to see the complete eclipse from start to finish. "[/i]

also,
[link] and [link]


[i]"September 1, 2007 may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a rare meteor shower called the alpha Aurigids, New Scientist reports. Unlike better-known displays like the Perseids that occur every year on the same date, the alpha Aurigids have only been spotted three times before, in 1935, 1986, and 1994. NASA's Peter Jenniskens predicts they will return again this year, only to disappear again for the next 50 years. Meteor showers are caused by debris shed from comets, and the rarity of the alpha Aurigids is due to the exceptionally infrequent passes of its parent comet through the inner solar system, just once every 2000 years. Studying the alpha Aurigids could help astronomers turn these rare showers into an advance warning system for long period comets with potentially dangerous orbits, which would be hard to spot ahead of a collision with Earth."[/i]


today i drove up to my brother's place. we needed to play a shell game with some of our vehicles. i needed to get my motorcycle that was at his house, and he needed to take a truck from his office to his house. so it worked out for both of us. on the way there i stopped to get gas. this gas station has been there on the side of I-10 for 30+ years. the world has grown around it, but it just sits there watching time roll on.

as i pulled up to the pumps i noticed a yellow car that was about as out of place as you could be. as i got out and started pumping the gas i noticed the woman on the other side of the pump was staring at the yellow Maserati as well as i was. i looked over to her again and joked, "some times i think I'm just not living right". she laughed and replied, "that makes two of us".

the driver was no where to be seen. we started to joke and wonder who the owner would turn out to be. i suggested that it was an old man that had worked all his life because he had wanted one of these when he was in his teens and 20s. she suggested it was a young girl who got it as a graduation present. we joked some more about how much longer it would be before each of us might have one of our own and how once at the same gas station people got excited if you pulled up in a new truck. we talked about our first cars( her's was an old Jeep and mine was an El Camino). how we got them and what we'd liked most about them.

finally my tank was filled and it was time to go. we said our fair wells and each drove away.

as i was headed up to my brother's place i got to thinking, how as much as the world has changed, these are still some of the friendliest people i've ever met of any place i've ever lived.

the countryside is being plowed up and the trees burned down so they can "develop" the land. some things you can't stop, but i hope the people never change.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/14245436/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/14245436/ Sun, 19 Aug 2007 19:13:31 PDT


yeah, i should have known better.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13655978/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13655978/ Sun, 08 Jul 2007 08:04:03 PDT


One of the better ones we did started out with a bunch of us sitting around during lunch bored out of our minds.

There was a drink can someone had stepped on and flattened.

Someone kicked it across the outdoor lunch area (flat concrete slab surrounded by cinder blocks), then someone on the other side kicked it back. Before long we had a game going that was similar to hockey with no sticks. Instead, you kicked the puck, like soccer.

Within a week it had become the craze of the school (at least for 2 grades above and below ours). Teams formed and rivalries appeared over night. Anyone that was anyone was there every day before school, at lunch and after school until their ride came. With so many people wanting to play it was the only way to fit everyone in.

As with all good things it started to attract the attention of the faculty. They came to watch during lunch not sure if they should stop us or not. And as our luck would always go, that was the day one of the cans went air borne. It had just the right spin and forward momentum that it went flying through the air like a small metallic Frisbee. As it flew, it gained altitude as it went across the concrete and you guessed it, it hit someone. I don’t remember if it was in the face, the forehead, the back of the head or what. At that point it really didn’t matter since a teacher had seen it all happen. We were toast.

Kicking the Can, as the teachers called it, was banned. Some had given up on the thrill of our new game. Others were not so willing to call it quits so soon. I brought a beanbag to school. I forget where it came from. It looked to be about the size of the ones that used to come with the toss-across games. We asked the principal if we could play our game with this instead. She agreed, but only if the P.E. teacher would agree to use our game for her class under supervision.

We were back in business. An extra bonus was that we got to use the basket ball court instead of just the small lunch area. we went from our 3 man teams to 5 or 6 (i forget how many to be honest, i've slept since then). Also the tile floor in the gym was smooth so there was less friction and drag on the beanbag/puck.

The game began to evolve a little due to these new conditions. With the slick floor and a soft beanbag, it was easier to get the bean bag moving fast enough to get air borne. you just had to make sure the bag was spinning so that the beans went to the outside and it developed the Frisbee effect just like the can had. the flip side was that at first the P.E. teacher didn't care about it flying throught the air at chest level because no one was getting hurt. a new tactic started becoming more common as well. since we had given up the crushed can with it sharp edges a few of us started playing barefoot. we started using our toes to pick up and toss the beanbag. "Passing the Bag" either forward, aft, or sideways was always a great way to keep it away from the other team.

Within a week or two thee Beanbag broke. i don't remember who's team was kicking or passing it. the game was always so chaotic that i don't think anyone could know for sure. regardless, we watched in horror as the beans scattered across the floor. I guess we should have seen that coming. it wasn't made of anything stronger than thin cotton. For the next few days we all searched through our homes trying to find a suitable replacement. A couple people had the toss-across beanbags, but these were always on the verge of tearing open even before they made it to school. I had considered taking one of these and sewing it back up, but the real problem was that the cloth was just too weak and we'd be back full circle in no time.

My mom had recently made cutoffs out of a pair of my jeans that had become too short. While looking at the cut off legs laying in her sewing trash, I had a flash of brilliance. I could make a new one out of the jeans legs and i only had to sew two sides!

The new Beanbag was (pun warning) bigger, faster, stronger! it ROCKED! With a little skill you could make it sail three quarters of the way down the court. You could make it fly over peoples heads like nothing! Of course, with a heavier, faster beanbag, we started getting bruises, bloody noses, and if you we're paying attention, the occasional black eye. God it was fun!

Once again we were the victims of our own success. when the parents would ask the kids how they got these injuries and were told "playing with a beanbag", the parents in turn went to the principle. Our Principle in turn went to the P.E. teacher. it was over.

I don't know what ever happened to the Beanbag. maybe one of the other kids snatched it up. maybe the teache... ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13516499/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13516499/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:21:52 PDT
this was something i came up with one weekend visiting my brother.

my older brother was telling me how he used this Law today to explain to a bunch of his engineers why something that shouldn't have worked, did. his explanation was:


you'd have been proud of me today, I applied keiths universal law of imperfection and explained the principal to a group of engineers.

We had a situation where everything on a job was wrong by the same amount and they got lucky

first I gave them the the law of superposition, then the law of horizontality, then yours.

I bet they went home and looked it up.

the geology was complex and the fill material on the site made it worse.

I explained that the first two laws governed the conditions of the site, but the third law allowed us to pull off a solution to fit their needs

MY engineer asked after we got back into the car to go back to the office, "I've never heard of Keiths Law of Imperfection, but it makes sense, do they teach that to you in geology classes?"

I told him that "Keith" was my brother and came up with it on a drunken stuper one night

He bout fell out of the car laughing


so just incase someone else claims credit for it, you heard it here first


]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13358117/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13358117/ Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:33:48 PDT
*Looks over at stack of comics*

but anyway, i've finished off all the prequils to Dune.

a couple more Anne McCaffery Pern novels.

some Ian Flemming.

some more of Jim Butchers Dresden Files

And of course, i'm on the second of Jim Butchers Codex Alera, Academ's Fury

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13261811/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/13261811/ Fri, 08 Jun 2007 06:48:38 PDT
"a new tour bus filled with old guitars"

i just can't help but smile every time i hear this.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12799286/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12799286/ Tue, 01 May 2007 05:31:47 PDT
but my head's in Mississippi.

I'm shufflin' thru the Texas sand,

but my head's in Mississippi.

The blues has got a hold of me.

I believe I'm gettin' dizzy.



I keep thinkin' 'bout that night in Memphis,

Lord, I thought I was in Heaven.

I keep thinkin' 'bout that night in Memphis,

I thought I was in Heaven.

But I was stumblin' thru the parking lot

of an invisible seven eleven.



Where's my head baby?

Somewhere in Mississippi.



Last night I saw a cowgirl.

She was floatin' across the ceiling.

And last night I saw a naked cowgirl.

She was floatin' across the ceiling.

She was mumblin to some howlin' wolf

about some voodoo healin'.

Mmm Baby

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12782471/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12782471/ Sun, 29 Apr 2007 19:13:19 PDT
The Letter A
Are you available? i'm online
What is your age? 42
What annoys you? people with two faces, double standards, hypocrites

The Letter B
Do you live in a big house? it's the biggest i've ever owned
When is your birthday? April 1st
Who is your best friend? that's hard to say. i'm not sure i have anyone i'd call that anymore. i still keep in touch with my old best friends, but they all have their own lives and family now.

The Letter C
What's your favorite candy? skittles
Who's your crush? don't have one
When was the last time you cried? the movie, Pursuit of Happiness

The Letter D
Do you daydream? like i have time
What's your favorite kind of dog? my dad had two pet Wolves, i always wanted one too
What day of the week is it? Sunday

The Letter E
How do you like your eggs?Omlette
Have you ever been in the emergency room? yes, a couple times
What's the easiest thing ever to do? learn

The Letter F
Have you ever flown in a plane? yes, as a passenger and as a pilot
Do you use fly swatters? nope
Have you ever used a foghorn? no

The Letter G
Do you chew gum?yes, mint
Are you a giver or a taker? giver
Do you like gummy candies? not really

The Letter H
How are you? not bad
What color is your hair?brown

The Letter I
What's your favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Have you ever ice skated? yes
Do you play an instrument? Guitar, Sax, Violin

The Letter J
What's your favorite jelly bean brand?not sure
Do you wear jewelry? no

The Letter K
Who do you want to kill? no one
Do you want kids? i would never give up mine
Where did you go for kindergarten? Ben Milam

The Letter L
Are you laid back? most of the time
Do you lie? not recently

The Letter M
What's your favorite movie? i can't pick just one
Do watch Disney movies? yes
Do you like mangos? i guess

The Letter N
Do you have a nickname? several
What is your real name? Keith
What's your favorite number? 13
Do you prefer night over day? there are things i like about both

The Letter O
What's your one wish? to travel through space
Are you an only child? no

The Letter P
What one fear are you most paranoid about? Claustrophobia, but i can deal with it when i need to
What are your pet peeves? i think we already covered this, double standards
What's a personality trait you look for in people? someone that holds everyone, including themselves to the same standards

The Letter Q
What's your favorite quote? "what's life without a sense of adventure"
Are you quick to judge people? no, i let peoples actions speak for them.

The Letter R
Do you think you're always right? not at all

The Letter S
Do you prefer sun or rain? a good storm can be cool, but mostly sun
Do you like snow? Yes
What's your favorite season? summer

The Letter T
What time is it? 8:49 PM
What time did you wake up? 8:30am
When was the last time you slept in a tent? last summer at the state park

The Letter U
Are you wearing underwear? yes
Underwear or boxers? Boxer briefs

The Letter V
What's the worst veggie? Brussels sprouts
Where do you want to go on vacation? beach

The Letter W
What's your worst habit? tapping my feet
Where do you live? in my house
What's your worst fear? didn't we already cover this

The Letter X
Have you ever had an x-ray? yes
Have you seen the x-games? no
Do you own a xylophone? nope

The Letter Y
Do you like the color yellow? it's not a favorite, but i don't hate it
What's one thing you yearn for? to finish fixing my bike

The Letter Z
What's your zodiac sign? Aries
Do you believe in the zodiac? not really
Favorite zoo animal? i feel sorry for all of them that they are in cages

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12709913/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12709913/ Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:51:07 PDT
I never met a Women
That Makes me feel like you do
There's somethin 'bout you baby
That makes me wanna be with you
I never thought I'd ever feel this way
Mmmm....
Your love is warm
It takes me to another place
Mmmm....oooh yeah

You bring me light, you take away my pain
I'll hold you tight, and baby we can fly away
Cause you're an angel, a blessing, You're sent from above
I want ya, I need ya, I've prayed for your love
I said I never me a women
That makes me feel like you do
There's Somethin 'bout you baby
That makes me wanna be with you

Take all I have baby
It may not be much
But I can love you
With every single touch
Tu eres un angel, de el cielo, una bendicion
Te quiero, te adoro, rezo por tu amor

An angel, a blessing, you're sent from above
I want ya, I need ya, I've prayed for your love
I never met a women
Nuca Conocido ah una mujer
That makes me feel like you do
Feels so good
There's something about you baby
Ay algo en ti mujer
That makes me wanna be with you
Oooh yeah yeah
Oooh baby




love that song.
today there was a traffic light out on my way home. the part of the drive that should have taken 5 minutes took 30. i must have listened to that song 5 or 6 times. i wasn't really counting.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12636438/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12636438/ Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:56:23 PDT
Bob

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12570375/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12570375/ Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:24:02 PDT now that i have it, i'm giong to wear it out.

these guys are Awesome


My Way
Los Lonely Boys


I don't need no fortune
I don't need no fame
That's all just an illusion
To me it don't mean a thing

You can try and deceive me
But I see right through your skin
And what you're trying to tell me
Is something I don't beleive in

Don't tell me how to live my life
Don't tell me how to pray
Don't tell me how to sing my song
Don't tell me what to say

Cuz I believe that miracles
happen every day
I don't care what you say,
I'm gonna do it my way

You say you have all the answers
And I should do it your way
How many times do I have to tell you
I ain't no puppet on a string
Listen to me...

Don't tell me how to live my life
Don't tell me how to pray
Don't tell me how to sing my song
Don't tell me what to say
Cuz I believe that miracles
happen every day
I don't care what you say,
I'm gonna do it my way
I'm gonna do it my way
What'd you say

Ohhhhhhhhh
Ohhhhhhhhh
Ohhhhhhhhh

Don't tell me how to live my life
Don't tell me how to pray
Don't tell me how to sing my song
Don't tell me what to say

Don't tell me how to live my life
Don't tell me how to pray
Don't tell me how to sing my song
Don't tell me what to say

Cuz I believe that miracles
happen every day

I don't care what you say
I'm gonna do it my way
I'm gonna do it my way
Ohhhhhhh I'm gonna do it my way

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12493343/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12493343/ Sat, 07 Apr 2007 07:56:56 PDT
hell has officially froze over.

no telling what will happen next

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12485223/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12485223/ Fri, 06 Apr 2007 15:20:09 PDT 5'10"

2. Have you ever done heroin?
Nope, don't plan to

3. Do you own a gun?
yes and no

4. Where's four?
four? who's four?

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
no, i just feel they are a waste. i know when i'm sick.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
depends on the hotdog

7. What's your favorite Christmas song?
grandma got run over by a reindeer

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
decaf

9. Can you do push ups?
Hooo Raaah, that would be yes.

10. Is your bathroom clean?
sort of

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
i used to wear a cross, but now i'm down to my watch

12. Do you like painkillers?
not if i can avoid them

13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
a smile and saying hello

14. Do you have A.D.D.? [Attention Deficit Disorder]
I'm sure if they had invented it when i was little i would have been labled as having it. to me it's an excuse.

15. What's your name?
Keith

16. Middle Name?
Allen

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
- should i approve the request on myspace
- do i want to have anything to do with those people
- how much longer is this survey

18. Favorite singer of all time?
Joe Walsh

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
water, sprite, grapefruit juice

22. Current worry?
layoffs

23. Current hate?
none, i just got over one though

24. Favorite place to be?
joking with my kids or climbing

25. How did you start off the New Year?
with my family, Duh

26. Where would you like to go?
Australia or Ireland

27. Do you own slippers?
no

28. What shirt are you wearing?
Denim over a black tee

30. Favorite color(s)?
blue, green, black

31. Would you be a pirate?
in a different time, maybe

32. Are you gay?
Not hardly, lol

33. What songs do you sing in the shower?
i'm never awake enough to sing that early in the morning

34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
Snakes, they used to come up into the house when it rained and flooded.

37. Best bed sheets as a child?
the clean ones?

38. Worst injury you've ever had?
3 cracked ribs and a hyper-extended collar bone

40. How many TVs do you have in your house?
4

41. Who is your loudest friend?
do my kids count?

42. Who is your most silent friend?
Aub

43. Does someone have a crush on you?
i wouldn't know

44. Do you wish on shooting stars?
shooting stars, morning stars, and other astrological events.

45.What is your favorite book?
it's hard to pick a favorite, but i'd have to say, Illusions, Richard Bach

46. What are your 3 fave candies:
skittles, m&ms, pepperments

47. What song do/did you want played at your wedding?
I Broke my Leg, Joe Walsh

48. What song do you want played at your funeral?
Life's been Good, Joe Walsh

49. What were you doing @ 12 AM last night?
trying to sleep

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
the different ways to destroy my alarm clock

now I tag.....who ever reads this.
you know who you are.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12449264/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12449264/ Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:07:03 PDT
"Unreliable allies are no better than enemies"
Dune - Machine Crusade.

a few years ago i would have argued against this. saddly, now i'm starting to agree.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12355988/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12355988/ Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:01:58 PDT
by the time i made my way down there, they had let the other person go. i never met him. i was told i could get his contact information the next day on their accident report.

the next day i made my way to security only to be told that they couldn't give me the information, they could only give it to my insurance company.

go figure.

so anyway, i got my insurance company to to call and they gave me the information so that i could call his insurance comapny and make arrangements to get my truck fixed.

by the time I was done with all the phone calls i felt like i'd been through a Abbot and Costello marathon. but the good news is that they are paying to have my truck fixed and for a rental while i'm afoot.

i've always been bothered by how big the parking lots are at work. they dwarf most malls. it's hard enough to find my truck in a lot that size. now i have to find the rental!

So as i'm walking out looking for my,,,,,,,silver, yeah it was a silver,,,,,,,,,,,,,4 Door, yeah a silver 4 door,,,,,,,,,Suzuki, YEAH! it's a silver, 4 door, Suzuki. I had never realized how many silver 4 doors there are out there. all in the same lot and they all look alike.

and for the next few days that is my lot in life.

at the risk of sounding redneck, i miss my truck.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12097815/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/12097815/ Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:46:47 PST [link]

"Can you see the stars at night? Next week, a global star party kicks off, and you can join it from wherever you are on the planet. March 8-21, people all over the world will walk outside and check out the stars in the constellation, Orion, the hunter. It’s a global star party aimed at assessing light pollution around the world.

Last year, more than 18,000 people in 96 countries participated. They reported data from all the continents except Antarctica. If you’d like to see the state of light pollution on our planet, a global distribution map appears at the “Globe at Night” website [image]. As you might expect, urban areas worldwide glow brightly at night. We city dwellers see few stars on a typical evening. The glory of the night sky fades into the glow of city lighting. For most people, the Milky Way is more familiar in the grocery store candy aisle than in the sky. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I experience this personally.

The global star party aims to both assess light pollution, and to raise awareness of the problem. Amateur and professional astronomers have long been aware of light pollution. Both seek dark skies to observe. Unfortunately, such skies are becoming rare.

The spectacular discoveries made at Mt. Wilson in the early part of the 20th century occurred when LA was a small city surrounded by orange groves. Today, the telescopes there are of limited use, and have been superseded by newer telescopes in less light-polluted areas. Cities such as Tucson, AZ, require outdoor lighting that emits limited wavelengths and lights the ground (not the sky) in order to protect the surrounding professional observatories. Tucson’s low-pressure sodium street lighting glows in only a few spectral lines, and therefore can be filtered out at the telescope. Likewise, the City of San Jose uses these same low-pressure streetlights to help out Lick Observatory. The International Dark Sky Association offers advice on the least light-polluting, most efficient methods for night lighting. There’s a good economic argument for low-pressure lights as well: they save money. The lamps are less expensive, and cost less to operate. That’s a nice side benefit for reducing light pollution."

i truely miss the days with i could spend hours looking at the stars out side my house. now days i can count them all in about 5-10 minutes.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/11948662/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/11948662/ Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:11:30 PST
A front blew through last night. This morning it was perfectly clear, but windy. As the day drew on the winds just got stronger. Around noon the power went out. Winds had blown down some power lines. The power just came back on a little while ago.

The winds have been so constant that the dust hasn't had a chance to settle.
the sky started to turn a light orange. By the time i went to the store visibility was down to around a 1/4 mile.

it's good to be home.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/11175257/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/11175257/ Sun, 24 Dec 2006 12:28:43 PST
You can ask anyone any where else and they will tell you that it doesn't snow in Texas, let alone on Christmas. It seems to be an almost undisputed truth.
Like most things, this is one of many misconceptions. Texas has many regions and each region has it's own weather. There is a line that runs from Decator down to Mineral Wells and extends on to the southwest. To the north west of this line it snows every year. To the south east of this line it doesn't. Growing up in Wichita Falls, we saw snow every year. Several times a year infact. We made snow men and snow angles. The coolest thing was that each year it was my Dad that made it snow.

My father could make it snow in the winter and rain during the summer droughts. It was like magic.

Maybe i should clarify so no one thinks i misled them. In our house back in Wichita Falls we(the kids) would be playing in sheet tents while my parents watched Tv, normally the news. At some point my dad would ask us if we would like it to snow. of course! what kid wouldn't! he would sit quiet for a second. then look up as if to reveal an ancient secret. "how would it be if we went and got the snow and brought it here?". we were stunned! could it be possible? being the future(i was 5) scientist and engineer i saw thru him in a heart beat. we would take his old 69 el comino drive to where it was snowing and fill up the bed with snow, then drive back home. still, i've always been one for an adventure so what the hell! i was in!

We would drive an hour or two to the north west. sometimes into the panhandle and sometimes up into that foreign country called Oklahoma. When we reached the snow he would reacquire that look. The one where he knows something we didn't. then he would let us in on the gig. "this is how it's going to work. we'll wait a few minutes until it starts to snow really hard then I want every one to think really hard about it snowing. now you have to hold that thought all the way home or the snow won't follow us."
about this time he would pull over on the side of the road and turn the el comino around and point it back towards Wichita Falls and we would sit and wait.

I was confused. This couldn't possibly work! we needed to get out and shovel the snow into the back of the truck! why were we waiting! we were wasting time!

after a few minutes the storm would increase. at some point my dad would be satisfied and put the el comino in gear and we would start home.

I was horrified! we were leaving the snow behind! NO!! we had to go back! The snow! it was dropping off behind us. I looked to my brother and sister for support. they sat to my left with their hands clinched and their eyes closed concentrating as hard as they could.

My dad looked over to see my concern. He smiled and quoted one of his favorite lines from a movie, "don't give me those negative waves man, think positive". I looked at his hand pointing towards my older siblings as an example. Outside the window the snow was almost gone. I had nothing to lose and if we made it home without the snow it would be my fault. I followed their lead. Closing my eyes and clinching my fists i repeated aloud, "snow, snow, Snow, Snow, SNOW, SNOW,,,,. Now it was my older brother and sister following my lead. Each of us was afraid that this special Christmas Magic would fail and no one wanted to be the weak link in the chain.

It was probably around 6 PM when we originally left the house. by now it had to be well past 9:00. In hind sight i'm sure my mom was about to explode. My dad loading up his kids and heading off in the dark night to find a snow storm. We would all be fast asleep by the time we reached the old grey house we called home. There are vague memories of my parents carrying us half asleep from the truck back into the house. My mother ranting to my dad about how crazy he was and that she was relieved that we were all home safe.

The next morning we would awake to that most glorious sight, Snow! Our front yard was one acre, that's a infinite area to us at the time.

All covered in snow.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/10824070/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/10824070/ Thu, 23 Nov 2006 14:13:58 PST
I hope you all have an awesome Thanksgiving

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/10804055/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/10804055/ Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:10:35 PST
link to article: [link]

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9882368/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9882368/ Mon, 28 Aug 2006 08:49:03 PDT
Rockabye


she grew up with
the children of the stars
in the hollywood hills and the boulevard
her parents threw big parties
everyone was there
they hung out with folks like
dennis hopper, bob seeger, sonny and cher

now, she feels safe
in this bar on fairfax
and from the stage I can tell that
she can't let go and she can't relax
and just before
she hangs her head to cry
I sing to her a lullaby, I sing

everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
rockabye

she still lives with her mom
outside the city
down that street about a half a mile
and all her friends tell her
she's so pretty
but she'd be a whole lot prettier
if she smiled once in a while
`cause even her smile
looks like a frown
she's seen her share of devils
in this angel town

But, everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
rockabye

I told her I ain't so sure
about this place
it's hard to play a gig in this town
and keep a straight face
seems like everyone here's got a plan
it's kind of like nashville with a tan, but,

everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye

everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye,rockabye, bye, bye
bye, bye


i was listening to the radio this morning and this one came on.
i hadn't heard it in ages, but always loved the tune.

hope everyone has a good one.
Y'all Take care.

]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9728014/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9728014/ Mon, 14 Aug 2006 17:36:01 PDT
DADS NAG WORN ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9305035/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9305035/ Fri, 07 Jul 2006 18:38:45 PDT tomorrow i drive home.
i'm sure i could think of some symbolic references to make, but tonight i'm so tired that i just want to go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and already be home.

y'all take care ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9070137/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/9070137/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:15:28 PDT
"I put my foot on the spot where a gentle old man had given up his life to save mine. it made me feel sad, but not bitter. if we had it to do over again he and i would make the same choices. i just wished i'd had the chance to know him longer than i had. it's not everyone that can teach you something about faith without saying a word to do it"

when my father died the true loss was that my kids would never know him the way i did. they would never know the desert rat that would stand his ground and watch as a tornado headed towards him, an unspoken dare. "give me your best".
i had a life time to get to know him.

today, i find myself there once again.
Juanita, the greatest woman to ever live has left this world.
i could spend hours telling stories about what separates her from the rest of this world. now those stories are all my kids will know of her. they only got to see the old worn out shell she was left with after a life time of adventures. Adventures of her own and those while at my grandfathers side.

i say goodbye to a person who could teach you about faith without ever saying a word about it. ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8875273/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8875273/ Thu, 25 May 2006 15:35:33 PDT can't seem to put them down.
it's just an awesome mix. ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8725257/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8725257/ Tue, 09 May 2006 21:12:03 PDT one of the better new books i've come across.
currently half way thru the second in the series, Fool Moon. ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8301379/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8301379/ Wed, 29 Mar 2006 04:34:40 PST
Neat Nan ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8249099/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8249099/ Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:25:55 PST
BAD DNA I

PC KETO ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8208848/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8208848/ Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:00:46 PST
A Cool Etch ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8180100/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8180100/ Thu, 16 Mar 2006 15:51:57 PST
we were living in Kansas at the time.
my son had been told to make something at his school for St Patty's day.
most kids made 4 leaf clovers or goofy paper hats.
not mine.

he spent what was probably seemed like forever on it.
i can picture the scene as he walked up to his teacher's confused face.
i can see the horror on her face as he answered her question as to what it was.
to most it may have more resembled modern art.
No, It had a use, a purpose.
it was, a Lepricon trap.

His greatest invention was of course welcomed and celebrated when he brought it home.
i'm certain there were no patents or prior art for Lepricon Traps.
We'd all be rich!!

The trap was set as he instructed.
After all, being his invention, he was obviously the expert on such matters.
no one else had ever concieved such a device.
it was, Unique.

when everything was just right, we stepped back to look at it then, went off to bed.
everyone knows that Lepricons only come out the night before St Patty's day.
we only had that one chance. a few hours of darkness till we would have to wait a whole year to try it again.

At the last minute, my wife thought of something that i needed to run to the store after.
it was something that couldn't wait till morning. this time i knew she was right. it was unquestionable. i just hoped i didn't mess up the trap that was near the door.

the next morning the kids were exstatic.

THE TRAP HAD BEEN TRIPPED!!!!

there was somethign in it.
as everyone gathered around it we looked as my youngest son examined the rewards of his efforts.

Regretfully the lepricon got away.
but he left behind his loot.
yes a small container of "gold" dollar coins was snared in the trap.

the following year the kids were so excited about march coming around.
the trap was now a family treasure.
years would come and go and each year we would set it.
each year we got closer to catching that lepricon.

it's now a tradition.
one of these days we are going to need to build a better lepricon trap, but for now this one i still holding up.


ADDED:
i've been told i have everything wrong.
here is his mom's version of the story.

You want to know how it really happened? he was in preschool, age 3, I think. His whole class made leprecaun traps out of packing cartoons. Being 3, I doubt any of the other kids had any idea what it was supposed to do. he didn't know what it was either. He said "It's a leprecaun trap" and asked me what that was. I explained to him that leprecauns were tiny magical people with lots of gold. I told him that it's a rule that if you catch a leprecaun, he has to give you all his gold. That's a lot of money. I said that sometimes, if you come very close to catching one, he only has enough time to turn his gold into chocolate before he gets away. I told him we should set his trap up by the front door the eve before St. Patrick's day because that's when leprecauns run in and out of people's houses causing mischief. We set it up -- and I honestly don't think the kids believed us even when they went to bed that night. The next morning, the three kids ran into the kitchen and saw that the trap had dropped. They were totally excited and squealed and laughed. And we lifted the trap to reveal.....gold coins. Except they weren't real. They had already been turned to chocolate. I thought they'd be delighted to see a couldran full of chocolate. Instead, they cried. They could care less about the chocolate. They had their hearts set on catching a leprecaun! I don't know whether they thought we would keep it as a pet or what, but they were very upset over the fact that the dude got away.

By the following year, they'd grown accustomed to the idea of chocolate gold and were actually looking forward to it. But this time, we spiced things up a little. In with the chocolate gold were about 9 real gold coins. I told them that they must have come even closer to catching the leprecaun because he seemed to have dropped a few pieces of his gold without even the time to change them to chocolate. Each year after that, we added a few more coins to give them the sense that they were getting better at leprecaun trapping. One year, I think, the bank didn't have enough gold coins and we had to use some silver. We've always used the same trap and I doubt we'll ever change (well, maybe our grandchildren can start anew).


what do you do for St. Patty's day? ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8125025/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8125025/ Sat, 11 Mar 2006 03:27:51 PST
Y'all take care.


*Cranks up the ZZTop

Last night I saw a cowgirl. She was floatin' across the ceiling.
And last night I saw a naked cowgirl. She was floatin' across the ceiling.
She was mumblin to some howlin' wolf about some voodoo healin'. ]]> *phrostie http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8099775/ http://phrostie.deviantart.com/journal/8099775/ Thu, 09 Mar 2006 17:35:50 PST
Bound Soke

clue:

Cat Cool Eh ]]> *phrostie