Mike & Terry Stock! 3 Days of Peace, Love and Alcohol. Happy Birthday, Guys! Unintentionally, I'm commemorating the occasion by not working today, which given how the previous four days have been, it seems a good thing to do. Actually, I just liked the symmetry of taking every Friday in August off. Does wonders.

So far today, I was able to get a doctor's bill corrected, procure a model of the Old War Memorial Stadium from the Bisons Gift shop, get my car fixed and lament the loss of Edritos. They were the perfect Elmwood taco place and moving to downtown changed the nature of the place and now it's gone, another reason to be annoyed with Panos' prosperity. The falafel bar is fine, but I miss Edritos being in that spot.

Strange Days....We locked the door to the office last night and a dude started pounding on it a few minutes later, screaming that we were closing early to spite him. The joint is open almost 11 hours a day, dude, get over it. The day before, a yahoo with a eastern european accent (I couldn't pin it down beyond) came in in mid-harang bleating about he can't get his modem set up. I could have done it, but he wouldn't stop blathering about the delays on the phone, like I have control of over how fast stuff there transpires. Oy! On top of that, I've had to deal with this guy who is like Yoda, only Korean. He speaks gramatically like Yoda but with considerable Seoul if you know what I mean (and I think you do). High Definition television should have so many hypotheticals.

Usually on my section of Delaware, the early morning noises are usually traffic and the talking Metro Buses, but the church adjacent to Timon Towers was having a funeral this morning. That in and of itself wasn't terribly remarkable, but as part of the proceedings a bagpiper serenaded the entrances and exits of attendees. I'm not a big piper fan, but to hear it off in the distance was pretty. Took the edge off the rush hour goofs. Sounded pretty good with the morning coffee.

I got a second interview with the Buffalo Zoo, so here's hoping they are serious and that the gods smile upon me. I need to get my brain moving again. That happens, my professional disposition will recover in short order.

Every year, English teachers from across the country submit their collections of actual similes and metaphors found in high school essays. These were the Washington Post over the weekend. Cracked me up.

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had a eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Seeing a "Street performer" rummage through the light post trash cans on Elmwood near Anderson for bottles is nothing new. Seeing one tonight looking for bottles on HIS FREAKING SEGWAY did make me stop and do a doubletake. I got to put a camera in the car for such occasions.

Part two of my ten part association with the Bills took place Friday night. I like Football okay, but the games at this time of the year are pretty awful. It's the overall spectacle that moves me to get involved, that and the extra cash. It's fun to get the "I'm with the band" feeling of get waved into the parking lot and being "Backstage" as all the preparations are going on. Good for your soul to invest in something larger than you even if it is just a football game. I got a new perch for this one (Between sections 125 and 126) so I could actually see the game as opposed to the closed doors of the suites and it was kind of cool. The suiteowners sent drinks out anyway and a few quick quips made me a man of the people.

It was a "kid's day" game which managed to expose some parents as fucking morons. When my guys were little, I'd worry about too much distance between me and them at a big event. Yet, twice I found little kids out in the isle ( like 3 and 4 years old little), with their parents oblivious to the fact their child just bounced on a concrete step because the "game" was on. Udder jerkoffs.

Bills screwed up by having fireworks in the parking lot which sent a good number of people scrambling for the exit. Could have been ugly if there was a bigger crowd by that time.

NIce lazy day with the kids yesterday and this morning. Repaired to the Elmwood fest till just a little bit ago. Them JAzzbeards were awesome and should release a live cd like yesterday. I didn't see any fellow peeps but I did get a chance to see a few folk and unlike Allentown, see some interesting pieces of artwork.

Nice day

I'm liking that fact that live cds/albums are getting a little demythologized. It used to be that you'd see some dude at the Super Flea on Walden peddling live recordings at stupidly high prices. With downloading and whatnot, some bands are letting loose with concert tapes and making some good things readily available. That's pretty cool as I'm getting a little too old to be collecting concert t-shirts. Dave Matthews and U2 both have sanctioned sites where you can grab most shows for your IPOD which has made my IPOD happy. There are a couple of live recording site that peak my curiousity now and again, but what had got me going are a couple of official band sites.

For example, spur of the moment I drove out to Darien Lake for the Ratdog/Allman Brothers show, mostly to see the guitarists in the current version of the Allmans go at it. Warren Haynes and Butch Trucks can play just about anything, from acoustic to blues to rock to jam. Both guys are great and if you are a fan of such stuff (as I am), it's a treat to watch. It was a great show and thanks to the Allman Bros official site, it's on my IPOD as of a few minutes ago.

Sometimes it's the little things than can change the temper of your outlook.

"Going to the concert, baby don't you wanna go?"

Got to order this...

Some observations whilst stumbling through another meandering workweek.

My younger sister is getting married in October and that's fine. She made a big pronouncement about an unconventional service, which has rapidly descended into a run of the mill ceremony. That in and of itself is no big deal, but it's easy to pay the price of her decision making consequences. She's involved in NYC theater so the family tends to get treated as an audience member a lot. The ceremony is in Fishkill, NY on this resort/country club. She is having a dinner the night before with an esoteric menu. I made the suggestion that maybe she might want to ditch the pork entree and do a chicken thing instead. I was thinking of my own kids who have never eaten red meat and ain't about to dig into eggplant parm. She wanted the pork thing for our older brother, who is autistic and developmentally disabled. He also travels pretty well though so we've tried to tell her that she doesn't need to deal with caterers on that level since it will only mean a greater expense.

The hell do I know...

Got rejected from a job I interviewed for a weeks back. In the grand scheme, I really didn't want the gig. It had the salient virtue of being back downtown and 8 to 5 and such, but the actual task wasn't all that appealing. What made the whole exercise remarkable was the rejection came via email. That for me was a first. I used to have a mosaic that I made of all the letterhead that intially told me to fuck off post college.

Onward and upward...

Went to see Superbad on Monday and laughed my fool head off. I should be beyond that stuff, but sadly it still tickles me.

Whined to my boss at the Bills games for a change of assignment so I can see more of the game and its goings on. Guess you're never too old to successfully pout.

Banked a couple hundred dollars in commissions for July and it's going to pretty much disolve into school supplies for the youngins.

Got passed over by a woman who was turned off by the fact I had kids. What the fuck? That is a guy thing to do. I don't understand what the world anymore. No second date there. Her loss.

The chocolate dipped strawberry blizzard at Dairy Queen can cure what ails you. Trust me.

Finagled a trip to NYC proper in mid september. My elder sister's firm is getting taken over by Upper Deck (the card company). The previous owner is divesting the rest of his season tickets to the Yankees and hooked my sibling with Yankee Red Sox seats. The game takes on an event like nature and I'm scraping together the funds to go. You don't even need to be a baseball fan to savor all that goes into Yankee Red Sox meeting in the Bronx. We also get to bitch and moan about the wedding nonsense at the same time, so it's one of those rare win, win situations.

My current hours are messing with me. Just came home tired last night and had milk and 3 brownies for dinner. Probably shouldn't do that very often, but they were damn good brownies.

Tired about people whining to me that they didn't get their cable bill. It's the cable company for fucksake, you really think it would miss a chance to collect?

I "love" my job.

I resumed my moonlighting with the Buffalo Bills on Friday night. While it was fun, it was a reminder that summer is almost done for all intensive purposes. Ran into a few acquaintances and enjoyed both a little hilarity and a little boredom as preseason football is less exciting than watching paint dry. It's fun to be involved as you get to watch the full time Bills folk freak about having things ready for incoming fans. You'd think they be little more accustomed to the rigamarole.

Nice way to make some extra cash. Anyhoo, from my perch in section 125, you could feel the crazy wind that made shivering a realistic possibility. But it was a nice end to a day away from the Time Warner nonesense. Slept in, carbed up at Betty's, did my bit at the game and was drinking on my deck by 11:30. Only thing missing was company.

Rested in Saturday and strolled over to take number one son to Tae Kwon Do and would up with the whole lot chomping on Chicken, Cheddar and Broccoli pizza watching Forrest Gump for the umpteenth time.

Got a little more industrious today and got up and actually did laundry before catching up with the ex and kids for dinner. A good weekend, I think it was an omen when the kids and I spent an hour watching Family Guy reruns on Thursday.

Back to being a cable apologist tomorrow, but the Zoo is looking for someone with my talents so I'm working on a package as to why I should be the guy.

Bring on the week.

Wrapped my only significant vacation on Sunday with a bang. Number One Son and I took off for Woodlawn Beach and I was very surprised in a good way. Bennett Beach is beautiful and the county is wrecking it so along with the lack of the pool, I was remembering (e:terry) 's journal about swimming. My boy went to a day camp earlier this summer that spent a day at Woodlawn and he was pining to go back. Got to tell you, it was awesome to get out and wave hop the afternoon away.

I'll post photos soon. But you pay seven bucks to park and for use of the park. The beach was spacious so it never felt crowded on either water or sand. There are reasonably clean locker & changing rooms. It felt great. When I got something out of my truck today and a little remaining sand came out, you couldn't help but laugh a little.

Would head back this weekend if it wasn't threatening to be September weatherwise.

In other news, I'm going to moonlight for the Buffalo Bills again this season and it was nice to get a raise to do it and a special little pack of parking passes. Did my morale good and made me wish the fulltime employer would take note.

Other morale booster, was doing some cable related business with a very attractive woman bout my age and when we shook hands, my colleagues swear she was checking my ring finger. Methinks they are yanking my chain, but hell I'll take being checked out if that is the case. Put a spring in my step for the rest of the shift. Omen of things to come I hope.

Here's the view from my beach chair


Perhaps (e:strip) should collectively jump in the lake before the end of the season.

Last one in blogs for Buffalo Rising

How sad is Music is Art going to be at the fair?

Why did MIA feel the need to try and cozy up to the Elmwood Festival when they would have been fine to put on their own thing?

If Ch 2 has two dollar day at the Fair Wednesday night and Ch 4 has four dollar day Thursday, Can I skip Ch 29 day?

Why do some drivers do 30 mph when going from the 198 onto the Niagara Section of the thruway where the sprint is even faster?

Why did my Mom feel the need to tell me my car sounded different when I pulled up when I didn't notice a thing?

How come the Buffalo Airport takes a decidely more serious and thorough approach to security than JFK?

Why is it going to rain on the only day we had set aside this week for the beach?

Am I not meant to swim this summer?

Is that God's way of saying "Keep your shirt on, fat boy?"

Should I be flattered when my son says the bald spot looks smaller?

Why do people get so excited over Chef's or LaNova's when there is also DiTondo's and Bocce's?

Can I count one for me when my younger sister told me that she is cribbing copy for her wedding announcement from the one I wrote back in 90?

Is Antoinette's Ice Cream sundaes the true cure for ails ya?

When did the prizes at Dave and Buster's turn to such crap?

Why did it take three trips at the IHOP this morning to get the correct check for breakfast?

Jus Wonderin