Morning Ramble

Since I still haven't gotten into a writing routine, I thought I might do a stream of consciousness thing through out the morning, or maybe just throughout the next few minutes while I wait for the coffee to brew at the office.
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Maybe I have nothing to write about lately because the only thing people talk about around here these days is how unbearably hot it is...yeah, I know New York and the Eastern seaboard went through a "heatwave" -- what did it last? Two weeks? Around here, it's been hot and "schticky" since...um...Christmas...of 2004.

I'm only exaggerating slightly...some days the humidity hasn't reached the "schticky" point.
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I think what makes it worse is that the TV weather clowns always hype the chance of rain...and it never rains. A couple of days ago, Amy and I were on the back porch and winds kicked up to close to 40 miles per hour at least. It was cooling off quickly...we could smell rain in the air.

That lasted only long enough to knock down a tree in our front yard - although I suspect it committed suicide - and all we got was the "smell"...not a drop of rain.

We did get another chance to talk with our neighbors with whom we've spoken about 9 times in 11 years. The guy has a chain saw and that tree wasn't down for 45 minutes before he was at the door volunteering to cut it up. Guys need chain saws...but most of us have no real use for them. I gave him permission to go berserk on two other cottonwood trees in our yard that I suspect are also contemplating ending it all. It's not like there's a crappy tree support group they can go to for therapy. Not even a crappy-tree suicide counseling line they could call. Assisted suicide by chainsaw seems humane...which, by the way, I will bet is a sentence no one else has ever written.
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"American Idol" is holding auditions in San Antonio on Friday and the hype is already in full swing. Wannabe participants have to get wrist bands which will start being handed tomorrow at 6 a.m. and will continue to be handed out 24 hours a day until the actual auditions.

The great unwashed and undiscovered better not be completely broke. The organizers have the gall to charge 10 bucks per car to park - to park to get your wristband...after that you have to move along, no camping or reserving your ten dollar parking spot. The wristband doesn't even guarantee you'll get an audition...it just tags you as someone who is either talented, or nuts.

Possibly both.
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Elsewhere on the nut front: Police in Cleveland (Texas not Ohio) - a town near Houston - have seized some THREE HUNDRED pit bulls. Police are quoted as saying they, "suspect the property owner might have been involved in illegal dog fighting operations."

Ya think?

Maybe it's completely innocent. He bought a pair of pit bull puppies...didn't pay attention...they invited over a few friends...who invited over a few more. No one ever told the land owner about the birds and the bees and before you could say, "Anyone else notice how much dog poop is in the yard?" he suddenly had THREE HUNDRED pit bulls in his yard. I suppose that's possible.

Our neighbor, the one we've spoken to about 9 times in 11 years, has a pit bull. She's sweet. I've talked to her more than my neighbor. Her name is Xena. She doesn't invite other pit bulls over...but then again her owner has a chain saw and time on his hands.
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Car repair bills this week: $1000.00...and it's only Tuesday.
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The Dixie Chicks are canceling or "postponing" a large number of their concert dates due to poor sales...instead they're going to take their tour to Canada.
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Speaking of done...the coffee is ready...I better get to work.