I was using some needle nose pliers today. I'm sure you've

done it too. Pinch. Just when you're thinking to yourself,

"These pliers are kind of... Man I would sure hate to.... OUCH! Oh OUCH!!"

Damn.

I took this lousy picture with my iPod. It's a picture of my favorite object

at Killer Pizza From Mars. Yeah yeah, we're back there again. But

hey, how can you resist a painting on velvet? I think that if Elvis Presley

and Pat Boone had a child together (I know, impossible)
this is what that baby would grow up to look like.

Don't you just love a good thrift store? Me too. This aren't one.

Prices are too high. Selection of stuff is just bland. That cool

skull and crossbones they have in the window by the flag's

reflection is just to sucker me in so I can see the dusty and overpriced

circa 1974 blenders they have for sale.

But if you've never spent a day thrift shopping, you should try

it. You can find some fun stuff at good prices sometimes. And

where else are you going to find items for your future

yard sales? I kid.

Happy National Day Of The Cowboy!
July 28th is National Day Of The Cowboy. NDOTC is dedicated to (from the website) "preservation of America's Cowboy heritage so that the history and culture which the United States Congress's National Day of the Cowboy resolution honors, can be shared and perpetuated for the public good, through education, the arts, celebrations, gatherings, rodeos, and community activities."

National Day of the Cowboy website (The above photo shows a few figures that I have up on a shelf. I don't see themoften. Only when I look up. Way up. Just a few more things that I don't see a lot,but I like having them, a lot.)

I took this picture as I was driving down the freeway near Escondido, Ca.

I think that the jet trails (if that's what they are) are in an interesting pattern.

Also notable about this picture is not long before I took it, one

George Djura Jakubec was renting a house on just the other side of the

embankment. And that was pretty big news around here for awhile.

A few of my little R2D2 figures. I have a few more Artoos and other

astromech droids (from Star Wars of course) that are still in the

packaging. These are just kids toys, but they're not real inexpensive

and they are pretty collectible. I'm still on the lookout for other versions.

And I admit that it is a weird thing to spend my money on, but I'm hooked.

Someday I would like to find (and be able to afford) a real

super duper of some sort and larger Artoo piece of memorabilia.

You know those little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that you see that

look like nothing special and then you eat there and they turn out to

be really really really really GOOD? Well, this might be one of those.

Not sure though.

This is part of a storefront sign for the Lakeshore Learning

Store. I guess they sell all sorts of products to aid in the education

of children. But if you ask me, the picture of the little girl
looks more like a circus sideshow advertisement exulting the
wonders of Bendora, The Girl with Pincushion Hands.

I like it.

I took this picture about a month ago not far from our home.

I like the yellow flowers. I wish that I could capture them better.

1024 x 786

This is what last night's view looks like today.

I took this picture at 3:30 today. Doesn't look too bad.
Under full control hopefully.

I took this picture tonight, just a little while ago.

It's fire season once again and there is a pretty large brush fire off

in the distance. And I hope it stays off in the distance. This fire

is on government land and I believe has been fully contained.

At this time it is threatening no homes or buildings.

That's good news.

The Posy Peddler.

I've never been in there.

Sounds illegal.

We can't afford no danged GPS.

So we got us the next best thing.

Again, please... Don't judge me.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Wow, another one. They are coming in waves now.

Scary, no? This is my NECA Jason Voorhees from the 2009

remake or re-imagining or whatever it is. You know Mr. Voorhees

had to make an appearance here today.Yeah, I'm not opening him.

Stay safe, kiddies.

All too easy.

It's just too sad. I don't know what to say.

Here's the other part of yesterday's photo. Little R2D2 doing

a bit of work on the StarSpeeder 3000 in the Star Tours ride

queue at Disneyland. Just before C3PO starts chewing him out, he

does something that creates a bit of noise and sends smoke (steam)

flying out the engine(?).

R2 is my all time favorite Star Wars Character. My son took

this picture as well.

Who doesn't love a good picture of C3PO chastising R2D2

as he works on a StarSpeeder 3000? This is of course the

Star Tours adventure at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

This is about my all time favorite ride. My son took this picture

some years ago. The ride has been totally updated now and I

hope to visit it again someday. I grew up going to Disneyland at least

once a year, but a few years ago that fell by the wayside.

Year after year these birds make their nest in the fire alarm bell on

the outside wall of our house. I would not want to be them if it ever

rings. But then again, if it ever rings, I don't want to be us either.

Well, I did say some of my pictures might be downright terrible

and I 'spect this might be that. But I like this spot on the 210 freeway

in Irwindale, California. Driving straight at the Miller Brewery. On warm

summer days as you drive by, the smell of hops and grains (if that's

what it is) brewing fill the air and you start craving b-e-e-r. I don't drink,

but if I did, I'm thinkin I would get off at the next exit, find a

hole in the wall and have one.

This is what's been on Lizzy's menu for the last two days.

I haven’t had a cold in a year and a half, and that one only lasted

like two days and was never that bad. This one is a different story.

I hope it's gone soon.

I remember many years ago watching on TV a man who had just turned

102 years old being interviewed. They asked him, "To what do you

attribute your long life?" Peanuts", he said. "Peanuts."

I attribute my lack of illness to hand sanitizer. It upsets my stomach a little,

but I think it's been worth it.

I was in the garage the other day and I noticed a little baby

lizard that must have fallen into this pail. That's a normal sized

pail and that is a teeny sized lizard to be sure.

Baby lizards are really cute, iff'n ya ask me.

The bottom photo shows the little feller scurrying off into the

wherever when I took him outside and set him free. The photo is
a little blurry because it is an action shot. High intensity action, baby.

Happy Birthday America.

I took this picture at a store that sells those "lifter" things.

I have no idea what they are called.

Here is another cool thing that was a gift from my son a few years

ago. This Jelly Belly© gumball machine is another something that I

would have never bought for myself. And it is another something that

I don't think about. But it is really neat to have it. Every once in a while

when the "sweet tooth" strikes, there it is. And I think there is a lot of

change in there.

And this is not one of those cheap plastic models. This thing is constructed

of glass and metal. I really like having it.

I think it was 1999 when I took this picture at an airshow in

Ventura, California. It's a portable motion ride similar to Star

Tours at Disneyland (of course not anywhere NEAR as good).

It looks like it simulates a ride on a Stealth Bomber. But I don't know for

sure as we (my son and I) didn't go on it. If I recall correctly I didn't have

a lot of money at the time and this thing was like $8 a person. I just couldn't

justify $16 for two minutes of jostling around.

I took this picture with a film camera and scanned it years ago.

On Tuesday, June 12 I posted a photo of a side entrance to the

Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park at San Diego, California.

At that time I said I would post a picture or the actual stage. The top

picture shows that stage and the bottom picture shows the view from

the stage out to the audience. And believe me, that place gets filled to the

brim a LOT of the time.

And as I wrote in my last post about Spreckels, this place has had concerts

since 1917. I'm amazed by the pictures I've seen of the people who have attended

events at this pavilion through the years. Image search it on Google if you're

interested. It's even more interesting if you have visited the pavilion for yourself.

And if you ever have the chance, you should. And there is quite a bit more to see at

Balboa Park than the pavilion alone. It's a full day to be sure.