Po' Folks

When I was very young (until about age 5) our family was poor. Money was always tight. But we had love in our home, humble as it was. Mom and Dad both worked to make ends meet. The thing was we always seemed to have something to eat. Might not be  much, but we had something. 

I remember the boxes of government surplus food we'd get. Peanut butter, powdered eggs and powdered milk.  There was butter, something called oleo, and other staples. I was too young to understand that my parents had to humble themselves and go pick up these boxes. I just thought everyone got them. I remember the powdered good the most. You don't forget the difference in taste of a gallon of Borden's homoginized milk and the powdered stuff! It's kinda like  the difference between Nabisco Saltines and Great Value crackers, you KNOW there is something wrong with the picture! Powdered eggs are a whole other story. They taste good to me. They were hot, and they were filling. That was all that mattered to me back then! 

My favorites from that big box were the peanut butter and that wonderful cheese! Never has a better sandwich been made than a grilled cheese sandwich made with govenment surplus cheese! I wish I had one now. (Hold the powdered milk, please.) 

Government surplus goods got my family through many a hard time. Like I said, money was tight. But the meals prepared with these items were more than just a meal. They were mama's way of  serving up love for her family. I realize now that Dad never wanted to have to take charity from the government, but he did the best he could. The program was created for people who needed help. WE needed help. After I turned about six or seven the powdered goods and things just went away and never returned. (Shout out to the late Calvin R. Starnes who gave my mother a better paying job and helped us out tremendously!) 

Did we have hard times? For sure. Did we have lean times? Yep. But did we somehow make it? Absolutely! My parent's willingness to do whatever it took to feed us and let us know we were loved was undeniable. THAT was my childhood. 

Now where's my grilled cheese and eggs?!

Retired of This!

 Had someone told me 7 years ago that retirement was going to be this cotton-picking boring, I might have stayed in the workforce! Has someone told me that folks where I was working would be getting a $20,000 a year raise I most definitely would have stayed! But that's a whole other Jerry Springer, and I will let it alone. 

I am sitting here staring at this screen and wondering what's for supper. It's only 3 O'clock! Bored doesn't come close to how I am feeling. I have been at home almost all day and I got up at 6 this morning! I did make a run to town to register my wife's car. That only took about an hour and I was back here in front of the computer again. Such a life I have! I need a job! Unfortunately, health issues limit the job market, for me, greatly! I guess it was a good thing, in one way, that I retired when I did. Who knows what would have happened if I'd had my heart attack while driving a van load of prisoners somewhere?! 

I have actually become accustomed to retirement. I may not like everything about it, but I cope. I often tell people who ask me, "How's retirement?" that, "The money sucks, but the hours are great!" Honestly I don't mind being retired and having lots of down time. I would really like a part time job somewhere. The money isn't important, but a reason to get outta bed would be nice! 

I guess if you can afford to do it, or get really close, you should do it. Let the younger generation handle the daily grind...but keep an eye on them! All in all, It's a good life!

On My Mind.

 The passing of my oldest son's classmate this week started me thinking. They graduated just shy of nine years ago. I stared remembering classmates of my own who have died since we tossed those flat hats into the air way back in 1978. 

Before we even made our senior year Gary died in a car wreck. He was the star athelete as far back as I could remember. It stunned us all. Erby died just weeks after graduation. Coming home from a late shift in the oil field. I figure he was very tired and the tree didn't care. I struggled with that one for a little while. Marcell lived to see more than a few years after graduation, but still died too young. Heart attack I believe. He was a twin to one of my best friends. Many more have passed without my knowledge of circumstances, but I know there have been many. There is little joy in outliving friends. I am glad to make it this far, don't get me wrong, but watching old friends die off at any age is hard. I feel for their families. 

It makes me sad to hear of the passing of  any of these friends and classmates, so I choose to remember them as they were back in the day when we were just happy-go-lucky kids.The world was ours! We laughed together. We triumphed together. We pulled for those "Mighty Bears" together. Yes, we endured hard times together. Mostly, we grew together.  Now we have our memories. Good and bad. I certainly hope the good ones outnumber the bad ones for everyone. 

Not much of a upbeat post, I know, but it was on my mind.  Thanks for visiting my blog.

The Joys Of Getting Older...

 So there I was...for the second time in two weeks. Sitting there on that table in a backless gown that would rival anything Versachi ever designed. Hospital issued, of course. I don't even think it was tied right. Two ties isn't gonna do much for a hospital gown on a guy six feet tall. 

It was rather lonely in that curtain enclosed space, waiting on someone to wheel me back so that they could do unspeakable things to me while I was enjoying the Propafol induced slumber I had missed out on the night before. I had not slept much due to constant running to the bathroom! Have you ever had a colonoscopy? Ever pretended that it wasn't so bad? Ever tried convincing yourself that the events caused by that nasty concoction you had to drink would end soon, knowing you were just lying to yourself? The taste of that creation of Satan was bad enough, but what it brought was many times worse! I saw things. BAD things! Things I swallowed in third grade on a dare! About half way through I heard a voice from somewhere deep inside me say, "I'm coming Lord!" 

Now remember, this was my second colonoscopy in two weeks! The fun had been drained by the first one. I found no joy in this one! We will not discuss what they require you to do before they let you leave! 

Why are the nurses all staring and trying to cover their laughter?? 

That was in 2010. Now time has passed. I have had, I believe, 7 colonoscopies to date (16 years). Got another one coming in about a year.  But I guess there are worse things in life. Root canals, maybe? Kidney stones are no fun either. 

What a joy it is to get older. However, given the alternative...

I Can't Take It Anymore!

 Last night my beloved Dallas Cowboys played in prime time. I never saw a down. Not because I was mad at them or any other person or team, I was just unable to get NBC on my television. I hate my television. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it! I can't get regular TV on the dang thing! I can do without seeing sitcoms and other drivel, but I NEED my Cowboys! 

I understand that my Cowboys lost to an inferior New York Giants team. I'd STILL like to be able to see it! It's my God given right as an American to see the Cowboys play! I have one of those stupid "smart" TVs that has the fancy channels like Hulu and Peacock and the rest. I enjoy watching YouTube on it. I do NOT enjoy having to pay to get a channel that carries the NFL games! 

OK...OK...OK...I have to stop this now, before my blood pressure gets too high. I'm just going to have to fix the problem before next week's game. Y'all wish me luck... and GO COWBOYS!! Dang it! Anyone have an old school TV laying around??

Postpartum. Post Office. Post Toasties. BULL!

 I gotta weigh in on this madness that is the Lindsay Clancy crap. 

I don't know postpartum psychosis from Post Toasties cerial, but I know 3 dead babies! This woman claims her hormones were in some type of criminal cocktail state so she murdered her three children. It's bad enough that one person (her) could concoct a wild story like that and somehow believe it, but the dang jury almost unanimously believed it! Thank God for that one lone man with functioning brain cells! 

Eleven grown humans voting to acquit this monster because she said she was hormonal. I knew we were headed for trouble several years ago when Andrea Yates was sent to a mental hospital rather than prison for drowning her 5 children. I truly believe that the eleven jurors who voted to set Clancy free were just wanting to get home in time for supper. They had no desire to stay and deliberate. CLOWNS! LOSERS! They should all be charged with obstruction of justice since those three babies did not get justice! Do you understand what they were trying to pass off as a verdict? They wanted to let that monster walk! Where is the justice in that?! She ADMITTED to killing the children! She tried to jump out a window and kill herself. That alone should tell a sane juror that she knew what she had done was wrong. She knew right from wrong! BAM! GUILTY! Life without parole, let's go! But "NO!" Let's set her sorry butt free! Thank God there was one person who stood tall and in the way of the travesty they were trying to push! 

Some say I am opinionated. I reckon I am. But one thing I am NOT is stupid! A three year old could see she was guilty...provided she had not strangled that three year old to death. Makes my butt want a dip of snuff, as grandma Meeks used to say.

Lady By The Log

 Years ago, probably around 1977, I worked at a Youth Camp in the Piney Woods of East Texas. That summer I met a young man about my age named Tim. For reasons of privacy we will just use his nickname, The Goo. (Based somewhat on his last name.) He was an adventurous guy to say the least. I learned that he liked to hunt, trap, and fish, and that is where this story really begins. He told a group of us about an event he had lived throiugh back in his hometown of Marshall Texas, that made me afraid to venture out in those woods that surrounded the camp for miles. 

He was trapping coons in an area of the town that was known for being a rough area. It was located down a notorious road called "Telephone Road." He said the badest of the bad hung out down Telephone Road. Bad things happened there. That wiwill be evident in his story. One night Goo and another young fella were running their traps down Telephone Road. They left the truck parked and started walking. It was about dusk when they started out, so it would be dark soon. Goo said he was in an area of dense brush and trees when he stepped over a fallen log. He felt something unusual under his foot but it was dark so he brought his other leg over the log and bent down to see what he had stepped on. What he found was a frightening site! He had stepped over the log and directly onto a headless body! 

Goo said he ran back toward the truck and passed his buddy who asked where he was going. He didn't say, but he ran past his truck and all the way to the local Sheriff's house. After informing the Sheriff of what had happened, the two of them jumped into the police car and hurried down to Telephone Road. They were met by other law enforcement personell and started to the area of the log and the body. They found the body and determined it to be that of a female, but without the head they had no clue as to who she was. Darkness was full on by then, so they decided to get a fresh start in the mornng. The next day a squad of law enforcement went back to Telephone Road. Goo went with them. It was Tim who found the head, as fate would have it. It was down a fox hole on the trail. It was determined that the body was that of a young woman who had been missing for a couple of weeks. 

We used to tell the kids ghost stories and tall tales on cookout nights, but this one was true. The older councilors would not let us tell this story for obvious reasons. I don't know what ever happened to Goo. I lost track of him at the end of that summer. I hope he has gotten over the traumatic events on Telephone Road. Here we are, some 50 years later and I still don't like being in the woods or even on a trail after dark!

"Who Is It?"

Did I ever tell you about the time I went to a fortune teller? Not for advice or any of that stuff. I was delivering pizza in college! 

It was a fairly quiet night at Pizza Pro in Searcy, Arkansas, and I had been stuck in the store making and cooking pizzas all evening. I told the boss I needed a break and he said, "OK. Take the next run." I did. It just happened to be to "Sister Helen's Palm Reading And Tarrot". I knew where it was because I had passed it many times delivering. Out the door I went.

When I arrived at Sister Helen's location I knocked on the door as usual. A voice from inside said, "Who is it?" 

Now folks...If I ever had a "Here's your sign" moment in life it was then. But I resisted... Almost. I politely said, "I thought you'd know!"

Needless to say, when sister Helen came to the door she was not amused. Worse yet, she stiffed me on the tip! Heifer!

I didn't appreciate her lack of a sense of humor any more than she appreciated my ability to restrain myself from going full Bill Engvall on her. I never took her an order again. Just as well... I hope she saw me in a dream and felt bad!

The Art Of Life

 All my life people have referred to me as an "artist". I never really considered that to be the case. I'd have to be much better at the craft to call myself by that title.  I was just a guy who liked to draw and sometimes entertain using art. At 66 years of age I still like to draw and entertain. I'm still not an artist. I dabble in caricatures and learning new things, but that's about it. 

When I was in high school I had a teacher named B.A. Morgan who was what I would call a real artist. Then there was another teacher, Butch Wills. He was pretty good, too. Mr. Wills gave me my first paddling in high school! That's another story for another time. 

There were also several students I watched and was intrigued by as they drew and painted, but the best one I ever knew was a young red haired girl named Helen Lowrey.  Lawd have mercy, that girl was talented beyond measure! By our sophomore year she was so far above even the teacher that it was flat out amazing. I wonder what ever became of Helen? Our sophomore year we were fast approaching the East Texas Yamboree art contest and I had painted a bald eagle that I was pretty proud of. Helen, of course, had a painting ready to go as well. It was a seascape done in acrylics. I remember looking at it thinking, "Wow. We are all trying for second place." 

Then it happened. Overnight there was a fire in the art room. I don't remember if they ever determined where it started, but it burned up all the entries we had for the Yamboree contest.  

That was the same school year my dad passed away from cancer. Quickly. Unexpectedly. Gone, leaving a hole in my life. I tried filling the hole with school work, art work, even my part time job at the local grocery store. I loved that job. It helped the most. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. So it was with my job at Gray's Grocery. I went to work for the summer at a Christian youth camp I had attended years before. It was something I needed right then. That summer I fell in love with Camp Deer Run and I fell in love with God. I realized that He was the only thing that could truly fill the hole in my heart. Here I am, some 59 years later, still loving that magical place we simply call "CDR". I even met the girl I would later marry  there at camp! Tell me God ain't good!

That summer I learned a lot about life. Mostly I learned that God is in control, no matter what. I am convinced that that summer at camp is what gave me what I needed to move on with life without my dad. It wasn't easy, but it was possible. 

Just as Helen was the best artist I ever met, God is the greatest healer I have ever come across, bar none. She entertained me. He sustains me! I look around at His handiwork and see the greatest artist and craftsman imaginable. More than that, I see the God who pushed me to make it when I wanted to give up. I wanted to crawl into a hole and just stay there. That's just a part of life, not the whole of life. He is the whole of life. The creative genius behind the universe. The artist of life. 

Summer of '68.

 It was the summer of 1968. One year removed from the famed "summer of love". I was 8 years old and having a ball. Litterally. I had just started PeeWee League baseball in Gladewater, Texas. I would go on to play for several years and leagues. PeeWee, Little League, Pony League and Mustang League. I LOVED it! That being said, I feel like I should point out that I was only average at best, and that took a while to get to. I never even made the conversation when the powers that were were picking All Stars. But I played and had a blast! That summer (68) I could usually be found holding down the fort in right field. Right field, where they sent you if you were just a hair better than the worst player on the team. It didn't matter to me where I played as long as I got the chance. 

I can honestly say I was more than a little distracted standing out there in "outer Monrovia", since there were very few left handed kids to worry about hittng the ball to me. I had to pretty much entertain myself until we went in to bat. And I did so very well I might add.  One particular night will live on in infamy.  Some kid hit the ball off the end of his bat and it came slipping and slopping out to my area. I was oblivious.  It happened to coincide with the passing of the 8:30 Union Pacific Train. I was wrapped up watching the big locomotive pass and never saw the ball or heard the other players yelling at me! The center fielder had to run to right field and throw the ball in. Needless to say, that story has followed me for nearly sixty years. I laugh now, but I was horrified back then when I had to face the Coach and my teammates! Neither of those was as bad as listening to my older brother replay it for me and laugh...and point, too, as I recall! On another occasion,I attempted to throw a runner out from left field. Unfortunately I tried throwing the ball side armed. It had been raining earlier and the ball was wet. You know what happens to a leather ball when it gets wet? It gets slicker than snot on a door knob. The ball flew out of my hand and went straight sideways and out of the ball park into traffic passing on Pacific Street. Talk about embarrassed?! But, as time went on I got better and those mishaps were fewer and fewer.  

By the time I was 17 I had discovered that if I didn't have baseball practice in the afternoon I could pick up a few extra hours at work. That meant more money. That meant more fun. I said "Goodbye" to baseball and thus began the next forty-five years of working full time. It wasn't always fun like baseball, but it allowed me to do things a mediocre baseball player could never do. 

These days my shoulder is shot. Rotator cuff is worn to bone on bone. I can't throw a ball more than 5 feet, and even then it is severely painful. But I will always have the memory of those summer nights in the old ball park. Right field, trains, side arm throws and all. It was a great childhood.

It Sure Is Hard!

I made a deal with someone the other day. My half of the deal is I gotta give up Coca Cola. I love my Coca Cola. The fully leaded kind. None of that sissy Diet Coke for me! I have a long standing love affair with the fizzy drink and it's artificial coloring and sweeteners. For the past 50 years I have enjoyed anywhere from 4 to 20 of them per day. Every day. (The 20 a day was long ago when I was about 18.)  I am surprised my kidneys have not rebelled against me to tell you the truth!

So here I am, now two weeks into this cold turkey cut off. It is haaaaaard folks! I am drinking water from a place in Greenville called The Drop, or Drip, or something like that. It is billed as "alkaline water". Supposed to have a high Ph and other minerals in it and be good for you. So far I can't tell much difference.  It costs about the same as regular bottled water, so I am not complaining. I AM complaining about not having my cold, bubbly fix every day! But it's for a good cause. More than one good cause actually.

I have been needing to lose weight for years. Nothing worked. Fad diets were just that. They didn't work. Fasting didn't do a lot. Some, but not a lot. I even ordered some of the powder drink mix that I once used several years ago to lose. Couple pounds is all I shed. That and forty bucks. So I finally listened to my wife and decided to try giving up the Cokes. They are full of sugar ya know? Yesterday morning I stepped on the scales and I am at 277.1 lbs. Down from 284.4 when I began. That's 7.3 lbs!  I'm happy as a pig in mud with a traugh full of fresh slop!

At the current pace I should hit my desired goal weight of 200 lbs. in about a year. Bummer. A year! LOL. I can do it. I hope to be able to walk more in the coming few months as I lose the extra weight on my knees and hips. I will be joining a new gym that has an indoor walking track. It has many more features as well. I was sold when they told me they had a sauna!! I get two weeks free when I sign up, so I will be signing up this week. Probably tomorrow when I am in Greenville. I am excited to sweat! LOL. I just hope the high heat in the sauna doesn't cause problems with my heart. Wish me luck! 

Meanwhile...I sure could use some icy refreshment in a 12 oz. can. GIT THEE BEHIND ME SATAN, AND QUIT APUSHIN'!

I need Geritol. Make it a double!

 If you know me you know that I am an avid poster of videos on YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/dannywmeeks) I love creating stuff, so it was only natural that I do it! 

This morning I posted a video that has already gotten a first comment. The comment was sort of unusual and out of left field, as they say. It simply said..."Thanks Grampa."  Grampa???? GRAMPA?! I was stunned for a second or two, then I started to wonder where the person got that idea. I know I am sort of old, at 66, but "Grampa"? Come on man! 

I guess I am technically old enough to be someone's grandfather. I know folks who became grandparents by the age of 40. But I'm still young and handsome!I can't be anybody's "grampa". No. I refuse and refute the guy's claim! 

Now...If you'll excuse me, there is a tall glass of Geritol waiting on me in the kitchen. There may also be some roast left over from lunch if I can find my dentures!

Fee For Stupid

 You may not be aware of it, but "stupid" comes with fees. Today I stopped by the bank to grab a couple of ten dollar bills for my upcoming haircut. As you know, you have to have your driver's license with you to make transactions at financial institutions. That is where the problem started. I turned my wallet inside out and emptied every pocket and opening. My DL was nowhere to be found. I have no earthly idea where it went, but it has most certainly disappeared.

Fortunately, I had my conceal carry license with me which had my DL number and my photo on it. I finished up with the bank lady and headed over to get the haircut. After leaving there I went straight to the DMV to see what my next step was going to be. As I walked into the DMV I noticed a sign that stated "You must have an appointment for business inside." Uh oh... I went on in and I got lucky. They were not busy at all and I was able to fill out a couple of forms and have a seat in the waiting area. I didn't have to wait long before they called me back to the unseen area where the magic happens. Thumb prints, signature, and photos. Then they hit me...FEES! Cost me $11 for being stupid enough to lose my DL!

I didn't argue about the fees, though. I was more than happy to pay the $11 for the right to hold and carry a piece of paper that would temporarily keep me out of jail in the event of a roadside conversation with the Po-Po! Having worked in the jail here in Hunt County, I am well aware that they can and will "run you in" for no DL! I was not interested in that sort of thing. 

So here I sit mumbling to myself about the lost DL and the fact that stupid comes with a fee. If you happen to see my old DL, please toss it in the trash can...Sort of like I did with that eleven bucks!

Have a great weekend! We'll Holler atcha!

"I Know A Guy."

 My family thinks I'm special. Not because of the things I can do, but because of the fact that I usually can't do stuff! Due to health reasons and limitations I can't get down low to fix things and I can't climb up to fix them either! So I compensated. You know how when a person goes blind their other other senses get stronger by design? That's sort of what has happened to me in my situation. I had to adapt and overcome in order to survive. 

So why does my family think I am special? Because anytime something arrises that I can't handle and my wife can't handle...I got a guy! From electricians to carpenters to my favorite local handyman, I know who to call. It may cost me a little, but I know the numbers to dial! 

Just this morning I met with Trent, my handyman, about replacing my deck and adding a ramp for easier access. I should have a quote soon. (I may not have the money, but I'll have the quote LOL!) Not long ago we needed a charger for an EV hooked up. I made a call and BAM! Problem solved. About 6 months ago we needed a roof put on our house. No worries. "Hey Jack. I need a roof." Easy peasy. Of course it all depends on the cost, but I always have a name to contact! 

I recently saw a T-shirt that pictured a cross and the words "I can't. But I know a Man." (BTW...He is a Jewish carpenter!) I love it! Because it is 100% TRUE! It's great having a list of folks in my head and on my phone that I can call in a situation that needs rectified, but WOW! I cannot imagine not having Jesus. If a situation arrises or I get in a bind, He is right there. All I gotta do is call on Him and it gets taken care of. You know the best part? It's already taken care of. There is no charge! Jesus has paid the price long ago! 

If you are ever in a spot where you need a handyman or electrician or plumber...I got a guy you can call. However, if you are ever feeling hopeless and helpless and think you can't hang on...I GOT A GUY! Just holler and we can get you in touch!

Getting Old Sucks!

 I have decided something...Getting old sucks! I'm only 66, but that's about 50 more than when I was happiest. Give or take a few years. I must say that I am a young 66, in my eyes. I feel young. I get around like I am not! The heart attack nearly 7 years ago made sure I would never be able to do the things I used to do for myself. Gone are the days when I could bend down and straighten up quickly. Today that would cause me great concern and a possible ER run! I bend down gently and stand up slowly. Even then it is an experience!

"Frustration" is the name of the game these days. I feel useless around the house. I want to mow the yard and weed eat it. Mowing is not the problem. Edging the yard is a thing of the past. I just can't do it without almost dying. Litterally. "Serious bidniss", my friends. I can't even work part time anymore. I worked from the age of 12 to my retirement at 59 1/2. The longest I was without a job was 2 weeks! After I retired I took a week off and decided that was for the birds. I went back to work selling cars like I had for ten years before I started work for the Sheriff's Office. Five weeks in I was just getting the hang of it again when the afore mentioned heart attack struck. That ended things...LOTS of things. (It nearly ended me!)

I was feeling great after my bypass surgery when, to my surprise, the Cardiologist said I was 100% disabled. Uhhh...Come again for big daddy? 

He said I would soon begin to understand. He was right. My ability to do the simplest of tasks without getting majorly out of breath was a surprise to me. I still do not understand it. I have tried asking the doc why it happens, but he has no answer (or at least he gives none). I still feel like I CAN do stuff. That just doesn't translate to actually doing stuff. Makes my butt want a dip of snuff! (As my grandmother used to say.) I get out of breath just walking from my car to door of Wal Mart. I did manage to get one of those hanging placards for handicap parking. I STILL get out of breath. 

So...getting old is not for the faint of heart or the weak of knee! 

However, it does beat the alternative. 

Oops! Sorry Big Dude!

 So the other day I was driving to the store, or so I thought. I had gone about a mile and a half when I realized I had left my wallet at home. Can't buy a Coke with my looks, so I had to turn around. That's where it got tricky. 

The road between my house and the little store I frequent is a two lane farm to market road. Not many places to turn around. I saw an indention on the side up ahead and decided to use that as a turn around. Now I saw the big rig 18 wheeler coming way down the road. No problem, I thought. He was a considerable ways from me. I whipped into the spot and threw it into reverse. Still time. No hurry. I backed out onto the road and put 'er in drive and I heard this air horn going off. It was obvious the driver was upset at me for being in his way. How he got to me from where I saw him in such a short time leads me to think he may have been traveling at above the posted limit! I don't guess I could blame him for being upset. I WAS "sort of" in his way. He could and did easily go around me, blaring that stupid horn.  I had my window down so I heard him loud and clear. 

What's funny is I am friends with the guy! I recognized him. I knew the truck and where it works out of. I had to laugh. Next time I stop by the guy's shop I'll apologize for getting in his way...IF my ears have stopped ringing from that blasted horn! 

Know what? I want one of those for my car! That or a train horn! Yeah, a train horn! That's it! THAT'S the ticket! Then I can answer when someone gets mad and blasts me with a big rig horn! PLUS I can scare the bejeepers outta slow moving folks in the hammer lane! 

I can hear it now...

Just An Old Bike

 It wasn't much, just an old bicycle made from several older bicycles. It was like a hand-me-down bike from people I never met. Daddy baught it for me one day at a garage sale and I was crazy about it! My very own bicycle! My brother had worked odd jobs to purchase his bike. A cool blue one with the banana seat and hand brakes! It was awesome! Mine had the banana seat but lacked the hand brakes. Not a problem.  Now we'd be able to ride together, and man did we ever?! I painted mine black with a can of spray paint, and even though the paint job was not perfect I didn't care. It didn't make a difference in "the way it ran"! 

Together we rode. We rode around and through the neighborhood. We rode to the Handy Dandy Grocery about a mile from our house. We rode with the kids, Billy and Anita, from one neighborhood over. We rode with John, the kid next door who's dad seemed able to fix any and every problem with our bikes. In the summers we rode with the kids who came to stay with our neighbor Mrs. King. Simply put...We. Had. Fun. Full speed we rode through alleyways and between houses. If you were a seasoned rider, like we were, you could ride full throttle down the road, hang a right at the Arnold's drive and blast through the low hanging limbs between their fence and their garage! We had a full two feet of space! We even formed a "biker club". We were, drumroll please..."Heck's Angels"! I don't know which of us came up with that, but it was the 60's so you have to overlook the ignorance!

Once my cousins came to spend a summer day with us. My brother challanged my cousin Becky to a race. He was on his and Becky rode mine. First one to the concrete slab on our oil top road wins! I, along with my other cousin, stood at the slab slash finish line and yelled "GO!" The race was on and it was a close one! My brother won...sort of. He reached the slab a second or two before Becky but in doing so he hit a one inch rise in the edge of the concrete. He and the bicycle were launched high in the air. They flew over our heads and landed about ten feet beyond the other edge of the slab. We went home, broken arm and twisted metal and all to report the accident to my aunt who was babysitting the lot of us. She was asleep and rather than wake her, we walked to my mother's office about a block away. Off we went to the ER! Mama was MAD, to say the least. Not at us. She was mad at my aunt. I didn't blame my aunt. It was us who decided to race. If anyone was at fault it was us, and I really don't see a case to be made for that. The arm was in a cast for about a month or two then all was well. John's dad fixed the bike  and we rode again like nothing ever happened. For the record, that was the first, last, and ONLY race we ever had!

Time passed and the bicycles gave way to cars. Billy got into motorcycles and rode a chopper for a few years until he accidentally drowned at 18 on a family outing. I lost track of the rest of the kids. 

Those were the days. I wish I had kept that old bike. I really wish we could have kept riding and being kids. 

Where Did They Go?

 I was scrolling through Facebook when I heard a kid singing a song from way back when. I was immediately transported through the years, back to a simpler time. A time when kids could be kids and could be trusted to stay out of serious trouble. Sure we pushed the envelope, but we stayed out of jail. 

Where have those days gone? Now days you can't take your eyes off your kids at the park for fear of some pervert snatching them up and taking off. As I listened to the song (Girl Made In Japan) I let myself drift back to those times. Elvis was the Big Kahuna as far as show business. He made movies like GI Blues, Change Of Habit, Kissin' Cousins, and so many more. Wholesome movies with an actual story line! Man I miss my childhood! The 60's were great times, and the 70's were a wonderful time to be a teenager! The cars were hot and the girls were even hotter. The music of the 70's has never been matched. Not even close. 

Now we have rap and crap like that. Even country music has gone down the sewer pipe. I have been listening to Talk Radio simply because I am sickened by what passes for "music" these days. I long for the days of Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show, Bob Segar, Styx, Bread, Journey, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Elvis, and so many more. Today's music is all about promoting sex, violence, disrespect for women, and hate for authority. How many rap "artists" have we seen in the news going to prison in the past couple of years? How many murders in the name of record labels? It's no wonder kids are out of control and always in trouble with the law. Teen suicide is on the rise. I attribute that to the message of their music.

Where have the good old days gone? They aren't really gone, just tucked away in the backs of minds of folks like you and me. Triggered back into the present by a song or an old movie that shows up unexpectedly. Thank God for those memories. They may be the only thing keeping some of us sane. 

Outta The Way!!

 This morning I had opportunity to go into Greenville, Texas for a minute. As I entered the city limits I found myself behind a red pickup with Oregon license plates and several bumper stickers. One sticker simply read "FDT" while another said "My dog is a democrat." 

Reading the second one told me what the first one meant. I will not say it on here, but if you know, you know. The dog one is more telling than some understand. I am sure this person's dog is in fact a democrat and I am furthermore certain it probably voted, along with several of their dead relatives, in the last three elections! You see, I do not trust democrats. ANY democrat. The ones that run for office, or the ones that blindly follow them and vote the sorry devils in. 

I sat there behind the truck at the red light and waited semi-patiently, for the light to turn. When it did the guy took his sweet time moving. I believe I may have yelled, "GET OUTTA THE ROAD!" or something to that effect. I know I said something and motioned with my hand for him to kindly move along. I am not normally the kind of driver that makes hand gestures while driving, but this idiot was already on my bad side from jump street. I'm not sure if it was the democrat bumper stickers or the yankee liscense tags. Perhaps it was his lack of consideration for me and the good republican folks he was holding up with his slow acceleration, but he is not on my Christmas card list! 

Why do we let these people in our state? What good are they? What purpose do they serve?! Always democrating up my Texas! As my dear old grandmother would have said, "Makes my butt want a dip of snuff!"

Y'all have fun, and don't give them stupid democrats an inch!

We'll holler atcha.

Bureaucratic BS Strikes Again

 Isn't it great? Isn't it just wonderful how the government gets involved and screws up a good thing? I have been working with my doctor for months in order to begin using a type of medication to lose weight. Good news and bad news. The good news is that there is a new program to assist people in keeping the cost down on these medications. Some can cost in excess of $1500 a month. The new program caps the cost at $50! Now the bad news... You have to qualify, or in my case not have a disqualifying condition. Never mind that I need to be on the medication to help me lose about 100 lbs. so that I can live a little longer. I am automatically disqualified because I have sleep apnea. Not that the sleep apnea would interfere with the medication or even the effects, no it's because the sleep apnea is covered by medicare part D and they won't cover two conditions. 

The government at it's finest, folks. They will cover a crack head and all their meds for FREE. They will provide FREE methadone for hard core users. But they will not allow me to pay a cheap price for a medication that can save my sizable butt and extend it's duration for a few extra years! 

Would You Pay?

 I have spent over 30 years of my life searching for a way to become a decent caricature artist. I have a library of books, tapes (Remember tapes?), and CDs. I have watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos. I am determined to learn the art of caricature!

Would you pay a fella ten bucks to draw a funny picture of you? All you gotta do is sit down for about 5-7 minutes! I know some folks that can't sit still for 5 minutes if their life depended on it, but they aren't my target audience! I have a better idea...How about you send me a good, clear photo of your head and I will try to draw it! If I can do it I will do it and email it to you for free! Just send it to my email at dwmeeks@gmail.com and let's see what happens!

Be the FIRST!!

Campaign Trail Blues

 Maine. A state that almost no one who isn't from ever gives a second thought. Yet, here we are fast approaching the 2026 mid-term elections and Maine is the big news item.  Not because of any "importance" of the state itself or any product of service it provides. No. Maine is big news because the candidate it's Democrat party somehow elected in spite of glaring flaws, Graham Platner,  has dropped out of the race even though he won the party's nomination just weeks ago. Why did he suspend his campaign and drop out? Was it over his Nazi death camp tattoo? Nope. It was because yet another woman has come forward and said he raped her. Notice I said "yet another". Yes. There have been others.  Of course Platner denied all of their alligations. The democrats of Maine seemingly said, "Oh we believe Platner over these women" almost in direct oposition to the whole "Believe all women" the party hammered on just a couple of years ago.

Platner has, of course, denied this latest alligation as well. Just like he denied the tattoo on his chest was a Nazi death camp symbol. Lots of denials swirling around this guy, huh?! 

So what happens now? Allow me to speculate. First, the democrats will scramble to replace Platner on the ballot. Some democrat with a following will be appointed and will be pushed onto the people of Maine. It will not be a problem for Maine residents. Hey...They voted for a Nazi sympathizer. How much worse could it be?!  Second, Platner will never even get a slap on the hand for the rape or any of the other allegations from the numerous other women he was "inappropriate" with. He walks free to sport his antisemitic tattoo as he chooses. 

I am not someone who influences a bunch of people, so what I say makes no big difference, but if I had opportunity to say something to the Democrats and the residents of Maine, I would simply say: DO BETTER! You nearly gave the USA a Senator who was an actual Nazi!

OK...Rant over. Does anyone know why we don't give Maine to Canada in exchange for a semi full of their pizza bacon? 

 

Noah Wells...All New Cause Celeb

The body of Noah Wells, 18 year old star football star, apparently washed up on the shore of a barrier island just off the Mississippi gulf. Now the speculation begins. Oh...He was black. He was there with several friends. They were...wait for it... white. Many black posters on Facebook have indicated a strong thought pattern leaning toward "The white kids killed him!" That is the tone, if not the actual statement, they give off. Absolutely ZERO evidence. Zero proof. Pure speculation. 

Here's what we do know: There were hundreds of people partying on the island. There was a lot of drinking going on. Wells was drinking and riding on boats. There were many people on these boats. How far fetched of an idea is it to speculate that he fell off the boat and was left in the water because no one saw him fall overboard? I must admit that I have zero proof either, but it is a possibility.

So why the push by blacks on social media to convict the three white friends he was with? 

I say it is because they are still angry at the Karmelo Anthony verdict. Blacks were whipped into a frenzy by activists who wanted to see Karmelo walk free based on his far fetched "self defence" claims. Forget that crap folks. KA was and IS guilty of murder. Period. Move on.

Now we have Noah Wells. A brand new cause celeb for blacks to rally behind and stick it to "Whitey." My speculation is we will see a lot of bad discourse between blacks and whites. I also forsee black rallies and marches, (not to mention bar-b-ques!)  As for me? I plan to sit back and watch the circus that will surely follow this story. I see it being full of clowns in their whie robes and pointy hoods. Only they will be worn by dark skinned people with an agenda. People who will not be happy until they get their way...ignorant as it may be. 

Grab your lawn chair and a bowl of popcorn. The show starts any minute now.

Where Have I Been!?

Happy Birthday To Us!

Today I somehow stumbled upon this forgotten blog of mine. I actually enjoyed rereading some of my older entries! It has been quite a while since I last posed and I figure now is as good a time as any, given the timing of it! Today is July 4th, 2026! The 250th birthday of these United States of America!

Happy Birthday America!

We not only celebrate this country's birthday this week, but I get to mark another year's milestone as well! Given that I have not only survived cancer but a heart attack and triple bypass surgery as well, I believe I am entitled to a piece of cake sometime this weekend! By the way, I am feeling great these days, for those readers who may be interested. 

I look around at the men and women I grew up with and notice how lucky I feel. Some are going through health issues that are concerning. Others I had to read about in that section of the newspaper we'd all rather not talk about. Time passes. It is true what the bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:11 "Time and chance happens to all men." Ain't that the truth?! 

I don't know how many more years (or hours) I have left on Earth, but I know I have lived a good life. I have accomplished things some others cannot claim. Earthly accomplishments, but they count for down here at least. LOL. I have met and married a fantastic, Godly wife. We have raised two fine young men who are Christians. I believe I have faught the good fight. If today my life were required of me I know the blood of Jesus continually cleanses me and I will go to a reward reserved for God's own. My mother, father and only brother have already gone before me and I know they are waiting to welcome me.  What a grand and glorious reunion that will be! I don't really "want" to go today, just saying I am ready if I do!

Now... Let's see about that cake I mentioned!