Random Pictures

Just because I haven't posted in a long time - I can't let an entire year pass without throwing something out here, never mind if I'm the only who sees it. Let's see if I still know how to do this....

Neck Rd, Huntersville

Old barn at the end of Neck Rd

Same old barn, different colors.

Cat Nap

Not having kids, I take more pictures of Tigger than is probably normal. After taking the picures, though, I don't do anything with them, so I thought I'd post a few here. It will help me feel better about having taken all these pictures.

Unspectacular!

Whenever I hear the word "spectacular" I think of Marv "YES!" Albert announcing the 1991 NBA Finals.

But Marv has nothing to do with this post. I have been tagged by Kelli and Linda to list six unspectacular things about myself, things that make me just like most everyone else. Since everyone I know of who reads this blog has already participated in this exercise, there is no reason for me to explain further. Also, don't be offended if I don't tag anyone else - like I said, if you're reading this, I'm pretty sure you've already been tagged.

1) I blog. Not very often. And not as with much care as I have in the past, which fits the profile of 99% of all the other bloggers out there.

2) I am a passionate sports fan and thank God that's something that only brings distraction and entertainment rather than fulfilment and peace. In my lifetime, my favorite teams have never won the World Series, the Stanley Cup, the NCAA tournament, the Rose Bowl (or any bowl of any kind for that matter), etc. And the Bears, the supposed dynasty of the mid-80s managed to fade away after a single Super Bowl. Since only one team at a time can win a championship, I suppose all that disappointment is shared by a great majority of sports fans around the world.

3) I like to walk. Yes indeed.

4) I love music, but get very little out of it other than enjoyment and entertainment. Music rarely inspires or moves me. Sometimes it gets me moving (not dancing, just moving), but that's usually because I'm in an active mood anyway.

5) My first job for which I got paid was at a place off Howard St and Wolf Rd in Des Plaines that did catering for the ground crews at O'Hare Airport. I mopped the floor and took out the garbage, and cleaned the grease trap, which, in its way, was, in fact, spectacular. I couldn't eat or drink for a day after performing that task because the rancid stench became so embedded in my senses that everything, even water, tasted and smelled foul.

6) I have difficulty narrowing down the final selections when I put together lists like this.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 51: Metrolina Greenhouses

While you can't shop there, Metrolina Greenhouses is still an impressive place to see. A huge complex on the eastern edge of Huntersville, Metrolina's 4.4 million square feet of greenhouses look like something out of a science fiction novel. They are one of largest growers of poinsettias, including painted poinsettias, which you can learn about through a video on their website.

Not What I Expected to Hear

Having had trouble breathing, reading, and even riding in the car, among other things, over the past ten days, I finally gave in and paid a visit to the doctor. After asking a few questions, the doctor puts the stethoscope to my back and tells me to take a deep breath. I got an immediate indication that things were worse than I thought when, at the peak of my inhalation, the doctor exclaimed, "Oh crap!"

Turns out that along with some sinus issues I've got pneumonia. And I can only hope that if I ever have a more serious diagnosis, such as some life-threatening disease, that I'll have a doctor with a bit more tact. Although I did laugh. And laughter is, alegedly, the best medicine, so maybe the doctor was only trying to make me better.