Monday April 12, 2011 Amazon Kindle

I've been reading a lot lately. Thanks to my new Kindle from Amazon. As you all know I live in Greenville Mississippi, a vast wilderness of dollar stores and chain restaurants completely void of book stores except for the small best-seller section in Walmart and a very limited store that sells books mainly by Mississippi artists. My wife Angela and I often travel to Jackson Mississippi where we hit the book stores hardcore. Comparatively we have a music store or two with limited supplies. Thank God I already have the instruments of my dreams so I have no desire to look for and "fiddle" around with guitars when we go to Jackson. So, naturally we would have spent an hour or two (often longer) in Border's Books upon every visit. That is.. before we bought each other Kindles. At first I was a little worried that I would miss the feel of holding a nice new paperback. The smell of a new book always got me excited even though it was always a horrible smell of bleached flattened wood and ink. You know what? I didn't and still don't miss books a bit! Save a tree, buy a Kindle. One night I had just finished reading Bram Stoker's Dracula and I began to google vampires and their origins on my Kindle's browser. (Dracula was a free book by the way). Anyway, I stumbled across H.P. Lovecraft's name and decided I would read a few of his short stories seeing as I never had. Not only did I find a complete collection of his short stories but one that cost ONE DOLLAR! One dollar!? Oh I freaked out and now I'm currently reading more books than I can handle. I can't even finish one because as soon as the author of the book I'm currently reading references another book, it sends me on a witchhunt for the referred book. I'm so excited! I used to read encyclopedias when I was a kid and since then I have not enjoyed reading so much. I've read more books in the past few weeks than I've read in the past 5 years. I remember watching a television show on which a man stated that because of some new form of mathematics, we would learn more in the next ten years than humans have learned since the dawn of man! I think because of this new ease of information tranferrence, we are all getting to be more learned and intellegent. We haven't realized it just yet. We're learning more by googling and chatting than we ever have in classrooms. What I love about this vast ocean of information is that there should be no more excuses for ignorance. Of course, there have always been librarys but now... you can have a library in your purse or backpack. And the battery usually lasts a full MONTH on a single charge (as long as you remember to turn the wireless adapter off). Thanks Amazon! Five stars

Okay Where Did We Leave Off?

Wow! It has been a busy couple of Months: Career Change, Major Auto Repair, Arson Investigations, Playing Gigs left and right.. (I haven't told anyone because I've been playing with other bands.... so it's not technically me playing my music). I'm going to start telling you guys about every time I play though.. even if it's not MY music because I'm not just a singer/songwriter anyway. I like to spread out like smallpox.

Well, I have too much to say so I'm going to say it mostly with my favorite pics since my last blog.... enjoy. And I'll try to do better... Private Party in Maghee Arkansas (hope it's spelled right). The chicks dig me.
Lucy didn't want to leave the lake.


Played lead guitar for Alanna Mosley at Walnut Street Blues Bar.


Learned that replacing a timing belt on a VW Passat ain't worth the $1000.00 I saved.


Saw Junior Adams. Old friend from "Ye Olde Neighborhoode"


Inspected a huge scrap iron company! I got to be 5 years old again.

Realized just how influential the porn industry is on the "modern world". This device is named after a sex toy called the "Oral Exiter". (don't ask what it does and how I know this). Anyway I saw it in a very well known department store security room during an inspection.

Had a Fire Investigation seminar in Tunica. This was how you got into the rear of the hotel. Notice the scrapes from countless drunks entering through the back door after getting lost in the confusing hotel.

The hotel in Tunica had a bidet. I just had to do it. (And NO I didn't actually drink from it!) **(see "Pickles on Pizza's blog")

Ralph is an old guy who hangs out around Headquarters Fire Station. I was doing an inspection at Scott electric where Ralph "works." Mr. Scott, being a nice ole fella gives Ralph work to do which consists mainly of digging a hole in the yard and then filling it back up when he's through. I saw this sign in the bathroom and it just made my day.

Big Fire! Can't say. .. Don't Ask.

One of my favorite shots.

Getting ready to attack.


Todd had to dig a hole or two before we left. I can picture him with a green plastic shovel, yellow rubber boots, and a plastic red bucket. Day at the beach. Memorial Day.


Airport Grocery in Cleveland. Private party with "LazyBone".


Airport Grocery


Wide open at the Crawfish Festival in Leland, MS.

Brown Water Blues

My town is drying up.  You would never know it by the amount of cars you see every day.  The traffic is pretty rough if you consider the size of the town.  (Population wise that is).  Well now a bypass is being built which means everyone will soon be passing us by.  Maybe that's a good thing though.  Less traffic.  More peace and quiet.  Less damage to our streets.  Maybe the whole town will sleep better and because of it we'll all become clear headed and some intelligence will spawn somewhere in our brown water brains.  Yeah our tap water is brown by the way.  We're famous for it.  But the water is magical though.  For writers that is.  Legend is... if you drink it you will get a writing deal.  It doesn't apply to locals sadly.  It will render you insane if you drink too much.  You'll get so many ideas that you will never finish one.  You'll become so creative that you won't know where to start and where to end.  I swear!  It happened to me.   Of course it only makes you more of what you already are.  I.e.  if you're an idiot you may suffer permanent brain damage.  It's happened to so many people around here.... it's sad really.  Anyway if you ever make it out to this old run down town.  Get you a drink of the brown water.  If you think you can handle it.    SIP"  "ah.... that's good stuff"  

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An All Day Job

I recently had to do a fire safety inspection at the local hospital. DRMC.  It was an all day job!  I can't imagine inspecting a New York City hospital!  It was very interesting though.  First time I ever saw a morgue.  Call it a morbid fascination but I had to look inside one of the chambers.  No comment.  Sadly I had my first fire death as an investigator this past Sunday night.  Pretty sad but it was good experience.  Our first fire deaths of the new year.  Hopefully our last. (And my second look at the morgue).  The poor people couldn't get out of the house because of the security door and Windows.   At the same time we couldn't get in fast enough.  I can't stress how dangerous security bars are.  Sure they keep criminals out but they hold you hostage at the same time.  They're just not worth it.  I've had quite a few experiences lately that have brought me to realize the importance of my job as first, a safety inspector and second, a fire investigator.  As much as I hate being the bad guy.. all you business owners and daycare owners etc...  I'll be as sweet as I can be but don't even THINK you're going to run a dangerous business on MY watch!  Fire Marshal Aub Dawg is in yo hizzle,  all up in yo grizzle fo rizzle!  All day long!
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Two Dog Night

It's so friggin' frigid tonight! 17 degrees is about as cold as we southerners can handle. We had to bring the dogs in. They are living it up! Can you imagine if life were that simple for us? Just a warm bed and food to eat. Not even clothes. Not even underwear! Well I'm glad to have both. I do admit that it would be nice though... walking out to the mailbox... not completely naked just fur all over. Like a permanent set of footie pajamas of the most comfortable fabric growing through my skin. I'd never have to wash it. Just hop right into the shower and shake off the excess water.. towel off, blow dry and get straight into bed. Of course the whole genitals on the outside would be a matter but if people can walk down a beach and have picnics in the nude I guess I could get used to it. Well if it weren't for the fur shedding and the Cheetoes smell rising off these two furry animals lying around in our living room.... I think I would rather enjoy snuggling up to these mutts tonight! It wouldn't be quite a '3 dog night' but... its not really THAT cold anyway.


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About Pickles on Pizza

I thought I would take a moment of our time (mine and yours) to tell you a bit about our beloved "Pickles On Pizza.  I just got back from playing at an almost local restaurant the "Cow Pen".  It was a decent crowd.  Sold some cds and had a good time.  Anyway, when I got home Angela greeted me with open arms and some good reviews news about our 'swiss cheese cake'.  We had a quick dinner and she proceeded to make her cookies for tomorrow's bakery.   Maybe its the Patron or the ease of the 4 day weekend but I caught myself staring at her and grinning ear to ear tonight .   I love that there is a side to my cute cuddly significant other that only I know.  She's absolutely, hands down, (brand new puppy) adorable.  And she's my best friend.  I got all mushy feeling when I saw her in her apron baking cookies.  We have a rare. love that I believe few people experience or even understand.  I just had to get a plain old everyday .photo to share with you guys and gals.  Take a good look folks... that there's the love of my life. Oh and  we've been busy so mind the kitchen.

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Wal-Mart is Dead

New years day and I'm in Wal-Mart.  My heater went out in the studio so I treked down to get a new one.  If you don't know me you would think I love Wal-Mart by the countless hours I spend there.  In truth I'm just trying my best not to return a crappy product.   Sometimes I get paranoid with all the cameras staring at me.   If I spend too much time on a certain aisle I feel like they send the secret shopper around to see me.  Trust me my moms friends with one.... they do exist.  Maybe my paranoia comes from that time when I was with a friend who sorta plotted to steal a Nintendo cartridge.  Yep.  To make a long story short... I chickened out and later saw him crying with his arm locked in the firm grip of a security guard.  He got a years probation and I got a lifetime of supermarket shame.  We were about 9 years or younger of age.  Yeah that just about nipped theft in the bud for me.  So the point was....  Happy New year and can you believe how empty that aisle is?  

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