26 July 2010 - Hogjaw, Area 51, Road Runners Internationale, and former black projects

And then I remembered all the space I have on the walls of my cubicle at work   Yep, I’ve got just about all my patches up on the walls at work

Some of these patches are rather rare.  For example, you can only get one of those CIA patches from the CIA gift shop.  Thankfully, I’m an associate member of the Road Runners Internationale and the CIA is rather close to our group due to the history of the Road Runners’ projects like the U-2 and A-12.  The CIA is so kind as to bring their gift shop to our reunions which means I get to shop where very few can

The rest of the patches on this wall have something to do with the CIA, the Road Runners, or black projects in Nevada.  Take the 547th Intelligence Squadron patch – these are the men and women who exploit foreign technology that’s been “acquired” by various means.  The Road Runner feature prominently – check out their website for some really interesting Cold War secrets   And there’s a couple of special, very limited edition Area 51 patches as well

26 July 2010 - Jimmy Buffett, NASA, Cape Hatteras, and the USAF represented here

It’s not just Road Runners and CIA that I’ve got on display.  There’s plenty of NASA and USAF patches here, too.  I may have to pick up a few more when I get the chance to fill in the wall a bit more   Still, there’s the stickers Kath sent me along with a couple of Raptor patches & T-Bird patches which I think all works well together.

Let’s not forget that I’m still a Parrothead and you’re probably going to find some Jimmy Buffett items around

26 July 2010 - Thanks for the OBX stickers, Kath

Gotta love the bumper stickers   “The Weather is Here” is a favorite of many Buffett fans while I’d love to see someone in office who actually has a clue as well.  I don’t agree with Jimmy’s politics for the most part, but he seems to understand what the average Joe is going through – he’s been broke and sleeping on a friend’s couch with only a bicycle for transportation before.  And of course, you’ve gotta love the OBX sticker and the Cape Hatteras lighthouse postcard

26 July 2010 - Road Runners Internationale - In God We Trust - All Others We Monitor

Ah, the good ol’ Road Runners 8)  This is key tag is pretty appropriate when you consider that they were responsible for the U-2, A-12, SR-71, M-21, and D-21   If you don’t know what those were or are, just put ‘em into a Google search and you’ll find out

26 July 2010 - Who here can pick out the most black projects and symbols in this patch?

I paid quite a bit more for this patch than I normally would for most.  It’s a very limited edition and very cool – if you know your Groom Lake history   I’ll tell you that the bird down on the bottom is for the Road Runners and the silver plane at the top is for the U-2, but each of the symbols on the patch refers to a program or group that’s been declassified.  How many can you understand?  I’m only missing a couple

Anywho, that’s about it for now.  Have a great day

The first time I heard “Love and Luck” was on the “Buffett Live – Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays” album.  It’s a little different than the studio version naturally, but they’re both good

“Zouk” is a popular form of music from the French Antilles, the kind that makes you dance without knowing what the singer is saying. Since the songs are in patois French, this helps. I once received a request for permission to write new lyrics to the melody of Margaritaville by a very famous European singer and thought it was great and was interested to hear their interpretation. Well this is the melody to a song called “kole Sere,” written by my friend Joecely Beroard, the lead singer for a great Zouk band named Kaasav. The lyrics are mine and I hope that they like the way I interpret their music. This was the first song ever recorded at Shrimp Boat Sound in Key West and Steve Winwood is the guest organist. I thank him for taking time out from his fishing trip.

After a four day weekend, I’m doing better than I was on Friday and I know that I’ve only got a three day work week ahead of me.  I can do this!  Still, it’s back to the trenches to fight it out with the forces of all that break technology and not the least stressful or most fun thing on the planet by a long shot.  Therefore, I try to find something to keep me on more of an even keel.  This song will do nicely – it’s got a good beat, a nice melody, and it’s catchy enough to get stuck in my head which is exactly what I need

So here’s the lyrics from Buffettworld.com:

Better days are in the cards I feel
Feel it in the changin’ wind
I feel it when I fly
So talk to me I’ll listen to your story
I’ve been around enough to know
That there’s more than meets the eye

Everybody needs a little good luck charm
A little gris gris keeps you safe from harm
Rub yours on me, and I’ll rub mine on you
Luckiest couple on the avenue

With a little love and luck
You will get by
With a little love and luck
We’ll take the sky
In this megalo-modern world
You’ve got to try
Try a little love and luck
And you’ll get by

Mysteries don’t ever try to solve them
We’re just players in a game
And no one’s keeping score
So have your fun
Go ahead and tell your story
Find yourself a lover
Who will glue you to the floor

Everybody needs a little good luck charm
A little gris gris keeps you safe from harm
Rub yours on me, and I’ll rub mine on you
Luckiest couple on the avenue

With a little love and luck
You will get by
With a little love and luck
We’ll take the sky
In this megalo-modern world
We’ve got to try
Try a little love and luck
And you’ll get by

Kole sere kole sere
Kole sere kole sere
Kole sere kole sere
Kole sere kole sere

With a little love and luck
You will get by
With a little love and luck
We’ll take the sky
In this megalo-modern world
You’ve got to try
Try a little love and luck
And you’ll get by

Kole sere, kole sere
Kole sere, kole sere
Kole sere, kole sere
Kole sere, kole sere

With a little love and luck
You will get by
With a little love and luck
We’ll take the sky
Love and luck
We will get by

I even found the studio version of the song on YouTube for everyone to kick back, listen, relax, and enjoy life with

Yeah, it’s one of my favorite Buffett songs   Of course, it helps that I think of quite a few good friends anytime I hear it

Have a fantastic day everyone

Doyle is Cindy’s nephew who I’ve known for quite a few years now.  He’s getting ready to move up to Utah later this week, so we wanted to do something as a bit of a last time out for some fun   We’d originally planned to go shooting, but neither one of us really had the energy to actually follow through on that plan.  Instead, we headed on over to Margaritaville – Doyle’s a Parrothead, too

13 June 2010 - MARGARITAVILLE !!!

That’s the main dining area at Margaritaville.  The whole ceiling’s a map of the Caribbean, there’s boats for booths, and a giant model of the Hemisphere Dancer (Jimmy’s Grumman Albatross amphibious airplane) with spinning propellers hanging over the customers.  Of course I love it

13 June 2010 - Doyle at Margaritaville

Believe it or not, Doyle actually shaved his head bald last summer and that’s just a year’s growth   Something tells me he’ll get a haircut about the time his grandmother sees him

13 June 2010 - VOLCANO NACHOS !!!

A favorite dish of mine and many of my friends as well is this heaping plate of Volcano Nachos 8)  Without meat it’s only about $12 and with your choice of fajita chicken or beef it’s only about $15.  Neither one of us could be called small and both of us were very hungry, but together we barely managed to finish off this plate.

13 June 2010 - Where else do you find a volcano, a giant blender, & a surf board in one restaurant?

So this is the volcano and blender the girl slides into on weekends   Yes, there’s a scantily clad female who slides down and then does a whole twirling performance before dancing on the railing.  Somehow I think that adds to the crowd just a little

13 June 2010 - Song related artwork on the walls

13 June 2010 - Song related artwork on the walls

The artwork on the walls at Margaritaville is all related to Jimmy’s music.  For example, the top picture relates to the song and album Volcano while the second picture relates to the song and album Fruitcakes.  I often wonder how many people have no clue what they mean

13 June 2010 - Margaritaville VIP Card

I found out about this card and got it on Sunday, but I confess the picture was taken today.  This card is only for locals – you’ve got to have a Nevada I.D. to get one, but they’re free if you meet the requirements

13 June 2010 - Performers at Margaritaville 8)

Last but not least we have the performers who put on a great show several times a day on the weekends.  The guys are all on really tall stilts and aside from helping our lovely lady if she needs someone to balance against while on the railing, they also make balloon animals for the kids and the kids at heart.

Aside from sleeping through my alarms (yes, both of them), there’s been a few customers who’ve taken a toll on my mental condition. Could the long run of days working without days off be part of it? Yeah, it’s a possibility.

From Buffettworld.com:

Song: Landfall
Album:Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes

Now what would they do if I just sailed away
Who the hell really compelled me to leave today
Runnin’ low on stories of what made it a ball
What would they do if made no landfall

I lived half my life in eight by five room
Just cruisin’ to the sound of the big diesel boom
It’s not close quarters that would make me snap
It’s just dealing with the daily unadulterated crap

Sail away for a month at a time
Sail away I’ve got to recharge mind
Then you’ll find me back at it again

Oh I love the smell of fresh snapper fried lite
What you say pouilly fuisse could round out the night
The mid morning watch is the best time to look
Oh what would they do if I wrote the big book

`Cause I’ve seen incredible things in my year
Someday’s were laughter, others were tears
If I had it all to do over again
I’d just get myself drunk and I’d jump right back in

Sail away, that’s the way I survive
Sail away, that’s just no shuck and jive
It just makes my whole life come alive

The wind whistled threw the cool rigging at night
Crazy crowds boogie to the sound and the lights
Bums down in Queros havin’ a ball
What would he do on another landfall
What would they do if I made no landfall
Oh what would they do if I flew to Nepal
What would I do if I met Lucille Ball
Tryin’ to make a little sense of it all
Just tryin’ to make a little sense of it all

What I wouldn’t give for about a month on a sailboat with a few tropical ports of call, some good lookin’ girls in bikinis on the beach, and some boat drinks with little umbrellas right now

From experience, there’s times when some things just seem appropriate.  Yeah, this is one of those times.

The first time I ever heard this song, it was a Monday, I was working at Captain’s Cove, and I was at home with a horrendous case of strep throat.  I’ve had strep on a number of occasions (I don’t know why, but I’m more susceptible to that than most), but that was a serious doozy.  Thankfully, the doctor I was seeing down in San Diego saw me on short notice, charged me $50 for the visit, took one look at my raging fever and spotty throat, dispensed with the test, and gave me a prescription for antibiotics.  I had no health insurance (hence the $50 visit), but the prescription only cost me $15.

Anyway, getting back to the story, I had to laugh.  It didn’t matter that I couldn’t swallow without intense pain or that I was nearly delusional from the dehydration, it was just too funny under the circumstances.  And somehow, I’m right back in that position again

From Margaritaville.com:

My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus

Havana Daydreamin’

My head hurts, my feet stink and I don’t love Jesus.
It’s that kind of mornin’,
really was that kind of night.
Tryin’ to tell myself that my
condition is improvin’ and if I don’t
die by Thursday I’ll be roarin’ Friday night.

Went down to the snake pit,
to drink a little beer.
Listened to the juke box,
oh, it’s comin’ in clear.
All of a sudden I wasn’t alone
pickin’ country music with old Joe Bones.
Duval Street was rockin’,
my eyes they started poppin’!
Because there she sat at the corner of the bar,
as I broke another string on my old guitar.
Someone call a cab.
Lady won’t you pay my tab?

My head hurts, my feet stink and I don’t love Jesus.
It’s that kind of mornin’,
really was that kind of night.
Tryin’ to tell myself that my
condition is improvin’ and if I don’t
die by Thursday I’ll be roarin’ Friday night.

Got to get a little orange juice,
And a Darvon for my head.
I can’t spend all day,
Baby, layin’ in bed.
I’m goin’ down to Fausto’s
to get some chocolate milk.
Can’t spend my life in your sheets of silk
I’ve got to find my way
Crawl out and greet the day.

My head hurts, my feet stink and I don’t love Jesus.
It’s that kind of mornin’,
really was that kind of night.
Tryin’ to tell myself that my
condition is improvin’ and if I don’t
die by Thursday I’ll be roarin’ Friday night.

I’ll admit that there’s been a couple of times when I’ve been in that state due to the consumption of alcohol in unadvised quantities, but those are few and far between – it’s really usually that I’m sick

If you want to hear what this song sounds like (and it’s pretty funny), check out the sample over on amazon.com

And yes, I’ll be roarin’ Friday night