Stopped in a convenience store close to home today. A young lady in her early 20's pulls her car up the no parking area in front of the doors, gets out and walks in.

She is disheveled, to say the least: Hair sticking up and out in every direction, she's wearing a tank top and shorts (it's 25 degrees outside!) and fuzzy house slippers.

I watch her walk around and grab a bottle of aspirin, make a 40 ounce soda and shuffle up behind me in line.

It only took one look at her bloody red eyes and one whiff of her sickening morning breath for me to move aside and let this poor creature sidle up to the counter.

A wad of bills in her hand, she (kinda, I think) mumbled thanks to me and practically threw some one's at the cashier.

Not waiting for her change, she popped the top off the aspirin, downed a handful and washed them down with some soda on her way out of the door.

Stumbling once, she made it to her car, kind of fell into the driver's seat and drove off.

The cashier and I looked at each other, slight smiles on our faces, and I said:

Like we used to say in the 60's... "A lotta freaks in the world, man."

I paid for my items, got in my car and drove home - chuckling all the way.

So... how's your day been?

I never roller or ice skated growing up. I gave it a go in the late 70's, in my 20's.

The first time I tried roller skating was on the street. Although I made it a block without falling down, my girlfriend fell and twisted her ankle.

The second time was at a skating rink with a date. The girl promised to teach me. She was quite good, doing spins and skating backwards. I fell down a lot, but finally got the hang of it. My date later twisted her knee and a friend of hers, within moments, fell and split her chin open. I took the two of them to the emergency room. That's the last time I've been roller skating.

I'm afraid to go try ice skating.

~

Name a movie or t.v. show with the number 13 in the title.

... and probably more than just one.

When I moved into my current apartment over 21 years ago, one thing I found to be a bit 'quirky' was the shower. It seemed to move around a bit when I stepped in to take a shower. The reason it bothered me was because I live on the second floor and below me is the first floor and then the basement. A long way to drop if the damn thing decided to give way and plunge downward.

Was the building still settling? Was it getting used to my weight? It bothered me for a while, but I eventually got used to it and it either stopped moving or, more likely, I just put it out of my mind.

Last night I had a dream where I was in a hurry to go somewhere and got into the shower for a quick rinse. For some reason I was having trouble getting enough shampoo to wash my hair. Finally, that was done, my body soaped and rinsed and then it got weird.

I was getting ready to turn off the water when I looked down and saw that all of the tub from my feet to the wall was GONE! I jumped out of the shower before reaching back to grab a towel. The floor of the shower was the same, but I felt an eerie feeling that I had just gotten out in time.

Of course, I then woke up.

Now I have the feeling that dream was a bit of a premonition. Or was it just a silly dream?

Irregardless, I'm going back to quick showers for a while.

~

Had a dream last night that I was at some outdoor event. A lovely mature beauty walked up and handed me a plate of food that reeked of garlic. I dipped my finger into the sauce to give it a taste. Some of it dripped off my finger onto her bare midriff and I started licking it off of her belly. Unfortunately, that's when I woke up.

Yes, I had quite the 'stiffy'.

Cool, '60s vibe video:

What's your fear?

I don't like confined spaces. Not claustrophobia, just small spaces where I can't move.

I don't like dogs licking me. Do you know what else they lick with that tongue?

I don't like seeing someone with toothpaste all over their mouth. It's kin to foaming at the mouth to me.

I don't like fat people touching me. Their skin looks like gooey wax. Yuck! I can talk to them... I even have a couple of friends who are obese. Just please, don't touch me.

I have other, lesser fears, like public speaking.

It has never amazed me what people are afraid of. My Mother was afraid of water... more specific getting her face in the water. Her older brothers dunked her when they went swimming as kids. In her 50's, she took a swimming class at the local YWCA and got over her fear of the water.

This proves there is hope for us all. If pressed, I can face whatever I'm afraid of at the time by remembering something we boys said to each other growing up: Don't be a pussy.

Words to fearlessly live by.

~

Just gotta love this new commercial:


Now if only they could do their panties the same way.

Am I the only person who thinks that potato chips taste better after you've eaten something sweet like cake?

???

The place where I live was built in 1978. I have lived here since 1998. With one exception, the doors and locks are the same as when I moved in.

A young lady downstairs locked herself out of her apartment, which I didn't know until I heard the locksmith talking to her.

I need to tell her sometime that, unless she engages the bolt lock, about any flat item will unlock the regular lock on the door.

I should know... I've let countless neighbors in that way over the years.