Yet ANOTHER Re-Run...

Blog-Bud Barry has a post up that caused me to go searching in the archives for some photo back-up for a statement I made in comments at his place. The particular post I was looking for contains a war-story that folks who are new in these parts more than likely haven't read. So... just for grins 'n' giggles...

A Lightweight Post for a Sunday

Via Kris, another one of those quiz thingies. This time, it’s “What Book Are You?”

You're Siddhartha!
by Hermann Hesse

You simply don't know what to believe, but you're willing to try anything once. Western values, Eastern values, hedonism and minimalism, you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in. This makes you an individualist of the highest order, but also really lonely. It's time to chill out under a tree. And realize that at least you believe in ferries.

Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

This one is closer than most, aside from the fact the test results say I’m really lonely. Au contraire. I’m alone, true, but I am not lonely. Big difference. Boy-Howdy is it ever true when they say “you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in.” That statement really nails it! And I do believe in ferries, having been on quite a few. The book selection is interesting in one other aspect: check out this photo of my USAF-issued dog tag (click for larger). I’m Buddhist, by an official act of the US Gub’mint. The story behind that lil bit of trivia goes like this…

Once upon a time while I was still on active duty it came to pass, via directive, that all personnel had to have Official ID tags in their possession, at all times. Those of us who had lost their ID tags were ordered to report to the CBPO and get re-issued. So, I took my ol’ self down to the personnel shop, found the ID-tag foundry and presented my ID card to the airman in charge. He looked at it in a bored manner and asked “What’s your religion?” “No preference,” sez I. “No go,” sez he, “You have to choose a religion…pick one from this list…” and he shoves a list of about 25 religious denominations across the desk to me. I scan it quickly, and he’s right: there are no “No preference” or “Agnostic” categories. So I said “I’m Buddhist.” The airman didn't bat an eye and proceeded to pound out my dog tags. Ten minutes later I walked out of the personnel shop with my newly-minted dog tags and a brand-new religion. The Second Mrs. Pennington was most impressed when I got home, she being a closet Buddhist and all.

Siddhartha, indeed.

Today is brilliantly clear and cold. It almost, but not quite, hurts to gaze upon the fields of snow outside the window. The park’s roads are still white, what with the cold and lack of traffic. We haven’t progressed to that slushy-gray muck yet. But it will come. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the view.

Here are a few quick P-Town snow facts, courtesy of the Portales News-Tribune. They say:

A winter storm that lingered over the middle of New Mexico dumped more than 10 inches of snow across parts of Clovis and eastern New Mexico Saturday.

[…]

Snow facts
—Portales averages 9.2 inches of snowfall each year.
—The city's snowiest season on record was 1972-73, when 26.9 inches fell.
—Portales recorded 22 inches of snow in December of 1997, a record for one month.
—Portales received one-half inch of snow last season, all of it in March.
—Saturday's snowfall was the most in Portales since March of 2005, when the city saw 10.5 inches for the month.

How about that?

(Originally posted January 21, 2007)

And you got some P-Ville weather facts, too! A two-fer... or mebbe even a three-fer, if ya do the quiz.