Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

... is an earworm I've had since noon yesterday.

Hey now baby, get into my big black car
Hey now baby, get into my big black car
I wanna just show you what my politics are. 

I wonder why this tune's stuck in my head?

Speakin' o' earworms... there's a study about that (of course. isn't there a study about every-frickin'-thing?):

“Earworms is a colloquial name for a phenomena in music psychology—an experience when you get a song or a piece of song such as chorus [stuck in your head] without a willing attempt to experience a musical memory,” says Lassi A. Liikkanen, who published two papers about earworms recently in the journals Psychology of Music and Musicae Scientiae.   

...

Songs such as “Call Me Maybe” or fun's “We Are Young” seem to pop into our brains against our will. Seeing an album cover or recalling a memory associated with a song can induce an earworm. Liikkanen, who surveyed more than 12,000 Finish Internet users about earworms, found that nearly 90 percent of people experience involuntary imagery of music.

"Finish" internet users?  Are they done with the 'net?  Or what?  Frickin' clue-free MSM...

And speakin' o' big black cars... there's this about the last big black car I owned:

Note the sticker price on that Impala, which was the asking price for the car back in 1995 when I bought it.  That would be $36,391.24 translated into 2010 dollars, which is roughly the sticker price on The Dowager Tart, give or take a grand or two.  TDT has everything that Impala had and more... plus the fact it gets better fuel economy (TDT: 27 mpg highway) and makes 20 more horsepower from a motor just slightly larger than half the size of the Impala's (3.0 liter & 270 hp for TDT, 5.7 liters & 250 hp for the Impala).  Plus TDT has OnStar, satellite radio, traction control, StabiliTrak, and a six-speed auto vs none of the foregoing and the Impala's four-speed automatic.

Still and even, I LOVED that Impala and I'd prolly still have it if I hadn't opted for a mobile lifestyle.  The car was that good, and I hope I feel the same way about TDT three or four years on.

Ooooh. This HURTS.

The Rolling Stones are strongly considering at least one live concert later this year to mark their 50th anniversary. (As captioned at RS.)

From the Shoebox blog:

Ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones could be coming to your town!  And just when you were trying to think of something to do with your grandparents besides going to Golden Corral again.

I've never set foot in a Golden Corral and will never, ever, ever do so.  But I WOULD go to a Stones 50th anniversary concert.  Fifty years?  REALLY?  Yeah, really.  And the band played on.

For the Record

The Dowager Tart is home.

Ya think The Green Hornet is jealous?  She's lookin' a lil green.  Wait...

So anyhoo... I was sound asleep this morning when the dealer called at 0930 hrs and told me the car was ready.  I showered while the coffee was brewing, poured me a cup to take on the road, lit a cigar, and lit out for The Big(ger) City™.  We're home now after driving Robert, my sales guy, back to Clovis and making a short trip to the Cannon Class VI store.  And do we like The Tart?  No.  We LOVE her.  I'll not go on at any great length except to say there are WORLDS of difference between TGH and TDT.  It's really amazing what a difference 12 years makes when it comes to automotive technology.

Naming the Baby

So we got to thinkin'... what to name the baby?  And then I realized I named her not quite two years ago when I first started thinkin' about growin' the fam'bly.  To wit:

Should I Keep Her?

Or should I run off with some young tart who'll stroke my ego and make me feel comfortable in my dotage?  I'm terribly conflicted at the moment.

...

Just to refresh your memory, Gentle Reader: The Tart...

That's the way I'd buy her... black on black.  Which is totally impractical for The High Plains of New Mexico, given (a) the heat and (b) the ever-present dust.  The Tart would be dirty an hour after I washed her... ALL the time.  But there are only two colors for Cadillacs... black or white.  I don't do white.

Well, OK.  The Tart it is... but her FULL name is The Dowager Tart.

In My Immediate Future...

... like tomorrow or Thursday:

I've been talking about this for two years now and I finally pulled the trigger this morning.  I'm keeping The Green Hornet for those days when I wanna blast around with the top down and will take the Caddy on the trips to ABQ I'll be making this year, among other things.  Those four and a half hour rides to ABQ were the straws that broke this camel's back, given that NASA wind tunnels are prolly quieter than TGH at speed with her top up. 

And the CTS?  Black on black, which is prolly not the smartest color choice for The High Plains o' New Mexico.  I believe Caddys should only come in two colors... black or white... and there wasn't a white one available in this part o' the world.  So black will have to do.

No Outdoor Happy Hour Today!

I'm not sure but it might have been hotter earlier.

"Feels like 98," my a$$.  It feels HOT.

Not Your Father's Air Force XVII

From the Usual USAF Source...

Panetta Honors LGBT Service Members: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta released a video message thanking lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered troops for their service. The message, which also honored LGBT family members for their "dedicated service to our country," coincided with LGBT pride month. It was the first such message since the Obama Administration successfully pushed through a repeal of the Clinton-era Don't Ask-Don't Tell law banning homosexuals from openly serving in the military. "The pursuit of equality is fundamental to the American story. The successful repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' proved to the nation that just like the country we defend, we share different backgrounds, different values, and different beliefs, but together we are the greatest military force in the world," stated Panetta in his June 15 message. Panetta said he was "very proud" of the way the services implemented the repeal and said he would remain "committed to removing as many barriers as possible to make America's military a model of equal opportunity." (Panetta transcript) (AFPS report by Cheryl Pellerin)

Different values?  Really? Aside from that, didja know this month is LGBT Pride Month?  And the president issued a proclamation to that effect?  S'true... and it's here, which is near where I got this:

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the LGBT Pride Month Reception in the East Room of the White House, June 15, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

I think I've lived too long.

Call Yer Ol' Man

If you can.

"Oh Maa Maa Maa Maa!" "Oh Toh Toh Toh!"

Say whut?  All is revealed in Japanese beer-pouring conventions (about 2:40) featured in this more-than-slightly anal retentive video on sushi "how-to's," which is amusing in places.  It's also pretty danged accurate.

I have to admit those Nihonjins have the right ideer about who should pour whose beer ("it's the samurai way").  Speakin' of... get me another beer while you're up, Darlin'! 

From the Usual Source.

Is It Art?

From a piece in The Awl...

Do you consider this all art? Or is there another word you'd use?

Other people have used the phrase "GPS art," but I've started calling it "Virtual Geoglyphic Adventure." It's “virtual” since there's nothing left behind. “Geoglyphic” because—you know what geoglyphs are, like the Nazca Lines. So, it's like a virtual geoglyph. And then it’s “adventure” because when I'm doing these things I really don't know what I'm gonna see out there. Baltimore is happening no matter what.

Batter Up 10.39 Miles => 1 Hour 24 Minutes 54 Seconds

Fascinating.  There's much more at the link, including how Wally actually does the drawings, how he got into it, and a few more geoglyphs.

Uh-Oh

I got this from The Shoebox Blog...

You can accurately judge a person just by looking at their shoes, psychologists say.

Researchers at the University of Kansas found that people were able to correctly judge a stranger's age, gender, income, political affiliation, emotional and other important personality traits just by looking at the person's shoes.

Lead researcher Omri Gillath found that by examining the style, cost, color of condition of the shoe, participants were able to guess about 90 percent of the of the owner's personal characteristics.

Expensive shoes belonged to high earners, flashy and colorful footwear belonged to extroverts and shoes that were not new but appeared to be spotless belonged to conscientious types.

While some of the clues like the ones already described were obvious, other clues were more surprising.

Practical and functional shoes generally belong to agreeable people, ankle boots fit with more aggressive personalities and uncomfortable looking shoes were worn by calm personalities.

There's more... much more... at the link above.  My take-away... other than the usual "WTF?"... is I'm in trouble.  I wear my six-year-old Topsiders ALL the time, unless I'm dressed up for some sorta function that requires a suit or my Class A blues.  Or riding a mo'sickle, even though I don't do a helluva lot o' riding these days (read as: none).  I'm afraid to think what a beat up pair o' deck shoes... worn without socks, always... sez about me.  OTOH, I don't really give a big rat's ass, either.

It Ain't Over...

... until HNIC sez it's over.

It's over... (Sigh)

What a season, what great playoffs.  Is it October yet?

Tonight's After Dinner Whiskey Hour Soundtrack...

The lovely Ms. Osborne, from the album "Relish."  (PLEASE ignore the visuals... except for Kelly McGillis, possibly... it's the music we're on about here.)

I'm naked in a hotel room
My station comin' in comin' in loud and clear
I'm makin' out with my one true love
I'm makin' this hotel room disappear

Stop feelin' sorry for me
I hate that look on your face
You say just let go
You say come back home
I say I'm just fallin' from grace

...

See love comes down any way it wants to
Doesn't ask for your permission 

It's that last line I quoted that's profound.  The classic version is "we don't choose love, love chooses us" but I think I like Joan's take better.

Stuff I Shoulda Blogged Yesterday But Didn't

First and foremost... the Kings completed their improbable playoff run by winning the Stanley Cup in six games.  Herewith the most spectacular moment in sports:

SN1 was busy packing last evening but took time out to watch a bit of the game and ALL of the post-game ceremonies.  Yeah, it's THAT important.

The other thang I shoulda blogged?  The Second Mrs. Pennington celebrated her 56th birthday yesterday.  I told her last year... when she turned 55... that she'd always be 19 in my mind's eye.  That's still true.  The pic on the left is the earliest picture I have of her and she was almost 20 when this photo was taken.  Yeah, the pic is shabby, mainly coz it's been in my wallet for 36 years or so (her handwriting on the back: "me, reading one of your letters").  But the subject matter is anything BUT shabby, no?

And yeah... I did send her a "happy birthday" message yesterday.

Today is D-Day

D-Day meaning "departure day," as in SN1 gets on his way to the desert today, with a one week stop at Langley AFB for in- and out-processing.  It's a long story, but the Reader's Digest version is SN1 is technically assigned to Air Combat Command HQ at Langley, with a year's TDY to the desert.  Thus... in- and out-processing.

I did a lil photography duty yesterday, as Buck needed a picture for his official bio and another for his line badge once he gets to the desert.  Here's the bio pic:

Handsome debbil, ain't he?

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

... is a re-run from the recent past, updated to reflect a personal moment (and that would be The Green Hornet in the pic above).

Clines Corners truck stop
A waitress with a wet mop
Telling him to don’t walk
He tips his hat and don’t talk

Yup.  I did just that, in deference to Lyle.  Coz I'm like that.

Oh, Noes! More Politics!

First there's this from the Usual Source o' such thangs:

Yup... "outta control."  Speakin' o' that state o' mind...

What WAS The One thinkin'?  Wait.  I assumed the boy actually does think.  My Bad.

This Is Pretty Funny...

In Friday's NYT: "Liberals Are Ruining America. I Know Because I Am One."  Excerpts:

This, to be blunt, is the tragic flaw of the modern liberal. We choose to see ourselves as innocent victims of an escalating right-wing fanaticism. But too often we serve as willing accomplices to this escalation and to the resulting degradation of our civic discourse. We do this, without even meaning to, by consuming conservative folly as mass entertainment. 

If this sounds like a harsh assessment, trust me, I’m among the worst offenders. Yes, I’m one of those enlightened masochists who tune in to conservative talk radio when driving alone. I recognize this as pathological behavior, and I always make sure to switch the station back to NPR before returning the car to my wife. But I can’t help myself. I take a perverse and complicated pleasure in listening to all the mean, manipulative things those people say. 

[...]

So why do I do this? 

The first and most damning reason is that some part of me truly enjoys resenting conservatives. I know I shouldn’t, that I should strive for equanimity. But secretly I feel the same helplessness and rage that animates the extreme right wing of this country. I see a world dangerously out of balance — morally, economically, ecologically — and my natural impulse is to blame those figures who, in my view, embody the decadent ignorance of the age. They become convenient scapegoats. 

Rather than taking up the banner and the burden of the causes I believe in, or questioning my own consumptive habits, I’ve come to rely on private moments of indignation for moral vindication. I fume at the iniquity of Pundit A and laugh at the hypocrisy of Candidate B and feel absolved — without ever having left my couch. It’s a closed system of scorn and self-congratulation. 

This is just another thinly-disguised call for "civility" in our political discourse, something that reoccurs regularly when the Left either suffers a major defeat (Wisconsin, this time) or is down in the polls.  I agree with Mr. Almond on his titular point: Liberals ARE ruining America, but not for the reasons he states.  No, it has more to do with profligate spending, nanny-state regulation, bloated bureaucracies, public-sector unions, teachers who don't/can't teach, and tree-hugging do-gooders of various and sundry stripes, all tilting left.  THAT'S why Liberals are ruining America.

―:☺:―

In other news... Panic in El-Eh!  Them Debbils brought the Stanley Cup Final to 3-2 by winning again last evening.  Game Six is tomorrow night in El-Eh, and the hand-wringing has already begun.  Things are getting very interesting.

The Usual Saturday Post

The launch of IPv6 on 06/06/2012 was completely transparent, and that's a Good Thing.  What's that, ya say?  This:

I don't think we'll run out of IP addresses any time soon.

ALL of the viral vids at the Usual Source for such things were pretty damned lame this week (or have been seen before... lots... in other places), for the second week in a row.  But there is more than one way to skin a cat and this comes from an alternate source:

Some of those reactions were pretty ghey.  The whole vid was pretty lame, come to think on it.  Is creativity as we know it dying?

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

... in part.  Rod Stewart (and Faces), before he turned into a lounge-lizard.

Yea I'll pay your cab fare home
You can even use my best cologne
Just don't be here in the morning when I wake up

I liked the OLD Rod a whole helluva lot better than the New Rod.  But, Hell... we ALL get older.

Cannon In the News

From the Usual USAF Source...

Back to the Training Requirements Drawing Board: The Air Force has decided not to move forward at this time with plans to conduct low-altitude flying training in parts of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico for its special operations forces, announced 27th Special Operations Wing officials at Cannon AFB, N.M. While "the need for the low-altitude training still exists," emerging training requirements, including those based on lessons learned in Afghanistan, "now overlap with the need for the proposed low-altitude training," states the wing's June 5 release. As a result of this and "the many public comments received" during the draft environmental assessment of the low-altitude training proposal, service officials are now evaluating whether a more detailed environmental analysis is appropriate, according to the release. They are refining special operations flying training requirements and expect to make that determination in early 2013, states the release. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), in whose state low-altitude training would occur, welcomed the decision. "I want to ensure that pilots and crews receive the training they need to perform their combat missions, but this training plan needed to be better coordinated with local communities and other airspace users," said Udall in a release June 6.

The 27th SOW release sez comments were received "from approximately 1,600 people, agencies and organizations" during the public comment period in 2011. One wonders if those comments will be made public.

I Forgot...

... to post these cheesy cell-phone pics yesterday:

Absinthe, long banned in the US for bizarre reasons but available at the Cannon AFB Class VI store.  From The Wiki:

Absinthe has often been portrayed as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug.^[7] The chemical compound thujone, although present in the spirit in only trace amounts, was blamed for its alleged harmful effects. By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States and in much of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although absinthe was vilified, it has not been demonstrated to be any more dangerous than ordinary spirits. Any psychoactive properties attributed to absinthe, apart from that of the alcohol, have been much exaggerated.^[7] A revival of absinthe began in the 1990s, following the adoption of modern European Union food and beverage laws that removed longstanding barriers to its production and sale. By the early 21st century, nearly 200 brands of absinthe were being produced in a dozen countries, most notably in France, Switzerland, USA, Spain, and the Czech Republic.

I've had absinthe before, succumbing to the lure of the forbidden, and have to say I wasn't particularly impressed.  I much prefer ouzo and/or raki, which taste about the same and cost far, far less.  I'm damned sure not about to pay 71 Yankee Dollars for the stuff... not when I can buy the BEST single-malt in the Class VI store for about the same price, give or take a few bucks.

―:☺:―

In other alcoholic news (that's a modifier on the noun "news," not a personality descriptor)... it's back to beer for today's Happy Hour.  We did two martinis yesterday afternoon, the downside bein' each one was a double in order to properly fill my glass.  Which means we consumed FOUR rations of gin and got seriously toasty by the time we were done.  We might have reached Stage Five had we been drinking later in the day, but the only effect was an immediate two hour nap after the second glass was emptied.  We got up around 1830 hours, fixed dinner, and watched the hockey game... none the worse for wear.  But I'm thinkin' the martini thang will be a once or twice a month occasion, not an everyday ritual.

Maybe I haven't become my father after all. 

―:☺:―

Speakin o' hockey... no sweep.  Those Debbils salvaged their pride and beat El-Eh rather convincingly last night.  I don't think that's gonna change the inevitability of the whole thang, though.  El-Eh could win in five, or they could win in six.  But they WILL win.

Truly Epic...

... in 1080p, full-screen:

Details here.  The long and the short of it is this is supposedly a single image of earth... not a composite... taken by a Russian weather satellite.  At a resolution of 121 megapixels!

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

... is gonna be all Ol' Blue Eyes, all the time.  Like this:

And, Gentle Reader, you might ask why is that?  Because we will be drinkin' home-built martinis this Happy Hour for the first time in years and years.  Like this:

We went and purchased stemware today, obtaining appropriate glasses for the occasion at hand and finally replacing what we discarded 12 years ago when we moved into El Casa Móvil De Pennington.  And a new cocktail shaker, while we were at it.  As for the Sinatra... well, that's a hat-tip to Mom and Dad, seein' as how Ol' Blue Eyes was usually the soundtrack to their Happy Hours in the way-back.

I have become my father.  But that ain't half-bad and I imagine the Ol' Man is smilin' from wherever he might be at the moment.  Cheers, Dad!

One more thing... I'm thinkin' we're running a BIG risk of hitting Stage Five* before this afternoon is over.  So be it, if that happens.  I ain't got anywhere to go and no one to answer to except me.

* Stage Five = "Fuck Dinner" and dinner MIGHT could be four or six gin-soaked olives.  The other nine stages o' drunkenness are here.

D-Day

Sixty-eight years ago today.  My annual D-Day post, first published in 2009...

D-Day

Sixty-five years ago today. All images as captioned in the Life Magazine photo archives.

Tracer fire from many different ships lighting up the night sky over the English Channel during opening phase of D-Day, the Allied invasion of France. (no credit)

American B-26 Marauders with special D-Day markings make a bombing run over Cherbourg around the time of the Allied D-Day invasion of France. (Frank Scherschel)

Aerial view of American troops and tanks coming ashore as landing craft continue to unload on the first day of Operation Overlord, the invasion of France, aka on D-Day. (no credit)

Massive landing and deployment of US troops, supplies and equipment in the days following victorious D-Day action on Omaha Beach; barrage balloons guard against German aircraft while scores of ships unload men & material. (no credit)

Bodies of 8 American paratroopers lie outside the wreckage of their glider near Hiesville, France on the day of the invasion of Normandy, aka D-Day. (no credit)

Chaplin saying mass aboard HMS Scylla, laying at anchor off the Normandy coast shortly after the D-Day invasion of France. (no credit)

As always... click for larger. And spare a thought and a prayer today for those who made the ultimate sacrifice 65 68 years ago. There were many thousands who gave their lives for freedom on this day...

Never forget.

Just In Time

From the Usual USAF Source...

Airmen Restore D-Day Aircraft: Airmen with the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron at Fort Campbell, Ky., are helping to restore a C-47 Skytrain on static display that dropped paratroopers into France during the Normandy D-Day operation in June 1944, according to a June 3 unit release. Douglas Aircraft Company built this C-47, tail no. 42-100828, in 1942; the airplane deployed to Europe in 1944, said squadron officials. The restoration involves repainting the D-Day invasion stripes, stars, and bars, and other historical markings, they said. "Restoring this C-47 has been a huge success story, thanks to a team effort from the 19th ASOS and the 101st Airborne Division," said Col. Scott Kindsvater, 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing commander, parent unit of the squadron. He added, "They have preserved this World War II icon, an important piece of our common aviation history, to its full glory and at a very low cost compared to other aircraft restoration projects." (Fort Campbell release by Nondice Thurman)

Tomorrow is the 68th anniversary of The Longest Day.  We'll prolly put up the same post and linkage we've posted for the last three years.  Coz we're like that. 

Apropos o' nuthin'... I'm old enough to have flown in a USAF C-47.  Not the one above, of course, which is technically a US Army Air Corps C-47, but a real, gen-u-wine C-47 in active service... not a warbird... none the less.  I also flew in DC-3s in commercial service, too.  And Orville Wright was a neighbor o' mine.

―:☺:―

Hockey season could be over tomorrow night, what with those Kings leading Joisey by a 3-0 margin.  Debbils fans were all "it coulda gone either way!" about the first two games but I'm pretty sure they're singin' a different tune today... mainly coz El-Eh beat Joisey like a red-headed stepchild last evening.  A sweep is not out of the question... not at all.

And then the long, hot summer of "what the f*ck do I need a teevee for?" sets in.  Aiiieee.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

... is, in part, the supremely overplayed signature tune from Boston...

I was listening to Pandora's Roxy Music station today, which makes me wonder how Boston figures into that equation.  I say that coz I see very little, if any, relation between the stuff that Bryan Ferry did with Roxy Music and the stuff Boston put out.  But who knows what evil or goodness lurks in the heart of Pandora?  Not I...

"More Than a Feeling" is one of those tunes I love to hate, simply because it's been well and truly overplayed.  I normally dive for the "change station," skip, or mute buttons when this song comes on, mainly coz I've heard MORE than enough of it since the tune hit the airwaves in 1976.  But I didn't skip it today... I listened.  And it sounded GOOD, recalling as it did memories of 1976, a period of time during which I was young and in love and I was hearing this tune every day, at every party, all the time, during that time.  Sometimes it's GOOD to go back... within reason.

And... while we're on about our soundtrack... I also heard this today, which is the MAIN reason we listen to that Roxy Music station.  But I've posted THAT video waaay too many times in the past to do it yet again.

―:☺:―

In other news... We went and met with our new primary care physician today... Dr. Erika Garcia... which came about because our former doctor flew the coop that is P-Ville and took a new job at a medical institution in Lubbock.  I found this out quite by accident when I made a routine stop into Roosevelt General Hospital last Tuesday for a routine prescription renewal, at which time I was told by the receptionist "Ummm... this could be a problem."  Not being a total and complete idiot I responded with "Why?" and got the unwelcome news.  Unwelcome in the sense I really liked Dr. Rosales, and further unwelcome in the sense I had to wait almost a week before I could get my meds renewed. 

But... not to worry.  The meds weren't in a critical condition (I had enough to last me until the end of this week), and stuff happens... people move on.  On first blush I have to say I like Dr. Garcia... she's personable, laughs easily, and has a good bedside manner.  I think this will be a long and rewarding relationship.  Or until she moves on... or until **I** move on.

―:☺:―

About my last, above...  I've begun having second and third thoughts about this relocation thang.  I suppose this is a normal state of affairs, seein' as how one normally doesn't make life-changing decisions on a whim.  Today I began itemizing all the hassle involved with moving... address changes, contracting for services at the new location, finding suitable accommodations at the new location, packing, MOVING (as in the physical activity), shutting down the old apartment, yadda, yadda... and wondering if it's REALLY worth it.  There's the positive side of the ledger to consider as well, part of which is the fact I've already found apartment listings in Rio Rancho that are cheaper than what we're payin' now... who'd a thunk it?  And then there's social opportunities, and all that.

This ain't gonna be EASY.

Not Your Father's Air Force XVI

From the Usual USAF Source...

Air Force Gets First Female Fighter Wing Commander: Col. Jeannie Leavitt last week took her place in history as the Air Force's first-ever female fighter wing commander, announced service officials. Leavitt, an F-15E pilot with more than 2,500 flight hours in the Strike Eagle, took charge of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., during a June 1 ceremony. She succeeded Col. Patrick Doherty, who led the wing since April 2010. "Colonel Leavitt has an innovative spirit, a talent for teamwork, and this will be essential to lead the 4th FW to new heights," said Maj. Gen. Lawrence Wells, 9th Air Force commander, who presided over the change-of-command ceremony. Leavitt previously served at the CIA as an Air Force Chief of Staff fellow. "If you've ever dreamed of being a part of something bigger than yourself, then realize that you have that opportunity now," Leavitt told the wing's airmen upon assuming command. According to Seymour Johnson officials, Leavitt was also the Air Force's first-ever female airman to enter combat training as a fighter pilot and the first female fighter pilot to graduate weapons school. (Seymour Johnson release by SSgt. Chuck Broadway)

Congratulations, Colonel Leavitt.  There's prolly a star in your future, too.

Now... would all you hairy-legged "feminists" just shut-the-hell-up about equal pay and glass ceilings, please?  I know, I know... fat (no pun) chance.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Steely Dan...

I know this super highway
This bright familiar sun
I guess that I'm the lucky one
Who wrote that tired sea song
Set on this peaceful shore
You think you've heard this one before

Well the danger on the rocks is surely past
Still I remain tied to the mast
Could it be that I have found my home at last
Home at last

Yeah, yet another exercise in self-absorption.  But... doesn't this tune fit our current situation?  We are "tied to the mast," so to speak, yet I have this feeling that we've found our home at last.  There will be much gnashing and thrashing over the course of the next few weeks or months on the subject at hand, said subject bein' relocate?  Or not?

On another note... we called Happy Hour early today for it is warm.  Quite warm... and some might call it "hot," present company excepted.  Is this hot in your world, Gentle Reader, or merely warm?

We did G&T's for Happy Hour today, which is where I like to go on warm summer days.  That said, I think After Dinner Whiskey Hour will be quite pleasant this evening.  It's looking to get downright balmy once the sun goes down.

While I Was Out...

There's this for the Usual Saturday Post, said post having gone missing yesterday:

OK, Bud... cut the clowning and make me a f*ckin' martini, Mmm-Kay?  And... haven't we seen this movie before, anyway?

And then there's this, because we must leave no snark behind...

One hopes the lil girl wasn't disqualified.

―:☺:―

So... we're home, having arrived in the late afternoon yesterday.  And we're enjoying the bennies of fast in-home inter-tubes, our own cheap bottomless cup(s) o' coffee, and the fact we can surf these inter-tubes in a state of dishabille... meanin' we don't have to get all spiffed up just to check our mail.

We dropped in on blog-bud Lin on our way home (yeah, her blog hasn't been updated in quite some time, but the writing and the stories are wonderful).  Lin succeeded in getting me half in the bag after a superb steak dinner... we wound up fixing the world over tumblers of JW Green until nearly 0500 hrs yesterday morning.  We had an understandably late start for the final leg of the journey home as a result.  And a big-ass nap when we got home, too.

I told Lin I was seriously considerin' gettin' out o' P-Ville and she raised a good point: what about EIP, as in how can one be "exiled in Portales" if one actually lives in Rio Rancho or someplace like it?  Well, now... that's a very good point and makes one wonder what it is we'll do?  I told her my move would prolly mean the end of the blog as we know it and I'd start another one.  That's one option... another would be to just change the masthead and keep on keepin' on under some other name.  But WHAT to name it, this sterling piece of fluff and nonsense?  That's an issue.

First things first, though... we have to sell the RV, find suitable accommodations in the ABQ area, and actually MOVE before we worry about blog non sequiturs.  We have a lil bit o' time for all this and we may not pull that trigger at all, coz you KNOW inertia is the most powerful force in a geezer's life.

A Couple o' Thangs...

First: last evening we checked the "healthy eating" box for about the next 90 days.

That's YrHmblScrb enjoying a double-order of grilled ahi tuna at Outback Steakhouse, along with a Big-Ass Patron Silver margarita.  The ahi at Outback is first cousin to sushi and I dearly love that stuff.  It was ALL I could do to finish the 20 pieces I ordered; SN1 provided assistance by eating two of the slices.  That's a LOT of semi-cooked fish!  Apropos o' nuthin... You may file "dinner at Outback" in the Big City Amenities category, along with all the other stuff I mentioned yesterday.

―:☺:―

SN1 dropped a bomb on me last night at dinner: Number Five retired yesterday.  I had NO idea; SN1 assumed I knew but I didn't, all because we kept our inner-nets experience yesterday to the bare minimum required to do the usual, customary, and reasonable bid'niz... and that did NOT include reading the hockey blogs.  So I was gobsmacked, and much hand-wringing and angst ensued, on both sides of the table.  This is a decision all Wings fans knew was coming in the future, but we were all hoping for that proverbial "one more season."  How important is Lidstrom?  Here's Mitch Albom, writing in The Freep:

To that end, here are a few. Professional. Exceptional. Graceful. Deft. Nimble. Clutch. Prepared. Admired. Disciplined. Determined. Courageous. Enduring. Humble.

And respected.

Hugely respected.

That's why so many former Wings and teammates were there for him, why Wings owner Mike Ilitch called him "our Rock of Gibraltar," why even hard-bitten media members gave him a thick round of applause.

We will not see his likes again. Twenty seasons with one team? A 12-time All-Star? A guy who missed just 44 regular season games his entire career -- some of which he was being rested? A guy who came in great and retired while still excellent?

His standard of play was so high, that in the end, only Nick Lidstrom was able to be critical of Nick Lidstrom.

"Sadly, this year it's painfully obvious to me that my strength and energy level are not rebounding enough for me to continue to play. My drive and motivation are not where it needs to be to play at this level. That's why I feel that it's time to retire."

I suppose I'll fall back on that ol' military sayin': No one is irreplaceable.  But Number Five comes as close as it gets in the hockey world.  We're ALL gonna miss him.