Ron G.

Last week a friend talked me into listing my old toy trucks on ebay just to see what might happen. After all, I really don't play with them much any more.

I've bought some stuff from ebay...mostly photo stuff...I even have a gold star by my name...but this is my first time selling.

Lo and behold! They up to nearly $300 right now!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tonka-toy-pick-up-truc...alenotsupported

I'm really happy with my first ebay experience. I put some Danbury mint stuff up, also, but that's not doing so well. I guess next week I'll dig out my old toy trains.

Has anyone else had any experience with this?

January 23, 1921-March 2, 2009

Goodbye Mom

I love you

Thank you for the prayers and concern, On the heels of the fire came the most devastating ice storm in our history. the entire Boston Montain regionof the Ozarks, which took the brunt of the storm, literally looks like a war zone with thousands of trees bent if half and shattered. In Searcy County alone there were nearly 4000 electric poles broken in half or laying on the ground. Many look like they exploded.(ice builds up inside the tree or light pole causing it to shatter making the sound of a high powered rifle being fired...and it sounded like a gunfight for over 24 hours)

There was a huge oak tree in my front yard the had to have been over 100 years old all shattered to pieces.

Most of the pines in my yard have been uprooted and the rest broken or snapped off. But there's more than enough pine down to frame out a small house and maybe even a shop.

It's interesting that little of the devastation is being reported due to politics and FEMA going to take individual claims in our immediate area due to lack of "population density".

Yet through it all, we band together, take care of each other and we adapt and overcome ... thank GOD we CAN survive and take care of what needs to be taken care of.

During the storm, a shelter was set up offering free food, potable water, cots, blankets and propane HEAT. As soon as the do-gooders could get out and about, Somebody from the health dept came around a tried to shut us down because we only gave a gas barbecue grill to cook on, only one bathroom and shower, only one sink to wash hands and most of the food was from peoples pantries and freezers, including 30 or so lbs of deer meat. Thank goodness the inspector would listen to reason when we explained how it was an emergency and how if he closed the place down, people would be forced out into the freezing weather and if something really bad were to happen to his car, he'd have to sleep out in the cold, too.

Andrew and I are currently staying with the local volunteer fire department (Hey, we've been great customers) where we eat good have a warm place to sleep and enjoy nightly poker and other games and the generator runs 24/7 while we pass out food and potable water. It appears Oxley, where we live, won't have electric until March.

I even have internet and access to a laptop.

This whole experience is just more proof that free people ... can govern ourselves and we can take care of each other and this should convince anyone with a rational mind to resist any attempts at mandatory servitude...either that or admit that hillbillies are a much higher class of people and just leave us the hell alone.

I guess in the ice storm, I kinda forgot about the house., but, once again we'll come out on top...or at least break even.

Andrew and I always do.

Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts. It's all really appreciated.

I've spent the weekend with my next door neighbor and Monday we'll be back home again. A close friend and Lodge brother in Leslie is giving use use of his RV which he'll park on our place. All I have to do is hook up water, get a meter loop for the electricty and get the phone line back up and we're all set. That MAY take a day or two, but at least we're back on our place again. The RV is an older one that was last used by another Lodge brother when the roof was blown off his house in the Clinton tornadoes last Feb. That's about all it's been used for in 20 years.

The fire was started by the flue in the attic becoming separated. As many knew, a woodstove was our main source of heat. The house burned from top to bottom. It went REALLY hot and fast as it was solid oak beam construction and all I managed to rescue were some cameras, my computer (no monitor, peripherals nuttin), some clothes and bedding and a few other items. When it actually happens, you kinda panic and just start grabbing irrelevant stuff that is grabbable...such as a package of zuchinni that froze the the car overnight, anyway, and a loaf of bread.

People tell me it's a good thing we weren't asleep when it happened. Ironically, had we been asleep, it would never have happened since I was in the habit letting the fire go out and using some little space heaters and LOTS of blankets.

Anyway, all is well and Andrew and I are well and I suppose there's some stuff were going to miss, but it's all just stuff, and stuff is replacable...and the yard sales, flea markets and junk shops where I got most of my stuff are still there with lots more stuff. I did have some photo gear I need to do something about before I can be serious again, but still easily replacable.

I managed to save my 4x5 view camera, wedding camera and two 35's with all the lenses. I lost all my studio lights, my light stands, backdrops and my Mamiya C3 (which I was going to sell, anyway) and my venerable Mamiya RB67 (with all it's lenses...sigh) which has been with me for over 25 years.

Anyeay, thanks for the prayers!

Congrats to two of my very most favoritest folks!

Here to several more decades!!

Mickey Mantle is on the wall of my son's room. Let us keep his name far, far away from anything even remotely related to twi. Mickey Mantle is so above and more supreme.

Just what I was thinking!!!!!

I'm so terribly glad that nothing from TWI was ever referred to as a "Maris" of (God forbid) a "Stengel".

That would be THE unforgivable sin.

I watched John Edwards on the Sci Fi channel until they replaced him with pro wrestling.

I think that, in and of itself, says it all.

Maybe Edwards or some other psychic can tell us what wrestling has to do with Science fiction...I know I'm baffled by it.

WaterBuffalo...

You recent posts have truly been an inspiration to me.

I think I'll celebrate the new year by dropping a fruitcake on the head of a scientologist.

I have the fruitcake, now to find an unsuspecting scientologist by midnight.

Care to join me?

Just because...

Mark,

That was truly inspired..better than Dr. Seuss.

I stand in awe!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

TBS is showing "Christmas Story" back to back all day long from now until tomorrow night...the one with the adventures of Ralphie and his BB gun.

Unfortunately, one can only watch a movie so many times until you HAVE to change the channel.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!!!

U.S. and Afghan soldiers in Zabul Province give high marks to the Lithuanian Special Forces, who like to ride these captured Taliban motorbikes to sneak up on, and chase Taliban fighters. The “LithSof” are on their way to becoming living legends: Both Afghans and Americans report that the Taliban are afraid of the Lithuanians. Stories about them are filled with dangerous escapades and humor.

Americans say that the Lithuanians are sort of a weaponized version of Borat, who think nothing of sauntering around a base in nothing but flip-flops and underwear. “They look like mountain men. They never shave, sometimes don’t bathe, and often roll out the gate wearing nothing but body armor and weapons. Not even a t-shirt,” an American soldier told me. The Lithuanians may be a little bit nuts, but the Americans love to have them around because Lithuanians love to fight, and when you need backup, you can count on them. That contrasts starkly with many of the NATO “partners.” Maybe when your country spends almost a half-century with the Soviet boot on its neck, its first generation of free soldiers know what freedom is worth — and that you sometimes have to fight for it.

I just thought it was interesting.

Happy Birthday, Rocky!

WOW, your birthday is the same time as mine...give or take a few years :)

I hope it's great. I'll pass along this Irish blessing, if I can remember it. I goes something like this...

I don't think that's exactly how it goes, but that's close.

Happy birthday from one who really appreciates you and your posts.

Thanks for the wonderful birthday wishes! It was good, and Garth, I ain't THAT old...yet.

It's really appreciated!

Good bye, dear lady.

Happy Birthday, Paw!

Are you still on the liquid diet?

Not to be nosey or anything, but where do you put the candles?

Just curious.

It was 5 days before my 16th birhday. Our high school band was to play some catchy tunes ("March Ponderoso", "Hey, Look Me Over" and "Dixie") at the Blackstone Hotel in Ft. Worth that morning for the president's enjoyment, but it was cancelled for whatever reason and Eastern Hills High School did the honors, as I recall.

So some buddies and I ditched school to go to Dallas and see the president in his motorcade. I was about a block off Dealy Plaza.

I remember that day in great detail and I never ditched school again after that.

EDITED to say it WASN'T "March Ponderoso", but "March Grandioso"...maybe I don't remember it in such detail.

Another high school played "Hail to the Chief"...Polytechnic HS, I believe. They cancelled us because they decided three HS bands would run too long. I remember, now.

Looks like I'm not going to make it as planned due to a big ol' Dance thing and Fall Festival at Lyon College in Batesville.

Hope y'all have a great time!!!

Big 'un, too. I went on the porch to see what was going and and we scared the .... out of each other...literally, in his case.

And right on my beloved oregano, no less.

Bear season runs parallel to deer season, so if he come back...

Andrew (the eternal instigator) has about 20 kids from his local school dressing in Guy Fawkes costumes. Evidently, that movie, "V for Vendetta" captured his imagination. They aren't going to get candy but have boom boxes playing the "1812" overture, and I guess just walk around.

It should be interesting.

my prayers are with you!!

It sounds like you were at a loss for words like I was. It's such a weird feeling to simply not be able to formulate words, yet your thoughts are intact...well, as much as mine ever are.

I'll be praying for a swift and full recovery. Take care and God Bless you!

Those guys were just in charge of the continental congress, not real presidents. George Washington was the first president, because the role of president was defined by the U.S. Constitution, which comes long after the Articles of Confederation.

Good point, but it illustrates an orderly progession of goverment. The US presidency didn't occur in a vaccum.

It's just a historical fact.

Off topic, I know, but I thought I'd point out that Mr. Samuel Huntington served as President of the Continental Congress from 1779 to 1781, which was well beyond the one-year term limitation now mandated by the ratified Articles of Confederation.

Despite this Huntington was recognized as President of the United States in Congress Assembled during the ratification celebration of March 1781 and presided over the new Government until the election of President Thomas McKean.

There were nine more US Presidents who served under the Articles before George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 making him the eleventh (see http://www.uspresidency.com).

Back to our regularly scheduled topic.

What's that got to do with TWI?

http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/200...-listen-to.html

26. Don’t listen to people who … say that manga is a useless hobby.

What is "manga"?