I am off to work....

But for today.... you have an assignment.

I want you to go and work in the yard for hours and then when you are all grimy and sweaty... I want you to stick your finger in your belly button and then sniff it to experience the wonderfully funky Earthy aroma that only the inside of a belly button can give on a hot Summer day.

Then blog about it.

Thank you.

*places the lotion in the basket*

*adjusts poodle*

Toodles!

So........ yeah.

Hi.

It's nice to be back at work.... even at a job not in my career field. I haven't got a paycheck yet, but just KNOWING that I have money coming in soon is a big relief.

Thing is... they didn't really tip me off about how much heavy lifting I would be doing.... I get a truck twice a week and I am soley in charge of processing all the paperwork AND actually getting the stuff out to the different departments. I moved over 16,000 pounds this week!

BRUTAL!!!

I am so danged tired at night when I get home and my body is SORE!!!

I have already kind of tweaked my wrist too so I keep a wrap on it.

I feel good though.... I am sure to be in great shape by the end of the Summer and I am well balanced emotionally and mentally these days.... Spiritually, I am happier too. I have actually enjoyed getting up at 5 a.m. It gives me some alone time in the mornings to pray first thing and then get myself ready for the day.

It's a very hard job but I have wowed the managers and my coworkers with my efforts. I am quite pleased with my work....

It's not a forever job and I need to keep that in mind..... but it's perfect for right now and I have good perspective on my life and where it's going...

I miss blogging as much as I used to, but maybe The Stream needed a break from me as much as I needed a break from The Stream...

So, all's good in the weird world of Randy.

Happy a super week, friends!

Hiya Streamers..... Yes, I've been rummaging through the Hollow basement yet again and I came across this from last August....

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"My Accent"

I have been told by many people over the years that I have an interesting accent to my voice....

I have spent my whole life living in just 3 states, Georgia, Texas, and now Alabama. I have always gotten alot of compliments on my voice and my speaking skills.

Prob is, nobody can pin me down. Folks from the north seem to love what some have called a "mellow southern drawl. Not too thick, but with just enough smoothness to make it fun to listen to.... that's what my northern and Canadian friends say, anyway. Now, my southern friends say I don't have a southern accent much at all and they can't figure out where the hell I'm from. Secret's brother asked me the first time I met him if I was from Boston(!). I have been told I sound Californian, mid south, and some just say I sound like I am from everywhere and nowhere at all, really.

I don't know.

I have found myself downshifting into a slower southern accent in the last year or so, because I rarely speak with anyone around here that doesn't carry a rather thick deep south accent in conversations.

Just to confuse things, I can speak in a lot of different voices too. I have my "business voice" which is my most coherent and eloquent. That's where I use those big "college words" as they say and I will slow down my speaking just slightly to make a stronger point. I also have a very deep cartoonish southern accent that I will just slip into for an afternoon or so just to have some fun.

Hell, I don't know WHAT my voice sounds like really.

Secret seems to think it has an effeminate quality at times but I don't see that. It's more that I will go HIGH on occasion to make an emphasis or something and I guess that's where she got that. I once made the mistake of going to the high "Oh, I recognize you!" voice when Secret's older daughter had some friends over and they all asked her daughter if I was gay. NOT that there's anything wrong with that of course! I just don't happen to be gay.

So, language wise, I guess I am just a mutt.

Works for me though.

Hi there, my sanguine, yet lovable Streamers...

It's time for another round of strange questions!

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*sound of lettuce being shredded*

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1. Have you ever bitten anyone?

2. Who was your favorite teacher growing up?

3. Ever suffer from the heartbreak of hemorrhoids?

4. Ever grown your own herbs?

5. What's one thing you would never try?

6. Do you consider yourself to be kind of hairy?

7. Ever been to Los Angeles, California?

Thanks for playing and my apologies to the Streamers for not visiting your blogs this week... I am busy busy busy now but I will make a point to get around on my day off.... I miss all of you.

Hiya Streamers.

Man, it is dry dry dry here in Southern Appalachia..... we are at least 16 inches behind on rain this year.... and it shows.

The trees are struggling and are not putting out their usual lush foliage...... alot of them look dead and there is an overall look of earthy brown tiredness to everything. Smoke fills the air on most days.... mostly blown in on the Eastern winds from Georgia and some of it from the sporatic local fires that are beginning to break out.... I am seeing alot more wildlife out and about.... they are stressed and looking for water...... deer, turkey, rabbits and snakes are roaming around in the sunny midday.... their fear of man overwhelmed by their need to drink.... I even saw a 3 foot black snake slither across the yard here in The Hollow the other day... a rare sight indeed in the middle of the afternoon...

I saw fresh deer tracks in the lot next door...as there is usually a little brook that runs through there but it is bone dry now....

I miss the rain.

20% chance of a shower on Wednesday.

Not likely....but at least a chance of some relief.