tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223162252011-11-28T07:00:05.218-06:00Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, and obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.comBlogger4101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-47446791977611652742011-11-27T21:26:00.001-06:002011-11-27T21:51:04.792-06:00

I hate not having a camera.  I mean, i fully realize that folks like me have been journaling the activities of their families for thousands of years without pictoral help...and i'm using it as a crutch.  But, just like flipping through a book when i was a kid, i still like to look at the pictures first, and blogging without pics to prove the story really happened sometimes seems a bit less than

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-82227435774139379742011-11-07T22:17:00.002-06:002011-11-07T22:17:24.855-06:00

Just so everyone knows...this whole earthquake thing...i'm just not getting it.  I didn't feel anything Saturday night when Bear Bryant rolled over, and i didn't feel anything about 20 minutes ago.  I ain't saying it ain't happening...i just ain't feelin it.  Now, granted, Saturday, we were on the road, making the trek to the house after the SEC sleeper.  Tonight, we had six on the bed in our

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-37829951413341604322011-10-30T23:11:00.000-05:002011-10-30T23:32:00.105-05:00

If you ever wondered about the history of Jack O'Lanterns, well here's a version... Shockingly, it involves an Irish guy...and alcohol, two of my faves...enjoy. People have been making jack-o'-lanterns for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name,

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-44736769022468745852011-10-29T23:27:00.001-05:002011-10-29T23:27:52.923-05:00

Birthdays for me are usually not this fun.  I'm not saying my birthdays have sucked in the past, just not necessarily this eventful, or perhaps better...peaceful...enjoyable.  Of course, any day i wake up next to The Queen, is starting off well...which today did.  I get up to begin the daily ablutions and she touches my shoulder and whispers "Happy Birthday!"  "Oh...yeah, i guess it IS!  Hah...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-5336598585140369332011-10-28T22:56:00.001-05:002011-10-28T22:56:08.603-05:00

My, my, my...how the months have drifted by... like the lazy current of a river that occasionally speeds over the steeper declining stretches, such is our lives over the past year and a half. I was reading over the past few entries of the blog and realized just how much i miss writing about the sunrises and sunsets here in The Kingdom. Not too long ago, Doc over at They Rode On sent me a text

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-88667612991180112772011-09-03T19:22:00.001-05:002011-09-03T19:26:42.091-05:00

Our Football, Who Art in Norman, Hallowed be The Switzer Center Give us this game, our weekly win and forgive us our penalties as we beat the living crap outta Tulsa For Here is the Kingdom, the Power, and THE SOONERS! BOOMER!!!

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-5847820699854671902011-04-19T23:04:00.000-05:002011-04-19T23:04:50.689-05:00

Just to convince myself that my skillz are still intact after my hiatus due to real work...i decided to do some cooking tonight.  Granted, i cooked last night but it was pretty straightforward...shrimp prawns in a yellow Thai curry and some Thai basil chicken with stir fried veggies on jasmine rice, oh and i did do some of my infamous ginger soup.  Although i did  cheat a bit earlier in the day

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-60306127097336044312011-04-19T00:46:00.001-05:002011-04-19T00:48:14.989-05:00

Hey folks...it's tornado season...take it from someone who has lived in The Alley my entire life...just STAY OUT OF THE WAY. Refer to this post if you need a refresher course. And please, if you don't or those in your community don't take that advice...please don't get on the news and tell me how it a.) sounded like a freight train, and b.) tell me how your community is pulling together to make

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-2628791976202605562011-04-07T22:40:00.001-05:002011-04-07T22:40:40.853-05:00

I don't really talk much about what I do. But for once, finally, in my life, I'm doing something for a living that I really enjoy. On top of that, I'm working with people I love being around. Not that every day is striking through the daisies, but I've just never had a job that I still enjoyed this much after this long. Add to that that this is a start up and ask the stress normally associated

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-4204021018360174852011-04-04T00:01:00.002-05:002011-04-04T00:23:23.732-05:00

What monster hath mine hand wrought? In my quest to shy away from things (read 'foods') pre-made, precooked, or otherwise manufactured before it gets to my table, I think I may have made a slight error. I've wanted for years to get my children to stop eating that ghastly orangish/yellow goo that proceeds out of that blue Kraft box. You know that chemically produced "cheese" over "pasta" after

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-33650646866776892042011-03-31T23:58:00.001-05:002011-03-31T23:58:13.187-05:00

Time marches on...The Prince completed his first reading book today. It's the one they have all started with. A "Hundred Easy Lessons" type book, it's really pretty amazing how quickly they pick things up. He's four, and will be five in June and now reading at a first/second grade level. He's quite proud of himself, and he should be, he's worked hard to get to this point. But, you know, he's

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-10501806872588103372011-03-29T22:48:00.001-05:002011-03-29T22:48:21.312-05:00

Tonight I introduced a new game to the Royals. I've been working on this game for a number of years, and think I am finally ready to launch the prototypical version. I'm affectionately calling it...The 7 o' Diamonds game. If you'd like to play the rules are simple...i am the Head Official amd keeper of the 7 of diamonds playing card. This card acts not unlike a yellow or red card in a

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-21281965564384556722011-03-28T22:48:00.000-05:002011-03-28T22:48:07.748-05:00

You know...we've just got great kids.  I mean, they do kid stuff and have to be given some correction or direction and we move on, but, good lord, they are just really good kids.  I can't imagine what it's like for parents whose kids hate them or don't want them to be around them or vice versa.  We love playing with our kids on the Wii (The X bowled a 123 the other night...he's two) or just like

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-33931513344078291312011-01-29T18:40:00.000-06:002011-01-29T18:40:49.896-06:00

Well y'all...looks like i just hit some kinda milestone, fortunately it ain't the kidney kind.  And for my 400th, i'll do something really special, i'll tell ya that i took the Prince and the X fishin today.  Yup, its Saturday January 29th, 2011...i think it hit 70*, and we went fishin at the Lazy B.  We caught a whole stringer of mud, but we had fun chunkin sticks and clam shells into the water.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-49022607517222261462011-01-25T19:51:00.002-06:002011-01-25T19:59:14.846-06:00

Well folks...i think this will be about as official as it gets.  I've done the research, looked at the pics and i'm 99 and 44 100th's percent sure...we got us a ...oh my lord.  Rewind 5 months ago. I'm driving to work one morning about 6:30, it ain't dark, but it sho ain't light.  The sun was just tinging a few whispy late summer clouds in the sky the faintest tangerine.  A few stars were

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-83645277249246068612010-11-30T23:59:00.000-06:002010-11-30T23:59:17.547-06:00

just...horribly...tired.  and the outlook isn't extremely bright.  Tulsa on Monday, OKC today, Colorado Springs tomorrow, and home on Sunday.  Only to go to Little Rock on Thursday.  Then, maybe things will stabilize for awhile...but for now...i'm actually looking forward to 10 hours in a car...doing absolutely nothing but reading some Sherlock Holmes and looking out for deer, antelope...or even

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-84745705069097002952010-11-28T22:43:00.000-06:002010-11-28T22:43:21.649-06:00

Its not much but...i can NOT stop laughing at some of the comments on this one.  If you haven't checked it out before Awkward Family Photos is a place to blow a rainy afternoon or two. The X and The Prince sorely needed baths tonight, after a full couple days of boy time in the dogs and dirt,  The Queen simply couldn't take it anymore and escorted them to the bathchamber.  They are good with it,

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-23236461100122349972010-10-26T21:55:00.000-05:002010-10-26T21:55:45.872-05:00

With the basic 1-9 addition facts in the mental books of HRH and The Prosecutor, it was time to pull out the Mille Bornes and begin play... It's not so much that i lost TWICE to a six year old, not that at all...it's that she brags about it... all...the...way...to...bed. Mille Bornes teaches so many good skills to kids, obviously addition, paying attention, reading comprehension, paying

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-90516420156722314982010-09-30T21:36:00.000-05:002010-09-30T21:36:12.787-05:00

I gotta get these in before they are gone... Its morning and the Royals are foraging for food while The Queen lays quietly, relishing the last vestiges of the pastels in the rising sun. The pastoral moment dissipates with... "Mama...look at THIS!" as The Prosecutor holds a very large member of the Insectum family over The Queen's nose. "Is it...dead?" In ubiquitous superhero fashion, The

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-40532045578754069482010-09-21T18:42:00.000-05:002010-09-21T18:42:27.652-05:00

Well...shoot.  I sure thought i was gonna get through this year without dealing with allergies.  I was doing pretty good til a couple days ago...and got a few sniffles...and then...like the sprinkle before the sky splits open, it hit last night...in its full fury.  I was up til 4:30 before i finally got some real sleep...and then The Queen's alarm went off about 15 minutes later...or so it seemed

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-21124839042575776062010-09-12T19:08:00.000-05:002010-09-12T19:08:02.237-05:00

How in the hay does an 0-2 Virginia Tech stay in the Top 10 in both USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP polls?  Sure, they lost to the #3 ranked Boise St., sure they played them pretty well in that game, but THEN they turn right around and LOSE to James Madison, yeah...the Division I-AA James Madison, but wait, there's more...the #15 ranked (in Div I-AA) James Madison?!  Now, don't get me wrong,

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-45699371922935223112010-09-09T21:08:00.003-05:002010-09-09T21:33:16.048-05:00

Hold on...i have no idea where this one's going...you can thank MamaLou for bringing this up...like yesterdays breakfast.Every few weeks or so, i'll be in a restaurant, market, sports event, cow chip eating contest, any given area where the general public forages. This inevitable scenario occurs...I catch a look, a cock of the head, inquisitive eyes, interrogating the memory like a shake down on

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-23930122665601503432010-09-08T21:44:00.000-05:002010-09-08T21:44:54.823-05:00

I'm not saying "I'm back!" but...we'll just see what happens from here.  Y'all can blame it on Doc and his Cajun Queen, they made me feel...needed. So tonight, we're out to visit the newest addition to the Extended Table family, The Little Redcoat was born this morning around 11.  Those of you who know...well, i don't say this about many babies, because to me, honestly, NOT all babies are cute,

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-20246448494105869242010-06-29T08:41:00.000-05:002010-06-29T08:41:03.709-05:00

I've been contemplating this one for awhile.  The main reason for the arid clime of this blog is due to that crazy little thing called life that happens outside these friendly confines.  There is no doubt i love spending time here...its fun, sometimes its just a venue to vent, sometimes just whatever is rolling around in the drafty space between my ears.  But most importantly, as i've said many

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-35522537559219028712010-06-10T07:41:00.000-05:002010-06-10T07:41:38.391-05:00

MamaLou's last comment made me remember this one. I wonder...did Wolfgang Amadeus begin like this?

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-59200187570668393952010-06-08T16:46:00.001-05:002010-06-10T07:29:59.992-05:00

Wow...three weeks.  Three weeks of life unaccounted...well, at least here.  If you could see the changes coming about around here you might somewhat understand the why of the blog desert i'm trudging through right now.  Its not like i'm building a house like MamaLou, but we are doing alot of re-modeling and building soooo...ok that's really weak.  It's certainly not that i don't WANT to post, and

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-68805714722640099522010-05-18T21:35:00.001-05:002010-05-18T21:36:08.906-05:00

Woohoo!  FOUND IT!!!  The camera has been missing since last week.  The Queen found it buried in Odysseus, so NOW i can post some pics of things that have been going on around here.  I mean, writing is cool and all, but come on, seriously, wouldn't you rather just look at the pics? No, i'm not posting anything tonight, it's too late to go into all that.  The Queen just handed it to me minutes

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-48846479339639571382010-05-11T13:12:00.000-05:002010-05-11T13:12:49.260-05:00

Look...its Springtime...and we live in Oklahoma.  It's not called Tornado Alley because it's a sidestreet.  Moore's got a corner on the market, we might as well call it Tornado Highway.  Moore's slogan oughtta be "Tornado's, Taxes, and Traffic ...yep We Got it All!" It always amazes me that CNN or some local newsie finds the closest aged chaw stained Jethro or pear profiled bra-less Ellie Mae

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-13882842256105703962010-04-22T22:32:00.001-05:002010-04-22T22:59:38.959-05:00

Disclaimer:  For those of you out there that may be offended by guns, gun ownership, gun shows, and just being generally redneck...if you cling to the doltish "Guns kill people" doctrine...this may not be the post for you...exit left...and don't come back. The rest of you stick around...you gon'like'isun... When telling folks we home school, i always like to throw in the fact that if a kid

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-87921960865418148012010-04-20T13:16:00.000-05:002010-04-20T13:16:44.387-05:00

Sunday afternoons are pretty lazy around here. If there's football, we watch it...if there's not...well, we find something to do, and since it's not football season... As previously stated, we are the proud owners (as in shareholders) of a small herd of beautiful Jersey cows...thanks to the good folks over at Phelan Ranch. They are beau-ful. We have chosen lazy Sunday afternoons to go out and

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-39844935496296103512010-04-18T20:18:00.001-05:002010-04-18T20:36:37.036-05:00

Last Monday The Queen took the day off, gathered up the majority of her young and headed for the Science Museum in OKC.  The X and I looked at each other a few minutes after they left, smiled, and said, "Let's go FISHIN!"Its been awhile since i made enough time to wet a line, and typically here in OK, mid-March through late April is feast time for largemouth bass.  So...you get a line and i'll

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-14498353914586971852010-04-12T10:44:00.001-05:002010-04-12T10:46:45.420-05:00

You may or may not know this, but, i've put in some more garden beds this year. A couple raised beds for veggies and such. Some cedar trunks form the structure of the beds and they are hefty and should last for many years to come. As soon as i finish terracing them and get them planted i'll provide some pics.That said, there are still some large pieces of cedar lying about. The Royals find

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-52573341345416912762010-04-08T09:13:00.001-05:002010-04-08T09:22:04.499-05:00

Now...y'all know i like cookin'...and lately its been French. In fact, last night it was Fondue de Poulet a la Creme (chicken simmered with cream and onions), some peas with butter and shallots, and sweet corn maque choux. Of course, the maque choux ain't French, it's Cajun...well, more Creole, but it just seemed to fit (and no, i don't need the history lesson on the Accadians or Accadiana and

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-69609952105481937632010-03-31T16:00:00.000-05:002010-03-31T16:00:39.307-05:00

Good afternoon connoisseurs! Well, i'm still not sure just how much i like the new do...Catiche nailed it in her comment. THAT is what i've wanted to do for a couple years...but i don't know how and figuring out the HTML and actually writing it...blech. I even have the pic i want to use...its just that whole "computerese" i don't want to deal with. So, here's the question that's been burning

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-74573821728334851492010-03-27T10:08:00.002-05:002010-03-27T10:19:51.037-05:00

My wonderful, talented, lovely blogmom gave me the idea of redecorating... reconstructing even. I have a picture that i want to put as a background, that would be a bit more...apropos, but i have little knowledge of writing HTML, and honestly, it bores me to tears. So...here ya go...the new do. Of course, it will probably change. I like this, but it's not quiiiite there for me yet. Something

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-66589825765152251682010-03-25T15:18:00.003-05:002010-03-25T16:29:16.314-05:00

Whilst writing much ado about nothing lately (except the birthday one) i have come to realize...my children are growing without much posting.Her Royal Highness The Drama Princess: Girl got some wicked skillz on her Ripstik now. She is seven years old and she passed me the other day on the street...and i couldn't catch her. Her cursive handwriting is better than a majority of public high

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-53659004961713596182010-03-23T18:54:00.003-05:002010-03-23T20:36:27.426-05:00

i've said it once..."If you wanna eat like a foodie...you gotta THINK like a foodie!" People say to me all the time..."Oh...you're a GOURMET cook."(heavy emphasis on the capitalized) I honestly despise that word...no folks...i just like to eat good food...and when living here, in THE BLACK HOLE of good food...one is impelled to construct it home style. Hence, my thoughtful BIL (and his

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-57014618468134912362010-03-21T20:12:00.003-05:002010-03-21T20:54:51.522-05:00

This very moment in 2003 i was wondering just how long the ordeal at hand was going to last. My wife was in pain and had been for hours...and hours. Well, until the anesthesiologist came in and...administered. I believe the immediate relieved statement was..."Bruce is my friiiiiieeeend." A few hours later we had the most beautiful baby girl i had ever seen. Maybe it was because i was her

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-7233709177379762822010-03-17T13:35:00.003-05:002010-03-17T14:27:24.352-05:00

The Royals just informed me that they shouldn't have to do school today since it's St. Paddy's Day. Fortunately for them, in the craziness that has been the last few days, i forgot that we had run out of printer ink. This will be remedied today. Ironically, it was The Prince who made the cavalier defense for his elder sib's...and he's not even IN school yet! I'm not sure exactly how to feel

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-25645354421748090252010-03-16T21:56:00.004-05:002010-03-16T22:06:40.697-05:00

Slainte' to alla ye! I celebrated St. Paddy's day a bit early...The Flyin Dutchman and i, with many more friends took in a grrrand sight last night...Floggin' Molly. And a grand treat it was. I've had dulcet Irish tones floating through my mind since...and due to the fact...i decided to bake my annual ISB...i fancy myself a very poor baker, but when it comes to ISB, well...let's just say...its

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-68681151028320827972010-03-04T09:17:00.003-06:002010-03-04T09:41:30.773-06:00

Dropkick was everything one would expect from an Irish punk band from Boston, loud, raucous, disorderly...and most of all...just plain ole fun. At the end of the show they let as many as could fit on stage with them as they played "Shippin' Up To Boston"...i have no idea how they played what with the drunken, rambunctious tumult all around them...but they did and it was a crazy good time. Yes,

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-76181935653142540592010-03-01T14:49:00.003-06:002010-03-01T15:06:26.771-06:00

Gooood Afternoon Connoisseurs!!!I gotta tellya...the FNP (that's me) is excited with a capital X! I don't hae much time ta tell ye boot et...but...Drrrrrropkick Murphy's tonite at The House of Blues in Big D is where you can find me, and the Moondawg, and The Flyin' Dutchman... if you were lookin'. Ere's a sample...if THAT don't get you Celtipunked...i've no idea what will...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-61944903193394156702010-02-24T16:56:00.005-06:002010-02-24T18:24:39.964-06:00

Dear...World,Please take this for what it is...we are calling you out. Put together all your All-Stars on one team, and meet us on any ice you choose. We win. In fact, i'll call the score...1-0 in a shootout.-USA Olympic Hockey TeamNow that THAT hubris out of my system...i can move on.I think my kids probably have the coolest dad on the block. I don't see any other dad's out there in the

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-63250528877595342922010-02-22T22:24:00.003-06:002010-02-22T23:11:30.953-06:00

Folks...i gotta tell'ya...i'm wore smooth out on Olympic Curling...i mean, i'm ScotchIrish and all but... good lord... i've just about resigned myself to thinking that watching China v. Russia women's hockey might just be more entertaining...basically cuz i'm pretty certain that both those teams are made up of individuals who barely missed the cut on the men's teams.So far, my Olympic

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-29073101045117946942010-02-18T10:52:00.004-06:002010-02-18T11:32:17.975-06:00

We have our tax return finished and filed. We are presently awaiting our little cash cow to come in from the pasture so we can do a few things around the barnyard. Namely, BUILDING a barnyard. One of the other honey-do's on the list...about 700 square feet of glorious hardwood in The Castille.I've completely given up on the renters carpet. Completely. So much so, that in the past couple

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-76850457711314217182010-02-11T21:48:00.004-06:002010-02-11T22:25:05.702-06:00

I think its time to make a Declaration of Intent to Secede. I've nearly decided that the vacuumous world of Facebook has very nearly killed my blogging, and i'm about to draw the line. As i've stated many times, the blog exists for the future, for the Royals...you just get to read it before they do. Its an ongoing autobiographic of The Kingdom...our family and growing up, discovering,

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-58874225046663184682010-01-27T14:50:00.003-06:002010-01-27T17:01:36.251-06:00

As much as i down this area of this state for being an armpit, it really does have some salvable virtues. On Saturday, while The Queen was Florence Nightengaling on the weekend, we (the Flying Dutchman and i) took the Royals out to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Preserve. Oddly, in the five years that we've lived here and the eleven years we've been coming down here, i've never once ascended Mt.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-63480875115543892632010-01-15T22:07:00.005-06:002010-01-15T23:15:56.222-06:00

It was a week ago tonight. The recent cold keeping us indoors, the monotony of quotidian routine, and basically, i'm just getting fat...i threw every child jack into Odysseus and made for the local cellulite collection and distribution center. I wanted [scratch that] NEEDED to play some volleyball...and the Royals needed the pool. So off we went...merrily, merrily.The Queen and i had decided

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-62100466629294001222010-01-13T14:57:00.004-06:002010-01-13T15:39:04.159-06:00

In consideration of the previous subject. I must, at this point, include this story...HRH has come to that exciting stage in childhood where surprising things start coming out of the mouth. Substantial, objective things...For the last couple months...well more like maybe four to six, her front teeth have been slowly making the trek down...and recently...out.She's been ever so gingerly working

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-33288441246715056522010-01-12T14:34:00.005-06:002010-01-12T15:46:48.257-06:00

(Group) "Hi King..."This is my first meeting and...I'll admit it...i have degenerated into the microwave world of Facebook. It is the sole reason this has morphed into The XTLite. Sickening I know. I've tried to break free, i have, but i suppose admitting i have a problem IS the first step towards recovery. One of my New Years Resolutions that i really never admitted verbally was to spend

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-48548001090689372662010-01-05T23:01:00.001-06:002010-01-05T23:09:59.632-06:00

Every once in a great while, a cover comes along that may possibly be better than the original. Case in point, Van Morrison's Into The Mystic is one of my all time faves...but when i happened upon these two doing it...well...As a post script...if you have never seen the movie Once, its worth the purchase price.Hey Doc...this one's for you...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-41652184817273004232009-12-28T12:37:00.001-06:002009-12-28T12:43:28.419-06:00

Well...here we are...already three days removed from wrappin' and rippin'. Once again, i'm finding i'm much too lazy to write anything significant so its a picture pages day. I also think its very important to document this day for future reference to prove that we did, in fact, at one point in our lives, have a white Christmas. Cuz here in South Central, it's a rarity indeed. I suppose you could

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-76395389178793896342009-12-23T13:09:00.001-06:002009-12-23T13:19:54.526-06:00

I am SO digging Picasa!I know i haven't written much lately...ok...like...at all. But, i thought i'd at least put SOMETHING worthwhile out here. If not the scribblings of a homeschoolin' chef, you get much better...pics of The Royals and The Queen decorating The Castille for the Holiday Du Monde. This was our little venture last night...a gingerbread tree...As you can see, they had a horrible

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-57656442031226313982009-12-15T20:15:00.001-06:002009-12-15T21:02:53.613-06:00

Well, well...bigger bro is...older today. Apparently it started a little something like this..."A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." OK well maybe not but i do have good music... Happy Birthday Bro!

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-25774432349135476152009-12-15T15:06:00.003-06:002009-12-15T15:23:20.686-06:00

The General, languid over his second mint julep, in his thick Mississippi Mud steeped in Jack drawls... "Y'all hae y'selves VEREH... MERREH... CHRISTMAS."

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-82267855204114461092009-12-12T22:22:00.000-06:002009-12-12T22:22:30.087-06:00

OK, so...my HP ImageZone (photo editing program) died a horrible death...now i have Picasa (this is test #1)...and just so's y'all know...so far I LOVE IT! Here's a pic from last Saturday night during the Big XII CG. The Moondawg and i made an Irish Train Bomb...it was a beautiful site. Here's one of the cars. Lovely...just...lovely.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-44197031796431666592009-12-10T08:22:00.003-06:002009-12-10T08:39:43.683-06:00

Well, if that's the case...he did have SOME redemptive quality! Nothin like a little Ravenscroft to get the day going!By the way...did you know that Ravenscroft ALSO did the voice for Tony the Tiger? Ahhhhh...it all makes sense now eh?Since we are on the subject of sots...here's a re-post...of a re-post...which will be re-posted again next year and re-posted annum de novo until you try it, or

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-28056745151913808742009-12-06T22:38:00.004-06:002009-12-07T00:04:54.590-06:00

"Here we are as in olden days...happy golden days of"...wait a minute! These ARE the good old days! I love these days... The Royals are always so excited about decking the halls of The Kingdom...and that's all good with us, we love it too.I played my annual Clark Griswold role and finally got the lights on the house (you should click the link just to see Eddie...loves me some Eddie). They are

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-33871585053369313192009-12-03T17:24:00.002-06:002009-12-03T17:26:34.502-06:00

By far my favorite part of what's quickly becoming my favorite Christmas movie...Yeah...we got it...I mean...after all...this is The Table...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-14249123911061535452009-11-19T16:43:00.003-06:002009-11-19T16:53:27.369-06:00

Goooooood afternoon connoisseurs! Well...seriously...i have no idea what i'm doing at the keyboard right now. I have TONS to do and little time left to getRdone but...just here to say, i ain't fergottin' ye...and i've got some really cool news with some even cooler pics, so stay tuned.But, fer now, this is gon' hafter do, cuz i gots ta git this family packed for eight glorious days in sunny

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-90074053276817500532009-11-13T20:28:00.004-06:002009-11-13T20:49:45.350-06:00

This blog exists for the purposes of family, posterity of such, and enjoyment. There have been many times that i have desired to write about deeper things or things outside The Kingdom itself. I've often contemplated a distinctly separate blog just for those purposes. Perhaps one day, but not this is not that day. On rare occasion i have delved into the depths of soulful things, and the

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-14928574673096038652009-11-10T13:48:00.003-06:002009-11-10T16:00:53.333-06:00

Some years back, i'd say at least thirty, give or take a couple, i was home from school sick. At that time, my grandparents lived with us, my dad's parents. They were good days, lots of good food (which i didn't appreciate that much at the time) and good talks. Having your grandparents available day after day was a good thing for a kid of 10 or 11, they were full of stories of their childhoods

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-7270400233052039052009-11-07T10:10:00.001-06:002009-11-07T10:12:16.169-06:00

I can't do it better than this folks...if you have any tissue, get it ready now.Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald. Colonoscopy Journal: I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-27219652314629451162009-11-04T19:48:00.003-06:002009-11-04T20:12:58.233-06:00

Hey y'all...dey's been alotta MAN YAP round heah...figger'd i'd trow in a little curve ball. Got ma Cajun on t'nite, y'all hep y'self to summa dis...Das rat...Shrimp Etouffee...an it was sum kina good!Awright! Awright!Viva la VIEUX CARRÉ!

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-26032583927341419352009-11-03T14:36:00.003-06:002009-11-03T15:04:00.609-06:00

DISCLAIMERThe following contains an earworm that will go on immediate loop in your mind for the next few hours...notwithstanding the possibility of the next few days. Click at your own risk...especially if you are a blues fan.Now...i had to do that as a segway to this story relayed to me by Her Majesty The Queen who was giving The Prince a bath a couple nights ago..."OK, you're done...let's get

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-61910079700772202682009-11-02T15:48:00.013-06:002009-11-02T20:39:38.099-06:00

Some people hate it when the power goes out...i suppose it depends on the moment, but for the most part...i actually kinda like it. We're just into the 4th quarter of the Sooners vs. KState the other night and... fade to black...everything...gone. The Queen had been feverishly sewing on The Prosecutor's stocking, trying to beat her annual 4th or 5th deadline for this year, the Royals were

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-43981775569762010432009-10-29T22:53:00.002-05:002009-10-29T23:01:10.379-05:00

Birthday Presents:1) can't talk about this one2) new racquetball racquet...with which will aid in shedding all these unwanted cells.3) accessory's to #2, just to look cool doing it.4) dinner with the fam and the Flying Dutchman at Outback...where i'm waiting on my prime rib to show up and behold, a shot of Jameson appears magically in front of me...courtesy of my neighbors down the street who

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-31240916058466238722009-10-28T17:15:00.004-05:002009-10-28T17:38:59.544-05:00

This time of year is always fun for me. So many things are going on that make me remember some very, very special days. First, as previously described, Oct. 27 is our anniversary, that is ALWAYS a good day to remember. Since that day happened to fall on the same day the World Series began in 2001 (Yankees vs. Diamondbacks) the beginning of the World Series always brings back those memories too

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-4439243950811324062009-10-27T08:03:00.004-05:002009-10-27T08:50:20.518-05:00

Sleep had come timidly to one whom we were never enemies. I had slept, but not well, and not long. I had a lot on my mind with the gravity of the coming day. I showered, dressed, and found whatever i could forage in a tiny kitchen where leftover dregs remained from the night before. I saw and heard stirrings of the few others in the house beginning to do the same. Looking out a stark black

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-6429245430028847972009-10-26T15:40:00.008-05:002009-10-26T16:26:58.768-05:00

It has come to my attention that SOME of y'all think Oklahoma is ugly...read 'teepees and tumbleweeds'. Well, let this post serve notice, it don't ALL look like pumpjacks and black jacks. We, and a passel of other friends, read 'family' went campin this weekend in the Wichita Mountains. I know, you sunny CO readers are chuckling at my use of 'mountains'...i didn't name them...deal with it.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-71763840700399248782009-10-22T08:44:00.003-05:002009-10-22T08:57:21.868-05:00

OK, y'all know how i like to cook...for obvious reasons (hence the name of the venue). Thanksgiving then, is probably my favorite season (OK so ALL the holidays are my favorite, but..who freaking cares). I was bumping around this morning on Facebook and one of my friends posted a link to AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com. This may become my homepage. It is entirely too funny to at least not favorite it

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-12042134249548611592009-10-21T11:47:00.004-05:002009-10-21T12:10:44.942-05:00

We're going camping this weekend, starting tomorrow...its raining right now. The Queen informed that the forecasted temp for Fri morning...37*. We have an eight man tent...read 'extremely thin hotel'. Should be interesting. I have bruschetta and garlic toasts to slap together for tomorrow night... enchilada lasagna to concoct for Friday night. So in all the preparations, i have not a minute

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-21843885326129216972009-10-19T15:04:00.007-05:002009-10-19T22:58:53.359-05:00

I can't believe how little time i've made to write...its like school just drains my creative side. I get done with school, and i need to move on to the next thing, and never make time to write. Well...I'm makin time today! Saturday night i couldn't think of a better thing to do than sit out on the back porch with The Queen and all four Royals, fire up the chimichanga and roast some dogs.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-4998688257820040852009-10-09T14:01:00.003-05:002009-10-09T14:05:25.488-05:00

Couldn't have said it better myself...and i have entirely too much to do today to make any kind of decent post, so...To all you detractors out there...beware...we have four more of these coming at you...and please...save it on Winston Churchill and Charles Dickens...we already know...like the disclaimer said...this is comedic in nature...relax.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-19349597226056731712009-10-08T08:17:00.002-05:002009-10-08T08:21:12.645-05:00

As a specie of post script to the previous entry...I just came from the royal bath chamber where The Prince is once again engaged in naval battle simulations. Upon entry, he asked me, "Daddy, can I get my man on?"What do you say to that?

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-15961352340545726002009-10-07T09:53:00.003-05:002010-04-10T12:58:00.592-05:00

I swear...i should pimp myself as a Sloganator. Maybe i shoulda gone into advertising and made millions like my cousin in CO Springs. OK maybe that's a bit of a stretch...he's pretty amazing. He's an advertising Chef...i'm a fry cook. Anyway... a month or so ago we're at Sam's and bought a couple bottles of Axe shower stuff...for MEN...yeah...sniff, sniff, grunt, flex. I've actually come to

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-29372109552479701842009-10-06T21:02:00.018-05:002009-10-06T22:20:32.526-05:00

My my...3 weeks. Sad. Well not really, its not like NOTHING has been going on around here, its really been pretty crazy. School started, a couple high school football games, the State Fair, a Disney show, a Black Crowes concert, a roadie and another State Fair, we Wii'd...well...i guess the best way to do this is pictures.My niece's husband is the Old Ball Coach in 2A Lexington. He's starting

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-1770309728496750152009-09-18T07:45:00.001-05:002009-09-18T07:48:19.754-05:00

How will your few seconds of fame define you? Don't know if you all have seen this before but... let the question sink in when you watch this...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-56823045543035608002009-09-16T21:49:00.004-05:002009-09-16T22:58:08.960-05:00

Apparently, i just wanted to cut somethin today... First i started with the yard, well i suppose i should qualify that statement, i STARTED it yesterday, i FINISHED it today. See, we got these gawdawful goatheads (read sandspur) in the backyard that are just Hades on little bare feet in the summertime. My mower is a mulcher, at least that's how i got it set up, i do hates baggers. So i hadda

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-30186458559349633082009-09-14T22:02:00.005-05:002009-09-14T23:41:40.964-05:00

I'm really going to try to write through the haze of the...one, two..three glasses of sangria i've had since dinner...so, this could be fun.I'll admit...i just couldn't hold out...The Prince and i went to The Mecca on Saturday...i know what you're saying,"...but it was IDAHO STATE..." and fully aware of that, i just couldn't resist. Actually, like all other Crimson and Creamers...i just needed a

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-39206709505870385812009-09-09T14:23:00.010-05:002009-09-09T16:08:17.039-05:00

OK...so...the OU game didn't quite go as planned...oh well, life moves on. I love college football, i'm a big Sooners fan, but my planet doesn't revolve around Memorius Stadia, that crimson beauty that shines so brightly on Fall evenings here in central OK. And hey, in all honesty, the season ain't over in one game...that's an out of conference loss to a currently #9 ranked team. There is no

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-84361404525016340682009-09-03T12:40:00.003-05:002009-09-03T13:00:03.299-05:00

Well kids...its almost that time again...yep The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...FOOTBALL SEASON! And here where the Wind comes Sweepin Down the Plains its in our genetic code, its...really...it's... spiritual.Call us Chokelahoma, say Sooners are really just cheaters, make fun of our schooner (one of the COOLEST mascots in the GAME), whatever you want. But then, ask yourself...when was the

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-2388865080605251622009-08-28T08:34:00.009-05:002009-08-28T10:15:04.861-05:00

Coupla interesting things that happened today, years ago... 476 West Roman Empire formally disbands/emperor Romulus August ousted1565 Oldest city in the US, St Augustine Fla, established1605 Henry Hudson discovers and explores Delaware Bay1789 Sir William Herschel discovers Saturn's moon Enceladus1830 1st locomotive in US, "Tom Thumb," runs from Balt to Ellicotts Mil1837 Pharmacists John Lea &

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-63630562120234309712009-08-27T15:33:00.003-05:002009-08-27T16:20:40.123-05:00

You might wanna grab a pen and recipe card(s), or at least save this one for future reference.After throwing this little selection up on Facebook,"Son...if you want something really good in this life, you have to cook it yourself...now lets add that bechamel to the lasagne...and the responses i got on that...i decided y'all needed another recipe (or two) for your kitchen cache.So...i present to

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-63056362748893515272009-08-25T12:06:00.002-05:002009-08-25T13:09:05.061-05:00

Text while driving? OK...well...prepare yourself for a ticket akin to a DUI. What? You haven't heard? Folks...it's coming, and it'll be a whole lot easier for an officer to prove you were texting than if you were chemically impaired. The law will pass at some point. As for me? Yeah...i've done it...but those days are over. The Queen and i both have handsfree headsets and they work very

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-71811762919824160152009-08-21T08:48:00.008-05:002009-08-21T16:44:59.851-05:00

"There's a time each yearThat we always hold dear,Good old summer time;With the birds and the trees'esAnd sweet scented breezes,Good old summer time,When you day's work is overThen you are in clover,And life is one beautiful rhyme,No trouble annoying,Each one is enjoying,The good old summer time."by Ron Shields, In the Good Old Summertime When i was young, my parents would take me to my Aunt

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-17577982087037029932009-08-19T15:39:00.007-05:002009-08-19T16:23:08.958-05:00

The Early Show I still remember the first time i saw you. I was waiting for you to get to Erin's boyfriends house in OKC. Sitting in my beat up raggedy ass 1981 Ford Bronco that late afternoon, you drove up, got out and walked across the street about 30 yards in front of me, as i watched you... i believe were my words were..."Interesting". About three months before, i was in your supervisor's

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-62135187814903922332009-08-17T12:17:00.004-05:002009-08-17T15:27:53.942-05:00

The X has been broadcasting a daily newscast concerning the short term financial strategies of renting vs. leasing vs. purchasing and new vs. used markets of Cars. Here is a clip of one particular story...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-4819063898234260622009-08-16T09:20:00.002-05:002009-08-16T09:23:02.827-05:00

Today's earworm...hate to do this to ya but...i been singin' this one all mornin'...when ya wake up with some Bill Withers floating gently through the mind passageways, you know its gonna be a good day...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-81823671057438890162009-08-14T17:30:00.012-05:002009-08-14T22:16:36.079-05:00

OK...OK...i've thought about it all day...and i repent.I'M...SORRY.That said, i thought it appropriate in The Return to not go quite too far and hurt myself. Kinda ease into it and post some pics of a frequent event here in the Friendly Confines...First, for some mood music, you absolutely have to click the YT vid...Now...We live in OK...and yeah, its hot here, and for all you non-yokels, its

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-73277462216813430002009-08-14T08:18:00.002-05:002009-08-14T08:25:02.919-05:00

Seriously...we are alive! Very much that. There are posts, ust...need...time.I know, that's really weak, but at this point, its true.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-86399431712423451742009-08-01T10:45:00.005-05:002009-08-01T10:55:34.917-05:00

"Yea thy smoke shalt rise as a sweet aroma to the stygian god Hikkree, and lo the juices of thine sacrifice shalt flow down into thy bounty of legumes mixed in spices and distillations, and thou shalt sup with thine kinsmen with beers and distillations until thou has taken thy fill."Bruichladdich 3:16-18Just doing my priestly duty...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-16742069296547810932009-07-30T22:10:00.007-05:002009-07-30T22:56:26.449-05:00

Said goodbye to a friend today. 'Cousin' (though not related to me by birth) died very suddenly last Saturday of a massive heart attack. He was 32...yeah, i wrote that correctly, thirty-two. Though we had precious little time together, and that spent even more sparingly in the last few years since leaving OKC...he will nonetheless be missed. I still have a book he loaned me...a biography of

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-68171541427360207562009-07-27T10:13:00.004-05:002009-07-27T11:55:54.337-05:00

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers, From the seas and the streams;I bear light shade for the leaves when laid In their noon-day dreams.From my wings are shaken the dews that waken The sweet buds every one,When rocked to rest on their mother's breast, As she dances about the Sun.from The Cloudby Percy Bysshe ShelleySome years back Tim McGraw did a song called "She's My Kind of Rain"

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-4395006435527093092009-07-24T15:39:00.004-05:002009-07-24T16:03:05.218-05:00

I received an email from a good friend with Perpetuum Jazzile's version of a passing storm...It reminded of a time...i'm gonna say...back in 1990 maybe...i was at a concert with a guy who has now passed on and he did this same thing with us...maybe 2000 people in the auditorium...i gotta tellya...it was un-freaking-believable...sounded exactly like a warm summer rain passing through the place...

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-54677301343754330612009-07-24T07:54:00.007-05:002009-07-24T09:22:46.690-05:00

but on a completely different scale. You can catch the first Sweet Tea Rant here...You can blame this post on MamaLou, she and MamaBear, and Doc...Last summer (yeah, its still THAT fresh in my mind) i was headed over to the bi-weekly volleyball meet at the sand court courtesy Halliburton. Now, couple things should be evident here...its a summer afternoon, sand courts are generally outside, no

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-32246525941102290722009-07-23T13:29:00.002-05:002009-07-23T14:37:12.197-05:00

OK so...we get back from the 'Reunion' and basically turn right around and head for sunny CO. Nothing exciting about the drive, except that somewhere in the bleak, starry skied westernetheregions of Oklahoma i almost bagged and tagged a 10 point buck with the front of Oddyseus...it was CLOSE. He apparently decided that playing chicken with a 2300 lb mass with a critical velocity of 70 mph would

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-59428152747470484472009-07-20T14:32:00.003-05:002009-07-20T16:15:08.166-05:00

Goooooood afternoon connoisseurs! Sorry its been so long, but this has definitely been the busiest two...no i guess its been three weeks of the entire summer. I could've blogged after The Party, but we had a cousin to entertain and i just dinna feel like it. I could've blogged from Branson at the fam reunion, but you know how that all plays, just too much to pack in to too little time. I

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-78201342150201622632009-07-08T15:42:00.005-05:002009-07-08T16:31:32.345-05:00

Gooooood day connoisseurs! With the early summer double dip birthday weekend behind us...its beginning to look a lot like Chr...Family Reunion Weekend! And ain'tcha just sittin there wishin you was in my family? Well after opening the pic for a more...intimate look...you might be. The smoker has produced yet another delicacy from the Dirty Sweet South... behind door #1 is a spiral cut, 6 hour

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22316225.post-73789308255820187182009-07-06T08:25:00.007-05:002009-07-06T09:46:36.435-05:00

Well folks...its all over. It was a blur of a weekend...and no, that's NOT due to the moderate to heavy doses of margaritas, pork ribs, and home made ice cream. More due to the fact that if it's true that time always flies when you're havin fun...it broke the sound barrier this weekend. We had family come from Denver, Kansas City, Tulsa, and...are ya ready for this...big ole Silo, OK.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07801966842022621248noreply@blogger.com6