Stankass Says

Can't get all sappy because it's the end of another year and all that stuff. Aint gonna make all kinds of resolutions. By all accounts it wasn't an awful year for moi....in fact while it wasn't one of the best it sure weren't one of the worst.

Lotta folks are home from work gettin' their New Years thing together. Do we go out? Do we party in? Come Sunday it's 2006 and all this stuff will be a distant distant distant source of stress.

Lemme sit back here. The last working day of 2005 for yours truly. It'll be a quiet one. Got my cds to work with today. Right now Paul Stanley is belting out the testosterone laden hits of KISS Alive (I) and I'm livin' it folks. Saw'em here at the Baltimore Civic Center almost 30 years ago - Bob Seger (pre Night Moves era)
opened ...one helluva show...and I promised not to get misty eyed here, but wow...
Stankass out...

Let's troll on back to the 17th. Well, lemme see...ahh yes - been a good guy. The pants fit a wee bit better. Haven't weighed myself, but I FEEL better. How 'bout y'all? Didn't overdue the Christmas foods (cake, pies, chocolate, sweetened drinks, etc). Gotta pick up the pace on the "workouts"! Well, how're we doin'?
(see 12/17)

tasted a delicious beaujolais noveau last night...Duboeuf 2005...yummy!

Been to the movieshows lately? Saw Memoirs of a Geisha - give it 4 Melvins
Chronicles of Narnja - give it 3 Melvins (er, not a kid's movie)

on to my next literary read - Tiujana Strait by Kemm Nunn...thus far I will say it is worth the trek to the library or Barnes and Noble...let's hope it doesn't disappoint...more later

looking forward to American Idol - I like the first few shows of each season when folks try to sing...beats the hell outta watchin' folks eat bugs and worms

What is your favorite greatest hits collection?....5th Dimension?...Doors?...Donovan?...Three Dog Night?...Marvin Gaye?...let's hear it

Seahawks look tough to beat in the Big Game....your guess?

status reports are due...asap...now on to
Stankass out...

Christmas is a time when folks sit back and cast a weary eye over the year that has past and some, if not most, thank their lucky stars they made it through another one. A lot of folks break out their dvd collections and watch those flicks which warm our hearts and fill us with renewed hope ala The Robe...Passion of Christ....
Families crowd around tables totally engulfed in all sorts of potatoes, pies, turkey, ham, beans, collards, biscuits and stuff their way into contentment. There's dudes that sit and high five over a Kobe slam.

Me, I'm at M&T wolfing down the last cold hot dog of the year three hours before the Ravens play their last football game of 2005. Gates aint opened yet, but the guys in blue are standing on their post as I look around the seating bowl. Some are talking to security folks, others eating a pretzel or their last cold hot dog. Gotta admit I'm gonna miss it. As much as I have complained all year about how food could be so cold when the concessions just opened. Yeah this hot dog aint so bad. A lil mustard, ketchup and onions. Gonna miss it...till next year.

Been a troubling pre-Christmas Day week here in ole Bawlmer. Two police officers are killed by an "SGA officer", an officer escorting a funeral is broadsided on a motorcycle by an SUV which failed to acknowledge the procession - he's just out of a coma, a serial rapist is encountered on the street and is shot trying to "harm and escape", a serial killer of elderly women is finally caught, a man is robbed at Towson Town Center in the bathroom. What happened? There is no snow, just mucky ice on the ground...somehow the good feeling has been shelved and replaced with thoughts of will next year bring more joy, peace.

I was going to write a lil bit about the local wineries here in the Md and PA area, but how can I with all this other stuff going on? A fluff piece?

Y'all be safe out there.
Stankass out...

Let's face it - Guys are gross!...I'm a guy and I know. Take a peek into some of the lavatories...bathrooms...shi$$ers...whatever. My God GROSS! This poses the question -What do these folks do at home?...Can they be that bent to urinate on their own toilet seat?....floor?...wall?....sink? YUCCH! How about the non-flushers? YUCCH YUCCH! Can women be as ill mannered? I reckon these grossouts must live at home with their aging mothers well into their 40's -50's - that has to explain it! I remember venturing into the old 8X10 Club on Cross Street here in Bawlmer one fine day and headin' to the facilities and noticed that there was "water" all over the floor. I thought it was a leaky sink, but NOOOOOOOO it was the drunks letting go every place but the one toilet on hand. As the raven sayeth - "Nevermore". Outta here.
Stankass out...

Last night attended yet another of those holiday faves - the Christmas party. You gotta be careful there because there is generally all kinds of food, made all kinds of ways, packed with all kinds of calories, sodium, sugar and bad bad fat. I was good - stuck to the shrimp, fresh veggies and a lil bit of pasta salad. Imbibed on some delightful Malbec (really surprised by this choice at a party...excellent!)and tasted a foxy scuppernong blush from North Carolina a la Dulin Winery.

So how many of these delightful gatherings have y'all attended?...cookies, cake, pie, ice cream, crackers, fatty luncheon meats, meatballs smothred in bbq or cream sauce?...makin' my mouth water there...

Have fun...be safe and guide yourself accordingly through the plethora of holiday
delights - your life depends on it.
Stankass out...

It's that time of the year for New Year's resolutions...

1. I will shuck ten easy ones...get the BP and cholesterol numbers down a tweek
2. I will lay off the fries at lunch - salads and lite sandwiches in stead of
3. I will...and so on

The kicker is to maintain...it would be nice to return to 1987 and 31" waist at 167 lbs buffed - and we're off...IT'S ON FOLKS!!!!!!

little variation of Body for Life...South Beach...Preventions' 3-2-1...kick in some Labrada products and vitamin up at Vitamin Shoppe and Swansons - it will happen bet on it...there will be posts - y'all write me about your status- how' it is going in your mission to stop the "slowing down".
Stankass out...

One of the hardest aspects in life is acknowledging that one is growing older. The mind may feel young, but the body betrays the "feeling". I used to play a multitude of sports late into my 20's..by my 30's the sports had tapered off...now in my 40's I watch sports and daydream about scoring the winning goal in the Senior Hockey Championship.

Another "funny" aspect of growing older is that I used to eat like a virtual machine - any and all kinds of junk included - and didn't gain a pound. Now I eat less - eat better quality food - but the waist ...well ummm. Metabolism aint what it used to be!

Done the South Beach thing, Bill Phillips Body for Life transformation, Weider workouts - all with varying degrees of success. Will I do a Seinfeld and change my jean label size stickers?...good idea.

At least the mind is sharp...what was I talking about?

Well gotta run Prime Rib night at Liberatore's - yummmmmmy!
Stankass out...

but shall we shed a tear? Maryland shopping malls are slowly fading away. Is that a good thing? I imagine the "staple" stores will relocate - your Penneys, Macys, Sears...but what of the rest? What is neat is that some areas have decided to reconfigure ala Whitemarsh "The Avenue". Owings Mills appears to be moving in that direction. Hopefully if that is the case when the outdoor entertainment performs it will be able to do so sans gangbangers and tons of police looking over one's shoulder.

WINE OF THE WEEK
Worthy 2003 Sophie's Choice mid price...nice delicious red with nice tannins and dry I say with just a smidgen of glorious fruit

...don't forget to check out www.promisetoprotect.org or look up Andrew Vachss

any body seen Harry?
Stankass out...

I'm standing here on my deck sipping on a hot mug of coffee watching young'uns sled down what they are a calling a hill that is in back of my home. it's a tad chilly, but they seem to be enjoying themselves. In fact, they seem extremely gleeful considering their ride down the "slope" lasts all of 3.8 seconds. I guess it beats nothing. Hills and such are hard to come by around these parts.I remember a dynamo hill in Violetville that was always packed with sledders when a nice snow storm passed throught. Aint there no more. Built a big ole retirement community on the site. Who knows...maybe one day I'll go back there. Ummmm. Coffee sure is good. I guess I'll get another cup.
Stankass out...

By a show of hands, how many folks know about this literary giant? Whaddya mean?
You haven't read The Gospel Singer, Feast of Snakes, The Hawk is Dying or Karate is a Thing of the Spirit (just to name drop a few)? I guess one reason is tha his works have been out of print, the libraries don't shelve anything, bookstores do not have any old gems (and if they do they get swooped up). You have to go to Ebay and pay and pay to come up with a book kept in somebody's closet for a bunch of years. Let's start a push to get these masterpieces of the South from this master story teller
back in print! Let's call Dell Books. Write the imprints! Call Congress! Let's get these master works back! Let's save Harry Crews!
Stankass out...

We aren't talking rocks here, folks. Okay, let's move on. Back in the day saw a great many show: Neil Young, Jethro Tull, The Outlaws, Jeff Beck & Jan Hammer,
Slade, baby Aerosmith, King Crimson, ELP, Jefferson Starship, Lynrd Skynrd (originals) w/ Mountain....and so on. A lot of these groups are now on the "reunion" tours, doing "reunion" cds and "reunion" dvds. Some of these groups still can rock it out (see CSN&Y, Bruce). Others well ummmmm....The funny thing is we all age and some of the "reunion" groups have not aged well. Nothing like seeing the long-haired string bean from the 70's sporting the bald pate with a long grey ponytail and a 42" waist dancing around the stage like elfin. Ummmmmmm, just aint what it used to be.
But one only has to imagine what it must be like on the other side of the coin. I'm sure that Ronnie van Zant loved to see the young things in the front rows screaming his name and trying their best to make it into groupie land onstage. Take a peek at these shows now my friends - the girls are women with families and the guys (I'm included) are sporting polo shirts and khakis. The kids that attend the shows are most likely there out of curiosity or watching us old folk so that we don't wander away from the retirement home bus crowd. Guys like Frankie Valli have survived
decades. Will we see Ian Anderson jousting about in tights with his mighty flute
in 2010? Let's hope not. Decorum, please.
Stankass out...

There is supposed to be some sort of "winter event" tonight here in ole Bawlmer?
What is a "winter event?" Snow? Ice? Birthday party in December? Sleddin'?

I truly believe that the weather guy and the grocery guy are in cahoots. As soon as this "winter event' stuff comes out folks rush out for toilet wipes, bread and milk.
I reckon a lot of milk gets tossed after a bit. If toilet paper is so much in demand during the event, what do folks use at any other time? Dried corn cobs?

Got a minute....check out www.promisetoprotect.org. Holla back.

Any Harry Crews sightings?

Stankass out...

Let's turn on the way back machine today. 'Member the days when you'd raid the ole fridge and sneak a few of your dad's Natty Bohs or RWBs or Pabst before headin' out to wander about with your bunks? Long time ago. Drinkin' age shot up to a "legal" 21 and so did the taste of the "studlies". Instead of the "cheap stuff" , dudes were out imbibing on some Lowenbrau, Michelob and Heineken. Been to the local liquor outlet lately? There are so many beers to choose from...the classics, the premiums and loads of microbrews. If you have some greenbacks in your pocket there is a beer out there for you! Whoa Nelly! I stood in front of the wall of coolers of beer the other day and was mesmerized. You got your Bud, Bud Lite, Bud Ice, Bud Lite Ice and so on. Some of the microbrews have some really different packaging which makes them stand out. Woodchuck, Saranac, Clipper City....yum. Surprisingly, I checked the cooler and there was NO Natty Boh to be found. I left the location and drove around and on my third stop found a 12 pack of Natty Boh in cans. Took 'er home and swilled down some old cold Boh - used to be the beer of Baltimore - and closed my eyes....and the way back machine took me back to 1975 underage, long haired, tee shirt, funky jeans and a girl named....
Stankass out.

How's everybody doin' out there today?...Good...Lotsa neat talk...we got your current events, your sports, celebs - talk about books, movies and nitwits...this is Bawlmer, hon!...and Stankass says...


WINE OF THE WEEK
check out the Langhorne Creek 2003 Step Rd Shiraz - nice rich colours, full body, lot of fruit and just enough pepper, excellent price app $15 - if you can find it

Beaujolais Nouveau is out - 2005 vintage get it while it lasts!

SPORTS
Nice to see another team get their arses whupped...was that Philly?...Ouch

In a battle of two offensive juggernauts (and they were offensive), the Ravens eeked one by the lowly Texans 16-15. While I'm here on this topic, I'd like to give a shout out to Ray Lewis' sore hamstring. Thanks Ray - we now know there is life without #52. Yeeeeah! Heard around the stadium Sunday "We Want Elvis!" (Remember the Grbac!)...

The O's will (have) unload(ed) Sosa and Palmeiro....don't expect Surhoff , Matos, Gil
Fasano (he left on his own thanks man!) back ...and it's been rumored that Big Ole Walter Young will be on first - we'll see...the loss of BJ Ryan will be big....expect another 4th or 5th place finish folks...on the positive side by mid April we'll be looking ahead to the 2006 football season. Did I say that?

CURRENT READ
Redneck Riviera by Dennis Covington...excellent true account of swindlers, rednecks
and a man's quest to claim his inheritance. Reads like fiction, but it's the real thing folks. Great followup to Salvation on Sand Mountain.

Y'all take care now we'll talk some more...
Stankass out.