Metal Dad - Hardcore for Life

A Thanksgiving Prayer (Apologies To The 1928 BCP)

MOST gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew; We yield thee unfeigned thanks and praise for delivering us from the bondage of Illinois, for leading us to the Promised Land of Minnesota, and for all the other blessings of thy merciful providence bestowed upon this family. Enlighten with thy wisdom those who care for our daughter And, we beseech thee, give us a just sense of these great mercies; such as may appear in our lives by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen.

A Charlatan's Way Of Knowledge

I recall once when my mother's brother came to Chicago for a visit. He was a big man with a big personality. He used to drive around the San Fernando Valley in California where he lived looking for abandoned refrigerators. He would convert them into smokers and use them to smoke turkeys, fish, and meat. He made a pot of the best menudo I'd ever eaten. And he was full of stories from his days growing up in West Texas.

During this visit he asked if I had read any of Carlos Castaneda's books. He asked me if I thought there was anything to them. At this time I had already discarded the Roman Catholicism I was raised on and was flitting about investigating Zen Buddhism, Nichiren Sho Shu Buddhism, enlightenment via pharmacological means, etc. I told him that while I found the books fascinating reading I was unsure of their veracity. 

He told me he thought they were genuine and then proceeded to tell me a story from when he was a young boy in Texas. In the Mexican part of the town in which they lived, there was an older woman who everyone believed was a bruja or curandera. Once she encountered him as he was out with one of his friends. Apparently she wanted them to do some sort of errand for her. My uncle and his friend tried to decline as politely as they could being wary of her reputation. She became annoyed with them and told them not to get on her bad side as she could get to them wherever they went. When they expressed disbelief she related a conversation the two of them had a couple of days before. When my uncle expressed incredulity at her knowledge of the conversation since there had been no one else around she told him, "Remember that bird on the fence near where you were standing? Well that was me." My uncle said he and his friend were freaked AF at this. I don't remember if he said whether or not they granted her request.

What I found fascinating was that he was a devout Catholic yet there was room in his worldview for sorcery and magic. But then I remember the stories about my grandmother, also a devout Catholic, putting eggs in glasses of water by the beds of her children and grandchildren to ward off the evil eye. I also heard how during thunderstorms she would go outside with a fork in her hand pointing at the sky and cursing profusely. So maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. In the present day it has become apparent that Castaneda's books were works of fiction. So how to explain my uncle's experience? I am a christian with a christian worldview and presuppositions. I do not believe that the material is all there is to reality. The bible tells us there is a spiritual dimension to reality as well and there are forces from that dimension which are intent on evil and deception.

Whatever Happens Tonight

Did you ever stop to wonder why your elected officials are so useless? Could it be that folks intent on "doing their civic duty" keep putting these clowns in office? And if an incumbent liar and thief is voted out, they are usually replaced with a different liar and thief who will line his own pockets and cater to the interests of the big money puppeteers who helped him get elected. 

 

 

 

 

On a happier note, #2 Son and his fiancee came up this past weekend. We had a really nice visit with them. On Saturday they went and hung out with his sister a bit and took her bowling. Later on we went to Kramarczuk's deli/restaurant/bakery for a bite to eat. I had the most delicious pastrami brisket sandwich. Everyone enjoyed what they chose. Picked up some Andouille sausage to take home. Then we watched UFC 230. The Cormier-Lewis fight went just about the way we thought it would. But the Souza-Weidman was crazy. Looked like Wiedman might scratch out a win. I like to watch the sports thread on 4chan during the fights. One guy commented, "Weidman has never lost  round one in any of his past fights. Wonder what he'll do to lose this fight?" Sure enough Souza KO'd him in the third round. The kids went home Sunday afternoon but we'll see them for Thanksgiving.

One Side Came Here On Ships, The Other Side Walked Over

That was how #2 Son described the way his ancestors ended up in the US in a school essay. My maternal grandparents were illegal aliens. As I heard tell, they strolled across the Rio Grande and made their way up West Texas. They settled in Ozona. Ranching was and remains a large part of Ozona's economy. My grandfather worked on ranches as a vaquero. He and his wife had a few children, the oldest, a boy died very young. They ended up with three more sons and three daughters, one of whom would become my mother. They raised their family and he worked around Ozona for many years. I was very young when he died. I only remember seeing him once before he passed away. He was already pretty ill and about all I can recall is a shock of white hair and the hospital bed on which he was resting. His kids were starting families of their own. Two of the sons ended up in California, the third son never left Ozona. He stayed and worked there for the rest of his life. One daughter died some years after their mother passed. One daughter (mi madre) married and moved to Chicago. The youngest daughter married and moved to Arkansas. I was about thirteen or fourteen when my maternal grandmother passed away. She never spoke a word of English though everyone believed she could understand it quite well yet refused to speak English due to her ornery, stubborn streak. She also never went back to Mexico for a visit because she feared not being able to get back into Texas.

I refer to them here as illegal aliens. I do not use it as a pejorative descriptor. They did not enter the country according to the current laws, hence illegal. One dictionary definition of alien is a foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where they are living. They most definitely were foreigners and they were not naturalized citizens of the country in which they were living. Why they chose to come here the way they did is not known. Maybe they were not up on history and didn't realize Texas was no longer part of Mexico. However, I suspect illegal entry was quite common in that time and place. The Anglo ranch owners were probably very happy for the relatively cheap labor these illegals provided.

Despite my family history I do not support unrestricted immigration into this country. A nation without borders is not a nation. A sovereign people have the right to decide who may enter their nation. They also have the right to determine the requirements for legal immigration and citizenship.

Not Afraid Of Flying

One of my favorite memories regarding our sons is when I took Sons #1 and #2 and one of their friends into the city to see a show at the Logan Square Auditorium. It was a killer bill: Recon, Down to Nothing, Sworn Enemy, Terror, Shai Hulud, and Earth Crisis. No sooner had Terror taken the stage and ripped into their first number when I saw #2 Son and his friend catapult themselves off the stage into the crowd. Seeing this picture today reminded me of that show and my fearless son.

Her Favorite Time Of Year Is Right Around The Corner

The Missus and I drove down and picked up The Light of My Life. She was in a good mood, happy and silly. We went and got some lunch then shopped for some groceries. We ended up in a Home Depot later to look for some stuff we needed for the house.

We ran into their Christmas display and she naturally gravitated to You-Know-Who. And even though it was just a mannequin she still said to him, "Yes, I've been good."

We had a great time and her spirits were high when we took her back to the residence and said our goodbyes. 

Days like this confirm just how incredibly blessed we've been in this whole situation. Finding the residence, getting accepted into their program, her smooth transition, finding a house up here, selling the house in Illinois, the Missus finding employment (she's basically working for insurance). So much of our daughter's future was uncertain. But now she's in a good place with very good people who look after her and she has lots of friends. I know we don't rate any of this on our own merits. It is solely through the grace of God.

For This Be The Wall Of Johnny Guitar

The Twins decided to head up North to do some hiking and general enjoyment of the pretty nice weather we're having up here right now. This past Sunday we had some flurries so winter is surely just around the corner.

You know what their absence means? Lots of loud music and back to back horror movies at night. There was plenty of drone and stoner sound crashing off the walls yesterday and today. Toning things down a bit tonight as I flip between football and baseball. It's the top of the 6th, Verlander has thrown 90 pitches and been tagged for 4 runs so it's not looking too good for the Astros. I seem to have lost interest in the Thursday night NFL game.

 

She Demons

I can't believe I never saw this 1958 black and white sci-fi/Nazi exploitation thriller. My dad and I watched so many B movies on late night television. Also, when I was young he took me to the movie theater often. I think it was mainly so he could stop and have a few beers on the way home. Being in a tavern with my dad is one of the earliest recollections I have, along with falling down a flight of stairs, and walking down the street to our new apartment during a blizzard.

Going to a tavern with dad always included sitting at the bar with him drinking a Coke from the old fashioned bottle while he enjoyed a shot and a beer or two. I've always liked taverns. I mean real neighborhood taverns, not cocktail lounges. I mean the kind of places with jars of hard-boiled eggs on the bar, sometimes pickled pigs feet. The kind of places where a mixed drink meant a Seven and Seven, a rum and Coke, or a Scotch and soda. But since I no longer imbibe my tavern frequenting days are quite rare.

OK, enough reminiscing. She Demons has a mad Nazi scientist, half human creatures created by  experiments, some stereotypical race and class distinctions, and the quite fetching Irish McCalla who was known at the time as the star of the television series Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. She was also a model for pinup artist Alberto Vargas.

One More Great Weekend

It was pretty laid back here. #2 Son and his fiancee came up Friday night for the weekend. On Saturday they took a walk with The Twins along one of the walking trails nearby. I passed on this opportunity. Mrs. Metal Dad mad a killer pot roast in the crock pot which we enjoyed for dinner that night. We had a delicious razzberry pie for dessert. It was made with fresh razzberries by The Twins' brother and his wife. 

I had spaced out about the UFC event scheduled for Saturday night. Back in Illinois I would generally pop for the UFC PPVs and our sons would come over.We would get some dinner, eat, and watch the fights. Since I am a cheap bastard I don't buy the PPV if the boys aren't around. And "since the laborer is worthy of his hire" I don't scour the net for a stream I can watch for free.

So I ordered it and #2 Son and I settled in to watch. The preliminary bouts were pretty good although I was sad to see Tonya Evinger have a disappointing night. I've always enjoyed seeing her fight. And she'll always get props for taking Cris Cyborg into a third round when they fought.

The main card was fun to watch. We were glad to see Michelle Waterson get a hard earned decision in her fight with a strong Felice Herrig. The Lewis/Volkoff looked like it was going to be a dull, lifeless bout. Derrick Lewis rose from the dead in the third round to KO his opponent. His post fight interview in the octagon was hilarious. The main event was interesting. McGregor was fairly ineffective with the exception of some good moments in round two. He was taking a real pounding and seemed to have no answer for Khabib's ground and pound. In the fourth Khabib was able to score another takedown and maul McGregor some more until he put him in a rear naked choke and Conor tapped out. To my eyes it did not look like the hold was under McGregor's chin but he tapped. Then all the mayhem started which was unfortunate. It marred a good night of fights. I'm curious to know where the final total of PPV buys ends up.

Oh yeah,ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat did not die this weekend. But it got beat up pretty good.

A Very Nice Surprise

 We were pleasantly surprised when #1 Son showed up yesterday morning. The Other One had been down in Illinois for a couple of days last week and was able to spend a little time with both of her nephews. She returned to MN Friday night but didn't let on that #1 was coming up. We've had a really nice visit and he helped us find a really good Mexican restaurant in our neck of the woods. I was all set to have a big bowl of menudo but they had run out. We'll have to go earlier next time. I heard tell #2 Son and his fiancee are coming up next weekend. Life is good.

The Sea Ain't Got No Back Door

 

The title of this post is a Barbadian saying which means the sea is a dangerous place and one needs to be careful. The news about the approaching hurricane reminded me of a trip to Barbados years back. My employer at the time arranged a junket for about a hundred employees and spouses/significant as a reward for participation in a company wide TQM initiative. The week of the excursion I had been in Mexico City providing training to representatives of firms in Central and Latin America who sold our products. The 3 or 4 days went well. I enjoyed strolling the neighborhoods near my hotel on Paseo de la Reforma. Everywhere I went people attempted to engage me in conversation in Spanish. I just smiled and said "No se." I flew home on Thursday then Mrs. Metal Dad and I flew to New York in the afternoon. We spent the night in a hotel. I think it was around Noon or so on Friday when we met our traveling companions and flew to Barbados.

We got settled into our hotel rooms then got together to review the planned events. We were divided into teams for a road rally/scavenger hunt which was lots of fun. We had a nice, informal dinner and then were free to hang out or go into town. The next day we spent on the beach. Beaches is more accurate. Jet skis and paddle boats were available for our use. Half of the day we spent on the Atlantic side of the island moving over to the Caribbean side. That day was the only time in my life I sunburned. I didn't actually burn, I just turned black and started peeling later that night. We were there until Monday when we flew back in the late morning. We had a great time.

Back to the hurricane. I don't usually take a big interest in weather but I have family in South Carolina who may be affected the upcoming storm. We're keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.

How's My Bike?

That was my sister-in-law's first question when she regained consciousness in hospital after a collision with another cyclist sent her ass over tea kettle during one of her rides awhile back.

A couple of weeks ago the Twins were riding along the Mississippi River Trail near our home when The Other One hit a patch of sand on the trail. She tried to unclip herself from the pedals but could not get her feet out quickly enough. The bike went down and she reflexively put her arm out to break the fall. I've been told you are supposed to curl up in a ball if you start to go down with the bike. But I guess reflexes get the better of us some times. Mrs. Metal Dad got her to hospital and she's been tending to her. Surgery was performed this past Friday to pin everything back together. This is only the fourth break of that arm she's had.

I'm here to tell you they the toughest gals I've ever known.

Notes From The Above Ground

It's been another nice weekend here up-country. The Twins drove down to Madison to visit #2 Son and his fiancée yesterday morning. They came back last night after a nice visit. Mrs. Metal Dad is visiting with The Light of My Life while I'm keeping an eye on the patient.

Oh yeah, The Half of the Twins to Whom I'm Not Married took a fall off her bike the other day. She's only broken that arm three times already. She will have to have surgery in about a week.

Earlier today I received a phone call from an old friend I haven't seen or heard from in almost forty years. It was great catching up. He was unaware that I have moved out of Illinois. He and his wife have moved back into the area and he got my number from a mutual friend. He was calling to see if I was up for getting together for coffee. He was one of my best friends back in the day so it was good to get hear from him.

Soil Or Sand, Pass It On

A great song from the criminally overlooked Lone Justice

 

 

A Really Nice Weekend (And It's Not Even Over Yet)

 

As I noted in the previous post. #1 Son came up from the state which seems hell-bent on bankrupting itself for a visit. Yesterday he and I went and had Que Viet egg rolls and Pho soup for lunch. I've never had either but he's been telling us for some time how good Pho soup is. And it is quite tasty. The egg rolls were pretty good as well.

A bit later, Mrs. Metal Dad, #1 Son, and myself took The Light of My Life shopping to stock up on some sundry items to take back to her residence later today. Then He and I went and saw the latest Mission Impossible movie. I'm not a big fan of the franchise but had to admit that it was entertaining. Even with reference to the previous installment with which I was not quite familiar, a convoluted narrative, the mandatory suspension of disbelief. and a second half which started to bog down I generally enjoyed the movie.

Once again, I must state: Nothing beats family.