Feets of Steel

I remember back to when I was a kid. Not sure exactly what age. In the range of 5 to 15 years. I specifically remember that I wanted my feet to be tough. I don't know the exact reason why I thought this was desirable. Perhaps it was to gain some superhero advantage over my friends. I was always one of the guys that wasn't especially athletic, and often picked last. Maybe I thought that I could run faster with feet of steel.

The things I did to get to the point where my feet were tough were varied. We lived on a rock road and I recall running descalzo, bare foot, up and down our road in spite of the pain. I would try, with less success, to run through briar patches too. I don't know if this worked, but I do know it made me feel tough.

These thoughts rise to the surface of my mind because of my wife. It's funny how people or the sexes are different. On more than one occasion I have witnessed my wife putting gobs of lotion on her feet. Not strange you say. Women use lots of lotion, right. Well, in fact, I agree. Women, and many men, use lotion to soften and wimpify their feet. What I had never seen, though, is placing socks on your feet after the application of the lotion and then going to sleep with the socks. I have a hard time sleeping in socks unless it is 30 degrees or below. but whatever.

I must admit that I have abandoned the quest to have rock tough feet. I find myself wearing shoes, boots, or crocks everywhere. (My wife hates it when I wear the boots with shorts.) I guess now I will find myself buying one of those hand held grinding boards that are sold in infomercials that are used to grind away the tough skin on your heels and balls of your feet. Some superhero I am.

El Toro Negro

Hairy Ears

I am not that old, only 38. Despite the fact that I am almost completely white headed, I don't consider myself over the hill. I am, however, experiencing some strange changes taking place that I am attributing to aging.

I want to know where it is written in the Great Big Book of Getting Older that the hair in and on your ears has to grow at a rate of three times, or more, the rate of the hair that grows on your head. Dang, I could weave a Navajo blanket with all the hair I've plucked from my ears. I mean, come on, why in the world do you need sevens hairs on your ear to be three inches long. I know it isn't for warmth because there aren't enough to cover the whole ear. It can't be for beauty or attracting a female because it starts at an age where a female would have already been found. It must be some form of joke by the Creator, right. "Now you have to pluck your ears for the rest of your life."

El Toro Negro

Obama Protest

Former ACORN attorney and now President Obama was in town on Oct 16, 2009 for a Points of Light ceremony. There was a protest of his policies that was held in conjunction to his visit, which I attended and participated in. My guess is somewhere between 2 and 3 thousand. Here are some of the pictures I took.

This I took this one because of her sign (and the other's shirt). I promise. The two balls say Obama and ACORN.

One of my friends bet me that there wold be no one of color there.

At the bottom of this pic is a woman and her family from El Salvador that I met.

We wondered if this was a sniper sent to make sure the radical right wing, racist, gun toting, Bible clinging, God fearing, possible terrorists stayed under control.

My kids wanted pancakes for supper tonight, not that I mind. I like them too. It reminded me of when my mom would make them. I have always enjoyed pancakes. They are just an all around good thing to eat.

One of the things that I remember my mom doing when she made pancakes was popping the bubbles that form as they cook. I had no idea why she did that. It never made since to me other than it was just one of those crazy things that a parent does. Could be she did it just to be goofy, or cause us to wonder. I would like to say that it was something that made the pancakes cook faster or make them taste better, but I'm just not sure.

I found myself doing the same thing tonight. While standing, slaving, in front of that hot stove I could not stop myself from popping those pesky bubbles that kept forming. As soon as I would pop one, another would form, taunting me to do it again. I can't be sure of the reason that I was doing it. It, for sure, didn't make them cook faster and they have always tasted good. My kids didn't even notice that I was doing it. It must be one of those unexplainable things in life, like what color does a smurf turn when you choke it.

El Toro Negro

SNL and Obama

This cracked me up. Keep it coming SNL.

El Toro Negro

Dog Theater

I had a great friend of mine, who tends to be a bit goofy, suggest this to me while we were at a movie.

You know how you can't go into a movie theater without having your feet stick to the floor and without having to kick aside the popcorn on the floor. It's just one of those things in life that never seem to change. People can't or won't use the garbage can as the exit the theater.

This friend of mine suggested that the theater acquire a few dogs and use them to clean the theater after every show. You wouldn't have to feed them much. They could live on the droppings of the patrons. You wouldn't have to feel guilty about spilling coke on the floor, or having your jawbreaker roll around on the floor because the dogs would be along to clean it up as soon as you leave. Perhaps you could even use them during the show. Who doesn't love petting a dog while watching the latest flick?

I could only see one downside to the whole thing. You would not have do dodge old nachos just dog droppings. I'm not 100% sure, but I think people might rather step in the nachos.

El Toro Negro

DMV Style

Thought this was too good not to share.

El Toro Negro