Back in November I posted Slot Cars and Air Compressors, a story all about me and my new air compressor. I wanted to include a picture of the compressor stand that I talked about in the posting, but until now I haven't been able to add pictures to my post.

Hopefully I've figured out how to do that here.

Let me know if you can see the picture.

A Hippy on Vacation

When I was young my dad was on staff at UTEP (University of Texas El Paso). This was the late 60’s to early 70’s and the campus was overrun with what we called “hippies”. I was pretty young, but as I recall you couldn’t throw a dead monkey without hitting a longhaired, tie-dyed, bell-bottomed, bead wearing flower child. They just seemed to be everywhere.

For my friends and me these hippies were bad news. I don’t remember exactly what it was about them that was so bad, except for the fact that they were hippies. Maybe it was the rumored drug use, or the tattered unkempt appearance. Whatever the reason, hippies were not to be trusted and certainly never approached, or let alone talked with.

That was over 30 years ago, and now I see that these “hippies,” as we called them, were nothing more than young people trying desperately to find their place in this crazy world. They were free thinking, free acting, free dressing people who, through no fault of their own, were lumped together and branded with term hippy.

For the past couple of months I’ve been a hippy. I’ve been able to live my life virtually routine and responsibility free. I went to bed when I wanted to, got up when I wanted to and with the exception of a very flexible list of chore type things to be accomplished, I had nothing to do.

Tomorrow at 7:50AM the school bell rings and that all ends. For the next nine months I’ll hang-up my beads and my carefree flower-child ways. I’ll usher in a new group of students and start the new year.

I’m a hippy on vacation.

A Rude Awakening

It was one of those dreams you dream about having. You know the kind. Everything is wonderful, you can’t believe it’s your life and you never want it to end.

I’ve been living this dream for the past two months. School’s out, and with the exception of a couple of “Honey-do” type of projects that had to be completed in the Dallas heat, it’s been a perfectly wonderful summer.

However, yesterday morning at 6:25am my alarm went off. My alarm has sat silently on the bedside table since May 28, 2005. Its shrill tone neither needed nor missed. But today’s unpleasant ringing served as a harsh reminder that there are lessons that need to be planned, and children who need to be taught.

I like teaching, I really do. And with the possible exception of sitting on a beach somewhere with a cold brew in my hand, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.

After living in a prefect dream for two months, my alarm clock heartlessly sang it’s cruel song, I got up and headed for school.

The kids don’t come back for another week, but it’s work all the same.

Waking up from a truly wonderful dream is hard. It’s like finally reaching the land of Solla Sollew, on the banks of the beautiful River Wah-hoo, where they never have troubles, at least very few. But just as you begin to enjoy your newfound dream world, you’re violently pulled away from its billowy billows and soft silk and satin marshmallow-stuffed pillows, and forced back into a world of deadlines and responsibilities.

It's been a rude awakening…a rude awakening indeed.

The Smile

While standing and minding my business one day,
A man who came up yelled, “Get out of my way!”

“Can’t you see that I’m busy?” he griped as he passed,
“I can see you’re a jerk!” right back at him I sassed

Now this altercation it set the day’s mood,
Cause the people I met were just downright rude

I would hear, “Move along” or “Shut up, you big creep,”
And they’d use other words where I’d have to say, “bleep”

And my day, it was turning out really quite bad,
So I sat down and tried extra hard to be glad

I decided this rudeness I’d have to attack,
If someone was rude, I’d give a smile back

At first my idea, well, I thought it was great,
I wanted to try it and I just could not wait

Along came a man with a face that looked gruff,
I smiled, but he just looked away with a huff!

When I saw a small boy with a frown on his face,
I knew with a smile that his frown I’d erase

I thought, “Here’s the ticket, I’ll start with the young,”
But then when I smiled, he just stuck out his tongue

Then came the old lady with a long green umbrella,
As she swung it she growled, “Move over young fella!”

I felt that my smile plan in no way would work,
Each time that I smiled, I just felt like a jerk

So, I started for home with a face that was dim,
When I saw a boy smiling, and smiled back at him

I stopped and we talked about what we could do,
We decided what’s better than one smile is two

We stood there for hours and we both smiled a bunch,
Our smiles didn’t stop, not even for lunch

Some folks would get happy and then they would smile,
Others went past real stern faced, single file

At the end of the day we both felt really good,
Come back and smile more the next day…we sure would!

So when you see someone whose face has a frown,
And you’re quite sure that something has gotten them down

Look‘em right in the eye, and give‘em a grin,
And I’ll bet that a day full of smiles will begin.