Fractured fairy tales

We believe in fairy tales here at Casa Cruiser and are
happy to tell you why. Every morning I go to our very
secret hiding spot and remove a sealed airtight
container that holds our magic beans.

We then put some of the magic beans into a machine and
add water to end up with a potion which calms our soul
and keeps up from strangling the logic challenged
people we have to deal with. And we live happily ever
after.

With that out of the way we’d like to mention the
state of politics here in the U.S. of A. The campaigns
are getting so rediculous we liken it to watching the
Oscars. If said politicians aren’t reminding us how
great they are, they tell us how bad their opponents
are.

This has been turned into almost an art form and goes
back to old adage “If you can’t dazzle them with
brilliance, baffle them with bullshit”. Some candidates
even seem to take pleasure in making outrageous claims
that have no bearing on their opponents ability to do
the job nor a basis in reality.

I’m going to say I hope Trump wins so all these phony
preachers and has been celebrities will either have to
put up or shut up. They claim they’ll leave the country
if Trumps wins and we say good ridence. We think they’ll
still be here for the 2020 election, but time will tell
and we do believe in fairy tales.
Comments are always welcome.

Sunday snicker

God is tired, worn out. So he speaks to St. Peter,
“You know, I need a vacation. Got any suggestions
where I should go?”

St. Peter, thinking, nods his head, then says, “How
about Jupiter? It’s nice and warm there this time
of the year.”

God shakes His head before saying, “No. Too much
gravity. You know how that hurts my back.”

“Hmmm,” St. Peter reflects. “Well, how about
Mercury?”

“No way!” God mutters, “It’s way too hot for me
there!”

“I’ve got it,” St. Peter says, his face lighting
up. “How about going Down to Earth for your
vacation?”

Chuckling, God remarks, “Are you kidding? Two thousand
years ago I went there, had an affair with some nice
Jewish girl, and they’re STILL talking about it!”
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Comments are always welcome.

Silly Saturday

Cartoons have been around longer than some think.
Some are stranger than others and the older ones now
seem primitive by today’s standards while others still
bring out the child in us.

The following 1930 short is called “It’s a Bird” and
tells the tale of one mans search for an elusive
metal eating bird. In the video said bird eats a
trombone and a Model A.

The cartoon came from the mind of Charley Bowers; a
famous cartoonist, comedian, movie maker and actor who
is all but forgotten today.

Some even believe the stop-action unknown classic
was based on the folklore of the time and could
have come from workers in our early machine shops.
The misplaced metal parts had go somewhere.

It is a strange little cartoon and might even make
you laugh.
Comments are always welcome.

Looking back

A friend stopped by and was complaining about how he
hated getting old and since my standard comeback
didn’t work I tried a different one. Usually at times
like that I just say “beats the alternative” and
everyone agrees.

He was on the pity pot, shook his head, and said he
just thought his life was over. So I brought out the
big guns. I told him that were probably the last
generation to know how to drive cars with a manual
transmission, drive endless miles of gravel roads, use
an outhouse, or hear all the legendary bands.

When we were younger everybody we knew had a 4-speed
in their car, worked hard so they could play hard, and
knew how to have fun without the aid of electronic
gizmos. We played baseball in vacant lots, had some
means of getting around, respected our elders, and had
an unbreakable sense of patriotism.

We lived large, raced hard, chased the girls, and had
no complaints. Time seemed to run slower back then. If
we had to wait a few days on parts it felt like a
week and when our elders told us time would fly by
when we got older we didn’t believe.

Although we can’t do now what we did then we do have
the memories. If digital cameras would have been
around then we’d even have the pictures to prove it.
And after almost 50 years we’re still friends.
Comments are always welcome.

The cat in the grass

Some days life just springs a little surprise on you
that worries you at first but turns out for the best.
After finishing my daily piddling it was time to see
if we got any mail. Stepping on the porch to retrieve
our daily dose of junk mail I looked out the window
and noticed a black cat lying in the grass.

I knew it was another feral cat so I took a better
look to make sure it wasn’t hurt or dead. The cat was
breathing but I still wondered why it chose a spot
right outside our front door. On sunny days cats would
lie there, but this was a cloudy day.

Knowing it wasn’t dead while thinking it may be hurt
I opened the storm door and took a closer peek. The
cat didn’t run off, just glanced my way and held eye
contact. In the past I have gotten to within 4 feet of
this very same animal and that was about the distance
between us then.

Thinking I’d talk quietly in case the cat was injured
then get closer, we spent about 5 minutes staring each
other down. He seemed so calm I made a move and stuck
my foot outside of the door and that’s when I saw a
very healthy cat run off like his tail was on fire.

I was happy the cat wasn’t sick or injured and even
the clouds covering the moon last night didn’t dampen
my spirits. In fact, I’m smiling as I type this. We’ll
end with a thought for the day:

I didn’t want to grow up, I just wanted to be tall
enough to reach the cookie jar.
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Comments are always welcome.

Moon chat

Today is supposed to be colder than yesterday, but at
least the sky should be clear.

Last night I attempted to get a good picture of the
moon despite the evening being cloudy. It was an
exercise in futility and as I looked over the pics
later one caught my eye. In the black of night the
moon decided to peek back at me through the branches
of one of our trees.

So we had a little chat. He asked how we got so crazy
down here and I had no answer. I did take the time to
explain that my generation had a dress code at school
and could be kicked out of school for cussing. How we
used to play Cowboys and Indians with cap guns and bows
and arrows, that we drank out the garden hose instead
of wasting time going inside the house, nor did we
have any way of knowing if somebody was home unless
we walked over and knocked on the door.

Add the fact that if we tripped on the neighbor’s
sidewalk our mothers would call us clumsy instead of
calling an attorney. Yet as a member of a generation
now old enough for social security, I have noticed a
change.

Things that used to be considered akin to leprosy are
now considered the norm, things we used to learn and
do are now passe, and the beliefs we hold dear no
longer matter to many of members of the generations
which came after us.

Our flag is used as a doormat, the police are under
attack, and racism is running rampant. Some of us are
so offended by so many things we no longer know what
to say or how to act at times.

We were brought up to believe we didn’t own our
world, we were caretakers who hoped we made it a
nicer place to be until our children would take the
helm. We wanted to leave things improved over when
we got here.

And we all want a better life for children. But for
some reason the idea failed. Perhaps too many equated
money with happiness, material goods with satisfaction.
Or we could blame it on the government, after all it
is corrupt.

Good reason all to be upset. Yet we still smile while
those trying to stir the pot are puzzled. How can we
be happy when they try so hard to make us miserable?
A question which if we have to explain it, they
wouldn’t understand.
Comments are always welcome.

Going to plan B

We’re ending another great day here on the east coast
of Iowa and while we tried to get some pictures of the
full moon last night, it didn’t work out. So we think
we came up with a solution.

Not too far from our place is a little park that
seems a haven during stressful times.

Trees stand vigil around pond and if you listen carefully
you can hear a gurgling brook that meanders through
another part of the park. And when the treetops gently
sway in the breeze as the clouds race across the sky
we find it somehow calming.

When I was just a lad we used to ice skate on the
creek and lose all track of time skating for miles. We
always thought this area was a little bit of country in
the middle of the city.

As we grew older we gave away our skates and our
visits slowed, but the feeling all these later remains
the same. We believe there is no healthier way to
unwind. But we’re no experts, we’re just the calm
people in the rat race.

If clouds allow, I’ll try to get a picture of the
moon tonight. Even if I don’t I’ll be outside just
enjoying the day.
Comments are always welcome.

Why is it?

When on an errand this morning I went by the hospital
and saw this crane working which got me thinking. I
bet somebody would argue whether it was going up or
down. And that progressed to the following.

I’m beginning to think the rest of thw world sees
those of us who live in the U.S. of A. as an unhappy
bunch of campers. If they have access to televisions
and/or computers, I’m sure of it.

One can’t open a newspaper, turn on the tv news, or
get on the internet and not run into stories telling
of groups of people offended by what other groups say
about their group. what someone said about our country,
proclaim to hate our flag, or express their political
affiliation.

The pro choice mock those who believe in the sanctity
of life while pro life declares those who disagree
murderers. Americans of certain religions are besieged
by members of different religions and those who don’t
believe in God at all.

Illegal aliens protest over their imagined rights,
unskilled workers want $15 an hour, those with a
socialist mentality want free everything, and rich
spoiled thespians are threatening to leave the country
if certain candidates are elected.

Sure, there is the occasional feel good story about
someone who goes the extra mile and videos of cats
acting crazy, but the majority of what the world sees
and hears about us is pretty grim.

If all these offended, slighted, unloved people would
take a minute to use their head for something other
than a hat-rack, they would realize we live in the
greatest country in the world. We have freedoms and
guaranteed rights that some don’t.

And while these groups may feel they are in agony,
they are breathing. They aren’t jailed or killed for
their beliefs and have the freedom to tell the rest of
us how offended they are. Nor do they realize the
government is not the answer to what ails them.

Look in the mirror people. If you aren’t happy it is
not our fault, it is yours. When you feel you deserve
$15 an hour for an entry level job because you lack
the ambition to better yourself, look in the mirror.
You may not be happy here but some of us are.
Comments are always welcome.

Simple plans

Today is another great day here on the east coast of
Iowa watching the Daytona 500 with the wife while
munching homemade tacos. But I’d like to mention what
happened yesterday after I posted.

As you know we saw a huge flock of birds overhead at
the grocery store and it was a sight. After posting
my ramblings yesterday I went outside to get some
things done and ended with rinsing the winter crud off
the car.

Going around the car three times I determined the only
thing to do was to actually wash it. It was around 50
degrees out and I was already damp from the over-spray.
So back in the house to get a bucket and car shampoo
to give the car a bath.

That’s when the problems started. I decided to
partially fill the bucket with warm water before
taking the bucket back outside. Our kitchen faucet has
an aerator on the end that has a mind of its own, and
of course I forgot that fact.

So I started filling the bucket and soon got the
stangest feeling that my jeans were wet. Now I still
had on my waterproof jacket, jeans, and running shoes
so I asked myself “How could my jeans get wet?”

Well, our demon aerator from hell knew the exact
angle it needed to miss my waterproof jacket and
totally saturate the crotch of my jeans and fill the
inside of my shoes with water!

This might be a game changer for some, but I was as
determined as the third goat trying to get on the Ark.
So I stripped to my skivvies, put on dry jeans and
socks, and marched out with the partially filled bucket
of soapy water.

After washing and rinsing the car, rinsing the bucket,
putting away the hose, and gathering what had to go back
inside, I went back into the house to remove my soggy
running shoes. And found my dry socks were now soaked.

I laughed at the fickle finger of fate because I only
had to change sox one more time and wasn’t getting
near any water the rest of the day. That was how I
spent my Saturday, hope you had as much fun.
Comments are always welcome.

Sunday snicker

Give me a sense of humor Lord,
give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some humor out of life,
and pass it on to other folk.

A friend shared this and since we haven’t laughed
with this religion yet we decided to share it with
you.

A Mormon Family, one Monday evening, sat around the
fire place and was discussing Church Finances, that
included paying Tithing to the Bishop.

Their little five year old boy heard this, than ran to
his bedroom, grabbed his piggy bank, went to the Mormon
Bishop’s home and poured the contents of the piggy bank
onto the Bishop’s desk.

The Bishop asked, “Is this your tithing?” the little boy
said, “No Bishop.”

The Bishop than asked him, “Is this your Fast Offering?”
The little boy again said, “No Bishop.”

The Mormon Bishop had a puzzled look about him, and than
asked, “If this is not your tithing or not your Fast
Offering, than What is it?”

The little boy said, “It’s for you, Bishop, Mommy and
Daddy just told me that you are the poorest Bishop that
we have had.”
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Comments are always welcome.