Casey's Just Sayin'

I ran in to a colleague today from my radio years, years that came to an abrupt halt in the first week of October in 2001.   It was the end of an insane 30 days beginning, of course, on September 11th.  One of the most terrifying days of my life. A week later my fourth child, my baby boy was born.  Easily one of the most awe inspiring days of my life. A week after that I got the only reprimand I have ever received in my life.  My boss and her henchwoman got together and decided I wasn't doing my job.  After 12 years in radio, 10 years longer than either of them, they thought they'd write down what they didn't like about me and present in a letter for me to sign.  It was one of the most humiliating days of my life. A week later I quit radio forever, without a new job, with four children, with really no money, but with a woman who loved and trusted me completely and would do anything for my happiness.  It was one of the bravest days of my life. The gentleman who I saw today w...

I got the goods when I got my iPad. in addition to the killer machine with the most memory and best connectivity, I also got the apple case, the doc keyboard and the terribly named "camera connection kit", a name that's a little like calling a fork a "steak spearing machine", grossly understated and overstated all at the same time. I've used the case pretty much constantly.  In fact my iPad is rarely naked.  I am now apt enough at typing on the virtual keyboard that having my machine landscape in my lap and propped up with the cool case flippy thing is my preferred method of composing. (By the way, don't put this on a table covered with maple syrup, because when you flip it closed, the syrup will be on the iPad screen... just sayin') I've used the USB plug several times with my camera (to pull off pictures) and with other devices (just to see if they work).  It's pretty much a must have. What I haven't used much at all (until right at t...

I have a small handful of bloggers I would consider my favorites. Joanna sits among the top of those top. She's the real deal and now she's giving stuff away... No strings at all. Just read her blog and make a comment. Check it out! http://www.thefiftyfactor.com/2010/05/procrastinate-giveaway.html

I got 2nd place in a chili cook off today... I’m just writing this off the top of my head because it’s different every time, so… Put all these together in the Crockpot and put on high Two cans of Red Kidney Beans Two cans of White Kidney Beans One can of Black Beans All Drained and rinsed Two cans of tomato sauce ½ to 1 full can’s worth of water *All cans are the 15 ½ ouncers Sautee in a couple tablespoons of veg oil the following together with lots of Garlic Salt About 1 ½ pounds of Carne Asada Beef cut into small pieces One Green Bell Pepper Roughly Chopped One Red Bell Pepper Roughly Chopped One White (or Purple if they’re good) Onion Roughly Chopped *Don’t drain this before adding to the beans/by Roughly Chopped I mean in irregular pieces. Combine everything in the crockpot and add these: Ground Chili Peppers (maybe a couple of tablespoons) Ground Garlic Powder (as much as feels good) Ground Cumin (maybe a tablespoon or two) Ground Oregano (plenty) Ground Basil (plenty) Cayenne Pep...

1) Throw some koi in it, let them get really big and then try to shoot them with my son's BB gun through the swampy swampness. 2) Put up fliers around the neighborhood that offer a place "to make your problems disappear... You provide the cement boots and we'll take care of it. They'll never find any evidence."  (maybe the koi could eat the evidence?) 3) Drain it and open a neighborhood skate park.  Any kid who clears the diving board during a 360 gets an Astro Pop next time the ice cream truck comes around... which seems to be every 15 minutes anymore. 4) Come to think of it, I bet I could get the whole neighborhood to contribute fundage if I offered to drive that damn, music-box-playing nuisance into the cold, enveloping darkness of the ever-murky pool waters. 5) Drain it and then fill it with dirt. Plant some lawn seed and then ignore it like the rest of my wretched lawn. 6) Speaking of seed... I could get one of those medical cards and plant a different kind o...

Just listened to Under the Dome by Stephen King.  It's been my experience with the horror genre that the bark is often worse than the bite.  Dean Koontz, for example, is just barely a horror writer in my opinion. I love Dean Koontz, by the way.  But I always thought of him as a thriller writer.  That's not right either, of course.   I think it goes back to my own early experience with the word "horror".  For me "horror" lived in movies like Friday the 13th, Halloween, Wolfen, The Howling not to mention the seemingly endless stream of B movie get-downs I watched on a black and white TV, in the dark, in my room, on the show called Creature Features. But to READ horror is a whole different ball game.  It's still scary, but it seems more psychologically so. It can still put you on the edge of your seat, but not make you cover your eyes. Maybe that's it. Maybe because it can't really make you jump, it can't startle you, maybe that makes written ho...

There are a million tweets, blogs, facebook posts, etc. wishing all the mothers out there a Happy Day today.  It speaks to the nationwide appreciation we have for the one who sacrifices so much so that we may exist and learn and grow and thrive. Most of you know I lost my mom when I was five. I was fortunate as I had four older sisters to lend their love and make my little life as OK as possible.  Especially Mom-Sis and you know who you are. I guess what I wanted to say is that to wait until the second Sunday in May to show your appreciation and love for this woman is like only saying "I Love You" to your spouse on Valentines Day.  Awful. Every day should be Mom's Day I think. And for all the moms out there reading this, please have a fantastic day. You have my awe and admiration. Cheers, Casey

(photo from the grumpy gardner) Sitting here, looking outside at the foot high grass in the backyard.  I will mow you down today, Mr. Grass.  You and your buddies in the side yard, the back-back yard and the shorter, although still unruly fellows in the front yard.  When I am done with you, you will be an army of crew-cut soldiers, your duty to stay in line and guard the castle.  And not grow so fast! Please work on the last bit there because if I have to discipline you again next weekend, you may indeed regret it.  I may lower the mower to its shortest setting.  I may take away your water.  I may, if pushed, spray rat poison on you just to see what happens. I wrote that this morning.  I did eventually go out and attack the front yard. It wasted no time attacking me back.  After a very enthusiastic allergy attack, I passed out for two hours in my chair.   My wife, on Mothers Day eve, went out and completely did the side yard and back yard. Oh, and cleaned the pool. Amazing woman. Chee...

I was five when I first boarded an airplane.  It was a big one, I think a 747, and we were on our way to Disneyland.   My mom had passed six months earlier and I think he was trying to ease our hurt.  I was most concerned with vomiting, I remember, but I didn't.  The only other thing I recall is one of the engines died during the flight and the pilot told us so.   Jump forward four or five years and I'm in a little tiny Cessna single prop with my cousin.  From that flight all I can bring to mind is his joyful smile as he flew the thing and the that when we came in to land it felt as if we were falling straight out of the sky.  I don't remember being afraid though. Several others since, Hawaii, Mexico, Arizona, New York... Today we're flying on the company plane. This is a little plane.  We're moving along the little runway now.  Six aboard, making small talk.  Plane war stories. I have these, at lease one doozy that I won't share with you right this moment. Acce...

There are literally thousands of reviews available for the iPad.  I've read most of them.  So, with all that minutia floating about, I'm reticent to add another drop of sand in the bucket. However, not saying a little something about the last two and a half days would be, well, negligent I think. I just want to throw out a couple of observations about my initial iPad experience. It showed up at 3:49PM on Friday afternoon.  I was home and literally staring at the clock.  After the initial hello, unveiling, whatever, the loading of apps and synching with my Mac it was about 8:30 at night.  I made it two more hours before my entire system shut down.  I felt drugged, like I had popped a handful of Benadryl and was hitting my stride.  I fell asleep in my chair at 10:30 and didn't wake up until 9:30 the following morning. Couple other notes for now... Very glad I got the keyboard, although I'm getting faster and faster on the virtual.  I normally type 75 WPM or thereabouts. ...