Collective Nouns, Revisited.......

A while back I posted a list of collective nouns for groups of animals.  Today, I thought it might be fun to make up some collective nouns of my own for groups of people.  I had some fun with this.  Can you think of some appropriate collective nouns for  specific groups of people?

---A Profit of businessmen
---A Glass Ceiling of businesswomen
---A Polling of politicians
---A Keystone of cops
---A Blaze of firemen
---A Location of real estate agents
---A Trickery of lawyers
---A Flu of Physicians
---A Giggle of comedians
---A Lasso of cowboys
---A Stench of garbage collectors
---A Creel of fishermen
---A Gospel of preachers
---A Nosy of neighbors
---A Return of tax collectors
---A Flush of plumbers
---A Rumble of motorcyclists

Marriage.......

I drank my coffee and read the paper this morning; and then, as   usual, I felt a gnawing in my gut that signaled the onset of hunger pangs. 

Without even thinking, I arose and ventured to the fridge.  Peering inside, I spied a container of homemade tuna salad---there was just enough remaining to be used in the construction of a sandwich.  Perfect, I thought to myself.

I found the mayo in the back of the fridge, hiding from me as it always does.  Now, all I needed was two decent slabs of bread, and breakfast would be complete.

But......where the heck was the bread?  It wasn't in the pantry.  It could not be found on the countertops. 

Then, it hit me---throughout our marriage, the bread has been a point of contention. 

Woman believes (she got this from her momma) that bread should be stored in the freezer.  That's right---every time you want some bread, you gotta go to the freezer, find the loaf that is, of course, unusable because it is a frozen solid mass, remove it, pry two pieces of bread from the mass, being careful to not break any of it in its brittle state, place the two slabs in the microwave for 20 seconds (or in the toaster for two minutes), and then return the bread to either the freezer or the pantry.  NOTE:  if you decide to put the bread in the pantry, you will find that the bread will thaw and become soggy.

Now, to me---a simple man with a simple outlook---bread should not be kept in the freezer unless it will not be used for a long period of time.  But I use bread all the time---sandwiches are a quick and easy way to satisfy one's hunger. 

But, my wife has this deeply ingrained neurotic insistence on placing the bread in the freezer.  This, I have determined, has its roots in her upbringing, where her momma practiced this odd behavior.  I checked with Cindy's sister, Patti, and found that she, too, has a freezer fetish for her bread.  Apparently, this condition has no remedy.  After all these years of marriage, I have been unable to change her behavior in this regard.

So, I guess you can say that I am now "trained".  I made my sandwich and then put the bread back in the freezer.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.....

Thoughts at 4 AM.......

No one gets through this life without being impacted by the terrible condition called "cancer".  It touches us all, even if we ourselves never contract the disease.  It is everywhere.  And we seemingly know so little about it, even after having spent decades and trillions of dollars on research.  One thing is generally true:  we basically treat it the same way we did a half century ago---surgery, radiation (before that it was X-Rays) and chemo.


Just almost impossible to believe, isn't it, that we still cannot cure it?
And in most cases we still don't know what causes it or why some people get it and others do not.


Now, what I call the "cancer industry" has developed into a gigantic entity employing millions of medical personnel and encompassing billions of dollars annually in research and treatment.  And yet, with all of our vaunted technology and genetic models and so on, we cannot cure it or prevent it.


I was struck yesterday as I watched television by how pervasive cancer awareness has become.  Here were four commentators---all tough ex football players---discussing the upcoming game to be televised...and all wearing pink ribbons.   The pink ribbon is ubiquitous.  So ubiquitous, in fact, that it has lost its meaning.  I see them on businessmen and women, children and even automobiles.


I hate cancer and I even fear it, but I must say I am really tired of all the sporting of pink.


What would happen if a cure were found?  Would our economy collapse because of the many millions of medical personnel left jobless?  What would happen to all the medical facilities and equipment?   What about the drop in drug company profits?  Would that cause further layoffs?  Would insurance rates suddenly fall to 1/2 of their previous levels, causing more layoffs? 


Your thoughts?

Final Vacation Photos.......

Cindy Loves the Beach

  Boo Hoo.  Our wonderful vacation is over....but the good news is that the memories linger.  We had a great time.  Cindy said she could become a beach bum.  I know how she feels.

I Had to Sneak up Behind Her to Take This Shot of Her Reading a Romance Novel

Daughter Lucinda Observes From Our Condo Balcony

Sand Castles Abound

Ducks Frolic in the Creek Beside Our Condo

Marshes Teem With Aquatic Wildlife

Boys Love to Build Castles With Moats

I'm Out For a Stroll

Sunshine Creates Silver Etchings in the Surf

The Largest Ferris Wheel in the World is at Myrtle Beach

Tens Of Thousands of Beach Homes Like This One Line the Coasts of North and South Carolina

Sea Oats Doodle in the Ocean Breezes

Night View From Our Balcony

 

Afternoon Refreshments---MiniToasts of Toast, Fig Preserves, and Brie (with an adult beverage)

Oh, The Spectacular Sunrises!

The Trawler, Miss Carolina Ann, Trawlin' For Shrimp 300 Yards Off Our Beach

The Fishing Pier at Sunset Beach, North Carolina

Myrtle Beach...Day II.......





A Small Part of the Wall of Celebrity Pics at Akel's Family Restaurant Where We Had Breakfast

After sippin' strong joe out on our balcony yesterday morning, taking in the myriad sounds, sights and smells of the beach and ocean, the Cinderoo and I began our day.


Me Playin' the Fool at Barefoot Landing

Me Kissing a Cow at Barefoot Landing

First, to look for a suitable restaurant for breakfast.  We wanted something local...something NOT a chain.  What we found turned out to have good food and very loud, elderly customers who laughed a lot and yelled at each other to communicate.  I think maybe their hearing aids were not turned up loud enough?




A White Egret Prowls the Lake at Barefoot Landing

Then, to Barefoot Landing---a huge, touristy outdoor shopping mall built around a lake.  There is wildlife everywhere---on the lake and around the shopping areas.  Cindy got freaked out when she saw a sign that advised tourists that the alligators and other wildlife will bite---please be careful.  Ha.  Gee, I thought alligators were tame and could be petted.  Sheeeez....

Some Really Nice Natural Beauty Around Barefoot Landing

We pretty much wore ourselves out at Barefoot Landing---there is a lot to see.  Cindy found a Wolfard hand-blown gas oil lamp she couldn't live without, so I bought it for her as a Christmas present.  Poor woman has been looking for one of them for five long years, so I couldn't pass it up.

Wolfard Glass Oil Lamps

Then, to the supermarket, where we provisioned.  Daughter Lucinda and grandson Canyon and son-in-law Tracy will be here later today, so we needed groceries.  Then back to the condo.

The Grounds Around Our Condo Building

Our Room

Then, to the beach!  We took a long walk, sand squishin' between  our toes and sun tannin' us in the nice breeze.

While We Walked the Beach, We Saw This Seagull Feasting on a Small Fish She Had Caught

North Myrtle Beach---Pic Taken From Our Condo Beach

Aaahhhhhhh........

 

Shrimp and Hash Brown Potatoes with Cold Chablis

When we got back to the room, we were famished.  Cindy boiled the shrimp and cooked the hash browns.  I popped the cork on a nice cold bottle of chablis.  The shrimp were delicious.   As the sun dropped and the beach died in a golden glow, we crawled to bed.

North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina's Crown Jewel.......

The Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder Over the Atlantic Ocean.  Shot From Our Porch at 7:00 AM

Yesterday we were on the road, leaving Knoxville at 7:00 AM and finally arriving on the grand strand of North Myrtle Beach at 5:00 in the afternoon.  We were tired.  We checked into our beach front condo,  ordered some take-out and RELAXED.

Cindy Relaxes on Our Porch Balcony After A Long Drive

Me---Enjoying the View From Our Balcony Over Drinks



View From Our Balcony Looking Toward the Atlantic Ocean and the Beach Bistro

The beach is beautiful and our porch overlooks the pool and ocean.  An ocean driven creek ebbs and flows  with the tide and winds through and around the property.  Pelicans ride the wind currents overhead.  Seagulls squeak their forlorn calls to the depths.  An occasional dolphin rolls in the surf.  The water is a combination of deep blue and steel gray.  The October wind is refreshing in the 70 degree heat.  The beach is almost deserted.  We love it.

View From Our Balcony Looking Toward the Atlantic Ocean

We pour a round of toddies and repair to our porch.  Two raccoons amble along the poolside fencing in search of sustenance.  Ducks call out to the poolside guests for bread crumbs.  My binoculars come in handy as we search the adjoining condos for activity.  Life is good.

Sunrise at 6:45 AM

We slept like the dead, but were up early to enjoy the spectacular sunrise.  Today we will explore the strand, prowl through Barefoot Landing, shop for provisions and sink our bare feet into the Atlantic ocean, enjoying the feeling of sand squishing up between our toes. 

There is a God.

Tatoos, Motorcycles, and Being Different.......

Most of us have a yearning to be our own unique person---different from others in an acceptably interesting way. 

Of course, there is always a peer group at work, telling us that we should conform to its standards of the day.  The peer group begins to exert its pull on us at an early age, when we are urged to behave and dress and think a certain way.  The peer group exerts more and more influence as we age---until, that is---most of us get old enough to be tired of the games and the control, and we say "to hell with what others think."

But, I digress.

What got me to thinkin' about all this is the current rage of tatoos.  When I was growing up, there were two types of people who got tatoos---sailors and people with rather low intelligence quotients.

After all, my mom told me that you couldn't undo a tatoo; and what might seem like a good idea today might look just the opposite in a few years.  That made sense to me then, and it still does.

But tatoos are everywhere today. They have definitely gone mainstream.  And more than that, there are so many folks walking around with multiple tatoos.  They got 'em on their arms, legs, chests, backs, necks, faces, and even other places.

I have to shake my head and ask "Why?"

Is it a cry for attention?  Is it a submission to the peer group?---an attempt to "fit in" with the crowd?  An appeal to be accepted?

I am reminded of the old John Hartford song, "Natural to be Gone", in which he poses the question, "What's the difference being different when it's difference now that looks alike?....."  Ha.  That about nails it, doesn't it?  If everyone has tatoos, all of a sudden having a tatoo is not different, but the same.  And all of a sudden it's guys like me who are different because we DON'T have tatoos.  This is delicious.

Motorcycles are another one---used to be that if you rode a chopper, you were a wild thing. My momma told me to avoid guys who rode motorcycles because they had a bad reputation.  There were stories about Hell's Angels and lawlessness and raping and killing and so on.

But now, motorcycles are everywhere.  Motorcycles aren't different anymore.  If you wanna be different as man, DON'T get a chopper.   Ha.

Let the comments, especially differences of opinion, begin!