White Collar Sumdood

Special thanks to AD and Lawdog for showing me what this truly was.

My thought was that I had left him in my past. I had seen hide nor hair of him since I left California all those years ago. I had laughed at all my buddies that caught the occasional glimpse of Sumdood. I was not worried, he was no threat to me.

I am comfortable in my position at Large Corporate Energy Company, awesome benefits, good retirement plan, great hours, decent pay. I had climbed a few rungs up the ladder, what more could I want?

I volunteered myself to travel to Dallas and act as a representative for Large Corporate Energy Company and purchase a piece of equipment that another department needed. Not a big deal by any means, I had authority to spend about 35k, and I intended too perform diligently and enamour myself with this deal. A few trips back and forth to Dallas and the deal was finalized. I had performed well, and secured an excellent deal for Large Corporate Energy Company. A few days went by and the equipment was set to be delivered. Suddenly my company cell rang, "Large Corporate Energy Company, this is Sigboy"

"Sigboy, this is Salesman Sumdood." My thoughts ran rampant, it couldn't be. I hadn't seen him in years. "I was able get another discount on that equipment. Since the wire transfer is already done I will just write a check for $500. Who do I make it out too?"

"Make it out to Large Corporate Energy Company, I will take care of it from there." No big deal, what was Sumdood playing at?

"Are you sure, I can make it out to Sigboy if that would be easier."

"Nah, make it out to Large Corporate Energy Company." It all made sense now, Sumdood was trying to pay me off, after the deal was done. Sneaky little bastard, that Sumdood is getting smarter.

Let this be a lesson to all of you that Sumdood can be anywhere. Keep your eyes peeled, and your mind sharp.

Do I Smell a Comeback?

I was squeeeing like a teenage girl last night during the opener of Castle.

Societies Rose Colored Glasses

Modern society has a standard to uphold. That standard is that the police will protect you. That politicians have your best interest at heart and that consumerism will save us from whatever ails us. Do you question what you read in the newspaper? Do you vote the way a talking head tells you to? I don't care which way you vote. I do however, like it when people can articulate to me the reasons why they voted the way they did.

I feel that these things tie into the sheepdog principal, because the simple truth of truth of the matter is that money does not buy happiness, most politicians don't care about your opinion, and the police are only required to take a report. So if you must question these things, can you trust the media to tell you the truth? All of it, regardless of it's apparent motives and intent? Our opinions belong to us, but they are influenced by the things we surround ourselves with, thus we don the mythical 'rose colored glasses'of society. I personally think that we need as much information as possible to form our opinions. This is not about 'right' or 'left' it is about making an informed, educated opinion of what goes on around you. Remember, if you can't rationally defend your opinion, then your thoughts lacks the value of logic.

"No matter how blessed our lives, how charmed our existence, things still inevitably, irrevocably, go wrong. Your mother is swindled out of her savings. Your estranged husband runs off with your kids. Your best friend goes on vacation in a foreign land and disappears. Eventually, bad things find us all." The Unit

Society would prefer the average citizen to believe that nothing bad ever happens.
But bad things will happen, and they may not happen to us. Make a choice: be ready to help those you care about, or just watch. Simply put, protecting yourself and your loved ones from being brainwashed into the hive mentality is just as important as protecting them from being raped, murdered , or even worse.

Traffic Stops Made Easy

Recently I was pulled over by the police. What did I do, you ask? I ran a red light, or so he said. I told him it was orange. Did I get a ticket? No. Did I deserve one? Probably.

I can't remember the last time I had to pay a ticket. I would say that I get pulled over about 3 times a year. I'm probably going to jinx myself now, but I generally get out of them. Why? I don't think it is because of my witty charm and stunning good looks. I make the officer feel comfortable. He is just doing his job.

Step 1- Pull over immediately, and get all the way off the road. If he has to chase you, or feels like he is chasing you, it will not end well.

Step 2- Have your paperwork ready, and keep your hands vi sable, shut the car off and keep your seat belt on. No I don't care that it is 110 or -20, do it, he will know your not going to run.

Step 3- Be respectful, use Sir or Ma'am. Remember, he is just doing his job, and when he isn't writing tickets, he is protecting society (that means you as well).

Step 4- Take responsibility for your actions. You know what you did, and you know that you got caught. Don't make up some BS story. He gets lied to all day. He will know when you are lying, and you will pay for it.

Step 5- If you happen to get a ticket anyways, say 'Thank you'. He doesn't hear that enough, trust me. He has seen things that most people can't even imagine. He makes the world a better place. A ticket is a small price to pay for this comfort.

Finally, if you feel that you didn't deserve the ticket, fight it in court, not on the street. It is your right as a citizen of this great Country to do so, and besides, he might welcome the OT. But, if you follow steps one thru four, I doubt you will be getting a ticket. It works for me, and when I finally get one, I will pay it with a smile.

Deer Season Prep, Part 1

Fall is quickly approaching, Sunday morn found ice upon the sidewalks and windows. The trees have started to drop their leaves, nightfall seems too come faster and a chill hangs in the air. Times like these remind me that it is time to renew my love for the bounty of nature. Time to watch the sunrise over a new and exciting wilderness, a journey more for the soul than the body.

For one reason or another, fate has led me to West Texas, and I plan to spend time this year in the canyons of the Panhandle. If the Great Spirit smiles upon me, my table will be blessed with a nice Mule Deer buck (I'm not picky, I will be happy with a whitetail). The area around here reminds me of reading Loius La'mour novels as a kid. The red ground and green Mesquite strike a interesting contrast of color. I plan on spending three or four days away from the distractions of modern life, no cell phones, no Internets. Just a few bare essentials on my back, to help ensure I find my way back home.

The outdoors have always recharged my batteries, showering me with a peace that I seldom find elsewere. My mind wanders to that day a few weeks from now when I shall pit my skills against nature. But first there is preperation to be done, scouting, gear prep, and most importantly, mental prep.

A few weeks ago I took the first of several scouting trips. The key to scouting is in finding the established deer trails and, if possible, finding the times that the deer are using these trails. Granted, after the opening day of deer season, all bets are off as the outside pressure of hunters will change estblished patterns. I located alot of good sign and saw a few does with fawns, the fawns still has their spots. The sheer numbers of fawns that I saw are a good sign of a healthy deer population, not to mention the bountless energy that they have will bring a smile to even the most stoic, bouncing effortlessly thru the thicket.

Tata's and Boobies

If you ever needed a reason to give to a charity:



Wait, I promised Boobies didn't I?

How's that for a nice, matching pair of Boobies?

Chicken and Rice for $2.50

I attempted an experiment of sorts last week. I am tired of paying almost $6 for a freeze dried meal, there just had to be a better way. I did some research, and played around with it a little bit.
I present to you my first dehydrated meal:

Chicken and Rice with Vegetables. The recipe is simple.
1/2 cup Minute Rice
2 tbsp freeze dried corn
2 tbsp freeze dried peas
1 tbsp freeze dried carrots
5 oz canned chicken
1/2 tsp chicken bullion


Boil 1/2 cup water and bullion, add canned chicken, do not drain. Bring to second boil, add rice and vegetables remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste (mostly pepper). You can substitute the chicken for just about any other meat, or soy if thats your thing.

It is a decent meal, fairly lightweight, and it's filling. Definitely wont leave you hungry on a cold, rainy mountaintop.