It's an OKC Party!

Actually more like a happy hour, but thought you guys might be amused by my current OKC message in-box.  Screen names have been changed to protect the [adjective]:

 

Well how can I say No, really?

And my current favorite:

It's A PoDunk Christmas!

What the HELL with the lack of posts, Elle? - IF IN FACT THAT IS YOUR REAL NAME.*

I'm sure there are legitimate reasons I could offer, but it's simply procrastination, Let's be honest.

I hope everyone had good holidays.  My holidays were, in chronological order, Not as Crappy as Expected, Pretty Awesome, Boring as Hell.

Not as Crappy as Expected
Let us all learn the very important lesson that, The lower your expectations, the less likely you are to be disappointed.  This really only goes so far, but that's a post for another day.

Upon my evening arrival at PoDunk International Airport,** I was picked up by ROWD.

"Hey there, Daughter!"
"Hey Dad!"
We walk to the baggage claim, I bend over to pick up my suitcase and rejoin ROWD.
"I see you still have that twenty!" 
Just as my mind was turning over, Did my Dad give me a twenty-dollar bill the last time I saw him?, he slapped the closest (admittedly plump) hip and laughed.

Oh.  That 'twenty'.  Love you too, Pops.

My parents recently moved to a new house, outside PoDunk.  ROWD didn't want to live in PoDunk proper anymore - "Damn education taxes!" - so as a result of one of his current M&As (residential construction company) he got keen on a set of blueprints and TaDa now they live in a new house.

Which I myself was pretty cool with, because with my Mom's deteriorating health and her almost-profound deafness, I thought they'd wire it with deaf-friendly aids (specifically designed phone system, door bells/door jambs wired to the lights so they blink when rung/opened, etc.).

Yeah that didn't happen.  I asked ROWD about it, and he said, "Oh I didn't mess with any of that."

However it does have a climate-controlled three-car garage that houses three of his antique cars.  The fourth is at his work.  He had wide folding French doors installed in his building, which allow him to drive a car into his personal office.  When he gets bored with looking at that particular car while at work, he trades it out for one in the garage.

Pretty Awesome
After PoDunk I was lucky enough to be able to go to Southern California and see an Old Friend (OF).  We'd lost touch for a bit as in about 15 years what can I say I'm Old and YAY!  Still the same OF.  I could go on about OF, but the the most flattering thing I can offer is, He is the funniest person I know.

And I know a LOT of funny people.

As a Lucky Strike Extra***, I met his brother, New Friend.  New Friend (NF) is a lovely person and a spitting image of their father.  Compared to NF, OF seems to be a one-off.

In the spirit of Thanks For Being Awesome, the above cartoon is one of Nick Galifianakis'.  If you don't read the Hax/Galifianakis advice column via the Washington Post you are truly missing out.

Okay this post kinda went off on a tangent....

Boring as Hell
I think that's fairly self-explanatory.

Wishing everyone an excellent 2014. 
We are all terribly fortunate, and sometimes that is difficult to keep in perspective. 
Be happy. 
Today is the ONLY day; make it matter as best you can.





    * Not my real name.
  ** 'International' as in, there's a once-a-month flight to Cancun.
*** Again: Old.