Not a Fable

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.
- Aesop

Better This

Than cleaning up after the elephant, I suppose.

You Should Walk the Tightrope

Any subject you study, you aim to master. You enjoy being the best. When you're good at something, you like to show off your skills. You're the type of person who would practice years to walk the tightrope. And you'd love the glory you'd get from walking it in front of a crowd.

What Circus Act Should You Perform?

Fewer rigs in the Panhandle

Article

By Lucas Jefferson
Friday, December 12, 2008 at 4:28 p.m.


The staggering drop in crude oil prices has caused many rigs here in the Panhandle to shut down for the time being.

Over the past six months we've had as many as ninety-five rigs running, now there are only 84 in operation.

That has a big impact on the money that flows into our economy. The average rig worker makes two hundred bucks a day, there's about 18 thousand dollars per day, based on ten rigs, that isn't going into our economy.

That's more than half a million dollars per month.

Higher crude prices make exploration more feasible for producers, as Executive Vice President of the Panhandle Producers and Royalty Owners Association, Wayne Hughes said, “We can design drill programs that involve the use of a drilling rig over four or five sites much more economically and much more realistically when the price gets in the seventy dollar range. That's where it's comfortable for us.”

Keep in mind those numbers we are just for the rig workers, that doesn't take into account the myriad of other jobs which relate to the oil business.

Hughes also told us that he is optimistic that over the next couple of months crude prices will start going back up.

When that happens we should see growth in rig numbers come back to the Panhandle.

XYZ!

Was sitting here earlier and heard on the TV that the MegaMillions jackpot was over 200 million. I play the lottery some, not always, but try to buy a ticket when the jackpot is enormous as it is now.

So, I jumped in my truck and drove the short distance to the nearest liquor store that sells lotto tickets; while I was there, I saw a couple of people I know and had a conversation with the clerks about some new products.

(one of which is a cream-based "shooter" packaged in a sperm-looking bottle. Sheesh)

As I was standing there talking, a young woman came in and bought some things. She was pretty, but a little bit overweight and having a few extra pounds might be the reason her fly zipper on her jeans was wide open!

Now, that's happened to nearly every guy I know and it's always accompanied by laughter and shouts of "Hey, yer barn door's open!" and "XYZ!" (examine your zipper!)

The problem was this: Is it appropriate to say the same thing to a girl? I was torn between laughing out loud and mentioning to her in a low voice that she "had a problem". I didn't want to humiliate her any more than necessary, but she really needed to be told...she really did...but I didn't have the courage to say anything.

Why did she really need to be told?

Well, for the main thing, she wasn't wearing any underwear.

Welcome to America!

A big red, white and blue welcome to Alison, my online bud Garazon's betrothed.

Over the last few days, I've been reading his posts in his blog as he counted down the hours unti Alison came over here for good. I've felt like a third-wheel...which I'm used to being...especially when Alison would reply to his public declarations of love for her. I'd post, but would feel like I was intruding!

Bless their hearts, they met several years ago, both of them having lost their spouses and developed their love affair even before they had even met. I know, from personal experience, that you CAN fall in love before even laying eyes on the other person...and actually, I think that might even be better than the proverbial "love at first sight" because you can get to know them without the added pressure of a possible physical affair. (sexual tension, guess it would be)

I had a very good friend I met online, and we developed something similar (I'd like to think) a long time before we ever met in person. My friend (let's call her....oh..."elle") elle and I knew that we had something special because of the thousands of emails and hours we spent chatting on IM.

We never really mentioned "that" until we had decided to meet. At first, I was going to fly to England and we were making plans. I don't know what made me say it (and I don't know why I say a LOT of things) but thinking about the physical part made me nervous and as I do many times, I made a joke out of it.

"Y'know...." I told her late one night while on messenger "It's been a LONG time for me."

"Me too." came the reply.

"It's been a REALLY LONG time." I typed, hoping she'd understand what I meant.

"Me too." came the quick answer.

Good, we were on the same page. I was blushing and there was no one there to see me. I was squirming in my chair, hoping I hadn't been too rude, too presumptious, but even my anxiety didn't stop me from cracking wise.

"It's been so long, honey....well, all I gotta say is you'd better have a mattress strapped to your back when you meet me at the airport."

As soon as I hit "Send" on that last bit, I regretted it. I bet I had crossed the line. I sat there, turning even a more deeper shade of crimson.

It wasn't but a few seconds until her reply came on the screen:

"You'd better be the first man off the plane."

Welcome to America, Alison! Home of hot dogs, apple pie and very bad jokes.

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away-The Beatles