Friday, April 29, 2011

Friday Funnies

Hi,

The week ended with a day that actually got quite warm. We went out for lunch, and then watched the Royal Wedding on BBC Asia, live. What a hoot. Oh the hats.

The 'Summer of Love' song should have been easy. It was "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. In keeping with a week of easy songs, here's one from '58 that should ring a bell. It's had covers, but name the original artist.
"I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm a-gonna raise a holler, about a-workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar. Every time I call my baby, and try to get a date, my boss says, 'No dice son, you gotta work late'. Sometimes I wonder what I'm a-gonna do, but there ain't no cure for the __ __." Hint: With the season in the song fast approaching, it could really be an anthem again. That's all you get in the clue department.

We had a rather simple day today. The morning routine with the dogs, Lisa worked on a cast acrylic print, and I played my didgeridoos. There was a snag with lunch so we went down to Doi Chaang and ate. After lunch we watched a little Stargate Atlantis and took a nap. While reading the news online we remembered the wedding in England.

When we turned on BBC Asia to check on the Royal Wedding, they were still in the early stages of the arrival of guests. It was fun checking out the outfits that the dignitaries were wearing. The President of Tonga was looking real sharp in his long, double breasted formal coat. The most fun was the hats. Everything from beautiful to 'why'd you wear that?'. There were a ton of horses involved, and some old cars that were immaculate. Pomp and circumstance aside, it was interesting. I really enjoyed the choir of men and boys. Having sung in such a choir in my youth, it brought back many memories. Some of the music was wonderful. So what if the bride and groom didn't kiss. What? They do it on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Oh. Anyway, that's how we spent our late afternoon.

We started making a list of things we want to see, do, and acquire on our trip to Bangkok next weekend. We'll have lots of free time so it will be an adventure for sure.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.

Peace,
Danny

The Zen of Sarcasm

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is probably not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a wise investment.

12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

14. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

16. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

17. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

18. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

19. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Sunny

Hi,

Chiang Rai had another day of hazy sunshine, we had a very successful outing for things on a list, and I had a meeting and dinner at a lake with some friends.

Our 'Summer of Love' tune got lots of positive response. Here's another line, plus the part where you sing along:
"Whatever happened to Tuesday and so slow. Going down the old mine, with a transistor radio.... Do you remember when we used to sing Sha la, la, la, la, la, la, la..." Hint: He remembered a special facial feature.

This morning we drove up the highway to Makro, our Thai answer to Costco. We wanted to get another large, square umbrella for the patio. We also got one of those 'instant' electric kettles for making tea. Many of the items sold at Makro come packaged so you buy multiples rather than a single item. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not. Browsing the aisle with the snacks can be frustrating because all the descriptions and ingredients are in Thai.

After our Makro excursion we went to Sahapaiboon for a garden trowel, and light bulbs. In the lighting section we ran into Khun Jah, whose family owns the store. We talked about their recent family trip to Hong Kong and she made it sound very inviting. We'll have to put it on our list of places to go. Atom, her sister, works across the street so we went over and said 'Hello'.

Winding through town we made a stop for bread, and a visit with Jonathan, our English Golden Retriever friend. Another stop in the market place and we were done.

This afternoon I met with Eric and Julien, the directors of The New Life Foundation. We had a lengthy brainstorming session centered around fundraising and then we caravanned out to a huge lake that was new to me. The restaurant where we ate was a semi-outdoor affair that is very typical here. While eating I heard a voice behind me call my name. What? It was Khun Nine from 9 Art Gallery with her family. Living in a small town is fun.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,
Danny

"If you only walk on sunny days,
you may never reach your destination."
~Michelle Redmond

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Happiness

Hi,

Bright, hazy sunshine is the best way to describe today's weather here in Chiang Rai. Boot returned, the dogs went wild, and the crowd roared. We went to Central Plaza in the morning, and had a massage in the afternoon. It was another good day.

The 'Easy Monday' song some of you remembered was "Rocket Man" by Elton John. Now, back to the 'Summer of Love', and an artist from across the pond with an amazingly long career. Here he describes the 'old days' with a special someone. "Hey where did we go, days when the rains came? Down in the hollow, playin' a new game, laughing and a running hey, hey, skipping and a-jumping... you my __ __ __." Hint: It's all in the eyes.

This morning, Boot called from the bus station saying she was getting a ride to the house. Just before she arrived, BamBam started acting like she heard Boot. Lisa had opened the gate so she took BamBam outside. Boot wasn't home yet. BamBam just sat on the front porch, on the leash, staring fixedly at the gate. Then Boot arrived. How did BamBam know? Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

Since Boot was exhausted from her 15 hour bus ride we went out for lunch. We needed to pick up something at Central Plaza so we ate there. Questions about whether anyone would really shop at this giant structure are slowly being answered by the throngs of people there on a Wednesday morning. On our drive home there was a very light sprinkling on the windshield. I would wipe them off occasionally. Then I noticed that none of the cars coming from the other direction had their wipers on. We had a good laugh about the rain just being in one direction on the street.

This afternoon Lisa got a call from our friend Louise. They talked and it turns out that Jasper and Louise made it to the Hall of Opium in Chiang Saen, and then went across the road to Anantara Resort to see the elephant camp. They got to see the elephants, a baby elephant, and talk to an Australian woman who was studying the elephants. They were thrilled with their adventure and just wanted to let us know.

On the way to our massage it started to sprinkle. Just as the massage began, it started really raining. One and a half hours later we emerged, relaxed and happy. The rain had basically stopped and the drive home was easy.

We got a big surprise this evening when Boot told us she had prepared dinner. We thought she would just take the whole day off, but she came through with a great meal. Nice to have her home.

It's time for Wacky Wednesday.

Peace,
Danny

"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you are
or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think."
~Dale Carnegie

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Best

Hi,

Today we had no rain in Chiang Rai. There is distant thunder tonight, but no rain yet. It was a perfect day for the yard crew to do their thing. We went into town this morning, and spent the afternoon at home. The dogs missed their running around during the day.

It looks like we have an 'Easy Monday' winner with this tune. If you're still in doubt these lines may help:
"And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'til touch-down brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home. Oh no, no, no I'm a __ __. __ __ burnin' out his fuse up here alone." Hint: one of this artist's many costumes had to be a space suit.

This morning we went to Big C to do our shopping and have lunch. We also went by 7-11 to pay our power bill. That still cracks me up that we can do that. There seemed to be a lot of traffic in the streets today. On our way into town we noticed that the 'village' on the shore of the river is completely gone. You would never know that there was a bustling beach community there. This evening there were some kids in the river and a few families hanging out.

Last night there was a party at our waterfall. The frogs were out in force, croaking like nothing we'd ever heard before. They made some pretty crazy sounds at times. Add to that the sound of crickets and you had enough noise to make us close the windows. Every morning when I take the dogs out, I check my shoes just to be sure there's no new 'tenant' living inside. It happened once and it was quite a surprise. Boot usually leans them against the house to prevent this from happening. The adventure continues.

Oh yes, Sunday night, as we were leaving the Night Bazaar, a motorbike club came roaring down the main drag. There must have been 10 or 15 bikes, mostly customized with colorful LED lights, and lots of chrome. It was like a rolling bike show.

Tomorrow Boot returns and life around here will get back to some kind of normal. I know BamBam and Daku will be just as happy as us.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

Peace,
Danny

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of
the way things turn out."
~Art Linkletter

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com

Monday, April 25, 2011

Judge

Hi,

By the way the sky has been falling you'd think it was the rainy season. Every day there is rain in the afternoon, or overnight. We had a full weekend with our guests, and said good-bye on Sunday. We all miss them.

Our 'Old School Friday' song was "Blue Suede Shoes" as sung by Elvis Presley, and written and also sung by Carl Perkins. Lots of 'Cool Points' were awarded. For 'Easy Monday' this hit from the '70s should ring a bell.
"She packed my bags last night, pre-flight. Zero hour nine a.m. And I gonna be high as a kite by then. I miss my wife, it's lonely out in space on such a timeless flight." Hint: This should be easy. The title is in two words and it describes someone. Blast off.

Saturday we went to downtown with Jasper and Louise, and then to World Class Hamburgers for lunch. Jasper had a triple burger that put a smile on his face. We went home and had a swim, and then dined at Leelavadee by the river. After dinner we went to Walking Street, which is always an experience. When it was almost 8pm we rushed down to see the Clock Tower light show and they caught it on video. It was a day full of memories.

Sunday morning we said our farewells at the bus station. They were headed for Mae Sai for a few days. They'll be traveling around Thailand for about two more months. We now have Facebook friends from Denmark. Lisa pointed out that now she has friends from Denmark, Bali, and Thailand but can't read most of the entries. That's how it goes when you keep meeting people from around the world.

Sunday evening we went to the Night Bazaar for dinner and as we were finishing up, the wind started blowing and we could see all the vendors packing things up. By the time we got home the rain had arrived. In a break from the rain we let the dogs out and BamBam had an encounter with a frog that really freaked her out. She caught it and then flung it in the air. It squirted her and she kept snorting and acting like she was choking. Lisa dowsed her face with water but it took awhile for her to normalize, but she's doing fine now.

This morning we were expecting the yard people, but after a phone call to confirm, we found out they won't come until tomorrow. We had a visit from our friend Chalit and talked about art, and life. Later we got a call from Boot saying that she'd be home on Wednesday. We can hardly wait.

Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
~Mother Teresa

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com

Friday, April 22, 2011

Friday Funnies

Hi,

Chiang Rai had a 'picture post-card' weather day. It was also very hot. There was a heavy emphasis on art today with a visit to a special temple, and an art show opening. In between there was eating, napping, and swimming.

It was bound to happen. Not much mail for "98.6" by Keith. I'll make 'Old School Friday' easy for you:
"Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go cat go. But don't you step on my __ __ __, you can do anything but lay off of my __ __ __." Clue: The King is given credit for this one, though he didn't write it. The writer also recorded this one. Extra 'Cool Points' if you know who that was. I think the title should be obvious. This was a time before Pat Boone and white bucks. (555)

This morning I drove our guests down to Wat Rong Khun so they could experience the wonder of it all. We took lots of pictures and they thoroughly enjoyed it. There are so many beautiful works of art that I always notice something different when going through the gallery. In case you don't remember what I'm talking about, just Google Wat Rong Khun and you'll find many pages of photos of this special place.

When we got back to the house, we had a delicious tuna salad that Lisa had made. Jasper helped her shell the left over shrimp and she put them in the tuna. Very nice idea. After lunch it was rest time. Louise, Jasper, and I went down to Doi Chaang for coffee and to meet a friend from Bangkok. After about an hour of conversation we came back to the 'resort' for a swim.

The exhibit at 9 Art Gallery featured five artists. Each had a very unique style, which made it interesting as we walked around the gallery. The mind had to shift gears to approach each new concept. We introduced our new friends to our art circle friends and had some informative conversations about technique and presentation. Before the opening began, Khun Nine played a CD of Mongolian throat singing. I love throat singing and asked her to make me a copy. She loaned me the CD. She got it in Paris after hearing it at a gallery there. Amazing how things can travel around the world like that. If you'd like to reference what I'm talking about, there's an interesting documentary called "Genghis Blues" that features lots of Tuvan throat singing.

Today we found out that Boot's sister is out of the hospital and doing better. Boot will be home Tuesday. Yea!

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd. It's time for a few laughs with the 'Funnies'.

Peace,
Danny

Small Town Sheriff

In one small rural town the sheriff also fulfilled the role of the
town's veterinarian. One night the phone rang. The sheriff's wife
answered.

An agitated voice inquired, "Is your husband there?"

"Well, do you need him as the sheriff or the vet?" the wife asked.

"Both," came the reply. "We can't get our dog's mouth open, and
there's a burglar in it!"

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Butterfly

Hi,

It was another 'funny weather' day here in Chiang Rai. Blazing hot morning, and rain in the afternoon. We went to Big C, and had a very special dinner.

"Hey, everybody on the street, I see you smillin'. Must be because I found my baby. You know she's got me on another kind of highway. I want to go to where it takes me. Hey, __ __ __ it's good to have you back again..." Hint: This record falls into the 'One Hit Wonder' collection. It's about what you get when the fever has broken. The obvious clue has to do with your normal temperature. Oh, come on now.

This morning when Daku and I headed downstairs I just knew he would go down the hall to the guest room. He started to, but going outside was more important. He didn't forget his new friends, and later he joined them on the patio while they had their coffee.

The first order of the day was a trip to Arisara for an hour massage. We all agreed that there's nothing like starting the day being pampered, poked and prodded in a delightful atmosphere.

After our massage we went to Big C for lunch at Black Canyon, and some shopping. Jasper studied cooking for two years and offered to cook dinner for us. We got shrimp, potatoes, and a few more things. This would be the first time we'd had a dinner prepared by someone other than Boot.

In the afternoon I went out to New Life Foundation and on the way home there was a big rain storm. I actually drove through it to be more exact. When I got into Chiang Rai 'proper', the streets were dry. There had been a few drops out at the house, but nothing like what I encountered on the road. Ah, the weather. As I write, I can hear thunder rolling around in the distance. Hmm, how does thunder roll?

Before dinner the four of us went for a swim. It was mostly just hanging out and talking, but very relaxing. The day was turning out to be very special.

Our dinner was a feast. There was a platter of shrimp, another of baked potatoes, a green salad, and a Danish dish of tomatoes and onions. Jasper taught us how to shell the shrimp for eating, since they were whole. It was a challenging process, but we managed to do it. Everything was delicious. What a treat to have a gourmet dinner at home. After the dishes were cleared and washed we had pineapple that was as sweet as candy. The dogs, who usually hang out by the table when we eat, had to stay outside. BamBam let it be known that she was not happy about that. Oh well, she's a dog.

Tomorrow we'll go to Wat Rong Khun in the morning, and an art exhibit opening in the evening. The adventure continues.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

Peace,
Danny

"Happiness is like a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it will elude you.
But if you turn your attention to other things,
it comes softly and sits on your shoulder."
~Unknown

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
www.flickr.com/photos/gratidudepics
http://blog.risingstardom.com/
www.lisamosesgallery.com