The lunatic is on the grass

 The lunatic is on the grass.

Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs.
Got to keep the loonies on the path. (Pink Floyd)

the brain is a wonderful thing...sometimes.......it seems the older i get and perhaps the more free time i have since i have ceased working for the man....the more memories from a life well lived come circling back......some frightening.....some regrets.....but mainly the wonderful small details of magnificent, yet simple, adventures.

Case in point this morning over a cup of coffee......i was talking about a local watering hole called the Duck Dive.......and boy is it ever a dive........a shoebox bar on stilts on the main road to the ocean.......3 or 4 packing spaces only and a flight of rickety stairs must be navaigated.....but an incredible Burger, Ice Cold Beer and a jukebox that only seems to play Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker and the Outlaws ( maybe because i dominate the selection process) But Hey.......that's not the point.....and i digress.

This post is really about one of the greatest burgers i have ever had......Saturday Aug 3rd 1985...........i woke that day in the Great Lakes Training Center, having graduated from Boot Camp the day prior, i was now going to enjoy my fist tastes of liberty since early June.......i boarded a commuter train bound for Chicago with two shipmates.....don't ask my how i remember, but i do.....Eugene Heath from Daytona Beach and Steve Slanac from Buffalo NY......we bonded over our 8 weeks of Bootcamp and i told them i was going to meet friends at Wrigley and they were ecstatic to ride along......the Baseball Gods smiled upon me this day as the beloved 2nd place NY Metropolitans were in town for a showdown series against the 1st Place Cubs........but i have talked about that game before....today we discuss THE BURGER.

After arriving in the North End we hope a cab to Clark & Addison.....stopped into a bar for a few cold ones and then walked down Sheffield Ave........as we entered Murphy's Bleachers i was transposed into a wildly enthusiastic version of Heaven.....a gutted brownstone with an open floorplan and bars on either side of the great room....i had goosebumps........we grabbed beers at the first chance and proceeded to walk into the backyard ( Murphy's has changed over the years, but this was the scene in 1985).......we were basking in glorious sunshine and enjoying Ice Cold Old Style Beer and reflecting on the prior 8 weeks of torture......we were standing at a pub table and of course we were in our Uniform of the Day ( Summer Whites) it was clear to everyone that we had no stripes and were recent grads of Boot Camp.......there was a massive grille in the center of the yard and the charcoal smoke was a welcome aroma.......the fella manning the grille was wearing a big White Chefs hat , he had on a Cubs apron, he was in his 40's.......stood about 5 feet 5inches and probably weighed 300 pounds.......he came over to our table and placed three cheeseburgers down ......we started to fish through our pockets for some doe rae me and he put his hand up and so NO Charge......"I was a squid in a prior Life too"  and the burgers were on the house, and they (Murphy's) supported our Troops......

that Burger....that Beeer....that atmosphere.....that moment in time.......euphoric.

I lie awake at night sometimes and i wonder what i ever did to deserve a life blessed with so many moments like this.....this was one of the best......this was America....the same America i had just finished 8 grueling weeks of physical training to defend and protect.....and WE ( me, Heath , Slanac and all our shipmates) were now part of a special brotherhood....we were members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America........and i for one never forgot the gesture ....i have made it my business to buy a round for anyone i saw in uniform in the bars of Manhattan during Fleet week or whenever i may cross paths......we are the greatest nation in the history of this planet and it thanks to everyone, but especially guys like the Chef in Murphy's..........and that BURGER was perfectly charred and delicious....and the Old Style in a 16 ounce "Styrofoam" Cup was rewarding..........i have been lucky enough to be in the Right Place at the Right Time on so many occasions.......and i thank our Maker for every second of this live i have lived.

T minus 24 hours until the Zion National Park Extreme Marathon......hopefully Steve O'Dowd packed a sweater nite T-shirt and can send some pictures partying with the Snakes.

2+3=BEEER

And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear.
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

Good luck had just stung me

 To the race track I did go

She bet on one horse to win
And I bet on another to show
The odds were in my favor
I had 'em five to one
When that nag to win came around the track
Sure enough, she had won (R. Robertson)

i was lost in thought the other day when Cripple Creek came on my ipod shuffle.....suddenly i was thinking about "Larry the Legend" ....winner of the 1995 Santa Anita Derby......at first i couldn't remember how Larry fared in the Kentucky Derby ....and then i kinda, sorta remembered that he scratched before the race because of an injury.......so i had to look it up ....and i was correct.......the article i found said he was poised to be one to the top 3 favorites in the Derby before being scratched a week before the race because of a chipped bone in his knee......i researched further and learned that he returned to racing, but never really regained his form and he retired from racing in 1997.....he lived in peace on a farm for retired race horses and passed away in 2022 at the age of 30.......in the 95 Santa Anita he was 3rd choice and went off at 5-1...and paid $13.20 .......i had him that day....$20 to win, $10 to place and $5 to show..........I was in the Bally Bunion and i watched the race with Charlie Jensen......it was April 8th 1995.

you might be wondering where i am going with this one......so i will explain.....the day prior i called my parents down the shore from work , and when i was talking to my Father i told him that my co-worker Angelo had given me a tip on Larry the Legend.....not insider info, just a guy that was a very very good handicapper and had given me many wins over the years......so i told my father to place a few sheckles on Larry...........and so from the payphone in the back of the Bunyon i called my parents again to see if my Father had indeed bet on Larry.......it was then that i learned that my father had died of a heart attack about an hour or two prior.... no cell phones back then, no way anyone could reach me, no way anyone would think to have called the Bunyon...........in the aftermath i did ask my Mother if he had ever placed the bet......and she had her own acct, but had access to his OTB acct and confirmed his final bet was $5 to win on Larry the Legend.......tomorrow will be 31 years , but somedays it feels like 100.

when you're lost

 in the rain in Juarez

And it’s Eastertime too
And your gravity fails
And negativity don’t pull you through
Don’t put on any airs
When you’re down on Rue Morgue Avenue
They got some hungry women there
And they really make a mess outta you (Dylan)

and so after March departed like a lamb , Easter comes knocking on the first Sunday of April.

Truth be told i never really had a sweet tooth and didn't care much for chocolates......i despise lamb and mint jelly and pretty much all of the Easter traditional foods.....and so about a dozen years ago, we began turnig down invites for Easter dinner....it became our backyard work day in Little Silver....we would clean out the garage and shed, and get all the outdoor bars and seating areas cleaned off and ready to rock n roll........i would pack a massive cooler of beer........light the grill.........light every fire pit and tiki torch ....and listen to a special edition Easter playlist.......

and now i find myself on the Baptist belt...not sure if these heathens even know who Jesus was.....and i have a lawn service that take cares of the yard....and the glorious Bars ended up in landfills in Monmouth County....no takers willing to preserve the History of those landmarks....

But the playlist survived......and tomorrow I will indeed pack a massive cooler of beeers and listen to songs inspired by or about the Son of God.....or mainly just Dylan

2+3= Salvation.......and BEEER.....one in the same

In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes

I bargained for salvation an’ they gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence and got repaid with scorn
“Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Day after Day

 alone on a hill

The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him, they can see that he's just a fool
And he never gives an answer (Lennon/McCartney)

If you are like me and watched some, any or all of the coverage of the No Kings protests over the weekend , you could not help but feel grateful for the amazing gift the Left has given us. They are very comfortable in their own skin, they are not afraid to speak the truth and tell us who they really are, perhaps they are emboldened after comrade mandani won the NYC mayoral election, they feel the country is racing with them towards communism and they are willing to shout it from the rooftops...

alas....NYC is not a true reflection of this country on any level.....what once was the symbol of oppurtunity.....a place where people from all walks of life, levels of education and or religious beliefs; could flourish, prosper, excel and live the American dream..........get a good job, work hard, buy a home, raise a family enjoy the best of the arts, sports and entertainment.........has taken steps or giant leaps towards the darkness......a collection of aimless trust fund brats, ashamed of their own race, riddled with guilt over the privileges' their parents provided, BUT NOT willing to give back the cash or go it alone......instead they take to the streets and protest....they carry their Flags of the month club, and nifty cardboard posters that George Soros paid for, and yet fail to see themselves as sheep......they think they are Freedom fighters and yet they prefer communism or socialism over Freedom....in fact they are terrified of what Freedom means......they would much rather be told where to stand, what to think and how loud to shout, then to live their own lives.........they were sheltered growing up, never allowed to strike out during tee ball......not allowed to keep score and lose occasionally, they filled their days in solitude in their parents basements playing video games with no true consequences ......if they lose, they get to play again seconds later.....don't even have to dig into their levi's in search of a quarter.......little or no physical interaction with other humans....just voices and screen names of other mutants.......they hate everything about themselves and have zero tolerance for anyone that doesn't march to the death drum with them.....they are miserable....their only Joy comes from feeling despair.....I bet they never call in sick to work and go to the track with their buddies after a round of golf and drink a case while betting long shot triples....losers.

So they took to the streets with Russian flags, trying to stop a King that doesn't exist at the urging of :

Chuck Schumer:  46 years in POWER

Nancy Pelosi: 39 years illegally trading off insider news

Bernie Sanders: another Coney Island Jew that hates Israel and Loves Palastine

Maxine Waters: 35 years proving that DEI has no upside.

They did not hide their love for illegals over citizens.......corruption over law and order.....trannies over girls......the Republicans do not need to hire a focus group or pay for a slick campaign strategy......just capture the real images from this past weekend and display them from now until November

2+3= an equation puzzling man for centuries that perhaps only A I can figure out

and BEEER ......of course it equals BEEER , and YES, I will have one.

But the fool on the hill sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head see the world spinning 'round 
'Round and 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round

And them Carribean winds still blow

from Nassau to Mexico
Fanning the flames in the furnace of desire (Dylan)

an 83 year old veteran , and a cancer survivor was pushed onto the tracks at 63rd & Lex on a saturday morning March 8th....yesterday he died from his injuries.

The Pusher was an illegal alien from Honduras.......15 prior arrests and  4 times previously deported.

Mayor Mandani refuses to answer questions about whether the NYC corrections dept will cooperate with ICE in removing this scumbag from our country.

On March 24, ICE announced the arrest of Carlos Aguilar Reynoso, a Guatemalan national charged with the forcible rape of a 5-year-old girl on Long Island while he was babysitting.

Utah (Attempted Murder): Jesus Alejandro Ramirez-Padilla was charged in Salt Lake City for allegedly strangling a woman and slitting her throat multiple times.

On March 24, Vidal Jimenez (23) was arrested in Polk County for allegedly stalking and hunting an 18-year-old through a local park while armed with a knife. He is facing multiple felony charges.

how much more of this are we really supposed to take ?

Where are the protests, where is the public outcry?

Where are the Gen Z crybabies saying the victims names ?

And them distant ships of liberty on them iron waves so bold and free
Bringing everything that’s near to me nearer to the fire

Seven dollars on a latte

I know that money could be saved,but I'm happy everyday

and i'm not where i thought i'd be,but i'm living out all my dreams 

might be broke and out of luck,but i feel like a million bucks (Tabitha Meeks)

Had the unique pleasure of seeing Ms Meeks in concert this past Sunday. If you don't who she is, you should google her or give her a listen on a music platform.......she is described as Norah Jones meets Nancy Sinatra....although she definitely has an Amy Winehouse vibe too......her songs and vibe are definitely throwback to a different era.........catchy uplifting lyrics and a very unique and powerful voice. She does originals and has an album out , but she also did some covers ( Aiko-Aiko, Benny &the Jets, Brand new Roller Skates, and of course These Boots were made for walkin) 

The concert we attended was quite an experience.......Louie's Backyard Tiki stage in Little River SC , about 10 minutes from our house........it is a private residence....Louie constructed a full bar in his yard and a stage.....guests were encouraged to bring their own beach chairs, alcohol and there was a communal table for sharing food ( Louie and his wife put out complimentary trays of BBQ chicken and French fries) and you could park on his front lawn ( we ubered) and you were more than welcome to bring a bathing suit and jumping in his pool.....admission was free....but they passed a hat and collected Cash for the band.......$20 a head was suggested donation......people brought their dogs....and there was a colorful rooster that wandered the property.......the band consisted of Tabitha on stand up keyboards, she had a drummer and Java on standup Bass........they were very cool......Louie let them stay in his house for the weekend.......so they hung out after the show and drank beers and wine and chatted with everyone......there were about 20-25 people in attendance....it was one of those moments that was very American......in our 250th year it could not help but make me proud.....glad i was able to attend.......Louie has a series of shows and fundraisers scheduled for the summer...and then he told me he and his wife are sailing UP the Intercoastal to Maine.....cutting through the Great Lakes to the Mississippi and then down to New Orleans and the Gulf of America....stopping in Key West for a week and then sailing up Florida's east coast back to South Carolina........says he is taking his time and it sb about 5 months....he recently beat throat cancer.........he definitely had the aura of one of those characters of the Long Dark Knight that i am fascinated with....although he is too successful to truly be ones of the aimless wandering wacko's that i treasure...

anyway, give Tabitha a listen and maybe even buy a song or two on Itunes......i think we will all be hearing much more from Ms Meeks in the next few years....her music is being picked up for TV and Movie placements....you may have even heard her before and didn't realize it......i think the sky is the limit....

I′m a perfect little mess instead of being bored to death

I'll be the life of the party

I′ll be the life of the party

If I could be just anybody

I'd be the life of the party

The Palace of Mirrors

 Where dog soldiers are reflected

The endless road and the wailing of chimes
The empty rooms where her memory is protected
Where the angels’ voices whisper to the souls of previous times (Dylan)

The prevailing cry from the left the past 3 weeks.....the one they regurgitate on every interview they can find.....the same one Europe embraced when cowardly defending their decision to stay out of the Iran conflict has been ............was there an imminent threat ?  we don't see an imminent threat....surely we can go back to the negotiation table because Iran has not publicly displayed their plans to do us imminent harm.

I suppose 47 years of chanting Death to America and all the UN speeches where they denied Israels' right to exist and vowed to wipe them Off the face of the Earth were just not enough....I suppose all the attacks they financed against our troops in Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Syria and beyond just don't matter......I suppose all the Americans that were maimed by their roadside IED's just don't count.....

Well.....yesterday they launched missiles at my beloved homeland part B, Diego Garcia; some 2500 miles away........the missile was shot down over the Indian Ocean (soon to be renamed Native American Ocean) by a US Navy warship......BUT......guess who else is within 2500 miles of Tehran ???  

Quite a few cities......but Berlin, Paris and London certainly are on the list.......guess who just decided that this WAS in fact THEIR war ?  Guess who just decided that the threat Iran posed was suddenly Imminent enough ? guess who just sh*t their pants at the thought of DJT and the US Military wrapping things up and heading back to North America.....a safe 6000 + miles from Tehran ? and leaving the EU to deal with Hormuz and the Iranian missiles .

Yep,   suddenly last weeks Brave Bystanders are now ready to join the fight......hypocritical scum.

2+3=BEEER

Peace will come
With tranquillity and splendor on the wheels of fire
But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall
And cruel death surrenders with its pale ghost retreating
Between the King and the Queen of Swords