<p>OK Boys, now you’re venturing into territory to which I need to add my two cents. </p>
<p>All time best vehicle 1954 Willys Wagon - 12 speed forward - 4 in reverse. It was white, it was riddled with rust, it was beautiful and I sold it for a measly $1k in 1976. Not a decade goes by that I don’t regret that.</p>
<p>My credentials for lurking in the cave? First job -green chain in a sawmill and 27 (and counting) winters in Alaska.</p>
<p>Nevermind the Canadians and the Russians. Try drinking with some Japanese! I have – and I highly recommend the experience. Sake is definitely a manly drink. Did you know you can get beer from vending machines in Japan? Totally cool.</p>
<p>By all means - get some Russians over and we’ll chill down the Vodka*. We’ll need tumbler glasses, some pickled cucumber and salted herring. ;)</p>
<p>Caviar, if we can afford it.</p>
<p>*Have the next few days free…</p>
<p>Required reading: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (the movie was awful but the book is great) and anything/everything by W.E.B.Griffin.</p>
<p>After looking around at the decor, I noticed we’re missing one very important piece of artwork: A velvet Elvis! Either the young thin Elvis, or the “husky” Elvis in a vegas jumpsuit. The walls seem bare without one…</p>
<p>Don’t you already have a velvet “dogs playing poker” over the spitoons?</p>
<p>I’m mom2three young men. And grew up with three brothers. Daddy’s little girl, BUT- </p>
<p>A Scouter (including several weeks at camp).
Framed a bunch o’ walls.
Wired a bunch of circuits. (including the three-way mystery circuit when we remodeled the kitchen).
Laid tile - a bunch.
Fixed the fridge.
Fixed the toilet.
Already knew about lefty loosy, righty tighty.
Outshot my brothers out on the farm.
Know that women bring out the best in men.
Understand that raising multiple sons requires frequent calm trips to the ER, drywall patching skills, and good motherly advice (like: don’t bleed on the carpet).
Know that being married for 23 years requires the same (change that to wifely advice).
Taught three boys to drive stick.
20/20 hindsight - we should have installed that urinal.
Know that fishing isn’t about fish.</p>
<p>Hope you fellas will let me hang around.</p>
<p>mom2three, fine qualities all. U’r in. Now, belly up to the bar, the first round is on me. </p>
<p>To THE DUKE.</p>
<p>Now, we just need more pro athletes here in the Cave. Anyone lurking here on CC who has a story to tell of when they stared down Rollie Fingers with the game on the line?</p>
<p>OK, onto Today in Manly History:</p>
<p>The Place: a small village in Central Ireland. The Year: 1734. The Men: Paddy O’Toole and Seamus Callahan</p>
<p>Paddy, the local blacksmith, is busy finishing an order of horseshoes. Seamus, his apprentice, accidently drops a load of iron on Paddy’s foot. In his anger, Paddy throws a new horseshoe in Seamus’ general direction and gets ready to start chasing him around the shop. He is distracted by a “ringing” sound, and sees that the horseshoe he threw has landed around a tent peg outside the shop.</p>
<p>Laughing, he says to Seamus: “Sure’n begorah, that’s a fine throw”
Seamus: “Aye, but more luck than skill involved in the outcome”
Paddy: “Fey, sure’n I could do it again, easily”
Seamus: “Care to make a little wager, me buck-oo?”</p>
<p>They step outside with a few more of the new horseshoes, and Paddy tries again. He doesn’t circle the peg with the shoe, but lands a few inches away.</p>
<p>Paddy: “That be close enough. Pay me”
Seamus: “Aye, it be close, but no ringer. I give you only 1 point for that. You have to do better me friend. And sure’n I can beat ya”</p>
<p>They spend the rest of the day, throwing hoseshoes at a stake in the ground. Their work is forgotten…</p>
<p>Here’s to Paddy and Seamus, the inventors of horseshoes and one of the best ways a man can spend his time goofing off outside. May we always be “close enough”. A Guiness in their honor…</p>
<p>Now, Washdad will probably come along and let everyone know that this is the day that Jack Daniels first unvieled his Tennesee Whiskey to the world, or some other real important event in manly affairs…</p>
<p>a pickup. That’s a good idea. Smaller sized for large city driving. But big enough to get a sofa and 4x8. I just don’t think that young man should be driving a compact sedan. </p>
<p>another p and q.</p>
<p>LongPrime, The patronage of the Man Cave salutes your niece. What a story she has to tell her own. “Yeah, back in the day, I had a shot at making the Olympics” She’ll always have 2012. Where the heck are they supposed to be then?</p>
<p>Barkeep, 'nother round of whiskey for all my manly friends.</p>
<p>To LongPrime’s niece and 2012.</p>
<p>Today in Man History: Teddy Roosevelt led his Rough Riders to victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill in 1898.</p>
<p>…“drywall patching skills”…</p>
<p>Nah, at our house (son’s bedroom) they are proud remembrances of growing up…</p>
<p>R: Hey B, remember that day you stole my Nintendo game when I was playing</p>
<p>B: Yeah, and you got mad and rammed my head through the wall</p>
<p>R: Haha yeah, you have a big, fat head</p>
<p>B: Wonder if Mom ever found the hole?</p>
<p>M: Uh, yeah, long ago. Ain’t fixing it until you guys move out. Lets not tell Dad ;)</p>
<p>Cheers to my kids’ hard heads and still being loving brothers.</p>
<p>I was in a recently purchased bar & grill. Changing from a Hawaii Pizza motif to a Sports Bar specializing in Buffalo wings. I told the new owner, that does not excite me, Try Elephant or Rhino wings. </p>
<p>So how about pickled toes.</p>
<p>OK, the manly-est of holidays fast approaches. Got the essentials ready to go: meat for the BBQ, beer for the friends (myself included), sparklers for the little kids, higher grades of explosives for the “bigger kids” (again, myself included), lawn chair, fire-making device, fire pit, first aid kit, and fire extinguisher (Like a good scout, always prepared). I even got the steel wool and wire.<br>
I know what u’r asking: steel wool and wire? Well, family tradition from my old man. Every July 4th, he would entertain the family on the cheap by tieing steel wool to the end of a 10’ piece of wire (securely), lighting the steel wool, and spinning the string lasso style at his side. Sent a wheel of sparks 50’ into the air.
Neighborhood tradition where everyone on the block would come down to watch (perpendicular to the “wheel of fire”), and stayed that way until the year my brother parked his car (72 Cougar) too close. As we walked away after the Grand Finale, we noticed flames coming from under the hood! </p>
<p>Stupid brother! Ruined it foreveryone!</p>
<p>Anyone else have some “family traditions” for the 4th involving old-school fireworks and explosions?</p>
<p>A few years, during the 4th, I had to take my sister’s dog from the beach house to high into the coastal mountains, so that the dog wouldn’t have a heart attack. Reminded me the times when my wife and I had a disagreement. </p>
<p>Here’s to keeping the Loyal and Faithful dog happy. </p>
<p>Its gonna be a big Fourth at the Beach. Weather is predicted to be awesome. Stars will add to the backround. If the California smoke lingers, it will add a neutral sky. We are only 1000 miles north of Big Sur.</p>
<p>Staying home this time. The next generation is having a beach party.</p>
<p>Our local newspaper this week had pictures of before and after with a large tomato and a firecracker. It was supposed to be so the fire department could show kids how dangerous firecrackers are.
All anybody at my breakfast table could say was “Cool! I wonder what an M80 in a watermelon would do?”
Yeah, good way to not get kids to buy firecrackers!</p>
<p>We had some good times in New Orleans some years back nearly burning the neighbors house down with misdirected high powered roman candles. But we don’t talk about that in public… firemen might remember.</p>
<p>I have yet to see any “don’t try this at home” public service announcement that doesn’t make my entire Y chromosome’d set say “COOOL!!!” </p>
<p>Dave Barry… he had a whole series of articles about cool guy stuff.
Deep fried turkey did NOT become popular because it’s delicious. Tim the Toolman understood. MORE POWER. THAT IS THE KEY.</p>
<p>If there’s no chance of an ambulance ride at the end, it’s just no fun.</p>
<p>All we need now is either a catapult or trebuchet. Throwing heavy things filled with M-80s. We can even combine it with skeet shooting, just so we can be doing lots of cool things at once. Now THAT would be a fun July 4th!</p>
<p>PIMA: “Honey, you just crushed and blew up the neighbors’ outdoor shed”
Me: “Yeah, I yelled “Pull”, shot off the flaming couch stuffed with M-80s, but WashDad only got only a grazing shot. Iwon’t tell you what happened to the other neighbor’s Porshe…”</p>
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<p>Wow, can I come to your 4th? Seems like lots more fun that our staid municipal display. At our house one year we had an easter egg decorating contest… bride egg, painted american chopper egg, etc. D2 won with the “trebuch-egg”, which flung Easter all over Grandma’s kitchen.</p>