Guard Dog

Did they think they were in practice?

I've seen enough. Count me in. Besides I haven't bought or played a new game since Skyrim. I'm due. Wait this isn't MMO is it? If it is forget it. NI.

Lady GD & I were supposed to go to Michigan yesterday. The weather held us up and we missed out flight. She was mildly disappointed. I was secretly overjoyed. Today she went shopping and I cut firewood then walked down to the river and just watched it roll by for a little while with the dogs. Next I'll feed the rabbits and start thinking about dinner. Thinking of bbq chicken on the grill.

I guess right away when I first saw that. Even if they guy were a total fool and made the sign for real, someone at the rally would have "corrected" him. You gotta admit though, it was funny.

Speaking of conspiracy theories, here is a beaut: http://www.thenation.com/blog/196697/conspiracy-theory-surrounding-seahawks-last-play# Why is it so hard to accept that the Seahawks did everything they could and just had a bad outcome? In the real world doing everything that can do done and doing it correctly only sets you up for success, it does not guarantee it.

It's a funny thing because you can make a nice amount of money but you don't even realize it because you're not seeing it. You're so worried about the next customer, the next contract, taxes, compliance, the never ending pressure of the biggest pressure of all: capital expenses, the next payroll, your next paycheck (because especially in the start up your own salary IS a capital expense). But it is a good feeling when you suddenly realize your quickbooks spreadsheet shows more revenue coming in than expenses going out. The hard part is surviving long enough and managing well enough to reach that point. In the end you really get paid off when you sell the business. Either partially to partners/investors, or lock stock & barrel. I've started four businesses now. One was a complete disaster. I lost all my seed capital, all the money it never made, my wife & my home. The next two fizzled but I came out ok. The last was an unqualified success that made up for the other three.

It is just about impossible to start up a business in America these days. The idea I have is just cost prohibitive without some serious financial backing. And considering how the last venture turned out I don't want partners. Last time my partners wanted to sell after just three years of profitability. Yes we all made a nice bit of money on it but the whole buy low sell high dichotomy requires that you sell when value was highest. We were still growing. No more partners. Of course that means no business it seems. I could afford to go it alone if (and they are big ifs) we generate enough business for EBITA to exceed the seed by 18 months, and if I can keep capital expenses low enough to not run out of cash before then. The former is a real longshot, the latter just a fools hope. I was in this situation once before. I pushed my chips into the center of the table and lost on a business venture I had my whole life savings (granted I was only 26 at the time) wrapped up in. Not doing that again. I'm getting off the entrepreneurial treadmill this time. I think I'd just like to get a job with a steady paycheck again. It's been awhile. You don't make as much money but you don't have to worry about making nothing. Or I could just by a Dunkin Donuts franchise. I've never seen one of those go out of business.

I'd be very surprised if future contracts and personnel decisions had anything to do with play calling. Especially in a championship game. With 14 seconds and 1 timeout in the pocket. The Pats were stacked for the run so Lockett was likely to be in single coverage. It wasn't a terrible play call. Inside slants are high percentage plays when the linebackers commit to the run. Had Wilson thrown a little more to the right or had Lockett snatched it away we'd be talking about what a brilliant call it was to deceive the Pats into run defense. But Butler made a great play. You have to like Lockett's chances matched up against a walk on rookie. But that's how championships are won, players make great plays. If I were Tom Brady I'd give that kid the truck he won as MVP. He wouldn't have it without him. Of course if I were Tom Brady I'd be rounding 2nd right now with Gisele rather that talking to you guys.

Looking into start up costs of a new business venture. This will be selling/installing/maintaining elevated obstruction lighting. Tower lights, FAA compliance, etc.

I'm reading the book at the moment, its very compelling. I recommend it The book is definitely on my to-do list

Mickeys?

Going to see American Sniper in a few.

The mystery of the Cold Creek monster will stay a mystery it seems. I walked down to the creek bed this morning and I easily found where it happened but I’m still not sure what happened. The only tracks I could find were dog. I followed the creek all the way to the river and back and found signs of chipmunks, deer, squirrels, even raccoon. All harmless to two large dogs. Don’t know what to say on this one.

Nope, their eyes are still brown.

Actually Grom you might have just dropped the biggest clue of all. My first thought was coyote because we are hip deep in those. But Both Tommy & Sunny are a fair bit bigger than the average coyote and if there was more than one I'd have heard them. Plus whoever heard of one coyote on it's own? Nah if it was a coyote, even two or three I think they would have been the ones running. I thought it might be a bear, although I've never seen hide, hair, track nor tell of one. And they would have been more injured if it were. We don't have big cats like mountain lions but we DO have bobcats. That is the most likely I think. They are smaller than either dog but they do pack a lot of fight in a small package. Plus whatever it was turned back both dogs without making a sound. I only heard them. Of course that doesn't rule out they fought each other, but I think Bobcat makes the most sense. Like you guys I was quite creeped out by this whole thing. When the sun comes up I'll take a walk down there and see if there are any tracks.

Something strange happened an hour ago. I let my dogs Tommy & Sunny out to do their business. I'm standing on the porch waiting for them when suddenly Sunny gets this look on her face and goes tearing off down the hill and into the woods near the creek. Of course Tommy is right after her. Knowing that nothing that interests her so could be good I grabbed a flashlight, a small mini-mag light and go after them calling them back. I get half way down the hill then hear the most hellacious dog fight ever. It lasted a second or two then both of them came running out together, bolted past me towards the house. I called them over and except for a scratch on Sunny's muzzle they were both fine, although a little wet and muddy. I seriously doubted they scuffled with each other so now I was curious what the hell just happened. I started down the hill towards the woods and I got to the edge of the treeline when I noticed neither of them was with me. The were both at the top of the hill by the house watching and I could hear Sunny whining. These two follow me EVERYWHERE. But they would not get near those trees. This made me even more curious so I walked into the treeline. The first thing that struck me is it was dead quiet. No birds, no crickets, no leaves rustling. Just the sound of the creek which suddenly seemed unusually loud. I took two more steps in and realized this was not a good idea. It's pitch dark, I have no weapon of any kind and a small flashlight powered by 2 AA batteries. I'm wearing no shirt and sweatpants & flip flops. I'm in no shape for fight or flight if there IS something nasty enough down to turn back both of those two big dogs. So I got the hell out of there. I took the pups inside and cleaned them up but I was still very curious. I went upstairs to my office in the loft, pulled a chair to the window and opened it and set my Winchester .300 on the sill. It has a Nikon P223 scope which has a unusually large aperture for a rifle scope so it's good in low light. I watched the treeline for a good 40 minutes but nothing ever came out. Don't know what the heck it was and that is one mystery that may never get solved.

Now that is strange to me, family that enjoys seeing one another. I'd go armed if mine wanted to meet up I hear you. My family is so long out of touch it would take a team of private detectives to track them all down!

Every time I hear they are remaking Ben Hur I just cringe. You know they are going to screw that up.

Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) is my favorite movie. Totally agree. They content they cut for the theatrical release turned a good movie into a great one.

My wife's family is having a reunion next weekend. In Michigan. WTF? Don't they have enough sense to go somewhere warm? Actually I thought she said THIS weekend at first. That would be trouble because there is something happening Sunday that is kind of a big deal to me.

Or neither. I was going to say, it really depends on the stock. Is it typically stable? Exactly. If I put all my money in Apple odds are after a year I'll be real close to what I had to begin with.

Or neither.

Get a pizza with Tuna, its almost like catching a live fish? When I lived in Ft. Lauderdale there was this little hole in the wall pizza joint that had a "Shipwreck Pizza". White sauce and seafood. It was so f'ing good!

Small mouth bass, bream, & speck are the most common fish in Cold Creek & Lauderdale River. You can catch carp & gar occasionally but I don't care for them. They get put back.

I went fishing today. Yadda yadda yadda, were not having fish for dinner. Looks like a pizza night.