Friday Flash 55.....

Flailing about like a spastic marionette,
she was powerless under the vice-like grip clutching her throut.
Nostrils flaring... Eyes of unbridled rage!
Cheap whiskey and FEAR were the only smells present!
"Why me"...She thought
(fading)
"Oh God".....She knew him!!!!!!!
Yesterday...
Late for work...
Ran over neighbors dog...
Didn't stop...
(fade to black)



Happy Halloween Everybody!!!
If you or anyone you know has written a Friday Flash 55...
Please come tell The G-Man!
I will visit, read, enjoy, comment, haunt you, Then BOOK!!
So from the most eerie host from coast to coast....
Have a safe and Fun-Filled Week-End...
BOO!!!!!

Thursday Portrait.....

Whats that boy trying to say?


Hehehehehe...Pretty sneaky eh?


Peace...!!!

Retro-Wednesday.....

See the radio in the top pic?
It's a Philco Model 48-1256.
It became known as General Marshall's Radio because it was one of only two radios that he kept in his home.
General George C. Marshall lived from 1880-1959. He was Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the 3rd Secretary of Defense.
Winston Churchill called him the "Organizer of Victory" for the Allies in WWII. The plan for reorganizing Post War Europe was called The Marshall Plan...After him!
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. On a short list of greatest American Military leaders....he is ALWAYS on it. He lived in Leesburg Virginia, and you can tour his home now.
The radio is no longer at the Leesburg Estate because on my last visit to Virginia, I carted it sight unseen right out the back door. The radio now resides in Flint Michigan in my family room!
The top opens up and is a record player as well.
Of course the record player still works...
Of course the radio still works...
Of course I didn't steal it...Mines in better shape!
Although you would never know it due to my piss-poor photography!
This is one of the few items that I'll NEVER sell...
It's a beautiful piece of furniture!
Peace...!!!

I'm A Victim Of Coycumstance......

Holy Shit people....
I've been reamed more times today than Elton John!!!
It seems that Blogger had chosen last Friday NOT to publish at least 3 of my comments on Friday Flash 55. And those are just the ones that I've been made aware of. This is very disturbing to me. I take great pride in answering ALL of the Friday contributors. Now I can't say that I haven't missed a few late entries, but for the most part I'm pretty good about such things. On JeNN's, and on Larry's, viewer approval had to be OK'd by the author. I can see where comments could be lost in Blog Hinterland. But on Fandango's, I don't know what happened. I absolutely remember reading and commenting on EVERYBODY's 55 last Friday!!
Lets get another thing straight....I LOVE Friday's posts!! I LIVE for Friday!!
I even have my Halloween 55 already written!! I never ever get mad about anyone's comments about how silly, naughty, or groan causing my modest offerings are.
This embarrassment caused by Bloggers technical glitches makes me terribly NONPLUSSED!!!
So hear me now...If you do not get a comment from me by Noon on the following Saturday after posting a Friday Flash 55.....Let me know, PLEASE.

This weeks TMI Tuesday is being postponed a week due to this SNAFU...Sorry!

Peace...!!!

Pick-Up or Delivery........

Hi Everybody....
I hope you stayed nice and dry this week-end.
It was a soaker here!
I'm not much of a fan of franchise pizza places. There is a little mom and pop place in Flint called Sicily's, that has been in business for over 50 years. They are only open from 3-11pm Tuesday-Sunday...Closed Monday. You can not go in thru the front door, you have to go in thru the back door and thru the kitchen. It's just like somebody's home, AND they make you feel like one of the family!
My favorite pizza is an extra large with extra pepperoni...$19.65 with tax. It may seem a bit steep, but the crust is to Die For! It's thin, it's chewy, it's very limp and pliable in the NYC tradition. The sauce is tangy, and the pepperoni is spicy but the quality is so high that you never get heartburn. The best part is that it is just as good cold, as it is hot.
Do you have a local pizza joint that blows the franchises out of the water?
Tell me about it, and your favorite toppings.
Peace...!!!

Friday Flash 55.......

The dyslexic nurse was quietly sobbing in the lounge...
'Whats wrong honey'
"Waaaaaaaahhhhhhh...I think i'm in b-b-big trouble...Read this chart".
'ROOM 212...Two pills every eight hours'.
"I g-g-gave him eight pills every two hours!"
'ROOM 214...One pill every six hours'.
"I g-g-gave him six pills every hour."
'ROOM 216....PRICK HIS BOIL?????"



If you or anyone you know has written a Friday Flash 55...
Please come tell The G-Man!!
I will visit, read, enjoy, comment...Then BOOK!!
So from the most gracious host from coast to coast...
Have a Kick-Ass Week-End!!!

Thursday Portrait.....

I really enjoy MGD/64. But yesterday I heard that Budweiser came out with a new light beer that had less calories and carbs than Miller. Bud Select 55!!
Bud Select 55...?
WTF...???
That reminds me......

Peace...!!!

Retro Wednesday......

Last week a fraternity brother of mine stopped by the dealership for a test drive. After he was finished he asked me to follow him out to his car, because he had something to give me. To my surprise, he had the 2ftx3ft composite picture that hung in our frat house meeting room. He said that I probably saw more people from the past than he did and asked if I wanted it...Of course I wanted it!
I served and held many different positions in the frat while I attended college, and during this semester I was The Chaplain....Hehehehe...Reverend Galen!!!

Pax Vobiscum...!!!

TMI Tuesday.....

Last weeks TMI Tuesday about Henry VIII was such a big hit, I thought I'd follow it up with another exploding King tale...

As all history buffs know, the last time an army successfully invaded England was William The Conquerer in 1066. He was sometimes known as William the Bastard(out of earshot of course), and despite a lifetime of warring and bloodletting, survived to the ripe old age of 60!! And the irony of it all was, he died because his horse stumbled on some hot cinders, and thrust his corpulent body against an iron pommel, mashing his left testicle, and causing fatal internal injuries!!
But wait...Theres more!
His body was then transported to Caen France for burial, and it was an unseasonably stiffling Summer, and you guessed it, his body exploded in the cathedral!
The stench was so great that the church quickly was evacuated, This panicked the guards stationed outside, and in all the confusion a fire broke out in the neighboring dwellings, and the guards AND the pall bearers had to help put out the fire leaving poor William all alone rotting in the Cathedral at his own funeral!!
In 1562 looters stole everything from Williams tomb, including most of his body. Eighty lears later a new monument was erected, but all that was left of the king was a femur, and thats what is buried there to this day.
I think next weeks story will be about the glories of embalming...Hehehehehe
Peace...!!!

Week-End Fun.........

Hi Everybody...
I hope your Week-End was Kick-Ass!
As You know, I have TWO Passions in life, and I enjoyed both of them to the MAXX these last couple of days!
Saturday at the game it was Sunny but a high of 44.
Sunday was a Grand day for an Autumn Color Ride...WOW!!!
Have a Great Week.....G

(Hehehehe...Helmet Hair)

Friday Flash 55......

Orion and Alnitak, leaning against a lamp post, somewhere in The Milky Way....
"Hey Baby...You're HOT"!!
'Hubba, Hubba'...!
(Aquarius walks right by, not even turning her head)
They both shouted...."Canis Major"!!!
"Whoa"!!!!!
'What'?
"Check out this fox coming our way".
'Fox...? She's a Dog'.
"Dog...? Are you Sirius"?
'I'm not....But she is'!!



Siriously, if you or anyone you know has written a Friday Flash 55...
Please come tell The G-Man.
I will visit, read, enjoy, comment...Then BOOK!!!!
So from the most Spacey host from coast to coast....
Have a Stellar Week-End!!!!!

Thursday Portrait.....

When my brother Mark was deployed to Kuwait about 6 years ago,
My nephew Kurtice came and lived with us. Him and Reese are only 2 years apart, and they are very close. Well, Mandy is married and lives abroad, Reese attends the local Junior College, and Kurt just enrolled in Airline Mechanix Trade school. My brother lives up north in Oscoda about 160 miles away, and the school is about 40 miles south of here, we have lots of room so I invited him to live with us again until he finds a place closer to his school. He is a fine young man, and he is no bother at all. I asked him to pose for a pic for old Uncle Galen's blog, and he agreed. But I think he is trying to tell me something.....I wonder?
Peace...!!!

Retro Wednesday......

Growing up in Michigan, you got used to buying beer in party stores, drug stores, gas stations, grocery stores, just about anywhere!
But being so close to Canada, (Sarnia Ontario is only about 50 miles away)we did a lot of fishing and travelling in that fine country, and we were quite aware that one had to purchase Canadian Beer at what was then called The Brewer's Retail. A few years back they changed it to The Beer Store!
Prior to 1984, All Canadian beer bottles were the 'pop-off' type. In a box by the cash register, they kept beer openers that you could put on your key ring. They either gave them away, or they sold for about a nickel, I can't remember, but that key ring in the middle pic, has a 'Church Key' attached.
I've had this key ring since about 1975, and the teeny tiny screw-driver, I've had even longer.
Hehehehehe...'Church Key'! I bet it's been a while since you've heard that term eh?
Peace...!!!

TMI Tuesday.....

According to Mel Brooks..."It's good to be the King"!
I'm gonna let you be the judge...
At age 22, Henry VIII contracted small pox.
At 33, he had his 1st of many bouts with malaria.
At age 44, he hurt his leg while jousting, they thought it healed. Later the wound reopened, became ulcerated, and that lack of movement caused Henry to become unable to exercize. The result was his weight Blimping up to about 320 pounds.
Eventually both his legs and feet became infected with ulcers.
He suffered from insomnia, temper swings, sore throuts, and migraines!
Henry spent the last 8 days of his life bedridden and too weak to even lift a glass to his lips.
The room that he was in reeked from the stench of his bursting leg ulcers, and his gangrenious toes!
Following his death, he was transported to Windsor for burial. Because of the heat, his humongous body filled with gas and burst while in the casket en route. When it was discovered the next morning, legend has it that 'dogs were licking his remains'!
Oh yeah that reminds me...I saw Zombieland this week-end.
What A Hoot!!
Woody Harrelson was PERFECT for his part.
And Bill Murray had a BRILLIANT cameo appearance!
Hope you enjoyed this episode of...TMI Tuesday!!
Peace...!!!

Looooong Week-End.......

Hi Everybody....
I hope you are enjoying this Grand Week-End...
I took a few days off from work to visit some very dear friends, and I happen to be in the Great Commenwealth of Virginia!
In my past travels, I have probably been to Florida perhaps as many as 30 times. One of my 'Must Do' things when I visit is to patronize the ABC liquor store. They have a marvelous selection, and they are LOTS cheaper than Michigan. It's almost like going to the duty free. I was very pleased to learn that there are ABC's here.
If you remember my Retro Wednesday post of last week, I posted some info about Absinthe. Well guess what I came across yesterday? This is the legal version of Absinthe, distilled using real Wormwood, and produced since 2001. I have yet to see this up north, so I thought I'd give it a try.
The other thing I purchased was some Bourbon.
I LOVE a good sipping Bourbon, and this brand is HALF as much as Maker's Mark, or Basil Hayden, Or Knob Creek. My Bourbon's of choice!
I bet Michael Vick doesn't order this brand.....CHEERS!!

Remember...Always drink responibly, and NEVER drink till you puke!
Thats why any concerned folks out there never need worry about me becoming too enraptured with the evils of John Barleycorn. I HATE puke, and all talk of puke!!

Peace...!!!

Friday Flash 55.....

And this years Blue-Ridge Garden Society's winner for 'Best in Show' is...
Margaret Strichnine for her beautiful Virginia Rose.(Rosa Virginiana)
Please come accept your award Margaret!
..."Well firstly, I'd like to thank my long time gardener. Who after many years of service, had to suddenly leave town"....
(Yeah, she thought...And he's still fertilizing!!)



If you or anyone you know has written a Friday Flash 55...
Please come tell The G-Man!
I will visit, read, enjoy, comment....Then BOOK!!!
So from the most gracious host from coast to coast...
Have a Kick-Ass Week-End!!!

Thursday Portrait........

Yesterday late afternoon...
I received an E-Mail from my daughter.
"Hi Daddy, we went to Saltzburg last Week-End. What a beautiful city!
Oh, BTW...Did I mention that it's Fucking OCTOBERFEST?? IN AUSTRIA!!!"
*sniff*....My Little Girl!

(While I'm having a MGD64 on $1.25 Cheap Domestic Night)

Peace...!!!

Very Retro Wednesday......

Absinthe....
The Green Fairy!!
In 1915 The United States and all but 7 or 8 countries around the world, banned the manufacturing and importing of this strange and exotic beveridge.
Most of the great literary minds, and artists of the late 19th century, loved sipping this very potent potable!
It is distilled from different herbs, but primarily Artemisia Absinthium or Wormwood!
It has a very strong Anise flavor, and there is a sort of 'Ritual' to drinking it.
You pour about 1/3 of glass full of Absinthe, and across the top of the glass you lay a slotted spoon. Next you put a sugar cube on the spoon, and very slowly pour ice water over the sugar cube until it dissolves. The Absinthe turns a milky cloudy white, and then you sip it!
You have to be careful with this stuff because some of it is as high as 75% alcohol!
And the Wormwood has a drug in it called Thujone. This is why it was banned, it packed such a wallop that many of the great artistic minds of the day turned into raving lunatics. Lautrec, Van Gogh, Monet, and Oscar Wilde to name a few.
It wasn't banned as a drug, oddly enough Wormwood was banned as a food additive.
A less-powerful version of Absinthe has been used for years...Pernod!
The bottle that you see in the last 2 pics, I have had since about 1989. I imported it from Great Britain, but it was made in The Czech Republic. I imported 3 bottles in all, and over the years I have pulled them out and did the 'Ritual' when I wanted my guests to feel 'Bohemian'..hahahahahaha.
As of 2007, Absinthe is no longer vilified. In fact you can now legally import it and even manufacture it in The States. But the Thujone level is quite low in the Wormwood used.
This stuff that I have is ASS-KICKIN!!

Ahh...La Fe'e Verte...Sacre Coeur!!!

Peace...!!!

Yeah, They Played Saturday.....

It's no secret that I BLEED Maize and Blue!
My family bleeds Maize and Blue!
MOST of my friends bleed Maize and Blue!
I've had season tickets for over 35 years!
Last year Michigan hired a new head coach, hired a whole new coaching staff, and adopted a whole new offensive scheme. They stumbled to an awful 3-9 season, and lost to all of their top rivals.
Michigan is one of those teams that people just LOVE to hate.
There doesn't seem to be any gray areas either, great success brings a bit of jealosy, thats why most people outside of New York HATE the Yankees!
Over the years, whenever Michigan loses to one of their rivals, the very second the game ends my phone starts to ring...And ring...And ring!
Saturday was no different! The Sparties were crawling out of the woodwork!
Now I don't know if all this hoopla is because Michigan lost, or it's because Mr. Knowitall's team lost. You don't think that my blog name was picked at random do you?
I sort of have this reputation ya know, real or imagined, People just LOVE to prove me wrong. I'm like a gun-slinger from the old west, I have this bulls-eye imbedded in the middle of my back, and people are just waiting for me to slip up.
Oh I'm sure some of it is warranted, being right all the time does have it's drawbacks. One of my "Galenisms" is...'I don't know EVERYTHING, but what I DON"T know ain't worth knowing'! Yeah...I know. Pretty egotistical eh? Well...? What am I supposed to do..LIE? If I know the answer, I know the answer! Here's another 'Galenism', "I'm NOT smarter than anybody else, I'm just Older"!!
That is absolutely the truth...hehehehe. It's no secret that I love to have fun, and that means having fun with my own personna. After all...'If I'm so damned smart, why ain't I RICH'?
Michigan is still rebuilding, they have a Quarterback that was in High School last Christmas. They were not expected to go undefeated. They were not expected to start the season 4-1. They are not expected to go to a BCS Bowl. They lost Saturday. They will lose probably this Saturday as well. As they will lose several other Saturday's this year. But make no mistake...Michigan WILL return to football prominence!!
After all...
They are the WINNINGEST team in NCAA history
They have won 42 Big Ten Championships
They have won 11 National Titles
Until last year, they had 43 straight winning seasons
And until last year they went to 34 straight bowl games!
The Michigan Winged Helmet is THE most recognized Sports Icon in the WORLD!
Hail To The Victors is The GREATEST fight song EVER written...
Every dog has it's day...Get your licks in now.
I've seen Michigan lose many many times over the years, and I'll be disappointed again I'm sure. But one thing is certain...The Cream ALWAYS rises to the top!!
To all of those that texted me Saturday, to all of those that felt necessary to rub it in on my previous post....Thank You Very Much! I'm sure I deserved it....
Peace...!!!

There's A Nip In The Air.......

Hi Everybody...
Well, the calender says it's October.
Theres ice in the bird bath..
The Mums are blooming..
Remember the wild pumpkin that sprouted up next to my porch a few weeks back?
This is what I ended up with..Weird looking isn't it?
The sky is gray, the leaves are about to explode with color.
I guess it's time to put the lawn chairs, and the grills inside for the Winter!
I picked up the New Dan Brown book for 40% off list price.
Time to curl up by the fire and enjoy a good read.
There is a bumper crop of Apples and Tomatoes this year..
I think an Apple Crisp, and some BLT's are in order for supper tonight...
Enjoy your day off...
Peace...!!!

Friday Flash 55.....

It was a dreary December Midnight.
He sat slumped in his chair, too tired to read any longer, the forgotten lore of his lost love Lenore.
A shadowy intruder sat perched on a bust of Pallas Athena.
In delerium he screamed..."Lenore...Lenore! When will I see you again"?
Just then, his Dark Companion whispered.....



If you or anyone you know has written a Friday Flash 55...
Please come tell The G-Man!!
I will visit, read, enjoy, comment, Then BOOK!!!
So from the most gracious host from coast to coast...
Have a Kick-Ass Week-End!!!!