The things we do ...

The things we do ...

... because we love our children we wear the silly hat and enter it in a contest in front of a crowd ... and sometimes we win a prize ...

We compromised and got the cat ...

We compromised and got the cat ...

There was a scene in TV show "The Rules of Engagement" that I saw on a commercial. Basically, the married male character said something like the following:

"She wanted a cat,
I didn't want a cat,
so we compromised,
and we got a cat."

I only saw the commercial as I see little actual television, but it made me laugh more than it should because for all intents and purposes that is how I ended up with the cat.

Mr. Hamilton Tigercat.

So now ... we have become "used" to each other. He glares at me sometimes. He hates it when I bring Dasher up on to the couch, in fact it creates enough tension for him that he turns his back to me and her but will still not give up his spot. My book boxes are his favorite target even though he has a scratching post I soak regularly with catnip. But, he is the kids' (mostly Mantha's) cat and I take good care of him.

Tiger was a cute little kitten ... now he is a destructive force of nature that I should have had de-clawed when I had him neutered ... (Well, maybe not de-clawed, that is mean to a cat.)

I still like to chase him around with a sword and threaten to eat him with ketchup. (My attorney is horrified by this ...)

He's 4 ... and he came into my life 4 years ago today. I have a feeling he will live longer than any other mammalian pet I ever get ...

"The Best Dressed Real Man in America 2007" (TM)

"The Best Dressed Real Man in America" (TM)

Okay, so I decided to go ahead and enter the ESQUIRE (TM) Magazine "The Best Dressed Real Man in America 2007" (TM) online competition ...

All I had to do was answer a couple of simple questions, post three photos, and be willing to fess up that I had entered a contest of this nature if anyone saw it online or if by some strange twist of fate that I would actually win ...

My answers ...

... will hopefully make it at least to the online portion ...

http://www.bdrm07.esquire.com/

+++++++

Update 4/19/07 4:44PM

online ... wow ...

http://esquirebdrm.com/index.php?viewID=167

(the link above may not remain in effect after May of 07 ....)

"weg" is not a word, even in SCRABBLE (TM) ....

"weg" is not a word, even in SCRABBLE (TM) ....

I had to try.

I really did.

I was losing at SCRABBLE (TM) recently during a scotch and SCRABBLE (TM) party and found myself late in the game with a seven letter word - which means a 50 point bonus to those of you who don't play - and so I had no choice but to wait and hope I could find a place to place the winning word. As the board gets filled it can be harder and harder to place a big word.

I passed a turn.

The last tile was pulled from the bag.

I had to lay it down ...

So I placed my word and hoped that the spot I had to lay it down on would not be challenged.

84 points and the win was mine ...

But, it was challenged. Had it not been the final move in the game my buddies would have let it slide and my bluff would not have been called. The risk of losing a turn in the middle of a close game and given our collective knowledge of obscure words no one actually uses ....

(Okay, the guys I play with know tricky lame words that are legal like "xu" and the sort, so when I played "weg" I had to hope that my bluff would not be called ...)

"weg" is not a word ...

Oh, and for the record ...

Oh, and for the record ...

I go out dancing a lot; western, swing, sometimes even salsa. There are women that I really like to dance with that I have become good friends with. Recently, I have been going a lot more again after a period of burnout. In and of itself, that is not the issue ... the issue is that there are "perceptions" people get based upon that dancing and who we hang out with when we go out ...

... and for the record, just because I have really good dance chemistry with someone, it doesn't necessarily mean anything at all off the dance floor.

I have already spent a good deal more time lately dealing with things that are not true. It is time to spend more time just doing what I want to do. My conscience is clear in this matter, since I know I have not done anything to give off an impression that is not true ...

... and while there are far worse things in life than having people think that there is something quietly going on between you and a pretty girl ... it still isn't fair to anybody when that goes around.

So, I am going to keep going and doing what I have always done and let people think whatever they want, since they are going to anyways.

"Paging Mister Robert Hookcross ..."

"Paging Mister Robert Hookcross ..."

"Table for Mister Hookcross is ready ..."

"Telephone call for Mister Hookcross ..."

"Bob Hookcross, please come to the front counter ..."

Heh ...

Why I hope ...

Why I hope ...

... Barry Bonds smashes the home run record this year.

I fully understand that it is possible, likely even, that Barry Bonds is not clean.

I fully understand that Barry Bonds rubs people the wrong way.

However ...

I hope he smashes the home run record and never tests positive.

Why?

It is simple really ...

... sportswriters ...

Sportswriters created him and they have reached a level of self-righteousness bordering on sickening now that it is convenient.

And ... as long as he never tests positive, then there should be no asterisk.

The Modern Groom's Guide to the Neurotic Bride

The Modern Groom's Guide to the Neurotic Bride

As a part of my ongoing effort to archive my publication history I present to you, fair reader, a series of articles which should have been a book but never made it ...