“Flawtography By Dan” - Episode #009

Don Rickles

Wow – the man still looks great, even though he’s damn-near 100! Granted, this picture was taken when we saw him perform at The Golden Nugget in Old Vegas a few years back…

You can read my review of the show from the archives:

http://thatdanguy.blogspot.com/2007/10/so-second-and-last-show-we-had-pre.html

The man was friends with Sinatra after all, which is why we wanted to be sure he didn’t spot us snapping this photo. We had no plans for "sleeping with the fishes" on that trip.

However, we did take it, and now it always brings back great memories of the show!!

Please, ask permission if you plan on using it anywhere...

Chow for now!

09 29 11

Hmmm...11 11 anyone?

I am personally standing my ground against the impending departure of summer here in our neck of the woods. It’s not much of a stand I will admit, but wearing shorts to drive Mrs. That Dan Guy to work in the morning (it was 0℃ this morning) was a tad brisk in the leg areas, even as hairy as these tree stumps of mine are known to be.

We’ve got one more nice day in the 20+ range tomorrow, before we descend into weather worth weeping over. It will be wet. It will be cold. It will be enough to make a polar bear want to hibernate until summer.

At some point I will have to pack away my shorts - but until that lowly day arrives, I remain defiant. Frostbitten, but defiant.

Chow for now!

Man, do I ever want to go to Vegas. Just sayin’...

:-(

Anyhoo....

Having some problems with Facebook - my updates seem to be posting to the actual site, but NOT to my mobile version - especially frustrating as I try and track activity on my latest interview posting.

If technology isn’t really trying to kill me, it is at least whacking my knees with a police baton everytime I look towards the light.

Somedays you feel like cabbage in a Slap Chop...

Chow for now.

Sorry for the delay posting today, just finished loading a new interview:

http://thatdanguy.libsyn.com/

Check out the first part of my interview with author and humorist Gordon Kirkland - Part Two later this week!

Chow for now....

There are many types of beans. You’ve got your Navy beans. Pinto beans. Pork ‘N Beans. Never Bean To Spain.

I enjoy many of the members of the bean family. I especially enjoy the Cut Yellow Wax Bean, native to tin cans in grocery store aisles. Growing up, we ate many homogenized items like canned Cut Yellow Wax Beans. “The Blander, The Better” pretty much summarized our family kitchen’s choices.

However, we were talking about beans. Somehow, I got a bit off course.

At any rate, it’s bean swell talking about this topic :-)

Until tomorrow...

Chow for now!!

Hey, I found an old weekly newspaper column of mine online, who knew??

http://eventpub.com/stories.php?id=149719   

It seems to speak a little about my Flawtography series, I think :-)

Chow for now!!

Chicken Scratch

(posted on behalf of the still-slumbering weekend guest blogger, Charlie Chicken...)

Zzzzzzz......

Who’z yer Daddy.................

Zzzzzzz......

aaaaawk....

Zzzzzzz......

(Hate to disturb him - he looks so peaceful. And far less likely to cause trouble.)

Zzzzzzz.....

Cluckin’ squirrels.....

Zzzzzz.....

(I stand corrected...)

Cluck fer now.

Bo Peep Update

When last we visited "once upon a time", Bo Peep had lost her sheep. They had shed their GPS tracking devices, disabled Herbert the sheep dog, and vamoosed off to Palm Springs.

Peep hired a mysterious Detective Wolf to track them down, without realizing that he might have ulterior motives in skewering her concerns.

What a woolly situation!

We pick up from there....

The sheep had boarded a plane to Palm Springs, cashing in their "Rainy Day"  fund, which they had originally planned to use to purchase a large vat of rust for the sheep shears. Once one of them figured out all they needed to do was leave the shears out in the rain, a new plan formed - a spa weekend in Palm Springs!

However, the plane began to leak fuel shortly after takeoff. To avoid disaster, and a massive potential buffet of lamb chop offerings, the pilot rerouted to the closest airport - right beside a meat processing plant....take from that what you will...

Bo Peep bought more sheep. But they kept disappearing mysteriously, under the watchful eye of Detective Wolf.

Herbert, the sheep dog retired. His plane did land in Palm Springs...

Chow for now!

11’s Everywhere!

I guess it has been a little while since I’ve commented (ranted, rambled) about the 11’s that continue to appear all around us. So, here’s a quick tale from yesterday.

At the hospital yesterday for Mrs. That Dan Guy’s day surgery, it is typical to get assigned a pager, before you are called in to see the doctor, Sort-of like Red Lobster, but without the enjoyment of scalded seafood.

Well, the receptionist made a big presentation out of giving her Pager #...11! Which was bizarre enough, until I went to take a picture of it on my i-Phone.

Which is probably an even more bizarre thing, but let’s stay with the story please...

That was when we noticed, as you will see from the photo, that it was Picture #111 of 111.

Give me a freakin’ break!!

It is relentless. If only we knew what it meant, we may be able to use it to steer ourselves away from the iceberg we keep circling back to lately.

There were more 11, 11 11, and 11 11 11 moments yesterday, but we’ll stick with this one for now.

Chow for now!!

Mrs. That Dan Guy is having a benign lump removed today - and it’s not me! Wahoo!!

Chow for now...

Are mountains like teeth? They can sort-of look like a tooth sticking up from gums (grass), but I’m haven’t seen giant dentists working on one, so maybe they aren’t like teeth at all.

Just wondering...

Chow for now!

I've got a:

-lovely bunch of coconuts?
-a tiger by the tail for you?
-never-ending song of love?
-concerning rash in an awkward location?
-a brand new pair of roller skates?
-feeling?
-home?
-new attitude (oo-oo, oo-oo-oo)?
-particularly itchy, concerning rash in an awkward location?
-crush on you?
-name?
-woman? Way across town?
-whole lotta livin' to do?

Random song lyrics starting with "I Got A..."

Chow for now!!

“Flawtography By Dan” - Episode #008

The Common Muskrat (native to Alberta)

I’ve mentioned the muskrats we’ve come across in our neighbourhood several times before. I’ve seen two, and coming home from work late one night, Mrs. That Dan Guy spotted TWO together, walking along the road in the dark.

Well, she had the presence of mind to take a picture on her cell phone, and voila! The common muskrat, as it is classified here. There must be swankier muskrats elsewhere, but it is still exciting to spot even a common one.

It’s easy to see from the picture why I thought the first one I saw was a beaver – they are almost identical, aside from the tell-tale flat tail on beavers.

Nature – it is often all around us!

 
Please, ask permission if you plan on using it anywhere...

Chow for now!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie Chicken...)

YAAAAAWN!!!!

Man, had tha weerdest dream lass nite. I wuz eatin’ tha world’s biggest marsha-mellow.

Go figure - them REM’s can be downright wacky!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Well, better git goin’...

HEY!!


WHA..............

AHHHHHH!!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Cluck fer now!!

Once upon a time, little Bo Peep lost her sheep. Earlier in the day, they were grazing in the pen, just like they had been for months before.

Then the other day, when Peep went out with her clippers to harvest a little wool for a scarf for Fang (her new boyfriend - apparently tattoos don’t do much for warding off fall morning chills...), they were all gone - vamoosed!

Worried about her little darlings, Bo Peep tried tracking them on the GPS devices installed in their necks - but that led to a collection of GPS devices at the bottom of the well, where also she spotted Herbert the sheep dog - something was clearly amiss, for the young Miss...

Realizing that her sheep had given her the slip, Peep enlisted the services of a local tracker, who (unbeknowst to her) was really a wolf with a taste for...KABOBS!!!

Will the sheep return from their wild weekend in Palm Springs, wagging their tails behind them?

Will Detective Wolf feast on skewers and rice pilaf?

Does Fang even want a stupid wool scarf?

Stay tuned kids...

Chow for now!

Look Out, Ole Mackie’s Back In Town...

I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet that my Mac has sprung back to life, thanks to an incredible warranty program I wasn’t aware of previously. It is heartwarming, let me tell you, as working back on my Windows Vista computer was decreasing my own forehead lifespan, and forcing Mrs. That Dan Guy's eyeballs into a near-permanent upward roll.

However, I am using it sparingly, until I can afford to purchase a back-up device. I lost everything when the former hard drive crashed, so I don’t want a repeat this time around. I know that I can always download or view kittens playing the piano from Youtube, but it is comforting to have them reside (virtually) on my own computer.

However, I did produce the entire Scott Valentine interview on Garage Band, which was a first - cool, cool software. I look forward to more experience in that format of recording and editing software.

Now I just have to conquer i-Movie, to make the video version of that interview for my CIAO Network (Clearly, I Ain’t Oprah).

Coming soon, campers!!

Chow for now...

Stage West Calgary

"Shady Business" review

Shady Business is unrelenting fun at Stage West

Don't forget to check out my (free) audio interview with star Scott Valentine - either click on the photo montage above, or subscribe for free in i-Tunes (thatdanguy's podcast).

Chow for now...

Clearly, I have no shame.........

Chow for now.

There is increasing evidence that supports the theory that I am making up stuff whenever I start a post with "there is increasing evidence".

Furthermore, if I really want to expand on a thought (or theory), I simply say "furthermore" when I start the next sentence..

Finally, when I reach the conclusion of one of these preposterous ramblings, a simple "finally" allows me to wrap up my thought process, then press "Publish Post", and I can get back to watching The Game Show Network. Who doesn't love reruns of classic game shows??

There you have it - another grueling episode of typing and formatting, for Such Is Life. The effort here is truly inspiring!

Chow for now!!

Chicken Scratch

(posted by weekend guest blogger Charlie....chicken???)

QUACK!!

Cluck fer now...

I think I'm living with Dr. Doolittle!

Mrs. That Dan Guy has a particular soft spot for animals, and whenever I'm with her, the entire forest seems to pop out to say hello!

The other day, we were driving along, and turned into a subdivision with tall grass on the boulevard. What do we spot?  A friggin' falcon, or hawk - who knows these things unless you're an ornithologist, or whatever bird professionals are called?? We got to snap a few pictures (pretty crappy from the i-Phone 3GS, just sayin'...) before the lineup of traffic behind us got rather surly.

Last night, driving her home from her brutal shift ending at 1:45 AM (don't ask), we spotted first a deer frozen beside the road (pretending to be frozen. He/she was definitely very alive and well), then a fox looking very disoriented on the road before scampering off into the shadows.

When we got onto our own road, she noticed a rabbit. But it turned out to be, as she proclaimed, a herd. We counted at least 10, but there could have been more. We either disturbed a gang turf war, or a local union rally. Neither of us have ever seen so many rabbits congregating in one place at the same time before.

Dr. Doolittle....

Chow for now!!

Who put the clock on steroids??

Man, it was August just the other day, and now we are stampeding pell-mell towards the middle of September. At this point, my tomatoes will be ketchup by Saturday afternoon.....

Now, if only we could arrange to smell a few roses here and there along the way - our current state of affairs here in the Such Is Life household is primarily fragrance free as the roller coaster of our lives plummets straight towards a brick wall at the bottom of the loop. Aren't there supposed to be brakes on rides? 

Oh well, I guess we bought our ticket, now we just have to see where the ride is going to take us. I'd like to be selling pencils on the street corner BEFORE the snow flies, but what will be will be. Just like that old song, "Kay Syrup Syrup".

Whatever will be, will be...

Chow for now!

I haven’t had a chance to play around with it yet, but I keep getting a pop-up about the “New, improved” user interface here at Blogger.

“New, improved” typically means “more confusing”, “familiarity completely removed”, and “new, imps moved everything”....

I can’t wait to take the time to switch over, and try to find everything that was already so nicely set up, and easy to use.

Technology has clearly ordered a hit on my mental well-being...

Chow for now!!

“Flawtography By Dan” - Episode #007

James Gandolfini

It’s not every day you get a chance to stand less than a few feet from a charismatic actor. However, Mrs. That Dan Guy and I were fortunate enough to be in that very scenario during a trip to NYC. This was shot outside the theatre after seeing Gandolfini perform in “Gods Of Carnage”.

An exceptional play, by the way…

I am always taken by the precision modern technology affords in these once-in-a-lifetime moments. You really have to click and open the picture to appreciate the quality!

Please, ask permission if you plan on using it anywhere...

Chow for now!

I've got ewe, under my skin. Man, them lamb kabobs are tasty!!

Chow for now....

Chicken Scratch

(posted a day late by an apparently surly weekend guest blogger, Charlie Chicken...)

BUMPED AGAIN!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

These dad-blasted plays keep bumpin' ma pluckin' column, an I ain't standin' fer it NO MORE!!

NO MORE, I tells ya!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

I'm gonna write a play a ma own, so next time Banjo Boy thinks he kin pluck ma pinfeathers, he kin go get stuffed!! He'll be writin' a re-voo uv one a MY productions!!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

Yessir, Ole Charlie has a few idees up his own sleeve, if I ackshually had sleeves. Or arms even.

Who doesn't like them lovable ammimals, espeshully barnyard ammimals? How about a romantik comedy, featuring a wide asortment uv 'em, an ensembled cast, so ta speak??

Horse meets, cow, let's say - cow interested in donkey, an noble chicken makes everything all right - set ta music?? SOLID GOLD, BAYBEE!!

BUK-AAAAWK!!!!

I'll give y'all sumthin' ta see, lemme tell ya! "Sleepless Inna Saddle". "You've Got Mule". "Pasture Prime"....Ok, that lass one might be stretchin' thins a bit...

Well, I got me sum seriious studyin' ta do. I need to write a hit play by next weekend.

Fetch me sum seed - ma brain needs feed!

Cluck. Fer now... 

Stage West Calgary

Shady Business

Scott Valentine

The Saturday Morning “Somebody-Asked-Me-To, So-Here-I-Go” Entertainment Review: Stage West Calgary’s production of

“Shady Business”…

This is going to be a tough one. For once, I really have no idea how I’m going to make two entirely different reviews – the one for this space, and then another (more professional, far more detailed, less use of “I looooved that chewy fish stuff in the buffet…”).

You see a farce, unlike a musical, depends on the element of surprise to succeed. If I told you about all the exceptional plot twists and turns that build to an entirely unexpected conclusion in this terrific production, it would spoil the outing completely. Aside from that really tasty chewy fish dish…

So, let me just stick to a few basic facts – even though this is not a musical, there is not a sour note to be heard from start to finish. For that matter, there is no one particular stand-out member of the cast, as each character does a wonderful job in the role assigned. Almost everyone of them gets a chance to showcase as well, which was nicely thought out by the playwright (Robin Hawdon).

I suppose much of this can be blamed (or credited, is that a better way to phrase a compliment?) on first-time director J. Sean Elliott, who is well familiar with the concept of farce, appearing here at the recent Stage West production of “Move Over Mrs. Markham”, another well-pace, well-played…umm, play.

NOTE: Shameless Plug Alert – you can hear Mr. Elliott talk about that farce and much more from our audio interview in my archives, at:

http://thatdanguy.libsyn.com/  Scroll, down, it’s near the top…

Back to “Shady Business” – I wish I could expand on the mistaken identity bits, the creative fast-talking that the various cast members utilize to sidestep each new hurdle that arises in their deceptions, and the surprises that you really don’t see coming until it all wraps up. Kudos to casting, as star Scott Valentine is surrounded by actors that make the whole effort believable and enjoyable.

I purposely will not mention actor Sheldon Bergstrom here yet again, almost stealing the scene during what amounts to the highest stakes game of Charades you will ever see, never once even saying a word himself. I’ve commented on that gentleman far too often as it is…

“Shady Business” – once it all starts to fall together, the fun is relentless!

As soon as my official “Calgary Herald” review is available as an online link, I will post it here, and then later this weekend I have the pleasure of sitting down to interview Mr. Valentine – so come back for that link as well!  

Chow for now!

Sorry for today's much-delayed post. There was an Internet outage earlier, and then I just couldn't pry myself away from Judge Joe Brown...

During commercials, I read an interesting newspaper article on the famed Australian bank robber (and killer) Ned Kelly - whose life, like all notorious villains throughout history, has been turned into a film. He was hanged over a century ago (131 years), which would have made him just a little bit younger than Cloris Leachman, were he still alive today.

His last words? "Such is life"!!

 I kid you not - I did not know that....

Chow for now!!

First post of September! So many topics, so little space…

Well, that’s a damn lie. There’s plenty of space, but I always try and figure out how to fill it as quickly as possible, so I don’t miss too much of “The Price Is Right”, or other informational programming on daytime TV.

For today’s instalment, I thought I would share a link to my monthly column that runs across Canada – which is meant for the real estate industry, but if you network at all in your professional or personal life, may tickle your funny bone as well:

http://www.remonline.com/home/?p=9715

I define networking as extending connections with colleagues and/or industry partners, enhancing your social standing, or ensuring that the pizza delivery driver continues to arrive at your door even after you’ve paid him with a bag of empty pop bottles in the past.

You will likely find nothing helpful in this piece to help in any of those instances, but hopefully you will find a laugh or two…

Chow for now!!