joe randel's art dump

I’ve decided to watch all the episodes of the Simpsons from start to finish.  I used to watch them every Sunday back in the mid 90’s but slowly stopped as college took over.  I knew I’d seen a lot of them but I didn’t know exactly how many full seasons since most where in reruns.  Well I’m in to the 7th season and so far I’ve seen every single episode, which I’m kinda shocked about.  I figured there would be a episode here and there that I would have missed, but so fat that hasn’t been the case.

I thought that watching the first ones would have been really painful, but I quite enjoyed them.  I’ve actually been having a great time rediscovering all the really good episodes.  The one with Blinky the fish or where Marge fights cartoon violence.  I really like the one where Lisa gets a substitute teacher.  Flaming Moe’s is also and awesome episode (you fell on Aerosmith!)  as is the baseball one.  Mr Plow, Homer gets Apu fired, Bart and Lisa play Hockey, Homer’s Mom… I could go on  and on.

Not sure when I’ll get to an episode I haven’t seen.  I imagine it should be in the next season or two.  I know everyone says how bad the writing got, but I haven’t come across it yet.  So far it’s been all aces.  Anyone else out the Simpsons fans?

So this year in my area, we’ve had hardly a winter.  I don’t think I’ve seen a winter that has as little snow as this had.  Which is a shame because I love winter.  It’s my favorite season.  I love the silent snow and the way it turns the world to crystal.  ~sigh… oh well.  It’s time to move on because it’s so frigg’n warm now that we’ve actually been able to get out and clean up and get the gardens ready.

We’ve never been able to get it done this early so it was nice to get a head start on things.  We tilled the back beds and cleared out anything that was left over from our tree removal last year.  Then we moved to the front where I cleaned up the lawn (damn thatch) and then we tackled cleaning up the front beds as we decide what to do with them this year.

We’re not the best gardeners.  We struggle a bit as we try and find things that will grow as we would like, but we’re learning and we’ll keep trying.  Maybe we’ll have the beautiful gardens that we want some day.

Happy Saint Patties Day everyone!  To be honest, I don’t know what this day is all about other then four leaf clovers, leprechauns and anything green.  Is it really a celebration of the Irish culture because to me it just seems like an excuse to drink green beer.  Anyone out there who comes from Irish decent that can explain to me what St. Patrick’s day is REALLY all about?

One thing I fail at is keeping contact with people or sending a reply to an email.  I usually have the best of intention in replying right away, but I often end up putting it off and sometimes forgetting entirely.  I don’t mean to and I’m sure people think I’m a jerk for not getting back to them.  I would think so too to be honest.  I’m doing my best to correct this in myself.  If I get an email, I respond as quick as I can (I hope I don’t miss any).  I’m also here to say that if you’ve ever not received a reply to an email you’ve sent to me, I’m truly sorry.  I hope to turn over a new leaf with this bad habit of mine.

How are you with replying to emails?

In my life I’ve had the pleasure to know two chronic liars.  It’s hard, because you want to believe them, but you know you just can’t.  Aside from the chronic liars I just can’t stand those that tell those blatant pointless lies.  I hate it when you just know that the person is lying to you or you discover it later.  In my head I always think… why?  Why did you feel that you needed to lie to me just now.  It’s crazy!  I just don’t understand it.  In my childhood I was brought up to tell the truth.  That’s what you do.  I’m not saying that I’m perfect, please don’t think that I am.  I’ve told a lie or two in my life, and when I do I feel sick and nauseous.  It’s not good.  I’ve seen through others that when trust is broken down it can take a long time to build back up… if you’re that lucky.

Sometimes I’m to trusting of people though.  I want to believe that they’re telling me the truth and I give them the benefit of the doubt.  I guess there are still lessons I need to learn about trust.

I am not one.  I do know others that are though.  I know or have known people that bath after they come home from any place.  Refuse to touch public bathroom doors or public transportation hand holds.  I don’t remember seeing hand sanitizer everywhere when I was a kid.  When did we become a society with this fear to touch things or what others might have?  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not mocking those that have a sensitivity to these situations.  I’m sure they’re far cleaner then I and are sick way less then me.  I just wonder how we, or they, got to be this way.  I’m not concerned about what I might touch or catch when I’m out side of the house.  I’m not licking the bus seats and I’m not sneezing in to my hand and then shaking others.  But it’s not a concern for me.  I think I place most blame on the media for it’s fear mongering.

Are you concerned about touching things when you’re out of your house?