Thursday, July 29, 2010

I am a rock hard manly man (stop snickering). And I have my very own bathroom. Not one of those trendy 40 foot long bathrooms with two sink basins that are so popular now, but a for real mans bathroom all to myself. I am lucky I know. It’s a little smallish but fully functional. It’s a mans place.. Well except for the shower curtain.

My amazing wife was in charge there. And she hooked me up with not one but two shower curtains and two shower rods. A real one inside where the water hits and a cloth frilly one with tiebacks over the outside. That ones true purpose is to vex me daily when entering and exiting. But I accepted it as the price of privacy. And I never have to contend with panty hose... Ok?

I like a HARD, FULL spray from my shower. And I have that. But that itself added one other slight problem. The towel rod at the far end still gets very wet, making it useless for my drying towel during the showers.

So I solve that problem by placing my folded towel on top of the rods next to the far end wall. That works well more than 99% of the time. But every once in a while,, not often, maybe three times a year, usually due to my carelessness, the towel falls to the floor. Like it did today. So in the all the years we have lived here how many times do you think the towel falls outside the shower? NONE never!! And it only falls after the water is on, my back is turned and I have shampoo and soap everywhere.

What are those odds? And why is that?

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

What is on my Ipod this week?

I generally don't do tracks or mix cd's each of these are complete cd's

In no particular order


  1. Jars of Clay: If I left the Zoo
  2. Switchfoot: Hello Hurricane
  3. Mercy Me: Almost There
  4. Stryper: Murder By Pride
  5. Jethro Tull.: J-Tull dot Com
  6. Robert Simon: Latin Passion
  7. Randall Bramblett: Meantime
  8. Marillion: Los Trios
  9. The Mulberry Purple: The Mulberry Purple
  10. Creed: Full Circle
  11. Rodney Crowell: Fates Right Hand
  12. Saga : Human Condition
  13. Todd Fields: Todd Fields
  14. Scott Mosher: Deep Horizon
  15. Joe Satraini: Surfing with the Alien ( unofficial artist of A-control)
What is on yours?

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

25 years in a motel.

That headline may seemed like it was talking about me some years ago. No I really didn't live 20 years in a motel but I did live in one eight months once. I wasn't married in fact I hadn't yet even met my bride to be. But the 4 room suite I lived in was a comfortable home.

I read today of a British couple, man and wife, have been calling a roadside motel home for more than 20 years. Why? "We never have to do the laundry or cooking", they said.

David Davidson, and his wife, Jean first tried out a Travelodge hotel while visiting a sick aunt way back in the 80's -- and became instantly hooked.

Their home ...er 'room' is near Grantham, on the A1 motorway between London and Edinburgh. They have a grand view ... of the parking lot. Well actually if they look beyond that they can jazz it up a bit by watching the trucks that rumble past
day and night.

"We get great rates, now because we book well in advance in fact years in advance and we even have our own personal housekeeper. It doesn't get much better than that, does it?"

The husband was a former sailor in the Royal Navy so maybe that is why the small living space doesn't bother him. The wife added "We do have to be a bit choosy about what we keep in our room as it can fill up easily."

The couple figure they have spent around 100,000 pounds renting which works out to as little as 15 pounds a night. The couple reminded everyone they don't get hit with huge heating bills over the winter.

Ten years ago the motel renamed their room The Davidsons' Suite and mounting a plaque in the reception to mark their 10-year anniversary.


Some people may think David and Jean Davidson are totally bonkers to have spent
the last 25 years living in a hotel. But the amount they have spent is about the same as people would spend on their mortgages, but with no housework and no
utility bills. What's not to like?"

Thursday, July 22, 2010

It all started way back in 1962. Frane Selak, a music teacher, was traveling on business from his home to Dubrovnik on the train. Inexplicably the train jumped the track approaching a bridge and plunged down the ravine into the icy river below. Seventeen people were killed but Selak managed to free himself from the wreckage and swim ashore, bruised, battered and with a broken arm he then fought off hypothermia until help arrived. He was just glad to be alive.



One year later in 1963, Frane was once again traveling on business in a plane between Zagreb and Rijeka when the door blew off the plane which sucked Mr. Selak out of the aircraft. Moments later the plane crashed killing all 19 aboard. Selak woke-up in the hospital with only minor cuts and bruises having landed …yes in a haystack.

In 1966 Selak was riding in a bus that hit a slick spot in the road, and skidded into a river. This time only four people were killed but once again Selak escaped with minor cuts and bruises.


Four years later in 1970 while driving along his car caught on fire. He managed to get stopped and jump to safety just as the fuel tank exploded and the car was engulfed in flames.


In 1973 while driving another car, the fuel pump failed, spraying everything under the hood with gasoline. With flames shooting out of the air vents Selak once again jumped to safety. He was basically unhurt except for the loss of the some hair. This is when his friends started calling him “Lucky”.


More than twenty uneventful years passed and Mr. Selak thought his exciting run was over. But in 1995 Frane was crossing a street when an out of control city bus struck him sending him flying onto the concrete. He got up and walked away, suffering only minor injuries.


1996 turned out to be exciting as well. While driving on a mountainous road near his home he was met by out of control United Nations truck heading straight for him. He quickly chose to drive his car into a rail to avoid the head-on collision. The guard rail gave way and his ran straight off the cliff. Again keeping his wits Selak jumped from his vehicle as it plummeted 300 feet down the cliff and exploded. He landed in a tree unhurt once again.


His amazing run came into play again in 2003 when Mr. Selak decided he had enough of cheating death and at the age of 74 figured it was time live the sweet life. He went and purchased a lottery ticket hoping to get rich and retire. Wouldn’t you know it? He won! His prize was slightly more than $1,000,000 dollars from the Croatian National lottery. “I know God was watching me over all these years. I am the world’s unluckiest man, or the world’s luckiest man,” says he insist preferring the latter. He bought a house, a new car and a boat. He then married his long time sweetheart, his fifth marriage. Reflecting, “My marriages have been disasters too. “



In 2004 an Australian Television company offered a staring spot in a series of ads for Doritos, but he turned them down fearing the flight to Sydney and not wanting to “test his luck”.

This may seven years after winning the lotto, and after having cheating death seven times, Mr. Selak decided to give away his remaining fortune. He has decided that "money cannot buy happiness" and has decided to live a frugal life.


He sold his luxury home on a private island, and has given away his fortune to family and friends and moving back to his old modest home in Petrinja, south of Zagreb.


He did keep a small part of his winnings for a hip replacement operation so he could enjoy life with his wife and also so he could build a shrine to the Virgin Mary to give thanks for his luck.

Mr. Selak said he has never been happier.

"All I need at my age is my Katarina. Money would not change anything," he said. When we got married, “I knew then that I really did have a charmed, blessed life.”


What do you think? Lucky or Unlucky!


*as of this writing Mr Selak is still alive and enjoying a hopefully quiet retirement with his wife in Petrinja.